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Mammootty's Rorschach hits all the right notes, except in the end | Movie Review
#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...
Current world events seen through the clarifying lens of the LORD's inerrant prophetic word. The Lord's Word proclaims a series of 'latter days' events leading to the second coming of Jesus Christ and the establishment of His Kingdom upon the earth in this generation.
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A Syrian man carries his two girls across the rubble following a barrel bomb attack on the rebel-held al-Kalasa neighbourhood of Aleppo in September 2015 (AFP Photo/Karam Al-Masri) (AFP/File)

Beirut (AFP) - Syria's civil war, which has killed more than 270,000 people and forced millions to flee their homes, erupted in 2011 when government forces turned their weapons on protesters demanding political change.

The following are 10 key dates in the brutal conflict:

- 2011: Revolt and repression -

- March 15: Unprecedented protests inspired by the Arab Spring erupt, demanding reform after 40 years of iron-fisted rule by President Bashar al-Assad's family.

- Security forces crack down on protesters in Damascus and Daraa, known as "the cradle of the uprising", where 100 people are reportedly killed on March 23.

- The regime claims it is cracking down on "an armed rebellion" by radical Islamists, while Britain, France and the United States denounce the repression.

- Protests spread, with demonstrators calling for Assad's ouster.

- 2012: All-out war -

- July 17: Moderate rebels from the Free Syrian Army declare that the battle for Damascus has begun, but the government holds its ground.

- July 19: Rebels launch an offensive in the northern city of Aleppo, which has since been divided between rebel-held neighbourhoods in the east and regime-held districts in the west.

- 2013: Hezbollah admits role -

- April 30: Hassan Nasrallah, chief of the powerful Lebanese Shiite group Hezbollah, acknowledges that his troops are fighting in Syria in support of Assad.

- 2013: Chemical attacks -

- August 21: Hundreds of people are killed in chemical weapons attacks targeting rebel bastions near Damascus. The West accuses Assad's regime.

- In September, the United States and Russia agree on a plan to eliminate Syria's chemical weapons, narrowly heading off US strikes.

- 2014: Rise of the jihadists -

- January 14: The jihadist Islamic State group, which emerged in Syria in 2013, seizes Raqa, the first provincial capital to fall out of regime control.

- June 29: IS declares the establishment of an Islamic "caliphate". It later claims numerous murders, including of Western hostages.

Story continues

- September 23: The US and Arab allies launch air strikes on IS in Syria.

- 2014: The fall of Homs -

- May 9: Syrian troops recapture the Old City of Homs, after a two-year siege and near-daily bombardment. Rebels withdraw.

- 2015: Kobane liberated -

- January 26: Kurdish forces backed by US-led air strikes drive IS out of the flashpoint town of Kobane on the Turkish border, after months of fierce fighting.

- 2015: Al-Nusra spreads -

- March 28: Syria's Al-Qaeda affiliate, Al-Nusra Front, backed by rebel allies, seizes most of the northwestern city of Idlib, the second provincial capital after Raqa to fall out of government hands.

- In May Assad says that such setbacks do not mean the conflict is lost, but in July he acknowledges the shrinking ranks of his army.

- 2015: Russia intervenes -

- September 30: Russia launches air strikes on Syria, saying it is targeting "terrorists" including IS, but it faces accusations of hitting non-jihadist rebels and civilians as it seeks to bolster Assad.

- 2016: Ceasefire -

- February 27: An unprecedented "cessation of hostilities" comes into force. It applies to combat zones between Russian-backed regime forces and non-jihadist rebels, but does not apply to the more than half of the country's territory that is controlled by extremist groups.
SYDNEY (Reuters) - New Caledonia will remove restrictions on the sale of nickel ore to China, according to a report in the Australian newspaper that cited no sources.

The move frees miners in the French territory from having to rely on Queensland Nickel (QNI), one of Australia's biggest nickel refineries, which was recently put into voluntary administration.

New Caledonia has long resisted selling ore directly to large consuming countries such as China, to preserve its domestic smelting and refining industry, a main source of revenue for the South Pacific French Territory.

But a steady decline in nickel prices (MNI3) is putting pressure on New Caledonia's three smelters, owned by Glencore (GLEN.L), Vale (VALE5.SA) and Eramet (ERMT.PA) subsidiary Societe Le Nickel, cutting export revenue for the government.

Combined, the three smelters supply 10 percent of world demand.

(Reporting by Wayne Cole; Editing by Larry King)
Copenhagen (AFP) - Denmark's famed Noma restaurant may have been voted the world's best four times, but it is no longer top in its home country, according to foodie bible the Michelin Guide.

The latest Nordic edition of the French-based guide, unveiled Wednesday, gave its prized three-star rating to another Copenhagen eatery, the Geranium -- the first in Denmark to receive top Michelin marks.

Noma, which was named best restaurant in the world by Britain's Restaurant magazine in 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2014, was left with only two, still impressive but the same as last year.

Geranium's top chef Rasmus Kofoed, who received one of international cooking's most coveted prizes, the Bocuse d'Or, in 2011, opened his bio-friendly restaurant in 2007, won his first Michelin star in 2012 and his second a year later.

In Denmark, the latest Michelin rating did not surprise gastronomes, who spoke of Geranium's consistently superlative standards.

"Noma makes food into a plaything, its dishes are too all over the place to get three stars. They serve entertaining cuisine, but there is a little too much banter and jokes for Michelin," the editor-in-chief of Gastro magazine Jesper Uhrup Jensen told DR public television.

France's "La Liste," which collates the views of about 200 gastronomic guides and websites, puts Geranium at 173 in its global rankings, ahead of Noma at number 217.

The only other Nordic restaurant to receive three Michelin stars is Oslo's Maaemo, which also got its top rating this year, joining the exclusive club of just 116 three-star eateries worldwide.
(Recasts, adds airline and union reaction, two-person rule)

By Tim Hepher

PARIS, March 13 (Reuters) - French investigators have recommended tougher medical checks for pilots after uncovering fresh evidence of unreported concerns over the mental state of a German pilot who crashed his jet into the Alps last year, killing all 150 people on board.

France's BEA air accident investigation agency said a doctor consulted by Germanwings co-pilot Andreas Lubitz had recommended two weeks before the disaster that he should be treated in a psychiatric hospital.

The unidentified private physician was one of a number of doctors seen by the 27-year-old as he wrestled with symptoms of a "psychotic depressive episode" that started in December 2014 and may have lasted until the day of the crash, it said.

Investigators believe Lubitz, who had a history of depression, barricaded himself into the cockpit and deliberately propelled his Airbus jet into a mountainside on March 24, 2015.

The BEA said in its final report on Sunday that neither Lubitz nor any of his doctors had alerted aviation authorities or his airline about his illness, for which he was being treated with anti-depressants.

It urged the World Health Organization and European Commission to draw up rules to oblige doctors to inform authorities when a patient's health is very likely to impact public safety: if necessary against the patient's consent.

It also called for tougher inspections when pilots with a history of psychiatric problems are declared fit to fly.

None of the doctors who treated Lubitz agreed to speak to French or German crash investigators, the agency said.

"In Germany and in France, doctors are very attached to this notion of medical secrecy, but I hope there will be some moves there," BEA Director Remi Jouty told a news conference.

At the same time, the BEA called on airlines to find ways to ease the risks for pilots who may fear losing their job for medical reasons, such as loss-of-licence insurance.

Story continues

Germanwings parent Lufthansa said it already offered insurance against medical grounding for young pilots.

GUIDELINES QUESTIONED

The report threw the spotlight on medical confidentiality guidelines in Germany in particular, a country where privacy is a highly sensitive issue due to extensive surveillance under Communism in East Germany and during the Nazi era.

Prosecutors have found evidence that Lubitz, who also had eyesight problems and may have feared losing his job, had researched suicide methods and concealed his illness.

Lubitz had been flying on a medical certificate that contained a waiver because of a severe depressive episode from August 2008 to July 2009. The waiver stated that the certificate would become invalid if there was a relapse into depression.

But the BEA cited a "lack of clear guidelines in German regulations" on when a threat to public safety outweighs the requirements of medical confidentiality.

It said Germany should not wait for action at a European level to remind all German doctors they have the option to breach medical confidentiality and report public safety risks.

The German pilots' union Vereinigung Cockpit said strict rules on data protection must be developed at the same time as drawing up criteria for suspending medical secrecy rules.

The BEA did not recommend any changes to the construction of cockpit doors, which were strengthened after the Sept 11, 2001, attacks in the United States.

Cockpit recordings show that Lubitz locked himself in and set the aircraft on its fatal course when the captain took a toilet break 30 minutes into the Barcelona-Duesseldorf trip.

Jouty said the doors had been designed to ward off possible terrorism threats from the passenger cabin that are still considered a greater risk than pilot suicide.

In a rift with European safety regulators, the BEA declined to endorse a recommendation that there should always be two people in the cockpit, a rule introduced by many airlines worldwide in the weeks following the Germanwings crash.

The BEA said previous possible suicide crashes, such as the loss of an Egyptair jet that killed 217 people in 1999, had not been prevented by a second person on the flight deck and called for a deeper study of the security and training implications.

(Additional reporting by Victoria Bryan in BERLIN, Editing by Angus MacSwan and Stephen Powell)
By Ece Toksabay and Orhan Coskun ANKARA (Reuters) - A car bomb tore through a crowded transport hub in the Turkish capital, Ankara, on Sunday, killing at least 34 people and wounding 125 in the second such attack in the administrative heart of the city in under a month. The blast, which could be heard several kilometers away, sent burning debris showering down over an area a few hundred meters (yards) from the Justice and Interior Ministries, a top courthouse, and the former office of the prime minister. "These attacks, which threaten our country's integrity and our nation's unity and solidarity, do not weaken our resolve in fighting terrorism but bolster our determination," President Tayyip Erdogan said in a statement. Two senior security officials told Reuters the first findings suggested that the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), which has waged a three-decade insurgency for Kurdish autonomy, or an affiliated group, was responsible. There was no immediate claim of responsibility, but Interior Minister Efkan Ala said the name of the group behind the attack would likely be announced on Monday after initial investigations were completed. "Tonight, civilian citizens waiting at a bus stop were targeted in a terrorist attack with a bomb-laden car," Ala told reporters after a meeting with Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, the head of the intelligence agency and security chiefs. "Significant findings have been made, but the organization behind this will be announced once the investigation has been finalised," he said. NATO member Turkey faces multiple security threats. As part of a U.S.-led coalition, it is fighting Islamic State in neighboring Syria and Iraq. It is also battling PKK militants in its southeast, where a 2-1/2-year ceasefire collapsed last July, triggering the worst violence since the 1990s. The bombing came two days after the U.S. Embassy issued a warning that there was information regarding a potential attack on government buildings in the Bahcelievler area of Ankara, just a few km (miles) away from the blast site. The United States condemned the attack, saying in a White House National Security Council statement: "This horrific act is only the most recent of many terrorist attacks perpetrated against the Turkish people. The United States stands together with Turkey, a NATO ally and valued partner, as we confront the scourge of terrorism." Health Minister Mehmet Muezzinoglu said 30 of those killed had died at the scene, while the four others died in hospital. At least one or two of the dead were attackers, he said, and 19 of the 125 wounded were in critical condition. PELLETS AND NAILS One of the security officials said the car used in the attack was a BMW driven from Viransehir, a town in the largely Kurdish southeast, and that the PKK and the affiliated Kurdistan Freedom Hawks (TAK) appeared to be responsible. TAK claimed responsibility for the previous car bombing, just a few blocks away, on Feb. 17. That attack targeted a military bus as it waited at traffic lights, and killed 29 people, most of them soldiers, near the military headquarters, parliament and other key government institutions. A police source said there appeared to have been two attackers, one a man and the other a woman, whose severed hand was found 300 meters from the blast site. The explosives were the same kind as those used on Feb. 17 and the bomb had been reinforced with pellets and nails to cause maximum damage, the source told Reuters. The pro-Kurdish opposition HDP, parliament's third largest party, which Erdogan accuses of being an extension of the PKK, condemned what it described as a "savage attack". State broadcaster TRT said the car had exploded at a major transport hub, hitting a bus carrying some 20 people near the central Guven Park and Kizilay Square at 6:43 p.m. (1643 GMT). An Ankara court ordered a ban on access to Facebook , Twitter and other sites in Turkey after images from the bombing were shared on social media, broadcasters CNN Turk and NTV reported. SECURITY THREATS World leaders joined in condemning the bombing. British Prime Minister David Cameron said he was "appalled," while French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault described it as a "cowardly attack". Russian President Vladimir Putin described it as "inhuman," his spokesman Dmitry Peskov told Russian news agencies. "There can be no justification for such heinous acts of violence. All NATO allies stand in solidarity with Turkey, resolute in our determination to fight terrorism in all its forms," NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said. Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop said the countrys ambassador to Turkey, James Larsen, was in a car at an intersection 20 meters from where the bomb was detonated. It really does bring it home to us that a terrorist attack can take place at any time, anywhere, Bishop told Nine Network television while on a diplomatic trip to Fiji. We utterly condemn these barbaric attacks on civilian populations. It was an appalling thing for him to witness, being so close, but hes fine, she added of the ambassador. Turkey sees the unrest in its largely Kurdish southeast as deeply linked to events in northern Syria, where the Kurdish YPG militia has been seizing territory as it fights both Islamic State and rebels battling President Bashar al-Assad. Ankara fears those gains will stoke separatist ambitions among its own Kurds and has long argued that the YPG and PKK have close ideological and operational ties. In its armed campaign in Turkey, the PKK has historically struck directly at the security forces and says that it does not target civilians. A direct claim of responsibility for Sunday's bombing would indicate a major tactical shift. Islamic State militants have been blamed for at least four bomb attacks on Turkey since June 2015, including a suicide bombing that killed 10 German tourists in the historic heart of Istanbul in January. Local jihadist groups and leftist radicals have also staged attacks in Turkey in the past. (Additional reporting by Ayla Jean Yackley and Humeyra Pamuk in Istanbul, Gulsen Solaker in Ankara, Dominique Vidalon in Paris, Peter Cooney in Washington and Jane Wardell in SydneyAustralia; Writing by Nick Tattersall; Editing by David Dolan, Larry King, Jonathan Oatis and Alan Crosby)
Trump rally Chicago

A picture of a Donald Trump supporter who is giving what appears to be the Nazi salute outside of Trump's canceled rally in Chicago has gone viral, but there has been some confusion about the context of that photo.

The New York Times spoke to the woman Saturday, who identified herself as Birgitt Peterson, of Yorkville, Illinois. Peterson, 69, tells the newspaper she attended the Trump rally in Chicago with her husband Friday night out of curiosity.

"The Republican Party needs to be broken up," Peterson told The Times, "and I believe Donald Trump is the one to do it."

Trump canceled the rally Friday night because of protests in and around the event that got out of hand. Peterson says that as she was leaving the venue, she found herself surrounded by protesters who reportedly yelled at her and other rally attendees.

Peterson says one of the protesters held a sign that suggested a comparison between Donald Trump and Adolf Hitler.

Trump rally Chicago

Peterson apparently took offense to that comparison.

"They said Trump is a second Hitler," she told The Times, "I said do you know what that sign stands for?" Peterson accused the protesters of not knowing "who Hitler really was." Then she demonstrated the Nazi salute.

Peterson was born in West Berlin in 1946, according to The Times. She became a US citizen in 1982. "Absolutely, I'm not a Nazi, no. I'm not one of those," Peterson said, after her photo traveled all over the world, causing many to respond with disgust.

Story continues

The man seen in the photo with Peterson is Michael Joseph Garza, who says he was trying to guide Peterson and other Trump supporters through the crowd Friday night.

On his Facebook, Garza explains his exchange with Peterson:

I walk right up to her and say "Ma'am we have listened to you. We understand this is all a little wild but we have cleared a path for you to leave *my right hand was constantly swinging in motion, showing her the path out we made for her, as shown in the photo*" She goes, and I quote "Go? Back in my day, you know what we did-" Bam. Hail's Hitler.

People from Trump's camp, including his son, Donald, Jr., had earlier accused Peterson of being a Bernie Sanders supporter posing as a Trump fan, but that has been debunked.

NOW WATCH: Anti-Trump voters are saying this 1964 political attack ad perfectly summarizes his campaign





More From Business Insider


There have been widespread protests about Canberra's use of remote Pacific camps for asylum-seekers (AFP Photo/Peter Parks)

Two more refugees resettled in Cambodia from an Australian detention camp have returned home, the government said Tuesday, sparking renewed criticism about the Aus$55 million ($40 million) scheme.

Under Canberra's hardline policy to stop asylum-seeker boats reaching its shores, those arriving by sea are denied resettlement in Australia even if found to be genuine refugees.

Instead they are turned back to their country of departure or sent to the tiny Pacific state of Nauru or Manus Island in Papua New Guinea.

The government also struck a deal with Phnom Penh in September 2014 to take in refugees in exchange for millions of dollars in aid, a move condemned by rights groups and questioned by the UN.

Initially, only four people held on Nauru -- three Iranians and one ethnic Rohingya man from Myanmar -- volunteered to move to the impoverished Southeast Asian nation, which has a weak record of upholding human rights. A fifth, another Rohingya, later joined them.

One of the Rohingya decided to return home last October, citing homesickness. Now two of the three Iranians have also left.

"Refugees can elect to return to their country of origin at any time, which is what an Iranian couple in Cambodia decided to do recently," said a spokesman for Australia's Immigration Minister Peter Dutton.

A Cambodian immigration spokesman said the couple were "quite happy living in Cambodia, but they returned to Iran because they were homesick after a long time away".

Despite the recent departures, Cambodian officials said there are no plans to suspend the programme.

The International Organization for Migration (IOM), which is assisting Cambodia with the resettlement, confirmed that Australia has continued to fund the programme, though not all of the allocated budget has been used.

"IOM continues to receive funding from the Government of Australia to implement settlement services in Cambodia but that funding has not amounted to Aus$15 million given the limited number of refugees arriving from Nauru to date," IOM spokesman Joe Lowry told AFP.

Story continues

Australia's Labor opposition party, which supports the detention of asylum-seekers at the remote Pacific facilities, said with so few opting for resettlement the Cambodian scheme was a "dud".

"Not only has the coalition (government) wasted Aus$55 million of taxpayers' money on this dud deal, they have also left more than 2,000 people on Manus and Nauru in limbo for nearly three years on their watch," said shadow immigration spokesman Richard Marles.

Dutton defended Sydney's policy and the arrangement with Phnom Penh.

"The government remains committed to supporting the government of Cambodia to implement settlement arrangements in Cambodia and encourages refugees temporarily in Nauru to explore this settlement option," he said.
The logo of U.S. conglomerate General Electric is pictured at the company's site in Belfort, April 27, 2014. REUTERS/Vincent Kessler

JAKARTA (Reuters) - A consortium made up of Indonesia's state energy firm PT Pertamina and Japan's Marubeni Corp has signed a deal with General Electric (GE.N) for the U.S. firm to provide gas turbines for a $2 billion power plant in Java, Pertamina said.

The consortium intends to bid to build and operate the 1,600-megawatt plant, which would be the biggest gas and steam power station in Indonesia, in a tender held by state utility firm PT Perusahaan Listrik Negara in May, Pertamina said in a statement on Sunday.

The consortium has also asked South Korea's Samsung C&T Corp to provide engineering, procurement and construction for the power plant, Pertamina said. It did not give any financial details.

Southeast Asia's largest economy has set an ambitious goal of building more than 35 gigawatts of power stations by 2019, the bulk of which are expected to be coal-powered.

(Reporting by Agustinus Beo Da Costa; Writing by Gayatri Suroyo; Editing by Ed Davies)
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, pictured on March 6, 2016, exteded condolences to Americans after the Orlando nightclub shooting (AFP Photo/Abir Sultan) (Pool/AFP/File)

Jerusalem (AFP) - Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ordered Israeli diplomats to demand that world powers punish Iran for its recent ballistic missile launches, his office said on Saturday.

Netanyahu "instructed the foreign ministry to contact the P5+1 countries and demand that immediate punitive measures be taken in the wake of Iran's repeated and gross violations on the missiles issue", it said in an English-language statement.

"This is an important step in and of itself and is also a test of the major powers in enforcing the nuclear agreement," it added.

An agreement between Iran and the permanent five members of the UN Security Council plus Germany (P5+1) lifts international sanctions in return for Tehran ensuring that its nuclear programme remains purely for civilian use.

Israel strongly opposed the deal with its arch-foe, with Netanyahu warning that it would not block Iran's path to nuclear weapons.

Iran says it fired two long-range ballistic missiles on Wednesday and similar tests were carried out on Tuesday, less than two months after the Iran nuclear deal was implemented.

On Thursday, an Israeli foreign ministry statement condemned the launches.

"The development of ground-to-ground missiles with nuclear warhead capability calls into question Iran's intentions to comply in full with the nuclear agreement," it said.

Samantha Power, the US ambassador to the United Nations, said on Friday that she had asked the Security Council to discuss the matter on Monday.

The United States is "deeply concerned" about the missile tests "which are provocative and destabilizing", she said in a statement.

Under the deal with Iran that came into force on January 16, most sanctions resolutions against Tehran were annulled.

But an arms embargo and restrictions on ballistic missile technology capable of carrying a nuclear warhead remain in place, under Resolution 2231.

Iran has maintained that its missile programme is not aimed at developing a nuclear capability.
NEW DELHI (Reuters) - Cuba has not yet made a request for membership of the International Monetary Fund, the fund's chief said on Sunday, adding such a request would be considered in accordance with its rules. Christine Lagarde's comments came just days after the European Union and Cuba signed an agreement in Havana to establish normal relations, bringing the Communist-run island further into the international fold and paving the way for full economic cooperation with the 28-member bloc. Cuba was one of the founding members of the IMF until it quit in 1964. "We have not received a request by the authorities of Cuba to be included as a member," Lagarde told reporters at the end of a conference in New Delhi. U.S. President Barack Obama is due to visit Cuba this month as ties rapidly warm thaw since a 2014 detente with Washington. (Reporting by Rajesh Kumar Singh; Editing by Sanjeev Miglani and Ed Davies)
The terrorist attack in the Ivory Coast Sunday most likely targeted a US delegation led by the assistant commerce secretary visiting the country, a diplomatic source in the region tells Fox News.

Assistant Secretary of Commerce Marcus Jadotte was leading a group of Americans in Grand-Bassam, located 25 miles east of the capital city of Abidjan, including college recruiters from the University of Florida. US embassy officials from Abidjan were also included in the group, according to the source.

The delegation was supposed to arrive at the scene of the attack at a hotel popular with Westerners, Etoile du Sud. The delegation had not made it to the hotel before the attack took place.

No terrorist group has claimed responsibility for the attack, but a jihadist group called Ansar Dine, or "defenders of the faith," linked to al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb is suspected, according to the source.

The US Embassy in Ivory Coast has instructed all Americans to "shelter in place."

There is no indication any Americans have been killed or wounded in the attack, according to the source. The US ambassador to the Ivory Coast was not in the country at the time of the attack having left to attend a worldwide chief of mission or ambassadors conference in Washington led by Secretary of State John Kerry this week.

The attack in Cote d'Ivoire Sunday is the third West African attack by Islamic militants against popular establishments frequented by Westerners since November.

In November, an attack on the Radisson Blu hotel in Malis capital city of Bamako left 20 dead. A US special forces soldier assisted in evacuating the wounded.

In January, an attack in Burkina Faso's capital city killed 30 at a popular hotel including an American missionary, Mike Riddering sitting at a cafe across the street from the hotel.

The Ivory Coast attacks followed a deadly blast in Turkey. As reported by Foxnews.com, an "explosive-laden vehicle" blew up near an Ankara bus stop on Sunday, killing at least 32 people and wounding 75 others, according to Turkish security officials and the Ankara governor's office.

Related Articles
By Sachi Jenkins AUSTIN, Texas (Reuters) - Online harassment and sexism is demeaning women and can no longer be brushed aside as an ugly side of social media and the gaming industry if they are to thrive, panelists on Saturday said at the South By Southwest (SXSW) tech meeting in Austin. The gaming summit at one of the premier events on the global tech calendar had faced threats of violence, prompting organizers in October to initially suspend two panels on the subject. After facing a flood of criticism from online media firms, SXSW organizers reversed course and set up a full day of discussions on the subject. The industry has become embroiled in a movement that has come to be known as "Gamergate" in which self-described video game fans have lashed back aggressively online at criticism about sexism in gaming culture. The movement came into general public view about two years ago. Panelist Wendy Davis, a former Texas Democratic senator who lost a race for governor in 2014, said she has been a target of extensive harassment since rising to national fame in 2013 by staging an 11-hour filibuster to block an abortion restriction bill. "It's really important for the women who were subject of that ... to speak up and speak out, and to name the fact that it's happening," she said in a session titled "Women in the Media and Online Harassment." She said a flood of articles and comments were published about her personal life and appearance "that would not have even been a topic of conversation" for male politicians. Online harassment is a pervasive but often hidden from view. According to Pew Research Center, 40 percent of Internet users have personally experienced harassment online, such as name-calling, sexual harassment and stalking. Young adults are the most likely demographic group to be victims, while women are often treated unfairly and harassed, the center said. "Let's all decide and agree that it's not playing victim to call it out when it's happening. Because if we don't, we empower it to continue." Davis said. Security was tight in the venue where the summit was held, with bag checks required and police stationed in each room. (Reporting by Sachi Jenkins; Writing by Jon Herskovitz; Editing by Sandra Maler)
larry ellison

The next round of Oracle's copyright lawsuit against Google over Android will begin on May 9, and we can expect to be treated to a lot of "bombshells" about Google's Android business, Business Insider has learned.

Oracle is hoping to convince a jury to make Google pay Oracle billions of dollars in damages.

On the other hand, Google may be able to convince the jury that the Oracle Java software it used in Android falls within the "fair use" provision of copyright law.

And that would mean Google has the right to use it for free and will owe Oracle nothing.

Oracle's lawsuit was broken up into different parts  a trial on copyright, a trial on patents, and a trial on damages.

In the copyright trial so far, a jury first determined that Google did copy the code. But the judge basically overruled the jury's decision and handed the win to Google. Then an appeals court sided with Oracle and the Supreme Court refused to take the case, leaving Oracle's appellate win standing.

Now a new jury will decide whether Google had the right to use the code for free. If they decide the answer is "no," then they will have to figure out how much Google owes Oracle. Oracle originally sued Google for $6 billion in 2011, claiming that Android illegally copied part of Java, but the judge rejected the amount as being ridiculously too high.

So Oracle can be expected to go for the jugular to convince the world that it is owed a lot in damages.

To do that, we can expect Oracle to reveal a lot of juicy new details about Google's Android business.

This could include stories about how Google worried about the iPhone and felt it needed do something to own the mobile market or it would find itself out of business in a decade. Remember, Apple cofounder Steve Jobs felt stabbed in the back by Android, since Google's then-CEO Eric Schmidt was on Apple's board.

On the other hand, Google has also been petitioning the court not to allow Oracle to reveal confidential details about its Android business. So we'll see.

Story continues

Even leading up to this trial, Oracle has been revealing secretive parts of Google's Android business. In January, Oracle revealed that Google paid Apple $1 billion in 2014 to keep Google search on the iPhone.

Oracle attorneys, using their own analysts, said they thought Android had generated $31 billion for Google, with $22 billion in profit.

Larry Page

The irony is that Oracle didn't own Java when Google created Android in 2008  Sun Microsystems did.

Oracle bought Sun, and Java with it, for $7.4 billion in 2009. (Really more like $5.4 billion if you subtract Sun's cash on hand.)

That means Oracle originally wanted Google to pay Oracle more for violating Java's copyright than Oracle paid for Sun in total!

Meanwhile, this suit has put a big rift between the two companies. Oracle cofounder Larry Ellison once said, "I think what they did was  was  absolutely evil."

And Google cofounder Larry Page once said that this lawsuit shows that Oracle is a roadblock to faster progress in the tech industry. "Money is more important to them" than cooperation, he said.

NOW WATCH: Neil deGrasse Tyson reveals his best science jokes





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Donald Trump

Republican presidential frontrunner Donald Trump called for the arrest of protesters at his Saturday-night campaign rally.

His event in Kansas City, Missouri, was repeatedly disrupted by demonstrations throughout the night.

After a string of separate protests, Trump started asking his event security what happens to hecklers after they're ejected.

"By the way, what do they do? Do they arrest these people? What happens? Do they arrest them or do they just put them outside?" he asked.

Trump decided he very much wanted see the protesters, some of whom he claimed were violent, have a criminal record:

I hope they arrest these people because they're really violating all of us, OK? And I hope they're arrested. I hope they're arrested, because honestly they should be. ... I hope you arrest these people, because I'll tell you, they deserve to be arrested. And some of them are very violent. But I'm going to ask that you arrest them. I'll file whatever charges you want. Who the hell knows.

"We're going to go strongly for your arrest," he said. "And I'm going to do this from now on. Let's ruin the rest of  they're going to ruin the rest of their lives. If they want to do this, let them have a big arrest mark."

donald trump protests

Trump said he was going to call for future protesters to be arrested as well in order to dissuade potential demonstrators from interrupting his events. He stressed that some of them were "swinging" at other people.

"So I hope you arrest them and do whatever you have to do," he added. "And you know what, once that starts happening, we're not going to have any more protesters, folks. We're not going to have any more protesters."

After yet another heckler interrupted his rally Saturday night, Trump again called for lives to be "ruined":

I hope these guys get thrown into a jail. They'll never do it again. It'll destroy their record. They'll have to explain to mom and dad why they have a police record and why they can't get a job. And you know what? I'm going to start pressing charges against all these people, OK? ... The only way that we're going to stop this craziness is if we press charges. Because then their lives are going to be ruined.

Story continues

The real-estate mogul's campaign stops are frequently rocked by protesters, many of whom are upset about his comments about Muslims, illegal immigration, and other topics.

He suddenly canceled a huge Friday-night rally in Chicago amid mass protests. And earlier that day, Trump's event in St. Louis, Missouri, was also repeatedly roiled by demonstrations.

NOW WATCH: Watch the Secret Service jump to protect Trump after a protester tries to climb on stage





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cause yeah

The Russian Ministry of Defense has announced plans that it is seeking to buy five young and healthy dolphins, Russian news sources reported this week.

According to the Russian media company TASS, the defense ministry is willing to pay upward of $25,000 for the dolphins. Specifically, the Kremlin is looking to buy two females and three males between three and five years of age.

The dolphins must also be between 2.3 meters (7.5 feet) and 2.7 meters (8.9 feet) long.

TASS notes that the Ministry of Defense has not specified the reasons it is looking to purchase the marine mammals.

However, an anonymous Russian military source told Russian media company RIA Novosti that the Kremlin wanted the dolphins to add to the stocks of trained dolphins that Russia had seized from Ukraine in Crimea.

Russia seized control of Ukraine's military-dolphin division in March 2014. The dolphin division was originally created by the Soviet Union, but passed into the control of Ukraine following the union's dissolution.

After the seizure of the dolphins in March 2014, RIA Novosti wrote that the "dolphins are trained to patrol open water and attack or attach buoys to items of military interest, such as mines on the sea floor or combat scuba divers trained to slip past enemy security perimeters, known as frogmen."

Russia's interest in acquiring new dolphins demonstrates the country's efforts to perpetuate its dolphin program.

Ukraine, for its part, has been lobbying Russia to return the dolphins it seized in Crimea, stating that the dolphins did not have a choice of whether they wanted to be part of Russia or Ukraine during the Crimean referendum.

NOW WATCH: There is a life-size chocolate statue of Vladimir Putin  and he's the only one who's allowed to eat it





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* Government sources say protests top March 2015 rallies

* Protesters pack streets from Manaus to Sao Paulo

* Rallies may quicken impeachment process against president

* Protesters voice support for crusading anti-graft judge (Recast, adds details of protesters insulting opposition leaders)

By Daniel Flynn and Alonso Soto

SAO PAULO/BRASILIA, March 13 (Reuters) - Hundreds of thousands of Brazilians flooded the streets on Sunday in the biggest ever protests calling for President Dilma Rousseff's removal, reflecting rising popular anger that could encourage Congress to impeach the leftist leader.

The demonstrations were the latest in a wave of anti-government rallies that lost momentum late last year but have regained strength as a sweeping corruption investigation nears Rousseff's inner circle.

From the Amazon jungle city of Manaus to the business hub of Sao Paulo and the capital Brasilia, protesters marched in a nationwide call for Rousseff to step down, raising pressure on lawmakers to back ongoing impeachment proceedings against her that just a few weeks ago appeared to be doomed.

Police estimates from more than 150 cities compiled by news website G1 showed around 3 million Brazilians participated in the demonstrations. Some police estimates of previous protests have proved to be exaggerated.

Polling firm Datafolha estimated 500,000 demonstrators in Sao Paulo, the biggest rally in the city's history and more than twice the size of a major protest a year ago. The military police, which routinely issues much higher estimates, put the figure at 1.4 million at the height of the demonstration.

Government sources contacted by Reuters acknowledged the demonstrations were bigger than anti-government rallies in March 2015, which gathered as many as 1 million people.

In the skyscraper-lined Avenue Paulista in Sao Paulo, a sea of protesters wearing Brazil's yellow-and-green national colors chanted "Dilma out" and waved banners that read "Stop the corruption" while music blared from nearby trucks.

Story continues

"The country is tired of Dilma and her Workers' Party," said Isaias Jose Santana, 47, an industrial worker, amid the Carnival-like atmosphere. "They made us believe the party was honest and ruled for the people. But they ruled for their own benefit."

Many blame Rousseff for sinking the economy into its worst recession in at least 25 years. Opinion polls show that more than half of Brazilians favor the impeachment of the president, re-elected for a second four-year term in 2014.

Rousseff, who insists she will not quit, is the latest leftist leader in Latin America to face upheaval as a decade-long commodities boom that fueled breakneck growth and social spending comes to an abrupt end.

Ahead of the demonstrations, tensions were high after Sao Paulo state prosecutors requested on Thursday the arrest of Rousseff's predecessor and political mentor, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, on money-laundering charges. A judge still has to decide on the request, which can be rejected.

As in previous protests, Sunday's rallies were led by middle-class Brazilians angry over growing allegations of corruption in Rousseff's administration. No violence was reported.

Poor Brazilians, who form the base of the ruling Workers' Party support, have not turned out in great numbers in recent protests. But their support for Rousseff has faded as unemployment rises and inflation climbs.

"This government helped many people buy homes, cars and electronics, but we still don't have health, education and basic sanitation," said Paulo Santos, a waiter who stopped at the demonstration which packed the beach-front avenue in Rio de Janeiro before heading to work.

ANTI-POLITICAL ESTABLISHMENT

Many protesters voiced support for Sergio Moro, the judge overseeing the two-year-old investigation into a network of political kick-backs and bribes centered on state oil company Petrobras. Some held banners that read "We are all Moro" after the judge's uncompromising tactics have been criticized by the government.

The demonstrators took aim at politicians from across the spectrum, including Rousseff's opponents, as they vented their frustration with a ruling class that has been widely exposed in the graft probe, known as 'Operation Carwash'.

Dozens of companies and senior business executives have also been implicated.

The head of the opposition PSDB party, Aecio Neves, and several of his colleagues were insulted by protesters when they took part in the demonstration in Sao Paulo, local media reported.

"Brazil needs to find a new and virtuous path and we will help the country find that path," said Neves, who narrowly lost the 2014 election to Rousseff and has called for new polls.

In Brasilia, protesters inflated a giant doll of Lula wearing a striped prison uniform and chained to a ball that read "Operation Carwash". Police estimated about 100,000 protesters took part, but that figure could not be independently confirmed.

For Brasilia-based political analyst Leonardo Barreto, the massive scale of Sunday's demonstrations could accelerate impeachment hearings in Congress. "Today's protests give legitimacy to this process," he said. "If the government fails to react, impeachment will move faster."

Popular discontent grew in recent weeks after a ruling party lawmaker reportedly testified under a plea bargain and accused Rousseff and Lula of trying to hamper the Petrobras investigation.

The corruption scandal has already strained Rousseff's ties with her main coalition partner, the Brazilian Democratic Movement Party (PMDB).

At its national convention on Saturday, the PMDB said it would decide in a month whether to break with the government. Party insiders said the mood of the country would be decisive.

If Rousseff is impeached by Congress, the leader of the PMDB, Vice-President Michel Temer, would take office.

In an effort to analyse the fallout from the protests, Rousseff met with a handful of ministers at her home in Brasilia, a presidential aide said.

Rousseff's press office welcomed the peaceful nature of the demonstrations, saying it reflected the maturity of the country's democracy.

Small groups of her supporters wearing red shirts and holding banners that read "There will not be a coup" marched in several cities.

Shares in Brazilian companies and Brazil's real currency have surged in recent weeks as investors bet that a change in government would lift business and consumer confidence and rescue an economy that contracted 3.8 percent last year.

Political tensions have stalled Rousseff's legislative agenda, which included measures to limit public spending and overhaul a costly pension system to regain investors' trust.

(Additional reporting by Rodrigo Viga in Rio de Janeiro, Anthony Boadle in Brasilia, and Cesar Bianconi in Sao Paulo; Editing by Daniel Flynn, Angus MacSwan, Jonathan Oatis and Andrew Hay)
donald Trump

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump said he is "going to take a look at" paying the legal fees of an apparent supporter who allegedly punched a protester at one of Trump's rallies last week.

During a Sunday interview on "Meet The Press," the real-estate mogul criticized the protester, who was allegedly hit as he was being escorted out of Trump's Wednesday rally in North Carolina.

"I do want to see what that young man was doing, because he was very taunting," Trump said of the protester. "He was very loud, very disruptive."

"I want to see the full tape. I don't condone violence. I'm going to look at," he added.

When pressed by host Chuck Todd to confirm whether he would cover the legal fees for the supporter, who is now reportedly facing assault and battery charges, Trump said he was considering it.

"I've actually instructed my people to look into it, yes," Trump said.

Last month, Trump pledged to pay the legal bills for supporters who "knocked the crap" out of anyone who was considering throwing tomatoes at the former reality-television star.

"If you see somebody getting ready to throw a tomato, knock the crap out of them," Trump said. "Just knock the hell  I promise you, I'll pay the legal fees."

Over the last several weeks, Trump's rallies have grown increasingly tense, as protesters have repeatedly clashed with Trump supporters.

The day after the real-estate developer was forced to cancel a Friday rally in Chicago due to tensions between protesters and supporters, Trump's US Secret Service detail was forced onstage at an Ohio rally to protect the candidate after an attendee apparently attempted to storm the stage.

Trump has responded to the tensions at his rallies by doubling down on his aggressive rhetoric.

On Saturday, Trump called on law-enforcement officials to arrest the protesters that disrupt his rallies.

"I hope they arrest these people because they're really violating all of us, OK? And I hope they're arrested. I hope they're arrested, because honestly they should be," Trump said. "I'm going to ask that you arrest them. I'll file whatever charges you want. Who the hell knows."

Story continues

He added: "I'm going to do this from now on. Let's ruin the rest of  they're going to ruin the rest of their lives. If they want to do this, let them have a big arrest mark."

NOW WATCH: Watch the Secret Service jump to protect Trump after a protester tries to climb on stage





More From Business Insider


Welcome to Flying Carpets and Broken Pipelines. I started this blog in 2008.



Flying Carpets is about Azerbaijan (where I am originally from) and a little bit about Turkey (where I live). Flying Carpets its mostly politics, and rights issues that I deeply care about and want to see change some day.



I hope it offers at least a tiny bit of glimpse into a country that has so much potential and yet wasting it all thanks to its leaders.


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The EU cheerleaders are starting to panic

By Simon Heffer12 Mar 2016The TelegraphIf it werent bad enough for David Cameron that he is making such a pigs ear of the campaign to stay in the European Union, his so-called friends on the continent are providing ever more reasons for us to vote to leave. Blackmailed by the repressive regime in Turkey, Angela Merkel, Europes paymaster, set about last week setting up visa-free travel to the EU for the 75 million people living there. And, because we have no sovereignty over immigration from the EU, if Frau Merkel is saying 75 million Turks can walk into Europe, then they can walk into Britain.As I have repeatedly noted, Mr Cameron had no renegotiation of our relationship with our partners. If we vote to stay in on June 23, things stay as they are  or, quite possibly, become worse, because we shall be completely at the mercy of further decisions taken not by the other 27 countries, but by one woman in her Chancellery in Berlin.The main cause of the British peoples agitation with the EU was that we could not stop people from it entering our country. Mr Cameron did not fail to win that concession: he didnt even ask for it.So he began with a pretty weak argument for staying in  because nothing had happened to address popular fears  and matters have got steadily worse. The predictable scaremongering has become comical, as have Downing Streets efforts to bully and cajole people of influence into begging us to vote to remain. Last week 150 scientists, including Stephen Hawking, said scientific research would suffer if we left. According to them, a net 2.4 billion in research funds has come from the EU in the last seven years.The idea of the scientific establishment having to hold out a begging bowl to Brussels or face oblivion is pernicious and dishonest, and these people should be clever enough to see that. In 2015 the UK contributed 13 billion to the EU budget, and received 4.5 billion in return. Since many of these scientists are accomplished mathematicians, they hardly need me to tell them how much more they might get from the Government if we were not making a net contribution of 8.5 billion a year to Brussels.On Friday, Mr Cameron sought to scare farmers by saying they would lose 330 million a year in beef and lamb exports if we left. How does he know? Is there a special department in the Government making all this claptrap up? How do they know? Has it occurred to him that in the highly unlikely event of tariffs being imposed on British exports to Europe, our farmers might just find other markets for their meat? Or that, once we ran our own agriculture policy again, the business of farming might become much easier and cheaper?Trade tariffs are unlikely because of Europes heavy dependence on us as a marketplace. The latest figures were announced on Friday and showed a record trade deficit with the EU: 8.1 billion in January alone, and 23 billion in the last three months. How, in the light of such figures, can any minister say that we benefit from trade by being in the EU? It is an enormous lie.No wonder the Business Secretary, Sajid Javid, who knows a thing or two about commerce having had a distinguished career in the City, is said to be enduring agonies over his decision to support Mr Camerons increasingly absurd position. Any sensible and decent person would.Scaremongering and lies, especially this early in a campaign that wont finish for another three months, are exceptionally counter-productive. The public has time to see through them; they reflect growing desperation, which is never attractive in political leadership; and they suggest an absolute vacuum of argument.No wonder Tony Blair said on Thursday that the campaign to stay in lacks muscularity. Of course it does: even the most cynical opportunist finds it hard to become passionate about the need to stay in a club that is an overpriced cartel, excessively bureaucratic, anti-democratic, corrupt, economically ruinous and is promising more of the same.I spoke last week to two of Londons most senior and experienced public relations men about the conduct of the In campaign: and both agreed that every possible communications mistake Mr Cameron and his side could make was being made.Some of these have been obvious: think of allowing Lord Rose to go out and warn people that their wages might go up if we left the EU, or the outrageous bullying that led to the removal of John Longworth from the British Chambers of Commerce.It is time Downing Street stopped lying about how it threatens others about what might happen unless they crush dissent; but it is at least consistent with the dictatorial nature of the club to which they wish us to remain a member, which reminds me more and more of the old Soviet Union.The rule book is, indeed, being torn up. Last Wednesday, Bernard Jenkin, chairman of the Commons Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee, wrote to Mr Cameron to ask why one of his advisers, Daniel Korski, had issued a stream of anti-Brexit Twitter messages, including a personal attack on Iain Duncan Smith, in breach of the code of conduct for special advisers. With his usual arrogance, Mr Cameron brushed this aside: Mr Korski, who used to work for the Labour Party, may now be called before Mr Jenkins committee to explain himself.This dirty conduct stinks of panic. Out of arguments already, with three months to go and new evidence of the damage the EU does to Britain pouring in every day, a bad case is now being made even worse by incompetence and dishonesty.If you are still making up your mind about how to vote, ask yourself this: if the case to stay in is so incredibly compelling, why do Mr Cameron and his friends seem to find it impossible to make it?
THE WALL OF SHAME

"The only thing [Trump's] mouth is good for is being Vladimir Putin's c--k holster."

--STEPHEN COLBERT

"[Ivanka Trump] Your father is a racist birther. Steve Bannon an anti-Semitic opportunist. You and your husband are enabling hatred. F--- your shoes."

--BRADLEY WHITFORD

"Melania [Trump] is a hooker."

--JACOB BERNSTEIN

"And my job is to shut other white people down when they want to interrupt."

"We have to, at the DNC, provide training. We have to teach them how to communicate, how to be sensitive, and how to shut their mouths if they're white."

--SALLY BOYNTON BROWN

"And to our detractors that insist that this march will never add up to anything: F--- you! F---you!

"Yes, I have thought an awful lot about blowing up the White House."

--MADONNA

"Barron Trump looks like a very handsome date-rapist-to-be."

--STEPHEN SPINOLA

"Barron [Trump] will be this country's first homeschool shooter."

--KATIE RICH

"Hollywood is crawling with outsiders and foreigners, and if we kick 'em all out, you'll have nothing to watch but football and mixed martial arts, which are not the arts."

--MERYL STREEP

"There's a billion to one chance we're living in base reality."

[That means we're almost positively living in a simulation, like a video game.]

--ELON MUSK

"When I would deny that there was a significant racist component in some of the politics on our side, it was because the people I hung out with were certainly not. When suddenly, this rock is turned over, there is this'Oh shit, did I not see that?'"

----------------------------

"In any other scenario, Hillary Clinton's lying about her emails, and her pay-for-play relationship with the Clinton Foundation would be disqualifying issues. The only reason they're not disqualifying is because Donald Trump is a fundamentally more repellent, dishonest figure."

--CHARLIE SYKES

"I made a mistake in recalling the events of twelve years ago... I said I was traveling in an aircraft that was hit by RPG fire. I was instead in a following aircraft."

--BRIAN WILLIAMS

"I'm here to tell you if you elect me governor of this state, I will end the civil war."

--TOM BARRETT

"I would not look to the U.S. Constitution, if I were drafting a constitution in the year 2012. I might look at the constitution of South Africa. That was a deliberate attempt to have a fundamental instrument of government that embraced basic human rights, had an independent judiciary. It really is, I think, a great piece of work that was done."

--RUTH BADER GINSBURG

"Callista Gingrich. Karen Santorum. Ann Romney. Now, do you really think our country is ready for a white first lady?"

--ROBERT DE NIRO

"The death of Andrew Breitbart disproves the adage that only the good die young."

--JULIAN BOND

"The National Institute of Health has said that it is a danger to women's health and safety of their families that for 30 years to be exposed to the prospects of pregnancy."

--GWEN MOORE

"[Tea Party Republicans] have acted like terrorists."

--JOE BIDEN

"Why did- Couldn't the President have said at that moment, way back in December of last year, 'no game playing. No hostage-taking. No terrorizing this country with the debt ceiling. I'm not going to negotiate with you guys. You can't play it that way.' Could he have done that?"

--CHRIS MATTHEWS

"[T]he tea-party Hobbits could return to Middle Earth having defeated Mordor."

--WALL STREET JOURNAL EDITORIAL

"I remember distinctly an image of--we were sitting on his couches, and I was looking at [Obama's] pant leg and his perfectly creased pant, and I'm thinking, a) he's going to be president and b) he'll be a very good president."

--DAVID BROOKS

"I feel like calling her back and smackin' her around."

--FRED CLARK, DEMOCRAT

"The picture was of me, and I sent it."

--ANTHONY WEINER

"[I]f you go back to the year 2000, when we had an obvious disaster and - and saw that our voting process needed refinement, and we did that in the America Votes Act and made sure that we could iron out those kinks, now you have the Republicans, who want to literally drag us all the way back to Jim Crow laws and literally - and very transparently - block access to the polls to voters who are more likely to vote Democratic candidates than Republican candidates. And it's nothing short of that blatant."

--DEBBIE WASSERMAN SCHULTZ

"This is probably one of the worst times we've seen because the numbers of people elected to Congress. I went through this as co-chair of the arts caucus. In '94 people were elected simply to come here to kill the National Endowment for the Arts. Now theyre here to kill women."

--LOUISE SLAUGHTER

"The protesters have proven today that theyre not going away. It was a pretty rough night last night. You can imagine if people said, well, we just cant fight the power. Instead, this morning, they came by tens, by hundreds, by thousands. By midday today, it was easily more than 10,000, perhaps as many as 15,000 people on the square here in Madison. Not organized by anyone, just grassroots citizens who came out just like the Minutemen in 1776."

--JOHN NICHOLS

"They're sitting on the money, they're using it for their own -- they're putting it someplace else with no interest in helping you with your life, with that money. We've allowed them to take that. That's not theirs, that's a national resource, that's ours. We all have this -- we all benefit from this or we all suffer as a result of not having it. I think we need to go back to taxing these people at the proper rates."

--MICHAEL MOORE

"Why don't we just raise the taxes and let these folks have their collective bargaining, have their union representation and go back to their jobs? Raise the taxes on the wealthy."

--DAVID LETTERMAN

"In 1933, [Hitler] abolished unions and that's what our Governor [Scott Walker] is doing today."

--LENA TAYLOR, Democrat State Senator

"So I would urge my Republican colleagues, no matter how strongly they feel -- you know, we have three branches of government. We have a House. We have a Senate. We have a president. And all three of us are going to have to come together and give some, but it is playing with fire to risk the shutting down of the government."

--CHUCK SCHUMER

"Well, when you start off with the Preamble of the Constitution, you talk about the pursuit of happiness."

--JOHN LEWIS

"I'm Rebecca Kleefisch. I performed fellatio on all the talk show hosts in Milwaukee. And they endorsed me and that's how I became lieutenant governor."

--SLY SYLVESTER

"Do you think this Constitution-loving is getting out of hand? I mean, is it a nod to the Tea Party?"

--JOY BEHAR

"We cant just leave it up to the parents."

"[Military leaders] tell us that childhood obesity isnt just a public health issue; they tell us that it is not just an economic threat -- it is a national security threat as well."

--MICHELLE OBAMA

"Actually, I did not take part in [the assassination of Sarah Palin]. I led it."

--KATHLEEN PARKER

"[The repeal of ObamaCare is] a kind of creeping genocide."

--JESSE JACKSON

"[Obama] has to realize that Mitch McConnell has virtually said so that politically he wants to cut out his heart and throw his liver to the dogs."

--DAN RATHER

"And the instructions are not to improvise a comedy sketch, but to elect a group of unqualified, unstable individuals who will do what they are told, in exchange for money and power, and march this nation as far backward as they can get, backward to Jim Crow, or backward to the breadlines of the '30s, or backward to hanging union organizers, or backward to the trusts and the robber barons.

"Result: the Tea Party. Vote backward, vote Tea Party. And if you are somehow indifferent to what is planned for next Tuesday, it is nothing short of an attempted use of democracy to end this democracy."

--KEITH "Reagan's dead and he was a lousy President" OLBERMANN

"I gotta wonder when people are gonna start wearing uniforms. I mean they've got an army out there in Alaska of militia people. You've got these guys going around acting like street thugs. I mean it isn't far from what we saw in the thirties, where all of a sudden, political parties started showing up in uniform."

--CHRIS MATTHEWS

"[Sharron Angle] is a moron on top of being evil... I'd like to see her do this ad in the South Bronx. Come here, bitch. Come to New York and do it. I'm not praying for her. She's going to hell. She's going to hell, this bitch."

--JOY BEHAR

"So people have been hurting and I understand that. And it doesn't give them comfort or solace for me to tell them, you know, but for me, we'd be in a worldwide depression."

--HARRY REID

"And to play Dick Cheney, all I had to do was find my Dick Cheney. And you can find all the villainy in the world in your own heart, and that's what an actor's job is. I always say to kids, inside you is Hitler and Jesus. And you got to find the appropriate person and bring them out."

--RICHARD DREYFUSS

"Because I live in the District of Columbia which is so predominantly Democratic, I am a registered Democrat. But I am an avowed neutral. And to put that into practice, I take my young daughter into the voting booth and she votes for me. She's now 14. We've been doing this since she was about age 4. She's now quite informed."

--BOB WOODWARD

"Sarah Palin's an idiot. Come on. This is a remarkably, stunningly, jaw-droppingly incompetent and mean woman."

"The Democrats may have moved into the center, but the Republicans have moved into a mental institution."

--AARON SORKIN

"Perhaps the greatest threat of all is the undermining of our Constitution and the systematic attack against the inalienable rights of the citizens of this nation, rights that are guaranteed by our Constitution. At the vanguard of this insidious attack is the Tea Party. This band of misguided citizens is moving perilously close to achieving villainous ends."

--HARRY BELAFONTE

"[Christine O'Donnell is] a witch who doesn't masturbate."

--JOY BEHAR

"Ah, the Tea Party, the nativist bed-wetters who somehow control our national dialogue. Yes, I call them the Pee Party, Jay, because they're always peeing in their pants about something. They're just, they're afraid of a mosque being built in New York. They're afraid of guns. You know, they think Obama, who like every other pussy Democrat has never said a single word about gun control, but they are very sure that he and his Negro army are coming after their guns. You know what? If you think that he's coming after your guns, you need to get out of your chat room and have your house tested for lead. He's not coming after your guns or your Bible or your fishing pole or your chewing tobacco."

--BILL MAHER

"That's a trade-off society is making because of very, very high medical costs, and a lack of willingness to say, you know, is spending a million dollars on that last three months of life for that patient, would it be better not to lay off those ten teachers and to make that trade-off in medical costs. But that;s called the 'Death Panel' and you're not supposed to have that discussion."

--BILL GATES

"NOT the 'whiteman's bitch'"

--IESHUH GRIFFIN

"[If Rush Limbaugh suffered a heart attack in my presence, I would] laugh loudly like a maniac and watch his eyes bug out. I never knew I had this much hate in me. But he deserves it."

--SARAH SPITZ

"You want freedom, you going to have to kill some crackers. You going to have to kill some of their babies."

--KING SAMIR SHABAZZ

"If this was Texas, which is the state that, that is directly on the border with Mexico, and they were calling for a measure like this, saying that they had a major issue with, you know, with undocumented people flooding their borders, I would say I would have to look twice at this. "But this is a state that is a ways removed from the border. And, um, it just, it doesn't make sense to me that when you google this subject, if you put in 'Arizona S.B. 1070,' that you see a picture of the governor of Arizona meeting with President Obama in May of 2010. If you have direct linkage to the president, there are already National Guard troops on the border in Arizona."

--PEGGY WEST

"Tell [the Jews] to get the hell out of Palestine. Remember, these people are occupied and it's their land. It's not German. It's not Poland. [The Jews] can go home. Poland. Germany."

--HELEN THOMAS

"After the last eight years, it's good to have a president that knows what a library is."

--PAUL McCARTNEY

"By the way, I just want to point out I'm wearing my splash shield because I was told I was going to be in the splash zone (during Harry Smith's colonoscopy on live TV)."

--KATIE COURIC

"And that Word is, we have to give voice to what that means in terms of public policy that would be in keeping with the values of the Word."

----------------------------

"Think of an economy where people could be an artist or a photographer or a writer without worrying about keeping their day job in order to have health insurance or that people could start a business and be entrepreneurial and take risk, but not job loss because of a child with asthma or someone in the family is bipolaryou name it, any condition  is job-locking."

--NANCY PELOSI

"Back in World War II, we viewed the Japanese as 'yellow, slant-eyed dogs' that believed in different gods. They were out to kill us because our way of living was different. We, in turn, wanted to annihilate them because they were different. Does that sound familiar, by any chance, to what's going on today?"

--TOM HANKS

"The 'White Right' is trying to set Barack up to be assassinated.... Here are Christians praying for God to kill Barack Obama."

--LOUIS FARRAKHAN

"I refuse to accept the notion that the United States of America is not going to lead the world economically throughout the 20th Century."

--JOE BIDEN

"Obama's critics keep blasting him for Chicago-style politics. So, fine. Channel your inner Al Capone and go gangsta against your foes. Let 'em know that if they aren't with you, they are against you, and will pay the price."

--ROLAND MARTIN

"Martha Coakley is running to fill the rest of Ted Kennedy's term, and her opponent is a far-right tea-bagger Republican."

--CHUCK SCHUMER

"I tell you what, if I lived in Massachusetts, I'd try to vote ten times. I don't know if they'd let me or not, but I'd try to. Yeah, that's right, I'd cheat to keep these bastards out. I would. 'Cause that's exactly what they are."

--ED SCHULTZ

"We also see how revved up the tea baggers are at the thought of hijacking health care reform and every chance we have at making progress in Washington."

--JOHN KERRY

"A few years ago, this guy (Obama) would have been getting us coffee."

--BILL CLINTON

"I didn't realize I had written a column defending Roman Polanski and minimized his crime - are you sure it was me? I mean, I? There is, apparently, more to this crime than it would seem, and it may sound like a hollow defense, but in Hollywood I am not sure a 13-year-old is really a 13-year-old."

--TOM SHALES

"Joe Wilson yelled 'You lie!' at a president who didn't. But, fair or not, what I heard was an unspoken word in the air: You lie, boy!"

--MAUREEN DOWD

"One awkward moment for Sarah Palin at the Yankee game... During the 7th inning, her daughter was knocked up by Alex Rodriguez."

--DAVID LETTERMAN

"I would hope that a wise Latina woman with the richness of her experiences would more often than not reach a better conclusion than a white male who hasnt lived that life."

--SONIA SOTOMAYOR

"We all considered sexual abuse of minors as a moral evil, but had no understanding of its criminal nature."

--REMBERT WEAKLAND, Archbishop of Milwaukee 1977- 2002

"You know, you might want to look into this, [President Obama], because I think maybe Rush Limbaugh was the 20th hijacker, but he was so strung out on Oxycontin he missed his flight."

"Rush Limbaugh -- 'I hope the country fails.' I hope his kidneys fail."

----------------------------

"[Obama] told me I did a great job. The first lady said the same thing. I got a 'well done' from the president, I'm on cloud nine."

--WANDA SYKES

"Americans are looking for more government in their life, not less."

--COLIN POWELL

"[Tea Party goers are] just a bunch of wimpy, whiny, weasels who don't love their country."

--PAUL BEGALA

"I wouldn't want [gay marriage] to go to the United States Supreme Court now because that homophobe Antonin Scalia has too many votes on this current court."

--BARNEY FRANK

"Going forward, my mind will be open to every solution -- except one. We should not -- we must not -- and I will not -- raise taxes."

--JIM DOYLE, Liar

"He's a terrorist. Rush Limbaugh is a terrorist."

--JOY BEHAR

"You know, I just want to say to her (Sarah Palin), just very quickly...F--- you."

--JON STEWART

"Should I be worried about being a slave and being returned to slavery?"

--WHOOPI GOLDBERG

"I also believe that America is the greatest sin against God."

--FR. MICHAEL PFLEGER

"Those who think they can revive the stinking corpse of the usurping and fake Israeli regime by throwing a birthday party are seriously mistaken. Today the reason for the Zionist regime's existence is questioned, and this regime is on its way to annihilation."

--MAHMOUD AHMADINEJAD

"We'll be eight degrees hotter in ten, not ten but 30 or 40 years and basically none of the crops will grow. Most of the people will have died and the rest of us will be cannibals."

--TED TURNER

"Look, [Mitt] Romney comes from a religion founded by a criminal who was anti-American, pro-slavery, and a rapist. And he comes from that lineage and says, 'I respect this religion fully.'"

--LAWRENCE O'DONNELL

"Mexico does not end at its borders... Where there is a Mexican, there is Mexico."

--FELIPE CALDERON

"The planet has a fever. If your baby has a fever, you go to the doctor. If the doctor says you need to intervene here, you don't say, 'Well, I read a science fiction novel that told me it's not a problem.' If the crib's on fire, you don't speculate that the baby is flame retardant."

--AL GORE

"Don't fear the terrorists. They're mothers and fathers."

--ROSIE O'DONNELL

"Is America ready for a black president? Well, I say we just had a retarded one. When did being black become a bigger deterrent than being retarded?"

--CHRIS ROCK

"Shut the f--- up! Shut up if you can't take a joke [about President Bush]!"

--BARBRA STREISAND

"Right, oh, yeah, Happy 9/11! Celebrate the day, right?"

--JAMES BROLIN, Mr. Barbra Streisand

"I think President Bush very well may have signed an authorization for the 9/11 attacks."

--KEVIN BARRETT, UW-MADISON Lecturer

"I said what I said. I am not guilty."

--SADDAM HUSSEIN

"Terri will not be starved to death. Her nutrition and hydration will be taken away."

--MICHAEL SCHIAVO

"On the eve of the election last month my wife Judith and I were driving home late in the afternoon and turned on the radio for the traffic and weather. What we instantly got was a freak show of political pornography: lies, distortions, and half-truths -- half-truths being perhaps the blackest of all lies. "

--BILL MOYERS

"I hate the Republicans and everything they stand for."

--HOWARD DEAN

"The Iraqis who have risen up against the occupation are not 'insurgents' or 'terrorists' or 'The Enemy.' They are the REVOLUTION, the Minutemen, and their numbers will grow -- and they will win."

--MICHAEL MOORE

"And there is no reason, Bob, that young American soldiers need to be going into the homes of Iraqis in the dead of night, terrorizing kids and children, you know, women, breaking sort of the customs of the--of--the historical customs, religious customs."

--JOHN KERRY

"F---ing retarded."

"[Republicans] can go f--- themselves!"

--RAHM EMANUEL

"I'm not going to have some reporters pawing through our papers. We are the president."

--HILLARY CLINTON

"It depends on what the meaning of the word 'is' is."

--BILL CLINTON

"And let me tell you something -- for the first time in my adult lifetime, I am really proud of my country. And not just because Barack has done well, but because I think people are hungry for change. And I have been desperate to see our country moving in that direction and just not feeling so alone in my frustration and disappointment."

--MICHELLE OBAMA

"If asking a billionaire to pay the same tax rate as a Jew, uh, as a janitor, makes me a warrior for the working class, I wear that with a badge of honor."

----------------------------

"If you love me, you got to help me pass this bill."

----------------------------

"[F]or most of my lifetime, the United States was such a dominant economic power, we were such a large market, our industry, our technology, our manufacturing was so significant that we always met the rest of the world economically on our terms. And now, because of the incredible rise of India and China and Brazil and other countries, the United States remains the largest economic and the largest market but theres real competition out there. And that's potentially healthy. It makes -- Michelle was saying earlier I like tough questions because it keeps me on my toes. Well, this will keep America on its toes."

----------------------------

"If Latinos sit out the election instead of saying, 'We're gonna PUNISH OUR ENEMIES and we're gonna reward our friends who stand with us on issues that are important to us,' if they don't see that kind of upsurge in voting in this election, then I think it's gonna be harder and that's why I think it's so important that people focus on voting on November 2."

----------------------------

"We don't mind the Republicans joining us. They can come for the ride, but THEY GOTTA SIT IN BACK."

----------------------------

"We can absorb a terrorist attack. We'll do everything we can to prevent it, but even a 9/11, even the biggest attack ever... we absorbed it and we are stronger."

----------------------------

"We're buying shrimp, guys."

----------------------------

"We are the ones we've been waiting for."

----------------------------

"We talk to these folks because they potentially have the best answers so I know whose ass to kick."

----------------------------

"We're not trying to push financial reform because we begrudge success that's fairly earned. I mean, I do think at a certain point you've made enough money. But, you know, part of the American way is, you know, you can just keep on making it if youre providing a good product or you're providing good service. We don't want people to stop fulfilling the core responsibilities of the financial system to help grow the economy."

----------------------------

"If you've got a business, you didn't build that. Somebody else made that happen."

----------------------------

"It is a vital national security interest of the United States to reduce these conflicts because whether we like it or not, we remain a dominant military superpower, and when conflicts break out, one way or another we get pulled into them. And that ends up costing us significantly in terms of both blood and treasure."

----------------------------

"But I -- I think that the most important thing for the public to understand is, we're not handling any of these cases any different than the Bush administration handled them all through 9/11."

----------------------------

"One such translator was an American of Haitian descent, representative of the extraordinary work that our men and women in uniform do all around the world -- Navy CORPSE-MAN Christian [sic] Brossard. And lying on a gurney aboard the USNS Comfort, a woman asked Christopher: 'Where do you come from? What country? After my operation,' she said, 'I will pray for that country.' And in Creole, CORPSE-MAN Brossard responded, 'Etazini.' The United States of America."

----------------------------

"I hear that Dr. Joe Medicine Crow was around, and so I want to give a shout-out to that Congressional Medal of Honor winner. It's good to see you."

----------------------------

"We are God's partners in matters of life and death."

----------------------------

"[T]he Cambridge police acted stupidly."

----------------------------

"I am going to teach [my daughters] first about values and morals, but if they make a mistake, I don't want them punished with a baby."

----------------------------

"The reforms we seek would bring greater competition, choice, savings, and INEFFICIENCIES to our health care system."

----------------------------

"Over the last 15 months, weve traveled to every corner of the United States. Ive now been in 57 states? I think one left to go. Alaska and Hawaii, I was not allowed to go to even though I really wanted to visit, but my staff would not justify it."

--BARACK OBAMA
Christopher L. Hodapp is the author of Freemasons For Dummies, the worldwide, best-selling introduction to the Masonic fraternity; Solomon's Builders: Freemasons, Founding Fathers and the Secrets of Washington D.C. ; and Deciphering the Lost Symbol. His most recent book, Heritage Endures, was published in January 2018.

Since 2009 he has been on the Board of the Masonic Library & Museum of Indiana, and serves as its Associate Director and Treasurer. In 2021, Chris was named as Public Relations and Marketing Director for the Grand Lodge of Free & Accepted Masons of the State of Indiana.

Chris is also the co-author with Alice Von Kannon of The Templar Code For Dummies and Conspiracy Theories And Secret Societies For Dummies.

As a Freemason, Chris is a Past Master of Broad Ripple Lodge No. 643 and of Lodge Vitruvian No. 767 under the Grand Lodge F&AM of Indiana; he is a member of Indiana's Schofield Lodge 1818 U.D.; and of Internet Lodge No. 9659 in the Province of East Lancashire of the United Grand Lodge of England. Most recently, he was named the Worshipful Master of the Dwight L. Smith Lodge of Research U.D. in Indiana for 2019-21.

In 2018 he was awarded the Caleb B. Smith Medal of Honor by the Grand Lodge F&AM of Indiana for his "distinguished service to Freemasonry in Indiana and worldwide."

Chris is a 33 Mason in the Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite (NMJ), Indianapolis Valley. He is a Past Sovereign Master of Imhotep Council No. 434 of the Allied Masonic Degrees. He is a founding member of Levant Preceptory, a medieval Knights Templar period recreation degree team in the York Rite, and he is an officer of the Indiana College of the Societas Rosicruciana in Civitatibus Foederatis. He belongs to numerous other Masonic appendant organizations.

As a Masonic author, in 2012 he was named as Friar No. 101 in the Society of Blue Friars. Chris is a Founding Fellow of The Masonic Society, and was the founding Editor in Chief of The Journal of The Masonic Society. He remains a regular contributor today, and its Editor Emeritus.

He was the editor and a contributor in 2004-5 to "Laudable Pursuit: A 21st Century Response to Dwight Smith" by the Knights of the North, a Masonic leadership think-tank focusing on modern lodge solutions. He has written for Indianapolis Monthly, Heredom, Masonic Magazine, Templar History, the Scottish Rite Journal, the Knight Templar Magazine, the Indiana Freemason , the Phylaxis, and numerous other publications.

Chris was a commercial filmmaker for twenty-three years with Dean Crow Productions in Indianapolis. Hodapp and Alice Von Kannon developed scripts for the History Channel program, Brad Meltzer's Decoded in 2010, and contributed material on conspiracies and secret societies for TruTV and the American Heroes Channel. They have both appeared on National Public Radio, the History Channel, Discovery, National Geographic, Smithsonian, and the American Heroes Channel - most recently in 2017 on America: Facts vs Fiction.

Chris and Alice live in Indianapolis with Sophie the Flying Poodle who has them both answering to basic commands. However, they can frequently be found alarming the wildlife and dazzling the rustics in their Airstream trailer as they crisscross the country. Appropriately, their newest book together is RVs and Campers For Dummies, released in June 2021.
The airlines of the Lufthansa Group  Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines, Eurowings, Lufthansa and SWISS will serve 316 points in 101 countries in 2016 summer schedules; numerous new and additional services for the benefit of air travelers.

In the coming 2016 summer schedules, which enter into effect on 27 March, the airlines of the Lufthansa Group will offer one of the most comprehensive networks of air services in the world, with over 23,140 weekly flights.

Lufthansa

Lufthansa adds San Jose in USA to its intercontinental network. Lufthansa will serve to San Jose with five-times-weekly service from 1 July.

Lufthansa is also adding two new European destinations to its Frankfurt-based network: Alicante (Spain), which receives a new weekly service, and Tirana (Albania).

In addition to its Frankfurt services, Lufthansa will be offering new long-haul flights to Denver (USA) and Tehran (Iran) from its Munich hub. Denver will receive five weekly services from 11 May, while Tehran will enjoy thrice-weekly service from 4 July.

Lufthansa Munich is adding further leisure destinations this summer, too. The coming 2016 summer schedules bring new services to Santorini and Corfu (Greece) and Porto (Portugal). Porto will receive four-times-weekly service from 24 April, while the two Greek islands will each enjoy one weekly flight from Whitsun onwards.

Demand for travel to and from Eastern Europe is clearly on the rise. And in view of this, Lufthansa will be offering its first flights from Munich to Debrecen (Hungary) and Rzeszow in Southeast Poland. Odessa (Ukraine) also returns to the Munich-based network, served with two weekly flights from 31 March. Tallinn is yet another new destination available from Munich. Flights to the Estonian capital are being offered twice a day in conjunction with Adria Airways.

Lufthansa also plans to further expand its network in collaboration with its partner British Midland. In future, Lufthansa customers will be able to reach Southampton (UK), Norrkoping (Sweden) and Bergamo in Lombardy (Italy) non-stop from Munich. And Rostock (Germany) will now receive six weekly flights.

Austrian Airlines

Austrian Airlines will offer its customers an extensive network of 130 destinations in 55 countries in its 2016 summer schedules. Services include almost daily flights to all North American destinations: seven times weekly to New York, Washington, Toronto and Chicago, and six times weekly to Miami.

Austrian Airlines will also operate 31 weekly non-stop services from Vienna to Asia in its summer schedules: a five-times-weekly Boeing 767 service to Beijing, up to daily Boeing 777 services to Shanghai, Bangkok and Tokyo, and five weekly flights to Hong Kong.

Brussels Airlines

Brussels Airlines will serve no fewer than nine new destinations in its summer schedules. Toronto (Canada) joins the growing long-haul network, served five times a week from the end of March. The new service also offers numerous onward domestic connections from and to Toronto, thanks to Brussels Airlines close collaboration with Star Alliance partner Air Canada. Accra (Ghana), to which service was launched this winter, remains in the network for the summer schedules.

Closer to home, Brussels Airlines continues to expand its summer services to holiday destinations and European regional airports. The new additions here for Summer 2016 include Nantes (France), Heraklion and Thessaloniki (Greece) and Jerez, Tenerife and Gran Canaria (Spain). The new service to Belfast (UK) City Airport, meanwhile, is a first within the Lufthansa Group.

Last but not least, Brussels Airlines will also have a new German destination, with a new six-times-weekly service on the Brussels-Nuremberg route. All in all, Brussels Airlines will operate some 815 European and 95 intercontinental flights a week this summer with its 50- aircraft fleet.

Eurowings

Eurowings will serve 130 points in 41 countries in its 2016 summer schedules from its Berlin (Tegel), Dortmund, Dusseldorf, Hamburg, Hanover, Cologne/Bonn, Stuttgart and Vienna operating bases. Seven of these points are intercontinental destinations.

New to the Eurowings long-haul network will be Boston (USA) and Mauritius, both served from Cologne. The further long-haul destinations of Bangkok and Phuket (Thailand), Punta Cana and Puerto Plata (Dominican Republic) and Varadero (Cuba) also receive their first summer Eurowings service.

New services will further be introduced from Cologne to Varna (Bulgaria), Mahon (Spain) and Brindisi (Italy), which will all be newly served from Dusseldorf, too. Two new points in Turkey  Bodrum and Samsun  will be served from Cologne, while Hanover-Antalya and Dusseldorf-Kutahya Zafer further expand Eurowings summer coverage of the Turkish travel market.

Eurowings Stuttgart will offer a new route to Pula (Croatia), while Cagliari (Italy) will be newly served from both Hamburg and Berlin. The Italian market will be further served by flights on the Vienna-Rome and Hamburg-Pisa routes. Summer-schedule destinations from Hamburg include Ibiza (Spain), while Eurowings Dusseldorf offers services to Edinburgh and East Midlands (UK), and to Lisbon (Portugal) and Kavala (Greece).

In further developments, Alicante (Spain) and Bastia (France) will be newly served from Dusseldorf and Vienna this summer. And flights from Vienna to Faro (Portugal) and Valencia (Spain) further supplement Eurowings extensive 2016 summer schedules.

SWISS

SWISS will be further adjusting its range of services from Zurich and Geneva in its 2016 summer schedules. Alicante (Spain) receives a new thrice-weekly service from Zurich, while the vacation destination of Lamezia Terme (Italy) will be served weekly from Geneva. The new schedules also see frequencies increased to various existing European and intercontinental destinations. And SWISSs new flagship Boeing 777-300ER will be introduced onto a number of routes in the course of the timetable period. SWISS will serve 102 destinations in 46 countries in its new summer schedules.
Unidentified gunmen staged an attack on a beach at a resort town in the West African country of Ivory Coast on Sunday, killing at least 14 people, including tourists and two soldiers.

The shooting took place at Grand Bassam, a weekend retreat for Abidjan residents and foreigners, about 40km east of the commercial capital Abidjan. Its beaches, bars and hotels are popular with Westerners.

"Six attackers came onto the beach in Bassam this afternoon ... We have 14 civilians and two special forces soldiers who were unfortunately killed," said President Alassane Ouattara.

Source: Agencies
These notes are for my Religion Class members & friends. I will post my teaching notes. Classes begin Wed. Sept. 2, 2015 at noon at the Layton East Stake Center on the corner of Gordon and Emerald in Layton and Thurs. Sept. 3 at 6:30 pm at the Wells Ward Chapel 1990 S. 500 E. Salt Lake City We will be studying The New Testament Acts to Revelation with emphasis on the Book of Revelation. There will be no charge nor registration.
Iowa has more than 1.6 million acres of road right-of-ways and when properly managed these roadsides provide important nesting, roosting and escape habitat for pheasants, partridge, quail, ducks, rabbits and many different songbirds.

Unfortunately, ill-timed burning and indiscriminate mowing destroys many nests and young each year.

Most nests are placed in late April and early May using the old dead vegetation that remains from the previous year. Burning from mid-April through June destroys nests and eggs, while mowing in June and July kills hens and chicks.

Burning can be very beneficial to wildlife if done at the right time and in the right way, said Todd Bogenschutz, wildlife research biologist with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources.

Bogenschutz offered some suggestions to improve roadsides for upland wildlife:

Burn no later than April 15, which is before most nesting has begun and encourages native grasses and discourages exotic species and weeds. Native plants provide better habitat for wildlife and prevent the invasion of noxious weeds because of their deep root systems.

Conduct rotational burns. Rotational burning is the practice of burning separate portions of the road ditch in different years. This rejuvenates the grasses in the burned segment while the unburned segment provides undisturbed nesting and escape habitat for wildlife. A popular scenario is to burn one side of the ditch one year and the other side the next year. Some safety precautions should be followed when burning roadsides: contact neighbors, utility company and the fire department before burning. Be careful of roadside utility poles, telephone junction boxes and pipelines.

Avoid burning of roadsides in November and December. Winter burns eliminate habitat for wildlife and leave ditches exposed to erosion.

Avoid mowing road ditches between April 15 and July 15 to protect nests and young. If weeds are a problem, use spot mowing or spraying to control the problem. Mowing along the shoulder usually does not harm nesting wildlife as most nests are placed in the ditch bottom or on the back slope.
OSAGE  Sen. Mary Jo Wilhelm advised those present at her March meeting in Osage to contact their representatives, telling them its important they vote on a bill placing oversight on Medicaid providers.

With the bill to cancel the contracts of the three private insurance companies failing to be passed, the Iowa Senate, in bipartisan legislation, approved a bill to impose accountability on the out-of-state insurance providers who would be covering roughly 560,000 Iowans. It is now up to the House of Representatives as to whether the bill will move forward.

I strongly feel time should have been taken to talk to legislators, providers and constituents to gather as much information, background and research as we could have to see if managed care was really the direction we wanted to go in, said Wilhelm, D-Cresco.

Sen. Amanda Ragan said its important to know whats happening in the three managed-care corporations.

We need to know the money is going to the right places in a timely fashion, there arent refusals of services and there is a voice for Iowans. We want to make sure there is program integrity, said Ragan, D-Mason City.

With less than a month to go before the Managed Care Act goes into effect, Wilhelm said there are still hospitals that dont want to sign up with these companies, all of which have become noted for the amount of red tape which is required to file a claim, as well as long wait times for answers and poor customer service.

With disability providers already citing a loss of revenue as reason to begin closing their doors and others finding it difficult to receive reimbursement from the state, many citizens have become concerned Iowa is rushing towards managed care much too fast, she said.

Joy Hall, the billing manager for Family Treatment Professionals, says customer service reps arent helpful.

Hall spent close to 20 hours on the phone the past two months trying to get answers to Medicaid-related questions for the agencys 35 clients, she said.

The bill for oversight would provide a voice for Iowans and a way for senators like Wilhelm and Ragan to be able to speak to the providers on behalf of their constituents.

During the meeting, mention was made of a similar managed-care program in Kansas. Issues and challenges are still being faced there three years later. Hospitals have been forced to hire more staff to handle claims while cutting services due to lack of reimbursement.

Betty McCarthy, Osage, said she feels the companies are only in it for the profits.

I dont understand how the government can think we can pay all of this money out to private companies, she said. These managed-care programs dont even seem to understand the waver program and those people on it are the ones who will be needing services their entire lives.

Wilhelm explained providers that are still making the decision as to which, if any, of the three insurance companies to sign on with, while others are starting to refuse services to Medicaid patients and wont sign up with any of the companies.

Mayo Clinic has not signed a provider contract, according to Wilhelm. Officials there were telling patients to contact insurance companies, so they could be handled on a case-by-case basis.

Wilhelm said she couldnt stress enough that without the oversight bill there would be no accountability.

I dont know what were going to do if the oversight bill is not passed and we start getting calls and information of denial of services and claims not being paid, she said. Well have no guidelines for how to approach the companies and handle the issues.

Ragan said she agreed the oversight needed to include long-term care ombudsmen and noted within the bill they are asking for the managed-care providers to pay for the oversight committee.
ATLANTA, March 13, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Georgia Dental Diversity Group and Dr. Evis Babo will hold its annual pre-dental conference at the Hinman Dental Meeting on March 17-19 at the Georgia World Congress Center & Omni Hotel at CNN Center. Dr. Babo has been active with the Georgia Dental Diversity Group since its formal founding in 2007.



Last year, the Hinman Dental meeting successfully brought together more than 21,000 attendees, said Dr. Evis Babo, an Atlanta dentist with Peachtree Smile Center. This event would be incomplete without a robust discussion on diversity, especially as it applies to prospective dentists. The Georgia Dental Diversity Group is proud to provide a forum for these conversations.

The Georgia Dental Diversity Group began as an informal lunch meeting 20 years ago. The Group continued to meet informally to network and talk, but without a set meeting schedule. In 2007, the Northern District Dental Society and the Georgia Dental Association approached the Group to discuss the possibility of formalizing the meetings as an official Diversity in Dentistry group. The Group was renamed Georgia Dental Diversity Group.

The Georgia Dental Diversity Group holds an annual Pre-Dental educational seminar for prospective students at the Hinman Dental Conference. This year, the pre-dental educational seminar will take place on March 19, at 9 am.

Our pre-dental educational seminar at the Hinman Dental Conference is an opportunity to educate prospective students on the rewarding benefits of a dental career, said Dr. Babo. It is also an opportunity to expand dental career opportunities for all individuals, regardless of ethnicity, race or gender.

In 2007, the Georgia Dental Diversity Group held its first pre-educational seminar for approximately 40 student attendees. By 2015, the seminar had grown to over 150 students. Prospective attendees are encouraged to register in advance at www.hinman.org. Pre dental students get free registration for this event. A special thanks to the Hinman Dental Society Board of Trustees for providing the support for this event.

Dr. Babo is an Atlanta dentist who provides comprehensive general dentistry and cosmetic dental services at Peachtree Smile Center. For more information call 404-605-0359 or visit http://smile-center.net.
Gokul20 wrote:

Hi Experts,

If someone can explain the approach for this problem, would be helpful. I did get it right, but took a lot of time understanding and deciphering each answer choice. Are there any better ways to get this quickly? Any help with such questions would be much appreciated.

This is a typical Strengthen the Conclusion question. We need to assess the premises and the conclusion presented in the stimulus.



Conclusion: It was ethically permissible to file the censored report.



Premises on which the conclusion is based:



1) Refugees were starving because the government would not permit food shipments to a rebel-held area.

2) Government censors deleted all mention of the governments role in the starvation.

3) The report had not implicated either nature or the rebels in the starvation.

4) The journalists news agency would precede it with the notice Cleared by government censors".



Clearly, the ethical question is whether to file a report which does not clearly identify the perpetrator of the starvation, even though the information is available with the journalist. So we are looking for an answer option which allows this, with the notice of censor possibly acting to mitigate this exclusion.

If it is unethical to omit facts which alter the impression, then filing this report is clearly unethical because it omits to mention the government's role in the starvation. Eliminate.

Similar to (A) - the omitted facts here clearly exonerate the rebels, thus making this report unethical. Eliminate.

Since the government here has deleted material unfavorable to itself from the report, this option too makes the report unethical. Eliminate.

Correct. Since the news agency will carry the notice of censor, the condition for the report being unethical is not satisfied, making the report ethical.

The reported facts may give a misleading impression here, since the role of the government is completed omitted thereby leaving all parties potentially liable in the eyes of the reader. We cannot convincingly rule out the unethical nature of the report. Eliminate.

Hi Gokul(A) It is ethical in general to report known facts but unethical to do so while omitting other known facts if the omitted facts would substantially alter an impression of a person or institution that would be congruent with the reported facts.(B) In a situation of conflict, it is ethical to report known facts and unethical to fail to report known facts that would tend to exonerate one party to the conflict.(C) In a situation of censorship, it is unethical make any report if the government represented by the censor deletes from the report material unfavorable to that government.(D) It is ethical in general to report known facts but unethical to make a report in a situation of censorship if relevant facts have been deleted by the censor unless the recipient of the report is warned that censorship existed.(E) Although it is ethical in general to report known facts, it is unethical to make a report from which a censor has deleted relevant facts, unless the recipient of the report is warned that there was censorship and the reported facts do not by themselves give a misleading impression.Hope this helps._________________
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Two men were arrested for fatally beating a Queens bouncer who had been trying to break up a fight yesterday.

Police say that Deonarine Deoraj, 31, and Harrydatt Nandalall, 48, were arrested in connection with the beating, which took place at Johnny's Restaurant & Bar in Ozone Park around 1:15 a.m. Saturday. Both men were charged with manslaughter and gang assault; Deoraj was also charged with criminal possession of marijuana.

The victim, 42-year-old Elsworth "Dale" Reid, had been working the door of the bar that evening when he attempted to break up a fight between two people. The News reports that the two men then joined forces to attack Reid (the Post claims up to eight people may have been involved at that point, but police could not confirm that).

Reid was apparently knocked out by a punch to the temple, and he fell to the ground hard on the back of his head and neck. The assault continued while he was down: "When he fell, all the guys started jumping in and hitting on him as he's laying there and that was it," his wife, Laverne Reid, told the News. "Everybody punched him and he was already dead." Reid was taken to Jamaica Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

The two got married this past September, having met while Laverne was still working as a waitress at Johnny's. "Everybody loved him," she added. "He never had a problem."

Friends and family told the News that Reid didn't drink and frequently got cabs for bar-goers who were too drunk to drive home themselves. Others note that Johnny's has a reputation for fighting: "Im not surprised, said friend Bobbie Stanley. "They always have barroom fights there. Cops are always over there on the weekend. People there cant hold their liquor."

Laverne Reid agreed: "It's always violentI know myself, working there. They always have fights. And he's always there to separate them, made sure no one got hit."






Brevard Times has endorsed Donald J. Trump in Florida's 2016 Republican Presidential Primary.





Stronger than any other candidate, Mr. Trump has expressed positions that would economically benefit the residents of Brevard County, Florida.





Florida's Space Coast has historically seen the highest single concentration of engineers and computer scientists anywhere in the world since the beginning of the Space Race. Like any profession that is hard to come by, Science Technology and Math (STEM) professions have always been a career path to America's middle class. However, that career path to the American Dream has been jeopardized by the abuse of H-1B visas in the tech sector.



Engineers and program managers earn anywhere from $60,000 to $120,000 annually in Brevard and that growth is boosting the local housing, retail and the service industries. That means that each engineering job might create 1.5 to 2 additional jobs on Florida's Space Coast, an economist modeled for FLORIDA TODAY





Although most space and defense STEM jobs are not directly threatened by H-1B visas because citizenship and a security clearance are often required, the abuse of H-1B visas places downward salary pressure on all tech sector jobs, including those in the space and defense industries.





Mr. Trump has taken a hard stance against the abuse of H-1B visas while U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) wants to expand the import of foreign skilled labor.



"The H-1B program is neither high-skilled nor immigration: these are temporary foreign workers, imported from abroad, for the explicit purpose of substituting for American workers at lower pay," Mr. Trump said in a press release. "I remain totally committed to eliminating rampant, widespread H-1B abuse and ending outrageous practices such as those that occurred at Disney in Florida when Americans were forced to train their foreign replacements . I will end forever the use of the H-1B as a cheap labor program, and institute an absolute requirement to hire American workers first for every visa and immigration program. No exceptions."





It would be devastating to Brevard County's economy to follow Senator Rubio's continued policy of replacing skilled American IT workers with cheap foreign labor. Therefore, Brevard Times has determined that Donald J. Trump is the best choice for Florida's GOP Presidential Primary when Brevard County Republican voters go to the polls on Tuesday.




Honest reviews of Hawaii restaurants and travel experiences from the Santos family in Honolulu, Hawaii. Please join to follow this blog and leave comments about the places you read about. Click on "Older Posts" at the bottom of each page to continue your adventure. This blog is for fun only. I am not a food critic. Just call them like I eat them. Enjoy! Email:greateatshawaii@gmail.com Instagram @greateatshawaii
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Taliban kill six Daesh members in raid in Afghan capital

The Daesh members killed in the raid on their hideout were involved in two major attacks in recent weeks, one on a city mosque and the other on a tutoring institute in which dozens of female students were killed, said the spokesman.
The best way to revise a concept is to write about it! Paul Krugman has this description of the IS (investment-savings)-LM (liquidity pref...
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Photos: Artists take the stage for 'Radical Forms of Protest' at the 10th annual Line Breaks Festival
Finding out what's hot and what's not concerning Himalayan hot springs.

Countries included are Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgzstan, Afghanistan, Mongolia, Bhutan and Nepal, most north (eastern) Indian states and many of the western and northern Chinese provinces as well as all of Tibet Autonomous Region. Oh and did I mention Siberia, Kamchatka, Pakistan, Turkmenistan, ...

Have fun soaking ...

Btw, I am constantly updating the original postings, just in case you might think you've seen (parts of) the post before ..


Athens Macedonian News Agency: News in English, 16-03-13 Athens News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article From: The Athens News Agency at <http://www.ana.gr/> CONTENTS [01] Greece's economic team to meet quartet of institutions at 14.00 [02] FM Kotzias in Brussels on Monday for EU meeting on Russia, Iran, Libya [01] Greece's economic team to meet quartet of institutions at 14.00 The Greek government's economic team will meet with the heads of the institutions who are reviewing the country's economic program at 14.00 (local) on Sunday to discuss fiscal issues, it was announced. On Friday, the two sides discussed the full independence of the tax administration. After the meeting, Finance Minister Euclid Tsakalotos had said there are no open issues with the institutions on this issue. However, concerning their request to reduce the tax-free threshold, he said the government will submit a counterproposal. [02] FM Kotzias in Brussels on Monday for EU meeting on Russia, Iran, Libya Foreign Minister Nikos Kotzias will be in Brussels on Monday (March 14) to attend a meeting of the EU Foreign Affairs Council (FAC). The items on the FAC agenda include the European Union's relations with Russia and Iran, as well as the situation in Libya in light of the latest political developments. The Council will also look at the potential for a French-led international peace summit on the longstanding Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Athens News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article
Athens Macedonian News Agency: News in English, 16-03-13 Athens News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article From: The Athens News Agency at <http://www.ana.gr/> CONTENTS [01] Patras carnival kicks off with main parade [02] Greece says 44,035 refugees were in its territory on Sunday [01] Patras carnival kicks off with main parade Over 30,000 carnival revelers are expected to participate in the main parade on Sunday which will close this year's Patras Carnival. The big parade which started at 14.00 follows yesterday's smaller night parade of revelers who danced and sung in the streets. King Carnival, traditionally a grand, spectacular and satiric figure which opens the parade, is wearing a top hat, smoking a cigar and holding Greece's three bailout deals in his two hands. Numerous floats are following behind with themes inspired among others by the ongoing economic crisis, such as the "Political cohabitation agreement" float, which consists of two figures representing Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras and Eurogroup chief Jeroen Dijsselbloem sitting relaxed on a couch. The Carnival will end at 21.00 with the traditional burning of King Carnival at the old port, which will be accompanied by a fireworks display. Celebrations will continue with a two-hour concert by the band Passepartout and four-member Greek band Alcatrash. [02] Greece says 44,035 refugees were in its territory on Sunday The ministry of migration policy said on Sunday 44,035 refugees were in Greece's territory, with 8,904 located on the islands of the eastern Aegean, 10,987 in the region of Attica and 12,000 stranded in Idomeni, in northern Greece. According to the data, the islands of Chios, Samos, Lesvos, Leros, Rhodes, Symi, Megisti, Kos, Farmakonisi, Patmos, Kalymnos and Samothraki registered 2,702 new arrivals of refugees and migrants on Sunday who are hosted in hot spots and other camps. The majority (5,310) are on Lesvos, while Chios and Samos had 2,561 and 410 people respectively. In the region of Attica, 4,166 people are housed in the old airport facilities of Ellinikon and another 3,300 are in Piraeus port. Central Greece is accommodating 1,102 refugees, while the majority (23,042) in northern Greece and specifically at the makeshift camp of Idomeni (12,000). The former military camp of Mazaraki in Kilkis accommodates 3,640 refugees and Nea Karvali 3,370. Athens News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article
Bands And Brands: What Marketers Need To Know About Music Partnerships

For artists, being heard and standing out from the crowd can be a challenge, but by partnering with brands, artists are able to reach a much broader potential fanbase, provided the marketers in question know what their doing and can avoid damaging the image of both the band and the brand itself.

___________________________________________

Guest Post by Lukas Nieuwenhuijsen of WeTransfer

Its hard to stand out as a musical artist today. Even the biggest acts work hard to stay relevant and to constantly challenge themselves and their art. This is one reason why many artists look to brand partnerships to help fans discover their work, or to broaden their listener base. For their part, marketers value musician partnerships to help build buzz, stand out from the crowd, or reach fans who may otherwise be elusive or skeptical.

Music sponsorship is a booming business, epecially in North America: brands spent an estimated $1.4 billion on music partnerships in 2015, representing a 5 percent increase from 2014, according to IEG, a consulting firm. But when it comes to partnering with musical artists, marketers often adopt strategies that are disappointingly boilerplate. Occasionally theyre downright cringeworthy. The wrong approach can do real damage to both an artist and a brand.

It doesnt have to be that way. Here are five things marketers need to understand about music partnerships.

Understand that music is about culture.

A good music tie-up should be more than a way to be cool by association or to reach a certain segment of the buying public. The best partnerships are informed by a deep understanding of the music, the artist, and the culture of that artist or genre. This goes much deeper than a fan demographic. The music itself should be honored. When I worked on big-brand music partnerships, I found that many marketers miss this point.

But those who understand different music subcultures can be more successful, primarily because that point of view truly informs an authentic relationship with the artist and an understanding of the fans.When done right, youre not only creating a relationship with the artist but also with the audience around him/her.

Start small, listen to the scenes and their needs, build added value and offer the tools and knowledge that fans normally wouldn't have had.

Take Red Bull. The Red Bull Music Academy started 15 years ago as a way to extend its content marketing, but what the brand did so well was to take the dance music subculture seriously. Today, RBMA is a returning experience for artists and music fans alike, and an important platform that has had a real influence on the music landscape.

Red Bulls serious investment in its music program is money well spent: Nielsens Music 360 report found that 76 percent of festivalgoers say they feel more favorable toward a brand that sponsors a tour or a concert, and 51 percent of all consumers feel the same way.

Give artists a platform.

Big fees aside, this is usually the chief reason artists want to work with brands anyway. For up-and-coming artists, or those who are pushing at the boundaries of their genres, gaining reach or experience is a strong draw. The collaboration is strongest when brands can offer artists something they dont already have or wouldnt otherwise access. In some cases its a proper studio and a bigger audience.

For example, Converses Rubber Tracks, based in Brooklyn, selects up-and-coming bands for free studio time in one of their professional grade studios, and books them for their Rubber Tracks events. In 2015, the platform took the program global, giving artists access to renowned studios like Abbey Road Studios in London and Sunset Studios in Los Angeles  a rare opportunity for all but the biggest music stars. Since taking its program global in 2015, Converse has received more than 9,000 applications from artists around the world, and has given 900 of them recording privileges since starting the program in 2011. Thats a tangible contribution to rising artists.

Keep it real.

When creating a brand partnership, its best to think about credibility rather than popularity and reach. Fans can smell a fake a mile away. Its just not enough to throw a big fee at artists and plaster your brand all over the place at a concert. Fans can tell when theres no real relationship  think of some of the ridiculous hashtags you see on some artist social feeds.

Can the brand play a natural role within the artists subculture? Does make sense for the artist or fans, or ideally, for both? At WeTransfer, we became involved in musical partnerships very naturally because musicians use our service to collaborate with other artists during the work process. Nearly 60 percent of our users work in creative industries. That fundamental relationship led artists to use WeTransfer for distribution, as a channel to share content with fans or experiment with visual art forms, which we offer through our full-screen wallpapers.

In one of our most popular partnerships, Prince offered a track to download directly and exclusively via WeTransfer, and it drove 500,000 downloads in just a few days. And when Big Grams released their latest EP in 2015, they shared their new music video exclusively on WeTransfer, pushing them to nearly 300,000 views.

When it comes to being a natural fit, Sprint has also been a standout here. The brand premiered a Spanish-language commercial during the Latin Grammys, and also re-hired Latino pop star Prince Royce to help develop new music. Both moves had strong, real links for viewers: Sprint CEO Marcelo Claure, who starred in the commercial, is a Bolivian-born native Spanish speaker, and Prince Royce  back when he was still known as Geoffrey Royce Rojas, growing up in the Bronx  worked at Sprint in his very first job. He even credits the Sprint job with being able to pay for studio time, which led to his first record deal.



Music partnerships can be a useful part of growing a brands reputation while building a career for artists. With so many opportunities for brands and artists to work together, its important to get it right. A poorly conceived or executed music partnership is the last thing either party wants  but the great ones create new artistic experiences that will last forever.

Lukas Nieuwenhuijsen is Director of Music Partnerships at WeTransfer.

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The Music Startup Meltdown  And its going to get worse before it gets any better

After a strong year for music tech investments in 2015, things have gotten much tougher for music and music tech startups. The money tree is bearing less fruit and the sexiness of music startups has faded. But its going to get even worse before it gets any better, says Cortney Harding.

photo: Ted Reiderer

_____________________________________________

By music industry and music tech consultant Cortney Harding, author of How We Listen Now: Essays and Conversations About Music and Technology.

In Hemingways The Sun Also Rises, Mike Campbell is asked how he went bankrupt. His reply (gradually, and then suddenly) has been widely quoted since the book was released, but the next line is almost more pertinent to the current situation. When asked what brought it on, he says Friends. I had a lot of friends. False friends. Then I had creditors, too. Probably had more creditors than anybody in England.

For a while, every music startup had a lot of friends. There were countless events and parties being hosted and blogs dedicated to covering the latest and greatest offeringsnot to mention a whole industry of consultants who sprung up to shepherd startups through the industry. And they all had creditors, too  VCs who saw dollar signs and glamour, and were willing to take risky bets.

It was unsustainable, of course, and at a certain point it had to crumble. I watched it gradually fall apart starting last year, with startups unable to raise additional rounds or even get off the ground. The tipping point for me was a job ad that I saw a few weeks ago from a U.K. live music startup called ConcertFlow. It was for a senior level position that required experience and ended on this note:

Basically, theyre asking people to work for free and go into debt in order to do it. Theyre not the first company to do this, or even the first in the space  for a while in the early days, Pandora employees worked for free, and if they stuck around, they were rewarded. But that was in a vastly different climate, long before the digital music sector took shape, and this job posting shows a lack of understanding of the current circumstances facing startups. And theyre not the only ones  I talked to a friend who is taking an unpaid leave of absence from his music startup because they are running out of money. Another friend who consults for startups is owed money by three of his four clients and is pretty sure hell never see it.

Rhapsody is losing $3 million a month, according to a report in Music Business Worldwide, and while Spotify continues to raise money, it has yet to go public. Deezer canceled a planned IPO last year. A source told me about an emerging streaming startup that thought it had millions in the queue ready to go, only to be told by the people doing their fundraising that oops, it wasnt coming through after all. Drip.fm recently announced it was shutting down, and while YouTubes acquisition of Bandpage might have seemed like good news at first, it came to light that they sold for a third of what they had raised. Hyped streaming service Tidal just lost two more executives and has struggled to stay relevant and add significant numbers of paying users. And thats just the tip of the iceberg  I put together a list of twenty more examples I could have included before deciding which ones to keep.

What happened? Just a few years ago, the world seemed full of promise  there were music hack days everywhere you turned, big music tech conferences once every few months, and startups without revenue models were pulling in millions in VC funding. A quick glance at the 2013 MIDEM 30 music startups to watch list reveals many have met a sad fate  18 of the 30 no longer seem to exist at all. Others still have a web presence but havent posted anything new in years, or are zombie startups running out the clock, or never even launched. Only a few have actually grown into real businesses.

Now, thats par for the course in startups, and really in most businesses. But up until now the rotating door of companies was spinning  you could easily move from startup to startup without much disruption. But now all the VC money that was greasing the doors has dried up, and people are stuck  theres just nowhere to go. Music startups seem to have hit an especially high brick wall.

photo: Ted Riederer

The space was enormously frothy before the meltdown, cluttered with plenty of companies that developed music products for nonexistent customers. Everyone was trying to do the same thing  think of the number of music startups that hit the market that were essentially the same (music discovery, for instance, or curated playlists, or social sharing) save for one or two tweaks. Music startups attracted a lot of people who had no understanding of the market and frankly saw it as an opportunity to have fun, meet some famous people and hot girls, and then make a quick buck when they were acquired for millions by Apple or Google. Everything they know about the big, mean major labels they learned from watching VH1s Behind the Music and reading stories by tech bloggers with no understanding of the music business.

Secondly, almost everyone overestimated how much the music industry hadbeen disrupted by Napster. Major labels still wield an enormous amount of power, and can easily stop a startup in its tracks if they want. I talked to a label exec after Turntable.fm (remember them?) raised money in 2011, and he laughed about how much they underestimated the industry, and its uncanny ability to read Techcrunch stories about big funding rounds and ask for just that amount of money for licenses. To this day, I still hear music startup founders say that a lawsuit is the new handshake, a phrase coined after Napster that has been proven to be false time and time again.

For a while, all a startup needed was one major to sign on before the others followed suit. Now, SoundCloud has two of the three signed up, with Sony holding out. Major labels have also started turning down licensing opportunities from even major players who have the cash  theyd rather keep the market small and let the companies they have equity in win the day. The way we access music might have changed from the nineties, but that might be about it.

Startup founders also overestimated just how much music matters to the average person. When you love music, you surround yourself with similar people, and that creates a confirmation bias  everyone wants to share playlists and discover new bands just as much as you and your friends! But really, they dont. The average consumer is happy to listen to the radio or Pandora, see a few concerts or a festival once a year, and leave it at that.

Founders also overestimated the amount of money in the indie music space. While theres certainly a layer of unsigned bands with professional aspirations, many more of them are just playing music for fun, or to meet people and be part of a community. They take it seriously, up to a point, and might release music and tour and want to cover costs, but they also know its a hobby and passion and will never be a viable living.

Being in the middle of the music startup meltdown right now is terrible, full stop. Its never fun when people lose jobs and companies close, and its going to get worse before it gets better, and the next few quarters are going to reveal even more turmoil in the sector. But its not like the internet is going to be turned off for all time; plenty of startups rose out of the web 1.0 collapse, and just as many good ones will come in the future (even in the midst of the downturn, startups like Jukely, Crowdmix, Vadio, and Patreon were funded and are moving forward).

What this does mean is the music startups have to be ten times better, and smarter, and more focused on profit than they were before. In the long run, the space might be smaller, but itll be better, with more fully-realized products. We just have to hold on tight as we pass through the eye of the storm first.

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An Illinois State Board of Elections (ISBE) examiner found that the Kayes' complaint warrants a public hearing. The full board will meet Monday in Springfield to discuss the complaints against Liberty Principles PAC, one day before the primary elections.

Both newspapers consisted of articles supporting and opposing legislative candidates in the region, lining up with the views Liberty Principles PAC holds on specific candidates.

The second was filed by Karen Trzaska of Barrington Illinois, who lives in the 26th Senate District. Her complaint is concerning another newspaper, "The Lake County Gazette," which is also funded by Liberty Principles PAC.

The first complaint was filed by a Charleston Illinois couple - Jonathan Kaye and his wife Clair - concerning a mailing that appeared to be a one-time* newspaper called the East Central Reporter.

One objection against the group, which has spent millions this campaign season, is from east central Illinois area and another is from the northwestern Chicago suburbs.

BARRINGTON, IL - At least two different complaints have been filed with the State Board of Elections against the Illinois-based Liberty Principles PAC. Both complaints allege that the Super PAC may have directly coordinated with the political committees of the candidates the group is supporting in this week's primary. Such coordination is illegal.

Jonathan Kaye, who is challenging incumbent State Rep. Reggie Phillips in the GOP primary, complained that the "East Central Reporter" did not contain the legally required term "Paid for by ..." that political mailers are required to include. He and his wife also complained that it appears Liberty Principles PAC disobeyed the election law by collaborating directly with Rep. Phillips.

The Journal Gazette & Times-Courier (JG-TC) writes that according to the report filed with the Illinois Board of Elections, (Clair) Kaye alleges Liberty Principles PAC is working in concert with the candidate to publish a front page article in the East Central Reporter, and the newspaper is therefore not an independent expenditure as required for an Independent Expenditure Committee such as Liberty Principles PAC.

The story included quotes from Rep. Phillips, showing that the funder of the newspaper and the candidate had direct contact while obtaining information for the publication.

In the JG-TC report, Liberty Principles PAC attorney, Christine Svenson, says Liberty Principles PAC used a third party vendor - Newsinator - to write and publish the newspaper. Newsinator is owned by publisher Brian Timpone.

Timpone and Proft have worked together in the past; going back at least 14 years when each worked on the 2002 GOP gubernatorial primary campaign of then state Senator Patrick O'Malley. Timpone and Proft later went on to found a short-lived Internet news source Illinois Leader. (Full disclosure: Fran Eaton was managing editor of the Illinois Leader). Most recently, Proft - now a radio talk show host on WIND 560AM - interviewed Timpone for his online show "Against the Current."

The second complaint filed is about another newspaper funded by the Liberty Principles PAC -- "Lake County Gazette." The complaint alleges the Super PAC illegally coordinated expenditures with the Dan McConchie committee, stating:

"Liberty Principles PAC sent a mailing to voters in the 26th State Senate District intended to look like a newspaper. This fake newspaper was entitled the 'Lake County Gazette,' but in the masthead section made clear it was not truly a Lake County newspaper by the fact that the towns listed were not the largest towns in Lake County, and not all in Lake County (Cary is in McHenry County): instead, they are among the largest municipalities in the 26th District," the report says.

A sample of the masthead is included:

The complaint goes on:

"This mailing was purportedly an independent expenditure, but in the very text of the mailing they incriminate themselves for clearly having coordinated with the candidate and his committee. In the front page, in an 'article' titled 'McConchie highlighting corruption in Senate bid' next to a photo of Dan McConchie, among a number of positive promotional remarks about McConchie there are three direct quotes from McConchie, two of which directly state 'McConchie recently told the Lake County Gazette; and 'McConchie said.' As the 'article' continues on Page 3, there are several other references to quotes made directly by McConchie to Liberty Principles for printing in the mailer."

That shows, the complaint accuses, that "both Elect Dan McConchie and Liberty Principles PAC violated election code by directly coordinating this independent expenditure."

In addition Liberty Principles PAC failed to include the "Paid for by ..." disclosure statement anywhere in The Lake County Gazette.

The campaign of McConchie's GOP primary opponent Martin McLaughlin was quick to respond to the developing situation and other complaints being filed against McConchie concerning an alleged coordination with a 501c3. McLaughlin's spokesman referred to McConchie as a "political insider."

Its no surprise that an insider lobbyist would try to skirt the rules for his political gain, said campaign spokesman Collin Corbett. Dan McConchie has repeatedly claimed that his lobbyist background would help him play power politics in Springfield.

"Now we see just what he means when he says that. For taxpayers who are sick and tired of paying for corruption in Illinois, Dan McConchie is just another political insider who will do and say anything to get elected. The voters deserve better.

The complaint in the 26th State Senate race is available for viewing below: Download LibertyD4FINAL

(*Since the initial posting of this story, we have learned that there have been at least four editions of the papers released)
Starting with televison ads in late January, Proft's PAC has reported spending thus far over $3,075,400 on mailings, robo calls, television and radio ads to boost law enforcement officer Bryce Benton of Springfield, who is challenging incumbent Republican State Senator Sam McCann.

One of those PACs - Liberty Principles PAC - has spent massive amounts of cash this year. As of Friday, the PAC, which is chaired and directed by radio talk show host Dan Proft, has spent over $4,835,000 on nine races throughout the state.

CHICAGO - Spending in the 2016 Illinois Primary Election may end up a record-breaker as Super PACs take aim at incumbents and challengers who have either opposed or supported Governor Rauner's Turnaround Agenda.

In the Republican-leaning 26th Senate district, the PAC has also spent a significant amount of money in a GOP Primary to fill retiring state Senator Dan Duffy's (R-Barrington) seat. In the race between attorney Dan McConchie and Barrington Hills Village President Martin McLaughlin, Proft has supported McConchie with over $493,567 in mailings and TV ads. A third candidate, Brian Urlacher is also running for the spot.

A complaint against Liberty Principles PAC has been filed in the 26th Senate District race, saying that the Super PAC may have illegally collaborated with the candidate's campaign. The evidence, a Barrington resident says, is based on a political mailer that was made to look like a local newspaper in which McConchie is quoted as speaking with the Liberty Principles PAC-funded news reporter.

A third race targeted by the PAC is the 66th House District where State Rep. Mike Tryon's retirement has resulted in an open seat. To-date, Liberty Principles PAC has spent $456,962 on behalf of Allen Skillicorn who is running against fellow Republicans Dan Wilbrandt and Carolyn Schofield.

In the 102nd House District race, Liberty Principles PAC has spent over $300,000 in another Republican-leaning district where State Rep. Adam Brown (R-Champaign) has decided to retire from politics and return to family farming. Proft is backing former State Rep. Brad Halbrook (R-Shelbyville) in the GOP primary over two opponents - Randy Peterson of Paris and James Acklin of Ogden.

First time 72nd House District candidate Brandi McGuire of Milan is also being backed by PAC with nearly $239,000 in mailings, calls and television ads. Whoever wins the primary between her and Jordan Thoms of Rock Island will have the opportunity to face the Democrat primary winner to replace the retiring Democrat State Rep. Patrick Verschoore of Milan.

A Republican win in November would take one seat away from Speaker Madigan's Democrat super majority.

Nearly $109,000 has been spent by Liberty Principles PAC in the 110th House District race as of March 11th. In that Republican leaning district, Proft is protecting a challenged freshman state Rep. Reggie Phillips against political newcomer Jonathan Kaye.

Kaye and his wife have also filed a complaint with the Illinois State Board of Elections concerning the newspaper mailing in their district published by Liberty Principles PAC. The State Board of Elections is to hear the complaints Monday, March 14th.

Liberty Principles PAC is also backing one Democrat who is challenging Democrat incumbent "Chris" Welch in the 7th House District. Thus far, he's supported Chris Harris with $22,925 in newspaper ads.

There are many reasons PACs get involved in races: they want to advance a candidate; they dont like a particular candidate; or they want a group to have to spend money they may not have planned to," Chris Harris explained about the money from Liberty Principles PAC. "We have yet to see what their plans are for this race, but I am certain that it is not to echo any backing of myself for Governor Rauner. The devastation caused by the budget stalemate should horrify everyone, and I reject Governor Rauners strategy of holding Illinois most vulnerable people hostage."

In fact, Harris told CapitolFax that he thought it was "wrong-headed for Governor Rauners people to insert themselves into a Democratic primary election. The people of the 7th District are well aware of Rep. Welchs poor record, and it is their voices that should decide this election."

Liberty Principles PAC dollars have also gone to the 58th State Senate GOP primary to pick a successor to retiring State Senator Dave Luechtefeld (R-Ottawa). Whoever wins Tuesday - either attorney Paul Schimpf or attorney Sharee Langenstein - is likely to face Democrat Sheila Simon in the General Election. Proft has backed Schimpf with $87,000 in mailings, paper ads and radio and TV ads.

And finally, over $50,000 has been given to Republican Michael DeSutter in the 74th House District race to fill retiring Republican State Rep. Donald Moffitt's seat. One of three candidates vying for the spot, DeSutter agrees with the Rauner Turnaround Agenda items, telling the local press: I agree with a lot of them, that we need to be a lot more business friendly in this state and us counties that are are close to bordering states, we see a lot more of the influence than the center part of the state does, he said.

With a few more days left before the March 15th primary, Liberty Principles PAC is likely to set new records for legislative races.

All of the above spending doesn't take into account the $500,000 the Illinois Opportunity Project directed towards Democrat incumbent State Rep. Ken Dunkin. Mr. Proft is also a key part of the Project's decision makers.

File of spending through March 11th below:

Download Proftmoney2016spreadsheet Sheet1
Yes, BLM and MoveOn.org are scum who dont believe in the American way but Dont Cry for me Argentina,  your candidate chose a liberal college in a liberal city to put on a show. If UIC didnt screw him, Rahm Emanuel would have.

In other news, Trump campaign manager, Corey Lewandowski, is being treated for 3rd degree burns to his hands that he suffered while cleaning the family grill. He will have to postpone the deposition that was scheduled for his alleged assault of Breitbart journalist, Michelle Fields.

Breaking News: Republican Presidential candidate, Donald J. Trump came out this morning and condemned last nights burning of the Reichstag: We will find these thugs and the culprits will be brought to justice.

Frank Luntz tweeted, Trump schedules rallies in middle of cities, where he knows theyll be met by many protesters  and media coverage, and shared the line from Denzel Washingtons Training Day  This sh** is chess, its not checkers.

If only Chicago had that strong commitment to peace that the Chinese displayed in Tiananmen Square, that Donald Trump admires so much.

Yes, the fault lies with fascist scum who interrupted this event but Im not shedding one tear for the sudden loss of Freedom of Speech for a guy who has had more free air time from the Pravda Press than Kim Kardashians nude selfie.

This is Chicago. By the way, a city which Trump maneuvered quite adeptly when he was building a Tower on the river. There were no protests then, all the liberal candidates that are condemning him now were cashing his crony checks then.

So Trumpty Dumpty can tell his story walking. He had to know what would happen in Chicago. And maybe he should have Cowboyd up and gave his speech in front of the building that bears his name.

If you want to throw blame around it goes something like this: 65% BLM and MoveOn.org, 25% the guy who encourages his crowds to get physical with protesters, throw them out, punch them in the nose and hell pick up the tab, and 10% the staffers who put the event together  that is, if it wasnt contrived to produce an effect.

If it was contrived, then congrats to the propagandists in the campaign who are pulling the strings and banging to drums to get the sheeple to dance. Burning the Chicago Reichstag was a great move!

Conservative columnist Steve Deace put it this way:

Have you ever wondered what would happen when warring factions of phony victims  white nationalists on the Right, and Occupy/Black Lives Matters types on the Left  feel mutually emboldened to display their thuggery? Well, now you know.

This must be the unity Ben Carson was seeking this morning. Ironic this comes the very next night after Trump said his protesters were cruising for a bruising and he praised Tiananmen Square.

This is like watching the Bolsheviks and the Mensheviks, or the communists fighting the nationalists on the streets of Berlin in the 1920s. Its what happens when a Constitution and moral tradition that binds a people is abandoned, and everyone does what is wise in their own eyes. And it grieves my soul.

Parson Kirkwood pastors Grace Gospel Fellowship in Bensenville, Illinois. Find his popular blog, where this was published first, at Parson's Point.
The militants were said to be plotting attacks on government offices in Pakistan's Punjab province.

By India Today Web Desk: Five militants of Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) were killed today in Nankana Sahib in Pakistan after a gun battle with the security forces. The militants were said to be plotting attacks on government offices in Pakistan's Punjab province.

The Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) killed the militants in a raid at a house in Shahkot area in Nankana Sahib district, some 70 kilometres from Lahore, early today.

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A source in the CTD said that the militants had close association with the banned Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ).

"The terrorists were planning to target offices of the law enforcement agencies in Lahore," he said.

A CTD official earlier said that a team raided the house following intelligence that eight militants were hiding there.

"When the personnel surrounded the house and asked the suspects to surrender they opened fire on them. The personnel returned the fire killing five terrorists on the spot," the official said, adding the other suspects managed to flee.

A huge quantity of explosives and weapons and banned literature were recovered from the house.

Nankana Sahib is the birthplace of Sikhism's founder Guru Nanak.

Also read:

Despite India's objections, US moves to finalise F-16 fighter jet deal with Pakistan



--- ENDS ---
A total of 315 Maoist supporters have given up violence and surrendered in the past seven days.

By India Today Web Desk: As many as 57 Maoist supporters, including 25 women, surrendered before Odisha Police today, taking the total number of those who have surrendered in the last one week to 315.

These 57 sympathisers belong to Tamuda village in Malkangiri district, IANS reported.

A total of 315 Maoist supporters have given up violence and surrendered in the past seven days, Malkangiri Superintendent of Police Mitrabhanu Mohapatra said today.

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"The rebels who surrendered today include 11 armed militia and two village committee members. The Maoist supporters were working for Kalimela Dalam of the Communist Party of India-Maoist," the police officer said.

He said the surrendered Maoist supporters will be rehabilitated as per the state government policy.

Notably, 19 Maoist sympathisers, who were members of Darwa division of the outlawed CPI-Maoist, surrendered on Saturday.

ALSO READ

Two CRPF commandos killed, 14 hurt in anti-Naxal ops in Chhattisgarh



23 Naxals surrender in Bastar, Chhattisgarh

--- ENDS ---
The Chinese courts have convicted more than 1,400 people last year for harming national security, now to ensure the protection of country's sovereignty and rights at sea it is planning to set up an international maritime judicial centre.

By India Today Web Desk: After Chinese courts convicted more than 1,400 people last year for harming national security, the country is planning to set up an "international maritime judicial centre".

The decision has been taken to ensure the protection of country's sovereignty and rights at sea.

China's chief justice Zhou Qiang said courts across China are working towards building the country into a 'maritime power'.

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"(We) must resolutely safeguard China's national sovereignty, maritime rights and other core interests," he said. "(We) must improve the work of maritime courts and build an international maritime judicial centre."

Details regarding this judicial centre have not been revealed and it is not clear when the judicial centre will be functional. The location or the profile of cases the court will be accepting is not known yet.

Due to the disputes with Japan involving a group of uninhabited islets in the East China Sea, and claiming the most of the South China Sea where other countries such as Taiwan, Malaysia, Vietnam also have competing claims, the Chinese courts have heard 16,000 maritime cases.

China has the largest number of maritime courts globally.

--- ENDS ---
The prophet apparently started to speak in tongues and approached the lions in Kruger National Park for a battle.

By India Today Web Desk: A prophet, who claimed to be filled with the Holy Spirit, was taught a life lesson by the lions of Kruger National Park in South Africa.

Prophet Alec Ndiwane, who is based in the Pretoria Soshanguve, was watching animals and it is believed that he went into a trance and started to 'speak in tongues'.

He decided to challenge the lions to a battle and opened the safari car door only to run towards the lions. The lions were busy eating but noticed Alec approaching towards them. The prophet thought he was possessed and ran to challenge the lions.

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But, when he realized that things might not go well as the lions were more than ready for the battle he took a turn and ran away. Unfortunately, the lions were faster and one of them caught hold of him and left him with injuries on his buttocks.

The ranger accompanying with the group of church members is said to have fired his gun to scare the lion off. The prophet was rushed to the hospital and he underwent surgery.

"I thought the Lord wanted to use me to show his power over animals. Is it not we were given dominion over all creatures of the earth," Alec said reported GhanaWeb.

--- ENDS ---
Trouble seems to be mounting on liquor baron Vijay Mallya, a Hyderabad court has now issued non-bailable warrant against him and Chief Financial Officer of Kingfisher Airlines A Raghunath.

By India Today Web Desk: Trouble seems to be mounting on liquor baron Vijay Mallya, a Hyderabad court has now issued non-bailable warrant against him and Chief Financial Officer of Kingfisher Airlines A Raghunath.

The court has ordered police to produce them before it on April 13 while issuing the warrants.

The warrants were issued after GMR Hyderabad International Airport filed a petition seeking vijay Mallya's prosecution for defaulting on payments and cheating the company by issuing cheques that bounced.

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Meanwhile, Mallya, who is currently in the United Kingdom and is being sought out in India over charges of money laundering, asserted on Sunday that all the efforts by the media trying who were to hunt him down were useless as he was not going to speak to them in any case.

"I am being hunted down by media in UK. Sadly they did not look in the obvious place. I will not speak to media so don`t waste your efforts," Mallya tweeted.

I am being hunted down by media in UK. Sadly they did not look in the obvious place. I will not speak to media so don't waste your efforts.&; Vijay Mallya (@TheVijayMallya) March 13, 2016

In a series of tweets on Friday, Mallya said that he was not an absconder and was not fleeing from India adding that he firmly believes in the law of the land.

Also Read

PM Modi must explain why CBI allowed Mallya to sneak out of India: Kejriwal



Vijay Mallya summoned by ED to appear before it next week

Vijay Mallya is financial terrorist of India, Centre helped him to escape: Shiv Sena



How Vijay Mallya flew to London via Delhi

--- ENDS ---
The discussion on Hindutva is expected to be full of excitement as it would come up in the backdrop of the ongoing meeting of RSS' highest decision-making body which by then would have made some consequential decisions.

By Mail Today: As the India Today Conclave 2016 stands to be the platform for the high and mighty to voice their views, the Joint General Secretary of Hindutva outfit Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) Dattatreya Hosabale too would be addressing the gathering.

Hosabale would be speaking on one of the most contentious issues that have dogged the RSS as well as its detractors for a very long time. Against the context of accusations of being a divisive organisation by the Congress and the Left, Hosabale would be speaking on whether Hindutva has come to unite or divide the people of India in an atmosphere wherein such issues as nationalism have come to fore in the aftermath of the JNU row.

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India Today Conclave 2016 registration





Considered as the chief proponent as well as purveyor of the ideology of Hindutva and cultural nationalism within its ambit, the RSS has emerged as one of the most powerful organisations all the more as its political front - the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) - has come to power at the Centre with what the Opposition calls a brute majority.

One of the most prominent faces of the RSS, Dattatreya Hosabale is officially Joint General Secretary of the Sangh. Within a short span of time, he's climbed the ladder of popularity and is held in high esteem by most senior leaders of BJP including current PM Narendra Modi. A post-graduate in English Literature, he's a protege of HV Seshadri, former Sar Karyavah of the RSS.

The discussion is expected to be full of excitement as it would come up in the backdrop of the ongoing meeting of RSS' highest decision-making body which by then would have made some consequential decisions.

ALSO READ:

--- ENDS ---
The session: "Why are students so angry?" will feature Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) students' union president Kanhaiya Kumar and vice-president of JNU students' union Shehla Rashid.

By Mail Today: The campuses are on boil with students caught on either side of the nationalism versus antinationalism divide, hanging on to the precarious ideological edge. The India Today Conclave on March 17 and 18 will unpeel the layers of unrest in the universities in what promises to be a riveting debate involving the biggest newsmaker of them all, Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) students' union president Kanhaiya Kumar.

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The session: "Why are students so angry?" will also feature Shehla Rashid, vice-president of JNU students' union, who was at the forefront of the campaign seeking release of Kanhaiya and other students arrested on charges of sedition.

India Today Conclave 2016 registration

Presenting the counter viewpoint will be Saurabh Sharma, joint secretary of JNU students' union, belonging to the other end of the ideological spectrum representing BJP's young arm ABVP.

While Kanhaiya, Shehla and Saurabh will bare their opinions on the JNU row as key players in the episode, the larger perspective can be provided by NSUI president Roji M John, the first elected chief of the students' wing of the Congress. Ritabrata Banerjee, general secretary of Student's Federation of India, and Vikas Urs, secretary of students' association at Film and Television Institute (FTII) will broaden the debate.

Also invited is Mahamedha Nagar, vice-president of Miranda House students' union.

Much before JNU erupted like a dormant volcano on February 9, voices of protests on other campuses had already caught national attention.

Students of Pune's film institute locked horns with the government over the appointment of Gajendra Chauhan as chairman.

Suicide of Rohith Vemula, a PhD student at University of Hyderabad in January this year, snowballed into a political slugfest amidst allegation that he was hounded by the ABVP to take the extreme step.

The opposition saw a pattern in the campus unrests as they alleged a systematic design by the ruling BJP to unshackle universities from the dominance of the Left ideology.

The JNU episode of February 9 opened a new front when some students organised a meet condemning the hanging of Afzal Guru. Amid a national outrage over videos showing anti-India slogans being raised in JNU going viral, the Centre swung into action. Delhi Police arrested Kanhaiya, slapping him and others with sedition.

The opinion over Kanhaiya's arrest varied from those who hailed it as just the right action to others who termed it outrageous overreaction by the government.

After being thrashed by the lawyers in court premises, Kanhaiya Kumar's speech after his release from Tihar Jail on conditional bail by the Delhi High Court electrified the raging debate. He became the new face of defiance and student unrest.

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Just as he was being seen as a new campaigner against the government, Kanhaiya has faced volley of fire from the opponents.

At the India Today Conclave, Kanhaiya and other student leaders will come face to face to discuss if the unrest in the campus was a reflection of larger churning in the society. Or, is it a short lived phenomenon fueled by political parties to make electoral gains. Is it the battle of wits, courage of conviction, or simply a case of overzealous vigilante?

ALSO READ:

PM Modi, top ministers to attend India Today Conclave 2016

--- ENDS ---
At least 16 civilians and 2 soldiers were killed in the Ivory Coast beach resort of Grand Bassam on Sunday when gunmen stormed the popular weekend retreat and opened fire.

The gunmen were not identified and it was unclear if they were affiliated with any militant group. (Source: Twitter)

By Reuters: Update:

At least 14 civilians and 2 soldiers were killed in the Ivory Coast beach resort of Grand Bassam on Sunday when gunmen stormed the popular weekend retreat and opened fire, President Alassane Ouattara said.

"Six attackers came onto the beach in Bassam this afternoon ... We have 14 civilians and two special forces soldiers who were unfortunately killed," Ouattara said during a visit to the site. The six attackers were also killed, he said.

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According to the interior minister, Ivory Coast security forces have neutralised six terrorists following deadly attack on beach resort town.

A soldier comforts an injured boy in Bassam, Ivory Coast, March 13, 2016.(Photo: Reuters/Joe Penney)

French foreign ministry spokesman said one french person has been killed in Ivory Coast shooting.

French President Francois Hollande on Sunday denounced the attack. "France will bring its logistical support and intelligence to Ivory Coast to find the attackers. It will pursue and intensify its cooperation with its partners in the fight against terrorism," Hollande said in a statement.



Gunfire broke out at the Ivory Coast resort town of Grand Bassam on Sunday, diplomatic sources and a Reuters witness said.

Al Qaeda claims responsibility

Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb claimed responsibility for an attack on an Ivory Coast resort town on Sunday that killed 14 civilians and two soldiers.

"In a message posted on its Telegram channels on March 13, 2016, the group reported that three 'heroes' from its group were able to storm the resort," according to the SITE Intelligence Group, which monitors online communications by militant groups.



Security forces evacuate people in Bassam, Ivory Coast, March 13, 2016. (Photo: Reuters/Joe Penney)

Grand Bassam, about 40 km east of the commercial capital Abidjan, is a weekend retreat for Abidjan residents and its beaches, bars and hotels are also popular with Westerners.

A Reuters witness saw two wounded people and video taken by a witness showed seven people lying on the ground following the attack.

Security forces were called at the scene.

The gunmen were not identified and it was unclear if they were affiliated with any militant group.

Map of Ivory Coast. Courtesy: Google Maps

The incident took place nearly two months after Islamist fighters killed dozens of people in a hotel and cafe frequented by foreigners in neighboring Burkina Faso's capital Ouagadougou, raising concern that the reach of militancy in West Africa was spreading.



--- ENDS ---

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Kannada superstar Darshan, who has been accused of harassing his wife Vijayalakshmi and kicking her security guards, was grilled by the police for over two hours on Saturday at a local police station in Bengaluru.

By Mail Today: Kannada superstar Darshan, who has been accused of harassing his wife Vijayalakshmi and kicking her security guards, was grilled by the police for over two hours on Saturday at a local police station in the city.

Scores of fans and supporters of the actor had gathered outside the police station where Darshan was being interrogated. The police had to resort to lathi-charge to control the mob.

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Later, Darshan was whisked away to the home of superstar MH Ambarish (Housing Minister in the Siddaramaiah government) where a patch-up between the actor and his wife is likely to happen.

Darshan might be arrested in case his wife pursues the matter and does not agree for a mutual settlement. Several women's organisations have criticised the police for providing 'star treatment' to the actor despite him assaulting a security guard and not pursing that case separately.

Bengaluru South DCP BS Lokesh Kumar, who interrogated Darshan, said that the actor had admitted about marital rift in the family that had complicated the relationship with his wife. "He has promised to mend his ways and not to interfere with his wife's personal life. We have recorded his statement on the issue. We will continue the probe," he added. Police sources indicated that Darshan had agreed to give an undertaking to the police that he would not interfere in his wife's personal life.

But the police officer did not comment on the alleged assault by the actor on the security guard. Police sources said that Darshan confessed to have hit the security guard out of anger when the latter refused to hand over the keys of his highend car parked in the apartment complex where Vijayalakshmi stayed. The police are yet to register a FIR in connection with the assault, as they want to first close the complaint lodged by the actor's wife.

Darshan refused to speak to the media and left for Ambarish's residence where some of his supporters were present. In 2011, when Darshan was behind the bars for two weeks for allegedly assaulting his wife, Ambarish intervened to restore peace in the family. Back then, Darshan had given an undertaking to the court that he would treat his wife in a fair manner. But since the last one year, the couple is living separately.

ALSO READ:

Zero conviction in 672 cases of sexual assault: Karnataka Home Minister



--- ENDS ---
Prime Minister Narendra Modi was in Bihar to dedicate two mega rail-cum-road bridges and be a part of the closing ceremony of the centenary celebrations of Patna High Court.

By Giridhar Jha: Betraying signs of their strained relations in the past, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Saturday exhibited warmth and camaraderie while underlining their resolve for the state's development.

Modi, who was in Bihar to dedicate two mega rail-cum-road bridges and be a part of the closing ceremony of the centenary celebrations of Patna High Court, shared the dais with Nitish on both occasions, smiling and chatting with his long-standing political adversary.

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The prime minister, in fact, got up from his seat to tell a section of crowd chanting his name to keep quiet while Nitish was addressing the gathering in Hajipur. Both the leaders also stressed the need for mutual cooperation to accelerate development in Bihar. Modi also thanked Nitish for the state government's cooperation in the execution of central projects.

This was Modi's first visit to the state since the NDA's drubbing in the Bihar Assembly elections last year.

Terming Bihar as his priority, the prime minister said the development of the nation was not possible without the progress of the state. "Eastern India is the nerve centre of development. The faster the progress in the eastern states, the faster the growth of the country," he said.

Nitish said it was a matter of personal satisfaction that the two projects, which were launched during his tenure as the railway minister, had been completed.

Drawing Modi's attention towards the condition of the Mahatma Gandhi Setu, Nitish said the Centre and the states were expected to accelerate the development with mutual cooperation.

ALSO READ:

My agenda of 'reform-to-transform' yet to be finished, says PM Modi



--- ENDS ---
The statement comes months after RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat had asked for a "social review" of the reservation policy in an interview.

By India Today Web Desk: The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), ideological mentor of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), today said that the reservation system may not have achieved the desired results after 60 years of its implementation and needs to be debated and reviewed.

The statement comes months after RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat had asked for a "social review" of the reservation policy in an interview.

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Speaking to the media at the end of the three-day meeting of Akhil Bhartiya Pratinidhi Sabha at Nagaur in Rajasthan, RSS general secretary Bhaiyyaji Joshi said that there is a need to revisit the system.

In what is possibly a reference to the recent quota agitation launched by the Jats in Haryana and the Patels in Gujarat, Joshi said that well-off communities should not ask for quotas as it defeats the purpose of reservations.

Among other decisions taken in the meeting, the RSS has also agreed to scrap its signature khaki knickers only to make way for trousers.

The meeting of the Akhil Bhartiya Pratinidhi Sabha was attended by top leaders of the RSS including its chief Mohan Bhagwat.

Also read:

RSS meet: No question of compromising core beliefs, says BJP chief Amit Shah

RSS says goodbye to khaki shorts, adopts brown trousers as new uniform



--- ENDS ---
Shah, who was in Rajasthan's Nagaur to attend annual conclave of the Sangh Parivar said that government actions will be dictated by the ideology and principles for which the BJP was established and for which thousands of Swayamsevaks have laid down their lives.

By Rakesh Upadhyay, Rahul Kanwal: At the gathering of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) top brass, BJP president Amit Shah told the Akhil Bharatiya Pratinidhi Sabha that there is no question of compromising the core ideology of Sangh Parivar in any action of the central government or the BJP.

Shah, who was in Rajasthan's Nagaur to attend annual conclave of the Sangh Parivar said that government actions will be dictated by the ideology and principles for which the BJP was established and for which thousands of swayamsevaks have laid down their lives.

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During the three-day RSS Pratinidhi Sabha, Shah made a detailed presentation to the RSS functionaries on the work done by the BJP in the last one year. Shah was flanked by the BJP's National General Secretary for the organisation, Ram Lal, when he spoke to the RSS brass. India Today has been able to put together exclusive details of what the BJP president told the RSS's Pratinidhi Sabha.

Shah started by recounting the major achievements of the Modi government over the last one year. He also spoke about the extensive ideological training programme that is currently underway for BJP workers. The BJP chief also briefed the RSS about the effort being made to build a party office in every district of the country.



Hitting out at the so called pseudo-secularists, Shah described Modi as a champion of nationalism. He emphasised the need for greater synergy between different wings of the RSS and the Modi government and said that every action of the government would be in keeping with the core ideology of the Sangh Parivar.

Shah even said the budget proposal to tax Provident Fund was rolled back by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley after feedback was given by the Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh. He asked the RSS affiliates to show patience on contentious issues where they felt the government was not moving with speed. He said that the lack of majority in the Rajya Sabha was holding back some of the steps the government wanted to take and promised that this would get resolved in time to come.

The BJP president also appealed to RSS functionaries to help the party campaign in the forthcoming Assembly elections in five states in April and May. Usually, the RSS is wary of campaigning for regular elections and wants its functionaries to be involved canvassing only in exceptional circumstances, like the 2014 general elections, but Shah is trying to make it a practise for the RSS to help out the BJP in all elections.



Also Read



Goodbye knickers, hello trousers: RSS agrees on uniform change



Come down hard on anti-national activities in universities, RSS tells govt



--- ENDS ---
Sri Lankan Navy personnel today arrested 28 Indian fishermen on charges of crossing the International Maritime Boundary Line and fishing in their territory.

By India Today Web Desk: Sri Lankan Navy personnel today arrested 28 Indian fishermen on charges of crossing the International Maritime Boundary Line and fishing in their territory.

One mechanised boat and two country boats belonging to fishermen were also seized by the navy personnel.

The fishermen belonged to Pudukottai, Pamban and Tuticorin and they were taken to Kangesanthurai port, Assistant Director of Fisheries Department Gopinath said.

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This is the fourth detention of Indian fishermen by the Sri Lankan Navy this month on the charge of fishing in the island nation's waters.

Eight fishermen were arrested on March 3, while 29 others on March 6 and another batch four on March 10 by the Sri Lankan Navy at different locations in mid sea.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa had also written letters to Prime Minister Narendra Modi calling for appropriate actions for a permanent solution to the recurring arrests. "India cannot continue to be seen as a mute spectator as the rights of Indian fishermen are repeatedly infringed upon," she said.

Fishermen threaten to boycott 2016 Assembly polls



Fishermen belonging to the coastal hamlets in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry have threatened to boycott the May 16 Assembly polls if the Centre does not initiate steps for the release of fishermen arrested by Sri Lanka and also their boats before April 15.

The decision was taken at a meeting of various Fishermen Association leaders.

Fishermen's Association President Rajendran said in 2015 alone, about 70 fishermen belonging to various parts of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry have been arrested by Sri Lanka on the charge of fishing in the island nation's waters.



ALSO READ | India must act on arrests of fishermen, says Jayalalithaa



--- ENDS ---
In an exclusive interview with India Today, Syria's Grand Mufti Dr Ahmad Badreddin Hassoun on Saturday said the ISIS, or Daesh as it has come to be called, were killing people for money at the behest of Saudi Arabia and Turkey.

By Mail Today: Accusing America, France, Turkey and Saudi Arabia of lobbying against Syrian interests in the Geneva peace talks, Syria's Grand Mufti Dr Ahmad Badreddin Hassoun in an exclusive interview with India Today said the ISIS, or Daesh as it has come to be called, were killing people for money at the behest of Saudi Arabia and Turkey.

While the leader extolled India for its secular polity, he also pointed that Syria was being targeted as it was "much like the Indian republic", "the only country in the Arab region which has 25 different sects" and the "first secular country in the Middle East".

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Hassoun, whose son was among those killed by the Daesh, also claimed that Syria was "not fighting ISIS as the terror group had been spawned off from several countries. "We are fighting against 100 different countries. I would like you to know where the Daesh is. It is in Torabora and Pakistan. They have trained them and were supporting them and gave them all facilities. And they have set them free," said the Grand Mufti.

"They are manufactured by the USA in Afghanistan and the Taliban is one part of them. There is the Saudi school of thinking, which is spreading throughout the world in the name of Islam, which is the main power that directs them where to go and how to move," claimed Hassoun.

Hassoun suggested that war in Syria was neither a "regime problem" nor a "sectarian or religious problem", rather it was just "power struggle in the Middle East".

Non-aligned

"Syria always refused to be with one side engaged with the other. The prime minister of Turkey has visited Syria five times just to convince Syrian leadership to allow parties to be based on religious thinking to exist in Syria, but our leadership has always refused this. The prince of Qatar came and he told us 'You have to find the way, you have to go to the American interests; you have to do the American interests'. We have always refused. We were always with Jawaharlal Nehru's way and that of Indira Gandhi: to be with the non-aligned movement; to make peace in the Middle East region as India is doing now," the Grand Mufti said.

Himself a victim of ISIS, Hassoun said he had pardoned the killers of his son. "The atomic energy scientist, technological scientist and of course the religious scholars were attacked in Syria and one of them was my own son. I met the person who has committed this crime and asked him: 'Why did you target my son, he has not raised weapon against you, we are part of you, we are one of you'. He said: "We got an order, a direct order from Saudi Arabia, from Turkey to attack either Hazarat Mufti himself or one of his family or his son, and they paid us individually $1,000 each."

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Hails Indians

Hassoun lauded Indians to have proved themselves in all walks of life in foreign countries, he also advised the country not to be "misused" by the West. "That's why I came to India to tell the Indian people that you are a wonderful people. The Indian people in Europe, in USA are proving themselves to be a very intellectual and intelligent people. Don't let the West misuse India to make it a poorer country. Take care of your own country," he said. Speaking on the Paris attacks, the Grand Mufti of Syria said the international agencies claimed that there were Syrians among the attackers but after investigations it turned out that they were Belgian and French.

"They were born there in Belgium and France but they studied is Saudi Arabia. That's why I asked Indian brothers to pay attention. Gandhi made this land of peace and try not to tear it apart. I will always support the Gandhi way of life."

Asked about the ongoing peace talks, Hassoun said: "We are a country with a free will. There is no one to decide for us. We are independent, sovereign country. We decide for ourselves. After a five years of war, the UN, three months back, agreed that the final world with this problem is the Syrian people's vote, but the ambition of Syrian people should be executed. Don't you see what they have done in Somalia, Libya, Iraq and Yemen? They want to do the same with Syria. They want to decide for the people as if the people have no decision-making powers."

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ALSO READ:

3 Paris attackers feature in ISIS recruitment files: Reports

Islamic State group is expanding in Libya: UN experts



--- ENDS ---
By Radhika Bhalla/Mail Today: You've bawled your eyes out, and look swollen enough to audition for an emotionally high-strung soap opera. Yes, we understand that you broke up just when you had figured out the names of your imaginary kids with him, but there comes a time in every girl's single life when she decides to lift herself from the despair and get a move on.

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While BFFs and sisters will always be the support system of such trying times, a saviour for many desi and international celebs has been the quiet--but very potent--power of the sexy dress, a.k.a. The Revenge Dress.



The term was first coined in 1994 for a black dress that Lady Diana wore on a warm evening in June to attend a summer party at the Serpentine Gallery at Hyde Park in London. Earlier in the day, her estranged husband Prince Charles of Wales's controversial and very public documentary was aired where he confessed to his affair with Camilla Parker Bowles (who is now the Duchess of Cornwall).





Princess Diana. Picture courtesy: Mail Today

Naturally, all eyes were to be on the beautiful, gaunt figure, whose pretty face would have been the very image of vulnerability in the wake of a very public heartbreak and worldwide embarrassment. Not quite so. In a move that Beyonce would most certainly approve of, Lady Diana swapped her pre-decided Valentino dress for the outing, and opted instead for a sexy off shoulder, above-the-knee LBD by Greek designer Christina Stambolian. The dress that she had deemed as 'too daring' until then had been languishing in her closet for almost three years. On that warm June evening, it was to be her weapon-of-choice to turn the tide by slaying with sexiness.



Also Read: Here's decoding the evolution of our beloved Little Black Dress

Ah, the sweet, sweet 'Revenge Dress' has served many a woman in relationship distress by lifting the attention from her past and letting the world know that she's enjoying every bit of her present.

A recent case in point is that of Bollywood beauty Katrina Kaif--after her estrangement from beau Ranbir Kapoor, she was swift in showing what he's missing out on with a flurry of fashionable outings. Cut-out dresses, bohochic dresses and sophisticated styles that flaunt her enviable abs have comprised her admirable wardrobe of late, and with the promotions of her recent flick Fitoor, Katrina has used every opportunity to be out and gloriously about. In fact, the shakeup has done wonders for her erstwhile demure and rather staid Barbie-doll look. The new avatar has seen some fashionable hits like the white separates from label 'Cushnie Et Ochs', a black cut-out and thigh-high slit gown by Philipp Pleinor, and even her runway looks for Manish Malhotra and Tarun Tahiliani, all of which she has owned with confidence.

Another celeb to have used a new look to get back in action post a split is reality star Kourtney Kardashian, who went from weary-mum-of-three to I'm sexy-come-get-me following her divorce from Scott Disick. The 34-year-old managed to say goodbye to utility-driven, predictable outfits and made a beeline for ensembles that show-off her maternal curves while adding youthful charm to her style. Lace details, mesh panels, ripped jeans, plunging necklines and a newly pilates-toned body have unleashed a part of her that was in hiding all these years. Naturally, with all her energy focussed on bouncing back, Kourtney appears to be rediscovering her sensuality and by indulging in it, shedding her inhibitions along the way. In fact, the newly single mom posted an Instagram picture of herself in a lace ensemble with the caption, 'Tell everybody I'm back in town'. Talk about being single and ready!





Kourtney Kardashian. Picture courtesy: Mail Today Kourtney Kardashian. Picture courtesy: Mail Today

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Needless to say, singlehood doesn't equal in-your-face risqueness that screams for attention. The intention of the Revenge Dress isn't to get an ex lover back in desperation, as much as it is about taking back claim on one's femininity and sexuality. A smart woman knows the power she holds in herself and her confidence; being happily out-and-about is just an outwardly expression of it. The single ladies of nearly every generation have taken charge of their lives with hard work, determination and a dash of style, and that's what makes them all the more irresistible. As for those who couldn't see their beauty sooner, well, too bad.

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Directed by Vamsi Paidipally, Thozha also stars Tamannaah in a lead role. The film is slated to hit the screens on March 25.

By India Today Web Desk: The theatrical trailer of Akkineni Nagarjuna and Karthi starrer Tamil-Telugu bilingual Thozha, which has been made as Oopiri in Telugu, celebrates life with the perfect cocktail of fun, drama and stunning visuals.

ALSO READ: Thozha - Nagarjuna, Karthi's film gets a U certificate

Here's the trailer:



Going by the trailer, Nagarjuna plays a physically challenged millionaire and Karthi will be seen as his emotionally challenged caretaker.

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Both Nagarjuna and Karthi are seen having fun in the trailer and their bonding serves as one of the biggest highlights, besides Tamannaah's million dollars look and rich visuals.

Directed by Vamsi Paidipally, the trailer also clarifies that the film has not been dubbed into Tamil and that it's actually a bilingual, with Nagarjuna dubbing in his own voice for the Tamil version too.

Produced by PVP Cinema, the film is slated for grand release in both the languages on March 25.

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By Twinkle Ghosh: Torrential downpour, check; 2.30 am, check. A clueless bunch of six, we found ourselves landing up on the doorsteps of a nameless resort in some part of Kerala, harrowed after an eight-hour drive from Bengaluru, drenched to the skin.

It was one of those much-awaited reunion trips that school friends, living latitudes apart, plan for at some point through the course of the mandatory weekend Skype chats. We were, or so we thought, on our way to Ooty. Two stopovers--special mention to an outlet of Raasta that falls on the Bengaluru-Mysore Expressway for its round-the-clock service and quirky interiors--a couple of our phones calling it a night, GPS playing hard to show us the way, one wrong turn, and we were in God's Own Country, blissfully unaware. Thus began our tryst with Wayanad.



Also Read: 3 countries, 34,000 km, 4,900 pictures: One man's fascinating journey



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Our primary concern that night was to find a shelter, so that we could get just about enough sleep to figure out our next move. The morning that followed, we woke to Lakkidi with its towering mountain peaks, lush vegetation and a bird's eye view of the yawning valley on the south. Touted as one of the highest locations of the district, perched atop 700 metres from mean sea level, Lakkidi is the gateway to Wayanad.





Picture courtesy: Mail Today

The winding roads cutting through lush green meadows, the hovering cloud cover and the promise of a natural fresh water lake--popularly known as the Pookut--spread across 15 acres, just three kilometres away, had by then won us over, egging us enough to blisfully forget Ooty.



Bordering the Nagarhole Tiger Reserve in Karnataka, Wayanad sits cosily on the beautiful Western Ghats with the Kabini river carving its way across the tiny district. Wayand spells royalty all around and there is a reason - history says this land was ruled by the rajas of the Veda tribe. In later days, Wayanad came under the rule of the Pazhassi kings of the Kottayam dynasty. In the days of Tipu Sultan, Wayanad thrived again in royalty, later being taken over by the British as their retreat.



Also Read: Mother-daughter travel diary: A very feminine break in a French village

Our first stop was the Banasura Sagar dam, one of the largest earth dams in India, constructed on the tributary of Kabini flowing from Karnataka into Wayanad. The dam, spread across the foothills of the spectacular Banasura mountains, offers a range of to-dos--from boating and horse-riding to the much-recommended fish spa. The journey back necessarily demands a stopover at Kalpetta, where an archaic drive-in that calls itself 1980's--A Nostalgic Restaurant dishes out the best of home-cooked Kerala food. This old-world beauty does not have a menu on offer for its spreads; instead, it asks you to trust its instincts on what's suited best for your palate!

The next morning, we had trekking on our platter. And the perfect place to trek is the Chembra Peak that will take you to the tallest of the Wayanad hills and is at a height of nearly 6,900 feet. A trendy choice among amateurs, it is considerably well known and safe as the district forest office keeps a close watch on trekkers. They also offer trekking equipments on rent for tourists.

The trek to the Chembra peak is a straight route through the blossoming green meadows. The initial phase might take you by surprise as the slopes along the foothills are surprisingly steep. It takes some time for a trekker to adjust to the terrain but once he does, the rest is cakewalk. And for those carrying undying romance in their souls, the surprise cherry on the top is the heart-shaped Chembra lake that totally makes up for the three-hour trek! What's more, legend has it that the lake has never till date witnessed a dry season.

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Our last stop at Wayanad was a three-tiered waterfall by the name of Soochipara Falls, and in restrospect, by far, the best part of our voyage. To reach our spot, we had to drive across some of the largest tea, coffee and spice plantations of the district. Roaring from a height of 200 metres, the beauty and might of this fall draw you to it and all you want is to stand against the lashes of droplet missiles, breathing in nature.

Our rendezvous with Wayanad was unintentional and brief--like that one blind date you are forced into, only to return with a guilty, incessant inkling, and the anticipation of a wee bit more.



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From political advisers to media strategists, backstage directors to fundraisers, from those in their early 30s to the ones in their mid-40s, Indian-Americans are participating in full force in this US Presidential election.

By Maneesh Pandey, Mail Today: Even as US presidential hopeful Donald Trump continues to prove he's a force to reckon with, the Republican frontrunner faces stiff opposition from a small, but powerful ethnic community - the Indian-Americans.

Azamgarh-born entrepreneur and philanthropist Frank Islam doesn't mince words when he says: "Trump is the ugly face of America, which the world doesn't want to see... He is not America." Many members of the community who are contributing to the coming election as backroom strategists are in the opposite camp and want Trump to lose.

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From political advisers to media strategists, backstage directors to fundraisers, from those in their early 30s to the ones in their mid-40s, Indian-Americans are participating in full force in this election. According to recent poll surveys, 72 per cent of Indian-American voters are with the Democrats. And if Trump becomes the face of the Republicans, the number will go up.

Indian-Americans say they want to bring down the wall against immigrants which Trump "desires to build as President".

Trump's comments against minorities, including Muslims and Sikhs, and the way a Sikh protester was thrown out at one of his rallies, have not gone down well with the Indian-American community.

Rising Indians

Trump is the talking point wherever members of the community meet. Community members have realised that their representation in the US political offices is not at par with the status they have attained in such a short span of time. Barring South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal and Congressman Ami Bera, not many names come to mind of American politicians with Indian origin.

"This is the time to expand community roles in the political process,'' says entrepreneur, philanthropist and IIT-Kharagpur alumni Vinod Gupta, who like Frank Islam, is close to the Clintons. As their roles are getting more defined in the run-up to the US election, Indian-Americans are uniting against Trump's 'tyranny' to safeguard their identity as "immigrants who built America".

Says Gupta: "Indians are getting recognised more in different important positions as backroom strategists in this electoral battle.''

The Chanakyas

Not all desi strategists are against Trump, though. The recent Republican onslaught against Hillary Clinton was based on sound research done by Raj Shah, the Research Director at the Republican National Committee, whose only expertise is to dig out "anything against the Clintons". He is currently running the "Republican Campaign against Clinton and Sanders".

But they are in a minority. Almost 80 per cent Indian-Americans were found to be on the Democrat side. Many like Neera Tanden and Shefali Razdan Duggal are getting involved as "shadows" behind Hillary Clinton. The young Huma Abedin, for instance, is Clinton's media and communication adviser. Fund raising comes naturally to most of them, as they have a wide donor network. Islam has already raised half-a-million dollars for Hillary's campaign in this election. Their goal: Do whatever it takes to make Trump lose!



Poll position

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Frank Islam

This Azamgarh-born entrepreneur and philanthropist from Uttar Pradesh is known as the "man with a 16-bedroom mansion" among his Indian-American community. A recipient of Martin Luther King Jr. Legacy Award for international service in 2015, Islam is committed to creating sustainable opportunities in America.

A Clinton insider since 2005, he has been entrusted with fund raising and rallying public support for the Democratic campaign. A popular figure among the Indian-Americans, including the 2,00,000 Indian Muslims, Islam has raised more than half-a-million dollar in fundraising and about four dozen meetings in places like Virginia, Los Angeles, San Francisco and New Hampshire.

Shefali Razdan Duggal

The US media refers to her as "a powerful woman with influence." A Kashmiri Pandit known for her proximity to President Barack Obama and Senator Hillary Clinton, her presence in the upper echelons of American politics is steadily on the rise.

However, what endears her to many is her love for South Asian community, which cuts across political affiliations. "I think that a person, whether Democrat/Republican/Independent, as long as engaged with the political process, is helpful to South Asians in the US," she says. "I have been working in politics completely on a volunteer basis.

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I love it and am very grateful for the opportunity to be involved, in some small way," says Duggal. She is also a presidential appointee to the United States Holocaust Memorial Council.

Neera Tanden

She is arguably the closest to Hillary Clinton from the Indian American circle. A former policy adviser to the Democratic nominee, this 45-year-old is the president and chief executive of the Centre for American Progress, a public policy research and advocacy organisation.

In her private time she campaigns for her "mentor, friend and former boss." Their association goes back to the days when Hillary was the First Lady in the White House in 1997. Tanden was named the "most influential Woman in Washington" by National Journal. "I know that if Hillary becomes the President, she will look for talent from all parts of American society" she says.

Nathan Naidu

He is the master strategist behind Republican dark horse and Ohio Governor John Kasich. A full-time employee with the Mission Society, a not-for-profit organisation in Atlanta, 30-year-old Naidu was born and brought up in the US.

"I have been associated with Kasich since 2010 and this is my third elections with him,'' Naidu told Mail Today. A graduate in Telecom and Films Naidu says Kasich is admired both within and outside the Republican party.

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"He (Kasich) has a very positive attitude unlike Trump, who is full of himself during public meetings," says Naidu. "He (Kasich) touches the issues most Americans want to discuss - economy, job growth and how to keep America safe," he adds.

Vinod Gupta

For IIT Kharagpur alumni and Uttar Pradesh-born Vinod Gupta, aka Vin to his friends, the Clintons are his closest chums. Gupta's association with the Clintons lasts over two decades and he is determined to put Hillary in the White House. "The whole, family is behind them (Clintons). We are getting more support for the Hillary campaign from both the Indian-American community as well as from South Asians."

Though he is not directly involved in any election campaign for the Clintons, Gupta has been a generous contributor to the Clinton Foundation with his philanthropic grants. "She is most qualified to be a president," says Gupta about Hillary.

Raj Shah

He is the young Indian holding fort for the Republicans in a battle that has seen soaring support for the Democrats from the Indian-American community. Thirty-one-yearold Raj Shah heads the Republican research team that is engaged in preparing dossiers on their political rivals - Clinton and Sanders.

A graduate from the prestigious Cornell University, Shah was appointed as a research director of the Republican National Committee last February. According to him, the heat on Hillary will get more intense once she gets the final nomination from the Democrats as their presidential nominee. "Questions about her (Hillary's) character and honesty would keep on lingering," he told the media recently.

ALSO READ:

Donald Trump's Chicago rally called off after protests

Blame me for popularity of Donald Trump? No way, says Barack Obama



--- ENDS ---
Investigative reporting from the inner city to Wall Street to the United Nations This is the blogspot version InnerCityPress.com
The Times also points out that the Shaheeds report demonstrates consistent growth of Irans excessive application of the death penalty. His conservative estimate of 966 judicially-sanctioned killings in 2015 represents a two-fold increase since 2010 and a ten-fold increase since 2005. Many critics of the regime have seized upon these figures to buttress the argument that so-called moderate President Hassan Rouhani has actually overseen the deterioration of the domestic situation, compared to his avowedly hardline predecessor, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

The National Council of Resistance of Iran  a coalition led by the PMOI  has been chief among these critics. But on Friday the NCRI also noted that the efforts of the UN special rapporteur had contributed to some positive trends, at least in terms of awareness, even at a time when Rouhani has failed to follow through on any of his campaign promises regarding a loosening of restrictions on free speech and the release of some political prisoners.

The relevant positive trends were highlighted by 40 political prisoners who signed a letter to the United Nations Commission on Human Rights regarding the question of Dr. Shaheeds prospective renewal of his post. Although the letter emphasizes that the overall condition of prisons and the treatment of political prisoners remain awful, the signatories as a whole have clearly seen the effect of [Shaheeds] reports in prisons.

This, according to the letter, is because Shaheed has been more active than any of his predecessors, leaving virtually no major human rights violations unmentioned in his reports. The letter goes on to say that as a consequence of this, Shaheed is especially hated by the Iranian regime and is the target of highly organized propaganda efforts. Many prisoners also report that they have been summoned by regime authorities and urged to disavow his findings in exchange for lighter sentences or other concessions.

Conversely, prisoners reportedly face intimidation and retribution for corroborating Shaheeds findings, and this was the emphasis of another letter written separately by one of the signatories to the aforementioned. The NCRI published the text of this letter, as well. In it, PMOI supporter and inmate of the political ward of Gohardasht Prison Saeed Masouri alleged that three fellow inmates who had assisted Dr. Shaheed in his investigations had been specifically targeted by prison authorities and are now living under constant threat of violence or murder.

But such direct threats are only one of the measures employed against political prisoners either as a form of punishment or as a means for eliciting false confessions. On Thursday, Iran News Update reported upon the prevalence of another of these measures, namely the denial of medical evaluation and treatment to those who are badly in need of it. That report indicated that inmate health problems may be a result of poor prison conditions, mistreatment, hunger strikes, or all of the above.

Dr. Shaheeds reports have naturally addressed this phenomenon, as well, and so too have a number of human rights organizations focusing on Iran either in whole or in part.
Further specifications of the Ghadr-series missiles indicate that they are capable of carrying nuclear warheads, a fact which led much of the international community to decry the test-firing as a clear violation of UN Security Council Resolution 2231, which governs implementation of the July 14 nuclear agreement between Iran and six world powers and which calls upon the Islamic Republic to avoid further development or testing of such weapons.

In the wake of similar violations in October and November, Iranian officials denied that it had violated the earlier Security Council resolution 1929, which imposed stricter restrictions and was abrogated by the implementation of the nuclear deal. At the time, Irans defense focused on the claim that the missiles in question had not been designed for the purpose of carrying a nuclear payload, even though they were generally understood to be capable of doing so.

This defense was reiterated this week, with Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson Hossein Jaberi Ansari having been quoted by the Associated Press as saying on Friday that the newly-tested missiles were conventional defensive instruments and they were merely for legitimate defense. Ansari emphasized that his governments position was that the latest tests, like the previous ones, are not violations of Security Council resolutions. But this claim seems to be undermined by comments from a number of his colleagues and even by Ansari himself.

As Iran News Update reported earlier in the week, IRGC Brigadier General Amir Ali Hajizadeh declared that Irans ballistic missile program will not be restrained under any circumstances. He also boasted that Irans enemies were shivering from the roar of the latest tests. This defiant commentary closely parallels remarks that were made by several military and government officials, including President Hassan Rouhani, around the time of the previous tests.

Those figures have repeatedly emphasized that the Islamic Republic has no intention of complying with international resolutions that are outside of the scope of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action. Furthermore, when the US eventually imposed new economic sanctions on entities linked to the Iranian ballistic missile program in response to the October test-launch, Rouhani ordered the dramatic expansion of that program.

The latest launches appear to demonstrate that the IRGC is following through on this order. But more than that, Irans declared non-compliance with the UNSC resolutions seems to imply that Rouhani and the IRGC are aware of the fact that these test-launches are violations, and are committed to carrying them out nonetheless.

This transparent defiance has led to the even stronger calls to action by US congressmen who were already outraged by the previous ballistic missile tests. The Washington Post reports that whereas former congressional proposals and requests to the Obama administration were largely issued separately by Republicans and Democrats, the latest violations have elicited a more strongly bipartisan response than their precursors.

And in addition to jointly urging the Obama administration impose strong sanctions and other enforcement measures, the bipartisan leadership of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee is crafting its own sanctions legislation as part of an attempt to take action if the executive fails to do so.

Many members of Congress were unsatisfied by the executive response to the October violation, both in terms of its speed and in terms of its strength. The Washington Post quoted Republican Senator Kelly Ayotte as saying that those sanctions, which were imposed in January after implementation of the nuclear agreement, are proving to be anemic, especially in light of the latest violations of ballistic missile provisions.

The Times of Israel clarifies that the weakness of those sanctions is largely a result of Irans sophisticated tactics for sanctions-evasion, which have led the country to develop multiple procurement networks for ballistic missile technology, so as to effectively continue illicit behavior once prior channels are closed off. This has led such experts as Foundation for Defense of Democracies Executive Director Mark Dubowitz to conclude that a repeat of Januarys enforcement measures will not be effective in the present case.

The Times of Israel quotes Dubowitz as recommending that Congress compel the Obama administration to be much more forceful in going after the foreign companies that are enabling Irans missile program using secondary sanctions all the way to identifying those sectors of Irans economy that actually provide technology and equipment for the missile program and imposing sector-based sanctions.

This would be in contrast to what some expect to be a more modest approach to sanctions by the administration, if acting on its own. Furthermore, some have suggested that that administration is moving deliberately slowly in responding to the latest violations, in line with a soft policy that the administrations greatest critics have at times described as appeasement.

This assessment was, however, disputed by the Center for Research on Globalization, which pointed out in a report on Friday that the controversy over Irans missile tests had contributed to President Obamas decision to sign an executive order extending the state of National Emergency with regard to Iran for another year.

The report quotes the president as acknowledging, Despite the historic deal to ensure the exclusively peaceful nature of Irans nuclear program, certain actions and policies of the Government of Iran continue to pose an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security, foreign policy, and economy of the United States.

The report also surmises that even if the Democratic frontrunner for this years presidential elections is the ultimate victor, she will be more willing to take strict punitive action against the Islamic Republic. Clinton has long taken a hard-line and militarist position in relation to Iran, the Center writes, without suggesting that Obamas stance has been as weak as some of his detractors suggest. It points out, for instance, that Obama personally authorized and oversaw the Stuxnet cyberattacks that damaged an Iranian nuclear enrichment facility.

However, this incident was followed by a steady growth in Irans own hacking and cyberespionage capabilities, and that fact has opened up the Obama administration to further criticisms and questions about whether it is doing enough to confront threats from the Islamic Republic. Those questions began to look more urgent in 2013 when hackers employed by the Iranian government gained access to back-office systems of a dam outside of New York City. The intelligence-gathering operation prompted Western security experts to wonder whether it was a precursor to attempts at a serious attack.

CNN reports that the Justice Department is expected to issue an indictment against the government of Iran for this attack in the coming week, as part of an effort to name and shame participants in such activities, thereby raising international awareness of the threat. While it is fair to assume that the administrations critics will not be satisfied with the strength of the response, it is also true that this episode demonstrates some of the ways in which the US is using the international legal system and multinational intelligence gathering, as well as economic sanctions, to confront ongoing illicit behavior by the Islamic Republic.

Inquisitr points out that another such legal challenge emerged this week when US District Judge George Daniels issued a judgement against the Iranian government ordering it to pay 10.5 billion dollars in damages to the families of victims of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. The suit alleged that Iran offered material support to the 19 hijackers who crashed commercial aircraft into the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, mostly through its financing and support of the Hezbollah terrorist group, which provided training to some of those hijackers.

The judgement in that case does not represent conclusion proof of an Iranian connection but was rather issued as a default judgment because Tehran elected not to defend itself against the allegations. Instead, spokespeople for the Islamic Republic simply decried the case as absurd and another evil joke by the Americans, with Iran Press Editor-in-Chief Emad Abshenas arguing that the Al Qaeda perpetrators of the 9/11 attacks were sworn enemies of the Islamic Republic.

But this argument was undermined this week when new documents from the archives of the late Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden were released to the press. The National Council of Resistance of Iran reports that a letter from bin Laden to a high-ranking operative in Iraq warned the latter against conflict with Iran, which bin Laden referred to as our main artery for funds, personnel, and communication, as well as the matter of hostages.

The newly-released documents underscore what many foreign policy analysts have already observed about Irans traditional relations with Al Qaeda and other Sunni terrorist groups: that despite sectarian differences between the two side, they have frequently been willing to put aside those differences for the sake of shared goals, chiefly attacks on American and Israeli targets.
By Josh Cunnings on 11 March 2016 for Enviro News -

Image above: Still frame from video below of KEEP OUT sign on Navajo land

warning of radioactive danger from abandoned uranium mine. See video below.

Voice of 1960s Television Narrator: Actual pictures of Glenn in the capsule will give scientists the opportunity to study his reactions as he passes over the Canary Islands, Africa, the Indian Ocean, Australia, back across the Pacific, and over the United States. He speeds at 17,500 miles an hour, reaching a high point of 160 miles, and a low altitude of 99 miles. Each of the three orbits takes about 90 minutes. Three times the Colonel sees the sun rise within the period of 4 hours and 56 minutes. Three times around the globe for a trip of 81,000 miles before he reenters the earth's atmosphere -- a shield protecting the astronaut from the intense heat.

Voice of President John F. Kennedy: John Glenn throughout his life has eloquently portrayed these great qualities, and is an inspiration to all Americans.

Voice of 1950s Pro-Nuclear Film Narrator: The awesome power of a nuclear explosion has been harnessed, and is being used to benefit all our lives. Nuclear power plants, fueled with uranium, are already producing electricity for millions of Americans -- and many more of these plants will be built in the future.

Our country is dependent upon the uranium industry, and the uranium miners for a continuing adequate supply of this magic element. The magic of uranium stems from its property of radioactivity. It is this same property however, that endangers the health of workers who mine and handle uranium. Therefore, special precautions must be taken to protect uranium miners from exposure to excessive radioactivity. That's what this film is all about.

Voice of 1950s Pro-Nuclear Film Narrator #2: Information about the beneficial uses of atomic energy knows no national boundaries. The facts are available today, for nuclear energy isn't waiting to help people everywhere in some brave new world of the future -- the peaceful atom is here now -- to serve what President Eisenhower has termed, "the needs, rather than the fears of mankind." Nuclear reactors, or atomic furnaces, like this one, provide the product that makes possible practical applications of nuclear energy. That product is the radioisotope -- the atomic tracer -- a common element tagged with radiation like a sheep with a bell.

And because they are tagged, they can be traced, thus giving scientists, engineers and doctors worldwide an invaluable tool for research and money-saving applications into biology, medicine, health, agriculture and industry. In the past eight years, the United States has made more than forty-seven-and-a-half-thousand shipments of radioisotopes to more than 2,000 users in this country, and almost 3,000 shipments to 53 countries all over the globe, at or below cost.

In the 40s and 50s, America was pillaging uranium out of the earth as fast and furiously as possibly in a rush for both electricity and bombs -- but it turns out that many of those mining messes weren't cleaned up very well -- if at all.

The perplexing problem of these open, deadly, toxic messes was discussed between Urry and Gundersen. Take a listen.

Voice of 1960s Pro-Uranium Film Narrator: Royalties from the uranium mines are providing much needed cash for the Navajo prospector, and for the tribe. Many of the Navajo men are employed in the uranium mines, where they are valued as conscientious workers.

Charmaine White Face (excerpt from Defenders of the Black Hills video): Dr. Lilias Jarding in her research that she completed in 2010 called Uranium Activities' Impacts on Lakota Territory talked about, not only what was happening on the Northern Great Plains, but also in Colorado. All of these are abandoned open-pit uranium mines. 397 in Montana, 2103 in Wyoming, 113 in North Dakota, 272 in South Dakota, and 387 in northern Colorado, for a total of 3272.

This is an abandoned open-pit uranium mine on the southwestern edge of the Black Hills. Here you see it again, and back here you can see the Black Hills. This is called the Darrow Pits Mine. If you put it all together in one box, it would be about a mile-square. The thing about the Darrow Pits Mine is that they are only 40 miles from Mt. Rushmore. Millions of tourists travel to Mt. Rushmore every year not knowing that they are breathing in radioactive dust, and the water that they drink in the motels in Rapid City contains uranium.

This mine, if we could go behind this wall, it's called the Riley Pass Mine, and we're standing facing the Riley Pass Mine, which is behind here. But I wanted to show you this because all of this is radioactive overburden. It was pushed off. This whole rimrock was about this high, but they pushed it off as they were trying to dig out the uranium, and a lot of radioactive material went off in the overburden, but what they didn't consider was that this was also a sacred site. There were burial sites there. There were sacred sites there. There were spirit writings on all of these petroglyphs.

A warning sign at the Riley Pass Mine says, "Caution. Radiation Area. Radiation levels in this area are elevated. No more than one day within a one year period should be spent in this area. No camping."

Recently, March 2013, the US Forest Service finally issued a public safety closure order because of the dangers to human health. Among the particles that are in there are arsenic, molybdenum, thorium, radium and uranium. These are all in the form of dust or runoff, and they are picked up by the wind. So, when we are in there -- when we are standing over by that sacred site praying, we are breathing in a lot of these harmful materials. But the wind doesn't just stop at the end South Dakota. These harmful materials are traveling all over the country. Our levels were very very high compared to Chernobyl.

Dr. Kearfott with her students came out and started doing some readings in our treaty territory, and this is what they found: "The radiation levels in parts I visited with my students were higher than those in the evacuated zones around the Fukushima nuclear disaster." Higher. Fukushima radiation levels were higher than Chernobyl. The Northern Great Plains' levels are higher than Fukushima -- and these are not from nuclear power plants or from an atomic weapon, or atomic bomb being exploded. These are from 2,885 abandoned open-pit uranium mines and prospects, and we are subject to that radioactive pollution constantly. We, the people of the Great Sioux Nation, we are the miner's canary. We are the miner's canary for the rest of the United States. We have the highest cancer rates now. We never gave permission for uranium mining to occur in our treaty territory. It's not just the nuclear power plants that people have to be afraif. All of these abandoned open-pit uranium mines in the Northern Great Plains are affecting everyone, but they are genocide for the Great Sioux Nation -- for my people. This is genocide.

Contact your congressman, your senators. Ask them to pass a bill to clean up all the abandoned uranium mines in all of the United States -- to clean up all the abandoned uranium mines and prospects, with no new mining -- no new uranium mining until all of these abandoned mines are cleaned up.

Video above: Program and interview source of this article. From ( https://youtu.be/nK4t5K2DW8E ).

.

SOURCE: Ray Songtree ( rayupdates@hushmail.com SUBHEAD: The deadly front end of nuclear power is the radioactive pollution in thousands of abandoned uranium mines.Welcome to the EnviroNews USA news desk. I'm your host Josh Cunnings. In this first episode of a unique 15-part mini-series of short-films, we are going to exploreOur journey extends outward from a bombshell interview conducted by EnviroNews Editor-in-Chief Emerson Urry, with the esteemed nuclear expert, whistleblower, and expert witness Arnie Gundersen.Gundersen is a nuclear engineer, as well as a former power plant operator, and trade executive, whose own life, for a good amount of time, was ruined by the nuclear industry after he exposed radioactive safety violations. So to get this series rolling, here's what Gundersen revealed to Emerson Urry.We're here with Arnie Gundersen of Fairewinds. How are you doing today?Hey, thanks for having me. I'm glad I'm here.Thank you for taking the time to be on the show with us. What can you tell us about your background?Well, I started as a nuclear engineer in 1972 and I was absolutely committed. I thought that nuclear was going to save the world -- and the issue in '72 wasn't global warming so much as it was we were running out of energy. So, I became a senior vice president, and about 1990 discovered license violations and told the president of the company. He fired me.The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) knowingly botched the inspection and was taking bribes. John Glenn came to my rescue. Senator John Glenn came to my rescue, and I was exonerated in Congress. But Maggie and I lost everything.We lost our house, our pensions. We were sued for a million and a half dollars. It was a terrible time. You know, you make lemonade out of lemons, and we've moved on now. So, Maggie opened a firm -- Fairewinds Associates, that does paralegal work and expert witnessing -- and that's what we do now.Now, when Gundersen says Senator John Glenn -- THE Senator John Glen, this is who he's referring to.That's right, this man, Senator John Glenn of Ohio -- one of the first men in space -- and certainly a legend in his own right. This highly celebrated man, [was] paraded around the country by John F. Kennedy himself -- literally. The astronaut-senator had to compassionately come to Mr. Gundersen's aid, after he was attacked by the nuclear industry -- ganged up on by the likes of a vicious cabal for disclosing safety violations to the president of his own company.The educational short serious we're about to bring you spans a plethora of nuclear-related topics, but maintains a special focus on the myriad nuclear problems still festering right here in the US In this series, we will also explore with Gundersen, critical and downright disturbing details from the ongoing, ever-unfolding, nuclear crisis at Fukushima Daiichi in eastern Japan.Some of the segments in this series are very short and feature raw interview excerpts, while in other episodes we dive deeper into the content discussed between Gundersen and Urry.But before going around the world to talk about the incredible state of despair, still palpable on the ground in Japan, we're going to start this series right here on US soil -- at the beginning where all nuclear complexities commence -- we begin with the aftermath from the mining and extraction of the naturally occurring radioactive element uranium -- a mineral with a four-and-a-half-billion-year half-life that presents very little harm when safely sequestered in the earth -- but all that changes when it's mined and brought to the surface.There was a huge rush for uranium in the 40s and 50s, driven by a lust for nuclear bombs. Many of those bombs required plutonium -- an element produced in nuclear energy reactors powered by uranium fuel, and subsequently harvested as a byproduct of the nuclear fission process itself.While for many years nuclear power rode under the guise of the so-called "peaceful atom," the industry has been chastised for being a friendly cover for the bomb fuel business.I want to go back for a minute to the uranium. We were talking about Fukushima and obviously the myriad isotopes that are put off as a byproduct of the nuclear fission that is happening in the reactor. It all starts there with the uranium, and there was quite a rush for that, and now we have all of these situations. To our understanding there are about 15,000 abandoned uranium mines that have been left in complete ruin with very little cleanup or remediation at all, just in the western United States. This has happened, by-and-large, because of an antiquated mining bill -- the 1872 Mining Bill -- still affecting these situations today -- that kind of allowed miners to just walk away from these situations -- but yet, they remain in the open leaching off tailings -- blowing around radioactive dust. I think there's about 4,500 of these exposed mining sites just in Navajo country -- another 2,500 or so in Wyoming. How do we deal with that situation? What does the future hold in those regards, and quite frankly, are we all being poisoned by these mines?I'll give you another example of the same thing, and I would say "yes" to everything you said is the quick answer. There is a mill-tailings site in Moab, Utah. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission told the owner of the site that they needed to set aside six million dollars to clean it up. Well, the actual cleanup is a billion dollars. What did the owner do? They declared bankruptcy and walked away.And it wasn't bonded? No bond?Right. It wasn't bonded. You know, if you bonded uranium mining, you wouldn't have uranium mining.Because nobody would probably...The way our system is set up is that you take the profit early, and then when everything is done you walk away and the government takes the risk. So, we've socialized the risk, and the capitalists make the profit early on and the rest of us pick up the cost afterward. And that's historically true on the Navajo reservation especially -- but you get in the Black Hills and the Lakota Sioux... We had a member of our board go out to South Dakota and sample a dried riverbed, and the bottom of the riverbed had as much uranium in it as a mine -- from runoff from uphill mines. We have a legacy that we're really not admitting exists. Thousands and thousands of these mines -- mainly on the Native American property, but not entirely.When Gundersen said the brunt of these mines are on Native American lands, he wasn't kidding. And speaking of South Dakota, the Sioux Tribe and uranium mines, we want to introduce you to a lady named Charmaine White Face -- one of the top Native American activists in the battle to clean up these deadly mine sites. Here's what she had to say in one of her group's videos:Our system has allowed the owners to take the profit and run. As a country, we have to face this legacy. We have to cleanup both the backend -- places like Hanford -- places like Paducah -- and all the contaminated backend of the plants, but we also have to clean up the front end. We've got all these uranium mines scattered in places -- people don't even know where all of them are, and that cost is extraordinary -- and I really don't think there is the political will to do it right.What can be done? What could be done to move things in a positive direction there? We know that Representative Raul Grijalva of Arizona has actually proposed legislation regarding the 1872 Mining Bill to kind of allow cleanup to start happening in some of these situations. But the uranium problem is obviously only a corner of that. There are about 500,000 mines that were left in ruin total -- and even a lot of those like ones we've looked like out in Nevada -- it may be a gold mine, but it's very likely leaking off uranium tailings as well.Yeah. The Mining Bill is so entrenched in the corporate culture of the West, and there are so many corporations that would fight to the death to make sure that that mining bill doesn't change. I don't have a lot of hope that Congress will change it, and that's unfortunate. It would take a huge uprising of the people in the western states, and not just the Native Americans, but the people who vote more frankly, to turn that around. With the mining interests saying, "oh you're going to lose your job if we have to comply with a tougher regulation," [it] really becomes I lose my job today, or I contaminate the earth forever -- and unfortunately, the balance is, I don't want to lose my job today.The 1872 Mining Bill is indeed still on the books to this day. Although there was a mining reformation bill in 1977 that implemented remediation and stricter cleanup standards going forward, it wasn't retroactive in cleaning up any of the messes that had already been made.And so the miners, parties like Exxon, BP and the US Government, all rode off in the sunset, and remained in the dusk with their loot to boot -- leaving behind a landscape littered with open uranium messes -- literally radioactive earth-sores that, due uranium's extraordinarily long half-life, will remain toxic and mutagenic to all life for, oh, only about the next 45 billion years or so -- unless they are cleaned up and dealt with in some fashion that is. We are all left to wonder: how might that ever be accomplished?Tune in tomorrow for the second part of fifteen in this EnviroNews special --. For EnviroNews USA -- Josh Cunnings.
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.
Hi blog, sorry for abandoning you for quite some time. There were just so many things going on the last few weeks (mostly good!!!) that I did not have time to update you. I felt like I needed to go on a coffee date with myself to catch up with my own life, but that requires going out so I might as well write down my thoughts while lying in bed (sadly, it's still winter here- so cold and wet, it's getting depressing!)





I just got back from a work-related travel to Sri Lanka. We were there for 5 days, mainly to support the Sri Lanka Business Conclave organized by our partner chamber and member. The place is very interesting and has nice friendly people. They say it's a "cleaner India" though I cannot attest to that since I haven't been there. The country now takes pride of its promising economic growth and has been attracting investors all over the world. (Photos below: Galle Face, Red Mosque, Port of Colombo and Sri Lankan food called "hopper")

















Apart from that, my previous weeks were spent slaving away (hehe sorry for the term!), balanced by random get togethers with scholar-friends who have just arrived for the new semester. I also met up with working friends for midweek dinners to have a break from our routines. I'm back to my regular yoga 'programming'... slowly re-introducing my body to hot yoga after not doing it for more than 3 weeks. On most days I do gentle therapeutic sessions to ease my back pain.









For other things, I bought a small balikbayan box to fill with stuff I'm not using anymore (and those things that don't spark joy hehe). This is me de-cluttering the #KonMari way, thanks to Diane for the inspiration! I KonMari-ed my closet during those wee hours that I'm so jet-lagged, and managed to set aside things I haven't really been using. My balikbayan box is ready for pick-up on Wednesday and my room has never been this tidy, and my drawers so organized! I hope they stay like this forever!









I ticked off several items from my to-do list over the weekend. Thank God for weekends!!! I went to Lucky Money Remittance Center to re-start paying my SSS contribution (which I should have done last year). I'm still contemplating on paying my Philhealth and PAG-IBIG fund because I dont see the point in paying them since we have National Health Insurance here (your thoughts?) Then I made several calls to China Airlines for my award ticket redemption, and to Cebu Pacific to refund my ticket after a change in flight schedule, and lastly to Metrobank for reversal of my annual credit card fee using my reward points. Sorry I feel like I need to write these down to have some sense of accomplishment after months of procrastinating. Hay everything is just so tedious when you're overseas.





Have a great week ahead! I have pending posts for my US trip and Taipei Life series, I hope I can start writing them! :)
Wallace James Kruger, 90, of Lincoln passed away March 11, 2016. Wally was born in Lincoln on September 29, 1925, to Herman and Emma Kruger, the oldest of three children. He attended Lutheran parochial school until the family moved to Sterling in 1935. He graduated from Sterling High School in 1944 and then attended the University of Nebraska for one semester prior to being drafted into the US Navy in January of 1944. He was one of the few to survive the sinking of the U.S.S. Bismarck Sea off the coast of Iwo Jima on February 21, 1944. He always felt that every day after that was a gift.

Wally returned to the University of Nebraska upon discharge from the Navy and received his degree in accounting. In June of 1950, he married Lorraine Weishahn. They were blessed with 50 years of marriage prior to her passing in March of 2001. After the children were grown, they enjoyed spending winters in Arizona and a trip to Germany.

Wally worked for Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company for 35 years and was section manager of general accounting upon his retirement in 1987. Wally was known in the neighborhood as the "handy man" and was always willing to lend a hand when something needed fixing. He spent many hours in his shop, working with wood and welding. Another love was walking the fields near Sterling hunting pheasant and quail with his dog.

Survivors include two children, Kathy Bollwitt of Great Falls, Mont. and Gary Kruger of Lincoln; grandchildren, Ellison (Kevin) Sanders of Coeur d'Alene Idaho, Michaela Bollwitt of Denver, and Dr. Brian Bollwitt of Salem, Ore.; and one great-grandchild, Jace Sanders of Coeur d'Alene. Survivors also include his sisters Donita Wulf of Lincoln and Joyce Scott of Adams; among numerous nieces and nephews.

A memorial service will be held at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, March 15, at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, followed by a graveside service at Lincoln Memorial Park Cemetery with military honors. A public visitation will start at 3 p.m. Monday, March 14, with family present from 6-7:30 p.m. at Roper and Sons, 4300 O St. Condolences online at www.roperandsons.com.




This is a picture of people having fun on the patio at Hacienda Solimar. I think we were waiting for lunch. A pleasant prospect, as all the food on the trip was delicious, fresh and abundant. We're relaxing. Not having to think about much of anything except moving from one awesome sight to the next. What a blast! That's the goal on these Costa Rica and South Africa trips I co-lead. Figure out a route, great places to go, great places to stay; (That's Main Guide Mario and Debbie from Holbrook Travel and our terrific driver Jimmy's genius); get people there and let Amazing Mother Nature do the rest. Dart around and direct attention, Vanna White style, to this and that and the other. (Zick's job). And oh, does Mother Nature come through for us.





Guanacaste is Costa Rica's cowboy country. It's comparatively dry, hot and scrubby, with low forest. That makes it easy to see birds and animals. This Harris' hawk looked at home against a brilliant blue sky. Mario took this shot for me out the bus window.









Southern lapwings run around on stilty legs. What a beautiful bird! This one is checking for peregrines, I'm sure.









A beautiful male green kingfisher was making a sound like two marbles clicking together for several minutes before any of us spotted him against the bank, just a pebble's throw away.









A white-necked puffbird, a bulky giant-beaked Coraciiforme, sort of like a landbound kingfisher, subdues an enormous grasshopper. It masticated the insect for awhile, then gulped it down.









A pair of orange-fronted parakeets were sitting nervously beneath their nest, which was excavated in an enormous termite colony mound. You can just see one of them directly beneath the black nest, framed in a rectangle of heavy limbs. The termite nest is made of frass, which the termites produce when they eat wood. When a parrot or trogon burrows into the nest, the termites simply wall off the birds' newly excavated nest chamber and go about their business. Nobody gets upset. It's pretty cool.









I witnessed an interesting phenomenon in this pair. Here they are, not displaying. Eyes dark, right? Maybe a dark-medium gray.





Het up by our presence, they began displaying to each other. Look at their eyes now. Probably best to click on the photo to see it well, and sharp. Suddenly their irides look white. Anyone who has lived with a parrot or macaw knows this look. It's when you're about to get bitten. When Charlie did it, I used to call it "pinning her eyes," or "pupils pinned." The pupil contracts down to a small dot, and the smaller that dot, the more likely I was to get bitten. It's a pretty dramatic difference in the appearance of the bird, isn't it?









It was hard to leave Solimar, so abundant and impressive was its avifauna. But we had to press on toward Villa Lapas, our lodge, one of my favorite places to stay. There, we are immersed in wildlife, can't get away from it. The landscaped grounds and nearby riverine forest are a strong attractant to all life forms.





On the way, we saw a great gathering of birds at Caldera Bay. We pulled over and beheld more black terns than I've ever seen in my life, or ever expect to see going forward. And I've been on the North Dakota prairies, where they breed, for a week at a time for 12 Junes. But this was something else again. Black terns littered the beach, and floated like mosquitoes over the bay. It was stunning, astonishing. These are two halves of a panorama. I got tired of counting the preening flock when I got around 800. It hit me that there is so much yet to be learned about migration. Is this gathering of black terns in Caldera Bay in late February a known thing? How would one find out? And to think they're headed for prairie potholes in the Great Plains and Canada. It's humbling. Every darn one of them was preening, their heads and bills busy and moving.









I can't convey the cloud of black terns the seethed over Caldera Bay with this photo, taken Feb. 24, 2016. Just trust me on this...there were thousands of black terns here. What a rush!





You never know all that's going on with birds. Not even a particle of it. That's why traveling along the migratory route of "our" birds and seeing them on their wintering grounds is such a rush for me. It's as if I'm getting a privileged glimpse into their private lives.








JURIST Guest Columnist Jared A. Goldstein of Roger Williams University School of Law discusses President Obamas proposal to close the prison in Guantanamo Bay

Last month President Obama announced his latest plan [PDF] to close the prison in Guantanamo Bay. Under the proposal the government will continue to look for countries to take in three dozen detainees who have been cleared for transfer, while the remaining 55 detainees would be moved to a federal facility in the United States.

Closing the prison at Guantanamo deserves support because Guantanamo has come to symbolize the abandonment of the rule of law. For almost fifteen years Guantanamo has been a prison outside the law, where the rules that the United States long ago agreed to follow in the conduct of war have been rejected in favor of indefinite detention without trial, waterboarding and other forms of enhanced interrogations. Yet the presidents plan to merely transfer the detainees from one prison to another seeks only to address Guantanamo as a symbol, without doing what is really needed: re-committing the nation to detention only in accordance with law.

Both sides in the fight over closing the Guantanamo prison have acted as if all that matter is symbols. President Obama said that the prison should be closed because of its symbolic value, because terrorists use it as propaganda in their efforts to recruit. Republicans counter that the prison should be kept open to symbolize our nations resolve in the war against terrorism. Senator Marco Rubio said that We should be putting people into Guantanamo, not emptying it out, and Senator Ted Cruz agrees: dont shut down Gitmo, expand it and lets have some new terrorists there. Upping the stakes, Donald Trump longs to torture new detainees: I would bring back waterboarding, and Id bring back a hell of a lot worse than waterboarding.

What is missing in the debate over Guantanamo is any discussion about the actual persons kept there. Republicans in favor of keeping Guantanamo open often describe the detainees as inhuman monsters. After tweeting a video in which he threw Obamas proposal to close Guantanamo into the trash, Senator Pat Roberts took to the Senate floor to declare that the country could never safely hold the detainees at Guantanamo because they are fixated on the destruction of America and they have no regard for life, not that of their own and especially not for the lives of innocent civilians. Bringing the detainees to the United States would threaten national security, republicans warn ominously, because their presence inside the country would attract new acts of terrorism.

The fears provoked by the proposed closure shows that we have forgotten our history. During World War II, the Army held 425,000 German prisoners of war in the United Statesincluding thousands of committed Nazis and members of the SSwhile Germany was committing acts of brutality and massacres of civilians on a scale far beyond anything al Qaeda or ISIS has attempted. There were thousands of American Nazi sympathizers, far more than the estimated number of al Qaeda and ISIS supporters in the U.S. today, who might have been tempted to commit acts of sabotage or terrorism against the detention of their comrades. Yet the U.S. military somehow handled the massive security arrangements necessary to hold hundreds of thousands of German prisoners without any significant national security problems. Perhaps this history suggests that we could handle a few dozen al Qaeda members kept in maximum security facilities without jeopardizing national security.

Even more, what is missing from the debate is any discussion [PDF] of the actual persons who have now been held at Guantanamo for fourteen years, more than ten years longer than any of the World War II prisoners of war. The POW status of Germans and other combatants in past wars went largely unquestioned because they were captured on the battlefield wearing enemy uniforms. In contrast the military found it nearly impossible to determine whether the 800 detainees brought to Guantanamo really were enemy combatants. They were not captured on the battlefield but were rounded up by Afghani and Pakistani locals for large bounties. The U.S. did not receive dossiers or files on these men; no investigation had been done about who they were. All the evidence that has been gathered to justify their continued detention was gathered after they were in custody, most of it obtained through interrogations of the detainees themselves through abusive and improvised techniques conducted by officers with no training in interrogation.

For many detainees the evidence linking them to terrorism is extremely flimsy. The government has argued that the fact that many of them were Arabs in Afghanistan or Pakistan after September 11, 2001 by itself suggests that they are terrorists. For some detainees, the best the military could come up with to show a link with terrorists is that the detainees were caught wearing a Casio wristwatch associated with known terrorists. By the militarys own estimates, a large percentage of the detainees were held by mistake. But since they had no reliable way to tell who had worked for al Qaeda and who had not, the government made the calculation that it was safer to imprison them all rather than let some dangerous men go free.

My client Mohammed al Daihani was a Kuwaiti accountant who was brought to Guantanamo in December 2001. The United States never claimed that Mr. Daihani had taken part in any terrorist activities against the United States or that he was a member of al Qaeda, the Taliban or any other anti-American group. Instead Mr. Daihani was accused of having given a few hundred dollars to an organization that appeared to be a legitimate charity, which had given money to another organization, which in turn was alleged to be associated with al Qaeda. After years of imprisoning and interrogating Mr. Daihani at Guantanamo, the military had developed no evidence that he had intended to support any terrorist group. Yet it did not matter whether Mr. Daihani had intended or even known that his donation may have indirectly supported terrorism. He was designated an enemy combatant because his donation supported terrorism, whether he meant to or not. And on that basis Mr. Daihani was locked up 24 hours a day for four years in solitary confinement in a 9- by 6-foot cell, forbidden from speaking to his family or even reading a newspaper.

Supporters of the Guantanamo prison continue to repeat the lie perpetrated by Donald Rumsfeld that the detainees are the worst of the worst, but by 2003 Rumsfeld privately admitted in documents that have been declassified [PDF; appendix A] that the majority of the detainees were at most low-level operatives. Very few detainees have even been accused of committing acts of terrorism or violence against the United States. Fewer than 20 are likely to face trial before military commissions. The rest have simply been held indefinitely without charges and without any formal process for determining whether they actually did anything to justify detention that has lasted more than fourteen years and threatens to go on indefinitely.

The betrayals of our commitment to law have been perpetuated not only by the president and Congress but by the courts as well. In 2008 the Supreme Court ruled in Boumediene v. Bush that the detainees have a constitutional right to pursue habeas corpus, which would ensure that the detentions continue only upon sufficient proof that the detainees really are enemy combatants whose imprisonment can be lawfully justified. In several cases, however, the D.C. Circuit has gutted habeas for the Guantanamo detainees, ruling in Kiyemba v. Obama that the detainees may be imprisoned indefinitely without due process; and ruling in Al-Adahi v. Obama and Latif v. Obama that detention may be justified on unreliable and untested information. Together these rulings have made meaningless Boumedienes promise of a meaningful opportunity to contest the basis for the detentions.

Without any valid legal process to determine whether the indefinite imprisonment is justified, Guantanamo remains a prison outside the law. President Obama is right that Guantanamo should be closed because it conflicts with our nations commitment to the rule of law. But to close the prison without providing a fair process to make sure the detentions are lawful would be an empty gesture, a symbol lacking in substance.

Jared A. Goldstein is a Distinguished Research Professor of Law at Roger Williams University School of Law and former Associate at Shearman & Sterling where he represented clients held at Guantanamo Bay.

Suggested citation: Jared A. Goldstein, Closing Guantanamo Isnt Enough , JURIST  Academic Commentary, March 12, 2016, http://jurist.org/forum/2016/03/jared-goldstein-closing-guantanamo.php.
Im happy to say that my art and technique has been included in this book by UK author/artist Gill Barron , the fairly famous Painter of Everything (shes well on her way to painting everything in the entire world, and doing a beautiful job of it, too).I have two step-by-step projects in the book, as well as several other finished paintings used as illustrations.The book is entitled Acrylic Secrets: 300 Tips and Techniques for Painting the Easy Way , and has been distributed worldwide by Readers Digest Books.Its now available on Amazon and you can order your copy here.
It seems to me very important to the idea of true democracy - to my country - and to the world eventually - that all men and women stand equal under the sky... - Georgia OKeeffe

Hello - my name is Karin Jurick Atlanta, Georgia, United States I'm an artist View my complete profile

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"If I had the energy, I would have done it all over the country"

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"It's what you carry to an object that counts."

- Andrew Wyeth

About Leaving Comments I welcome comments relating to each specific post - please do not include outside links or your comment will not be posted. Comment moderation is necessary to prevent SPAM left by the losers out there - I recommend all bloggers do the same to stop this nonsense once and for all. Thank you.



"When I'm old and gray, I want to have a house by the sea. And paint. With a lot of wonderful chums, good music, and booze around. And a damn good kitchen to cook in."



~ Ava Gardner



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A new roadmap

The NC cannot enjoy the luxury of sitting in the opposition and needs to help the govt to implement the constitution
Building better cities

There is still a looming possibility that if building codes continue to be ignored, as they have been in the past due to both corruption and laxness, Kathmandu will not fare well in the next big one
First grants to be issued from Singati centre

Eleven months after the devastating earthquake, the National Reconstruction Authority is signing housing reconstruction grants with the displaced families as part of its final preparations to distribute the government-announced cash to the homeless.
From guerilla caps to blue helmets

Former Maoist combatants now in the Army set to serve in UN peacekeeping missions
Greater Nepal submits memo to Vice-President

Greater Nepal Nationalist Front has submitted a memorandum to Vice-President Nanda Bahadur Pun demanding correction in the decision to deploy Nepali nationals serving Indian regiment for the security of Brunei.
Kerung border point resumes operations

After a two-week closure, China on Friday resumed operations of the Kerung border point.
Libya conflict: Tunis-based unity government claims power

Libya's UN-backed Presidential Council, based in Tunis, has called on the international community to stop dealing with any rival powers within Libya.
Morcha leaders leave for New Delhi

Top leaders of the Samyukta Loktantrik Madhesi Morcha (SLMM) headed for New Delhi on Sunday to attend a programme in the Indian Capital.
NMA warns of health service disruption

The Nepal Medical Association (NMA) on Saturday warned that Out-Patient Department (OPD) in private hospitals across the country will be shut down if the government does not scrap its decision to cut off dedicated feeder lines to the health institutions in the next 72 hours.
The revolutionary changes that took place in the economy of the Soviet Union during the first two decades led, in the mid 30s, to the build...
Snowfall in Humla

The district headquarters of Humla, Simkot, is experiencing snowfall from early morning on Sunday.
Snowmobile 'driven into dog-sleds' in Alaska Iditarod race

A dog has been killed and several others injured after a snowmobile was deliberately driven into two dog-sled teams competing in a race, officials have said.
Shah has worked as a consultant for the Single Window Component of the Nepal-India Regional Trade and Transport Project.
Stranded Nepali migrant workers in Saudi implore for help

Complaints have been pouring in over the Nepali Embassy's apparent lack of concern towards the deteriorating plight of migrant Nepali workers stranded in Saudi Arabia.
Syria conflict: Government sets conditions for new peace talks

The Syrian government says it will send a delegation to fresh peace talks due to start in Geneva on Monday, but has put limits on the agenda.
Sangam Prasain is Business Editor at The Kathmandu Post, covering tourism, agriculture, mountaineering, aviation, infrastructure and other economic affairs. He joined The Kathmandu Post in October 2009.
Two injured after Iron Maiden plane gets damaged in Chile

Iron Maiden's famous Boeing 747 has been damaged at an Airport in Santiago, Chile.
UCPN (Maoist) lawmaker Lama remanded in five-day custody

UCPN (Maoist) lawmaker Lyarkal Lama, who was arrested earlier in the day after 14 bullets were recovered from his bank locker, has been remanded in five-day custody.
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.
The new Busch-ControlTouch KNX turns smartphones and tablet into a practical remote control at home or at work ABB, a global leader in power and automation, will present the new intelligent KNX app at the Light+Building event in Frankfurt am Main, Germany. The solution is introduced in Germany, Austria and Netherlands under the Busch-Jaeger brand  a member of the ABB Group.

The Busch-ControlTouch KNX IP gateway combines the KNX installation with the IP network (LAN) and controls all KNX functions in the building. The easy-to-use app  for iOS and Android  turns not only smartphones and tablets, but also soon the Apple Watch into practical remote controls for KNX systems.

In addition to controlling switches, dimmers, blinds and scenes, the Busch-ControlTouch KNX also integrates IP cameras, Sonos wireless boxes and Philips Hue lights within the system. Local user support can assign roles with user rights. Additional product features include Scene Editor, RGB/RGBW support, week timer with practical astro function, optional presence recording and alarm notifications via push messages or E-mail. Busch-ControlTouch KNX also enables the creation of individual logic scripts. The end customer can also activate remote control via ETS programming, without requiring a VPN tunnel. ETS4 and ETS5 project data can be fully uploaded and/or imported and then be available in the myABB-LivingSpace online portal (my.abb-livingspace.com).

The compact device with its fireproof housing (72 x 90 x 60 mm) features a KNX connection, LAN connection and 5-36 V connection for an external Power Pack. It also features two buttons for restarts and two LEDs for status and connection display. Complete module start-up and modifications are made via the myABB-LivingSpace online portal.

Suitable for private housing, offices, large housing complexes or commercial properties  the Busch-ControlTouch KNX takes modern, intelligent living and working to the next level. Simply take control of all smart devices in the KNX system. Using your smartphone on the move, tablet in the office or even your Apple Watch from the comfort of your sofa.

Product advantages

 For smartphones and tablets (iOS and Android) and the Apple Watch

 Implementation and modifications via the Internet

 Intuitive and user-friendly operation

 Integration with IP cameras, Sonos wireless box and Philips Hue lights

 Logic scripts option possible

 Error and alarm messages via push

www.abb.com
Fremont Community Schools Head Start Director Susie Swager, right, works with two Angola Head Start students, Brooklyn and Lilli, on their S sounds and creating Sammy snakes. Swager is Fremont Head Starts second director in its 51 years of operation.
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.
PIRAEUS, Greece (AP)  Clutching an English phrase book, Mohammed Sawadi is preparing to head north.

The 23-year-old university student traveled from Damascus with his two cousins. They knew Greeces borders were closed before leaving home but say nothing will stop them getting to northern Europe.

We made a vow: We will get to Europe, and we will stay together, said Sawadi, wearing a Batman T-shirt and holding a map of central Athens.

The three cousins crossed Turkey before reaching the Greek island of Chios and taking a ferry to Piraeus, the countrys largest mainland port, near Athens. Sawadi wants to join his brother in Germany and eventually settle in The Netherlands.

European leaders are determined that they wont make it out of Greece any time soon.

The countrys borders were sealed off to migrants and refugees a week ago and NATO expanded patrols in the eastern Aegean Sea  and waited for signs that the number of arrivals was beginning to slow.

Its not yet clear if that is happening: From an average of 2,000 arrivals per day at Greek islands facing Turkey so far this year, the numbers have become more uneven.

The daily number stayed below 1,000 most of the past week, but spiked to 3,340 on Wednesday, according to data from the United Nations refugee agency UNHCR. About half of those arriving are from Syria, with the rest mostly from Afghanistan and Iraq.

Its too soon to draw a conclusion from that data. Well need to see what happens in the next few days, Public Order Minister Nikos Toskas told private Skai television Saturday. I think the flow of migrants and refugees will eventually slow down, but it wont happen in a day.

Since the borders closed, the number of migrants and refugees stranded in Greece has climbed to above 42,000. And the European Unions commissioner for migration, Dimitris Avramopoulos, a conservative Greek politician, revealed this week that emergency plans are being made to help the country cope with 100,000.

About a third of those stranded in Greece are camped out in harsh conditions at the Macedonian border, where no one has crossed in the past week.

Arrivals could remain high for as long as war and destitution affects refugees lives. The EUs decision to encourage the closure of the Balkan migration route doesnt mean people will stop trying to reach northern Europe, said Apostolis Fotiadis, an Athens-based migration researcher and author of the book Border Merchants: Europes New Architecture of Surveillance.

(Migrants) will just go underground, taking greater risks to their own life and boosting crime in Balkan economies, he said.
Kassie Coert-LeMaitre has moved 18 times since she started school.

The 17-year-old Sparta High School senior is the child of a military family, with stepfather Erik Metcalf, a combat engineer, currently stationed at Fort McCoy and mother, Reina Coert-Metcalf, a member of the civilian service, on the base. During his military career, Kassie has attended about two dozens schools across the U.S. as well as overseas when the family was posted in Germany and Italy.

Kassie has had to learn to be outgoing and adaptable in order to make new friends and fit in when she moves to a new community. That goal-driven spirit and perseverance are some of the reasons she is this years Extra Effort award winner from Sparta High School.

She has a big heart, Sparta physics teacher John Blaha said. She likes to see other people happy and is a good friend to her classmates.

Kassie was born in California, and her parents divorced when she was really young. Her stepfather had always been a close friend of the familys, she said and it wasnt hard for him to become papa in her eyes.

Hes been my teacher through life, she said. He has always been there for me.

Being a military child can be challenging, she said, especially moving all the time and having to make new connections.. Kassie said she had to learn to be adaptable and live with what is going on around her. Being focused in school helps, she said, and if she makes friends, it is an added bonus. She also volunteers a lot in the community and said she likes to walk around when she moves to a new place to get a feel for it.

School counselor Chrissy DeLong said Kassie volunteers with the student services office at the high school, running passes and helping with paperwork. She also spends a lot of her free time working with students, tutoring them in math or English.

For all the times she has moved, she is very adaptable, DeLong said. She acclimates very quickly and formed bonds and joined clubs and got involved.

Kassie was heavily involved with junior ROTC at her last school in Junction City, Kan., which she attended for three years before the family moved to Sparta this past summer. When she graduates this spring, she said she will attend Texas Tech University in Lubbock, where she wants to study mechanical engineering and/or behavioral science as well as join the Army reserve officer training corps.

Several weeks ago, Kassie job-shadowed her father while he was working, and was inspired to follow in his footsteps. After graduation, she hopes to get her commission in the Army and be able to serve her country.

Mechanics has always been a big part of my life, she said. My dad taught me to work on cars and things like that.
BAGHDAD  The Islamic State group has launched two chemical attacks near the northern Iraqi city of Kirkuk, killing a three-year-old girl, wounding some 600 people and causing hundreds more to flee, Iraqi officials said Saturday.

What the Daesh terrorist gangs did in the city of Taza will not go unpunished, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said using an alternative acronym for the IS group during a meeting with village elders in Taza on Saturday. The perpetrators will pay dearly.

Security and hospital officials say the latest attack took place early Saturday in the small town of Taza, which was also struck by a barrage of rockets carrying chemicals three days earlier.

Sameer Wais, whose daughter Fatima was killed in the attack, is a member of a Shiite militia fighting IS in Kirkuk province. He said he was on duty at the frontline when the attack occurred early in the morning, quickly ran home and said he could still smell the chemicals in the rocket.

We took her to the clinic and they said that she needed to go to a hospital in Kirkuk. And thats what we did, we brought her here to the hospital in Kirkuk, he said.

Wais said his daughter appeared to be doing better the next day so they took her home. But by midnight she started to get worse. Her face puffed up and her eyes bulged. Then she turned black and pieces of her skin started to come off, he said.

By the next morning, Fatima had died, Wais said.

The hundreds of wounded are suffering from infected burns, suffocation and dehydration, said Helmi Hamdi, a nurse at the Taza hospital. He said eight people were transferred to Baghdad for treatment.

There is fear and panic among the women and children, said Adel Hussein, a local official in Taza. Theyre calling for the central government to save them. Hussein said a German and an American forensics team arrived in the area to test for the presence of chemical agents.

U.S. and Iraqi officials said U.S. special forces captured the head of the IS unit trying to develop chemical weapons in a raid last month in northern Iraq.

The U.S.-led coalition said the chemicals IS has so far used include chlorine and a low-grade sulfur mustard that is not very potent. Its a legitimate threat. Its not a high threat. Were not, frankly, losing too much sleep over it, U.S. Army Col. Steve Warren told reporters Friday.

Experts also say the extremist group appears incapable of launching a large-scale chemical weapons attack, which requires not only expertise, but also the proper equipment, materials and a supply-chain to produce enough of the chemical agent to pose a significant threat.

The coalition began targeting IS chemical weapons infrastructure with airstrikes and special operations raids two months ago, Iraqi intelligence officials and a Western security official in Baghdad told the AP.

Airstrikes are targeting laboratories and equipment, and further special forces raids targeting chemical weapons experts are planned, the officials said. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to brief reporters.

The extremist group is believed to have set up a special unit for chemical weapons research made up of Iraqi scientists who worked on weapons programs under Saddam Hussein as well as foreign experts.

The group is believed to have created limited amounts of mustard gas. Tests confirmed mustard gas was used in a town in Syria when IS was launching attacks there in August 2015. There have been other unverified reports of IS using chemical agents on battlefields in Syria and Iraq.

Separately, attacks across Baghdad Saturday killed 13 and wounded 27.
I was born Dec. 2, 1922, in Minneapolis to Alex and Helen Anderson. I was brought up in Minneapolis and graduated in 1941, from West High School. At that time my parents moved to Winona, Minn. I attended the college there, which was known as Winona Teachers College. Of course, at this time in our lives, we were interrupted by World War II. I enlisted in the Army Air Force and served until February 1946. I returned to Winona College, along with some other 300 GIs. During this time, I met my future wife, Georgine (Jean) Norton. I graduated with a degree to teach art in 1949. My first teaching assignment was in Evansville, Ind. During this time, I married Georgine (Jean) and we moved back to Red Wing, Minn., where I taught art for the next 31 years. Jean was also a teacher. She had a teaching position at the Minnesota Correctional School for Boys in Red Wing. Upon our retirement, we acquired a motor home and full-timed it for the next two years seeing the USA. We finally settled down and spent six months in Wisconsin, and six months in Florida, for the next wonderful 20 years. I lost Jean in 2007.
Politicians in Mississippi have used campaign money to pay for such things as a BMW, an RV and $800 cowboy boots.

In Wisconsin, a railroad executive was caught violating contribution limits after an ex-girlfriend he met on a sugar daddy dating website reported him for illegally funneling cash to Gov. Scott Walkers campaign. Key to the investigation, election officials say, was a requirement that donors disclose their employers  but Republican lawmakers have since wiped out the rule.

Meanwhile, dark money spending by outside groups that arent required to disclose their donors is expected to explode during this presidential election year. States can take action to stem the tide at the local level, but few have. Congress could require more disclosure about who is financing campaigns, but it has made no move to do so.

Disclosure may be the publics best and often only remaining way of knowing who is supporting political candidates in the wake of recent court decisions.

Requiring people to stand up in public for their political acts fosters civic courage, without which democracy is doomed, the late Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia once wrote in an opinion in favor of disclosing petition signatures.

The U.S. Supreme Court repeatedly has ruled in favor of public disclosure of campaign contributions, even in its earth-moving Citizens United decision. The 2010 ruling found that political spending is protected under the First Amendment, and said that corporations and unions can spend unlimited amounts of money on political activities.

It effectively wiped out key campaign finance regulations that had been in effect for decades. But it also upheld disclosure requirements.

That and other Supreme Court decisions have resulted in unprecedented amounts of money pouring into elections. Because Congress has not acted to require further disclosure, the old limits are gone and new rules have not been passed to take their place, leaving citizens more in the dark than ever about whether elected officials are working for them or for special interests behind their campaigns.

Richard Hasen, a professor of law and political science at the University of California, Irvine, said that despite the highest courts support for disclosure of campaign donors, the Federal Election Commission and Congress remain frozen when it comes to requiring greater transparency about who is funding political groups.

Political operators often look for ways to shield their donors, Hasen said. The laws have to be constantly updated.

Congress could quickly require more disclosure, if there was the political will to do so, said Hasen, author of the book Plutocrats United: Campaign Money, the Supreme Court, and the Distortion of American Elections.

Groups that advocate for more transparency say the federal stalemate has driven reform efforts to the local level in some states, where they see greater opportunity to push for change.

Targeting states seems like the only outlet for making change at this level, said David Donnelly, CEO of Every Voice, an organization working to advance state ballot initiatives that would require more disclosure about money in politics.

Donnelly argues state-level efforts, if successful, could restore the faith of voters who perceive an uninhibited flow of money into politics. The changes also could generate interest that would build the political power, around the country, to eventually press Congress to require some reporting of donors in national elections, he says.

States as battlegrounds

Efforts to change state disclosure laws are not just a function of opportunity, advocates say. They also are a necessity, given a state-level influx of dark money paralleling the federal flood.

Attempts to force more disclosure from outside special interest groups have succeeded in some states.

California enacted a law requiring information about donors who give above a certain amount to nonprofit organizations that engage in political campaigns. The law, signed by Democratic Gov. Jerry Brown in 2014, requires nonprofit groups to disclose the names of donors who give them $1,000 or more to fund political activity in California, if the group spends more than $50,000 in a year, or $100,000 over four years, to advocate for or against a candidate or ballot initiative.

Supporters praise the law as a turning point that helps shine light on special interests working to influence elections, and say it serves as a national example. Critics say it violates First Amendment rights.

But theres a limit to what states can do, since they dont have oversight of spending on federal races  such as presidential and Congressional contests, which are consistently the costliest elections.

While some state election agencies have moved to make more donor information public, they often struggle to win support from lawmakers, said Denise Roth Barber of the National Institute on Money in State Politics.

A lot of the changes that need to take place require money, and most state budgets are tight, Barber said. Its hard to set aside money to give to an agency to improve disclosure.

Barbers group is a nonprofit, tax-exempt organization  known as a 5013  which isnt required to publicly disclose its donors but voluntarily identifies major contributors.

In a number of other states, lawmakers have rejected bills seeking to expand disclosure requirements to politically-active groups. Some cheer that result.

Since Republicans are in the majority in most state legislatures, these efforts have often failed, said Bradley Smith, founder and chairman of the Center for Competitive Politics.

The center, a group that also isnt required to publicly disclose its donors, opposes campaign contribution limits, public financing of political campaigns and many disclosure requirements for private groups, as well as campaigns.

State lawmakers in Arizona are working to pass a bill stating that nonprofit groups cannot be categorized as seeking to influence elections and thus cannot be compelled to disclose their donors.

The legislation also would change what share of money some outside groups can spend on ballot measures without being required to register as a political committee. But their spending would still be disclosed.

Theres definitely a push to get more disclosure  that is a trend, said Smith, a former Federal Election Commission chairman. But the reverse side is that it has been to a large extent unsuccessful, and I think that reflects the fact that disclosure has been abused and made into a partisan issue.

The fight over disclosure

More than a century ago, Congress created the legal framework for nonprofit groups devoted to social welfare. Those groups did not have to disclose their donors. But in the 1950s, regulators expanded the exemption from disclosure. Instead of applying only to groups focused exclusively on social welfare, the exemption applied to groups primarily engaged in such activities.

In the wake of Citizens United, which allowed these groups to spend unlimited amounts of money on political activities, they have become increasingly popular with donors who want to keep their spending secret.

Candidates themselves are required to provide basic information about donors to their own official campaign coffers: names, addresses and the amounts of their contributions. In many states, those who make contributions over a certain amount must list their employers.

Smith said information about political donors was being used to harass or intimidate them, citing boycotts, Twitter mobs and other activities he believes push ordinary people to decide not to contribute.

James Bopp Jr., a conservative attorney based in Indiana, said he supports transparency for public officials, but that its another matter when people obtain and use information about donors to punish them and harass them.

Its a completely different agenda, and what it does is turn the First Amendment on its head, said Bopp, who was part of the Citizens United legal team and represented Wisconsin Right to Life in a case that unraveled provisions of the McCain-Feingold campaign-finance law.

But the requirement that donors disclose their employers played a key role in a Wisconsin case that led to the 2011 conviction of former Wisconsin & Southern Railroad Co. CEO William Gardner. He was convicted of two felonies for exceeding campaign finance limits and giving personal and company funds to railroad employees so they could make political donations to Walker and other Republicans.

In another case, Wisconsin residents learned by accident that a mining company had given $700,000 to an outside group to help Walker and Republican lawmakers during recall elections. Shortly after those elections, the lawmakers and governor approved new laws easing state mining regulations.

The mining company contributions became known only because a Chicago federal appeals court accidentally released a sealed document in a court case challenging a secret criminal investigation into accusations of illegal coordination between Walkers campaign and conservative groups.

A lawsuit by one of the groups argued that the campaign finance investigation was a politically motivated attempt to intimidate Republican activists and limit their free speech rights. The state Supreme Court agreed and ended the investigation, ruling that private groups could coordinate with campaigns, so long as the groups didnt formally endorse candidates with words such as vote for or vote against.

More than $308 million in dark money was spent during the 2012 election cycle, according to a Center for Responsive Politics analysis. Of that, about 86 percent was spent by conservative groups, 11 percent by liberal groups and 3 percent by others.

The center found that, as recently as the 2006 cycle, dark money spending tallied only about $700,000. Four years later, for the 2010 cycle, it reached $127 million.

Smith estimates that dark money makes up only a tiny fraction of total political spending, saying most is still done by candidates and parties.

But Fred Wertheimer, president of the government transparency group Democracy 21, argues there is nowhere near enough information about money in politics.

Unlimited secret contributions are the most dangerous money in American politics, he said. Theres no way of knowing whether that individual is getting government benefits in return.

Even though the Citizens United ruling upheld disclosure, the 2010 decision triggered a flood of more than $500 million in secret contributions in the various elections following the ruling, Wertheimer said.

When Wisconsin lawmakers passed a measure that formalized the provisions of the state Supreme Court ruling that allowed coordination, they also ended the requirement that donors to candidates provide information about their employers.

Smith applauded Wisconsins new law, and said he hopes to see further limits to disclosure, such as raising the threshold for when donors need to be made public at all.

People dont really care about the associate who gives $500. They care about the millionaire, he said. At least we could raise the (disclosure) limit to $2,000.

But Kevin Kennedy, director and general counsel of the Wisconsin board that oversees ethics and elections, echoed Scalias comments about the importance of disclosure in politics.

When we talk about more speech, maybe there should be more disclosure, too, he said. Its an act of political courage. Its something we foster. Youre judged by the company you keep.

Scalias death has raised new questions about the Citizens United decision, and whether a Democratic nominee to the Supreme Court could mean significant changes to campaign finance law that essentially would overturn the ruling.

I do think that is a definite possibility, Hasen said.
BLACK RIVER FALLS  Andrea Danielson was 4 when she starting visiting the Jackson County Animal Shelter. Her duties as a youngster involved simply playing with animals, and her role has grown over the decade thats followed.

However, one feeling has remained constant: Her love of animals.

Ive grown up just loving animals, said Danielson, now a Black River Falls High School freshman. Ive loved them ever since I can remember.

Danielson started collecting donations for the animal shelter as part of a school Family, Career and Community Leaders of America project, but the effort later turned into a personal project. Earlier this year she wrapped up her second year of collecting food and other supplies via community barrels, and the drive took in 300 pounds of dog food, 100 pounds of cat food and 60 pounds of kitty litter in addition to other treats, supplies and shelter maintenance products such as laundry detergent.

I want to do it every year, Danielson said. I want to do it for sure again next year, and Im hoping maybe throughout my high school career.

Danielson started visiting the shelter when she still needed a parent with her, and she was volunteering on her own by the time she was 8 years old. The volunteer work now includes visiting the shelter on a regular basis and playing with and assisting the animals in addition to consulting with visitors and helping maintain the shelters Facebook page.

She also has volunteered to walk adoptable dogs throughout the fairgrounds during the Jackson County Fair.

Jackson County Animal Officer Barb Pfaff, who runs the shelter, said she appreciates the time Danielson and many other youth put in at the shelter to assist with her many duties.

Theres just some kids who get it, Pfaff said. Its like they speak dog and they speak cat.

I really do appreciate the families who support this facility. They do it because they know its what feeds us for the year.

Tammy Danielson, Andreas mother, said family is proud of her efforts to assist the shelter  both in the supply drive and regular volunteering. The family always has had a variety of animals at home and also has served as a foster place for shelter animals.

AJ, from day one, has had a connection with animals, so I just thought (shelter volunteering) would be a good fit, Tammy said. Were very proud of her for doing this for the community.

Pfaff said continued volunteer support is critical for the shelter, and the work also helps students find jobs and even possibly pursue future careers in animal-related fields.

Its wonderful all the way around, she said. (Danielson) is an excellent volunteer. I love her. Shes always done some amazing things here.
BLACK RIVER FALLS  Defense lawyers for a man accused of stabbing a Black River Falls woman to death is looking into whether he confessed because he was under the influence of drugs.

Public defenders Paul Fredrickson and Carly Sebion recently filed a motion to suppress John B. Cooks statements in connection with the death of 30-year-old Jacinda Muir because he was heavily under the influence of methamphetamine and possibly other drugs when he was arrested last May.

The preliminary motion argues Cooks Miranda rights  the right to remain silent after arrest  may have been violated and that his intoxication and subsequent detoxification from drugs impaired him. It also states Cook requested legal representation the next day.

Theres obviously the issue of him being under the influence  thats what were looking into and really trying to pick (that) apart, Sebion said. I think any time you have these types of case when theres a confession theres a question of was the confession valid.

The motion has prompted a May 6 hearing to see whether any of Cooks statements after his arrest and during interrogation should be deemed inadmissible, but Sebion cautioned the defense is in the early stages of exploring all the evidence associated with the case and determining whether the questions about Miranda are supported.

We dont know if we have anything that concrete in that direction yet, she said. We filed the bare bones motion with the idea that were going to continue to (evaluate) all this and really clarify what the issues are.

We plan to bring them to court and allow the judge to make these decisions.

Jackson County District Attorney Gerald Fox, whos prosecuting the case, said he cant currently provide much comment on the motion.

Theyre gonna leave no stone unturned on behalf of their client, and Ill do the same for the victim, her family and this community, he said.

Muirs body was discovered facedown and bloody about 11 a.m. May 17 at the area in Brockway commonly known as the dog park after a 911 call for help. Cook was found playing with his hair with a blood-stained shirt nearby when a police officer found him sitting on a Black River Falls lawn just hours after authorities believe he stabbed Muir to death.

The officer believed Cook was under the influence of drugs after speaking with him and noted the 24-year-old was somewhat incoherent and lied about his real name before arresting him for obstructing an officer, according to preliminary hearing testimony.

Cook later admitted during interrogation that he was just going to beat her up in the parks wooded area, but the incident ended when he stabbed and cut Muir 54 times with a large knife he regularly carried in his waistband. Cook said he angered Muir when he stole $40 worth of meth from her the day of the homicide, and the two also had smoked together before driving to the pet park, where Cook said he scared her into the woods, according to the criminal complaint.

Sebion said methamphetamine and its current impact in Jackson County plays a role in the homicide case, property crimes and other offenses.

I think a lot of people in the community dont realize that methamphetamine is so engrained in the culture and the problem that were seeing in our community, she said. Right now, the behaviors we see from people who use meth can be so many different types of behaviors.
Records show that the majority of Wisconsin state agencies rely heavily on professional spokespeople to communicate with the media, at times blocking access to thousands of employees, a practice open government advocates say restricts access to information and shields the government from public scrutiny.

Only two of the states 20 designated agencies  the Department of Transportation and the Commissioner of Insurance  have open door policies where front-line workers are authorized to talk with reporters without first getting clearance from communication officials, according to a Tribune review of agency policies. Five other agencies have policies that allow direct contact under certain circumstances.

At the other three quarters of agencies and the Department of Justice media calls  whether for interviews or simple questions  are funneled through communications departments.

These spokespeople can provide convenient one-stop service, connecting reporters to the right people and providing accurate information on tight deadlines. But special treatment can also serve to filter access to key sources and information.

Its part of a tried and true strategy to be able to control the message that is provided to the news media, said Mike Wagner, an associate professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Journalism and Mass Communication. It makes it harder to scrutinize public agencies if the people who are allowed to talk to the media are only those in official spokesperson capacities.

We can learn a lot more about how our government operates, why its doing what its doing and to what effect if were allowed to hear from more people, especially the experts who are working within the state government.

Spokespeople for some of the states largest  and most scrutinized  agencies say centralized communication policies are necessary to ensure a clear and consistent message, especially on topics of statewide significance.

Thats not surprising to Don Moynihan, a professor in the University of Wisconsins La Follette School of Public Affairs.

I think in general the Walker administration has been concerned about being consistent about their message across agencies, Moynihan said. As an administration they have been concerned about being consistent in their messaging and not having multiple voices contradicting senior people.

The Department of Natural Resources allows its 3,750 employees to answer routine media questions on the spot but relies on spokespeople for topics considered controversial or of statewide or regional significance.

At an agency this large its important that on these complex topics that we have that one voice, said communications director George Althoff. We cant be saying one thing about frac sand mining in one part of the state and something else in another part of the state.

The Department of Workforce Developments policy requires employees to notify the communications office before any contact with reporters.

Communications director John Dipko said the policy makes exceptions in some cases, such as regular media calls to the departments regional labor market economists, but he defended the need to have a communications office to coordinate the agencys messages.

Theres a strong public interest in having accurate and complete and consistent information about our agency and our programs, Dipko said. Theres an understanding that local information will be provided. However, thats also an opportunity to make sure the regional subject matter expert has the appropriate context, broader context to help  inform the interviewer.

While the policy has been in place since at least 2008, the agencys monthly and quarterly employment data came under intense scrutiny after Gov. Scott Walker promised to add 250,000 private sector jobs during his first term, prompting the agency exert greater control over shaping the message around those numbers.

There was a lot of misunderstanding about the job numbers, about the different series that are produced, what they mean and  how they fit within the broader context with other economic indicators, Dipko said. It was important, and really in the publics best interest, for us to be as clear and as consistent and as concise as possible with providing good, accurate data about the state of the labor market.

But reporters note that such policies have made it difficult to talk with front-line workers about things that were once routine  such as the number of wells being monitored in a certain county  often giving members of the general public better access than the media.

I dont think theyre only applying that in situations where they need to, said Bill Lueders, an investigative reporter and president of the Wisconsin Freedom of Information Council. Theyre applying it across the board.

Policies vary

A review of records shows centralized communications policies arent new, or unique to the current administration. The degree of enforcement is harder to quantify.

Wagner said it seems state agencies have been moving in the direction of controlled access in recent years.

Procedures vary from agency to agency. Most have written guidelines as part of their policies or employee handbooks. Others have a tacit understanding that media calls should go through a designated spokesperson.

In some cases, agency workers are required to write down reporter questions and forward them to Madison before answering.

In other cases, reporters are allowed to speak only with agency spokespeople.

Some agencies go so far as to provide a scripted statement that workers are directed to read if contacted by reporters, generally redirecting the calls to a spokesperson.

There is no written policy at the Department of Revenue, but communications director Stephanie Marquis said the roughly 1,000 workers there generally check with her before responding.

Though allowed to answer questions directly, Marquis said most employees choose not to, often out of fear of being part of a negative story.

The thing I think people have a hard time with is a lot of people dont want to talk to reporters, she said.

Maj. Paul Rickert, pubic affairs officer for the Department of Military Affairs, echoed that sentiment. While there is no written policy in place, Rickert said most of the 2,450 state and military employees tend to shy away from media contact.

Most people in my profession dont want my job, he said. Its almost reflexive if an individual gets a phone call it comes to me.

Timely and accurate responses

Most public information officers are knowledgeable and eager to help reporters find the information they need. They serve as one-stop-shops for basic questions, or set up interviews with those best positioned to answer more complex queries.

PIOs say they help avoid the black hole effect, when reporters dont know where to find information within sometimes vast agencies or leave messages with employees who may be out of the office or who dont understand the urgency of media deadlines.

Althoff noted the DNR last year handled more than 3,100 media inquiries, of which he estimates half were answered within 24 hours.

At the Department of Health Services, employees are supposed to send reporter calls to the communications office, which determines who should answer questions.

Most often we send them back to the person (they called), said Communications Director Julie Lund. Its so we have a good gauge... Just so we know. This is a very customer-friendly agency.

Lund said her level of involvement would depend on the issue. She added that some employees prefer someone else to handle media questions.

Some people are very comfortable talking to the media, she said. Some are not.

While state law requires public agencies to make records available, there is no statutory requirement for workers to talk to the press.

The Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation, a semi-public agency that replaced the Department of Commerce in 2011, prohibits employees other than the CEO from talking to media without prior authorization.

But communications director Steve Michels said he routinely sets up reporter interviews with staff members.

Its a policy designed to make sure we get the right subject matter experts talking to the right people, Michels said.

Other departments point out in their policies that public information officers know of new developments or things going on in another part of the organization that not all employees are aware of.

There are new developments every day at the Department, many of which originate in the Secretarys Office. It is important that the reporter be given the most up-to-date information available, the DWD policy states. Division staffers may not have this information yet, but the Communications Office often will, or can obtain it quickly.

But just as they can be conduits of information, PIOs can also block access to key players and control access to information about the workings of public institutions.

Its always better for public understanding of important policy issues for reporters to be able to talk to the most knowledgeable people, said Mark Pitsch, an editor at the Wisconsin State Journal and president of the Madison chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists.

Sometimes public information officers can facilitate that. I think all journalists have found that PIOs can throw up roadblocks too I would come down on the side of having reporters talk to people with the most knowledge of the subject at hand.

At some agencies, even talking to a public information officer is a challenge. Many departments require questions to be submitted in writing and answer with written statements.

Thats a practice public relations experts say discourages two-way conversation and understanding.

In order to have communication someone needs to be able to respond back. Heres what Ive heard you say. Is this correct? said Stephanie Hungerford, who teaches public relations at Marquette University. Unfortunately that takes that opportunity away to a certain extent.

Communication directors at the Department of Administration and Department of Children and Families would not grant interviews about their own media policies.

Very, very, very controlled

The DNRs policy stipulates that staff consult with the communications department to formulate responses before talking to reporters about a variety of topics, including anything to do with the governor, the legislature, or the budget and major environmental issues such as mine permitting, air fees.

All calls from certain news organizations also require a consultation with the communications office, which Althoff said reflects the fact that those outlets typically have a statewide audience and tend to be interested in controversial topics with wide policy implications.

Althoff said all DNR workers are empowered to speak about certain topics, though not all feel comfortable talking to the media.

One former mid-level manager who left the DNR last year said he was allowed to speak to the media but felt limited in what he could say.

It was very, very, very controlled, he said. I had very tight guidelines if you asked anything that was in any way shape or form controversial we had to use the talking points or send them upstairs.

The employee, who asked not to be named, said the censorship started during the Doyle administration but really ramped up under Walker, especially during his presidential campaign.

Althoff defended the agencys use of designated spokespeople on key issues.

Its important that we have subject matter experts, he said. Were giving you the people who know the most about that topic.

However, another former DNR worker voiced frustration at having to answer questions through a department spokesperson who wasnt knowledgeable about a project.

It wasnt like there was any filtering or hiding, she said. Just extra steps.

Nothing new

Centralized communication policies are not new. Historic policy documents were not available at many state agencies, but some referenced media policies that date back a decade or more.

Stephanie Marquis, a former reporter who has worked in state government since 2003, said centralized communications policies have always been the standard at agencies where she has worked.

The Department of Justice released emails from 2005, when former Attorney General Peg Lautenschlager instructed employees to direct all media calls to the departments new communications director.

One of the states most open departments, The Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection, sent a memo to all employees in February 2003, reminding them not to speculate on departmental policies as new Gov. Jim Doyles began work on his first budget.

This all started under Doyle, said Lueders, who has worked as a reporter for some of the news organizations the DNR handles with spokespeople.

Its gone to where everything is clamped down, and everything is in the hands of the spinsters, Lueders said. It takes you at least one step removed from the people who know the most about whats going on.

While centralized communications policies have been in place for years, several state agencies have adopted or changed theirs in recent years.

Records show eight of the 20 agencies updated their policies since 2014. The DNR last year drafted a new communications policy that Althoff expects will be adopted this year.

Most recently, the Wisconsin Historical Society developed a media policy in 2015 as the agencys budget request for a $178 million new history museum in Madison generated heightened media attention.

An open door

Not every state department relies so heavily on spokespeople.

At the Wisconsin Department of Transportation, one of the states largest agencies, project manager and even engineers field calls directly from reporters.

While the public affairs office in Madison handles some questions, the agencys regional spokespeople generally direct reporters to workers with direct knowledge of the topic.

The DOT provides basic spokesperson training to project managers in order to make them more comfortable and adept at fielding questions and doing on-air interviews.

Patty Mayers, director of the office of public affairs, said with about 3,500 employees working in every corner of the state on a wide variety of projects  in addition to the Department of Motor Vehicles and State Patrol  it would be impractical for her office to manage every contact.

Instead, her office monitors media contacts after the fact through reports filed by employees who are interviewed, which she said allows her office to know what issues are hot.

If everything funneled through one place I think wed be stymied, and we would not be effective in getting accurate, timely information to people who need it.  said Patty Mayers, director of the office of public affairs. The folks in that area are more adept at answering those questions certainly than I would be. 
Parade-goers enjoyed the luck o the Irish on Saturday: Warm, sunny weather, buckets full of of candy and plenty of green made for a festive St. Patricks Day Parade.

Gale Buchholtz, along with six other members of the color guard, helped lead the procession. Bucholtz has done the parade every year. Its good for the community. People love it, he said. Especially the Irish.

The Irish Rose and her King followed close behind in a carriage led by Roy, a statuesque 9-year-old horse. Roys owner, Lynn Isensee, owns a variety of carriages and several horses, which she lends to events including the Rotary Lights and Oktoberfest.

Parades are a lot of fun, Isensee said. The horses are trained to acclimate to crowds and noises. And we color coordinate them to the event.

Indeed, Roys mane was styled with rows of green bows.

Roy was not the only animal attraction. Children pointed and clapped for a miniature Yorkshire terrier clad in a sparkling green dress.

Ed McAllen, his wife, Mary Kate, and a friend, Connie Sprester, the owner of McCaffreys Coffee, brought a dose of whimsy to the parade. Dressed in a leprechaun costume, complete with a fake nose and red wig, Ed got the crowd going by dancing about.

A member of a clown club in Winona, Ed first participated in the parade, though covertly, in 2010.

I snuck in! He said. I got dressed up and just joined in. People loved it! The kids were excited. Ive done it every year since.

People rushed to take photos with Ed or shake his hand.

Mary Kate and Connie completed the trio of unofficial mascots, as Ed calls them.

Mary Kate wore a red wig, painted-on freckles, and spoke in a rather convincing accent she likes to call creative rather than fake. Connie presented herself as the leprechaun fairy, dusted in glitter and amusing the children by sneezing out green feathers.

Shelby Buchanan came to the parade for the first time this year, to cheer on son Elliot, who was marching with the Onalaska Middle/High School band. Accompanying her were younger sons Bryce and Peyton, who were clapping along with the music. Bryces favorite attraction was the band, in support of his brother, while Peyton admitted he was most excited for the candy.

Standing near the finish of the parade route by Dublin Square was Kathy OBrien, a festively dressed redhead from Chicago. Her nephew, the manager of OBrien securities, was leading his staff in the parade, wearing a kilt for the occasion.

Its great, so fun! Kids are loving it; everyone is so nice and friendly, she enthused. Its a gorgeous day.
VIROQUA  Dwight Zietlow believes in community. The Viroqua man believes in it to the point that hes willing to take into his confidence a man who very well could have killed him.

In May 2015, Zietlows truck was stolen by Cory Sobkowiak of Viroqua.

Police had looked for the truck, Zietlow found out it had been seen in Coon Valley. He drove there and came across his truck with Sobkowiak at the wheel.

What followed was one of the craziest chase stories in the history of Vernon County. Zietlow jumped in the back of his truck with Sobkowiak driving. Sobkowiak tore through rural Coon Valley and Chaseburg doing all sorts of maneuvers in an attempt to throw Zietlow from the vehicle. In the end, Sobkowiak gave up. He jumped from the vehicle, which was speeding in a cornfield, and let it crash  thankfully, Zietlow was thrown relatively unscathed from the wreck.

Sobkowiak fled and was later apprehended in Minnesota.

At the scene of the crash, law enforcement first thought, quite logically, that Zietlow was the driver in this wreck and that he was on something.

But after a thorough investigation, it was discovered that Zietlow was just trying to get his property back and Sobkowiak had fled. First in a tractor, then in a truck. He was later caught in the middle of committing another crime with a child in his vehicle.

A sad situation indeed.

After a number of court proceedings, Sobkowiak entered a no contest plea. He was found guilty of felony second-degree recklessly endangering safety and misdemeanor reckless driving causing bodily harm by Judge Michael Rosborough and was sentenced on Feb. 29 in Vernon County Circuit Court in Viroqua to 18 months in state prison and 42 months of extended supervision.

Zietlow was in the courtroom. Sobkowiak told Zietlow he was sorry. Zietlow said he felt that Sobkowiak honestly meant it.

In getting an opportunity to speak in court as a victim of the crime, Zietlow made a suggestion to the court  restorative justice.

Loosely defined, restorative justice is a process that focuses on the rehabilitation of offenders through reconciliation with victims.

In other words, it was an offer.

Zietlow was saying he was willing to meet and talk with Sobkowiak as he served his sentence.

Restorative justice is not foolproof. Some perpetrators of crimes have no remorse. They care little for the victims. They would commit their crimes again if given the chance. Similarly, some victims are teaming with anger and hatred. Theyve been wronged, and they want old-school justice. They want the perpetrator to suffer and ultimately hope to never again see the criminal.

After Sobkowiak was sentenced, Zietlow talked about the difference looking in the eyes of Sobkowiak both on that fateful day in May 2015 and in the courtroom.

In describing their meeting in 2015, Zietlow said Sobkowiak had eyes that were full of anger. In court, Sobkowiaks eyes were genuinely remorseful.

Zietlow reflected on the situation and his personal sense of community.

Zietlow said he had a personal desire to retrieve his truck  that act, which he admits was somewhat rash and not fully thought out, led him to jump in the back of that truck and put his life at risk.

I dont think people should be able to steal your property and just get away with it, he said. I was doing something to get it back. Not everybody is going to jump in the back of that truck, but I did.

In facing Sobkowiak in court, the man who left him with with back injuries, wrecked his truck, and turned his world briefly upside down, Zietlow exercised another important part of building a community  giving someone an opportunity at forgiveness.

Zietlow said hes hopeful restorative justice will work for both him and Sobkowiak.

Just the offer to employ the practice of restorative justice in this case does more than possibly restoring the relationship between two human beings  it reinforces an overall faith community.

The media regularly document what they see as a polarized country. Yet face-to-face, person-to-person, there is hope for something better.
This has not been a good year for open government in Wisconsin. Last Julys sneak attack on Wisconsins open records law, though beaten back, was just one of several efforts to erode our states proud tradition of transparency.

These included a successful move to reduce transparency in campaign finance reports and the use of extra-legal interpretations of statutory language by state officials to justify shutting down records access.

And yet, along with the bad, the Wisconsin Freedom of Information Council, devoted to protecting access to public meetings and records, found plenty to celebrate. Here are the recipients of our 10th annual Openness Awards, or Opees, to be presented at the Wisconsin Watchdog Awards Dinner in Madison on April 20.

Political Openness Award (Popee): Brad Schimel. Wisconsins Republican attorney general offered strong public opposition to the Legislatures attack on the open records law, and helped affirm the value of open government at a summit he organized. Schimels new Office of Open Government has also led by example in setting out to improve its response time to records requests. The council doesnt agree with the AG on everything, but is pleased with how seriously he takes his statutory role to interpret and enforce the states openness laws.

Media Openness Award (Mopee): George Stanley and the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

When state lawmakers launched their sneak attack, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and its editor clicked into high gear, including a front-page editorial that helped force legislative leaders to back down, followed by aggressive reporting to uncover who was responsible for this proposal. Stanley and his staff, including editorial page editor David Haynes and associate editor Ernst-Ulrich Franzen, remained strong advocates for open government throughout the year.

Citizen Openness Award (Copee): Sheila Plotkin. This McFarland resident has battled with lawmakers who voted to dismantle the Government Accountability Board and raise political spending while decreasing transparency in a new campaign finance law to release the input they received from citizens on these issues. The results  showing that lawmakers disregarded the overwhelming weight of this input  are posted online, at we-the-irrelevant.org.

Open Records Scoop of the Year: (Scoopee): Greg Neumann, WKOW-TV. In a banner year for stories based on records, top honors go to this Madison television station for exposing how Walker administration officials and others used personal email accounts to conduct official business, contrary to public assurances.

Whistleblower of the Year (Whoopee): Molly Regan. This former state employee quit her job over concerns about questionable practices at the Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. She talked to The Progressive and provided critical information that sparked the Wisconsin State Journals story on how top state officials pushed for a failed $500,000 loan to a struggling construction company, spurring new safeguards on how agency dollars are spent.

No Friend of Openness (Nopee): Robin Vos. Plenty of people deserve blame over the mid-summer attack on open records. But Assembly Speaker Vos was the main architect and subsequently sought a bill to exempt the Legislature from the records law. Vos also authored a bill amendment to end the longstanding requirement that significant donors to political campaigns reveal where they work, bringing darkness where once there was light. He was the worst of the worst in an abnormally bad year.
In every crisis, children are the most vulnerable. Climate change is no exception. These stark words appear in the foreword of an 84-page report released in November 2015 by the United Nations Childrens Emergency Fund.

Many of us recognize UNICEF as the agency whose coin-gathering cartons are carried by our children at Halloween. The funds collected in this way are used to ameliorate childhood poverty and hunger around the world. UNICEF was co-founded in 1947 by Herbert Hoover, whose work on hunger relief helped save millions of lives after World War I.

Why is UNICEF now sounding the alarm on global warming? The scientific evidence led them to conclude that we are heading into an era in which tens of millions of children will be in increased peril. Their report is not just a dire warning; its also a call for the action needed to prevent disaster in many of the worlds most economically challenged places. North America, however, is unlikely to be spared.

My column will quote a few of the reports key findings, and offer some comments.

The UNICEF report declares: Nearly 160 million children are currently living in areas of high or extremely high drought severity As temperatures rise due to global climate change more moisture evaporates from land and water, leaving less water behind ...

Crops fail, livestock dies and income drops, leading to food insecurity for the poor as well as rising food prices. Water becomes scarce and the lack of food and water, as well as inequitable access to these necessities, can result in social disorder. Children are among the most vulnerable to these effects.

Its simply heart-breaking to consider the likely prospect that our intensive burning of fossil fuels, along with that of the other industrialized nations, is going to create additional poverty and distress for children around the world.

The UNICEF report further declares: Over half a billion children live in extremely high flood occurrence zones. As escalating droughts and flooding degrade food production, children will bear the greatest burden of hunger and malnutrition.

As temperatures increase, together with water scarcity and air pollution, children will feel the deadliest impact of water-borne diseases and dangerous respiratory conditions. As more extreme weather events expand the number of emergencies and humanitarian crises, children will pay the highest price. As the world experiences a steady rise in climate-driven migration, childrens lives and futures will be the most disrupted.

When I read this report, and considered what may lie ahead for my children and future grandchildren, I shuddered. Science, of course, cannot tell us over the long term, exactly where and when these extreme weather events and consequences will occur. But sadly, scientists can say with high confidence that the number of these disasters will rise as the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere increases due to the burning of oil, coal, and natural gas.

UNICEF did not write its report to have us live in fear, awaiting disaster. The report is a call to action.

UNICEFs Step 1: Cut greenhouse gas emissions so that global temperature increases are limited to a maximum of 2C, and ideally to 1.5C. The call to action continues: Governments must increase their emissions pledges, in line with science, to meet the scale of the climate change challenge, with high-income countries taking the lead. Cutting emissions will require prioritizing low carbon development, adopting a robust legal framework with clear rules, and expanding sustainable energy solutions.

There are steps we as citizens can take to make these essential changes happen. In an election year, we can demand that our candidates for the Senate, the House and the presidency spell out exactly what they plan to do to reduce carbon emissions. We can join citizens organizations pressing for urgently needed government action. Im actively involved with Citizens Climate Lobby, whose focus is getting Congress to pass revenue neutral carbon fee and dividend legislation to facilitate development of sustainable energies. Bill McKibbens 350.org is also doing excellent work advocating for policies to reduce fossil fuel use.

Lets give UNICEF the last word: Everyone should get involved. Protecting the planet for our children is everyones responsibility. It will take courage, determination and substantial effort.  We will need a different approach to how we produce and consume, how we take action at the grassroots level, and how we hold each other to account. Protecting the planet and protecting our children go hand-in-hand  and both can be achieved if we all act now.
COLUMBUS, Ohio  From one week to the next, the forces arrayed against Donald Trump have repeatedly suggested one state or another would cut down the Republican presidential front-runner. New Hampshire, South Carolina, Nevada, Michigan. He won them all.

Now the effort to stop  or at least slow  Trumps march to the GOP nomination has narrowed to Florida and Ohio.

Only one is close.

Polls give Trump, who lives part time in Palm Beach, a sizable lead in Florida, where home-state Sen. Marco Rubio is making a last stand to save his fading candidacy. Texas Sen. Ted Cruz is also campaigning hard in the state, but many in the party find him no more appealing than Trump.

If the Manhattan business mogul is to be denied, it may come down to Ohio and its governor, John Kasich, who is 0-for-24 in contests so far.

He seems an unlikely party savior.

One of the biggest questions when Kasich entered the race last summer was whether he was too abrasive to be elected president.

For many, especially Ohioans long familiar with the governor, his White House campaign has proved a revelation.

There is all the usual conservative talk of lowering taxes and limiting regulations, shrinking the size of government and sending Washington programs back to the states. But there are also sermonettes on love and lightness, on purpose and meaning, and on compassion and caring that seem more suited to a therapy session or self-improvement seminar.

As a crowd of several hundred huddled last weekend against an afternoon chill, Kasich spoke movingly at a rally here of the nurse who stays past her shift to comfort a grieving family, or neighbors who take a lonely widow to dinner, so she can get her hair done and wear a dress she hasnt put on in months.

I believe when we work together, were a great, beautiful mosaic, he said. We need to live a life bigger than ourselves to help heal this world.

As a congressman in the 1990s, Kasich was a part of the conservative revolution that took over the House. But as Ohios governor since 2011, he has angered many Republicans for heresies including support for certain tax hikes and, more egregiously, expanding the states health care programs under the Affordable Care Act, often called Obamacare.

His prickly persona is well known in Washington and Columbus, the state capital. First elected to the Ohio Legislature in his brash 20s, Kasich  now 63  has spent decades giving offense; stories abound of the personal insults and indignities suffered by Republican colleagues and others who have brushed up against him.

Whatever caused the transformation, Kasichs new up-with-people luminosity offers a stark contrast to the slashing, belittling style of Trump, especially in debates, where the governor has refrained from the schoolyard taunts of other candidates.

Zinny Bond was among those who waited in a blocks-long line for the chance to see Kasich alongside actor and former California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who delivered a late endorsement.

The retired linguistics professor cant abide Trump.

She cited the last presidential debate when he said he would force soldiers to commit war crimes such as torture to fight terrorism. He said, Well if I told them to do it, they would do it, said Bond, 74, releasing an exasperated sigh. Thats just not at all a candidate saying what this country stands for. Its ridiculous.

The notion that Kasich is the adult in the room is one often expressed by supporters.

So far, though, in this incendiary campaign season, that has only been enough to achieve a series of second-, third- and lesser-place finishes.

Now it is down to Florida and Ohio, where losses Tuesday would eliminate both Rubio and Kasich, leaving only Cruz to face Trump.

The Texas senator has won the second-most contests. But Cruzs hard-edged conservatism limits his appeal beyond all but the most ideological Republicans, a problem as the race moves to states with a more moderate lean, like Maryland, New Jersey and California.

That is why Kasich hopes to emerge as the establishment favorite. A victory in winner-take-all Ohio, with 66 delegates, would more than double his total and, strategists hope, position him for a strong run in the big states that follow.

We have an election where 50 percent of the delegates have been selected and 50 percent have not been selected, Kasich said Wednesday at a campaign stop in Illinois, which also votes Tuesday. And in those states that have not yet selected delegates, basically  Donald Trump, Ted Cruz and I are dead even.

It takes 1,237 delegates to claim the nomination ahead of this summers GOP convention. Trump has 458 after winning 15 states. The aim of Kasich and others opposing him is to stop Trump short of the number he needs to clinch the nomination and wrestle it away at a contested convention held, as its happens, in Cleveland.

Kasich enjoys considerable advantages here at home, not least the fact he is fighting on familiar ground.

The Ohio Republican Party has thrown its full weight behind Kasich; the party chairman organized an anti-Trump conference call with reporters when the reality TV star touched down this month for a rally at Columbus airport, drawing a crowd of several thousand.

A political action committee working on Kasichs behalf is running more than $1 million in TV ads and has set up a network of phone banks, targeting voters as if it were a race for governor or state attorney general.

For all of that, however, the race remains highly competitive, with polls giving Trump a modest lead.

The same roiling mix of anger, frustration and disgust with politics that has powered his rise elsewhere is very much in evidence in Ohio, especially in Rust Belt communities whose best days are part of a long-ago past.

There are a lot of people who feel disenfranchised and feel like indentured servants to a government that just doesnt care about them anymore, said Bob Ney, who represented portions of Appalachian Ohio in Congress for 11 years. He is neutral in the primary.

Even some Kasich supporters find things they like about Trump.

Hes a brilliant businessman, theres no doubt about that, said Mark Wirt, 52, who drove an hour and stood first in line to see Kasich and Schwarzenegger. He would have no problem supporting Trump as the nominee, the airline dispatcher said, and sees no reason for Republicans to panic.

David Russell, standing next in line, said his dream ticket would be some combination of Trump and Ohios governor.

I think he would make an amazing vice president, the 50-year-old event planner said of Kasich, and, hopefully down the road, hed make a great president if it turns out this is not his time.
1 cyclist dead, 7 hurt, octogenarian held  MADRID  Police say a 52-year-old cyclist has died and seven others have been injured, three of them seriously, after being slammed into by an SUV near the northwestern Spanish town of A Guarda. An 87-year-old man was arrested at a restaurant not far from the scene of Saturdays accident, police say, adding that he apparently tried to overtake a pack of cyclists but managed to hit several.

Venezuelans hold rival marches  CARACAS  Hundreds of opponents and supporters of President Nicolas Maduro held rival marches in Caracas on Saturday, with anti-government forces demanding Venezuelas leader step down and his sympathizers denouncing U.S. sanctions on some top officials. The marches were animated but peaceful, unlike massive anti-government protests in 2014 that left dozens dead and barricades burning in the streets.

Doctors who treated pilot would not talk  BARCELONA, Spain  Doctors who treated Germanwings pilot Andreas Lubitz for depression and mental illness before he killed 150 people by crashing into the Alps last year refused to speak with French investigators who were trying to prevent a similar sequence from ever happening again, one victims father said Saturday. The French investigators told relatives at a meeting in Barcelona that the German doctors were not required to talk about Lubitzs medical conditions under German privacy laws and they didnt, even though the 27-year-old also died in the March 24, 2015 plane crash.

>SCOTTISH LEADER URGES INDEPENDENCE  GLASGOW, Scotland  Scotlands leader has called on supporters to increase the vote for her Scottish National Party in a May election, part of a renewed push for independence from the United Kingdom. First Minister Nicola Sturgeon told her partys spring conference Saturday that strengthening Scottish Nationalist control of the Parliament in Edinburgh would set the stage for a revived independence campaign.

Base jumper leaps off EUs tallest building  LONDON  Witnesses say a base jumper has safely parachuted from the European Unions tallest building, the Shard in London, and evaded police by jumping on the subway. Passers-by captured the stunt on social media Saturday. Video footage and photographs showed the man with green chute deployed floating from the Shard onto a street near the London Bridge station.

New opposition party attacked  HARARE, Zimbabwe  Supporters of a new opposition party in Zimbabwe, founded by the countrys former vice president, were pelted with stones at a rally on Saturday. Six minivans pulled up near the tent where the rally was held and threw stones at supporters of the Zimbabwe People First party, before speeding off.
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The Beat is New Mexico!---Do we have to be stuck at the bottom of the barrel?--- Perspectives from Southern NM and the border region
It must have taxed the ingenuity of Oxford's chancellor, Lord Derby, to find reasons why Bertie should be made a doctor of civil law in 1863  a ceremony which took place after Bertie had married Princess Alexandra of Denmark. In a speech of his own composing (how many twentieth- or twenty-first-century prime ministers could pen Latin prose which was praised for its ease and excellence by professional scholars?) the three-times prime minister chancellor of Oxford wisely chose to dwell on Princess Alexandra's enchanting beauty rather than the Prince's academic attainments.*



One can be certain that the amiable Bertie did not understand a word of it.



* 'Ipsa adest; et in egregia format pulchritudine in benigna dulcium oculorum luce, in fronte illa nobili et pudica, nobis omnibus qui hic adsumus innatus virtutes animae velut in speculo licet ...' (She is here present; and to all of us who are gathered here it seems as though, as in a looking-glass, these innate virtues are reflected, in the surpassing beauty of her appearance, in the kindly lights of her sweet eyes, in her noble, modest face.) Oratio ad illustrissimum principem Albertum Edwardum Principem Walliae ab Edwardo GaIfrido Comite de Derby. 16 June 1863.

As in his other long philosophical work, The Excursion, city life becomes synonymous with corruption. 'Cities where the human heart is sick' (XII.204) are contrasted with those small rural communities where there is still space and time to listen to the dictates of that inner voice which prompts virtue. Apart from its bearing on the question of religious language  Wordsworth saw in Nature 'the type of a majestic intellect' (XIV.64)  there is the vital issue of humankind itself. For the generation before Wordsworth's  that of Samuel Johnson  it was axiomatic that the good life, the civilized life, was to be lived in the civis.

A.N. Wilson,(2002; rpt. New York: 2003), p. 273 (on Albert, Prince of Wales):There's a misprint in the Latin of the footnote. ForreadI think there's another mistake in the same book, p. 131 (on Wordsworth's):In Latin, ais a person, not a place. Because a place seems to be called for here, perhapsshould be read.

Labels: typographical and other errors
Sunday, March 13, 2016



(Photo Credit: WSJ, Christina Rexrode and Emily Glazer)

Late last week the Wall Street Journal published a story (behind a paywall) that many of us mortgage finance enthusiasts have been waiting to read. Since the 2008 crash various state attorneys general, the U.S. Department of Justice, and numerous federal agencies have taken aim at the fraudulent foreclosure, lending, and mortgage servicing activities of many of the nation's largest financial institutions. According to this WSJ story, the total amount paid by banks to date from mortgage-related litigation has been roughly $110 billion. To put that in perspective, the total amount of money allocated by Congress in connection with the Troubled Asset Relief Fund of 2008 (TARP) for purposes of aided homeowners was $45.6 billion (out of the program's total $700 billion). The HAMP program (which was supposed to help troubled homeowners get loan modifications) was $30 billion of that amount. And, as an aside, most people know that HAMP was a miserable failure with very little actually getting spent on loan modifications. In fact, of the total 45.6 billion set aside in TARP for housing programs, as of the end of 2015 only $19 billion has actually been spent.

So if all this mortgage litigation was geared toward getting justice for homeowners, where did all that money go? Well...one would assume that it went to homeowners--those most hurt by these abusive practices. But if that's what you thought then you'd be wrong. As indicated below, a great deal of this money went to a host of different parties to fund activities far removed from the everyday struggles of the victims. Some of the funds went to fill gaps in state budgets, others went to pay for state fairs, while yet more went to subsidize the cost of local police forces. The Fiscal Times reports on the WSJ piece and breaks-down the distribution of proceeds as follows:

All of the $34 billion recovered by mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac for being sold fraudulent mortgage securities gets swept into the U.S. Treasury, by law. Some of the federal agencies receiving settlement funds also send those to the Treasury. So in fact, the biggest bubble should be the governments general fund, with nearly $49 billion in proceeds from the settlements. * * *

The Justice Department also collected at least $447 million, according to the report, despite their office building not being under threat of foreclosure either. States received $5.3 billion, but had no obligation to deliver any of that to housing-related programs. In fact, well over half of the $2.5 billion given to states in the 2012 National Mortgage Settlement went to plug budget holes. And the Journal article finds that bank-settlement money built horse stables in New York and funded email accounts in Delaware.

As for that $45 billion bubble of consumer relief, this is where the chart is perhaps at most variance with the facts. These were not hard dollars, but credits given to banks for performing certain activities. Many of those activities had nothing to do with rescuing borrowers from foreclosure. Banks got credit for bulldozing homes, donating homes to charity and giving homeowners small amounts of move-out money  routine things banks do anyway for public relations purposes.

Nearly one-quarter of the relief in the National Mortgage Settlement came from short sales, in which the bank forgives the difference between the price a distressed homeowner can fetch for their home and the amount they owe on the mortgage. Short sales can be beneficial, but they result in the homeowner losing the home. More people lost their homes in these settlements than saved them.

Even the relief that allegedly went to homeowners doesnt tell the whole story. Banks could get credit by extinguishing long-delinquent second mortgages whose real value was $0, since there was no chance of repayment. Banks got credit in the Independent Foreclosure Review settlement administered by the Federal Reserve for the total amount of the mortgage they modified. In other words, if they reduced the principal on a $500,000 mortgage by $1, they got credit for $500,000 of consumer relief. That distortion is included in this calculation. Far fewer homeowners benefited from these settlements that it would appear at first glance.

It should also be emphasized that the top-line number of $110 billion in penalties doesnt resemble what the banks actually had to pay. Most of the settlements were tax-deductible, reducing the total value by billions of dollars. Banks reduced principal balances on loans they only serviced and didnt own, paying their fines with other peoples money. They could get HAMP incentive payments for loans they modified as part of the settlements. Banks even got credit in some settlements for issuing loans in low-income communities, a money-making activity (Ive referred to this as akin to a bank robber being sentenced to open a lemonade stand).

The findings in the report are startling, but not entirely surprising. Considering how few of the funds earmarked for housing relief under TARP actually helped homeowners-in-distress (or were even spent at all), it's not a huge surprise that the government has not been very effective in distributing the proceeds from these various mortgage settlements.

There are some interesting comparisons to be made here with regarding to how other large-scale settlement funds have been used in the past. For instance, consider the 1998 Tobacco Settlement between the country's four largest tobacco companies and 46 state attorneys general. Under the settlement the defendants agreed to make continuous payments to the states in connection with the medical costs they incurred from the health hazards of smoking. The funds from this settlement have gone to pay for educational and health-related programs, but not without criticisms of the money's long-term handling. More recently (and closer to home) we can look to the handling of funds from the BP oil spill. The $20 billion settlement is earmarked to, among other things, go to state and local governments for their economic loss claims, for habitat restoration and wildlife conservation, for water quality enhancements and recreational opportunities, and for deposit into a reserve fund for future spills. The effectiveness of this distribution plan remains to be seen.

The bottom line is that in order for a settlement of any large scale wrong-doing to be effective the voices of the victims and those who advocate on their behalf must be heard first and foremost. Judging from the way in which the billions in mortgage settlement funds have been spent so far, those voices seem drowned out.

https://lawprofessors.typepad.com/property/2016/03/where-does-all-that-mortgage-settlement-money-go-anyway.html
From Washington, this is VOA News.

Im Steve Karesh reporting.

Angolan President Jose Eduardo dos Santos, one of Africa's longest-ruling leaders, said Friday he will quit politics in 2018 following the end of his current term.

However, his term ends in September 2017. He did not explain why he would leave the year after, nor his reason for retiring.

The 73-year-old Dos Santos has led Angola since 1979. He is Africa's second longest ruling leader.

Critics accuse dos Santos of using the country's oil wealth to amass huge fortunes for himself, his allies and his family.

United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon says decisive and bold action" is necessary to end sexual abuse and exploitation by U.N. peacekeepers.

Speaking to the Security Council Thursday, Mr. Ban said that the allegations this past year erode(s) trust in the UN.

"It undermines the trust between the United Nations and its beneficiaries, betrays the values and principles that the UN purports to advance, and tarnishes the credibility of United Nations peacekeeping operations and the United Nations as a whole."

The Secretary-General has proposed new initiatives to strengthen the U.N.'s response, including assisting victims and improving accountability for perpetrators.

In Myanmar, retired bureaucrat Htin Kyaw is predicted to win parliamentary election to become President.

He was confirmed Friday as the nominee of Myanmar's National League for Democracy (the NLD), and is a close aide to party leader Aung San Suu Kyi and is expected to govern on her behalf.

A relative unknown outside of politics, Aung San Suu Kyi's proxy for the presidency, is well known in the NLD inner circle.

This is VOA News.

____________________________________________________________

Words in This Newscast

quit  v. to stop working; to leave (office)

nor  conj. and not

amass  v. to gather or collect

fortune  n. a very large amount of money; riches

decisive  adj. able to make choices quickly

bold  adj. not afraid of danger; showing lack of fear

exploitation  n. an act of using something that helps you unfairly

peacekeeper  n. people who enforce and supervise a truce

allegation  n. claims or charges

erode  v. to slowly destroy; to break down

undermine  v. to make weaker or less effective

obtained  v. to get control of

beneficiary  n. someone who is helped by something

principle  n. a moral rule or belief

purport  v. to claim to be or do something when this claim may not be true

advance  v. to move forward; to make progress

tarnish  v. to damage or wreck the quality of something

credibility  n. the quality of being accepted or believed as real or honest

initiative  n. a plan or program that is meant to fix problem

response  n. something that is done as a reaction to something else

accountability  n. a willingness to accept responsibility for ones actions

perpetrator  n. someone who has done something wrong

aide  n. assistant

behalf  n. a persons interest or support

proxy  n. someone who is given the power to act for someone else

We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section.


An astronomer, TV weatherman and eclipse chaser named Joe Rao from New York begged an airline to change its schedule.

He wanted his flight to leave 25 minutes late so he and the other passengers could witness the solar eclipse from the air on March 8 and 9.

Usually airlines try not to delay their flights, but in this case, Alaska Airlines changed plans so a plane full of eclipse fans could see something special.

The Alaska Airlines flight from Alaska to Hawaii on Tuesday afternoon lined up perfectly with the eclipse.

And Mike Kentrianakis of the American Astronomical Society made a video of the moon passing between the sun and the Earth, creating a shadow and a view only seen once in a lifetime.

Kentrianakis was not the only person on the plane excited about the eclipse. One person had seen more than 30 eclipses in his life, according to an Alaska Airlines blog.

The eclipse lasted for about two minutes.

Take a look at Kentrianakis video.

You can hear the excitement in his voice as the shadow appears.

Oh, yeah, there it is. Theres the shadow. Wow, look at that. There it comes. Oh, my god, look at it. Here comes the shadow. Look at that. Its (like) a tornado. Oh, my god. Here we go..."

As he is narrating, his voice cracks with excitement.

Here we go. Look at this. Oh, my god. Its coming ... the moon's shadow is coming. It is coming. Oh, my god. Here it comes. Look at this! I have never seen it like this ever, only in a plane...

At the end of the eclipse, you can hear all the passengers cheering.

Did you miss this eclipse? You still have time to plan for the next total solar eclipse. It will be on August 21, 2017. It will be visible in the U.S., starting in Oregon and ending in South Carolina.

Book your tickets now.

Im Dan Friedell.

Dan Friedell wrote this story for Learning English. Kathleen Struck was the editor.

Did you see the eclipse this week? What did you think? Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page.

________________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

solar eclipse  n. an occasion when the sun looks like it is completely or partially covered with a dark circle because the moon is between the sun and the Earth

beg  v. to ask (someone) in a very serious and emotional way for something needed or wanted very much

tornado  n. a violent and destructive storm in which powerful winds move around a central point

once in a lifetime  n. a rare event

schedule - n. a list of times for a series of events or actions

view - n. an observation


Regional airlines in the United States are short of pilots.

Many older airline pilots are retiring. Federal regulations require pilots to take time off between flights to rest. Pilots are staying at their jobs overseas and in the military.

Republic Airways, a regional airline, filed for bankruptcy last week. Low profit and the pilot shortage were factors in the bankruptcy, according to the Associated Press.

Also, Americas largest airlines are hiring pilots from regional airlines. There are too few pilots to fill the vacancies. Some openings are being filled through flight schools. But flight school attendance is down. That means trained pilots are difficult to locate.

Salaries for new pilots are low. The starting salary for first officers in the regional airline industry is $22,400, according to The Los Angeles Times. That salary is keeping pilots in the military and working for foreign competitors.

Captain Lee Moak is past president of Air Line Pilots Association International. He told The Los Angeles Times that there is a shortage of pay and benefits for pilots in the regional airlines industry, not a shortage of pilots.

A lack of active pilots could hurt the future United States economy. In the next 20 years, the supply of pilots to fly passengers will meet just two-thirds of the demand, according to Forbes magazine.

A lack of pilots at regional airlines will mean less business and lower revenue. Fares will be higher, while routes will be fewer.

Im Jonathan Evans.

Jim Dresbach adapted this story for Learning English and VOANews.com. Kathleen Struck was the editor.

Do you think a pilot shortage will change how you travel? We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section or visit our Facebook page.

________________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

airline  n. a company that owns and operates many passenger airplanes

bankruptcy  n. a condition of financial failure caused by not having the money that you need to pay your debts

vacancies  n. jobs or positions that are available

fare  n. the money a person pays to travel on an airplane, train or other vehicle

regulations - n. rules

salary - n. the amount of money an employee is paid each year


From VOA Learning English, this is the Education Report.

The United States is looking for sub-Saharan African students to study at American universities.

There were about 1 million international students studying at U.S. colleges and universities during the 2014 to 2015 academic year. Fewer than 3 percent of those international students came from sub-Saharan Africa.

Africa is home to six of the top 10 fastest-growing countries in the world. But it is difficult for even the most motivated students to succeed in African universities. Classes are overcrowded. Teachers often go on strike to protest low pay and poor working conditions. There is little opportunity to do advanced research.

But studying outside of Africa can be even harder.

The U.S. government wants to change that.

Marcus Jadotte is the U.S. Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Industry and Analysis. He is leading the first educational trade mission to Africa this week.



They [African students] should consider studying in the U.S because of the innovative approach to education that we take in the United States, because international businesses are looking for the best-qualified, best-prepared prospective employees and we certainly believe that it enriches education back home in the U.S.," Jadotte said.

He is traveling with representatives of 25 U.S. colleges and universities. The delegation reflects the wide variety of higher education institutions in the United States. The group includes representatives from two-year community colleges and universities that offer specialized advanced degrees. The team wants to recruit students and build relationships with African universities.

Many of the universities who have traveled with us on this mission are including scholarships as a part of the conversation with students here," Jadotte explained.

At each stop, the Assistant Secretary will join local government officials and academic leaders at an education fair.

The delegations first event was an education fair for South Africans. Jadotte spoke about the academic support services and technology offered by Americas world-class universities. His message attracted a long line of South African high school students.

Boneng Mofokeng says he is hoping to go to law school at Michigan State University.

I want to see the world and our countrys economy is not good. Maybe I can have a better life over there," he said.

Jadotte says it is not just the African students who benefit from studying in the United States. The American host institutions also benefit from the increased diversity. He says Africa offers a number of opportunities for U.S. institutions seeking to globalize their campuses."

From South Africa, the delegation heads to Ivory Coast and Ghana.

Im John Russell.

Thuso Khumalo wrote this story. Adam Brock adapted it for Learning English.

________________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

motivated  adj. eager, wanting to be successful

trade mission  n. an international trip by government officials and businesspeople that is organized by agencies of national or provincial governments to explore international business opportunities.

innovative  adj. introducing or using new ideas or methods

enrich  v. to improve the quality of (something) : to make (something) better

community college  n. a school that offers courses leading to a two-year associate's degree

recruit  v. to find suitable people and get them to join a company, an organization, the armed forces, etc.

scholarship  n. an amount of money that is given by a school, an organization, etc., to a student to help pay for the student's education

globalize  v. to make (something) cover, involve, or affect the entire world




With over 2 million page views, Le Noeud Papillon's blog continues to provide lovers of bow ties with unique stories and content relating to menswear through interviews with industry icons and vignettes into topics relating to suits, shirts, shoes, ties, designers, weavers and much more.





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Today's agricultural industry presents students with over 300 career opportunities. Knowing that one in every three people in Nebraska are employed in an agriculturally based career, the Nebraska Career Development Events (CDEs) help students develop the abilities to think critically, communicate clearly, and perform effectively in a competitive job market.

Nebraska hosts 19 CDEs, covering job skills in everything from communications to mechanics. These events typically cover the technical skill areas related to this diverse career field. Together with the Leadership Skills Events (LSEs) organized by the Nebraska FFA Association, students in agricultural education compete in a variety of events that sharpen their skills as they explore and experience careers in agriculture.

There are 63 students that attendS-E-MHigh School and 28 of them have qualified for State FFA Convention in April. Students have worked hard this year learning skills across many Career Fields in efforts to find a passion to study for life or out of inquiry for a subject.

The first students qualified in Leadership Skills Events (LSEs) by winning the Junior District Parliamentary Procedure Contest. Students on the team include: Mekenzie Beattie, Ralston Ripp, Hal Moomey, Tennyson Williams, Colin Ibach, Joscelyn Soncksen, Kealey Franzen. Mekenzie Beattie also placed first in Cooperative Speaking advancing her to the state contest. Thomas Schwarz competed in Extemporaneous speaking where he placed second and advances to state. In the Junior High LSEs Parker Smith was first in Agriculture Literacy with a speech about GMOs and Hailey Beer and Karla Nichols will represent S-E-M in the contest People In Agriculture.
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Russia is waging a disgraceful war on Ukraine. Stand With Ukraine!
Once upon a time, 1870 to be exact, a 16-year-old kid traveled from the cold shoulder of Scotland to the baking heart of America, to find his love."

Slow West is a story about love, about resilience, unlikely friendships and the West.

But above all, Slow West is a story about myths. Personal myths that the characters conjure in their minds as well as the myths about the West itself where their lives unravel.

Its been 121 years since the first commercial film was released. Its been 113 years since the first Western made it to the big screen. Westerns have existed as long as cinema.

Over the century, with Clint Eastwoods 'Man with No Name' to Charles Bronsons 'Harmonica', Westerns have managed to create quite distinctive notions about the landscape and its habitants in the consciousness of cinema goers. A lawless realm where machoism thrives and the only true currency is revenge.

But there have also exited a different of Westerns. Paul Newmans 'Butch Cassidy' and Robert Redfords 'The Sundance Kid' kind of Westerns. A different take on the genre where the heroes could run away in face of peril and the ultimate goal is to find a better life rather than vengeance.

Slow West belongs to the latter league. An alternative Western, if you like.

Jay Cavendish (Kodi Smit-McPhee) travels to the American West to search for his love, Rose Ross (Caren Pistorius). Cavendish dreams of her and though his dreams lets us in on his quest. But Cavendish is a romantic and the world he sees is a one where in the end, the pieces always fall together. But West in 1870s is a dangerous place to dream.

On his journey, he encounters Silas Selleck (Michael Fassbender), a bounty hunter, and employs him to protect him on his journey through the landscape riddled with outlaws and coloured in the red of Native American blood.

Selleck is not a romantic. He lives his life from one bounty to the next. A loner in a lonely landscape. Unlike Cavendish, a bit too familiar with the realities of existence.

The film becomes a constant struggle of ideologies between the two. Cavendish wants to show Selleck there is more to life than just living, while Selleck constantly tries to snap Cavendish back to the grit and the darkness he believes to be the only reality.

But they are not alone on this ride through the West. A gang, led by Payne (Ben Mendelsohn), is constantly on their trail and the plot it littered with character moving in and out, each one with extraordinary personal stories and quests of their own.

Another aspect that sets apart Slow West form the other conventional Westerns is the strong sense of surrealism.

Director John Maclean weaves dreamlike sequences which blurs lines between the real and the imagined. And although these sequences digress from the mail plotline, they make up for some of the most memorable parts of the film (imagine Wes Anderson directing a Western).

These sequences also provide for some of the starkest commentary on the mythical West that many of the movie goers have come to accept as a reality. When one Paynes men recounts an incident with one of his former partner, a character very much out of an old Western, the very idea of a lifestyle of seen in the conventional Westerns becomes a parody. In another one, a writer asks Cavendish, So, now... East. What news?

Violence and suffering. And West?

Dreams and toil.

The film is in no hurry to get us to the final destination, but when we do get there, what unfolds is life altering for all the characters. And as for the viewers, it is that bittersweet feeling that one gets when one learns an important lesson in life.

Cavendishs continent-spanning quest to find his love is also a quest to find balance. A fine balance between myth and reality, innocence and guilt, personal daemons and redemption.

With a beautiful soundtrack and gorgeous cinematography, Slow West is a masterpiece of a Western in its right.
By Saquib Salim

The ongoing debates around the suicide, or rather institutional killing, of Rohith Vemula and the JNU issue have brought to the public discourse a rather confusing and controversial term: Brahmanwad. My Facebook timeline, over the last few days, has a spate of updates from my Brahmin friends, who lament  and quite rightly so  that are Brahmins not poor, why are people creating this binary of Brahmin and non-Brahmin? Most of the non-Brahmin people also have this impression that these slogans of Brahmanwad are directed at the Brahmins, and this is a war cry from non-Brahmins over the Brahmins.

It needs to be understood that Brahmanwad refers to a social system, where a small privileged section of society, through different means, controls the resources and excludes others from economic and political power. The term is nothing but an attempt to draw an analogy to the previously practised rigid social system in the Indian society. Brahmanwad is a way of creating a dominant ideology in the name of religion.

In the present context, are Brahmins, who are born in that caste, the real Brahmin of this Brahmanwad? Do upper-castes still hold the key to political as well as economic power? It is no longer the case. Brahmins have not remained that infallible set of people who can do no wrong, who used to enjoy respect throughout history from the state apparatus. While a lot has been written about the present regime and how it is targeting minorities and Dalits, nobody seems to notice that upper-castes are in the line of fire in a number of ways like never before. People might argue that the ministers and MPs of the present government deliver the hate speeches against the minorities and dalits; hence, these are the most testing times for these communities. Nevertheless, these communities were always vulnerable. I do not know of a time when Dalits or the minorities were having social or economic security in general. Different government studies, like Sachar Committee report, reaffirm this truth.

During almost 60 years of the Congress regime, the onus was on Muslims, Adivasis and sometimes Dalits also to prove that they are Nationalists. Just look at the people locked up under TADA or the way the post- Babri Masjid demolition riots were handled  people who were at the receiving end were not upper-castes. Communal riots were also blamed on Dalits, and to show fair trial, often they were sentenced harshly as the token parties from the Hindu sides.

Rather interestingly, barring the Dadri incident, during the last two years of this regime there is no actual violence against the minorities. Yes, members of the ruling party are delivering hate speeches, but incidents of actual violence are not there. Then why does everybody seem to talk of intolerance? What has changed? The change is in the attitude towards the upper-castes, or I might say upper class also.

Just look at who the BJP-RSS combine has allegedly targeted in last couple of years. At the top you will hear name of three rationalists, M.M Kalburgi, Govind Pansare, and Narendra Dabholkar, who were allegedly murdered by people from the Hindu Rightwing. All three of them were upper caste Hindus. You will hear name of Prof Sandeep Pandey, who was sacked from IIT-BHU, because of his political affiliations and opposition to the present regime. Kanahiya Kumar, JNUSU President, is also an upper caste man. Prof Rajesh Misra, of Lucknow University, who faced the wrath for sharing a Facebook post and now Richa Singh, AUSU President, also come from the upper castes.

By attacking centers of higher learning like FTII, JNU, HCU, AU etc., this government is challenging the intellectual class of this country. Centuries of social discrimination have ensured that nobody but the upper castes dominate these centers. Of course, the reservation policy has its effect but still academia is dominated by the upper-caste. And, any attack on these institutions of academic influence is a veiled attack over the authority of upper-caste too. When they are calling whole of the JNU, especially its teachers, anti-Nationals, they are crossing that line where you did not question upper caste for her/his devotion to the country. When we call this government anti-intellectual, it translates to anti-Brahmin too.

This Government is trying to cut the funds for higher education, disbanding the fellowships. On a pan-India basis, will it not affect upper castes more than Dalits or minorities? Especially when the dropout rate for Dalit students is very high at the primary education level? Had not Kashiram, and later Mayawati, kept BSP away from university politics, claiming that Dalits do not reach there in substantial numbers and upper castes dominate these institutions? Is not the present regime, in the name of higher education, attacking the interest of the upper castes more than the lower?

There is a clear onslaught on the Left parties, and the BJP-RSS combine is dubbing these as anti-national. Is there any doubt that all of the left parties are dominated by upper-castes and except for D Raja, of CPI, there is no Dalit face? For all these years since, 1947, the Muslim community as a whole has been questioned for its devotion to the country, repeatedly. A Muslim could be called Pakistani at the drop of hat. Now, the same is beginning to happen to people from upper castes. Kanahiya, Anirban, even Rahul Gandhi are being branded anti-national.

These are not mere slogans. The last two years have not witnessed much Hindu-Muslim violence but that does not mean that country has been peaceful. Last month, Haryana saw some of the worst incidents of violence since independence. It took the shape of caste violence. The worst-hit communities are the Punjabi trading castes and the Brahmins. The BJP heads the state government.

Losing grip over political power, and with no prominent face in the Central government or Hindi belt politics, the Brahmins are losing out in the academic milieu. The kind of slander being produced will take away public funded education  which will loosen their grip, as corporates will be calling the shots there. Will it be the start of new class hierarchy, replacing previous castes? Brahmanwad will live on for years to come, as will all that is being done in the name of it. The question remains  will the Brahmins have a stake in this constructed Brahmanwad which is becoming synonymous with mob rule?

The writer is a research scholar at the Center for Historical Studies, JNU
The Supreme Court was absolutely right to throw out a public interest litigation asking it to stop the trial of the Gujarat policemen alleged to have killed Ishrat Jahan and three alleged Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorists in a "fake encounter" in 2004. The status of Ishrat and the other three as terrorists or innocents does not make a "fake" encounter any less "fake" if proved conclusively in a court of law with solid evidence.

However, it is not possible to jump to the other conclusion that who they were has no bearing on the case, as many Congress politicians and some legal eagles defending Ishrat would like to believe. If they were indeed terrorists and were about to indulge in acts of terrorism, whether with blasts or by assassinating a Chief Minister, the fake encounter develops mitigating flavours. It will impact the severity of the crime and the sentencing, assuming the prosecution actually proves the encounter was fake (which is far from certain).

Nor does the establishment of an encounter as staged diminish in anyway P Chidambaram's post-facto decision to stage his own encounter with the truth by modifying the affidavit that led to the CBI chargesheet.

Here is an analogy that will help us see why the Ishrat aspect is not immaterial to the case. Also, Ishrat is not the central pivot of the "fake" encounter at all.

Let's assume a woman is accused of murdering her husband, who, let's say, is a popular actor with a huge fan following. The state's home minister may decide that public sympathy is with the murdered actor and the mood is to convict the wife. He thus helps doctor the charge-sheet in such a way that some elements of the woman's side of the story is erased. The minister helps delete a reference where the woman alleges she was beaten daily and raped by her actor husband. Now, is this doctoring valid on the plea that what the husband did before the murder does not change the fact that his wife committed a crime by killing him?

Assuming the evidence she killed him is strong, at the very least the judge would have to consider lenient sentencing given the mitigating circumstances.

The same logic should apply to the "fake" encounter case.

For starters, we are making a mistake by labelling it the Ishrat Jahan "fake encounter" case. By shifting the focus to a "20-year-old home science student" (as one retired civil servant put it in an article in The Economic Times on Saturday) and not the three other likely terrorists, we are trying to pretend the encounter was about her and not the other three. If the crime is seen to be less about her and more about the other three, the encounter would be seen as less heinous.



Murdering LeT terrorists in cold blood would still be a crime, but possibly more understandable. Even today, LeT terrorists are being killed every now and then in Jammu & Kashmir and we tend to obsess less about this. After all wasn't this the very reason the Congress decided to hang Afzal Guru despite hesitating to do so for political reasons for years on end? Would the Congress have done so if Ishrat was in the place of Afzal Guru?

Secondly, it is by no means certain that Ishrat was all that innocent. A 20-year-old unmarried woman will not be travelling around the country with a man who was not her husband or even a close relative. And let's not forget, two of those killed in that encounter were indeed Pakistanis. The links between Ishrat and the other three, if established, will demolish the claim that she had no unholy intentions at all. She was the deemed innocent providing the cover to the others. Aiding and abetting a terrorist act got Yakub Memon a verdict of guilty and the noose.

Let's not pretend the encounter, real or fake, was about targeting a 20-year-old woman with a sweet face. It really was about the other three. This does not change the reality of the encounter, but it does provide a reason to view the event differently. And, no, the UPA had no business trying to hide the probability that the four who were killed may have been pursuing unholy ends.
Chennai: A young farmer in Tamil Nadu committed suicide after officials of a private finance firm seized his tractor to recover Rs 2 lakh dues and allegedly insulted and abused him.

The incident that came to light on Saturday, days after a farmer was beaten up by police in the state over non-payment of loan.

Arumugam (26) of Orathur had taken a Rs 7 lakh loan from the firm to purchase a tractor and had repaid Rs five lakh and the balance was pending, police said.

Firm officials came to his house on 10 March and allegedly abused and insulted him in front of villagers, besides seizing his tractor, they said.

Some unidentified persons later attacked Arumugam, police added.

Ashamed and frustrated at the treatment meted out to him, he consumed poison and fell unconscious. He was rushed to a Primary Health Centre at Keezhapavur by his relatives, where he died without responding to treatment around midnight, Police said.

Police said action would be taken against those involved.

The incident came close on heels of the alleged assault of another farmer, Balan, of Thanjavur district by police over non-payment of loans worth Rs 3.8 lakh.

A video of the incident had gone viral following which NHRC had issued notices to the Chief Secretary and DGP, Government of Tamil Nadu, seeking reports within two weeks on the matter.

DMK President M Karunanidhi alleged that the farmers were facing many difficulties during the AIADMK rule and said the government had not heeded to their demands on many issues despite their staging a number of protests.

Karunanidhi said there was a spike in instances of farmers committing suicide over loan repayment issues and urged them not to resort to such extreme steps.

With elections scheduled in another two months (on 16 May), a new government will come in place which will redress farmers' grievances, he said in a statement.

"Elections are scheduled in two months. Be hopeful. A government that will protect farmers' interest will come. Then all your problems will end," he said.

PMK leader Anbumani Ramadoss expressed 'shock' and 'grief' over the two incidents and said that musclemen being used by credit companies to confiscate property like tractor was not new in Tamil Nadu.

He said severe drought situation in many parts of the state had affected farming, due to which farmers could not repay loan dues.

He said that both Andhra Pradesh and Telangana had implemented loan-waiver schemes, which he said had resulted in a dip in farmers' suicides in those states.

Referring to his party's assurance of waiving farm loans if voted to power, he assured it will certainly be implemented if PMK was elected.

MDMK founder Vaiko charged the AIADMK government with not addressing farmers' issues including that of fixing fair prices for paddy and sugarcane.

PTI
New Delhi: Questioning the recent arrest of a 75-year-old veteran by Gurgaon Police in a cheating case, a group of protesting ex-servicemen on Sunday vowed to continue their campaign on 'One Rank one Pension' scheme and said they will not be cowed down by the "vendetta action".

"This case has nothing to do with OROP. It relates to a complaint first made in 2013 which has been rejected twice by the police and once by the Gurgaon Sessions Court.

"Now again it has cropped up and the Gurgaon Police arrested a veteran," Col Anil Kaul (Retd), spokesperson of Indian Ex Servicemen Movement (IESM), said.

Wing Commander C K Sharma (Retd) was arrested on March 10 after being booked under sections 420 (cheating), 406 (punishment for criminal breach of trust) and 34 (acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention) of IPC.

The allegations are that he along with others was involved in financial bungling in the accounts of IESM, which was spearheading the agitation for 'One Rank One Pension'.

"This is nothing but vendetta against us. However, we will continue our fight for OROP," Kaul said.

Sharma's daughter Nisha is upset that her father was picked up late at night and forcibly taken to the police station "like a criminal".

"I fail to understand what the need was to arrest him when previously the complaint has been rejected," she has said.

An FIR was registered against Sharma on the directions of the magistrate following a complaint by Lt Gen Raj Kadiyan (Retd), the former chairman of Indian Ex-Servicemen Movement (IESM), who had alleged that the officer siphoned off Rs 14 lakh from the accounts of the organisation.

Police had registered a case against three persons on February 8 after Kadiyan in a complaint alleged that "they had taken a lot of cash from the society funds between January and July 2013".

The three are Sharma, Maj Gen (retd) Satbir Singh and Group Capt (retd) V K Gandhi.

The trio are the office bearers of IESM, which was formed in 2008 and has been at the forefront of the protests by the ex-servicemen for OROP.

Last September, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar had announced that OROP will be implemented from July 2014, fulfilling a four-decade demand of the armed forces.

The first tranche of the OROP payment is likely to be made this month.

However, a section of the veterans, led by the trio, have been continuing the protest demanding equalisation of pension every year as against every five years proposed by the government.

However, the movement has lost active support from a large section of retired soldiers after last September's announcement.

PTI
Muzaffarpur (Bihar): At least four persons were injured in a clash between ABVP and CPI(ML) workers when they hurled stones at each other in front of municipal corporation's auditorium in Muzaffarpur on Sunday, police said.

The incident occurred when ABVP workers protested against a programme organised by CPI(ML) on the JNU controversy in front of Muzaffarpur Municipal Corporation's (MMC) auditorium,a senior police officer said, adding that the Left workers raised the slogan 'Main JNU Bol Raha Hoon'.

As ABVP workers protested against the sloganeering, both sides started pelting stones, he said, adding the incident left four persons injured.

While two of them sustained injuries on their head, two others received leg injuries.

The police chased away the protesters from the scene, the officer said, adding top officials led by District Magistrate Dharmendra Singh were camping at the site and the situation was under control.

MMC Commissioner, Ramesh Prasad Ranjan said that earlier CPI(ML) had asked for permission to hold a programme for intellectuals in support of Jawaharlal Nehru University(JNU)at the auditorium but ABVP workers objected to the proposal.

The Commissioner cancelled the venue of the programme after he did not get any update from the CPI(ML) workers.

However, CPI(ML) workers decided to hold the programme in front of MMC's auditorium which falls under Mithanpura police station area of the town.

PTI
Srinagar: Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Sunday hit out at separatist groups for maintaining silence over the presence of Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) troops along the Line of Control in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

"How is it that Kashmiri leaders who have so much to say about Indian troops in J&K have nothing to say about Chinese troops across the LoC?" Omar tweeted.

After frequent incursions in Ladakh area, PLA troops have been spotted at forward posts along the Line of Control (LoC) on the Pakistani side of Kashmir, ringing alarm bells in the security establishment.

The Army spotted senior PLA officials at the forward posts opposite Nowgam sector in North Kashmir after which some intercepts of Pakistani army officers suggested that the Chinese troops have come to create some infrastructure along the LoC, sources in the know of developments said.

PTI
Restriction on entry of women in any temple is "unfair" and managements in the temples doing so should change their mentality, RSS said on Sunday, against the backdrop of some cases highlighted through recent agitations in Maharashtra.

"Because of some unfair traditions, at certain places there has been a lack of consensus on the question of temple entry. Such sensitive issues should be resolved through discussion and dialogue and not through agitations," RSS general secretary Suresh Bhayyaji Joshi said at a press conference in Nagaur.

"Women go to thousands of temple across the country but in reference to some, where their entry is an issue, there is a need to change the mentality. Management of such temples should also understand this," he said.

In the recent times, some women groups have been agitating for ending the practice of disallowing women to certain temples like Shani Shingnapur Temple and sanctum sanctorum of Trimbakeshwar Temple in Nashik in Maharashtra.

"Women have been learning the Vedas and also performing religious practices," the RSS leader said.

On 'nationalistic' education

After asking the government to check "subversive" elements indulging in "anti-national" activities in universities like JNU, the RSS on Sunday called for value-based and nationalistic education in an atmosphere of equal opportunity.

Asserting that the private sector was becoming aggressive in the education field, the RSS also pitched for a stronger regulatory body, possibly de-centralised to ensure quality education for all.

The RSS in the annual meeting of its highest decision-making body  Akhil Bhartiya Pratinidhi Sabha (ABPS)  passed two resolutions on education and medical and healthcare, while calling upon the state governments to make efforts to make these two sectors accessible to all the people in the country.

A resolution said the ABPS is of the opinion that every child should get "value-based, nationalistic, employment-oriented and skill-based education in an atmosphere of equal opportunity".

On Saturday the RSS asked the central and state governments to "deal strictly with anti-national and anti-social forces and ensure the sanctity and cultural atmosphere by not allowing our educational institutions to become centres of political activities".

"Privatisation and commercialisation of education has created difficulties for the common man to get their wards quality education. Quality education should be available to all at an affordable price," said Anirudh Deshpande, Akhil Bhartiya Sampark Prakukh of the RSS at the press briefing on the second day of the three-day ABPS meet.

He said a strong regulatory body was needed in the country to take care of it and to "control the private institutions". "Though we have a regulatory body, but we need to strengthen it and if required, it should be decentralised."

Deshpande claimed with the course of time, governments are also withdrawing from the sector of education and budget allocation is also reducing. "Governments are withdrawing and the private sector is becoming aggressive which has made the situation problematic for the student. The government should increase budget allocation for education," he said.

"The government should strengthen the autonomous self-regulatory mechanism for the education institutions in terms of their quality, infrastructure, service conditions, fees and standards so that its policies are implemented in transparent manner.

"It is utmost essential to ensure proper training, appropriate salaries and strengthen the dutifulness of the teachers to enhance their standard, both in state-run and private schools," the resolution said.

"Quality medical facilities should be available to all at affordable prices...There is also need to spread the medical education, inclusion of other branches like Ayurveda and Unani is also required," Deshpande said.

In the resolution, the RSS has appreciated free medicines schemes initiated in some states. "The schemes of free distribution of medicines started in states in last few years and the proposal made for 3000 generic medicines centres by the central government in the recent budget are welcome moves.

The ABPS also called upon the country's industry groups, voluntary and social organisations and charitable trusts to further come forward to make facilities available for people. RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat, BJP President Amit Shah and other leaders were present in the meeting which began on Saturday.

RSS turns tables, furthers women's issues

The RSS report called traditions like restricting women from entering temples a 'loft tradition', adding further that men and women are equal in spiritual and religious matter, said a Times of India report. Earlier a journal linked to the Sangh had listed reasons as to why women are barred in temples and the need to understand those reasons.

The report emphasised the importance of public discourse on such a 'sensitive issue' adding that agitation and politicization of the issue is unnecessary.

The remarks in the report came after chief of Bhumata Ranragini Brigade Trupti Desai and a group of women were denied entry into the inner sanctum of the Trimbakeshwar temple in Nashik, said an IBN Live report.

Further, the report asserted that a change in mindset would be facilitated once social and religious leadership along with the temple administration join hands in bringing the change.

With inputs from agencies
Kolkata: Plagued by lack of leadership, the banned CPI (Maoist) has began a whispering campaign against the Trinamool Congress government in West Bengal in a bid to regain its lost ground in the 'Junglemahal' region.

The Junglemahal districts of Purulia, Bankura and West Midnapore, which have nearly 40 seats, will go to polls on 4 April and 11 April. Of these 40 seats, Maoists used to have a strong presence in near about 30 seats.

"The Maoists have been trying to regroup for past two years, especially near the areas along the Jharkhand and Odisha borders. But they have not been that successful. They don't have the same clout they had during 2010-11. They have virtually turned into a non-entity," a senior intelligence officer told PTI.

"But near the bordering areas of Jharkhand and Odisha, in certain pockets they are propagating against the TMC government and have engaged in a whispering campaign," the official added.

The views were echoed by senior officials of CRPF who said at times they get reports of Maoists engaging in whispering campaign.

"They don't have the same strength that they used to have earlier but at times we get reports from our informers that in Jharkand, Odisha border the Maoists are engaging in whispering campaigns against state government and central government," a senior CRPF officer said.

Contrary to their tradition of boycotting polls and the democratic structure, Maoists had called for ousting the 34-year Left Front regime in the Junglemahal districts before the 2011 assembly elections.

The PCAPA, the frontal organisation of the Maoists, had called for defeating the Left Front candidates, which in turn had helped the Trinamool Congress in most of the 40 seats spread across the Junglemahal districts. As a result TMC and Congress combine had emerged victorious in 25 seats out of 40.

But in the past five years a lot of developments took place. And the death of Kishenji in a police encounter during the TMC regime has broken the backbone of the Maoist movement in Junglemahal.

The banned CPI (Maoist) in its review report last year had said it committed "mistakes" during the Lalgarh movement by killing people and removing their bodies covertly and added that it had wrongly believed that Trinamool Congress would withdraw joint forces from Junglemahal and release all political prisoners after coming to power in the state.

Police and intelligence officials, who have been following Maoist movement closely, feel that the developmental work by the government has done wonders in alienating the Maoists.

"Lack of leadership, developmental work, alienation from the masses have adversely impacted the entire Maoist network in the area. They neither have that mass base nor cadre base to make their presence felt. They won't be able to call the shots unlike 2010-11," said a senior official of central police force who have been looking after the anti-Maoist operation for past several years.

The TMC government's ability to reign in the Maoist movement in Junglemahal, which has witnessed zero violence since 2012, is mostly credited to its various developmental schemes for the people of the poverty-stricken region which includes availability of rice at Rs 2 per kg to every household.

Development in terms of infrastructure such as roads, schools, mid day meals has also helped in alienating the ultra Left organisation.

Senior TMC leader and MP Suvendu Adhikari, who has been at the forefront in fighting the Maoists since 2011, said the developmental work ushered by the Mamata Banerjee government has changed the political topography of the area.

"The Maoists thrive by exploiting the poverty and lack of development. But these two things have been taken care of by our government. So if the people have food to eat and clothes to wear then why would they associate themselves with Maoists? And people want peace, they don't want violence and lawless situation," Adhikari told PTI.

The area, which recorded 350 killings in 2010-11, witnessed not even one since 2012.

The TMC leader on the other hand termed the review report of the Maoists as completely misleading.

"The Maoists have been completely isolated by our government so they are trying to speak against our government and it is a Maoist tradition to speak against the party which is in power. But their whispering campaign won't have an impact," he claimed.

Asked about Maoists engaging in whispering campaign, CPI(M) Politburo member and Left Front Chairman Biman Bose said, "I am not aware of it, I have to ask my district leaders. The Maoists had helped the TMC in 2009 and 2011. They had killed so many of our cadres. But later on problems started between them. But if someone on the basis of experience of his life comes to any kind decision or observation then it is their matter."

Senior Congress leader and a veteran MLA from Junglemahal Manas Bhunia said, "In politics lot of things happen. But only election results will say whether Maoists have any impact on the polls or not," Bhunia said.

PTI
Washington: Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, known for his witty repartees, told an American audience here that he has more Sikhs in his Cabinet than his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi.

The quip came when Trudeau was taking 10 questions from students at the American University in northwest Washington during his state visit to the US.

During the half-an-hour session at the university on Friday, a student named Jahan from the Punjab province of Pakistan told Trudeau that it was really great to see so many Punjabis in his cabinet.

"I have more Sikhs in my cabinet than Modi does," Trudeau was quoted as saying by the Canadian daily 'The Star'.

44-year-old Trudeau, who assumed office in November last year, surprised one and all by including four Sikh-Canadians in his Cabinet.

The four Sikh Canadians inducted into Trudeau's Cabinet include Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan, a combat veteran who did three tours in Afghanistan as a member of the Canadian Armed Forces.

Apart from Sajjan, the other three Sikh ministers are --Infrastructure Minister Amarjeet Sohi, Small Business Minister Bardish Chagger and Innovation Minister Navdeep Singh Bains, the Canadian daily The Globe and Mail had reported at the time.

There were also 17 Sikh MPs elected in the election in Canada in October last year -- 16 from the Liberal Party of Canada and one Conservative -- the highest number of Sikhs ever elected.

In contrast, there are two Sikh Cabinet ministers in the Modi government - Maneka Gandhi, who is a Sikh by birth, and Harsimrat Kaur Badal who is the Food Processing Minister.

Trudeau, in the past, has been spotted doing bhangra moves and visiting Gurdwaras several times. He has also participated in Diwali celebrations apart from a 'Gurbani' recital. He has even helped out women in preparing meals in a langar.

Asked why he sought female-male parity in cabinet appointments, Trudeau said, "It's 2016, guys."

Trudeau's three-day visit to America that concluded on Friday was aimed at rejuvenating the Canada-US ties.

Trudeau carries one of the most famous names in Canadian political history. His late father was prime minister for the better part of 16 years, between 1968 and 1984, and remains the rare Canadian politician who is recognised in America.

During his interaction at the American University, the students did not let Trudeau get away with his now-standard poker-faced line on Republican Presidential front-runner Donald Trump.

Trudeau declared for a second straight day that he has "confidence in the American electorate", a remark that evoked laughter from the audience.

PTI
Jerusalem: Israel is calling on world powers to punish Iran for its recent test-firing of ballistic missiles.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says Israel is directing its demand to the United States, Russia, China, Britain, France and Germany  the countries that signed the deal lifting sanctions on Iran in exchange for Tehran curbing its nuclear program.

Netanyahu says Iran violated UN resolutions with the missile tests, and that world powers had pledged to prevent Iran from such violations. Iran has denied its tests violated any resolutions.

Netanyahu said at the start of his Cabinet meeting Sunday it would be "important as a test of the powers' determination to enforce the nuclear deal with Iran, and we of course expect their responses."

AP
Nay Pyi Taw(Myanmar): The Myanmarese army has released 46 child soldiers from its ranks, while taking action against hundreds of personnel for recruiting children to the armed forces, the media reported on Sunday.

At a ceremony in Yangon on Saturday attended by government officials and UN personnel, the military freed the 46 minors, allowing them to return to their families, EFE news reported.

"The Tatmadaw (Myanmar Armed Forces) is committed to rid its ranks of underage soldiers," said Major General Tauk Tun of the Commander-in-Chief's Office, in the opening address of the event.

The army has freed some 744 underage soldiers and punished 382 soldiers since 2011 for violating international human rights laws against the employment of children.

IANS
Damascus: Syria's warring sides clashed over the fate of President Bashar al-Assad on Saturday, with the government vowing his ouster remains a "red line" for looming peace talks while the opposition vowed to see him go dead or alive.

The UN-brokered, indirect negotiations due to begin in Geneva on Monday are the latest international push to find a solution to Syria's five-year civil war, which has killed more than 270,000 people.

Both the government and the main opposition group, the High Negotiations Committee (HNC), have agreed to attend after the last talks collapsed in February.

But the fresh push for peace was already facing questions on Saturday, as the two sides wrangled over Assad's fate.

"We will not talk with anyone who wants to discuss the presidency... Bashar al-Assad is a red line," Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Muallem told a Damascus news conference.

"If they continue with this approach, there's no reason for them to come to Geneva," he said.

The HNC has repeatedly called for Assad's departure as a prerequisite for any deal, and chief opposition negotiator Mohammad Alloush said the president must go for peace talks to stand a chance.

"We believe that the transitional period should start with the fall, or death, of Bashar al-Assad," he told AFP in a joint interview in Geneva.

"It cannot start with the presence of the regime, or the head of this regime still in power."

UN peace envoy Staffan de Mistura has said the Geneva meetings would not last more than 10 days.

The negotiations are set to cover the formation of a new government, a fresh constitution and UN-monitored presidential and parliamentary elections within 18 months.

'Future without Assad'

Assad's fate has been one of the main stumbling blocks in previous rounds of tentative talks, with key ally Russia rejecting any suggestion he should go while opposition-backer the US has called for him to step down.

Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir said Saturday: "I would emphasise that people see the future of Syria without Bashar al-Assad."

But Muallem said it was not De Mistura's place to raise the question of presidential elections.

"Neither he nor anyone else, whoever they may be, has the right to discuss presidential elections," Muallem insisted. "This right is exclusively for the Syrian people."

Muallem said the negotiations would aim to form a "unity government," which would then appoint a committee to either write a new constitution or amend the existing one.

"Then we will have a referendum for the Syrian people to decide on it," he said.

The HNC has called for the creation of a transitional body with full executive powers, and Alloush said Muallem's comments "show that the regime is not serious about the political process".

There have also been questions about how far any deal would be felt on Syria's battlefields, where myriad groups have been competing for territory.

Russia had called on De Mistura to include Syrian Kurds in peace talks, but the envoy told Swiss newspaper Le Temps that while they would not take part, they should be given a chance to express their views.

'Significant' fall in violence

Fighting has eased across Syria since a landmark ceasefire between Syria's regime and rebels, bar some Islamist groups, took effect two weeks ago.

US Secretary of State John Kerry said the truce had reduced violence by 80-90 percent since coming into force on February 27, which he described as "very, very significant" news ahead of the talks.

He said US and Russian officials would meet in Geneva and Amman on Saturday to discuss opposition complaints of violations.

"We believe that the start of talks this next week in Geneva presents a critical moment for bringing the political solution to the table that we've all been waiting for," he said after meeting top officials in Saudi Arabia.

Both sides have accused the other of breaking the truce, and Alloush said there have been 350 violations since it began, which showed the regime was "not serious" about the ceasefire.

Regime air raids killed seven civilians in rebel-held areas of second city Aleppo on Friday, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

The Britain-based monitor said an Islamist rebel group claimed to have shot down a regime warplane Saturday in central Hama province, but a pro-government Facebook page blamed "technical difficulties".

Elsewhere, at least three rockets fired from Syria hit the Turkish border town of Kilis without causing casualties, the local governor's office said.

AFP
Kuala Lumpur: Two Australian journalists were detained and barred from leaving Malaysia after they had tried to "aggressively" question Prime Minister Najib Razak about a corruption scandal, police said Sunday.

The duo were detained after they crossed a "security line and aggressively tried to approach the prime minister" who was visiting a mosque in Kuching on the island of Borneo, according to a police statement.

"Both of them were subsequently arrested for failing to comply with police instructions not to cross the security line," read the statement.

The journalists, who work for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's Four Corners investigative programme were detained on Saturday night after the incident but were released Sunday without charge.

"ABC 4Corners team arrested in Malaysia last night after trying to question PM Najib Razak over corruption scandal," the programme's executive producer Sally Neighbour tweeted Sunday.

Reporter Linton Besser and camera operator Louie Eroglu had approached Najib on the street before their arrest, the broadcaster added.

Neighbour said their passports, which were initially seized, had been returned to them but they "can't leave Malaysia".

We will discuss with the Attorney General's Chambers [whether] to charge them," Malaysia's national police chief Khalid Abu Bakar was quoted as saying by local news agency Bernama.

"Police are responsible for the prime minister's security. So we do not want anything untoward happening to him," he said, adding that the journalists were barred from leaving the state while investigations were underway.

Scandal-hit premier

Footage posted online by The Star showed Besser asking questions at a tense press conference in Kuala Lumpur earlier on Saturday relating to the still-murky 2006 murder of a Mongolian woman.

Two of Najib's bodyguards were convicted of the murder and sentenced to death.

Najib, who was defence minister at the time, has strongly denied any involvement in the murder and has said he did not know the woman.

But government critics have long alleged that the two bodyguards, members of an elite unit that guards top ministers, were scapegoats in the killing of Altantuya, who was at the centre of allegations of massive kickbacks in the $1.1 billion 2002 purchase of French Scorpene submarines.

Najib, 62, has also been under fire over allegations that billions of dollars were stolen from a state firm he founded, and over his own acceptance of a murky $681 million overseas payment. He and the state firm have vehemently denied any wrongdoing.

In the allegation's wake, the prime minister has curbed investigations into the scandals and purged his ruling United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) of critics, essentially shutting off internal party challenges.

Whistle-blowers have been arrested, while media outlets reporting on the allegations have been muzzled, raising concerns over rights and freedom of speech.

Leaders from across Malaysia's political spectrum joined forces on March 4 to call for the removal of the scandal-hit premier.

AFP
New York: Pakistan will get its eight F-16s but most likely at zero discount as the US suspends this bait betting on better behaviour from Pakistan.

Pakistan bashers in the US Senate lost a fierce quarrel by 71-24 votes to stop the $700 million sale of eight US F16 fighter jets to Pakistan but their message on the countrys duplicity has been rammed in. US financing for over 50 % of the cost is on hold, say officials in charge of the sale.

They take our money, take our arms and laugh in our face.  What will happen to Pakistan if they don't get eight more F-16s? They will have only 70 F-16s. said Rand Paul, the man who mounted an effort to halt the jet sale but lost.

For 20 minutes, the Republican senator flogged Pakistan, the F-16 was just one of the inventory items; duplicity and primitive forms of religious freedom topped his laundry list in the hour long dogfight.

I can't look away as America crumbles at home and politicians tax us to benefit corrupt and duplicitous regimes.https://t.co/uSWCGOJab3  Dr. Rand Paul (@RandPaul) March 10, 2016

.@RandPaul on Pakistan: "We shouldn't be subsidizing jets for a country that's been a frenemy at best" - in Franklin pic.twitter.com/2nEPtoOZWf  Kelsey Cooper (@kelseyc00per) March 12, 2016

India, still smarting from the most recent New Years day Pathankot attack - when six gunmen in Indian fatigues infiltrated an Indian air base and killed 7 Indian soldiers - has openly lobbied against the sale of F-16s to Pakistan.

Policy wonks feel denying Pakistan the F-16s would send the wrong signal now that a previously reluctant political class is fighting to reclaim territory from the Pakistani Taliban.

Yet, giving away the lethal F16s at half cost to a country which certainly knows who masterminded the Pathankot attack in India will do the same.

Torn down the middle, its an F 16 deal for Pakistan at full price.

Defense News reports that Senate Foreign Relations Chairman Bob Corker, R-Tenn., and Sen. Ben Cardin of Maryland, have a hold on the US subsidy which puts the squeeze on Pakistan but did not specify what actions Pakistan can take to lift the hold.

The particular F-16 aircraft Pakistan wants will facilitate all weather conventional and nuclear missions.

71 -24 vote

Although the vote went 71-24 in favour of the sale, the folks who have jurisdiction over foreign arms sales are planning to clamp down on US subsidy for the jets over Pakistans duplicity in the US backed war against Taliban.

Pakistan will have to figure out how to play for U.S. financing, a little over 50 percent for the weapons which headlined the brawl in the US Senate March 10.

Financial strong arming

This financial arm twisting, Corker says, may be a better tactic to get Pakistan to behave rather than drive Pakistan to a Russia or France for the same firepower.

Between embarassing Pakistan by denying the F-16s and cornering a shifty ally - with one-ninths of Indias purchasing power - over money, many feel the choice comes down to common sense.

Pakistan will have to rely on the US for maintenenace of the Lockheed-made jets over their 30-year lifespan.

I have issues with Pakistan too. Its actually a difference of tactics. Id like to try to encourage some behavior changes and I think withholding the financial component is a much better way of doing that, Corker told Defense News.

The case against the sale

On March 10, one man - Senator Paul Rand whos fallen out of the US Presidential race, raged on in the US Senate about why Pakistan must not get the US F16s.

Key quotes from Rand Pauls case against Pakistan.

On Taliban

"We have given $15 billion to Pakistan--$15 billion over the last decade--yet their previous President admits that Pakistan armed, aided, and abetted the Taliban."

On bribes

"Pakistan is, at best, a frenemy--part friend and a lot enemy. If Pakistan truly wants to be our ally, if Pakistan truly wants to help in the war on radical Islam, it should not require a bribe; it should not require the American taxpayer to subsidize arms sales."

On religion

"In Pakistan, it is the law; it is in their Constitution that if you criticize the state religion, you can be put to death."

On Pak hosting Bin Laden

"not only did they help the Taliban that hosted Bin Laden for a decade, but when they finally got Bin Laden, we got him with evidence that was given to us by

a doctor in Pakistan. His name is Shakil Afridi. Where is he now? Pakistan has locked him away in a dark, dank prison from which he will probably never be released."

Borrowing from China for Pakistan

"We have to borrow money from China to send it to Pakistan. Such a policy is insane and supported by no one outside of Washington."

Pak intel against US

"I have also been troubled by the Pakistani military and intelligence service's support for militant groups that work against U.S. interests in the region."

Asia Bibi, Christian woman on Pak death row

"Asia Bibi has been on death row for nearly 5 years. Asia Bibi is a Christian. Her crime? She went to the well to draw water, and the villagers began to stone her. They beat her with sticks until she was bleeding. They continued to stone her as they chanted ``Death, death to the Christian.

Pakistans double game

"Pakistan is engaged legitimately in a very tough fight against identifiable terrorists in their country Secretary of State Kerry said in Pakistans favour but the countrys double game is being talked about more loudly.

Im concerned that Pakistan continues to play a double game, fighting terrorism that has a direct impact inside Pakistan, and supporting it in places like India and Afghanistan, where Pakistan believes such a policy furthers its national interests. said Eliot Engel, a member of the House foreign affairs committee.

Pakistan, after Peshawar

But a murderous December day in 2014 where Taliban suicide attackers killed 132 school children in Pakistans Peshawar is not easily forgotten, not even in the US Senate. Swept up by the unprecedented energy of public opinion, a shocked Pakistan army is back in the driving seat, a reluctant political class is being forced to confront the enemy within. To do that, Pakistans foreign minister Sartaj Aziz says the country is heavily dependent on the F 16s.

And then some cold data.

Of the 10 largest importers of heavy weapons, 6 are from Asia Pacific : India, China, Australia, Pakistan, Vietnam and South Korea.

Asia accounts for almost half the global weapons market.

Eight F-16s to Pakistan is business as usual.
Finance Minister Mathias Cormann said no less than nine times in one interview that the budget was "scheduled" to be held on the usual second Tuesday in May as speculation about a possible early double-dissolution election goes into overdrive ahead of the return of Parliament.

Senator Cormann repeatedly said the budget would be be held on either May 10 or the second Tuesday in May in an interview with Sky News on Sunday morning.

But it is his, and other government ministers', use of the word "scheduled" that is fanning the fires of election timing speculation.
1. Turnbull/Tony's gay marriage plebiscite to cost half a billion dollars

Yes you read that right. (And I triple-checked before I typed out that headline.)

So, you know how the Liberal party ditched the unpopular out-of-touch Tony Abbott and replaced him with that smooth-talking, modern-day man Malcolm Turnbull only to keep the same policies on social issues like gay marriage even though Abbott and Turnbull hold completely opposing views on the matter? (You still with me?)

Well, Turnbull/Tony's decision to outsource the legislators' job to the people via a plebiscite to be held nobody-yet-knows-when is going to cost the economy more than $500 million, according to PriceWaterhouseCoopers Australia.
"There was a bunch of smaller skirmishes. It looked like there was a lot of people around and I think there were a lot of people fighting in a lot of different places," the man said. Police are still investigating the cause of the brawl that involved up to 30 people. Credit:Channel Nine Acting Inspector Steve Hodges said police thought the various fights were connected, but it was not known how the men and women involved knew each other, if they had been inside the concert venue or had just gathered in the area. "From what I understand, the majority of the persons involved were of an African descent," Acting Inspector Hodges said. "Whether it was two separate groups or two groups within a group, that's all part of what we're trying to find out."

At the time the fights started, it is believed a concert raising money for cyclone-devastated Fiji had just ended and crowds spilled onto the streets. Police initially said 200 people were involved in the brawls, but later dramatically reduced that figure to 30 people. Two men, aged 24 and 18, have been charged with assault police and resist police and two others issued with infringement notices for offensive behaviour. A NSW Ambulance spokesman said paramedics were called to the scene and one person was taken to St Vincent's Hospital in a stable condition. Night of violence on Sydney streets

In a separate earlier incident only a few hundred metres away, a 29-year-old man was taken to hospital after being assaulted by a group of three men. Emergency services were called to George Street, near Market Street, about 12.45am and treated the man for facial injuries. And in another overnight brawl, three men were involved in a fight at a restaurant on Avoca Street in Randwick about 1.44am. Police said a 25-year-old British national punched a 31-old-man several times in the head and face. An unknown bystander also started attacking the man, who fell to the ground with a broken nose. "The 25-year-old man then punched the second man to the face and head which resulted in him falling to the ground unconscious," police said.

The two injured men refused to be treated by paramedics. The 25-year-old has been charged with affray and will face court in April. It comes about 24 hours after a group of women celebrating a hen's night were attacked outside a Hungry Jack's on George Street, just after midnight on Saturday. Two men, aged 43 and 44, have been charged and are also due to appear in court in April. Acting Inspector Hodges said he did not the think the weekend had been any more violent than others in recent weeks. "I think that because of the location here in the city there's a lot more media attention but to me, personally, I possibly would not dictate that it is much different to any other weekend I have worked in recent times but it does depend on the weekend," he said.
The husband of murdered mother Prabha Kumar has cast doubt on a theory that someone in India may have helped organise the killing, claiming his wife had no enemies among her family or friends.

Mrs Kumar was walking home from Parramatta train station in Sydney's west on March 7, 2015, when she was attacked in a dimly lit park.

She was on the phone to her husband, Arun Kumar, in India when her attacker stabbed her in the throat, leaving her critically injured on the footpath in Parramatta Park.

The IT worker died in Westmead Hospital a few hours later.
M is comforted by relatives before leaving to be resettled in Germany. Credit:LYNSEY ADDARIO More than three dozen Yazidi women who recently escaped the Islamic State and who agreed to be interviewed for this article described the numerous methods the fighters used to avoid pregnancy, including oral and injectable contraception, and sometimes both. In at least one case, a woman was forced to have an abortion in order to make her available for sex, and others were pressured to do so. M, a Yazidi teen who was sold seven times among the Islamic State fighters Credit:LYNSEY ADDARIO Some described how they knew they were about to be sold when they were driven to a hospital to give a urine sample to be tested for the hCG hormone, whose presence indicates pregnancy. They awaited their results with apprehension: A positive test would mean they were carrying their abuser's child; a negative result would allow Islamic State fighters to continue raping them.

The rules have not been universally followed, with many women describing being assaulted by men who were either ignorant of the injunction or defiant of it. A camp for Yazidi refugees, some of whom were about to leave for resettlement in Germany. Credit:LYNSEY ADDARIO But overall, the methodical use of birth control during at least some of the women's captivity explains what doctors caring for recent escapees observed: Of the more than 700 rape victims from the Yazidi ethnic group who have sought treatment so far at a United Nations-backed clinic in northern Iraq, just 5 per cent became pregnant during their enslavement, according to Dr Nagham Nawzat, the gynaecologist carrying out the examinations. It is a stunningly low figure given that the normal fertility rate for a young woman is between 20 percent and 25 percent in any given month, four to five times the rate that has been recorded so far, said Dr Nezar Ismet Taib, who heads the Ministry of Health Directorate in Dohuk, which oversees the clinic where the victims are being treated. "We were expecting something much higher," he said.

The captured teenage girl, who agreed to be identified by her first initial, M, has the demeanour of a child and wears her hair in a bouncy ponytail. She was sold a total of seven times. When prospective buyers came to inquire about her, she overheard them asking for assurances that she was not pregnant, and her owner provided the box of birth control as proof. That was not enough for the third man who bought her, she said. He quizzed her on the date of her last menstrual cycle and, unnerved by what he perceived as a delay, gave her a version of the so-called morning-after pill, causing her to start bleeding. Even then, he seemed unsatisfied. Finally he came into her room, closed the door and ordered her to lower her pants. The teenager feared she was about to be raped.

Instead he pulled out a syringe and gave her a shot on her upper thigh. It was a 150-milligram dose of Depo-Provera, an injectable contraceptive, a box of which she showed to a reporter. "To make sure you don't get pregnant," she recalled him saying. When he had finished, he pushed her back onto the bed and raped her for the first time. Thousands of women and girls from the Yazidi minority remain captives of the Islamic State, after the jihadis overran their ancestral homeland on Mount Sinjar on August 3, 2014. In the months since then, hundreds have managed to escape, returning to a community now living in tents in the plains of the yellow massif, hours from their former homes. Many of the women interviewed for this article were initially reached through Yazidi community leaders, and gave their consent. All the underage rape victims who agreed to speak were interviewed alongside members of their family.

Ensuring availability In its official publications, the Islamic State has stated that it is legal for a man to rape the women he enslaves under just about any circumstance. Even sex with a child is permissible, according to a pamphlet published by the group. The injunction against raping a pregnant slave is functionally the only protection for the captured women. The Islamic State cites centuries-old rulings stating that the owner of a female slave can have sex with her only after she has undergone istibra - "the process of ensuring that the womb is empty," according to Princeton University professor Bernard Haykel, one of several experts on Islamic law consulted on the topic. The purpose of this is to guarantee there is no confusion over a child's paternity. Most of the Sunni scholars who ruled on the issue argued that the requirement could be met by respecting a period of sexual abstinence whenever the captive changes hands, proposing a duration of at least one menstrual cycle, according to Brill's Encyclopaedia of Islam. In its own manual, the Islamic State outlines the abstinence method as one option.

But it also quotes the minority opinion of a Tunisian cleric who in the 1100s argued that it was enough to fulfill merely the spirit of the law. That opens the way for other means, including modern medicine, to circumvent the waiting period. A total of 37 women abducted by the Islamic State who agreed to be interviewed over three trips to northern Iraq described an uneven system: Some fighters insisted on double and even triple forms of contraception, while others violated the guidelines entirely. Although it remains unclear why some hewed closely to the regulations while others flouted them, one emerging pattern was that women held by senior commanders were more likely to be given contraception, in contrast to those held by junior fighters, who perhaps were less versed on the rules. J, an 18-year-old, said she had been sold to the Islamic State's governor of Tal Afar, a city in northern Iraq. "Each month, he made me get a shot. It was his assistant who took me to the hospital," said J, who was interviewed alongside her mother, after escaping this year.

"On top of that he also gave me birth control pills. He told me, 'We don't want you to get pregnant,'" she said. When she was sold to a more junior fighter in the Syrian city of Tal Barak, it was the man's mother who escorted her to the hospital. "She told me, 'If you are pregnant, we are going to send you back,'" J said. "They took me into the lab. There were machines that looked like centrifuges and other contraptions. They drew three vials of my blood. About 30 or 40 minutes later, they came back to say I wasn't pregnant." The fighter's mother triumphantly told her son that the 18-year-old was not pregnant, validating his right to rape her, which he did repeatedly. When that fighter tired of her, he gave her as a gift to his brother. Yet the brother did not take her back to have another blood test, forcing her to have sex without ascertaining whether she was carrying another man's child.

Several other women reported a similar set of circumstances, including being given birth control by some of their owners but not by others. However, the low pregnancy rate, say medical professionals, is evidence that the rules intended to avoid pregnancy were more likely to have been applied than not. In his office in Dohuk's Ministry of Health Directorate, Taib, the physician tasked with overseeing the treatment of the hundreds of victims, was initially puzzled by the low pregnancy rate. In other conflicts where rape has been used as a weapon of war, it has led to waves of unwanted pregnancies - either because the attackers did not use birth control or, as was the case in the former Yugoslavia, because they purposefully tried to impregnate their victims. One medical study of 68 Croatian and Bosnian rape victims found that 29 had become pregnant. With more than 700 cases of rape recorded so far, Taib's centre has treated only 35 pregnancies. He expected to see at least 140.

"Even higher than that, if you consider that these women had multiple partners and were raped every day over many months," Taib said. "I concluded that either they did an abortion before they came back or they used contraception," Taib said. "And if there were abortions, then there would have been physical signs," which would have been noted by the gynaecologist treating the returnees, he said. "There were no signs." A fragile protection The prohibition surrounding pregnancy is perhaps the only instance when the codes that the jihadis were applying lined up with the concerns of their victims, who dreaded carrying their rapists' children. Ahlam, a middle-age woman who was kidnapped with her six children, said she had been not raped because she had been deemed unattractive. Because she spoke Arabic, the Islamic State used her as an interpreter.

One day, she was asked to chaperone a group of young Yazidi women to the hospital in Tal Afar, where each woman was given 150 milligrams of Depo-Provera. Over the months that followed, she said, she escorted in all around 30 victims to get the injection both in Tal Afar and later in the Iraqi city of Mosul. Twice she was asked to escort her own teenage daughter, who was raped by multiple fighters. She explained the conflicted feelings she had at the time. "ISIS took our girls as slaves, only for sex," Ahlam said, but the insistence on birth control brought some relief. "No one wants to carry the child of their enemy." Others described how the fighters so opposed pregnancy that some tried to force young women to abort. Abdal Ali said his sister, 20, was in her second trimester at the time of her capture in 2014. Still, one commander so urgently wanted her as his slave that he tried to end the pregnancy by giving her pills that would cause her to miscarry.

"She hid them under her tongue, and then when they weren't looking, she spit them out," said Ali, who related the story on behalf of his sister because she is undergoing medical treatment abroad for the injuries she suffered. "They wanted to get rid of the child so that they could use the woman." A 20-year-old who asked to be identified only as H began to feel nauseated soon after her abduction. "The smell of rice made me gag," she said. Already pregnant at the time of her capture, she considered herself one of the fortunate ones. For almost two months, H was moved from location to location and held in locked rooms, but she was spared the abuse that was by then befalling most of the young women held alongside her. Despite being repeatedly forced to give a urine sample and always testing positive, she, too, was eventually picked. Her owner took her to a house, shared by another couple. When the couple was present, he did not approach her, suggesting he knew it was illegal. Only when the couple left did he forcibly have sex with her, and when he did he appeared drugged.

"I was telling him: 'I'm pregnant. In your book it says that you can't do this.' He had bloodshot eyes. He acted like he was high," she said. Eventually he drove her to a hospital with the aim of making her have an abortion, and flew into a rage when she refused the surgery, repeatedly punching her in the stomach. Even so, his behaviour suggested he was ashamed: He never told the doctors that he wanted H to abort, instead imploring her to ask for the procedure herself. When he drove her home, she waited until he left and then threw herself over the property's wall. "My knees were bleeding. I was dizzy. I almost couldn't walk," she said.
Ivory Coast's President Alassane Ouattara, centre, visits the area were gunmen attacked people in Grand Bassam, on Sunday. Credit:AP A short drive from Abidjan - one of West Africa's largest cities with about 5 million inhabitants - Grand Bassam fills up on weekends with thousands of beachgoers. Witnesses said the gunmen followed a pathway onto the beach where they then opened fire on swimmers and sunbathers before turning their attention to the packed seafront hotels where people were eating and drinking at lunchtime. A soldier stands guard outside the Etoile du Sud hotel, one of the Grand Bassam hotels attacked on Sunday. Credit:Christin Roby "They started shooting and everyone just started running. There were women and children running and hiding," said another witness, Marie Bassole. "It started on the beach. Whoever they saw, they shot at."

Security forces moved to evacuate the area surrounding the beach. Bullet holes riddled vehicles nearby and glass from shattered windows littered the ground. Police arriving at scene of attack in Ivory Coast. The body of one of the attackers, dressed in dark trousers and a blood-covered striped shirt, lay beside the beachside entrance to one hotel, a bullet hole in his head. Beside him on the sand sat a combat vest used to carry extra ammunition. Nearby, on the ground, lay unexploded grenades. Assailants opened fire on beachgoers in Grand-Bassam, a historic resort town in Ivory Coast. Credit:Schalik van Zuydam

A source at the University Teaching Hospital of Treichville in Abidjan said, "More than 20 severely injured people have been transported here by ambulances and we are trying to do what we can to save their lives." Growing threat Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), which has carried out other recent attacks in the region, claimed responsibility for Sunday's shootings, according to the US-based SITE intelligence monitoring group, citing an AQIM statement. It said the attack had been carried out by just three militants.

Barely two months ago, Islamists killed dozens of people in a hotel and cafe frequented by foreigners in neighbouring Burkina Faso's capital, Ouagadougou. Gunmen also attacked a hotel in the Malian capital, Bamako, late last year. Both of those attacks were also claimed by AQIM and raised concern that militants were extending their reach far beyond their traditional zones of operation in the Sahara and the arid Sahel region. Though previously untouched by Islamist violence, Ivory Coast, French-speaking West Africa's largest economy and the world's top cocoa producer, has long been considered a target for militants. It has been on high alert since the Ouagadougou attacks, and security has been visibly bolstered at potential targets, including shopping malls and high-end hotels. By Sunday evening, Ivorian authorities had begun an investigation into the attacks.

"We have a mobile phone that is now in the hands of the Ivorian scientific police that will allow us to look at all the ramifications and go back to the source," Interior Minister Bakayoko said on state-owned television. As the scale of the tragedy become evident, regional and world leaders expressed their support for Ivory Coast, which has recently emerged from a decade of political turmoil and civil war to become one of the world's fastest growing economies. President Macky Sall of Senegal, another country seen as a likely target for AQIM, called upon West African countries to step up their cooperation against terrorism and violent extremism. France's President Francois Hollande, meanwhile, denounced the shootings in the former French colony as a "cowardly attack." "France will bring its logistical support and intelligence to Ivory Coast to find the attackers. It will pursue and intensify its cooperation with its partners in the fight against terrorism," he said in a statement.
New approvals of residential mortgage loans (RMLs) decreased by 35.8 percent during the first month of 2016, while those of commercial real estate loans (CRELs) went in opposite direction, increasing by 1.3 percent during the same period. A report issued by the Monetary Authority of Macau states that in January 2016, local bank approvals of new RMLs decreased month-to-month to MOP3.2 billion (35.8 percent), with those for non-residents decreasing further (44 percent). In addition, these kinds of credit loans were attributed almost entirely to local residents (95.1 percent). As for new CRELs, the slight growth of 1.3 percent month-to-month represents a value of MOP5.3 billion. Regarding commercial real estate loans, the percentage of the loans attributed to local residents is even higher, with non-residents only accounting for 0.3 percent of recipients.

Coutinho re-elected as head of ATFPM

Lawmaker Pereira Coutinho was the sole candidate for the Macau Civil Servants Association (ATFPM) board election, which took place last Saturday. A total of 4,260 members voted to confer a new four-year term (2016-2020) on List A (the single list), headed by Coutinho, which gathered the votes of 4,238 members (99.5 percent). The winning list is headed by Pereira Coutinho as chairman of the board, with Rita Santos as Chairman of the General Assembly, and Mary Leong Magdalene as Chairman of the Supervisory Board. The list also includes the vice presidents of the board: Che Sai Wang, Leong Weng Chai, Arnaldo Ernesto Silveiro Gomes Martins and Armando Jesus.

Xue Yihans family donates 12 prints to Macau

The opening of Heart Carving  Xue Yihans Scenes of Macao Printmaking Exhibition, organized by the Cultural Affairs Bureau and co-organized by Albergue SCM and Beishan Lihe Creative Cultural Industries, Ltd, was held on Friday at the Albergue SCM  A2 Gallery. Aiming to promote cultural development between Zhuhai and Macau, family members of Xue Yihan donated 12 of the artists prints to the Cultural Affairs Bureau, to form part of a permanent collection.
Chinas chief prosecutor said yesterday that battling infiltration, subversion and sabotage by hostile forces is a key priority this year, with terrorists, ethnic separatists and religious extremists all in his crosshairs.

In a speech to the annual session of Chinas national legislature, Cao Jianmin also listed combatting cybercrime and ensuring national sovereignty in cyberspace as items topping the list of 2016 priorities.

Prosecutors will also continue to follow up on cases brought to as part of an almost three-year-old nationwide anti-corruption campaign spearheaded by the ruling Communist Partys watchdog agency, Cao said.

Although he identified no specific groups or individuals as threats, Beijing has in the past cited a long list of hostile forces it accuses of seeking to end communist rule and plunge China into chaos, division and economic ruin.

Those include agents of foreign governments, civil society groups who challenge the partys absolute authority, religious dissenters such as the underground church and the banned Falun Gong meditation sect. Those campaigning for ethnic rights are also frequently cited, including exiled Tibetan leader the Dalai Lama and advocates for the Turkic Muslim Uighur minority from the northwestern region of Xinjiang.

In an accompanying address to the legislature, top judge Zhou Qiang said Chinese courts convicted 1,419 people last year of national security and terrorism crimes that carry potential death sentences. That compares with 712 people sentenced for incitement to separatism, terrorism and related charges in 2014, before last years passage of a sweeping new national security law.

Fighting corruption also remains a priority, with prosecutors handling 4,490 cases involving more than 1 million yuan (USD154,000) last year, up 22.5 percent from 2014, Cao said in his report. That was out of a total of 54,249 officials investigated, Cao said.

Those prosecuted for graft last year include 22 former officials at the ministerial level or above, including Zhou Yongkang, a past member of the partys all-powerful Politburo Standing Committee who was sentenced to life in prison for corruption.

Such cases are referred to prosecutors only after suspects have been thoroughly investigated by the partys Central Committee for Discipline Inspection. The body, whose methodologies and standards of evidence are kept secret, said this month it had dished out demotions and other punishments to nearly 300,000 officials last year.

However, Cao said prosecutors have yet to indict 41 officials of ministerial rank or above under investigation for corruption, including Ling Jihua, a key aide to former president Hu Jintao. Ling has been under investigation for at least 15 months since being removed as head of the partys United Front Work Department in December 2014.

Starting from Oct. 2014, China has also brought about the return of 124 corruption suspects who had fled abroad to 34 different countries, including some who had turned themselves in, Cao said.

Details werent given on new measures to prevent Chinese Internet users from accessing overseas websites, something China insists is its innate right in order to protect its national cyberspace sovereignty. China already blocks a wide range of foreign websites featuring news, research tools such as Google, social media including Facebook and Twitter, and file-sharing sites such as YouTube. Christopher Bodeen, Beijing, AP
The Court of Second Instance (TSI)) on Friday confirmed the sentence of a non-resident man who provided support for his overstaying wife so that she could give birth in Macau.

The court ruled to sentence the man for his support and hosting of an illegal person in Macau, confirming the decision by the Court of First Instance (TJB), against which the man had appealed.

The TSI ruled that the defendant had committed the offense of which he was accused, and had done it consciously and with a specific purpose of trying to give his son the opportunity of permanent residency in the territory.

The TSI states clearly that even if the defendant claims to be unaware of the law the fact is that there can be no justification or mitigation for his conduct, adding that he [the accused] knew, at least, that his wife could not enter the territory upon her own choosing and that she could only stay in Macau during the granted period. The ruling concludes by saying that the possibility of staying in the territory should not be confused with the possibility of giving birth and obtaining the right to residency, refusing the applicants argument that he should be excluded from guilt.

Regarding the claim of conflict between the duty of caring for his wife and the duty of not providing lodging and support for people in illegal situations, the court also ruled that although these two duties might be in conflict, in this case, it is clear that this has happened because of the defendants own conduct and personal interest, and it is not related to chance or misfortune. The court affirmed the decision of the TJB and did not grant the man an exemption from his unlawful actions.

The TJB had convicted the man to four months of imprisonment, suspended on probation for the period of one year. RM

[UPDATED]
The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR), the countrys gaming regulator, has announced the preliminary findings of its inquiry into alleged money laundering, according to media reports.

The story begins in Bangladesh, a country of about 170 million people thats recently found itself with record foreign reserves thanks to a low wage-fueled export boom and inward remittances. Some of those reserves were held in an account at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. Finance Minister Abul Maal Abdul Muhith last week accused the Fed of irregularities that led to the unauthorized transfer of USD100 million from the account. The Bangladesh central bank said the funds had been stolen by hackers and that some had been traced to the Philippines.

The Philippine Daily Inquirer quoted an unknown PAGCOR official as saying that the inquiry revealed that USD46 million of a reported USD81 million in stolen Bangladeshi funds that entered the Philippines found its way into the local casino industry. The rest of the funds never entered the local casino system. So, we dont know where those funds went.

Philippine authorities believe that the USD46 million that entered the gaming system was split into two different groups, including a USD26 million tranche that entered the Solaire Resort and Casino, an integrated resort owned by Bloomberry Resorts. A second tranche of USD20 million allegedly made its way to the Eastern Hawaii Casino and Resort.

The accounts holding the laundered money have reportedly been frozen by the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC). RM
Members and supporters of the Power of the Macao Gaming Association reiterated their promise to keep fighting for the rights of local residents on Friday at the entrance to a presentation meeting with the Secretary for Economy and Finance, Lionel Leong.

During the ongoing mid-term review of the citys gaming industry, the participants at the meeting urged the government to first take a closer look at the situation for workers.

The head of the Macau Civil Servants Association (ATFPM), Pereira Coutinho, attended the meeting. He argued that the labor law should be reviewed in order to provide more protection for workers so they cannot be fired without a just cause because the compensation for these cases [in Macau] is irrelevant.

Regarding the promotion of local workers to leadership and positions of greater responsibility, they are blocked since there are many non-resident workers occupying those positions, he added, asking the government to make changes in this area.

The idea to form this association started some time ago when, in order to solve problems relating to salary injustice among casino pit workers who were being paid different wages for the same function. Some of the founders of the newly formed association requested help from the ATFPM. After the problem was solved satisfactorily the members decided to join forces to form an association to defend their interests, Pereira Coutinho told reporters. We [the ATFPM members] are here to support them.

To the meeting with Lionel Leong, the association members took a list of three main problems that they wish to see resolved: the improvement of Macaus retirement scheme; the supervision of changes in the gaming sector during the adjustment period; and the reduction of the number of non-resident workers in order to promote the careers of local workers.

Coutinho said the association also shares the concerns already expressed by another gaming related association, the Forefront of Macau Gaming (FMG), regarding the 80 percent decrease in the recruitment rate in the gaming sector over the last quarter of 2015 when compared with 2014 according to the latest figures from the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC). Coutinho added that systematically there are workers being fired without a justifiable reason.
Indonesias top security minister said last week that authorities have started efforts to fight forest and peatland fires that often pollute Southeast Asias air as the dry season begins this month.

Luhut Pandjaitan, the coordinating minister for politics, legal and security affairs, said the government wants to avoid mistakes made last year when lack of prevention resulted in fires burning out of control. President Joko Jokowi Widodo had to ask help from other countries to bring the blazes under control.

Forest fires have been an annual problem in Indonesia since the mid-1990s, causing a toxic haze that often drifts into neighboring countries such as Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand. Last years fires, which covered 2.1 million hectares (8,100 square miles), were considered one of the countrys worst environmental disasters since 1997, when blazes spread across nearly 10 million hectares.

Most of the fires are started deliberately to clear land for agriculture such as palm oil plantations.

We will declare a state of emergency once fires are detected, particularly on peat land, Pandjaitan said. We dont want to repeat mistakes we made last year.

Early declaration of emergencies will speed up the release of funds so authorities can deploy troops, helicopters and firefighting equipment more quickly, he said.

Damming canals so they flood peatland, which burns easily, is also being tried nationwide.

Scientists have predicted that low rainfall due to the El Nino effect could make fires worse this year if the government fails to stop intentional burning, particularly in Sumatra and Kalimantan on the Indonesian part of Borneo island.

The fires have caused health problems and economic losses on top of environmental damage. Last year in Indonesia there were 21 deaths and the smoky haze blanketing a swath of the country was estimated to have caused respiratory problems for half a million people.

The World Bank has estimated USD16 billion in economic costs from the 2015 fires, more than double what was spent on rebuilding Aceh province after the 2004 tsunami.

The Riau provincial government declared a state of emergency last week after fires in at least three districts began spreading rapidly because of strong winds. More than 700 police and soldiers have been deployed to extinguish the fires.

Riau province was one of the most severely affected areas last year. Niniek Karmini, Jakarta, AP
Commemorating the fourth anniversary of the Macau Moto Club (MCM), approximately 60 members of the organization and other local bike clubs participated in a motorcycle parade around the MSAR on Saturday.

The parade passed through Macau, Taipa and Coloane, finishing at the Roadhouse Bar on Broadway Macau where celebrations including a buffet, live music, a motorcycle display and a prize draw began at 1.30 p.m.

Members of MCM at the event took the opportunity to stress that Macau still has far to go in terms of improving road safety  especially for motorcycle users.

We are not people who make the streets of Macau a racetrack. In Macau Moto Club we respect, in an exemplary manner, the traffic code and we make sure that the rules are respected by all [of our members], Joao Mexia, vice president of the organization, told TDM.

However, Mexia also stressed, We also want to alert [people] to the conditions of the streets in Macau because sometimes we see that people who drive in Macau dont care about our big bikes; they cut us off, they dont use their turning signals.

Its very difficult for us to control our big bikes if someone cuts in front of us, he added.

Founded in 2012, the club has organized activities and trips to various Asian destinations including mainland China, Taiwan, Thailand, Laos and Myanmar. Group members are bound together by their motto: We dont ride to forget life, we ride to remember that good life exists.
Adam Johnson, the author of an award-winning fictional novel depicting the ordinary people of North Korea, participated in a talk yesterday as part of the Macau Literary Festival where he described the Korean state as the cruelest psychological experiment anyone could have dreamed up.

Speaking about his extensive research on North Korea in preparation for his novel, Johnson said that the country was fascinating, full of contradictions, and best described as a cruel psychological experiment.

The book, entitled The Orphan Masters Son, is fictional, although a lot of the portraits are based on non-fiction. It went on to earn Johnson a Pulitzer Prize and a Dayton Literary Peace Prize, as well as being named a bestseller and best book of the year by various publications and other literary associations.

Johnson, who is an associate professor in creative writing at Stanford University, said that while researching and writing his novel he tried to understand and re-live the perspective of the isolated countrys ordinary citizens.

I dont think anyone can know what its like to grow up there [North Korea] until theyre [the North Koreans] free and they start to write their own books.

He had attempted to gain entry to North Korea on numerous occasions, adding that a number of initial half-hearted efforts had been unsuccessful. The author initially applied for entry on the basis of scholarly work but was refused. He then invited a North Korean professor to spend a year at Stanford University  an offer that he admits was not approved by the education institution  but received no reply.

Finally, after liaising with an aged Korean professor in the U.S., Johnson managed to get a permit into the country in 2007, where, like all foreigners, he was escorted by a group of handlers who were keen to offer a carefully scripted tour of the country.

Citizens of North Korea are acutely aware of how their own actions  or inaction  can result in state-sanctioned punishments like being sent to work camps (gulags) or allegedly being murdered by organs of the North Korean government.

These allegations, often brought to the outside world by North Korean defectors, are not unimaginable given the states apparent disinterest in relieving the starvation of millions of its citizens. It is a parasitic society, where the elites live off the peasants, Johnson explains.

Commenting on the pervasive and widespread use of propaganda in the Northeast Asian country, Johnson said that he found the language and imagery boring, funny and bizarre at the same time.

When he visited Pyongyang in 2007 he saw a newspaper in the city with a story about Kim Jong Il on the front page. It described a scene where the Norths leader was walking along a river with doves circling above his head, apparently, in an effort to provide him with shade.

I wasnt sure whether to put Kim Jong Il [in the novel] because of the stereotypes portrayed of him, said the award-winning author, adding that in the West he is portrayed often as both a cold-hearted lunatic and as a comedic, parodied figure.

But as I came to learn that he was not only aware [of the crimes being committed against his people] but that he was directly involved in them and perpetrating them, I knew that he had to be included. Daniel Beitler

N Korea warns of pre-emptive strikes against the South

North Korea said Saturday its military is ready to pre-emptively attack and liberate the South if it sees signs that American and South Korean troops involved in annual joint military drills are attempting to invade the North.

The declaration from General Staff of the Norths Korean Peoples Army on state media is the latest outburst over the drills that the U.S. and South Korea say are defensive and routine. At the start of the drills last week, the North warned of an indiscriminate pre-emptive nuclear strike of justice on Washington and Seoul.

The Korean Peoples Army said it will counter the drills by the United States and South Korea it says are aimed at advancing into Pyongyang with plans to liberate the whole of South Korea including Seoul and also that it is capable of executing ultra-precision blitzkrieg strikes against enemy targets.

In response to Norths statement, South Koreas Joint Chiefs of Staff called for North Korea to stop its threats and rash behavior and warned that a provocation from the North would result in the destruction of its highest leadership.

A pre-emptive large-scale strike by North Korea against the South is highly unlikely when that would almost certainly bring to an end the authoritarian rule of leader Kim Jong Un given the likely military response of the U.S. and South Korea. Analysts say the Norths bellicose rhetoric is also intended for its domestic audience to display government strength ahead of a major meeting of the ruling party in May. AP
A large group of Pearl Horizon buyers returned to public demonstrating yesterday.

This time the group chose Senado Square as the location for their protest. According to Public Security Police Force, a total of about 250 pre-sales buyers of Pearl Horizon units staged a protest urging the government to protect their interests.

The buyers once again appealed to the government to solve the problem. Speaking to TDM, the president of the Association Pearl Horizon, Lao Lap Chi, urged authorities to fulfill their promises to protect the rights of smallholders.

The protests have been repeatedly staged on several occasions before, after the government decided not to renew the developers hold on the land plot due to the expiration of the land concession period without clear developments in the project.

The Administrative Court also rejected an appeal from the concessionaire against the decision to confiscate the land; a decision that contributed to the fears of small buyers that claim they have lost their investments and their houses.

Many of them claim that they are paying high mortgages to banks that loaned them money to buy the properties.
Russia yesterday accused Turkey of sending its military across the Syrian border to prevent Kurdish groups there from consolidating their positions, while Turkish authorities imposed curfews on two mainly Kurdish towns where Turkeys security forces are set to launch large-scale operations against Kurdish militants.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Russia has evidence of Turkeys creeping expansion in northern Syria.

According to our information, they are digging in a few hundred meters from the border inside Syria, Lavrov said in an interview with Russian REN TV broadcast yesterday.

In southeastern Turkey, authorities have imposed curfews in several flashpoints since August to root out militants linked to the Kurdistan Workers Party, or PKK, who had set up barricades, dug trenches and planted explosives. The military operations have raised concerns over human rights violations and scores of civilian deaths. Tens of thousands of people have also been displaced by the fighting.

The governors office for Hakkari province, which borders Iraq and Iran, said a new 24-hour curfew would take effect in the town Yuksekova, adding that entering and leaving the town would also be banned. The announcement came as news reports said dozens of tanks had been deployed to the town.

Soon after, authorities in Mardin province announced that a round-the-clock curfew would take effect in the town of Nusaybin  on the border with Syria  at midnight.

Residents were seen leaving Nusaybin yesterday, packing cars or heading toward the bus terminal even before the curfew was announced, the Dogan news agency reported. Some tanks were parked at a school ahead of the planned offensive, it said.

Turkeys military last week ended a three-month operation against the militants in the historic Sur district of Diyarbakir  the largest city in the countrys mostly Kurdish southeast. Yesterday, authorities eased the curfew in some streets and one neighborhood of Sur, but the siege over the districts main areas was still in place.

The PKK has been designated a terrorist organization by Turkey, the U.S. and the European Union. A fragile peace process between the PKK and the Turkish state collapsed in July, reigniting a battle that has cost tens of thousands of lives since 1984.

Lavrov was asked about a REN TV report broadcast two weeks ago of Turkish tanks and artillery along the Syrian border near the Syrian city of Kobane. The foreign minister said he had seen the reports, but gave no further details about what Russia maintains is Turkeys military presence inside Syria.

Lavrov said Turkey has declared a sovereign right to create a security zone on Syrian territory to prevent the unification of Kurdish enclaves located to the east and to the west in northern Syria. Suzan Fraser, Ankara , AP
Las Vegas Sands Corp. for a second time persuaded the Nevada Supreme Court to throw out a jury award won by a Hong Kong businessman who claimed he helped the casino company win permission to operate in Macau.

The states highest court said Friday there wasnt sufficient evidence to justify the USD70 million in damages a jury awarded Richard Suen in 2013 and that a new trial was needed.

Suen claimed a meeting he arranged between Sands Chairman Sheldon Adelson and Chinese government officials in Beijing was instrumental in Macaus decision to include Sands among the foreign casino operators that were given licenses in 2002. He had won a $43.8 million verdict when his claims first went to trial in 2008. That damages award was previously overturned by the Nevada Supreme Court.

Adelson testified during the second trial that Suen, a friend of Adelsons younger brother Lenny, had zero to do with helping the company obtain a concession in the former Portuguese colony. According to Adelson, the Macau government made its decisions independent of the central government in Beijing, which is legally prohibited from intervening in the citys internal affairs.

Suen testified that in 2000 he alerted Adelson, Sands founder and controlling shareholder, to the possibility that Macau would end the gambling monopoly casino mogul Stanley Ho had enjoyed in the enclave since 1962. Suen claimed the goodwill created with Chinese officials through the meetings he helped arrange in Beijing led to the selection of Sands.

The judge overseeing the trial added $31.6 million in interest to the jury award, making the total Sands would have had to pay Suen $101.6 million. Edvard Pettersson, Bloomberg
CHINA A much-shared online post about a city womans horror at the squalor of her boyfriends hometown turned out to be fake, but revealed volumes about Chinas urban-rural divide  a split the countrys leadership has vowed to address.

More on p12

IVORY COAST Assailants opened fire on beachgoers yesterday in Grand-Bassam, a historic resort town near the capital, sending tourists fleeing through hotels. Photos posted to social media apparently taken at the scene showed bodies sprawled on the beach. Officials did not say immediately how many were killed. Security forces responded as the area was evacuated and residents hid in their homes.

BRAZIL Hundreds of thousands of Brazilians gathered yesterday to protest political corruption, a weak economy, and to call for the impeachment of President Dilma Rousseff on a day that could build momentum for efforts to oust her.

VENEZUELA Hundreds of opponents and supporters of President Nicolas Maduro held rival marches in Caracas on Saturday, with anti-government forces demanding Venezuelas leader step down and his sympathizers denouncing U.S. sanctions on some top officials.

PAKISTAN Heavy rain has caused the collapse of a coal mine in the countrys northwest, killing at least eight miners and leaving another four missing and feared dead.

GERMANY Angela Merkels party lost support in three German state elections and the anti-immigration Alternative for Germany surged as voters gave their first verdict on the chancellors open-border refugee policy, according to exit polls.

GAUTEMLA A judge has ordered the countrys former vice-president and her brother to be held in prison while awaiting trial for an alleged fraud that was supposed to clean up one of the countrys main tourist attractions.

SRI LANKAs power chief resigned yesterday following a nation wide power failure, the third to be reported in the country within six months. The power cut which lasted for over 7 hours resulted in a water cut in several parts of the island and a disruption of services operated through electricity such as ATM machines and traffic signals. Local media reports said that the power failure was the longest to be reported in Sri Lanka in 20 years.
Tuesdays Treasure Valley vote was a microcosm of the nationwide Republican landscape: a referendum on Donald Trump.

The businessman-turned-presidential-candidate was the favorite among dozens of voters who spoke to Idaho Statesman reporters Tuesday. He was the most vilified, too.

A lot of bluster and a lot of ego. Thats how Elisha Knudsen sums up Trump.

She intended to vote for Ted Cruz. Knudsen, a self-described conservative Christian from Eagle, agrees with Cruz that peoples rights come from God. She likes Cruzs faith, his straight talk and his belief in limited government: People really can help themselves, she said.

Knudsen cant watch the debates, she said, mostly because of Trump. She doesnt like Trumps comments about women. Hes not a decent human being, she said.

Terry Albers of Canyon County said he originally favored Trump but voted for Cruz Tuesday because he just couldnt take Trumps mouth anymore. He went over the top, Albers said.

CONTINGENCIES AND CALCULATIONS

Bob Arnett, of Middleton, was doing mental gymnastics before heading to the polls.

Theres a lot to like about Trump, he said, but a lot to dislike, too. Arnett initially learned toward Marco Rubio, but said he would probably end up voting for Cruz.

Arnett likes Trumps business success. He knows how to negotiate. But Arnett finds other Trump rhetoric scary, such as targeting families of terrorists. In America, we dont torture families, said his wife, Sybil Arnett.

Sybil Arnett planned to join her husband in voting for Cruz. Trump, she said, is childish. And she likes Cruzs plan get control of federal lands to the states: The people will take good care of it, she said.

Scott Gaudette, who lives in Northwest Boise, said he voted for Marco Rubio because Trump is a little too off the beaten path of where we need to go. If Rubio doesnt wins the Republican nomination, Gaudette said, he might vote for Bernie Sanders. He said Hillary Clinton is untrustworthy and hed never vote for her.

One woman in Eagle said she went to the polls Tuesday just to vote against Trump. She said shed consider voting for a Democrat if Trump is the Republican nominee.

THE RENEGADE

Trump supporters in Eagle, Nampa, Boise, Star and rural Canyon County gave the same reasons voters across the country have list in explaining why they like him. Hes not a politician. He wont be beholden to special interests. America could use a president with his business acumen.

Ken Georges, from Star, said Trump is the antidote to cookie-cutter politicians.

I think if anyone can get in there and tell some guys to get the work done or you are out of here  youre fired, I guess hopefully he can do it.

Georges doesnt agree with everything Trump says.

Hes obviously not that polished a speaker as a politician, he said. Most of those guys have grown up in that political arena, so they know how to speak and what words not to use and thats one of the refreshing things about (Trump).

Trumps wall between the United States and Mexico to keep illegal immigrants out resonates with Georges. It makes no sense to have all the security we have at airports, where we pretty much have to strip down and go through all these inspections, when people can walk across the border willy-nilly.

Mike Slotemaker of Northwest Boise talked about the growing suspicion among Trump supporters that party leaders will try to wrest the nomination away from him even if he gets the most votes. If that happens, Slotemaker said, he might vote for Hillary Clinton. I would go with the devil that we know, he said.

If Trump runs as a third-party candidate, Slotemaker would vote for him.

Lynn Frothinger of Eagle said shed have to see the general election ballot before deciding who to back if Trump isnt Republicans choice.

LOYALTY TO THE GOP

Plenty of voters said theyd back the Republican nominee, no matter who it is.

Dan Martz, a retired welder from Caldwell who voted for Trump, said hes frustrated, not just at the government but with Republicans in Washington.

The Republican Party has failed to stop Obama, Martz said.

Martz doesnt like Rubio or Cruz. But in the end, he dislikes Hillary Clinton more.

Retired smokejumper Bill Werhane, who voted at the Deer Flats Church in rural Canyon County, shared that view of this crony establishment, when they pass rules they dont have to follow them themselves.

His wife Gina, an immigrant, also voted for Trump for the security of the borders.

The Werhanes friends, Gene and Sandy Ray, who retired to southern Canyon County from California, both voted for Rubio.

I would like to see him win Idaho, Sandy Ray said. We will support the Republican nominee to the death. Were worried about the Supreme Court.

Marcy Flansburg of Eagle voted for John Kasich. But even if someone else wins the nomination, she said, shell support the GOP nominee.

LESSER OF TWO EVILS

Re Thompson of Nampa would have preferred to vote for Ben Carson on Tuesday.

But after Carson dropped out, the volunteer with Love in the Name of Christ voted for Texas Sen. Ted Cruz. I didnt want to vote for Donald Trump, she said.

She wasnt alone. George Christensen, a Nampa counselor, described his vote for Cruz as the lesser of two evils.

Hes more of a conservative, Christensen said. Donald Trump hasnt said anything that shows hed even run the country.

Leiann Snyder, who owns a wedding venue in south Nampa, said she wanted to vote for Mitt Romney, even though she didnt vote for him in 2012. His name wasnt on the ballot, so she voted for Cruz.

She does not want Donald Trump. I think our country needs a miracle, Snyder said.

Sharon Travis, a retired South Nampa resident, doesnt like Trump, either.

I dont want a bully in the White House, she said. I wanted someone with more experience, some diplomacy.

She voted for Cruz.
Blaine Schools Present Internet Safety Talk Today

HAILEY  Blaine County School District technology department is offering a presentation on Internet safety at 6 p.m. Thursday, 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.

Masonic Lodge to Hold Chili Dinner

TWIN FALLS  The Twin Falls Masonic Lodge No. 45 will hold its annual chili feed on Saturday, at the Historic Ballroom, 205 Shoshone St. N.

Doors open at 5 p.m. for the Masonic Chili Bowl event, featuring a chili competition between Past Master L.C. Craig, Shane Cook of Twin Falls Sandwich Co. and Lodge Master Jeremy Vaughn.

In addition to the chili cook-off, a buffet-style dinner will include chili, baked potatoes, hot dogs and more. There will be live and silent auctions.

Admission is by donation at the door. Proceeds go to support the lodges charitable endeavors in the Magic Valley.
TWIN FALLS | The man in the yellow hooded sweat shirt appeared calm as he walked into the Walgreens on Blue Lakes Boulevard, strode past two shoppers and, without stopping, pulled a yellow surgical mask over his mouth and nose.

It was 7:25 p.m. on a Monday, Sept. 29, 2014, and he walked directly to the pharmacy counter where technician Jenny Whitmore was helping Frankie Fiscus, there with his wife, son and grandson to inquire about a flu shot.

The man in the baseball hat, sunglasses and yellow hoodie ignored the Fiscus family and handed Whitmore a note demanding OxyContin, oxymorphone and hydromorphone.

If he didnt get it in 30 seconds, the note said, he would hurt everyone.

Whitmore passed the note to pharmacist Rick Johns. Less than two minutes after entering the store, the man in the yellow hoodie walked out with a bag containing his demand note, 10 10-mg OxyContin pills and 500 4-mg hydromorphone pills. He left the way he came in and didnt touch anything in the store.

In 2014, a new kind of addiction-driven crime hit Twin Falls  a development that surprised police, alarmed the community and frightened pharmacists. And the Sept. 29 robbery was the peak of the wave. A trio of prescription painkiller addicts knew their plan and how to execute it without leaving clues or getting caught. They'd done it before. Get in, get the drugs, get out.

This robbery was so quick and efficient that Fiscus and his family had no idea what happened until it was over.

Fiscus and his son later told police they remembered a man in a yellow sweat shirt but never saw his face. Deborah Morris and Caroline Parcels  working near Walgreens front register that night  didnt know the pharmacy was robbed until police arrived on scene.

Officer Clint Doerr, a 16-year veteran of the Twin Falls Police Department, had just finished an interview at the county jail when he heard about the robbery on his radio.

By coincidence, Doerr had just spoken to an inmate who requested leniency on his own charges in exchange for information about recent, and possibly imminent, pharmacy robberies.

The inmate gave Doerr a name: Bradley Cole Holcomb.

The inmate told Doerr that Holcomb  arrested in June for robbing the Walgreens pharmacy on Blue Lakes  had spent his time in jail reading police reports to learn from his mistakes and trying to recruit others to help.

It wasnt more than a few minutes after I get done interviewing him that we get the robbery call at Walgreens, Doerr recalled last month. My first thought was Bradley Holcomb, hes a prime suspect.

So that evening Doerr checked in on Holcomb at the house where he lived with his mother, Donna McMillan, on Washington Street North. When Doerr arrived, McMillan called her son, who said he was walking home from church.

A few minutes later Holcomb called his mom and told her he was at the end of the street. McMillan and Doerr went outside. Sure enough, they saw Holcomb approaching the house.

As hes getting closer, all the sudden I get a call of an attempted robbery taking place at Kmart, Doerr said. We have another robbery going on right now at Kmart at the same time Im watching Bradley.

The June Walgreens robbery and the one just committed by the man in the yellow hoodie were too similar, Doerr thought. Holcomb even fit the physical description of the robber in the yellow hoodie: dark complexion, between 5 feet 6 inches and 6 feet tall.

But the Kmart robbery threw Doerr for a loop.

If Holcomb hadnt robbed Kmart  and he clearly hadnt, because Doerr was looking at him as the call came in  he probably hadnt robbed Walgreens that evening either.

So Bradley was on my radar, Doerr said. But now either theres more people involved, or something else is going on.

In the months that followed, police and prosecutors would describe the rapid-fire crimes as expertly planned and deliberately executed. The robbers would call them spontaneous acts of desperation to feed their addictions.

Year of the Pharmacy Robbery

Magic Valley endured at least 11 pharmacy robberies or attempted robberies in 2014.

On March 10, a 38-year-old man and his 17-year-old son went into Kmart and made off with drugs and cash before they were arrested four months later. On March 23, a man passed a note to Shopko pharmacy employees saying he would shoot unless they gave him several prescription painkillers. On April 21, two men tried to rob the Ridley's Market in Kimberly; they demanded cash and drugs but suddenly fled without either.

Then between June 25 and Nov. 30, six Twin Falls pharmacies were robbed, pharmacists and customers thwarted a seventh attempt, and a Burley Walgreens was hit.

I worked here for 18 years and never even heard about a pharmacy robbery until 2014, said Staff Sgt. Chuck Garner, who has overseen Twin Falls' police detectives since October 2014. For our area it was kind of a new thing.

Local pharmacists had heard of robberies elsewhere in the country. For more than 20 years, they had a calling tree in place to alert the others if one were robbed. But the victim gets no warning call. And for pharmacy employees in 2014, a calling tree offered little assurance against a robber threatening violence.

There were a lot of very tentative thoughts and ideas about going to work, about what would happen, said Troy Jackman, president of the Magic Valley Pharmacists Association.

By the end of the year, four people were arrested and charged with committing seven of the final eight robberies.

Holcomb and Brody McEwen Trout pleaded guilty to committing several each, while Angelic Monique Escobedo admitted to being their accomplice. Holcombs brother, Chandler Lee Palmer, also confessed to one of the robberies.

None had violent histories. But all four were desperate.

Opioid Addiction

To understand 2014s sudden surge in pharmacy robberies, its vital to understand opioid addiction.

Opioids account for the greatest proportion of the prescription drug abuse problem and act on the same brain systems affected by heroin and morphine, the director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse reported in a May 2014 address to the Senate Caucus on International Narcotics Control.

Several factors are likely to have contributed to the severity of the current prescription drug abuse problem, Dr. Nora D. Volkow told the Senate caucus. They include drastic increases in the number of prescriptions written and dispensed, greater social acceptability for using medications for different purposes and aggressive marketing by pharmaceutical companies.

And nowhere has been hit as hard by opioid addiction as the U.S.

The number of prescriptions for opioids like hydrocodone and oxycodone have escalated from around 76 million in 1991 to nearly 207 million in 2013, Volkow said. The U.S. is their biggest consumer globally, accounting for almost 100 percent of the world total for hydrocodone products, like Vicodin, and 81 percent for oxycodone products, like Percocet.

With the massive increase in prescriptions for painkillers came a massive increase in their abuse.

By 2002, death certificates listed opioid poisoning as a cause of death more commonly than heroin or cocaine, Volkow told the senators.

Even those who are prescribed the painkillers can become addicted, but the most likely route to addiction is through use not medically prescribed. In 2012, more than 5 percent of the U.S. population 12 and older used opioid pain relievers nonmedically.

They are most dangerous and addictive when taken via methods that increase their euphoric effects, Volkow said, such as crushing pills and then snorting or injecting the powder, or combining the pills with alcohol or other drugs.

Holcomb and his older brother injected. A faster high.

'I Wasnt a Delinquent'

Palmer, now 23, is just 15 months older than Holcomb, 22.

Me and Chandler were pretty in sync, Holcomb said last month, calling from a Boise prison during the one hour each day that he's allowed out of his cell to shower and send emails. We grew up really close to each other. Everywhere he went, I went. We went together.

In their early teens, the brothers moved from Kimberly to Twin Falls. They attended Canyon Ridge High School, and doing drugs seemed like a normal thing most of their classmates were also trying.

I wasnt a delinquent, I wasnt going out being crazy, Holcomb said of his teen years, though he said he stole a car when he was 14.

I started drinking in eighth grade and started smoking pot when I was, like, 14, Palmer said by phone last month, incarcerated in the same Boise prison but with more visitation, calling and activity privileges than his brother. First time I smoked pot was with this old guy. And something he said always stuck in my mind. He said, If I get caught, what are they going to do, ground me?

The 14-year-old adopted the same devil-may-care attitude. Soon he was dabbling with much harder drugs.

When I was 16 I tried oxy, heroin, mushrooms, Molly and acid.

The drug abuse worsened when Palmer began dealing. He started out selling weed but was soon dealing cocaine and more powerful narcotics.

One day, a friend suggested he try oxycodone, a potent painkiller.

The first time I shot up OxyContin, it was awesome, Palmer said. It turns a light switch on, it makes you feel alive. You could have all the problems in the world, but then you get high and everythings all right. Its not that you dont care, but everything just feels perfect.

That sense of well-being and pleasure, Volkow told the senators, is produced because opioid medications affect brain regions involved in reward.

Soon though, Palmer couldnt function without prescriptions painkillers.

It controls your life. You get high in the morning and have to hide it from everybody  you cant focus on anything except trying to set something up where you can get high later. In the back of your mind youre just thinking, You better get this or its going to be bad later. You get the heebie-jeebies. Life revolves around it.

Palmer needed more and more to achieve the high.

If you do it every day," he said, "its not that intense anymore.

For those who abuse opioids, tolerance creates a vicious cycle.

With opiates, you cant function without them, Palmer said. But if you dont do it, youre strung out, and thats the worst feeling you can imagine. Theres not a more desperate feeling in the world.

Holcomb told a story of addiction and withdrawal much like his older brother's.

I think it was exactly the stereotype addiction, Holcomb said. It was so bad where if I couldnt get them, it was like, How was I able to be happy without being high? I couldnt achieve happiness.

Recovery and Relapse

Holcomb and Palmer tried to recover from their opioid addictions in their late teens and early 20s, getting clean for months at a time. But the drugs always pulled them back.

While he was still a juvenile, Holcomb was sent to a yearlong recovery program in Boise. When he got out, he stayed in Boise and was joined by his girlfriend, Jennifer Skinner.

That program was good, helped me deal with a lot of issues, with family issues, Holcomb said. It set me on a good path for my adult life. I felt like things were squared away and taken care of.

Holcomb and Skinner were happy, and being in Boise kept Holcomb far away from the people and places that influenced his decisions in the Magic Valley.

I had a job, made good money, had a car and house, Holcomb said. It was just me and her in the Treasure Valley. I was working at the Winco distribution center. I could have set us up really well.

But when Skinner got pregnant, Holcomb got scared. He felt anxious and inadequate. Could he be a good father? Could he provide for Skinner and the baby? Could he do it in the Treasure Valley without either of their families for support?

Jen didnt want to come back to Twin, Holcomb said. She didnt want to come back. She foresaw something like this.

Despite Skinners protest, the expectant parents moved back in August 2013.

Meanwhile, Palmers addiction was spiraling out of control. On New Years Day 2014, he stole a wedding ring, TV and laptop from his mom. Weeks later, McMillan took Palmer to the police department and told officers she wanted to press charges against her son.

Palmer admitted to stealing from McMillan but told police he couldnt give the items back  he had already pawned them for drug money.

He pleaded guilty to a felony count of grand theft and was sentenced to two to four years in prison, but his sentence was suspended and he was sent instead to a rider, the therapeutic and educational program overseen by the Idaho Department of Correction.

The program was helping Palmer get clean even as his younger brother fell victim to the temptations Skinner had foreseen.

Once we moved back to Twin I started using again, Holcomb said. I knew I was vulnerable. At first I just took a few pills here and there, but once I started shooting up, it was over.

He was doing so good in Boise, Skinner said on a recent Saturday, watching her daughter climb on Arctic Circle's indoor playground. But Twins a black hole for him.

The couple separated, but Holcomb still showed up for every one of Skinners pregnancy checkups. They reconciled just before their daughters birth and went to Boise for a week before the baby was due. There, they made plans to return to live in the city that had held such promise.

March 21, 2014, three days after returning from Boise, Skinner gave birth to Zahkya Juanita Sarai Palmer. She moved back in with Holcomb and his mother in the house on Washington Street North. But Skinner suspected Holcomb was using again. When she confronted him, he admitted he was.

I moved out because I didnt want my daughter around that, Skinner said. That was in June.

When she left," Holcomb said, "it just turned me and my attitude into, Theyre better off without me.

He was using every day and growing more desperate. He got a job through a temp agency, but without drugs, he couldnt go to work. And he had no money for drugs.

I hadnt gone to work for, like, three days because I was so sick," Holcomb said. "Withdrawals off opiates  man, anything is better than going through that.

Robbing a drug dealer seemed to Holcomb like a good way to get shot dead.

Thats when Holcomb remembered reading about the two March pharmacy robberies, and an idea sprouted.

I saw it going one of two ways, Holcomb said. Either I get away with it and Im able to get better, because I seriously thought I was going to die (from withdrawals). Or I go to jail and get help. I was at my rock bottom.

First Robbery: Walgreens on Blue Lakes

The temperature was 70 degrees and rising at 9:13 a.m. June 25 when Holcomb walked into Walgreens with the hood of his gray and black sweat shirt over his head. He also wore long, dark pants, a dark baseball hat and black sunglasses.

He walked to the pharmacy and handed pharmacist technician Rachele West a note. Though he claims he isnt violent and wouldnt have hurt anyone, the note he used was threatening:

Robbery

Oxycotin

Oxymorphome

hydromorphome

ALL now! or this

syringe full of

Hep C blood will be

inside you

West handed the note to pharmacist Naomi Knight, who filled a paper bag with drugs. Knight couldnt find any oxymorphone pills but still gave Holcomb a massive haul: 1,734 oxycodone and hydromorphone pills worth almost $8,700. Their street value for illegal use: $48,000.

Officer Dan Heil was first to arrive and pulled his gun as he entered the store, but he soon holstered his weapon when employees told him the robber had been gone for about a minute.

A witness told police a man ran across Blue Lakes and got into a silver four-door car parked behind Absolutely Flowers. An employee at the McDonald's across the street confirmed it was a silver four-door Cadillac, possibly a DeVille, and said it sped west on Heyburn Avenue.

Back at Walgreens, officers began interviewing witnesses and victims. The two pharmacist employees believed the note had a threat that they would be shot if they didnt comply. Knight told officers she felt the robber would follow through with his threat to harm her because she could see a bulge in the hooded sweat shirt he was wearing, an officer wrote.

Tears still well in Skinners eyes when she thinks about that day.

My mom actually called me and said, You know, theres been a robbery, and it was a Cadillac, said Skinner, a soft-spoken young woman with a tattoo of Holcomb's name on her stomach. So I called Bradley, and he was just like, No, Im just here hanging out. And I said, You didnt happen to rob a pharmacy, did you? Because the news says its a male in his 20s with a Cadillac, and that kind of had me worried.

Holcomb still denied it, but he was short with Skinner on the phone.

At 4:45 p.m., Detective Rick VanVooren received a call from a man who said he lived on Quincy Street and had a roommate named Bradley Holcomb who was acting suspiciously.

At the time, police knew Holcomb from his teen run-ins with the law, but his name didnt jump out to anyone as a robbery suspect.

The roommate told VanVooren that Holcomb hadnt gone to work that morning like he was supposed to. Strangest of all, when he came home about 9:20 a.m., he backed his Cadillac into the backyard instead of pulling straight in like normal. Then he got out and covered the back of the car with a blanket.

A short time after Holcomb got home, the roommate learned about the Walgreens robbery. He was worried because he knew Holcomb was a prescription pill user and was concerned for his safety.

VanVooren asked the roommate to come into the police station so they could talk more, and at the station the man showed the detective text messages from Holcomb about stripping the car to make it look like an old project car. VanVooren asked for and received the roommate's permission to search the home on Quincy Street.

Officers entered the house using a key theyd been given. Once inside, they announced themselves, and Holcomb came out of the bathroom with his hands up. Inside the bathroom, officers found a drug kit that included a spoon, hypodermic needles and syringes.

Holcomb agreed to speak with VanVooren but after several tough questions told the detective hed like to speak with a lawyer.

With a warrant signed by a judge, police returned to the house and found in the attic a bag of pills matching the description of the drugs stolen earlier that day. In Holcombs bedroom, they found black sunglasses and a Chicago Bulls hat that matched the robbers description.

Inside the Cadillac out back, VanVooren found a pad of notepaper. The top sheet was ripped off and matched the size of the note the pharmacy employees described.

A week later, inside a darkened room and using a flashlight to illuminate the next page, VanVooren and a local evidence technician would be able to read part of the imprint. And in late July, a forensic scientist in Washington would use an electrostatic detection apparatus to decipher the rest of the impressions on the pages below.

Holcomb was arrested and charged with four felony counts and a misdemeanor.

Holcombs attorney, Lynn Dunlap, told Judge Thomas Kershaw his client was employed and had a newborn daughter and other family in the area. For that reason, bond shouldnt be set too high.

But Kershaw, citing the seriousness of the charges and Holcombs criminal record as a juvenile, set bond at $500,000.

County Lockup

On Aug. 28, after Holcomb had spent two months in county jail, his attorney successfully argued the bond should be reduced. The next day, Holcomb posted bond and agreed to follow the courts compliance program.

The inmate who spoke to Doerr alleges it was during those two months in the county jail that Holcomb was learning from his mistakes, recruiting help and plotting more robberies.

Thats an asinine statement, Holcomb said in his phone call from prison. It was never a goal of mine to rob more pharmacies. I stopped using in jail and was sober for two months.

Though Holcomb didnt have access to drugs in the jail, he didnt feel like he was healing from his addiction, either. Because he was booked on a violent crime, he wasnt able to enroll in the jails drug and alcohol classes.

When he bonded out in late August, things looked even bleaker than before.

When I got out, I encountered a lot of stress, Holcomb said. My mom had hired this attorney that we had to pay. All my money was going to my mom to help pay for the attorney or to pay for court compliance. And I couldnt get a job because my face was all over the newspaper.

Holcomb knew just where to turn to make his problems go away.

I knew of a very negative way, but a very efficient way, to deal with the stress, Holcomb said.

Around late August or early September, Holcomb started hanging out with Angelic Monique Escobedo, an old friend from high school. Around the same time, Escobedo started dating Brody McEwen Trout.

Escobedo's court records paint a picture of an abusive upbringing with much of her teen years spent in juvenile detention. In 2008 she twice attempted suicide by taking a bunch of pills, she told a mental health evaluator.

During a court-ordered examination in 2015, Escobedo told a social worker she had been previously diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder, bipolar disorder, general anxiety disorder, insomnia and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. The social worker also diagnosed her with panic attacks and paranoia episodes. Escobedo admitted to using alcohol, methamphetamine, bath salts, marijuana, Molly and opiates.

Court records also document Trout's history of drug use. He was charged with drug possession for the first time as an adult in 2009. He pleaded guilty and was sentenced to six months in a rider. In 2010, Trout was charged with misdemeanor drug possession and in 2011 sentenced to 90 days in county jail.

These two people would help Holcomb implement his "way to deal with the stress."

Second robbery: Walgreens on Washington Street

On Sept. 17, Holcomb and Escobedo went into Washington Street's Walgreens, walked straight toward the pharmacy, then turned away suddenly, walking back toward the entrance, where they both grabbed drinks from a cooler near the check stands.

At 8:09 p.m., Trout walked in wearing a white hoodie with dollar bill graphics, a white baseball hat, white basketball shorts, black socks and white shoes. He also had on sunglasses and possibly a pair of dark gloves.

When Trout entered, Holcomb motioned to alert Escobedo and they left the store.

Trout approached pharmacist Jeremy Hunter but walked away when he saw the pharmacist on the phone. Once Hunter hung up, Trout returned to the counter and handed him a note demanding hydromorphone, oxycodone and oxymorphone.

If the pharmacist didnt give him what he wanted, the note threatened, the robber would kill him.

Hunter dumped several bottles of pills into a plastic Walgreens grocery sack and gave the bag to Trout, who turned to leave. Before he walked more than a few steps, he stopped.

Wheres the note? Trout asked Hunter.

Its in the bag, Hunter told him.

Sorry for ruining your evening, Trout told Hunter. But youll receive good karma for this.

Trout left the store with more than $1,000 worth of hydromorphone and oxycodone and ran across Washington Street into the Los Lagos neighborhood.

Officers dispatched to the robbery at 8:14 p.m. set up a perimeter and questioned neighbors. At least two people told officers they saw someone get into a white car that sped away, but nobody saw anything clearly.

For almost two months, the robbery went unsolved.

Third robbery: Walgreens on Blue Lakes

Less than two weeks after the Sept. 17 robbery, Trout on Sept. 29 pulled his light-colored four-door sedan into the parking lot of Twin Falls other Walgreens, the one on Blue Lakes Boulevard that Holcomb robbed of nearly $9,000 worth of pills back in June.

Trout got out of his car at 7:06 p.m. and walked around near the store's front doors for several minutes, at one point pulling out a cellphone from his pocket and looking at it intensely. Then he got into the drivers seat of his car, waited a few more minutes, backed out of his parking spot and drove away.

It was only then, after Trout scouted the store, that the man in the yellow hoodie walked up the south side of Walgreens, walked confidently through the door and made off with 510 painkillers without anyone but the pharmacist and the pharmacist technician knowing what happened.

Prosecutors and police are convinced the man in the yellow hoodie was Holcomb, but as part of a plea deal, charges against him for this robbery were dismissed.

Because Holcomb is appealing his conviction in other robberies, he still denied his involvement in this one, although his voice got quieter and lower when he did so. Every phone conversation a prisoner has is recorded, so by denying his involvement he avoided incriminating himself.

For whomever robbed Walgreens that night  Trout and Escobedo both said it was Holcomb  the night was done. Holcomb was soon walking down the street and chatting casually with Officer Doerr at his mothers house.

But for Trout and Escobedo, there was more to do.

Fourth robbery: Kmart

Less than an hour later, Trout walked into Kmart wearing a gray and black hoodie, black shorts, black leggings and white shoes.

He walked to the pharmacy with his hands in his pockets and looked casual as he waited for pharmacist John Baker. While he waited, a Kmart employee asked if she could help him, but Trout told her he was just waiting to pick up something from the pharmacy. She later told police she believed the robber spoke with a Russian accent.

By the time Trout finally got Bakers attention, Trout was wearing a yellow surgical mask. He pulled a note from his right jacket pocket and handed it to Baker, who knew without Trout saying a word that it was a robbery.

Baker later told police he was extremely nervous, but despite his unease he opened a drawer to begin collecting pills and pushed the transmit button on a walkie-talkie to get the attention of a loss-prevention employee.

Trout walked along the pharmacy counter and away from another customer who arrived. He walked casually, taking his hands out of his pockets only to grab the bag of pills when Baker handed it over. He left no fingerprints.

Once again, Trout made off with a large haul: 200 hydromorphone pills, 400 oxycodone and 11 OxyContin.

A witness parked at Lighthouse Christian Academy just south of Kmart told police he saw a man running and getting into the passenger side of a black sedan with white trim. Trout later told police he fled in a green Jeep with Escobedo at the wheel.

Back at Kmart, officers interviewing witnesses got a strange tip from Kmart employee Angela Hills.

A woman had approached Hills shortly after the robbery and asked if the pharmacy was just robbed.

I think I know who it might be, the woman told Hills. It might be my boyfriends brother.

The woman refused to answer any more questions, but Hills was able to identify her because she was there paying off layaway items. Her name, Hills told Officer Morgan Waite, was Natasha Hoskins.

Waite went to Hoskins residence that night to question her. Hoskins told Waite that her boyfriends half-brother, whom she knew only as Brad, was previously arrested for robbing a pharmacy. She wondered if he might be the person who robbed Kmart.

That is my oldest brothers girlfriend, Holcomb said in his prison phone call last month. He and that older half-brother were never close because the half-brother lived with their dad while Holcomb lived with his mom.

It was weird that she implicated me, like she was guiding the police or something, Holcomb said. Its just weird. Very odd. I dont really know her.

But if it was weird to Holcomb, it wasnt weird to Waite, who started learning what he could about someone named Brad previously arrested for robbing a pharmacy. Thats when, for the second time that day, Bradley Cole Holcomb became a prime suspect in an officers mind.

But Waite soon learned what Doerr already knew: Holcomb couldnt have robbed Kmart, because he speaking with Doerr at the time.

Three pharmacies had been robbed within 12 days, and the prime suspect  the man named by two separate people  had a perfect alibi for at least one of the robberies. If investigators werent at square one, they were close to it.

Detectives Meet, Pharmacist Packs Heat

Detectives huddled on Sept. 30, the day after the successful double robberies. There had been pharmacy robberies earlier in the year, but never two in one day.

The police were serious before, but now the pressure was really on.

We all shared our information, VanVooren said. Names, information we had regarding those cases, and we started developing it from there.

At least one pharmacist and his employees, meanwhile, took matters into their own hands. Kent Jensen, owner of KJs Pharmacy, started carrying a gun during his shifts.

Its a good ol Second Amendment thing, Jensen told the Times-News that Oct. 1.

Jensens employees were trained to give robbers whatever they demand and not escalate the situation. Guns "are to deter and only if we felt that we were in danger of our lives or customers' lives, Jensen said. Then we have the option.

Pharmacist David Nelson, owner of Sav-Mor Drugs, didnt go so far as carrying a gun but did step up security with a metal gate, a burglar alarm and a 24-hour surveillance system.

I think our main defensive mechanism these days is to stay as vigilant as we can, Nelson told the Times-News that October.

But the robberies were weighing on him and other pharmacists.

The subject is on our minds, he said. Every night when I close, I think about it.

Copycat Robbery: Sav-Mor Drugs

Nelson was still being vigilant more than three weeks later when Billy Bodenhofer walked into Sav-Mor Drugs on a Saturday afternoon.

Tall and slender, dressed in a blue Old Navy sweat shirt and olive pants, Bodenhofer looked nervous and fumbled with something in his hands as he walked into the pharmacy about 2:40 p.m. Oct. 25. Nelson noticed his nerves and kept as close an eye on him as he could.

Bodenhofer spoke with pharmacist technician Ryan Quale, a student from Idaho State University, asking him if the Coke machine worked. He changed a dollar, bought a Coke from the machine and then asked Quale for the pharmacist. When Nelson approached, Bodenhofer pulled down a mask and asked for 100 morphone sulfate pills in one bottle. At some point, he pulled out a gun.

About this same time, Nelsons wife arrived at the pharmacy with a plate of Rice Krispies treats for Quale, the student pharmacist. Bodenhofer motioned for her to stand by Nelson and Quale, then made the two men unplug the phone.

Bodenhofer told the pharmacist he was stealing the drugs for a friend who was sick. He also told the Nelsons and Quale that if they did what he said, he wouldnt hurt them. He forced all three into a bathroom, apologizing at least three times.

Count to 50, come out, and Ill be gone, Bodenhofer told them.

Police investigating the robbery later learned that both Kurts Pharmacy and Kmart pharmacy employees called police about a suspicious man in their stores earlier that day, and the description matched the Sav-Mor robber.

Using a vehicle description from the suspicious incident at Kurts Pharmacy, detectives tracked down a man who said he bought a van for Billy and Melanie Bodenhofer. Three days after the robbery, Billy was arrested.

I personally had two takes on it, VanVooren said. Either the guy  or the people  have now upped their ante to now theyre being more aggressive, more violent, displaying the handgun. Or, we have somebody completely different that sees a different way of doing it.

Fifth Robbery Attempt: Shopko

Bodenhofers robbery of Sav-Mor was so unlike the previous robberies that police were all but certain the other robber or robbers were still out there. That was confirmed Nov. 6.

About 1:30 p.m. that day, Trout walked into Shopko wearing large sunglasses, a baseball hat and a dark-colored hoodie with the hood pulled over the hat.

Trout approached pharmacist technician Helen Tristan and handed her a note in green ink that said Robbery at the top and give the note back at the bottom. In between was a list of drugs he wanted.

Hurry, Trout told Tristan.

She handed the note to pharmacist Diane Howell, then secretly dialed 911 and left an open line. A 911 operator verified the call came from Shopko but could hear only someone speaking in the background, and only indistinctly.

While Howell collected the pills, Tristan pretended to help another customer, Lacy Garrison.

When I walked in, I didnt see him, Garrison said in a recent interview. He was just standing there nonchalantly. I didnt notice him, he wasnt making a scene.

Instead of helping Garrison, Tristan handed her a note that said call the police.

I asked her, 'Why?' Garrison recalled. And she whispered, Were being robbed.

Garrison pulled out her cellphone and dialed 911.

He was at the drop-off counter; I was at the pick-up counter, Garrison said. I walked further away while I was making the call, and he turned around and saw me. When he realized what I was doing, he fled.

Trout left the note and fled without any pills. Tristan followed him outside, where a woman in the parking lot pointed to a green SUV heading toward the Perrine Bridge. The woman later told police she saw three people in the SUV, including a woman in the front passenger seat who opened a back door for Trout.

Holcomb, Trout and Escobedo were now desperate. They were strung out, and Shopko was a bust. According to Escobedo and Trout, Holcomb suggested they rob a Walgreens.

Trout and Holcomb exchanged clothes, and 20 minutes later they pulled up to Walgreens on Washington Street and Pole Line Road.

Sixth robbery: Walgreens on Washington

Holcomb walked into Walgreens dressed in the same hoodie Trout had just worn at Shopko and walked straight to the pharmacy counter, where he handed pharmacist Michael Watson a note.

Just like the Sept. 29 robbery by the man in the yellow hoodie at the Walgreens across town, this robbery was quick and efficient and paid off handsomely. Holcomb walked out of the store with 718 methadone pills, telling employees to stay quiet until he left.

As media outlets broke the news of the latest robberies, the pharmacy calling tree shared the robber descriptions.

Within 20 minutes of the second crime, Officer David Weigt spotted a green Jeep Cherokee near Blue Lakes Boulevard and North College Road and pulled in behind it. The Jeep started driving erratically as Weigt began tailing it. The driver made a sudden turn, seeming to escape. When Weight caught up, the Jeep switched lanes, made another sudden turn and accelerated. By the time Weigt made the same turn in pursuit, the Jeep was driving almost 40 mph in a 25 mph zone.

This was his chance. Weigt activated his emergency lights and stopped the Jeep in front of a house on Monroe Street.

But as Weigt cautiously approached the Jeep, Holcomb, Trout and Escobedo were across town, at Escobedos house on Sunburst Street, dividing the pills Holcomb had just stolen from Walgreens. The pills divvied up, Holcomb left to dispose of the pill bottles and the clothing theyd worn during the robberies.

The driver of the Jeep, it turned out, was simply in a hurry to get home.

At the police station, detectives VanVooren, Jonathan Wilson and Ben Mittelstadt concluded that afternoon's pharmacy crimes were clearly related. But they still had no suspects.

For some officers at the station, this would turn into the longest shift of their lives.

To learn how investigators cracked these cases and how the string of robberies changed Twin Falls, come back to the Times-News and Magicvalley.com on March 20 for the conclusion of this two-part project.
About Me Mohd. Kamal bin Abdullah I am Mohd. Kamal bin Abdullah, who resides in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah. I hold a post-graduate law degree from the United Kingdom. I blog to tell MALAYSIANS THE TRUTH. View my complete profile

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Baghdad and Riyadh could be entangled in a politico-diplomatic row after Iraqs Foreign Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari hailed locally-based Shia militia groups and Lebanese Hezbollah organization.

The Iraqi ministers statement led to a march out protest by the Saudi delegation at the Arab League. Sources said the Saudi delegation was not pleased with Iraq defending groups classified as terrorist organizations.

A member of the Iraqi delegation said, under the condition of anonymity, that the minister rejected speaking against the group and other resistance groups but instead praised them for their efforts saying that Hashd Shaabi and Hezbollah have preserved the dignity of the Arabs and those who call them terrorists are the terrorists.

Hashd Shaabi also known as the Popular Mobilization Force is a Shia militia group fighting against the Islamic State.

The Arab League declared Hezbollah as a terrorist group on Friday following a similar move by the Gulf Cooperation Council earlier this month.

Al-Jaafari said in his address that Hezbollahs Secretary General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah is an Arab hero, a statement believed to have been directed at the countries that supported the declaration listing his organization as terrorist.

Saudi Arabia has not made any statement since its delegation withdrew from the Arab League meeting, but tensions between the two countries are expected to rise.

In January, Iraq summoned the Saudi ambassador after he suggested Iranian-backed Shia militias were exacerbating sectarian tensions in Iraq.

The Arab League Ministerial Council also released a statement voicing support to any actions taken by Doha to free its kidnapped citizens in Iraq saying that it was a terrorist attack. The Qatari citizens, amongst them a member of the royal family, were on a hunting expedition when they were attacked by unidentified armed men in their camp.
Your digital subscription includes access to content from all our websites in your region. Access unlimited news content and The Canberra Times app. Premium subscribers also enjoy interactive puzzles and access to the digital version of our print edition - Today's Paper.
From Miami Herald opinion columnist Carl Hiaasen:

Once again Florida has been handed a star role in Americas presidential contest, an unsettling turn of events if you care about the future of the republic.

Here in the Sunshine State, were still struggling to recover from the humiliating Bush-Gore fiasco of 2000. Now a nervous establishment is beseeching Florida Republicans to rise up and smite Donald J. Trump in the March 15 primary.

To which we say: Dont lay this whole thing on us! Are you nuts?

We are the state that elected Rick Scott as governor, for Gods sake, knowing that a hospital company he ran had been socked with the biggest fine for Medicare fraud in the history of Medicare.

The man took the Fifth Amendment 75 times in one civil deposition, but did we give a rats ass? Nah. We elected him anyway.

And now youre asking us to derail the Donald just because hes vile, dishonest, inconsistent, staggeringly ignorant about foreign policy and dangerously unprepared to be commander-in-chief.

To which we say: Is that all you got?

The anti-Trump forces within the GOP are well aware that the bar of bad behavior is unusually high in Florida. Numbed by generations of public corruption and deceit, voters here arent easily mortified.

Yet initially polls indicated that the recent torrent of negative ads might have cut into Trumps lead. Commercials featuring ordinary folks who got fleeced by Trump University seemed to have touched a nerve even with scandal-jaded Floridians.

Local favorite Marco Rubio had pulled within single digits of Trump, promising a tide-turning showdown on Super Tuesday. Establishment Republicans passed the word that Florida could be the beginning of the end for the Trump juggernaut!

Dream on.

More here.
Of the Republican presidential candidates in this years divisive  and sometimes zany marathon to November, there is one candidate who Rep. Mia Love , R-Utah, most identifies with: Florida Republican Sen. Marco Rubio .

Love is the first black female Republican and first Haitian American elected to the U.S. House of Representatives. She was on first official visit to South Florida as a congresswoman over the weekend pitch hitting for Rubio.

"I want you guys yelling 'Ayisyen pou Rubio,'" Love told the group of Haitian professionals gathered by the Haitian-American Chamber of Commerce Saturday, which hosted a breakfast in her honor at Moca Cafe in North Miami.

That might be a tall order some in the crowd conceded. Haitian community and immigration activists in South Florida have had a tough time seeing eye-to-eye with Rubios immigration stance, describing it as flip flop.

Love asked them to think more broadly and beyond.

"The difference between Marco and anybody else is that his policies are unifying people," she later told the Miami Herald in an interview, referring to the clashes that morning at rally for GOP presidential candidate Donald Trump in Chicago that had to be aborted. "They are not causing the kind of havoc that you see that's going on where people are turning against each other.

"We need leaders who are not going to feed on the angst, the anger for their own political gain," she added. "This is about stepping outside of yourself for crying out loud and doing something for somebody else."
From the Associated Press:

WASHINGTON -- Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida narrowly won the District of Columbia's Republican convention on Saturday, seizing his third primary-season victory as a critical contest looms in his home state.

The small band of establishment-friendly Republican voters in the nation's capital also offered a rebuke to GOP front-runner Donald Trump, who failed to win a single delegate. Rubio got 37 percent of the vote and won 10 delegates, and the runner-up, Ohio Gov. John Kasich, won nine delegates with 36 percent of the vote.

Trump was third and Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas was fourth, but neither met the minimum threshold to earn delegates.

Earlier this month, Rubio won the GOP caucuses in Minnesota and the party's primary in Puerto Rico, but he's still a distant third in the overall delegate count behind Trump and Cruz.

More here.
@PatriciaMazzei

Bad news for Marco Rubio two days before Florida's primary election: He's way behind Donald Trump in home state -- and now Ted Cruz is essentially tied with the Florida senator for second place.

Trump leads with 43 percent, followed by Rubio with 22 percent and Cruz with 21 percent, according to an NBC News/Wall Street Journal/Marist University poll released Sunday. John Kasich rounds out the field with 9 percent.

The survey of 511 likely GOP voters, conducted March 4-10, has an error margin of 4.3 percentage point.

It's the third poll in a day to find Rubio about 20 points behind Trump and in a statistical tie with Cruz, though each survey was conducted using a different methodology. We won't know until Tuesday's results are in which of those methods, if any -- or another that screens respondents based on their past voter history -- will prove to be most accurate.

A CBS/YouGov Internet poll also released Sunday had Trump at 44 percent, Cruz at 24 percent, Rubio at 21 percent and Kasich at 9 percent (error margin: 4.8 points). A Florida Atlantic University robo-poll released Saturday had Trump at 44 percent, Rubio and Cruz at 21 percent and Kasich at 9 percent (error margin: 3.3 points).

"Let me just tell you, on Wednesday morning, some pollsters somewhere are going to ahve to explain why they're so wrong -- not just about Florida, but multiple places," Rubio told ABC News' This Week Sunday morning.

In the Democratic race, the NBC/WSJ/Marist poll showed Hillary Clinton trouncing Bernie Sanders 61-34 percent, with an error margin of 4.4 percentage points.

This post has been updated.
via @adamsmithtimes

From the Wall Street Jourrnal:

"I dont think I could," said Florida Lt. Gov. and U.S. Senate candidate Carlos Lopez-Cantera, when asked if he could support Donald Trump as the Republican presidential nominee.

This is getting awkward. Ron DeSantis refuses to comment on Trump, although one of his benefactors, the Club for Growth, has threatened to withhold support from anyone backing Trump.

David Jolly has twisted himself into a pretzel - first denouncing Trump and calling on him to drop out, then suggesting he might support him over Marco Rubio in the Florida primary, and finally deciding to stay neutral.

Carlos Beruff, meanwhile, seems to be positioning himself as the Florida senate race's Trump - a blunting talking outsider businessman.

--ADAM C. SMITH, Tampa Bay Times
Ha uma hora
The third anniversary of the election of Pope Francis seems an apt time to take stock of the state of the Traditionalist movement within the Church. While the term may encompass various goals for the Church, I focus here on its essential aim, namely the restoration and promotion of the Tridentine liturgy.

The reign of Benedict XVI was seen as a springtime for Traditionalism. Benedict had an evident affinity for a traditional-style celebration of the Mass. His solicitude for the traditional Mass was concretely expressed by his promulgation in July 2007 of the motu proprio Summorum Pontificum (SP). With SP as the foundation, many Traditionalists were confident that Benedict would re-introduce traditional practices on a broader scale as his pontificate progressed, and perhaps even revise the Missal of Paul VI.

Alas, it was not to be. With Benedicts resignation and the election of Francis, the papacys gaze has turned from things liturgical to a myriad of other matters. Pope Francis has said, written, and done much in his short reign; but, as far as I know, he has never directly addressed the state of liturgical affairs. To the great dismay and frustration of Traditionalists, who rightly see the Mass as the heart of the Body of Christ, Francis appears indifferent to the most pressing need of the Churchliturgical renewal.

Francis has, however, let stand SP. Yet as great a gift as SP is for the Church, it is far from the total or final solution to the problems that have given rise to the Traditionalist movement in the first place. On the contrary, in the words of Churchill, SP marks only the end of the beginning.

SP is often described as freeing the traditional Mass. This description is not entirely accurate. It is true that SP allows any priest to use the 1962 Missal without the need for special permission, but this prerogative only applies to Masses celebrated without the peoplethat is, a priests private Mass (SP Art. 2). SP contains a separate provision for public Masses, and it does not provide an unfettered right for the celebration of such Masses. Rather, SP directs pastors to willingly accept the requests of a stable group of Faithful in a parish that wishes to have the Traditional Mass offered in that parish (SP Art. 5, Sec. I).

This legal distinction is of critical importance to the future efforts of the Traditionalist movement as it seeks to employ SP as the principal tool for re-birth of the traditional Mass. For, in order for the Traditionalist movement to realize its aims, the Extraordinary Form of SP must become less out-of-the-ordinary. While it is true (and wonderful) that the number of places in which the Tridentine Mass is regularly offered has grown markedly since the promulgation of SP, it is a fact that the vast majority of parishes provide Mass-going Catholics with no access or exposure to the ancient rite. The Extraordinary Form remains relegated to specific churches at limited times or to usage on special occasions.

Nonetheless, under the framework of SP, the impetus for the spread of the traditional Mass belongs to the laity. Benedict, perhaps, chose this approach to give the traditional Mass the mark of popular piety so that its return would be seen as resulting from the desire of the Faithful, not the imposition of dreaded experts. In theory, this is wise, but relying primarily upon the laity presents definite practical impediments.

The most obvious problem is lack of familiarity among the laity with the ancient rite. Thanks to the speed and ferocity with which the Church suppressed the Tridentine liturgy after Vatican II (beginning with the interim Missal of 1965), no one under 50 years of age has experienced the traditional Mass as the common Lex orandi.

Those older have mostly forgotten it. They have long accepted the practices that typically accompanied the implementation of the Novus Ordoelimination of Latin entirely, versus populum worship, Communion in the hand while standing, copious use of Eucharistic Ministersand on and on. In many parishes these practices are as fixed as once was the Canon, and changes to them are even regarded as disruptive to tradition, roughly defined as that which has been handed down from Cardinal Bernardin and his successors since ancient times, circa 1975.

Thus, SP has created a church within the Church, where the small but fervent band attached the traditional Mass adheres to a different calendar, often hears different readings than those proclaimed at the Novus Ordo and, in general, experiences significantly different liturgical norms and practices.

This church within a Church situation is not optimal. It can lead to a kind of separatism among those attached to the old rite who, perhaps unintentionally, come to look down upon the masses at the Novus Ordo parishes where parishioners are subjected to ugly vestments and Here I am Lord. Traditionalists can become cut off from the life of their local parishes, too, because they often must travel to specially designated churches on Sundays in order to hear the Tridentine liturgy.

This situation is not in keeping with Benedicts hopes for SP, in which he stresses that the two forms of the Roman Rite must co-exist as equally valid expressions of the Lex orandi that will in no way lead to a division in the Churchs Lex credendi (SP Art. 1). But, in practice, this is not so. The Traditionalists are outside the common experience of modern Catholic life, and the average Mass-going Catholic hasnt a clue about the traditional Mass or the radical departure from the age-old worship of the Church occasioned by the Novus Ordo and the way it is typically celebrated in many parishes. The divide is rarely noticed, but it is serious, for it is contrary to the very nature of the Church, the first mark of which is its onenessEcclesia una est.
In my limited experience, mothering and worrying go hand in hand. Here's a mother's worry poem by Richard Jarrette, from his fine book "A Hundred Million Years of Nectar Dances." He lives in California.

My Mother Worries About My Hat

***

Every spring my mother says I should buy a straw

hat so I won't overheat in summer.

***

I always agree but the valley's soon cold, and besides

my old Borsalino is nearly rain-proof.

***

She's at it again, it's August, the grapes are sugaring.

I say, Okay, and pluck a little spider from her hair 

***

hair so fine it can't hold even one of her grandmother's

tortoise shell combs.

***

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 Richard Jarrette, My Mother Worries About My Hat, from A Hundred Million Years of Nectar Dances, (Green Writers Press, 2015). 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.
What do we talk about when we talk about honor and disgrace? Are these concrete, black-and-white ideas that reflect a general agreement throughout society, or are they malleable, changing ideas, open to interpretation and discussion? Can one person's honor be another person's disgrace? These are intricate and complex questions that one does not expect to contemplate while reading a direct-to-paperback mystery novel, but Gwen Florio's latest, Disgraced, brings these questions to the forefront, and more.

An established author and journalist in Missoula, Florio's name has been tossed about due to many topics. She is, perhaps, most well known in Missoula for her journalistic work in the Missoulian, often reporting on contentious issues that raise a significant number of hackles around town. Multiple regional bookstores that are hosting her readings have received letters threatening protests against her mere appearance. But Florio does not seem to have cowered under the public gaze. She has, instead, continued to tackle these major issues in her fiction as well as nonfiction works.

Disgraced, Florio's third novel, continues the story of Lola Wicks, a small-town journalist working in the fictional town of Magpie, Montana. Lola, also the lead character in Florio's earlier novels, Montana and Dakota, is a workaholic who is forced into taking a furlough from writing due to her paper's budget cuts.

We meet up with Lola and her precocious daughter, Maggie, en route to a Wyoming vacation where they are detoured to greet a friend of a friend who is coming home from a tour in Afghanistan. Lola soon gets involved in a story when one homecoming soldier commits suicide at the reception, two others beat a man to the edge of his life, and the female soldier she was asked to meet is drowning some kind of secret from the war in alcohol and silence.

All of these incidents combine to show that the company returning to Casper is not suffering from typical post-traumatic stress disorder. These soldiers have experienced something more than the expected atrocities of war, and being the veteran workaholic journalist she is, Lola sets herself on a course to find out the truth. In do so, she places herself, her daughter, and anyone who helps her in the path of serious, life threatening danger.

Sometimes, it is the adrenaline and the action that carries us through a good mystery novel. Disgraced certainly is not lacking in this aspect, although I easily anticipated some of the twists and turns throughout the story. Florio definitely creates strong tension, an uncertainty of characters, and of how events may, or may not have, actually unfolded. Yet, it is the issues and ideas that she explores that got me invested in this novel. One should note that Disgraced does not read as an espousal of complex thoughts and ideas. It is a story, a mystery, and an entertaining read, at that. Within the story, lies the meat of it all. Florio does not beg you to think about the issues she brings to the table, but simply presents them, realistically and somewhat subtly, asking the reader to please consider serious issues both within the story and without.

Disgraced fits nicely among her previous novels while also working well independently. With three novels now under her belt, Florio has begun to carve a niche for herself within the mystery genre. Disgraced does not disappoint, and we can only hope that she continues to write and build upon the fairly solid foundation she now has under her feet.

***

Mara Panich-Crouch is a bookseller at Fact and Fiction Books in Missoula. She received her bachelor's in English literature and creative writing from Purdue University and found her home in Missoula in 2002 while pursuing post-graduate studies at the University of Montana. She loves giving (and receiving) book recommendations of all genres. She is an avid painter, thrift-shopper and adventurer.
Tap into the depths of your mind and test out your knowledge of all things literary when MPL presents its first installment of Literary Trivia, a family-friendly trivia night in partnership with Zootown Brew scheduled 6-9 p.m. on Sunday at Zootown Brew, located at 131 W. Broadway.

Trivia questions will be based on literature or related aspects, and prizes will be awarded to the top three teams. Please join us for this fun and free night of trivia!

Brown Bag Book Club begins

This Monday, MPL unveils its inaugural edition of the Brown Bag Book Club, a new informal book club that meets every second Monday of each month from noon to 1 p.m. in MPLs Board Room. Patrons are welcome to bring their lunch, talk about the book theyre currently reading, or discuss a favorite read. Discussion can also touch on literary themes, iconic characters, parallels to current events, and other issues. This book club will be less structured than typical book clubs, but may migrate towards structure based on feedback from participants.

Community Game Night

Gamers off all ages unite for a night of good times and board games during Marchs installment of Community Game Night, which is scheduled to meet 6:30-8:30 p.m. Tuesday in the Large Meeting Room.

Facilitators will demonstrate a game, or a series of themed games. After that, the evening is open to free-play from the librarys collection of games, or players are welcome to bring a game from home. Gamers under the age of 14 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.

Book Madness returns to Big Sky Branch

MPLs Big Sky Branch hosts the Book Madness Tournament once again starting on Tuesday. This years March Madness-style tournament pits book characters from books of eight genres in successive rounds until one character reigns supreme. Voters can win prizes, including gift certificates to Carmike Cinemas and Fact & Fiction Bookstore. Participants can vote by visiting tinyurl.com/bookmadness.

For any questions regarding Book Madness, contact Crystal at 728-2400, ext. 8605.

We Have It: Staff Reviews

Spirited Away: A Novel of the Stolen Irish by Maggie Plummer; call number: PLUMMER SPIRITE #1

Many have heard about Oliver Cromwell and the treatment of the Irish during the time he was in power in England, but not many may know about the human trafficking of the Irish during this time that provided slaves to the British sugar plantations in Barbados.

In this book, author Maggie Plummer provides a realistic look at the conditions and deprivations faced by those slaves, and many of other nationalities.

Spirited Away: A Novel of the Stolen Irish tells the story of young Freddie OBrannon and her sister Aileen, who are kidnapped from the shores of Eire and shipped off and sold as slaves. The tale is continued in the second volume of the series, Daring Passage. The characters are well-developed, and believable, and the details of the story are a testament to the authors research. I would recommend this series to those interested in Irish history, and historical fiction with some romance.

Review by retired Reference Librarian Marjorie Doyle

Hot Happenings

Heres a sampling of some free programs coming up at the Missoula Public Library. Check the full events calendar at missoulapubliclibrary.org.

MakerSpace offerings

Electronics Exploration: 3-6 p.m. Mondays.

Open Hours: 11 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Mondays; 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Tuesdays; 2-6 p.m. Wednesdays.

Community Creative Writing Workshop: 6-7:30 p.m. Tuesdays.

Participation is week-to-week in an open environment focusing on the creative writing workshop process.

Jewelry Making Workshop: 6-7:30 p.m. Wednesdays.

Instruction on basic techniques, find new projects, enjoy a collaborative workshop atmosphere.

Computer Electronics: 3-6 p.m. Thursdays.

Watercolor Painting Drop-In Class: noon-2 p.m. Fridays in the Large Meeting Room

For more information about MPLs MakerSpace offerings, visit tinyurl.com/mplmakers

Computer classes

Beginning Word: 6-7 p.m. Monday.

Learn the basic features of Microsoft Word 2010, a word processing program you can use to create documents. Topics include entering and editing text, saving files, and formatting.

Discovering Databases: 12:20-1:30 p.m. Wednesday.

Explore databases available through the librarys website. This months featured databases are Novelist Plus and Novelist K-8 Plus for young readers.

Registration is required to attend MPLs computer classes. Call 721-2665 to secure your spot.
When Cat Otway talks about strangulation, she ticks off the worlds most depressing set of trivia about the act she refers to as the quickest way to kill someone without leaving a mark.

It takes 4.4 pounds of pressure for 10 seconds on the jugular and youre unconscious. Eleven pounds for 10 seconds on the carotid and youre unconscious, she said. It takes 20 pounds of force to open a can of soda.

The nurse and forensic examiner at Providence St. Patrick Hospitals First Step Resource Center said that in recent years shes seen a rise in the number of domestic violence situations in Missoula in which a victim has been strangled. She doesnt believe that is because it is happening more often, but rather that law enforcement has become much better at recognizing the signs of strangulation and making sure victims are brought in for medical evaluations.

Missoula Police Detective Jamie Merifield said that in more than half of all strangulations, there are no external markings, such as bruising around the neck. Both she and Otway said police have gotten better at looking for the less-obvious signs, including what Merifield calls the thyroid storm. Otway explained that when the thyroid gland is compressed during a strangulation, it squeezes a hormone into the rest of the body, creating an elevated amount of activity and agitation.

Perpetrators will often use that to say See? Shes crazy, I had to restrain her, I was protecting myself,'  Merifield said.

Officers are also being trained to look for other physical signs, such as a change in the voice, difficulty breathing or pain when swallowing. Merifield said they are also taught to look for fingernail marks around the chin and neck of a victim, or on the outside of an assailants hands and forearms as the victim clawed at the attackers face and arms to try to regain the ability to breathe and get blood back to the brain.

With strangulation, you are literally holding someones life in your hands, Merifield said.

Like all forms of domestic violence, Otway said strangulation isnt as much about causing damage as it is about asserting control over a victim. In her experience, Otway said, strangulation is not something that happens in the first incident of partner violence, and usually means there has been a long history that started with isolation and verbal abuse and led to escalating incidents of physical assault. Strangulation is just another tool reinforcing that level of control.

He lords it over her head all the time that he has the ability to kill her, she said.

More than any other form of manual partner assault, Otway said strangulation is the one where victims tell her they truly believed they were going to die.

They look at me and tell me, when he had his hands around her neck, I was worried about who was going to take care of my babies,  she said.

***

Otway was one of a group of six professionals from western Montana who recently attended a special workshop in San Diego put on by the Training Institute on Strangulation Prevention that focused on assessing, documenting and prosecuting strangulation.

In addition to regularly visiting both the Missoula Police Department and the Missoula County Sheriffs Office to educate local law enforcement about the dangers of strangulation, Otway was recently given a two-hour time slot to present to each cohort of new officers going through the Montana Law Enforcement Academy.

Otway said its critically important that there be an immediate medical examination and continual follow-up with victims of strangulation. In the days that follow an attack, burst blood vessels can cause the whites of the victim's eyes to fill with blood, or show themselves as a series of small red dots called petechiae that form on the skin around the face.

Otway also serves an an expert witness during court trials, helping juries to understand that strangulation often doesnt leave marks, but can cause a broad variety of damage.

The danger of strangulation goes far beyond the immediate health risk. Otway said a tear in the carotid artery can lead to the formation of a clot. If not found and treated, that clot can break loose even years later, travel to the brain and cause the victim to have a stroke.

That person is not out of the woods for the rest of their lives, the nurse said. When you see someone under the age of 50 have a stroke, its very common that theyve been strangled.

She then goes back to listing things off on her fingers. When blood is cut off, brain cells die at a rate of 32,000 per second. Strangulation can also lead to miscarriages in pregnant women, hearing loss and changes to the voice, as well at post-traumatic stress disorder and early signs of dementia.

I have one patient that to this day sounds like Minnie Mouse, and to this day she cant eat solid food, Otway said.

Suzy Boylan is one of the prosecutors in the Missoula County Attorneys Offices Special Victims Unit. She focuses on crimes including domestic violence, sexual assault and child abuse.

The prosecutor said that about 10 percent of all of the cases shes handling are aggravated assaults by strangulation. At any point, she said, between 40 and 50 percent of her cases include strangulation as a factor, whether secondary to the primary offense or as part of a history between a victim and perpetrator. What used to be a rare situation to cross the desk of the Missoula County Attorneys Office has now become nothing out of the ordinary.

I dont think it would be too hyperbolic to say weve seen an explosion, she said.

***

Every other year, the Montana Domestic Violence Fatality Review Commission, established in 2003, provides a report to the Legislature that includes recommendations for legal changes. The most recent report, issued in September 2015, included a call to pass legislation specifically relating to strangulation through a stand-alone statute or by enhancing current laws.

While 38 states have a dedicated strangulation statute on the books, Montana is not one of them. Boylan said prosecuting the crime did become slightly easier in 2007 when the Montana Legislature amended the felony aggravated assault law to include the causing of reasonable apprehension of serious bodily injury rather than just the actual injury itself.

Boylan said that as a result of the change, there was a rise in the number of strangulation cases tried as felonies rather than partner or family member assault, the first two convictions of which are misdemeanors.

Still, the situation is still far from ideal. Boylan said the system is very still very reliant on victims to show that level of reasonable apprehension of injury in cases where strangulation doesnt leave damage, even under the revised aggravated assault statute.

Many victims either reach a point where they dont want to cooperate with prosecutors anymore or have a broad variety of reasons why they dont or cant say in front of a jury something to the effect of I thought I was going to die, Boylan said.

The current situation only best serves a certain segment of victims, she said.

A dedicated strangulation statute could clarify the conduct that is prohibited. Brian Lowney, another of the prosecutors in the Special Victims Unit in Missoula County, was one of the people who went to the training institute with Otway. He said that while strangulation laws can be written in different ways, a possible way to write the statute in Montana could be prohibiting impeding breathing or blood flow and, in his opinion, it needs to be a felony charge.

A 2009 study found that victims of non-fatal strangulation were seven times more likely to be killed in a domestic homicide. Boylan said the way strangulation is prosecuted needs to take into account not just the damage caused but the prevention of future violence and the amount of control the act exerts over a victim.

Strangulation tells a victim 'I am in control of whether you breathe or not. I am in control of whether you live or not,'  she said. They dont necessarily intend to cause death, they intend to show they could.
MISSOULA  Virginia Dona (Mead) Johnston, 84, of Missoula, passed away peacefully of natural causes on Thursday, March 10, 2016, surrounded by her loving family.

She was born on Oct. 11, 1931, in Aberdeen, South Dakota, to Walter and Alice Mead. She met the love of her life, Donald Johnston, while playing cello in the orchestra he directed. His service in the Korean War gave her time to finish nurses training before they married on Dec. 25, 1953. She practiced her profession while Don finished his education, and after brief stints in other places, they made their permanent home in Missoula.

Ginny retired from nursing to stay home with their children, and in her spare time assisted many a grad student in creating a professionally finished thesis. Later she worked for the Montana Wildlife Research Unit, where she provided administrative support for many years.

She enjoyed participating in her churchs choir and bell choir, collecting dolls, and trips back to the midwest for summers on the lake. She was an ardent supporter of the Missoula Symphony, many animal welfare organizations, and the Republican party. She loved books, music, chocolate, cats, and her family.

She was preceded in death by her parents; her younger brother, Richard (Dick), and her oldest child, Susan.

She is survived by her devoted husband; her daughter Tamara (Jim) Whitehead; her son Richard (Debra) Johnston; her grandchildren, Bo and Megan, and many nieces and nephews.

Services will be held at the First Presbyterian Church in Missoula, on Thursday, March 17, at 10 a.m., with reception to follow at the church hall. Sunset Memorial Funeral Home is assisting with arrangements. Condolences for Virginias family may be left at missoulafuneralhomes.com.
Every time there is a use of force by a member of the Missoula Police Department, and any time a formal complaint is filed against an officer, Lt. Geron Wade is the one who investigates.

Its about upholding what the city expects, what the chief expects in an officer, Wade said.

On Wednesday, Wade talked about his role in the department to the members of the Citizens Law Enforcement Academy, an eight-week program designed to familiarize members of the public with the different divisions of the Missoula Police Department.

The Office of Professional Standards lieutenant said most times when a citizen has an issue with the behavior of an officer, he is able to just talk to them about why that behavior was within procedure. If the person isnt happy with that answer, Wade said they can file an official complaint against the officer, and he will investigate the conduct.

In 2015, the Missoula Police Department had a total of 33 complaints filed, seven fewer than the previous year. Wade said the number of complaints has steadily declined since 2012. While he said the department has made it a priority to hold officers accountable, he credits most of that decrease to having more body-worn cameras on officers.

Video has made it far easier, he said. Theres no question about what was said.

Geron doesnt recommend a punishment if he finds an infraction of policy, and every investigation is reviewed by the assistant police chief. A three-member police commission, appointed by the mayor, also reviews the complaints to determine if the resolution was appropriate.

Sgt. Travis Welsh, the departments public information officer, was the other presenter at Wednesdays class. While Welsh has been with the Missoula Police Department for 25 years, including nine years as a detective, his current role was created when Chief Mike Brady took over about three years ago.

Chief Brady decided that we needed to have one consistent voice, he said.

In addition to briefing the chief and assistant chief on the activities of the police department every morning, Welsh maintains the social media presence for the department, and said Facebook in particular has proved a valuable tool. He said it can be used to alert the public to everything from a bad traffic accident to ask them to keep a lookout for a missing person, a wanted individual or stolen property.

One of Welshs primary responsibilities is holding daily meetings with members of the news media. He said one of the more misunderstood parts of his job is that often times there is a lot of information he is not at liberty to share, as it is either part of an ongoing investigation or is otherwise confidential material.

I think theres a lot of frustration in the public about what they dont hear in the news, Welsh said.
Not hateful, just cautious.

That was one protesters sign, and a frequent theme in their comments, at the American Security Rally outside the Missoula County Courthouse on Saturday. About 50 people gathered, decrying Islam and calling on the U.S. government to take a stand against letting unvetted Syrian refugees into the country, particularly Montana.

It was the second American Security Rally held in Missoula this year. Recent decisions by the Flathead County and Ravalli County commissioners to not support refugee resettlement in Montana  and Missoula County commissioners letter supporting bringing 100 refugees per year to Missoula  fueled the rallying cry.

The whole goal is to get people to understand that there isnt a vetting system and that its going to be extremely expensive and that Islam is dualistic (a system of opposing principles). Its not peaceful, said Gina Satterfield, one of the organizers of Saturdays rally. Im sure there are some, but a lot are ... not peaceful.

If there was a vetting process in place, I would have no problem, said American Security Rally organizer Jim Buterbaugh.

But there is a vetting process, said refugee supporter and University of Montana professor Sarah Fulford. She joined UM junior Jessica Lang and Sentinel High freshman Seth Lang on Saturday, protesting against the protesters.

I think its mostly hateful people who are hiding their bigotry behind security fears, Jessica Lang said.

The United Nations High Commission for Refugees, U.S. National Counterterrorism Center, FBI and more have processes in place, though FBI Director James Comey has said that being able to vet Syrian refugees could be extremely difficult due to a lack of data.

Missoula Countys commissioners wrote in their letter that the International Rescue Committee resettlement office needs to reopen in order to process the refugees. They cited Missoulas history, particularly the former IRCs efforts to bring Hmong refugees in the 1970s and 1980s, as well as Ukrainians and Belarusians.

The IRC resettlement agency in Missoula closed in 2008.

Weve taken in refugees since our birth. Its the great thing about being an American, Buterbaugh said. But when you bring refugees in and you cant tell whos who ...

***

Montana Human Rights Network organizer Jeff Lukas stood quietly in the background. He said he comes to most of these rallies, and hears the same rhetoric every time.

They conflate it completely, he said of opponents views of the Islamic State versus refugees. When you look at their websites ... its all that same Muslims are pillagers and rapists, they want to come here and murder our women and children. 

But hes not surprised by the anti-refugee and anti-Islam sentiments popping up in Montana.

Theres always been an element of militia, white supremacists, especially in the Bitterroot and the Flathead, he said. So you cant just say hey, these are a bunch of bigots. But there are white supremacists amongst them, and it unfortunately gives them a voice.

People are emboldened to say what theyve only said behind closed doors. And they can say this isnt about bigotry or racism, but when you make blanket statements about a religion or a group of people, that is what bigotry is.

Curtis Bridges, a Democrat running for the House District 95 seat, came to Saturdays rally. He said there are too many domestic problems the U.S. needs to solve before it can think internationally  particularly the homeless.

If these supporters ... if they gave us a good plan of action, what they were going to do, yeah I would support that, but right now they havent shown nothing to me of how theyre going to fix this problem, Bridges said. Plus, Im looking out for the best interests of the taxpayers, because the taxpayers are going to be thrown into this and I just dont want to see that happen.

Opponents are painting broad pictures of the refugees and Islam, so much so that theyre incorrect, Lukas said.

The refugees who are escaping violence and civil war and horrific conditions are trying to escape ... theyre not here to kill gay people or Christians, Lukas said.

Protesters cried Amen! and hollered in support during Satterfields speech, in which she described Islam as being a political system rather than a religion.

Tolerance of intolerance is cowardice, Satterfield said.
Michael Goguen, a Whitefish philanthropist, has been named in a lawsuit that alleges he has continually sexually assaulted a woman since meeting her in 2001.

The lawsuit, filed Tuesday in San Mateo County, California, accuses Goguen of a breach of contract, saying he did not fully pay Amber Laurel Baptiste money he allegedly promised her to keep her from suing him.

Among other community projects, Goguen funds the Two Bear Air search and rescue service that, while based out of Flathead County, operates across western Montana. He also gave a $2 million grant that is paying for two detectives with the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force in both Missoula and Flathead counties who investigate online child pornography as well as sex trafficking.

In the lawsuit, Goguen is accused of abusing Baptiste sexually, physically and emotionally for over 13 years. Baptiste claims that she has been involved in human trafficking since the age of 15, and that shortly after she was brought to the county in 2001, she met Goguen at a Texas strip club.

He allegedly began to pay her living expenses and other costs in exchange for a sexual relationship with her relying on his promise that he would help her break free of the human traffickers who held her in perpetual debt.

The lawsuit details a long chain of alleged graphic sexual and violent acts Baptiste said Goguen forced her to endure in the years after their meeting.

According to the lawsuit, in 2012 Baptiste found that she was infected with human papillomavirus that she believed was contracted from Goguen. He allegedly signed a contract to pay her $40 million, but after paying $10 million, refused to provide any more money. Baptistes lawsuit is seeking the remaining payments, as well as compensatory damages.

On Saturday, Goguens attorney sent the Missoulian a statement on his behalf which reads These horrific allegations against me come at the end of a 10+ year romantic relationship that ended badly. Not surprisingly, the complaint is filled with every horrible buzzword you could throw at someone in todays society to destroy their reputation.

A cross complaint will be filed Monday by Goguens attorney alleging that Baptistes lawsuit is extortion.

It will contain an enormous amount of evidence, including messages that span years and show that she pursued me romantically and professed her love, respect and appreciation for my kind and compassionate treatment of her, the statement said.

Sequoia Capital, the venture capital firm where Goguen was a partner, announced following the lawsuits filing that he had left the company.

This matter is purely personal and has no connection to Sequoia. My departure from there allows me to focus with full force on clearing my name and vigorously pursuing justice, Goguen wrote in the statement.
In the 1960s, people had an explanation for the changing weather: the bomb. In the 1970s, it was the greenhouse effect. Weve since adopted the terms global warming and climate change.

Whatever the phenomenon is called, it requires action.

A recent article in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences states that a 2-degree rise in global temperatures could flood the land that about 19 million Americans call home.

About 40 percent of that land is in Florida. Also affected are California, Louisiana and New York  the states with the highest proportion of coastal cities in America.

Whats the threat? Bostons emergency plan notes that the weather in Massachusetts may be more like that of the Carolinas by the end of this century.

Since 1991, most of Bostons emergencies have been caused by flooding, and winter precipitation there could continue to rise, according to a mayoral climate change report.

Extreme floods could occur every two or three years by 2050.

Boston already has pumps ready to keep roads open during regular flooding, and theyll need more.

Climate change will also bring more extreme heat days, which hurt seniors and those with respiratory problems.

Meanwhile, Baltimores emergency plan notes that all federal emergencies there have been related to snow, rain or flooding in the past 50 years.

In their emergency plans, Boston, Baltimore and Philadelphia list their vulnerable facilities, including ones theyll need in order to respond to flooding. Its hard to take refuge in a shelter or go to a hospital when its under water.

Philadelphias list of critical assets in the floodplain include three railway stations, one subway and trolley station, an airport, a police station, emergency medical services and fire stations, five schools, a dialysis center, one water treatment facility, two electric substations and 42 hazardous material reporting centers.

Austin, the bustling state capital of Texas, notes that flash floods have been the No. 1 storm-related killer there during the past 25 years.

The plan of San Jose, California, lists 1,093 soft, multifamily buildings that house 27,308 occupants and would be vulnerable to flooding.

This is especially alarming given that the national insurance fund is regularly hit by repetitive loss incidents and buildings that flood more than once.

Simple solutions will save money and lives. Bostons waterfront park design helps combat flooding and soil erosion. New types of asphalt will absorb and even filter water so it can go back into the drinking water supply, not into your basement.

Soft landscaping absorbs water and looks good, too. All homeowners can raise appliances, hot water tanks and electrical boxes high enough to survive a flood.

You dont need to believe in climate change to believe in the benefit of more trees in our cities, which provide shade and retain water.

Long Island, New York, juts out into the rough Atlantic Ocean but doesnt have a prominent evacuation plan in place.

Directions for driving out of a hurricanes path may be useless if the road is filled with debris. All of us who live near water need to remember that 6 inches of water can knock a person off his feet and that a car can float in 2 feet of water.

When it comes to climate change, even tough, business-minded skeptics need to be part of the solution. You cant move product over roads that are underwater, and you cant store inventory in warehouses with the roofs blown off.

And you certainly cant sell your goods and services to dead people.

***

Allan Bonner is an urban planner and crisis manager based in Toronto. Readers may write him at Allan Bonner, Communication Management, 43 Hanna Ave., 410, Toronto, Ontario, M6K 1 X1, or email him at allan@allanbonner.com
Since 2008, my office has been located on the fourth floor of the Florence building. My office faced Macys originally and now the vacant Mercantile. Macys closed in 2010 and immediately put the property up for sale. Missoula was not the only city that was faced with its downtown anchor business closing; Boise did as well. The decision was easy for Macys, comparing mall locations and big box strip centers, across the country, to antiquated downtown locations that were not convenient for shoppers.

When the Merc was listed, I thought that it was a terrific investment opportunity for a developer with vision. But six years later I see what a historic property without a solution looks like. How many more years do we have to wait? Dont we want a vibrant property at the site again? As I look out the window, it seems that people dont even want to walk on that side of Higgins now.

I attended the Historic Preservation Board meeting on March 3. I understand why the board is in place, and they are passionate about their work. Missoula has many historical treasures that need to be preserved. The Merc has sat vacant for six years, and yet the board and the meeting attendees seemed shocked that a developer would consider demolishing the building? I was shocked that they were shocked.

I have toured the property and there are multiple floor levels, transitions within floors from one elevation to another, multiple non-consistent column lines, varied ceiling heights, inadequate lighting and electrical service, and I assume that the building systems no longer meet building codes.

This is what happens when a building is added onto and remodeled over 129 years. Nothing is just quite right. The second floor does not work for office space because we all like windows. What can you do in the core area of that floor? Its too large. The first floor is too big for current retail interest; I promise you there is not a 40,000-foot retailer that will take the floor; it has to be carved up into much smaller suites.

National retailers fight for go-dark clauses in their leases; they know if a neighboring business goes dark it negatively impacts their sales. The Mercs 100 percent vacancy has been negatively impacting all of Missoulas downtown for six years running.

According to the propertys real estate broker, Jed Dennison, 20 different groups have taken a run at the property during the course of his listing. None of these intelligent, successful developers could make the property work. None of them. They all tried to preserve the building first, just like Andy Hollleran and HomePlace Montana.

HomePlace Montanas plan works, and as presented, I think all of us have family that would enjoy spending the weekend there. At the meeting I heard comments about the hotel corporate name. In the hotel/motel business you have to have brand identity and a first-class reservation system to be successful.

HomePlace Montana will spend $30 million on the project, and at the meeting it was suggested that over 10 years the property would generate $8 million in tax revenues. As the property sits today the 2015 tax bill was $22,310.01. I think the city, Missoula Mayor John Engen and all of us would rather have the additional $777,690 in additional tax revenue each year. Tax revenues help fund the things that make Missoula great.

As I research the CAMA and Property Tax Information online, I can see that the Department of Revenue has come to the realization that the property has very little worth. The 2015 appraisal history lists the propertys value at only $1,146,531. There really is not much to save here. Architecturally, the building is very plain with little style, sadly; its a big brick box that no one can fit into.

We have a choice. We can wait for the current owner to extend the fence from the parking area around the whole property to keep us safe from a building that I hate to say is currently the definition of blight, or support HomePlace Montanas vision for the property. I am choosing the latter.
If you like this post - click one of the share buttons below the article.

Please leave a comment. Just click the button that says either "no comments" (that means there's no comments yet) or a number and "comments" (1 comment, 2 comments, etc.). Don't ask me why the theme designer thought "no comments" would encourage people to comment. Programmers.....hmmph!
Many coastal city officials are considering spending millions  in some cases billions  of taxpayer dollars preparing for an impending flood caused by rising sea levels.

For example, in 2013, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced a $20 billion, 20-year plan to protect the city from rising sea levels.

The concerns are being driven in part by recent studies predicting the coming floods, such as two new reports that claim the seas are rising faster than at any other point in the last 28 centuries. They contend that if human-caused carbon emissions continue at the current rate, the oceans could rise by as much as 4 feet by 2100.

That conclusion is tame compared to a 2015 study by NASAs former lead climate scientist, James Hansen, and others, who boldly predicted that sea levels could rise by at least 10 feet in 50 years.

But notice theres a 500 percent variance between the two predictions if we extrapolate so that both use the same end point. Given all the other important public policy challenges facing cities, such as providing good public education, safe communities and infrastructure improvements, shouldnt city officials demand a little more scientific consensus on the magnitude of the threat?

They wont get it.

And the reason is that such claims are not based on observed scientific data, but manmade computer models, which have overpredicted climate warming for decades.

For example, John Christy of the University of Alabama at Huntsville and the states climatologist, stated in congressional testimony that climate models have predicted 2.5 times more global warming than has actually been observed by satellites and weather balloons.

And Roy Spenser, a former senior scientist for climate studies at NASAs Marshall Space Flight Center, notes that 95 percent of the climate models have overpredicted actual warming.

Its like believing Uncle Harrys frequent predictions of an imminent global economic collapse, not because hes ever been right, but because hes wrongly predicted it so often.

Yes, sea levels are rising, and have been since the end of the Ice Age some 11,700 years ago. But the observed sea level rise averages between eight and 10 inches over 100 years  which is a long way from 4 feet, not to mention 10.

The fact is that climate models are astonishingly unreliable, as even many climate scientists who support modeling concede.

As Mark Maslin and Patrick Austin, climate scientists at University College London, explained in the journal Nature in 2012: Why do models have a limited capability to predict the future? First of all, they are not reality. This is perhaps an obvious point, but it is regularly ignored. By their very nature, models cannot capture all of the factors involved in a natural system, and those that they do capture are often incompletely understood.

And remember, these are climate-model defenders.

Dont misunderstand me: Rising sea levels can pose a threat to humans and property, as Hurricane Sandy amply demonstrated. Coastal city officials should be weighing the risks and costs of an effective response. But the public policy challenge is to accurately assess the nature and seriousness of the threat and act accordingly.

With respect to sea levels, the current threat comes primarily from humans moving closer to the sea, rather than the sea moving closer to humans.

People are willing to pay big bucks to live right on the ocean; but that means damage totals  in lives and money  can rise significantly during major storms and sea surges.

If past observed sea level trends continue, the ocean certainly could pose a significant threat to humans and property  in several hundred years. Is that worth spending billions of dollars now, when there are so many other important city priorities?

***

Merrill Matthews is a resident scholar with the Institute for Policy Innovation in metropolitan Dallas. He holds a doctorate in Humanities from the University of Texas at Dallas. Readers may write him at IPI, 1320 Greenway Drive, Irving, TX 75038.
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MILES CITY  Early Wednesday in supervisor Jennifer Winkley's snug office, Child and Family Services employees gather for a meeting.

Three reports and two requests for services had come in that morning  representing five children, siblings or parents who needed the immediate attention of the four child protection specialists employed here.

There are supposed to be six of them, child protection specialists who work with parents and children to assure well-being for children who are at risk of or have been subjected to maltreatment. One position is vacant; another employee is going through training.

Turnover is one of the many problems that have plagued this state agency. Director Sarah Corbally, who is leaving the job in April, has said about 30 of the 178 positions across the state are vacant at any given time; some remain open longer than a year.

Winkley, sitting at her desk, leads the group. The Minnesota native has been in Miles City for more than a decade and her office shows how well she fits in  a European-style deer mount hangs on the wall, and boots make up a big part of the decor. There's a saddle chair children like to sit on. Photos of boys and girls she's placed into permanent homes cover part of a wall. A large drawing from a child she helped is taped up behind where she sits. Written in crayon, it says "Thank you for helping me" and "You are my best friend and make me happy."

That's what the public never sees  the happy, safe children and the families that are reunified  said child protection specialist Joyce Turner, who has worked for the agency for about three years.

"I've never read or heard anything on a news show about 'this family was reunited,'" she said. "You never heard about those things. All the public hears is the negative side of it, then of course that's what they know."

Across the state, a wide variety of groups has volleyed rage at Montana's Child and Family Services workers. About two dozen men and women picketed outside the Billings regional office, holding signs with messages like "Child Protective Services declares war on families." An organization called Grandparents Group of Montana has staged rallies at the Capitol and in cities around the state.

Their claims about the system are serious  children are taken away from parents who have done nothing wrong and are stuck in the system too long. Child protection specialists have too much power with no one to keep them in check and hide behind confidentiality rules.

Agencies and systems seem faceless. Those words detach the work from the people like Winkley and Turner, the ones sitting at the kitchen tables of families at low points and connecting them with services that can help.

"I'll admit, sometimes it's difficult," Turner said of the criticism the agency receives. "Sometimes you have to bite your tongue. Sometimes, unfortunately, the negative gets so publicized that the positive gets lost in the shuffle."

Winkley and Turner were two agency employees willing to discuss their jobs with the Lee State Bureau. They can't discuss details of specific cases due to the confidentially their jobs require.

Child and Family Services is run by the Department of Public Health and Human Services. Reports of abuse or neglect are received by the department's Central Intake, a toll-free line that operates 24/7. Cases that trigger investigation are sent to one of 29 field offices across the state.

For fiscal year 2015, central intake received 35,812 calls and took 17,754 reports for the whole state. Of those, 8,908 required investigation involving 12,897 children, and 1,850 of those resulted in a child being removed from a home. Over the same time period, nearly half of the children were returned to the home from which they were removed, 12 percent were placed with their noncustodial parent and 9 percent were placed permanently with other family.

***

Emotions are directed at child protection specialists because they are a parent's initial and primary contact with CFS. After decades at similar jobs in several states, Turner still gets nervous knocking on a family's door to talk with a mother or father for the first time.

"You're intruding on someone else's life. ... You're not a bull in a china shop for sure. It is their home and you have to respect that. You have to put yourself in their position of if someone was knocking on your door and how that would make you feel."

One of Winkley's favorite phrases is, "It's a big darn deal." She says it most often when talking about making the decision to remove children from their homes.

Though critics say child protection specialists make decisions without basis, they operate under a set of state-created protocols. Winkley's specialists take what they call "The Bible" with them on initial visits to document everything.

"One of the first things I ask the worker is, 'Tell me how this child is in immediate danger,'" Winkley said. The danger must be observable, significant and meet a certain threshold. If there's immediate danger, the child protection specialist will put a protection plan in place.

Protection plans can range from leaving a child in the home or the child going to foster care, to working with a family on a voluntary basis or eventually filing a court case.

The agency's first goal is to keep children in their homes, Winkley said, a fact that seems to be overlooked by critics.

Not all cases result in a child being removed from his or her home. And of the cases that do, many result in reunification, Winkley said.

"I would say we all but stand on our heads trying to keep kids in the home," Winkley said. "If we can do some type of a safety plan, where we have safety resources coming into the home and monitoring for safety, if we can keep kids in the home, that's best for kids and families really."

But that's not always the reality.

"Sometimes we walk in the door and parents are getting arrested and we have no providers. And we end up doing a notice of removal right then and there," she said.

One of Winkley's employees was threatened by a mother she worked with. In the end, she was able to reunify the family. The parent sent flowers and a thank-you card to the worker.

"It said I know this was not easy, and you have an incredibly difficult job and I want to thank you for what you did," Winkley said.

Personal threats are hard to quantify. There are things said in the heat of the moment, words that can be written off as deflections of guilt. But some are more serious.

"You do get those," Winkley said. "You do get the police calling you saying, 'This threat has been made against you.'"

Turner had a stretch where someone had to walk out with her at night. "It was a short period of time but it was just reassuring," she said.

Her first week, she walked up on a man smashing the windows out of an employee's car in the parking lot  the wrong employee's car, it turned out.

Violence on that level isn't a weekly occurrence, or even monthly, Winkley said. "This is a smaller office, but it does happen, and we take precautions."

Her 6-year-old son has even been the subject of threats.

"I'm probably maybe a helicopter mom," she said. "He doesn't get to ride around the block by himself on his bike. He's with me. I make sure somebody has his eyes on him."

***

The Miles City office covers 25,000 square miles over seven counties in eastern Montana  Custer, Garfield, Fallon, Carter, Powder River, Rosebud and Treasure counties.

In January, child protection specialists logged more than 12,000 miles driving to conduct investigations, get children to doctor appointments, facilitate family meetings and more.

Turner covers Rosebud and Treasure counties. Workers are assigned to regions so they can build relationships with service providers  health departments and mental health providers  in the area.

More than once, she's driven hours to meet with parents and nobody's home. She'll hang out, try the house a few more times. If it's a bust, she'll head home and come back the next day.

A legislative audit citing the agency's problems with meeting deadlines set out in state law for responding to reports of alleged neglect and abuse, lack of documenting its work and other problems can't be blamed on an increasing workload, as its director has said is the problem, because the agency isn't handling more cases.

But Corbally said the audit only looked at a small piece of the agency's work and that the number of children in foster care has increased 75 percent in the last several years, as well as the number of cases filed by the agency in district courts.

"This is not an 8-to-5 job, period," Turner said. "And if anybody thinks it is, they are so wrong."

Sometimes there's just not a local placement for kids. Winkley and Turner know without consulting a map that Missoula is just as far as Minot, and those are both places they travel often when there's not a closer spot for a child who needs a mental health assessment.

It can feel like the office operates in triage mode sometimes, moving from one crisis to the next. Employees can't catch their breath between putting out fires.

Turner carries about 10 ongoing court cases, typical for a child protection specialist here. A list of what these cases require every day can quickly add up to more than a 40-hour workweek.

"There's so many little things people don't really realize that we do," Winkley said. "It's transportation, it's hand-holding, it's encouraging, it's setting up services, it's monitoring the services, it's taking them to services, in addition to doing an investigation, preparing court affidavits, they're testifying in court, they're attending treatment team meetings, family engagement meetings. There's just so many things that are expected of them."

And that's in addition to those five calls that need investigating on this Wednesday morning.

Recently, Turner got a call from a foster parent at 7 p.m.

"Of course, you have your work phone and you answer it because you never know," she said. "And when they know that you're available and supportive, it eases their concerns or worries a little bit."

Weekends aren't a given. Turner had a grandmother call her on a Saturday at 10 a.m. because she was having a difficult time with a grandchild. They met and got things worked out.

"Anything you can do to support a placement is wonderful," Turner said. "You have to remember that you're doing this for the children. If you don't step in and help alleviate those issues, you might lose that placement and that's not good for the kids. It's all about the kids for me."

As a supervisor, Winkley is involved in all of the cases. "It's 24/7. I don't get to shut my phone off."

She walks each child protection specialist through a case before they leave the building. They'll call her three, four, five or six times when they're making an initial assessment.

"It's OK for my workers to come into my office and cry, and they do. They yell, they scream," Winkley said. "This is an emotionally charged line of work. They need to have a safe place to go."

It's clear for Winkley and Turner that the demands on their time are frustrating, but not because they don't get to detach from work. The women don't focus on vacations spent with a cellphone always turned on, but on how more hours to spend on cases would help children and parents.

"The more time you can spend with a family the more successful they are," Turner said, "and the shorter the time period we have to have the kids in out-of-home care. When you have so many cases and you're doing new referrals as well ... I would love to go and see these kids every single week, but time-wise it's just not possible."

***

Turnover has been an issue in Miles City for a few years, Winkley said.

"This is an extremely demanding job, and I think you have to have really some kind of internal motivation to do this line of work," she said.

For Turner, that motivation comes from a deeply rooted desire to do what's right for children. It might seem small, but nothing tips her over the edge more than seeing children carry their belongings into a temporary home in a garbage bag.

"It's about what's right for children," she said. "They didn't make those choices, they deserve to have a good, healthy life."

As a child, Turner went through the system. She grew up poor, mostly in Washington state, and had 13 siblings. "Things weren't good at home and you didn't want to be there, it was your fault."

She lived in a few foster homes. "Things were done so differently. The word 'incorrigible' was really prominent. It prevented, I think, the departments back then from being able to hold the parents accountable for behaviors." Now, she can do just that.

Winkley looks back on past success to get her past hiccups.

She still has contact with a now-grown woman from her first case, who tells her: "You're the only one that has stuck through with me," Winkley said. "She says, 'You're the mom I didn't have.' And how, I mean, that's huge. What better way to know that you're doing something important when you get those affirmations."
A Missoula structural engineer who has conducted hands-on assessments of the Missoula Mercantile building is disputing a Bozeman developers claim as to how much it would cost to seismically stabilize the structure, among other things.

Last Tuesday, HomeBase Montana of Bozeman and the Virginia-based company that currently owns the Merc, Octagon Partners, submitted an official application to the citys Historic Preservation Commission for a permit to demolish the building. HomeBase Montana is seeking to replace the historic structure with a 154-room, five-story, $30-million Marriott hotel.

The 36-page application runs through a litany of reasons the developers have decided it isnt economically feasible to save the existing structure. They point to the fact that 20 different prospective buyers have spent a combined $2 million during the past six years to see if rehabilitating the building would be feasible, and all of them have backed out.

Given the considerable deficiencies of the building: lack of systems, disrepair, deteriorated facade, and the multiple renovations not in keeping with the historic nature of the building, the cost of renovation renders it infeasible for the intended use, wrote Octagon Partners. The inability to add additional stories due to existing structure limitations makes the economics of many uses difficult to meet, as evidenced by multiple failed attempts over the course of the last half decade.

Octagon Partners wrote that HomeBase has hired DCI Engineers to evaluate the structure, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, to determine if there are any structural deficiencies.

DCI estimates the seismic upgrades necessary for the building would cost $20 to $40 per square foot for a total cost of $2 (million) to $4 million, Octagon wrote. Those costs estimates are for seismic upgrades only and do not include floor and roof upgrades, hazardous material abatement, ADA accessibility and other life safety issues for ingress/egress, elevators, and fire suppression.

Tom Beaudette, a founding member of Missoula-based Beaudette Consulting Engineers, sees things differently. He was hired in 2014 by a Nevada developer, SGRE Acquisitions, who wanted to buy the building and adapt and reuse it to include ground-floor retail, a boutique hotel on the second floor and an ice-skating rink on the roof. Beaudette was hired to design a structural solution to stabilize the unreinforced masonry building.

He said only the walls facing Higgins and Front Street would need steel reinforcement, due to those walls having large windows.

We have some hard numbers, and it would cost about $350,000, about $7 a square foot, for a seismic upgrade (to make the Merc structurally occupiable), Beaudette said Friday.

The Bozeman developer also claims two other things that Beaudette disputes: that the estimated costs of a seismic upgrade proved too costly for SGRE to undertake and therefore caused them to withdraw their offer to purchase the building, and that Missoulas new building codes would make a seismic upgrade even more costly than the original estimate SGRE had.

The City of Missoula adopted new building codes on January 20, 2015, Octagon wrote in the demolition permit application. In SGREs words, these new codes are considered to be significantly more onerous than those under which SGRE Acquisitions plans were submitted and subsequently approved. SGRE also noted it anticipated the cost saving associated with carrying out its approved plans under the old codes  now expired  versus under the new codes would be in the multiple-million-dollar range. These costs were solely for seismic stability work, and not mechanical, electrical, fire suppression, or any other necessary infrastructure to get the building to a state where it could be finished for occupancy.

Beaudette didn't mince his words after he read the developers application.

Its just not true, he said. The folks we were working for, they wanted to get under the 2009 building codes for energy issues and other aspects, but nothing to do with the structural. Everything we did a year and a half ago under the new codes is still applicable under the 2015 codes. So the whole aspect of them blaming the structure and not being able to renovate or preserve any of this existing building, basing it on structural aspects, is just not true.

Beaudette said the plan his company came up with, to make the Merc structurally sound for about $350,000, would meet the citys new codes.

He also said the estimated costs of the stabilization plan was not the reason SGRE withdrew.

Those folks were really into it, Beaudette recalled. One guy was moving to Missoula. The whole permit process kind of came to a screeching halt. The folks we were working with blamed it on asbestos in the roof that wasnt disclosed to them when they first started their buy/sell. Now, whether they used that as an excuse to get themselves out, I dont know.

HomeBase said an architectural firm they hired, JNS, concluded that due to sandblasting in the 1970s, the condition of the exterior brick and windows diminishes the feasibility of salvaging the facade or conducting a facade-ectomy as some have suggested.

The architects said the exterior masonry is crumbling and is the worst deterioration of the building that is visible.

Beaudette said he disagrees with DCIs conclusion that the un-reinforced masonry walls are insufficient to resist lateral forces.

We did brick tests inside, Beaudette said. Theres great brick walls in both directions. We isolated out a brick and put a jack in and tested how strong it was with a testing procedure that is recognized by all the codes. The JNS architectural letter states that the Merc lacks the historical and structural bones. Very much disagree on both counts.

Beaudette said he did a study 10 years ago that found it would take roughly $400,000 to upgrade the brickwork. But he said thats not a structural issue unless it sits for 20-30 more years without getting a sealant coating.

Its not a structural issue right now, he said. This east wall is soft brick, but its a massive, big wall. Its a great wall. Were very safe in our design. Its a shame that theyre totally blaming it on structural aspects. I really struggle with that one. Weve had a lot more difficult structural renovation projects than this building.

Beaudettes conclusion is that the Merc could be saved relatively easily.

When they say its beyond its usable life, Im not buying it, he said.

***

The role of the Historic Preservation Commission is to approve or deny the permit based on compliance with several criteria, including:

That the applicant has made a good-faith effort to find an alternative that would result in the preservation, renovation or reuse of the historic resource.

The applicants good faith efforts to find a purchaser interested in acquiring and preserving, renovating or reusing the historic resource have failed.

Denying the application would prevent all reasonable economic use of the property.

As to the last point, the developers said leasing the building would be difficult due to multiple additions that have been cobbled together during the years since it was built in 1877.

For a lease to make economic sense, the landlord must be able to charge rental rates that, at a minimum, cover the costs of acquiring the property, costs of renovation, overhead, ongoing maintenance and related charges, Octagon Partners wrote. None of the prospective purchasers has been able to devise a project which includes renovating the structure at a cost which would subsequently allow for reasonable rental rates.

In their demolition permit application, Octagon Partners said their efforts meet all the requirements required by zoning regulations to have the permit approved.

The decision is not to be determined on the basis of whether it is possible to save the existing structure by any means, Octagon wrote. Rather, the criteria require an applicant to demonstrate that good faith efforts have been made to explore alternatives to demolition while denying the permit would prevent all reasonable economic use of the property. We have demonstrated compliance with each of the criteria."

Octagon noted that there is no reasonable economic use for the building.

Octagon cannot continue to hold on to a building and fund the annual taxes, insurance, and holding costs while the building sits empty and continues to deteriorate, they wrote. Conversely, this permit will begin the process of restoring the vitality of one of the most important corners in downtown Missoula. Various materials from the existing structure will find new life in the proposed project and throughout the Missoula region.

***

The proposal to demolish the Mercantile has elicited a strong emotional response from many in the community on both sides of the issue. Steve Adler, a member of the Historic Preservation Commission, said hes been inundated with emails, phone calls and texts. A Facebook group called "Save the Merc" had 1,700 likes as of Friday afternoon. Leslie Schwab, the city's historic preservation officer, has received 25 calls and emails on the subject.

Rafael Chacon, a professor of art history at the University of Montana, said there is a reason so many people are up in arms at the thought of losing the Merc, which served as Missoulas commercial hub for many decades.

I think its a tangible connection with our history, he said. Once its gone, its gone. All we have left are artifacts and memories and fragments and hopefully photographs. But to not have the monument itself, you cant do tours of the historical underground if its not there, you cant show people walls of graffiti from people over the years. Those things are the sense of place that we yearn for. I cant imagine people coming to Missoula because theyre attracted to a brand new hotel. The Merc is part of the fabric of our historic downtown. If we lose them one by one, we are destroying the downtowns very special and unique identity.

Chacon said theres a palpable difference when comparing Missoula to places such as Billings where historic buildings havent been saved in the downtown area.

Its very stark the contrast, he said. Missoula has a kind of vitality and connection to its history you dont see in Billings. In towns all across America, as youre seeing shopping malls, how they gut the historic downtowns, there is clearly a kind of economic formula working to preserve these special places.

Mike Gilbert, a local self-employed architect, sent a letter to the City Council this week demonstrating that in many places across the country a historic buildings facade was preserved by using support beams and setting back the more modern building about 10 feet and providing an open-air public walkway in between.

This would keep the best part of the Merc facade intact, while allowing new development and progress to coexist, Gilbert said. Im pro-development, pro-city, and Ill admit selfish in that Id like to see people build things. New things. Modern things. But a city cant exist in the vacuum of this time, it has to acknowledge the context in which it lives, and also say something about where its headed.
The March 9 debate in Miami between Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders was the first chance the two candidates for the Democratic presidential nomination had to discuss immigration and its connections to trade and U.S. policy in Latin America. Unfortunately, neither candidate took advantage of the opportunity.

The mainstream immigration debate generally avoids mentioning the forces that have driven millions of Latin Americans to move here without legal authorization over the past forty years. The media and the politicians treat the migration either as a natural disaster (flooding over the border) or as a second-rate science fiction movie (the aliens are invading)  with either scenario seen as deserving an aggressive response.

But i n the real world, the asylum seekers and other migrants that some call illegals are human beings pushed from their homes by economic dislocation or fear of violence, often risking their lives for a chance at a brighter future. And U.S. foreign and economic policies are intimately linked to these push factors.

As investigative journalist Allan Nairn said on Democracy Now! in January when discussing the effect of U.S.-backed terror in Guatemala on unauthorized immigration to the United States: Well, you know, if you go and burn down your neighbors house, dont complain when, as they run from the flames, they come onto your lawn.

Discussing the Causes. . .

Bottom line: the revolution made better police, so far fewer Nicaraguans flee to US, compared to Salv., Hond.http://t.co/FJsFpiqr6G  Matthew Shugart (@laderafrutal) July 31, 2014 Why Nicaraguan Kids Arent Fleeing To U.S. http://t.co/nXDNO43EgQ Sandinista Revolution withstood US foreign policy manipulation  Afrolatin@Project (@AfrolatinProjec) August 3, 2014 Story puts in perspective role US-backed counter-revolutions, coups, and drug war have had in displacing CenAms: http://t.co/S7EV7CqQXN  Think Mexican (@ThinkMexican) July 30, 2014

In the 1980s the administration of Ronald Reagan backed far-right forces in the brutal conflicts in El Salvador, Guatemala, and Nicaragua. Some 300,000 people died in the violence, mostly civilians, and more than 650,000 people migrated to the United States from the three countries.

The political fighting ended in the early 1990s, but violence resumed (except in Nicaragua)  along with the flow of refugees  in the past decade as both Democratic and Republican administrations promoted a heavily militarized war on drugs, first in Mexico and then in Central America. The target of the new war was the drug trafficking that expanded in the region thanks to the legacy left by the earlier wars: plenty of weapons, high rates of crime and violence, economic devastation, and disruption of the social order.

And it gets worse. In 2009 the United States government gave de facto support to a rightwing coup in Honduras, unleashing a corrupt, brutal police and military force and leading to a dramatic jump in criminal violence and political repression. Mainstream media outlets here whipped up hysteria about the increase in unaccompanied Central American children seeking asylum in the United States in 2014, but they didnt explain why more of these kids came from Honduras than from any other country.

At the same time, the U.S. government has been pushing neoliberal economic policies throughout Latin America and the Caribbean. The best-known example is the North American Free Trade Agreement. Most people in the United States seem to understand that we lost jobs through NAFTA, but not that the trade deal meant a net loss of employment for Mexicans as well. The agreement forced Mexican family farmers and small business owners into competition with U.S.-based mega-corporations like Cargill and Walmart. The result was that millions of Mexicans were thrown into the job market. Not surprisingly, many decided to look for work across the border in the United States.

Its understandable that Clinton wouldnt want to discuss these issues in the debate. After all, she has been deeply implicated in U.S. government policy for the past twenty-five years, as first lady, then as senator, and finally as secretary of state .

. . . and Recognizing the Effects

But i t should have been easy for Sanders to link immigration to the issue of free trade . All he had to do was quote from his own immigration policy statement, which was written in consultation with immigrant rights activists. Unfortunately, our nations foreign policy towards Latin America has made difficult economic and political problems even worse, his campaign wrote in November.

Since the implementation of NAFTA, the number of Mexicans living below the poverty line has increased by over 14 million. Not surprisingly we saw [a] 185 percent increase in the number of undocumented immigrants from Mexico between 1992 and 2011.

Bernie Sanders on US imperialism in Latin America (from 1985). https://t.co/F3Uh8k0l2R  David Mizner (@DavidMizner) March 10, 2016 @DavidMizner Can we vote for that version?  Glenn Greenwald (@ggreenwald) March 10, 2016

The self-described socialist senator from Vermont missed his chance to connect the dots. He got a second opportunity when Univision anchor Maria Elena Salinas questioned him on comments he made in 1985 about leftist governments in Nicaragua and Cuba.

Sanders stood his ground, saying he continues to oppose U.S. interventions in Latin America and still acknowledges some accomplishments by Latin American socialist governments in areas like health and education. Sanders remarks inspired Clinton to an outburst of old-time red-baiting. In 1985, she said, Sanders had

praised what he called the revolution of values in Cuba, and talked about how people were working for the common good, not for themselves. I just couldnt disagree more. You know, if the values are that you oppress people, you disappear people, you imprison people or even kill people for expressing their opinions, for expressing freedom of speech, that is not the kind of revolution of values that I ever want to see anywhere.

This was astonishing hypocrisy, even for an establishment politician. In her 2014 book Hard Choices Clinton admitted that shed worked behind the scenes following the Honduras coup to render the question of [deposed president Manuel] Zelaya moot. There s a disconnect here: Clinton is acknowledging her support for an anti-democratic regime that solidified its power through repression and impunity, becoming a virtual poster child for getting away with murder. With over a hundred activists assassinated since the rightwing takeover, what part of you oppress people, you disappear people, you imprison people or even kill people for expressing their opinions  does Clinton fail to recognize in Honduras?

Just a week before the debate, Berta Caceres, the prominent indigenous rights activist and winner of the Goldman Environmental Prize for 2015, was murdered in her home in Honduras. In an interview shortly before the killing, Caceres had told the leftist Italian publication Il Manifesto: We are caught in the sights of hired assassins, judicial and armed. Our lives hang from a thread.

New York University professor Greg Grandin argued eloquently in The Nation that Clinton shares the blame for this assassination. All people of goodwill, he wrote, should ask Clinton if she is still proud of the hell she helped routinize in Honduras. This is certainly a question Sanders should have asked in Miami.

Hopefully the senator will raise these issues in the future , but those of us looking for an honest dialogue on the way U.S. foreign policy impacts immigration should realize we can t count on politicians to give it to us. Its up to us to make it happen.

Co-authors Jane Guskin and David L. Wilson are working on a revised edition of The Politics of Immigration: Questions and Answers (Monthly Review Press, July 2007).




Various races are developing for seats in Butte-Silver Bow County  including those for sheriff, chief executive, county superintendent of schools, and auditor.

The deadline to file for the primary election is 5 p.m. Monday, March 14. The primary election is Tuesday, June 7, when the top two vote-getters for each seat will advance to the general election on Nov. 8.

Following are the candidates who had filed as of Friday afternoon; more are expected to file Monday. Also listed are the annual salaries and filing fees.

Candidate forms are available at the Butte-Silver Bow County courthouse, 155 W. Granite St., room 208, and at www.co.silverbow.mt.us/851/2016-candidates.

The Montana Standard will present in-depth interviews with the candidates as the election season progresses.

Chief Executive

$105,614.08; $528.07

David Palmer

Mark A. Reavis

Ronald "Sarge" Rowling

Matt Vincent, incumbent

Sheriff

$82,719.26; $413.60

Ed Lester, incumbent

Russell W. Robertson

Superintendent of Schools

$72,315.35; $361.58

Cathy F. Maloney, incumbent

Linda Sorini Granger

Timothy Thomas Norbeck

Auditor

$72,315.35; $361.58

(Longtime auditor Danette Harrington is not seeking another term.)

Jeff Amerman

Hank Hockaday

Sheryl Ralph

Michael Tutty

Other offices and candidates in alphabetical order:

Assessor

$72,315.35; $361.58

Dan Fisher, incumbent

City Judge

$72,315.35; $361.58

Glen G. Granger, incumbent

James Reavis

Clerk & Recorder

$74,507.35; $372.54

Sally J. Hollis, incumbent

Clerk of District Court

$72,315.35; $361.58

(Longtime clerk of court Lori Maloney is not seeking another term.)

Thomas E. Powers

County Attorney

$111,654.45; $558.27

Eileen Joyce, incumbent

Commissioner District #3

$6,597.38; $32.99

John Morgan, incumbent

Commissioner District #4

$6,597.38; $32.99

Terry L. Schultz

John M. Sorich, incumbent

Commissioner District #5

$6,597.38; $32.99

Dennis M. Henderson, incumbent

Commissioner District #6

$6,597.38; $32.99

No candidates filed at this time.

Commissioner District #8

$6,597.38; $32.99

Brendan R. McDonough, incumbent

Commissioner District #12

$6,597.38; $32.99

Michael Tumulty

Coroner

$36,157.68; $180.79

Lee LaBreche, incumbent

Mile High Conservation District  four-year term

Kellee Anderson (two-year term)

Peter Dallaserra, incumbent

Jack Kambich, incumbent

Justice of the Peace #2

$72,315.35; $361.58

Jimm Kilmer

Ben Pezdark, incumbent

Public Administrator

According to the Butte-Silver Bow County website, this position administers the probate of estates for deceased persons with no heirs, successors, or relatives. This elected office receives no salary but is eligible to assess a fee against each estate probated. Filing fee is $15.

Jeanne Joki Tanner, incumbent

Treasurer

$72,315.35; $361.58

(Longtime treasurer Pat Callaghan retired Feb. 29.)

Lori Baker-Patrick, interim treasurer

Maliena R. Baumgarner
HELENA  The U.S. Supreme Court's Citizens United ruling, which allowed unlimited corporate and union election spending, is now being used six years later to fight state limits on how much money individuals and groups can contribute directly to candidates.

Lawsuits against contribution caps have been filed in Alaska, Montana and New Mexico. Those challenges are being buoyed by a federal appeals court ruling last year that cites Citizens United in making it more difficult for states to justify donation limits.

"Contribution limits throughout the country are very vulnerable now," said James Bopp, an Indiana attorney who is leading two of the lawsuits. "It's going to be tough for any state to justify their limits under that standard."

Thirty-eight states have limits on how much a candidate can receive from an individual, political party or political action committee. In general, the rules are meant to promote equality, prevent corruption, and keep the rich from overly influencing the political process.

"If you take it away, the sky's going to fall," Montana Commissioner of Political Practices Jonathan Motl said.

Driving the effort to dismantle candidate campaign caps is a ruling last year by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, which covers California and eight other Western states. It said states now must prove their caps are preventing what the court called quid pro quo corruption such as bribery.

Quid pro quo corruption is rare, and it is difficult to prove that the limits are preventing it, Bopp said.

Citizens United, a decision that came down in 2010, loosened restrictions on indirect contributions, or campaign spending by groups that doesn't directly go to candidates. The ruling led to the rise of super political action committees, or super PACs.

Bopp used the Citizens United decision to argue and win another Supreme Court case in 2014 that struck down aggregate contribution limits in federal elections. Those rules had capped the total amount a single donor could give to multiple candidates and political parties.

The 9th Circuit ruling and the 2014 Supreme Court case will be felt far beyond the Western states that fall within the appeals court's jurisdiction, legal experts said.

"If the court were to strike down direct limits under the new standard, that, I think, would be quite a big deal," said Jessica Levinson, a professor at Loyola Law School in Los Angeles and a campaign-finance expert. "Direct contribution limits and disclosure are all that's left of the post-Watergate campaign finance laws."

The 9th Circuit's ruling came in a lawsuit brought by Bopp against Montana's contribution limits, which were approved by the voters in 1994 and are among the lowest in the nation. For example, individuals can give no more than $660 to candidates for governor.

Bopp is now taking the 9th Circuit decision back to a federal judge who previously ruled in his favor. Bopp hopes to get Montana's limits struck down before the state's June 7 primary.

Bopp argues that such limits drive money into super PACs and special-interest groups that are less accountable and less transparent. Bopp, who also is challenging New York City's contribution limits on people who do business with the city, says the caps also infringe on candidates' free-speech rights.
How can one know a source is trustworthy? One could do it by independently confirming everything the source says, but if I can do that and am willing to do...

20 hours ago
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 []
Item No "x x x. The elements of the crime of theft as provided for in Article 308 9 of the Revised Penal Code are as follows: (1) t...
The City of Cape Town is piloting a project that uses electric bicycles to fight crime around Table Mountain and other parts of the city.

Robbie Robberts, Director of Law Enforcement in the City of Cape Town, told Cape Talk that the area around Table Mountain is suffering from criminal activities.

It is a massive area to patrol, and to make it easier the City of Cape Town is using e-bikes to assist law enforcement.

The bicycles, called Greyp bike, are imported, and are a mixture between a motorcycle and a normal bicycle, said Robberts.

He said the electric bicycles are powered by rechargeable batteries, have a range of up to 120km, and a top speed of 70km/h.

The bicycles are fingerprint activated, which means that only the person assigned to a specific bicycle can use it.

Robberts said the e-bikes are a great addition to their current patrols, which include normal vehicles and scrambler motorbikes.

He said it is a cost-effective way for the city to increase its patrolling capabilities, and to fight crime around Cape Town.

About the bicycles

The Greyp G12S is the latest Greyp electric bicycle.

The bike has an 80-minute recharging time, and 3 pre-set riding modes: street, eco, and power.

The G12S features a newly-developed battery pack, which is light and has a high capacity.

More on bicycles

10 great gadgets to make your bicycle better

Great e-bikes to make fitness crazed cyclists envious
As owner of this blog, I bear no responsibility to what other contributors/bloggers may post. I encourage all to speak freely without indulging in libel or defamatory content. Anyone who feels offended by any posting can email me and I will remove the offending article if appropriate. Contact me at redbeansg@yahoo.com redbean
Editors note: The author is a Foreign Service Officer currently serving in Burma whose permanent residence is in the Napa Valley. This is part of an occasional series of pieces about his familys transition to a new land. The views expressed in this article are his alone and do not necessarily reflect those of the Department of State. The Department of State has reviewed this article.

Many things have changed since we arrived in Burma last July (Landing in Burma, Sept. 13, 2015).

Most obviously, the weather. Winter arrived. Months of endless grey punctuated by ferocious downpours have been replaced by sunny, warm days. Mold has retreated, and sunscreen, not umbrellas, is the must for every outing. It is only the fact that some Rangoon residents wear thick sweaters or jackets in the early morningwhen the temperature barely dips below 70 degreesthat gives a premonition of what summer will be like.

Winter is the time to travel in Burma, and we have taken full advantage: a short trip to the beach near the Irrawaddy delta to the west, a week traveling through the uplands of Shan state to the northeast, and four nights on a boat moving from island to island off Burmas southern coast, sharing the Andaman Sea with squid fishermen.

For a country roughly the size of Texas and having more than the population of California, Burmas human and natural diversity is stunning. In the area around Kengtung in Shan State, our guide told us there were 14 distinct ethnic groups. Our first day there, we passed through three villages in the space of a few miles on a single hillsideAkha, Ann, and Lahu.

While they make a similar living from the land, the language of a given group is often unintelligible to another and their customs are different. Women of the Ann tribe deliberately blacken their teeth by chewing beetle nut and tree bark. They apparently find it attractive. Our guide said it also helped protect the teeth from decay, but I wasnt convinced.

For sheer beauty, though, I cant imagine anything that can compare with our trip through the Mergui archipelago in the Andaman Sea. We visited island after island with forested hills rushing down to white sand beaches, and turquoise waterswith no one around. I often had to pinch myself to make sure it was real.

Maybe weve been lucky, but so far the fruits far outweigh the challenges of traveling outside Yangon. The biggest challenge proved making arrangements in advancenecessary, but not easy in a country where e-commerce is just starting. The hassles of travel themselves have proved relatively minor, more a reflection of Burmas level of development and history than a real annoyance.

At the domestic terminal in Rangoon, for instance, the flight signboard and announcements give no useful information; instead, someone walks through the waiting area with a sign when a flight is ready to depart. And when arriving at regional domestic airports, passports must be surrendered to the immigration desk, where officers meticulously copy down each persons biographic and visa information. For our party of 10 (the five of us and five visitors), that took half an hour. And yes, the bathrooms most places could be better.

Compensating for these hassles is how welcoming the Burmese are to Westerners. Indeed, they are almost too friendly for the taste of our children, who turn almost every Burmese with a smartphone into a paparazzi. Each child reacts differently: Ben (7) turns away; Noor (2) obligingly says cheese; and Kate (3) strikes back.

One time, a lady signaled excitedly to us in Kawthaung airport in Burmas south. When we came over, she proudly showed us on her iPad a picture of Kate taken outside a Buddhist shrine in Shan state. Kate rejoiced; her parents were somewhat aghast.

Weve also taken advantage of the nice weather to explore Rangoon more fully. Small historical sites are scattered throughout the city. The tomb of Indias last Mughal emperor, sent by the British to a lonely exile in Rangoon upon the defeat of the Indian Mutiny in 1858, sits in a nondescript city block. Near the port, the Botataung pagoda complex encloses not only relic of Buddhas hair but also a bronze Buddha statue taken by the British when they defeated the last Burmese King in Mandalay in 1885 and finally returned to Burma in 1951. And on a hillside near the downtown sits the rambling wooden house of Burmese hero Aung San, whose tragic assassination shortly before Burma gained its independence in 1948 augured many years of suffering to come.

We are lucky to be living in Burma at a time of historic change. Parliamentary elections in November delivered a landslide victory for the National League for Democracy, the party of Aung Sans daughter Aung San Suu Kyi. The NLD-controlled parliament will now select a president to lead the country in April, largely ending over 50 years of military and quasi-military rule.

The transition is partial because the military remains autonomous, and the military-drafted constitution allows the Commander-in-Chief to nominate several key ministers and appoint 25 percent of the parliament (enough to veto constitutional change).

It is easy to criticize the current constitutional arrangement: it does not meet democratic standards, and there is little prospect for accountability for crimes committed by the military regime. It is harder to criticize the process, however, particularly for someone  like myself  who has also worked extensively on the Middle East during a much more turbulent and violent period of transition. Burmas leaders  in the regime and opposition  have this time chosen to pursue a process of gradual, negotiated change.

It has been exciting to work as an American diplomat during this time. We in the Embassy did all we could to ensure Burmas elections were credible. We funded experts providing technical assistance to Burmas election commission and political parties. We tracked problems that arose, issuing occasional public statements and meeting frequently with government officials, political party leaders, and members of civil society to urge adherence to best practices. And we sent teams of Embassy observers throughout Burma on Election Day.

My role that day was less exciting: I headed the overnight shift in the Embassys communications center, tracking our teams as they returned to their hotels and keeping State Department officials in Washington informed of events on the ground. What struck me most was how many of our teams reported voters voluntarily thanked them, saying the fact the international communityand United States, in particularwere watching so closely gave them the confidence their vote would be counted.

The history of repression, civil violence, and military control in Burma is palpable. Travel is restricted or heavily monitored in some parts of the country. Residents once had to register overnight visitors at their homes. Special branch police have videotaped meetings Ive conducted outside Rangoon, and locals frequently lower their voices when discussing politics with me in the park.

Our role as American diplomats going forward is to help Burma succeed as its transition unfolds and it seeks to leave this history behind. We value the democracy that is taking root in Burma in and of itself. And a democratic, stable and prosperous Burma is in our countrys interest, leading to more trade and investment opportunities for our companies and making Burma a more likely partner in tackling some of the regional and international problems both countries care about.

Our familys transition also continues. Ben and Kate are settled in school, and the cries of I want to go back to California or Washington, D.C. are becoming fewer. They are making friends, trying new foods, and building a repertoire of favorite places. We hope that living in Burma is an experience our children remember for the rest of their lives. Not just as an adventure, though it is that. Not just because it is different than America, though it is that as well. We hope they remember Burma as a place that sparked their interest in the broader world and our place as citizens in it.
For the last year and a half, San Francisco Bay Area woodwind experthas been digging into the music of jazz legend Jackie McLean with Jacknife, Lugerners hard-hitting West Coast post-bop quintet. The group has completed work on an album, The Music of Jackie McLean, slated for release on April 22 by Primary Records, and will be touring the West Coast next month with special guest, the virtuoso pianist and former McLean sideman.Exploring tunes from McLeans seminal early- and mid-1960s Blue Note albums Jacknife, Its Time, Let Freedom Ring, and New Soil, the new album brings together a formidable cast of rising talent, including pianist, bassist, drummer, and trumpeter, all of whom will be on the April shows (with Willis replacing Sears).Larry Willis made his recording debut on McLeans 1965 date Right Now and appeared on the original Jacknife album (1966) and other recordings by the saxophonist. Lugerner connected with Willis last summer at the Stanford Jazz Workshop, where Lugerner has been Manager of Education Programs since 2013 and Willis was a visiting artist.Although Lugerner never had the opportunity to meet McLean, who died in 2006 at age 74, he listened deeply to the alto giants recordings as he was coming up. I studied with alto saxophonist, who studied directly with McLean at the Hartt School in the early 1990s, says Lugerner. Mike was a huge influence on me when I was in college. And during his undergrad years at the New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music Lugerner took an orchestra class with trumpet great, who played such an important role in McLeans mid-60s bands.The modal opening track On the Nile, a piece by Tolliver, debuted on McLeans Jacknife, which was recorded in 1965 but only released a decade later. The unaccountably shelved album also provided Climax, an impressive composition by, who was making his recording debut. Both tunes eschew harmonic complexity in favor of sinuous melodies that allow soloists to generate hurtling momentum. For Lugerner, its a sound that embodies the roiling environment of New York, the grittiness, the hustle and fast-paced lifestyle, the energy that the city brought to their lives. On the Nile takes no prisoners, but its accessible, a modal, vampy piece that hits a few key centers. In a way it anticipates developments in rock and hip-hop.Like fellow altoistsand, McLean infused much of what he played with the feel of blues, whether or not the tune itself was a blues. The jaunty hard-bop anthem Hip Strut from New Soil was the tune that turned Lugerner into a McLean devotee during his first year at the New School. He included another classic JayMac blues Das Dat, from Its Time, a consistently thrilling album with Tolliver, Herbie Hancock, Cecil McBee, and Roy Haynes. The best-known piece on the new album, McLeans mischievously lyrical Melody for Melonae, hails from Let Freedom Ring, a quartet session with Walter Davis Jr., Herbie Lewis, and Billy Higgins.I chose all the tunes because the melodies were super-strong, Lugerner says. Id listen to the albums and these are the songs Id hum walking down the street. I love the juxtaposition of Melody for Melonae and then this straight-ahead blues. I think Ornette and Jackie were the two bluesiest players that have ever existed.Lugerners collaborators are similarly inspired by McLeans music. Hailing from Portland, Oregon, and based in Los Angeles, trumpeter JJ Kirkpatrick has gained attention with the Sophisticated Lady Jazz Quartet. New York-reared drummer Michael Mitchell is making waves on the Bay Area scene with the electro-acoustic Negative Press Project. Bassist Garret Lang, whos now based in his native Los Angeles, has recorded with emerging players such as saxophonist Ben Flocks and reed player Levon Henry. And pianist Richard Sears, a Bay Area native now based in New York, is a rapidly rising star who released an acclaimed 2015 trio session Skyline and recently recorded his six-part suite for drum legend Tootie Heath, whos featured on the project (along with Lugerner and Lang).In a relatively short period of time, 27-year-old Bay Area native Steven Lugerner has collaborated with a heavyweight roster of jazz masters, including pianist, percussionist, tenor saxophonist, altoist, soprano saxophonist, flutist, and drummer. Last years digital-only release Gravitations Vol. II was a gorgeous duo project that places piano great Fred Hersch in an entirely new context.A skilled and diversified woodwind doubler on saxophones, bass clarinet, B-flat clarinet, oboe, English horn, flute, and alto flute, Lugerner is suitably focusing on the alto saxophone for his work with Jacknife: This is one project where I can bring just one horn.Steven Lugerner & Jacknife, featuring Larry Willis:Thursday 4/14 Cafe Pink House, Saratoga, CAFriday 4/15 Red Poppy Art House, San Francisco, CASaturday 4/16 Wilfs, Portland, ORSunday 4/17 The Royal Room, Seattle, WAMonday 4/18 Stanford Coffee House, Palo Alto, CAThursday 4/21 KPFA (The Hear and Now with Derk Richardson), Berkeley, CAFriday 4/22 Piedmont Piano, Oakland, CASaturday 4/23 Cafe Stritch, San Jose, CA
The forgotten crimes of the past can revive in the present, Polish journalist of Jewish descent, Konstanty Gebert , also known as David Warszawski, told Armenian News  NEWS.am correspondent.

Mr Warszawski regularly publishes articles about the position of modern Turkey (including the Armenian Cause) in leading Polish newspapers (including Gazeta Wyborcza).

Warszawski visited Turkey as early as in his childhood. He has kind acquaintances among Turks and Turkish Armenians, and overall he has very warm memories about Turkey.

According to him, the Armenians slaughter in the Ottoman Empire over a century ago was one of the first genocides of the 20th century. The Turkish government still doesnt want to acknowledge it, deeply insulting the memory of the victims and harming the interests of the Turkish nation itself. The protection of the historical lie is considered as protection of the honor of the nation and state, but actually everything is the other way round: the conscience of modern Turks doesnt ache from the Turks crime in 1915. However by defending these crimes, they lose respect from outside and encourage national hysteria, which impedes solving the other problems of the Turkish society, starting from the Kurdish issue, the journalist said.

But the memory on the Armenian Genocide is not only a Turkish-Armenian problem. This is the issue of the entire humanity, since knowing how the society got to the genocide and what its repercussions were will help prevent new crimes. The absence of the public attention to the Armenian Genocide untied the hands of Nazi Germany in deciding on the Genocide of the Jews, during which the significant part of my family died. Thats why I feel pain and anger about the fact that Israel, which grew in flames of Shoah, still refuses to acknowledge the slaughter of Armenians as Genocide.

I understand certain motives of the Turkish authorities: its clear that they dont want the Ottoman Empire to be compared with the Third Reich. I also understand certain motives of the Israeli authorities: they still count on good relations with a strong Middle East neighbor. At the same time I understand what the international community thinks: how long can they deal with the history of the killed, regardless of whether they are herero, Armenians, Jews, Roma, Tutsi or others, annihilated or persecuted nations? People of good will think that we can no longer deal with the past.

But if we stop, the past of others can become our present. The memory about the victims stems from not only a fundamental moral duty  although this is enough  but also one's own well-realized interest. By forgetting a crime, we open doors to it, David Warszawski said.
Italy's first female prime minister, Giorgia Meloni, sworn in

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Ankara decides to stand up for Riyadh amid deteriorating relations between Saudi Arabia and U.S.

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The much delayed meeting between foreign secretaries of India and Pakistan is likely to take place at the picturesque hill retreat of Pokhara in Nepal on the sidelines of SAARC- related meetings which are scheduled to start from tomorrow. Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar, who is also Joint Secretary (SAARC), and External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj will be travelling to Nepal for the SAARC meetings in Pokhara between March 14-17. Mr Jaishankar was to meet his Pakistani counterpart Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry in Islamabad on January 14 but the terror attack on the IAF's Pathankot airbase on January 2 derailed the entire peace process, set rolling after a sudden stopover in Lahore by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Mr Modi's visit to Lahore was preceded by a series of meetings in December. The NSAs of both the sides had a secret meeting in Bangkok followed by Ms Swaraj's visit to Islamabad during which the two sides decided to resume the structured dialogue, with a new name "Comprehensive Composite dialogue" that included new subject matters. Unlike in the past, Pakistan was not in a denial mode, when the Indian security agencies confronted authorities in Islamabad with concrete proofs of involvement of Jaish-e-Mohammad terrorists in the Pathankot terror attack. More UNI MK SB 1010 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0090-633741.Xml
At 42, being pregnant is not exactly a cake walk and less so when you discover that you are carrying twins. But even before one can savour this, what if a thunderbolt strikes plunging one into the depths of misery if told you were suffering from cancer.For Leslie (name changed), who underwent this cruel experience, it was like falling with a sharp thud from Cloud nine when doctors confirmed that she had breast cancer.She was in her 20th week of pregnancy and faced with the biggest dilemma. Her doctor told her that the normal practice was to terminate the pregnancy and proceed with chemotherapy. She was advised to go in for abortion because of the accompanying high risk involved.Seeking a second opinion, the woman arrived in the national capital. Surgeons at the initial consultation at a Delhi hospital, however, appeared more upbeat that even in such a complicated case as hers, she could continue with her pregnancy and simultaneously treat her cancer.The case of a pregnant woman with breast cancer undergoing chemotherapy and breast conservation surgery is not common and rarely shows up in 30-40 years of practice.A multi-disciplinary board comprising a medical oncologist, radio oncologist, surgical oncologist, gynaecologists and foetal medicine specialists from the hospital was created and the patient's case was discussed in a joint meeting. Literature review was also done to analyse the management of such patients. The board was emphatic that breast cancer could be treated amid the progression of pregnancy. More importantly, they opted for resurgery followed by chemotherapy with no untoward effects on the foetuses.MORE UNI SD SB 0953 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0098-634244.Xml
Coming out in support of embezzled businessman Vijay Mallya, Ex-Executive Director of Kingfisher Airlines Parvez Damania on Sunday said the liquor baron was not absconding from the country, and would soon return to sort out all the pending issues. While talking to ANI Damania said, "Foremost, I would like to say that he has not fled the country. He might have gone abroad to avoid the heat and tensed atmosphere in the nation. I believe that he would sort out all the outstanding issues, including bank debts and also clear his dues, pay the salary to its employees, which are long-standing. I am sure he will do the needful." When questioned about a Hyderabad Court issuing non-bailable warrant against Mallya for allegedly defaulting payments and cheating by issuing cheques that bounced, Damania said: "I think Mallya is more than capable in sorting out such issue, I am sure he will pay that amount." A Hyderabad Court has issued non-bailable warrants against Mallya and his defunct company Kingfisher Airlines' Chief Financial Officer A. Raghunath, and directed the duo to appear before the court on April 13. (ANI)
The Opposition DMK President M Karunanidhi and Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) Founder Dr S Ramadoss today appealed to the farmers not to take the extreme step of committing suicide for unable to pay the bank loan dues due to crop losses. In a statement here, Mr Karunanidhi expressed grief and anguish over the suicide of a young farmer Azhagar at Orathur village in Ariyalur district of Tamil Nadu on Friday. He said close on the heels of the assault on a farmer Balan in Thanjavur district by police and private bank personnel over non-payment of loan borrowed for purchase of tractor, Azhagar had ended his life by consuming pesticide after his tractor was seized by the private finance company for defaulting on a loan taken for the vehicle. The DMK Chief said Azhagar had taken a loan of Rs seven lakh for purchasing a tractor from a private finance company and was said to have re-paid about Rs five lakh. But he could not pay the remaining instalments due to losses following which a group of staff of the private finance company seized the tractor, abused and insulted the farmer in public. Following this, Azhagar committed suicide. he added. Condemning harassment of farmers and seizure of the vehicles by banks and financial institutions, Mr Karunanidhi appealed to the farmers not to commit suicide. Stating that the elections were due in two months, he appealed to the farmers to wait for blossoming of a farmer-friendly government that would redress all their grievances. Meanwhile, Dr Ramadoss, in a statement wanted waiver of the farm loans availed by farmers to put an end to such suicides. Quoting statistics from the National Crime Records Bureau, he said a total of 2,423 farmers have committed suicide from 2011 to 2015 and said waiver of the loans availed by them would be the only solution to put an end to such suicides. Pointing out that the Andhra Pradesh and Telangana governments have waived the farm loans following suicides by farmers, Dr Ramadoss said in Tamil Nadu also the loans should be waived. Stating that his party has promised that it would waive all the loans availed by farmers, he said after the elections there would be a full stop to the farm loans and the suicide by the farmers.UNI GV VS 1130 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0415-634482.Xml
Police sources here said that the thunder storm and rains led to the collapse of a double storied building at Kuri village on theHapur-Meerut highway this morning at 0400 hrs.

In the incident Vijay Pal(55), his pregnant daughter-in-law Suman(22), his grand children Durjan(5), Mahesh (4) and Khushi(2) died after they were buried alive.

In the incident Vijay Pal's son Prince and Narendra and his uncle were injured and have been admitted to the hospital.

The district authorities have also announced to provide compensation to the family of the deceased.UNI MB PS SB RK1216

-- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0196-634436.Xml
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Sunday hit out at Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad for drawing a parallel between the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIS), saying that the grand old party was afflicted by 'flawed vision'. "Statement of a senior Congress leader comparing @RSSorg with a terrorist outfit is shocking. Such mindset shows total ideological bankruptcy," Chouhan said in a series of tweets. Asserting that the Congress was afflicted by flawed vision, he added that the grand old party can never understand the high ideals of RSS, whose volunteers are 'selfless and true patriotic' heroes of India. "Sadly enough, Congress is destroying rich traditions of healthy politics. Even the most bitter critics of @RSSorg never drew such comparison," the Chief Minister said in another tweet. Meanwhile, Congress leader Digvijay Singh came out in full support of Azad, saying the RSS and ISS are the two faces of the same coin. "I totally endorse and support Ghulam Nabi Azad when he condemned ISIS as strongly as he condemned RSS. They are two faces of the same coin," Singh tweeted. Azad had yesterday kicked a row after he sought to draw a parallel between the RSS and ISIS, evoking sharp responses from the Hindutva outfit and the BJP, which demanded an apology from him. "So, we oppose organisations like ISIS, the way we oppose RSS. If those among us in Islam too do wrong things, they are no way less than RSS," the Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha said at an event organised by Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind. The RSS in response slammed Azad, saying that such a remark showed intellectual bankruptcy of the grand old party. "Mr. Ghulam Nabi Azad comparing ISIS with RSS, exhibits the intellectual bankruptcy of Congress," RSS leader J Nand Kumar said at a press conference. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is planning to give a calling attention notice against Azad in the Rajya Sabha. (ANI)
Liquor baron and chief of the now defunct Kingfisher airlines Vijay Mallya, who is facing proceedings in the Supreme Court for Rs 9,000 crore bank loan default, today expressed the hope that one day he would go back to India but felt that the time was not right for his return. ''I am an Indian to the core. Of course I want to return. But I am not sure I will get a fair chance to present my side,'' the international businessman, who left India for the UK on March 2, told Sunday Guardian in an e-mail interview. He said he had already been branded a criminal and passions against him were high, but wished people could think rationally and understand that all business, whether big or small, involved risks. Mr Mallya tried to play down his bank loans default saying that these were business matters and the bank gave loan knowing the risks involved.''Don't make me the villain. I have the best intentions. I am quiet because I fear my words will be twisted like of others,'' he said. ''India has given me everything. It made me Vijay Mallya,'' he said. The liquor baron again sought to point out that it was not the first time that he had flown out of the country and accused media houses of spreading lies against him. Mr Mallya said he was feeling sad that a person like him who had always lived an open life was being forced To go into hiding.''I've lived grand and helped people to do so. I've never hidden any aspect about my life. I'm one of the most open people. I'm forced to go into hiding and that makes me sick,'' he said.In a tweet this morning, he also said that he was being hunted down by the media in the United Kingdom. UNI NAZ SB RP1400 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0091-634614.Xml
Telugu Desam Party former MLA Parvatha Chittibabu died of a cardiac arrest in a private hospital here today. Mr.Chittibabu was rushed to a corporate hospital as soon as he felt pain in the chest. However, he died while undergoing treatment. He had served as MLA from Prathipadu constituency from 2009-14. Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, Deputy Chief Minister Nimmakayala Chinarajappa, TDP National General Secretary N Lokesh were among those who condoled his death. The funeral will be held herethis evening, family sources said.UNI DP CS 1320 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0415-634591.Xml
Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS) will organise a sit-in demonstration to protest against the Centre as well as state government's "anti-labourer" policies at Dussehra ground in Govindpura area here on Tuesday."The BMS will demonstrate for its 26-point charter of demand. As many as two lakh labourers from all corner of the state will take part in the rally. The organisation is very much concern about the problems of labourers," BMS state General Secretary KP Singh told reporters here today.Mr Singh said discontent prevailed among labourers over the alleged anti-labourer policies.Among other demands are the minimum wages should be Rs 15,000, regularisation of daily wagers, amendment in the labour law should be rolled back, anganwadi workers should be declared government servants and many other pro-labourer demands.Mr Singh also warned that a statewide agitation would be launched if the government failed to meet their charter of demands.UNI BAG-BDG PS SB SB1356 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0044-634604.Xml
Three people have been arrested in connection to the February 6 killing of a couple near Shamator, under Tuensang district.The couple was resident of Kiphire town, the district headquarters. According to Tuensang police, the arrests were made on March 9 by the special investigation team (SIT) instituted to probe the case. The three were arrested following weeks of relentless search operations in remote areas of Kiphire and Tuensang district. Their identities have not been disclosed citing security concerns. The search operations finally resulted in the arrest of three persons, who are suspected to have been involved in the February 6 killing, the Tuensang police said. Without disclosing the location where the arrests were occurred, the Tuensang police said on March 9, the SIT assisted by the Nagaland Armed Police (Indian Reserve Battalion) and the Tuensang police mounted search operations in "targeted areas falling under Shamator sub-division."As per the Tuensang police, the arrests have enabled the SIT make headway in the investigation as interrogation of the three suspects has "unraveled many key links," however, further investigations are on. UNI AS AKM PY SB SB1340 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0213-634557.Xml
Telangana Chief Minister K.Chandrasekhar Rao today took exception to Congress members' charge that the Governor's address was a "Manifesto of the ruling TRS''. Replying to the discussion on the motion of thanks to the Governor's address in the Assembly, the Chief Minister said by making such observations "we belittle ourselves". The address reflected the government's programmes and policies. Questioning the Congress members, Mr.Rao asked them whether their party had fulfilled its 2009 poll manifesto. He said on the other hand the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) government, except the KG to PG scheme, it had implemented 90 per cent of its poll promises. During the Congress regime, Industrialists used to stage dharnas near Indira Park demanding proper power supply but after the TRS took over the reins of power in the state, 24 hours quality power supply was being provided to industry and farm sectors. Mr.Rao said, one of the state government's schemes-the Bhagirathi drinking water programme had been taken as a role model by the Uttar Pradesh government.UNI SMS/VV CS 1410 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0415-634655.Xml
For developing Horticulture in the state, the Telangana government has proposed to develop 3- 4 clusters for each district based on soil type for fruits, vegetables, spices, flowers and other items for self sufficiency. Replying to a question in the House today, Agriculture Minister Pocharam Srinivas Reddy said the proposed clusters will be established by considering the population, requirement, present availability and assessing the demand and supply gap of corporation, municipalities with surrounding villages of that area besides to met Hyderabad requirement. As a part of the programme initially the proposals is being preparing to take up one cluster in each district as a model from 2016-2017, the Minister said.UNI VV VV ADB1834 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0415-635046.Xml
A Village Revenue Officer (VRO) was killed when the bike which he was raiding hit by a police vehicle at Ungaturu village in West Godavari district today and the furious villagers gheroed the police official. Police said that the deceased N Shanmukha Rambabu (44) was working VRO to Kukkanuru village. The police vehicle in which DSP was going towards TP Gudem knocked down the bike killing him on the spot. Villagers alleged that after the mishap, the vehicle did not stop and the villagers chased and overpowered the vehicle at seven kilometers away. The villagers brought the vehicle back to the accident site and gheroad the police officer. They organised rasta roko for sometime on the busy Chennai-Kolkata highway.UNI DP VV ADB1850 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0415-635109.Xml
The sand mafias are once again on the rise in the district where one of them assaulted the police constable Asha More for asking licence of extraction of sand from the Paina Ganga basin, and threatened her to kill.Illegal extraction of sand in the district is not a new thing. It is extracted from the basins of the Godavari, the Manyad, the Lendi and from the Paina Ganga river. The spots of extraction are primarily located in Nanded, Biloli, Degloor, Dharmabad, Naigao and Mahur tehsils. The sand mafias extract sand from the spots which have not been allotted and extract more than the permission granted to them.The incident occurred in Mahur Tehsil of the district at Vai Bazaar area where the women constable Asha Baliram Gore stopped a truck carrying a legally extracted sand and asked about its licence but instead of producing it, the sand mafia attacked her and threatened to kill. The Sindhkhed police have filled a case against the accused who absconded from the site.UNI XR/VKB NP JW RJ BD1950 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0169-634982.Xml
As per the order of the Mukhed court, the police have filed a case against the 13 accused including one tehsildar, for misappropriation of amount in the Maharashtra Employment Guarantee Scheme (MEGS).Various works including laying of roads, construction of weirs, digging of wells and others were done at the Tagyal village in Mukhed tehsil of the district under the MEGS with the help of a JCB machine. The work was done without deploying labourers even then the list of the labourers included names of the persons who were in government jobs and names of the dead persons.The doctored record was prepared during the year 2011 to 2013 and job cards of lacks of rupees were prepared. A complaint about the alleged misappropriation of amount was lodged by Santosh Ramrao Bansode against the various accused including the then teshildar Praveen Fulari, the sarpanch of the village Shantabai Vankar, Tanaji Patil, Shivaji Chavan, the Block Development Officer T K Navale, G L Remod, Datta Ailwad, the extension officer A K Dhanavade, G Z Sangvikar, the sub divisional engineer V V Singanwad, J D Kamble and the extension officer Maruti Chitkulwar, Vasanat Rawangaokar. On the basis of the complaint, the Mukhed Court yesterday issued an order and accordingly the Mukhed Police have filed cases against the accused and investigation was being done by Sub Inspector of police Suresh Bansode.UNI XR/VKB NP JW RJ BD1925 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0169-634996.Xml
Laryica Hawkins was an African-American professor of political science at Wheaton College until last month. In 2014, she became the first African-American woman to receive tenure at Wheaton. There were no questions about her academic or teaching skills. Indeed, she has been honored for her pedagogy. Like the best teachers, she challenged her students to think. So, this past autumn, after hearing Pope Francis himself speak about how Muslims and Christians worship the same God, she decided to wear a hijab or head scarf as an act of solidarity with Muslim women during the advent season. Although Wheaton is often viewed as an elite evangelical Christian school, Hawkins remarks set off a controversy that ended in her separation from the college. It is interesting to note that within the past week she accepted a position at the University of Virginia.

The saying that all people worship the same God is a popular one among well-meaning people. Many Christians and Jews view such an attitude as the basis for interfaith cooperation. This attitude allows people of various religious traditions to sit through prayers and invocations at civic events by clergy who do not represent their own traditions. It was such an attitude that enabled Jewish, Eastern Orthodox, Unitarian Universalist, and Catholic clergy to walk together with the Baptist Martin Luther King Jr. at Selma. In the days following the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, President George W. Bush made it a point of telling people that his belief was that Muslims worshiped the same God, and should not be persecuted on the basis of their religion. I would point out that the obverse of Hawkins statement would be that we live in a world of competing gods who are at war with one another. If we go there, we risk getting back to the teachings in the Old Testament on destroying and defacing the stone gods of others, or the Taliban and Islamic State behaviors of destroying classic statues because they are sacred to another religious tradition.

Do we really want a war of the gods?

Speaking in her own defense, Hawkins emphasized the fact that she is an orthodox Christian. According to the February 2016 issue of Chicago Magazine, Professor Hawkins has been challenged by the Wheaton administration several times in the past. Among her sins were participating in a gay pride festival, including sexuality in a course description, and for her statements on black liberation theology. In each case, she was forced to reaffirm her acceptance of Wheatons Statement of Faith and Educational Purpose.

I suspect that professor Hawkins was also a victim of our political climate. In some circles, it has become acceptable behavior, if not politically advantageous, to attack anything related to Islam.

I also wonder how much the fact that Hawkins is both an African-American and a woman has to do with the controversy. There are reasons why 11 a.m. Sunday is still the most segregated hour of the week, and reproductive rights are still challenged by many religious conservatives.

I am not an evangelical Christian. Still, I feel sad about the fact that witch hunts such as this are still going on in our society.

What has made the United States such a great nation has been our ability to integrate people of diverse religions, as well as races. It is one thing for theologians to debate nuances concerning the various concepts of God that we choose to worship. Indeed, there is at least as much diversity within either Catholicism, Protestantism or Judaism alone as there is between adherents of the various traditions. The same can be said of Islam or Buddhism. As a Unitarian Universalist minister, I delight in the fact that we draw upon wisdom from the worlds great religious teachers, regardless of their tradition. This past week, as I taught our world religions class, I mentioned the fact that all of the major figures from the Jewish and Christian scriptures are included, and honored in the Quran of Islam.

All religions do not teach the same thing, as some would like to say. That is an oversimplification. That is why we have such a wide array of religious teachings. However, when it comes to the actual practice of prayer by a solitary individual, we are talking about something very different. Here, I believe that there is something that unites the Muslim, Jew, Protestant or Catholic. That is the existential grasping for and desire to connect with the one God or ultimate reality that is beyond all of our separate stories of God.

I wish professor Hawkins well in her religious journey, as well as her scholarly one. I respect her for what she is trying to accomplish in bridging divides and challenging people to empathize and think beyond their narrow categories and experiences. Although she is not a Unitarian Universalist, I respect her as a fellow traveler and accomplice in this righteous work of bringing people together.
President Pranab Mukherjee today stressed on the need for speedy justice and an adequate provision for free legal aid in the country. "Greater efforts are also needed to spread legal literacy across the nation and improve the quality of legal education," he said while adding that ''Justice delayed is justice denied''. "I am sure that the Central Government and Uttar Pradesh Government will extend all support to the Allahabad High Court in its endeavour to reduce pendencies. The Governments, Judges and lawyers must work hand in hand ." Inaugurating the sesquicentennial year function of the High Court of Judicature here, the President said that the High Court is the guardian of people's right and justice and High Court of Judicature at Allahabad has the largest jurisdiction in the country covering one-sixth of the country's population. The decisions of the Allahabad High Court have not only benefitted the people of the state but of the entire country. "Increasing the number of courts and judges and judicial officers at all levels is the first step towards achieving the objective of timely delivery of justice. The government and the judiciary are collectively addressing this issue through an ongoing increase in the sanctioned strength of judges both at the level of the High Courts as well as District and Subordinate Courts. These sanctioned posts need to be filled quickly so that requisite judicial manpower is available for timely disposal of cases," he said. Mr Mukherjee said that with increasing the strength of judges, development of judicial infrastructure is a priority area of the government." I am glad that Central Government has initiated a centrally sponsored scheme for infrastructure development and sanctioned Rs 3,694 crores to States/ Union Territories in the last five years, which combined with resources from the States is creating new court complexes and residential buildings for judicial officers across the country," he said.More UNI MB RP AN1858 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0196-635001.Xml
These three militants had been hiding in Chennai since the Adivasi massacre in Assam in December 2014 and had recently returned to the state, with the aim of disrupting Assembly election.

A defence spokesperson said here today that based on specific information of movement of three NDFB (S) cadres, a team of Indian Army launched a joint operation with the Assam Police yesterday arrested ultras moving through village Hakata in Baksa district.

The Cadres have been identified as Jwangsar Boro @ KK, Mohit Mushahari and Pramod Ramchiary @ Khankari @Raja.

They were actively involved in extortion, arms smuggling and other nefarious and anti national activities from around 2009-10 till Adivasi carnage in December 2014 and had run away and sheltered themselves in Chennai, till their return.

Two 7.65mm Pistols along with four live rounds of 7.65mm, One hand grenade and three mobile phones were recovered from the apprehended cadres.

Mohit Mushahari @ pulok is 39 Batch NDFB Cadre trained in Myanmar.UNI SG BM JW RJ AN1839

-- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0214-634965.Xml
Malkangiri District Superintendent of Police Mitrabhanu Mohapatra said the 57 ultra supporters, who surrendered before him, included 25 women. 11 militia members and two village Committee members,

With this, total 265 Maoist sympathisers have surrendered before the police during the last eight days.

According to Police, 150 Maoist supporters, including 13 militia members, 12 village committee members and two Gana Natya members of the outfit from Temrupalli, Pujariguda and Kukurkunda villages under Mathili police limits had surrendered before the security personnel on March 5.

A day later, 39 insurgent supporters from Tembrupalli village under Mathili police station of the district surrendered before the the SP.

As many as 19 Maoist sympathisers had surrendered before police yesterday.

The SP said the ultra sympathisers, who surrendered today, were working for Kalimela Dalam division of CPI (Maoist).

He said all the Maoist supporters who surrendered, would be rehabilitated as per the surrender and Rehabilitation policy of the Odisha Government.UNI BD DP BM RJ AN1945

-- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0214-635073.Xml
A uniformed Maoist was neutralised during an hour-long exchange of fire between a search team of the Central Reserve Police Force's elite Commando Battalion for Resolute Action and a rebel group in Sukma District's Misiguda-Bendra forest today, police said. The gun-battle ensued when the personnel raided an ultra camp. Following the encounter, two pistols, cartridges, outlaw literature, medicines and a massive quantity of daily use items were also seized.UNI XC-SS AC CJ RJ AN2144 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0044-635219.Xml
According to sources, Gavardhana Bhumiya, former sarapanch was on his way to his Tentuligumma home from Tangniguda by a bike when the Maoists stopped him en route and first cut his throat with lethal weapon and later fired at him.

Police on hearing the news rushed the spot, recovered the body and sent for autopsy. Bhumiya was a Maoist militia member some years back and returned to main stream by leaving the Maoist activities.

Koraput SP in charge VR Rao, who visited the spot, said Bhumiya was killed with lethal weapon by unidentified miscreants and they also fired at him.

"We suspected the hand of left wing ultras since there was firing at him," he said adding that the police would examine all possibilities of the killing.

Meanwhile, combing operation has been tightened in the areas and additional police forces were deployed in the Mantriamba and boipariguda pockets anticipating the preence of the Maoist

Remarkably, the BSF camp is just a few kilometer away from the spot where the former sarpanch was hacked to death by the red rebels..

One month back, a trader was killed my Maoist in Danadabadi village of the same block and even, two BSF personnel were killed in landmine blast in the same area.UNI XC DP BM RJ AN2139

-- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0214-635123.Xml
The military accused the armed terrorist groups of violating the cessation of hostilities in the countryside of Hama by shooting down the war jet when it was landing near an airbase, Xinhua reported.

Opposition activists, meanwhile, said the rebels downed the warplane in the northern countryside of Hama, near a military airbase under the government control.

They said the warplane was striking rebel positions in the Kafar Nabodeh town in Hama countryside.

They also posted an online video purporting to show the warplane while striking and later the rebels shooting it down later. The video also showed the pilot parachuting out of his falling jet.

It's not immediately clear whether or not the countryside of Hama is controlled by rebels who are included in the cessation of hostilities plan, as the United Nations has excluded the Al Qaeda-linked Nusra Front and the Islamic State from the deal.

--Indo-Asian News Service vr/

( 186 Words)

2016-03-13-03:06:41 (IANS)
The signal to attack came from the mosque, sending dozens of Islamist fighters storming through the Tunisian town of Ben Guerdan to hit army and police posts in street battles that lit the dawn sky with tracer bullets.Militants used a megaphone to chant "God is Great," and reassure residents they were Islamic State, there to save the town near the Libyan border from the "tyrant" army. Most were Tunisians themselves, with local accents, and even some familiar faces, officials and witnesses to Monday's attack said.Hours later, 36 militants were dead, along with 12 soldiers and seven civilians, in an assault authorities described as an attempt by Islamic State to carve out terrain in Tunisia.Whether Islamic State aimed to hold territory as they have in Iraq, Syria and Libya, or intended only to dent Tunisia's already battered security, is unclear and the group has yet to officially claim the attack.But as fuller details of the Ben Guerdan fighting emerge, the incident highlights the risk Tunisia faces from home-grown jihadists drawn to Iraq, Syria and Libya, and who have threatened to bring their war back home.Despite Tunisian forces' preparations to confront returning fighters, and their defeat of militants in Ben Guerdan, Monday's assault shows how the country is vulnerable to violence spilling over from Libya as Islamic State expands there.Authorities are still investigating the Ben Guerdan attack. But most of the militants appear to have been already in the town, with a few brought in from Libya. Arms caches were deposited around the city before the assault."Most of them were from Ben Guerdan, we know their faces. They knew where to find the house of the counter-terrorist police chief," one witness, Sabri Ben Saleh, told Reuters. "They were driving round in a car filled with weapons, my neighbours said they knew some of them."Troops have killed 14 more militants around Ben Guerdan since Monday. Others have been arrested and more weapons seized.ISLAMIC STATEOfficials say they are still determining if the militants had been in Libya before or had returned from fighting with Islamic State overseas. But that such a large number of militants and arms were in Tunisia is no surprise.After its revolt in 2011 to topple Zine El-Abidine Ben Ali, Tunisia has struggled with growing Islamic militancy.More than 3,000 Tunisians have left to fight with Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, according to government estimates. Tunisian security sources say many are with Islamic State in Libya.Gunmen trained in Libya were blamed for attacks on tourists at the Bardo Museum in Tunis a year ago and at a beach hotel in Sousse in June.Tunisians also play a major role in Islamic State in Libya where they run training camps, according to Tunisian security sources.But the scale of Monday's attack was unprecedented. The militants were well-organized, handing out weapons to their fighters from a vehicle moving through the city, with knowledge of the town and its military barracks."We came across a group of terrorists with their Kalashnikovs, and they told us: 'Don't worry we are not here to target you. We are the Islamic State and we are here for the tyrants in the army,'" said Hassein Taba, a local resident.The attack tests Tunisia at a difficult time. After Islamic State violence last year, the tourism industry that represents 7 per cent of the economy is struggling to tempt visitors to return.With its new constitution, free elections and secular history, Tunisia is a target for jihadists looking to upset a young democracy just five years after the overthrow of dictator Ben Ali."The battle of Ben Guerdane in Tunisia, 20 miles from the Libyan border ... is proof enough that the Islamic State has cells far and wide," said Geoff Porter, at North Africa Risk Consulting. "But what these cells can reliably do ... and how they are directed by Islamic State leadership in Sirte, let alone in Iraq and Syria, is not known."AIR STRIKESIslamic State has grown in Libya over the past year and half, coopting local fighters, battling with rivals and taking over the town of Sirte, now its main base.That has worried Tunisian authorities, who have built a border trench and tightened controls along nearly 200-km of the frontier with Libya.Western military experts are training Tunisians to protect a porous border where smuggling has been a long tradition. Ben Guerdan is well-known as a smuggling town."There are still some blind spots in intelligence, but they are advancing with the cooperation of neighbouring countries and with the West," said Ali Zarmdini, a Tunisian military analyst.But Tunisia's North African neigbours worry about the spill over impact of any further Western air strikes and military action against Islamic State in Libya.After a US air strike killed 40 mostly Tunisian militants in the Libyan town of Sabratha last month, Tunisian forces went on alert for any cross-border incursions.Just days before the Ben Guerdan attack, Tunisian troops killed five militants who tried to cross from Libya.But the fact that even after that setback, militants mustered a force of 50 fighters to strike the town shows the group's ability to keep testing the Tunisian military.REUTERS PS SB1341 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0421-634615.Xml
Germans turned out in force to vote in three state elections on Sunday, with the anti-immigration Alternative for Germany (AfD) party looking to profit from popular angst about Chancellor Angela Merkel's welcome of more than a million migrants.The election is the biggest test year of the German public response to the influx, totalling more than a million last year alone and showing no sign of halting, of refugees and other migrants from the Middle East, Central Asia and Africa.Merkel, who says Germany is a rich enough country to host desperate people and has a moral obligation to shelter those in danger, has staked her reputation on her management of the unprecedented influx, which has come to define her leadership.Her conservative Christian Democrats (CDU) have been losing support to the AfD, which has profited from the growing unease.A poor CDU performance would weaken Merkel just as she tries to push through a deal to resolve the crisis in EU negotiations with Turkey, the country from which most migrants depart by sea to reach the EU through Greece.The AfD argues that Germans have been denied a choice over a policy that could define their country for generations, with Merkel ruling in a "grand coalition" that includes her party's Socialist rivals."There is only one path, a Merkel unity path, and people want an alternative, they want a real opposition and we want to take on that task," Andre Poggenburg, AfD leader in Saxony-Anhalt in former East Germany, told reporters after voting.Voter turnout there and in the two other states holding elections, which with a combined population of some 17 million account for more than a fifth of Germany's 81 million, was well up from the last regional votes five years ago.By midday (1630 IST), turnout was at 25 per cent in Saxony-Anhalt, some 5 per cent higher than 2011, election officials said. In Rhineland-Palatinate, turnout - including postal votes - was at around 40 per cent, up 9 per cent from 2011. Local media in Baden-Wuerttemberg also reported higher voter numbers.The results of exit polls for all three states are expected at around 6 p.m. (2230 IST).A failure to win at least two of the three would be a blow for Merkel just as she is trying to use her status as Europe's most powerful leader to seal an EU deal with Turkey to stem the arrival of migrants.Polls indicate that the CDU will remain the biggest party in Saxony-Anhalt, but the AfD could grab almost a fifth of the vote there and surpass the Social Democrats (SPD), Merkel's coalition partners in Berlin."It is a hopeless situation because there is a lot of hopelessness here," said Erika Schmidt, 86, voting in Wittenberg in Saxony-Anhalt. "But the AfD has no plan. That's why I didn't vote for them."Still, Schmidt was unimpressed with Merkel. Asked if she believed in the chancellor's mantra of "We can do this" during the refugee crisis, she replied: "No, we can't do this.""HEALTHY NERVOUSNESS"In the west, the CDU could lose to the Greens in Baden-Wuerttemberg, where it is currently the largest party. And in Rhineland-Palatinate, where the CDU came a close second last time, the race is too close to call.A poor showing for the CDU would be untimely for Merkel, who still needs to seal the deal with Turkey at a March 17-18 summit. She alarmed many EU leaders last week by foisting the plan on them and demanding their support.In Baden-Wuerttemberg in southwestern Germany, the CDU's candidate to reclaim control of the region from the Greens, admitted he felt some jitters as he turned out to vote."Of course I feel a healthy nervousness, but I am incredibly confident," Guido Wolf told reporters in the town of Tuttlingen.Baden-Wuerttemberg was a CDU stronghold for over 50 years before turning to a Green-led coalition with the SPD in 2011 after Japan's Fukushima nuclear disaster. Polls show the Greens' state premier Winfried Kretschmann, 67, is poised to pip Wolf.Rhineland-Palatinate, a wine-growing region, is shaping up as the pivotal swing state.There, Julia Kloeckner, a 43-year-old former German "wine queen" who has positioned herself as a candidate to succeed Merkel one day, has seen her lead shrink and one poll last week showed her narrowly behind SPD incumbent Malu Dreyer.Asked how she would prepare for the election results, Merkel told a rally on Saturday: "I will cross my fingers." REUTERS JW BL1949 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0364-635211.Xml
Seven people were shot dead on Sunday during an attack on a beach in a resort town in Ivory Coast carried carried out by at least four gunmen, a witness said."I saw seven dead that I filmed. There were four attackers. I was swimming when it started and I ran away," said Dramane Kima, who showed the video of the bodies to Reuters. He also took pictures of grenades and ammunition clips that he believed had been left behind by the attackers.REUTERS CJ BL2225 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0400-635342.Xml
Every five years the Cayuga County Office of Tourism commissions a comprehensive research study to provide us with travel market research that addresses the very unique aspects of Cayuga County as a tourism destination, explores visitation patterns, identifies market segments that drive tourism and generate both overnight and repeat visitors, and evaluates the overall return on investment potential for Cayuga Countys tourism marketing programs. This data is used to guide our planning process and helps create a strategic roadmap for Cayuga County tourism for the next five years through 2020.

In 2015, the Cayuga County Office of Tourism contracted with the Young Strategies, a firm specializing in research and strategic planning for the travel industry, to prepare an online survey instrument to document the profile of visitors to the county, capture visitor perceptions of Cayuga County as a destination, and identify the attractors that induce overnight, multiple-night and repeat visitors.

So what does the average Cayuga County visitor look like and what do they do while they are here? The average visitor is 56 years old, well-educated and traveling by car to Cayuga County for leisure purposes. Some of the top activities for visitors to Cayuga County include going to wineries and breweries, attending festivals and events and visiting friends and relatives. We also asked visitors to indicate their level of interest in possible new activities and experiences by providing them with a list to choose from. Highest rated among the listed items was lakeside dining at Emerson Park, which gives our community leaders something to think about for the future. This could mean everything from having a food truck rodeo available to a permanent year-round restaurant. The possibilities are yet to be defined, but the interest is definitely there.

The survey also told us that visitors are spending more in Cayuga County than when they were surveyed five years ago, especially on lodging, dining and shopping, with fine and local culinary dining rating especially highly, supporting the popular farm-to-table trend being seen nationally. Specific attractions that rated very high in popularity were the Merry-Go-Round Playhouse, Cayuga Lake, MacKenzie-Childs and the Seward House Museum. Outdoor activities, ranging from just enjoying the scenic beauty to participating in activities such as hiking, bird-watching and boating, also garnered significant responses. We found that our domestic visitors are largely coming from other parts of New York state, Pennsylvania and New Jersey, with international visitors primarily coming from Canada. In addition, we asked our visitors what we could do to improve their experience in Cayuga County. While many said "nothing," many others said they would like to have more shopping and dining opportunities.

Equipped with this updated information, the Cayuga County Office of Tourisms board and staff are committed to a five-year strategic plan that will provide a framework for our specific goals to continue to develop Cayuga County tourism and make us a destination of choice, thereby stimulating economic growth and the quality of life for area residents.

Key elements of the plan include sharing our data with local development and government leadership, updating the Tour Cayuga brand, fine-tuning our traditional and digital marketing strategies, building awareness in key markets through public relations efforts, continuing to target the group tour market and developing visitor services training programs. We will also encourage development of visitor experiences identified in the research study, especially in the three core attractor areas of Auburn, Aurora and Fair Haven/Sterling. We hope that by sharing our research findings that we will be a catalyst for new development and redevelopment of existing experiences that will propel Cayuga County tourism businesses and organizations forward. We will conduct an annual in-house review and track our progress, adjusting as the markets and economy dictate, always keeping an eye on the future growth of tourism in Cayuga County.

To read the full research study and strategic plan, visit tourcayuga.com/partners.
BEIRUT  After five years of bloodshed  after a quarter of a million deaths, and the flight of millions of refugees  Syria has arrived at a critical juncture: A diplomatic framework is in place to end the carnage, a two-week-old partial cease-fire is holding, and peace talks are set to resume in coming days.

"The indicators from a distance are all good," said Bassam Barabandi, a Washington-based former Syrian diplomat who now serves as a political adviser to the Syrian opposition. But it's an extremely fragile moment, and the way is still long, he added.

Few think fighting will end altogether, and the efforts could collapse again at any point. Bitter divisions over the future of President Bashar Assad threaten to scuttle any serious negotiations for a political transition in the immediate future. Talk is on the rise that a partition is the best case scenario.

Still, there are numerous indications that the war has reached a point when guns may start giving way to politics.

"We are finishing phase one and moving on to phase two," Barabandi said.

At the heart of the current diplomacy: an internationally shared desire to put an end to a war that has unleashed Islamic extremists across the globe, destabilized neighboring countries and inundated Europe with refugees.

"International opinion is drifting away from the opposition and the idea of political change in Syria," said Aron Lund, nonresident associate of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and editor of Syria in Crisis. "Much of the world just wants stability, an end to terror sanctuaries, a stemming of refugee flows. They don't want to see Syria on the front page of their morning newspapers anymore."

Five years have passed since the uprising began, first with a small protest in downtown Damascus on March 14, 2011, followed a few days later by larger protests in the southern city of Daraa in response to the arrest and torture of high school students who scrawled anti-government graffiti on a school wall.

Coming after a string of so-called Arab Spring uprisings that toppled dictators in Tunisia, Egypt and Libya, the protests triggered panic in the echelons of the Syrian power structure. Security forces responded with brute force. Within a few months, the confrontations morphed into an armed insurgency and the conflict slid into one of the most savage civil wars in recent history.

As the U.S., Iran, Hezbollah, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and ultimately Russia poured in weapons and cash to back up opposing sides of the war, the fighting became more brutal. Massacres were committed on a massive scale, and entire blocks in major cities were reduced to rubble.
DeepMind Mustafa Suleyman

Google DeepMind

Mustafa Suleyman is one of the three DeepMind cofounders.

Google DeepMind, a group of approximately 200 people aiming to solve intelligence in London, is arguably one of the most interesting AI companies operating in the world right now. It made history on March 9 when its AlphaGo system beat the world champion of Go, a Chinese board game that machines have been trying to master for decades.

However, who actually works at Google DeepMind beyond the three cofounders is a bit of a mystery, possibly because Google doesnt want to risk shouting about them and losing its smartest staff to rivals that are also focusing on artificial intelligence, such as Facebook.

DeepMinds talented workforce is likely to have been one of the main reasons that Google decided to spend 400 million on the company last January, so we thought it was about time someone took a look at who actually works there.

DeepMind, founded in 2010, is heavily involved in a lot of research and a number of its academically-focused staff have been busy publishing papers on artificial intelligence since the company was incorporated. A page on the DeepMind website details all of these academics papers and which DeepMind employees contributed to them.

In order to identify the most impressive DeepMind scientists, Business Insider analysed the page to see which DeepMind staff have contributed to the most scientific papers. Google was unable to confirm whether all of the authors worked for DeepMind so we have linked to a source where possible. We also contacted several of the scientists directly.

This article was originally published in December 2015. It was updated with new information and more employees in March 2016. All the additional people that have been added have at least four academic papers to their name.

21. Charles Blundell

Publications: 3

Official job title: Research Scientist

Confirmation: Personal website

Story continues

Background: Charles Blundell holds a PhD in machine learning from University College London (UCL) and a masters in engineering in computer systems and software engineering from York University.

20. Martin Riedmiller

Publications: 3

Official job title: Research Scientist

Confirmation: Blog

Background: Prior to joining DeepMind just nine months ago, Martin Riedmiller worked on robotics and autonomous learning systems at the University of Freiberg in Germany.

19.. Shane Legg (cofounder)

Publications: 3

Official job title: Cofounder and Senior Staff Research Scientist

Confirmation: LinkedIn

Background: Shane Legg used to be DeepMinds Chief Science Officer but when Google bought the company he became a research scientist.

18. Mustafa Suleyman (cofounder)

Publications: 3

Official job title: Head of Applied AI

Confirmation: LinkedIn

Background: Mustafa Suleyman dropped out of Oxford University at the age of 19 to set up a counselling service known as the Muslim Youth Helpline. He also worked as a policy officer for the former Mayor of London, Ken Livingstone.

17. Karen Simonyan

Publications: 4

Official job title: Software Engineer

Confirmation: Google Europe blog

Background: Karen Simonyan is one of the founders of Vision Factory, which was acquired by Google DeepMind in October 2014. At Vision Factory, his aim was to improve visual recognition systems using deep learning.

16. Nal Kalchbrenner

Publications: 4

Official job title: Research Scientist

Confirmation: Academic website

Background: Nal Kalchbrenner interned at Google in Mountain View in 2014 for five months before completing a PhD in computer science at the University of Cambridge.

15. Timothy Lillicrap

Publications: 4

Official job title: Senior Research Scientist

Confirmation: Online CV

Background: Timothy Lillicrap is interested in the mathematical theories of machine learning and optimal control. He says he is particularly fascinated by the application of these formal frameworks to the study of the central nervous system (CNS).

14. Danilo Jimenez Rezende

Publications: 4

Official job title: Research Scientist

Confirmation: LinkedIn

Background: Danilo Rezende has a certificate from online learning institution Udacity for his work on Artificial Intelligence for Robotics: Programming A Robotic Car.

13. Arthur Guez

Publications: 4

Official job title: Research Scientist

Confirmation: Personal website

Background: Arthur Guez was a PhD student in the Gatsby Computational Neuroscience Unit at University College London. He was supervised by one of the lead programmers on Googles AlphaGo AI (David Silver) and has interned at Microsoft Research in Cambridge.

12. Shakir Mohamed

Publications: 4

Official job title: Research Scientist

Confirmation: Personal website

Background: Shakir completed his PhD at the University of Cambridge with Zoubin Ghahramani, head of the Machine Learning department at the university.

11. Ivo Danihelka

Publications: 5

Official job title: Unknown

Confirmation: Research Paper

Background: Ivo Danihelka is from the Czech Republic. He sometimes posts about computer science on code repository site GitHub. On his Quora profile, he describes himself as a programmer interested in machine learning.

10. Nicolas Heess

Publications: 5

Official job title: Unknown

Confirmation: Oxford University website

Background: Nicholas Heess was a PhD student at the Institute for Adaptive and Neural Computation, University of Edinburgh. On his academic page, Heess states he is interested in understanding information processing in the brain.

9. Demis Hassabis (cofounder)

Publications: 6

Official job title: VP of Engineering

Confirmation: LinkedIn

Background: Demis Hassabis is a child prodigy in chess, reaching master standard at the age of 13 with an Elo rating of 2300 (at the time the second highest rated player in the world Under-14 after Judit Polgar who had a rating of 2335, and is four days older than Hassabis). Hes also highly skilled in many other games, including poker.

8. Marc Bellemare

Publications: 6

Official job title: Research Scientist

Confirmation: Personal website

Background: On his website, Marc Bellemare writes that he focuses on reinforcement learning and in particular representation learning, value function approximation, model learning, exploration, and all those other concepts that we feel are necessary to the development of generally competent agents.

7. Ioannis Antonoglou

Publications: 6

Official job title: Software Engineer

Confirmation: LinkedIn

Background: Ioannis Antonoglou joined DeepMind in 2012 after graduating from the University of Edinburgh with a masters degree in artificial intelligence and machine learning.

6. Joel Veness

Publications: 6

Official job title: Research Scientist

Confirmation: Personal website

Background: Joel Veness writes on his website that he is interested in the algorithmic and computational aspects of Artificial Intelligence, with a particular emphasis on scalable and efficient approaches for online Reinforcement Learning agents.

5. Daan Wierstra

Publications: 8

Official job title: Research Scientist

Confirmation: Research paper

Background: Daan Wierstra writes on his personal website that his interests include spiking neuron models, genetic algorithms and the theoretical properties of evolution strategies, policy gradient based learning methods, and, ultimately, proper, well-founded research into artificial general intelligence.

4. Alex Graves

Publications: 9

Official job title: Research Scientist

Confirmation: CrunchBase

Background: Alex Graves has also worked with Google AI guru Geoff Hinton on neural networks.

3. Vlad Mnih

Publications: 11

Official job title: Research Scientist

Confirmation: Academic website

Background: Vlad Mnih completed a PhD in machine learning at the University of Toronto working under the supervision of Google AI guru Geoffrey Hinton.

2. Koray Kavukcuoglu

Publications: 14

Official job title: Research Scientist

Confirmation: LinkedIn

Background: Koray Kavukcuoglu interned for Google in New York in the summer of 2010 for three months. He also holds a PhD from New York University where he worked on unsupervised learning of feature extractors and multi-stage architectures for object recognition.

1. David Silver

Publications: 16

Official job title: Research scientist

Confirmation: Academic website

Profile: David Silver holds a BA Hounors degree in Computing Science and an MA in Computing Science from the University of Cambridge. He also holds a PhD in Philosophy from the University of Alberta.

He is a Royal Society University Research Fellow that now carries out research at University College London alongside his duties at Google DeepMind.

He has contributed to many research efforts, with 29 publications listed on his personal website. Here is a full list of all the applications hes built.

He is, in many ways, Google DeepMinds unsung hero.

The post The 21 smartest AI scientists working at Google DeepMind appeared first on Business Insider.
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Washington (AFP) - Al-Qaeda's North African affiliate claimed a deadly attack by heavily-armed gunmen on an Ivory Coast resort on Sunday that killed at least 16 people, US-based monitors said.

In a message posted on its Telegram channels, Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) said three of its "heroes" had stormed the Grand-Bassam resort, according to SITE Intelligence Group, which is based just outside Washington.

President Alassane Ouattara said six gunmen had been killed.

The strike, which targeted three hotels in the former French colonial capital that is popular with Western expatriates, also killed 14 civilians and two special forces troops, he said.

"By the grace of Allah and His granting of success, three heroes from the knights of Qaedat al-Jihad in the Islamic Maghreb were able to storm the tourist resort 'Grand Bassam,' situated east of the city of Abidjan, in Ivory Coast," the SITE Intelligence Group quoted AQIM as saying.

One witness told AFP they heard one of the assailants shouting "Allahu Akbar" -- Arabic for "God is greatest."

The resort lies on the Gulf of Guinea around 25 miles (40 kilometers) east of the commercial hub Abidjan.
BEIRUT (Reuters) - The al Qaeda-linked Nusra Front seized bases and weapons from a Western-backed rebel group in overnight fighting in northwestern Syria, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said on Sunday. Rami Abdulrahman, director of the Observatory, said the Nusra Front had also detained dozens of members of the 13th Division rebel group, one of the factions that has received foreign military aid, capturing U.S.-made anti-tank missiles. The 13th Division, which is led by the prominent rebel commander Ahmed al-Seoud and fights under the banner of the Free Syrian Army, said on Twitter that Nusra Front fighters attacked its bases and seized weapons, but gave no further details. Nusra Front accused the rebel fighters of launching surprise attacks on its own bases in the town of Maarat al-Numan in Idlib province in northwest Syria. It said some Nusra fighters had been captured. The clashes came two weeks into a cessation of hostilities in Syria and on the eve of peace talks in Geneva between President Bashar al-Assad's government and the opposition. The halt in fighting, agreed by government forces, rebel groups and their international backers, excludes Nusra Front and Islamic State militants. Nusra Front fighters have often taken part in offensives alongside other rebel groups. But they have also fought them for territory, defeating groups such as the Western-backed Syria Revolutionaries Front and the Hazzm group last year. (Writing by Tom Perry and Dominic Evans; Additional reporting by Omar Fahmy in Cairo; Editing by Andrew Heavens)
DUBAI (Reuters) - A draft European Union plan to send back some migrants to Turkey has legal and moral flaws and could put vulnerable people at risk, the head of Amnesty International said, calling on Europe to take in more people seeking refuge instead. Under a tentative deal struck last Monday, Turkey agreed to take back illegal migrants who enter Europe from Turkey, in exchange for more funding, an earlier introduction of visa-free travel to Europe for Turks, and a speeding up of Ankara's long-stalled EU membership talks. "It's flawed, morally and legally," Amnesty International Secretary General Salil Shetty told Reuters in Dubai. Shetty said in an interview he would meet France's interior minister, Bernard Cazeneuve, European Council President Donald Tusk and other EU officials this week "to directly express our shock and outrage at what they are coming up with." Leaders will meet again this week at an EU summit as they face Europe's largest migration crisis since World War Two. "They are saying it does not breach EU law because Turkey is a safe country. By what stretch of the imagination is Turkey a safe country for these people?" Shetty said. Turkey has said the deal would not stop Syrian refugees legitimately seeking shelter in Europe. Turkey and EU leaders say they want to discourage illegal migrants and stop smugglers. But the United Nations and rights groups say mass returns without considering individual asylum cases could be illegal. Amnesty says Europe should take in its fair share of the millions seeking refugee and spend more on those who remain in the region. "Most European countries are signatories to the (U.N.) refugee convention, so they are in direct violation," Shetty said. "The refugee convention is clear, these people fleeing from war and persecution have international protection. So they have to take it case-by-case." Under the plan, the EU would admit one refugee directly from Turkey for each Syrian it took back from the Greek Aegean islands, and those who attempted the sea route would be returned. The aim is to persuade Syrians and others that they have better prospects if they stay in Turkey, with increased EU funding for housing, schools and subsistence. "This idea of swapping human beings  it is just kind of shocking. These people have traveled, risking their lives," Shetty said. He praised Turkey for taking in the largest number of Syrian refugees but said it could not be considered a safe country, especially in the border area with Syria where some of the large camps are situated. There have been frequent clashes in the south between Turkish forces and members of the autonomy-seeking Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) and Turkey has been dealing with the spillover from Syria's five-year war. (Reporting by Sylvia Westall; Editing by Andrew Bolton)
MINSK (Reuters) - The Belarussian security service said on Sunday it had detained prominent businessman Yury Chizh on suspicion of large-scale tax evasion. Chizh, owner of Belarussian firm Triple, had been a close adviser to authoritarian Belarussian President Alexander Lukashenko since the 1990s but business sources say he fell out of favor in recent months. He now faces up to seven years in prison if convicted. Spokespersons at Chizh's company, Triple, could not be reached for comment on Saturday and Sunday. "Together with him (Chizh) there were detained a series of people," said Dmitry Pobyarzhin, a representative of the KGB security service. "They are all now in a KGB detention center." Opposition parties have called Chizh President Lukashenko's "wallet". In 2012 he was included in a list of EU sanctions imposed on Belarussian individuals and companies in protest at the country's human rights violations. Belarussian media had reported on Friday that Chizh had been detained, but this was not confirmed at the time by the KGB. The Belarussian government controls 70 percent of the former Soviet republic's economy, and the biggest companies are known for having close links with the authorities. The EU ended five years of sanctions against Belarus and Lukashenko in February, citing improving human rights. According to tax data, Triple made a net loss of 51.5 billion Belarussian rubles (around $2.5 million) in the first nine months of 2015. (Reporting by Andrei Makhovsky; Writing by Alexander Winning; Editing by Alexei Kalmykov and Susan Fenton)
Bernie Sanders

During the Wednesday-night Democratic debate, Univision moderator Maria Elena Salinas confronted Bernie Sanders with a decades-old clip of him heaping apparent praise on former Cuban President Fidel Castro.

Sanders, who has identified himself as a democratic socialist, had earlier in the debate called for "full and normalized political relations with Cuba"  a position he shares with Hillary Clinton, the Democratic frontrunner.

"I think at the end of the day, it will be a good thing for the Cuban people," Sanders said. "It will enable them, I think, when they see people coming into their country from the United States, move in a more Democratic direction, which I what I want to see."

Salinas then brought out a video clip from 1985 showing Sanders apparently defending Castro, who was a leader of the Cuban Revolution and whose rule led the small island country to become a one-party, communist state.

In the clip, Sanders said:

You may recall way back in, what was it, 1961, they invaded Cuba. And everybody was totally convinced that Castro was the worst guy in the world, that all the Cuban people were going to rise up in rebellion against Fidel Castro. They had forgotten that he had educated their kids, given them healthcare, totally transformed their society.

"In south Florida, there are still some open wounds among exiles regarding socialism and communism," Salinas told Sanders. "So please explain, what is the difference between the socialism that you profess and the socialism in Nicaragua, Cuba, and Venezuela?"

Bernie Sanders

Sanders defended his prior statements:

What that was about was saying that the United States was wrong for trying to invade Cuba. That the United States was wrong trying to support people to overthrow the Nicaraguan government. That the United States was wrong trying to overthrow in 1954 the government, the democratically elected government of Guatemala. Throughout the history of our relationship with Latin America, we've operated under the so-called Monroe Doctrine. And that said that the United States had the right to do anything that they wanted to do in Latin America. So I actually went to Nicaragua, and I very strongly opposed the Reagan administration's effort to overthrow that government.

Story continues

He added that the US should be "working with governments around the world" and not "get involved in regime change." Sanders also claimed that US intervention in Latin America stoked anti-US sentiment there.

Salinas pressed Sanders if he ever regretted his past characterizations of Castro and Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega. The latter led the Sandinista National Liberation Front, which overthrew the Nicaraguan dictatorship.

"The key issue here was whether the United States should go around overthrowing small Latin American countries," Sanders said. "I think that was a mistake, both in Nicaragua and Cuba."

He then touted advances Cuba has made in healthcare and education since communism came to the country.

"It would be wrong not to state that in Cuba they have made some good advances in healthcare," Sanders said. "They are sending doctors all over the world. They are making some progress in education."

Clinton, however, dismissed Sanders' explanation for his decades-old remarks. She noted that in an unaired portion of the clip, Sanders talked about the "revolution of values" in Cuba and people "working for the common good."

The Clinton campaign continued to hit Sanders over the remarks after the debate. It sent an email blast to reporters titled, "Bernie Sanders Refuses to Disavow Praise for Fidel Castro."

Clinton "has made clear the Castros have been enemies of their own people, and that her efforts to end our isolationist policies were driven by her belief that they were actually strengthening Castro," her campaign said.

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


JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - For the first time in decades, hunters with deep pockets cannot target the so-called "Big 5" game animals in South Africa because the government has imposed a ban on leopard hunts for the 2016 season. The temporary ban comes in the wake of a global uproar last year over the killing of Cecil the Lion in Zimbabwe by a U.S. dentist. The decision, however, was driven by science, not emotion. South African Environment Minister Edna Molewa is a vocal advocate of the hunting industry, which the government estimates contributes 6.2 billion rand ($410 million) annually to Africa's most advanced economy. Leopard is one of five game most desired by hunters, along with lion, rhino, buffalo and elephant. The South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI), a government research organization, recommended the temporary ban because it said leopard numbers could not be firmly established. "There is uncertainty about the numbers and this is not a permanent ban, but we need more information to guide quotas," John Donaldson, SANBI's director of research, told Reuters. Given their secretive and nocturnal nature, leopards are not easy to count. SANBI drew on studies and data from a number of sources but Donaldson said most was from protected areas and national parks, not private lands. The Professional Hunters Association of South Africa (PHASA) says this gives an incomplete picture. "There are lots of leopards on private land," said PHASA chief executive Tharia Unwin. She said PHASA was providing the government with leopard data from private lands. South Africa has also been scorched by its worst drought on record and Unwin said this was good for leopard numbers as predators typically thrive when the rains are poor, leaving much of their prey in a weakened and easy-to-kill state. Unwin said it cost up to $20,000 to shoot a leopard and several of PHASA's members had to refund clients who had put down deposits for leopard hunts. Most of the foreign hunters who come to South Africa for such game are American. Hunting all of the Big 5 has been legal in South Africa since the 1980s when hunts for white rhino were resumed. ($1 = 15.1695 rand) (Reporting by Ed Stoddard; Editing by Susan Fenton)
By Tarek Amara and Patrick Markey TUNIS/ALGIERS (Reuters) - The signal to attack came from the mosque, sending dozens of Islamist fighters storming through the Tunisian town of Ben Guerdan to hit army and police posts in street battles that lit the dawn sky with tracer bullets. Militants used a megaphone to chant "God is Great," and reassure residents they were Islamic State, there to save the town near the Libyan border from the "tyrant" army. Most were Tunisians themselves, with local accents, and even some familiar faces, officials and witnesses to Monday's attack said. Hours later, 36 militants were dead, along with 12 soldiers and seven civilians, in an assault authorities described as an attempt by Islamic State to carve out terrain in Tunisia. Whether Islamic State aimed to hold territory as they have in Iraq, Syria and Libya, or intended only to dent Tunisia's already battered security, is unclear and the group has yet to officially claim the attack. But as fuller details of the Ben Guerdan fighting emerge, the incident highlights the risk Tunisia faces from home-grown jihadists drawn to Iraq, Syria and Libya, and who have threatened to bring their war back home. Despite Tunisian forces' preparations to confront returning fighters, and their defeat of militants in Ben Guerdan, Monday's assault shows how the country is vulnerable to violence spilling over from Libya as Islamic State expands there. Authorities are still investigating the Ben Guerdan attack. But most of the militants appear to have been already in the town, with a few brought in from Libya. Arms caches were deposited around the city before the assault. "Most of them were from Ben Guerdan, we know their faces. They knew where to find the house of the counter-terrorist police chief," one witness, Sabri Ben Saleh, told Reuters. "They were driving round in a car filled with weapons, my neighbors said they knew some of them." Troops have killed 14 more militants around Ben Guerdan since Monday. Others have been arrested and more weapons seized. ISLAMIC STATE Officials say they are still determining if the militants had been in Libya before or had returned from fighting with Islamic State overseas. But that such a large number of militants and arms were in Tunisia is no surprise. After its revolt in 2011 to topple Zine El-Abidine Ben Ali, Tunisia has struggled with growing Islamic militancy. More than 3,000 Tunisians have left to fight with Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, according to government estimates. Tunisian security sources say many are with Islamic State in Libya. Gunmen trained in Libya were blamed for attacks on tourists at the Bardo Museum in Tunis a year ago and at a beach hotel in Sousse in June. Tunisians also play a major role in Islamic State in Libya where they run training camps, according to Tunisian security sources. But the scale of Monday's attack was unprecedented. The militants were well-organized, handing out weapons to their fighters from a vehicle moving through the city, with knowledge of the town and its military barracks. "We came across a group of terrorists with their Kalashnikovs, and they told us: 'Don't worry we are not here to target you. We are the Islamic State and we are here for the tyrants in the army,'" said Hassein Taba, a local resident. The attack tests Tunisia at a difficult time. After Islamic State violence last year, the tourism industry that represents 7 percent of the economy is struggling to tempt visitors to return. With its new constitution, free elections and secular history, Tunisia is a target for jihadists looking to upset a young democracy just five years after the overthrow of dictator Ben Ali. "The battle of Ben Guerdane in Tunisia, 20 miles from the Libyan border ... is proof enough that the Islamic State has cells far and wide," said Geoff Porter, at North Africa Risk Consulting. "But what these cells can reliably do ... and how they are directed by Islamic State leadership in Sirte, let alone in Iraq and Syria, is not known." AIR STRIKES Islamic State has grown in Libya over the past year and half, coopting local fighters, battling with rivals and taking over the town of Sirte, now its main base. That has worried Tunisian authorities, who have built a border trench and tightened controls along nearly 200-km (125 miles) of the frontier with Libya. Western military experts are training Tunisians to protect a porous border where smuggling has been a long tradition. Ben Guerdan is well-known as a smuggling town. "There are still some blind spots in intelligence, but they are advancing with the cooperation of neighboring countries and with the West," said Ali Zarmdini, a Tunisian military analyst. But Tunisia's North African neighbors worry about the spill over impact of any further Western air strikes and military action against Islamic State in Libya. After a U.S. air strike killed 40 mostly Tunisian militants in the Libyan town of Sabratha last month, Tunisian forces went on alert for any cross-border incursions. Just days before the Ben Guerdan attack, Tunisian troops killed five militants who tried to cross from Libya. But the fact that even after that setback, militants mustered a force of 50 fighters to strike the town shows the group's ability to keep testing the Tunisian military. (Writing by Patrick Markey; Editing by Giles Elgood)
Milan (AFP) - AC Milan's bid to secure Champions League football was dented by a scoreless draw at Chievo on Sunday, the visitors hitting the woodwork twice in a frustrating second half.

Milan had 'keeper Christian Abbiati to thank for a clean sheet at half-time, the veteran stepping up to the plate with aplomb after replacing the injured Gianluigi Donnarumma in the opening minutes.

Sinisa Mihajlovic's men produced a better performance in the second half, but were denied by post and crossbar twice in a matter of seconds on their way to a frustrating stalemate that has dented the seven-time champions' hopes of returning to Europe's premier club competition after a three-year absence.

Milan remain in sixth place but could be 11 points behind Roma, who occupy the third and last Champions League qualifying spot, if Luciano Spalletti's men win at Verona later Sunday.

Champions Juventus, who beat Sassuolo 1-0 on Friday, top the league with a six-point lead on Napoli, who can reduce their deficit to three points with a win at Palermo later Sunday.

Chievo kept Milan on their toes in a positive opening half and Abbiati was at full stretch to keep out Antonio Floro Flores's angled drive.

When Riccardo Meggiorini was sent through on the right, the 'keeper then did well to block with his foot.

At the other end Keisuke Honda's free kick hit the side-netting, while Andrea Poli's angled drive sailed wide of the far post.

Milan were struggling for rhythm and pace, and although they showed improvement after the interval their failure to find the net proved costly.

Giacomo Bonaventura turned inside the area to fire just over Albano Bizzarri's crossbar, although minutes later former Milan midfielder Valter Birsa test Abbiati on the counter.

With Mario Balotelli glued to the bench following claims by Mihajlovic the on-loan Liverpool striker "has an attitude problem", it was Luiz Adriano who replaced French forward Jeremy Menez on the hour.

Story continues

The change sparked a Milan flurry that incredibly saw the visitors hit the woodwork twice in a matter of seconds.

On 74 minutes Ignazio Abate's drive from the right side of the area forced Bizzarri to parry on to the crossbar and when Andrea Bertolacci pounced on the rebound he fired off post and crossbar.

Cacciatore had the ball in the Milan net in the final minute of time after beating Abbiati with a header from a free kick, but he was ruled offside.
Guardian Medical Transport, the terrestrial arm of Northern Arizona Healthcares medical transportation business, celebrated the grand opening of its new communications and transfer center on Gemini Drive Friday.

The new 16,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art facility includes new communications equipment for Guardians dispatch center, six ambulance bays, and is also the new home for the ambulance crews of Medical Station 52. That station was house at Flagstaff Medical Center until they moved into their new home last week.

According to Guardian, the new location at the top of Cedar Hill will improve response times to any location in the city, and will help meet four-minute response times to neighborhoods like Shadow Mountain.

The grand opening event also marked the retirement of Guardians Director Mark Venuti after more than 30 years of service at Guardian and NAH.

In a video on Guardians website, Venuti explains the need for the new station.

When I was first hired as a basic EMT in 1985, the current station at Flagstaff Medical Center had just been built as a temporary station, he said. By mid-1986, when I took over some of the management role, weve been trying to get a new station built to meet the needs of our services.

The new line-of-sight communication tower at the center/station takes out some of the links Guardian had to make directly between its radio towers, he said. Taking out those links means less of a risk of communication failure.

The new communications facility will also coordinate responses between Guardians ambulance and air services, and Ponderosa Fire, High Country Fire and Pinewood Fire Departments.

According to its website, Guardians communication center works with local 911 dispatch centers to provide ambulances for emergency medical calls that come in to local fire and police departments. They also connect with medics who are already in the field to provide support and resources before an ambulance arrives.

The communication center coordinates the transfer of patients by ambulance or air from FMC and NAHs other medical centers to other hospitals and medical centers.

The meeting/training room at the new facility can also be used an alternate incident command post in case of a disaster at Flagstaff Medical Center, Venuti said.

A specialized exhaust system in the ambulance bays keeps diesel fumes and exhaust out of the living quarters at the station, he said.

The living facilities are just amazing compared to what we lived in at the old station, Venuti said. And it gives us excellent response for the center of the city. So it gives us a much better and more efficient area to work out of and to respond to emergencies. This is one of those career goals that I have had that just feels terrific to have in place here.

When people asked what the new building will mean to the community, Venuti said that many times over in his career, patients have said they did not realize all the services that Guardian provides to the public.

Its one of those things, out of sight, out of mind, but when they need you, they want you, he said.

Guardian works with Flagstaff Police and Fire and other local fire districts to provide emergency medical care and transport by both land and air. The company is owned by Northern Arizona Healthcare.

The company has three ambulance stations in Flagstaff and a crew and ambulance in Tusayan. Its ground crews include 15 four-wheel drive ambulances, five rescue vehicles with extrication tools for an accident, a critical care ambulance, and a monster truck for demos and education uses in the community.

The ground crews supply service to residents in a 6,200-square-mile area surrounding Flagstaff. Each ambulance carries at least one paramedic and one emergency medical technician, who, with the help of a physician from FMC, can provide care for children and adults with special medical needs and cardiac patients.

The company also has a critical care ambulance for long-distance transports. That ambulance is larger, carries more oxygen and medical equipment, and has nurses and paramedics that are skilled in critical care.

Guardian Air has seven helicopters, a fixed-wing aircraft and seven bases across Northern Arizona. Its aircraft are maintained and operated by Air Methods. Guardian supplies the flight nurses and paramedics.

Its medical flight crews can provide trauma care for people injured in accidents, carry special medical equipment designed for children and even infants.

Ed. Note: This story has been corrected from its original.
Convictions for state security crimes including "violent terrorism" nearly doubled in 2015, figures from China's top court showed Sunday, following a "strike hard" campaign to quell unrest in the largely Muslim region of Xinjiang and crackdowns on civil society.

Chinese courts convicted 1,419 on charges related to "endangering national security and violent terrorism" in 2015, Zhou Qiang, head of the Supreme People's Court, said in a report to the annual session of the Communist-controlled National People's Congress (NPC).

Last year, the country reported that its courts had convicted 712 on broadly similar charges of "violent terrorist attacks" and "splittism" -- attempts to advocate independence for regions of China.

The national security convictions occurred as the courts "actively took part in anti-terror, anti-separatist and anti-cult struggles", Zhou said.

- Human rights activists convicted -

Chinese courts sentenced 1084 people for "violent terrorist crimes" and another 335 for other crimes related to "endangering national security".

The report did not detail crimes included in the second category, but Chinese legal expert Susan Finder said that "if you look at the list of national security crimes, human rights activists would have been convicted of some of them."

China aggressively increased pressure on civil society last year, carrying out mass detentions of civil rights lawyers and campaigners.

The moves came as the country passed a new national security law that experts feared would expand the government's power to prosecute political dissidents.

The majority of the convictions, however, seem to be related to Beijing's launch last year of a "strike hard" campaign in Xinjiang aimed at stopping unrest that has claimed hundreds of lives.

In recent years, violence in the region has led to hundreds of deaths that Beijing attributes to Islamic extremism and foreign influence, but which activists say are a response to draconian restrictions on the area's religious and cultural life.

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Since starting the campaign in 2014, the government has jailed hundreds, put scores to death, and perhaps killed hundreds more in police actions that have been widely decried by human rights campaigners.

And the "high pressure policy" is set to continue, Xinjiang's Communist Party boss Zhang Chunxian told reporters this week.

- Force to extract confessions -

Overall conviction rates for the country remained close to 100 percent in 2015, Sunday's report showed, even as Beijing vows legal reforms aimed at reducing wrongful convictions.

A total of 1,039 accused were found innocent by Chinese courts in 2015, Zhou said, compared to 1.232 million who were found guilty -- a conviction rate of 99.92 percent, almost exactly the same as the previous year.

The use of force to extract confessions remains widespread in China and rights groups say suspects often do not have an effective defence in criminal trials, leading to regular miscarriages of justice.

Courts are politically controlled, with activists who come to trial virtually certain to be found guilty.

Public anger has mounted over miscarriages of justice, and in recent years courts have reversed death sentences in a handful of cases.

In February alone, five men were acquitted of murder charges for which they had been wrongly jailed more than two decades earlier.

Chinese courts "corrected" 1,357 verdicts in 2015, the report said, but only explained the outcome of three cases.

Zhou said the country should draw lessons from the acquittals and "improve the mechanisms which can effectively prevent and correct false and wrong cases in a timely manner".

The Communist Party has pledged to ensure the "rule of law with Chinese characteristics" and said it will lessen the influence of local officials over courts.
BEIJING (Reuters) - Thousands of Chinese coal miners marched through the streets of a mining town in northeastern China over the weekend protesting against unpaid wages, as China grapples with rising unemployment due to overcapacity in heavy industries. The protesters are employees at Shuangyashan Mine, owned by Longmay Group. They held up banners saying: "We want to live, we want to eat," according to photographs posted on social media. As China's economy slows, the government is trying to slash overcapacity in labour-intensive industries like coal and steel but this has prompted fears the country might face its fiercest unemployment pressures since the late 1990s. The workers claim they are owed unpaid wages and some are angry that their pay has been cut to 800 yuan ($123.19) a month, from 1000 yuan, according to local media reports. "Thousands of people have been protesting," an eyewitness told Reuters by phone. The witness declined to give their name for fear of reprisal from the authorities. "The police have been taking people away," the witness said. A statement posted on a Heilongjiang government website on Saturday night acknowledged some employees were owed wages but did not mention the protests. Reuters was unable to contact Longmay, local police or the Heilongjiang government on Sunday. A rapid collapse in the prices of oil and coal, two of Heilongjiang's major industries, and inefficiency and overmanning at state-owned enterprises have compounded problems for the province, Lu Hao, the governor of Heilongjiang, said at a session last week of China's annual parliament. The firm said last year that it would adopt a "wartime work atmosphere" to cut its bloated 248,000 headcount by as much as 100,000. It has been making losses since 2012. Longmay coal miners are reemployed locally and some will be transferred to farming, Lu said, adding that local state farms have cultivated additional land, while the local forest bureau has increased forest land to provide jobs. "It is most important that we have to train those transferred workers with new skills, create new market opportunities and encourage their willingness to run their own businesses," Lu said. "They have expressed their willingness to learn new skills but some are not adaptable, which requires our local governments, party and enterprises to help them to learn new skills and find new job opportunities." Sources have told Reuters that China is expecting to lay off 5 million to 6 million state workers over the next two to three years as part of efforts to curb industrial overcapacity and pollution. ($1 = 6.4940 Chinese yuan renminbi) (Reporting by Sue-Lin Wong, Kathy Chen and David Stanway; Editing by Andrew Bolton)
Cincinnati (AFP) - Donald Trump doubled down Sunday on his claim that "thugs" -- not his heated rhetoric -- are to blame for spiraling tensions at his rallies two days before a crucial round of voting in the 2016 White House race.

The Republican presidential frontrunner hit the campaign trail determined to build an insurmountable lead in this week's key nomination contests, as rivals on both sides of the political divide warned his inflammatory language was inciting violence.

Dubbed "Super Tuesday 2" by US media, the latest key date in the run up to November's general election will see Democratic and Republican contests in the states of Florida, Ohio, Illinois, Missouri and North Carolina.

Trump this weekend jetted on his private plane between rallies in the delegate-rich states, as his Republican rivals Texas Senator Ted Cruz, Florida Senator Marco Rubio and Ohio Governor John Kasich also ramped up campaigning on the ground.

In Cincinnati, Ohio, hundreds lined up in the early morning to see the candidate despite a persistent drizzle -- while demonstrators also massed ahead of the event, chanting "Build bridges, Not walls" and "No Trump no KKK, no fascist USA."

Some Trump supporters verbally challenged the protesters, but there was no repeat of the scenes that erupted in Chicago late Friday where a planned rally had to be cancelled because of unrest.

Still the tensions were palpable as Secret Service or police officers completely surrounded Trump's stage in Cincinnati, a day after a protester burst on stage at another event in the Midwestern state.

A protester holding a Sanders sign above his head interrupted the candidate before being escorted out, to a loud cheer from the crowd.

"It's fine," Trump said. "In certain ways, it makes it more exciting."

Trump supporter Adam Ward, 34 -- a military veteran from Ohio who served in Iraq in 2003 -- believed the anti-Trump protesters were actually helping the candidate.

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"It enrages people that don't agree with Bernie Sanders," he said of the Democratic presidential candidate who Trump accuses of instigating the protests. "I probably wasn't going to come to this until I saw Chicago being shut down. It irritated me."

Friday's troubles in Chicago saw ardent Trump supporters and opponents come to blows, after dozens of campaign stops where Trump has berated his opponents and encouraged the crowd to verbally and physically mistreat protesters.

The billionaire's invective also has targeted journalists, the disabled, women, Muslims, Hispanics and other minorities -- often to raucous approval from thousands of chanting partisans.

But as with each new controversy swirling around him, Trump seemed unscathed with polls suggesting he remained on a glide path toward the party nomination heading into Tuesday's make-or-break round of voting.

- 'Lose our republic' -

Politicians across the spectrum are increasingly alarmed at the divisiveness and erosion of civility seen in the campaign and have called on Trump to tone down his rhetoric, saying he is exploiting anger among the electorate.

Senator Rubio, who is trailing in third place and like Kasich faces a do-or-die test in Tuesday's vote in his home state, called Trump's language "dangerous."

"If we reach a point in this country where we can't have a debate about politics without it getting to levels of violence and anger," he told CNN, "we're going to lose our republic."

An anti-Donald Trump super-political action committee broadcast a television advertisement on Sunday airing clips of Trump saying "I'd like to punch him in the face," and similarly harsh statements directed against protesters.

But Trump has rejected out of hand any suggestion that his rhetorical excesses have created a climate of violence.

"I don't accept responsibility. I do not condone violence in any shape," he told NBC on Sunday, repeating his assertion that agitators -- mostly linked to Sanders -- were responsible for tensions spilling over.

- Video hoax -

"Bernie Sanders is lying when he says his disruptors aren't told to go to my events. Be careful Bernie, or my supporters will go to yours!" he taunted on Twitter.

Sanders denied his campaign had directed supporters to protest at Trump rallies.

"Trump's words must be taken with a grain of salt because I think as almost everyone knows, this man cannot stop lying about anything," the Vermont senator said to CNN. "People are catching on to Donald Trump. That's why he's getting reckless."

Trump appeared to condone one particularly striking act of violence, when a demonstrator was sucker-punched as he was led by police from a rally last week in North Carolina, by saying his staff would look into paying the belligerent supporter's legal bills.

On Saturday after a demonstrator tried to rush on stage at a rally in Dayton, Ohio, the candidate claimed the man was linked to the Islamic State group -- an assertion that he refused to disown despite it becoming apparent it was based on a crude video hoax.

"What do I know about it?" he told NBC. "All I know is what's on the Internet."
Donald Trump on Saturday called for police to start arresting all of the protestors who have been a routine presence at his campaign events, CNN and Business Insider report.



"Once that's starts happening, we're not going to have any more protesters, folks," Trump said, according to CNN.



Trump's comments came while appearing at a Kansas City, Missouri, theater during an event that was interrupted more than a dozen times, according to CNN.



"I hope they arrest these people because they're really violating all of us," Trump, 69, said, according to CNN. "They deserve to be arrested."







"I'll file whatever charges you want," he said. "If they want to do this ... we're going to go strongly for your arrests."



"We're going to take our country back from these people," Trump said, according to ABC News. "These are bad, bad people."



These "big arrest marks" for the protestors, Trump said, would "ruin the rest of their lives," according to CNN.



"I hope these guys get thrown into a jail. They'll never do it again. It'll destroy their record. They'll have to explain to mom and dad why they have a police record and why they can't get a job," Trump said, according to Business Insider. "And you know what? I'm going to start pressing charges against all these people, OK? ... The only way that we're going to stop this craziness is if we press charges. Because then their lives are going to be ruined."





Donald Trump Calls for Rally Protestors to Be Arrested After More Chaos in Kansas City: 'I'll File Whatever Charges You Want'| 2016 Presidential Elections, Donald Trump

The scene outside his event included an even larger group of protestors, according to ABC News and CNN. Kansas City police said they twice used pepper spray on the demonstrators and arrested four people, according to ABC News.



Some protestors threw "objects," according to a tweet from Kansas City Police Chief Darryl Forte.



But the "majority of people exercised their rights peacefully," Kansas City police tweeted.



The Saturday night event capped 24 hours of intense attention on Trump's rallies and his occasionally aggressive rhetoric therein  and the protests, demonstrations, and large groups of supporters that his bold, controversial political stances draw.





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Donald Trump Calls for Rally Protestors to Be Arrested After More Chaos in Kansas City: 'I'll File Whatever Charges You Want'| 2016 Presidential Elections, Donald Trump

Some of Trump's campaign events have included physical altercations and violence between clashing attendees, and the ejection of protestors has become routine.



A Trump supporter was charged with assault last week after video showed him sucker-punching a protestor at a rally in Fayetteville, North Carolina, according to the Washington Post.



Protestors have also previously been arrested at Trump events, including at an event in St. Louis on Friday, according to CBS News.



Trump's campaign canceled a Friday night appearance at the University of Illinois at Chicago, citing safety concerns after hundreds of protestors attended the public event. Tensions flared following the cancellation, as attendees feuded, sometimes physically, according to photos and video.



Other presidential candidates quickly condemned Trump's "divisive" rhetoric as key in these events.



Trump told CNN's Don Lemon after the Chicago cancellation that "I hope that my tone is not that of causing violence."









Appearing Saturday in Dayton, Ohio, he was briefly surrounded by Secret Service after a man allegedly moved toward the stage.



(The man was subsequently arrested and charged with disorderly conduct and inducing panic, Dayton International Airport Police Chief Mike Etter told NBC News.)



That incident appeared to jar Trump, but the Republican presidential front-runner bounced back, telling the crowd, according to the Dayton Daily News, "Is anything more fun than a Donald Trump rally?"
CAIRO (Reuters) - Egypt's prime minister sacked Justice Minister Ahmed al-Zend on Sunday after he was criticized for saying he would jail Islam's Prophet Mohammad himself if he broke the law. Zend's comments came in a televised interview on Friday. He immediately said "God forgive me", and on Saturday issued an apology in another interview. It was not immediately clear who would replace Zend, a hardliner and outspoken critic of the Muslim Brotherhood. "Prime Minister Sherif Ismail issued a decree today to relieve Ahmed al-Zend ... of his position," a government statement said, giving no more details. Zend, a former appeals court judge, had been publicly outspoken in his criticism of the Islamist movement removed from power by the army in mid-2013 and banned as a terrorist group. He has in the past denounced the 2011 revolt that ended Hosni Mubarak's 30-year rule and ushered in the election that brought the Muslim Brotherhood to power. He has also been a strong defender of the judiciary and its powerful position. Egyptian judges issued a statement opposing Zend's removal over what the head of the Judges Club told Reuters was a slip of the tongue that could have happened to anyone. "Egypt's judges are sorry that someone who defended Egypt and its people, judiciary and nation in the face of the terrorist organization that wanted to bring it down should be punished in this way," said Abdallah Fathi. Egyptian courts have been absolving Mubarak-era officials, while imposing long sentences on liberal and Islamist activists. Egypt's judiciary has faced criticism from rights groups in the past two years after judges issued mass death sentences against Muslim Brotherhood supporters, locking up youth activists and sentencing writers and journalists. Zend's predecessor was also forced to resign last May after saying the son of a garbage collector was ineligible to serve as a judge. (Reporting Mostafa Hashem and Haithem Ahmed; Writing by Ahmed Aboulenein and Lin Noueihed; Editing by Kevin Liffey and Stephen Powell)
PARIS (Reuters) - The European Union could impose sanctions on Iran over its recent ballistic missile tests, France's foreign minister said on Sunday. The United States, France and other countries have already said that, if the missiles are confirmed as nuclear-capable, the tests, conducted last week by Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps, would violate U.N. Security Council resolution 2231. Asked whether this could trigger sanctions from the European Union, French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault said: "We condemn ballistic missile tests and, if necessary, sanctions will be enacted." The tests are due to be discussed by EU foreign ministers at a meeting on Monday. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, whose country in January imposed sanctions on 11 companies and individuals for supplying Iran's ballistic missile program after a series of tests at the end of last year, said the latest tests were a clear violation of U.N. Resolution 2231. The United States plans to raise the issue in U.N. Security Council consultations this week and is urging other countries to help thwart Iran's missile program. "The missiles are a violation of the U.N. Security Council resolution because they are longer than the distance allowed for ballistic missiles and, because of that, they represent a potential threat to the countries in the region and beyond," Kerry said. "We have made it very clear that the missile concerns remain part of sanctionable activity with respect to Iran. If Iran chooses to violate that, they will invite additional sanctions, as we put them in place just a month ago as a result of the prior tests." Resolution 2231, adopted last July as U.N. sanctions imposed on Iran over its nuclear program were lifted, "calls upon" Iran to refrain from certain ballistic missile activity. Western diplomats say this amounts to a clear ban, but acknowledge that Russia, China and Iran probably interpret it as an appeal for voluntary restraint, and that Russia and China would be likely to block any action by the Security Council. Iran says none of its missiles are designed to carry nuclear weapons. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel, which sees Iran's missiles as a direct threat, on Saturday urged world powers to take "immediate punitive steps" against Iran over the tests. (Reporting By John Irish; Editing by Kevin Liffey)
PARIS (Reuters) - French President Francois Hollande on Sunday denounced a "cowardly attack" on Sunday that killed at least ten people including a French man and several members of the security forces at the resort town of Grand Bassam in Ivory Coast. "France will bring its logistical support and intelligence to Ivory Coast to find the attackers. It will pursue and intensify its cooperation with its partners in the fight against terrorism," Hollande said in a statement. (Reporting by Dominique Vidalon; Editing by Ruth Pitchford)
Paris (AFP) - French investigators will on Sunday publish their final crash report on the Germanwings plane deliberately flown into a French mountainside by its co-pilot in a tragedy that raised unprecedented safety questions.

The BEA civil aviation investigators are primarily expected to make recommendations on the locking of cockpit doors during flights.

As a result of the Germanwings crash a year ago -- in which 150 people travelling between Barcelona and Duesseldorf died -- European aviation authorities have already recommended making it compulsory to have two people in the cockpit at any time during flights.

Some countries are opposed to the measure, however, with Germany's pilots' union believing it poses "risks that outweigh any supposed improvements in security".

In the fateful flight on March 24, 2015, co-pilot Andreas Lubitz locked the pilot out of the cockpit. Ten minutes later the Airbus 320 ploughed into a mountain hillside, killing all 144 passengers and six crew.

It emerged that Lubitz had been suffering from depression and had seen dozens of doctors in the years preceding the crash.

But under German law none was able to alert his employers to his state of mind and he was allowed to continue flying.

On the black box voice recorder recovered at the crash scene, all that is heard from Lubitz is regular breathing. He gave no words of explanation for his murderous course of action.

The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has already recommended stepping up medical testing for pilots, including more psychological tests.

BEA chief Remi Jouty said the French investigation had sought to identify the "systematic failures which led to this accident". The investigators had also looked at the "balance between medical secrecy and flight security".

The dead included 72 Germans, among them a group of 16 high school students, and 50 Spaniards.

A German lawyer for some of the families of the dead said this month they intended to sue the training school in Phoenix, Arizona, which Lubitz attended, claiming it should have flagged up his psychological problems.

"The co-pilot interrupted his training there for a while due to psychological problems," lawyer Christof Wellens said. "He shouldn't have been allowed to resume his training."

Germanwings' parent company Lufthansa has paid 50,000 euros ($56,000) per victim in an initial payment and offered an additional 25,000 euros to each of the families plus 10,000 euros to each immediate relative including parents, children and spouse.
Imagine yourself shopping at the mall, sitting at your desk in the office or dropping your kids off at school.

Now, imagine you hear a pop, then another and another as a gunman opens fire.

What would you do?

Chief Deputy Jim Driscoll and Lt. Jim Coffey hope a new class offered by the Coconino County Sheriffs Office will help Flagstaff residents answer that question. On March 22, they will teach the departments first Citizens Situational Awareness/Active Shooter Survival Training that is open to the public.

Driscoll said a few faith-based groups have asked the Sheriffs Office for classes on how to survive an active shooter, but a lot more people have expressed an interest since the Dec. 2, 2015 mass shooting in San Bernardino, Calif., which left 14 people dead and another 22 seriously wounded.

San Bernardino, I think, brought a lot of things to light that we are now vulnerable anywhere, Driscoll said. It doesnt mean that we have to live our lives in fear. We can do something and we can make a difference.

The two-hour training, which is free and open to anyone who is at least 18 years old, consists of two parts. One is a nationally recognized class called Civilian Response to Active Shooter Events CRASE, for short  which was developed by the Advanced Law Enforcement Rapid Response Training Center at Texas State University.

Whether its a terrorist event, whether its domestic violence situation  which is much more likely than terrorism  (youll learn) if something were to happen anywhere, whether its at the mall or at the workplace, what you can do, Driscoll said.

The class gives background information about the history and prevalence of active shooter events, as well as strategies for surviving a shooting. It boils down to a three-step plan: avoid the danger, deny the shooter access to the area and, if necessary, find a way to defend yourself.

The other part of the training was developed by Driscoll and Coffey over the past four months. It focuses on training civilians to develop situational awareness to keep themselves out of dangerous circumstances before they turn deadly.

Its not just identifying (danger) or recognizing it, its developing a response plan to deal with it, Driscoll said. For example, you get out of your car at night in the parking lot of Walmart and you sense that somebodys following you. What do you do? Do you hope they dont follow you, that they quit? Or do you start thinking, What can I do? What are my options?

The training is already mandatory for Coconino County employees, and about half have completed it so far, but Driscoll said the Sheriffs Office wanted to expand the program.

We decided that there is probably the need and the desire by people in the community to receive (the training), as well, he said. It was designed for civilians. Its designed for people in all walks of life.

The class will consist of lectures and videos, as well as interactive group discussions. Some of the video and audio recordings will be from actual and simulated crises events, which some people may find disturbing. Driscoll said participants will have plenty of opportunities to ask questions. He also wants them to share the information with their families, especially if they have children who are not able to attend the class because they are under 18.
ROME (Reuters) - The cost of managing the migrant crisis in Greece will exceed a previous estimate of 600 million euros ($670 million) as more and more refugees are forced to remain in the country, Bank of Greece Governor Yannis Stournaras said on Sunday. More than 41,000 refugees and migrants are stranded in Greece, their plans to travel north blocked by border shutdowns throughout the Balkans. Just last month a central bank source estimated 600 million euros would cover rescue operations, shelters and repatriation. "That estimate was based on the presumption that Greece was only a transit nation, but if now we have to host a large number of refugees, this estimate will have to be revised," Stournaras told Italy's Il Sole 24 Ore newspaper. The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development said last week that Greece would need help to deal with the strain that migrants were putting on its economy. Greece also expects to talk about debt relief at the spring meeting of the International Monetary Fund in April, Stournaras said. Athens has pledged to cut pension spending by 1 percent of GDP this year and reach a primary surplus of 3.5 percent by 2018. Stournaras said Greece's euro zone partners had promised debt relief in a meeting last year if Greece met its obligations. "This promise has not yet been fulfilled," the central banker said. "We hope our partners and the IMF are able to fulfill the promise because it was not only a promise, but an agreement." Euro zone finance ministers acknowledged last week that a debate on debt relief was coming up soon, but said Greece should first implement pension and tax reforms, set up an independent revenue agency and deal with non-performing loans. (Reporting by Steve Scherer)
By Lefteris Karagiannopoulos and Phoebe Fronista ATHENS/IDOMENI (Reuters) - Greece increased efforts on Saturday to move thousands of migrants near the border with Macedonia to sheltered camps, as the spread of infection became a concern with one person in a sprawling tent city diagnosed with Hepatitis A. Stranded in filthy conditions near the northern border town of Idomeni, at least 12,000 people, among them thousands of children, were waiting to cross the frontier although Macedonia and other nations along the so-called Western Balkan route have closed their borders. Scuffles broke out at the camp in recent days as destitute people scrambled for food and firewood, while many have been sleeping in the open, often in the rain amid low temperatures. Greek authorities handed out leaflets in Idomeni on Saturday informing people that the main route to northern Europe was shut. The pamphlets urged them to move to buildings and hospitality centers across Greece that have been set aside for the purpose, according to a government official from the country's refugee crisis management coordination body. "Our aim is not only to relieve Idomeni from the people, our aim is that no Idomeni (camp) even exists anymore. There are structures, why should people stay in the mud?" he said. Leaflets would also be distributed in ports and on islands to discourage people from going to Idomeni, the government official said. "Greece will offer you accommodation, food and healthcare," read the leaflets which were written in Arabic, Farsi and Pashtun. Deputy Defence Minister Dimitris Vitsas, in charge of coordinating Greek efforts to tackle the refugee crisis, said 400 people were moved from Idomeni to camps on Friday and the numbers would increase in the coming days. "Many of them are waiting for a decision by the (EU) summit on March 17. We are saying that regardless of this decision, there are three camps very close (to shelter them)," he told Greek Mega television. EU leaders and Turkey are due to meet again on Thursday and Friday to seal a deal to try to stem illegal migrant flows from Turkey to Europe through Greece. The squalid, overcrowded conditions of the camp in Idomeni have given rise to infection. A nine-year old Syrian girl was diagnosed with Hepatitis A on Friday, according to Greece's disease control agency. According to the World Health Organisation, Hepatitis A is a virus which is transmitted through ingestion of contaminated food and water, or through direct contact with an infectious person. It is normally associated with a lack of safe water or poor sanitation. "Conditions at Idomeni are indescribable ... it's a swampland created by the rain," the head of Greece's Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (KEELPNO), Thanasis Giannopoulos, said on Sunday. The girl being treated was in a stable condition, Giannopoulos said, adding that the center had already taken action to prevent the disease spreading among migrants in Idomeni. Some 300 to 400 people would be vaccinated against the disease in an initial phase, he said. To ensure water quality, seven water transportation vehicles, three deployed by the Greek army, started operating in Idomeni, the government said in an announcement late on Saturday. In the last 24 hours, 629 more people have arrived on Greek islands from Turkey, with the total number of migrants and refugees stuck in the country reaching about 41,000, government data showed. (Additional reporting by Alexandros Avramidis, Writing by Angeliki Koutantou; Editing by Andrew Bolton)
Grand-Bassam (Ivory Coast) (AFP) - Ivory Coast President Alassane Ouattara vowed Monday that the country would not be "intimidated by terrorists", as the death toll in the country's first jihadist attack climbed to 18.

Armed with grenades and assault rifles, gunmen on Sunday stormed three hotels and sprayed the beach with bullets in the resort of Grand-Bassam, a sleepy town popular with expats just a short 40 kilometre drive from the commercial capital Abidjan.

The attack claimed by Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) left 15 civilians dead, including a German woman, as well as killing three special forces troops, the government said. A total of 33 people were injured, 26 of whom are still in hospital.

France said four of its nationals were among the dead.

AQIM's real target was France, analysts said, punished both as Ivory Coast's former colonial master and for hunting down jihadists in Mali and elsewhere.

"The Ivory Coast will not allow itself to be intimidated by terrorists", Ouattara said in a statement broadcast on radio and television.

"Ivory Coast is standing up, standing up to fight the cowards and protect its people."

He vowed to work with countries in the sub-region, on the continent and with our "other international partners to reinforce our cooperation to fight these terrorists".

Interior Minister Hamed Bakayoko said "three terrorists were killed" in the assault.

Asked whether more gunmen were involved -- some witnesses had reported several attackers -- the minister said "we're still looking. We don't suspect more but we're making sure we carry out the widest possible sweep."

Along with a three-day national mourning period starting Monday, he said the West African nation would boost security at "strategic sites and in public places... (such as) schools, embassies, international institutions... and the borders."

In the latest such jihadist assault in West Africa, witnesses described the panic as gunfire rang out across the sand and an assailant shouted "Allahu Akbar" -- Arabic for "God is greatest".

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- 'I thought this was it' -

Condemnation came from around the world with UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon pledging to help government "efforts to bring the perpetrators of these crimes to justice."

French President Francois Hollande's office said his country will support Ivory Coast "to fight terrorism and considers that cooperation between all the states threatened by terrorist groups, particularly in West Africa, must intensify more than ever".

It was the third such attack in four months in West Africa and a blow to a nation working to lure back foreign tourists to its palm-fringed beaches and rainforests as it recovers from a brutal civil war.

The German victim was named as 51-year-old Henrike Grohs, who headed Abidjan's Goethe Institute, the German language centre's secretary-general said.

Grand-Bassam is packed at weekends with visitors drawn by its magnificent beaches and UNESCO-listed colonial-era buildings.

Carine Boa, a Belgian-Ivorian teacher at an international high school in Abidjan, was at one of the beach bars with her two sons when the gunmen arrived.

"We were really scared. We thought of the people at the Bataclan," she said, referring to the concert venue attacked by gunmen during November's terror attacks in Paris that left 130 people dead.

"I thought this was it for us," she said.

Some witnesses reported seeing more than three assailants, contradicting the official version.

"When they arrived, it was a woman who brought their luggage to put it in the bungalow," said one witness.

"They changed (their clothes), there were seven. The first person who came out was wearing a white top, and then he had a scarf on his head. He faced a child and then said 'Allahu Akbar' and fired at the child. When we saw that we ran."

- Fears run high -

The US-based SITE Intelligence Group said AQIM, the terror group's North African affiliate, had claimed responsibility.

West African nations have scrambled to boost security after jihadist attacks in November and January on upscale hotels in the capitals of Mali and Burkina Faso that were also claimed by the group.

Sunday's attack also bore grim similarities to the Islamist gun and grenade assault on a Tunisian beach resort last June, which left 38 foreign holidaymakers dead.

"Hitting Ivory Coast is clearly a way of attacking France's historical ally in the region," said Antoine Glaser, author of a recently published critical account of French colonisation in Africa called "Arrogant comme un Francais en Afrique" (Arrogant like a Frenchman in Africa).

Robert Besseling of Exx Africa, a specialist intelligence company, said the attack should not have come as a surprise.

"Cote d'Ivoire has been receiving warnings for at least a year from France's intelligence service that Islamist militants are planning to attack major cities," said Besseling, using the French name for Ivory Coast.
By Aditya Kalra NEW DELHI (Reuters) - India has banned the manufacture and sale of more than 300 combination medicines, including two widely used cough syrups, being sold without government approval, a senior health ministry official said on Saturday. The move is aimed at curbing the misuse of such medicines in India, where nearly half the drugs sold in 2014 were so called "fixed dose combinations." Combination drugs are used worldwide to improve patients' compliance, as it is easier to get patients to take one drug rather than several. But inconsistent enforcement of drug laws in India has led to the proliferation of hundreds of such medicines entering the market based on approval from regulators of individual states, rather than the central government. In 2014, India set up a committee to review more than 6,000 combinations that had entered the market based only on state regulators' approval. Policymakers gave pharmaceutical companies a chance to retroactively prove the safety and efficacy of these drugs by submitting data on their drugs. The committee was tasked with classifying the drugs into rational, irrational, and those that need further studies, said KL Sharma, a joint secretary at the health ministry. "Now based on responses (and) assessment of products, more than 300 drugs have been prohibited," he told Reuters. He did not name the medicines, but said an official notice announcing the ban would be issued "in a few days." The Drug Controller General of India was not immediately available to comment. The banned medicines include the codeine-based cough syrups Phensedyl and Corex, the Times of India said in a report earlier on Saturday, citing unnamed sources. Phensedyl, made by U.S. drug maker Abbott Laboratories, accounts for about a third of the Indian cough syrup market, and its sales are estimated to make up more than 3 percent of Abbott's $1 billion India revenue. Corex is sold by Pfizer Inc . Reuters reported last October that Indian regulators were privately pressuring drug firms to better police the selling of popular codeine-based cough syrups to tackle smuggling and addiction. Neither company responded to requests for comment on Saturday. Doctors and public health experts in India and abroad have warned that increasing use of antibiotic combinations in India may be contributing to antibiotic resistance. India is a particular concern as the market share of combination drugs versus single drugs is bigger than anywhere in the world. Reuters reported in December how a powerful antibiotic cocktail being marketed in India by a unit of Abbott and many other local companies did not carry approval from the central government. The combination was not approved for sale in major markets such as the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Japan and Australia. Several medical experts said it did not make sense to prescribe the cocktail for cold symptoms. However, Abbott's former and current medical representatives said the combination was being promoted and administered as a treatment for a wide variety of illnesses, including colds and fevers. (Writing by Zeba Siddiqui; Editing by Clelia Oziel)
Ramallah (Palestinian Territories) (AFP) - Israel on Sunday refused to allow Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi to visit the occupied West Bank, where she was to hold talks with Palestinian leaders, the Palestinian foreign ministry said.

Israeli authorities control access to the West Bank, where the Palestinian political capital Ramallah is located.

Marsudi was to hold talks in Ramallah with Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas and her counterpart Riad al-Malki, according to a statement from the Palestinian foreign ministry.

She also planned to open an honorary consular office, it said. Malki instead travelled to Jordan to meet her.

Indonesian foreign ministry spokesman Arrmanatha Nasir said in a statement that "Israel did not grant the overflight permit for the helicopter" that was to take Marsudi from Jordan to the West Bank.

It provided no further details on why she was denied entry.

Israel and Indonesia do not have formal diplomatic relations.

Israel's foreign ministry declined to comment and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office did not immediately respond to an AFP query.

Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported that Marsudi was refused access to Ramallah after declining to also visit Jerusalem and meet Israeli officials there.

The incident follows a call by the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation earlier this month for a ban on products from Israeli settlements in the occupied territories.

The call came at the end of an OIC summit held in Indonesian capital Jakarta. Indonesia is the world's most populous Muslim-majority country.
Paris (AFP) - US Secretary of State John Kerry said Sunday a solution to the long-running Israeli-Palestinian conflict required "the global community", as France prepared to present proposals to revive the peace process to EU foreign ministers.

"Obviously we are all looking for a way forward. The United States and myself remain deeply, deeply committed to a two-state solution," Kerry said after a Paris meeting with his counterparts from France, Italy, Britain, Germany and the EU.

"At the moment it is a difficult one, because of the violence that has been taking place, and there are not many people in Israel or in the region itself right now that believe in the possibilities of peace because of those levels of violence," he added.

Kerry's comments came after his French counterpart Jean-Marc Ayrault said he would present proposals to revive talks to EU foreign ministers meeting in Brussels on Monday.

"The Israeli-Palestinian conflict remains but is getting worse, the status quo cannot last," Ayrault said in Paris.

The newly-appointed French foreign minister visited Cairo last week to drum up support for the initiative to hold an international conference by the summer to revive peace talks.

A previous round of talks brokered by Kerry collapsed in April 2014.

"...not any one country or one person can resolve this. This is going to require the global community, it will require international support," said Kerry.

Senior French diplomat Pierre Vimont is touring Israel, the Palestinian territories and other countries in the region to discuss the proposal before heading to Washington next week.

EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini said France was coordinating its proposals with the EU as part of "joint efforts to try and create conditions for a two-state solution".

The renewed efforts to resolve one of the world's oldest conflicts come amid a wave of violence that has seen Palestinians carry out knife, gun or car-ramming attacks against Israelis.

Story continues

Since October 1, 188 Palestinians, 28 Israelis, two Americans, an Eritrean and a Sudanese have died, according to an AFP count.

Most of the Palestinians were killed while carrying out attacks, Israeli authorities say.

Others were shot dead by Israeli forces during clashes or demonstrations.

Many analysts say Palestinian frustration with Israeli occupation and settlement building in the West Bank, the complete lack of progress in peace efforts and their own fractured leadership have fed the unrest.

Israel blames incitement by Palestinian leaders and media as a main cause of the violence.
Paris (AFP) - US Secretary of State John Kerry on Sunday warned the regime of President Bashar al-Assad and its allies including Russia against exploiting the fragile ceasefire in Syria for their own means.

"If the regime and its backers think they can test boundaries, diminish their compliance in certain areas, or act in ways that call into question their commitment to the cessation -- without serious consequences for the progress we have made -- they are mistaken," Kerry said after talks with his European allies in Paris.

Kerry described comments by his Syrian counterpart that removing President Assad would cross a "red line" as an attempt to disrupt the peace process.

He said Foreign Minister Walid Muallem's remarks were "clearly trying to disrupt the process... (he was) clearly trying to send a message of deterrence to others".

"But the fact is (Assad's) strongest sponsors Russia and Iran have both adopted... an approach which dictates that there must be a political transition and that we must have a presidential election at some time," Kerry said on the eve of a new round of peace talks.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault also said Muallem's comments were a "provocation".

Kerry also said 600 fighters from the Islamic State group had been killed in Syria in the past three weeks.

"In Syria, over the last three weeks alone, Daesh has lost 3,000 square kilometres (1,160 square miles) and 600 fighters," he said, using another name for Islamic State.
Are there only two design options concerning the Hub: A very tall apartment complex (Option A) and one that, if rezoned, is nearly the same size but better designed (Option B)?

Flagstaff Mayor Jerry Nabours says that it is case, which is why he voted for Option B on first reading. Other councilmembers and Southside residents disagree, contending a third option is possible if the developers rezoning bid is rejected.

And with the Hub apparently lacking the six votes now needed on second reading to get its rezoning, Option C may eventually be needed.

Nabours released a letter last week explaining his March 1 vote on The Hub, a 664-bed apartment complex geared toward students slated for the Mikes Pike area.

Option A was to deny the zone change. Core will then build a 65-foot-high apartment complex. They already have the zoning for that. They do not need city council approval, Nabours wrote. Option B was to grant a partial zoning change that would allow Core to build a much more attractive project. Option B was developed after many meetings between Core and Flagstaff residents and city staff. Not allowing Core (Campus, the developer) to build anything was not an option.

Allowing the zoning change would give the city a more appealing project, he wrote.

Councilmember Eva Putzova said Nabours letter was just incorrect.

It is a misleading letter (designed) to create a perception that somehow what the developer is proposing is a better option, she wrote in an email. The reality is, no matter how we look at it, we dont know what the alternative site plan is because it has never been developed and presented. The developer has said many things, but none of them are legally binding. In fact, we have not even seen the development agreement that spells out the terms associated with the zoning amendment request.

Added Putzova: Even if the developer chooses to build according to the existing zoning designation, they have to meet all prescribed standards and the site plan has to be approved by staff (i.e. City), Putzova said. We can argue about the interpretation of the Zoning Code (especially the general provisions) but the reality is that until this gets tested in court, we will not know with certainty whose legal opinion would prevail.

Vice Mayor Celia Barotz agreed with Putzova in her own email to the Arizona Daily Sun.

Core has NOT presented to, or discussed with, council or the public what it can/will build if the rezoning is denied, Barotz wrote. While Core has made some very general statements about what it may or may not build if the rezoning request is denied, it has not submitted a plan. The bottom line is that its hard to say that the rezoning site plan is better than the alternative, because we dont have an alternative. The only thing we know is what the standards are, but thats very different from an actual plan.

City staff and the Flagstaff Planning and Zoning Commission agree with the mayor. The Planning and Zoning Commission voted 6 to 1 to recommend the rezoning with some conditions.

Commissioner David Carpenter said by working with Core the Commission had a better chance of shaping the project to something that could be more acceptable to the public.

Staff have pointed out that if the rezoning is denied, that Core could build The Hub taller and place retail shops on Phoenix Avenue. Core has not created or released a site plan that shows what exactly they would build if they dont get the rezoning.

Cores representatives have said that they prefer the plan that is currently before Council, even though it would cost them more to build it, because of the public input that went into designing the project.

Core has also stated that it plans to build on the property even if the rezoning is denied.

Bill Ring, an attorney hired by a local Southside property owners, said he could not comment on the situation. He has argued in the past before Council and the Planning and Zoning Commission that generic language in the citys Zoning Code could be used by the city to reject The Hub because it didnt fit in with the size or scale of the existing neighborhood.

Marie Jones, a Southside resident who has opposed The Hub, agreed that Core could build the project taller under the traditional zoning in the area.

But they did not make their application under non-transect zoning, she wrote in an email. They chose to use the transect, or form-based option, which offers such incentives as much reduced parking in exchange for building a project that is in context with the character, size and scaleincluding smaller footprints and building sizesof the existing neighborhood.

She said Cores failure to meet those neighborhood size and character requirements and staffs neglect in recommending the project despite this failure was the reason for the communitys opposition to the project.

The community did not at any point ask the mayor and Council to disallow Core to develop their land, Jones wrote. They asked them to require the developer to do what the Zoning Code requires: to either design a non-transect project that could be just as large as it is shown currently but would have sufficient parking included in it, or; design a transect project that conforms to the size, scale and context of the existing neighborhood.

Added Jones: The mayors and Councilmembers (Jeff) Oravits, (Karla) Brewster and (Scott) Overtons votes would grant the developer all of the incentives of transect zoning without requiring them to meet the requirement to conform to the scale of the neighborhood. They propose that the city would accept $575,000 in contributions toward parking for what would cost, by the citys own estimates, millions to solve.

On March 1, Council voted 4-3 to approve the zoning change for The Hub. But a second reading of the ordinance approving the change is required and a citizens petition opposing the project has forced a supermajority of 6 votes. If the councilmembers stick to their original votes, it is unlikely that Cores rezoning request will be approved the second time around.

According to City Planning Director Dan Folke, if the rezoning is denied, then Core will have to wait an entire year before it can resubmit the same project. They could submit a new project sooner, but the project or the circumstances surrounding the property would have to be substantially different.

Core could also withdraw is rezoning request like Landmark Properties, the developer of The Standard another student apartment complex, did two years ago. This allowed Landmark to negotiate with surrounding property owners and bring the same project back six months later with a new building footprint that excluded the Arrowhead Village trailer park.
Kevin Spacey will not be leading Relativity after all.

"It is with much thought and consideration and after many discussions with those I trust most that I have decided not to go through with accepting the role of chairman at Relativity Studios," he states in a bankruptcy court declaration obtained by The Hollywood Reporter. "I can think of very few things more exciting to an actor than being given the opportunity to work with fellow actors, writers and directors with the ability to bring their creative works to light. That was, and still is, a very powerful idea for me.

"However, as Relativity emerges from bankruptcy and now that I have a much deeper understanding of the specifics of the amount of work that will be needed to shepherd the company through this transition, I have concluded it is work that I neither have the time nor the wherewithal to take on," adds Spacey.

A Relativity spokesperson said, "We couldn't be happier with the support he gave and relationship we have built with Kevin and for his instrumental work in closing this deal especially. For working with us to make sure Relativity has the tools to continue on the good work of Trigger Street."

The studio is still moving forward with Spacey's Trigger Street partner Dana Brunetti, who will run Relativity with CEO Ryan Kavanaugh when it emerges from bankruptcy.

Spacey's exit follows a dramatic six months for Relativity, which filed for bankruptcy in July and has been embroiled in one of the most contentious and closely watched bankruptcies in Hollywood history. But then Relativity stunned Hollywood when it announced that Spacey and Brunetti would be taking the reins of Kavanaugh's embattled studio.

The Spacey-Brunetti move was a PR coup for Kavanaugh, and certainly impressed U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Michael Wiles, who approved a plan of reorganization for Relativity Media conditional on last-minute documentation on new financing and the studio's Trigger Street deal with Spacey and Brunetti. When Netflix, for instance, objected to the plan on the basis that it did not have adequate assurances that Relativity could deliver a promised minimum number of films, the judge noted that Relativity had tapped individuals that Netflix had long worked with. (Spacey and Brunetti are both executive producers of House of Cards, one of Netflix's most important shows.)

Story continues

When Spacey said he was taking the job, skeptics immediately questioned whether he would have the time to run a studio that badly needed to rebuild after its bankruptcy ordeal. Even Netflix openly wondered whether Spacey's position was a done deal. His appearance via a taped message at the confirmation hearing in early February soothed concerns, but unbeknownst to many, the relationship would soon unravel.

In fact, according to one court document filed on Saturday, Spacey's exit has been in the works for weeks. On Feb. 23, the parties signed a non-disparagement agreement with each other when it became clear that the potential hiring of Spacey had hit a snag.

Spacey's commitment was always a question mark. Netflix just renewed House of Cards for a fifth season. That means that Spacey, who stars on the show, would soon embark on a grueling acting schedule for what is typically a 13-episode season. A source says the actor's new House of Cards deal requires him to be on the East Coast set of the series for 200 days in the next 12 months.

Now Relativity will look to Brunetti to help turn around the company's fortunes. Relativity racked up more than $1 billion in debt to its roughly $500 million in assets before the bankruptcy filing. But even with Trigger Street, Brunetti was seen as the creative force behind the duo, while Spacey was viewed as the figurehead. With Relativity, he was viewed as someone who could help repair some of the damaged relationships that have resulted in the wake of the studio's bankruptcy, which saw many films hang in limbo, including the Kristen Wiig-Zach Galifianakis comedy Masterminds.

According to his employment agreement  also deposited with the bankruptcy court this weekend  Brunetti won't have sole greenlighting authority. Instead, he and Kavanaugh will share such duties as deciding which films and TV projects will be produced or acquired by the company. Additionally, there will be a "Creative Advisory Board" for Relativity, consisting of Brunetti, Kavanaugh and Joe Nicholas, a hedge-fund guy who has poured more money into the studio than anyone else in recent months.

In fact, Nicholas is shouldering more of the financial burden in Relativity's bankruptcy exit (that is, assuming the judge is still fine with the reorganization plan). The company has also submitted paperwork adjusting its exit financing arrangement. Originally, financial projections were based on the assumption of $78.4 million from an assumed term loan by Macquarie, a vendor advance, an equity raise and a convertible note. That's now been revised into a $40 million loan from Midcap Financial Trust and an additional $35 million in debt financing from an entity owned by Nicholas, who will also be primarily responsible for future capital raises contemplated by the business plan.

The judge will review all the changes at a hearing on March 18.
LIMA (Reuters) - Investor-favorite Pedro Pablo Kuczynski jumped back into second in Peru's presidential race behind longtime frontrunner Keiko Fujimori, after two key rivals were disqualified from next month's vote, an Ipsos poll showed Sunday. Kuczynski rose by five percentage points to 14 percent of voter support in the new electoral scenario, his best showing since December when he peaked at 16 percent, according to the poll published in the local daily El Comercio. The 77-year-old former World Bank economist has pledged to draw $20 billion in investments to the global mining powerhouse over three years, but his age and the perception that he is a light-skinned foreigner have weighed on his second presidential bid. Voter support for leftist lawmaker Veronika Mendoza and center-left politician Alfredo Barnechea also jumped five points each from last month to 9 percent, tying them at third. The race has been shaken by the electoral board's unprecedented move to bar two candidates - Julio Guzman and Cesar Acuna - just a month before elections. The two had tapped voter frustration with traditional politicians and took turns bumping Kuczynski from second place. Fujimori, the center-right 40-year-old daughter of imprisoned former president Alberto Fujimori, has enjoyed a wide lead over all of her rivals for months but is not expected to secure the absolute majority needed to win outright in the first round of balloting on April 10. Fujimori recovered two points to garner 32 percent of voter support in the Ipsos poll, but the share of voters determined to vote against her rose four points to 44 percent. The poll did not include second-round scenarios. In the last Ipsos surveys, Kuczynski was seen losing to Fujimori by five points in a run-off vote that would take place June 5. Guzman had been seen as neck and neck with Fujimori in the second round before he was barred on a technicality - a controversy he is calling "fraud" that threatens to tarnish the legitimacy of the next president. The share of voters intending to cast spoilt ballots rose four points to 12 percent in the Ipsos poll of 1,851 Peruvians, which had a 2.3 point margin of error and was conducted March 5-10. Voting is mandatory in Peru. (Reporting By Mitra Taj; Editing by Alan Crosby)
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Australian Nick Kyrgios was involved in a fresh dispute after being accused of swearing at the BNP Paribas Open in California on Saturday. At 2-2 in the second set of his second-round defeat by Spaniard Albert Ramos, the umpire said Kyrgios had used foul language and docked the player a point. "You used the F word," explained French official Damien Dumusois. Kyrgios protested and, after briefly taking a seat in the crowd, he approached the umpire. "I didn't say anything," he said. Dumusois replied: "Nick. You know we are strict on the F word...I have a report from an official. I trust him". Ramos went on to win the match 7-6 (4) 7-5 on an outside court at Indian Wells. In Canada last August, Kyrgios incurred the wrath of the ATP after a courtside microphone picked up a comment directed at opponent Stan Wawrinka. The comment, about Wawrinka's girlfriend, earned Kyrgios a suspended 28-day ban and $25,000 fine. He had already been fined the on-site maximum of $10,000 for the offense and a further $2,500 for remarks directed at a ball person. Last week Kyrgios became embroiled in another spat when Bernard Tomic accused his countryman of feigning illness to miss a Davis Cup tie that Australia lost to the United States. (Reporting by Andrew Both; Editing by Tony Jimenez)
Derek Turner remembers well the nasty battle that erupted between solar providers and utilities in 2013 when Arizona Public Service proposed to decrease the rate it paid for energy that rooftop solar owners export back to the grid. APS-funded advertising campaigns portrayed solar customers as stealing from non-solar ones while those on the opposite side contended that changing existing solar policies was opposed by 90 percent of Arizonans.

In the midst of it all, customers rushed into Turners company, Rooftop Solar, to get their panels before the new rates were to take effect. Then business completely froze as everyone waited for state regulators to make a final decision, Turner said.

Utility companies do have a power to freeze interest based on fear and we've seen that directly impact our business and solar companies all over the state, he said.

Now, while the rhetoric hasnt been as biting, utilities and solar companies are gearing up for another contentious debate over utility rate proposals that could be a significant hit to solar customers, including those in northern Arizona. Added to the mix will be an upcoming study by state regulators about the costs and benefits of rooftop solar to utilities.

While still optimistic about the potential growth of sun-powered energy in the state, local solar installers and advocates say the impact of fee changes could be dramatic.

You saw what happened in SRP territory when they put in the demand (fee), Jim Arwood of Arizona Solar Energy Center said in reference to an APS fee proposal similar to one recently approved by Salt River Project. (APS proposal) would have a similar impact if its as radical as that. It would have devastating effects.

Arizonas solar debates are also coming on the heels of a decision by Nevada utility regulators to allow a tripling of all solar customers monthly fees over the next five years as well as a drastic cut in reimbursements for feeding solar electricity back onto the grid.

Both states are being closely watched for their potential to set the tone of future utility proposals and regulatory decisions on solar.

Nevada recently and Arizona now are definitely at the forefront of this issue because they are very large solar markets where the focus lies. There are trends for this type of proposal, said Briana Kobor, program director at the advocacy organization Vote Solar.

THE STATUS OF SOLAR

The state of solar in Arizona has increasingly become one of opposing forces. (See related By the Numbers box, Page A10) The states abundant sunshine makes it a solar energy goldmine, and both residential and utility scale solar capacity in the state have exploded over the past five years. More recently, though, large scale construction has stagnated while the states utilities are in various stages of implementing or proposing fees that could significantly dent the cost savings of rooftop solar.

A FAIRER RATE STRUCTURE?

In June, APS will go before state utility regulators with a rate case expected to include a demand charge similar to one that SRP imposed on solar customers last year that averaged an additional $50 per customer per month. APS is considering the demand charge for all residential users, not just solar ones, though a new bill structure would mean 90 percent of customers wouldnt see a change in monthly costs, said Greg Bernosky, APS director of state regulation and compliance. The new proposed charge, which is based on a households peak electricity usage during the month, reflects the fact that a rising peak demand requires the utility to build and fire up expensive infrastructure to ensure it can provide reliable power during that time, Bernosky said.

The utility hopes the new charge will spur the development of new energy conservation and monitoring technologies, he said.

APS likely wont propose an increase in set monthly fees for solar users but it is discussing also reducing the net metering rate it pays solar customers for energy exported back to the grid, Bernosky said. The way rates are structured now doesnt equitably distribute costs between solar and non-solar customers, he said. An APS study released last year, which was criticized by the solar industry, calculated that solar customers pay about 43 percent of what it costs the utility to serve them.

Solar advocates say demand fees would be detrimental to the economics of solar panels because they function like a fixed charge that cuts into energy savings. Briana Kobor, with the nonprofit Vote Solar, explained that its appliances like air conditioners, home heating systems and refrigerators that will likely drive consumers peak demand. The catch is that consumers have the least flexibility to significantly reduce those appliances energy usage without big technology and efficiency investments, she said.

What makes it worse for solar customers is that the demand charge is calculated in the morning or at night when solar panels are generating little to offset a homes energy use, Kobor said. Most homeowners also have no way of tracking their cumulative energy use at any one time, said Karl Rabago, executive director of the Pace Energy and Climate Center.

Two local solar installers say decreases in net metering rates for solar customers and a new demand fee could be a blow to their business, but they didnt seem to think it would completely knock them down.

There can be a lot of confusion and fear in what could happen with utilities and I think there is a lot of muddying of water for potential new customers, said Turner, with Rooftop Solar.

The fee structure changes could push back the payback timeline on a solar panel setup -- maybe even double it -- but it wont disappear, he said.

Flagstaff-based Prometheus Solar also has seen business waver according to customers perceptions of what APS is doing or intending to do with rates and incentives, Owner Ryan Holtz said. The company tries to be as upfront as possible with customers, Project Manager Kelly Paduchowski added.

We let them know their decision to go solar may have to be based on other principles than a financial decision, she said. We try to be as upfront as possible about what the future holds and that we don't know any better than anybody else.

Among rooftop solar owners, rate changes could be most impactful to those considering or already in long term panel leasing agreements, said Amanda Ormond, managing director of the clean energy nonprofit Western Grid Group. In those long-term agreements, customers pay a monthly leasing fee that is usually less than what their energy bills were before. The difference can be quite slim though -- sometimes only $5 a month -- so new demand fees and net metering reductions may cause a customers cost savings to evaporate while they still have several years on their lease, Ormond said.

A DIFFICULT CALCULATION

People on both sides of the solar debate emphasize the importance of pegging down a fair number that reflects what rooftop solar users cost the electric grid as well as what benefits they provide to the system, the environment and the utility.

I think the best thing we can do is find an unbiased analysis of the value of distributed energy, Turner said. Our opinion is there is a cost and we want to be fair about it, however it's when those costs are confused with profit that things become complicated.

In a cost of service report released in October, APS calculated that it loses an average of $67 per month on each solar customer. The number reflects APS costs to serve those customers minus monthly fees paid by those customers and the infrastructure and fuel costs the utility saves thanks to power contributions from their solar panels.

Rabago, of the Pace Energy and Climate Center, contends that the utilitys study ignores a variety of benefits that make rooftop solar neutral or possibly a net benefit to utilities. They include:

-Potentially allowing the utility to avoid upgrading a substation or building a new transmission line in an area of increasing power demand

-Bringing resiliency and reliability to the grid thanks to more distributed power sources

-Adding carbon-free energy that isnt dependent on fluctuating fuel prices

Amid the whirlwind of conflicting calculations, the Arizona Corporation Commission decided it will make its own determination on the cost of distributed solar generation. The regulatory commission opened up a case in January 2014 and has already received submissions from more than 75 different parties. Hearings are scheduled to begin in April.

SOLARS FUTURE

As the manager of Coconino Countys sustainable building program, Amanda Acheson works with homeowners considering solar power.

Despite the environmental upsides of renewable energy, for most solar customers she sees it still has to pencil out financially, Acheson said. If they get high enough, new costs could derail interest in solar within the county, she said.

As a solar panel owner, Flagstaff resident Martha Hahn said she understands the need for utilities to recoup some costs for serving her. At the same time, as someone who works hard to minimize her electricity usage, she said it would be hard to accept the possibility of even higher energy bills.

Ormond said she isnt surprised at the complicated, contentious nature of the states solar debate.

Making a shift in policy and regulation is going to be messy, messy messy. But the longer we wait messier and more expensive its going to be. Ormond said. Electricity doesnt have to be more expensive than it is now... its just going to be different.
Istanbul (AFP) - Following is a list of the worst bomb attacks in Turkey since 1982:

- March 13, 2016: At least 27 people are killed and dozens wounded in a car bombing near Ankara's main Kizilay square.

- February 17, 2016: 29 are killed in a car bombing targeting the Turkish military in Ankara. The attack is claimed by a group calling itself the Kurdistan Freedom Falcons (TAK) but Turkish authorities say there was also a Syrian Kurdish link.

- January 12, 2016: Eleven German tourists are killed and another 16 people wounded in a suicide attack by a Syrian bomber in Istanbul's Sultanahmet district, the ancient tourist heart of the city.

- October 10, 2015: 103 people are killed and more than 500 wounded in twin suicide bombings targeting a pro-Kurdish peace rally in Ankara.

- July 20, 2015: 34 people are killed and about 100 injured in a suicide bombing in the predominantly-Kurdish town of Suruc near the border with Syria. Turkish officials blame IS.

- May 11, 2013: A twin car bomb attack kills 52 people in Reyhanli near the Syrian border. Ankara blames pro-Damascus groups.

- February 11, 2013: 17 people are killed when a Syrian minibus explodes in Reyhanli.

- July 27, 2008: Two bombings in Istanbul leave 17 dead and 115 wounded. The authorities blame the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK).

- September 12, 2006: Ten people, including children, are killed in a bomb blast in Diyarbakir, the largest city in the mainly Kurdish southeast. The PKK denies involvement.

- November 15 and 20, 2003: Four suicide car bomb attacks in Istanbul hit two synagogues, the British consulate and a branch of the British multinational bank HSBC, leaving 63 dead, including Britain's consul general, and hundreds wounded. The attacks are claimed by Al-Qaeda and a Turkish extremist group named the Islamic Front of Raiders of the Great Orient.

- March 13, 1999: Twelve are killed in a firebombing on an Istanbul shopping mall. The attack is claimed by the PKK, which later retracts its statement.

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- December 25, 1991: Explosives and firebombs are hurled at an Istanbul department store, killing 17 people and injuring 23. The attack is blamed on the PKK.

- September 6, 1986: A twin suicide bombing claimed by Islamic Jihad kills 22 people at a synagogue in Istanbul.

- August 7, 1982: A bomb at Ankara airport followed by a gun battle leaves 11 dead and 63 injured. The attack is claimed by the Armenian Secret Army for the Liberation of Armenia (ASALA).
Ankara (AFP) - A suicide car bomb ripped through a busy square in central Ankara, killing at least 34 people and wounding 125, officials said, the latest in a spate of deadly attacks to hit Turkey.

The explosion at 6:45 pm (1645 GMT) struck a bus stop near Kizilay square, a bustling commercial area and local transport hub, reducing buses to charred husks and damaging nearby shops.

Officials said the blast was caused by a vehicle packed with explosives, which the interior minister said was driven by one or two attackers who had deliberately targeted the bus stop.

The attack is the third to strike Ankara in five months, in an area close to the prime minister's office, parliament and foreign embassies, as Turkey grapples with twin security threats from the Islamic State group (IS) and Kurdish rebels.

As recently as Friday, the US embassy issued a warning about a possible plot to attack central Ankara, advising American citizens to avoid the area.

No group immediately claimed responsibility for Sunday's killings, but Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said investigators were following up on solid leads.

"We have concrete information on the terrorist group behind the attack," he said in a statement. "We will soon have results from the inquiry, and will make them public."

Canberra said Australia's ambassador to Turkey James Larsen was in his car just 20 metres (yards) away from the bomb when it went off.

The blast killed 34 people and wounded 125 others, 19 of them seriously, Health Minister Mehmet Muezzinoglu said.

"Thirty people were killed on the spot and four others died in hospital," Muezzinoglu said following a meeting of ministers and security officials called by Davutoglu.

A judge in Ankara banned the spreading of information about the attack online, particularly on social media sites, where photos and videos had been circulating.

- 'Terrorist menace' -

It is the second major attack in the heart of Ankara in less than a month, after 29 people were killed in a suicide bombing claimed by a dissident faction of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) on February 17.

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Sunday's blast bore many similarities with the February bombing, which the Kurdistan Freedom Falcons (TAK), linked to the PKK, said was in revenge for operations by the Turkish military in the southeast of the country.

A two-year ceasefire between the government and Kurdish rebels collapsed last year and since December security forces have been waging a major campaign against the PKK.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the government would "never abandon its right to legitimate defence against the terrorist menace".

"Turkey is fighting a determined struggle against terrorist organisations," he said.

The attack comes at a delicate moment for Turkey, as it seeks to persuade the European Union to speed up its path to membership of the bloc in return for help with a huge migrant crisis.

French President Francois Hollande condemned the "vile attack" and said France stood alongside Turkey in the fight against terror. British Prime Minister David Cameron said he was "appalled".

The US condemned the "horrific attack", with the White House National Security Council pledging to work with Turkey "to confront the scourge of terrorism".

- Clampdown on Kurds -

Turkey has been on high alert following a string of attacks since the middle of last year, most of them blamed on the IS group, including a double suicide bombing in Ankara in October that left 103 people dead.

Sunday's attack came as strict curfews imposed in December on a number of Kurdish-dominated towns and cities were extended to two more towns in the southeast as a prelude to fresh military operations.

Authorities said restrictions would be slapped on Yuksekova, near the Iranian border, and Nusaybin, on the frontier with Syria, to "restore order and security" following an increase in "terrorist activity".

Ankara has vowed to wipe out the PKK, classed as a terrorist organisation by Turkey and its Western allies, and has said "clean-up" operations in Yuksekova, Nusaybin and Sirnak, a third Kurdish city, are imminent.

After February's attack Erdogan rejected the TAK claim of responsibility and insisted the assault was the work of the Syrian Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG), which Ankara regards as a branch of the PKK.

The issue has driven a wedge between Ankara and its ally Washington, which works with the YPG as the only effective force combating IS in Syria.
(Reuters) - A police officer was shot and critically wounded on Sunday outside a Prince George's County police station in the Maryland suburbs of Washington, and two suspects were arrested a short time later, authorities said on Twitter. There were no immediate official details provided on the circumstances of the shooting as police urged residents in a tweet to stay indoors and away from the police station in the vicinity of Palmer Park and Landover, Maryland, about 8 miles (13 km) east of the U.S. capital. Police initially reported a "possible active shooter" situation had unfolded outside the Prince George's County Police Department's District 3 station, next to police headquarters, and authorities shut down a stretch of state Route 202 near the Washington Beltway as a search for suspects ensued. Within an hour, police reported that one suspect had been taken into custody in connection with the shooting. A second suspect was reported apprehended a short time after that. "We do not believe there are outstanding suspects but investigation is in early stages," police said on their Twitter feed announcing the second arrest. Television news images showed about a dozen people detained by police sitting on the ground near an entrance to the Beltway, but it was not clear whether the individuals were suspects or potential witnesses to the shooting. Local station WTTG-TV also broadcast footage showing dozens of officers - some joining hands with heads bowed - gathered outside Prince George's Hospital Center, where the wounded officer was reported to have been taken. Reached by telephone, county police spokesman Corporal Harry Bond declined to give any further information, saying the police chief was expected to address the media at a news conference soon. In the meantime, he referred media to updates being posted on the department's Twitter account. Local media reported that police were preparing to reopen Route 202 to traffic a little more than an hour after the shooting. Police dispatch clerks answering the phone at the station declined to provide any information. (Reporting by Brendan O'Brien in Milwaukee and Frank McGurty in New York; Writing and additional reporting by Steve Gorman in Los Angeles; Editing by Jonathan Oatis, Peter Cooney and Andrew Hay)
Rabat (AFP) - Hundreds of thousands of people protested against Ban Ki-moon in Rabat on Sunday after Morocco's government criticised the UN chief for remarks made on the disputed Western Sahara region.

Carrying banners denouncing Ban's alleged "lack of neutrality", protesters waved Moroccan flags and sang the national anthem. Official news agency MAP said more than three million people had participated.

Ban sparked anger in Morocco earlier this month when he visited a camp in Algeria for refugees from Western Sahara, which is under Moroccan control.

The UN has been trying to oversee an independence referendum for Western Sahara since 1992 after a ceasefire was reached to end a war that broke out when Morocco sent its forces to the former Spanish territory in 1975.

The Algerian-backed Polisario Front is seeking independence for the territory, a demand ruled out by Morocco.

During his visit, Ban announced plans to re-launch UN-sponsored talks between Rabat and the Polisario Front.

Ban said the UN mission to the region was "prepared to hold a referendum if there is agreement between the parties".

The Moroccan government, in a statement issued by the foreign ministry, accused Ban of speaking out of line and of using the word "occupation" to describe the status of Western Sahara.

"The Moroccan government noted with astonishment that the secretary general used the expression 'occupation' to describe Morocco's restoration of its territorial integrity," the statement said.

It said the alleged use of the word was "an insult to the government and the Moroccan people".

"Far from achieving the stated goal of his visit to relaunch political dialogue, the secretary general's comments could jeopardise the process," the statement added.

Ban rejected the criticism, insisting that he and the UN are "neutral partners" in efforts to find a solution to Western Sahara.

Ban visited the camp as part of a regional tour which also took him to Burkina Faso, Mauritania and Algeria, but not to Morocco.
Myanmar's powerful military released 46 child soldiers from service, state media reported on Sunday, the latest move towards ending a scourge that has long beset the nation.

The military are committed to ending the recruitment and use of children in its "Tatmadaw" army following a June 2012 pact with the UN.

But progress has been slow.

The 46 children were handed over to their families at a ceremony in Yangon on Saturday, the Global New Light of Myanmar reported.

"The military has released 744 underage recruits in 12 batches including yesterdays release," the report said.

"The Tatmadaw is committed to rid its ranks of underage soldiers," the paper quoted Major General Tauk Tun as saying during the ceremony.

There are no verifiable figures on how many children currently serve in Myanmar's huge military, which has faced a raft of accusations over rights abuses, including the forced recruitment of children to work as porters or even human mine detectors.

As well as the army, the UN says at least seven rebel groups in Myanmar are known to recruit child soldiers.

Myanmar is currently transitioning from decades of brutal junta rule to a civilian-led quasi democracy.

In November Aung San Suu Kyi and her National League for Democracy swept landmark polls and will shortly form the first civilian-led government in decades.

But the military remains enormously influential.

They have a quarter of seats in parliament reserved for them and control three significant ministries -- home, defence and border affairs.

Suu Kyi has said bringing peace to Myanmar's border areas, where a variety of ethnic minority rebels have long fought insurgencies against central government rule, will be a priority of her new administration.
By Felix Onuah ABUJA (Reuters) - Nigeria's government will prosecute those who attack the country's oil pipelines, the Nigerian information minister said on Sunday, amid fears of a revived militant movement in the Niger Delta. Attacks on facilities have risen in recent weeks in the Delta, whose oil provides around 70 percent of national income, since President Muhammadu Buhari vowed to shake up an amnesty scheme introduced in 2009 for ex-rebels who stopped blowing up pipelines. A statement issued by the office of Information Minister Lai Mohammed said the government "will deal ruthlessly withthose engaged in pipeline vandalism and the sabotage of powerinfrastructure". "Government is now fully ready to prosecute them according to the laws of the country that deal with economic saboteurs and vandalism," Mohammed told Reuters in a telephone interview. "None of them will go free when arrested. Government will make sure that they are prosecuted and pay for the crime they committed against the nation," he said. Authorities have sent troops to protect oil facilities amid fears that recent attacks may herald a return to the violence that crippled the oil industry in Africa's biggest economy less than a decade ago. Last month, unidentified militants hit a Shell underwater pipeline, interrupting oil flows and forcing the company to shut down its 250,000 barrel-a-day Forcados export terminal for weeks. It came a month after an arrest warrant was issued for former militant leader Government Ekpemupolo, better known as Tompolo. Like other ex-rebels, he had halted attacks in exchange for cash and contracts as part of the amnesty program. The threat of a return to widespread Delta militancy comes as Nigeria grapples with an economic crisis caused by the collapse of oil revenues, on which it relies for around 90 percent of foreign earnings, as global crude prices fall. Buhari is set to travel to Equatorial Guinea on Monday for talks with the country's president about combating crude oil theft, attacks on oil rigs, piracy and arms smuggling in the Gulf of Guinea. "The conclusion and signing of an agreement by Nigeria and Equatorial Guinea for the establishment of a combined maritime policing and security patrol committee on Tuesday is expected to be the major outcome," said Buhari's spokesman, Femi Adesina. The president will be joined by security officials, including the defense minister and the national security adviser. (Writing by Alexis Akwagyiram, editing by Larry King)
A motion to remove Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razaks portrait from an alumni board at Nottingham University in the United Kingdom will be debated during the university's Malaysian Societys annual general meeting (AGM) on March 16. The committee of the University of Nottingham Malaysian Society said in a statement that it saw no reason to prevent Cassandra Chungs motion from being debated as it was non-partisan and should not be a detriment to the interests of its members. "We are also obliged by the students' union policy regarding the freedom of thought and expression to allow Cassandra to propose and debate her motion at our AGM. "The committee also understands that a decision regarding whether or not to remove the portrait of our Prime Minister by our society cannot be accurately represented by only the committee and this is another reason why the motion is required to be debated during the AGM to accurately reflect the sentiments and opinions of the members of our society, it said. The statement was posted on the committee's Facebook page yesterday. "The committee recognises the societys final stand on the motion should be decided by the vote of our members during the debate and therefore the committee greatly urge all our members to take notice of this and to attend the AGM to cast a vote on this matter, it said.  March 13, 2016. MORE TO COME
London (AFP) - London mayor Boris Johnson on Monday accused Barack Obama of "hypocrisy" following a report that the US president is heading to Britain next month to make the case for the UK to stay in the European Union.

"Coming from Uncle Sam, it is a piece of outrageous and exorbitant hypocrisy," Johnson, a leading member of the campaign for Britain to leave the EU in a June referendum, wrote in his regular column for the Daily Telegraph.

"Can you imagine the Americans submitting their democracy to the kind of regime that we have in the EU?" he asked, adding: "This is a nation born from its glorious refusal to accept overseas control."

Johnson went on to point out that the United States does not accept that its own citizens could be subject to the rulings of the International Criminal Court and does not recognise other jurisdictions.

"In urging us to embed ourselves more deeply in the EU's federalising structures, the Americans are urging us down a course they would never dream of going themselves," he wrote.

"That is because they are a nation conceived in liberty. They sometimes seem to forget that we are quite fond of liberty, too."

The Independent newspaper on Sunday reported that Obama, who has already expressed support for Britain's EU membership, was expected to come to London at the end of April.

The visit would take place around two months before the June 23 referendum in which British voters will decide whether to leave or stay in the 28-country bloc.

A spokeswoman for Prime Minister David Cameron's Downing Street office on Monday declined to comment on the report.

"Other people will set out their views, the choice for the British people is whether or not they listen to them but then they get to make up their own minds," she said.

- 'Special relationship' -

But on a visit to Brussels, British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond said it was important to hear from other countries as part of the debate ahead of the vote.

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"I think it's important that we hear from those people in the Anglosphere, not just President Obama but the leaders of Australia, New Zealand, Canada and beyond the Anglosphere, Japanese and Chinese leaders," he said.

"Let's just hear what they actually think about their relations with Britain, let's just hear how much they actually value Britain's membership of the European Union, just so that the British people are properly informed."

Obama is heading to Germany in late April to talk trade with Chancellor Angela Merkel and promote US exports at the Hanover industrial technology fair, which takes place April 25-29.

Washington has long backed Britain playing a central role in the EU, the world's largest economic bloc, and has warned the UK-US "special relationship" could be at risk if it were to leave.

Cameron favours keeping Britain in the EU, following a renegotiation of the country's relations with Brussels.

Opinion polls indicate that the race is finely balanced, with those who want to remain at 51 percent and those in favour of leaving at 49 percent, according to a survey of polls by the What UK Thinks research project that excludes undecided voters.

Up to 20 percent of voters have said they have not yet made up their minds which way to vote.
LONDON (Reuters) - U.S. President Barack Obama will come to London in April and urge British voters to back continued membership of the European Union, The Independent on Sunday newspaper reported. Britons vote in June on whether to remain part of the world's biggest trading bloc and Obama has previously said he wants Britain to stay in the EU and help maintain the post-war transatlantic partnership. Most opinion polls show voters are split with a large number of people as yet undecided. Obama is due to attend a technology fair in Germany in late April and a source told the Independent on Sunday he would visit the British capital around that time. "It would be pretty shocking if he didn't ask voters to stay in the EU," the source was quoted as saying. The White House declined to comment and Prime Minister David Cameron's office did not offer an immediate comment when contacted by Reuters. (Reporting by Costas Pitas in London; Additional reporting by Jeff Mason in Washington; Editing by Sandra Maler)
NEW YORK (Reuters) - A tugboat crew member died and two were missing on Saturday after the vessel collided with a barge and sank in the Hudson River under the Tappan Zee Bridge north of New York City, authorities said.

The pre-dawn accident involved a 90-foot tug with three people on board that struck a construction barge moored under the bridge, Governor Andrew Cuomo said. He said one crew member died in the incident.

The U.S. Coast Guard on Saturday night said that after 12 hours of looking, they had suspended the active search for the two missing crew members.

Cuomo said the state's Department of Environmental Conservation and a private contractor would work to contain as much as 5,000 gallons of diesel fuel leaking from the sunken tug. The fuel leak created a slick some 300 feet (91 meters) wide and 5 miles (8 km) long, he said.

Barges are moored near the bridge as part of the construction of a new span connecting New York's Rockland and Westchester counties. Cuomo said there were 21 workers on the construction barge at the time of the collision, but none were injured.

The tugboat, named Specialist, was one in a party of three tugs transporting a barge with construction equipment down the Hudson River when it veered from the designated channel and crashed into the stationed construction barge. The other two boats were not involved in the crash.

It was not the first fatal accident since the massive bridge project began.

In July 2013, a speedboat carrying six members of a wedding party smashed into a barge anchored below the span, a major transportation link in the city's northern suburbs. Two people were killed, including the bride-to-be and the best man.

(Reporting by Frank McGurty and Joey Ax in New York; Additional reporting by Curtis Skinner in San Francisco; Editing by Richard Chang and Diane Craft)
(Reuters) - A worker for Sinopec's Addax Petroleum was missing after an oil tank exploded in Gabon, the company said on Sunday. Addax said the cause of the accident on Saturday, which occurred at the Obangue-East oil producing site, was unclear and that an investigation was underway. The accident injured six other people, who were flown to hospital in Port Gentil and Libreville with serious burns. Addax's two oilfields - Tsiengui and Obangue - produce about 22,000 barrels per day or about 10 percent of Gabon's total. (Reporting By Wilfried Obangome and Edward McAllister; Editing by Andrew Bolton)
Donald Trumps rallies are threatening to turn the 2016 Republican presidential primary into a roving brawl. The GOP frontrunner refuses to change his campaigns disturbing tone, and his rivals are at a loss for how to combat it.

The last few days on the campaign trail have been dominated by chaos, the likes of which hasnt been seen in American politics in nearly 50 years. On Friday, Trump cancelled a rally in Chicago amid worries of violence. Tensions spilled over into Saturday, with one man rushing the billionaire during a speech in Ohio while another rally in St. Louis erupting in violence.

Related: From Bawdy Jokes to Body Slams, Whats Next for the Trump Campaign?

The standoff threatens to go nationwide on Tuesday, when voters in five states and the Northern Mariana Islands go to the polls.

Making his rounds on the Sunday talk show circuit, the former reality TV star shrugged off the unrest, maintaining that he was within his rights to make the comments.

"I don't accept responsibility, I do not condone violence in any shape," Trump said on NBC's "Meet the Press. I'm just expressing my opinion. What have I said that's wrong?"

Related: This Is What the GOPs Surrender to Trump Looks Like

In fact, he peppered his appearances with fresh lines of attack: labeling the protestors as professional disruptors who dont love this country, accusing the media of unfairly covering the demonstrations, doubling-down on his erroneous claim that the man who rushed the stage had connections to ISIS and charging Democratic presidential hopeful Bernie Sanders is responsible for the violence, an accusation he originally made in a Tweet.

Bernie Sanders is lying when he says his disruptors aren't told to go to my events. Be careful Bernie, or my supporters will go to yours!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 13, 2016

The Vermont lawmaker vehemently denied the charge.

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I won't shock you  by telling that you Donald Trump lies a whole lot. He calls me a communist. That's a lie. To suggest that our campaign is telling people to disrupt his campaign is a lie. We don't, Sanders said on CBSs Face The Nation.

Related: 5 Times Donald Trump Condoned Violence Against Protesters

As for the inciting incident that created this feverish momentum, the release of video footage showing an elderly man sucker-punching a protester at a Trump rally in North Carolina  for which the attacker was arrested  the billionaire said he might pay the mans legal bills, something the mogul has promised supporters in previous rallies after giving the green-light to beat up demonstrators.

I'm going to look at it. I'm going to see what was behind this because it was a strange event, Trump said.

The three contenders still looking to best Trump for GOP nomination have been put adrift by the bedlam, condemning the anarchy but hesitating to break with their vows to support whoever is the eventual Republican nominee.

Sen. Marco Rubio, whose political future depends on winning Floridas primary on Tuesday, went the furthest.

We've not reached the point in this country where our political discourse looks like the comments section of a blog, where people can just say whatever they want about anyone without any rules of civility, no norms that govern how we interact with one another, he said on ABCs This Week.

If we've reached the point where we can't debate the proper tax rate or health care policy, our differences on foreign policy, what the government's role should be in education, without resorting to you're a bad person, you're an evil person, you know, I can say or do anything I want because I'm angry, we're going to our lose our republic, Rubio warned.

Ohio Governor John Kasich refused to wallow in the mud with Trump, a strategy that seems to be paying off. An NBC News/Wall Street Journal/Marist poll released early Sunday shows Kasich, who has emphasized a positive message in the face of Trumps demagoguery, leading the billionaire by 6 points, 39 to 33 percent, in the Buckeye State.

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) said that in any campaign, responsibility starts at the top."

And it is not beneficial when you have a presidential candidate like Donald Trump telling his supporters, 'Punch that guy in the face.' We ought to have a president who brings us together, who doesn't seek to divide us, he said on NBC. But he vowed to uphold his promise to back the GOP nominee.

At this point in the primary calendar, its hard to imagine that the mayhem will be enough to trip up the Trump train. Tuesdays contests likely will be the last for Rubio, who the NBC/WSJ/Marist survey found trailing Trump in Florida by double-digits. The best GOP elders can hope for now is that Cruz and Kasich peel off enough delegates to prevent Trump from reaching the 1,237 threshold and force a contested or brokered convention this summer.

Perhaps realizing he might be coming to the end of his candidacy, Rubio lamented the national outrage that has been codified by the recent ugly incidents.

I don't know how else to describe this election at this point but, you know, other than it's an important one from a generational perspective, and yet it's turned into a real circus. And now it's turned into something even worse, he said.

Top Reads from The Fiscal Times:
Some political figures have also been writers: Winston Churchill won the Nobel Prize in Literature, and President Obama was a regular contributor to the literary magazine at Columbia University. But more often than not, candidates vying for an election year boost are hardly subtle with their drab manifestos. Think Hillary Clinton making those Hard Choices (a 656-page snoozer) or Ben Carson uniting us as One Nation. A lot of times, theyre very vapid, says John Hamilton, a Woodrow Wilson Center senior scholar. Very few people who sit alone in a room and have the skills to write their own book have the skills and charisma to be a successful president. However, some of the books that politicians hold dear  their own or anothers  provide a lens into interior lives too often obscured by publicity. Here are four books to help get you acquainted with this years presidential hopefuls.

Rules for Radicals by Saul Alinsky

Politician: Hillary Clinton

Hillary Clinton met Saul Alinsky, a radical left-wing activist, multiple times while writing her Wellesley thesis on his theory of community organizing. In 1971, the 23-year-old wrote Alinsky as she anxiously awaited his book Rules for Radicals, a 10-chapter guide to community organizing in minority communities. In it, Alinsky pulls no punches: He references Lucifer as the very first radical, bemoans the idiocy of the countrys political leadership and lists ridicule as mans most potent weapon. While Clinton later decided to go to law school for a more conventional path to politics, how fun is it to imagine an alternative universe where Clinton made pantsuits famous as protest garb?

Immigration Wars by Jeb Bush and Clint Bolick

Politician: Jeb Bush

Sure, the ultimate conventional candidate is out, but he did something very unconventional by writing a book that actually addressed a substantive campaign issue: immigration reform. I give him credit for that, Hamilton says. But it did not aid Bushs election hopes. A book to get elected by is one thats not too edgy and not too specific. Winning points for substance over style, Bushs immigration opus gets into the gritty details of how to solve our border woes. Although few of his ideas diverge much from traditional rhetoric (states rights, border security, legal pathway to citizenship), the real gem is the prologue, a personal touch in which Bush opines on his unconventional romance with his Mexican-American wife, Columba. On the future of his granddaughter, Georgia, he writes, My hope is that she will be trilingual, at least.

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Outsider in the House by Bernie Sanders with Huck Gutman

Politician: Bernie Sanders

You know youve signed your book with an indie publisher when its actually out of print by the time you run for president. That was the case for Sanders political memoir, published by the leftist Verso Books in 1997 and out of circulation in recent years. Thankfully, a new print run was released in September, and once you get your hands on it, youll find some candid moments. For instance, a reference to the 1 percent on the very first page (long before Occupy Wall Street). Sanders includes other tidbits, like his previous life as a carpenter, his honeymoon in the Soviet Union and the time he was slapped by a fellow Democrat.

The Bible

Politician: Donald Trump

The Donald told a Michigan crowd in August that his favorite book is the Bible, though he refused to cite his favorite passages. Since were left to speculate, perhaps Trump was thinking of Ephesians 5:22-24 (Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands) when he wrote in Trump: The Art of the Comeback that men needed a housewife, not someone who is always griping. Of course, if hed read a little farther, the billionaire who wears his wealth like a bad toupee might have come across Matthew 5:3: Blessed are the poor in spirit.

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Even in an era of perpetual campaigns, the presidential primaries seem to have dragged on forever.

And it is only mid-March.

The Arizona presidential primary is coming up in 10 days, and it doesnt look as though Flagstaff will score a visit from a bona fide contender (there are less than a handful left) before March 22.

The primary fatigue is due mainly to the early start in August to the debate schedule, followed by daily news and commentary that has generated far more than voters usually need to know at this stage of the presidential race. After all, this a process run for and by the parties, and there will be plenty of time once the nominees are chosen for voters to get up to speed on who they want as the next president.

Except in reality, the parties are no longer in charge. And even if they were, the two-party system in this country leaves little room for error when it comes to choosing someone in charge of the biggest nuclear arsenal on the planet. Given the high stakes, shouldnt citizens have a bigger say in getting the two most qualified candidates onto the ballot in November?

PRIVATIZED PRIMARIES

Instead, Arizona lawmakers are looking to privatize the presidential primaries. They have introduced bills to shift the cost of staging the election from the state to the parties. That will mean less leverage by state and local officials over everything from the date to the qualifications needed to participate as both a candidate and a voter.

With the rise of early televised debates, the parties have already ceded control to the TV networks over how these major political events are staged. TV executives now determine who qualifies for the main and second-tier debates along with when and where they are held. And based on the confrontational questions posed by the moderators, it is hard to believe that ratings arent considered as important as informing the voting public. The candidates have been allowed to interrupt and insult with hardly any consequences, and there have been few pointed followup questions by moderators to fact-challenged answers.

Fortunately, the Associated Press and newspaper reporters have been holding the candidates accountable, but those fact-checks come the next day and require a good dose of time and concentration from readers. More common have been poll stories akin to covering a horse race and gotcha pieces about half-truths, hypocrisies and personal peccadilloes. Those are not insignificant when voters are asked to choose a leader of the free world. But they feed a voter cynicism toward politicians that results in only the most strident partisans participating in the primary process.

SUPPLEMENT, NOT REPLACE

Ideas to change the primary process revolve around ways to supplement it, not replace it.

Along with debates sponsored by commercial media interests, what if a nonprofit or government-supported corporation like PBS set up televised town halls with voters and candidates across the country in prime time? The networks could still stage shoutfest debates, but they would no longer be the only TV game in town.

How would a return to public financing of presidential campaigns, but at a more generous level than before Citizens United, open up the process to candidates less beholden to the more partisan wings of the parties?

What would happen if the parties and the candidates, in return for continued state and federal financial support of their primaries and conventions along with enhanced voter outreach, agreed to a staggered set of four regional primaries moving roughly from the East Coast to the West? State parties and candidates that refused to go along could still stage primaries, but they would get no voting delegates at the convention.

LEVEL PLAYING FIELD

The aim is to somewhat level the playing field among the states so that all regions get more or less equal attention from the candidates. And it also levels the financial playing field  billionaire candidates, those supported by millions in dark money and even those tapped into an Internet cash machine of small donors would not be able to buy their way around set primary dates and delegate rules.

Those, however, are proposals for future campaigns. The challenge this year is a system of primary election dates each with a random collection of states, based on local political custom. Arizona party members have 10 days until their ballots are counted, which in this years fast-moving process of elimination can mean many of those votes wont count for much.

We still urge party members to cast their votes, but do so with an eye toward who will govern best starting next January, not campaign best this fall.

Not everything in politics has to be standardized  democracy, after all, was meant by the founders to be a messy business. But given the powers of the executive branch over so many facets of domestic and global affairs, the selection process for presidential nominees needs to assure voters that the very best candidates will rise to the top. This year, to date, offers not only little assurance but plenty to be discouraged about. Changing it cannot start soon enough.
Paris (AFP) - French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault on Sunday warned Iran of possible European sanctions over its recent ballistic missile launches.

"If necessary, sanctions will be taken," Ayrault said after a meeting with US Secretary of State John Kerry and several European counterparts.

Kerry described the launches -- which the US has asked to be discussed at a UN Security Council meeting on Monday -- as a breach of UN resolutions.

"They are longer than the distance allowed for ballistic missiles. And because of that they represent a potential danger to the countries in the region and beyond," Kerry said.

"If Iran chooses to violate that they will invite additional sanctions."

The UN atomic watchdog has said Iran is complying so far with the landmark July 2015 nuclear deal with major powers.

But under the terms of that deal that Western powers say is designed to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear weapon, it is still barred from launching ballistic missiles capable of carrying a nuclear bomb.

Iran has maintained that its missile programme is not aimed at developing a nuclear capability.

Tehran said the latest missile tests took place on Tuesday and Wednesday.

The US slapped sanctions on Iran in January over its ballistic missile programme, even as the world hailed the implementation of the historic nuclear deal.
DUBAI (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia said on Sunday it would punish anyone who belongs to Lebanon's Iran-backed Shi'ite Islamist group Hezbollah, sympathises with it, supports it financially or harbours any of its members. An Interior Ministry statement carried by the state news agency SPA said that Saudis and expatriates would be subjected to "severe penalties" under the kingdom's regulations and anti-terrorism laws. Foreigners would be deported, it said. The move comes after Gulf Arab countries declared Hezbollah a terrorist organisation, raising the possibility of further sanctions against the group, which wields influence in Lebanon and fights alongside President Bashar al-Assad's forces in Syria. "Any citizen or resident who supports, shows membership in the so-called Hezbollah, sympathises with it or promotes it, makes donations to it or communicates with it or harbours anyone belonging to it will be subject to the stiff punishments provided by the rules and orders, including the terrorism crimes and its financing," the statement said. Foreigners working and living in the oil-exporting kingdom would also face expulsion, it said. Hezbollah has close ties to Iran, Saudi Arabia's bitter rival for power in the region. Saudi Arabia supports Syrian opposition groups to topple Assad and blames Iran and Hezbollah for helping him cling to power after five years of civil war. Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah has stepped up criticism of Saudi Arabia, accusing it of directing car bombings in Lebanon. (Reporting by Sami Aboudi; Editing by Kevin Liffey, Larry King)
Gaza City (Palestinian Territories) (AFP) - A second Gazan was found dead Sunday after the collapse of a tunnel on the Egypt border, the interior ministry in the Islamist Hamas-run enclave said.

On Thursday, rescue services said seven men had been trapped in the collapse.

Five were rescued, but on Sunday the ministry said they had retrieved the body of Mohammed Abbas of Rafah, after announcing the death of a man named as Fadi Abu Dan.

A local civil defence official described the underground passage from the southern Gaza town of Rafah into neighbouring Egypt as a "trade tunnel".

The cave-in was caused by Egyptian flooding of the border zone in its campaign to stop smuggling, the official told AFP.

Since January 26, at least 12 Gazans have been killed in five separate tunnel collapses with both Israel and Egypt operating against the diggers.

An Israeli blockade severely restricts the movement of people and goods into and out of the territory, and Egypt's sole border with Gaza has also remained largely closed since 2013.

The passages to Egypt are used for transit of commercial goods, cash, people and, allegedly, weapons.
NEW YORK (Reuters) - A second body was recovered in the Hudson River on Sunday a day after a tugboat collided with a barge and sank at the Tappan Zee Bridge, where a new span north of New York City is under construction, authorities said.

The body of Timothy Conklin, 29, of Westbury, New York, was pulled from the river.

A third person aboard the boat, Henry Hernandez, 56, remains missing, and divers were searching for him in conditions that New York Governor Andrew Cuomo described as "very difficult" because of the poor visibility. Crewman Paul Amon, 52, was also killed in the accident.

"Much of the diving operation is actually done by feel," Cuomo said at a press conference. "The ship itself is damaged, which makes the investigation of the interior more problematic."

The pre-dawn accident on Saturday involved a 90-foot tug that struck a construction barge moored at the base of the Tappan Zee Bridge, a major thoroughfare connecting the suburban Westchester and Rockland counties.

Cuomo, who said the incident appeared to have been "a pure accident," said state authorities were working to contain an oil slick created by the leaking of thousands of gallons of diesel fuel from the sunken tug. There was an estimated 5,000 gallons of fuel on board.

The barge is one of several moored near the bridge as part of a project to construct a new replacement span. Cuomo said on Saturday that 21 workers on board the barge were not injured in the accident.

The tugboat, called Specialist, was one of three transporting a barge with construction equipment. The other two boats were not involved in the crash.

The bridge project was the site of another deadly accident in July 2013, when a speedboat carrying six members of a wedding party smashed into a barge anchored beneath the span. Two people were killed, including the bride-to-be and the best man.

(Reporting by Joseph Ax and Frank McGurty; Editing by Andrew Hay)
Washington (AFP) - A 26-year-old Alaska man was arrested Saturday for snowmobile attacks on two Iditarod sled dog racers and their teams that left one dog dead, others injured and the mushers shaken.

Alaska state troopers detained a man identified as Arnold Demoski for the attacks on mushers Jeff King and Aliy Zirkle, Iditarod officials said on the event website.

King's dog Nash was killed in the incident.

"It did not seem like an accident," King told the Iditarod website.

"It seemed like an act of bravado and playing chicken. The river is a mile (1.6 kilometers) wide, the packed trail is 40 feet (12 meters) wide. I had lights on, reflectors on my harnesses, sled bag, two lights on my person. It really felt like an intentional attempt to scare me."

Demoski told the Anchorage-based Alaska Dispatch News in a phone interview that he was blacked-out and drunk when he drove into the sled teams.

Demoski, a natural resources coordinator for the Nulato tribal council, told the newspaper it was not an intentional attack and apologized for the incident, saying he has long been a fan of the race and has waved homemade welcome signs at mushers in past years.

He even said that King was among his favorites.

"I don't care if people know if I was drinking and driving," Demoski told the newspaper.

"I'm really glad (they) are OK and I really feel sorry for Nash."

-- A 'triage ambulance' --

The morning incident began as Zirkle approached the Nulato checkpoint. Organizers said the snowmobiler attempted to harm her and her team, and one of her dogs received a non-life threatening injury.

She reported the incident to race officials and authorities were brought into the case.

"The snowmachiner made three separate attempts, or passes at her, including turning around several times," said Danny Seavey, the brother of musher Dallas Seavey, in an Iditarod video.

"She actually used one of the trail markers to defend herself."

Story continues

King, who was just behind Zirkle, said he experienced a similar attack 12 miles ahead of Nulato that killed three-year-old Nash and delivered non-life threatening injuries to two of his other dogs, Crosby and Banjo.

"One of my dogs was killed pretty much on the spot and a couple others I gave first aid to the best I could and loaded them in my sled," King told KTVA television. "I kind of felt like a triage ambulance."

Demoski told the newspaper he awoke after the collisions, thought he turned to check on the teams, but drove off for fear of drunk driving trouble.

"As soon as I woke up this morning I heard about what happened, I went to check my sno-go. The front panel was missing. I knew it was me right off bat," Demoski said.

"I called the (village public safety officer) right off, told him it was me. I told him I would do whatever they want me to do. I'll tell the troopers whatever they want to know. I feel really bad for what I did."

King and Zirkle both plan to continue the race to the finish in Nome as planned, King with only 11 dogs remaining on his team.
By Ed Stoddard JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - South African Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan cannot meet a Monday deadline to respond to police questions on his role in setting up a spy unit at the revenue service, his lawyers said in a letter sent to media on Sunday. The Sunday Independent newspaper had reported that Gordhan had been given until Monday to respond to questions about the unit, which was set up while Gordhan headed the South African Revenue Service (SARS). The Directorate For Priority Crime Investigation, also known as the Hawks, is investigating the unit on suspicion of conducting illegal surveillance on taxpayers. Gordhan has said he has no case to answer. The letter, dated March 7 and distributed by the Treasury, said Gordhan could not meet the deadline because he was attending an investor roadshow in London and the United States. The public spat has undermined investor confidence in Africa's most advanced economy, which could lose its investment-grade rating by mid-year, potentially raising borrowing costs for government and firms alike. "Once again the Hawks, and those who instruct them, have no regard for the economic and social welfare of millions," Gordhan said in a statement on Sunday. The top of the statement bluntly said: "Hawks harassment must stop in the interests of justice." In late February, South Africa's rand currency shed nearly 4 percent in one day after Gordhan said there were attempts to discredit him and the integrity of the Treasury through the probe. Gordhan's lawyers said in early March that he had missed a previous deadline to respond to the questions because he was busy preparing the national budget, and would respond at a later date. Gordhan on Sunday suggested that probe was a distraction from his attempts to mend South Africa's battered image with investors. "Over the past week, a Team SA delegation consisting of government, business and three Labour federations have been on an intense investor roadshow to address concerns of our bond investors and defend our fiscal strength," the statement said. "This is so that we can continue to borrow money we don't have to spend on infrastructure and other projects. These investors and the ratings agencies are observing every development in South Africa with a keen eye." Gordhan also said he would respond to the 27 questions posed by the Hawks, in accordance with advice from his lawyers, "once the legal matters have been clarified." Gordhan is scheduled to hold a press conference on Monday where he will be accompanied by the business and labor leaders who were with him on the roadshow. Appointed after a predecessor's sudden sacking, Gordhan has been trying to win back British- and U.S.-based investors and repair the damage from "9-12", the day in December when President Jacob Zuma suddenly changed his finance minister. It took the subsequent appointment of Gordhan, respected for a previous stint at the ministry, to calm markets, and analysts have expressed concern that fallout from the Hawks' probe could potentially lead to his departure. (Editing by Kevin Liffey and Andrew Bolton)
To the editor:

With recent big issues occupying Flagstaff, one important issue addressed by the City Council cannot be overlooked: disability accessible parking downtown. Several major actions are being taken to improve parking for the disabled community, both downtown and citywide. The community should be informed about the proactive work done by the City Council, several key city employees and grassroots advocacy.

There are only four public, off-street spaces marked for accessible downtown, all located in the Leroux alleyway. Not exactly enough spaces to handle the 21 percent of disabled people in this community, let alone tourists.

Recent key actions by the City Council include: 1) tabling an attempt to rescind the current citywide ordinance on accessible parking; 2) adding signage clearly stating that accessible parking is allowed in city lots (city hall, library, etc.) even though one is not visiting that establishment (ADA exempt) ; and 3) bringing city parking lots up to current ordinance compliance, including adding accessible spaces and restriping. And most importantly, the Leroux Alleyway parking lot will soon be improved to nine compliant, van-accessible parking spaces (currently only one).

Disabled residents and tourists can finally park safely downtown because of the support of local business and activists, working with the City Council to make this possible.

Nicely done, Flagstaff!

SHARI PERALTA, J.D.

Flagstaff
Geneva (AFP) - The United States and France warned the Syrian regime on Sunday against trying to disrupt the fragile ceasefire as the warring sides prepared for fresh peace talks to end the brutal conflict.

With the five-year anniversary of the violence looming, the main players in the Syrian conflict were on Monday to resume UN-brokered indirect negotiations in Geneva in the latest bid to end bloodshed which has killed more than 270,000 people.

After meeting with European allies in Paris, US Secretary of State John Kerry hit out at comments by his Syrian counterpart who said talk of removing President Bashar al-Assad would be a "red line" in the negotiations.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault went further, describing Walid Muallem's comments as a "provocation" and a "bad sign" for the attempts to find peace.

Kerry warned Damascus and its allies Russia and Iran against "testing boundaries" or lessening their compliance with a fragile February 27 truce that has largely held despite the sides trading mutual accusations of violations.

While analysts say much has changed since the last round of talks collapsed in February, the fate of Assad and the holding of elections with 18 months remain huge obstacles.

Speaking in Damascus on Saturday, Muallem said: "We will not talk with anyone who wants to discuss the presidency... Bashar al-Assad is a red line."

Kerry said the Syrian minister was "clearly trying to disrupt the process... clearly trying to send a message of deterrence to others.

"But the fact is (Assad's) strongest sponsors Russia and Iran have both adopted... an approach which dictates that there must be a political transition and that we must have a presidential election at some time," he added.

- 'Moment of truth' -

Kerry urged Russian President Vladimir Putin to bring the Syrian regime into line, saying he should be concerned that Assad had used his foreign minister "to try and act as a spoiler, to take off the table something that president Putin and Iran had committed to".

Story continues

"So this is a moment of truth, a moment where all of us have to be responsible."

Kerry hailed the fact that the ceasefire had led to a reduction of violence of up to 90 percent, and made possible the delivery of emergency supplies to some 150,000 civilians in besieged areas.

He said the coalition had pushed the Islamic State group out of 20 percent of the territory it held in Syria and that 600 IS fighters had been killed in the last three weeks.

He highlighted the importance of the Geneva process in tackling the unprecedented refugee crisis in Europe, saying that if the ceasefire did not hold "we will be back here next year or even the year after next facing a Middle East with even more refugees, even greater numbers of dead and displaced, even more suffering."

- Transitional period -

Syrian government negotiator Bashar al-Jaafari arrived Sunday in Geneva, a day after the arrival of delegates from the main opposition group, the High Negotiations Committee (HNC).

Speaking Sunday, the HNC pledged to stick with the talks, but reiterated that Assad could play no role in the planned transitional body.

"We have come to discuss a political solution seeking to end the suffering of the Syrian people and we hope that the other party will be as serious as us," said HNC spokesman Salem al-Meslet, saying the opposition had no intention of "pulling out" of the talks.

The HNC was hoping Monday's talks would begin with a discussion of the transitional body which would be imbued with "all the powers, including those of the president," he said.

"There will be no role within this body for those who have committed crimes or for Bashar al-Assad."

The HNC has repeatedly called for Assad's departure as a prerequisite for any deal, with chief opposition negotiator Mohammad Alloush saying Saturday that the transitional period "should start with the fall, or death, of Bashar al-Assad".

"It cannot start with the presence of the regime, or the head of this regime still in power."

UN peace envoy Staffan de Mistura has said the peace talks would not last more than 10 days.

In the latest violence to threaten the ceasefire, Al-Qaeda fighters and allied jihadists clashed with a rebel faction known as Division 13 overnight in northwestern Syria after storming its weapons depot, the group said.

According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group, the fighting left at least six combatants dead, four of them identified as Division 13 fighters.
BEIRUT (Reuters) - Syrian rebels on Sunday denied a Russian Defence Ministry report that an anti-aircraft missile had been used to shoot down a Syrian warplane in Hama province on Saturday. Officials in three rebel groups contacted by Reuters reiterated previous statements that it had been shot down with anti-aircraft guns. Fares al-Bayoush, head of a Free Syrian Army rebel group operating in the Hama area, said the Russian statement might be aimed at "accusing some states of supplying the opposition with anti-aircraft missiles". (Writing by Tom Perry; Editing by Kevin Liffey)
Kano (Nigeria) (AFP) - The annual rains are approaching in northeast Nigeria but with farmers having fled the Boko Haram conflict and their fields fallow, it's feared another planting season will come and go.

"If this crop season is missed, the food situation will worsen," warned Mohammed Rijiya, president of the Borno State Chamber of Commerce.

"It is not sustainable to continue feeding the displaced in camps. They need to go back home and cultivate," he told AFP.

At least 17,000 people have been killed since the conflict began in 2009, most of them in Borno state. More than 2.6 million others have been forced to flee their homes.

Fears of raids or the aftermath of deadly attacks have left towns and villages deserted, forcing many in the largely agricultural region into camps for the internally displaced or host communities.

With harvests missed, stores of grains looted, livestock stolen and roads blocked, food has been in increasingly short supply in rural Borno and even the towns and cities where many have fled.

The World Food Programme last month said 5.6 million people in the Lake Chad Basin of northeast Nigeria, northern Cameroon, southeastern Niger and southwestern Chad were "food insecure".

A total of $32 million (29 million euros) was "urgently required to meet the most immediate needs in the four countries over the next six months", the WFP said.

Last year, nearly 6,500 children were found to be severely malnourished in IDP camps in Borno, according to health officials.

Malnutrition was a factor in the deaths of 459 from preventable childhood illness.

- Rural lifeline -

With the Islamists now on the run after a sustained military counter-offensive over the last year, business leaders believe trade should be at the forefront of the region's revival.

"The government has to ensure the resumption of security in the areas affected by the violence and the resumption of economic activities there for normal life to return," said Rijiya.

Story continues

Currently, all 280 rural markets across Borno have been shut because of the violence, with the government and military worried about Boko Haram's use of local trading centres to raise money.

Last week, the Borno authorities shut down four cattle markets following security reports they were being used by the militants to sell stolen livestock.

That -- and the closure of the main cattle market in the state capital, Maiduguri -- has led to a shortage of meat, provoking a public outcry.

Even Boko Haram itself has not been immune from the shortages, with reports dozens of starving fighters have surrendered and forced into neighbouring countries in the search for food.

There are fears that reopening the markets -- a lifeline for local traders and people -- could turn on the militants' supply routes again.

But Rijiya said: "These rural markets drive the local economy of Borno because they provide patronage to our traders. As long as these markets remain closed there is no end to our suffering."

- Security key -

Nigeria's military recently announced it has secured and re-opened the Damboa to Biu and Maiduguri to Gamboru roads, which were previously prone to regular attacks on motorists.

Securing all major routes in to and out of Maiduguri and other commercial centres is now key to allowing people to return.

"The security situation is precarious because only Maiduguri is secure," said Abubakar Gamandi, who heads the fishermen's union in Borno.

"But once you venture three kilometres (nearly two miles) outside the city you are prone to Boko Haram attacks because the gunmen are not far from the city."

The road to Gamboru, on Borno's eastern border with Cameroon, is still a known hot-spot for attacks and all but impassable without a military escort, which is impossible for most, Gamandi said.

Borno's government aims to return the displaced to areas secured by the military as part of its reconstruction, resettlement and rehabilitation programme.

But the commissioner responsible, Babagana Umara, has said the project could take years and the state doesn't have the huge resources needed to rebuild hundreds of destroyed towns.

Several traders instead proposed paying compensation to the displaced to allow them to rebuild at their own pace and get the economy moving again.

"It is not about reconstruction, it is all about restoring security to our homes and resuming trade and commerce," said Bundi Abba, who heads the boat operators' union in Baga, on Lake Chad.

"Once that is done we will gradually rebuild our lives because we have all it takes to do that."
Donald Trump speaks at a campaign rally in Fayetteville, N.C., last week. (Photo: Jonathan Drake/Reuters)



Donald Trump says he is looking into paying the legal fees of a man who was arrested after throwing a sucker punch at a protester during the Republican frontrunners rally in North Carolina last week.

The man got carried away, Trump said on NBCs Meet The Press Sunday. He obviously loves his country, and maybe he doesnt like seeing whats happening to the country.

At Wednesdays rally in Fayetteville, N.C., John McGraw, 78, was caught on video punching the protester, 26-year-old Rakeem Jones, as Jones was being led out of the event by security.

After the rally, Inside Edition interviewed McGraw, who freely admitted assaulting Jones.

He deserved it, McGraw said. The next time we see him, we might have to kill him.

Police arrested McGraw the next day and charged him with assault and disorderly conduct.

No one should be subjected to such a cowardly, unprovoked act as that committed by McGraw, Cumberland County Sheriff Earl Moose Butler said in a statement Thursday afternoon. Regardless of political affiliation, speech, race, national origin, color, gender, bad reputation, prior acts or political demonstration, no other citizen has the right to assault another person or to act in such a way as this defendant did.

On Sunday, Trump called the protesters at his rallies professional disrupters.

Theyre not protesters; Im telling you, theyre disrupters, he said. Theyre professionals.

And while the GOP presidential hopeful says he doesnt condone violence, he suggested McGraws sucker punch may have been provoked.

From what I saw, the young man stuck his finger up in the air, and the other man sort of just had it, Trump said. I do want to see what that young man was doing. Because he was very taunting. He was very loud, very disruptive. And from what I understand, he was sticking a certain finger up in the air. And that is a terrible thing to do in front of somebody that frankly wants to see America made great again.

Story continues

When asked by NBCs Chuck Todd if he would pay McGraws legal fees if he could, the brash billionaire said: Ive actually instructed my people to look into it, yes.

Trump said the same thing on CBS Face The Nation.

I dont condone violence, he said, but this kid shouldnt have had the finger up in the air, either.

Its not the first time Trump has indicated he would cover the legal fees of his supporters. At a caucus-day rally in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, he told the crowd, If you see somebody getting ready to throw a tomato, knock the crap out of them. Just knock the hell out of them. I promise you, I will pay for the legal fees.

But the former Celebrity Apprentice star doesnt see such rhetoric as creating a toxic environment.

Let me explain what happened, Trump said on Meet The Press:





Just as I was going up on the stage, I was told by the Secret Service, Sir, theres a person or two people in the audience that have tomatoes. They are going to throw them at you, we think. If they do throw them, you have to be prepared. Now, if you get hit in the face with a tomato, let me tell you, with somebody with a strong arm, at least, let me tell you, it can be very damaging. Not good. So I was told people were in the audience, two people, with tomatoes, and theyre going to throw them at me. What I did is I said, By the way, if you see anybody with tomatoes, right at the beginning, youve got to stop them. Do whatever you want to do. I have no objection to what I said. I would say it again. People are there doing harm; you have to go and you have to use equal force.



And Trump, who last month said he wished he could punch a protester at his rally in the face, refuses to take responsibility for the escalating tension at his rallies.

I dont accept responsibility, Trump said. The fact is that we have very peaceful rallies. Ive had many, many rallies. I have 25,000, 30,000 people coming to rallies. And out of that, we have very, very little problem. We havent had a real injury or anything.

Texas Sen. Ted Cruz placed the blame on his Republican rival.

At the end of the day in any campaign, responsibility starts at the top, Cruz said on Meet The Press. And it is not beneficial when you have a presidential candidate like Donald Trump telling his supporters, Punch that guy in the face. We ought to have a president who brings us together, who doesnt seek to divide us.

So did Ohio Gov. John Kasich.

Theres no question Donald Trump has created a toxic atmosphere, Kasich said on CNNs State of the Union. The environment is there, and he needs to back off this.



Florida Sen. Marco Rubio said hes concerned the violence at Trumps rallies might result in death.

Im very concerned about that, Rubio said on CNN. We dont know whats going to happen next.

On Friday, protests forced Trump to postpone his rally at the University of Illinois in Chicago.



On Saturday night, police used pepper spray on protesters outside a Trump rally in Kansas City, Missouri.



Earlier Saturday, a man who apparently tried to rush the stage at his rally in Ohio prompted Secret Service agents to surround the GOP frontrunner.

I was ready for him, Trump told the crowd as they chanted his name.

Some of the protesters at Trumps events over the weekend were supporters of Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders  and the Republican frontrunner immediately took notice, suggesting the Sanders campaign had instructed them to go.

They had Bernie Sanders signs all over the place, and they were made by Bernie Sanders people, Trump said on NBC. I mean, these were professionally-made signs.

Sanders responded on ABCs This Week With George Stephanopoulos.

I think anybody who understands Mr. Trumps campaign knows that he tells the truth very, very rarely and Im afraid that on this occasion, hes lying again, Sanders said. He says that our campaign is organizing disruptions of his rallies. Thats a lie. George, we have millions of supporters out there, and clearly, some of them were at that rally, along with many, many other protesters. But to say that we organized that, totally untrue.

Sanders added: Mr. Trump, I think, is getting very nervous. He is catching onto the fact that the American people do not support a candidate like Trump, whose verbiage, whose language, whose rhetoric incites violence.


PHOENIX  The lead attorney for the states Medicaid program wants the Court of Appeals to reject a claim by some legislators that the levy funding its expansion was illegally enacted.

Douglas Northup does not dispute the Arizona Constitution requires a two-thirds vote of both the House and Senate for any new tax or any increase in state revenues. It also is a matter of fact that there were enough lawmakers opposed to the 2013 vote for the assessment on on hospitals to pay the states share of the cost to deny the measure a two-thirds margin.

But Northup is telling the appellate judges that the constitutional requirement does not apply here because the more than $200 million a year being collected from hospitals is something they actually want because it helps their bottom line.

Northup also said that the levy cannot be considered a tax because the Legislature itself did not set the tax rate and the money raised does not go into the state general fund.

Instead, it is Tom Betlach, director of the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System, the states Medicaid program, who determine how much each hospital pays and even can decide which hospitals should be exempt. And Northup said the money is set aside solely to pay the states share of the federal Medicaid dollars.

The issue about whether the levy is a tax is more than an academic dispute. If the lawmakers win the case, potentially 350,000 will lose their state-provided health insurance.

At the heart of the fight is the 2013 decision by Jan Brewer when she was governor to take advantage of the Affordable Care Act. It has the federal government pick up most of the costs for expanding health-care coverage up to 138 percent of the federal poverty level, a figure currently about $27,700 a year for a family of three. Before the expansion, the program covered only those below the poverty line, or less than $21,000 for the same sized family.

But to get those funds, the state first had to restore coverage for childless adults, coverage which had been dropped years earlier in a budget-saving maneuver. To cover that cost and other state expenses, Brewer proposed  and lawmakers approved  giving Betlach authority to impose a charge on hospitals.

The plan was adopted by a simple majority of the House and Senate, with the Republican governor cobbling together a coalition of Democrats and some members of her own party.

Hospitals did not object because Betlach set up the levy so that every hospital chain would actually make money from the deal: More patients with government-provided insurance coverage means fewer bills written off as bad debt because of a persons inability to pay. He even structured it so that some hospitals that would not benefit from Medicaid expansion would owe nothing.

But the lawmakers who voted against expansion did sue.

They contend the levy is really a tax  a tax illegally enacted because it lacked the two-thirds margin required by the 1992 voter-approved constitutional amendment. A trial judge disagreed, with the case now at the Court of Appeals.

Northup told the appellate judges the states participation in Medicaid has been good for the state  and not just because more people have coverage. He said the total federal contribution over a two year period was just shy of $2 billion.

But he also said a strict reading of the Arizona Constitution backs his contention that the levy is not the kind that requires a two-thirds vote.

The supermajority requirement only applies when the legislature actually controls in the statute by setting the assessment or its limits, Northup wrote. By contrast, he said the 2013 law authorizes Betlach to establish, administer, and collect an assessment on hospital revenues to pay the states share of the expansion costs.

All essential details related to the hospital assessment are left for the (AHCCCS) director to decide, including whether to exempt or modify the hospital assessment as to some hospitals, he said.

Northup also said the purpose of that 1992 amendment and the requirement for a two-thirds vote of the legislature was to protect some additional protection for those who would be paying the tax.

In this case, he pointed out, the people paying the bill  the hospitals  did not sue, are not contending the levy is a tax that requires a supermajority vote, and have no objections to paying an assessment that brings significant benefits to them.

The direct beneficiaries of the hospital assessment are the hospitals themselves, he wrote.

No date has been set for a hearing.
Diyarbakir (Turkey) (AFP) - Turkey on Sunday slapped a curfew on two border towns in the Kurdish-dominated southeast ahead of a looming military "clean-up" operation as it eased a lockdown in Diyarbakir.

Turkish troops have been waging a major -- and controversial -- offensive against the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) since December, imposing strict 24-hour curfews in a number of towns and cities in the southeast.

Ankara has repeatedly imposed curfews for military operations in southeastern urban centres, and on Sunday said restrictions would be slapped on two more towns -- Yuksekova, near the Iranian border, and Nusaybin, on the frontier with Syria.

The aim was to "restore order and security" following an increase in "terrorist activity", local authorities said.

Several hours before the curfew was to start, an explosion rocked Yuksekova, injuring four people, Dogan news agency reported. The cause of the blast was not immediately clear.

Ankara has vowed to wipe out the PKK, classed as a terrorist organisation by Turkey and its Western allies, and has said "clean-up" operations in Yuksekova, Nusaybin and Sirnak, a third Kurdish city, are imminent.

As the new restrictions were announced, Turkey eased the curfew in part of Diyarbakir, the biggest Kurdish majority city, which has been under lockdown since December.

From 8:00 am (0600 GMT) on Sunday, residents of part of the city's historic Sur district were allowed back onto the streets, where some buildings have been badly damaged in the operation, an AFP correspondent said.

Residents forced from the area by the clashes and the curfews returned to inspect their damaged homes, carrying belongings in suitcases and pushcarts.

- 'Seven PKK killed' -

Other parts of Sur, a UNESCO world heritage site, remain under curfew to allow the authorities to "capture terrorists" and "clear explosives and booby-traps", according to the local governor.

Story continues

Seven PKK fighters were killed in clashes with security forces in Sur on Sunday, local media reported, citing police sources.

The police and army launched an operation in the narrow streets of Sur in early December aimed at retaking control of areas seized by armed PKK activists, who dug trenches and put up barricades.

Critics say the clashes have caused major damage and forced nearly 50,000 people in Sur from their homes since the start of December. Up to 70,000 people were living in the area before the violence erupted.

Army high command said this week its operation in Sur had killed 279 members of "the separatist terrorist organisation", the PKK, but gave no toll for security forces. Local media have put the figure in the dozens.

The pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) says dozens of civilians have also been killed.

Violence flared last summer between Kurdish rebels and government forces after a deadly bombing in a Kurdish majority town, shattering a 2013 ceasefire reached after secret talks between PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan and Ankara.

Over 40,000 people have been killed since the PKK took up arms in 1984 demanding an independent state for Kurds. Since then the group has narrowed its demands to greater autonomy and cultural rights.
ANKARA (Reuters) - Turkish authorities will release the name of the organization responsible for a car bombing in the capital Ankara that killed 34 people once the investigation finishes on Monday, Turkey's interior minister said. "I believe the investigation will be concluded tomorrow and the findings will be announced," Efkan Ala said in comments broadcast live on television. Earlier on Sunday a car bomb exploded at a crowded transport hub in Turkey's capital. (Reporting by Ece Toksabay and Humeyra Pamuk Writing by David Dolan; Editing by Nick Tattersall)
ISTANBUL (Reuters) - An Ankara court ordered a ban on access to Facebook , Twitter and other sites in Turkey on Sunday, after images from a car bombing in the Turkish capital were shared on social media, broadcasters CNN Turk and NTV reported. Several local users reported difficulty in accessing the sites. Turkey last year blocked access to Twitter over the sharing of photographs of a prosecutor being held at gunpoint by far-left militants. The blast on Sunday, at a crowded transport hub in the city, killed at least 32 people and wounded 75 more. (Reporting by Humeyra Pamuk and Akin Aytekin, Writing by David Dolan; Editing by Nick Tattersall)
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States and its allies carried out more than a dozen air strikes on Islamic State forces in Iraq and Syria on Saturday, the Command Joint Task Force said in a statement. Coalition forces conducted six strikes in Syria, four of which struck three separate Islamic State tactical units and destroyed the group's anti-air artillery piece, three vehicles, a mortar and fighting positions, the Task Force said on Sunday. In Iraq, 12 strikes were carried out in coordination with the Iraqi government, destroying among others an Islamic State rocket position, supply cache, a large tactical unit and a bridge used by the group, the Task Force added. (Reporting by Lucia Mutikani)
By Tom Miles GENEVA (Reuters) - Dismissed by critics as a diplomatic dandy, hailed by allies as a creative consensus-builder, Staffan de Mistura takes the hot seat in Geneva on Monday as the man in charge of forging peace in Syria. In an impeccable suit and pince-nez spectacles, the Swedish-Italian diplomat looks as though he'd be more comfortable strolling through Geneva's quaint Old Town rather than refereeing a war that has killed more than 250,000 people. But de Mistura, whose other roles include being Swedish consul on the Italian isle of Capri, has come closer than anyone else to negotiating an end to the Syrian civil war. The peace talks he mediates resume on Monday, and if they eventually bring an end to the war, it will not be because he forced an agreement, but perhaps because he recognised it was not in his power to do so. De Mistura took over the job in mid-2014 after the spectacular failure of his two predecessors, Kofi Annan, a former U.N. secretary general, and Lakhdar Brahimi, one of the Arab world's most accomplished diplomats. Each had quit after holding a peace conference in the Swiss city of Geneva that failed to stop the war. In contrast to their ambition, he adopted a "minimalistic" approach, removing any expectation that the U.N. could impose peace. He did not summon the warring parties to negotiate, nor order the big powers of the U.N. Security Council to end the war. That left a leadership vacuum that, late last year, was filled by the United States and Russia. Moscow and Washington used their influence to bring Syria's warring sides to de Mistura's table, but it will be up to him to get them talking. "MY MOTHER WOULD NOT BE DELIGHTED" In a four-decade diplomatic career that included war zone assignments across Africa, the Balkans, the Middle East and Afghanistan, de Mistura developed a reputation for quietly building trust with warring parties hostile to outsiders. "I cannot list to you how many people who my mother would not be delighted to know I shook hands with," he once said. U.N. spokesman Ahmad Fawzi said de Mistura's logical approach helps him cut to the thrust of complex issues, and his sense of humour provides relief at difficult moments. "He has a wonderful way of connecting with people, whether it's the media or his interlocutors in a difficult political process like this one," Fawzi said. "When he approaches people it's with great respect, whoever they are, wherever they are on the hierarchy ladder." People who have worked with him cite his creativity, evident when he pioneered airdrops to relieve Ethiopia's famine in the 1980s. Described by the Washington Post as "a loquacious Italian in a safari suit", he dared the Sudanese People's Liberation Army to shoot down his rainbow-painted plane. He was almost shot down again two decades later, as U.N. envoy in Iraq. His plane from Baghdad ran into Iranian war games, and was given 20 seconds to turn around or be destroyed. He later became the top U.N. man in Afghanistan, and was one of the United Nations' most experienced diplomats by the time he took on the Syria role, prompting the Guardian newspaper to call him "the man with the toughest job in the world". De Mistura, 69, likes to joke that he has a chronic condition, being an incurable optimist. But he also suffers from occasional gaffes. And his start with Syria was not smooth. "TOO MUCH TIME SUNBATHING" Rumours abounded that his heart wasn't in the job and he wanted to do it part-time from Brussels. He gave an interview to the New York Times, which said he was "more widely known for his dapper style than for any diplomatic coups" and cited a former Lebanese minister as saying he spent too much time sunbathing at a private club. "I thought it was a little unfair, didn't you?" de Mistura told Reuters at the time, lining up at the U.N. salad bar. He angered Syria's opposition by sounding more open to the views of Damascus than his predecessors had. There followed an almost fatal error, when he told reporters in Vienna that President Bashar al-Assad was "part of the solution". He immediately clarified his comments, saying Assad bore part of the responsibility for ending the war. But the mis-step dogged De Mistura for many months and caused deep mistrust. An early ceasefire plan misfired too, with misplaced hope that a "freeze" in fighting in Aleppo would trigger local truces across the country. When that failed, De Mistura launched open-ended "consultations" with Syrians of all stripes over several months, although opposition armed groups refused to attend. A political adviser, Mouin Rabbani, quit De Mistura's team within weeks of arriving, and emerged as a vocal critic, saying he was "out of his depth" and "wasn't up to the task". "The cronyism, dodgy personnel decisions, and resultant amateurism I witnessed were simply breathtaking," Rabbani wrote of his U.N. experience. De Mistura's apparent lack of ambition looked weak but also reflected reality. With Washington and Moscow falling out over Ukraine and Iranian-Saudi tensions in Yemen, any U.N. peace effort would surely have been futile. Suddenly, by the end of last year, Islamic State's advance and Europe's refugee crisis provided stronger motives, a nuclear deal between Western powers and Iran provided an opportunity, and Russia's entry into the war provided a catalyst. "Geneva 3" was born. De Mistura, who had been preparing a soft series of "working groups" to debate post-war Syria, was told by the United States and Russia to junk his plans in favour of a legally binding peace negotiation. He looked in danger of falling into the same trap as Brahimi, whose "Geneva 2" peace talks drowned in a swamp of side-arguments: "Are the opposition terrorists?", "Can Assad stay in power?", "Where is the justice for war crimes?" He dodged nimbly, referring the terrorist question back to the U.N. Security Council, leaving Assad's fate up to the Syrian people, and saying human rights were not negotiatiable. And with no early progress, he halted initial talks last month and told the United States and Russia they needed to do more. The result was a temporary cessation of hostilities, sponsored by Washington and Moscow and accepted by both Assad's government and most of his foes. While far from perfect, the agreement has already quieted the guns in Syria for the first time in five years, providing what could be the first opportunity yet for the warring parties to discuss peace. Perhaps de Mistura's doubters have indeed been "a little unfair". (Reporting by)
(Reuters) - Federal prosecutors declined to bring charges against law enforcement officers in the United States facing allegations of civil rights violations in 96 percent of such cases between 1995 and 2015, according to an investigation by the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review newspaper.

The newspaper examined nearly 3 million U.S. Justice Department records related to how the department's 94 U.S. attorney's offices across the country, and in U.S. territories including Puerto Rico, handled civil rights cases against officers.

The data included cases referred to the Justice Department by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and other agencies, as well as investigations that prosecutors opened on their own.

Overall, prosecutors turned down 12,703 potential civil rights violations out of 13,233 total complaints. By contrast, prosecutors rejected only about 23 percent of referrals in all other types of criminal cases, the newspaper said.

The findings could bolster arguments by activists, such as those involved in the Black Lives Matter movement, who claim police officers are rarely held criminally responsible for their misconduct.

The report comes just days after the U.S. attorney in Manhattan, Preet Bharara, announced he would not press charges against a white officer who killed an unarmed black teenager inside his own apartment in 2012.

The most common reasons that prosecutors cited for declining to bring civil rights cases against officers were weak or insufficient evidence, lack of criminal intent and orders from the Justice Department, according to the Tribune-Review.

The standard for bringing a federal civil rights case is much more stringent than that of a typical police misconduct case brought at the state level. Federal prosecutors must prove that an officer acted "willfully" in depriving someone of his or her rights, rather than simply negligently or recklessly.

"Maybe they're not taking the cases because they're not good cases," Jim Pasco, the executive director of the national Fraternal Order of Police, told the newspaper in response to its findings.

Story continues

A Justice Department spokeswoman, Dena Iverson, told the Tribune-Review that the agency takes "any allegation of law enforcement misconduct seriously and will review those allegations when they are brought to our attention."

The U.S. attorney's office in Northern Mississippi, based in Oxford, brought 24 civil rights cases against officers, the most of any federal prosecutor's office. The cases resulted in 20 convictions.

Prosecutors in Western Tennessee, based in Memphis, filed 22 cases, the second-highest number, winning 20.

Eleven districts in the United States saw no civil rights prosecutions brought against any officers out of 240 referrals, the newspaper said.

(Reporting by Joseph Ax; Editing by Frank McGurty and Susan Fenton)
PARIS (Reuters) - The United States is looking for a way to break the deadlock between Israel and the Palestinians, Secretary of State John Kerry said on Sunday, acknowledging that by itself it could not find a solution. Having twice failed to achieve Israeli-Palestinian peace, the Obama administration is discussing ways to help preserve the prospect of an increasingly threatened two-state solution, U.S. officials have told Reuters. At the same time, France is seeking support for an initiative to relaunch talks between the two sides this summer and prevent what one French diplomat has called the risk of a "powder keg" exploding. Last year France failed to get the United States on board for a U.N. Security Council resolution to set parameters for talks between the two sides and a deadline for a deal. Since then, the stance of former foreign minister Laurent Fabius, to recognize a Palestinian state automatically if the new initiative fails, has been toned down. "Obviously we're all looking for a way forward. The United States and myself remain deeply committed to a two state solution. It is absolutely essential," Kerry said when asked whether the U.S. was ready to cooperate with Paris' efforts. "There's not any one country or one person who can resolve this. This is going to require the global community, it will require international support," he said speaking alongside European foreign ministers in Paris. A former ambassador to Washington, Pierre Vimont, is heading France's diplomatic push and will be in Israel, the Palestinian territories and the United States this week to discuss the French initiative. With U.S. efforts to broker a two-state solution in tatters since in April 2014 and Washington focused on this year's election, Paris is lobbying countries to commit to a conference before May that would outline incentives and give guarantees for Israelis and Palestinians, seeking face-to-face talks before August. "The conflict is getting worse and the status quo cannot continue," France's Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault said. U.S. officials have no expectation peace talks will resume before the end of U.S. President Barack Obama's term in January 2017 and have played down the odds of any quick decision on how the White House might help preserve a two-state solution. "We're talking about any number of different ways to try to change the situation on the ground in an effort to try to generate some confidence," Kerry said. "So we are listening carefully to the French proposal. "At the moment it's a difficult one, because of the violence that has been taking place, and there are not many people in Israel or in the region itself right now that believe in the possibilities of peace because of those levels of violence." (Reporting by John Irish; Editing by Ruth Pitchford)
Madrid (AFP) - Thousands of Spaniards, including leading lights from the world of bullfighting, on Sunday joined a protest rally in favour of the traditional but controversial pastime.

The protesters marched through the streets of the eastern town of Valencia to protest at local authority bans applied in some parts of the country.

Famous names from the ritualistic 'sport' famously portrayed by Ernest Hemingway in his "Death in the Afternoon" novel attending the march were Enrique Ponce and Julian Lopez "El Juli" Escobar.

Both joined another famous fighter, Jose Antonio Morante Camacho, better known as Morante de la Puebla, at the gathering.

Participants held aloft banners proclaiming the practice as a key element of cultural expression.

"The bullfighting world is aware of the problem and maltreatment we are suffering at the hands of a part of the political class," said Morante de la Puebla.

"We are here to say, this is our life, it's a tradition," he bellowed.

Ponce meanwhile read a tract in defence of bullfighting, insisting the tradition has for centuries been an integral part of Spanish culture even if some refuse to accept it as such.

And he urged that 'toreros' be treated with equal respect as those persuing other 'artistic' activities.

The morning had seen a lower-key protest against bullfighting with some 20 semi-clad activists who had splattered themselves with red ink to symbolise the bulls' suffering demanding the practice be abolished.

Spain is split overall on the issue.

Six years ago the largely autonomous regional Catalan government banned 'corridas' or bullfighting in the region.

Some cities run by leftist administrations including Madrid and Valencia also recently cut subsidies for bullfighting.
Russian President Vladimir Putin got a possible new adversary on Friday when the Defense Department tapped Army General Curtis "Mike" Scaparrotti to led U.S. and NATO forces in Europe.

Scaparrotti, who has served as the head of U.S. forces in South Korea for the last three years, will take the reins from Gen. Phillip Breedlove as the commander of European Command and Supreme Allied Commander of NATO. This is at a time when the Obama administration is looking to boost support to eastern European allies in the face of Russian aggression.

Related: Putin Is Upgrading Russias Massive Cold War Battlecruisers

The Pentagon requested four times the amount spent on the so-called European Reassurance Initiative for fiscal year 2017, which covers training and for U.S. and European forces, raising the total outlay to $3.4 billion.

Most of that money, $2 billion, will go toward putting an armored brigade combat team in the region 24/7 on a rotational basis. The addition to a Stryker vehicle brigade and an infantry brigade already in Europe means 3,000 to 5,000 U.S. troops will continually rotate throughout NATO countries, so as not to violate the coalitions charter that prohibits a permanent military presence.

If approved, the increase in U.S. boots on the ground will surely rankle Moscow. Theres no question Putin and his regime have enjoyed keeping Washington on its toes in the two years since its lightning-fast annexation of the Crimean Peninsula.

Related: Move Over, F-35: Russia Has Raised the Stakes for Next-Generation Fighters

The Kremlin has caused the White House no small amount of headaches with its support for separatists in eastern Ukraine, the overt saber rattling surrounding the modernization of its sprawling military arsenal and its aggressive air campaign in Syria.

While some could argue that the administrations moves are too little, too late, and that Putin will merely shrug off the increased American presence, though the increased forces might just be the beginning of a bigger commitment that will be carried out by the next president.

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The years of tension between the former Cold War opponents have raised serious questions about the utility and effectiveness of NATO in light of Russias advances--questions that will have to be addressed soon if the 28-member organization is to carry on as bulwark against Moscow.

Related: Russias Latest Weapons Sale to Iran Shifts the Balance of Mideast Power

As for Scaparrotti himself, he leaves the Korean Peninsula at a hair-raising time. In response to large-scale U.S.-South Korea military exercises and new round of economic sanctions imposed by the United Nations, Pyongyang in recent weeks has embarked on a new campaign of belligerence.

The Hermit Kingdom has launched multiple short-range rockets into the sea, and on Friday, the states official news agency reported that leader Kim Jong Un had ordered another nuclear test.

The four-star will likely need all the skills hes learned over his three-year stint in Korea to divine, and possibly counter, moves by Russia--something Defense Secretary Ash Carter alluded to his statement announcing Scaparrottis nomination.

Scaparrotti has demonstrated his excellence as a soldier-statesman, skills he will need as he works closely with our most trusted Allies and partners in Europe.

General Scaparrotti is one of the U.S. military's most accomplished officers and combat leaders, and it is my hope that the Senate will act quickly on his nomination, Carter said.

Top Reads from The Fiscal Times:
Still reeling from her stunning narrow loss to Sen. Bernie Sanders in Michigan last week, former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton needs a strong showing in Tuesdays crucial Democratic primary contests in Florida and Midwestern states  and theres reason to believe she can do that.

After leading Sanders by as much as 20 points in Michigan, Clinton lost by two percentage points last Tuesday after Sanders hit her hard on trade and the millions of dollars in speaking fees she accepted from Goldman Sachs and other Wall Street banks after leaving government. The democratic socialist senator from Vermont hopes to build on this first major victory from this large, racially diverse and industrialized state.

Related: Trump Cancels Chicago Rally Fearing More Crowd Violence

However, Clinton is leading Sanders in Ohio and Florida two days before the new Super Tuesday primary elections, according to new polls released on Sunday, but she is locked in a much closer contest with Sanders in Illinois, where she once led by a huge double-digit margin.

A new NBC News/Wall Street Journal/Marist poll shows Clinton holding a commanding lead over Sanders in Florida of 61 percent to 34 percent and a 58 percent to 38 percent lead over Sanders in Ohio. But she is clinging to a much narrower 51 percent to 45 percent over the Vermont senator in Illinois. A separate CBS News survey confirms her relatively solid leads in Florida and Ohio, thanks in part to strong backing from African Americans and Hispanics

Yet the CBS poll shows Sanders actually slightly ahead in Illinois, 48 percent to 46 percent, after Clinton had led there at one time by as much as 32 points, according to Real Clear Politics. While Clinton would continue to surge ahead of Sanders in the all-important delegate count with victories in two big states like Florida and Ohio, a loss in Illinois would provide added credence to Sanderss argument that his populist economic and trade positions and strong anti-Wall Street views are resonating with Democratic voters across the country

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Sanders also believes that Democratic party leaders and super delegates will eventually come to the conclusion that he would be the stronger nominee to take on Republican frontrunner Donald Trump in the general election campaign and would turn to him as the summer national convention approaches.

Related: From Bawdy Jokes to Body Slams, Whats Next for Trumps Campaign?

A loss to Sanders in Illinois would be especially embarrassing to Clinton because she was born there and it is the home state of President Obama, who has signaled repeatedly that he considers his former secretary of state best qualified to succeed him in the White House. Clinton has closely embraced Obamas policies and has promised to build on his legacy if she is elected president

Sanderss prospects in Illinois may have been enhanced by the clash of Trump supporters and protesters in Chicago Friday evening that forced Trump to cancel a rally at the University of Illinois at Chicago. Many of those protesters are in Sanderss camp, and the ensuing debate over whether Trump has created a climate of vitriol and violence on the campaign trail is likely to turn out many Sanders backers at the polls on Tuesday.

Trump and Sanders differed sharply today over who was more responsible for the violence and confrontations, with the billionaire businessman warning Sanders of possible retaliations by Trump supporters at some of Sanderss campaign events.

I think we have a lot of momentum in Illinois, in Ohio, in Missouri, Sanders said on CBSs Face the Nation today in handicapping his chances in Tuesdays primaries. I think we will do better than people think in North Carolina and in Florida. So were looking forward to a very good Tuesday and were looking forward to winning the Democratic nomination.

Related: This Is What the GOPs Surrender to Trump Looks Like

Sanders and Clinton are scheduled to appear together at a town hall at Ohio State University in Columbus tonight, which will be nationally televised by CNN. The subject of violence at Trump events in Chicago and elsewhere is certain to come up during the two-hour event. However, until now, Clinton has been oddly reticent to discuss the subject.

Clinton in the past has been willing to call out Trump for his bluster and bigotry. Yet in a statement she released early Saturday morning, she said nothing about Trump. The divisive rhetoric we are seeing should be of grave concern to us all, she said. We all have our differences and we know many people across the country feel angry. We need to address that anger together.

Some Democrats were unhappy that instead of directly taking on Trumps tactics of inciting hatred and division that Clinton evoked the massacre in Charleston, S.C., which left nine African-American churchgoers dead, The Washington Post reported. Clinton cited that tragic event as an example of how the country can overcome division.

Top Reads from The Fiscal Times:
A bear killed two villagers and a wildlife officer sent to tranquilise it before being shot dead in a forest in central India, police said Sunday.

The sloth bear mauled the villagers late on Saturday, sparking a police hunt for the beast after fearful locals in Chhattisgarh state demanded its capture.

Police shot and killed the female bear after it also fatally attacked the wildlife official who had been sent to trap and tranquilise it, said Rajesh Kukareja, deputy police chief of Mahasamund district.

"The bear was very aggressive and killed the officer at the spot. We had no option but to shoot it," Kukareja told AFP.

"It was on a rampage, attacking everyone," he said.

Tribal villagers found the bodies of the two men after they failed to return from a trip to the forest to pick edible flowers, triggering a search for them.

Mahasamund is home to numerous animal species, including hundreds of black sloth bears, according to its website.

Sloth bears are found in India, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Bhutan but shrinking habitats and rampant poaching have reduced their numbers, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

The IUCN has put them on its red list of threatened species and their total estimated population is 20,000.

They can grow up to 1.8 metres (six feet) in length and weigh up to 140 kilograms (310 pounds).
NCAA women's gymnastics analysis that gets a 10 for a fall.
WHAT WILL WE DO

In a media statement on Fri-day, ArcelorMittal Point Lisas an-nounced with deep regret its de-cision to close its operations de-spite the companys considerable efforts to avoid the closure of the iron and steel facility. The com-pany stated that a combination of local and international challenges has resulted in a decision to close the business, which has been under severe financial distress since the second half of 2015.The closure meant that over 700 workers were now unemployed, with union officials noting the to-tal figure of persons affected by the closure could rise to 20,000 per-sons, inclusive of families and ser-vice providers to the company.When Sunday Newsday visited the Steel Workers Unions (SWU) offices yesterday, one worker, Troy Mascall, who was employed for the past 14 years (four years as a con-tractor and ten years as an opera-tor) was still coming to terms with the companys decision. How I feeling personally about the whole thing is a numb feeling because words cant really explain the thought about going forward, what you want to do or what you have to do to provide for your chil-dren, Mascall said, adding, pres-ently I am building a home for my family, and also I have a newborn child who is three-months-old, so you could understand my mind trend, but thank God that I know God, so that I have a hope for to-morrow.But it have many people who have been terminated and their minds all over the place because they have different mind-set, dif-ferent ways of thinking and because they have a different mind-set any-thing can happen in Trinidad, any-thing can happen, he said. This is a sad day for us as Trinidadians.Asked whether the companys decision had taken him by surprise, he said, Yeah, its a surprise feeling, because at the end of the day, we as the union was thinking what di-rection the company would go not knowing they would close down.That is a different angle the company would take, he said. Mascall, who is married and has three children, two girls, aged nine and seven, as well as a three-month baby boy, is currently building his home in Princes Town.Mascall said he had thought about his next step but had not de-cided on a course of action though he noted that one months salary was not adequate payment for per-sons with several years service to the company. One month salary after you make so much years, after you have given your life, it have so much workers who make 36 years in service and you giving them one month, that evil, he said.Glenda Vidalis, 46, a single mother of two children who was employed as a payroll supervisor was also unsure about her next step saying job-hunting had been the furthest thing from her mind. Up to last night I was still in shock, I think the reality actually hit home when I woke up and re-alise that I dont have a job, an in-come coming in and you have no idea where it coming from, Vidalis said. Not in my wildest dreams that two days before we were sup-posed to go back out to work that they would come and say they shut-ting down the company. I dont have a clue what I am going to do because in this stage of your life you looking at getting close to retirement, you making plans now for retirement and not thinking about changing jobs or having to look for a job, that is the last thought, she said. Vidalis said she was still renting an apartment while her daughter was at present studying bio-medicine at univer-sity. My daughter asked me this morning whether she would be able to continue school and I was unable to say, she said. SWU president general Christo-pher Henry yesterday questioned the quantum of debt which had been put forward by the company as one of its reasons for liquidation.The debt that the company is talking about seems far-fetched to us because in 2014, the company would have indicated to us that they were making so it is difficult to see how between 2014 to now, they have a debt of $1.3 billion, he said, and noted the company may ac-tually owe its corporate offices for materials purchased. ArcelorMittal Point Lisas is a subsidiary of the Luxembourg-based ArcelorMittal group, majority-owned by Indian tycoon Lakshmi Mittal.They were purchasing from ArcelorMittal itself because we have mines and other products that we use for the making of steel, if they are now calling that creditors that they owe. We not sure but an investigation has to be done fur-ther, Henry said. We asked the company for a list of the creditors, and what is to be paid to them be-cause we know that in insolvency, the worker is the last to be paid so we would want to know about the debt to these creditors, how they intend to go about it. Asked how the workers were taking the news, Henry said, Its terrible, terrible. There is a large majority of young workers in there, also about 40 per-cent of the workforce is above 50, and these young workers would have had mortgages, likewise us, but while our mortgages coming to an end, theirs now started, car payments and a number of young kids, (ages) five to 14 and 15, so it is difficult, very very difficult.I left the office late yesterday (Friday) because most of them just sat there they wanted to talk, they dont know how to go home and face their families with this thing, so its very difficult and it will con-tinue. The social fallout of this will be tremendous and we are asking that the Government must take high interest in how they will ap-proach this situation, he said.Henry also suggested counselling for the affected workers as some may not be able to cope with the loss of employment.We would have had about five workers, and that was just in the layoff alone who had to receive help, so what will happen now when they saying paying a month salary for all these years service so it will be even worse, Henry said.
Cop on the run after stabbing

A POLICEMAN is on the run after he stabbed a woman and her cousin on Ari-apita Avenue, wood-brook early yesterday morning.The 25-year-old woman, who was stabbed in her back, and her cousin, who was stabbed in his ab-domen, are said to be in critical condition at Port-of-spain Gener-al Hospital .According to re-ports, shortly after 4 am, the woman was involved in an altercation with the policeman when he pulled out his badge and service revolv-er and showed her. eyewitnesses said he then drew a knife and stabbed her in the back. Her cousin who rushed to her defence was stabbed in his ab-domen.The two were taken by ambulance to the hospital .Meanwhile, three other persons were also stabbed minutes after on the Avenue in unrelated incidents. A man is reported to have broken a bot-tle and stabbed his brother following an argument, while two other men were stabbed in another in-cident outside a club. woodbrook police are continuing inves-tigations.
Donations can be sent to BNC at Max Obuszewski, 431 Notre Dame Lane, Apt. 206, Baltimore, MD 21212 . Email: mobuszewski2001 [at] comcast [dot] net.
Pan boss warns no ghost bands

Ghost bands are>11steelbands which>11only come out once>11a year for Panorama .

Doh just come>11around for Carnival>11to collect grants>11and help from corporate>11T&T, Diaz>11warned members>11of steelbands at>11the VIP Lounge,>11Queens Park Savannah,>11Port-of-Spain>11on Friday evening .

The function was an>11Evening of Appreciation>11arranged by>11the Northern Region>11of Pan Trinbago>11for member bands>11which made it to the>11finals of all Panorama>11competitions for>11Carnival 2016 .

Diaz said the time>11has come for bands>11to exist, not just in a>11name, advising they>11must function yearround>11with players .

Also, on the issue>11of prizes, Diaz said>11Minister of Community>11Development,>11Culture and the>11Arts, Dr Nyan Gadsby->11Dolly had apologised>11for not paying>11the winning bands>11after the Panorama>11finals on February 6 .

He disclosed Pan>11Trinbago still has>11not received all the>11money and this was>11the reason why the>11bands could not be>11paid .

Providing some>11cost estimates of the>11competition, Diaz>11said transporting>1122 steel orchestras>11from Tobago to>11Trinidad to participate>11in Panorama>11cost $3.25 million,>11however there was>11a shortfall of $2.19>11million .

He spoke of Panorama>11as the longest>11running competition,>11at 53 years, in>11the Caribbean .

Mayor of Port-of->11Spain Keron Valentine,>11who manages a>11steel orchestra, was>11in attendance .

When Curtis Edwards,>11captain of>11Desperadoes, which>11won its historic 11th>11Panorama, received>11their award he got a>11standing ovation .

Laventille Serenaders>11was given>11a special award for>11dedication to the>11national instrument>11(steelpan) and the>11movement .

>11
Trade Minister calls women to public service

Heading the list was feature speaker Akosua Dardaine-Edwards, founder of the Enabling Enterprise Project, who delivered a down-to-earth and extremely interesting personal story. She got an award for Social Entrepreneur.

Lisa Wickham, media producer, director and TV personality received the Business Pioneer award while Asiya Mohammed, founder and CEO of Conflict Women Ltd, copped the AFETT Young Female Leader prize.

AFETTs Board Secretary, Elise Farrell, got the Spirit of AFETT award and receiving the award for National Spirit on behalf of Elizabeth Talma- Sankar, who has given service to The Shelter for Battered Women for the past 19 years, was her sister.

Gabriela Siewdhan, who is pursuing a degree in psychology, was the AFETT 2015/2016 awardee.

In her address, Minister of Trade and Industry, Paula Gopee- Scoon said Government attaches significant importance to women and gender affairs as it is a mandate is to spearhead the national portfolio on gender equality and empowerment.

On the role of leadership, she said effective leaders have a clear sense of themselves, their strengths, values, and leadership beliefs that guide them and create a sense of integrity, which impacts their decisions, relationships and overall results.

She then placed emphasis on mentorship and service in public office. She said, At this time when there is a call for global gender parity, not enough of us have answered the call to service in public life, in its various platforms and to mentor the young and those in less fortunate circumstances who have not been afforded the opportunities given to us. Gopee-Scoon told the gathering, including attorney Sharon Rowley, wife of Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley, and students from St Stephens College, St Josephs Convent, Port-of-Spain, Parvati Girls Hindu College, Holy Name Convent, Success Laventille, Moruga, Barataria secondary schools, they can make a difference to change the social landscape.

The Minister urged professional and experienced women to get involved in public life.

Mentoring and serving are active ways of ensuring parity, diminishing the unjust circumstances brought against our mothers and daughters.

It certainly adds more value than just raising a voice, she said.

But it was Dardaine- Edwards who had everyone hanging on to her words as she spoke of that time in her life when she lost all material things in her homeland and headed to East Africa to work with 900 women to rebuild Gulu which, at present, has the best agricultural company in East Africa.

Some days I will be packing maize to sell, some days I will be talking to women, some days I will be saving money, some days I will be on a dirt floor in the village, some days I will go out and get men to bring them into the conversation and some days I will meet with the Prime Minister of Uganda, begging him for electricity for the village, Dardaine-Edwards recalled.

She said in Trinidad it was easy to do anything she wanted but that is not the case in many of the countries she visited.

And having experienced life in Africa, Dardaine-Edwards she was told to return home and honour her ancestors.

This she did and is now confident about who she is, and advised the young among the audience: Once you know who you are you will always be fine. So know who you are, have a vision and move towards it.

We are victory of our ancestors. They paved the way for you to be here. Dardaine-Edwards received a standing ovation after her story
Yesterdays live coverage of the Ukraine conflict can be found here

U.S.Secretary of State John Kerry was due to meet in Paris on March 13 with the foreign ministers of France, Britain, Italy, and Germany  along with EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini.

Facing renewed protests over its months-long trash crisis, the Lebanese government on Saturday approved an emergency plan to open three landfills near Beirut. Information Minister Ramzi Jreij announced the four-year temporary plan as thousands of protesters marched in the capital to demand a permanent solution to the crisis, which has spawned civil unrest and widespread health warnings since trash began piling up in July 2015. Under the deal, reached after an eight-hour cabinet meeting, Jreij said a key landfill near the city would be reopened for two months to take in thousands of tons of trash pushed to the outskirts of Beirut. He also said two other landfills would open north and south of the city. The trash crisis began when officials last year closed the Naameh landfill south of the city with no plan in place to absorb the daily refuse from the Beirut area's 2 million residents. A plan to export the garbage was scrapped last month when no deal could be reached, and critics alleged corruption on the part of officials in Lebanon's Agriculture Ministry. Earlier Saturday, protest organizers from the "You Stink" movement called for a nationwide strike Monday to force a government response to the crisis. Protest organizer Ali Slim called for a boycott of schools Monday and urged workers to stay home. Hours after the temporary plan was announced, it remained unclear whether the strike would take place.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry met with his British, French, German and Italian counterparts Sunday in Paris about the Syria crisis, a day before the U.N.-sponsored Syrian peace talks are set to begin in Geneva. Ahead of Monday's discussions, Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Muallem warned negotiators that any talk about the fate of Syria's president is off the table. "We will not talk with anyone who wants to discuss the presidency. ... Bashar al-Assad is a red line," Muallem said. Mohammad Alloush, the chief negotiator for Syria's main opposition group, says the president has to go. He told the French news agency AFP, "We believe that the transitional period should start with the fall or death of Bashar al-Assad." Kerry has urged both sides in Syria to proceed with the peace talks despite their conflict over the presidency and what he called "perceived truce violations" by the Syrian government. "The level of violence by all accounts has been reduced by 80 to 90 percent, which is very, very significant," Kerry said Saturday in Saudi Arabia. Muallem said the Syrian government remains committed to the cease-fire agreement, but its delegation to the peace talks will only wait 24 hours for the opposition delegation to arrive for the talks. Muallem said Saturday in Damascus the diplomats will leave for Geneva Sunday. A Syrian opposition official said the foreign minister is "halting Geneva talks before they start." U.N. peace envoy Staffan de Mistura has said the Geneva meetings, which are scheduled to open on the eve of the fifth anniversary of the start of the conflict in March 2011, would not last more than 10 days. U.N. officials said the cessation of hostilities agreement has made it possible for U.N. and partner agencies to deliver food, medicine and other aid to 115,000 Syrian civilians living in areas under siege by government or opposition forces. They say last year, aid agencies were unable to access any of these areas. Syria's five-year conflict has killed more than 270,000 people and forced millions from their homes.

Al-Qaeda's Syrian affiliate, the Al-Nusra Front, has seized bases and weapons from a Western-backed rebel group in fighting in northwestern Syria.

Iran has said it has no plans to freeze its oil production, in a blow to a deal reached last month between Russia and Saudi Arabia to curb falling global oil prices.

As three states vote, the ascendance of a far-right party points to the strains from Chancellor Angela Merkels policy of accepting refugees.

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia has evidence that Turkish armed forces are on Syrian territory, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said in comments to Ren-TV, which were broadcast on Sunday and quoted by Russian news agencies. Lavrov also called ...

MOSCOW - Russia has evidence that Turkish armed forces are on Syrian territory, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said in comments to Ren-TV, which were broadcast on Sunday and quoted by Russian news agencies. Lavrov also called Turkey's ...

An insurgent group fighting alongside Afghanistans Taliban has said it is ready to join political reconciliation talks with the Kabul government, despite being deeply skeptical about peace intentions of the other side. Afghan President Ashraf Ghani last week renewed his offer of negotiations to all insurgent groups in his bid to seek an end to the devastating war, now in its 15th year. The United States, China and neighboring Pakistan have all welcomed and backed Ghanis move, though the mainstream Taliban faction has rejected the offer. 'Prepared to participate' But in a statement released to media on Sunday, the Hezb-e-Islami (HIG) faction led by fugitive Afghan warlord Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, said it has accepted the governments offer and is prepared to participate in the talks to show to the [Afghan] nation it wants peace."A senior HIG official also told VOA on condition of anonymity that a two-member team has also been formed for the negotiations. It includes the groups central council chief, Qazi Hakim Hakim, and head of its political affairs, Ghairat Baheer, a son-in-law of Hekmatyar. The insurgent group has accused the United States of trying to sabotage Afghan peace efforts. It cited last weeks U.S. State Department announcement in which two senior HIG members were designated as global terrorists for their roles in deadly attacks in Kabul, including a bomb blast that killed six Americans. The Obama administration has identified the two men, Abdullah Nowbahar and Abdul Saboor, as explosive experts for the militant Hezb-e-Islami. It also offered rewards of up to $2 million for Nowbahar and up to $3 million for Saboor for information leading to their whereabouts. The designation of two Hezb-e-Islami members as terrorists and offering millions of dollars reward for their arrest at a time when President Ghani has invited the group for peace talks show that Washington is not willing to end its war in Afghanistan, the Afghan insurgent group alleged in Sunday's statement. It also blamed certain elements within the Afghan government for opposing peace efforts, but did not elaborate.

Iran has said it will not freeze its oil production, a blow to a proposal by Russia and Saudi Arabia to freeze global output to help turn around a plunge in oil prices. Iranian Oil Minister Bijan Namdar Zanganeh told Iran's Press TV on March 13 that ...

Russia has evidence that the Turkish army is on Syrian territory, Russian news agency Interfax reported the Kremlin's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov as saying on Sunday. The top diplomat also claimed on Sunday Turkey's actions on Turkish-Syrian border ...

Conservationists in Russia say a small herd of endangered Przewalski's horses recently reintroduced in the Urals are enduring well their first winter in their new habitat despite exceptionally harsh conditions.

NATO Supreme Allied Commander Philip Breedlove recently took US hawks' campaign of Russia -baiting up a notch, suggesting Russia and Syria have 'deliberately weaponized' refugees to 'break European resolve'. The remarks, and the mainstream ...

Disinformation Warfare: US Officials Working to Keep Russia , Europe at Odds

MOSCOW - Russia's Defence Ministry said on Sunday a cessation of hostilities in Syria had been violated 29 times in the past 24 hours. The ministry said in a statement the violations took place in the provinces of Latakia (18 times), Damascus (5 ...

Russia says cessation of hostilities in Syria violated 29 times in past 24 hours

ANKARA, Turkey - Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov says Russia has information that Turkey's military is entrenched a few hundred yards inside Syrian territory to prevent Kurdish groups from strengthening their positions. In an interview with ...

Everything gets stranger and stranger, Alexei Venediktov, the editor-in-chief of Ekho Moskvy radio wrote on Twitter about the news that Lesin had died of a blow to the head. The liberal radio station had been part of the ...

by Shaun Walker in Moscow and David Smith in Washington

The vote represents the German chancellors first electoral test of her refugee policy.

Libya's UN-backed Presidential Council, in Tunis, calls on the international community to stop dealing with any rival powers within Libya.

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 Endangered Przewalski's Horses Back On Russian Steppe



mikenova shared this story from Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty. Conservationists in Russia say a small herd of endangered Przewalski's horses recently reintroduced in the Urals are enduring well their first winter in their new habitat...

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 Libya's unity government claims power



mikenova shared this story from BBC News - World. Libya's UN-backed Presidential Council, in Tunis, calls on the international community to stop dealing with any rival powers within Libya.

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mikenova shared this story from World. The vote represents the German chancellors first electoral test of her refugee policy.

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mikenova shared this story from world news - Google Blog Search. Everything gets stranger and stranger, Alexei Venediktov, the editor-in-chief of Ekho Moskvy radio wrote on Twitter about the news that Lesin had died of a bl...

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mikenova shared this story from Reuters: World News. LONDON (Reuters) - U.S. President Barack Obama will come to London in April and urge British voters to back continued membership of the European Union, The Independent on Sunday newspa...

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mikenova shared this story from BBC News - World. Venezuela's opposition hold a day of nationwide protests at the start of a campaign to force President Nicolas Maduro from office.

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mikenova shared this story from Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty. Greece is struggling to move thousands of migrants trapped near the border with Macedonia, as an outbreak of Hepatitis A threatened a large-scale health crisis.

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mikenova shared this story from World. BAGHDAD  The Islamic State launched two chemical attacks this week near the northern Iraqi city of Kirkuk, killing a toddler, wounding some 600 people and causing hundreds more to flee, Iraqi offic...

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mikenova shared this story from Voice of America. The Islamic State group has launched two chemical attacks near the northern Iraqi city of Kirkuk, killing a three-year-old girl, wounding 600 people and causing hundreds more to flee, Ira...

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 Secret Islamic State Files: 64 With Links To UK



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mikenova shared this story from World news. Opponents accuse front-runner of stoking tensions with an uncompromising message that exploits racial tensions ahead of crucial votes on Tuesday

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mikenova shared this story from BBC News - World. President Barack Obama warns White House contenders to avoid fanning tensions, a day after a Donald Trump rally was called off amid clashes.

 Trump Shaken As Protester Tries To Storm Stage



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 Op-Ed Columnist: Where the Soldiers Are Scarier Than the Crocodiles



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 Protester tries to storm stage at Donald Trump rally



mikenova shared this story from World news. Secret service agents leap to the rescue as campaign comes under intense scrutiny over angry rhetoric and violence

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 Protests Grow Against Brazilian President



mikenova shared this story from WSJ.com: World News. Following spontaneous outbursts over the faltering economy and alleged corruption, groups are planning marches nationwide on Sunday against the government.

 Italian police: 6 dead in avalanche in Italian Alps



mikenova shared this story from World. Authorities say six backcountry skiers have died in an avalanche on Monte Nevoso in the Italian Alps.

 ISIS Chemical Attacks Wound 600, Iraqi Officials Say



mikenova shared this story from World  TIME. (BAGHDAD)  Iraqi officials say the Islamic State group has launched two chemical attacks, killing a three-year-old girl and wounding some 600 people near the northern city of Kirkuk. S...

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 Donald Trump cancels Chicago rally amid protests - live



mikenova shared this story from World news. Republican candidate makes decision due to security reasons after meeting with police

 Turkey Is 'Sliding Backwards,' Says Top Turkish Novelist - Huffington Post



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 Dead ex-Russian press minister may have been attacked outside hotel: source



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mikenova shared this story from Stars and Stripes. The surging Puerto Rican electorate, a swing demographic in the nations quintessential swing state, supported Barack Obama for president but backed Charlie Crist for governor when he wa...

 To Maintain Supply of Sex Slaves, ISIS Pushes Birth Control



mikenova shared this story from NYT > Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS). Modern methods allow the Islamic State to keep up its systematic rape of captives under medieval codes.

 Here's What Obama Said at SXSW About Apple vs. FBI - Fortune



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mikenova shared this story from DEBKAFile. March 12, 2016, 3:36 PM (IDT) Paris acted in response to a request from Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu to shut down the Hamas Al Aqsa TV station for anti-Israel and anti-Jewish incitement by ...

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mikenova shared this story from Cyber Warfare - Google News. Investor's Business Daily The Gathering Storm Of The Chinese Military Investor's Business Daily We don't have to guess at the intentions of the country that for more than four ...

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 All Unquiet On The Tajik-Afghan Frontier



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mikenova shared this story from The Independent - Europe. Teenage girls handed preliminary terrorism charges over plot to attack concert hall in Paris

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 Despite His Claims, Obama Was Not A Realist On Russia, Syria, And Libya



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 Stalin, Russia's New Hero - New York Times



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mikenova shared this story from Voice of America. The Afghan air force will not reach necessary strength levels until 2020, according to a top U.S. general. General John Campbell, who ended his command of U.S. and NATO troops in Afghanis...

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mikenova shared this story from Voice of America. The United States on Friday condemned the Syrian government for hampering deliveries of humanitarian aid and for launching airstrikes that have reportedly hit civilians. The strongly word...

 Israeli Security Agents Shut Down Palestinian Media Operation



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mikenova shared this story from Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty. The EU's drive to get Turkey to toughen its visa regulations to help resolve the migrant crisis is giving regional businessmen reason to worry.

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mikenova shared this story from Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty. Poland's government says it is still refusing to publish a ruling by the Constitutional Tribunal, which struck down key legislation that has blocked the work of the court.

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mikenova shared this story from Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty. The Ukrainian military says two of its soldiers were killed in clashes between government forces and pro-Russia separatists in southeast Ukraine over the past 24 hours.

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mikenova shared this story from Voice of America. Turkey's air force has carried out air strikes against Kurdish rebel targets in northern Iraq, killing at least 67 militants, the military said Saturday. The March 9 raids were carried ou...

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mikenova shared this story from World. Venezuelas U.N. ambassador has read out a statement from a group of 120 developing countries rejecting President Barack Obamas decision to renew sanctions on several of his countrys top officials.

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mikenova shared this story from BBC News - World. Russian officials criticise a lack of communication by the US authorities over the death of Mikhail Lesin, a former aide to President Putin.

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mikenova shared this story from Washington Free Beacon. A criminal probe by the Justice Department has concluded that Iran was behind a cyberattack on a dam outside of New York City in 2013. According to the Associated Press , a U.S. of...

 Pentagon Wont Hold Captured ISIS Fighters Beyond 30 Days



mikenova shared this story from Washington Free Beacon. The Pentagon said Friday that it will not hold captured ISIS operatives beyond 30 days, after which they will be turned over to the Iraqi government. Fourteen to 30 days is a ballp...

 Poland turns from model of democracy into European problem



mikenova shared this story from Stars and Stripes. For years, Poland was considered a model of democratic transformation, with Lech Walesa's peaceful revolution heralding a new era based on the rule of law.

 Purported banker in New York admits he was actually a Russian spy



mikenova shared this story from Stars and Stripes. A man posing as a banker in the United States admitted Friday he was actually a Russian spy helping run a conspiracy that could have been ripped from the headlines of the Cold War era, p...

 Moscows Desire to Micro-Manage the North Caucasus Causing Multiple Inefficiencies



mikenova shared this story from North Caucasus Analysis - The Jamestown Foundation. On February 19, the governor of North OssetiaAlania, Tamerlan Aguzarov, suddenly died at a Moscow hospital from complications of pneumonia. The 52-year-...

 Chechens Fighting in Syria Increasingly Joining Forces With Islamic State



mikenova shared this story from North Caucasus Analysis - The Jamestown Foundation. Chechen militants in Syria have been going through organizational changes since last summer. The position of the Chechen militants in the Middle East was...

 Kadyrov at Loggerheads With Chechen Diaspora in Europe



mikenova shared this story from North Caucasus Analysis - The Jamestown Foundation. Ramzan Kadyrov has repeatedly voiced discontent with the actions of Chechens who reside in Europe. During the first years of his rule in Chechnya, he man...

 Chechnyas Planned New Oil Refinery Marks a Victory Over Rosneft



mikenova shared this story from North Caucasus Analysis - The Jamestown Foundation. Many analysts say the two wars in Chechnya in the 1990s were caused by the republics oil. These analysts, however, have tended to overlook the fact that...

 FBI channels Kafka with new rules on slurping Americans' private ... - The Register



mikenova shared this story from fbi - Google News. The Register FBI channels Kafka with new rules on slurping Americans' private ... The Register Comment The murky world of surveillance turned a little more Kafkaesque this week. The FBI ...

 Minister of Defense of Georgia Continues to Knock at NATOs Door



mikenova shared this story from Eurasia Daily Monitor - The Jamestown Foundation. Georgias newly appointed Foreign Minister Mikheil Janelidze recently visited the headquarters of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), where he h...

 Berlin, Paris Side With Moscow Against Kyiv In Normandy Groups Meeting



mikenova shared this story from Eurasia Daily Monitor - The Jamestown Foundation. As anticipated (see EDM , February 26), the Normandy meeting on March 34, in Paris, cornered Ukraine to extract its acceptance of elections in the Rus...

 Death of Top Chechen IS Commander May Change the Face of the Syrian Insurgency



mikenova shared this story from Eurasia Daily Monitor - The Jamestown Foundation. On March 5, in the fighting for the city of al-Shaddadi in eastern Syria, one of the most influential commanders of the so-called Islamic State (IS), Tarkh...

 Germany, Norway Eye Joint Submarine Procurement



mikenova shared this story from Defense News - Home. Norway plans to complete the definition phase for procurement of submarines in the first half of this year and may consider a joint purchase with another country. ...

 NATO, European Commission Chiefs Hail Cooperation on Security, Migrant Crisis



mikenova shared this story from Defense News - Home. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg and European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker have discussed ways to increase joint work to counter hybrid threats in several areas, inc...

 Two Israelis injured in shooting attack on car on Rte 443



mikenova shared this story from DEBKAFile. March 11, 2016, 10:26 PM (IDT) A Palestinian drive-by vehicle opened fire on an Israeli car driving on Rte 443 near the Beit Horon checkpoint Friday night. Two young men in the car were inj...

 Missile alert in Israel locations around Gaza Strip



mikenova shared this story from DEBKAFile. March 11, 2016, 10:38 PM (IDT) Palestinian rocket fire sets off red alert in Israeli locations around the Gaza Strip Friday night, according to first reports.

 Chicago Psychiatrist Who Took Kickbacks to Prescribe Mental Health Medication Sentenced to Nine Months in Federal Prison



mikenova shared this story from Current.  Chicago

 Ex-CIA director: Apple 'generally in the right' on encryption, FBI not 'very good telephone designers' - 9 to 5 Mac



mikenova shared this story from cia - Google News. 9 to 5 Mac Ex- CIA director: Apple 'generally in the right' on encryption, FBI not 'very good telephone designers' 9 to 5 Mac Speaking with CNBC's Squawk Box, former CIA director James W...

 Ex-CIA director: Apple 'generally in the right' on encryption, FBI not ...



mikenova shared this story from cia - Google Blog Search. Speaking with CNBC's Squawk Box, former CIA director James Woolsey gave his personal thoughts on the FBI's request to have Apple unlock an iPhone used by one of the San Bernardino...

 Russia seeks US documents in millionaire's death - USA TODAY



mikenova shared this story from Russia - Google News. USA TODAY Russia seeks US documents in millionaire's death USA TODAY Russia's prosecutor general has asked U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch for documents regarding the mysterious d...

 Russia to disarm world's largest nuclear ballistic missile submarine - RT



mikenova shared this story from Russia - Google News. RT Russia to disarm world's largest nuclear ballistic missile submarine RT Working in accordance with the New START treaty between Russia and US, the country's leading Zvezdochka ship...

 Mikhail Lesin death: Vladimir Putin's propaganda chief died from 'blunt force'  not heart attack as was suggested



mikenova shared this story from The Independent - Europe. An autopsy found Mikhail Lesin suffered head injuries

 Russian spy pleads guilty in New York to posing as a banker



mikenova shared this story from Russian news, all the latest and breaking Russia news. Evgeny Buryakov faces a decade in prison after admitting working for the Russian secret service

 Mystery Of Lesin's Death Deepens As Russia Asks US For More Information



mikenova shared this story from Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty. The mystery surrounding Mikhail Lesin, the former Russian press minister who died in Washington after suffering blunt force trauma to the head, deepened as news reports s...

 German broadcaster: Islamic State files refer to some Paris attackers



mikenova shared this story from Stars and Stripes. A cache of leaked documents containing the names of recruits into the Islamic State group includes references to several of the men who carried out the November attacks in Paris, a Germa...

 Russian Spy Pleads Guilty, Walked Into FBI 'Trap' - ABC News



mikenova shared this story from Top Stories - Google News. New York Daily News Russian Spy Pleads Guilty, Walked Into FBI 'Trap' ABC News A Russian spy, who posed as a banker in New York City, today pleaded guilty to espionage-related ch...

 Arab League says Hezbollah 'terrorists'



mikenova shared this story from BBC News - World. The Arab League declares the Lebanese Shia Muslim movement Hezbollah a terrorist organisation, following a move by Arab Gulf states a week ago.

   



mikenova shared this story from golosamerikius's YouTube Videos. From: golosamerikius Duration: 01:23       ,         ,  .

 Death of former Putin aide: conspiracy theories abound back home in Russia



mikenova shared this story from Russia | The Guardian. Some bloggers suggest Mikhail Lesin could be in US witness protection and faked his own death while others say it could have happened as a result of a fight The announcement that a f...

 U.S. Secretary of State Kerry arrives in Saudi Arabia, to meet King Salman



mikenova shared this story from Reuters: World News. HAFR AL-BATIN, Saudi Arabia (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry arrived in Saudi Arabia on Friday and was due to hold talks with King Salman and other senior Saudi officials...

 Police hunt for 2 gunmen behind cookout ambush that killed 6



mikenova shared this story from AP Top News at 1:23 p.m. EST. WILKINSBURG, Pa. (AP) -- Police on Friday sought to identify the two men who ambushed a backyard cookout and methodically shot and killed six people, including a pregnant woma...

 Puerto Rico reports 201 confirmed Zika cases



mikenova shared this story from World. Puerto Ricos Health Department is reporting 201 confirmed Zika cases amid warnings the U.S. territory could face an epidemic of the mosquito-borne virus.

 Arab League brands Hezbollah group a terrorist organization



mikenova shared this story from Stars and Stripes News. Egypt's state news agency says the Arab League has formally branded Lebanon's militant Hezbollah group a terrorist organization.

 Islamic States terror against Christians is genocide, groups charge



mikenova shared this story from Stars and Stripes News. The U.S. State Department has until March 17 to decide whether the terror being waged by the Islamic State against Christians and other religious minorities in the Middle East meets...

 Russia's military is recruiting dolphins, and their mission is a mystery



mikenova shared this story from Stars and Stripes News. Russia's military is looking for a few good dolphins to join its navy  five, to be exact, with perfect teeth, average length and a willingness to "display motor activity."

 Learning to Fight Like an Israeli



mikenova shared this story from Washington Free Beacon. On December 27, 1985, gunfire and explosions erupted at the El Al ticket counter inside the Leonardo da Vinci-Fiumicino Airport in Rome. Four gunmen from the Palestinian terrorist g...

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 Russia in Review



mikenova shared this story from Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs - US-Russia Initiative to Prevent Nuclear Terrorism. March 11, 2016 Russia in Review: a digest of useful news from U.S.-Russia Initiative to Prevent Nucl...

 Turkish TV station aims to switch views



mikenova shared this story from Europe News. Slick English-language channel at forefront of efforts by President Erdogan to alter perceptions

 Reports: North Korean Leader Orders More Nuclear Tests



mikenova shared this story from Voice of America. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un ordered the country to improve its nuclear attack capability after watching a recent ballistic missile launch test, the country's state media reports. Nort...

 Plan Approved to Shift Control of Internet From US



mikenova shared this story from Voice of America. Members of ICANN, the U.S.-based non-profit agency that has managed oversight of the international Internet since its creation, agreed upon a final framework agreement that would shift ov...

 Uncomfortable truths over Libya



mikenova shared this story from Europe News. President Obama is right to lament the Anglo-French failure to follow through

 Russia's military wants to buy five dolphins for $25000 and no, they don't want to disclose why - Business Insider



mikenova shared this story from Russia - Google News. Business Insider Russia's military wants to buy five dolphins for $25000 and no, they don't want to disclose why Business Insider The Russian Ministry of Defense has announced plans t...

 Is Vladimir Putin's 'lover' Russia's secret weapon in Maria Sharapova scandal? - Daily Mail



mikenova shared this story from Russia - Google News. Daily Mail Is Vladimir Putin's 'lover' Russia's secret weapon in Maria Sharapova scandal? Daily Mail The glamorous former gymnast believed to be Vladimir Putin's secret lover has land...

 Main Syrian opposition groups to attend Geneva peace talks



mikenova shared this story from Stars and Stripes. Syria's main, Western-backed opposition groups said Friday they will attend the U.N.-sponsored indirect peace talks with the Damascus government in Geneva, starting in two days' time, am...

 David Cameron rebuts Johnson's Canada model for UK  video



mikenova shared this story from World news + Video | The Guardian. David Cameron, speaking to the Welsh conservatives on Friday, criticises Boris Johnsons suggestion that the UK could follow a Canadian-style free-trade agreement system....

 Arab League brands Hezbollah group a terrorist organization - Washington Post



mikenova shared this story from World - Google News. Daily News & Analysis Arab League brands Hezbollah group a terrorist organization Washington Post CAIRO  Egypt's state news agency says the Arab League has formally branded Lebanon's ...

 Investigators scour Islamic State group documents



mikenova shared this story from World. Counterterrorism investigators say they are beginning to pour through a cache of documents detailing what could be the most comprehensive look into the recruiting networks luring fighters into the I...

 Evgeny Buryakov Pleads Guilty in Manhattan Federal Court in Connection with Conspiracy to Work for Russian Intelligence



mikenova shared this story from Current.  New York

 US Government Hits Back, Calls Apple's Security Stance 'False' - State of the State KS (subscription)



mikenova shared this story from james b. comey - Google News. US Government Hits Back, Calls Apple's Security Stance 'False' State of the State KS (subscription) In its filing, the federal government again insisted that the order in this...

 Obama NATO Pick Has Wrong Approach to Russia, Some Republicans Warn



mikenova shared this story from Washington Free Beacon. Some Republicans believe that the Obama administrations choice for NATOs next deputy secretary general has not had the right approach to Russia. According to a report in Bloomberg...

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 Telephone Justice: Russian Prankster Says His Phone Calls Changed Verdicts



mikenova shared this story from Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty. Russian prankster Sergei Davydov says he has influenced numerous court decisions by phoning judges in the guise of an influential official and instructing them to rule in...

 Why the OPM Hack Is Far Worse Than You Imagine



mikenova shared this story from Lawfare - Hard National Security Choices. The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) data breach involves the greatest theft of sensitive personnel data in history. But, to date, neither the scope nor scal...

 Russia scolds Britain for saying the Kremlin dreams of Brexit



mikenova shared this story from Reuters: World News. LONDON (Reuters) - Russia scolded Britain on Friday for saying that Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin dreamed of weakening the West with a British exit from the European Union.

 Egypts news agency: Arab League brands Lebanese Hezbollah group a terrorist organization



mikenova shared this story from World. Egypts news agency: Arab League brands Lebanese Hezbollah group a terrorist organization.

 Polands Government Is Accused of Violating Separation of Powers



mikenova shared this story from NYT > World. A European watchdog group on Friday said Polands right-wing government had blunted the functions of the countrys constitutional court.

 IS commander 'limped away' from attack



mikenova shared this story from BBC News - World. A top commander of so-called Islamic State (IS) may have survived a recent US air strike in north-eastern Syria, US defence officials in Baghdad say.

 London Mayor Launches 'Brexit' Campaign With Nod to Canada



mikenova shared this story from WSJ.com: World News. Boris Johnson said Britain should adopt a model similar to Canada to trade with the European Union, in his first major campaign speech in favor of the U.K.s exit from the EU.

 The real loser in Barack Obama's worldview? David Cameron.



mikenova shared this story from World. A new article suggests that Obama's view of his British counterpart is remarkably bleak.

 Germany's Nationalist Party Set for Gains as Three States Vote



mikenova shared this story from Voice of America. A rising nationalist party is expected to ride unease about Chancellor Angela Merkel's migrant policy to perform strongly in three German state elections this weekend, the first significa...

 Taliban Assassinate Pakistani Army Officer



mikenova shared this story from Voice of America. Taliban militants have shot dead a Pakistani military officer in the northwestern city of Peshawar. Officials say Lieutenant Colonel Tariq Ghafoor was returning from a mosque after Friday...

 Tymoshenko: Ukraine a corruption conglomerate



mikenova shared this story from World. Ukraines vehement former prime minister, Yulia Tymoshenko, says the leaders who came to power following 2014s bloody upheavals are stifling the country by tolerating corruption.

 Arab League labels Hezbollah a terrorist organization



mikenova shared this story from Reuters: World News. CAIRO (Reuters) - The Arab League labeled Shi'ite Hezbollah a terrorist organization at its meeting on Friday, Egyptian state news agency MENA said.

 Arkansas Drug Trafficking Enterprise Dismantled



mikenova shared this story from All Stories. Drug trafficking enterprise dismantled, leader gets 20 years after multi-agency investigation.

 US general in Korea nominated as next NATO supreme commander



mikenova shared this story from www.washingtontimes.com stories: Security. BRUSSELS (AP) - NATO's chief decision-making body says it has approved the nomination of the U.S. Army general currently in charge of American forces in Korea to ...

 Food Stamp Beneficiaries Exceed 45 Million for 56 Straight Months



mikenova shared this story from Washington Free Beacon. The number of individuals receiving benefits from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, otherwise known as food stamps, has exceeded 45 million for 56 straight months, acco...

 Nancy Reagan's funeral draws political heavyweights, stars from bygone era



mikenova shared this story from Stars and Stripes News. Political and Hollywood heavyweights from past and present were gathering Friday for the funeral of Nancy Reagan  a reflection of the unique and enduring cultural sway held by the ...

 The FBI Wants Schools to Spy on Their Students' Thoughts | Just ... - Just Security



mikenova shared this story from fbi aclu report - Google News. The FBI Wants Schools to Spy on Their Students' Thoughts | Just ... Just Security Imagine you're a high school principal. An FBI document lands on your desk. It's called Pre...

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mikenova shared this story from golosamerikius's YouTube Videos. From: golosamerikius Duration: 01:04  -   ,      .

 Is Moscow squeezing Moody's out of Russia? - CNBC



mikenova shared this story from Russia - Google News. CNBC Is Moscow squeezing Moody's out of Russia ? CNBC The Kremlin is set to usher in rules next year that will require agencies to create new, Russia -regulated subsidiaries. Under th...

 Reports Suggest Former Putin Aide Involved in Fight Before Mysterious Death



mikenova shared this story from The Moscow Times Top Stories. The mysterious death of Mikhail Lesin, former presidential aide and media tycoon, took a new turn on Thursday when U.S. forensic specialists reported new evidence that he died...

 Russian Banker Accused Of Spying In U.S. Pleads Guilty



mikenova shared this story from Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty. A Russian banker accused in the United States of participating in a spy ring has pleaded guilty to conspiracy.

 FBI 'could force Apple to hand over private key' - The Guardian



mikenova shared this story from fbi - Google News. The Guardian FBI 'could force Apple to hand over private key' The Guardian The department wrote in a footnote to its filing: The FBI cannot itself modify the software on Farook's iPhone...

 U.S. nominates Scaparrotti as top NATO commander



mikenova shared this story from Reuters: World News. WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama nominated U.S. Army General Curtis Scaparrotti on Friday to become NATO's top military commander, the Pentagon said, a key role as NATO bu...

 Chilling Glimpse Into Islamic State War Machine



mikenova shared this story from World News - Breaking international news and headlines | Sky News. Sky News finds booby-trapped bombs, a "rape house" and a makeshift gallows in a Syrian town liberated by Kurdish fighters.

 Two Gunmen Killed In Russia's Daghestan



mikenova shared this story from Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty. Police in Russia's North Caucasus region of Daghestan have killed two gunmen.

 Oil Price Crash Was Not Saudi Arabias Fault



mikenova shared this story from World  TIME. Quite simply, the Saudis want to maintain their market share, but their means to control that are dwindling. The whole internet is jam-packed with analysis portraying Saudi Arabia and OPEC as...

 Obama Turns His Attention to Diapers



mikenova shared this story from Washington Free Beacon. President Obamas latest priority as he winds down his final months in the White House is solving Americas diaper divide using technology. The White House is getting creative t...

 Escalating the War on Looting



mikenova shared this story from NYT > Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS). The international community is focusing on the marketplace to scare off demand for stolen artifacts.

 D.C. Office of Tax and Revenue Takes $7 Million From Taxpayers Bank Accounts



mikenova shared this story from Washington Free Beacon. The D.C. Office of Tax and Revenue withdrew $7 million from 581 taxpayers bank accounts because of a computer error, the Washington Post reported . According to officials, the ta...

 Accused Russian spy pleads guilty to a criminal conspiracy charge



mikenova shared this story from Russia | The Guardian. Evgeny Buryakovs plea comes less than a month before his federal trial for failing to register as an agent and not notifying US authorities A Russian citizen whom US authorities acc...

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mikenova shared this story from SvobodaRadio's YouTube Videos. From: SvobodaRadio Duration: 30:01      ?         .    ...

 The Show Trial Must Go On



mikenova shared this story from The Interpreter. The actors change, but the stage always looks the same. The wood-paneled courtroom. The officious judge robed in black. The stern prosecutor. That creepy cage for the accused and the stone...

 Apple Accuses US Government of 'Smear' Campaign



mikenova shared this story from Voice of America. Apple has accused the U.S. federal government of intending to 'smear' it as the fight over whether it can be forced to help law enforcement access the iPhone owned by San Bernardino gunma...

 Moscow Asks Washington For Information Regarding Lesin Death



mikenova shared this story from Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty. Russia's Prosecutor-General Yury Chaika has made an official request to Washington for information concerning the death of former Russian press minister and presidential ...

 Theyve escaped war and crossed the sea. Now Europe wants to send them back.



mikenova shared this story from Europe. On the Greek island of Lesbos, refugee boats keep rolling in. But the flows could soon be reversed.

 Op-Ed Columnist: Chappatte on Europes Deal With Turkey



mikenova shared this story from NYT > World. European Union leaders and Turkey reached a tentative deal this week to help stem the flow of migrants to the Continent.

 Scaparrotti nominated to replace Breedlove at EUCOM, NATO



mikenova shared this story from Stars and Stripes News. Army Gen. Curtis Scaparrotti was tapped Friday to command U.S. and NATO forces in Europe, where he will face a once tranquil security environment transformed by old Cold War tension...

 Chappatte on Europes Deal With Turkey - The New York Times



mikenova shared this story . Advertisement Continue reading the main story Continue reading the main story Share This Page Email Share Tweet Save more Continue reading the main story Continue reading the main story European Union leaders...

 Low Oil Prices Force Russian Defense Cuts



mikenova shared this story from WSJ.com: World News. Russian defense procurement will drop by about 10% this year as low oil-and-gas prices drain income from the state budget, according to the head of the conglomerate that controls much ...

 IEA Sees Signs Oil Prices Might Have Bottomed Out



mikenova shared this story from WSJ.com: World News. Crude-oil prices may have bottomed out as Irans return to the market has been less dramatic than the country promised, the IEA said.

 Russia, China oppose US missile-defense in South Korea



mikenova shared this story from World. The foreign ministers of China and Russia are opposing the possible deployment of an advanced American missile-defense system in South Korea.

 Cologne: 4th man arrested over New Year crimes



mikenova shared this story from World. Cologne police say a fourth man has been taken into custody after they released a series of photos of people suspected of sexual harassment and assaults in the city on New Years Eve.

 Putin: Russian arms upgrade wont be affected by budget cuts



mikenova shared this story from World. President Vladimir Putin says the Russian militarys arms modernization program wont be affected by budget cuts prompted by the countrys economic problems.

 German Chancellor Angela Merkel Condemns Closure of the Balkan Route to Refugees



mikenova shared this story from World  TIME. German Chancellor Angela Merkel has criticized other European countries for shutting the door to refugees and migrants hoping to reach Europe via the Balkan route, the BBC reports. European U...

 Russian Media Mogul Mikhail Lesin Died From Blunt Force Trauma



mikenova shared this story from World  TIME. A Russian media magnate and former aide to President Vladimir Putin who died in Washington last November was killed by blunt force trauma to the head, a medical examiner has ruled, contradict...

 Obama Blasts David Cameron for U.K.s Role in Libya



mikenova shared this story from World  TIME. President Barack Obama made biting remarks about U.K. Prime Minister David Cameron, blaming him for Libyas descent into chaos after the ouster of long-serving autocrat Muammar Gaddafi ...

 Venezuelan Congress Gives Preliminary Approval to Recall Bill



mikenova shared this story from Voice of America. Venezuela's opposition-controlled Congress has given preliminary approval to a bill that would put the country on the road to a presidential recall referendum. During floor debate Thursda...

 'You won't get rid of me!' Venezuela's Maduro tells foes



mikenova shared this story from Reuters: World News. CARACAS (Reuters) - Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro insisted on Thursday his opponents would fail in a new push to oust him this year and end 17 years of socialist rule in the OPE...

 Syrian army aims for eastward advance with Palmyra attack



mikenova shared this story from Reuters: World News. BEIRUT (Reuters) - The Syrian army backed by Russian air strikes is aiming to capture the historic city of Palmyra from Islamic State to open a road to the eastern province of Deir al-...

 U.S. Said Ready To Blame Iran For Cyberattack On Dam In New York



mikenova shared this story from Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty. U.S. news media are reporting that the Obama administration will publicly blame Iranian hackers for a 2013 cyberattack against a small dam in New York state.

 Russia To Deliver First Antimissile Systems To Iran Later This Year



mikenova shared this story from Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty. Russia says the first delivery of its S-300 missile-defense system to Iran will take place in August or September this year.

 Russian, Iranian Ministers To Discuss Oil-Output Freeze



mikenova shared this story from Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty. Russian Energy Minister Aleksandr Alexander Novak will meet with Iranian Oil Minister oil minister Bijan Zanganeh on March 14 in Tehran to discuss how an oil-output oil o...

 Justin Trudeaus White House Dinner Has the Air of a Family Reunion



mikenova shared this story from NYT > World. The state dinner for Canadas prime minister included celebrity guests born in his country, such as Ryan Reynolds, Sandra Oh, Michael J. Fox and Mike Myers.

 Civility favours Trump as he eyes victory



mikenova shared this story from BBC News - World. Only one winner from the latest US Republican debate

 VIDEO: How the BBC's world news channel evolved



mikenova shared this story from BBC News - World. As BBC World News marks its 25th anniversary, we look back at the way it has evolved.

 Obama trip to Cuba shows move away from focus on dissidents



mikenova shared this story from AP Top News at 10:02 a.m. EST. HAVANA (AP) -- Dozens of uniformed and plainclothes police watch silently every Sunday morning as white-clad dissidents file into Mass at Santa Rita Church in a leafy Havana ...

 Director Meets with New Zealand Law Enforcement Leaders - Federal Bureau of Investigation (press release) (blog)



mikenova shared this story from james b. comey - Google News. Director Meets with New Zealand Law Enforcement Leaders Federal Bureau of Investigation (press release) (blog) FBI Director James B . Comey met this week with our partners in ...

 Ben Carson endorses Donald Trump



mikenova shared this story from DEBKAFile. March 11, 2016, 5:30 PM (IDT) Former presidential hopeful, the neurosurgeon Ben Carson, Friday endorsed Donald Trump for the Republican nomination call him very cerebral and &...

 Nationalist party set for gains as 3 German states vote



mikenova shared this story from www.washingtontimes.com stories: Security. MAGDEBURG, Germany (AP) - A rising nationalist party is expected to ride unease about Chancellor Angela Merkel's migrant policy to perform strongly in three Germa...

 Officership and the English Language



mikenova shared this story from Washington Free Beacon. To speak of the profession of arms is to imply that military officers dont just have jobs, butlike doctors, lawyers, and members of the clergyare members of a community of lear...

 Trump: I Think There Are Two Donald Trumps



mikenova shared this story from Washington Free Beacon. After Dr. Ben Carsons endorsement of him that included saying that there are two Donald Trumps, Trump confirmed that was indeed true during a press conference Friday in Pal...

 AIR TRANSPORTATION: Russia Does Damage Control



mikenova shared this story from StrategyPage.com. None

 The Early Edition: March 11, 2016



mikenova shared this story from Just Security. Nadia O'Mara Before the start of business, Just Security provides a curated summary of up-to-the-minute developments at home and abroad. Heres todays news. SURVEILLANCE, PRIVACY and TECH...

 Why Black Lives Matter activists are siding with Apple in its fight with the FBI - Washington Post



mikenova shared this story from james b. comey - Google News. Washington Post Why Black Lives Matter activists are siding with Apple in its fight with the FBI Washington Post Current FBI Director James B . Comey even keeps a copy of the ...

 UCSC Students Arrested for Drug Trafficking Charges | City on a Hill ...



mikenova shared this story from international drug trafficking organizations - Google Blog Search. Six UC Santa Cruz students were arrested on March 4 for drug trafficking charges, including conspiracy and possession of a controlled subs...

 A huge leaked list of Islamic State fighters sounds too good to be true. Is it?



mikenova shared this story from In Homeland Security. A huge list of Islamic State fighters, leaked from inside the organization's own internal security division, represents representing a treasure trove of detailed information.

 U.S. Attorney General defends FBI case against Apple on Stephen Colbert's show - TechCrunch



mikenova shared this story from fbi - Google News. TechCrunch U.S. Attorney General defends FBI case against Apple on Stephen Colbert's show TechCrunch As the iPhone unlocking case becomes more heated, United States Attorney General Lore...

 Apple irony: Can you trust the FBI if conspiracy claims Hoover ordered the assassination of Kennedy? - BGR



mikenova shared this story from fbi - Google News. BGR Apple irony: Can you trust the FBI if conspiracy claims Hoover ordered the assassination of Kennedy? BGR The Department of Justice on Thursday sent a strongly worded message to Apple...

 When FBI employees behave badly, the bureau lets their co-workers know - Washington Post



mikenova shared this story from fbi - Google News. Washington Post When FBI employees behave badly, the bureau lets their co-workers know Washington Post In a recent two-year stretch, 126 FBI agents or employees were disciplined for offe...

 Obama Pushes Back at Critics of His Foreign Policy, Diplomacy Moves



mikenova shared this story from Defense News - Home. In a series of interviews with The Atlantic magazine released this week, US President Barack Obama says his reluctance to use military power shouldnt be seen as weakness. ...

 'Shadow CIA' Using 'Boogeyman Scare Tactics' to Make Money - Sputnik International



mikenova shared this story from cia - Google News. Sputnik International 'Shadow CIA ' Using 'Boogeyman Scare Tactics' to Make Money Sputnik International Stratfor's founder George Friedman has recently claimed that the world should get ...

 FBI wants to change iPhone's iOS: Fmr CIA chief - CNBC



mikenova shared this story from cia - Google News. CNBC FBI wants to change iPhone's iOS: Fmr CIA chief CNBC The FBI's attempts to force Apple to unlock an iPhone used by one of the San Bernardino terrorists is not just about accessing i...

 North Korea Lacks Skills to Miniaturize Nukes for Warheads - Ex-CIA ...



mikenova shared this story from cia - Google Blog Search. Former CIA analyst and whistleblower John Kiriakou claims that North Korea still lacks the capability to miniaturize any of its nuclear weapons and mount them on intercontinental ...

 Putin aide who died mysteriously in Washington suffered blow to head



mikenova shared this story from Russian news, all the latest and breaking Russia news. Russia complains of being kept in the dark after medical examiner finds Mikhail Lesin's death in a Washington hotel was due to blunt force injuries to...

 How Russia Saw the 'Red Line' Crisis - The Atlantic



mikenova shared this story from Russia - Google News. The Atlantic How Russia Saw the 'Red Line' Crisis The Atlantic That is, Russia sees itself as a power on par with America, and simply doesn't group itself with a minor regional power ...

 Pro-Democracy Nonprofit Is Banned in Russia



mikenova shared this story from NYT > Europe. The prosecutor generals office outlawed the National Democratic Institute, saying it posed a threat to the foundations of Russias constitutional order and national security.

 Zika outbreak: The more we learn, the worse things seem to get



mikenova shared this story . The inside track on Washington politics. Be the first to know about new stories from PowerPost. Sign up to follow, and well e-mail you free updates as theyre published. Youll receive free...

 Iran Missile Launches Prompt Sanctions Push in US Congress - Voice of America



mikenova shared this story from World - Google News. Voice of America Iran Missile Launches Prompt Sanctions Push in US Congress Voice of America March 10, 2016 2:41 PM. CAPITOL HILL. The chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committ...

 US to blame Iran for cyber attack on small NY dam -CNN - Reuters Africa



mikenova shared this story from World - Google News. US to blame Iran for cyber attack on small NY dam -CNN Reuters Africa WASHINGTON, March 10 (Reuters) - The Obama administration is planning to publicly blame Iranian hackers for a 2013...

 DOJ expected to charge 5 Iranians in 2013 hacking of New York dam - Fox News



mikenova shared this story from Top Stories - Google News. Fox News DOJ expected to charge 5 Iranians in 2013 hacking of New York dam Fox News The Department of Justice is expected to announce charges against up to five Iranians believed...

 In Germany, a rising voice on the right



mikenova shared this story from World. Elections Sunday could be a referendum on Angela Merkels open-door policy for asylum seekers.

 Small plane crashes in New York  video



mikenova shared this story from World news + Video | The Guardian. A small aeroplane plummets to earth after its engine cut out mid-flight on 5 March over Hauppauge, New York. The aircraft and its passengers were saved only by the emerge...

 Islamic State leaks reveals banned cleric Omar Bakri recruited British jihadists



mikenova shared this story from World news. Omar Bakri Mohammad, Omar Bakri Mohammed, exiled from the UK since 2005, has been named as a sponsor by British jihadists attempting to join enter Isil

 Islamic State files leak: The 'good British Christian' who turned to jihad



mikenova shared this story from World news. The full story of Fasil Towalde's short life can be told for the first time after his Isil recruitment forms and those of thousands of other fighters were leaked

 Islamic State files leak: Who is banned cleric Omar Bakri who recruited British jihadists?



mikenova shared this story from World news. Tolerated by the British authorities until July 7 attacks, the "Tottenham Ayatollah" and his message has grown increasingly sinister. Now he is linked to recruiting for Isil

 Captured IS Operative Provided US With Chemical Weapons Information



mikenova shared this story from Voice of America. U.S. defense officials say a key Islamic State operative captured by American forces last month has been transferred to Iraqi custody, after providing the U.S.-led coalition with valuable...

 Recovered Isis documents may not damage group: security expert explains  video



mikenova shared this story from World news + Video | The Guardian. Raffaello Pantucco, the director of the International Security Studies programme at the Roy United Services Institute (RUSI) discusses the significance of the leaked ISIS...

 Family 'Massacred' in Backyard Shooting Near Pittsburgh, Mother Says - ABC News



mikenova shared this story from Top Stories - Google News. New York Post Family 'Massacred' in Backyard Shooting Near Pittsburgh, Mother Says ABC News A grieving Pennsylvania mother is speaking out about the murders of her three children...

 Justice Department: Locked iPhone May Have Evidence of San Bernardino Attack - NBC4 Washington



mikenova shared this story from Top Stories - Google News. NBC4 Washington Justice Department: Locked iPhone May Have Evidence of San Bernardino Attack NBC4 Washington FBI Director James Comey testifies on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tue...

 Brazil prosecutors seek Lula's arrest for money laundering



mikenova shared this story from Reuters: World News. SAO PAULO (Reuters) - State prosecutors in Brazil are seeking the arrest of former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on charges of money laundering and identity fraud for concealing ...

 Former Putin Aide, Found in Washington, Died From Blows to Head



mikenova shared this story from NYT > World. The medical examiners report, which found that Mikhail Y. Lesin had died of blunt force injuries, conflicted with Russian news reports that Mr. Lesin had died of a heart attack.

 Netanyahu's Office Ties Canceled Obama Meeting to Unresolved U.S.-Israel Aid



mikenova shared this story from WSJ.com: World News. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus office said Thursday that he canceled a trip to meet with U.S. President Barack Obama in Washington later this month partly because of unres...

 Brazil prosecutors 'seek Lula arrest'



mikenova shared this story from BBC News - World. Brazilian prosecutors are reported to be calling for the arrest of ex-President Lula da Silva over a corruption investigation.

 Ex-Putin Aide Died in D.C. Hotel After Blunt Force Injuries - Daily Beast



mikenova shared this story from World - Google News. Daily Beast Ex-Putin Aide Died in D.C. Hotel After Blunt Force Injuries Daily Beast One of the founders of Kremlin-backed RT, Mikhail Lesin's cause of death had been a mystery for mont...

 California lawmakers vote to raise smoking, vaping age to 21 - Washington Post



mikenova shared this story from Top Stories - Google News. Washington Post California lawmakers vote to raise smoking, vaping age to 21 Washington Post SACRAMENTO, Calif.  California lawmakers voted Thursday to raise the legal age for p...

 Key powers mulling possibility of federal division of Syria



mikenova shared this story from Reuters: World News. UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - Major powers close to U.N.-brokered peace talks on Syria are discussing the possibility of a federal division of the war-torn country that would maintain its...

 Electricity cut off for Puerto Rico hospital that owes $4M



mikenova shared this story from World. Puerto Ricos power company has cut off electricity to a hospital over nearly $4 million in unpaid bills, part of a stepped-up effort by the heavily indebted agency to collect money amid the island...

 Former Russian press minister died in U.S. of blunt force injuries



mikenova shared this story from Reuters: World News. WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Former Russian Press Minister Mikhail Lesin, who was found dead in a Washington hotel room last year, died of blunt force injuries to the head, authorities said ...

 Former Putin Aide Died of Blunt Force in Washington



mikenova shared this story from WSJ.com: World News. A former top adviser to Russian President Vladimir Putin died of blunt force injuries of the head in a Washington D.C. hotel four months ago, according to the office of the Chief Med...

 Ex-aide to Putin died of blunt force trauma at D.C. hotel, medical examiner says



mikenova shared this story from World. Police are still investigating the circumstances of Mikhail Lesins death in November.

 CDC Chief: Puerto Rico Facing 'Hundreds of Thousands' of Zika Cases



mikenova shared this story from Voice of America. The top U.S. disease prevention official said Thursday that there could be "hundreds of thousands" of Zika cases in the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico in the coming months if precautions a...

 FBI infiltrated Russian spy ring with hidden recorders, prosecutors say - The Guardian



mikenova shared this story from fbi - Google News. The Guardian FBI infiltrated Russian spy ring with hidden recorders, prosecutors say The Guardian The FBI eavesdropped on meetings involving Russian intelligence personnel in New York Ci...

 Savage echoes Enquirer: Scalia killed by CIA prostitute - TRUNEWS



mikenova shared this story from cia - Google News. TRUNEWS Savage echoes Enquirer: Scalia killed by CIA prostitute TRUNEWS (TRUNEWS) Michael Savage, the talk radio host of The Savage Nation said Monday that there may be validity behind T...

 FBI Says Threat From 'Ransomware' Is Expected to Grow - Wall Street Journal



mikenova shared this story from fbi - Google News. FBI Says Threat From 'Ransomware' Is Expected to Grow Wall Street Journal Chris Stangl, a section chief at the FBI's Cyber Division, described the increasing urgency and scope of the cha...
Venezuela's opposition hold a day of nationwide protests at the start of a campaign to force President Nicolas Maduro from office.

HATTIESBURG, Miss.  As the Leaf River rose north of Hattiesburg, Miss., 26-year-old Rebecca Bruce and her fiance grabbed what they could and left their small home. The water was more than two feet deep indoors when they left, she said. We lost ...

Behind the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, is another competitive sport: the olympics of marketing. Come August, international corporate sponsors will have just 17 days to make their pitches, when billions of viewers tune in. But with great power comes great responsibility to ensure financial success. VOA's Ramon Taylor reports.

The Obama administration is planning to publicly blame Iranian hackers for a 2013 cyber attack against a small dam in New York state, three sources familiar with the matter told Reuters. The Justice Department has prepared an indictment against the ...

US to Blame Iran for Cyber Attack on Small NY Dam

LONDON (Reuters) - U.S. President Barack Obama will come to London in April and urge British voters to back continued membership of the European Union, The Independent on Sunday newspaper reported.

What Does Trump Mean for the G.O.P.? | Election 2016 | The New York Times http://www.youtube.com/user/TheNewYor ...

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Republican voters we interviewed over the past six months expressed elation, frustration, happiness and fear over the impact one man, Donald J. Trump, is having on a political party facing upheaval in 2016.

Five years on, calls for peaceful change have been eclipsed by war, death and persecution both by the government and extremists.

BAGHDAD  The Islamic State launched two chemical attacks this week near the northern Iraqi city of Kirkuk, killing a toddler, wounding some 600 people and causing hundreds more to flee, Iraqi officia...

Greece is struggling to move thousands of migrants trapped near the border with Macedonia, as an outbreak of Hepatitis A threatened a large-scale health crisis.

The New York Times is reporting that Islamic State radicals are using contraception to ensure enslaved women do not become pregnant and can be passed among its fighters as sex slaves.

TUNIS (Reuters) - Libya's U.N.-backed Presidential Council called on Saturday on the country's institutions to begin a transfer of authority to a unity government, and appealed to the international community to stop dealing with any rival powers.

Authorities stop motorists on U.S. 285 between Roswell and Artesia, N.M., as part of the hunt for the two missing inmates Thursday, March 10, 2016. Authorities were searching Thursday for two violent convicts who escaped from a prisoner transport van ...

Opponents accuse front-runner of stoking tensions with an uncompromising message that exploits racial tensions ahead of crucial votes on Tuesday

Several Britons have been connected to IS training camps in Syria - including two young, married fathers from Manchester.

NEW YORK (AP) -- A tugboat crashed into a barge on the Hudson River north of New York City early Saturday, killing one crew member and leaving two missing....

The Islamic State group has launched two chemical attacks near the northern Iraqi city of Kirkuk, killing a three-year-old girl, wounding 600 people and causing hundreds more to flee, Iraqi officials said Saturday. Security and hospital officials say the latest attack took place early Saturday in the small town of Taza, which was also struck by a barrage of rockets carrying chemicals three days earlier. Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi vowed to retaliate against the...

VANDALIA, Ohio (AP) -- Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump was briefly surrounded by U.S. Secret Service agents on stage at a campaign rally in Ohio on Saturday, after someone tried to rush the stage as he delivered a speech in which he blasted protesters for forcing him to cancel an event the previous evening in Chicago....

The cease-fire has brought new protests. Demonstrators shouted slogans against the government on Friday in the rebel-controlled Sukkari neighborhood of Aleppo, Syria. Karam Al-Masri/Agence France-Presse  Getty Images. BEIRUT, Lebanon  The ...

Signs of Hope Five Years After Start of Syria's War

Secret service agents leap to the rescue as campaign comes under intense scrutiny over angry rhetoric and violence

A South Sudanese boy fishing in the swamps of an island where his family took refuge when their village was attacked.

For decades, the kingdom used oil prices to wage economic war on its enemies. Now its the big casualty.

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday called for world powers to take "immediate punitive steps" against Iran, following its ballistic missile tests last week.

Security guards swarm around the billionaire as he addresses supporters in Ohio, but his critics say he only has himself to blame.

President Barack Obama warns White House contenders to avoid fanning tensions, a day after a Donald Trump rally was called off amid clashes.

Sen. Ted Cruz said he will support Donald Trump if is he the Republican nominee for president, despite stating that the businessman's campaign "affirmatively encourages violence" and "disrespects voters."

 Corporate Sponsors Aim for Gold in 2016 Olympic Games



mikenova shared this story from Voice of America. Behind the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, is another competitive sport: the olympics of marketing. Come August, international corporate sponsors will have just 17 days to...

 Torrential rains lead to unusually strong flooding in Louisiana and Mississippi - Washington Post



mikenova shared this story from Top Stories - Google News. Washington Post Torrential rains lead to unusually strong flooding in Louisiana and Mississippi Washington Post HATTIESBURG, Miss.  As the Leaf River rose north of Hattiesburg, ...

 Venezuela opposition launches protests



mikenova shared this story from BBC News - World. Venezuela's opposition hold a day of nationwide protests at the start of a campaign to force President Nicolas Maduro from office.

 The Latest: 2nd escaped New Mexico inmate in custody - Lexington Herald Leader



mikenova shared this story from Top Stories - Google News. CBS News The Latest: 2nd escaped New Mexico inmate in custody Lexington Herald Leader Authorities stop motorists on U.S. 285 between Roswell and Artesia, N.M., as part of the hun...

 Libya's Presidential Council calls for transfer of power to unity government



mikenova shared this story from Reuters: World News. TUNIS (Reuters) - Libya's U.N.-backed Presidential Council called on Saturday on the country's institutions to begin a transfer of authority to a unity government, and appealed to the ...

 Report: Islamic State Forcing Enslaved Women To Use Birth Control



mikenova shared this story from Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty. The New York Times is reporting that Islamic State radicals are using contraception to ensure enslaved women do not become pregnant and can be passed among its fighters a...

 Greece Struggling To Move Thousands Of Migrants From Muddy Tent City



mikenova shared this story from Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty. Greece is struggling to move thousands of migrants trapped near the border with Macedonia, as an outbreak of Hepatitis A threatened a large-scale health crisis.

 ISIS is accused of chemical attack in Iraq that wounds hundreds, kills child



mikenova shared this story from World. BAGHDAD  The Islamic State launched two chemical attacks this week near the northern Iraqi city of Kirkuk, killing a toddler, wounding some 600 people and causing hundreds more to flee, Iraqi offic...

 How the Syrian revolt went so horribly, tragically wrong



mikenova shared this story from World. Five years on, calls for peaceful change have been eclipsed by war, death and persecution both by the government and extremists.

 Signs of Hope Five Years After Start of Syria's War - New York Times



mikenova shared this story from Top Stories - Google News. The Nation Signs of Hope Five Years After Start of Syria's War New York Times The cease-fire has brought new protests. Demonstrators shouted slogans against the government on Fri...

 Secret Service briefly surrounds Trump at Dayton rally



mikenova shared this story from AP Top News at 3:14 p.m. EST. VANDALIA, Ohio (AP) -- Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump was briefly surrounded by U.S. Secret Service agents on stage at a campaign rally in Ohio on Saturday,...

 Iraqi Officials: IS Launched Chemical Attacks Kill Child, Wound 600



mikenova shared this story from Voice of America. The Islamic State group has launched two chemical attacks near the northern Iraqi city of Kirkuk, killing a three-year-old girl, wounding 600 people and causing hundreds more to flee, Ira...

 1 dead, 2 missing after tugboat crash on Hudson River



mikenova shared this story from AP Top News at 3:14 p.m. EST. NEW YORK (AP) -- A tugboat crashed into a barge on the Hudson River north of New York City early Saturday, killing one crew member and leaving two missing....

 Secret Islamic State Files: 64 With Links To UK



mikenova shared this story from World News - Breaking international news and headlines | Sky News. Several Britons have been connected to IS training camps in Syria - including two young, married fathers from Manchester.

 Chicago violence overshadows Republican race as rivals vie to stop Donald Trump



mikenova shared this story from World news. Opponents accuse front-runner of stoking tensions with an uncompromising message that exploits racial tensions ahead of crucial votes on Tuesday

 Obama warns against US campaign anger



mikenova shared this story from BBC News - World. President Barack Obama warns White House contenders to avoid fanning tensions, a day after a Donald Trump rally was called off amid clashes.

 Trump Shaken As Protester Tries To Storm Stage



mikenova shared this story from World News - Breaking international news and headlines | Sky News. Security guards swarm around the billionaire as he addresses supporters in Ohio, but his critics say he only has himself to blame.

 Israel calls on powers to punish Iran for its missile tests



mikenova shared this story from Reuters: World News. JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday called for world powers to take "immediate punitive steps" against Iran, following its ballistic missile tes...

 Opinion: How Saudi Arabia Turned Its Greatest Weapon on Itself



mikenova shared this story from NYT > World. For decades, the kingdom used oil prices to wage economic war on its enemies. Now its the big casualty.

 Op-Ed Columnist: Where the Soldiers Are Scarier Than the Crocodiles



mikenova shared this story from NYT > World. A South Sudanese boy fishing in the swamps of an island where his family took refuge when their village was attacked.

 Protester tries to storm stage at Donald Trump rally



mikenova shared this story from World news. Secret service agents leap to the rescue as campaign comes under intense scrutiny over angry rhetoric and violence

 Cruz says he would support Trump as GOP nominee



mikenova shared this story from Stars and Stripes News. Sen. Ted Cruz said he will support Donald Trump if is he the Republican nominee for president, despite stating that the businessman's campaign "affirmatively encourages violence" an...

 Syrian Firms Take Refuge Abroad---and Create Jobs



mikenova shared this story from WSJ.com: World News. Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey see some economic rewards from being on the receiving end of Syrias capital flight and brain drain.

 Protests Grow Against Brazilian President



mikenova shared this story from WSJ.com: World News. Following spontaneous outbursts over the faltering economy and alleged corruption, groups are planning marches nationwide on Sunday against the government.

 Italian police: 6 dead in avalanche in Italian Alps



mikenova shared this story from World. Authorities say six backcountry skiers have died in an avalanche on Monte Nevoso in the Italian Alps.

 ISIS Chemical Attacks Wound 600, Iraqi Officials Say



mikenova shared this story from World  TIME. (BAGHDAD)  Iraqi officials say the Islamic State group has launched two chemical attacks, killing a three-year-old girl and wounding some 600 people near the northern city of Kirkuk. S...

 Donald Trump rally cancellation triggers protests and chaos - video



mikenova shared this story from World news + Video | The Guardian. Demonstrators and supporters of Donald Trump clash in the streets of Chicago after the Republican presidential candidate cancelled a rally on Friday citing safety concern...

 Donald Trump cancels Chicago rally amid protests - live



mikenova shared this story from World news. Republican candidate makes decision due to security reasons after meeting with police

 Turkey Is 'Sliding Backwards,' Says Top Turkish Novelist - Huffington Post



mikenova shared this story from World - Google News. Huffington Post Turkey Is 'Sliding Backwards,' Says Top Turkish Novelist Huffington Post "We have become a society of anger, paranoia [and] intimidation. And artists, writers, academic...

 Dead ex-Russian press minister may have been attacked outside hotel: source



mikenova shared this story from Reuters: World News. WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Police are investigating whether former Russian Press Minister Mikhail Lesin, who was found dead in a Washington hotel in November, was brutally assaulted before...

 Man dead after tugboat, barge collide on Hudson River



mikenova shared this story from AP Top News at 12:58 p.m. EST. NEW YORK (AP) -- One person is dead and two more are missing after authorities say a tugboat overturned and sunk on New York's Hudson River following a collision wit...

 North Korea warns of pre-emptive strikes against the South



mikenova shared this story from Stars and Stripes. North Korea said Saturday its military is ready to pre-emptively attack and "liberate" the South in its latest outburst against the annual joint military drills by the United States and ...

 Influx of Puerto Ricans could be game changer in Florida, countrys biggest swing state



mikenova shared this story from Stars and Stripes. The surging Puerto Rican electorate, a swing demographic in the nations quintessential swing state, supported Barack Obama for president but backed Charlie Crist for governor when he wa...

 To Maintain Supply of Sex Slaves, ISIS Pushes Birth Control



mikenova shared this story from NYT > Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS). Modern methods allow the Islamic State to keep up its systematic rape of captives under medieval codes.

 Here's What Obama Said at SXSW About Apple vs. FBI - Fortune



mikenova shared this story from fbi - Google News. Fortune Here's What Obama Said at SXSW About Apple vs. FBI Fortune So the question now becomes, we as a society, setting aside the specific case between the FBI and Apple, setting aside...

 Source: Members Of Congress Dismayed By FBI Director's Lack Of Tech Knowledge - Fast Company



mikenova shared this story from fbi - Google News. Source: Members Of Congress Dismayed By FBI Director's Lack Of Tech Knowledge Fast Company Members of the House Judiciary Committee were disappointed with the low level of technical know...

 Snowden says FBI doesn't really need Apple to unlock iPhone - MarketWatch



mikenova shared this story from fbi - Google News. MarketWatch Snowden says FBI doesn't really need Apple to unlock iPhone MarketWatch He said the FBI is attempting to compel Apple to help unlock the iPhone out of convenience, not necess...

 France shuts down Hamas Al Aqsa TV for incitement



mikenova shared this story from DEBKAFile. March 12, 2016, 3:36 PM (IDT) Paris acted in response to a request from Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu to shut down the Hamas Al Aqsa TV station for anti-Israel and anti-Jewish incitement by ...

 The Gathering Storm Of The Chinese Military - Investor's Business Daily



mikenova shared this story from Cyber Warfare - Google News. Investor's Business Daily The Gathering Storm Of The Chinese Military Investor's Business Daily We don't have to guess at the intentions of the country that for more than four ...

 Another Point in Apple's Court; Ex CIA Director Against FBI - Tech News Today



mikenova shared this story from cia - Google News. Tech News Today Another Point in Apple's Court; Ex CIA Director Against FBI Tech News Today During the interview, he added that he spent a lot of time with the FBI as CIA director, and h...

 Russia to probe possible meldonium 'provocations' against its athletes - Reuters



mikenova shared this story from Russia - Google News. Reuters Russia to probe possible meldonium 'provocations' against its athletes Reuters Russian Deputy Prime Minister Arkady Dvorkovich told Russia's R-Sport agency that law enforcers ...

 Russia & China closing in: US fears losing air dominance to 'more ... - RT



mikenova shared this story from Russia - Google News. RT Russia & China closing in: US fears losing air dominance to 'more ... capable adversaries' RT Top US Air Force personnel have told the Senate they need more funds to modernize ...

 US, Russia to meet on Syria truce violations ahead of talks - Daily Mail



mikenova shared this story from Russia - Google News. Daily Mail US, Russia to meet on Syria truce violations ahead of talks Daily Mail Asked at the end of a visit to Saudi Arabia whether indirect dialogue in Geneva between the Syrian re...

 Far-right activists 'impersonated police to attack refugees for money and mobile phones' in Calais



mikenova shared this story from The Independent - Europe. The group (not pictured) allegedly formed a chain to intercept asylum seekers trying to board lorries to the UK

       



mikenova shared this story from RSS.      -                 .

 All Unquiet On The Tajik-Afghan Frontier



mikenova shared this story from Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty. A murky security operation on Tajikistan's border with Afghanistan has brought attention briefly back to an area that for nearly 25 years has rarely seen an entire week p...

 Two French girls charged over 'concert hall terror plot'



mikenova shared this story from The Independent - Europe. Teenage girls handed preliminary terrorism charges over plot to attack concert hall in Paris

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mikenova shared this story from     Google.                   .           ...

 Despite His Claims, Obama Was Not A Realist On Russia, Syria, And Libya



mikenova shared this story from The Interpreter. President Obama, in the twilight of his career, did what every US President is expected to do, give a legacy defending interview . He defended his primary foreign policy ideas including th...

 Russias Post-Crimea Enthusiasm Wearing Off



mikenova shared this story from Institute of Modern Russia. Russias Post-Crimea Enthusiasm Wearing Off This post has been generated by Page2RSS

 Opinion: Stalinist Nostalgia in Vladimir Putins Russia



mikenova shared this story from NYT > Europe. The gulag is a distant memory. In todays Russia, people pine for an era of order and superpower status.

 Stalin, Russia's New Hero - New York Times



mikenova shared this story from Russia - Google News. New York Times Stalin, Russia's New Hero New York Times And yet views like Zhenya's are becoming more common in Russia . Polls show a gradual improvement in perceptions of Stalin, who...

 Afghan Air Force Not Ready Until 2020, Top US General Says



mikenova shared this story from Voice of America. The Afghan air force will not reach necessary strength levels until 2020, according to a top U.S. general. General John Campbell, who ended his command of U.S. and NATO troops in Afghanis...

 As UN Prepares to Resume Syrian Talks, US Condemns Cease-Fire Violations



mikenova shared this story from Voice of America. The United States on Friday condemned the Syrian government for hampering deliveries of humanitarian aid and for launching airstrikes that have reportedly hit civilians. The strongly word...

 Israeli Security Agents Shut Down Palestinian Media Operation



mikenova shared this story from Voice of America. Israeli police shut down a Palestinian media outlet in Ramallah on Friday, accusing it of using television and the Internet to incite violence. The Shin Bet security agency said the stati...

 Drone Technology Opens Up New Options for Photographers



mikenova shared this story from Voice of America. An interest in remote-controlled helicopters and a lot of practice helped Skye De Moya and Ross Shafer get their business off the ground in 2013. Based in Baltimore, Maryland, their compa...

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         - Lenta.ru



mikenova shared this story from     Google. Lenta.ru         Lenta.ru       ,      ...

 Russia, China oppose US missile-defense in South Korea - KMOV.com



mikenova shared this story from Russia - Google News. KMOV.com Russia , China oppose US missile-defense in South Korea KMOV.com Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told a news conference Friday after meeting with Russian counterpart Sergey ...

 As Ankara Eyes Tougher Visa Rules, Neighbors Fret



mikenova shared this story from Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty. The EU's drive to get Turkey to toughen its visa regulations to help resolve the migrant crisis is giving regional businessmen reason to worry.

 Poland Still Refuses To Honor Constitutional Court Ruling



mikenova shared this story from Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty. Poland's government says it is still refusing to publish a ruling by the Constitutional Tribunal, which struck down key legislation that has blocked the work of the court.

 Two Ukrainian Soldiers Killed In Eastern Ukraine



mikenova shared this story from Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty. The Ukrainian military says two of its soldiers were killed in clashes between government forces and pro-Russia separatists in southeast Ukraine over the past 24 hours.

 Turkish President Erdogan threatens court's 'existence' after it releases two journalists



mikenova shared this story from The Independent - Europe. The court's ruling was 'against the country', he said

 Turkish Air Strikes Kills 67 Kurdish Militants in Iraq



mikenova shared this story from Voice of America. Turkey's air force has carried out air strikes against Kurdish rebel targets in northern Iraq, killing at least 67 militants, the military said Saturday. The March 9 raids were carried ou...

 Italy avalanche: Six dead and others injured in mountain slides in Alps



mikenova shared this story from The Independent - Europe. Rescue teams are currently searching for others trapped in the snow

 Today's Headlines and Commentary



mikenova shared this story from Lawfare - Hard National Security Choices. Yesterday, news broke that an Islamic State defector has been disclosing inside information about the terrorist groups inner bureaucracy. The New York Times share...

 Paris attackers 'named in IS files'



mikenova shared this story from BBC News - World. The names of three men who carried out the Paris attacks in November appear in files leaked from the Islamic State militant group, according to German media.

 EU refugee deal hits setback as Cyprus objects to Turkey bid



mikenova shared this story from The Independent - Europe. Under the planned deal, Turkey would take back Syrian refugees who land in Greece in exchange for 6bn in aid

 United States accuses Apple of 'false,' 'corrosive' rhetoric in Federal Bureau of Investigation dispute - Examiner Gazette



mikenova shared this story from james b. comey - Google News. Examiner Gazette United States accuses Apple of 'false,' 'corrosive' rhetoric in Federal Bureau of Investigation dispute Examiner Gazette In its filing, the federal government...

 Ex-CIA Director: Does Donald Trump understand the role of ... - Fox News



mikenova shared this story from cia - Google News. Fox News Ex-CIA Director: Does Donald Trump understand the role of ... Fox News Recently I had a chance to comment on some policy proposals put forward by Donald Trump. I really didn't t...

 US ambassador calls Iran missile tests provocative



mikenova shared this story from www.washingtontimes.com stories: Security. UNITED NATIONS (AP) - The U.S. ambassador to the United Nations says Iran's recent ballistic missile launches are "provocative and destabilizing." Samantha Power,...

 Obama weighs in on Apple v. FBI: You can't take an absolutist view - Ars Technica



mikenova shared this story from fbi - Google News. Daily Beast Obama weighs in on Apple v. FBI : You can't take an absolutist view Ars Technica AUSTIN, TexasIn his keynote address at the 2016 South By Southwest conference, President B...

 Syrians see few prospects for peace from Geneva talks



mikenova shared this story from Reuters: World News. IDLIB, Syria/DAMASCUS (Reuters) - As peace talks are set to get under way in Geneva next week, residents in Syria from nurses to street vendors voice little optimism over the United Na...

 Brazilian president refuses to resign



mikenova shared this story from BBC News - World. The Brazilian President, Dilma Rousseff, insists she will not resign over her alleged mishandling of the economy after moves to impeach her.

 EU Agrees to Framework With Cuba on Closer Ties - Wall Street Journal



mikenova shared this story from World - Google News. Wall Street Journal EU Agrees to Framework With Cuba on Closer Ties Wall Street Journal BRUSSELSThe European Union reached agreement with Cuba on Friday on a new framework allowing cl...

 FDA says GMO mosquito likely OK to fight Zika in Florida - CNN



mikenova shared this story from Top Stories - Google News. CNN FDA says GMO mosquito likely OK to fight Zika in Florida CNN (CNN) The U.S. came one step closer today to getting its first genetically modified mosquito to fight the Zika vi...

 US: No significant impact from field test of genetically modified mosquitoes - West Hawaii Today



mikenova shared this story from Top Stories - Google News. West Hawaii Today US: No significant impact from field test of genetically modified mosquitoes West Hawaii Today MIAMI (AP)  A field trial releasing genetically modified mosquit...

 Cuba and Europe sign deal normalizing relations



mikenova shared this story from World. Cuba and the European Union have signed a deal normalizing their relations after years of tensions spawned by disagreement over human rights on the island.

 Why the U.S.-U.K. Relationship Is Less Special than Ever



mikenova shared this story from World  TIME. Almost 70 years to the day since Winston Churchill immortalized the term in his historic  Sinews of Peace  address, the special relationship between the U.K. and U...

 Non-aligned countries reject US sanctions on Venezuela



mikenova shared this story from World. Venezuelas U.N. ambassador has read out a statement from a group of 120 developing countries rejecting President Barack Obamas decision to renew sanctions on several of his countrys top officials.

 Russia seeks details on aide's US death



mikenova shared this story from BBC News - World. Russian officials criticise a lack of communication by the US authorities over the death of Mikhail Lesin, a former aide to President Putin.

 Kerry arrives in Saudi for talks on Syria, Yemen wars



mikenova shared this story from www.washingtontimes.com stories: Security. HAFR AL-BATIN, Saudi Arabia (AP) - U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry landed Friday at a sprawling military facility in northeastern Saudi Arabia where the kingdo...

 Iran to Be Blamed for Cyberattack on New York Dam, U.S. Official Says



mikenova shared this story from Washington Free Beacon. A criminal probe by the Justice Department has concluded that Iran was behind a cyberattack on a dam outside of New York City in 2013. According to the Associated Press , a U.S. of...

 Pentagon Wont Hold Captured ISIS Fighters Beyond 30 Days



mikenova shared this story from Washington Free Beacon. The Pentagon said Friday that it will not hold captured ISIS operatives beyond 30 days, after which they will be turned over to the Iraqi government. Fourteen to 30 days is a ballp...

 Poland turns from model of democracy into European problem



mikenova shared this story from Stars and Stripes. For years, Poland was considered a model of democratic transformation, with Lech Walesa's peaceful revolution heralding a new era based on the rule of law.

 Purported banker in New York admits he was actually a Russian spy



mikenova shared this story from Stars and Stripes. A man posing as a banker in the United States admitted Friday he was actually a Russian spy helping run a conspiracy that could have been ripped from the headlines of the Cold War era, p...

 Moscows Desire to Micro-Manage the North Caucasus Causing Multiple Inefficiencies



mikenova shared this story from North Caucasus Analysis - The Jamestown Foundation. On February 19, the governor of North OssetiaAlania, Tamerlan Aguzarov, suddenly died at a Moscow hospital from complications of pneumonia. The 52-year-...

 Chechens Fighting in Syria Increasingly Joining Forces With Islamic State



mikenova shared this story from North Caucasus Analysis - The Jamestown Foundation. Chechen militants in Syria have been going through organizational changes since last summer. The position of the Chechen militants in the Middle East was...

 Kadyrov at Loggerheads With Chechen Diaspora in Europe



mikenova shared this story from North Caucasus Analysis - The Jamestown Foundation. Ramzan Kadyrov has repeatedly voiced discontent with the actions of Chechens who reside in Europe. During the first years of his rule in Chechnya, he man...

 Chechnyas Planned New Oil Refinery Marks a Victory Over Rosneft



mikenova shared this story from North Caucasus Analysis - The Jamestown Foundation. Many analysts say the two wars in Chechnya in the 1990s were caused by the republics oil. These analysts, however, have tended to overlook the fact that...

 FBI channels Kafka with new rules on slurping Americans' private ... - The Register



mikenova shared this story from fbi - Google News. The Register FBI channels Kafka with new rules on slurping Americans' private ... The Register Comment The murky world of surveillance turned a little more Kafkaesque this week. The FBI ...

 Minister of Defense of Georgia Continues to Knock at NATOs Door



mikenova shared this story from Eurasia Daily Monitor - The Jamestown Foundation. Georgias newly appointed Foreign Minister Mikheil Janelidze recently visited the headquarters of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), where he h...

 Berlin, Paris Side With Moscow Against Kyiv In Normandy Groups Meeting



mikenova shared this story from Eurasia Daily Monitor - The Jamestown Foundation. As anticipated (see EDM , February 26), the Normandy meeting on March 34, in Paris, cornered Ukraine to extract its acceptance of elections in the Rus...

 Death of Top Chechen IS Commander May Change the Face of the Syrian Insurgency



mikenova shared this story from Eurasia Daily Monitor - The Jamestown Foundation. On March 5, in the fighting for the city of al-Shaddadi in eastern Syria, one of the most influential commanders of the so-called Islamic State (IS), Tarkh...

 Germany, Norway Eye Joint Submarine Procurement



mikenova shared this story from Defense News - Home. Norway plans to complete the definition phase for procurement of submarines in the first half of this year and may consider a joint purchase with another country. ...

 NATO, European Commission Chiefs Hail Cooperation on Security, Migrant Crisis



mikenova shared this story from Defense News - Home. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg and European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker have discussed ways to increase joint work to counter hybrid threats in several areas, inc...

 Two Israelis injured in shooting attack on car on Rte 443



mikenova shared this story from DEBKAFile. March 11, 2016, 10:26 PM (IDT) A Palestinian drive-by vehicle opened fire on an Israeli car driving on Rte 443 near the Beit Horon checkpoint Friday night. Two young men in the car were inj...

 Missile alert in Israel locations around Gaza Strip



mikenova shared this story from DEBKAFile. March 11, 2016, 10:38 PM (IDT) Palestinian rocket fire sets off red alert in Israeli locations around the Gaza Strip Friday night, according to first reports.

 Chicago Psychiatrist Who Took Kickbacks to Prescribe Mental Health Medication Sentenced to Nine Months in Federal Prison



mikenova shared this story from Current.  Chicago

 Ex-CIA director: Apple 'generally in the right' on encryption, FBI not 'very good telephone designers' - 9 to 5 Mac



mikenova shared this story from cia - Google News. 9 to 5 Mac Ex- CIA director: Apple 'generally in the right' on encryption, FBI not 'very good telephone designers' 9 to 5 Mac Speaking with CNBC's Squawk Box, former CIA director James W...

 Ex-CIA director: Apple 'generally in the right' on encryption, FBI not ...



mikenova shared this story from cia - Google Blog Search. Speaking with CNBC's Squawk Box, former CIA director James Woolsey gave his personal thoughts on the FBI's request to have Apple unlock an iPhone used by one of the San Bernardino...

 Russia seeks US documents in millionaire's death - USA TODAY



mikenova shared this story from Russia - Google News. USA TODAY Russia seeks US documents in millionaire's death USA TODAY Russia's prosecutor general has asked U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch for documents regarding the mysterious d...

 Russia to disarm world's largest nuclear ballistic missile submarine - RT



mikenova shared this story from Russia - Google News. RT Russia to disarm world's largest nuclear ballistic missile submarine RT Working in accordance with the New START treaty between Russia and US, the country's leading Zvezdochka ship...

 Mikhail Lesin death: Vladimir Putin's propaganda chief died from 'blunt force'  not heart attack as was suggested



mikenova shared this story from The Independent - Europe. An autopsy found Mikhail Lesin suffered head injuries

 Russian spy pleads guilty in New York to posing as a banker



mikenova shared this story from Russian news, all the latest and breaking Russia news. Evgeny Buryakov faces a decade in prison after admitting working for the Russian secret service

 Mystery Of Lesin's Death Deepens As Russia Asks US For More Information



mikenova shared this story from Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty. The mystery surrounding Mikhail Lesin, the former Russian press minister who died in Washington after suffering blunt force trauma to the head, deepened as news reports s...

 German broadcaster: Islamic State files refer to some Paris attackers



mikenova shared this story from Stars and Stripes. A cache of leaked documents containing the names of recruits into the Islamic State group includes references to several of the men who carried out the November attacks in Paris, a Germa...

 Russian Spy Pleads Guilty, Walked Into FBI 'Trap' - ABC News



mikenova shared this story from Top Stories - Google News. New York Daily News Russian Spy Pleads Guilty, Walked Into FBI 'Trap' ABC News A Russian spy, who posed as a banker in New York City, today pleaded guilty to espionage-related ch...

 Arab League says Hezbollah 'terrorists'



mikenova shared this story from BBC News - World. The Arab League declares the Lebanese Shia Muslim movement Hezbollah a terrorist organisation, following a move by Arab Gulf states a week ago.

   



mikenova shared this story from golosamerikius's YouTube Videos. From: golosamerikius Duration: 01:23       ,         ,  .

 Death of former Putin aide: conspiracy theories abound back home in Russia



mikenova shared this story from Russia | The Guardian. Some bloggers suggest Mikhail Lesin could be in US witness protection and faked his own death while others say it could have happened as a result of a fight The announcement that a f...

 U.S. Secretary of State Kerry arrives in Saudi Arabia, to meet King Salman



mikenova shared this story from Reuters: World News. HAFR AL-BATIN, Saudi Arabia (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry arrived in Saudi Arabia on Friday and was due to hold talks with King Salman and other senior Saudi officials...

 Police hunt for 2 gunmen behind cookout ambush that killed 6



mikenova shared this story from AP Top News at 1:23 p.m. EST. WILKINSBURG, Pa. (AP) -- Police on Friday sought to identify the two men who ambushed a backyard cookout and methodically shot and killed six people, including a pregnant woma...

 Puerto Rico reports 201 confirmed Zika cases



mikenova shared this story from World. Puerto Ricos Health Department is reporting 201 confirmed Zika cases amid warnings the U.S. territory could face an epidemic of the mosquito-borne virus.

 Arab League brands Hezbollah group a terrorist organization



mikenova shared this story from Stars and Stripes News. Egypt's state news agency says the Arab League has formally branded Lebanon's militant Hezbollah group a terrorist organization.

 Islamic States terror against Christians is genocide, groups charge



mikenova shared this story from Stars and Stripes News. The U.S. State Department has until March 17 to decide whether the terror being waged by the Islamic State against Christians and other religious minorities in the Middle East meets...

 Russia's military is recruiting dolphins, and their mission is a mystery



mikenova shared this story from Stars and Stripes News. Russia's military is looking for a few good dolphins to join its navy  five, to be exact, with perfect teeth, average length and a willingness to "display motor activity."

 Learning to Fight Like an Israeli



mikenova shared this story from Washington Free Beacon. On December 27, 1985, gunfire and explosions erupted at the El Al ticket counter inside the Leonardo da Vinci-Fiumicino Airport in Rome. Four gunmen from the Palestinian terrorist g...

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 Russia in Review



mikenova shared this story from Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs - US-Russia Initiative to Prevent Nuclear Terrorism. March 11, 2016 Russia in Review: a digest of useful news from U.S.-Russia Initiative to Prevent Nucl...

 Turkish TV station aims to switch views



mikenova shared this story from Europe News. Slick English-language channel at forefront of efforts by President Erdogan to alter perceptions

 Reports: North Korean Leader Orders More Nuclear Tests



mikenova shared this story from Voice of America. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un ordered the country to improve its nuclear attack capability after watching a recent ballistic missile launch test, the country's state media reports. Nort...

 Plan Approved to Shift Control of Internet From US



mikenova shared this story from Voice of America. Members of ICANN, the U.S.-based non-profit agency that has managed oversight of the international Internet since its creation, agreed upon a final framework agreement that would shift ov...

 Uncomfortable truths over Libya



mikenova shared this story from Europe News. President Obama is right to lament the Anglo-French failure to follow through

 Russia's military wants to buy five dolphins for $25000 and no, they don't want to disclose why - Business Insider



mikenova shared this story from Russia - Google News. Business Insider Russia's military wants to buy five dolphins for $25000 and no, they don't want to disclose why Business Insider The Russian Ministry of Defense has announced plans t...

 Is Vladimir Putin's 'lover' Russia's secret weapon in Maria Sharapova scandal? - Daily Mail



mikenova shared this story from Russia - Google News. Daily Mail Is Vladimir Putin's 'lover' Russia's secret weapon in Maria Sharapova scandal? Daily Mail The glamorous former gymnast believed to be Vladimir Putin's secret lover has land...

 Main Syrian opposition groups to attend Geneva peace talks



mikenova shared this story from Stars and Stripes. Syria's main, Western-backed opposition groups said Friday they will attend the U.N.-sponsored indirect peace talks with the Damascus government in Geneva, starting in two days' time, am...

 David Cameron rebuts Johnson's Canada model for UK  video



mikenova shared this story from World news + Video | The Guardian. David Cameron, speaking to the Welsh conservatives on Friday, criticises Boris Johnsons suggestion that the UK could follow a Canadian-style free-trade agreement system....

 Arab League brands Hezbollah group a terrorist organization - Washington Post



mikenova shared this story from World - Google News. Daily News & Analysis Arab League brands Hezbollah group a terrorist organization Washington Post CAIRO  Egypt's state news agency says the Arab League has formally branded Lebanon's ...

 Investigators scour Islamic State group documents



mikenova shared this story from World. Counterterrorism investigators say they are beginning to pour through a cache of documents detailing what could be the most comprehensive look into the recruiting networks luring fighters into the I...

 Evgeny Buryakov Pleads Guilty in Manhattan Federal Court in Connection with Conspiracy to Work for Russian Intelligence



mikenova shared this story from Current.  New York

 US Government Hits Back, Calls Apple's Security Stance 'False' - State of the State KS (subscription)



mikenova shared this story from james b. comey - Google News. US Government Hits Back, Calls Apple's Security Stance 'False' State of the State KS (subscription) In its filing, the federal government again insisted that the order in this...

 Obama NATO Pick Has Wrong Approach to Russia, Some Republicans Warn



mikenova shared this story from Washington Free Beacon. Some Republicans believe that the Obama administrations choice for NATOs next deputy secretary general has not had the right approach to Russia. According to a report in Bloomberg...

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 Telephone Justice: Russian Prankster Says His Phone Calls Changed Verdicts



mikenova shared this story from Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty. Russian prankster Sergei Davydov says he has influenced numerous court decisions by phoning judges in the guise of an influential official and instructing them to rule in...

 Why the OPM Hack Is Far Worse Than You Imagine



mikenova shared this story from Lawfare - Hard National Security Choices. The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) data breach involves the greatest theft of sensitive personnel data in history. But, to date, neither the scope nor scal...

 Russia scolds Britain for saying the Kremlin dreams of Brexit



mikenova shared this story from Reuters: World News. LONDON (Reuters) - Russia scolded Britain on Friday for saying that Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin dreamed of weakening the West with a British exit from the European Union.

 Egypts news agency: Arab League brands Lebanese Hezbollah group a terrorist organization



mikenova shared this story from World. Egypts news agency: Arab League brands Lebanese Hezbollah group a terrorist organization.

 Polands Government Is Accused of Violating Separation of Powers



mikenova shared this story from NYT > World. A European watchdog group on Friday said Polands right-wing government had blunted the functions of the countrys constitutional court.

 IS commander 'limped away' from attack



mikenova shared this story from BBC News - World. A top commander of so-called Islamic State (IS) may have survived a recent US air strike in north-eastern Syria, US defence officials in Baghdad say.

 London Mayor Launches 'Brexit' Campaign With Nod to Canada



mikenova shared this story from WSJ.com: World News. Boris Johnson said Britain should adopt a model similar to Canada to trade with the European Union, in his first major campaign speech in favor of the U.K.s exit from the EU.

 The real loser in Barack Obama's worldview? David Cameron.



mikenova shared this story from World. A new article suggests that Obama's view of his British counterpart is remarkably bleak.

 Germany's Nationalist Party Set for Gains as Three States Vote



mikenova shared this story from Voice of America. A rising nationalist party is expected to ride unease about Chancellor Angela Merkel's migrant policy to perform strongly in three German state elections this weekend, the first significa...

 Taliban Assassinate Pakistani Army Officer



mikenova shared this story from Voice of America. Taliban militants have shot dead a Pakistani military officer in the northwestern city of Peshawar. Officials say Lieutenant Colonel Tariq Ghafoor was returning from a mosque after Friday...

 Tymoshenko: Ukraine a corruption conglomerate



mikenova shared this story from World. Ukraines vehement former prime minister, Yulia Tymoshenko, says the leaders who came to power following 2014s bloody upheavals are stifling the country by tolerating corruption.

 Arab League labels Hezbollah a terrorist organization



mikenova shared this story from Reuters: World News. CAIRO (Reuters) - The Arab League labeled Shi'ite Hezbollah a terrorist organization at its meeting on Friday, Egyptian state news agency MENA said.

 Arkansas Drug Trafficking Enterprise Dismantled



mikenova shared this story from All Stories. Drug trafficking enterprise dismantled, leader gets 20 years after multi-agency investigation.

 US general in Korea nominated as next NATO supreme commander



mikenova shared this story from www.washingtontimes.com stories: Security. BRUSSELS (AP) - NATO's chief decision-making body says it has approved the nomination of the U.S. Army general currently in charge of American forces in Korea to ...

 Food Stamp Beneficiaries Exceed 45 Million for 56 Straight Months



mikenova shared this story from Washington Free Beacon. The number of individuals receiving benefits from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, otherwise known as food stamps, has exceeded 45 million for 56 straight months, acco...

 Nancy Reagan's funeral draws political heavyweights, stars from bygone era



mikenova shared this story from Stars and Stripes News. Political and Hollywood heavyweights from past and present were gathering Friday for the funeral of Nancy Reagan  a reflection of the unique and enduring cultural sway held by the ...

 The FBI Wants Schools to Spy on Their Students' Thoughts | Just ... - Just Security



mikenova shared this story from fbi aclu report - Google News. The FBI Wants Schools to Spy on Their Students' Thoughts | Just ... Just Security Imagine you're a high school principal. An FBI document lands on your desk. It's called Pre...

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mikenova shared this story from golosamerikius's YouTube Videos. From: golosamerikius Duration: 01:04  -   ,      .

 Is Moscow squeezing Moody's out of Russia? - CNBC



mikenova shared this story from Russia - Google News. CNBC Is Moscow squeezing Moody's out of Russia ? CNBC The Kremlin is set to usher in rules next year that will require agencies to create new, Russia -regulated subsidiaries. Under th...

 Reports Suggest Former Putin Aide Involved in Fight Before Mysterious Death



mikenova shared this story from The Moscow Times Top Stories. The mysterious death of Mikhail Lesin, former presidential aide and media tycoon, took a new turn on Thursday when U.S. forensic specialists reported new evidence that he died...

 Russian Banker Accused Of Spying In U.S. Pleads Guilty



mikenova shared this story from Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty. A Russian banker accused in the United States of participating in a spy ring has pleaded guilty to conspiracy.

 FBI 'could force Apple to hand over private key' - The Guardian



mikenova shared this story from fbi - Google News. The Guardian FBI 'could force Apple to hand over private key' The Guardian The department wrote in a footnote to its filing: The FBI cannot itself modify the software on Farook's iPhone...

 U.S. nominates Scaparrotti as top NATO commander



mikenova shared this story from Reuters: World News. WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama nominated U.S. Army General Curtis Scaparrotti on Friday to become NATO's top military commander, the Pentagon said, a key role as NATO bu...

 Chilling Glimpse Into Islamic State War Machine



mikenova shared this story from World News - Breaking international news and headlines | Sky News. Sky News finds booby-trapped bombs, a "rape house" and a makeshift gallows in a Syrian town liberated by Kurdish fighters.

 Two Gunmen Killed In Russia's Daghestan



mikenova shared this story from Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty. Police in Russia's North Caucasus region of Daghestan have killed two gunmen.

 Oil Price Crash Was Not Saudi Arabias Fault



mikenova shared this story from World  TIME. Quite simply, the Saudis want to maintain their market share, but their means to control that are dwindling. The whole internet is jam-packed with analysis portraying Saudi Arabia and OPEC as...

 Obama Turns His Attention to Diapers



mikenova shared this story from Washington Free Beacon. President Obamas latest priority as he winds down his final months in the White House is solving Americas diaper divide using technology. The White House is getting creative t...

 Escalating the War on Looting



mikenova shared this story from NYT > Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS). The international community is focusing on the marketplace to scare off demand for stolen artifacts.

 D.C. Office of Tax and Revenue Takes $7 Million From Taxpayers Bank Accounts



mikenova shared this story from Washington Free Beacon. The D.C. Office of Tax and Revenue withdrew $7 million from 581 taxpayers bank accounts because of a computer error, the Washington Post reported . According to officials, the ta...

 Accused Russian spy pleads guilty to a criminal conspiracy charge



mikenova shared this story from Russia | The Guardian. Evgeny Buryakovs plea comes less than a month before his federal trial for failing to register as an agent and not notifying US authorities A Russian citizen whom US authorities acc...

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mikenova shared this story from SvobodaRadio's YouTube Videos. From: SvobodaRadio Duration: 30:01      ?         .    ...

 The Show Trial Must Go On



mikenova shared this story from The Interpreter. The actors change, but the stage always looks the same. The wood-paneled courtroom. The officious judge robed in black. The stern prosecutor. That creepy cage for the accused and the stone...

 Apple Accuses US Government of 'Smear' Campaign



mikenova shared this story from Voice of America. Apple has accused the U.S. federal government of intending to 'smear' it as the fight over whether it can be forced to help law enforcement access the iPhone owned by San Bernardino gunma...

 Moscow Asks Washington For Information Regarding Lesin Death



mikenova shared this story from Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty. Russia's Prosecutor-General Yury Chaika has made an official request to Washington for information concerning the death of former Russian press minister and presidential ...

 Theyve escaped war and crossed the sea. Now Europe wants to send them back.



mikenova shared this story from Europe. On the Greek island of Lesbos, refugee boats keep rolling in. But the flows could soon be reversed.

 Op-Ed Columnist: Chappatte on Europes Deal With Turkey



mikenova shared this story from NYT > World. European Union leaders and Turkey reached a tentative deal this week to help stem the flow of migrants to the Continent.

 Scaparrotti nominated to replace Breedlove at EUCOM, NATO



mikenova shared this story from Stars and Stripes News. Army Gen. Curtis Scaparrotti was tapped Friday to command U.S. and NATO forces in Europe, where he will face a once tranquil security environment transformed by old Cold War tension...

 Chappatte on Europes Deal With Turkey - The New York Times



mikenova shared this story . Advertisement Continue reading the main story Continue reading the main story Share This Page Email Share Tweet Save more Continue reading the main story Continue reading the main story European Union leaders...

 Low Oil Prices Force Russian Defense Cuts



mikenova shared this story from WSJ.com: World News. Russian defense procurement will drop by about 10% this year as low oil-and-gas prices drain income from the state budget, according to the head of the conglomerate that controls much ...

 IEA Sees Signs Oil Prices Might Have Bottomed Out



mikenova shared this story from WSJ.com: World News. Crude-oil prices may have bottomed out as Irans return to the market has been less dramatic than the country promised, the IEA said.

 Russia, China oppose US missile-defense in South Korea



mikenova shared this story from World. The foreign ministers of China and Russia are opposing the possible deployment of an advanced American missile-defense system in South Korea.

 Cologne: 4th man arrested over New Year crimes



mikenova shared this story from World. Cologne police say a fourth man has been taken into custody after they released a series of photos of people suspected of sexual harassment and assaults in the city on New Years Eve.

 Putin: Russian arms upgrade wont be affected by budget cuts



mikenova shared this story from World. President Vladimir Putin says the Russian militarys arms modernization program wont be affected by budget cuts prompted by the countrys economic problems.

 German Chancellor Angela Merkel Condemns Closure of the Balkan Route to Refugees



mikenova shared this story from World  TIME. German Chancellor Angela Merkel has criticized other European countries for shutting the door to refugees and migrants hoping to reach Europe via the Balkan route, the BBC reports. European U...

 Russian Media Mogul Mikhail Lesin Died From Blunt Force Trauma



mikenova shared this story from World  TIME. A Russian media magnate and former aide to President Vladimir Putin who died in Washington last November was killed by blunt force trauma to the head, a medical examiner has ruled, contradict...

 Obama Blasts David Cameron for U.K.s Role in Libya



mikenova shared this story from World  TIME. President Barack Obama made biting remarks about U.K. Prime Minister David Cameron, blaming him for Libyas descent into chaos after the ouster of long-serving autocrat Muammar Gaddafi ...

 Venezuelan Congress Gives Preliminary Approval to Recall Bill



mikenova shared this story from Voice of America. Venezuela's opposition-controlled Congress has given preliminary approval to a bill that would put the country on the road to a presidential recall referendum. During floor debate Thursda...

 'You won't get rid of me!' Venezuela's Maduro tells foes



mikenova shared this story from Reuters: World News. CARACAS (Reuters) - Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro insisted on Thursday his opponents would fail in a new push to oust him this year and end 17 years of socialist rule in the OPE...

 Syrian army aims for eastward advance with Palmyra attack



mikenova shared this story from Reuters: World News. BEIRUT (Reuters) - The Syrian army backed by Russian air strikes is aiming to capture the historic city of Palmyra from Islamic State to open a road to the eastern province of Deir al-...

 U.S. Said Ready To Blame Iran For Cyberattack On Dam In New York



mikenova shared this story from Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty. U.S. news media are reporting that the Obama administration will publicly blame Iranian hackers for a 2013 cyberattack against a small dam in New York state.

 Russia To Deliver First Antimissile Systems To Iran Later This Year



mikenova shared this story from Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty. Russia says the first delivery of its S-300 missile-defense system to Iran will take place in August or September this year.

 Russian, Iranian Ministers To Discuss Oil-Output Freeze



mikenova shared this story from Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty. Russian Energy Minister Aleksandr Alexander Novak will meet with Iranian Oil Minister oil minister Bijan Zanganeh on March 14 in Tehran to discuss how an oil-output oil o...

 Justin Trudeaus White House Dinner Has the Air of a Family Reunion



mikenova shared this story from NYT > World. The state dinner for Canadas prime minister included celebrity guests born in his country, such as Ryan Reynolds, Sandra Oh, Michael J. Fox and Mike Myers.

 Civility favours Trump as he eyes victory



mikenova shared this story from BBC News - World. Only one winner from the latest US Republican debate

 VIDEO: How the BBC's world news channel evolved



mikenova shared this story from BBC News - World. As BBC World News marks its 25th anniversary, we look back at the way it has evolved.

 Obama trip to Cuba shows move away from focus on dissidents



mikenova shared this story from AP Top News at 10:02 a.m. EST. HAVANA (AP) -- Dozens of uniformed and plainclothes police watch silently every Sunday morning as white-clad dissidents file into Mass at Santa Rita Church in a leafy Havana ...

 Director Meets with New Zealand Law Enforcement Leaders - Federal Bureau of Investigation (press release) (blog)



mikenova shared this story from james b. comey - Google News. Director Meets with New Zealand Law Enforcement Leaders Federal Bureau of Investigation (press release) (blog) FBI Director James B . Comey met this week with our partners in ...

 Ben Carson endorses Donald Trump



mikenova shared this story from DEBKAFile. March 11, 2016, 5:30 PM (IDT) Former presidential hopeful, the neurosurgeon Ben Carson, Friday endorsed Donald Trump for the Republican nomination call him very cerebral and &...

 Nationalist party set for gains as 3 German states vote



mikenova shared this story from www.washingtontimes.com stories: Security. MAGDEBURG, Germany (AP) - A rising nationalist party is expected to ride unease about Chancellor Angela Merkel's migrant policy to perform strongly in three Germa...

 Officership and the English Language



mikenova shared this story from Washington Free Beacon. To speak of the profession of arms is to imply that military officers dont just have jobs, butlike doctors, lawyers, and members of the clergyare members of a community of lear...

 Trump: I Think There Are Two Donald Trumps



mikenova shared this story from Washington Free Beacon. After Dr. Ben Carsons endorsement of him that included saying that there are two Donald Trumps, Trump confirmed that was indeed true during a press conference Friday in Pal...

 AIR TRANSPORTATION: Russia Does Damage Control



mikenova shared this story from StrategyPage.com. None

 The Early Edition: March 11, 2016



mikenova shared this story from Just Security. Nadia O'Mara Before the start of business, Just Security provides a curated summary of up-to-the-minute developments at home and abroad. Heres todays news. SURVEILLANCE, PRIVACY and TECH...

 Why Black Lives Matter activists are siding with Apple in its fight with the FBI - Washington Post



mikenova shared this story from james b. comey - Google News. Washington Post Why Black Lives Matter activists are siding with Apple in its fight with the FBI Washington Post Current FBI Director James B . Comey even keeps a copy of the ...

 UCSC Students Arrested for Drug Trafficking Charges | City on a Hill ...



mikenova shared this story from international drug trafficking organizations - Google Blog Search. Six UC Santa Cruz students were arrested on March 4 for drug trafficking charges, including conspiracy and possession of a controlled subs...

 A huge leaked list of Islamic State fighters sounds too good to be true. Is it?



mikenova shared this story from In Homeland Security. A huge list of Islamic State fighters, leaked from inside the organization's own internal security division, represents representing a treasure trove of detailed information.

 U.S. Attorney General defends FBI case against Apple on Stephen Colbert's show - TechCrunch



mikenova shared this story from fbi - Google News. TechCrunch U.S. Attorney General defends FBI case against Apple on Stephen Colbert's show TechCrunch As the iPhone unlocking case becomes more heated, United States Attorney General Lore...

 Apple irony: Can you trust the FBI if conspiracy claims Hoover ordered the assassination of Kennedy? - BGR



mikenova shared this story from fbi - Google News. BGR Apple irony: Can you trust the FBI if conspiracy claims Hoover ordered the assassination of Kennedy? BGR The Department of Justice on Thursday sent a strongly worded message to Apple...

 When FBI employees behave badly, the bureau lets their co-workers know - Washington Post



mikenova shared this story from fbi - Google News. Washington Post When FBI employees behave badly, the bureau lets their co-workers know Washington Post In a recent two-year stretch, 126 FBI agents or employees were disciplined for offe...

 Obama Pushes Back at Critics of His Foreign Policy, Diplomacy Moves



mikenova shared this story from Defense News - Home. In a series of interviews with The Atlantic magazine released this week, US President Barack Obama says his reluctance to use military power shouldnt be seen as weakness. ...

 'Shadow CIA' Using 'Boogeyman Scare Tactics' to Make Money - Sputnik International



mikenova shared this story from cia - Google News. Sputnik International 'Shadow CIA ' Using 'Boogeyman Scare Tactics' to Make Money Sputnik International Stratfor's founder George Friedman has recently claimed that the world should get ...

 FBI wants to change iPhone's iOS: Fmr CIA chief - CNBC



mikenova shared this story from cia - Google News. CNBC FBI wants to change iPhone's iOS: Fmr CIA chief CNBC The FBI's attempts to force Apple to unlock an iPhone used by one of the San Bernardino terrorists is not just about accessing i...

 North Korea Lacks Skills to Miniaturize Nukes for Warheads - Ex-CIA ...



mikenova shared this story from cia - Google Blog Search. Former CIA analyst and whistleblower John Kiriakou claims that North Korea still lacks the capability to miniaturize any of its nuclear weapons and mount them on intercontinental ...

 Putin aide who died mysteriously in Washington suffered blow to head



mikenova shared this story from Russian news, all the latest and breaking Russia news. Russia complains of being kept in the dark after medical examiner finds Mikhail Lesin's death in a Washington hotel was due to blunt force injuries to...

 How Russia Saw the 'Red Line' Crisis - The Atlantic



mikenova shared this story from Russia - Google News. The Atlantic How Russia Saw the 'Red Line' Crisis The Atlantic That is, Russia sees itself as a power on par with America, and simply doesn't group itself with a minor regional power ...

 Pro-Democracy Nonprofit Is Banned in Russia



mikenova shared this story from NYT > Europe. The prosecutor generals office outlawed the National Democratic Institute, saying it posed a threat to the foundations of Russias constitutional order and national security.

 Zika outbreak: The more we learn, the worse things seem to get



mikenova shared this story . The inside track on Washington politics. Be the first to know about new stories from PowerPost. Sign up to follow, and well e-mail you free updates as theyre published. Youll receive free...

 Iran Missile Launches Prompt Sanctions Push in US Congress - Voice of America



mikenova shared this story from World - Google News. Voice of America Iran Missile Launches Prompt Sanctions Push in US Congress Voice of America March 10, 2016 2:41 PM. CAPITOL HILL. The chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committ...

 US to blame Iran for cyber attack on small NY dam -CNN - Reuters Africa



mikenova shared this story from World - Google News. US to blame Iran for cyber attack on small NY dam -CNN Reuters Africa WASHINGTON, March 10 (Reuters) - The Obama administration is planning to publicly blame Iranian hackers for a 2013...

 DOJ expected to charge 5 Iranians in 2013 hacking of New York dam - Fox News



mikenova shared this story from Top Stories - Google News. Fox News DOJ expected to charge 5 Iranians in 2013 hacking of New York dam Fox News The Department of Justice is expected to announce charges against up to five Iranians believed...

 In Germany, a rising voice on the right



mikenova shared this story from World. Elections Sunday could be a referendum on Angela Merkels open-door policy for asylum seekers.

 Small plane crashes in New York  video



mikenova shared this story from World news + Video | The Guardian. A small aeroplane plummets to earth after its engine cut out mid-flight on 5 March over Hauppauge, New York. The aircraft and its passengers were saved only by the emerge...

 Islamic State leaks reveals banned cleric Omar Bakri recruited British jihadists



mikenova shared this story from World news. Omar Bakri Mohammad, Omar Bakri Mohammed, exiled from the UK since 2005, has been named as a sponsor by British jihadists attempting to join enter Isil

 Islamic State files leak: The 'good British Christian' who turned to jihad



mikenova shared this story from World news. The full story of Fasil Towalde's short life can be told for the first time after his Isil recruitment forms and those of thousands of other fighters were leaked

 Islamic State files leak: Who is banned cleric Omar Bakri who recruited British jihadists?



mikenova shared this story from World news. Tolerated by the British authorities until July 7 attacks, the "Tottenham Ayatollah" and his message has grown increasingly sinister. Now he is linked to recruiting for Isil

 Captured IS Operative Provided US With Chemical Weapons Information



mikenova shared this story from Voice of America. U.S. defense officials say a key Islamic State operative captured by American forces last month has been transferred to Iraqi custody, after providing the U.S.-led coalition with valuable...

 Recovered Isis documents may not damage group: security expert explains  video



mikenova shared this story from World news + Video | The Guardian. Raffaello Pantucco, the director of the International Security Studies programme at the Roy United Services Institute (RUSI) discusses the significance of the leaked ISIS...

 Family 'Massacred' in Backyard Shooting Near Pittsburgh, Mother Says - ABC News



mikenova shared this story from Top Stories - Google News. New York Post Family 'Massacred' in Backyard Shooting Near Pittsburgh, Mother Says ABC News A grieving Pennsylvania mother is speaking out about the murders of her three children...

 Justice Department: Locked iPhone May Have Evidence of San Bernardino Attack - NBC4 Washington



mikenova shared this story from Top Stories - Google News. NBC4 Washington Justice Department: Locked iPhone May Have Evidence of San Bernardino Attack NBC4 Washington FBI Director James Comey testifies on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tue...

 Brazil prosecutors seek Lula's arrest for money laundering



mikenova shared this story from Reuters: World News. SAO PAULO (Reuters) - State prosecutors in Brazil are seeking the arrest of former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on charges of money laundering and identity fraud for concealing ...

 Former Putin Aide, Found in Washington, Died From Blows to Head



mikenova shared this story from NYT > World. The medical examiners report, which found that Mikhail Y. Lesin had died of blunt force injuries, conflicted with Russian news reports that Mr. Lesin had died of a heart attack.

 Netanyahu's Office Ties Canceled Obama Meeting to Unresolved U.S.-Israel Aid



mikenova shared this story from WSJ.com: World News. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus office said Thursday that he canceled a trip to meet with U.S. President Barack Obama in Washington later this month partly because of unres...

 Brazil prosecutors 'seek Lula arrest'



mikenova shared this story from BBC News - World. Brazilian prosecutors are reported to be calling for the arrest of ex-President Lula da Silva over a corruption investigation.

 Ex-Putin Aide Died in D.C. Hotel After Blunt Force Injuries - Daily Beast



mikenova shared this story from World - Google News. Daily Beast Ex-Putin Aide Died in D.C. Hotel After Blunt Force Injuries Daily Beast One of the founders of Kremlin-backed RT, Mikhail Lesin's cause of death had been a mystery for mont...

 California lawmakers vote to raise smoking, vaping age to 21 - Washington Post



mikenova shared this story from Top Stories - Google News. Washington Post California lawmakers vote to raise smoking, vaping age to 21 Washington Post SACRAMENTO, Calif.  California lawmakers voted Thursday to raise the legal age for p...

 Key powers mulling possibility of federal division of Syria



mikenova shared this story from Reuters: World News. UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - Major powers close to U.N.-brokered peace talks on Syria are discussing the possibility of a federal division of the war-torn country that would maintain its...

 Electricity cut off for Puerto Rico hospital that owes $4M



mikenova shared this story from World. Puerto Ricos power company has cut off electricity to a hospital over nearly $4 million in unpaid bills, part of a stepped-up effort by the heavily indebted agency to collect money amid the island...

 Former Russian press minister died in U.S. of blunt force injuries



mikenova shared this story from Reuters: World News. WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Former Russian Press Minister Mikhail Lesin, who was found dead in a Washington hotel room last year, died of blunt force injuries to the head, authorities said ...

 Former Putin Aide Died of Blunt Force in Washington



mikenova shared this story from WSJ.com: World News. A former top adviser to Russian President Vladimir Putin died of blunt force injuries of the head in a Washington D.C. hotel four months ago, according to the office of the Chief Med...

 Ex-aide to Putin died of blunt force trauma at D.C. hotel, medical examiner says



mikenova shared this story from World. Police are still investigating the circumstances of Mikhail Lesins death in November.

 CDC Chief: Puerto Rico Facing 'Hundreds of Thousands' of Zika Cases



mikenova shared this story from Voice of America. The top U.S. disease prevention official said Thursday that there could be "hundreds of thousands" of Zika cases in the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico in the coming months if precautions a...

 FBI infiltrated Russian spy ring with hidden recorders, prosecutors say - The Guardian



mikenova shared this story from fbi - Google News. The Guardian FBI infiltrated Russian spy ring with hidden recorders, prosecutors say The Guardian The FBI eavesdropped on meetings involving Russian intelligence personnel in New York Ci...

 Savage echoes Enquirer: Scalia killed by CIA prostitute - TRUNEWS



mikenova shared this story from cia - Google News. TRUNEWS Savage echoes Enquirer: Scalia killed by CIA prostitute TRUNEWS (TRUNEWS) Michael Savage, the talk radio host of The Savage Nation said Monday that there may be validity behind T...

 FBI Says Threat From 'Ransomware' Is Expected to Grow - Wall Street Journal



mikenova shared this story from fbi - Google News. FBI Says Threat From 'Ransomware' Is Expected to Grow Wall Street Journal Chris Stangl, a section chief at the FBI's Cyber Division, described the increasing urgency and scope of the cha...

 Viola Beach: Indie band's driver 'plunged off bridge intentionally', say Swedish police



mikenova shared this story from The Independent - Europe. 'We can't find any secondary explanation,' officer says

    



mikenova shared this story from SvobodaRadio's YouTube Videos. From: SvobodaRadio Duration: 00:56   "",    2-    ,    ,    ...

 Antibiotics May Get New Life Against Lethal Bacteria



mikenova shared this story from Voice of America. Antibiotics that have become ineffective against a lethal bacterial infection may get new life, thanks to the discovery of compounds that weaken the pathogen. Staphylococcus aureus has be...

 Obama, Seen as Reluctant Warrior, Addresses Limits of US Power



mikenova shared this story from Voice of America. With less than a year left in his White House tenure, U.S. President Barack Obama says he has reached an overriding conclusion that the United States can be a force for good in world affa...

 Medical Examiner Says Ex-Kremlin Press Minister Died Of 'Blunt Force' To Head



mikenova shared this story from Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty. City officials in Washington D.C. say they have determined that Russia's former Press Minister Mikhail Lesin, a longtime close ally of Vladimir Putin who was found dead i...

 Free Range Data Reveals All



mikenova shared this story from StrategyPage.com. March 10, 2016: National intelligence services (like the CIA and MI6) continue to find themselves relying more and more on civilian sources for the best data and analysis. A recent exampl...

 Russian Activists, Western Journalists Attacked Trying To Enter Chechnya



mikenova shared this story from Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty. A Russian rights group says two Western journalists and two rights activists were hospitalized after masked men with knives and clubs attacked them as the group tried to ...

 Special Reports



mikenova shared this story from The Interpreter. Special Reports Nadiya Savchenko  Victim of a Modern Show Trial A Ukrainian prisoner of war is now on the fifth day of a dry hunger strike, accepting neither food nor water, and nearing t...

 Iraqi Kurds Say IS Militants Shelled Village With 'Poisonous Substances'



mikenova shared this story from Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty. Iraqi Kurdish officials have accused Islamic State militants of using poisonous substances in the shelling of a village in northern Iraq.
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BJP demand to immediately appoint a Nodal Officer for assessment of crop loss

New Delhi, Sun, 13 Mar 2016 NI Wire

Delhi BJP leaders led by MP Sh. Parvesh Sahib Singh Verma today widely travelled to several villages of Delhi to extend a supportive hand to the farmers who have suffered major winter crop loss for second year in succession due to sudden untimely hailstorms & rains in March.

Delhi BJP President Sh. Satish Upadhyay today requested the Lt. Governor of Delhi Sh. Najeeb Jung to immediately appoint a Nodal Officer for assessment of crop loss to ensure that offices of Patwaris do not exploit or harass the farmers like we heard in several areas last year. All Patwaris be brought under the Nodal Officers. Interim Relief Cheques be distributed before Holi to support farmers.

Delhi BJP President Sh. Satish Upadhyay & MP Sh. Parvesh Sahib Singh Verma have said that crops of wheat & mustard which were almost fully grown have suffered 60 to 80% loss due to the sudden hailstorms in March and have demanded compensation of Rs. 50,000 to 70,000 per acre as per crop loss valuation.

Delhi BJP will be meeting the Union Agriculture Minister Sh. Radha Mohan Singh to draw his attention to the poor plight of Delhi farmers due to loss of 3 crops in a row since March 2015. The Party will request the Union Minister Sh. R.M. Singh to extend a special rehabilitation package for the farmers of Delhi who are in an economic mess due to this 3rd crop loss.

MP Dr. Udit Raj has expressed distress over the heavy crop loss to farmers in Outer Delhi & North West Districts and said that most farmers in these areas have small holdings and this crop loss has caused them irreparable loss. He has demanded an immediate relief for the farmers.

Sh. Parvesh Sahib Singh Verma today met farmers in West Delhi Villages Kadipur, Dhasa, Mallikpur, Isapur, Ujwa, Samaspur, Ravta & Daulatpur accompanied by Najafgarh District President Sh. Satendra Chaudhary & local BJP activists Sh. Kuldeep Dagar, Sh. Satpal Mallik, Sh. Surendra Matiala and others.
Security of the students first priority of the SDMC Mayor

New Delhi, Sun, 13 Mar 2016 NI Wire

SDMC Mayor Sh. Subhash Arya today stated that the Corporation has installed CCTV cameras in its 20 schools with an aim to provide security to the students. The Corporation is committed to provide fool proof security to the students enrolled in the schools. He further stated that CCTV Cameras will be installed in all schools.

Sh. Arya also stated that the SDMC is effectively managing its 579 schools. The cameras installed in the schools will be monitored. Such monitoring would commence in 20 schools where the cameras are installed. The monitoring mechanism will also keep an eye over security of all children and issues related to qualitative delivery of education.

The Mayor stated that to ensure proper monitoring every Zone will constitute a team in their respective Zone. The SDMCs control room will also enable the officers sitting in the Civic Centre to monitor the security of students in the school.

While giving details of the project Sh. Arya added that an amount of Rs.1 lakh will be spent on the installation of CCTV camera in a school. The SDMC has ear-marked an amount of Rs.5 Cr. on this head during Financial Year 2016-17. The SDMC Councillors will have an option to adopt one school under their constituency and would be allowed to release an amount of Rs.5 lakh out of their local area development fund for the developmental works in the schools. It will be effort of the corporation to provide priority on installation of CCTV Cameras. It may be recalled that in the budget proposals of the SDMC an announcement was made to install the CCTV cameras in all its schools to provide a security network in the schools.
PM Modi praised friend Nitish Kumar praised each other

New Delhi, Sun, 13 Mar 2016 NI Wire

Hajipur: It was all changed in the relationship of tense between Modi and Nitish kumar when both praised each other during a function in Bihar. In another moment when Modi silenced a section of the crowd vigorously chanting his name during Bihar Chief minister Nitish Kumar's address here today, Prime Minister Narendra Modi was seen gesturing the masses to quiet down and listen to Kumar's speech.

Nitish's address, both him and the Prime Minister were seen smiling and talking amicably to each other.

Chief Minister Nitish was addressing the inauguration function of the newly constructed Digha-Sonepur rail-cum-road bridge in Hajipur when the crowd suddenly started chanting 'Modi Modi' slogans. It was then when the Prime Minister got up from his seat and walked towards the end of the dais, and gestured the crowd chanting with his hand to maintain silence.

Prime Minister Modi arrived in Patna today on a day-long visit to Bihar where he will dedicate to the nation the newly constructed Digha-Sonepur rail-cum-road bridge and inaugurate a new rail bridge in Munger.

Nitish, while addressing the crowd, said, "I am thankful to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for giving time, I welcome him here. Centre and state government together will help accelerate growth. I am hopeful that Centre will continue to provide assistance to the state."
Welcome to the new Enlightenment, an era when suppressed science, hidden history and the enlightening nature of reality are all revealed to those with eyes to see and ears to hear.

These are the thoughts and ideas of New Illuminati - bold forerunners and pioneers of new awareness all over the globe.



Notes on new emerging paradigms from the NEXUS New Times Magazine Founder R. Ayana, who lives in a remote Australian rainforest (and is no longer involved with the magazine) - Catching drops from the deluge in a paper cup since 1984.

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Addressing supporters in Dayton, Trump said the Chicago skirmishes were due to a "planned attack" by organized agitators against his supporters - whom he praised as "nice folks".

Former Republican presidential candidate Ben Carson shakes hands with Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, after announcing he will endorse Trump during a news conference at the Mar-A-Lago Club, Friday, March 11, 2016, in Palm Beach, Fla.

When pressed whether Rubio supporters there should in fact cast their ballots for Kasich, Conant said, "Yeah, my answer is John Kasich is the one candidate in OH that can beat Donald Trump".

"I can't believe how civil it's been up here", Trump even said midway through the contest.

Carson said Friday that he and Trump "buried the hatchet" after months of political wrangling, describing the front-runner as a "very cerebral" person.

Mitt Romney swears he doesn't want to be the Republican nominee

Trump was joined on stage at the Fox Theater by his three remaining rivals, Rubio, Cruz and Ohio Governor John Kasich , 63. Later, asked if he thought Trump was naive about Russian leader Vladimir Putin, Kasich responded, "I'm not biting".

But Cruz, looking to emerge as Trump's central challenger and consolidate the party's anti-Trump vote, said the NY billionaire's tariff plan would only lead to higher prices for American consumers because companies from the exporting country would increase prices. "And that's the frustration that is boiling over", Cruz said when asked if he was concerned that the behavior of some of Trump's supporters would hurt the Republican Party in the general election. Florida elections officials said they had not heard of any such problems and had received no formal complaints. Most polls show Cruz behind Trump and Florida Sen. Traditionally, if a presidential candidate doesn't perform well in their home state, it's time to pack up the bags.

On Saturday, Trump's rivals for the Republican nomination harshly criticized Trump for what had been taking place at his events.

Mr Cruz, eager to cement his position as the party's last best alternative to Mr Trump, had a string of criticisms of the Republican front-runner, too, saying flatly at one point: "His solutions don't work".

When Thursday night's GOP debate was over, Trump pronounced it an "elegant" discussion.

Trump, though, clearly was intent on projecting a less bombastic - and more presidential - image. Trump did not explain what had happened, but said: "Thank you for the warning". "We came in here and we wanted to shut this down".

Obama: 'Absolutist' view won't solve encryption debate

Obama declined to comment anything on the current battle going on between Federal Bureau of Investigation and Apple . "So we have two values, both of which are important", he added.

"I don't use hate speech", Trump said Friday on Fox News after his Chicago rally was cancelled due to unrest.

"We've never targeted innocent civilians and we're not going to start now", Cruz said.

Several weeks ago, this writer suggested Donald Trump might be - emphasizing might be - the best alternative for both the Republican Party and the country if he could set aside pride and ego and, if elected, follow through on his pledge to select the best and wisest individuals to serve as cabinet members and close advisers. But the strategy backfired: after votes were counted in Michigan, Mississippi, Idaho and Hawaii on Tuesday, Rubio walked away with zero delegates.

Kasich, for his part, said it wouldn't be so bad to have a contested convention. This is stuff from like 'House of Cards.' It's not real life. He added there are plenty of primaries left so "let's not get ahead of ourselves".

And none of the other candidates condemned Trump for comments that appeared to encourage aggressive physical action against protesters at his campaign rallies. In that state, the super PACs supporting Rubio and Kasich have been aiming one televised salvo after another against each other.
At least five people were killed and several injured on Wednesday in a shooting near Pittsburgh, with police and paramedics rushing to the scene, media said.

A backyard cookout turned into a bloodbath overnight in Wilkinsburg, Pennsylvania - ending with five people dead, three others hospitalized and a manhunt for two suspected shooters. Two men were in critical condition and a woman was stable, police said.

Police said they have no suspects.

Allegheny County District Attorney Stephen Zappala says one of the shooters used a handgun to steer the victims toward the house's porch, where a second gunman picked them off with an AK-47-style rifle.

There were no arrests, and police were urging witnesses to help their investigation.

Four people - three women and one man - died at the scene and the fifth, another woman, died later at the hospital.

Explosion in Turkey capital; at least 27 killed

According to Turkish media, a auto rigged with explosives crashed into a bus station causing a huge explosion. Police sealed off the area and pushed onlookers and journalists back, warning there could be a second bomb.

All were African-Americans, and the man and two of the female victims were siblings. The persons who died ranged in age from 25 to 37 years old, officials said, though family members said the oldest fatality was 38.

Wilkinsburg, a borough east of Pittsburgh in Allegheny County, has about 15,800 residents, according to U.S. Census data.

"Right now, we are asking for anybody who heard or saw anything in the area ... to call (police)", Allegheny County police Lt. Andrew Schurman told reporters early Thursday.

According to CBS affiliate KDKA, neighbors reported hearing 30 to 40 shots ring out.

Allegheny County police say the cookout was taking place at the rear of a home on Franklin Avenue when the gunmen appeared just before 11 p.m. "The kids came running out of the house screaming, 'Mommy, Mommy, '" he said.

"I'm shaken. It's pretty sad". A woman reacts at the scene of a deadly shooting in Wilkinsburg, Pa., Thursday, March 10, 2016.

Elite Delta Force Captures ISIS Operative in Iraq, US Officials Say

Obama is trying to close the controversial Guantanamo Bay prison but is unlikely to succeed given staunch resistance in Congress. A report by The New York Times described the captured operative as a "significant" member of the terrorist group.

Multiple shell casings littered the ground in the alley as detectives scoured the scene.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) is offering a US$20,000 reward for information relating to the shooting, the agency's Chris Taylor said. The shooting at a backyard party killed and injured multiple people on Wednesday night, March 9, 2016.

Other recent mass shootings include a rampage by an Uber driver that left six people dead in MI, and the December terror attack in San Bernardino, California, where 14 people lost their lives.

The shooting generated more than 10,000 messages on Twitter, with many expressing outrage over gun violence.
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Hezbollah, a political party in Lebanon with a military wing, has been declared by the Arab League as a terrorist group although two of the organizations 22members, Lebanon and Iraq, voiced reservations.

The resolution was adopted by Arab Foreign Ministers following a similar move by the Gulf Cooperation Council on March 2.

Explaining Lebanons reservations, Foreign Minister Gibran Bassil said Hezbollah is a Lebanese party that enjoys broad representation in the parliament and Cabinet Naturally, we cannot accept that Hezbollah be described as a terrorist organization. He said Lebanon wanted the phrase terrorist organization to be removed from the resolution.

Gulf States, including Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Kuwait, have repeatedly alleged that Hezbollah and Iran interfere in their domestic affairs and have sentenced several people for collaborating with them.

Hezbollah is listed by the US, Canada and Australia as a terrorist group but the European Union stopped at blacklisting its military wing only.

Bassil said Hezbollah is a resistance group and not a terrorist organization and the Arab Leagues declaration is against the Arab treaty. Hezbollah has not reacted to the declaration and its Al-Manar television channel didnt report on it.

The Arab Leagues decision is however expected to worsen the political standoff in Lebanon.

In another development, the Islamic State group has described, in a new video, Hezbollah as the source of crime and oppression in Lebanon and accused Saad Hariris Mustaqbal Movement of corruption and terror and cooperation with the US and Saudi Arabia to acquire weapons that have no purpose but to kill Sunnis.

The terror group which threatened to attack Lebanon also described Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, Prime Minister Salam and Interior Minister al-Mashnouq as the dictators of the Lebanese statelet.
Over three million Moroccans from all over the country and from all walks of life flocked to Rabat this Sunday March 13 to protest the UN Secretary Generals recent inappropriate remarks about the Sahara issue and to send out to the world the message that the Kingdoms territorial integrity is sacred and that Moroccans shall never tolerate that anyone crosses this red line.

Leaders and members of Moroccan political parties, trade unions, civil society activists and NGOs in addition to lambda citizens started arriving in Rabat since Saturday to be in the first ranks of the demonstrators lashing out at Ban Ki-moon for departing from his impartiality and neutrality and for making statements that ran counter to UN Security Council resolutions during his recent visits to the Polisario-run Tindouf camps and to Algiers.

Long before the official start of the protest march, down town Rabat was packed and demonstrators from all the Moroccan regions, North and South, East and West, stood side by side to reaffirm, if need be, the nations consensus and unanimity regarding the Moroccan Sahara.

Amidst chants of the national anthem and patriotic slogans, the demonstrators decried Ban Ki-moons missteps and biased statements and brandished thousands of banners, saying among others Ban Ki-moon threatens the UN peace process; International law is not for sale; Ban Ki-moon has violated the UN Charter; All united in solidarity for our Sahara; No to biased mediation! and the Sahara is Moroccan and Moroccan the Sahara shall remain.

On Saturday, the two houses of the Parliament held an extraordinary session and issued a joint statement wherein MPs strongly condemned as provocative and biased the UN Chiefs stance.

The comments made by Ban Ki-moon ignore the noble objectives of the United Nations and are a blatant breach of the principle of impartiality that the UN Secretary General must observe, the statement said, adding that his deliberate breach of the UN principles aims to hide his failure, during his two terms at the helm of the world body, to make any tangible progress towards the settlement of the Sahara issue.

MPs also expressed strong indignation over the fact the UN chief ignored the sufferings of the people sequestered in the Tindouf camps and massive violations of human rights in these camps.

Through this outburst of patriotism, reminiscent of the Green March whereby Morocco recovered its Spanish colonized southern provinces, Moroccans have not only denounced the UN Chief for his biased statements and unacceptable behavior during his recent trip in the region but they also told the world that they will never, ever give up an inch of the Moroccan southern provinces and that they will never, ever accept the idea of creating another fragile micro-state in an already fragile and dangerous region.
Roxas also said the country would, at the same time, work with other nations to come up with a Binding Code of Conduct for the South China Sea. In the same breath, however, Roxas made sure not to antagonize China as he said: But we also recognize that this issue is not the totality of our relations with China. At the end of the day, we want to achieve stability, which is in the interest of all parties involved. Without stability, we cant have long-lasting prosperity. Otherwise, our countrys economic resurgence will always be under threat.
By Kevin Murphy and Bob Chiarito

By Kevin Murphy and Bob Chiarito

KANSAS CITY, Mo./BLOOMINGTON, Ill. (Reuters) - Donald Trump has called them thugs, professional organizers and supporters of Democratic presidential contender Bernie Sanders.

But the protesters who have stepped up their actions against the Republican presidential front-runner are a disparate group from different walks of life, with no national organization to speak of. They assemble through a patchwork of Facebook pages and myriad advocacy groups.

After demonstrators swarmed a large Trump rally in Chicago on Friday and forced its cancellation over security concerns, protesters are looking for ways to keep up the momentum as the billionaire businessman seeks in primaries this week to clear a path toward the Republican nomination for the Nov. 8 election.

Trump has drawn fervent support as well as harsh criticism, including from within his own party, for his calls to build a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border and impose a temporary ban on Muslims entering the country.

Kevin Bailey, 25, who helped lead an anti-Trump protest on behalf of the Progressive Youth Organization at the candidate's Kansas City, Missouri, rally on Saturday, said protesters had two goals - to disrupt proceedings as much as possible and signal their outrage over Trump's divisive rhetoric. Trump spent a good part of his time on stage shouting down the protesters.

Bailey said his group watched a similar protest staged by a sister organization in St. Louis on Friday as well as other protests to see if there were lessons to be learned.

"We want to learn what works as far as, especially, going inside and disrupting rallies," he said.

Using smaller groups of protesters to enter rallies and station themselves around the venue, as well as staggering the disruptions to maximize their duration, are some of the strategies that seem to work best, Bailey said.

Before Friday's rally at the University of Illinois at Chicago, organizers used Facebook and worked with student groups on campuses in the Chicago area to encourage them to attend. Inside the stadium, there might have been as many protesters as supporters and a long line of people were waiting to get in when the Trump campaign scrapped the event.

Skirmishes broke out between the two camps, making for some tense minutes that received national television coverage and raised security concerns around the Trump campaign.

One organizer, Nathaniel Lewis, a 25-year-old graduate student, said the cancellation was "the last thing we expected to happen. It shows the power of unity."

PROTESTS BEFORE KEY PRIMARIES

It happened just days before five nominating primaries on Tuesday in which Trump, 69, is trying to cement his lead over his remaining Republican rivals - U.S. Senators Ted Cruz of Texas and Marco Rubio of Florida and Ohio Governor John Kasich.

Trump's Republican and Democratic rivals accused him of sowing tension with divisive rhetoric. But on Sunday, he said: "I don't accept responsibility. I do not condone violence in any shape."

He called the protesters professional "disrupters" sent to his events by Sanders, the U.S. senator from Vermont.

"Be careful Bernie, or my supporters will go to yours!" Trump said on Twitter on Sunday.

Trump's campaign rallies have been boisterous, with the real estate mogul often pausing to scold protesters and ask security officers to take them away. At some events, protesters and journalists have been punched, tackled or hustled out. A 78-year-old man was charged with assault and communicating a threat after he was seen on video punching a young black protester at a North Carolina rally last week.

The threat of violence affected Trump personally on Saturday. Secret Service officers rushed on stage to protect Trump when a man broke through a security barrier at a rally in Ohio. Trump said the man "was looking to do harm."

Some in the Trump camp believe the protesters' actions in Chicago will benefit their candidate by galvanizing his supporters.

"Some people were energized," said Michael McKinney, 47, as he attended a Trump rally in Ohio with his family on Sunday.

"I watched a lot of videos - all the protesters were throwing the first punch," he added.

Over the weekend, President Barack Obama made a call for civility in the political process and "resolving our differences without encouraging or resorting to violence."

While young people are a visible contingent among the protesters and some are supporters of Sanders, the demonstrators are a mixed group operating in small clusters.

For a Trump rally in Bloomington, Illinois, on Sunday, Sonny Garcia, a 44-year-old facilities manager, said a loosely organized group called "Dump Trump Illinois" rallied protesters through a "Dump Trump" Facebook page. Some 2,000 people gathered.

Forty members of the local chapter of a national anti-hate advocacy group called "Not in Our Town" showed up to protest, wearing white armbands. High school student Aishwarya Shekara, 16, joined them.

"I'm here because Trump stands for everything I don't," she said. "He's the definition of a demagogue."

(Additional reporting by Joseph Ax in New York, Joe Wessels in Ohio, Brendan O'Brien in Milwaukee, Jeff Mason in Dallas, Alex Dobuzinkis in Los Angeles and Curtis Skinner in San Francisco; Writing by Mary Milliken; Editing by Peter Cooney)

This article was funded in part by SAP. It was independently created by the Reuters editorial staff. SAP had no editorial involvement in its creation or production.
O Antagonista Lula: "Se eu ganhar, esse pais vai ter ceu de brigadeiro"
Planet Trump, Day 270. Photo: Brendan Smialowski/AFP/Getty Images

Donald Trump is attempting to blame the unrest and violence at his political rallies on Democratic candidate Bernie Sanders and his supporters. Speaking to crowds in Ohio and Missouri on Saturday, Trump linked the thugs who had disrupted and ultimately led him to cancel his Friday night rally in Chicago to Sanders, whom he at one point referred to as our communist friend. At a rally in Dayton, Ohio, Trump said the protesters had carried out a planned attack on his rally and supporters. Later in Cleveland, Trump called protesters at that rally Bernies crowd. Then, on CNNs State of the Union on Sunday, Trump said that the Friday chaos had been caused by professional disruptors, thousands of them, from Sanders and to a smaller extent, Hillary [Clinton], claiming that a lot of them come from Bernie Sanders, whether he wants to say it or not. If he says no, then hes lying. Trump also made what appeared to be a threat against Sanders, tweeting on Sunday morning:

Bernie Sanders is lying when he says his disruptors aren't told to go to my events. Be careful Bernie, or my supporters will go to yours!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 13, 2016

Trump denied the tweet was threat on State of the Union, but nonetheless reiterated the suggestion, insisting that if conservative Republicans ever went into [Sanderss] rally, you would see things happen that would be unbelievable.

Trumps eye-for-an-eye threats aside, it is correct that many of the anti-Trump protesters that disrupted Fridays event in Chicago were clearly Sanders supporters, as is detailed in reporting from both NBC News and Politico Magazine. According to those reports, the large-scale and successful organization of that nights protest, probably the biggest yet of any anti-Trump effort, resulted from the involvement of numerous veteran activists including Sanders supporters, Black Lives Matter activists, and well-established student groups, especially from the diverse and liberal University of Illinois campus where the Trump event had been scheduled. In addition, the MoveOn.org political organization, which has endorsed Sanders, contributed some of their resources to the protest, supplying political signs, a banner, and email-blasting their membership in the area to encourage them to participate in what the organization characterized as a student-led protest. When the Chicago rally was ultimately cancelled because of the large anti-Trump presence, many protesters chanted Sanders name in celebration.

A Sanders supporter holds up a campaign sign in the background at Fridays anti-Trump protest inside the University of Illinois at Chicago Pavilion. Photo: Scott Olson/Getty Images

But while the protests were clearly well organized, had some support from the institutional left, and comprised many Sanders supporters, Trump has been suggesting that the protests were led or controlled by the Sanders campaign itself, a claim for which there is so far no evidence. Regarding that accusation, Sanders called Trump a liar on Saturday, and added that, I dont think our supporters are inciting. What our supporters are doing is responding to a candidate who has, in fact, in many ways, encouraged violence and who has promoted hatred and division. In an interview on State of the Union Sunday morning, Sanders insisted that his campaign had nothing to do with the protests in Chicago, and expressed his displeasure that his supporters had attempted to stop the rally. I would hope that my supporters would not disrupt meetings, Sanders said. To protest is one thing, to disrupt is something else.

Meanwhile, Trumps new accusations come after yet more unrest at his rallies on Saturday. In Dayton, Ohio, a protester attempted to jump on stage near Trump, leading to a tense scene as Secret Service agents rushed to protect the candidate from possible harm. That man was subsequently arrested. Then on Saturday night in Kansas City, several anti-Trump protesters were pepper-sprayed by police outside the Trump rally being held there:

@kcpolice As you can see, we were far from what happened and peaceful and lawful and he still walked up to spray us pic.twitter.com/9EECz8167Z  Chris (@stokith) March 13, 2016

Inside that Kansas City event, Trump continued his anti-protester attacks, asking police to arrest demonstrators at the rally and promising to file whatever charges you want in order to see them prosecuted. Trump elaborated on his thinking as well, noting that:

I hope these guys get thrown into a jail. Theyll never do it again. Itll destroy their record. Theyll have to explain to mom and dad why they have a police record and why they cant get a job. And you know what? Im going to start pressing charges against all of these people. And then we wont have a problem.

Also on Sunday, Trump told NBCs Meet the Press that he was actively looking into paying the legal fees of a 78-year-old man, John Franklin McGraw, who was arrested after assaulting a black protester at a Trump rally in North Carolina last week. Trump said that he believed McGraw got carried away because maybe he doesnt like seeing whats happening to the country. Trump has repeatedly offered to paid the legal fees of supporters who attack protesters at his rallies, an offer which obviously sets a dangerous precedent. Looking into assistance for McGraw  who sucker-elbowed protester Rakeem Jones as he was being peacefully escorted out of the Trump rally by police, then later suggested he might have to kill Jones if he ever saw him again  seems to be the first time Trump has tried to follow through with that promise. The GOP front-runner also continued to insist on Meet the Press that he is not responsible for, and does not condone, any of the violence. On Fox News Sunday, Trump also claimed that as big as the rallies are, nobodys ever been hurt, while also pointing out that the man McGraw assaulted  and was thus surely injured in at least some capacity  had provoked the physical response by flipping off the crowd.
Donald Trump, authoritarian. Photo: Joe Raedle/Getty Images

Last month, I made the case that a Donald Trump nomination would be better for America than the nomination of one of his Republican rivals. I no longer believe that. I began to change my mind when a report circulated highlighting his 1990 interview with Playboy in which he praised the brutality of the Tiananmen Square crackdown. This is not the first time I had seen Trump praise dictators. (He has effused over Vladimir Putin.) But Trumps admiration for Putin seemed to spring from a more ordinary Republican partisan contempt for President Obama, and closely echoed pro-Putin comments made by fellow Republicans like Rudy Giuliani. Trumps quarter-century-old endorsement of Chinese Communist Party repression went well beyond the familiar derangement of the modern GOP. This was not hatred of Obama, or some obnoxious drive to stick it to his supporters; it was evidence of an authentic and long-standing ideology. Trump has changed his mind about many things, but a through line can be drawn from the comments Trump made in 1990 and the message of his campaign now: When the students poured into Tiananmen Square, the Chinese government almost blew it. Then they were vicious, they were horrible, but they put it down with strength. That shows you the power of strength. Our country is right now perceived as weak.

My previous view of Trump was as a kind of vaccine. The Republican Party relies on the covert mobilization of racial resentment and nationalism. Trump, as I saw it, was bringing into the open that which had been intentionally submerged. It seemed like a containable dose of disease, too small to take over its host, but large enough to set off a counterreaction of healthy blood cells. But the outbreak of violence this weekend suggests the disease may be spreading far wider than I believed, and infecting healthy elements of the body politic.

I remain convinced that Trump cannot win the presidency. But what I failed to account for was the possibility that his authoritarian style could degrade American politics even in defeat. There is a whiff in the air of the notion that the election will be settled in the streets  a poisonous idea that is unsafe in even the smallest doses.

Here is another factor I failed to predict. Trump, as Ive noted, lies substantively within the modern Republican racial political tradition that seamlessly incorporates such things as the Willie Horton ads and the uncontroversial service of Louisiana representative Steve Scalise, who once called himself David Duke without the baggage, as House Majority Whip. But Trumps amplification of white racial resentment matters. His campaign has dominated the national discourse. Millions of Americans who have never heard of Steve Scalise are seized with mortal terror of Trump, whose ubiquity in campaign coverage makes him seem larger and more unstoppable than he is. And terror is corrosive.

Marco Rubio, channeling the conservative movements response to Trump, has tried to connect him to President Obama, a figure who is Trumps antithesis in every respect. Rubio has compared Trumps rhetoric to third-world strongmen, an analogy he has in the past used to describe Obama (It was rhetoric, I thought, that was more appropriate for some left-wing strongman than for the president of the United States.). Rubio has fixated on the notion that Obamas appeals to racial tolerance amount to an assault on white America, even condemning the president for speaking at a mosque. Speaking on Fox News Friday night, Rubio connected Obamas style to the political correctness found on many college campuses and other left-wing outposts:

President Obama has spent the last eight years dividing Americans along haves and have-nots, along ethnic lines, racial lines, gender lines in order to win elections. I think this has gone to the next level here and you know, were seeing the consequences of it and that, in combination with the fact that, you know, I think theres a need to remind people that the first amendment allows people to disagree with issues and say things you dont agree with, which obviously is just being lost here. And then this sort of sense now on the left that if you dont like what someone is saying, you have the right to just shut them down as you see happen on many college campuses across America and you saw tonight there in Chicago.

This is mostly laughable. Obama has condemned political correctness on several occasions, urging liberals not to try to prevent political opponents (even the most offensive ones) from making their case, but to win arguments with them instead.

But Rubio is not wrong to draw a connection between political correctness and elements of the lefts response to Trump. Donald Trump may or may not have been forthright about citing safety fears in canceling his speech Friday night in Chicago, and disrupting the speech may or may not have been the protesters goal. But it is clear that protesters view the cancellation of the speech as a victory, breaking out in cheers of We stopped Trump!

Preventing speakers one finds offensive from delivering public remarks is commonplace on campuses. Indeed, more than 300 faculty members at the University of Illinois at Chicago signed a letter asking the university administration not to allow Trump to speak. I polled my Twitter followers about whether they consider disrupting Trumps speeches an acceptable response to his racism. Two-thirds replied that it is. Obviously, this is not a scientific poll, but it indicates a far broader acceptance than I expected.

Because Trump is so grotesque, and because he has violated liberal norms himself so repeatedly, the full horror of the goal of stopping Trump from campaigning (as opposed to merely counterdemonstrating against him) has not come across. But the whole premise of democracy is that rules need to be applied in every case without regard to the merit of the underlying cause to which it is attached. If you defend the morality of a tactic against Trump, then you should be prepared to defend its morality against any candidate. Now imagine that right-wing protesters had set out to disrupt Barack Obamas speeches in 2008. If youre not okay with that scenario, you should not be okay with protesters doing it to Trump.

Of course it is Trump who has let loose the wave of fear rippling out from the campaign. And it is Trump who has singled out African-Americans peacefully attending his speeches for mistreatment, and Trump who has glorified sucker-punching attacks on nonviolent protesters. This is part of the effectiveness of authoritarian politics. The perception that Trump poses a threat to democracy legitimizes undemocratic responses  if you believe you are faced with the rise of an American Mussolini, why let liberal norms hold you back? The anti-Trumpian glory falls not upon the normal, boring practitioners of liberal politics  Hillary Clinton with her earnest speeches about universal pre-K and stronger financial regulation  but the street fighters who will muster against Trump the kind of response he appears to require. Just the other day, a man charged Trump as he spoke, and came disturbingly close to reaching him. More of this seems likely to follow, and it can spread from Trumps rallies to those of other candidates.

A huge majority of the public finds Trump repellent. Some of his current unpopularity is the soft opposition of Republican voters who are currently listening to anti-Trump messaging from party sources and would return to the fold if he wins the nomination. But there is simply no evidence that the country that elected Barack Obama twice, and which is growing steadily more diverse, stands any likelihood of electing Trump. He can and must be defeated through democratic means. He is spreading poisons throughout the system that could linger beyond his defeat. Anybody who cares about the health of American democracy should hope for its end as swiftly as possible.
The idle musings of a former military man, former computer geek, medically retired pastor and now full-time writer. Contents guaranteed to offend the politically correct and anal-retentive from time to time. My approach to life is that it should be taken with a large helping of laughter, and sufficient firepower to keep it tamed!
She looks cute in her ski clothes.



Operation Smile will always remind me of Jessie from NYC Prep though.

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Operation smile reminds me of NYC Prep

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I really can't picture those pants looking good on anyone. :-/

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Whoever did her makeup was high. Her one eyebrow is arched and the other is looking all lazy. Wtf.



Operation Smile is a big deal to my family, we donated to them for years. My nephew has a facial cleft.

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Park City is my favorite place in the world

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dem pants sis

harry styles will come claim them later

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Just started following her on snapchat and it's a bit of a mess, but she seems pretty down to earth so whatevs

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I saw that she just created the account, she's much more free on snapchat already, posting the picture of her popping a squat in the woods because they were locked out of her sisters apartment.

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Lol I saw that, I was like, what the-- and then it hit me. It's hard to know what to snapchat so I get it that she's trying to get a feel for it.

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I have that hat. She looks like a nice person.

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kween

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Aww, I love her. She seems really fun to hang out with.

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I really like her a lot, she seems super chill

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Kiss it better needs to be released as a single she just kills it live 

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needed me*

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mte

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needed me would only do well on "urban" radio tbh. Kiss It Better has more mass appeal.

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After listening to the album some more, I have fallen in love with Needed Me! 'You-ou-ou-ou-ou-ou-ou-ou-ou needed me.'



Consideration, Love on the Brain (OBSESSED!), and Needed Me are the best records on the album. I cannot get enough of singing along to Love on the Brain! 'Got me like a-a-a-owww'

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Needed Me then Kiss it Better obviously (and then Desperado plz)

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lettuce pray.

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oh god, who did the costuming? looks like a kanye fashion show tbh

bland

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lol why would anyone pay for this

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they want to fund her sex tourism and animal abuse abroad

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If anything SHE helped those girls and animals. Because it was because of ha tweets that everything was uncovered



Hmm I wonder if she's a secret agent actually

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I would never pay to see Rihanna tbh. Her costume here is awful.

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She opens with stay? Opening with a ballad is kind of weird

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Yup out of all the bops she has (and many of which she paid dust) she chooses a ballad to open with? Rihanna sis...

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She should have opened with Woo

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she did that for her last tour i believe



it was odd

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idk maybe she doesnt want her fans to leave her

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lmao

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B once did that with that ne song from Beyonce and quickly changed it up the next night lol

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lmao how much were tickets?

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Don't know about this concert but she will be in Poland in summer and the tickets cost ca. $50 - $120.

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i know several people who went and i want to ask them what time the show started...

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this lmao.

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LOL this accuracy

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That was my first thought. lol I saw her a few years ago and she was an hour late.

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9h15

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i thought her performance was cute at the brit awards but still not persuaded enough to change my mind on ever going to one of her shows after hearing my friends complaint.

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Those outfits are v. Kanye inspired but she's Rihanna so she makes it look good. I've been very hesitant about going to her show in NYC, my friend has an extra ticket.



So far this era has been slowly turning around, I just hope it continues to be a good era but of all her albums, this one deserves a proper era.



Edited at 2016-03-13 08:46 pm (UTC)

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she does we found love, there's even a video in the post

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yep, I edited my comment before you replied lol. I finally saw it. I read it too quick.

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My friend brought me with her to see Rihanna 3 years ago and she came out 2 hours late without apology. It was a fun show but I'd never go see her again.

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Why are her outfits so ugly?

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I think Vetements will be hugely influential in few years tho

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LOL

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lmaoo

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omg

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Hmmm, I love both of those songs but I don't really get the comparison.

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lmfao stop

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Her pictures with fans are always so cute.

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i don't really like this setlist but i want this shirt

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this is great

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Want

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i honestly can't tell even when i look at the pic zoomed in

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Ha yes. The pettiness, bitterness and cruelty of divorce/custody battles.



That poor kid...

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I don't really see what basis he could request/demand legal fees for. This situation wasn't caused by either of them it was caused by their son needing a custody rearrangement. That's not that unusual in the world of family law.

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if I understand the whole situation, their son wanted to live with his dad and Madonna refused, forcing Guy Ritchie to sue for custody... could have been avoided if she had just honored Rocco's desire.

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If there is wrongdoing on her part which prompted him to sue and then she subsequently lost...then yeah. He could ask her to pay legal fees

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this is pretty typical in family law, one side trying to stick the other with the bill.



they don't expect to win, most of the time, it's just a "here's more paperwork for you to deal with" kind of jab.

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I love those jabs when I'm the one giving them out. Never dealt with family law tho.

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mess

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guy richie is a pos, nothing to see here

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yep

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I was on his side until now. Greedy prick.

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the MDNA album was worth it for this song alone



and "Falling Free"







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my other fave. Let's not forget "gang bang" henny

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This is one of the best songs of her career.

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My first thought. I love this song sfm

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mte if only her name was benjamin



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It's not his fault that she was a sucky mother and the kids wanted to get as far as possible from her.



She is responsible for fighting against Rocco's wish to live with his father and should pay the legal fees related to that mess.

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mte

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agreed

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He married her. And he's an adult with more than enough money to pay the legal fees regarding his kid.

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There would be no need for legal fees if she was a good enough mother. Rocco doesn't seem to think so, and judging by the fact that Lola lives in a campus - neither does her daughter.

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Madonna wanted Lola to go that university since she went there iirc

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your salty ass is always so bitter and nasty. do you ever get outside, sis?

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it's pretty standard. If there is a breach of agreement terms, and one party takes the other to court over it, and the offending party loses the case, they pay the damn legal fees.

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Oh Guy, Madonna is not your ATM anymore. You've been divorced for almost a decade now.

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lmao team no one

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His lawyers should know very well you only get legal fees if it's statutory or someone was egregious in either something that happened during the suit or being in the suit at all. There's no reason for this, that we know of.

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i bet you that's the point. just to irritate the shit out of her. my dad used to try this shit with my mom all the time when they were going through divorce proceedings.

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That's such bullshit, and it just makes every other custody decision that much harder. I'm sorry you went through that.

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That's very common, you have to ask for everything and then you negotiate

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guy ritchie is awful.

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Guy is a shitty father, they adopted David together but he doesn't give a fuck about him at all. As a matter of fact he cropped him out in one of his Insta pics and left Rocco with caption "The son"





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racist detected

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That's fucked up. I feel so bad for the adopted kids. If I were them, I would feel like my parent(s) were going out of their way to ignore me as their child. Like, the whole "two halves of my heart"... Can't they even PRETEND to include them?

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adoption isn't for everyone in part because some ppl don't have the capacity to love a child not biologically related to them, as equally as they can their own. i get that. but it's super baffling and gross when these same ppl go out of their way to adopt anyway.

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tbf that was just one photo. she posts photos and videos of Mercy and David all the time & captions with how much she loves them

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They're both quite unfortunate looking

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that is fucked up

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Not surprised. I honestly believe Rocco wants to be with his dad because Guy comes off as the kind of dad whod let his kid do anything. Hes seems like hed be a friend or a bro moreso than a father.

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Disgusting.



i'm not surprised he dated madonna, who used the N-word, believes all black men are inherently sexist and violent + called her white children "her favorites"

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My dad did the same with my sister and me. But he loves us equally!!!!!

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yikes

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'Two halves of my heart'

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no offense but madge isn't better with her adopted children either

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lmao but I'd be asking her to pay for my fees too after her/her lawyers filed a child abduction charge against him

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but legally that is what he did? they had an existing custody agreement that Rocco stayed with Madonna for certain portions of the year. Rocco didn't want to be on the tour anymore but he was ordered by the courts to return to the US for Christmas and neither Rocco nor Guy abided by that.

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girl don't try slapping logic onto ontd who notoriously hate madonna. it's a losing battle.

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guy isn't going to turn his son away, especially if madonna is on tour. this isn't to defend rocco as a father at all, but realistically, you're going to say "ok stay with me until we get this figured out" instead of turning him around and putting him back on a plane.

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I get that, I do, but you're talking about a kid who's 15 and who decided he wanted to stay home with his dad for whatever reasons he has. so to me it's pretty OTT to go to a court in New York and submit those charges to then go to London and settle things out and half assedly retract that initial charge.

if we were talking about a situation where Rocco was 10 or younger and Guy is willingly withholding him that's completely different

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Trying to pick individual stocks is difficult. Most investors struggle in large part because they lack the kind of information and tools that are available to professionals. In addition, an increasing part of the market is made up of computer programs that trade stocks based on mathematical relationships and metrics that have been shown to be reliably correlated with future outperformance in earnings and stock prices.

Building on my last article about picking stocks based on quantitative metrics, this article discusses the second set of three metrics that have been shown in numerous economic studies to be useful for predicting future stock returns. This is true for energy stocks and companies in every other industry out there. Related: Three Stocks Well Positioned For An Oil Price Rebound

The second set of three characteristics that investors need to consider when buying a stock are earnings momentum, quality of profitability and a stocks Short Interest Ratio.

1.) Earnings Momentum: Earnings momentum refers to the economic performance of a firm over the last 12 months. Studies have shown consistently that firms with strong positive earnings growth over the last 12 months outperform other comparable firms. This is the basis for strategies by some of the most successful hedge funds in the world today. Stocks with good earnings growth might seem expensive because their price has usually risen considerably  yet investors should ignore the firms that seem cheap and tilt their portfolios to the expensive firms with good earnings momentum. Those firms are the ones that will continue beating earnings expectations in the future. In fact, the real power in earnings momentum is with those stocks that have outperformed 6 to 12 months previously. Firms that hit that hurdle will continue to outperform for the next 12 months on average. Related: Exposing The Oil Glut: Where Are The 550 Million Missing Barrels?!

Two good metrics for assessing earnings are operating cash flows and the recycle ratio. Operating cash flows are a cash flow statement term which includes only the cash that a firm generates from its regular operations rather than through financing or investing activities. Operating cash flows consist of non-cash earnings such as depreciation and amortization plus net income.

Recycle ratios are a little more complicated to calculate, so it might be worth consulting a source like Bloomberg or a financial expert for help on that front.

2.) Quality  Value investors should never look at a simple stock price or even a price-to-earnings ratio to decide which stocks to buy. Instead, investors should be screening for high quality firms where quality is defined as low debt, and high stable gross profits measured as revenues less COGS. A good measure of quality in energy stocks is return on capital employed (ROCE). ROCE measures a company's profitability and the efficiency based on the amount of capital it is employing. Return on Capital Employed (ROCE) is calculated as follows:

ROCE = Earnings Before Interest and Tax (EBIT) / Capital Employed Related: Iran Slowly But Steadily Increasing Oil Market Share

3.) Short Interest Ratio: Finally, investors need to consider the short interest ratio of a firm. Short interest ratios measure the amount of shares in a company which are shorted divided by the number of shares traded per day on average. Firms with a high SIR have abysmal future returns on average. Investors in the energy sector should look for stocks that have low SIR compared to their peers. On average a SIR less than 3.0 is reasonably acceptable, while SIR less than 1.0 is good. Energy firms with a low SIR have outperformed otherwise similar energy firms with a high SIR by an average of about 2 percent per month over the last year!

There are no guarantees in investing of course, but following these metrics will substantially improve the performance of a portfolio over time according to numerous economic researchers.

By Michael McDonald of Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
Continuing my series about following your mother's advice to watch out who your friends are, the new best friend for Donald Trump's entourage is now the former GOP presidential candidate Dr. Ben Carson.





Let me get this right. The "Ben Carson - Trump" BFF endorsement is obviously tokenism. Or, is it more like a bi-racial sequel to the

cartoon characters of "

".

Trump picked Carson as his token African-American. Like the character "Gaston", Dr. Carson is just too obliged to say no.



"After you, Alphonse.", "No, you first, my dear Gaston!" routine entertained cartoon readers for more than a decade. Alphonse was short and grotesque; Gaston was tall and grotesque. Both were extremely polite, constantly bowing and deferring to each other. Neither could ever do anything or go anywhere because each insisted on letting the other precede him.





This scenario is exactly how I see a "Trump-Carson" alliance.

"Dear 'sometimes cerebral', Mr. Trump", says Carson;......"after you, polite and soft spoken Dr. Carson", responds Trump.





Every Trumponian political endorsement appears to be an ambitious attempt by the person doing the endorsing to gain political favor with the Trump runaway political train. None of the endorsements appear to be based on an ideological agreement.





In other words, I don't see Governor Chris Christie lining up to believe there were Muslims cheering when the New York City terrorism attacks happened on September 11, 2001, as Trump wrongly described. Moreover, it's difficult for me to believe Senator Jefferson Sessions agrees with Donald Trump, when he won't condemn the racial extremism of David Duke and the Ku Klux Klan. Each of Trump's opportunistic endorsers appear to have one shared attribute, being they want something in return for their support. Hopefully, all of them will be discredited by their endorsement for Donald Trump, just like mother said, "watch out who your friends are".





It appears there's a new right wing of the "right wing" Republican party being nurtured. Those who are the leaders of this coven of supporters will reap what they sow. In other words, "After you, Mr. Trump,".....as they exit stage left and into a political no man's land.





As for Dr. Ben Carson, it's certainly disappointing to see a man with his expert medical-surgical talents become a token African-American, hung up like a trophy, used for political purposes.

Labels: Alphonse and Gaston
The Republican Party long made its potentially valuable case for small government, and some Republicans still wave that flag even as the party splinters around them. But the argument for small became an argument for parochialism, and public well-being became a diminished value. The Republicans adopted the free-market ethic of pursuing self-interest and expanded it to include all areas of public endeavor. Their rhetoric and policies increasingly made the common well-being not just subservient to but contrary to their standard of pursuing self-interest, which should be done, the argument goes, without regard to public harm or to one's level of understanding, because that is what individual freedom does. God, or an Invisible Hand, or frankly Who Cares can take care of the commonweal.

Pursuing smallness, the GOP cultivated the narrow, the short-sighted, and the selfish. Smallness--including racial, religious, economic, and political bigotry--found its fertile ground.

Racism has always been with us. The fear and abuse of "other" is not even uniquely human. It is, however, something that humane civilizations try to overcome. At our best, we know that we are about "freedom and justice for all;" that, as Lincoln put it in his day, "In giving freedom to the slave, we assure freedom to the free;" or Jesus in his, "Whatsoever you do to the least of your brethren, that you do unto me." Our well-being is fundamentally mutual.

But the Republican Party, so far from Lincoln now, has not seen it that way. Beating the drums of fear, it has supported racial profiling; it calls for deportation and walls, knowing they can't work but also knowing that the appeal for them will build political support, regardless of the cost of building racism within that support. When the Party recognized the political need to cultivate Hispanic votes, they proposed trotting out some darker faces in their promotion but did not develop Hispanic-friendly policies, notably blocking immigration reform and favoring breaking up struggling families. Now the base that the GOP has cultivated is propelling the rise of a politician who, at least as a campaign tactic, is racially derogatory and demeaning, and only shruggingly disavows the KKK.

Racial bigotry so easily keeps company with religious bigotry. The lead Republican candidate calls for a religiously based ban on immigration. The rest of the Republican field vies for Christian votes not by asserting defense of religious freedom but by asserting their own Christianity. The second-place candidate particularly vows to promote Christianity, and seems unable to leave a political stage without publicly invoking his god. Beaten into the holy Republican dust is the idea of true religious freedom and government neutrality toward it. Instead, Republican leaders turn Christianity into an argument for office and a preferred government faith. They twist an inclusive religion into a tool of fragmentation.

Economic selfishness is probably the root of most areas of discrimination. It is not unique to Republicans, but most vigorously practiced by them. Aside from policies that reduce economic mobility--opposing living-wage requirements, not allowing students to refinance college loans, and favoring personal income-tax rates that keep wealth to the wealthy and poverty to the poor--the GOP is the palace of dark money in politics, replacing the value of voters with the value of dollars, and creating a government with those same priorities. They squelched a single-payer plan that could have simplified and improved health care, protecting insurance-company profits over public health. They similarly fight environmental regulations that would also offer long-term public benefit. They wave the banner of corporate deregulation that helped usher in the Great Recession and the S&L crisis before it, protecting the corporate lords no matter what harm they do to public health or prosperity. They complain politically and litigiously when the president at long last circumvents their politics of public impoverishment. As a party, they follow an ideology of unregulated capitalism that serves to concentrate wealth and extend poverty.

Politically, Republicans have worked to reduce voting and overthrow its results. They proclaimed voter fraud that didn't exist, and used the claim to pass laws that restrict voting access. Billboards in poor neighborhoods were posted with messages designed to limit voting through fear of repercussions. In 2014, Republicans claimed victory in the House of Representatives, even though most voters, by over a million, voted Democratic; Republicans had gerrymandered their votes away. More recently, efforts to minimize gerrymandering were met with a GOP lawsuit. Republicans want to keep their ability to steal elections.

But not satisfied with thwarting voters, Republicans proceed to thwart government. The Party of No successfully makes government small not by passing legislation but by refusing to--even refusing to do their part to fill a Supreme Court vacancy. Then they further promote political frustration by decrying the gridlock they create and proclaiming that people are angry. Voters, adopting the anger, are readily steered to the non-solutions of fear and bigotry.

So now Republicans see their party fracturing into its cultivated splinters of racial, religious, economic, and political smallness. That smallness hurts not just their party but the nation and the world.

But the Republicans get the "small" they want. Sort of.


Bill Maher - Caricature

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Believing himself to be witty, Maher stated that Revolt against Plutocracy was simply contributing to the election ""of a revolting plutocrat" (i.e., Trump). Maher dismissed the differences between Sanders and Clinton as being minimal. He ridiculed the idea of not supporting Clinton. His remarks can be viewed HERE.

I was, briefly, a Director of RAP. As such, I feel the need to rebut Maher's clueless assertions.

Hillary Clinton is a tool of concentrated money. She represents the interests of Goldman Sachs and other Wall Street financial institutions. She was a Director of Wall Mart at a time when it was actively suppressing attempts at unionization. She has received millions of dollars in contributions from these entities.

As Secretary of State, Clinton was deeply implicated in the 2009 coup against democratically elected Honduran President Manuel Zelaya. Honduran indigenous activist Berta Caceres was murdered within days after she recently spoke out against Clinton's involvement in her nation's descent into military backed autocracy.

Clinton once stated "We came, we saw, he died" as a flippant response to the violent death of Libyan Dictator Muamar Khadafy. She is such an ardent proponent of US military intervention around the world, that recently none other than Dick Cheney recently praised her militarism.

Clinton was, for reasons of political expediency, an ardent supporter of the homophobic Defense of Marriage Act, which Bernie Sanders steadfastly opposed.

I could go on and on and on, however, the above is sufficient to show Clinton for what she is: a cynical, calculating politician, lacking completely in morality, ethics and even the slightest semblance of decency. She is a willing tool of America's power elites. That is ALL she has ever been, ever will be, and can ever be. A vote for her is a vote to continue our economically destructive neoliberal, global interventionist status quo.

Bernie Sanders, conversely, has consistently stood against manufactured foreign interventions and wars. He has consistently stood for the rights of working people, and religious, ethnic, and sexual minorities. His positions have not "evolved" over time.

Bernie is grounded in a deep sense of morality, and of consistent support for the poorest and most vulnerable members of our society. Bernie has consistently stood with the people against the powerful who pay themselves obscene profits even though they pay little to no taxes, exploit their workers, pollute the planet, corrupt our politics, and contribute little to nothing of positive value to our society.

As such, a greater contrast between these two candidates cannot be imagined. There is NO similarity WHATSOEVER between Sanders and Clinton. Bill Maher, in claiming that only minor differences exist between the two, is either inexcusably ignorant, or more probably, simply bloviating the views of the Hollywood elites of which he is a card-carrying member. Either way, he does democracy a great disservice.

Maher stated that Democrats need to unite against Trump, implying that either Clinton OR Sanders would be the better choice over Donald Trump. If only real life were as two-dimensionally and cartoonishly simple as that!

What animates Trump's supporters, at the deepest level, is ever-growing income inequality. The mostly poorly educated, blue collar, white voters he attracts, do not understand how and why their standard of living is consistently declining. Life expectancy among this desperate cohort of voters is also DECLINING.

In actuality, their standard of living is tanking due to the neoliberal national government that has become the servant of business interests. These destructive neoliberal economic policies have been followed by Republicans from Reagan onward; and by Democrats from Bill Clinton's Presidency, forward. They exported our high-paying, unionized manufacturing jobs abroad. First to Mexico, and then as Mexico became too "high wage" for the robber barons, to China. Now, indeed, many of these jobs, textiles in particular, are being moved once again, to ultimate low wage places such as Bangladesh.

Profits for the elites soar, as once well paid American workers sink ever deeper into debt and despair. All this is a direct consequence of neoliberal economic policies of which Clinton is an inextricable part, and of which Sanders has resolutely opposed across the years and decades.

In reality, Hillary Clinton, and all other neoliberals, have themselves CREATED Trump. THEY bear SOLE responsibility for summoning him and his proto-fascism from the "vasty deep." Happy people do not make history, unhappy, economically insecure ones do. Clinton, a neoliberal champion, is inextricably a part of the CAUSE of Trump's success as a candidate.

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Angela Merkel's recent initiative to outsource to Turkey the migration crisis faced by the European Union unmistakably reminds of what advertising professionals learn early on in their careers: "A camel looks like a horse planned by a committee"! The quote is attributed to Sir Alexander Arnold Constantine Issigonis, the Greek-British engineer who designed the Mini, launched in 1959. click here



Merkel has since last October embarked on a campaign to convince the Germans and the rest of the Europeans that the Continent's salvation from the unprecedented influx of Afghani, Iraqi and Syrian refugees can only be stopped with the help of the Turkish government, which controls the space between these lands and Europe.

In November 2015 she struck a deal with Ankara, according to which, in consideration of 3 billion euros, the Turkish state should stop the flow of Middle Eastern emigrants to its EU neighbours--Bulgaria and Greece. There was no concrete action plan, and in fact in the three months that followed the handshake there has been no change in the migration pattern. An official agreement, subject to more tangible obligations by the parties, was due to be signed last Monday in Brussels, at a Summit of the EU Council (EUCO), which was attended by the Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu.



A. Merkel

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But the night before the summit, during a closed-circle dinner that included Merkel and the Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, Davutoglu said that his government was not satisfied with the transaction agreed and it was raising its demands: 6 billion euros in cash, instead of 3, plus expenses, for keeping the refugees in Turkey; visa-free access to the EU for all Turkish citizens as early as June 2016, instead of a previously agreed later conditional date that had still to be decided upon; and acceleration of Turkey's full membership process, regardless of the status of his country's compliance with the Copenhagen Criteria--the Union's rules applicable to all candidate states before acceptance.

It should not come as a surprise that on the day of the Summit the 26 other EU member states, who had been left in the dark, were shocked. Smaller states from the East of Europe said they were unlikely to accept any new conditions. Hungary, in particular, said it would veto the decision on any agreement along such lines. Behind closed doors, multilateral and bilateral discussions and corridor diplomacy continued among the Union's heads of government or state until the following morning.

In a gesture to 'bridge' the differences and to sweeten the pill, Davutoglu had in the meantime offered to take back to Turkey all refugees who had sailed from its coast and are currently stuck in Greece. In exchange, however, the EU will resettle to its member states one Syrian political refugee for every refugee Turkey will readmit to its territory. This excludes economic refugees, as well as those fleeing Afghanistan and Iraq.

This way, Turkey argues and Merkel supports, the 'business model' for the traffickers, who facilitate the migrants' trips to Greece will be broken. Turkey has hosted since 2011, when the civil war in Syria began, 2.7 million refugees. But Europe has been receiving an important number among these. Just in 2015, almost one million emigrants reached the EU and are now dispersed mostly in Germany, but also in the Netherlands, Austria, Sweden, and Greece. The figures advanced by all parties are of little reliability, as border registrations have been erratic and poorly managed.

In spite of the 'counter-offer' above and the all-night debate at the EU Council, there has been no consensus on the proposal. The heads of state and government have only agreed that the matter needs further thinking and discussion, and that the situation should be on the agenda of the Ordinary EUCO Summit of 17-18 March.

On Wednesday the Western Balkan member states of Croatia and Slovenia, together with their neighbours Macedonia and Serbia, announced that they are closing their borders, thus preventing the refugees from travelling towards Central Europe. These are now trapped in Greece, to the despair of Alexis Tsipras, the PM of Greece--EU's technically bankrupt member.

So the final draft of the camel is due for next Tuesday. The designing committee is composed of no less than 32 'experts'. In addition to the 28 member states, those who have a say include Donald Tusk, President of EUCO, Jean-Claude Juncker, President of the European Commission, Martin Schulz, President of the European Parliament, and of course Ahmet Davutoglu. All these are following the rhythm dictated by the baton of conductor Merkel. In reality, however, the director of the show will be Davutoglu--unless, in another histrionic move, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan decides at the last moment to step in in person.

But why call Merkel's migration initiative a camel? Well, because it looks, and it is, very different from an orthodox international agreement to deal with a serious humanitarian crisis, and because the negotiation technique followed by the German chancellor is flawed and prone to disaster for Europe in the longer term.

Merkel's vision last November and again this January certainly was to serve to the 28 a flat camel, looking very much like a genuine, bona fide, horse. In reality, her main concern was to, initially, show the magnanimity and humanity of the German people, and later, after strong reactions by her constituents against her generosity, to save face and preserve sufficient popularity among her voters. It is unknown for the time being what promises were made to Erdogan and Davutoglu behind scenes in the past five months, outside of what has officially been disclosed. But after last Monday's fiasco, foreign governments, international observers and media, and the average citizen in the German street sense that this camel is not viable.

There is a plethora of weak points in the plan. The more important can be summarised as follows:

- Financial: It had already been very difficult for many member states to agree to contribute to the initial charge of 3 billion euros. The 'double taxation' to which they are asked to succumb will be extremely problematic to justify to their respective citizens. The economic crisis in Continental Europe persists in spite of periodical optimism, with the exception of Germany and the Netherlands.

- Operational: Very few member states have so far agreed to absorb any number of the immigrants above a few dozens a month! The one-to-one deal will require firm commitments by each state to thousands of refugees per month, if the current number of those leaving the Turkish coast for Greece are taken into account. The resettlement process contemplated also means that migrants will have no freedom of choice of their destination, although some of them may have families in particular EU members. Experience so far shows that the vast majority among them want to go to Germany or to Scandinavia, because of the potential for a new life, job availability, and for the social and health benefits that these countries offer. An attractive destination to Syrians is Britain, but the country's PM David Cameron was on Monday adamant that the UK will not be bound by any of the decisions made in respect to this agreement.

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Critics have long questioned why violent intervention was necessary in Libya. Hillary Clinton's recently published emails confirm that it was less about protecting the people from a dictator than about money, banking, and preventing African economic sovereignty.

The brief visit of then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to Libya in October 2011 was referred to by the media as a "victory lap." "We came, we saw, he died!" she crowed in a CBS video interview on hearing of the capture and brutal murder of Libyan leader Muammar el-Qaddafi.

But the victory lap, write Scott Shane and Jo Becker in the New York Times, was premature. Libya was relegated to the back burner by the State Department, "as the country dissolved into chaos, leading to a civil war that would destabilize the region, fueling the refugee crisis in Europe and allowing the Islamic State to establish a Libyan haven that the United States is now desperately trying to contain."

US-NATO intervention was allegedly undertaken on humanitarian grounds, after reports of mass atrocities; but human rights organizations questioned the claims after finding a lack of evidence. Today, however, verifiable atrocities are occurring. As Dan Kovalik wrote in the Huffington Post, "the human rights situation in Libya is a disaster, as 'thousands of detainees [including children] languish in prisons without proper judicial review,' and 'kidnappings and targeted killings are rampant'."

Before 2011, Libya had achieved economic independence, with its own water, its own food, its own oil, its own money, and its own state-owned bank. It had arisen under Qaddafi from one of the poorest of countries to the richest in Africa. Education and medical treatment were free; having a home was considered a human right; and Libyans participated in an original system of local democracy. The country boasted the world's largest irrigation system, the Great Man-made River project, which brought water from the desert to the cities and coastal areas; and Qaddafi was embarking on a program to spread this model throughout Africa.

But that was before US-NATO forces bombed the irrigation system and wreaked havoc on the country. Today the situation is so dire that President Obama has asked his advisors to draw up options including a new military front in Libya, and the Defense Department is reportedly standing ready with "the full spectrum of military operations required."

The Secretary of State's victory lap was indeed premature, if what we're talking about is the officially stated goal of humanitarian intervention. But her newly-released emails reveal another agenda behind the Libyan war; and this one, it seems, was achieved.

Mission Accomplished?

Of the 3,000 emails released from Hillary Clinton's private email server in late December 2015, about a third were from her close confidante Sidney Blumenthal, the attorney who defended her husband in the Monica Lewinsky case. One of these emails, dated April 2, 2011, reads in part:

Qaddafi's government holds 143 tons of gold, and a similar amount in silver . . . . This gold was accumulated prior to the current rebellion and was intended to be used to establish a pan-African currency based on the Libyan golden Dinar. This plan was designed to provide the Francophone African Countries with an alternative to the French franc (CFA).

In a "source comment," the original declassified email adds:

According to knowledgeable individuals this quantity of gold and silver is valued at more than $7 billion. French intelligence officers discovered this plan shortly after the current rebellion began, and this was one of the factors that influenced President Nicolas Sarkozy's decision to commit France to the attack on Libya. According to these individuals Sarkozy's plans are driven by the following issues: A desire to gain a greater share of Libya oil production, Increase French influence in North Africa, Improve his internal political situation in France, Provide the French military with an opportunity to reassert its position in the world, Address the concern of his advisors over Qaddafi's long term plans to supplant France as the dominant power in Francophone Africa

Conspicuously absent is any mention of humanitarian concerns. The objectives are money, power and oil.

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Hillary Clinton has excoriated Donald Trump for failing to stop a supporter from roughing up a protester during a speech, saying "This kind of behavior is repugnant. We set the tone for our campaigns -- we should encourage respect, not violence." Yet, in 2011, she did nothing to stop security personnel from brutalizing a 71-year-old veteran who stood silently with his back to her during a speech.

The protester, Ray McGovern, a retired Army officer and CIA analyst, was wearing a black "Veterans for Peace" T-shirt, when he was set upon within sight of Secretary of State Clinton, who ironically was delivering a speech about the importance of foreign leaders respecting dissent. The assault on McGovern left him bruised and bloodied but it didn't cause Clinton to pause as she coolly continued on, not missing a beat.

The Feb. 15, 2011 incident at George Washington University in Washington prompted an email from Clinton's personal adviser Sidney Blumenthal who noted that "something bad happened" and suggested that Clinton have someone reach out and apologize to McGovern. Clinton, however, chose not to do so, although criminal charges against McGovern were dropped.



Subsequently, McGovern was placed on the State Department's "Be On the Look-out" or BOLO alert list, instructing police to "USE CAUTION, stop" and question him and also contact the State Department's Diplomatic Security Command Center.

After learning of the BOLO alert, the Partnership for Civil Justice Fund (PCJF), which is representing McGovern in connection with the 2011 incident, interceded to have the warning lifted. But McGovern wondered if the warning played a role in 2014 when he was aggressively arrested by New York City police at the entrance to the 92nd Street Y where he had hoped to pose a question to a speaker there, one of Clinton's friendly colleagues, former CIA Director and retired General David Petraeus.

After that arrest on Oct. 30, 2014, McGovern wrote , "God only knows (and then only if God has the proper clearances) what other organs of state security had entered the 'derogatory' information about the danger of my 'political activism' into their data bases. Had my 'derog' been shared, perhaps, with the ever-proliferating number of 'fusion centers' that were so effective in sharing information to track and thwart the activists of Occupy including subversives like Quakers and Catholic Workers?"

On Feb. 15, 2011, McGovern attended Clinton's GWU speech, deciding on the spur of the moment after feeling revulsion at the "enthusiastic applause" that welcomed the Secretary of State "to dissociate myself from the obsequious adulation of a person responsible for so much death, suffering and destruction.

"The fulsome praise for Clinton from GW's president and the loud, sustained applause also brought to mind a phrase that as a former Soviet analyst at CIA I often read in Pravda. When reprinting the text of speeches by high Soviet officials, the Communist Party newspaper would regularly insert, in italicized parentheses: 'Burniye applaudismenti; vce stoyat,' Stormy applause; all rise.

"With the others at Clinton's talk, I stood. I even clapped politely. But as the applause dragged on, I began to feel like a real phony. So, when the others finally sat down, I remained standing silently, motionless, wearing my 'Veterans for Peace' T-shirt, with my eyes fixed narrowly on the rear of the auditorium and my back to the Secretary.

"I did not expect what followed: a violent assault in full view of Madam Secretary by what we Soviet analysts used to call the 'organs of state security.' The rest is history, as they say. A short account of the incident can be found here .

"As the video of the event shows, Secretary Clinton did not miss a beat in her speech as she called for authoritarian governments to show respect for dissent and to refrain from violence. She spoke with what seemed to be an especially chilly sang froid, as she ignored my silent protest and the violent assault which took place right in front of her.

"The experience gave me personal confirmation of the impression that I reluctantly had drawn from watching her behavior and its consequences over the past decade. The incident was a kind of metaphor of the much worse violence that Secretary Clinton has coolly countenanced against others.

"Again and again, Hillary Clinton both as a U.S. senator and as Secretary of State has demonstrated a nonchalant readiness to unleash the vast destructiveness of American military power. The charitable explanation, I suppose, is that she knows nothing of war from direct personal experience." [For more of McGovern's account of his arrest, see Consortiumnews.com's " Standing Up to War and Hillary Clinton ."]




Reprinted from AlJazeera

Leaders of Israel's large Palestinian minority have begun creating an alternative syllabus for Arab schools, in what they are terming "a revolutionary" step towards educational autonomy.

It will be the first time in Israel's history that the Palestinian minority has tried to wrest control of the curriculum taught in Arab schools from the Israeli education ministry.

The move follows the ministry's decision to revise the civics textbook, a central part of Israel's matriculation exam.

Traditionally, civics has been the only subject that uses the same textbook in both Jewish and Arab schools.

The changes have triggered a wave of protest from Israeli civics teachers' associations. They have urged members to boycott the new textbook, due to be published in the next few weeks.

The move is likely to face stiff resistance from Israeli officials. Successive governments have refused to countenance educational autonomy for Israel's Palestinian minority.

Israel's 1.6 million Palestinian citizens are a fifth of the population.

Education officials have been accused of downgrading democratic values to place a much greater emphasis on Israel's Jewish character.

Mohammed Barakeh, head of the High Follow-Up Committee, a coalition of the main Palestinian political factions in Israel, told Al-Jazeera that he had approved the decision to issue Arab schools teachers with an alternative civics course.

He said the ministry's new textbook had pushed the Arab education system to "crisis point."

"Our teachers are now being required to present us as immigrants in our own country. And our students are being taught that the Jewish identity of the state is far more important than its democratic identity," he said. "It is time for us to take the initiative and teach our children the true meaning of democratic values."

Although Palestinian and Jewish students are segregated in Israel, the curriculum in Arab schools has always been strictly controlled by Jewish officials, Asad Ghanem, a politics professor at Haifa University, told Al-Jazeera.

The Follow-Up Committee has given Ghanem responsibility for overseeing the development of an alternative civics curriculum in time for the next academic year, in September.

The Palestinian leadership in Israel has grown increasingly concerned about the direction taken by the education system since Naftali Bennett, leader of the far-right settler party Jewish Home, took over the education ministry last spring.

Dirasat, a legal and social policy think-tank based in Nazareth, will take charge of writing the new curriculum sent to Arab schools. Dalia Halabi, its director, said a survey of the existing curriculum by Dirasat and ACRI, an Israeli civil rights group, found that it had become increasingly right-wing and nationalist.

"It does not encourage critical thinking or questioning from students," she told Al-Jazeera. "It aims at indoctrination."
Reprinted from Smirking Chimp

Americans are finally waking up to the biggest Republican con of them all: the small government con. Ever since the 1980s, Republicans have used a strategy former Reagan budget director David Stockman called "starving the beast." The thinking behind this strategy is pretty simple.

First, you cut taxes to "starve the beast" (the government) of the revenue it needs to survive.

Then, when people start getting angry because the government can no longer afford to work the way it should, you propose a solution: cut spending. Instead of feeding the beast even more, you say, we should trim it down to size.

And so the cycle continues.

Now that the government physically can't afford to do its job because you've cut most of its revenue sources, and because it doesn't provide the services it used to provide because you've slashed away at budget after budget, the people get even angrier with the government and government employees.

The lines at the DMV and the Social Security office get longer and longer, schools disintegrate and people blame the government workers for it, not realizing it was Republicans who cut the workforce to the point where the government can barely do its job.

Eventually, they become so upset that they start thinking, like Reagan, that government is the problem, not the solution. And so what do they do?

They demand even more budget cuts and even more tax cuts until the "beast" - otherwise known as our government -- is finally dead.

Our commons and government functions, from Social Security to education, can then be privatized and sold off to the highest bidder -- usually whatever local billionaire has bankrolled the Republican Party in his area.

Pretty insidious strategy, right?

You bet, and it's still being put to work to devastating effect in red states like Louisiana, where former Gov. Bobby Jindal's massive tax cuts for the rich have left the state with a $940 million budget shortfall this year and put it on the path towards a $2 billion shortfall in 2017.

The situation is actually so bad in Louisiana right now that the state has started slashing away at everything -- from the public school system, to sewage cleanup, and is even preparing to make massive cuts to the agency that investigates child abuse. That's right, the agency that investigates child abuse!

Meanwhile, the supposed "economic benefits" of Jindal's "starve the beast" economic plan are nowhere to be found. What's going on in Louisiana is the equivalent of economic terrorism.

Today's Republicans don't believe in promoting the general welfare. They're ideologues who've been running a gigantic scam on the American people for the past 30 years. They want to destroy government to enrich their wealthy friends and donors.

They've been successful in this endeavor in large part because they've used dog-whistle racism to make their billionaire-friendly economic policies more attractive to voters.
Reprinted from Gush Shalom

HELP! I am walking into a minefield. I can't help myself.

The minefield has a name: BDS -- boycott, divestment, sanctions.

I am often asked about my attitude towards this international movement, which was started by Palestinian activists and has spread like wildfire throughout the world.

The Israeli government now considers this movement a major threat, more so, it seems to me, than Daesh or Iran. Israeli embassies all over the world are mobilized to fight it.

The main battleground is the academic world. Fanatical adherents of BDS are conducting fierce debates with equally fanatical adherents of Israel. Both sides use experienced debaters, diverse propaganda ploys, phony arguments and outright lies. It is an ugly debate, and getting uglier.

BEFORE EXPRESSING my own attitude, I would like to clear the ground. What is it all about?

For the last 70 years, since age 23, I have devoted my life to peace -- Jewish-Arab peace, Israeli-Palestinian peace.

Many people on both sides of the divide speak of peace. By now, to paraphrase Dr. Johnson, "peace" has become the last refuge of the hate-mongers.

But what does peace mean? Peace is made between two enemies. It presupposes the existence of both. When one side destroys the other, as Rome destroyed Carthage, it puts an end to the war. But it is not peace.

Peace means that the two sides not only stop hostilities against each other. It means conciliation, living together side by side, and, hopefully, cooperating and, eventually, even getting to like each other.

Therefore, proclaiming a wish for peace while conducting a mutual hate campaign just isn't the real thing. Whatever it is, it is not a struggle for peace.

BOYCOTT IS a legitimate instrument of political struggle.

It is also a basic human right. Everybody is entitled to buy or not to buy whatever he or she desires. Everybody is entitled to ask others to buy or not to buy certain merchandise, for whatever reason.

Millions of Israelis boycott shops and restaurants that are not "kosher." They believe that God told them so. Since I am a strict atheist, I never followed that call. But I always respect the attitude of the religious.

When the Nazis came to power in Germany, American Jews organized a boycott against German wares. The Nazis reacting by proclaiming a day of boycott of Jewish shops in Germany. I was 9 years old and still clearly remember the sight: brown shirted Nazis posted in front of Jewish shops, waving signs "Germans, defend yourselves! Don't buy from Jews!"
When you spew venom and hate its just a matter of time before it catches up with you - tenfold. Over the weekend Republican presidential candidate and frontrunner, Donald Trump, got a taste of his own medicine when he was forced to cancel a Chicago rally and deal with escalating violence at another one. And while that should have been a sobering moment for a normal person, Trump's not a normal individual. Drunk with his own ego and grandiloquent sense of importance, Trump railed against everyone but his followers for the melee accusing Bernie Sander's supporters of fomenting the violence.

Without offering any proof to substantiate his inflammatory statements and he called Sanders "our communist friend" -- a deliberately loaded word that further stokes anger, violence and fear in the minds of his supporters. They equate communism with violence and control that is antithesis to American values. S Trump's use of the word was carefully orchestrated. But if Trump felt that Sanders was an easy target, he did not bargain for the crusty old political battle-axe's sharp retort:

"As is the case virtually every day, Donald Trump is showing the American people that he is a pathological liar. Obviously, while I appreciate that we had supporters at Trump's rally in Chicago, our campaign did not organize the protests.

What caused the protests at Trump's rally is a candidate that has promoted hatred and division against Latinos, Muslims, women, and people with disabilities, and his birther attacks against the legitimacy of President Obama.

What caused the violence at Trump's rally is a campaign whose words and actions have encouraged it on the part of his supporters. He recently said of a protester, 'I want to punch him in the face.' Another time Trump yearned for the old days when the protester would have been punched and "carried out on a stretcher.' Then just a few days ago a female reporter apparently was assaulted by his campaign manager.

When that is what the Trump campaign is doing, we should not be surprised that there is a response. What Donald Trump must do now is stop provoking violence and make it clear to his supporters that people who attend his rallies or protest should not be assaulted, should not be punched, should not be kicked. In America people have a right to attend a political rally without fear of physical harm."

Ouch!

Trump's response to the violence that he and his narrow, hate-laden rhetoric created was and is typical of a calculating demagogue -- deflect blame, accuse someone else for the mayhem, and stoke more anger by labeling other s extreme and violent. Like generic cowards, Trump decided that, in his mind, and as targets go, Sanders was the softer/weaker of the two Democratic candidates and so he went after him preferring to avoid Hillary Clinton. But the fact is that Senator Sanders has NEVER encouraged violence of any kind and has rebuked others -- like Trump -- who have done that.

This is an exceeding dangerous escalation in the 2016 Presidential campaign. While Senators Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz looked on and offered only tepid condemnation and responses of the violence wrought by Trump, they are calculating that they can somehow benefit from this volatile state of affairs and so enhance their chance of dethroning the frontrunner. But their calculations negate one essential fact: the Trump violence is calculated and planned. He knows what he's doing.

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Director of National Intelligence James Clapper warned in a letter to

Sen. John McCain (R-AZ)

this week that he expects China to boast substantial offensive military power in the illegally-occupied territories of the South China Sea by the end of this year or the beginning of 2017.

The news comes as China announces a plan to soon begin offering civilian flights to Woody Island in the Spratly Island archipelago of the South China Sea, a contested territory also claimed by the Philippines and Vietnam.Based on the pace and scope of construction at these outposts, China will be able to deploy a range of offensive and defensive military capabilities and support increased PLAN and CCG presence beginning in 2016, Clapper said in his letter Clappers letter is a response to an inquiry on behalf of the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee, published this week by the U.S. Naval Institute. Once these facilities are completed by the end of 2016 or early 2017, China will have significant capacity to quickly project substantial offensive military power to the region, he added.Clapper suggested China may ultimately reclaim up to 1,000 more acres of territory than those that belong to China uncontestedly.China has begun militarizing artificial islands created on reefs in both the Spratly and Paracel Islands this year. On Woody Island in particular, China has stored multiple fighter jets and surface-to-air missiles . In the Paracel Islands, claimed by Vietnam, China has begun construction on an advanced radar system China begun asserting its sovereignty over most of the South China Sea two years ago, using territorial claims no other country in the world acknowledges. The area in question is claimed in part by Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei, and Taiwan. China has used Taiwans claims to bolster its own, as it does not recognize Taiwan as a sovereign nation, but as a Chinese territory.Chinese officials announced on Friday that they are planning to begin civilian flights to Woody Island within the next year. China has developed Sansha city on the island as a new flight destination, in addition to using the island for military facilities. The infrastructure of Sansha City in southern Chinas island province of Hainan has significantly improved, a city official has said, noting that civilian flights are expected to debut within a year, Chinese state media outlet Xinhua announced , noting that waste water treatment facilities, garbage collection and transfer stations, and marine environmental monitoring stations have also sprung up.While China has openly boasted of its construction in the region, many believe it violates international law, and the Philippines has filed a case at the Permanent Court of Arbitration at The Hague regarding where Chinas sovereignty ends in the region. Beijing has vowed to disregard any verdict handed down by the Hague. The Philippines, meanwhile, has continued to search for avenues in which to strengthen its military in the hope of containing any more Chinese incursions on its territory. This week, Manila signed an agreement with Japan which would allow Tokyo to sell military technology to the Philippine government. While the two have not confirmed what specific items Japan will sell to the Philippines, surveillance aircraft currently top the list of speculation, which would allow the Philippines to keep track of Chinese activity in the Spratly Islands more closely.In response, a column in Chinas state-run Global Times has threatened the Philippines with military retribution should it attempt to use any purchased aircraft to monitor the area. By no means will Manilas air planes be allowed to fly into Chinas territorial airspace. It will a pay due price once it crosses the bottom line, the column reads. Chinese military forces not only are able to effectively detect, trace and intercept any foreign aircraft intruding into our territory, but also have the right to take any necessary measures to safeguard national sovereignty and security. The piece also accuses the Philippines of constant provocations against China and having the obvious intention of beefing up its military presence by embroiling third parties to stir up troubles.The Global Times also ran a piece attacking Vietnam , a fellow communist nation, implying that the government in Hanoi is attempting to use ideological ties to disadvantage China in the South China Sea. Special envoy diplomacy reflects opportunism in Vietnam, argues the piece, describing the party-to-party relationship as a special channel that should not be used to advance selfish calculations.Source: http://www.breitbart.com/national-security/2016/03/11/intelligence-chief-china-will-have-substantial-military-power-in-south-china-sea-by-2017/
iStock/Thinkstock(NEW YORK) -- If you're looking to celebrate Women's History Month by traveling, New York is your go-to state.

From destinations in Manhattan to Seneca Falls, which is known as the birthplace of the Women's Rights Movement, the state of New York offers many places to learn more about the movement and reflect on its progress.

See where the first Women's Rights Convention was held along with the homes of women's rights leaders such as Susan B. Anthony and Harriett Tubman.

If you're looking to celebrate Women's History Month by taking a trip, here are some destinations to visit in New York state:

Susan B. Anthony House & Museum

The home of women's rights activist Susan B. Anthony, located in Rochester, New York, is a must-see for any history enthusiast. This home is where she lived for 40 years. It was at this National Historic Landmark where Anthony, who died at the home in 1906 at 86 years old, was famously arrested for voting in 1872. Visitors here can enjoy Anthony's artifacts along with an Anthony reenactor.

Women's Rights National Historical Park

This designated national park in Seneca Falls, New York was the location of the very first Woman's Rights Convention in 1848. At the Women's Rights National Historical Park, visitors can learn who organized and attended that convention. You can also see historic artifacts from families who attended the convention and discover more information about related themes such as abolition and the Erie Canal.

Harriet Tubman's Home

The home of civil and women's rights leader Harriett Tubman is located in Auburn, New York. Tubman -- who not only helped free many slaves via the Underground Railroad, but also fought for the rights of women -- lived on this property set on 26 acres of land. Tubman, who died in 1913 at age 93, only lived in two out of four buildings on the property. Today, visitors can visit the entire property.

The Hudson Hotel

You don't have to leave the city to get a taste of women's history. If you're in Manhattan, stop by The Hudson Hotel. The hotel was originally constructed as the American Women's Association Clubhouse in 1928. It was here that many women received resources to better their careers and network in the 1920s. Today, the boutique hotel is home to trendy restaurants such as Hudson Commons, a modern beer hall, along with Hudson Bar and Sky Terrance, which is open seasonally.

Copyright  2016, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.
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March 11th marks the five-year anniversary of one of the strongest earthquakes in recorded history, which triggered an unprecedented melange of disasters of human and natural causes  including the worst nuclear catastrophe since Chernobyl in 1986: Fukushima Five years ago today, as Popular Mechanics summarized , the earth moved more than 20 meters over a 500-mile zone and the resulting earthquake released as much energy as a 45-megaton hydrogen bomb (to put this in perspective, this is 30,000 times more powerful as the bomb that leveled Hiroshima). It was the fourth-strongest earthquake recorded since 1900 and the strongest earthquake to strike Japan in recorded history. The quake shifted the Earths axis by somewhere between 4 and 10 inches, altering the length of a day by nearly 2 microseconds.This release of energy set off an epic tsunami, reaching a height of around 40 meters (140 feet) before making landfall on the Japanese coast, obliterating nearly every building in its path; more than a million buildings were destroyed or damaged. Perched on the coast, of course, was the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power station, whose three functioning reactors, units 1, 2, and 3, were knocked offline by the quake  as they were designed to do  and were operating under power of backup diesel generators.A seawall, intended to shield the plant from just such a tsunami, proved to be as ineffectual as critics had previously warned. Seawater immediately inundated the emergency generators, knocking out the only source of power keeping necessary cool water circulating over the nuclear fuel rods. Though emergency crews scrambled in the ensuing chaos to find alternative means for cooling the reactors cores, it became clear their mission was one of containing the scope of the disaster rather than restoring the plant.Chemical reactions from the series of events caused pockets of hydrogen to build up in support buildings  and for days after the initial disaster  resulting in a number of explosions that were captured in dramatic video by surveillance aircraft.Government officials fumbled emergency procedures  by many accounts there were delays and misinformation in abundance immediately following the catastrophe  which arguably placed the health of the population in question. All told, the evacuation eventually comprised an area of 20 km (12 miles) surrounding the crippled nuclear plant.Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO), which operated Fukushima, has conducted a notoriously botched cleanup and containment effort ever since. Five years have seen even the attempt to locate the missing fuel  which heated to the point the rods  melted  through their containment vessels  become a largely fruitless endeavor. In fact, its not at all clear where the highly radioactive fuel is located now.It is extremely difficult to access the inside of the nuclear plant, Naohiro Masuda, TEPCOs head of decommissioning, stated in an interview, Newsweek reported . The biggest obstacle is the radiation.Camera-laden, specialized robots  each taking two years to develop  sent inside the plant to locate the missing fuel have all become incapacitated once radiation interferes with their wiring.Water must be constantly pumped over the destroyed cores in an effort to keep them cool, but once used for that purpose, it must also be pumped out  and cannot be reused. TEPCO hastily constructed storage tanks to hold this radioactive water waste, and though some improvements have been made to their design since the early days following the calamity, there are reports of constant leaks and seepages  including into the sea. TEPCO s effort to contain radioactivity to the site, by manufacturing an underground wall of ice to prevent the inflow of groundwater, has been similarly futile. Though the first stages of the wall were completed in February, critics are concerned both with the amount of time the project has taken and whether it will ultimately pay off.The reactors continue to bleed radiation into the groundwater and thence into the Pacific Ocean, said former nuclear engineer, Artie Gunderson, according to Newsweek. When Tepco finally stops the groundwater, that will be the end of the beginning.Though the suggestion has been made to entomb the plant by encasing radioactive contaminants in a material like concrete  as was the ultimate solution for Chernobyl  officials believe Fukushimas location next to the Pacific would endanger the environment.So far, TEPCO and Japanese government officials have been unable to develop a clear plan of action for decommissioning Fukushima. Estimates vary for the length of time needed to effectively carry out the massive project, though they concur it will take decades.Source: http://www.activistpost.com/2016/03/why-you-should-still-be-paying-attention-to-fukushima-5-years-later.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+ActivistPost+%28Activist+Post%29
Contrary statement after Shahbaz Taseer return

QUETTA: Balochistan government spokesperson Anwarul Haq Kakar on Saturday claimed that law enforcers who rescued Shahbaz Taseer knew about his whereabouts after an intelligence agency asked the provincial law-enforcement authorities to conduct a 'raid'.



Talking to reporters, Kakar claimed that the Taseer family had informed an intelligence agency after receiving a call from Shahbaz, after he was set free by his kidnappers.



The intelligence agency in turn informed Frontier Corps (FC) and Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) personnel to conduct a 'raid' and rescue him.



Kakar maintained that he praised the FC and CTD personnel in his statement issued due to their untiring efforts in the war against terrorism, adding that they deserved credit as 'they were not sent to Centaurus Mall, but to a location where terrorists might have attacked them'.



"We were not claiming credit for ourselves or law enforcers," clarified Kakar.



The spokesperson explained that he passed on the information 'as it was' to satisfy the media. He elaborated that the provincial government's 'sole fault' was that it rejoiced over the news of Shahbaz's release as his abduction had tarnished country's image.



Earlier, Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan had formed a committee to investigate the wrong information given by Balochistans inspector general police (IGP) about Shahbaz's recovery.



In a statement, Nisar stated that it must be investigated as to why the IG had said that Shahbaz had been recovered in an operation, whereas the factual position was contrary to it.



The committee was asked to submit its report to the security czar within two days.



The report, presented before the interior minister today, stated that Shahbaz was not recovered as a result of a security operation, but was released by the kidnappers.



No one deserves the right to claim credit for his release, added the report.



Shahbaz Taseer, a son of slain Punjab Governor Salmaan Taseer, was recovered on March 8, after being held by kidnappers for over four years. He was found in the Kuchlak area, at a place about 25km from Quetta, security officials had said.



After his recovery, Balochistan IGP Ahsan Mehboob claimed that Shahbaz was recovered from a hotel on the outskirts of Kuchlak town.



Intelligence agencies and personnel from the CTD conducted a raid in the Kuchlak area and recovered Shahbaz Taseer, IGP Mehboob had told Dawn, adding that Shahbaz was freed without incident and that security forces encountered no resistance when they raided the hotel compound.



Locals say Mr Taseer walked into a restaurant, had a meal, paid for it and asked for a phone to be able to make a call, implying that he had already been released by his captors.



In a text message to a DawnNews representative, Afghan Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid said that Afghan Taliban have nothing to do with Shahbaz Taseer's abduction or release.
 2011 Drew Hanson / Pedestrian View Please do not use my words, photos or images without crediting me. Thank you!

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Farm-grown fish are an important source of food with significant and worldwide societal and economic benefits, but the fish that come from these recirculating systems can have unpleasant tastes and odors. To clean contaminated water for farmed fish, drinking and other uses, scientists are now turning to an unlikely sourcethe mucilage or inner "guts" of cacti.

The researchers present their work today at the 251st National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society (ACS).

"We found there is an attraction between the mucilage of cactus and arsenic," says Norma Alcantar, Ph.D. "The mucilage also attracts sediments, bacteria and other contaminants. It captures these substances and forms a large mass or 'floc' that sort of looks like cotton candy. For sediments, the flocs are large and heavy, which precipitate rapidly after the interaction with mucilage."

The technology grew from century-old knowledge that mucilage from some common cacti can clean drinking water. Alcantar was first introduced to this process by her Mexican grandmother who described using boiled prickly pear cactus to capture particles in sediment-laced dirty water. The sediments sank, and the water at the top of the bucket became clear and drinkable.

In 2006, Alcantar, who is at the University of South Florida (USF), began experimenting with the cleansing properties of cactus. She and her team tried the approach to clean contaminated drinking water following the Haiti earthquake and found it worked well. Common worldwide, cacti are a sustainable product and are not only nontoxic, but are edible and considered a delicacy.

Following the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil rig disaster, she and her USF team began to explore the ability of cacti to clean up oil contaminated seawater. While the research program never moved beyond bench scale, she says, cactus mucilage was found to be an effective oil dispersant.

More recently, Alcantar and Tunan Peng, a graduate research assistant in her lab, were approached by representatives from the Mote Marine Laboratory in Sarasota, Florida, who asked them to investigate whether cactus extract could clean recirculating aquarium water, as well as water in aquaculture tanks and ponds.

Such tanks, Alcantar and Peng say, create conditions that encourage bacterial growth that in turn develops unpleasant smelly compounds, such as 2-methylisoborneol (known as MIB) and geosmin. These compounds result in the musty, earthy flavor that is sometimes in the water and the fish that live in it. At harvest, the current practice is to purge the fish and tanks with fresh water, which takes months, uses large amounts of water and stresses the fish, Alcantar says.

In a search for alternatives, Peng and Alcantar turned to cactus mucilage. Now, she adds, they are seeking to determine the mechanism that allows mucilage to be such an effective purifier.

Also, the researchers are currently studying the chemical composition of the mucilage, which is made up of carbohydrates and some 60 sugars, with the goal of synthesizing it in a lab. In addition, they are developing a prototype of a recirculating aquaculture system that uses cactus extract as a cleansing agent, and they will conduct a life cycle analysis of the system.

Explore further Common cactus could be used to clean water

More information: Degradation of Taste and Odor Compounds with Cactus Mucilage Extraction: Applications for Recirculating Aquaculture Systems, the 251st National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society (ACS), 2016.
In a hotel not in a galaxy far, far away, a robot bids you welcome as you pull into the driveway.

Another hands out the keycard to your room, and a third gives you the password to the wifi network.

Robots are making an entry into the hospitality industry that has until now always prided itself on delivering a warm and personable touch.

At an entrance to Berlin's exhibition hall where thousands of travel industry professionals are gathering for the ITB trade show, humanoid robot ChihiraKanae greets visitorsin English, German, Chinese and Japanese.

Dressed in a blue jacket with a neck scarf, ChihiraKanae is on her first visit to Europe where she is seeking potential employment for herself and her kind.

Three months ago, her "sister" began working as a meet-and-greeter in a Tokyo shopping centre.

Their creator, Toshiba, also foresees a great future ahead for them in tourism.

Mario has already found a jobat the Ghent Marriott Hotel in Belgium, where he has welcomed visitors since June.

He is also multi-lingual, speaking 19 languages to be precise. On top of that, he helps with serving at hotel buffets, and entertains guests by singing and dancing.

He makes guests smile

Unlike ChihiraKanae, Mario doesn't pretend to look like a human.

Standing just 50 centimetres (1.6 foot) tall, Mario is white with red stripes, has speakers for ears and a total of just six fingers.

But his employer is pleased with his work.

He "puts a smile on everybody's face," said Roger Langhout, director general of the hotel, adding that "it's a good way to get people to remember our hotel".

"We are still exploring the possibilities of Mario," he said, even if he acknowledges that humans can never be fully replaced by machines in the hotel business.

Oxford University's Carl Benedikt Frey believes however that robots do have a big future in the industry.

"In tourism, quite a few jobs remain non-automatable, like concierges or chefs," he said.

"But a wide range of jobs are very much sustainable to automation," he added, suggesting that robots could work as waiters, dishwashers, tour guides or even chauffeurs.

What is key is that they should do tasks that require only basic communication, he said.

In fact, a survey of 6,000 travellers by US online bookings company Travelzoo found that two in three people are comfortable with seeing robots in the tourism industry.

The Chinese are among the most enthusiastic, while the French and Germans are more reticent.

Taleb Rifai, secretary general of the World Tourism Organization, said the industry should broaden its usage of technology and robots.

"I would not put any limit on the use of technology or innovation in any hotel or tourism facility," he said.

"As a matter of fact, we are way behind as a sector in the implementation of technology and the use of it. We were able to send a man to the moon long before we thought about adding wheels on a suitcase."

Virtual reality

If robots are still a nascent discovery in the industry, virtual reality (VR) has charmed operators.

German high-tech association Bitkom said virtual reality is the technology that "perhaps has the greatest potential" in the travel industry.

At several stands at the ITB fair, which runs until Sunday, guests could put on virtual reality glasses and escape the gloomy Berlin winter.

In one case, you could lounge on a tropical terrace and watch elephants lumbering against the backdrop of the setting sun, while a waiter delivers a colourful cocktail.

The hotel chain Cinnamon, which is active in the Maldives and Sri Lanka, is using the "new marketing tool" to allow potential visitors to get "closer to the product you see," said marketing director Dileep Mudadeniya.

At the stand for southern Germany's Bavaria region, young women dressed in the traditional dirndl dress are also trying to tempt visitors to put on the glasses for a glimpse of its green meadows and snow-capped mountains.

British tour operator Thomas Cook has been a pioneer in giving its clients a VR preview of adventurea tour by helicopter above Manhattan.

Professor Armin Brysch, from Kempten's Applied Sciences University in southern Germany, believes that VR is here to stay in the industry as it provides a "new quality of experience" that could entice people to book holidays in destinations that they may not have considered.

But would people just opt to see the world from their armchairs?

Unlikely, said Rifai.

"To think that virtual reality could be used so that you stay at home and travel the world, it is not going to happenI hope," he said.

 2016 AFP
Senegalese President Macky Sall (L) delivers a speech in Dakar, during the opening of the "Next Einstein Forum" (NEF)

From disease-fighting drones to wristbands bearing health data for expectant mothersAfrican entrepreneurs pitched ideas to overhaul everything from healthcare to urban planning before an audience of industry figures at the first gathering of the Next Einstein Forum in Dakar, Senegal this week.

Here are three of the best:

DRONES TO FIGHT DISEASE

Moses Bangura, Sierra Leone

Bangura developed a civilian drone system to deliver medical supplies and transport clinical samples as part of his PhD in aerial robotics. He hopes to roll out the project first in his home country and then across hard-to-reach areas in Africa.

"It's very reliable and robust, an open source system which anyone can develop," he said.

"I thought about giving back to Sierra Leone and Africa, where I come from... one thing I realised is there is a very poor healthcare delivery system."

During the Ebola crisis, the first two hotspots were in the eastern towns of Kailahun and Kenema, linked by an extremely poor road that meant a distance of 100 kilometres (62 miles) could take a day's travel.

"In both Kailahun and Kenema, the greatest need was for more treatment facilities backed by greater and faster laboratory support," the World Health Organization said in a report during the outbreak.

"The cheapest and most efficient way would be to use civilian drones," Bangura told AFP, to ship medical supplies, blood donations, and getting tests to mobile laboratories.

Bangura hopes his drones will take off within 18 months, subject to government legislation.

A WRISTBAND TO SAVE WOMEN'S LIVES

Cameroon's Arreytambe Tabot

Software engineer Tabot has already received seed money from the Nelson Mandela African Institute of Science and Technology for his team's smart wristband, which works with mobile technology to provide real-time care for expectant mothers.

Maternal sepsis is the third leading cause of maternal deaths in Africa, where more women die in childbirth than anywhere else, and Tabot says his invention is aimed at women in rural areas who are largely illiterate.

It "does not require any behavioural change on the part of the primary user," working without messaging or apps, which usually require some reading ability, Tabot said.

A combination of voice commands and Radio Frequency Identification technology, previously used to register voters in Nigeria, holds data on vital signs from regular check-ups on the device, tentatively priced at $1.50.

"Every time she comes back to the local health centre the wristband is accessed and if there are any changes then that is registered again and synchronised back into the cloud," Tabot told AFP.

"These women are illiterate, a good number are in rural areas so they don't even know (sepsis) is a problem," he said, adding the wristbands will trial first in Nigeria.

Any problem or discomfort can be registered by the expectant mother with a health practitioner via a missed call.

BUILDING CITIES FROM PLASTIC WASTE

Moussa Thiam, Mali

Thiam is still studying for his PhD at Canada's University of Ottawa, but is already forming links with government agencies back home to sell his special brand of building material created from plastic waste.

With expertise also built up as an alumni of Senegal's African Institute for Mathematical Sciences (AIMS), Thiam wants to improve the environment in rapidly growing African cities while tackling pollution.

"Long-term I want to be in Mali and West Africa," he said.

Mixing the surplus plastic with gravel and sand in a special oven results in a product that could be used for interior design or even roads, offering a cheap and sustainable alternative to concrete, he said.

"We don't have (proper planning) in our urbanisation strategies," he told AFP. "Maybe we have the text, but when we come to the application we don't have enough.

"What we are trying to do is build some new, innovative material," he added.

Explore further African scientists say more needed to keep brightest at home

 2016 AFP
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RALEIGH One of the first things I learned from journalism professors and city editors was never to bargain with a news source about how a story would be written. The reporter's job was to listen, transcribe, write, and then let the chips fall where they may.Well, at least that's how it used to be.To be fair, even in the good old days of journalism, this was a standard often honored in the breach. Beat reporters often got chummy with their sources, so much so that they felt no compunction against, in effect, taking dictation and putting it in the pages of their newspaper.The carrot to the susceptible reporter was access, exclusive info, and a chance to be "on the inside." Once that bridge is crossed, though, one is no longer a reporter with independent judgment.Most young reporters back in the day would look down their noses at the old hands who had lost the bloodhound instinct, content to be more of a lap dog than a watchdog to their "friends" in city hall or in the legislature. Nowadays, however, it's the younger reporters who see this approach to journalism as alluring, not anathema.When the website Gawker filed a Freedom of Information Act request for email from Hillary Clinton's former State Department spokesman, Philippe Reines, they discovered that this kind of journalism, often called "transactional" journalism, was quite common among the Washington press corps.Marc Ambinder, a contributing editor of The Atlantic and editor-at-large of The Week, a British news weekly with an edition in the U.S., was shown to have used actual wording "suggested" by Reines in exchange for an early transcript of a Clinton speech.Reines told Ambinder to use the word "muscular" "in your own voice" to describe Clinton's position. Ambinder also was told to mention that Richard Holbrooke, George Mitchell, and Dennis Ross, diplomatic heavyweights, were present for the speech.At the end of his email to Ambinder, Reines specified this condition:Ambinder's email response: "got it." And he did as he was told.Several other outlets also used the word "muscular" and mentioned the arrayed diplomatic heavyweights, evidencing the incestuous nature of the mainstream media. Gawker also found emails of similar incidents involving Mike Allen, chief political reporter at the Politico website, and Reines.It's unclear whether these cases of "transactional" journalism did any further damage to the credibility of a mainstream news media whose integrity and honesty already are damaged nearly beyond repair.
Raucous crowd greets Democratic presidential front-runner at Hillside High School

Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, with U.S. Rep. G.K. Butterfield standing at stage left, addresses a rally Thursday at Durham Hillside High School. (CJ photo by Don Carrington)

DURHAM Standing alongside some of North Carolina's most influential black elected officials at Hillside High School, Democratic presidential front-runner Hillary Clinton promised Thursday to shred barriers to minority achievement, protect voting rights, and partner with schools to improve education.The former secretary of state and U.S. senator from New York vilified the National Rifle Association while calling for more gun laws. She spoke disparagingly of Wall Street, pharmaceutical, insurance, and oil companies. But the majority of her speech focused on education.It was a message that appeared to resonate with the 1,200 enthusiastic supporters inside the steamy school gymnasium, where one person in the crowd fainted.Clinton said.She said every child deserves a good teacher, and a good school regardless of their zip code. As a mother and grandmother, she said, she knows the solution:She would like to see more early childhood education programs.Clinton said communities need to be more involved in demanding better education. She said she wants to partner with local school boards, teachers, and principals, and begin a national recruitment drive to bring more young people and career educators back into the classroom.She recognized former U.S. Sen. Kay Hagan sitting in the crowd, saying Hagan had been right in warning that Republican policies would damage North Carolina's education system. She said teacher salaries have been slashed in the state, and teachers are leaving their jobs by the thousands to seek work in other states.That prompted Gov. Pat McCrory to post a retort on Twitter to which was linked an article about the flow of teachers to North Carolina by Terry Stoops, director of research and education studies at the John Locke Foundation.Clinton said. She is proposing to create them through infrastructure projects, manufacturing, and renewable energy.Clinton said.Clinton said she wasShe said women again would pay more for their insurance, and children might no longer remain on their parents' policies up to age 26 if the act were repealed.She said she would work to lower health care costs and expenses.she said.she said. And she said she would face down the NRA lobbyists.in Newtown, Conn., who are suing the manufacturers of AR15s to prevent other parents from experiencing the tragedy that befell their families when a crazed killer fatally shot 26 students and teachers, Clinton said.She criticized her primary opponent, U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, D-Vt., for voting for a law that granted immunity to gun makers when the firearms they manufacture are used to commit crimes.Clinton said.She spoke of the warmth and beauty of springtime in North Carolina.Clinton said.Durham Democratic Mayor Bill Bell lauded Clinton as "the only candidate" who will improve the country, and keep Obama's progress moving forward.to vote for Clinton, state House Minority Leader Larry Hall, D-Durham, told the crowd.Hall said Clinton "knows that we have got to address the epidemic of gun violence, and we know that here in Durham especially," where there were 42 murders in 2015, most by shooting.U.S. Rep. G.K. Butterfield, D-1st District, said there is "no one more capable, no one more prepared, no one more committed to break down barriers than Hillary Clinton."Butterfield said she would fight for all Americans "regardless of their gender, their race, their religion, or orientation," and would thwart "Republican efforts to suppress voter participation at the ballot box, which we have seen right here in Durham."Grace Li of Houston, Texas, the daughter of Chinese immigrants who is a Duke student and Clinton supporter, skipped two classes to go to the rally."I wanted to see her in person. This is incredibly exciting. Oh my God," Li said. "Hearing her say the importance of education, I actually am considering doing something with teaching in my future, so it really resonated with me."While many people her age are voting for Sanders, Li said: "I like a lot of Bernie's policies, but I feel like he's really idealistic, and Hillary has like an incredible track record."She said the controversy over Clinton's use of a private email server and exchange of classified information "was like an oversight maybe, but I think it's really been overblown."Vernon Langley of Durham, 63, said Clinton's stance on public education was important to him. He said the controversy over Benghazi is "Republican rhetoric."Esther Mateo-Orr of Chapel Hill said she is an educator, and listening to Clinton's ideas about education, especially opening up science and technology programs for underserved minority children, helped her to decide to vote for Clinton instead of Sanders.
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.
Kimberly R. Albright, Warrensburg Central High School, Class of 2014, graduated from the Marine Corps boot camp Feb. 12 at Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island in South Carolina. Pvt. Albright enlisted in the Marine Corps in September. She is in training at Camp Geiger, North Carolina. In attaining the rank of private, Albright became her familys second-generation Marine. Her father, Christopher Albright, served in the Marine Corps from 1993 to 2014 as an aviation ordinance officer before retiring as a major.

The following local people recently reenlisted in the New York Army National Guard: Sgt. Edmund Morrison from Glens Falls reenlisted to continue service with the 1427th Transportation Company; Staff Sgt. Donald Smithgall from Ballston Spa reenlisted to continue service with the Company A, 3-142nd Aviation; Sgt. Justin Hall from Glens Falls reenlisted to continue service with the Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 102nd Military Police Battalion; and Sgt. Michelle Morse from Stillwater reenlisted to continue service with the Intelligence and Sustainment Company, 42nd Infantry Division.

The following local people were recently recognized by the New York Army National Guard in recognition of their initial commitment to serve community, state and nation: Pvt. Anthony Balac from Gansevoort was formally welcomed into 206th Military Police Company during their transition ceremony March 6 at the Queensbury Soldier Readiness Center in Queensbury; Pvt. Emily Bombard from Queensbury was formally welcomed into 466th Area Support Medical Company during their transition ceremony March 6 at the Queensbury Soldier Readiness Center in Queensbury.

The following members of the New York Army National Guard were promoted in recognition of their capability for additional responsibility and leadership: Troy Brow from Hudson Falls, serving with the Company B, 2-108th Infantry is promoted to the rank of specialist; William Levesque from Galway, serving with the Company B, 2-108th Infantry is promoted to the rank of specialist; Justin Bibby from North Creek, serving with the Company C, 2-108th Infantry is promoted to the rank of private first class; Colby Gage from Johnsburg, serving with the Company C, 2-108th Infantry is promoted to the rank of private; Mason Hoefer from Stillwater, serving with the Company E (Forward Support Company Infantry), 427th Brigade Support Battalion is promoted to the rank of private first class; and Andrew Hadeka from Saratoga Springs, serving with the Company B, 2-108th Infantry is promoted to the rank of specialist.
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The news of his passing came not only as a shock to many, but had a particular dampening effect on them as another member of the "Keysoap Concert Party" group, Nkomode past away earlier last month.

Prez John Mahama took to Twitter to express his grief. He tweeted;

Below are some reactions from social media;

Others couldn't believe that he had just passed away after performing at Ghana's 59th Independence Day Celebrations;
He has a mentality that doesn't make him realise that beating up people is an offence.

He brags shamelessly about his closeness with President John Mahama and even has a song celebrating the achievements of the president.

In 2015, when he assaulted Akoto Lantey in Accra with a cutlass, police inspector Victor Dosoo told the Adjabeng Magistrates Court that efforts to get Banku to report to the police for investigations weren't successful.

His community feels he is untouchable. And he himself has allegedly told his victims he is untouchable. So far, he is untouchable and his madness continues.

For instance, in 2010, he allegedly assaulted his wife with who he has two children with. He also allegedly assaulted his brother-in-law, Theophilus Osei Duodu.

Osei Duodu told the police he was punched several times in the right eye by Banku, claiming the assault has caused him temporal blindness.

He said his only offence was to go to the rescue of his pregnant sister, Manye Otobia, who Banku had turned into a punching bag.

"If you have a wife and she makes mistake, can't you beat her up?" Bukom Banku said recently on the Delay Show. "So I beat her."

"You beat up your wife," host Delay asked him. "Yes!" Bukom Banku responded. "If my wife misbehave, I beat her."

A few days after his interview on the Delay Show, he was accused of assaulting Shallot Naa Dasua-Dudoo and Eunice Naa Dakwaa- Lamptey, both residents of Bukom.

Dasua-Dudoo told UTV the Boxer is his uncle and that he wants to have sex with her.

She said: "In our house, he has done that to all his nephews and the ladies there. If you tell him that you are not interested, he will beat you up. They are all afraid of him. They cannot talk. He brought me GHC150 and I told him I cannot do it. Then he brought me GHC200 and I told him I cannot do it. Then he brought me GHC40 million, he begged me to show him my nakedness so he gives me the money, then I told him I cannot do it.

Today, I was sitting in front of my gate, then he came to insult me, when I responded, he physically assaulted me in the face. When my friend [Dakwaa- Lamptey] came to intervene, he physically assaulted my friend too.

Afterward, Bukum Bankum s***-bombed Dasua-Dudoo's house and bragged to her that the police cannot arrest him, and that President Mahama is his father.

The boxer also allegedly hit Dakwaa-Lamtey, Dasua-Dudoos friend, with a stick, bit her and elbowed her in the eye.

Dakwaa-Lamtey said We want the whole world to speak for us, what he is doing in Bukum is not understandable.

For how long can we tolerate such a tyrant? Especially in a community people barely know their rights. In a community where according to the CHF International, a multinational development organisation, 2,871 people sleep outside, while 14,431 sleep in rooms.

In Ghana, one in every three women is affected by family violence.

The Domestic Violence and Victims Support Unit of the Ghana Police Service in 2014 recorded 17,655 cases.

Wife battery and assault recorded 5,212 cases. Non-maintenance topped the list with 6,158 cases.

People like Banku setback our quest to ending violence against women and children.
According him, he absolutely had no knowledge about David being a fugitive of the British government.

He indicated that David had been known to him as a worker in the mining sector and has been living in the country with Ramona since their marriage some three years ago.

David McDermott is reported to have been on the run for about three years from UK security authorities.

The National Crime Agency (NCA) in the UK indicated that McDermott is suspected member of a Liverpool-based organised crime group involved in a conspiracy to import and supply cocaine which was seized from a container of frozen Argentinian beef in May 2013 at Tilbury Docks.
Prosecuting, Police Detective Chief Inspector Oscar Amponsah told the court that the complainant, Stephen Kwasi Essilfie, is a Forest Guard and relative of the victim.

He said both the accused and victim lived in the same vicinity at Dompim in the Tarkwa-Nsueam Municipality of the Western Region.

He said in 2014, the victim was sent by her mother and the accused also asked her to buy some items for him.

However, when the girl delivered the items to him in his room, Sophadae locked the door and sexually assaulted her.

According to the prosecutor, the accused fled to neighboring Cote dlvoire after the act but was arrested when he returned to Ghana this year.
The Managing Editor of the Insight Newspaper, Kwesi Pratt Jnr was of the view that the Chief of Staff must be vested with authority to deal with every and any member of staff working in the Flagstaff House.

There ought to be a certain hierarchy which must be respected. Everybody must be under the Chief of Staffs control, he said during a panel discussion on Radio Gold.

Some presidential staffers working at the Flagstaff House have been accused to engaging in activities and making utterances which is denting the image of the countrys seat of government.

There have also been allegations of some persons acting arbitrarily without recourse to laid down procedures at the Flagstaff House.

He said if this is not done, discipline will break down and such errors will occur so the Chief of Staff must be allowed and empowered to discipline people when discipline is needed. He must be in charge.
I think the time has come that we must tell whoever, political parties, governing parties, opposition parties, governments, that we will not be treated shabbily. It is important that we ourselves make that point, he stressed.

During Ghanas 59 Independence Day celebrations last week, both local and international photo journalists were made to climb into the bucket of a Tipper Truck in order to take photographs of the event.

Photos of these media practitioners began circulating on social media with mixed reactions from some practitioners and the general public.

Some members of the public accused government of treating media practitioners with little or no respect, while others blamed the journalists for tolerating such inhumane treatment from government.

Making his submissions on Radio Gold during a panel discussion on Saturday, Mr. Pratt Jnr. indicated having been a journalist for decades, he is well aware of the humiliation practitioners are made to endure in their line of work.

Recounting some of the treatments meted out to media practitioners in Ghana, Mr. Pratt said: We are invited to a dinner and we are not served dinner. We are treated so terribly.
Her move has been endorsed by the PPP founder and Presidential candidate, Dr. Papa Kwesi Nduom.

In an interview on Accra-based Citi FM, Dr. Nduom said Ghanaians need competent people to represent them in Parliament, hence his decision to endorse his former running mate.

We need some of our best people in Parliament and Eva Lokko is one of the best that we have in this country; as a professional who has worked with an international organization, as someone who rose to become director general of GBC, and as someone who is working to employ and help the youth to develop, he said.

He added that in Ghana, anybody can get up and say they want to be president, we dont know where they come from. It has hurt this country. We have asked the people in PPP to stay on the ground and be grounded.
The DoJ said Apple's stance was "corrosive" of institutions trying to protect "liberty and rights".

It also claims Apple helped the Chinese government with iPhone security.

Apple's general counsel Bruce Sewell told reporters on a conference call: "The tone of the brief reads like an indictment".

He said: "Everybody should beware because it seems like disagreeing with the Department of Justice means you must be evil and anti-American, nothing could be further from the truth."

Prosecutors claim Apple's own data shows that China demanded information from Apple regarding more than 4,000 iPhones in the first half of 2015, and Apple produced data 74% of the time.

But Mr Sewell said the new filing relies on thinly sourced news reports to inaccurately suggest that Apple had colluded with the Chinese government to undermine [iPhone] buyers' security.

Shoddy

The US government has been fighting Apple over access to information on the iPhone used by one of the San Bernardino killers, Rizwan Farook, in December. Apple says the demands violate the company's rights.

The DoJ claimed in its court filing that Apple had attacked the FBI investigation as "shoddy", and tried to portray itself as a "guardian of Americans' privacy".

This "rhetoric is not only false, but also corrosive of the very institutions that are best able to safeguard our liberty and our rights: the courts, the Fourth Amendment, longstanding precedent and venerable laws, and the democratically elected branches of government," the DoJ said.

In February, the FBI obtained a court order to force Apple to write new software that would allow the government to break into the phone. The FBI wants the software to bypass auto-erase functions on the phone.

Support for Apple

Apple has argued that the government is asking for a "back door" that could be exploited by the government and criminals.

The tech giant has filed its own court request that the ruling be overturned, arguing that the order violated the company's constitutional rights

READ MORE

"This case is about the Department of Justice and the FBI seeking through the courts a dangerous power that Congress and the American people have withheld," Apple said.

The iPhone maker has received support for other tech giants including, Google, Microsoft, and Facebook.

The FBI says Farook and his wife, Tashfeen Malik, were inspired by Islamist militants when they killed 14 people at a party on 2 December.

The couple later died in a shootout with police and the FBI said it wants to read the data on Farook's work phone to investigate any links with militant groups.

A hearing into the case is scheduled for 22 March in a California federal court. Apple chief executive Tim Cook has said he is willing to take the case to the Supreme Court.
News reports say it was revealed by Ghanas Minister of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts

We are proud of Abraham Attah at the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts and we think that all of us should pamper him and do our best to make sure all he has achieved takes him far.The plan is to host a meeting between Abraham Attah and some of his friends and family where they would about him become Ghanas Tourism Ambassador.
In a recent interview with Nollywood Insider, Ike dismissed the tale of him rejoicing over Ibinabo's travail saying, I should not be assumed to be happy with the present travail of Ibinabo Fiberesima."

Continuing, he said, "We are in court on the matter of our guild, the Actors guild of Nigeria. Not on the issue of death or a motor accident. I dont wish jail for her.

This is coming barely two days after a court of Appeal sitting in Lagos upheld a five-year jail sentence for her involvement in an accident that led to the death of Dr. Giwa Suraj.
According to multiple reports, after the death of 31-years old pregnant Koumate Monique at the gate of Laquantinie hospital, Douala, Cameroon, Marie had taken it upon herself to save her aunt's unborn twins.

On seeing this, Marie, who had accompanied her aunt to the hospital bought a blade at a nearby pharmacy and sliced the womb of the deceased open.

One of the twins came out dead, while the other which was still breathing gave up the ghost minutes after.
This is contained in a statement by the Police/Public Relations Officer of the Command, SP Oladapo Badmus.

It said that a 19-year-old Beninese national named Daniel Dali, was a member of the gang.

``They were arrested on Friday at about 10:48 p.m. in Ajegunle by the surveillance team of RRS on regular patrol of the area.

``Dali, a commercial motorcyclist from Cotonou, Republic of Benin and a 17-year-old were reported to have snatched a handbag from an unknown lady.

``Unknown to them, the bag contained two wraps of ``fufu and stew.

``Their victim shouted for help, which prompted the RRS team to pursue the duo.

``The 17-year-old was, however, arrested, while Dali escaped.

The RRS team immediately mobilised a decoy team of intelligence personnel who combed the area throughout the night, before Dali was subsequently arrested.

The statement said investigations had so far revealed that the suspects had taken part in many robberies in Boundary, Mile 2, New Roundabout, Wilmer and Ajegunle.
Samuel Agu who is the village head of Koje community in Nasarawa Eggon Local Government Area of the state was paraded as a drug dealer at the command office in Lafia, the state capital.

Confirming his arrest the commander in the state, Mr. Sumaila Ethan, said in a statement that:

On March 4, 2016, we arrested Mr. Samuel Agu, the village head with bags of cannabis sativa weighing about12 kg.

The village head confessed that he had been getting the supply of the cannabis seeds from a Fulani herdsman, the weed seized from him was the remnant of what he harvested from his farm.

The village head, who is expected to live an exemplary life style that is worthy of emulation, was the same person selling cannabis for consumption.
According to a report by The Sun, there was excitement in the Prison at the arrival of Badeh, who was taken into custody on March 7, 2016 after an order from the Federal High Court in Abuja.
This is contained in a statement issued in Abuja on Sunday by Mr Femi Adesina, Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to the president.

The statement said Buhari would be in Malabo on Monday for talks with President Obiang Nguema Mbasogo of Equatorial Guinea on further measures to protect the people and resources of the Niger Delta and Gulf of Guinea.

`` Nigeria and Equatorial Guinea is expected to sign an agreement on Tuesday for the establishment of a combined maritime policing and security patrol committee during the visit.

According to the statement, both Presidents Buhari and Mbasogo are also expected to discuss and agree on other collaborative measures to combat crimes such as piracy, crude oil theft, attacks on oil rigs, arms smuggling and human trafficking in the Gulf of Guinea.

``Both leaders will also discuss on the rescheduling of the joint summit of the Economic Community of West African States and the Economic Community of Central African States, on additional cooperative measures to curb terrorism and violent extremism in West and Central Africa, it stated.

The statement maintained that the summit was to have been hosted by Equatorial Guinea last year but was postponed because of Nigerias general elections.

The President, according to the statement, will be accompanied on the trip by the Minister of Defence, Rtd. Brig.-Gen. Mansur Dan-Ali, the National Security Adviser, Rtd. Maj.-Gen. Babagana Monguno and other senior security officials.
Okowa, in a condolence message by his Chief Press Secretary, Charles Aniagwu, described late Ibru as a patriot and a political icon who led the state in her ``embryonic stage.

The governor said that Ibru would be missed by all whose lives he had touched in many ways in his ``very fulfilled and achievements-laden life.

"On behalf of the government and people of Delta, I mourn the exit of a legend, political titan and first civilian governor of Delta, Olorogun Senator Felix Ovuodoroye Ibru.

"Senator Ibru's life-long dedication and indefatigable commitment to serving the people of the state will be missed.

``His service to the Urhobos worldwide that he served as Senator and as President of the Urhobo Progress Union (UPU), will be missed, Okowa said.

He said that Ibru was among the very special people who made significant and indelible contributions to the country and humanity.

The governor joined the Ibrus family, friends, associates, and fans across the world in mourning the ex-governor, assuring the family that the former governor would always be celebrated.

"He will be honoured by his proud countrymen and women for his unblemished service and exemplary career which had inspired others to take up a life of selfless service to humanity.
Akinsoji, the Acting Chairman, Society of Nigerian Mariners (SNM), made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos.

``My very serious advice is that both the minister and the new director-general of NIMASA should quickly strengthen their offices with qualified advisers to restructure the agency to perform its functions.

``It (NIMASA) is presently structured for revenue collection, Akinsoji, a former Nigerias Alternate Permanent Representative at the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) told NAN.

The mariner recalled that his office as the Government Inspector of Ships was merged with the defunct National Maritime Authority (NMA) to create NIMASA.

Akinsoji, who was also a former Sole Administrator of the Maritime Academy of Nigeria (MAN), Oron, Akwa Ibom, faulted the appointment of Dr Dakuku Peterside as the Director-General of the agency.

He said that the qualifications of Peterside did not fit the post.

``The law is very clear on who is qualified to be engaged for that post.

``It is equally clear by simple interpretation that the qualification of the honourable (Peterside) does not fit into the interpretation.

``I wish Peterside a pleasant and successful journey through the maritime domain, the marine engineer said.

A former Director-General of the defunct NMA, Mr John Egesi, had said that ``there is a golden lining somewhere in the appointment of Peterside and his qualifications.

``Peterside studied Management. He did an MBA and read Economics and Maritime has a lot to do with Economics, Egesi told NAN

The former NMA director-general said that when he looked at the appointment of Peterside with his language of Management Economics, he would understand quicker.

``His knowledge of Management Economics gives him an advantage.

``If he has a listening ear, he might be able to pick up faster than others who had occupied the position.

``We have had architects and lawyers who occupied the position, Egesi told NAN.

The Federal Government, on Thursday, appointed Peterside as the director-general of NIMASA.

He replaced Mr Haruna Jauro, who until March 10, was the Acting Director-General.

Peterside holds a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Management Sciences (Organisational Behaviour) from the University of Port Harcourt.

He had an MBA in Business Administration; and a degree in Medical Laboratory Sciences (B.MLS) in Haematology from the Rivers State University of Science and Technology.

Peterside was the Governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for Rivers State in the April 2015 general election.
According to a concerned Nigerian living in the country, the two candidates vying for the position are said to be influential and powerful individuals, who are working hard and stopping at nothing to win the coveted seat.

Slated for Sunday, March 20, 2016, the election's major candidates are identified as Adedire Luqmon and Adeniyi Olaleye.

Both contenders according to Instablog9ja, are members of a popular social club, the Millionaire Club, which has been likened to the Island Club in Lagos.
Fagge, who made the commendation in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Sokoto, said that so far, so good, no any report of electoral violence from across the state.

The police boss added that the state police command would continue to ensure peaceful atmosphere that would enable residents to move in peace to accomplish their legitimate businesses.

He, however, appealed for more support from the people by supplying the police with useful information that could aid the command to arrest criminals and check all forms of criminality in the state.
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DAVENPORT  Crysta Rachelle Schultz, a resident of Davenport, passed away on March 2, 2016, at her home after a courageous battle with cancer. Private committal services will be held at Mount Calvary Cemetery on March 21, 2016, arranged by Halligan-McCabe-DeVries Funeral Home. A Celebration of Life will be held at the River Music Experience, 2nd and Main streets, Davenport, Iowa, on Saturday, March 19, from 1-4 p.m. with a program starting at 2 p.m. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to John Schultz for her sons.

Crysta Rachelle Hoffman, daughter of Jim and Jonell Hoffman, was born Feb. 14, 1971, in Iowa City, Iowa. She graduated from Pleasant Valley High School in 1989 and then received her associate nursing degree at Scott Community College. She was very passionate about caring for others, volunteering as a candy striper at St. Lukes Hospital when she was 14 years old. She later was employed as a critical care nurse at Genesis, a Pediatric Hospice Nurse and a nurse at Riverview Manor.

Crysta had a beautiful voice and loved playing the piano. She married John OMeara, a local musician, and their love of music took them on their journey to San Diego, where they were blessed with a son, John Gabriel. They moved back to the Quad-Cities during her husbands illness. Crysta sang at various Quad-City locations with local musicians, but her favorite group was Soft Reflections, singing with her father accompanying her on the piano.

Crysta later married John Schultz and, together, they resided in the Quad-Cities along with their sons, Zachary Schultz and John Gabriel OMeara. Crysta and John shared many loving memories together in their beautiful home.

Crysta loved music, healing and helping others. Her quick wit made us all laugh and will be greatly missed at family gatherings. She also had a passion for fashion and design, with her last project being the beautiful Christmas stockings for her nephews and nieces in Chicago. She cherished her time with family get-togethers, but most of all, she was proud of her two sons and their achievements.

Crysta is survived by her loyal and devoted husband, John Schultz; and their son, Zachary Schultz, Davenport, her son, John Gabriel OMeara, Seattle, Wash.; her parents, James and Jonell Hoffman, Bettendorf, Iowa; a sister and brother-in law, Alison and Michael Monge, Chicago, Ill.; brother, Nicholas Hoffman, Iowa City, Iowa; a sister-in-law, Susan Kelley, Taos, N.M; nephews and nieces, Cole and Jakob Hoffman, James Monge and triplets, William, Elise and Juliette Monge; and her uncles and cousins. A special thanks goes to her lifelong friend, Shelly Janz, for her love and attention, and all her other friends who shared their time reminiscing and laughing together. Crysta was preceded in death by John OMeara and her grandparents, Joe and Irene Stroehle, and Jack and Ruth Hoffman.

Online remembrances and condolences may be expressed by visiting Crysta's obituary at www.hmdfuneralhome.com.
The following editorial appeared recently in the Los Angeles Times:

Turkey, a key U.S. ally and a member of NATO, continues to travel down a disturbingly authoritarian path. Last week, police in Istanbul stormed the offices of Zaman, the country's most widely circulated newspaper, subjecting employees and supporters to tear gas and water cannons. Earlier, a court had transferred control of the publication to a panel of trustees after a prosecutor accused the paper of spreading terrorist propaganda.

Zaman and its English-language sister publication are identified with the Cemaat movement led by the U.S.-based Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen, political rival and former ally of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. This week the Cihan news agency, also linked to Gulen, said that it too would be managed by court appointees.

The takeover of those outlets follows similar actions against other news organizations. In October, authorities ordered the seizure of Koza Ipek Group, which operated several television stations critical of the government. Meanwhile, prosecutors have pursued more than 1,800 cases of "insulting the president" since Erdogan, a former prime minister, was elected president in 2014.

Such stifling of political opponents is impossible to reconcile with the preamble of the treaty establishing NATO, which invokes "the principles of democracy, individual liberty and the rule of law."

The Obama administration called the action against Zaman "troubling," joining the chorus of criticism from human-rights groups. But it is also mindful that Turkey is a NATO ally and a key player in both the fight against Islamic State and the negotiations to end the civil war in Syria.

This isn't the first time the commitment of the U.S. to human rights tugs it in one direction while strategic interests pull in another. After the Egyptian military overthrew democratically elected President Mohamed Morsi in 2013, the Obama administration suspended the delivery of some weapons. But it relented two years later, when Egypt was confronted with instability in neighboring Libya and threats from Islamic State-affiliated groups.

On Monday, State Department spokesman John Kirby deflected a reporter's suggestion that the U.S. might impose sanctions on Turkish officials similar to those Congress approved against Russians involved in human-rights abuses, saying, "I won't get ahead of decisions that haven't been made one way or another with respect to that." Kirby also suggested that disagreements over press freedom needn't "tear asunder an entire bilateral relationship."

Perhaps not, but even if the U.S. feels constrained in the actions it can take, it should leave no doubt about what it thinks: that muzzling the press and political opponents is not just "troubling" but outrageous.
As with CEOs, school superintendents manage multimillion-dollar budgets, work long hours, answer to boards and employ hundreds to thousands of people.

But unlike top corporate officers, school district leaders make decisions in public, are blamed for everything from snow days to lackluster lunches, and most dont get the lavish pay and perks awarded company executives.

Youre a public servant, said Robert Olson, who has been superintendent 27 years at Clarion-Goldfield-Dows, a central Iowa district of about 950 students.

Olson, 61, has served his school district longer than any other Iowa superintendent, according to an analysis of superintendent contracts and data from 314 Iowa school districts by The Gazette of Cedar Rapids.

Nearly half of Iowas district leaders have been in their positions five years or less and, for 12 percent of Iowa superintendents, this is their first year on the job. This churn reflects, to some degree, the large number of baby boomers retiring.

But lower-than-expected state appropriations have accelerated turnover as district leaders struggle to economize without harming student learning, said Roark Horn, executive director for the School Administrators of Iowa, which represents more than 2,000 Iowa superintendents, principals and other administrators.

People who take on this responsibility really want to help others, but they soon realize there are limits to what you can do, Horn said.

More than 90 percent of Iowas 336 school districts responded to an Open Records request from The Gazette seeking their superintendents employment contract, hire date and list of perks not included in the contract. This story and the data collected is being offered to newspapers around the state as part of Sunshine Week, a national initiative to promote open government and freedom of information.

Salaries, perks

Superintendent salaries in Iowa range widely depending on the size of the school district, with the median for 2015-16 being about $135,000.

The lowest full-time salary is $28,500 for Steve Lane, superintendent for CAL, a 261-student district in north central Iowa. Lane, retired in 2012, must be paid less than $30,000 because hes collecting his education pension.

The highest superintendent salary in Iowa is $279,864 for Thomas Ahart, who leads the Des Moines school district, with 32,580 students.

One in five Iowa superintendents who submitted contracts receive payments into a retirement fund. Waukee Superintendent David Wilkerson, whose suburban Des Moines district has 9,448 students, receives the largest payment at $50,000 a year into an annuity and $5,000 into 457(b) retirement plan.

The bulk of Iowa districts provide a car for their superintendent or pay mileage. One-third of Iowa school districts are paying for superintendents cellphones.

The median vacation for Iowa superintendents is 20 days, which is higher than the national average of 16 days for all jobs. But judging by many superintendent contracts allowing leaders to redeem some unused vacation for cash, education leaders arent using much of their time off.

Superintendent contracts also revealed some unique benefits, such as a $1,500 tuition reimbursement for Missouri Valley Superintendent Deidre Drees, a golf club membership for Roland-Storys Matthew Patton, free school lunches while Kingsley-Pierson Superintendent Scott Bailey is on duty and rent-free living in a district-owned house for South Hamilton Superintendent Kenneth Howard.

Consulting fees

School officials in Iowa and across the country are moonlighting for educational companies, universities and professional organizations. These opportunities can help administrators refresh their skills, but they also can lead to potential conflicts of interest.

Its not just about the extra money youre making on the side, Samuel Abrams, director of the National Center for the Study of Privatization in Education at Columbia University, told The Gazette last fall.

The superintendents are making money from counseling other school districts about getting scores up," he said. "Theyre consequently that much less likely to criticize an accountability system that should be criticized.

About one-third of the Iowa districts that submitted superintendent contracts permit superintendents to do consulting, writing, teaching or other outside work. Most of those districts allow outside work on the clock as long as it doesnt interfere with superintendent duties.

The Waterloo school district, with 10,936 students, limits Superintendent Jane Lindaman to five days of consulting a year. Pella, with 2,140 students, requires Superintendent Greg Ebeling to use vacation days for consulting and, even then, he can use only five days.

Iowa City Superintendent Stephen Murleys contract was scrutinized last year when a Chicago-area private education company for which he moonlighted was indicted in a kickback scandal with the Chicago public schools. Murley and other superintendents who taught courses for principals were not linked to the scheme.

Murley, who has been with Iowa City schools since 2010, is allowed 10 days of discretionary leave, on top of 30 days of vacation, to use for personal business, consulting, professional activities, community events or other activities that will contribute to the betterment of the district, according to his contract.

Tim Cronin, who is the Central City superintendent and elementary principal, teaches a University of Iowa night class on contemporary management strategies for PreK-12 principals. Central City allows him, should the opportunity present itself, to become a part-time college professor while continuing at Central City, a district of 478 students north of Cedar Rapids.

That is a long shot, Cronin said in an email. Just to be clear, it is language for a future possibility.

Spread thin

Iowa superintendents are increasingly being asked to take on additional roles, such as principal, special education coordinator or human resources director. About 15 percent of Iowas superintendents lead more than one school district to save money.

When Lynnville-Sully, with 434 students, decided in February 2015 to eliminate the position of high school principal, Superintendent Shane Ehresman was asked to take over those duties with no additional pay.

The school board has been having ongoing discussions since the state Legislature continues to provide inadequate supplemental state aid, said Ehresman, who is paid $123,469 and has been with Lynnville-Sully since 2010.

Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad vetoed $55.7 million in additional funding for K-12 schools last year.

An Iowa law expanded in 2014 provides districts the per-pupil funding equivalent of eight students (about $52,000) if they share a superintendent. There are lesser savings for sharing other administrators, adding up to a maximum credit equal to 21 students, or about $136,500.

Little schools and bigger schools alike are cashing in as new money doesnt come close to covering the increased cost of doing business, said Fred Whipple, the part-time superintendent for the 468-student Waco school district in southeast Iowa.

The Waco school board is talking with three other districts about sharing a superintendent next year. The law requires each sharing district have at least 20 percent of the full-time hours for the positions.

Whipple, 66, had led four school districts before joining Waco as an interim appointment to work two days a week.

Im able to meet expectations, but your ability to inspect what youre expected is not there anymore, Whipple said. You transfer a lot of pressure and accountability to building principals.

Clear Lake and Mason City agreed in January to stop sharing Superintendent Anita Micich, The Associated Press reported. Clear Lakes board decided to hire its own leader focused solely on the 1,222-student district, despite estimated cost savings of $800,000 over five years of sharing.

Few women

Micich is one of nearly 40 female superintendents who submitted contracts for this story, which is about 15 percent of the total. Three-quarters of teachers nationally are women, but relatively few seek upper management.

Its time-intensive and education-intensive work, said Micich, 68, who started her career teaching music and special education. After her son was grown, she went to Vanderbilt University in Nashville to get her Ph.D.

I thought maybe I would be a principal, she said. I never thought I would be a superintendent.

Micich found she loves envisioning the future for her school districts and helping principals grow in their skills.

Its difficult times, she said. Theres a sense of, Who needs a superintendent? But I would encourage women interested in becoming a superintendent to consider it. Its very fulfilling.

(Gazette reporters John McGlothlen and Alex Boisjolie contributed to this report.)
Winner  South Dakota property owners

Of course, we'll all pay more in state sales taxes for food, fuel, durable goods and almost everything else we need to survive in the modern world. And we were already paying more at the pump due to 2015 legislative action to raise the state gas tax.

But now that the 2016 Legislative session is in the books, home and business owners have a little bit to cheer about. The half-cent sales tax increase will not only raise sagging teacher pay, but it has a back-end element of property-tax relief to the tune of $36 million a year.

Meanwhile, lawmakers also approved a lower property tax levy rate for assessment of homes and businesses for the general education fund in South Dakota. Owners of agricultural land will also see a tax break, but not as substantial as brick-and-mortar property owners. That lowered levy comes about due to overall growth in the state economy.

So while tax hikes dominated the discussion and debate during the 2016 session, home and businesses owners should have a little lower burden and can feel pretty good about that.

Loser  People in pain

Just when it seemed South Dakota lawmakers might allow people in pain or suffering from seizures to use marijuana-based compounds to improve their lives, conservative lawmakers in the House dashed their hopes. Those lawmakers killed the measure, already approved by the Senate, that would have allowed a new critical treatment option for medical patients, such as 3-year-old Eliyah Hendrickson of Sioux Falls, who endures life-threatening seizures and is deprived of a normal childhood. The opposition argument, embraced by opponents like Rep. Kristin Conzet of Rapid City, that people like Eliyah's parents would use cannabidiol to try to get themselves or their child high is patently preposterous. Conzet even urged the Hendrickson family to move to another state if they wanted to use the medicine. On any level, from compassion for others to basic decency, is that really how we want to treat our own citizens?
Diane and Jesse OConnor traveled more than 2,200 miles to gain a new appreciation for something most people take for granted: a well-brewed cup of coffee.

While serious java junkies are known for going well out of their way to find a good brew, Diane and Jesse, mother and son, did them one better, journeying to Central America in a quest for a better understanding of what goes into the coffee beans they grind, roast, brew and sell at the Dunn Bros. Coffee shop in Rapid City.

Diane, originally from Merriman, Neb., purchased the Rapid City Dunn Bros. franchise about 18 months ago.

Jesse is a high school junior who splits his education between online home-schooling courses and elective band and ROTC classes at Rapid City Central High School. His after-school job is as a part-time barista at his mom's coffee shop at 719 Omaha St.

Minneapolis, Minn.-based Dunn Bros. encourages franchise owners to take what they call "coffee origin tours" to better educate themselves about the critical component they purchases directly from growers  the incredible coffee bean.

Diane said the company emphasizes business relationships with farmers who are sound business owners, treat their laborers fairly and use environmentally sustainable farming methods.

If were going to using this product, we want to be proud of where its coming from, she said. In order to tell that story we have to experience that ourselves.

In late January, Diane and Jesse made the 2,230-mile trip to Santa Ana, El Salvadors second-largest city and a hub for the countrys coffee growing industry.

Jesse said he went into the trip without preconceptions, but stepping off the airplane after arriving in El Salvadors capital of San Salvador quickly became a case of sensory overload.

The airport terminal was packed with passengers, locals offering to give them rides or carry their bags, and children peddling small bags of popcorn. The 90-minute trip to their hotel in Santa Ana was marked by people running across the highway and dogs everywhere, he said.

It was overwhelming. It was a lot to take in, he said.

For eight days they toured a number of small family-owned and operated farms where they received hands-on experience in picking ripe coffee beans, resembling cherries in size and color, and also seeing how the red pulp is removed and the pit (bean) inside is laboriously dried and prepared for market.

They met the laborers who harvest coffee beans, and they picked the beans themselves.

They also used hand tools to turn the beans in a time-consuming drying process. The beans are spread out on concrete and terra cotta beds and turned several times during the day, to promote consistent drying and prevent mold and mildew.

Diane said the experience put a whole new perspective on the amount of work that goes into making a cup of coffee.

To actually walk through those steps and see the care they put in at each step, and knowing at each step if something goes wrong, that could ruin an entire days harvest, she said.

Diane and Jesse were initially struck by the level of poverty in the region, but a week spent there, meeting the growers and the laborers, put the El Salvadoran lifestyle in perspective.

Theyre a happy people and a happy culture. They live very simply but theyre very content with what they have. Theres a sense of community and pride in what they do, Diane said.

It doesnt affect them in the typical American stereotype of poverty, You must be absolutely miserable. Theyre not, she said.

Jesse recalled laborers carrying 150-pound sacks of coffee beans on narrow trails. The work ethic he witnessed had a profound impact.

They love their lives. They absolutely love their job and theyre excited to go to work. They go to work every day as a family. They can provide for their families and have successful jobs, Jesse said.

Both Diane and Jesse admit seeing a simple cup of coffee a bit differently after the trip.

If anything, its given us even more of a sense of pride after watching the care the farmers take, everything from their soil to re-establishing those crops, trying to have the best product, to see how much work they put into it and knowing we get to take it from there, she said.

Jesse was more succinct, saying he will recall the work ethic and contentment of the Salvadoran farmers when things get stressful at school or on the job.

It was a great trip, Jesse said. Coffees good.
Announcements

 GED classes are currently in session for 2016 in the Rapid City area. The program is provided through the Career Learning Center of the Black Hills and serves adults in many capacities, including obtaining their GED as an equivalent high school degree or by offering preparation for individuals who have their high school diploma or GED and are interested in preparing for an entrance exam at a South Dakota tech institute or university. The program assists adults 18 or older, offering classes on different days and times during the week as well as night classes. To obtain additional information on starting class, call 394-5120 or email srittberger@tie.net.

 North Park Elementary School will host a kindergarten registration from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. March 29. Any child who is 5 years old or will be by Sept. 1 is eligible. Parents should bring a copy of the child's birth certificate and immunization records for registration. They will also be asked to furnish some directory information such as date of birth, address and telephone number. The school nurse will be available to check immunization records. Immunizations can be received at your doctor's office. For more information or to make an appointment, call 723-3379.

 Zion Lutheran School will screen students for full-day small kindergarten classes (18 students per class) for the 2016-2017 school year on March 18. For more information or to schedule an appointment, call 342-5749 or stop by the school office at 4550 South U.S. Highway 16.

 The Rapid City Area Chamber of Commerce Workforce Development Committee, in partnership with the Black Hills Area Community Foundation, will award scholarships of $400 and $1,000 to high school seniors graduating from a Rapid City high school and non-traditional students who have lived in Rapid City for at least the past year. These students need to be attending a Rapid City post-secondary institute in the fall of 2016. Deadline for the application is March 15. To review qualifications, visit rapidcitychamber.com/about/awards-scholarships. For additional information, contact Debbie Leber at the Chamber of Commerce at 718-8450 or leber@rapidcitychamber.com.

Honored

South Dakota School of Mines & Technology, dean's list: Sturgis: Bennett Prosser, Mechanical Engineering; Tucker Loeffen, Geological Engineering; Brennen Udager, Civil And Environmental Engineering

 Nathan Streyle, a South Dakota School of Mines & Technology mechanical engineering senior from Sioux Falls, has been selected for the national Co-op Student Achievement Award, recognizing his outstanding efforts during his work at Emerson Process Management. The Cooperative Education & Internship Association selects one student each year throughout the nation to receive the honor.

 Joseph McReynolds, a freshman at Douglas High School of Ellsworth Air Force Base, is a delegate to the Congress of Future Medical Leaders in Lowell, Mass. from June 25 to June 27. The Congress is an honors-only program for high school students who want to become physicians or go into medical research fields.

 Danika Gordon, of Whitewood, an eighth-grader at Sturgis Williams Middle School, was presented with an engraved silver medallion to recognize her selection by the Prudential Spirit of Community Awards as one of South Dakota's top two youth volunteers of 2016. Danika promotes kindness and volunteerism among her peers through an online book she authored and through programs she conducts. As a State Honoree, Danika will receive a $1,000 award and an all-expense-paid trip in early May to Washington, D.C.
Jace Wilson grew up listening to stories his grandfather told of mountain lion hunting in Idaho.

Last spring, he wrote about some of what he remembered in an essay that was part of a contest to win a mountain lion hunt during the Youth Conservation and Education Expo at the Teller Wildlife Refuge.

I cant remember how old I was, but I was pretty little when one of grandfathers hounds ran away, Wilson said. He had a bunch of hounds back then. He and my mom went after that dog that ran away.

By the time they found the dog, it was dead. The mountain lion it was chasing had turned on it.

They got that cat eventually, Wilson said. I can still remember when they brought it in. That was the thing that really piqued my interest in mountain lion hunting. I never forgot that.

Wilsons grandfather passed away before he had a chance to hunt with him.

Two weeks ago, he got that opportunity thanks to Ben Wohlers and the dedicated volunteers who come together every year at the Teller Wildlife Refuge to offer young people a chance to learn about different opportunities in the outdoors.

Wohlers was just one of many who offered young people attending the expo a chance to participate in different hunts, fishing trips and summer camps.

Tom Powers is one of the original volunteers who helped create the event for young people aged 12 to 17.

Last year, close to 35 different organizations and agencies set up booths that offered information and hands-on activities to the more than 400 young people who attended.

Each and every year, people step up to offer opportunities for youth to learn about the outdoors, Powers said. It exposes them to all sorts of different outdoor activities they can do here in the Bitterroot Valley and Montana.

Last year, 69 lucky youngsters were selected to attend a variety of camps, hunts and fishing trips.

Wilson remembers being pretty excited when he learned that he had been selected to receive the mountain lion hunt. He had already won camps at the Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Ranch and an archery camp in previous years.

I have really been lucky in getting to do all of these different things, Wilson said.

Wilson and his mother, Jill, met Wohlers in Darby at about 6 a.m. for the hunt in the West Fork area. They drove the backroads looking for tracks, but the lack of snow created a challenge.

They finally crossed an old track and Wohlers let his GPS collared dogs go.

When there is no snow, the dogs have to work the tracks real slow, Wohlers said. They have to sort it out on the ground. When they make a loss, they circle around and have to work it again until they figure it out.

The chase took about four hours.

Jace got to see how it all works, Wohlers said. He had a chance to listen to the dogs. You can tell when they make a loss and then find the track again. They get a little more excited.

About four hours after the chase began, they had treed a mature mountain lion in a large ponderosa pine.

I was really excited at that point, Wilson said. It was in a huge pine tree. It was kind of hard to see. At first, all I could see was its tail. Once I went up the hill, I could see it a lot better.

Wilson and his mother took some photographs before he shot it.

Im getting the hide tanned, he said. We might hang it in our living room. Ben (Wohlers) hooked us with a guy who will clean the skull for free for us.

Jill Wilson grew up hunting mountain lions with her father.

I had an opportunity to go almost every winter with him on some kind of adventure, she said. I have a lot of good memories from that. He passed away last October. Jace had hoped to get to go hunting with his grandfather, but it didnt work out that way.

He was really excited when he found out he was going to get to go out with Ben, Jill Wilson said. He is a pretty mellow kid. Im sure he was thinking about his grandfather during the hunt. It meant a lot to him.

When this years youth expo rolls around on May 14 this year, Jill Wilson is sure her sons will be there.

Its a super opportunity for these kids, she said. We look up the dates and get them on the calendar early every year. We want to make sure that we dont schedule anything else on that day.

Wohlers plans to offer two mountain lions to the young people who attend this years expo.

Ive been somewhat involved since it got started, Wohlers said. I want to try to help as much as I can. I really like to get youth involved in hunting and the outdoors.

Mountain lion hunters dont have a really big presence, he said. Its my way to introduce mountain lion hunting with hounds to the younger generation. Hopefully, they can get some good from it.
The Service Officer for American Legion Post 47 in Hamilton is serving those who served in a big way.

Every month Ruth Cook, who served in the United States Air Force and is a Vietnam veteran, visits nearly 40 veterans and several veteran spouses at Bee Hive Homes, Discovery Care Center and Valley View Estates Health Care Center. She thanks the veterans for their service, tells them how much they are appreciated, talks about their families, checks to see how they are feeling, and gives them birthday and Christmas cards.

Nancy Dezell is the chaplain of American Legion Post 47.

Ruth loves visiting her veterans, making them smile, and advocating for them, Dezell said. She has selflessly and passionately visited them for the last two-and-a-half years and knows each one personally.

Cook said veterans deserve the ongoing connection.

Once a month I go visiting and I just sit and visit for a while, Cook said. The veterans enjoy it. For Easter, I put on bunny ears and delivered eggs with chocolates. I try to make them laugh and just brighten their day. They count on the visit. 

In two and a half years, Cook said she only missed one month.

I was deathly ill, Cook said. I made the activity directors go see the veterans and tell them why I wasnt here and that I would be back.

Cook said she feels very comfortable in a nursing home because her father had a stroke when she was 9 years old and spent every weekend visiting him.

Cook served 20 years in the military. She moved to the Bitterroot Valley in June of 2013 transferring to American Legion Post 47.

They gave me the job of service officer and I asked what that entailed. They said I could send sympathy cards, Cook said. That didnt seem quite right to me so I thought about it and proposed a new plan. The Post is military and you have to go up the chain of command. They thought my suggestions would work and I do get a lot of support from them. This year they gave me an actual budget.

Cook likes to visit on veterans holidays and always on Pearl Harbor Day.

When I started half were World War II veterans and now half are Vietnam veterans, Cook said. Some that weve lost lately are younger than I am.

Cook also attends a veterans appreciation meeting lead by Curtis Brown every Friday at the Discovery Care Center. At the meeting veterans share stories, hear presentations and learn more about history and current events. They talk about the details and equipment of wars.

Cook brings a short presentation full of details and fun facts.

I call it Tidbits of the Military and two weeks ago it was about taps and why we play it, Cook said. Last week it was why we fold the flag, the way we fold it and what each fold means. It is a cross between patriotism and religion and there are Bible verses.

This week Cook talked about the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, how many steps they take at the tomb and why, and the life-long commitments of the soldiers performing that duty.

Curtis at Discovery is hosting these meetings so there is more for the men to do in the center, Cook said. We have people come to the meetings even it isnt easy for them to come. If someone doesnt come, I go see if I cant roust them.

Brown said the military discussions are fascinating.

Weve had good first-hand accounts of history, Brown said. This is a history book and there is no better way to uncover the past.

Discovery Administrator Rick Bucheit praised the veterans meeting.

It offers veterans an opportunity to reminisce with others with that common bond, Bucheit said. It was started as a mens group but has become so popular that female veterans, military spouses and guests have made it a priority to attend.

Curtis and Bucheit noted the meeting brings the veterans together who do not usually interact with other activities.

Some residents have pictures or books with information related to their service and enjoy sharing that experience with the group, Bucheit said. I am proud of the fact that we now have an activity that is so popular and affords them the opportunity to be recognized for their service.

Cook said the veterans are a resource.

They are such amazing people, you dont realize it until you get to know them, she said. Some Ive been visiting the entire time that Ive been doing this. I love these guys.

Post 47 Chaplin Dezell said Cook plays taps in the color guard, coordinates the placing of over a thousand white memorial crosses on the grave of every veteran buried at Riverside Cemetery every Memorial Day, and volunteers for Meals on Wheels and the Bitterroot Humane Association.
The organisers of a Mardi Gras float threatened with expulsion after protesting refugee policies behind a Bill Shorten press conference remains defiantly unapologetic. Amy Thomas and Ed McMahon explain.Our small organising group for the No Pride in Detention float at this years Mardi Gras didnt anticipate the controversy that has surrounded us in the aftermath. But were thankful that it has drawn attention to the campaign against refugee detention, and at the same time, raised a debate about what Mardi Gras should be all about.Our float, one of the best attended in the parade, was forced to move several places behind Rainbow Labor at the last minute, after wed initially been scheduled to march behind them. This unexpected shake up followed an abusive confrontation by Mardi Gras staff , who threatened us with expulsion. Mardi Gras claims they were acting on reports from police. But theres a circular blame game going on. The police claim they were acting on reports from an unspecified source. Bill Shortens office has denied involvement.It is remarkable that in the very same week the NSW police were forced to apologise for their infamous mistreatment of the first Mardi Gras parade-makers, the 78ers, todays organisers were so willing to so blindly trust the polices word.And its also remarkable that Mardi Gras has stood by their public abuse of a young queer activist.The truth is, there was no assault or harassment towards the Labor float. There is no evidence of it, because none exists.The only possible event they could be referring to was a peaceful protest at Bill Shortens press conference. Yes, we stood behind Bill Shorten and Tanya Plibersek as they spoke to journalists. Yes, we chanted were here, were queer, refugees are welcome here. Yes, we held up signs, with slogans like Unionists for Refugees and 14 years imprisonment for homosexuality on Manus and Nauru.Were glad we did so.If Malcolm Turnbull hadnt made such a selective appearance, we can assure you, we wouldnt have let him get away with it, either. It was Turnbull, and his Immigration Minister Peter Dutton, the current overseers of the camps, that featured in our signs and our chants.We were not marching in the parade to attack Rainbow Labor, and especially not Labor members, many of whom we know support our cause. We certainly had no plans to disrupt their float. Nor do we reject Shortens newfound anti-homophobia (better late than never).We aimed, simply, to march, dance and chant behind them in a display of support for refugees and asylum seekers.We make no apology for our determination to both campaign against the current Turnbull governments offshore processing and detention regime, and to challenge Labors acquiescence to it.Our determination to use our platform in the parade to fight for social change represents what Mardi Gras should be  or at least, used to be  that is, a protest.Our floats solidarity with refugees is in fitting with tradition. In 1978, one of the key chants was stop police attacks on gays, women and blacks. Thats why 78ers are writing to us to express their support for what we did.Behind the mini media firestorm over the treatment of our float is something so much more scandalous and sinister, and thats the bipartisan policies of cruelty acted out every day on Manus, Nauru and throughout the detention network.Instead of marching with us in Mardi Gras, a gay refugee couple, Nima and Ashkan, were locked in their home on Nauru, where they live in fear.Nima fled Iran because he couldnt live in safety or peace as a gay man. He disclosed his sexuality to the Australian government. And although he has been found to be a refugee, he has been resettled in Nauru, a country were homosexuality is illegal, and punishable with 14 years imprisonment and hard labour.He fell in love in detention with another asylum seeker, Ashkan. But instead of being able to live freely as a couple in love, establishing a new life, they can only leave their home once a week, and even then only with company. After beatings and abuse, theyre scared for their safety and anxious about their uncertain future.
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Warning: THIS EPISODE OF THE REV. KNOW IT ALL IS EXTREMELY OFFENSIVE. IT IS NOT ABOUT YOU OR ANYONE YOU KNOW. PLEASE READ THE WHOLE ARTICLE....
The EU

Google says the EU requires a notice of cookie use (by Google) and says they have posted a notice. I don't see it. If cookies bother you, go elsewhere. If the EU bothers you, emigrate. If you live outside the EU, don't go there.
This is a blog by a former CEO of a large Boston hospital to share thoughts about negotiation theory and practice, leadership training and mentoring, and teaching.
The Economic Times, March 9, 2016

by TK Arun

Finish off the deshdrohi (traitor)! This is the BJPas new war cry. And the Opposition is reportedly being put on the defensive in the small towns of Uttar Pradesh. This is dangerous, primarily because the logical conclusion of jingoism is war.

Following the crackdown on the Capitalas Jawaharlal Nehru University, where a handful of people, probably not all of them students, shouted anti-India slogans, the BJP has set off a new nationalism discourse. The Hindutva brigade now waves the tricolour, rather than its traditional saffron pennant, and militantly accuses the rest of the political spectrum of being anti-national. Doctored videos, morphed pictures, their wide dissemination on TV channels and the social media and poisonous propaganda amplify the message.

Hindutva vs Hinduism

It would be facile to see this political shift on the part of the BJP as being tactical: the government is unlikely to deliver on its Achhe Din (good times) promise, given the global headwinds for the economy and the slow progress on cleaning up the systemic mess in power, banking and corporate governance, without which investment and growth will struggle to accelerate. Hence the need for rabblerousing political platform.

Such a reading underestimates the BJP and treats it just like any other political party packed with people on the make and gunning for power for the sake of power. The BJP is indeed a party with a difference. It has an ideological mission, assigned by its parent, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh. The BJP calls its mission cultural nationalism. Containing culture and nationalism, both considered in a positive light, this goal resonates with respectability.

However, the operative intent of cultural nationalism is neither anaemic nor respectable: it is to reduce non-Hindus to second-class citizens by redefining Indian nationhood as Hindutva. Hindutva is altogether different from the eclectic, inclusive religion and its practice that the people of this land know as Hinduism.

Hindutva is exclusivist, whereas Hindus are perfectly willing to worship at a Christian or a Muslim shrine if that would bring them some relief from distress. Hindutva is monolithic, intolerant of deviation from a paradigm it deems valid, whereas Hinduism is infinitely flexible, allowing people to find their spiritual equilibrium whichever way they like, worshipping Ram or Ravan or no one in particular, resorting only to pursuit of knowledge or to dedicated conduct of duty.

Hindutva sees other religions as infractions of cultural integrity, while Hinduism sees spiritual diversity as perfectly natural and an integral part of the culture. Hindutva is militant, whereas Hinduism is accommodative, flexible and assimilative.

Kumar Gandharva singing Kabir is a representative face of Hinduism. Sadhvis fulminating against Muslims are the face of Hindutva in its operative mode.

Hindutva in its seminar-circuit mode has, of course, more moderate, articulate spokesmen, chanting cultural nationalism or development as the redeeming, legitimising mantra, as the occasion demands.

The binary division of the land into deshbhakts and deshdrohis finds complete congruence with the BJPas fundamental mission. Those who do not accept Hindutva are branded as anti-nationals. Muslims, proselytising Christians and godless communists were always easy to brand as toxic, alien contamination. Now, after Rahul Gandhi lent his support to the 8,000-strong student community of JNU reviled by the Sangh Parivar as traitors, the BJP has branded the Congress also as deshdrohis.

Perils of Jingoism

Beef-eaters are deshdrohis. Worshippers of Mahishasura are deshdrohis, as are those who quibble about freedom of speech when the nation is under attack. Deshdrohis cannot be allowed to open their mouth in defence, they should be lynched, beaten up in the court and on the street.

This kind of nationalism leads to emotion and frenzy, not to dialogue or reasoned debate. Jingoistic frenzy on the campaign trail a winning Uttar Pradesh in 2017 is critical for the BJP to return to power in Delhi in 2019 a cannot be countered with lectures on nationalism. It calls for a snappy response, derived from the discourse of the freedom struggle.

Those who seek to exclude millions of Indians from the nation are the deshdrohis. Those who conflate Muslims with Pakistan and brand them anti-national are the real deshdrohis. Those who refuse to respect the Dalit demand for respect are deshdrohis. Those who seek to plunder tribal lands and oust tribal people from their homes, flouting the law of the land but using the full force of the state, and thereby create easy recruits for Maoists, are the real anti-nationals.

Unless this strategy of whipping up nationalist frenzy is countered vigorously, the impact would not be limited to electoral fortunes. When jingoistic passion runs high across the land, any grave provocation from across the border a including by non-state actors a will call for a tough response a or politics by other means, to borrow an exotic phrase.
The News, February 28, 2016

The dishonour of compromise

by Asad Jamal

It is ironic how one has to describe a crime of the worst kind with a word like ahonoura. Thus when Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif says athereas no honour in honour killinga , it shows a way forward to the multitude of women who are subject to retrogressive traditions and customs that keep them slaves to a misogynistic society. The prime minister has expressed his desire to make appropriate changes to the relevant law.

It took the nomination of a Pakistani documentary film to the Academy Awards for our representatives to wake up to a tragedy that is a daily occurrence in this country.

According to the statistics available with the Punjab Police, the numbers of ahonour killingsa for the province of Punjab in the last five years a from 2011 to 2015 a are 256, 184, 275, 312, and 242 respectively. These are cases that somehow found their way to the police stations. There could be many more.

A news report based on an interview with a high-ranking policymaker in Islamabad appeared in this paper a few days ago. The content of the report was less than reassuring. The policymaker was quoted as saying that in the case of honour killings, the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) was being amended to treat the crime of honour killing as aFasad Fil Arza. This, according to the policymaker, ais being done to authorise the court whether to accept or reject a compromise between the complainant and the killer who in most cases of honour killings are blood relationsa.

This is a well-meaning but flawed solution. Besides, the law already provides this as a result of an amendment which came into force in January 2005.

So whatas the problem? Consider.

Section 311 of the PPC already declares murder committed in the name of ahonoura as Fasad Fil Arz and it also provides that the minimum punishment in such cases shall not be less than ten years of imprisonment. Further, section 338-E provides that any waiver or compounding of such an offence is subject to conditions imposed by the court but with the consent of parties. This amendment was made possible because waiver and compounding are provided in the law where qisas is applicable. And a compromise reached between parties may still be discarded and punishment may be awarded as taazir. A minimum of ten years of imprisonment is prescribed as the secular punishment for ahonoura killing. So what went wrong? The problem is more systemic and much deeper than is generally acknowledged a even though it is understood by some.

In 1989, the Shariat Appellate Bench of the Supreme Court in the Gul Hassan case (1989), an appeal filed by the federal government against an earlier decision of the Federal Shariat Court, declared the then existing punishments and other aspects in the chapter on offences relating to the human body un-Islamic and made eight specific directions in the way the criminal law must be changed to make it Islamic.

As a consequence, the option, among other things, of compounding (compromise as a result of payment of diyat a blood money a for the offence of killing or arsh etc in the case of bodily hurt) and waiver (pardon accepted for the offence of killing or bodily hurt) were introduced in the PPC. Since these options were left entirely a even though in cases of qisas onlya to the discretion of the legal heirs of the victims, it has had serious adverse impact on the whole of the criminal justice system.

This has been called the aprivatisation of justicea, which has impacted even where the court has the discretion to impose secular punishment prescribed in the statute as taazir. It isnat that compromise between parties was not allowed for certain offences before 1989. But with the Islamic sanction assigned to it, each instance of every offence against human body a including killing, and the so-called ahonoura crimes a is now considered to be de facto pardonable or compoundable.

The courts as well as prosecutors are happy to play the role of the post office as they do not have to go through the burdensome challenge of conducting trials. The police are readily inclined to submit documentary evidence of compromise reached between the parties even before the trial begins. This allows them, among other things, to save time and other resources to be spent on investigation, and to act as mediators between the parties. This has practically paved the way for more corruption.

Thus, one sees compromises being reached and money exchanging hands even in rape cases where the law prohibits compromise. This is empowerment of the evil kind. The victimsa relatives are either wary of the system as no justice is expected, at least not speedily, and/or are under pressure from their biradari/clan and their community elders. Once the parties submit a compromise, it works as an automatic trigger.

In the statistics mentioned above, over 90 percent of the cases are estimated to have ended in some kind of compromise a with the perpetrators let off the hook. This is the aspill-over effecta of qisas and diyat laws; and it has literally crippled the system. It is for this reason that the trial courts do not use the existing discretion to award minimum punishment of ten years in the ahonoura killings of women as well as men.

If PM Nawaz Sharif is really interested in the welfare of the vulnerable women and men and children of this country, he should make sure that the appropriate kind of amendments are made to the penal code.

Due to the absence of comprehensive, reliable data we do not know the exact scale of the problem of honour killings. Some civil society organisations that monitor honour killings put the numbers at 700-1000 per year for the period 2011-15 for the whole of Pakistan. The actual numbers are estimated to be double a in the range of 1500-2000. Either way, this is a big social problem, not just in terms of the number of human beings killed but also in terms of its social implications. The victims include men but an overwhelming majority in the range of 70-80 per cent or more, of the victims are women.

Every possible step must be taken to eliminate this social evil. Legislation is one of the many important aspects to look into and perhaps is the easiest one. Letas start with that. Eliminate the discretion currently vested with the court and make all honour crimes mandatorily punishable with no possibility of compromise between the parties.

The writer is a lawyer engaged in drafting a comprehensive set of amendments to curb crimes committed in the name of ahonoura. Twitter: @LegalPolitical

o o o

The Express Tribune, 12 March 2016

Rooted in dishonour

by Amina Jilani

It is high time that the pernicious mendacious phrase ahonour killingsa was expunged from the lexicon of what has become known as the aMuslim worlda and this particular Islamic Republic can take the lead. There should, in this 21st century, be no murders that are justified by the claim of upholding a non-existent ahonoura.

The perpetration of such killings (reported regularly and sickeningly in our press) is pure and simple premeditated murder and must be treated as such. The killings of women (rarely men) are deliberate, planned and premeditated when men get together, claiming violated honour, and rid themselves of pesky female relatives. They are protected by the Qisas and Diyat law (blood money) which similarly needs to be stricken from Pakistanas statute books.

This law, cropped up as an ordinance at the time of an interim government in 1990, was re-promulgated with consistency, and finally made into a law in 1997 by our present prime minister in his second coming. Mian Nawaz Sharif executed a great PR coup when he pronounced, following the Oscar nomination of the Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy short documentary (later a deserved second Oscar) on the subject of these premeditated murders, that athere is no honour in honour killingsa , echoing the views of the few commentators who have consistently clamoured for action against these murders since the 1990s.

He should be chuffed that the phrase has been printed in bold letters in a full-page advertisement in the International New York Times, inserted by globalcitizen.org/chime whose website gives credit to Obaid-Chinoy for aleading the way to change legislation.a

So, now, what does the prime minister intend to do about legislation? Expunge ahonour killingsa and substitute premeditated murder. Flush blood money down the national choked-up drain? Take on the jirga system which is as guilty? Dare he? In a previous existence he did away with the Friday weekly holiday (part of Zulfikar Ali Bhuttoas last ditch stand to save his government) and reverted to Sunday. The heavens did not fall. So, it is possible a that is if he can unentangle himself from his religious right brethren and subdue parliament. Both may pose problems. Who knows how many who sit in the name of democracy in the hallowed legislative houses possess the mindset of a present sitting senator?

In the most honourable Senate sits a supposedly democratically elected senator, Mir Israrullah Zehri, brother of the chief minister of Balochistan. He has the honourable distinction and is on record in the honourable house in 2008 of having upheld the premeditated murder of two (possibly more) women of Balochistan, who were allegedly buried alive in his province in the name of ahonoura. Zehrias stance was that the premeditated murder of women who are suspected of aimmoral actsa (a neat way of putting it when men wish to rid themselves of troublesome women) are acenturies old traditionsa, time honoured atribal customsa which must not be discontinued. How many like-minded companions does he have within and outside parliament? Judging by the reactions to the Obaid-Chinoy film one could say fairly numerous (to put it mildly).

Yes, Obaid-Chinoy has factually depicted Pakistan in its barbaric ugliness; yes, she has factually shown the world what goes on in the Islamic Republic when it comes to attitudes towards women. Her purpose is a wake-up call a and she had the gumption to do it twice and be rewarded. The objectors may screech as they may, but they cannot deny facts. Only Zehri-like champion them.

Now, it is up to the monarch of legislators to show us he meant what he said. And, of course, up to the aestablishmenta to support him. The next stop is those equally iniquitous laws a blasphemy, equally difficult to tackle given the national mindset. The very fact that it could be deliberated in the apex court of the land as to whether a man could commit premeditated murder and justify it by claiming his victim had committed blasphemy is chilling in the extreme.
The New York Times, March 11, 2016

People surrounded the ambulance carrying the body of Malik Mumtaz Hussain Qadri in Rawalpindi, Pakistan. Credit Faisal Mahmood/Reuters

ON Feb. 29 a a bad day for anniversaries a Pakistan executed my fatheras killer.

My father was the governor of Punjab Province from 2008 until his death in 2011. At that time, he was defending a Christian woman who had fallen afoul of Pakistanas blasphemy laws, which are used by the Sunni majority to terrorize the countryas few religious minorities. My father spoke out against the laws, and the judgment of television hosts and clerics fell hard on him. He became, in the eyes of many, a blasphemer himself. One January afternoon his bodyguard, Malik Mumtaz Hussain Qadri, shot him dead as he was leaving lunch.

Mr. Qadri became a hero in Pakistan. A mosque in Islamabad was named after him. People came to see him in prison to seek his blessings. The course of justice was impeded. The judge who sentenced him to death had to flee the country. I thought my fatheras killer would never face justice.

But then, in the past few months, it became possible to see glimmers of a new resolve on the part of the Pakistani state. The Supreme Court upheld Mr. Qadrias death sentence last October. Earlier this year, the president turned down the convictas plea for mercy a which, at least as far as the law goes, was Mr. Qadrias first admission that he had done anything wrong at all. Then on the last day of last month came the news: Pakistan had hanged Malik Mumtaz Hussain Qadri. How would the country a not the state, but the people a respond?

I spoke to my sister in Lahore and for a moment we dared to hope that Pakistan, which had suffered so much from Islamic terrorism, might turn a corner. A lot had happened in the five years since Mr. Qadri killed our father. There was attack after hideous attack. In December 2014, terrorists struck a school in Peshawar, killing 132 children. Was it possible that Pakistan was tired of blood and radicalism? Had people finally begun to realize that those who kill in the name of a higher law end up becoming a law unto themselves? Had the horrors of the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria done nothing to dampen enthusiasm for Islamism? Perhaps. I hoped.

But when a BBC interviewer asked me about this, something made me equivocate. I said it was too early to say and that we should be careful not to confuse the hardening resolve of the Pakistani government with the will of its people. Mr. Qadrias funeral was the next day. That would give a better indication of the public mood.

And so it did.

An estimated 100,000 people a a crowd larger than the population of Asheville, N.C. a poured into the streets of Rawalpindi to say farewell to Malik Mumtaz Hussain Qadri. It was among the biggest funerals in Pakistanas history, alongside those of Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the father of the nation, and Benazir Bhutto, the former prime minister, who was assassinated in 2007. But this was no state funeral; it was spontaneous and it took place despite a media blackout.

As pictures emerged of the sea of humanity that coalesced around the white ambulance strewn with red rose petals that carried Mr. Qadrias body, a few thoughts occurred to me: Was this the first funeral on this scale ever given to a convicted murderer? Did the men who took to the street in such great numbers come out of their hatred of my father or their love of his killer? They hardly knew Mr. Qadri. The only thing he had done in all his life, as far as they knew, was kill my father. Before that he was anonymous; after that he was in jail. Was this the first time that mourners had assembled on this scale not out of love but out of hate?

And finally, I wondered, what happens when an ideology of hate is no longer just coming from the mouths of Saudi-funded clerics but has infected the body of the people? What do you do when the madness is not confined to radical mosques and madrasas, but is abroad among a population of nearly 200 million?

The form of Islam that has appeared in our time a and that killed my father and so many others a is not, as some like to claim, medieval. Itas not even traditional. It is modern in the most basic sense: It is utterly new. The men who came to mourn my fatheras killer were doing what no one before them had ever done. As I watched this unprecedented funeral, motivated not by love for the man who was dead but by hatred for the man he killed, I recognized that the throng in Rawalpindi was a microcosm of radical Islamas relationship to our time. It drew its energy from the thing it was reacting against: the modernity that my father, with his condemnation of blasphemy laws and his Western, liberal ideas, represented. Recognizing this doesnat pardon the 100,000 people who came to grieve for Malik Mumtaz Hussain Qadri, but it reminds us that their existence is tied up with our own.

Aatish Taseer is the author, most recently, of the novel aThe Way Things Werea and a contributing opinion writer.

A version of this op-ed appears in print on March 13, 2016,
The Tribune, March 11, 2016

by Harish Khare

Republican institutions getting compromised

Suddenly, the outlines of a new phenomenon are becoming familiar. And there can be only one word for this revealing convergence of individuals, ideas and institutions: crony babaism. For a start, let us recall last Tuesday. It was the second and concluding day of something called "Happening Haryana Global Investors Summit" in Gurgaon. It was meant to showcase that the state was limping back to normalcy after last months horrifying collapse of order and authority. On the first day, six-odd Central ministers lent their presence and the weight of their office to project the image of the state government being a modern arrangement, attending to routine governance issues. Also in attendance was the Travelling Circus of aMoU investorsa , making more meaningless promises than does an average district-level demagogue. On Tuesday, the same venue, same government, same ministers were now blessed by two gurus: Baba Ramdev and Sri Sri Ravi Shankar. On the first day, the Chief Minister and his ministerial colleagues looked tense and unsure. On the second, in the company of the holy men, they looked engaged and ebullient.

Not long ago, we had learnt that the Indian stateas authorised custodians a who otherwise are expected to make wise and prudent decisions about national security a had concluded that Baba Ramdev needed to be provided with what is called aZ-plus security.a The New Age baba needs the paraphernalia of power and prominence. Then a few days ago, it was reported that even his business units would henceforth be guarded by the Central Industrial Security Force. But the crony synergy between the state and the baba is most evident in the whole caboodle called the World Culture Festival. On Wednesday, the National Green Tribunal, the institutional body charged with the responsibility of saving us from ecological violations, surrendered to the logic of crony babaism. But the defiant guru refuses to accept the gentlest of raps on the holy knuckle.

It is hard to believe that the Tribunalas thinking was not influenced by the fact Prime Minister Narendra Modi was billed to attend the inaugural function. And because a prime minister is to participate in an event, it can no longer be called a private affair of this or that guru. QED. How convenient.

Both gurus have emerged in recent months as the new sarkari babas, celebrated symbols of the creeping phenomenon of crony babaism. Their salience is to be understood and appreciated in the context of the presumed renaissance at work. Both Ramdev and Sri Sri have sought to market themselves as global brand ambassadors of Indiaas soft power. Since we do not have much of hard power a what with those ten guys from across the border still obviously roaming around unapprehended a successive governments have come to put great store by the soft power. The earlier soft emphasis has now become a loud shout. Since the advent of the jumla government, we are being periodically fobbed off with dreams of India becoming the Vishwa Guru, a position we are supposed to have occupied in that distant golden age of national glory.

Nor should anyone be surprised that the Aam Aadmi Party government had sought the conscription of Army jawans for building a few approach bridges for the Sri Sri Ravi Shankar gathering. It may be worth recalling that Sri Sri Ravi Shankar as well as Baba Ramdev were at the mobilising core of the long-forgotten Anna Hazare movement. It was that presumably anti-corruption crusade that ended up spawning both Arvind Kejriwal and Narendra Modi. The linkages do have a way of popping up, however inconvenient.

And, what have we accomplished? The most secular institution of the Indian state a the Indian Army a has unthinkingly been inserted in a somewhat shabby and showy venture. This is the second instance of the Indian Armys institutional prestige being trifled with. Equally thoughtlessly, it be recalled, the Army was introduced in the Haryana battleground but not used a with consequences injurious to the Armyas institutional health and reputation.

However, the Baba and the Guru are not the only apoliticala swamis. As a nation, we are overly blessed with a surfeit of deras, maths, ashrams and their cultic amastersa a and, each one seeks to bend the authority to his or her holy advantage. Baba Ramdev and Sri Sri Shankar have become more visible a some would say have become an eyesore a only because of a in-your-face flaunting of their political connections. To be fair to them, they have never made a secret of their sympathies and proximities. And again, it would be unfair to single them out for wanting to garner a political clout. The clever politician is only too happy to be a benami partner with them. For example, during the troubled and tortured first decade of the 21st century, the Swaminarayan leadership was used to put the sectas imprimatur on the Narendra Modi regime and its aberrations.

Curiously enough a and, this is more than curious a the crony baba does not claim to be stepping into the shoes of the traditional raj guru. In the ancient days, the raj guru was a figure of moral authority, empowered to impose on the raja the righteous discipline of rajdharma. Todayas crony baba conveniently keeps away from exercising the option of moral leadership. A aHis Holinessa for example would not speak up on the issue of womenas entry into temples.

The crony baba, instead, claims to be in the business of tending to the spiritual well-being of the citizens. Admittedly, societies seek to build up bulwark against cultural disruptions being wrecked by the relentless march of globalisation. The spiritual sales-pitch allows the amastera to pretend that he is resuscitating the solidarity of religious rituals and habits. This ruse allows the holy master to position himself above the mundane issues that would agitate, say, a Kanhaiya Kumar. The godman becomes an accomplice in the million injustices that scar this land every day.

Now the spiritual master has also become a businessman, each godman with a different arevenue modela that needs the states patronage and protection. In the process, the self-claimed spiritual faqir acquires worldly interests and baggage, which need, occasionally, protection from the law. This vulnerability nudges the holy faqir into the unholy tentacles of crony babaism. And that suits the politician. Suits rather well.

The average politician knows he has squandered away his most precious asset a moral authority, and with that that exclusive claim to assert his right as the custodian of public interest. The politician seeks to bolster his depleted authority through an association with this guru or that swami.

The law, too, finds ways to oblige the crony baba, just as it invariably bails out the crony capitalist at the last minute. Just as the crony capitalist can gain easy access to the most powerful offices, so does the crony baba.

All this crony babaism adds up to an assault on republican virtues and secular values in a way that is clearly unhelpful. The visible patronage of the state and its authorised agents on a gaggle of convenient godmen has somehow weakened the spirit of our constitutional covenants.
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March 13, 2016

"Feds want convicted journalist to serve 5 years, his lawyers ask for no prison time"

The title of this post is the headline of this interesting ArsTechnica article previewing an interesting federal sentencing scheduled for later this month in federal court in California. Here are the particulars with all links from the original article to the parties' sentencing submissions and related materials:

Federal prosecutors have asked a judge to impose a sentence of five years against Matthew Keys, who was found guilty last year on three counts of criminal hacking under the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act. That federal law, which was passed in 1984, was what the late activist Aaron Swartz was prosecuted under. Last year, President Barack Obama called for Congress to expand prison sentences for those found guilty under this law. Keys worked previously as an online producer for KTXL Fox 40, a Sacramento, California-based television station. Prosecutors argued that in December 2010, shortly after his dismissal, he handed over login credentials to a Tribune Media content management system (CMS), which allowed members of Anonymous to make unauthorized changes to a Los Angeles Times story. (At the time, both companies were both owned by Tribune Media.) Those changes amounted to a short-lived prank: they lasted only 40 minutes, and there is little evidence that the prank was widely noticed. Criminal charges were not filed until March 2013. Even after he was found guilty, Keys continued to deny the governments narrative. In a brief interview with Ars after his trial concluded, he described the prosecutions theory as "total bullshit." "A sentence of five years imprisonment reflects Keyss culpability and places his case appropriately among those of other white-collar criminals who do not accept responsibility for their crimes," Matthew Segal, an Assistant United States Attorney, wrote in the Thursday sentencing memorandum. In the 12-page filing, Segal explained that, although Keys initially "succeeded in deflecting suspicion away from himself," the FBI changed course after it reviewed chat logs found on the computer belonging to Wesley "Laurelai" Bailey, a former Anonymous member. Those chat logs between Bailey and Ryan Ackroyd (aka "Kayla"), included a line where Kayla wrote: "Iol he's not so innocent and we have logs of him too, he was the one who gave us passwords for LA times, fox40 and some others, he had superuser on alot of media." Segal explains further that Keys attack was "an online version of urging a mob to smash the presses for publishing an unpopular story," adding that Keys employed "means that challenge core values of American democracy." Keys defense lawyers filed their own sentencing memorandum on Wednesday, asking the court to impose no prison time at all or go with a "non-custodial sentence." The 69-page filing goes to great lengths to illustrate Keys lengthy history in journalism, going way back to his elementary school days when he edited the school bulletin. "In recent years, Matthews sacrifices have paid off in the form of impactful journalism that has received national attention," wrote Jay Leiderman, his attorney, who has also worked on many other Anonymous-related cases. "His stories have encouraged discourse, influenced policy and won the attention and accolades from his peers in the industry, public interest groups and even law enforcement officials." Leiderman also notes that if the governments recommendations stand, "[Keys] faces a far more severe sentence than any member of Lulzsec served. 60 months, which the Government seeks, would be more than any person engaged in hacking crimes during this period  by about double!"

I am a bit sorry I am not teaching my sentencing class this semester because the issues raised in this case and the parties' filing provide a great primer on guideline calculation disputes and the application of post-Booker sentencing jurisprudence based in the factors set forth in 3553(a). (I am teaching a 1L legal writing class in which students have to develop variance arguments for a white-collar offender, and I may urge my students to look at the parties' submissions for inspiration.)

March 13, 2016 at 05:48 PM | Permalink

Comments

I don't see that his journalism work has a bearing either way. Non-acceptance of responsibility and obstruction on the other hand are very relevant.

I am, however, somewhat surprised that what appears to be a vandalism case of this nature was prosecuted as a felony. He should certainly serve time but even to me five years sounds excessive. Note that I have argued, possibly here and definitely elsewhere, that I do not see the Swartz prosecution as being unreasonable. The difference I see being that Swartz continued his behavior even after being told to stop and in the end committing physical trespass; all while trying to ruin a business he did not approve of, that is far more than simple vandalism.

Posted by: Soronel Haetir | Mar 13, 2016 8:33:33 PM

http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/ice-124-illegal-immigrants-freed-from-jail-later-charged-with-murder/article/2585720

maybe the administration should spend more time kicking these people out of the country . . . .

Posted by: federalist | Mar 14, 2016 10:32:20 AM

Post a comment
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Thennnnn I was given the wrong ID! From now on my name is Tamir & I work for Time Warner Inc #SXSW2016 pic.twitter.com/TE3jJR16P6  Ibtihaj Muhammad (@IbtihajMuhammad) March 12, 2016

Another controversy for the corporate hipster branding festival SXSW, now underway in Austin, TX through Sunday, March 20. After canceling an online harassment panel because of online harassment and drawing conservative ire over the scheduling of President Obama, the festival faces another cycle of bad press for asking a Muslim panelist to remove her hijab headscarf in order to get her conference badge. Ibtihaj Muhammad, described by the NY Daily News as a Muslim-American fencing powerhouse, appeared on a panel discussion Saturday. But her check-in brouhaha demanding the removal of hijab is attracting the lions share of media attention.

I was just asked to remove my hijab at SXSW Registration for my ID badge.. I can't make this stuff up #SXSW2016  Ibtihaj Muhammad (@IbtihajMuhammad) March 12, 2016

Even after I explained it was for religious reasons, he insisted I had to remove my hijab for the photo to receive my badge #SXSW2016  Ibtihaj Muhammad (@IbtihajMuhammad) March 12, 2016

Adding insult to injury (actually, its two insults), Ms. Muhammad was then issued an ID badge with the wrong first name and an incorrect employer.Ibtihaj Muhammad, an Olympic fencer who will be the first US Olympian ever to compete while wearing a hijab, also runs a fashion company for Muslim-friendly female apparel. She is quite a renaissance woman and clearly the wrong individual to fuck with.

The SXSW festival quickly apologized and blamed it all on an overzealous volunteer. It is not our policy that a hijab or any religious head covering be removed in order to pick up a SXSW badge," organizers said in a statement. "This was one volunteer who made an insensitive request and that person has been removed for the duration of the event. We are embarrassed by this and have apologized to Ibtihaj in person, and sincerely regret this incident.

With the hijab thing now ostensibly settled, the SXSW festival continues for the rest of this week and has numerous San Francisco connections. In addition to the multiple local startups attempting to garner attention at the fest, Google will demo some self-driving cars throughout the fest, and several Bay Area musical artists are scheduled to perform. But for all of its alleged coolness, SXSW isnt that cool if your last name is Muhammad.

Related: Watch Kobayashi Eat 13 Grilled Cheeses In 1 Minute at SXSW
One man lies dead and and another is hospitalized after a Saturday night hit-and-run in the Tenderloin. According to KRON 4, the hit-and-run accident took place at 6:46 p.m. Saturday night at the intersections of Leavenworth and Ellis Streets.

After hitting the two pedestrians, the vehicle fled west on Ellis Street.

SFPD has identified the deceased pedestrian only as a man in his 50s who was crossing Leavenworth Street. The vehicle was traveling west on Ellis Street when it struck and killed him.

The second pedestrian victim, identified only as a man in his 30s, was also hit by the vehicle. He was transported to a San Francisco hospital with injuries that are described by KPIX as non-life threatening.

As of press time, SFPD does not have a description of the vehicle or the driver. The incident remains under investigation, and eyewitnesses or anyone with information is asked to call the San Francisco Police Department at (415) 345-7300.

Related: Driver Of White Van Kills Broadway Pedestrian, Speeds Away
CHEROKEE, Iowa | Shopko in Cherokee helped alleviate some of the pain folks in this community felt in September 2014 when Tyson Deli Foods closed its longtime plant, jettisoning 450 jobs in the process.

Shopko helped salve those wounds by announcing that the corporation would build a new store in Cherokee, and have it opened during 2015.

That store opened on Oct. 29 (a soft opening). A grand opening was held Nov. 6, just in time for the holiday season.

Shopko leases the new $3 million site of 25,000 square feet just south of the Highways 3 and 59 intersection on the north edge of the community, near Rasmussen Ford. Shopko, which is open seven days per week, employs 20, a mix of full- and part-time workers.

"We have everything from grocery items to health and beauty products to home accessories," says Jerry Larson, assistant manager. "Business has been good. People are happy to have us. They've waited a long time for it."

Larson came to Cherokee after serving with Shopko stores in both Ida Grove and Sheldon, Iowa.

"From a consumer standpoint, it's nice to have another option," says Mark Buschkamp, executive director of the Cherokee Area Economic Development Corporation. "It's a clean, well laid-out store, and it puts something right out there on the main intersection of Cherokee County."

The site helps put a visible stamp on the statement that Cherokee will bounce back from an economic setback with the Tyson closing, though most estimate that no more than 150 or so workers were still reporting to work there when the plant closed 18 months ago.

Buschkamp notes that unemployment levels, which peaked in the county at 6.6 percent in November 2014, have dropped back to just over 5 percent. He touts the expansion of the Hy-Vee Distribution Warehouse as well as a blossoming wind energy program now headquartered at the Western Iowa Tech Community College campus in Cherokee, where a groundbreaking was held last May for the installation of a wind turbine in support of this programming.

The local campus offers the following programs related to wind energy: Wind Energy Technician, Associate of Applied Science; Wind Turbine Maintenance Specialist, Diploma; and Wind Site Assessment Specialist, Certificate.

"We have more and more wind turbines in our area," Buschkamp says. "The new wind farm just commissioned in O'Brien County has 200-plus towers. You need one employee, for sure, for each 20 towers in operations and maintenance. They have to get trained somewhere."

From Cherokee in all directions, it seems, wind turbines have become the norm across the landscape, from the O'Brien County development to the first in the area, built upon Buffalo Ridge near Alta, Iowa, in Buena Vista County.

MidAmerican Energy joined the effort regionally back in 2004 with a $323 million wind project around Schaller, Iowa, in Sac County. The company continues construction on wind farms in both O'Brien and Ida counties, with plans calling for the addition of 134 turbines and 301 megawatts of generation capacity near Ida Grove, and approximately 104 turbines and 250 megawatts of generation capacity in O'Brien County.
Usefulness Content Freshness "Outgrow Your Space at Work: How to Thrive at Work and Build a Successful Career" is a guide that confronts the hidden assumptions behind job promotion. It shows how our hidden beliefs about the promotions we "deserve" sabotage our efforts on the job and dry the talent pool for employers.

If you buy something through our links, we may earn money from our affiliate partners. Learn more.

Based on its title, Outgrow Your Space at Work: How to Thrive at Work and Build a Successful Career, sounds like yet another book about how to get a bigger office, higher pay, or an important-sounding job title. Rick Whitted, the author of the book, does cover these topics, but not using the advice readers would expect. Outgrow Your Space focuses on a radical redefinition of career promotion and workplace success that has implications for workers and the businesses who want to hire them.

What is Outgrow Your Space at Work About

Outgrow Your Space at Work is directed toward something Rick Whitted bemoans, promotion-chasing. In his view, many workers are falling into the dangerous belief that they must get promoted within record time to validate their personal and work progress.

This constant chasing for fast promotion in record time for its own sake creates its own vicious cycle. Employees who dont get the promotion they deserve jump ship from one company in hopes of finding greener pastures (more pay, better title, etc) while employers offer bigger rewards to keep good talent from leaving. This cycle, Whitted says, is symptomatic of a mentality that needs to change.

The key to stopping this promotion-chasing hamster wheel is slowing down. Taking the time to confront and challenge the assumptions can put the whole concept of career path in a different light. Instead of focusing on greener pastures, both employers and employees can dig deeper into the resources that are already around them. This perspective is what Whitted hopes will cause employees to reconsider the dreaded two-year itch for a better career opportunity. Whitted also hopes that employers are encouraged to develop environments where that two-year itch doesnt even develop.

Whitted (www.rawhitted.com)(@rickwhitted) is a former bank executive, entrepreneur and mentor with experience in mentoring and talent development.

What Was Best About Outgrow Your Space at Work

The best part of Outgrow Your Workspace is the approach Whitted takes toward career and employee development. Instead of following the crowd of fast-track career development, Whitted advocates a slow and persistent method. His book also advocates a radically different view of a career path. Whitted argues that every single job, not just ones with a pretty title, contributes to our professional and personal development.

What Could Have Been Done Differently

Outgrow Your WorkSpace provides a lot of advice about why an employee should stay put and develop in his or her current role. The book provides very little advice on when employees should leave their employers. This is a key question that employees have to confront when deciding when to remain or leave at a job. More attention should be focused on helping readers navigate the decision-making process on this all-important question.

Why Read Outgrow Your Space at Work

The ideal reader of Outgrow Your Work Space is the employee caught between career and job loyalty. Outgrow Your Work Space offers a different (and needed) voice to the decision-making process on that crucial decision.

Outgrow Your Space at Work also offers practical advice for employers. Whitted writes from the perspective of an employer and shares various stories of his team-building experiences. His reflections serve as a mirror for leaders to review their own beliefs and actions.

Get discounts and special offers on new and classic business books with an Audible Premium Plus membership. Learn more and sign up for an account today.
There are many fitness goals out there that we desire. Some of us want to be leaner and others wish to put on muscle mass. The thing is, for you to achieve your fitness goals, you need to
The gravity of the existential threat we face from Islamic Jihad is truly of epic proportions. It is essentially a battle pitting free-civilized man against a totalitarian barbarian. What is at stake is the struggle for our very soul - namely who we are and what we represent. The lives that were sacrificed for individual rights and freedoms that we've come to cherish are being chiseled away from right under our noses by the stealth jihadists. And many of us are in denial and totally clueless.



The left's appeasement and pandering to evil is nothing new. What makes their utopian delusions so infuriating and unpardonable is that it is not only they who will have to pay the consequences, and deservedly, so, they are thwarting and undermining our best efforts at resistance and are thus dragging us down in the process as well.







By Peter Lancz,, the head of the Raoul Wallenberg World Campaign Against Racism.
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March 11th, was Moshoeshoe Day, pronounced (Moshway-shway) in Lesotho. What is it? Its the day the Basotho commemorate the death of the countrys founder.

All schools, including my small, Catholic school start preparing for this day, when school opens on January 25th, after the summer holidaysyes, were in the southern hemisphere here in Lesotho, southern Africa.

Its a full-day event where children from various schools participate in sporting events, and traditional songs and dances.

Heres how my first Moshoeshoe Day took place.

Are you ready to walk? Me Mamoshaka, the teacher from my school asks.

How far?

Over there, by the nipple mountains.

I see those nipple mountains from my rondavel, and they are by no means next door.

That far?

Mamoshaka looks at my shoes. Are you wearing those?

Teva sandals are good for walking, but I notice her hiking boots. Its too hot to wear boots, so I keep my open-toe sandals on.

We leave my place at 8:35 a.m. and take the short-cut up and down the rocky, red-dirt clay path; the one carved out by cattle and sheep traipsing to the pastures, as well as the children walking from remote villages to school.

After 45 minutes, we reach the main road. Mamoshaka is wearing a long-sleeved gray sweater, and complains about her new curly hair extensions she had braided onto her own half-inch long African hair.

Im too hot with this hair, she says.

But you look beautiful with your curls. How long did it take to have those extensions put in? She missed school on Thursday to go to the hairdresser in Maseru.

I was at the hair place for ten hours, and there is still a piece missing in the back, but I was too tired to stay longer.

Ten hours! That must cost a lot, I say, knowing how everyone in my village keeps telling me they have no money, and yet, they get hair extensions, and buy the Seshoeshoe pronounced (Seshwayshay) traditional dress you see us wearing in the photo. All the teachers had them custom made, and I chose the color purple.

Had I known this walk was not what I call a walk but more like a mountain-climbing expedition, I would probably have stayed home; but I had bought the dress though, and promised the teachers I would be there.

Small children in their green uniforms pass us on their way to the school. We get there two hours later, all sweaty and exhausted, and then the poor kids start running the 100m-500m-800m and finally the 1.2km races. One of the girls from our school usually wins the races, however today, she was slower than usual. I am told this is because her parents did not feed her breakfast. Neither parent works, and they beg for food from their neighbors. As Mary, (my host mother explains,) they are both lazy. I felt sorry for the children, especially when lunch was served, and the teachers were given chicken, lamb, rice, carrot salad, vegetables and dessert before the children were allowed to eat lunch.

I helped serve lunch to the hungry children, and their food was in a large bucket. It contained samp, (a lumpy grain) mixed with a red sauce, and porridge. I felt guilty about eating better food, and being served before the children.

After lunch we changed into our Seshoeshoe dresses, and listened to the children sing and dance.

The children are performing and we watch all three schools compete.

Girls dancing.

Everyone is happy, including the nun, (Principal) of my school. Watch them sing and dance.

The hike back home was horrendous. I had to help Me Mamoshaka climb the rocky cliffs, and I am 21 years older than her. Now I know why its important to go for my morning walks, and why I need to keep exercising.

What an experience for me to participate in the Moshoeshoe festivities. Next year, on March 11th, everyone has to hike to our school, as we shall be hosting the event.
PEOPLE who show cruelty towards animals go only rarely to prison in Slovakia, although the country has tools change this. In the last six years, only six tormentors got prison sentence for the crime of animal cruelty.

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Totally, they got 59 months of prison sentence, while the longest sentence was 22 months. Thus, an average of a single person a year is sentenced unconditionally, while serving nine months in average.

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However, this situation is in stark contrast to reality with which Slovak animal shelters are confronted daily, the United Animals of Slovakia, an alliance of animal protections associations in Slovakia, informed. One of the recent cases involves a bitch named Viky who died recently of malnutrition and leaving her poor health state untreated. She has been dying for weeks, if not months, having an open, festering wound on her underbelly, connected with cancer. Her owner, a man form Povazska Bystrica, took her from a shelter, suggesting he would treat her better than she had previously experienced. Currently, he will probably face criminal investigation as the association which found the bitch in mid-February is filing a complaint.

We require exemplary sentences for animal tormentors, Zuzana Stanova, lawyer of the Animal Ombudsman initiative, said. Slovakia has all tools to solve these cases in compliance with effective legislation. Although we do not have a separate law on animal protection, and animal is still perceived as a thing, according to laws, we believe that several smaller amendments would suffice to change the situation in Slovakia.

Before elections, many political parties have opened the issue of lives of animals in Slovakia, according to this initiative which is apolitical and independent, but their goal need not be a real change but rather chasing of votes. We appreciate the fact politicians, finally, notice this issue; but this is not enough anymore, she summed up. We offer specific solutions to all interested in them  after the election.

Shelters do not have capacity to file criminal lawsuits  or do not do this because of fears. Animal Ombudsman (Zvieraci ombudsman) which is active since last year in Slovakia offers help specifically in this. Its goal is, among other things, to appeal to keep at least the existing legislation, and help the execution of right proceeding. Situations when authorities or people responsible know about animal cruelty but keep silent are frequent.

Animal cruelty is a specific crime from two points of view  the victim cannot testify (it is possible to convict the perpetrator even without a testimony) and for five years already, also negligence cruelty has been a crime (paragraph 378a  Neglecting Care of Animals). This means that malnutrition and not caring about health state of animals can be considered a crime, too.
Blog for Spirit-Wrestlers.com about Doukhobors

By Koozma J. Tarasoff, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada ... In Nonkilling Peace
I would like to call upon Mrs. Erdogan. The harem, which you referred to as a school, has students or concubines who were brought into the palace by force. They were minors whose bodies and minds were enslaved I cannot comprehend how a presidents wife praises a part of culture adopted from Byzantium. This is where one has a brain freeze, the outlet quotes Republican People's Party Deputy Chair Yasemin Cankurtaran as saying.

What kind of diploma #harem women get after finishing this "school"? What abt sport classes? Swimming in Bosphorus? Just wondering. #turkey  Gosia Rabenda (@rodzynki) 11  2016 .

A group called Communist Women were much bolder, declaring war on Erdogan and urging the public to wake the Erdogan family from its visions of monarchy and harem. They proclaimed, Everyone should know, women cannot be fitted into Erdogans harem dreams.

The Harem as a school. #Turkey's mission civilisatrice  Doris Manu (@d0ris_manu) 11  2016 .

Was the harem really beyond the sexual intrigue? Everyone had a specific task, and their age, sexual identity and the role that they served was crucial. For example, the lesbian relationships between the concubines and the homosexual tendencies of certain sultans or sons of sultans, along with the stories of the eunuchs, play a crucial role in the survival system of the harem as well. It was a place where you were brought in rather young and robbed of your entire identity. So everyone had to reinvent themselves within the walls of the harem, and sexuality was the center of this identity, the website quotes a scholar of history and cultural studies as saying; the academic requested anonymity for fear of losing her job.

Blend some Ottoman nostalgia w ignorance & there u go#Turkey first lady says harem was 'school' for #women https://t.co/u3i1siDXA1  Zenonas Tziarras (@ZenonasTziarras) 10  2016 .

The remark comes as yet another concern in the string of worries about Turkey's possible accession to the EU in the wake of continuous human rights violations in the country and the systematic eradication of free speech in Turkey. The EU media is addressing what its implications could be for the continental union.

In Turkey, for instance, Erdogan could still call a non-compliant journalist a 'shameless militant woman' who should 'know her place'. While Turkish law has yet to enshrine all his prejudices, violence against women has soared during his leadership, notes the UK Guardian.

In some countries, a simple comment about a chapter in history might be insignificant, but the efforts by the Islamists in Turkey to redefine a womans place and role in the public domain have scarred relations between different segments of the society. It is no longer a question of whether a woman is wearing a headscarf, but of welcoming a regression in womens rights and glorifying the idea of enslaving women, says Al-Monitor.

The website also noted that multiple social media users and pundits also criticized the Erdogan family for enjoying the benefits of Western, secular education themselves  all four Erdogan children attended college in the West  while encouraging domestic audiences to adopt a different system. Hence, the most common and mind-numbing question circulating on social media concerned whether Erdogans words signaled intentions to establish a harem in their palace of more than 1,000 rooms.

And if Erdogans EU application proceeds without his reversal on a number of gender issues, its not only Turkish men who are likely to be influenced by his personal values, suggests The Guardian.

It has been suggested, since Cologne, that a subset of men arriving in the EU from certain patriarchal cultures may struggle to perceive women as something other than mothers or slags, it adds.

If that is correct, enlightenment seems unlikely to proceed from facilitating the membership of a country where those exact views are likely, as Erdogan digs in, to become even more normalized, it finally states.
Al-Jubeir, Tuchkov recalled, in an analysis for the Svobodnaya Pressa newspaper, "had drawn a parallel: that the surface to air missiles 'would change the balance of power in the same way they did in Afghanistan.'"

"The Saudi minister, obviously, was talking about the supply of Stingers to the Afghan mujahedeen. At that time Soviet aviation suffered serious losses to the US MANPADS [Man-portable air-defense systems]."

And if it is confirmed that the Syrian plane was shot down by a surface-to-air missile, the questions that arise are: what type of missile was it, and could it pose a threat to the Russian planes operating in Syria? Commenting on the Saudi foreign minister's announcement last month, Nic R. Jenzen-Jones, the director of the technical intelligence consultancy Armament Research Services, told International Business Times UK that the systems Riyadh would provide would "likelybe legacy missile systems."

These, Jenzen-Jones noted, could "pose a notable threat [only] to Syrian government aircraft, particularly rotary-wing aircraft," (i.e. helicopters). "From a technical perspective, the types of MANPADS or other SAMs (surface-to-air-missiles Saudi Arabia would be likely to supplyare probably going to be of limited effectiveness against some of the modern Russian combat aircraft operating within Syria."

Tuchkov, for his part, explained that even if the militants were equipped with the latest SAMs US manufacturers have to offer, Russian planes and helicopters, in any case, have the countermeasures systems capable of neutralizing them.
GENEVA (Sputnik)  Discussing the future of Syria without the participation of Kurds in the reconciliation talks is not serious and feeds extremism and talks on federalization, a member of the Syrian opposition delegation formed after meetings in Moscow and Cairo and one of the leaders of the Syrian Popular Front for Change and Liberation Qadri Jamil told Sputnik on Sunday.

"Talking about truce and Syrias future without the Kurdish element is not serious. It feeds extremism, talks about federalization and secession from Syria," Jamil said.

Also Jamil stated that UN Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura will simply fulfill his obligations if he invites Kurds to Syria reconciliation talks in Geneva.
Asked for comment, Alexander Shatilov, the dean of the faculty of sociology and political science at Moscow's Financial University, told the newspaper that this is a 'classical example' of using propaganda to reject even basic facts and logic.

"It's an open secret to everyone with any understanding of foreign policy that it is Washington that is behind the influx of refugees from North Africa and the Middle East to Europe. Firstly, in agreement with Turkey, the borders were opened. Secondly, American charitable organizations have been used to stimulate the flow of refugees to the Old World."

"And all this began five years ago, when the US catalyzed the Arab Spring and, in Libya, openly overthrew the authoritarian but robust regime of Muammar Gaddafi. Therefore, more than anyone, Americans should blame themselves," that is  their own government's policies.

Breedlove's remarks, according to Shatilov, have several goals in mind, including "serving as one more reason to sculpt the 'enemy image' of [Russia] for the average European man in the street, and attempting to pressure Moscow, in order to get it to give up its support for Bashar al-Assad, or at least become more amenable to negotiations."

"Washington fears that with Russia's help, Assad may become the first Middle Eastern leader to successfully resist US pressure and to stay in power. This would mean a serious moral and political defeat. The last time something like this happened to the Americans occurred after the war in Vietnam, where they were forced to ignominiously withdraw, sinking their reputation in the world for many years afterward."
"It's important to pay attention to how the promises made by the two sides in the course of the summit are reflected in the work of the European Parliament, because the objection of even one state will affect the final decision rendered by the body. We consider that all the promises made [last Monday] are of no value until a final decision is made. We adhere to this position based on the experience of cooperation between Turkey and the EU which exists, and the rhetoric European countries have used in relation to Turkey for a long time," the politician noted.

Echoing Yalim's sentiment on the financial and other strains refugees have caused, Topcu suggested that while the country is obliged to "fulfill its moral obligation to providing refuge to these people, on the other hand, this duty should not and cannot interfere with the normal functioning of the state."

Ultimately, the politician suggested, "if the situation continues to develop along the current scenario, the return of refugees to Turkey could lead to an uncontrollable social explosion in the country. This threat exists, it is very real, and so the government should act extremely cautiously on this issue."

Finally, in a third interview for Radio Sputnik Turkey, Hisyar Ozsoy, the deputy chairman of the Pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party, suggested that President Erdogan and the AKP were themselves responsible for the crisis.

"Yes, Turkey is now going through the second wave of a migrant crisis, but this [situation] is directly linked to the government's Syrian policy. In reality, Turkish authorities, through their actions, have deliberately driven the situation to its current state," the politician said.
While analyzing data collected during the LHCb experiment in 2011 and 2012, scientists noticed a discrepancy that couldnt be explained by the Standard Model of particle physics  a discrepancy which may have some far-reaching consequences.

"To put it in terms of the cinema, where we once only had a few leaked scenes from a much-anticipated blockbuster, the LHC has finally treated fans to the first real trailer," said Mariusz Witek, a professor at the Institute of Nuclear Physics of the Polish Academy of Sciences.

The anomaly discovered by researchers is associated with particles called 'B mesons' which should decay at very specific angles and frequencies according to the Standard Model. However, the data obtained during the LHCb experiment doesnt match these predictions, and now the scientists are trying to figure out why, and what it means for science and for mankind.
The main push from the US and Russian governments has been the ability to make fighters function as drones. At the press conference dedicated to Russia's future jet, Bondarev said that the plane would have both a manned and an unmanned version.

Bondarev then said that the shift to unmanned aircraft is in part because the human body "has limits," presumably for both long flights and extreme maneuvers. Drone equipment, he said, is "much more functional and low-maintenance," and "can withstand any g-force," referring to the human body's inability to survive plane maneuvers, leading to death or loss of consciousness.

"Can you imagine the possibilities that an unmanned fighter, bomber or attack aircraft has?" Bondarev said in early March.

US Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus similarly said in 2015 that the Unmanned Carrier-Launched Airborne Surveillance and Strike (UCLASS) program could lead to the production of an entirely unmanned jet.

"What were looking at UCLASS is to be the bridge between manned systems and completely autonomous unmanned strike  which will be sometime in the 2020s  to develop that program using UCLASS to get us there," Mabus said then.

However, strike abilities could be put off for the UCLASS, as the US Department of Defense sees the aircraft's role primarily as an aerial refueling vehicle, while the US Congress wants a stealthy strike aircraft.
One of four mysterious submarine accidents in March 1968, the Soviet Union's K-129 sank in the Pacific Ocean, with no clear cause. A US Navy submarine, the USS Swordfish, which later underwent repairs for damage to its periscope and sail in Japan was first theorized as the culprit. The suspicions were linked to North Korea's seizing of a US spy ship, the USS Pueblo, which led to an increase in US submarine activity in the area.

The US Ambassador to Moscow said in 1993 that the USS Swordfish was not near the K-129 at the time of its sinking, and a visit from CIA director Robert Gates a year earlier showed parts of the submarine later retrieved by the Central Intelligence Agency. Another theory was that a leaking hatch caused a torpedo to explode in its bay, although official explanations have been linked to the US loss of the USS Scorpion.

2. 1968 United States' USS Scorpion SSN-589 accident

The US Navy's USS Scorpion sank in May 1968, off the coast of the Azores in the Atlantic Ocean. Initial reports suggested that an explosion was to blame for the sinking, although another study found the result debatable. A 1993 release of documents on the topic presented theory of a torpedo explosion as a result of overheating was presented as a likely cause.

Just as with the Soviet submarine, the Cold War's opposing side was blamed for the accident in unofficial publications, although both sides have thus far not released any official explanations.
Touching upon the potential performance of an F-15C against the Russian fighter jet Su-35 , Layton cited the National Interest defense editor Dave Majumdar as saying that "overall, if all things were equal, even a fully upgraded F-15C with the latest AESA upgrades would have its hands full" The F-15C was first introduced in 1978.

"As regards the much higher performance F-22, only about ninety are available for global air supremacy tasks. This is arguably too small for winning air supremacy in one theatre, let alone both Europe and the Pacific," Layton added.

As for the F-35 stealth fighter jet, its yet-to-be-developed "contribution to future American air supremacy is mixed." He quoted General Hostage, then-commander of the USAF's Air Combat Command, as saying in 2014 that "the F-35 is not built as an air superiority platform."

According to Hostage, "the F-35 is geared to go out and take down surface targetsIt needs the F-22 [stealth fighter]If I do not keep the F-22 fleet viable, the F-35 fleet frankly will be irrelevant."

To resolve the problem, the USAF and the USN are currently hammering out a spate of new fighter programs, according to Hostage. However, he said, "this is a slow process with the new fighters not likely to enter service in meaningful numbers until about 2040."
Mohawk Warrior defeated Rafa for the second straight week in the WEGZ Series while their stablemate Cajon Lightning completed a sweep of the top three spots for trainer Richard Moreau on Saturday, March 12 at Woodbine Racetrack.

Just five horses competed in the $20,000 second round of the series, which was dominated by the trio of Moreau trainees. Mohawk Warrior had defeated Rafa in last weekend's opening leg, while their barn buddy Cajon Lightning was fourth-placed-sixth.

Again the favourite at odds of 3-5, Mohawk Warrior was driven by Jody Jamieson for owner Brad Grant of Milton, Ont.

Mohawk Warrior tracked Rafa (Sylvain Filion) through fractions of :27.4 and :56.2 before being flushed out of the pocket when Cajon Lightning (Trevor Henry) began to advance from the back of the short field. Mohawk Warrior and Rafa battled head-to-head past three-quarters in 1:24.3 and into the stretch, with the former ultimately wearing down the latter for the 1:51.3 victory by a neck. Cajon Lightning finished two and three-quarter lengths behind in third with Shades Of Bay (Phil Hudon) and Mitt Jagger (Paul MacDonell) completing the finish order.

The series is for four-year-old pacers that were non-winners of $100,000 lifetime as of Oct. 31, 2015.

Mohawk Warrior (Rocknroll Hanover-A And Gs Confusion) has finished no worse than third in seven starts this year, with four of those efforts winning ones. His $55,380 seasonal earnings lifts his bankroll up to $148,561.

In Preferred action, 1-5 favourite Nickle Bag notched his sixth straight win for driver Trevor Henry and trainer Bill Robinson.

Nickle Bag left from the outside six-post during a quick (:26.4) opening panel and cleared to command past the quarter-pole. The field, which was scratched down to five starters, was lined up in reverse-post position order as Nickle Bag led the way through middle splits of :54.3 and 1:21.4 and then opened up four lengths down the stretch to secure the victory. Erle Dale N (James MacDonald) closed from the back of the pack into second-place, finishing two and a half lengths behind the winner, while Evenin Of Pleasure (Sylvain Filion) followed off a pocket trip in third.

Nickle Bag's winning time of 1:50 flat was a new Canadian season's record.

Now seven-for-nine in 2016, the six-year-old Rocknroll Hanover-Buckle Bunni gelding is the first horse to top the $100,000 earnings mark this year in Canada.

He is owned by Linda Loyens of Denfield, Ont. and her brother-in-law Harry Loyens of Ilderton, Ont.

To view Saturday's harness racing results, click on the following link: Saturday Results - Woodbine Racetrack.
"He was very good for me last year, he made a miscue in the Breeders Crown Final. It was pretty devastating because I felt it was going to set up for him to win."

In a recent interview, driver Scott Zeron was asked which three-year-old he was most looking forward to driving in 2016. The reply came quickly, and the name mentioned was American Passport.

One of 58 horses whose connections have made initial nomination payments to the 2016 North America Cup, American Passport put up a 3-3-0 summary from 11 freshman starts in 2015 and banked $209,269 for trainer Tony Alagna, who co-owns with breeder Brittany Farms, Riverview Racing LLC and Jodi Siamis. The American Ideal - Star Of The Show colt took a 1:51.4 mark while winning a division of the International Stallion Stakes at The Red Mile over an off track.

Zeron and interviewer Sam McKee both agreed that American Passport improved a lot in a short period of time at two.

"He did. He showed his true colours in Lexington, winning both weeks in a row pretty impressively so I'm excited to see him come back," stated Zeron.

Coming off his best season for both money ($7,297,365) and wins (300) since relocating to the U.S., Zeron could be altering his driving schedule from how it was mapped out in 2015. That change could see more action for Zeron at Yonkers Raceway in New York.

"You know, now that I've been driving at Yonkers a lot more, it's made it a bit of a tough decision to try to balance Chester, Pocono...when I first got down here, it was just Chester four days a week, Pocono the rest and Meadowlands on the weekends...so it was much easier.

"This year's going to be a little tougher. Yonkers is at my doorstep, a 15 minute drive away, so I'm hoping I can manage that. Pocono might be only one or two days a week, but you know, Chester in the afternoons and Meadowlands on the weekends."
The Mohawk Racetrack race office would like to inform horsepeople that Mohawk will be open for training starting this Tuesday (March 15).

Mohawks track and paddock will be available for training from 7 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. each Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

Qualifiers are tentatively set to return to Mohawk on Thursday, March 24. Qualifiers will be held on Thursday, March 17 at Woodbine Racetrack.

(WEG)
Er is iets heel griezeligs aan de gang in Nederland. Dat wij geleidelijk aan in een totalitaire 'democratie' wegzinken wordt steeds ...
If the American presidential election winds up with Hillary Clinton vs. Donald Trump, and my passport is confiscated, and Im somehow FORCED to choose one or the other, or Im PAID to do so, paid well  I would vote for Trump.

My main concern is foreign policy. American foreign policy is the greatest threat to world peace, prosperity, and the environment. And when it comes to foreign policy, Hillary Clinton is an unholy disaster. From Iraq and Syria to Libya and Honduras the world is a much worse place because of her; so much so that Id call her a war criminal who should be prosecuted. And not much better can be expected on domestic issues from this woman who was paid $675,000 by Goldman Sachs  one of the most reactionary, anti-social corporations in this sad world  for four speeches and even more than that in political donations in recent years. Add to that Hillarys willingness to serve for six years on the board of Walmart while her husband was governor of Arkansas. Can we expect to change corporate behavior by taking their money?

The Los Angeles Times ran an editorial the day after the multiple primary elections of March 1 which began: Donald Trump is not fit to be president of the United States, and then declared: The reality is that Trump has no experience whatsoever in government.

When I need to have my car fixed I look for a mechanic with experience with my type of auto. When I have a medical problem I prefer a doctor who specializes in the part of my body thats ill. But when it comes to politicians, experience means nothing. The only thing that counts is the persons ideology. Who would you sooner vote for, a person with 30 years in Congress who doesnt share your political and social views at all, is even hostile to them, or someone who has never held public office before but is an ideological comrade on every important issue? Clintons 12 years in high government positions carries no weight with me.

The Times continued about Trump: He has shamefully little knowledge of the issues facing the country and the world.

Again, knowledge is trumped (no pun intended) by ideology. As Secretary of State (January 2009-February 2013), with great access to knowledge, Clinton played a key role in the 2011 destruction of Libyas modern and secular welfare state, sending it crashing in utter chaos into a failed state, leading to the widespread dispersal throughout North African and Middle East hotspots of the gigantic arsenal of weaponry that Libyan leader Moammar Gaddafi had accumulated. Libya is now a haven for terrorists, from al Qaeda to ISIS, whereas Gaddafi had been a leading foe of terrorists.

What good did Secretary of State Clintons knowledge do? It was enough for her to know that Gaddafis Libya, for several reasons, would never be a properly obedient client state of Washington. Thus it was that the United States, along with NATO, bombed the people of Libya almost daily for more than six months, giving as an excuse that Gaddafi was about to invade Benghazi, the Libyan center of his opponents, and so the United States was thus saving the people of that city from a massacre. The American people and the American media of course swallowed this story, though no convincing evidence of the alleged impending massacre has ever been presented. (The nearest thing to an official US government account of the matter  a Congressional Research Service report on events in Libya for the period  makes no mention at all of the threatened massacre.)

The Western intervention in Libya was one that the New York Times said Clinton had championed, convincing Obama in what was arguably her moment of greatest influence as secretary of state. All the knowledge she was privy to did not keep her from this disastrous mistake in Libya. And the same can be said about her support of placing regime change in Syria ahead of supporting the Syrian government in its struggle against ISIS and other terrorist groups. Even more disastrous was the 2003 US invasion of Iraq which she as a senator supported. Both policies were of course clear violations of international law and the UN Charter.

Another foreign-policy success of Mrs. Clinton, which her swooning followers will ignore, the few that even know about it, is the coup ousting the moderately progressive Manuel Zelaya of Honduras in June, 2009. A tale told many times in Latin America. The downtrodden masses finally put into power a leader committed to reversing the status quo, determined to try to put an end to up to two centuries of oppression  and before long the military overthrows the democratically-elected government, while the United States  if not the mastermind behind the coup  does nothing to prevent it punish the coup regime, as only the United States can punish; meanwhile Washington officials pretend to be very upset over this affront to democracy. (See Mark Weisbrots Top Ten Ways You Can Tell Which Side The United States Government is On With Regard to the Military Coup in Honduras.)

In her 2014 memoir, Hard Choices, Clinton reveals just how unconcerned she was about restoring Zelaya to his rightful office: In the subsequent days [after the coup] I spoke with my counterparts around the hemisphere  We strategized on a plan to restore order in Honduras and ensure that free and fair elections could be held quickly and legitimately, which would render the question of Zelaya moot.

The question of Zelaya was anything but moot. Latin American leaders, the United Nations General Assembly, and other international bodies vehemently demanded his immediate return to office. Washington, however, quickly resumed normal diplomatic relations with the new right-wing police state, and Honduras has since become a major impetus for the child migrants currently pouring into the United States.

The headline from Time magazines report on Honduras at the close of that year (December 3, 2009) summed it up as follows: Obamas Latin America Policy Looks Like Bushs.

And Hillary Clinton looks like a conservative. And has for many years; going back to at least the 1980s, while the wife of the Arkansas governor, when she strongly supported the death-squad torturers known as the Contras, who were the empires proxy army in Nicaragua.

Then, during the 2007 presidential primary, Americas venerable conservative magazine, William Buckleys National Review, ran an editorial by Bruce Bartlett. Bartlett was a policy adviser to President Ronald Reagan, a treasury official under President George H.W. Bush, and a fellow at two of the leading conservative think-tanks, the Heritage Foundation and the Cato Institute  You get the picture? Bartlett tells his readers that its almost certain that the Democrats will win the White House in 2008. So what to do? Support the most conservative Democrat. He writes: To right-wingers willing to look beneath what probably sounds to them like the same identical views of the Democratic candidates, it is pretty clear that Hillary Clinton is the most conservative.

During the same primary we also heard from Americas leading magazine for the corporate wealthy, Fortune, with a cover featuring a picture of Mrs. Clinton and the headline: Business Loves Hillary.

And what do we have in 2016? Fully 116 members of the Republican Partys national security community, many of them veterans of Bush administrations, have signed an open letter threatening that, if Trump is nominated, they will all desert, and some will defect  to Hillary Clinton! Hillary is the lesser evil, by a large margin, says Eliot Cohen of the Bush II State Department. Cohen helped line up neocons to sign the Dump-Trump manifesto. Another signer, foreign-policy ultra-conservative author Robert Kagan, declared: The only choice will be to vote for Hillary Clinton.

The only choice? Whats wrong with Bernie Sanders or Jill Stein, the Green Party candidate?  Oh, I see, not conservative enough.

And Mr. Trump? Much more a critic of US foreign policy than Hillary or Bernie. He speaks of Russia and Vladimir Putin as positive forces and allies, and would be much less likely to go to war against Moscow than Clinton would. He declares that he would be evenhanded when it comes to resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict (as opposed to Clintons boundless support of Israel). Hes opposed to calling Senator John McCain a hero, because he was captured. (What other politician would dare say a thing like that?)

He calls Iraq a complete disaster, condemning not only George W. Bush but the neocons who surrounded him. They lied. They said there were weapons of mass destruction and there were none. And they knew there were none. There were no weapons of mass destruction. He even questions the idea that Bush kept us safe, and adds that Whether you like Saddam or not, he used to kill terrorists.

Yes, hes personally obnoxious. Id have a very hard time being his friend. Who cares?

CIA motto: Proudly overthrowing the Cuban government since 1959.

Now what? Did you think that the United States had finally grown up and come to the realization that they could in fact share the same hemisphere as the people of Cuba, accepting Cuban society as unquestioningly as they do that of Canada? The Washington Post (February 18) reported: In recent weeks, administration officials have made it clear Obama would travel to Cuba only if its government made additional concessions in the areas of human rights, Internet access and market liberalization.

Imagine if Cuba insisted that the United States make concessions in the area of human rights; this could mean the United States pledging to not repeat anything like the following:

Invading Cuba in 1961 at the Bay of Pigs.

Invading Grenada in 1983 and killing 84 Cubans, mainly construction workers.

Blowing up a passenger plane full of Cubans in 1976. (In 1983, the city of Miami held a day in honor of Orlando Bosch, one of the two masterminds behind this awful act; the other perpetrator, Luis Posada, was given lifetime protection in the same city.)

Giving Cuban exiles, for their use, the virus which causes African swine fever, forcing the Cuban government to slaughter 500,000 pigs.

Infecting Cuban turkeys with a virus which produces the fatal Newcastle disease, resulting in the deaths of 8,000 turkeys.

In 1981 an epidemic of dengue hemorrhagic fever swept the island, the first major epidemic of DHF ever in the Americas. The United States had long been experimenting with using dengue fever as a weapon. Cuba asked the United States for a pesticide to eradicate the mosquito involved but were not given it. Over 300,000 cases were reported in Cuba with 158 fatalities.

These are but three examples of decades-long CIA chemical and biological warfare (CBW) against Cuba. We must keep in mind that food is a human right (although the United States has repeatedly denied this.

Washington maintained a blockade of goods and money entering Cuba that is still going strong, a blockade that President Clintons National Security Advisor, Sandy Berger, in 1997 called the most pervasive sanctions ever imposed on a nation in the history of mankind.

Attempted to assassinate Cuban president Fidel Castro on numerous occasions, not only in Cuba, but in Panama, Dominican Republic and Venezuela.

In one scheme after another in recent years, Washingtons Agency for International Development (AID) endeavored to cause dissension in Cuba and/or stir up rebellion, the ultimate goal being regime change.

In 1999 a Cuban lawsuit demanded $181.1 billion in US compensation for death and injury suffered by Cuban citizens in four decades of war by Washington against Cuba. Cuba asked for $30 million in direct compensation for each of the 3,478 people it said were killed by US actions and $15 million each for the 2,099 injured. It also asked for $10 million each for the people killed, and $5 million each for the injured, to repay Cuban society for the costs it has had to assume on their behalf.

Needless to say, the United States has not paid a penny of this.

One of the most common Yankee criticisms of the state of human rights in Cuba has been the arrest of dissidents (although the great majority are quickly released). But many thousands of anti-war and other protesters have been arrested in the United States in recent years, as in every period in American history. During the Occupy Movement, which began in 2011, more than 7,000 people were arrested in about the first year, many were beaten by police and mistreated while in custody, their street displays and libraries smashed to pieces. ; the Occupy movement continued until 2014; thus, the figure of 7,000 is an understatement.)

Moreover, it must be kept in mind that whatever restrictions on civil liberties there may be in Cuba exist within a particular context: The most powerful nation in the history of the world is just 90 miles away and is sworn  vehemently and repeatedly sworn  to overthrowing the Cuban government. If the United States was simply and sincerely concerned with making Cuba a less restrictive society, Washingtons policy would be clear cut:

Call off the wolves  the CIA wolves, the AID wolves, the doctor-stealer wolves, the baseball-player-stealer wolves.

Publicly and sincerely (if American leaders still remember what this word means) renounce their use of CBW and assassinations. And apologize.

Cease the unceasing hypocritical propaganda  about elections, for example. (Yes, its true that Cuban elections never feature a Donald Trump or a Hillary Clinton, nor ten billion dollars, nor 24 hours of campaign ads, but is that any reason to write them off?)

Pay compensation  a lot of it.

Sine qua non  end the God-awful blockade.

Throughout the period of the Cuban revolution, 1959 to the present, Latin America has witnessed a terrible parade of human rights violations  systematic, routine torture; legions of disappeared people; government-supported death squads picking off selected individuals; massacres en masse of peasants, students and other groups. The worst perpetrators of these acts during this period have been the military and associated paramilitary squads of El Salvador, Guatemala, Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Peru, Mexico, Uruguay, Haiti and Honduras. However, not even Cubas worst enemies have made serious charges against the Havana government for any of such violations; and if one further considers education and health care, both of which, said President Bill Clinton, work better [in Cuba] than most other countries , and both of which are guaranteed by the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, then it would appear that during the more-than-half century of its revolution, Cuba has enjoyed one of the very best human-rights records in all of Latin America.

But never good enough for American leaders to ever touch upon in any way; the Bill Clinton quote being a rare exception indeed. Its a tough decision to normalize relations with a country whose police force murders its own innocent civilians on almost a daily basis. But Cuba needs to do it. Maybe they can civilize the Americans a bit, or at least remind them that for more than a century they have been the leading torturers of the world.

Notes
"If you destroy the labor unions in this country, you destroy liberty when you strike the blow, and you would leave the poor bound and shackled and helpless to do the bidding of the rich."

Clarence Darrow



"Few will have the greatness to bend history itself; but each of us can work to change a small portion of events, and in the total of all those acts will be written the history of this generation.

Robert F. Kennedy

"History with its flickering lamp stumbles along the trail of the past, trying to reconstruct its scenes, to revive its echoes, and kindle with pale gleams the passion of former days."

Winston Churchill
As of February Saudi Arabia is suspending military aid to Lebanon. This is largely because the Lebanese government has been unable to curb Iranian use of Hezbollah fighters in Lebanon, Syria and Yemen. The $3 billion in weapons and equipment is being supplied for by France, paid for by Saudi Arabia and was arranged back in 2013. Deliveries began in early 2015 and were to have been completed by 2018. Training and maintenance services were to continue into the 2020s. The Saudis are also suspending a separate deal to supply a billion dollars to modernize the internal security forces.

Other Gulf Arab oil states showed their agreement with Saudi Arabia by warning their citizens to stay out of Lebanon or banned travel to Lebanon altogether. Arab oil states are also threatening to withdraw billions of dollars they keep in Lebanese banks. These harsh measures come because the Lebanese government continues to be paralyzed by the local Hezbollah militia and other pro-Iran factions. That has prevented (for over a year) a new president from being selected and made it likely that some of this new equipment would be taken over by pro-Iran factions.

The Lebanese Hezbollah militia owes Iran a lot and is increasingly called on to fight outside Lebanon in support of Iranian interests, especially in Syria. The Iranian supported Shia militia has much to lose if the Syrian Assad government falls and has many enemies inside Lebanon who want Hezbollah destroyed and their control of southern Lebanon eliminated. The Syrian rebels are threatening the Lebanese government with post war retaliation if some effort is not made to restrain Hezbollah. That would mean civil war in Lebanon, even though most Lebanese are still haunted by the 1975-90 civil war (during which Iran created Hezbollah). That has prevented another round of civil war so far.

The Saudi deal was to provide different benefits for the three countries involved. For France it boosts their defense industries and the centuries old French desire to preserve the power of Arab Christians in that region. For the Saudis it is another chance to hurt Iranian military and political power by making Hezbollah less of a threat to the Lebanese armed forces (which is dominated by Christians). That has not worked out but the Saudis are willing to resume the aid if the Sunni-Christian majority can reduce the power of the Shia minority (and their Iran backed Hezbollah militia) that currently exercises a veto over anything the government wants to do.

The Saudi deal involved nearly 300 vehicles (about half of them armored), 155mm artillery, anti-tank missiles, three warships (corvettes), five patrol boats, six armed trainer aircraft and seven helicopters. The aid package also included a lot of troop training and maintenance support as well as communications and other equipment. The U.S. has also provided a billion dollars in aid since 2001. The 70,000 strong Lebanese military needs all the help it can get and the government wants to curb the power of Hezbollah but doesnt want to trigger another civil war. Hezbollah knows that and because this group has often used terror tactics in the past, makes a convincing case that it would fight rather than submit.
BALTIMORE  Each Thursday, Dr. Walter Ehrlich can be found along busy 41st Street in Roland Park, surrounded by signs protesting excessive war and expressing concerns about climate change. The 100-year-old regularly talks with family on Skype, sends emails and recently learned to use the Uber transportation app.

Ehrlich is among a record number of centenarians in the United States. The number of Americans who celebrated 100 years or more of life increased more than 43 percent from 2000 to nearly 72,200 in 2014, the latest year for which data is available, according to a recent report from the U.S. Census Bureau.

Studies have shown common factors  such as Ehrlichs active lifestyle and ability to connect with the modern world  may increase a persons chances of such a long life.

Many centenarians come from families who live a long time, indicating that there is a genetic component, research shows. Living a healthy lifestyle that includes regular exercise, balanced meals and no smoking also can increase the odds of a long life, studies have found.

Health experts say other factors in the rise of the number of 100-year-olds include safer workplaces  people arent working in as many dangerous jobs  and medical advancements against once-deadly infections and other illnesses. One of the most significant factors is that fewer people are dying from heart disease  the No. 1 cause of death in the U.S.

Jeremy Barron, medical director of the geriatric medicine outpatient office at Johns Hopkins, said treatment has improved so much that cancer is expected to eventually surpass heart disease as the leading killer of older people.

The trend also has consequences. An aging population puts added pressure on families, the health care system and other parts of society. Researchers and geriatrics specialists are working to better understand this impact.

Having so many people grow too old at one time is entirely new to us, and we have a lot of learning left to do, said Renee S. Fredericksen, a specialist on aging who sits on the executive council of AARP Maryland.

About 1,800 Maryland residents are 100 or older, according to the Maryland Centenarians Committee Inc., which tracks that population using Social Security data. The group has held a celebration for centenarians every May since 1993.

The group also has asked these senior citizens about the keys to a long life. The responses varied: Some attributed their longevity to spirituality, while others said they remained single and avoided the stresses of marriage and raising children. Some ate healthfully, and others said they drank a glass of wine every day.

The graying of America has spurred the growth of industries to meet their needs. Senior travel groups and housing communities cater to the elderly, and health care providers are tailoring services for them. This summer, St. Agnes Hospital became the second in the state to open a separate emergency room catering to seniors. Holy Cross in Silver Spring opened what was considered the nations first senior emergency care center in 2008.

The health conditions of centenarians also vary; some need extensive care and suffer from chronic conditions, while others live independently in their own homes or in retirement communities.

I think the longevity explosion we are having is a double-edge sword, said Carmel Roques, president and CEO of Keswick Multi-Care Center community for seniors. We do everything we can to prolong peoples lives. But it also has a downside, which is lots and lots of older adults with chronic illnesses.

Some of these people end up in nursing homes, but others wind up under the care of relatives, including sons and daughters who also are themselves elderly and dealing with declining health.

We now have people in their 70s and 80s taking care of parents, Fredericksen said. It can be hard on families.

For the most part, the older we become, the more intense the need for care in our daily lives becomes  from help getting dressed, cleaning, eating and managing our finances, Fredericksen said. We slow down, we become frail, and medical incidents happen more frequently at an older age than a younger age.

Some older people must learn to live on their own as the years stretch on, which can lead to isolation and mental health problems, specialists on aging said.

The hardest thing for most of them is that so many of the people who were in their lives are dead, said Odessa D. Dorkins, the founder of the Maryland Centenarians Committee Inc. It can be very lonesome for them to outlive their friends, outlive their family and outlive their spouse.

At Roland Park Place retirement community, where Ehrlich and five other centenarians live, the staff tries to provide residents social interactions and the ability to make new friends and dont feel lonely or isolated, said Becki Bees, director of marketing for the facility.

Barron, of Johns Hopkins, said getting seniors more involved could benefit society as well.

There are a lot of older people who would like to be engaged in the community and giving back in terms of working, volunteering or mentoring, Barron said. I think there is a lot of opportunity for older people to help society that we are not taking advantage of. When older people are involved in meaningful activity, it improves their quality of life.

Ehrlich, a Czechoslovakian-born veteran who was wounded as a soldier and tank driver during World War II, half-jokes that he probably should have died many times before.

The retired medical doctor and physiologist says he has been lucky, but he recognizes he is slowing down. He wears hearing aids and has to keep his legs propped up because of circulation problems. He suffers from macular degeneration and carries around a magnifying glass to read. A special machine magnifies the print of the several newspapers he reads each day.

Recently, he lost his second wife, who was 83.

Ehrlich said there are still many things he enjoys about life. He follows politics and looks forward to a mayoral debate that will be held at Roland Park Place soon. He goes to the theater and never misses his weekly protest. On his 100th birthday, he didnt want a big party. Instead, his three children came over to spend time with him.

Ehrlich said he doesnt mind aging, as long as I can enjoy life and see my children.

Jack Slaughter, 102 and also a resident of Roland Park Place, said he doesnt want to be a burden to his three children. His wife of 74 years died two years ago, and he has had to adjust to living by himself.

The Navy veteran and former real estate agent has outlived many of his friends. There are only three people alive from his Naval Academy class. He doesnt think theyll have a reunion.

He spends a lot of time on the computer and still cooks for himself  his specialty is fried eggs. He used to walk a couple of miles a day but now goes about a half-mile a day using a walker.

But his health is good. The only medication he takes is a diuretic for swelling in his legs.

I think Im doing OK for an old man, he said.
PHILADELPHIA  Veterinarian Dominic Dallago pets his patient, a domestic short-haired cat with diarrhea, as though she cant harm him.

But lurking in the dense black fur of the purring 10-year-old feline (Dallago wont name her for privacy reasons) are allergens that dont pussyfoot around  microscopic proteins poised to attack like throat-choking commandos, to lay the allergic doctor low by triggering his asthma.

I usually sniffle, snort, said Dallago, 37, who works at Philadelphias World of Animals Veterinary Hospital. Cats will do it to me. But animal allergies and asthma are the norm for me. And its pretty common in the profession.

Who doesnt love their veterinarian? Vets know what we dont about our babies aches and maladies. They risk bites and beastly scorn. They care.

And now theres another reason to crush on the corps of Doctors Dolittle throughout the land: Turns out many of them are sickened by the very patients they are striving to heal. Yet, they go to work anyway. Thats dedication.

An allergist said Id be in misery all my life as a vet, Dallago said. But its ingrained in me to do this.

Nearly 90 percent of veterinarians who were skin-tested for allergies were diagnosed with one, University of California, Davis researchers reported. They also quoted a study saying that veterinarians have a higher mortality rate for asthma than the general U.S. population.

A Canadian study found that 39 percent of veterinarians who did not have prior allergies developed one during their careers.

And the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology lists veterinarian among 15 professions considered high-risk for developing occupational asthma. The academy is a professional membership organization based in Milwaukee.

Anecdotally, veterinarians reference a range of animal-borne difficulties, from coughing and sniffles to nearly dying from asthma and allergies, as Cornell University veterinarian Lila Miller reported.

Many vets had to give up their practices because of the endless suffering four-legged clients brought them, said Sharon Curtis Granskog, a spokeswoman for the American Veterinary Medicine Association, a nonprofit in Schaumburg, Ill.

Becky Ehrlich, 29, a veterinarian at Radnor Veterinary Hospital in Wayne, Pa., has her own harrowing tale to tell.

Ehrlich once passed out when allergies spurred by a guinea pig swelled her eyes shut and closed her throat. To this day, she cant enter a room at her hospital that has been occupied by a guinea pig until the space has been bleached.

But I keep working because this job is what I need to do, she said. I couldnt do anything else with my life.

Ehrlich remembers scoffing as a young woman when doctors informed her that she was off-the-charts allergic to every animal species.

I was told by doctors my career was not going to happen because of my animal allergies, said Ehrlich. But it just pushed me harder.

What may work in veterinarians favor is that selfsame love of animals that keep Ehrlich and her nose-blowing colleagues going.

So many of them had pets as kids, and that early exposure to germs and microbes may have strengthened their immune systems, said Corinna Bowser, an allergist (for humans) in Narberth, Pa.

Rural German studies show growing up with a cow is good, she said, unable to resist prescribing a possible allergy antidote: As a child, have a cow in your bedroom.

Experts say many veterinarians report developing allergies while working in laboratories with mice and rats. There are more reports of such allergies because those are the animals most used in research studies, according to the University of Virginia Occupational Health Program.

Ultimately, allergies will not chase away the vast majority of veterinarians, said Pamela Mueller, a colleague of Dallagos at World of Animals.

I take Zyrtec and carry a lot of tissues, said Mueller, 56. It never crossed my mind to restrict my work.

Mueller said pet owners rarely empathize with her. No ones ever expressed sympathy for me, or said, Oh, that must be hard, she said. Maybe theyre involved [in] talking about their sick pets.

For his part, Dallago said, owners laugh when he tells them he has allergies, as though it were something that would never have occurred to them.

No big deal, he said. Being a vet is a very fun job, he said. Allergies are just a part of my life.
MOSCOW  Among the dozen 15-year-old girls in lavender leotards in Tatyana Galtsevas class at the Bolshoi Ballet Academy, one is different. And its not just because of her long, swan-like neck.

She is Harper Ortlieb, an American, who left her small town in Oregon to move to Moscow to follow her dream of becoming a prima ballerina.

The prestigious academy has 84 foreigners among its 721 students, but few are accepted when they are as young as Harper and few are integrated into the regular Russian program.

She is a very gifted girl. She is all ballet, all inspiration, Galtseva said. When children are talented, regardless of their nationality, they are alike in some way in how they approach what they do.

The Bolshoi took notice of Harper during a summer program it held in Connecticut and offered her a place in the Moscow academy. She knew her teachers would be tough and that it would be a challenge to be so far away from home, but it has been even harder than she expected.

Its been very difficult, but with that comes strength and with that I improve, Harper said. I feel like I came here to get better, to improve, not only technically but emotionally so when I dance people see something.

One concern for her parents in the decision to send their daughter, then 14, to Moscow was the strain in U.S.-Russian relations and the strong anti-American sentiments in Russian society.

Harper says she feels accepted by her classmates. Her teacher concurs, noting that just that morning some of the other girls had brought her a skirt to wear over her leotard because they were expecting a visit to the class by foreign journalists.

In her Moscow neighborhood, the women in her favorite grocery store have taken a shine to the delicate American teen, helping her pick out fresh fruit and keeping her favorite almond butter stocked. And in the local Starbucks they have learned to spell her unusual name on her cup.

A total of 17 Americans study at the Bolshoi academy, outnumbered among the foreign students only by the 28 from Japan, with the rest coming from 22 other countries. Some of the foreign students took part in the spring concert on Thursday evening, and Harper was among the few girls from her class chosen for two of the dances.

Preparing for a performance, its all you think about. It kind of overtakes your mind, she said. Preparing for exams, Im always very nervous. Theres a lot of stress. But with that stress, you know, comes happiness and you feel overjoyed when youre dancing, you forget about everything, you forget about the sacrifices you make, you forget about the pain, or the tears. Dancing is what makes me happy, no matter how much you have to sacrifice.

Her teacher believes Harper has what it takes to be a classical ballerina, possessing not just the necessary physical and aesthetic qualities but the will to learn.

She is extraordinarily attentive, Galtseva said. She is always smiling. Such a sweet, wonderful girl.

If Harper wants to be one of those rare foreigners who receive a diploma from the Bolshoi Ballet Academy, she has three more difficult years ahead. But now she has her mother back by her side.

Harpers mother, Layne Baumann, made two trips to Moscow after she and her husband, Tim Ortlieb, dropped off their only child in September. In February, Baumann decided to move to Moscow at least for the rest of the school year, and she now rents an apartment two blocks from the academy, which has allowed Harper to move out of the dormitory.

At the end of each day, Baumann talks to her daughter about what she learned in class and logs onto Skype so Harpers father can join the conversation from their home in Mount Hood, Ore., 11 time zones away.

In addition to her dance classes, Harper has Russian language lessons every day at the academy. For her other subjects, she does online classes in the evenings and on weekends. On Sundays, her only day off, she and her mother often explore their new city. They also have already seen more performances at the Bolshoi Theater than most Russians see in a lifetime.

Harper started ballet at a local dance school when she was 3 years old. When she turned 11, she was accepted to the School of Oregon Ballet Theatre in Portland, a three-hour roundtrip journey that she and her mother made six days a week.

Being 3 in ballet class, its fun and games, Harper said, smiling at the recollection. My teacher was wonderful, it was so much fun. And then once I got more professional I realized how much you have to sacrifice, and how difficult it is.

She talks about learning to deal with the pain of wearing pointe shoes and the constant feeling of doubt that shes not good enough.

And Im not good enough. I mean, Im not, Harper said. We have to wait. I have to work harder.
The Legislature has passed two bills that could help school districts and communities provide more housing and services to the growing number of homeless students statewide.

Those bills could make a difference in Cowlitz County. A state report released last month showed that the number of homeless students in Cowlitz County has doubled in the last five years, and now one in every 20 students has no home.

Its still uncertain whether either bill will be signed by Gov. Jay Inslee. His office said there wont be any action on bills for several weeks as the governor reviews them.

The first bill, House Bill 1682, would create two competitive grant programs to funnel money to school districts that need it to help homeless students. The first grant, run out of the state superintendents office, would double the $950,000 Washington gets annually in federal funds to implement the McKinney-Vento Education of Homeless Children and Youth Assistance Act. That act requires districts to provide homeless students transportation to school, designate a homeless student liaison and immediately enroll homeless students in school regardless of whether they have proper identifying documents.

The second competitive grant, run through the state Department of Commerce, would give money to districts interested in forming housing partnerships with community groups such as homeless shelters or local housing authorities. Partnerships can be in the form of rental assistance, transportation assistance, emergency shelter and case management.

HB 1682 would also require that any middle or high school with more than 10 unaccompanied youth (those who are not in adult physical custody) have a designated point person for homeless students. Lastly, the bill would allow school nurses, school counselors and homeless student liaisons to authorize health care services when parents arent available. That could help divert unaccompanied youth from hospital emergency rooms, said Katara Jordan, an attorney with Columbia Legal Services, a nonprofit law office that helps low-income people and helped draft the bill.

Jordan said $950,000 in federal money is practically nothing for districts seeking to help homeless students. Of the close to 300 districts in the state, Jordan said only 30 receive McKinney-Vento funds. The Longview School District, for example, doesnt receive any McKinney-Vento funds.

We think it would be better in a lot of cases to help families find housing in their district, Jordan said. We think that would save school districts money and help for better outcomes for students.

Jordan said schools can be the greatest source of stability in a homeless students life and estimated that every move to a new district sets a student four months behind academically.

The second bill, House Bill 2440, would allow host homes for homeless youth to operate without becoming foster homes, a label the Department of Social and Health Services tried to impose on them and one that could have overburdened homes with state restrictions.

Host homes for homeless youth share the same concept as host homes for international students  private families essentially foster homeless students.

Lori Cavender, founder and executive director of host home program Ryans House for Youth on Whidbey Island, said she thinks that bill will encourage more host homes for homeless youth. Currently, Washington has four programs, none in Cowlitz County.

We know of a couple of organizations that wanted to open, she said. We flat out told them not to do it until this bill passed.

The model could work for Cowlitz County, too. Cavender said host homes can be the best way for rural areas like Cowlitz County to serve homeless students.

Jordan said these bills demonstrate that Washington is leading the charge to finding solutions to the homeless youth population problem.

Whats happening in Washington state is not unique. Whats unique in Washington state is that were trying to come up with creative solutions, Jordan said.
The new Columbia County sheriffs canine deputy had a successful first day on the job.

Lars  a nearly 2-year-old Belgian Malino and tracking dog  and his handler graduated from the police canine academy in Washington County just this week.

Friday was the first day of his deployment in Columbia County, and Lars netted his first capture within the first three hours of his law enforcement career, according to a Columbia County Sheriffs Office press release.

This is very exciting for us, said Sheriff Jeff Dickerson. For years we have wanted to be able to provide this kind of capability to our deputies, and to have it work out so quickly for us is an extra benefit.

At about 3:12 p.m. Friday, Vaughan Yeramian, 35, a St. Helens-area resident, allegedly tried to escape from a traffic stop at Meissner Road near South Canaan Road in Deer Island. He fled on his motorcycle with passenger, Alicia Yeager, 21, of St. Helens.

The pursuit lasted less than 10 minutes and, at some point, the chase became a foot pursuit. Yeramian reportedly surrendered once he realized the dog was on his trail, the press release said.

Yeramian was arrested on suspicion of reckless driving, attempt to elude and multiple warrants. Passenger Yeager was arrested on suspicion of hindering prosecution.

They were booked into Columbia County Jail and did not need medical attention, the press release said.

Having a canine deputy in instances like this reduces the risk of injury to deputies, increases the likelihood of capture in shorter amounts of time, Dickerson said. Its a win for everyone in Columbia County, except those who run afoul of the law.
The Columbia Humane Society is embroiled in its second lawsuit this year.

Kohala Animal Relocation and Education Services, an animal welfare organization based in Hawaii, filed a suit in Columbia County Circuit Court last week, alleging breach of oral contract and negligent misrepresentation.

According to the lawsuit, the Humane Society didnt properly communicate details of the dogs care, primarily about where they were being re-homed.

The Humane Society agreed in 2015 to care for a large number of dogs rescued by KARES with the purpose of re-homing the canines with qualified private parties, according to the lawsuit. The Humane Society agreed to protect the dogs and to regularly communicate with KARES.

From April through September 2015, 43 rescue dogs were transferred from KARES to the Humane Society. According to the lawsuit, the Humane Society initially communicated with KARES about the condition of the dogs and the re-homing process.

However, after the last dog was transferred, KARES officials became concerned after hearing that the dogs were not being cared for as promised.

KARES attempted to contact the Humane Society in November 2015; however, the Humane Society didnt respond, according to the lawsuit. KARES is suing for economic damages, though the amount has not been determined.

Humane Society officials could not be reached for comment.
Kelso police Friday arrested a man suspected of shoplifting $1,029 worth of products from Target over the last month.

Target loss prevention reported a string of thefts all allegedly committed by Micheal Norman Schmidt III, 25, of Longview, according to court documents.

Between Feb. 12 and March 1, Schmidt allegedly took a $109 Virgin Mobile HTC cell phone; three Motorola baby monitors valued at $129, $199, $259; a $129 GoPro Hero; and $199 Beats by Dre headphones.

Schmidt was arrested on suspicion of organized retail theft  a felony because the items totaled more than $750 in the last 180 days.
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Three weeks after Northwest Innovation Works hit the pause button on its proposed Tacoma methanol plant, some observers are still in awe at the ferocity of the opposition the company met there.

Public hearings on the plant drew 2,000 people, mostly voicing negative comments, and officials from the nearby city of Federal Way opposed the plant.

No one has seen anything like this before, said Melissa Malott, executive director of Citizens for a Healthy Bay, a Tacoma nonprofit. An (environmental) scoping hearing usually gets seven people to show up. So people in Tacoma are just incredibly upset about this.

By contrast, opposition to Northwest Innovations proposed Kalama plant, smaller but in all other respects identical to the one proposed in Tacoma, has been tepid at most.

Theres no one reason for the different reactions, but there are a few theories: The Tacoma plant is twice the size and would use twice as much water and energy; environmentalists in Cowlitz County have been focused on organizing against coal, oil and propane; Southwest Washington is aching for the jobs and tax dollars the Kalama plant would create; and the projected environmental effects themselves, according to a recently released draft environmental impact statement, appear relatively insignificant for such a major industrial project. (See sidebars for more details.)

A $1.8 billion plant

Backed by Chinese Academy of Sciences Holdings, Northwest Innovation wants to build a trio of methanol plants  in Kalama, Tacoma and Clatskanie  that would represent a $7 billion investment in the region. It would be one of the largest direct investments China has ever made in the U.S., according to Gov. Jay Inslee, who traveled to Kalama last summer to promote the company.

Combined, the three plants would make the Pacific Northwest the leading producer and exporter of methanol, according to Sightline Institute, a Seattle environmental think tank.

At the Port of Kalama, Northwest has proposed a $1.8 billion methanol plant on 100 acres along the Columbia River north of Steelscape. The plant would create an estimated 192 permanent jobs and 1,000 construction jobs.

A 3.1 mile pipeline, owned by Northwest Pipeline, would connect to a larger pipeline that routes natural gas to the region from Canada and the U.S.

The natural gas would be converted to methanol, stored on site and shipped to Asia. Methanol is a primary component of olefins, which are used to make plastics for a variety of products, such as cell phones, clothing, furniture, glasses and contact lenses. This is considered a far cleaner alternative to the coal-based methanol typically used for olefins in China.

Reducing greenhouse gas

Vee Godley, president of Northwest Innovation, said his companys projects would cut global greenhouse gas emissions by replacing coal-based olefins with natural-gas based olefins.

There are about 160 coal-to-methanol plants in China, and 15 to 20 more are proposed, Godley said. According to his Chinese partners, some of those plants may not be built if Northwest Innovation builds its three plants here. However, Godley said he doesnt know if any coal-based methanol plants would actually shut down as a result of his projects.

We have the ability, within our plants we are proposing, to remove the equivalent greenhouse gas emissions of over 6 million cars off the road, Godley said.

Global demand for olefins is growing 8 percent to 10 percent a year, he said.

If we dont do this, the world will still meet the demand, he said. And it isnt certain whether that would be met with cleaner sources, he said.

The company is using a new technique, called ultra low emissions technology, which could further chop greenhouse gas emissions at the Kalama site by 31 percent compared to the typical method. The Kalama plant would be the first in the U.S. to employ full-scale use of this technology for making methanol, although the method has been used for fertilizers. The only other facility that has used the ultra low emissions technology for making methanol out of natural gas is a plant in Australia, and its significantly smaller, Godley said.

Critics here and in Puget Sound have questioned if the project is as green as proponents say it is.

Its definitely true that gas-to-methanol is cleaner than coal-to-methanol, said Eric de Place, policy director at Sightline Institute. But its not clear whether it would emit less when compared to other methods for making olefins, he said.

De Place pointed to a 2008 study from the journal Energy, which suggests that there are other olefin manufacturing techniques that emit less carbon than natural gas techniques.

This particular study, however, did not include the newer ultra low emissions technology in its analysis, Godley pointed out.

The project also would boost demand for natural gas derived from hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, opponents say. Fracking has been widely criticized by environmental groups for exacerbating climate change, potentially increasing the risk of earthquakes and contaminating local water supplies as a result of the chemicals pumped into the ground to extract the oil.

Theres a need to look at the entire process from extraction all the way to the plastics production in China, said Jasmine Zimmer-Stucky, organizer with the Hood-River based Columbia Riverkeeper.

You have a project thats going to create more fracking in Canada and have thousands of miles of shipping tacked on to this, only to go over to China and produce more plastics. Its difficult to find a place in this equation for the word sustainability. 

Using too much water?

Opponents of the Tacoma methanol plant have balked at how much water it would use  about 10.4 million gallons of water per day, the Tacoma News Tribune reported . That would result in a 19-percent increase the citys water demand, which is mostly drawn from the Green River.

The water usage is appalling to people, Malott said. She recalled signs posted around Tacoma last summer that read: In a drought we all help out.

In Kalama, the plant would use 4.8 million gallons of water a day, but only 5,600 gallons a day would be supplied by the city, a fraction of the 845,000 gallons a day the city projects to use by 2020.

The vast majority of the Kalama plants water would come from wells that will be driven into an aquifer where the Port of Kalama has water access rights. The plant would use about a third of the ports allotment.

The water issue that they have in Tacoma isnt going to be the same down here from us, said Alan Basso, a Port of Kalama commissioner.

High energy use

Opponents also are concerned about the amount of electricity the plants would use. Combined, the three methanol plants would need about 800 megawatts of continuous power, enough to supply 600,000 homes, roughly twice the number of residences in Seattle, reported the Seattle Times.

In Cowlitz County, the average load for all of Cowlitz PUDs customers is about 600 megawatts. The Kalama plant would use about 201 megawatts of electricity, but it would generate about half of that on its own by burning natural gas on site to fuel its boilers. Northwest Innovation would negotiate long-term power contracts from utilities for the other half.

The company is considering either purchasing the power from the Cowlitz PUD or directly from the wholesale power market with long-term contracts, Godley said. If the latter option were to happen, Cowlitz PUD would transport the power but not supply it.

Regardless, the plant would be unlikely to exert pressure on power rates here, said Cowlitz PUD General Manager Steve Kern.

The region is pretty surplus in power. ... I dont think it would have a negative impact for our customers rates, Kern said.

However, critics worry that Northwest Innovations electricity use would tie up regional hydropower for other utilities and sites. If it did, then those sites would have to turn to other sources of power, most likely natural gas or coal-fired plants, which would emit greenhouse gases, Tom Eckman, with the Northwest Power and Conservation Council, told the Seattle Times.

Economic needs

A core issue in the debate over the methanol plant in Tacoma is whether the city wants a fossil-fuel-based industrial development in the first place.

No one who has complained about the plant has said theyre against development or that they want the port to shut down, Malott said.

I think people cherish the grit city and the blue collar feel of Tacoma.  Our vision of our city has changed. Were not going to be the dumping grounds we once were.

Environmentalists in Cowlitz County certainly have echoed that sentiment when opposing energy projects here. However, methanol proponents here say theres a greater need for economic development.

Tacoma has the benefit of being in the backyard of Seattle, and the Puget Sounds area is thriving. The unemployment rate in Pierce County is 6.1 percent in December, compared to 7.5 percent in Cowlitz County, according to state figures. And Cowlitz County has myriad social problems  including homelessness, high poverty rates, poor health behaviors and generational substance abuse  all linked to the shortage of family-wage jobs.

The average employee at the Kalama plant would make $100,000 a year, according to Northwest Innovation. Cowlitz Countys current average salary is $43,500, according to the state Employment Security Department.

Certainly the economic impact this facility would have here far exceeds the impact it would have on Pierce County, said Dennis Weber, a Cowlitz County commissioner. We havent had any industrial growth like that in a long time.

Every year, the plant would generate an estimated $36 million in taxes and $21 million in payroll, according to the draft environmental study. Thats huge for local government agencies, said Ted Sprague, president of the Cowlitz Economic Development Council.

I think people lose sight of how our roads are paid for.  Its industry thats really the backbone of all those public services, Sprague said.

The economic benefits would be significant, even for a larger city, he said.

I cant imagine any city passing on a $3.4 billion project like there was in Tacoma. These are once-in-a-lifetime opportunities, Sprague said.

The plants supporters dont see this as a jobs-versus-environment tradeoff, saying the environmental impact study shows the plant would be a relatively clean and benign presence in the county. Critics, though, are not convinced.

Due to the negative effects on water, air ... and the excessive consumption of electricity, we oppose the processing and exporting of methanol in the Pacific Northwest, said Les Anderson, vice president of Longview-based Landowners and Citizens for a Safe Community, the primary environmental group in the county.

Sandy Davis, also a member of Landowners, said the volunteer group has been too busy to mount a large campaign against the methanol project, because its been focused on protesting coal, oil and propane projects. Its also tracking ongoing cleanup of the former Reynolds Co. plant, where Millennium Bulk Terminals wants to build its coal export terminal.

Yet the group does have concerns, and with the draft EIS release, both Landowners and Citizens for a Safe Community and Columbia Riverkeeper say they will ramping up protests.

There are just too many negatives about the project for it to be considered a positive, Anderson said.

Supporters completely disagree.

We are extremely enthusiastic about what appears to be a favorable impact statement, Weber said. By that I mean, I keep seeing one phrase repeated over and over again and thats that it has no significant impacts.

We are extremely enthusiastic about what appears to be a favorable impact statement.  Dennis Weber, Cowlitz County Commissioner
WASHINGTON  As the unthinkable becomes likely, the question arises: Who is really to blame for Donald Trump?

The proximate answer is a durable plurality in the Republican primary electorate, concentrated among non-college-educated whites but not limited to them. They are applying Trump like a wrecking ball against the old political order. And it clearly does not matter to them if their instrument is qualified, honest, stable, knowledgeable, ethical, consistent or honorable.

But why has this group of voters cohered, while other elements of the Republican coalition have fractured?

Some blame compromised Republican leaders who have resolutely refused to do things  such as unilaterally overturning Obamacare  that they actually lack the constitutional power to do. Or maybe the establishment invited a backlash for insufficient toughness on illegal immigration  though it is hard to imagine why public urgency would spike just as the flow of illegal immigration has slowed to a trickle. Or maybe a parallel establishment of conservative talk radio, PACs and websites gains listeners, funds and clicks by inciting conservatives against Republicans.

Or maybe, as reform conservatives have argued, Republicans have not adequately responded to 25 years of economic dislocation and wage stagnation  challenges faced by blue-collar families that simply dont yield to a circa-1981 GOP agenda of tax cuts and deregulation.

The problem? All these same arguments were being made by the same people before Trump arrived on the scene. A new and unexpected development in American politics has managed to confirm everything people already believed, suggesting that not much learning is taking place.

Whoever else might be implicated, it is necessary to say that Trump is to blame for Trump. The fact that he is appealing to understandable concerns does not make him a valid or responsible voice. In the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks, for example, President George W. Bush could have chosen to blame Islam and stir up prejudice. He didnt. In the aftermath of the Paris and San Bernardino attacks, Trump did, picking on a religious minority for self-serving political reasons.

In a dangerous world, fear is natural. Cynically exploiting fear is an art. And Trump is a Rembrandt of demagoguery.

But this does not release citizens from all responsibility. The theory that voters, like customers, are always right has little to do with the American form of government. The founders had little patience for pure democracy, which they found particularly vulnerable to demagogues. Men of factious tempers, of local prejudices, or of sinister designs, says Federalist 10, may by intrigue, by corruption, or by other means, first obtain the suffrages, and then betray the interests, of the people. A representative government is designed to frustrate sinister majorities (or committed pluralities), by mediating public views through a chosen body of citizens, whose wisdom may best discern the true interest of their country.

Trump is the guy your Founding Fathers warned you about. The question is not Why Trump now? argues constitutional scholar Matthew Franck, but rather Why not a Trump before now? Perhaps some residual self-respect on the part of primary voters has driven them, up to now, to seek experience, knowledge of public policy, character, and responsibility in their candidates. The Trump phenomenon suggests that in a significant proportion of the (nominally) Republican electorate, this self-respect has decayed considerably.

With the theory of a presidential nominee as wrecking ball, we have reached the culmination of the founders fears: Democracy is producing a genuine threat to the American form of self-government. Trump imagines leadership as pure act, freed from reflection and restraint. He has expressed disdain for religious and ethnic minorities. He has proposed restrictions on press freedom and threatened political enemies with retribution. He offers himself as the embodiment of the national will, driven by an intuitive vision of greatness. None of this is hidden.

The founders may not have imagined political parties as a check on public passions, but that is the role the GOP must now play  as important as any in its long history. It is late, but not too late. With losses in Ohio and Florida on March 15, Trump may well be held below a majority of delegates at the Cleveland convention. And then this chosen body of citizens should play its perfectly legitimate role and give its nomination to a constructive and responsible leader.
If youve read the stories this week about Curtis Hart and his friends who pulled off a sex abuse sting last week, youve learned about his group and his form of vigilantism. Lets be clear, The Daily News does not support vigilantism, we think local law enforcement does a great job and we should stay out of their way.

There have been all types of vigilantes throughout history. Some romanticized in fiction like Robin Hood, Superman and Batman. And then there are groups and individuals like the Guardian Angels and John Walsh.

No one can dispute the amazing work of people like John Walsh from his television program Americas Most Wanted and we arent going to start. Nor are we going to weigh in on the pros and cons of what Curtis Hart did this past week. What we are concerned about is what happened after we ran the stories.

We received an email from a group called WAR, Women Against Registry. It takes a moment to digest that such a group exists, a group that defends the privacy of sex offenders and is against a national registry. Their entire organization is about educating the public as to how the sex offender suffers after they have been convicted of a crime of a sexual nature and stopping laws that are put in place to protect society from sex offenders. On the homepage of their website, the group tag line is Fighting the Destruction of Families.

We found this quote on the brochure emailed to us, We, the members of WAR, feel that it is time to stop the cruelty. It is time to reform the registry for the good of the over three million family members of registered sex offenders who live under the invisible punishments of the registry every day.

So it appears, at first glance that this group is claiming that its the registration of the sex offender thats harming the offenders family, not the act they are found guilty of committing.

WAR is also against the reauthorization of the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act. This act, signed into law by George Bush in 2006, places sex offenders into tiers. The law requires updates from sex offenders depending upon the level of offense. Tier 3, the most heinous offenders, are required to update authorities every three months for their lifetime, Tier 2 requires updates every six months for 25 years and Tier 1 is every year with 15 years of registration. Failure to register and update is a felony. WARs taken their fight even further by opposing what is referred to as Megans Law.

We are certain you all remember the story of Adam Walsh, who at the age of six, was abducted from a Sears store in Florida and his decapitated head was later found in a canal by fisherman. The details of the crime are disturbing, yet sadly, not uncommon. Megans Law was named after Megan Kanka, a seven-year-old who was abducted, raped and murdered in 1994. California enacted Megans Law in 2004, which provides the public with information on the location of sex offenders so local communities members may protect their children.

Out of these heinous murders arose such groups as Women Against Registry.

Women Against Registry are opposed to the Adam Walsh Act. They claim this law harms the offender and their families because they might not be able to keep or find a job, they are threatened by members of the general public, the offenders suffer from depression, anxiety and are teased.

We dont agree with the public harming, harassing, assaulting, either verbally or physically. But what about the victim? What about the family of the victims? Is society better served by the public knowing where these predators are living? We thinks so and, as parents, we appreciate these laws.

The Supreme Court in 2002 and again in 2003 reasoned that sex offender registration is a reasonable civil law designed to protect the public. We agree. We worry more about the victims. According to the United States Department of Justice, from 1992 to 2010 there was a 62 percent decline in sexual abuse. We cant help but wonder if the registration laws are helping with that decline.

From where we sit, we appreciate these and any other laws that keep our children safe from predators.
WASHINGTON  For those of you salivating  or trembling  at the thought of Hillary Clinton being clapped in handcuffs as she prepares to deliver her acceptance speech this summer: deep, cleansing breath. Based on the available facts and the relevant precedents, criminal prosecution of Clinton for mishandling classified information in her emails is extraordinarily unlikely.

My exasperation with Clintons use of a private email server while secretary of state is long-standing and unabated. Lucky for her, political idiocy is not criminal.

There are plenty of unattractive facts but not a lot of clear evidence of criminality, and we tend to forget the distinction, American University law professor Stephen Vladeck, an expert on prosecutions involving classified information, told me. This is really just a political firestorm, not a criminal case.

Could a clever law student fit the fact pattern into a criminal violation? Sure. Would a responsible federal prosecutor pursue it? Hardly  absent new evidence, based on my conversations with experts in such prosecutions.

There are two main statutory hooks. Title 18, Section 1924, a misdemeanor, makes it a crime for a government employee to knowingly remove classified information without authority and with the intent to retain such documents or materials at an unauthorized location.

Prosecutors used this provision in securing a guilty plea from former CIA Director David Petraeus, who was sentenced to probation and fined $100,000. But there are key differences between Petraeus and Clinton.

Petraeus clearly knew the material he provided to Paula Broadwell was classified, and that she was not authorized to view it. Highly classified ... code word stuff in there, he told her. He lied to FBI agents, the kind of behavior that tends to inflame prosecutors.

In Clintons case, by contrast, there is no clear evidence that Clinton knew (or even should have known) that the material in her emails was classified. Second, it is debatable whether her use of the private server constituted removal or retention of material. Finally, the aggravating circumstance of false statements to federal agents is, as far as we know, absent.

The government used the same statute in 2005 against former national security adviser Sandy Berger, sentenced to probation and fined $50,000. Here, too, the conduct was more evidently egregious than what the public record shows about Clintons. Berger, at the National Archives preparing for the 9/11 investigations, twice took copies of a classified report out of the building, hiding the documents in his clothes.

For Clinton, the worst public fact involves a 2011 email exchange with aide Jake Sullivan. When she has trouble receiving a secure fax, Clinton instructs Sullivan to turn [it] into nonpaper [with] no identifying heading and send nonsecure. But Clinton has said she was not asking for classified information. In any event, it does not appear her instructions were followed.

Another possible prosecutorial avenue involves the Espionage Act. Section 793(d) makes it a felony for a person entrusted with information relating to the national defense who willfully communicates, delivers [or] transmits it to an unauthorized person. That might be a stretch given the willfully requirement.

Section 793(f) covers a person with access to national defense information who through gross negligence permits the same to be removed from its proper place of custody or delivered to anyone in violation of his trust. The government has used the gross negligence provision to prosecute a Marine sergeant who accidentally put classified documents in his gym bag, then hid them in his garage rather than returning them, and an Air Force sergeant who put classified material in a dumpster so he could get home early.

The argument here would be that Clinton engaged in such gross negligence by transferring information she knew or should have known was classified from its proper place onto her private server, or by sharing it with someone not authorized to receive it. Yet, as the Supreme Court has said, gross negligence is a nebulous term. Especially in the criminal context it would seem to require conduct more like throwing classified materials into a dumpster than putting them on a private server that presumably had security protections.

My point here isnt to praise Clintons conduct. She shouldnt have been using the private server for official business in the first place. Its certainly possible she was cavalier about discussing classified material on it; that would be disturbing but she wouldnt be alone, especially given rampant over-classification.

The handling of the emails is an entirely legitimate subject for FBI investigation. Thats a far cry from an indictable offense.
hidden

An Egyptian court has sentenced a prominent Facebook user to three years in prison with hard labour after he asserted on television that many married women in the conservative country were unfaithful.

Taymour el-Sobky was arrested last month and accused by prosecutors of slandering Egyptian women and damaging their honour. His comments on a popular evening talk show in December caused a furore.

"Thirty percent of Egyptian women are ready for immorality, they just can't find someone to encourage them," said Sobky, whose Facebook page called "Diaries of a Suffering Husband" has more than one million followers.

"These days, it is very normal for women to cheat on their husbands and seek it out ... Many women are involved in extramarital affairs while their husbands are abroad," he claimed.

Sobky's comments included the suggestion that arranged marriages in traditional southern Egypt exacerbated the problem of infidelity because women ended up with men they didn't know.

After the claim a masked man from the region appeared in a video carried on YouTube armed with an assault rifle, and issued a death threat against Sobky.

Reuters
HC rejects writ on collection of tenants

UNB, Dhaka: The High Court on Sunday rejected a writ petition filed seeking an order to stop collection of tenants information through the owners of rented apartments. An HC bench compromising Justice Moyeenul Islam Chowdhury and Justice Md Iqbal Kabir Liton passed the order. Barrister Jyotirmoy Barua, the petitioner, said they will move to the Supreme Court against the order. Earlier on March 10 (Thursday), the bench after a hearing fixed the date (today) to pass the order on the petition. On March 3, Jyotirmoy Barua filed the petition with the HC. On February 29, he sent a legal notice to the Law Secretary, Home Secretary, Inspector General of Police and Commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police in this regard.
US election 2016: Obama warns against campaign anger

BBC Online: US President Barack Obama has warned White House contenders to avoid raising tensions, a day after a rally by Donald Trump was called off amid clashes. Mr Obama said candidates should not resort to "insults" and "certainly not violence against other Americans". Mr Trump, who leads the race for the Republican nomination, cancelled his Chicago rally after fighting broke out between his supporters and protesters. His rivals and others have accused him of using inflammatory rhetoric. Later on Saturday, Mr Trump suffered heavy defeats in Republican caucuses in Washington DC and Wyoming. Mr Obama, who will be standing down next January following November's presidential election, was speaking at a Democratic Party fundraiser in Dallas on Saturday. He said: "What the folks who are running for office should be focused on is how we can make it even better - not insults and schoolyard taunts and manufacturing facts, not divisiveness along the lines of race and faith." The clashes at Mr Trump's Chicago rally on Friday began more than an hour before the event was due to start, and continued after it was cancelled. On Saturday Mr Trump campaigned in Ohio, one of several key states - also including Florida and Ohio - holding primaries on Tuesday. In Dayton, Ohio, he was briefly surrounded by Secret Service agents on stage after a man tried to breach the security cordon. Mr Trump has taken a strong anti-immigrant stance, promising to build a "great wall" at the border with Mexico. Commenting on relations between Muslims and America earlier this week, he said: "Islam hates us." Speaking to Fox News after Friday's events in Chicago, Mr Trump denied fostering division. "I represent a large group of people that have a lot of anger," he said. "There is tremendous anger out there on both sides." Mr Trump's rivals for the Republican nomination, Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz, have both called the incident "sad". Texas Senator Cruz accused Mr Trump of creating "an environment that only encourages this sort of nasty discourse". Mr Rubio and another Republican challenger, John Kasich, suggested they might not rally behind Mr Trump if he wins the nomination. Mr Rubio said it was "getting harder every day" to keep his promise to unite behind the eventual Republican nominee. Mr Kasich said Mr Trump's rhetoric "makes it very difficult" to support him. On Saturday, Mr Cruz won a convincing victory in the Wyoming caucus, while Mr Rubio narrowly defeated Mr Kasich in Washington DC. Mr Trump came a distant third in both contests. Mr Cruz also won on the island territory of Guam. In the Democratic race. Vermont senator Bernie Sanders is continuing his challenge against frontrunner Hillary Clinton. Mrs Clinton won the first ever Democrats' vote in the Northern Mariana Islands.
Governor seeks supports for climate risk management

Economic Reporter :

Bangladesh Bank Governor Dr Atiur Rahman Saturday urged the development partners to provide substantial technical and financial support to low and lower-middle income economics for mitigation and adaptation purpose.

"Asia is full of creativity and has to work together to come up with solutions for addressing mitigation and adaptation challenges posed by climate change," he said.

Atiur Rahman was addressing as a panelist of the "Developing Asia: Challenges of Climate Change and Economic Resilience", a session of a conference on "Advancing Asia: Investing for the Future" in Delhi in India, said a press release here today.

The session focused on preparations and investment needs for responding to the mitigation and adaption challenges posed by climate change, and ways to build macroeconomic resilience.

The governor said Asia, a young, diverse and crowded region with 60 percent of humanity, has to cope with 45% of the world's natural disasters which occurred over the last three decades.
Donate buses to educational insttns to ease city traffic

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina handing over keys of buses donated by Nitol-Niloy Group to Border Guard Bangladesh officials at PM\'s Office yesterday. BSS photo



Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Sunday called upon the well-off section of society and business organisations to donate buses to educational institutions to help reduce pressure on private cars on city streets.

"The more and more use of buses by students will help reduce the pressure of private vehicles on the streets and it'll ultimately help ease traffic jams both in the capital and other cities of the country," she said.

Sheikh Hasina said this while handing over keys of seven buses to the authorities of Beershreshtha Lance Naik Noor Mohammad School and College and Beershreshtha Lance Naik Abdur Rouf School and College at Peelkhana in the city.

The principals of the two educational institutions received the keys from the Prime Minister at a simple ceremony at her office. After the event, PM's Press Secretary Ihsanul Karim briefed reporters.

Stressing the importance of ensuring the quality of buses, Hasina said the companies concerned will have to produce and import quality buses so that people could travel comfortably. Turning to her government's stunning success in the power sector, the Prime Minister said the country's current power generation now stands at 14,600 MW and thanked the authorities concerned for the success.

About the power sector cooperation with neighbours, Hasina pointed out that the trans-boundary electricity system is being introduced involving India, Nepal and Bhutan. PM's Principal Secretary Md Abul Kalam Azad, Home Ministry Senior Secretary Dr Mozammel Haque Khan, PMO Secretary Suraiya Begum, Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) Director General Major General Aziz Ahmed Khan were, among others, present.

Nitol-Niloy Group donated the 35-seated seven buses. Of the buses, four were given to Beershreshtha Lance Naik Noor Mohammad School and College and three to Beershreshtha Lance Naik Abdur Rouf School and College.

Earlier, the Prime Minister handed over a 4D unltrasonogram machine to Sheikh Fazilatunnesa Mujib Memorial KPJ Specialised Hospital and Nursing College, Kashimpur, Gazipur. Chief Executive Officer of the hospital and college Zoitun Binte Solaiman received the machine from the Prime Minister at her office.
Ensuring access to health care

Jenny Lei Ravelo :

Nearly 300 civil society organizations working in global health are lobbying United Nations member states to undo proposed changes in the measurement of universal health coverage as part of the newly approved Sustainable Development Goals.

Advocates who had pushed for the UHC to be included in the SDGs now say the revised indicator won't accurately capture what proportion of the population is able to access health care without suffering financially.

Among those concerned are World Health Organization Assistant Director-General Marie-Paul Kieny and World Bank Vice President for Human Development Keith Hansen, who expressed "major reservations" on the revised proposed indicator in a letter addressed to the director of the U.N. Statistics Division and the co-chairs of an Inter Agency Expert Group on the SDGs. In a letter seen by Devex, they argue that the new indicator is "not a valid measure of financial risk protection."

The IAEG recently changed one of the two indicators for SDG target 3.8 - "to achieve universal health coverage, including financial risk protection, access to quality essential health care services, and access to safe, effective, quality, and affordable essential medicines and vaccines for all" - to be defined as the "number of people covered by health insurance or public health system per 1,000 population."

Previously, the indicator was defined as the "fraction of the population protected against catastrophic/impoverishing out-of-pocket health expenditure." That measure had been developed by the World Bank and the WHO over a three-year process through dozens of consultations and case studies.

The group of 22 U.N. member countries is meeting in Mexico, in part to review the indicators and put up mechanisms for revisions, according to the provisional agenda. Some CSOs say they expect the meeting in Mexico to finalize the indicators.

Any indicator, Kieny and Hansen said, should be able to show the "magnitude and distribution of household health spending," which can be seen through household surveys that are already being produced "regularly in virtually every country."

The letter, which is not dated in the text seen by Devex, said that the use of "coverage of public health systems" in the revised indicator was based on a "promised entitlement rather than observable data."

CSOs agree and are reaching out to participating members of the IAEG through phone calls and letters to lobby for the original indicators.

"Insurance is not a measure or guarantee of financial risk protection - in a number of countries the introduction of insurance schemes has not reduced out-of-pocket payments or provided protection against catastrophic health expenditure," wrote the undersigned list of CSOs in a letter dated Feb. 29 and addressed to both the IAEG and the U.N. Statistics Division, which will be making the final decision on the indicators end of this month.

A change in measurement

CSOs say they are uncertain why the UHC indicator was revised. Health advocates told Devex that some member states had raised concerns about the difficulty of collecting data for the original indicator. Others may not have been eager to release such data, the advocates speculate.

"I think it's a fear of measurement burden, which is already happening no matter what, because we agreed to 169 targets, so they should have seen this coming," said one health advocate involved in lobbying the IAEG, speaking under condition of anonymity.

Others advocates said the change could have been made out of confusion over the indicators. The UHC indicators were meant to have two components: access to health services and financial protection.

In a word document following an open consultation in December on the "gray" indicators, or those that needed further discussion, Devex found that opinions were split between those countries and organizations supporting the original indicator and those objecting to it.

The Central Statistical Office of Poland, for example, argued that it would be difficult to collect the data needed to calculate the indicator, and that current country measures in place only cover this financial protection risks in a "very small extent." Hungary's Central Statistical Office, meanwhile, suggested changing the indicator to monitoring the "rate of entitled persons to requisition of health services."

In an attempt to resolve the impasse, WHO and the World Bank proposed in their letter to revise the measure to "household health expenditure as a percentage of total household income [or expenditure or consumption]."

So far, however, there is little indication the measure will change. On Tuesday, at the start of the annual meetings of the U.N. Statistical Commission in New York, 40 speakers took the floor to have their say on the indicators. No one opposed the full IAEG proposal, although some made comments on aspects they did not agree with, including on the topic of UHC, according to Luisa Hanna, senior health policy and research adviser at Save the Children.

"We really need to ramp up [our advocacy] efforts on this ahead of the IAEG meeting in Mexico," she told Devex.

Deceptive data

Advocates of the original indicator argue that having health insurance doesn't always guarantee access to affordable care.

Health insurance can at times widen inequalities, the organizations argue. In some low- and middle-income countries, for example, governments can afford to cover only a limited proportion of the population. Others have tiered health schemes, with those subsidized by government offering only limited benefits.

Ghana is one example of a country that has struggled to scale up its health coverage, said Anna Marriott, public services policy adviser for Oxfam Great Britain. In 2003, the government promised to deliver UHC through its National Health Insurance Scheme. But a decade following its launch, the scheme covered just 36 percent of the population, with a majority still paying some amount of out-of-pocket expenses, according to Oxfam's 2013 briefing paper on UHC. That number, Marriott said, still stands today.

"Large numbers of Ghanaians cannot afford the NHIS premiums, which range from $3 to $22 per year," Marriot said. "So while every citizen pays for the NHIS through a 2.5 percent levy on VAT, the majority of families on low incomes are not enrolled in the NHIS and therefore do not benefit."

In India, a National Health Insurance Scheme for people under the poverty line offers $447 for a family of five. The government recently promised to increase this amount to $1,490, said Pallavi Gupta, Oxfam health program coordinator in India. However, the coverage is only available for in-patient services, covering just hospitalization costs and not medicines, for example.

In addition to masking inequalities in coverage, proponents of the original indicator says that the new measure is simply inaccurate.

Simon Wright, head of child survival at Save the Children, said most countries have legal or constitutional guarantees of health coverage under the guise of a "public health system," which would allow them to report that their coverage for this is 100 percent, when the reality on the ground may be different.

Data in context

The debate on indicators is nothing new, but it is particularly pointed given past experience with the Millennium Development Goals, which at times faced criticism for focusing on quantity over quality. For example, universal primary education measured enrollment rates and the proportion of pupils who finish primary education. Another indicator measured literacy rates of youth aged 15-24 but it was less clear how these data were collected.

Advocates, like Wright, are hopeful UHC will not fall in the same category. But CSOs have raised concerns throughout the indicator process about the lack of access to decision-makers, the lack of transparency, and the general feeling that the process was too rushed.

Indeed, the UHC indicator on financial protection is just one of the many under scrutiny.

Some advocacy groups are pushing for the inclusion of an indicator on health worker density. Others meanwhile want more specifics with regards to UHC, for example including surgical and anesthetic care.

The World Federation of Societies and Anaesthesiologists noted that 33 million people face catastrophic health expenditure in paying for surgery and anesthesia, according to the Lancet Commission on Global Surgery report published in 2015. The WHO and World Bank define catastrophic out-of-pocket health expenditure as direct payments made to health care providers that are equal to or exceed 25 percent of a household's total consumption expenditure.

The debate on the indicators is just the start: soon, countries will have to adopt the SDGs into their national plans, with all 169 indicators.

(Jenny Lei Ravelo is a Devex senior reporter based in Manila).
Overcome teachers shortfall at govt. secondary schools

NEWS reports in a national daily on Sunday has produced a dismal situation in most government secondary schools of the country where lack of enough teachers and classrooms facilities is deterring teaching. Everyone knows that education is the backbone of a nation and primary and secondary schools are highly sensitive part of the system to engage and inspire students towards inclusive learning. But according to a disclosure by Department of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education, over 20 percent of government run secondary schools are suffering from shortage of teachers as their sanctioned posts are lying vacant. Similarly, 29 percent or 6,594 secondary schools out of over 18,598 are not having the required number of classrooms.The Secretary of the Ministry of Education has been reported as agreeing to this huge gap in terms of teachers and school infrastructure facilities. The report quoted him as saying that the government has taken steps to recruit teachers, but as always the high politicization is feared to be impacting recruitment of meritorious candidates. Thus it will not remove the quality shortfall if it continues to dominate the selection. The initiative to remove the classrooms shortage as the Secretary said may also face setback if the budgeted money ends up to corrupt persons in their misuse of funds. Reports said most schools are not having washroom facilities forcing students to open air service. It can't be expected to produce a generation of civilized citizens. Statistics showed most schools are running without enough teachers in English and Bengali. Teachers for Social Science, Geology, Geography, Accounting and such other disciplines are also not available in enough number forcing students to appear in examinations with poor preparation. It is an open secret that the government is failing to run the schools the way they need to be run. The Ministry of Education and particularly the Directorate of Education have proved to be utterly incompetent, except talking tall of huge success while misusing government funds in multiple corruptions. There are even many schools, particularly primary schools, which were damaged during election in January 2014 and they are yet to be repaired. Shortage of money to build new classrooms or buildings can't be an excuse. What is visible is the lack of proper attention of persons responsible for it. Here indifference and inefficiency of officials can only explain in most part the poor conditions of the schools without enough teachers and other facilities. There is no doubt lack of skilled and qualified teachers is causing setback to teaching and this can be overcome with more teachers' training programmes. Special financial incentives may also be announced to those studying at Degree and Masters level who would sign up to become teachers in specific subjects that are on high demand but the supply is lacking. We can't allow the situation to continue.
Nur Hossain seeks quashing of cases

Staff Reporter :

Nur Hossain, the prime accused in the Narayanganj seven-murder cases, has filed two petitions with the High Court seeking the quashing of two cases filed in connection with the murders.

Lutfur Rahman Akanda, a counsel for Nur Hossain, on behalf of his client submitted the petitions with the HC on Sunday. The petitions will be moved to the HC bench comprising Justice Farid Ahmed and Justice AKM Zahirul Hoque next week, said the lawyer.

Lutfur Rahman Akanda told media that they filed the petitions seeking High Court's order to scratch two murder cases filed against Nur Hossain, as 'he was not involved with the murders'!

"The former officials of Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) did not mention the name of Nur Hossain in their confessional statements nor did the witnesses said that Nur Hossain was present in person at the time of the murders," he said.

He also said the murder case filed by Chandan Sarkar's son-in-law did not even accuse Nur Hossain. So, inclusion of Nur Hossain's name in the charge sheet is a 'violation of law', he said.

On April 27 in 2014, Narayanganj panel Mayor Nazrul Islam, his three associates and driver were abducted from Fatullah, Narayanganj. At the same time, senior lawyer Chandan Kumar Sarker and his driver were also abducted.

Three days after their abduction, the bodies of six people, including those of Nazrul and Chandan Kumar, were found floating in the Shitalakkhya River on April 30. The following day, the body of Jahangir, car driver of Nazrul Islam, was also recovered from the river.

Nur Hossain and his accomplices went into hiding following the gruesome murders. Shahidul Islam alias Shahid Chairman, father-in-law of slain Nazrul Islam, alleged that some officials of RAB killed Nazrul Islam in exchange of Tk 6 crore from NCC Councillor Nur Hossain.

Days after the occurrence of the murders, Nur Hossain and two other accused-- Khan Sumon and Wahiduzzaman -- were arrested by the West Bengal police of India in Calcutta on June 14 in 2014.

Nur Hossain was brought back home from India on November 12 in 2015. He was shown arrested in 11 cases, including the two cases filed in connection with the seven-murder.
Man shot dead in city: Tk 2.9 lakh looted

Staff Reporter :

A man succumbed to his injuries in a city hospital after muggers shot him in broad daylight and made off with Tk 290,000 in the capital's Rampura area on Sunday afternoon.

The deceased was identified as Ismail Hossain, 36, son of late Mustafa. He was the manager of a shop owned by his cousin on DIT Road, said Ramna Police Station Sub-Inspector Jewel Mia.

The police official said, "A group of muggers numbering four to five shot Ismail at Natun Road area in Hajipara of Rampura around 2:45pm and took away the money from his possession, leaving him injured critically.

Ismail was on way to the local branch of Dutch Bangla Bank Limited to deposit the money, he said.

Ismail's cousin 'Mintu' said that his brother had withdrawn the money from a bank and was on way to deposit it at another bank when he was attacked by several muggers.

The muggers fled with the money, Mintu said.

Pedestrians had rushed Ismail to a local clinic at first. He was then shifted to Dhaka Medical College and Hospital where doctors declared him dead, the hospital's police outpost SI Md Julhas Hossain said.

He said, that they were yet to find the perpetrators, but the investigation was on.

The body was handed over to the family members of the victim, the SI said.
HC rejects writ over tenants info collection

Staff Reporter :The High Court (HC) has rejected a writ petition filed challenging legality of the police's move to collect information from the tenants and the house owners. A HC bench comprising Justice Moyeenul Islam Chowdhury and Justice Iqbal Kabir passed the order on Sunday morning saying that the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) can take any step under the DMP Rules, 2006 to prevent any terrorist activity in the city.On March 3, Supreme Court lawyer Jyotirmoy Barua filed the petition with the HC, two days after he sent a legal notice requesting the government to refrain from seeking the information.Lawyer Jotirmoy Barua told the media that he would move an appeal in the Supreme Court against the HC order.According to the Constitution, a citizen has every right to maintain secrecy of his/her personal life.On the other hand, according to section 42 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, every citizen must help the police in investigation work. Under this section, police can seek information from anyone and citizens must cooperate. If necessary, the police can also take action under this section if a citizen deliberately refuses to cooperate.DMP sources said that the tenants' information would be collected and maintained by the city's respective police stations and shared through a central DMP database. The information would be stored categorised under respective neighbourhoods.The initiative to create a tenant database was taken by the DMP Headquarters in the past, but the process did not succeed at that time due to several reasons. The move had been taken afresh recently after the law enforcers raided two houses in Badda and Mohammadpur areas and found huge explosives in the flats used as militant dens.The DMP on February 29 announced that it had been collecting "identification information" about landlords and tenants since November last year and asked all to provide the information by March 15.
No change over BD visa issue, says Thai envoy

NB, Dhaka :The Thai Embassy here on Sunday reaffirmed its position on visa issue saying there is no change in the Thai visa policy as far as Bangladesh is concerned."The fact has been duly conveyed to Bangladeshi authorities concerned," said Charge d' Affaires at the Thai Embassy Phasit Chudabuddhi. He made the remarks while addressing a press conference at the Jatiya Press Club arranged to brief the media about Thailand Week 2016 to be held in the city on March 16-19.The diplomat claimed that there are no 20,000-30,000 passports accumulating at the Royal Thai Embassy. "The figure is based purely on speculations by sources from travel agencies. "He said, applicants can withdraw their passports anytime through Thai Visa Application Centre during the visa process. The CDA said the visa process is case specific-each case is different-and, therefore, any delay depends on applicants' background, document submitted and other relevant factors under consideration. "Generalisation cannot be made."He mentioned that the Royal Thai Embassy issued 3876 visas for medical tourists. "It doesn't exceed 110,000 medical tourist visas as suggested by some media ports." The diplomat said Thailand always attaches importance to the promotion of people-to-people contact.The Thai Embassy gave similar statement earlier to a select group of media people. Executive Director and Consul (Commercial) Suwimol Tilokruangchai was also present at the press conference.Earlier on February 23, Bangladesh called for a 'special processing support' from the Immigration Bureau of Thailand for Bangladeshi businessmen and professionals as Bangladesh has some specific concerns over visa issue.Bangladesh Ambassador to Thailand Saida Muna Tasneem made the call during a meeting with Maj Gen Supapone Arunsit, Commander of Immigration Bureau of Thailand, in Bangkok. The Bangladesh envoy has also pointed out some specific concerns on the issue of 'fake' Thai visa provided to Bangladeshi businessmen and investors in Thailand by some 'unscrupulous' Immigration Law Firms."Given the excellent conduct of Bangladeshi businessmen, investors and professionals in Thailand and their contributions to Thai economy, Thai Immigration Bureau may consider providing them with special support for running their businesses smoothly," Tasneem said.Explaining the special processing support, the diplomat said it includes visa extension, work permit, investment visa and employee visa of all Bangladeshis living in Thailand.
`Let there be no fall guy but truth`

Filipino lawyers battle over probe into stolen BB fund

Staff Reporter :While authorities piece together clues on the $81 million dirty money that slipped through the Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. (RCBC) Jupiter branch in Makati from an account of Bangladesh central bank, the legal counsels for the bank's chief executive officer (CEO) and the branch manager traded barbs on the integrity of the bank's internal investigation, according to a report published by Daily Inquirer.net. on Sunday. Ferdinand Topacio, legal counsel for Maia Santos-Deguito, the RCBC Jupiter branch manager who was the gatekeeper of the suspicious bank accounts involved in the cross-border money laundering scheme, questioned RCBC's ability to come up with a fair investigation if RCBC president Lorenzo Tan remained active on day-to-day operations. Francis Lim, the legal counsel for RCBC president, said on Sunday that the bank was handling this issue "professionally and employing best practices." Lim also underscored an apparent change in stance by Deguito, who said in a radio interview on Friday that she was "not accusing" Tan but had only "assumed" that he knew about the transactions - contradicting earlier allegations that the bank CEO himself had given instructions to accommodate the transactions. "Our client, Ms. Maia Santos-Deguito views with alarm and suspicion the failure of RCBC to impose appropriate measures against RCBC president Lorenzo Tan pending the investigation of the alleged $81 million money laundering incident," Topacio said in a press statement.Topacio said if RCBC were serious in uncovering the truth regarding the alleged money laundering - and not preparing for a widespread cover-up and setting up Deguito as the "fall guy" - the bank should immediately suspend Tan and reassign the investigation to another bank officer with no links to Tan's lawyers."On Friday, Lim said the RCBC president had offered to go on leave to give the bank a "free hand" in investigating the alleged money laundering issue involving its Jupiter branch in Makati and its branch manager. "The bank's board thanked him for his gentlemanly and decent gesture but said their trust in him is intact and unshaken," Lim said. "In light of the recent pronouncements of Mr. William Go in media and the apparently orchestrated media blitzmanagement which is conditioning the mind of the public against Ms. Santos-Deguito, it is most unfair for Mr. Tan to continue serving as bank president, where he is in a position to delete and/or tamper with bank records, emails and other documents and forms of communication, as well as influence and intimidate possible witnesses, considering that he is under a cloud of suspicion. It is also strange that RCBC has vouched for Mr. Tan's supposed 'integrity' even while the internal investigation is still pending," Topacio said.Go is the businessman who accused Deguito of faking his signatures to open the US dollar deposit account with RCBC that was used to consolidate proceeds from four other bank accounts to which the $81 million money stolen by hackers from the US account of Bank of Bangladesh was wired by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. He was among the six individuals that the Anti-Money Laundering Council has identified as among the potential conspirators to the $81-million money laundering scheme. His accounts as well as those of his company Centurytex Trading were ordered frozen by the Court of Appeals on March 1. Through a lawyer, he has vehemently denied involvement and instead pointed to Deguito as the culprit. "We also view with great suspicion the fact that Mr. Tan is represented in the investigation by the ACCRA (Angara Abello Concepcion Regala & Cruz Law Offices Law Office) when the one conducting the investigation on behalf of RCBC, Atty. Macel Fernandez, used to be connected with ACCRA," Topacio said.Topacio was referring to Lim and former ACCRA lawyer Maria Cecilia Fernandez-Estavillo, now head of legal and regulatory affairs at RCBC. "His allegations regarding Accra and Atty. Macel Fernandez are way off," Lim said in a rejoinder.Lim said the board committee investigating the matter was composed of members representing the major stockholders, adding that Fernandez was not part of it. The committee is being assisted by SGV auditors and external lawyers from another law firm, the Poblador Bautista Reyes - not ACCRA, Lim said. "So instead of asking RCBC to sanction Mr. Tan, Atty Topacio should instead assist his client to explain the accusation of Mr. William Go that she opened an account in her branch without his knowledge, used this account for deposit and withdrawal without his knowledge, and identify who forged Mr. Go's signature to withdraw money," Lim said. "He should also busy himself explaining why she attempted to fly to Japan last Friday which has been perceived as flight and therefore an implied admission of guilt," Lim said.
Cops, bank officials, foreigners under watch

Joynal Abedin Khan :

Several teams of intelligence agencies have launched the investigation into the hacking of Bangladesh Bank (BB) reserve from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.

They have been keeping eyes on some police personnel and bank officials and the foreigners as well.

Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) also told the media that at least seven cop members might have link with the incident. Some BB officials are also under watch.

However, the identities of the suspected persons have not been disclosed for the sake of proper investigation, he DMP officials said.

Meanwhile, DMP Additional Commissioner and Chief of Counter-Terrorism and Transnational Crime (CTTC) unit Monirul Islam said, "We have received some information against at least seven police personnel in connection with the BB scam."

DMP has already launched an investigation into the allegations of cops involvement in the Bangladesh Bank's hacking incident, the DMP spokesman told the reporters in a press briefing at DMP Media Center on Sunday.

He said that two arrested persons have confessed of their link in a Dhaka court few days ago.

"Legal actions will be taken against the guilty police personnel, if any. If any one of them involved fled the country, they will be brought back with the help of Interpol," the police official said.

The intelligence team will justify the confessional statement of concerned policemen given to the court after receiving the documents and necessary papers, the detective official said.

In replying to a query regarding the names of some cop members, the DMP Additional Commissioner said, "Some police members are under our surveillance. They have not been transferred nor sacked from the service. ."

Monirul Islam also claimed that some officials of the Bangladesh Bank and other institutions might have connection with the scam.

Police will interrogate who are really guilty, he said.

On the other hand, the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) has also started a 'shadow investigation' into the cyber heist in which Bangladesh central bank lost over $80 million, even though no case has been registered as yet.

Director of the RAB Media Wing Mufti Mahmud Khan said that they had started suo moto inquiry into the matter immediately after learning about the heist.

"Some of our experts went to the Bangladesh Bank for information. They are looking into it," he said.

While there is no separate wing for probing economic offences, detective and cyber crimes prevention wings are jointly working on this matter, according to the RAB source.

In addition to stealing credentials for processing transfers, the hackers might have spied on Bangladesh Bank staff to get a deeper understanding of the central bank's operations, according to experts in banking fraud.

Inquiry officials reported that fund were transferred into bank accounts in the Philippines and Sri Lanka using Bangladesh Bank's SWIFT code.

The Bangladesh Bank also admitted that $81 million had been transferred from the Bangladesh Bank account maintained with the Federal Reserve Bank of New York to the Philippines and another $20 billion in Sri Lanka.


Inefficiency exposed

Muhith wants action against BB

Staff Reporter :

Finance Minister AMA Muhith has said that action will be taken against Bangladesh Bank (BB) for not informing the government formally about the bank's $101 million cyber heist.

"BB has showed audacity by not informing the scandal to the government in time. Even, it took too much time to inform the ministry about the fund hacking," Muhith told this to the reporters at his ministry office on Sunday afternoon.

"I will talk with the Prime Minister in a day or two in this regard and action will be taken," he said.

Muhith also said that the way Bangladesh Bank is handling the matter has exposed the inefficiency of the bank.

Earlier in the day, Finance Ministry officials sat in a closed-door meeting with BB officials to discuss the issue.

After the meeting, Bank and Financial Institutions Division Secretary M Aslam Alam told reporters that he was also unaware of the cyber heist.

"We had two meetings, but the officials never came up with this information," he said.

Expressing disappointment at the activities of the BB, M Aslam Alam said, the bank authorities had failed to handle the issue professionally which raised question about their efficiency in running the central bank.

Commenting on the cyberheist, he said, the central bank's lacking in IT security led to the hacking incident.

"We will hold an emergency meeting with the central bank's board members on Tuesday regarding this issue," he added.

Around $101 million was taken away by hackers from a BB account maintained with Federal Reserve Bank in New York.

The Secretary also said that Philippines has refunded a total of $68,000 to the Bangladesh Bank (BB) from the $81 million which was transferred to the country after hacking the BB's reserve account held in US Federal Reserve.

About $68,000 has been refunded form Philippines while Sri Lanka has refunded to the BB's account in US Federal Reserve the total $19.99 million which was transferred to the country.

"Bangladesh Bank took too much time to inform the ministry about the fund hacking. It also did not inform the matter to the board meeting and the audit committee. But it should clear the matter," he added.

When asked, BB Deputy Governor Abu Hena Mohammad Razee Hassan said that details in this regard will be informed soon.
BB Governor to face music!

Staff Reporter :The central bank governor Dr Atiur Rahman is likely to face music as he faces serious credibility crisis following the $101 million cyber heist from an account of Bangladesh Bank (BB) maintained with the US Federal Reserve Bank in New York.The governor, who is currently in India on an official visit, may be asked to resign on arrival to home, according to sources in the Finance Ministry. He is reportedly foreign tour crazy and took at least 14 foreign trips during last 14 months when discipline in the central bank almost collapsed.They said the Ministry has already initiated proceedings in this regard."The Finance Minister will sit in a meeting with the Prime Minister in a day or two. He will seek removal of BB governor at the meeting," a Senior Finance Ministry official told The New Nation on Sunday, who preferred not to be named. Earlier, on the day, Finance Minister AMA Muhith expressed angry reaction when the journalists questioned about the role of the central bank over the cyberheist."The central bank has showed audacity by not informing this to the government and the Ministry will take action against BB for their role, said Muhith. He added: "I will talk with the Prime Minister within one or two days in this regard. And next course of action would be taken in the light of the discussion with the Prime Minister." The Finnace Ministry official said that the cyber scam tarnished reputation of the central bank at home and abroad. The debacle has also shaken public trust in the institution.The incident raised question about the governance system and oversight of the central bank led by the governor."It is a big scam and the governor should shoulder the responsibility," he added.Dr. Atiur Rahman, an economist by profession, took charge of BB, the Central Bank of Bangladesh, for a four-year tenure on May 1, 2009 His tenure has been extended for another three years and three months upto August 2, 2016 by which time he will be 65.Prior to his assumption of the office of the Governor, he was a Professor of Economics in the Department of Development Studies (2006-2009), University of Dhaka, and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Shamunnay, a development research organisation in Bangladesh.
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Republic of Marshall Islands Martinique Mauritania, Islamic Republic of Mauritius Mayotte Micronesia, Federated States of Moldova, Republic of Monaco, Principality of Mongolia, Mongolian People's Republic Montserrat Morocco, Kingdom of Mozambique, People's Republic of Myanmar Namibia Nauru, Republic of Nepal, Kingdom of Netherlands Antilles Netherlands, Kingdom of the New Caledonia New Zealand Nicaragua, Republic of Niger, Republic of the Nigeria, Federal Republic of Niue, Republic of Norfolk Island Northern Mariana Islands Norway, Kingdom of Oman, Sultanate of Pakistan, Islamic Republic of Palau Palestinian Territory, Occupied Panama, Republic of Papua New Guinea Paraguay, Republic of Peru, Republic of Philippines, Republic of the Pitcairn Island Poland, Polish People's Republic Portugal, Portuguese Republic Puerto Rico Qatar, State of Reunion Romania, Socialist Republic of Russian Federation Rwanda, Rwandese Republic Samoa, Independent State of San Marino, Republic of Sao Tome and Principe, Democratic Republic of Saudi Arabia, Kingdom of Senegal, Republic of Serbia and Montenegro Seychelles, Republic of Sierra Leone, Republic of Singapore, Republic of Slovakia (Slovak Republic) Slovenia Solomon Islands Somalia, Somali Republic South Africa, Republic of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands Spain, Spanish State Sri Lanka, Democratic Socialist Republic of St. Helena St. Kitts and Nevis St. Lucia St. Pierre and Miquelon St. Vincent and the Grenadines Sudan, Democratic Republic of the Suriname, Republic of Svalbard & Jan Mayen Islands Swaziland, Kingdom of Sweden, Kingdom of Switzerland, Swiss Confederation Syrian Arab Republic Taiwan, Province of China Tajikistan Tanzania, United Republic of Thailand, Kingdom of Timor-Leste, Democratic Republic of Togo, Togolese Republic Tokelau (Tokelau Islands) Tonga, Kingdom of Trinidad and Tobago, Republic of Tunisia, Republic of Turkey, Republic of Turkmenistan Turks and Caicos Islands Tuvalu Uganda, Republic of Ukraine United Arab Emirates United Kingdom of Great Britain & N. Ireland Uruguay, Eastern Republic of Uzbekistan Vanuatu Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of Viet Nam, Socialist Republic of Wallis and Futuna Islands Western Sahara Yemen Zambia, Republic of Zimbabwe
The Elites Want Genocide This is the way the world ends This is the way the world ends This is the way the world ends Not with a bang but a ...
"A little fill here and there may seem to be nothing to become excited about. But one fill, though comparatively inconsequential, may lead to another, and another, and before long a great body may be eaten away until it may no longer exist.

Our navigable waters are a precious natural heritage, once gone, they disappear forever," wrote the Wisconsin Supreme Court in its 1960 opinion resolving Hixon v. PSC and buttressing The Public Trust Doctrine, Article IX of the Wisconsin State Constitution.
Parece que todos los dias la tecnologia se hace cargo de otro trabajo, y estas ocupaciones obsoletas no son una excepcion. Y es que los tiempos cambian, y debido a
The S.P.D. Murder of John T. Williams

On a sunny, warm Seattle August day in 2010, Native American wood carver John T. Williams was murdered by the Seattle Police Department as he walked down the crowded downtown streets while on his normal daily routine of carving small totem poles with a small pen knife, then selling them to the tourists that flock by the Seattle Public Market.

Seattle Police Officer Ian Birk noticed Mr. Williams walking down the city streets and deemed him a threat, do in major part I believe - simply because he was Native American. Williams was one of many homeless Native Americans who roam downtown Seattle. These people are usually dismissed and overlooked by Seattles daily bustle of businessmen, the working class, and tourists.



When the officer approached Williams from behind, and then ordered him to freeze and drop his small carving knife and a stick of carving wood he was carrying, Williams was hard of hearing in one ear, and failed to hear the police officer over the traffic and pedestrians, thus did not immediately comply; officer Birk then instantly felt that this gave him the right to use lethal force against John T. Williams.

No threat was ever given by the homeless woodcarver. Officer Ian Birk coldly gunned down John T. Williams from behind, murdering him in the streets of Seattle, Wash, right in front of many horrified citizens who later professed that they felt no threat from the homeless Native American man whatsoever.



The officer was fired  thats it, and was allowed to live his life somewhere else, work a steady job, live in a nice house, somewhere out of media sight, and out of the publics mind; smug in the fact that he got away with legal murder with just a slap on the wrist. We must all remember that this type of legal homicide happens every day all over this nation of ours, by those sworn to Serve and Protect us. And that this violent tragedy can happen to anyone, or anybodys family members, especially if they are citizens of color. This makes it everybodys problem who believes in justice, personal safety from unwarranted persecution, and true American freedom in the society they live in. Let us still remember John T Williams, and never forget the fact that he was ruthlessly murdered by the S.P.D.






















































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.
The Diabetes Today Resource Team of Perry County is partnering with Pinckneyville Community Hospital to provide a Diabetes Self-Management program in Perry County.

The six-week program will run from 1 to 3:30 p.m. at Pinckneyville Community Hospital, beginning March 31. People who should attend include those with Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes, prediabetes or anyone who is a caregiver for someone with diabetes.

Sessions will include dealing with the symptoms, barriers, and challenges. Participants will learn appropriate exercise for improving and maintaining strength and endurance, along with how to eat healthy as well as appropriate use of medication.

Class size is limited. Interested individuals are asked to call Janet Morrison at 618-357-5958 to reserve your spot.
Shawnee Parkway is a proposed highway to improve travel east-west from Illinois 3 and 146 to Interstate 57, connecting Cape Girardeau to I-57, but some fear the roadway could have a negative impact on the region.

Proponents of adding a route say it would improve local access and roadways, including access for business and tourism, improve safety and provide efficient movement of goods through the region. Opponents are concerned about impact to sensitive environmental areas, preservation of wildlife habitat, project costs and the economic impact to communities bypassed by a new roadway.

What is the Shawnee Parkway?

Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) are initiating a preliminary engineering and environmental study, also called Phase 1 Engineering, to analyze improving east-west travel between Illinois 3 and 146 and Interstate 57 in Alexander, Pulaski and Union counties. This study is called the Shawnee Parkway and will take a detailed look at transportation within the study area to address lack of east-west roads, reduce travel times, improve traffic safety and provide economic opportunities.

Illinois 146 is currently the only east-west road within the 350-square mile study area. The other east-west roads are county roads and were not constructed to move people, goods or services at higher speeds.

Shawnee Parkway Study will analyze a range of roadway alternatives to address the needs of the study area. Stakeholders will be provided several opportunities to provide input. Several alternatives will be presented to be carried forward and developed to screen additional environmental design issues. The objective is to achieve consensus on a single alternative. At this time, no routes or alternative routes have been developed.

Phase 1 will culminate with an environmental impact statement that will document potential effects to natural, community and cultural resources.

At this point in time, the Project study group, consisting of IDOT, FHWA and engineers have met, and there has been one joint meeting with a community advisory group that includes representatives from environmental groups, economic development agencies, agriculture professionals, industry, towns and cities, small businesses, schools and health care agencies, tourism officials and two commuters who drive from Missouri through the study group.

The idea of a road to connect Paducah to Cape Girardeau has been kicked around since the early 1980s. A number of routes have been part of the discussion.

Rhonda Rothrock is a member of the Community Advisory Group representing Citizens of Southernmost Illinois, a group that formed to oppose the I-66 project. Rothrock and others are concerned about the welfare of Southern Illinois.

This is an economic nightmare, and people need to think more about that and see how development would benefit their communities. Cape will benefit at the cost of others in Southern Illinois, Rothrock said.

Rothrock lived in the St. Louis Metro East area when Interstate 64 was built. She witnessed the detrimental effect of the interstate on small towns.

David Shaffer, who represents Friends of the Cache River Watershed, agrees.

If you look at Cairo, Dongola and other towns, they lost all their businesses and dried up after I-57 went through, Shaffer said.

Shaffer also questions the funding of the project, saying environmentalists against I-66 got it officially terminated, but the project had a $3.5 million planning budget funded by Delta Region Transportation Development Program.

According to an e-mail from IDOT, the Delta Region funds from the original 2011 study for Interstate 66 corridor was $3.6 million, with a 20 percent match from IDOT for a total $4.5 million. IDOT requested a modification of the original applications to focus on the current study area, so unused Delta Region funds could be utilized on the Shawnee Parkway Study. The request was approved and resulted in $1,470,000 available for the Shawnee Parkway study. Of the original $3.7 million obligated to I-66, $1.6 million remains. Efforts are under way to de-obligate those funds and also use them to fund Shawnee Parkway.

Rothrock believes the money IDOT and the state of Illinois has should be used to repair and improve existing roadways. The money from those local projects would go back into the local economy.

Shaffer believes the most likely route will be from just south of McClure connecting with I-57 near Ullin, running through mostly private land within Shawnee National Forest. He says the project could be connected with another project to link I-57 and I-24 at Metropolis.

Tabatha Smith of Southern Illinois Delta Empowerment Zone and member of the Community Advisory Group says it is too early to talk about proposed routes -- there are no proposed routes at this time.

A new route is a new means of transportation. It could be waterways, railways or roadways, Smith said. The study is just to see if there is a need and to see what way would best meet that need.

At this point, the groups have had one meeting. Another meeting is tentatively planned for spring.

At this point, they are voicing their opinions on something that may not happen, Smith said. There has been no decision as to whether there is a need for a new route.
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Georgia announces visa waiver for Iranians

13 March 2016 [11:00] -

Georgian Deputy Foreign Minister announced that the visa barrier between Iran and Georgia has been removed, Irna reported.

'The Georgian government in the first step annulled visa regime for Iranian nationals,' David Jalagania said in a meeting with his Iranian counterpart Ebrahim Rahimpour in Tehran on Saturday.



Iranians would be able to stay for forty-five days in Georgia consequently.



Resuming visa waiver agreement between Iran and Georgia which was cancelled by Georgia in 2013 will develop economic relations, social relations and tourism.



/By Trend/



Views: 3651
Turkish Economy Minister Mustafa Elitas has said the Middle Corridor, a proposed transportation network extending from the Caspian Sea through Turkey and Azerbaijan to Central Asia and China, will boost economic recovery in the region, Anadolu agency reported.

Addressing the 9th Joint Economic Commission between Turkey and Kazakhstan in the capital Ankara Saturday, Elitas said an increase in trade agreements through the commission would boost economic activity following a decline in trade after ties between Turkey and Russia became tense late November last year, which affected the economy along the Caspian Sea.

In late Nov. 2015, Turkish fighter jets downed a Russian warplane that had violated Turkish airspace.

According to the minister, a 5.1 percent growth over the past six years took place despite the financial crisis.

He said the Middle Corridor would become a great opportunity for economic recovery in the region with a boost in transportation and agriculture trade as well as many other sectors.

He also saw it as an opportunity to strengthen ties and deepen relations through increased logistics and trade activity in the Turkic world.

The Middle Corridor will also become a pathway for Kazakhstan into Europe through Turkey, he added.

However, whilst the port of Aktau in Kazakhstan is not ready for large scale activity, Turkish companies say they are ready to support Kazakhstan to increase the capacity of the port as part of increased trade agreements between the two countries.

Kazakhstan's President Nursultan Nazarbayev is expected to make an official visit to Ankara in April for the signing of the New Strategy Partnership Economic Program 2016-2020, which will finalize the deals discussed by the representatives at the joint commission.
Tokyo will give Tehran an equivalent of $10 million in grants to help it buy medical equipment from Japanese manufacturers, Japans main broadcaster NHK reported.

Under a deal, which was signed Saturday by Irans acting health chief Mohsen Asadi-Lari and Japans ambassador to Iran Hiroyasu Kobayashi, Tehran will purchase medical equipment from Japan through tenders and other channels, the broadcaster said.

Irans medical services reportedly deteriorated after years of seclusion caused by international sanctions. In return for its aid, Japan hopes to get a foothold in the lucrative Iranian market.

Iran returned to the international market last year following a July deal with six mediators  Russia, the United States, China, France, Britain and Germany. The agreement guaranteed the peaceful nature of Iran's nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief.
Leading real estate developers from across the globe will be heading to the UAE capital next month to showcase their prime residential, retail, hospitality, mixed-use and commercial units at the Cityscape Abu Dhabi.



The event is being hosted under the patronage of Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, from April 12 to 14 at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre.



The 10th edition of the show will offer real estate investors from around the world the opportunity to interact with developers featuring numerous new property launches as well as updates on existing developments in Abu Dhabi and beyond, directly on the show floor, said the organisers.



A major highlight at the Cityscape Abu Dhabi will be the opportunity for investors to buy into the vision for Al Maryah Island, a rapidly advancing 114-hectare premier business and lifestyle destination in Abu Dhabi, they added.



Ali Eid AlMheiri, the executive director of Mubadala Real Estate and Infrastructure, said work on the first phase of Al Maryah Island was going in full swing.



"A number of key assets are set for delivery in the coming months and years, including the opening of the Four Seasons Hotel and Residences Abu Dhabi in May 2016, expansion of the waterfront promenade by the third quarter of 2016, and the opening of Al Maryah Central retail development expected in 2018," stated AlMheiri.



"These will add to the vibrant mixed-use development and we are confident that this will attract further investors and developers to continue bringing Al Maryah Island to life," he added.



Meanwhile, Abu Dhabi-based Bloom Properties is expecting to receive a flock of visitors to learn more about its distinctive housing opportunities both in the emirate and Dubai.



Sameh Muhtadi, the chief executive of Bloom Holdings, said: "On the supply side, the new units coming on to the Abu Dhabi market have failed to keep pace with the existing demand because of the low availability of quality units."



"We seek to leverage this opportunity by developing a number of mixed-use projects in prime locations including Park View development on Saadiyat and on the Eastern Corniche in Abu Dhabi, and Stella Maris Tower in Dubai Marina," noted Muhtadi.



Investors looking for unique luxury investment opportunities beyond Abu Dhabi will have a chance to discover more about The Heart of Europe, the extraordinary island resort showcased by Kleindienst.



The Heart of Europe includes hotel suites, The Floating Seahorse, Germany Villas and Sweden Villas furnished by Bentley Home, explained Josef Kleindienst, the chairman of Kleindienst and The Heart of Europe.



The island is located 4 km off the coast of Dubai and the investment opportunities we offer guarantee eight per cent ROI (return on investment) for up to 10 years. During Cityscape, interested investors will be able to arrange a visit to the worlds first Floating Seahorse, he added.



According to the organisers, in addition to regional projects, buyers will be able to inquire about international developments, such as the Didube Tower properties showcased by United International Group.



The tower, located in the heart of the Georgian capital Tbilisi, will grant potential investors not only a capital asset, but also a Georgian residency permit with the approval from the Georgian government.



Ammar Hussain, the owner of Golden Season Property Management representing United International Group, said: "Cityscape has been widely regarded as the key barometer for the regions property sector, and since its a main platform gathering investors and developers we look forward to liaising with potential investors and develop our relationships with local buyers."



Visitors will also have a chance to explore a new mobile app, JustProperty, developed for iOS and Android users, which lists more than 90,000 properties for rent and sale.



Created by JustProperty.com, the official property portal partner for the event, the app features unique options including push notifications of new projects as well as previous searches and a contacts interactions history.



All exhibitors who wish to sell properties during the event have to complete a rigid approval process administered by Abu Dhabi Urban Planning Council (UPC), the organisers said.



The procedure requires submission of a property masterplan to UPCs Urban Development and Estidama department which audits and inspects each project before accrediting it for sale, they added.-TradeArabia News Service
The topic of How teachers in 2030 will look like was raised at the fourth Global Education and Skills Forum (GESF), held recently in Dubai.

The session moderated by Tony Jackson, vice president of Education Asia Society in the USA, witnessed heightened debate on the impact of technology on teachers and whether the two are mutually exclusive. The verdict was unanimous: technology can only serve as an enabler while teachers, with their face-to-face interaction and counsel will be as relevant as ever.

Highlighting the need for elaborate planning and teacher preparation, William Samoei Ruto, deputy President of Kenya, said that technology must be leveraged as part of building the capacity of teachers to ensure that they can deliver what gadgets and technology will never be able to offer.

As part of drawing on the value of technology, Kenya is currently bringing electricity to all schools in the country this year and one million students will have access to technology gadgets, said Ruto.

Anies Basweden, minister of education and culture of Indonesia, emphasised the role of technology in delivering better teaching experience. The biggest challenge today is that while teachers and students are 21st century, the classrooms are 19th century. There is an urgent need to improve the quality of education infrastructure, he added.

Basweden said that teachers must be provided an environment where they are encouraged to be continuous learners. With the rapid changes around us, and some of the current jobs set to be obsolete, it is important that teachers learn continuously to prepare our students for the future. What we need to build is a credible and creative educational ecosystem, not just focusing on technology, but with the goal of improving quality and professionalism, he remarked.

Teachers of 2030 should have the ability to instil strong social skills in the students, observed Beatrize Cardoso, executive director, Laboratorio De Educacao of Brazil, adding that the future is one of hybrid teaching models where there is always face-to-face learning supported by the tools of technology.

GESF is convened by the Varkey Foundation and held under the patronage of HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.

With partners including Unesco, Harvard Graduate School of Education and Dubai Cares, GESF features intense debates on reconciling the relevance, excellence and inclusiveness of both public and private learning environments. GESF 2016 will culminate on March 13 with the live announcement of the second annual award of the $1 million Global Teacher Prize.

The Varkey Foundation is a not-for-profit organisation established to improve the standards of education for underprivileged children throughout the world.  TradeArabia News Service
Dubai Investments, a leading Dubai-based investments conglomerate, took part in the recent UAE-UK Pioneers Forum in London, UK, for the second consecutive year.



The forum was held under the Sustainability theme, and was aimed at connecting Emirati students studying in the UK and European Union (EU) with prospective employers and leading companies from across the UAE, said a statement from the company.



An initiative by the UAE Embassy in London, the event also included panel discussions and presentations by the UAE industry leaders, which provided insights on career objectives and professional goals to Emirati students in the UK and EU, it added.



Dubai Investments engages Emirati nationals across different fields within the company and creates opportunities for them to develop their expertise in a number of strategic growth sectors  from manufacturing, real estate development to financial investments, it said.



Abdulaziz Bin Yagub Al Serkal, general manager of Dubai Investments, said: Dubai Investments participation in the forum is part of its commitment to support the UAE Embassys efforts in promoting the interaction between the UAE companies and Emirati students in the UK and EU.



The forum offered a great opportunity to highlight the business model and operations of our company to UAE national students, he added.  TradeArabia News Service
Having been named the official airline partner of Warner Bros. Pictures upcoming action adventure Batman v Superman, Turkish Airlines put on display the iconic Batmobile at its booth at ITB Berlin this weekend.



Ahmet Olmustur, Turkish Airlines chief marketing officer, said: "As being a leading airline flying to more countries and international destinations than any other airline in the world, we are very happy to become the official sponsor of one of the most anticipated movies of this year. I believe this partnership will not only add a further positive note to Turkish Airlines as a global brand but will also stoke excitement for the film at ITB Berlin. We are excited to have showcased the new Batmobile featured in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice at ITB Berlin, one of the worlds leading travel trade shows."



"In addition to seeing the newest model of the iconic vehicle, visitors to the Turkish Airlines booth at ITB Berlin will be able to view exclusive movie footage and receive movie-themed promotional items, such as a Time Out travel guide for Gotham City and Metropolis, which the airline has unveiled as its newest gateways."



Turkish Airlines will also be unveiling innovative movie-themed experiences that give fans an inside look into the world of the iconic super heroes. They will face off for the first time on the big screen when the film comes to theaters on March 25. - TradeArabia News Service
Dubai hospitals can save millions of dollars through sustainable facilities management (FM) solutions, said Markus Oberlin, CEO of UAE-based Farnek, at the Green Hospital Symposium in Dubai.



Essentially hospitals are buildings that have been designed to provide healthcare facilities and services. However, the buildings operate like any other, especially in terms of facilities management, albeit with specialist health and safety, cleaning and waste management, said Oberlin.



In general hospitals need to be cleaned according to four major risk bands, which would cover very high to low risk areas, for example - intensive care, general ward, rehabilitation and administration respectively.



Energy savings in hospitals can be made through the reduction in carbon emissions  in many cases electricity bills can be slashed by 15 per cent with the implementation and monitoring of A/C modules, therefore becoming more cost efficient.



Put that into cold hard cash  following a survey we conducted after the last Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (Dewa) tariff increase, a city hotel in Dubai of around 35,000-sq-m today, would have an annual electricity bill of well over Dh5.2 million ($1.4 million). Therefore, energy savings alone could be worth as much as Dh750,000 ($204,193) per annum, Oberlin noted.



Another vital area is medical waste. Hospitals, clinics and pharmacies in Dubai produce about six tonnes of medical waste every day, or 120 tonnes per month. Research by Johns Hopkins Medicine highlighted the multi-million dollar savings, hospitals can make by incorporating sustainable practices such as reducing waste.



The UAEs waste management initiatives have been grabbing the headlines in recent years. Dubai for example has set a target of zero landfill waste by 2030, which is challenging, especially when you consider that in 2013 Dubai sent 2.6 million tonnes of waste to landfill of which an estimated 15-25 per cent was medical-related waste such as glass and laboratory equipment.



Dubai Municipality is also contemplating increasing its landfill fees, currently it charges Dh10 ($2.7) per truckload of waste  by comparison Abu Dhabi already charges AED 225 ($61.2) per tonne, adding even more expense to inefficient waste management operations. Moreover, due to the HSE issues surrounding medical waste, hospitals can be fined as much as Dh200,000 ($54,451) for failing to handle and segregate their waste prior to collection.



By outsourcing waste management, hospitals in the UAE can let expert facility managers take on the responsibility for optimising waste segregation and promoting a reduce, reuse and recycle philosophy to ultimately cut down the overall amount of waste generated, as well as ensuring hazardous waste is treated responsibly.



Our operational audit team highlights the areas where improvements can be made to essentially reduce the volume of waste generated that would ordinarily go to landfill. We also offer advice on responsible disposing and how to segregate waste efficiently, maximising the amount of cash rebates available from the companies that pick-up and dispose of waste, added Oberlin.



As part of the companys BICSc (British Institute of Cleaning Science) certified cleaning services, waste management is included as an integral part of the programme, further enhancing Farneks sustainable proposition.



In recognition of its sustainability efforts, Farnek has been the proud recipient of the renowned Facilities Management Middle East Awards 'Green FM Company of the Year' in 2012, 2014 and once again in 2015. - TradeArabia News Service
The London Review of Books

The New York Times Magazine

-- The Daoud Affair - Adam Shatz,, Mar. 4, 2016"Valls has also been behind the increasingly punitive security measures in France, such as the extension of the emergency law  he told an interviewer on the BBC that it should remain in effect indefinitely, or until the Islamic State is completely liquidated  and the decheance de la nationalite, an amendment to the Constitution that would strip binational French citizens implicated in terrorism of their nationality. Not only does the decheance create two categories of citizenship  something not seen in France since Vichy  but it implies that the blame for French jihadism, which is very much homegrown, a product of the banlieues and provincial towns, can be shifted onto countries that France once ruled on the other side of the Mediterranean. Valls, it seems, would like to exonerate France of responsibility for its Muslims, while adopting the cause of North African critics of Islamism like Kamel Daoud, as if the Mediterranean separating France and Algeria were like the Seine running through Paris, in the words of an old colonial slogan."-- Stranger Still - Adam Shatz,, Apr. 1, 2015"He might have been describing the Islam that he knew as a child in Mesra, a village in northwestern Algeria. The Daouds, he said, were sure of their faith, so they didnt feel they had to defend it, unlike the Islamists today, who are incredibly fragile. The same was true of his familys attachment to the land: They were patriots who lived through the War of Independence but felt no need to deny the complexities of life under colonialism. In school, he learned a single story, a black-and-white tale of infallible mujahedeen battling evil French settlers. At home, though, his grandparents told him about the impoverished French they knew in Mesra; about the Catholic priest who fed the family in times of shortage; about French soldiers who deserted their posts, rather than torture and kill. Later he would learn that his fathers first great love was not his mother but a Frenchwoman with whom he was involved during the war."
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
Ola Raddaoui sees herself as a global citizen.

She was born in Saudi Arabia, speaks four languages and said she lived all around the world before coming to Wyoming to learn about international studies and women and gender studies.

Now a graduate student from the University of Wyoming, she visited the nations capitol earlier this week where she spoke with both of Wyomings U.S. senators, as well as a member of U.S. Rep. Cynthia Lummis staff about issues she sees affecting the globe, including her former home of Tunisia.

Its part of my passion to travel all around the world and discover all those places that Ive never visited, Raddaoui said.

She met with Wyomings congressional leaders as part of the ONE Campaign, a group aiming to fight worldwide poverty, according to a news release. The organization said Raddaoui was one of 200 participants from across the United States who traveled to D.C. for an advocacy training program that was capped off by a visit to leaders on Capitol Hill.

I think of myself as like part of the whole world, Raddaoui said. I take care of issues anywhere in the world, and Africa is one of them.

She said the meetings lasted for around a half hour and that both U.S. Senators Mike Enzi and John Barrasso were interested in hearing about her experiences and world view. The campus leader said she focused on talking about nutrition, the Global Fund to fight AIDS and the affordability of vaccinations during her audience with the Cowboy States congressional leaders.

Only 5 percent of the worlds children are vaccinated, she said. The rest are not vaccinated, and we need to take care of the future generation.

Raddaoui is back on the University of Wyomings campus now, and she expects to graduate this semester. This weeks trip was her first time visiting Washington, D.C., an experience she described as awesome.

We believe that we should help the world, like the whole world could survive, Raddaoui said. Its not only about one country, its about everybody in this world.
Wyoming Republicans bucked the national trend of supporting controversial presidential hopeful Donald Trump, when a majority of delegates across the state Saturday promised to back Ted Cruz.

Cruz, a U.S. senator from Texas, received nine of 12 delegates in county Republican Party conventions. Wyoming will send 29 delegates to Cleveland for the Republican National Convention in July. Fourteen additional delegates will be selected next month at the Wyoming State GOP Convention in Casper. Additionally, three members of state GOP leadership are automatic delegates. It will take 1,237 delegates for any Republican presidential candidate to receive a majority.

Wyoming, a state with ample blue-collar workers in the oil, gas and coal sectors experiencing a downturn and job losses, may have been ripe territory for Trump. But the New York business mogul, who never campaigned in the state, only received one delegate  in Teton County.

Longtime political observers said Wyomingites live-and-let-live attitude is the opposite of Trumps confrontational tone. Many Wyoming Republicans dont believe Trump is a sincere conservative.

And, perhaps most importantly, Republican leaders from across the country have been pushing in recent weeks to stop Trumps march to the GOP presidential nomination.

From what Ive seen of Wyoming Republicans over the years is that they will vote for whoever the state leadership tells them to vote for, said Phil Roberts, a history professor at the University of Wyoming.

Roberts also noted that Cruz, who spoke at a Wyoming GOP fundraiser in August, is from Texas, where many Wyoming energy workers have roots.

Republicans in Laramie, Campbell, Sweetwater, Sheridan, Hot Springs, Converse, Uinta, Fremont and Goshen counties selected delegates who are pledging to support Cruz at the Republican National Convention in July.

In Albany County, Republicans selected a delegate who will support Marco Rubio, a U.S. senator from Florida.

A delegate won in Crook County who promised to travel to Cleveland in July but did not commit to any candidate.

And the delegate from Teton County will support Trump.

Of the Republicans who remain in the race, Ohio Gov. John Kasich visited the state Legislature last January, although it was before he had jumped into the race.

Rubio has not visited Wyoming. On Friday and Saturday, U.S. Rep. Chris Stewart, R-Utah, spoke to Republicans on his behalf at events in Teton and Sweetwater counties, Rubios campaign said. And last month, U.S. Sen. Cory Gardner, R-Colorado, spoke to Republicans in Cheyenne.

Wyomings support of Cruz is strategic, said Bill Cubin, a Republican political strategist from Casper who supports Rubio. Cubin stopped by the Natrona County GOP Convention on Saturday, but he did not select a delegate.

The (presidential nomination) process in Wyoming is very closed, he said. Its reserved only for party insiders. Its more establishment. At least in Wyoming, establishment is looking to block Trump. And thats what it is, theres no doubt in my mind.

Most of the Republicans who voted in the county conventions Saturday had been selected in precinct caucuses around March 1, which are reserved for registered Republicans.

But Cruz is no establishment Republican, having helped create a 16-day government shutdown in 2013 by leading a 21-hour filibuster to oppose Obamacare.

Cubin said he was not surprised Cruz won.

The people of Wyoming are conservative and Ted Cruz has a conservative voting record, he said. His politics are conservative  be it on public lands issues, or taxes or foreign policy. Hes a conservative and at this point the only one who stands to win the nomination away from Trump.

Many Wyoming Republicans think Trump is more of an opportunist than a dedicated conservative, he said.

Theres a certain ugliness to the Trump campaign and Wyoming people reject that kind of ugliness, he said. We get testy with each other, but were not ugly.

Lander resident John Brown, who participated in the Fremont County GOP Convention  voting in the first round for Rubio and then Cruz  said Cruzs independence may appeal to Wyomingites.

I think the people of Wyoming are of too good of sense to fall for (Trumps) nonsense, he said.

Highlights from the counties:

In Sheridan County, 45 Republicans voted for Cruz and 30 voted for Rubio.

In Sweetwater County, 45 people supported Cruz, 28 supported Rubio and 16 supported Trump.

In Albany County, 39 people supported Rubio and 37 supported Cruz.

In Teton County, 21 Republicans supported Trump and 19 supported Rubio.

In Laramie County, 141 people voted for Cruz, 38 voted for Rubio and 37 supported a delegate who had not declared a candidate.

In Hot Springs County, 43 people supported a delegate who pledged for Cruz.

In Converse County, 38 people selected Cruz and 35 selected Rubio.

In Uinta County, 53 people supported Cruz.

In Campbell County, 42 people supported Cruz.

In Fremont County, 64 Republicans supported Cruz and 33 backed Trump.

In Goshen County, 83 Republicans voted for a delegate who will support Cruz.

In Crook County, an undeclared delegate received 31 votes. Cruz received 27.

Although all GOP parties in all 23 counties had conventions Saturday, only 12 selected delegates. Many county parties, such as Natronas, selected alternates.

Republicans in Natrona County selected an alternate who committed to Cruz. Other alternate delegates were not available by press time.
CHEYENNE  Federal prosecutors are urging an appeals court to uphold a prison sentence for a Wyoming man convicted of trying to commission the murder of his parents.

Lawyers for Andrew Silicani, 24, in December asked a federal appeals court in Denver to set aside the 35-year prison sentence he received last year and order a mental health review.

In the pending federal appeal, Silicanis lawyers argue that his sentence was too harsh. They contend U.S. District Judge Nancy Freudenthal of Cheyenne should have sent him for an evaluation given his long history of mental problems. They said federal sentencing guidelines called for a sentence of just over 24 years.

On balance, the need to protect the public and to punish Mr. Silicani weighed too heavily in the district courts sentencing decision, which unduly discounted Mr. Silicanis documented history of mental illness and the need for the sentence imposed to avoid unwarranted sentence disparities, Silicanis lawyers wrote.

Attempts to reach Silicanis legal team this week were unsuccessful. According to a federal Bureau of Prisons website, hes serving his sentence at a high-security prison in Colorado.

The U.S. Attorneys Office in Cheyenne prosecuted Silicani and is representing the government in opposing his appeal. John R. Powell, spokesman for the office, declined comment this week.

Prosecutor Thomas Szott recently filed a brief with the appeals court noting that one of the robbery convictions that sent Silicani to state prison involved an unprovoked stabbing that nearly killed the victim in Cheyenne.

Szott argues in his brief to the appeals court that Silicanis 35-year sentence is reasonable and that his actions show he presents a danger to his family and the public at large. In short, Silicani has repeatedly showed utter disregard for the value of human life and suffering, whether his parents or complete strangers, he wrote.

Silicani was serving time at the Wyoming State Penitentiary in Rawlins on robbery convictions in 2013 when, according to an FBI agents statement, a confidential source contacted prison staff and reported that Silicani had asked if the source would be willing to kill Silicanis mother and stepfather in Cheyenne.

Another FBI agent began posing as the hit man and communicated with Silicani. According to court statements, Silicani told the agent he didnt want to pay more than $100,000 for what he called demolition work.

Silicani expected to receive $850,000 in life insurance and property, according to court records. The confidential source told law enforcement that Silicani said he planned to buy a Cadillac Escalade, clothes and jewelry.

Silicani pleaded guilty last spring to four counts of using the mail to try to commission the murders.

At Silicanis sentencing hearing last summer, Freudenthal said it was heartbreaking that Silicani wanted to kill his mother after she had supported him through a lifetime of mental health problems.

For what? For a new car, 10 tattoos and for drugs? the judge asked him. To exchange a life for such juvenile desires is hard to comprehend.

Cheryl Lambert, Silicanis mother, said at sentencing that it was the saddest day of her life. But Lambert also said she and her husband, John Ott, feared Silicani would try to kill them again if he ever were released.

You are my son, and I love you forever, Lambert said. Now my real grieving begins as I learn to let go of you, my son and my only child.

Silicani addressed his parents at the sentencing hearing last summer, saying, Even if you dont believe me, I want you to know that I have no intention of hurting either of you.
The American West is known for its pioneering individualism. Yet many in the region are demonstrating a growing spirit of collaboration, partnership and innovative solutions. Nowhere is this more evident than in the management of our natural resources. As the demands on our natural resources grow, theres a need for creative thinking that protects our resources while also helping local communities who depend on them.

A signature example is the Sage Grouse Initiative, an effort to protect an emblematic western bird and its sage steppe habitat that has been the focus of conservationists and policymakers alike. As part of SGI, ranchers and communities are leading the largest conservation effort in history while strengthening the western economy. Using Farm Bill conservation programs, the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service and partners, like The Conservation Fund, use voluntary, incentive-based approaches to conservation. And they are working. In just the last six years, more than 1,200 ranchers across 11 Western states have conserved over 5 million acres of working private land, generating benefits for both the environment and private ranches.

One of the biggest ongoing threats to sage grouse is habitat fragmentation, the primary reason the sage grouse was being considered as a candidate for listing under the Endangered Species Act. Through SGI, many ranchers are restoring habitat for the sage grouse in a way that both benefits the bird and provides improved forage for cattle and other livestock. Other ranchers are working to permanently protect their ranches from development. In particular, ranchers in high-quality habitat areas voluntarily sell conservation easements on their land, permanently preventing fragmentation, providing habitat for sage grouse and 350 other species, and maintaining the land in private ownership.

The landowners continue to ranch, graze, and manage their ongoing operations, often on lands that have been in their families for generations. The money ranchers receive to protect their land can be re-invested in other ranch enhancement projects or in acquiring new ranchland to expand their operations. The Farm Bill funding ensures that the ranches will remain intact for generations to come, providing a long-term foundation for both the ranching economy and wildlife habitat.

The Conservation Fund has assisted NRCS in protecting more than 100,000 acres of sage grouse habitat on private lands in critical places like the Upper Green River Valley in Wyoming, the Upper Colorado River corridor in Colorado, and the Pioneer Mountain Foothills in Idaho. While important for sage grouse, these places are also vital migration corridors for species like pronghorn and elk, sources of water for people and agriculture, and doorsteps to wilderness areas on public lands. They are places unique and special to America and our natural resource heritage, and they are well worth protecting.

Last September, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced it would not list the greater sage grouse under the Endangered Species Act. A substantial amount of credit for this outcome is due to the many public and private partners, including ranchers, conservation groups and local communities, who have worked together for years as part of SGI and will continue to do so for years to come. These groups are finding common ground for an uncommon bird. This is what the future of conservation looks like  collaboration, partnership and innovative solutions.

In short, it is the West at its best.
Wyoming leaders faced a tall order.

In the 20-day legislative session that ended recently, they addressed a projected revenue decline of about $477 million over the next two years, and they did it without raising taxes or laying off state workers. That is praiseworthy.

They directed necessary money toward balancing the budget, and they funded state agencies, local governments and Wyoming schools. Lawmakers and the governor also capitalized on an important opportunity to reform the states civil asset forfeiture system. There were even some critical compromises.

But the session certainly wasnt without its share of disappointments. Very little of the thinking we saw was innovative, and most of all, we worry that legislators turned a deaf ear to Meads plea for them to put people before projects.

The final state budget flatly ignores family literacy centers and low-income adults who cant afford health insurance. In fact, by refusing to expand Medicaid, legislators deliberately put themselves  and the state  in the hole before budget negotiations even began. Their task was hard, and they only made it harder, on themselves and everyone else.

Lawmakers displayed a troubling tendency to blame their constituents, to lift the burden of developing solutions from their own shoulders and drop it onto those of everyday people. Their failure to expand Medicaid is a prime example. Compounding the problem, lawmakers also failed to devise any viable solution at all for Wyomings arguably 20,000 uninsured low-income adults and the hospitals that serve them.

Over and over during the session, we heard legislators insist that Wyomingites dont want Medicaid. But what about the dozens of business, health care and religious groups that make up the Healthy Wyoming coalition  as well as Gov. Matt Mead himself? These groups have tried to persuade the Legislature to expand Medicaid, but their arguments seemed to fall on deaf ears. Worse, though lawmakers continue to trumpet the need for Wyoming-specific plan, they have failed to formulate a viable means to help Wyoming people with genuine problems that affect us all.

We also would have liked to see lawmakers scrutinize the states long-term financial future. We heard too often that this is nothing more than another bust in the cyclical energy industry. As the coal market changes and as federal regulations tighten, though, the state would be wise to consider an array of long-term actions. We cant let innovation and diversification be merely buzzwords  we must see those concepts as a lifeline, as our route to a more stable future.

Another budget session has passed, and we do at least have a two-year spending plan. We do not, however, see evidence of a Legislature thats interested in prioritizing people first. For that, Mead  and the rest of the state  will have to wait.
Editor:

In a vicious atheist screed, Randy Vlach claimed in the Casper Star-Tribune that prayer has been proven not to work, citing as his authority for this generalization one study dealing with coronary bypass surgery and another dealing with medical neglect resulting from reliance on prayer versus medical treatment. He then links the casualties from the Iraq War to George Bushs prayers on the subject and goes on to call God a fictional character and the Bible a book of fables. He concludes his anti-religious diatribe by extoling the virtues of infamous atheist Madalyn Murray OHair  a woman whom her own son William Murray described as evil, profane, and vulgar.

One wonders if this is the best contemporary atheists can do. What about the hundreds of thousands of innocent victims of Stalins concentration camps who prayed daily and managed to survive atheist brutality? What about the countless military veterans of virtually every war in history, legions of whom subsequently testified as to having ardently prayed for Gods mercy during ferocious combat?

I know a little something about this matter since my parents survived the WWII camps. My father was drafted into the Soviet Army and fought against the Germans. He told me many times about instances of hard core atheistic communists who, when the artillery shells began exploding around them in the trenches, suddenly experienced a miraculous conversion and fell on the ground crossing themselves and praying to God for mercy.

I have also known dozens of survivors of Stalins GULAG who have described the atrocities which accompany the takeover of societies by atheist Communism. They tell a chilling tale of how brutal people can become when isolated by the state from their Creator. Similar first-hand accounts abounded after WWII concerning dreadful horrors which Hitler-worshiping Nazis inflicted upon people of faith.

It seems to me that people such as Mr. Vlach might want to focus a bit more on the millions of innocent victims of atheist regimes in Europe, China, North Korea, and Cuba and a bit less on people of faith exercising their First Amendment rights to practice that faith.
I am very concerned that the Wyoming Democratic party endorsed a candidate who has no idea what communications security is about, or its importance to the lives of our country's citizens. In the Marines, one of my tours was as a communications center watch officer, responsible for the operations and security of all incoming and outgoing messages. As such, I held a top secret clearance with access and could even read the president's daily intelligence briefings. In comm school the protection of communications was pounded into the second lieutenants and we were advised to read such books as The Code Breakers and Ultra to instill in us how very damaging compromised sensitive material could be. Lives would definitely be lost!
This is the story of a movie shot completely in Arizona, with talent from the states universities in front of and behind the camera, and a production fully financed by Tucson investors.

No, its not science fiction.

The film, There and Back, is a love letter to Arizona by writer and director Marcus de Leon, who wanted to create a project that took advantage of all the local talent he had met as a volunteer fellow at the University of Arizonas Hanson Film Institute.

De Leon, a graduate of UCLA film school, has worked in Hollywood since the early 90s as a director and screenwriter. Before this movie, his experience in securing financing had been as traditional as the business gets, he said.

Usually, you got your creative filmmaker on one side and you have your financing sources on the other side, and in between those two are producers and movie studio executives, he said.

Once de Leon decided to go with an all-Arizona production, he knew there was no way he would be going that route.

I would have to get 100 percent of the movie financing from Arizona. Because, if I were to go for financing with that cast and crew in Hollywood, I would never get this movie made, he said.

Starting in 2011, it was two years of hearing No way and Get out of my office, he said, but in his business you learn to thrive on rejection.

If you believe in your movie, if you believe in your screenplay, when you hear the word No you double down and push even harder, de Leon said.

The funding would eventually come from the Desert Angels, a Tucson angel investor group. Started in 2000, the Desert Angels have invested almost $40 million in startups, officials said.

Before de Leon came along, none of those startups was a feature film.

Wed tried a couple of times but never been successful of getting one through our process, said Curtis Gunn, Desert Angels chairman. This was the first one that made it through successfully and were all very hopeful.

The process

For de Leon, who was used to the creative side of moviemaking, thinking like a startup took some getting used to. He had to take a crash course in business, he said.

I feel like I earned my MBA studying how to present to a group like the Desert Angels, he said. I had to challenge myself to become an entrepreneurial filmmaker.

All startups that seek financing from the group must complete an online application process. Every six weeks or so, selected companies present before a screening panel, where representatives come in and do a 10-minute pitch followed by a question and answer session.

If the screening panel likes the pitch, it moves on to a dinner presentation before the entire Desert Angels membership.

Annually, the group receives about 200 applications, officials said. Of those, 60 to 70 make it to the screening panel and only about 17 or 18 present at the dinner meeting. Historically, about half of those companies get funded.

The film pitch was treated like any other startup, Gunn said, or as much as it could be since a movie production is clearly different from a medical device or a prescription drug.

But at the end of the day we are investors with a profit motive, he said. We want to have a return on our investment, and those people that invested in the movie, at least on some level believe theyre doing so to make a financial return.

The projects two principal investors, Robert Hungate and Tim Kalthoff, said that along with any profit motive, their interest in the film came with larger goals in mind.

Hungate, who invested in the movie along with his wife, JoAnne, said they wanted to support film development in Arizona, which can be a big economic driver.

Tucson has a large filmmaking history but it has no coherence in its filmmaking, theres no strategic thrust, he said. Were trying to see if we can create a little more splash and maybe generate interest.

Helping people make a start is the whole idea behind angel investing, Kalthoff said, so providing an opportunity for local talent was also a consideration.

It really is targeted at creating the careers of recent graduates or students from the University of Arizona, Arizona State and NAU, he said. Thats very attractive.

The men, who share executive producer credit on the film, helped de Leon adjust and readjust his pitch as he approached other investors.

Without them we wouldnt have this movie, de Leon said. And then there was a successive chain of person to person to person in the Tucson area, all of them a link in the chain that got this movie made.

Although they did not want to reveal the films budget, officials said it was within the Desert Angels investment range.

Some of the investment is time, some of its money, some of its deferment, some of its things others have done for us, Hungate said.

For example, ORielly Chevrolet donated two vehicles to the project, de Leon said.

The production also took advantage of Section 181 of the IRS code, which incentivizes film and television production by allowing production costs of up to $15 million to be deducted.

The film was shot over 10 weeks during the summer of 2014, shooting throughout Arizona and putting about 17,000 miles between the nine production vehicles. Unlike some independent productions, everyone who worked on the movie was paid, de Leon said.

I wanted to establish a professional environment and I wanted people to have the kind of professional commitment to what would be a very rigorous production, he said.

Post-production

There and Back is finishing post-production and de Leon wants to premiere it at a high-profile film festival this year. After that there will be special Arizona premieres in Tucson and Phoenix.

Investors hope the movie will be picked up by a distributor and follow the currently popular model for independent films of releasing a movie in theaters and through video on demand.

The movies production was put together through an investment offering, and while the document prepared was specific to There and Back, it can work as a template for future projects, de Leon said.

I have an actual successful movie production to show to Arizona investors. We got it done once, now were ready to do it again, he said.

Although de Leon is already thinking about his next film, the prospect of Tucson investors being involved in other productions hangs on the performance of There and Back, said Gunn of the Desert Angels.

Not to put a lot of pressure on Marcus by any means, but some of the future opportunity will probably depend on the success of this movie, he said. If Marcus goes out to the market and its not well-received, that could put a pallor on the future mood.

In the meantime, Hungate and Kalthoff are already being sought out by others to talk about their experience. They said theyve seen a rough cut of the movie and their optimism remains undiminished.

Hopefully it creates an avalanche effect and we get more and more involvement in Tucson in these kinds of projects. That would be the end objective for us, Kalthoff said.
Jackie was born in Youngstown, Ohio but grew up in Washington D.C after moving there with her mother, Rebecca Lynn Jack. That move, at the age of six months, led to a long and fascinating life of politics. As a young woman Jackie married and had four precious children. Several years later, she lost her husband and three of the children, due to a horrific automobile accident. Jackie then became a young widow, with a small child to raise as a single mother, something rare in those days. Stevie, as she called him, ultimately joined the Marines and after returning home safely from Vietnam, became a police officer with the Metropolitan Police Department in Washington D.C. Jackie was such a proud mother. While working at the Pentagon she met and fell in love with Don Egan whom she ultimately married in 1964. They moved to Tucson in 1967 due to a job transfer. Her beautiful and only child, Stephen A. Williams, still a Metropolitan D.C. police officer, was killed in the line of duty on July 2, 1968. Jackie's heart was shattered. Her survival was due to her strong faith, love of politics, and all the wonderful people she met along the way. Jackie became the "Grand Dame" of Arizona Republican politics, having given 47 years of her life to the party. She was honored over the years for her dedication and volunteerism; Arizona Republican Woman of the Year, Pima County Republican Woman of the Year, and the Art Wales Memorial Award for Outstanding Leadership. Just a few of the many prestigious awards she received over the years. Jackie worked on hundreds of campaigns throughout her life but her proudest moment was the appointment as Arizona State Chairman of the Reagan/Bush 1980 Presidential Campaign. Jackie was incredibly humble and wouldn't take credit for her many accomplishments, she would always say "I may have been the leader but it couldn't have been done without you." She should have written a book, it would have been lengthy and definitely a Best Seller, she just didn't have time. While her name was Jackie, the names she loved the most were "mom", "Grandma Jackie" and "Granny". She became a very important member of so many families. If you wanted her to join you for Christmas, Easter or any specific celebration, you needed reservations, at least a year in advance. Jackie loved life and lived it to the fullest. She loved to talk on the phone for hours, but knew not to call certain friends, if the "Cats" were playing. She loved to play cards with or with out friends, (she had a computer you know), the slots at the casino (really loved that) and parties. With so many beautiful friends she was always on the go, dinners every Friday night with the "group", lunch with the "girls" and a get together when the sun came up or went down. Oh, if she missed her "standing hair appointment", we all knew to worry. She was the most loving, giving and caring woman on earth. She had a heart of gold. Jackie was blessed to have so many friends and she wanted you all to know that she loved you dearly, especially Supervisor Ray Carroll and Jim Click. Jackie also wanted a Special Thanks to those that had a special place in her heart for the cherished friendship over the years; Anita Leist, Ellen and Walt Lougee and family, John McGrath, Judi and Michelle Montcalm and family, Hon. Jack Peyton and Laura, Ann Rodriquez and Byron Howard. A Celebration of Jackie's life will be held on Monday, March 14, 2016 at 1:00 p.m. with a reception to follow at EAST LAWN PALMS MORTUARY and Cemetery, 5801 E. Grant. In lieu of flowers, donations to the 100 Club of Arizona, 5151 N. 19th Ave., Ste. 204, Phoenix, AZ. 85015 would be warmly welcomed.
age 61, drifted peacefully into eternal life on March 4, 2016 following a long battle with cancer. It was no surprise he would leave us with the message to,"March Fourth". Born in Punxsutawney, PA to Kenneth J and Sally Altman Cameron, KC spent his adolescent years in Bridgewater, NJ. After graduating from Bridgewater High East, he was drawn by his hippie/cowboy spirit and received a degree in Journalism from Northern Arizona University. Although he returned briefly to family in NJ, he was pulled to the beauty of AZ where he settled in Tucson to pursue his passion for finish carpentry. Years of self-employment gave him freedom to hike, fish and ride in the mountains and deserts and allowed him to drop everything to "be there" for a friend. At a time when his free spirit was needing to settle, St. Michael's School in Tucson was in search of a Facilities Director; there he found a home and a family of colleagues devoted to the academic and moral education of young people. "Mr KC" left his stamp of craftsmanship, flair and design on the campus; more importantly, he and his constant canine companion, Darlin', left footprints on the hearts of the students, parents and faculty. Survived by father, Kenneth J Cameron of Florida; brother, Randy Cameron, wife Dodie, their children, Nancy, Amy, Chip and Brian Cameron and Katie Spires; sister, Patricia Elliott, husband John, her children, Pamela Bannister and Peter and Paulette Perhach, adored 11 grand nieces and nephews and cherished friend Kimberlee Jo Roberts, who provided loving care and comfort in his final months and Alex and TJ for whom KC became a treasured honorary "Uncle" following the death of their parents. A Celebration of Life will be held at St. Michael's Church on Friday, March 18, 2016 at 4:00 p.m. Donations may be made in his memory to St. Michael's School, 602 N Wilmot Rd Tucson AZ 85711. Arrangements by HUDGEL'S SWAN FUNERAL HOME.
Arizona mining districts originated prior to the formation of Arizona as a territory in 1863.

Except for having to pay tribute to a monarch, these self-governing regulations followed the tradition of mining laws in Europe and Mexico, including those of the 1584 Regal Ordinances and 1783 Regal Ordinances. These laws favored the right of the discoverer to work his mine as his own property with a portion  known as the Royal Fifth  going to the King. This occurred during the era of Spanish mining development preceding Mexican Independence in 1821.

American interest in Arizonas mineral wealth increased after the Gadsden Purchase of 1854.

Tom Childs, Peter R. Brady and surveyor George Bartlett reported promising copper discoveries in Ajo.

Charles D. Poston, later known as the father of Arizona because of his support for Arizona territorial independence from New Mexico, and German mining engineer Herman Ehrenberg heavily prospected southern Arizona in search of the planchas de plata strike at Arizonac. This massive strike in 1736, a mile south of the current border between the U.S. and Mexico about eight miles west of Sasabe, uncovered masses of silver weighing from several hundred to several thousand pounds. Postons attempts at finding the strike proved unsuccessful though he did succeed in locating multiple claims in the Santa Rita and Cerro Colorado mountain ranges.

Ambiguity regarding applicable mining laws both in the U.S. and Mexico necessitated Postons discoveries, along with those made by others, to be protected by law. Owing provenance from groups of miners who needed some form of regulation over their discoveries in lands devoid of local government, the concept of mining districts originated during the gold rushes of California and Nevada beginning in the late 1840s. A specific geographic mineralized area usually constituted a mining district whose regulations were established by local mine operators.

The process in the formation of a mining district included a preliminary public notice to miners in the area who would meet to determine the name of the district, establish boundaries through extensive surveying and elect a president.

Early stipulations required the owner of a mining claim be a citizen of the United States. Additional specifics included claim dimensions, boundaries and duly recorded notices of the mines within the district.

Development of the claim through surface exploration, shaft sinking, underground exploration and installation of necessary equipment for mineral production was also regulated. Disputes over the boundaries of the claims were settled locally by miners who acted as judge and jury.

Early mining districts in Arizona included those of La Paz and Castle Dome. Under the guidance of Col. Jacob Snively, these areas were worked for placer gold in 1858. However, they were not officially recognized until December 1862 when hard rock mining involving more land and security costs became more prevalent.

By 1864, 25 organized districts existed in Arizona territory, including the Walker and Pioneer districts noted for their strict regulations of individual claims.

The authority of these districts was temporarily superseded by the Howell Code. It was named for Judge William Howell, who was tasked to provide a more uniform mining code for Arizona territory.

The new code was modeled after the 1783 ordenanzas de mineria of New Spain. The code itself was short-lived because it failed to legally determine the ultimate right of mineral ownership on public lands of the United States. The first federal mining law Lode Law of 1866 superseded the code granting autonomous rule of the individual mining districts, as long as it did not conflict with the newly enacted federal law.

Today, Arizonas mineral wealth encompasses 246 historic mining districts.

These districts serve as classification guides to Arizonas extensive mines and mineral production. Reliable records of individual mine production are broken down by the districts wherein the mine is located.

Mining district production has since served as a valuable guide to overall metal production in Arizona mining history.
The Zika virus may come to Arizona, but  if the past predicts the future  it may not spread.

Arizona, particularly its warmer urban areas around Phoenix, Tucson and Yuma, grow healthy populations of the Aedes aegypti mosquito every summer. That tiny, ankle-biting mosquito can spread the viruses of yellow fever, dengue fever, Chikungunya  and now, Zika.

Arizona has had travel-related cases of dengue and Chikungunya, but those have not caused outbreaks here as they did in Mexico in recent years.

Something, probably a combination of lifestyle and climate, is keeping those diseases at bay, said epidemiologist Heidi Brown.

Whatever was keeping them from transmitting dengue, whatever kept them from transmitting Chikungunya, is the same thing that is probably keeping them from transmitting Zika, said Brown, of the University of Arizonas Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health.

Brown is spending her research time these days trying to tease apart what those conditions are. And while she is reassured by the science and the history of Aedes-borne diseases in Arizona, she is reluctant to provide absolute assurance about the scariest aspects of Zika  its suspected ability to cause serious birth defects.

I recently had a talk with a woman who is currently pregnant. My kid is only 2 years old, and it gives me a hugely different perspective on it. The science is telling us  and even the experience is telling us  the probability of Zika coming to Arizona is really very low.

If I were a pregnant woman, I would try my best to be reassured by the science and the history, and then Id do the kinds of things I can control around my house with respect to Aedes aegypti.

Fight the bite!

Zika wont appear in Arizona unless it is brought here by someone who travels to an area with outbreaks. That person would then have to be bitten by a mosquito and that mosquito would have to bite an uninfected person to begin the spread.

Thats why medical reporting is so critical, said Jessica Rigler, chief of the Bureau of Epidemiology and Disease Control at the state Department of Health Services.

State and county health officials will respond quickly to ensure that infected persons environment is as mosquito-free as possible and that he or she is taking the proper precautions against being bitten.

Until that happens, Arizona health officials plan to fend off the Zika virus with surveillance and public education  basically, doctors reports, mosquito traps and slogans.

The traps wont eliminate mosquitoes that carry the virus, but they will give health authorities a good map of where the mosquitoes are abundant.

The slogans  including the overarching Fight the Bite! Day and Night  are part of an education campaign that urges people to avoid bites by covering up, using repellent and policing their yards for breeding areas.

Those steps, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, are the most effective ways to prevent the virus spread.

If an outbreak does occur, other measures can be taken  spraying pesticides to kill adult mosquitoes, using larvicides in standing bodies of water, isolating hot zones where people are being infected.

Spread occurs when a mosquito bites a person with the virus and then bites an uninfected person, after the virus has had a chance to work its way from the mosquitos gut to its salivary glands.

If you protect yourself from being bitten, you can neither contract nor spread the virus.

If you routinely police your yard for sources of water in which the mosquitoes might breed, you can make that task easier and your life more pleasant. The Aedes mosquitoes dont fly far after hatching  as little as 50 to 100 feet on average. If you are being bitten, they are breeding at your house or a close neighbors.

mosquito found here

We wont know ahead of time that Zika-infected mosquitoes are here, because vector-control officials dont test for that. There is also no vaccine.

But mosquitoes that can carry the virus are here, even now at the end of winter, said David Ludwig of the Pima County Health Department.

Larger Culex mosquitoes, primarily Culex tarsalis and Culex quinquefasciatus, have been the primary targets of surveillance in Arizona over the past few decades.

They are vectors for the avian-borne West Nile virus, which is capable of killing a vulnerable adult or child, though most people have mild or no reaction to the virus.

The smaller Aedes mosquitoes  those quick, pesky ankle-biters who feed all day long  were considered little more than a nuisance. But that attitude changed in recent years as outbreaks of dengue and Chikungunya occurred in Sonora.

Last week, the state of Sonora reported its first travel-related case of Zika, in an Hermosillo man who had recently visited Brazil, where Zika outbreaks are raging.

Health officials monitored the neighborhood around the mans home for two weeks, but found no other cases.

So far, 193 cases of travel-related Zika have been confirmed by the CDC, with none in Arizona. The CDC says that number will likely increase, and warns that travel-related cases could cause local spread of the disease in areas where Aedes aegypti mosquitoes are endemic.

The CDC says states most at risk are Hawaii, Texas and Florida, where outbreaks of Aedes-borne diseases such as dengue and Chikungunya have occurred in the past, but all states with Aedes populations should be on alert, which isnt easy since an estimated 80 percent of those infected with Zika show no symptoms.

Arizona is on alert, said Rigler of the state health department.

We have rapid response teams and supplies in place here in Arizona ready to respond immediately to stop that possibility of outbreak, she said.

In Pima County, the three vector-control specialists who monitor mosquito populations and respond to nuisance complaints have begun to deploy traps specifically designed for Aedes, in addition to continued monitoring of mosquitoes that carry West Nile virus, said Ludwig, of the Pima County Health Department.

On a recent Thursday, vector-control specialist Cindy Bennett displayed results from a trap near a midtown storm sewer drain  a couple dozen mosquitoes, most of them appreciably smaller than the others. Under a microscope, she confirmed that the smaller ones were Aedes aegypti.

know your enemy





The state, along with county health departments and municipalities, started to monitor Aedes aegypti populations more closely after dengue outbreaks were reported in Mexico border cities in 2014.

There has been a shift in attention, beginning in early 2015, for dengue. We purchased more traps and worked with local vector agents.

Populations of mosquitoes are small this time of year. They bloom when the rains come in midsummer. For now, said epidemiologist Brown, the baseline population is being maintained by us.

Unlike the larger Culex species, which lay rafts of thousands of eggs in large bodies of stagnant water, the Aedes mosquitoes deposit eggs singly in backyard containers or clogged gutters, where they wait for dog bowls, abandoned tires and plant saucers to be refilled.

A communitywide effort to eliminate those breeding sources would go a long way toward insuring against an outbreak, said the health departments Rigler.

Thats really the best advice available and, if successful, well never need to spread the alarm, she said.

The Aedes aegypti loves to live around people. It stays close to home, and if youre vigilant and wearing insecticide and covering up, you wont spread the disease.
Back around 2013, the discouragement was deepening into hopelessness.

Tucson writer Mark Zero  thats his real name, or part of it  had been shopping around a novel hed finished. It was good, he thought.

I thought it was the best idea Id had for a novel, he said, and nobody wanted it.

Naturally, that made him wonder.

If its the best idea Ive got, and the best I could do at it, and nobody wants it, and I didnt have another idea for a book at the time, well, this is over.

It wasnt, of course. Otherwise I wouldnt be writing about him. But if you look at Zeros trajectory up to then, you can see why he doubted.

Zero, born Beauregard Mark Zero, grew up in Tucson with a pen in hand, always imagining and writing. After he graduated from the UA in 1990, he took up the kind of dual life so many writers embrace. He worked odd jobs to support his writing vocation.

Dishwasher, line cook, ice-cream maker and, more recently, grant writer. Whatever. For years, his paycheck came from working as the overnight funeral attendant at Bring Funeral Home. He would work from 6:30 p.m. to 6:30 a.m. If a body needed to be picked up, he handled it. If not, he had free time to read, write and doze.

It was a beautiful job, though, because if nobody died, I didnt have to do anything, he said.

Zeros wife, Rosemarie Todaro, is a well-known local violinist and teacher, and theyve lived for about 10 years in Feldmans neighborhood, north of downtown.

Zero, now 47, persisted through five novels, though honestly he doesnt think he wrote a good one until number five. That one, Blood & Chocolate, was a Gothic romance put out by a tiny company called Giant Publishing in 2006.

Then, in 2008, he came across the idea. Zero is a fan of Herman Melville, and reading Melvilles letters, he learned of the fraught relationship Melville had with then-established author Nathaniel Hawthorne.

They, along with writer Oliver Wendell Holmes, all lived in Massachusetts in the mid-1800s. But Zero thinks Melville had a problem that went beyond the typical authors issue of not making a living at his craft.

Melville was raised by Calvinists, and hes gay, probably, or hes different from everybody else, Zero said. He goes off to the South Pacific and has these wild polyamorous adventures with South Seas islanders, which he describes in his first two books. He meets cannibals and convicts and escaped slaves. He comes back 4 years later and the Calvinists are still there waiting for him.

Its hard to overstate the conservatism of 19th-century New England, he says, but Melville eventually found a comfortable crowd of writers and other more open-minded friends who hung out in the Berkshire Mountains of western Massachusetts.

He meets Hawthorne on a trip to the Berkshires, on a vacation, then he buys a house he cant afford on a trip to the Berkshires, Zero said. The duration of their relationship is almost exactly the duration of his writing Moby Dick.

Like many scholars before, Zero combed through Melvilles and Hawthornes letters and journals, read their novels, and read scholarly writing about them. The idea that there are gay themes in Melvilles writing is not controversial. After all, theres a gay wedding in Moby Dick. But the idea that Melville and Hawthorne had a love affair is not completely accepted, because its not explicit in the letters, though it is strongly implied.

Zero went looking for the historical novel he assumed someone had written about the Melville-Hawthorne relationship. No one had.

Zero sees Moby Dick  a book that has always been my Great White Whale, in that I can never seem to finish it  as something different than what most teachers see.

I think Moby Dick is the greatest romance in American letters. I think its a story of repressed longing. Its a love letter to Nathaniel Hawthorne.

This insight came around 2008, but it took years for Zero to get words on the page. Once he finally finished what he thought was his best effort, he had a 140,000-word monster that even his friends didnt like. It was an encyclopedic homage to Melville and Moby Dick.

After everyone rejected this draft, in 2013, Zero had a realization:

I realized this experience of the world was the same one writers everywhere had. Theyre desperate, theyre lonely, they feel like theyre not a part of any community, and they have no money, Zero said. Thats me. Thats Melville.

I started hacking away at it and rewriting vast swaths of it, Zero said.

He got his novel down to 80,000 words. In early 2015, he started contacting agents. Rather than sending out one query letter at a time, as youre supposed to, he started sending out what he expected would be four batches of more than 40 each.

He got two hits on the first batch.

I send the thing out. In three days I have an agent. Three weeks after that, Ive got a publisher.

Not just any publisher. Viking, an imprint of Penguin Random House  the largest publisher in the world  offered him a six-figure advance for The Whale: A Love Story.

Its scheduled to come out in June, in time for summer reading season. It will be under his new pen name, which switches around his given first and middle names: Mark Beauregard.

It all makes Zero smile in disbelief.

In February of 2015, Im an unemployed sad sack, he said. And a month later Im an author, and the fact that Im sitting around in my pajamas at noon suddenly looks a lot more respectable.
One of Joseline Matas favorite possessions is a well-worn Ready for Hillary T-shirt.

The 20-year-old political science major at the University of Arizona got the shirt about a year ago and regularly wears it to show her support for the Democratic candidate for president.

It may be easy to dismiss Mata as young and politically idealistic, but she has been in the political trenches since high school  knocking on doors for Democratic candidates, working in former Rep. Ron Barbers office and collecting signatures on campus.

Knocking on doors doesnt always lead to a friendly conversation. In the waning days of the 2012 campaign, a 15-year-old Mata found herself knocking on doors of the middle-of-the-road independents.

The man comes out of the house and asks, Do you not see the sign? and points to a sign that says, People who come onto my property will be shot, she remembers. He said, I think you need to leave, there is no way I am voting for a Democrat. I am voting straight Republican.

Shaken from the incident, but not shot, Mata knows firsthand how polarizing politics can be.

READY FOR HILLARY

Front-porch arguments are rare these days, although Mata finds herself often arguing with other Democrats.

I do have friends who are Bernie supporters, she says.

Friends begged her to go to the Bernie Sanders rally at Reid Park last year and, as she tells it, they made her wear a button.

But his message never swayed her away from supporting Clinton.

Everything he says, as a Democrat, I stand for. I would love for tuition to be free; I would love for all of these things to happen, she says. But after I walked out, I asked, how? How is he going to do all of these things? It is just not in his power to do.

Visit from GIFFORDS left lasting memory

An iconic image of Barack Obama is one of Matas earliest memories, but it was a visit by Democratic U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords of Tucson to her junior high classroom that made a lasting memory.

She remembers where she was when she heard Giffords had been shot in 2011.

It was one of those things that you will remember forever, thinking that she had died.

Giffords recovery and decision to continue to be active in politics, particularly regarding gun control, inspired Mata.

She got shot, and she is still trying to do things to make America great. So what is my excuse? Why am I not doing something?

The Tucson native soon got involved in Democratic politics.

IMMIGRATION

IS A PERSONAL ISSUE

Mata tears up as she describes watching a little girl explain to Clinton, in Spanish, how she fears coming home from school to find her parents have been deported.

It is a fear she knows well. When she was 7 she learned that her mother was in the United States illegally.

It held her back in many ways. She didnt get more involved in politics until she was 16 because she didnt want to risk her mom having to leave the house unnecessarily.

Clinton, she argues, has the most viable plan to fix the federal immigration system. She says executive orders from Obama havent worked.

She is the one that understands, Mata says. She has been there for the Mexican-American community.

Everybody makes mistakes

Criticism of Clinton is unrelenting, but Mata believes some of the attacks are more political than substantive.

The loudest and most sustained criticism of Clinton might be over the Benghazi terrorist attacks in 2012 when she was secretary of state.

Four Americans, including U.S. Ambassador Chris Stevens, were killed in the attacks in Libya.

Mata says the attacks are deplorable, but Clinton should not shoulder all of the blame. She cannot be the only one responsible for that situation. I think that is something people need to remember, it wasnt just her.

Speculation continues that Clinton will be indicted this year, but again Mata points to public comments made by Republicans.

It is all politically motivated. We have all heard Republicans  especially important Republicans in the Benghazi committee  who know she is going to be the nominee and they want to hurt her, she said.

Still, Mata worries Clinton could be hurt in what she sees as trumped-up charges.

It does scare me, but I am hopeful that isnt going to be the case, she said.

The other issue  using a private email server  was a mistake, Mata concedes, but she sees it is a relatively minor issue.

Everybody makes mistakes, she says. Up until this point, they still havent found that she has done anything wrong or illegal.

DAD SUPPORTED HILLARY

Mata, a college sophomore, says her father is active politically. She remembers sitting down with him the first time she filled out a mail-in ballot.

This will be the first time the University High School graduate is old enough to vote in a presidential election.

About a year ago Mata began to research Democratic candidates. She was impressed by Clintons credentials and decided she wanted to be part of the generation that elects her to office.

It was, she found out, something she shared with her father. Eight years ago, he backed Clinton  not Obama  in the primary.

When she said she wanted that now-well-worn Hillary T-shirt, he supported her.

He was like, you should buy one, she says, smiling.
A state investigation found no wrongdoing by a Tucson scrap yard where a worker died last year after he cut into a military bomb, causing an explosion.

Tucson Iron & Metal, 690 E. 36th St., was cleared in the accidental death of Daniel Wright, 46, according to an Arizona Division of Occupational Safety and Health report obtained Friday by the Star.

The agency did find two non-serious violations that had nothing to do with the accidental death.

One regarded no employee training on the maintenance work on equipment and machines, and the other was for not keeping written certification of training and evaluation for each of the employees who operated industrial trucks, according to documents. Neither resulted in fines by state officials.

David Selden, a Phoenix attorney for Gary Kippur, owner of Tucson Iron & Metal, could not be reached for comment Friday. Kippur, who was out of town, also could not be reached.

On Sept. 23, 2015, Wright was immediately killed while using an acetylene cutting torch to cut into an MK-82 general purpose bomb, authorities said.

According to the report, another employee who recognized the piece to be an ordnance advised Wright that they were not to cut into anything that might be an explosive. He said Wright told him that he believed it was safe because he had reached his hands into both ends of the cylindrical tube and he thought it was hollow.

The MK-82 is a 500-pound bomb about 5 feet in length, according to military websites. It is manufactured by General Dynamics. This ordnance has been in use for more than 50 years by the Navy, Air Force and Marines, said 1st Lt. Erin Ranaweera, a Davis-Monthan Air Force Base spokeswoman, shortly after the incident. The bomb was not from D-M and all ordnance on base and at the plane storage area known as the bone yard had been accounted for, Ranaweera said previously.

The ordnance had been dismantled but residue remained in what looked like a cylinder, according to Tucson Police Department reports. Police initially investigated the death, but once it was ruled an industrial accident an administrative investigation was assigned to special agents of the Air Force Office of Special Investigations at D-M.

The Tucson Police bomb squad and the bases bomb squad both worked on the investigation at the scrap yard. The fragments and unexploded pieces were removed hours after the explosion and taken to the base for further tests before the fragments were detonated on the base.

Kippur told state investigators that it was determined the ordnance had been at the scrap yard for about one month before the explosion. Kippur said he had not been able to determine where the ordnance was sent from to the scrap yard.

Kippur also told officials that the bomb was in the very back of the yard, but workers could not identify what truck it came in on, since many trucks dump product there. He told investigators the yard does receive military scrap from D-M, but he doubts the ordnance came from the base. Kippur said since the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks the base has been very careful about what they send out, according to the state report.

In the state report, D-Ms 355th Wing Commander Col. James Meger told investigators that he was able to determine the device was decades old and at some point had been dropped from an aircraft. This was based on clear evidence of the device nose impacting the ground at high speed and other technical factors related to its physical condition unrelated to the blast, the report states.

Arizona Sen. John McCain has asked defense officials for an explanation of how unexploded military ordnance ended up at the scrap yard.

State officials also have asked for the Air Force report on the investigation, but had not received any information, according to the documents.
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.
One man is standing in the way of helping roughly 30,000 low-income Arizona children have access to much-needed medical care  State Senate President Andy Biggs.

Legislation that would allow Arizona to receive funding for KidsCare, which is the states version of the federal Childrens Health Insurance Program, has already passed out of the Arizona House. Biggs must assign the legislation to a Senate committee before the end of the week  Friday, March 18  or it will be dead.

Biggs, a Republican from Gilbert, has said hes not going to assign it to a committee. I dont support KidsCare, he told the Arizona Republic. He is using his power not only to deny thousands of children regular access to medical care, but to prevent the crucial issue from even getting a committee hearing in the Senate.

Arizona children and their families deserve to be heard. Instead, Biggs is shutting them out.

KidsCare cuts go back to 2010 when thousands of low-income Arizona kids were dropped because of budget cuts. The poorest children, those whose families make up to 138 percent of the federal poverty level, which calculates to roughly $27,820 for a family of three, are covered by the states Medicaid program.

But another large group of Arizona children live in households that make between 139 and 200 percent of the poverty level but cant afford to buy health insurance.

Those kids would be eligible under Arizonas version of the Childrens Health Insurance Program. The legislation that has passed the House would allow the state to access federal dollars to pay for the program.

Research from Georgetown University, cited by the Arizona Republic, has found that Arizona has the highest rate of uninsured children in that income bracket. People, including kids, without regular access to primary care often go untreated or go to emergency rooms where they cannot be turned away. Its an expensive and unnecessary burden on the health-care system and families.

One of the opponents objections is that federal dollars might be available now, but there isnt a guarantee that the state wouldnt be on the hook for the programs considerable expense if that funding source dries up. The House bill, however, accounted for that and includes a provision that if federal funding falls short or ends, Arizona can terminate the program with a 30-day notice.

An Arizona Republic news story points out that Biggs is one of 25 Arizona senators who receive health insurance paid for by state taxpayers.

Biggs should not be allowed to single-handedly shut out low-income Arizona kids who should be able to go to the doctor when theyre sick.
Help India!

By Mumtaz Alam Falahi,TwoCircles.net,

New Delhi: Shariat is above tariqat and tasawwuf, and there is no Sufism without following Shariat, said Syed Shah Muhammad Ameen, head of Qadri Barkati order and Sajjada Nasheen of Barehra Sharif (Etah district in UP). He was delivering presidential address at the Noori Tasawwuf Conference held at India Islamic Cultural Centre in New Delhi today.

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The conference was organized by Mumbais Raza Academy, a representative body of majority of traditional Sunni Muslims adhering to Sufism, on the occasion of 175th birth anniversary of Hazrat Shah Abul Hasan Ahmed Noori known as Hazrat Noori Miyan of Barehra Sharif.







Syed Shah Muhammad Ameen, who is also professor of Urdu at Aligarh Muslim University, condemned fake Sufism and Sufis who just wear a particular dress and think themselves as Sufi. He said there are many Sufis around who dont follow the traditions of Prophet and yet claim to be Sufi.

He also criticized the critics of Sufism who say the path was invented much after the period of the Prophet and Sahaba. Syed Shah Muhammad Ameen said: We got lessons of Sufism from the life of the Prophet. Suffa in the premises of Masjid-e-Nabwi was the first university of Sufism of which the Prophet himself was teacher, administrator and vice-chancellor.







Muhammad Saeed Noori, chief organizer of the conference and president of Raza Academy, earlier elaborating the objective of the conference said that Sufism is the central theme of the conference in which the message of communal harmony, love and brotherhood will be taught to develop a society based on mutual trust and cooperation.

The onslaught of religious hatred is leading to an uprecedented trend of people breeding prejudice, lack of respect and triggering wars of mutual hatred. Under these circumstances the Sufi message of respect for all creation, tolerence and love articulated in our country assumes a real contemporary and global relevance. The Sufis believe that without the spark of love no true society can be developed and above all it is love that teaches higher values, cures alienation of humans from themselves, their fellow beings and all that exists in nature, said Saeed Noori.







At the conference Mufti Abdul Mannan, former Shaikhul Hadees at Jamia Ashrafia, Mubarakpur, Azamgarh and Ghulam Yahya Anjum, professor of sufism atHamdard University were conferred with Noori Award by Raza Academy.







Several ulema and scholars attended the conference from around the country.


Help India!

7th All India National Educational Conference concludes in Bhopal

By Pervez Bari, TwoCircles.net,

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Bhopal: A two-day 7th All India National Educational Conference on the theme of Education and Communal Harmony held here in Bhopal by the All India Educational Movement, (AIEM), has demanded that the proposed New Educational Policy should integrate valuable concepts of the liberal-universal education model prevalent in some North European countries like Finland and Denmark.

The said model is considered to be most effective in promotion of human development and establishment of an egalitarian society.

The conference during the two days had detailed discussions on various other topics which have been included in the resolutions such as New Education Policy, Changing Scenario of Education, Quality Education in Schools, Right to Education and Empowerment of Women through Education.

The conference was held under the aegis of local organisation Association of Indian Muslims, (AIM), here in Rotary Club on March 5 & 6, 2016. Apart from inaugural and valedictory functions there were six other sessions during the conference on topics such as Education in Plural Society; Role of Islam in promoting Tolerance in society; The Changing Scenario of Education; New Education Policy; Quality Education in Schools (panel discussion) and Empowerment of Women through Education.

A souvenir on late Saiyid Hamid, former Chancellor Hamdard University, New Delhi released in the inaugural function of 7th All India National Educational Conference on the theme of Education and Communal Harmony in Bhopal.

A souvenir on late Saiyid Hamid, Chancellor Hamdard University, New Delhi was also released on the occasion.

The resolution on Communal Harmony said that the State Education policy should essentially promote all inclusive policy which is free from all biases. It should promote brotherhood and communal harmony among all.

Striving for uniformity in a society is a myth which harms notion of unity. The AIEM believes that communal harmony is of paramount importance for making India strong. Therefore, AIEM exhorts for creating harmonious atmosphere in educational institutions. The AIEM stands for non-biased curriculum and non-partisan behaviour in all educational institutions. We stand for an educational system which safeguards the beauty of our cultural, linguistic, religious and communal diversity of the county, the resolution said.

The resolution on Communal Harmony further said that promotion of tolerance has become highly crucial in the current national discourse since it is important for national integration and inclusive development. Education is and can be an indispensible instrument for the promotion of tolerance which can be promoted by strengthening the idea of common neighbourhood schools and improving quality of government schools and inculcating moral education based on best references from all cultures and religions.

This was one of the resolutions on Communal Harmony amongst a number of others which were approved by voice vote in the valedictory session of the All India National Educational Conference.

Dr. Tariq Zafar, Vice Chancellor, Bhoj Open University, was the chief guest while Amanullah Khan presided over in the valedictory session.

Prof. Mohammad Hassan Khan, Professor of Arabic, Barkatullah University felicitated for having been honoured with Presidents Award recently.

Shiv Chaubey, Chairman Madhya Pradesh State Mining Corporation, was the chief guest of the inaugural session while Arun Bhatnagar (IAS retd.); Qaisar Zaman, secretary of Kurwai Education Society; and Raj Kumar Keswani, a senior journalist, were guests of honour on the occasion.

Keswani is the first journalist who brought attention to the safety lapses and impending Bhopal disaster that eventually came to pass at the towns Union Carbide pesticides plant over night on December 23, 1984.

Speaking on the occasion Shiv Chaubey appreciated the efforts of All India Educational Movement to spread the message of education for weaker sections and selecting Bhopal as venue for their 7th Educational Conference.

In the resolution on New Education Policy the conference exhorted the authorities to ensure equitable quality education and provision of teaching in mother tongue in schools as per the Policy. It lamented that our education system is geared towards teaching and testing knowledge at every level as opposed to teaching skills. Give man a fish and you feed him one day, teach him how to catch fishes and you feed him for a lifetime. Knowledge is largely forgotten after the semester exam is over. Still, year after year Indian students focus on cramming information. The best crammers are rewarded by the system. This is one of the fundamental flaws of present education system.

The conference felt that the existing educational policies have not been properly analysed and implemented which are necessary before a new policy is adopted. The 1986 Education Policy had recognized that Muslims and Neo-Buddhists are educationally backward but apart from creating Maulana Azad Education Foundation, the Government has failed to address the needs of weaker sections and minorities.

On Quality Education in schools the resolution said: Our public and private education systems need to keep up with changing trends and reward creativity, original thinking, research and innovation. The system should evolve zero-defect policy on quality education and ensure physical, mental, psychological and linguistic development of the students by adopting parameters advocated by educational experts in the field. The Conference resolved that there is a need to create not only good doctors, engineers and scientists but above all good human beings. The Government should also arrange periodical short term courses to achieve desired quality education.

The resolutions on Right to Education said : Enacted in August 2009, The Right to Free and Compulsory Education Act, (RTE), is yet to be implemented properly in the country. The state has failed to open required numbers of schools with facilities enunciated in this Act. The mandatory norms of infrastructure have hampered development of small units. Virtually these norms have turned the education in corporate sector and increased cost of education which is beyond the reach of middle and lower middle classes. AIEM exhorts the government to relax these norms and allow blooming schools from event the huts. These requirements should be done away while granting recognition to private schools especially in rural and economically deprived arrears.

Dr. Tariq Zafar, Vice Chancellor, Bhoj Open University felicitated on the occasion.

The extent of Act should be enlarged from lower ages to higher ages. There should be more choices as well as options of timings to suit every child. A morning only school may not fit all children. It is now virtually universally recognized that 12 years of school education beginning at the age of six, preceded by appropriate pre-school education, is a minimum requirement. Therefore, in virtually all developed countries, a vast majority of children including those of the rich and powerful go to government schools for 12 years of totally free education. The RTE Act is unconcerned about the four most important years of school education  that is, from Class IX to Class XII.

The resolutions on Women Education said: In recent years education among girls has increased manifold. Performance of girl students today is far better than boys. Education is most important tool of women empowerment. The welcome trend should continue. At the same time it is unfortunate that our boys leg far behind which is creating several socio-cultural problems. The community should come forward to create competitive atmospheres for boys along with giving emphasis on girl education.

The various sessions were chaired by Dr. Zafarul Islam Khan, former president All India Muslim Majlis-e-Mushawarat; A. R. Agwan, Chairman Universal Knowledge Trust; Dr.Khwaja Mohammad Shahid, former Pro-Vice Chancellor, MANUU; Syyed Mansoor Agha, Vice President, AIEM; and Dr. Shabistan Ghaffar, chairperson Confederation for Empowerment of Women through Education.

Some eminent personalities who took part in the proceedings included Dr. Javed Jamil, (Thinker, Writer & Author from New Delhi); Maulana Abrar Ahmed Islahi (Muslim World League, Makkah); Mohammad Raphy, (Executive Secretary, India 2047 Project under the banner of Empowerment India Foundation, New Delhi); Maulana Syed Sharafat Ali Nadwi (Taj-ul-Masajid, Bhopal) and Ahmed Ali (secretary, Education, JIH, MP) Arif Aziz, (Senior journalist, Bhopal); Thouseef Madikeri, (National secretary Students Islamic Organisation, SIO); Kaleem-ul-Hafeez (Dr. Mumtaz Education Society, Uttar Pradesh); Dr. Idrees Qureshi (president, Muslim Education Society, (MES), UP);Dr. Mohammad Ahsan (Director, Regional Centre of MANUU, Bhopal); Dr. Mehruddin(Delhi); Tariq Azam (Malaysia); Prof. Shama Niyazi, Barkatullah University, Bhopal); Aalima Dr. Haleema Sadia (Principal, India International School, Sharjah, UAE), Mamdooha Majid, (secretary, AIEM); Prof. Asfa Yasin, Central Institute of Vocational Education, Bhopal etc.
Help India!

Bhubaneswar: As many as 57 Maoist supporters, including 25 women, surrendered before Odisha Police on Sunday, taking the total number of those who have surrendered in the last one week to 315.

These 57 sympathisers belong to Tamuda village in Malkangiri district.

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A total of 315 Maoist supporters have given up violence and surrendered in the past seven days, Malkangiri Superintendent of Police Mitrabhanu Mohapatra said on Sunday.

The rebels who surrendered today (Sunday) include 11 armed militia and two village committee members. The Maoist supporters were working for Kalimela Dalam of the Communist Party of India-Maoist, the police officer said.

He said the surrendered Maoist supporters will be rehabilitated as per the state government policy.

Notably, 19 Maoist sympathisers, who were members of Darwa division of the outlawed CPI-Maoist, surrendered on Saturday.


Help India!

By Anayat Ali Shah,

Fitoor, released on February 12, an Indian adoption of Dickens novel Great Expectations, set amidst in the disputed territory of Kashmir. It starts in a snowy wintry, Chilaikalan, somewhere in the Dal Lake, a humble orphaned thirteen year old boy Noor Nizami, (Pip) encounters an injured man (Magwitch), who looks very scary and asked him to bring some food and warm clothes for him. The man is depicted as an atanqwadi (terrorist) who escaped from an army encounter somewhere near the border and was hiding himself from their sight.

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Noor is an apprenticed to his brother-in-law, who is an artisan, dealing with walnut Kashmiri arts. He is brought to Begam Jans (Miss Havisham) mansion where he meets a girl about his age, Firdous (Estela), who was very pretty and seemed very proud. Noor instantly falls in love with her and loved her throughout the story. He then meets Begam Jan, a willowy, yellowed middle aged woman dressed in fancy wedding clothes. Begam Jan seems getting pleasure while Firdous insults Noor for his dress and his broken boots.

Noor is insulted, but thinks there is something wrong with him. He vows to change, to become uncommon and a gentleman. Begam Jan, was enjoying the ill treatment that Noor received from Firdous, she once said to him, Firdous ko hasil karana hai to pehley uskey qabil bano. Meanwhile, Noor dares to dream of becoming a gentleman and one fine morning under sudden and mysterious circumstances, he finds himself in tenure of great expectation in the form of art scholarship and moves to Delhi. He was in the notion that it is Begam Jan, who is his secret benefactor as she intends for him to marry Firdous. In this gripping tale of Love, deception, revenge and reward the compelling characters like run off rebel, real benefactor of Noor; Firdous, whose beauty is excelled only by her haughtiness; and the embittered Begam, an eccentric jilted bride, whose motive is to take revenge as she has been jilted in her youth and are unable to come out from the same. Noor encounters Firdaus again in Delhi, but this time she is engaged to Bilal, a Pakistani diplomat. However, Noors feelings have not changed and the relationship goes on. Noors success in his career changed the initial reluctance in Begum. However, she was still adamant that Firdaus should marry Bilal because she wants to feel the same pain of deception in Noors heart. Noors love for Firdaus tote all the hardships and complex emotions and succeeds at the end.

Firdous, narcissistic character, subvert the notion of true love and serves a bitter criticism against the class system in which she is mired. Brought up by Begam to torment men and break their hearts. She wins Noors deepest abiding love by practicing deliberate cruelty. She is cold, cynical and manipulative. In the midst of all this drama, Kashmir Conflict has been again misinterpreted by showing that Kashmiri youth wants to make their future and the freedom sentiment is nothing but a hurdle against the same. At the auction party, while Bilal along with Firdous about to leave, Noor shouted at him repeatedly, dood mango gey to kheer dengey, Kashmir manggo gey to cheer dey gey (if you would ask for milk , we will provide you Kheer, but if u would ask Kashmir, we will tear you apart). Noors sister died in the bomb blast when he was still thirteen and during the burial ceremony he run away and directly went to Begams house to come out from the grief. But, Begam in a sadistic tone says, she has sent Firdous to London for studies, and insulted his innocent feelings again.

Landscape in the movie is what defines Kashmir, winter, snowfall and tall Chinars in the month of October with crimson red leaves. The moment I saw the Chinar leaves spreading on earth it reminds me of the Persian poet, who once visited Kashmir and after seeing the red leaves of Chinar, he abruptly uttered, che naar ast (what kind of fire it is?) and afterwards this gigantic tree of love gets its name Chinar. Moreover, the hair of grownup Firdous is also depicted red and one may ask the same question what kind of fire it is that Bollywood is creating through freak stereotypes. With the release of Haider, Indian cinema has at least broken off the traditional and conventional images.

But, this Alice- in-Wonderland delusion type movies, like, Fitoor affects not just those who are unaware about the problem of Kashmir Conflict, but even the glut of stereotypes that abound in Indian Film Industry.

(Author is a Ph.D. Research Scholar, MANUU, Department of English, HYDERABAD. He can be contacted- [email protected])
Help India!

By Darrow Leo, Twocircles.net

If you live in a city and voted Narendra Modi in 2014, good chances are that you are not too pleased with the latest budget presented recently in the Indian Parliament.

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The BJP-led coalition government has caught both its admirers and critics off guard by announcing major economic incentives for Indias rural electorate in the coming financial year, while somewhat ignoring the urban voter.

On top of no new significant initiative to drive investment in cities, the government plans to increase the tax on cars, mobile phones and computers, the symbols associated with the booming middle class largely residing in cities.

A proposal to tax the job savings of public and private sector employees drew flak from some sections of loyal BJP voters, mostly the salaried middle class. The proposed tax was withdrawn for reconsideration after the backlash.

The approval of urban voters was the main reason behind Prime Minister Narendra Modi managing a sweeping win in the 2014 national election. Around 42 percent of the people among those living in cities voted BJP, compared to its overall voteshare of 31 percent at national level.

The cities are where the BJP has found a loyal following since rising to prominence in the national politics in the 1990s.

The partys activities in the villages and small townships have been mostly controlled by allied Hindu groups, notorious for moral policing and sponsoring anti-minority events. In some tribal areas and small towns, there have even been reports of BJP-allied groups organising mass conversion ceremonies for pagans and minorities. However, economic welfare hasnt featured much in the BJPs strategy to win over the country people.

But the 2016-17 budget allocation is a tell-tale indication of the push from within the Hindu Nationalist party to build a regional base. The political logic behind this strategy makes complete sense, with 5 Indian states with a combined population of 170 million holding state elections this year. Indias most populous state of Uttar Pradesh is also scheduled to go to polls early next year.

Winning the predominant regional vote in all these states is crucial to BJPs chances of not only winning power in these states, but also control the upper house of the national parliament. Even Tamil Nadu, hailed as the most rapidly urbanising Indian state, had more than half of its population living in villages in 2011.

Sixty-nine percent of Indias population still lived rural in 2014, according to the World Bank, a number powerful enough to explain the partys keenness to expand into the country.

These are the parts of India where socialism of Congress and like minded regional parties has held sway over the years.

And the BJPs political equation with rural India has more or less been the same even after it won power in the 2014 national election. The party fared rather poorly in the last years state poll in the largely backward state of Bihar, winning just 53 of the 158 seats it contested. The result was despite of PM Modi, who is seen a crowd puller, making personal appearances at numerous election meetings in the election lead up.

Much less a vote-winner, the budget strategy to make political inroads into the rural heartland may turn out to be double edged sword for the BJP. It risks upsetting its urban middle class base which may veer toward other parties, who may not see the economic incentive in voting the BJP anymore. The city voters in the past have shown shrewd political discretion like in Delhi, where the BJP returned just 3 candidates to the 70-member state parliament in 2015. Mr Modi campaigned extensively during that pre-election phase, but the voters of the capital territory chose a rookie party over the BJP.

Already, the party is not getting favourable press these days because of whats being viewed as governments increasing interference in university administration and attempts at controlling dissent in popular culture.

Though still the most popular party with a supremely popular leader, the last thing the BJPs strategists would want is alienating the loyal urban voter.

(Darrow is a Melbourne-based freelancer who publishes on South Asian politics and culture. He grew up in Delhi and aspires to return to his hometown soon.)


This blogs provides a medium for students from UBC Okanagan - School of Nursing to critically reflect on their experiences each year in Mongu, Western Province, Zambia.
Report Links Chinese Criminal Underworld and Macau Casinos

March 13 2016 Jason Glatzer

Casinos in Macau have been experiencing a steady decline in revenues for almost two years. One of the reasons is the decline in business generated from gambling junkets which attracted high rollers that contributed a large percentage of the overall revenue.

A recent report by University of Hong Kong sociologist T. Wing Lo and Department of Applied Social Sciences researcher Sharon Ingrid Kwok published in the British Journal of Criminology, titled Triad Organized Crime in Macau Casinos: Extra-Legal Governance and Entrepreneurship opinionated that the Chinese criminal underworld dominates the activity of the gaming junkets. The report validates suspicions that many have publicly suggested over the years related to ties between triads and casinos in the largest gaming hub in Asia.

Research for the report, which included 17 interviews with triad members, VIP operators, police, and mainland officials, along with visits to VIP rooms, took place over two-and-a-half years between 2012 and 2015.

The main conclusion from the study is: "The VIP-room operations are still dominated by triads to date. But they have readjusted their traditional intrusive role and reinvented harmonious business strategies to suit the market reality."

Furthermore, the study states that much of the income generated by the triads is related to the VIP activity taking place in many of the biggest casinos in Macau.

Macau casinos have begun to focus more and more on their mass-market business catered to everyday players in order to diversify away from income being driven primarily from its VIP rooms. That being said, the VIP business is a major driver not only to the Macau casinos themselves, but the parent companies that run them which own casinos in other locations around the world, including the gaming capital of the world, Las Vegas.

Macau Gaming Watch highlights how the junkets and VIP operators are dominating the income streams in the city's casinos in a report titled Wynn Macau Junkets & VIP Operators.

The report explains that even when removing "commissions and discounts," that 56 percent of total revenue generated by Wynn Macau during 2014 was generated via VIP gaming and accounts for 39 percent of the parent company's overall revenue.

This figure, however, isn't all related to external gaming junkets as the casino operates its own internal junket as well. In October 2013, a Wynn Resorts official testified to the Massachusetts Gaming Commission that the internal junket is quite extensive, employing "about 215 people internally" and "six international marketing offices that recruit customers and bring them to our property."

Casinos continue to deny that they are aware of the criminal underworld's involvement in the gaming circuit. Additionally the South China Morning Post reported that Macau's Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau also claimed they are unaware of triad involvement.

"So far, we have not verified any triads selected by casinos or working with junkets," the Bureau stated.

However, the British Journal of Criminology report suggests, this is not the case. The report went on to state that some casinos would seek out the most powerful triads as managers of VIP activities.

Millions Stolen from Gaming Junket Last Year

In September 2015, Bloomberg Business, Daiwa Capital Markets analysts, led by Jamie Soo, issued a report stating that millions of dollars were stolen by Dore Holdings, a junket working inside the Wynn Macau. Stock prices tumbled as the amount stolen was reported to be anywhere from HK$200 million ($25.8 million) to HK$2 billion ($258 million).

The impact brought the junkets back into the spotlight, as Dore Holdings was reported to operate at least 25 of the VIP tables at the casino, or more than five percent of the 461 total tables the casino operates, according to its latest filing.

*Image courtesy of The Times.

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Sharelines A report from the British Journal of Criminology links Chinese triads to gaming junkets in Macau.
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.
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THAAD seeking a hare in a hen's coop Updated: 2016-03-12 09:37 By Zhou Bo(China Daily)

A Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) interceptor is launched during a successful intercept test, in this undated handout photo provided by the US Department of Defense, Missile Defense Agency. [Photo/Agencies]

Let's face it, in the wake of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea's fourth nuclear test and launching of a satellite, it is difficult to dissuade the Republic of Korea from taking measures to beef up its military for self-defense. But deployment of the Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense system is not a good option.

The THAAD is an anti-ballistic missile system of the United States Army designed to shoot down short, medium and intermediate ballistic missiles in their terminal phase using a hit-to-kill approach. The Korean Peninsula is only 1,100 kilometers long and Seoul only 40 km from the demilitarized zone. So most, if not all, of the DPRK's missiles targeting the ROK can only be short-range ballistic missiles with a maximum range of 1,000 km.

The threats from the DPRK to the ROK are not primarily the short-range missiles of the DPRK, just like the THAAD is not primarily designed, if at all, to shoot down missiles flying at low altitude. The missile threat from Pyongyang to Seoul essentially comes from KN-02, Hwasong-5 and Hwasong-6 with ranges from 160 km to 500 km.

If the DPRK missiles carry conventional warheads, the threats from them would not be greater than the Scuds that were fired sporadically and inaccurately by Iraq into Israel during the Gulf War. And the ROK already has Pac-2 deployed against them. Also, it has been developing its own missile-defense system. Besides, the ROK military, thanks to its alliance with the US military, won't wait to fire back until the DPRK fires all its missiles.

Contrary to what the ROK's Ministry of Foreign Affairs has said, a scenario of the DPRK launching a nuclear attack against the ROK is next to impossible in the near future.

Even if the DPRK has short-range nuclear missiles, as it is claiming now, a successful nuclear strike by Pyongyang and successful interception by THAAD from the ROK would still cause unbearable damage to both sides because of the geological proximity between the DPRK and ROK, and the lingering radioactive dust would make either side's victory meaningless.

Such short-range missiles don't appear to be a priority for the DPRK. Its focus is on improving the capability of its nuclear bombs as demonstrated by its fourth underground nuclear test on Jan 6, and developing intercontinental ballistic missile capability as shown by its satellite launch on Feb 7. Most probably the DPRK launched the satellite to test the range of the missiles - whether they would reach continental US, in order to create maximum panic among Americans and thus increase its bargaining chips.

The real lethal weapons of the DPRK are its long-range artillery pieces - Koksan 170 mm howitzers and 240 mm multiple rocket launchers - that are capable of bombarding Seoul, a city of over 10 million people. Indeed it is not rare to hear from Pyongyang how its massive and preemptive strike could turn Seoul into "a sea of fire". Admittedly, no defense systems including the THAAD would be able to shield off a shower of artillery shells in such a doomsday scenario.

Citing the need to defend against the DPRK's missiles with the THAAD is either a sign of paranoia that has hijacked people in the ROK or a deliberate play of security populism to pacify people or, more likely, a bit of both. But it comes at financial and political costs, too.

Financially one battery of the THAAD system consists of a launcher, interceptors, a fire control and communications unit, and an AN/TPY-2 radar, and costs about $1 billion. This is more than the $866.5 million the ROK government paid in 2014 for the 28,500 US troops stationed on its soil.

ROK defense officials have said at least two THAAD batteries are needed to thwart missile attacks from the DPRK. But who is going to pay - Washington or Seoul? Why the US if the ROK is free rider? And why the ROK if it is, as claimed, meant more for the protection of US troops? This has been a hot-button issue in recent years.

Politically, the installation of THAAD in the ROK will surely be taken by the DPRK as provocation and accelerate the vicious cycle of action versus reaction.

Moreover, the move has already drawn strong protests from China, which believes THAAD, if deployed, will be integrated into the US missile defense network in East Asia and affect its security interests. Russia, too, believes it will destabilize the strategic equilibrium in the region.

The deployment of THAAD on the Korean Peninsula can only set a bad example, of how anger and angst can overpower and replace rational response. It is like seeking a hare in a hen's coop.

The author is an honorary fellow with the Center of China-American Defense Relations, Academy of Military Science. Courtesy: chinausfocus.com
FDNY learning Mandarin Updated: 2016-03-14 04:54 By HEZI JIANG(China Daily USA)

A class of New York City firefighters, EMTs and paramedics participate in a Mandarin language class leading by Lily Cheung at an old Brooklyn firehouse on March 10. Initiated by FDNY's Phoenix Society, a group of Asian-American first responders, it's the first language program ever funded by the New York City Fire Department Foundation.Photo/China Daily by HEZI JIANG

Lieutenant Charles Flores has been learning to cook Chinese since he was 15. At 60, the emergency medical worker has signed up for an even bigger challenge: learning to speak Chinese.

Every Thursday, Flores and a handful of other New York City firefighters, EMTs and paramedics gather at an old Brooklyn firehouse to tackle Mandarin one word at a time.

Ni you yige mao ma? (Do you have a cat?) Flores asked his classmate during the class on March 10.

Mei-you, (No), his colleague answered, then turned and asked the next student if he had an older brother.

The group meets two hours a week, led by Lily Cheung, a China-born software engineer. She encourages students to learn by speaking out loud.

To understand the languages structure, students practiced by arranging an English sentence in Mandarin sequence.

Susan and I will watch a movie in Brooklyn tomorrow becomes Tomorrow I and Susan in Brooklyn watch a movie.

Flawless, Cheung said again and again.

Started by the FDNY's Phoenix Society, a group of Asian-American first responders, the class is the first language program ever funded by the New York City Fire Department Foundation.

New York City has the largest Chinese population of any city outside of Asia. With about 420,000 people speaking Mandarin. It has become the second-most used non-English language after Spanish, according to the Census Bureau's American Community Survey.

The main purpose of the program is to better serve non-English speakers in the Chinese community, and the organizers hope to expand the classes into other Chinese dialects and Asian languages in the future.

There are only about 120 Asian Americans among the FDNYs 10,200 firefighters, said Lieutenant Steven Lee, president of the Phoenix Society, who is also a student in the class.

Probably only 40 of them are Chinese. And how many of them are fluent in the language?
'Flexibility vital' to solve nuclear issue Updated: 2016-03-09 08:19 By Zhang Yunbi(China Daily)

Maintaining stability on the Korean Peninsula is a priority as a renewal of negotiations is sought, says foreign minister

China is displaying flexibility on resolving the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue, according to experts, while Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Beijing is "open to any initiatives" that could help bring the issue "back to the negotiating table".

At a news conference on Tuesday in Beijing during the annual two sessions, Wang said that those involved "have also suggested some ideas, including flexible contacts allowing three-party, four-party or even a five-party format".

Foreign Minister Wang Yi, speaking about the Korean Peninsula during a wide-ranging news conference on Tuesday. Photos by Feng Yongbin / China Daily

After the Democratic People's Republic of Korea conducted a nuclear test and a rocket launch earlier this year, China called for an easing of tension and a restarting of the Six-Party Talks.

Wang said UN Security Council Resolution 2270, which recently expanded sanctions against the DPRK, must be implemented in its entirety. He also said sanctions are necessary and "maintaining stability is the pressing priority, and only negotiations could provide a fundamental solution".

The Six-Party Talks on the peninsula nuclear issue - involving China, the DPRK, the United States, the Republic of Korea, Russia and Japan - were launched in 2003 but stalled in 2008.

Ruan Zongze, vice-president of the China Institute of International Studies, said Wang's latest response "shows both a sense of duty and flexibility", because "no matter what the format of contacts will be, the goal is to achieve negotiation and avoid war".

Ruan said that one of the implied messages is that "Pyongyang should be part of the expected contacts because such contacts without the DPRK will be of no use".

ROK President Park Geun-hye has called for five-party talks, without the DPRK, and Ruan said "other parties should encourage the DPRK to get back to the table".

"Currently, the most demanding task is to secure stability, as the DPRK has responded fiercely to the UN resolution, while the US and the ROK are conducting more military drills on the peninsula," Ruan said.

Huang Youfu, a Korean studies professor at Minzu University of China in Beijing, said the greater flexibility is producing space for China and other parties as well.

Success in resuming negotiations on the nuclear issue will depend on the attitudes of Pyongyang, Washington and Seoul, Huang added.

When asked about recent China-DPRK ties, Wang said Beijing "will not accommodate" Pyongyang's pushing its nuclear and missile programs, while Pyongyang's need for development and security will be supported.

"China and the DPRK enjoy a normal state-to-state relationship with a deep tradition of friendship," the senior diplomat said. "China both values friendship and stands on principles."

zhangyunbi@chinadaily.com.cn
China, Russia support resumption of Six-Party Talks, promise more efforts Updated: 2016-03-13 07:11 (Xinhua)

Russian President Vladimir Putin (R) shakes hands with visiting Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi during their meeting in Moscow, capital of Russia, on March 11, 2016. [Photo/Xinhua]

MOSCOW - Both China and Russia pursue the denuclearization on the Korean peninsula, and support the resumption of Six-Party Talks with commitment to making new efforts to that end, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said here Friday.



"The United Nations Security Council Resolution 2270 should be fully implemented, which would, on the one hand, block further development of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea's (DPRK) nuclear programs, and on the other, should not have impact on its people and humanitarian need," Wang said at a press conference after meeting with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov.



Actions should be avoided to intensify tensions on the Korean Peninsula, and efforts should be made to resume the Six-Party Talks, which are important contents in the resolution and also commitments of all the members of the United Nations Security Council, Wang noted.



There should be no alternative to the UN Security Council resolution, said Wang, adding that any unilateral sanctions beyond the resolution, since without authorization from the UN Security Council and short of international consensus, should be cautiously considered, while all parties involved should exercise restraint to prevent the situation from spinning out of control.



Wang stressed that China's proposal of promoting peace mechanism alongside the denuclearization process indicates its responsible position of not giving up negotiations, which is also part of the implementation of the resolution.

"Any sides with different ideas should speak out their own suggestions, and China is ready to listen to voices from other sides in working out the detailed and practical schemes concerning the nuclear issue," said Wang.



Commenting on the possible deployment of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD), a US Army anti-ballistic missile system, in South Korea, the two foreign ministers shared the opinion that it is far beyond the defense needs in the region. They believed that the deployment of THAAD would sabotage regional strategic balance and lead to an arms race.



The Six-Party Talks, involving China, the DPRK, the United States, the Republic of Korea, Russia and Japan, was designed to facilitate a peaceful solution to nuclear non-proliferation on the Korean Peninsula.

The talks were suspended in late 2008.



The UN Security Council unanimously adopted resolution 2270 on the DPRK on March 2 that, in reality, cuts off the country from any means to develop its nuclear and missile programs.
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Hanoi, March 12 (VNA)  The Party Central Committee closed its second plenum in Hanoi on March 12 following three working days.



After giving opinions on the governments reports and the meetings agenda, the Committee unanimously adopted a resolution.



In his closing remarks, Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong said that the Committee generally agreed with the draft working agenda for the 12 th tenure, saying that it covers important issues with a view to successfully realising the Resolution adopted by the 12 th National Party Congress.



Specifically, the agenda sets the goal of continuing to accelerate the implementation of a resolution on Party building set by the 11 th Party Central Committees fourth plenum, building a really strong political system, streamlining personnel in public administration, renewing the Party leadership, fighting corruption and wastefulness, and restructuring the economy, including State-owned enterprises, commercial banks and credit institutions towards improving economic growth and labour productivity.



On the 2016-2020 socio-economic development plan, the Party leader said the Committee gave the nod to proposals mentioned in the governments report and offered more suggestions to the scheme to submit to the 13 th National Assemblys 11 th session for adoption.



It pressed forward refining the mid-term State finance-budget plan and the mid-term public investment plan to submit to the 14 th NA for consideration.



According to Party General Secretary Trong, participants underscored the need to prioritise investment in agriculture, farmers and rural areas; overhaul the public administration sector and administrative procedures; and improve business environment.



Other concerns include dealing with high budget overspending, bad and public debts amid the volatilities in the global financial-monetary markets, mitigating the adverse impacts of climate change that has led to severe saltwater intrusion in the Mekong Delta and drought in the south central region and the Central Highlands, and environment pollution and traffic congestion in cities and major urban areas.



Building and realising the five-year public investment scheme will present a panorama of public projects and State budget balance between 2016-2020, they said.



The Committee requested that annual, mid-term and five-year socio-economic development plans must be in line with the guidelines and viewpoints of the 12th National Party Congress, as well as the conditions of each locality and sector.



It also urged developing action programmes for implementing the policies and the guidelines of the Party and the State, as well as making revisions if necessary.



Participants also discussed and reached consensus on personnel arrangements for State agencies, in a bid to ensure the timely implementation of the Resolution adopted at the 12th National Party Congress.



The Committee cast votes for nominees to such key positions as President, Prime Minister, and Chairman of the National Assembly.



Party chief Nguyen Phu Trong said that the Politburo had earlier sought consensus from the Party Central Committee on these key positions before submitting its personnel options for other posts to be elected or approved by the National Assembly, in accordance with the current Constitution and law.



Based on the Committees nominations and voting results, the Politburo will instruct authorized agencies to continue refining the nomination list for leading posts of State agencies before submitting it to the NA, he said.



After the meeting, we will continue consolidating leading positions in agencies of the Party Central Committee and Party delegations to areas where personnel changes will be made, he said, stressing the urgent need to directing the building of action plans to realise the Resolution of the 12th National Party Congress in combination with implementing socio-economic, national defence-security and foreign relations tasks.



Thorough preparations will be made to successfully conduct the election of deputies to the 14th NA and Peoples Councils at all levels for the 2016-2021 tenure, he reaffirmed.

VNA/VNP




CAN THO  Proper irrigation, including the use of alternative wetting and drying methods, will help protect crops during the ongoing drought and saline intrusion in Cuu Long (Mekong) Delta.

Speaking during a seminar, experts from the regional Research Institute for Climate Change and the German Hanns Seidef Foundation gathered on Friday in southern Can Tho City.

They noted that severe prolonged drought and saline intrusion were endangering large crops in the delta, and they called upon farmers in affected areas to use essential irrigation techniques to minimise the damage to crops.

After discussing the estimated water level needed for specific plants and water-saving procedures, the agriculture scientists suggested a variety of irrigation methods, including the alternate wetting and drying (AWD) technology, which they said Mekong Delta farmers can use to reduce the amount of irrigation water needed in rice fields without decreasing yields.

Institute Deputy Director Le Anh Tuan said irrigation in agriculture was essential, due to the increasingly severe saltwater intrusion. He noted that famers might ensure equal distribution of water for crops to reduce water losses and maintain the fertility of the farm land.

Associate Professor Chau Minh Khoi from Can Tho Universitys department of agriculture and applied biology suggested applying the AWD measure as an economical rice cultivation method.

Khoi said this would help save 9.9 to 19 per cent of needed water, adding that it would not affect grain productivity or increase land salinity.

In the region, the ratio of water used in agriculture was over 70 per cent, while in industry and local daily activities it was 22 and 10 per cent, respectively, according to the scientist.

The Mekong Delta is Viet Nams rice bowl, an agricultural wonder that churns out 40 per cent of the countrys entire agricultural production from just 10 per cent of its total land mass.

Farming has been the backbone of the countrys economic growth and stability over recent decades and the Mekong Delta is an important factor in its food programme. But climate change is threatening the nations agricultural output, as well as all other economic activities in the country.

In the Mekong Delta, floods during the June to November rainy season seem to have become more devastating, while seawater intrusion during the dry months from December to May has worsened.

Water-saving agricultural practices are thus expected to become increasingly adopted by farmers in the region, which is one of the most important rice-producing areas in the world, with typically three yearly irrigated rice crops.

AWD practices are commonly used as a water-saving practices in Asian farming.

When using wetting and drying techniques, fields are managed as irrigated lowland rice, while the top soil layer is allowed to slightly dry before irrigation is again applied.

The number of days under non-flooded soil conditions can vary depending upon plant development stages and the availability of water. --VNS
Record-holder: Bai inh Pagoda in Ninh Binh Province, which is famous for the countrys longest corridor with 500 Arhat statues, has attracted tourists from around the world The Mother Goddess religion, considered to be Viet Nams oldest religion, is rising in popularity. Each year, tens of thousands flock to the Phu Day festival in Nam inh, a traditional event that is being promoted by the Viet Nam National Commission for UNESCO in hopes of developing spiritual tourism in the country. The recent cold rains of early spring couldnt make the Phu Day Relic Complex any cooler as hundreds of people, including locals and foreign diplomats in Viet Nam, gathered to watch a hau ong performance. As usual, the spiritual trance ritual of the Mother Goddess worship takes place at the temple amidst a very solemn atmosphere. Colourful offerings and flickering candles transform the main sanctuary into a splendid stage, combining with now high and then low music to welcome the spirits. The chosen medium seems to become a different person as he or she gives voice to the deities spirits. Thanks for offering me the opportunity to discover this great and very original ritual. It is an honour for us to come to this sacred place to watch such a solemn yet joyful ritual, where the gods are incarnated in mediums to shower blessings on the followers, said Venezuelan Ambassador Jorge Ronzon Uzcategui about watching a hau ong performance for the first time ever at the Phu Day complex in the northern province of Nam inh, after 10 years of serving in Viet Nam. Holding flowers offered by the medium, the ambassador and other diplomats swayed along with the rest of the audience to the joyful melodies of the trance-like singing and dancing. Twenty-two foreign ambassadors, fifty representatives of embassies in Viet Nam, and researchers took part in a two-day cultural and religious tourism tour to discover the three religions of Viet Nam: ao mau, or Mother Goddess worship, Catholicism, and Buddhism. The tour, organised by the Viet Nam National Commission for UNESCO, began at the Phu Day relic complex, the birthplace of the hau ong ritual of the Mother Goddess worship. The Phu Day Complex worships Mother Goddess Lieu Hanh, one of the Four Immortals of Vietnamese legends. The worship of the Mother Goddesses in Viet Nam is considered the countrys oldest belief, predating even the Chinese occupation here thousands of years ago. In the beginning, goddess worship depicted representations of nature, such as the goddess of the earth, water and mountains. Later, princesses, queens and female founders of craft villages were honoured and worshipped as Mother Goddesses by locals. The image of the Mother Goddess is well recognised in Vietnamese spiritual life. The ritual of worshipping the Mother Goddess also reflects the Vietnamese traditions of patriotism and of remembering the source of the water when it is consumed. Fifty genies, historical figures who rendered great service to the nation, are also worshipped by the Mother Goddess religion. Professor Ngo uc Thinh, a leading expert on the Mother Goddess religion in Viet Nam, said the religion was significant because it existed only in Vietnamese tradition. Of the 50 genies, more than 10 were from ethnic minority communities, demonstrating that the Vietnamese people accepted cultural integration even in ancient times. The museum director in Nam inh, Nguyen Van Thu, said the province was considered the largest pilgrimage centre for followers of the Mother Goddesses. More than 20 temples and shrines are scattered throughout the Phu Day complex in Vu Ban District. There are 287 temples, plus vestiges of the belief system, across the province. In recent years, Mother Goddess worship has increased in popularity. The Phu Day festival in Nam inh attracts tens of thousands of followers each year. In 2014, Viet Nam sent documents to UNESCO requesting recognition of Mother Goddess worship as an intangible cultural heritage. The documents are expected to be considered by the UN cultural agency this December. Visibly impressed by the ritual singing and demonstration of Vietnamese culture, Minister Counsellor of Nigeria Bukar Alkali Abdulsalam said he strongly believed the worship should receive the UNESCO distinction. This belief system has great traditional cultural values that show gratitude to ones ancestors, predecessors and national heroes, he said. Theres also perfect harmony between the costumes, music and dance. I am proud to be here where I can learn more about Vietnamese history. Catholicism and Buddhism After visiting the Phu Day complex, the tour continued to the Phat Diem cathedral and Bai inh Pagoda. We want to promote the culture, history and spiritual beliefs of the Vietnamese people to our international friends, said Pham Sanh Chau, secretary general of UNESCO Viet Nam and head of the External Relations Culture Department under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. We visit pagodas and spring festivals to pray for happiness. Peace is our tradition on the occasion of the New Year. On that day, we always hope for the best things. We also want our international friends to know that Viet Nam has special values. Phat Diem Stone Cathedral in Ninh Binh Province is one of the most famous and beautiful churches in the country featuring special architecture that elegantly combines the style of a Western church with that of Vietnamese worshipping buildings. It was designed by a Vietnamese priest, Father Tran Luc, also called Pere Six in French or cu Sau in Vietnamese. It took 24 years to build, between 1875 and 1899. As its name implies, it was built with only stone and wood, which are readily available in the mountains of Ninh Binh. The preparation phase, which mainly involves extracting materials from the limestone mountains, took the locals up to 10 years to finish. The cathedral attracts many visitors, especially during Christmas. Here, visitors can admire the unique architecture and learn more about Catholicism in Viet Nam. Located some 30km from the cathedral, Bai inh Pagoda is a well-known site at the Trang An Scenic Landscape Complex, which was recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2014. Bai inh Pagoda is a cluster of Buddhist architectural structures, consisting of new giant, imposing temples in the newly built area that are similar to the ancient, respected shrines in the old area. The pagoda famously holds eight records: the biggest gilt Buddha Shakyamuni statue in Asia (the 100-tonne statue of Shakyamuni Buddha in Phap Chu Temple); the biggest bronze statue of Buddha in Southeast Asia (the 100-tonne statue of Maitreya Bodhisattva); the countrys largest bronze bell (the 36-tonne bronze bell in the bell tower); the countrys largest pagoda area (539ha); the longest corridor with 500 Arhat statues (two wooden corridors with a total length of 3,400m); the countrys largest number of Arhat statues (500 greenstone Arhat statues); the countrys largest water well (30m in diameter, 6m in depth); and the countrys largest number of Bodhi trees (100 Bodhi trees). Buddhism, the main organised religion of Viet Nam, was first introduced to the country in 111 BC, when the Chinese conquered the Red River Delta. Over the next thousand years, Buddhism fit comfortably into the animist faith of ordinary people and became the dominant popular religion. I can only say one thing: The trip was unforgettable, Russian Ambassador Konstantin Vasilievich Vnukov said. Its great to see Phat Diem Cathedral is well preserved and well-respected by locals and tourists. Bai inh Pagoda and Trang An Landscape Complex are amazing, he said. I will certainly encourage more Russian tourists to come here to witness the cultural and religious richness of Viet Nam. The Russian people are very interested in Vietnamese traditional culture, but so far, they have mostly spent their time on Viet Nams seashore. Encouraging spiritual tourism Based on the positive impressions of the ambassadors and other visitors, the two-day tour to examine three belief systems has proven to be worth including in the spiritual tours offered by travel agencies in the North. Over the last few years, the countrys tourism authorities have considered encouraging spiritual tourism. In 2013, the first International Conference on Spiritual Tourism took place in Bai inh Pagoda. It attracted nearly 400 participants, half of whom came from overseas. The International Conference on Spiritual Tourism for Sustainable Development explored ways in which living culture, traditions and belief systems could be integrated into tourism while respecting the four pillars of sustainability: the environment, economy, society and culture. The conference was an initiative of World Tourism Organisation Secretary-General Taleb Rifai. Rifai had participated in a study tour to Viet Nam in 2012. The tourism sites in Ninh Binh, particularly Bai inh Pagoda, a private-invested work, made a positive impression on him. In her opening speech at the conference, Vice President Nguyen Thi Doan said Viet Nam considered spiritual tourism a kind of cultural tourism and an important factor in strengthening economic growth and boosting patriotism and national unity.

"Viet Nam always encourages and creates favourable conditions for international co-operation in tourism development and for the private sector to participate in developing the industry in general, and spiritual tourism in particular, since cultural belief links the Vietnamese people and their foreign friends," she said.

"Spiritual tourism would only develop in a sustainable way if countries co-operate closely to support each other," she added. Presently, more travel agencies are starting to showcase different tours of pagodas and temples, offering tourists the opportunity to contemplate the beautiful architecture and landscapes and pray for health and happiness. Head of the culture ministrys National Administration of Tourism Nguyen Van Tuan said spiritual tourism reflected the tangible and intangible cultural heritage religious structures and local customs. He said Viet Nam planned to develop a variety of spiritual tourism packages, such as the triangular Ha Noi-Ha Long-Ninh Binh tourism route. Another tour will target the Huong (Perfume) Pagoda (Ha Noi), Bai inh Pagoda and Trang An tourism site (Ninh Binh) and Tran Temple (Nam inh). He said developing spiritual tourism as part of efforts to develop the countrys tourism industry could also help generate jobs for the locals.  VNS
Inventive mind: Luong Minh ong from the central province of Quang Nam checks his multi-functional ploughing machine before heading to the field. - Photo quangnam.gov.vn

Luong Minh ong of the central Quang Nam province has reduced his work load by inventing a more effective, multi-functional plough using old machinery parts.

At midday, Luong Minh ong from the central province of Quang Nam looks back at his field, enjoying a sense of achievement, and comes home for lunch, completely at ease.

Every day, he goes to the farm early in the morning and works there until midday. Thanks to the multi-functional mechanical plough he invented, he can work on a 500sq.m patch of land himself, without needing the assistance of five co-workers as he once did.

For farmers, the mechanical plough is a godsend. It has no engine, weighs some 5kg and looks simple. Its just like bringing a hoe to the field, ong said.

Born in 1956 to a family of poor farmers, his ancestral property is a 2,500sq.m-wide field that requires four people to carefully plough and rake it. The family could not afford to buy a buffalo to pull the plough, so they had to work hard doing it themselves every day.

ong began considering a prototype for a multi-functional plough in 1983. After many days of brainstorming, he tried to make a mechanical plough using old materials he found at home.

The first version of the mechanical plough utilised a broken bicycle for the body and an exploded bomb shell for the ploughshare. Like many other Vietnamese farmers at the time, he took full advantage of artefacts from the war that lay scattered around.

The rudimentary plough helped him work more efficiently. Holding the handlebars, he thrust the machine forward. As the bicycles wheel rolled forward, it pulled the ploughshare, which turned the soil.

He found success with his first mechanical plough in 1986 after many failed experiments.

I picked up some tricks in mechanics when I worked at the communal co-operative, he said.

When I managed to get it right on paper, I still faced many obstacles because the new plough I had made didnt work as I had intended. However, I wasnt discouraged. I tried again many times until I achieved success.

ongs neighbours soon realised that the plough worked more efficiently than a buffalo or human strength. They asked ong to make ploughs for them too.

When the ploughs were finished and delivered to the local farmers, ong faced more obstacles as the ploughshare failed to work well on hard soil.

He continued researching the problem and replaced the ploughshare he had closely welded to the bicycle with a different one.

The replaceable ploughshare in ongs second version worked effectively on different kinds of soil. Farmers could now change the ploughshare according to the condition of the soil.

As time passed, ong added new functions to his machine. He added a tool to make furrows and another to create a track for seeds. He plans to upgrade the machine by adding a box that will scatter seeds automatically with each movement. The box design will allow farmers to adjust the space between the seeds because each plant needs to be grown at different distances from each other.

So with this functional plough, one farmer can break the soil, make furrows and scatter seeds in the tracks simultaneously, he said with joy.

So far, he has produced thousands of ploughs for farmers in neighbouring provinces.

Phan Van Chin, head of the communal Union of Farmers, cant contain his pride when talking about farmer ong.

ong has opened a blacksmith shop to produce ploughs for the next seven years. He has sold some 3,000 multi-functional ploughs to 2,600 farming households in ai Hong Commune.

We are farmers in a poor rural area that lacks modern farming tools and facilities for materials. His inventions help us greatly in growing crops.

Besides the useful plough, ong has also created a tool to help farmers easily apply fertiliser to pineapple plants, reducing injuries caused by the thorns in pineapple clusters.

One version of the mechanical plough utilises a petrol engine to allow farmers to plough wet rice fields.

For his multi-functional plough invention, ong was one of the 62 outstanding farmers honoured in 2013. He also received many certificates and prizes from the Viet Nam Farmers Union and the Viet Nam General Confederation of Labour.

This provides the motivation and encouragement I need to continue creating more useful farming tools, he said. - VNS
Nearly 47 million of India's youth were unemployed in 2011, up from 33.5 million 10 years ago. Around million young Indians are estimated to join the workforce every month. One way - and perhaps the only way - to ensure India's much-talked about demographic dividend does not turn into a demographic crisis is to skill its workforce. A recent report by UK's City & Guilds Group suggests the US will experience a shortfall of 17 million skilled workers, while India will have a surplus of 47 million by 2022. The City & Guilds Group operates in 100 countries and is a charitable organisation committed to promoting skill development. Its group chief executive Chris Jones, who does not have a formal degree himself, was in India and he spoke to Anjuli Bhargava on how skill training needs to be employer-led and financed, and how in the UK skilled workers are present on the boards of some leading corporations. Edited excerpts:



In India, we are talking of trying to skill seven United Kingdoms. The numbers are staggering. What's your advice for India to move ahead on this?



When we came here seven years ago, there was no infrastructure to help develop skills. Now we have the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC), the Sector Skill Councils and indeed a skill development ministry. This is a giant leap forward.

But, I'd like to see an employer-led and employer-owned system here including the cost of training and the onus. Ultimately, it is employers who will be recipients of the investment into vocational education. Whether it is engineers in STEM (a curriculum focusing on four disciplines - science, technology, engineering and mathematics), in construction or any sector. The more that employers can begin to drive the system, the better.

In the UK, for instance, we are introducing a levy. Any employer with 70-100 staff has to pay 0.5 per cent of their gross payroll as a levy towards training their workforce. If they don't use it for that, it goes into a common pool and smaller companies can access it to support their training. One way for the government to reduce their level of funding is to place the burden rightly on employers and industry to contribute in this way.

What about the informal sector, which constitutes the majority? How does one ensure they upgrade their skills to international levels? Can a plumber or an electrician here work or substitute one in the US or the UK?



Our aim is to create that level of transnational standards so that people can genuinely transfer their skills overseas. It is already happening from India to West Asia.

Certification helps. In the oil & gas sector, we have met and certified skilled Indian workers who are leaving for Qatar and Bahrain for engineering-related jobs. Our certification allows portability and mobility.

This is a problem developing around the world. There are lots of degree holders, but technicians and skilled workers are harder to find. We will see great dependency on India to meet this demand.

Earlier, auto companies were primarily looking to source auto components and spares from India. Now, cars are being manufactured here and sent all over the world. Be it Jaguar Land Rover or Suzuki, there is a huge shift. So, it is not only about skilled workers leaving India to work in other countries but also to meet the demands of Make in India that skills training becomes crucial.

Isn't there some social stigma attached to vocational training even today? Parents encourage students to go in for higher studies over vocational studies. Do you see that changing slowly?



This stigma exists all over the world, but things are slowly changing. I have read a newspaper story where a city had advertised for street sweepers and the applications coming in were from graduates, MBAs and so on.

In the UK, 15 years ago, we had a government that said 50 per cent of our youth should go to university. What we saw was the deregulation of the UK university system. This led to a huge growth in the number of universities, graduates and degrees, with little hope of employment.

So you are now seeing a shift back to apprenticeships. You don't have any debt; you have got a job; you are earning; you are learning; and honing your skills. Many of the apprentices work and earn degrees while on the job.

In the UK, we have around 600,000 apprentices joining companies every year. In companies such as BT, you can join as an apprentice at the age of, say, 18 and come out eight or nine years later with an undergraduate and a master's degree, having earned money throughout, and be highly skilled.

Earlier, apprenticeships were in areas such as plumbing, electricians, carpentry and so on. Today, you can do an apprenticeship in paralegal, construction, healthcare, megatronics, sales, marketing, management, etc. You had companies that only recruited graduates and now the same companies only take in apprentices. While many of these apprentices might not have achieved academically, a few years down the line, these might be well be ahead in their careers compared to someone who has gone to university.

BAA (defence company) has more apprentices at board level than degree graduates. According to employee surveys, apprentices have greater loyalty than graduates. And, the staff are economically more valuable to companies if they are apprentices than graduates.

This is not to say all graduates are bad, but I think you are seeing a narrative develop which says that this, too, is a good, legitimate and cheaper pathway to success.
Zelenskys diplomacy masterclass outpacing dour, grey Putin in battle for hearts and minds When Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24 this year, there was no room for jokes or play acting, and Zelensky needed to step up. He did.

Megyn Kelly fires up at Meghan Markle over her deceptive nature Sky News Australia contributor Megyn Kelly has slammed Meghan Markle over her "abject dishonesty" after the Duchess of Sussex took a swipe at Deal or No Deal in her latest podcast episode which featured Paris Hilton.

Boris Johnsons dad tight-lipped on sons potential return Speculation has begun on who could replace Liz Truss in the wake of her resignation, with her predecessor Boris Johnson expected to stand for the Conservative leadership again.
Daylight saving time in effect, mostly

WASHINGTON (AP)  Time to spring into action: Daylight saving time is upon us.

It was probably harder to drag yourself out of bed this morning after losing an hours sleep Saturday night.

But therell be an extra hour of sunlight in the evening.

The time change officially started at 2 a.m. local time today. Its also a good time to put new batteries in warning devices such as smoke detectors.

Theres no time change in Hawaii, most of Arizona, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Guam and the Northern Marianas.

Man arrested after Iditarod crashes

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP)  A man suspected of intentionally driving a snowmobile into teams of two mushers near the front of the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race was arrested Saturday in a Yukon River village.

Arnold Demoski, 26, of Nulato was arrested on suspicion of assault, reckless endangerment, reckless driving and six counts of criminal mischief.

Demoski told the Alaska Dispatch News he had not intentionally driven into the dog teams of Aliy Zirkle and Jeff King, but he had blacked out while returning from drinking in another village.

The crashes killed one of Kings dogs and injured at least two others. One of Zirkles dogs also was injured.

2 prison officials injured in Alabama

ATMORE, Ala (AP)  Inmates set a fire, seized control of a dormitory and stabbed two corrections officials during a violent uprising at a prison in southern Alabama, authorities said Saturday. The riot prompted the governor to repeat an earlier call for measures to modernize the states prisons to make them safer and easier to control.

The William C. Holman Correctional Facility, which serves as the states only execution facility, was on lockdown hours after a riot erupted late Friday. Alabama Department of Corrections spokesman Bob Horton said the prison warden and a corrections officer were stabbed at one of the dormitories at the prison, just outside of Atmore. He said their injuries were not life-threatening.

About 100 inmates were involved, Horton said.

Firefighters rescue window washers

CHICAGO (AP)  Two window washers were rescued after they were left dangling briefly outside a high-rise building in downtown Chicago when part of the scaffolding broke.

Firefighters were called to the scene Saturday when one side of the scaffolding dropped. He says the two men were in harnesses dangling from about the 15th floor.

Firefighters opened part of a window and lowered a rope to the pair, who were pulled inside. The two men were shaken up, but not injured.

The scaffolding company was on the scene trying to determine what went wrong.

Woman takes taxi, tells destination

DENVER (AP)  A Denver woman has been accused of stealing a taxi, but not before she told the driver where she was headed.

The cab driver called police early Friday to say a woman got in his cab and asked to go to a 7-Eleven store.

Police say she then threatened him with a knife, kicked him out of the taxi and took off in the vehicle.

The woman ditched the cab but walked to the convenience store she had initially mentioned. Police said she was arrested there and taken into custody.
The Couriers editorial board is to be commended for its courageous and truthful article Jan. 11 entitled Mideast mess rooted in history, in which you identify some of the historical and religious roots of Muslim violence in the Mideast. Your article helped readers to understand an important aspect of the conflict among Muslim sects; however, many believe it is also necessary to tell what Paul Harvey would have called the rest of the story.

The rest of the narrative includes the recent accounts of Islamic violence against people of other religions, especially Christians, Yazidis, Jews and members of non-Sunni Muslim sects. Therefore, it is critical the public get the rest of the story regarding the horrific genocide the Islamic State is perpetrating against indigenous groups in Syria and Iraq.

According to the Assyrian News Agency (April 14, 2015) more than 500,000 Iraqi and Syrian Christians have fled from their homes to save themselves from being forced to convert to Islam or die at the hands of Islamic State militants. According to World magazine (March 2016), At the time of the ISIS takeover, militants killed or captured thousands of Yazidis and hundreds of Christians. ... They systematically separated young women and teenage girls from their families. They raped the women and girls, many of them repeatedly, before sending them off to Raqqa (Syria) or to other slave markets under ISIS control.

In an Aug. 14, 2015, New York Times article, ISIS Enshrines a Theology of Rape  Enslaving Young Girls, the Islamic State Builds a Vast System of Rape, author Rukmini Callimachi reports on 21 interviews with girls and women who had escaped from sex slavery in the Islamic State. One 12-year-old girl related the following heinous act by her Muslim captor:

In the moments before he raped her, the Islamic state fighter took the time to explain that what he was about to do is not a sin. Because the preteen girl practiced a religion other than Islam, the Koran not only gave him the right to rape her  it condoned and encouraged it, he insisted.

Claiming the Korans support, the Islamic State codifies sex slavery in conquered regions of Iraq and Syria and uses the practice as a recruiting tool, reports the New York Times article.

According to the current issue of World magazine, the entire population of 60,000 Christians in the city of Homs, Syria, has been driven out or killed. Today only 30 Christians remain. The story is repeated in Mosul, Iraq, where a Christian community of 30,000 has been totally displaced; only 68 believers, too elderly to flee, remain in the city.

We are thankful most Muslims in America and the West interpret the Koran allegorically and do not take the exhortations of Mohammed literally. But, the reality in our time is Muslim devotees of ISIS and Al Qaida are following a literalistic and legalistic interpretation of the Koran, which is resulting in the terrors of the ISIS-inspired holocaust against indigenous populations in the Near East, the reinstating of slavery, the publishing of a Muslim theological justification for rape, the beheadings and the burning alive of innocent civilians.

In response, reasonable people are asking, where is the outrage? Where is the cry of injustice from the liberal press? Where is the scream of protest from women who are clamoring for positions of power? Where is the sentence of condemnation from peaceful Muslims in the United States? Where are the posters of protest from civil rights groups and liberal Christian churches?

Where? Where? Where?
its a blog about my life. I can tell whatever I want to
By The Associated Press Mar. 11, 2016 | 05:43 PM | FRANKFORT, KY

Democratic House Speaker Greg Stumbo says the House will reject Gov. Matt Bevin's mid-year budget cuts to colleges and universities.

Bevin has proposed cuts of 4.5 percent in appropriations to state college and universities. This week, Morehead State University announced it would put its staff on five days of unpaid furlough to help make up the cuts, which amount to $1.9 million for the school.

Stumbo told reporters Friday the university might want to reverse that decision once it sees the spending plan the House is scheduled to approve next week. Morehead State Chief Financial Officer Beth Patrick said the university is monitoring the budget talks and will plan accordingly.

Bevin has said he will not sign a budget that does not include the cuts to colleges and universities.
When your brand is predicated on demagogic rage well, stay classy, eh? It seems the inmates are running the asylum .

Despite the best efforts of Marco Rubio and others on the Far Right to profit from the chaos, theres simply no credible way to blame The Black Guy in the White House  or the Left for the now-common violence at Trumps rallies . You broke it, you bought it.

CHICAGO  A Donald Trump rally that attracted thousands to the University of Illinois at Chicago was abruptly canceled Friday night amid his campaigns security fears, sparking shouting and scuffling between the candidates fans and anti-Trump protesters. Chicago police said two officers were hurt , including one who was struck on the head with a bottle. At least two other people were taken to a hospital with minor injuries, according to news reports . Five people were arrested. The rally was called off about a half-hour after the scheduled 6 p.m. start time, after thousands of Trump fans and anti-Trump protesters packed into the free event, which required online registration. Thousands more gathered outside, surrounded by a police perimeter, and people became more vocal as the starting time approached. Chaos broke out when the cancelation was announced, according to media reports from inside the pavilion.

(Authors note: I made a commitment a few weeks ago to not write about Donald Trumpwhich I fully intended to stand by. The passage of time has made it clear that for someone with an interest in national politics, this is an impossible pledge to keep. Though I loathe everything Trump stands for, the fact remains that he and his followers ARE the story these days. Its impossible to write about the 2016 Presidential campaign without mentioning Trump. That said, as much as I abhor the coarseness Trump has brought to the process, I simply cant ignore his impactwhich, to be honest, I wasnt doing very well, anyway. I eagerly await the day when I can return to assiduously ignoring him.)

The rally quickly devolved into chaos after the cancellation was announced. Tonights rally will be postponed, a Trump campaign staffer announced, as a sea of protesters celebrated and tore apart Trump signs inside the university pavilion. Chicago police said in a statement they played no part in the decision and were working with university police and the Secret Service to protect peoples First Amendment rights and ensure everyone is able to disperse the area safely.. Disappointed Trump supporters could be heard on video feeds criticizing liberals and Black Lives Matter supporters for the cancellation.

The reaction of many of Trumps supporters was no accident- its indicative of his simplistic, emotional appeal to angry low information White Voters. Its not- as Trump claims- because of thugs. What happened in Chicago- or, even worse, what might have happened had things escalated- is not unique to Chicago. With violence directed at protesters now a common them at Trumps rallies, its not a stretch to hold the candidate responsible for the air of menace and malevolence that follows him wherever he goes. The truth is that Trump eagerly encourages the unrest, even offering to pay the legal fees of his supporters arrested for assaulting protesters.

In the eyes of many observers, Trump is the reincarnation of Benito Mussolini, a modern-day fascist willing to employ whatever means necessary- including violence to seize power. Not to put too fine a point on it, but the comparison is not unwarranted. Id submit that comparison is incomplete without throwing in another Italian demagogue, Silvio Berlusconi.

Trump is aiding and abetting violence and unrest created by Americas deep political divide in his quest for power. This violence is as unsurprising as it is predictable. Given the candidates harsh, divisive rhetoric, and his embrace of White supremacists, hes exploiting an environment singularly ill-suited to compromise and rational discussion. People tend not to think at Trump rallies- theyre prone to reacting. When the candidate implicitly endorses attacking protesters, it speaks to an atmosphere of ill will and intolerance unlike anything Ive known in my lifetime.

What happens when someone is killed at one of Trumps rallies? Thats not a hypothetical question; given the air of malevolence and anger that appears to be the baseline among his supporters, its not a matter of if, but when. Are we headed towards a time when the Republican nominee for President is willing to trade the lives of those he and his supporters consider less than for the honor and privilege of becoming President?

This is not a general trend among Presidential campaigns. Other candidates held peaceful rallies in the Chicago area Friday. The tolerance and implicit encouragement of violence intended to stifle dissent has become characteristic of Trumps rallies. Whether or not youre on board with the comparison to Nazi rallies prior to Hitler seizing power, the end result may well be the same. That the analogy can credibly be made should be distressing enough, especially since Trump will very likely be the GOP standard bearer in the general election.

Congratulations, Republicans; you have only yourselves to blame for this toxic environment. This era of incivility and malevolence didnt spontaneously appear out of thin air; it was created by years of assiduously honing your appeals to the lowest common denominator. Now the party cognoscenti reduced to fretting about what to do about a front-runner who says his supporters will sabotage the election and destroy the GOP if hes not the nominee.

If this kind of violence is happening in March, what can we expect after Labor Day? How long before someone dies at the hands of angry, hateful Trump supporters? Something tells me we wont have to wait long, nor will we have to look far in order to determine whos responsible.
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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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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.
Mar 13, 2016 | By Benedict

An adolescent girl has been given 3D printed tracheal splints to treat a congenital breathing condition called tracheobronchomalacia (TBM). Staff at the University of Michigan used an EOS 3D printer and a biomaterial called Polycaprolactone (PCL) to make the splints.

TBM, a rare condition characterized by flaccidity of the tracheal support, is becoming easier to treat thanks to the work of medical professionals and 3D printing technology. Prior to the surgery on the unnamed adolescent girl, 3D printed splints had been used to treat TBM in the cases of three baby boys and a baby girl, each of whom had their collapsed airways reopened with the 3D printed splints. Dr Glenn Green, a pediatric otolaryngologist from CS Mott Children's Hospital in Ann Arbor, joined forces with Dr Scott Hollister, a professor of biomedical engineering and lead researcher at the University of Michigan, to perform the revolutionary surgery on the girl.

Dr Glenn Green

Green believes that, despite its rarity, TBM deserves scientific attention in order to improve the lives of sufferers: Even if a market is relatively small, it doesnt diminish the human need to be treated, he said. It is estimated that one in every 2,000 children worldwide is affected by this life-threatening condition. When I started designing my own porous scaffolds for anatomic reconstruction, I realized that 3D printing would be ideal for creating the complex geometries I had in mind. It is now pretty automatic to generate an individualized splint design and print it; the whole process only takes about two days now instead of three to five.

When 3D printing objects that will be used in and around the human body, it is important to choose the right printing materials, the level of toxicity in many common printing materials being far too high for medical use. In this case, the surgical team decided to use Polycaprolactone (PCL) for their 3D printed tracheal splints. The material has a long resorption time, which is important because the splints need to last for around two years. It is also ductile and therefore unlikely to damage bodily tissue if it moves out of place.

To create a properly fitting tracheal splint for the patient, the medical team first had to obtain MRI and CT scans to build up an accurate 3D model of her anatomy. Using this data, the team was able to 3D print a tailor-made splint for the girl, designed with a highly compliant, porous structure of interconnected spaces that can expand as the airway matures. The girls splint-supported trachea then got to work straight after the operation.

3D modeling a tracheal splint

Dr Hollister and his colleagues from the University of Michigan used an EOS FORMIGA P 100 3D printer to 3D print the tracheal scaffolds. The printer has been in the universitys possession since 2006, and has been used to aid research into scaffolds and biomaterials. I chose EOS because we were looking for a system that was flexible and allowed us to change parameter settings such as laser power, speed, powder bed temperature and so on, which we needed to do to customize our builds, Hollister explained.

Hollister hopes that 3D printing within the medical world will continue to grow, enabling more patients to breathe easy when difficulties arise. I see a time soon, probably within the next five years, when many hospitals and medical centers will print their own devices specifically for their own patients and not need to get them off the shelf, said Hollister. If we can expand the number of biomaterials used in additive manufacturing, we can tackle a tremendous number of problems in all fields of reconstructive surgery and make enormous strides for the benefit of patients.

The 3D printed splints (above) and a prior beneficiary of the technique

Posted in 3D Printing Application

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Michael Fitzgerald in Nautilus:

At the end of the smash Broadway musical, The Book of Mormon, the protagonist, Elder Price, a zealous young Mormon missionary in Uganda, triumphantly sings, We are still Latter day Saints, all of us / Even if we change some things, or we break the rules. The ribald musical, written by South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone, mocks the Mormon religion and its visionary founder Joseph Smith. At one point Smith has sex with a frog to rid himself of AIDS. The musical gleefully incorporates how the real church will react to it, having an outraged Mormon leader, Mission President, declare, You have all brought ridicule down onto the Latter Day Saints! If the real Mormons feel like Mission President, they arent showing it. Instead the church has consistently bought ad space in cities where the musical has appeared to promote the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and the real Book of Mormon, its sacred foundation. The ads have appeared on a Times Square billboard, around London, and in The Book of Mormon playbills for touring companies, featuring the taglines, Youve seen the play now read the book, and The book is always better. Clearly the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints can take a jokeespecially if it gets people talking about the faith. That the Mormon church appears to be good-natured about a scatological musical might surprise those who associate the church with the squeaky clean image of the Osmond family and Mitt Romney.

The truth is that the Mormon church has always changed with the times. Religions have to mutate if theyre going to survive, says J. Gordon Melton, a religious scholar who founded the Institute for the Study of American Religion. They survive by setting what the anthropologist Roy Rappaport has called ultimate sacred postulates, ultimate truths, and then re-interpreting them over time. Scholars say the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints provides a casebook study of how a religion has thrived by folding its postulates into a social institution that adapts to changing environments. The analogy, they say, can be stretched to science. Religions dont have literal DNA, of course, but they can parallel how species mutate. There are key properties of successful genetic mutations that religions must have to succeed, says Lucas Mix, a researcher at the Haig Lab at Harvard University, who is both an evolutionary biologist and an Episcopalian priest. The properties are inheritance, variation, and selection.

More here.
Like a surfer evading overcrowded tourist surf spots, stolen identity refund fraud, or SIRF, is migrating away from better-protected federal turf and heading to the local point breaks: state income tax refunds.

In 2015, state revenue agencies were flooded with stolen identity tax returnsso much so that they collaborated with the IRS and tax preparation and software companies to implement a few quick fixes to better protect state and federal refunds for the 2016 tax season.

Taxpayers and tax professionals may have already noticed some of these efforts, such as requests for information from state-issued drivers licenses or heavier password requirements and security questions within do-it-yourself tax prep software. But for some states, that wasnt enough. Many went further to establish their own SIRF countermeasures.

What states are doing?

Like the IRS, state tax agencies are employing SIRF-prevention tactics before filing and targeting suspicious returns before issuing refunds. Many states are extending processing times during the 2016 filing season to allow for more filtering of potentially fraudulent returns before issuing refunds. Additionally, here are some specific measures that states are using to fight SIRF:

Identity verification letters. After taxpayers file their state returns but before they receive their refunds, they might receive a letter from their state revenue agency asking them to:

Take an online quiz about themselves to verify their identity;

Go online and enter a PIN from the letter they received to confirm that they filed a return; or,

Submit copies of their drivers license and other documents to the revenue agency to verify their identity.

Receiving a letter like this will generally delay taxpayers refunds, but if taxpayers pass the quiz or enter the PIN promptly, the delay should be minimal, and ultimately it will help ensure that refunds end up in legitimate taxpayers hands.

Mailing refund checks. Sometimes, a bogus tax return looks just like a real one, except for different direct deposit information. So, some states will mail taxpayers a check if their returns look suspect.

Holding all refunds until the state can verify wages. This is a relatively new tactic that Utah legislators first established, and Illinois and South Carolina quickly followed suit. The gist is that these three states held all refunds until March 1, at which point the revenue agencies expected to have received wage and withholding information from employers and compared it to the information on taxpayers returns.

Identity theft indicators on taxpayer accounts. Generally, an indicator on a taxpayers account means that states will closely review every return filed with the taxpayers Social Security number. Some states go big and automatically delay the refund for weeks while they verify the returns legitimacy. Other states go even bigger and require taxpayers with an indicator on their account to file a paper return.

Many states allow taxpayers to proactively request an indicator on their account. But before requesting an indicator, taxpayers should make sure they know exactly what that would mean for filing their state tax return and for any associated refunds.

Alerting taxpayers when a return is filed under their SSN. Alabama and Georgia are innovating new techniques for residents who set up taxpayer accounts with the state revenue agencies. Once taxpayers create an account, they can opt in to receive an alert if the state accepts a return filed with their Social Security number. If taxpayers receive an alert but havent filed yet, they can contact the agency, which will then stop the fraudulent return before issuing the refund.

These are just a few of the tactics that some state tax agencies are putting in place to better combat the rapid proliferation of SIRF. If taxpayers find out that they have already become a SIRF victim, there are several steps they should take.

How to recover from a tax ID theft wipeout

Like a big-wave surfer thrashed by a 25-footer, SIRF victims eventually have to come up for air and get back on the board. The IRS and Federal Trade Commission offer great resources to walk taxpayers through the process of mending their federal tax account and credit record, but state SIRF is less straightforward.

A state SIRF victim not only has to address identity theft and any resulting tax compliance issues in the states where they are required to file a return, but they also have to worry about other states where a fraudster may try to file a bogus return using the taxpayers identity. If that happens, those other states will eventually contact the taxpayer, usually because of compliance issues resulting from the fraudulent return.

State revenue agencies provide various methods to report identity theft at the state level, from online-fillable forms to fraud department phone lines. Its a good idea for taxpayers to start by visiting their state revenue agencys Web site and searching for identity theft. More likely than not, taxpayers will find instructions or a phone number to call. If all else fails, taxpayers should call the general customer service phone line.

Here are the generally recommended steps taxpayers should take when they find out that theyve become victims of identity theft:

File Form 14039, Identity Theft Affidavit , with the IRS.

, with the IRS. File a police report.

File an identity theft report with the Federal Trade Commission.

Check their credit reports for unauthorized activity.

Request a freeze or fraud alert on their credit.

Depending on the state, taxpayers may also need to submit a paper tax return, documents verifying their identity, and a police report. Again, taxpayers should begin the state restoration process by visiting their state revenue agencys Web site.

Coming out the other end of the pipeline

The proliferation of data breaches in recent years has exposed sensitive taxpayer information and left taxpayers vulnerable to a tax identity theft wipeout. However, using available preventative measures and following an informed plan of corrective action in the event of SIRF are important practices for taxpayers to protect their state and federal refunds. And with every tax season, the IRS, state revenue agencies, and the entire tax industry will continue working together to refine strategies to combat the rising tide of SIRF.

Ben Deneka, JD, is The Tax Institutes industry operations liaison, working closely with the IRS and representing H&R Block in various industry associations, including the Security Summit, a government-industry coalition formed to combat stolen identity refund fraud.
Godrej LAL HIT, has unveiled its new edutainment campaign called Super HIT Vacation leveraging topicality of summer vacation as a creative device to engage with mothers and deliver its core message that cockroaches spread food poisoning.

This new creative approach highlights the importance of safe and healthy summer vacations for children to rejuvenate them after gruelling exams. Advent of summer also triggers the invasion of cockroaches in homes from outside but lack of awareness of the consequence  food poisoning, comes into the way of adoption of specialist solution. Mothers rely on their regular cleaning regimen which does not eliminate hidden cockroaches. They contaminate food and utensils leading to food poisoning and ruined vacation of kids.

The campaign underlines the inadequacy of the current cleaning regimen of mothers and urges them to adopt a specialist solution LAL HIT, which kills even the hidden cockroaches with its unique deep reach nozzle.

Super HIT vacation campaign will reach out to mothers across the nation through a mix of press, digital & radio media. The campaign commenced on 7th March in Mumbai & Delhi supported by an on-ground activity and will culminate on 22nd March, 2016.

The campaign started with radio contest and mothers with correct entries were invited to Super HIT Vacation party in Mumbai & Delhi to participate in exciting activities and games like shopping simulations, dumb charades etc. to win prizes. 6 winners from both on-ground and digital contest have been selected for the final round. In the final round a celebrity mom will visit the finalists homes and evaluate them on their preparedness for safe and healthy summer vacations. Winner would get an exciting opportunity to appear on television and win gift vouchers worth Rs.50,000.

The digital leg of the campaign has launched Super HIT Vacation e-contest for netizens to evoke participation and the adjudged winner will win gift vouchers worth Rs.25000.

Sharing his thoughts on the new campaign, Ajay Dang, Head Marketing  Home Care, Godrej Consumer Products Limited said, A mother always wants her children to be healthy and happy and she is absolutely regimental to achieve the same. But lack of awareness that cockroaches pose a serious health hazard coupled with her daily cleaning regimen creates a false sense of security in her mind. Changing habit in low involvement categories like ours requires a compelling and refreshing take on the situation to make consumers acknowledge the need for change.

LAL HIT has leveraged the topicality of summer vacation as a creative device to reach out to mothers and inform them how cockroaches can ruin their vacation plans by spreading food poisoning, when her kids are eagerly awaiting for vacations to unwind post gruelling exams.

The creative line summarizes the key consumer benefit of Lal HIT kuynki garmi ayegi, cockroach layegi.

The campaign urges mothers not to ignore cockroaches this summer and be prepared with a specialist solution - LAL HIT, which kills even the hidden cockroaches with its unique deep reach nozzle. This message will be amplified across India though a 360 media campaign involving press, digital, radio and on-ground activations.
Shop CJ Network Pvt. Ltd.,has announced changes in the leadership team in India, today. Mr. SR Yoon will assume the role of CEO of Shop CJ India, in place of CEO Mr. Kenny Shin, subject to obtaining the necessary approvals from the Government of India. Mr. Yoon, will continue to be based at the headquarters of the parent company CJ O Shopping at Seoul.



After the recent successful forays of Shop CJ-Tamil and Shop CJ-Telugu on 24x7 home shopping channels with specially designed and customized content for Tamil and Telugu speaking population, Mr Kenny Shin, CEO Shop CJ is going back to the parent company CJ O Shopping Co. Ltd., which is in the midst of major overseas expansion. Mr. SR Yoon, will assume responsibilities in his place. "It is undoubtedly very exciting to be in one of the fastest growing markets in the world" said Mr. Yoon who has worked previously with Samsung as CEO Australia and in its marketing division before moving to CJ O Shopping last year.



Commenting on the move Mr. Shin said The last 4 years in India have been excellent for Shop CJ. I have enjoyed my India stint and it was a period of great learning and achievements." Mr Shin has more than 20 years experience in home shopping. He has worked in Korea, US and India. Global giant from South Korea, CJ O follows the policy of rotating its senior leadership assigned with overseas roles. Mr. Shin had been instrumental in driving several strategic initiatives at the company and successfully transforming Shop CJ during his tenure in India.



Shop CJ is slated to achieve more than 900 Crore revenues this fiscal, bettering its earlier estimates of 850 Crore. It started operations six years ago in India. India is one of the fastest growing operations for CJ Network globally.



Further commenting on the appointment, Mr. Yoon said, I am glad at the prospect of spearheading the India operations for the CJ Network. India is an exciting country, a complex market with huge opportunities and interesting challenges. Shop CJ has a more robust strategy, culture and talent in India than ever before, a must for a sustainably fast growing business. With the continuation of strong leadership, we are poised to grow here. My role would be to enhance the opportunities and reduce the challenges. I believe we will be able to ensure and continue our growth in the market while delivering world-class shopping experience to our customers.



Shop CJs COO in India, Mr. Dhruva Chandrie, will now take responsibility for overall operational matters of Shop CJ. Additional to the marketing and operations departments, finance, planning, IT and Ecommerce will also report to him. In addition, Mr. N. Ramakrishnan has decided to step down as the CFO of the company to pursue other interests. The Board has initiated a search to fill the role of CFO and Shop CJ will have a new CFO soon.



Providence Equity Partners Group, investor in Shop CJ, is in full support of the management decisions and is confident on companys accelerating growth in India foreseeing positive outlook in the market.


Responsibility to Protect: A moral case for the U.S and its allies in Libya

Because somebody has to stand up against tyranny and oppressive governments, I disagree with the several African leaders who have parochially condemned the international military coalition aimed at deterring Muammar Gaddafis forces and mercenaries who are violently crushing civil protests against an iron-fisted, corrupt and tyrannical regime in Libya. Agreed, military intervention has its pitfalls, but the chaotic international system needs the services of physical security, commercial regulation, financial stability and legal alternative in a backdrop of universal human rights.








Netizens tweeted that RSS must first change its mindset before replacing their uniform.

The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sanghs (RSS) decision to change its volunteers uniform from khaki shorts to brown trousers has attracted hilarious reaction from twitter users. Many users tweeted that the organization must first change its mindset before replacing their uniform. The #Chaddi-NahiSochBadlo has been trending on twitter as users complimented the person who created it and said that it was one of the best hashtag of 2016. The RSS is the ideological parent of the BJP. Most of the ministers in the cabinet had their political consciousness shaped by the RSS and its affiliates. The organization had taken the decision to replace khaki shorts for attracting young members to the volunteers fold. However, not everyone is reportedly happy with it as senior members of the organisation are keen to continue with the current outfit.

Here are some of the tweets posted by twitterati about the RSSs decision to change its uniform:

Senior Journalist Nikhil Wagle tweeted from his Verified account @waglenikhil.

After 90 years RSS changed their Khaki chaddi. Hope they will change their thinking as well. 

Wagle also criticized the RSSs stand for allowing entry of women in temples all over India. He said that the organization must practice what it preaches. He tweeted, If RSS believes in gender equality why dont they allow women in their organization?

Editor, Sanjay Pugalia hailed the decision taken by RSS to change its dress code and tweeted,Good news! Due to #ChaddiNahiSochBadlo initiative, the textile sector will get a boost & help economic recovery, going by SriSris economics.

Sumit Kashyap who is affliated to Congress party wrote,Realy glad to hear this. Good to see RSS following Congresss suggestion of #ChaddiNahi SochBadlo.

Lawyer Sanjay Hegde said, From Hitlers Brown shirts, to todays Brown pants, hearts & minds dont change.

Vinay Dokania who criticized Sri Sri Ravishankar for his pro Pakistani statements said,Will Modi govt file a case against @srisri for Sedition RashtraDroh 

National Spokesperson of INC, Sanjay JhaOne of the best hashtags of the year 2016. Now #ModiToadies will be jockeying with us . #JustJockeying :-))

Executive Editor, Zakka Jacob @Zakka_Jacob,This is an epic hashtag, irrespective of who came up with it.

Rahul Pandey@Rahul_Pandey_1,The problem is not what they wear, it is their divisive agenda that will not change.

Arun Mysore@arunmsksaid, Changing from Chaddi to Pant cant remove the tag of  Gandhi Murderers for RSS.

RKHURIA@rkhuriasaid, A Sanghi in any dress will be communal, Regressive & Threat to nation.

KilaFateh #INC@KilaFateh,Honestly! From angrezi Chaddhi to angrezi trousers? hoping for something like bhagwa langot! dhoti to soothe itchiness.

Saral Patel, on the other hand, chose to view the development from the mirror of reverse-sexism. Day by day, RSS is becoming more & more regressive. First they had a problem with women wearing shorts & now with men (too), she tweeted.

The decision of changing uniform was taken at the three-day annual meeting of Akhil Bhartiya Pratinidhi Sabha, the highest decision-making body of RSS.

We have decided to replace khaki half pant with brown pant. We are not rigid and take decisions according to the time, Suresh Bhayyaji Joshi, Sar-Karywah (general secretary) of the RSS said.

He said that care would be taken to ensure that the new trousers would be comfortable while doing physical activities.

Loose Khaki shorts have been the trademark of RSS cadres since the organisations inception in 1925. Even though other parts of the uniform have been changed from time to time, khaki shorts remained in vogue till now.

Initially till 1940, the uniform of RSS was khaki shirt and shorts before white shirts were introduced. Leather shoes replaced long boots in 1973 and later rexine shoes were allowed.

However the process of replacing the old with the new will take time. According to Sangh functionaries, there are as over 56,000 shakhas where swayamsevakas come for meetings and drill, and providing new uniforms will be a long-drawn process.
Vijay Mallya, who only away from country has taken social media site help to inform that he is being hunted down by media in UK but he will not speak to them so media should not waste their time on him.

I am being hunted down by media in UK. Sadly they did not look in the obvious place. I will not speak to media so dont waste your efforts, Mallyas said in his tweet early on Sunday morning.

Mallya owes a consortium of 17 public sector banks an amount close to Rs 9,000 crore.

Mallya, 60, took a Jet Airways flight to London on March 2, 2016 as regulators and investigation agencies became aggressive after public pressure increased to recover the loans, for which he stood personal guarantee. Details of his whereabouts in London are not known, but Mallya owns a sprawling villa in the citys outskirts.

The UB Group chairman, who built Indias largest liquor and beer company before he sold majority stake in them to British liquor major Diageo and Dutch beer brand Heineken, respectively to raise funds to run Kingfisher Airlines. In the process, he also gave personal guarantees to banks to raise additional funds.

Yes, there was trouble in the account; the account was already stressed. He wanted another opportunity to try and turn it around. We felt it was right for him to get that opportunity, but just as we risked money, we also asked that he put in a personal guarantee, State Bank of India chairperson Arundhati Bhattacharya said. Thats the reason why we have gone to him and not only after the assets of Kingfisher Airlines, because the guarantee was given by him, a guarantee was given by the holding company. We are going to go for recovery against all three.

SBI leads the consortium of 17 banks that lent Kingfisher Airlines and Mallya funds, before the airline shut in 2012.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED), which is investigating a money laundering case against Mallya, has directed the Rajya Sabha MP to be present before it on March 18. The ED has already questioned Kingfisher Airlines CFO A Raghunathan and UB Group CFO Ravi Nedungadi. EDs case is based on a CBI investigation on a Rs. 900 crore loan given to Mallya by IDBI Bank, despite an internal committee recommending against disbursing the money. CBI had begun looking at the case since August 2014.
There were lots of jokes and humour on social network when RSS declared change in its uniform. Nowadays, even RSS are making bold decisions which were never expected. Their support to womens entry in temples is one of them. They said both men and women should be treated equally; this is very progressive and realistic move by RSS. This is far beyond the conservative thoughts too, as people are projecting the organization as. RSS might be going little liberal looking at peoples disagreement for them. When the question rose about compromising the core ideology of Sangh Parivar in any action of the central government or the BJP, Amit Shah publically announced that government actions will be dictated by the ideology and principles for which the BJP was established and for which thousands of swayamsevaks have laid down their lives. During the three-day RSS Pratinidhi Sabha, Shah made a detailed presentation to the RSS functionaries on the work done by the BJP in the last one year. Shah was flanked by the BJPs National General Secretary for the organisation, Ram Lal, when he spoke to the RSS brass.

Shah started by recounting the major achievements of the Modi government over the last one year. He also spoke about the extensive ideological training programme that is currently underway for BJP workers. The BJP chief also briefed the RSS about the effort being made to build a party office in every district of the country.

Hitting out at the so called pseudo-secularists; Shah described Modi as a champion of nationalism. He emphasised the need for greater synergy between different wings of the RSS and the Modi government and said that every action of the government would be in keeping with the core ideology of the Sangh Parivar. Shah even said the budget proposal to tax Provident Fund was rolled back by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley after feedback was given by the Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh. He asked the RSS affiliates to show patience on contentious issues where they felt the government was not moving with speed. He said that the lack of majority in the Rajya Sabha was holding back some of the steps the government wanted to take and promised that this would get resolved in time to come.

The BJP president also appealed to RSS functionaries to help the party campaign in the forthcoming Assembly elections in five states in April and May. Usually, the RSS is wary of campaigning for regular elections and wants its functionaries to be involved convincing only in exceptional circumstances, like the 2014 general elections. However, Shah is trying to convince the RSS to help them in every election. BJP and RSS both needs each other by their side to survive, elections in UP are core key issue and its a question of BJPs credibility.

There is another major development in RSS and they have broken the nine-decade old tradition. Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh has replaced its khaki coloured knickers with brown trousers as the uniform. The decision was taken at the Pratinidhi Sabha. RSS members said they are not rigid, so changing with time is necessity of the nature. Pants are a regular feature in todays social life, so they took the decision accordingly. For many decades the loose fitting, flappy khaki knickers have been the most visible manifestation of RSS volunteers. A large section of the RSS now feels that the time has come to move on from the khaki shorts but some old timers continue to hold out saying that there is no need to be swayed by fashion trends. Suggestions have come for changing the trademark khaki to blue or grey, keeping in the mind sensibilities of the new generation, which RSS says is flocking to its shakhas. The khaki uniform, the organisation claims, was designed by its first Sarsanghchalak KB Hedgewar, who borrowed it from the Congress Sewa Dal, a Congress sister organisation founded in 1924. In 1930, the black cap was adopted. In 1940, white shirts were introduced as the British banned private institutions from conducting drills as World War II broke out. Later, in early 1970s, high boots made way for leather shoes. The last change came in 2010, when leather belts were jettisoned in favour of canvas belts.

A formal announcement about the decision is made. When the proposal was last debated some 5 years ago, it was rejected by the senior members of the hardcore Hindutva organization. Finally, after the formal announcement, we can say Good Bye knickers and Hello trousers.
Amid ongoing row over the anti-national sloganeering at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), the Art of Living founder Sri Sri Ravi Shankar on Saturday said that Jai Hind and Pakistan Zindabad should go together for peace and development in the region.

The festival witnessed a unique scene, when the slogans of Pakistan Zindabad were shouted on the same podium where Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh was also seated. However, they were soon followed by slogans of Jai Hind.

The exercise was a part of the spiritual Gurus bid to spread a message of peace within the subcontinent, which was also the mantra of religious leaders from both India and Pakistan, who have come to attend the festival to Delhi. The Art of Living founder said on Saturday that Jai Hind and Pakistan Zindabad should go together. Shankar was speaking on the second day of the festival and in the presence of thousands of people as well as prominent religious leaders, including Pakistans Mufti Muhammad Saeed Khan. The common theme of the message of all religious leaders was the importance of tolerance.

After Saeed Khan finished his speech, Shankar said that even Pakistan has been suffering from threats from terrorism, and that India and Pakistan should progress together. Jai Hind and Pakistan Zindabad should go together. It should be a win-win situation for both sides. We should focus on winning and making the other also win, said Shankar. The slogans of Pakistan Zindabad and Jai Hind were heard on the same podium where besides Rajnath Singh, Union External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia were also present.

Singh, Swaraj and Sisodia also addressed the gathering. It is pertinent to mention here that Shankar has gone to Pakistan and also has in the past professed peace between India and Pakistan. A documentary was made on his peace mission in Pakistan by BBC Hindi, wherein he said that he did not feel any different there than India. He said that he had got a warm welcome from the country and was glad to have visited it.
By Congressman Blaine Luetkemeyer, 3rd District of Missouri

Whenever I meet with farmers and ranchers, I remind them that agriculture is an "under the radar" industry. While each and every day more than 300 million Americans rely upon our nation's farmers and ranchers for a safe, abundant, and affordable supply of food, fiber, and fuel, agriculture does not get a lot of mainstream attention. This is likely due to the fact that more and more Americans are multiple generations removed from the farm, and because our nation's agricultural producers do such a great job day in and day out. Unfortunately, many of our farmers and ranchers have grown accustomed to only receiving mainstream attention when something goes wrong and there is a disruption to the supply of agricultural products.

That's why I'm pleased to recognize National Agriculture Week, which will be celebrated March 13th - 19th, and to dedicate this week's bulletin to America's farmers and ranchers.

Why should we celebrate agriculture? Agriculture not only provides the goods we consume on a daily basis, but provides the livelihood for thousands of hard-working individuals in the 3rd Congressional District, and many more across Missouri as a whole. Recent information shows there are more than 17,000 farm operators and the average size of farm is approximately 230 acres in the 3rd District. On a statewide basis, agriculture has long been Missouri's top industry sector and its impact is even more pronounced in our rural communities. As somebody who raised hogs and cattle for many years and also worked as a community bank loan officer in a town of 300, I can tell you with certainty that agriculture is the lynchpin of the economy in rural America. The success or failure of nearly every other small business in a rural town depends on how that area's farmers and ranchers are doing at any given time.

National Agriculture Week provides a platform for recognizing the importance of agriculture and showcasing the hard-work that goes into making the food on your dinner table, the fuel in your car, and the clothing in your closet.

We must continue to remember the key role agriculture plays in maintaining a strong economy. This week also serves as a reminder to appreciate the role this industry plays in providing safe, abundant, and affordable products for a nation and world that continues to grow. Thankfully, the agricultural industry continues to grow with our nation and the world. Today, each American farmer feeds more than 144 people, which is a dramatic increase from 25 people in the 1960s.

In addition to appreciating agriculture, we must also recognize that there are threats out there to its survival. A couple of years ago the Department of Labor proposed a rule to restrict the ability of children from helping on their neighbors' farms. Fortunately, a groundswell of opposition stopped this proposal in its tracks. On the other hand, nothing so far has stopped the Environmental Protection Agency in its quest to regulate farm ponds, ditches, and streams. If we do not push back against these threats together, there may come a day when we don't have the safe, affordable, and abundant supply of farm products that we rely upon day in and day out. There are many other examples of misguided proposals that would harm agriculture, but most of them are all rooted in the fact that far too many bureaucrats think that food comes from the grocery store.

That's why it is incumbent upon all of us to raise awareness for this "under the radar" industry and to protect it for the next generation of farmers and ranchers. More than 25,000 young Missourians belong to local Future Farmers of America (FFA) chapters, and they are eager to meet the challenges of feeding and supplying our nation for many years to come, just as generations of farmers and ranchers before them have done so well. So, let's do our part and recognize and promote agriculture, not just during National Agriculture Week, but at every opportunity.

For more information on Congressman Luetkemeyer, visit his official website.

#30
Iraq's Last Christian Soldiers

Assyrian fighters paying a visit to a monastery in Alqosh (north of Mosul), a Christian locality that has not fallen under IS control. Martin Banni is the last of his family in Iraq. The 25-year-old Christian fled his village of Keremles when the so-called Islamic State invaded the Nineveh Plains in the summer of 2014. Today he lives in a camp in Erbil, the capital of Iraq's Kurdistan Region, while the rest of his family lives in San Diego. The thought of one day working to preserve his ancient community is what keeps him here. "Abroad we might have safety," he says. "But we will disappear." It takes a lot these days to convince Iraqi Christians they have a future in their homeland. Of the estimated 125,000 who recently sought refuge in Iraqi Kurdistan--an autonomous region in northern Iraq--tens of thousands have already emigrated. While many predict the elimination altogether of Christianity in Iraq, Church leaders are doing their best to push back. Beyond managing the humanitarian need for their congregations, church groups are investing in longer-term projects as concrete symbols of hope, aiming to give those torn between their faith and their homeland reason to stay. The Catholic University of Erbil--the first such Catholic institution of higher learning in Iraq--taught its first courses this year, even as builders continued work on the new campus on the outskirts of Ankawa, Erbil's Christian neighbourhood. Banni is among the first students, taking a 10-week English language proficiency course. On weekday afternoons he and eight other students, five of whom were also displaced from their homes, study toward the IELTS exam--a prerequisite for tertiary study at many overseas institutions. Banni himself dreams of studying abroad, perhaps philosophy. But unlike many of his classmates, he is also determined to return. "I will come back to rebuild my country," he says. Initially the university will have facilities for 1,500 students, although it hopes to accommodate up to 7,000 within five years. Vice-Chancellor Salahaddin Abdul Messiah says the courses offered will equip participants with skills to find jobs or advance in their current profession. Beyond English, the initial courses offered will include business administration, accounting, economics, Oriental studies, network engineering, and computer sciences. The university alone won't keep Christians in Iraq. "It's a statement of hope though," says the Archbishop of the Chaldean Catholic Church in Erbil, Bashar Matti Warda. "That no matter what happened--in Mosul and the Nineveh plains--that it will not take from us our faith." As we talked in a formal meeting room at the Saint Joseph Cathedral in Ankawa, Warda said the university is part of a larger project in which the church is trying to do more than just provide basic needs for its congregation. "I hope that building schools, building clinics, building a university, building a hospital would be a reason to convince them to stay, to tell them that we could make our lives better together here," he said. The 46-year-old is familiar with displacement, having fled his hometown of Baghdad in 2007. Before the U.S. invasion in 2003, there were about 1.5 million Christians in Iraq. Over the decade which followed the overthrow of President Saddam Hussein, over a million Iraqi Christians left. Having experienced the worst of Iraq's sectarian violence, Warda says he remains optimistic that the Kurdistan Region will remain a safe haven: "The past in Baghdad was worse by all means." But so far there's no sign that the exodus of Christians has slowed. Warda estimates that of the 20,000 families displaced from the Nineveh Plains, some 6,000 have already left the country. A few hundred meters from the new Catholic university, the Ashty 2 Camp houses 1,150 Christian families. In January, 20 families left for overseas, says assistant camp manager Ibrahim Shaba Lallo. He expects the numbers leaving to rise as the weather improves. While some families are registering for resettlement with the United Nations Refugee Agency in Jordan and Lebanon, many more are relying on smugglers to ferry them across the Mediterranean. "We expect that by April hundreds of families will be leaving every month," says Lallo. In effect the camps have become a clearinghouse for those attempting to get to Europe and a place of last resort for the financially exhausted. Down a muddy lane from Lallo's office, Bews Shaba Rafu, his wife and six children recently moved into a cabin after its previous occupants moved to Lebanon. The 64-year-old used to work as a government security guard at a church in Qaraqosh, known as Iraq's Christian capital, but fled with his family in August 2014 when ISIS occupied the town. "We had a house, food, stability, we were happy," he remembers. "We were lower middle class, by the grace of god." Their savings didn't last and they moved to the camp after running out of money for paying $500 a month rent for a house in Ankawa. Church organizations have funded camps with prefabricated cabins rather than tents, but crowding is still a challenge, says Rafu. "The cabin is too small for eight people and we don't have a refrigerator or a television anymore." His wife, Junbad, has relatives in Germany but she says they are unlikely to go there. "Everyone else is leaving, but we can't," she says. Her 24-year-old severely disabled daughter is unable travel. Options are few. "We don't have a future here," said Junbad. Across Ankawa, Archbishop Yohanna Petros Mouche of the Syriac Catholic Church agrees that the future will be dim for families like the Rafus unless more is done. Nearly half his parish has already left, with just 26,000 remaining in Iraqi Kurdistan, despite his best efforts. The snowy-haired 65-year-old says his church has opened 12 schools, several clinics and hospitals, and job training programs for barbers and bakers. "All this is to convince them that there is someone thinking of them," he says. Nearly all of the 9,000 school-aged children of his congregation are receiving an education. In contrast, last year the World Bank estimated that 70 percent of displaced Iraqi children are not enrolled in any school. But these are all stop-gap measures, says Mouche. The real issue is the need to liberate Christian villages from ISIS control. "The longer it takes to liberate these areas, the more people will migrate, and their hope of returning will become weaker," he says. "If our people fail to free our territory our hope will fade and it will be impossible to think about going back." Two-and-a-half hours' drive northwest of Erbil, men in fatigues are practicing drills at a newly constructed military base. The eldest marching on the unpaved parade ground are in their sixties, the youngest in their teens. None carry a weapon--not yet. All are determined to return to their homes. Unlike other Christian towns, Al Qosh never fell to the Islamic extremists, but from here the Nineveh Plains open out in a green swathe towards occupied Christian villages.The ISIS stronghold of Mosul lies 25 miles to the south. Finishing his lunch inside a cabin on the base is Behnam Abed al Maseh, the commander of the Nineveh Protection Units, one of several recently formed Christian militias. His 300 men have uniforms but only a handful of weapons, says the 65-year-old grandfather. They are hoping for international support and for the chance to liberate their homes. "The frustration is always present, but we insist on going back to our areas," he says. One of the few men with a rifle stands watch as gray clouds form over the camp. Athro Kado was a Syriac language teacher at a primary school in Al Qosh. He learned English, he says, from listening to Celine Dion songs. With rain threatening to fall, Kado explains why he took up arms. "We are bleeding now," he says. "But if we free our lands, fewer people will leave."
March 13, 2016

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogans campaign against media freedoms stands out, even in a region where liberty of expression and journalists are often under siege.

Mustafa Akyol writes that the Turkish governments seizure of Zaman newspaper March 4 may have shocked outsiders, but in Turkey, hardly anyone was surprised. It was clear that Zaman and its entire media group, including Cihan News Agency, would be seized, as Ipek Media Group, which published the dailies Bugun and Millet, was seized in October and turned pro-Erdogan overnight. All these news outlets were affiliated with the movement of Fethullah Gulen, and the Turkish public is repeatedly told that every asset of his religious community will be confiscated by the state.

US Department of State spokesman John Kirby said that the takeover of Zaman is 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.  We urge Turkish authorities to ensure their actions uphold the universal democratic values enshrined in their own constitution, including freedom of speech and especially freedom of the press. In a democratic society, as Ive said many, many times, critical opinions should be encouraged, not silenced. Amnesty International similarly characterized the action as the latest deeply troubling episode of the Turkish authorities ongoing onslaught on dissenting media.

Akyol concludes that in the grand scheme of things, not just a few newspapers like Zaman, but the entire Turkish press is being taken over by the current regime. This is a regime that insists that democracy is about nothing but elections, and the winner of elections  as the embodiment of the 'national will'  has the right to dominate every aspect of society.

Erdogans assault on free media is complemented by a cult of personality campaign with increasingly Islamic overtones. Kadri Gursel writes that statements and behaviors adding transcendent and holy dimensions to the Erdogan cult have become more and more frequent. Take, for instance, the stunning remarks AKP lawmaker Yasin Aktay made during a parliamentary debate last week. Erdogan is 'one of the best things, one of the best people this country has seen,' Aktay said, adding 'We say "Salli Ala Muhammad" when we see him.' He was reciting an Islamic phrase, known as 'salavat,' used to salute and praise the Prophet Muhammad or to express allegiance to him.

Despite Turkeys failed Syria policy, a crisis of its own making with Russia and a seemingly endless and bloody civil war in southeastern Turkey, Gursel concludes, Erdogan has shown no sign of giving up his dream to install a system of executive presidency, which would confirm him constitutionally as the one man. To overcome internal and external obstacles and advance his goal, he is, as always, trying to generate support from his Sunni conservative base, which he sees as loyal backers and admirers.

Ben Caspit reports that Israel has mostly rebuffed Ankaras recent diplomatic outreach. The Turkish tyrant is viewed in Jerusalem as a lost cause. The Israeli-Turkish military alliance will not be renewed so long as Erdogans party remains in power, and Jerusalem has no illusions. It is clear to Netanyahu that Erdogan is angling for a reconciliation with Israel only because of his political weakness, his problems with Russia, Israels natural gas and the fact that his standing in the region is not what it used to be, writes Caspit.

Israel sees ascendant Putin

Caspit further explains that Erdogans painfully weak hand is magnified by Russias enhanced strategic importance for Israeli decision-makers.

Putin wins out decisively on all counts: The path he adopted in Syria has upgraded Russias status in the region and beyond. Almost overnight, Russia has become an influential and dominant world power. Russias deep involvement in Syria proved itself a successful bet. Russia changed the regional reality, redirecting the bloody conflict from a dead end to another path, transformed Assad from a loser to a winner and reshuffled the cards in a Russian display of power and determination. Recently, I quoted a very highly placed Israeli military source as saying 'even if a Russian jet flies over Tel Aviv, we will not take it down.' There are endless reasons for the coordination and closeness between Israel and Russia, and Israels strategic decision not to do anything to rub the Russians the wrong way.

"Israel is now working diligently on tightening ties with Russia at almost any price. Higher-ups in Jerusalem, including in Tel Avivs security apparatus, are optimistic. According to senior Israeli sources, the Russians are cognizant of the damage perpetrated by the 'axis of evil' and have no intentions of letting Iran become a patron of Syria. Even with regard to Hezbollah, they understand Israels stance and are now reconsidering their missile deal with Tehran. The Russians have their own interests to promote, and they have no special commitment to Hezbollah. They will burn the candle at both ends, trying not to become embroiled in a crisis with Iran in an era when all the worlds global companies are trying to dive into the Iranian economy. On the other hand, they dont want to help Iran gain the enormous power that it hopes to. Israel, meanwhile, is busy maneuvering within this game plan, while scoring a few considerable achievements for itself.

This column, two years ago, identified a trend that Russia could be central to a broader, regional conversation to defuse tensions between Israel and Iran over Hezbollah. Caspits reporting reveals that Israeli national security decision-makers increasingly recognize the role that Russia can play in regional security. As UN-brokered peace talks are scheduled to resume March 14, there also seems a clear recognition in Washington that progress toward settlement of the regions conflicts, beginning in Syria, benefits from collaboration with Moscow and avoiding getting drawn into the sectarian intrigues and proxy wars of the regional powers.
March 11, 2016

RAFAH, Gaza Strip  Operating from a Rafah suburb south of the Gaza Strip, a young man under the pseudonym Salem Mohammed has been involved in cyber piracy with his local group known as Hackers Special Elite for more than eight years.

In an interview with Al-Monitor, Salem, 24, said, Ive been a hacker since 2008, conducting several infiltrations. In 2014, I broke into a Brazilian airports landline and made a profit of 13,000 euros [$14,260].

Salem, who changed his groups name from Kira to Hackers Special Elite in 2014, revealed that on April 7, and along with seven Arab and international groups, he will be taking part in cyberattacks targeting international and Israeli organizations considered hostile to Palestinians and Arabs.

Salem provided Al-Monitor with videos in which he explains a number of cyberattacks his group has launched, including one against a Polish telecom company on Jan. 5.

These Arab and Palestinian cyber pirates operate within a network in order to achieve better results. However, their activities are not limited to cyber vandalism, but extend to making illegal profit by breaking into corporate and organization websites.

Salah Ahmad (a pseudonym), 22, a resident of west Gaza, told Al-Monitor, My involvement started three years ago by hacking into social media and email accounts. But my activities quickly evolved into hacking Visa credit cards and multinational company websites.

Ahmad said, We are now working on developing fake websites for companies. For example, we have access to the personal data of people who register on these sites to book a flight, and this allows us to steal their money. We use hacked credit cards to book flights for Gazans on request, receiving a part of the original sum. For instance, for a ticket that costs $600, we only obtain $200. Moreover, we break into banks databases from around the world and we buy some products with the money.

Ahmad, a member of another group of six people that does not have an official name, said that hacker groups are widely found in the Gaza Strip, and they have become more organized today.

Mahmoud Abu Ghosh, data security expert and lecturer at the University of Palestine in Gaza, estimates the number of hackers in the Gaza Strip to be 2,000.

Articles 43, 44 and 45 of the Palestinian Electronic Transactions Act No. 6 of 2013 criminalize people who illegally break into others computers and take over their systems or use their data without permission. These articles include penalties such as imprisonment from one to 10 years and a fine ranging between 2,000 to 20,000 Jordanian dinars ($2,818 to $28,186).

Abu Ghosh told Al-Monitor that hackers in the Gaza Strip are divided into two types: The first is driven by national motives, aiming to destroy, disable and collect data from Israeli sites. These groups are often organized, entrusting this task to other specialized groups. The second type launches cyberattacks for personal or party goals and seeks to destroy, sabotage or spy sometimes.

The past five years have seen the emergence of legal organizations that offer training in the field of cyber piracy, but the goal shifted toward security against cyber piracy. A case in point is Vision Plus, which specializes in technological training.

CEO Mohammad Agha told Al-Monitor, Gazans and the world are facing growing challenges with regard to security due to the advance of the Internet.

He said, It is true that our community in Gaza is isolated from the rest of the world, but technology isnt, and the Internet is undergoing significant advances. We have come to understand that there are many underlying challenges like when someone violates our privacy by hacking into our emails. This is why we started offering anti-piracy courses in order to guarantee a safe community.

Agha noted that these courses, which cost about $100 to $150, have graduated more than 600 people over the past five years. To prevent any illicit use, they exclude people who wish to learn to hack credit cards.

Agha added, Some of those who attend our courses are looking to learn hacking, but once we tell them they must sign an agreement to refrain from using the training for illicit purposes, they leave, because their goal is piracy, theft and vandalism, not security. Nevertheless, people tend to enroll in anti-piracy courses to protect themselves and their companies from cyberattacks. It is really another example of a double-edged sword that can be used for the good or the bad.

Given the remarkable digital development and the Gaza Strips increasing openness to the world through technology, young Gazans are provided with a great opportunity to develop their hacking skills, whether they were driven by personal motives like theft or national ones like infiltrating Israeli websites.
March 11, 2016

RAMALLAH, West Bank  On March 10, Najat Abu Bakr, a member of the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC) in Ramallah, ended her two-week sit-in after she reached an agreement with member of parliament Azzam al-Ahmad, head of Fatah's parliamentary bloc in the PLC, under which Abu Bakr appeared before the public prosecutor.

Abu Bakr began a sit-in in the PLC following security forces attempts to arrest her Feb. 25 by virtue of an arrest warrant by the public prosecutor and after the public prosecution summoned her to appear before it on the count of charges subject to the Penal Code in the cases registered before the public prosecution office under numbers 722/2016 and 719/2016.

Abu Bakr said in press statements Feb. 24 that the court order is illegal given that she enjoys parliamentary privilege. She continued the sit-in at the PLC building until the arrest warrant was abolished. The arrest warrant came after Abu Bakr demanded Feb. 15 that decision-makers at the Palestinian Authority (PA) inquire about a minister, whom she did not name, who obtained 800,000 shekels ($205,655) for the implementation of a private project.

In response to her accusations, Minister of Local Governance Hussein al-Araj told the media Feb. 17 that the accusations leveled by MP Abu Bakr against me are false and the said sum is also wrong.

Abu Bakr is a Fatah MP who served as director general at the Economy Ministry. She holds a Ph.D. in political sociology and is an activist in several local and international organizations, particularly those concerned with womens political and economic empowerment.

Al-Monitor: Why was the sit-in staged in parliament headquarters?

Abu Bakr: The arrest warrant that was issued by the attorney general and the security forces attempt to arrest me Feb. 25 were [the reasons for] my sit-in in the PLC. Throughout this period, the arrest warrant was in the hands of security forces surrounding the PLC. I staged the sit-in inside the PLC building because I am convinced that it is the Palestinian people's house, and I will protect it and protect the basic law that does not allow that an MP who criticized any minister or official be arrested. This is because the MPs key task is to oversee the government. Unfortunately, things are reversed and the law is not being invoked. The decision-making process is monopolized, the executive branch is predominant over the law and legislative branch, and the policy to muzzle voices prevails.

Al-Monitor: How long were you willing to continue with the sit-in in the PLC?

Abu Bakr: I was going to stay there until my case was resolved, the arrest warrant was abolished and the world learned about my case. Every MP may be subject to what I have experienced, since they were willing to arrest me on the charge of raising issues prejudicing national and financial aspects and disclosing corruption in the Palestinian territories.

Al-Monitor: Media outlets reported that you handed over corruption documents and files to the head of Fatahs parliamentary bloc Azzam al-Ahmad so that he would hand them over to President Mahmoud Abbas. Is it true? Why did you hand them over?

Abu Bakr: I do not want to talk about this issue right now or on whether or not I secured corruption documents and files. What is important is that my sit-in in the PLC is over and that I was not arrested. I am at home now in the city of Nablus in the northern West Bank, and I still have parliamentary privilege. At the end of the day, the corruption files in my possession are the property of the Palestinian people and should be placed in the hands of officials for inquiry.

Al-Monitor: Can you tell us about the corruption cases about which you secured documents?

Abu Bakr: For the time being, the corruption case I revealed to the press is enough. It is namely my demand that a minister be questioned about receiving a sum of money exceeding 800,000 shekels from government resources for the implementation of a private project.

Al-Monitor: Which minister did you mean when speaking of the 800,000 shekels of the government resources?

Abu Bakr: I did not and I am not going to name this minister. Yet he is the one who unmasked himself in the media. I dare anyone to get me a media statement where I named Minister of Local Governance Hussein al-Araj in this case.

Al-Monitor: Have any of the officials at the Palestinian presidency or government communicated with you since you staged the sit-in?

Abu Bakr: No one communicated with me. No one dared to talk to the Palestinian president about the case.

Al-Monitor: How do you perceive the situation of political freedoms, particularly the freedom of opinion and expression, in the West Bank?

Abu Bakr: I do not see that there are freedoms in the West Bank, but rather there is a policy to muzzle the voices and militarize Palestinian society. I am warning the Palestinian leadership that the community was militarized a long time ago, and this militarization will not bring positive results. This is because communities that are militarized constantly have a tendency toward violence, defeat and destruction, rather than a tendency toward building.

Al-Monitor: How do you evaluate the PLC factions and the MPs solidarity with your case? What about the solidarity expressed by some Jordanian MPs who demanded that the PA refrain from prosecuting you?

Abu Bakr: In general, the solidarity level was not what the situation required. There was confusion, and supreme authorities resorted to intimidation and dissemination of rumors. Yet I do appreciate all of the efforts designed to back my case.

Al-Monitor: Which message did you want to deliver through your sit-in in the PLC?

Abu Bakr: My message was to call on human rights organizations and world parliaments to coerce the PA to implement agreements and basic laws that prevent any violation of the MP privilege, except in accordance with certain conditions.
March 10, 2016

June 5, 2017, will mark 50 years since the Six Day War in which Israel conquered the West Bank and the Gaza Strip as well as the Sinai Peninsula and the Golan Heights. Israel considered it a war of defense, given repeated threats by Egyptian leadership at the time (then-President Gamal Abdel Nasser) to annihilate the country with the support of all Arab states. The Arab armies were defeated in six days. But what started as a rescue war, as a blessing for Israel, turned with time into a burden and a curse of controlling the lives of 2-3 million Palestinians. For the Palestinians, this date marks a second tragedy, after the very establishment of Israel in 1948.

Half a century of occupation saw the rise of a Palestinian national movement (PLO), a violent struggle and also peace efforts  all to no avail. Fifty years later, the West Bank is still under Israeli occupation, with a weak Palestinian Authority (PA) in charge of mostly civilian areas.

A bitter debate is currently raging within the leadership of the PA as to how to achieve the creation of an independent Palestinian state, thus ending Israeli occupation. The diplomatic route, which did provide hope during the Oslo process, seems to have reached a dead end. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas is still committed to a diplomatic solution by involving the international community and preventing violence, also via the security cooperation with Israel. But it appears that Abbas is more isolated now than ever before within the Palestinian leadership. Many other Palestinian leaders, even amid the Fatah movement, are inclined toward an armed intifada. Nevertheless, Abbas is (still) hinging his hopes on the Quartet (United States, European Union, United Nations and Russia) and on French initiatives for a negotiated two-state solution on the basis of the 1967 lines with the backing of the international community.

In the Ramallah government offices, one can detect today a sense of despair. Practically no one within the leadership really believes that, especially during an American election year, there will be any movement toward Palestinian statehood. A senior PLO official close to Abbas told Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity that time is running out. Alluding to the 50th anniversary of the Six Day War, he said that all PLO leaders are unanimous about this date constituting the absolute deadline for independence. And so, in informal deliberations on the subject, it was agreed that if no concrete and substantial progress is made soon toward ending Israeli occupation, the PLO leadership will declare on June 6, 2017, the establishment of an independent Palestinian state on the 1967 lines with East Jerusalem as its capital and will ask for UN recognition. The official said that the leadership will work until then to secure a UN majority, including at the Security Council, for such a scenario. Be that as it may, many PLO seniors are committed to declare statehood even without UN Security Council acceptance, and thereafter, they are ready to engage in an intifada of independence.

The current Palestinian despair is unprecedented and is a function of the unchallenged Israeli settlement expansion. Palestinians believe that with every day that goes by, reaching statehood becomes a greater challenge, given the ongoing increase in the number of Israelis living east of the Green Line. In addition, they are gravely disappointed with the Arab world. Palestinians feel that Arab regimes, motivated by self-preservation and a sense of survival, are focused on the fight against fundamentalism, without much attention to the Palestinian cause. The international community also seems to be letting the Palestinians down because of the focus on Syria, Iran and the immigration crises. They have no hope that US President Barack Obama, in his last year in office, will act in any concrete way, and they consider with great criticism and apprehension the American election campaigns. According to the senior official, Ramallah barely sees a difference between the Republicans and the Democrats. Donald Trump and the other candidates on the right seem as hostile to their cause as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Hillary Clinton is viewed by the Palestinian leadership as someone who will endorse most of Israels positions while giving lip service to a two-state solution.

The Palestinians, who have always based their struggle and efforts on Arab and international support, feel extremely isolated. It is within this context that they have apparently decided to move on their own toward a unilateral declaration of statehood in June 2017 and to fight Israel for the fulfillment of their cause.

When asked about this intention, a close confidante of Netanyahu brushed it off as a veiled threat to the international community.

Talking to senior Palestinian officials, one comes away with a sense that a great determination to move alone, both diplomatically and with violence, is currently emerging  50 years of occupation seems more than they can tolerate.
March 11, 2016

The longstanding relationship between Turkey and the European Union has been turned on its head. At least for now, Turkey appears to hold the power.

For a long time, Turkey seemed desperate in its courtship of the EU, while the latter was happy to keep its distance, reluctant to commit to the largely Muslim nation. Now, believing it faces an existential threat from the flow of Syrian war refugees, the EU seems eager to please.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan  who is increasingly displaying authoritarian, even dictatorial, tendencies  was quick to grasp that the EU is no longer dealing from a position of strength. Erdogan feels, perhaps not wrongly, the time has come when Europe needs Turkey more than Turkey needs Europe.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel is spearheading the efforts of a desperate Europe to stem the flow of refugees. Erdogan and Merkel are odd partners, but not only did she rush to Turkey to be seated in gilded chairs, she picked European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker of Luxembourg for the job of appeasing Erdogan. European Council President Donald Tusk of Poland is also on board, eager to get a deal from Turkey.

Merkel hails the tentative deal between Ankara and Brussels as a breakthrough. Yet the EU is suffering in disarray while it awaits the final decision, which is expected at the EU summit scheduled for March 17-18.

A March 7 column by Simon Tisdall of British daily The Guardian spoke about a deal with the devil. It was one among the flood of critical pieces that appeared in the Western press. He writes, Europes Faustian pact with Recep Tayyip Erdogan to curtail migration into the EU may carry a devilishly high price tag. Turkeys authoritarian president has proved an unreliable and problematic partner since the Syrian crisis erupted five years ago. But the EUs urgent need for his help currently outweighs its deep misgivings. As Faust discovered, the reckoning comes later.

He concluded, The Turkey-Russia rupture has not been repaired. Erdogan, a master of the political and personal grievance, does not bury the hatchet easily, if at all. He rarely admits mistakes. And he can quickly fly off the handle. All of which makes him a highly unpredictable partner for a desperate EU.

Turkey was already being driven closer to the West by its deteriorating relationship with Russia.

Historically and geopolitically, it has always been so. Ottoman Turkeys attempts at Westernization began following the Kucuk Kaynarca Treaty of 1774, which sealed the loss of the Crimean Peninsula to a resurgent Russia to its north. Ottoman Turkey fought shoulder to shoulder with Great Britain and France against Russia in the bloody Crimean War in 1856.

Turkeys accession to NATO in 1952, in the wake of World War II, was the result of Stalins Soviet Union bullying Turkey.

Since November 2015, Russia has not only been Turkeys belligerent northern neighbor, it's been on Turkey's southern doorstep. Russia seeks to keep Turkey from extending its influence, particularly with regard to Aleppo, the so-called bastion of Turkey-Saudi-Qatari-Syrian opposition to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's regime. Assad is boosted by Russian military assistance and an alliance with Iran.

Russia, as seen from Ankara, is supporting the Kurdish nationalist Democratic Union Party (PYD), which opened an office in Moscow recently, and its armed wing, the People's Protection Units (YPG), in controlling a vast area in northern Syria adjacent to Turkeys long frontier.

Ankara trumpets that the PYD and YPG are identical with the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) and thus are terrorist organizations detrimental to Turkeys security. Turkey considers Russia's support to Syrian Kurds and their aim of self-rule, and implicitly Russia's support of the PKK, to be a major existential threat.

A tacit Russia-Iran axis operating in Syria and the Russian military umbrella over Armenia make Turks feel that they are surrounded by Russia and its allies. And Ankara is feeling a growing sense of isolation.

Turkey needs a new rapprochement with the West and particularly with the EU because of the new balance of power in and around Syria, which reflects the dangerously increasing hostility between Ankara and Moscow.

Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu's surprise visit to Tehran only 24 hours ahead of his scheduled visit to Brussels for the EU-Turkey summit wasn't a coincidence and must be seen within this new strategic and geopolitical framework.

In Tehran, Davutoglu tried to play up the neighboring countries' mutual interest in the Kurdish issue. They had signed the Saadabad Pact in 1937 to seal their mutual agreement to assist each other in suppressing the Kurdish national aspirations.

His trip wasn't just a repeat of history, it was a diplomatic inquiry seeking a crack in the Moscow-Tehran relationship.

Only a day after, Davutoglu was sitting with EU leaders and presenting them with new and surprising proposals he had brought for them.

Merkel, speaking with Davutoglu after the summit, stressed that, given the war in Syria and the geostrategic situation, a deal with Turkey is absolutely in Europes interest.

Convincing the rest of Europe might not be so easy.

Any rapprochement with the EU is in Turkeys interest. Yet at this very critical juncture, it is even more in Erdogans interest. More and more, this situation looks like a lifeline for Erdogans increasingly authoritarian one-man rule, which hardly reflects the EUs values and principles.

That is the major weakness of the potential EU-Turkey deal. Even if it materializes at the EU summit, it may not be sustainable. If Europe later remembers its values, the deal will not survive.
Things to do Birmingham 031316

Things to do in Birmingham this week include (clockwise from left): Get tickets for Joe Satriani at Iron City. Watch "Matt & Ben," a Damon-Affleck spoof, at Terrific New Theatre. See "All the Colors of the Rainbow" at Birmingham Museum of Art. Attend the Alabama Gun Collectors Association Spring Show. (Photos via John Luini, AP, the Birmingham Museum of Art, Joe Songer | jsonger@al.com)

Your free time is precious, so how to spend it? Here are five ideas for Birmingham this week, March 13-19, 2016:

RUNNING

Work those gluteals at the Rumpshaker 5K. Runners and walkers will be at the starting line on Saturday at Sloss Furnaces, sharing their morning workouts and raising money to fight colorectal cancer. The event is family friendly -- costumes are encouraged and a festive mood prevails -- and folks who prefer a shorter course can participate in a mile-long Fun Run.

Rumpshaker 5K, March 19 at 8 a.m., Sloss Furnaces, 20 32nd St. North, registration $20-$33.50.

CONCERTS

Keep your eyes and ears open. It's the only way to experience a concert by Joe Satriani, especially when the guitar wizard promises a career-spanning setlist. About three decades of music -- pulled from 15 solo albums that range from "Not of This Earth" (1986) to "Shockwave Supernova" (2015) -- will be showcased when Satriani appears on Monday at Iron City.

Joe Satriani, March 14 at 8 p.m., Iron City, 513 22nd St. South, $45-$250, 205-202-5483.

SPECIAL EVENTS

Arm yourself with information at the Alabama Gun Collectors Association Spring Show. The two-day event, which begins on Saturday at the BJCC Exhibition Halls, draws firearms enthusiasts from around the state, especially folks who like antiques. The show honors America's armed forces, as well, and includes representatives from about 20 veterans groups.

Alabama Gun Collectors Association Spring Show, March 19-20, BJCC Exhibition Halls, 2100 Richard Arrington Jr. Blvd. North, $8.

VISUAL ARTS

Colorful patterns. Luxe fabric. Visual beauty. Historic impact. All of these things combine in an exhibit at the Birmingham Museum of Art, celebrating robes and other garments from Central Asia. The textiles, created in the 19th century, are called ikats ("ee-KAHTS"), for a dye process that's similar to tie-dying. Fashionistas might not realize it, but ikats have influenced today's clothing, furniture and decorative arts. Several gorgeous examples will be on view here when the show -- "All the Colors of the Rainbow: Uzbekistan Ikats from the Collection of Peggy Slappey" -- opens on Saturday.

"All the Colors of the Rainbow: Uzbekistan Ikats from the Collection of Peggy Slappey," March 19-July 10, Birmingham Museum of Art, 2000 Rev. Abraham Woods Jr. Blvd., free admission, 205-254-2565.

THEATER

Matt Damon and Ben Affleck's celebrity bromance? Old news to anyone who follows Hollywood gossip, but their movie-centric friendship remains a topic ripe for satire. Example: Mindy Kaling and Brenda Withers co-wrote and co-starred in a play called "Matt & Ben," lampooning the two actors before fame came calling. Terrific New Theatre has revived the 2002 comedy, spoofing the genesis of "Good Will Hunting" with a gender-bending cast.

"Matt & Ben," through April 2, Terrific New Theatre, 2821 Second Ave. North, $25, 205-328-0868.
Randolph County authorities are looking for two men and a silver vehicle suspected in a home invasion Saturday afternoon.

According to the Randolph County Sheriff's Office, the incident happened on County Road 234 in Lineville. Deputies found a shooting victim at a residence, who was airlifted to UAB Hospital. The victim is in stable condition, according to a news release.

The victim told investigators he was in his residence when a white male and a black male entered demanding cash. The two were wearing masks and left with an undetermined amount of money.

"We believe that this is an isolated incident in the area," the news release stated. "The suspects knew the victim."

Authorities are looking for a "small silver vehicle" of unknown make and model that was seen in the area at the time of the shooting.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the Randolph County Sheriff Office

(256) 357-4545 or dial 911 or their local police department.
Authorities arrested a man accused of robbing a disabled woman on Friday morning in Birmingham's south side.

Anthony Ray Armstrong is charged with two counts of third-degree robbery, according to Birmingham police. He is being held on $60,000 bond.

Police say Armstrong hit a woman with the door of his vehicle, got out of his vehicle and forcibly took her purse. The woman wasn't injured.

Armstrong ran from the scene.

Birmingham police Sgt. Bryan Shelton said some Good Samaritans took down a description of the suspect's vehicle and made sure the victim was OK.

Once on the scene, Birmingham robbery detectives and south precinct task force officers began to search for the suspect.

Armstrong was later apprehended at his home in St. Clair County.

Shelton said he has a history of theft charges.

Leeds Police Department and St. Clair County Sheriff's Department assisted in the arrest.

"As police officers, we have soft spots when it comes to certain members of our populace," Shelton said. "We were determined to find out who did this crime, and bring them to justice. We are grateful for the helped received from partner agencies and the citizens who saw what happened. This is an example of a community of neighbors working together."
The trial of Richard Shahan, the former Homewood pastor charged in his wife's 2013 stabbing death, has been delayed nearly nine months.

Jefferson County Circuit Judge Laura Petro on Friday afternoon reset Shahan's trial to Jan. 9, 2017.

The trial had been set to begin April 18.

Petro's order did not explain why the trial was delayed. Online court records do not show a request by prosecutors or defense attorneys seeking a delay. Also, subpoenas issued to witnesses in the case last week still had the April trial date. The trial will include several scientific experts.

"There are a variety of outstanding issues in the case plus several trial conflicts with the lawyers that lead to this date (January 2017) being set," John Lentine, one of the attorneys representing Shahan stated in an email to AL.com on Saturday.

Shahan is charged with murder in the death of his wife, Karen Louise Shahan.

Karen Shahan's body was discovered about 11:15 a.m. July 23, 2013, inside the family's Hugh Circle home. She was stabbed to death and had several small defensive wounds, court records show.

Richard Shahan, 55, was jailed for "investigative purposes" in August 2013, but was released without being charged. Shortly after his release, the pastor took paid administrative leave from his post as Children and Families Pastor and the Facilities Director at First Baptist, and he resigned Dec. 31, 2013.

He was arrested Jan. 1, 2014, at a Nashville airport while trying to board a plane to Germany. He was extradited back to Alabama.

Witnesses, numerous emails and statements from Shahan demonstrate that he was involved in romantic relationships with a man in Nashville and another in Europe, according to a prosecutor's memo last year.
A riot at Holman Correctional Facility in Atmore started Friday night and left two workers stabbed. The prison was on lockdown yesterday and all visitations were cancelled while police investigated the incident. The riot started a state-wide debate about the condition of Alabama prisons, and how to fix the problem.

The prison is still on lockdown today. A press release from the Alabama Department of Corrections said that the reason for the incident is not yet known, but an investigation is ongoing.

Here's what we know now.

The William C. Holman Correctional Facility in Atmore was on lockdown yesterday following a riot overnight. Two workers at the prison were stabbed after they responded to a fight in one of the prison dorms. After the stabbings, inmates flooded a hallway outside their housing units and started a fire. About 100 inmates were involved.

The inmates involved in the stabbing are being detained away from the prison's general population.

Corrections Commissioner Jeff Dunn said that the warden's quick response and the prison's corrections team helped prevent the incident from escalating.

"I want to credit Warden Davenport, members of his staff, and the corrections officers who were able to bring the situation under control without very serious consequences. I also want to thank other law enforcement agencies that responded the incident and assisted the department at a critical time."

One correctional officer and the warden of Holman Correctional Facility were stabbed. Neither had life-threatening wounds, although the officer was stabbed nine times. Davenport, who has been the warden for about three months, previously served as a warden for five years at the St. Clair Correctional Facility. The number of assaults at that prison quadrupled when Davenport was the warden.

The Department of Corrections said that Davenport returned to work today.

Governor Robert Bentley said that overcrowding and understaffing are at the root of the problem. Alabama's prisons are designed to hold about 13,000 inmates, but there are 24,000 inmates in the facilities. The governor and Commissioner Dunn are pushing for a plan to build new facilities and close almost all of the prisons currently in use.

No. Last year, 15 inmates at St. Clair Correctional Facility were injured in a riot. Three inmates there were killed within 10 months in 2014. In November, an officer at St. Clair's prison was stabbed by an inmate. One week later, an inmate was stabbed and killed at St. Clair. Five years ago, prisoners at Holman took control of part of the prison.

Governor Bentley wants to tear down 13 of the 15 prisons and build new facilities. The AL.com Editorial Board wants new legislation and prison reform to bring prisons in line with federal regulations.

Officials said there is "limited movement" inside the prison today, and the inmates are being cooperative. The prison will remain on lockdown until the investigation is complete, which could be a few days.
One person has been confirmed dead and two are assumed to be dead after a boat crash on the Hudson River in New York City.

Yesterday, a tugboat crashed into a stationary barge near a New York City bridge that is under construction. The 90-foot tugboat sank.

The tugboat, named Specialist, spilled about 5,000 gallons of fuel into the Hudson River. Authorities said that they do not expect any "long-term damage" from the spilled fuel.

The U.S. Coast Guard spent the day yesterday searching for the two men that were missing, but called off the search after sundown. The Coast Guard said the search would not resume "pending" new developments. Other agencies in the city, such as the New York State Police, are expected to resume their search this morning.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo said of one of the missing men, "This is a 29-year-old who had his whole life ahead of him. He was supposed to come home but was working a few more days because the company asked him to, and now it's doubtful he'll come home at all...That puts everything in perspective...Sometimes people go to work and they don't come home."

Cuomo said that the tugboat was believed to be wedged on the bottom of the river, near the middle of the Tappan Zee Bridge. The water temperature in the area was about 40 degrees, officials told CBS News.

The tugboat was pushing a barge from Albany, New York, to Jersey City, New Jersey. The two other boats that were pushing the barge were not harmed.

The crewman that has been confirmed dead is Paul Amon, 62, of New Jersey. The two missing crewmen have not been identified.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Dog Under Police Car

This Wednesday, March 9, 2016, photo provided by the Phoenix Police Department shows a puppy stuck in the undercarriage of a police vehicle in Phoenix. Police say the dog became stuck for 20 minutes and refused to come out but was eventually rescued unharmed. (Phoenix Police Department via AP)

(AP)

An Arizona dog found a new hangout spot - under a police patrol car.

An officer from the Phoenix Police Department was patrolling last Wednesday afternoon when he honked his horn at a pack of dogs in the road.

Three of them hurried off, while one stayed and made his way under the patrol Tahoe.

The Chihuahua mix wedged himself in the undercarriage of the car, according to the police department's Facebook page. He seemed content, and refused to come out. The officer even tried to bribe the dog with a hot dog, which the pup refused.

Maricopa County Animal Care and Control rescued the dog about thirty minutes later.

The pup, who is being called Tahoe, will be available for adoption in 72 hours if no one claims him. Officials said that he is in good health and does not seem to have been on the streets for a long period of time, according to local TV station ABC 15.

He does not have a microchip.
I'm always mystified by those in the Birmingham area who want to forget the Civil Rights Movement took mighty and formative steps here.

Move beyond the dogs and fire hoses, they say. We will never heal if you keep bringing this up.

They'd never say the same about Pearl Harbor. Or Nuremberg. Or the Twin Towers.

Never forget.

There is an effort afoot, in Birmingham and in Washington, to have much of Birmingham's Civil Rights District declared a National Historic Park. It would, conceivably, become the first civil rights-related park in the country to gain such a designation.

It's about time. For these are the blocks, in downtown Birmingham, where Martin Luther King Jr. demanded that those who would march with him understand the power of non-violence.

These are the streets where children walked stolidly toward the inevitability of Bull Connor, where King penned words that changed the way the world looked at protest - and the city itself.

"I am in Birmingham because injustice is here," he began.

Rep. Terri Sewell is expected to sponsor a bill creating the Birmingham Civil Rights National Historic Park as part of the National Park System.

"Incorporating Birmingham's historic civil rights site into the National Park Service system will enhance historic preservation efforts, promote economic revitalization, and facilitate the interpretation of Birmingham's pivotal role in the Civil Rights Movement," Sewell said in a statement earlier this month.

The bottom line is that city officials - along with Sewell -- believe National Park status could open the doors to federal grants and matching money. San Antonio, for instance, grabbed big cash after a historical park designation.

These places need to be preserved, and honored, and used to teach people both the victories and mistakes of the past. They need to be funded and managed to showcase the history to visitors and residents alike.

If it becomes a national park it will be staffed by park rangers and maintained by the park service. And that, frankly, makes the place more attractive to national groups that want to open up their wallets for a good cause.

Specifics of exactly what will be included in the park is still in the works or under wraps, but it is sure to include the A.G. Gaston Hotel, where King stayed on many visits to Birmingham, along with Sixteenth Street Baptist Church, Kelly Ingram Park and the Civil Rights Institute itself.

Birmingham, you see, is different.

And this is what so many Birmingham residents never realize. Not only did important history happen here, right on our downtown streets, but so many of the buildings and places have been saved and, to some degree, preserved. But the city can and will never preserve them for future generations the way a National Park could. Just as they have done in Philadelphia at the Independence National Historic Park, which includes multiples sites. Or at Appomattox Court House National Historical Park in Virginia.

So much history. So many lessons.

There is so much that is worthy of remembrance, and preservation, and respect.

There's Fred Shuttlesworth's old church, Bethel Baptist, that was bombed three times by those who tried - and failed - to shut him up. The Ensley home of King's brother, the Rev. A.D.W. King, was bombed twice. Ministers' homes across Birmingham were targeted by bombers.

There's the site of the old Trailways station, where freedom riders were beaten in 1961 as they came to Alabama to help black people register to vote.

There are footsteps all across this city where people listened to the non-violent message of Martin Luther King, and stepped out to change the world. Whether those places achieve national park status or not, Birmingham needs to remember.

And the world needs to see.

And never forget.
South by Southwest helped Austin become a capital of cool but hastened the process of displacing many.

Danny Thompson says God gave him the gift of music.

Over the decades, the 58-year-old has played the drums with dozens of local jazz and blues bands  predominantly African American groups with names like the Killer Bees and Spy Versus Spy.

It's cultural displacement, and we actually take a step further and say what has happened in this community is cultural genocide by Lisa Byrd, Director of Six Square Black Cultural District.

Man, you had people, musicians all over the place, Thompson said, taking a break from his job at a local Cajun restaurant.

We used to sit at the corner every night and everybody would get together. Wed go down to the store, somebody would get some bread, somebody would go get the meat, somebody would get drinks and wed meet at the corner.

And youd have vocal groups and bands playing all around town, you know. Thats basically how it started.

For many years  dating back to the start of the 20th century  an incredibly rich musical culture flourished in historically black neighbourhoods such as East Austin.

That was one of the main components of the South by Southwest music festival when it was launched 30 years ago.

But South by Southwest grew into one of the worlds hottest music festivals  commercialised, corporate and expensive.

All-inclusive passes for music and films cost more than $1,800 each.

The festival bolstered Austins carefully cultivated image as an ultra-cool hipster haven.

Hundreds of new residents  mostly white and well-to-do  move into Austin each day.

But community activists say the influx of newcomers drawn by Austins attractive reputation has devastated their neighbourhoods.

In East Austin, flashy new houses, coffee shops and yoga studios appeared overnight. Property taxes have soared and now many older residents on fixed incomes cant afford to stay.

People who have lived here for many years say the place has changed so fast that they hardly recognise it any more.

Its cultural displacement, and we actually take a step further and say what has happened in this community is cultural genocide, said Lisa Byrd, who heads works on cultural preservation as director of the Six Square Black Cultural District.

There are very few things  the cultural touchstones  to preserve because theyve all been destroyed or torn down. As you go through this neighbourhood now, you will see very few remnants  the churches and a couple of barbershops. Other than that, its all gone.

Real fast change

Marshals barber shop, at the corner of East 12th and Chicon in East Austin, is a place where African American men socialise. The banter is about sports, politics and anything else that comes up.

Much of their talk is about change.

I would say its happening real fast, said Ronnie Jackson, who has been a local barber for 16 years.

We are definitely getting a change of people. There are a lot more Caucasians moving into the neighbourhood, a lot more professionals. The taxes are going up, and a lot of people are being forced to sell. For taxes to push out grandpas and nanas that have been here for years and years, I dont really think thats right.

Kendall Sawyers, a construction worker, agrees with Jackson.

Now you see a new ethnicity coming in, new houses going up, he said.

Its changed dramatically. Theyll come in and buy one of these houses for $40,000, which seems like a lot of money for somebody thats never had any. And theyll flip that and sell it for $300,000 to $400,000.

And I dont agree with that. If youre going to come in and buy somebodys home, then you should give them the right amount for what the property is worth.

Danny Thompson played at South by Southwest in its early years. But now the festival is dominated by acts from places such as London, Brooklyn and Los Angeles.

He shrugs when asked what he thinks of the quality of the music these days.

I cant say that it was intentional, but I played with a lot of the players, I played with pretty much most of the best that came out of Austin, and I dont know any of them that actually benefited from South by Southwest.

South by Southwest helped Austin become a capital of cool.

But it hastened the process that has displaced many of the very people whose God-given talents made it such a success.
The residents of Tiru lost everything in the quake but, determined to stay together, they are building a new community.

Rather than wait for the government of Nepal to come to its rescue, a settlement of 90 families displaced by the April 25, 2015, earthquake is determined to resettle by its own efforts.

Before the quake, life in the village of Tiru, in Haku village development committee of the Rasuwa district, was one of pastoral toil and subsistence farming, but it was stable and predictable.

The settlement was densely grouped along a narrow ledge between steep mountain and precipice, with paths cutting across cliffs on two sides.

Tiru is about 54km from Kathmandu as the crow flies, but it takes nearly three days to reach by road and foot.

Above the village of rough-hewn stone houses were pastures where villagers grazed their sheep and goats, and below were fields for maize and millet, potatoes and vegetables.

When the earth trembled

Manju Tamang, 21, and a newly widowed mother of two daughters, was gathering fodder for her cattle in the forest above the village when the earthquake hit. Treetops swayed and a deep rumble passed through the ground. Landslides swept away the sides of entire mountains.

I had heard that the earth would tremble before being destroyed. That is how it felt, she says.

The landslides destroyed all access to Tiru, trapping the survivors on a narrow ledge amid the detritus of what had been their way of life.

Without the necessary resources to restore the paths or even attend to funerary duties, the people of Tiru left with whatever possessions they could carry. Cattle that hadnt been killed by the quakes were abandoned to the surrounding jungles.

They walked for two days to reach Archale, the nearest village with usable roads, and joined thousands of other displaced families.

Staying together

After being scattered across different camps, the people of Tiru regrouped at the village of Kalikasthan, 15km south of Tiru.

Bom Bahadur, a community leader from Tiru and a former rebel affiliated with the Maoists, realised that most of the emergency assistance provided by the state would be spent in trying to procure the paperwork necessary to prove eligibility for subsidised rebuilding loans.

Eager to keep the community intact through the crisis, he brought together his friends, Buddhi Bahadur, 31, and Bal Bodh, 34, and proposed a resettlement plan that would do just that. The Haku Earthquake Victims Struggle Committee was created to execute the vision.

We collected every single rupee that came to us from the government, and from other donors. We opened a bank account and shared the account number with everybody. People made deposits at the bank and submitted the vouchers to the committee, explains Bal Bodh.

Each of the 90 households contributed at least $450 from the monetary assistance they received from the government and a few private sources towards the land-purchase fund, along with cash earned from selling all of their valuables. Bal Bodh and Buddhi Bahadur personally secured additional loans at the exorbitant rate of 25 percent per annum.

Two adjacent plots of land were bought in Battar, a sweltering red table of land overlooking the Trishuli River, at a cost of nearly $185,000.

Manju liked the new land, even though it is a two-day journey from Tiru. It is in a good place. There is no risk of landslides, she says. There is a spring within the property, and a pocket of ethnic Tamangs around the proposed settlement.

A community in exile

But, uprooting an entire community does not come without a price.

Nuwakot is a different country, with a different language. We have to think of it as exile, says Bom Bahadur.

Although each family will receive property deeds to their plot of land, it wont be much of a plot: at about 63 sq metres there will be enough space to build two small rooms and a bathroom. Some households have two or three members, but most have five or more.

Will the division of land prove problematic?

No, says Bal Bodh. In Tiru we lived in just as cramped a settlement, with each house abutting another, in long rows. We wont fight among ourselves. We have left behind our homes and our village. It is no use getting into fights here.

In our village we helped each other in illness and death. That is why we have decided to continue living as a single community, adds Bom Bahadur. Wherever we go, we will do everything to preserve our culture. We will set aside space for a community centre or a monastery.

The courage to build a new life

There is hope for the future, but also apprehension.

The new land has water, schools and excellent access to healthcare services. But, there is no money with which to start building the new settlement.

We dont have any more money to build with. If we receive assistance from charitable organisations, we can start rebuilding, says Bal Bodh, before adding: Or, well have to sell ourselves. What else do we have left now?

There is resentment towards the local bureaucracy for the many hurdles it has put before the earthquake survivors as they attempt to claim basic services.

Of particular contention is the matter of the $400,000 in relief that was collected from Korea, to benefit those who had been directly affected by, or were involved in, the 216 megawatt Trishuli-I hydropower facility being built by a Korean company. But the former residents of Tiru say that they received no more than one 30kg sack of rice and two bundles of corrugated iron sheets for each household, worth approximately $120 in value.

We had wanted the money to go towards buying land to resettle the village. We would have added our funds towards building our houses, explains Bom Bahadur. But, according to a public notice by the chief district officer, the fund has already been spent on providing relief materials and services.

We dont want donations of money. If somebody would give us building materials we would do the work ourselves. We would build each others houses and resettle the community, says Bom Bahadur. We will employ our brains and our conscience. Well raise poultry and well grow vegetables. But the courage to make a new life will be possible only when we have homes.

If we could learn new skills and if we could build our homes here, we could face the future, says Manju.

It used to snow in Tiru. The air was clean. Here, the air is polluted. Cooking fuel is scarce. Villagers in Kalikasthan dont like us gathering firewood from their forest. But, the earthquake destroyed our house, and the landslide took all of our fields. We have nothing to return to. If we dont resettle and live together, where else will we turn to?
Unqualified medics were outlawed after one infected villagers with HIV, but many cannot afford any other treatment.

Roka, Cambodia  Mao Sophan was pregnant with her third child when she came down with a fever.

Weak and exhausted, she went to the local village healer, a short walk from her wooden hut in Roka, a remote village in Cambodias northwest.

Yem Chhrem gave her two intravenous drips and she soon began to recover. Little did she know that this treatment would have tragic consequences.

Im very angry with the doctor, Mao, 31, says. If he came near me now, I would chop him up.

Mao was one of about 280 villagers, from babies to the elderly, who contracted HIV after the unlicensed doctor used contaminated needles.

After the outbreak, the government banned unqualified medics from treating patients, threatening them with jail and fines.

But in a country with only one qualified doctor for every 5,000 people  one of the worlds lowest ratios  many poor Cambodians have little choice.

With Cambodias health system severely under-funded and lacking qualified staff, village healers say they provide a vital service.

I still want to help people, but the law doesnt allow it

Chek Cheoum, an unlicensed doctor who lives in a village a few hours drive from Roka, knows what hes doing is illegal. But he says saving lives is more important.

Like many unlicensed doctors, he was a military medic under the Khmer Rouge, but he never attended medical school.

People in this village are very poor, he says. Some cant even afford a bicycle or the $1 it costs to travel to a health centre. They ask me for help. Sometimes they dont pay because they dont even have enough to eat.

Concerned that he could be jailed if found treating patients, Chek has decided to stop practising once he uses the last of his medical supplies, which he carries around in a black plastic bag.

He has decided to become a farmer, but he is upset that he is no longer allowed to treat patients.

Ive never had any problems. Nothing bad has ever happened to my patients. Thats why people keep coming back, he says. In my heart, I still want to help people but the law doesnt allow it.

Some unlicensed medics have already stopped seeing patients. Term Touey, who lives in a village not far from Chek, performed surgeries on villagers until a few months ago.

I worry about the sick who have no money and still come to me. This makes things very difficult, he says.

People still need my services

Term was recruited by the Khmer Rouge when he was 11. He trained as a medic during the 1980s and performed many amputations on landmine victims at a refugee camp hospital.

Now he is frustrated that he can no longer treat patients. People still need my services. They make a difficult journey to see me and refuse to leave. But Im afraid there will be complaints. I really want to treat them. I was born to treat people, he says.

Im frustrated that I have the knowledge, yet I am not allowed to practise. Because of one careless doctor, people like us are facing a lot of problems.

Despite the risks associated with unlicensed medics, some registered doctors say that they understand why many Cambodians, especially the rural poor, rely on them.

Dr Kuch Kam San is a licensed doctor who heads a medical team run by a non-government organisation called The Lake Clinic on Tonle Sap Lake, the largest freshwater lake in Southeast Asia.

Travelling by boat with a team of nurses and midwives, he treats some of Cambodias poorest and most remote communities who live in floating villages, far from hospitals.

Its a vital service but the team can only treat a fraction of the three million people who live around the lake.

Kuch says he understands why villagers turn to local healers, even if they are not formally trained. They use their services because we are not here all the time, he says.

Back in Roka, Mao Sophan, the young woman who contracted HIV, says she knew that the village healer, Yem Chhrem, was unlicensed, but he was close by and she could afford his treatment.

If people had no money, they could always get a jab from him. They could pay four or five days later, says Mao. Every time we needed him, he would show up.

We must keep going whether dying or alive

Yem is now serving 25 years in prison. Since the HIV outbreak was discovered in 2014, at least 14 people have died.

After she discovered she was HIV positive, the government gave Mao free anti-retroviral drugs and her daughter was born healthy.

But she is struggling to deal with the side-effects of the medication. Im always shaking because I dont have enough to eat. Sometimes I cant even stand up but I have to try, she says.

Mao and her husband had to sell their rice field when she became too weak to farm. Im depressed. I have the HIV virus and all I think about is death, she says.

Now the couple travel three hours by motorbike into the forest to harvest wild vegetables to sell. She says she and her husband must keep working because there is no one else to look after their three young children.

We must keep going whether dying or alive  and try not to think too much, she says. If we dont do this, well starve.

From the 101 East documentary Cambodia: Unlicensed to Heal. Watch the full film here

Follow Chan Tau Chou on Twitter @tauism101 and Liz Gooch on Twitter @liz_gooch
Dedougou, Burkina Faso  The 20th biennial FESTIMA, the largest International Art and Mask Festival in West Africa took place in the town of Dedougou, 250km west of the capital Ouagadougou. Hundreds of traditional masks from six countries  Benin, Ivory Coast, Mali, Togo, Senegal and 50 villages of Burkina Faso, came to life during the festival.

Masks have been an important part of traditional animist beliefs in many African cultures for thousand of years. Made of leaves, straw, wood and textile, the masks symbolise the worship of ancestors and spirits. They play an important role during commemorations of rites and the cycle of life.

According to traditional beliefs, during the ceremony, the frantic music and dancing transform the entranced mask wearer into a spirit which communicates with ancestors. A wise man or translator sometimes accompanies the wearer of the mask during the ritual, helping to interpret the ancestors message.

Of course, these masks are not given full power during the festival, one musician explained during a break. Otherwise, you would not even be able to photograph them; nothing would show up in the picture.

Only a month earlier, the capital of Burkina Faso was devastated by a terrorist attack claimed by al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) and Al-Mourabitoun, which left 30 dead and 56 wounded from 18 different nationalities.

Ki Leonce, executive director of ASAMA, the Association for the Protection of Masks, said the attack left the country shocked because Burkina Faso, which literally means the land of honest people, is known for its religious tolerance and peaceful attitudes.

There are two aspects about masks, he continued: One is cult and the other is culture; there might be a religious conflict for people who venerate masks, but there is no conflict from the cultural point. It is our cultural patrimony, every African, every Burkinabe shares it and we should not allow other people to dictate our way of thinking, but preserve our cultural heritage.

During the festival, masks were incredibly alive and some tourists attended despite the attacks. ASAMA is hoping to obtain funds to invite even more nations and masks to participate in the festival in 2018.
The word brand Trump is becoming synonymous with the expansion of racism and the incitement of Islamophobic violence.

Khaled A Beydoun is a law professor, and author of American Islamophobia: Understanding the Roots and Rise of Fear.

I think Islam hates us, said Donald Trump, 24 hours before the Republican presidential debate in Miami and four days after losing two key states to GOP rival, Ted Cruz.

Trumps declaration was neither rhetorically novel or substantively different from his string of campaign slanders on Islam. The very idea that a religion could hate a people is a preposterous statement. But, the statement is rooted in the very ignorance and hate that sprung Trumps Muslim ban proposal, which made him the darling of bigots and surged him up the polls.

Islamophobia  the suspicion and fear of Islam and its 1.7 billion adherents  was less political ideology for Trump, but carefully constructed and tactfully deployed campaign strategy.

The timing of his most recent vilification, at an impasse when Cruz is gaining delegates and the Republican establishment effort to dump Trump is a directive.

I think Islam hate us is a call to action to his voting base, to further galvanise them around a disdain for Islam that not only heightens hateful fervour at his rallies, but incites violence on American blocks and pushes bigots to the ballot box.

A calculated and causal strategy

Political Islamophobia is framed as deviant and aberrational. Trumps banal slanders, Ben Carsons statement that a Muslim couldnt be president, or the extensive string of slurs uttered by other presidential hopefuls are generally said to be off-the-cuff opinions, not representative of a vast lot of Americans.

This view overlooks the coordination and planning of Islamophobic statements, the mediums in which they are made, and the immediate impact on growing segments of the electorate that subscribe to the view that Islam hates us.

Trump is by no means the first modern politician to capitalise off Islamophobia. He follows a list of elected officials, most notably George W Bush, and presidential hopefuls who have wielded it as a platform and political strategy. by

Trump did not make his most recent slander of Islam in private. He issued it during a primetime television programme, to CNNs Anderson Cooper, with millions of viewers and voters glued to the screen.

It instantly became the lead news story leading up to the GOP debate. And collaterally, it filled the airwaves of news outlets nationally and made Trump the lead headline as the presidential campaign marched into Florida and Ohio  pivotal primaries that would likely determine the next Republican nominee.

Stuck between a narrowing lead and growing Republican opposition, Trump did what he does best: bash Islam. A trusted tactic that makes his campaign the lead story, and mobilises his motley base of supporters to vote in droves.

While 60 percent of Republican voters support Trumps Muslim ban, this number is presumptively higher for Trump supporters. Seventy-five percent of South Carolina voters, where Trump won handily, support the ban. Support for the ban was even higher in Alabama and Arkansas at 78 percent, where Trump won by roughly 22 percent and three percent, respectively.

Therefore, Trumps I think Islam hates us should be viewed as his campaigns Muslim Ban 2.0: a strategically timed call-to-arms against Islam, and cleverly declared call-to-vote to his loyal legions of Islamophobes in order to manifest their hate of the faith and its followers into votes in the ballot box.

And to deliver him Ohio and Florida, which very well may grant Trump the Republican nomination  and a narrower path to the White House.

Rallying hate

The Trump campaigns greatest contribution is the way it unveiled US racism and bigotry and the timely burial of the Post-Racial America myth. If the election of Barack Obama, a black man, signalled the decline of American racism to some, then the rapid political ascent of Trump and the resonance of his hateful message symbolises that racism in the US is alive, robust, and intensifying.

Trump is by no means the first modern politician to capitalise off Islamophobia. He follows a list of elected officials, most notably George W Bush, and presidential hopefuls who have wielded it as a platform and political strategy.

OPINION: Politics of disillusionment and the rise of Trump

But Trump has perfected it. For his campaign, Islamophobia is political craft  every soundbite carefully assembled and strategically disseminated  designed to inspire the brazen hate spewed by his supporters, and embolden the racist hate unfolding at his pep rallies.

The violence that climaxed on Friday in Chicago, where melees between Trump supporters and anti-Trump protests broke out, led to the postponement of his rally at the University of Illinois at Chicago.

A coalition of Black, Muslim and Latino students  the very demographics targeted by Trump  came together to shut down the rally. For one night in Chicago, it was Trump who was ejected from his own rally.

Trump  the man, not the politician  may not be a racist. But it doesnt matter. He has become the undisputed embodiment of modern racism in the US. His rallies offer snapshots of the racist mayhem and minority deportations his rabid supporters romanticise about; his unfiltered soundbites reveal what his loyalists fantasise about and wish they could say, and his clash of civilisations rhetoric is the very religious crusade his voters think the US is heading towards.

For demagogues, what they actually believe is far less important than what they lead others to believe. Trump invested fully into the politics of hate, building his presidential brand upon and around it.

In the US today, the word brand Trump is becoming less and less associated with skyscrapers and luxury developments, and synonymous with the expansion of racism and the incitement of Islamophobic violence. The US he promises, divided along lines of religion and race, was on full display in Chicago on Friday evening.

Khaled A Beydoun is an assistant professor of law at the Barry University Dwayne O Andreas School of Law. He is a native of Detroit.

The views expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeeras editorial policy.
It was simply the private part of any household big enough to distinguish between private and public quarters.

Wendy M K Shaw is a professor of the Art History of Islamic Cultures at the Free University, Berlin.

On March 9, Emine Erdogan, first lady of Turkey, participated in a conference entitled Sultans Mothers who Have Left Traces on Our History in Ankara. She said:

[Our] past can inform  [our] future  Orientalists have produced inappropriate impressions in peoples minds  [of] women drawn to worldly pleasures and power. However, the harem was more of a school for its members. It was the hearth of education, where women prepared for life and organised charitable events  with sultans mothers at the helm  [whom we know] largely because of the architectural works they left behind.

Coming the day after International Womens Day, when her husband Recep Tayyip Erdogan essentialised womens social roles through the statement that a woman is above all a mother, Emine Erdogans speech aroused much liberal derision.

Yet, immediate objections to the equation of the harem with a school do not address the broader problematic of romanticising the Ottomania dominating current Turkish presidential rhetoric.

The curse of Orientalism

In the 18th century, Antoine Gallards translation of A Thousand and One Nights fuelled fantasies of the orgiastic harem, yet English artist Lady Wortley Montagu and French philosopher Montesquieu used the East as exemplary for European progress.

This perspective shifted under 19th century colonialism, when painter Eugene Delacroixs Women of Algiers (1834) signified French conquest through entry into the private sphere of an Algerian home.

In suggesting the harem as a model for the present, Erdogan establishes a populist red herring against an imaginary Western onslaught, as if to say that current concerns about the rights of women are due to this misrepresentation. by

Thereafter, numerous Orientalist painters and novelists developed a fantastic repertoire of the harem that increased with the eroticisation of belly dancing at the 1889 Paris Worlds Fair.

Writing of his European travels in 1895, the Ottoman journalist and writer Ahmed Midhat Efendi complained that, the symbol of the East is a beloved sprawled on a couch  Since her clothing reveals more than it conceals, just as her legs hang from the couch spread apart, her belly and her chest are only half-covered with transparent gauzy fabrics as thin as a dream  However, much contact with this image gives the pleasure of beautiful things to the eyes, it is not a reality, but a dream, a poem  For one would think that this body is not the wife of her husband and the mother of her children, but perhaps only a plaything to serve the pleasures of the man who owns the house.

For the harem was simply the private part of any household big enough to distinguish between private and public quarters, where male guests might be received in its corollary, the selamlik.

A wealthy household might include multiple wives, as well as multiple generations, all of which would have separate financial and social arrangements.

After the 16th century, sultans stopped marrying in order to limit family power. Thus, the sultans harem, to which Erdogan refers, was composed largely of children, servants, slaves  some of whom who rose through the ranks of concubinage to become mothers of sultans, regulating the harem and its very un-libertine, procreation-oriented sexuality.

Like any household, royal or not, harems were educational spaces, and women of varying social status learned basic household tasks as well as reading, in order to study the Quran. Elite women also participated in a culturally sophisticated social milieu that included recitation of poetry and administration of inheritance and property.

Another misrepresentation

Yet, it is a far stretch to equate the household education of any harem, including the Ottoman dynastic harem, with a school.

Schools are modern institutions. In the 19th century, a centralised system of modern secondary education proliferated throughout the Ottoman Empire, supplementing the curriculum offered through traditional, religiously-oriented primary education in the mektab and the religious legal education offered in the secondary schools, or madrasas.

OPINION: The Middle Eastern century that wasnt

Schools for women, teachers, and crafts emerged in the 1870s. Such schools were not geared towards elites, who continued to hire tutors at home, but to the urban population. For the first time, women, including members of minorities such as Armenians and Jews, began to work outside the home.

Today, rather than the harem, the Western trope of oppression for the Eastern woman is enslavement under the full-body veil.

OPINION: The empire must not strike back

The only people fully playing out this fantasy seem to be the soldiers of the so-called Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) group, who include among their military rewards a harem of enslaved women, the likes of which have never before been seen in the East.

In suggesting the harem as a model for the present, Erdogan establishes a populist red herring against an imaginary Western onslaught, as if to say that current concerns about the rights of women are due to this misrepresentation.

She, thus, belittles currently increasing patterns of sexual repression and violence against women in Turkey and much of the Middle East under conditions of war.

She also implies that the charitable acts of elites, like those of the Ottoman dynasty, can stand in for the rights of the many, largely secured through the modern educational opportunities called schools necessary in any modern democracy.

Equal access to education and participation in the public sphere for women and the working classes has been a hallmark of Turkeys modern identity since its inception nearly a century ago.

Erdogans search for the future through the past is not shocking because of the lack of nuance in its information, but because it erodes the premises of a modern and egalitarian democratic state.

Wendy M K Shaw is a professor of the Art History of Islamic Cultures at the Free University, Berlin. She works on the art and thought of Turkey and the postcolonial Middle East, particularly in its relationship with historical remembrance.

The views expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeeras editorial policy.
What would happen if ISIL lost control of Iraqs second largest city tomorrow?

Michael Knights is the Lafer Fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. He specialises in the politics and security of Iraq. He has worked in every Iraqi province and most of the country's hundred districts, including periods embedded with Iraq's security forces.

On February 26, US Marine Lieutenant-General Vincent Stewart, director of the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA), told the US Senate Armed Services Committee that Mosul would probably not be recaptured by the Iraqi security forces (ISF) in 2016.

Stewarts comments are unsurprising. Military planners are by their nature pessimistic. But, as a result, the one scenario that military planners often overlook is that of unexpectedly rapid success.

In the case of Mosul, the least studied scenario  and potentially the most dangerous  is what might be termed catastrophic success: the collapse of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) groups control in the city before stabilising forces and plans are in place to fill the vacuum.





Planners should spend time on this scenario because it is slowly moving from the improbable to the plausible.

Liberation of Mosul

On-the-ground progress towards the liberation of Mosul is moving faster than expected. Elements of four Iraqi army brigades are positioned around 40km southeast of Mosul and another two are on their way.

At least two US-equipped Kurdish Peshmerga brigades will be available by mid-March to support an assault on Mosul, and a range of other Peshmerga forces are already ringing the citys northern and eastern arc.

ALSO READ: Iraqs popular demobilisation

US-backed special forces raids are beginning on the edges of the ISIL defences around Mosul. On February 13, US forces backed by Apache gunships smashed ISIL defensive positions at Kisik and Badush, northwest of Mosul, and seized the movements chief chemical weapons specialist.

US-backed special forces raids are beginning on the edges of the ISIL defences around Mosul. by

Intelligence-backed air strikes on Mosul are also accelerating. Mosul city has replaced Ramadi as the most struck location in Iraq or Syria. Kurdish intelligence networks within the city provide a rich tapestry of information on ISIL.

There are even signs of localised resistance in the forms of a regular drumbeat of assassinations and attacks on ISIL forces in Mosul. Such resistance is likely to grow as liberating forces draw closer and their activities become more visible to the residents.

The long 80km perimeter of Mosul city poses a major security challenge to ISIL because residents, spies, and anti-ISIL resistance fighters will be able to sneak in and out with increasing regularity as a liberation operation becomes imminent.

As in Fallujah and a range of smaller cities where ISIL has been forced to brutally suppress dissent, there is strong potential for anti-ISIL uprisings in Mosul. In fact, the very size of Mosul  a factor often cited as an obstacle to its liberation  poses a severe challenge for ISIL.

Figuring that there are perhaps 7,000 committed ISIL fighters inside Mosul, the movement is outnumbered at least 50 to one by local military-age males.

What if Mosul self-liberates?

The make-up of Mosuls population poses a challenge for the liberators, too.

In prior years, there were estimated to be over 7,000 former military officers in the city, plus 103,000 other former soldiers in circulation in Mosul. There is at least one AK-47 for all of the citys 450,000 or so military-age males and probably very many more, plus heavy weapons hidden away from ISIL.

Prior to 2014, Mosul was the most active insurgent hub in Iraq. A patchwork of Sunni militant groups ran the large-scale organised crime networks in the city, dominating real estate and profiting from mobile phone networks and trade. These networks are currently submerged and not entirely under the control of ISIL.

This all points to the question: If an anti-ISIL uprising began in Mosul, who would be the rebels? Would they be as immoderate as many of the moderate Syrian opposition fighters in Syria? Would the new leadership of Mosul include the old al-Qaeda in Iraq elements who refused to join ISIL  in effect, the Iraqi version of al-Nusra Front?

ALSO READ: Playing politics with boots on the ground

The problem is not necessarily that Iraq, the United States, and other Coalition allies would lack the ability to identify these armed elements that would inherit Mosul the day after an ISIL collapse.

As one US diplomat told me, We know everyone,  a statement I can well believe having been in Mosul in the occupation days and having seen the endless link analysis and network mapping materials prepared on the Mosul factions.

The problem would be de-conflicting the actions of the ISF, Kurdish forces, Shia militias, anti-ISIL Sunni militants, police, armed civilians and possibly even Turkish and Iranian forces in the hectic period after the ISIL defence collapses.

This kind of follow-on conflict might just be avoided if Iraqi and coalition military planners craft political agreements and carefully manage a gradual neighbourhood-by-neighbourhood liberation of Mosul that slowly unfolds over the next 12 months.

But what if ISIL control collapsed much sooner  before intracoalition agreements are in place and before the ISF and other troops are ready to enter?

What if the self-liberators of Mosul try to militarily prevent the Iraqi government and Kurdish forces from entering the city? The destruction of Syrian cities like Aleppo and Homs  and decades before, the fate of Beirut  show just how bad such interfactional fighting can become.

Michael Knights is the Lafer Fellow with The Washington Institute for Near East Policy. He has worked in every Iraqi province and most of the countrys hundred districts.

The views expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeeras editorial policy.
Vicken Cheterian is a lecturer in international relations at the University of Geneva and at Webster University Geneva.

The idea of federation as a solution to the Syrian crisis has suddenly appeared on the negotiating table, as the warring sides and their international sponsors are to meet for a new round of talks in Geneva.

Russian diplomacy caused a sensation in February when Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov announced that federalism is a possible solution for Syria.

If as a result of talks, consultations and discussions on Syrias future state order  they come to an opinion that namely this [federal] model will work to serve the task of preserving Syria as a united, independent and sovereign nation, then who will object to this? he said.





The Russian proposal of a federated Syria gained more weight when the United Nations envoy to Syria Staffan de Mistura declared on March 11, before the start of the next round of Geneva talks, that Syrians have rejected the division [of Syria], and federalism can be discussed at the [upcoming] negotiations.

Fears of partition

Heightened Syrian fears of partition follow announcements by US Secretary of State John Kerry about a Plan B in case negotiations fail. The Kurdish PYD, excluded from the current talks, is also pushing for federalism.

The Syrian opposition have categorically rejected the idea of federalism. Riyad Hijab, head of the High Negotiations Committee, the Riyadh-based representative body of the Syrian opposition, was quoted as saying: Syrias unity is a red line. This issue is non-negotiable and the idea of federalism is the prelude to the partitioning of Syria.

ALSO READ: Peace process in Syria: Talk, talk, kill, kill

Interestingly, Hijab and the Syrian opposition had earlier proposed administrative decentralisation of Syria.

If one carefully looks at what federatsiya - the Russian word for 'federation' - means in Russia today, then it becomes clear that partition is not an imminent political threat for the peace talks. by

Now, is there an agreement between the two major powers to partition Syria as the best way out of the crisis? If one carefully looks at what federatsiya  the Russian word for federation  means in Russia today, then it becomes clear that partition is not an imminent political threat for the peace talks.

Russia, officially the Russian Federation, is a federation composed of 85 subjects. It inherited its federative structure from the Soviet Union, at the time the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic was one of 15 union republics.

Both in the Soviet experience and the present Russian political culture, federation has largely meant the recognition of national and cultural specificity living under an autocratic or totalitarian system.

In the early years of its formation, in the 1920s, Soviet authorities promised self-determination and federalism to the various peoples that once composed the Russian Empire.

Yet, as the Soviet authorities strengthened their grip on state power, federalism became largely an outside form decorating socialist realism in which power was concentrated at the top.

Yeltsins system

Something similar happened with Russia in 1991. Initially, Russian President Boris Yeltsin proposed a federative system to the various national republics, in order to avoid the disintegration of Russia similar to that of the USSR.

At the time, the central state was weak, and many of the republics were claiming sovereignty. In 1994, Moscow signed a pact with Tatarstan  a Turkic-speaking Muslim republic in the Middle Volga  in which Tatarstan dropped its quest for sovereignty in return for control over local taxes and up to a fifth of its oil exports.

Similar arrangements were reached with other national republics, with only one exception: Chechnya. There, the Yeltsin administration tried to solve the problem through a massive show of force, but the 1994-96 war ended in a disastrous Russian defeat.

The second Russian president, the hand-picked Vladimir Putin, made of Chechnya a showcase for his ambitions. Much of Putins political experience stems from managing the conflict in Chechnya and his success in pacifying the Caucasian republic.

The price of that success has been very high, not only because of the large number of casualties among Chechen civilians and fighters as well as Russian soldiers, but also because post-war Chechnya is ruled by the iron-fisted Kadyrov dictatorship.

Following his military victory in Chechnya, Putin reinforced the power vertical of the central state, making presidents of the various republics appointees of the Kremlin.

Putin and his generation of Russian leaders are obsessed with the idea of the collapse of a centralised state and the chaos that follows. These were the dark days of the Soviet collapse, and their policies are geared towards avoiding its repetition.

In the Geneva talks, many delegates might be discussing a federal solution, but for Russia, it is about federatsiya rather than federalism.

Vicken Cheterian is a lecturer in international relations at the University of Geneva, and at Webster University in Geneva. He has published works on conflicts in the Middle East and post-Soviet republics in various journals and is the author of War and Peace in the Caucasus, Russias Troubled Frontier (2009).

The views expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeeras editorial policy.
Campaigners for clean energy force shelving of construction of coal-fired power station near Sundarban mangrove swamp.

Protests in the southern Bangladesh province of Khulna have forced the postponement of government plans to build a coal-fired power station near the worlds biggest mangrove swamp.

We do need electricity for development, but not at the expense of destroying Sundarban forest by Ummau Habiba Benazir, protester

Campaigners insist on the use of clean energy, arguing that the mangrove swamp, which is a World Heritage site, will be damaged by the smoke, ash and noise from the power plant.

Coal is the cheapest option to provide energy to Bangladeshs population of 160 million, a third of which has no access to electricity.

Sundarban, the region with the largest block of mangrove forests, is considered to be already under threat from overpopulation and inadequate infrastructure.

BD Rahmatullah, a former government energy head, said: We are fighting not for coal-based power station but for power to be produced from clean source energy  that is wind, solar and biomass.

Bangladesh, vulnerable to climate change, has witnessed millions of lives and hectares of crops affected from flooding and extreme heat.

We do need electricity for development, but not at the expense of destroying Sundarban forest, Ummau Habiba Benazir, a protester, said.

She said use of coal would harm the countrys natural forests.
Assault highlights risk Tunisia faces from home-grown fighters drawn to Iraq, Syria and Libya who threaten war at home.

The signal to attack came from the mosque, sending dozens of fighters storming through the Tunisian town of Ben Gardane to hit army and police posts in street battles that lit the dawn sky with tracer bullets.

Attackers used a megaphone to chant God is Great and reassure residents they were from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS)  there to save the town near the Libyan border from the tyrant army.

Most were Tunisians themselves, with local accents, and even some familiar faces, officials and witnesses to last Mondays attack said.

Hours later, 36 fighters were dead, along with 12 soldiers and seven civilians, in an assault authorities described as an attempt by ISIL to carve out terrain in Tunisia.

READ MORE: Deadly clashes erupt near Libyan border

Whether the armed group aimed to hold territory as they have in Iraq, Syria and Libya, or intended only to dent Tunisias already-battered security, is unclear. ISIL has yet to officially claim the attack.

But as fuller details of the Ben Gardane fighting emerge, the incident highlights the risk Tunisia faces from home-grown fighters drawn to Iraq, Syria and Libya who threaten to bring their war back home.

Despite Tunisian forces preparations to confront returning fighters, and their defeat in Ben Gardane, Mondays assault shows how the country is vulnerable to violence spilling over from Libya as ISIL expands there.

Authorities are still investigating the Ben Gardane operation. But most of the fighters appear to have already been in the town, with a few brought in from Libya. Arms caches were deposited around the city before the assault.



Are ISIL fighters making inroads in North Africa?

Most of them were from Ben Gardane. We know their faces. They knew where to find the house of the counter-terrorist police chief, one witness, Sabri Ben Saleh, told Reuters news agency. They were driving round in a car filled with weapons. My neighbours said they knew some of them.

Troops have killed 14 more fighters around Ben Gardane since Monday. Others have been arrested and more weapons seized.

After its revolt in 2011 to topple former President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, Tunisia has struggled with growing militancy.

More than 3,000 Tunisians have left to fight with ISIL, according to government estimates. Tunisian security sources say many are in Libya and play a major role running training camps.

Gunmen trained in Libya were blamed for attacks on tourists at the Bardo Museum in Tunis a year ago and at a beach hotel in Sousse in June.

Last weeks attackers were well-organised, handing out weapons to their fighters from a vehicle moving through the city, with knowledge of the town and its military barracks.

We came across a group of terrorists with their Kalashnikovs, and they told us: Dont worry, we are not here to target you. We are the Islamic State and we are here for the tyrants in the army,' said Hassein Taba, a local resident.

The attack tests Tunisia at a difficult time. After ISIL violence last year, the tourism industry that represents 7 percent of the economy is struggling to tempt visitors to return.



Tunisia closes border with Libya after attack

With its new constitution, free elections, and secular history, Tunisia is a target for fighters looking to upset a young democracy just five years after the overthrow of dictator Ben Ali.

ISIL has grown in Libya over the past year and half, coopting local fighters, battling with rivals, and taking over the town of Sirte, now its main base.

That has worried Tunisian authorities, who have built a border trench and tightened controls along nearly 200-km of the frontier with Libya.

The battle of Ben Gardane  is proof enough that the Islamic State has cells far and wide, said Geoff Porter, at North Africa Risk Consulting. But what these cells can reliably do  and how they are directed by Islamic State leadership in Sirte, let alone in Iraq and Syria, is not known.

Tunisias North African neigbours worry about the spillover effect of any further Western air strikes and military action against ISIL in Libya.

OPINION: ISILs gains in Libya and the case for intervention

After a US air strike killed 40 mostly Tunisian fighters in the Libyan town of Sabratha last month, Tunisian forces went on alert for any cross-border incursions.

Just days before the Ben Gardane attack, Tunisian troops killed five fighters who tried to cross from Libya.

But the fact that even after that setback ISIL mustered a force of 50 fighters to strike the town shows the groups ability to keep testing the Tunisian military.
Chinese courts convicted 1,419 people last year for national security and terrorism crimes, top judge says.

Chinas courts severely cracked down on terrorist and secessionist activities last year and battling hostile forces in 2016 is a key priority with ethnic separatists and religious extremists in the crosshairs, officials said on Sunday.

Those who led, organised and took part in terrorist groups and who spread video and audio material about terrorism will continue to be targeted, a leading judge, Zhou Qiang, said.

This year courts will implement well the laws on state security and counter-terrorism and severely punish terrorists and secessionists, he added.

In a speech to the annual session of Chinas national legislature, chief prosecutor Cao Jianmin also said that combating cybercrime and ensuring national sovereignty in cyberspace topped the list of 2016 priorities.

Prosecutors will continue to follow up on corruption cases as part of an almost three-year-old nationwide anti-corruption campaign spearheaded by the ruling Communist Partys watchdog agency, he said.



China sets new economic growth target at congress

Although he identified no specific groups or individuals as threats, Beijing has in the past cited a long list of hostile forces it accuses of seeking to end communist rule and plunge China into chaos, division, and economic ruin.

Those include agents of foreign governments, civil society groups who challenge the partys absolute authority, and religious dissenters  such as the underground church and the banned Falun Gong sect.

Those campaigning for ethnic rights are also frequently cited, including exiled Tibetan leader the Dalai Lama and advocates for the Turkic Muslim Uighur minority from the northwestern region of Xinjiang.

In an accompanying address to the legislature, Zhou said Chinese courts convicted 1,419 people last year of national security and terrorism crimes that carry potential death sentences. That compares with 712 people sentenced for incitement to separatism, terrorism and related charges in 2014, before last years passage of a sweeping new national security law.

Fighting corruption also remains a priority, with prosecutors handling 4,490 cases involving more than one million yuan ($154,000) last year, up 22.5 percent from 2014. That was out of a total of 54,249 officials investigated, Cao said.

Details werent given on new measures to prevent Chinese internet users from accessing overseas websites, something China insists is its innate right in order to protect its national cyberspace sovereignty.

China already blocks a wide range of foreign websites featuring news, research tools such as Google, social media including Facebook and Twitter, and file-sharing sites such as YouTube.
Explosion near transport hub kills 37 and wounds scores more in the third deadly attack in Ankara since October.

At least 37 people were killed and more than 70 hospitalised with wounds after a car bomb struck the Turkish capital. It was the second mass-casualty blast to rock Ankara in three weeks.

Witnesses said the blast on Sunday set vehicles on fire and heavily damaged several buses.





The explosion, which could be heard several kilometres away, also sent burning debris showering down over an area a few hundred metres from the justice and interior ministries, a top courthouse, and the former office of the prime minister.

These attacks, which threaten our countrys integrity and our nations unity and solidarity, do not weaken our resolve in fighting terrorism but bolster our determination, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said in a statement.

As of now there has been no claim of responsibility, said Al Jazeeras Mohammed Jamjoom, reporting from Istanbul.

But this is a real concern for Turkey. It happened in the capital and this is the third explosion to have happened in Ankara since October.

READ MORE: Ankara bombing and the failing Turkish state

Meanwhile, Turkeys air force hit Kurdish rebel targets in northern Iraq on Monday.

Nine F-16s and two F-4 jets raided 18 positions of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party, or PKK, including the Qandil mountains where the groups leadership is based, the state-run Anadolu news agency reported. Targets hit consisted of ammunition depots, bunkers and shelters.

Police carried out raids in the southern city of Adana, detaining suspected PKK rebels, the agency reported. The private Dogan news agency said at least 36 suspects were taken under custody. Fifteen suspected Kurdish fighters were also detained in Istanbul, Anadolu said.

Local broadcasters reported that an Ankara court ordered a ban on access to Facebook, Twitter and other sites in Turkey, after images from the car bombing were shared on social media. Several local users reported difficulty in accessing the sites.

Fadi Hakura, a Turkey expert and associate fellow at Chatham House, told Al Jazeera that insecurity was becoming the new norm in the country.

Insecurity and instability now is the new dynamic in Turkish politics and in society, he said.

Both of the last two attacks happened before the summit between the EU and Turkey, so I suspect that the group that carried out these attacks was seeking maximum publicity, not just in Turkey but in the outside world, to make it clear that Turkey is an insecure and unstable place.

READ MORE: Mayor of Turkeys Kilis backs Nobel Prize bid

Sundays attack comes just three weeks after a suicide car bombing in Ankara targeted buses carrying military personnel, killing 29 people.

We know how and when we will respond, Ahmet Davutoglu, Turkeys prime minister, told Al Jazeera in an interview, referring to the February attack.

Definitely, those who made this attack against our people will pay the price, but how and when, we will decide. And when it happens, everybody will see that Turkey can respond [to] any challenges, any attack, against it.

A Kurdish armed group, the Kurdistan Freedom Hawks (TAK), which is an offshoot of the outlawed PKK, claimed responsibility for that attack. TAK says it split from the PKK.

Turkey has been fighting on multiple fronts. As part of a US-led coalition, it is battling the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS), which has seized territory in neighbouring Syria and Iraq.

It is also battling the PKK in its southeast, where a two-and-a-half-year ceasefire collapsed last July, prompting the worst violence since the 1990s.

Turkey sees the unrest in its largely Kurdish southeast as deeply linked to events in northern Syria, where the Kurdish YPG militia has seized territory as it fights both ISIL and rebels battling President Bashar al-Assad.

READ MORE: Turkish PM  those who attack will pay the price

Turkey fears those gains will stir separatist ambitions among its own Kurds and has long argued that the YPG and PKK have close ideological and operational ties.

In its armed campaign in Turkey, the PKK has historically struck directly at the security forces and says it does not target civilians.

ISIL has carried out at least four bomb attacks on Turkey since June 2015, including a suicide bombing which killed 10 German tourists in central Istanbul in January.
French report says doctor wanted pilot Andreas Lubitz to be hospitalised two weeks before crash which killed 150.

A private doctor recommended that the German pilot who crashed a Germanwings jet into the Alps last year should be treated in a psychiatric hospital two weeks before the disaster, French investigators have said.

Prosecutors believe co-pilot Andreas Lubitz, who had a history of severe depression, barricaded himself into the cockpit and deliberately propelled his Airbus jet into a mountainside on March 24, killing all 150 people on board.

Frances BEA air accident investigation office said in its final report on Sunday that Lubitz had begun to show symptoms that could be consistent with a psychotic depressive episode in December 2014 and consulted several doctors over the following months, none of whom alerted aviation authorities or his employer.





Prosecutors have found evidence that the co-pilot, who also had eyesight problems and may have feared losing his job, had researched suicide methods and concealed his illness from his employer, sparking a debate on supervision and medical secrecy.

Al Jazeeras Paul Brennan, reporting from London, said the results of the investigation will be far-reaching.

One of the recommendations of the report is that there should be Europe-wide parity of when doctors should be able to break their Hippocratic Oath, he said.

Brennan said other recommendations included more regular check-ups for pilots who had been diagnosed as having a mental health issue.

The BEA said Lubitzs mental state had not generated any concerns reported by the pilots who flew with him.

However it cited a lack of clear guidelines in German regulations on when a threat to public safety outweighs the requirements of medical confidentiality.

Lubitz had been flying on a medical certificate that contained a waiver because of a severe depressive episode from August 2008 to July 2009. The waiver stated that the certificate would become invalid if there was a relapse into depression.

The BEA urged European authorities to carry out more research on the incapacitation of pilots, particularly where psychiatric issues are involved, and to tighten the rules for follow-up checks when pilots with a history of psychiatric problems are declared fit to fly.
Demonstrators gather in Paris in opposition to strengthened security laws brought in after Novembers attacks by ISIL.

Paris, France  Thousands gathered in Paris to condemn Frances continued implementation of state of emergency laws, which they described as a government coup.

Saturdays protest in the French capital drew demonstrators as varied as anarchists and undocumented migrant workers, among others  all of whom shared concerns that the emergency measures unnecessarily empowered security forces.

President Francois Hollande initially declared the state of emergency on November 13, following the killing of 130 people by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL  also known as ISIS) group in attacks in Paris.





Backed by the new powers, authorities have carried out about 3,400 raids on mosques, homes, and businesses with more than 300 people placed under house arrest.

The French government extended the state of emergency in February, saying the threat of terrorist violence remained very high.

Al Jazeera spoke to a number of those attending the rally on Saturday who said the government was unfairly targeting Muslims and using the pretext of preventing new attacks to crack down on dissent generally.

Leading a line of activists at the front of the protest, the Left Partys Eric Coquerel condemned the state of emergency for having no effect on terrorism and posing a threat to civil liberties.

The state of emergency cannot become permanent because it effectively means citizens giving up their rights, Coquerel told Al Jazeera, adding that government plans to strip nationality from dual-national terrorism suspects created a tiered citizenship system.

Government policies following the attacks have drawn strong condemnation from Muslim groups, who accuse it of treating the entire community as responsible for the actions of a few.

Activist Yasser Louati, from the Collective Against Islamophobia, told Al Jazeera the government was pushing forward with counterproductive strategies despite having no proof that they worked.

There have been only four inquiries [since November] directly linking people with terrorism, meaning this is a permanent state of emergency and a permanent coup, he said.

READ MORE: France state of emergency extended on slim evidence

Sophie, a French civil servant of North African descent, said she feared the state of emergency could make conditions harder for Muslims.

Im here today in solidarity with the people who have been treated unfairly as a result of the state of emergency, she said.

Although I was born in France, I dont feel like Im seen like everybody else I think things could get worse for Muslims, but Im hoping it wont be the case.

Present at the rally were pro-Palestinian campaigners, many worried about the governments crackdown on anti-Israel activities, such as the BDS (Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions) movement, which seeks grassroots divestment from Israel over its activities in the occupied Palestinian territories.

Since October last year, more than a dozen BDS activists have faced trial or been convicted for promoting discrimination, hatred, or violence on the basis of ethnicity.

BDS campaigner Mohamed Paz told Al Jazeera the situation had intensified since the state of emergency came into force.

There has been a government clampdown on BDS with the intention of criminalising our movement [Prime Minister] Manuel Valls is equating anti-Zionist criticism to anti-Semitism, Paz said.

He puts [BDS] within the context of the fight against radicalisation and terrorism, while we have nothing to do with either.

Joining in the chants of liberty and the state of emergency is a coup were a group of undocumented migrant workers, who said they had been targeted by police under the expanded stop and search powers brought in under the emergency laws.

One man named Koet Lassana from West Africa told Al Jazeera he was frequently stopped under the new measures, and faced detention and deportation because he did not have the correct papers to stay in the country.

We are sick of the situation The police are everywhere, they harass us and stop and search us all the time asking for papers, Lassana said.

The French government also faces opposition to the extension of the state of emergency from within the judicial system.

Among those marching with the activists and members of the public were magistrates associated with the second largest judicial trade union in the country, the Union of Magistrates.

Al Jazeera spoke to the unions General Secretary Laurence Blisson, who said the state of emergency was a threat to democracy and the rule of law.

The [measures] go against the separation of powers and grant the minister of interior the power to put people under house arrest, to raid houses outside the framework of criminal investigation, Blisson said.

There are means within the current legislation to deal with the issue of terrorism. We should not have fallen into the state of emergency.

Follow Shafik Mandhai on Twitter: @ShafikFM
Angela Merkels refugee policy facing test for the first time as nationalist party challenges her party in three states.

Three German states have voted in regional elections seen as the first political test for Chancellor Angela Merkel since the country saw an influx of refugees.

Sundays vote count is expected to see the three-year-old Alternative for Germany (AfD) party perform strongly amid debate over Merkels liberal approach to accepting the refugees.

Exit polls suggest setbacks for Merkels conservative Christian Democratic Union party and her partners in the national government, the centre-left Social Democrats.

About 12.7 million people are eligible to vote for state legislatures in three diverse regions: the economic powerhouse Baden-Wuerttemberg in the southwest, neighbouring Rhineland-Palatinate, and relatively poor Saxony-Anhalt in the ex-communist east.





Al Jazeeras Dominic Kane, reporting from Saxony-Anhalts capital of Magdeburg, said that, according to AfD, the refugee policy of the government was not the right answer to the crisis.

But five years ago, this party did not exist so it is hard to make any kind of inference what support they may have, he said.

Germany registered nearly 1.1 million people as asylum seekers last year as Merkel insisted we will manage the challenge.

While her government has moved to tighten asylum rules, she still insists on a pan-European solution to the crisis, ignoring demands from some conservative allies for a national cap on the number of refugees.

All those who want a constructive solution, who want to move things ahead, AfD is completely the wrong party, Merkel said.

A failure to win at least two of the three states would be a blow for Merkel as she tries to use her status as Europes most powerful leader to push through an EU deal with Turkey to stem the tide of asylum seekers.

Strong performances would boost AfDs hopes of entering the national parliament next year, but it remains to be seen how it will perform in the long term.

It entered five state legislatures and the European Parliament in its initial guise as a primarily anti-euro party before splitting and then rebounding in the refugee crisis.
Thousands demonstrate in major cities seeking the presidents impeachment over corruption scandal and economic crisis.

Tens of thousands of Brazilians have taken to the streets for a day of nationwide protests against President Dilma Rousseff.

Sundays demonstrations in major cities including Brasilia and Rio de Janeiro sounded the call for Rousseffs impeachment as the countrys parliament remained divided on the issue.

The demonstrations were peaceful, with thousands clad in the national yellow-and-green colours and holding banners that read Dilma out and Stop with corruption.

In the capital Brasilia, protesters inflated a huge doll of Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Rousseffs political mentor and predecessor, wearing a striped prison uniform and chained to a ball that read Operation Carwash  the name of the investigation centred on Petrobras, the state oil company.

Police estimated there were about 50,000 protesters in Brasilia alone.

Sao Paulo. Protesters call for change in government. Millions estimated to have turned out across country #Brazil pic.twitter.com/yhQaQGaaE4  Marga Ortigas (@margaortigas) March 13, 2016

On the outskirts of Sao Paulo city, a few hundred government supporters wearing red shirts and holding banners that read There will not be a coup stood outside the home of Lula.

I support her impeachment and new elections because the presidential vote in 2014 was financed with dirty money from corruption, said Alexandre Cortes, a 39-year-old engineer draped in a Brazilian flag in a festive rally in Sao Paulo, the countrys biggest city and financial capital.

Rousseff has called for calm as her government fears clashes between pro and anti-government protesters.

She is blamed by many in Brazil for plunging the economy into its worst recession in at least 25 years.

The Federal Accounts Court said in October that her governments accounting practices in 2014, including taking what amounted to unauthorised loans from state-owned banks to make up for budget shortfalls, broke the law.

Another judicial body, the electoral court, or TSE, has ruled in favour of investigating alleged illegalities in Rousseffs 2014 re-election campaign.

Especially worryingly for Rousseff was that one of the allegations in the complaint brought to the TSE by the opposition PSDB party was that some donations to her re-election coffers were linked in part to the Petrobras corruption scandal.

Rousseff chaired Petrobras during the main period of the kickbacks-and-bribery scandal that cost the company more than $2bn in 2014.

Rousseff, whose popularity is near record lows, has said she will not quit and blamed her opponents for creating the ongoing crisis.
Kilis, a few miles from Syria border, nominated by Turkish politician for accepting and integrating 120,000 refugees.

Kilis, Turkey  A Turkish town bordering Syria is under the spotlight after a ruling party official nominated it for the Nobel Peace Prize for accepting more Syrian refugees than there are local residents living there.

During the five-year Syrian civil war, Kilis  a town of 90,000 people located a few miles north of the Syrian border  has welcomed 120,000 Syrians fleeing their war-torn country.

The Turkish government recently nominated Kilis for the peace prize for its hospitality, describing it as an example the world should recognise.



Inside Story: Can Turkey succeed where the EU has failed?

In a letter nominating Kilis, Ayhan Sefer Ustun, deputy head of the Justice and Development Party, said people share their jobs, houses, trades and social spaces with Syrian refugees.

Syrians refugees have set up businesses and continue to work with their Turkish hosts in Kilis. While there is much resentment towards refugees throughout Turkey, thats not the case here.

Hasan Kara, the mayor of Kilis, spoke to Al Jazeera about why his town should be regarded as an international model for human rights protection.

Kilis today hosts more Syrians than its own population. Citizens of Kilis share their city, their streets, and even their air with Syrians, Kara said.

We believe that the example of Kilis should be recognised by the European Union and all countries in the United Nations, and this is why we think Kilis should be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.

The town has also invited German Chancellor Angela Merkel to come and see how theyve handled the influx of refugees.

Since last summer Germany has opened its arms to more than a million refugees  the vast majority from Syria and Iraq  one of the few European countries to be so welcoming.

Some European commentators have condemned Turkey for its perceived authoritarianism, lack of press freedom, and human rights issues.

Yet some view Turkeys handling of the worst refugees crisis since World War II in great contrast to the EUs chaotic response.

Turkey has taken in more than 2.7 million registered Syrian refugees, according to recent data released by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

READ MORE: The dark side of the EU-Turkey refugee deal

Despite that, the country has been pressured by the UN refugee agency to open its borders to more people.

Last week, Turkey offered to take back all refugees and migrants that travelled through the country into Europe in return for billions more dollars, faster EU-membership talks, and visa-free travel for Turks.

More discussions are expected.

Turkey will already been offered $3.3bn until the end of 2018 to cover the costs of dealing with refugees.

The UN has criticised the plan, saying Turkeys offer would violate European and international human rights laws.
It costs up to $20,000 to shoot a leopard and foreign hunters will be refunded deposits with the cats numbers unclear.

South Africa has banned the leopard hunt for the 2016 season  the first time in decades hunters with deep pockets cannot target the so-called Big 5 game animals in the country.

The temporary ban comes in the wake of a global uproar last year over the killing of Cecil the Lion in Zimbabwe by a US dentist.

The decision to ban the leopard hunt, however, was driven by science, not emotion.

South African Environment Minister Edna Molewa is a vocal advocate of the hunting industry, which the government estimates contributes $410m annually to Africas most advanced economy.

The South African National Biodiversity Institute, a government research organisation, recommended the temporary ban because it said leopard numbers could not be firmly established.

There is uncertainty about the numbers and this is not a permanent ban, but we need more information to guide quotas, John Donaldson, its director of research, told Reuters news agency.

The leopard is one of five game most desired by hunters, along with lion, rhino, buffalo and elephant.

Given their secretive and nocturnal nature, leopards are not easy to count.

The institute drew on studies and data from a number of sources, but Donaldson said most information was from protected areas and national parks, not private lands.

The Professional Hunters Association of South Africa (PHASA) said this gives an incomplete picture.

There are lots of leopards on private land, said its chief executive Tharia Unwin.

She said the association was providing the government with leopard data from private areas.

South Africa has also been scorched by its worst drought on record and Unwin said this was good for leopard numbers, as predators typically thrive when the rains are poor, leaving much of their prey in a weakened and easy-to-kill state.

Unwin said it cost up to $20,000 to shoot a leopard, and several of PHASAs members had to refund clients who had put down deposits for leopard hunts.

Most of the foreign hunters who come to South Africa for such game are American.

Hunting all of the Big 5 has been legal in South Africa since the 1980s, when hunts for white rhino were resumed.
Insistence by government officials that removing President Assad is red line draws condemnation from US and allies.

The United States and France have accused the Syrian government of trying to disrupt the upcoming peace talks in Geneva and criticised its new conditions.

Syrian opposition negotiators have started arriving in the Swiss city in advance of the talks, which are expected to tackle the issue of President Bashar al-Assads presidency.





However, the Syrian government delegation, which has already arrived in Geneva, insists that removing Assad is a red line.

Speaking after talks with European allies in Paris on Sunday, John Kerry, the US secretary of state, said the comments were a provocation and that Russia and Iran would need to show the Syrian government was living up to what had been agreed.

Kerry said the Syrian government and its backers were mistaken if they thought they could continue to test the boundaries of a fragile truce.

Accusing Syria of carrying out the most violations of the truce, he said Russian President Vladimir Putin needed to look at how Assad was acting.

President Assad is singing on a completely different song sheet and sent his foreign minister out yesterday to try to act as a spoiler and take off the table what President Putin and the Iranians have agreed to, Kerry said.

For his part, Jean-Marc Ayrault, the French foreign minister, said: Its a provocation  a bad sign and doesnt correspond to the spirit of the ceasefire.

Muallems remarks

The Syrian government said on Saturday that it would not discuss presidential elections at the Geneva conference or hold talks with any party wishing to discuss the question of the presidency.

Walid al-Muallem, Syrias foreign minister, said the government delegation will reject any attempt by the UN envoy to include presidential elections on the agenda.





Neither he [de Mistura] nor anyone else, whoever they may be, has the right to discuss presidential elections. This right is exclusively for the Syrian people, Muallem said in Damascus.

We will not talk with anyone who wants to discuss the presidency.  [President] Bashar al-Assad is a red line and is the property of the Syrian people.

Mondays talks will coincide with next weeks fifth anniversary of a war that has killed more than 250,000 people, created the worlds worst refugee crisis, and allowed the expansion of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS) armed group.

Al Jazeeras Diplomatic Editor James Bays, reporting from Geneva, said Staffan de Mistura, the UN envoy, has openly stated that he wants the talks to focus on substantive issues, including a new constitution and UN-monitored elections.

De Mistura told Al Jazeera that under the current peace process, there is a higher chance than ever of achieving a political solution in Syria.

Our diplomatic editor said: I think what is important this time around [compared with previous peace talks], is that we seem to be getting to the key crunch issue  the future role of President Assad and those close to him.

Opposition demand

The main opposition bloc, the Riyadh-based High Negotiations Committee (HNC), has repeatedly called for Assads departure at the start of any transitional period.

We consider that the transitional period begins with the departure of Bashar al-Assad or his death. It cannot be a stage where this regime, or the head of this regime, continues to be in power, said Mohammed Alloush, HNCs senior negotiator.





The talks on Monday are part of the first diplomatic push since the Russian air force intervened in September to support Assad, tilting the war in his favour and helping the government reclaim significant areas in the west.

On the ground, a Syrian military source told the Reuters news agency that rebel fighters targeted a warplane on Saturday while it was landing in Hama province, bringing it down, and calling the attack a breach of the cessation of hostilities agreement.

There were conflicting accounts on Saturday night as to whether the government plane was brought down by missiles or anti-aircraft guns.

A rebel group operating in the area, Jaish al-Nasr, said it shot down the jet with anti-aircraft weapons.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, however, said rebels shot down the plane with two heat-seeking missiles.

The ceasefire agreement, brokered by the US and Russia, has been more widely respected than many expected, though fighting has continued on some important fronts, including near the Turkish border.
Syrian government and opposition trade barbs about future of President Assad in lead-up to crucial Geneva meeting.

Opposition negotiators have started arriving in Geneva in advance of Syria peace talks, which are expected to tackle the issue of President Bashar al-Assads presidency.

The talks on Monday in the Swiss city will coincide with next weeks fifth anniversary of a war that has killed more than 250,000 people, created the worlds worst refugee crisis, and allowed the expansion of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS) armed group.





Al Jazeeras Diplomatic Editor James Bays, reporting from Geneva, said UN envoy Staffan de Mistura has openly stated he wants the talks to focus on substantive issues, including a new constitution and UN-monitored elections.

De Mistura told Al Jazeera that under the current peace process, there is a higher chance than ever of achieving a political solution in Syria.

I think what is important this time around [compared to previous peace talks], is that we seem to be getting to the key crunch issue  the future role of President Assad and those close to him, said Bays.

Despite optimism about discussions to find a political solution to the deadly conflict, the Syrian government and opposition traded barbs on the future of Assad on Saturday.

Walid al-Muallem, Syrian foreign minister, said the government delegation in Geneva will reject any attempt by the UN envoy to include presidential elections on the agenda.





Neither he [de Mistura] nor anyone else, whoever they may be, has the right to discuss presidential elections. This right is exclusively for the Syrian people, Muallem said in Damascus. We will not talk with anyone who wants to discuss the presidency.  [President] Bashar al-Assad is a red line and is the property of the Syrian people.

The main opposition bloc, the Riyadh-based High Negotiations Committee (HNC), has repeatedly called for Assads departure at the start of any transitional period.

We consider that the transitional period begins with the departure of Bashar al-Assad or his death. It cannot be a stage where this regime, or the head of this regime, continues to be in power, said Mohammed Alloush, HNCs senior negotiator.

They talks on Monday are part of the first diplomatic push since the Russian air force intervened in September to support Assad, tilting the war in his favour and helping the government reclaim significant areas in the west.





On the ground, a Syrian military source told the Reuters news agency that rebel fighters targeted a warplane on Saturday while it was landing in Hama province, bringing it down, and calling the attack a breach of the cessation of hostilities agreement.

There were conflicting accounts on Saturday night whether the government plane was brought down by missiles or anti-aircraft guns.

A rebel group operating in the area, Jaish al-Nasr, said it shot down the jet with anti-aircraft weapons.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, however, said rebels shot down the plane with two heat-seeking missiles.

The ceasefire agreement, brokered by the US and Russia, has been more widely respected than many expected, though fighting has continued on some important fronts, including near the Turkish border.
Syrian government and opposition trade barbs about future of President Assad in lead up to crucial Geneva meeting.

Rebels shot down a Syrian warplane in the west of the country, fighters and a military source said, as the government and opposition groups traded barbs ahead of fragile peace talks in Geneva on Monday.

There were conflicting accounts on Saturday night whether the government plane was brought down by missiles or anti-aircraft guns.

The Syrian military source told the Reuters news agency that fighters targeted a warplane while it was landing in Hama province, bringing it down, and calling the attack a breach of the cessation of hostilities agreement.





A rebel group operating in the area, Jaish al-Nasr, said it shot down the jet with anti-aircraft weapons. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, however, said rebels downed the plane with two heat-seeking missiles.

The incident came as the Syrian government confirmed it will attend indirect talks with the opposition in Geneva on Monday.

The negotiations have been brokered by the UNs Syria envoy Staffan de Mistura, who said discussions will include the implementation of presidential elections within 18 months.

In an interview with Al Jazeeras diplomatic editor James Bays, de Mistura said the political process will include a push for new governance, including a new constitution and a new election under UN supervision.

Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Muallem said on Saturday, however, the government delegation in Geneva will reject any attempt to include presidential elections on the agenda.

Neither he [de Mistura] nor anyone else, whoever they may be, has the right to discuss presidential elections. This right is exclusively for the Syrian people, Muallem told a news conference in Damascus.

We will not talk with anyone who wants to discuss the presidency [President] Bashar al-Assad is a red line and is the property of the Syrian people.

He added the delegation to the talks will wait no more than 24 hours for the opposition to arrive.

The main opposition bloc, the Riyadh-based High Negotiations Committee (HNC), has repeatedly called for Assads departure at the start of any transitional period.





We consider that the transitional period begins with the departure of Bashar al-Assad or his death. It cannot be a stage where this regime, or the head of this regime, continues to be in power, said Mohammed Alloush, HNCs senior negotiator.

The talks will coincide with next weeks fifth anniversary of a war that has killed more than 250,000 people, created the worlds worst refugee crisis, and allowed the expansion of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS) armed group.

They are part of the first diplomatic push since the Russian air force intervened in September to support Assad, tilting the war his favour and helping Damascus reclaim significant areas in the west.

The ceasefire agreement, brokered by the United States and Russia, has been more widely respected than many expected, though fighting has continued on some important fronts, including near the Turkish border.
Federalism is being floated as a possible solution to the conflict in Syria, but both sides have yet to agree.

The resumption of talks in Geneva is coinciding with the fifth anniversary of the conflict in Syria.

The crisis started with protests against President Bashar al-Assads government before descending into a full-blown civil war.

It has drawn in foreign fighters and contributed to the emergence of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS) group.

Yet the fighting has slowed considerably since a fragile ceasefire brokered by the US and Russia came into force almost two weeks ago.

However, a permanent peace deal and full ceasefire remain a distant possibility.

As Staffan de Mistura, the UN special envoy for Syria, prepares to meet delegations from the government and opposition groups, the idea of federalism is being discussed.

The idea has attracted considerable attention and controversy.

But could both sides consider federalism? And will the latest round of talks yield any concrete results?

Presenter: Laura Kyle

Guests:

Marwan Kabalan  Syrian academic and writer and Associate Analyst at the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies.

Maha Yahya  Acting Director of the Carnegie Middle East Center.

Julien Barnes-Dacey  Senior Policy Fellow in the Middle East and North Africa Programme, European Council on Foreign Relations.
By Mary Friese

Its time to take a hard look at career assumptions. Who is your boss? Many people in our society are raised to believe that the best way to become financially secure is to get a job and earn regular income. The idea of safety, stability, and security fed by the receipt of a regular paycheck seems sensible.

But really, it is more a scenario of sacrificing freedom, empowerment, and control in exchange for taking orders dutifully. If you are competent, you may have the ability to switch jobs, but you could also get laid off in spite of your grand abilities. Further, when you want to increase your income, it is at the discretion of a boss regardless of the amount of hours or energy you put into your job, or how many jobs you try on for size.

As an employee, you willfully put yourself into a subservient position, one that really isnt all that secure when you realize at any given time someone in a superior position at the company can say a few words and turn off all of your income.

So how can you have true job security when you have no control? This is the reason why many people choose to quit their jobs and become entrepreneurs.

Entrepreneurship: The Excitement of Starting Your Own Business

It is true that leaving your job behind and becoming an entrepreneur is a major life decision that comes with some risks, but when you run your own business, you relieve yourself from the ever-present threat of getting laid off. Also, when you are in business for yourself, there is a more direct financial benefit for your tenacitythe hours and energy you put into your business benefits you.

A Gallup poll found that eight out of ten entrepreneurs are satisfied with their decision of becoming business owners and would do it again. However, experienced, successful entrepreneurs wont mince words when it comes to the hard work involved in becoming a business owner; they can attest to the fact that your concerted efforts will repay you in ways simply having a job cannot.

When you run your own business, you will need to take on day-to-day challenges with a combination of determination, ambition, and grit. Since the buck stops with you, its up to you to make your clients happy, and it is up to you to market your products and services in order for your business to remain profitable.

You will need grit because you will be tested every day, frequently being pushed beyond your comfort zone. However, without strong support, you may find entrepreneurship overwhelming. This is why many entrepreneurs seek to find a perfect balance between independence and mentorship, and many people invest in franchises.

The Franchise Option

If youre weighing the benefits of starting an independent business versus operating a franchise, ask yourself: Have I ever managed employees? Do I have experience relative to the industry? What are the strengths and weaknesses of the competition?

If you find you dont have answers to these questions, perhaps its worth looking into investing in a franchise opportunity. A well-established franchisor can provide the answers to many of your startup questions with the added benefit of providing full ongoing support once you are in business.

Buying a franchise is investing in your own ability to increase your income without having to negotiate with a superior. No one outranks you when youre the boss, and you can decide how much you get paid based on the grit, determination, drive you put into the business. Owning your own business is hard work. However, working for yourself is much different than working for somebody else. Youll work harder for yourself than you will for someone else.

One of the crown jewels of franchising is the chance to receive ongoing support for the life of your franchise. Why turn down training for you and your employees in exchange for going solo? A franchisor becomes your silent partner and will get behind you with the full force of its brand, which should include national buying power to bring down costs with vendors and give a nice boost to your bottom line, too.

Count on joining a family of fellow franchisees who you will get to know at meetings and conferences, and look to them for mentoring. Representatives of the franchisor at the local level will become familiar faces who will work with you on a continuing basis as you grow your franchise. Note: they should become fixtures in the operation of your business only as you see fit, without micromanaging you. In this way, you are the big boss, but a strong entity has your back.

Finally, if you sign an agreement with a well-known franchise brand with a proven track record of enthusiastic franchisees, you will be doing yourself a favor. You do not need to be a human guinea pig, gambling your own money for a new, trendy franchise.

Working for a Boss vs. Being Your Own Boss

We are conditioned in this society to believe that working hard in school and landing a job with a stable company is the path to security and freedom, but there really can be no security or freedom when we work for someone else.

If you are in the position to choose between becoming an entrepreneur or simply getting a job, consider assuming the role of boss. Meet with successful entrepreneurs to find out whats involved in running a business, and research franchise opportunities to see if theres a fit there.

Remember, when run your own business, all of your hard efforts will come back to you in the form of a bigger piece of the pie, financially speaking.
Ingenious beauty tech and anti-aging anything are siren songs for the skin-care obsessed, like me. So when I heard about a new high-tech, fine-line-hindering treatment from French cult-fave brand Biologique Recherche, I was desperate to try it out. Called Second Skin, the treatment isn't about the usual facial stuff, like pore-cleaning and face-massaging. It's about moisturizing and liftingin fact, it's marketed as a noninvasive alternative to fillers.

What I can say about the treatment is that it made me do a sort of sitcom-like double take when I saw my face afterward. This all went down at the Peninsula Spa in New York City, in a treatment room larger than most N.Y.C. bedrooms; there was what looked like a three-foot clearance on all sides of the central bed. As soon as I crawled in, something felt way, way offthe bed was hardly heated. That's because of Biologique Recherche's "cold therapy" philosophy, which (rightly) maintains that heat is bad for your skin. I totally get that, but still, this meant no heavenly steam, no meltingly warm towels, no toasty bed. This was a big bummer. I mentally revised my post-facial plans, just so that I could spend some time warming up in the spa's sauna and steam room.

The technician double-cleaned my face, then swept it with Lotion P50 (a liquid toner), a calming clay mask, and a custom cocktail of serums. Many facialists make a point of elaborate massage showmanship, but her delivery was no-nonsense. As someone who's received many a fluffy and ineffective facial, I appreciated her efficiency.

She then fed pure hyaluronic acidwhich can hold 1,000 times its weight in waterinto a machine next to me. Using a fiber-making process called "electrospinning," the 3-D-printer-like device converted the acid into short, thin strips. The technician laid the nanofiber patches on the parts of my face that she decided needed the most love (that would be the droopy cheeks and jawline and what I'm starting to think of as an inner-brow double valley). The ribbons of hyaluronic acid dissolved completely with a few strokes of a microcurrent wand.
When most people visit South Africa, they spend their time going on safaris, having barbecues (known as "braais"), or enjoying the scenic coastal drive to Chapman's Peak. When an Allure editor travels there, it's about all of thatplus scouting out the best local beauty products, of course. Such was the case when I visited Cape Town for the first time recently. During my weeklong trip, I picked up three stellar natural-beauty products I now consider staples in my collection.

Hey Gorgeous Matcha & Manuka Face & Body Scrub. The V&A Waterfront in Cape Town is a great place to shop for gifts and find pieces from local and international brands, and my favorite booth was Hey Gorgeous, a locally sourced brand that sells a whole range of beauty treats that sound good enough to devour (examples: Cappuccino & Caramel Fudge Body Scrub, Calorie-Free Super Sweet Cupcake Bath Bombs, and Butterscotch Lip Balm). It was tough trying to narrow it down, but I ended up buying the Matcha & Manuka Face & Body Scrub. It combines matcha green tea (which has antioxidant and exfoliating benefits) and manuka honey, a natural humectant that heals skin and helps seal in moisture. While you might think the gritty sugar granules seem a little abrasive for your face, the thick mix of honey and oils make for a nice buffer, so it leaves skin dewy and smooth, not irritated or raw. And you can even skip moisturizer after using it, because even after you rinse, you'll notice a (thin, non-slimy; don't worry!) layer of jojoba, grape-seed, and sweet-almond oil left behind.
In whatever form it takes, authoritarianism is often identified by the unrelenting desire on the part of a leader to eliminate his or her adversaries. And while Iran and Obama purport to have two very different worldviews, both are religious in fervor when dealing with those who deviate from the faith.

In Iran there are mullahs who safeguard Islams sacred law, in America there is a president who thinks he is a law unto himself. Iran wants to nuke Israel and the U.S., and Obama is nuking the Constitution.

Thats why the news that Attorney General Loretta Lynch reviewed the possibility of pursuing civil action against climate change skeptics (deniers) was as disturbing as the report that Iran recently tested two ballistic missiles.

Most would agree that it is easy to identify what motivates the theocratic Islamic Republic of Iran.

For starters, Iran is zealous in its hatred for America, the country led by a Muslim-sympathizing president that agreed to help the genocidal terrorist state acquire an atomic bomb. The $150 billion check Obama dropped in the mail to Tehran ensures that, in the future, our mortal enemy will possess the means to repay our generosity by turning a third of the earths water into Wormwood.

In the meantime, because of the Islamic belief that, on the delicate wings of a mushroom cloud, chaos will usher in the 12th Imam, Mohamed al- Mahdi, Iranian leaders remain primarily fixated on how to annihilate their ancient enemy Israel.

Until that great and terrible day arrives, the Islamic theocracy continues to deal harshly with capital offenders who Irans leaders believe spread corruption.

The type of depravity that the Iranian government views as a threat to social and political wellbeing include criticism of the regime, offending the Prophet and defying Islamic standards with speech or printed material.

Funny, some of those violations sound similar to the American sin of critiquing prescient Obama, and exercising the right to free speech.

Sometimes, at first, Iranian government goon squads called religious police monitor suspected blasphemers. Other times, offenders immediately endure persecution and/or spend extended time in a jail cell. But, more often than not, those who spread corruption are tortured and executed.

Put simply, if a citizen dares to disagree with the theocratic ruler of Iran, the punishment that follows is severe and unforgiving.

At any rate, although Washington D.C. is 6,300 miles away from Iran, after being led for eight years by a Supreme Leader whose favorite pastime is issuing infallible decrees, the seat of American government is beginning to resemble an Iranian theocracy.

For instance, when differing opinions arise that contradict the sacred text concerning gun control, abortion, and climate change, although the president doesnt respond by beheading anyone in a public square, he does find a way to overtly impugn the credibility of those whom he feels spread corruption.

Now, judging from what Attorney General Loretta Lynch had to say at a recent Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on Justice Department operations, Obamas future method of response may become more official.

Apparently, Obamas Justice Department is in the process of deciding whether or not to take civil action against beliefs held by those Iran would call gross offenders of the moral order. Lynch had this to say about how climate deniers in the fossil fuel industry could possibly face lawsuits:

This matter has been discussed. We have received information about it and have referred it to the FBI to consider whether or not it meets the criteria for which we could take action on.

Based on the Attorney Generals remarks, its hard to believe that what was once a Constitutional right to individual thought and belief, may now be one step closer to an Iranian-style regulation overseen by a hierarchy of American mullahs.

Then again, the president has already admonished those who contradict his beliefs concerning climate change by warning them if they dont agree with him [They]'ll be pretty lonely. What Obama didnt expound upon was whether or not a climate change skeptic ends up lonely inside or outside a courtroom.

Either way, the problem that remains for America is that our president truly does believe with a mullah-like fervor that the emission of greenhouse gas is more menacing an activity than massacring an unborn child.

Now, the man who commends those who make a living harvesting and selling dead babies for profit is leaning toward making the sale of fossil fuel grounds for litigation.

So, for the rest of us, the question that arises is whether an administration that doesnt consider an undocumented felon a criminal will actually target a global warming skeptic who refuses to believe that a polar bear floating on a chunk of ice substantiates man-caused climate change?

Moreover, one cant help put wonder whether Loretta and Barry may also be secretly plotting to take action against anyone who has a firearm, or who sides with the investigative journalists indicted for exposing that Planned Parenthood sells baby body parts for money to buy Lamborghinis?

In America today, it seems that the only way to prevent being monitored by a western version of the Iranian religious police is to go green, relinquish the guns, and to stand, in unflinching unanimity, with the proprietors of the baby body parts chop shop.

And if thats where America is headed, then Ballistic Barack testing his DOJ arsenal is just as harrowing in its potential to do harm as an Iranian missile.

Jeannie hosts a blog at www.jeannie-ology.com
In an essay, The Rise of American Authoritarianism, posted on Vox.com (March 1), Amanda Taub makes three claims: (1) Donald Trump is backed by authoritarians who feel threatened by social, political, and economic changes in the U.S.; (2) the GOPs appeal to traditionalism and law-and-order has attracted a vast and previously bipartisan population of Americans with authoritarian tendencies, insuring there will be more Trump-like candidates in the future; and (3) since Democrats, by contrast, have positioned themselves as the party of civil rights, equality, and social progress they can be absolved of any charge of harboring authoritarians.

In an essay posted on thefederalist.com (March 8), David Harsanyi asserts that Democrats Should Worry about Their Own Authoritarianism. Harsanyis basic thesis is that using the benchmarks of authoritarianism -- strong centralized power and limited political freedoms -- we can just as easily describe the modern Democratic Partys agenda as we can Trumpism.

Ms. Taubs essay is seriously flawed. Although Harsanyi offers a telling correction, he does not explore the corpus of social science research that supports his argument.

This essay extends Harsanyis argument. By exploring social science research on authoritarianism, I will show why Harsanyis critique of Taub is fundamentally correct, albeit incomplete.

Taub rightly notes that academic interest in the authoritarian personality (and its political ramifications) originated when people inside and outside of Academe tried fathom the Nazis popularity. Sadly, her essay almost immediately goes off the rails.

Although there had been a few pioneering efforts to explain popular support for fascistic regimes, the comprehensive study of the social-psychological dynamics behind anti-Semitism and fascism did not begin until 1945, when the American Jewish Committee sponsored a series of studies of the topics.

The most important of those studies was a multi-year project by professors and graduate students at the University of California, Berkeley. The team was headed by Theodor W. Adorno, a leading member of the Frankfort (Germany) school of critical theory, which drew heavily on Hegel, Marx, and Freud. (Adorno was a refugee from Hitlers Germany, as were others from the Frankfort school.)

In 1950, Adorno, Else Frenkel-Brunswick, Daniel Levinson, and Nevitt Sanford published The Authoritarian Personality, which is the fountainhead of empirical research on the psycho-dynamics of anti-Semitism and authoritarianism.

Although the Berkeley teams work is flawed, it is not junk science, as Taub dismissively calls it.

Adorno and his co-authors postulated that a series of attitude clusters -- anti-Semitism, ethnocentrism, and political and economic conservatism -- combined to produce what they called implicit anti-democratic trends or potentiality for fascism, measured by the now-famous F (for fascism) Scale, which would become the center-piece of the Berkeley teams research. They developed several scales to tap each cluster/personality trait. (Unfortunately, with the exception of a few questions on the Political and Economic Conservatism Scale, all items were worded so that agreement signified the cluster/trait being measured.) Then, using a variety of in-depth psychiatric tests, they explored the psychodynamics of each cluster/trait.

The authors of The Authoritarian Personality did not study random samples of the American populace. Rather, they investigated readily available groups such as college students, prison inmates, psychiatric patients, public school teachers, and public health nurses. As the social psychologist, Roger Brown, noted in Social Psychology (1965), [t]he majority of the subjects [studied by Adorno, et al.] could be characterized as white, non-Jewish, native-born, middle-class Americans and the authors guessed that their findings would hold for this population.

As Brown noted, [t]he [F] scale is intended to measure implicit authoritarianism or antidemocratic trends in a personality, trends rendering the personality susceptible to explicit Fascist propaganda.

According to the Berkeley team, authoritarianism was a multi-faceted phenomenon, consisting of nine anti-democratic symptoms. Boiled down, they depict someone who is extremely rigid, views the world in black-and-white terms as a very dangerous place, is intolerant, obsessed with power and toughness, submissive toward anyone perceived as a legitimate authority, and hostile to despised out-groups.

The authoritarian is also likely to be anti-Semitic, bigoted toward other minorities and despised out-groups, and, to a lesser extent, committed to conservative political and economic perspectives.

How did someone become an authoritarian? Of course, if one were not a white, native-born, non-Jewish person from a middle-class background, he/she was extremely unlikely to be an authoritarian; at least as far as the Berkeley team was concerned.

But, for the suspect categories, Adorno and his colleagues drew heavily from Freuds theories about personality development, larded with neo-Marxism, to account for how an authoritarian personality would emerge.

Cast in terms of Freuds notions about id-ego-super-ego, the authoritarian personality is someone with a punitive ego and a weak super-ego. As the political psychologist William Stone put it in The Psychology of Politics (1974), the authoritarian was thought to stem from childhood experiences, especially from subjection to harsh, inflexible discipline, together with a rather cold emotional climate in the home. If the individuals parents were also anxious about status -- here is where neo-Marxism reared its ugly head -- early childhood experiences were especially likely to lead to authoritarian tendencies.

Adorno et al.s assertions about authoritarianism were virtually received wisdom among social scientists for a few years. Gradually, however, acceptance was undermined by several trenchant critiques, typified by the essays in Richard Christie and Marie Jahodas co-edited Studies in the Scope and Method of the Authoritarian Personality (1954).

The Berkeley team was criticized because they had not investigated random samples of the populace; therefore, their findings probably did not apply to the general populace. Moreover, most of their scales suffered from response set; if some people are prone to agree with any reasonably sounding item, that tendency, rather than the substance of the scale questions, could explain Adorno, et al.s findings. Low IQ and poor educational backgrounds were allegedly as important as personality traits in producing authoritarian tendencies. There were also problems with the Berkeley teams analyses of its in-depth studies.

Perhaps the most devastating critique of the Berkeley team was the charge that they had focused solely on right-wing authoritarianism. They had ignored comparable tendencies -- especially inflexibility, intolerance, and submissiveness (to left-wing dictators like Josef Stalin) -- among leftists.

Earlier allusions to this conceptual blinker were confirmed when the social psychologist Milton Rokeach, who had assisted the Berkeley team as a graduate student, published The Open and Closed Mind (1960). As the psychologist Bob Altemeyer noted in The Authoritarian Specter (1996), Rokeach set out to study general authoritarianism, unassociated with any particular ideology. Rokeach showed that the F Scale tapped only conservative tendencies. He developed a new measure, the D (for dogmatism) Scale.

Although scholars have raised questions about the D Scales technical details, none has disproved its findings that both left- and right-wing extremists score high on the measure. The dogmatic personality is someone who, regardless of ideological leaning, is intolerant of ambiguity and rigid in outlook.

If Harsanyi had cited Rokeach, he would have had Taub cold. As it is, their dispute looks like an instance of she says, he says. Harsanyis analysis is well-taken, but it could have been even stronger. Left-wing extremists are just as closed-minded and intolerant as right-wing authoritarians.
Decades back, there was a popular retort leveled at people who found fault with this country: America: Love it or Leave It. The phrase isnt used much anymore, but the whining of disgruntled citizens continues. In this primary election cycle, the tables seem to have turned. Those who feel unbearably angry now are threatening to leave the United States and settle elsewhere in the event that the presidential election results are not to their liking.

Remember when Alec Baldwin swore he would move overseas if George W. Bush ended up in the White House? It was a big news item at the time, but nothing came of it, even though plenty of Americans were more than willing to help the actor pack. Instead, Baldwin landed the leading role in a new sitcom called 30 Rock, from which he likely raked in an annual salary many times more than I earned in my entire working career. Yes, indeed, life must have been intolerable for Alec under a Republican administration!!

Now that Donald Trump is running for president, the homegrown threats to emigrate to a more palatable environment have accelerated exponentially. Die-hards by the droves, Im told, have commenced to industriously Google the subject, particularly as it relates to gaining entry into Canada. A stranger I encountered in a salad queue aboard a recent cruise to the Caribbean told me in no uncertain terms that if Trump is elected, Im outta here! Perhaps he was scouting island destinations.

Of course its all talk. And even if the defectors were willing to, say, embrace our neighbor to the north, the reverse is not necessarily the case. Still, its easier to make promises if they are subject to being overruled by regulations and other mitigating circumstances. When my younger daughter was little, she used to balk at our parental decisions and threaten to throw herself under a bus. Thatll make you sorry! she would warn, ignoring the fact that it would, for sure, make her even sorrier.

But lets just pretend that Trump -- or whoever else alarms voters sufficiently -- is, indeed, the GOP nominee and, despite the odds, is elected our next president. Fearing the unspeakable, those who vowed to quit our shores in that eventuality would have only a couple of months before the inauguration to settle their affairs and leave behind the country they once loved. Wallowing in disenchantment, they would stand for the last time amid the soon-to-be alien scenery, anticipating Armageddon in America as soon as The Donald places his (small?) hand on the bible.

Resignedly, they might bray about making the sacrifice on principle, for the sake of their childrens future. They might explain how, in conscience, they could not live with the peoples wrong-headed choice. They might wonder aloud what America is coming to, and pity those who must endure its decline. And they would likely expect their shocked friends to simultaneously admire their courage and mourn the ugly prospect of their departure -- even though Canada is not really all that far away.

But for disillusioned naysayers who threaten to pack up and leave, theres something important they should know that might, through no fault of their own, pull their fat out of the fire of conviction and spare them the inconvenience of principled martyrdom.

I dont know how to say this diplomatically, but Canada doesnt really want them. And neither do the other nations of the world. The would-be emigres may have championed porous borders and illegal immigration for America sympathetically, but it doesnt work that way elsewhere. Nor would they be able to overstay a restricted visa and remain under the radar in another country. The fact is that the legal immigration policies of other lands are far lengthier, intimidating and strictly enforced than our own.

To begin with, nobody in our neighbor nation to the north would take seriously a political refugee from the United States. Too many millions of Canadians including Ted Cruz  have left that country and traveled south with the intention of seeking a more promising future, regardless of politics. Nor does being a hard-working, upstanding citizen here automatically translate into being welcomed elsewhere. Canada, for instance, may be lenient in admitting immigrants from the former British Empire, but America bolted that alliance over 240 years ago.

Perhaps these disaffected souls anticipate that the massive influx of Syrian and other Arab refugees into places like Germany, France, and Greece is a sign of encouragement for their own hegira. Well, possibly it might help if they donned dishdashas, or abayas and attempted to cross foreign borders with the un-vetted masses.

Unfortunately, theres no easy way to quit the States for good and gain citizenship somewhere else. All desirable venues, including Canada, have restrictive, bureaucratic immigration laws. There is often a point system and a long wait -- by which time, incidentally, the offending American politician might be out of office!

And forget Denmark, which this year voted to seize the assets of asylum seekers above $1,400 to help cover their expenses. On top of that, the worldwide job market for non-citizens doesnt look all that rosy. Canada has a policy that discourages giving a job to an outsider unless it cannot be filled by a Canadian citizen. Peter Jennings, for example, may have moved to the United States from Canada and become a highly-paid news anchor. But that good fortune is less likely to happen going in the other direction.

I speak from experience. Over 40 years ago, the Detroit-based computer company employing my husband offered him a promotion as the Toronto branch manager. It sounded like a fine opportunity for him, as well as for our young family to experience another culture. The corporation went to great lengths to prove that he had unique qualifications unmatched by any Canadian citizens who had applied for the position.

Official papers in hand, we arrived at the Canadian border crossing on a bitterly cold February night, figuring it would take only minutes to present our credentials and be on our way. Instead, we were detained in a cramped immigration building for a couple of hours, while two peevish staff members leafed through a monstrous book in an effort to find the official title that most accurately fitted my husbands job description. Outside, our three kids were asleep on bunks in our small motorhome, where the temperature had by then plunged below freezing. On the last lap of our journey, we drove with the campers stove gas jets burning full blast. That was probably illegal, but at least we werent.

We spent two interesting years in Canada, where, as landed immigrants, we were required to pay income taxes (50% at the time), but did not have the right to vote. While I was there, I paid nothing -- except $5 for a pair of crutches -- to have a foot operation, which had to be redone when I returned to the States.

If would-be American emigres are upset with election results, perhaps they should consider that being disenfranchised is far worse. Our system of democratic elections cannot satisfy all the people all the time. But being an American citizen is a distinct privilege coveted by millions around the globe. Anyone who would seek to abandon it based on the election of a president for a four-year term is an unappreciative, petulant fool.
In his last months in office, Barack Obama continues to issue regulations that cripple the energy sector. Far from being a champion of the poor and the middle class, Obama is destroying jobs, raising energy costs, and making the U.S. vulnerable to foreign control. The latest regulations on methane, announced on March 10 in a joint news conference with Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau, are a perfect example of why the U.S. economy has been expanding at a snail's pace since 2008.

The EPA action announced Thursday would reduce methane emissions from existing oil and gas wells by up to 45% from 2012 levels by 2025. Additional regulations would apply to new drilling and to drilling on federal lands. Since hundreds of thousands of wells exist in the U.S., the methane regulations would impose a significant burden on the industry.

Alongside the EPA actions, the Bureau of Land Management announced its own slew of methane regulations for federal and tribal lands. The new BLM rules would duplicate regulations that already require drillers to eliminate flaring of gas emissions. The new rules would amount to a "paperwork and compliance nightmare for many small businesses," according to Congressman Kevin Cramer of North Dakota. As Cramer put it, "[t]hese regulations have nothing to do with protecting the environment and everything to do with shutting down the oil and gas industry in our country."

At a time when oil prices are low, any regulation that makes U.S. drilling less competitive is a bad idea. The cost of oil and gas production in the U.S. is already several times that of production in Saudi Arabia, Russia, and other oil-rich countries. Obama's underlying agenda seems to be to weaken the U.S. energy industry relative to low-cost foreign producers. By doing so, U.S. producers will be driven into bankruptcy, and eventually oil and gas prices will rise, making solar and wind appear more competitive.

By driving oil and gas drilling overseas, Obama's methane order would cost Americans thousands of high-paying jobs. Middle East producers are eager to increase their market share. Obama's methane regulations will make that happen.

Obama's methane order reflects the left's bias against fossil fuels. A rational policy, if one believed that methane emissions were contributing significantly to climate change, would be to target all sources of methane emissions. Obama's focus has been on the oil and gas industry  this despite the fact that oil and gas production is responsible for less than one half of one percent of total greenhouse emissions.

In fact, increased reliance on natural gas by U.S. utilities, homeowners, and industry has contributed more to reductions in overall greenhouse emissions than any other factor. Natural gas produces half the carbon emissions of coal. Those who believe that carbon emissions contribute to global warming (and that warming is a bad thing) should be applauding the increased use of natural gas in the U.S. economy. Unfortunately, environmental extremists are determined to undermine reliance on all fossil fuels, regardless of efficiency, safety, and cost.

Methane release from oil and gas drilling is actually 20% less than that from agricultural sources. So where are the new EPA regulations for agriculture? So far, the EPA has focused on fossil fuels. (Not that the agricultural sector should rest easy  left unchecked, the environmental left will bring every American industry to its knees.)

As it is, the oil and gas industry has already slashed methane emissions from new wells, cutting emissions from fracked wells by 79%. Methane emissions from gas production overall is down by 38% since 2005. Continued efforts by the industry, driven by the economic incentive of capturing 100% of gas produced at the wellhead, would be enough to solve the perceived problem. It seems that what Obama wants is not a solution, but the demise of this important sector of the economy.

According to the American Petroleum Institute, the new methane regulations are duplicative, costly, and unnecessary. A host of regulations already exist at the state and federal level limiting methane emissions from drilling and distribution of oil and natural gas. Additional rules, combined with an arbitrary benchmark of 45%, arrived at without significant input from the private sector, is not the right way to proceed.

The new rules reflect the arrogance of an administration cut off from the people it purportedly serves. Obama is eager to secure his legacy before leaving office, but that legacy will be decades of economic hardship, especially for the poorest quartile of earners for whom energy constitutes a larger share of living costs.

Clearly, the Democratic Party has become the party of the rich. It is not by accident that wages for the American middle class have stagnated over the past eight years. Obama's regulatory schemes have killed off mining, construction, community banks, and small business, and now he intends to bring the oil and gas industry to heel. Every new regulation costs thousands of workers their jobs, but Obama continues issuing them with callous disdain for the welfare of ordinary citizens.

Obama's methane order reveals the true priority of today's Democratic Party: to appeal to the well-funded environmental lobby, not to raise living standards and lower the cost of living for ordinary Americans. Once again, the ordinary American pays the price for the left's elitist agenda, designed to please the 1% that can easily pay higher energy prices.

The next president should reverse as many of Obama's regulations as possible, not least of all those that apply to the energy sector, so that the economy can begin to recover. The only way to break the cycle of stagnation is to remove the hand of government and allow the free market to operate as it should. Given a level playing field, American oil and gas producers can compete with foreign firms, and America can become the world's largest producer and exporter of oil and gas. This means reversing regulations on the sector, many of them originating in the EPA and the Department of Interior. The methane rule will be one of many places to start.

Jeffrey Folks is the author of many books and articles on American culture, including Heartland of the Imagination (2011).
How does American society break out of political correctness jail?

Just crash one outre extrovert from the Wharton School of Business, with $10 billion worth of brass and a showmans sense of populist animus, into a private presidential party at a posh club of political bluebloods grown haughty thumbing their noses at the plebian body politic.

And all politically incorrect hell breaks loose.

Enough of the Adams family and patrician political dynasties.

Its Andrew Jackson time in America again.

Hallelujah, it may be just that simple.

Barack Obama wasnt the American apotheosis of critical theorys social justice utopia. He was its fall from grace. And Donald Trump may just be the fresh political blood that revitalizes the incestuous 20th-century cultural delirium that most of us now call progressivism but German academicians between the two World Wars (and intellectuals here today) called critical theory.

Thats because political incorrectness is the one sure thing Trump has going for himself, political correctness is critical theorys jailor, and mainstream America is ready to bust out of its PC jail.

Critical theory is the academys weasel phrase for nontraditional scholarship that seeks to change society instead of studying it. Traditional scholarship would, in other words, be traditional theory rather than critical theory. The critical has nothing to do with understanding and explaining society. It has everything to do with censuring and changing society. Its the academic provenance of Obamas political vow to fundamentally transform America.

That nexus should surprise no one. The academys the laboratory of culture. All politics are cultural. Obamas the academic product of Occidental College, Columbia University, and Harvard University. And the modern American academys the leftist hotbed of domestic neo-Marxist social activism. Indeed, when the Nazis chased Max Horkheimers critical-theory Institute for Social Research out of Germany in 1933, Horkheimer in 1934 reformed the Institute as part of Columbia University Department of Sociology. That same year, Herbert Marcuse, an Institute colleague, followed Horkheimer to the reincarnated Institute at Columbia University before joining the CIAs predecessor during World War II.

Karl Marx got the ball rolling: The philosophers have only interpreted the world . . . the point is to change it. But Marxism at the end of a rifle barrel didnt work out well in the Soviet Union, and it was Horkheimers critical-theory Institute which restated neo-Marxisms objective:

The Revolution won't happen with guns, rather it will happen incrementally, year by year, generation by generation. We will gradually infiltrate their educational institutions and their political offices, transforming them slowly into Marxist entities as we move towards universal egalitarianism.

But it was Marcuse himself who -- teaching from 1951-1976 at Columbia University, Brandeis University, and the University of California (where he remained a Professor Emeritus until his death in 1979) -- would go on to preeminently lead critical theorys long march through the modern American academy (a fait accompli since chronicled by Allan Bloom, Roger Kimball, and Dinesh D'Souza).

Indeed the critical theorists have long-since fulfilled Horkheimers neo-Marxist prescription. And the academy-indoctrinated result is a generational cadre of establishment elites -- politicians, jurists, lawyers, journalists, teachers, bureaucrats, entertainers, and social-justice warriors of every stripe -- whose universal egalitarianism now plunders mainstream America at the behest of itself, the welfare dependency that votes for it, and the Wall-Street titans and crony capitalists who fund it.

Critical theory is but economic Marxism by cultural means, economic Marxism has failed for over a century everywhere its been tested, and cultural Marxism here will eventually implode America as inevitably as economic Marxism once did the Soviet Union. So what does critical theorys cultural Marxism do when its own failure becomes empirically manifest? It shuts down discourse, as every utopian ideology everywhere has always done when it senses the proletarian pack hot on its trail.

Political correctness is, as Theodore Dalrymple said, communist propaganda writ small. Dalrymple concluded:

the purpose of communist propaganda was not to persuade or convince, nor to inform, but to humiliate; and therefore, the less it corresponded to reality the better. When people are forced to remain silent when they are being told the most obvious lies, or even worse when they are forced to repeat the lies themselves, they lose once and for all their sense of probity. To assent to obvious lies is to co-operate with evil, and in some small way to become evil oneself. Ones standing to resist anything is thus eroded, and even destroyed. A society of emasculated liars is easy to control. I think if you examine political correctness, it has the same effect and is intended to.

The secret of Trumps Republican presidential political success is that mainstream America is terminally sick and tired of a culturally-Marxist political correctness that has squelched it into a society of emasculated liars. If Trumps anything, hes the antithesis of political correctness. And mainstream America is turning to Trump not because hes a lifelong principled conservative but because hes the living and breathing negation of political correctness. Mainstream Americans who empirically sense cultural Marxisms deconstruction of their traditional society, but cant object without being condemned as racists, sexists, homophobes, or simply mean-spirited reactionary rednecks, are in full-blown revolt against their critical-theory jailors. And Trump -- political incorrectness incarnate -- is their natural leader.

The Republican Party needs to wake up to this reality because the revolt involves much more than the working-class Republicans at whom the Party elites turn up their patrician noses. The revolt involves every man and woman in America -- liberal or conservative, male or female, rich or poor, Republican or Democrat -- whose disgust at cultural Marxisms repression of their freedom to engage in a principled dialogue about the future of their society is now at the boiling point.

And Hillary Clinton -- the most grotesquely hypocritical politician in American history -- was a Goldwater Republican until she got into ideological bed with the critical theorists at Wellesley College and Yale University. Shed be President today if Obama hadnt beaten her at her own game.

The great Trump PC jailbreak is about to go down.

And the jailors are getting nervous.
Donald Trump just broke another PC taboo by telling the truth, and he put it in just a few words: I think Islam hate us.

By now American Thinker readers are familiar with the overwhelming evidence on that point, while the American victims of the One Party Media still have their heads buried under camel droppings.

(But what about the children? What about the children? What about the children? said Cokie Roberts three times, talking with Trump about waves and waves of illegal and hostile Obamaesque immigrants, including Sinaloa gang killers who recently took 30,000 lives in Northern Mexico, using long guns and ammo from Obamas Federales.

My respect for Roberts instantly dropped way below the Rio Grande, heading south. What about our children, Cokie? The real goal of bringing in vast numbers of illegals is to manufacture more lifelong Leftists, guided by La Raza, in collusion with MS-13 and Sinaloa (the biggest drug gang in Chicago). But Cokie only cares about the children While in fact ensuring horrors for those very same children.

Well, do you really think those teenage thugs massing at the border, along their much younger would-be victims, are heading for a better life? They are being used and abused by the Obama Left, in collusion with radical Islam and Mexican gangs. Maybe some will be better off. But many are in immediate danger of becoming victims of abuse in our inner cities.

Nobody seems to know where the incoming flood have ended up going. In the world of the Charlie Chaplins Great Dictator we understand why the media are not interested in telling us. Or do you really think that most of those children will be adopted by nice, wealthy moms in DC, like Cokie Roberts? Have you ever heard of child slavery in the Third World, which we are importing en masse at this very moment?

Which brings me to Trump and Islam.

I dont know how many individual Muslims hate us, but we know that from day one, 14 centuries ago, Islam has preached Holy War (Jihad) against those who dont bow to its primitive dictates. From ISIS point of view, they are agents of Allahs compassion. They will cheerfully kill, abuse, exploit, enslave, torture, threaten, beat and terrorize children, women and men with real pride in a job well done. You can see it on ISIS snuff videos on YouTube. Which Cokie has apparently never watched.

ISIS follows Saudi (Wahhabi) orthodox war doctrine. The Wahhabi priesthood has acknowledged the Quranic correctness of ISIS sadism, a perverted example of the very worst that humans can do to each other -- not in self-defense but as a deliberate act of unprovoked aggression. And yes, they are constantly promising to do the same thing to us.

On the Shiite side of the Gulf, the mullahs follow exactly the same war theology. They dont mind killing the wrong person, because in Heaven or Hell Allah will know his own. It doesnt really matter whom you kill.

This is elementary information about Jihad, the kind of thing Western children used to learn in their history lessons. Cokie Roberts, propaganda peddler for the Left, has never bothered to learn the truth.

So Trump was right that Islamic doctrine is all about killing us, and by telling the truth Trump freaks out all the good liberals who are actually colluding with a genocidal war theology. The Cokies are no different from Nazi or Stalinist collaborators. Literally. They may be useful self-deluded idiots, but at some point, willful idiocy becomes a moral choice. Or do you think Nazi and North Korean collaborators bear no responsibility for crimes against humanity?

Jihad theology preaches the destruction of high, creative, and tolerant civilizations; it has always done so, and the Jihadist destruction of Persian, Egyptian, Byzantine, Indian, and other admirable pre-Muslim civilizations is well-known, even in Muslim countries.

The Talibans theological decision to blow up world-renowned Buddha statues in Afghanistan is the norm in Jihad warfare, not the exception. The Saudis have also blown up precious archeological artifacts from pre-Muslim times in Arabia, because, like the Soviets, they must erase history at all costs.

ISIS is a deliberate throwback to the very worst behavior in human history. Its parallel with Stalinism is amazing. Muslim crimes against humanity are rationalized by the ultimate goal of Paradise on Earth under Allahs mercy.

Utopian ideologies are a dime a dozen in history. The Nazis were utopians, promising peace and love after all the inferior peoples were dead.

Jihad has always been single-minded, war-mongering, rape celebrating and fanatical, starting in the Arabian desert more than a thousand years ago. Jihad is not some weird historical anomaly. It is a calculated doctrinal strategy, representing a consensus in the radical ulema, the priestly hierarchy. Nothing about Jihad is happenstance.

And yet -- much of the nominally Muslim world today is deeply torn between its non-Muslim history versus centuries of Shariah dominance. Because orthodox Islam threatens all Muslims with death for apostasy, many have learned to live double lives, one for the local imam and his enforcers, and one for their private truths. That is important, because it means that every Muslim country also has a Fifth Column -- all those who secretly reject the warmongering priesthood.

Iranians take justified pride in the high civilization of the Persian Empire, before Jihad stomped out the intellectual diversity that fuels innovation. Fanatical ideologies kill off the freedom to think. We can watch it in North Korea under its atheist dynasty, just as we can see it in Saudi Arabia in the grip of Wahhabi fanatics. They are all brain-locked war cults. Only the hats and banners change, but all war cults stir up mass murder as part of their divine mission.

In Northern India, where Buddhism first emerged, the monasteries and their peaceful monks were murdered en masse in 1200 by the Ghurid Jihadis. The Buddhist genocide was much celebrated by Muslim historians. After Jihad conquered the Byzantine Empire -- the Christian Roman Empire of North Africa and Anatolia -- another civilization was frozen into silence.

Much of the nominally Muslim world lives a double life. That is a basic strategic fact in the Jihad War. It means that millions of people secretly yearn for better lives.

Just as in the USSR, ordinary people learn to mouth the Party Line, until the day when the whole fabric of lies falls apart.

One key to victory against Jihad is very fast-spreading shale oil technology. The OPEC monopoly is losing its most powerful weapon against the West. There are serious predictions that the Saudis and Iranian mullahs will not survive another crash in the international price of energy.

In Lebanon, ordinary people remember better days, before Hizballah took over on behalf of its Iranian masters. Pakistanis celebrate Urdu love poetry, with its ancient pre-Muslim roots. Iraqis take pride in centuries of high Mesopotamian civilizations. Egyptians remember three thousand years of pharaonic Egypt, long before Jihad made free thinking punishable by death. In Turkey, people in the cities remember half a century of modernist politics, before Obamas good friend Recip Erdogan brought back Ottoman corruption and misrule.

It is only sane for the civilized world to defeat aggressive Jihad, the deadliest threat in the world today. Trump may not be your cup of tea, but he has just broken decades of PC taboo against telling the truth about Jihad. I believe that every GOP candidate must finally talk openly about what every sane person already knows in the privacy of their minds.

In a time of war, you may have to pick Ulysses S. Grant for president, even if he is a drunkard. Sometimes, in the face of worse, you have to make tough choices.

That is where we are today. This election could be a turning point for the better, but only if millions of Americans follow their honest convictions. PC is a Leftist intimidation game, and we have to have the courage of our convictions. The media constantly play mind tricks on us, like the Wizard of Oz. This PC intimidation campaign will go up in a puff of toxic smoke, if we stand up to it.

Donald Trump keeps challenging the fear of PC. He is therapeutic for millions of Americans who have been silenced for decades; he has beaten the mind games of the One Party media. So far, he has the cult of the Islamo-Left on the run, which is a very good thing. But they see politics as war, and it aint over till its over. Expect a vicious election season, and if we win this one, expect more years of Islamo-Lefto-fascist struggle. They are an absolutist cult, and any means are acceptable for their goals

The Clintons and Obamas refuse to even name Islamofascist aggression, because they have forged a close alliance with oil-rich Gulf regimes, who constantly push fundamentalist invasions of the West. The Saudis just promised to double the number of mosques in Europe, with the obvious goal of controlling millions of Muslim refugees wherever they may end up living. This is all standard Jihadist tactics. Mass infiltration by peaceful Jihad is called Hejira, after Mohammeds journey to Mecca with the secret intention of committing genocide against the infidels.

None of that war strategy could happen in the West without the active collusion of the Left. We see the same corrupt bargain in Europe and over here.

Oil money and power are the reasons why Obama and Hillary will never call Jihad the enemy. Obama has consistently misused American power and resources to curry favor with Jihad-preaching regimes -- maybe because hes buying UN votes from the 57 Muslim states that might elect him as Secretary General. If Hillary or Sanders win, they could nominate Obama for the position. The Party Media would never oppose it. With 57 Muslim votes in the General Assembly, Obamas has already planted the seeds.

Obamas ego is ungovernable, and in his mind theres only one future to fill that everlasting hole in his soul. The news now tells us that the Obamas will stay in Washington DC, to keep their children in the schools. Funny thing is that it also keeps them in personal contact with the levers of power theyve planted in the U.S. government. If Americans ever bothered to study history they would see how the same kinds of people have done the same thing before.

Needless to say, Obama as President of the UN Socialist World would enormously empower Jihad and the hard Left. Imagine Obama and Hillary in charge of both the UN and the U.S. Its their lifelong wet dream.

As for Hillary, we now know she was behind the invasion of Libya, which brought down a stable Muslim regime, leading to another endless, bloody civil war that is still going on. I would hate to have that cruel blunder on my conscience. Invading Libya was unprovoked aggression -- a genuine crime against humanity. Hillarys idiotic slogan for that war was We came, we saw, he died. (Meaning Gadaffi, who was killed by anal impalement.) This is unmitigated evil, and a GOP challenger should use Hillarys sadistic quote to expose her inner killer. Gadaffi posed no threat; in his later decades he was a source of stability. But at least Hillarys War revealed her inner self to the world.

Apparently, in the Reign of the One, American foreign policy has lost any moral basis whatsoever. This is inexcusable.

Some reports suggest that Hillary stoked up the Libyan intervention to give herself a foreign policy accomplishment in time for the 2016 election. If that is true, Hillary and Obama have knowingly blundered into Nuremberg Trial territory. It certainly seems that she has no conscience, and Bernies unrepentant Stalinist past shows he has none either. If Bernie had a Nazi past, he would never have been elected, even in New Hampshire.

Like it or not, those are the choices we face today.

Jihad is a strategic threat, and it demands a strategic response. A GOP president could lead that response. The Democrats are far too corrupt and brainwashed to do it.

The United States led the Cold War against Soviet imperialism because Europe was utterly incapable of self-defense, as we can see again today. Angela Merkel may be hunkering down after the rapefugee betrayal of Europe, hoping the Amis will come to the rescue again. But she is a Eurosocialist above all, and her goals are the same as the official EU Machine.

For sixty years Pax Americana protected the world without the suicidal danger of nuclear war. In their heart of hearts, millions of Europeans are looking again to the United States to pull their cookies out of the fire. The EU ruling class has simply brought one yuge disaster after another, but the unelected rulers are never blamed. Even the controlled Euromedia are starting to get it, but they still obey orders from the top. Merkel ordered the German media not to criticize her mad decision to bring in the rapefugees, and they followed orders: Jawohl, Frau Commandant!

Like Obama, Merkel represents the smiling face of a ruthless cult.

Today there is not a single leader of moral stature in Europe, because all decisions are made via group-think in EU committees. The EU is a political hierarchy, like the Soviet nomenklatura. Bureaucrats are taught to obey orders. EU governing committees are another version of the old Soviets (councils), which ultimately brought down the Soviet Empire.

Since the return of Jihad with OPEC, Jimmy Carter and Obama have dismantled the defensive alliances that contained global aggression in the Cold War. There certainly were painful proxy wars in Korea and Vietnam in the Cold War, but strategically we learned how to contain aggression without appeasement. The Democrats are not as ignorant as they pretend to be. They have knowingly sabotaged our successful Cold War strategy, constantly evading the obvious parallels between Soviet imperialism and Jihad.

Oddly enough, under Putin the Russians have switched sides, because of the greater threat posed by Jihad. Vladimir Putin is not our friend, but he thinks rationally.

Around the world our rejected allies must be thinking about a renewed alliance, to push a chaotic world back from the brink. Putin has suggested making common cause against Jihad, on the model of Soviet-American resistance to the Nazis. With real leadership, the civilized world could come together and beat oil-fed Jihad. In the Muslim Middle East, Egypts President El-Sisi would be a powerful ally, with major credibility among other Muslim nations, including Saudi Arabia. El-Sisi rescued Egypt from a Muslim Brotherhood (Jihadist) takeover, and he is now fighting a hot domestic war against the Nazi-era Broederbund.

Jihad is a global threat, and a worldwide defensive alliance has worked well since World War II. India, Japan, the UK, Australia, the saner half of Europe, and many others share our strategic interests.

We know it can be done. Whats missing is leadership.

An entente cordiale with Russia can work, because Putin rose to power in response to Jihadist terror attacks in Moscow and Beslan. Like it or not, Putin wiped out the Chechnyan Jihadist rebellion in his usual ruthless way. Russia has a long, long history of coping with Jihad. But now Russia is the only major nation that is prepared to fight for strategic goals. Fantasy pacifism has gripped Europe, which is why Angela Merkel surrendered to the rape Jihad that is still victimizing women and children in Europe.

What we need today is an administration with a strategic vision, instead of a gaggle of delusional radicals and their Jihadist collaborators.

This is not hard. It takes common sense, something Americans have always been blessed with.

At least until now.

The election will show if we still have what it takes.
The organized protest at the March 11 Trump campaign rally was designed and organized to help Hillary Clinton defeat Donald Trump in several ways. It also exposed the tactics of progressive liberalism: progressives feel threatened by Trump, and they are dragging out their traditional campaign tactics.

Democrats have always believed that money wins political campaigns. So when Donald Trump is able to muster a lot of free national news media attention for his campaign, that is seen by Democrats as a threat to their control of media messaging through their use of campaign contributions.

The protest in Chicago succeeded in disrupting not only Trump's campaign rally, but his control of the news cycle. He has been able to get his message to voters without paying for high TV advertising. But the goal of the protests is to interfere with Trump's message and replace it with their own: the message that Trump is intolerant and divisive and encourages violence.

The irony, and hypocrisy, of the anti-Trump rally was that it used violence, and the threat of violence, as a way of getting out the message that Trump encourages violence. As soon as the scuffles were shown on TV, the news commentators stated that the conflict proves that Trump encourages violence, that he brings out the xenophobia of his supporters and encourages them to be intolerant.

The fact is, the anti-Trump protest was carefully designed and engineered using social media as a rapid-deployment tool to encourage controversy. MoveOn.org admitted that it was instrumental in the organization of the anti-Trump protest. And since the TV cameras focused on physical scuffles at the Trump rally, it is not unreasonable to believe that a small number of people infiltrated the rally area and intentionally engaged in fisticuffs to attract media attention and generate visual evidence of the type of behavior encouraged by Donald Trump.

Saul Alinsky would have been proud of this. And ironically, while Trump's critics note that he uses strong language and engages in behavior that lowers the bar on what campaigners should do during a presidential campaign, their response was to do the same thing, and worse.

These protests will allow Hillary and her party to seize the news coverage away from Trump's message and replace it with their own: that Trump encourages violence through his use of inflammatory language and encouragement of anger. That Hillary and the DNC encourage Black Lives Matter anger, and that MoveOn.org is organizing these anti-Trump protests, will not be discussed.

What these protesting college students need to realize is that colleges are totally controlled by progressive liberal ideology and that they do nothing but exploit students. The startling fact in Illinois, the home of Barack Obama and the site of the anti-Trump protest, is that 53% of the tuition paid at the University of Illinois, Circle Campus, where the protest occurred, goes to college public pensions. Tuition at that campus protest site has rise 74% in the last ten years, and almost all of that extra tuition cost went straight to pay public university administrators' and professors' pensions. For twenty years, many will have to work and pay student loan payments.

And the highest paid persons in the state of Illinois University system are professors and administrators who are employed at the very site of that anti-Trump protest.

Those who believe that the Circle Campus protest proved that Donald Trump creates a toxic environment need to understand the toxic environment created by liberal progressive college Democrats. Their toxic environment is far more consequential to the students; it hinders their ability to earn money, start a business, buy a home, and have a family.
The nations least populous state voted in its Republican primary yesterday, handing a sweeping victory to Ted Cruz, who got 66.3% of the vote. Thats very impressive until you look at the details. The total number of votes cast was 903, in a GOP-dominated state with a population estimated at 564,000. Cruzs vote earned him 9 delegates out the 1247 necessary to win the nomination. Wyomings delegate assignment process is Byzantine.

Jason Horowitz explains in the New York Times:

Three of the states 29 delegates are unpledged state party officials, and only 12 delegates were contested on Saturday, with Mr. Cruz, the Texas senator, winning nine of them. The remaining 14 will be pledged at a state convention on April 16. Officials in Wyoming have begun studying whether to abandon their complicated voting system, which involves three separate elections, and move to a primary. We dont see a lot of attention, explained Tom Wiblemo, executive director of the Wyoming Republican Party.

But what attention was paid by Ted Cruz paid dividends:

Mr. Cruz had visited in August, hosting a couple of large rallies on opposite ends of the state, and that the Cruz campaign had remained engaged throughout the primary season. Donald J. Trump never made it to the state, Mr. Kasich visited last year and Rubio surrogates held several events.

With 14 more delegates to be assigned next month, presumably Cruz has a leg up there as well. While it is easy to belittle the small poulation represented in Wyoming, keep in mind that Florida, with almost 20 million people, has only 99 delegates at stake Tuesday.
Ted Cruz needs to go one-on-one with Donald Trump. He has to consolidate the anti-Trump vote, about 55 to 65% of Republicans. Trump wont be able to avoid debating him, and will get pummeled. So Kasich and Rubio have to drop out. Whether or not they endorse Cruz is immaterial.

But Cruz also cannot afford to have Donald sweep Super Tuesday.3. Trump would then collect all 165 of the Florida and Ohio delegates. On top of a solid majority of the remaining 202 delegate seats at stake on March 15, Donald would build up a commanding lead. Down by 90 delegates now, Cruz could be looking at a deficit of about 400.

So solving the first problem creates the second. Losses in their home states would force Kasich and Rubio out of the race. But Cruz would be a lap and a half behind.

Of the three latest Florida polls, two show Trump up by 19, and one by 6 over Rubio. The outlier, the WSTP/Mason-Dixon poll, interviewed 700 likely voters and has a 3.8% margin of error. One of the others (Florida Times Union) polled 590, weighted the responses, and claims a 4% margin of error. The Trafalgar Poll included by far the largest sample, 1280 respondents and claimed a 2.83% margin of error. This was conducted earlier in the week.

Other polls conducted still earlier and released the 10th and 11th show Trump with leads of between 7% and 23%.

The debate probably changed few minds, but the disgraceful disruption Trumps Chicago rally by demonstrators, forcing its cancellation, will undoubtedly help Donald. This may in retrospect have been a turning point in the race. The bully who is no friend of the First Amendment (for anyone other than himself) suddenly became the poster-boy for free speech.

So Rubio is likely to lose and withdrawhis percentage of the total raw vote has been in free fall over successive Tuesdays, and his recent rallies have been underwhelming.

But it could be a different story with Kasich. Of the three most recent Ohio polls, hes up by 5% in one and down by 6% in the two others. Hes much more popular in his home state than Rubio is in Florida, and he could wind up the winner.

So the question is, if Kasich does take Ohio, will he still bow out? He finished third in neighboring Michigan, getting just 17 delegates. If he does no better in Illinois, the line about a Midwest stronghold falls apart, and theres no path to the nomination at a contested convention.

Kasich dislikes Trump, and was clearly appalled by his rhetoric. He was the second candidate to directly take him on, after Rick Perry. But Kasich saw the direction of the wind and quickly shifted tack, avoided references to Donald, and Jeb Bush took over the role of lead attack dog.

Theres not much Donald can offer the Governor, as hes taken to calling him, to stay in the race besides funding. Hes probably already decided, for obvious reasons, that his VP choice has to be a woman: Nikki Haley, Jan Brewer, or maybe Mia Love.

So it will be interesting, and could be critical, to see what Kasich does if he pulls out a victory on the 15th.

Tugging him in one direction is his vanity, in the other, his loyalty to the party. Hes not fond of Cruz, but he knows what a disaster Trump would be in the general election. The Dems will hardly need to recycle the dirt on Donald from the primary campaign. Theyre sitting on plenty of their own. And hes not going to suddenly become more coherent and less incendiary.

Cruz has launched no new initiatives. Hes no more willing to talk about affirmative action than is Donald, though his campaign manager is not likely to manhandle a reporter asking about the subject. And Cruzs failure to forthrightly condemn the violation of Trumps First Amendment rights in Chicago by BLM thugs underscores his failure to take on this movement. If Kasich does stay in the race, Teds path to the nomination narrows almost to the vanishing point.

rev. 0905 EDT
Sanctimonious voices in the media, and among Democrats and some Republicans (shame on you: Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio) declare that Donald Trump fostered a climate of violence that justifies left wing groups organizing, printing up signs, and violently disrupting his rallies.

This is shameful, and leads to a political state where the forcible suppression of a political candidate by mob violence is justified by a political establishment afraid of the policies he advocates.

If inflammatory rhetoric justifies organizing a mob to shut down a political speech, how about Obama?

On June 14, 2008, the Wall Street Journal published this:

Mobster wisdom tells us never to bring a knife to a gun fight. But what does political wisdom say about bringing a gun to a knife fight? Thats exactly what Barack Obama said he would do to counter Republican attacks If they bring a knife to the fight, we bring a gun, Obama said at a Philadelphia fundraiser Friday night. Because from what I understand folks in Philly like a good brawl. Ive seen Eagles fans. The comment drew some laughs and applause. But it also struck a chord with his Republican rival. John McCains campaign immediately accused the Democratic candidate of playing the politics of fear. They also mentioned that Obama said he would use a gun that would be illegal under Obamas plans to cut down on illegal firearms. Barack Obamas call for new politics is officially over. In just 24 hours, Barack Obama attacked one of Americas pioneering women CEOs, rejected a series of joint bipartisan town halls, and said that if theres a political knife fight, hed bring a gun, McCain campaign spokesman Tucker Bounds said in a statement.

Does anyone remember the hysteria blaming Sarah Palin for the shooting of Gabby Giffords because a Palin website used crosshairs to mark targeted congressional districts, including Giffordss seat? And Obama urges his supporters to carry guns. Yes, it was metaphorical, but so were the crosshairs.

As I mentioned yesterday, violent imagery is no stranger to the Obama faction:
Whether or not presidential aspirant Donald Trump's decision to cancel his rally in Chicago Friday night was proper, the reaction to it from liberals is telling. Illinois' senior senator, Dick Durbin, who is a Democrat, responded:

"You step back now and take a look, you say, that was an odd choice of venue for Trump unless he was ready to risk that possibility," Democratic U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin said Saturday. "It was pretty obvious to anyone looking at that campus, you think, why would Donald Trump not be at some conservative, suburban venue rather than coming right into the heart of Chicago's diversity?"

The chilling implications of his reaction, not to mention the internal contradictions of this statement boggle the mind--until one sadly realizes Durbin is a politician, a Democrat and represents corrupt Illinois.

So, let's step back now and take a look at Durbin's saying "that was an odd choice of venue." Oh? The University of Illinois in Chicago (UIC) is a government funded public institution. Its auditorium is a popular venue for a variety of programs open to the public and not university related, including concerts and speakers, after they've made the necessary arrangements including payment. The Clintons--both Hillary and Bill--have spoken there.

After all, this is a university where freedom of speech is so important for a good education. Well apparently UIC doesn't think so. The Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE) has given the university's speech code its worst rating--red--because of its restrictions on free speech. FIRE cites these reasons from the university's code of conduct:

To succeed personally and academically, an individual must be able to live free from unnecessary emotional stress caused by others. Hazing, physical or emotional harassment, or behavior which other persons find intimidating, abusive, or offensive to residents or staff, will not be tolerated in a residence hall community and will result in disciplinary action. [...] The following conduct is expressly prohibited:  Using offensive, vulgar, and/or insensitive language such as excessive swearing (particularly when directed toward another person or office), partaking in conduct which is disorderly, lewd, or indecent and/or creating a breach of peace or engaging in activity that would otherwise reflect poorly upon the Campus Housing and UIC community

Interestingly, in spite of these red warnings, the school had no problem hiring Bill Ayers--a terrorist, who happened to be "just a neighbor" and who happened to hold an early fund raiser for soon to be Senator Barack Obama (D).

The school also had no problem initially hiring Steven Salaita, although he made numerous remarks against Jews and Israelis and then, after numerous complaints and potential lawsuits unhiring him, ultimately paying a high price for their careless actions. (Well, the taxpayers paid the highprice.)

But apparently the powers that be at UIC didn't consider that some students would suffer necessary "emotional stress and the language of these two professors, such as Ayers proudly stepping on an American flag not to be "offensive, vulgar and/or insensitive."

No problem with that according to the university powers.

Back to politician Durbin: "risk that possibility." What possibility? What risk? Again, does the senator, who is pledged to uphold the Constitution, not believe in freedom of speech? Is freedom of speech for some people risky?

Perhaps in corrupt Chicago in corrupt Illinois, it is.

Durbin further asked, "why would Donald Trump not be at some conservative, suburban venue?" Well, obviously he does appear at those places but is he restricted to them? After all, the man wants to be president of the entire country not just suburban conservatives. How would Durbin the Democrat, who incidentally is from a small town, react if he were told he could only appear in urban, heavily Democrat locales because conservative suburban areas were too "risky"?

And finally Durbin finished with "rather than coming right into the heart of Chicago's diversity?" Diversity? Where is the diversity? The students, faculty and protesters who descended on the school are blindly uniform, molded into the conformity of a herd of unthinking, interchangeable robots which collapse into panic and rioting at even the thought of hearing and seeing someone who looked, sounded, said and acted differently from their limited knowledge. They are proudly close minded and intend to stay well in their small comfort zone and woe to anyone who tries to breach it.

Indeed, the delicate snowflake students and faculty were so infuriated at the possibility of hearing and seeing someone with whom they disagreed that they signed numerous petitions demanding the university cancel the Trump rally.

Ah, if only these university student and faculty liberals, led by Senator Dick Durbin, would dare venture into "some conservative suburban venue" they would learn so much without any risk to their safety. But it would be risky to their narrow minded beliefs so they won't do it.

More the pity.
The Agriculture Department has written a new rule that will prevent government agencies from actively recruiting people for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and forbid the government from pressuring people to sign up for the benefit.

The rule is an outgrowth of a GOP-sponsored amendment the 2014 Farm Bill that sought to prevent the government from advertising on radio and TV - both in the US and Mexico - urging people to sign up.

Washington Examiner:

The rule is the result of the 2014 Farm Bill, which included language saying government agents have to let people decide themselves whether to apply for food stamps under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP. That language was included after Republicans complained that benefits were being promoted on TV and radio, and were also being promoted in Mexico under a bilateral deal that existed during the Bush administration. "Outreach activities designed to pressure or persuade a person to apply for benefits are not allowed," USDA said about the rule. Under the proposed language, USDA and state officials that get federal funding would be allowed to inform people about how SNAP works, and dispel misunderstandings they might have about the program. But officials wouldn't be able to pursue people who aren't interested, and wouldn't be able to promise any side benefit for people who sign up. The law and the rule impose other restrictions that outraged Republicans. "Furthermore, as directed by the Farm Bill, the proposed rule specifically prohibits radio, television or billboard advertising," USDA said. Additionally, it would prohibit anyone from getting incentives for signing up people for SNAP. "The proposed rule would also prohibit organizations receiving funds under the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 from tying compensation for outreach workers to the number of people who apply for SNAP benefits as a result of their efforts, also part of the Farm Bill," USDA said. The rule states that officials can provide information about food stamps over social media, like Twitter and Facebook, as long as the content is informational and isn't aimed at persuading or pressuring people to sign up. This week, USDA announced that 2 million fewer people are using food stamps compared to two years ago. However, there are still 19 million more people enrolled in SNAP today than the year before the Great Recession.

This is the result of 7 years of the Obama administration beating the bushes to find clients to sign up for food stamps, housing assistance, government health insurance, and other benefits. And so, the government grows in power and influence by making more and more citizens dependent on it for survival.

Government jobs, government handouts, government limiting choices - the Obama agenda is an anti-freedom agenda. Instead of making a huge effort to find more people for government programs, the government of a free country should be in the business of getting people to be less dependent on government. This would be better for the taxpayer, and better for the individual as well.

The Republicans tried to cut the food stamp budget by a measly 5% and were branded as heartless monsters. The notion that all 48 million people receiving SNAP benefits are worthy and deserving is idiotic. The SNAP budget has doubled over the last 7 years, indicating that there are millions of Americans who got along fine without food stamps before the Great Recession and can probably survive now.
People like George Soros know how to plan ahead to manufacture mob violence masquerading as social movements. It worked like a charm in Ferguson, Missouri, and laying the groundwork for energizing the critical black turnout in 2016, courtesy of #BlackLivesMatter and others. #BLM is also serving as a useful vehicle for suppressing the Trump phenomenon.

Now, a group called Working America, funded by the AFL-CIO (which relies on raking off a portion of the paychecks of people forced to join unions) and by billionaires George Soros and Tom Steyer, is advertising for organizers in Cleveland.

Their logo is redolent of communist revolutionary art:

From Craigslist Cleveland: (via screen capture in case this disappears)

Hat tip: Lucianne Goldberg
Quick 'n' Easy Instructions

To be entered into the draw to win, you must fill out and submit the entry form below.

Giveaway is open until March 20, 2016 at midnight EST.

You must be at least 18 years of age to enter.

The winner will be chosen randomly on World Poetry Day/International Day of Forests (March 21, 2016).

The giveaway is officially closed. Congratulations to winner Tammi Browne-Bannister.

About Anansesem Anansesem is an online magazine of Caribbean children's and young adult literature by adults and children. We strive to bring you the best in news, reviews and creative content from the world of Caribbean children's publishing.

RELATED POSTS

To celebrate World Poetry Day and International Day of Forests (March 21, 2016), we'll be giving away a copy of Newbery Honoree and Pura Belpre winner Margarita Engle's middle grade to young adult novel,Masterfully written in melodic free verse poetry,"brings to life every bit of Panama, from the horrible working conditions of the islanders, forced to dig the canal for next-to-nothing wages, to the lush forest and wildlife" (). Engle has described the book as "my personal love letter to [the endangered] tropical rain forests." Many thanks to Margarita Engle for generously donating a signed copy of the book.Okay so here's how it works. Some questions on the entry form are entirely optional, others you absolutely must fill out. Fields marked with a red asterisk must be completed. Filling out the optional questions earns you extra entries. Extra entries are a good thing you know, because they increase your chances of winning. The number of extra entries earned per question is indicated after each question on the form. If you fill out the form now and complete more extra entries later, you may enter again (Well add them to your first entries).Thank you for entering, good luck and enjoyand


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Hi,

I am at present residing in Adelaide ( on 489 visa). I am planning to apply for 887 visa so needed some clarification regarding documentation. As per the requirement i need to present 2 yrs of residential proof and 1 yr of pay or work proof.



I landed in Adelaide on 24th March 2014 and stayed till 6th June 2014 and then had to fly back to my country for some work. I returned back to Adelaide on 7th Sept, 2014 and been here till date.



So can i file for my 887 Visa by end of march 2016? or have to wait 3 more months in order to full fill the criteria. How much break is allowed or considered by the department of in immigration?



Is medical test and police clearance compulsory for all applicants?



How much time does it takes for visa grant?



Please do reply back as right now I am really confused.



Thanks



Arvind
SUV

At least that's the vibe we got from this Jaguar commercial, dedicated to the all-new F-Pace crossover. Although villainy and evildoing are never mentioned outright, the music and theme are the same as previous "British Villain" which have promoted the F-Type performance 2-seater.In one of his latest Twitter posts, Hawking said he had always wanted to play a movie villain, and Jaguar were more than happy to accommodate him. I think the wheelchair and the computer voice would fit the part, he had said.The yet unnamed lead actor is shown driving Jaguar's first premium crossover in a sporty manner, thanks to the supercharged V6 engine. After cruising through the snow caps, he reaches the evil mastermind's lair where he is greeted by a lovely blonde girl. He hands her a weird smart bracelet and heads inside.Were the masters of time and space, says his friend after being shown a loop-the-loop, and Hawking finishes: And we all drive Jaguars. Ha ha ha. For a 74-year old, he sure has a good sense of humor!The ad was filmed by Oscar-winning director Tom Hooper, who was also behind other British Villain commercials starring actors like Tom Hiddleston, Mark Strong, Nicholas Hoult and Ben Kingsley.British villains are the smartest villains in the world, perfectly embodied by the great actors Sir Ben Kingsley, Tom Hiddleston, Mark Strong and Nicolas Hoult. Taking it to the next level with British Intelligence is a small step and nobody personifies this any better than Professor Stephen Hawking, added in a statement Ralf Specht, chief operating office at Spark44, which created the ad for Jaguar.
13 March 2016 12:45 (UTC+04:00)

The Global Baku Forum organized by the Nizami Ganjavi International Center is an important platform for discussing topical issues in political, economic and humanitarian fields and global processes, Ambassador of the Irish Institute of International & European Affairs Francis O'Donnell told AZERTAC.

He stressed the importance of discussing the problems facing the world. "Dialogue, cooperation, exchange of views will contribute to find solutions to problems and confidence in multilateral cooperation," he added.

The Ambassador also hailed Azerbaijan's contribution to the dialogue among civilizations.

"We have already understood that the problems cannot be resolved separately. We can solve these problems only by joint efforts, listening to each other, discussing and only then we can gain achievements. In this regard, the Global Baku Forum is of vital importance," O'Donnell added, Azertag state news agency reported.

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13 March 2016 15:52 (UTC+04:00)

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has received a delegation led by Executive Director of the American Jewish Committee David Harris, Azertac state news agency reported.

President Aliyev expressed hope that the visit of the delegation led by David Harris to the country would be interesting, and the trip would create a good opportunity for members of the delegation, who are in Azerbaijan for the first time, to closely familiarize themselves with the country.

Noting that David Harris was a close friend of Azerbaijan, President Aliyev stressed the importance of the visit in terms of discussing issues of mutual interest.

Harris emphasized that Azerbaijan was an important country for the US. He noted that the American Jewish Committee would spare no efforts to contribute to the deepening of the relations between Azerbaijan and the US.

During the meeting, the sides exchanged views over the settlement of the Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, and stressed the significance of coexistence of different religious communities in Azerbaijan and the measures taken to develop multiculturalism even further. They also discussed a number of issues of mutual concern.
13 March 2016 10:12 (UTC+04:00)

The Southern Gas Corridor, which proposes gas supplies from the Caspian region to Europe, is an essential project and must be supported, the British Transatlantic and Caucasus Studies Institute director Ziba Norman told Trend.

The Southern Gas Corridor and the diversification of supplies it offers to the EU is essential and must be supported, given the nature of the project, Norman said.

She believes that one should not be looking at this as a static project, rather as an evolving one.

This is both a project and a statement of intention. A means of moving beyond pipeline politics, she said.

Ultimately the Southern Gas Corridor will enhance the possibility of peace and security, keep forces and interests in balance. It is an important building block for the establishing of that peace, Norman said.

Unlike the Southern Gas Corridor, Nord Steam and other essentially Russian inspired gas pipeline projects will not enhance that balance, according to the expert.

The tensions between the EU and Russia can best be diffused from a position of strength, Norman said, adding that the Nord Steam project enhances that whatever the costs.

With regard to the possibility for the Southern Gas Corridor to be scaled up, Norman believes that it may eventually bring, when political conditions improve, new supply links from both Iran and Turkmenistan.

Today the Southern Gas Corridor is among the European Commissions priority energy projects, which aims at the diversification of the EU gas supply sources and routes.

The project project envisages transportation of 10 billion cubic meters of Azerbaijani gas from the Caspian Sea to Europe through Georgia and Turkey.

At the initial stage, the gas to be produced as part of the Stage 2 of development of Azerbaijans Shah Deniz field is considered as the main source for the Southern Gas Corridor projects.

As part of the Stage 2 of the Shah Deniz development, the gas will be exported to Turkey and European markets by expanding the South Caucasus Pipeline and the construction of Trans-Anatolian Natural Gas Pipeline and Trans-Adriatic Pipeline.

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Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
13 March 2016 10:17 (UTC+04:00)

Turkish Economy Minister Mustafa Elitas has said the Middle Corridor, a proposed transportation network extending from the Caspian Sea through Turkey and Azerbaijan to Central Asia and China, will boost economic recovery in the region, Anadolu agency reported.

Addressing the 9th Joint Economic Commission between Turkey and Kazakhstan in the capital Ankara Saturday, Elitas said an increase in trade agreements through the commission would boost economic activity following a decline in trade after ties between Turkey and Russia became tense late November last year, which affected the economy along the Caspian Sea.

In late Nov. 2015, Turkish fighter jets downed a Russian warplane that had violated Turkish airspace.

According to the minister, a 5.1 percent growth over the past six years took place despite the financial crisis.

He said the Middle Corridor would become a great opportunity for economic recovery in the region with a boost in transportation and agriculture trade as well as many other sectors.

He also saw it as an opportunity to strengthen ties and deepen relations through increased logistics and trade activity in the Turkic world.

The Middle Corridor will also become a pathway for Kazakhstan into Europe through Turkey, he added.

However, whilst the port of Aktau in Kazakhstan is not ready for large scale activity, Turkish companies say they are ready to support Kazakhstan to increase the capacity of the port as part of increased trade agreements between the two countries.

Kazakhstan's President Nursultan Nazarbayev is expected to make an official visit to Ankara in April for the signing of the New Strategy Partnership Economic Program 2016-2020, which will finalize the deals discussed by the representatives at the joint commission.

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13 March 2016 10:20 (UTC+04:00)

Iran's National Petrochemical Company signed an agreement with French giant Total, Shana reported on March 12.

The report didn't mention the worth of the agreement, or details of the project, but said that a steam-cracker unit would be built in Southern Iran, with feedstock, composed of naphtha, ethane, butane, propane, etc.

Steam cracking is an uncatalyzed, thermal cracking process used in the petrochemical industry to break down hydrocarbons.

Iran signed an agreement with Total earlier to export 160,000 barrels of crude oil.

French giant is also negotiating with Iran to sign an agreement to develop South Azadegan oilfield, which is shared with Iraq.

---

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Florida Polytechnic University may soon have the money it needs to build a new facility on campus for applied research.



Lawmakers approved $5 million to build an applied research center on the university's Lakeland campus.



The funds approved will allow for planning and architectural work to begin on the center, which would eventually be home to the school's Institute for Technology Entrepreneurship. The education budget includes an addition $2.5 million to fund the Institute's operation, which would support students and faculty as they create start-up companies and patent innovations.



At Florida Poly, we believe that innovation occurs when research and creativity are applied to real-world challenges, said University President Dr. Randy K. Avent. The Applied Research Center is the place where that vision becomes reality.



According to university officials, the center will be the hub of applied research by faculty, students and industry partners. It will provide researchers with state-of-the-art facilities and equipment for working on technology-related problems facing world markets.



The funding still needs to be approved by the full Florida House and Senate, and then signed into law by Governor Scott.



If approved, Florida Polytech officials anticipate that the new research center will be completed by 2020.




A trespasser was found with chemicals to make methamphetamine behind a St. Petersburg convenience store, police say.

According to St. Petersburg Police, officers were called to the WaWa at 2456 22nd Ave. at 10:30 p.m. to investigate reports of a trespasser in the back lot of the store.

Officers approached the trespasser, identified as Gregory Lawrence, 37, and discovered he had a bottle with chemicals to make methamphetamines, police say.

The area behind the WaWa was sealed off until the Vice and Narcotics Unit could remove the bottle. The store remained open through the incident.

Lawrence was arrested on charges including trespassing after warning and manufacturing methamphetamine.


As lake levels lower in the aftermath of the major rain event, spillway releases from the Toledo Bend Reservoir continue to be reduced since the storm dropped 18 inches of water directly over Toledo Bend.

The reservoir, operated by the Sabine River Authority, reached a record level high of 174.36 feet Thursday morning from the rainfall. The gauge reading as of Saturday afternoon was 173.33 feet, river authority officials said.

Nine gates were open to 14 feet and one generator is constantly running for a total release of 134,594 cubic feet per second, river authority officials said.

The integrity of the dam is intact and it's operating normally, river authority officials said Saturday.

Impacts from the rain will include downstream flooding, though rainfall has decreased. The National Weather Service (NWS) is forecasting a record flood event for Southeast Texas and Southwest Louisiana. Their latest forecast model shows gauge heights to go over flood stage in Burkeville, Bon Weir, Deweyville and Orange.

The Burkeville gauge reached a peak flood stage of 53.82 feet at 2:30 p.m. Friday afternoon which is more than 6 feet above the flood stage recorded in 1989. The gauge at Bon Wier is forecasted to peak at 43.5 feet on at midnight which is 5.8 feet above the flood stage recorded in 1989.

NWS forecasts show a slow decrease for both gauges through next week, according to river authority officials.

The Deweyville gauge is forecasted to peak at a new record of 34.5 feet Tuesday around noon, which will be 5.3 feet above the flood level recorded in 1989.

The water surface reached moderate flood stage at 26 feet on Saturday morning and is forecasted to reach major flood stage (28 feet) on Saturday night, climbing to the record peak by Tuesday.

The Orange gauge is forecasted to rise above the flood stage of 4 feet on Monday and climb to a peak of 7.4 feet by Thursday. This forecast is 1.5 feet above the flood level recorded in 1989.

Although river authority officials in Texas and Louisiana are coordinating with local Emergency Management Departments throughout the Lower Sabine River Basin, county and parish officials handle any evacuation orders.

Newton County Judge Truman Dougharty issued a mandatory evacuation order Friday.

BScott@BeaumontEnterprise.comTwitter.com/BrandonKScott
Tourism boosters at Visit Houston this week launched a marketing campaign in Mexico City called Hola Houston to draw more tourists from Mexico, and they enlisted one of Houstons most famous street artists to add his talent to the cause.

The campaign initiated on March 8 with GONZO247 unveiling a Houston mural in Mexico City, not unlike the Houston is mural he installed at Preston and Travis in Downtown Houston.
Baroness Bakewell says youngsters in poverty-stricken countries do not suffer from eating disorders

Broadcaster Joan Bakewell has apologised after suggesting that g rowing rates of eating disorders among teenagers is a sign of "narcissism".

Baroness Bakewell, 82, who is chairing the Wellcome Book Prize judging panel, said she was "alarmed" by the condition in young people.

In an interview with The Sunday Times she pointed out that eating disorders do not occur in countries ravaged by poverty or Syrian refugee camps and instead suggested it was a sign of the "overindulgence of our society".

On her Twitter account, she said she is "deeply sorry".

In a series of tweets, she wrote: ".@JDBakewell I have spent 6 hours answering tweets I did not expect the ST to quote my views on anorexia.....

".@JDBakewell ...and am full of regret that my reported views have caused distress. I am deeply sorry." (sic)

She added: "I am tired now and taking a break from Twitter. Goodnight everyone."

Baroness Bakewell told the newspaper: "I am alarmed by anorexia among young people, which arises presumably because they are preoccupied with being beautiful and healthy and thin.

"No-one has anorexia in societies where there is not enough food. They do not have anorexia in the camps in Syria. I think it's possible anorexia could be about narcissism."

She added: "To be unhappy because you are the wrong weight is a sign of the overindulgence of our society, over-introspection, narcissism, really."

Earlier this year, David Cameron pledged to ensure teenagers with eating disorders receive treatment more quickly.

From 2017/18 a new waiting time measure will track the proportion of patients being seen within a month of referral, or within a week for urgent cases.

Baroness Bakewell also suggested that, while she was pleased to see the stigma around discussing mental health was fading, counselling and psychotherapy - including treatment for children - "can get out of hand".

The president of Birkbeck, University of London, said that asking people "Are you really happy?" gave them a chance to consider anxieties that had not previously crossed their mind.

The Wellcome Book Prize rewards the best book, fiction or non-fiction, linked to medicine, health or illness.

The shortlist will be announced on Monday and the winner crowned on April 25.
Star Wars actor Oscar Isaac made a surprise appearance at Letters Live to read out a letter by Obi Wan Kenobi actor Sir Alec Guinness - in which he branded co-star Harrison Ford a "languid young man".

Writing during filming of the 1977 film Star Wars: A New Hope, Sir Alec complained: "Can't say I'm enjoying the film."

American actor Isaac, who plays Poe Dameron in Star Wars: The Force Awakens, joked to the audience at Freemasons' Hall in London that he would not even attempt an impression of Sir Alec as he read out his correspondence.

The late actor wrote to his friend Anne Kauffman: "New rubbish dialogue reaches me every other day on wadges of pink paper, and none of it makes my character clear or even bearable."

He added he was off to the studio to work with "Mark Hamill and Tennyson (that can't be right) Ford. Ellison? No! Well a rangy, languid man who is probably intelligent and amusing."

Inspired by the best-selling Letters of Note series and website, as well as Simon Garfield's book To The Letter, Letters Live sees actors and performers reading out literary correspondence to a live audience.

Benedict Cumberbatch, who took part in the event alongside his wife Sophie Hunter, channelled former Sherlock Holmes actor William Gillette as he read out a letter by Mark Twain.

Gillette played the famous detective on stage in 1899 and made a Sherlock Holmes silent film in 1916.

While no voice recording of Twain has survived, there is a recording of his former neighbour Gillette doing his best impression of the author in 1934. However, 39-year-old Cumberbatch, who stars in the BBC's Sherlock, said he would not follow this guideline too closely.

The letter from Twain to the American poet Walt Whitman paid tribute to all the changes he had witnessed in the world over the course of his lifetime.

Cumberbatch and his Sherlock co-star Louise Brearley then performed letters between Bessie Moore and Chris Barker, two sweethearts separated by World War Two.

The Imitation Game actor Cumberbatch has been at the heart of Letters Live since the first event was held in 2013, embracing the challenge of performing others' correspondence.

Sunday evening's performance also saw a reading by theatre and opera director Hunter, 37, who has previously taken part in Letters Live events at Hay Festival alongside her actor husband.

She left the audience moved as she read out a letter from deaf and blind woman Helen Keller to the New York Symphony Orchestra, thanking them for the music which she had experienced through the radio by feeling the vibrations.
Pictured is the scene of a security alert on Cathedral Road in Armagh on March 13, 2016 Armagh, Northern Ireland (Photo by Kevin Scott / Presseye)

Pictured is the scene of a security alert on Cathedral Road in Armagh on March 13, 2016 Armagh, Northern Ireland (Photo by Kevin Scott / Presseye)

Pictured is the scene of a security alert on Cathedral Road in Armagh on March 13, 2016 Armagh, Northern Ireland (Photo by Kevin Scott / Presseye)

Police said they believed the bomb was left at the dealership by a person carrying a backpack 10 minutes before it detonated around 12.40am.

The security alert at a car dealership on the Cathedral Road, Armagh continued for most of Sunday following reports of an explosion in the early hours.

It concluded around 6pm on Sunday. The PSNI revealed an exploded viable object was taken away for further examination.

All roads, apart from a small section of the Cathedral Road, had reopened by 6pm and most of the residents who were evacuated were able to return to their homes.

Detective Inspector Will Tate described the device as an "improvised viable pipe bomb type device".

"Police received a report of damage caused to four cars in the yard of a business premises just after 7.20am this morning, Sunday 13 March," he said.

"On further investigation it was thought that the damage was caused by an explosion.

"Further reports and investigations since then lead us to believe that the explosion occurred at approximately 12.40am and that the device was left by a person carrying a backpack at approximately 12.30am.

"ATO have described the object as an improvised viable pipe bomb type device.

"Today we are lucky that we are not dealing with a serious injury caused by this device and the reckless actions of the person or people behind it.

Expand Close The scene in Armagh following reports of an explosion on Sunday morning. Photo Mark Winter. / Facebook

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Whatsapp The scene in Armagh following reports of an explosion on Sunday morning. Photo Mark Winter.

"I would ask anyone who has any information about this incident to contact detectives at Lurgan Police Station on the non-emergency number 101.

"Or if someone would prefer to provide information without giving their details, they can contact the independent charity Crimestoppers and speak to them anonymously on 0800 555 111."

SDLP Newry and Armagh representative Justin McNulty condemned those behind the device.

"There has been extreme disruption to families, businesses and commuters in Armagh today as a result of this security alert," he said.

"Following reports of an explosion in the Cathedral Road area last night, the PSNI have confirmed that they have discovered component parts for an explosive device and that a number of cars at a local dealership were damaged.

"Those behind this sinister discovery have nothing to offer our community here. They were rejected by the people of this island, north and south, in 1998 and we continue to reject their failed philosophy today. Those who choose to pursue a path of violence have set themselves against the will of the Irish people. As these incidents have escalated in recent weeks, we must escalate our commitment to peace and send them a clear message - we will never be taken back.

Mindless security alert means Sisters who care for homeless have been put out of their home Cathedral Road, Armagh pic.twitter.com/f3dl797PKN  Justin McNulty (@JustinMcNu1ty) March 13, 2016

"I've spoken to a number of people who have been evacuated as a result of this alert including the Sisters of Charity whose faith and commitment to this community is second to none.

"I would appeal to anyone with information about this incident to come forward as soon as possible."
A BBC journalist is to go on trial at the Crown Court in Londonderry charged with raping a woman in the city almost two years ago.

Sean O'Halloran (29), a reporter with BBC Radio Foyle in Derry, from Northland Road, is charged with committing three sex offences.

At his arraignment before Judge Philip Babington the defendant replied "definitely not guilty" to a charge of raping the woman, "definitely not guilty" to a charge of indecently touching her in a sexual manner without her consent and "definitely not guilty" to a charge of sexually assaulting her by digital penetration.

Defence barrister Eilis MacDermott told Judge Philip Babington that she would be seeking both medical reports and records from Victim Support and from Nexus and possibly from the Compensation Agency.

A Public Prosecution Service barrister indicated he believed that some of the witnesses in the case could be agreed and that he would need two weeks to obtain details of their availability.

The case was adjourned until April 8, when a date for the trial, which is expected to last five days, will be fixed.

The defendant was released on continuing bail.
There may four days to go, but St Patrick's ancestral home is already going green in his honour

Some of the most famous sights in Downpatrick have gone green ahead of St Patrick's Day.

The saint's day may not be until Thursday March 17, but already Co Down town is preparing in earnest.

The council led St Patrick's Festival includes a ten day programme in Armagh and Downpatrick running from March 10-20, featuring more than 100 events showcasing the best of culture, music, song and dance.

A first of its kind, the festival is the result of an innovative and exciting collaboration between Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council and Newry, Mourne and Down District Council.

Meanwhile the soldiers of the 1st Battalion The Royal Irish Regiment celebrated their Irish heritage on Sunday with a traditional parade and the presentation of Shamrocks at their home barracks in Shropshire.

First Minister Arlene Foster and deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness have travelled to New York, Washington DC and San Francisco for a St Patrick's investment mission.
The charity announced it had been forced to suspend all services last week due to financial crisis

The news of The Forum for Action on Substance Abuse (FASA)'s crisis sparked shock and worry across the community last week.

World champion boxer Carl Frampton added his voice to those speaking out in support of FASA.

Almost 7,000 people have signed a petition urging politicians to help save the vital service and a rally is set to place on the Shankill Road on Tuesday evening in support of the charity.

FASA has been working for more than 20 years to help people struggling with substance abuse and mental health challenges.

However, a board statement confirmed that it is facing an uncertain and challenging immediate future due to financial reasons.

The organisation employed around 60 staff and is helped by some 70 volunteers.

The FASA board has now announced 13 staff have been asked to remain on a voluntary basis to continue some of the charity's important work.

The statement released on Saturday said the charity has been overwhelmed with the support it has received across the community in fighting for maintaining FASA services.

"We would like to take this opportunity to provide an update on the current situation and to thank everyone who have worked tirelessly in recent days to support the survival of life saving services within our communities," a spokesman said.

Very saddened to hear the news of the potential closure of @FASASupport. A charity that saves lives. This must not be allowed to happen  Carl Frampton (@RealCFrampton) March 10, 2016

"On Wednesday 9th March 2016, sadly FASA Chair Stephen Reynolds announced that FASA were to suspend all services this resulted in 46 staff members being made redundant with immediate effect. Thirteen staff were asked to remain behind in a voluntary capacity across our sites to continue to support those most vulnerable and complete transfer of clients to other services, Funders are supporting us to manage this difficult transition.

"This task has been difficult, challenging and very emotional for all involved."

FASA has also moved to clarify its financial status.

"Our current financial status has not come as a result of our funding being withdrawn for the services we provide," a spokesman said.

"The organisation in recent months has experienced financial hardship in relation to cash-flow problems in sustaining the full range of services that FASA have provided to meet the needs of its services users.

"In recent years FASA has endeavoured with support of our funders to become a regional organisation, unfortunately the risk elements attached to this strategy have proven to be detrimental to the organisations existence."

The charity has also revealed that the Department of Social Development and Department of Health will carry out a financial audit.

"Within today's competitive sector and without full cost recovery in place to match our service delivery we find ourselves in a position of insolvency," he said.

"We have asked the Department for Social Development and the Department of Health to carry out a rigorous and full independent financial audit. We are supporting the Charities Commission for Northern Ireland in their investigation.

"Until last Wednesday the delivery of our specialist services were carried out professionally by our staff and volunteer teams. We thank our staff and volunteers for their work and ongoing commitment to maintain a level of service within this crisis to support the most vulnerable affected by substance abuse, suicide and self-harm.

"The liquidation will commence on 16th March 2016 , however we will continue to endeavour to look for the vital funds needed to secure a rescue package that would allow the services to remain within local communities.

"Should this happen it will enable FASA to take learning from this situation so that we can plan and implement a review of service delivery, staffing levels and our social economy projects under the guidance of a new robust and corporate structure from the Board of Directors downwards."
Drug and alcohol abuse support group the Forum for Action on Substance Abuse (FASA) is being investigated by the Charity Commission after it suspended services due to serious financial difficulties.

The service had 60 paid staff, who are set to lose their jobs, and 70 volunteers.

FASA said all services have been suspended due to terminal financial insolvency.

However, its Shankill Road headquarters was open last night, and is due to stay open this evening.

Very saddened to hear the news of the potential closure of @FASASupport. A charity that saves lives. This must not be allowed to happen  Carl Frampton (@RealCFrampton) March 10, 2016

But it is believed that after tonight it will shut, cutting off an estimated 4,500 service users from help dealing with self-harm, substance misuse and mental health problems.

Management of the body  which has branches in Bangor, Ballymena, Ballywalter and Belfast  is now seeking an urgent meeting with Stormont ministers over funding.

It is understood CEO Anne Bill had resigned from the organisation recently.

The Charity Commission said last night that it was investigating concerns over FASA.

It added that the charity is co-operating with the commissions investigation.

There are fears that the demise of the organisation will result in the deaths of vulnerable people battling drug and alcohol addictions.

In a statement last night, the board of FASA made the announcement with overwhelming sadness.

FASA is facing the prospect of immediate and terminal financial insolvency, it said.

As a result all services have been suspended.

We are deeply committed to the vital services which FASA provides to needy and vulnerable individuals and we are seeking urgent meetings with funders and with political representatives at the highest level to avert this crisis and to enable the continuation of these essential support services.

Rev Lesley Carroll, Ulster Unionist Assembly candidate for North Belfast, said she feared for FASAs future.

She added: The loss of this resource could result in loss of life.

If you have been affected by this statement and require support please contact Lifeline on 0808 8088000 or the Samaritans 116 123.
The highest overtime payments were made at Maghaberry prison, which houses some of the province's most dangerous criminals

New figures show huge sums are being spent every month to bolster staffing levels at Maghaberry, Magilligan and Hyde Bank Young Offenders Centre and Women's jail.

Overtime payments to prison officers in Northern Ireland have topped 9.4 million during the last three financial years.

New figures show huge sums are being spent every month to bolster staffing levels at the region's main jails.

Critics claim the money would be better spent recruiting additional staff, but the Northern Ireland Prison Service (NIPS) has argued it is necessary to meet the demands of a 24/7 operation.

The highest overtime payments were made by bosses at HMP Maghaberry, which houses some of the most dangerous criminals and has segregated wings for paramilitary inmates.

Between April 2012 and March 2015, some 6.15 million was spent on overtime at the high-security jail in Co Antrim which employs 623 prison officers.

During the same period, a further 1.7 million was paid out in overtime at Magilligan Prison in Co Londonderry, which has 276 prison officers.

At Hydebank Wood in South Belfast, where young offenders and female prisoners are locked up and 175 prison officers work, overtime payments totalled more than 1.5 million.

Finlay Spratt, chairman of the Prison Officers' Association, which represents rank-and-file officers, said: "They should be employing the right number of staff rather than relying on overtime because if you rely on overtime, then you get burn-out.

"But this is the way the service is being run."

Mr Finlay said the prison service was operating with at least 100 officers short and turnover among new recruits was high.

Hundreds of experienced officers have also left through a voluntary redundancy scheme in recent years.

Last year inspectors branded Maghaberry the most dangerous prison in the UK, describing conditions as "Dickensian" in a damning report.

A follow-up inspection found the unsafe and unstable regime had stabilised, but still fell a long way short of required safety standards.

The figures were provided following a Freedom of Information request from the Press Association.

DUP MLA Edwin Poots, who sits on Stormont's justice scrutiny committee, said the level of overtime spend was unsurprising.

He said: "Unfortunately I am not at all surprised by the figures.

"All the indications are that the service has been too reliant on overtime, largely down to the fact that they did not recruit - despite requests from two prison governors at Maghaberry.

"It seems that the prison service headquarters have refused or failed to go and recruit staff to do the job."

A Northern Ireland Prison Service (NIPS) spokesman said: "There are times when overtime is required to meet the operational need of prisons and it is an aspect of running a 24/7 service. Overtime provides a degree of flexibility that can be used to ensure that effective regime is provided for prisoners and to cover unpredictable pressures.

"NIPS has regularly been recruiting since 2012 with job opportunities in the service advertised in 2012, 2013 and 2015. Since March 2015, NIPS has run external recruitment campaigns for Prisoner Custody Officers (PCO), Night Custody Officers (NCO) and Custody Prison Officers (CPO). Recruitment interviews are ongoing for all these opportunities with new recruits to begin training in early April 2016."

Meanwhile, figures also show that thousands of days have been lost because officers have taken time off due to stress, anxiety and, or depression.

In Maghaberry last year, 7,919 days were taken off - a significant jump on the 4,321 days lost during 2013/14.

Some 64 prison officers are currently sick leave at Maghaberry, according to the statistics.

Mr Finlay said morale was low.

He added: "The mood is not good, especially when you consider one of our colleagues was blown up just the other week. That trades a lot of fear and there is no point saying that we are big, brave and macho because you can't be brave when someone places a bomb under your car.

"Also, in Magilligan, for example, there used to be four prison officers for 50 prisoners. That has been cut to two members of staff. And, to be honest those fellas and girls are scared. These people have not been put in prison because they missed Sunday school -they are criminals.

"So, there is a big fear factor and I think a lot of the sickness is stress induced by fear because numbers have been cut."
The highest overtime payments were made at Maghaberry prison, which houses some of the province's most dangerous criminals

Overtime payments to prison officers in Northern Ireland have topped 9.4 million during the last three financial years.

New figures show huge sums are being spent every month to bolster staffing levels at the region's four main jails.

Critics claim the money would be better spent recruiting additional staff, but the Northern Ireland Prison Service (NIPS) has argued it is necessary to meet the demands of a 24/7 operation.

The highest overtime payments were made by bosses at HMP Maghaberry, which houses some of the most dangerous criminals and has segregated wings for paramilitary inmates.

Between April 2012 and March 2015, some 6.15 million was spent on overtime at the high-security jail in Co Antrim which employs 623 prison officers.

During the same period, a further 1.7 million was paid out in overtime at Magilligan Prison in Co Londonderry, which has 276 prison officers.

At Hydebank Wood in South Belfast, where young offenders and female prisoners are locked up and 175 prison officers work, overtime payments totalled more than 1.5 million.

Finlay Spratt, chairman of the Prison Officers' Association, which represents rank-and-file officers, said: "They should be employing the right number of staff rather than relying on overtime b ecause if you rely on overtime, then you get burn-out.

"But this is the way the service is being run."

Mr Finlay said the prison service was operating with at least 100 officers short and turnover among new recruits was high.

Hundreds of experienced officers have also left through a voluntary redundancy scheme in recent years.

Last year inspectors branded Maghaberry the most dangerous prison in the UK, describing conditions as "Dickensian" in a damning report.

A follow-up inspection found the unsafe and unstable regime had stabilised, but still fell a long way short of required safety standards.

The figures were provided following a Freedom of Information request from the Press Association.

DUP MLA Edwin Poots, who sits on Stormont's justice scrutiny committee, said the level of overtime spend was unsurprising.

He said: "Unfortunately I am not at all surprised by the figures.

"All the indications are that the service has been too reliant on overtime, largely down to the fact that they did not recruit - despite requests from two prison governors at Maghaberry.

"It seems that the prison service headquarters have refused or failed to go and recruit staff to do the job."

A Northern Ireland Prison Service (NIPS) spokesman said: "There are times when overtime is required to meet the operational need of prisons and it is an aspect of running a 24/7 service. Overtime provides a degree of flexibility that can be used to ensure that effective regime is provided for prisoners and to cover unpredictable pressures.

"NIPS has regularly been recruiting since 2012 with job opportunities in the service advertised in 2012, 2013 and 2015. Since March 2015, NIPS has run external recruitment campaigns for Prisoner Custody Officers (PCO), Night Custody Officers (NCO) and Custody Prison Officers (CPO). Recruitment interviews are ongoing for all these opportunities with new recruits to begin training in early April 2016."

Meanwhile, figures also show that thousands of days have been lost because officers have taken time off due to stress, anxiety and, or depression.

In Maghaberry last year, 7,919 days were taken off - a significant jump on the 4,321 days lost during 2013/14.

Some 64 prison officers are currently sick leave at Maghaberry, according to the statistics.

Mr Finlay said morale was low.

He added: "The mood is not good, especially when you consider one of our colleagues was blown up just the other week. That trades a lot of fear and there is no point saying that we are big, brave and macho because you can't be brave when someone places a bomb under your car.

"Also, in Magilligan, for example, there used to be four prison officers for 50 prisoners. That has been cut to two members of staff. And, to be honest those fellas and girls are scared. These people have not been put in prison because they missed Sunday school -they are criminals.

"So, there is a big fear factor and I think a lot of the sickness is stress induced by fear because numbers have been cut."
Soldiers from the 1st Battalion The Royal Irish Regiment have celebrated their Irish heritage with a traditional parade and the presentation of Shamrocks at their base in in Tern Hill, Shropshire.

Soldiers from the 1st Battalion The Royal Irish Regiment have celebrated their Irish heritage with a traditional parade and the presentation of Shamrocks at their base in in Tern Hill, Shropshire.

Soldiers from the 1st Battalion The Royal Irish Regiment have celebrated their Irish heritage with a traditional parade and the presentation of Shamrocks at their base in in Tern Hill, Shropshire.

Soldiers from the 1st Battalion The Royal Irish Regiment have celebrated their Irish heritage with a traditional parade and the presentation of Shamrocks at their base in in Tern Hill, Shropshire.

Soldiers from the 1st Battalion The Royal Irish Regiment have celebrated their Irish heritage with a traditional parade and the presentation of Shamrocks at their base in in Tern Hill, Shropshire.

Kalegh, a three year old Wolfhound, was flown to England for the occasion.

Soldiers from the 1st Battalion The Royal Irish Regiment have celebrated their Irish heritage with a traditional parade and the presentation of Shamrocks.

The Royal Irish celebrate the occasion wherever they are deployed around the world - which this year is their base in Tern Hill, Shropshire.

The inspecting office was Major General Giles Hill Commander of the 1 (UK) Division.

The General praised the unique character of the Battalion and the spirit that he had seen throughout his career before presenting the Meritorious Service Medal to Captain Steward Potter.

Ranger Michael Sloan (24) from Belfast was among those on parade and said he enjoyed the pride of the occasion.

Ive been all over Europe for the past year. Its great to show some regimental pride today," he said.

Also on parade was Kalegh  a three year old Wolfhound flown in from Ireland for the occasion.

Kalegh is the twin sister of a family of Wolfhounds that have paraded in front of the Queen and US President Barack Obama.

The Regiment will receive a Wolfhound puppy in late June from this distinguished blood line as a permanent addition to the Regiment.

Expand Close Soldiers from the 1st Battalion The Royal Irish Regiment have celebrated their Irish heritage with a traditional parade and the presentation of Shamrocks at their base in in Tern Hill, Shropshire. / Facebook

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Whatsapp Soldiers from the 1st Battalion The Royal Irish Regiment have celebrated their Irish heritage with a traditional parade and the presentation of Shamrocks at their base in in Tern Hill, Shropshire.

The Commanding Officer, Lieutenant Colonel Graham Shannon said St Patrick's Day was always a very special day for all Royal Irish soldiers.

St Patricks Day is a significant event for all Royal Irish Soldiers. It is a chance to both celebrate the Battalions Irish roots and bond as a Regimental family," he said.

"Looking around today I am pleased that so many friends and family of the Battalion have joined us.

The Shropshire based Battalion have recently deployed to Germany and Spain developing the new Foxhound light armoured vehicles in 2015.

They will return to active operations when they deploy to Kabul in December.
George Osborne urged the Top Gear to make some fuel economies ahead of next week's Budget

George Osborne spoke out on Twitter as the Top Gear cast filmed close to Downing Street

George Osborne has scolded Top Gear's Chris Evans for making a racket near Downing Street and distracting him from writing the Budget.

The Chancellor said a "noisy episode" of the BBC Two show was being filmed in central London on Sunday.

He tweeted: "Trying to write my Budget,despite noisy episode of @BBC_TopGear being filmed outside on Horseguards Parade. Keep it down please @achrisevans."

The Budget is due to be delivered on Wednesday.

On Saturday Top Gear host Matt LeBlanc and professional rally driver Ken Block surprised a bride and groom and their wedding guests at St Paul's Cathedral as they motored past, with the former Friends star sticking his arm out of the car window to wave.

Filming for the Top Gear reboot is well under way, as the new series of the BBC Two show is due to start in May.

A seven-strong line-up includes LeBlanc, radio DJ and presenter Chris Evans, and Top Gear stalwart The Stig.

Also on board are Formula 1 commentator Eddie Jordan, German racing driver Sabine Schmitz, motoring journalist Chris Harris and car reviewer Rory Reid.
The Prime Minister branded Mr Gove a 'Maoist' who wants to be the darling of the Tory right, according to an insider's account of the Coalition years

David Cameron is "petrified" of Boris Johnson and branded Michael Gove a "Maoist" who wants to be the darling of the Tory right, according to an insider's account of the Coalition years.

The Prime Minister is said to have confided in Nick Clegg that the Justice Secretary had "gone a bit nuts recently" and was driving him "around the bend".

Mr Cameron also admitted to the former deputy prime minister that the London mayor " is clearly after my job", the memoirs of former Liberal Democrat Cabinet minister David Laws claim.

Extracts published in the Mail on Sunday also state the premier agreed to a referendum to keep his "mad" backbenchers happy.

But the book, which has been written with Mr Clegg's cooperation, is also likely to open the former Lib Dem leader up to criticism after he sets out details of a conversation with the Queen.

Mr Clegg was critical of attempts to "drag the Queen" into the referendum campaign after comments she was alleged to have made about the EU were leaked to a newspaper.

The Justice Secretary, who has been accused of being the source, had a publicly fractious relationship with Mr Clegg but has long been a close friend of the Prime Minister.

But the book, Coalition: The Inside Story Of The Conservative-Liberal Democrat Coalition Government, suggests the relationship may have been under strain in recent years.

Setting out details of a conversation between the PM and his deputy about Mr Gove, the book states: " Cameron replied to the Deputy Prime Minister's complaints about Gove by saying ' Look, I understand your frustration over this, Nick. Michael does seem to have gone a bit nuts recently. To be honest, I am being driven around the bend by Michael right now. We know he isn't very popular in the country.'

" When Nick complained again after another bust-up with Gove, the Prime Minister laughed. 'The thing that you've got to remember with Michael is that he is basically a bit of a Maoist - he believes that the world makes progress through a process of creative destruction!'"

Mr Gove, meanwhile, told a private meeting of Tory and Lib Dem ministers that the PM's referendum was "completely barmy", according to Mr Laws.

Mr Clegg gave the former minister, a close ally, open access to his private papers and diaries, according to the Mail on Sunday.

"'God , Osborne and Cameron really are desperate for power, aren't they?' Nick Clegg told me in his cavernous office at 70 Whitehall, with its extensive views of Horse Guards' Parade, on March 29, 2012," Mr Laws recounts.

"They would sell their mothers to stay in Downing Street. They are petrified of Boris Johnson coming along and challenging them for the leadership."

The book reveals details of a joke the Queen is said to have made to Mr Clegg who, as Lord President of the Privy Council, was at Buckingham Palace in 2012 for a regular audience.

"'What is happening in Parliament at the moment?' asked the Queen. Nick Clegg shifted uncomfortably. 'Well, Ma'am' he said, 'I am not sure that you are going to approve. We are just legislating to change the rules on the Royal succession. For the first time ever in the history of the British monarchy, a first-born girl will succeed to the throne before a later-born boy'.

"The Queen was quiet, staring off into the middle distance. 'I hope this change does not cause difficulties, Ma'am?' added the Deputy Prime Minister, to break the silence. 'Good grief, Mr Clegg', the Queen said, turning her face back again. 'By then, I'll be dead!'"

Mr Cameron is reported to have compared the fallout from his decision to push ahead with gay marriage to the impact the U-turn on tuition fees had on the Lib Dems.

"Ov er food and wine in the 10 Downing Street flat, the prime minister told Nick Clegg: 'Gay marriage has been an absolute disaster. It has totally split my party. It has been as bad for me as tuition fees were for you, Nick'. The prime minister said he now realised that it had been a big mistake to upset the 'Tory base' in the country."

Mr Laws told how he got " nervous" in the run-up to the 2015 Budget "when it became clear Osborne's proposal to completely abolish the tax on savings income may cost far more than his 800 million estimate".

"I said it was wrong when there were also painful cuts to the incomes of the poorest. Even Osborne admitted it wasn't well targeted. 'It will only really be of help to stupid, affluent and lazy people, who can't be bothered to put their savings away into tax-efficient vehicles! But it will still be very popular - we have polled it'."

Asked about the memoirs, Chancellor George Osborne told BBC One's Andrew Marr Show: " I don't really recognise much of what was said. I don't think it's the greatest revelation in human history to discover that Boris Johnson is interested in a job in government."
A police officer in the playground of Dunblane Primary School a day after the shooting in 1996 in which 16 pupils and their teacher were killed

Children outside Dunblane Primary School a day after the shooting in which 16 pupils and their teacher were killed in March 1996

Dr Mick North said the positive legacy should not be forgotten - that people are safer from gun crime than they were 20 years ago

It is 20 years since 16 children and a teacher were gunned down Dunblane Primary School

The people of Dunblane "appreciate the support and prayers of others throughout the world", a minister has said 20 years on from the shocking school shootings that killed 16 children and their teacher.

The young children - aged just five and six - and teacher Gwen Mayor were murdered by gunman Thomas Hamilton, who opened fire on a gym class at Dunblane Primary School on March 13 1996.

The massacre in the Stirlingshire town shocked the nation and led to the UK enforcing some of the strictest firearms legislation in the world.

No official events are being held to mark the 20th anniversary but tributes will be paid at traditional Sunday church services in the town.

Rev Colin Renwick, minister at Dunblane Cathedral, which contains a stone memorial to the victims and held a special remembrance service for hundreds of people just months after the tragedy, will lead tributes in his Sunday sermon.

He said: "The tragic events of March 13 1996 will long be remembered in Dunblane and there has not been a day since when there has been no remembrance of those lost, injured, bereaved or traumatised.

"Since that day, people have appreciated the support and prayers of others throughout the world, but have also valued being allowed the space to grieve and rebuild with privacy and dignity, with as little media scrutiny as possible.

"During these various services, there will be an opportunity for those who gather to remember and to pray for continuing strength and peace."

Monsignor Basil O'Sullivan will also mark the anniversary in the Holy Family church in Dunblane.

Expand Close The Dunblane Memorial Garden was created to remember those who died in the tragedy almost 20 years ago / Facebook

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Whatsapp The Dunblane Memorial Garden was created to remember those who died in the tragedy almost 20 years ago

He was parish priest at the time of the tragedy and told the Scottish Catholic Observer: "As we have every year without fail, we're having an anniversary Mass.

"We pray for the injured, we pray for the bereaved and those who still suffer every day."

Survivors and relatives have also been reflecting over the last week on the impact of the shooting on their lives and on the country as a whole.

Mick North, whose five-year-old daughter Sophie was killed, said the positive legacy should not be forgotten - that people are safer from gun crime than they were 20 years ago.

He said: ''In many respects, the day of the forthcoming anniversary won't be especially different - any day from the last 20 years was one for memories.

''The importance of the 20th anniversary is as an occasion when others can recall and reflect on a horrific event, and also a time when those too young to remember might learn about what happened and consider its significance.''

Alison Ross, sister of five-year-old victim Joanna Ross, wants people to see the positive life in Dunblane today.

She told a BBC Scotland documentary: ''We still had to power on and push on with our lives, and it's important that everyone knows we're doing it, and doing it well.''

Police Scotland have also paid tribute to the town and those caught up in the shooting.

Stirling local area commander Chief Inspector Paul Rollo said: ''This terrible incident cast a shadow on the town and on Sunday we will join together in remembrance and to celebrate the vibrant community which has overcome such tragedy."
John Boyega visited the Royal London Hospital as part of the Rays of Sunshine Children's Charity

The mother of a five-year-old boy living with a brain tumour described their meeting with Star Wars actor John Boyega as "priceless".

The actor, who plays Finn in the popular film franchise, delivered toys to sick children at the Royal London Hospital.

Young Daniel Bell from Ormskirk said he wished he could hand out presents to other young patients alongside his favourite film character - and Boyega said he "jumped at the chance" to grant it.

Boyega taught Daniel some nifty lightsaber moves as part of the special treat, organised by Rays of Sunshine Children's Charity.

The Bafta-winning actor, who stars alongside Harrison Ford on the big screen, described Daniel as "an amazing and inspirational boy".

He said: " When I heard about Daniel's wish to meet Finn, I jumped at the chance to make it come true. It was fantastic to be a part of his very special wish with Rays of Sunshine.

"It was also great to meet the children at The Royal London Hospital and be a part of something so positive."

Daniel's mum Rosalind said the meeting was something money could not buy.

She said: "To see Daniel smile like that without a care in the world after everything he's been through, knowing how much time and effort Rays of Sunshine have put in to his wish and that John Boyega gave his time to make it come true, is priceless.

She added: " These things can't be bought and really do mean the world."
The Liberal Democrats must stop trying to emulate the major parties and return to their roots to win back support, their leader has said.

Tim Farron told activists that the seeds of the party's downfall may have been sown long before its foray into coalition government by its desire to replicate Labour and Conservative party structures.

In a speech to the Lib Dem conference in York, he warned that Westminster was a "beguiling place" but urged the Lib Dems to focus on community politics to find their "path back to power".

The Lib Dems were third largest party in parliament in 2010 with 57 seats and went into government with the Conservatives. They were reduced to just eight seats at the general election last year.

" We put country before party and I am dead proud that we did," he said.

"But were the seeds of our setback in May sown many years before? Because Westminster can be a beguiling place.

" When you are there, there's constant temptation to try and be like everyone else.

We've had a full shadow cabinet. We've had junior spokespeople. We've even had enough for some troublesome backbenchers. Mind you, even with eight we still have some of those.

" But, we must always ask ourselves, when we are a Westminster force, is it too tempting to get obsessed with Parliament that we forget the community politics that put us there?

"Westminster's rules are laid down by parties that have an opposite agenda to ours - with powerful vested interests to protect, not people to liberate.

"For the establishment parties it is the best Old Boys' Club in town, and they have stacked the rules to protect it.

"We arrive in the big league on our terms. But we too often attempt to remain on theirs."

He added: " We must return to our roots. No matter the office, always remaining true to our instincts. It's time to focus not on parliamentary games, but on real life. It's time we got back to community politics."
Jem's Birding & Ringing Exploits in the Eastern Province and elsewhere in Saudi Arabia
Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 12/03/2016 (2415 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

WINNIPEG  Manitobas Progressive Conservative leader has launched the partys election campaign by invoking Albert Einstein and promising to roll back the provincial sales tax hike that was brought in by the NDP government.

Brian Pallister told about 300 supporters in Winnipeg on Saturday that Einstein said problems cannot be solved in the same state of mind in which they were created.

Pallister says Manitoba needs a new state of mind and his party will bring it.

The partys Better Plan for Manitoba platform promises to return the provincial sales tax to seven per cent from the current eight per cent.

It also promises to improve reading skills for children, reduce ambulance fees and spend $1 billion a year on infrastructure.

Manitobans go to the polls on April 19th.

We know and Manitobans know that this election is the most crucial, the most important election in Manitoba history and we know why, because its time for a change, Pallister said.

Pallister also criticized the NDP for creating what he called the longest emergency room waits in Canada.

The New Democrats have been in power since 1999 but suffered in opinion polls after raising the sales tax in 2013.

Premier Greg Selinger has said the tax increase was needed to pay for infrastructure projects and create jobs.

(CTV Winnipeg, CJOB)
By Patrick Flynn

A transatlantic jet diverted to Shannon last night after a passenger fell ill.

KLM flight 255 was travelling from Amsterdam to Atlanta in the US at the time.

The flight was over the Atlantic about 90 minutes west of Ireland when the crew declared a medical emergency and turned around.

Airport emergency services were standing by for the Boeing 777 jet when it landed at 7.45pm.

Paramedics quickly boarded the jet once it reached the terminal building and the passenger was removed to University Hospital Limerick for treatment.

The flight continued its journey at 9.00pm.

Shannon Airport dealt with 27 medical emergencies in 2015 up from 22 the previous year.

There have been four medical diversions to the mid west airport so far this year.
Update 7.30am, Monday, March 13: Martin Heffernan has been found safe and well.

Earlier: Gardai have asked for the public's help to find missing man Martin Heffernan.

The 49-year-old, who was last seen on Friday, March 11 at St James' Hospital in Dublin.

Martin lives in Chester in the UK but is originally from Co Tipperary.

He is described as 6'1'', with short brown hair and clean shaven.

He walks with a slight limp and wears glasses.

When last seen he was wearing a black suit, black shoes and a light coloured shirt and was carrying a back pack.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Kilmainham Garda Station on 01 666 9700 or the Garda Confidential line on 1800 666 111.
Update 7.33pm: The president of Ivory Coast has said two special forces operatives were killed as attackers targeted beach-goers and three hotels in the historic resort town of Grand-Bassam.

Fourteen civilians and six armed suspects were also killed.

Alassane Ouattara is visiting the town's hotels to express condolences and salute the security forces for their quick responses.

Update 6.55pm:

Ivory Coast officials say at least five people have died after an attack on beach resort Grand-Bassam by at least six armed men.

The owner of the Etoile du Sud said at least one person was killed at his hotel, while a reporter saw four dead bodies on a beach next to the establishment.

Security forces and members of the Ivorian Red Cross are clearing the bodies.

Witness Marcel Guy saw at least four gunmen with Kalashnikov rifles on the beach. He said one approached two children, and spoke in Arabic.

One child knelt and prayed, but the other was shot dead.

President Alassane Ouattara is expected to arrive at the scene shortly.

Update 6pm:

Ivory Coast Interior Minister has said security forces have 'neutralised six terrorists.'

Eye-witness have told media the gunmen shouted 'Allahu Akbar' before gunning down women and children.

Update 5.50pm:

Sky's Foreign Affairs Editor Sam Kiley has said it obvious what the terrorists motive was: I think it is very clear that this was an attack aimed at trying to disrupt the ivory coasts recovery from its own period of political violence by hitting at the tourist trade and trying to rattle the ex-patriate communities.

Update 5.30pm:

A receptionist at the Etoile de Sud hotel in Grand-Bassam said the attacks happened on the beach.

"We don't know where they came from, and we don't know where they've gone," he said of the gunmen.

Everyone in the hotel was safe, and police were present, he said.

An American embassy delegation was in Grand-Bassam on Sunday, but the US Embassy in Abidjan said it is monitoring the situation and it has no evidence that US citizens were targeted. It could not confirm reports of any US citizens having been harmed.

Attacks by extremists on hotels frequented by foreigners in two other West African countries, Mali in November and Burkina Faso in January, killed dozens of people and indicated that extremist attacks are spreading from North Africa.

The historic town of Grand-Bassam is a Unesco World Heritage site.

Update 4.33pm:

Fresh reports have said at least 12 people have been killed, including four Europeans.

A witness said four attackers opened fire with machine guns as they entered the hotel in Grand-Bassam.

Reports suggest the attackers were "heavily armed and wearing balaclavas" as they stormed the Southern Star hotel.

Update 3.15pm:

A shooting has been reported at a beach resort on the Ivory Coast.

At least six people have died in the gun attack.

The army is reportedly evacuating the beach in Grand #Bassam following the shooting #IvoryCoast pic.twitter.com/bGsTeC8FHD  Michael A. Horowitz (@michaelh992) March 13, 2016

Social media reports have said there are men with machine guns at a hotel resort popular with Western tourists.

The hotel is located in Grand-Bassam which is about 40km (25 miles) east of the country's main city, Abidjan.

#BREAKING: Reports of shooting by men with machine guns at hotel in Ivory Coast beach resort that's popular with Western tourists (AFP)  Natasha Fatah (@NatashaFatah) March 13, 2016

Footage of tourists fleeing the area has been uploaded to Twitter.

Footage: People are fleeing the shooting in Grand Bassam #IvoryCoast pic.twitter.com/PipGxD3Uzc  Michael A. Horowitz (@michaelh992) March 13, 2016

Some say the attack may have been organised.

Some of the weapons found in Grand #Bassam, definitely point to an organized attack #IvoryCoast pic.twitter.com/ezJJeFrHHa  Michael A. Horowitz (@michaelh992) March 13, 2016

More as we get it.
MOSCOW: The rouble traded near 61 to the dollar on Friday and strengthened against the euro and yuan, supported by a...
LAGOS: More than 600 people are now known to have perished in the worst floods in a decade in Nigeria, according to...
TEHRAN: Iran has once again rejected allegations that it has supplied Russia with weapons "to be used in the war in...
MUMBAI: Heavy rainfall in India has damaged key summer-sown crops such as rice, soybean, cotton, pulses and...
Marketing executives are so afraid to appear out-of-touch that it has become "career-threatening" to suggest they would rather use television "or God forbid, print" rather than social media for advertising campaigns, according to outspoken British Professor Mark Ritson.

Mr Ritson, who is Professor of Marketing at Melbourne Business School, will argue in a series of lectures to the Australian Association of National Advertisers (AANA), that Twitter, Facebook and Instagram are massively over-rated by marketers, who are rejecting traditional media at their peril.

Professor Mark Ritson says social media advertising channels are vastly over-rated by poorly trained marketing people.

In an interview with The Australian Financial Review he pointed to Nielsen data that shows 63 per cent of people trust advertising formats on TV, and 60 per cent trust print ad formats, but only 46 per cent trust ads served on social networks.

"If any marketer comes to me with a social media marketing budget I know they are an idiot, and poorly trained," Professor Ritson said.
Its TV assets are now up for sale and, if the Turnbull government is successful in its efforts to repeal the so-called reach rule, metro networks will no longer be prohibited from buying regional networks. However, metro networks say they are reluctant to invest in regional networks.

Under their long-standing affiliation agreement, which expires on June 30, Southern Cross pays a share of its TV advertising revenues to re-broadcast Ten shows to regional Australia.

Many executives in the industry believe that the next round of affiliation deals is likely to be struck at the 11th hour on June 30, when the affiliation deal between Ten's larger rival Nine and Bruce Gordon's WIN Corp also expires.

Mr Gordon, a Bermuda-based billionaire, last week sent a signal that he is keen to increase his 14.99 per cent holding in Nine if the reach rule, which prevents mergers between metropolitan and regional networks, is abolished.

He disclosed that he had struck a cash-settled share swap agreement with Deutsche Bank  which would help him to finance further share purchases if the Nine share price rises and the rules change.
Companies need to completely rethink their marketing strategy to attract Chinese-speaking consumers, because their behaviour is very different from English speakers, a China marketing expert says.

"In terms of what is different, it is almost everything," said Mathew McDougall, the founder and chief executive of Chinese-focused marketing agency Digital Jungle. "I say that with consideration."

WeChat can be used to market to Chinese people living in Australia as well as those in China. Credit:Bloomberg

Dr McDougall, whose clients include Brisbane Airport, Westpac and CBRE, said companies often came to him and naively asked for their websites to be translated into Mandarin.

"You don't want to translate your website because it is not going to help you," he said. "The page navigation [in China] is different. The copy is different."
Two-thirds of new car buyers have experienced problems with their vehicles in the first five years of use, with some struggling to use their legal rights to a repair, refund or replacement.

A Choice survey found while most affected owners were able to get their car fixed, an "alarming" 15 per cent were unable to resolve the problem, despite warranties, insurance and consumer guarantees to repair, refund or exchange if a product is not of an acceptable quality.

Further, when owners were forced to pay for repairs, it cost them $1295 in direct fees and lost wages, and 31 hours.

"While some companies are doing the right thing, others are treating consumers' statutory rights as an optional extra," said Choice's chief executive, Alan Kirkland.
"The only reason to go to  a double dissolution is to resolve a deadlock," the PM told ABC Radio on Friday morning. "[If the crossbench and non-government parties] vote for those bills then there would be no question, we wouldn't even be talking about the possibility of a double dissolution  The only reason that I would consider advising the Governor-General to effect a double dissolution would be in order to deal with bills that had been rejected." He's also been finessing that promise he made not to go to an early election, arguing that "any election in the second half of this year could not reasonably be described as early because the last election was in the first week of September, as I recall." And the PM clearly has an exciting definition of what "early" means, specifically that July isn't significantly earlier than the September-October election that he was originally promising. Which seems hopeful? But this does put a different spin on the whole changing-the-senate-ballot thing, because now the Greens and Nick Xenophon can no longer pretend that the DD strategy is about further perfecting our already mighty democracy and not intended entirely as a constitutional cudgel designed to bash the crossbench. So, will they support the changes regardless? We should find out this week!

The lunatics have taken over the asylum (seeker policy) There were developments that were either a good thing or a bad thing, depending on whether you support human rights or alternatively think that forcibly returning Iranian asylum seekers back home sounds like an excellent idea. Foreign Minister Julie Bishop had suggested that the upcoming visit by Iran Foreign Affairs Minister Dr Mohammad Javad Zarif would be an opportunity to nut out a deal with to send failed refugees back to Iran on the condition that their government totally pinky swear to not persecute them - you know, like not jail or execute them for being gay, for example, which Iran enthusiastically does - with her office assuring the West Australian that such negotiations were "well advanced". However, Iranian Ambassador Abdolhossein Vahaji corrected Bishop's claims on Friday, clarifying that they're not so much "well advanced" as "a complete fantasy".

"No agreement. No improvement in that regard," Mr Vahaji bluntly stated, pointing out that Iran currently hosts around three million Afghan refugees - a number somewhat greater than the 9000 "legacy caseload" that Australia's complaining about - and shrugged that "Your country [is] in a position that you have to accept asylum seekers." Iran is lecturing you about humanitarian policy, Jules. That's not a roaring endorsement. Great ideas, well executed It's another of the ongoing series of triumphs in our nation's inept handling of refugees, following the revelation that the deal to give Cambodia $55 million - a deal cut by Scott Morrison and managed by his replacement Peter Dutton - in order to successfully resettle a grand total of two people before Cambodia took the money and declined to take any more people. Money well spent - or, in Duffer's immortal words, "a pretty good outcome". And it turns out that the two that were taken are not living with the housing, medical care or basic support they were promised - which is possibly not the biggest surprise in the world.

Indeed, as one of the two refugees - 26-year-old Mohammed Roshid - told Fairfax from floor of the barely-furnished office in which he currently lives, "I feel unwell, lonely and sad. I fear that I will die here." Crazy as it seems when dealing with one of the most corrupt governments on the planet, it turns out that all that stuff he was promised - accommodation, help setting up a business, cash to get on his feet - haven't exactly happened, and as a Rohingya Muslim in a majority Buddhist country, he's still facing the same persecution which forced him to flee in the first place. And given that Papua New Guinea have indicated they're not keen to continue housing refugees on Manus Island since they can't afford to resettle them, it's almost as though Australia needs to think of a new strategy to deal with asylum seekers. If only there was some sort of regional framework in place that could be used to address displacement of people in the Asia-Pacific region, to which Australia was a signatory and in which we could take a leadership role if we weren't so obsessed with treating refugees as a national security issue rather than a humanitarian one. Oh, wait a second, what's this?
SPOILER ALERT: This story contains details about season 3 episode 7 of The 100, which has not yet aired in Australia

A young Australian actress who stars in two Hollywood TV series has found herself at the centre of a social media storm following the death of one of her characters.

Alycia Debnam-Carey, a 22-year-old from Sydney, has major roles in two post-apocalypse shows on cable in the US (and on Foxtel's Fox8 in Australia), The 100 on youth-focused network CW and Fear the Walking Dead, AMC's spin-off from its hit series The Walking Dead.

But the latest plot twist in the former has some fans of the show up in arms: Debnam-Carey's character Lexa is a lesbian, and she has just been killed off.
Foreign Minister Julie Bishop arrived in Fiji yesterday to tour areas affected by Cyclone Winston, which caused devastation across the country on February 20.

The cyclone, the strongest to ever hit Fiji, led to 44 deaths and the destruction of hundreds of homes throughout the islands.

Minister for Foreign Affairs Julie Bishop meets some locals at Koro Island on day one of her Australian Aid to Fiji visit yesterday. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

After visiting HMAS Canberra to thank Australian Defence Force personnel assisting with the recovery effort, Ms Bishop travelled to the small island of Koro, one of the worst-affected areas.

With scores of homes reduced to piles of rubble, many locals are living in tents provided by the Australian government and various international aid agencies.
"Spending millions of dollar to grease the wheels of a corrupt regime so that the government can dump a handful of people in an impoverished country is unacceptable."

"An independent assessment of value for money is warranted and important for the accountability of spending public funds," Greens immigration spokeswoman Sarah Hanson-Young said on Sunday.

The Greens will refer Australia's $55 million refugee resettlement deal with Cambodia to the Auditor General for investigation.

The program - which offers resettlement to refugees who decide they want to go to Cambodia from Australia's offshore detention centres - has been a diplomatic embarrassment for the government, with only five refugees accepting money and training to go to Cambodia.

Senator Sarah Hanson-Young says she will use the inquiry to examine reports the Catholic sector has been diverting money from disadvantaged schools to schools in wealthy areas. Credit:Andrew Meares

Australia covers all the costs of people who decide to go, in addition to the $40 million provided to the Cambodian government in "development assistance".

On Sunday, Fairfax Media reported that one of the five people who agreed to be resettled in Cambodia felt abandoned and fearful.

The government hopes the resettlement program will help ease the conditions on Nauru and Manus Island, which are struggling to deal with the large number of refugees sent there by Australia.
Dubai: Kevin Rudd's rival for the role of United Nations secretary-general, Irina Bokova, has staked her credentials for the world's top diplomatic post at her first global appearance since becoming an official nominee in February.

Speaking at the Global Education and Skills Forum in Dubai on Saturday, Ms Bokova outlined her achievements as the Director-General of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) and her commitment to ensuring education becomes a top priority of the general assembly should she take over from Ban Ki-moon at the end of this year.

UN secretary-general candidate Irina Bokova of Bulgaria. Credit:AP

"We need more diplomacy, we need more preventive measures, we need more understanding about conflict and how we can prevent this. This is where I think the role of the secretary-general is to put with courage and sincerity some of these issues to the general assembly," she said at the conference attended by Middle East heads of state and 22 education ministers from around the world.

Ms Bokova said she understood the recent criticism of the UN over its inaction during the Ukraine crisis.
A notorious Pacific Motorway traffic choke point has been prioritised for a $210 million dollar upgrade by the State Government, as part of a new state infrastructure fund announced by Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk on Sunday.

But the project remains dependent on Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull coming to the party with nearly $170 million to get it off the ground.

The southbound merge of the Pacific and Gateway motorways, which regularly creates a congestion nightmare for Gold Coast bound motorists, is one of seven priority projects announced by Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk and Deputy Premier Jackie Trad, as part of their newly unveiled $500 million state infrastructure fund.

The extra half a billion dollars, Ms Trad said, came from savings made through the government's debt reduction strategy.
Brisbane Lord Mayor Graham Quirk's 31 year local government tenure could be about to come to an end, with a new poll showing the LNP incumbent has the slimmest of margins over his Labor rival.

A ReachTel poll commissioned by News Corp showed support for Cr Quirk had nosedived since the 2012 election, when he won 61.9 per cent of the primary vote.

The latest poll, conducted on Thursday evening with 1116 Brisbane City Council residents, showed his primary support had plummeted to just 42.6 per cent.

After preferences, Cr Quirk had 52 per cent of the vote, just four percentage points more than Labor rival Rod Harding on 48 per cent.
Dr Catt said support had grown for creating asylum seeker sanctuaries with churches, lawyers, medical staff and numerous others dedicating their time and resources to creating a "national action".

On Sunday the Cathedral's doors were opened to those who wanted to know what they could do to help create a sanctuary for those seeking asylum in Australia.

Dr Peter Catt declared St John's Cathedral in Brisbane's CBD as a place of sanctuary more than a month ago for the 267 asylum seekers who the High Court of Australia ruled must return to offshore detention centres.

The Anglican Dean of Brisbane welcomed those willing to stand with him in providing a sanctuary for refugees by facilitating "sanctuary training" on Sunday.

More than 100 people gathered at St John's Cathedral for sanctuary training Credit:Scott Patterson

"We are facilitating today the training that will enable people to help make this happen because in the end it is a movement of the people, a sanctuary will only work if it has popular support," he said.

"If someone was to seek sanctuary here and Border Force happen to turn up to take them away then the only thing that would prevent them really was the fact there was lots of people around, as happened at the Lady Cilento Children's Hospital."

The public swell of support for baby Asha at Lady Cilento Children's Hospital more than a month ago was referred to numerous times on Sunday as an example of how a successful sanctuary could operate.

"It was a real grounding experience, taking the concept of sanctuary, which could be seen as academic, to say 'Actually that hospital became a place of sanctuary' and all it took was a few doctors to say 'We want to provide sanctuary and we want some help' and all these other people came out and all they had to do was be present," Dr Catt said.
The number of assaults on Queensland paramedics is increasing, but with State Government funding and a dedicated taskforce reviewing procedures, its hoped officer injuries will soon decrease.

There were 226 physical and verbal attacks on paramedics between June 2014 and June 2015, which was up from 193 recorded the year before.

Paramedic Brad Johnson speaks to reporters hours after he was allegedly bashed in the back of an ambulance. Credit:Queensland Ambulance Service

In addition, during the six-month period between July 2015 and December 2015, 160 physical and verbal attacks on Queensland paramedics were recorded.

Craig Emery, Senior Member of the Paramedic Safety Taskforce, said, "It sickens me that a paramedic who is trying to help someone gets attacked."
Jade Baggins-Clark has never been a big user of smiley-face animations on her mobile phone, and yet every month for the past five months she receives one on her Android device.

Unfortunately for Ms Baggins-Clark, she never asked for the smileys, nor for the $5 price tag that comes with each one.

The Bathurst mum of two is one of many consumers left questioning premium service charges on their monthly mobile phone bills, for which they have no recollection of signing up.

Rather than appearing on credit card bills, third-party charges show up on mobile phone bills after subscription or in-app purchases are made.
Winters and her colleagues have developed tools to help with social resolution, bullying, online aggression (or perceived aggression), eating disorders and issues particular to high school students, working with the Greater Good Science Center at the University of California-Berkeley, the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence and other academic partners. New projects will assist in identifying suicide ideation in a friend's posts and offer help connecting to resources for suicide prevention. There is a team working on how Facebook profiles can be managed after someone dies; another group has created safety checks, so friends and family can communicate quickly in a disaster. One bright, hot Tuesday in February, the sun glinted off the baby-blue cruising bikes that Facebookers ride from one side of their extensive California, campus to the other, looking like healthy undergraduates captured in a college brochure. More than 6000 people work there, shuttling between the New Urbanism "village" that once served as Sun Microsystems' headquarters (Facebook took it over in 2011) and the 433,000-square-foot open-plan mother ship designed by Frank Gehry on the other side of the Bayfront Expressway. If designers are in charge of surprise and delight, what does it mean to design for aspects of life that are painful? Emily Albert

Inside the Gehry space, plump Mylar balloons shaped like numbers floated gently above the desks, marking each staff member's "Faceversary," as one's anniversary of hiring is called. Vending machines offered keyboards and chargers, not Snickers bars. Pink letterpress posters proclaimed "Be the Nerd," among other inspirational slogans. Winters; Gregory Wells, a clinical psychologist; Dan Muriello, an engineer; and Emily Albert, a product designer, were gathered in a conference room named "Outlook Not Syncing" to explain how the breakup flow came to be. Albert, an ebullient 25-year-old who had been a classically trained ballet dancer before she attended the Rhode Island School of Design, described struggling with the digital legacy of a former boyfriend from college. "I was seeing one post after another," she said, "experiencing this thing that a lot of my friends have, where it's almost impossible to separate when you're constantly tied digitally. In one cathartic move toward empowerment, I thought, what if Facebook tried to tackle this?" On the company shuttle home to San Francisco one evening, she floated an idea she had been working on to minimise that entanglement. How to digitally unmesh without choosing "the nuclear option" of unfriending or blocking someone? There was resounding encouragement, she said. "Heartbreak is a very common ailment here."

Heartache and Facebook do go hand in hand. There are studies that have examined the relationship between attachment styles and a tendency toward digital surveillance after a breakup on Facebook. There are studies that show a correlation between that digital surveillance  so-called Facebook stalking  and what's known as obsessive relational intrusion, or the pursuit of intimacy with someone who doesn't want to be pursued. Some studies have found possible links between Facebook use and higher rates of cheating in a relationship, which leads to more studies showing that Facebook may be a predictor of divorce. There are studies that prove Facebook makes you sad, and studies that show just the opposite. Some researchers aver that Facebook use creates a neural addiction by stimulating what is known as a dopamine feedback loop  a burst of natural opioids when you receive a status update or peruse a friend's page. There are even studies that suggest a relationship between posting one's relationship status on Facebook and the health of that relationship. Finding the right tone was a big part of the design process, Albert said, language being crucial in creating a tool kit that would be flexible enough to address a 14-year-old breaking up with her boyfriend of four weeks as well as longtime married couples with children.

It also had to be neutral, not familiar, and not in any way hortatory. "If designers are in charge of surprise and delight," she said, "what does it mean to design for aspects of life that are painful?" Facebook language isn't lyric poetry, by any means, but it does the trick. If you're able to stumble onto the breakup flow (not an easy task, at this point; it's only available on mobile and only in the United States), you should discover, as Winters described, a bento box of options. "Take a Break. Here are some changes that might be helpful. We won't notify Taylor of any changes you make. See less of Taylor. See Taylor on Facebook only if you visit his profile." And so on. Mostly the language is like that of an instruction manual  "Turn on tag approvals for posts and photos you're tagged in"  although at the end, it veers into self-care: "Reach out to people you trust for support. Stay Active. ..." Sokoloff, the brand strategist who yearned for a digital vacuum cleaner, wondered if there wasn't some emotional cost in making all traces of a relationship disappear. "Is there something important in the healing process that would be lost if we can essentially have the Facebook equivalent of the dream removers from Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind?" In her latest book, Reclaiming Conversation: The Power of Talk in a Digital Age, Sherry Turkle explores, as she puts it, "how technology makes us forget what we know about life."
In a bid to preserve and promote their traditional skills, almost 100 artisans gathered in Kyneton in regional Victoria over the weekend for the Lost Trades Fair.

Emme, 8, and sister Georgie, 5, investigate a Sam Bloomfield sculpture The Lost Trades Fair at Kyneton Racecourse Credit:Eddie Jim

For hundreds of years, artisans have passed down the secrets of their trades, but many fear the days of careful craftsmanship are numbered as consumers increasingly turn to cheaper, mass manufactured products.

Included in the group were stonemasons, patternmakers, luthiers, bookbinders and calligraphers.

Cooper George Smithwick demonstates his craft at the Lost Trades Fair at Kyneton Racecourse on Sunday. Credit:Eddie Jim

More than 15,000 people packed into the Kyneton Racecourse over Saturday and Sunday to watch and learn about dozens of rare crafts and forgotten arts.

Crowds watched on as a horologist got to work making a clock and a telegraphist explained the intricacies of Morse code. A fletcher named Andrew showed people how he makes arrows, while a glassblower showed an intrigued audience what liquid glass looks like.

The fair, now in its third year, began after organiser Lisa Rundell noticed a gap in the market for what she calls "makers".
Survivors of clergy abuse have accused the Catholic Archdiocese of Melbourne of stalling and obfuscation by delaying the release of an independent review of its own controversial compensation scheme.

The review of the Melbourne Response was announced by Archbishop Denis Hart in August 2014 following repeated claims at the royal commission that the church was primarily concerned with avoiding litigation and minimising payouts.

Archbishop Denis Hart had vowed the findings of the review of the Melbourne Response would be released by November 2014. Survivors of clergy abuse are still waiting. Credit:Ken Irwin

Archbishop Hart had vowed the findings by retired Federal Court Judge Donnell Ryan, QC, would be released by November 2014 and were expected to recommend a significant increase, or removal, of the $75,000 cap on compensation.

Fairfax Media can reveal that Mr Ryan submitted the review to Archbishop Hart on September 30, 2015, but that the report and its recommendations are yet to be made public.
A 24-year-old man has been charged with allegedly murdering his former partner in Melbourne's west on Sunday night.

The charge follows the death of a 20-year-old woman, known as Jackie Deng, and the discovery of her body in a Unitt Street home in Melton about 7pm.

According to a Channel Seven report, the woman, who had a two-year-old son with the man, was studying law at Victoria University.
Collisions between motorists and kangaroos have surged in recent years, particularly in Melbourne's expanding northern suburbs.

Booming housing growth around Melbourne's semi-urban northern fringe has displaced kangaroo populations and forced them into contact with humans, Wildlife Rescuers president Sharon Bonnici said.

Julie Malherbe with a few of the orphaned joeys and injured animals she looks after. Credit:Eddie Jim

And with development showing no signs of slowing down in the region, Wildlife Victoria chief executive Karen Masson said a dedicated government response was needed.

"We have got a catastrophic problem," she said. "Kangaroos and humans do not live harmoniously together, and we can do better than doing nothing about it, like we are now, or just culling them."
It's a walking trail that would link up picturesque mountain villages and famed national parkland, allowing visitors to wander past ancient tree ferns, towering mountain ash and possibly a lyrebird or two.

Fourteen kilometres of new and upgraded trails over the Dandenong Ranges would enable people to walk over the "roof of Melbourne", from one side of the Dandenongs to the other.

Yarra Ranges Mayor Jason Callanan's daughter Mackenzie on what will be the new walking trail, to be built across the ridge of the Dandenongs. Credit:Joe Armao

Yarra Ranges Council's proposed "Villages of Mt Dandenong Walk" would also feature a number of artworks. Upgrades or new trails would be established at six locations to form a continuous link over the ranges, including at Tecoma at the southern end and Montrose at the northern end.
Religious institutions should pay more state-based taxes, the Sex Party says, as it pushes to overturn long-standing exemptions.

The party wants new laws to be introduced to force religious groups to take on an increased share of the tax burden.

Australian Sex Party leader, Fiona Patten. Credit:Melissa Davis

Sex Party Upper House MP Fiona Patten said charitable groups and activities operated by religious organisations should retain their tax exemptions. But other operations should attract taxes, she said.

"We're struggling to pay for infrastructure in this state," she said. "But at the same time we're saying that religious organisations that may own considerable amounts of very valuable property automatically receive exemptions."
Police are searching for a woman who went missing from a Melbourne hospital in the early hours of Sunday morning.

Olga Freidin, 55, from Brunswick East was last seen at St Vincents Hospital about 2am.

Police said they are concerned for Ms Freidin because she suffers from a medical condition.

She was last seen wearing an orange t-shirt and black jeans. She is roughly 160cm tall, of fair complexion with short blonde hair.

Anyone who sees Ms Freidin is urged to contact Melbourne East police station on 9673 1100.


Police are appealing for witnesses to a crash that killed a Rebels bikie as he rode with a group of 90 others near Lake Clifton on Saturday afternoon.

A WA police spokeswoman said the 29-year-old man from Merriwa died after he struck a ditch and was flown from his motorcycle.

A Rebels bikie was killed during a group ride near Lake Clifton. Credit:File Pic

"About 3:15pm a group of approximately 90 people were travelling towards Waroona," she said.

"One member of the group was riding a Harley Davidson motorcycle and appears to have lost control of the motorcycle on Peppermint Grove Road, approximately 2km from the Forrest Highway, in Lake Clifton."
Some allies have already begun to distance themselves from Ms Rousseff, as her party gets drawn deeper into the corruption scandal. The March 12 national convention of her largest allied party, the PMDB, ended with the threat to fully break from the ruling coalition next month. Earlier in March, the smaller Brazilian Socialist Party joined the opposition. Thousands of demonstrators demand the impeachment of Brazil's President Dilma Rousseff during a rally in Brasilia on Sunday where a large inflatable doll depicts former president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva in prison garb. Credit:AP Ms Rousseff, who on Friday said she hadn't given up and wouldn't resign, made no public appearances on Sunday. Instead, she issued a statement in which she said that the peaceful nature of protests shows "the maturity of a country that knows how to live with diverging opinions." Her Workers' Party supporters had earlier announced they would move counter protests to another day after the president and the army expressed fears the two groups would clash. Demonstrators dressed as Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff, left, and former president Lula, gesture to the crowd during a protest demanding her impeachment in Brasilia. Credit:AP

Financial markets in recent weeks welcomed the possibility that Brazil's political turmoil could usher in a new government that's better equipped to revive the economy, which is expected to sink 3.3 per cent in 2016 after contracting 3.8 per cent last year. Brazil's political drama is playing out less than five months before the 2016 Olympic Games are due to start in Rio de Janeiro. Peaceful demonstrators fill Paulista Avenue on Sunday. Estimates put the total numbers of attendees between 2 and 3 million people. Credit:AP Pressure on Ms Rousseff started building before last year's FIFA World Cup with hundreds of thousands of people taking to the streets to demand her impeachment and decry government expenditure on sporting facilities. It intensified again in February with the arrest of her campaign strategist and report of allegations that she tried to interfere with corruption investigations. The political crisis hit a new high with former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva's brief detention for questioning on March 4 and the issue of a request for his arrest last week on charges of money laundering and giving false testimony.

Adding to Ms Rousseff's woes, the country's top electoral court is investigating whether she illegally funded her re-election campaign in 2014. Both Ms Rousseff and Mr Lula have repeatedly denied wrongdoing. Their supporters and some commentators say investigators are themselves biased and have not followed due process. Patricia Araujo, a 34-year-old lawyer marching in Brasilia was not convinced. "Even if she didn't steal from the country to put money in her bank account, she still benefited from corruption," Ms Araujo said. "There's no way she didn't know what was going on. We have to have some kind of rupture -- things can't go on the way they are." Unknown future

With distrust of much of Brazil's ruling class running deep and many leading politicians linked to the corruption scandal, a possible Rousseff exit could be messy. Some opposition leaders, including Senator Aecio Neves, who narrowly lost to Ms Rousseff in the 2014 presidential election, were also criticised during the demonstration as opportunist and corrupt. "We're seeking a way out of this impasse in accordance with the constitution," Senator Neves wrote on Twitter. One of the big winners coming out of Sunday's protest was Sergio Moro, the federal judge from the southern state of Parana who's overseeing the Carwash investigation, said Carlos Pio, a political scientist at the University of Brasilia. Throughout the country, protesters hailed Judge Moro as a national hero. Some wore t-shirts saying "In Moro We Trust" and others laid out a sign before Congress that read "We Are All Moro", a reference to 'Je suis Charlie' adopted in France after the attack on Charlie Hebdo headquarters in Paris. "The protests were a loud call from Brazilians: 'Clean up our country'," Mr Pio said.
Part of the online trolling used against Finnish journalist Jessikka Aro. They told Fairfax Media it was a case study of Russia's escalating "information war" against the West, an increasingly sophisticated and well-resourced operation that already counts the annexation of Crimea among its successes. Aro is an investigative journalist with Finnish Broadcasting Company Yle. All her life she has been fascinated by Russia, she says  "it's my favourite topic, really"  she finds Russian society "interesting, fascinating and also a bit scary". Finland's history makes its bigger, stronger neighbour an enduring presence in its culture and politics. Aro had been writing about jihadist propaganda, and noticed reports about Russia's "troll factories", reportedly Kremlin-funded set-ups pumping out fabricated news and propagandist social media commentary: regurgitated misinformation from the bowels of the internet.

All these horrible things [they say] have given me this feeling of fear sometimes. They stalk me all the time. They stalk everything that I do on social media. Jessikka Aro So in September 2014 she crowdsourced an article, asking Finns "to help look for trolls, [tell me,] how do the trolls act, how do they work, what is their influence in Finnish public opinion? "I got something like 200 responses and information," she says. "I also got so much trolling." A few days later Finnish pro-Russian activist Johan Backman got involved. Last year he was appointed the "official representative" of the Russian Institute for Strategic Studies in the Nordic countries. RISS was founded by Russian President Vladimir Putin, as a think tank/lobby group funded by the Kremlin to promote its policies and interests, domestically and in Bulgaria, Turkey, Finland and France. But Aro says Backman was doing more than just disagreeing with her journalism.

"He started to fill the internet ... with disinformation about me being some kind of helper of the United States and Estonia and other countries' intelligence services or security and police services," Aro says. "[He was] claiming  lying  that I am collecting some kind of illegal database of Putin supporters in Finland. And that it's criminal. "He was doing very active campaigning against me." Fairfax Media put a list of questions to Backman but he had not responded at the time of writing. According to a report from a Finnish news agency, police last week launched an investigation into Backman and the chief editor of a news blog, MV Online, in relation to the persecution and defamation of Aro. Backman stirred up the trolls, Aro says. Soon after she began to receive "very disturbing messages, absurd messages, trolling messages" in Russian, English and Finnish, on the internet and by phone. And over time  as she has written more stories about their activities  they have just become worse.

"All these horrible things [they say] have given me this feeling of fear sometimes. They stalk me all the time. They stalk everything that I do on social media. They take my pictures and add them to [false blogs]." They "repurposed" her holiday photos, they emailed editors and politicians to call for her sacking. They even stalk her friends. At one point, one offered to "play down" the hate speech against her if she apologised and promised to stop writing about pro-Russian trolls  an offer Aro considered blackmail. Such trolls, Aro says, are having an unhealthy impact on freedom of speech and democracy more broadly. Aro says she has spotted some "high-profile officials" in the Finnish parliament lurking on troll groups on social media.

And she says ordinary Finns who are exposed to troll misinformation have "told me that they have started to lose touch with what is true and what is not true ... for example, in the Ukraine crisis they don't know what is a fact and what's not, because trolls mess up the conversation". Some of those attacking her say they are just exercising freedom of political speech. Aro has no time for that argument. In fact they are trying to suppress other people's free speech through aggression, she says. An EU official who has been studying Russian propaganda  and who spoke to Fairfax Media on condition of anonymity  says Aro's case is "quite extraordinary". "I'm actually surprised this is happening in the EU," he says. The amount of resources being put into an attempt to bully Aro was remarkable. "Not only money but also people. The purpose: intimidation ... to kill the debate."

However, Aro is far from the only victim, nor the only topic of pro-Russian trolling, misinformation and propaganda, the official says. "You go through the disinformation stories around the continent and you see the very same article launched at some minor Russian blog site, then multiplied by 15, 20 different web pages and then gets back to the Russian media who can say, 'Oh, ISIS fighters have joined the Ukrainian armed forces.' "It is organised to serve the purposes of the Kremlin." The official says the propaganda takes different forms in different countries: in Britain it exploits the Brexit issue, in the former Soviet bloc it tries to drive a wedge between countries over Middle Eastern refugees. Prior to Russia's annexation of Crimea, the official says, a flood of disinformation clouded claims that Russian troops had entered the Ukraine province.

"It showed that disinformation can affect our political decision-making," he says. More recently, a claim emerged  since admitted false  that a 13-year-old Russian-German girl was raped by a Middle Eastern or North African refugee in Berlin. The claim was spread and outrage stoked by pro-Russian trolls, even sparking a protest on the streets of Berlin, and then was stirred further by the Russian Foreign Minister before the whole story was found to be a hoax. "This is a serious problem that doesn't just affect the Ukraine or Baltic states but also a huge part of Europe," the official says. He puts credence in a theory that the troll network is used to "road-test" conspiracy theories, seeding six or seven competing pieces of propaganda or misinformation and letting the Darwinian world of online information exchange prove which is the hardiest  which is then republished by more conventional media. It's a system applied, for example, to the shooting down of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 in 2014. "One of the biggest problems is we don't have a clue how much money they put into this," the official says. "We do not have clue how much media there are, how many people they target, how many people they reach. We can only guess from the results.
Los Angeles: Former Australian prime minister John Howard has re-entered the US gun debate, declaring it is "incontestable" gun-related homicides fell significantly after he introduced strict laws following the Port Arthur massacre.

Speaking on CBS' Sunday Morning TV news program, Mr Howard said he was compelled to act after 35 people were gunned down at the Tasmanian historical site in 1996.

"It is incontestable that gun-related homicides have fallen quite significantly in Australia, incontestable," Mr Howard said.

"I mean, if you had 13 mass shootings before Port Arthur and you had none since, isn't that evidence?
Beirut: The Lebanese government has approved a plan to solve a seven-month garbage crisis that has fuelled protests against the dysfunctional state and raised concerns for public health.

Two landfills will be established near Beirut, and a third one south of the city will be reopened for two months to receive trash that has piled up since July, Information Minister Ramzi Jreij said after the cabinet meeting on Saturday.

Garbage bags line a street in Jdeideh, east Beirut. Credit:AP

The Lebanese trash crisis began when the landfill south of Beirut was closed with no plan in place for an alternative. Drone footage released by the protest group "You Stink" shows mountains of rubbish piled up around the city.
Latest News NAB reveals six market megatrends for brokers More opportunities for investors, first home buyers

Firstmac shifts up a gear on auto loans National sales manager appointed to pursue growing market

The disparity between the cost of land in capital cities and regional areas in Australia has reached a new record, according to research from CoreLogic RP Data.The median price of vacant land across the combined capital cities was recorded at $265,000, according to the data, while the median land price across the combined regional markets was $156,000.CoreLogic RP Data research analyst Cameron Kusher says that the $109,000 (69.9%) price difference between regional and capital city prices is now the largest differential on record.It also goes some way to explaining the differences in the cost of built form (houses or units) in the capital cities relative to non-capital city areas, Kusher said.Over the past year, capital city vacant land prices have increased by 4.0% compared to a -5.2% fall in prices in regional areas.At the end of 2015, the median lot size for capital city vacant land was 466sqm, having increased by 3.6% over the year. Across regional markets the median land size was a much larger 809sqm, having increased by 8.3% over the past year.According to Kusher, land sizes have fallen over time in capital city and regional markets however, lot size compression has been much greater in capital cities.To put this in perspective, median lot sizes have fallen at a rate of -2.5% annually in capital cities over the past decade compared to falls of -0.5% per annum in regional markets, he said.Across the combined capital cities the median rate/sqm for vacant land was recorded at $552 at the end of last year. At the same time the rate was a substantially lower $179/sqm in regional markets.The fall in capital city rates/sqm is due to the increase in land sizes while in regional markets it is due to both prices falling and land sizes increasing over the past year.Sydney is by the far the most expensive capital city to purchase land. The median land price in the harbour city is $410,000, more than $100,000 more than the second most expensive city, Perth, where the median land price is $299,000.Todays data provides valuable insights into the reasons why housing costs in the capital cities is so high. In a market like Sydney for example, if the typical land costs $410,000 it is difficult to imagine being able to buy the land and build a home for less than $550,000, Kusher said.With housing affordability now back on the national political agenda it is likely we will see renewed focus on the high cost of developable land in our capital cities. Reforms to reduce the cost of the vacant land would go a long way to improving housing affordability, particularly for new homes.Of course the other alternative is to encourage greater economic development of regional areas where the cost of housing is significantly lower than it is in the capital cities.
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One hundred years ago in Brownsville, our modern era began. In a squat building that no longer exists, a pretty and soft-spoken mom named Margaret opened an office where women could get something theyd never been allowed to obtain before.

Birth control.

The place wasnt called Planned Parenthood in 1916.

It didnt really have a name, says Sabrina Jones, author of an upcoming graphic novel, Our Lady of Birth Control: A Cartoonists Encounter with Margaret Sanger.

Back then, the idea of preventing unwanted pregnancies was so new and controversial, even Sanger herself didnt expect to provide family planning to anyone other than  families.

At the time, Brownsvilles population was predominantly Eastern European and Italian, so Sanger made her flyers in Italian, Yiddish, and English.

She assumed the clients would be mothers married with lots of children. Publicly, she never offered birth control to unmarried people  that was too far, says Jones.

Sanger didnt even seem like a revolutionary. Delicate and poised, she had three children of her own and had, for a while, been living a quiet suburban life up in Hastings. Her husband, a draftsman, worked for the architect Sanford White. Hed urged young Margaret Byrne to marry him while she was still in nursing school, because he was afraid that shed fall in love with a doctor.

Sanger complied, but soon grew restless. As Jones put it, She wanted a wider world. Wilder, too.

So in 1911 she moved to the Village and was soon mingling (and more) with the socialists and revolutionaries she met. Her new comrade, Emma Goldman, was probably the person who introduced her to birth control, and did so with an economic argument: Why is it that poor people, who cant afford more children, always have more of them, while the upper classes dont?

The wealthy had something the poor did not, and that something was contraception. Back then, family planning was still dicey and pricey.

Condoms were very expensive, says Jones. They were made out of sheep gut. People washed them and reused them.

Poor women rarely even knew about these. For them, the only birth control was abortion. Sanger worked as a nurse in the slums, where desperate women begged her to tell them the secret: How could they avoid having kids they couldnt feed, or the abortions they despised?

Legally, she wasnt allowed to tell them. Nobody was. Discussing birth control was against the law, as was dispensing it. When she finally decided to open her clinic, it was an act of civil disobedience, Jones says. Sanger went a step further and actually alerted the district attorney to her deed, because she wanted to go to court and get those laws thrown out.

The road to that goal was fraught with protest, prison, and a nearly lethal hunger strike on the part of Sangers sister. But in the end, the law cracked, and finally doctors were legally allowed to tell their clients about condoms.

Joness graphic novel tells that whole story along with the reason she felt compelled to write it. She woke up one morning, turned on the radio, and I heard the story of a young woman testifying before Congress about the need for contraceptive coverage in student health plans.

That woman, Georgetown law student Sandra Fluke, was immediately lambasted by Rush Limbaugh, who called her a slut and a prostitute.

She wants to be paid to have sex! Limbaugh told his listeners. Shes having so much sex she cant afford the contraception!

I was horrified that in 2012 a woman could still be shamed for advocating birth control, says Jones. When I came of age, birth control was a done deal that had achieved near universal acceptance. All the battles were about abortion.

Realizing Sangers crusade was back in the crosshairs, Jones reached for her drawing board  literally. Creating social justice comics is her standard M.O.

Her topics range from army recruitment wiles to Walt Whitman. My favorite is her book about mass incarceration  a graphic novel version of Marc Mauers Race to Incarcerate, which tells the story of how America came to imprison a bigger chunk of its population than any other country, including China and Iran. It is stunning in its clarity. Reading it feels like a punch in the gut.

Graphic novels have a way of making problems present in a way that simple paragraphs (like these!) cannot. Margaret Sanger had her clinic, Jones has her paintbrush, but they share the same mission: Freedom to live and to love.

Read Lenore Skenazys column every Sunday morning on Brook lynPa per.com

Lenore Skenazy is a keynote speaker and author of Free-Range Kids.
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.
Bordentown exhibit showcases items belonging to Napoleon's brother

The Bordentown Historical society is gaining international attention for its Joseph Bonaparte exhibit, former King of Spain and brother of Napoleon.
iPhone and iPad maker Apple has resubmitted its application for opening single-brand retail stores in the country as there were certain gaps in its earlier proposal.

Further, sources said Xiaomi too has submitted an application with the DIPP to open single-brand retail stores in the country. Currently, they sells their products through ecommerce and offline platforms.

Single-brand retailers are also allowed to take ecommerce route for such trading. At present, 100 per cent FDI is permitted in the sector but the are required to take FIPB permission if the limit exceeds 49 per cent.

The proposal is being processed by the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP). Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi too has submitted an application, an official said.

In January, Apple had filed proposal seeking permission for single-brand retailing and sell products online but due to certain gaps in the application, DIPP had sought more information from the US-based technology giant.

According to the sources, the government could exempt the Cupertino-based company from the mandatory local sourcing norm of 30 per cent as it makes 'state-of-the-art' and 'cutting edge' technology products.

Last year, the government had relaxed the foreign direct investment (FDI) policy for single-brand retailing.

The government had said it may also relax the sourcing norms for entities undertaking single-brand retailing of products having 'state-of-the-art' and 'cutting edge' technology and where local sourcing is not possible.

The company sells its products through Apple-owned retail stores in countries including China, Germany, the US, the UK and France.

Apple has no wholly-owned store in India and sells products through distributors such as Redington and Ingram Micro.
Vijay Mallya, who owes over Rs 7,200 crore debt  taken to run the defunct Kingfisher Airlines  on Sunday accused the media of hunting him and that they were looking at the wrong places in the United Kingdom.

I am being hunted down by media in UK. Sadly they did not look in the obvious place. I will not speak to media so don't waste your efforts," Mallya wrote on the micro-blogging site, Twitter.

Mallya, 60, took a Jet Airways flight to London on March 2, 2016 as regulators and investigation agencies became aggressive after public pressure increased to recover the loans, for which he stood personal guarantee. Details of his whereabouts in London are not known, but Mallya owns a sprawling villa in the citys outskirts.

The UB Group chairman, who built India's largest liquor and beer company before he sold majority stake in them to British liquor major Diageo and Dutch beer brand Heineken, respectively to raise funds to run Kingfisher Airlines. In the process, he also gave personal guarantees to banks to raise additional funds.

"Yes, there was trouble in the account; the account was already stressed. He wanted another opportunity to try and turn it around. We felt it was right for him to get that opportunity, but just as we risked money, we also asked that he put in a personal guarantee," State Bank of India chairperson Arundhati Bhattacharya told Shekhar Gupta on NDTV 24x7's Walk the Talk programme. "That's the reason why we have gone to him and not only after the assets of Kingfisher Airlines, because the guarantee was given by him, a guarantee was given by the holding company. We are going to go for recovery against all three."

SBI leads the consortium of 17 banks that lent Kingfisher Airlines and Mallya funds, before the airline shut in 2012.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED), which is investigating a money laundering case against Mallya, has directed the Rajya Sabha MP to be present before it on March 18. The ED has already questioned Kingfisher Airlines CFO A Raghunathan and UB Group CFO Ravi Nedungadi. ED's case is based on a CBI investigation on a Rs 900 crore loan given to Mallya by IDBI Bank, despite an internal committee recommending against disbursing the money. CBI had begun looking at the case since August 2014.

Mallya has taken pains to defend that he would abide by India's laws and would return to the country.

Im an international businessman. I travel to and from India frequently. I did not flee from India and neither am I an absconder. Rubbish," he tweeted last week.  reports say that I must declare my assets. Does that mean that banks did not know my assets or look at my parliamentary disclosures, he asked in a tweet. Mallya in his affidavit to the Rajya Sabha has disclosed that he has not got debts and owns around Rs 615 crore in assets. He does not disclose his liability in the affidavit.

As an Indian MP, I fully respect and will comply with the law of the land. Our judicial system is sound and respected, Mallya said in his tweet last week.

Meanwhile, Kirit Somaiya, a BJP Member of Parliament and a member of Parliaments Finance Committee and Public Accounts Committee, said sale of assets by Mallya in the last few

years should be probed  considering the huge liabilities to banks, tax authorities, provident fund authorities and employees. The complex money transfer between various Mallya entities in India, United Spirits and Virgin Island entities should also be looked into, he said.
Vijay Mallya's troubles seem to be mounting with a magistrate court in Hyderabad issuing a non-bailable warrant (NBW) against the UB Group chairman as he failed to appear in the court for a case against a Rs 50-lakh cheque default by Kingfisher Airlines to GMR Hyderabad International Airport Ltd.

The Hyderabad court has directed the NBW to be executed by April 13 after Mallya and senior officials of Kingfisher Airlines failed to appear in the court on March 10. The court had asked them to appear before it to hear 11 cases involving Rs 8 crore dues to GMR by the airline, PTI reported on Sunday. Mallya, who is reportedly in the UK, has been pursued by as many as 17 banks to recover loans to the tune of Rs 7,200 crore. State Bank of India (SBI) leads the consortium of banks that lent Kingfisher Airlines and Mallya funds, before the airline shut in 2012.

"Yes, there was trouble in the account, the account was already stressed. He wanted another opportunity to try and turn it around. We felt it was right for him to get that opportunity, but just as we risked money, we also asked that he put in a personal guarantee," SBI Chairperson Arundhati Bhattacharya told Shekhar Gupta on NDTV 24x7's Walk the Talk programme. "That's the reason why we have gone to him and not only after the assets of Kingfisher Airlines, because the guarantee was given by him, a guarantee was given by the holding company. We are going to go for recovery against all three."



Mallya's latest trouble comes close on the heels of a Enforcement Directorate (ED) probe into the money-laundering angle in the Rs 900-crore loan given by IDBI Bank to the airline bypassing an internal committee that recommended against it. Mallya has to be present before the ED on March 18. The ED has already questioned Kingfisher Airlines chief financial officer (CFO) A Raghunathan and U B Group CFO Ravi Nedungadi in the case, which is also being looked into by the Central Bureau of Investigation.

The labour ministry has also decided to probe the possible violations by the defunct airline in depositing provident fund (PF) dues. Kingfisher Airlines employees have alleged the airline deposited PF dues of employees while not paying monthly salaries for 900 workers. "We have not examined the issue so far. I will look into that. We will examine (all the issues)," Union Labour Minister Bandaru Dattatreya told PTI.

Meanwhile, the finance ministry on Sunday promised to apply "full force of law" for wilful defaulters. "We have some people... that have genuinely engaged in illegal activity. All the investigative agencies are working in that regard to ensure that they have to be brought to justice," PTI quoted Minister of State for Finance Jayant Sinha as saying.

Responding to widespread media coverage of cases against him, Mallya tweeted: "I am being hunted down by media in UK. Sadly they did not look in the obvious place. I will not speak to media so don't waste your efforts."



Mallya has taken pains to defend that he would abide by India's laws and would return to the country.

"I'm an international businessman. I travel to and from India frequently. I did not flee from India and neither am I an absconder. Rubbish," he had tweeted last week.

Meanwhile, Kirit Somaiya, a Bharatiya Janata Party MP and a member of Parliament's Finance Committee and Public Accounts Committee, said the sale of assets by Mallya in the past few years should be probed. The complex money transfer between various Mallya entities in India, United Spirits and Virgin Island entities should also be looked into, he added.
Next time you decide to put on your backpacks and want to be an explorer, leave your accommodation worries behind and let the team of professionals at Roadhouse Hostels - who have been travellers by instinct and understand the importance of crafting a great experience for backpackers - take care of it!



It was founded in 2014 by a group of school friends - Uday Jhamb, Shubham Garg and Rajesh Borah. Their first hostel starting in Goa in November the same year, Roadhouse is a chain of backpackers' hostels that offers air-conditioned dormitories, with bunk beds and private rooms. Additionally, a common room where guests can unwind and share their experiences with other travellers, beside offering a recreational room where a playstation, a fussball table and a pool table are pre-installed.

"We understand the needs of a traveller and provide exactly the same look and feel of a place they would prefer staying at," says Jhamb. With its guesthouses in Goa and Jaipur, Roadhouse has hosted guests from as many as 49 countries. It is planning to add five properties this year. Operating in a marketplace crowded with major players like Zostel, Roadhouse has already started seeing growth, with each customer generating an average revenue of about Rs 1,200.

"This financial year will give us a turnover of Rs 4 million, with Goa accounting for a year's sale and Jaipur for four months. We aim to achieve a turnover of over Rs 2 crore from beds and food and beverages sales next year," Jhamb says.
Consumers looking to buy premium smartphones - priced at Rs 30,000 or more - are in for good times, as a price war seems to have erupted in the segment.

Last week, the largest smartphone maker in the world, Samsung, launched its flagship Galaxy S7 and S7 edge for Rs 48,900 and Rs 56,900, respectively.

These are about two per cent lesser than the prices of models released last year. Both phones would be available in India from March 18.

Pricing of Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge was aimed at selling more devices and beating the growing competition, said Manu Sharma, director, product marketing, India.

This also indicates a shift of focus for phone makers from the non-premium smartphone segment to the premium one.

The battle over market share in the less-than-Rs 15,000-priced smartphone segment has rocked the sector in the past few quarters - forcing vendors to cut prices to remain competitive.

It has led to falling margins and declining revenue per unit.

Now, to continue sustaining sales growth, phone makers in the country are increasingly focusing on the premium segment.

The growth in sales of premium devices outpaces that of low-end products. However, mounting pressure from Apple's new offerings and Chinese smartphones with superior features in the affordable segment are pushing the sector towards a price war in the premium segment this year.

According to analysts, rationalisation in pricing of premium smartphones has been on the cards for the past few months, with a slew of launches in 2015.

"Nearly 20 new models were introduced in above-Rs 30,000 segment last year. This year the number may cross 25," said Neil Shah, director, Counterpoint Research. Samsung, Sony, HTC, Huawei, LG and Moto are fighting it out to sustain sales. Successful launches by Apple (iPhone 6S and 6S plus) between October and December put the cat among the pigeons in the already crowded market.

"While are struggling to maintain revenue growth because of pressure in the affordable (Rs 10,000-20,000) segment, the premium smartphone segment is the cash cow now," said Faisal Kawoosa, general manager, Telecom & SemiTronics, CyberMedia Research.

The scope of charging too much for high-end phones is now contracting.

Atul Jain, chief operating officer, Smart Electronics LeEco India, said prices of high-end smartphones are bound to come down. "The era of making [high] profits on superior hardware is a thing of the past."



Industry executives claim the brands are waiting for someone to blink. has; others will now follow, said an executive, who did not want to be named, adding that cutting prices by at least five-10 per cent on premium models was inevitable. Rationalisation of prices is the mood of the market.

"With increasing access that smartphone makers have to technology, there is actually no great price premium that brands can command at the higher end. The result is this rationalisation of price that one has begun to see," said S N Rai, the co-founder & director of Lava International.

Come summer, and the war could heat up. Apple is likely to launch iPhone 5SE this year.

Experts believe it could make situation worse for other players as a new model could again shift the focus towards i-phones. According to Y V Verma, a consumer electronics expert who was earlier with LG and Onida, price cuts were imminent as the segment had gained significant share and attention of smartphone makers of late. According to Taro Yamamoto, head, Xperia Business, Sony India, there will be "price erosion". "Chinese brands are offering good features (in the affordable category) but quality-conscious buyers will stick to established brands," he said, adding that Sony would keep its focus on the above-Rs 30,000 category, with two new launches this year.

Chinese smartphone major Xiaomi, which usually operates in the below-Rs 20,000 segment in India, is expected launch Mi Note this year, priced above Rs 25,000. Manu Kumar Jain, general manager and head of India operations, Xiaomi Corp. Said the company is working to bring new devices in India "as soon as possible".
E-commerce hardly ever give out a timeline for turning profitable, preferring to focus on growth. However, Rohit Bansal, co-founder of e-commerce major Snapdeal, said on Sunday the company would turn profitable in the next couple of years.

He was replying to a question by a former student at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) here, from where he has a graduate degree. Bansal also said the company had adequate money in the bank to sustain it for the next five years.

He was at his alma mater to promote entrepreneurship, interacting with students and other alumni. The company, funded by investors such as SoftBank and Alibaba, among others, was recently in the for cutting its staff numbers.

Having raised $1.8 billion (Rs 2,000 crore) so far, Snapdeal has yet to make a profit. "We will build a frictionless and reliable commerce eco-system. We want to make e-commerce a daily habit and for that, the experience has to be seamless," said Bansal.

The company is adding new services to its mobile app, he said. "We have launched flights, buses and food ordering on the app." Bansal also said they were working on personalising the user experience and 'Uberising' technology.

Among other things, Bansal said the online to offline platform would be the next big thing in e-commerce. "I do not know the specific business model - if I knew we would have been doing it - but online to offline is going to be a mega trend. Many business models would also come out of mobile commerce," he said. "The line between what is online and offline is blurring and we see a lot of business generating and coming our way."



He indicated Snapdeal would give a major push to its payments platform. "The concept of what an e-commerce company should do is evolving. The company should make it frictionless for you to spend money on whatever you want to spend on."



Earlier this year, Snapdeal launched recharges and payments within the app. More than a million people have recharged their phones by using it. "It should really take one tap to pay your bills. These are some of the things we are doing to achieve that," he said.

Speaking at a seminar hall on the IIT-Delhi campus, Bansal used a scene from Hollywood movie Matrix to explain entrepreneurship. "In the movie, the protagonist has to take the red pill and there is no going back from there. I think entrepreneurship is similar to that. A lot of pain, frustration and excitement goes into it, but once you turn an entrepreneur, there is no going back," he said.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, known for his witty repartees, told an American audience here that he has more Sikhs in his Cabinet than his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi.

The quip came when Trudeau was taking 10 questions from students at the American University in northwest Washington during his state visit to the US.

During the half-an-hour session at the university on Friday, a student named Jahan from the Punjab province of Pakistan told Trudeau that it was really great to see so many Punjabis in his cabinet.

"I have more Sikhs in my cabinet than Modi does," Trudeau was quoted as saying by the Canadian daily 'The Star'.

44-year-old Trudeau, who assumed office in November last year, surprised one and all by including four Sikh-Canadians in his Cabinet.

The four Sikh Canadians inducted into Trudeau's Cabinet include Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan, a combat veteran who did three tours in Afghanistan as a member of the Canadian Armed Forces.

Apart from Sajjan, the other three Sikh ministers are -- Infrastructure Minister Amarjeet Sohi, Small Business Minister Bardish Chagger and Innovation Minister Navdeep Singh Bains, the Canadian daily The Globe and Mail had reported at the time.

There were also 17 Sikh MPs elected in the election in Canada in October last year -- 16 from the Liberal Party of Canada and one Conservative -- the highest number of Sikhs ever elected.

In contrast, there are two Sikh Cabinet ministers in the Modi government -- Maneka Gandhi, who is a Sikh by birth, and Harsimrat Kaur Badal who is the Food Processing Minister.

Trudeau, in the past, has been spotted doing bhangra moves and visiting Gurdwaras several times. He has also participated in Diwali celebrations apart from a 'Gurbani' recital. He has even helped out women in preparing meals in a langar.

Asked why he sought female-male parity in cabinet appointments, Trudeau said, "It's 2016, guys."



Trudeau's three-day visit to America that concluded on Friday was aimed at rejuvenating the Canada-US ties.

Trudeau carries one of the most famous names in Canadian political history. His late father was prime minister for the better part of 16 years, between 1968 and 1984, and remains the rare Canadian politician who is recognised in America.

During his interaction at the American University, the students did not let Trudeau get away with his now-standard poker-faced line on Republican Presidential front-runner Donald Trump.

Trudeau declared for a second straight day that he has "confidence in the American electorate", a remark that evoked laughter from the audience.
In an effort to attract more Hindu youth, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) announced on Sunday that it was changing its trademark khaki shorts and, instead, adopting brown trousers as its ganavesh or uniform.

Separately, it called for a survey to ascertain if backward sections of society were actually getting reservations in education and jobs. In a reference to recent agitations by Jats in Haryana and Patels in Gujarat, the said it disapproved of quota demands by "affluent sections."



At a meeting of its decision making body, the Akhil Bharatiya Pratinidhi Sabha, at Nagaur in Rajasthan, the Sangh announced its much anticipated decision to get rid of the shorts. Suresh 'Bhaiyyaji' Joshi, the organisation's general secretary and second in the hierarchy, said the decision was also to showcase that the organisation was "not rigid" and could "move with the times." The shorts haven't been popular with many of the younger volunteers.

The meet also discussed recent student protests at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) in Delhi and the Hyderabad Central University. And, it expressed concern at "university campuses becoming hotbeds of anti- activities."



It criticised the bar on entry of women in some temples and termed it as "unfair traditions". However, it advised that attempts should be made to change mindsets through "discussion and dialogue," not agitations.

The also claimed to have increased the number of its 'shakhas' in the past year, from 51,332 in 33,223 places in 2015 to 56,859 shakhas in 36,867 places. It hopes to attract more youth with the change in the uniform, changed in 1940 from khaki shirt and shorts to white shirts and khaki shorts. In 1973, it replaced long boots with leather shoes. "Trousers are a regular feature in today's social life...We are not orthodox," Joshi said. He said these would be so designed as to be comfortable for physical exercise. The brown colour was chosen as it's commonly available and looks good, he added.

The has been trying for a some time to shed the image of a Brahmin-dominated and upper caste outfit. Mohan Bhagwat, its chief had invited controversy in the run-up to the Bihar elections by suggesting a review of the reservation policy. Some in the Bharatiya Janata Party had later blamed these comments as a reason for the party's defeat in those elections last November.

Nuanced policy

Joshi was more nuanced on the policy. He said the meet felt affluent sections of society demanding the benefits of reservations wasn't right. The three-day meet ended with a call for eradicating caste-based discrimination. "There are many backward castes today. It should be studied and discussed whether the deserving castes are getting reservation benefits," Joshi said. Also, that it be a matter of detailed discussion on whether or not the 'creamy layer' system should be there in all categories.

The meeting passed a resolution on social harmony and called for providing access to education and health care to all.

On the controversy over Sri Sri Ravi Shankar's cultural programme in Delhi, the general secretary said if there was an issue of the environment, rules should be followed by all. At the same time, systems which bring about change in society will get weakened if only penal measures are used.

The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh described as a "serious matter" the raising of "anti-national" slogans in JNU. It also slammed Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad for comparing it with terrorist outfit Islamic State, saying this exposed his "lack of knowledge" and "intellectual bankruptcy."




The government's proposal to waive excise duty on spare parts used in repairing ships is not expected to benefit local shipyards.

"The revenue from the ship repair business is extremely low. With not all ships being employed due to weak trade, only those vessels that need regular dry docking come to yards," said an executive with GOL Offshore. "And the vessels that come for dry docking ask for the main basic services unlike five years ago when they would ask for repair services," he added.

Dry docking, a compulsory exercise carried out twice in five years, is used for repairs or when a ship is taken to the service yard.

"The contribution of the ship repair business is very small to the total revenue and many times this runs into a loss," the GOL Offshore executive said.

Mumbai-based GOL Offshore is in several businesses apart from ship repair such as offshore drilling and port and terminal services. The company's ship repair services form just about 5 per cent of its total revenue.

"This exemption will help in the long term once trade picks up. Currently, the recession is strong," said Nasir S, technical officer at Lilly Maritime Ship Repair.

The ship repair industry is scattered across the country's 7,500 km coastline. Apart from the proposed excise duty exemption, the industry is exempt from customs duty on spare parts.

Industry executives said the excise duty exemption would lower costs but efficiency and infrastructure remained hurdles. The cost of dry docking in India is about 15 per cent higher than in Dubai, Sharjah and Colombo.

"If a ship takes two weeks to be repaired in Dubai, it takes four weeks in an Indian shipyard," said a former general manager of ABG Shipyard. "It is difficult for shipping companies to switch to local repair units even if the quality of work is better here," he added. Cochin Shipyard is better placed than existing yards in Goa, Gujarat and Andhra Pradesh. "Domestic ship repair yards cannot take big vessels and so the benefit is limited. These yards lack infrastructure," said Anoop Sharma, managing director of Essar Shipping.

State-owned Shipping Corporation of India has the largest fleet of about 69 vessels comprising bulk, tanker and offshore.

"The pressing need for the industry is to improve earnings per vessel. With crude oil prices on a decline and trade weak, there is little business," said the GOL Offshore executive.
Initially scheduled for May or June this year, the telecom spectrum sale is likely to be delayed by three to six months.

For service providers, it is a good thing. Now, they have enough time to raise funds and take part in the spectrum auctions.

Senior officers in the Union Ministry of Communications and Information Technology confirmed that the auction would be delayed, as the department is taking a relook at the entire process.

After the new telecom secretary, J S Deepak, took charge in February, the department is re-evaluating the entire process, including the timing of the auction and the pricing of the spectrum.

Also, the spectrum harmonisation process with the defence ministry is yet to be completed. The ministry would release 3G spectrum - in the 1,800 megahertz (MHz) band - for commercial use.

According to the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai), the defence ministry will release 330 MHz out of 345 MHz, and this would be auctioned in the 2,100 MHz band (frequency).

Explaining the reason for the relook, a telecom ministry official said: "Deepak has been brought in because of his earlier experience in conducting auctions. This auction of spectrum would be one of the biggest in the country. All the minute details are being re-evaluated, and it will delay the auction by three to six months."



According to estimates of the Union Budget, presented on February 29, the government would earn Rs 55,000 crore from the spectrum auction in the next financial year (2016-17).

"With such a revenue target, the timing of the auction is critical. Many operators have said they will not bid because of high reserve prices suggested by the Trai," another official from the ministry said.

In January, the Trai had fixed reserve prices of various spectrum bands. The reserve price for the new band - 700 MHz - which will be auctioned for the first time, has been fixed at Rs 11,485 crore per MHz, across India.

The new band is considered to be quite good for offering broadband and 4G services. It is much in demand for long-term evolution (LTE) deployment because of its efficiency and high penetration inside buildings. As it has a lower frequency, it provides wider coverage, reducing the number of towers needed to set up the LTE network, cutting down capital expenditure.

But leading telecom players such as Bharti Airtel and Vodafone have expressed concern on the high reserve price of spectrum suggested by the Trai.

Many analysts have also said the auction would not generate a huge interest as telecom players are already hard pressed for funds in such a competitive sector.

Operators have been saying that the ecosystem for 700 Mhz - low-cost handsets, network equipment - was not ready yet. The cost of delivering mobile services in the 700-MHz band is about 70 per cent cheaper than that in 2,100 MHz.

Trai, in its recommendations, also suggested that the Department of Telecom (DoT), in co-ordination with the defence ministry and the telecom service providers (TSPs), should complete the harmonisation process in the 1800MHz band before the coming auctions.

Hemant Joshi, partner, Deloitte Haskins & Sells LLP, said the operators' ability to pay for spectrum will be constrained as the balance sheets are already over-stretched. "The timing of auction should be carefully considered so that all players can effectively participate. At present, operators are busy rolling out services for the spectrum acquired in recent auctions and grappling with challenges of servicing debt and maintaining healthy profitability and cash flows."



Besides, the March 31 deadline for spectrum harmonisation is likely to be missed.

The earlier deadline was fixed at December 31, 2015. After the harmonisation, the defence ministry is expected to release spectrum for commercial use and the released spectrum will be in contiguous blocks - which enables efficient utilisation of spectrum.

In January last year, the government had approved setting up a defence band, to be used by defence services, while the rest will be vacated for commercial use.

Swapping of 15 MHz of 3G spectrum between the defence services and the telecom ministry also is yet to take place. Unless, the spectrum is vacated by the defence services, the auction is not possible.

The Trai's proposals will be considered by the DoT, and the details of the auction would be finalised by the Telecom Commission - the highest policy-making body of the department. Then, it will go to the Cabinet for approval.

J S Deepak, the telecom secretary, has been credited with the smooth auction of 3G and broadband wireless access spectrum in 2010 - when he was joint secretary (telecom) - which earned the government Rs 1.06 lakh crore.

In 2012, Deepak was brought in to handle 2G spectrum auction after the Supreme Court cancelled 121 2G licences given out during the tenure of former Telecom Minister A Raja.

His inputs were taken for the more recent coal block auctions, too.
Assam: Different permutation



When chief Minister Tarun Gogoi was asked ahead of the 2011 Assembly elections whether the Congress was considering an alliance with Badruddin Ajmal of the All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF), he famously answered: "Ajmal who?"



So far, there seems little chance of a Congress-AIUDF alliance. If they had tied up, the Congress might have lost some ground but it would have been a formidable force. Instead, it is the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) which is going on an alliance spree - it has tied up with the Asom Gana Parishad, the Bodoland People's Front (BPF) and some other independents.
The efforts to deal with the state-run banks' huge non-performing assets (NPAs) or distressed loans are steps in the right direction, International Monetary Fund (IMF) managing director Christine Lagarde said on Sunday.

"The (move of) Reserve Bank of India governor (Dr Raghuram Rajan) addressing bank balance sheets is absolutely right," she said at the Advancing Asia conference here, co-hosted by the union government and the IMF.

Lagarde said the Indian government was also moving to get a bankruptcy and insolvency law enacted to address the bad loans problem.

Addressing the conference earlier on Sunday, Minister Arun Jaitley said the government hopes to enact the bankruptcy and solvency as well as the Goods and Services Tax bills in the second half of the budget session of parliament beginning April 20.

The NPAs of public sector (PSBs) have increased by close to Rs.1 lakh crore in the first nine months of the current fiscal, parliament was told earlier this week.

"The gross non-performing assets of the PSBs increased from 5.43 percent as of March 2015 to 7.30 percent as of December 2015," Jaitley told the Rajya Sabha in a written reply.

In money terms, gross NPAs of state-run increased from Rs.2,67,065 crore in March 2015 to Rs.3,61,731 crore in December 2015, he said, which was an increase of Rs.94,666 crore over nine months of the current fiscal.

Meanwhile, Lagarde told reporters here on Sunday that the central American nation of Cuba has not yet made a request for IMF membership, and that such a request will be considered in accordance with the norms of the multilateral lending agency.

Cuba was one of the founding members of the IMF until it left the organisation in 1964, following crisis with the US.
Blackstone Group agreed to sell Strategic Hotels & Resorts to China's Anbang Insurance Group Co. for about $6.5 billion, just three months after it purchased the US.luxury-resort company, according to people with knowledge of the matter. The price is about $450 million more than Blackstone paid for Strategic in December. The New York-based private equity firm had been planning to sell individual properties in the portfolio before Anbang made a pre-emptive offer for the entire company, said the people, who asked not to be named because the transaction is private. Christine Anderson, a ...
China is exploring a new way to grapple with its mounting pile of bad corporate debt, though its top central banker sought on Saturday to dispel worries that the plan would simply shift the burden to other parts of the country's vast economy.

Under the tentative proposal, Chinese officials would allow banks saddled with growing quantities of bad loans to sell that debt to investors, said Zhou Xiaochuan, the governor of the People's Bank of China. The goal is to help alleviate one of the major drags on China's economy, the world's second largest after the United States' and a major driver of global growth.

But Zhou and a deputy central bank governor, Pan Gongsheng, said they would take steps to make sure the effort did not create the kind of risk-laden financial products that played a major role in the 2008 global financial crisis. The effort would be modest, regulators would monitor it closely, and mom-and-pop investors would be kept out, they said.

"There's no need to exaggerate," Zhou said at a news conference held as part of China's annual legislative session in Beijing. "There's not certainty that this would be a very big market."



China's corporate debt has ballooned in recent years during a broader lending-and-spending binge, led by the Chinese government in an attempt to keep the country's economy humming. China's total debt now stands at about 2.5 years' economic output, a level that has raised worries among economists. Much of that is corporate debt, prompting many economists to warn that those loans pose a threat to China's economic health.

That lending spree has also led to a major surplus of Chinese steel factories, glassworks and other industrial facilities, dragging down China's economic performance to its slowest rate in 25 years and casting a pall over the broader global outlook.

On paper, China's banks have some of the world's lowest loan default rates. But economists inside and outside the country say many banks - in a practice known as "extend and pretend" - do not force companies to pay up or restructure, putting off the problem. That raises concerns that China's big banks could have considerable amounts of bad loans on their books.

The programme sketched by the officials on Saturday followed reports in recent days that as the economy slows, some Chinese companies failing to pay back loans would be given reprieves because the banks would be allowed to convert that debt into shares of those companies. But the central bank officials did not directly address that proposal. On Thursday, a heavily indebted Chinese shipbuilding company revealed that it would issue equity to creditors instead of repaying $2.17 billion of outstanding loans.

Some experts are sceptical that such a program would resolve the problem. "Using shares to pay overdue loans could help banks temporarily shore up their balance sheets, but it could cause greater difficulties down the road," said Ning Zhu, a finance professor at the Shanghai Advanced Institute of Finance.

Zhou indicated that under the proposal described on Saturday, the bad debt would be sold to institutional investors rather than being held by the banks. China already allows this practice - known as securitisation - so banks and other financial institutions can sell off existing loans, freeing up capital for new business. But the central bankers' latest comments suggested that the practice was being refined to focus on non-performing loans.

"Banks are positive about securitisation," Zhou said. "If some assets can be packaged and sold off, they can adjust their balance sheets." He said that because the loans sold off would be troubled, they would fetch prices below their face value.

Zhou and Pan stressed that the program would be modest at first and absorb lessons from the 2008 financial crisis. China's new debt products would be kept simple, Pan said.

"This is just a pilot," Pan said. "We've selected a small number of major financial institutions with quite high management standards to develop trials, and the credit involved in the initial trials is not large."



Shang Fulin, the head of the China Banking Regulatory Commission, said at a separate news conference on Saturday that the trial effort to sell off bad debt was needed to ensure that more bank loans flowed into supporting the real economy, rather than turning over old loans.

"Our total volume of loans is quite adequate, but the speed of turnover of loans has been falling year after year," Shang said.

2016 The New York Times News Service
While the Justice Department wages a public fight with Apple over access to a locked iPhone, government officials are privately debating how to resolve a prolonged standoff with another technology company, WhatsApp, over access to its popular instant messaging application, officials and others involved in the case said.

No decision has been made, but a court fight with WhatsApp, the world's largest mobile messaging service, would open a new front in the Obama administration's dispute with Silicon Valley over encryption, security and privacy.

Read more from our special coverage on "WHATSAPP" File complaint against misleading ads to ASCI through WhatsApp

WhatsApp, which is owned by Facebook, allows customers to send messages and make phone calls over the Internet. In the last year, the company has been adding encryption to those conversations, making it impossible for the Justice Department to read or eavesdrop, even with a judge's wiretap order.

As recently as this past week, officials said, the Justice Department was discussing how to proceed in a continuing criminal investigation in which a federal judge had approved a wiretap, but investigators were stymied by WhatsApp's encryption.

The Justice Department and WhatsApp declined to comment. The government officials and others who discussed the dispute did so on condition of anonymity because the wiretap order and all the information associated with it were under seal. The nature of the case was not clear, except that officials said it was not a terrorism investigation. The location of the investigation was also unclear.

To understand the battle lines, consider this imperfect analogy from the predigital world: If the Apple dispute is akin to whether the FBI can unlock your front door and search your house, the issue with WhatsApp is whether it can listen to your phone calls. In the era of encryption, neither question has a clear answer.

Some investigators view the WhatsApp issue as even more significant than the one over locked phones because it goes to the heart of the future of wiretapping. They say the Justice Department should ask a judge to force WhatsApp to help the government get information that has been encrypted. Others are reluctant to escalate the dispute, particularly with senators saying they will soon introduce legislation to help the government get data in a format it can read.

Whether the WhatsApp dispute ends in a court fight that sets precedents, many law enforcement officials and security experts say that such a case may be inevitable because the nation's wiretapping laws were last updated a generation ago, when people communicated by landline telephones that were easy to tap.

"The FBI and the Justice Department are just choosing the exact circumstance to pick the fight that looks the best for them," said Peter Eckersley, the chief computer scientist at the Electronic Frontier Foundation, a nonprofit group that focuses on digital rights. "They're waiting for the case that makes the demand look reasonable."



A senior law enforcement official disputed the notion that the government was angling for the perfect case, and said that litigation was not inevitable.

This is not the first time that the government's wiretaps have been thwarted by encryption. And WhatsApp is not the only company to clash with the government over the issue.

But with a billion users and a particularly strong international customer base, it is by far the largest.

Last year, a dispute with Apple over encrypted iMessages in an investigation of guns and drugs, for instance, nearly led to a court showdown in Maryland. In that case, as in others, the company helped the government where it was able to, and the Justice Department backed down.

Jan Koum, WhatsApp's founder, who was born in Ukraine, has talked about his family members' fears that the government was eavesdropping on their phone calls. In the company's early years, WhatsApp had the ability to read messages as they passed through its servers. That meant it could comply with government wiretap orders.

But in late 2014, the company said that it would begin adding sophisticated encoding, known as end-to-end encryption, to its systems. Only the intended recipients would be able to read the messages.

"WhatsApp cannot provide information we do not have," the company said this month when Brazilian police arrested a Facebook executive after the company failed to turn over information about a customer who was the subject of a drug trafficking investigation.

The iPhone case, which revolves around whether Apple can be forced to help the F.B.I. unlock a phone used by one of the killers in last year's San Bernardino, Calif., massacre, has received worldwide attention for the precedent it might set. But to many in law enforcement, disputes like the one with WhatsApp are of far greater concern.

For more than a half-century, the Justice Department has relied on wiretaps as a fundamental crime-fighting tool. To some in law enforcement, if companies like WhatsApp, Signal and Telegram can design unbreakable encryption, then the future of wiretapping is in doubt.

"You're getting useless data," said Joseph DeMarco, a former federal prosecutor who now represents law enforcement agencies that filed briefs supporting the Justice Department in its fight with Apple. "The only way to make this not gibberish is if the company helps."



"As we know from intercepted prisoner wiretaps," he added, "criminals think that advanced encryption is great."



Businesses, customers and the United States government also rely on strong encryption to help protect information from hackers, identity thieves and foreign cyberattacks. That is why, in 2013, a White House report said the government should "not in any way subvert, undermine, weaken, or make vulnerable generally available commercial encryption."



In a twist, the government helped develop the technology behind WhatsApp's encryption. To promote civil rights in countries with repressive governments, the Open Technology Fund, which promotes open societies by supporting technology that allows people to communicate without the fear of surveillance, provided $2.2 million to help develop Open Whisper Systems, the encryption backbone behind WhatsApp.

Because of such support for encryption, Obama administration officials disagree over how far they should push companies to accommodate the requests of law enforcement. Senior leaders at the Justice Department and the F.B.I. have held out hope that Congress will settle the matter by updating the wiretap laws to address new technology. But the White House has declined to push for such legislation. Josh Earnest, the White House spokesman, said on Friday that he was skeptical "of Congress's ability to handle such a complicated policy area."



James B. Comey, the F.B.I. director, told Congress this month that strong encryption was "vital" and acknowledged that "there are undoubtedly international implications" for the United States to try to break encryption, especially for wiretaps, as in the WhatsApp case. But he has called for technology companies and the government to find a middle ground that allows for strong encryption but accommodates law enforcement efforts. President Obama echoed those remarks on Friday, saying technology executives who were "absolutist" on the issue were wrong.

Those who support digital privacy fear that if the Justice Department succeeds in forcing Apple to help break into the iPhone in the San Bernardino case, the government's next move will be to force companies like WhatsApp to rewrite their software to remove encryption from the accounts of certain customers. "That would be like going to nuclear war with Silicon Valley," said Chris Soghoian, a technology analyst with the American Civil Liberties Union.

That view is one reason government officials have been hesitant to rush to court in the WhatsApp case and others like it. The legal and policy implications are great. While no immediate resolution is in sight, more and more companies offer encryption. And technology analysts say that WhatsApp's yearlong effort to add encryption to all one billion of its customer accounts is nearly complete.

2016 The New York Times News Service
After moving up a bit following the Budget, given the provisions on affordable housing and Real Estate Investment Trusts (or REITs), the BSE Realty Index could not hold onto the gains. The latest trigger - the real estate Bill is positive for consumers and investors in the long term- but is considered to have a negative impact in the near term on the sector, mainly on developers. Nevertheless, there are quite a few companies, which follow good business practices and enjoy strong brand equity and, hence, will be key beneficiaries. Among them are Godrej Properties, Oberoi Realty, Sobha and Prestige Estate.

The negative near-term impact is because, after states adopt the Bill, developers will be required to set aside a certain percentage of collections (70 per cent), make compulsory registration before sale, pay penalty for delay, give more project disclosures and adhere to strict delivery schedules, leading to higher initial regulatory cost for them. Analysts at Motilal Oswal Securities say the measures will result in rise in cost of capital, as surplus cash from project sales will be locked in, while the same is currently used as growth capital. This could also impact margins, as most developers might not have the leeway, given the current market conditions, to pass on the higher regulatory costs to the consumers. Adhidev Chattopadhyay of Elara Capital believes the National Capital Region and the Mumbai Metropolitan Region markets that have an elongated approvals cycle and are dependent on pre-launch sales will be affected more than the southern markets of Bengaluru and Chennai.

Given the new framework, there might be fewer launches, as the sector comes to terms with the legislation and puts in place an effective mechanism to deal with financing, legal and execution challenges. The Bill, however, could lead to consolidation, as smaller players exit, and larger and well-funded players gain market share. Smaller players dependent on investors' money to fund land purchases, which typically comes with a black money component, are expected to cede ground. Strict project completion timelines, better cash flow predictability and shrinking of the black economy, will, according to Parikshit Kandpal of HDFC Securities, result in better shareholder value. This, he says, should help drive down the corporate governance discount plaguing the sector resulting in valuation rerating going ahead. He feels high quality developers stand to benefit from the Bill. The top picks of the brokerage are Oberoi Realty, Sobha, Prestige Estate and DLF.
China's Minister of Commerce Gao Hucheng on Sunday said that Beijing hopes to achieve win-win Bilateral Investment Treaties (BIT) with the United States and the European Union as early as possible.

Gao asserted that talks between China and the United States have come to a substantive negotiation stage after 24 rounds.

BIT negotiation between China and the United States began in 2008.

He also added that there has been a rapid progress on BIT negotiation between China and the European Union.
Anna Greene faced a major setback in court when she tried to sue HBO's cinemax for forcing her to film nude sex scene for late-night television series 'Femme Fatales' against her will.

Then, the producers of the show countersued the 'Saw 3D: The Final Chapter' actress for breaching the 'nudity rider' she had signed upon accepting the role, reports News.com.au.

Greene argued that through the countersue, the production house is improperly hitting back against her claims of sexual harassment, but on March 11 a Los Angeles Superior Court rejected the argument.

The judge said although, the US Constitution guarantees a citizen's right to petition grievances, Californian law can't save her from facing claims by the the production company in court.

The saga surrounding Greene's role in the second series of 'Femme Fatales' began in 2012 when she sued Time Warner, HBO, Cinemax and production company True Crime for sexual harassment and for being placed in a dangerous work environment.

She said she was "blindsided" by the show's sex scenes and wouldn't have agreed to the role if she knew "softcore porn" was part of the deal.
Exiled Baloch political activists and human rights defenders have strongly condemned the sale of eight US-made F16 fighter planes to Pakistan as they believe Islamabad would use these jets to eliminate civilians in the resource-rich Balochistan province.

Baloch representative to the Human Rights Council, Mehran Marri, called it a 'black day' during an event on March 11 titled "Faces of Oppression" - Human Rights Violations in Balochistan at the ongoing 31st Session of Human Rights Council in Geneva.

"It's a black day for Balochistan today because today is 11th of March and the US Congress could have objected this day for the sale of F16 to the Pakistani military but they did not object. And we know what carnage F16s have caused in Balochistan on the civilian population because Pakistan always uses them against the Baloch population," said Marri.

"So, it's a sad day and a black day in the history that more weapons of destruction have been sold to the Pakistani military which are potentially going to be used against Baloch," he added.

Condemning the sale of arms and ammunition, especially the F16 with mountainous capabilities, to the government of Pakistan and the Pakistani military, Marri said they are purely used against the Baloch population.

"And we have seen that in the past during the Bin Laden era, the America and EU heavily arming the Pakistani army to find Bin Laden and eliminate him. But we came to know that bin Laden was sitting in their lap in Abbottabad and even that they were using it against the Baloch and now they will use against the Baloch," he added.

In 2015, the Pakistan Army launched Operation Zarb-e-Azb to eliminate militants from areas, including Balochistan. However, the Baloch political activists blame the Army for killing innocent civilians and using bombardment by fighter jets.

"When the free is doing nothing against it (civilian killings in Balochistan) and unbelievably is even supplying weapons to those who are perpetrating these crimes the West is actually creating a terrible situation. It's really unbelievable that after all detailed reports, for instance, from the human rights commission of Pakistan on the excessive use of F16s in the bombarding civilian population in Balochistan that United States is just today decided to supply more F16 to Pakistan," said Paulo Casaca, Executive Director of the South Asia Democratic Forum.

The Baloch are fighting for their sovereignty and for several years the Pakistan Army and spy agencies are involved in extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances of political activists and other civilians.
Communist Party of India (CPI) leader D Raja on Sunday accused the BJP-led NDA Government of serving the interest of wilful defaulters like and alleged that the ruling dispensation at the Centre was working in coalition with such economic defaulters.

"The government is working in coalition with these economic defaulters. This government works to serve the interest of such wilful defaulters, corporate houses and big business houses," Raja told ANI here.

"The government has no answer as to why Mallya was allowed to escape. This government talks of good governance, but lacks political will. This government supports such wilful defaulters and if it doesn't then it should act," he added.

Mallya, who is currently in the United Kingdom and is being sought out in India over charges of money laundering, claimed that the banks gave him loans after evaluating all aspects, adding that he is not trying to evade the law enforcement agencies but is on a personal visit.

In an e-mail interview with the Sunday Guardian, the business tycoon said he feels that he has already been branded a criminal in the country and, therefore, it was not the right time for him to return.

"There was a lookout notice issued against me last year. But I didn't 'escape'. Why am I being portrayed as a criminal now? Loan defaults are a business matter. When the banks give out loans, they know the risk involved. They decide we don't. Our own business was flourishing, but plummeted suddenly. Don't make me the villain. I have the best intentions. I'm quiet because I fear my words will be twisted like of others," he said.

Asserting that he was being victimised, Mallya alleged that there was a big agenda that some people were pushing against him.

In the interview, he also said that he wanted to return but feared that he might not get to fair chance to present his side as he was already branded as a criminal.

The government had earlier told the Supreme Court that Mallya had left India on March 2 following which the bench issued notice to him and sought his response within two weeks on pleas filed by a consortium of banks seeking direction for freezing his passport and his presence before the apex court.
It has been finally declared! Amitabh Bachchan's next, which he is presently shooting in Delhi alongside Taapsee Pannu, is titled 'Pink,' not 'Eve.'

In his latest blogpost, Big-B announced the name of the movie, saying, "It is 'PINK' the title of the film on shoot in Delhi .."

Along with posting a snap from the shoot location, wherein the 72-year-old actor is seen sitting on a bench at a park amidst greenery, his philosophical mind further penned his thought of the day, "Leave me to the elements dear ones .. they invite my conscience and my breath .. they fill me with the air of immense solitude .. to think to ruminate to decipher and to execute .. what must be , to be , to be done ."

Last weekend, the 'Wazir' actor announced the commencement of the shoot of the upcoming Shoojit Sircar produced movie. This will also be the actor's third venture with Shoojit after 'Piku,' which earned him numerous best actor awards, and 'Shoebite,' which is yet to release.

'Pink,' said to be a social thriller, marks the first foot step of National Award-winning Bengali director Aniruddha Roy Chowdhury into Hindi film industry.

In his 11th March blogpost, Amitabh shared some snaps from his shoot, where he is seen moving around the Delhi streets while sporting a mask.

"The masked wonder on the streets of crowded Delhi and ne'er an eye is raised .. this is what life is all about baby .. ohh sorry sorry sorry .. 'baby' word usage banned here from use towards the ladies, without consent .. err so .. this is what what life is all about 'buddy' ..," wrote the actor explaining the reason for the mask for his character.

With this, he even announced the release date of his recently wrapped up Sujoy Ghosh flick 'TE3N' opposite Vidya Balan.
As many as five teams of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), equipped with mountaineering equipments and medical aid, have launched search operations for the seven missing in the Chandrakhani Pass.

"Yesterday, the local ITBP unit of Kullu was approached by the district administration for conducting search and rescue operation. It was reported that seven and one guide from Sangrur were trekking and are missing," ITBP PRO Vivek Pandey told ANI.

"We have deployed ITBP personnel to conduct search and rescue operation from yesterday. As of now, we have five teams having mountaineering equipments and medical aid from different direction to Chandrakani Pass through the land route. With the help of certain satellite images, we have been given certain specific area where are believed to have been stranded," he added.

He further stated it has been very difficult to track the stranded victims due to the continuous snowfall.

"We have found some foot prints, we will get necessary information by today evening," he said.

The trekkers, who are final year BTech students of Sant Longowal Institute of Engineering and Technology (SLIET) in Longowal, were on a private trip when the disaster struck.

However, the rescue operations are facing severe hurdles due to the bad weather being caused by heavy rain in the region.
Sri Lankan Navy on Sunday apprehended 28 Indian fishermen and seized four boats near the Gulf of Mannar in early morning hours.

This is the fourth detention of Indian fishermen by the Sri Lankan navy this month charges of crossing the International Maritime Boundary Line.

Earlier, Chief Minister Jayalalithaa had written letters to Prime Minister Narendra Modi calling for appropriate actions for a permanent solution to the recurring arrests.

Meanwhile, in view of frequent arrests by Lanka for crossing maritime boundary, Indian fishermen have demanded the immediate repair of a navigation tower at the Gulf of Mannar which would help them remain in their waters.

A number of Indian fishermen have been held by Sri Lanka over the years for allegedly trespassing into its territorial waters. Navigational towers assist navigators in determining their position or safe course, or to warn them of dangers or obstructions to navigation.
With the MeT predicting heavy deluge in north India, Uttarakhand Chief Secretary Shatrughan Singh on Sunday appealed to the people not to panic while stating that the state government is fully prepared to tackle any situation.

"We received information from the Centre that heavy rains are expected which may create avalanche. We have issued necessary alert in all the districts... We appeal to the people not to panic as we are well prepared for the situation," Singh told ANI here.

The Met Department has predicted heavy rains in North India during the next two to three days including some areas of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh and Delhi.

An avalanche warning has also been issued for high reaches of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, asking the people not to venture in these areas over the next 36 hours.
Bollywood's 'always-charged' actor Ranveer Singh has officially joined Kanye West, Pharrell Williams league as he is endorsing street-wear label Adidas Originals in India.

The launch of Ranveer for the brand and its NMD sneaker was marked with a bash last night in Mumbai, where he turned DJ for the night.

The 'Bajirao Mastani' actor took to his Twitter handle to share the moments of the night with a thread of tweets.

Posting a snap as the brand ambassador, Ranveer tweeted, "Straight Reppin' @adidasoriginals #NMDwithRanveer."

Thrilled about his collaboration, Ranveer, known for his quirk-styling, said in a statement earlier, "I am totally stoked to represent a brand that I grew up loving and has been a big part of my life. I still own the first pair of superstar sneakers that I bought during my college days and have only gone on to collect more."

People like Ayushmann Khurrana, Aditi Rao Hydri, Mandira Bedi were too present for the event.
Satisfied with the safety provided by the Indian Government for the World T20, Pakistan all-rounder Shoaib Malik on Sunday admitted that he is honoured to be here and never feels any difference between the people of both sides.

Ahead of his side's warm-up clash against Sri Lanka, Malik admitted that he had never faced any security concern in India.

"I would like to thank the Indian Government. The security is very good. My wife (Sania Mirza) is from India. I come to India a lot but I never had any security. I never see any difference between Pakistani people and the Indian People. I am very happy to be in India, I always got a lot of love. I am honoured to be in India," the 34-year-old told the media here.

Malik further insisted that his side were working on their technique, adding he hopes that the World T20 would bring the side back on track.

Admitting that Pakistan were a bit behind than other teams as far as the T20 format is concerned, Malik believes that the prestigious ICC event could turn out to be a learning curve for his young side.

"If you look at AB de Villiers, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Dhawan, Raina, since they have started playing IPL .you could figure it out there game have improved a big time. PSL is going to give us the same thing. Yes, we are little bit behind if you talk about shorter version. I would say little bit of in ODI as well. But fact of the matter is we have lots of youngsters and they are learning," said Malik.

"I think this is a great opportunity for all of us to perform well and bring Pakistan where the rest of the world is," he added.

The Afridi-led side arrived to a warm welcome here yesterday after they got a nod from Pakistan Interior minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan following the security assurance from the concerned authorities in India and the ICC.

The ICC has moved Pakistan's group match against India to Kolkata on March 19 due to security concerns in Dharamsala.
The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) has decided to replace khaki shorts with brown trouser in view of changing time.

RSS sarkaryvaha (general secretary) Bhaiyyaji Joshi on Sunday said, "We walk along time, and not rigid. Any stubborn organisation cannot develop too big, and that is why we understand 'kaal'. People use full-pant normally, which we also adopted, and we don't have any problem with it."

When asked why the RSS preferred brown over khaki, he said the question would have cropped up even if they would have opted for white or black.

"In fact, there is no particular reason for choosing brown, except that it's easily available. Your question would have been valid had we chosen saffron, then we would have offered the reason behind that," Joshi told the media here.

The dress - white shirts and khaki shorts - was adopted by the Sangh in 1940 to beat the British Government's diktat, which had banned its 'ganvesh'. However, during Emergency, the RSS dropped its military-style long boots for black shoes.

However, elaborating on their meeting, Joshi said the RSS cleared three proposals concerning public life.

"There is a shortage of education, hospital and basic amenities, and whatever amenities are available, only a small section of society is benefitted of that. For the past a few years, world class facilities are being developed in India, but there are a big section of people, who because of their financial status, don't get its benefit," he said, adding that the RSS has, thus, passed a proposal that the minimum facility should be made available to the people.

"Similarly, education is also associated with the future generation, especially the school education. No child should be deprived of it. There is no doubt that schools are being constructed, but they lack basic education facilities. And, schools having good basic education facilities are out of the common man's reach. Thus, we hope that the government and NGOs will work for it," he said.

Taking about social injustice and inequality, Joshi said, "It is a product of the Hindu society, which needs to be addressed, and everyone should be kept on an equal footing.
Coming out all guns blazing on Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad for drawing a parallel between the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIS), Bharatiya Janata Party leader Subramanian Swamy on Sunday said that the former must be mentally unbalanced for saying something so ridiculous.

Speaking to ANI, Swamy said that instead of blaming RSS, Azad should worry about the brutal behaviour by the ISIS in the name of Islam.

"Ghulam Nabi Azad belongs to a mental asylum if you ask me or maybe he is saying this to please his patrons in Dubai. RSS was invited by Jawaharlal Nehru for the Republic Day parade. An RSS pracharak is the Prime Minister of India now and to say something like that is so hilariously stupid means that either he is mentally unbalanced or he is trying to please somebody who wants to run down the Hindus," he added.

Earlier today, the Centre also slammed Azad, saying that his stand indicated the Congress' support towards the terrorist outfit.

"This speech is exactly like the time when anti- slogans were being chanted at the JNU and Rahul Gandhi went there to support them. This is the exact mindset, which was used to glorify terrorists. So, this statement shows the bankruptcy of secular politics," Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi told ANI.

However, Congress leader Digvijay Singh came out in full support of Azad, saying the RSS and ISS are the two faces of the same coin.

"I totally endorse and support Ghulam Nabi Azad when he condemned ISIS as strongly as he condemned RSS. They are two faces of the same coin," Singh tweeted.

Azad had yesterday kicked a row after he sought to draw a parallel between the RSS and ISIS, evoking sharp responses from the Hindutva outfit and the BJP, which demanded an apology from him.

"So, we oppose organisations like ISIS, the way we oppose RSS. If those among us in Islam too do wrong things, they are no way less than RSS," the Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha said at an event organised by Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind.

Meanwhile, the BJP is planning to give a calling attention notice against Azad in the Rajya Sabha.
The opposition parties, including the DMK and MDMK, on Sunday voiced concern over the suicide of a farmer in Ariyalur district of Tamil Nadu and accused the J. Jayalalithaa-led AIADMK Government of turning a deaf ear to the woes of the farming community.

DMK spokesperson T.K.S. Elangovan said the farmers are facing many difficulties in the AIADMK rule and alleged that the state government is the sole reason behind the suicides.

"The state missionary has failed; the police is attacking the farmers who have borrowed loans from the banks. They could not repay the loans because of the failure of the crops. It is the government's non-performance and natural calamity which are the cause of the loss of crops," he added.

"The state government is a deaf government; they don't listen to any grievances of the farmers," Elangovan said.

Extremely upset over an incident where a farmer in Thanjavur was thrashed by the police for defaulting on loan payment, MDMK founder Vaiko said both the Tamil Nadu Government and the Centre are behaving like monsters.

"It is atrocious and intolerance that a farmer is dragged for the non-payment of loans. A farmer is man of honour and dignity and by attacking him, they have shattered his dignity. This government is anti-farmers, anti-poor," he added.

26-year-old Alagar, a native of Orathur village near Ariyalur, purchased a tractor with a loan of Rs. Seven lakh sanctioned by a private finance firm a few months ago. While he is said to have repaid Rs. Five lakh, he failed to make the EMI payments for the last few months. The finance company seized his tractor on Thursday for non-repayment of loan.

Upset and humiliated by the incident, Alagar attempted suicide by consuming poison. The farmer was taken to the hospital on Friday and died in the night after failing to respond to treatment.
Two suspected militants belonging to Al Qaeda in the Indian Sub-Continent (AQIS) were killed in an encounter by the counter-terrorism department of the city police in Quaidabad area of Khushab district.

The encounter took place yesterday when the CTD personnel with the help from an intelligence agency conducted the raid on a militant hideout and the ensuing battle started.

A senior police officer confirmed that the killed militants belonged to AQIS and described those killed as high value target, reports Dawn.

AQIS is an Islamist militant organization, which aims to fight the governments of Pakistan, India, Myanmar and Bangladesh in order to establish an Islamic State.
After registering his fourth successive knockout professional win by pummelling Hungary's Alexander Horvath, star Indian boxer Vijender Singh has said that it is a good start for him, adding that he was looking forward to register two more knockout wins in April before he plays in India in June for the WBO Asia belt.

The Indian sensational boxer had little trouble outpunching his opponent, who failed to get up after being thrown off balance by his body blows in the third round at the Liverpool Echo Arena here on Saturday evening.

"It's a good start for me beginning 2016 on a winning note. I am happy for registering knockout win. I think this is a great start for me looking ahead my fight in India in June this year," Vijender said.

"My target is to win Asia title in front of my home crowd and looking forward to register two more knockout wins in April before I play in India. I would like to thank Indian fans in Liverpool and all supporting me on digital media," he added.

Vijender will next be seen in action on April 2, the opponent and venue for which would be decided later.

The 30-year-boxer will now gun for his maiden title in the professional circuit when he fights for the WBO Asia belt come June in front of home fans in New Delhi.
At least 12 people, including some foreign nationals, have been reported dead after an armed group attacked a popular restaurant on a beach close to the L'Etoile Sud Hotel at Grand Bassam resort outside the Ivorian capital Abidjan.

The Indian embassy in Abidjan could not confirm whether any Indian national was in the area where the attack took place.

There were, however, conflicting reports on the terror attack. A local resident, Etienne Konan, told IANS on phone that between two and 15 armed individuals attacked a popular restaurant on a beach at Grand Bassam which is popular with Westerners and Lebanese.

Konan said some of the media reports claimed that over 50 people were killed in the attack but the official casualty figure is still not out.

According to some reports, the situation has been brought under control after state security forces arrived at the scene.

"It is a worrying situation making the West African region a very dangerous place. It started in Mali where a hotel was attacked on November 20 last year. Then another attack took place at a hotel in Burkina Faso on January 15," Konan said.

French security sources earlier this year had warned the authorities in Ivory Coast and Senegal of possible terror attacks in public areas.

Soon after Sunday's attack, the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office issued a travel alert to its citizens.

"On 13 March, there have been reports of an armed attack at Grand Bassam resort near Abidjan. You should avoid the area if possible. If you are in the vicinity follow the instructions of the security authorities," it said.

"There is a high threat from . Attacks could be indiscriminate, including in places visited by foreigners," it added.

"As seen in Mali and Burkina Faso, terrorist groups continue to mount attacks on hotels frequented by foreigners. Be especially vigilant in these locations and avoid crowded places," the advisory said.

(Francis Kokutse can be contacted at francis.k@ians.in)
At least 15 Al Qaeda militants were killed overnight in Saudi Arabia-led air strikes in Yemen's Aden province, a military official said on Sunday.

The air strikes pounded Al Qaeda-controlled positions and vehicles in Mansourah district, Xinhua quoted the military official as saying.

An intelligence officer said, "Four overnight air strikes were launched by Saudi-led warplanes and US drones successfully destroyed arms depots and killed senior terrorists in Mansourah."

Aden's Governor Aidarus al-Zubaidi issued an official statement saying that "security forces supported by Saudi-led coalition carried out the second phase to implement the security plan and raided Al Qaeda terror cells in Mansourah".

"The anti-terror military campaign will continue till all extremist militias in Mansourah are eliminated," the governor said.

Residents said the fighting intensified on Sunday morning and Saudi-led helicopters kept hovering over Aden's airspace.
At least 24 Islamic State (IS) militants were killed in military operations in eastern Nangarhar province of Afghanistan, an official statement said on Sunday.

The operation, which still continues, was launched in Achin district a few weeks ago, Tolo news agency reported.

"Most parts of Achin have been cleared of insurgents but the operation is ongoing," read the statement from Afghan army officials.

However, the statement did not say anything about casualties among the security forces.
An explosion hit Turkey's capital Ankara on Sunday killing at least 27 people and injuring 75 others, sources said.

Many ambulances were sent to the scene after a bomb-laden car exploded at square Kizilay at about 18:35 local time and set a number of vehicles on fire, private broadcaster NTV reported, according to Xinhua.

Witnesses said smoke could be seen rising above the area from a distance, and square Kizilay has been closed fearing a possible second explosion.

This is the third major blast in the Turkish capital since last October.

On October 10, 2015, alleged Islamic State (IS) militants bombed a peace rally near Ankara railway station near a major city thoroughfare, killing at least 103 people.

On February 17, a suicide car bomb targeted military shuttles in the capital city, killing at least 29 people and injuring 81 others.
As many as 57 Maoist supporters, including 25 women, surrendered before Odisha Police on Sunday, taking the total number of those who have surrendered in the last one week to 315.

These 57 sympathisers belong to Tamuda village in Malkangiri district.

A total of 315 Maoist supporters have given up violence and surrendered in the past seven days, Malkangiri Superintendent of Police Mitrabhanu Mohapatra said on Sunday.

"The rebels who surrendered today (Sunday) include 11 armed militia and two village committee members. The Maoist supporters were working for Kalimela Dalam of the Communist Party of India-Maoist," the police officer said.

He said the surrendered Maoist supporters will be rehabilitated as per the state government policy.

Notably, 19 Maoist sympathisers, who were members of Darwa division of the outlawed CPI-Maoist, surrendered on Saturday.
Telangana Urban Development Minister K. T. Rama Rao on Sunday said that 74 percent of Hyderabad Metro Rail project has been completed.

He told the state assembly that metro line has been laid to an extent of 43 km in a short span of time and claimed that it is a world record for the world's biggest metro project in public private partnership.

Replying to questions from opposition members, he denied that there is any delay or cost of the 72-km project cost escalated.

The opposition tried to blame the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) government for the delay in execution of works due to change of alignment proposed by it but the minister clarified that changes in the alignment at three places were mooted in January 2015.

He recalled that the agreement for the project was reached in 2010 but then government did not take necessary decisions to launch the work till 2012. He said there was no progress in the metro works till TRS came to power in Telangana state in 2014.

Rama Rao said the work was speeded up at several places by removing all the hurdles. He pointed out that it took seven - and - half years to lay metro line up to 15 km in Delhi, seven years to complete 6 km work in Bengaluru and eight years in Chennai for the same work.

The minister said under the viability gap funding for the project, the state government has to provide Rs.3,000 crore while the central government will provide Rs.1,244 crore.

L&T, the project developer, will invest Rs.12,744 crore into the project. He assured the house that the project will be completed as scheduled.

On the concern voiced by members over fare structure, Rama Rao said only 50 percent of the cost of running the metro will come in the form of passenger fare.

Congress member Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka said the cost of the project escalated by Rs.3,000 crore to Rs.6,000 crore due to the delay. He attributed this to the changes in the alignment at three places.

Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM) leader in assembly Akbaruddin Owaisi also voiced concern over the delay in metro works.

He clarified that MIM is not against the metro project but the government should clarify about the alignment in the old city.
Aimed at creating deterrence against cross-border smuggling and to enhance coordination between the two border guarding forces, the BSF-BGB joint exercise may become a regular affair, top officials said here on Sunday.

The first such joint exercise between the Border Security Force (BSF) and Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) got underway in the Sundarbans on Saturday.

On the second day of the three-day drill "Sundarbans Maitri" on Sunday, troopers from both the forces, including dog and bomb squads, conducted joint searches of cargo vessels on the Ichchamati river.

The drill was supervised by BSF Inspector General South Bengal frontier Sandeep Salunkhe and BGB region commander Colonel Khandekar Farid Hassan onboard floating border outpost Kamakhya.

Congratulating both forces for the successful conduct of the drill, Salunkhe and Hasan said the exercise might be a regular affair in future.

"It is one of its kind exercise which is being held between the two border guarding forces of India and Bangladesh for the first time. But I am sure, there will be many more such exercises which will further improve the BSF-BGB coordination," said Salunkhe.

Echoing similar sentiments, Hassan said: "The joint exercise can be a big deterrent for smugglers and criminals. They will have to deal with the combined efforts of both the forces. This exercise will not only enhance the already cordial relations of the two forces but will also help in increasing confidence of the people residing near the border."

While the BGB and BSF undertake coordinated patrolling on the land border, Salunkhe said the joint exercise on the riverine stretch will further curtail cross-border smuggling.

"Both the forces follow a Coordinated Border Management Plan aiming to prevent cross-border criminal activities and irregular movements with this exercise we will be able to curtail these criminal activities further," he said.

Both BSF and BGB officers asserted smuggling of cattle has come down by nearly 60-70 percent in recent times.
Ever since then finance minister Shan Mukhan Chitty presented India's first

budget in 1947, the event has been eagerly awaited as the first big-ticket

political event of the year. Consequently it should come as no surprise that

even a fortnight after Arun Jaitley presented the budget for 2016-17,

commentaries continue as to whether this was finally the long-awaited budget

or whether it was devoid of the much-needed big bang vision.

This oscillation between applause and disappointment is equally

understandable, as it reflects perceptions of how realistic the government's

aspirations are and whether it would achieve its stated objectives. This is

because a budget is essentially a statement by the government of what its

priorities are for the year. The budget document is, in other words, an

allocation of funds and the sectors for which allocations have been made.

Allocations are not, however, a sanction for expenditure.

Expenditure is incurred on the basis of prescribed administrative and

financial procedures that need to pass audit scrutiny, failing which it

becomes an audit objection and in the worse-case scenario, feature in the

Comptroller and Auditor General's report, which is presented to parliament.

To that extent, actual expenditure incurred usually falls below allocations

because of reticence in giving approvals.

Fear of reprisals after change of government or investigations by vigilance

on the basis of complaints of misappropriation of funds can be a

significantly demotivating factor for bureaucrats in approving proposals.

Delays become the norm. Consequently, at the Revised Estimates stage,

progressive expenditure statements and the ability to spend determine fund

allocations and tend to be substantially lower than the Budget Estimates.

This is the real challenge that governments face. In short, will the central

government spending for the financial year utilize the allocations or will

funds lapse, as has been the case on innumerable occasions in the past with

successive governments? Utilization and thus, implementation will be the

litmus test of the government's resolve in matching its aspirations with

achievement. Shortfall will attract criticism that the government falsely

raised expectations.

To that extent, all budgets face the critical challenge of implementation.

Consider some allocations in the 2016 budget, for instance. Under the

Accelerated Irrigation Benefit Program [AIBP], Jaitley said that there were

89 pending projects and their completion would require Rs.17,000 crore next

year and Rs.86,500 crore in the next five years. In parliament, he conveyed

the government's commitment in ensuring 23 projects would be completed

before the end of the financial year.

It bears recalling that the majority of these projects have been languishing

for years. What miracle wand will now see fast-tracking and thus,

completion? Indeed, the genuine fear is that incurring expenditure would be

confused with project completion when in reality it would only push open the

door to corruption even wider. Ensuring that the allocations go to the

intended beneficiaries within the stipulated time frame will be the biggest

challenge the central government would face.

Similarly, Prime Minister Narendra Modi's pledge to double the income of

farmers by 2022 was rejected by his predecessor, Manmohan Singh, as being

an impossible dreamT despite it being a big idea.

Indeed, Modi himself indicated that the goal would be achieved only if the

state governments gave priority to agriculture. As the history of India's

centre-state relations has repeatedly demonstrated, this is an uneasy

relationship where state governments that are in opposition to the central

government and rarely sing the same tune. Consequently, the sole big idea

might fall by the wayside, as its success is entirely dependent on the

proactive manner in which state governments take interest in the rural

sector and in agriculture.

Consider the ease of doing business. At a talk recently delivered at the

Mumbai campus of the SP Jain School of Global Management, the response of

Mark Thirwell, Chief Economist with Austrade, in response to a query on how

India was perceived by Australian companies, is worth recalling.

He said when Australian companies were asked to identify the top five

exciting destinations in the world for investment, India would invariably

feature. At the same time, if Australian companies operating abroad were

asked which they felt were the top five most difficult places to do

business, India would invariably feature! In other words, India represents a

clear mismatch between expectation and delivery. The importance of

addressing how important it is to improve conditions for doing business in

India cannot be over-emphasized.

The government has announced the ease of doing business as among its top

priorities. For this, a number of amendments to the Companies Act are

required but can only be achieved with the approval of parliament.

Experience suggests that this is not likely to be an easy task given the

manner in which parliamentary proceedings have been stalled over the past

several months and the passage of important bills, especially GST. It is,

however, good news that the opposition has agreed to the passage of some of

the bills.

The government's commitment on fiscal consolidation is also excellent news.

All this impacts the way in which India is perceived by foreign investors.

Two important challenges confront all governments: first, the ability to

spend allocations and ensure that the funds reach the intended beneficiaries

and second, to see the budgetary exercise as being in conjunction with a

series of other enabling executive actions.

For transformative change to take place in the Indian economy, tough

economic reforms are required. A pro-poor budget does not work without an

economic liberalization programme that attracts domestic and foreign

investment coupled with expenditure in the social sector.

Simultaneously, the government needs to visibly demonstrate political will

in tackling corruption at all levels, especially the connivance between

local politicians, law enforcers, contractors and the multiple gatekeepers

who thrive on speed money. Unless corruption is addressed, investors would

not back the India story.

A dream budget is one that can be implemented. At the end of the day, a

budget and its implementation need to be seen as setting the tone for

inclusive growth in a country where the Mars mission and farmer suicides are

a grim reality and take place simultaneously. Unless this is a collective

end-objective, India will again represent the inability to deliver on

aspirations. Yet again, the people would have lost.

(13.03.2016 Amit Dasgupta, a former diplomat, heads the Mumbai campus of the

SP Jain School of Global Management. The views expressed are personal.

He can be reached at editor@spsindia.in)
Chinese courts convicted 1,419 criminals of harming state security, including taking part in terrorist attacks and secessionist activities, in 2015, Chief Justice Zhou Qiang said on Sunday.

Chinese courts concluded the trial of 1,084 cases involving crimes that threatened state security, Zhou told a plenary meeting of the ongoing session of the National People's Congress (NPC), according to Xinhua.

Last year, courts stepped up efforts against criminals who instigated secessionist activities; who led, organised and took part in terrorist groups; and who spread video and audio products about terrorism, he said.

Zhou pledged in the report that courts will well implement the laws on state security and counter-terrorism and severely punish terrorists and secessionists.
Chinese President Xi Jinping on Sunday ordered framing of a "military theory that is up-to-date, pioneering and unique" to support its strong and dynamic armed forces.

"A sound military theory is a key part of combat effectiveness. A strong army must have a sound theory as its guide," Xinhua quoted the president as saying.

He urged military academics to link theoretical research with military practice.
A report by the Supreme People's Court (SPC) on Sunday said the country will set up an international maritime judicial centre in its latest bid to protect national sovereignty and maritime rights.

Courts across China shall work to implement the national strategy of building the country into a "maritime power", Xinhua quoted Chief Justice Zhou Qiang as saying.

"(We) must resolutely safeguard China's national sovereignty, maritime rights and other core interests," Zhou told nearly 3,000 lawmakers.

"(We) must improve the work of maritime courts and build an international maritime judicial centre."

According to the chief justice, some 16,000 maritime cases were concluded by Chinese courts last year, the most in the world. The country is also home to the largest number of maritime courts globally speaking, he added.

Earlier reports said that some 225,000 cases involving over 70 countries and regions were handled by China's maritime courts in the three decades between 1984, when the first such court was set up, and 2013.

Close to 8,000 vessels, of which 1,660 were foreign, were detained and 663 were auctioned off during that period.

One notable case, Zhou said, involved a Chinese fishing boat Minxiayu 01971 which took damage in a collision with a Panama-flagged cargo ship in waters off the Diaoyu Islands in September 2014. The owner of the Chinese ship brought the case to Xiamen maritime court in China which was ended via mediation.

The case clearly demonstrated China's jurisdiction over the region, the chief justice said.
The Congress and the Left Front on Sunday extended support to two independent candidates, including Jadavpur University professor Ambikesh Mahapatra put up by a rights organisation for the upcoming West Bengal assembly polls.

The two candidates - Mahapatra and Pratima Dutta - are backed by Akranta Amra, an organisation comprising activists of human rights under the Mamata Banerjee regime.

In a statement, Left Front chairman Biman Bose said the civil society has an important role to play to safeguard the interests and ensure security of the people in the state.

"So we appeal to all well meaning and democracy-loving people to elect Dutta and Mahapatra in the coming polls," said Bose.

Mahapatra, who was arrested for circulating emails mocking Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, would contest from Behala East constituency.

Dutta, wife of murdered green activist Tapan Dutta, would be in fray from Domjur in Howrah district.

State Congress president Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury told the media in Baahrampur of Murshidabad district that his party will supprot both the candidates.

The forum has sought support from all the opposition parties including the BJP for its electoral endeavour.

Mahapatra, along with a neighbour, was put behind bars for circulating a collage of photographs of Banerjee and former railway minister Mukul Roy with some dialogues of Satyajit Ray's detective masterpiece "Sonar Kella", showing the duo discussing how to get rid of party leader Dinesh Trivedi, who was forced by the chief minister to give up the railways portfolio.

Dutta, who has been fighting for justice after her husband Tapan was shot dead in 2011 for opposing the filling of a wetland in Bally in Howrah, said the motive for her to contest the polls is to unmask the criminal-politician nexus.
The 63 Cavalry, which earned the epithet of 'Ghost Regiment' from the enemy, celebrated its diamond jubilee here on Sunday with a special 'Heritage Review' of battle machines.

Counted among the elite armoured regiments of the Indian Army, the regiment won laurels in the 1971 India-Pakistan war.

"The appearance of 'Tresath' (63) tanks from four cardinal directions coupled with the shock and awe it unleashed, earned the unit the epithet of 'Ghost Regiment' from the enemy.

"Tresath tanks were the only armoured column that reached capital Dacca (now Dhaka, capital of Bangladesh). It was bestowed with the battle honour of Bogra and Theatre Honour of East Pakistan and earned eight gallantry awards," a defence spokesman said.

Lovers of vintage war machines were in for a rich fare as the army tanks -- from the late 1950s to the latest ones -- were displayed on the occasion. These presented a saga of valour exhibited by the 63 Cavalry during the past six decades.

The momentous parade was set alive by the vintage tanks and armoured cars paraded in running condition, the same forgotten by many and consigned to junkyards.

These included the World War II vintage American Cadillac tank 'Stuart-VI', the British Humber armoured car and Daimler armoured car popularly known as 'Dingo'.

The showstopper of the event was the American M-113 Bradley which caught every eye as the equipment steered across the parade ground, being the first of its kind to do so on Indian soil.

The regiment was also the first to use this equipment before the Americans inducted it in their inventory of armour, the spokesman said.

The tanks that won laurels for the regiment during the 1971 war in the Eastern Theatre, namely Ferret scout car, PT-76 and T-55 were also showcased in fully serviceable condition.

The parade was reviewed by Lt. Gen. K.J. Singh, General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Western Command, who is the colonel of the regiment.

Established in 1957, the regiment has excelled in times of war and peace.

"It exhibited gallantry in the UN peacekeeping mission in Congo during 1961-62. It was honoured with Guidon in 1982.

"The unit contributed a lot towards providing succour to the flood victims of Punjab in 1992 and earthquake victims of Gujarat in 2001. It also made a commendable contribution in counter-insurgency operations in Punjab, Jammu and Kashmir as also in the northeastern states," the spokesman added.
The high level of arsenic in the ground water is causing and spreading on either side of the Ganga in Bihar, according to experts.

The most affected are the poorest of the poor. A K Ghosh, a Patna-based arsenic expert, said a large number of cases had been reported from the districts along the river.

"It's a matter of serious concern," Ghosh, professor at the department of environment and water management at AN college, Patna, told IANS. He has conducted several arsenic field surveys in the last ten years.

According to a 2014 study by Ghosh, 18 of the 38 districts of Bihar were affected by ground water arsenic. The worst affected districts were Bhojpur, Buxar, Vaishali, Bhagalpur and Samastipur.

Scientists at the Patna-based Mahavir Sansthan (MCS) said in their latest research study that arsenic had been found in tissues of patients suffering from . The source of the offending chemical element was drinking water, they stated.

The scientists concluded that the probability of two types of cancer (skin and gall bladder) was due to ingestion of drinking water in which arsenic presence was more than 300 parts per billion (ppb).

Their research also said arsenic increases the possibility of DNA damage. The MCS study was based on 200 cancer patients from Bhojpur, Vaishali and Buxar.

The study headed by Dr Arun Kumar observed that arsenic might not be the single factor in causing cancer, but its effect gets multiplied when combined with other carcinogens.

According to an official report of the state department, around 75,000 new cancer cases are detected annually in Bihar.

Of these, the highest number of cases are reported from districts affected by arsenic.

Ghosh said that several patients often moved out of Bihar for treatment, making it difficult to identify the exact number of cases in the state.

A cancer specialist, Dr A J K Singh said arsenic poisoning was one of the main factors for cancer of prostrate, liver and gall bladder in the state, adding that the poorest were hit hard by it.

Singh said the government should join hands with different organisations to get rid of arsenic from drinking water.

Water samples collected at random from 44,000 tubewells by officials in affected districts found that arsenic concentration was above the World Organisation's permissible limit of 10 ppb in most of them. The Indian government's guidelines peg the permissible limit at 50 ppb.

The highest level of concentration was found in Bhojpur at 1,861 ppb, followed by Buxar at 1,230 ppb and Bhagalpur at 915 ppb. Even Patna district had a very high incidence of 760 ppb.

Last year, a state government report, based on a survey of water samples collected from 19,961 tubewells in 398 villages, found that arsenic concentration was above 10 ppb in 310 villages and above 50 ppb in 235 villages.

Bihar's Minister for Public Department Krishnanandan Prasad Verma told the state Assembly last week that 13 districts in the Gangetic plain had more arsenic content than the permissible limit of 50 ppb.

Experts say a large number of hand pumps in Bihar need to be painted red  warning against use  and sealed.

Arsenic was also finding its way into agricultural products like rice, tomato, maize, wheat and spinach. Often, over-extraction of water through hand pumps worsened the situation by raising the concentration levels.

The source of arsenic, according to experts, was siltation from the Himalayas which gets deposited downstream through the Ganga. In its natural form of arsenopyrite (iron arsenic sulfide), it is insoluble in water.

Arsenic, an odourless and tasteless semi-metal element, occurs naturally in the environment and is sometimes deposited as a by-product of agriculture processing and industrial use.
Hindus and Muslims in this Madhya Pradesh district have in a precedent-setting act resolved through mutual agreement a land dispute that had evaded a judicial solution for the past 25 years.

The dispute related to a plot of vacant land lying between a Hindu temple and an Imambara (congregation hall for commemoration ceremonies of Shia Muslims) of the Lakhera Muslim community in Betma town in Indore district, a police officer told IANS on Sunday.

"Both the Hindu and the Muslim communities were claiming the vacant land as their own," said Rajkumar Yadav, station house officer (SHO) of Betma police station.

For 25 years, the dispute had remained unresolved and currently lay pending with the Indore bench of the Madhya Pradesh High Court, he said.

Tired of the lengthy judicial process and no immediate resolution in sight, the two communities finally decided to sit together and thrash out a solution to the vexed problem.

The matter was settled within a matter of days after the two communities decided to meet across the table and sort out the contentious issues with mutual understanding and accommodation.

The Hindu community was represented by Dharmvir Singh Chauhan, also president of the town council, and the Lakhera Muslim community by Haji Faqeer Mohammad Sheikh -- both met twice before making way for other community leaders to reach the much desired consensus.

According to the agreement reached between the two communities on Saturday, 1,395 sq.ft. of the 2,160 sq.ft. vacant land would be turned over to the Sheetala Mata temple and the remainder to the Imambara of the Lakhera Muslim community, said Yadav.

The temple is currently built on 450 sq.ft. of land while the Imambara occupies 630 sq.ft.

Following the resolution, the two communities decided to withdraw the court case, get the land registered in accordance with the agreement, and also despatched letters to the authorities, including SHO Yadav, conveying the agreed upon points of the settlement.
Senior forestry officials from India and Nepal are meeting in New Delhi from Monday to chalk out a joint strategy to save the tiger population along the trans-boundary corridor after 14 of the felines were killed during the last one year.

Officials here said both countries were mulling a joint strategy to save the endangered animal after an increasing number of cases of tiger-poaching along the Nepal-India border were reported.

The two-day meeting in New Delhi will focus on saving tigers on both sides of the international border, said Akhileshwor Karna, who is leading the Nepali delegation.

Between January 2015 and February 2016, at least 14 tigers were killed in the border areas causing panic on both sides. Six of the endangered specie were killed on the Nepal side.

With the increase in tiger-poaching cases, the ambitious project to double the tiger population in the region by 2022 has hit a roadblock.

Surmounting the challenges in the trans-border area is key to the success of the project, said Karna adding that apart from this the officials will also discussthe joint strategy for saving the tiger.

Tigers from India's Dudhwa National Park and Balmiki Tiger Reserve and from Nepal's Chitwan National Park, Bardiya National Park and Shuklaphanta Wildlife reserve, regularly cross the international border with officials on both sides facing similar difficulties in saving the endangered specie.

In India and Nepal, over 45,000 sq.km. land in the trans-border area from Bagmati to Yamuna rivers is home to 15 conservation areas and wildlife parks.

The tiger population in Nepal is estimated at around 200 and in India at 2,200.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday urged Art of Living founder Sri Sri Ravi Shankar to take the initiative to clean Yamuna river and also sought help of his volunteers for welfare programmes of the city government.

"Different governments have to come together to clean the Yamuna. Today, on your (Sri Sri) left, there is the central government and on your right is the Delhi government... please initiate and let's make the Yamuna clean," Kejriwal said addressing the gathering at the World Culture Festival here.

Kejriwal also sought the help of volunteers of Art of Living.

"I am a selfish person. I want two things from you, Guruji. Give me your volunteers. They are polished, decent and always smiling. The Delhi government has a lot of work and so needs a lot of volunteers for its different programmes. I want your volunteers," he said, as he was welcomed with huge applause.

Welcoming to India and Delhi the delegates from 155 nations, Kejriwal said the entire world was facing violent issues and it was not possible to defeat hatred with hatred.

"Guruji's message has reached out to the world through meditation and love," he said.

Earlier in the day, Kejriwal was slated to attend the Global Leadership Forum organised by the AoL but did not turn up.
Kenya is drafting a bill that will allow nationals serving jail terms in foreign countries to be repatriated to serve the remaining years or months of their sentence in local jails, an official statement said on Sunday.

"If bilateral agreements and treaties with the sentencing countries are put in place, then it will be made possible for Kenyans to be brought back to the country and charged here," said the statement from Attorney-General Githu Muigai's office.

Githu Muigai is currently guiding the drafting of the proposals which will form the basis of implementing the Transfer of Prisoners Act 2015 which came into effect in October 12, 2015, Xinhua news agency reported.

The statement said the Transfer of Prisoners Bill 2014 creates a framework for facilitating the exchange of prisoners pursuant to agreements between Kenya and other countries.

"The Transfer of Prisoners Act is aimed at facilitating arrangements for the transfer of persons serving sentences of imprisonment for criminal offences committed in Kenya or countries outside Kenya, pursuant to subsisting agreements," the statement said.

However, the conditions for transfer can only be made through an application by the two states through the Attorney General (AG) or by an application from the prisoner to the AG for consideration but only if that person is a national of Kenya.

The Act was enacted in order to help transfer prisoners serving sentences in foreign countries as well as to ensure that they received humane treatments in line with rights and freedoms in Kenya and international conventions.

The Act comes at a time when the country has sentenced several pirates, terrorism suspects and illegal aliens to serve jail terms.

Several Kenyans have also been committed to jail in foreign countries for different crimes, including drug trafficking.

Muigai made the disclosure during a visit to a women's prison in Nairobi where he received petitions from women inmates seeking consideration of Presidential pardon.

During his visit to the facility, he met several inmates of Pakistani nationality who made a plea for the transfer to their home country.

It is estimated that close to 3,000 Kenyans are serving jail sentences in various countries with Kenyan prisons also holding similar number of foreign nationals.
US Secretary of State John Kerry here on Sunday urged Syrian warring parities to respect cessation of hostilities, a day ahead of the resumption of the United Nations-brokered Syrian peace talks in Geneva.

Kerry said some 600 combatants of the Islamic State (IS) have been killed during the past three weeks of US-led coalition strikes in Syria, stressing that the operation will be intensified, Xinhua reported.

He made the remarks after a meeting on Syria with his counterparts from France, Germany, Italy and Britain in Paris on Sunday.

"All parties must respect the cessation of hostilities, cooperate in the delivery of humanitarian aid, and respect the process of negotiations to achieve a political transition," said Kerry at a press conference with his European counterparts.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault said in order to "guarantee the credibility of the negotiations (in Geneva), the unimpeded humanitarian access and the truce in Syria must be fully respected".

Ayrault also said the Geneva talks would be "difficult" but had to focus on "real political transition" in Syria.

The foreign ministers of France, Germany, Italy and Britain, along with John Kerry also expressed their full support to the Libyan national unity government.
A satellite observation on Sunday detected more hotspots on Indonesia's Sumatra and Borneo Islands.

On Sunday morning, the satellite detected 151 hot spots across the nation, comprising mostly of islands, significantly rising from 59 hotspots found nine days ago, said Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, spokesman of the national disaster management agency.

Of the total hotspots, 57 of them were discovered in Sumatra, mostly in Riau province, and the 83 others in Borneo, Sutopo told Xinhua news agency.

He said agriculture and forest fires have occurred in both islands since February due to lack of water supply which has hampered firefighters to douse the blaze.

Riau province, home to the world's largest palm oil industry, has frequently endured forest fires as people burned land clearing for new plantation.

Last year, the Indonesian government launched the biggest ever battle against massive forest fires occurring across the country, involving thousands of soldiers and scores of aircraft with assistance from foreign countries.
The Myanmarese army has released 46 child soldiers from its ranks, while taking action against hundreds of personnel for recruiting children to the armed forces, the media reported on Sunday.

At a ceremony in Yangon on Saturday attended by government officials and UN personnel, the military freed the 46 minors, allowing them to return to their families, EFE news reported.

"The Tatmadaw (Myanmar Armed Forces) is committed to rid its ranks of underage soldiers," said Major General Tauk Tun of the Commander-in-Chief's Office, in the opening address of the event.

The army has freed some 744 underage soldiers and punished 382 soldiers since 2011 for violating international human rights laws against the employment of children.
Telugu superstar Akkineni Nagarjuna has taken time off his busy schedule to bond with his sons Naga Chaitanya and Akhil. The Akkineni trio is currently unwinding in the island country Maldives.

"Diving in the turquoise blue waters of Maldives this morning, so beautiful under the water," Nagarjuna posted on his Facebook page on Saturday.

On the page, Nagarjuna and his son posed in diving suits.

While Nagarjuna left on a holiday a few days earlier, his sons joined him on Saturday, after the trailer of their father's upcoming Telugu-Tamil bilingual "Oopiri" was unveiled.

Nagarjuna's "Oopiri", in which he plays a quadriplegic millionaire, is slated for worldwide release on March 25 along with its Tamil version "Thozha".
Washington, March 13 (IANS/EFE) US President Barack Obama said on Saturday that political leaders "must speak out against violence", in an apparent reference to disturbances in and outside a campaign event venue in Chicago involving supporters and opponents of Republican front-runner Donald Trump.

"If they refuse to do that, they don't deserve our support," Obama said at a Democratic Party fundraising event in Dallas.

at its best is a "battle of ideas" that does not involve promoting or resorting to violence, Obama said.

"This is not about political correctness. It's about not having to explain to our kids why our sounds like a schoolyard fight. We shouldn't be afraid to take them to rallies or let them watch debates."

He made his remarks after five people were arrested and two policemen were injured in altercations at the Trump campaign event venue on Friday night in Chicago.

Neither of the two injured police was seriously hurt, although one was struck in the head with a bottle.

Trump was forced to postpone the campaign event and move it to another date due to the presence of hundreds of demonstrators inside the University of Illinois at Chicago Pavilion.

Those protesters celebrated the news, and scuffles then broke out between the two opposing sides both inside and outside the venue.

A coalition of the city's activists, students, and religious and political figures, including numerous Latino and African-American organisations, had begun organising the protests days earlier.

Trump said on Saturday that his campaign had been the target of a "planned attack" and accused supporters of Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders of instigating the violence.

"They want me to tell my people please be nice be nice. My people are nice. They were taunted and harassed by these other people," Trump said at a campaign appearance in Ohio, where a man was tackled by Secret Service agents when he tried to storm the stage while the candidate was speaking.

Trump's main rival for the GOP nomination, Texas Senator Ted Cruz, said the tough-talking real-estate mogul was partly to blame for the incident in Chicago, saying it was a "predictable consequence" of the candidate's encouragement of violence against demonstrators.

Florida Senator Marco Rubio, meanwhile, said on Saturday that the idea of supporting Trump should he become the Republican nominee was becoming "harder every day", alluding to the negative discourse he said Trump had fostered.

--IANS/EFE

vr/
Pakistani designer, choreographer and host Hassan Sheheryer Yaseen (HSY) believes that the people of his country have grasped the importance of finding their own voice.

"I think that Pakistan have now grasped the importance of not just fashion but finding your own voice," Hassan Sheheryer Yaseen told IANS here late Saturday at the on-going Pakistan Fashion and Design Council's fashion week.

About his collection 'Be Yourself' which embraces the spirit of individuality, HSY told IANS: "I want all the women to have same kind of attitude. Men, women regardless of who you are, you need to have your own identity and be strong enough to be able to do that."

"I wanted to do a collection that was a little bit of everything. You should be able to put things together and you have to define yourself the way you want to be because everyone is beautiful. No one is ought to follow a certain trend," the celebrated designer said.

Based in utilitarian and luxe fabrics including mercerized cottons, chiffons, organza and silks, HSY presented cropped jackets, safari suits for men, tunics and boot-cut trousers.

When asked to compare the fashion industries of India and Pakistan, HSY said that the two were same but different as well. "We are incredibly similar, but we are also incredibly different."

"There are socio-economic differences; our sense of colour, our sense of style is also very different. I respect what they (Indian designers) do but I also love what we do," HSY, who looked dapper at the third-day of the PFDC told IANS.

"It is all about fashion individuality. What makes fashion incredibly strong is when you tap into what you have," he said.

However, the designer completely disagrees that the market of designer wears was less in Pakistan. "Our collection in stores and what people wear is not different. I don't believe that is true at all," he said.

"Fashion is not necessarily about dictating terms," the designer said.

Talking about his connection with people, HSY who also hosts a famous talk show 'Tonite with HSY' said that he likes to connect with common people.

"Through fashion, through my talk shows, through my philanthropy, I connect with people. I work for education, cancer, eye hospitals. This way I constantly stay in touch with people," he said.

"Beyond that we are working with indigenous embroideries and crafts with over 20 different villages across the country where we have empowered women by giving them money not as a hand-out, but to help them set up business," he added.

"I want to bring that craft back in the country. Why should we go and get embroidery designs done with machines when we have the craftsmen."

He also said that the heritage culture needs to be brought back to light. Other countries do not have what Pakistan offers, and what other countries offer, Pakistan does not have that.

"We need to focus on what we do because what will make us unique is our own individuality," HSY said.
Standing wheat crop was damaged in hundreds of acres of agricultural fields in Punjab and Haryana due to unseasonal rainfall accompanied with high velocity winds over the past 24 hours.

The rainfall, which started late Friday, continued through Sunday. Hail were also experienced at some places in the states.

Besides the wheat crop, other crops and vegetables were also affected by the rain and thunderstorms.

"Crops were damaged in several districts. Our field officers are assessing the damage based on the initial reports," an official of the Punjab agriculture department told IANS here.

Reports said that the wheat crop was damaged by rains and winds in Amritsar, Jalandhar, Gurdaspur, Fatehgarh Sahib, Sangrur, Kapurthala, Hoshiarpur, Ludhiana, Faridkot, Moga and Fazilka districts.

Areas in Kapurthala, Jalandhar and Hoshiarpur districts received over 30 mm rainfall on Saturday.

"This unseasonal rain has damaged the wheat crop and other vegetables. Farmers have suffered big losses. The government should immediately announce compensation for the affected farmers. Otherwise, the farmers will be under severe debt," Atam Singh, a farmer in Amritsar district, said.

In Haryana, the standing crops were damaged in Ambala, Karnal, Hisar, Fatehabad and Kurukshetra districts, officials said.

Punjab and Haryana contribute over 60 percent of food grains (wheat and paddy) to the national kitty.
Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff visited the state of Sao Paulo after the region was hit by flood that killed over 20 people.

Observing the situation from a helicopter, on Saturday she said that the government had allocated funds to help the affected areas, Xinhua reported.

"The priority when faced with natural disasters is prevention. This means working to avoid more deaths, to rebuild damaged infrastructure, to clean towns and to repair streets, so that life can get back to normal," she said.

Strong rains, causing flooding and landslides on Friday, have left at least 20 dead and five missing in the towns of Maripora, Francisco Morato, Itapevi, Itatiba, Guarulhos and Cajamar.

The flooding has also cut off highways, suspended rail services and led to the closing of the airports in Congonhas and Guarulhos for several hours.
Congress president Sonia Gandhi is reported to have told 25 "dissident" legislators of the party in not to rock the party's boat ahead of the assembly polls next year and work for the return of the party to power.

Gandhi did agree, rather vaguely, to their demand for sacking some ministers in the Okram Ibobi Singh government who have had little to show in terms of performance, a source said.

About 25 legislators of the ruling Congress were camping in New Delhi, seeking an audience with Gandhi. However, their "dissidence" has mainly to do with their desire to have a shot at a ministry in the state before it goes to polls next year.

For months, the dissidents have been demanding a major reshuffle so that they could be inducted into the cabinet and some of the current ministers dropped.

One prominent legislator who is confident of getting a ministerial berth said, "We assured the party president of unflinching support to Ibobi Singh so that he becomes the chief minister for the fourth term".

Another dissident told IANS on Sunday that they never demanded a change of leadership as they have full confidence in Chief Minister Ibobi Singh.

Yet another dissident, seeking anonymity, said Gandhi promised them that their demand that Deputy Chief Minister Gaikhangam Gangmei be either dropped from the ministry or stripped of the post of the state Congress president would be looked into.

"Against the 'one man one post' policy, Gaikhagam has been the deputy chief minister with several important portfolios and PCC president all these years. Our party president has assured us to look into it," he said.

Sources close to Gaikhangam, however, told IANS that the party is unlikely to change the years old system when assembly elections are round the corner.

Dissidents target Gaikhangam, a Naga, for another reason: He was one of the Congress legislators who had signed in 2005 a memorandum demanding integration of the "Naga inhabited areas" of with Nagaland.

That could eventually become an excuse for the dissident Congress legislators to desert the party.

Thus the crisis in unit of the Congress is still looming.

Some of the dissident lawmakers had said the wind in the state now favoured the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and that they might be looking for greener pastures.

BJP state president Thounaojam Chaoba has been saying that many Congress members are approaching him for admission into the party. That may not be entirely an empty claim since politicians and retired bureaucrats of all hues have been joining BJP.

Meanwhile, Ibobi Singh and Gaikhangam are maintaining a studied silence.
Four days before two ancient Jain and Hindu statues estimated to be worth $450,000 were to be auctioned off, US officials swooped on the art auction house Christie's here and seized them, according to the Homeland Security Department.

The statues seized Friday by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) special agents in "Operation Hidden Idol" were of Rishabhanata, the first Jain Thirthankar, and of Revanta, a son of God Surya, the HSI said. They were to have been auctioned on Tuesday during Asia Week in New York, an event that draws top-tier art collectors and museum curators from around the world.

Christie's said it was unaware the statue of Rishabhanata and the panel of Revanta were stolen in India and brought into the US illegally.

On behalf of the Indian government, Consul General Riva Ganguly Das commended the "HSI for the exceptional work done in locating and retrieving the sculptures brought into the United States by organised crime syndicates."

The 10th century Rishabhanata sandstone statue is from Rajasthan or Madhya Pradesh and is valued at about $150,000, according to the HSI. It stands about 57 centimetres tall and depicts the Tirthankar seated in vajrasana position (crossed leg pose) and flanked by two devotees.

The sandstone panel of Revanta and his entourage is from the 8th century. It is considered "a very rare representation of the equestrian deity", and is estimated to be worth $300,000, according to the HSI.

In its statement, the HSI acknowledged the assistance of the government of India and Interpol in its investigations carried out with the Manhattan district attorney Cyrus Vance's office.

Christie's had included the two artifacts in an auction entitled "The Lahiri Collection: Indian and Himalayan Art, Ancient and Modern," during Asia Week New York, the HSI said.

The event's organiser, the Asia Week New York Association, billed it on its website as "a collaboration of top-tier Asian art specialists, major auction houses, and world-renowned museums and Asian cultural institutions" in the New York area. Nineteen art dealers are participating in the India and Southeast Asia segment and have listed a range of art ranging from modern and ancient paintings and miniatures to bronze sculptures and artifacts.

"This seizure at the beginning of an event as well recognized as Asia Week New York sends two important messages," said Angel M. Melendez, the special agent in charge of New York HSI.

"First and foremost, it demonstrates that we are committed to protecting cultural heritage around the world, and second, it demonstrates that we are monitoring the market to protect prospective buyers as well."

India's Permanent Representative to the United Nations Syed Akbaruddin tweeted, "Stealing India's precious heritage doesn't pay dividends."

HSI, which is part of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement division of the Homeland Security Department, said the Rishbhanata statue "appears to have been sold by Oliver Forge to London-based Brandon Lynch Ltd. between 2006 and 2007".

And the Revanta panel, "according to images provided by the source dealer, appeared to have contained an 'orphan fragment', a piece perfectly broken off to be sold by the smugglers after the sale of the main part of the sculpture", the HSI said.

In its four years "Operation Hidden Idol" has uncovered networks of temple-looters preying on India. In what is probably the biggest ever ancient artifact crackdown, the HSI and the Manhattan district attorney's office announced last July they had seized over 2,500 items worth over $100 million from a single network allegedly run by art dealer Subhash Kapoor.

He is in custody in Chennai in connection with alleged temple thefts from the state.

The HSI said that in the past 12 months, four US museums and one major collector have surrendered illicit cultural property linked to Kapoor. One of them was a statue of the poet Manikkavichavakar taken from the Sivan temple in Sripuranthan village in Tamil Nadu. It is estimated to be worth $1 million.

In addition, Australia has returned to India a 900-year-old Chola-era bronze Nataraja and a stone statue of Ardhanariswara from around 1100.
Over 2.3 million children below the age of five will be given anti-polio drops from Monday during a three-day vaccination campaign in Balochistan province of Pakistan.

Authorities have taken strict measures in the province to ensure that the campaign runs smoothly, Dawn online reported.

Over 6,000 mobile teams, 820 fixed and 334 transit points were established across the province to administer vaccines, Syed Saifur Rehman, coordinator of the Emergency Polio Cell, said.

Rehman urged religious scholars, political parties and people from all walks of life to support the government's efforts against the crippling virus.

"Enough is enough, we have to eradicate this virus from Balochistan," he said.

"We are launching the campaign amid tight security," the coordinator said.

Polio teams and volunteers have been a repeated target of terrorist attacks over the years -- a major hindrance in the government's efforts to wipe out the virus.

At least 15 people including 12 policemen and a paramilitary soldier were killed in a suicide bombing targeting polio workers in Quetta earlier this year.
Film: "Triple 9"; Director: John Hillcoat; Cast: Casey Affleck, Kate Winslet, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Anthony Mackie, Aaron Paul, Clifton Collins Jr. Norman Reedu, Teresa Palmer, Michael K. Williams, Gal Gadot and Woody Harrelson; Rating: *

Viewing this film in India is a sure shot waste of energy and resource.

For one, your viewing experience is marred by the numerous bleeps enforced by the censor board. Secondly, with the absolutely dark frames and the convoluted plot, the film just doesn't sink in. And lastly, every scene feels familiar making the viewing tedious.

For the uninitiated, "Triple 9" is the US police code which means, 'Urgent help needed, Officer gunned down'.

This is a tough crime thriller that falls between the two quality extremes. It is the tale of a gang of corrupt police officers led by Special Forces ace Michael Atwood (Chiwetel Ejiofor) and other officers who pull off a heist and the latter are blackmailed by Russian mobsters to carry out their nefarious plans. How they plan to eliminate their colleague Chris Allen (Casey Affleck) in order to buy themselves time to pull off their next heist, forms the crux of the tale.

The other members of the team are Russell Welch (Norman Reedus) and his brother Gabe (Aaron Paul), along with Marcus Belmont (Anthony Mackie) and Franco Rodriguez (Clifton Collins, Jr.)

The narration begins with a successful bank heist, full of telling details and arresting images till matters get out of control and a red flare goes off inside a getaway car. After that everything goes downhill.

The plot weaves a tangled web among the Russian mobsters, dirty-dealing detectives, a police officer who wants to make a difference and everybody caught in the crossfire. But they do not leave an impression, as screenwriter Matt Cook fails to make any of these characters strike a chord with the viewer.

And whether these characters live, get rich, or die trying to succeed in their motive, matters little by the second act, as the plot runs out of momentum. In the last act, just at the point when the focus should intensify, the narration wobbles almost to a halt and the journey of these unrelatable douchebags, goes nowhere as far as the audience is concerned.

Despite an exhaustive ensemble cast and a rich premise, "Triple 9" fails to ignite the screen.

With the likes of Ejiofor, Affleck, Mackie, Woody Harrelson, Aaron Paul, all of whom do good job, nothing can be seen clearly, owing to the poor lighting.

Apart from that, in the male-dominated screen universe, Gal Gadot as Ejiofor's ex and Teresa Palmer as Affleck's wife get short shrift. It is Kate Winslet as Irina, the moll of the Russian mobster Vassillus, who stands out.

Ultimately, the film ends up being more of a bore than a thriller.
Two Australian reporters were arrested in Malaysia for crossing the security line during an event attended by Prime Minister Najib Razak, police said on Sunday.

The reporters aggressively tried to approach the prime minister during his visit to Sarawak state on Saturday evening. They were arrested for not following police instructions, Xinhua news agency reported.

The two, from Australian Broadcasting Corp, were in Sarawak to cover the visit of Najib Razak.

They were released on police bail on Sunday but are under investigation for "obstructing a public servant in the discharge of his public functions", police said.
Two UN peacekeepers were shot dead and another injured by their Chadian colleague, the UN mission in Mali said on Sunday.

Authorities arrested the peacekeeper but the reason behind the shooting was still unknown, spokeswoman for the UN mission in Mali Radhia Achouri was quoted as saying by Xinhua.

This was not the first time that UN peacekeepers were killed by colleagues.

Last month, a Chadian soldier killed his own commander and an army doctor over living conditions.
The Congress' West Bengal unit president Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury on Sunday claimed an understanding has been reached with the Left Front in all but seven constituencies for polls to the 294-seat assembly.

Chowdhury said that as per the understanding, the Left Front would contest 189 seats, and the Congress would be in the fray in 90 constituencies. In eight seats, support would be extended to independents and intellectuals.

"We will have friendly fights in seven constituencies," Chowdhury told the media in Baharampur of Murshidabad district.

He said three seats of Murshidabad (Domkol, Hariharpara and Bharatpur), two in Malda district (Harishchandrapur and Malatipur), one each in South Dinajpur (Tapan) and Kolkata (Belaighata) will see friendly fights between the Congress and the Left Front.

Chowdhury said the Congress would leave the Joypur seat in Purulia district to the Left Front. The party had earlier declared it would name its nominee from the seat.

Chowdhury announced a fresh list of 16 seats where his party would put up candidates.

The Congress is yet to declare its candidates for any of the seats it is contesting in the assembly polls.

Meanwhile, hectic parleys were on between Left Front spearhead Communist Party of India-Marxist and the Congress to narrow down the disputes.

CPI-M state secretariat member Rabin Deb met Congress leaders Somen Mitra, Pradip Bhattacharya and Abdul Mannan to arrive at some compromise formula on the disputed seats.

"I hope now the matters will proceed smoothly. The complications are over," said Bhattacharya, a former state Congress president.

Deb said most of the issues have been resolved. "Only a few more are still pending. It is a seven-phase election. We will hold discussions on the seats in phases."

"The discussions were more or less positive."
World leaders on Sunday hailed Art of Living (AoL) and its founder Sri Sri Ravi Shankar for holding the World Culture Festival and invited him to their countries.

British Prime Minister David Cameron invited Ravi Shankar to address the House of Commons, the lower house of parliament, while Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull invited AoL to Australia for the next World Culture Festival.

Cameron sent his invitation in a message through his Conservative Party's parliamentarian Matthew Offord who attended the AoL's World Culture Festival here.

"British Prime Minister David Cameron has invited you to address the House of Commons whenever you visit UK next time," Offord said.

"People say that no one can change the world but Sri Sri had made a good start. We are seeing a ray of hope," Cameron was quoted as saying in his message.

"Art of Living foundation promotes peace and understanding," the British prime minister's message said.

The Australian prime minister, who could not turn up for the event, invited Sri Sri through his message to AoL that Australia would love to hold the next festival.

Colombia's President Juan Manuel Santos also sent a message.

"It's a gathering from across the globe to promote values and human life on earth. Sri Sri teaches us that happiness and peace which is inside us. We need to recognise it to be able to live happy. No more fear, hatred, if we only want happiness," he said in his message.

German parliamentarian and deputy chairman of the ruling Christian Democratic Party (CDU) Armin Laschet said: "Twenty-five years ago, there was a wall in Berlin and people were shot dead while crossing it. Today, there's a wall of terror and violence between Russia and Ukraine, in Syria and some part of Africa."

He praised the World Culture Festival calling it an "Act of Understanding" which will change the world in coming days.
The government under the 'Make in India' initiative has announced and implemented several steps to encourage investments and improve the environment by simplifying the multiple processes for doing business in the country. Significant relaxations were announced in the FDI policy last year. The Budget also seeks to introduce some more measures, including some welcome tax relaxations and incentives. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley has urged the states also to reform.
THE PROFITEERS

Bechtel and the Men Who Built the World

Sally Denton

Simon & Schuster

436 pages; $30



When James Madison discussed the relationship between corporations and government, he sounded as if he were knocking on doors for Bernie Sanders. "The stockjobbers," he wrote, "will become the pretorian band of the Government, at once its tool and its tyrant." But stop right there. You might recognise Madison's worry about corporations being government's "tyrant," but "its tool"?



In Madison's day, legislatures chartered corporations through special Acts, one by one, to channel private money into public projects. Alexander Hamilton, the corporation's champion, saw it as a vessel for public policy, the consequences of which Madison feared as much as public corruption.
This was one spotlight would have liked to avoid. As the Enforcement Directorate (ED) began its probe into Mallya's affairs, its offices in Mumbai were flooded with journalists.

This led to a huge rush of onlookers at the ED office in the British-era Kaiser-I-Hind building who thought that a Bollywood movie was being shot there.

Many refused to leave even when told that the TV crew was to get comments from those involved in the and Kingfisher Airlines case. Mallya became an unlikely star for hundreds of Mumbaikars outside the ED office even though bankers think otherwise.
When there is a labour dispute in a central government undertaking, the state government where it is situated can refer the issues to a labour court there according to its law. It is not essential that the central government should refer it according to the Industrial Disputes Act, the central law, the Supreme Court stated when a dispute arose between the workers of Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) in Nashik, Maharashtra, and the central undertaking.
It was unfair on the part of the Karnataka government to impound or collect lifetime tax on non-Karnataka vehicles that had been in the state for more than 30 days. This notification would have set a bad precedent to other states.

The Karnataka High Court acted fairly in striking down the notification, describing it as unconstitutional. Instead of coming up with newer ways to augment revenue to the state, the non-productive expenditure should be cut drastically. Extravagant expenditure should be strictly avoided. Cordiality with other states cannot be allowed to suffer because of unconstitutional steps to mop up revenue.

, HassanLetters can be mailed, faxed or e-mailed to:The Editor, Business StandardNehru House, 4 Bahadur Shah Zafar MargNew Delhi 110 002Fax: (011) 23720201E-mail: letters@bsmail.in
Estranged cousins Uddhav and Raj Thackeray never miss an opportunity to take potshots at each other.

After Raj, who heads the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), asked his followers to set new auto-rickshaws afire to protest the issuing of licences to people from outside Maharashtra, the Shiv Sena chief Uddhav, while addressing a function for upgrading Mumbai's fire brigade, said his party was in favour of extinguishing fires, not igniting them.

Uddhav's jibe and strong criticism, especially on social media, forced Raj to withdraw his stir and the MNS chief asked his party members to keep calm for the time being.
Our labour laws require service enterprises to maintain 25 registers and factories to maintain 45 registers. All enterprises must file half-yearly and annual returns in duplicate hard copies. Paper applications (in duplicate but often triplicate) are required for registration, licences and specific permissions (women working at night, 24/7 working etc).
The more governments gripe about an internet governance reboot, the better it looks. Several countries and US lawmakers oppose a plan for stripping Uncle Sam of control over domain names. Yet American cyber spying and the web's global reach mean international oversight makes sense. The proposal's strength is in granting more power to users - not bureaucrats.

The internet was largely organised by enthusiasts - the volunteers and groups that received US government contracts to run a system of assigning website names and numbers, the various .com, .org and .edu addresses. By 1998, however, applications for domain names exceeded 200,000 each month. That and complaints about fuzzy rules and government-created monopolies prompted Washington to transfer oversight to the non-profit Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers, or ICANN.

Uncle Sam kept control over the master internet protocol address file, creating a check on ICANN's power. The aim all along, however, was to move the system to a global body. International outrage over US internet snooping has accelerated the process.

The new proposal would preserve ICANN's role in doling out domain names but subject the organisation to complex checks and balances. Any change to its bylaws would need a unanimous board vote and, in some cases, approval from a diverse group of technology experts, internet users and corporations that depend heavily on the internet. An independent appeals panel would hear complaints about ICANN actions. And the organisation's books and records would be widely available for inspection.

The plan is far from perfect. A committee of governments would still play a big role in ICANN policy, though its decisions would have to be unanimous. The organisation's board remains powerful, and the arcane process of assigning internet addresses is essentially unchanged.

Some 16 countries have objected to the unanimity requirement and other provisions. And keeping ICANN's corporate home in California has created some global angst. Meanwhile, the likes of Republican presidential candidate Senator Ted Cruz complain that allowing Russia, China and other authoritarian regimes a say jeopardises free speech online.

Their concerns are understandable, and the plan is a work in progress. The internet, though, is a global resource that no country should control. That so many diverse interests are squawking is a good indication that the proposal has real byte.
Many consumers in metros have seen their cash transactions go down significantly because of growing e-commerce, expansion of mobile wallets and online banking. This is only the start of a march towards becoming a cashless society. Things are expected to change dramatically in a few years for urban consumers. Many entities are working on different electronic payment mechanisms that can usher in a revolution. Wallet companies are aggressively tying up with retailers to let customers use mobile payments. National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), a company promoted by banks, is working on a mechanism that will allow consumers to transfer money and make payments almost as easily as they send a text message.

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has allowed 11 payments banks and 10 small finance banks to open shop. RBI also wants to make it cost-effective for banks to provide point of sale (PoS) terminals (for using credit and debit cards) at small merchant establishments. And, to incentivise consumers for more electronic transactions, the government has withdrawn the surcharge, service charge or convenience fee on digital payments on cards and online payments for any government service.

Need for change

While digital payments are on a rise in metros, they are only five per cent of all transactions in the country. The cash to gross domestic product ratio is one of the highest in the world - 12.4 per cent in 2014, compared to 9.5 per cent in China and four per cent in Brazil. Even the number of currency notes in circulation is high: the US has 34.5 billion notes in circulation, India has 76.5 billion.

Going cashless brings better tax revenue, more financial inclusion and benefits individuals too. It gives the convenience of banking from anywhere by smartphones, funds are on tap and money in the bank earns interest. Also, there is no risk of carrying currency notes and once your spending pattern is known, banks can offer you customised benefits.

Changes to come

One of the biggest hindrances in growth of is merchants' reluctance to take PoS terminals, as these are costly, take more time than cash payments and also make business owners accountable. According to Sunil Kulkarni, deputy managing director of Oxigen Services, there are 15 million retail shops but only 0.6 mn have PoS terminals.

players are making PoS either more efficient or eliminating the need for any physical infrastructure. Most of the next-generation payment systems use smartphones for transactions. Dilip Asbe, chief operating officer at NPCI, says: "An individual will be able to transact across banks on a smartphone using his Aadhaar number, mobile number and a virtual payment address. Each person gets a unique identity and doesn't need to enter any bank account information. It's interoperable and will work across payment channels, devices and institutions."



The Paytm app can be used for offline payments. It has already tied up with retailers such as Cafe Coffee Day and Barista. App-focused payments reduce the need for physical infrastructure and, therefore, can enrol retailers faster. "By 2020, our goal is to cover three times the PoS terminals that exist today and have half a billion customers on our platform. We want to be present for all possible transactions a customer does," says Nitin Misra, vice-president, products, Paytm. The company has also received a licence for a payments bank.

Other wallet players have a similar aim. Kulkarni of Oxigen says other than using the wallet to send and receive payments at merchants, the company is also implementing a 'universal' PoS terminal that not only allows transactions through cards but can be used for recharge and also be a payment wallet. "Our services are interoperable," he says.

How fast?

India is largely a cash-happy nation. Individuals find transacting in cash easy, fast and it is now a habit. People are not moving quickly towards adopting digital payments. Even now, 60 per cent of e-commerce business is cash on delivery. "One key thing that needs to be done is to bring down the transaction time and many are working on various solutions. Also, merchants need to be incentivised," says Vijay Mani, senior director, Deloitte. Kulkarni of Oxigen says there will be growth but it will be slow and steady. A large part of the population still don't have bank accounts.

PRIYANKA BOSE

Digital payments have made life easier for the 29-year-old, who helps start-ups raise funds. Of her total monthly expenses, only 15 per cent of transactions happen in cash. The rest are online or through use of cards. Most of her day is spent in travelling for meetings. She uses an app to book a taxi and pays using her e-wallet. The venues of meetings are mostly coffee shops or restaurants, where she uses her credit card. Most of her other transactions such as payments for mobile, broadband, satellite television, credit card, groceries, outstation travel and shopping are done online. She pays cash for home-delivered food, milk and laundry and to her maid and mechanic. For this, she maintains only Rs 2,000 in her purse and visits her bank ATM once a week.

"Things have changed drastically since 2010 when I first transacted online to recharge my mobile phone with my debit card. At that time, my parents got upset when I informed them that I had applied for a credit card, which was supposed to be for the rich. Middle-class families thought it will always lead to bad debts," she says. Recently, her grandfather wanted to get a credit card issued, as he wanted to transact online.

There are occasions when retailers charge her two per cent extra for transacting by using cards or offers discounts if she pays by cash but she mostly prefers using her card, as she doesn't keep a lot of cash. "I stopped keeping cash after a thief snatched my purse," she says.

KAPIL DEV BHAGAT

Tourism professional



As Kapil Dev Bhagat, 46, leaves home for office at 9 am, his first job is to fill petrol in his car. Anyway, the needle is nearly pointing to the empty mark. "Couldn't have happened at a worse time," he fumes, for he needs to be in office by 10 am for a review meeting with his boss. After reaching the petrol pump, he realises that he does not have enough cash. The credit card comes to his aid, as usual.

Bhagat's job with Jet Air Tours is a hectic one and entails a lot of travelling. Earlier, he used to carry wads of notes but he has increasingly learnt to depend on cards, both credit and debit. The best part: He has abandoned standing in lengthy queues to pay utility bills like before. Earlier, he'd make these payments from his home computer. Now, he has downloaded his bank's app on his smartphone and uses it to pay his bills. When his boss is not around, he indulges in a bit of online shopping on the office computer as well. Visits to malls during the weekend and forays to fine dining restaurants are all paid for by the credit card.

On the way back from his office in central Delhi's Connaught Place to his home in South Delhi's Mehrauli, he remembers it is his marriage anniversary the next day. He takes a small detour to the South Extension market and buys ear studs, which his wife had helpfully pointed out to him when they were earlier doing a bit of window shopping in this market. Once again, his trusted card comes to his rescue for paying the bill. His final stop for the evening is his neighbourhood Mother Dairy, where, having purchased the daily quota of toned milk, he makes the payment with the card the dairy owner has issued recently. On the whole, he barely uses any cash during the day, except for that occasional snack or tea that he has in the office canteen. Life has almost become cashless for him.
Ultra-high net worth Investors (UHNIs) looking for investment options other than the regular debt and equity are turning to Alternative Investment Funds (AIFs). Until recently, most AIFs invested in real estate, private equity or venture capital. A new category that is slowly emerging is funds that invest in stressed assets or non-performing assets (NPAs).

These funds invest in troubled assets sold by banks, asset reconstruction companies (ARCs) or, in some cases, by promoters or sponsors of the companies. The money raised is used to revive these stressed companies or projects and turn them around. Once the companies are operational and start generating revenue, investors get their returns.

Edelweiss Group was the first to launch such a fund, in 2012, called the Edelweiss Stressed and Troubled Assets Revival Fund (E-STAR). Recently, Srei Alternative Investment Managers (SAIML) launched a similar one, India Vision Fund. As these funds are in the AIF category, the minimum investment is Rs 1 crore.

However, these are only for select investors, even among UHNIs, say experts. These funds are targeted at investors with capital, can understand the risk and are looking at this as the core component, as the fixed income-plus component of their portfolio, says Nalin Kumar, investment head, SAIML. "This fund is for investors who can understand the risks.''



Vaibhav Sanghavi, managing director, Ambit investment Advisors, says he'd advise clients to invest in such a fund for diversification. Stressed asset funds are in an illiquid space but provide great opportunity. "It requires a huge amount of domain expertise to invest in distressed assets. It is pertinent for investors to assess the risk-return matrix,'' he says.

There is opportunity only if there is recovery, points out Rajendra Kalur, director and chief executive, TrustPlutus Wealth Managers. "There is scope for value buying because the assets are available at a discount or haircut. But, one needs to be patient and well-informed in terms of documentation and contract details,'' he says.

Nishant Agarwal, head of products, investment advisory and family office at ASK Wealth Advisors, says he'd prefer to wait, watch and monitor such funds, due to the lack of a performance record to judge the returns and exit route for investors.

"In terms of opportunity it will become big. Everything that goes into the fund need not become an NPA. Some promoters and businesses are genuinely good businesses. But, because the market is not very big, people find it difficult to evaluate,'' he says.

In terms of extent of disclosures, there is a comfort since AIFs are regulated by the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi), says Sanghvi.

Agarwal agrees it is much better to go through a fund than try to invest in a risky asset directly, as a professional is managing it. But there are apprehensions about the whole legal system and how the asset will be retrieved in case it goes bad.

Longer investment horizon

India Vision Fund will largely look at infrastructure projects and those at a fairly advanced stage of funding. "We are looking at the last-mile funding and not purely new projects. The sweet spot for such projects comes after five to seven years. So, that will be the range of our investment horizon,'' Kumar says.

Investors will need to be patient because all AIFs have holding periods ranging from five to 10-11 years, points out Agarwal.

Higher returns than fixed income

According to Kumar, returns would be much higher than traditional fixed income funds. "It is premature to comment on the returns but they will much higher than eight to 10 per cent (a year),'' he says.

In fact, investors must not even consider it if returns are not higher than fixed income investments, says Agarwal. "These funds are low on liquidity, low on the credit curve and there is a higher risk of turnaround. So, investors could easily expect a premium of five per cent or more over traditional fixed income assets. I would say 15-18 per cent (yearly),'' he says.

Being fixed income, the payouts might be in the form of coupon rates but in terms of price, returns from such funds behave more like equity due to their volatility, says Kalur. "Most of the assets are unrated and recovery happens after a fair deal of time. Also, there is no extra benefit of tax and some portion is destroyed for recovery. Beside, investors would have to bear the additional cost of investing through a fund,'' he points out.

Allocation to AIF

Investors must decide the cap keeping in mind that these are alternative assets, not core ones. So, Kalur advises allocation of not more than 10 per cent of the entire portfolio.

Agarwal says it can range from five per cent in the case of conservative investors to as much as 20-25 per cent in the case of aggressive assets.

According to Sanghvi, globally the percentage of allocation to AIFs is 12-15 per cent. In India it is negligible. So, we have a long way to go. But investors should look into the merit of these categories.
With the success of Nitish Kumar in neighbouring Bihar fresh on their minds, major political parties may announce their chief ministerial candidates ahead of the assembly polls in Uttar Pradesh.

Incumbent Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav of Samajwadi Party is all set to be his party's chief ministerial face in the polls, while BSP supremo Mayawati, a Rajya Sabha member, will look to steer her party to a comeback in the key Hindi heartland state and rule it for the fifth time.

There is talk in BJP and Congress about naming a chief ministerial candidate.

Union Minister Smriti Irani, who took on Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi in Amethi in the Lok Sabha polls, is being talked about as one of the probables. Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, who helmed the state between 2000 and 2002, and commands considerable influence in the party, is another.

In poll-bound Assam, BJP has nominated Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal as its chief ministerial candidate following the party's debacle in Bihar where it had not projected any leader for the hot seat.

UP had played a stellar role in Narendra Modi's hugely successful prime ministerial campaign in 2014, with BJP clinching 73 of the state's 80 Lok Sabha seats. Modi himself represents Varanasi in Parliament.

Some Uttar Pradesh Congress leaders, speaking on condition of anonymity, say it would not be a surprise if the party announces a CM candidate in the next six months. If it does, it would be probably for the first time for the party in the politically crucial state.

The name of Priyanka Gandhi is being suggested by many in the party who feel she alone has the charisma to pull the Congress out of the morass it finds itself in the state. However, another section is dismissive about such a possibility, saying Priyanka has a pan-India appeal and should not be pitchforked into an electoral contest in UP.

Election strategist Prashant Kishor, who has been roped in by the Congress for the UP polls, has sought a candid response from the state leaders on the issue.

At a meeting convened by Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi earlier this month, Kishor discussed whether declaring a chief ministerial candidate would make or mar the prospects of the party in the cowbelt state.

Significantly, Shiela Dikshit, who was the Chief Minister of Delhi for 15 years and Digvijay Singh, who ruled Madhya Pradesh for a decade, were invited for the meet. While Dikshit hails from Uttar Pradesh, Singh has been General Secretary in charge of UP for several years.

Congress is in political wilderness in the state since 1989 following Mandalisation of the state's and the Ram temple issue. The emergence of BSP and consolidation of Dalit voters, for years a Congress vote bank, behind Mayawati's party, reduced it to being a marginal player in the state.

BJP too has become a laggard in the state in the past 15 years and the political landscape in UP has been dominated by the Samajwadi Party and the BSP.

A senior Congress leader, who declined to be identified, said the party's allies in the state would have to accept its chief ministerial candidate. The talk of an alliance with JD(U) and Ajit Singh's Rashtriya Lok Dal has been doing rounds in political circles.

Central leaders of Congress insist that after Bihar, where the party joined hands with JD(U) and Lalu Prasad's RJD to stall the BJP juggernaut, it is keen on thwarting the saffron party's bid to wrest the state to queer the pitch for Modi in the Lok Sabha elections in 2019.

In Bihar, Nitish Kumar's projection as chief minister had done the trick for the secular alliance, resulting in consolidation of anti-BJP votes. Kishor, who had earlier managed Narendra Modi's prime ministerial campaign, also assiduously devised Nitish Kumar's poll strategy.

However, BJP's last minute projection of Kiran Bedi as chief ministerial contender in Delhi went horribly wrong as it left the party divided. AAP's Arvind Kejriwal won a resounding victory clinching 63 of the city's 70 seats.
Two persons were killed today and 14 others injured after the vehicle they were travelling in skidded off the road and fell into a ditch in Fatehganj (west) area here, police said.

The accident took place this morning after the driver of the passenger jeep lost control causing the vehicle to plunge into a ditch. Driver, Rakesh (25) and passenger Rambedi (34) were killed on the spot, they said.

The bodies were sent for postmortem while the injured were rushed to a government hospital where their condition is stated to be stable, police added.
At least 27 people, including 20 children, were injured when a school bus in which they were travelling turned turtle on NH 415 near Shiv Mandir today.

The school bus, on its way to a church at Doimukh located about 30 km from the state capital, overturned at around 8.30 AM, a police officer said.

The injured were admitted to Heema Hospital and released after first aid.

The driver of the bus was arrested, he said.
Republican presidential front- runner Donald Trump today claimed that more than one-fourths of the Muslims are "very militant", in latest controversial statements adding to his anti-Muslim rhetoric.

"It's (militant Muslims) 27 per cent, could be 35 per cent, would go to war, the hatred is tremendous," Trump told the Fox Sunday when asked not more than 100,000 of the 1.6 billion Muslims are fighting jihadist causes.

"You're saying that out of 1.5 billion, 100,000, let me tell you, whoever did that survey was about as wrong as you can get," Trump said.

"Why don't you take a look at the Pew poll that came out very recently or fairly recently, where I think the number... it's something like 27 per cent are really very militant about going after things



"And you'll have to look at it. They did a very strong study. Let's see what it says. But it's a very significant number. It's not 100,000 people, I can tell you that. It's a ridiculous number," he claimed.

The 69-year-old reality show star and billionaire has continued with his anti-Muslim rhetoric, stoking controversies one after another and drawing flak from the world over including his party rivals.

Today's remarks come days after he said he thinks "Islam hates us" and asserted that those having hatred against the US cannot be allowed to enter the country.

He made headlines in December when he called for a temporary ban on Muslims entering the US "until our country's representatives can figure out what is going on".

In his remarks today, he said "It would be easier for me to say, "Oh, no, everybody loves us." But there's something going on. There's a big problem. And radical Islamic terrorism is taking place all over the world."



"You look at what happened in Paris, you look at what happened in California recently with the 14 people killed by co-workers, by people where they gave 'em baby showers and then they walk in and they kill 'em, they shoot 'em. They had no guns, they had no weapons. They had no nothing. They shot them. They killed them all," he argued.

Trump said that he has heard the figure of 20,000 to 30,000 troops needed to defeat ISIS in the Middle East.

"But now, you have people chopping off heads, you have people drowning 40 and 50 people in steel cages at a time, and now, we have to do something. The reason we have to do it is because of the power of weaponry. They're looking to get weapons, and they're looking to acquire weapons that are going to be very, very horrible for our country if they ever do it," Trump said.
At least 28 Indian fishermen were arrested today by Sri Lankan Navy personnel for allegedly crossing the International Maritime Boundary Line and fishing in Lankan waters, the fourth such detention this month.

The fishermen belonged to Pudukottai, Pamban and Tuticorin and they were taken to Kangesanthurai port, Gopinath, the Assistant Director of Fisheries Department of Tamil Nadu, said.

They were arrested by the Sri Lankan Navy with assistance from the coastal guard officials, Sri Lankan officials said.

Three boats of the fishermen were seized off the coast of Thavalpadu while five boats were caught near the Delft island.

The boats have been handed over to the Mannar police and fisheries officials for further action, the Navy said.

This is the fourth detention of Indian fishermen by the Sri Lankan navy this month on the charge of fishing in the island nation's waters.

Eight fishermen were arrested on March 3, while 29 others on March 6 and another batch four on March 10 by the Sri Lankan Navy at different locations in mid sea.

Chief Minister Jayalalithaa had written letters to Prime Minister Narendra Modi calling for appropriate actions for a permanent solution to the recurring arrests.

She had also sought the Centre's intervention for the release of all the arrested Indian fishermen and their fishing boats in the custody of Sri Lanka.
At least four persons were injured in a clash between ABVP and CPI(ML) workers when they hurled stones at each other in front of municipal corporation's auditorium here today, police said.

The incident occurred when ABVP workers protested against a programme organised by CPI(ML) on the JNU controversy in front of Muzaffarpur Municipal Corporation's (MMC) auditorium, a senior police officer said, adding that the Left workers raised the slogan 'Main JNU Bol Raha Hoon'.

As ABVP workers protested against the sloganeering, both sides started pelting stones, he said, adding the incident left four persons injured.

While two of them sustained injuries on their head, two others received leg injuries.

The police chased away the protesters from the scene, the officer said, adding top officials led by District Magistrate Dharmendra Singh were camping at the site and the situation was under control.

MMC Commissioner, Ramesh Prasad Ranjan said that earlier CPI(ML) had asked for permission to hold a programme for intellectuals in support of Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) at the auditorium but ABVP workers objected to the proposal.

The Commissioner cancelled the venue of the programme after he did not get any update from the CPI(ML) workers.

However, CPI(ML) workers decided to hold the programme in front of MMC's auditorium which falls under Mithanpura police station area of the town.
Five militants who were plotting to target government offices in Pakistan's Punjab province were killed today in a gun battle with security forces and a huge quantity of explosives was seized from them.

The Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) killed the militants in a raid at a house in Shahkot area in Nankana Sahib district, some 70 kilometres from here, early today.

A source in the CTD said that the militants were members of the Tahreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and they also had close association with the banned Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ).

"The terrorists were planing to target offices of the law enforcement agencies in Lahore," he said.

A CTD official earlier said that a team raided the house following intelligence that eight militants were hiding there.

"When the personnel surrounded the house and asked the suspects to surrender they opened fire on them. The personnel returned the fire killing five terrorists on the spot," the official said, adding the other suspects managed to flee.

Ahuge quantity of explosives and weapons and banned literature were recovered from the house.

Nankana Sahib is the birthplace of Sikhism's founder Guru Nanak.
Over fifty Congress activists including former DCC President, Ravindra Jha were rounded up by the police while they were heading for a venue set up for foundation ceremony of road projects.

The activists were protesting against the state's not inviting their leader-cum-Rajya Sabha Member Pradip Kumar Balmuchu in the function today.

Led by Jha, the Congress workers raised anti-government slogan holding placards in their hands and were rounded up as they headed for the venue, where Jharkhand Chief Minister Raghubar Das along with his cabinet colleague Saryu Roy were to lay the foundation of nine road and bridge projects worth Rs.255 crore at Domuhani river, confluence of rivers Kharkhai and Swarnarekha, under Sonari police station.

"We have rounded up around fifty Congress activists, who were moving forwarded to the venue to lodge protest against the government allegedly for not inviting their leader Balmuchu," former President of JPCC in the function, said Deputy Superintendent of Police, Amar Kumar Pandey.

Later, the activists were let released on PR bound, he said.
Six gunmen who carried out a deadly attack today on three hotels in the Ivory Coast beach resort of Grand-Bassam have been "neutralised," the country's interior minister said.

"Three hotels were attacked by armed men" in the former colonial capital which is popular with Ivorians and Westerners, Hamed Bakayoko said in a statement read on national television.

"Ivorian security forces intervened immediately and were able to neutralise six terrorists," he said.
The district police seized nearly 60 kgs of cow meat in a raid at Sirohi village, a police spokesperson said today.

The spokesperson said the police conducted a raid at the village yesterday after receiving a tip off about five people selling beef there.

Cow slaughter and sale of its meat is banned in the state.

Seeing the police, the accused fled from there, he said.

Besides beef, the police also recovered cowhide, and horn, he said.

A case has been registered and search is on for the accused.
The death toll from a coal mine collapse caused by a gas explosion in Pakistan's northwest tribal area today rose to eight while another four were reported missing and feared dead.

The mine collapse in Orakzai Agency yesterday had trapped 65 labourers, rescue officials said.

The area has been witnessing heavy rainfall, hindering the rescue operation. However, officials said that the mine collapsed due to an explosion, caused by accumulation of gas.

More than 100 army and Frontier Corps troopers were undertaking rescue operation.

Those rescued were being treated at hospitals. The dead and majority of injured belong to Shangla district.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Iqbal Zafar Jagra has expressed grief over the incident and has directed authorities to expedite the rescue operation.
Aam Aadmi Party MLA Amantullah Khan has been unanimously elected the new chairman of Delhi Waqf Board.

At a meeting of the Board held at the Divisional Commissioner's office here yesterday, Khan's name was proposed by Chaudhary Sharif while Ejaz Arshad Kasmi seconded the proposal to unanimously elect him the new chairman, a senior government official said.

Khan said his priority as the chairman of the Board will be to free encroached Waqf properties and develop it for the betterment of Muslim community in the city.

"A number of valuable properties of the Waqf Board are encroached which need to be freed. I will ensure that these properties are developed and revenue is increased so that welfare of Muslims in Delhi could be taken up on an extensive scale," he said.

Functioning of the Board will be improved by removing corruption and computerisation of paper work, he said.

"I have heard that corruption has increased which will be dealt with firmly. We will strive for a corruption-free Waqf Board," he said.

Apart from Khan, Sharif and Kasmi, the Board's other members S M Ali and Shaqir Ali attended the meeting while Congress's Rajya Sabha MP and member of the Board, Parvez Hashmi was not present.

The AAP government had "superseded" the Delhi Waqf Board, transferring all its powers and duties to the Secretary (Revenue) in the city administration, for a period of six months, in October last year.

Former chairman Rana Parveen Siddiqi had filed an appeal in the High Court, challenging the government's notification to supersede the Waqf Board.
Upping its ante against the JNU administration, the ABVP today lodged two police complaints against the varsity's associate dean for giving permission to the controversial Afzal Guru event and professor Nivedita Menon for her alleged remarks justifying pro-azadi slogans on Kashmir.

JNU Students' Union Joint Secretary Saurabh Sharm, who is the lone ABVP member in the union, lodged a complaint at Vasant Kunj police station.

In his complaint Sharma has given statements attributing it to Menon.

"Everyone knows that India is illegally occupying Kashmir. It is said the world over. Everybody accepts (it)," one of the statements attributed to Menon in the complaint said.

"This attracts criminal prosecution and appropriate action must be taken in this regard," Sharma said.

The RSS's student wing also lodged a police complaint against the JNU associate dean for giving permission for the February 9 event against hanging of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru during which anti-national slogans were allegedly raised.

"I request you to kindly take strong action against the concerned authority that had given permission and silently supported February 9 programme," Saurabh said in a separate complaint.

The Joint Secretary also alleged that he has already given a complaint to the JNU administration but no action has been taken after which he approached police.

The university had taken back the permission 15 minutes before the event was to start after Sharma had complained about the event on February 9 but the organisers had gone ahead with the programme.

While the associate dean was not available for his comments on the issue, Nivedita Menon, who teaches at the Centre for Comparative Politics and Political Theory at the School of International Studies in JNU said, "I don't believe anything I said was anti-national".

Police officials confirmed that the two complaints have been received but no FIR has been registered yet.
US Secretary of State John Kerry has said that a solution to the long-running Israeli-Palestinian conflict required "the global community", as France prepared to present proposals to revive the peace process to EU foreign ministers.

"Obviously we are all looking for a way forward. The United States and myself remain deeply, deeply committed to a two-state solution," Kerry said after a Paris meeting with his counterparts from France, Italy, Britain, Germany and the EU.

"At the moment it is a difficult one, because of the violence that has been taking place, and there are not many people in Israel or in the region itself right now that believe in the possibilities of peace because of those levels of violence," he added.

Kerry's comments came after his French counterpart Jean-Marc Ayrault said he would present proposals to revive talks to EU foreign ministers meeting in Brussels today.

"The Israeli-Palestinian conflict remains but is getting worse, the status quo cannot last," Ayrault said in Paris.

The newly-appointed French foreign minister visited Cairo last week to drum up support for the initiative to hold an international conference by the summer to revive peace talks.

A previous round of talks brokered by Kerry collapsed in April 2014.

"...Not any one country or one person can resolve this. This is going to require the global community, it will require international support," said Kerry.

Senior French diplomat Pierre Vimont is touring Israel, the Palestinian territories and other countries in the region to discuss the proposal before heading to Washington next week.

EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini said France was coordinating its proposals with the EU as part of "joint efforts to try and create conditions for a two-state solution".

The renewed efforts to resolve one of the world's oldest conflicts come amid a wave of violence that has seen Palestinians carry out knife, gun or car-ramming attacks against Israelis.

Since October 1, 188 Palestinians, 28 Israelis, two Americans, an Eritrean and a Sudanese have died, according to an AFP count.

Most of the Palestinians were killed while carrying out attacks, Israeli authorities say.

Others were shot dead by Israeli forces during clashes or demonstrations.

Many analysts say Palestinian frustration with Israeli occupation and settlement building in the West Bank, the complete lack of progress in peace efforts and their own fractured leadership have fed the unrest.

Israel blames incitement by Palestinian leaders and media as a main cause of the violence.
Amid tight security, a three-day polio eradication campaign will be launched tomorrow for over 2.3 million children below the age of five in Pakistan's restive Balochistan province.

Syed Saifur Rehman, coordinator of Emergency Polio Cell has asked religious scholars, political parties and people to actively participate in the government's efforts against the crippling virus, the Dawn reported.

"Enough is enough, we have to eradicate this virus from Balochistan," he said.

Meanwhile, security has been beefed up in the volatile region for running of the campaign smoothly.

"Over 6,000 mobile teams, 820 fixed and 334 transit points have been established across the province to administer vaccines," Rehman said.

The provincial government has directed concerned police authorities to provide adequate security to avoid any untoward incident to the campaign officials.

"We are launching the campaign amid tight security," he said.

Polio teams and volunteers have repeatedly been targeted by terrorists over the years for supporting anti-polio drive, a major hindrance in government's efforts to eradicate the virus.

In January, at least 15 people, including 12 policemen and a paramilitary soldier, were killed in a suicide bombing targeting polio workers in Quetta. Last month, gunmen shot and wounded a polio worker in Lahore.

Polio is endemic in Pakistan, Afghanistan and Nigeria and the World Health Organisation in May 2014 had imposed travel restrictions on Pakistan.

Children in Pakistan's Federally-Administered Tribal Areas cannot be vaccinated as the outlawed Taliban has banned the campaigns since June 2012.
chief Christine Lagarde today said Asian economies led by India will be a major growth driver in the years to come and better representation of large emerging nations in the multi-lateral institution has transformed it from "my to our ."



International Monetary Fund (IMF) has recently ratified quota reforms giving more voting powers to emerging nations including India and also included Chinese currency Renminibi in the Special Drawing Rights (SDR) basket along with four other global currencies.

"It is clear to us that (it is) Asia where growth is originating and going to come from India and in the years to come," she said at the Advancing Asia Conference.

Asia is a vibrant region with large and growing population, she said, adding, 'the reform to transform' that was mentioned by Prime Minister Narendra Modi yesterday is a clear sign that India is on the move using the backbone of digital innovation.

With regard to quota reforms, Lagarde said the large emerging market economies are now in the top 10 list of members including India.

"It is embedded in the new basket of currency that determines the value of SDR which now includes the Renminbi along with four other currencies and it is making the IMF 'our institution' from 'my institution'," she said.

IMF was earlier largely dominated by developed economies but with recent quota reforms, emerging market economies have got better say in the functioning of the Washington-based funding agency.

The 3-day Advancing Asia conference also dwelled on unconventional monetary policy adopted by advanced countries to push growth in their country.

There is a need to examine the issue of spillover effect of unconventional monetary policy in view of the interconnectedness of global economies, she said.

"The interconnectedness, the relationship that is sometimes fruitful, sometimes full of hazards between advanced and emerging market economies... And (monetary policies) how we can actually help each other rather than hurt each other," she said.

"Clearly there has been a lot of talk about spillover, spillbacks, impact of monetary policy decision made elsewhere, the volatility induced asset price modification -- all of that have been taken into account by us as an institution in the three dimension that we operate in order to be extremely relevant and tailored to the needs of members.

"We need to adopt and adjust our approach both in terms of lending and capacity building to specific needs of the region, countries that are very interconnected together and that exposed to decision made outside their jurisdictions," she added.

At the end of the three-day conference, IMF had meeting with finance ministers and central bank governors of Asian region.

Praising the Aadhaar platform for targetted delivery of subsidies, Lagarde said the system that is being put in place in India is going to have massive ramifications in terms of benefits.

"It is going to help in cleaning up system...I think there would be lot to be learnt from its implementation which is going to affect revenue generation. We are going to learn from that," she said.
Uttarakhand Governor K K Paul today said astrology is an integral part of India's ancient culture and called for its enriching it through scientific methods and research.

"In ancient times saint Parashar took the teachings of astrology further through his wisdom and inner powers and today its scientific basis needs to be proved so that curiosity towards astrology can be created. Extensive work needs to be done for its effectiveness and acceptance among the people," the Governor said.

Paul made the remarks while addressing a two-day, 'Jyotish Mahakumbh' organised at a university here, a press release issued by Raj Bhawan said.

He said India is the only country that has kept its culture and heritage alive for more than 5000 years and vedic science and astrology are its integral part.

The astrology event was attended by more than 150 astrologists from various parts of the country.
At least five people were killed on Sunday when heavily-armed gunmen opened fire in the Ivory Coast resort town of Grand-Bassam, leaving bodies strewn on the beach.

"At the moment there are five dead," a military source said on condition of anonymity after the assault in the resort popular with Westerners.

An AFP photographer said he saw seven bodies on the beach and another in the Etoile du Sud (Southern Star) hotel, one of the establishments that came under attack in the country's former French colonial capital.

The assailants, who were "heavily armed and wearing balaclavas, fired at guests at the L'Etoile du Sud, a large hotel which was full of expats in the current heatwave," one witness told AFP.

It was not immediately clear who was behind the shooting in the resort, which lies on the Gulf of Guinea around 40 kilometres east of the commercial hub Abidjan.

Another witness told AFP: "The shots took us by surprise and now we are staying holed up."



A crowd of several hundred people had gathered at the entrance to Grand-Bassam's French quarter at the edge of the old town, where a dozen ambulances were on standby.

An AFP journalist saw around a dozen people, including an injured Western woman, being evacuated in a military truck.

Military vehicles carrying heavy machine guns were also heading to the scene, along with armed traditional hunters known as Dozo.

Attacks in recent months on luxury hotels in the capitals of neighbouring Mali and Burkina Faso have left dozens of people dead, leaving West African nations scrambling to boost security in the face of a growing jihadist threat.

Analysts have voiced fears that Islamist attacks could spread to countries such as Ivory Coast and Senegal, and the region's US-led Flintlock military exercises that wrapped up recently focused on the need to counter jihadism.

In Burkina Faso and Mali, Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) claimed responsibility for deadly attacks on hotels popular with foreigners in November 2015 and in January this year.

The Mali attack in November left 20 people dead, while gunmen killed 30 people in the assault on a top hotel in Burkina Faso's capital Ouagadougou in January.

Ivory Coast is the world's top cocoa producer. Its former president Laurent Gbagbo is currently on trial at the International Criminal Court for crimes against humanity over deadly violence that followed the disputed 2010 election.
Two Australian journalists were detained and barred from leaving Malaysia after they had tried to "aggressively" question Prime Minister Najib Razak about a corruption scandal, police said today.

The duo were detained after they crossed a "security line and aggressively tried to approach the prime minister" who was visiting a mosque in Kuching on the island of Borneo, according to a police statement.

"Both of them were subsequently arrested for failing to comply with police instructions not to cross the security line," read the statement.

The journalists, who work for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's Four Corners investigative programme were detained yesterday night after the incident but were released today without charge.

"ABC 4Corners team arrested in Malaysia last night after trying to question PM Najib Razak over corruption scandal," the programme's executive producer Sally Neighbour tweeted today.

Reporter Linton Besser and camera operator Louie Eroglu had approached Najib on the street before their arrest, the broadcaster added.

Neighbour said their passports, which were initially seized, had been returned to them but they "can't leave Malaysia".

"We will discuss with the Attorney General's Chambers [whether] to charge them," Malaysia's national police chief Khalid Abu Bakar was quoted as saying by local agency Bernama.

"Police are responsible for the prime minister's security. So we do not want anything untoward happening to him," he said, adding that the journalists were barred from leaving the state while investigations were underway.

Footage posted online by The Star showed Besser asking questions at a tense press conference in Kuala Lumpur earlier yesterday relating to the still-murky 2006 murder of a Mongolian woman.

Two of Najib's bodyguards were convicted of the murder and sentenced to death.

Najib, who was defence minister at the time, has strongly denied any involvement in the murder and has said he did not know the woman.

But government critics have long alleged that the two bodyguards, members of an elite unit that guards top ministers, were scapegoats in the killing of Altantuya, who was at the centre of allegations of massive kickbacks in the USD 1.1 billion 2002 purchase of French Scorpene submarines.
Tauquir Ahmed, one of Bangladesh's most talented actor-directors, has embarked on his "dream project" of making a biopic on Indian poet Jibananda Das whose works, like many other doyens of Bengali literature, are household names on both sides of the border.

The project is right now at the level of research into Jibananda's life and his area of activities starting from his place of birth in Barisal in Bangladesh where he taught English literature in the famous Brajamohan College and covering a range of places including Delhi where he was a teacher in Ramjas College.

"This is a dream project for me. At present, I am working at the research level. I hope to start the film next year," Ahmed told PTI from Dhaka, where he is based.

He said he has not yet finalised who will play the role of Jibananda. "I will take a decision on that when the film reaches the production stage."



According to Ahmed, "this film will focus on the work and life of Jibananada Das. It will not just be a biography or documentation but accumulation of the images and feelings, thus creating a visual poetry."



Asked where all he plans to shoot the film, he said most of the places like Barisal, Kolkata, Delhi, Bagerhat , Assam and Dhaka phases will be covered but may be in a nonlinear form.

Replying to a question as to what prompted him to make the film on the poet, Ahmed said, "Jibananda always inspired me. This film will be a tribute to him."



The director said his film production house Nakkhatra Chalacchitra has taken its name from Jibananda's poem and named many plays inspired by the poet's work.

"I hope to get the movie done properly and screen it to the places yet unaware of Jibananda's works," he said.

But even a veteran actor-director like Ahmed knows how challenging would be his "dream project" acknowledging funds are hard to come by for such work. "Everything is subject to the availability of proper budget," he said adding this "can really delay the time schedule."



After studying architecture from Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology, Ahmed secured a diploma from New York Film Academy and had training in direction from Royal Court Theatre, London.

One of the most popular faces on television in Bangladesh, Ahmed has appeared in several tele-plays and a number of feature films including five directed by veteran Tanvir Mokammel before trying his hand in direction. Ahmed directed four feature films including national award-winning "Jaijatra" (2004), based on the liberation war of Bangladesh which fetched him the national award.

(REOPENS BOM3)



In Punjab which is set for assembly polls next year, the opposition parties had accused the ruling SAD-BJP of using influence to "censor" 'Udta Punjab'.

However, Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal said the government had "nothing to do" with the movie and that the matter was between the producers and the Censor Board.

Badal's rival and Punjab Congress Chief Amarinder Singh said he has written to producers of 'Udta Punjab', requesting them to provide him uncensored CDs of the film to release it in Amritsar on June 17.

Film's co-producer Anurag Kashyap got support of BSP supremo Mayawati who said there was "nothing wrong" with 'Udta Punjab' and that the party supported it.

The I&B ministry had sought to distance itself from the controversy, saying the certification process was independent. I&B minister Arun Jaitley had, however, said radical changes in the certification process were in the offing.

The ministry had earlier formed a committee under filmmaker Shyam Benegal to look at the functioning of the censor board. The panel has already submitted the first part of its report.
Bihar BJP chief Mangal Pandey today criticised Nitish Kumar-led Grand Secular Alliance government for its alleged failure to utilise funds meant or 'micro irrigation' scheme of the Central government.

"The difference between the state government's deeds and words could be gauged from the fact that the Central government allocated Rs 49 crore to the state government under micro irrigation scheme in 2014-15 but it (state) could spend merely Rs 3 crore against Rs 35 crore which the Centre had released for the purpose," Pandey claimed.

Similarly, as per the report available till February 15 this year, the state government could not spend a single penny out of Rs 10 crore which was released by the Centre for micro-irrigation scheme in 2015-16, the BJP chief claimed adding that Centre had allocated Rs 20 crore to the state government for the purpose.

The Central government had made a provision of Rs 1550 crore for micro-irrigation scheme across the country in 2015-16, Pandey said adding that the scheme witnessed an allocation of Rs 2340 crore in 2016-17 which is a quantum jump of 51 per cent, next fiscal.

But the biggest irony is that the state government has not been able to spend the funds allocated for micro irrigation scheme, thus compromising with development and interest of the state and its farmers, he claimed.
A Gazan was found dead and another is still missing after the collapse of a tunnel on the Egypt border, the interior ministry in the Islamist Hamas-run enclave said.

On Thursday, rescue services said seven men had been trapped in the collapse of a tunnel.

Five were rescued, but "the body of Fadi Abu Dan was pulled out as the search continues for someone else," the ministry said yesterday.

On Thursday, a local civil defence official described the underground passage from the southern Gaza town of Rafah into neighbouring Egypt as a "trade tunnel".

The cave-in, the sixth since January, was caused by Egyptian flooding of the border zone in its campaign to stop smuggling, the official told AFP.

Since January 26, at least 12 Gazans have been killed in five separate tunnel collapses with both Israel and Egypt operating against the diggers.

An Israeli blockade severely restricts the movement of people and goods into and out of the territory, and Egypt's sole border with Gaza has also remained largely closed since 2013.

The passages to Egypt are used for transit of commercial goods, cash, people and, allegedly, weapons.
Brazil's embattled President Dilma Rousseff has called for non-violence on the eve of what are expected to be massive anti-government protests.

"I am appealing for there not to be violence," she was quoted as saying by Globo and other major Brazilian sites while touring the scene of deadly floods near Sao Paulo yesterday.

"I think all people have a right to be on the streets. And no one has a right to be violent. No one," she said.

More than a million people were expected to take to Brazil's streets Sunday to call for Rousseff's ouster over a corruption scandal and severe economic recession.

The largest demonstration was expected in Sao Paulo, the country's financial capital and main opposition stronghold. Earlier in the day, large demonstrations were to kick off in Rio and Brasilia.

There have been growing fears of violent clashes between Rousseff supporters and the opposition as pressure grows in Congress to impeach her.

However, Rousseff sought to calm tensions, saying "I think that tomorrow's event should be treated with respect."



Recalling her past as a leftist guerrilla who was tortured under Brazil's military dictatorship, Rousseff said: "We live at a time when people can demonstrate, they can express what they think -- and this is something we should preserve."



"So I am making an appeal," she said. "An appeal for peace, for peace and for democracy.
To demonstrate that communication can be delivered with good aesthetics, state-run plans to install 50 'zero base' mobile towers, which are better looking and multi-functional.

The concept of a 'zero site' is that it can be used as a Wi-Fi hotspot, street light and camera and the radio units can be hidden inside the pole or underneath.

"We are focusing on zero base towers as if you see in India, the skyline is scattered with so many towers and it sometimes become an eyesore. We are also looking for a tower which could have multi functionalities like it can work as an Wi-Fi hotspot, it can work as a light emission tower, it can work as a camera plus tower," Chairman and Managing Director Anupam Shrivastava told PTI.

He said during his recent visit to Mobile World Congress, he witnessed solutions provided by equipment makers Nokia, Ericsson, Huawei and ZTE regarding the zero base towers.

"We will ask for quotes from all these players for zero base towers...Initially we will begin with 50 towers to demonstrate that how communication can be delivered with good aesthetics and good looking features," Shrivastava said.

He added the cost will be a little higher than normal towers but as active infrastructure is allowed to be shared, the cost can also be shared among the operators and the city can look much cleaner.

"Slowly we can replace all ugly looking towers which are spoiling the skyline to a very good camouflaged eye soothing towers," he added.

The are expected to submit their quotes in March and in next six months, will come out with some kind of concept for the same.

The average cost to set up a mobile tower is anywhere between Rs 8-10 lakh.
Japanese tech giant looks to achieve 10% revenue growth by end of this year in India, buoyed by strong uptake of its commercial printers and imaging products.

The company, which posted a 6% rise in revenues to Rs 2,158 crore last year, is also looking to aggressively expand its retail presence and will add over 60 Image Square stores.

"We have seen a steady and consistent growth of six% for last two consecutive years. While it still is a small part of the global revenues, but the market here is growing significantly and is a huge bet for us," India CEO and President Kazutada Kobayashi told PTI.

India receives equal contribution from business-to-business (B2B) and business-to-consumer (B2C) segments towards its revenue share, he added.

Last year, commercial printers business for Canon India grew at about 12%, while cameras business was up six%.

"In terms of strategic focus areas for 2016, we want to further expand our commercial printers and imaging products business. Also, we will focus on the projector and surveillance camera business which was introduced in 2015," he said.

Besides, the company is also betting on India for its software business. "We have about 75 engineers at our Bangalore centre, which is among 5-6 such global research locations. It contributes to innovation at a global level," Kobayashi said.

The company is also expanding the number of its Image Square stores to 240 by year-end.

"We will take the number from 176 (at the end of December 2015) to 240 by this year end," he said.

These franchisee stores help the company tap into smaller cities and towns.
Nobel Laureate feels that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 'Make in India' programme will prove to be a "big disaster" if child labour laws are not strengthened.

In a letter to the Prime Minister, Satyarthi has said, "If investors are coming from foreign countries to manufacture in India and if your laws are so weak in child labour in comparison to international standards then it will become a big disaster".

Read more from our special coverage on "KAILASH SATYARTHI" Education can push GDP by additional four per cent: Satyarthi

He says that the 'Make in India' programme is a great move, but it also exposes a serious weakness of the country.

"Make in India cannot be successful on the toil, miseries and abuses of young children in the manufacturing sector," the 62-year-old founder of 'Bachpan Bachao Andolan' told PTI.

Giving the example of Apple, he said the US-based company faced a lot of criticism after allegations that child labour in China was being used to manufacture their products.

"In India, child labour is working because your law allows it. These big brands will be dependent on local producers who are free to employ children. But the international media and human rights organisations are not going to spare us," said the child rights activist who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2014 along with Pakistani activist Malala Yousafzai.

He was in Kolkata to support the Rotary India Literacy Mission.

On one hand, Satyarthi said, the government was talking



about a 'clean India', 'Skill India' and 'Digital India' missions, but on the other hand children were being employed in tea shops, slaughter houses, restaurants and hazardous industries.

His current concern is the Child Labour Prohibition and Regulation Amendment Bill where the list of prohibited occupations for children has been reduced to only three from the earlier 83.

The proposed amendment also allows children of any age to work in family enterprises or house-based industries.

"I am calling upon all MPs that please don't fail children again and again. The entire political class has to own up the responsibility of our children. If you allow child labour, you also allow unemployment," the Nobel laureate said.

Describing child labour as a form of modern day slavery, he said kids were preferred because it is cheap to hire them.

"If the amendment was passed it would become legal to employ children in hazardous industries like e-waste, zari/embroidery works, butcheries, tanneries, glass industry, etc.

"Even in family-based industries most of them are hazardous and most of the trafficked and enslaved children work under the garb of an 'extended family'. That is a big grey area," Satyarthi said while describing the Bill as "regressive.

The Bill would also go against the Constitution which makes education a constitutional right, he pointed out.

He started the fight against child labour in 1981 when India had no law against child labour. In 1986, Child Labour Prohibition and Regulation Act was passed. Till now Satyarthi and his Bachpan Bachao Andolan team has rescued over 83,000 children.

According to a report by the International Labour Organisation (ILO), there are 5.7 million child workers in India between the ages of 5 and 17.
China investigated 54,249 officials last year including some high-level ruling-Communist Party functionaries like the former security czar for corruption and punished over 1400 people in terrorism and security related cases.

A total of 22 Chinese ex-officials at ministerial level or above, including former party leader and security chief Zhou Yongkang, were prosecuted last year, while 41 were subject to formal investigations, up from 28 in 2014, China's Procurator-General Cao Jianming told lawmakers when presenting a work report on the Supreme People's Procuratorate (SPP).

Chief Justice of China's Supreme Court Zhou Qiang also said courts have concluded trials for Zhou and 15 other senior officials, showcasing "the Party and the country's resolute determination in cracking down on corruption."



According to the SPP work report, close to 80 former Chinese officials at ministerial level or above had been investigated in the three years between 2013 and 2015.

"We will continue to maintain high pressure on corruption," Zhou said.

All in all, 54,249 officials were investigated for their involvement in 40,834 graft cases in 2015, according to Procurator-General Cao.

The figures represent a slight drop from the year before, when 55,101 officials were probed in 41,487 cases.

They include 4,568 officials at division level and above and 769 officials at prefecture level and above.

Zhou also said, courts convicted 1,419 criminals harming state security, including those taking part in terrorist attacks and secessionist activities, in 1,084 cases.

The courts also stepped up efforts against criminals who instigated secessionist activities; who led, organised and took part in terrorist groups; and who spread video and audio products about terrorism, he said.

The SPP supervised prosecutors in Xinjiang and Tibet to better handle security-related problems, and worked with the SPC and Ministry of Public Security on proper application of law on terrorist attacks and criminal cases involving religious extremists, Cai said.

China has stepped security in Xinjiang province where the Uyghur Muslims are restive over the settlements of Han Chinese from other provinces.

In Tibet, Chinese security forces countered self immolation protests demanding the return of the Dali Lama.

Over 130 Tibetans committed self immolations in Tibet and abroad in the last few years, according to Tibetan overseas groups.

China's courts also concluded 19,000 criminal cases involving environmental pollution and undermining resources in 2015, up 18.8 per cent year on year, Zhou said.

Courts at all levels also concluded 78,000 civil cases concerning environmental protection, Chief Justice Zhou Qiang said in the report at the annual session of national legislature.
China will set up an maritime judicial centre to protect its sovereignty and make it a maritime power, its top judge said today amid escalating disputes with a host of its jittery neighbours over the contested (SCS).

Courts across China shall work to implement the national strategy of building the country into a "maritime power," Chief Justice Zhou Qiang told nearly 3,000 lawmakers of the National People's Congress in a report on the work of the China's Supreme People's Court (SPC) at a plenary meeting of the national legislature.

An maritime judicial centre will be set up to assert maritime rights, SPC said.

"(We) must resolutely safeguard China's national sovereignty, maritime rights and other core interests," Zhou said.

"(We) must improve the work of maritime courts and build an maritime judicial centres," he said.

Zhou said some 16,000 maritime cases were concluded by Chinese courts last year, the most in the world.

The country is also home to the largest number of maritime courts globally speaking, he said.

China is currently entangled in a maritime dispute with Japan in the East China Sea and host of in the SCS.

Zhou's comments came as China boycotted a tribunal of the UN Conference of the Law of Sea (UNCLOS) arbitrating on the Philippines's petition countering China's claims on some of the islands in the SCS.

Vietnam, Malaysia, the Philippines, Brunei and Taiwan have counter claims over the SCS, contesting China's claims of sovereignty over most of it.

Last week, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi termed the UNCLOS arbitration as tainted and said Beijing will not honour the outcome of the tribunal as it has "legally" excluded itself from the proceedings.

"The Philippines' stubbornness is clearly the result of the behind scenes instigation and political manoeuvring. This so called arbitration has become tainted and gone astray and China is not going to honour it," Wang had said.

China is also bracing for a major showdown with the US over the issue as Washington backed small countries' right to claim on the SCS and send ships and aircraft to assert freedom of navigation in the area.

Earlier reports said some 225,000 cases involving over 70 countries and regions had been handled by China's maritime courts in the three decades between 1984, when the first such court was set up, and 2013.

Close to 8,000 vessels, of which 1,660 were foreign, were detained and 663 were auctioned off during that period, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.

Zhou pointed to a 2014 case at a southeastern China maritime court involving a collision between a Chinese trawler and a Panama-flagged cargo ship in waters near the islets China disputes with Japan in the East China Sea.

The case, which was ended via mediation, clearly showed China's jurisdiction over the region, he said.
A newly constructed church at Kalapatti near here was vandalised by a group of men, police said today.

The incident took place last night when the accused, allegedly belonging to Hindu outfits trespassed into Church of South India (CSI) after pushing away the policemen guarding the place of worship and damaged its main door, furniture and altar, police intelligence wing officials said.

A case has been registered in connection with the incident, they said.

Meanwhile, a group of representatives of CSI today submitted a memorandum to the district collector seeking protection to places of worship of Christian community, in the wake of the attack.

They alleged that the church was attacked by members of some Hindu outfits as it was situated close to a temple.

They claimed that the church was constructed with the permission of authorities on a piece of land where a smaller church existed since 1948.

The church authorities were granted permission by the Madras High Court to go ahead with the construction and the police were directed to provide protection to the place, the memorandum added.
Five worker unions of state-owned CIL will meet Coal and Power Minister Piyush Goyal tomorrow to deliberate on various issues, including disinvestment.

Four central trade unions (CTUs) of the coal sector had earlier given notice to go on strike on March 29.

"Coal and Power Minister Piyush Goyal will hold meeting with the five workers unions of Coal India on March 14," Indian National Mine Workers' Federation (INTUC) Secretary General S Q Zama said.

Zama further said that during the meeting there would be deliberations on national issues including disinvestment.

"There is also likeliness that the issue of coal evacuation may also crop up during the discussion," he added.

The government had earlier said the unions are protesting divestment of the coal PSU, among other issues.

The proposed strike is likely to hit the production of the coal behemoth.

An official had earlier said the 10 per cent stake sale in Coal India (CIL) is likely to be deferred to next fiscal as the government wants to wait for stability in the equity markets for a better valuation.

The government had last sold 10 per cent in the blue-chip on January 31, 2015, at the floor price of Rs 358 apiece and garnered Rs 22,557 crore.

In November last year, the Cabinet approved 10 per cent stake sale in Coal India.

The government currently owns 79.65 per cent in the maharatna public sector unit.
Congress today accused BJP of trying to "usurp" the legacy of B R Ambedkar for vote-bank politics.

The BJP has no role models and icons so it was trying to embrace leaders like Baba Saheb Ambedkar and Sardar Vallab Bhai Patel who never liked their ideology, Congress general secretary Shakeel Ahmad said while speaking at a national level seminar held here on 'Dr B R Ambedkar and Constitution: Socio-economic Empowerment of Dalits'.

"BJP is trying to usurp the legay of Ambedkar," he said adding that "This is being done just for vote bank politics."



The Congress general secretary alleged that the RSS and BJP leaders were always "anti dalits".

RSS and BJP did nothing for the benefit of dalits, he alleged adding that the NDA government is working against the "interests" of dalits.

Former Union minister and Congress MP Kumari Selja said the BJP Government issued more than 14 ordinances but "deliberately" avoided ordinance to stop atrocity on the dalits.

She claimed that it was only after the pressure of the Congress that the BJP passed the atrocity bill.

Selja demanded a law to give reservation to dalits in the promotion.

"Atrocities on dalits have increased in NDA regime," she said.

K Raju, Chairman SC Department AICC said that Baba Saheb's role was not limited to the upliftment of dalits only but he contributed to all sections of the society.

He said that Ambedkar was interested for the upliftment of all sections of the society.

Former Union Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal stressed the need of economical empowerment of the dalits. And said the benefit of the reservation should reach to the bottom of the society.

Bansal said though the GDP of the country is increasing but the gap between the poor and the rich is increasing.

"We need to devise a system so that the people of the bottom level should get the benefits of the reservation," he said.

Former Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda said the Congress government in Haryana tried for the upliftment of dalits.
Dalmia Group of Companies' Vice Chairman Anurag Dalmia has been granted bail by a Delhi court in a black money case of alleged tax evasion lodged by the Income Tax Department.

The court granted the relief to 59-year-old Anurag after he appeared before it in pursuance to summons issued to him.

He was granted bail on furnishing a personal bond of Rs 50,000 with one surety of the like amount.

The court also directed him to inform it whenever he leaves the country.

The court also granted bail to businessman Parag Dalmia, also summoned as accused in a separate black money case of alleged tax evasion, on furnishing of bail bond of Rs 50,000 and surety of like amount.

As per the department, Parag is the director of Dalmia Infrastructure Pvt Ltd and Globus Estates Pvt Ltd. He is not associated with the Dalmia Group of Companies.

The court has now fixed both the cases for May 18 for scrutiny of documents and recording of pre-charge evidence.

Regarding Anurag, the department has filed two similar complaints for years 2006 and 2007, alleging he was holding a foreign bank account but did not disclose it in his income tax returns and there were undisclosed deposits in the account.

It claimed that the account maintained at HSBC Bank, Switzerland, was opened in November 2000 by Anurag but on being confronted, he denied having any such foreign account.

The complaint said the total balance in the bank account as on March 31, 2006 was over USD 62 lakh (Rs 27.9 crore) and USD 22 lakh (Rs 14.17 crore) as on March 31, 2007 in addition to the interest.

Regarding Parag, the department claimed he was maintaining a bank account with HSBC Bank, Geneva, which was opened in October, 1998 and the balance in the account was about USD 2.7 lakh which amounts to Rs 1.2 crore as on March 31, 2006 in addition to the interest.

When confronted, Parag refused to comment on the issue of having foreign bank account, the income tax department's complaint alleged.

The complaints were filed by the department in January under sections 276 (c)(1) (wilful attempt to evade tax), 276(d) (failure to produce accounts and documents) and 277 (false statement in verification) of the IT Act.
At least 17 suspected al-Qaeda militants and two policemen have been killed in two days of clashes in Aden, the temporary base of Yemen's government, security sources said.

The clashes, which resumed early today, came as loyalist forces pressed an offensive to retake third city Taez in the southwest of Yemen which has been under siege for months by Huthi rebels.

The fighting in Aden raged in the jihadist stronghold of Mansura, a residential area which loyalist forces backed by aircraft from a Saudi-led coalition have been trying to recapture since yesterday.

Coalition fighter jets and Apache helicopters carried out air strikes overnight that hit at least three vehicles and a local council office occupied by the jihadists, security sources said.

"At least 17 al-Qaeda fighters and two policemen have been killed since yesterday," a security official told AFP, adding that most of the jihadists were killed in air raids.

Dozens of gunmen in balaclavas carrying the al-Qaeda flag deployed to push back police trying to enter the central Aden neighbourhood, witnesses said.

The police said in a statement that fighting against the "armed terrorist gangs in Mansura will continue to ensure the safety of residents" in Yemen's main southern city.

Security sources estimate that around 300 heavily armed al-Qaeda fighters are entrenched in Mansura.

Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group have taken advantage of the conflict between Iran-backed Huthi insurgents and pro-government forces to reinforce their presence in the south, including in Aden.

Meanwhile, pro-government forces clashed with Huthi rebels today as they tried to break a siege of Taez after retaking the city's southern and western suburbs on Friday, loyalist military sources said.

Coalition aircraft provided support and hit a military convoy that was trying to bring reinforcements to the rebels, the sources said.

At least 94 people have been killed in the offensive since Friday, including 24 rebels, nine loyalist forces and four civilians, the sources added.

Officials are hoping to break the siege in order to deliver desperately needed humanitarian aid to the nearly 200,000 residents trapped in Taez.

More than 6,100 people have died, half of them civilians since the coalition launched air strikes against the Shiite rebels and their allies in March 2015, according to the UN.

US Secretary of State John Kerry yesterday said that he and Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir had agreed to work towards a ceasefire in Yemen.
Thousands of Chinese miners who say they have not been paid for months staged a rare protest in a northeastern city, days after the provincial governor made the apparently false claim that no miner working for the province's largest publicly owned mining company was owed any back wages.

Angry miners from Longmay Mining Holding Group Co Ltd and their family members marched through the city of Shuangyashan yesterday and gathered in front of the company's local offices.

In response, the government of Heilongjiang province issued a statement yesterday night acknowledging that many Longmay employees are owed wages and benefits, backtracking from Governor Lu Hao's assertions earlier this month.

The protest and the change in the government's stance underline the sensitivity of the employment issue, as Chinese miners and others in state industries are losing their jobs or seeing their pay drastically cut. China's massive state-owned mining companies are struggling to boost efficiency and reduce their payrolls amid a severe slump in coal demand brought on by sharply slowing economic growth.

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang has told the annual legislature, which convenes in Beijing this week, that 100 billion yuan (USD 15 billion) has been set aside, primarily to assist workers who should be diverted from industries such as coal and steel, reducing their capacities.

The pain is particularly acute in China's northeastern rustbelt, where Heilongjiang is located. Its biggest state-owned mining company, Longmay, reduced its work force by 22,500 people recently, according to state media reports.

Longmay reportedly owed 800 million yuan (USD 123 million) in back pay for 2014. A lengthy investigative article by China's leading financial group, Caijing, reported in January that pay for Longmay workers has been continually cut, and even those reduced wages had not been paid for three to four months.

Then on March 6, Lu, considered a rising political star, said at the national legislature's annual session that the annual payrolls of Longmay are 10 billion yuan (USD 1.5 billion), about a third of the fiscal budget for the provincial government.

But despite the challenges, Longmay's 80,000 miners hadn't received a single cut in wages and all were paid on time, the governor said. The remarks seemed aimed at showing that Longmay and the province were meeting the leadership's expectations for competently handling economic challenges.
Despite the Chief Justice of India voicing reservations over a proposal for audio-video recording of court proceedings to enhance transparency and discourage witnesses from retracting statements, the government has requested him to consider the issue afresh.

The matter had came up for discussion at a meeting of the e-Committee of the on January 8, 2014.

Read more from our special coverage on "SUPREME COURT" Supreme Court says corruption law applicable on top private bankers, too

The then Chief Justice of India had advised deferment of the audio-video recording of court proccedings as he wanted the issue to be discussed with the judges of the apex court and 24 high courts.

Law Minister D V Sadananda Gowda wrote ot the CJI on July 10 last and again on January 20 this year requesting him to consider the issue afresh.

The Law Ministry says it has been receiving suggestions favouring audio-video recording of proceedings for greater transparency.

The facility is being mooted for introduction in subordinate courts to begin with. The proposed electronic recording of court proceedings would usher in transparency as it would discourage witnesses from going back on their statements. Re-recording of witnesses' statements often leads to unwarranted delay in trials and adds to the pendency list, says the agenda note for the meeting of the Advisory Council of Mission for Justice Delivery and Legal Reforms.

There are over 3.64 crore cases pending in various courts. Of these, almost 3 crore are pending in subordinate courts alone, according to data compiled by the Law Ministry.

"...Allowing such recordings can contribute to transparency of court processes by allowing a precise record of the proceedings and at the same time discouraging improper conduct in courts and wastage of court time. The efficiency of courts can also be enhanced by maintaining standard system generated formats of routine judgments and orders, particularly in civil cases, which may be used by courts for quick delivery of judgments," the Ministry had said in the meeting of the Council.

The top court had last year dismissed petitions seeking approval for video recording of judicial proceedings. The view put forth was that our legal system has not reached the level where the video recording of court proceedings can be permitted.

A proposal to include audio-video recording in Phase-II of the e-Courts Project was placed before the e-Committee of by the Law Ministry in January, 2014, but it was decided that video recording should not be included in Phase-II of the e-Courts Project.
Art of Living founder on Sunday said parties should not politicise events having a bearing on the country's reputation and suggested that the media has been harsh in its criticism of the World Cultural Festival organised on the Yamuna flood plain.

He claimed that his Foundation has already received invitation from Australia, Mexico and other nations for holding the next edition of the event.

We need a certain maturity. I don't mind but I request all political parties. Whenever such a grand event is being organised, party politics should be kept aside. You should come together so that India's prestige on the world stage rises. It is not easy to organise an event of this magnitude.... It is a major thing... so that people from across the world can feel connected, the spiritual guru said.

People from across the world are amazed. We got a letter from the Australian Prime Minister asking us to hold the event there. They are ready to give all the help we need, from Mexico.... The countries are keen to host this event. At the same time, the international media is asking why the Indian press is so harsh towards this festival. I smiled and said that I don't know, he said.

Defending the organising of the festival on the flood plains of Yamuna, he said they would work for the rejuvenation of the river.

Replying to a query related to his statement that he would not pay the Rs five crore fine imposed by Green Tribunal, he said the NGT has made it clear that it was not a fine but compensation to rejuvenate the area.

The AOL founder said his organisation will come with up a concrete plan for conservation of Yamuna river.

We had consulted a couple of environmentalists before the event and they had said there would be no damage to the flood plains if this event was held. Further, we will also consult some environmentalists and work on rejuvenation of Yamuna with a concrete plan of action for Yamuna, he said.

He said they had initially thought of holding the event in a stadium, but then the idea had to be dropped because of the magnitude of the programme.

Any stadium would not have been able to accommodate these many artists and people, Ravi Shankar said as the three-day cultural extravaganza ended Sunday.

He said over 172 dignitaries from across the globe had come for the event, which drew intense criticism and also litigation over allegations that it damaged the ecology of Yamuna flood plains.

Questions were also raised on deploying army personnel for its preparation and the traffic woes due to the massive event.
A snowmobile rider has attacked two mushers and their teams in the annual Iditarod dogsled race across Alaska, killing one dog and injuring several others near the Nulato checkpoint.

Organisers said the deliberate attacks upon musher Aliy Zirkle and Jeff King yesterday resulted in a suspect being identified by the Nulato village police officer and authorities are investigating.

"It did not seem like an accident," King told the Iditarod website. "It seemed like an act of bravado and playing chicken. The river is a mile wide, the packed trail is 40 feet wide. I had lights on, reflectors on my harnesses, sled bag, two lights on my person. It really felt like an intentional attempt to scare me."



Nulato race official Karen Ramstead said the suspected attacker had been located.

"The driver of the snowmachine has been located," she told the Iditarod website. "As of now all the dog teams on the river are safe."



The morning incident began as Zirkle was approaching Nulato checkpoint. Organizers said the snowmobilers attempted to harm her and her team, with one of her dogs receiving a non-life threatening injury.

She reported the incident to race officials and authorities were brought into the case.

"The snowmachiner made three separate attempts, or passes at her, including turning around several times," said Danny Seavey, the brother of musher Dallas Seavey, in an Iditarod video. "She actually used one of the trail markers to defend herself."



King, who was just behind Zirkle, said he experienced a similar attack 19.2km ahead of Nulato that killed Nash, a three-year-old dog, and delivered non-life threatening injuries to two other dogs on his team, Crosby and Banjo.

"One of my dogs was killed pretty much on the spot and a couple others I gave first aid to the best I could and loaded them in my sled," King told KTVA television. "I kind of felt like a triage ambulance."



King requested and received medical attention at the checkpoint but he and Zirkle both plan to continue the race to the finish in Nome as planned, King with only 11 dogs remaining on his team.
Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump dons made-in-China shirts and ties, the US media reported on the controversial real estate tycoon who has blamed the Communist country and India for taking away American jobs.

Trump's signature line of men's suits, dress shirts and ties are made in China and the bulk of his eldest daughter Ivanka Trump's fashion line is also manufactured overseas.

Harvard professor and trade expert Robert Lawrence told CNN that it's not just Trump's products but over 800 items in the Ivanka's fashion line, including shoes, dresses, purses and scarves were also all "imported."



"In a recent debate Marco Rubio mentioned ties. But the ties made in China are just the tip of the iceberg," said Lawrence, who served on President Bill Clinton's Council of Economic Advisers.

He said none of Ivanka's clothing line appears to be made exclusively in the US and 354 items are listed as made in China.

"I talk about my ties in speeches. I'm open. I say my ties many times are made in China. It's very hard to have apparel made in this country," Trump, 69, had told the US network in an interview earlier.

The issue is getting renewed scrutiny as Trump wants to put a tax on Chinese and Mexican goods like clothing coming into the US to level the playing field and bring back middle class jobs. He said the tax could be as high as 35 or 45 per cent.

Economists warn this would ignite a trade war and could cause a recession.

Trump has repeatedly blamed China and India among other countries for taking away jobs from Americans and vowed to bring them back if elected as the US President.

"They are taking our jobs. China is taking our jobs. Japan is taking our jobs. India is taking our jobs. It is not going to happen anymore, folks!" Trump told his supporters last month.

The top five countries that America imports clothing from are China, India, Vietnam, Pakistan and Mexico.
Disciplinary action will be taken against teaching and non-teaching staff of Delhi University's Deen Dayal Upadhyay College if they post any official matter on social media, a resolution passed by college's governing body (GB) said, drawing criticism from some faculty.

The correspondence between authorities and teachers should not go in public domain as it not only lowers the prestige of the college but is also against the official procedures and rules, it said.

"It is advised the entire teaching and non-teaching fraternity to refrain completely from putting such comments in public domain and it will be seriously viewed as subversive of discipline," the resolution said.

The order has drawn sharp criticism from teachers of the Delhi government-funded college.

"This indicates the attitude of college towards transparency. Ironically, not only the communication college GB even has problems with Staff Association (basically teaching union of the college) notices to be placed on social media," a college professor said on condition of anonymity.

Echoing the concerns another professor asked, "Can the GB inform which official procedure and the rule is violated by bringing out the communications to public forum?".
WWE wrestler-turned-actor Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson paid a surprise visit to the patients at children's ward of Memorial Health hospital in Savannah, Georgia.

The 43-year-old actor, who was filming scenes for the R-rated reboot of "Baywatch" in the hospital, posted a photo on Instagram of a child named Aiden, whom he met at the pediatric specialty ward.

"I surprised the children at Savannah's Pediatric Specialty Ward aaaaand look at the concentration on lil' Aiden's face! We shot #BAYWATCH scenes at Memorial Health Hospital and thought I'd pop up to the ward.

"Awesome experience and THANK YOU to all the hard working and caring staff who helped make this visit possible. To all the kids I met - you guys keep smiling and staying strong. All the mamas and daddy's I met, y'all stay strong too...," Johnson wrote in the caption.

The "San Andreas" star has been updating fans about the progress of "Baywatch" by sharing pictures with co-stars Zac Efron, Priyanka Chopra, Alexandra Daddario, Kelly Rohrbach and Ilfenesh Hadera.

The movie will hit the theaters on May 19, 2017.
Deputy Election Commissioner Sandeep Saxena today held a meeting on the poll preparedness of the the two-phase Assembly Election in Assam on April 4 and 11.

A release by the state election department said Saxena interacted with all the Deputy Commissioners and Superintendents of Police on issues like security measures, basic minimum facilities at polling stations, transport arrangement for polling personnel, accommodation for security forces, IT applications related to the electoral process, etc.

Flying squads and Static Surveillance Teams have been active throughout the state to ensure that political parties or contestants do not indulge in any activities to influence voters,



The administration has seized 22806 litre of illicit country liquor and foreign made liquor from different parts of the state, the release said.
Election Commission of India Secretary Narendra N Butolia visited Kamrup district to take stock of the preparedness for the upcoming Assam Assembly election.

Butolia held meetings with Kamrup Deputy Commissioner and District Election Officer Vinod Seshan and other senior poll officials of the district yesterday, a government release said today.

During the interaction the ECI Secretary enquired about the 'E-Subidha' and 'E-Samadhan' and other poll related preparations and inspected some of the Cells constituted for smooth conduct of election process, the release said.

He also attended the training programme of the presiding and polling officers at DK College in Mirza besides inspecting some of the polling stations of the districts



Butolia expressed satisfaction over the arrangements done by the Kamrup District Election office for free, fair and peaceful conduct of the election process, it added.

Meanwhile, Kamrup district has become the path bearer in introducing GPS system in flying squad vehicles installing the facility in 12 vehicles for central tracking of the squad vehicles.

For creating awareness, to sensitize the electors, to increase the voter turnout, ethical voting and to create a free, fair and peaceful atmosphere in Kamrup District a road show was organised at Chaygaon constituency today.

The road show will be conducted in all parts of the district in coming days to motivate people with DEO Vinod Seshan planning several innovative ideas to increase voter turnout by motivating the electors, particularly the youth and women throughout the four constituencies of Boko, Chaigaon, Palasbari and Hajo.

To help coordination among citizens, voters, political parties and election related officials a toll free phone number 1800-345-3975 has started functioning at the DC office in Amingaon, apart from a round-the-clock Control Room with phone number 0361-2684404 and 0361-2684407, the release added.
Noting that raising the number of female police personnel will not help the cause of women empowerment unless they become economically independent, Telangana Director General of Police Anurag Sharma said today.

The DGP was speaking during an event organised by Telangana CID and Hyderabad Police's 'SHE Teams' to raise awareness on legal rights and self-defence techniques for women at Necklace Road here.

"There can be no real empowerment of women only by providing more number of women police stations and by posting more number of women in police stations and at help desks manned by women, unless they become economically independent. Only when they achieve economic independence they will become empowered," Sharma said.

The Telangana police chief said the state government has provided 33 per cent reservation for women in the police department, adding, "Therefore, we are going to see women SIs and constables in all the police stations."



Hyderabad Police Commissioner M Mahender Reddy said as many as 100 'SHE Teams', which keep an eye on eve-teasers, are working in Hyderabad city.

The offenders, apart from being booked are also counselled and their parents and other family members informed about them, he said.

The officers of SHE Team, who are in civil dress, are deployed near colleges and other public places.

Hyderabad police set up SHE Teams to crack down on eve-teasers and stalkers in October 2014 and it started operating from all over Telangana from April 2015.

A single SHE Team comprises a male or female sub-inspector, a woman police constable and three police constables who carry hidden cameras for video-recording.

"We are providing one lakh CCTV cameras in each lane and street of every colony, and all the cameras will be linked to the command and control centre in the police commissionerate, and any incident at any place will be immediately known within seconds to the police," Reddy said.

Tollywood actor Ram Charan Tej, who participated in the event, said there should be a change in the attitude of men towards women.

SHE Teams' songs CD and their website were also inaugurated by the DGP. Over 3,000 girls from different colleges, NGOs and others participated in the event.
Egypt's justice minister Ahmed el-Zind was today sacked after he made blasphemous comments in a television interview that triggered a public outrage.

Prime Minister Sherif Ismail fired El-Zind after he made blasphemous comments during an interview on the privately-owned channel Sada El-Balad on Friday.

His comments sparked a public outrage and several activists demanded his removal.

"Prime Minister Sharif Ismail decided to dismiss justice minister Ahmed el-Zind from his post," a statement from the Prime Minister's office said, but without giving the reason for the decision.

During the show TV anchor Hamdy Rizk had asked el-Zind about imprisoning journalists.

He later clarified in a separate interview that his remark was a mere "slip of the tongue".
October 15, 2022, Saturday

US President Joe Biden has said Pakistan is one of the most dangerous nations in the world as it has nuclear weapons without ...
Lamenting that decision making in India could have been quicker, mining baron Anil Agarwal has said his company filed a suit against government to help latter decide on price and tenure of Rajasthan oilfield faster.

Cairn India, a unit of Agarwal-led Vedanta Group, had in December filed a suit in Delhi High Court seeking direction to government to extend its contract for the prolific Barmer oil and gas block in Rajasthan as well as give a better price for crude oil produced from the block.

Read more from our special coverage on "CAIRN INDIA" Cairn India cant export excess crude: Centre tells HC

We have gone (to Court) to help the government... it can help them decide faster, he told PTI in an interview here.

Cairn sells Rajasthan crude oil at a discount of 25 per cent to the widely traded Brent crude oil. With 80 per cent of the revenue generated from oil sale going to the government by way of taxes, royalty, cess and profit petroleum, international crude oil prices will help it more, he said.

We are ready to give (oil) to the government at whatever price they fix. But when we supply to the private (refiners) we must be allowed international prices, he said.

Explaining the rationale for going to the Court, he said, it is a very genuine demand and we have been telling this to them (government) for the last two years but no action has been taken.

With global oil prices dipping to a decae low, 25 per cent discount is making things worse. So we thought they are taking time to take a decision and so let's go to the court, he remarked. The same indecision had plagued extension of Rajasthan oilfield licence beyond its current tenure ending 2019-20.

Same thing with the extension. We need to make a big investment for our expansion and need clarity about the licence before deciding on it, he said. The licence condition stipulated that if there is a gas discovery in the block with reserves to be produced, a 10-year extension is given automatically, he said.

We have produced (gas from the block) for the last one-and-a-half to two years. We have also notified them. But, it's not happening and probably with the court, it might help them, he commented.

Agarwal, who is the Chairman of London-listed Vedanta Resources, said his company didn't want to go to the court and wanted things to be simplified.

Asked if he was unhappy with the pace of decision making in the present government, he said, See, definitely everything can be better.



Prime Minister Narendra Modi's talk of Indian economy expanding to $20 trillion was possible but an atomosphere needs to be created where industries come up and lakhs get job. You have to simplify.



It is very difficult today to start a big company or project in India even though the government's intention is there, he said.

Asked if controversies like the debate on intolerance and JNU row deter foreign investors, Agarwal said such things also happen in England and there are issues like racism in America.

But, being a democracy you can't stop this, he replied. Definitely they have an effect. But if you simplify the process this thing will not affect.



With two-third majority, the BJP-led government's intention to take the country forward is absolutely there. They are very keen to get foreign investors. I would say that the Indian entrepreneur is the best bet for them, Agarwal said.

They should create more Indian entrepreneurs and support the existing ones. Foreign investors, of course, are very important, but what Indian entrepreneurs can do is more. he said



They have created telecom companies, established ports, bridges, etc. They can bring in bigger investors from outside through collaboration," he said.

Agarwal said all that is not touching the government is progressing like IT services industry, pharma and software.

"India is a democratic country and nowhere in the world democratic countries run businesses, except in India," he said referring to large presence of government through state-owned enterprises in businesses spanning hotels to mining.

In US and Europe, 80 per cent of the enterprises are board-run corporations and 20 per cent are family run businesses. "India hardly has any corporation. You have ICICI Bank, Larsen & Touubro, HDFC and ITC, just it," he said.

India, he said, is a land of entrepreneurs -- young, vibrant.

"You have to allow them to come in (to set up businesses in) very simple manner," he said adding Vedanta is only natural resources company in India while the country needs at least 10-15 more such firms to come.

Agarwal said the current oil low price scenario is time to reflect how costs can be cut by bringing in better engineering and better products.

"And I'm very pleased and believe that if we hold this ground for a while, we will be the biggest winner because we are a long-term player. I always tell my people that everybody is going to die, but we must die last," he said when asked about impact of low oil and commodity prices on his .

He said his are still making profits. "If you see, oil prices have recovered, iron ore prices are recovering and so are zinc prices. And as we are low cost, we will last longer."


Fishermen belonging to the coastal hamlets in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry have threatened to boycott the May 16 Assembly polls if the Centre does not initiate steps for the release of fishermen arrested by Sri Lanka and also their boats before April 15.

The decision was taken at a meeting of various Fishermen Association leaders here yesterday.

Talking to reporters, Fishermen's Association President Rajendran said in 2015 alone, about 70 fishermen belonging to various parts of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry have been arrested by Sri Lanka on the charge of fishing in the island nation's waters.

He said about 90 fishing boats owned by the fishermen have also been seized by the Sri Lankan authorities last year. The boats were valued between Rs 5 lakh to 30 lakh each depending on its size, he said.

If the Centre failed to initiate action for the release of the fishermen and the boats before April 15, the fishermen of all coastal districts of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry would boycott the Assembly polls and launch agitations, he said.
Five minors today drowned while three others swam to safety when a boat, carrying 13 children, capsized at Sigraila 'chaur' (low land area filled with water) in Kumhar Sang village here.

The five bodies have been fished out and divers have been pressed into service to find out the remaining five children, a police officer said.

The 13 children, residents of Kumhar Sang village, had gone boating for recreation when the mishap occurred, he said, adding three children swam to safety.

The deceased have been identified as Rupam Kumari (8), Abhishek Kumar (10), Jhitni Kumari (12), Chhotki Kumari (8) and Sachin Kumar (10), the officer said.

Deputy Superintendent of Police Virendra Kumar has reached the spot and is overseeing the rescue operation, he added.
Former councillor Kishan Pehelwan and two others have been arrested for allegedly destroying evidence in connection with the murder of two persons during a party at his farmhouse in southwest Delhi's Najafgarh area, police said today.

The other two arrested are Pramod and Yogesh.

They allegedly tried to clean the scene of crime after the incident, a senior official said.

The incident took place on Friday night, following which police arrested Joginder, private security officer (PSO) of a realtor.

Joginder allegedly shot dead Ashok Kumar and Fauji, who also worked as PSOs for other realtors in the area, after a heated argument at a party at Pehelwan's farmhouse where his PSO lives.

Pehelwan himself was not present at the party and rushed there after being informed about the incident.

The police were informed about the incident by hospital authorities who reported about two men being brought there with bullet injuries, of which one was dead and the other reported critical.

The second man succumbed to his injuries in few hours.

Pehelwan and others were summoned for questioning and arrested last night, the official added.
Four MCD employees, including two women, were killed today when the car carrying them rammed a roadside tree at National Highway-58 near Bhagenla village here.

The deceased have been identified as Surendra (40), Basant (30), Kamlesh (35) and Tanuja (30). They were all Municipal Corporation of Delhi employees, police said.

The incident took place last evening when they were returning from Haridwar to Delhi, they said adding, the bodies have been sent for post-mortem.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault today warned Iran of possible European sanctions over its recent ballistic missile launches.

"If necessary, sanctions will be taken," Ayrault said after a meeting with US Secretary of State John Kerry and several European counterparts.

Kerry described the Iranian actions - which the US has asked to be discussed at a UN Security Council meeting tomorrow - as a breach of UN resolutions.
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French investigators will today publish their final crash report on the Germanwings plane deliberately flown into a French mountainside by its co-pilot in a tragedy that raised unprecedented safety questions.

The BEA civil aviation investigators are primarily expected to make recommendations on the locking of cockpit doors during flights.

As a result of the Germanwings crash a year ago -- in which 150 people travelling between Barcelona and Duesseldorf died -- European aviation authorities have already recommended making it compulsory to have two people in the cockpit at any time during flights.

Some countries are opposed to the measure, however, with Germany's pilots' union believing it poses "risks that outweigh any supposed improvements in security".

In the fateful flight on March 24, 2015, co-pilot Andreas Lubitz locked the pilot out of the cockpit. Ten minutes later the Airbus 320 ploughed into a mountain hillside, killing all 144 passengers and six crew.

It emerged that Lubitz had been suffering from depression and had seen dozens of doctors in the years preceding the crash.

But under German law none was able to alert his employers to his state of mind and he was allowed to continue flying.

On the black box voice recorder recovered at the crash scene, all that is heard from Lubitz is regular breathing. He gave no words of explanation for his murderous course of action.

The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has already recommended stepping up medical testing for pilots, including more psychological tests.

BEA chief Remi Jouty said the French investigation had sought to identify the "systematic failures which led to this accident". The investigators had also looked at the "balance between medical secrecy and flight security".

The dead included 72 Germans, including a group of 16 high school students, and 50 Spaniards.

A German lawyer for some of the families of the dead said this month they intended to sue the training school in Phoenix, Arizona, which Lubitz attended, claiming it should have flagged up his psychological problems.

"The co-pilot interrupted his training there for a while due to psychological problems," lawyer Christof Wellens said. "He shouldn't have been allowed to resume his training."



Germanwings' parent company Lufthansa has paid 50,000 euros (USD 56,000) per victim in an initial payment and offered an additional 25,000 euros to each of the families plus 10,000 euros to each immediate relative including parents, children and spouse.
A great great granddaughter of Ganga Ram, an Indian civil engineer known for building a network of health infrastructures in both India and Pakistan before partition, is running for a top elected position in the US State of Vermont.

Seeking an inspiration from her great great-grandfather, Indian-Jewish-American Kesha Ram promises to make accessible health care and education as one of her prime focus if elected as the Lt Governor of the American State of Vermont later this fall.

Ram, 29,is the first woman of colour to run for State wide office in Vermont.

Vermont has been in the lately as its Senator Bernie Sanders is a Democratic presidential candidate and is giving a run for the money to the party's frontrunner Hillary Clinton.

"I was there (in India) last year. Unfortunately, I had to take my father's ashes to the holy river. But in the course of the trip, we were able to visit Sir Ganga Ram hospital, where my relatives lead the board of directors," Ramtold PTI in an interview.

Her father was born in Lahore but after partition the family moved to India and grew in Punjab. He came to Los Angeles for studies as a student where he met her mother, a Jewish American.

"Together they opened an Irish pub in Los Angeles," she said, adding that here she helped her father.

For her studies, Ram moved to the University of Vermont.

She was elected to the state House of Representatives at age 22 to represent the University District and Hill Section of Burlington. She has represented the district since 2009.

"It (Indian and Jewish heritage) really gave me an important foundation in terms of tolerance and being versatile, hoping to bridge different world," she said.

"Vermont and the country is at a very pivotal time when we are having conversations about whether or not keep our borders open and how to be a welcoming place for people from other countries. I feel uniquely positioned how to lead that conversation as some one with an immigrant parents with a diverse background," Ram said in response to a question.

Ram said Sanders gave her the "first big break" in politics.

"He invited me to introduce him and then Senator Barack Obama on stage when I was a student, when Bernie was running for the Senate seat for the first time. Ever since then, I have been very grateful to his leadership and his role in shaping, change and advocating for economic equality," Ram said, adding that for now she is very supportive of the message and energy coming from the Sanders's campaign.

Asked if the US is ready for the first woman president, she said yes.

"I believe; the US has been ready for the first US president. I hope, if it is not Hillary Clinton, people do not see that as the country not being ready for a woman president. The country is still having a conversation about gender equality," she said.
French investigators probing the Germanwings plane crash called today for clearer rules on the lifting of medical confidentiality if pilots show signs of pyschological problems.

The plane was deliberately flown into a French mountainside by its co-pilot Andreas Lubitz in March last year in a tragedy that cost 150 lives and raised unprecedented aviation safety questions.

In their final conclusions on the disaster, BEA civil aviation experts also recommended more stringent medical checks for pilots.

Lubitz, 27, who was suffering from depression, was allowed to continue flying despite having been seen by doctors dozens of times in the years preceding the crash.

"Clearer rules are needed to establish when it is necessary to lift medical confidentiality," investigator Arnaud Desjardins said at the launch of the BEA report.

"Several doctors in private practice had the information (that Lubitz) was ill," he said.

"This information was not passed on to aeronautical authorities or to his employer Germanwings."



The report also recommended regular analysis of pilots to check for "psychological or psychiatric problems".

In the fateful flight on March 24, 2015, Lubitz locked the pilot out of the cockpit of the Airbus 320 operated by Germanwings, the budget airline subsidiary of Lufthansa.

Ten minutes later, the jet ploughed into an Alpine mountain, killing all 144 passengers and six crew.

Despite being seen so many times by doctors, under German law none was able to alert his employers to his state of mind and he was allowed to continue flying.

On the black box voice recorder recovered at the crash scene, all that is heard from Lubitz is regular breathing. He gave no words of explanation for his murderous course of action.

The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has already recommended stepping up medical testing for pilots, including more psychological tests.

BEA chief Remi Jouty said the French investigation had sought to identify the "systematic failures which led to this accident". The investigators had also looked at the "balance between medical secrecy and flight security".

As a result of the Germanwings crash, European aviation authorities have already recommended making it compulsory to have two people in the cockpit at any time during flights.

Some countries are opposed to the measure, however, with Germany's pilots' union believing it poses "risks that outweigh any supposed improvements in security".
After declaring reservation for women in constabulary in paramilitary forces, they can now also be inducted as officers in combat roles in all five Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs).

The Union Home Ministry recently published new rules allowing women to apply as direct-entry officers in border guarding force ITBP, the only paramilitary which hitherto did not allow ladies to join in supervisory combat roles owing to its primary task of guarding the difficult Sino-India border.

Among the five of these forces, called the CAPFs, the Central Reserve Police Force and the Central Industrial Security Force have been allowing women to apply as direct-entry officers through the UPSC for a long time.

Two other forces  Border Security Force and Sashastra Seema Bal  were allowed to directly induct women officers in 2013 and 2014 respectively. By allowing the Indo-Tibetan Border Police to do so now, all restrictions have been lifted on women who want to don the camouflage combat colours of any of these forces.

"A notification in this regard was issued very recently by the Union Home Ministry based on a proposal sent in this regard by ITBP headquarters last year. With this new rule coming into effect, women can now apply for combat roles in any of the five paramilitary forces of the country," a senior officer said.

The officer added the decision was taken by the government in the backdrop of Home Minister Rajnath Singh recently announcing that women will soon account for 33% of constable-rank personnel in CRPF and CISF and 15% in the border guarding forces BSF, SSB and ITBP.

For the first time this year, a got its first woman chief when IPS officer Archana Ramasundaram was appointed the new Director General of SSB.

The Committee on Empowerment of Women, in its sixth report, had said there was an urgent need to provide due representation to women in paramilitary forces in both junior and senior ranks.

ITBP, which guards the 3,488 km-long Line of Actual Control between India and China, had recently declared that it is soon going to deploy 500 women troops at its forward border posts in the Himalayas.

"Women will be recruited as Assistant Commandants, which is the direct-entry level for officers in central paramilitary forces like ITBP. Once the induction is over, they have to undergo a training of about 52-weeks after which they will be commissioned in the force," the officer said.

The about 80,000 personnel-strong ITBP at present has about 1,500 women (nearly 1.75%) with the majority being in the rank of constables.

There are senior women officers in the border guarding force but they are in other service streams and not in a combat role.

ITBP officials say that while not having women officers as commanders was not a problem in the force, popularly called the 'Himveers', deputing women as leaders surely sends the message that they are second to none and can accomplish any task as well as their male counterparts.
Uttar Pradesh Tourism department has cancelled the 'Holi Mahotsava', it has proposed to hold on March 16 in Vrindaban, after residents of Barsana and Nandgaon villages threatened to not celebrate their famous 'Lathmaar Holi' expressing their reservations against the event.

Uttar Pradesh Tourism minister Om Prakash Singh ordered cancellation of the Mahotsava after a delegation of villagers, led by the priest of Nand Baba temple Sushil Goswami, met him yesterday in Delhi.

"The minister has ordered to cancel Holi Mahotsava which was supposed to be held on March 16," District Tourism officer Anupam Srivastava said.

Goswami and residents of Barsana and Nandgaon villages had threatened to boycott their famous 'Lathmaar Holi' if the Tourism Department went ahead with Mahotsava before they held their festival.

While the Department had decided to hold the Mahotsava on March 16, the villagers had planned Lathmaar Holi on March 17 in Barsana and in Nandgaon, the following day.

Though the District Magistrate had tried to clarify that the tourism department's programme was in no way meant to overshadow 'Lathmaar Holi' of the twin villages, Goswami and villagers had their reservations.

"We finally met the minister in Delhi on Saturday evening, and apprised him of the situation that cropped up owing to the proposed programme in Vrindaban without consulting the locals. The minister wasgood enough to cancel the Vrindaban programme," Goswami said, adding that the minister had given his consent to attend 'Lathamaar Holi' of Barsana on March 17.
Looking to put back on track three stalled power projects in Sikkim, the Centre this week will meet officials of the state government and PSUs to resolve issues hampering implementation of the proposed plants.

The three stalled plants  Panan, Teesta VI and Rangit IV  in Sikkim have total generation capacity of 920 Mw.

"Power ministry has called a meeting this week with top officials of Sikkim and PSUs like NHPC to resolve the key issues plaguing implementation of Panan, Teesta VI and Rangit IV power projects," a senior official told PTI.

"Centre has already shown its intent to complete these projects. The three projects have been awarded to private developers. Thus government would have to either incentivise these players or cancel their contracts after paying compensation for their investments," the official added.

The Centre is roping in the Sikkim government as the state has awarded these contracts and is also beneficiary of the projects.

Teesta VI project of 500 Mw is being implemented by Lanco Teesta Hydro Power Pvt Ltd.

On the status of the project, the official said, "The company is saying that they are working on it."

The 300 Mw Panan project is a joint venture of Sikkim government and Himagiri Hydro Energy Private Ltd. The state government was to infuse 26 per cent equity in the project. It is almost stalled.

The Rangit IV project of 120 Mw capacity was awarded to Jal Power Corporation Ltd in 2004.

"The developers are not keen to make further investments because they know that they would not be able to break even soon," the official said.

"They would have to sell power at over Rs 6 per units to recover their investment while power is available at Rs 2-3 per unit at energy exchanges. They will exit the project only when they would get good compensation."

The power ministry recently told Parliament that of 12th Plan hydro capacity addition target of 10,897 Mw, capacity aggregating 4,371 Mw is slipping, and 930 mw capacity is critical to commissioning during the Plan period (till March 31, 2017).

Based on the current status of projects, the likely capacity addition during the 12th Plan is 6,755 Mw, it said.

The factors for this slippage include disruption of works by locals, delay in regulatory clearance, land acquisition issues and poor geology, it added.
has got no love and respect for India as it put the country's reputation at stake by not activating a debit card of a couple trapped in a foreign country, the apex consumer court has said.

The Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (NCDRC) made the observations while asking the bank to pay a compensation of Rs 5 lakh to the Indian couple, who were stuck in Thailand and Singapore as the bank did not activate their debit card for 10 days in 2008.

Read more from our special coverage on "HDFC BANK" ICICI Bank serves notice on HDFC Banks HR head

The bank has got no love and respect for India. The reputation of India was at stake. Knowing fully well that Indians were trapped in a foreign country, it was the bounden duty of the manager to swing into action immediately. He committed an egregious mistake for taking no action for 10 days. It exposes the sloth and callousness on the part of the manager. This shows negligence, inaction and passivity on the part of the bank.Foreigners always complain that due to procedural delays, they do not want to have business relations with this country. The lackadaisical approach by the bank is surprising. The bank manager did not make any effort to straighten out the problem, the Bench headed by Justice J M Malik said.

The apex commission enhanced the compensation from Rs 50,000 to Rs 5 lakh to Chandigarh residents, senior advocate Mohinderjit Singh Sethi and his wife Rajmohini Sethi.

The bank and the branch manager have denied the allegations and claimed the papers submitted by the couple were not complete.

We are yet to get the copy of the judgement, but going by the media reports so far, we feel hurt by the choice of words to have been labelled anti-national or anti-consumer for purported lapse of this nature, a senior official in the bank said.

In its order, the apex consumer commission said the bank was at liberty to take action against branch manager Rajinder Patheja and at least Rs 50,000 may be deducted from his salary, out of the said compensation.

According to the complaint filed by the couple, Raj Mohini opened a joint account after depositing Rs 1.5 lakh and the bank issued a debit card with an assurance that they would face no difficulty in foreign countries.

However, in Bangkok, the couple were told the card was not operational. Thereafter, they contacted Patheja who informed that there was some minor discrepancy in the date of birth of the woman, which was to be rectified.

The couple were again stuck in Singapore as the card was not functional even then and they faced a lot of difficulties due to lack of money till they returned home.

The couple had approached a district forum in Chandigarh seeking Rs 30 lakh as compensation from the bank. The forum, however, granted Rs 50,000. Thereafter, they moved the state consumer commission which rejected their demand to enhance the compensation amount.

They challenged the order before the apex consumer commission.

While enhancing the compensation, NCDRC said that keeping in view the harassment and mental agony caused to complainant number one (Mohinderjit) and his wife, we are of considered view that the amount of Rs 50,000 awarded by the district forum, is just peanuts. A wearer knows where the shoe pinches.
Republican presidential front- runner Donald Trump today refused to condone violence and asserted that he is not responsible for actions by his supporters in the rallies.

"I don't condone violence," Trump told CBS' "Face the Nation" and took a similar stand on other Sunday talk shows.

"It is a shame that it happened. And I feel badly for everybody concerned. And we don't condone violence," he told Fox Sunday in another interview.

Trump insisted that there is provocation from the protesters in his rallies.

"The one guy was a bad dude, he was swinging, he was hitting people, he was a very bad guy, and the police came in and they really were very effective. And frankly some of the audience members had no choice but to be effective and I didn't mind that at all. Or they would have been hurt, frankly," he told CBS .

During his interview to CNN, Trump insisted that he tries to bring down the temper in his rallies and refuted strongly that he tries to incite violence.

The 69-year-old real estate tycoon's Chicago rally on Friday was cancelled amid chaos as rivals Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio blamed Trump's political discourse for creating an atmosphere of hatred and animosity. Yesterday, a protester tried to storm the stage while Trump was speaking at a rally in the US state of Ohio.

"I think, in many cases, I do lower the temperature. I tell the police, please take it easy when people are punching the police and trying to hurt people. When I say things like "I would like to punch him," frankly, this was a person that was absolutely violent and was like a crazed individual.

"I don't even call them protesters. I call them disrupters. A lot of them come from Bernie Sanders, whether he wants to say it or not. If he says no, then he's lying. Bernie Sanders, they have Sanders signs all over the place. And they're made by the same people that make the regular Bernie Sanders signs. They're professionally made," he said.
The operational capability of the Indian Air Force got a major fillip with the re-launching of two upgraded Advanced Landing Grounds (ALGs) at Ziro and Along in Arunachal Pradesh.

Air Marshal C Hari Kumar, Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Eastern Air Command said the facilities will further enhance the country's existing operational capabilities in Eastern Air Command, a defence release said today.

He said the capacity build-up will enable operations by some of the country's new inductions including the C-130J Super Hercules.

Besides enhancing air maintenance capability of the IAF in the region, the new airfield will also facilitate civil air connectivity soon, the Air Marshal was quoted as saying.

He also inaugurated the ALG at Along on the same day, according to the release.

The IAF took over the Ziro airfield from Airports Authority of India (AAI) in August 2010.

Consequent to the CCS approval in June 2009, the IAF embarked on an ambitious reconstruction plan to upgrade the existing eight ALGs, including infrastructure development at certain airbases in EAC's area of responsibility.

The ALGs for upgradation include Tuting, Mechuka, Along, Tawang, Ziro, Pasighat, Walong and Vijaynagar in Arunachal Pradesh.

Besides IAF, which operates all year round, at the ALG at Along, Pawan Hans also operates helicopters from here during non-monsoon periods.

With the inauguration of the ALGs at Ziro and Along, altogether three ALGs have since got upgraded.

The new runway surfaces and other infrastructures are being built to the exacting standards for any other modern airfield in the country.

Earlier, the ALG at Walong was inaugurated in October last year.

Three more ALGs -- Mechuka, Pasighat, Tuting - are scheduled to be inaugurated in the next three months, the PRO said.

The ALG project at Tawang, is ongoing and expected to



be ready this year, the release said.

The commencement of upgradation of ALG at Vijaynagar is expected to take much longer as there is no proper road connectivity from Miao to Vijaynagar for carrying materials, machinery and manpower.

The issue has been taken up at the appropriate levels by IAF authorities with the government of Arunachal Pradesh for an early resolution, it said.
Terming the India's fiscal stance as 'appropriate and sensible', the International Monetary Fund (IMF) said that investments in major infrastructure projects are right way to stimulate the economy.

"We consider that the fiscal stance adopted by India is exactly appropriate and a very sensible objective that has been set. It's just the right one that has been set under the given circumstances," chief Christine Lagarde told reporters here.

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley has in his Budget for 2016-17 stuck with the roadmap to narrow the fiscal deficit to 3.5% of gross domestic product (GPD) in the next financial year while raising public investment and focusing on distressed farm economy and infrastructure.

"We also highly value the investments being made into major infrastructure projects because we believe it is the right way to stimulate short-term growth," Lagarde said.

Such investment could be called short-term stimulus and will improve medium to longer-term productivity in the country, she said.

This also "means trying to eliminate as many bottlenecks as possible and reap the benefits of agriculture, manufacturing taking place in various parts of this very large and beautiful country. So their fiscal stance is right," she said.

India being a net importer of oil and gas, it is using windfall from low energy cost to finance infrastructure projects, which is a right stance from perspective.

With a solid business model and a population that is also growing, there is no obstacle to growth at the moment, she said.

"My message to you is that there is the potential for growth, there is a growing population, there is scale of markets, there is a determination to reform, there are technological breakthroughs and there is creativity in an economy that is clearly on a road to growth," she said.

While India is a net beneficiary of low oil prices, the only downside risk it faces is from asynchronous monetary policies and the spillover impact it could have.

"I think that clearly, India is mindful of preparing for that and is very attentive to its fundamentals in order to be able to resist that," she said.

Minister of State for Finance Jayant Sinha, who along with Lagarde addressed press after three-day Advancing Asia Conference, said it is India's turn now.

India has similar potential like that of the US and China to be able to sustain high growth rates for a long period of time, he said.

"Now, we are still in a GDP per capita which is quite low. So we have a lot of headroom in terms of GDP per capita growth and because of the reform to transform approach that our government has taken, we have the right domestic policies in place to be able to sustain this level of growth for a long period of time," he said.

Stating that the government was focussing on country's productive capacity, Sinha said policies being followed will enable India to sustain high level of growth for a long period of time.

Instead of an approach that blames global economy making it difficult for the country's economy to expand, the government is saying that India is a key driver, like the US and China had been in the past.

Lagarde said India is mindful of inclusive growth in all respects with focus on eliminating excessive inequality, including women in the workforce and removing obstacles for the future that is promising.
India is among the countries in the developing world that are successfully experimenting with innovative teaching techniques in an effort to spread learning across the nation, according to a new report previewed here today.

The Washington DC-based Brookings Institution used areas in rural India covered by education charity 'Pratham' as part of its research for the 'Millions Learning: Scaling Up Quality Education in Developing Countries' report, unveiled at the Global Education and Skills Forum (GESF) here this weekend.

The report, to be officially launched in Washington DC next month, found that Pratham's 'Read India' programme was proving an effective model that could be replicated around India.

"Pratham piloted the Read India programme aimed at students who are unable to keep up with the level of teaching in their classrooms. They organised extra tutoring for these kids and have come up with different ways of organising this. It has become very effective in increasing reading levels," said Rebecca Winthrop, director of the Center for Universal Education at the Brookings Institution.

The influential think tank also used examples from African countries to try and throw up strategies needed to scale up effective teaching practices in parts of the developing world.

"The good is that from the slums of New Delhi to the rainforest in Brazil, transformational change in learning is happening at a large-scale in many places around the world. How this change has happened and what governments, civil society, and the private sector can do to more actively scale up quality learning is the focus of this report," the think tank said.

Winthrop estimates there is a 100-year gap between education levels in developing and developed countries and with business as usual in the education sector this gap is not projected to change.

"Today, 250 million children around the globe -- many of them having spent at least four years in school in a developing country -- lack the most basic literacy and numeracy skills.

"Additionally, countries around the world are struggling to help young people develop 21stcentury skills, such as critical thinking and collaborative problem solving, which are increasingly demanded by the labour market," she warned.

The'Millions Learning'research concludes that scaling quality learning initiatives requires open, adaptive, and flexible education systems that fully leverage the range of skills and comparative advantage that various state and non-state partners bring.

Governments have the central responsibility for ensuring all children have a quality education but beyond that all stakeholders, from social innovators who can experiment and take risks to government agencies that are essential for any education effort to spread nationally, need to work in tandem.
The government is looking to harness the countrys 50,000 km of sea and river fronts as waterways and mulling innovative ways of financing to raise around Rs 70,000 crore to develop these stretches in the first phase, Road Transport, Highways and Shipping Minister Nitin Gadkari on Sunday said.

Parliament, by passing the crucial Bill to declare 111 rivers across the country into National Waterways last week, has paved way for development of these stretches as transport carriers. So far, only five of the river stretches were declared as National Waterways.

The government is committed to aggressively work to develop these as the environment-friendly mode of transport which is bound to decrease significantly the huge 18 per cent logistics cost in India.

India has its unique advantage. Its 14 of the states are bestowed with 7,500 km of coastline with 14,500 km of potentially navigable waterways. In addition, 116 rivers across the country provide 35,000 km of navigable stretches, Gadkari said. At the same time, we are looking at innovative ways of financing as we would be requiring an initial (amount of) about Rs 70,000 crore to develop these river stretches into navigable transport ways, Gadkari said.

Besides budgetary support, multilateral funds, public-private partnership and market borrowing would be explored. Access to funds such as the National Clean Energy Fund and the Central Road Fund will also be required because of environment benefit of IWT, he said.

We would not have any dearth of funds. In this years budgetary allocation, Rs 800 crore have been provided for development of waterways, while we can raise another Rs 800 crore through issuing tax-free bonds. Our ports will have profit of Rs 6,000 crore this financial year which will gradually increase. Besides, they have fixed deposits worth Rs 8,000 crore. A bank is ready to provide Rs 50,000-crore loan in dollar terms at a very low rate of 2 per cent, Gadkari said.

With all these measures, we will generate enough funds to revolutionise Indias waterways, the minister said.

Gadkari said by promoting water transport, logistic cost, which is 18 per cent in India as compared to barely 8-10 per cent in China and 10-12 per cent in European countries, will come down significantly.

The reforms in the sector would be visible in a few years, he said adding water transport was not only environment-friendly but also much cheaper as it costs Rs 1.5 a km to carry the cargo from road while the same stands at Re 1 from rail whereas through waterways it reduces to only 25 paise per km.

"One horse power can carry 4,000 kg load in water but only 150 kg by road and 500 kg by rail. One litre of fuel can move 105 tonne per km by inland waterways but only 85 tonne per km by rail and 24 tonne per km by road," the Minister said.

He regretted that the waterways had taken a backseat in India, with only 3.5 per cent of trade being done through the mode here as against 47 per cent in China, 40 per cent in Europe, 44 per cent in Japan and Korea and 35 per cent in Bangladesh.

He said of the 106 National Waterways (NWS) proposed to be developed, tender documents for development of eight NWs is under advanced stage of preparation.

For the remaining NWs feasibility studies are being undertaken as an advance action.

"For 46 NWs feasibility and detailed project report is under preparation and is expected by July 30," he said.

Apart from transport mode, NWs will have huge potential for cruise tourism, water sports, fisheries development and feeder routes.

Parliament on March 9 gave nod to a bill to convert 111 rivers across the country into National Waterways.

The bill provides for enacting a central legislation to declare 106 additional inland waterways as the national waterways in addition to five existing national waterways.

Before passage of the bill, responding to contention by some members that huge investment sand development of waterways were his tall claims, the Minister had asserted, "I do not make any announcement in the air... I promise if any of my announcements is not fulfilled, I will apologise in this House....You may even bring a Privilege Motion against me if my promise is not fulfilled."



When Deputy Chairman P J Kurien has asked him to refrain from throwing such a challenge, Gadkari said, "I am 100 per cent ready... We have already signed contracts worth Rs 1.5 lakh crore in the road sector. I am not dependent on budget."
An Indian-American scientist along with two of his other colleagues in the US has developed contamination-free meat from animal cells which will help in stopping large scale slaughtering of animals.

Hoping to go in for large scale commercialisation by selling meat grown from animal cells in the next few years, Uma S Valeti said the popularity of such meats would help stop large scale killing of animals.

"It is sustainable as well as cruelty free," Valeti, a cardiologist and co-founder of Memphis Meats, told PTI.

The meat grown by his team in the laboratory does not carry the health side effects like bacterial contamination, or high saturated fat or the big environmental issues that come along with it, he said.

"We are growing meat which is safer, healthier, more sustainable," Valeti said.

For developing this unique variety of meat without killing an animal, the Andhra-origin doctor said they took identified cells from the targeted animal that are capable of renewing themselves.

These cells are then provided with oxygen and nutrients such as sugars and minerals, Valeti said.

The meat thus can be harvested between nine and 21 days, he added.

Valeti, who recently received venture capital, said that they are working on beef, pork and chicken as these are the three meats that have highest consumption and also have the highest environmental and health impact.

They already had test runs for beef meat.

"We are motivated by the thought that people can buy it off the shelf," he said, adding that Valeti said.

"Our goal is to be in restaurants in three years and retail in five years. In 2021, we want to be in retail or even earlier," he said.

While the first manufacturing base is to be set up in the US, Dr Valeti said he is also exploring the possibility to establish a manufacturing foot print in India and China, as there are already some interest from there.

"The meat that we are growing is identical at the molecular and cellular level," he said, adding that his product detaches the concept of slaughter of an animal to eat a meat - be it beef, chicken or goat.

"Cultured meat will completely replace the status quo and make raising animals to eat them simply unthinkable," Valeti said.

Valeti, a cardiologist who trained at the Mayo Clinic, is associate professor of medicine at the University of Minnesota and president of the Twin Cities American Heart Association.

He founded Memphis Meats with Nicholas Genovese, PhD, a stem cell biologist, and Will Clem, PhD, a biomedical engineer who owns a chain of barbeque restaurants in Memphis, Tenseness.

"I grew up in a meat eating family. From the very young age, I always thought, why do we eat the meat the way we do," he said referring to the slaughter of animals to eat meat.
It takes examining over 100 alerts a day, analysing hundreds of bank accounts of suspected entities and digging deep into data about thousands of PANs at times to ensure that Indian securities market remains a safe place to trade, chief U K Sinha has said.

Terming securities market regulatory framework in India as much more robust than most other countries, Sinha also said that strong measures have been put in place to check any misdemeanors including misuse of instruments like P-Notes and also address the newer challenges as they come up.

Areas where challenges remain include those involving high-frequency trades (HFTs) and the commodities derivatives, he said, while asserting that was seized of these matters and has given itself a target to address all challenges for commodities in the next 5-6 months after which new products and players would also be allowed there.

He also sought to put to rest concerns that participatory notes were misused to bring back blackmoney into the country. He said sufficient safeguards have been put in place to check any possible gaps and is now in a position to identify and check details of beneficiary owners of such funds to the second, third and even fourth levels.

In case of any irregularities, Sebi can take penal action and also share the details with the tax department and other authorities for further action on their part.

Sinha, who was here over the weekend for an all-important board meeting of the regulatory body that was also addressed by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, further said that Sebi takes pride in the fact that there have been no instance of any major market misconduct for over a decade.

"We have had such cases in the past and we have learnt from that. We have been able to generate that kind of trust through a series of measures, our very enhanced supervision and also through our enhanced enforcement actions.

"The surveillance measure that we have introduced in our systems is highly sophisticated. It generates over 100 alerts every day and all of them are taken to the logical conclusion," Sinha said.

He further said that the matter was discussed at the board meeting as well and the members, which include nominees of the government and RBI, were informed that some of these alerts do not go beyond the first level because it finds that there was nothing wrong in those cases.

"The cases that we take to the second or third level, those are the cases where we have to look into hundreds of bank accounts.

"Those bank accounts are in dozens of towns and cities. In one case we had to look into 11,000 PANs (Permanent Account Numbers). This is how deep we have to go before we take enforcement actions.

"Sebi has been doing it and in the last three years, in case of ponzi schemes alone, we have passed more than 250 orders," he added.

Sinha also said that the Indian securities market's regulatory framework shines in comparison to some other emerging where there have been instances of the regulator getting into the job of interfering in normal market functions.

On the issue of P-Notes, Sebi's Whole-Time Member S Raman, who was also here for the board meeting, said that earlier it was difficult to identify the end-users of such instruments.

"But under the new regime, we have limited the rights for who can subscribe to these instruments to only two of the three classes of Foreign Portfolio Investors. These are sovereign funds and regulated entities. We have debarred others from issuing or subscribing to P-Notes.

"After November 2014, we further tightened the norms as we found that there was a possibility of a gap or some regulatory arbitrage that could have been misused. We closed that gap also. Interestingly, we took all these steps proactively and much before the SIT on black money came into picture. When they called us, we told the SIT that we have taken necessary steps to check any misuse," Raman said.

Sinha said that many people have been commenting on P-Notes on the basis of the information they had about the situation that was there years ago.

"It has been said PNs are a big source for bringing black money into the country. Prior to 2011, we did not know who were subscribers of P-Notes and who were the subsequent beneficiary owners. Now, by regulations, every month Sebi is getting the information who are the latest beneficiary owners of the P-Notes.

"Earlier this data was not available. We had cases including during the Ketan Parekh scam, where some Indians were able to bring back the money through P-Notes and they were putting that money in their own companies and jack up the share prices. Now that is not possible.

"Only two categories of FPIs, who are highly regulated ones, can hold P-Notes and they can not sell to anyone else. These are major safeguards we have provided," Sinha said.

Asked about the details available with Sebi, the chairman said these included every possible information about the end beneficiary and the source of the funds and these details can be shared with the tax department whenever required.

"We do not have all information on day to day basis, but every month-end all registered FPIs are obliged under regulations, which provide for penal actions for non-compliance, to share those details with us.

"Besides, we are getting signatory to IOSCO (International Organisation of Securities Commissions) Multilateral MOU and that provides that if we need further information and we need to drill down further and want to know further details about who are the persons behind the funds and where are they registered, we can get all the information," he said.

Sinha further said that Sebi has used this data to act against manipulators including those having misused the GDRs and FPI routes.

He also said that Sebi's P-Note regulations are very robust and much more stronger than norms for many other products concerning foreign markets, where names and details of end-beneficiaries are not available.

On flow of funds through P-Notes, he said they have as such fallen to about Rs 2.21 lakh crore and in percentage terms they account for just 10-12 per cent now.

"I believe that the funds coming through P-Notes are now only those where investors want a simpler process to invest.
A 30-year-old Indianteacher is among top 10 finalists selected from around the world for the 1 million dollar Global Teacher Prize to be announced here.

Robin Chaurasiya, who runs a not-for-profit school in Mumbai for girls from the city's red light district of Kamatipura, is up against innovative maths teachers from London and Helsinki and educators from countries like the US, Japan, Pakistan, Palestine, Australia and Kenya.

Chaurasiya, founder of Kranti School, refers to her students, aged 12-20, as "Krantikaries" (Revolutionaries) who are victims of trafficking and daughters of sex workers and many of whom have joined her in Dubai for the ceremony.

"I grew up in Seattle with a lot of domestic violence and abuse. My parents both had mental illnesses, I was a woman of colour in the US and a lesbian," Chaurasiya said.

"I feel I really understand where these girls are coming from. When we set out to heal other people, we are actually trying to heal ourselves. It has been amazingly healing for me," she said.

The top 10 finalists were narrowed down from 8,000 nominations and applications from 148 countries from around the world.

Chaurasiya said if she won the prize later tonight, she plans to take just 100,000 dollars of the 1 million dollar money to set up a proper school in Mumbai to reach out to other girls and boys from the city's red light areas and distribute the rest equally among her fellow finalists.

"As much as I connect with my kids so deeply and think they deserve the best education in the world, I can imagine all the other teachers feel the same. And while 1 million dollars is amazing, 100,000 dollars is also good enough to start building our dream school in India," she said.

The prize, founded by the Varkey Foundation and now in its second year, will see each teacher escorted on the red carpet by Hollywood celebrities like Matthew McConaughey and Salma Hayek and Bollywood stars like Abhishek Bachchan and Akshay Kumar to mark the culmination of the two-day Global Education and Skills Forum 2016 in Dubai.

"I want to congratulate Robin Chaurasiya for being selected as a top 10 finalist from such a huge number of talented and dedicatedteachers," said Sunny Varkey, the Kerala-born founder of Varkey Foundation.

"I hope her story will inspire those looking to enter theteachingprofession and also shine a powerful spotlight on the incredible work teachersdo all over India and throughout the world every day," Varkey said.
Iran's oil minister says US companies are welcome to invest in the oil and gas industry.

State-run Press TV today quoted Bijan Namdar Zangeneh as saying that "in general, we have no problem with the presence of American companies in Iran."



He said it is the US government that is "creating restrictions for these companies," without elaborating.

He also confirmed that Iran's state-run oil company has held talks with General Electric.

All sanctions related to Iran's nuclear program were lifted in January under a landmark agreement reached with world powers, but the US maintains sanctions related to Iran's ballistic missile program and its support for State Department-designated terrorist groups.
Top Islamic State group commander Omar al-Shishani has been "clinically dead" for several days after a US air strike in northern Syria, a monitoring group said today.

"Shishani is not able to breathe on his own and is using machines. He has been clinically dead for several days," said Rami Abdel Rahman, head of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

Abdel Rahman said the notorious red-bearded commander, known as Omar the Chechen, was in a hospital in the northern province of Raqa, IS's bastion in Syria.

A US official said on March 9 that Shishani "likely died" in a barrage of US-led air strikes on March 4 in northeastern Syria.

The official branded Shishani "the ISIL equivalent of the secretary of defence", using another acronym for the group.

Abdel Rahman at the time said the jihadist had been "seriously injured" in the strike on his convoy, but that he had not died.

Shishani was one of the IS leaders most wanted by Washington, which put a USD 5 million bounty on his head.

Shishani comes from the Pankisi Gorge, a mainly ethnic Chechen region of ex-Soviet state Georgia.

As early as May 2013, when IS was just emerging in Syria, he was appointed the group's military commander for the north of the country.

While Shishani's exact rank is unclear, Richard Barrett of the US-based Soufan Group has described him as IS's "most senior military commander", adding that he has been in charge of key battles.

Shishani is not, however, a member of IS's political leadership, a structure that is even murkier than its military command.

The lack of a US presence on the ground makes it difficult to assess the success of operations targeting militants in Syria, and Shishani's death has been falsely reported several times.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu today called on world powers to punish Iran after the country test-fired two ballistic missiles emblazoned with the phrase "Israel must be wiped out" in Hebrew.

Netanyahu said he instructed Israel's Foreign Ministry to direct the demand to the US, Russia, China, Britain, France and Germany the countries that signed the deal lifting sanctions on Iran in exchange for Tehran curbing its nuclear program.

Iran's Revolutionary Guard test-launched the ballistic missiles last week, the latest in a series of recent tests aimed at demonstrating Iran's intentions to push ahead with its missile program after scaling back its nuclear program under the deal reached last year.

Following last week's missile launches, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called on Iran to "act with moderation," and the US ambassador to the UN said the launches were "provocative and destabilising."



Iran's Foreign Ministry said the missile tests do not violate Iran's nuclear deal with world powers or UN Security Council resolutions.

A Security Council resolution last year removing sanctions called on Iran not to undertake any activity related to ballistic missiles designed to deliver a nuclear weapon.

The Israeli leader said world powers had pledged to prevent Iran from such violations. Speaking ahead of his weekly Cabinet meeting, Netanyahu said his demand for punitive action against Iran was "important as a test of the major powers' determination to enforce the nuclear agreement with Iran and, of course, we expect their answers.
Jammu and Kashmir government has released over Rs 415 crore for people whose houses were damaged in the floods in September 2014.

"The state government has released Rs 418.67 crore for electronic disbursement to owners of houses which were damaged in floods, under the Prime Minister's Development Plan-2015 (PMDP)," an official spokesman said.

In Srinagar district, Rs 234.16 crore will be distributed, in Samba district Rs 2.35 crore, inGanderbal Rs 81 lakh, in Budgam district Rs 39.12 crore, in Pulwama Rs 28.87 crore, in Anantnag Rs 48.94 crore, and in Bandipora Rs 17.16 crore.

In Baramulla district, Rs 17.61 crore, in Rajouri district Rs 22.63 crore, in Udhampur district Rs 6.97 crore, in Ramban district Rs 7.53 crore, in Kishtwar district Rs 2.38 crore, in Doda district Rs 3.03 crore, in Shopian district Rs 7.27 crore, in Kupwara district Rs 20 lakh and in Kulgam district Rs 19.08 crore will be distributed amongst the house owners.

The financial assistance is being transferred directly by the respective deputy commissioners into the bank accounts of the beneficiaries through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT), the spokesman said.

The spokesman said that the State Administrative Council (SAC) meeting chaired by the Governor had on February 25 decided to grant financial assistance under the Prime Minister's Development Plan-2015 at the rate of Rs 2.50 lakh for fully damaged pucca house, Rs 1.25 lakh for severely damaged pucca house, Rs 1 lakh for fully damaged kucha house, Rs 50,000 for severely damaged kucha house, Rs 20,000 for partially damaged pucca house and Rs 10,000 for partially damaged kucha house.

The Governor has directed that the entire amount of Rs 418.67 crore be transferred to the beneficiaries within seven days.
Jharkhand Chief Minister Raghubar Das today sought cooperation from all sections of the society, including opposition parties, to give more impetus to the ongoing development process in the mineral-rich state.

Laying the foundation stone of nine road and bridge projects worth Rs 255 crore at a function organised near Domuhani, a confluence of rivers Kharkhai and Swarnarekha here, Das said, "Even though we are majority in the state Assembly, we would appreciate support from the opposition camp to give more impetus to the development process."



"We intend to establish 'samvad' (interaction) with the opposition parties or any section of the society to achieve all-round development of the state and do not want any controversy," he said.

Das, however, warned that the government would not tolerate if anyone tried to stall the development process by launching agitation and blocking roads.

The government will not compromise on the issue of development and is ready to solve problems, if any, amicably across the table, Das said, assuring that inter-district/state road network will be developed in the next couple of years.

Stressing on the need for development of infrastructure in rural areas of the state, the Chief Minister flayed the previous governments for neglecting rural pockets in the six decades since independence of the country.

"We want to link people by developing road connectivity but some forces are at work to break the prevailing social fabric," he said and appealed to the people to keep a distance from such forces.

Das said improving inter-district/state road connectivity was the need of the hour as it would not only save travelling time but was also necessary for development of various sectors like including industry, tourism as well as generating employment.

(Reopens CES6)



Das said the Tata Steel has increased its capacity to



10 to 11 million tones and likely to enhance it further to 14 to 15 million tones as indicated by the Tata Sons chairman Cyrus Mistry during a meeting recently, Das said.

Though the government has already approved the company's proposed Eastern Corridor project in the steel city but it could not yet take off as the position of the company was not very good currently due to prevailing market conditions, he said.

Besides, the road projects would help enhance steel and cement consumption, which would improve the performance of the two sectors as well, he said while appreciating the team work exhibited by the ministers, government officials etc in carrying out the development process in the state.

Emphasizing the need for rural road development, the chief minister said Rs.2300 crores has been earmarked for the proposal in the budget as the government was committed to provide quality roads in the rural areas of the state.

All the MLAs irrespective of the party affiliations have been asked to recommend for improvement of 35 kms of road in the rural pockets, he said.

As far as Yojana Banao campaign that had been launched by the government to prepare popular budget this year, Das assured that all the proposal made by the villagers would be implemented particularly in the agriculture sector by April.

The state government was focusing on Agriculture, Industry, IT and Tourism, among other sector.

Speaking on the occasion, Jharkhand Food, Public Distribution and Consumer Affair Minister Saryu Roy has demanded for setting up of a Park near Domuhani river and promote water sports to attract tourists.

Criticizing the opposition parties move to stall the development work, Roy said the present dispensation was even ready to give credit to it but appealed them to allow the government to carry out the development process.

The principal secretary of Road Construction department, Rajbala Verma said only those road and bridge projects were approved which are ready to start construction work from the next day of laying foundation stones.
Underlining the issue of pendency of cases in courts, President Pranab Mukherjee today said the judiciary is yet to fully meet people's aspirations for "speedy and affordable" justice.

Inaugurating the 150th anniversary celebration of Allahabad High Court, he said justice must be "accessible, affordable and quick" for people to understand the meaning of justice.

The President said as an upholder of the Rule of Law and enforcer of the right to liberty, the role of the judiciary was sacrosanct and the faith and confidence people have in it must be always maintained.

"Though the Indian judiciary has many strengths, it is yet to fully meet the aspirations of our people for speedy and affordable justice," he said at the sesquicentennial celebration.

Mukherjee noted that the judiciary has played an important role since independence in strengthening the democratic framework of the country and maintaining rule of law.

"High Courts in particular have a unique position under the Constitution of India. They are not only guardians of people's rights and liberty, they also have the onerous responsibility of ensuring that access to justice is not denied to any citizen on account of economic or any other disability," the President said.

He said judiciary which is one of the three important pillars of our democracy, is the final interpreter of the Constitution and it must help maintain social order by swiftly and effectively dealing with those on the wrong side of the law.

"Our courts are today overburdened on account of number of cases pending before them. There are over three crore cases pending in various courts throughout the country.

"Out of these, about 38.5 lakh cases are pending in 24 High Courts. The pendency of cases in the High Courts has slightly declined from 41.5 lakh in 2014 to 38.5 lakh in 2015, but still have a long way to go," he said.

His remarks come in the wake of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's statement on the issue during the centenary celebrations of Patna High Court yesterday. Modi had mooted a novel idea of courts coming out with an annual bulletin to highlight the oldest cases being tried by them to help create sensitivity on pendency of cases in the country.

Expressing concern over vacancy of judges in High Courts, the President said out of a sanctioned strength of 1,056 judges in all the High Courts, the working strength of High Court judges through out the country was only 591, as on March 1, 2016.

"The High Court at Allahabad has only 71 judges, including the Chief Justice, against the sanctioned strength of 160 judges. Approximately, 9.11 lakh cases are pending in this court as of February 2016,a decline from 10.1 lakh cases in 2014," he said.

The President said the governments, judges and lawyers must work hand in hand to make justice a living reality.

"Justice delayed is justice denied. I am sure that the central and state governments will extend all support to the Allahabad High Court in its endeavour to reduce pendencies," he said.

Chief Justice of India (CJI), Justice T S Thakur said judiciary as an institution was facing challenges from outside and within.

"I am referring to crisis of credibility that we face today. Judges need to be conscientious of discharge of their duties, punctuality, judicial retribute and efforts to do their best is the need of the hour," he said.
With nearly three crore cases pending in Indian courts, President Pranab Mukherjee today said the judiciary is yet to fully meet people's aspirations for "speedy and affordable" justice.

As the huge pendency of cases caused concern, Chief Justice of India T S Thakur did not mince any words as he said the Bar at times has "not been very very cooperative" in disposal of cases even if judges are ready to put extra hours.

Justice Thakur also said that judiciary as an institution is facing crisis of credibility which is a challenge from within and asked judges to be conscientious of their duties.

President Mukherjee, who was inaugurating the 150th anniversary celebration of Allahabad High Court, said justice must be "accessible, affordable and quick" for people to understand the meaning of justice.

"Though the Indian judiciary has many strengths, it is yet to fully meet the aspirations of our people for speedy and affordable justice," he said.

The remarks by the President and the CJI came a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi mooted a novel idea of courts coming out with an annual bulletin to highlight the oldest cases being tried by them to help create sensitivity on pendency of cases. Modi was speaking during the centenary celebrations of Patna High Court yesterday.

The President said as an upholder of the Rule of Law and enforcer of the right to liberty, the role of the judiciary was sacrosanct and the faith and confidence people have in it must be always maintained.

"Our courts are today overburdened on account of number of cases pending before them. There are over three crore cases pending in various courts throughout the country.

"Out of these, about 38.5 lakh cases are pending in 24 High Courts. The pendency of cases in the High Courts has slightly declined from 41.5 lakh in 2014 to 38.5 lakh in 2015, but still have a long way to go," he said.

The CJI said he can assure the lawyers that if Bar cooperates, judges will be ready to sit even on Saturdays to finish old matters, especially related to people languishing in jail for years.

"At times judges feel that the delay in the disposal of cases is only because the Bar does not, at times, cooperate," he said.

Mukherjee noted that the judiciary has played an important role since independence in strengthening the democratic framework of the country and maintaining rule of law.

"High Courts in particular have a unique position under the Constitution of India. They are not only guardians of people's rights and liberty, they also have the onerous responsibility of ensuring that access to justice is not denied to any citizen on account of economic or any other disability," the President said.

He said judiciary which is one of the three important pillars of our democracy, is the final interpreter of the Constitution and it must help maintain social order by swiftly and effectively dealing with those on the wrong side of the law.

The President said the governments, judges and lawyers must work hand in hand to make justice a living reality, observing, "Justice delayed is justice denied".
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday sought Art of Living founder Sri Sri Ravi Shankar's assistance in cleaning the Yamuna river.

We are sitting along the banks of Yamuna river. We have taken several initiatives for cleaning it. If Guruji takes a little initiative ... Several governments need to come together to keep the Yamuna clean. The Delhi government and the Centre and many of its ministries need to come together.

Today (on Sunday), on the left side of Guruji is the Union government and to his right is the Delhi government. If he takes the initiative and pledge to clean Yamuna under his leadership, then I think this can be achieved, Kejriwal said at AOLs World Culture Festival.

I consider myself very fortunate that I could see this historic moment. I am thankful to Guruji. Jai Gurudev, Kejriwal added.

The World Culture Festival, organised by the AOL on the floodplains of Yamuna, is facing criticism from several quarters over ecological damage. The Centre and the Delhi government too have been criticised for giving the go-ahead to the function.

The Delhi Chief Minister said he is very selfish and is seeking help in two areas, include cleaning of Yamuna river.

Noting that the AOL volunteers are disciplined, he also sought assistance of its volunteers in Delhi government's functions.
US Secretary of State John Kerry said today that 600 fighters from the Islamic State group had been killed in Syria in the last three weeks.

"In Syria, over the last three weeks alone, Daesh has lost 3,000 square kilometres (1,160 square miles) and 600 fighters," Kerry said after talks with European allies in Paris, using another name for Islamic State.
King's College Hospital, one of the UK's largest teaching hospitals, will soon set up a 1,000-bed world-class medical facility in Andhra Pradesh's new capital Amaravati, Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu has announced.

"The King's College Hospital has agreed to set up a 1,000-bed hospital in Amaravati immediately and make it their headquarters as they plan to set up 11 hospitals in different parts of India," Naidu said here.

"They will manufacture equipment necessary for the hospitals in India itself.Not only they want to set up a world-class hospital but promote Health Tourism in India. The foundation for the hospital in Amaravati will be laid in the first week of June," he said.

King's College Hospital is one of the UK's largest and busiest teaching hospitals with specialised work in liver diseases and transplantation, neurosciences, haemato-oncology and foetal medicine.

A 'Health City' of 6387.67 acres has been planned in the capital and land has been reserved throughout the city for healthcare infrastructure.A medical academy and research centres are planned in the capital, providing access to workforce.

"Leading institutions like AIIMS and the Indo-UK Institute of Health have already shown interest in setting up hospitals in the capital," he said.

The Chief Minister said his government has set up an office for Amaravati in London.

"Vijay Goel, partner Singania & Co, a leading solicitor firm here, has offered to set up the office free of cost," he said.

The office will coordinate with investors and help them invest in Amaravati. Earlier in the day, Naidu visited the Special Gallery of Amaravati at the British Museum.

The Chief Minister also had a separate meeting with Non-Resident Telugus in the UK and they offered to adopt villages in Andhra Pradesh for speedy development.

Naidu said he planned to set up a Museum in Amaravati and get expertise from the British Museum.

The Chief Minister said his government would also set up Balaji temples all over the world.

"We want to set up Balaji Temples all over the world and promote Kuchupudi dance as part of religious and cultural promotion," Naidu said.

He said at a recent global investment conference held at Vishakhapatnam, a total of "Rs.4.67 lakh crore investment" has been promised by global investors.

"I am confident that a reasonable amount will come," the chief minister said.
Labour Ministry will soon launch an investigation into the provident fund contributions made by for its employees when the carrier was functioning, Union Minister Bandaru Dattatreya has said.

"We have not examined the issue so far. I will look into that. We will examine (all the issues)," Dattatreya told PTI.

Beleaguered businessman Vijay Mallya, who is facing legal proceedings for allegedly defaulting on loans of over Rs 9,000 crore from various banks, is currently under scanner by multiple agencies, including CBI.

An open letter written by women employees of KFA recently alleged that the company did not pay salaries, but kept depositing PF due to fear of action from the authorities.

Former (KFA) pilot Captain Kedar Wagh said the defunct company owes him Rs 45 lakh towards his salary dues.

He further said that many former employees are trying to come under one banner and start a legal battle for their dues.

"We are trying to form a group and approach the Supreme Court seeking justice. We have received positive responses from over 900 former employees. We are in the process of gathering more (employees on the platform)," Wagh said.

Meanwhile, EPFO's apex decision-making body, the Central Board of Trustees' (CBT), will meet on March 17 to take stock of the situation with regard to the investments the body made into index-linked ETFs (Exchange Traded Funds).

According to Dattatreya, the result has not been encouraging for the past three to four months despite signs of optimism in the initial stages.

"We (EPFO) have invested approximately Rs 5,000 crore in exchange-traded funds. For the first six or seven months, returns appeared to be better. After that, for two or three months, we don't see it as encouraging. Even then, we will have to wait and watch," he said.

"There may not be profits in the short-term. Even then we must go ahead in a cautious way. CBT meeting will be held on March 17, we may discuss the issue in that meeting," the minister said.

He further said that a meeting was held with portfolio managers and other stakeholders last week on the innovative methods to be followed for future investments, but no decision was arrived at.
An Israeli chief rabbi said that knife-wielding attackers should be killed, after a call by the head of the armed forces to not use excessive firepower in combating a wave of Palestinian violence.

"If a terrorist comes at someone with a knife, it is a (religious) duty to kill him - he who comes to kill you, kill him first," Chief Sephardi Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef said yesterday.

"Don't get all afraid of the courts, or if some chief of staff says something else," Yosef said in a televised weekly sermon.

This was an apparent reference to Lieutenant General Gadi Eisenkot, who angered some right-wing politicians in remarks he made last month that were interpreted as advocating a more lax approach to assailants.

"When there's a 13-year-old girl holding scissors or a knife and there is some distance between her and the soldiers, I don't want to see a soldier open fire and empty his magazine at a girl like that," the general had said.

Yosef, however, stressed too that assailants who were disarmed and posed no threat were no longer under the "comes to kill you" category and should be jailed rather than killed.

Since October 1, a wave of violence has killed 188 Palestinians, 28 Israelis, two Americans, an Eritrean and a Sudanese, according to an AFP count.

Most of the Palestinians were killed while carrying out knife, gun or car-ramming attacks.

The United Nations and human rights groups have voiced concern that Israeli security forces are responding to attacks with excessive force, but Israel denies the charges.
Sri Lanka today witnessed its third nationwide electricity blackout within six months due to technical problem which disrupted the water supply to many parts of the island nation.

Power and Renewable Energy Ministry Secretary Suren Batagoda said the cause of the island-wide power failure could be due to the tripping of a substation in Biyagama, Daily Mirror reported.

He said that engineers from the Ceylon Electricity Board were trying to find out the exact cause behind the blackout.

Water distribution from the Ambatale water distribution tank was disrupted owing to the power failure, the National Water Supply and Drainage Board said.

The nationwide electricity failure comes just weeks after a similar outage took place on February 25, prompting Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe to appoint a five-member committee to investigate the matter.

In September last year, a similar power blackout was reported due to technical problem.
In a significant ruling, the Bombay High Court has held that legal heirs of a deceased convict are liable to pay fines and compensation, imposed by the trial courts, from the properties left behind by him.

The judgement was delivered by Justice Shalini Phansalkar Joshi, who observed that death of a convict does not discharge him from the liability of paying fine and compensation imposed by court, and this amount can be recovered from the properties left behind by the deceased.

The judge recently dismissed a petition filed by Shamim Sarkhot, a resident of Srivardhan in Raigad district of Maharashtra, praying that she cannot be compelled to pay the fine and compensation imposed by a court on her husband as she was merely a legal heir of a dead convict.

Shamim's husband, Saifuddin, was convicted by a magistrate in Srivardhan for not honouring a cheque issued by him to a local businessman in 2006.

The trial court had ordered him to pay Rs 25,000 fine to the state government and Rs 2.85 lakhs to the victim.

Saifuddin challenged the order in a higher court and during pendency of the appeal, he passed away.

The victim, however, approached the trial court for recovery of compensation and the magistrate in December last year ordered Saifuddin's widow to pay the amount.

Shamim moved the Bombay High Court by challenging the magistrate's order who had asked her to pay the fine and compensation from the estate of her deceased husband.

She contended that she was merely a legal heir and was holding properties of her husband under a will left behind by him. Hence, Shamim argued, she could not have been asked to pay the fine and the amount of compensation, as ordered by the trial court.

The high court, however, rejected her plea saying if a convict fails to pay the fine under the provisions of CrPc, the amount can be recovered from his properties.

The judge ruled that the properties of Saifuddin were now in the custody of his widow and all these came to her along with the liabilities of her deceased husband. Therefore, the order of the magistrate, asking her to pay the fine and compensation on behalf of Saifuddin, was legal and proper.
Lindsay Lohan's boyfriend, Russian business mogul Egor Tarabasov, has been proactive in rebooting the actress' faltering acting career, according to her father Michael.

Michael said Egor, 22, has been a positive influence on the star ever since the pair started dating in December last year, reported New York Post.

"Egor wants things to be in the right place for Lindsay and he's wise beyond his years. He has a lot of strong connections in Russia," Michael said.

Lindsay, 29, has struggled to land roles in recent years after her career was thrown into turmoil amid accusations of drink and drug abuse, as well as a spate of convictions for driving under influence and violating the terms of her probation, and a rehab stint.

Her professional life took a hit while she was filming TV biopic "Liz & DICk" in 2012 when she was involved in a car accident, sustaining minor injuries which caused a delay in the production.

Later paramedics were called to her hotel room to treat the star with exhaustion and dehydration.

The series of unfortunate incidents led to a career slump, but Lindsay's father hopes Egor will help turn his daughter's fortunes around.

"He's not a good influence, he's a great influence. He is grown up with money but he is not spoiled, he is not the kind of guy to just sit back and spend his money. She may be older than him, but Lindsay is younger at heart.
Hundreds of thousands of Brazilians angered by corruption and deep recession flooded the streets of Latin America's biggest country to call for removing President Dilma Rousseff.

Chanting "Dilma out!" and often draped in the bright yellow and green national flag, protesters across Brazil sought to pressure Congress into accelerating impeachment proceedings against the leftist leader yesterday.

In Sao Paulo, the most populous city and an opposition stronghold, a sea of people filled the central avenue for a protest that authorities had said could draw a million protesters.

"We are at a decisive moment for our country. We are going to start the change now," said Rogerio Chequer, leader of Vem Pra Rua, one of the main organisers of the demonstrations.

Helio Bicudo, a prominent lawyer who once supported the government but helped initiate the current push for impeachment said "Brazil can't take being looted and robbed anymore, it can't take more incompetence and corruption."



In Rio de Janeiro, which will host the Summer Olympics in August, protesters singing and dancing to samba songs swarmed along the beachfront avenue in Copacabana.

Organisers said that hundreds of thousands attended, but police would not confirm this and there was no immediate way to verify conflicting claims.

About 100,000 people marched in the capital Brasilia, a police source told AFP. Some 400 cities all across Latin America's biggest country were staging protests.

Rousseff and her Workers' Party are struggling to hold on to power in the face of a probe into a massive bribes and embezzlement scandal at state oil company Petrobras.

Prosecutors' highest-profile target is Rousseff's key mentor in the Workers' Party, ex-president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.

Prosecutors have filed money laundering charges and requested he be put into preventative detention. Lula vigorously denies the allegations.

Rousseff is also blamed by many for the worst recession in decades, with the economy shrinking 3.8 percent last year and the country losing its investment grade credit ratings.

With divisions intensifying across the country, Rousseff appealed for demonstrators to refrain from violence -- and they did.

In Sao Paulo, many protesters brought their children, as if on a family outing, while in Rio demonstrators paused between singing samba tunes to buy coconut water from street hawkers.

Still, there was no disguising the anger.

"We need to get rid of Dilma, the Workers' Party, the whole lot," said Rio resident Maria do Carmo, 73, who was carrying a Brazilian flag. "It's not their time anymore.
The family of MH370 passenger New Zealander Paul Weeks is suing Malaysia Airlines in an Australian court for the "sudden shock" and "mental harm" they suffered after the plane vanished, a report said today.

Weeks, who was based in the West Australian city of Perth, was one of 239 people on board the Boeing 777 Kuala Lumpur-Beijing flight when it disappeared on March 8, 2014.

Next-of-kin had started to file lawsuits over the jet's disappearance as a two-year deadline approached last week, with some hopeful the court scrutiny could shed light on what happened to the ill-fated flight.

Under international agreements, families have up to two years to sue over air accidents.

Weeks' wife, mother, brother and sister were separately suing the flag carrier in the Supreme Court of Western Australia, according to Perth's The Sunday Times, citing five writs lodged on March 4.

They were seeking compensation for "personal injury, loss and damage" suffered as a result of "sudden shock" and "mental harm" after the disappearance, the Times said.

"The cause of the plaintiff's pain, injury, loss and damage was negligence of the defendant," the newspaper cited the writs as saying.

A fifth writ was filed on behalf of Weeks' two children, the report added, without disclosing the amount of damages sought.

Sara Weeks, his New Zealand-based sister, told TVNZ's ONE Sunday she just wanted to know where the plane was.

Malaysia Airlines also faces legal action elsewhere. In Beijing, relatives of a dozen Chinese passengers filed suits against the airline, Boeing, Rolls Royce and others last week.

The latest legal claim in Australia came as a piece of debris found by a South African holidaymaker in Mozambique in December was to be sent to Australia for analysis, South African officials said Friday.

Other pieces of debris found earlier this month have yet to be confirmed as from the missing jet.

Australia is leading the search for MH370 in the southern Indian Ocean. The hunt is expected to wrap up in June-July if the aircraft is not found in the target zone of 120,000 square kilometres.

No crash site has been located. So far, only a wing fragment that washed ashore on the Indian Ocean island of Reunion last July has been confirmed as being from the plane.
A day after office of a BJP worker, who had opposed Raj Thackeray's remark about burning the auto-rickshaws, was attacked by unknown persons, an MNS party office in Dindoshi area in north Mumbai has been allegedly attacked by BJP workers.

A BJP worker claimed that his party members attacked the MNS office to avenge last night's attack.

The office of a BJP worker and businessman, who had opposed Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray's remark about burning the auto-rickshaws, was attacked in Dindoshi late last night.

"Today's attack on MNS office by BJP members was to retaliate yesterday's incident," the BJP activist said.

When contacted, former MLA of MNS, Nitin Sardesai confirmed that his party's office has been attacked.

"MNS office in Dindoshi has been attacked. I am on my way to the site and only after talking with the party workers there, I can tell what exactly happened there," Sardesai said.

Officers of Kurar police station said they are investigating both the attack cases.

"No arrests have been made in any of the cases so far," police said.
Congress chief whip in Lok Sabha Jyotiraditya Scindia today termed the NDA government at the Centre as "non-serious" regime which has been "betraying" farmers and accused it of "failing" to keep the promises it had made to agriculture sector.

"The Narendra Modi government is a non-serious regime which is betraying farmers. It has failed to fulfil its promises to farmers, including enhancing Minimum Support Price (MSP) of their produce," Scindia said while addressing a farmers' rally organised by Congress at Sanwer, nearly 40 kms from here.

He said the growth of agriculture is on decline under the NDA rule as compared to previous UPA government.

The Lok Sabha MP from Guna constituency also lashed out at the state government led by Shivraj Singh Chouhan, saying it has also "cheated" agrarian community.

"The government has not kept its promises of waiving off farmers' loan and supplying 24 hours power to rural people. The standing crop of farmers has been hit since last three years due to natural calamities, including drought and hailstorm, but farmers are not being compensated adequately in MP," the former Union minister said.

Scindia also demanded that farmers affected by the natural disasters in the state should be exempted from paying loans and their power dues be waived off.

"Such farmers should also be provided seeds and manure at concessional rates. Besides, the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Guarantee Act (MNREGA) should be run in the areas where the crops were damaged by natural calamity," he said.
The BJP today said the Centre will extend full cooperation to Bihar for development works and the public display of bonhomie between arch rivals Prime Minister and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar was a reflection of the spirit of 'Team India'.

Stating that BJP believes in 'healthy competition', BJP spokesman Shahnawaz Hussain said that the Prime Minister and the Chief Minister should work together like Team India.

"It (their bonhomie) was a reflection of that only. When a player from south zone and north zone becomes part of Team India, they play together and pat each other," he saidModi along with Kumar and a host of other Union ministers participated in the inaugural function of the newly constructed Digha-Sonepur rail-cum-road bridge at Chhoukia village in Vaishali district yesterday.

Modi and Kumar were seen smiling and talking to each other on the dais during the function in Hajipur.

Declaring that the Prime Minister has worked like a 'statesman', Hussain said there should not be any in the name of development.

In response to a query whether anything was cooking with Nitish Kumar's party, BJP spokesman said "his alliance (NDA) remains firm".

He, however, made it clear that "We (BJP and JD(U)) have differences and will remain so...Our party has been agitating on the issue of deteriorating law and order situation in the state."



Nitish Kumar, who earned the image of 'Sushashan Babu', should try to establish rule of law in the state that has deteriorated in recent months, Hussain said, adding that what is happening (poor law and order) in the state is against his image and he should rein in both crime and criminals.
Director Neeraj Ghaywan, whose debut film "Masaan" created waves all over the world, feels the script of our movies are improving now.

The 36-year-old filmmaker said the recognition he bagged after the Indo-French co-production encourages him further to contribute to the growth of independent cinema with minimal resources.

The Richa Chadha-starrer has now been nominated in the best debut director category in TOIFA 2016, scheduled to take place in Dubai on March 18th.

"The TOIFA nomination is a healthy sign. It shows how films are being perceived in the current milieu," Ghaywan said in a statement.

"Even collectively, storylines of movies are improving in our industry. Credence is being given to films that may not be juggernauts, but have a soul," the director, who gave up a corporate job to pursue his passion of filmmaking, added.

"Masaan", also starring Sanjay Mishra, Vicky Kaushal, Vineet Kumar, Shweta Tripathi and Pankaj Thripathi among others, has three stories which are interwoven.
Two Members of Parliament and an NGO have sought central government's intervention to bring home the bodies of two fishermen from Gujarat who died in a Pakistani jail.

Veljibhai Masani, senior vice-president of Gujarat Fishermen Association, Rajesh Chudasama, BJP MP from Junagadh, and Parimal Nathwani, Independent member of Rajya Sabha, have requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi to expedite the process of bringing back the bodies of the fishermen from Pakistan so that their family members are able to perform the last rites.

The two fishermen were identified as Vaaga Bijal Chauhan, a native of Dandi village, and Ratandas Makwana, who hailed from Nanavada village - both in Gir Somnath district, Masani said.

Chauhan died on December 22, 2015, while Makwana passed away on February 8, 2016 while being lodged in a Pakistani jail, he said.

Both were caught in April last year when their boats allegedly entered territorial waters of Pakistan while fishing in Sir Creek area in the Arabian Sea.

In a statement, Nathwani said "Chauhan's body has been lying in a morgue in Pakistan since his death and it has not been repatriated to his native village even after nearly three months. This is causing much worry to his son Suresh and wife Lekhiben, who is bed-ridden for a long time."



Chudasama has written a letter to the Prime Minister's Office seeking government help in brining back the bodies of Chauhan and Makwana and handing them over to their families for performing the last rites.

Masani, a leader of fishing community, said Pakistan government should hand over the bodies without any further delay as a humanitarian gesture.

A week ago, Pakistani authorities had released 86 jailed Indian fishermen, most of them from Gujarat.
Medium pacer Paul van Meekeren bagged a career-best four wicket haul as the Netherlands picked up an entertaining 12-run win over Ireland in a rain-hit dead rubber of the ICC World T20 qualifier here today.

The rain reduced the inconsequential game to six over a side contest. Stephan Myburgh (27) helped The Netherlands get 59 for five in six overs before Meekeren provided timely wickets to restrict Ireland to 47 for 7 in six overs.

Both teams were not in the race to qualify for the tournament proper but the Dutch exit the tournament on a high after a consolation win today.

Left-arm spinner Roelof van der Merwe also picked up two important wickets for the Netherlands in what turned out to be an exciting contest after rain played spoilsport for most part of the day.

Amongst Meekeren's scalps was the prized wicket of the dangerous Kevin O' Brien, who was caught in the deep courtesy a spectacular running catch by Pieter Seelar.

Talking about his match winning effort, Meekeren said: "It's special, I'm not sure if it's happened yet. The captain told me to bowl short of length and into the stumps and it was perfect conditions for me so felt great. We had been preparing for this for the last three weeks, maybe six months, and it worked out well. I'd also like to thank the ground-staff, they did an excellent job because it didn't look like we were going to have a match earlier".

Brief scores: The Netherlands 59/5 in 6 overs (Stephan Myburgh 27, Peter Borren 14; George Dockrell 3/7).

Ireland 47/7 in 6 overs (Paul Stirling 15; Paul van Meekeren 4/11).
Nine persons, including three women and a minor girl, were killed when lightning struck them at different places in Madhya Pradesh during the last 24 hours.

As per MeT department, the state is likely to witness hailstorm, rain and thundershowers in next 24 hours as well.

According to police, Hala Patel and Laxmi Lodhi were today killed by lightning under Patharia and Hatta police station areas respectively, in Damoh district.

In another incident, a 12-year-old girl Abhilasha was yesterday killed when lightning struck her in Baldeogarh police station area of Tikamgarh district, Inspector C L Parihar said.

Two women - Rajkumari and Kusum - succumbed to their injuries when lightning struck them in Naryaoli police station area of Sagar district.

In Rajgarh, two persons - Satish Malviya and Mukesh Prajpati - were killed when lightning struck in Talen police station area.

One Rakesh Bhabar was killed in Raipuriya police station area of Jhabua district and while another person, identified as Lachi Uikey, died under Chhapara-Bhimgarh police outpost area in Seoni district when lightning struck them, police said.

Most of the victims died while working in fields, police said.

Rain or thundershowers are likely to occur in Bhopal in the next 24 hours, the MeT department said.

Hailstorm is likely to occur at isolated places over Rewa and Shahdol divisions and Katni, Panna, Chhattarpur and Damoh districts in the next 24 hours, India Meteorological Department's Bhopal Office Duty Officer R R Tripathi said.

Rain or thundershowers may occur at a few places over Shahdol, Rewa and Sagar divisions and at Katni, Jabalpur, Narsinghpur districts and at isolated place over rest of Madhya Pradesh in the next 24 hours, he said.

The inclement weather in the state was due to north west upper air cyclonic circulation and induced low pressure over north-west Rajasthan, Tripathi said.
Five teams comprising 50 ITBP personnel were today pressed into service to locate and rescue eight engineering students who went missing in bad weather near Chandrakhani Pass in Kullu district more than fifty hours ago while on a trekking trip.

The teams have been launched from three directions of Patnikhal to Chandrakani,Bijli Mahadev to Chandrakani and Malana village to Chandrakani, a spokesperson for the Indo-Tibetan Border Police in New Delhi said, adding inclement weather was hampering search and rescue efforts.

"The 50-member team with special equipment is encountering bad weather," he said.

Seven students of Institute of Engineering and Technology (SLIET), Longowal in Punjab, along with a former student of the same institute had left from Nagger on Thursday on a trekking trip and are missing for over 50 hours now.

Four rescue teams constituted by Kullu district administration are combing the entire area in the vicinity of Chandrakhani Pass but their task has become difficult as the footprints of the students on snow have disappeared due to fresh snowfall.

There has been no contact with the missing students and rescue teams are making all possible efforts to trace them, officials had said yesterday.

The search teams had conducted aerial survey by helicopters but inclement weather and stormy conditions thwarted their efforts.

The missing students were identified as Hitendra Sharma from Theog, Chetan Chori and Saurav Sharma from Ambala, Ankush



Kumar from Gurdaspur, Rohit Kumar from Bhagpat district in Uttar Pradesh, Anil Kumar from Hamirpur, Akshay Kumar Bura from Chamba and Bharat Prakash from Kullu district.
on Sunday blasted Seoul's accusation that Pyongyang had launched a series of cyber attacks targeting South Korean government officials, calling the allegation a "bullshit" fabrication.

Seoul's National Intelligence Service (NIS) last week accused North Korean agents of hacking into the smartphones of dozens of key South Korean officials, stealing phone numbers and texts.

The accusation follow claims earlier this year from the NIS that North Korean hackers sent phishing emails to the South's state railway authorities in preparation for cyber terror attacks on traffic control systems.

The North's state-run Rodong Sinmun newspaper lashed out at the hacking accusations, saying they were cooked up by Seoul to shore up support for controversial surveillance legislation.

"This is such shameless bullshit from the enemy forces who are obsessed with confrontation and political slander," read an editorial published on Sunday.

It added that Seoul was trying to use the "fabricated" threats to rally support for an anti-cyber terror bill that would grant the NIS greater surveillance powers on the internet.

The controversial bill, which critics say could be used against political opponents, is pending in the National Assembly.

Seoul has blamed North Korean hackers in the past for a series of cyber-attacks on military institutions, banks, government bodies, TV broadcasters and media websites as well as a nuclear power plant.

The US also said the North was behind a crippling cyber-attack on Sony's Hollywood film unit over its controversial North Korea-themed satirical film "The Interview" in 2014.

Pyongyang has denied involvement in the attacks and accused South Korean of spreading fabrications aimed at slandering its leader.

Military tensions on the divided Korean peninsula have been on the rise since the North carried out its fourth nuclear test in January, followed by a long-range rocket launch last month.

On Saturday, the North pledged to launch a "blitzkrieg" in the Korean peninsula, as the US and South Korea launched their largest-ever joint landing drill.
It is "not legal and logical" to dismiss a plea without giving any opportunity to a complainant to lead evidence, a Delhi court has observed while asking a magistrate to pass a reasoned order on a complaint against an IAS officer for allegedly using a false OBC certificate.

Special judge Anju Bajaj Chandna said observations given by metropolitan magistrate in the order dismissing the complaint against the bureaucrat and others were "premature" and the complainant should have been given an opportunity to lead pre-summoning evidence in support of his plea.

The court's order came on a revision petition challenging the magisterial court's last year order in which the plea seeking registration of FIR against the IAS officer and two others was dismissed.

Delhi-based complainant Mahesh Kumar had alleged in his plea that the IAS officer had got into civil services on the basis of "false, forged and fabricated non-creamy layer OBC certificate" and his father had given a false statement in an affidavit concealing his real income and position.

The magistrate had dismissed the plea on the ground that since the OBC certificate was issued after due verification, no prima facie case was made out.

The sessions court, in its order, held that the magistrate had rightly declined the prayer for registration of an FIR against the civil servant but the plea under section 200 of the CrPC (examination of complainant) should not have been dismissed without taking complainant evidence.

The court said, "It has been noted by metropolitan magistrate that no official document has been placed on record and OBC certificate has been duly verified but these observations are premature and metropolitan magistrate should have given opportunity to the complainant to lead pre- summoning evidence."



"Without giving any opportunity to the complainant to lead evidence, it was not legal and logical on part of metropolitan magistrate to have dismissed the complaint," it said.

It allowed the revision plea saying that, "complainant should be given an opportunity to lead pre-summoning evidence in support of his complaint. Only on consideration of the material brought on record by the complainant, the magistrate is to take decision by passing the reasoned order with respect to the complaint.
Author Shilpi Somaya Gowda deals with a slew of subjects like relationships, family dispute resolution and medical residency experience in her new book which is a love story spanning India and the US.

"The Golden Son", published by HarperCollins India, follows a young man through the three years of his internal medicine residency program at an urban American hospital in the early 2000s.

"While historical experience provided the inspiration for my story, all of the details of specific cases in this book are purely fictional, as are the village of Dharmala, India, and the town of Ashford, Texas," says US-based Gowda, who has also authored the New York Times bestseller "Secret Daughter".

Anil comes from a large family in rural India and as the eldest boy, he is expected to inherit the role of leader of his clan and arbiter of its disputes, dispensing wisdom and good advice.

Leena is his closest companion, a fiercely brave girl who loves nothing more than the wild terrain they inhabit and her close-knit family. As childhood friends, they are inseparable, but as adulthood approaches, they grow apart.

Anil is the first person in his family to leave India, the first to attend college, the first to become a doctor. Half a world away in Dallas, Texas, he is caught up in his new life, experiencing all the freedoms and temptations of American culture: he tastes alcohol for the first time, falls in love, and learns firsthand about his adopted country's alluring, dangerous contradictions.

Though his work in a gritty urban hospital is gruelling, Anil is determined to carve out his own life in America. At home, Leena dreams of marriage, a strong and true love like the one shared by her parents, and leaves her home to join her new husband's family in a distant village.

Then things start to go wrong: Anil makes a medical



mistake with tragic results, his first love begins to fray and a devastating event makes him question his worth as a doctor and as a friend. On a visit home, Anil rekindles a friendship with the woman who seems to understand him better than anyone else. But their relationship is complicated by a fateful decision made years earlier.

As the two old friends discover each other again, they must also weigh the choice between responsibility and freedom, and between loyalty and love.

"In India, there is a long tradition of settling disputes between individuals and families within a community. In its original form, the panchayat - the assembly (ayat) of five (panch) respected elders - was the inspiration for the name of the fictional village in this novel, Panchanagar. In less formal ways, I have witnessed the same practice of navigating disputes in my own family and that of others, usually by an elder male in the family," Gowda says.

"For the purpose of this narrative, I chose an individual, the eldest son of the clan, to be the arbiter; in reality, the practice of informal dispute resolution can be carried out in as many different ways as there are families," she says.

The author had generous help of many people, including patients, hospital staff, physicians, nurses, and current and former interns and residents at several medical centres across the country during her research process.

The fictional Parkview Hospital in this book is not modelled after any one hospital, nor is Anil's experience a perfect representation of any single residency program at a moment in time. Rather, it is a composite based on my research.

"While I have tried to remain true to the spirit of the medical residency experience, which has evolved significantly over the past two decades, I have also taken creative license to change some details and compress timelines to suit the narrative," she says.
President of NSCN (Unification), Khole Konyak has formally joined Isak-Muivah led NSCN even as NSCN (Unification) ordered his expulsion from the outfit.

Khole, who was instrumental in splitting from Khaplang-led NSCN in June 2011, in a statement issued from Delhi yesterday said, "I have realized and taken the right decision to join the only correct national line under the leadership of Chairman Isak Chishi Swu and General Secretary Th Muivah of the National Socialist Council of Nagalim."



"...I accept and acknowledge their leadership and completely support the present Indo-Naga talk as the only acceptable foundation for our nation's survival," he announced.

"No one should doubt about it that I am also one of those who are looking for the future of the Nagas and I am fully convinced that NSCN led by Chairman Isak Chishi Swu and General Secretary Th Muivah is the only future-oriented organization of the Nagas," he said.

Khole asserted that it is a fact to be acknowledged that NSCN is the authentic organization of the Naga people recognized by Government of India.

He further appealed to all the Naga people to join the "correct national line" under the leadership of Swu and Muivah led NSCN.

Meanwhile, following Khole joining NSCN(IM), NSCN (Unification) has appointed 'General' M B Neokpao Konyak, 'C-in-C', Naga army as its new President and Chairman after expelling Khole Konyak from the NSCN.

The declaration issued by the NSCN (Unification) stated that Khole was entrusted with the national responsibility on June 7, 2011 but on January 25, 2016 he left a written document vesting all powers and responsibilities to N Kitovi Zhimomi till his return.

He absconded from duty citing ill health and connived with the adversaries, the NSCN (Unification) alleged.
Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister today hit out at separatist groups for maintaining silence over the presence of Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) troops along the Line of Control in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

"How is it that Kashmiri leaders who have so much to say about Indian troops in J&K have nothing to say about Chinese troops across the LoC?" Omar tweeted.

Read more from our special coverage on "OMAR ABDULLAH" BJP hits out at Omar Abdullah for his remarks on alliance

After frequent incursions in Ladakh area, PLA troops have been spotted at forward posts along the Line of Control (LoC) on the Pakistani side of Kashmir, ringing alarm bells in the security establishment.

The Army spotted senior PLA officials at the forward posts opposite Nowgam sector in North Kashmir after which some intercepts of Pakistani army officers suggested that the Chinese troops have come to create some infrastructure along the LoC, sources in the know of developments said.
Opposition parties including DMK today voiced concern over the suicide of a farmer in Ariyalur and the police assault on another and sought action, including waiver of farm loans in the state.

DMK President M Karunanidhi alleged that the farmers were facing many difficulties in the AIADMK rule and said the government had not heeded to their demands on many issues despite their staging a number of protests.

Expressing concern over the death of Ariyalur-based farmer Arumugam, who allegedly consumed poison, Karunanidhi said there was a spike in instances of farmers committing suicide over loan repayment issues and urged them not to resort to such extreme steps.

With elections scheduled in another two months (on May 16), a new government will come in place which will redress farmers' grievances, he said in a statement.

"Elections are scheduled in two months. Be hopeful. A government that will protect farmers' interest will come. Then all your problems will end," he said.

Karunanidhi also demanded action against cops who had allegedly assaulted a Thanjavur-based farmer for non-repayment of loan, an incident which was caught on tape and went viral, prompting outrage.

Arumugam consumed poison yesterday after being allegedly ill-treated by some officials of the company that had lent him money to purchase a tractor few years back.

Officials of the finance company had come to his house on March 10 and had allegedly abused and insulted him in front of villagers, besides distraining his tractor.

PMK leader Anbumani Ramadoss expressed 'shock' and



'grief' over the two incidents and said that instances of musclemen being used by credit companies to confiscate property like tractor was not new in Tamil Nadu.

He said severe drought situation in many parts of the state had affected farming, due to which farmers could not repay loan dues.

He said that both Andhra Pradesh and Telangana had implemented loan-waiver schemes, which he said had resulted in a dip in farmers' suicides in those states.

Referring to his party's assurance of waiving farm loans if voted to power, he assured it will certainly be implemented if PMK was elected.

MDMK founder Vaiko charged the AIADMK government with not addressing farmers' issues including that of fixing fair prices for paddy and sugarcane.

He demanded action against the finance company "responsible" for the Ariyalur farmer's suicide and also demanded that the government sanction a compensation of Rs 25 lakh to his family.

He also assured that if his party-led People's Welfare Front was voted to power, it will take all steps to end farmers' problems relating to loans.

TMC leader GK Vasan also called for waiver of farm loans, besides seeking a compensation of Rs 10 lakh for Arumugam's family.
Mumbai attack mastermind Hafiz Mohammad Saeed today criticised the Nawaz Sharif government for banning the coverage of his Jamaat-ud-Dawah (JuD) in Pakistani media, claiming it was under the direction of the US that such a step was taken.

"The order to ban the JuD (on media) has not come from Islamabad but from Washington," he said in a statement issued here.

ThePakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority on November 2 had restrained all Pakistani television channels from "all kinds of coverage" of the JuD, its front Falah-e- Insaniat Foundation and about 60 other proscribed organisations and their leaders.

The 66-year-old - who orchestrated the 2008 Mumbai terror attack in which 166 people were killed but roams around freely in Pakistan - also questioned the 'liberal agenda' Sharif is trying to 'impose' in Pakistan for which he is being praised in the Western media, in an apparent reference to a recent Washington Post article.

The Post had praised Sharif for his liberal agenda, saying the "shift in tone can be traced to Sharif's ambitious economic agenda, the influence his 42-year-old daughter (Maryam Nawaz) has over him, and his awareness that Pakistan remains the butt of jokes, according to his friends, senior government officials and analysts".
Questioning the recent arrest of a 75-year-old veteran by Gurgaon Police in a cheating case, a group of protesting ex-servicemen today vowed to continue their campaign on 'One Rank one Pension' scheme and said they will not be cowed down by the "vendetta action".

"This case has nothing to do with OROP. It relates to a complaint first made in 2013 which has been rejected twice by the police and once by the Gurgaon Sessions Court.

"Now again it has cropped up and the Gurgaon Police arrested a veteran," Col Anil Kaul (Retd), spokesperson of Indian Ex Servicemen Movement (IESM), said.

Wing Commander C K Sharma (Retd) was arrested on March 10 after being booked under sections 420 (cheating), 406 (punishment for criminal breach of trust) and 34 (acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention) of IPC.

The allegations are that he along with others was involved in financial bungling in the accounts of IESM, which was spearheading the agitation for 'One Rank One Pension'.

"This is nothing but vendetta against us.However, we will continue our fight for OROP," Kaul said.

Sharma's daughter Nisha is upset that her father was picked up late at night and forcibly taken to the police station "like a criminal".

"I fail to understand what the need was to arrest him when previously the complaint has been rejected," she has said.

An FIR was registered against Sharma on the directions of the magistrate following a complaint by Lt Gen Raj Kadiyan (Retd), the former chairman of Indian Ex-Servicemen Movement (IESM), who had alleged that the officer siphoned off Rs 14 lakh from the accounts of the organisation.

Police had registered a case against three persons on February 8 after Kadiyan in a complaint alleged that "they had taken a lot of cash from the society funds between January and July 2013".

The threeare Sharma, Maj Gen (retd) Satbir Singh and Group Capt (retd) V K Gandhi.

The trio are the office bearers of IESM, which was formed in 2008 and has been at the forefront of the protests by the ex-servicemen for OROP.

Last September, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar had announced that OROP will be implemented from July 2014, fulfilling a four-decade demand of the armed forces.

The first tranche of the OROP payment is likely to be made this month.

However, a section of the veterans, led by the trio, have been continuing the protest demanding equalisation of pension every year as against every five years proposed by the government.

However, the movement has lost active support from a large section of retired soldiers after last September's announcement.
Slain Punjab governor Salman Taseer's son who was thought to be abducted by militants in 2011 was not freed by Pakistani security forces, an interior ministry probe has found, leaving the authorities red-faced.

Shahbaz Sharif, 33, was kidnapped from the Gulberg area of Lahore on August 26, 2011, and since then it was feared he was held captive by militant groups.

He was kidnapped soon after his liberal father was assassinated by his radical bodyguard Mumtaz Qadri in January 2011, over his stance on the controversial blasphemy law. Qadri was executed earlier this month in Rawalpindi.

Shahbaz was freed on March 8 after being held "captive" for nearly five years. Following his recovery, Balochistan government spokesman Anwarul Haq Kakar had claimed Shahbaz was freed in a "successful operation" by security forces from a hotel in Taliban-dominated Kuchlak town.

But a committee set up by Interior Minister Nisar Ali Khan to probe the circumstances surrounding the freedom of Shahbaz has disputed the claim by the Balochistan government.

"The facts and evidence show that Shahbaz Taseer was not released through an operation by security forces but set free by the captors," the Interior Ministry said in a statement.

The report said it was not clear why the kidnappers set him free or if they were paid any ransom. It said no one is allowed to use the issue to link it with their performance.

"Those involved in using it for personal advancement will be sternly warned," the statement said yesterday.

After the Interior Ministry's reaction to this episode, Kakar said the Balochistan government stood by its official statement.

"We don't know why the Interior Ministry is saying he was released by the kidnappers. We stand by our official statement that an operation was carried out by security forces and when they raided a safe house in Kuchlak Shahbaz Taseer identified himself to the forces," Kakar said.

He said it was a successful operation since Kuchlak is a heavily Taliban-dominated area.

Nisar had ordered an inquiry into the whole incident soon after Shahbaz was recovered.

On Tuesday, Shahbaz was reunited with his family. He was flown to Lahore from Quetta in a special aircraft.
Pakistan will release 86 Indian fishermen languishing in a Karachi prison on March 21, a Gujarat government official said today.

These fishermen had been apprehended by the Pakistan Marine Security Agency (PMSA) for allegedly violating International Maritime Boundary Line between the two countries and had been languishing in Karachi's Landhi jail for around a year.

Pakistan had earlier announced that it would release 86 fishermen in addition to 87 others, who were released on March 7.

"Another group of 86 Indian fishermen jailed in Karachi's Landhi jail will be released on March 21," Assistant Superintendent, Gujarat Fisheries Department in Veraval, Vimal Pandya told PTI.

"The fishermen to be released on March 21 had been arrested by the PMSA around a year back after their boats drifted into Pakistan waters crossing the maritime border between India and Pakistan in the Arabian Sea," he said.

These fishermen would reach the Wagah border on March 22, but would take another couple of days to reach their homes in Gujarat, Pandya said.

Meanwhile, National Fishworkers Forum (NFF) secretary Manish Lodhari said they have received a list of 18 fishermen, who have been languishing in Pakistan jail for around three years. The jailed fishermen sought their release through a letter that they sent with the recently-released fishermen.

"As many as 18 fishermen have been in Pakistan jail for three years now, despite completing their jail term. They wrote to us requesting to take up their case and facilitate their release. Even now, there are still more than 400 fishermen languishing in Pakistani jails," Lodhari said.

Lodhari, who is also the president of Porbandar Fishermen Boat Association, had recently written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and urged to initiate efforts to release all jailed Indian fishermen along with boats seized by PMSA.

There are as many as 860 Indian fishing boats in Pakistan custody, he added.
A teacher from a refugee camp in Palestine today won USD one million Global Teacher Prize, beating nine other finalists from around the world, including an Indian.

Hanan Al Hroub beat India's Robin Chaurasiya, who runs a not-for-profit school in Mumbai for girls from the city's red light district of Kamatipura, and eight other finalists to bag the Varkey Foundation's prize at the end of the annual Global Education and Skills Forum here this evening.

"I did it, I won. Palestine won. All 10 of us have the power, we can change the world," said Hroub, who is in her early 40s, as her name was announced by Pope Francis via video link.

Hroub runs theSamiha Khalil High School in Al-Bireh, Palestine, where she uses a specialist approach she developed herself detailed in her book 'We Play and Learn' to overcome tense environments of the region under the shadow of the Israel-Palestine conflict.

"I am proud to present to you the message of teachers of Palestine: There is no doubt that we live in unnatural conditions.

"Violence and Israeli occupation surrounds us from all sides and imposes itself and leaks to each corner of educational process and its components, so our task is complicated as we see daily the suffering in the eyes of our students and our teachers. We want our children to live peacefully, as all children of the world," she said, in her part English and part Arabic acceptance speech.

"A child has the right to play. Part of education is to teach children how to play because you learn how to be social through games as well as learn the joy of life," Pope Francis said, in reference to the winning candidate.

Hroub's approach has led to a decline in violent behaviour in schools where this was a frequent occurrence and she has inspired her colleagues to review the way they teach and their classroom management strategies.

"I suggest that this year is the year of the Palestinian teacher. The world should support us to achieve hope for justice and peace," Hroub said.

The Global Teacher Prize, now in its second year, was set up by Kerala-born entrepreneur and educational philanthropist Sunny Varkey to recognise one exceptional teacher who has made an outstanding contribution to the profession as well as to shine a spotlight on the important role teachers play in society.

"I want to congratulate Hanan Al Hroub for winning the Global Teacher Prize 2016 from such a huge number of talented and dedicated teachers. I hope her story will inspire those looking to enter the teaching profession and also shine a powerful spotlight on the incredible work teachers do all over Palestine and throughout the world every day," said Varkey.

Hollywood stars Matthew McConaughey and Salma Hayek and Bollywood stars Abhishek Bachchan, Akshay Kumar and Parineeti Chopra joined former British Prime Minister Tony Blair and Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Ruler of Dubai, at the gala awards ceremony in Dubai.

Bachchan spoke of his own dyslexia and the "incredible impact" teachers have on young minds, while Kumar described teachers as "the only humans in the world that give life to a life".

30-year-old Chaurasiya, who was born in Los Angeles, was



joined by innovative maths teachers from London and Helsinki and educators from countries like the US, Japan, Pakistan, Australia and Kenya on the shortlist of an award dubbed the Oscars for teaching.

"It's amazing that the Varkey Foundation would recognise an alternative school like this," she said.

The final 10 were narrowed down from 8,000 nominations and applications from 148 countries from around the world.

Britain's Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, said in a special video message at the ceremony: "Reaching young people early on, in their education, and providing them with the actual support they need, and give them the best possible chance in life.

"This is an incredible responsibility, and this is why the Royal Foundation of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, and Prince Harry, has partnered with the Varkey Foundation, on a range of programmes which support teachers to help young people in some of the most disadvantaged communities of the United Kingdom.
Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad today said Patna High Court would get free Wi-Fi facility by the end of April this year.

"The High Court will have free of cost Wi-Fi facility by the end of April," the Union Communications and IT Minister said.

Speaking on the occasion of closing ceremony of the High Court's centenary celebrations, Prasad said he would do whatever he could for the High Court where he practised and earned name in the field of law before joining politics.

Acting Chief Justice of the High Court Justice Iqbal Ahmad Ansari said, "People can criticise the judgement. But they must have faith and respect for the courts in the country."



More than forty lawyers having 50 years of standing at the High Court were felicitated by the Supreme Court Judge Justice Dipak Misra at the function.

Justice Misra said those who had completed 50 years as lawyer in the High Court could give much to the legal fraternity with their vast experience.

Prominent among those who were honoured included state's advocate general Ram Balak Mahto, senior advocates, Shyama Prasad Mukherjee, Binod Kumar Kanth and Ramesh Kumar Singh.

After being felicitated, Shyama Prasad Mukherjee, who held the post of president of Advocates Association of the High Court for 12 years, said, "This shows that my contributions to the field of law have been recognised by the High Court".
A protester tried to storm the stage while was speaking at a rally in the US state of Ohio but the Republican presidential front-runner brushed aside the latest incident of chaos at his events saying the man was "probably" an ISIS supporter.

The incident that took place yesterday in Dayton city of Ohio came a day after Trump cancelled his campaign rally in Chicago citing security concerns after hundreds of people gathered at the arena to protest against his " of hatred" and scuffled with his supporters in the largest-ever demonstration against the real estate tycoon.

"He (the protestor) should be in jail. This guy is probably an Islamic State (ISIS) supporter. They (the court) let him go. Our court has to get tougher and smarter," Trump told his supporters in the Kansas City of Missouri last night.

Trump was referring to the incident in the morning when an individual tried to jump on to the stage and probably rush towards him to harm, before a battery of secret service agents got hold of him and cordoned off Trump.

A few minutes later the Republican presidential front-runner continued with his speech. Protestors have been following Trump's rallies like a shadow, which is unprecedented in the American political election campaigns history.

Yesterday at Kansas -- his last of the three rallies of the day where the protests continued -- he warned that he would start charging the protestors.

"These people should be in jail. Then their lives is going to be ruined," he said.

"Arrest her," Trump asked the police when a woman started protested against him in the middle of his speech in Kansas.

The billionaire said the protestors in Dayton who tried to harm him was either a ISIS supporter or was part of it.

Referring to the information available on the internet, searched by his team, Trump alleged that there are enough evidence in this regard like burning American flags.

The protestor who was produced before a local court was let off.

Trump opposed the protester being let off and claimed that such a dangerous person should be in jail.

"He is not in love of the country," Trump said.

While reiterating that he would follow the law, Trump, at a rally, said that he is in favour of water boarding.

"It works," he said.

"I am a non-violent person," Trump said as he explained to the cheering crowd as to why he was for strong stand against terrorist groups.

A significantly large part of his Kansas meeting was devoted on the protestors, as one after another a series of people popped up chanting slogans against him.

They were being taken out one by one. Trump alleged that



these were supporters of Bernie Sanders -- the Democratic presidential candidate -- and to a lesser extent those of its front runner Hillary Clinton.

"Get them out of here. Get them out. I think they are Bernie supporters. A little bit less Hillary," he said.

In view of the strong protest in Chicago and the incident in Dayton, security in and around Trump has been increased. There is greater security and vigilance at all Trump rallies.

In Kansas, the Trump campaign announced that there is a designated place for protesters outside the venue and asked supporters not to harm any protesters.

Even Trump asked the police to be gentle with them. "My people are great. These people are the problem. We love our police. They do such a great job. We do not want to hurt the protesters folks. We do not want to hurt protesters," he said as his speech was interrupted by one of the protesters.

Trump also asked the law enforcement agencies to get him out. There are thousands of people outside trying to get inside and these people are occupying this place.

"These are disruptors. These are all disruptors. These are garbage folks," he said.

Trump claimed that he would be able to easily beat Hillary Clinton, who is widely believed would be able to get the Democratic party presidential nominee. Defending his decision to cancel the Chicago rally as part of his effort to prevent any large scale violence or harm, Trump said this shows how one can take good decisions under pressure.

Trump is currently leading in polls and so far has won 14 States and has the maximum number of delegates (460) followed by Senator Ted Cruz (367) and Marco Rubio (153). To win the party's presidential nominee, the candidates need to have the support of 1,237 delegates out of a total of 2472 delegates.
A protester tried to storm the stage while Donald Trump was speaking at a rally in the US state of Ohio but the Republican presidential front-runner brushed aside the latest incident of chaos at his events saying the man was "probably" an ISIS supporter.

The incident that took place yesterday in Dayton city of Ohio came a day after Trump cancelled his campaign rally in Chicago citing security concerns after hundreds of people gathered at the arena to protest against his "politics of hatred" and scuffled with his supporters in the largest-ever demonstration against the real estate tycoon.

"He (the protester) should be in jail. This guy is probably an Islamic State (ISIS) supporter. They (the court) let him go. Our court has to get tougher and smarter," Trump told his supporters in the Kansas City of Missouri last night.

Trump was referring to the incident in the morning when an individual tried to jump on to the stage and probably rush towards him to harm, before a battery of secret service agents got hold of him and cordoned off Trump.

A few minutes later the 69-year-old Republican presidential front-runner continued with his speech. Protesters have been following Trump's rallies like a shadow, which is unprecedented in the American political election campaign history.

Authorities in Ohio identified the man arrested and charged him with rushing to the stage. Montgomery County Sheriff Phil Plummer was quoted as saying that Thomas Dimassimo of Fairborn, Ohio, has been charged with inducing panic and disorderly conduct.

Yesterday at Kansas -- his last of the three rallies of the day where the protests continued -- he warned that he would start charging the protesters.

"These people should be in jail. Then their lives is going to be ruined," he said.

"Arrest her," Trump asked the police when a woman started protesting against him in the middle of his speech in Kansas.

The billionaire said the protester in Dayton who tried to harm him was either an ISIS supporter or was part of it.

Referring to the information available on the internet, searched by his team, Trump alleged that there are enough evidence in this regard like burning American flags.

The protester who was produced before a local court was let off.

Trump opposed the protester being let off and claimed that such a dangerous person should be in jail.

"He is not in love with the country," Trump said.

While reiterating that he would follow the law, Trump, at a rally, said that he is in favour of water boarding.

"It works," he said.

"I am a non-violent person," Trump said as he explained to the cheering crowd as to why he was for strong stand against terror groups.

A significantly large part of his Kansas meeting was devoted on the protesters, as one after another a series of people popped up chanting slogans against him.
Roli Books founder and publisher Pramod Kapoor has been conferred with the prestigious 'Chevalier de la Legion d'Honneur (Knight of the Legion of Honour) for his contribution towards producing books that have changed the landscape of Indian publishing and to promoting India's tangible and intangible heritage within the country and abroad.

French ambassador to India Francois Richier bestowed the honour on the veteran publisher in a ceremony here late last evening.

"You are not only a publisher. You have created your own enterprise and you have made it flourish, which means that you are not only a man of culture and art but a man of business, two qualities which are very important," he said.

"Your books reveal you as a man focusing on quality, of elegance, culture, knowledge and in all desire to make the lives of the readers better," the ambassador said.

Kapoor who founded Roli Books in 1978, has conceived and produced several award winning books that have changed the landscape of Indian publishing. Books like "Made for Maharajas," "New Delhi: the Making of a capital" and most recently "Gandhi: an Illustrated Biography" have endevoured to weave compelling narratives through visual storytelling.

"I am not just honoured but humbled to stand here and to be given such a big honour. It is a moment I will cherish rest of my life. I can't help but feel nostalgic and feel almost like recounting and autobiography, not in colour but in sepia," the 64-year old author-publisher said while accepting the award.

He spent his adolescent life in Banaras and credits the city for instilling a sense of "cultural adventurism" within him that lead him to take a flight to the art capital of the world - Paris, about half a decade later.

About Paris he said, "It inspired me tremendously and in so many ways challenged my sensitivities."



For a 28-year-old beginner in the business of publishing, he said, "It was not easy but these situations inspired me." The turning point really in Kapoor's career was when in 1981, he flew to Paris not to sell but to buy a book that, according to him, changed the course of Roli Books.

"I thought the best way to sell a book to a country was to learn by way of buying books from them and experiencing the way they create them," he said.

With only enough money to fly back home, Kapoor took a



leap of faith and entered into a deal with one of the leading publishing houses in the European country and bought over 3,000 copies of "The Last Maharaja," a magnificent book on India.

"It was something that Indians had never dreamt of before, but it came at a price that Indians had never experienced before. On the basis of the advance copy I received, I was lucky to sell the entire print-run of a book that cost Rs 900 rupees back then. This deal in France made us a name in the French publishing," he said.

About a decade later he managed to conquer his dream of selling Indian books to French publishers, and publishing house has never looked backed since then.

Talking about Kapoor's French connections, which have materialised into long -term partnerships since their inception in 1980s, the ambassador said, "You developed a friendship with the Parisians despite their difficult character. Your work has found great resonance in the French publishing community and these connections flourished very quickly because the same sentiments and expectations are there in the publishing community in France."



As part of its alliance with the French publishing sector, Roli books also published two historical books on the First World War that highlighted the lesser known participation of Indians particularly in the French battlefields.

Calling him an icon of preservation of the Indian heritage, Richier asserted that it was imperative that this heritage be passed on to the generations that follow, and urged him and his family to continue to develop such projects and disseminate the great values of Indian culture across India, Europe and other places.

He praised Kapoor's recent venture into the digital medium, and lauded him for opening an online library.

"This shows that after all this experience you are still turned towards the future and preparing the grounds for the new developments in the cultural field," he said.

The Legion d'Honneur, created in 1802 by Napoleon Bonaparte, la Legion d'Honneur ("the Legion of Honour") is the highest civilian award given by the French Republic for outstanding service to France, regardless of the nationality of the recipients.

The President of the French Republic is the Grand Master of the Order of the Legion of Honour.
India-born former Goldman Sachs Director Rajat Gupta has been released after completing his two-year prison term, weeks after a US court agreed to rehear his appeal to throw out his 2012 insider-trading conviction.

Gupta, 67, was released on March 11, according to his record at the Federal Bureau of Prisons.

While Gupta's prison term was to end on March 13, but since the date fell on a Sunday, he was released on Friday, four years after he lost his insider trading trial and suffered multiple legal setbacks to overturn his conviction.

The Harvard-educated was convicted in his 2012 trial of passing confidential boardroom information to his one-time friend and business associate Raj Rajaratnam.

Apart from the two-year prison term, he was fined $5 million and the Securities and Exchange Commission also slapped a $13.9 million penalty against him.

Gupta started out his prison term in 2014 at FMC DEVENS, an administrative security federal medical centre with an adjacent minimum security satellite camp in Ayer, Massachusetts.

Rajaratnam is serving an 11-year sentence for insider trading in the main prison adjacent to where Gupta was assigned.

His attorneys did not immediately respond to e-mails on whether Gupta would make a statement following his release.

Ever since his conviction in June 2012, Gupta filed several appeals, including to the US Supreme Court, to overturn his conviction and prison term but the courts rejected his arguments and affirmed his sentence.

However, it was only early last month, just weeks before his prison term was to end, that he had some legal respite when the US Second Circuit Court of Appeals agreed to rehear an appeal to throw out his insider-trading conviction.

Gupta completed the last two months of his prison term at his home in Manhattan, after being released on January 5 from the Devens correctional facility.

Even though he was not in the prison centre, he remained a federal inmate until his release on March 11. He was confined to his apartment and was required to wear an ankle bracelet that monitored his movements.

A January report in the New York Times had said that Gupta "appears to be eager to get back to the world he once inhabited".

Since returning to his Manhattan apartment, Gupta has been fielding calls from former associates who say he is in good spirits and looks back on his spell in prison philosophically, the report had said.

The report had said Gupta had applied last year to corrections officers for an early discharge from Devens.

An inmate can be given credit for good behaviour and becomes eligible for home confinement for 10 per cent of a sentence, up to six months.
Lucknow Development Authority (LDA) suffered a loss of Rs 30.88 crore by initiating land acquisition proceedings for deposit works of state government without ensuring availability of funds, shows a latest CAG report.

It said the LDA suffered a loss of Rs 30.16 crore due to short/non-recovery of fee/charges such as Floor Area Ratio (FAR fee, Purchasable FAR fee, City Development Charges, External Development Charges, Land Use Conversion Charges and Stacking and Supervision charges in accordance with Building Bye-laws and state government orders.

The report for the year ended March 31, 2015, which was tabled in the state Assembly, said the LDA failed to put in place a mechanism to assess and collect labour cess on the estimated cost of construction of buildings/houses (wherever the estimated cost exceeded Rs 10 lakh) which led to non- collection of labour cess amounting to Rs 35.22 crore.

It also said the LDA awarded the work of construction of Group Housing Schemes in contravention to the Central Vigilance Commission guidelines and incurred avoidable expenditure of Rs 18.28 crore.

Application of incorrect rate of land in costing of flats resulted in loss of Rs 28.59 crore to the LDA, it said.

The report also said the LDA failed to prepare the Zonal Development Plans for all the 22 zones of Lucknow area even after lapse of 10 years from the approval of Master Plan-2021 in March 2005.

Besides, the authority in contravention to the state government policy of 1992, allotted more than one property to 167 applicants.

It also failed to cancel the allotment of properties and recover the equivalent value of properties from these allottees amounting to Rs 24.41 crore, the report.
Congress general secretary Digvijaya Singh today said Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) should alter its ideology after it changed its dress code and asked who gave the saffron outfit's members the right to "certify" someone as "anti-national".

"In its meeting held in Nagaur, RSS changed the dress code of its volunteers. It has changed dress code now it should also change its ideology," Singh told reporters.

Khaki shorts, the trademark RSS dress for 91 years, is on its way out and making way for brown trousers as part of the organisation's endeavour to "move with the times" and demonstrate that it is "not rigid".

Singh said RSS people were demanding that "anti-national elements" from all universities be chucked out and asked, "who gave them the right to issue certificates about somebody being anti-national".

The senior Congress leader, who was here to attend the wedding reception of Aditya Yadav, son of senior UP cabinet minister Shivpal Singh, said most partymen were of the view that Priyanka Gndhi Vadra should join active politics and he himself wanted that.

Terming the Vishnu Sahai Commission report on Muzaffarnagar riots as "surprising", he said every person knew about the involvement of a BJP MP and MLA in spreading the conflagration.

On Vijay Mallaya issue, Singh said, "Everyone knows, who allowed the liquor baron to go outside the country despite heavy debts".
Russia today accused Turkey of sending its military across the Syrian border to prevent Kurdish groups there from consolidating their positions, while Turkish authorities imposed curfews on two mainly Kurdish towns where Turkey's security forces are set to launch large-scale operations against Kurdish militants.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Russia has evidence of Turkey's "creeping expansion" in northern Syria.

"According to our information, they are digging in a few hundred meters from the border inside Syria," Lavrov said in an interview with Russian REN TV broadcast today.

In southeastern Turkey, authorities have imposed curfews in several flashpoints since August to root out militants linked to the Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK, who had set up barricades, dug trenches and planted explosives.

The military operations have raised concerns over human rights violations and scores of civilian deaths. Tens of thousands of people have also been displaced by the fighting. The governor's office for Hakkari province, which borders Iraq and Iran, said a new 24-hour curfew would take effect in the town Yuksekova today, adding that entering and leaving the town would also be banned.

The announcement came as reports said dozens of tanks had been deployed to the town.

Soon after, authorities in Mardin province announced that a round-the-clock curfew would take effect in the town of Nusaybin on the border with Syria at midnight.

Residents were seen leaving Nusaybin today, packing cars or heading toward the bus terminal even before the curfew was announced, the Dogan agency reported. Some tanks were parked at a school ahead of the planned offensive, it said.

Turkey's military last week ended a three-month operation against the militants in the historic Sur district of Diyarbakir the largest city in the country's mostly Kurdish southeast. Today, authorities eased the curfew in some streets and one neighborhood of Sur, but the siege over the district's main areas was still in place.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault today warned Iran of possible European sanctions over its recent ballistic missile launches.

"If necessary, sanctions will be taken," Ayrault said after a meeting with US Secretary of State John Kerry and several European counterparts.

Kerry described the launches -- which the US has asked to be discussed at a UN Security Council meeting tomorrow -- as a breach of UN resolutions.

"They are longer than the distance allowed for ballistic missiles. And because of that they represent a potential danger to the countries in the region and beyond," Kerry said.

"If Iran chooses to violate that they will invite additional sanctions."



The UN atomic watchdog has said Iran is complying so far with the landmark July 2015 nuclear deal with major powers.

But under the terms of that deal that Western powers say is designed to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear weapon, it is still barred from launching ballistic missiles capable of carrying a nuclear bomb.

Iran has maintained that its missile programme is not aimed at developing a nuclear capability.

Tehran said the latest missile tests took place on Tuesday and Wednesday.

The US slapped sanctions on Iran in January over its ballistic missile programme, even as the world hailed the implementation of the historic nuclear deal.
Saudi security forces shot dead a woman armed with a machinegun during a swoop to arrest jihadist suspects, the interior ministry said today.

Binan Issa Hilal was shot while resisting officers during the raid on Thursday in the northern Jawf region, official agency SPA quoted a ministry spokesman as saying.

She died in hospital and the two suspects, Suweilem al-Ruwaili and Naem Al-Khalaf, were detained.

Ruwaili was wanted in connection with a number of alleged attacks, including August's bombing of a mosque used by soldiers that left 15 dead.

He was being sheltered by Khalaf who was in a relationship with Hilal, the ministry said.

The Islamic State group has claimed several attacks on Saudi security forces as well as deadly bombings and shootings targeting the Sunni kingdom's Shiite minority, which IS considers to be heretics.
Saudi Arabia executed one of its nationals convicted of murder today, bringing to 72 the number of people put to death in the conservative kingdom this year.

Hadian al-Qahtani was found guilty of shooting dead Abdullah al-Qaoud following a dispute, the interior ministry said in a statement carried by state agency SPA.

Most people executed in Saudi Arabia are beheaded with a sword.

The executions so far this year include 47 for "terrorism" carried out in a single day on January 2.

In 2015, Saudi Arabia executed 153 people, most of them for drug trafficking or murder, according to an AFP count.

Rights group 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.
With an aim of ensuring security of children, the SDMC has initiated a plan to install CCTV cameras in all the 579 municipal schools run by it with a budgetary provision of Rs five crore in the current year.

"We have installed CCTV cameras in 20 schools so far to fulfil our commitment to provide fool proof security to students. All schools will have CCTV cameras for the purpose," said South Delhi Municipal Corporation Mayor Subhash Arya.

Civic officials will also monitor CCTV cameras to keep any eye on security of children and also to address issues related with qualitative delivery of primary education, he said.

"A monitoring team will be constituted in every zone and the SDMC officials at the headquarters will supervise security from the control room at the Civic Centre," Arya said.

The move to install the CCTV cameras has come after 5 year old student Ankit died after he fell in a septic tank at the SDMC school in Kapashera area on January 27 last.

An amount of Rs one lakh will be spent on installation of CCTV cameras in a school. The SDMC has earmarked an amount of Rs.5 crore for this during financial year 2016-17, he said.

Besides, the councillors can also adopt a school in their ward and take up development work with priority on installation of CCTV cameras there with the help of Rs 5 lakh provided to them under local area development fund.

The East Delhi Municipal Corporation (EDMC) may also start CCTV camera installation at its schools, as north east Delhi BJP MP Manoj Tiwari had recently expressed his wish to spend a part of his fund towards this end.
A second Gazan was found dead today after the collapse of a tunnel on the Egypt border, the interior ministry in the Islamist Hamas-run enclave said.

On Thursday, rescue services said seven men had been trapped in the collapse.

Five were rescued, but today the ministry said they had retrieved the body of Mohammed Abbas of Rafah, after announcing the death of a man named as Fadi Abu Dan.

A local civil defence official described the underground passage from the southern Gaza town of Rafah into neighbouring Egypt as a "trade tunnel".

The cave-in was caused by Egyptian flooding of the border zone in its campaign to stop smuggling, the official told AFP.

Since January 26, at least 12 Gazans have been killed in five separate tunnel collapses with both Israel and Egypt operating against the diggers.

An Israeli blockade severely restricts the movement of people and goods into and out of the territory, and Egypt's sole border with Gaza has also remained largely closed since 2013.

The passages to Egypt are used for transit of commercial goods, cash, people and, allegedly, weapons.
Unraveling various secrets of the multifaceted cuisine from India is on the agenda of a select gathering of chefs, journalists and people from hospitality industry who are gearing up for a grand event here this December.

A three-day symposium 'Tasting India' scheduled to be held at India Habitat Centre is being organised by food blogger Sourish Bhattacharya and Sanjoo Malhotra, whose 'Namaste Stockholm' initiative had become Sweden's biggest showcase of India in 2015.

The idea, says Bhattacharya, originated a year ago during President Pranab Mukherjee's maiden visit to Sweden.

"Tasting India Symposium' actually originated a year ago in Stockholm. Sanjoo Malhotra was doing an event called India Unlimited as a mark of celebration of President Pranab Mukherjee's visit to Sweden.

"During discussions there was a realisation that people know very little about Indian cuisine and everyone thinks about Indian food as Chicken Tikka Masala or Naan, Vindaalo etc. The whole idea was of doing a mega meet of chefs, journalist and travel industry people to let people know about Indian cuisine and ingredients," says Bhattacharya.

The upcoming 3-day event is set to have sessions, talks, discussions, film screenings and book releases.

"There will be lot of talks and discussions on the variety of Indian cuisines including topics such as bio-thrift, a practice of utilising all the parts of the vegetables for cooking without wasting even the stem or leaves



"We aim to promote sustainable eating and believe that vegetable cuisine is the most sustainable cuisine in the world," he says.

The food blogger says efforts are also being made to promote Satvik cuisine and have a Satvik dinner besides a dinner called 'Kitchens of India', an ITC Brand to acquaint people with cuisine from across the country "in just one evening under the same roof.

According to organisers, the symposium is expected to see



over 20 journalists from across the globe including that from America, UK, South-east Asia, Korea, Japan, UAE, Middle East.

The first edition of the mega food event is set to be held in Delhi with a second slated to take place in Stockholm.

"We are looking to promote not only Indian cuisines but also Indian ingredients like turmeric, garlic, ginger, variety of rice, soyabean etc. We want to present the diversity in Indian cuisine and ingredient to the world," says Bhattacharya.

Chefs from different parts of the country are expected to attend symposium and share their their thoughts on the diverse Indian cuisine and ingredients/



"We have a vision to see India like Italy or France in the next some years where food tourism will be a nutshell part," says Malhotra.

"We believe that Indian people have to learn about the depth in their cuisines. We want to showcase the entire variety of Indian cuisine," says Bhattacharya.

Apart from food, the symposium will also have talks and discussions on food and beverages, both alcoholic and non-alcoholic.

The organisers plan to get a live wire website which would be a one stop destination for the queries to Indian food.

"There are plans to start a live wire website which would be a one-stop destination for Indian food. Anyone can access anything on Indian cuisines. Also we want to get an encyclopedia of Indian cuisines in a hard disk format since people do not like reading much nowadays," says Bhattacharya.

The discussion held here recently at the Delhi Pavilion, Sheraton hotel saw chefs like Manjit Gill, food historian Colleen Taylor Sen, American journalist Michael Snyder, Viraj Bahl, founder and CEO of Veeba Food Products, and Mohit Balachandran of Chowder Singh fame.
Firm on its stand barring self- listing of stock exchanges, regulator says there is an "evident and clear" conflict of interest risk in such a scenario but it is willing to look into any genuine problems that an exchange may have on this issue.

As per rules, an exchange cannot list its shares on its own platform and it has to go to another bourse for listing to avoid any conflict of interest that might arise while discharging its duty as a front-line regulator for the securities .

While leading stock exchange BSE is agreeable to the idea of cross-listing and has also got in-principle approval from (Securities and Exchange Board of India), the rival NSE is opposed to it and wants to go for self-listing while undertaking a restructuring exercise for complete separation of its commercial and regulatory functions.

Asked about the issue and whether Sebi was open to review its norms to permit self-listing by exchanges, Sebi Chairman U K Sinha said the current law is very clear that self-listing cannot be allowed.

"Stock exchanges in India and many other countries have multiple functions. One key function is to be a regulator for all brokers and an exchange is the first-line regulator for them. They are also a regulator for the listed companies.

"If you are a for-profit company and if you are expected to take action against those entities from whom you get your revenue, there is a very likely conflict of interest.

"The Bimal Jalan Committee (which looked into ownership and governance norms of stock exchanges) had in fact recommended that there should not be a listing.

"However, it was felt that it should be allowed as globally stock exchanges are listed and we can have safeguards -- that is no self-listing. That is the current law and to say that I am willing to change that law, that would be difficult for me to say," Sinha said.

"This is the current law -- one exchange has accepted it, there is another exchange which was earlier a commodity exchange but now technically is a stock exchange is not listed on its own platform," he said.

While Sinha did not take any names, Multi Commodity Exchange (MCX) had got listed earlier when it was only a commodity derivatives exchange, but has now become an overall securities bourse following change in regulations that came into effect pursuant to merger of erstwhile commodities regulator FMC with Sebi late last year.

"One is already listed, another is agreeable to it and if some exchange has some problem, we will see whether the problems are genuine or not and what are the solutions. But this issue of conflict of interest that is very very evident and clear has to be addressed," Sinha said.

To another question on whether Sebi was looking at regulating the incentive structures for top management of exchanges, including volume-linked bonuses, Sinha said there was no such proposal.

He, however, said that corporate governance norms in this regard are much more tougher in case of exchanges.

"Since they are our regulated entities, what we have provided is that there can be no ESOPs for an MD or a board member or a key management person. They can get a bonus but not the ESOPs. Even on bonus, it can not be more than 50 per cent of the fixed pay," he added.
In a significant move, the government has decided to exempt vessel sharing agreements from the ambit of Competition Commission for another year.

The Corporate Affairs Ministry has decided to give exemption for such pacts, which are common in the shipping industry, after concluding that they are unlikely to adversely impact competition.

To ensure that the agreements do not result in unfair business practices, the Shipping Ministry would monitor them.

Vessel Sharing Agreement (VSA) allows entities to share space in each other's vessels. The earlier exemption given for one year expired recently.

In a notification, the Ministry said that in public interest it was exempting "vessels sharing agreements of liner shipping industry from the provisions of section 3 of the said (Competition) Act, for a period of one year".

Section 3 pertains to anti-competitive agreements.

It would be applicable for carriers of all nationalities operating ships of any nationality from any Indian port. The exemption would be in place till March 1, 2017.

However, such agreements should not entail "concerted practices involving fixing of prices, limitation of capacity or sales and the allocation of markets or customers".

Competition Commission of India (CCI) comes under the administrative control of the Corporate Affairs Ministry.

During the exemption period, the Director General of Shipping would monitor the agreements.

"Persons responsible for operations of such ships in India shall file copies of existing VSAs or VSAs to be entered into with applicability during the said period along with other relevant documents," with the Director General, as per the notification dated March 2.

These documents have to be submitted within 30 days of the notification or ten days from signing of such agreements, whichever is later.

With the exemption, shipping industry entities would not have to seek approval from the Competition Commission for VSAs.
To achieve its target of having 1,000 MW capacity, wind energy producer Sitac Management and Development (SMDPL) is looking at acquiring non-operational projects across the country in the next 3-5 years with an investment of Rs 7,500 crore.

"Initially, we will jointly install 142 MW which will be split across five projects in Gujarat and expected to be commissioned by the end of next fiscal.

"Going forward, we want to enhance the capacity to 1,000 MW and for this, we may look at acquiring non-operating assets," SMDPL Chairman Malvinder Singh told PTI.

SMDPL, a 50:50 joint venture between France-based EDF Energy Nouvelles and Sitac Group, said it aims to execute a minimum of 1,000 MW across India through an investment of about Rs 7,500 crore in next 3-5 years.

Singh, however, said the company is not in a rush to acquire operating assets.

"We are not interested in funding projects but want to rely on project return and would therefore want to hold on to the assets for long term and operate them at international standards," he said.

The JV is looking at states like Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh for setting up the projects, he added.

Individually, Sitac has a portfolio of 36 MW in Gujarat out of which 28 MW is operational, while 4 MW is pending for certain approvals regarding turbines. The company had also proposed to set up 26 MW of capacity in the state.

"In total, we have 204 MW planned in the state, which includes the 142 MW with the EDF. We want to bring the 36 MW, which is being developed with Gujarat Venture Finance (GVFL), and the proposed 26 MW under the JV. But we are working out on the modalities with the EDF for bringing these projects under the JV," he said.

At present, Sitac had also proposed to develop over 180 MW plant in Rajasthan and Maharashtra where it has some land, he said.

"We now plan to do all our future projects under the JV only," Singh added.
The International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) awards is returning to Europe for the second time with Madrid, Spain, hosting the 2016 edition from June 23 to 26.

This is the second time IIFA will be traveling to Europe following the ceremony in Amsterdam in 2005.

"We are extremely excited to announce that IIFA 2016 will travel to Europe again. We had been working on Madrid for many years and as 2016 marks the 60-year friendship between India and Spain, we feel this is the right time to showcase our culture and Bollywood there," Andre Timmins, Director, IIFA and Wizcraft, told PTI over phone from Madrid.

Timmins revealed that the other contending countries to host this year's three-day filming extravaganza were America, Macau and Abu Dhabi.

"We zeroed in on Madrid because we feel that the place is best for our industry. We also have been welcomed by the Mayor of Madrid, who is hosting us here. It's just the right time."



The new venue aims to reach out to the huge Latin Amrtican market for Indian films.

"Spanish is the largest speaking language in the world. So, it will be a springboard for Indian films there as it's less popular in Spain. But we aim that after our awards people will be much aware about Indian films," Andre said.

Bollywood actors Anil Kapoor, Sonakshi Sinha and Hrithik Roshan are already in the south-western European country to create awareness about Indian cinema by performing a huge flash mob on their popular songs.

In the last 17 years, IIFA has travelled to four continents including Africa, Europe, Asia and North America.

This will be the 17th edition of the awards ceremony which will be held in IFEMA convention center and is coinciding with the pouplar Mulafest.
A suicide car bomb ripped through a busy square in central Ankara, killing at least 34 people and wounding 125, officials have said, the latest in a spate of deadly attacks to hit Turkey.

The blast yesterday at a bus stop near Kizilay square is the second major attack in the heart of the Turkish capital in less than a month, after a suicide car bombing on February 17 targeting the military that killed 29 people, claimed by a dissident faction of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK).

The fact that militants were able to strike again so soon in an area close to the prime minister's office, parliament and foreign embassies will raise fresh questions about Turkey's ability to manage the twin security threat posed by the Islamic State group (IS) and Kurdish rebels.

Health minister Mehmet Muezzinoglu said the blast had killed 34 people and wounded 125 others, 19 of them seriously.

"Thirty people were killed on the spot and four others died in hospital," Muezzinoglu said after a meeting of ministers and security officials called by Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu after the blast.

Ambulances ferried the wounded from the square, a bustling commercial area and local transport hub, to 10 different city hospitals.

The force of the explosion, which hit at around 6:45 pm (1645 GMT), reduced several vehicles to charred husks and damaged nearby shops.

A statement from the Ankara provincial governor's office confirmed it was a car bomb, while a security official told AFP that initial findings showed the blast was a suicide attack.

Turkey has been on high alert following a string of deadly attacks since the middle of last year, most of them blamed on the IS group, including a double suicide bombing in Ankara in October that left 103 people dead.

As recently as Friday, the US embassy issued a warning about a possible plot to attack part of central Ankara, advising American citizens they should avoid the area.

Yesterday's blast comes at a delicate moment for Turkey, as it seeks to persuade the European Union to speed up its path to membership of the bloc in return for help with the migrant crisis.

French President Francois Hollande condemned the "vile attack" and said France stood alongside Turkey in the fight against terror, while the US ambassador in Ankara, John Bass, said he was "deeply saddened and horrified" by what had happened.

Soon after the attack a judge in Ankara banned the sharing of images and other content related to the blast on social media sites, including Facebook and Twitter.
Syria's opposition has vowed that President Bashar al-Assad must leave power, dead or alive, if looming peace talks to end five years of civil war are to succeed.

UN-brokered talks are set to begin in Geneva on Monday, in the latest international push to end a conflict that has killed more than 270,000 people and forced half the country from their homes.

"We believe that the transitional period should start with the fall, or death, of Bashar al-Assad," chief opposition negotiator Mohammad Alloush told AFP in an interview with another press agency in Geneva yesterday.

"It cannot start with the presence of the regime, or the head of this regime still in power."



The United Nations is pushing for a transitional government and a new constitution to be put in place in six months. Legislative and presidential elections would be held next year.

The High Negotiations Committee opposition group has insisted the transitional government be given full executive powers, but the regime dismissed the idea outright ahead of the talks.

"We will not talk with anyone who wants to discuss the presidency... Bashar al-Assad is a red line," Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Muallem told a Damascus conference Saturday.

"If they (the HNC) continue with this approach, there's no reason for them to come to Geneva."



Fighting has eased since a landmark ceasefire between Syria's regime and rebels, bar some Islamist groups, took effect two weeks ago.

But Alloush accused the regime and its ally Russia of not abiding by the truce, which it said had been violated hundreds of times since it began on February 27.

"There have been more than 350 violations during the 14 days and that shows the regime violated the truce, or didn't commit to it," he said.
The Telangana government would provide one lakh jobs in the next three years, Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao said today and called for formulating a sound policy on education and skill development for youth.

These jobs will be provided in the government sector, Rao announced during his reply to the Motion of Thanks on Governor's address to the joint sitting of the legislature on March 10.

Stating that about thousands of teachers and engineering graduates are coming out of colleges every year in Telangana, the chief minister regretted there were instances when they worked under the NREGS (rural job scheme).

There should be a sound policy and thorough debate in the House with regard to education, skill development and employment opportunities for youth, Rao said.

Referring to criticism from Opposition members during the debate that Vice-Chancellors have not been appointed in several universities, he said the government was taking time to fill the vacancies as it wants to select persons of high calibre and integrity as VCs.

Speaking on the Rohith Vemula issue, Rao expressed sympathy for the deceased research scholar, who committed suicide in the University of Hyderabad campus last month.

Congress and other Opposition leaders had earlier accused the TRS government of not speaking adequately on the issue.

On the occasion, Rao appeared to take a dig at events like "kiss festival" in the country (organised to protest moral policing), wondering whether such things would be accepted in India.

Referring to the TRS' pre-election promise of providing 12 per cent reservation each for minorities and STs (the latter have 7.5 pc quota), he said the two commissions appointed by his government are looking into the issue.

Noting that according to court guidelines reservations are allowed up to 50 per cent, Rao said Tamil Nadu government is giving 69 per cent quota after it passed a resolution in the state Assembly and took it to Parliament.

Telangana government would call a special session of the Legislative Assembly to pass such a resolution, he said.

Rao accused Congress of doing injustice to Telangana



in irrigation projects (when the party was in power in undivided Andhra Pradesh).

The "leaders of Andhra" had conspired to push Telangana irrigation projects into inter-state and environment issues in the undivided AP, he alleged.

After the formation of Telangana in June 2014, the TRS-led government took up re-designing of irrigation projects for state's benefit, he said.

Referring to the recent agreement between Telangana and Maharashtra on cooperation in irrigation projects, he said his government wanted to move ahead in a spirit of cooperation.

Taking exception to Congress leaders' comments that the state government mortgaged the interests of Telangana in the agreement with Maharashtra, Rao said his administration would provide irrigation facility to one lakh acres in every Assembly constituency in the coming years.
Kuwait's ambassador to Lebanon says a third Kuwaiti citizen has been killed in the Mediterranean country in the past three days.

The official Kuwait Agency reported today that Ambassador Abdulaal al-Qenai said Lebanese authorities informed him of the murder in the town of Burj Hammoud, northeast of the capital, Beirut.

Two other Kuwaitis were found killed Thursday inside a room of a restaurant they owned near Beirut.

The killings come two weeks after Kuwait and other Gulf Arab states urged their citizens to avoid traveling to Lebanon and said those already there should leave.

Kuwait is also part of a Saudi-led bloc of six Gulf Arab nations that recently branded Lebanon's Hezbollah a terrorist organisation, heightening tensions between the group and the Gulf states.
Thousands of civilians have fled their homes in northeastern Myanmar after a recent upswing in fighting between ethnic minority rebels and the army, combatants and witnesses said today.

The recent flare up in Myanmar's Shan State comes as an outgoing military-backed government prepares to hand over power to a civilian government led by Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy.

Shan, a large and hilly province on Myanmar's eastern border, has hosted multiple insurgencies over the decades by ethnic minorities fighting for greater autonomy or independence.

The latest fighting has pitted the military against the Ta'ang National Liberation Army (TNLA).

"Fighting has been breaking out about four times a day and there are about 8,000 people at the (refugee) camps," Mai Myo Aung, from a local Ta'ang student body helping the displaced, told AFP.

The TNLA are one of a handful of rebel groups who have yet to sign up to a broad ceasefire agreement that the military has been pushing.

Suu Kyi has said bringing peace to Myanmar's border areas, where a variety of ethnic minority rebels have long fought insurgencies against central government rule, will be a priority of her new administration.

Witnesses described how they had fled Myanmar's military.

"We ran away as Myanmar's Tatmadaw (army) came into our village and started shooting with heavy weapons. Some are fleeing to the forest nearby. They are still there," Arr Hla, 35, from Mone La village told AFP on phone from a monastery where about 150 refugees are staying in Kutkhaing township.

He said men were particularly afraid of being press ganged into service as porters or guides by Myanmar's army, which has long been accused of rights abuses.

A spokesman from the TNLA confirmed fighting had increased over the last two weeks with Myanmar's military using jets and helicopters.

"We have made contact with the Myanmar army about 25 times already this month. This month fighting is the most serious fighting in years. The situation is really tense between us," Major Mai Aik Kyaw told AFP.

A Myanmar military spokesperson declined to comment.
The ruling CPI(M) today called for adopting a revolutionary character with a mass line and fight against Hindutva forces, at the two-day brain storming session of the extended state committee here.

Tripura Chief Minster Manik Sarkar, also a Politburo member of CPI(M), delivered the inaugural speech explaining the resolutions of the plenum held in Kolkata in December last.

Sarkar noted in his speech that the organisational plenum in Kolkata had resolved to build a revolutionary party with a mass line, state Secretary Bijan Dhar told reporters after the session.

"To achieve our goal, we need to consolidate the party among all sections of people, bring qualitative change in the workstyle of party workers and set up an intimate relation with the masses," Sarkar told the participants.

He said the preachers of 'Hindutwabad' were out to destroy the unity of the proletariat and that could be foiled only by building a strong organisation and unity of the working classes.

The plenum had also decided to build up a strong movement against the nexus of feudal lords and capitalists, he added.

Dhar presented a draft plan on strengthening of the party in the state in line with the party plenum resolution.

He said the special meeting was convened to undertake programmes in the state that are compatible with the resolutions of the plenum and to implement these to give CPI-M a revolutionary character.

"We want to achieve socialism but remaining in power for long time, we felt the necessity of an ideological campaign among party activists and masses so that we do not deviate from our ideology," he said.

Dhar said the meeting also decided to strengthen the party on the principle of democratic centralism, fight against all social evils and maintain peace and tranquillity and harmony between the tribals and non-tribals in the state.

He said, altogether 366 delegates, including 46 women participated in the meeting.
Beleaguered businessman Vijay Mallya, who has been summoned by the ED to appear before it on March 18, has ruled out his return to India for now, saying the time is not "right".

Mallya said this as his troubles mounted with a Hyderabad court issuing a non-bailable warrant (NBW) against the liquor baron after he failed to appear before it in a cheque dishonour case.

The court order in the case of alleged dishonour of a Rs 50 lakh cheque to GMR Hyderabad International Airport Ltd came even as Union Labour Minister Bandaru Dattatreya said a probe will be launched to check whether there were any anomalies in the Provident Fund (PF) contributions made by Mallya's Kingfisher Airlines for its employees when it was functioning.

Mallya, 60, is facing multiple proceedings for allegedly defaulting on loans of over Rs 9,000 crore from various banks. His departure from India on March 2 unhindered in the middle of the probes also triggered a political row.

Taking forward its money laundering probe in the alleged default in payment of Rs 900 crore dues to IDBI bank by the now defunct Kingfisher airlines, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) last Friday issued summons to Mallya for appearance in Mumbai on March 18.

Asked when he planned to return to India, Mallya told 'The Sunday Guardian' in an e-mail interview, "I am an Indian to the core. Of course I want to return. But I am not sure I'll get a fair chance to present my side. I've already been branded as criminal. I do not feel the time is right."



Mallya did not respond to an e-mail by PTI on his future plans. He, however, tweeted that he was being "hunted down" by the media in the United Kingdom.

"I am being hunted down by media in UK. Sadly they did not look in the obvious place. I will not speak to media so don't waste your efforts," he said.

The liquor baron while stating that the time is not right for his return said he left India due to a 'personal visit with a friend' and appeared to shift the blame of the massive loan default to the banks.

"There was a lookout notice issued against me last year. But I didn't 'escape'. Why am I being portrayed as a criminal now? Loan defaults are a business matter. When the banks give out loans, they know the risk involved. They decide, we don't. Our own business was flourishing, but plummeted suddenly.

Don't make me the villain. I have the best intentions. I'm quiet because I fear my words will be twisted like of others," he said.

"I've not done anything wrong. I am being victimised. I'm one of the most open people. I'm forced to go into hiding and that makes me sick."



The 14th Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (ACMM) in Hyderabad issued the NBWs on March 10 against the company (airline), Mallya and another senior official of the carrier and posted the matter to April 13.

Mallya's counsel H Sudhakar Rao said he will move the high court seeking quashing of the non-bailable warrant. GMR counsel G Ashok Reddy said today, "He (Mallya) and others were supposed to appear before the court on March 10. They did not appear. Hence, court issued NBW order which has to be executed by April 13."



Amid the row involving Mallya, Minister of State for Finance Jayant Sinha said "full force of the law" is being applied to bring all wilful loan defaulters to justice. He, however, did not name anyone.
Nepali villager Sunita Magar thought she was heading to a safe factory job in Kuwait, but only when she landed in Damascus did she realise "something had gone very wrong".

Frequently beaten with a baton and given only one meal a day, Magar says she spent 13 months working as a maid for a Syrian household and pleading to be allowed to go home.

"I was just in shock, I couldn't stop crying," the single mother-of-two said.

Magar is among scores of poor Nepali and Bangladeshi women who travelled to the Middle East on the promise of a good job, only to be trafficked into Syria, wracked by five years of civil war.

Nepal's top diplomat in the region said nationals from the Philippines, Indonesia and other countries, which, like Nepal and Bangladesh, have large migrant labour populations, stopped working in Syria because of the dangers involved.

"Since then traffickers have been targeting Nepalis," said Kaushal Kishor Ray, head of Nepal's diplomatic mission based in Cairo.

"The numbers have gone up hugely in recent years, we estimate there must be around 500 Nepali women in Syria," Ray said.

In nearby Bangladesh, Shahinoor Begum lies in a Dhaka hospital bed recovering from her seven-month ordeal after being trafficked into Syria as a sex slave.

"I was sold to a Syrian man who tortured and raped me every day, sometimes along with his friends," Begum, also a single mother-of-two, said.

Criminal networks target nationals from Nepal and Bangladesh in part because their governments have little diplomatic influence in the region and no embassy in Syria.

A Nepal government ban on migrant workers travelling to Syria has failed to stop the traffickers, an International Labour Organization (ILO) official said.

"Nepal's government thinks a ban is the easiest solution, it basically allows them to wipe their hands of the issue," said Bharati Pokharel, ILO national project coordinator in Kathmandu.

"India has much more diplomatic clout than Nepal or Bangladesh and traffickers are aware of this. They know Nepal is weak and that they will face no legal action for their activities," Pokharel told AFP.

Illiterate, trusting and desperate to dig herself out of poverty, Magar didn't hesitate when a labour broker approached her with a promise of a well-paid job in Kuwait. The 23-year-old says she didn't realise she had been duped until the plane landed in Damascus.
Democratic presidential aspirant Bernie Sanders today called Donald Trump a "pathological liar" after the Republican presidential frontrunner accused Sanders campaign of organising violent protests at Chicago rally on Friday.

"Some represented Bernie, our communist friend," the controversial real estate tycoon alleged in Dayton, Ohio. He repeated this at his other rally in Cleveland.

"You know Bernie was saying Mr Trump should speak to his crowd. You know where they come from? Bernie's crowd. They're Bernie's crowd," Trump said.

The allegations by Trump was immediately denied by the Sanders campaign and disassociated with the protestors who were chanting "Bernie Bernie" at Trump's Chicago rally.

The Chicago rally was cancelled by Trump, a quite unusual development in America's electoral political history.

"Get your people in line, Bernie," Trump said at his Cleveland rally, as he launched a frontal attack on Sanders.

Sanders, the Democratic Senator from Vermont, who is running his presidential campaign on the slogan of democratic socialism, was quick to fire back.

"As is the case virtually every day, Donald Trump is showing the American people that he is a pathological liar. Obviously, while I appreciate that we had supporters at Trump's rally in Chicago, our campaign did not organise the protests," Sanders said in a statement.

"What caused the protests at Trump's rally is a candidate that has promoted hatred and division against Latinos, Muslims, women, and people with disabilities, and his birther attacks against the legitimacy of President Obama," he said.

"What caused the violence at Trump's rally is a campaign whose words and actions have encouraged it on the part of his supporters . He recently said of a protester, 'I want to punch him in the face.' Another time Trump yearned for the old days when the protester would have been punched and "carried out on a stretcher," he added.

"Then just a few days ago a female reporter apparently was assaulted by his campaign manager," Sanders said.

"When that is what the Trump campaign is doing, we should not be surprised that there is a response," he said.

"What Donald Trump must do now is stop provoking violence and make it clear to his supporters that people who attend his rallies or protest should not be assaulted, should not be punched, should not be kicked. In America people have a right to attend a political rally without fear of physical harm," Sanders said.
Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump is leading with an impressive margin in the key state of Florida while he is in a virtual tie with his opponent John Kasich in Ohio, a latest poll said today ahead of the Tuesday's primaries.

Hillary Clinton, the Democratic presidential front-runner, on the other hand appears to be cruising towards being the party's nominee for the November 8 elections, as latest polls showed she was leading in Florida and Ohio, but trailed in Illinois.

The polls came as White House aspirants on both the Republican and Democratic parties intensified their campaigning ahead of the Tuesday's primaries in Florida, Illinois, Missouri, North Carolina and Ohio.

Except for North Carolina, the delegates would go to one candidate - the winners of the primary in the states.

Releasing details of its polls, CBS said that Trump (44 per cent) has a 20 per cent lead over Ted Cruz (24 per cent) and Marco Rubio (21 per cent) in Florida where 99 delegates are at stake.

Florida is the home state of Rubio, who has been campaigning here for the past few days.

A loss here would virtually end the presidential campaign of Rubio, who so far has won only three primaries in Minnesota, Puerto Rico and Washington DC.

He has 163 delegates so far as against 370 of Cruz and 460 of Trump.

In Ohio where 66 delegates are at stake, Trump and the popular State Governor John Kasich are headed for a very tight finish, CBS polls said, adding that both have support of 33 per cent of the prospective Republican primary goers.

Kasich who has just 63 delegates to his kitty and has not won even a single state so far, Ohio is a "must-win-state" for him to stay in the race to the White House.

In Illinois where 69 delegates are at stake in winner-take-all primary, Trump is leading ahead of Cruz.

On the Democratic side, Clinton seems to have an edge over her sole rival Bernie Sanders in the Tuesday's primaries.

Clinton leads Sanders by 28 points in Florida, 62 to 34 percent, and by nine points, 52 to 43 percent in Ohio as per the CBS Battleground Tracker poll.

However, Sanders leads Clinton very narrowly in Illinois 48 to 46 per cent, it said.

While Sanders is giving an unexpected tough fight to Clinton, the former Secretary of State is way ahead of the Vermont Senator in the count of delegates.

To bag Democratic party's presidential nomination, a candidate needs 2382 of the 4763 delegates.

Clinton so far has 1231 delegates which includes 748 from the Democratic primaries and 465 super delegates, meaning party's leadership.

Sanders has 576 delegates which includes 542 from the primaries and has support of just 25 super delegates.

Super delegates can change their position later on. The delegates from both the Republican and Democratic parties would meet later this summer at the once-in-four-year conventions in Cleveland and Philadelphia respectively where they would formally elect their presidential nominee.

Those candidates having majority of the delegates would be elected as the party's presidential nominee.
Turkish authorities today declared new 24-hour, indefinite curfews for two mainly-Kurdish towns where Turkey's security forces are set to launch large-scale operations to battle Kurdish militants.

Turkey has imposed curfews in several flashpoints in the southeast since August to root out militants linked to the Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK, who had set up barricades, dug trenches and planted explosives.

The military operations have raised concerns over human rights violations and scores of civilian deaths. Tens of thousands of people have also been displaced by the fighting.

The governor's office for Hakkari province, which borders Iraq and Iran, said a curfew would take effect in the town Yuksekova today, adding that entering and leaving the town would also be banned. The announcement came as reports said dozens of tanks had been deployed to the town.

Soon after, authorities in Mardin province announced that a round-the-clock would take effect in the town of Nusaybin on the border with Syria at midnight.

Residents were seen leaving Nusaybin today, packing cars or heading toward the bus terminal even before the curfew was announced, the Dogan agency reported. Some tanks were parked at a school ahead of the planned offensive, it said.

Turkey's military last week ended a three-month operation against the militants in the historic Sur district of Diyarbakir the largest city in the country's mostly Kurdish southeast. Today, authorities eased the curfew in some streets and one neighborhood of Sur, but the siege over the district's main areas was still in place.

The PKK has been designated a terrorist organisation by Turkey, the US and the European Union. A fragile peace process between the PKK and the Turkish state collapsed in July, reigniting a battle that has cost tens of thousands of lives since 1984.
Two UN peacekeepers were shot dead and a third slightly wounded by one of their colleagues in northern Mali, the UN mission said today, less than three weeks after a similar incident.

"Yesterday a tragic incident occurred in the MINUSMA camp at Tessalit, in the Kidal region in which a peacekeeper fired on three of his colleagues," a statement from the MINUSMA mission said, without giving the nationalities of the peacekeepers.

The suspect had been arrested and an investigation into the shooting was under way, the statement added.

Last month a soldier in the Chadian contingent of the force killed his own commander and an army doctor following weeks of tensions over living conditions.

The soldier had started an "insurrection" against the contingent's top brass the previous evening before shooting the two men dead on February 25.

The 2,000 Chadian soldiers of the African-led International Support Mission in Mali (AFISMA) -- MINUSMA's predecessor were at the forefront of a French-led military intervention launched in January 2013 to oust Islamist rebels who had taken over vast stretches of the north in the chaos following a coup.

Dozens of Chadian troops have deserted their posts in a dispute over pay and conditions in recent years, complaining that they hadn't received a salary in months.

Twenty-nine members of MINUSMA were killed last year and more than 80 were injured, making it the most deadly active mission for the United Nations.
It may have taken over two decades but as the verdict looms in the trial of Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic, his UN prosecutor says it's never too late for justice.

More than 20 years after the excruciating 44-month siege of Sarajevo and the massacre of almost 8,000 Muslim men and boys in Srebrenica, Karadzic will on March 24 hear whether judges have found him guilty of 11 charges, including two of genocide.

"There have been many important trials in this tribunal, there have been many important judgements, but the one in relation to Karadzic will for sure be one of the most important in the history of the tribunal," Serge Brammertz said.

After former Serbian president Slobodan Milosevic died in 2006 while on trial at the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY), Karadzic will become the highest level politician to be judged for the atrocities which accompanied the break-up of the country in the 1990s.

That makes the verdict "very important in terms of the responsibility of political leaders for the suffering of their own people," said Brammertz, a Belgian national and seasoned jurist.

Brammertz was only a few months into his post as chief prosecutor at the ICTY when he received a call in July 2008 to say that, after 13 years on the run, it looked like Karadzic was about to be nabbed.

It was a pivotal moment. Over the years since the tribunal was set up by the United Nations at the height of the wars in 1993, everybody had become "very pessimistic" about the chances of tracking the fugitives down.

A date for wrapping up the court had already been set -- 2010.

And yet in every meeting with victims' groups "the number one request" was always to arrest Karadzic and notorious Bosnian Serb army chief Ratko Mladic.

As Brammertz took in the that one of Europe's most wanted men had finally been captured and would be headed for the tribunal in The Hague, he felt the weight of the moment and what it "represented for those thousands of victims waiting for their day.
The UP State Industrial Development Corporation (UPSIDC) failed to achieve its target of allotment of developed land as a result of which 1,092.65 acres of developed land valued at Rs 814.14 crore remained unallotted, the has said in its audit report.

In its 'Performance Audit of Development of Industrial Areas by Infrastructure and Industrial Development Department', the Comptroller and Auditor General also noted that 1,846.13 acres of allotted land worth Rs 1,098.16 crore remained unutilised due to allottee units being sick or closed as of March 31, 2015.

In its latest report tabled in the state Assembly, the noted that during 2012-13 to 2014-15, the UPSIDC developed only 190 acres of land against the target of 1,662 acres of land resulting in a shortfall by 88.57%.

The report said the UPSIDC incurred an expenditure of Rs 27.93 crore during 2012-13 to 2014-15 on maintenance and upgrading work in industrial areas which was not permissible as per Operating Manual.

The UPSIDC dropped many land acquisition proposals resulting in loss on account of deduction of acquisition charges amounting to Rs 10.11 crore and blockage of funds of Rs 38.24 crore in 21 out of 51 dropped cases examined by the audit.

The report said the Lucknow Industrial Development Authority (LIDA) could not finalise its master plan for development of notified areas even after lapse of 10 years of its constitution.

LIDA fixed the target for acquisition, development and allotment of 1,812 acres of land, 80 acres of land and 240 acres of land respectively during the last three years ending March 2015. Against this, LIDA did not acquire and develop any land and allotted only 25 acres.



The noted that due to improper persuasion of land acquisition proceedings by the Gorakhpur Industrial Development Authority (GIDA), Rs 22.64 crore remained blocked with the Special Land Acquisition Officer.

GIDA did not prepare the Plan Regulations for development of notified areas even after 26 years of its constitution, it said.

The report also said the Infrastructure and Industrial Development Department failed to approve the regulations prepared by the authorities in pursuance of the Uttar Pradesh Industrial Area Development Act, 1976, as of March 31, 2015.

"Therefore, these authorities were managing their affairs without approved regulations," the report said.

It said the department failed to put in place a monitoring mechanism in pursuance of the Act. It neither prescribed any periodical reports or returns or accounts to be submitted by the authorities nor ensured proper implementation of the master plan or development plan by the authorities or UPSIDC.

It also said that the process of assessment of genuine requirement of coal of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), as envisaged in the New Coal Distribution Policy, was deficient as neither complete and reliable data of registered coal user MSMEs was available nor the functioning of the committees was proper.

Due to delay in execution of fuel supply agreements and non-submission of coal lifting programme to coal companies, UPSIDC failed to lift 37.58% of contracted quantity of coal under fuel supply agreements executed during 2009-10 to 2014-15, the report added.
US Secretary of State John Kerry has called for the resumption of Syria peace talks tomorrow in Geneva following a meeting with France's new foreign minister and other senior European diplomats.

Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault hosted today's meeting in Paris which also included his British, German and Italian counterparts, and the European Union's foreign policy chief.

The meeting comes ahead of UN-sponsored indirect peace talks on Syria, which are scheduled to start tomorrow in Geneva amid a two-week partial cease-fire that has mostly held.

"We look forward to the resumption of talks in Geneva on Monday," Kerry said in a joint conference with his counterparts.

The Syrian government will send a delegation to Geneva to take part in UN-sponsored indirect peace talks with the opposition, but has rejected the UN envoy's call for presidential elections to be held in the next 18 months.

Comments made yesterday by Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moallem "clearly tried to disrupt the process" of negotiations, Kerry said.

Al-Moallem said the Syrian government team won't stay more than 24 hours if the opposition doesn't show up.

Kerry insisted that both Iran and Russia - supporters of the Syrian regime - have adopted "an approach which dictates that there must be a political transition and that we must move towards a presidential election at some point of time."



The last round of indirect talks collapsed on February 3 over a Russian-backed government offensive in Aleppo.

The new round of negotiations comes amid a two-week partial cease-fire that has mostly held.

Additionally, diplomats have discussed a possible initiative to restart the Palestinian-Israeli peace process, as France hopes to host an international conference on the issue in the coming months.

The chaotic situation in Libya, Yemen's civil war and the Ukraine peace process were also on the agenda in Paris.
The United States and its European allies today called on Libya's new unity government to swiftly move to Tripoli and take up power, threatening sanctions against those who undermine the political process.

"We call on all Libyan public institutions to facilitate a peaceful and orderly handover of power so that Libya's new leaders can begin to govern from Libya's capital," US Secretary of State John Kerry said in Paris after a meeting with his counterparts from France, Britain, Italy and the European Union.

In a joint statement released after the meeting, the allies said the UN-backed unity government should move to Tripoli as soon as possible.

The presidential council, headed by Fayez al-Sarraj, announced yesterday it was taking power despite lacking parliamentary approval.

Libya has had two rival administrations since mid-2014 when the recognised government was forced from Tripoli after a militia alliance including Islamists overran the capital.

A UN-brokered agreement in December between representatives of the rival parliaments provided for a power-sharing government to be based in Tripoli.

However last month, 100 lawmakers from the internationally recognised parliament said they supported a UN-backed unity government but were "forcibly prevented" from putting a new reduced cabinet line-up to a vote of confidence.

Al-Sarraj said in a statement yesterday that the majority petition signed by lawmakers was equivalent to a vote of confidence.

He urged institutions "to immediately make contact with the unity government in order to organise the modalities of passing over power in a peaceful and organised way".

In Paris, the foreign ministers and European Union top diplomat Federica Mogherini warned that any individuals who "undermine the political process" will face sanctions.

"We are working with the EU and with the United States to quickly adopt sanctions if it proves necessary, against those in both camps who prevent the new government from taking power," said French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault.

The EU's 28 foreign ministers will discuss the sanctions on Monday, which could include the freezing of assets and a travel ban within Europe.

They are likely to target the speaker of Libya's internationally recognised parliament, Aguila Saleh, as well as Nuri Abu Sahmein of the Tripoli-based General National Congress and its head Khalifa Ghweil.
The United States and France warned the Syrian regime today against trying to disrupt the fragile ceasefire as the warring sides prepared for fresh peace talks to end the brutal conflict.

With the five-year anniversary of the violence looming, the main players in the Syrian conflict were tomorrow to resume UN-brokered indirect negotiations in Geneva in the latest bid to end bloodshed which has killed more than 270,000 people.

After meeting with European allies in Paris, US Secretary of State John Kerry hit out at comments by his Syrian counterpart who said talk of removing President Bashar al-Assad would be a "red line" in the negotiations.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault went further, describing Walid Muallem's comments as a "provocation" and a "bad sign" for the attempts to find peace.

Kerry warned Damascus and its allies Russia and Iran against "testing boundaries" or lessening their compliance with a fragile February 27 truce that has largely held despite the sides trading mutual accusations of violations.

While analysts say much has changed since the last round of talks collapsed in February, the fate of Assad and the holding of elections with 18 months remain huge obstacles.

Speaking in Damascus on today, Muallem said: "We will not talk with anyone who wants to discuss the presidency... Bashar al-Assad is a red line."



Kerry said the Syrian minister was "clearly trying to disrupt the process... Clearly trying to send a message of deterrence to others.

"But the fact is (Assad's) strongest sponsors Russia and Iran have both adopted... An approach which dictates that there must be a political transition and that we must have a presidential election at some time," he added.

Kerry urged Russian President Vladimir Putin to bring the Syrian regime into line, saying he should be concerned that Assad had used his foreign minister "to try and act as a spoiler, to take off the table something that president Putin and Iran had committed to".

"So this is a moment of truth, a moment where all of us have to be responsible."



Kerry hailed the fact that the ceasefire had led to a reduction of violence of up to 90 per cent, and made possible the delivery of emergency supplies to some 150,000 civilians in besieged areas.

He said the coalition had pushed the Islamic State group out of 20 per cent of the territory it held in Syria and that 600 IS fighters had been killed in the last three weeks.
The United States and France warned the Syrian regime today against trying to disrupt the fragile ceasefire as the warring sides prepared for fresh peace talks to end the brutal five-year conflict.

The UN-brokered indirect negotiations are due to start tomorrow in Geneva, the latest international push to try to end a war that has killed more than 270,000 people and forced millions from their homes.

After talks with European allies in Paris, US Secretary of State John Kerry hit out at comments by his Syrian counterpart that removing President Bashar al-Assad would cross a "red line" in the negotiations.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault went further, describing Walid Muallem's comments as a "provocation" and a "bad sign" for the attempts to find peace.

Kerry warned Syria and its allies Russia and Iran against "testing boundaries" or lessening their compliance with a fragile February 27 truce brokered by Washington and Moscow that has largely held despite each side accusing the other of violations.

While analysts say much has changed since the last round of talks collapsed in February, the fate of Assad and the holding of elections with 18 months remain huge obstacles to peace.

Muallem said in Damascus yesterday: "We will not talk with anyone who wants to discuss the presidency... Bashar al-Assad is a red line."



Kerry said the Syrian minister was "clearly trying to disrupt the process... Clearly trying to send a message of deterrence to others.

"But the fact is (Assad's) strongest sponsors Russia and Iran have both adopted... An approach which dictates that there must be a political transition and that we must have a presidential election at some time," he added.

Kerry urged Russian President Vladimir Putin to bring the Syrian regime into line, saying he should be concerned that Assad had used his foreign minister "to try and act as a spoiler, to take off the table something that president Putin and Iran had committed to".

"So this is a moment of truth, a moment where all of us have to be responsible."



Kerry hailed the fact that the ceasefire had led to a reduction of violence of up to 90 per cent, and made possible the delivery of emergency supplies to some 150,000 civilians in besieged areas.

"Despite this progress, we all of us here remain deeply concerned by the Assad regime's practice of removing badly needed medical supplies from those supplies and in particular the surgical kits," he said.
President Xi Jinping today said China should have a military theory that is "up-to-date, pioneering and unique" to support its dynamic 2.3 million- strong armed forces, amid escalating tensions with the US over the strategic South China Sea.

Greater efforts must be made to promote the innovation of Marxist military theory, Xi, also the chairman of the Central Military Commission, told a military delegation to the National People's Congress at its ongoing annual session.

"A sound military theory is a key part of combat effectiveness. A strong army must have a sound theory as its guide," Xi said.

He ordered that China have a "military theory that is up-to-date, pioneering and unique" to support its strong and dynamic armed forces, state-run Xinhua agency reported.

He urged military academics to link theoretical research with military practice.

His comments to have a strong military theory come in the backdrop of growing confrontation with the US over the disputed South China Sea where China is asserting its sovereignty.

Beijing's claims over almost all of South China Sea are disputed by the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan with counter-claims.

China is also locked in a dispute with Japan over islands in the East China Sea.

In his address today, Xi highlighted theoretical and technological innovation as the key to upgrade the country's military and national defence.

He asked the armed forces to fully implement the innovation-driven development strategy, place combat capacity at the centre of all their work, and step up theoretical and technological innovation.

Military administration and high-calibre personnel were also identified as areas to be improved.

The People's Liberation Army (PLA) should focus on priority areas in order to kickstart across-the-board innovation and make the military stronger, Xi said.

He told PLA lawmakers that the 13th Five-Year Plan period (2016-2020) is crucial to China's national defence and military development, and urged the armed forces to uphold political integrity, reform and rule of law, and strengthen their military buildup and combat readiness.

China this year increased its defence budget by 7.6 per cent to USD 146 billion.

Xi's remarks come in the wake of a major military overhaul that saw the launch of a General Command for the Army, the PLA Rocket Force and the PLA Strategic Support Force in December, and the regrouping of seven military area commands into five PLA theatre commands in February.
A young couple, whose inter-caste marriage was opposed by their families, was today brutally attacked by a gang with sickles in full public view in nearby Tirupur district, resulting in the death of the husband.

When Shankar (22) and Kausalya (19), hailing from Palani in Dindigul district, were waiting at the Udumalpet bus stand, a group of armed men came on a motorcycle and hacked them with sickles before fleeing, police said.

Read more from our special coverage on "HONOUR KILLING" Honour killing in Tamil Nadu: Father-in-law of Dalit victim surrenders

Police rushed the profusely bleeding couple to the Government Hospital here. While Shankar died on the way, Kausalya's condition is said to be critical, and she is undergoing treatment, they added.

The couple, said to be from different castes, had fallen in love and had got married despite opposition from their families just eight months ago and the gang was reportedly related to the girl, they said.

Further investigations are on, police added.
Cuba has not yet made a request for membership of the International Monetary Fund, the fund's chief said on Sunday, adding such a request would be considered in accordance with its rules.

Christine Lagarde's comments came just days after the European Union and Cuba signed an agreement in Havana to establish normal relations, bringing the Communist-run island further into the international fold and paving the way for full economic cooperation with the 28-member bloc.

Cuba was one of the founding members of the IMF until it quit in 1964.

"We have not received a request by the authorities of Cuba to be included as a member," Lagarde told reporters at the end of a conference in New Delhi.

US President Barack Obama is due to visit Cuba this month as ties rapidly warm thaw since a 2014 detente with Washington.
LOGAN  Police continue to search for answers as they investigate the apparent murder-suicide of a Logan couple found Friday morning in their home.

Logan City Police Chief Gary Jensen said investigators have been able to determine that 82-year-old Dell Andrew Johnson shot and killed his wife, 73-year-old Mary Flynn Palley, before shooting himself. Both were found lying in a bed of their home at 1616 Sunset Drive.

Investigators reported there were no signs of struggling, leading them to believe that Johnson shot his wife while she was sleeping.

Officers did a welfare check at the couples residence after they received a letter written by Johnson, threatening a tragedy. The letter was originally sent to a local newspaper, who turned it over to police.

Jensen said when no one answered the door, officers obtained a judges warrant to be able to enter the home. Inside they found the two people dead. Detectives were then called in and obtained a search warrant to begin investigating.

Johnsons letter made it sound like he was concerned about his wifes medical issues and had made the decision to end their lives. Palley did not leave any letter or writings.

Family members told police that they felt Palley was recovering and that Johnson had been struggling with several local businesses and organizations, including the LDS Church.

Jensen explained that detectives are continuing to follow-up and question others that Johnson wrote about in his letter. They dont believe there are any other substantial leads and expect to close the case in the upcoming weeks.

<hr /><p style=text-align: center;>will@cvradio.com
The call came from, of all places, Kingman, Arizona. The voice was booming, born for broadcast. The caller wanted to know why training planes from Naval Air Station Corpus Christi were disturbing his peace.

It was the day before the primary election and normally I'd have been in no mood to be distracted from that. But this was too much of a surprise and concern  being told something big that I hadn't read in the Caller-Times, seen on a local television broadcast or been told by any of the local powers-that-be. I kept expecting the caller to reveal himself as an anchor for an Arizona TV station  because of that voice. But it turned out he owns a trucking company.

None of the Northern Arizona locals would square with him what was going on. An airport official directed him to the public affairs office at NAS Corpus Christi, where he said he got the runaround. So he called here and ended up with me.

He let me in on what until then was unknown to me  that as of last year, NAS Corpus Christi pilots spend about three months in Northwestern Arizona flying noisy maneuvers that he does not appreciate hearing. He figured, correctly, that the local chamber of commerce was thrilled about whatever bump the Navy was giving to the local economy.

That bump was described in a Kingman-area online publication as 100 to 150 military personnel and contractors who "will basically be living here, eating here, and spending their money in our community."

Assuming that the military hasn't developed the technology that would enable these personnel and contractors to be two places at once, guess where they're not living, eating and spending their money in the meantime.

The Navy base, which is celebrating its 75th anniversary, is the main reason Corpus Christi doubled in population between 1940 and 1950. In its early years it fed both sides of my family directly  the restaurant-operating side and the fuel distribution side. I can understand that the local economy is bigger now and more diversified and blah-blah-blah and sis-poom-bah, but I don't want to imagine it doing without NAS Corpus Christi. I couldn't help but wonder whether this annual mission in the desert was a first step in that direction.

It occurred to me that if I wouldn't have known about the annual Arizona excursion if the man from Arizona hadn't told me, there might be other local people who should have known but didn't. I called someone big in the local business community whose connections are huge and wide and go back decades, and he didn't know. Not only did he not know, but he also wanted to know who else didn't know, when did they not know it, and why.

Those who I found out didn't know are a who's who  Mayor Nelda Martinez, Councilman Chad Magill (I didn't poll the entire council), County Judge Loyd Neal (I didn't poll the Commissioners Court either but Neal is one of the biggest Corpus Christi military advocates in city history), our publisher, Libby Averyt, who is a member of the chamber board, and U.S. Rep. Blake Farenthold. This is by no means a complete list of who I found out didn't know.

But not everyone who didn't know and should have known shares my concern. The Navy says it needs the Arizona weather this time of year, and Farenthold assures that Navy training missions at other bases also go mobile like this for weather and other reasons. "They said we needn't worry," he said.

Wes Hoskins, chairman of the chamber's military task force, seconded that, saying that the practice is "fairly routine."

OK, but I remain just a bit uneasy about all of this after-the-fact acceptance of the Navy's explanation. Having been born here, having windsurfed and bicycled in winter a lot in my younger days, and having been able to see big offshore projects under construction in Ingleside on cloudless days from Ocean Drive this time of year, I hadn't known that our weather was such a problem.

It seems to me  and to Magill and a few noteworthy others  that the more it's discovered that the Navy can do without us part of the year, the easier it would be to decide during the next base-closure exercise, aka BRAC, that NAS Corpus Christi can be done without all of the time. Magill likened it to a FICO credit score. Needing to go to Arizona downgrades ours.

Don't y'all think that guy in Kingman deserves his peace and quiet?
Magnificent hand painted and intricately crafted ceilings are a hallmark of the home.

SHARE Photo by Eddie Seal/Special to the Caller Times The grand living spaces in this home are nothing short of amazing. A granite-topped bar area leads to an amazing sitting area with a two-story wall of windows overlooking Corpus Christi Bay. Photo by Eddie Seal/Special to the Caller Times A two-story wall of windows brings in incredible and ever changing views of Corpus Christi Bay from this one of several living areas in the home. The palatial home wraps around a tile deck and round swimming pool. The rear area of the home is all windows, balcony and patio space for amazing views of the pool and bay. Photo by Eddie Seal/Special to the Caller Times The opulent formal living area featuring marble flooring, gold crown moulding, a marble fireplace mantle and columned arch ways

Nabil and Saida Emilady's home offers everything found in a high-end luxury hotel: An elevator, heated pool, marble floors, crystal chandeliers and separate spaces for an office, exercise room and nursery.

The home has a calming effect on the couple, and they are at peace as they gaze out through their wall of windows to the Corpus Christi Bay or enjoy the view from the decks outside.

The 9,200-square-foot home was built in 2004 and is decorated with imports from around the world from the the Turkish marble floors, to the Egyptian wrought iron railing and the inlaid mother of pearl ceilings.

From floor to ceiling, the home is a sight to behold.

Why do you love your home?: The serenity and Corpus Christi Bay views, the calming effect of the decor and layout of our home. It's super peaceful.

Why did you decide on this home?: It has the best location in town on Ocean Drive and across from Hewit Drive. We love the amazing bay and city skyline views.

Best home project I've completed here and why: All of it, we built it from the ground up.

I get ideas/inspiration for my house from... my travels.

Something no one knows about my home: Being here feels like you are on your own private island and there's great fishing off of the decks.

I save lots of money on my home by... good insulation and a smart floor plan reduce our electric bills.

A home item I can't live without: The view.

My home's best feature: The high ceilings and the water views.

My dream home would include... my family.

A current home trend I like: Mediterranean.

I'll never throw out my... paintings and art.

Three words that describe my home: Peaceful, unique and breathtaking.

If my kitchen walls could talk: They would speak of the happy gatherings of cooking large spreads of food for family and friends.

What I like most about my home: The space, ocean waves and the ability to throw fabulous events in the spacious areas.

Unannounced guests would find my home: Comfortable and private. Each room has its own suite-like area with a bathroom, bed and door to outside yard and water view.

My home's most complimented feature: The hand-painted ceilings and museum like feeling.

Favorite room: The tea room with every room looking at the bay.

I can't believe I put this in my home: The numerous chandeliers.

Three items homeowners definitely need are... good insulation, good views and a good floor plan.
SHARE CALLER-TIMES FILE In this file photo, Luis Garcia, Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi assistant professor of mechanical engineering and engineering technology, and his students demonstrate unmanned aircraft systems. The demonstration was to help promote engineers week at the university. Officials credit Type A funds with helping to boost the university's engineering programs.

By Kirsten Crow of the Caller-Times

Coming up on an election season that will see a packed ballot, city leaders will discuss whether to include one more item: Reupping the Type A sales tax.

The one-eighth cent sales tax, approved by voters in 2002, is used to promote economic development  including generating jobs, supporting businesses and investing in programs that teach workers' skills  as well as affordable housing. Officials have credited the funding with helping to continue operations at Sam Kane Beef, securing major ventures such as the construction of M&G Chemicals and boosting programs that help schools and training centers give residents the skills for good jobs.

The city has seen about a $5 rate of return for every Type A dollar spent in capital investment, and "a 57 percent rate of return for every dollar that is spent that is added to tax base and tax revenue," said Mayor Nelda Martinez.

"We want to put this proven success tool on the ballot," she said. "It has earned its way back on the ballot with a strong record of success."

The sales tax for the program would expire April 3, 2018, unless re-approved by voters in November.

The council will launch a conversation on renewing the Type A funds and deliberating how they are used during the council's retreat March 22, Martinez said. The council will also likely consider the possibility of a Type B board, which closely resembles a Type A board but allows for a wider range of projects.

The annual retreat takes council members out of City Hall chambers to discuss in a public, workshop-style meeting the goals for the year. In last year's retreat, the council selected roads, water and economic development as their priorities.

"Truly it's a conversation at this point and unfolding publicly," Martinez said about the upcoming discussions.

To some, the funds have been seen as a linchpin in securing the region's development.

For example, funds to Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi have been used for its engineering programs.

It's an investment for the school and its students, but also the community, said Jaime Nodarse, assistant vice president for development, Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi. Type A funding support for the school's engineering programs helped the university position itself as a test site for unmanned aircraft, she added.

"The (community and the university) are so closely intertwined for us, it's hard to even separate it out," she said. "Here at (Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi), we want to make sure educating students is the main goal, but also to educate students for a job in demand in the community."

The funds are overseen by the five-member Corpus Christi Business and Job Development Corp. Working closely with the Corpus Christi Regional Economic Development Corp., the projects are vetted before being voted on. After a vote by the corporation  also known as the Type A board  the proposal is sent to the council for a vote.

In the upcoming year, the potential to reapprove the sales tax would require study for both the council and citizens, said Iain Vasey, president and CEO of the economic development corporation.

"There's a lot of discussion that will need to occur this year about direction and decisions  about what it should look like, what should it include, how to do it," he said.

Twitter: @CallerCrow
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By Natalia Contreras of the Caller-Times

Corpus Christi ISD superintendent Roland Hernandez said the local chapter of American Federation of Teachers' ranking system of CCISD principals released Friday was subjective and unacceptable.

In a recorded voice message sent to parents and staff Saturday, Hernandez addressed the chapter's system, which identified campus administrators as good or bad.

"This is unacceptable," Hernandez stated in the message.

On Friday, four Corpus Christi ISD principals were praised as "golden" and six were dubbed "rotten" by the Corpus Christi American Federation of Teachers.

Federation officials said of about 5,000 teachers and support staff employed by the district, 1,860 are members of the Corpus Christi federation chapter.

"Less than 300 of their 1,800 (CCAFT) members participated," Hernandez said. "That represents less than six percent of our district's 5,000 plus employees and less than 15 percent of their own membership, which clearly indicates that this is not a representative sample on which to base such a derogatory list."

Hernandez expressed his support for the schools principals and teachers and urged parents to do the same.

"I believe in all of our district and campus administrators and feel that we are doing our jobs by making our campuses better and continuously moving our district forward toward excellence," Hernandez said. "I ask that you join me in support of all of our campus and district leaders as they work with our teachers to keep our children our number one priority."
CALLER-TIMES file An oil pipeline inches its way across the landscape from Pettus to the Koch Helena Terminal for 24 miles. Unemployment has risen as jobs in the Eagle Ford Shale have been eliminated.

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By Chris Ramirez of the Caller-Times

ALICE  Victoria Dominguez saw the clues.

For sale signs started popping up all around her native Alice a few months ago, on homes, storefronts, even cars.

Restaurants, from Asian diners to family-run neighborhood taquerias she remembered growing up in this town that lays claim to being the birthplace of Tejano music, began closing their doors.

The friendly strangers that visited the stylish shop where she makes a living preparing panini sandwiches, salads and chicken flautas have left.

So have their tips.

It's no coincidence, she says, the trends began to emerge when oil prices started to tumble.

"All around things have just decreased," said Dominguez, 28. "Not everyone here works in oil, but we all feel the struggle."

Unemployment rates ticked up in all but two of the 12 counties Workforce Solutions of the Coastal Bend oversees, according to a report released Monday.

Experts say the document provides some of the strongest evidence that small South Texas towns once economically supported by Eagle Ford Shale activity are now hurting.

"Simply put: The boom is not a boom anymore," said Hans Schumann, an economics professor at Texas A&M University-Kingsville.

Jobless rates were highest in rural areas with strong commercial ties to the energy industry.

Unemployment in January hit 11 percent in Brooks County, up from 10.5 percent the previous month and 7.1 percent in January 2015. In Duval County, the jobless rate was 9.7 percent in January, compared with 5.5 percent at the same point last year.

"All economic indicators point to a slowdown of our Corpus Christi economy, and more so for the broader South Texas region," said Jim Lee, the chief economist at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi.

It was challenging to keep enough ham, cheese and ciabatta bread in stock when Dominguez opened Alice's Wonderland Cafe four years ago.

With oil selling back then for $115 a barrel, the stylish eatery on Reynolds Street in Alice quickly evolved into a hot lunch spot for the spouses of oil field workers.

"They started bringing our food home, then their husbands started showing up on their lunch breaks," Dominguez said.

Lines of burly workers in thick overalls began thinning out about a year ago when one energy company announced plans to move to San Antonio.

Another gave word, about a week later, it was headed to Midland.

Then another.

And another.

"I didn't think it would get this bad or that it would last this long," said Dominguez, who returned to her hometown a few years ago after getting her interior design degree in San Francisco.

The jobless rate in Jim Wells County, where Alice is located, climbed to 8.9 percent in January. A year earlier, it was 5.1 percent.

Dominguez recently bought a food trailer, hoping to share her shop's wares at festivals and events in Corpus Christi and elsewhere in South Texas.

West Texas Intermediate crude on Friday sold for $38.72 a barrel, or roughly one-third the price it traded for 20 months ago. Brent crude, which also has lost more than half its value in a similar time, traded for $40.65.

More than 2,600 jobs were available in the region, said Ken Trevino, president/CEO of Workforce Solutions of the Coastal Bend.

Overall, the not-seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for the Coastal Bend region stood at 6 percent in January, up 0.3 percent from December 2015 and up 0.8 percent from January 2015.

The unemployment rate for the Corpus Christi Metropolitan Statistical Area was 5.5 percent in January, compared with 5.3 percent a month earlier and 5.2 percent in January 2015.

McMullen County experienced an unemployment decrease during the last year  to 1.8 percent in January from 2.3 percent in January 2015.

While the downturn has motivated some to get new training, some are reviving old skills.

Students who were lured by big money to work in oil fields years ago are returning to area colleges and universities to finish their degrees, Schumann said.

A degree may strengthen their earning power when the energy sector heals. And that could happen at some point soon, said Schumann, noting the downturn's differences with the oil bust of the 1980s.

For one thing, companies are loathe to abandon the billions of dollars in infrastructure they've invested since 2008, the year Eagle Ford drilling began. Also, things could change rapidly if China's limp economy builds steam and global demand for oil increases, Schumann said.

"These wells are still producing, just not at the level they were two years ago," he said. "The windfall isn't there like it used to be, but nobody's completely shutting down. They're just not drilling any new ones."

Twitter: @Caller_ChrisRam
GABE HERNANDEZ/CALLER-TIMES

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By Natalia Contreras of the Caller-Times

Corpus Christi police homicide investigators are seeking to determine the cause of death of a 39-year-old man who was found Saturday morning outside a Southside apartment.

According to a Corpus Christi police news release, about 9:37 a.m. a resident of an apartment complex in the 2300 block of Capitan Drive found the man unconscious near the stairs, and in need of medical help.

Corpus Christi Fire Department medical staff determined the man was dead. Officers requested additional help from medical investigators. Police said the man did not appear to have a medical condition that would have contributed to the death, the release states.

Homicide Investigators, police forensics lab technicians, and the Nueces County Medical Examiner's Office responded to gather information and evidence. Detectives did not find any indication of cause of death and there was no indication of foul play after investigating, police said.

At this time police are investigating the incident as an unattended death, which means the person died without observation by a medical physician, the release states.

Officials have not released the man's name pending notification of next of kin.
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Dylan Martin Mendoza, Kingsville

Segregation is not the problem

I am writing both to agree and disagree with what has been stated in Beatriz Alvarado's article "Professor: Years after Cisneros v. CCISD segregation still exists" which was published on March 2. I realize there was discrimination in the 1950s but that should not justify how certain school districts are funded.

As a college student at Texas A&M University-Kingsville and Mexican-American who came from a low-funded public school district, I say this issue goes far deeper than segregation and discrimination. To say King High School is "the white school" would be a stereotype to that institute. I am sure there are percentages of Hispanic, black, or even Asian students within that school. Just like Prescott Elementary serves Caucasian students.

Schools are built in certain parts of towns and cities to ensure an equal opportunity for education. Families with higher income might play a factor in how certain schools are being funded and that is not due to race for the most part.

It is important to learn about the past within our own communities but not to justify current problems. We should look into how money is being distributed throughout the districts and find solutions. Talk to the school board. Attend town meetings and confront the situation.
| BY Lynchy |

A regular blog by Damon Stapleton, chief creative officer of DDB New Zealand

Music is what happens between the notes.  Claude Debussy

I was watching Birdman the other night. It is a beautiful film.

One of the central themes for me is the gap between the internal and external reality we all have. What you think you are and what you think you should be. Where you are and where you want to go. What you are willing to risk? Everybody telling you something is a shit idea but you still believing in it. The film plays with this idea of human spaces and gaps and shows how they are necessary to create anything of creative value.

Great work does not happen without some sort of risk. There has to be a leap. And there is only a leap, if there is a gap.

Our business is all about gaps. The gap between a good idea and a great idea. The gap between what is in your head and a clients. The gap between having an idea and being able to sell it. The gap between thinking and the making of an idea. I could go on. But lets just say crossing all these gaps takes a fair amount of courage and persuasion. It is a tango our business dances every day.

And this will not change, no matter how much data you have. There is a simple reason for this. Gaps are where data ends and judgement, trust and relationships begin.

It is strange how very little is said or written about the human aspect of our business. Read about how any great piece of work is made and there will always be a paragraph about how somebody persuaded somebody or somebody was brave enough to buy the work. In the end, this is what creates the space between the notes.

Scary stuff.

So, it is understandable there are many who dont like gaps or risks because there is a huge amount of money involved if something does not work.

And because of this, an entire industry has been spawned to explain away the gaps. I am constantly meeting people who have never made a single piece of communication who have the answer or a formula for how things should be done. They always talk about the value of creativity without knowing what it is like to try and have an idea.

They are slick presenters with cool trainers selling the idea that creativity is too important to be left to the creatives. They package and curate. They do not originate. They risk very little and they talk very often.

To use a quote from Birdman allegedly first said by Susan Sontag: A thing is a thing, not what is said of that thing.

The truth is they provide the illusion of safety. Their solutions have a lot of context with very little substance. It might sound good in a presentation but it wont get the job done.

There is a simple reason for this. These professional soothsayers are in the business of creating certainty in a business that is becoming more confusing for many.

True creativity is the business of exploring uncertainty. Many might not like that but that is how it works.

And because of this, judgement, persuasion and belief will always be why great work gets across the line.

It has to be this way if you want to do something new.

And for that, you need people that believe in an idea and are willing to take a risk. Look at the great work over the last couple of years and you will see that. When you do, you will see that despite what many say, the centre of our business hasnt changed that much. You need great ideas. You have to sell those great ideas. You have to execute them bloody well.

What surrounds the centre, however, has changed a lot. This is why many are unsure or baffled.

This is why there is a lot of fear in our business right now and many are making a living trying to pretend like they have some new answer.

Creativity works a certain way. It always has and always will. It cannot be smoothed over and made more palatable with pie charts and snappy aphorisms. It has to have gaps.
"We have to think about what species would we replace those species with, how much would it cost, if we're going to use a different species what would it be and what value would it have for conservation."
"If there was some sort of positive gearing scheme or a tax credit that enabled people to access concessions if they rented properties below the market rent, so say, at 70 or 80 per cent below the market rent, then if that was backed by a 10-year guarantee or at least a guarantee that when the next government got in, they wouldn't do away with it, then that might provide people with more surety around affordable housing being a good investment," he said.
"I have designed the platypus to be super-strong. We had the fence around it for nearly three months to let the plants grow, and a sign saying 'please do not climb the sculpture' will also be added."
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Our Promise: Welcome to Care2, the world's largest community for good. Here, you'll find over 45 million like-minded people working towards progress, kindness, and lasting impact.

Care2 Stands Against: bigots, racists, bullies, science deniers, misogynists, gun lobbyists, xenophobes, the willfully ignorant, animal abusers, frackers, and other mean people. If you find yourself aligning with any of those folks, you can move along, nothing to see here.

Care2 Stands With: humanitarians, animal lovers, feminists, rabble-rousers, nature-buffs, creatives, the naturally curious, and people who really love to do the right thing.

You are our people. You Care. We Care2.
Welcome to SwanseaOnline - your home for the best news, sports and what's on coverage of the city.

Never miss a Swansea story with our daily newsletter Sign up to comment on our stories here

Follow us on Facebook and Twitter | Swansea City news | Ospreys news | InYourArea
The Munich-based automaker was last months winner in battle between the three German premium manufacturers.



With 163,965 vehicles, BMW recorded a sales increase of 7.9 percent, followed by Mercedes-Benz Cars, with 143,767 (up 11.8 percent) and Audi closing the podium with 126,500 units (up 3.3 percent).

Sales in Europe were strong, with the Bavarian brand, which managed to deliver 11.4% more BMW and MINI vehicles (277,304 total) in the first two months of the year. In fact, all markets achieved a sales growth, with double-digit recorded in several countries, including Italy (+12.4%), France (+13.2%) and Spain (+22.5%).

In January and February, Mercedes-Benz Cars sold more vehicles worldwide than BMW, with 303,905 deliveries accounting for a 15.6 percent increase, while Audi delivered 3.6 percent more cars to their customers, at 269,650.

In North America, BMW scored a total of 25,337 sales, including the MINI brand, down 12.4 percent from 28,921 last month, but Mercedes-Benz has seen a 0.4 percent increase with 26,852 units delivered in the NAFTA region. Audi sold approximately 14,450 vehicles in North America, last month, with the USA remaining the largest markets (11,718 units; +2.3%), while Canada and Mexico have witnessed a double-digit growth, by 18.9% and 15.6%, respectively.

BMWs best-sellers in February were its compact and SUV vehicles, such as the X1, X3, 1-Series and 2-Series, while the three-pointed star focused on the A-Class, B-Class, CLA, GLA and GLC.

PHOTO GALLERY
Joining forces with ethnic jeweler Hipanema, Renault has pulled the covers off a new limited edition of its city car.



Dubbed Hipanema, this Twingo packs a selection of exclusive custom exterior features that include Hipanema graphics, coral side mirror housings, electrically-adjustable, demisting door mirrors, two-tone black wheel trims and a canvas opening sunroof.

Inside, the new edition has received Hipanema-badged front door sills and carpet mats, gloss coral trim for the air vent surrounds, steering wheel and gearshift lever, leather-wrapped steering wheels and a canvnas opening sun roof.

Based on the Zen equipment level, it has standard features that include electric front windows, speed limiter and Connect R&Go radio, with R&Go multimedia application that allows users to connect with their mobile phone to navigate, listen to music, scroll through contact lists, make calls and view car-related data.

Renault offers a choice of four body colors, called Dragee Blue, Eclair Yellow, Cristal White and Etoile Black, from a starting price of 13,700 in France, meaning a saving of 550 ($600). On top of the car, prospective buyers will also get a collection of Hipanema jewelry: necklace, bracelet designed especially for the limited-edition car and a key ring.

Full pricing info, including options and engine details are available below.

PHOTO GALLERY
Jonathan Ward, the mastermind behind Icon and their creations, explains what went into the third generation of their FJ44 models.



Prepare for 20 minutes of pure automotive geekery as Ward explains whats changed in the ICON FJ models, proving once again his passion for perfection down to the last detail.

There is only one Gen.3 FJ44 so far, called the Petersen Special as its going to be displayed at the renovated Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles.

The main highlight is of course the LS3 V8 E-rod engine which now can be ordered with a supercharger fitted for a total of around 540hp, making this FJ44 capable of a 0-60mph in 5.7 seconds.

Other details include the new custom brakes and shock absorbers, a stronger air-conditioning system and on the cosmetic front we got new LED headlights, new rear-view mirrors made from billet aluminum, new gauges and other bespoke interior features.

VIDEO
Photo: Thinkstock.com

During the last few weeks, Castanet has received several tips and complaints regarding overcrowding at Kelowna General Hospital.

Stories of patients being left in the hallways for days appear to be due to a lack of space for all the patients admitted to KGH

One resident wrote to Castanet and called the situation at KGH "a joke."

With new towers being constructed, how is it that the severe lack of planning already has patients being kept for days in the hallways because no rooms are available? the frustrated tipster wrote.

The writer said their father was kept in the hallway for three nights despite a potentially severe and life-altering infection.

It is good to know that the construction which was just recently completed is apparently already at capacity."

In response to overcrowding concerns, administrators say the hospital is typically busier this time of year, and they are doing their best to provide care.

While we are busy at the site, we are responding operationally to meet the needs of patients, said Andrew Hughes, KGH acute health service administrator

Hughes says as demand fluctuates, hospital staff adjust their response as necessary.

Its important that the public knows that people are still receiving good care at KGH, and that KGH continues to accept patients, said Hughes.

Sometimes, patients do wait in the hallway for an available bed. We recognize this is less than ideal, and we aim to minimize any time spent in hallways. The goal is to have no patients in the hallways.

Hughes says staff continue to work with community partners to ensure that patients no longer requiring acute care are transitioned back into the most appropriate care environment.

This could mean they are sent home, or discharged appropriately to residential care or home and community care with the most appropriate supports in place, said Hughes.

Do you feel Kelowna General Hospital is doing a good job providing care to the people of the Okanagan?

Send us a letter on the topic by emailing your letter to [email protected]
Photo: Contributed - City of Vernon

A draft regional airport master plan is once again before Vernon city council, Monday, with staff recommending no extension of the current runway for the third time in a row.

Some councillors had rebuffed earlier recommendations to rule out the expensive runway upgrade, instead ordering staff to rework the numbers on the cost of building an extension.

Last time, Coun. Catherine Lord said that if the project does not go ahead now it never will, due to a change in Transport Canada regulations.

Lord rejected a cost estimate for a runway extension set at $5.2 million, stating it could be lower. A revised estimate puts the cost at $4.3 million.

Council is being asked to endorse a development alternative that does not include an extension of the runway and calls for further public consultation ahead of developing a detailed implementation and funding strategy.

It also recommends exploring the feasibility of designating land north of the airport for "employment lands."
Photo: Contributed - City of West Kelowna

West Kelowna residents will get their say on whether the city will borrow to construct a new city hall.

The city has confirmed the alternative approval process will begin March 23.

Residents will have until May 3 to fill out the form and have it in to City Hall, opposing the borrowing bylaw.

Under the provisions set out in an AAP, 10 per cent of eligible voters must oppose the bylaw or the city will proceed. If more than 10 per cent oppose, the city can either scuttle plans or go to a full city-wide referendum.

Council has established 2,603, or 10 per cent of the City of West Kelownas estimated 26,034 eligible voters, as the number of elector response forms that would be needed to defeat the process.

Council is seeking assent to borrow up to $10.5 million toward construction of a new 32,215-square-foot city hall as part of a civic centre at 3641 Elliott Rd.

The AAP form, which will be available at City Hall or online, will include the following statement:

By completing and signing this Elector Response Form I am OPPOSED to the City of West

Kelowna proceeding with the adoption of Bylaw No. 0196, being the City of West Kelowna City

Hall Project Loan Authorization Bylaw, authorizing the borrowing of a sum not exceeding TEN

MILLION, FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS ($10,500,000.00) to be repaid over a period

not exceeding 30 years, for the construction of a new City Hall and related project work.
Photo: Contributed - Randy Millis

Strong winds caused problems in the East Kelowna area Saturday, knocking over trees and taking out power lines.

McCulloch Road, near June Springs Road, was temporarily closed due to downed power lines at 2 p.m.

A large tree also fell on top of power lines at Spiers Road and Gulley road at about 2:30 p.m., closing one lane of traffic.

Additionally, a tree fell into power lines in the 1500 block of Lewis Road, near Black Mountain.

The wind was not just contained to Kelowna though. Over 1,800 people are without power in the Lumby area, after winds rocked the area as well.
Photo: Thinkstock.com

Dozens of hungry seagulls have been rescued after getting trapped while trying to sneak a healthy snack.

Animal rescuers had to be called in Friday afternoon when 62 gulls were found in a tofu by-product waste bin behind a Vancouver factory.

Laura Evans Wildlife Rescue Association says the gulls went into the bin, thinking it was a food source, but weren't able to escape because of a metal grate covering the container.

She says some of the birds were injured and are being treated.

The organization says on its Facebook page that the seagulls also need to be cleaned because several of them have tofu residue on their feet and feathers.

Evans says once the birds have healed, they'll be released back into the Vancouver skies.
Photo: Contributed

The Rock Creek Wildfire rolled through the Kettle River Campground last August, forcing the evacuation of 200 people, scorching trees but miraculously bypassing vehicles, RVs and tents.

Despite the extensive damage to the site, it is scheduled to reopen on May 6.

Many people still believe the provincial campground was destroyed or are unsure if it will be reopening in 2016, said Jeff Kuly, South Okanagan/Boundary park operator.

The campsite will be back in action this year, and reservations can be made beginning March 15 on the BC Parks website.

The campground will remain closed until May, as BC Parks continues to clean up the area and remove any hazards caused by last Augusts fire.

The Rock Creek Wildfire scorched more than 4,500 hectares, destroyed 30 homes, and closed Highway 33 for several days.
Photo: CTV Degas Sikorski

An Alberta man who got a Valentine at work defaced with a homophobic slur has received a much nicer card signed by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

The card, which Degas Sikorski received on Saturday, contains messages of support from the prime minister as well as cabinet ministers and MPs.

"Know that your friends outnumber the haters by millions, and I am one of your friends," Trudeau wrote in the card, which was delivered to Sikorski by Edmonton Centre MP Randy Boissonnault.

A photo of the Valentine that Sikorski, 20, of St. Albert received last month at a party supplies store in Edmonton caused an online furor after his mother posted it to Facebook and explained what happened.

She said a supervisor at the Party City store made Valentines for all the staff, but when her son picked his up, it had a hate message on it.

The company said after the incident that it would investigate the matter.

Sikorski said the card from Trudeau and other MPs also contained photos of the prime minister signing it.

"It was a beautiful card," Sikorski said. "There were so many pictures and so many people wanted to sign it, they had to add extra pages."

"Canada went from being this big, wide-open country to feeling like Ottawa and Ontario were right next to Alberta."

Sikorski said he has quit Party City. He's since accepted a job from Starbucks that was offered by a manager who reached out to him on Facebook after hearing his story.

He said he's dropped his plan of pursuing a police investigation, not wishing the person who defaced his Valentine to suffer a criminal record.

"Whoever did it knows it was wrong," Sikorski said.

Sikorski said he's still pursuing a human rights investigation against his former employer.

The company issued a statement at the time saying it did not condone what happened and was committed to creating a fair and inclusive work environment.
Photo: The Canadian Press

Ted Cruz won most of the delegates at stake in Saturday's Republican county conventions in Wyoming.

The Texas senator won nine of the 12 delegates that were up for grabs. Florida Sen. Marco Rubio and billionaire businessman Donald Trump won one apiece. One delegate was uncommitted.

The Associated Press is not declaring a winner in Wyoming on Saturday because another 14 of the state's delegates will be awarded at the party's state convention on April 16.

Trump leads the overall race for delegates with 460. Cruz has 369, Rubio has 153 and John Kasich has 54.

It takes 1,237 delegates to win the Republican nomination for president.
Photo: Twitter - ABC7

Gunmen in Northern California fired shots into a moving party bus early Saturday, wounding four and leaving authorities stumped because passengers refused to co-operate with the investigation.

The chartered executive limo bus was leaving San Francisco and had exited the Bay Bridge around 2:25 a.m. when two gunmen in a red SUV drove alongside and opened fire, said California Highway Patrol Officer Daniel Hill.

A fourth passenger was hurt critically but is expected to survive. Three others had minor injuries.

Interstate 880 was closed for roughly five hours as officers investigated.

Passengers adamantly refused to give witness statements or provide descriptions of the shooters, authorities said.

"In fact, they didn't co-operate so much that one of our officers got assaulted and kicked by one of the victims," Hill said.

A female victim hit by a ricochet scuffled with paramedics and forced her way out of an ambulance. She fled and her whereabouts are unknown.

Investigators say the bus was occupied by couples but Hill could not provide an estimate of how many people were on the bus. He declined to release names and ages of the wounded.

"I will say we don't believe this is a random incident," he said.

The Oakland Tribune reports the incident is the eighth freeway shooting in the East Bay since November. Officers have blamed the shootings on an escalating gang war in the Richmond area where six of the shootings have taken place.

Freeways are appealing because there are fewer surveillance cameras and easy getaways.

Hill said the CHP does not believe Saturday's shootout is specifically related to the other freeway shootings.
Photo: Contributed

A Lower Mainland man is lucky to be alive after a spectacular crash that sent his car flying through the air.

The accident happened at around 8 a.m. and the unidentified man is being investigated for impaired driving.

Abbotsford Police Sgt. Marcus Senft told CTV News the mans green van hit a curb and flew 20, maybe 30 feet through the air before colliding with a concrete building.

This individual is very lucky to be alive today, based on the significant damage to the vehicle after impacting the building behind us here, Senft said.

The impact was so great the engine was dislodged from the vehicle and the roof collapsed, however, the driver escaped with only minor injuries.

- with files from CTV
A McMinn County man was arrested in Bradley County after avoiding a sobriety checkpoint last Saturday.

Sheriff Watson and several officers affiliated with the BCSO Public Safety Unit were manning a checkpoint in the immediate area of Lower River Road and Eureka Road. At approximately 7:45 p.m. Saturday, Sheriff Watson and Sergeant Mario Santos noticed a black truck make a fast U-turn in the roadway near a sharp, blind curve on a double (no passing) yellow line.

The sheriff informed other deputies handling the detail of the incident that the driver, later identified as William Jeffery Coker, of County Road 788 in McMinn County, had entered the western-most area of Eads Bluff Road. At that time Deputy Daniel Marlow observed the vehicle in question turn from Eads Bluff to Casson Lippard Road, also in extreme northern Bradley County. At the dead end of the road, Deputy Marlow located the vehicle abandoned, moments later. Sheriff Watson other officers from the PSU, as well as Lieutenant Dennis Goins, arrived shortly thereafter.

Deputies ran the registration to the 2002 Dodge Ram, receiving information the vehicle in question belonged to Mr. Charlie Mobriant of Meigs County. At the request of Bradley County officers, Meigs County deputies quickly responded to Mr. Mobriants residence in Decatur. They relayed the information to Bradley County officers that Mr. Mobriant has entrusted the Dodge Ram truck to Coker so he (Coker) could make some repairs on it. Deputies acquired Mr. Cokers phone number, spoke to him about the situation, as well as about the fact Meigs County possessed warrants against him.

Coker agreed to speak with Bradley County officers about the checkpoint incident, as well as turn himself in to Meigs County Sheriffs Officers on felony warrants, where he remains in custody.

Coker admitted to Officer Marlow that he was operating the 2002 Dodge truck in question, and that he panicked when he saw the blue lights signaling the Sobriety Checkpoint, making a U-turn and speeding away from the officers, soon fleeing the area on foot.

Sheriff Watson said, Our officers safely stopped some 525 cooperative drivers during the sobriety checkpoint last Saturday. Mr. Coker chose to endanger Bradley County citizens and my officers due to his stupidity. I was glad to see members of the BCSO Public Safety Unit and other deputies considered this investigation 'unstoppable' until we made an arrest.

Coker has been charged with felony evading, evading arrest, driving while revoked and illegal turning movement.
A supporter of Democratic candidate Bernie Sanders holds up a sign during a Donald Trump rally Saturday in Cleveland. The Republican candidate blames Sanders supporters for instigating violence at a Trump event in Chicago, which was canceled for security reasons. (Brendan Smialowski / AFP/Getty Images)

Reporting from Cleveland  A flammable brew of populist anger, a candidate's provocative remarks and disruptive protesters found a fuse, and the result, at what was to be a Donald Trump event in Chicago this weekend, was an explosion that continued to reverberate through the presidential campaign Saturday.

In a contest that has had far more than its share of drama, the question is: What happens next?

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Trump's Republican opponents rushed to denounce him over the chaotic turn Friday night, and there was an urgency to their positions. Primaries will be held Tuesday in Ohio, Florida, North Carolina, Illinois and Missouri  and the campaigns of Ohio Gov. John Kasich and Florida Sen. Marco Rubio will probably end if they fail to win their home states. A substantial series of victories by Trump on Tuesday would move him a major step closer to a nomination that so many in his party are trying to block.

As Trump himself suggested, the latest controversy very likely will cement support for him among his backers, who have already weathered disputes over his caustic criticisms of ethnic groups, women, the disabled and the pope, to mention a few. Their allegiance is apt only to harden if they feel that their leader, and they by extension, are under attack.

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Appearing at three rallies Saturday, Trump maintained the political style and message that has propelled him to front-runner status. At those events in Ohio and Missouri, he emerged unrepentant and defiant, blaming protesters, President Obama and other Democrats for the divisions that pushed the campaign to a new level of tension Friday night.

But two longer-term issues now threaten him, and those become more difficult as time goes on without a change in strategy by Trump.

Reading the political moment with far more dexterity than anyone else running for president this year, Trump has succeeded to this point on the strength of his many loyalists and a fractured opposition.

He has excelled in playing competitors against one another and has benefited as they fought among themselves for the role of prime challenger. A fight against just one of them  say, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, if Kasich and Rubio falter  focuses the race in a different way and could result in all of the anti-Trump vote coalescing around one person. Trump's opponents have hoped that since his support in primaries so far has rarely risen above the low 40% range, a one-on-one race might allow victory for the anti-Trump candidacy.

That could be a long-shot. But if Trump does win the nomination, he faces a much bigger problem, one that the escalation of protests around his events highlights: Having risen to the role of front-runner by playing to the emotions of a vocal, aggrieved minority of his party, how does he pivot toward a broader constituency that is less taken with his brand?

That broad constituency is becoming more and more difficult for any politician to command as each party's voters go to their partisan corners in growing numbers. In a 2014 study, the Pew Research Center found that 27% of Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents and 36% of Republicans and Republican-leaning independents felt that the other party's positions "are so misguided that they threaten the nation's well-being," a stark data point. And voters who felt that way were more likely to take part in the primaries.

Appealing to a wider group in a general election is particularly difficult for candidates like Trump, one of a long line of political figures who have played on the emotions of the crowd, often by using racial cues or outright statements of racial antagonism to enrage their followers and outrage their opponents.

This is a particularly fraught period for the country: Economic displacement has left many fearful and upset, at the same time tensions are rising over cultural shifts wrought by changes in the nation's demographics. Those economic and cultural insecurities have combined to provide a receptive audience for Trump's surprisingly strong candidacy, but the tactics he has used to appeal to that audience have also alienated huge numbers of voters.

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An NBC/Wall Street Journal poll last week found that two-thirds of voters overall  anti-Trump Republicans and Democrats  couldn't see a circumstance under which they'd vote for Trump in November. A separate NBC News/SurveyMonkey tracking poll found a large percentage of nonwhite voters, the growing chunk of the electorate, were anti-Trump.

According to the survey, 86% of African American voters and 75% of Latino voters had an unfavorable view of Trump. All told, 7 in 10 nonwhite voters said they had a "very" unfavorable view of the man who, before Saturday, had won 14 of the 22 Republican contests.

Not surprisingly, black, Latino and Muslim young people were at the core of Friday's protests that led Trump to cancel a rally that he had scheduled at the University of Illinois campus in Chicago.

The visceral opposition that Trump has stirred among minority Americans contradicts his self-description as a "uniter"  he accuses Obama of being "the great divider"  and raises the question of whether he is able, or even wants, to make the kind of sharp turn in his strategy that might assuage the anger that has helped fuel his campaign.

So far, Trump has not backed down from any of the incendiary comments he has made about Mexicans, Muslims and people in China and Japan who he says are taking American jobs. Those comments, and his vow to build a wall on the Mexican border, have created an irreparable impediment to any steps he might try to take to broaden beyond his mostly white base.

Part of the horror felt by Republicans watching the spectacle over the weekend was that its imagery recalled a period the party has wanted to escape.

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At the end of the last presidential campaign, party leaders drew up a report asserting that the next nominee had to have strong appeal to the young, to minority voters  particularly Latinos  and to women, three groups with whom 2012 nominee Mitt Romney did poorly. Trump's candidacy has been the antithesis of that, as women and Latinos have not just been ignored but insulted by him.

Trump protesters, having gotten the candidate to cancel one event, are unlikely to stop trying to disrupt him. At all three rallies he held Saturday, Trump was interrupted repeatedly by catcalling and shouting from opponents.

The candidate ended up shouting some version of "Get out!" dozens of times. Those shouts stirred his supporters, who cheered him on. But to the rest of the country, they broadcast the image of an angry white man yelling at members of the same young, minority and women voter blocs that Republicans said they wanted to attract. If Trump ends up as the GOP nominee, that image probably will prove a heavy burden.

Times staff writer Michael Finnegan in Los Angeles contributed to this report.

On Twitter: @cathleendecker . For more on politics, go to latimes.com/decker.

MORE ON CAMPAIGN 2016

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Marco Rubio fights for his campaign's future

How black, Latino and Muslim college students organized to stop Trump's rally in Chicago

As Republican rivals take aim, Donald Trump deflects blame for near-riot in Chicago
When you're spending more than half your income on rental housing  up to 70 percent of your income, as is the case with much of the working poor  it's no surprise when the sheriff, along with a moving crew ready to set your belongings out on the curb, comes knocking on your door.

That dreaded sound echoes through "Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City," Matthew Desmond's carefully researched, often heartbreaking book based on living as an embedded writer in some of Milwaukee's poorest neighborhoods in 2008-09. From his headquarters in a trailer park  and, later, in a rooming house on the city's largely African-American north side  Desmond followed several low-income families, including some with single parents and children, as they were forced out of one apartment after another by landlords backed by the legal system.

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The inequality and human tragedies that are part of what Desmond calls the "eviction epidemic" in America  and the role of eviction not just as a symptom of poverty but as a driver of it  was the subject of a recent Printers Row phone interview with the author, now a 36-year-old sociologist at Harvard University. Here's an edited transcript of our conversation.

Q: What drew you to this subject matter?

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A: We have a lot of books on poor neighborhoods, like the South Side of Chicago. And we have a lot of books about certain populations in those neighborhoods, like single moms, gangs, the working poor. They're great books, but they often left out something, I thought: power and struggle, and the fact that poverty isn't just about lower-income communities or low-income people. It's about a relationship involving poor and non-poor people. I was looking for some kind of process that would allow me to study that relationship. And eviction does that. I thought, "If I write about eviction, I can write about landlords and tenants, I can write about judges, I can write about sheriff's officers." That, in turn, opened me up to the depth of the problem, the prevalence of eviction, and how it's actually driving poverty in a lot of our cities today.

Q: Maybe it was a side benefit of sorts, from a writing point of view, that the subject is full of so much heart-wrenching drama. In addition to the social-science aspect of it, it's also a devastating human story.

A: There were evictions that I saw that I know I'll never forget. In one case, the sheriff and the movers came up on a house full of children. The mom had passed away, and the children had just gone on living there. And the sheriff executed the eviction order  moved the kids' stuff out on the street on a cold, rainy day. And then they were on to the next eviction. Chronicling what eviction looks like and feels like to the people who are experiencing it, and the texture of poverty in American cities today, is an important part of the book, and an important step toward addressing and rectifying these problems.

Q: It's not enough to talk about the numbers, the statistics, the systemic issues and all of that. You put a human face on it.

A: I started on the ground, in the old-fashioned way: moving into the trailer park, then moving into the inner city, spending time with tenants getting evicted and the landlords doing the evicting. I do think that recording those stories in real time, capturing people's lives as complexly as I can, is hugely important, and deeply connected to reform and our public understanding of the issue. But for me there were also moments when I had to get those numbers. I came up on these questions: How common is this? What are the long-term consequences? Who's getting evicted? Those were questions I couldn't answer by just being out there doing fieldwork. And that's why I collected 100,000 eviction records, and surveyed over 1,000 renters in the city. And so there was a kind of tacking back and forth between the ground level and that kind of statistical data.

Desmond reports that roughly 16,000 adults and children are evicted each year in Milwaukee, a city with fewer than 105,000 renter households. (Matthew Desmond photo / Penguin Random House)

Q: What was the process like for you in terms of gaining access and trust with your subjects?

A: The main thing was moving into the neighborhood. I moved into the trailer park and rented a trailer in there, and people did ask me why I was there. At the time, the trailer park was going through a dispute with the city, which was threatening to close it down because there were a lot of housing problems and a lot of police calls there. So some folks thought I was a spy for the city. Some thought I was a police officer. On the north side, the African-American part of the city, some people thought I was an undercover worker for Child Protective Services. So I learned to carry some of my work with me in the trunk of my car, including my previous book, which I would show to people or give to people. One time in the trailer park, a guy came up to me and said, "Who are you? What are you doing?" It was very important to me to be out with everyone, to tell them exactly what I was doing, that there was nothing undercover here. He was like, "I think you're a spy for the city. You're reporting to the aldermen." And I said no, this is my livelihood. I said, "Can we go and look up my website?" He said, "I don't have the Internet  I work for a living." It was a really intense conversation. I was leaving town for a few days, and I thought if I left it like that, my access might be shot. So I went to the public library and checked out my own book  my first book, which was on firefighters. The library had left the dust jacket on the book, so it had my picture on it. I drove back to his trailer  by this time it was pretty dark  and just knocked on his door, handed him the book. He let me in and kind of apologized, and we talked for several hours. It was a matter of taking people's concerns very seriously, and doing your best to get over them. Some people were really open from day one, and others were much more closed off. It took a lot more effort to bring them along.

Q: Given today's political environment, it occurred to me as I was reading the book that some people might not be very sympathetic to some of the folks you're writing about. They might say, "Well, those people made bad choices, and now they're living with the consequences. Tough."

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A: Well, the majority of poor working families are paying at least 50 percent of their income on housing, and one in four is paying over 70 percent of their income on rent and utilities. Under those conditions, it doesn't take a horribly bad decision to lead to being evicted. It can take an unexpected medical expense. It can take someone in your family dying and you choosing to pitch in for the funeral. It can take you paying your heating bill instead of paying the rent. And the face of the American eviction epidemic is moms with kids  people like Arleen, who's faced with the choice of helping pay for a funeral, feeding her kids or paying the rent.

Q: Not all the people you report on in the book are black, but there does seem to be a correlation between eviction rates and race.

A: Eviction affects old folks and young folks, sick people and able-bodied people, white communities and African-American communities. But you're right: It does have a disproportionate effect on low-income communities of color, and especially women and mothers in those communities. In Milwaukee, one in five black women renters report having been evicted at some point, compared to one in 15 white women renters. Low-income African-American women, especially those with kids, are disproportionately facing the consequences of eviction: losing their possessions, having to move into worse neighborhoods, moving into substandard housing.

Q: You shine a light on the ways in which landlords take advantage of renters.

"The Lodge" is a 120-bed Salvation Army shelter in Milwaukee that provides a temporary home for families and homeless individuals. (Matthew Desmond photo / Penguin Random House)

A: It's so central to understanding poverty in America today. I don't think we can fix poverty without fixing housing, and I don't think we can address housing without understanding landlords. These are the folks who literally own poor neighborhoods. They get to decide who lives where, and they have a role in why crime is concentrated in this poor neighborhood and not in that poor neighborhood. They have a lot of discretion in who they work with and who they evict. So poverty is not an isolated thing. Poor people are not cut off from the rest of society. There are other actors in those communities that are directly contributing to some folks' poverty, and the book tries really hard to render that relationship in a complicated light.

Q: The landlords are in the driver's seat, and they drive.

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A: The power element is key. Sometimes landlords in the book behave admirably, and sometimes they behave callously. But it doesn't come down to the personal attributes of landlords. It comes down to the system that provides landlords with a lot of power over low-income tenants. We see this in courts especially, where landlords often have a lot of experience in civil court, and where they have attorneys. Tenants don't have any right to court-appointed attorneys in civil court, so they're either facing their landlord  or his or her attorney  alone, or they just don't show up. That reflects a severe power imbalance.

Q: Were there times during your fieldwork where you developed personal attachments to folks? I'm thinking, for example, of Lamar, who had lost his legs?

A: I felt all sorts of emotions, as you do when you're deeply connected to people and spend a lot of time with them. I felt despairing and angry at times. At other times I was admiring of these folks. There were so many moments of humor, of humanity and heart, in the midst of adversity, and I tried to capture those  to show how people like Lamar refused to be reduced to their poverty, how they're born for better things.

Q: What are the potential solutions here?

A: One piece of good news is that there are a lot of organizations around the country working hard to reduce homelessness, prevent eviction and increase affordable housing. We created a website, justshelter.org, that showcases that. But the bigger picture is that if we believe that eviction isn't just a result of poverty but a cause of it, we have to address the problem in a major way. A lot flows from the question: Is having decent, stable housing part of what it means to live in this country? And I think we should answer "yes." Housing is absolutely essential to human flourishing. Without stable shelter, it all falls apart. We can deliver on that, if we choose as a nation to back it. The book ends by calling for a universal housing voucher program  which already exists as the Housing Choice Voucher Programand to expand it to families below a certain income level. You'd take that voucher to live anywhere you want, as long as the housing's not too expensive or too shoddy. That would change the face of poverty, and it would make evictions rare again. It would give people like Arleen breathing room to meet basic necessities. We know that when people finally get a voucher after years on the waiting list, the first thing they do is buy more food for their families. Their kids become stronger and less anemic. So the solutions are well within our grasp; the program already exists. It's just about scaling that up in a way that reflects the scale of the problem.

Q: It doesn't seem like the political winds are blowing in that direction, though.

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A: An expansion of the aid does not necessarily require an enormous expansion of spending. Yes, it will cost money, but we have it. We also need to have an honest conversation about the fact that we have a housing assistance program  in the form of homeowner tax benefits  for the middle class and the rich. We spend far more on that than we do on housing assistance for the needy. If we continue to tolerate this level of poverty in our cities, and go along with eviction as commonplace in poor neighborhoods, it's not for a lack of resources. It will be a lack of something else.

Kevin Nance is a Chicago-based freelance writer and photographer whose work appears in the Washington Post, USA Today, Poets & Writers Magazine and other publications. Follow him on Twitter @KevinNance1.

"Evicted"

By Matthew Desmond, Crown, 420 pages, $28

Go

Desmond will discuss "Evicted" at two upcoming events in Chicago on March 15:



1 p.m., Loyola University Chicago School of Law, Philip H. Corboy Law Center, Power Rogers & Smith Ceremonial Courtroom, 25 E. Pearson, 10th floor, luc.edu



6 p.m., Seminary Co-op, 5751 S. Woodlawn Ave., www.semcoop.com
A U.S. Marine recruiter was charged with a felony after he admitted having sex with a teenage girl he had tried to recruit into the armed services, prosecutors said.

A Cook County judge set bail at $150,000 for Luis Fernando Maya, 28, during a hearing Saturday at the Leighton Criminal Court Building on charges of aggravated criminal sexual abuse.

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In court, authorities said Maya, a Marine recruiter in Des Plaines, was the subject of a Marine Corps investigation after learning he had "inappropriate and sexual conversations" with potential recruits through text messages and social media.

Maya lives in the 2300 block of West Arthur Avenue in the city's West Rogers Park neighborhood, prosecutors said.

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One of the recruits, a 15-year-old high school freshman, eventually came forward, alleging that Maya contacted her through Facebook last year about joining the Marines. Prosecutors said Maya maintained communication with the girl despite learning she was under the eligible recruitment age and convinced her to meet with him last October after school.

At least twice, Maya had sex with the girl in his van parked near Mozart Park on the city's Northwest Side, authorities said. Maya made incriminating statements to Marine officers, Chicago police and assistant state's attorneys, further admitting that he knew the victim was 15.

Judge Peggy Chiampas also ordered that Maya have no contact with the victim and no contact with anyone under 18.
In the latest in a series of retaliatory shootings amid a South Side gang war, the father of Tyshawn Lee has been charged with shooting the girlfriend of one of the men held in the killing of his 9-year-old son, authorities said Sunday.

A spokeswoman for the Cook County state's attorney's office confirmed that Pierre Stokes, 25, was charged with three counts of aggravated battery with a firearm and one count of unlawful use of a weapon by a felon in the shooting of a woman and two men at 5:45 p.m. Tuesday in the 7900 block of South Ashland Avenue.

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Law enforcement sources identified the woman as the girlfriend of Corey Morgan, who is in custody awaiting trial in Tyshawn's killing. About three weeks before Tyshawn was lured from a Dawes Park play lot and executed, Morgan's brother was killed and mother wounded as part of a long-running gang feud, police have said.

In the latest shooting, Morgan's girlfriend suffered a graze wound, while the two men were taken to Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn with non-life-threatening injuries.

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A statement issued by police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said the latest shooting shows the challenge confronting police in dealing with the rampant gang violence.

"Mr. Stokes, who was involved in a gang lifestyle, ultimately suffered an unspeakable loss with the calculated execution of his son," the statement said. "Despite this, he continued to engage in the same gang activity that started this initial cycle of violence.

"CPD will continue our efforts to disrupt gang activity in Chicago and at the same time work with our community partners through our gang call-ins to try and urge gang members to see the casualties of that lifestyle and offer alternatives like job placement, training and education options," the statement said.

Stokes allegedly shot Morgan's girlfriend and the two others on the same day that Cook County prosecutors earlier revealed new details in court about Tyshawn's execution-style killing, including allegations that the gunman had considered torturing the fourth-grader by cutting off his fingers and ears.

Dwright Boone-Doty had been ordered on Tuesday to be held without bail in the killing of Stokes' son following the filing of charges against him. He is the second individual to be charged in the shocking killing  Morgan had been taken into custody shortly after the boy's Nov. 2 death. Prosecutors have implicated Boone-Doty as the gunman who shot Tyshawn.

Chicago police believe Tyshawn was killed because of his father's alleged ties to the Killa Ward faction of the Gangster Disciples. That faction has been in a long-running and bloody gang war with the Bang Bang Gang/Terror Dome faction of the Black P Stones in the Auburn Gresham neighborhood on Chicago's South Side, police have said.

Cook County State's Attorney Anita Alvarez speaks to reporters after bail was denied for Pierre Stokes, the father of slain 9-year-old Tyshawn Lee. Prosecutors say Stokes shot three people as part of the same ongoing gang conflict that also led to his son's slaying. March 14, 2016. (Jeremy Gorner / Kasondra Van Treeck / Chicago Tribune) (Chicago Tribune)

Police are investigating if the rivalry has led to as many as 15 shootings, including at least five homicides, since 2011, according to law enforcement sources.

Police had taken Stokes into custody Friday for questioning after earlier issuing an investigative alert authorizing officers to arrest him, the sources said.

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Sources have said that a Cook County Jail inmate secretly recorded Boone-Doty admitting his involvement in Tyshawn's killing while he was locked up on unrelated gun charges.

In addition to his alleged role in Tyshawn's killing, Boone-Doty was charged in an Oct. 18 shooting in which 19-year-old Brianna Jenkins was killed and a reputed Killa Ward member wounded as the two sat in a car in Auburn Gresham.

The gang feud had escalated significantly five days earlier when Corey Morgan's brother, Tracey, who was also a reputed Bang Bang Gang/Terror Dome member, was shot and killed while leaving a mandatory parolee meeting with Chicago police on the South Side. The Morgans' mother, who was in the car with her son, was wounded.

This breach of unwritten gang protocol  the wounding of a mother  drew a fiery response. Corey Morgan was heard to say that he was targeting "grandmas, mamas, kids and all" for shootings, prosecutors have alleged.

Morgan, Boone-Doty and a third suspect took to the streets daily to make good on that promise, prosecutors said last week. At one point, Boone-Doty conducted surveillance on Tyshawn's grandmother with plans to kill her in order to draw out rival gang members, prosecutors alleged.

It was during this time that those three allegedly saw Tyshawn with his father, according to a law enforcement source.

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On the afternoon of Oct. 18, five days after Tracey Morgan was killed, Boone-Doty was driving near 78th and Honore streets when he spotted a rival gang member sitting in a car, according to prosecutors. Boone-Doty exited his car, walked up to the rival's vehicle and opened fire at the rival and Jenkins, who was sitting beside him, prosecutors said.

Boone-Doty said he shot Jenkins "because she started screaming," prosecutors said.

Police have linked a gun recovered from Boone-Doty to Jenkins' killing, prosecutors said.

Their plan for revenge did not end there, the charges alleged. On the afternoon of Nov. 2, they spotted Tyshawn playing basketball in Dawes Park, prosecutors said.

Boone-Doty lured Tyshawn out of a play lot by asking him if he wanted to go to the store, according to prosecutors. When the boy said he had no money, Boone-Doty said he would buy him whatever he wanted, prosecutors said.

Tyshawn, a fourth-grader at Joplin Elementary School, was lured to the alley in the 8000 block of South Damen Avenue and shot repeatedly. A basketball that he always carried with him was found nearby.

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Authorities have issued an arrest warrant for Kevin Edwards, the third suspect in Tyshawn's killing. He is believed to be out of state, according to sources.

In an interview with the Tribune shortly after his son's slaying, Stokes said he believed his son had been targeted but denied that anyone had reason to kill the boy in order to retaliate against him.

Police say Pierre Stokes, the father of slain 9-year-old Tyshawn Lee, shot three people, including the girlfriend of one of the men in custody for the shooting death of his son. March 13, 2016. (CBS Chicago) (CBS Chicago)

But if anyone had a motive to kill him, Stokes said, there was no reason to take it out on his son because he's out in public in the neighborhood all the time. If anyone wanted to harm him, they could find the opportunity, he said.

"I'm not hard to find," Stokes said.

Daywatch Weekdays Start each day with Chicago Tribune editors' top story picks, delivered to your inbox. >

Stokes did not talk specifically about whether he was a gang member but said he disagreed with what police have said about him. He also expressed frustration with Chicago police, saying investigators seemed more interested in him than in finding who fatally shot Tyshawn.

"They're more worried about me. Why are you worried about me, not the killer?" Stokes said at the time. "I'm not the killer. Worry about the killer."

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But Stokes said he felt guilty that he was not at his son's side to protect him.

"To be honest, I feel bad," he said of Tyshawn, who lived with his mother. "I feel like it's my fault."

Chicago Tribune's Peter Nickeas contributed.

jgorner@tribpub.com

asweeney@tribpub.com
Republican front-runner Donald Trump on Sunday made his first return to Illinois since a protest-filled Chicago rally was canceled as candidates and their top surrogates fanned out across the state on a frenzied final weekend before Tuesday's primary elections.

On the Democratic side, former President Bill Clinton visited Chicago-area African-American churches in support of former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, as did several supporting congressmen. Her rival, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, added a late night Monday rally in Chicago to his pre-primary day schedule.

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Trump, meanwhile, found a more conducive location than Chicago for his brash and controversial rhetoric by going to the central Illinois community of Bloomington. Still, his airport-hangar rally was interrupted occasionally and the city's newspaper, The Pantagraph, urged Republicans to vote for anyone but Trump, even though the paper doesn't endorse candidates in primary elections.

Inside the rally, multiple pockets of protesters made themselves known, yelling "Dump Trump" as they were booed and escorted out by security. Some held colorful flags with peace signs, while others ripped up Trump signs and flashed T-shirts supporting Democrat Sanders.

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"Get them out of here, please," said Trump, a reality show TV star. "You see where they place themselves? Right in front of the cameras. Disgusting."

The Downstate event came after Trump pulled the plug on a Friday night rally in Chicago as thousands of protesters gathered outside and hundreds more were in the arena after getting tickets online through his campaign. After Trump canceled, citing security concerns, there were scattered skirmishes between supporters and demonstrators inside and outside the University of Illinois at Chicago Pavilion.

Security in Bloomington was tight Sunday, with attendees told to leave bags and umbrellas in their vehicles, forcing some to don black trash bags to protect against the rain as they waited to pass through metal detectors. Hundreds of people didn't make it inside. Also outside was a group of about 100 protesters, who waved anti-Trump signs and chanted "Mr. Hate, leave our state."

"We are quite a bit ahead in Illinois, but I don't want to tell you that," saying he still wanted attendees to get to the polls. "The more we win by  the more delegates we're going to get."

"I will never let you down," Trump said. "You will say it's the most important vote you ever cast."

Trump took multiple swipes at Democrats and Republicans alike. He accused Sanders of flailing, labeled Republican Texas Sen. Ted Cruz as "Lying Ted" and declared he would sweep GOP Gov. John Kasich in his home state of Ohio.

Cruz has scheduled a multicity fly-around of Illinois on Monday. Sen. Marco Rubio has remained in his home state of Florida, which also votes Tuesday and where he has staked the future of his campaign.

"Your taxes are through the roof, your companies are leaving you. You have nothing going," said Trump, who then went on to blast the Ohio economy and Kasich's vote as a congressman in favor of the North American Free Trade Agreement. Trump and Kasich are running close in Ohio ahead of Tuesday's election.

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At one point, after again saying he would build a wall along the Mexican border to stop illegal immigration, Trump pulled a man up to the stage who was wearing a shirt that read "legal immigrant for Trump." As for building the wall, Trump said, "We'll insist on using Caterpillar, not Komatsu," a shoutout to the tractor maker and large employer headquartered 45 miles away in Peoria.

The Bloomington speech came after Trump appeared on NBC's "Meet the Press," where he said he doesn't condone violence at his rallies but also does not "take responsibility" for the tense atmosphere at his events that his rhetoric creates.

Trump said he has "instructed his people" to look into paying the legal fees of a 78-year-old man charged with assault after he sucker-punched a protester at a North Carolina rally. "He loves his country" and may have gotten "carried away," said Trump, who argued the supporter was provoked by the protester.

In Chicago and west suburban Maywood, the former Democratic president sought to position his wife as the candidate who can heal a nation.

"If you want to be able to say in four or eight years, we're better off than we were when she started, our children have a brighter future, it's wonderful that we've come together again instead of being ripped apart, you should vote for her on Tuesday," he told about 150 people at St. Luke's Missionary Baptist Church in the South Shore neighborhood.

Both the former secretary of state and opponent Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders have aggressively courted black voters in recent days. Sanders has sought to boost his chances by attacking Clinton ally Mayor Rahm Emanuel, whose approval rating has plummeted among the city's minority voters over the Laquan McDonald shooting controversy and the closing of nearly 50 schools mostly on Chicago's South and West sides.

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The former president did not mention Trump by name but made reference to some of the businessman's more controversial proposals that have racial undertones, including a ban on Muslim immigrants and the border wall. Clinton also referenced efforts to stir up anger among voters frustrated with the lack of rising wages and opportunities after the country's emergence from the Great Recession.

"You're not happy. Let me tell you who to blame. Let's build a wall around the country. Let's blame the Mexicans. But there's a problem with blaming the Mexicans, they've been going home to Mexico since 2010 and we haven't had an increase in undocumented immigrants," Clinton told about 400 people at the Rock of Ages Baptist Church in Maywood.

"Let's blame the Muslims. There's a problem with blaming the Muslims," Clinton continued. "A huge majority of them hate this terrorism as much as we do, and we can't win the battle for hearts and minds of people over social media without the Muslims in America standing up and saying, 'This is wrong. It is immoral and it is not sanctioned by any religion on Earth, and we have to stand together.'"

At both church appearances, Clinton spent just as much time giving political commentary as he did talking up the former secretary of state's credentials to be president. Choosing the nation's next leader, he suggested, should extend beyond the raw emotions that have been on display in recent days.

"We have to tear down the barriers that are keeping all of us from participating, not build more walls," Clinton said in another veiled reference to Trump. "This is an election about responsibility over resentment, about possibility over protest. We have to decide whether we want to vent our anger or come out with answers. That's what this whole thing's about."

On that last topic, Clinton again made an indirect reference to another controversy  the McDonald police shooting scandal. The black teen was shot 16 times by a white officer, but murder charges were not filed until more than a year later after a judge ordered Emanuel to release a police video of the shooting the mayor had fought to keep under wraps.

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Sanders has sharply criticized Emanuel in recent days, calling the mayor's record "disastrous" and calling on Clinton to reject his endorsement. On Sunday, the former president made no mention of Emanuel, but did allude to the long delay in releasing the McDonald video.

"She believes we need police reform," Clinton said. "We shouldn't have to go through what this community went through, where everybody is waiting around for a video. There's a simple answer to that, a lot of cities do it. When the video's taken, you don't leave it with the police department, you put it in a neutral place where anybody can get it when they need it."

Clinton's campaign also released a new radio ad featuring the mothers of Trayvon Martin, Eric Garner, Sandra Bland, Dontre Hamilton and Jordan Davis, who lost their lives to gun violence or police-involved incidents. "In Chicago, it keeps happening. Gun violence killing our kids and no one is stopping it," a narrator says in the ad, which goes on to criticize Sanders' votes on gun control issues.

Meanwhile, candidates for state and local offices took advantage of Irish parade routes on the South Side and Northwest Side to advance their campaigns.

On the South Side, U.S. Rep. Tammy Duckworth, in the race for the Democratic U.S. Senate nomination, kept her focus on looking ahead to a general election campaign against Republican Sen. Mark Kirk.

"He has not voted in (constituents') interests. He has voted consistently for large corporations at the expense of working families," said Duckworth, who waved to crowds lining the parade route in a persistent drizzle that fell throughout the event.

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On the Northwest Side, Kirk rode in the Irish parade, shielded from the nonstop rain in the passenger seat of a gold Ford Explorer with a solitary number on its license plates: 2.

"Once you're a Republican representing Illinois, I always expected tough races," said Kirk, who was a 10-year congressman before his promotion to the Senate in 2010. "I've never had an easy race, especially as a congressman."

Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Andrea Zopp walked the parade route sporting a button with the slogan "Can't stop Zopp." She lives in Morgan Park, and hit a reception at the South Side parade. State Sen. Napoleon Harris also is running in the Democratic Senate race.

Back at the South Side parade, in the heated race for the Democratic nomination for Cook County state's attorney, Donna More acknowledged the difficulties she has faced going up against incumbent Anita Alvarez and well-financed challenger Kim Foxx.

"The most challenging thing I think has been running against two opponents who are backed by different parts of the established Democratic machine," More said.

Alvarez picked up the backing Sunday of two lakefront aldermen, Tom Tunney, 44th, and James Cappleman, 46th. She said before the parade that the endorsements show her tough-on-crime positions are resonating. "They both know the work that we do in the office," Alvarez said.

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Foxx, who is former chief of staff to County Board President Toni Preckwinkle, campaigned at a South Side church.

Tribune reporters Rick Pearson, Katherine Skiba, John Byrne and Celeste Bott contributed.

mcgarcia@tribpub.com

bruthhart@tribpub.com
School board President Annette Johnson said she "was disappointed" in Laesch's decision to forgo recent board duties. It's not so much that his seat has been empty, she added, but that he's done an inadequate job of keeping colleagues informed of whether he'd be present or not, especially when it came to committee work.
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President Xi Jinping on Sunday urged the military to turn cutting-edge military technology into real combat capacity.

A preemptive attitude toward military affairs is needed, Xi told national lawmakers from the military at the ongoing annual parliamentary session.

The armed forces must understand the role of leading technology and push research in this regard, Xi said.

Xi, also chairman of the Central Military Commission, said strategies must be designed in line with advanced military technology.

The military should establish "unique advantages in some key fields," he said.
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Fugitive U.S. whistleblower Edward Snowden said Saturday that he is craving to go back home after over two years in exile in Russia.

During a video link with the Brooklyn Academy of Music in New York, the former U.S. National Security Agency's contractor said he has already thought of the worst results from the very beginning.

"If I could return back home, no matter what happens to me, it is not important. I can stand all the things," he said. "I never choose to stay in Moscow. I would rather return to my homeland."

In late February, Snowden said in a video link with supporters in New Hampshire that he was willing to be extradited back home if the U.S. government would guarantee him a fair trial.

Snowden faces three felony charges in the United States, including espionage, after he disclosed a classified U.S. intelligence project code-named PRISM in June 2013.

He has obtained a refugee status in Russia since August 2013 and currently holds a Russian residential permit valid for three years. But the status will be canceled once Snowden leaves Russia.

The United States and Russia have been at odds over Snowden's extradition, which Moscow has repeatedly resisted citing the absence of relevant bilateral agreements.

Earlier this month, U.S. Republican front-runner Donald Trump said during a presidential debate that Snowden is a "spy," and Russia needs to "send him back immediately."

The Kremlin in response dismissed the comments, saying Moscow has not changed its stance since granting the whistleblower asylum.
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Iranian President Hassan Rouhani reiterated Saturday that his country will counter any threat to the holy Shiite shrines in Iraq, Tasnim news agency reported.

Iran has made it clear that any aggression move against the Shiite shrines in Iraq is the red line for the Islamic republic, Rouhani was quoted as saying.

No act of aggression against the holy shrines in Iraq will be allowed, he said alluding to the possible offensives by the Islamic State (IS) militants.

In June 2014, Rouhani said that "We announce to the superpowers, the mercenaries, the criminals and the terrorists that the great Iranian nation will do everything to protect Shiite holy shrines in the Iraqi cities of Karbala, Najaf, Kazemein and Samarra."

Iran has announced that it would provide Iraq with military consultations that could help Iraq's army eradicate terrorism, but Iran would never directly be involved in Iraq.
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Up to two dozen militants affiliated with Islamic State (IS) have been killed in eastern Afghanistan's Nangarhar province over the past couple of weeks.

A statement issued by the provincial government said on Sunday that the ongoing crackdown which covered parts of Achin district over the past couple of weeks has claimed the lives of 24 IS militants and injured several others.

The militants have been killed in Deh Sarak and Pansar areas of Achin district, said the statement.

Militants loyal to IS who are active in parts of the mountainous Achin, Mohmand and Kot districts haven't respond to the official statement.

Government forces' cleanup operations have been continuing in Achin district over the past couple of months to evict the hardliner group and ensure lasting peace there.
The final of the 13th "Chinese Bridge" Competition for adults and college students in Latvia was held at the Faculty of Humanities of the University of Latvia Friday.

The event, sponsored by the Chinese Embassy in Riga and hosted by the Confucius Institute at the University of Latvia, was jointly organized by the Faculty of Humanities at the University of Latvia, the Confucius Institute at Stradins University, Vidzeme University, Riga Technical University, Transport and Telecommunication Institute, Rezekne University and Daugavpils University, and supported by the "Chinese Bridge" foundation.

Chinese Ambassador to Latvia Huang Yong noted the significance of the "Chinese Bridge" proficiency competition for students mastering Chinese and voiced appreciation for the support provided by the Latvian government, as well as the dedicated teachers of Chinese.

The ambassador also emphasized that the competition's theme, "Chinese Dream", expresses the dream of Chinese revival, and wished the best for the friendly China-Latvia relations.

Janis Ikstens, the University of Latvia vice-rector and chairman of the Confucius Institute at the University of Latvia, said that "Chinese Bridge" Competition provided a good platform for the students who learned Chinese in Latvia and also played an important role in promoting cultural exchange between China and Latvia.

Astrida Gobina from the University of Latvia emerged as the winner of the tough competition in the advanced level of the adult and college student category.

Viktorija Vintere and Tatjana Andrejeva, also from the University of Latvia, won first place in the intermediate and primary levels respectively.

The champion in the advanced level will travel to China to represent Latvia at the 15th "Chinese Bridge" Proficiency Competition for Foreign College Students. All three prize-winners will be recommended for 2016/2017 Chinese Government Scholarship.

As the Chinese-teaching center in the Baltic Sea region, Latvia has been working consistently to advance and support the teaching of Chinese language.
Thousands of women participate in a walking race in Lanzhou Marathon Park in the city of Lanzhou, Gansu province on March 6 to celebrate International Women's Day. The contestants called for a low-carbon and healthy approach to the activity. [Photo/Xinhua]

Wang Jianlin, chairman of the Dalian Wanda Group and one of China's top business leaders, has said: "When Wanda recruits locally, we give preference to English speakers and women." We see this as an encouragement for Chinese women to capitalize on the opportunities offered by the economy and to continue contributing to it.

Multinational companies have been noticing the increasing significance of women in the workplace. The past couple of years have seen the unlocking and developing of women's potential as a talent pool for the benefit of enterprises. We have found that professional and social platforms aligned with women performing well in the economy makes sense in two ways - from an employee's perspective and from the viewpoint of corporate branding.

Companies that wish to recruit, retain and develop top talent must find ways to encourage their woman employees to maximize their potential, because that would have a positive impact on the companies' performance as well. Forming and leveraging partnerships with top multinationals and Chinese enterprises appear to be a natural step toward creating more opportunities for women in our communities.

From a brand's perspective, more companies are starting to realize the growing power of Chinese woman consumers - Alibaba founder Jack Ma credited saleswomen and woman consumers as a key factor for Alibaba's success and listing in 2014. Chinese women, in general, aspire to a brighter future, have a strong desire to improve themselves, and are searching for more opportunities to broaden their horizon, including international platforms.

A survey conducted by Lean In Beijing in 2013 showed that many Chinese women lacked self-confidence, couldn't find enough approachable role models, and were not good at establishing networks and meaningful connections beyond their usual social circles.

Based on the survey's results, we also feel that professional success is intrinsically linked to personal development. Women who want to become leaders have to first step up and embrace responsibilities. Second, they should realize one does not become a leader overnight. To become a leader, one has to invest time and resources, and make efforts to learn and develop crucial soft skills such as networking, management, negotiation, public speaking and communication. So we need a professional networking platform that would focus on providing soft-skills training to woman professionals and college graduates.

Virginia Tan is co-founder of Lean In China, the Lean In platform for China - the global campaign for professional women building self-help circles.
BEIJING -- The state-run China Central Television on Sunday aired a documentary that reveals the United States' double standards on human rights-related issues, whereby the US pokes its nose into other countries' internal affairs while leaving many of its own problems unsolved.

Based on extensive media reports both inside and outside the US, and interviews of many human rights experts from China, the US, France, Canada, Russia and Switzerland, the 45-minute TV program revealed the US trampling on American people's human rights in all walks of life.

In 2015, more than 560,000 people across the United States were homeless, 25 percent of whom were under age; the country's primary women's prison Lowell Correctional Institution, where 2,696 convicts are held, is rampant with corruption, torture of prisoners, and sexual abuse; women are subject to sexual harassment and sexual assaults of different forms, and career women subject to discrimination at work, the documentary showed, citing media reports.

Of teenagers aged 15 and above who succumb to injuries in the States, one quarter die in shooting incidents; the Federal Bureau of Investigation forces Internet companies to provide clients' information without a court approval, according to the documentary.

The United States has been using double standards on practically every human rights-related issue, which is showcased both by its invasion of citizens' privacy through online surveillance and civilian deaths caused by its drone attacks in Pakistan, Yemen and other countries, it showed.

For a very long time, the United States has been quite condescending, with the belief that it has the best system and human rights record, and as a result, it tends to find fault with other countries, Ji Hong, researcher with the Institute of American Studies under the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said in the program.
China becoming nation of innovation (Xinhua) Updated: 2016-03-13 06:44:33

BEIJING - For 26-year-old iPad addict Zhou Wen, going to work is a lot like more play on his beloved device.



Though employed by textile producer the Ruyi Group, Zhou has never used a sewing needle. His job is to drive a battery-powered car around a new Ruyi plant in northwest China to locations shown on the map on his iPad and operate machines there following instructions on the screen.



"It is like a game, with new quests every day," Zhou said.



Before Ruyi and many other Chinese companies raced into the digital age, working in its plants wasn't like this. The fact that Zhou's predecessors used to have to walk up to 16 km per shift in their patrols of the machines shows how far China has come in a generation or less.



As industries turn to new technologies under encouragement from the government, labor forces have been liberated and production efficiency massively increased.



Policymakers and entrepreneurs agree that innovation will generate more sustainable growth as China's old model of cheap manufacturing and exports runs out of steam. Industrial modernization is a hot topic at the annual session of the National People's Congress (NPC), China's legislature.



Many of the nearly 3,000 deputies to the NPC session going on in Beijing are speaking from personal experience. Among the deputies is Qiu Yafu, Ruyi's chairman.



NPC deputy Wang Minghui is the head of a traditional Chinese medicine company that has seen its profits grow by 30 percent for 16 consecutive years since it started basing its products on modern science as well as tradition.



The Yunnan Baiyao Group now makes herbal bandages, sprays and toothpastes.



While some industries like textiles and traditional medicine have been transformed under the modernization drive, others have been created by it.



The less-developed Guizhou Province, for example, now serves as a base camp for the big data industry, with a facility marketed as the world's first big data exchange center.



Wang Wei, another NPC deputy, has benefited from the data as his company is developing all kinds of chips and wearable devices to monitor people's health.



Big data processing requires cloud computing. The Inspur Group, headquartered in Shandong Province, is a leading solution and service provider that builds open data platforms for governments and enterprises.



"Just like China's bullet trains and nuclear power, Inspur's cloud computing is going global," said the company's head, Sun Pishu, also an NPC deputy.



Inspur entered the US market last year and is planning to build cloud-computing centers in the Belt and Road regional trade and infrastructure network.



China has already contributed a quarter of world economic growth, and many observers believe the national strategy of innovation will bring new vigor to the global economy.



"China's active participation in the new scientific and industrial revolution will make a real difference to the global economy," said Chen Fengying, a scholar with the China Institute of Contemporary International Relations.
Court data sees progress in China's judicial system By Zhang Yan (chinadaily.com.cn) Updated: 2016-03-13 08:34:21

Prosecutors last year have intensified supervision over police and judicial systems to prevent miscarriages in justice, according to an annual work report of the Supreme People's Procuratorate (SPP) released on Sunday.

In 2015, prosecutors across the country went against 6,591 wrong criminal judgments made by courts and protested 3,548 court verdicts or mediations involving civil and administrative cases, according to the SPP.

According to Chinese laws, prosecuting authorities have the right and obligation to supervise police and judges to ensure justice.

In recent years, unjust and wrong cases were constantly found, exposing loopholes in law enforcement. Such cases have seriously violated people's legitimate rights and harmed judicial credibility.

According to the report, last year prosecutors found and corrected 31,874 behaviors in which police authorities illegally detained suspects or used illegal means to obtain evidences.

In addition, prosecutors rejected police arrest applications on 131,675 suspects due to insufficient evidences, up 11.5 percent year-on-year. Chinese law requires all formal arrests be approved by prosecuting authorities.

In 2015, prosecutors also conducted comprehensive investigations on the commutation and conditional release of prisoners, urging prison management authorities to bring 1,063 convicts back to prison, mostly wealthy or ex-officials.

Zhangyan1@chinadaily.com.cn
China keeps 'high pressure' on corruption: reports (Xinhua) Updated: 2016-03-13 10:35:34

Zhou Qiang, president of the Supreme People's Court, China's top court, delivers work report to the fourth session of the 12th National People's Congress (NPC) and the 12th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) on Sunday. [Photo/Xinhua]

BEIJING - China's judicial authorities said Sunday the country had maintained "high pressure" on corruption to press on with an anti-graft drive lasting more than three years.

A total of 22 Chinese former officials at ministerial level or above, including former Chinese leader Zhou Yongkang, were prosecuted in 2015, while 41 were subject to investigation, a report on the work of the Supreme People's Procuratorate (SPP) read.

Another report on the Supreme People's Court, meanwhile, said courts had concluded trials for Zhou and 15 other senior officials, showcasing "the Party and the country's resolute determination in cracking down on corruption," it said.

Both reports were made public on Sunday morning, shortly before a plenary meeting of the annual session of China's top legislature.

Highlights of work report by SPC head

1,419 criminals convicted of harming state security

Chinese courts convicted 1,419 criminals of harming state security, including taking part in terrorist attacks and secessionist activities, in 2015, Chief Justice Zhou Qiang said on Sunday.



Chinese courts concluded the trial of 1,084 cases involving crimes that threatened state security, Zhou told a plenary meeting of the ongoing session of the National People's Congress (NPC).



About 31,000 prisoners released in 2015

A total of 31,527 prisoners in China were released early last year thanks to an amnesty deal.



The amnesty was adopted by China's top legislature and signed by President Xi Jinping on Aug. 29, 2015, before a national commemoration of the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II.



The pardoned prisoners, including war veterans, and the very old, young or infirm prisoners, had been released by the end of 2015 as scheduled.

Firm hand against threats of state security



Last year, Chinese courts convicted 1,419 criminals harming state security, including those taking part in terrorist attacks and secessionist activities, in 1,084 cases.



The courts also stepped up efforts against criminals who instigated secessionist activities; who led, organized and took part in terrorist groups; and who spread video and audio products about terrorism, he said.



Prosecutors took more efforts in prosecuting suspects involved in terrorists attacks, said Procurator-General Cao Jianming when delivering a work report on the Supreme People's Procuratorate (SPP) on Sunday.



The SPP supervised prosecutors in Xinjiang and Tibet to better handle security-related problems, and worked with the SPC and Ministry of Public Security on proper application of law on terrorist attacks and criminal cases involving religious extremists.



This year, the SPP will make concrete efforts to improve its capacity of safeguarding state security and social stability, Cao vowed in his report.





Large jump in terrorism convictions

Chinese courts convicted more than 1,400 people last year for harming national security, including taking part in terrorism and secessionist activities.

Hundreds of people have been killed over the past few years in China's resource-rich Xinjiang province, strategically located on the borders of central Asia, in violence between the Muslim Uighur people, who call the region home, and ethnic majority Han Chinese.

China to build int'l maritime judicial center

China will set up an international maritime judicial center in its latest bid to protect national sovereignty and maritime rights.

Courts across China shall work to implement the national strategy of building the country into a "maritime power."

(We) must resolutely safeguard China's national sovereignty, maritime rights and other core interests," Zhou told nearly 3,000 lawmakers. "(We) must improve the work of maritime courts and build an international maritime judicial center."

According to the chief justice, some 16,000 maritime cases were concluded by Chinese courts last year, the most in the world. The country is also home to the largest number of maritime courts globally speaking, he added.

1.42 mln P2P lending cases concluded in 2015

China's court system handled a total of 1.42 million cases involving peer-to-peer (P2P) lending in 2015, involving 820.75 billion yuan (126.4 billion US dollars).

Courts at all levels correctly recognized the differences between P2P lending and illegal fund-raising, concluding 58,000 cases involving illegal fund-raising, financial fraud and other crimes, and convicting 72,000 people, Zhou added.

The SPC last year issued judicial explanation on P2P lending, recognizing lending among enterprises with conditions, in a bid to satisfy the demands of small and medium-sized companies for investment and financing, according to the report.

19,000 criminal cases on pollution concluded

China's court system concluded 19,000 criminal cases involving environmental pollution and undermining resources in 2015, up 18.8 percent year on year.

Courts at all levels also concluded 78,000 civil cases concerning environmental protection.

An intermediate court of eastern Fujian Province concluded the country's first public interest litigation concerning environment, according to the report.
China defends human rights in judicial practice (Xinhua) Updated: 2016-03-13 15:42:37

Zhou Qiang, president of the Supreme People's Court, China's top court, delivers work report to the fourth session of the 12th National People's Congress (NPC) and the 12th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) on Sunday. [Photo/Xinhua]

BEIJING - A more efficient and fairer justice system has improved human rights protection in China with many wrongful convictions corrected, court proceeding streamlined and better protection of lawyers' rights.

The achievements were outlined in the work reports of the Supreme People's Court (SPC) and Supreme People's Procuratorate (SPP), which were submitted to the ongoing parliamentary session on Sunday.

"We tried our best to make sure every case processed through the judicial system was fair and justice was served," Chief Justice Zhou Qiang said when delivering the SPC work report to the National People's Congress (NPC).

The safety and wellbeing of women and children saw vast improvements. Chinese courts concluded the trial of about 5,400 cases involving the trafficking and sexual assault of women and children last year, with more severe sentences extended to the guilty parties, according to the SPC report.

Meanwhile, about 24,000 suspects were charged with violating the personal rights of women, the SPP report said.

CONSTRUCTIVE INTERACTION WITH LAWYERS

Prosecutors have strived for "constructive interaction with lawyers," said Procurator-General Cao Jianming, when delivering the SPP work report at the NPC session.

An online system to support defense lawyers was established, which helped them schedule appointments with their clients and file lawsuits, while a database of digital legal documents is available to 29 provincial divisions, helping lawyers access and survey documents easily.

In about 1,000 cases, prosecutors stopped authorities from hindering the work of lawyers.

This year, Zhou promised improvements to the legal aid system, to help those who want to appeal or review their death sentence.

PROCEDURAL JUSTICE

Courts have upheld the principle of innocence till proven guilty and worked to protect the legal rights of defendants, Zhou said, adding that a total of 1,039 suspects were found not guilty in 2015.

A number of high-profile wrongful convictions were corrected last year while the courts reviewed about 1,300 cases. One such case involved Chen Man, 53, who had spent 23 years in prison for murder and arson. Last month a court overturned his conviction after a 16-year appeal process.

"We have carefully reviewed the wrongful prosecutions in the past years and in the process have uncovered discrepancies in the arrest of suspects and lodging indictments," Cao said.

Moreover, the SPP is fine-tuning a mechanism to prevent and correct wrong cases, he said.

Prosecutors nationwide made significant efforts to ensure procedural justice. They lodged protests against about 6,600 criminal court rulings and about 3,500 civil rulings. They also pushed the police to drop about 10,000 cases and stop them from abusing their power and illegally collecting evidence in about 31,000 cases.

About 25,000 suspects were not prosecuted due to lack of evidence or facts to constitute a crime, according to the SPP report.

Prosecutors also tightened supervision on the police concerning compulsory measures on suspects. They called on the police to release or ease the custody of nearly 30,000 suspects.

The number of suspects, placed in custody for more than three years without being charged, reduced from 4,459 in 2013 to six by 2015.
Chinese lawmakers file 462 motions at annual parliamentary session (Xinhua) Updated: 2016-03-13 20:32:08

BEIJING - Lawmakers have filed 462 motions to the secretariat of the fourth session of the 12th National People's Congress (NPC), an official said Sunday.

According to Kong Ping, an official with the secretariat, 442 concerned legislation for issues such as the market economy, cultural reform, anti-corruption, environment and law enforcement.

The remaining motions were about the NPC supervision and other resolutions.

Last year, 522 motions were filed. Since NPC deputies were first tasked with raising motions at the annual session in 1983, the number increased sharply from 61 in that year to a peak of 1,374 in 2004. It has remained around 500 since 2005.

"The quality of motions this year is fairly good. About 68 percent of them have been informed by surveys, inspections or interviews," Kong said.

Motions from NPC deputies can be legally binding if they are adopted.

The secretariat also received around 8,600 proposals from NPC deputies, which are less formal and will not be legally binding.

The deadline for submitting motions and suggestions was midnight Friday.
President pushes PLA to innovate By ZHAO LEI (China Daily) Updated: 2016-03-14 02:50:32

Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, shakes hands with deputies to the 12th National People's Congress (NPC) from the People's Liberation Army (PLA) as he attends a plenary meeting of the PLA delegation to the NPC during the ongoing annual parliamentary session held in Beijing, capital of China, March 13, 2016. [Photo/Xinhua]

The People's Liberation Army must build itself by innovating in every respect, President Xi Jinping said on Sunday.

Xi, also chairman of the Central Military Commission, told national lawmakers from the PLA during a panel discussion that the capability to innovate is one of the key factors that will determine the Chinese military's future.

He urged top PLA officers to "emancipate their minds" and to embrace new ideas and methods.

The president said the next five years will be crucial for the development of national defense and for the PLA in building its overall ability through innovation. He did not elaborate.

He also urged the PLA to improve its military theories to ensure that they better guide the military's growth.

Xi stressed that cutting-edge military technologies have strategic significance, ordering the military to select key fields for research and development.

He asked the PLA to achieve superiority in important scientific and technological fields and to better transform research results into practical use.

Xi told top military officers to upgrade their managerial abilities to make the PLA more professional and efficient.

A military expert in Beijing, who declined to be named, said, "The ongoing reform of the PLA has entered a stage where many existing policies can no longer match reality, while some old training methods have even begun to hinder the PLA's development.

"Every major military power in the world is overhauling its military theories, upgrading equipment and rearranging ... each of its services.

"Therefore, only by reform and innovation can the PLA keep pace with them and surpass them in the future."

Hua Ming, deputy commander of a submarine flotilla, said the PLA Navy now asks for all exercises to match real combat situations and also focuses on improving combat capability.

He said the drills he took part in during the past year had been more sophisticated than those conducted previously.
Declarations of innocence come amid efforts by authorities to prevent miscarriage of justice

Zhou Qiang (left), president of the Supreme People's Court, and Cao Jianming, prosecutor-general at the Supreme People's Procuratorate

Chinese courts last year declared 1,039 defendants innocent, a year-on-year increase of 34 percent, the country's top judge said on Sunday.

The defendants were cleared as judicial authorities attempted to prevent miscarriages of justice and protect human rights.

A total of 240 million yuan ($36.4 million) in compensation was paid to those whose legitimate rights were violated by State power last year, a year-on-year rise of 50 percent, Zhou Qiang, president of the Supreme People's Court, said.

He made the remarks while delivering an annual work report to the ongoing annual session of the top legislature.

"We're doing our utmost to let the public feel equality and justice in every court verdict," Zhou said, adding that the principle of "innocent until proved guilty" had been implemented strictly to prevent wrongful verdicts.

Courts nationwide corrected 1,357 wrongful criminal convictions last year, including a number of high-profile ones. The latest case to attract national attention involved Chen Man, a man who was acquitted on Feb 1 after being jailed for 23 years in a homicide and arson case in Hainan province.

Prosecutors nationwide have also tightened supervision of the police and judges.

A work report by the Supreme People's Procuratorate released on Sunday shows that prosecutors last year rejected police arrest applications for 131,675 suspects due to insufficient evidence, a year-on-year increase of 13 percent.

Under Chinese law, all formal arrests must be approved by prosecuting authorities.

Cao Jianming, prosecutor-general at the Supreme People's Procuratorate, said while delivering the annual report to the top legislature, "We've attached great importance to the factual and procedural justice and intensified supervision of litigation activities to ensure justice."

According to Chinese laws, prosecuting authorities have the right and obligation to supervise judges and the police.
Investors reassured with vow to continue stocks reform By LI XIANG (China Daily) Updated: 2016-03-14 03:09:45

An investor looks at an electronic trading screen at a brokerage in Nanjing, Jiangsu province. [Asinewsphoto by Su Yang]

Remarks made by China's new securities chief show the government's resolve to deepen capital market reform, analysts said on Sunday.

His comments may also help to dispel investors' concerns that the recent stock market volatility may compromise these efforts, they said.

On Saturday, Liu Shiyu, chairman of the China Securities Regulatory Commission, reassured investors that China will continue to proceed with reforms, including the registration-based initial public offering system.

Speaking at a news conference, he said the country must adopt the system eventually, but it will be a lengthy process and will be launched only when market conditions and the legal environment "are appropriate".

The planned change to a registration-based IPO system from an approval-based one has been viewed as one of the most important reforms that could help China to develop a mature and market-driven stock market.

Zhang Zhizhou, general manager of DH Fund Management Co, said: "One focus of investors' attention is whether the regulator will continue to push reforms. Liu responded to these concerns, helping to stabilize market expectations and boosting the confidence of domestic and international investors in the Chinese economy."

Liu also impressed fund managers, analysts and retail investors on Saturday as being a humorous, down-to-earth and candid person who is good at communicating with the public.

Hong Hao, chief strategist at BOCOM International, said, "Overall, his assessments are candid, but it is too early to judge his performance."

Hong said Liu's comments may indicate that the timing of the IPO reform needs to be better calculated.

According to some analysts, short-term fears over the reform are that it will influence the market by creating a huge supply of new shares.
HAVANA - The European Union and Cuba signed an agreement on Friday to normalize relations 13 years after the unilateral suspension of ties by the EU.

EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini (L) shakes hands with Cuba's Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez Parrilla during their meeting in Havana March 11, 2016. [Photo/Agencies]

The signing of the agreement meant a breakthrough just ahead of a historic visit to Cuba by US President Barack Obama.EU and Cuban officials signed the agreement in Havana during a visit by EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini following nearly two years of intense negotiations between the two sides that also touched upon the thorny issue of human rights - the one that prompted the EU to unilaterally suspend ties in 2003.Cuban deputy foreign minister Abelardo Moreno and the EU negotiator Christian Leffler, signed the deal in a ceremony chaired by the island's Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez and Mogherini."This is a historic day for bilateral relations," Mogherini said, calling on the United States to lift the embargo on Cuba.The agreement is subject to ratification by the governments of the EU bloc and Cuba. Once implemented, it will allow for full economic cooperation and the delivery of aid to Cuba.Mogherini said that she will ask the European Council to end a 20-year policy, known as the "common position" on Cuba, which restricts the EU ties with Cuba until reform are made in certain areas.The policy was rejected by Havana as interference in its domestic policy.The negotiations for the agreement began in April 2014. The island was the only Latin American country lacking such a deal with the EU.However, Havana had already signed cooperation contracts with 17 of the 28 nations in the European community. The EU is the largest foreign investor and the third source of tourism in the Caribbean country.
Soldiers stand guard in front of the Etoile du Sud hotel in Bassam, Ivory Coast, March 13, 2016. [Photo/Agencies]

GRAND BASSAM, Ivory Coast - Gunmen from the North African branch of Al Qaeda killed 16 people, including four Europeans, at a beach resort town in Ivory Coast on Sunday, the latest in a string of deadly attacks across West Africa.

Six shooters targeted hotels on a beach at Grand Bassam, a weekend retreat popular with westerners about 40 km (25 miles) east of the commercial capital Abidjan, before being killed in clashes with Ivorian special forces.

"Six attackers came onto the beach in Bassam this afternoon," said Ivorian President Alassane Ouattara during a visit to the site. "We have 14 civilians and two special forces soldiers who were unfortunately killed."

A French man was killed in the attack, according to a French foreign ministry spokesman. The nationalities of the other dead was not yet known, but four were European, one officer said during a briefing attended by a Reuters reporter.

The reporter saw the bodies of three white people at Grand Bassam's Chelsea Hotel and another in the Hotel Etoile du Sud next door.

A US State Department spokesperson, who declined to be further identified, said the department was not aware of any US citizen being injured or killed in the attack "at this time."

Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), which has carried out other recent attacks in the region, claimed responsibility for Sunday's shootings, according to the US-based SITE intelligence monitoring group, citing an AQIM statement.

Gunmen all dressed in black opened fire around lunchtime while people were eating and drinking at the beachside bars and restaurants or swimming in the ocean.

"I saw seven dead that I filmed. There were four attackers," said Dramane Kima, who showed the video of the bodies to Reuters.

He also took pictures of grenades and ammunition clips that he believed had been left behind by the attackers.

Security forces moved to evacuate the area surrounding the beach. Bullet holes riddled vehicles nearby and some windows had been shot out.

"They started shooting and everyone just started running. There were women and children running and hiding," said another witness, Marie Bassole. "It started on the beach. Whoever they saw, they shot at."
MONROVIA -- A new team of 140 Chinese policemen have arrived in the Liberian capital Monrovia and will carry out UN peacekeeping mission in the country where 85 percent of the population live below the international poverty line.

The riot police squad is tasked with maintaining security and order in Monrovia by patrolling, handling emergencies and guarding important figures.

The team, formed principally of border police from east China's Zhejiang province, have been trained in international law, weaponry application, bodyguarding and English.

Liberia had witnessed political instability since 1980 when a military coup overthrew the True-Whing Party leadership, which led to the deaths of between 250,000 and 520,000 people and devastated the country's economy. A peace agreement in 2003 led to democratic election in 2005.
A vehicle burns after an explosion in Ankara, Turkey, March 13, 2016. [Photo/Agencies]

ANKARA - A car bomb killed at least 27 people at a crowded transport hub in the Turkish capital of Ankara on Sunday and wounded at least 75 more, the second such attack in the administrative heart of the city in less than a month.

The blast, which could be heard several kilometres away, sent burning debris showering down over an area a few hundred metres from the Justice and Interior Ministries, a top courthouse, and the former office of the prime minister.

Police helicopters hovered overhead as a large cloud of smoke rose over the city centre.

One senior security official said initial findings suggested the attack had been carried out by the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) or an affiliated militant group, but there was no immediate claim of responsibility.

The government blamed the PKK and Kurdish militants in Syria for the previous car bombing just a few blocks away on Feb 17, which killed 29 people, most of them soldiers. That attack struck near Turkey's military headquarters, parliament and other key government institutions.

President Tayyip Erdogan spoke with Interior Minister Efkan Ala by telephone after Sunday's blast, presidential sources said.

"A total of 27 of our citizens were killed when a car exploded at Kizilay's Guven Park, and close to 75 of our wounded citizens were taken to various hospitals for treatment," the Ankara governor's office said in a statement.

A second senior security official said gunfire was heard after the blast.
(Photo : Screenshot) A 52-year-old grandfather in Jiangsu province has attracted the ire of netizens after he failed to notice that his grandson fell out of the trunk of his vehicle while he was driving.

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At a busy intersection in Wujiang district, Jiangsu province, a dash cam recorded a small child falling from a minivan, unbeknownst to the driver. The video, which was uploaded on Chinese websites, has since gone viral with netizens throwing insults at the driver for his mistake.



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The 30-second video shows a two-year-old boy fall from the back of a minivan on the morning of February 27. The vehicle continued to accelerate while the child immediately got up and started chasing the van. A concerned citizen went out of her car and carried the boy to the minivan's driver.



Yang Defu, 52, is the driver of the minivan and the grandfather of the boy. Fortunately, the child did not suffer injuries thanks to his thick jacket and layers of clothes.



"I was waiting at the red light. After passing the intersection a car chased after me and kept sounding the horn," Yang told Chinese media.



"The driver told me a kid fell out of my van. I looked back, parked my van aside, and went back to search for my grandson," he added.



Yang said that his grandson has rode with him before, and that he has never heard of child safety seats before the incident.



Yang's van was found to have a broken tailgate lock sustained when a car crashed into its rear end on February 22. He did not ask for money to fix the car, which amounted to 400 ($62).



"I had thought of going to get it fixed, but begrudged paying so much," he told Zhengzhou Evening News.



Jiang Hongkun and Du Xuili, the two people who rescued the boy, have been awarded 4,000 ($615) by the local government.



Receiving the good and the bad



Following various reports by local media, Yang has attracted the ire of many netizens, calling him out for being an irresponsible driver and guardian. The hashtag "Your kid has fallen" on Chinese social media site Weibo has garnered more than 240 million views.



"I'm afraid people across the country possibly know me now. It is not a good reputation to have. I feel ashamed of myself," Yang told the Global Times."The criticisms are right. I accept them."



But many entities have also reached out to help his family. Yang, who lives with his wife, his 26-year-old son, daughter-in-law, and grandson, only has a vegetable shop as his major source of income.



The family received a minivan and a child safety seat from a dash camera maker in Shenzhen, while a manufacturer of child safety seats also gave them a seat.



"There are so many great people. I feel very grateful for their kindness. I will use the safety seat from now on and mend the car immediately when it's broken," Yang said.



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(Photo : GETTY IMAGES) A Chinese adoption agency has denied claims that it denied an American lesbian couple the chance to adopt a four-year-old boy from China.

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The only consideration for allowing adoption is the child's welfare, a Chinese adoption agency said in response to an article published by The Washington Post.



Melissa Castro Wyatt, author of the said article published on March 7, said that she was not allowed to adopt a four-year-old Chinese kid named Hu because she is married to a woman.



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Wyatt said that she wanted to adopt Hu, who was in the United States for a foster program that aims to find parents for orphaned Chinese children. Hu was described as a child with a small head circumference, mildly crossed eyes, and a severe clubfoot.



Wyatt claims to have met Hu and his foster parent, Julie (not her real name), last week in the US before flew back to China. Upon seeing that Hu also has a club foot just like her son, who was conceived through in vitro fertilization, Wyatt expressed her desire to adopt the child.



"Yes, he has needs, I thought, and I'm just the person to meet them. Or I would be. If only his home country didn't have their own maddening preferences," Wyatt wrote.



"I texted her [Julie] to ask whether they might make an exception for a same-sex couple that has experience with his particular condition," she added.



But the agency, whose name was not mentioned, replied, "Never. Wish I didn't have to say that. It's the one thing they will not consider."



Only priority



An employee of the China Center for Children's Welfare and Adoption, who did not wish to be named, told the Global Times on Thursday that the organization received any application from an American same-sex couple.



The only priority of the center, according to the employee, is the welfare of the children.



"Our only goal and hope is that our kids can fit into the foreign countries," the employee said, but did not give information if they allow same-sex couples to adopt.



The staff was also vague about Hu's whereabouts.



"We are all happy for Hu. He is 4 years old now, and usually kids at such age don't need to wait for so long to find a home," he added.



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TagsWashington Post, same-sex couple, same sex adoption in China, China Center for Children's Welfare and Adoption
(Photo : Getty Images) China is negotiating with pharmaceutical firms to halve the price of drugs used to treat cancer and other major illnesses.

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The National Health and Family Planning Commission of China is trying to negotiate with pharmaceutical firms to slash the prices of five drugs which are used to treat cancer and other major diseases. This is part of a pilot program to reduce healthcare cost for patients, the head of the commission Li Bin, said on Tuesday.



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The five drugs are very expensive as they are either patented or imported. Therefore, China is attempting to reach an agreement with the companies to chop the prices of the drugs by at least half, Li told media.



However, he did not specify which companies or drugs he was referring to. However, he stressed that once both parties have come to an agreement, the said drugs will then be covered by state health insurance, according to Xinhua news agency.



In China, drugs for cancer and other major illnesses are usually sold in public hospitals, and this makes a profit from them. Moreover, the country's pharmaceutical industry is widely dominated by foreign companies, who distribute drugs to medical facilities.



One of the main issues in China is the expensive cost of healthcare. The country's poor health insurance coverage is reportedly burning up the savings of families as they struggle to buy medicines alone. With this initiative, authorities are hoping to satisfy people's need for drugs and fix problems associated with expensive patented and imported medicines, Li explained.



According to a 2015 report by Deutsche Bank, Swiss company Roche Holding AG is leading the Chinese drug market, followed by Qilu Pharmaceutical, Jiangsu Hengrui Medicine, Jilin Adon Pharmaceutical Group and Britain's AstraZeneca PLC.



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Tagschina, Pharmaceutical companies, healthcare, Cancer Drugs, National Health and Family Planning Commission
(Photo : Reuters) Harmony of the Seas, the world's biggest cruise ship, has sailed out to open water for the first time.

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The newest, biggest cruise liner in the world has set sail on the open water for the first time for a three-day sail trial.



Thousands of people gathered at the port of Saint-Nazaire in western France to witness the maiden voyage of Royal Caribbean International's highly anticipated Harmony of the Seas on Thursday, in advance of its scheduled debut this May at Southampton, England. The new title holder is a sister to previous record holders Oasis of the Seas and Allure of the Seas.



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Harmony will surpass its siblings by in terms of weight, which is 1,700 tons more, and capacity, which could reportedly hold about 100 more passengers at double occupancy, according to USA Today. It can also accommodate well more than 6,000 people, excluding the 2,000 crews.



Harmony will have a lot of things to offer to its guests who love mega-resorts. It will be the first Royal Caribbean ship to sport a 10-storey water slide, called The Ultimate Abyss. It will also be the first Oasis class ship to showcase a Bionic Bar, where robots served as the bartenders. Other amenities on board include a casino, theatre and an ice rink.



The $1.1 billion ship will also provide larger cabins and virtual balconies that will offer real-time outdoor sceneries. The 16-deck cruise ship is 362 meters long.



Harmony is scheduled to sail with paying passengers on May 22. Following its first series of Mediterranean cruise, it will be positioned to Fort Lauderdale, Fla., to cater an alternate, week-long Eastern and Western Caribbean trips.



Sea trials include testing maneuvers for propulsion as well as its steering and navigational equipment. Around 500 people, including crews, owners, suppliers and engineers, boarded the cruise liner on its first trial, which is expected to last until Sunday. A second trial is scheduled for the end of April before it will be delivered on May 12.



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TagsRoyal Caribbean International, Boko Haram, Cruise Ship, biggest ship worldwide, Oasis of the Seas, Allure of the Seas, maiden voyage
(Photo : Getty Images) CSR Sifang America has won a bid to supply Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) with railcars

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CSR Sifang America, a subsidiary of China Railway Rolling Stock Corporation (CRRC), has been granted a $1.3 billion order to supply more than 800 railcars to the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA). This is the largest Midwest train order recorded ever in history.



CSR Sifang America, which is a joint venture of CRRC Qingdao Sifang Co Ltd and CSR America, will officially supply CTA with new railcars. The 7000 series will reportedly appear just the same as those that have been running since the 1980s - the 2600-series. They will reportedly be assembled locally at a newly constructed plant.



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The agreement is expected to create employment for nearly 170 workers, including electricians and mechanical engineers, according to Brian Steele, a representative from CTA.



Meanwhile, another subsidiary of CRRC is constructing railway vehicles in Springfield, Massachusetts, following an agreement with local transport authorities to produce more than 280 railcars for the transit system in Boston.



It has been a decade since the CTA ordered its last batch of railcars from Canada's Bombardier Inc., which was outbid by CRRC's CSR Sifang America by nearly $226 million this time, according to officials. The process began in 2013, but the bidding garnered some interest that a revised tender was necessary. The tender was re-launched in 2014.



The delivery of the railcars' prototype to the CTA is scheduled for 2019, and service is expected to begin by 2020. China Daily reports that by 2024, base orders of over 400 railcars are expected to be delivered, with options for an additional 446 vehicles thereafter.



According to Steele, the recent buy will replace at least half of the railcars in Chicago, making it the youngest rail fleet in the US. The initiative will also drop the average age of its railcars from 26 years in 2011 to 13 years once the order is complete. Aside from that, it will also save the some $7 million per year for maintenance expenses.



The new 7000 series will run at 112 kilometers per hour. Moreover, it will be equipped with LED lighting, air conditioners, and passenger information center. It will also have a different seating arrangement with more space for standing room, especially during peak hours.



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TagsChicago Transit Authority, CSR Sifang America, CRRC, China Railway Rolling Stock Corporation, railway
(Photo : Getty Images) Chinese cruise liners are set to organize regular trips from the country to Japan.

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China is set to launch a direct cruise liner service to Okinawa, Japan, beginning next month. The move is expected to support the growth of China's emerging cruise travel industry, which is expected to become the largest in Asia in the next four years.



Passenger liner SuperStar Virgo will begin the voyage from Nansha port in China's Guangzhou city to Okinawa and Miyakojima in Japan, and vice versa, on April 17. Star Cruises, the ship owner and manager, said the six-day liner is scheduled to depart every Sunday and return on Fridays.



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Over 17,000 travelers boarded SuperStar Virgo when it was first put into service from Guangzhou to Vietnam in January.



According to Zhu Shaodong, manager of a travel agency based in Guangzhou called GZL, the voyage will lure tourists not only from Guangdong Province, but also on neighboring regions.



The cruise travel industry in China is expected to surge and become the largest market in Asia by 2020, with an expected annual passengers of 4.5 million - a fourfold increase from the current 1 million yearly overseas travelers on cruise liners.



Meanwhile, a Hong Kong-based cruise line company Dream Cruise Co. is also planning to also planning to travel from Guangzhou, China, to Hirara and Naha ports in Japan regularly. Dubbed as Genting Dream, the company's new cruise liner is expected to beginning sailing the new route on April next year. The scheduled trip will leave from Guangzhou, China, and arrive on Hirara Port on Miyako Island every Tuesday and continue to Naha Port on Wednesdays.



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TagsCruise Ship, Japan, china, SuperStar Virgo, Star Cruises, Dream Cruise Co., Genting Dream, cruise liner
(Photo : Reuters) Job seekers visit booths at a job fair in Shanghai in January 2015. China's State-Owned Assets and Supervision and Administration Commission says the government plans to combine more of its big state-owned enterprises (SOEs) as part of a sweeping plan to cut industrial overcapacity and promote growth and employment opportunities in other sectors of the nation's economy.

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China is set to combine more big state-owned enterprises (SOEs) as part of a sweeping plan to cut industrial overcapacity and promote growth and employment opportunities in other sectors of the nation's economy, a senior regulator said on Saturday.



The Chinese government is trying to reduce the number of state-managed enterprises and encourage private investments and job creation in state-dominated sectors such as aerospace, nuclear power, high-speed rail, smart grid technology and renewable energy.



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The country's policymakers must balance various interests as they restructure the national economy, especially those of state employees, Xiao Yaqing, chairman of China's State-Owned Assets and Supervision and Administration Commission, said at a press briefing held on the sidelines of China's annual legislative session in Beijing.



"We are in the business of growing bigger and better," Xiao said, adding that the planned mergers will make the country's state-run companies stronger even as they eliminate duplication and excess production.



The reform plans have sparked fears of massive unemployment and job losses akin to the 1990s, when about 28 million Chinese workers found themselves jobless and redundant.stat



"The situation in the 1990s was completely different," Xiao said. "The foundations we have now are much stronger than before."



Chinese officials estimate that some 1.8 million workers in the country's coal and steel sectors are likely to lose their jobs as the country works to reduce overcapacity and shut down inefficient SOEs.



The Chinese government has set a two-year deadline for money-losing state-run companies to improve their performance. Bloomberg meanwhile has reported that China's three biggest airlines are likely to see mergers in the near future.



"Protecting the interests of workers is an important aspect of the next stage of reforms, and there will be more mergers and restructurings, and as few bankruptcies as possible," Xiao said.



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TagsChina employment, state-owned-enterprises, chinese economic slowdown, China State-Owned Companies Reform
(Photo : Yoppy Pieter/Getty Images) Visitors at the zoo in Zhengzhou, Henan province, harvest mussels in a drained man-made lake inside an animal enclosure.

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Visitors to a zoo in northern China's Henan province got the zoo visit of a lifetime  by harvesting mussels fresh from an animal enclosure.



Zoo workers in the zoo at Zhengzhou were busy draining water out of a man-made lake when visitors noticed that there was an abundance of mussels in the lake's exposed bottom, reports Dahe.cn. It so happened that while the workers were busy carrying out maintenance and upgrade projects, some visitors found something to busy themselves with as well.



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The visitors rolled up their sleeves and trousers, then went into the mud. It didn't take long before the visitors found themselves in the muddy lake bottom, scrounging for fresh mussels.



Moments later, these visitors were joined by hundreds of people, which included families.



Zoo staff members said they tried to stop the visitors from taking the mussels as these might be unsafe for consumption. However, the advice was just ignored by the happy harvesters.



These mussels are alive, a woman who was digging for mussels said. We dig them up not to eat, but to let our children experience the pleasure of digging mussels.



Her family left carrying a sack full of mussels. She said that she plans to put the live mussels in the water so that her children can watch them at home.



Mussel Goodness



The mussels that grew in the zoo's man-made lake are larger than those generally found in food markets, because they are able to grow without being disturbed for a long time. The zoo's mussels reportedly reach the size of a palm.



Chinese cuisine considers mussels to be a delicacy. They can be cooked in various ways, and are usually included in soups and fried dishes.



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Tagszoo, Mussels, shellfish, soup, abalone, Zhengzhou
(Photo : (Photo by ChinaFotoPress/Getty Images))

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While China's modernization efforts have been sustained, several benefits are being experienced by the labor sector.



At the annual session of China's legislature, the National People's Congress (NPC), industrial modernization was reportedly a hot topic.



This was boosted by the agreement between the policy makers and entrepreneurs that indeed innovation bolster economic growth as compared to what was described in the government website as "China's old model of cheap manufacturing."



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As technology strides, especially with the Chinese government's support, the labor forces as well as business owners have felt its benefit since their production efficiency have greatly increased.



As one of the almost 3,000 deputies to the NPC session who have admitted to be benefitting from China's modernization, Wang Minghui, head of traditional Chinese medicine company Yunnan Baiyao Group, revealed that he has been enjoying the benefits of it. In fact, his company has continuously hit 30 percent growth in profits for 16 consecutive years when he opted to adopt both traditional and modern science.



In the meantime, Zhou Wen, a 26-year-old employee of the textile company Ruyi Group who confessed of being an iPad addict, shared that his job, which requires him to drive a battery-operated car to roam around the new Ruyi plant in northwest China and some other locations with the help of maps in his Apple device.



"It is like a game, with new quests every day," he said.



Prior to China's modernization, workers in the past had to walk up to 16 kilometers per shift just to do their job.



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The unit of stylish star Allu Arjun and mass director Boyapati Sreenivass upcoming action entertainer Sarainodu has reportedly finished the shooting of the romantic duet Thelusa Thelusa on the star hero and heroine Rakul Preet Singh in the famous Salar de Uyuni in the exotic locations of the Latin American country, Bolivia.

The unit has posted an on-location still to inform this news. Bunny was seen holding the tricolor in the back in this still.

With this song, the films shooting has been wrapped up except some patchwork of 2-3 days.There have been humongous expectations on this mass action entertainer. Sarrainodus massy teaser has been well received when it was released last month.

Produced by Allu Arvind under Geetha Arts banner, Sarainodu also stars Aadhi Pinisetty and Srikanth in pivotal roles. The film will hit screens on April 22.
The Seer's subtitle is A Portrait of Wendell Berry, but that's not strictly accurate. Berry (who is 81) only appears on screen in old photographs and footage from the 1977 debate between him and former Secretary of Agriculture Earl Butz. He speaks to director Laura Dunn throughout the film, though, and his wife Tanya and daughter Mary appear as well, along with a number of farmers from Henry County, Kentucky, where the Berrys have made their home for a long time.

So we do learn about his life. But The Seer is only sort of biographical, and that seems like at least partly Berry's doing. Just last week, when asked in The New York Times's By the Book feature whom he'd want to write his life story, Berry replied, A horrible thought. Nobody. As the only person who ever has lived my life, I know that most of it can never be documented, is beyond writing and beyond words.

Luckily, The Seerwhich premiered in competition at SXSW on March 12 and was directed, edited, and produced by Dunnhas a much grander goals than hagiography.

Berry is the rare writer and activist who can't be claimed by a single party: beloved by the right for his localist pro-family traditionalism and the left for his localist anti-corporate activism, Berry's writingswhich make an unswerving case for a return to the farm, the family, faith, and all that is traditional and localhave taken on an unquestioned totemic quality among a lot of evangelicals.

I'm uneasy about that. Years ago, Robert Joustra and I wrote in Books & Culture about Berry and the local food movement, and while I took the pro-Berry side in our exchange, Rob wrote that to be truly virtuous ...

1
17 suspected al-Qaeda militants killed in Yemen

Air strikes killed at least 17 suspected al-Qaeda militants overnight in the southern Yemeni port city of Aden, witnesses, medics and a security official said on Sunday.

The air strikes hit al-Mansoura district, a stronghold for militants and an area which has witnessed several attacks against local security officials since the Saudi-led coalition retook Aden last July from the Iran-allied Houthi militia.

The sources said at least 20 civilians and militants were wounded as well as three members of the security forces. The strikes targeted the militants who were sitting atop vehicles and one of the strikes hit a local government building. Intermittent clashes were still going on, they said.

There was tenuous calm in the district later in the district on Sunday, with streets leading out of the area closed off. A Reuters reporter saw the rubble of a butcher's shop and the wreckages of destroyed cars. Electricity was cut across the district and food shops remained closed.

A security official said the strikes, thought to have been carried out by the Saudi-led coalition, were the "second stage" of retaking al-Mansoura from militants.

There was no immediate comment from the Saudi-led coalition on the strikes.

They took place a day after forces loyal to Yemen's president broke a siege by the Houthis around Taiz, Yemen's third biggest city, about 200 km northwest of Aden.

Yemen's embattled government has been forced out of the capital Sanaa by the Houthi rebels and is now based in Aden, but struggles to impose its authority even there.

The southern city has gone from being one of the world's busiest ports as a former hub of the British empire to a backwater, and then in recent months, a conflict zone.

The coalition began a military campaign a year ago to prevent the Houthis from taking complete control of Yemen.
Mysterious 13-foot long sea monster surfaces on Mexico tourist beach

The deep, blue sea really holds a lot of mysteries, and one of these just surfaced on the touristy Bonfil Beach, in the city of Acapulco, in the south-west Mexican state of Guerrero.

A raw video uploaded by the Civil Protection and Fire Brigade in Acapulco showed a humongous, grey creature that washed up on the sandy shores.

In the minute-and-a-half long video, a man is seen poking the unidentified sea monster using a stick, and scrutinising its body and what seems to be tentacles.

Throughout the video, however, the mystery creature appeared unresponsive, just lying on the beach covered with sand.

In a report by local Mexican station 24 Hours, Civil Protection and Fire Coordinator Sabas de la Rosa Camacho was quoted as saying that the animal, estimated to be more than 13 feet long, could be a giant squid or a whale. Quite notably, however, the creature is said to have bones.

Camacho further said the sea monster likely spent a long time floating in Acapulco's strong currents caused by inclement weather, before ultimately being washed up on the shore.

He added that the carcass, which has been reported to environmental agency Procuraduria Federal de Proteccion al Ambiente (Profepa), did not have a foul smell, despite its unusual appearance.

"We have no idea what type of animal this is, but I do know that it does not smell bad or have a fetid aroma. It is four meters long and was found on Bonfil Beach," Camacho was quoted by The Daily Mail as saying.

Although uncertainty still surrounds the sea creature, one thing is for sure: it has already attracted a large number of local and foreign tourists.

The video of the strange animal uploaded by the Civil Protection and Fire Acapulco has already created much social media buzz, being shared more than 107,000 times on Facebook. Photos taken by locals and tourists of the bizarre creature are also beginning to turn viral.
Obama to urge Britain to stay in EU in UK visit

US President Barack Obama will come to London in April and urge British voters to back continued membership of the European Union, The Independent on Sunday newspaper reported.

Britons vote in June on whether to remain part of the world's biggest trading bloc and Obama has previously said he wants Britain to stay in the EU and help maintain the post-war transatlantic partnership.

Most opinion polls show voters are split with a large number of people as yet undecided.

Obama is due to attend a technology fair in Germany in late April and a source told the Independent on Sunday he would visit the British capital around that time.

"It would be pretty shocking if he didn't ask voters to stay in the EU," the source was quoted as saying.

The White House declined to comment and Prime Minister David Cameron's office did not offer an immediate comment when contacted by Reuters.
Rubio, Cruz, Kasich scoop more delegates in D.C., Wyoming contests but not enough to dent Trump's big lead

Senators Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz and even Ohio Gov. John Kasich picked up more delegates than Republican presidential frontrunner Donald Trump in the party's conventions in Washington D.C. and Wyoming on Saturday but hardly enough to threaten Trump's still commanding lead.

The Associated Press declared Rubio the winner in heavily Democratic Washington, D.C., winning 10 delegates. Kasich placed second and won nine delegates. Cruz and Trump failed to get any delegates.

The turnout of just several thousand voters in D.C. was so small that balloting has been limited to one downtown hotel, according to Fox News.

Nevertheless, Rubio could count on his D.C. win as his third in the GOP race after he won the GOP caucuses in Minnesota and the party's primary in Puerto Rico.

In Wyoming, Cruz won nine of the 12 delegates that were up for grabs. Rubio and Trump won one apiece, the Associated Press reported.

However, the AP is not declaring a winner in Wyoming because another 14 of the state's delegates will be awarded at the party's state convention on April 16.

Trump still leads the overall race for delegates with 460. Cruz has 370, Rubio has 163 and John Kasich has 63, according to the latest tally by the New York Times/AP.

It takes 1,237 delegates to win the Republican nomination for president.

Meanwhile, Democratic presidential front-runner Hillary Clinton won her party's caucus in the Northern Mariana Islands, the U.S. territory in the Pacific Ocean, near Guam.

Clinton received 54 percent of 189 votes cast to earn four of the six delegates at stake. Rival Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders won the two remaining delegates.

The candidates of both parties are training their sights on the five primaries on Tuesday, including the crucial winners-take-all contests in Ohio and Florida that could make-or-break the candidacies of Kasich and Rubio.

Big wins by Trump in those two states could be decisive in his march to the party nomination. Trump has a double-digit lead over Rubio in Florida and a single-digit lead over Kasich in Ohio, according to the RealClearPolitics poll average and CNN's Poll of Polls released on Friday.

The other states holding primaries on Tuesday are Missouri, North Carolina and Illinois.

In Ohio, Trump has support from 36 percent of voters while Kasich has 34 percent. Cruz has 17 percent while Rubio is at 8 percent.

Trump has a 40 percent lead in the Florida Republican primary, according to the CNN Poll of Polls averages. He is ahead of Rubio, who is attracting 26 percent of the vote, by double digits. Cruz has 18 percent of the vote and Kasich is at 8 percent.

On the Democratic side, Clinton is leading Sanders by more than 30 points in Florida. The former Secretary of State has 62 percent of support while Sanders has 31 percent of the vote.
Social media use by employees - posting on their personal accounts during work hours and mentioning your company on social media outside of work hours - presents opportunities and challenges for small-business owners.

Creating a social media policy for your employees can give your staff clarity on what is or is not acceptable. While social media policies must meet legal requirements, they should also provide opportunities for employees to support your company's social media efforts.

Here are some general tips to consider as you develop a social media policy for your business.

Realize that in protecting your company from lost time and reputation damage, you need to heed the rights of your employees as well. Research how federal and state laws will affect your company's social media policy. The National Labor Relations Act's rules protect employees' freedom of speech, and the Federal Trade Commission has rules on what's required in the way of disclosures for endorsements, promotion, reviews and other circumstances where there are incentives for social mentions.

Explain expected behaviors and uses of social media. This includes addressing use of social media during work hours. Also, educate employees about when they need to disclose their association with your business when they personally post, share or comment about your company's products, services, events, etc.

Craft a general policy for the majority of employees and one specifically for employees who manage your business's social media accounts. Team members who have the responsibilities of posting to and monitoring your accounts will require some flexibility and added direction in the way of an internal strategy and a style guide.

Encourage employees to ask questions to help identify elements of your policy that may need clarification. It's critical to keep everyone on the same page, so communicate additional details with all team members.

As with any other policy that might have a legal impact on your small business, it's wise to consult with an attorney or human resource professional, or both, when crafting and implementing your policy.

Also, consider getting free guidance from a mentor at the Houston chapter of SCORE. Its mentors have a broad range of small-business expertise and can provide valuable input and feedback.

To learn more, attend the SCORE class "Facebook for Business: Use Social Media to Promote Business & Increase Sales" at The Woodlands Chamber of Commerce, March 23, from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. To register, go to houston.score.org / Local Workshops.
Even the week's heavy rains couldn't stop more than 500 Houstonians from gathering at Buffalo Bayou for the 44th Annual Buffalo Bayou Partnership Regatta.

Colorful canoes and kayaks paddled along for 15-miles until reaching the finish line, where festivities included live music and children's activities.
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Authorities are investigating the fatal shooting of a gas station owner in northwest Houston during a robbery Saturday night.

KHOU-TV reports that 52-year-old Zia A. Siddiqui was killed during the robbery of the Raceway gas station at FM 1960 West and Mills Road, which occurred at about 8:15 p.m. Saturday.

Surveillence video shows a man in a pink cap and t-shirt pulling a gun on a clerk, who backs away and goes into a back office.

Police told KHOU that the owner was doing paperwork in the back office, and that he and the clerk tried to close the door and keep the suspect out. Authorities said the suspect forced his way in and opened fire, killing the store owner.

The store owner reportedly retrieved a gun in his desk and fired shots, possibly wounding the assailant in the arm, before collapsing and dying at the scene. Surveillance video shows the man fleeing through the front door, looking behind him.

"This is a hijacker who demanded money. When he didn't get what he wanted, he chased the people down, hunted them down. Instead of leaving the store, after a foiled robbery, he just randomly started shooting inside," Houston police Sgt. Brian Harris told KTRK-TV.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the Houston police.
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Firefighters have contained a two-alarm fire at a Spring fiberglass company.

The Harris County Fire Marshal's Office reported that the blaze started before 6 a.m. at Champion Fiberglass in the 6400 block of Stuebner Road.

KHOU-TV reported that the fire was spotted by an employee, who helped to evacuate workers inside the building. Photos show bright orange flames and smoke illuminating the pre-dawn sky.

No injuries were reported, but there was heavy damage to the building, according to the news release. The fire was under investigation Sunday.

Spring Fire Department Chief Scott Seifert said chemicals and flammables inside the building helped the fire spread quickly.

"The Fire Marshal's office has it under investigation," Seifert said Sunday morning. "It will probably be later in the day, or the next few days before they actually have the cause."
A nonprofit patient safety group has issued a warning about a widespread yet potentially dangerous practice in the health care industry: use of the "Ctrl&V" keys on a computer keyboard.

Copying and pasting electronic text in health care documents can perpetuate initial errors or introduce new mistakes, according to a report from the group, known as the Partnership for Health IT Patient Safety.

"It's a huge problem," said Dr. Dean Sittig, a professor at UT-Health School of Biomedical Informatics in Houston and a member of the group. "People are doing it all the time."

Many physicians use a template for entering patient information, copying it into the record and then changing the entries for each patient. But if one of those entries is not updated, it can lead to a missed diagnosis.

That's in part what happened with the Ebola case in Dallas in 2014, said Dr. Hardeep Singh, chief of the Health Policy, Quality & Informatics Program at the Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center and Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. Although the patient had a fever of 103, the doctor failed to update that detail in the template, he said, so Ebola wasn't immediately considered. The patient was discharged, carrying a lethal, infectious virus into the community.

The report cited other examples, such as a nurse copying patient information on containers with surgical biopsy samples but neglecting to change "left" to "right" on the second sample. Another case involved a physician who used the abbreviation "PE" for physical exam. When that note was copied, others reading the material thought the patient had a pulmonary embolism.

In one recent survey, 89 percent of physicians indicated they copy and paste when writing daily progress notes, and 78 percent said they almost always or mostly copied text.

A review of Veterans Affairs medical records between 1993 and 2002 found that 9 percent of notes included copied information, and 13 percent of the copied material was deemed so misleading or incorrect that it posed a significant risk to the patient.

Experts say cut and paste errors have become more prevalent with the push toward electronic medical records and the need to provide detailed documentation for billing purposes.

"They have to record stuff they didn't have to record in the past," Sittig said.

Widespread copying and pasting also gives rise to concerns about fraud and abuse. Federal officials have said they would deny Medicare payments to providers if they find nearly identical notes repeated over the course of a patient's treatment or among patients with similar diagnoses.

"If it's clear they copied, they won't get paid," Sittig said.

That may be why many hospitals and clinics haven't put systems in place to clearly identify copied material. A recent federal report found that only 24 percent of hospitals had cut-and-paste policies, and fewer than half used software that captured the method used to enter text into a medical record.

Malpractice attorneys, meanwhile, are mining medical records for copied material.

"(The medical record) is a legal document, so when things go wrong and people see evidence that stuff was copied and pasted, it doesn't go well," Singh said.

Copying and pasting in medical records can save the time of physicians burdened by documentation requirements. Often, a patient's situation doesn't change much from visit to visit.

"If I have diabetes, hepatitis and asthma today, it's likely I'll have diabetes, hepatitis and asthma six months from now," Singh said.

While some hospitals have disabled the cut and paste function in their computer systems, "You've lost a whole lot of efficiency if you do that," Singh said. "The principle should be copy and edit, or copy and careful review."

Singh recommends physicians use highlighting or quotation marks so that copied material is easily identified. He also recommends that hospitals monitor how much physicians copy and paste.

Sittig and Singh said patients can be proactive by asking for a copy of their medical records to check for errors. More hospitals and clinics are adopting the "open notes" strategy that shares with patients what doctors have written at every visit. This may encourage doctors to limit their cutting and pasting.

"When they know the patients are going to see their notes," Singh said, "they're a lot more careful."
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The unhinged hatred of Donald Trump continues. This time in San Antonio where a local Tex-Mex favorite was the victim of a prank, sort of, involving Trump, Trump supporters and tacos.

Saturday afternoon, a note showed up on the door of a Mama Margie's Mexican Cafe stating the following:

Please Note:

Due to his consistent disparaging comments directed towards Mexicans. WE WILL NO LONGER BE SERVING DONALD TRUMP SUPPORTERS OR SYMPATHIZERS. Thanks you for your cooperation  MGMT

The paper the note was written on had a Mama Margie's logo on it.

This calls for a #Margarita !! You go @mamamargies !! #DumpTrump

Pictures of the sign have since been making the rounds on social media sites with folks both in support of, and those angered by it going at each other.

RELATED: 27 signs you went to college in San Antonio

"I am Anti Trump ... he's an idiot. But he doesn't nor has he attacked Latin Americans. He's stated that he'll go after felons ... yes ... if you're illegal here ... you're a felon. So Mama Margie's ... your food was marginal anyways. Cruz For POTUS and illegals to Jail or Back to Mexico!" Wrote one person on Facebook.

While another felt the same: "Shameful that a restaurant would categorize Trump supporters as anti Mexican. I love Cancun, and Laredo. I visited the restaurant once. Wasn't very impressed."

Still the sign had plenty of support with posts cheering on the chain.

But there were also those who seemed to catch on right away. As one Facebook user noted, "Fake ! Stop freaking out ... You can still get your tacos."

Which is true, because Mama Margie's had nothing to do with the sign.

Susan O'Brien, one of the owners of the restaurant chain, said Sunday that they were not the ones who posted the sign.

"Mama's is in the business of tacos, not politics," O'Brien said by phone Sunday.

Mama Margie's has four San Antonio locations, but O'Brien declined to say at which restaurant the sign was posted.

Calls made directly to Mama Margie's locations were either not answered, or were met with hang-ups, or frustrated employees saying it was not them, then hanging up.

But to the person who did put the sign up, Mama's has an eye on you.

"We're actually trying to figure out who did it," O'Brien said. "We know it is not an employee."

RELATED: How Austin lost the Texas Taco War to S.A.

O'Brien continued saying "we have video of the person" who did put up the sign and that they are currently exploring options.

She would not say if they had contacted police.

Whether business has been affected by the sign is unknown and O'Brien would not comment further.

Meanwhile Trump mania, both hatred of and love for, continues. Most recently a rally was cancelled in Chicago when protesters turned violent, forcing the event to shut down.

Trump blamed professional agitators for the fiasco while opponents say it has been Mr. Trump's rhetoric that is causing such an intense backlash against the candidate.

RELATED: Trump's new normal: campaign rallies where chaos is expected

So if you love "The Donald" and are looking forward to four years of Mr. Trump as the next President of the United States, then feel free to go Mama's for some barbacoa, machacado, fajita or whatever taco you fancy. Then again if you hate Trump, his politics or supporters, then too, feel free to indulge the fare at Mama's.

As O'Brien said, it is all about the food, and not the fight.
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.
The Toubaji family are comfortable in their new home in Thunder Bay. From left, Sama, her mother Nisreen Darwish, her father Mohamadzaher and her sister Hadeel look at a portrait of the eldest daughter, Ghina, and her new husband. The newlyweds, who are expecting a baby, will arrive soon in Thunder Bay.
crime tape

A 16-year-old boy was shot in the thigh during a drive-by shooting on Cleveland's West Side, police said.

(File photo)

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- A 16-year-old boy was shot in the thigh during a drive-by shooting on the city's West Side, police said.

Officers responded to reports of shots fired at about 8:15 p.m. Saturday at West 89th Street and West Tech Way, near the old West Tech High School, Cleveland police spokeswoman Sgt. Jennifer Ciaccia said.

Two teen boys, ages 16 and 19, told police they were walking on West 89th Street when a red four-door vehicle pulled alongside them. Someone in the backseat of the car rolled down a window and fired an unknown number of shots at the teens with a 9 mm handgun. One of the bullets struck the 16-year-old boy in the thigh, Ciaccia said.

The teens ducked behind a parked car, and ran to their aunt's house in the 2000 block of West 89th Street.

The 16-year-old was taken to an unknown hospital, where he was treated for minor injuries and released. The 19-year-old was not injured.

Police are looking for the gunman and the red, four-door car.

Detectives are investigating the shooting.

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In this frame grab from surveillance video at the Fremont, Ohio, recreational center, Councilman Mike Koebel, right, is seen hugging pregnant recreation Superintendent Molly White from behind.

(WTVG-TV)

FREMONT, Ohio -- A city councilman in northern Ohio has been charged with disorderly conduct after being accused of inappropriately touching the stomach of a pregnant city employee.



Fremont recreation Superintendent Molly White filed a complaint Feb. 9 with the Fremont Police Department, and she also filed two Equal Employment Opportunity complaints.

She alleged that Councilman Mike Koebel on several occasions came up from behind and wrapped his arms around her at Fremont's recreation center, touching her stomach. He also made inappropriate comments, she alleged.

Koebel is scheduled to appear in court Wednesday on the misdemeanor charge.

White's complaint accused Koebel of touching her and making comments when she was pregnant with her first child in 2014. White reported that Koebel told her "how sexy he thinks pregnant women are."

The Fremont News-Messenger reports that White alleged he said, "Oh, let me feel that baby. I have to feel that baby." She said he grabbed his hands and tried to pull them off of her.

Koebel denied that he intended anything sexual and said he never made the comments White accused him of making.
North Olmsted police car

North Olmsted police investigate car break-ins.

(File photo)

Car break-ins, Fairfax Lane: A resident called police about 8 a.m. Feb. 29 to report two of her vehicles were broken into overnight. A car and an SUV had been entered overnight after both vehicles were left unlock in the driveway A radar detector valued at $350 was missing from a Chevrolet Malibu, and a Toys R Us credit card, Costco membership card, and a T.J. Maxx gift card with 22 cents remaining on it were missing from the Dodge Journey. There are no suspects.

Possession of marijuana, Columbia Road: Officers were called shortly after midnight March 1 to an apartment building regarding two suspicious vehicles. A witness said the occupants appeared to be smoking marijuana. Three males were inside one of the cars. The windows of the Camry were steam covered and a large amount of smoke inside the vehicle made it difficult to see inside. An officer opened the door and smoke with a noticeable odor of marijuana poured out. While being questioned by officers, one of the suspects pulled out a glass jar full of suspected marijuana from his black back pack. He was charged with possession of marijuana.

Fraud: A resident came to the North Olmsted police station about 1:45 a.m. March 1 to file a fraud report. The woman said she was notified by her bank Jan. 21 that someone attempted a $500 withdrawal using her Fifth-Third debit card in Kentucky. She also received a mailed card Jan. 21 from her bank stating that her contact phone number had been changed per her request to a North Carolina phone number.

Theft, Country Club Boulevard: An apartment resident called police about 11:30 a.m. March 2 to report the theft of his rear license plate from his car. The car had been parked at the apartment building since Feb. 27, at which time the resident believed the plate was in place. Police reported the plate as stolen.

Possession of marijuana, I-480: Police stopped a car about 1:40 a.m. March 4 with a nonworking headlight. A vehicle registration check indicated police should confiscate the license plates. The driver said the car belonged to his girlfriend. Officers noticed the smell of marijuana. Officers searching the car found a digital scale and clear sandwich bags with a total of 65 grams of marijuana.The driver is charged with driving without a headlight, possession of marijuana, and drug paraphernalia.

Shoplifting, Great Northern Mall: Police were called about 4:30 p.m. March 4 to Macy's department store about a shoplifter in custody. The male suspect was accused of trying to steal pants and a shirt valued at more than $213. Police charged the suspect with theft.

Shoplifting, Lorain Road: Police about 4:30 p.m. March 5 arrested an accused shoplifter at Home Depot for taking valves, wall plates and other items valued at $149. The man said he tried to take the items to sell to buy food. He is charged with petty theft.

Drunk driving, Lorain Road: Police stopped a car about 3 a.m. March 6 for weaving and failing to use a turn signal. The driver faces charges including driving under the influence and failing to drive within marked lanes.
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Hundreds of Bernie Sanders' supporters took to the streets of downtown Cleveland Sunday afternoon to show their support for the Democratic presidential candidate.

The rain did not dampen their spirits as Sanders' supporters of all ages carried signs and shouted, "Feel the Bern," and "Bernie, Bernie."

The group traveled down, East 9th Street, St. Clair Avenue, and East 17th Street to Euclid Avenue. They gathered at a headquarters at East 20th Street and Euclid for a rally.

It's not clear which group organized the rally, and organizers were not available to talk to Cleveland.com.

An NBC News/WSJ/Marist poll of Ohio voters released on Sunday showed Sen. Sanders of Vermont was trailing former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton by 20 points in the Democratic race, 58 percent to 38 percent. Recent polling generally has shown Clinton leading Sanders in Ohio by double digits.

Clinton was in the Cleveland area Sunday. She spoke at Mount Church in Highland Hills during the morning worship service.

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CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Donald Trump went after Ohio Gov. John Kasich in his home state on Saturday, accusing Kasich of destroying the coal industry, knocking his involvement in Lehman Bros. and saying he is weak on immigration, among a slew of other criticisms.

The New York businessman also denounced Kasich for supporting the Trans Pacific Partnership trade agreement and voting for the North American Free Trade Agreement when he was in Congress in the 1990s.

Trump spoke at Cleveland's I-X Center less than 24 hours after he cancelled a rally in Chicago due to safety concerns. He was in Dayton early Saturday before heading to Cleveland.

This was Trump's first campaign stop in Cleveland ahead of Tuesday's Ohio Republican primary, in which the winner will earn all 66 delegates up for grabs here. Polls show a tight race between Kasich and Trump.

Saturday's event was largely peaceful, oftentimes feeling more like a rock concert with loud music and an enthusiastic crowd, instead of a political rally (see this video reporter Mary Kilpatrick took below):

An announcement before Trump took the stage assured attendees he hoped for a peaceful event here in Cleveland. The announcement stated that while Trump supports the First and Second Amendments to the U.S. Constitution, "this is a private event paid for by Mr. Trump," and protesters are not allowed inside.

The voice also instructed attendees not to hurt protesters who may have snuck inside the venue. If protests begin, attendees should yell "Trump, Trump, Trump," in order to attract security, the announcement stated.

That happened a few times throughout Trump's 45-minute speech here. The crowd booed and Trump yelled, "Get 'em out . . . These are Bernie's people." Democratic presidential contender Bernie Sanders took heat from Trump several times throughout the event. See him mock Sanders in this video:

Demonstrators, both for and against Trump, gathered outside the venue, carrying signs that said, "Hate won't make us great," and "Trump is delusional." Mary Kilpatrick captured a heated exchange between a protester and Trump supporter in which the protester compared Trump to Hitler (WARNING EXPLICIT):

Protestors and Trump supporters get into heated fight #TrumpRally (Explicit) pic.twitter.com/xf5kXVGJgD  Mary Kilpatrick (@_marykilpatrick) March 12, 2016

When he wasn't addressing protesters, here's what Trump had to say about:

Friday's chaos in Chicago

Trump addressed the cancelled event in Chicago early in his speech Saturday.

"Yesterday in Chicago we had a little bit of a problem," he said. "We were not allowed to exercise our First Amendment rights, because a professional organization, which printed circulars and printed signs . . . they disrupted things.

"It just makes all of our friends and supporters more angry. We are going to go to the polls on Tuesday and we're going to be resounding victory. Resounding."

Videos from Friday's rally in Chicago showed a raucous crowd of both protesters and Trump supporters, signs and chants for and against the businessman, and physical and verbal fights breaking out between the two groups.

Trump's opponents on both the Democratic and Republican side of the presidential race wasted no time in blaming him for pandering to and encouraging anger at his rallies.

"Tonight the seeds of division that Donald Trump has been sowing this whole campaign finally bore fruit, and it was ugly," Kasich said in a statement Friday night.

Kasich's primary performance

Kasich has yet to win a state in the primary elections and caucuses so far -- something Trump didn't let his Ohio audience forget on Saturday.

"You have a governor who I've gotten to know, and he's abandoned the state. He moved to New Hampshire. He said he's going to win I won in a landslide," Trump said.

It's true Kasich invested heavily in New Hampshire with TV ads and dozens of town halls. He finished second in that race, losing to Trump by 20 percentage points.

Trump also noted he beat Kasich "in a landslide" in both South Carolina, and most recently, Michigan.

"He moved to Michigan," Trump said. "He said he was going to win and if he didn't win, he'd drop out of the race. I won in a landslide. Why didn't he drop out?"

Fact check: While Kasich had high hopes for Michigan, he has long-maintained that he would see his campaign through Ohio.

"Do I want to do well in Michigan? Of course I do," Kasich said at a press conference before the Michigan primary, according to The New York Times. "I'm going to Ohio, O.K.? Let's not be confused. And I'm going to win Ohio. End of story."

Trump had a different prediction Saturday: "Now he said he is going to win Ohio. I don't think so. I really don't think so."

Polls released last week show a tight race between the two. A Quinnipiac survey has Trump beating Kasich by six points, while a Fox News poll shows Kasich ahead of Trump by five points.

Manufacturing moving operations to Mexico

"We're losing our jobs, we're losing our factories, they're going to China. They're going to Mexico.

"Your great mayor said to me, 'You know what Mr. Trump? On the left you have the Ford foundry, and that's moving to Mexico, and on the right you have Eaton, and that's moving to Mexico," he said, referring to the Berea Eaton plant that recently announced it would close and cut at least 100 jobs. The Ford foundry in Brook Park closed in 2010.

"We want to keep our factories here. We want to keep our factories here."

His subdued tone in Thursday's debate

Thursday's GOP debate was a sharp shift from the previous face-off, when Trump mentioned his manhood within the first few minutes, egged on by a comment from his opponent Marco Rubio about his hands.

Trump seemed to apologize for his lack of insults during the CNN debate Thursday night, telling the crowd he left the "Little Marco" and "Lyin' Ted" insults at home under the direction of his wife and daughter.

"What do you mean presidential? I want to keep winning?" he said he told his daughter, Ivanka Trump, when she asked him to tone it down. "She said, 'It's over. You don't have to hit back . . . Daddy be nicer. Don't do it.' So, every time I was ready to go after them I thought of Ivanka."

Her advice didn't stick. Trump brought back the name-tags for his opponents here on Saturday, calling Marco Rubio a "choker" in debates, and said Ted Cruz has a habit of brandishing his bible before spewing lies.
watch now

With the field of six candidates, there's a wide range of tax proposals, each of which have different effects on your wallet. For one, GOP front-runner Donald Trump's plan would slash tax rates for everyone. The real estate mogul is seeking to eliminate the current top individual income tax rate of 39.6 percent and create three tax brackets: 10 percent, 20 percent and 25 percent. That said, a few observers have their doubts. "I don't think it's viable," Tax Foundation President Scott Hodge told CNBC. "I think it's a dramatic overreach and an over-promise." Established in 1937, The Tax Foundation is an independent, non-partisan tax policy research organization. For the current election cycle, the organization compared the economic effects of each of the candidates' tax plans. Read MoreWall Street Deans: Anyone but Trump! Studies from both the Tax Foundation and another group, the Tax Policy Center, estimate that Trump's plan could cut tax revenues by more than $10 trillion dollars over the next 10 years, resulting in a large burgeoning of the national debt. Earlier this week, Trump responded by telling CNBC he could close that gap by cutting waste and fraud in government. However, Hodge branded that as "unrealistic," suggesting that Trump's plan doesn't have structural changes to the tax code that could improve the economy. "It's really just a tax cut plan, it's not a tax improvement plan." Read MoreClinton to propose higher taxes for wealthy

Feeling the Bern of higher taxes

Source: IRS

On the other side, Bernie Sanders is promising the opposite: Higher taxes for all. The Democratic candidate/senator from Vermont wants to raise all taxes by 2.2 percent and create four higher tax brackets for high earners. Sanders' top bracket would tax income over $10 million at a 52 percent rate. The Tax Foundation's Hodge found that tax increase could raise $14 trillion but "would come at a dramatic cost to the economy overall." Hodge said Sanders' plans "would reduce the size of the economy by almost 10 percent and eliminate almost five million jobs."

On Tuesday, primary votes in two battleground states, Ohio and Florida, will head to the polls. Gov. John Kasich and Sen. Marco Rubio are counting on victories in their home states to jump-start their campaigns. Both candidates want to lower the top corporate tax rate to 25 percent, yet Kasich plans to change personal income tax rates to three brackets, with a top rate of 28 percent. Separately, Rubio wants a top bracket of 35 percent, and that top tax rate would apply to $150,000 in earnings for single filers, and $300,00 for joint filers. The Tax Foundation found that Rubio's plan would boost growth and wages by double digits over 10 years, but would cost more than $6 trillion in static revenue. Hodge said Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton is "living up to promises to tax high-income people making $250,000 or more." Under Clinton's plan, those with incomes above $1 million would pay at least 30 percent in taxes. And she'd add an additional 4 percent tax on income above $5 million. But Hodge pointed to Clinton's plan to change how profits on investments are taxed. According to the Tax Foundation, the plan has "increased incentives to delay capital gains realizations," and would be a drag on growth and wages over a decade. The former secretary of state "wants to control when people realize capital gains by taxing people at different rates when they actually realize those gains," Hodge explained. "If you're at a high income, your tax rate could be as high as 47 percent on your capital gains, and then it lowers to 27 percent over the next seven years." The foundation estimated that capital investment would fall by nearly 3 percent over a decade. "It could have a very chilling effect on the market and on investors overall," Hodge added.



'Just like in Europe'

Hodge called Republican Texas Sen. Ted Cruz's tax reform "a very interesting plan from a couple different perspectives." Indeed, the organization gave Cruz's plan high marks on growth, capital investment and jobs added and, of the major candidates' plans, found it cost the least. Cruz is calling for the Internal Revenue Service to be abolished, and wants to create a flat 10 percent income tax and add a consumption tax. Yet the left-leaning Citizens for Tax Justice recently branded both Cruz and Trump's plans as bad for taxpayers. Hodge said that the Texan "wants to eliminate the corporate income tax and replace payroll taxes with a 'business activity tax'  it's really a Value-Added Tax, much like what they have in Europe." Cruz wants the consumption tax to be 16 percent. The VAT raises a lot of "revenue for the federal government, which allows (Cruz) to reduce individual income tax rates down to 10 percent, which is a dramatic cut for everyone," Hodge added. However, he warned the consumption tax "adds to the price of goods by 16 percent." He added the 10 percent income tax rate "offsets some of the burden that might come from higher prices." As with any legislative plan, Hodge cautioned it should be taken with a grain of salt. "You have to take them as guidelines rather than proposals," he said.


This year, the event to which some refer affectionately as "Spring Break for nerds" is attracting a new brand of geek  the political kind.

Year after year, SXSW has become a sure draw for entertainers, as well as media and technology titans. In some ways, the Austin, Texas conference becomes the closest thing America has to Davos, where the World Economic Forum takes place annually.



Yet this time around, SXSW has come to resemble Davos in more ways than one. While technology has always co-mingled with politics, the 2016 SXSW conference kicked it up a notch.

On Friday, President Barack Obama kicked off the event with a keynote speech, a SXSW first for a sitting president, and his wife is also due to address the conference later this week (also a first). And alongside the president and first lady were a number of White House operatives who were fixtures in several of SXSW's countless panel discussions.



In his speech, Obama called on the tech community to help solve government issues and increase civic engagement. "We are at a moment in history where technology, globalization, our economy is changing so fast," he said to a packed room at the Long Center in Austin, TX.



Read MoreObama: 'Absolutist' views on encryption don't work

He acknowledged that his past political campaigns were known for, "having really cool technology, and social media," and defended his work in the White House.

Obama gave a list of his accomplishments during his tenure that boosted the role of technology, including student aid, Social Security, and his controversial health care plan. The Affordable Care Act had a famously rocky roll out, and was plagued with technical difficulties for months.



With his time in office growing shorter, Obama asked the conferees "how can we start coming up with new platforms, new ideas, new approaches across disciplines and across skill sets to solve some of the big problems that we're facing today?"



He also asked attendees to visit the White House website and its platforms to submit ideas.


The Lebanese army says two missiles found on a passenger flight from Lebanon to Serbia were used for training and did not contain any explosives.

Monday's announcement came after Serbia's authorities began investigating reports that a cargo package bound for the United States containing two missiles with explosive warheads was found on the flight.

Read MoreThe US lost a Hellfire missile. Cuba returned it



The army says the missiles were being sent to the American company that produced them. It says the return was in accordance "with administrative and legal measures after the training ended."

On Sunday, Serbia's N1 television said the package with two guided armor-piercing missiles was discovered Saturday by a sniffer dog after an Air Serbia flight landed at Belgrade airport. The American-made projectiles can be fired from air, seaor ground platforms.

Serbian media said documents listed the final destination for the AGM-114 Hellfire missiles as Portland, Oregon.

N1 television said the package with two guided armor-piercing missiles was discovered Saturday by a sniffer dog after an Air Serbia flight from Beirut landed at Belgrade airport.
Norway's $830 billion oil fund has severed ties with Pimco, the bond house, and BTG Pactual, the Brazilian bank, as part of an overhaul of how the world's largest sovereign wealth fund is run.

The oil fund, which is considered one of the world's most prestigious investors and which has become a prized client for big asset management companies, has invested with Pimco since at least 2013.



Kristian Helgesen | Bloomberg via Getty Images

The sovereign fund pulled its money from the Californian bond house last year after widespread investor fears took hold about underperformance at some of Pimco's largest fixed income funds and the acrimonious departure of its founder, Bill Gross, in late 2014.

The divestment is a further blow for the Newport Beach-based asset manager, which suffered 125 billion euros of outflows from investors last year. The level of money from external clients fell 6 per cent last year, to 987 billion euros. Pimco declined to comment on the oil fund's departure. The withdrawal could prompt other sovereign funds to reassess whether to hold money with Pimco. Amin Rajan, chief executive of Create Research, the asset management consultancy, said: "Losing a mandate from an iconic investor like the Norwegian oil fund is like losing the main feather in your cap. It will raise many eyebrows among other sovereign wealth funds." The sovereign fund also dropped BTG Pactual during the course of last year. The bank suffered heavy redemptions in 2016 after it became embroiled in a vast corruption scandal at Petrobras, the Brazilian oil group. Its mutual fund assets nearly halved last year, to $14 billion, after the bank's chief executive was arrested for allegedly conspiring to interfere in a police investigation into corruption at the oil company. Andre Esteves has denied any wrongdoing and was released in December after spending a month in jail. BTG Pactual declined to comment.

Alexandre Yamashiro, an analyst at Fitch, the rating agency, said: "Whether warranted or not, investors decided to reduce their exposure to BTG Pactual as there are concerns [about the] implications for the group [from the Petrobras] investigation."

Norges Bank Investment Management, which oversees the oil fund, would not specify the size of individual external investment mandates but it had 297 billion Norwegian krone ($35 billion) invested with external managers at the end of 2015. This included three fixed income managers: Ashmore and Franklin Templeton, which have been in place since 2014; and Investec Asset Management, which was added last year.


Three men wounded in Friday night shooting near Hitt Street

Three people were wounded Friday night in a downtown shooting near Hitt and Locust streets, the Columbia Police Department reported.
March 10, 2016 - Tamika Walker (second from right) poses with her daughters (from left) Tamia, 17, Camryn, 8, and Camylle, 1, in their home in the Wolf River Bluffs neighborhood near the intersection of North McLean Blvd. and James Rd. (Brandon Dill/Special to The Commercial Appeal)

SHARE Ron Cooper, president, NAREB Thomas Byrd, president, Memphis NAREB chapter

By Thomas Bailey Jr. of The Commercial Appeal

Tamika Walker was paying $800 a month to rent a Northaven house, and grew tired of it.

Paying rent and just seeing (the money) disappear, the 37-year-old IRS employee recalled.  I wasnt going to have anything to call my own; Im paying this mortgage in rent. I decided I wanted to buy a house.

After 10 years of discipline to clear up $25,000 in credit card and car-loan debts as well as a credit history that included bankruptcy, Tamika and her husband Clarence Walker bought a house.

They paid $129,900 in July 2014 for a new home in the Wolf River Bluffs subdivision near McLean and James Road.

For the same amount they had been paying in rent, Tamika said, I can pay my mortgage and my utilities.

Now, those monthly checks steadily build the Walkers ownership interest in the house as well as their long-term wealth.

Rebuilding Black Wealth Through Home Owneship happened to be the name of a regional conference Downtown last week.

Not by chance did a national association of black real estate brokers choose Memphis for its Southeast conference.

The Great Recessions foreclosures ravaged Memphiss moderate- and low-income neighborhoods. Street after street of houses that had been owned by the families they sheltered turned into rental rows.

In Memphis, where the population is 63 percent black, the financial crisis caused a Diaspora of sorts, routing thousands of families from the mortgages that would have built family wealth.

We lost thousands of homes in the recession I mean tens of thousands, not thousands, said Tim Bolding, executive director of the nonprofit United Housing. The agency, which works to increase home ownership, developed Wolf River Bluffs.

In 2007, about 20 percent of single family homes in Memphis were rentals, Bolding said. Today, as much as 40 percent of houses in Memphis are rental compared to 11 percent nationwide, he said.

Enter the National Association of Real Estate Brokers. You cant tell by its name, but the historically black organization was founded 69 years ago to promote equal access to housing.

The organization has launched a five-year campaign to increase by 2 million the number of African-Americans who own homes nationwide.

Part of the effort is an educational campaign to prepare renters for buying houses, and to reduce fear and uncertainty about the process. But the brokers association also is addressing barriers it sees at the other end, with lending.

Using the analytical LendingPatterns software of Compliance Technologies to probe the home mortgage data lenders are required to report, the brokers association has found that in Memphis:

 White applicants for home loans succeed in getting a mortgage at a rate 1.72 times more than black applicants. Compliance Technologies labels it the origination disparity index;

 And black applicants are denied a loan at a rate 2.56 times greater than whites. The company calls it the denial disparity index.

In 2014, lenders received 8,646 home-loan applications from whites in Memphis. Of those, 5,215 or 65.5 percent were successfully completed. But of the 7,000 loan applications received by black Memphians, 2,526 or 38 percent were approved by lenders.

The main thing is that black home ownership does matter, said association president Ron Cooper, a Los Angeles real estate broker.

Black Americans have the lowest home ownership rate of any ethnic group at 41.9 percent, according to a Census report issued in January. Thats down from 49.1 percent in 2004, before the financial crisis. Home-ownership rates for non-Hispanic whites is 74 percent.

We lost quite a bit of equity wealth. We need to rebuild it, Cooper said of African-Americans. The message is that the pursuit of home ownership of black Americans is still a noble pursuit. The American dream is within our reach; we just got to reach for it.

The foreclosure rate for black Memphians was seven times greater than whites, said Mark Alston, public affairs chairman for the brokers association.

Equity was stripped. And now you have an extreme level. You also have declining income and population since 2005 as well as a very high unemployment rate in the black community, Alston said.

The national organization chose Memphis as one of four regional sites for the winter conferences in part because the 106-member Memphis chapter is among the largest and fastest growing in the U.S., Cooper said.

Memphis is also ripe with opportunity because the citys home prices remain affordable, he said.

The brokers last month held their first midwinter conference in Oakland, California, where skyrocketing home values are preventing renters with modest incomes from buying.

Theres a high rate of gentrification going on in the city of Oakland, Cooper said. A 1,200-square-foot house is going for a half a million dollars. Its really kind of pricing us out.

The biggest barriers to home ownership in Memphis are the debt and credit problems of so many families.

We go through a lot of clients before we can get one thats qualified to move on into home ownership, said First Tennessee Banks Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) officer, Keith Turbett. Unfortunately, we may go through 25 to get two that are ready to go.

First Tennessee partners with the nonprofit Operation Hope to provide free financial literacy workshops in Memphis. The bank also offers its Hope Inside program, basing two financial counselors at branches to offer free, one-on-one financial counseling whether the recipients are customers or not.

African Americans are denied (loans) almost twice as much as whites, Turbett said. Weve seen average (credit) scores of almost 53 points less for African Americans than for whites. So we recognize we have a credit problem.

Generally, credit scores range from 300 to 850. We feel the 700s is an average, good credit score to shoot for that usually gets you in any loan, Turbett said.

A recent First Tennessee quarterly report states that Hope Inside counselors saw more than 1,000 people, and 86 percent were African Americans. The average credit score was 581 when they first came in,'' Turbett said. "Were trying to move them up to the 700s. One program is called 700 Credit Score Community.

Meanwhile, investors, including a lot of out of town landlords, continue pick and choose houses that were once owned and occupied by black families, said Thomas Byrd, a broker with ERA Legacy Realty and president of the Memphis Chapter of the National Association of Real Estate Brokers.

I think thats been a major cause for declines in schools and communities: No home-ownership pride in a lot of our inner-city, Byrd said.

A lot of our communities are just rental. Thats the big thing now. If we teach them to become homeowners and save and give them a plan and give them a road map to be a homeowner, its the key to wealth-building, Byrd said.

For the average person, buying a home is the first step to increasing wealth, said Regina Hubbard. Shes a broker with Fast Track Realty and was the 2013 president of the Memphis Area Association of Realtors.

If you were not born into it, then home ownership is the first step to get there, she said. Renting will help the landlord get there, but it wont help you.

Thats how former renter Tamika Walker eventually saw things.

I was trying to become a more responsible adult, the 37-year-old said. She felt she was missing out on something as a renter.

When they say (home ownership) was the American dream, it was just a dream, Walker said.

But Walker sacrificed for years to make ownership become reality.

It was something I wanted, that some people in my family didnt get to experience, she said.

It was important to me.
Memphis businessman convicted in Capitol riot sentenced to four years

Matthew Bledsoe was convicted in July of one felony and four misdemeanors, including obstruction of an official proceeding and violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds.
SHARE The American Conservative Union rated Tennessee the most conservative state recently. But what do those ratings mean? (Photo by Michael Collins)

By Michael Collins of The Commercial Appeal

WASHINGTON  The Tennessee General Assembly is the most conservative state legislature in the country. Or is it No. 4?

Tennessee is the nation's 12th most conservative state. Or is it No. 19?

Exactly how high Tennessee rates on the "most conservative" scale depends largely on who is doing the ranking and how they go about keeping score.

"If you're in the state legislature or the U.S. Congress, there are many different groups who rank your votes," said Kent Syler, a political scientist at Middle Tennessee State University. And, "the scoring can be very subjective."

Tennessee Republicans earned bragging rights last week when the American Conservative Union put the General Assembly at the top of its list of most conservative state legislatures. The group presented the award to two lawmakers  state Sen. Brian Kelsey of Germantown and state Rep. Timothy Hill of Blountville  during its annual Conservative Political Action Conference just outside of Washington.

Coming in just behind Tennessee in the conservative rankings were state legislatures in Idaho, Alaska, Arkansas and North Carolina.

Tennessee failed to grab the top stop in a different rating system by Boris Shor, a visiting government professor at Georgetown University in Washington. On his most recent scorecard, Shor listed the Tennessee legislature as the nation's fourth most conservative.

So how did the two scoring systems come up with different scores?

Methodology.

The American Conservative Union made its ranking by looking at how state lawmakers voted last year on 13 bills in the state Senate and 12 in the state House. The group reviewed voting records on topics such as federal education funding, school choice, Common Core, abortion clinic regulations, a firearms carry rule, the federal Environmental Protection Agency's new power plant rules and traffic camera restrictions.

"We try to select votes that have a clear line between the conservative position and the non-conservative position," said Ian Walters, the group's spokesman.

The Tennessee Senate scored an 83 out of 100 on the conservative meter, while the House score was 78. Combined, the state's average score was 81  the highest in the nation.

Shor's rankings looked at voting patterns from a year earlier. His scorecard also was much more broad-based. It took into account every vote made by lawmakers in the state House and the state Senate during 2014.

While there's no question the Tennessee legislature is conservative, he concluded, it ranked only fourth nationwide, right behind Oklahoma, Arkansas and Idaho.

Others have tried to measure the conservative bona fides of the entire state  not just the legislature. They, too, have come up with different results.

Gallup named Tennessee the nation's 12th most conservative state in 2015. But Tennessee barely cracked the top 20 when The Hill, a Washington-based newspaper that specializes in government coverage, published its own rankings a few months earlier. In that survey, Tennessee came in at No. 19.

Such rankings probably are meaningless for most people, Syler said, but are important for the organizations that do them and for the officeholders who often cite them as proof of their own political ideology.

When ranking the most conservative or liberal lawmakers or states, special interest groups usually look at a handful of votes that reflect their own self-interests or ideology. Sometimes, they even make it clear to lawmakers that an upcoming vote on a piece of legislation will be a "scored vote"  essentially putting lawmakers on notice that they are watching.

Put simply, grading lawmakers on how they vote is a form of lobbying, Syler said.

"It's a way special interest groups can put pressure on legislators to vote the way they want them to," said Syler, who got an insider's view of Washington as the longtime chief of staff for then-U.S. Rep. Bart Gordon, a Murfreesboro Democrat.

For Tennessee Republicans, getting a high conservative score from an organization like the American Conservative Union allows lawmakers to boast that they've gotten the group's stamp of approval. That can be important come election time, especially when an incumbent is trying to scare off potential challengers during a primary or fight back against charges they aren't a true conservative.

"In a state that is as red as Tennessee is right now, where legislators aren't worried about a general election, this has a real benefit to them in the Republican primary," Syler said.
March 11, 2016 - Evan Craft, center, laughs while practicing with Collierville High School's Knowledge Bowl team after school. Craft captains the school's Knowledge Bowl team and leads the school's international club. Recently Craft received a full ride to Vanderbilt University.

(Brad Vest/The Commercial Appeal)

SHARE Collierville High School

By Daniel Connolly of The Commercial Appeal

Evan Craft carries a full load of advanced courses at Collierville High School, captains the Knowledge Bowl team and leads the school's international club.

In January, the 18-year-old added another responsibility  serving as the first-ever student liaison to Collierville's recently formed school board.

He's a nonvoting member and attends school board meetings, sitting at a table reserved for staff. The senior said the experience has made him realize how adults dedicate their lives to run a school system. "It's great to see people put so much time in for you," said Craft, who is thin, wears glasses and smiles often.

Russell Dyer, the school system's chief of staff, said board Chairman Mark Hansen and Superintendent John Aitken wanted to involve students in the system's leadership. Craft was one of about 10 students who submitted applications to become student liaison and the high school faculty selected him. His fans at the school include economics teacher Carla Plunkett, who said he's a natural leader with a good sense of humor who last year provided a crucial tournament-winning answer at a Knowledge Bowl contest. "He was so excited that he jumped up and ran out of the room," Plunkett said.

So far, Craft hasn't done anything quite that dramatic at the school board meetings. Instead, he's mostly stayed quiet. Dyer said the board may hear from him soon, adding the student liaison position is new and the board is still defining the role. Craft anticipates he'll weigh in when the school board discusses technology  Collierville is considering buying an iPad or similar device for all students in certain grade levels.

Craft's term on the school board ends in May. His successor will serve a full academic year.

Collierville isn't the only local school system that seeks student input. Shelby County Schools holds a student congress and creates opportunities over the course of the year for individual students and student groups to interact with the superintendent and leadership team, said spokesman Shawn Pachucki.

Some other school systems in Tennessee have formal student liaisons to school boards, including Hamilton County, which includes Chattanooga. In Minneapolis, the first student liaison joined the board last year. School boards in cities such as Chicago and Los Angeles likewise have student reps.

The liaisons often play a symbolic role, according to journalists who responded to a question posted on an email list maintained by the Education Writers Association. But in Knoxville, student representatives pushed for the school board to train teachers and other staffers in dealing with students from a wide range of racial, economic and religious backgrounds. The action by student representatives prompted a board member to formally propose the measure, though the board rejected it last month.

Evan's parents, Milton Craft Jr. and Synolve Craft, say they taught Evan and his older sister to value education by continuing to study themselves. Both parents graduated from college, went back for graduate study and are currently seeking master's degrees in divinity and church planning.

Evan was recently offered a full-tuition scholarship to Vanderbilt University, and he might receive additional financial aid. Evan scored a 33 out of 36 on the ACT, an exam used to measure college readiness. That puts him in the top 1 percent of all test-takers across America.

Craft laughingly says people regularly asks what he plans to study in college. "I could be honest, I actually have no idea," he said, pushing up his glasses.

He's leaning toward teaching, though, because he appreciates people like his calculus instructor this year, Ivonne Bentley, who he said helped him gain confidence in math and make high marks. "Think about me. What if I didn't have that one teacher who told me that I can do it? Would I have gotten the scholarship? I don't know." He'd like to offer similar help to other people one day.

Between now and the time he starts his college and career path, though, he still has some school board meetings left.
Charles Rex Arbogast/Associated Press Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas has done better than Ohio Gov. John Kasich or Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida, but none has emerged as strong enough to stop Donald Trump. This week may be their last chance to deny him the nomination.

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By Dan Balz, Washington Post

The Republican presidential campaign has entered what could be the most critical week of the primary season, with the party elites almost out of time to deny the GOP nomination to New York billionaire Donald Trump short of a potentially bloody fight at the national convention in July.

Trump's easy victories in Michigan and Mississippi demonstrated appeal from the Deep South to the industrial Midwest that continued his impressive winning string and added to his lead in delegates. While not unexpected, his margins  especially in Michigan  were bigger than his rivals had hoped they would be.

So far his opponents have won only scattered victories by comparison but nothing that amounts to critical mass in the stop-Trump movement. Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas has done better than Ohio Gov. John Kasich or Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida, but none has yet emerged as strong enough alone to stop him, though Cruz may be best positioned to fill that role.

After last Tuesday, the stop-Trump movement's short-term strategy rests on two candidates and two states: Kasich in Ohio and Rubio in Florida. But there are no sure things ahead.

Kasich has yet to win a contest and was looking for a clear and strong finish in Michigan to give him a boost. Instead he finished well behind Trump in Michigan and was in a fight with Cruz for second.

Meanwhile, last week continued Rubio's sudden and rapid descent. A few weeks ago, he was the establishment favorite, the man seen as best positioned to challenge Trump through the spring. Today he is a battered candidate.

In Michigan, Rubio was scratching to reach double digits in the popular vote. That was impressive, compared with his showing in Mississippi, where he was mired in single digits, along with Kasich. In that state, as Trump romped, Cruz lapped the other two and finished second.

It's not out of the question that Kasich and Rubio could win their home states this week, but after what happened Tuesday, they will face heavy competition, and not just from Trump. Cruz also sees vulnerabilities in his rivals and will seek to exploit them.

All of this comes despite signs that Trump, who has dominated the Republican race and defined the 2016 cycle for months with his bombastic rhetoric and unorthodox campaign style, has begun to show weakness and limits. As opposition to his candidacy has mounted inside the Republican Party, the lines have hardened around his candidacy, pro and con.

In national polls, his margin is narrower than it once was. Nearly half of all Republicans say they would not be satisfied if he becomes the nominee, according to the latest Washington Post-ABC News poll. His favorability rating among Republicans, while still net positive, has declined over the past few months. And in one-on-one tests against Cruz and Rubio, he loses, according to the same poll.

Had this begun to happen two months ago, Trump might be more vulnerable than he looks today  or so some Republicans would like to think. But that is open to question.

The party elites unloaded on Trump over the past week, led by 2012 nominee Mitt Romney, who portrayed Trump as unfit to be president and a lousy businessman. Wealthy donors offered up millions of dollars to anti-Trump super PACs for attack ads.

None of it seemed to have much effect, although the focus of these efforts is targeted more on this week's results.

Up to now, according to the Republican rules, most states so far have awarded delegates on a proportional basis. But that begins to change this week in a way designed to help a front-runner and hinder those behind.

Starting this week, many states will award delegates on a winner-take-all basis. Trump doesn't have to win half the vote to get all the delegates in upcoming states; he can do so with the kind of percentages he has rolled up so far.

Trump still remains far short of the 1,237 delegates needed to win the nomination. Losses in Ohio and Florida would block him from 165 delegates. But winning either or both would cripple efforts to prevent him from becoming the nominee.

The possibility of a convention fight still looms. More than 1,000 delegates have been awarded.

After Tuesday, that jumps to almost 1,500 of 2,472 total. Trump still could be denied a first-ballot victory, but which rival would be close enough to claim the right to be the alternative?

Rubio needs a stunning turnaround, beginning in Florida and then elsewhere. Kasich could win Ohio. If he were to do that, other Midwestern states could be fertile territory, but after what happened last Tuesday in Michigan, he could not count on them.

Cruz and his advisers long have believed that a head-to-head race would favor him over Trump. But a look at the calendar after this week raises questions about his path. So far, other than his victory in Texas, he has had trouble demonstrating that he has support that is significantly broader than his evangelical base.

Right now, Cruz has done less well overall than former Pennsylvania senator Rick Santorum, who had a similar base of support, did in 2012. Both won the Iowa caucuses. Santorum went on to win 10 more states. Of the seven that have voted already this year, Cruz has won two, Rubio one and Trump four.

Cruz can win caucus states and some smaller contests. His real test will come in Wisconsin, New York, Connecticut, New Jersey and California.

Trump is still an unusual front-runner  polarizing in his own party and with vulnerabilities that become more apparent week by week. Were he to falter this week or after that, the anti-Trump forces will be emboldened to continue their attacks. Their hope remains to keep him short of a majority and then upend him in Cleveland in July. But Trump remains in control of the race.
A Chinese military band conductor leads the band at the opening session of the annual National People's Congress in Beijing's Great Hall of the People. China's rise as a global power reduces the supremacy of the United States. Ng Han Guan Associated Press

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By Noah Smith, Bloomberg View

American decline is a popular narrative these days. It's a central feature of Donald Trump's presidential campaign  you can't "make America great again" unless America isn't-so-great right now.

Although Trump often seems disconnected from reality, on this issue he has a point. America is in decline. Fortunately, the slide isn't severe, and there's probably time to arrest its progres.

Saying a nation is in decline can mean several things. Historically, it meant a fall in living standards and economic development. When the Roman Empire declined, the population shrank, roads crumbled and the empire's ships disappeared from the ocean. Eventually the European continent fell back into poverty and violence among regional and city-state powers. The same happened to China after the Han Dynasty and Qing Dynasty fell.

Nothing of the kind threatens the U.S. today. Yet the economic well-being of the average American, defined as median household income, has fallen since the turn of the century.

That's bad news, obviously, though much of that is due to shrinking household size and an influx of low-skilled immigrants. When you adjust for those factors, median income is probably little changed. And during that time, technological advances have made life more enjoyable and leisure more rewarding. We have smartphones and social media. Our houses are much larger, and most of us are living longer.

So the true standard of living in the U.S. is still going up, just at a very slow rate. But there are other senses in which a nation can decline. For example, it can slip in power, wealth and prestige relative to other countries. In this sense, the U.S. has clearly declined.

The U.S.'s main rivals in the past  Europe, Japan and Russia  are weaker than they used to be. But this isn't a good thing. With the exception of Russia, those other democracies are our main allies in the world. It's pretty bad to feel proud of your health because your friends got sick.

Our main competitor, in military and diplomatic terms, is China, which has gone from being a small fraction of the U.S. economy a few decades ago to the biggest economy on the planet. Though its gross domestic product is still less than the U.S.'s when measured at market exchange rates, in terms of purchasing power parity, which takes local prices into account, it is now the biggest, and the gap is widening. China's takeoff represents a dramatic shift of global power. With its economic rise will come military and diplomatic influence, reducing U.S. supremacy even more.

There is a third path of decline  stagnation. In this sense, the U.S. is also in decline, and has been since about 2000.

After 2000, the rate of formation of high-growth startups fell a lot; the U.S. economy became less dynamic. Around halfway through that decade, total factor productivity growth  the ultimate driver of improvements in living standards  also decelerated substantially from its earlier growth rate. It was about 2000 that U.S. incomes flatlined as well.

Economists argue a lot about the reasons for these negative trends; there is no consensus so far. But it's clear by now that the turn of the century was also a turning point for the U.S. If "decline" means stagnation, then the U.S. has been in decline for roughly 15 years.

So Trump's narrative of decline, echoed by many other presidential candidates, is real. So far, the decline isn't too serious. Living standards haven't begun to fall outright, and other indicators of social well-being, such as crime, have declined (though other indicators, such as suicide, have risen). It isn't yet time for panic, but the U.S. should be looking at ways to arrest its decline.

What can be done to make America great again? Trump's mix of grandstanding, self-promotion, media provocation and unworkable policy plans is highly unlikely to have any positive effect. Instead, more serious leaders need to think about serious policies.

One of the simplest steps would be more high-skilled immigration. Switching to a Canada-style points-based immigration system, increasing the total number of immigrants, and giving out green cards instead of H-1B visas would do a lot to boost the skills of the U.S. workforce. It would also increase the population, while encouraging domestic investment to serve an expanding U.S. market. More population would boost total GDP, which would mitigate the U.S. size disadvantage relative to China.

Other changes could include reforming the financial system; promoting more investment; spending more on education, research and infrastructure; improving regulation and the tax code; and remaking urban policy to allow higher density, more transit and better public services. The U.S. may not be able to reverse its decline, but there are steps that can halt it before it gets worse.

Noah Smith is an assistant professor of finance at Stony Brook University.
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A fight that began in 2010 against forced annexation by Chattanooga has over time morphed into a proposed state law that would let residents de-annex themselves from six cities, including Memphis.

The bill, if it becomes law, could be as devastating to Memphis as the "tiny towns" legislative fiasco in the late 1990s that briefly allowed tiny new towns to incorporate to ward off annexation by nearby bigger cities before the Tennessee Supreme Court struck it down.

Like the "tiny towns" bill, this is bad legislation designed to placate residents who still resent being annexed. But like the sponsors of the "tiny towns" law, the sponsors of this bill  Chattanooga-area Republicans Rep. Mike Carter of Ooltewah and Sen. Bo Watson of Chattanooga  ignore the devastating harm it could have on the impacted cities  Memphis, Chattanooga, Knoxville, Johnson City, Kingsport and tiny Cornersville, population 1,999, in south-central Tennessee.

With the city facing an estimated loss of nearly $80 million in tax revenue, Mayor Jim Strickland Thursday called for lawmakers to drop the bill and highlighted the grim consequences that included higher taxes and forced city-county consolidation.

The de-annexation bill would allow 10 percent of the registered voters of a territory annexed since May 1, 1998, or whose annexation "became operative" after that date, to petition for a de-annexation referendum. The de-annexation would occur if approved by a majority of the area's voters in a referendum. The bill, House Bill 779, failed on the last day of the 2015 legislative session, but its supporters vowed to return with it this year.

In Memphis, the bill applies to 10 neighborhoods, including Hickory Hill, the south part of Cordova, and the Southwind-Windyke area.

If all 10 areas de-annexed, city Chief Financial Officer Brian Collins said the ensuing crisis would cause Memphis to lose up to $63.8 million in property taxes and between $15 million and $30 million in sales taxes. Together, that's roughly 12 percent of the city's $650 million operating budget.

Collins added that de-annexing all of the eligible areas would remove 111,228 citizens from the city's population, giving the statistical impression that Memphis is dramatically losing population and potentially scaring away economic development.

That is not fearmongering.

And, in a city struggling to find enough revenue, without raising property taxes, to meet its debt obligations, pay for basic services and hire more police officers, Strickland's concern definitely is not fearmongering.

We get it that a lot of residents in unincorporated areas see annexation by any city, big or small, as an anathema, as do the lawmakers who have sided with them.

The result was a moratorium on annexations and a 2014 law that requires a referendum in which people who live within the proposed annexation area vote in favor of joining a city. Lawmakers saluted the bill as victory for the rights of property owners.

But the de-annexation legislation goes a step too far. And it poses a significant fairness issue since it only applies to certain cities.

Granted, city officials and urban planners have said the part of the city's spending problems are the result of services having to be spread over a massive land area, with the tax base further diluted by population loss. De-annexation supporters said the bill could save the city money by reducing the cost of delivering services to the de-annexed areas. City officials dispute that argument.

Strickland is scheduled to meet with legislators Wednesday in Nashville to discuss the bill. We hope he makes them realize how harmful the legislation could be.
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.
Pianist Elisabeth Leonskaja chose the title intuitive pilgrimage to describe her 70th anniversary box-set. It consists of a 28cm x 28cm book with 48 pages of text (in English and German), private photographs, four CDs with her recordings of Franz Schuberts late piano sonatas and a DVD with her 1993 Duo Recital with Sviatoslav Richter in Moscow (find the box set at Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.de and Amazon.fr; Franz Schubert sheet music).

In the book, the artist tells us the story of her life, explains her connection with Franz Schubert and gives us firsthand information about Sviatoslav Richter.

The early life of Elisabeth Leonskaja

Elisabeth Leonskaja (Lisotchka aka Lisa) was born on November 23, 1945 in Tbilisi, the capital of what was then the Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic. Both her parents had moved there from Odessa (Ukraine), which had been occupied by German and Romanian forces from 1941 until 1944. In the first months of occupation alone some 280,000 people, many of them Jews, were deported and/or assassinated.

Lisas Jewish mother, Raissa Leonskaja (1902-1975), born Rebekka Alter in Chisinau, Moldova, was forced to flee to Georgia, leaving behind little more than a house buried in ashes and carrying all her papers and personal belongings. Her father, Ilija (1892-1969), half Russian and half Polish, also fled from the anti-Semitic crusade. His first wife died in a concentration camp, but their daughter, Luda Leonskaja (1928-2014) survived the camp and was able to return to her father.

Fate brought Lisas parents together in Tbilisi, were they married and had a daughter who would become one of the worlds leading pianists. Lisa was a late baby. Her mother was 43, her father 53 when she was born.

Lisas father was a lawyer with no musical training but who had sung in a choir as a child. Her mother Raissa had studied piano and singing, but had been forced to give up her studies when she was 18 because her parents had died and she had to support herself.

Lisa was luckier. When she was six and a half, her parents were able to buy her her first upright piano. At 7, she passed the entrance to one of Tbilisis sixty music schools. At 11, she gave her orchestral debut with Beethovens Concerto No. 3 (Beethoven sheet music), at 13 her first solo recital. At 14, she began an intense four-year period of study at the secondary school with a new piano teacher from Kiev, influenced by the Russian school of piano.

In 1964, Elisabeth Leonskaja won the Enesco International Piano Competition in Bucharest. The judges included the famous composer and conductor Aram Khachaturian and the eminent pianist Arthur Rubinstein. Before the competition, she had played for Jacob Milstein, piano professor at the outstanding Tchaikovsky Conservatory in Moscow. On her way back from Bucharest to Tbilisi, she visited him in the Soviet capital to thank him for his help in the lead-up to the competition and asked him for a place in his class. On her way out, she bumped into the head of the piano department who told her: You dont need to pass any exams. Just bring your papers.

At 18, Elisabeth Leonskaja moved to Moscow. Jacob Milstein became a highly significant figure in her artistic development. For (many) more details about her life, check the book recommended on this page.



Elisabeth Leonskaja. Photo copyright  Marco Borggreve.

Elisabeth Leonskaja and Franz Schubert

Here just a few more remarks based on Elisabeth Leonskaja: Franz Schubert late piano sonatas:

Elisabeth Leonskaja explains that the Russian school of piano differs from others mostly for its repertoire, for its absolute virtuosity and a manual and mental freedom.

Regarding Franz Schubert, she said that his music has a depth that is expressed with lightness. The Largo e Mesto from Opus 10 No. 3, for instance, has a special emotion: sentiment without sentimentality.

According to the pianist, Schuberts Sonata in A-flat major D 557 sounds like a work by Joseph Haydn. Mozart also comes to ones mind. She explains that, from the first sonatas onwards, Schubert developed the harmony little by little. The emotion is mirrored in the harmony and vice versa. He is a child of the romantic period. His search for a new modes of expression and the expansion of the harmonic language led to a magnification of his works.

For Elisabeth Leonskaja, Franz Schuberts Sonata in A minor D 784 is like a Sphinx. The tension, the scarcity of the musical material and the frightening power are astounding and apocalyptic. And what he achieves in the finale is unparalleled.

Regarding Franz Schuberts Sonata in A minor D 845, she says that the first movement is a work by a great master. The second variations movement is the work of a genius. In that Sonata, she considers Schuberts art of composition to be on the same level as Beethovens.

Elisabeth Leonskaja has lived and worked many years in Vienna, where Franz Schubert had lived, composed and died at 31. This has helped her understand his music better, achieve clarity about many things. However, in the end, she can still only hope to reflect his intentions, his thoughts and feelings.

For Elisabeth Leonskaja, Franz Schuberts late piano sonatas are easier to understand than his early ones. Probably, because the early one are more structural and, therefore, more complicated. It is more difficult to grasp the composers central idea. mainly because in some of the early sonatas he was not yet THE Schubert. He found his compositional language over the years.

The pianist describes the composers Viennese melancholia as something very different from Schumanns real sadness. In general Franz Schuberts music opens the doors to spheres that otherwise could not be reached.

This and much more, including a chapter by Elisabeth Leonskaja about Sviatoslav Richter and another one by her about their 1993 Duo Recital in Moscow, can be found in this fabulous book.

This article is based on the book of the very recommendable box set:Elisabeth Leonskaja: Franz Schubert late piano sonatas. 48-page 28cm x 28cm book, 4 CDs with Leonskaja playing Franz Schuberts late piano sonatas as well as 1 DVD with Elisabeth Leonskaja and Sviatoslav Richter in a Duo Recital in Moscow in 1993. Order the box set from Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.de and Amazon.fr. Find sheet music by Franz Schubert.



Elisabeth Leonskaja: Franz Schubert late piano sonatas. 48-page 28cm x 28cm book, 4 CDs with Leonskaja playing the late piano sonatas as well as 1 DVD with Elisabeth Leonskaja and Sviatoslav Richter in a Duo Recital in Moscow in 1993. Order the box set from Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.de and Amazon.fr. Find sheet music by Franz Schubert.



Elisabeth Leonskaja: Franz Schubert late piano sonatas. 48-page 28cm x 28cm booklet, 4 CDs with Leonskaja playing the late piano sonatas as well as 1 DVD with Elisabeth Leonskaja and Sviatoslav Richter in a Duo Recital in Moscow in 1993. eaSonus, 2016. Order the box set from Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.de and Amazon.fr. Order sheet music by Franz Schubert.



Elisabeth Leonskaja: Paris. With music by Maurice Ravel (Valses nobles et sentimentales), George Enescu (Sonate op. 24, no. 1) and Claude Debussy (Preludes pour piano). eaSonus, October 2013. Order the CD from Amazon.com, Amazon.de, Amazon.co.uk. Find sheet music by Maurice Ravel, George Enescu and Claude Debussy.



Elisabeth Leonskaja. Photo copyright  Julia Weseley.
Donald Trumps Rhetoric Horrifies American Muslims

By Abdus Sattar Ghazali

13 March, 2016

Countercurrents.org

Seven-million strong American Muslim community is alarmed at the mounting anti-Islam and anti-Muslim rhetoric by Republican Presidential hopefuls, particularly leading GOP candidate Donald Trump. An unprecedented wave of Islamophobia is now sweeping the United States as the Republican Party has become the epicenter of Islamophobia this election season.

In recent months, GOP presidential candidates vying for the nomination have repeatedly used anti-Muslim and anti-Islam rhetoric to seek support of their voters. Senator Marco Rubio has advocated for shutting down mosques while Ben Carson insists that a practicing Muslim should not be president. Frontrunner Donald Trump, who in December 2015 proposed a ban on all Muslim immigration into the United States, declared Wednesday that Islam hates America.

In an interview with CNNs Anderson Cooper Trump claimed that the war was against radical Islam, but said, "it's very hard to define. It's very hard to separate.

On Thursday, asked during the Republican debate if he meant that all 1.6 billion Muslims worldwide hate the United States, Trump replied, "I mean a lot of them. I mean a lot of them. There's tremendous hatred, and I will stick with exactly what I said."

Not surprisingly, Donald Trump lauds historic myth about shooting Muslims with pig's blood-dipped bullets. On February 19, 2016, while addressing a rally in North Charleston, South Carolina, Trump lauded U.S. General John Pershing who supposedly executed dozens of Muslims held prisoner in the Philippines with pigs blood-dipped bullet. According to the New York Daily News, Trump said He took 50 bullets and he dipped them in pigs blood. And he had his men load his rifles and he lined up the 50 people, and they shot 49 of those people. And the 50th person, he said, You go back to your people and you tell them what happened. And for 25 years there wasnt a problem. The New York Daily News pointed out that the yarn that Trump rehashed on the eve of the South Carolina primary stems from a hoax spread via email, according to rumor tracker Snopes.com. Theres no evidence it occurred. But the blowhard billionaire seemed to find fresh inspiration in the story.

Trump rhetoric boon for white supremacists

According to experts at the Anti-Defamation League and the Southern Poverty Law Center who monitor hate groups and anti-Muslim sentiment, Trumps call to halt the entrance of Muslims to the United States is driving online chatter among white supremacists and is likely to inspire violence against Muslims.

When well-known public figures make these kind of statements in the public square, they are taken as a permission-giving by criminal elements who go out and act on their words. said Mark Potok of the SPLC.

Marilyn Mayo, co-director of the ADLs Center on Extremism, said: Since the beginning of Donald Trumps candidacy, weve definitely seen that a segment of the white supremacist movement, from racist intellectuals to neo-Nazis have been energized.

The Ku Klux Klan is using Donald Trump as a talking point in its outreach efforts. Stormfront, the most prominent American white supremacist website, is upgrading its servers in part to cope with a Trump traffic spike.

Majority of Republicans approve Donald Trumps Anti-Muslim rhetoric



Alarmingly, Republicans are mostly okay with Donald Trumps anti-Islam and anti-Muslim rhetoric. According to Huffington Post, throughout this primary campaign, polls have shown over and over that many Republicans agree with Trumps extremist rhetoric.

Many of the exit polls in states that have already held primaries have asked Republicans whether they support a temporary ban on Muslims entering the U.S. These voters overwhelmingly support the ban -- over two-thirds of Republican voters in most states are in favor of temporarily banning Muslims, as are over three-quarters of voters in many deep South states.

A Pew Research poll from December shows large-scale agreement among Republicans that Islam is dangerous in general. In that poll, 68 percent of Republicans agreed that Islam is more likely than other religions to encourage violence among its believers, compared to only 45 percent of independents and 30 percent of Democrats. Sixty-five percent of Republicans said they are very concerned about the rise of Islamic extremism in the U.S., while 49 percent of independents and 38 percent of Democrats said the same.

Perhaps the most advantageous statistic for Trump in the Pew poll is that nearly half of Republicans think Muslims should be subjected to more scrutiny than members of other faiths. Thats even higher among conservative Republicans -- 57 percent of that group says Muslims should face religion-based scrutiny. Only 31 percent of independents and 20 percent of Democrats agree.

Donald Trumps bigotry inspires U.S. Muslim voters

With Trump leading the Republican race, American Muslim groups have launched voter registration drives in a push to ensure that the Islamophobic rhetoric of the election campaign is rejected at the polls.

Anti-Muslim rhetoric is motivating Muslim Americans across the country to engage in the political process like never before, Minnesota Rep. Keith Ellison, the first Muslim elected to Congress, told Religious News Service. This is true in Minnesota, as well as in swing states like Virginia and Florida where Muslim Americans will play a critical role on Election Day.

According to data from the Council on American-Islamic Relations, almost three-quarters of Muslim voters plan to vote in state primaries this year. About a quarter of Muslim voters CAIR surveyed on Super Tuesday named Islamophobia their top concern going into the primaries.

Washington Post reports Donald Trumps bigotry has inspired U.S. Muslim voters like no candidate before. The paper wrote on February 25: This round of Islamophobia has been fueled by Donald Trumps incendiary rhetoric calling for a total ban on Muslims entering the United States  hate speech that has helped make him the front-runner for the Republican presidential nomination. But it has also been bolstered by leaders who have remained silent.

Abdus Sattar Ghazali is the Chief Editor of the Journal of America (www.journalofamerica.net) email: asghazali2011 (@) gmail.com




Why Kanhaiya Kumars Bail Order Is No Exception To The Strange Ways Of Indian Judiciary

By Radhakrishnan Puthenveetil

13 March, 2016

Youthkiawaaz.com

A news report, Why Didnt You Wash Underwears: Judges Memo to Woman Office Assistant, begins thus: In an instance that laid bare the allegedly widespread abuse of official facilities, a sub-judge in Erode issued a memo to a woman court staff seeking explanation for not washing undergarments at his residence. The report is doing rounds as hot news.

While critiquing the judges act in larger context, an editorial, The Raj Hangover Of Sarkari Sahibs, commented: This abuse of power is probably systemic. It is a reflection on the abuser, for how can a judge guilty of such flagrant malpractice be expected to deliver justice? Unfortunately, these people are the guardians of the system, so theres precious chance that they will ever feel the weight of retribution.

Another report, Justice Karnan: A Timeline of Controversies, recounts Madras High Court judge C.S. Karnans judicial shockers from November 2011 to February 2016. Of these, Karnans judgement of June 17, 2013, in Aysha vs. Ozir Hassan equated adult sex and live-in relationship with marriage. Paragraph 16 (viii) of the judgement stated, inter alia, that the marriage formalities are only to comply with each ones respective religious customs for the satisfaction of the society; if any couple, subject to their attaining the mandatory age of freedom, indulge in sexual gratification, then that would be considered as valid marriage and they could be termed as husband and wife.

The judgement came in for severe media criticism and ridicule. A Tamil daily, Dinamalar which interviewed me along with K Chandru (a former judge of the Madras High Court) and two others published our views in a write-up Is Marriage Necessary Or Not on June 23, 2013. In my position, that the judgement gave a crude and socially harmful twist to the very idea of consummation and cut at the root of the institution of marriage was highlighted. Among others, a report headlined Indian Court Rules That Any Couple Who Sleeps Together Is Considered Married, The Washington Post stated that the verdict left many Indians confused  whether the verdict was forward-looking or prudish; did it allow unmarried couples to enjoy the rights of the formally wed, or did it force them into unwanted legal obligations.

Striking a different posture, a judge of a special fast track court in Delhi stated in his judgement of October 7, 2013 in a rape case (State vs. Sushil Kumar) that girls voluntarily elope with their lovers to explore greener pastures of bodily pleasure and on return to their homes, conveniently fabricate the story of kidnap and rape in order to escape scolds and harsh treatment from the parents; that the girls are morally and socially bound not to indulge in sexual intercourse before a proper marriage and if they do so, it would be to their peril and they cannot be heard to cry later on that it was rape.

The judgement courted a lot of controversy for its outrageous and sweeping statements. Stating that the fact that the judge blurs the lines between rape and consensual sex before marriage demonstrates that he is not fit to make legal decisions about lives of sexual assault survivors, some activists had reportedly approached the registrar general of the Delhi High Court for action against the judge.

Last month Justice Karnan in a Suo Motu order stayed the CJI order of his transfer to Calcutta High Court; asked the CJI to submit a written statement on the issue by April 29; and told the media that he would direct the Chennai police to register an FIR under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act against the two judges of the Supreme Court who restrained him from undertaking any judicial work. Karnan later wrote to the CJI, that he passed an erroneous order due to his mental frustration resulting in loss of mental balance. The crucial issue to note here is, after losing mental balance how was Karnan allowed to continue working; as such judges can cause a lot of harm to litigants approaching the judiciary for justice.

Though the above gleanings are only illustrative samples of the dangerous swings of Indian judiciary, the latest to note is the order of March 2 releasing JNUSU leader Kanhaiya Kumar on interim bail by Delhi High Court judge Pratibha Rani.

Of the bail order spread over 23 pages, paragraph 4 refers to the JNU event on February 9 and the consequent arrest of Kanhaiya Kumar; paragraph 31 states that the limited controversy as on date (March 2) is whether the petitioner was actively participating in the alleged anti-national activities that day or he was present there only to intervene between rival factions of the students; what was the role played by the petitioner on that day is subject matter of investigation and it is desirable at this stage to leave it to the investigating agency to unearth the truth; paragraph 32 has reproduced Section 124-A of Indian Penal Code, on sedition: what constitutes sedition and the punishments for it; and paragraph 40 states that it is a case of raising anti-national slogans which do have the effect of threatening national integrity.

Of the remaining text of the bail order, the following paragraphs are very important to place in perspective the media debate on its bizarre nature.

Paragraph 38: Today I [the judge] find myself standing on a crossroad. The FIR in question has been registered only on 11th February, 2016. Investigation is at the initial stage. The petitioner is the President of Jawaharlal Nehru University Students Union. His presence at the spot on 9th February, 2016 has been claimed on the basis of raw video footing of that day i.e. 9th February, 2016. The petitioner at present is in judicial custody. The question is, in view of the nature of serious allegations against him, the anti-national attitude which can be gathered from the material relied upon by the State should be a ground to keep him in Jail.

Paragraph 39: As President of Jawaharlal Nehru University Students Union, the petitioner was expected to be responsible and accountable for any anti-national [emphasis added] event organised in the campus Freedom of speech guaranteed to the citizens of this country under the Constitution of India has enough room for every citizen to follow his own ideology or political affiliation within the framework of our Constitution. While dealing with the bail application of the petitioner, it has to be kept in mind by all concerned that they are enjoying this freedom only because our borders are guarded by our armed and paramilitary forces. Our forces are protecting our frontiers in the most difficult terrain in the world i.e. Siachen Glacier or Rann of Kutch.

Paragraph 47: The investigation in this case is at nascent stage. The thoughts reflected in the slogans raised by some of the students of JNU who organized and participated in that programme cannot be claimed to be protected as fundamental right to freedom of speech and expression. I consider this as a kind of infection from which such students are suffering which needs to be controlled/cured before it becomes an epidemic.

Paragraph 48: Whenever some infection is spread in a limb, effort is made to cure the same by giving antibiotics orally and if that does not work, by following second line of treatment. Sometimes it may require surgical intervention also. However, if the infection results in infecting the limb to the extent that it becomes gangrene, amputation is the only treatment.

Paragraph 49: During the period spent by the petitioner in judicial custody, he might have introspected about the events that had taken place. To enable him to remain in the mainstream, at present I am inclined to provide conservative method of treatment.

Paragraph 50: Taking into consideration the facts and circumstances, I am inclined to release the petitioner on interim bail for a period of six months.

Paragraph 52: The time is ripe that while giving some concession to the petitioner on monetary aspect for purpose of furnishing the bond, he can be required to furnish an undertaking to the effect that he will not participate actively or passively in any activity which may be termed as anti-national. Apart from that, as President of JNU Students Union, he will make all efforts within his power to control anti-national activities in the campus. His surety should also be either a member of the Faculty or a person related to the petitioner in a manner that he can exercise control on the petitioner not only with respect to appearance before the Court but also to ensure that his thoughts and energy are channelized in a constructive manner.

The nature of the bail order has flustered sections of the media, the public and senior lawyers  barring of course, the sections which support the BJP and the Sangh Parivar. In fact, some of the observations in the bail order may turn out to be grist to the anti-JNU ABVP-Sangh Parivar mill.

An editorial, Welcome Release, Strange Remarks, faulted the judge for her unusual observations strengthening the police theory that the entire JNU campus suffers from some unpatriotic and anti-national infestation that requires cleansing through pro-active policing; and for her reference to conservative method of treatment for a supposedly serious infection that would otherwise require surgery. The editorial contended that in many respects the bail order accepts the prosecutions case; it concludes that the activities at the event were anti-national, but does not say if the essential ingredients for invoking the sedition charge were present; it declares that Kumar cannot invoke the freedom of speech under Article 19(1) (a), and appears to anchor its decision to grant bail on the sole ground that he should remain in the mainstream; the courts condition that Kumar should furnish an undertaking that he would not actively or passively participate in any activity that may be termed anti-national is a vague stipulation; in a democracy, the court should seek to have a restraining influence on the executive, but should not be seen as contributing to any partisan discourse that pits radical campus politics against a narrow notion of nationalism; as the country is witnessing a disturbing trend of left-wing students, and liberal intellectuals backing their right to practise their brand of politics, being dubbed anti-national, while the Army and its admirers are placed in patriotic counter position to them, courts should not give the judicial imprimatur to the bogus binary sought to be created between seditious students and selfless soldiers; and that student activists cannot be portrayed as enemies of the families of martyred soldiers.

Another editorial, A Free Man? asked how will Kanhaiya, who went to jail despite no documentary evidence of anti-national activity, decide which of his actions could be construed as anti-national in future. The editorial stated that rather than evaluate the police investigation into the case, Kanhaiyas role in the alleged offence, and whether Kanhaiyas stay in custody was necessary any longer, the order needlessly conflates the alleged sloganeering of JNU students with the bravery of soldiers at the border; likening purported free speech violations to an infection which needs to be cured before it becomes an epidemic insults the intellectual capacity of university students to think for themselves and evolve as responsible citizens of a democratic republic; and that more worrying is a contention in the order that if the infection results in gangrene, amputation is the only treatment.

There are several other views against the bail order, of which senior lawyer Prashant Bhushans views (In Karan Thapars show To The Point) are very important to note. Highlighting the absurd nature of the order passed by the judge, Bhushan said: Nationalism or anti-nationalism is not offence under any law. Its not defined by any law. Her view to expound on nationalism or anti-nationalism was totally uncalled for. Her inputs on infection, gangrene, surgery make it more of a political speech rather than the judgement of a court. She had no business to go about saying what was happening in JNU was anti-national. These are the kinds of political speeches BJP spokespersons go on making.

The purpose of having judges in courts is to find solutions to legal and social problems; but if the judges themselves become problems, who will find the solutions? Stated differently, if law is an ass, what could be its ambience, what of its abhorrent practitioners and their victims in society?

Radhakrishnan Puthenveetil is Professor of Sociology at the Madras Institute of Development Studies, and a media commentator on public affairs.




World Culture Festival Raises Several Ethical Questions

By Dr. Vivek Kumar Srivastava

13 March, 2016

Countercurrents.org

India is strange country. The country boasts about great moral values. The leaders, spiritual leaders , self styled God men all talk lofty things. their sayings appear as oracle, springing from the divine land but when their personal interests come into fore they have different speaking and behaviuors.

The latest is Sri Sri Ravi Shankar led Art of livings World Culture Festival . Indian President Pranab Mukherjee, who was due to give valedictory address at the cultural festival, later declined. Several world leaders skipped the meet. Sad is that Indian PM inaugurated the function although he himself is very sensitive on this issue as his speech in Paris summit last year suggests .He had said that So, the choices are not easy. But, we have awareness and technology. We need now national will and a genuine global partnership. Democratic India must grow rapidly to meet the aspirations of 1.25 billion people, 300 million of whom are without access to energy. We are determined to do so, guided by our ancient belief that people and planet are inseparable; that human well being and Nature are indivisible. (and) We will succeed if we have the wisdom and courage to craft a genuinely collective partnership that balances responsibilities and capabilities with aspirations and needs. PM is correct when he says we need a collective partnership to save the world but we all collectively failed in this event, PM inaugurated the event. A bad precedent has been set.

Knowing well the stand of the people and environmentalists ; still Sri Sri Ravi Shankar went to organize the programme at the Yamuna banks; that it was not in the best of the spirit of the environmental health but he went forward, on one news channel , he was talking as he had no care of things. India expects good things from him , but this festival showed that environment protection, climate change fight; all these issues are only empty talks of our esteemed people.

NGT slapped environmental compensation of five crores but he initially stated that he would not pay but finally he paid only 25 lakhs, rest will be paid after some time. Was such relaxation ever available to a common men? A common man loses all his funds whenever any fine is imposed, and installment facilities are very hard to obtain. Slapping of environmental compensation shows that he and his programme were fundamentally incorrect and disobeyed the environmental ethics. Even NGT said that the rule of the law should be maintained. It remarked certainly, adherence to the rule of law is the duty of not only the government but citizens also. The rule of law is the very foundation of administration of justice. If the rule of law is hurt, it will affect the justice dispensation system, Art. 14 provides equality before law and equal protection by the law. It is not qualified, it is absolute but payment of the compensation was relaxed, showing that there may be certain relaxations for some privileged people.

Now the moot question is : what a common man should do? Where should it go? If we cut a single green tree we are liable for the punishment. Moreover, why the army was involved in this programme in building the bridge. We have heard that role of the army is to protect the borders, to help in calamities and on request to maintain the law and order. Here army was working; was the programme an Indian government programme? If not, then why so much activity? According to a news item published in The Hindu on March 10, 2016 that  there is widespread anger in military circles against the governments decision to deploy the Army for building two pontoon bridges for the World Cultural Festival being organised by Sri Sri Ravi Shankar's Art of Living foundation. Is it a good development?

Environmental destruction, even of the least quantity is bad. All concerned must understand that such programmes serve no purpose but only attract the media glare , just to serve the particular interests. The loss of the environment carries more importance than organizing such programmes. Such losses should be avoided. The sad point is that NGT did not take a hard step. It should have banned the programme so that even a single unit loss of the environment could have been saved. It appears that there is need to amend the NGT act 2010 so that it could be more powerful, to give the strict decisions.

All Indians value their environment. India was the first country in the world where the first environmental movement led by Amrita Devi was launched against the royalty of the Jodhpur king. Sri Sri Ravi Shankar and his Art of Living foundation MUST learn some environmental ethics from these GREAT women of the country. In this background none should be allowed to be made bigger than the environmental parameters and all should follow the basic premises of the environmental ethics. IT IS OUR FUNDAMENTAL DUTY. There is no need to be prideful for anyone as history judges all in a critical manner.

Dr. Vivek Kumar Srivastava is Assistant Professor, CSJM Kanpur University (affiliated College) and Vice Chairman CSSP, e mail-vpy1000@yahoo.co.in




Fukushima Neclear Accident: Sobering Reflections

By S.G.Vombatkere

13 March, 2011

Countercurrents.org

The tsunami-triggered accident in Fukushima (Japan) Daiichi plant's Unit 1 (operated by the Tokyo Electric Power Company, TEPCO) brings safety issues into question regarding the operation of nuclear power plants (NPPs). In the Daiichi NPP, the automatic shutting down of the reactor by stopping the controlled nuclear fission process, did occur as designed. However, the reactor did not cool down as fast as it was expected and required to do, and called for activating the emergency coolant pumps according to design. But there was no grid power due to a combination of earthquake and subsequent tsunami to operate the pumps. Also, because of flooding due to the tsunami, the dedicated standby generators could not provide power. The standby battery power (standby to the standby generator) was insufficient to operate the pumps at sufficient rate and duration, and so the (radioactive) steam generated due to overheating had to be vented to relieve the increasing pressure. This has put an unmeasured quantum of radioactive elements (radionucleides) into the atmosphere. But that too did not cool down the reactor sufficiently. It was then reported that sea water was being let into the reactor to cool it to prevent a meltdown. By this a further unmeasured amount of radioactive material would be discharged into the environment. The TEPCO website <http://www.tepco.co.jp/nu/pamp/index-j.html> claims that monitoring goes on around the clock year round but at the bottom it says in red: THIS SYSTEM IS CURRENTLY SHUTDOWN". All this detail is provided to show three things: One, that accidents in NPPs can and do occur for one or more of several reasons; Two, monitoring can fail, and even when it operates, the public is expected to unquestioningly accept the data provided by the NPP authorities as correct, due to official secrecy conditions. Thus, how much of nuclear radiation has already been discharged into the atmosphere and sea water from the Daiichi NPP and how much more will escape in the hours and days to come will never be known. Also, how much is being discharged from the other four affected NPPs is anybody's guess; Three, Unlike hydel or thermal power plants which can be shut down practically instantaneously, the nuclear fuel in NPPs requires cooling to prevent overheating even in normal conditions. Thus, NPPs always need independent power supply (from the grid or their own standby generators) in an emergency. That is, NPPs are not autonomous in respect of safety.

The Japanese nuclear engineers are making heroic efforts at immense personal risk to prevent a steam explosion (not a nuclear explosion) in the NPP. This is the point at which the design and construction standards of the concrete double containment structure of the nuclear reactor will have to withstand the explosion. This could trigger a partial or total meltdown of the reactor core, similar to what happened in USA in 1971 in the Three Mile Island NPP. (This put the US nuclear power industry into the doldrums until USA revived it by negotiating the nuclear deal with India in 2009). Japan has a reputation for good design and safety standards and good quality control and quality assurance in execution. It would be the fervent wish of every thinking person on the planet that the double containment will not fail and that the engineers will control the desperately delicate situation in the Daiichi NPP. Nobody is as yet even thinking of the costs of containing the accident and the subsequent nuclear clean-up.

But let us now cut to the nuclear situation in India. The issue of Indian design and construction quality standards stands naked when we note that the concrete containment dome of the Kaiga (Karnataka) NPP collapsed when under construction, and had to be rebuilt. It has not been revealed whether it was a failure of design or execution quality. It is not possible to obtain reliable information regarding the operation, safety standards and performance or other cost, constructional or operational aspects of any NPP because of the following reasons: One, Section 18 (Restriction on disclosure of information) and Section 24 (Offences and penalties) of the draconian Indian Atomic Energy Act 1962, do not permit anybody to even ask questions about NPPs, Two, nobody except the nuclear industry is permitted to conduct tests for radioactivity even outside the perimeter of any NPP, Three, the Environment Protection Act 1986, does not apply to NPPs, Four, the safety and monitoring agency (AERB) is not an independent agency and the public has to accept whatever health and safety information is released by the NPP or the AERB, Five, the budget of the DAE is not placed even before Parliament and the power generation and efficiency figures are not available even to the Central Electricity Authority (CEA). In short, the Indian nuclear industry is a closed door to the rest of India, and this can be at the cost of public safety and health.

Further, in the event of a nuclear accident, Government of India (GoI) has sought to cap or limit the liability of operators or suppliers of nuclear hardware and technology to assure profits to the US nuclear industry. In simpler language, this means that the real financial cost of post-accident nuclear clean-up and repair would be borne by India, as the liability of the suppliers would be limited to the cap amount, while the real costs of health and livelihood would be borne by the people.

In view of the secrecy and the poor standards of construction even in the nuclear industry, the conflicting parameters of safety, operational cost and radioactive emissions of any NPP leave the public to guess when one of India's NPPs may suffer a serious accident, and whether we will be able to handle the disaster effectively and efficiently. Indian nuclear engineers are second to none, thus the issue of safety in India's nuclear establishment is institutional. The secrecy, intransparency, unaccountability and self-certification of the nuclear industry makes one doubt whether we will be able to prevent serious emergency or handle it effectively should it happen.

This also raises questions about the advisability of going for mega NPPs such as planned in Jaitapur, Maharashtra. This is quite apart from the fact of enormous resistance to its construction from local people on the grounds of livelihood and environment. Let us hope that the Indian nuclear establishment would never need to handle a serious accident of the type of Three Mile Island or Chernobyl or Fukushima.

S.G.Vombatkere holds a PhD in civil structural dynamics from I.I.T, Madras, and has extensive structural design and project execution experience.

E-mail:sg9kere@live.com












America's Election Is The Biggest Threat To The Aristocracy

And Biggest Opportunity For U.S. Voters, Since At Least 1932

By Eric Zuesse

13 March, 2016

Countercurrents.org

The historical significance of the 2016 U.S. Presidential contest isnt yet generally recognized. Consider the evidence regarding this historical significance, in the links that will be provided here, and from which the argument here is constructed:

For the first time ever, a Republican campaign ad against Hillary Clinton is entirely truthful about her and focuses on the most important issue facing voters: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e4LKAt1t_8M.

For the first time since 1932, an American Presidential campaign presents an opportunity for the public to overthrow the aristocracy.

And, for the first time in U.S. history, a realistic possibility exists that the voters choice between the two Parties Presidential nominees might turn out to be between two enemies of the aristocracy: Bernie Sanders versus Donald Trump.

However, if it turns out instead to be between Trump v. Clinton, then what will be the aristocratic backing of each?

On Clintons side will be Wall Street  and this includes the shadow banks (the non-bank sellers of what Bill Clinton and the Republicans caused to become unregulated credit derivatives), from which Hillary Clinton is also receiving donations, and from which the Clinton Foundation is supported and overseen  along with other Clinton funders).

Clearly, this is the first Presidential contest since 1932 in which the interests of the aristocracy versus the interests of the public will be presented to the voters, for them to decide which of the two sides theyre actually on.

And, if the election turns out to be between Trump versus Sanders, then this will be the first U.S. Presidential election ever in which both of the major-Party nominees will have committed themselves to policies (Trump clearly on foreign affairs, Sanders clearly on domestic affairs) that the aristocracy vigorously oppose, and that present a severe threat to the aristocrats' continued rule of the country.



Investigative historian Eric Zuesse is the author, most recently, of Theyre Not Even Close: The Democratic vs. Republican Economic Records, 1910-2010, and of CHRISTS VENTRILOQUISTS: The Event that Created Christianity.




Top all-India trade unions (TUs), including left-wing All-India Trade Union Congress (AITUC) and Centre for Indian Trade Union (CITU), Congress' Indian National Trade Union Congress, socialist Hind Mazdoor Sabha (HMS), and others, were joined by civil rights organizations to sharply criticize the Gujarat government for going out of the way to support the Tata Nano management in the 20-day-old strike by about 450 skilled technical workers. The strike has acquired significance, as it takes place amidst reports that Tata Nano  which Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his chief ministership of Gujarat snatched from West Bengal chief minister Mamta Banerjee  is failing to be a successful car. Ever since the strike began, the production for Tata Nano is said to have come to a standstill. According to a calculation, Modi allowed a concession worth Rs 30,000 crore to woo Tata Nano from Singur in West Bengal.Problems began when two workers were suspended close on the heels of an application with the Gujarat labour commissoner around Diwali last year for setting up a registered trade union at the Nano plant, situated in Sanand, about 12 km from Ahmedabad, another 26 workers were suspended two months later when the workers went to find out what happened to the promise their colleagues would be taken back.In a statement issued soon after a meeting at Ahmedabad's All-India Bank Employees Association (AIBEA) office, the Central and Gujarat-based TUs lent their strong support to the demand of the Tata Nano workers for allowing their democratic right to protest, which, it said, was sought to be undermined by the state government by declaring the strike as illegal and resorting to bringing police pressure in order to crush their right to strike and protest.The meeting backed the Tata Nano workers' decision to hold a demonstration outside the Ahmedabad district collector's office on Monday at 11.00 am against the state government's excessive interference in a matter which should essentially be between the workers and the management, the statement said, adding, The officialdom, instead, should ensure end to workers' suspension.The statement said, Instead of promoting and securing labour rights of workers and ensuring justice, the state government is acting as an agent of the Tatas to break the workers' unity, even as colluding with the Tatas in unfair labour practice through punitive suspension of the Tata Nano plant's union leaders.The meeting, in which nearly 423 of 475 striking Tata Nano workers participated, saw the Tata Nano plant's newly formed union, Bharatiya Kamdar Ekta Sangh (BKES) a secret ballot to ascertain if the strike should. All but one said the strike should continue till the suspension of all 28 workers was revoked, said Hiteshkumar Rabari, president of BKES.The ballot took place following the failure of any compromise through the mediation of the Ahmedabad district collector on Friday between Tata Nano workers and the management. During the meeting, the district collector said the union leadership was pressuring their colleagues, one reason why they are on strike.We told the collector that the strike is totally voluntary. We also invited him to oversee the secret ballot on whether to continue with the strike or not, which took place today. However, he never turned up, union secretary Umeshkumar Rathod said.The compromise suggested during the negotiations was that the strike would end, and the inquiry into the misconduct, being carried out by a third party chosen by the company, would continue for three months, based on which the fate of the 28 workers would be decided. During this period, the workers would be paid 50 per cent of the salary. This was not acceptable to the union leaders.
MIKE LAWRENCE / COURIER & PRESS Workers with The Redmond Company tear down a garage last week as the Evansville Teachers Federal Credit Union has just begun a $21 million construction project to replace their headquarters on Theater Drive in Evansville.

SHARE MIKE LAWRENCE / COURIER & PRESS A excavator demolishes a garage last week on the property of the Evansville Teachers Federal Credit Union as they begin a $21 million construction project to replace their headquarters on Theater Drive in Evansville. Image supplied by Evansville Teachers Federal Credit Union An artist's rendering of what Evansville Teachers Federal Credit Union's new office will look like. Work has just started on the $21 million project, at the credit union's main campus on Theater Drive. Image supplied by Evansville Teachers Federal Credit Union An artist's rendering of the stand-alone drive-thru that will be part of a $21 million construction project at Evansville Teachers Federal Credit Union's main campus on Theater Drive.

By Susan Orr of the Courier and Press

A $21 million construction project will change the landscape at Evansville Teachers Federal Credit Union's main campus on Theater Drive.

The official groundbreaking isn't until April 15, but work has begun at the East Side Evansville site.

The credit union plans to build an 82,000-square-foot, three-story building to replace its current main office, which was built in 1976. The new building will sit on what's now a parking lot between the main office and the credit union's administrative building, known as the Phipps Center. The two buildings will be connected via an enclosed skywalk.

Once the new building is complete, the credit union will tear down the old building and use that area for parking.

Bill Schirmer, the credit union's president and chief executive officer, said the project should take about 16 months to complete.

As a part of this project, the credit union will move its drive-thru into a freestanding structure to be built on the east side of its campus by July.

The Redmond Company, based in Waukesha, Wisconsin, is the general contractor. Evansville-based Empire Contractors is doing most of the site work, Schirmer said.

The credit union says it has outgrown its current location.

"We're literally bursting at the seams," said Marketing Director Brent Joyce.

That growth has come in the form of new employees, new members and overall financial growth over the past few years.

Here are a few examples of that growth. Figures come from the National Credit Union Administration, the agency that regulates and supervises federally insured credit unions.

Evansville Teachers Federal Credit Union's membership has more than doubled in five years. It went from 61,606 members in 2011 to 130,508 members last year. (Credit unions have members rather than customers.)

The organization had 171 employees at the end of 2011, and that number has grown each year since then. It ended 2015 with 337 employees.

Net income grew from $5.2 million in 2011 to $10.9 million last year.

This growth has outpaced Indiana's statewide average.

According to the National Credit Union Administration, Indiana's 121 credit unions had a combined 1.2 million members at the end of last year, down 3 percent since 2011.

The institutions saw their annual net income move from a combined $43.4 million in 2011 to a combined $66.0 million last year.

Schirmer said Evansville Teachers has introduced a number of well-received products and services, drawing new members from other financial institutions.
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I was visiting a friend in New York when I heard the news.

"Aren't you from around there?" he asked.

I gazed over his shoulder and glanced at the computer screen. The headline mentioned Evansville and something about a food cart selling sex toys.

My friend, who I met my freshmen year of college, is from New Jersey. He's lived on the East Coast for most of his life, never spending much time in the Midwest aside from a layover or two on his way to ski trips in Colorado. Needless to say, we developed a thoughtful dialogue in college around our minor cultural differences.

I learned that, growing up in New Jersey, he had never heard of the Marlboro Rewards Program. When I told him how anyone, regardless of race, creed or gender, could get a Zippo lighter or even a leather jacket just for smoking cigarettes, his eyes lit up. I remember the exchange because it made me oddly proud of Evansville, a place that had seemed regular to me but that was, apparently, exotic to others. Suddenly, I was the Jesuit explorer who'd experienced the hinterlands of civilization, conveying his adventures to an enthralled student.

"Now that's a program I could get behind."

"How often do you see monster trucks driving on the highway out east?" I asked, trying not to seem too smug.

"Never. You?"

"Don't get me started on trying to pass one. They completely block your view of the other lane."

I wasn't always the teacher. During Thanksgiving break, I'd travel with him from Vermont down to New Jersey, where I got my first fade haircut and discovered Wegmans supermarkets.

Some of my favorite visits saw us going to New York City. During one trip, I saw a man chased down by five police officers within my first 20 minutes of leaving the train station. One officer slid over the hood of a running car and tackled the guy to the ground. I still have no idea what the scoundrel did to deserve this, but in that moment, I got my first real taste of big city life. The world-class food and people-watching opportunities were just icing on the cake.

When I left my friend's place and returned to Evansville, not surprisingly, the libertine food stand was the hottest piece of conversation. After the chuckles and laughs finally died down, I started to hear a familiar comment making the rounds.

"Of course this is what Evansville gets in the news for."

People said the exact same thing when we were recognized as the most miserable, fattest city in the country (two separate distinctions). While some will chalk up the nacho stand story as just another embarrassing PR moment for Evansville, I demur, viewing it instead as a sign of our city's continued growth and prosperity.

Bear with me.

I'm not suggesting we subsidize this kind of project, nor am I condoning the vendor's behavior (trust me, the idea of adult toys sitting next to nachos gives me the chills just as much as the next guy). But let's not lose sight of the forest for the trees; let's not overlook the fact that this nacho stand is much more than just another failed attempt at product diversification for the historical record.

Making the news for being the "fattest city" or having a scooter crisis is peanuts, befitting the image of regional urban centers like Birmingham Shreveport and  for the longest time  Evansville. But when my friend showed me the nacho stand story, its sheer strangeness evoked the feeling that it had happened someplace else. Someplace bigger. It was almost as if I was back in the Big Apple, where the absurdity of vendors selling sex toys with food kind of loses its context in the face of a 20-minute subway ride to Midtown crammed between not one, but two ventriloquists.

The nacho stand story is one with pizazz, coming at a time when Evansville takes on the trappings of a more cosmopolitan city: a new medical school, a burgeoning arts and nightlife district, forward-looking developments that the Regional Cities grant will bring to life.

Now, if only the Aces had won an NCAA tournament bid last week. Then we'd really be cooking with gas.
Part of me has always been a "Daylight Savings Time Denier."

The day we all "fall back" an hour on our clocks is easily my least favorite day of the year, making the opposite absolutely true, too.

Springing ahead this weekend makes me happy and makes two clocks in my little world  the one on the kitchen wall and the one in my truck  correct again.

Refusing to change the time on a couple clocks is my silent protest to the time change, not that it doesn't cause occasional confusion. It's one thing my wife can add to her "Idiot List" and something that gets me now and then.

But being an hour early occasionally and the lost hour of sleep are small prices to pay now that I'll have time to fish in the evening after supper.

We've sprung ahead. All's right with the world  for several months, anyway.

n Future plans for Hovey Lake State Fish & Wildlife Area will be discussed at a public forum scheduled for 6 p.m. on March 29 at the historic Hovey House, located at 330 Walnut St. in Mount Vernon.

There will be a presentation by Nick Echterling, Hovey's property manager, as well as other staff and biologists from the Indiana Department of Natural Resources.

Brad Feaster, a former assistant manager at Hovey who is now the DNR South Region Public Lands supervisor, and Ducks Unlimited regional biologist Mike Sertle are also expected to attend.

One point certain to come up is the location of Hovey's new headquarters away from the parking lot at the lake. The DNR has purchased property for a new headquarters "about six miles" north of the current location on Ind. 69.

"The plan is to build there in the future, although there are no set plans," said Echterling, who was formerly the assistant property manager at Glendale. "It's sometime in the future."

Tony Greenwell, a retired Evansville businessman and active DU committeeman, is spearheading a movement to keep the headquarters on the banks of Hovey Lake. He has been building a broad coalition of businessmen, public officials, environmentalists and concerned sportsmen who want Hovey's development centered next to its crown jewel, the lake.

"We want it to be abundantly clear people in the area care about Hovey Lake and its future," said Greenwell.

"Much of the infrastructure is already there ... It just makes sense to so many of us."

Count me among those, and among the sportsmen who plan to attend the meeting.
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By Megan Thorne, megan.thorne@courierpress.com

Michael Rust said he has cried with and for Evansville teachers and students over education.

During the last in the current series of "Meet Your Legislators" events on Saturday morning at Central Library, Rust  president of the Evansville Teacher's Association  asked five lawmakers what their education priorities will be moving forward.

"The Republican majority over the past eight years has passed laws that have been anti-teacher, anti-union and anti-public education," Rust said. "These laws are affecting and hurting the education of our students and how we teach them."

Rust said he wanted to bring these topics to their attention because current testing requirements and other regulations are hindering his teaching abilities in the classroom.

"Testing and anxiety were produced in these young kids and it was a fourth-grade classroom," Rust said. "It's causing them not to enjoy coming to school and not to enjoy education. Teachers are working 10 or 11 hour days, oftentimes weekends, all the testing and data it's just not supportive of teachers. My passion is to help teachers and students."

Senator Jim Tomes, R-Wadesville, said he understands the frustration.

"I wish to high heaven that all people that think they know a lot about education, and they certainly know more about it then I do, but I would like to see them pull back and let some people who actually do that as a profession take a lead on some of this stuff."

Tomes said he tries to visit as many schools in his district as possible and they all have the same thing in common, which doesn't differ depending on money: a good relationship between the children and the teachers.

"They don't put on a show because there is a senator there," he said. "Those little tykes don't know me from the King of Sheba, but I can tell you the smiles on their faces are genuine."

State Sen. Vaneta Becker, R-Evansville, spoke out against the tendency for educational matters to be weighted from the top down.

"Education should be left up to the locals," Becker said. "We continue at the state level to get involved in things we shouldn't get involved in. That happened when the state decided to take over the funding of education."

Becker said she has appreciated the opportunity to work with Tomes on educational bills and against the bills that they feel will be detrimental to schools.

"We have a shortage of teachers because of what has happened in education in the state in the last five years," she said. "I think it's an important issue that continues to be negative."

Rep. Wendy McNamara, R-Evansville, said she supports a legislative push to recognize teacher licenses from other states here in Indiana.

"I'm there for the teachers and kids," McNamara said. "... I had one teacher I couldn't hire because he didn't have a reciprocal license, he couldn't get his license in Indiana, so I lost him. He had a doctorate in English, but yet he wasn't qualified to teach in my classrooms."

She said that House Bill 1005 has good qualities in it, including a career pathway for educators which will allow teachers to have a mentor when they first start at a school, in order to make the transition easier.

McNamara said her biggest problem was after she looked at the testing calendar and realized students lose between 13 and 16 days out of the 180-day school year because of testing.

"It pushed me over the edge," she said. "I always get accused of not paying attention to teachers, but I am one ... I always think of the kid first and when I look at a piece of legislation or look at a policy, I'm going to do my best to make sure my teachers get paid best for what they do. And ultimately have the best students and best results."

Rep. Holli Sullivan, R-Evansville, told those at the forum that interaction with those on the front lines of education is key.

"I get to sit down with teachers regularly," she said. "One, as a parent in schools right now. But in the summer months too, with teachers around tables at my home or their home."

"I am not going to use education as a platform," she said. "But I will always vote for the teachers and children in the classroom."

Rep. Gail Riecken, D-Evansville, who is retiring from the Legislature, took the opportunity in her closing statement to remind colleagues and citizens what their work is all about.

"Keep up the fight for women, children and policy," she said.
IHSAA football sectionals roundup: Scores, stats and more

It's the best time of year: The Indiana high school football state tournament. Sectionals get going tonight. We'll have you covered all night long.
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"Remember to budget the $300 per hour for the lady who points at the word 'strategy' all day."

Not realizing that they hadn't done any of that, on November 19, 2008, the citizens of Macedonia got together and planted a total of 6 million trees -- three trees for every human in the country. Thousands of people were bused around the country to planting sites. "Just as we take care of our homes, we should take care of our planet," said one of the citizens who took part in the planting, and then "I don't know what you're talking about" when asked which ad agency had come up with that slogan.

By the way, here's how big Macedonia is compared to a chunk of the United States:

IfItWereMyHome.com

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The next year, when the fires took their toll again, Macedonians had another planting day, where they put down another 6 million trees. They did it again last year, when they put down 7 million. By November 2011, they had planted 44 million new trees (with only two days of planting a year).
As the saying goes, you can't make an omelet without burning off some dick skin. John has had a couple of close calls:

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"Most of the time, I get minor burns, but a couple of times when I was young and dumb, things got out of hand." The most serious incident occurred when he was 15: "With all the wisdom, sense, and restraint of a pyrophiliac with a storm of raging hormones, I doused myself from the waist down in charcoal starter fluid, front and back, and flicked a lighter at my ankles. Instantly, I was a total human torch. The flames rose up all around me and over my head ... I dropped and rolled, but it was futile, as the flames were no match for my idiotic flailing. I then pulled a thick rug over myself and the flames seemed to die, but when I removed the blanket, I burst into flames again. I tried a couple more times and nothing ... I thought I'd never be able to put myself out."

Michael Blann/DigitalVision/Getty Images

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"You're probably wondering what happened to the towels. And the curtains. And grandma's prized quilt ..."

This is the point when things started to get awkward, because burning alive is literally very hot, but man, it was also pretty hot in the other way:

"I stood up and walked from one side of the house to the other and into the shower. As I did, I passed the full wall mirror in the living room and saw myself on fire. It was incredible! About the same time, the flames flashed over to the inside of my pants and I felt a whoosh as they rolled over my bare skin, inflating my pants and filling the entire inside between them and my skin with fire. That was a real surprise, how it felt -- it was wonderful beyond words, and I was now burning out of control while trying to make it to the shower while having the orgasm of a lifetime ... I completely emptied myself into my burning pants as I put out the flames. I had burns and blisters all over my legs, especially on my thighs, and burns on my hands and arms as well."
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When Tom Fiorita made the decision to locate his tech startup, Point Pickup Technologies, in Greenwich, he hoped it would set a precedent for other tech companies considering the Gold Coast for their home base.

This area of the country is starting to be a start-up tech area, Fiorita said at the time, envisioning an East Coast equivalent to Silicon Valley.

While his vision may not become a reality until far into the future, Connecticut is making strides  albeit small ones  in growing its tech sector.

According to the 2016 Cyberstates report from CompTIA, which provides an in-depth look at the U.S. technology job market in a state-by-state comparison, Connecticut ranks 26th in the country with just over 73,000 workers in the field. While the states overall rank remains unchanged, Connecticut added almost 900 tech-related jobs in 2015, a number thats expected to continue growing this year.

Much of that growth has been in Fairfield County, with Danbury pegged as one of the top 10 small cities in the country for web developers. Stamford and Norwalk have welcomed several tech-based companies, and with Point Pickups success, even Greenwich is getting in on the tech action.

Seeding and support from Connecticut Innovations  the states quasi-public venture capital and lending arm that fosters startups and early-stage companies  and CTNext have helped a technology corridor blossom in the county. Signs of southwestern Connecticut tech investment include the Silicon Harbor project on the Stamford waterfront, Stamford Innovation Center, the Danbury Hackerspace @ the Innovation Center in Danbury, University of Bridgeports CTech IncUBator, Bridgeport Innovation Center and Fairfield Universitys business incubator. While the local tech scene wont soon mirror Silicon Valley, New York or Boston, a pipeline of talent has been laid.

Over the past few years, we have seen a tremendous amount of growth in Fairfield County and specifically Stamford, said Glendowlyn Thames, director of Rocky Hill-based Small Business Innovation and CTNext. Stamford has reinvented itself as a tech hub and a worthy alternative to New York City. We are seeing the private market increase the level of investment in the startup and entrepreneurial community, and we expect that this will continue in the future.

Barry Schwimmer, a founder and managing partner of Stamford Innovation Center, described Fairfield Countys technology scene as growing. We really need to develop more of a tech scene and we at the Innovation Center run a lot of programs. There has been significant growth in the past three years, but we still need to meet the demands for developers.

Bruce Carlson, president and CEO of East Hartford-based Connecticut Technology Council, which represents about 2,000 companies in the software, advanced manufacturing and other industries, agreed that Fairfield Countys nascent tech scene needs faster development.

Theres a pipeline for certain companies, but not across the board, Carlson said. The programs in place are for developing talent three to five years out, but we need to meet the needs of 2016.

He cited high demand for software developers, engineers for manufacturing and computer science expertise for bioscience companies.

Carlson said Stamford and South Norwalk are good hubs to attract millennials for work and play with a vibrant city life, but noted Fairfield Countys high cost of living. To bolster the tech pipeline, he urged more research collaboration between companies and universities, and cooperation to develop more ready-to-hire students.

Schwimmer said about 100 people regularly work at the Stamford Innovation Center for about 25 tech-related companies. While the rent is competitive, the main draw is to be part of the community and take advantage of the programming and mentoring. We encourage the sharing of ideas and a tenet is to serve as a bridge between small and big companies.

As for the benefits of Fairfield Countys technology scene, Schwimmer pointed to the community, educational capital, (regular) capital, proximity to New York and Boston economies and a highly trained work force.

Hugh Seaton founded Stamford Hackathon to build the southern Connecticut technology community. About 60 people attended last years inaugural Stamford Hackathon and more than 125 signed up for this years February event, Seaton said. The Stamford native said Hackathons train people to run through problems quickly.

Seaton said he tried to emulate in Fairfield County some techniques that helped develop New Haven into a vibrant technology scene including regular events to draw developers, programmers and engineers. Seaton said university partnerships with businesses, government cooperation and corporate sponsors to help not just with funds but also staff expertise are key to nurturing Fairfield Countys technology corridor. But what Seaton saw as essential was velocity  the power to pull people from the comfort of their home couches and drive to a central place to meet with others.

Schwimmer is optimistic that tech entrepreneurs can do well in Fairfield County.

Because of the radical changes in technology, it is easier and cheaper to start a business than any point I can remember. Its expensive to scale but in terms of trying and starting, its never been easier. There are a lot of assets. If we can be a catalyst, we can do a lot of good here.
BRIDGEPORT  A city health clinic is receiving $325,000 to help combat the growing opioid abuse epidemic.

Optimus Health Care will receive the money has part of a $2.5 million award to Connecticut by the U.S Department of Health and Human Services for seven community health centers to expand medication-assisted treatment for opioid abuse.

U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal and Chris Murphy, both D-Conn, applauded the news.

This is a big deal in our fight to curb the devastation of addiction, the senators said. Community health centers are on the front lines of the opioid abuse epidemic, serving people who often have no other place to turn. As the opioid abuse epidemic continues to spiral across Connecticut and nationwide, access to community-based substance use treatment programs has been far too limited.

They added this funding will help provide substance abuse treatment and education for both patients and medical professionals at centers in Middletown, Hartford, New Haven, East Hartford, Waterbury and Bridgeporthelping to meet a dire, urgent need. Todays funding is an important down payment a small yet critical step toward combatting this growing epidemic. We will continue to fight to ensure that Connecticut receives the funding and support it needs to end this crisis.

Gov. Dannel P. Malloy also hailed the grant as a necessary step in combatting the rising problem of opioid addiction.

This funding will no doubt provide help to those who need it, Malloy said. We must tackle prescription opioid and heroin use - this is a growing problem nationwide that Connecticut is working hard to combat. I applaud HHS for investing in our community health centers so they can expand and build upon the critical services they provide our residents.
The presidential candidate most associated with fly-away hair and his Boeing 757 campaign plane is defying the laws of gravity in Connecticut.

Introducing the Donald Trump drone.

The unmanned aerial vehicle, towing a Trump lawn sign, was spotted in the skies above North Haven Tuesday.

Joe Visconti, who is exploring a U.S. Senate run, took credit for the stunt.

A whole new world, Visconti told Hearst Connecticut Media. You have no idea whats next.

Visconti said the miniature drone, which is owned by a friend who he would not identify, is registered with the Federal Aviation Administration. The flight took place on private property, but was visible to several neighbors, he said.

It went up 50 feet, boasted Visconti, who ran for governor in 2014.

The sighting comes as Connecticut is considering new regulations on drones. Under tandem bills pending in the Legislature, drone operators would be prohibited from retrofitting the remote-control contraptions with guns, explosives or tear gas.

A Central Connecticut State University student was arrested and expelled last summer after he posted a video on YouTube showing a homemade drone firing a handgun in mid-flight.

A House version of the legislation could allow law enforcment to have weaponized drones. That bill has not yet advanced beyond the General Assemblys Public Safety and Security Committee. It could come up for discussion Monday or Tuesday by the committee.

Tribal recognition campaign rekindled

The Schaghticoke Indian tribe last week asked legislators for permission to operate a casino - or at least offer bingo games.

During a public hearing on a bill to expand who can offer bingo, Schaghticoke Tribal Nation Chief Richard Velky went a little further and asked the public safety and security committee to permit state-recognized tribes to participate in any expansion of commercial casino gaming, not just limiting any potential new commercial casino enterprise to the existing federally recognized tribes."

Velky also made a pitch for permission to operate bingo games, presumably on his Kent reservation.

As many of you know, we have been pursuing an opportunity to create our own gaming entity, Velky said. We therefore ask the committee to amend S.B. 357 to give the Schaghticoke Tribal Nation, and all state-recognized tribes, opportunity to conduct tribal bingo operations, and ensure STN is given equal consideration for any future commercial casino in Connecticut.

Its unlikely the Schaghticokes request will be granted. The bill under consideration does not contemplate - or even mention - expanding casino gaming beyond the states two federally recognized tribal reservations.

What a difference a few years can make

Metro-North President Joseph Giulietti, while giving his annual update on rail operations to the transportation committee last week, received a warm welcome, far different than the scowling lawmakers he encountered two years ago after a Metro-North train crashed in Bridgeport, another one crashed in the Bronx, killing four people, and federal regulators issued a scathing report demanding improvements at the railroad.

At the time, the Metro-North president had been in his new job for just two days.

Giulietti last week happily ticked off a new list of recent accomplishments: ridership last year broke a record at 86 million, with the largest increase on the New Haven branch. He noted complaints were way downs, to 137 per one million rides in 2015, better than the 2014 mark of 235 per million rides.

We are off to a good start this year, Giulietti noted.

State Sen. Carlos Leone, D-Stamford, listened intently and then reminded Giulietti of the reception he received two years ago.

A couple of years ago when you came to Connecticut the mood and situation was less than stellar, Leone said. This is a lot of good news and not much bad, I think we are back on track.

Giulietti also recognized the change in reception. There was a lot of bad press, he said of his first appearance before the committee. There was a morale problem with us. We truly are making a better system now.
The spring conference season is about to hit full swing.

Austin, Texas, will be abuzz March 11-20 for SXSW. This years featured speakers include renowned director J.J. Abrams; Jim Bankoff, CEO of Vox Media; and Biz Stone, co-founder of Medium, Twitter and Jelly.

Thousands of business professionals in industries from venture capital to advertising to software development are expected to attend, and if previous attendance figures hold true, about 23 percent of SXSW Interactive attendees in executive positions will be CEOs.

If SXSW isnt your style, dont fret. March is jam-packed with the Adobe Summit, MarTech, CRM 2016, Build 2016 and 4As Transformation conference.

Related: The 10 Best Worldwide Conferences for Entrepreneurs

With so many conferences coming up, dont forget to brush up on your networking skills. To maximize your next conference experience, follow these tips:

1. Focus on helping others.

I once made a complete fool of myself at a conference by approaching a speaker only to blast him with every detail I could about my company and my product. In less than two minutes, Id quashed what could have been a great relationship by acting like a self-promotional robot.

When you meet someone, instead of blasting him with your accomplishments, ask yourself, What is one thing I can do for this person? The law of reciprocity is a powerful tool in business, and the person to whom you offer help is much more likely to remember you in a positive light. Jessica Herrin, founder and CEO of Stella & Dot, once told me, Every time you meet someone new, ask yourself, Are they going to be a domino or a linchpin in my success story?

Related: 9 Networking Blunders That Undermine Your Reputation

2. Aim for quality over quantity.

When I began building my company, I devoured every business-building book I could get my hands on. But one networking book offered me terrible advice -- it urged me to go out there, shake hands and collect as many business cards as possible at every event. Unfortunately, desperately collecting contact information is annoying at best and creepy at worst.

Instead, focus on making three genuine connections at an event. Ignore the pressure to work the room; instead, engage in deep, enjoyable conversations. Relationships are the foundation of networking, so dig in and move past surface-level chatter. Fellow entrepreneur Sue Olsta Crockett Mason, owner and gynecological surgeon at Virtuosa Gyn, encourages conference-goers to build trust by showing vulnerability through sharing their personal stories. Let others into your life, and theyll let you into theirs.

3. Ask for what you want.

A dear friend and fellow entrepreneur Shuly Oletzky impressed me with her ability to take initiative at conferences.

Shuly recently attended the GrowCo Conference. After the CEO of Spark City, Lisa Hendrickson, spoke about pricing strategies at a recent conference, Oletzky approached Hendrickson, thanking her for the valuable session. Oletzky asked whether Hendrickson would be willing to discuss a few of the topics in greater depth, and the two quickly bonded. Then, after the conference was over, Oletzky reached out to Hendrickson, and so began their tight-knit relationship.

4. Take initiative.

Think in advance about how youll demonstrate leadership, foresight and generosity at the conference. For example, a colleague of mine impressed me by making a 10-person advanced dinner reservation for the evening of the conference.

As she met interesting people during the day, she invited them to dinner. At the meal, she worked to break the ice with her fun personality. Her dinner company left with full stomachs, an appreciation for her leadership and new connections of their own.



Related: Become a Networking Beast by Following This 5-Step Plan

5. Dont hide your personality.

Sue Kallamadi, owner of Trunk Up, likes to start her conference prep with her suitcase. She chooses bright colors or fun patterns to complement her vibrant personality. According to Kallamadi, a well-thought-out wardrobe shows people youre confident and true to yourself, making them feel more comfortable networking with you. Design unique business cards or bring a few samples of your product to be both on-brand and on-style.

Forging meaningful connections with strangers is scary, and Ive felt more than a few nervous butterflies at big conferences. But you didnt attend the conference just to collect a few new business cards. If a speaker piques your interest, dont be afraid to approach her, and be sure to stay connected after the conference. Take the initiative to improve your skills, and make 2016 the year you master conference networking.

Related:

5 Tips for Killing It at SXSW and Other Conferences

Biz and Tech Conferences: Should You Stay or Should You Go?

11 Ecommerce Conferences You Should Consider for 2016



Copyright 2016 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved
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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Liberal Democrat David Laws's (left) recollections make Downing Street under David Cameron look like a Carry On film

Since the death of deference, most of us have come to terms with the fact that our political leaders are often very ordinary human beings who behave towards each other in ways that make a school playground look orderly and humane.

We do not expect accounts of their doings to read like War And Peace. But the recollections of senior Liberal Democrat David Laws  published today in The Mail on Sunday  are astonishing.

Downing Street under David Cameron is more like a Carry On film or Yes Minister than Tolstoy.

The account is authorised and clearly relies quite strongly on the input of former deputy premier Nick Clegg. So we must take it seriously, even if it is plainly partisan.

David Cameron emerges as a man blown about by the fickle winds of chance, pursuing headlines for their own sake or pushed into policies he doesn't want out of fear of Ukip, or of rivals in his own party.

He is 'petrified' of Boris Johnson. And his sneering attitude towards his other Eurosceptic challenger, Michael Gove, is especially odd since the two are supposed to be friends and Mr Cameron persuaded Mr Gove to enter politics.

Describing his then education secretary as an election-losing 'Maoist', the Prime Minister accused him of trying to be 'the darling of the Tory Right'. No surprise that Mr Gove's aide, Dominic Cummings, riposted by calling Mr Cameron a 'muppet', clueless about education.

But if the muppets are anywhere in Whitehall, it is in the Home Office, where civil servants regard controlling immigration as an unimportant, low-status task. It is kinder to draw a veil over the Minister who wanted to replace immigrant fruit pickers with armies of pensioners on starvation wages.

In Laws' accounts, Cameron (right) emerges as a man blown about by the fickle winds of chance, pursuing headlines for their own sake or pushed into policies he doesn't want out of fear of Ukip, or of rivals in his own party

As for Mr Cameron's decision to offer an EU referendum, it is shown here to have been quite plainly made to stave off pressure from his own Right wing and from Ukip, not because he himself believed in it at all.

And he knew from the start that his foredoomed 'renegotiation' of EU membership terms was a ploy which might conceivably be made to look good (it wasn't) but would not achieve much.

All this explains why the Government's handling of the EU vote  perhaps its single most crucial action  has so far been so cack-handed and uninspiring.

We can only hope that Mr Cameron and his colleagues have learned some new skills on the job, and are not even now providing the material for someone else's embarrassing memoirs, four years from now.

Keeping ma'am

Nick Clegg has spent much of the last week looking as if butter would not melt in his mouth, accusing others of dragging the Queen into controversy, while his aides are said to have been busy suggesting Michael Gove was the source of a leaked report alleging the monarch had been critical of the EU.

Yet now we learn that Mr Clegg is quite happy to leak Royal remarks when it suits him.

His recollection that she said 'By then, I'll be dead!' in response to planned changes in succession laws, is amusing.
It's happening. Just over seven months after his election, the attempt to remove Jeremy Corbyn as Labour leader is under way. 'We've arrived at Tehran,' one shadow minister told me.

This is a suitably sabre-rattling reference to the historic 1943 Tehran summit, where Churchill, Roosevelt and Stalin reached the momentous agreement to launch the D-Day landings. 'There will be a move against Corbyn this side of conference.'

Another put it more simply. 'The tipping point's been reached,' he said.

What has finally pushed Labour's hesitant moderates over the top?

Just over seven months after his election, the attempt to remove Jeremy Corbyn (pictured) as Labour leader is under way and potential heirs may already have been decided, writes DAN HODGES.

First, there was the furious reaction to the briefing by Corbyn's media spokesman Seumus Milne  dubbed the Richmond Rasputin by Labour MPs  outside Monday's Parliamentary Labour Party meeting.

He bragged that critics of the leadership had been 'faced down' by the speech of their fearless and statesmanlike leader.

Another was the penny finally dropping about changes to the leadership rules currently being proposed by the hard-Left Corbynite pressure group Momentum: their only aim is to make any future challenge much harder.

We've got a window of opportunity, but they're trying to slam it shut on our fingers Anonymous MP

'We've got a window of opportunity, but they're trying to slam it shut on our fingers,' said one MP.

But the clincher was the simple realisation there was no end in sight to the series of catastrophic, self-imposed blunders that have come to define Corbyn's tenure of office.

'When you have a leader of the Labour Party marking International Women's Day by effectively calling for a brothel in every community, it's time to call a halt,' one senior backbencher explained

Having made the fateful choice to land on the mine-strewn beaches that constitute the Corbynite Atlantic Wall, Labour MPs are turning their minds to the hard practicalities of how to breach his defences successfully.

Which is easier said than done. The logistics of a leadership challenge are not dissimilar to those that faced General Eisenhower and his colleagues 70 odd years ago.

The clincher for fed up Labour MPs was the simple realisation there was no end in sight to the series of catastrophic, self-imposed blunders that have come to define Corbyn's (pictured) tenure of office

The first things to be put in place will be a secure communications and intelligence network. A new  and anonymous  Gmail account is being set up to allow the moderates to communicate without fear of detection. A shadow whipping system is also being established.

'That's important, because a lot of the final planning is going to have to take place over the summer recess,' one MP told me.

'That's not necessarily a problem, though. The coup against Blair was planned over the summer.' Then there is the choice about who will actually lead the assault.

A lot of attention has been focused on Dan Jarvis, the former Para who has become the unofficial leader of the so-called 'G10'  a group of former shadow ministers who refused to serve under Corbyn and who have been discreetly working on an alternative policy platform Dan Hodges, Mail on Sunday columnist

A lot of attention has been focused on Dan Jarvis, the former Para who has become the unofficial leader of the so-called 'G10'  a group of former shadow ministers who refused to serve under Corbyn and who have been discreetly working on an alternative policy platform.

Jarvis has told friends he is ready for the challenge, and has been undergoing what one ally described as a rigorous regime of 'media and PMQs training. They've been putting him in a room and firing questions at him. It's intense stuff'.

He has also taken on board a new policy director, Jonathan Rutherford, architect of the socially conservative 'Blue Labour' policy programme.

But, actually, he's not the favourite candidate of most Labour MPs I spoke to this week  that's Shadow First Secretary Angela Eagle.

Popular with her colleagues and Labour activists, she is seen as having more experience than Jarvis and  crucially  carries less Right-wing baggage.

'Angela is serious, she understands the party, she's a woman, and no one can accuse her of being a Blairite outrider,' said one supporter.

Whoever emerges as the main candidate to challenge Jeremy Corbyn, there is growing agreement another, less high-profile MP will have to be found to open up the contest initially.

A lot of attention has been focused on Dan Jarvis (pictured), the former Para who has become the unofficial leader of the so-called 'G10'  a group of former shadow ministers who refused to serve under Corbyn

'Dan or Angela can't trigger the election,' one MP said. 'You need someone to martyr themselves, force the challenge, then the serious contenders move in behind.'

That itself presents organisational issues. Though there are said to be several MPs willing to make this ultimate sacrifice, there is a recognition that they will need to be taken care of once the deed has been done.

'You're talking about a potentially career-ending moment,' one MP said. 'You have to make sure that they're looked after. That means lining them up with a job, or some other financial support.'

Labour's dwindling band of private donors are being contacted for this purpose.

On the other side of the Corbynite Wall, Labour's leader and his allies are well aware of the impending assault, so they are making their own preparations.

General Secretary Iain McNicol has come under heavy bombardment from Corbyn's camp to end the ambiguity in the Labour rulebook  they want him officially to confirm that, in the event of any contest, Corbyn would automatically be included on any ballot.

McNicol is expected to give his decision at Tuesday's meeting of Labour's national executive committee. But even if he rules in Corbyn's favour, Labour's rebels will push forward.

They have already sought and received legal advice from former Justice Secretary Charles Falconer that any attempt to exclude Corbyn from the ballot could successfully be challenged in court.

'We're not going to be able to keep him off. We're just going to have to beat him in a stand-up fight,' said one. It will be a brutal and bloody one, and the moderates know there is no guarantee of success.

'It's clear the activists are beginning to turn away from him,' one Shadow Minister told me 'and there are some signs the unions are starting to break from him, too. But it's still a gamble.' Then he shrugged. 'But we can't carry on like this. If it doesn't work, what's the worse that could happen? We just end up back where we started.'

The anti-Corbyn army is finally moving. And Labour's longest day is approaching.

Will Gerard Butler lose Sadiq Khan the London mayoral election?

Some Khan supporters are concerned by the success of the film star's new blockbuster London Has Fallen  branded 'effortlessly racist' for its depiction of a terror attack on the capital.

'We've just selected our first senior Muslim candidate, and half the buses in London are driving around with posters of Big Ben getting blown up by Muslim terrorists,' said a Labour MP.

The film coincides with what Khan sees as a concerted Tory smear campaign. On Thursday he accused Tory mayoral rival Zac Goldsmith of 'desperate attempts to associate me with extremists'.

One Labour shadow Minister fears that they may be having an impact: 'Goldsmith's vote is holding up well in the outer boroughs. That's becoming a problem for Sadiq.' The battle for London is becoming vicious.

Some Sadiq Khan supporters are concerned by the success of Gerard Butler's (pictured) new blockbuster London Has Fallen

'We've just selected our first senior Muslim candidate, and half the buses in London are driving around with posters of Big Ben getting blown up by Muslim terrorists,' said a Labour MP

George braves the B-word

Every year the Chancellor and his aides agree on what is known as the 'Budget Handle'. Last year it was 'a budget that puts security first'. Much time and effort is spent on coming up with a snappy distillation of their grand economic plan.

But this year that process has been taken out of their hands. Like it or not, Wednesday's will be the 'Brexit Budget'.

To mention the B-word, or not to mention the B-word? It's a dilemma that has overshadowed George Osborne's preparations ever since his main leadership rival Boris Johnson emerged as a born-again Eurosceptic.

Every year the Chancellor George Osborne (pictured) and his aides agree on what is known as the 'Budget Handle', with last year's being: 'A budget that puts security first'

Some have urged him to ignore the issue and focus exclusively on the economic 'fundamentals'. Any mention of Brexit  and its potential dangers  would anger Eurosceptic backbenchers, they have warned, and damage his leadership prospects. Best to let sleeping Outers lie.

But I'm told Osborne has a different view. 'He feels he can't ignore the issue,' one Treasury insider says.

'It's not going to form the centrepiece of his speech. But the economic dangers are real, and George thinks he has to address that.'

The Chancellor is not an instinctive Europhile. And some Westminster insiders have observed he has been noticeably absent from recent Euro-skirmishing.

But Osborne believes the numbers don't lie, and the economic case for Britain's continued EU membership is unanswerable. On Wednesday expect to see him begin to make it.

It was a stirring and iconic image.

Jeremy Corbyn and Diane Abbott astride their Harley-Davidson, roaring across the East German countryside, breathing in the pure, unpolluted air of socialism.

Sadly the legendary road trip  which spawned a West End musical Corbyn: The Motorcycle Diaries (Easy Rider meets the Stasi)  is, I understand, precisely that; a legend.
I dont care what the Queen thinks about British membership of the European Union. Her opinion on the subject, just like everyone elses, is her affair. And it wouldnt influence me one bit.

But if shes as against it as some claim, then its odd that she allowed herself to become an EU citizen, a status which means she cant legally be our Sovereign any more.

Her neutrality is a myth, though we have to wonder whether her Ministers press her to make contentious statements from time to time.

The Queen's opinion on the British membership of the European Union is her affair, writes Peter Hitchens

In this populist era, the monarch must either fight and face probable removal, or do as he or she is told.

Nobody really doubts that she sought to influence the Scottish independence referendum last year. And in 1998 she went out of her way to endorse the Blair Governments surrender to the IRA.

In her 2004 festive broadcast she proclaimed diversity is indeed a strength  a Royal endorsement of political correctness that a lot of us could have done without.

Last Christmas, five years after heaping praise on the timeless beauties of the King James Bible, she quoted scripture from an ugly, modern translation.

This odd record doesnt suggest to me that she is hiding a fervent desire to return to the days of national independence.

I dont think, when it comes to it, that many people do have such a desire. I have had it, for years. It is almost painful in its intensity, a choking, sometimes overpowering sense of loss.

But I have been struck by the normal response to the subject  shrugs and yawns. I am frankly baffled by the arrival in the leave camp of so many people in politics and the media who never showed any sign of caring until the day before yesterday.

So no wonder their arguments are so uninspiring. David Cameron is dead right that people like me are prepared to pay a pretty stiff economic price, if necessary, for national liberation.

As a great Polish patriotic poet once said: Your nation is like your health  only after you have lost it do you really appreciate its worth.

I couldnt care less what the CBI or the TUC or the Bank of England or the British Chambers of Commerce think about the EU. This isnt a business transaction. You might as well go to the MCC or the British Federation of Lepidopterists, or a convention of stamp collectors, and ask them how to vote.

It isnt about money or about jobs. Its an instinct and an intuition. It is about that priceless thing, governing yourself, going out if necessary, into the biting cold  rather than staying warm and comfortable by being someone elses servant or subject.

Each of us must decide this for himself or herself. If you need to know what anyone else thinks, then you dont care enough and youd be better off remaining the obedient citizen of a subject province that pretends to be an independent kingdom. No wonder this is such a dull campaign.

A year ago we were all fascinated by the horrible crash of a Germanwings A320 jet, brought about by its suicidal pilot.

But now that the likely explanation has come out, theres almost total silence. Could this be because that pilot, Andreas Lubitz, turns out to have been taking a gigantic dose of antidepressant pills, among whose known side effects are terrifying dreams, suicidal behaviour and severe thoughts of suicide?

Just as nobody pays any attention to the presence of benzodiazepines and amphetamines in the flat of the San Bernardino mass murderers, or the use of antidepressants by at least one of the Columbine school killers (the other shooters medical records, absurdly, are sealed), nobody wants to know about this either. Time we did.

A THREAT FAR BIGGER THAN PUTIN

The noisy promoters of a New Cold War rage and shriek at the wrongdoings of Russias Vladimir Putin, even though Russia has no designs on us and poses less of a threat to this countrys freedom and autonomy than Jean-Claude Juncker or Angela Merkel.

How odd that these people seldom if ever say anything about Turkeys swollen and increasingly dangerous despot, Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

President Erdogan, who rules his spectacularly corrupt country from a gigantic new palace, kills his own people by thuggishly suppressing peaceful demonstrations. He hates criticism. His political opponents are arrested at dawn and tried on absurd charges.

President Erdogan, pictured, who rules Turkey from a gigantic new palace, kills his own people by thuggishly suppressing peaceful demonstrations

He throws journalists into prison and seizes control of newspapers that attack him. He has been one of the keenest promoters of the disastrous Syrian war, which has turned millions into refugees and hundreds of thousands into corpses.

He is an intolerant religious fanatic, and curiously unwilling to deploy his large armed forces against Islamic State. And now he seeks to blackmail Western Europe into allowing his country into the EU and dropping visa restrictions on Turks, not to mention demanding trainloads of money.

If we do not give him these things, then he will continue to do little or nothing about the multitudes of migrants who use Turkey as a bridge into the prosperous West.

And yet for years he has been falsely described as a moderate by Western media flatterers, and his country has been allowed to remain in Nato, supposedly an alliance of free democracies.

He is a direct threat to us. Yet the anti-Putin chorus never mention him. Is it because they cannot pronounce his name?

Or is it because they have a silly phobia about Russia, left over from the real Cold War, and arent paying attention to whats really going on?

Carol, the anonymous accuser of the late Bishop George Bell, alleges this once-revered man sexually abused her nearly 70 years ago. Last week the same Carol took to the airwaves to accuse

Archbishop George Carey of ignoring a complaint of abuse from her, which she claimed to have sent him while he was in office (1991-2002).

This highly damaging charge followed Lord Careys attack, in The Mail on Sunday, on the way the Church has handled the case.

Now Carol has apologised personally to Lord Carey. It turns out that she had got the wrong archbishop, and was thinking of someone else.

Hurrah for the MPs who halted the nasty plan to make Sunday even more commercial. People need a common day of rest, when families can gather. Germany, which seems to have a far more successful economy than we do, still maintains a near-total ban on Sunday shopping. People somehow manage.
We are getting quite close to a momentous decision: whether or not to remain a member state of the European Union.

There are many dimensions to this decision: politics, finance, the economy, immigration, security and defence. At the moment, much of the debate is being conducted through the prism of personalities and party politics  even politics within parties.

I am not a politician, financier or economist, but after 45 years as a soldier I can offer thoughts on the strategic and geopolitical issues which must not go by default.

General Sir Mike Jackson says his heart wants an end to Britain's loss of sovereignty - but his head says strategic considerations must weigh significantly more heavily if we are to look with confidence to a secure future

The Prime Minister conducted his negotiations for a new EU settlement with admirable energy and determination, but the result was hardly a game-changer. I note that defence and security scarcely featured in the negotiations.

Until recently, my inclination was to leave. Like so many people in the United Kingdom, I object to the EUs democratic deficit. I bristle with indignation as I observe that, at the national constitutional level, our Supreme Court is not supreme, that our Parliament is not fully sovereign.

And at the everyday level, human and commercial life is hidebound by petty rules and regulations devised by unaccountable bureaucrats in Brussels.

The Common Agricultural Policy is a scandal, as is the inability of the auditors to sign off the EUs accounts. These are powerful reasons to be a Eurosceptic.

Deeper reflection brought strategic considerations into play: the violent history of Europe, the place of the UK in that history, the current and future threats facing Europe, the role of Nato, the relationship with the US, the ramifications of Brexit.

Lets tackle these considerations one by one.

The Prime Minister conducted his negotiations for a new EU settlement with admirable energy and determination, but the result was hardly a game-changer

The history of Europe up to the end of the Second World War has been a violent one, with a war being fought somewhere on the Continent as often as not. It is largely a history of the zero sum approach whereby states sought to improve their position at the expense of rival states.

The major continental powers vied for supremacy, often resorting to war. This struggle for dominance in Europe was epitomised by the historical rivalry  indeed, hostility  between France and Germany: in the 19th Century alone Napoleon occupied Berlin in 1806; part of Paris was occupied by the Prussians in 1815 following the Battle of Waterloo and Bismarck laid siege to Paris in 1870.

Then came the terrible wars of the 20th Century: the struggle to the death on the Western Front in the First World War; most of France occupied by Nazi Germany in the Second World War.

Britains strategy against this lethally unstable continental Europe was  almost at all costs  to prevent dominance of the Continent by any one state. It was perhaps the inevitable conclusion for a small but powerful offshore island nation. So it was that Britain fought Napoleon, the Kaiser, and Hitler. That strategy surely still holds good.

In the traumatic aftermath of the Second World War, six continental states  Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands  established the European Coal and Steel Community, the forerunner of the EU. In the words of Robert Schuman, the then French foreign minister, the strategic intention was to make war not only unthinkable but materially impossible. With the exception of the Balkan wars following the break-up of the former Yugoslavia, Europe has been at peace for the last seven decades  perhaps a record period in recent history.

Recent years have seen the rise of a resurgent Russia: President Putin appears determined to replicate the previous position of world power held by the Soviet Union

While Nato has played a military part in preventing another European war, many argue, including me, that this is the fundamental political strategic success of the EU.

Yet there are threats to this largely peaceful Europe. Recent years have seen the rise of a resurgent Russia: President Putin appears determined to replicate the previous position of world power held by the Soviet Union, and willing to take considerable risks in that pursuit. It is true that Europe has its Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP). But the military tasks it covers are at the lower end of the scale: peace keeping rather than warfighting.

The real strategic counter to Russian adventurism is the Nato alliance, binding the US to Europes defence. That said, Washington has made it clear the US would not want to see the UK leave the EU.

The second external threat that Europe faces is mass immigration from outside the EU. This is very much an EU security problem, not least because the member states seem unable to agree a common policy, nor distinguish between people seeking a better economic life, and true refugees, defined in the 1951 Refugee Convention as persons with a well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion.

Unimpressive as the EU has been in handling this crisis, it is hard to see how a diminished EU could provide a better security environment.

Let us now examine the ramifications of Brexit. I am not able to adjudicate the financial and economic debate; the plethora of statistics seems to create more heat than light. The only conclusion I can form is that these arguments are inconclusive.

It is beyond doubt that aspects of our sovereignty have been ceded to Brussels. If restoration of full sovereignty is the crucial factor in your analysis, then Brexit is your inevitable decision.

Should the UK as a whole vote to leave, but as seems probable Scotland produces a significant majority to remain, Scotlands case for a second independence referendum might be unstoppable

I believe, however, that there are strategic considerations greater even than that of sovereignty. A vote to leave would emphasise the one land border in the UK: that between Northern Ireland and the Republic. I fear Brexit would work against, rather than for, the still-fragile peace process.

Should the UK as a whole vote to leave, but as seems probable Scotland produces a significant majority to remain, Scotlands case for a second independence referendum might be unstoppable. The Scottish nationalists might well win, and so the price of Brexit could be the break-up of the UK.

That is depressing enough, but there is more. The ability of a truncated UK to remain a nuclear-weapon state would be in question, given the great difficulties of moving the critical nuclear facilities from the Clyde to somewhere south of the border. As a firm believer in the strategic necessity of the deterrent to the UK, this is of great concern.

The loss of Scotland and our status as a nuclear-weapon state may then in turn jeopardise the UKs permanent seat on the UN Security Council.

All of this must inevitably lead to a major diminution of our place in the world  on which we depend for our trade and livelihood.

Finally, I believe that Brexit would impose considerable after-shocks on the EU, compounding the immigration and euro crises. We should be wary of unforeseen and unknowable consequences.

My heart wants an end to our loss of sovereignty, to external courts overruling ours, to EU red tape and bureaucracy. But my head says strategic considerations must weigh significantly more heavily if we are to look with confidence to a secure future.

I would ask that this conclusion is not discarded as yet another example of so-called Project Fear, but rather accepted as a sober weighing of the long-term potential risks from leaving set against the irritations of staying.
Through her blog she hopes to raise awareness and help others

She also has gastroparesis and is fed through a feeding tube

In basic terms, POTS means Miss Powell is allergic to standing upright

There she shares her battle with endometriosis and POTS Syndrome

Claudia Powell was just like every other teenage girl.

But one year ago the Gold Coast resident started having extreme pelvic pain.

She went to the gynaecologist and was diagnosed with endometriosis, but the painful condition was just the beginning.

Miss Powell has Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome, otherwise known as POTS, which in basic terms means she is allergic to standing upright.

To help cope with the debilitating condition, Miss Powell, now 20, started the blog Sick & Tired  Living with Chronic Illness at 19 to share her story with others and help raise awareness about the illnesses.

'Sick and tired': Claudia Powell, 20, started the blog Sick & Tired - Living with Chronic Illness at 19

Painful condition: She started the blog after she was diagnosed with endometriosis at 19 years old, and underwent a laparoscopy, or key hole, surgery

Until about a week ago Miss Powells blog had 500 followers, but after she shared an honest post about her own battle with endometriosis for Endometriosis Awareness Month, her followers quickly grew.

A womens gynaecological condition is not something spoken about a lot, she told Daily Mail Australia.

A lot of people are thanking me for what Im doing, and thats good.

Raising awareness: Miss Powell shared a post for Endometriosis Awareness Month, and said women's gynaecological conditions is something not often spoken about

Endometriosis is caused when the tissue that normally lines the uterus, or womb, grows in places outside of the uterus causing pain and in some cases infertility.

While there are a number of treatment options, including keyhole surgery or a laparoscopy, Miss Powell said she is in the 20 per cent of people who did not respond to treatment.

I had my surgery and nothing changed... I felt no different, she wrote on her blog.

'Nothing changed': Despite undergoing a procedure she thought would ease the pain of her endometriosis, Miss Powell felt no different

WHAT IS ENDOMETROSIS? Endometriosis is present when the tissue that is similar to the lining of the uterus (womb) occurs outside this layer and causes pain or infertility. Endometriosis is diagnosed by a laparoscopy or biopsy (tissue sample). Treatments can include: 1. Medical treatments (medications) 2. Surgical treatments (involving an operation) 3. Complementary treatments (physiotherapy, psychology, alternate medicine, etc) Source: Endometriosis Australia Advertisement

She visited a series of gynaecologists, had cysts removed from her ovaries and started taking the drug visanne, to no avail.

I knew things werent right; this amount of pain wasnt normal, she wrote.

Miss Powells fourth gynaecologist told her the options were to have a Mirena IUD inserted in her uterus, a pelvic pain physiotherapist and pain specialist, as well as another laparoscopy and pelvic botox.

Despite her extensive treatment plan, Miss Powell is still in pain every day, a pain only made worse by her POTS syndrome.

People who suffer from POTS experience a dramatically increased heart rate when they stand up.

The condition is a form of dysautonomia or autonomic nervous system dysfunction, and means if Miss Powell stands for too long she will faint.

In basic terms, Im allergic to standing upright, Miss Powell said.

Its affected my lifestyle, I have to use a wheelchair if Im going out.

Debilitating condition: Miss Powell has Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome, a condition that sees her heart surge when she stands up

On her blog, Miss Powell shared an insight in to what her day looks like living with the debilitating condition, in between taking her medications and visiting numerous doctors.

My day consists of laying in bed because sitting up, being upright is too hard on my body, she wrote.

So when I wake up in the morning, my heart rate is close to 150 BPM and can jump up so much more until my medicine kicks in.

I can only make it to the kitchen from the bed and back to bed without fainting, sometimes I need to crawl.

'My day consists of laying in bed': In basics terms, POTS means Miss Powell is 'allergic to standing up', meaning she often uses a wheelchair

To manage her condition, Miss Powell must drink up to three litres of water a day, if she doesnt she feels weak and nauseous.

I literally spend all day in bed because being upright is too hard, she wrote.

Miss Powell has also been diagnosed with gastroparesis, a condition that prevents the stomach from properly emptying itself of food, meaning she has to use a feeding tube.

Feeling unwell: Because she suffers from the stomach condition gastroparesis, Miss Powell uses a feeding tube

Staying positive: Through sharing her story Miss Powell has inspired others to speak out about their own conditions

Miss Powell started her blog in mid-2015 to share her story and encourage others to speak out about endometriosis.

I have people messaging me all the time saying they suffer too but where too scared to speak out and felt uncomfortable about mentioning these things, she said.

Im a pretty personal person, but I felt through helping others my feelings of being uncomfortable became obsolete.'
A lingerie firm has created illustrations of seven different breast shapes, identified by their experts, to help women find the best-fitting underwear.

ThirdLove, based in San Francisco, have released the new drawings which show shapes such as East West, Bell and Asymmetric, to help you figure out what category you fit into.

And they say that while finding the right cup size is important, it's equally crucial to take into account factors such as whether your breasts are long and slender or gravitate towards the side of your chest when picking new lingerie.

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If your breasts are a round shape and are equally full on top and bottom, then you're lucky enough not to need too much support (left). If you have smaller breasts that gravitate to the outside of the chest then you're an East West (right)

Experts from San Francisco lingerie brand ThirdLove have identified seven different breast shapes: Round, East West, Side Set, Teardrop, Slender, Asymmetric and Bell Shape. They say the type of bra women should buy is dependent on factors such as the width and length of breasts and where they sit on the chest

No matter what your shape, the brand's experts say there are three crucial steps you should take to make sure you're wearing a bra that's the right style, size and fit.

There should be no extra room or overflow in the cups, which should fit snugly across all parts of the breast.

Straps, which should be re-tightened every other month should neither slip down your shoulders nor dig into your skin.

You'll know you're in the right band size when you can slip two fingers underneath the back of the band. Bonus tip. The band should be snug on the loosest hook, so when your bra stretches out you can continue to tighten it.

Here FEMAIL reveals the seven breast types and the bra that is the best fit for each one.

1. Round

If your breasts are a round shape and are equally full on top and bottom, then you're lucky enough not to need too much support.

You can probably get away with a thin bra without underwire as you don't need to change the position of your breasts.

2. East West

If you have smaller breasts that gravitate to the outside of the chest then you're an East West.

Another sign is nipples that point outwards and a gap between your cleavage.

A t-shirt bra will help to create a smooth silhouette and pull the breasts in, giving you a more streamlined shape.

3. Side Set

Side set breasts are fuller than East Wests but still fall outwards, and there's also a wide space between breasts.

The best bra for you is a plunge bra, which will pull the breasts up and in.

You may be particularly prone to your breasts spilling out of the side because of their position if the cup is too small. So you may need a cup size bigger than you normally go for if you find this happening.

Side set breasts are fuller than East Wests but still fall outwards, and there's also a wide space between breasts

4. Slender

Breasts that are smaller at the top than they are at the bottom and are longer than they are wide are considered slender, especially if they're on the small side.

A plunge bra will help to lift the breasts and you might want to consider padding for extra oomph.

5. Bell Shape

If your breasts are slimmer at the top and fuller at the bottom, then you're a Bell Shape.

Because women with Bell shaped breasts tend to have fuller busts, you need a bra with plenty of support to lift the breasts.

Breasts that are smaller at the top than they are at the bottom and are longer than they are wide are considered Slender, especially if they're on the small side (left). If your breasts are slimmer at the top and fuller at the bottom, then you're a Bell Shape (right)

WHAT TYPE OF BRA BEST SUITS YOUR BREAST SHAPE? ROUND: You can probably get away with a non-underwired bra made from thin material as you don't need to change the position of your breasts. EAST WEST: A t-shirt bra is the best option for pulling breasts that gravitate towards the side of the chest back to the centre. It will also create a smooth silhouette, giving you a more streamlined shape. SIDE SET: A plunge bra will help pull the breasts up but you may find that they often spill out of the of the cups because of their position, especially if the bra is a touch too small. To avoid this, consider going up one cup size. SLENDER: A plunge bra is also ideal for anyone with breasts that are longer than they are wide. They will hoist them up and you might want to consider a padded variety to create the illusion of curves. BELL SHAPE: They may be pretty but skimpy balconette style bras don't do Bell shaped breasts any favours. As women with Bell breasts tend to be fuller busted, you should opt for a bra with plenty of material to offer coverage and support. ASYMMETRIC: It can be a struggle to find a bra that fit if your breasts are mismatched. Find a bra with a cup that fits the smaller breast, which has removable padding that you can take out on the other side. TEARDROP: If there was such a thing as the perfect shape, then you have it. Most type of bras will suit your shape and you're lucky enough to be able to get away with the tricky strapless style. Advertisement

6. Asymmetric

Almost all women have one breast that is larger than the other to some degree, and even Jennifer Lawrence has spoken out about the perils of having lopsided boobs.

If your asymmetry is significant enough to cause a problem, then a bra with removable padding is your friend as you can remove it on the side of your larger breast.

7. Teardrop

If your breasts are rounded but slightly less full at the top then you're lucky enough to be teardrop shaped.

These kind of breasts are easy to accommodate in any style of bra, making shopping a lot easier when all you have to worry about is size. You can probably get away with anything from a balconette to a plunge.
A family whose daughter was murdered in unimaginably horrific circumstances have revealed how they have tried to cope with their loss and rebuild their lives.

Steve and Lynette William's youngest daughter Georgia was just 17 when she was killed by Jamie Reynolds, then 23.

He killed the teenager - who thought of him as a friend and always rebuffed his romantic advances -at his family home in Wellington, Shropshire, hanging her and then having sex with her body, capturing the depraved act on film.

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Georgia Williams was 17 when she was murdered by Jamie Reynolds after she went to his house to model for a photo shoot which she thought would help establish his career as a photographer

Georgia's father Steve is tearful as he shares their heartache over her loss on the latest episode of Britain's Darkest Taboos

It was only after Georgia went missing that it was discovered that Jamie - who has since been jailed for life - had a sick fascination with snuff movies since the age of 14 and had 16,800 images and 70 videos of extreme porn on his computer.

He had written 40 stories which described rape, torture and strangulation of females to the point of death, including ones featuring Georgia as the main character.

Speaking on the new series of Britain's Darkest Taboos, her grieving parents said they had no idea of Jamie's depravity and believed their daughter had been perfectly safe when she went to his house on the night she died, 26 May 2013.

Georgia had become friends with Jamie as he went to school with her older sister, Scarlett. She thought she was doing him a favour by going to his house to model for a photoshoot, as he said he was desperate to become a professional photographer and needed a portfolio.

Steve, a detective in the West Mercia force which investigated his daughter's murder, said it never crossed their minds that Georgia could have been at risk that day.

Steve said he was 'physically sick' when the police came to confirm their worst fears after they had reported Georgia missing. Officers found pictures of her body on Jamie's camera

Georgia's mother Lynette said even in their worst nightmare, they couldn't have imagined how Jamie would have murdered and defiled their daughter, capturing it all on film

Georgia's sister Scarlett said they miss her every day and have set up a charitable trust in her memory

He said: 'We were comfortable, we knew Jamie, we knew where she was going, literally five minutes walk up the road. We believed that there were going to be other friends turning up that night. And we had nothing to worry about.'

But during that fatal evening, Jamie took pictures of Georgia with a rope around her neck when she was still alive, murdered her and then continued to take pictures as he defiled her body.

Her distraught mother Lynette said: 'Even in your worst nightmare you can't think that up, can you, for anything. And it's your daughter, it's your young daughter  and you think he's just treated her like a piece of nothing.

'And all she did in life was look after other people - look out for people like him. And he's repaid her kindness by doing the worst things possible to someone else who really didn't deserve it.'

Steve added that he was 'physically sick' when the police came to confirm their worst fears after they had reported Georgia missing.

A report found Georgia's death may have been prevented if intervention had been made regarding Jamie's behaviour as he had already attacked one girl and was known to be fixated on violent porn

'There's no words. People use devastated and stuff like that. There isn't a word to describe it,' Steve said of their grief.

It took the family weeks to find out exactly what had happened to their daughter after Jamie was arrested. He refused to admit to the crime or where he had dumped Georgia's body, despite the police finding the photographs of her corpse on his camera.

You think of all the "what ifs". What if we hadn't moved here? What if we'd have sent her to a different school? What if we'd have moved somewhere else before she got to know him? Lynette, Georgia's mother

After the police had gathered enough evidence to charge him and Georgia's body was discovered dumped in woodland thanks to a search aided by a Crimewatch appeal for witnesses, Jamie eventually pleaded guilty to murder at Stafford Crown Court in December 2013.

He became one of the youngest people in Britain to be handed a full-life term when he was jailed.

Lynette said they were satisfied with the sentence as it was 'the best I can expect in this country' but following the case they lambasted the police and social workers for blunders that allowed the 'murderer in the making' to slip through the net.

After Georgia's murder it was discovered that Jamie had previously attempted to strangle another teenage girl - but was let off with a 'final warning', akin to a caution.

The 16-year-old had been invited to his house like Georgia under the pretense of working on a school project but managed to fight Reynolds off when he grabbed her around the throat in a 'bizarre, potentially serious and unprovoked attack'.

Jamie was jailed for life at the end of 2013 for murdering Georgia. He eventually pleaded guilty after dumping her body in a remote location and refusing to cooperate with police

When that case was investigated, his parents said their son had a fascination with violent pornography that they had struggled to stem by putting safe guards on their internet access.

Attempts to get him help via social services and children's charities led to nothing and a damning report published last October criticised multi-agencies for failing to take adequate action.

Steve said after the report was published: 'Having lost Georgia to pure evil, we cried when we read this report and the failings of all agencies involved because it was so obvious that Reynolds was, if not one already, a murderer in the making.

'Georgia's death could have been prevented - learn if nothing else.'

Lynette also wonders if they as parents could have done anything differently to save their daughter.

She said: 'You think of all the "what ifs"what if we hadn't moved here? What if we'd have sent her to a different school? What if we'd have moved somewhere else before she got to know him? What if someone had told us what he was about?'

Police outside the home in Wellington, left, where Jamie carried out his depraved attack on Georgia

She said they are now doing the best they can to move on with their lives.

'I will not let Jamie Reynolds dictate to us still what we do in our lives. He's taken Georgias life, he's taken ours to a degree. But I keep chipping away at the others to try and get them to get some of our lives back again,' she said.

They have set up the The Georgia Williams Trust, a charity which aims to help young people challenge themselves and broaden their horizons through outdoor activities.

Scarlett said of the charity: 'It has been a lifesaver to us in many ways. First of all it started out as a distraction. It got us out of the house, got us talking to people. Getting involved in things.

I think she'd want me to make the most of my life now. Travel and do well and have a family and things. But it doesn't stop it from hurting Scarlett, Georgia's sister

'It's nice to see how much good can come out of something like this. Strange but we're helping so many people and each time we do that its keeping a little bit of Georgia alive. People remembering her.'

She added that she is also trying to honour her sister's memory by living her own life to the full.

She said: 'I think she'd want me to make the most of my life now. Travel and do well and have a family and things. But it doesn't stop it from hurting.

'There's not a day that goes by that you think yeah, new job she's the first person I want to tell or you go on a date and you want to give her the gossip. But she's not there any more.'

Georgia family share their ordeal on the fifth series of CI's Britain's Darkest Taboos, a series that sheds light on recent unimaginable crimes that have shocked the nation.

With expert analysis from psychologist Emma Kenny and former detective superintendent David Swindle, the episode gives insight into Jamie's twisted mind and reveals the full extent of his morbid fascination with extreme violent tendencies towards women.
A rainbow-striped bag worn by models on the Balenciaga runway at Paris Fashion Week looks remarkably similar to a Thai laundry bag, eagle-eyed fashion fans in the Far East have pointed out.

The bag, which hit the catwalk last Sunday, was part of Georgian-born designer Demna Gvasalia's debut collection as creative director for the brand.

Instagram users didn't waste any time in pointing out the similarities between the colourful, large striped bags on the catwalk and the laundry bags that are commonly used in Thailand - and cost less than two pounds.

Hang on, that looks familiar! The Balenciaga bag appeared on the catwalk at Paris Fashion week on March 6th in Demna Gvasalia's debut collection as head of design at the Spanish fashion house

Followers of fashion in Thailand soon noticed the similarity between the high-fashion design and the 'sampeng' bags available to buy from most markets which cost 75 baht (1.50)

Since the catwalk show last Sunday, the new bag has seen many style bloggers in Thailand showing off their almost identical versions of the holdalls using the hashtag #BalenciagaBag.

The 'sampeng' bags are available to buy from most markets and cost 75 baht (1.50) although since the trend it has reportedly increased to 100 baht (1.99).

The cheap bags are made from colourful plastic and are usually associated with rural life in the country while it appears the Balenciaga version is leather.

While the Balenciaga bag might be used to carry the paraphernalia of a fashionista's life - smart phone, keys, designer purse - the humble 'sampeng' more commonly carries dirty washing or fruit and vegetables back from the market.

An Instagram user jokingly captioned their picture of laundry bags: 'Straight from the runway #Balenciaga'

They come in large sizes too! Thai actress Pattarida 'Tangmo' Patcharaveerapong posted a picture to her Instagram with an oversized rainbow bag

We're cool...and it didn't cost much: Bloggers posted their pictures to Instagram showing off their almost identical versions of the bag and using the #BalenciagaBag

Among the bloggers, a Thai actress Pattarida 'Tangmo' Patcharaveerapong posted a picture to her Instagram with an oversized rainbow bag.

While another actress Pachrapa Chaichua, posted a picture of her bag to her 5.9 million Instagram followers.

People in Thailand have reportedly been concerned that they will be prosecuted for carrying the copy-cat bags around.

Although there is a similarity, the laundry bags are much bigger and boxier, understandably because they are to carry lots of items.

Nuntawan Sakuntanaga, director general of the Commerce Ministry's Intellectual Property Department, assured people there was nothing to worry about.

Actress Pachrapa Chaichua, posted a picture of her bag to her 5.9 million Instagram followers

Some people in Thailand have reportedly been concerned that they will be prosecuted for carrying the copy-cat bags around, pictured women show their bags off on Instagram

A blue striped version of the bag during the fashion show at Paris Fashion Week, which mixed and matched clashing prints

At a press conference on Tuesday, she said the bags were not illegal as they were not the same material, or purporting to be a Balenciaga bag with a fake trademark.

PLASTIC VERSUS FANTASTIC...BUT DID BALENCIAGA INFRINGE ANY COPYRIGHT LAWS? Department of Intellectual Property Thailand director-general Nantawan Sakunkarn said at a press conference this week that the new Balenciaga handbag was not considered a copyright violation because the material is quite obviously different. The Bankgok Post reported: 'The rainbow bag has been used in Thailand for a long time. 'It's not illegal to carry it to Europe as it's not a copycat. 'If one intends to copy, the material, pattern, shape and colour must be the same.' Advertisement

The Georgian designer added that his main concern was for designs to be functional.

Demna Gvasalia told The Cut: 'My intention is not to make clothes that are completely new, or to be in a museum  as long as something is practical and somebody needs it in her wardrobe, then it makes sense to me.'

Demna was a co-founder of label Vetements but left to helm the luxury label,

The designer mixed and matched clashing prints to create flowing dresses with handkerchief hems teamed with red and white striped tights while other looks seemed to evoke dowdy secretaries with sculptural interpretations of an office suit teamed with polo neck jumpers and large glasses.

Flesh was definitely not on show with skin covered by baggy styles or flowing fabric.
She says she does the tattoos for free to 'give back to the community'

Women who have been tattooed have thanked Ms Moore for her work

She gives free tattoos for women to have their

After dealing with grueling breast cancer treatments and beating the disease, the last thing survivors want is a daily reminder of the surgeries that they had to go through.

But for many women who require mastectomies, they are left with large scars from where they had part or all of their breast removed. For those for whom reconstructive surgery isn't an option, the scars remain.

Susan Moore, a tattoo artist from Brisbane, Australia, is trying to turn these scars into something more meaningful and beautiful for cancer survivors by giving them free tattoos.

Transformation: A tattoo artist for 22 years, Susan Moore is giving women who have had mastectomies free tattoos to cover up their scars

Turning scars into beauty: Ms Moore did her first mastectomy tattoo 18 months ago and decided to do more for free to 'give back to the community'

Although the 55-year-old had been a tattoo artist for 22 years and had covered scars before, she only did her first mastectomy tattoo 18 months ago.

Before her first mastectomy client Ms Moore said she assumed that scars from the surgery were fairly neat and tidy.

'When I saw it, it thoroughly shocked me. I thought "oh my god, a surgeon leaves people like this?" I had no idea that people were being left in such a difficult way,' she explained to Daily Mail Australia.

Giving back: Ms Moore (right) gives out free mastectomy tattoos despite being on a low income herself, and caring for her husband who has a disability

'It thoroughly shocked me': Ms Moore said that she didn't realise how mastectomy scars looked, assuming they were 'neat and tidy'

After her first mastectomy client was so grateful for the tattoo, Ms Moore decided to offer free tattoos to any women who wanted mastectomy scars covered as a way to 'give back to the community'.

She gives out free tattoos despite being on a low income herself. Ms Moore only tattoos part-time as she cares for her husband who has a disability.

Her work has such an impact on the women who have their scars covered that many of them write to her. One client, Ms Moore said, wrote her such a powerful email it brought her to tears.

'I see a thing of beauty now': The tattoos given breast cancer survivors power over how their body looks after chemotherapy and surgeries (pictured, another tattoo by Moore)

'Not a day goes by where I'm not extremely grateful for the work that you did on my tattoo,' her client wrote. 'Now when I look in the mirror I see a thing of beauty and not an awful reminder of the experiences of surgeries, chemo and radiation.'

One of Ms Moore's clients said that part of the reasons the tattoos were so incredible was that women are given back power to choose how their body will look.
A parenting expert is set to re-ignite the debate over co-sleeping, after revealing that almost half of mothers who share a bed with their babies will lie about it to health professionals.

Sarah Ockwell-Smith of the website Gentle Parenting commissioned a study of 600 parents which found that 46 per cent of parents hadn't admitted to sharing a bed with their newborns to a GP, midwife or health visitor about co-sleeping for fear of being judged.

The research was commissioned for her new book, Why Your Baby's Sleep Matters which argues that allowing babies to sleep in their parents' bed is in fact better than putting them in a cot and is safe if done the right way.

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Sarah Ockwell-Smith of the website Gentle Parenting commissioned a study of 600 parents which found that 46 per cent of parents had lied to a GP, midwife or health visitor about co-sleeping for fear of being judged

The-mother-of-four from Bedfordshire told FEMAIL: 'NICE (The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence) don't say, "Don't bed share". They say parents should be helped to make an informed choice.

'Lots of health professionals are completely misinterpreting this and telling parents not to do it. I'm just really worried that by telling people not to do it they're putting more babies at risk.

'Surely it makes more sense for parents to know how to do it correctly.'

Sarah believes that mothers are keeping quiet about co-sleeping out of a sense of fear.

'It's not just being judged the parents fear, but they think: "If I admit this am I going to be reported to social services?",' she said. 'Many people won't even tell their friends or family. It's a taboo.'

According to Sarah, many parents don't admit that they co-sleep because they fear being judged by helath professionals, or worse - being reported to social services

Sarah maintains that if done properly, co-sleeping is entirely safe as long as certain guidelines are followed.

'If you take all the risks into consideration, there is no evidence to say it is not safe,' she said.

'You need to keep the duvet and pillows well away. The baby should be on the outside of the bed beside the mum and separate from dad or any other siblings.

PARENTS GIVEN CONFLICTING ADVICE ON CO-SLEEPING The clinical director of the NHS watchdog last year admitted guidelines for preventing cot deaths are confusing. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) had published advice for England and Wales which tells parents there is a strong link between co-sleeping and cot death, or Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. But guidelines do not tell women they shouldnt bring their babies into bed  even though it makes the risk of death five times higher. The watchdog stopped short of telling women not to take babies to bed in case the advice interfered with breastfeeding guidelines. Professor Mark Baker, NICE clinical director, said: Its quite a confusing message, it is not clear. Were not telling people not to co-sleep, we know that could get in the way with breastfeeding, but there is an association there with Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. He added: We are between a rock and hard place. The only recommendation we could have made would be to avoid co-sleeping, but it would be seen as incompatible with breastfeeding guidelines. Professor Bob Carpenter, from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, has estimated that around 120 cot deaths could be prevented every year in the UK if parents were advised not to co-sleep. Advertisement

'Common sense might seem to be to put the baby in the middle of the bed so they don't fall out, but this increases the risk of being rolled on.

'If the mum has long hair she should tie that back, and make sure there's no cords or anything dangling from her nightwear.'

However, there are risk factors that have been shown to increase the chances of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).

'Many experts believe it's only safe for breastfed babies,' Sarah said.

Formula-fed babies - without the immunity-boosting properties of breast milk - should also be sleeping in their own cots rather than with their parents.

Also, mothers who have only bottle fed are more likely to place their baby up near their face, rather than at their chest, so they are on the pillow and could be at increased risk of suffocation.

'Breastfeeding mums sleep very differently,' Sarah explained. 'They sleep much more lightly and are more in tune with the baby. They make a protective frame around the baby.

'What we know from the research is that it [co-sleeping] can be really dangerous. For example, if the mother smokes or smoked during pregnancy, even if she doesn't now, and if her partner smokes.

'So smoking is a big no-no, and alcohol is a big no-no. Nobody knows how much alcohol is safe so even if you have a glass of wine it could be a risk.'

Medication is also a factor and Sarah points out that a lot of mums might be taking post-birth analgaesics to relieve pain.

One of the parents questioned for the study, Amy Hardcastle, admitted that she had failed to mention co-sleeping with her son Max to her health visitor when she brought up the subject.

'A health visitor said: "And you know not to sleep with him",' she said.

'We didnt know what we were doing. We just knew he hated his Moses basket, so we rolled up two big towels and put them either side of him and had our duvet at our hips. But I didnt want to be told off and told I had to let him cry.'

Fellow mother Steph Randall, admitted: 'I lied. I just told my health visitor that my baby sleeps fine. The truth is that she sleeps fine if shes always in total body contact with me. At six months she still sleeps across my body in bed.'

Sarah Ockwell-Smith says that the baby should sleep on the outside of the bed and not between the parents to reduce the risk of the father rolling on to the child (picture posed by models)

Laura Dobson from Burnley, Lancashire confessed that she'd shared her bed with her baby daughter Poppy after she developed reflux.

'At that point she was only a week old and it had been drummed into me: "Do not sleep with your baby, it causes death." But I was so tired and she wouldnt settle anywhere but with me.

'When asked by the health visitor if we ever did Id say, "No, never".'

It had been drummed into me: 'Do not sleep with your baby, it causes death.' When asked by the health visitor if we ever did Id say, 'No, never'. Co-sleeping mum Laura Dobson

Some parents co-sleep for the feeling of closeness, while many will do it to facilitate breastfeeding.

Research has found that mothers who bed-share were twice as likely to breastfeed their baby for at least six months than mothers who began breastfeeding but didnt bed-share.

In many cases babies simply won't settle in their own beds and having them in the bed is the only way for exhausted parents - and infants - to get any sleep.

Sarah agrees that both these factors are the biggest benefits of allowing your baby to share your bed.

'The biggest benefit is it really helps with breastfeeding,' she said. 'It will mean the baby is breastfed for longer, so why are we not doing every possible thing to encourage that? It's ridiculous, considering breastfeeding is said to reduce the risk of SIDS.

'The other biggest benefit is that they sleep better. If you look at other mammals we are the only one that doesn't sleep in direct contact with their young. Nature is giving us a pretty big clue there.

'I'm not saying that everyone should be doing it but for babies that are only happy when connected with the mum it's the best option.

'The proximity to the mother also helps regulate the baby's temperature and breathing.

'And research shows that babies who bed share go on to have a slightly higher IQ and are less likely to be obese, possibly because they get that connection and don't need to calm themselves down with food.'

However, NICE guidelines, last updated at the end of 2014, state that Department of Health advice that it's safest for a baby to sleep on its back in its own cot or Moses basket in the parents' room for the first six months still stands.

More than 200 babies in England and Wales die unexpectedly in their sleep every year.

In 2013, the largest ever study of its type found the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) was five times higher even when neither parent smoked, and the baby was less than 3 months old, breastfed and the mother did not drink or take drugs, than if the baby had slept in a cot next to their parents bed.

Although the causes of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) are still largely unknown, it's said that the risk is higher for parents who co-sleep with their children, who have also been drinking alcohol, smoking or taking drugs of medication. The risk is also increased in babies who have been born prematurely.
Joey's casket was brought on a mule-drawn wagon and her husband Rory spoke at the service

On Saturday, her husband Rory took to his blog to describe the funeral and honor his wife's 'beautiful life'

Joey Feek was laid to rest Tuesday in a private ceremony in her barn followed by a burial in a family cemetery

Joey Feek's husband has described the celebration of the country singer's 'beautiful life' in a poignant post following her funeral.

The 40-year-old was laid to rest on Tuesday in an intimate private ceremony followed by her burial in the family cemetery on the grounds of her Tennessee farm.

On Saturday, Rory, 49, took to his blog This Life I Live to talk about the funeral and how he and Joey's family honored her.

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Sharing the story: Joey Feek's husband Rory (pictured with the couple's daughter Indiana) has blogged about his wife's funeral in a poignant post

Laying to rest: Joey was buried in the family cemetery at her farm, carried there on a mule-drawn wagon

Family: Joey (left) passed away on Friday, March 4, at the age of 40

'On Tuesday we laid my beautiful wife to rest,' he wrote. 'In a grove of sassafras trees behind our farmhouse, with friends and family gathered around, we said goodbye to the greatest person I have ever known.'

He described how the service began in the family's barn, where he and Joey had sung together on stage back in October. As the service began, It Is Well With My Soul by The Isaacs

'It was tearful, but it was optimistic, especially being on the dirt,' said the couple's close friend Bill Gaither in an interview with People.

Bill spoke at the service as well as pastor Jerry Young, who baptized Joey in her hometown in Indiana, Rory's sister Marcy Gary, Joey's best friend Julie Zamboldi and more.

Rory himself spoke at the funeral and, writing about it on Saturday, said: 'When it came my time to speak, I walked up on the stage and stood looking at my wifes sweet picture and words were not enough to let her know how much she meant to me - how much she still means to me.'

Friends and family: Close friend Bill Gaither (pictured) was one of several loved ones of the country singer to speak at her service

Saying goodbye: Rory Fee, 49, spoke of how he was overwhelmed seeing the picture of his beautiful wife in the spotlight on the stage

Going home: Rory wrote in a blog how it was Joey's 'one hope' to 'come home' on a beautiful day

The journey: Rory and Joey's daughter Indiana followed the procession on her father's shoulders

The service was followed by a video celebrating Joey's life before the guests made their way to the cemetery along a team of mules that pulled Joey's casket to the grave site on a 19th century wagon.

'Joeys one hope was that she could come home on a beautiful day and it oh, it was,' wrote Rory. 'The daffodils were blooming, the grass was green and sky was bright blue.'

He continued: 'As the guests made their way to the family cemetery behind our barn Eight angelic voices led a procession singing Down By The River To Pray all the way out to the family plot.'

Joey and Rory's daughter Indiana followed along on her father's shoulders to the site, where Tennessee pastor Mike Glenn spoke before the casket was lowered into the ground.

'And then we took a deep breath and did what Joey would want us to do,' he wrote. 'We remembered that shes still with us. Shell always be with us. In our hearts. Forever.'

'It was just a sweet Tennessee mountain moment. Very positive things were said at the gravesite,' said Bill Gaither.

Bill also said he spoke to Rory the next day after he had enrolled the couple's daughter two-year-old Indiana at school, and he told him; 'This is the first day of the rest of my life. I have responsibilities.'

Rory shared a photo last Sunday of the backyard of the couple's Tennessee ranch, writing; '...making plans that I hoped we would never have to make.'

He had previously revealed that Joey would be buried in the family cemetery on their ranch.

Making way: Also following in the procession were 'eight angelic voices' who 'led a procession singing Down By The River To Pray all the way out to the family plot'

Coming together: Rory wrote of how the funeral attracted friends that they hadn't seen in months or years all to celebrate Joey's lives

The day: Bill described the event as 'sweet Tennessee mountain moment'

Rory wrote last week: 'We do have horses nowwell, the two that I got for Joey for her birthday this last fall (though she and I only got to see them a couple of times before our lives took us back to the Cancer Center in Atlanta and then here to her hometown in Indiana).

'And unfortunately, she will never get to ride those or any horses again.

'They will instead be grazing in the pasture around the family cemetery in the back field behind our farmhouse, where my bride will soon rest.'

Joey passed away last Friday March 4, 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 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.

Home: Rory shared a photo of him and daughter Indiana greeting the two horses on their farm over the weekend

Best friends: 'Indy's happy to see her best friend Scout (and Scouty's little brother Ash),' wrote Rory

'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.'

'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.'

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

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 the previous 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.

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 last Monday morning that the terminally-ill star had just a 'few more days'

Love: Joey's husband Rory shared the tragic news last week, 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 came 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 eight 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 travel writer and accessibility consultant has lifted the lid on the bizarre secret world of devoteeism, the term given to people who find disability sexually arousing.

Emily Yates, 24, who has cerebral palsy investigated the phenomenon for a BBC3 documentary Meet The Devotees, and was shocked to discover that seeing people struggle is a major reason why some are aroused by things such as wheelchairs and amputations.

As part of her research she made a video of herself transferring from her wheelchair to her car to experience the reaction from the devotee community first hand, which received more than 4,000 views on a porn site.

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Emily Yates, 24, who has cerebral palsy investigated the phenomenon of devoteeism, in which people are attracted to disability, for a BBC3 documentary Meet The Devotees

The travel writer and accessibility consultant first investigated devoteeism when someone commented 'pretty cripple' on this Facebook photo of her on the way to a university ball

Emily first learned of devoteeism when she posted a picture of herself on the way to a university ball and someone commented, 'pretty cripple'.

She wondered why someone would use such a term and began to investigate.

'Then I discovered it's actually "a thing",' she explains. 'Men and women who get turned on by disability. They're called devotees and there's thousands of them online in specialist chat rooms.'

As she investigates the devotee world, her first port of call is a visit to the 'Para Princess' in Cardiff.

Emily meets Leah Caprice, and adult performer who has been wheelchair bound since breaking her back. Leah started making videos on her laptop while she was still in hospital as she didn't want her disability to change her career

Leah explained to Emily that most devotees would prefer to see a video of her rolling around on the floor than something overtly sexy

Leah Caprice was working in the sex industry and making videos when she broke her back and is now wheelchair bound.

'When I broke my back I was in hospital, it was a bit of a culture shock. I wasn't ready to be all borning in a wheelchair and give it all up,' Leah tells Emily.

'So a guy I was seeing brought a laptop in for me, he didn't know my intentions, and I started googling wheelchair porn. I started working from my hospital bed.'

They look at one of Emily's videos in which she lifts up her top to reveal her bra, and then shrugs it off from under her top before playfully waving it in the air.

'I wanted them to see a girl in a wheelchair flashing is just as sexy as a girl who can walk getting naked in public,' Leah explains.

Emily is impressed that her video focuses on being sexy rather than on the disabled body.

'To me, that's like you're saying: "Yes, I'm in a wheelchair but I'm still feminine and my body's really sexy. I think that's great".'

However, Leah explains that her being empowered and sexy is not in fact what a lot of devotees want to see.

'What was really popular and what I've done a lot of is showering, drying and moisturising and getting dressed,' she explains. 'They're generally happy with you rolling around on the floor.

'They like to watch the struggle, which is a bit sick to think of but that's one bit of feedback I've had. They like you to use the words "dead legs", "floppy feet", and "struggling" or any synonym for that.

Although she makes videos such as this 'flashing' scene, Leah admits that devotees prefer to see the struggle of disability

Leah receives requests for videos of her doing everyday tasks such as showering, moisturising and getting dressed (pictured)

'It's like everything's such hard work. Everything's such a drama. It's not sex they want to see. They want to see disability.'

Emily is shocked and admits she finds it 'so weird' that the devotees find the disability itself attractive.

She also goes to visit Charlotte Fielder who was awarded an MBE for her work supporting children with upper limb deficiencies.

Charlotte was born missing a hand, and in 2009 she discovered that her photo had been taken from Facebook and put on a porn site, where it was receiving obscene comments.

She's also seen people photographing her covertly on the train and says she hates the 'voyeurism' and covertness that some devotees engage them, pointing out a video of people secretly filmed in public by someone called the 'cripple hunter'.

Emily's documentary revealed that a lot of disability porn doesn't necessarily show anything overtly sexual as the devotees are often simply turned on by the disability itself, such as an amputated limb (pictured)

Another example of a picture branded pornographic by devotees simply shows a disabled woman moving around

'Some of these amputee devotees are extremely dangerous,' she says. 'They will go to any lengths to get their material. So they will create fake profiles, pretend to be fellow amputees.

'They will do anything they can to get into a relationship with you. It's the emotional damage it does to people when they're at their most vulnerable.'

She adds that people should think of amputee devotees as being similar in some respects to paedophiles.

'I know it sounds extreme but some of the elements are very similar - pretending to be other people, trying to arrange to meet and targeting and grooming the younger people because they think they're more likely to be agreeable,' she says.

Emily speaks to several devotees online who try to give her an insight into why they find disability arousing.

Emily wants to better understand what makes devotees tick and starts conversing with them online to figure out what it is about disability they find arousing

'My ultimate fantasy would be a lady whose a double amputee with one leg amputated above the knee and one leg below the knee,' one man tells her. 'I'm drawn towards the asymmetry of it.'

'I like seeing them move,' another admits.

A woman explains: 'I started looking at able bodied people and thinking it would be better if they were quadriplegic, I would be more interested.'

'What really turns me on would be amputees,' a male devotee explains. 'I like the way stumps look. I like seeing them move around. '

But he adds: 'Part of the reason I like them is something really bad happened to them. I don't feel very good about that.

She even goes all the way to New York to meet a male devotee called Gray in person, who meets her on condition that he can remain anonymous.

The married-father-of two's wife is unaware of his interest in disability.

Charlotte Fielder (pictured left) who was awarded an MBE for her work supporting children with upper limb deficiencies, had her Facebook picture stolen and posted on a porn site where it receive obscene comments

He tells her: 'You're beautiful. I love seeing your feet and your legs. I thought they were very sexy and very nice.

'A long leg brace or a wheelchair is like a party dress. When I was very young I realised I saw women with disabilties different to how other people did. I saw beauty and femininity and other people might feel sorry for them.

'Most of the ones I knew were girls who had polio because I was of the first generation that had polio vaccines. So there were many older girls with long leg braces or wheelchairs and I thought they were pretty sexy.'

He recalls falling in love on the first day of eighth grade when a new girl joined his class.

'She had a proximal femoral focal deficiency,' he explains. 'A very short leg and one arm and to me she was obviously the most gorgeous woman in the whole school district.'

One female devotee (left) told Emily that she often looks at people and thinks she'd have more interest in the if they were paraplegic. Another man (right) confesses that his ultimate fantasy is a woman who is a double amputee as he likes the asymmetry

Emily travels to New York to meet a married father called Gray who tells her that her feet and legs are sexy and describes a leg brace as being like a party dress. As a child he was attracted to older girls who were in wheelchairs or wore leg braces because of polio

Gray concludes: 'I find my relationships with women with disabilities - there is a lot of intimacy that you don't have with women who aren't disabled.'

While in the US, she meets with novelist Ruth Madison who writes books about devoteeism.

Emily seems taken aback when she enters her house to discover a wheelchair by her desk.

'My office chair is a wheelchair,' she says. 'I got this off eBay. It kind of gets me in the mood, inspired to write dev stuff.

'I was really young when I first realised I was having these feelings - three or four years old. The one thing that followed immediately was that I knew I couldn't let anybody know. There was something really horribly wrong about this and people would hate me if they knew.'

Devotee Emily Madison was aware of her interest in disability from a very young age and found watching Mary Poppins a sexual experience because of a scene in which an old man struggles to walk with a cane

Ruth recalls two significant experiences in childhood which made her realise she was attracted to disability. One was visiting her grandparents in a nursing home and seeing people in wheelchairs.

Another was watching the scene in Mary Poppins where an old man called Mr Dawes appears as Mr Dawes is taking Michael and Jane on a tour of the bank where he works.

Mr Dawes walks with a cane and struggles to stay on his feet as he makes his way down some steps.

'Mary Poppins was a sexual experience because of the scene of the man in the bank who uses a cane. It's still sexy, it's deeply imprinted on me,' Ruth admits.

IS DEVOTEEISM HARMFUL? Dr Michael First, professor of clinical psychiatry at Columbia University, explains that devoteeism is an 'umbrella term'. 'It includes certain individuals who have something that's more like a fetish and others that have something that's more like an orientation. So it's a manic issue really,' he says. 'Fetishes by and large have the potential for harm because they can interfere with the ability to develop a form a mutual caring relationship. 'So certain people who are devotees that have the version of it that's very fetishised, where they're focusing on a body part for example rather than the person, they have the potential to stand in the way of developing a mutual relationship.' Advertisement

She also admits that she just doesn't find people who are able-bodied attractive and struggled to be aroused by a previous partner when she couldn't see obvious signs of his disability.

'The wheelchair itself can be attractive,' she explains. 'When we were in bed together I couldn't see his disability at all so that would sometimes hamper things for me and I'd be looking over to the side at his chair or his cane to keep me going.

'Disability is a really important part of my sex life. I don't orgasm without it.'

After the meeting Emily says she feels 'more empowered about the effect it has on others', and decides that she's going to make her own video to experience the reaction from the community first hand.

She wants to find out if it makes her feel empowered, feminine and sexy, or simply 'creeped out'.

She's previously posted a request online for devotees to tell her what they would want to see in such a video, and has received a huge response.

One man tells her: 'Transfer from or to the bed/wheelchair. Less clothes as possible. Clear view of feet and legs. Some spasms would be great too.'

Emily becomes tearful as she admits that the 'lack of performance' required is upsetting.

'What they're asking me to do is kind of just do something I do every day and I possibly find quite difficult so they can get off on it,' she says.

Emily decides that she's going to make her own video to experience the reaction from the community first hand

A video of Emily transferring from her wheelchair to her car gets more than 4000 views on a porn site, but she decides that she would not want to fetishise her disability

As she prepares for the video, she puts on make up but admits that it's 'pointless' and says it's just to make herself feel good, as she knows everyone will be focused on her feet and legs.

She films herself leaving the house and going to her car, where she uses her hands to pull herself in and then picks up her wheelchair from beside the car door.

Emily uploads the video to a porn site, where it receives more than 4000 views, but says that she feels uncomfortable with fetishising her disability.

'It's definitely helped me to understand this world better,' she says. 'Each to their own as long as everyone's safe. But it's not for me.
A woman who claimed her 'devoted' husband left after being 'ripped to shreds' on Jeremy Kyle says she rues the day he ever agreed to take part in the show.

Heartbroken Crissy Kenny, 56, from Tamworth, claims the ITV star ruined her marriage after her 'devoted' hubsand of nine years dumped her the day before their anniversary - just one day after he was criticised by Kyle.

Fergus Kenny went on the controversial show for a reunion with his 19-year-old daughter - but wife Crissy claims he came home a different man, and just a day later he walked out on her.

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Crissy Kenny, 56, above, from Tamworth in the West Midlands, was devastated when her husband Fergus walked out of their nine-year marriage after he appeared on the daytime TV programme The Jeremy Kyle show

The heartbroken woman claims Jeremy Kyle ruined her marriage after her hubby Fergus, (left, on the day of their wedding), dumped her the day before their anniversary - just one day after he was ripped to shreds by the TV host. Crissy said the pair, who are both ex-squaddies, were devoted to each other

Crissy said the pair, who are both ex-squaddies, were devoted to each other - and she can't understand what happened to make Fergus up and leave.

A month on, despite numerous text and phone calls the only contact Fergus has made with devastated Crissy was to ask if he could have their caravan in Skegness - where they usually spend their anniversary.

Crissy, 56, who has three children and nine grandchildren, said: 'We used to watch Jeremy Kyle every day, and we'd sit here in amazement at the way he talks to people - it's absolutely abysmal.

'We're both ex-army - if we'd ever spoken to any soldier in the way Jeremy Kyle speaks to people we'd have been disciplined at the very least.

'Fergus always used to say he'd never go on there and air his dirty laundry in public.

'When he got the letter from the show asking him to go on, I tried to warn him against it - but he thought it would be a great opportunity for a reunion with his kids.

'Now my life has been left in tatters - they crucified him on that stage, and he came home a completely different man.'

A month on, despite numerous text and phone calls the only contact Fergus has made with devastated Crissy was to ask if he could have their caravan in Skegness - where they usually spend their anniversary

Fergus initially received a letter on February 7, asking him to call to speak to a Jeremy Kyle researcher.

They asked if he was prepared to go onto the show for a reunion with his daughter Hayley, who claimed he abandoned her and her 17-year-old twin brothers Sean and Ciaran 10 years ago.

But Crissy said that while Fergus hadn't seen his children for a long time, he did everything he could to see them and was in contact with them via text and phone calls over the years.

Acid-tongued Kyle branded Fergus a 'disgrace' and 'waste of space', and told him he had failed his children.

Crissy fears Kyle's harsh words humiliated Fergus, 46, sparking a mental breakdown.

Crissy said: 'They never gave Fergus the chance to put his side across, Jeremy never let him speak - he just kept talking over him.

Fergus, above right when he was in the army, received a letter on February 7, asking him to call to speak to a Jeremy Kyle researcher. They asked if he was prepared to go onto the show for a reunion with his daughter Hayley, who claimed he abandoned her and her 17-year-old twin brothers Sean and Ciaran 10 years ago

Acid-tongued Kyle branded Fergus a 'disgrace' and 'waste of space', and told him he had failed his children. Crissy, above, left in her army days, fears Kyle's words humiliated Fergus, 46, sparking a mental breakdown

'Jeremy Kyle takes his own issues out on everyone that goes on that stage - he should be impartial, he's not the right person to do that job..

'Fergus went there on the assumption that it was just a nice reunion and it would all be OK.

'But they picked up on his weaknesses and made him look like an idiot and a bad dad - I warned him that would happen, I'd begged him not to go on there.

'When he came home I asked him how it went - he said it was 'crap' and 'sh*t' and I just stared at him in shock - it was so out of character, he never swears and he's not confrontational or a liar.

'We barely spoke all evening, he just went straight to bed - we normally say 'goodnight' and 'love you' every night, and we rarely argue but if we do we never go to sleep on an argument.

'We've been together nine years and married six, but we're still in that honeymoon phase - we do everything together, we always have done.

'But suddenly Fergus wasn't there anymore, and it felt like a death.'

Crissy, who is crippled by arthritis and fibromyalgia, has been looked after by her daughter Natasha since Fergus, who was her full-time carer, left. Fergus is now living in Leicester - but Crissy is still searching for answers to find out why Fergus walked out on her

The day that Fergus left Crissy got a phone call from Tamworth Borough Council asking if Fergus was homeless. She says she was gobsmacked, and said 'no of course not, he lives with me'. However Fergus had registered himself as homeless. Crissy is worried about him as he suffers with depression and PTSD

The next day, the day before the couple's anniversary, Fergus packed a bag and walked out of their home in Tamworth, West Mids.

Crissy said: 'I thought he'd just gone out for a walk to clear his head, maybe have a fag, and then he'd come back to talk properly.

'But he never came home - it was all completely out of the blue.

'My grandchildren are devastated, they keep asking where 'Bampy' is - the younger ones have grown up with him around, and don't understand why he's not here.' Crissy Kenny

'Later that day I got a phone call from Tamworth Borough Council asking if Fergus was homeless - I was gobsmacked, I said 'no of course not, he lives with me'.

'They asked if we'd had an argument and I said no - but for some reason he'd gone to the council and told them he was homeless.

'The next day, our anniversary, I phoned the police and reported him as a missing person - I'd been texting and ringing him but got no answer, and I was getting worried as he struggles with depression and PTSD.'

That was a month ago, and other than two text messages Crissy has had no contact with Fergus.

Crissy, who is crippled by arthritis and fibromyalgia, has been looked after by her daughter Natasha since Fergus, who was her full-time carer, left.

Fergus is now living in Leicester, after service veterans charity Once We Were Soldiers helped him find a new home - but Crissy is still searching for answers to find out why Fergus walked out on her.

The pair met when they were in the army together - sergeant Crissy as a chef in the Royal Signals, and Fergus a lance corporal with the Irish Fusiliers.

Fergus - who claims he did not walk out, but Crissy asked him to leave - said: 'The Jeremy Kyle Show was the final nail in the coffin for our marriage - but I don't want to go into it any further

Both were medically discharged in 2008, and tied the knot at Lichfield Register Office in 2010.

Crissy said: 'When we first met, I sort of became his confidant - we grew closer and closer until we eventually got together. Our marriage was completely rock solid - we were the envy of everyone around us. People would always say to me 'why can't my husband be like Fergus?' - he was devoted to me.'

Friends even described the relationship as perfect, adding to Crissy's confusion. 'Everyone could just see the love between us as soon as they saw us. People don't say things like that if you're on a rocky road - we had the perfect marriage,' she said.

Crissy said: 'Since Fergus went on that show my life has been horrendous - I lie awake every night crying, asking why - what happened to make him just walk out without a word? I feel like I'm grieving for him'

'Since Fergus went on that show my life has been horrendous - I lie awake every night crying, asking why - what happened to make him just walk out without a word? I feel like I'm grieving for him. I need him back - he's my soulmate and I'd do anything to have him back with me.'

And Crissy isn't the only one feeling the loss of Fergus. She said: 'My grandchildren are devastated, they keep asking where Bampy is - the younger ones have grown up with him around, and don't understand why he's not here.'

Fergus - who claims he did not walk out, but Crissy asked him to leave - said: 'The Jeremy Kyle Show was the final nail in the coffin for our marriage - but I don't want to go into it any further.

'Crissy told me not to go on it, but I just thought it would be a nice family reunion.

'But Jeremy Kyle made me look like a monster - they turned the facts upside down and got everything completely wrong, and made me look the the worst dad ever. The whole show was completely one-sided - Jeremy Kyle ripped me to shreds, he's a monster.'
An English chef who opened a restaurant in France called The Fat Duck could be forced to change its name after being hit with a stern legal warning from Heston Blumenthal.

Jason Annetts, 41, from Cambridge, received the letter from the inventive chef's Parisian lawyers after opening the restaurant in Confolens.

However, the father-of-one insists that the name was not inspired by the three Michelin starred restaurant in Bray, Berkshire - but by his one-year-old daughter Maisie, whose first word was 'duck'.

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The Fat Duck Bistro in Confolens, western France, with head chef, Jason Annetts, who received letters from the Parisian lawyers of Heston Blumenthal asking him to 'cease and desist'

Blumenthal's The Fat Duck in Bray, Berkshire has been going for 20 years and has won multiple awards. However, the Michelin chef hasn't registered the name 'The Fat Duck' in France

Jason said: 'I received a cease and desist letter from Heston Blumenthal's lawyers in Paris. I couldn't read it. I don't understand French yet. I'd only been here for nine months then.'

'Why would someone of his stature be bothered by me? I'm just a pub chef, I make good fresh grub. I don't understand why a chef of his calibre would be bothered by someone like me.'

Jason moved to France in March 2015 with his partner and his daughter, Maisie, one.

Becoming a father made Jason reassess his life. Until then he was running a pub, hotel and restaurant - working anything up to 80 hours a week.

He said: 'My parents retired to France 12 years ago. I then took over their pub, the Three Horseshoes, in Houghton, near Cambridge. I built the business up, renovating the pub, putting in a new kitchen and restaurant area.'

If he continued with that lifestyle, Jason feared that it was likely he would only have only snatched moments with his little girl. He also reasoned that growing up in a rural French village would give Maisie a better upbringing too.

Jason Annetts, pictured in his 'Fat Duck', opened the restaurant in France but hasn't yet learned the language. He describes his restaurant as 'Just a regular bistro with 30 covers. We offer burgers, Caesar salads...'

Her explained: 'Five years ago my parents suggested that I move to France too. It's taken me that long to sell the place in the UK. They were interested in buying a restaurant with me running it. It was too good an offer to turn down.'

The British business was sold last spring and Jason and his family moved to the picturesque village of Confolens. They bought the restaurant and then spent six months renovating it in the expat-dominated village in the Charante department with Jason's parents.

His daughter Maisie's first word was 'duck' and so he thought it would be an endearing nod to her in calling his restaurant The Fat Duck.

He said: 'Maisie is a vivacious, individual little character. When she pointed at the picture of a duck and said it, my heart melted. Whose wouldn't?'

'It was really sweet. It was one of those moments I'll treasure forever. It's a tribute to my daughter, that's all. I wouldn't want to copy anyone else, that's unthinkable.'

Jason was adamant that his bistro would have a British name - so everyone would know his background.

He said: 'I'm not French, I don't even speak the lingo yet. But I didn't want a name that is French. While we're fortunate to have been made so welcome, that's not who we are.'

Annetts' daughter, Maisie, one, pictured inspired The Fat Duck Bistro's name because her first word was 'duck'. 'When she pointed at the picture of a duck and said it, my heart melted,' says Jason

Michelin-starred chef Heston Blumenthal, pictured in his lab in Bray next to the Fat Duck, made his name with experimental cuisine such as snail porridge and egg and bacon ice cream

'I'd be lying if I said I hadn't heard of The Fat Duck in the UK. But there are lots of restaurants and pubs with the same name in the UK.'

While Blumenthal taught himself how to cook. Jason went to Bristol university to study for a degree in Bar and Hotel Management.

The father-of-one estimates he has now clocked up more than 25 years experience of working in a kitchen.

'I like cooking,' he said. 'For me there's no place better than being in a kitchen. I've never had any ambition to be a big cook. The highlight of my week is serving up our Sunday carvery. The expats love it, but it's taking the French time to understand what it is.'

The restaurant opened at the end of last year. Jason describes it as: 'Just a regular bistro with 30 covers. We offer burgers, Caesar salads, risottos, steak and chips, classic dishes that are prepared using local produce.'

Heston Blumenthal is not believed to have registered the name 'The Fat Duck' in France.

FORGET FRANCE...THEY CAN'T GET ENOUGH OF HESTON DOWN UNDER After the success of the Melbourne Fat Duck and the opening of Dinner last year, Australian foodies are set to get another taste of the renowned British chef, Heston Blumenthal, when he opens four hidden pop-up restaurants in Melbourne this March. The 'Hidden Heston' restaurants will pop up for one night only in separate secret locations across the city, in a move that is associated with MasterChef Australia and Channel 10's 'Heston Week'. Open for just one service only, the tickets are bound to go like hotcakes, especially when you take into account that the menus will be available absolutely free of charge. Clues to the whereabouts of each pop-up are a closely guarded secret, and they will not be released until the restaurant is ready to open its doors to the public. To receive an invitation, lucky diners will have to solve clues posted on MasterChef Australia's Facebook, Instagram and Twitter accounts. People will also have to explain why they want to attend the pop-up in 25 words or less. The venture has already been described as a completely 'unique dining experience'. Advertisement

Indeed there are other restaurants, not associated with Mr Blumenthal's restaurant, that use the same name in Canada, Australia and Malaysia. Which has left Jason even more puzzled as to why he is going to such extreme lengths to get him to change the name.

He said: 'We are a bistro. I'm based in a supportive community with a great way of life. Our customers are fifty per cent French, the rest are expats. Why would he be so threatened by me?

'I don't want to change the name of my restaurant. I like it.

I'd love to invite Heston Blumenthal to dine at my Fat Duck. If only so that he can see how different we are. He's really good at what he does  but I'm not bad at serving up a blend of good honest Anglo-French food.

'I haven't looked at his website  I daren't. But I understand his menu is a fixed price of 225 per person  without wine. He could bring five friends with him for that  and still have change left over. I'm definitely not competition for him.'

A spokesperson for The Fat Duck said: 'It's unfortunate that we have had to take this route but we have been in contact with Mr Annetts for sometime now and hope the matter will be resolved soon.

'While it might be flattering that he has chosen to use the same name when he opened last year, we have been operating for over 20 years and, given our worldwide reputation, need to ensure there is no confusion for our guests.
The scientist dubbed China's 'Doctor Frankenstein' believes he may be just months away from performing the first head transplant on a living human being.

Dr Xiaoping Ren shocked the world earlier this year when it was revealed that his team had carried out a successful head transplant on a monkey  and that it lived for 20 hours.

Now, in the first report from inside his secretive laboratory in the frozen north of China, The Mail on Sunday can disclose that Dr Ren, 55, has operated on hundreds of animals in his pursuit of a world first.

Experiment: Dr Xiaoping Ren and a colleague carry out a head transplant using mice

He is unapologetic in his ambition, and as for the comparison with Dr Frankenstein  made by China's own state media  he simply shrugs: 'I'm just doing my work as a scientist.'

Dr Ren, who worked in the United States for 15 years, confirmed his team was on the verge of a historic breakthrough. 'We are getting closer to our goal of a human head transplant,' he said. 'We can't say it will happen tomorrow  but I am not ruling out next year.'

The lavishly funded work is driven by China's determination to become a world leader in science. President Xi Jinping has ordered scientists to 'innovate' as their part in fulfilling what he calls the Chinese Dream.

Dr Ren is expected to conduct the operation on paralysed Russian Valery Spiridonov, 31, who has with severe muscular atrophy. He said: 'A human head transplant will be a new frontier in science. Some people say it is the last frontier in medicine. It is a very sensitive and very controversial subject but if we can translate it to clinical practice, we can save a lot of lives.'

He declined to say how many human corpses, pigs, mice or monkeys his team had practised transplants on, but said his work had the potential to save the lives of people paralysed from the neck down, as well as cancer patients and those with multiple organ failure.

Society had to overcome its abhorrence to the idea, he claimed. 'Many people say a head transplant is not ethical. But what is the essence of a person? A person is the brain not the body. The body is just an organ.'

Macabre: One of Dr Xiaoping Ren's monkeys with transplanted head

Dr Ren met me at his bustling orthopaedic clinic in Harbin's Medical University hospital, before taking me to his transplant laboratory on the campus on the outskirts of the remote city, where winter temperatures plunge to a bone-chilling minus 38C.

The walls are lined with boards charting landmarks in head transplant research, including pictures of a grotesque operation at the university in the 1950s when a second head was grafted on to the neck of a dog.

Born in Harbin, Dr Ren returned to China in 2012 after 15 years studying and working in the US. He left his wife and daughters behind and gave up a position at Cincinnati University to pursue his dream.

The Chinese government provided an initial 1 million to set up the laboratory using world-class equipment, and is giving ongoing annual grants to Dr Ren and his team of more than 20 specialists. They have conducted operations on 1,000 mice  sometimes grafting a black mouse's head on to a white mouse's body. None has survived for more than a day.

'Small animals are far away from humans,' Dr Ren said. 'Monkeys are closer to humans in anatomy and physiology but are very expensive. We cannot use them frequently.' According to Dr Ren, the transplant on a monkey takes 20 hours, and he expects a human head transplant to take 30 to 40 hours.

But critics have voiced concerns about the sourcing of bodies in China, where in recent years the organs of executed prisoners have been ruthlessly harvested for transplant surgery. Dr Ren insisted he is not interested in ethics but only in making the procedure surgically possible. He also dismissed concerns from animal welfare groups over his use of monkeys. 'If we really need a monkey for an important part of the project, we use a monkey. It is the same with universities everywhere.'

Animals were being experimented upon by his team 'almost every day', Dr Ren revealed, but they received the same levels of anaesthetic as a human would during an operation and did not suffer.
An adult patient has been given a new lease of life after receiving kidneys from a brain-dead baby.

Doctors used a ventilator to keep the babys heart beating after it was declared brain dead to best preserve the 4cm kidneys for transplant.

The parents agreed to donate their childs organs in the hope that their tragedy would give another person life.

A team from St Jamess University Hospital, Leeds, went to an undisclosed hospital for the operation late last year. The recipient is said to be doing well.

Doctors used a ventilator to keep the babys heart beating after it was declared brain dead to best preserve the 4cm kidneys for transplant (file photo)

It was the first time in Britain there has been such an operation on a beating heart baby donor so young  less than two months old  since rules changed.

If the operation followed the procedure of a typical kidney transplant, the ventilator would have been kept going while the surgeon exposed the organs. Then thin tubes would have been inserted into the kidneys containing a solution used to preserve organs until transplant.

The ventilator would then have been shut down, stopping the babys heart.

Until recently, organs could only be retrieved from a baby under two months old if it had first been certified dead as a result of the heart stopping.

That was because of questions over whether babies so young could accurately and reliably be diagnosed as brain dead.

Last April rules changed after doctors agreed tests could confirm irreversible brain death in infants, so doctors can tell parents their baby is brain dead rather than having to wait for the heart to stop.

The change will increase the number of young babies eligible to be donors.

Beating heart donors make up about 60 per cent of donors in other age groups. The Mail on Sunday reported last week that some doctors were proposing approaches over organ donation could be made to pregnant women who had decided against abortion despite being told their babies would not survive due to fatal defects. The NHS has stressed that families of such babies are not approached about donation.

Dr Paul Murphy, of NHS Blood and Transplant, said beating heart donors were typically kept on a ventilator for one to three days while brain death is assessed so that organ retrieval can be arranged.

The recipient had been suffering from serious kidney disease and was on a waiting list.

The medical team who carried out the procedure were from St James's University Hospital in Leeds

He said tests meant doctors could be absolutely certain of brain death  including in babies under two months.

A patients who is brain dead, is dead, he said. Organ function will be maintained, while the heart continues to beat. But the term alive or dead refers to whole bodies. Families understand this.

Doctors say beating heart donation from newborns who die would boost survival of those with severe congenital heart defects. Such is the shortage of donor baby hearts that the NHS flies them in from abroad.
We think of dating agencies as a recent invention, but Britains first marriage bureau was opened in 1939 by two forward-thinking women. Penrose Halson, who took over the agency in the 90s, reveals how matchmaking back then involved a whole lot more than just swiping right

Outside the offices of the Marriage Bureau dating agency in Londons Bond Street, 1952. Co-founder Heather Jenner knew that parents worried if their daughters remained single after the age of about 20

Ex-debutante Heather Jenner was 24, strikingly handsome, strong-minded and six feet tall with heavy blonde hair.

A suitable marriage at 19 was what was expected of her, to be followed by children, housekeeping and entertaining in furtherance of her husbands career. But Heather was feeling her way towards a less subservient existence.

Her marriage to a man in Ceylon quickly foundered and she sailed back to England.

At a Chelsea party she met Mary Oliver, petite and dark-haired, who had two broken engagements and had also failed to comply with the unwritten rules of her sex, age and class.

Lacking husbands, what were they to do next?

Their common determination to find a different future drew them together. That was when the idea for a marriage agency was born.

Mary had been given the idea by her uncle George, after the failure of her second engagement, to a man in India.

When you get back to England, why not do something about introducing all the single young men youve met here [in India] to marriage-minded young women in England?

Heather (left) and Mary Oliver matching clients in the 1939 Pathe documentary Cupids Labourers, which can be watched below. They both had friends who were living at home, leading very dull lives and meeting virtually no men

Heather knew that in all strata of society, parents worried if their daughters remained single after the age of about 20.

However, even in the aristocratic set, young women were starting to rebel against these expectations, refusing to be sent out to India in what was known as the Fishing Fleet: gaggles of scarcely educated girls who had failed to find a husband and so were dispatched by ship with the express purpose of finding one there.

These young women were beginning to demand equal education and the right to leave home, take a job and choose their own friends.

However, Britain was still enduring a severe economic crisis with high unemployment, and any girl who could live with her family was castigated as immoral if she took a job that a man could do.

Heather and Mary both had girlfriends who were living at home, leading very dull lives  being dutiful, doing good works, helping in the house and meeting virtually no men.

They resolved that their bureau marriages should be solidly grounded, ensuring that a man and a woman came from the same social background and had a similar attitude to finances.

They would have shared tastes and aspirations and probably be of the same religion.

They would charge a modest registration fee for a years introductions, and when a couple married they would pay an after marriage fee so that the bureau could prosper.

Heather with her fiance Michael Cox in 1942 and her dog Blanche

We had nobody to copy, no reference books to help us, Heather recalls.

We just had to rely on common sense, good taste and our certainty that we were doing something that was needed.

They visited estate agencies where a warm welcome greeted the two disarming, well-spoken young women.

But the minute they said they were looking for an office to start a marriage bureau the agent stopped smiling, shuffled the papers on his desk, said he regretted (unconvincingly) that he had nothing suitable, nor was likely to, and ushered them out of the door.

At this point Mary remembered a small office in Bond Street she had come across when she had been looking for somewhere to live.

Much of the painted lettering had flaked off, but Mary and Heather could just make out Small office to let.

It was small, dirty and up too many stairs. The lavatory was even further up in the attic and the drains were none too reliable.

A dirty slip of paper pinned to the wall gave the rent for this urban rabbit hutch as 25 shillings (approx 3) a week.

Mary was sure that destiny had struck. Heather was ecstatic.

Well take it! Well paint it!

The Marriage Bureau had found its home.

Heather's dog Blanche

Heather bought buckets of sunshine yellow paint and for several days they clanked up and down Bond Street wearing slacks and old clothes.

A practically minded friend asked how people were going to hear about the Marriage Bureau.

Well advertise, Mary asserted cheerfully, unaware that the prestige papers would not take advertisements for such a suspicious sounding organisation for another 50 years.

So the week before they opened she rang up all the features editors of the papers and with the luck of the naive got through every time.

With their picture in every paper and the press on their side, clients poured in and, as there was no waiting room, had to queue up the narrow stairs.

When the staircase was full, Mary would give the hopefuls her most appealing smile and guide them to a decrepit ladder leading up to a small trap door and say, We shant be long; would you be so kind as to wait a few minutes on the roof?

Although the matchmakers had thought that only the relatively well-off would apply, many poorer people saved up to become clients and Heather and Mary charged some people much less, or allowed them to pay in instalments.

The story of the Marriage Bureaus first wedding, a bride aged 68 to a 70-year-old groom, delighted the press. British Pathe made a two-minute documentary film, Cupids Labourers, showing the matchmakers in action.

Heather in 1954

A deluge of enquiries came from all over the world, from missionaries, colonial servants and managers of tea estates who all had leave infrequently and wanted to be put in touch with suitable women by post.

Poor wandering ones, cried Mary. Just the kind of men we set out to help!

But it wasnt all plain sailing, as one of their first cases was to show. On 18 April 1939, the day after the bureau had opened, Mary had her first interview with a man.

The matchmakers had just finished touching up the paint on the ceiling as she took off her overall and headscarf to receive Cedric Thistleton.

He had visited the day before accompanied by a faint aroma of rum and dropping heavy hints about his importance.

He was a businessman of 33, tall, dark and exceptionally good-looking, radiating confidence and A1 health from his lightly sun-kissed face to his expensively shod feet.

Without waiting for a polite invitation he sat down opposite Mary, while casting appraising glances at Heather as she climbed down from her painting ladder to sit at her own desk.

A cutting from the Daily Record and Mail

Mary had expected her first interview with a man to be fraught with difficulty, for surely he would be nervous or shy, needing her to encourage him to speak.

But none of her imaginings had foretold Cedrics abrupt opening: I have five weeks leave before I return to Malaya with a wife. She must be socially acceptable to my employer and my social circle. It is your job to find her.

Cedric made it clear that he expected entire satisfaction from his contract with the bureau: a girl of impeccable breeding (as if he were buying a racehorse, mused Mary), under 21 years old, willing and able to bear children, self-assured, sophisticated and worldly-wise.

A Glasgow Evening News cartoon, 1951

She must be capable of entertaining, and of managing a large house with several servants.

She must be upper class or at the very least from the top ranks of the middle class (to compensate for his own lack of class, suspected Mary), with not even a hint of anything so scandalous as drink, divorce or debt in her family.

This paragon was to have no desire to do anything but glorify her husband and impress all in his circle.

He was unconcerned about his brides looks, taste or character, and the possibility that she might not enjoy life in a far-flung continent as the spouse of a rubber magnate had cast not even the slightest shadow over his mind.

Cedric sidled away from Marys questions about his background and education, but waxed lyrical about his income of 800 a year and his progress up the ladder of a company that exported rubber.

He talked so expansively on the subject dearest to his heart  himself  that he failed to notice Heather aiming kicks at the telephone bell underneath her desk, which made it ring.

She then took pretend calls from gloriously aristocratic young ladies all agog to meet a Cedric Thistleton lookalike.

Mary was dispirited but resolved to find him a bride in order to get rid of him.

The women under 21 currently on the books were a milliner, a domestic servant, a cake-maker and a ladys companion, none of them a potential Mrs Thistleton.

But two days later in walked a girl of 20 who worked in a very recherche art gallery owned by a baronet. Mary immediately telephoned Cedric and arranged for him to meet Miss Plunkett for lunch the next day.

When Cedric swanned into the office after the lunch, he complained that for him to marry a person who was in trade was totally impossible.

He failed to comprehend how Miss Jenner and Miss Oliver could even have considered such an introduction. Marys chest swelled with indignation.

If being in rubber is not being in trade, what on earth is? she muttered.

As Cedric left, the telephone rang and Heather picked it up to hear Miss Plunketts icy voice.

He was frightful, the most snobbish man I have met in my entire life. If he is a true sample of your male clients, kindly return my registration form forthwith.

As Miss Plunkett paused for breath, Heather adopted her most soothing yet commanding tone, assuring her that Cedric regrettably failed to understand that the mores in England are different to those in Malaya.

Heather then diverted her listener with a description of a clever, kind and open-minded young man whom she could meet immediately.

Mollified, Miss Plunkett accepted and put the telephone down.

Heather registering a new client, 1952

Thank you, Heather, murmured a chastened Mary.

No thanks are due, dear Mary. There will always be clients who complain.

'There are young women who share Cedrics unfortunate characteristics and others who want at any cost to escape their fate by fleeing to another country.

'We shall have to hope that some equally unpleasant or thoroughly desperate damsel darkens our door before long.

Mary and Heather kept trying to find a match and managed to introduce Cedric to one or two young women who were so desperate that almost any husband would be better than none.

But they squirmed at his arrogance, while he haughtily dismissed them as inadequate.

With only two weeks of Cedrics leave to go, the two matchmakers were in despair, until out of the blue, with no appointment, in walked the future Mrs Thistleton, escorted by her father. Lord W was a chivalrous old peer who doted on his only child, the Hon Grizelda.

Late in life he had fallen for a much younger woman and married her, only to stand helplessly by as she died giving birth to their daughter.

Lord W was now in his 70s, Grizelda 20. What would become of her when he was no more? She was not an appealing girl but would never be short of money. Lord W had set his heart on her finding a husband and a home.

A prospective client, 1950

Before inheriting his title, Lord W had managed a rubber plantation in Malaya. After his wifes death, a charming, childless widow, Mrs R in her 50s, had befriended him and helped him to bring up Grizelda, and now they wanted to marry  once Grizelda was established.

Ten years ago, they had moved back to the Old Country so that Grizelda could go to school, but they yearned to return to their beloved Malaya.

The Marriage Bureau In 1942, three years after establishing the Marriage Bureau, Mary Oliver met and married an American businessman, sold her shares in the bureau to Heather and went to live in the U.S. Heather Jenner met her husband Michael Cox, a Scottish landowner, at a cocktail party. She had a daughter in 1944, followed by a son, and continued to run the bureau, later with the help of her daughter. In 1966, Penrose Halson, then 25, was sent by her mother to the Katharine Allen Marriage & Advice Bureau. She didnt find a husband but registered again in 1981 when she was 40. She finally met her future husband, Bill Halson, while searching for a lodger, and in 1986 they bought the Katharine Allen Bureau and got married two years later. In 1992, Heather Jenners daughter asked Penrose to look after her clients who were then incorporated into the Katharine Allen Bureau, which was sold in 2000. It closed two years later as the internet began to impact on personal introduction agencies. Advertisement

Heres a dilemma! lamented Mary, after they left.

Cedric is the answer on so many levels but it would be like throwing a Christian to the lions. Id feel like a cold-blooded murderess!

So Grizelda was invited to return on her own and they were both taken aback. She said that much as though she loved her father and Mrs R, she felt crushed by their anxious concerns.

I am perfectly capable! she exploded, and I should love to run an establishment and have a husband, though not one who fusses over me as if Im a fragile flower.

'My father is the darlingest of men but he cannot see that I am a cactus.

'I should adore to go back to Malaya and as long as hes not a lunatic or a savage, I dont care what my husband is.

Flabbergasted, Mary organised an introduction, and a day later was further stunned when Cedric telephoned to recount that he had been taken by the Hon Grizelda.

The minute they finished luncheon she had laid down her terms for the marriage: she would retain her title and the vast sums of money she would inherit.

She would, if necessary, make her husband an allowance. They would marry immediately and return to Malaya. She would manage their house and entertain lavishly.

Her father and his new wife would be in the vicinity. She would do all in her power to produce a son and heir. Was Cedric content with the proposal? He had capitulated.

Torn between laughter and tears, Mary repeated to Heather Grizeldas matter-of-fact summary of their meeting: Cedric is ravishingly good looking, the most sensational man I have ever set eyes on and I am not at all attractive, I know.

'But I have what he wants. So you see, we are equal. And whenever Im fed up with him I shall simply sit and stare at him.





This is an edited extract from Marriages Are Made in Bond Street: True Stories From a 1940s Marriage Bureau, to be published by Macmillan on 24 March, price 16.99.

To order a copy for 12.74, visit you-bookshop.co.uk or call 0808 272 0808; free p&p on orders over 12.
When it came to navigating lifes trials, Samantha Brick had a source of advice that never failed: self-help books. But when she found herself without her library in the middle of a crisis, she was forced to turn to family instead  and what she discovered surprised her

Last year was a testing time  while my husband was grieving the death of one of his sons, I was coming to terms with the fact that I would never experience the joys of motherhood

For as long as I can remember, I have been the sort of person who, in times of uncertainty, has found help, wisdom and an answer to most of lifes problems in one trusted source: that font of all knowledge, the self-help book.

Over the years, Ive purchased countless guides on how to be a good stepmother, pored over manuals on the secrets of being a better boss, and indulged myself in a long line of esoteric books on how to lead a more meaningful (ergo successful) life.

Along the way, I have mastered the art of mindfulness, learnt how to break free from overthinking and  best of all  experienced the life-changing magic of not giving a f***.

I was a shy, plump teenager and, in a bid to draw me out of my shell, my mum gave me a copy of the Susan Jeffers classic Feel The Fear and Do It Anyway.

The subject matter  a call to arms on how to improve your lot in life  switched me on to the fact that help, guidance and inspiration could be found between the pages of a book.

Indeed, while relatives used to live close to one another and provide emotional support, these days, with clans more fragmented and living further away  or residing under the same roof, yet being emotionally remote  the self-help book has stepped in to provide the support that the family no longer seems able to.

Thus it is that self-help guides have featured heavily in my life.

It is not surprising given that, during my lifetime, we have seen nothing short of a self-help revolution, with tomes on how to improve any and every perceived failing in our lives, playing on our insecurities and proving a veritable licence to print money.

During my 20s and 30s I would rarely go on holiday without tossing one or two of these books into my suitcase to mull over on a sun lounger.

As the first-born child and therefore the one who is supposed to have the answers to everything, it hasnt been easy to admit I need help. Until now, I hadnt wanted to disappoint my family by revealing my vulnerability

When my first husband and I renovated a property in West London, I installed my library  by now I had hundreds  in pride of place on a beautifully restored bookcase.

My husband repeatedly protested about their prominence in our home.

It didnt help that each time I returned from an overseas trip another one would be added.

But they were important to me; I believed they contained the answers I needed to lead a better life.

By this point I was 33, on a six-figure salary and enjoying a fabulous job as a television executive.

That I had achieved this was, to my mind, the result of my having successfully absorbed these manuals mantras.

I wasnt the only one hooked on finding answers to lifes dilemmas on a page, though. Self-help books sold in their millions (largely to women).

When The Secret by Rhonda Byrne  which was based on the laws of attraction  was published in 2006 (when I was reluctantly single), no fewer than five girlfriends bought me a copy.

Since then, my life has moved on. I gave up my job in TV and found new love  and a new life  in France. For the past two years, my husband Pascal and I have been renovating our farmhouse in the French countryside.

All our books, including my extensive self-help library, are packed away in dozens of boxes.

Largely down to my inept organisational skills, everything from furniture to white goods are tightly arranged in a specific area of our home, meaning that I havent been able to dip in and out of my reading matter at will.

Last year was a testing time  while my husband was grieving the death of one of his sons, I was coming to terms with the fact that I would never experience the joys of motherhood.

I almost certainly could have found solace in rereading a book or two, but Id been loath to buy more and therefore duplicate any of my existing collection.

I was far away from my girlfriends (who, in any case, were busy with their own lives). Thus it was that I threw caution to the wind and turned to family members for support and advice.

As the first-born child and therefore the one who is supposed to have the answers to everything, it hasnt been easy to admit I need help.

Until now, I hadnt wanted to disappoint my family by revealing my vulnerability.

I feared that in reaching out I would be admitting my own failure to cope.

Yet what Ive discovered in taking such a change of direction has been nothing short of a revelation.

While I have found it incredibly hard to ask for help, the result has been very precious: it has brought me much closer to my loved ones.

When The Secret by Rhonda Byrne was published in 2006, no fewer than five girlfriends bought me a copy

At the end of 2014, my husbands eldest son Helios died, aged just 27, as a result of skin cancer. It was less than a year after he was diagnosed with stage three melanomas.

His demise was swift and brutal, and broke my usually indomitable Pascals spirit.

Supporting him through the first minutes, hours and days following Helioss death was overwhelming and all-consuming. It was then that I turned to my parents.

I knew I couldnt do this on my own. I needed their guidance in how to help Pascal navigate his way through his raw grief.

My father, who had lost his mother and brother at an early age, explained to me that there were no quick fixes; that it would take time to learn to live with the profound loss of a child.

Accordingly, I should give Pascal time and space to grieve.

Allow him to have a window of time each day when he can think about his son and the injustice of him dying so young, my father said. He needs to let those feelings out.

And so, every morning, Pascal went for a walk in the woods with one of our dogs. He undoubtedly cried, he probably raged at the world, Why did you not take me instead?

But he processed those emotions on his own  just as my father predicted he would. Each day when he returned he was calmer than when he left. As the weeks and months passed, a sense of acceptance slowly began to replace the feelings of grief and sorrow.

My mother  the talker, who prefers to tackle lifes conundrums straight on  gave me my toolkit.

She encouraged me to talk to my husband about his loss, and not to be afraid of talking about Helios, too. My husband wept almost unrelentingly during those hours.

At first he felt embarrassed about sobbing. Thanks to my mum, I encouraged him to understand that it was wholly acceptable to cry  isnt that what grief is about?

I can only recognise now, in reflecting on my parents support, that they were quietly guiding me through this incredibly painful process, too.

Today, Pascal is no longer the shell of the man he was a year ago.

In giving my father updates on my husband, it has brought us much closer together. Rather wonderfully, it has also forged an unbreakable bond between my dad and my husband.

And while Pascal grieved for his son, I silently mourned the children I had finally accepted I would never have.

Id be lying if I said I didnt find it hard to come to terms with the fact Id never be a mum.

I was incredibly angry at the world. I knew my triggers as though they were old friends: reading a newspaper story about child neglect, or scrolling through online posts from friends (who are also mums) moaning about their children.

In spring last year I mentioned to my sister that there were days when I had my bed afternoons.

On autopilot, Id mechanically get through what needed to be achieved each morning and then spend several hours having a siesta, but in truth weeping under the duvet.

To my mind, I needed to shut out everyone else and let the wave of grief pass. But it impacted on my working day, too.

My sister sent me a notebook and told me to write in it when I felt down.

I must confess I was a bit miffed at receiving what I regarded as an el cheapo gift, but it turned out to be the wisest, most precious present anyone has ever given me. I can write in it  sound off, I suppose  whatever Im feeling at any particular moment.

Since Ive been doing it, I cant remember the last time Ive needed my siesta remedy.

But perhaps what was even more precious was that in opening up to her about how I truly felt, we tightened the sisterly bond that had loosened over the years.

There was never a fall out. It was simply a result of living in different countries and leading busy lives.

She even made time to visit me in France at the end of last year, announcing: You always visit everyone in the Midlands, so Im making the time to see you. Im proud to say the bond remains strong.

When it comes to understanding my French in-laws, I had, until last summer, fought that battle on my own. I dont like camping, but its the only sort of holiday theyll contemplate  it sounds trite, but this is just one of the many ways we can rub up against each other.

But in July, when my sister-in-law came to stay, I talked to her about how I felt. She explained their world to me and asked me about mine.

The upside is that it has been fantastic for my sister-in-law and I  she understands me better now, as I do my in-laws. While I still have very different ideals and opinions from them, she has enabled me to see things in a more positive and compassionate way.

I know that life wont always be plain sailing  is it ever for anyone? Thats why I would urge anyone experiencing problems to look first for help to those family members they trust and who love them unconditionally.

If you can get over the mental hurdle of showing your vulnerability and asking for help, you may discover, as I did, that most people are touched to be asked.

Youll also find that they will give what help and advice they can.
Boden Icons

DRESS, 250, Boden Icons

SHOES, 169, and SKIRT, 129, both Boden Icons

After the success of its first collection, Boden Icons is back. Inspired by the days of the British Empire, the limited-edition range mixes Edwardian elegance with Indian opulence. Think luxurious fabrics with vintage pinks and teals, making it a go-to for occasionwear with a twist. Embroidered details are a highlight  this sari-inspired dress and midi-skirt, above, are among our favourite pieces. From April, boden.co.uk





Whistles X Buddy

BAG, 130, and SHOES, 150, Whistles x Buddy

A new season calls for a new bag, and we love this limited-edition collaboration between Whistles and Japanese accessories brand Buddy. The unisex range offers backpacks, totes and purses, plus leather sneakers and suede trainers. The impeccably crafted bags are inspired by Buddys happy ethos and its love of dogs  which is clear from its cute canine ad campaign. From 24 March at the new Whistles menswear store, Boundary Street, London E2, selected womens stores and whistles.com





A-Line by Jigsaw

The brands limited-edition line is back with a second, super-sophisticated collection. Made in luxurious fabrics sourced from the UK and Italy, its bold colour palette features red, violet and green alongside ivory and black. The range doesnt come cheap but youll wear these beautifully made classics for years. This tailored wool coat is at the top of our wish list. jigsaw-online.com





J Crew Sunglasses

SUNGLASSES, from 98, J Crew
The Story

Its 18 years since Tessa Cartwright was abducted and later dumped in a shallow Texas grave with the remains of three other girls. They became known as the Black Eyed Susans, named after a type of sunflower which carpeted the ditch where they were found. Tessa, a bright, red-haired, sporty teenager, was the lucky one  she survived, but with lasting emotional and physical scars. The following year her court testimony helps to convict Terrell Goodwin of the murders. But the case is far from over.

Nearly two decades later, with Goodwin on Death Row and finally facing execution, Tessa has nagging doubts about his guilt  not least when she finds some black eyed susans planted beneath her bedroom window. She agrees to join a last-ditch fight to overturn the verdict, working with a dedicated team of forensic and legal campaigners. Is the killer still out there, a threat not just to Tessa but to her 14-year-old daughter? This dark, complex thriller is not just a gripping page-turner, but also brilliantly explores the psychology of the victim.

The Taster

Thirty-two hours of my life are missing. My best friend, Lydia, tells me to imagine those hours like old clothes in the back of a dark closet. Shut my eyes. Open the door. Move things around. Search. The things I do remember, Id rather not. Four freckles. Eyes that arent black but blue, wide open, two inches from mine. Insects gnawing into a smooth, soft cheek. The grit of earth in my teeth. Those parts, I remember.

The Author

Award-winning US journalist Julia Heaberlin has worked on numerous crime stories, including a series on the murders of girls found buried in the Mexican desert. Read Julias piece about the background to Black Eyed Susans, her third novel, at youreadinggroup.co.uk, where you will also find suggested topics for your own book club discussion.
"We (Syria) are a country with a free will.There is no one to decide for us," said Dr Ahmad Badreddin Hassoun, Grand Mufti of Syria

Accusing America, France, Turkey and Saudi Arabia of lobbying against Syrian interests in the Geneva peace talks, Syrias Grand Mufti Dr Ahmad Badreddin Hassoun in an exclusive interview with India Today said the ISIS, or Daesh as it has come to be called, were killing people for money at the behest of Saudi Arabia and Turkey.

While the leader extolled India for its secular polity, he also pointed that Syria was being targeted as it was much like the Indian republic.

"The only country in the Arab region which has 25 different sects and the first secular country in the Middle East.

Hassoun, whose son was among those killed by the Daesh, also claimed that Syria was not fighting ISIS as the terror group had been spawned off from several countries.

We are fighting against 100 different countries. I would like you to know where the Daesh is. It is in Torabora and Pakistan. They have trained them and were supporting them and gave them all facilities. And they have set them free, said the Grand Mufti.

They are manufactured by the USA in Afghanistan and the Taliban is one part of them. There is the Saudi school of thinking, which is spreading throughout the world in the name of Islam, which is the main power that directs them where to go and how to move, claimed Hassoun.

Hassoun suggested that war in Syria was neither a regime problem nor a sectarian or religious problem, rather it was just power struggle in the Middle East.

Non-aligned

Syria always refused to be with one side engaged with the other. The prime minister of Turkey has visited Syria five times just to convince Syrian leadership to allow parties to be based on religious thinking to exist in Syria, but our leadership has always refused this.

The prince of Qatar came and he told us You have to find the way, you have to go to the American interests; you have to do the American interests.

We have always refused. We were always with Jawaharlal Nehrus way and that of Indira Gandhi- to be with the non-aligned movement; to make peace in the Middle East region as India is doing now, the Grand Mufti said.

Himself a victim of ISIS, Hassoun said he had pardoned the killers of his son.

The atomic energy scientist, technological scientist and of course the religious scholars were attacked in Syria and one of them was my own son. I met the person who has committed this crime and asked him: Why did you target my son, he has not raised weapon against you, we are part of you, we are one of you.

He said: We got an order, a direct order from Saudi Arabia, from Turkey to attack either Hazarat Mufti himself or one of his family or his son, and they paid us individually $1,000 each.

Hails Indians

Hassoun lauded Indians to have proved themselves in all walks of life in foreign countries, he also advised the country not to be misused by the West.

That's why I came to India to tell the Indian people that you are a wonderful people. The Indian people in Europe, in USA are proving themselves to be a very intellectual and intelligent people. Dont let the West misuse India to make it a poorer country. Take care of your own country, he said.

Speaking on the Paris attacks, the Grand Mufti of Syria said the international agencies claimed that there were Syrians among the attackers but after investigations it turned out that they were Belgian and French.

They were born in Belgium and France but they studied in Saudi Arabia. Thats why I asked Indian brothers to pay attention. Gandhi made this a land of peace and they must not to tear it apart. I will always support the Gandhian way of life.

Asked about the ongoing peace talks, Hassoun said: We are a country with a free will. There is no one to decide for us. We are independent, sovereign country. We decide for ourselves. After a five years of war, the UN, three months back, agreed that the final world with this problem is the Syrian people's vote, but the ambition of Syrian people should be executed. Don't you see what they have done in Somalia, Libya, Iraq and Yemen?
The campuses are on boil with students caught on either side of the nationalism versus anti-nationalism divide, hanging on to the precarious ideological edge.

The India Today Conclave on March 17 and 18 will analyse the layers of unrest in the universities in what promises to be a riveting debate involving the biggest news maker of them all, Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) students union president Kanhaiya Kumar.

The session: Why are students so angry? will also feature Shehla Rashid, vice-president of JNU students union, who was at the fore-front of the campaign seeking release of Kanhaiya and other students arrested on charges of sedition.

Students have been caught in the nationalism debate after the JNU sedition row

Presenting the counter viewpoint will be Saurabh Sharma, joint secretary of JNU students union, belonging to the other end of the ideological spectrum representing BJPs young arm ABVP.

While Kanhaiya, Shehla and Saurabh will bare their opinions on the JNU row as key players in the episode, the larger perspective can be provided by NSUI president Roji M John, the first elected chief of the students wing of the Congress.

Ritabrata Banerjee, general secretary of Students Federation of India, and Vikas Urs, secretary of students association at Film and Television Institute (FTII) will broaden the debate. Also invited is Mahamedha Nagar, vice-president of Miranda House students union.

JNUSU leaders Shehla Rashid and Kanhaiya Kumar will be key speakers at the India Today Conclave at a session to discuss unrest in varsities

Much before JNU erupted like a dormant volcano on February 9, voices of protests on other campuses had already caught national attention.

Students of Punes film institute locked horns with the government over the appointment of Gajendra Chauhan as chairman.

Suicide of Rohith Vemula, a PhD student at University of Hyderabad in January this year, snowballed into a political slugfest amidst allegation that he was hounded by the ABVP to take the extreme step.

The opposition saw a pattern in the campus unrest as they alleged a systematic design by the ruling BJP to unshackle universities from the dominance of the Left ideology.

The JNU episode of February 9 opened a new front when some students organised a meet condemning the hanging of Afzal Guru.

Amid a national outrage over videos showing anti-India slogans being raised in JNU going viral, the Centre swung into action.

Delhi Police arrested Kanhaiya, slapping him and others with sedition.

The opinion over Kanhaiyas arrest varied from those who hailed it as just the right action to others who termed it outrageous overreaction by the government.

After being thrashed by the lawyers in court premises, Kanhaiya Kumars speech after his release from Tihar Jail on conditional bail by the Delhi High Court electrified the raging debate.

He became the new face of defiance and student unrest.

Just as he was being seen as a new campaigner against the government, Kanhaiya has faced volley of fire from the opponents.

At the India Today Conclave, Kanhaiya and other student leaders will come face to face to discuss if the unrest in the campus was a reflection of larger churning in the society.

Or, is it a short lived phenomenon fueled by political parties to make electoral gains.

Is it the battle of wits, courage of conviction, or simply a case of overzealous vigilante?

The big debate: Left, right or centre?

By Mail Today Bureau

Rahul Gandhi addressed the students at JNU

Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Saturday said that the country is passing through a critical phase as those in power are spreading hatred by targeting secularism.

On the same day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke at an economic forum where he said that India has shown that a large, diverse country can be managed in a way that can promote growth and maintain social stability.

The two contrasting views summed the prevailing political atmosphere in the country where the government is vigorously pursuing its economic agenda and the Opposition is nervous about an assertive BJP at the Centre.

In the session Clash of ideologies: Left, Right or Centre at the India Today Conclave, two of the finest political commentators - Pratap Bhanu Mehta, president, Centre for Policy Research and Sunil Khilnani, professor of politics at Kings College, London - will present their perspective on the political churning in India.

BJP MP Anurag Thakur demanded clarification from the Congress on its stand on the JNU row

In his columns, Pratap Bhanu Mehta has presented a critical analysis of the rise of nationalism.

Khilnani has traced the political and economic journey of India in his book The Idea of India.

Khilnani, a distinguished author and historian, will share his views on the current state of affair in the Indian politics.

The ideological spread in the country has come under strain with all the three streams locked in a tussle for relevance.

The right is on the rise and the centre and the left is in the lurch.

The session will discuss the ideological interplay and the intricacies of the modern challenges.

It will also be a forum where the experts in reading the political mindscape will throw a light on the political developments that will shape the fortune of the country in the coming years with several electoral battles to be fought before the 2019 general elections.

Does Hindutva unite or divide?

By Mail Today Bureau

As the India Today Conclave 2016 stands to be the platform for the high and mighty to voice their views, the Joint General Secretary of Hindutva outfit Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) Dattatreya Hosabale too would be addressing the gathering.

Hosabale would be speaking on one of the most contentious issues that have dogged the RSS as well as its detractors for a very long time.

Against the context of accusations of being a divisive organisation by the Congress and the Left, Hosabale would be speaking on whether Hindutva has come to unite or divide the people of India in an atmosphere wherein such issues as nationalism have come to fore in the aftermath of the JNU row.

The Dadri episode pointed to the divisive role of Hindutva forces

RSS Joint Secretary Dattatreya Hosabale will speak at the India Today Conclave

Considered as the chief proponent as well as purveyor of the ideology of Hindutva and cultural nationalism within its ambit, the RSS has emerged as one of the most powerful organisations all the more as its political front - the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) - has come to power at the Centre with what the Opposition calls a brute majority.

One of the most prominent faces of the RSS, Dattatreya Hosabale is officially Joint General Secretary of the Sangh.

Within a short span of time, hes climbed the ladder of popularity and is held in high esteem by most senior leaders of BJP including current PM Narendra Modi.

A post-graduate in English Literature, hes a protege of HV Seshadri, former Sar Karyavah of the RSS.
Even as US presidential hopeful Donald Trump continues to prove hes a force to reckon with, the Republican front runner faces stiff opposition from a small, but powerful ethnic community - the Indian-Americans.

Azamgarh-born entrepreneur and philanthropist Frank Islam doesnt mince words when he says: Trump is the ugly face of America, which the world doesnt want to see... He is not America.

Many members of the community, who are contributing in the coming election as backroom strategists are in the opposite camp and want Trump to lose.

Indian-Americans are uniting against US Republican Presidential candidate Donald Trumps tyranny

From political advisers to media strategists, backstage directors to fundraisers, from those in their early 30s to the ones in their mid-40s, Indian-Americans are participating in full force in this election.

According to the recent poll surveys, 72 per cent of Indian- American voters are with the Democrats.

If Trump becomes the face of the Republicans, the number will go up. Indian-Americans say they want to bring down the wall against immigrants which Trump desires to build as the President.

Trumps comments against minorities, including Muslims and Sikhs, and the way a Sikh protester was thrown out at one of his rallies, have not gone down well with the Indian- American community.

Rising Indians

Trump is the talking point wherever members of the community meet.

Community members have realised that their representation in the US political offices is not at par with the status they have attained in such a short span of time.

Barring South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal and Congressman Ami Bera, not many names come to mind, when one speaks of Indian origin American politicians.

Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton is hugely popular among the Indian-Americans

This is the time to expand community roles in the political process, says entrepreneur, philanthropist and IIT-Kharagpur alumni Vinod Gupta, who like Frank Islam, is close to the Clintons.

As their roles are getting more defined in the run-up to the US election, Indian-Americans are uniting against Trumps tyranny to safeguard their identity as immigrants who built America.

Says Gupta: Indians are gaining recognition as backroom strategists in this electoral battle.

The Chanakyas

Not all desi strategists are against Trump, though.

The recent Republican onslaught against Hillary Clinton was based on a sound research done by Raj Shah, the Research Director at the Republican National Committee, whose only expertise is to dig out anything against the Clintons.

He is currently running the Republican Campaign against Clinton and Sanders.

But they are in a minority.

Almost 80 per cent of the Indian-Americans were found to be on the Democrat side.

Many like Neera Tanden and Shefali Razdan Duggal are working as shadows behind Hillary Clinton.

The young Huma Abedin, for instance, is Clintons media and communication adviser. Fund raising comes naturally to most of them, as they have a wide donor network.

Frank Islam has already raised half-a-million dollar for Hillarys campaign in this election.

Their goal: Do whatever it takes to make Trump lose!

Poll Position: Meet the Indians who are shifting the tide in the US

Frank Islam:

Frank Aslam has been a Clinton insider since 2005 and has been entrusted with fund raising

This Azamgarh-born entrepreneur and philanthropist from Uttar Pradesh is known as the man with a 16-bedroom mansion among the Indian-American community.

A recipient of Martin Luther King Jr. Legacy Award for international service in 2015, Islam is committed to creating sustainable opportunities in America.

A Clinton insider since 2005, he has been entrusted with fund raising and rallying public support for the Democratic campaign.

A popular figure among the Indian-Americans, including the 2,00,000 Indian Muslims, Islam has raised more than half-a-million dollar through fundraising and about four dozen meetings in places like Virginia, Los Angeles, San Francisco and New Hampshire.

Shefali Razdan Duggal:

The US media refers to her as a powerful woman with influence.

A Kashmiri Pandit known for her proximity to President Barack Obama and Senator Hillary Clinton, her presence in the upper echelons of American politics is steadily on the rise.

What makes her an endearing personality is her love for South Asian community, which cuts across political affiliations.

I think that a person, whether Democrat/Republican/Independent, as long as engaged with the political process, is helpful to South Asians in the US, she says.

Neera Tanden:

I have been in politics completely on a voluntary basis. I love it and am very grateful for the opportunity to be involved, in some small way, says Duggal.

She is also a presidential appointee to the United States Holocaust Memorial Council.

She is arguably one of the closest to Hillary Clinton from the Indian American circle.

A former policy adviser to the Democratic nominee, this 45- year-old is the president and chief executive of the Centre for American Progress, a public policy research and advocacy organisation.

Neera Tanden is arguably one of the closest to Hillary Clinton from the Indian American circle

In her private time she campaigns for her mentor, friend and former boss.

Their association goes back to the days when Hillary was the First Lady in the White House in 1997.

Tanden was named one of the most influential Women in Washington by National Journal.

I know that if Hillary becomes the President, she will look for talent from all parts of American society she says.

Nathan Naidu:

He is the master strategist behind Republican dark horse and Ohio Governor John Kasich.

A full-time employee with the Mission Society, a not-for-profit organisation in Atlanta, 30-year-old Naidu was born and brought up in the US.

I have been associated with Kasich since 2010 and this is my third elections with him, Naidu told Mail Today.

A graduate in Telecom and Films Naidu says Kasich is admired both within and outside the Republican party.

He (Kasich) has a very positive attitude unlike Trump, who is full of himself during public meetings, says Naidu.

He (Kasich) touches the issues most Americans want to discuss - economy, job growth and how to keep America safe, he adds.

Vinod Gupta:

Vinod Gupta is determined to put Hillary in the White House

For IIT Kharagpur alumni and Uttar Pradesh-born Vinod Gupta, popular as Vin among his friends, the Clintons are his closest friends.

Guptas association with the Clintons lasts over two decades and he is determined to put Hillary in the White House.

The whole, family is behind them (Clintons). We are getting more support for the Hillary campaign from both the Indian-American community as well as from South Asians.

Though he is not directly involved in any election campaign for the Clintons, Gupta has been a generous contributor to the Clinton Foundation with his philanthropic grants.

She is most qualified to be a president, says Gupta about Hillary.

Raj Shah:

He is a young Indian holding fort for the Republicans in a battle that has seen soaring support for the Democrats from the Indian-American community.

Raj Shah,31, heads the Republican research team that is engaged in preparing dossiers on their political rivals - Clinton and Sanders.

A graduate from the prestigious Cornell University, Shah was appointed as a research director of the Republican National Committee last February.

According to him, the heat on Hillary will get more intense once she gets the final nomination from the Democrats as their presidential nominee.
Leaving no room for sex determination tests that lead to female foeticide, the Centre will now have a stricter vigil on the disposal and transfer of the ultrasound machines.

The Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has recently reached out to the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change for detailed view of e-waste regulations as disposal of ultrasound machines may have some loopholes that may give way to sex selection practices.

We are closely looking at dismantling and discarding of old and redundant ultrasound machines as such provisions do not have any mention in the Pre Conception and Pre Natal Diagnostic Techniques (Prohibition of Sex Selection) Act, 1994, said a senior health ministry official.

The health ministry is looking at dismantling and discarding of old and redundant ultrasound machines to stop its misuse

We have also sought detailed guidelines under e-waste regulation from the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change and they have communicated that the import and export of all kind of second hand Electrical and Electric Equipment (EEE), including any kind of medical equipment which are presently regulated under Hazardous Waste (Management, Handling and Transboundary Movement) Rules 2008. We are in discussion with them on how to further strengthen the vigil, said the official.

Currently, the government is mulling several proposals to amend the PC and PNDT Act meant for clamping down on sex selection.

The Centre has also constituted an expert committee to examine the proposed amendments.

The committee is examining the proposals to make the act more effective in preventing gender-based sex selection.

The panel members recently convened a meeting in which they discussed the issues at length.

The committee has recommended a separate provision for buyback of ultrasound machines, which needs to be included in one of the sections of the Act.

The companies that take ultrasound equipment in buyback arrangements are not registered and such transfer as per the proposed amendment will be illegal. It is very important to strengthen the implementation of the Act and regulate the misuse of medical diagnostic technologies leading to female foeticide, said the official.

According to the proposed amendment, there will be a prohibition on sale or otherwise transfer of ultrasound machines to persons, laboratories, clinics, not registered under the PC and PNDT Act.

The Act further says that no person shall sell or in any other manner transfer any ultrasound machine or imaging machine or scanner, or any other equipment capable of detecting sex of the foetus to any genetic counselling centre, laboratory, clinic or any person not registered under the Act.

There have been questions on whether medical geneticists are allowed to use ultrasound machines under the Act or not.

The committee has laid down the provision of medical qualification of using an ultrasound machine.
Britain's biggest power station has been plunged into crisis by a bombshell complaint to America's financial regulator over its biggest supplier of 'green' fuel.

The complaint alleges that the supplier to the Drax plant in North Yorkshire, US group Enviva, used a loophole in EU and UK law to falsely claim to American investors that its wood-pellet fuel emits far less carbon dioxide than coal.

It also attacks Enviva's claims that its operations are 'certified' for 'sustainability'. In fact, the UK body responsible for such certification  chaired by Dorothy Thompson, who is also chief executive of Drax  is still auditing Enviva.

Complaint: The supplier to the Drax plant in North Yorkshire, has been accused of using a loophole in EU and UK law to falsely claim to American investors that its wood-pellet fuel emits far less carbon dioxide than coal

The power station is already reeling from a profits slump after green subsidies were cut by Chancellor George Osborne last year and growing questions over its strategy of burning 'environmentally friendly' wood pellets.

The complaint, signed by the managers of 34 US pension and investment funds, targets Enviva, a Maryland-based firm that has a contract to supply Drax with one million tons of pellets every year.

It will be filed tomorrow with the powerful federal watchdog, the Securities and Exchange Commission, along with a report by environmental think-tank the Partnership for Policy Integrity (PFPI).

The report says it has found 'misleading statements by Enviva about its emissions and environmental impacts' in its prospectus when it was floated on the New York stock exchange last April.

The report says Enviva has claimed that 'burning wood in power plants reduces carbon emissions compared to coal'. But the study says Drax's own data shows that while burning coal leads to emissions of 1,901lb of carbon dioxide per megawatt hour (Mwh), the figure for wood is significantly higher  2,128lb per Mwh.

Enviva's claim is only possible because of a UK and EU 'policy loophole'  which does not apply in America  classing biomass fuel such as wood pellets as 'zero carbon'.

According to the study, Enviva has not made this clear. Its claim to the SEC that using its pellets 'reduces' emissions only applies to making and shipping the pellets, not burning them.

US-based Enviva, has a contract to supply Drax with one million tons of pellets every year

The complaint calls on the SEC to launch an investigation to 'establish and enforce clear guidelines applicable to companies that may be claiming climate benefits'.

Drax produces eight per cent of the UK's electricity  enough to power six million homes. Half of its six 650 megawatt (MW) generators have been converted from coal to burn wood pellets from America. Drax spokesman Andrew Brown yesterday confirmed the firm wants to adapt its remaining three furnaces.

Under EU rules, burning wood counts as 'zero carbon' because wood cut to make pellets will one day grow back and reabsorb the CO2 emitted from Drax's chimneys.

This means it qualifies as renewable energy  attracting subsidies for Drax that currently run to about 350 million a year. Brown admitted that without the subsidies, Drax's business would collapse.

In 2015, its net profit was 56 million, a 56 per cent fall on the previous year. Its shares have plummeted over the past two years to 269p from a high of 820p in 2014.

The report also says that Enviva claims its operations are 'certified' for 'sustainability.' Following rules introduced by the Department of Energy and Climate Change in December, Enviva is only now being audited by the Sustainability Biomass Partnership (SBP), chaired by Drax chief executive Dorothy Thompson.

An SBP spokeswoman insisted its evaluation of Enviva would be 'robust and independent'. But she agreed that if Enviva did not get SBP approval it would be devastating to the firm and Drax.

The report also claims Enviva has 'misled' investors over the fact that a high proportion of its hardwood pellets come not from 'sawmill residue' and 'waste' but whole tree trunks  as witnessed by The Mail on Sunday during a visit to its plant in North Carolina two years ago.

Steven Heim, of Boston Common Asset Management, one of the complainants, said yesterday: 'I hope the SEC examines this very closely.

There is no such thing as green carbon dioxide and Drax is still emitting it. Wood pellet power makes no sense from a climate or environmental perspective.'
Only one air marshal a week actually deals with a disruptive passenger on a flight over the United States - but the TSA still spends a reported $800million a year on them.

An investigation by the Daily Mail Online has found the federal officers stationed on planes have responded to situations in the air just 164 times since 2012.

Air marshals usually work alone. There are roughly 196,000 commercial flights in the U.S. every week and 4,000 working air marshals.

The number of incidents in the air has been steadily increasing in recent years, but critics are questioning why taxpayers are still paying so much to put marshals on flights when they are hardly ever needed.

Congress has slammed the program as wasteful and unnecessary, while members of the House Oversight Committee have called for it to be eliminated.

An investigation by the Daily Mail Online found just one air marshal has to deal with a disruptive passenger on flights across the United States ever week. The federal officers (pictured) have had to respond to situations 30,000ft in the air just 164 times since 2012

In 2012, a year after the number of marshals spiked following 9/11, there were only 12 reported incidents on flights.

In 2013 there were 51, and in 2014 there were 74 - a rate of one incident every five days.

In the first four months of 2015, there were only 15 investigations.

Records of the number of times marshals had to act on flights were released to Daily Mail Online following a Freedom of Information request.

The TSA provided a long list of investigations that looked into why the officers had to intervene, but every detail except the date had been redacted.

They would not say why the air marshals had to act. They also said that because of national security, they could not say how many are were employed by the government.

Even though incidents on flights are rare, there are still scuffles that could prove dangerous to passengers if there wasn't someone to intervene.

In December, American Airlines flight attendant Joanne Snow allegedly attacked fellow crew members and two US air marshals during a trans-Atlantic flight.

But the program has been slammed by politicians and key figures in the airline industry.

Former Continental Airlines CEO and chairman Gordon Bethune and his colleague American Airlines chairman Bob Crandall shared their mutual disdain for the TSA's initiative last year, saying it is the 'biggest waste of money we have going in the country today'.

Critics have questioned why taxpayers are still paying an estimated $800million a year for the TSA (headquarters pictured) program while Congress has slammed it as wasteful and unnecessary

In a statement to Daily Mail Online, a TSA spokesman said: 'The mission of the TSA Office of Law Enforcement/Federal Air Marshal Service (OLE/FAMS) is to detect, deter and defeat terrorist or criminal activity in the US transportation domain.

'During the course of performing their duties, our employees may be involved in incidents that would subsequently require an activity report to be completed.

'These incidents could range from non-criminal security actions, medical response, criminal actions and terrorist activity. The OLE/FAMS uses a risk-based Concept of Operations to deploy its workforce on US air carriers worldwide.

The spokesman added: 'While the FAMS can not comment on the specific number of Federal Air Marshals for security reasons, it can be said that their are thousands of men and women who fly domestic air carriers.'

A Federal Air Marshal's job is to blend with passengers on flights. They are highly skilled marksman and among the best trained agents employed by the government.

They were introduced by John F. Kennedy in 1961 and initially acted as security officers on high-risk flights.

Before the September 11, 2001 attacks, the Federal Air Marshal Service consisted of varying numbers of FAMs dependent on government funding. Although 50 positions were authorized by Congress, only 33 FAMs were active on 09/11/01.

As a result of the 9/11 attacks, President George W. Bush ordered the rapid expansion of the Federal Air Marshal Service.

Immediately after the attacks, then Director Greg McLaughlin, was tasked with hiring and training 600 air marshals in a one-month period.

A classified number of applicants were later hired, trained, and deployed on flights around the world.
When Daily Mail Online told the story of Sergeant William Bee - a Marine behind one of the most iconic photos in the War on Terror - support for his family flooded in.

Our readers and his supporters raised more than $13,000 for the soldier who struggles to make ends meet for his wife Bobbie and son Ethan in Jacksonville, North Carolina, while suffering horrific flashbacks and angry outbursts.

In his heartbreaking account, he revealed that he is often met with obstacles when seeking help with the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).

And just two days after the story was published, the VA got in touch with him and said it would set up an appointment with him and help him with bills.

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Staff Sergeant William Bee, without wearing a helmet or Kevlar vest, aims at a window from where he feared a Taliban sniper was positioned. Seconds later his world was plunged into darkness. The sequence of images taken in Garmsir, Afghanistan, on May 18, 2008, would become one of the most iconic from the War on Terror

A military campaigner is even investigating why he didn't get a Purple Heart during his service.

He is pleased with the help, but has questioned why it took a news story for someone at the embattled organisation to get in touch with him - eight years after he suffered life-changing injuries in Afghanistan.

Even though the VA got hold of him after the article was published last December, the part-time teacher and counselor for ex-servicemen and women only has a mental health appointment set in stone.

In March he will get to see a dentist to finally fix a tooth that has been damaged since 2013.

THE PLIGHT OF SERGEANT BEE Read Daily Mail Online's original story on the hero Marine here. Advertisement

Since Daily Mail Online last spoke to Sergeant Bee, he has moved on to taking 16 pills a day in a bid to combat the side effects of his traumatic brain injury, caused by an IED on his final tour.

It exploded when he was in Afghanistan two years after a picture of him coming within inches of death spread around the world.

'It's crazy how quickly the VA gets things fixed once they get placed in the spotlight,' he told Daily Mail Online.

'A couple of days after the article was published, I received a call from one of the personnel at the CBOC (VA Community Based Outpatient Clinic), who said he was 'directed' to schedule my appointments.

'He also stated that he had no idea that I had called to schedule mental health appointments, and was completely unaware that I had left messages with the patient advocate.'

Since then, however, he hasn't returned any phone calls, says Sergeant Bee.

He admits he was stunned when he saw the GoFundMe page set up by his sister just before the article was published.

Two days after Daily Mail Online published his account of the events, a representative from the VA got hold of him to schedule vital appointments. However he has since revealed he is taking a potentially deadly cocktail of prescription drugs

HELP SERGEANT BEE GET THE MEDICAL HELP HE NEEDS Sergeant Bee and his wife Bobbie have never asked for help from anyone. They both work in public services, but struggle to make ends meet. He has mounting medical bills, needs more appointments with psychiatrists and could use simple aids such as a shower bar to improve his quality of life. A GoFundMe page has been set up to help their family. Click here to donate Advertisement

'I was shocked. When I saw the total, my jaw literally dropped, and I was stunned. When I showed my wife, she started crying.

'The outpouring of support that we have received goes beyond words, and our gratitude goes beyond a simple thank you. I have already been able to purchase some machines to help with my physical rehab, and it has helped immensely. At last check, it was up to $13,000.

'That may not sound like a lot to some, but that's nearly half of my yearly income. And if it wasn't for Wills [Robinson] and the staff at Daily Mail Online, I wouldn't have gotten any help at all!'

He says that since then, people and different military organisations have been coming forward to offer their help.

'My wife Bobbie, who is also my caregiver, received a call a couple of days later saying that the VA was going to "take care" of all of our bills that I had incurred by seeking civilian emergency care.'

Carlos Fuentes, the legislative director of Veterans of Foreign Wars, told Daily Mail Online: 'We agree that it should not take media attention to resolve issues. Veterans must have a recourse to address concerns, that recourse should be the patient advocates at their local facilities.

'However, we have learned that patient advocates often fail to resolve veterans' concerns. VA plans to improve this process through the MyVA transformation. We look forward to evaluating VA's progress in addressing issues like those Sergeant Bee experienced.'

In his heartbreaking account, he revealed that he he is often met with obstacles when seeking help with the Department of Veterans Affairs

Sergeant Bee is CASEVAC'd out of the area after he was caught up in an IED explosion that killed two of his friends. He told Daily Mail Online: 'My decision to place my Marines in that building, along with the fact that I failed to make my team leaders sweep the building with metal detectors, cost the lives of two Marines, and caused the rest of them to be injured'

Sergeant Bee is now taking medications for nerves, anger and anxiety. He revealed to Daily Mail Online that he has constant flashbacks and angry outbursts that have been steadily getting worse.

But the pills reduced his testosterone, which means he has to get an injection to bring the levels back up.

He has been prescribed 100mg of Sumatriptan Succinate or what is commonly referred to as Imitrex to be taken twice a day along with the 16 other pills he already takes daily for conditions ranging from nerve pain and seizures to high blood pressure, vomiting and migraines.

One prescription, Paroxetine or what is known as Paxil, is an antidepressant used to treat depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress.

The FDA has warned that mixing common migraine drugs, which he takes, with antidepressants can cause serotonin syndrome, which increases the chemical levels of serotonin in the central nervous system.

The human body naturally produces serotonin in order to regulate nerve cells, body functions and brain activity.

But, if serotonin levels are too high, it could be fatal. His wife Bobbie has to keep an eye on the medications he takes and fears one day he might not wake up.

Mr Fuentes said overmedication is a general issue the VA is trying to address 'but would not be able to completely eliminate if it does not have the capacity to provide veterans timely access to health care'.

John Cooper from Concerned Veterans 4 America also said Bee's case highlights how ex-service members deserve much better.

He told Daily Mail Online: 'Bee's story is a stark example of the VA's systemic limitations in offering care to our veterans. Whether it's failing to schedule timely appointments, overprescribing medications or denying necessary mental health treatment, the VA has shown in far too many instances that it cannot be trusted to offer quality, timely care. This despite massive funding increases, specifically for programs like mental health care.

FACING A SIMILAR STRUGGLE? If you were in the services and experienced a similar problem, we would like to hear from you. Email your story to wills.robinson@mailonline.com Advertisement

'Veterans should have the option to seek care from a provider who will be responsive to their needs. The concept of 'choice' defines almost all other veterans' benefits, and medical care should be no different. If a veteran wants to use the VA, he or she should be able to do so, while also having the ability to choose care outside the VA if the department cannot offer the care that veteran needs.

'Delayed care is denied care. Our veterans deserve so much better.'

It wasn't just the VA that got in touch with Sergeant Bee - other support groups also contacted his family and offered their support.

He explained: 'A mental health clinic specializing in PTSD contacted my wife via Facebook, and we will be flying down in February for a week of treatment.

'They are sending my wife and son as well, because they help with coping mechanisms for the family.

'My wife and I understand there really is no fix for multiple TBIs (traumatic brain injuries), but teaching me and my wife how to deal with issues that arise is treatment enough.

'The SemperFi Fund also contacted me - which is an organization created by a group of Marine spouses who offer help to any post 9/11 wounded veterans.

'I have worked with them before - they had even provided me an iPad to help maintain my schedules and appointments - and specifically brought up the Mail Online article.

Bee said he and his wife Bobbie were stunned at the outpouring of support they received after their story was published. It's helped them go some way to improving their lives. He is also pictured with his son Ethan

The fact that someone is putting the effort in to help out is incredible.

'The VA counselor took one look at my situation and basically said: 'If you quit your job, then we can help,' whereas SemperFi Fund essentially says: 'Hey, you're a wounded vet. How can we help?'

'My wife was also contacted by Zachary Hearn, the Deputy Director of Benefits for the American Legion's Veterans Affairs & Rehabilitation division.

'My wife and I both were surprised, because I was not a member of the Legion. He explained that he had heard about my case and had some questions.

'I'm not 100 per cent positive but I believe he had something to do with my appointments being made and my bills getting paid. He is now investigating my Purple Heart situation and why I did not receive it.

'He is also looking into why I was not medically retired. While this may not seem as important as rehabilitation and getting help with my treatment, if he was able to retroactively medically retire me it would potentially open up a completely new avenue of treatment to me under the Department Of Defense medical system, TRICARE.

'What really impressed me, however, was the passion the Legion has for veterans, even though they may not be part of their organization. They saw a veteran with some issues, and immediately jumped in to help.'

Sergeant Bee also said he and his wife had both been contacted by numerous marines - some he know and some he had never met before.

'This is what I love most about Marines. As soon as they see another brother in trouble, they offer anything they can to help right away.

'Even if it's simply a shoulder. They don't have to have shed the same blood in the same mud, they don't have to have had the same job, or even served during the same wars. We are always there for each other.

'We've also had Marines that are in the same situation I am in. The nice thing is, I'm in a unique position to be able to explain the benefits the VA offers.'
The manhunt for the second of two New Mexico convicts ended Saturday in an Albuquerque apartment with the fugitive surrendering without a fight.

Uniformed officers were still waiting for tactical units to arrive when Lionel Clah suddenly exited the building, police spokesman Simon Drobik said.

The other convict, Joseph Cruz, was caught Friday.

Escaped inmate Lionel Clah (pictured left) was captured on Saturday and Joseph Cruz (pictured right was captured on Friday after they escaped from a fortified prison transport van Wednesday

'Clah literally walked out the front door and gave up,' police spokesman Simon Drobik said. 'He basically said, "I don't want anybody to get hurt."'

A woman called 911 around noon and said she had been away from her home for two days and believed Clah was inside, Drobik said.

Responding officers established a perimeter around the two-story apartment before entering.

Police went up a staircase and found a red shirt in an open bedroom. The shirt matched the one that Clah was seen wearing on surveillance video taken days earlier, Drobik said.

Officers then detected a strong odor of cigarettes behind the closed door of another bedroom. Drobik said they decided to go back outside and wait for tactical units rather than enter the room.

It was shortly after that when Clah, 29, appeared. He was subsequently cuffed and transferred into the custody of New Mexico State Police.

New Mexico State Police spokeswoman Elizabeth Armijo says their investigators are looking into whether the woman who lives in that apartment has a connection to Clah or if she assisted him. If so, she could face charges.

In custody: Lionel Clah is pictured here being taken into custody by Albuquerque police on Saturday. 'Clah literally walked out the front door and gave up,' police spokesman Simon Drobik said

Clah will be turned back over to the state Department of Corrections after state police finish interviewing him. The agency will consult with prosecutors to determine charges for both convicts, Armijo said.

Saturday's capture ends an expansive three-day manhunt for two prisoners that started in southern New Mexico.

Undeterred by shackles, and Clah, who has a violent history, and convicted murderer Cruz somehow slipped away in white prison jumpsuits and vanished into the night with no one noticing, possibly for hours. They hitched a ride and made it to Albuquerque around the same time that authorities notified the public of the escape.

Cruz, 32, was taken into custody in Albuquerque after a brief foot chase Friday evening, deputy federal marshal Ben Segotta said.

Corrections officials are still struggling to answer embarrassing questions about the missteps that could have been made, including how the men could escape when authorities say they were last accounted for in leg irons and belly chains. The questions only helped to highlight concerns raised in recent months as the department struggles with a budget crisis, a guard shortage, overworked employees and other problems.

Gregg Marcantel, the state corrections secretary, said two unidentified guards were placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation into the escape.

'Anything less would be remiss,' he said at a Friday press briefing.

The search: Artesia Police Department officers join New Mexico State Police, SWAT, and other agencies gather while investigating a lead in the morning at a home in Artesia on Thursday

State Police Chief Pete Kassetas wouldn't say whether investigators had determined how Cruz, convicted in the death of a man over drugs in Raton, and Clah, who was serving time for armed robbery and shooting at a police officer, escaped the fortified prison van that was transporting them from the state penitentiary in Santa Fe to the southern region of the state.

Authorities raised the likelihood that the getaway happened at a gas station in Artesia, was planned and that the fugitives were receiving help from others. But they wouldn't disclose what surveillance video from that gas station may have revealed.

'We're definitely talking to family members, friends, associates, whatnot,' Kassetas said.

Cruz's sister, Olivia Cruz, also was arrested Friday.

According to state police, the 38-year-old woman had an outstanding warrant for possession of a controlled substance and is being held with no bond set. Investigators are looking into whether she had any involvement in the escape.

Standard precautions for transporting prison inmates include a search of each prisoner and the vehicle at each stop for clandestine tools or weapons, said Gary Klugiewicz, a former inmate transport trainer with security consultant Vistelar in Wisconsin. Officer fatigue and complacency can undermine security at the end of long a long trip, he said.

High-risk inmates should rarely  if ever  be allowed out of sight.

'What if they have a medical emergency?' he said. 'If you're sitting in a van, the point is, and you have a murderer behind you, how much would you have visual contact?'
'He put his hands on my bottom and pulled me to him,' she said

Linda Malone, 66, says Kang was in her apartment when he asked for a hug

A 90-year-old man has been charged with sexually assaulting a woman at a senior housing complex in Seattle.

Linda Malone, 66, says Abraham Kang, 90, grabbed her inappropriately, put his hands on her bottom and pulled her towards him in January, King5 reported.

Kang had previously asked Malone, the president of the building's tenants' association, if he could drop off a bath stool at her apartment to donate it to other residents.

Both lived at New Haven Apartments, a housing complex in north Seattle belonging to the Senior Housing Assistance Group (SHAG).

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Linda Malone, 66, says Abraham Kang, 90, asked her for a hug, touched her inappropriately and commented on her breasts while he was in her apartment at this Senior Housing Assistance Group (SHAG) complex in Seattle (pictured)

'He brought the bath stool up - he could have just left it. That was just his excuse for getting up here,' Malone told King5.

Then, she said, Kang asked her if he could give her a hug.

'I hesitated but I let him and he grabbed me inappropriately,' Malone said. 'He put his hands right on my bottom and pulled me to him, then he said that I had nice breasts and his hands started to move up my sides.'

Kang also told Malone about his ability to have sex at 90 years old, King5 reported.

He has now been charged with misdemeanor assault with sexual motivation.

Seattle police told Malone that another tenant complained about Kang in 2012 at a different SHAG building in Seattle, in the Lake City area.

She said Kang had grabbed her breasts with both hands and groped her through her clothes so violently that her pelvis was sore the next day. The woman was 'too embarrassed' to press charges at the time, King5 reported.

One of her family members told King5 they had considered asking for a restraining order but didn't because SHAG told them they would move Kang out of the building.

He then moved to Malone's housing complex in New Haven.

'SHAG has done this to us,' Malone told King5. 'They moved somebody that they knew was a danger from one SHAG building to the other.'

SHAG executive director Jay Woolford said in a written statement to the channel that Kang hadn't been transferred from one building to the other but had moved on his own.

They also said that because no charges were filed in 2012, warning other residents against Kang could have amounted to defamation.

Kang will face his charge in court later this month.
The place where murdered student Jamie Gao, 20, met his death, was an industrial storage unit, number 803.

Photographs show the unit, located in Padstow in Sydney's south west, constructed with cinderblocks and steel roller doors, piled high with a jumble of office furniture and shrouded in darkness.

The images were presented to a New South Wales Supreme Court jury as evidence in the trial of former police officers Roger Rogerson and Glen McNamara, who are charged with the murder of Mr Gao, a 20-year-old university student and alleged drug dealer, on May 20, 2014.

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Photos presented to a jury in the NSW Supreme Court in the trial for student Jamie Gao's murder show the storage unit in Sydney's south west where he was killed

The unit where Gao, 20, was shot twice in the chest is pictured in the dark, part of an industrial-looking building made from cinderblocks and steel roller doors

The interior of unit 803, a storage unit in Padstow, Sydney, where Jamie Gao was shot twice in the chest

Storage unit number 803, where Gao was shot. It is alleged former police officers Roger Rogerson and Glen McNamara killed the student

Murdered student Jamie Gao was wearing a clear latex glove on his right hand when he died

It is in Unit 803 where Mr Gao was shot twice in the chest.

Prosecutors allege Mr Rogerson, 75, and Mr McNamara, 56, then stripped him of 2.78kg of ice before dumping his body at sea.

His body was found floating off the coast of Cronulla in Sydney's south in a silver Ocean & Earth surfboard bag and when it was unzipped Mr Gao was found to be wearing a watch and a clear latex glove on one hand.

Under his clothes he had a number of tattoos, including one traditional Chinese character that can be loosely translated to 'brotherhood' or 'friendship' in English.

This traditional Chinese character tattooed on Mr Gao's body can be loosely translated to 'brotherhood' or 'friendship'

These photographs of his other tattoos were released following Mr Gao's autopsy

According to a forensic pathologist who gave evidence to the NSW Supreme Court on Thursday, Mr Gao may have been sitting down when he was shot, the Sydney Morning Herald reported.

During questioning on Thursday Dr Kendall Bailey - who performed an autopsy on Mr Gao - revealed that the 20-year-old could have been sitting down when he was shot twice in the chest and killed.

'I agree that's a potential scenario that could result in those trajectories [of the bullets],' she said.

Mr Gao was wearing a black Jay-Jays t-shirt, blue Calvin Klein jeans, a black Bermuda jacket, Dolce & Gabbana underpants and white, high-top Lacoste shoes.

His body had many tattoes, one of which read: 'Every saint has a past every sinner has a future'.

Mr Rogerson and Mr McNamara have both been charged with drug offences and murder and have pleaded not-guilty to all charges.

The pair are expected to give evidence at the trial blaming each other for Mr Gao's killing, according to The Daily Telegraph.

Gao's body was found floating off the coast of Cronulla in Sydney's south in May 2014




She said he was 'tormented with worry' about upcoming concerts in Japan

Rock star Keith Emerson killed himself because he feared he was no longer good enough as a musician, his girlfriend exclusively told The Mail on Sunday last night.

The 71-year-old founder and keyboard player of Emerson, Lake and Palmer was 'tormented with worry' about upcoming concerts in Japan because nerve damage to a hand had affected his playing, said Mari Kawaguchi.

She found Emerson's body when she returned to the apartment the couple shared in Santa Monica, Los Angeles, early on Friday morning.

He had shot himself with a gun he kept for protection.

Keith Emerson (centre, in 1960), 71, the founder and keyboard player of Emerson, Lake and Palmer (pictured together) was 'tormented with worry' about upcoming concerts in Japan because nerve damage to a hand had affected his playing

'Keith wasn't feeling well on Thursday night. He had bronchitis so I tucked him up in bed,' said Kawaguchi, 52.

'He was sleeping when I left and I thought he was sleeping when I got back, but then I realised what had happened. He was gone. I am still in total shock.

'His right hand and arm had given him problems for years. He had an operation a few years ago to take out a bad muscle but the pain and nerve issues in his right hand were getting worse.

'He had concerts coming up in Japan and even though they hired a back-up keyboard player to support him, Keith was worried.

'He read all the criticism online and was a sensitive soul. Last year he played concerts and people posted mean comments such as, 'I wish he would stop playing.'

Emerson's (left) girlfriend Mari Kawaguchi (right) found Emerson's body when she returned to the apartment the couple shared in Santa Monica, Los Angeles, early on Friday morning

Emerson (pictured in 1969) had shot himself with a gun he kept for protection

'He was tormented with worry that he wouldn't be good enough. He was planning to retire after Japan.

'He didn't want to let down his fans. He was a perfectionist and the thought he wouldn't play perfectly made him depressed, nervous and anxious.'

ELP, with drummer Carl Palmer and vocalist/guitarist Greg Lake, were progressive rock giants in the 1970s. Their hit albums included Brain Salad Surgery and Pictures At An Exhibition.
British ships sent to the Aegean to stem the flow of migrants from Turkey to Greece can be tracked in real-time by people-smugglers using a 2.99 mobile phone app.

Four British vessels are joining forces with Nato ships to crack down on gangs that charge migrants thousands of pounds to make the perilous journey  leading to hundreds of deaths each month.

But The Mail on Sunday can reveal that people-smugglers could avoid detection using an app that pinpoints several of the vessels locations, speed and direction of travel.

Using MarineTraffic, The Mail on Sunday tracked HMC Protector, pictured, when it was docked in Gibraltar

MarineTraffics app, which can be downloaded for 2.99 or used for free on its website, also gives vessels movements over previous days.

Mounts Bay, a Royal Fleet Auxiliary ship, has been deployed in the Aegean to spot smugglers and pass information to Turkey.

It joins VOS Grace, a civilian vessel chartered by the Home Office, which has been in the region for four months.

Two Border Force cutters are also due to arrive later this month. Using the app, the MoS pinpointed the location of one of these, HMC Protector, in dock on Thursday in Gibraltar.

We pictured the vessel that day before tracking it on Friday as it set off for the Aegean.

We plotted VOS Grace off the coast of Greek island Farmakonisi on Thursday morning, and in the same spot yesterday morning. We also tracked an unidentified Nato warship south of the Greek island of Lesbos on Friday afternoon.

Another Nato warship, understood to be operated by the Turkish navy, was also tracked off Lesbos. Almost 138,000 migrants have arrived in Greece so far this year.

MarineTraffic tracks ships using AIS (Automatic Identification System) transmissions which are picked up by shore-based receivers.

The Mail on Sunday used MarineTraffics app to pinpoint the location of HMC Protector while it was docked in Gibraltar (left) on Thursday, as well as tracking it as the vessel set off for the Aegean Sea (right) on Friday

The International Maritime Organization requires vessels of more than 300 tons and passenger ships to have AIS transmitters. Warships and ships operated or owned by governments are supposedly exempt.

Ex-Navy chief Lord West said the app was something else that the military commander has to bear in mind.

A Home Office spokesman said: The Border Force vessels in the Aegean are on a humanitarian operation to support the Greek and Turkish coastguards and not part of a covert operation.

He added: All Border Force cutters have the ability to avoid tracking if necessary.
Connecticut police issued an Amber alert Saturday morning for a seven-year-old boy who was allegedly abducted by his father.

Ariel Revello went missing Saturday morning after his father, Rodolfo Revello, 43, allegedly forced his way into a Trumbull, Connecticut, home around 4.30am and attacked his estranged wife.

Revello then fled with Ariel and New York State police say he could be armed and headed to the Bronx, where he previously lived.

Ariel Revello (left) went missing Saturday morning after his father, Rodolfo Revello (right), 43, allegedly forced his way into a Trumbull, Connecticut, home around 4.30am and attacked his estranged wife

During the dispute in the home, Revello grabbed a knife, but was disarmed by his 17-year-old step-son, who lived in the house, according to CBS News.

Revello took thousands of dollars in cash and jewelry before fleeing the residence with Ariel in a white 2015 Ford Transit van.

The victim was able to escape by jumping out of her bedroom window and hiding in the yard, according to NBC.

Police said the victim had a restraining order against her estranged husband that expires in September of this year.

Revello did have visitation rights with his son while the mother would be at work.

Police also said that Revello has a criminal record.

She was taken to the hospital with non life-threatening injuries.

Police are still searching for Ariel, who was last seen wearing gray and blue pajamas, a gray sweatshirt and olive green puffy jacket and blue croc shoes.

He is 4ft 8 inches tall and around 75 pounds.

The Trumbull Police Department is asking anyone with information to call (203)-261-3665.
Mr Page claims he is 'horrified' that Christians are being 'ostracised'

Gove said he was fired for being 'prejudiced against single sex adopters'

The 69-year-old will sue Michael Gove to challenge the 'intolerant' decision

A Christian magistrate sacked for opposing gay adoption is to sue Lord Chancellor Michael Gove.

In an outspoken attack on his former boss, Richard Page criticised Mr Gove for failing to stand up for the rights of Christians to express their religious beliefs, and said he would challenge the intolerant decision in court.

Speaking to The Mail on Sunday, the 69-year-old said: It does annoy me that people who say they have Christian views are getting at me for my Christian views, and that includes Michael Gove.

Christian magistrate Richard Page, 69, (pictured) who was sacked after 15 years for opposing gay adoption will sue his former boss Michael Gove for 'failing to stand up for the rights of Christians'

Mr Page was last week removed from the bench after 15 years for saying in a TV interview that it was better for children to be brought up by a mother and a father.

In a ruling, Mr Gove and the Lord Chief Justice Lord Thomas said Mr Page was being dismissed because he would be regarded as being biased and prejudiced against single sex adopters and his views brought magistrates courts into disrepute.

Mr Page, who is backed by pressure group Christian Concern and human rights lawyer Paul Diamond, is to take his case to an employment tribunal, where he will argue that he is facing religious discrimination.

The former magistrate, who also works for an NHS trust, is expected to say other judges have spoken out and not faced sanctions, and that there is no evidence the views he voiced on a BBC Breakfast show in March last year had damaged the reputation of the courts.

In a ruling, Mr Gove (pictured) said Mr Page was being dismissed because he would be regarded as being biased and prejudiced against single sex adopters

His legal advisers are also examining the possibility of launching a judicial review against Mr Goves decision.

Mr Page also claimed society was becoming increasingly anti-Christian.

I am horrified by the way things are going, he said.

Christianity is being marginalised. Christians are finding it very difficult to discuss their views because they fear they will be ostracised.
Labour has caused fury at the Treasury by accusing George Osborne of driving people to suicide with his cuts to public spending.

Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell made the incendiary claim that people have been compelled to throw themselves under trains because of the severity of the Chancellors policies.

His remarks have come as the Chancellor looks set to trigger a storm of protest in Wednesdays Budget by targeting disability benefits for a new round of cuts.

Labour Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell has caused fury at the Treasury by accusing George Osborne of driving people to suicide with his cuts to public spending

Mr McDonnell told a rally of hard-left supporters at the Commons that he had studied the suicide statistics at the train station in his Hayes and Harlington constituency and found that between 2012 and 2014  after Mr Osborne introduced his austerity reforms  the death rate at one stage was running at one fatality a month.

He claimed the common theme had been a lack of mental health support. They killed themselves because they lacked services, he told the Momentum group meeting.

But Mr McDonnell did not mention that his West London constituency lies in a notorious suicide hotspot: in some years the lines into Paddington account for one third of all rail suicides, despite carrying just one tenth of the national rail traffic.

His remarks come as the Chancellor looks set to trigger a storm of protest in Wednesdays Budget by cutting disability benefits

Womens rights groups have previously claimed that one of the reasons is that the tracks in Hayes and neighbouring Southall run through areas with large Asian communities  and a disproportionately high number of the deaths were of Asian women who felt isolated by arranged marriages and other cultural practices.

Mr McDonnells comments  provocative even by the standards of Mr Corbyns leadership  signal that the party is preparing to mount a fresh assault on the Government for the human suffering caused by its cuts.

They come as this newspaper reveals today that a military-style coup to topple Mr Corbyn has begun.

New Mail on Sunday columnist Dan Hodges writes today that a group of shadow ministers are planning a summer coup with Shadow Business Secretary Angela Eagle likely to be a leading candidate.

Last night, a spokesman for Mr McDonnell said: John brought the different agencies together to try to prevent further suicides. A common theme emerged about the lack of mental health support.

A Treasury source called Mr McDonnells claims ridiculous, adding: We have increased funding of mental health support services.
Dr Waney Squier, one of Britains most experienced paediatric neuropathologists, condemns the medical establishments theories on Shaken Baby Syndrome (SBS) as flawed, outdated and dangerous

To scores of grieving parents she is a heroine - a fearless doctor prepared to stand up in court and condemn the medical establishments theories on Shaken Baby Syndrome (SBS) as flawed, outdated and dangerous.

But on Friday the medical establishment hit back with a ruling that effectively gags Dr Waney Squier, one of Britains most experienced paediatric neuropathologists.

A Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service panel ruled that Dr Squier had been irresponsible, deliberately misleading and dishonest in giving expert evidence in court and had acted in a way likely to bring the reputation of the medical profession into disrepute.

But on Saturday, speaking exclusively to The Mail on Sunday, a defiant Dr Squier, 68, refused to accept she has done anything wrong and insisted she will fight to clear her name, claiming the case against her has been orchestrated by police prosecutors and the medical establishment, angered at seeing their evidence disputed in court.

Stating her case as clearly as she can, she says: I now believe that SBS does not exist.

The tribunal verdict was devastating for Dr Squier personally  and the wider stakes could not be higher.

There are more than 250 cases involving SBS in the British courts every year and the ruling could silence those experts who believe the orthodox scientific view is wrong.

Dr Squier says: There is little more agonising for a parent or carer to lose a small child, let alone then be accused of their death when they believe they have done nothing wrong.

If they are brought before a court the most up-to-date scientific evidence should be used. Instead, many expert witnesses still refer to a more than 30-year-old diagnostic method to help prove criminal cases beyond a reasonable doubt.'

Notorious cases involving SBS include the British nanny Louise Woodward (pictured) who was convicted of shaking a baby to death in the US

She adds: Imagine going to your doctor, who diagnoses diabetes, and then suggests he treats you with leeches.

She believes she will ultimately be vindicated by science and says that verdicts being handed down in many shaken baby cases are profoundly disturbing.

In the past decade, we have learned that much of what we thought we knew about SBS was wrong, she says.

There is little more agonising for a parent or carer to lose a small child, let alone then be accused of their death when they believe they have done nothing wrong. Dr Waney Squier Dr Waney Squier

Of course I know that some people harm babies and regularly see evidence of inflicted injury, but I am convinced we can virtually exclude shaking as a cause of death in babies unless, as well as bleeding in the brain, we have additional evidence of trauma, such as serious damage to the neck. If you shake a baby so hard that it dies, it is the neck that is going to show the damage, not the brain.

Notorious cases involving SBS include the British nanny Louise Woodward, who was convicted of shaking a baby to death in the US, and Sally Clark, the Cheshire solicitor wrongly convicted of killing two of her children.

A key expert witness in the prosecution of Woodward has said he would not give the same damning evidence today because of a change in scientific understanding.

But Dr Squiers detractors insist her evidence allows baby killers to walk free.

For the past 30 years Dr Squier has devoted herself to researching the pathology of infant brains, including the controversial area of SBS, also known as Abusive Head Trauma.

A consultant at Oxfords John Radcliffe Hospital, she is one of Britains most experienced experts in her field and internationally respected  last week she was awarded the 2016 Champion of Justice Award by Innocence Network, an international organisation that works to overturn wrongful convictions.

Dr Squier pictured in 2003 leaving the Edinburgh High Court during the Tina McLeod trial - the 40-year-old childminder who was accused of SBS

Such is the importance of her case that the BBCs flagship documentary series Panorama features Dr Squier and the international debate over SBS in its programme tomorrow evening.

Meanwhile, she told this newspaper: Some pathologists want to remain in an unchallenging comfort zone of an outdated theory.

Yet my views are based on the incontrovertible evidence provided by the tissue I see daily on the microscope slides and informed by research and critical examination of the scientific literature.

There is still much to learn about how baby brains develop. I am happy with rigorous debate but take exception to attacks on my integrity and professionalism.

The Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service hearing focused on her evidence in several cases between 2008 and 2010  including the deaths of four babies and a 19-month-old child  where Dr Squier took the view that the brain damage caused was not due to inflicted injuries.

The panel was told by the prosecution that her views were in contrast to the opinions of the majority of experts in the field.

But Dr Squier says: Four cases were heard in both the family and criminal court and I gave evidence in both. In the family court all four were found guilty and the children were taken away, whereas three out of the four were found not guilty in the criminal court, which accepted my evidence.

Tragically their children had, in the meantime, been taken away from their families.

Dr Squiers battle with the medical establishment began in 2010 when the Metropolitan Police made a complaint about her conduct as an expert witness. They also raised concerns about the way she was handling post- mortem tissue. No action was taken.

Dr Squier is a consultant at Oxfords John Radcliffe Hospital (pictured) where she is respected as an expert in her field

She then faced an Interim Orders Panel, which was set up after the conviction of serial killer Dr Harold Shipman to protect the public from dangerous doctors.

It was a terrible experience, but the hearing had barely got under way when it was dismissed and no restrictions were made on my practice, she says.

But in November 2013 the General Medical Council contacted her again to say it was continuing with the prosecution and would hold the Fitness To Practice hearing  which has just ended.

Dr Squier says: It has been a gruelling time. I coped by sticking to a strict regime. I took plenty of exercise, went to bed early, didnt touch alcohol and tried to get as much fresh air as I could. Her two daughters and partner Mike, a retired electronics engineer, had been loyal and totally supportive.

Dr Squier now has to wait weeks to learn what sanctions, if any, the tribunal will hand down. I am shocked and deeply disappointed at the outcome, she says.
Geoffrey Plow, 58, a master at the 18,400-a-year University College School for boys in North London

A housemaster at a top private school has been charged with sexually or indecently assaulting former pupils, one of whom was a boy under 16.

Geoffrey Plow, 58, a master at the 18,400-a-year University College School for boys in North London  where former pupils include actor Hugh Dennis and MP Tristram Hunt  pleaded not guilty when he appeared before magistrates last week.

He faces two counts of sexually assaulting one former student in 2007, and one count of indecently assaulting the under 16-year-old between 1999 and 2003.

He will appear at Blackfriars Crown Court next month.
Mourners have left dozens of bouquets of flowers at the gates of Dunblane Primary School to mark the 20th anniversary of the massacre which saw 16 children murdered.

A special church service has been held to remember those who died and people have visited the school throughout the day to pay their respects.

The pathologist who identified the bodies of the children has spoken of the harrowing experience on the 20th anniversary of the tragedy.

Hundreds of bouquets of flowers were today left at the gravesides of the 16 schoolchildren and their teacher who died in the Dunblane shootings on March 13, 1996

Mourners also left floral tributes at the gates of Dunblane Primary School to mark the anniversary

Sixteen young Primary One pupils lost their lives, as did class teacher Gewn Mayor (left). Those who died included Kevin Hasell, 5 (back row, third from left); David Kerr, 5 (back row, third from right), Charlotte Dunn, 5 (second row, second from left), Emily Morton, 5 (second row, third from left); Joanna Ross, 5 (second row, middle), Emma Crozier, 5 (second row, third from right), Abigail McLennan, 5 (front row, left), Sophie North, 5 (front row, second from left), Hannah Scott, 5 (front row, third from left), Megan Turner, 5 (front row, middle), Mhairi McBeath, 5 (front row, second from right)

Anthony Busuttil was called in to examine the scene after Thomas Hamilton shot dead 16 young children and their teacher before turning the gun on himself on March 13, 1996.

Mr Busuttil described walking into the gym at Dunblane Primary School as the 'hardest thing' he ever had to do, and chillingly said that killer Hamilton's 'black-clad body' had 'looked like Mussolini from a distance, with a black shirt and combat trousers'.

'I hit my wall when I entered the gym at Dunblane,' Professor Busuttil told the Sunday Mirror. 'It was the hardest thing I ever had to do to keep my legs moving forward.

'You could not go into that gym, you could not work with the bodies of five-year-olds at the hospital and not be incredibly moved.'

Disgraced former Scout leader Hamilton was 43 when he carried out the planned execution of innocents, first cutting the school's telephone wires before making his way to the gym hall armed with four legally-held handguns and hundreds of rounds of ammunition.

Monsignor Basil O'Sullivan marks the 20th Anniversary of the Dunblane Primary School shootings with a candle in front of memorial stained-glass windows in Holy Family Church in Dunblane today

A service was held today at Holy Family Church where victims of the 1996 shooting were remembered

Hundreds of people attended the emotionally charged gathering at the Church of the Holy Family

Inside the gym, 28 primary one pupils were preparing for PE class as he entered and began shooting, killing 16 children and their teacher Gwen Mayor and injuring 15 others.

The massacre, which happened shortly after 9.30am in the Stirlingshire town, shocked the nation and led to the UK enforcing some of the strictest firearms legislation in the world.

Hamilton became a Scout leader in 1973, at the age of 20, but was asked to leave the following year because of complaints about his behaviour at camp.

Flowers have been left at this memorial which is in the spot where the demolished gymnasium stood

A special church service has been held to remember those who died and people have visited the school throughout the day to pay their respects

Two-year-old Joel McHarg leaves flowers at the memorial to the children and their teacher at the town's cemetery today

The massacre, which happened shortly after 9.30am in the Stirlingshire town, shocked the nation and led to the UK enforcing some of the strictest firearms legislation in the world

In a BBC documentary to mark the anniversary, former head teacher Ron Taylor, 63, described how he is still consumed with guilt by the tragedy.

'It was unimaginably horrible to see children dying in front of you. I felt enormous guilt - more than a survivor's guilt. It was my school, I felt violated,' he said.

'As a headteacher what happened to me that day was the worst experience any headteacher could have. People have to cope in their own way.

A minute of silence was held for victims of the school massacre before the Six Nations rugby match between Scotland and France at Murrayfield in Edinburgh

IN MEMORY OF THOSE WHO DIED Victoria Clydesdale, 5, Emma Crozier, 5, Melissa Currie, 5, Charlotte Dunn, 5, Kevin Hasell, 5, Ross Irvine, 5, David Kerr, 5, Mhairi MacBeath, 5, Brett McKinnon, 6, Abigail McLennan, 5, Emily Morton, 5, Sophie North, 5, John Petrie, 5, Joanna Ross, 5, Hannah Scott, 5, Megan Turner, 5, Gwen Mayor (45, class teacher) Advertisement

'One of the things I have at home is a box full of newspaper articles.

'And it includes my own written version of the events of the day and I did that to help. I locked it away and thankfully I have never looked at it again.'

Police Scotland released a statement ahead of the anniversary of the tragedy.

Stirling Local Area Commander, Chief Inspector Paul Rollo, said: 'This terrible incident cast a shadow on the town and on Sunday we will join together in remembrance and to celebrate the vibrant community which has overcome such tragedy.

A police officer in the playground of Dunblane Primary School a day after Hamilton ruthlessly opened fire

The killer: Thomas Hamilton was 43 when he went on a killing rampage in Dunblane Primary School, shooting dead 16 children and their teacher before turning the gun on himself. Pathologist Anthony Busuttil was tasked with examining the scene in the aftermath of the tragedy

'Our local officers are embedded in the community and as always will offer support to the people of Dunblane this weekend and going forward.'

East of Scotland Assistant Chief Constable Kate Thomson added: 'Much has changed in 20 years, but the shock and sadness is still felt by people throughout Scotland and further afield, including police officers who served in Central Scotland Police and elsewhere at the time, and those who have joined the service since.
The accused fled the scene but has since been arrested and charged

Two men have been charged after a bride-to-be was left with a broken collarbone when her extravagant hen's night ended in horror outside a fast food outlet.

Bride-to-be Lauren Estabilio, 29, and three of her friends were rushed to hospital after they were allegedly attacked by a 44-year-old man outside Hungry Jacks on George Street in central Sydney.

The alleged attacker's friend, 43, had allegedly made 'sexually inappropriate' comments towards the women shortly before the heated discussion erupted into a violent and random assault.

The accused allegedly punched and tackled the group, knocking two unconscious and assaulted a 61-year-old man, who suffered a facial swelling when he intervened, police say.

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Bride-to-be Lauren Estabilio (left) and her friends were rushed to hospital after her hen's night ended in horror

One of the women had suffered injuries after a 41-year-old man allegedly punched the group to the ground

Police attended the scene of the attack on George Street in Sydney in the early hours of Saturday morning

When the women defended themselves, the accused allegedly said: 'If you don't shut up I'll punch you in the face', witness Serena Prelec told The Daily Telegraph.

'He punched four to five girls in the head, holding them by the neck and punching them,' she added.

'One girl fell to the ground and he started to kick her and then he did a runner to the train station.'

Another witness told ABC News: 'One was knocked out completely and the other girl, she [regained consciousness].

'The friend was in a bad condition. She was shaking and was hit about five or six times, and they were both knocked out.'

The 29-year-old bride to be (pictured with her fiance Ian Bennett) suffered a broken collarbone

The 61-year-old man who tried to defend the women had suffered a facial swelling during the assault

The women, who endured non life-threatening injuries, were treated at the scene before going to hospital

Witnesses claimed staff members attempted a citizen's arrest but the alleged attacker managed to escape before emergency services arrived at the scene.

His 43-year-old friend was arrested for questioning but was later released.

Police alleged the second man knocked the bride-to-be unconscious, causing her to fall to the ground. She was taken to St Vincent's Hospital for treatment for a broken collarbone.

Other reports claimed one of the women was picked up and spear tackled into the ground.

Her friends - aged 31 and 25 - were taking to hospital after suffering bruising and cuts while a 29-year-old woman was taken to Royal North Short Hospital for further treatment.

Six women out on a hens night and a 69-year-old were attacked outside of Hungry Jacks in Sydney's CBD

Ambulance paramedics arrived to attend to those injured in the shocking attack over the weekend

Police speak to people near the scene of the attack at a Hungry Jacks, near Sydney's Wynyard Station

Police alleged the second man knocked the bride-to-be unconscious, causing her to fall to the ground

Witnesses claimed staff members attempted a citizen's arrest but the alleged attacker managed to escape

The women, who endured non life-threatening injuries, have since been released from hospital.

The elderly man, who rushed to the women's aid, was treated by paramedics at the scene after he was allegedly attacked.

On Saturday afternoon, the alleged attacker handed himself into Day Street Police Station where he was arrested and charged with five counts of assault occasioning actual bodily harm and affray.

The second man, aged 43, attended Chatswood Police Station where he was arrested and charged with assault occasioning grievous bodily harm and two counts of common assault.
Ex-mandarin Tony Challinor boasts of using experience and knowledge gained in government in the private sector

The Ministry of Justice has started an urgent inquiry after The Mail on Sunday uncovered evidence that ex-civil servants were boasting of Government connections while working for private firms to secure multi-million-pound contracts in Britain and abroad.

This newspaper found several senior MoJ officials recently left Whitehall to take up jobs with a consultancy.

In the months before they departed, the consultancys UK branch had helped secure contracts worth more than 600 million for a controversial US firm to run probation services across swathes of the South East, and a Northamptonshire young offenders unit.

They had worked for the commercial arm of the MoJ  shut down last year after disclosures it was to be paid 6 million to reform the prison system in Saudi Arabia.

This operation, Just Solutions International, closed in September. Its former chief Tony Challinor, now a director of consultancy TDPi, boasts of using experience and knowledge gained in government in the private sector.

His profile on business networking site LinkedIn says he had led a Ministry of Justice team to scope and develop solutions for governments and criminal justice agencies around the world, adding: I am very pleased to be able to continue to develop and deliver this work through TDPi.

Former civil servants must not exploit privileged access to contacts in Government or sensitive information gained in their duties. If a job risks breaching these rules, it must be approved by a Whitehall committee.

Mr Challinor is one of several ex-mandarins at TDPi to whom the checks were apparently not properly applied. The firms website mentions Sibylle Batten, who led the MoJs International and Market Development Unit, and has extensive experience in business and partnership development.

Sources told The Mail on Sunday that TDPi is looking at contracts in Nigeria, Afghanistan and Somalia, where it hopes to rehabilitate pirates.

I am very pleased to be able to continue to develop and deliver this work through TDPi Tony Challinor, a director of consultancy TDPi

Its director Rebecca Grattan is also chief operating officer of MTCnovo, the British branch of prisons firm MTC. Its successful bids to run probation services in London and Thames Valley and the Rainsbrook youth detention centre were organised by TDPis sister company. By 2021, the income from these will top 600 million.

In the US, MTC has been beset by scandal. Last year a Texas immigration detention centre it ran was destroyed when prisoners rioted. The state of Mississippi is facing class-action lawsuits from prisoners in MTC-run jails who allege they endured violence and were denied healthcare.

Criminal justice expert Harry Fletcher branded it outrageous that a firm with such a record was to run Rainsbrook. MTCnovo said it plans to bid for further UK contracts.

The Ministry of Justice said it had started an immediate investigation with support from the Cabinet Office as a result of the findings.

Asked about the probe, Mrs Grattan said: Both Tony Challinor and Sibylle Batten have followed the recommended procedures. Neither individual is working in any capacity for MTCnovo nor has done so in the past.
Gaetan Dugas (pictured) was blamed for bringing HIV to North America in the 1980s

The man who has been accused of sparking the AIDS epidemic for decades might not have had anything to do with the onset of the disease, a new study has found.

Gaetan Dugas, a Quebec-born flight attendant at Air Canada, was labeled as Patient Zero in a 1984 study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Journalist Randy Shilts described Dugas as a promiscuous man who recklessly continued to have sex with other men despite knowing he was at risk of transmitting the virus in his 1987 book And The Band Played On.

But now, researchers at the University of Arizona in Tucson have studied the history of the virus's mutations and found that the epidemic began before Dugas's time - and at a different place, Science reported.

Scientists compared a 1983 blood sample from Dugas with eight blood samples taken from gay and bisexual men in the late 1970s.

They isolated the HIV and, thanks to a technique known as the molecular clock, created a 'family tree' of the virus's different versions throughout the years.

Dugas's version of the virus fell in the middle of the tree, Science wrote, not at the beginning - showing that Dugas did not bring the first case to the United States.

Instead, scientists say that the epidemic most likely began around 1970 in New York City and that the virus had probably come from Haiti or another Caribbean country.

Dugas was used as a scapegoat at the beginning of the epidemic, Dr Richard Elion told Vox.

Gregg Gonsalves, an HIV/AIDS activist, told the website: 'Patient Zero became a convenient symbol for a culture ready to panic about gay men and the microbes swirling around in their bodies.'

People Magazine singled out Dugas in 1987 as one of the 25 most intriguing people of the year, saying that his 'fierce sexual drive gave impetus to an epidemic that claimed his life and thousands more'.

That same year, Time Magazine spread a similar narrative about Dugas, calling Shilts's account of the epidemic 'a stunning book'.

The New York Post called Dugas 'The Man Who Gave Us Aids' in a headline, Science of Us reported.

Dugas was singled out by People Magazine as one of the 25 most intriguing people of 1987. Pictured is an annotated copy of the magazine, which was sent anonymously to the San Francisco AIDS Foundation to show the intensity of the angry, negative stigma against Dugas

When Quebec-born Dugas (pictured) was 20 years old, he moved to Vancouver to learn English and get his dream job as a flight attendant. He was diagnosed with Kaposi's Sarcoma, a type of cancer frequently found in AIDS patients, in 1980, and died in 1984 at 31 years old

Shilts's book, in which two doctors call Dugas a sociopath, attracted criticism later on for being speculative and relying too much on rumors, Dr Richard A McKay wrote in a 2014 study.

Dugas was born in Quebec City in 1952. He moved to Vancouver when he was 20 years old to learn English and get his dream job as a flight attendant.

He began working for Air Canada in 1974 and traveled often between Vancouver, Montreal, Halifax and Toronto. Dugas, who had 'several hundred partners each year' according to McKay, also spent time in New York in San Francisco.

He was diagnosed with Kaposi's Sarcoma, a type of cancer frequently found in AIDS patients, in 1980.

'With an awareness of the limits of contemporary knowledge about the condition, Dugas was one of many gay men of the time who viewed medical claims and advice with skepticism,' McKay wrote.

'Nonetheless, he had been very helpful with researchers from the CDC, providing them in 1982 with the best early set of records for contact tracing they could findseventy-two names of his previous sexual contacts.'

Dugas died in Quebec City in 1984, at 31 years old.
The problem was simple but infuriating: I had to travel to Brussels every month and ask permission if we could fish in our own waters. They were no longer our own. It was irritating to be told we were part of the European family and must share everything with our friends.

So what did Lars-Emil Johansen, the president of Greenlands parliament and a former prime minister, do about it? Simple: he led a campaign for his country of 56,000 people to go it alone  and in 1982 his dream became reality. They voted in a referendum to leave the union.

This was a shock for Brussels  and not just because Greenland is so vast that the then European Economic Community lost more than half its territory overnight. It was hugely symbolic: it remains the only time any state has defied the drift towards ever closer union across the continent by demanding to depart.

Optimism: A small fishing boat off the Greenland coast

So, as Britain weighs up whether to follow suit, I asked the centre-Left politician if he has any regrets? No, he says emphatically. I was very happy when it happened. It was a very good decision.

Although both are proud island nations Greenland is, of course, very different to Britain. It relies almost totally on fishing. The population is half the size of Cheltenham. There are no roads outside the capital Nuuk. And it sits closer to Canada than Copenhagen.

And despite an economy smaller than Guernsey, it still took two years to negotiate a complex new treaty governing relations and trading with the European Union following the 52 per cent vote for separation. Diplomats say it might take Britain a decade of instability to do the same.

But they went for it  and stayed afloat. Many of the arguments in the process sound familiar. They told us that it would be very bad for Greenland if we left, said Mr Johansen. They said the economy would collapse, that prices would go up, that it would be almost impossible to live here.

Clearly this has not been the case and it is not just politicians who say life is good outside the EU.

I think it is great for us and has not made any difference, said Maik Carretero, who runs a thriving ice cream company in Nuuk. His products are sold in 50 local outlets despite the Arctic weather that saw temperatures of minus 11C yesterday.

Carretero already sells his creations  using polar ice from caves  to smart Danish stores and plans on exporting to Iceland and Britain next. I dont have any problems selling to Europe, he said.

Jeanette Holding, 46, chief executive of Nuuk Couture, a traditional fashion house, also insisted life was fine outside the club. We are very little and if all the bureaucracy came in from the EU that would be very difficult for us. We dont need this. Greenlandic people are proud of our culture and our traditions and we want to keep hold of them. So should Britain take the leap and leave Brussels? Diplomatically, she replied: You must follow your heart and look at yourselves as a people.

There is one more major difference between Britain and Greenland: they never wanted to join in the first place. The largely ice-covered land was forced to sign up as part of Denmark in 1973 following a referendum, although Greenlanders themselves voted heavily against membership.

This helped fan a home rule movement, which resulted in its own government in 1979 and then the historic referendum won by the Out camps.

Yet despite this rejection of Brussels, they still rely on significant EU funds for schools, and receive further money from selling some fishing rights.

Girls in an official tourist board picture

Protecting this industry was the key issue driving their departure, with fierce resentment at foreign fleets and trawlers sucking up their stocks. Since then the industry has boomed, with expansion into new species such as snow crab and halibut that are exported worldwide.

It was the right thing to do, said Henrik Leth, chairman of Polar Seafood, the biggest private fishing firm. We have since developed fisheries with the big advantage of being outside the EU. This contrasts with Britain, which once had Europes biggest fishing fleet but has seen thousands of jobs lost since joining the community. Under bizarre Brussels rules, a single giant Dutch boat now has almost one quarter of the English quota.

Ditte Sorkns, newly arrived chief executive of a tannery, said she had been struck by local antipathy to the EU. You are having the referendum for the same reason they did, she said. It is a personal matter for people: do they get a benefit or is it all negative?

There was, of course, a hefty minority against quitting. There are people here who think it was the biggest mistake because we could have used lots of money to build our infrastructure and airport, said author Juaaka Lyberth.

But we do not think that much about the EU now  we are more focused on independence from Denmark, said Lyberth, a leading voice in his culture. And when you see the economic situation and problems with migrants, many people here are very glad to be out of the EU. Yet, as ever with this vexatious issue, the question is not fully laid to rest even in this fiercely independent community more than 2,000 miles from Brussels.

Danish ministers have predicted the scramble for Arctic resources may lead Greenland to rejoin, while Danish diplomats say they still assist on dealings with Brussels. Some local politicians also want to tap into EU funds for infrastructure, and business people fear getting squeezed out of global markets. If we go to China and argue that we will not give them access to our market unless they let us into theirs, we do not have much sway with only 56,000 people, said one fishing firm boss.

Even Mr Leth, also chairman of Business Greenland, representing 500 firms, believes it might be time to reopen debate despite fears of Brussels red tape engulfing the country. We should look at the pros and cons, he said. We cant just sit down and say we will never join the EU again.

Others take a different tack. We are far from Europe, said Mr Johansen. We want co-operation but do not want to be dictated to by Brussels. This is culturally very important for Greenland.
A notorious female child sex offender who helped her husband abduct and rape a 10-year-old girl, is nearing the end of her prison sentence, but authorities are trying to stop her from being released back into society.

Jan-Maree Farrenkothen and her then-husband Jurgen 'Terry' Farrenkothen's crime shocked the community of Gladstone, Queensland, when it was revealed how in 2002 she lured the girl, who had been at her house playing with her son, upstairs where she was handcuffed, gagged and raped by her husband.

Farrenkothen is nearing the end of a 14-year sentence, but an application to the Brisbane Supreme Court by the Attorney General aims to keep her locked up or impose severe conditions on her release, the Courier Mail reported.

Jurgen 'Terry' Farrenkothen and Jan-Maree Farrenkothen, pictured together on their wedding day

Farrenkothen, who now goes by her maiden name, Dunlop, is nearing the end of her prison sentence, after being jailed in 2002

When police arrested Farrenkothen, she revealed she believed her husband had planned to kill the girl, had police not found her.

Officers had gone to her house more than once while they searched for the girl.

Farrenkothen had expressed concern for the 10-year-old and told police they had interrupted her and her husband having sex.

On their third visit to her house, police were alerted to the girl when she attracted their attention.

In one of her first interviews with police, Farrenkothen said her husband told her they 'couldn't send her [the girl] home,' the Courier Mail reported.

She took that to mean they would 'do away with her'.

'Most probably have to dispose of her ... kill her, I suppose,' she told them.

That information has been used as part of the application to keep her jailed.

An application by the Attorney-General made to the QLD Supreme Court aims to keep Farrenkothen behind bars, or impose severe conditions on her release

Farrenkothen, 55, who now goes by her maiden name, Dunlop, has reportedly lost 70kg since she was incarcerated in the Brisbane Women's Correctional Facility in 2002.

A psychiatric report on Dunlop says the likelihood of her re-offending if released is between one and three percent.

If she were to re-offend, it would be under the influence of a male sex offender, according to the report.

Dunlop has been studying a Bachelor of Arts degree with a major in Ancient History as a protected prisoner.

Her case will go before the court in April
A North Carolina man's dream came true when he was let go from prison just 10 years into his 30 year sentence- and it's all because his lawyer slept through his trial.

The U.S. 4th Circuit Court of Appeals in Richmond, Virginia, on Friday tossed out Nicholas Ragin's conspiracy and racketeering convictions because his lawyer Nikita V. Mackey decided to get some shut eye. The judges said attorney Nikita V. Mackey's sleepiness meant Nicholas Ragin was deprived of his constitutional right to a lawyer.

Ragin was convicted of operating a drug and prostitution ring, along with two other men and one woman, in which 10 girls - some as young as 14 - had sex with as many as 10 men a night, according to Crime in Charlotte.

Nikita V. Mackey (left) fell asleep during Nicholas Ragin's (right) 2006 trial. A judge determined Nikita V. Mackey's sleepiness meant Nicholas Ragin was deprived of his constitutional right to a lawyer

Attorney Peter Adolf who was present during the 2006 trial where Mackey was caught slumbering said the judge on the case: 'leaned into his microphone, because we were all sitting there and (Mackey) wasnt moving and said, Mr. Mackey . . . very loudly. Mackey then jumped up and sort of looked around and was licking his lips and moving his mouth and looked sort of confused and looked all over the room.'

This is not the only time Mackey has been disgraced at his job, according to The New York Daily News.

Mackey resigned after 14 years as a police officer when he was accused of falsifying time sheets.

Four years after his resignation he was elected as a sheriff for the same police department but the state later overturned in.

He's had a few other career fumbles as a lawyer as well. One of his client's adoptions failed because he didn't properly explain the legal process to them. In 2008 and 2009 he didn't appear in court for two separate trials, according to the New York Daily News.
New Zealand actress Teuila Blakely has posted an expletive-ridden video on social media, hitting back at trolls and 'slut-shamers' who criticised her for posting a selfie with NRL Warriors player Konrad Hurrell.

The pair were involved in a sex scandal in 2014, when a video of them engaging in a sex act in a car was made public via social media, reported the NZ Herald.

Hurrell, who is 17 years her junior, was fined $5000 by the Warriors and made a public apology for his 'bad decision' over the sex tape.

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Teuila Blakely posted this selfie of her and NRL Warriors player Konrad Hurrell, who she ran into at the airport while in transit

Ms Blakely posted a selfie of the two after running into Mr Hurrell at the airport while in transit and captioned it with 'Ooh look who I ran into.. Xo'.

After receiving hundreds of derogatory comments on the Instagram picture, she hit back in a video she uploaded to her Facebook page.

'So, I'm in Sydney ... and on my way over it was really nice because I ran into my friend Konrad and I hadn't seen him for months, so it was actually really cool,' Ms Blakely said.

'And I just posted a photo of such because he's my friend ... and then everyone lost their damn motherf***ing minds!

'And basically, you know, it's not even like bullying or f***ing trolling, it's goddamn persecution ... "Anyway, I'm just here relaxing and letting you know and I'm still approximately giving, um, zero amount of f***s c***s!'

When the 2014 video was leaked Ms Blakely, who starred in popular New Zealand soap opera Shortland Street, confessed to being the mystery woman in the video because she said she always owned up to her actions and did not lie.

She said the video was filmed as a joke and was 'a tape between two people who have a lot of fun together'.

However, Ms Blakely later said the video had caused her friends and family 'pain, humiliation and embarrassment'.

The actress also received death threats, had a commercial partnership deal dropped and suffered backlash from her birth country, Samoa.

Ms Blakely starred in popular New Zealand soap opera Shortland Street and left in 2014 after playing Vasa Levi for four years

Konrad Hurrell, who is 17 years younger than Ms Blakely, was fined $5000 by the Warriors and made a public apology for his 'bad decision' over the pair's sex tape
Police pepper sprayed protesters outside of Donald Trump's rally in Kansas City, Missouri on Saturday as two people were arrested for refusing to follow the law.

Authorities say they used pepper spray twice outside of the GOP front-runner's event at The Midland Theatre.

Meanwhile the billionaire businessman urged police to arrest protesters, stating that he would start pressing charges against those individuals who interrupted his speeches.

'I hope they arrest these people, because honestly they should be,' Trump said to cheers from the crowd. 'The only way to stop the craziness is to press charges.'

Videos shared on social media of the incident showed a large group of people next to two mounted policemen moments before officers on the ground all began to use their pepper spray on the crowd.

After the incident, people were recorded pouring milk on their eyes in an attempt to fight the burning and stinging effects of the pepper spray. Using milk after being sprayed can help take the burn away, but it won't remove the oil from the eyes completely.

'We had to use pepper spray 2 times outside Trump rally and arrested 2 people who refused to follow law,' Kansas City Police said on Twitter.

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Police pepper sprayed protesters outside of Donald Trump's rally in Kansas City, Missouri on Saturday (above) as two people were arrested for refusing to follow the law

After the incident, people were recorded pouring milk on their eyes in an attempt to fight the effects of the pepper spray (above)

Authorities say they used pepper spray twice outside of the GOP front-runner's event at The Midland Theatre. Above demonstrators disrupt Trump's rally

While a boisterous group of protesters gathered outside the theater where Trump spoke in downtown Kansas City, the event concluded without significant incident. Above demonstrators disrupt Trump's rally

While a boisterous group of protesters gathered outside the theater where Trump spoke in downtown Kansas City, the event concluded without significant incident.

Police say the majority of people exercised their rights to gather peacefully.

A spokesman for the Kansas City Police Department, Darin Snapp, said that pepper spray was used in an effort to 'prevent protesters from taking over the street in an attempt to fight with rally supporters.'

He added that no one was injured outside the rally.

Trump's remarks were interrupted about a dozen times by protesters who managed to get into the theater, and they were escorted out.

As you can see, we were far from what happened and were not involved but he in walked up spraying us pic.twitter.com/f22WB5FAAG  Chris (@stokith) March 13, 2016

Kansas City Police in Missouri sent the above tweet about using pepper spray on Saturday

They added that the majority of people protested peacefully at Trump's event

Milk for those who say they were sprayed with pepper spray by police. pic.twitter.com/36anfanHVQ  Trymaine Lee (@trymainelee) March 13, 2016

Earlier in the day Saturday, Secret Service agents rushed to Trump's side in Dayton, Ohio at a rally after Thomas Dimassimo vaulted over the nearly waist-high railings to break through Trump's security staff and attempt to get on stage with the GOP presidential candidate.

Dimassimo, who is a former child actor, was quickly swarmed by security officers and Secret Service at the Dayton International Airport, but not before startling the billionaire businessman who stopped his speech.

'I was ready for him, but it's much easier if the cops do it, don't we agree?' Trump said.

In this image made from video, a man who jumped over a security barrier runs behind the dais where Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump is speaking during a campaign stop outside Dayton, Ohio. He was stopped and Trump continued with his speech

The offender has been named as Thomas Dimassimo of Fairborn, pictured above being escorted out by Secret Service agents

Before attending the rally, Dimassimo, who goes by @Younglionking7 on Twitter, wrote about his plans to disrupt the event.

'Currently in line for the rally. Currently never been more scared in my life,' he wrote Saturday on Twitter at 3.23am.

'If I can get good thoughts and prayers from my TL (time line) it would be much appreciated,' Dimassimo wrote Saturday at 7.37am.

'I'm at this you know what rally bout to you know what.'

While in Ohio, Trump addressed the crowd to condemn Friday night's bloody scenes as 'disgusting', saying it would have been a 'tremendous rally' but descended into violence because of what he called a 'planned attack' by 'professional wiseguys'.

Dimassimo (left and right) has been released from the Montgomery County Jail

The billionaire businessman denounced Obama's leadership for 'dividing America', despite the obvious division seen between the 10,000 protesters and Trump supporters seen in Chicago last night.

He referred to a border that is like a piece of 'Swiss cheese' as one of the factors that has 'divided the country, black versus white, income groups and congress'.

He then pointed to the back of the room: 'And if there's a group over there, let's just throw them out', amid cheers from the crowd. Several people were escorted out during Trump's address.

Trump also addressed his rivals, who were quick to denounce last night's scenes as a result of the 'toxic environment' that he has created.

He said: 'I watched little Marco and Liar Ted... They said: 'At our rallies we would never have anything like that'

Crowds gathered holding up banners protesting Trump in Kansas City on Saturday evening

But they don't have any people at their rallies ! No one cares! Their rallies are called Town hall meetings because about four people show up.'

He added: 'They wan't me to stand up today and tell my people to be nice, my people are nice!

'They were taunted, they were harassed. A lot of those represented Bernie, our Communist friend. Not too many Hillary - no fervor.'

He went one further and later tweeted: 'It is Clinton and Sanders people who disrupted my rally in Chicago - and then they say I must talk to my people. Phony politicians!'

But Bernie Sanders has since released a statement calling Trump out as a 'pathological liar' and strongly denied that he was the incentive behind the anti-Trump protesters at the Chicago rally.

Trump called out the protesters as belonging to Sanders and Clinton camp, which Bernie has denied

Donald Trump responded with this message the morning after his rally in Chicago got shut down on Twitter

But those who were expecting the Republican candidate to extend a peace offering at Saturday's Ohio event, will have been disappointed.

Trump showed no signs of backing down on his most divisive policy: The building of a wall around the border of Mexico.

He said: 'We have people that are so amazing, loyal to the country and want to see things happen.

They want great security, strong military, care for our vets... they want a border and they want a wall!'

The jubilant crowd then erupted into cheers and began chanting: 'Build a wall! Build a wall!'

To which Trump replied: 'We will build a wall don't you worry folks.'

Bloody brawl: Tensions reached breaking point last night as Trump's Chicago rally was forced to be shut down after a series of physical brawls and loud demonstrations

Spilling into the streets: Protesters and attendees at the trump rally fought in the streets after the rally was cancelled due to what Trump said was a safety concern

Trump also responded to last night's Chicago rally meltdown earlier Saturday, condemning yesterday's 'thugs' for 'energizing America'.

His tweet: 'The organized group of people, many of them thugs, who shut down our First Amendment rights in Chicago, have totally energized America!'

Unprecedented scenes inside the University of Illinois at Chicago Pavilion between an anti-Trump mob and Chicagoans who came to hear the Republican front-runner speak were seen Friday.

Chicago police say two officers were injured when supporters during the clashed with protesters Friday after he abruptly canceled a campaign rally.

Police say the two officers were taken to a hospital for treatment and released.

In another state: Police detained Anthony Cage after a fight between supporters and opponents of U.S. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, ahead of his speech outside the Peabody Opera House in St. Louis on Friday

While outside, an impatient group of thousands more massed. Temperatures rose. Around 10,000 protesters were to said to have RSVP'd to the event.

Multiple law enforcement sources told DailyMail.com that there was a credible threat against Trump from groups of protesters who planned to storm the stage.

News of the shutdown in Chicago came hours after a black activist in St.Louis, who gave his name as Anthony Cage, was filmed being escorted into a police van by two St. Louis officers with blood across his face and down the front of his sweater after clashing with Trump supporters.

After the campaign event was officially canceled, raucous protesters spilled out onto the street of Chicago and clashed with law enforcement officers.

Police confirmed at least six arrests. One journalist was reportedly detained as well.

'It is unfortunate that parties on both sides allowed their political views to become confrontational,' Police Interim Superintendent John Escalante said Friday night.

The Chicago Police Department said late Saturday night in a statement that four people were charged in the city. The charges range from aggravated battery to resisting arrest.

Trump appeared on MSNBC, lamenting how he was squelched, while live video of the chaos played.

'We have a country that's so divided that even you don't understand it,' he told anchor Chris Matthews. 'I've never seen anything like it, and this has been going on for years.'

'There's a lot of anger in the country, and it's very sad to see actually,' he said.

'We had literally over 25,000 people who wanted to come today. It's incredible,' Trump explained, saying that he had made the decision to cancel his appearance.
Ted Cruz easily defeated Donald Trump in the Wyoming caucuses, securing most of the state's delegates on Saturday.

With all votes counted, the Texas senator won 63.6 per cent of the ballots, far ahead of his nearest rival Marco Rubio, who earned 19.5 per cent of the votes.

Donald Trump, who has the most delegates of all Republican candidates at the moment, came in third with a measly 7.2 per cent of the votes.

With these results, Cruz wins nine of the 12 delegates at stake on Saturday in Wyoming, while Rubio and Trump scored one delegate, with another delegate uncommitted.

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Ted Cruz, pictured after a rally in Kansas City, Missouri, on Saturday, easily defeated Donald Trump in the Wyoming caucuses, securing 63.6 per cent of the votes and nine of the state's 12 delegates

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Cruz, who was campaigning in Kansas City, Missouri, on Saturday, won unanimously in nine of Wyoming's 23 counties, the New York Post reported.

Trump and Rubio won one county each. Another county, Crook, didn't go to any of the candidates.

Cruz thanked Wyoming voters in a tweet on Saturday evening before continuing his campaign in Missouri.

Trump did not acknowledge his poor performance in Wyoming, drawing attention to John Kasich instead and saying the Ohio governor hadn't received enough signatures to run in Pennsylvania.

Rubio's tweets on Saturday mostly encouraged his supporters to vote for him ahead of Florida's primary during the early voting period.

A Republican primary was also held in the Washington, DC, with 19 delegates at stake. Rubio won not far ahead of Kasich, who only had 50 votes less than the Florida senator.

The biggest prizes will be on Tuesday, when primaries are held in the five delegate-rich states of Florida, Illinois, Missouri, North Carolina and Ohio.

Marco Rubio, pictured during a rally in Pensacola, Florida, on Saturday, came second in Wyoming with 19.5 per cent of the ballots. He earned one delegate
Jeremy Clarkson shocked campaigners in the EU referendum today by announcing he wants Britain to remain in the EU  and help create a 'United States of Europe' with 'one army and one currency'.

The outspoken former Top Gear star claimed it would be better for the UK to be part of a well-run Europe than to stay outside, where it would have 'little influence'.

He said the continent should be a 'liberal' and 'kind' balance in a world that could soon be dominated by American presidential hopeful Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Mr Clarkson, who used his Sunday Times column to announce his decision, took a swipe at Boris Johnson at the same time as cheekily revealing he fancied David Cameron's wife Samantha.

Jeremy Clarkson (pictured left) announced he was backing the campaign for Britain to stay in the EU today and also cheekily revealed he fancies David Cameron's wife Samantha (pictured right after winning The Great Sport Relief Bake Off 2016)

CABINET EU REBEL GOVE IS ON THE BRINK OVER ROYAL BREXIT ROW Cabinet Euro rebel Michael Gove was fighting for his political life last night after he appeared to confess leaking the Queens comments about the EU. Pressure on Justice Secretary Mr Gove to quit grew after he said The Sun, which claimed last week the Queen backs Brexit, did not get all its information from him. His comments were seen by some as close to an admission of guilt. They were seized on by Tory MP Sir Nicholas Soames who said: Michael is a man of the highest integrity, and if on this occasion he has made a terrible misjudgment, I am sure he will know the right thing to do. David Cameron defended Mr Gove last week after he appeared to deny being to blame  but added it was a serious matter, a clear hint Mr Gove could face the sack if it was true. The row follows a claim last week in The Sun that the Queen told former Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg at a lunch in 2011 that the EU was heading in the wrong direction. Buckingham Palace and Mr Clegg denied the claim. Mr Gove, who was also present at the lunch, issued a half-hearted denial. But rumours he was the source gained strength after it emerged he dined with Rupert Murdoch, owner of The Sun, a few days before the media moguls wedding to Jerry Hall last weekend, which Mr Gove also attended. Advertisement

'It's being billed by the media as some kind of personal heavyweight showdown between Bouncing Boris and Call Me Dave,' Mr Clarkson wrote, referring to the rivalry between the Prime Minister and Mayor of London, who are battling each other on opposing sides of the EU debate.

'Which would mean we'd have to choose between a man who has screwed up London's roads to indulge his love of a Victorian transport system. And a man whose wife we quite fancy,' the controversial presenter added.

Mr Clarkson, 55, admitted the EU had its problems but said they could be solved if leaders were held to account by the press in Britain, where 'an MP cannot even put a cup of coffee on expenses without being torn to pieces'.

'Isn't it better to stay in and try to make the damn thing work properly?' he asks. 'To create a United States of Europe that functions as well as the United States of America? With one army and one currency and one unifying set of values?'

Mr Clarkson's intervention will surprise many as he is known for his politically incorrect views and his disdain for the red tape generated by bureaucracies such as the EU.

He is part of David Cameron's 'Chipping Norton set' and once hinted he might stand for Parliament against Ed Miliband in his home town of Doncaster.

However it is not the first time he has expressed pro-EU views. He first called for a 'one currency, one army' Europe in a column in 2014.

'I long for a time when I think of myself as a European first and an Englishman second,' he wrote in June 2014. 'I crave a United States of Europe with one currency, one army and one type of plug.'

Politicians: Mr Clarkson said the Continent should be a 'liberal' and 'kind' balance in a world that could soon be dominated by American presidential hopeful Donald Trump (left) and Russian President Vladimir Putin (right)

Buckingham Palace fights to stop Queen being dragged into EU debate as Michael Gove jokes he might be sacked over alleged leak

Buckingham Palace is fighting to repair the Queen's reputation after being 'dragged' into the EU referendum campaign, it emerged today.

Fears have grown that not enough has been done to ensure Her Majesty is 'above politics' following newspaper reports that she is backing Britain's withdrawal from the EU.

Michael Gove, the Justice Secretary, appeared to confess leaking private comments by the Queen that she was a 'Eurosceptic', which led to The Sun claiming last week that she 'backs Brexit' and his political career is at risk after David Cameron said he would punish the source of the leak.

The Queen (pictured with David Cameron outside No. 10 Downing Street in 2011) was alleged to have backed the Brexit campaign

Mr Gove even joked last week that he might lose his job.

The Palace has denied the Queen is 'backing Brexit' and complained about last week's reports to the newspaper regulator Ipso.

But revealing the extent of the Palace's concerns over the politicisation of the Queen, a Whitehall official close to the Palace and Number 10 told the Sunday Times today: 'There's a concern and a need to draw the Queen back out of the political space.'

She has been seen to make a series of political interventions over the last couple of years.

In the Scottish independence referendum she was lent on by Downing Street to warn voters to 'think very carefully' about whether to leave the UK.

Last year she used a speech at a state banquet in Germany to warn that 'division in Europe is dangerous'.

And her grandson Prince William last month gave a strong signal he was backing Britain staying in the EU after he said uniting with international allies was the 'bedrock of our security and prosperity'.

A cabinet minister warned that any more perceived political interventions from the Royal Family would put the future of the monarchy at risk.

The Cabinet minister told the Sunday Times: 'We cannot put the Queen in a position where she is dragged into national political debate.

'The implications for the monarchy are quite serious if that happens. We must do more to protect the Queen.'

Courtiers at the Palace are understood to want ministers and officials to do more to safeguard the Queen's neutrality and to avoid her being drawn into the EU referendum campaign ahead of June's vote.

Following last week's claims that the Queen told former Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg at a lunch in 2011 that the EU was heading in the wrong direction, speculation has grown that it was Mr Gove who leaked the details of the private discussion as he was only one of five guests of Her Majesty at a lunch in Windsor Castle.

He is one of the leading voices in the Brexit campaign and the Queen's backing would be a major boost for the campaign to leave the EU.

Following last week's claims that the Queen told former Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg at a lunch in 2011 that the EU was heading in the wrong direction, speculation has grown that it was Mr Gove who leaked the details of the private discussion as he was only one of five guests of Her Majesty at a lunch in Windsor Castle

Pressure on the Justice Secretary to quit grew after saying yesterday: 'I don't know how The Sun got all its information.'

His carefully-chosen comments were seen by some as close to an admission of guilt.

They were seized on by Tory MP Sir Nicholas Soames who said: Michael is a man of the highest integrity, and if on this occasion he has made a terrible misjudgment, I am sure he will know the right thing to do.

Mr Cameron defended Mr Gove last week after he appeared to deny being to blame  but added it was a serious matter, a clear hint Mr Gove could face the sack if it was true.

The row follows a claim last week in The Sun that the Queen told former Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg at a lunch in 2011 that the EU was heading in the wrong direction.

Buckingham Palace and Mr Clegg denied the claim. Mr Gove, who was also present at the lunch, issued a half-hearted denial.

But rumours he was the source gained strength after it emerged he dined with Rupert Murdoch, owner of The Sun, a few days before the media moguls wedding to Jerry Hall last weekend, which Mr Gove also attended.

Mr Goves allies last night claimed he was being targeted by Tory foes because he had defied Mr Cameron by leading the Out campaign in the EU referendum.

Sir Nicholas is a leading supporter of the campaign to stay In the EU. He is a close friend of Prince Charles, but vehemently denied he had spoken to the Palace before criticising Mr Gove.

Pressed again, he stuck to precisely the same form of words. It left some to draw the inference he had given the paper some of its information.

Shortly after Mr Goves statement, Sir Nicholas, referring to Mr Gove by his Gover nickname, tweeted: Is the Gover now owning up to an inexcusable mistake in breaching an oath and a confidence? If so, now very serious consequences.

Like all Cabinet Ministers, Mr Gove took an oath to the Queen on becoming a Privy Counsellor promising never to reveal conversations with her.
A rolling brawl that spread through several streets in Sydney's central business district, involving dozens people, resulted in only two arrests.

Footage from the violent brawl early on Sunday morning has emerged showing a large number of people fighting as police pile in to split the crowd up.

More and more police arrive to subdue the fighters until the violent situation is under control.

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Police can be seen at the corners and bottom of the frame rushing to break up the fight which broke out in Sydney's CBD in the early hours of Sunday

Police from three inner city stations attended the incident, which a witness said took about half an hour to bring under control

As the fight progressed and spread through three streets, police had to attend various different locations to break it up

In the aftermath of the fight, which occurred on streets near the Metro Theatre about 3am, numerous people are handcuffed by police.

A witness said the incident lasted for half an hour and police had to attend several sites to stop additional altercations which broke out, the Sydney Morning Herald reported.

Police believed it was the same group of men and women who were involved in the incident as it progressed.

It was initially reported the fight near the Metro Theatre had involved up to 200 people, but changed that number to about 30.

The incident began when officers were already attending nearby Central Street following reports of anti-social behaviour.

Officers saw a number of men 'jostling with other' and approached them, but three men fled the scene.

Police initially reported up to 200 people were involved in the brawl, but later revised that number down to about 30 people

The fight was just one of several violent incidents that police attended in the city on Saturday night

A 26-year-old was arrested the released pending further inquiries, however, at the same time, the other rolling fight had broken out.

Additional police from three stations were called in to break up the altercation, and two men, aged 18 and 24, were arrested.

They were issued with Field Court Attendance Notices for assaulting police and resisting police and are expected to appear before the Downing Centre Local Court early in April.

Two other men were issued with criminal infringement notices for offensive behaviour, police said.

Ambulance services also attended the scene and took one person to hospital in a stable condition, the Sydney Morning Herald reported.

Three other assaults - in Randwick, the CBD, and Glebe, were also reported the same night - one day after a man attacked six women in a central city Hungry Jacks restaurant who were out on a hen's night.

A 25-year-old UK man was arrested and taken to Maroubra Police Station and later charged with affray after the Randwick assault.

Following the CBD incident, a 29-year-old man who was assaulted by three men was taken to hospital requiring medical attention for facial injuries.

Police are investigating that incident, and appealing for public assistance regarding another, after a 51-year-old man was found at a unit block in Glebe with severe facial and head injuries after being assaulted.
A woman who made a Nazi salute outside of Donald Trump's cancelled rally in Chicago has tried to explain her gesture after being confused with a Bernie Sanders worker.

Birgitt Peterson, 69, of Yorkville, Illinois, appears in a photo published by the Chicago Tribune, wearing a Trump t-shirt, a cigarette in her left hand.

Her right arm is raised into the air, fingers outstretched and palm facing down, reproducing the Nazi salute adopted by Adolf Hitler's supporters in the 1930s.

Peterson, who was born in West Berlin in 1946, a year after Hitler's death, told The New York Times she made the gesture in response to anti-Trump protesters who were comparing The Donald to the German dictator.

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Birgitt Peterson (pictured), 69, of Yorkville, Illinois, made a Nazi salute after Donald Trump's cancelled rally in Chicago on Friday. Peterson, who was born in West Berlin in 1946 and later became a US citizen, said she made the gesture in response to anti-Trump protesters who were comparing The Donald to Adolf Hitler

Donald Trump Jr retweeted a message wrongly identifying the woman in the photo as Sanders supporter Portia Boulger

'They said Trump is a second Hitler,' Peterson said. 'I said: "Do you know what that sign stands for? Do you know who Hitler really was?"

'I make the point that they are demonstrating something they had no knowledge about, If you want to do it right, you do it right. You don't know what you are doing.'

Peterson, who became an American citizen in 1982, told The New York Times she was 'absolutely not' a Nazi and found it insulting when people accused her of being one based on the photo.

Some previously claimed the woman in the photo wasn't Peterson but Portia Boulger, 63, a Bernie Sanders supporter from Chillicothe, Ohio.

Among them was Donald Trump Jr, who retweeted a message wrongly identifying the woman as Boulger.

'Big surprise. However, the media will never run this,' Trump's son wrote in his own tweet.

He has since deleted his message without apologizing or acknowledging his mistake.

Boulger, a former union carpenter who now works part-time as a teacher, told The Daily Beast she was making phone calls on behalf of Sanders during Trump's cancelled rally in Chicago on Friday.

She said she could see a little bit of resemblance between herself and Peterson when her own hair was longer, but it's shorter now.

Some Twitter users are now asking Trump Jr to give Boulger an apology and are using the hashthag #ApologizeTrumpJr.
Larry David also appeared in the opening sketch as Bernie Sanders who joked that his supporters were making his Facebook

'Yes, Donald and I are very different. We're like night and day, ebony and orangey,' jokes Carson during his earlier endorsement of Trump

Darrell Hammond reprised his role as Donald Trump in the opening sketch in which Ben Carson is mistaken for a

Saturday Night Live took aim at Ben Carson's endorsement of Donald Trump as well as Trump's violent Chicago rallies and his controversial support from groups such as the KKK.

CNN anchor Jake Tapper played by Beck Bennett introduced Trump, played by Darrell Hammond, in Florida where he got a very special endorsement by Ben Carson who was portrayed by Jay Pharaoh.

'Yes, Donald and I are very different. We're like night and day, ebony and orangey,' jokes Carson during his endorsement.

Mocking the rallies: Don't worry, we have a very classy trump steak on his eye. And to the media, please don't use this as an excuse to call me racist, says Darrell Hammond as Trump after Jay Pharaoh as Ben Carson is attacked by Trum's supporters

CNN anchor Jake Tapper played by Beck Bennett introduced Trump, played by Darrell Hammond in Florida where he got a very special endorsement by Ben Carson played by Jay Pharaoh

Later in the sketch, SNL goes after Trump rallies by joking Trump endorser Ben Carson, who is African American, was attacked at a rally because he was mistaken for a protester.

Breaking news right now, we're getting word now of yet another incident of violence at a Donald Trump rally. Apparently the victim was this man, Dr. Ben Carson, who was attacked moments ago by an angry mob that mistook him for a protester. We go there now, says CNNs Jake Tapper.

'This is one of the good ones,' Trump can be heard telling his supporters who have been criticized for being racist.

Don't worry, we have a very classy trump steak on his eye. And to the media, please don't use this as an excuse to call me racist, says Hammond as Trump.

Ebony and orangey: Yes, Donald and I are very different. We're like night and day, ebony and orangey,' jokes Carson during his endorsement in the SNL sketch

Ben Carson, who pouts while holding a steak on his eye, then goes on to say Trump isnt racist by listing all of his black friends.

Ben Carson: Donald actually got a lot of black friends: Amarosa, Dennis Rodman

Trump: The list goes on.

Ben Carson: Mike Tyson.

Trump: The list ends.

The SNL opening was also graced with a very special cameo of Larry David who played Bernie Sanders.

Sanders thanks his supporters for cheering him on but also tells them to stop posting so much on Facebook.

Celebrity cameo: The SNL opening was also graced with a very special cameo of Larry David who played Bernie Sanders. Sanders thanks his supporters for cheering him on but also tells them to stop posting so much on Facebook

'Thank you, Tapper. I want to thank everyone who voted for me, and apologize to everyone else for making your Facebook feeds so, so annoying. I mean, I love my supporters, but they're too much, right? Great, but I'm not five posts a day great. With all due respect to my supporters, get a life,' says Sanders from his hotel room.

When asked by Tapper how he thinks he got his recent win in Michigan, Sanders replied: 'Well, I spent a lot of time in Michigan. I don't know if you're aware of this, they give you ten cents for recycled cans. I made a fortune.'

Tapper then goes on to remind Sanders that Hillary Clinton still leads him in superdelegates.

Sanders humorously responds: 'Can I ask you something? What's a superdelegate? Who calls themselves that, it's so cocky. They walk around like they're such big shots. I beg your pardon, Mr. Superdelegate. Let me tell you something, I've met some of these super delegates, they're not so super, mediocre delegates is more like it.'

Caught off guard: SNL also mocks Sanders age by implying that show may air past his bedtime. 'Now, let's check back in with senator Bernie Sanders,' says Tapper as the camera zooms in on Bernie Sanders in his hotel room wearing pajamas

Scowl: 'Of course I'm in pajamas, it's bedtime, you idiot. You said you were finished, so I got in pajamas,' says Larry David as Sanders

Sanders then reminds Tapper that his message is resonating with 'supporters of all ages, 18-year-olds, 19-year-olds' who just happen to be a 'very diverse group of white people.'

'The young people love me, tapper, because I'm like them. I have a lot of big plans, and absolutely no idea how to achieve them,' he says.

SNL also mocks sanders age by implying that show may air past his bedtime.

'Now, let's check back in with senator Bernie Sanders,' says Tapper as the camera zooms in on Bernie Sanders in his hotel room wearing pajamas.

'Senator, are you in your pajamas?,' asks Tapper.

'Of course I'm in pajamas, it's bedtime, you idiot. You said you were finished, so I got in pajamas,' he says.

Did you always have glasses? A mock Clinton campaign ad shows the candidate, played by Kate Mckinnon, slowly morphing into Democratic rival Bernie Sanders.

Feel the Bern for her: 'Luckily, I, Hillary Clinton share all of your exact same beliefs, and I always have. Since the beginning of my campaign I have constantly said we need a revolution in the streets,' says Clinton who sounds oddly like her opponent

'How did you change so fast?,'Tapper inquires.

'I always wear them under my suit. That's why my suits are so baggy. Now, please, if you don't mind. Live from New York, it's Saturday night!,' Sanders says as he announces the show.

Later on in the show, SNL mocked Hillary Clinton's desire to appeal to millennials in a mock campaign ad.

It also shows the candidate, played by Kate Mckinnon, slowly morph into Democratic rival Bernie Sanders.

'Luckily, I, Hillary Clinton share all of your exact same beliefs, and I always have. Since the beginning of my campaign I have constantly said we need a revolution in the streets,' says Clinton.

Complete transformation: Clinton who was once dressed in a blue suit jacket and skirt with her signature blonde hairstyle morphs into bald and glasses wearing Sanders in a suit

'Millions of people coming together because America should be for everyone, not just a handful of millionaires and billionaires. I know you millennials, you're fired up, you're angry. And I'm angry too. Because the top 10% of the top 1% controls 90% of the wealth in this country,' she adds, her voice suddenly starting to sound a little more like 74-year-old Sanders.

Clinton who was once dressed in a blue suit jacket and skirt with her signature blonde hairstyle morphs into bald and glasses wearing Sanders in a suit.

'And I've always said that. Ever since I was a young boy growing up in Brooklyn. And when it comes to that darn Wall Street, I've always believed no bank can be too big to fail. No executives too -- you know the rest. It's that famous mobilizing sentence that works on you guys that I've been saying this whole time, she says as a bizarre blend of herself and Sanders.

'So thank you, millennials, for lending your support to the biggest outsider Jew in the race. Hillary Rodham Clinton. There's a lot of work to be done, and that is why I am sick and tired of hearing about my own e-mails,' she says addressing her scandal as Sanders.
A growing toxic blue-green algae outbreak has forced officials to cut off rural towns, businesses and farmers from drinking and swimming in the water.

Blistering summer temperatures have helped the algae spread rapidly along nearly 600km of the Murray River, stretching from Albury-Wodonga in northern Victoria to the South Australia border, according to The Weekly Times.

The thick, deep green algae is taking over the flowing river that provides water to numerous communities across the state  but officials can't treat it because the chemicals kill everything in the water, including animals and fish.

Blistering summer temperatures have helped the algae spread rapidly along nearly 600km of the Murray River, stretching from Albury-Wodonga in northern Victoria to the South Australia border (pictured)

The toxic blue-green algae outbreak has forced officials to cut off rural towns, businesses and farmers from drinking and swimming in the water (pictured)

The thick, deep green algae is taking over the flowing river that provides water to numerous communities across the state (pictured)

Part of the algae-ridden water flows through the property of Jeremy Morton, from Moulamein, according to ABC.

'I walked up to the bank and it's a really sickly, deep, green which is not a good look,' he said.

'I've never seen the river look like this.'

But officials can't treat it because the chemicals kill everything in the water, including animals and fish (pictured)

Area officials worry that the algae will scare away tourists, especially for the upcoming Easter holidays

'I walked up to the bank and it's a really sickly, deep, green which is not a good look,' Jeremy Morton, from Moulamein, said (pictured)

Taps were shut off to towns and farms in areas south of Mallee on March 4 when the algae worked its way to pipelines near Swan Hill, the Weekly reported.

Stage four water restrictions were placed on March 7 on numerous other towns along the river  including Chinkapook, Chillinghollah, Lalbert, Manangatang, Sea Lake, Ultima and Waitchie.

Residents or tourists visiting the Murray, especially for the upcoming Easter holidays, have been urged not to drink or swim in the river, even if the water has been boiled, according to Yahoo.

Cattle and pets are not able to drink the river water either but town supplies are or storages are still available.

Taps were shut off to towns and farms in areas south of Mallee on March 4 when the algae worked its way to pipelines near Swan Hill

Stage four water restrictions were placed on March 7 on numerous other towns along the river  including Chinkapook, Chillinghollah, Lalbert, Manangatang, Sea Lake, Ultima and Waitchie

A Grampians Wimmera Mallee Water spokesman said town storages have been receiving top-ups to 'stockpile and store as much water on farm for stock and domestic needs as is possible.'

The only feasible solution now is to wait for heavy rainfall and colder temperatures to purge the algae, the Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder said in a statement.

'It is worth noting that both the availability of water required, and the ability to manipulate flows (particularly in the Murray) in a manner that can deal with the problem, are very limited. The amount of environmental water that is available is very small compared to the scale and impact of the blue-green algae blooms spreading throughout the system.

It is not feasible to purposely flush the water though and there is no guarantee that the algae won't spread to another river system and not disappear altogether, the statement said.

A Grampians Wimmera Mallee Water spokesman said town storages have been receiving top-ups to 'stockpile and store as much water on farm for stock and domestic needs as is possible'
Barack Obama said political leaders should promote unity instead of pitching citizens against one another, just a day after violent clashes erupted at Trump's cancelled rally in Chicago.

The President, who spoke at a fundraiser in Dallas, didn't single out any candidate but said how they should act to be 'worthy of our votes',CBS reported.

'Our leaders - those who aspire to be our leaders - should be trying to bring us together and not turning us against one another and speak out against violence and reject efforts to spread fear or turn us against one another,' Obama said on Saturday.

'And if they refuse to do that, they don't deserve our support.'

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Barack Obama, pictured at a fundraiser in Dallas, Texas, on Saturday, told the crowd that aspiring political leaders should promote unity instead of pitching people against one another

'The best leaders - the leaders who are worthy of our votes - remind us that even in a country as big and diverse and inclusive as ours, what we've got in common is far more important than what divides any of us.'

Obama said this was not about political correctness, but about 'not having to explain to our kids why our politics sounds like a schoolyard fight', CBS reported.

'We should be teaching them how to disagree without being disagreeable and how to engage and how to analyze facts,' he added.

'And how to be honest and truthful. And admit if you make a mistake. And teach them that politics at its best is about a battle of ideas and resolving our differences without encouraging or resorting to violence.'

Trump supporters and protesters clashed so violently ahead of his rally in Chicago on Friday that The Donald ended up cancelling his appearance due to safety concerns.

On Saturday, protesters were pepper-sprayed twice by police at a Trump rally in Kansas City, Missouri.
The family of a man who died after a confrontation with sheriff's deputies in Georgia last year says the officers involved high-fived each other after the incident.

Mary Ann Sherman said Thursday that the repeated use of the deputy's stun gun and the pressure applied to 32-year-old Chase Sherman's torso with their knees lead to her son's death on November 20, 2015.

The Coweta Medical Examiner's office ruled Sherman's death as a homicide and the family wants the law officers involved in his death to be held accountable.

'His parents did what everybody is supposed to do, you call 911, because 911 brings help. But in the case of Chase, 911 brought death,' attorney L. Chris Stewart said during a press conference earlier this week, according to WXIA.

Chase Sherman, 32, died November 20 after taking a synthetic drug and getting into a struggle with Georgia deputies. His family says the officers involved high-fived each other after the incident

The Coweta Medical Examiner's office ruled Sherman's death as a homicide and the family wants the law officers involved in his death to be held accountable. Above he is pictured with his girlfriend Patti Galloway

Kevin Sherman said that the EMT on scene did not do much to help his son, after 'just 20 chest compressions or so' were performed on him, according to WXIA.

The father told the TV station that the deputies high-fived each other in front of him and his wife.

'Like he was a trophy they got off the street,' Kevin Sherman told WXIA.

On the day of his death, Mary Ann Sherman can be heard on the frantic 911 call telling the dispatcher she is in a car with her husband, her son, Chase Sherman, and the son's girlfriend, Patti Galloway, on southbound Interstate 85.

She says her son is 'freaking out' and has taken a synthetic drug known as spice.

The call lasts nearly 11 minutes, and Sherman screams frequently as the dispatcher tries to determine where they are and what exactly is happening.

Mary Ann Sherman said Thursday that the repeated use of the deputy's stun gun and the pressure applied to her son's torso with their knees lead to his death. Above she is pictured with her husband, Kevin Sherman

Kevin Sherman said that the EMT on scene did not do much to help his son, after 'just 20 chest compressions or so' were performed on him, according to WXIA. He said that the deputies high-fived each other in front of him and his wife

'He's going to bite us. He's going to bite us,' Sherman says.

Sherman says they've pulled off the interstate with their flashers on. She says they're trying to keep her son in the car to restrain him.

'Hit him in the head. Hit him in the head. Or in the stomach. Hit him in the stomach.' Sherman yells.

'Ma'am, is he still in the vehicle?' the dispatcher says.

'Yes, we're trying to hold him in the vehicle. He's biting his girlfriend,' Sherman says.

The dispatcher asks whether Sherman's son has been drinking, if he's tried to harm himself and whether he has any weapons.

'Listen, he did spice and it messed his brain up,' Sherman said.

'Spice' is one of several names for a synthetic marijuana drug mix. The dispatcher assures Sherman help is on the way.

The family is asking the district attorney to file charges against the responding officers and is also demanding that the video from the officers' body cameras to be released to the public

'What are they going to do? How are they going to get him out without him getting hurt?' Sherman asks.

When Coweta County sheriff's deputies arrived on the scene, they tried to gain control Chase Sherman, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation said in a news release.

During a struggle, one of the deputies used a stun gun but he continued to resist the deputies and medical personnel.

Then Sherman went into medical distress and emergency personnel performed CPR. He was taken to a hospital where he was pronounced dead.

The family is asking the district attorney to file charges against the responding officers and is also demanding that the video from the officers' body cameras to be released to the public.
Two bodies have been pulled from the Hudson River after a tugboat crashed into a barge and sank and a third crew member remains missing, authorities said.

The 90-foot tugboat, named Specialist, hit a barge around 5.20am on Saturday morning near where the new Tappan Zee Bridge, which connects two counties north of New York City, is being built.

The tugboat sank, spilling about 5,000 gallons of fuel into the water, authorities said.

Paul Amon, 62, of Bayville, New Jersey, was found dead and pulled from the water on Saturday.

Attempts to reach his family were not immediately successful.

Paul Amon, 62, of Bayville, New Jersey, was found dead and pulled from the water on Saturday

The body of Timothy Conklin, 29, of Westbury, Long Island, New York, was brought back to shore after divers found him inside the tugboat around 11am on Sunday.

The third crew member aboard the tugboat when it crashed has been identified as Harry Hernandez, 56, of Staten Island, New York.

He remains missing and drivers were expected to resume searching for him later on Sunday afternoon, said Westchester County police spokesman Kieran O'Leary.





The 90-foot tugboat, named Specialist, overturned and sank after colliding with a barge near the Tappan Zee Bridge on Saturday

Boats of emergency officials work near the site of a fatal collision in the water underneath the Tappan Zee Bridge in Tarrytown, New York

The tugboat was damaged to the point that a full search was not possible, he said.

Authorities said three tugboats were pushing a barge from Albany to Jersey City, New Jersey, when one of the three - situated on the right side as it headed south - hit a stationary barge that was part of the Tappan Zee Bridge construction project.

A tugboat on the left side of the barge that was being pushed, as well as one that was pushing the barge from the rear, were not involved in the accident.

A tugboat crashed into a barge on the Hudson River north of New York City early Saturday killing at least two crew members and leaving one still missing

Governor Andrew Cuomo (pictured) said he had been hoping for a miracle that the men would be found alive

Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino, left, uses a diagram to explain the circumstances of a fatal collision on the water

Authorities believed the sunken tug is wedged directly underneath the barge it struck at the mid-span of the bridge.

Governor Andrew Cuomo said he had been hoping for a miracle that the men would be found alive.

But if we don't have a miracle, three lives will be lost, he said. You keep your fingers crossed, but the more time that goes on, obviously the bleaker the prospects for survival.

In a statement, Cuomo said that 21 workers were on the bridge construction barge that was hit, but none of them was injured.

He said it appeared the workers realized the barge was about to be struck and braced for impact.

He added the construction barge was illuminated at the time of the pre-dawn collision.

The accident occurred near the center of the existing Tappan Zee Bridge, and the Specialist sank in about 40 feet of water within minutes, authorities said.

The U.S. Coast Guard is searching the Hudson River after a tugboat collided with a barge and overturned

A team from the state Department of Environmental Conservation was on site with a private contractor and were deploying booms to contain the leaking diesel fuel

The water temperature in the area was about 40 degrees, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

Cuomo said a team from the state Department of Environmental Conservation was on site with a private contractor and were deploying booms to contain the leaking diesel fuel.

He said he did not expect any long-term damage as a result of the spill.

James Mercante, an attorney for the owner of Specialist, said the crew was licensed, competent and experienced personnel.

It's a shocking, horrific marine tragedy, Mercante said right after the crash. Right now the company is more concerned with the families of the crew and mourning.

A spokeswoman for Tappan Zee Constructors, a consortium of companies building the new bridge, said the company is cooperating in the investigation.

The crash occurred near the scene of a boat crash that killed a bride-to-be and her fiance's best man in 2013.

The tugboat collided with a stationary barge working on construction on the Tappen Zee Bridge (pictured)

The incident, which killed Lindsey Stewart and Mark Lennon, both 30, also involved a Tappan Zee Bridge construction barge.

Victims' families have filed lawsuits against several construction companies in that crash.

The Coast Guard and the state Thruway Authority, which is building the bridge, said the barge was properly lighted, although additional lighting was installed after the crash.

The new bridge is to replace an adjacent aging span that now connects Westchester and Rockland counties.
The BBC invited a paedophile rapper to promote his latest single on Radio 1, it was revealed today.

Taylor Harris, 24, from Croydon, south London, was jailed in 2010 for groping a 13-year-old girl. He was also put behind bars a year later for his part in the kidnap and torture of a disabled man.

Since his release, he has begun a career as a rapper and is known as Bonkaz. He was invited onto Annie Mac's Friday Night show on Radio 1 to plug his single You Don't Know last October.

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Paedophile rapper Taylor Harris, known to fans as Bonkaz, was invited to plug his single on the Annie Mac show, and posed with the popular DJ

The BBC said it had no idea of Harris's history when he was invited to the station, reported The Sunday People.

Harris's appearance on the show will provoke fresh outrage at the corporation just weeks after Dame Janet Smith's report on the Jimmy Savile scandal said that paedophiles could still be 'lurking undiscovered' at the BBC.

A source told The Sunday People last night: 'This is a huge blunder by the BBC. With all the heat surrounding paedophilia, it is beyond belief that bosses rolled out the red carpet to a man with a conviction of this kind.'

A simple Google search reveals all of Harris's sordid past.

He was jailed by magistrates in Bromley, south London, in 2010 after he followed the teenage girl on his bicycle and groped her bottom.

He was also placed on the sex offenders' register for seven years in connection with the offence.

And in 2011, he took part in the ransom kidnapping of 22-year-old Ricky Dellaway. Mr Dellaway, who suffered learning difficulties, was pistol-whipped and thrown into a car by a gang of which Harris was part, according to News Shopper.

Harris, pictured here in his police mugshot, has been jailed twice, once for sexual assault and once for false imprisonment and blackmail

Mr Dellaway was tortured by the gang after the kidnap, and the thugs demanded ransom money from his family to secure his release.

When police were alerted to the kidnapping, they found Harris as one of the captors in the flat where Mr Dellaway was being held ransom.

At the time, Detective Chief Inspector Craig Turner, from the Met Police's Kidnap Unit said: 'This was a particularly harrowing case, whereby a gang deliberately targeted a vulnerable young man and subjected him to the most horrific ordeal.

'These were dangerous individuals who have rightly faced justice for the terror they inflicted on their victim and his family.'

Harris's single You Don't Know was lauded by Annie Mac as 'the hottest record in the world' when he appeared on the show last October.

And the criminal also appeared at the Mobo Awards in Leeds last year, where he was nominated for Best Newcomer.

In a hand-written letter on his Twitter account, Harris said he had taken part in the crimes 'due to the the lifestyle he was part of at the time'.

He blamed poor legal counsel for the outcome, saying that as he was 18 at the time of his arrest he didn't understand his legal rights in court, and that after his imprisonment he didn't have the funds to appeal.

He has since forged a career as a rapper, and his single You Don't Know was described by Annie Mac as 'the hottest record in the world'

On his Twitter account, Harris posted a handwritten letter explaining his part in both the offences he was jailed for

He denied any involvement in one of the offences he was jailed for and said that poor legal advice was to blame for his imprisonment

A BBC spokesman said: 'We weren't aware of Bonkaz's personal history before he became a rapper and would expect anything of this nature to be flagged by an artist's management.

'There are no tracks by Bonkaz currently on the playlist.

'Our child protection policy states that all young people must be accompanied by a responsible adult.'

Labour MP John Mann told the Sunday People: 'It is essential the BBC brings in effective systems to protect itself and the public from people such as this.'
German voters turned to the far right in droves yesterday in a damning verdict on Angela Merkels open door border policy.

In regional elections she was humiliated by the anti-immigrant AfD  Alternative for Germany  party.

Formed just three years ago, it has surged in popularity following Mrs Merkels decision to roll out the red carpet for more than a million migrants.

Frauke Petry, who leads the Eurosceptic party, has suggested German border guards should open fire on illegal immigrants.

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Losses: It is predicted to be uncomfortable viewing for Merkel's Christian Democratic Union as exit polls predict losses in state elections in Baden-Wuerttemberg, Rhineland-Palatinate and Saxony-Anhalt today

Humiliation: Ms Merkel was mocked by a carnival float showing her weighed down by her humanitarian politics

Joy: AfD leader Frauke Petry, left, and deputy speaker Albrecht Glaser, right, celebrate election success

Delight: Supporters of the AfD celebrate the exit poll news in Saxony-Anhalt state elections that suggested the party would net a second-place finish

Ladies in Red: SPD Rhineland-Palatinate federal state govenor Malu Dreyer, left, shakes hands with CDU challenger Julia Kloeckner, right, after retaining control of the region

Analysts said the regional poll  in which Mrs Merkels ruling Christian Democrats lost two out of three states  was a worst case scenario for the embattled chancellor ahead of a general election next year.

The timing made it a virtual referendum on Germanys refugee policy. It will also be seen as an indictment of the failure of Europes ruling classes to acknowledge the publics fears about migration.

Mrs Merkels welcome for arrivals from Syria, other parts of the Middle East and North Africa, has caused chaos across the continent.

Protest: Not everyone was happy about the AfD's gains with riot police called in to block a march demonstrating against the right-wing party

Message: Protesters try to make their feelings heard at the anti-right wing event in Stuttgart

Initially, the incomers were greeted by crowds of well-wishers.

But, faced with the sheer numbers, public opinion soured. And there was outrage when gangs of migrant men were involved in organised sex attacks on women in Cologne and other cities on new years eve.

One by one, EU states have thrown up border fences to stop the flow of arrivals  leading to the slow collapse of the Schengen passport-free zone.

Austria is one of several countries to limit numbers in defiance of Brussels.

Nervous: But supporters of the CDU look worried in Rhineland-Palatinate ahead of an expected defeat

Second: In Rhineland-Palatinate the CDU came in second behind the centre-left SPD with 32.5 percent

Cheers: AfD supporters break out the champagne to toast their party's success in the state elections

Confidant: Alternative for Germany (AfD) candidate Uwe Junge, pictured, is all smiles as he votes in the Rhineland-Palatinate election

Cheers: AfD voters cannot contain their excitement as they celebrate the results with beers and drinks

Concern: But Merkel supporters at a party in Stuttgart are left pensive after dropping votes in key states

Mrs Merkel, who has failed to win support for a Europe-wide quota system to share out refugees, last week masterminded a deal for Turkey to take back migrants landing in Greece.

In return, Ankara would be handed up to 3.9billion, EU countries would accept quotas of Syrian refugees from Turkey and all 75million Turkish citizens would be allowed visa-free travel around continental Europe.

On Thursday Mrs Merkel insisted that imposing a limit on refugee numbers was a short-term pseudo-solution and that only a concerted European approach would bring down numbers.

Germany has attempted to return economic migrants to safe countries such as Albania, Kosovo and Montenegro but still risks being overwhelmed.

Last night millions of voters showed they have lost faith in the chancellors policies.

Mixed: Die Linke, aka 'The Left', supporters looked disappointed but are set to share power in Saxony-Anhalt with the SPD

Success: Andre Poggenburg, left, AfD frontrunner in the Saxony-Anhalt state elections, and Bjoern Hoecke, centre, AfD state parliamentary chairman in Thuringia, react to the exit polls

Victory: Social Democratic Party (SPD) supporters react to the predictions of victory in the Rhineland-Palatinate state parliamentary elections in Mainz

Success: Winfried Kretschmann (centre), incumbent governor of Baden-Wuerttemberg and member of the German Greens Party, celebrates victory in the state elections

Growth: Supporters of the German Green Party were delighted after exit polls predict it will win the Baden-Wurttemberg election

Early exit polls suggested AfD had won 23 per cent of the vote in the eastern state of Saxony Anhalt, finishing third.

The party fares better in former Eastern Germany where scepticism of liberal refugee policies is stronger.

But its double-digit score in two other states, Rhineland and Baden-Wurttemberg, was potentially more significant.

This suggests middle-class voters are deserting the Christian Democrats and other establishment parties.

Baden-Wurttemberg, which is home to Porsche and Daimler, was won by the Green Party. Mrs Merkels CDU lost a large slice of its vote in its former stronghold, plunging to a historic low of 27 per cent.

AfD has seats in five regional parliaments and in the European Parliament.

But its huge gains on Super Sunday will reinforce fears that Germany is shifting to the right after decades of middle-of-the-road consensus politics following the Nazi period.

The tabloid Bild newspaper ran the headline yesterday AfD shocks Germany!.

Last night Mrs Petry, who chairs AfD, said: We are seeing above all in these elections that voters are turning away in large numbers from the big established parties and voting for our party.

She said voters expected AfD to offer the opposition that there hasnt been in the German parliament and some state parliaments.

The far right victory came despite attacks by leading establishment politicians.

Mrs Merkel described AfD as a party that does not bring cohesion in society and offers no appropriate solutions to problems, but only stokes prejudices and divisions.

Anti-Merkel: Right-wing activists protest against German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Berlin on Saturday, ahead of Sunday's state elections, the first since the start of the refugee crisis

Worried: While Ms Merkel has dismissed the support for Alternative fur Deutschland, it looks as if they may pose a serious risk to the CDU's outright power in Saxony-Anhalt

Sigmar Gabriel, her vice-chancellor, insisted that gains for AfD would not change his governments stance on immigration.

There is a clear position that we stand by: humanity and solidarity, he said. We will not change our position now.

Sigmar Gabriel of the Social Democrats accused AfD of having a linguistic affinity with the Nazis.

The Tagesspiegel newspaper said that the party drew in racists and anti-semites and suggested many former members of the neo-Nazi NPD and other right wing parties are attracted to it.

The publication of an outline of the migrant deal has raised concerns in the UK that it represents a step toward Turkish membership of the EU.

Bastion: Men leave the voting booth at a polling station in the town of Stoessen in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany, the only state out of the three voting on Super Sunday where the CDU is in power

Having her say: An elderly woman gives her ballot in Rhineland-Palatinate state elections in Bad Kreuznach

Some 12.7million are heading to the polls in Baden-Wuerttemberg, Rhineland-Palatinate and Saxony-Anhal

FAR RIGHT PARTY MAKES GAINS IN GERMANY: WHO ARE THE AFD? Germanys AfD  Alternativ fur Deutschland  started out at as an antiEU, antieuro party sceptical of the power of Brussels and the superstate project beloved of most of the Fatherlands citizens. Its destiny was almost certain to be that of a protest party until the refugee crisis came along and propelled it on to the national stage in a way noone predicted. Founded in 2013 with the intention of ending bailouts for poor southern EU countries, it focused on criticizing the governments immigration policies last year and has not looked back. AfD is seen by many in Germany to be linked to Pegida, a xenophobic movement which draws thousands onto the streets of the city of Dresden every Monday. Critics refer to Pegida as Nazis in pinstripes  an allusion to the middle-class disaffected voters it is drawing into its ranks. Meteoric rise: Frauke Petry's Alternative for Germany had just five per cent support in Saxony-Anhalt, but this week, the right-wing anti-immigration party was polled at 19 per cent The current leader of AfD is an East German-born female scientist. But the parallels with Angela Merkel end there. Frauke Petry believes that German police should if necessary shoot at migrants seeking to enter the country illegally. She was lambasted for saying so in January but a poll found nearly 30 percent of the electorate agreed. Mrs Petry, 40, took over as party chief in July 2015 after an internal power struggle that saw the partys co-founder and first leader, Bernd Lucke, ousted. Under Mrs Petry AfD has moved to the right and shifted focus from eurozone issues to migration. It became the first antieuro party to win seats in a German regional parliament  in Saxony in 2014  and went on to win seats in four other states parliaments. Its latest big win makes it more powerful than ever. Advertisement

However George Osborne insisted yesterday that the Government would prevent Turks moving to Britain.

We have a veto over whether Turkey joins or not, the Chancellor told the BBC. We can set conditions and we have made it absolutely clear that we will not accept new member states to the European Union and give them unfettered free movement of people unless their economies are much closer in size and prosperity to ours.

I dont frankly think Turkish accession is on the cards any time soon. We could, if we wanted to, veto it as other countries could.

Last week Iain Duncan Smith, a Brexit-backing Tory cabinet minister, warned that the silencing of debate on immigration had been terrible for the British people.

Around 110,000 migrants crossed the Mediterranean to Europe in the first seven weeks of this year, according to the International Organisation for Migration.
The NSPCC said many young offenders may be abuse victims themselves

Children under age of 10 cannot be charged or prosecuted for any crime

Almost 5,000 crimes in past two years have had child as the main suspect

Police figures have revealed that nearly 5,000 crimes committed by children have been investigated in the past two years (file picture)

Police investigated a five-year-old boy for rape, it has been revealed - as new figures show a total of 70 sex attacks were committed by children under 10 last year.

New figures show how scores of children carried out alleged sex attacks but cannot be prosecuted as they are under the criminal age of responsibility.

The alleged attacks are among nearly 5,000 offences committed by children in the past two years, The Daily Star Sunday reported.

A two-year-old child was also accused of grievous bodily harm, the shocking statistics reveal.

The NSPCC warned last night that many of the child offenders could be suffering from abuse themselves.

A spokeswoman said: 'It is deeply concerning that so many very young children are said to have committed sexual offences.

'In these cases we have to question the environment in which they are growing up that has led to them behaving in this way.

'It could be they have seen sexual activity that they are just too young to understand or that they've been victims of abuse themselves.'

The figures, obtained by a Freedom of Information request, show that arson, having an article with a blade or point in school, stalking, threats to kill, taking indecent photographs and cannabis possession were other crimes children were investigated for.

In England and Wales, a total of 32 of the 43 forces provided data, which showed that 4,584 crimes have been committed by children under ten since 2014.

Greater Manchester Police recorded 21 rapes where a child was the main suspect, while 13 were investigated in Merseyside.

Children under the age of 10 who commit crimes can receive a Child Safety Order, which puts them under the supervision of a youth offending team.

Some children are given curfews, and on occasion parents are held responsible for their child's crime.

They can also be taken into care if they don't stick to the rules of the order.

The killers of tragic toddler James Bulger, Jon Venables (left) and Robert Thompson (right), may not have faced a criminal trial had the age of criminal responsibility been different

AGE OF CRIMINAL RESPONSIBILITY Children under 10 cannot be charged with committing a criminal offence. However, they can be given a Local Child Curfew or a Child Safety Order. Children under 10 who break the law regularly can sometimes be taken into care, or their parents could be held responsible. If a child is given a Local Child Curfew it can last for up to 90 days and it can see children banned from being in a public place between 9pm and 6am, unless accompanied by an adult. If a child has committed an offence or broken a Local Child Curfew, they can be placed under the supervision of a youth offending team. This is called a Child Safety Order. The order normally lasts for up to three months, but in some cases it can last for up to 12 months. If a child doesn't stick to the rules of an order, the court can consider if the child should be taken into care. The United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) has been warning since 1995 that the UK's threshold of 10  set in 1963  is incompatible with its obligations under the UN's convention on children's rights. The UNCRC wants countries to set the age of criminal responsibility at an 'absolute minimum' of 12, and aim to keep increasing it. The European average is 14, ranging from 13 in France, 14 in Germany, 15 in Denmark and Sweden, 16 in Portugal and 18 in Luxembourg. Scotland increased the age at which children can be prosecuted from eight to 12 in 2011. Children between 10 and 17 in England can be arrested and taken to court if they commit a crime. They are treated differently from adults and are dealt with by youth courts, given different sentences and sent to special secure centres for young people, not adult prisons. Advertisement

There are some who believe the criminal age of responsibility should be raised. Former Children's Commissioner Maggie Atkinson spearheaded a campaign in 2010 to raise the limit to 14.

She told The Times: 'The age of criminal responsibility in this country is 10  that's too low. It should certainly be moved up to 12.

'In some European countries it's 14. People may be offenders, but they are also children. Even the most hardened of youngsters who have committed some very difficult crimes are not beyond being frightened.'

Her comments caused controversy because she also said that tragic toddler James Bulger's killers, Jon Venables and Robert Thompson, should have not faced an adult court as they were 10 when they were arrested for James' murder.

Laurence Lee, 61, who represented 10-year-old Venables in 1993, has suggested the age of criminal responsibility be lowered to combat the rising rate of children crime.

He told MailOnline last year: 'I think there is a growing case to lower the age of criminal responsibility as children crime is increasing.

'Teenagers recruit young children to commit crime for them as they know they cannot be prosecuted.

'The other problem is the rise of social networking means young children are more aware of what is going on in the world.

'The age rate should be lowered. As a criminal lawyer, I sit in court and see what goes on in society. Youths are much savvier than they have ever been. That is down to parental upbringing and because schools cannot deal with children as they should. It is a problem that is getting worse.'
Ondogo Ahmed, from north London, was 18 years old when he was given an eight-year sentence for his part in the gang rape of a 16-year-old girl

A convicted rapist who disappeared from the UK while out of prison on licence has been identified as one of the British jihadists revealed in the leaked ISIS files.

Ondogo Ahmed, from north London, was 18 years old when he was given an eight-year sentence for his part in the gang rape of a 16-year-old girl in a flat in Crouch End, London in August 2007.

MailOnline understands that Ahmed and a fellow relative Bilal, were killed fighting for ISIS near the city of Homs on 10 November 2013, just over two months after joining the jihadi group.

Ahmed, who is of Eritrean descent, was found guilty of conspiracy to rape and was one of four young men who were jailed for a total of 62 years.

He was the youngest member of the gang of four rapists, who lured a 16-year-old girl into a flat in Crouch End and raped her.

The ISIS registration files reveal that Ahmed crossed into Syria via Turkey on 2 August 2013 and took the nom-de-guerre Abu Yusuf al-Britani.

Following his disappearance, police released an appeal for information about his whereabouts on 6 November 2013.

'Police in Islington are asking for help from members of the public to trace Ondogo Ahmed.

'Ondogo Ahmed is wanted on recall to prison for breaching his licence conditions by associating with one of his co-defendants. He is believed to still be in the N7 area,' the appeal read.

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The ISIS registration files reveal that Ondogo crossed into Syria via Turkey on 2 August 2013 and took the nom-de-guerre Abu Yusuf al-Britani

The manner in which Ahmed managed to evade security services and leave the country to join ISIS remains an issue of great concern

The manner in which Ahmed managed to evade security services and leave the country remains an issue of great concern.

Lord Carlile, the former independent reviewer of terrorism legislation, has called for the case to be examined by the Home Secretary and warned it is 'a matter of grave concern'.

'It is to be hoped that the Home Office will call for a report to be made to the Home Secretary about this incident and that there will be some lessons to be learned from this unfortunate episode,' he told the Daily Telegraph.

Prior to the uncovering of the leaked ISIS documents, Ahmed, from Arsenal, North London, had never been publicly named as a member of ISIS.

Fasil Towalde (pictured right) poses with his fellow British fighter Abu Musa as-Somali, which he uploaded on to his Instagram account

He told BBC Newsnight he had been fighting in the Iraqi city of Ramadi and described it as 'the best fighting and the hardest fighting'

He is thought to have been part of a group of at least five British men of Eritrean heritage from north London who have joined ISIS.

One of the key members is believed to be a British wannabe actor who fled to Syria and later starred in two ISIS propaganda videos.

Fasil Towalde, a 21-year-old student from Camden, London, was killed fighting in Kobane in 2014.

Towalde, of Eritrean heritage, was raised in a Christian family. He converted to Islam when he was 16 and later travelled to Syria to join ISIS in December 2013.
Abrar Mirza, then aged 23, (pictured) was jailed for four and a half years in 2009 for his part in an arson attack on a 2.5million house in Islington, north London, along with Ali Beheshti and Abbas Taj

A former Muslim extremist who was imprisoned for firebombing the home of a man who published a book about Mohammed has turned his life around and now owns a hipster beard grooming service.

Abrar Mirza, then aged 23, was jailed for four and a half years in 2009 for his part in an arson attack on a 2.5million house in Islington, north London, along with Ali Beheshti and Abbas Taj.

The trio poured diesel through the letterbox of Martin Rynja's 2.5million house and set it alight to 'punish' him for agreeing to release The Jewel of Medina, a fictional account of the Prophet's child bride.

But Mirza, who insists he is a changed man, says he has turned his life around and now runs the London Beard Company which sells 14.99 organic beard oil and is stocked in luxury department store Fortnum and Mason.

Yesterday he told the Daily Star Sunday his conviction was a mistake when he was young.

He said: 'I am British, this is my home. I got into the wrong crowd and my life is very different now.

'I have had a lot of help. I was young and hotheaded.

'I don't feel the same way any more. I feel sorry for the victim - I would never do it again.'

In April 2009 Mirza pleaded guilty to conspiracy to recklessly damage property and endanger life at a court hearing.

His accomplice, Beheshti, also pleaded guilty to the same offence.

Behesheti was a follower of hate cleric Abu Hamza and achieved notoriety at a protest against Danish cartoons of Mohammed when he was photographed with his baby daughter, whom he had dressed in a pink bonnet celebrating Al Qaeda.

A man identified as Abraa Mirza is seen working at his London Beard Company market stall today

The London Beard Company is stocked in luxury department store Fortnum and Mason. Pictured, Mirza today

Cab driver Taj of Forest Gate, East London, acted as the getaway driver as Beheshti and Mirza, then a mobile phone salesman of Walthamstow, north east London, poured diesel into the house.

A small fire began but nobody was hurt because police and fire crews arrived in time to smash down the door and put it out. The trio were then captured fleeing the scene by police.

Now, a reformed Mirza's company sells organic beard oil in a variety of scents and beard combs.

On the London Beard Company website, the owners claim: 'Born and bred in London, we have noticed how the fabric of the city has changed where once the beard was uncommon but has now become a mainstream feature worn with pride.

'Were here to cater for all types of beard growers, from the stubbly geeks to the full flowing beardsmen.

Behesheti (pictured) was a follower of hate cleric Abu Hamza and achieved notoriety at a protest when he was photographed with his daughter whom he had dressed in a pink bonnet celebrating Al Qaeda

'Our aim is to help the fellow man take pride and maintain his glorious beard or stubble using the best products available. Handcrafted in London by Londoners.'
The baroness said anorexia in modern society was a sign of '

Veteran broadcaster Joan Bakewell has claimed growing rates of eating disorders among teenagers is a sign of narcissism.

The broadcaster and Labour peer said she was 'alarmed' by the condition in young people.

In an interview with The Sunday Times she pointed out that eating disorders do not occur in countries ravaged by poverty or Syrian refugee camps and instead suggested it was a sign of the 'overindulgence of our society' and 'narcissism'.

Baroness Joan Bakewell (pictured at her London home in 2011), suggested anorexia could be a sign of 'narcissism'

Baroness Bakewell, 82, said: 'I am alarmed by anorexia among young people, which arises presumably because they are preoccupied with being beautiful and healthy and thin.'

However her remarks prompted a fierce backlash on social media, with many labelling her comments 'uneducated' and 'ignorant'.

One outraged Twitter user wrote: 'As someone who has anorexia, I'm insulted by your disgusting comments.

'It's a mental illness and you don't choose it!'

The broadcaster told Sian Griffiths of The Sunday Times that no-one has anorexia in 'societies where there is not enough food', adding: 'They do not have anorexia in the camps in Syria. I think it's possible anorexia could be about narcissism.'

She said: 'To be unhappy because you are the wrong weight is a sign of the overindulgence of our society, over-introspection, narcissism, really.'

The remarks prompted a fierce backlash on social media, with many labelling her comments 'uneducated' and 'ignorant'

The baroness has hit back at the criticism, responding on her Twitter page today, calling for more research into anorexia

Another Twitter user wrote: 'Using sweeping statements such as narcissism is not only ignorant, but it's also highly irresponsible'.

Other tweets include: 'Not sure how you managed to equate a mental illness to narcissism.

'Rather illogical and mindless,' and, 'For an academic, her views do seem to have no research or foundation.'

One outraged reader tweeted: '[The] comments about anorexia are incredibly discouraging - it's difficult enough to get people to talk.'

Baroness Bakewell has responded to criticism on Twitter, and suggested said her comments could help draw attention to a 'crisis in mental health'

However the baroness hit back at the criticism, writing on her Twitter page: 'I am deeply sad that young people get anorexia and was speculating loosely about what might cause it.'

She added: 'We need to understand why people get anorexia: by why? Our society focuses too much on looks.

The Labour peer's comments sparked a backlash on social media

'I believe anorexics need sympathy and help. I think our society is too pre-occupied with looks. That's all.'

She said her comments could help draw attention to a 'crisis in mental health', adding: 'Alas no book about anorexia: perhaps there should be!'

Baroness Bakewell also suggested that, while she was pleased to see the stigma around discussing mental health was fading, counselling and psychotherapy - including treatment for children - 'can get out of hand'.

The president of Birkbeck, University of London, said that asking people 'Are you really happy?' gave them a chance to consider anxieties that had not previously crossed their mind.

Earlier this year, David Cameron pledged to ensure teenagers with eating disorders receive treatment more quickly.

From 2017/18 a new waiting time measure will track the proportion of patients being seen within a month of referral, or within a week for urgent cases.

Figures suggest hospital admissions for eating disorders in England have been increasing.

In the 12 months to October 2013 there were 2,560 admissions, which was an 8 per cent rise on the previous year, according to statistics from the Health and Social Care Information Centre (HSCIC).

Baroness Bakewell's remarks also comes as MPs are asked to consider a ban on dangerously thin models on the catwalk.

A parliamentary inquiry is set to conclude that models under the age of 18 should be banned from the catwalk to protect them from negative aspects of the industry such as eating disorders and sexual harassment.

The baroness is chairing the Wellcome book prize judging panel. The Wellcome book prize rewards the best book, fiction or non-fiction, linked to medicine, health or illness.
, he was arrested and tried for spreading false news

An Egyptian blogger has been sentenced to three years in jail with hard labour for claiming on national television 30 per cent of wives would cheat on their husbands if they had the chance.

Sentenced under a 'spreading false news' charge, the court in Egypt said Taymour el-Sobki's comments would harm public peace and damage the public interest.

El-Sobki faced a backlash from other TV talk show hosts and civilians who filed complaints to public prosecutors accusing him of insulting Egyptian women.

Taymour el-Sobki (pictured) runs a Facebook page called The Diary of a Crushed Husband and claimed on national television that 30 per cent of women are prepared to cheat on their husbands if given the chance

Public prosecutors, who have the right to vet such complaints and to choose which ones to pursue, charged el-Sobki and took him to court on these grounds.

El-Sobki had stated: 'Many women cheat on their husbands. I can say that 30 percent of women are ready to be deviant'.

In particular, he claimed, women in the southern cities of 'Asyut, Minya, Sohag, Qena, Luxor and Aswan'.

El-Sobki, whose Facebook page called 'Diaries of a Suffering Husband' has more than one million followers, added: 'Many women are involved in extramarital affairs while their husbands are abroad.'

His comments included the suggestion that arranged marriages in traditional southern Egypt exacerbated the problem of infidelity because women ended up with men they didn't know.

After the claim a masked man from the region appeared in a video carried on YouTube armed with an assault rifle, and issued a death threat against El-Sobki.

However, the court's decision has been condemned by human rights groups.

'We can criticize or reject the comments he made, but he did not commit a crime,' said prominent rights lawyer Gamal Eid.

Under President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi, authorities have waged crackdowns against Islamists, then left-wing activists and finally against broader dissent. But lately, many activists say harassment and threats have broadened even to people with no connection to politics or activism.

Egyptian president Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi (pictured) has overseen an unprecedented crackdown on human rights, freedom of speech and political dissent

Artists, writers, and intellectuals have expressed fear over the future of free speech and creativity in Egypt following a two-year sentence handed by an appeals court last month against author Ahmed Naji for violating 'public modesty' through publishing an excerpt of his novel containing a sex scene in an Egyptian literary magazine.

Naji's detention in a Cairo prison following the sentencing hit Egypt's artistic and intellectual community hard as it followed recent sentences handed to the TV presenter and researcher Islam Behery, who is serving a year-long prison sentence for 'defaming religious symbols' and the writer Fatma Naoot, who has appealed a three-year sentence for defaming Islam.

Eid said el-Sobki's case has similar attributes with the expulsion from parliament of Tawfiq Okasha earlier this month as a response to him meeting Israel's ambassador to Egypt.

'The two issues seem to be unrelated, but they both share the same attribute... Okasha did not break the law,' said Eid. 'The two incidents were handled outside the realm of the law.'

The cases, Eid said, are an example of how 'it is not the law, but it is pressure and public opinion, and rallying around someone, that acquits or incriminates him.'
Apple and other tech companies have been accused of not doing enough to help French security services access two phones which belonged to suicide bombers from the Paris attacks.

The phones were discovered near the Stade de France, where Bilal Hadfi and two Iraqi jihadis blew themselves up on 13 November 2015.

French Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve confirmed that the devices still haven't been accessed by security services due to the encryption on the phones.

French Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve confirmed that the devices still haven't been accessed by security services due to the encryption on the phones

The phones were discovered by the Stade de France, where Bilal Hadfi (pictured) and the two Iraqi jihadis using false Syrian passports, blew themselves up on 13 November 2015

Apple and several other tech companies have insisted that if they created an access point through the encryption, it could put the security of devices at risk.

Their stance has led to a running debate between the powers of the security services and the responsibilities of the tech companies creating the phones.

The issue emerged after American security services asked Apple to access the locked phones of the San Bernardino shooters Syed Farook and Tashfeen Malik.

'By operating in their own time, technology companies are making it harder for France to prevent further terror attacks,' Cazeneuve told CNN.

The issue emerged after American security services asked Apple to access the locked iPhones of the San Bernardino shooter Syed Farook and Tashfeen Malik

Apple and other tech giants have come under-fire due to the impenetrable nature of their security software

'That's why we need to cooperate together to find an acceptable balance between security and freedom,' he said.

The two phones belonging to the Paris attackers could hold key intelligence information which might explain how the attack was co-ordinated and even possible future attacks.

President Obama has also spoken out about the issue of the device's not having an access key.

'The question we now have to ask is, if technologically it is possible to make an impenetrable device or system where the encryption is so strong that there's no key, there's no door at all, then how do we apprehend the child pornographer? How do we solve or disrupt a terrorist plot?' he said.

An industry executive responded to the French minister's comments, revealing they have been supporting the government's campaign against terrorism.
An 'extreme parent' who takes his three-year-old son abseiling off 100-metre high cliffs believes adventures filled with risk are 'character building' for the toddler.

James Castrission and his wife Mia, from Blackheath in the Blue Mountains, New South Wales, have included their son in all of their escapades since he was born, including an overnight bush walk in mountainous terrain when he was just four-months-old.

'People that don't know these kind of environments would think "man that is crazy what he is doing with his kid",' Mr Castrission told Sunday Night.

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James Castrission (pictured with son) takes his three-year-old son abseiling off 100-metre high cliffs believes adventures filled with risk are 'character building' for the toddler

With just a harness and helmet for protection, the little boy steps of the edge of the cliff with his father by his side

Mr Castrission has been a keen adventurer all his life, crossing the Tasman sea by kayak and Antarctica by foot in his earlier days.

Now he hopes Jack will follow in his footsteps and frequently exposes the toddler to the perils nature has to offer.

The little boy has propelled himself over a 100-metre cliff with his father and has dived off a boulder into water with floaties on his back to stop him sinking.

Ms Castrission admits she expects him to come home with scratches and bruises due to the nature of the adventures, but believes her three-year-old has the ability to assess the danger in each scenario.

'Our kids have the the ability to assess risk, more than we give them credit for. I think they're smarter than we think they are and I think we need to respect their ability to trust themselves, at where they pull back,' she said.

The pair also believe extreme stunts lead to 'developmental benefits' in young children.

'A huge body of research has come out showing a direct correlation with spending time in nature, pushing a kids boundaries and a whole lot of great developmental benefits,' Mr Castrission said.

'Kids who aren't getting in nature unfortunately they have got high rates of obesity, whole lot of behavioral problems, ADHD.'

James Castrission (pictured) and his wife Mia, from Blackheath in the Blue Mountains, New South Wales, have included their son in all of their escapades since he was born

The little boy has propelled himself over a 100-metre cliff with his father and has dived off a boulder into water with a floatie on his back to stop him sinking

'A huge body of research has come out showing a direct correlation with spending time in nature, pushing a kids boundaries and a whole lot of great developmental benefits,' Mr Castrission said

Mr Castrission and his wife believe extreme stunts lead to 'developmental benefits' in young children

While Jack appears to love the adrenaline-rush, clinical psychologist Dr Gary Banks believes the family are gambling with their son's life.

'Unless I'm mistaken, children do not have the capacity to cross a road. Their brains are not remotely wired up at this point to make any of those calculations,' Dr Banks told the program.

But Mr Castrission believes the true loss would be if he kept Jack indoors all day everyday, not allowing him to develop his independence.

'[If Jack were seriously injured] it would be the most devastating, incredibly upsetting thing,' he said.

'But the flip side of that is if I were to keep jack indoors and then at 15-years-old push him out the door and say, "Good luck with your life," that terrifies me even more.'

'[If Jack were seriously injured] it would be the most devastating, incredibly upsetting thing,' Mr Castrission said

While Jack appears to love the adrenaline-rush, clinical psychologist Dr Gary Banks (pictured) believes the family are gambling with their son's life

Mr Castrission believes the true loss would be if he kept Jack indoors all day everyday, not allowing him to develop his independence

Mia Castrission (pictured) admits she expects Jack to come home with scratches and bruises due to the nature of the adventures

'Kids who aren't getting in nature unfortunately they have got high rates of obesity, whole lot of behavioral problems, ADHD,' Mr Castrission said

Extreme parenting appears to be a trend emerging all over the world.

The Sweeney family, from Chamonix in France, have drawn a large amount of criticism after their young children were almost gravely injured after climbing a 4808 metre, ice-capped mountain.

Patrick Sweeney hoped his son PJ, nine, would become the youngest person to ever climb Mont Blanc - the highest peak in Europe.

During a three-trek to the summit with PJ and his daughter Shannon, 12, Mr Sweeney found himself relying on an awkwardly place ice pick after loose snow left his children tumbling down a glacier known as the 'corridor of death.'

Although the children managed to use their extensive training to climb back to their father, the mission was abandoned.

The family received an onslaught of criticism following the climb, but Mr Sweeney claims his critics will not change his parenting style.

'They can judge whatever they want. I call them bulldozer parents - the parents are trying to pave the smoothest path possible for their kids. That's not life,' he said.

Patrick and Kristen Sweeney(pictured), from Chamonix in France, have drawn a large amount of criticism after their young children were almost gravely injured after climbing a 4808 metre, ice-capped mountain

Patrick Sweeney hoped his son PJ (left), nine, would become the youngest person to ever climb Mont Blanc - the highest peak in Europe

During a three-trek to the summit with PJ and his daughter Shannon, 12, Mr Sweeney found himself relying on an awkwardly place ice pick after loose snow left his children tumbling down a glacier

Although the children managed to use their extensive training to climb back to their father, the mission was abandoned
Could explain disappearance of ships in notorious Bermuda Triangle

A discovery of giant underwater craters at the bottom of Barents Sea could offer a viable explanation to the disappearance of ships in the Bermuda Triangle.

Scientists have found craters up to half a mile wide and 150ft deep, believed to have been caused by build-ups of methane off the coast of natural gas-rich Norway.

The methane would have leaked from deposits of natural gas further below the surface and created cavities which finally bursts, scientists say.

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Big boom: Scientists have found craters up to half a mile wide and 150ft deep in Barents Sea, believed to have been caused by build-ups of methane off the coast of natural gas-rich Norway (stock image)

'Multiple giant craters exist on the sea floor in an area in the west-central Barents Sea ... and are probably a cause of enormous blowouts of gas,' said researchers from the Arctic University of Norway told the Sunday Times.

'The crater area is likely to represent one of the largest hotspots for shallow marine methane release in the Arctic.'

The explosions causing the craters to open up could potentially pose risks to vessels travelling on Barents Sea, scientists say.

Mystery: Scientists believe similar methane craters could explain loss of ships in the Bermuda Triangle

Discovery: Scientists found the giant craters on the sea floor in an area in the west-central Barents Sea

It could also possibly explain the loss of ships and aircraft in the controversial area referred to as the Bermuda Triangle, according to the experts.

The area stretches from the British Overseas Territory in the North Atlantic Ocean to the Florida coast, to Puerto Rico.

Russian scientist Igor Yeltsov, the deputy head of the Trofimuk Institute, said last year: 'There is a version that the Bermuda Triangle is a consequence of gas hydrates reactions.

'They start to actively decompose with methane ice turning into gas. It happens in an avalanche-like way, like a nuclear reaction, producing huge amounts of gas.
Demoski only realized he did it when he saw damage to his snowmobile

A man suspected of intentionally driving a snowmobile into teams of two mushers and killing a dog near the front of the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race in Alaska broke down in tears as he apologized for the incident, but says he has no memory of the collision because he was 'blackout drunk'.

Arnold Demoski, 26, of Nulato, was arrested on suspicion of assault, reckless endangerment, reckless driving and six counts of criminal mischief on Saturday in a Yukon River village.

Demoski says he was returning home from a night of drinking when he struck Aliy Zirkle and Jeff King's teams in the early hours of Saturday morning, KTUU-TV reports.

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Arnold Demoski broke down in tears as he apologized for the incident, but says he has no memory of the collision because he was 'blackout drunk'

The crashes killed one of King's dogs  three-year-old male Nash - and injured at least two others. One of Zirkle's dogs also was injured.

But Demoski says he only realized he was responsible when he woke up later on Saturday morning.

When he heard what had happened to the mushers, he checked his snowmobile and realized he had done it. The snowmobile was missing a part and had rust-colored stains, he said.

Demoski said he doesn't remember the collisions, which the Iditarod described as apparently intentional attacks.

'I just want to say I'm sorry,' he tearfully told KTUU. 'I hope they can forgive me. I didn't mean it.'

Nash, a 3-year-old male dog, was killed after being struck by a snowmobile in Alaska early Saturday morning

He added: 'I'm not a bad person. I have feelings just like everybody else and I feel really bad for what I did.

'I just want to do everything I can to make everything right.'

Alaska State Troopers are investigating the incident.

Iditarod officials at first reported King had been injured, but the four-time champion said later the snowmobile had missed both him and his sled.

Zirkle, 46, who finished second three times from 2012 to 2014, was mushing from Koyukuk to Nulato, a run of less than 20 miles (32.19 kilometers) on the Yukon River, when she was hit, race marshal Mark Nordman said Saturday.

After the incident, Demoski, who owns a dog (pictured) himself, tearfully said: 'I hope they can forgive me'

Arnold Demoski, 26, of Nulato, admitted to drunkenly striking the racing teams and dogs with his snowmobile

Demoski points to the missing front bumper on his snowmobile, which fell off during Saturday morning's crash

The snowmobile hit the side of Zirkle's sled about 5 miles (8.05 kilometers) outside of Koyukuk, turned around multiple times and came back at her before driving off, Alaska State Troopers spokeswoman Megan Peters said by email.

The snowmobile reappeared 12 miles (19.31 kilometers) outside of Nulato. The driver revved up and was pointed at Zirkle before leaving, Peters said.

Demoski told the Alaska Dispatch News that he was 'blackout drunk' after partying in the village of Koyukuk - which has a population of 101 - when he hit the teams, but denies claims that the attack was deliberate.

He did not return to harass Zirkle, he told KTUU, but said he wanted to check to make sure she was OK.

'I think I turned around to check on them,' Demoski told the Dispatch News.

'They say I continuously attacked them but I turned around because I was concerned.'

One dog on Zirkle's team was bruised. Officials described the injury as non-life-threatening.

Banjo and Crosby, who is the brother of deceased dog Nash, were injured in Saturday's incident

Mushers Jeff King (left) and Aliy Zirkle (right) were struck outside the village of Nulatoa community during the annual Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race

Zirkle reached Nulato and told a race official the incident had left her shaken.

'I'm really bad. Someone tried to kill me with a snowmachine,' she said on a video posted to the Iditarod Insider webpage. Snowmachine is what Alaskans call snowmobiles.

King, a four-time Iditarod champion, was behind Zirkle and fared worse. When King reached the vicinity 12 miles outside of Nulato, his team was struck from behind by the snowmobile.

Nash was killed. His brother Crosby, another three-year-old male, and Banjo, a two-year-old male, received injuries and are expected to survive.

Nash and his three brothers, born in September 2012, were named after 1960s folk rock group Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young.

Three-year-old Nash (pictured left and right, as a puppy, in Jeff King's lap) died on Saturday morning

King told the Iditarod Insider the snowmobile narrowly missed him and his sled, but hit his dogs at high speed.

'One of my dogs was killed pretty much on the spot, and a couple others I gave first aid to the best I could and loaded them into my sled,' he told the Iditarod camera crew. 'I kind of felt like a triage ambulance.'

It did not appear to be an accident, he said. 'It seemed like an act of bravado,' King said.

Rural Alaska communities have many wonderful people, he said, but they also have serious social problems.

'It is beyond comprehension to me that this was not related to substance abuse,' King said, adding that 'no one in their right mind would do what this person did.'

In 2002, Alaska approved the biggest alcohol tax increase in the state's history hoping the 'dime a drink' tax would help save lives.

The money raised was planned to fund substance abuse rehabilitation and prevention, but the Dispatch News reports that state spending on alcohol and drug programs fell the year after the increased rates took hold.

By 2013, even though the tax on hard liquor had doubled, sales of whiskey, vodka and other spirits went up by 41 percent.

Alcohol-fueled crime and abuse in Alaska are reportedly the highest in America. A CDC study in 2014 found Alaska was topped only by New Mexico when it came to most alcohol-related deaths.

And last year, a government report found an average of six people die from alcohol poisoning every day in the United States.

It also found that Alaska has the nation's highest alcohol poisoning death rate, with 46.5 deaths per million residents each year.

The world's most famous dog sled race kicked off last Saturday after tons of snow was shipped in to Alaska due to unseasonably warm weather

Now in its 44th year, the race commemorates a 1925 rescue mission that delivered diphtheria serum by sled-dog relay to the western coastal community of Nome on the Bering Sea

Nulato tribal council officials have offered their condolences.

'We are disturbed and saddened that celebrated Iditarod veteran dog teams led by Jeff King and Aliy Zirkle were struck by a resident of our village, officials said, according to Channel 2 News.

'Nulato recognized the complex behavioural health issues that impact our village and we ask for prayers as we seek wellness for all.'

The race leader early Saturday afternoon was Brent Sass, who left the village of Kaltag at 8.20 am.

Zirkle rested four hours in Nulato and dropped one dog before heading back onto the Yukon River with 14 dogs in harness. She reached Kaltag at 10.44am, and after a nine-minute rest, left again in second place.

Current champion Dallas Seavey left Kaltag at 11.24am in third place. His father, former champion Mitch Seavey, was in fourth place.

Katherine Keith's team leave the start of the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race in Willow, Alaska

There were fears the event would have to be cancelled due to a lack of snow on the course, forcing organizers to have snow delivered to downtown Anchorage
U.S.-backed rebels in Syria's northern Idlib province said today that al-Qaeda militants have seized their bases and stolen weapons, including American TOW anti-tank missiles, in a series of violent raids. The militants are also believed to have kidnapped 40 rebel fighters and gained control of a town.

Division 13 of the Free Syrian Army (FSA), which is fighting Russia-backed Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, said on Twitter Sunday that the al-Qaeda-affiliated Jabat al-Nusra, also known as Nusra Front, occupied and looted its posts on Friday.

And it was reported today that the FSA have also lost control of the Idlib town of Maarat al-Numan.

Fighters: Al-Qaeda-affiliated Nusra Front soldiers like these (pictured south of Damascus in 2014) took over Free Syrian Army bases in Syria's Idlib province Friday. Both sides claim the other started the conflict

Moderates: Although both Nusra and FSA fighters such as these (pictured in Aleppo, 2013) want to get rid of Assad, they disagree on police, as Nusra are Fundamentalist and FSA are more moderate

Missiles: This FSA soldier, pictured in Western Syria, is firing a U.S.-provided TOW rocket at an enemy base. Rockets such as these were seized by Nusra, along with a tank, armored vehicles and other weapons

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based monitoring group, says Nusra seized U.S.-provided TOW anti-tank missiles, armored vehicles, a tank, and other arms in the raid. It is believed they also took 40 FSA prisoners.

Nusra hit back at Division 13's statement that they were the aggressors, saying the FSA division attacked first.

In a statement to to ARA News, a Nusra spokesperson said, 'In an unexpected step, and in a difficult time in the blessed Syrian revolution, all were surprised by the faction Division 13 raiding the headquarters of Jabhat al-Nusra in the city of Maarat al-Numan.'

It added that the FSA had also raided houses in the city.

The FSA, which is a prominent force in Northern Syria but has had a weak hold over Idlib in recent times, denied claims that they had instigated this round of aggression, saying they would not attack a stronger enemy.

But that did not appease Nusra. At 9am EST today, Dubai-based journalist Jenan Moussa, who works at Al Aan TV, reported on Twitter that Nusra forces were systematically checking houses in Maarat al-Numan for FSA soldiers.

One hour later, she updated: 'In a nutshell, FSA group Division 13 no longer exists in Maaret AlNoman [sic]. City now fully under Nusra (AlQaeda in #Syria) control.'

Attacked: FSA told Dubai-based ASA News reporter Jenan Moussa that their main specialist in firing TOW missiles (pictured) was attacked by Nusra using a rocket-propelled grenade

Under control: Moussa reported that the FSA had been removed from the town of Maarat al-Numan (which can be written as Maaret AlNoman, as above) and that it was now fully under the control of Al Qaeda

Both the Fundamentalist Islamic Nusra and the more moderate FSA are fighting to overthrow Assad, but disagree on how to govern the areas they have taken, Nicholas Heras, a Washington-based Middle East researcher at the Center for a New American Security, told ARA News.

The FSA has worked with anti-Assad groups before, but it has also fought them for territory on occasion, Arab News reported.

Heras added that the FSA is also under pressure from its Western backers, including America, to combat Jihadist groups like Nusra.

ARA News reports that more violence is expected between the FSA and Nustra in Aleppo province.

'These clashes are the result of long-boiling anger within the armed opposition as a result of [Nusra] trying to muscle into the moderate armed oppositions turf, and from it trying to dominate civil society in rebel-ruled areas,' he said.

The attack on the FSA came two weeks into a ceasefire in Syria that has allowed aid workers into the country and worked towards tomorrow's peace talks between Assad and opposition leaders in Geneva. However, the ceasefire explicitly rules out al-Qaeda and ISIS.

There have also been recent reports of the Assad regime breaking the ceasefire.
Ivanka has been very active during her pregnancy and a constant presence on her father's Donald Trump 's

The 34-year-old is expecting her third child and is due to give birth any day

Ivanka Trump is due to give birth any day now, but that didn't stop the soon-to-be mother-of-three from stepping out with her family for a weekend stroll.

The 34-year-old was spotted soaking up some sunshine in Central Park on Saturday, with her husband Jared Kusher, 35, and their two children Arabella and Joseph.

The couple looked happy and relaxed as they walked through the park, with Ivanka showing off her bump in a black mac, along with oversized shades, black jeans and knee high boots.

They weren't the only celebrities enjoying New York City's parks yesterday.

Chelsea Clinton, 36 - who is also pregnant - was spotted enjoying a stroll, arm-in-arm with her husband Marc Mezvinsky, 38, who pushed their one-year-old daughter Charlotte in a stroller.

It's been a busy 24 hours for Ivanka who is expecting her third child with Kusher in the next few days.

Last night, the couple went to see Broadway phenomenon Hamilton in New York.

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Ivanka Trump is due to give birth any day now, but that didn't stop the soon-to-be mother-of-three from stepping out with her husband and two children for a weekend stroll

The 34-year-old, who is expecting her third child with husband Jared Kusher, 35, was seen soaking up the sunshine yesterday

Celebrity spotting: Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner (left) weren't the only celebrities out enjoying New York City's parks yesterday, Chelsea Clinton was also spotted enjoying a stroll with her husband and daughter (right)

Keeping it casual: Chelsea, 36, went incognito in a trench coat and cap pulled low over her face

Ivanka was spotted flaunting her baby bump in a form-fitting, semi-sheer dress as they left the Richard Rodgers Theatre.

Nearly two weeks ago, Ivanka's father Donald revealed during a news conference at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach that he believes his daughter could give birth 'within the week'.

Unlike many women in the final stages of their pregnancy, Ivanka has only set out rare moments to rest or relax during the past few weeks.

She has instead been following a heavy work schedule in order to be by her father's side during much of his campaign.

Although the entrepreneur and designer did not appear at her father's Palm Beach event, she has been a constant presence throughout his campaign, standing alongside him during his victories in South Carolina a month ago, and New Hampshire.

And even though she was not present in Nevada to see her father claim victory, Ivanka still took a central role in the lead-up to the caucus, appearing in a campaign video for The Donald in which she urged voters to take part and have their say.

Ivanka showed off her baby bump in a black mac, with black jeans and flat knee high black boots for the walk

Ivanka, who is due to give birth any day now, takes control of the buggy as she pushes daughter Arabella towards the playground

Unlike many women in the final stages of their pregnancy, Ivanka has done little to try and rest or relax during the past few weeks (pictured with son Joseph while husband Jared pushed the buggy)

Following his victory in New Hampshire, Donald praised his daughter for playing such an integral part in his campaign, despite being so heavily pregnant, saying: 'Ivanka, she was out. She made seven stops today at the polling areas - so very, very special.'

Trump has spoken publicly about the birth of his future grandchild, who will no doubt follow in his or her mother's footsteps and become something of a regular fixture during the last few months of Donald's campaign, helping him to woo voters across the country by boosting his profile as a family man.

The Donald may need a positive boost his campaign which has been marred by violent protests at recent rallies.

On Friday there were clashes between an anti-Trump mob and Chicagoans who came to hear the Republican front-runner speak were seen Friday inside the University of Illinois.

A busy 24 hours: Ivanka had also stepped out last night with her husband for a Broadway show

The 34-year-old was spotted flaunting her baby bump in a form-fitting, semi-sheer dress at the theater

Ivanka also wore a black stilettos and a heavy blue coat as she left Broadway phenomenon Hamilton

Last night's trip to see Hamilton follows a heavy work schedule in order to be by her father's side during much of his campaign

Chicago police say two officers were injured when supporters during the clashed with 10,000 protesters after he abruptly canceled a campaign rally.

Police say the two officers were taken to a hospital for treatment and released.

Trump addressed the crowd to condemn Friday night's bloody scenes as 'disgusting', saying it would have been a 'tremendous rally' but descended into violence because of what he called a 'planned attack' by 'professional wiseguys'.

He also responded to last night's Chicago rally meltdown earlier Saturday, condemning yesterday's 'thugs' for 'energizing America'.

His tweet: 'The organized group of people, many of them thugs, who shut down our First Amendment rights in Chicago, have totally energized America!'

Showing it off: Although she kept her bump hidden from view in her recent Snapchat posts, a few weeks ago, Ivanka shared this image on Instagram, in which she flaunted her belly in a printed dress from her own range

Proud parents: Ivanka and husband Jared Kushner are expecting their third child together, but that hasn't stopped the pair from assisting her dad Donald with his presidential campaign
Ex-crime reporter of ten years, but switched to

A Brazilian radio presenter was shot and killed by two masked attackers while he still on the air, in the southern state of Parana, police reports.

Joao Valdecir de Borba, 52, was killed at Radio Difusora AM in Sao Jorge do Oeste, in Parana near the border with Argentina, on Thursday evening.

Mr Valdecir de Borba previously worked as a crime reporter for nearly ten years, but switched to presenting music-led programmes five months ago after receiving death threats.

Joao Valdecir de Borba, 52, was shot and killed at Radio Difusora AM in Sao Jorge do Oeste, in Parana near the border with Argentina, on Thursday evening

Police in Sao Jorge do Oeste are hunting two unidentified assailants, who reportedly shot and killed the father-of-two during a music interlude.

There were conflicting reports yesterday about the circumstances leading to the murder of the father-of-two.

A colleague who was with him the night of the murder claimed he had stepped outside for a cigarette but radio station coordinator Eliziane Conter said Mr Valdecir de Borba was shot as he answered a knock on the front door.

The killers, who are still on the run, fled the scene in a dark-coloured Fiat Strada.

JoaMr Valdecir de Borba, who had worked for Radio Difusora AM for ten years and was married with two children, died as he was rushed critically injured to hospital.

Police are hunting two unidentified assailants, who reportedly shot and killed the father-of-two during a music interlude, while he was still on air (stock image)

Mrs Conter said: 'We cannot comprehend this brutal crime. Joao was a good person who was always caring with his colleagues. We are all devastated.'

The Brazilian Association of Radio and Television Presenters revealed in February eight journalists had been shot dead in Brazil last year, making it the fifth most dangerous country in the world for reporters.

Its report detailed 116 cases last year where journalists had been targeted through threats, vandalism, assaults or murders.

Last August Brazilian radio presenter Gleydson Carvalho was slain by two gunmen who burst into his studio during his regular midday slot on Radio Liberdade FM in Camocim, a beach resort in the north-eastern state of Ceara.

They overpowered a receptionist before forcing their way into Carvalho's recording studio and ordering his sound engineer to take cover under a table.

They then shot the radio presenter, known as a staunch critic of government corruption, three times - once in the head and twice in the chest.

Another radio employee announced the programme presenter had been shot and was receiving medical attention before it continued with music.

Carvalho was known locally for his attacks on local government corruption.

Friend Autran Santos said he would often receive threats live on air.

He said at the time of the murder: 'He spoke to me constantly about the threats but said he wasn't afraid.

'The most serious threats he received were to do with politics. He said he had enemies because of the accusations he made.'

Last September a radio journalist was shot dead as she arrived for work in Pitalito, Huila, south west Colombia.

Shocking footage released after Flor Alba Nunez Vargas was killed, showed a hired assassin in a crash helmet creeping up behind her and ending her life with a single shot to the head.
Shops should be allowed to sell cannabis, the Liberal Democrats have said as they became the first party in the UK to officially support the legalisation of the drug.

Party members voted overwhelmingly in favour of the policy at its spring conference in York yesterday.

The Lib Dems claim that legalising the sale of cannabis would boost the economy by around 1billion through taxing the sale of the drug, with the global industry estimated to be worth a staggering 200billion.

The Lib Dems claim that legalising the sale of cannabis would boost the economy by around 1billion through taxing the sale of the drug, with the global industry estimated to be worth a staggering 20billion

And the party said the move would also cut drug-related crime, which would also help cut costs to the taxpayer.

The move would see shops being granted licenses to sell cannabis in plain packaging with health warnings - similar to cigarette packages.

Households would also be allowed to grow marijuana at home for personal consumption.

It comes after former deputy prime minister Nick Clegg held talks with a US firm that sells cannabis last week over efforts to soften drugs laws in the UK.

The relaxation of cannabis in the US has led to marijuana plants being grown at farms - including at the Seaof Green Farms growing facility in Seattle, Wasington (pictured). The global cannabis industry is estimated to be worth around 200billion

Lib Dem leader Tim Farron said the prohibition on cannabis has failed and said it was now time to explore ways of legalising the industry.

The party's new policy is based on a review of soft drugs by the former mental health minister Norman Lamb, who was one of the eight Lib Dem MPs who survived last May's General Election.

The party's new policy is based on a review of soft drugs by the former mental health minister Norman Lamb (pictured), who was one of the eight Lib Dem MPs who survived last May's General Election

It has been based on policy changes in north America, where four states have already relaxed laws and another ten are expected to decriminalise next year.

Mr Clegg met with representatives from a US investment fund that has a 30-year deal to sell cannabis under the brand name of the reggae star Bob Marley in a bid by the American company to sign him up to the campaign for liberalising drugs law in Britain.

A spokesman for Mr Clegg said: 'This was an informal meeting to discuss a policy issue that Nick is very interested in.'

Colorado became the first state to legalise the sale of the drug in 2014 and experts have predicted a huge boom in the cannabis industry following liberalising of the law in three other states and similar moves in Canada.

After his policy was overwhelmingly backed by Lib Dem delegates yesterday, Mr Lamb, the party's health spokesman, said: 'The war on drugs has been a catastrophic failure. When people buy cannabis from criminals, they have no idea what they are buying.

'So regulation the sale of cannabis... makes sense in terms of public health and community safety.'

The party's panel on the review on drug laws included Mike Barton, Chief Constable, Durham Constabulary, Niamh Eastwood, Executive Director, Release and Tom Lloyd, Chair of the National Cannabis Coalition and former Chief Constable of Cambridgeshire Police.

Professor David Nutt, the former Chair of the Advisory Committee on the Misuse of Drugs was on the committee, joined by Professor Harry Sumnall, Liverpool John Moores University, and Professor Fiona Measham, Durham University.

Lib Dems call for major overhaul of business taxes to stop global giants like Google and Facebook ripping off the taxpayer at the expense of small firms

In his speech to the Lib Dem party conference in York, Tim Farron (pictured) accused the Government of 'fawning' over big business as independent companies are being hit with rates they can barely afford. He is bringing in

Business taxes must be reformed to stop global giants like Google and Facebook negotiating sweetheart deals while small firms are left struggling, Lib Dem leader Tim Farron said today.

In his speech to the Lib Dem party conference in York, he accused the Government of 'fawning' over big business as independent companies are being hit with rates they can barely afford.

He is bringing in former business secretary Vince Cable to lead an expert panel looking at ways to 'radically reform' business taxation.

At the party's spring conference in York, Mr Farron said: 'Communities thrive when enterprise and small business can thrive. But far too often the cards are stacked against them.

'We currently have a broken tax system that allows Google and Facebook to negotiate for months, yet small businesses can't even get through on the phone.

'It's time we transformed the way we treat small business in this country. Instead of Government fawning over the conglomerates, and getting to small business later, how about putting small business at the centre of our business economy.'

Mr Farron will also claim the UK is at an economic crossroads and accuse Chancellor George Osborne of planning 'unnecessary' cuts in the Budget next week.

'We have already heard that more cuts are coming our way,' he will say.

'George Osborne's approach to a budget is political theatre. It's about politics, headlines and calculated positioning.

'Not a long term economic plan, but a short term political scam.

'So, the UK now stands at a crossroads,' he will add.

'Osborne is taking an unnecessary political choice to cut further.
Veteran competitor Michael Paul took home prize for his aluminium wings

The year the Ballonaful Birman, The Godzilla, Batwoman and The Flying Dunny made an appearance

Contestants tested their home-made gliders and aircraft by running of a platform before plunging into murky water

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Thousands of people gathered for the annual Birdman rally that sees contestants diving off a platform on the river to see how long they can fly with their home-made gliders and human-powered aircraft before plunging into the murky water below.

The event which is held as part of Melbourne's Moomba Festival, held each Labour Day on the cities iconic Yarra River, sees a number of contestants raising money for a charity of their choice.

With the first rally being held in 1976, the contraptions continuously grow more complex every year, never failing to get a reaction from the crowd.

Aaron Eidelson flys the The Ballonaful Birman into the Yarra River during the Birdman Rally in Melbourne on Sunday

The Birdman Rally is a charity competition for home-made gliders, hang gliders and human-powered aircraft

The first Moomba Birdman Rally was held in 1976 and competitors are encouraged to donate money to their chosen foundations

Co-ordinated with colourful tights and a custom t-shirt, Jase Lydon flys The Shooting Star during the Birdman Rally into the murky Yarra

Ready, set, go! Preparing to launch himself of the platform The Shooting Star takes a huge breath before running

Nine-time Birdman Rally winner Michael Paul uses computer simulators to refine his glider designs

Wearing a cardboard toilet, Ana Hansen flew the Flying Dunny into the Yarra River

Not heading to far away from the platform, The Flying Dunny contestant plunged into the water ahead of her creation

This year's competition saw returning contestants run off the platform with kites, colourful balloons and the plain bizarre made an attempt to leap.

The Godzilla, The Gorilla Anti-Gravity Machine, The Wallara Weapon, Batwoman, The Shooting Star and The Flying Dunny also made an appearance.

But despite the effort and goals to reach the stars some of the colourful creations fell apart before even touching the water below.

While some came close to crossing the 22-metre measuring tape, others only made it a few steps before crashing into the Yarra river.

It was veteran competitor Michael Paul - who has competed in the rally every year since 2005 and has won nine times who took home the coveted prize with his aluminium wings.

The winner has also been acknowledges for raising the most money for charity having collected over $12,000 for MS Australia in honour of his brother who suffers from multiple sclerosis.

Andew Goss flew the Flying Gossman but unfortunately his creation appeared to fly out of his reach ending up in the water before him

Despite wanting it to glide to the end of the measuring tape Campbell Bott plunged with his 'High Flyer' near the ten metre mark

This didn't go to plan: many contestants saw their creations fall apart well before hitting the water

Bravehearts Shuttle unfortunately kept contestant Daniel Mazzei very far away from space

Holding on tight: Daniel Mazzei did not want to let go of his creation as he was heading feet first into the water

Hoping to avoid the murky war contestants closed their mouths and held their breath upon entering the water
sent a detention order to the wrong county when he was faced domestic battery charges in June

Authorities missed two chances last year to deport an illegal alien who is accused of gunning down five men in Kansas and Missouri this week.

Pablo Antonio Serrano-Vitorino, 40, is charged with killing a neighbor and three other men with an AK-47 on Monday night in Kansas, then gunning down another man at his home about 170 miles away in rural Missouri on Tuesday morning.

He was captured on Wednesday morning. Authorities have not released a motive for the rampage.

Now, it has emerged that he slipped through the net of U.S. immigration authorities twice last year  one after he faced domestic battery charges in June and following a traffic arrest in September.

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Authorities missed two chances last year to deport Pablo Antonio Serrano-Vitorino (pictured) an illegal alien who is accused of gunning down five men in Kansas and Missouri this week.

A spokesman for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) said the agency regrets the error that allowed Serrano-Vitorino to remain in the country illegally, the Daily Caller reports.

The agency had sought to detain the Mexican national In June last year, but they sent the detention order to an agency that didn't have him in custody.

Officials from a Kansas county, where Serrano-Vitorino faced domestic battery charges, had asked federal immigration officials about him because he was born outside the country - but ICE didn't respond before the county let him go.

Serrano-Vitorino was booked on a misdemeanor domestic battery charge in Kansas City.

The Wyandotte County Sheriff's Department sent ICE an overnight query about him, sheriff's Lt. Kelli Bailiff said on Wednesday, but when ICE did not respond within the required six-hour period, Serrano-Vitorino was released.

ICE said the query, which did not involve his fingerprints, required the agency to interview Serrano-Vitorino, something it wasn't able to do between when the sheriff's office sent it at 1.30am and released Serrano-Vitorino at 7.30am.

Serrano-Vitorino is accused of shooting his neighbor Michael Capps (right) and three others on Monday

Brothers Austin (left) and Clint Harter (right) were identified as two of the victims in Monday's shooting

Months later, Serrano-Vitorino - who has been living in Kansas City - eluded authorities yet again.

He was fingerprinted on September 14 last year at the Overland Park Municipal Court after being cited for traffic violations.

That triggered an ICE order to have him detained.

But ICE said it sent the order to the Johnson County Sheriff's Office instead of the Overland Park Municipal Court.

Court administrator Robin Barnard said Serrano-Vitorino showed up at the court the following month to pay a $146 fine.

He was never in custody of any local authorities for the traffic violations.

ICE said that had its order been sent to an agency that had Serrano-Vitorino in custody, it would have sought to deport him.

Even more surprising, the 40-year-old had been deported in April 2004, but re-entered the country at some unknown time, according to ICE.

Then, Serrano-Vitorino allegedly gunned down Randy Nordman at his home about 170 miles away in rural Missouri on Tuesday morning

He has at least one previous conviction - an unspecified terrorist threat for which he was sentenced to two years in a California prison - that led to his deportation.

ICE also said Serrano-Vitorino was convicted in 2014 of driving under the influence in Kansas.

But ICE records don't show the agency was notified that Serrano was fingerprinted at that time.

In February 2003, police were called to his home after his wife said he pointed a loaded rifle at her and threatened to kill her, according to a probation officer's report.

The report said Serrano-Vitorino is an alcoholic and his wife later wanted the charges dismissed.

The report recommended prison time for Serrano because his "actions should not be taken lightly.

Now, he is charged with first-degree murder in Tuesday's shooting death of Randy Nordman, 49, near New Florence, Missouri.

He is also charged in Kansas with four counts of first-degree murder linked to the shooting deaths of his neighbor Michael Capps, 41, and three others - Jeremy Waters, 36, and brothers Clint, 27, and Austin Harter, 29 - at Capps's home on Monday.

Serrano-Vitorino is jailed in Montgomery County, Missouri, on $2 million bond related to the Kansas charges.

Messages left with his Missouri public defender Wednesday were not returned.
to 'give me two years' to turn around the country

He also urged his supporters in

anger and said he was 'just the messenger' for Americans'

Donald Trump said Sunday on Meet the Press that he's looking into paying the legal fees of the 78-year-old supporter who sucker-punched a black protester at a rally in Fayetteville, North Carolina on Wednesday.

'I've actually instructed my people to look into it, yes,' Trump told NBC's Chuck Todd.

The Republican frontrunner did a tour of the Sunday shows this morning and was asked questions about the bouts of violence at his campaign events in recent days.

Trump has recently dismissed claims he was fueling the violence at his rallies and claimed he was 'just the messenger' for frustrated Americans, Fox News reports.

He insisted that his supporters were 'not the bad guys' but were simply defending themselves against 'mean' protesters.

'(The protesters) are so bad' he said at an outdoor rally in Bloomington. 'Our people started swinging back, and the next day we are the bad guys.'

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Donald Trump (left) said Sunday he's looking into paying the legal fees of John McGraw who sucker-punched a black protester at a rally in Fayetteville, North Carolina on Wednesday

26-year-old Rakeem Jones was flipping the bird as he was being escorted out of a Donald Trump rally in North Carolina on Wednesday

On Meet the Press, Todd played an audio clip from several weeks ago of Trump saying in 'the old days' protesters would 'be carried out on a stretcher, folks'.

'I'd like to punch him in the face, I'll tell you,' Trump said at the time.

Todd then pointed out that such a scenario played out this week at a rally in North Carolina when 78-year-old John McGraw struck 26-year-old Rakeem Jones at the Crown Coliseum and asked the candidate if he took responsibility for what happened.

'I don't accept responsibility,' Trump replied. 'I do not condone violence in any shape.

'And I will tell you from what I saw, the young man stuck his finger up in the air, and the other man sort of just had it,' Trump explained.

This morning Trump said his protesters weren't actually protesters, but 'disruptors'.

On CNN  and in a tweet he sent out  Trump alleged that these 'disruptors' were Bernie Sanders fans and mused about what might happen if his supporters starting showing up en masse to Sanders rallies.

'They're professionals,' Trump said on Meet the Press.

'Be careful Bernie, or my supporters will go to yours!' The Donald wrote on Twitter.

The Republican frontrunner argued it was fair for his supporters to fight back when provoked and it was unfair that the media was giving sympathetic treatment to the protesters.

Video shows John McGraw's arm making contact with the 26-year-old protester as Rakeem Jones is being escorted out of the campaign venue

The shot of Rakeem Jones being sucker-punched by John McGraw. Today Donald Trump said he was looking into paying McGraw's legal fees while calling Jones 'very disruptive'

'It's not fair. It's a one-way street,' Trump said.

Todd the brought up another example.

Trump said the day of the Iowa caucuses in Cedar Rapids to 'just knock the hell' out of anyone in the audience who was poised to throw a tomato at the candidate.

'I promise you, I'll pay for their legal fees,' the candidate had said.

'How is that not condoning what this older gentleman did to this protester?' Todd asked.

Trump ran through the scenario, explaining that tomatoes 'can be very damaging. Not good.'

'I have no objection to what I said. I would say it again. People are there doing harm, you have to go and you have to use equal force,' Trump said.

Democratic presidential front-runner Hillary Clinton accused Trump of 'political arson' this weekend saying his 'ugly, divisive rhetoric' and 'encouragement of violence and aggression' was dangerous.

Republican and Ohio Gov. John Kasich added that the billionaire's comments about 'punching' protesters was 'creating a toxic environment' at his rallies.

But Trump insists that 'nobody's ever been hurt' and claims that his supporters' anger stemmed from frustration over the lack of jobs, low wages and treatment of the country's veterans.

'The people are angry at that,' Trump said on NBC's 'Meet the Press.' 'They're not angry about something I'm saying. I'm just the messenger.'

Rakeem Jones seemingly goes flying as he's punched by Trump supporter John McGraw. On Sunday, Trump said McGraw 'obviously loves his country, and maybe he doesn't like seeing what's happening in his country'

He added that his rival presidential candidates' rallies did not attract crowds anywhere near the size of his own including a 35,000-strong event in Alabama.

Trump defense comes after the Republican front runner was forced to cancel an event at the University of Chicago when brawls broke out between his supporters and protesters.

Ten people were arrested following the Chicago brawl which left a police officer needing 20 stitches after being hit in the head by a bottle.

The violence in Chicago came hours after a black anti-Trump protester was beaten by a baying mob outside an event in St Louis.

Trump later tried to blame supporters of Democratic opponent Bernie Sanders for the protests calling the protests a 'planned attack'.

The billionaire said he was looking into Wednesday's incident and considering paying the perpetrator's legal fees.

McGraw was charged with misdemeanor assault and battery and disorderly conduct and will return to court on April 6.

Trump said that Jones, the 26-year-old on the receiving end of the punch, was 'very taunting' and 'very disruptive.'

'And from what I understand, he was sticking a certain finger up in the air,' Trump said. 'And that is a terrible think to do in front of somebody who frankly wants to see America made great again.'

As for McGraw, Trump said he 'got carried away.

'He was 78 years old, he obviously loves his country, and maybe he doesn't like seeing what's happening in his country,' Trump said.

'I want to see the full tape,' Trump continued.
It comes as Apple fights FBI court order to hack into terrorist's iPhone

Now feds are fighting the Facebook-owned firm to lift the encryption

WhatsApp is the latest tech firm battling a US government order to lift security measures, a report claims.

As Apple's legal battle with the FBI drags on, prosecutors are allegedly engaged in a dispute with the messaging service which allows users to make end-to-end encrypted phone calls.

According to the New York Times, investigators in a sealed criminal case tried and failed to wiretap a suspect's WhatsApp messages - despite a federal judge's order to access the data.

Ironically, it was the US government which funded the company behind WhatsApp's encryption system in 2014, turning all data into indecipherable code.

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As Apple's legal battle with the FBI drags on, prosecutors are allegedly engaged in a dispute with the messaging service which allows users to make end-to-end encrypted phone calls, the New York Times reports

WHAT IS END-TO-END ENCRYPTION AND HOW DOES WHATSAPP DO IT? End-to-end encryption means only the people involved in the chat can read their messages. To an outsider, their conversations are simply a mesh of cryptographic keys. Most messaging services store the keys on a centralized server controlled by the parent company. However, WhatsApp has integrated the encryption platform TextSecure into its operating system, meaning the keys are only stored in the user's phone. As a result, nobody - not even WhatsApp technicians or federal judges - can access the keys to decipher the messages. Indeed, when he announced the move, WhatsApp CEO Jan Koum said the firm had 'built WhatsApp around the goal of knowing as little about you as possible Respect for your privacy is coded into our DNA.' Advertisement

Making his stance clear, without mentioning his firm's own legal battle, WhatsApp CEO Jan Koum threw his weight behind Apple's Tim Cook in February, saying: 'We must not allow this dangerous precedent to be set... our freedom and our liberty is at stake.'

The news of the WhatsApp case - which does not relate to terrorism - comes as Apple continues to resist an FBI order to build software to hack into an iPhone 5c belonging to one of the San Bernardino shooters.

Though WhatsApp's case has flown under the radar, a former prosecutor told the New York Times the issue of end-to-end encrypted phone calls is possibly more concerning to prosecutors.

'As we know from intercepted prisoner wiretaps, criminals think that advanced encryption is great,' Joseph DeMarco told the Times.

The terrorists behind the Paris attack were said to have been using WhatsApp and another encrypted messaging app, Telegram, to evade law enforcement.

Indeed, last year a counter-terrorism agency claimed to have obtained an ISIS-written tech manual, which cites WhatsApp's encryption.

End-to-end encryption means only the people involved in the chat can read their messages.

To an outsider, their conversations are simply a mesh of cryptographic keys.

Most messaging services store the keys on a centralized server controlled by the parent company.

However, WhatsApp has integrated the encryption platform TextSecure into its operating system, meaning the keys are only stored in the user's phone.

As a result, nobody - not even WhatsApp technicians or federal judges - can access the keys to decipher the messages.

When he announced the move, WhatsApp CEO Jan Koum said the firm had 'built WhatsApp around the goal of knowing as little about you as possible Respect for your privacy is coded into our DNA.'

It is not the first time Facebook-owned WhatsApp has come to blows with law enforcement over the encryption system.

Last year, a Facebook executive was arrested in Brazil after WhatsApp failed to give a court messages in a drug trafficking case.

The app was then blocked in Brazil - affecting neighboring Latin American countries - for a whole day before a judge agreed the ban was unreasonable.

And the British government is currently pushing a bill forcing companies to install backdoor security measures that weaken encryption systems.

WhatsApp's encryption service was developed by Open Whisper Systems, a firm which received $900,000 in funding from the US government-backed Open Technology Fund.

Announcing the collaboration in 2014, Open Whisper said it was 'the largest deployment of end-to-end encrypted communication in history'.

The news release added that the project would be a gradual process, expanding and developing TextSecure protocol support to apply to every aspect of WhatsApp, including group chats.

Apple (led by CEO Tim Cook, above) claims the FBI could force them to turn iPhone cameras into surveillance devices to spy on users

Farook and his wife, Tashfeen Malik, shot and killed 14 people and wounded 22 others on December 2 before they were themselves killed in a shootout with police

WhatsApp has yet to respond to Daily Mail Online's request for a comment.

Insiders who spoke to the New York Times said prosecutors are waiting for the right case before they publicly battle WhatsApp on encryption.

Meanwhile, the congressional verdict on Apple's fight with the DOJ is imminent.

The Department of Justice added pressure on Apple this week, suggesting the tech giants may be forced to hand over the source code to the entire operating system if they do not assist investigators in unlocking the San Bernardino shooter's iPhone.

Apple had previously claimed that the FBI could force them to turn iPhone cameras and microphones into surveillance devices to spy on users.

In the latest episode of the ongoing face-off between privacy and national security, the Justice Department issued a court filing on Thursday that accused Apple of rhetoric which is 'not only false, but also corrosive' while suggesting they could up the stakes.

The court filing on Thursday said Apple's stance was 'corrosive' of institutions best able to safeguard 'our liberty and our rights.'

The department acknowledged Apple's argument that forcing the company to write code that would unlock Syed Farook's phone without erasing its contents would be excessive.

However, it then placed Apple between a rock and a hard place, suggesting that the company could simply hand over the entire operating system source code instead.

A footnote in the filing read: 'The FBI cannot itself modify the software on Farooks iPhone without access to the source code and Apples private electronic signature.

'The government did not seek to compel Apple to turn those over because it believed such a request would be less palatable to Apple.

'If Apple would prefer that course, however, that may provide an alternative that requires less labor by Apple programmers.'

The filing also cited a case in 2013, when the FBI tried to force the owners of a secure email service used by whistle blower Edward Snowden to turn over its encryption keys.
For more of the latest on David Cameron visit www.dailymail.co.uk/pm

In conference speech in York Farron says Obama's attack was 'humiliating'

Comments come after Obama accused Cameron of 'free-riding' on the US

David Cameron is 'free riding' on loyal Afghan interpreters who risked their lives for British soldiers on the battlefield, the leader of the Liberal Democrats said today.

Addressing the party's spring conference in York, leader Tim Farron blasted the Prime Minister for sending brave interpreters who have made it to Britain back to the Taliban, and leaving others on their way to the UK to 'rot' in camps.

His comments came after Barack Obama accused the UK and other European allies as being 'free riders' in international efforts led by the US.

David Cameron is 'free riding' on loyal Afghan interpreters who risked their lives for British soldiers on the battlefield, claimed Lib Dem leader Tim Farron (pictured making his speech to the party's spring conference)

Mr Farron said the President's attack on Mr Cameron was 'deeply humiliating', adding: 'Nowhere is it more plainly seen than in this government's dismal treatment of the Afghan interpreters.'

Nearly 180,000 people, including former military chiefs, senior politicians and war heroes have backed a Daily Mail campaign to grant interpreters sanctuary in the UK.

But not a single Afghan interpreter has been allowed to come to Britain under a Government 'intimidation scheme' designed for interpreters facing attacks by insurgents.

As a result, interpreters receiving death threats from the Taliban for being 'spies' have been forced to flee the war-torn country and make the perilous journey by boat and lorry to the UK.

To add to their plight, the Home Office has won an appeal to kick Afghans, including interpreters, out of the country, with judges lifting a ban on returning them to a war-torn country.

Throwing his weight behind the Daily Mail campaign, Mr Farron said in his speech: 'For thirteen years we relied on the skills of these brave and loyal individuals to keep our troops safe in a brutal, bloody conflict.

Addressing the party's spring conference in York, leader Tim Farron (pictured making his speech to the party's spring conference today) blasted the Prime Minister for sending brave interpreters who have made it to Britain back to the Taliban, and leaving others on their way to the UK to 'rot' in camps

'Yet our Government is sending them back to Afghanistan to live at the mercy of the Taliban, or is leaving them to rot in refugee camps as they desperately try to reach the UK, the country they served.

'David Cameron, your treatment of the Afghan interpreters is a disgrace.

'Britain is better than a 'free ride' at the expense of those who laid their lives on the line for us.

'Show the world that we value those who show the ultimate loyalty to our country and bring them to Britain without delay.'

The courts had temporarily stopped the Government from deporting Afghans seeking asylum in the UK after judges ruled the country was too dangerous.

But the case was taken to the Court of Appeal and Home Secretary Theresa May won the right to lift the blanket ban earlier this month.

As a result, at least five Afghan interpreters face deportation from the UK.

Another ten are making their way from Afghanistan to the UK out of desperation, and at least five are believed to be stuck in Calais trying to cross the Channel.
The prospects for the 'Millennial generation' is worse than both their parents and their grandparents - despite being better educated, one of Britain's leading sociologists has said.

Dr John Goldthorpe concludes that despite decades of educational reforms and a push for university degrees, social mobility has not improved, and for young people in Britain today, it has worsened.

A recent survey found that about 54 per cent of the country believed young people's lives would be worse than their own generation's, the highest proportion ever recorded.

Dr John Goldthorpe , an emeritus fellow of Nuffield College, Oxford, argues that educational reforms and the push for university degrees, have done nothing to increase social mobility in modern Britain

This has been seconded by Dr Goldthorpe, an emeritus fellow of Nuffield College, Oxford, who argues that educational reforms have done nothing to increase social mobility.

'Successive governments, committed to increasing mobility, have regarded educational policy as the essential means to this end,' Goldthorpe writes in an upcoming lecture, The Observer reports.

'Yet despite all this expansion and reform, inequalities in relative mobility chances have remained little altered.'

'A situation is emerging that is quite new in modern British history. Young people entering the labour market today face far less favourable mobility prospects than did their parents  or their grandparents.'

This comes after Britain's social mobility tsar warned that the country could be 'permanently divided' because of inequality between the generations.

No chance: A recent survey found that about 54 per cent of the country believed young people's lives would be worse than their own generation's

Alan Milburn, chairman of the Social Mobility and Child Poverty Commission, told the Guardian that a 'wind of change' needed to sweep through the country and highlighted how difficult it was for young people to buy a home.

Former cabinet minister Mr Milburn said the idea that each successive generation would do better than the previous was part of the glue that bound society together.

But research showed that had failed to be the case and instead, the nation was facing an 'existential crisis' as it considered the nature of society, he said.

He said: 'What both the polling and the data suggest is that we may have reached an inflection point which, if these trends continue, we may become a society that is permanently divided.

'Certainly on home ownership, we're heading for a world where rates of home ownership among young people are below 50 per cent for the first time.

'If this trend line continues we'll be there by the end of the decade. It is a wake up and smell the coffee moment.'

Generation Y, also known as Millennials, who were born between the early 1980s and the early 2000s, have faced rising tuition fees and exploding house prices.

Mr Milburn said that without the help of their baby boomer parents, many would not be able to afford a home and that there was a growing divide between those with and without parental help.

The Social Mobility and Child Poverty Commission monitors the progress of the Government's efforts to improve social mobility.
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Stretched between rows of ancient trees and sprawling over green fields, this is the so-called Ghost House of Sussex - a massive 40million mansion left incomplete after work first began in the 1980s.

Property baron Nicholas Van Hoogstraten, who began the construction of Hamilton Palace, near Uckfield in East Sussex in 1985, has long since left British shores to further his business interests in Zimbabwe.

The controversial businessman, who was once jailed for paying thugs to hurl a grenade into a rival's home, started building the home - complete with its own mausoleum - in order to house his vast art collection.

Nicholas Van Hoogstraten's home (pictured) has been nicknamed the Ghost House of Sussex since construction work ended

The sprawling 40million mansion is pictured from above where scaffolding still sits erected around the exterior of the home

Construction containers can be seen littered throughout the lavish property, which is located near Uckfield, in East Sussex

It's not clear if Hoogstraten still owns the property - he claims to have long ago transferred many assets into his children's names

The mansion features a vast open field as its front lawn, while a second building is partially constructed on the nearby body of water

Hoogstraten (pictured in 2008) was once convicted for arranging to have a thug throw a grenade into the house of a business associate

It's not clear if Hoogstraten still owns the property - he long ago claimed to have transferred many of his assets into his children's names.

However, a local resident has now complained that construction work on the property stopped long ago and it is simply going to waste, The Mirror reported.

Neighbour Richard Baxter told the paper: 'With all the housing problems we have in this country surely the building can be put to good use. It's a disgrace that it is just going to ruin.'

Hoogstraten made his fortune as a slum landlord in Britain but is better known for his court case regarding the gruesome gangland slaying of a business rival, who was stabbed five times before being shot in the head. Van Hoogstraten was exonerated of any blame in the killing.

Once described by a judge as a self-imagined devil who thinks he is an emissary of Beelzebub, Hoogstraten was born in Bognor in 1946 and as an 11-year-old schoolboy started selling stamps to noted collectors.

It later transpired that the young Hoogstraten, who claimed to have a stamp collection worth 30,000, had hired classmates to steal the stamps for him from specialist shops.

By the time he was 14, he had taken to wearing a suit to school and would excuse himself from lessons to sit in an empty classroom, where he would read the Financial Times and attend to business deals.

As a teenager, he started a loan-shark business that saw him take property deeds as collateral for loans. He also ran nightclubs in Brighton and once called Rod Stewart, the rock star, a greedy little runt in a row over takings.

He also picked up a conviction for organising a henchman to throw a grenade at a priest, as well as the 2002 conviction for manslaughter for the killing of that business rival. The verdict was overturned on appeal, but he was ordered to pay the victims family 6 million in a civil case in 2005.

The dome tip of the building can be seen in this photograph stretching up above a rows of trees which flanks the sprawling estate

Hoogstraten is a self-confessed amoral businessman who made his fortune in his late teens as a slum landlord in Britain

A local resident has complained about the inactivity on the project, saying it could be put to much better use than lying in ruin
A chihuahua with a rare genetic disorder has found a home with a baby girl who has the same syndrome.

Fleetwood Mac, an 8-year-old beige chihuahua from San Francisco is the new best friend of 7-month-old Grace. Both Fleetwood and Grace have Ectrodactyly.

Ectrodactyly is a congenital deformity that used to go by the name of lobster claw syndrome.

The Campos family adopted chihuahua Fleetwood Mac (center) who has Ectrodactyly, which causes cleft limbs. The Campos's daughter, Grace (pictured, right), also has Ectrodactyly

Fleetwood was listed on social media groups for people who had or were related to people with Ectrodactyly

It is usually classified by a cleft hand or foot, where a middle finger or toe is missing, but the syndrome can have digits rearranged as well.

Grace's condition affects both her feet and hands. Fleetwood's affects his front legs.

An animal shelter called Umbrella of Hope was caring for Fleetwood when they began searching for a forever home for the dog.

Umbrella of Hope previously paired a dog named Fireman, who had third-degree chemical burns, with a 12-year-old burn survivor.

The shelter had previously linked a dog with chemical burns to a girl who was a burn survivor and the match worked perfectly. They decided to impart the same technique to Fleetwood

The match worked perfectly and the 12-year-old understood Fireman's special needs.

The animal shelter decided to impart the same tactic with Fleetwood.

After a social media search, Umbrella of Hope found the Campos family, who were looking for another chihuahua in addition to their current pup Charlie, and daughter Grace.

Fleetwood flew from San Francisco to Chicago and then drove to Indiana with a volunteer on March 8.

'With massive smiles on our faces, we bring to you Fleetwood and his new family.

'Thank you to everyone who made his journey possible, the deal is sealed! Fleetwood has completed his #RoadTripHome!' Umbrella of Hope wrote on its Facebook after the family united.

Fleetwood's new family has already fallen in love with him, according to the shelter's Facebook page

Fleetwood immediately fit in with his new family.

'He is already playing with his new brother Charlie and is looking forward to being on babysitting duty soon!

'Cuddles with dad were first on the list and then he fell asleep on his new mom's lap. Eeeeek, happily forever after,' the post said.

The animal shelter hopes the successful adoption will inspire future 'perfect matches'.
Earlier this year, a wife of former polygamist sect leader Warren Jeffs tried to visit him at a Texas state prison with a tiny microphone implanted in her hollowed-out watch.

Another time recently, a woman planning to visit the convicted sex offender was denied entry after a metal detector found something buried in her hair and she refused to show it to a corrections officer.

Such is game of hide-and-seek authorities play with the self-styled prophet of the breakaway Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, who is serving a life sentence for sexually assaulting his 12- and 15-year-old child brides at a church compound in West Texas.

Prison officials said it was the second time recently that Jeffs' wives - of whom some church members say he has as many as 70 - were caught trying the microphone-in-the-watch ploy.

Those and other details emerged in Phoenix earlier this month at a trial involving Arizona and Utah church followers that offered a rare glimpse into how Jeffs still tries to exert control from behind bars.

Brides: Some of the wives of convicted child abuser and self-styled 'prophet' Warren Jeffs pose for a photo under his portrait. Some have attempted to get his messages out of prison using hidden microphones

Codes: Warren Jeffs (left) was jailed in 2011 for raping two girls, 12 and 15, whom he called his 'spiritual wives.' He attempts to run his 'church' from behind bars using codes, so clerks (right) must check his mail every day

Among other breaches of prison rules, Jeffs' phone privileges were temporarily suspended in 2012 when it was determined the caller at the other end was broadcasting the conversation on a speakerphone.

And a Texas prisons official testified at the Phoenix trial that some mail sent by Jeffs was blocked when it appeared to be written in code.

From his arrival in 2011 at an East Texas prison, the 60-year-old Jeffs presented special challenges.

He began receiving more than 1,000 letters a day, mainly from followers of the sect that broke away from the Mormon church when it disavowed polygamy.

That's more than all the other 1,000 inmates combined at the Powledge Unit prison near Palestine, Texas, where he is held in 'protective custody' to shield him from other inmates.

Jennifer Smith, who supervises the prison agency's mail operation, says every piece of mail is opened and inspected for things such as contraband. Jeffs' mail volume has subsided somewhat, although he still sometimes gets more than 300 letters in a day. Outgoing mail also is examined.

Operating a business from a penitentiary is not allowed, said Texas prisons director William Stephens, and attempts to do so are stopped as soon as possible.

Jeffs gets few visitors, makes only a smattering of phone calls, sends out a handful of letters and doesn't socialize much with others, prison officials said. He doesn't have a cell partner and is given the opportunity to be outside his cell just three hours a day for recreation. His meals are delivered to his cell.

Correspondence: When he first arrived at the jail, Jeffs received 1,000 pieces of mail a day. He receives less now, but sometimes still has peaks of 300. All mail must be checked for contraband as well as codes

'He has little interaction with the staff or other offenders,' said Jason Clark, spokesman for the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. 'He keeps to himself.'

He routinely refuses media requests for interviews, and denied such a request from The Associated Press.

He can have up to ten people on an approved visitor list that can be revised every six months. Texas limits an inmate's phone list to 20 numbers and a contractor monitors the calls.

Texas authorities declined to provide the visitor and phone lists to The Associated Press, saying such records were confidential. But a prison official testifying at the Phoenix trial said two of Jeffs' brothers, Isaac and Nephi, are his most frequent visitors.

Jeffs is searched before he's brought to the visitation area and isn't allowed to bring anything except his prison ID. For immediate family visits, he's sits across a table from them. Other visitors speak to him from behind a screen. A corrections officer is nearby.

But phone calls to attorneys are not monitored because of attorney-client privilege. Letters marked as legal mail remain sealed until they're opened in Jeffs' presence and checked for physical contraband.

Inmates and their lawyers are allowed to exchange documents during prison legal visits and those are not screened.

Privilege: Letters marked legal mail cannot be checked due to lawyer-client privilege. Some of Jeffs' lawyers have been accused of being messengers for the church, but at least two of them have denied the claim

Outgoing mail marked as legal correspondence avoids scrutiny of the mailroom clerks, although the name on the letter is checked to ensure that person really is a lawyer.

Willie Jessop, a former church security chief who has renounced the group, said at the Phoenix trial that he received more than 100 coded letters taken out by Jeffs' attorneys. They were decoded by his wives and then distributed to followers.

Jeffs fired his attorneys during his 2011 Texas trial and the AP was unable to determine if he now has a lawyer.

Two lawyers who have dealt with Jeffs denied they served as couriers for him. One attorney during two depositions taken in 2014 at the Texas prison said their discussions never focused on religion.

'Was I a messenger for the church? The answer is no,' said lawyer Brian Walsh.

Michael Piccarreta, an Arizona lawyer who's represented Jeffs in criminal cases from 2007 to 2010 - before Jeffs arrived at the prison - said he had not heard of lawyers serving as couriers.

'I'm not aware of that occurring,' he said. 'That was not an issue.'

Jessop said members of the sect who blindly followed Jeffs for years are still writing him because they are leaderless and desperate for guidance.
Suspected al Qaeda terrorists shot dead a five-year-old boy who fell to his knees and prayed for his life during a terror attack on a tourist resort in Ivory Coast, eyewitnesses have said.

At least four men armed with AK47s and hand grenades killed 16 people, including four Europeans, in the historic town of Grand Bassam before they were gunned down in a shootout with government troops.

One survivor who saw the attack unfold said: 'They killed a child despite him kneeling down and begging. They shot a woman in the chest. They've killed innocent people.'

Another witness, Marcel Guy, said a man with a long beard spoke to two children in Arabic and spared the life of the one who was able to recite an Islamic prayer.

'The Christian boy was shot and killed right in front of my eyes,' Guy said.

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A young child was shot dead as he knelt and prayed for his life during a terror attack on a popular tourist resort in Ivory Coast (pictured, a man killed in the same attack)

Security forces and members of the Ivorian Red Cross were pictured dragging the dead bodies from the blood stained sand earlier today

A soldier comforts an injured boy in Bassam, Ivory Coast, following a suspected terror attack which left at least 12 dead

Of the 16 people who were gunned down in the resort popular with Westerners, 14 were civilians and two were special forces soldiers, Ivory Coast's President Alassane Ouattara said today.

He said a total of six attackers were later killed by soldiers, adding: 'I am very proud of our security forces who reacted so fast... The toll could've been much heavier.'

The heavily armed, balaclava clad shooters yelled 'Allah Akbar' before they opened fired on guests at the L'Etoile du Sud [Southern Star] hotel which was full of expats at the time.

Graphic images showed several dead bodies, some of whom are thought to be French tourists, scattered across the beach near the hotel.

Security forces and members of the Ivorian Red Cross were pictured dragging the dead bodies from the blood stained sand earlier today.

Jacques Able, the owner of L'Etoile du Sud, confirmed at least one person was killed in his hotel.

Footage from a different hotel's balcony showed people running from their lives as the shooters tried to gun down other unarmed holidaymakers.

Graphic images showed seven dead bodies scattered across the beach in the resort town of Grand Bassam

The country's Government said six armed men have been 'neutralised' following attacks on three different hotels (pictured, boys walk past the body of someone killed in an attack)

People carry the body of a victim following after gunmen went on a shooting rampage in the Ivory Coast resort of Grand-Bassam

Among the 16 people killed in Bassam were 14 civilians, including a five-year-old boy, and two special forces soldiers

Ivory Coast's President Alassane Ouattara said the 'toll could have been much heavier' (pictured, the Ivorian Red Cross carry a dead body from the beach)

Locals help a badly injured victim on to the back of a backup truck following the sudden terror attack

Grand Bassam was once the colonial capital of Ivory Coast and remains a popular site for ex-pats relaxing from city life in Abidjan

The country's government said six armed men have been 'neutralized' following attacks on three different hotels.

Terror group Al Qaeda in the Maghreb has claimed responsibility for the attack through one of their social media accounts, but this has not been independently verified.

saw seven dead that I filmed. There were four attackers. I was swimming when it started and I ran away Eyewitness Dramane Kima

Several French nationals may have been killed in the deadly attack, with witnesses describing how the gunmen arrived on the beach via a boat.

Josiane Sekongo, 25, who lives across from one of the town's many beachfront hotels, described the shocking moment the attack took place.

She ran outside after hearing gun fire and saw people sprinting away from the beach to hide in their homes, moments before the security forces arrived.

'I saw seven dead that I filmed. There were four attackers. I was swimming when it started and I ran away,' said Dramane Kima a local who filmed the bodies on Bassam's shore.

He also took photos of grenades and ammunition thought to have been left behind by the attackers.

A spokeswoman for the Foreign Office said officials were 'urgently' trying to establish whether any British nationals were harmed at the resort, a popular site for expats.

One of the victims from the shocking attack in Bassam, where gunmen opened fire on the beach

An AFP journalist saw around a dozen people, including an injured Western woman, being evacuated in a military truck

Unconfirmed reports have emerged that several French nationals may have been killed in the deadly attack

The terrorists reportedly were said to be targeting a US delegation led by Assistant Secretary of Commerce Marcus Jadotte, Fox News reported.

However the American embassy in the capital Abidjan, which was monitoring the situation closely today, said there was no evidence that US citizens were being targeted, nor were there any reports of them being harmed.

Mr Jadotte was visiting Ivory Coast with a group of Americans which included college recruiters from the University of Florida. They had not arrived at L'Etoile du Sud when the attack took place.

The attack was the third time in recent months that a West African tourist hotspot has been besieged by gunmen.

I have always said that Abidjan [Ivory Coast] and Dakar [Senegal] are the next targets for jihadist groups because these two countries represent windows of France in Africa Lemine Ould Salem, terrorism expert

Dozens were killed during a siege of a Malian hotel in November, followed by an assault on a hotel and cafe in Burkina Faso in January.

The Burkinabe president Roch Kabore released a statement yesterday condemning the terror attack in Ivory Coast.

'I condemns in the strongest terms, the terrorist attacks which have just hit the city of Grand-Bassam. I reaffirms the solidarity of Burkina Faso with the fraternal people of cote d'Ivoire.

'My condolences to the families of the victims and to the Ivorian nation and my best wishes for a speedy recovery to the injured. Together, we will come to the end of terrorism,' he said.

Analysts have warned for months that Ivory Coast, which shares a border with both those countries, could be a potential target by jihadists as well.

'I have always said that Abidjan [Ivory Coast] and Dakar [Senegal] are the next targets for jihadist groups because these two countries represent windows of France in Africa,' said terrorism expert Lemine Ould Salem.

He said the attackers could be from the ISIS-affiliated Boko Haram terror group that has killed thousands across Africa over several years.

The heavily armed, balaclava clad shooters opened fired on guests at the L'Etoile du Sud [Southern Star] hotel (pictured) which was full of expats

Survivors comfort each other near the beach where balaclava clad shooters opened fire on helpless tourists

Ivorian special forces race to the scene of the devastating attack in the town of Grand Bassam

Home to some 80,000 people, Grand-Bassam holds UNESCO World Heritage status thanks to its elegant colonial-era facades. The town has several hotels frequented by expats.

UNESCO describes Grand-Bassam as a late 19th and early 20th century colonial town that 'bears witness to the complex social relations between Europeans and Africans, and to the subsequent independence movement'.
Intelligence agencies and the police could get powers which would allow them to hack into phones under proposed new laws which would force firms to install deliberate security flaws.

Under the plans, which are currently being considered by Parliament, internet service providers and technology giants like Apple would have to build secret security flaws into mobile phones, tablets and computers which would allow officials to access the devices.

The so-called 'backdoor technology' would allow police and security agencies to hack into the devices whenever they wished.

Under the plans, which are currently being considered by Parliament, companies like Apple would have to build secret security flaws into their devices which would allow police to access them. Security agencies have not yet been able to access the locked iPhobes of the San Bernardino shooter Syed Farook and his wife Tashfeen

In a draft Code of Practice on Equipment Interference (EQ), a section states that communication service providers (CSPs) may be required to 'provide a technical capability to give effect to interception, equipment interference, bulk acquisition warrants or communications data acquisition'.

The Sunday Times reports the proposals would allow the UK to achieve what the FBI has so far failed to do and force Apple to give access to the iPhone which belonged to Syed Farook, the terrorist who killed 14 people in California in December.

The paper reports the draft code of practice, which was published alongside the government's Investigatory Powers Bill, would also gag technology companies from revealing if they had installed the flawed technology.

But Apple and several other technology companies have insisted that if they create an access point through the encryption it could put the security of the devices at risk.

Their stance has led to a running debate between the powers of the security services and the responsibilities of the tech companies creating the phones.

Apple Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook. Apple and other tech giants have come under-fire due to the impenetrable nature of their security software - they have so far challenged the FBI's case agains them

The issue first came to the fore emerged after American security services asked Apple to access the locked phones of the San Bernardino shooters Farook and his wife Tashfeen Malik.

While the FBI won the case in court Apple is challenging the move.

Apple and other tech companies were also accused of not doing enough to help French security services access two phones which belonged to suicide bombers from the Paris attacks.

The phones were discovered near the Stade de France, where Bilal Hadfi and two Iraqi jihadis blew themselves up on November 13 2015.

French Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve said the devices still have not been accessed by security services due to the encryption on the phones.

Apple and other tech companies were also accused of not doing enough to help French security services access two phones which belonged to suicide bombers from the Paris attacks

He added the two phones belonging to the Paris attackers could hold key intelligence information which might explain how the attack was co-ordinated and even possible future attacks.

President Obama has also spoken out about the issue.

He said: 'The question we now have to ask is, if technologically it is possible to make an impenetrable device or system where the encryption is so strong that there's no key, there's no door at all, then how do we apprehend the child pornographer? How do we solve or disrupt a terrorist plot?'

An executive at one leading tech company told the Sunday Times: 'People shouldn't be in any doubt, the government is pushing for some of the most invasive surveillance legislation out there today.

'The government wants to force companies to build in weaknesses and back doors into security systems when we're seeing the threat of hacking and cyber-crime getting worse.
George Osborne took a swipe at his Tory leadership rival Boris Johnson live on TV this morning as the civil war engulfing the party showed no signs of abating.

The Chancellor was laying the groundwork for Wednesday's Budget but could not resist attacking the Mayor of London, accusing him of playing 'political games' over Britain's membership of the EU.

And he mocked his rival, saying he would not 'sit here and blather away' - a direct reference to Mr Johnson's widely-criticised appearance on the Andrew Marr Show last week.

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George Osborne used his appearance on the Andrew Marr Show this morning to take a swipe at his Tory leadership rival Boris Johnson as he accused him of playing 'political games' with the EU referendum

Mr Johnson, who was accused of backing Brexit to further his chances of becoming Tory leader, used his first major speech of the EU referendum campaign on Friday to set out how the UK could mirror Canada's free trade deal with the EU, which does not include freedom of movement.

But Mr Osborne tore his plan apart, saying it took seven years to negotiate and said it still included crippling tariffs in a number of industries.

He accused Mr Johnson of using the EU referendum to benefit his own career but said the campaign was 'not about you and me' but about the 'car worker in Sunderland, the hill farmer in Wales, the bank call centre worker in Bournemouth.

Boris Johnson (left) and George Osborne (right) are the two favourites to succeed David Cameron when he steps down as Prime Minister but the pair are on opposing sides in the EU referendum

Addressing Mr Johnson's plans, Mr Osborne told the Andrew Marr Show: 'Let's take the Canadian deal. It took seven years to negotiate, there are tariffs on everything from cars to beef, and three-quarters of our economy is in services and they don't have a services deal.

'I don't want us to be Canada. I want us to be Great Britain. In the end this is not some political game.

'This is the biggest decision facing this country for 50 years.

'And the people that are going to be affected by that decision are not you and me  we'll be long gone from the political stage  it will be the car worker in Sunderland, the hill farmer in Wales, the bank call centre worker in Bournemouth. Their future depends on an open and engaged Britain.'

Boris Johnson used his first major speech of the EU referendum campaign on Friday to set out how the UK could mirror Canada's free trade deal with the EU, which does not include freedom of movement.

Osborne (pictured right) he mocked his rival Boris Johnson (left), saying he would not 'sit here and blather away' - a direct reference to Mr Johnson's widely-criticised appearance on the Andrew Marr Show last week

Mr Osborne also took the opportunity to take a dig at Mr Johnson when asked about his highly embarrassing defeat on plans to extend Sunday trading.

OSBORNE DEFENDS 130M 'SWEETHEART' GOOGLE TAX DEAL George Osborne defended the 130million 'sweetheart' deal that HMRC agreed with Google to cover ten years of back taxes earlier this year, which he hailed as a 'major victory' despite the sum only accounting for around 3 per cent of the company's revenue. An official report by MPs criticised the deal as 'disproportionally small'. But this morning he said: 'I was faced with a situation when I became Chancellor where we were not raising any money from this company. 'We are raising money from Google and indeed, from Facebook and the like. I think that is a success.' Next week's Budget will include a clampdown on a tax dodge used by media stars and mandarins who have their salaries paid through special companies to save thousands of pounds a year. The Chancellor is expected to use Wednesdays Budget to tackle the practice of paying staff off the books, which costs the Treasury more than 400 million a year. As many as 100,000 people  including senior civil servants and NHS staff  receive their income through personal-service companies: it is intended to benefit temporary workers, but is widely used as a perk by long-term employees. It enables workers to pay corporation tax at 20 per cent rather than personal income tax at up to 45 per cent, plus National Insurance, helping them to avoid an average of more than 3,500 a year. The wheeze received widespread publicity when it was reported that up to 1,500 people working for the BBC, including presenters Fiona Bruce and Jeremy Paxman, were pocketing tax savings by being paid by the Corporation through personal-service companies. The BBC banned the practice two years ago after criticism by MPs. Under Mr Osbornes plans, the onus will be on employers to determine whether their staff are full-time employees  rather than the temporary workers who were meant to be the beneficiary of the rule  and should therefore be put on the payroll. Advertisement

Defending the move, which was defeated by MPs last week after 26 Tory MPs rebelled against the Government, the Chancellor said: 'We've got a small majority. So do we win every vote? No we don't,' he said. Osborne argued that an option was to 'shut up shop and do nothing'. But he added: 'That is not me as a politician. If people want a politician who is just going to sit here and blather away and do nothing they can get someone else.'

Asked about Mr Johnson's ambitions to be Prime Minister, Mr Osborne - his main rival - said: 'I don't think it is the greatest revelation in human history to discover that Boris Johnson is interested in a job in government.'

And in another jibe at Mr Johnson, Mr Osborne told Mr Marr: 'You had a very good interview with him last week' - again mocking the London Mayor for his poor performance against Mr Marr the previous week.

On the show this morning Mr Osborne warned of a further 4billion spending cuts in this week's Budget but signalled he would scrap plans to hike fuel duty after threats of a Tory rebellion.

The Chancellor sought to lower expectations ahead of Wednesday's set piece Budget as he insisted more cuts were necessary because the world is 'a more uncertain place than at any time since the financial crisis'.

'We need to act now so we don't pay later,' he told the Andrew Marr Show this morning.

He revealed a new goal to make savings of 50p in every 100 of government spending by 2020, insisting it was 'not a huge amount in the scheme of things'.

Mr Osborne hinted he would hold back on an expected rise in fuel duty in the Budget.

He has frozen tax on petrol ever since he became Chancellor in 2010 but had been expected to take advantage of the plummeting price of oil to increase duty as he seeks to find ways to pay for a tax cut for middle class earners.

He appears to have called off the planned fuel duty hike after coming under pressure from backbench Tory MPs, with as many as 150 estimated to have opposed the plans.

Warning that further cuts to expenditure were necessary, he said: 'My message in this Budget is that the world is a more uncertain place than at any time since the financial crisis and we need to act now so we don't pay later,' he said.

'That's why I need to find additional savings equivalent to 50p in every 100 the Government spends by the end of the decade because we have got to live within our means to stay secure and that's the way we make Britain fit for the future.'

George Osborne warns of new 4bn spending cuts to protect Britain from the 'most uncertain world since financial crisis' but petrol duty may escape hike in Budget

George Osborne (pictured on the Andrew Marr Show this morning) today warned of a further 4billion spending cuts in this week's Budget

George Osborne today warned of a further 4billion spending cuts in this week's Budget but signalled he would scrap plans to hike fuel duty after threats of a Tory rebellion.

The Chancellor sought to lower expectations ahead of Wednesday's set piece Budget as he insisted more cuts were necessary because the world is 'a more uncertain place than at any time since the financial crisis'.

'We need to act now so we don't pay later,' he told the Andrew Marr Show this morning.

He revealed a new goal to make savings of 50p in every 100 of government spending by 2020, insisting it was 'not a huge amount in the scheme of things'.

Mr Osborne hinted he would hold back on an expected rise in fuel duty in the Budget.

He has frozen tax on petrol ever since he became Chancellor in 2010 but had been expected to take advantage of the plummeting price of oil to increase duty as he seeks to find ways to pay for a tax cut for middle class earners.

He appears to have called off the planned fuel duty hike after coming under pressure from backbench Tory MPs, with as many as 150 estimated to have opposed the plans.

Speculation of a hike emerged after a minister said petrol prices were 'so low that people will hardly notice the difference'.

Asked about fuel duty this morning, Mr Osborne said: 'I'll set out the decisions on duties like fuel duties in the budget ... I'll set out the tax rates in the budget,' he said. 'On fuel duty we had a manifesto commitment there and we've pencilled in fuel duty plans going forward.

'What I would say is every time we can help our economy be more competitive, we do: that's why we've cut business taxes, that's why we've helped working people by raising the personal allowance.'

The Chancellor is expected to make progress towards his goal of raising the 40p tax rate to 50,000. It is currently at 42,385 and will rise to 43,000 next month but still has a long way to go to reach the 50,000 target.

He is also expected to announce another rise in the personal tax allowance, which is due to rise to 11,000 in 2017/18.

The cuts are set to fall on the welfare budget again, with the Chancellor preparing to cut disability benefit payments by a further 1.2billion, hitting more than 600,000 disabled people who need help dressing or undressing or using the bathroom.

George Osborne (pictured presenting his Budget last summer) warned of a further 4billion of tax cuts

But Mr Osborne denied accusations that he was hitting the most vulnerable. 'I don't accept that at all. We are increasing spending on disabled people,' he claimed.

But warning that further cuts to expenditure were necessary, he said: 'My message in this Budget is that the world is a more uncertain place than at any time since the financial crisis and we need to act now so we don't pay later,' he said.

'That's why I need to find additional savings equivalent to 50p in every 100 the Government spends by the end of the decade because we have got to live within our means to stay secure and that's the way we make Britain fit for the future.'

Mr Osborne defended the 130million 'sweetheart' deal that HMRC agreed with Google to cover ten years of back taxes earlier this year, which he hailed as a 'major victory' despite the sum only accounting for around 3 per cent of the company's revenue.

George Osborne (pictured on the Andrew Marr Show today) has warned of a further 4billion spending cuts in this week's Budget but signalled he would scrap plans to hike fuel duty after threats of a Tory rebellion

An official report by MPs criticised the deal as 'disproportionally small'. But this morning he said: 'I was faced with a situation when I became Chancellor where we were not raising any money from this company.

'We are raising money from Google and indeed, from Facebook and the like. I think that is a success.'

Next week's Budget will include a clampdown on a tax dodge used by media stars and mandarins who have their salaries paid through special companies to save thousands of pounds a year.

The Chancellor is expected to use Wednesdays Budget to tackle the practice of paying staff off the books, which costs the Treasury more than 400 million a year.

As many as 100,000 people  including senior civil servants and NHS staff  receive their income through personal-service companies: it is intended to benefit temporary workers, but is widely used as a perk by long-term employees.

It enables workers to pay corporation tax at 20 per cent rather than personal income tax at up to 45 per cent, plus National Insurance, helping them to avoid an average of more than 3,500 a year.

Mr Osborne (pictured on the Andrew Marr Show) is set to hit motorists with an increase in motor insurance premium tax, from 9.5 per cent to 12.5 per cent, increasing the cost of some policies by up to 80

The wheeze received widespread publicity when it was reported that up to 1,500 people working for the BBC, including presenters Fiona Bruce and Jeremy Paxman, were pocketing tax savings by being paid by the Corporation through personal-service companies.

The BBC banned the practice two years ago after criticism by MPs.

Under Mr Osbornes plans, the onus will be on employers to determine whether their staff are full-time employees  rather than the temporary workers who were meant to be the beneficiary of the rule  and should therefore be put on the payroll.

A Government source said: You have situations where someone working in a public body pays thousands of pounds less in tax than someone doing exactly the same job alongside them whos taxed as an employee.

'That cant be fair  either on the taxpayer or their fellow workers. We are going to put a stop to it.

The Chancellor has been hit by an 18 billion black hole after it emerged that the economy in 2015 was one per cent smaller than he had thought just three months ago.

But earlier this month, following an uproar, he was forced to abandoned plans to raid the 34billion pot of tax relief for pensions savings  so most analysts expect him to introduce stealth measures to try to closer the gap instead.

It also emerged that Mr Osborne is set to hit motorists with an increase in motor insurance premium tax, from 9.5 per cent to 12.5 per cent, increasing the cost of some policies by up to 80.

Tory MPs have urged Mr Osborne not to use low oil prices, which have seen a litre of petrol drop below 1 in some areas, as an excuse to raise fuel duty.

He is expected to announce a giveaway for middle-income voters by raising the threshold at which people start paying 40 per cent tax.

At present workers start paying 40p per pound on earnings above 42,385 a year, although the Conservatives have pledged to raise it to 50,000 by 2020.
Shocking footage has emerged showing the moment Turkish coast guards used long poles to try to tip over a rubber dinghy full of refugees.

It is understood that the boat was heading for the Greek island of Lesbos when it was deliberately targeted by the coastguard.

The news comes as Greece said it backs the presence of Turkish observers on its Aegean islands in a bid to speed implementation of a plan to return migrants stranded there to Turkey.

Terrifying: One of the coast guard uses a long pole to attack the boat filled with refugees

No escape: Many of the refugees quickly panic, fearing the vessel might suddenly capsize

'We hope they (the Turkish observers) come to the islands... Amid the chaos there needs to be order and it would be stupid to refuse (help),' Migration Minister Yannis Mouzalas told Skai television.

With Europe facing its worst migration crisis since World War II, Ankara and the European Union agreed a plan last week to try to stem the flow of migrants and refugees.

Under the draft deal, the EU agreed to resettle, for every Syrian readmitted by Turkey from Greek islands, another Syrian from Turkey to EU member States.

The controversial plan, set to be finalised at a two-day summit in Brussels opening Thursday, is designed to eliminate incentives for migrants to come to Greece by boat.

More than 42,000 migrants and refugees are currently in Greece, including around 7,700 on Aegean islands after taking the short but perilous route from Turkey

With Europe facing its worst migration crisis since World War II, Ankara and the European Union agreed a plan last week to try to stem the flow of migrants and refugees

Greece said it backs the presence of Turkish observers on its Aegean islands in a bid to speed implementation of a plan to return migrants stranded there to Turkey

More than 42,000 migrants and refugees are currently in Greece, including around 7,700 on Aegean islands after taking the short but perilous route from Turkey, itself hosting about 2.7 million people who have fled the war in Syria.

Athens and Ankara last week pledged to work together to implement the Turkey-EU plan, even though the United Nations, several EU member states and rights groups have voiced their concerns about its legality.

The urgent need to bolster cooperation follows border closures by Greece's Balkan neighbours which have shut off the main route to northern Europe trodden by hundreds of thousands of migrants in the last two years.

As Athens and Ankara step up cooperation, EU head Donald Tusk will hold talks on Tuesday with Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades, who has voiced concern over the migrant plan.

Cypriot government spokesman Nicos Christodoulides indicated last week that Anastasiades has reservations, not least as Turkey expects the accord to accelerate its bid for EU membership and ease visa requirements in Europe's passport Schengen area.

Ankara does not recognise the divided Mediterranean island's internationally recognised Greek Cypriot government and Cyprus has blocked six key parts of Turkey's negotiations for membership since 2009, effectively halting the process.

The Cyprus government insists Turkey must first meet its longstanding demands for recognition.
She's never faced any criminal charges in connection with Pfister's death

She claims Styler confessed so his wife would not get charged

A new book claims people in the town wanted to protect their reputation

sentenced to 20 years, but committed suicide a year into his term

A new book has raised questions over the brutal murder of a ski socialite who was once engaged to Michael Douglas.

Nancy Pfister's body was found bound, wrapped in plastic garbage bags and hidden under sheets in the closet of her $4million Aspen, Colorado, home on Feburary 24, 2014.

The 57-year-old party girl was an heiress to the high-class Buttermilk Mountain Resort and boasted a host of celebrity friends including Jacko Nicholson and Goldie Hawn.

She partied with the likes of Hunter S. Thompson and, according to her friends, enjoyed the same booze-fueled lifestyle he did.

High-rolling anesthesiologist William Styler III, 65, confessed to bludgeoning her to death with a hammer and was sentenced to 20 years in a medical facility.

Less than a year into his sentence, he committed suicide in his cell.

But Pfister's daughter, Juliana, believes Styler made up his confession to make sure his then-wife Nancy, wasn't charged with the crime.

Styler has consistently maintained her innocence. She was arrested in connection with the crime but was never charged.

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Nancy Pfister's body was found bound, wrapped in plastic garbage bags and hidden under sheets in the closet of her $4million Aspen, Colorado, home on February 24, 2014. A new book has raised questions as to what happened during her gruesome death

William Styler III (left) confessed to bludgeoning her to death with a hammer and was sentenced to 20 years in a medical facility. A year into his sentence, he committed suicide in his cell. But Pfister's daughter, Juliana, believes Styler made up his confession to make sure his then-wife Nancy (right), wasn't charged

There are also claims police in Aspen wanted to protect the super-rich town's reputation by avoiding the scandal that comes with a trial.

Styler accepted a plea deal, meaning little details of the investigation were aired in public.

There are 50 billionaires living in the town, nestled high in the Rockies, which is popular with rich skiers.

Stephen Singular, the author of the book Shadow on the Mountain, told Daily Mail Online that since Styler's suicide, his ex-wife has pocketed his $1million life insurance policy, as she was the sole beneficiary

Stephen Singular, the author of the book Shadow on the Mountain, told Daily Mail Online that since Styler's suicide, his ex-wife has pocketed his $1million life insurance policy, as she was the sole beneficiary.

She filed for divorce shortly after he was convicted, changed her name, and has since moved to Massachusetts.

She spoke to many news outlets after the scandal and maintained that she wasn't guilty.

David Bovino, who filed the complaint in Pitkin County District Court on Juliana Pfister's behalf, told the Aspen Times in January: 'I truly dont believe Juliana is financially motivated at all in this action.

'This is in memory of her mother, to hold someone who she believes is responsible for her mothers murder and to make her accountable because it didnt happen through the criminal justice system.'

Questions have also been raised as to how Styler, who was in a wheelchair and believed to be very ill when he committed the crime, carried her body across the room.

Investigators remain suspicious as to how a man who had trouble walking, was able to commit the murder.

'We're thinking, you know, "How could he physically do that?'" Agent Lisa Miller told ABC News' 20/20 in 2014.

She was one of the law enforcement officers who spoke to Styler after his shocking confession,.

'We took a break, and I asked Mr Styler if he wanted to stand up. And he informed he couldn't stand up. He didn't have the strength to.'

Nancy Styler remained adamant of her innocence, agreeing when Doran asked her if the suspicions were simply a case of 'guilt by matrimony'.

Nancy also admitted that she felt happy when she heard her husband killed himself, because she knew he was finally at peace.

As a member of one of the towns founding families, Nancy's model looks and wild spirit once attracted the attentions of movie stars and moguls and even saw her engaged to Michael Douglas.

Styler and his wife Nancy, 62, were charged with first degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder along with Nancys friend and assistant, Katherine Carpenter, 56, in March 2014.

Questions have been raised as to how Styler, who was bound in a wheelchair at the time, managed to haul her body across a room and into a closet at her lavish mountainside home (pictured)

Pfister partied with the likes of Hunter S. Thompson and, according to her friends, enjoyed the same booze-fueled lifestyle he did

Pfister was once engaged to Michael Douglas (right) and was also acquainted to Jack Nicholson (right)

Video has since emerged of Styler's confession. He goes into grisly details about the nature of the murder

They were arrested in their motel room, still naked, when cops found a key to the closet whee her body had been stashed conveniently placed outside the door.

According to the New York Daily News, private investigator David Olmsted, hired by the Stylers son, had visited them at the motel and not seen the key. It was found just 20 minutes later.

The private investigator also said the amassed evidence made for the thinnest case hed seen in 30 years.

He also pointed out how quickly the police narrowed the investigation to the Stylers.

Just two weeks before the pair were arrested, she had evicted the Stylers, who had been staying in her Aspen home while she wintered in Australia, in a dispute with the couple over 'unpaid' rent.

Pfister claimed on Facebook that the couple were not paying her rent and, days before her death, called them to say she was coming home and that they had four days to pack up and go.

Despite her husband's confession, many are still suspicious of Nancy's claim that she had nothing to do with Pfister's murder.

The charges were dropped against Carpenter. Nancy Styler can never be charged again due to a plea deal, the details of which are not publicly known.
Parents are now preparing to take him home from hospital after he weighed in at a

The couple from the 'bun in the oven' viral pregnancy video are preparing to bring their son home after he was born at just 24 weeks.

Dana Griffin-Graves gave birth four months early via C-section when she was admitted to intensive care with near-fatal high blood pressure in October. Doctors warned her that the unborn baby was putting her health at risk.

Little Kaleb Graves was born 17 weeks early, weighing just 13 oz, in October. Since his birth the youngster - who his parents call their little 'miracle' - has proven himself to be a fighter.

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Little Kaleb Graves was born 17 weeks early, weighing just 13 oz, in October (pictured at five months old)

Dana Griffin-Graves gave birth four months early via C-section when she was admitted to intensive care with near-fatal high blood pressure in October

Today, at around five months old, the premature baby weighs a healthier 6 lbs 4 oz and is developing well

Kaleb had to endure heart surgery, having fluid drained from his brain and was incubated for months because of a chronic lung disease.

Yet today, at around five months old, the premature baby weighs a healthier 6 lbs 4 oz and is developing well.

'The first time I heard him cry, it was like music,' Dana told PEOPLE. 'Everybody sees that he is a miracle  everybody recognizes it.'

While Dana has not been given an exact date for when she can take Kaleb home, she says his recovery has been incredible.

'It's amazing how far we've come, yet so far to go. We serve a mighty God, we have incredible Doctors, Nurses and staff, then we have a wonderful supportive family and FB family network,' the 41-year-old mother wrote on Facebook.

All smiles: Dana Griffin-Graves gave her premature son, Kaleb, a sponge bath for the first time in December and shared photos of the process to Facebook (above)

The 41-year-old mother wrote: 'It's amazing how far we've come, yet so far to go. We serve a mighty God, we have incredible Doctors, Nurses and staff, then we have a wonderful supportive family and FB family network'

She also shared that 'he is doing great with feedings 8 ML every 2 hours and he is now 1 lb 9 oz! What a miracle' at the end of last year

Her husband, Arkell Graves, described his wife's 'selflessness' in continuing with her pregnancy - even after doctors warned it could kill her.

He said her only thought was to give her baby the best chance of survival by carrying him for as long as she could.

'She refused to go on with the delivery until it was a time where they could actually take care of him in the neonatal intensive care unit,' he told PEOPLE.

'I'm going to tell you, just looking at my wife, it was the most selfless thing I have ever seen somebody do.'

Earlier this year, Dana and her husband, Arkell Graves, released the first photos of Kaleb and toldWRIC that he is doing 'fantastic'.

'If someone would have told me six weeks ago when I was laying in the hospital bed and I was in the ICU department, that I would be here today, I wouldn't believe it,' said Dana who has returned to work as a district manager for a finance company.

Dana asked the thousands of Facebook users who follow them 'to continue to pray for his oxygen and his breathing to improve'

The mother gave birth four months early via C-section when she was admitted to intensive care with near-fatal high blood pressure in October. Doctors warned her that their unborn baby was putting her health at risk

Little Kaleb, who weighed just 13 oz when he was born, is now around five months old

Dana and her husband, Arkell Graves, had given up on having children after 17 years of trying.

The couple had struggled with fertility and suffered multiple miscarriages until Dana finally fell pregnant with Kaleb.

At the time of his birth, Kaleb, who wasn't due until mid-February, only had a five percent chance of survival.

'God is good. He's a miracle. Kaleb is a miracle,' the proud father told WRIC.

The couple takes turns spending time at the hospital with Kaleb. Arkell, 41, spends mornings at VCU Medical Center in Richmond, Virginia, while Dana is there afternoons and evenings.

During her hours-long visits, she sings to her son and reads from the thousands of encouraging prayers and posts left on Facebook for them.

'It's just amazing to know that we have so many people in our corner, so many people that have gone through the same thing and it's just because of God's grace,' she told WRIC.

The couple had tried for 17 years to have a child, with Dana only discovering she was nearly five months pregnant on accident. She told her husband that they were expecting a boy by putting actual buns in the oven along alongside a sonogram

Upon learning he is having a son, Arkell loses his composure and bursts into tears, pulling his shirt over his head to muffle his sobbing. The video of the pregnancy announcement has been viewed more than 10 million times on YouTube

Her husband feels the exact same way.

'I'm very humbled to the fact that so many people are praying for us and the prayers are actually working. We can actually feel them. They're amazing,' Arkell told WRIC.

Weeks ago, the couple shared that the baby opened his eyes for the first time and grabbed their fingers in a post on Facebook.

She originally told Arkell that they were expecting a boy, and a heartwarming video of the moment he found out went viral.

'Have your tissues ready!' Dana captioned the video. 'After 4 miscarriages and one stillborn birth, we had given up on the idea of having babies of our on, especially at our age  But God!'

The couple had tried for 17 years to have a child, with Dana only discovering she was nearly five months pregnant on accident.

'We had everything planned,' Dana told Buzzfeed after the pregnancy announcement video went viral. 'It just didn't work out, so we kind of gave up.'

But then, earlier this year, Dana had started going walking with her friends for a bit of exercise. To her confusion, everyone else started losing weight except for her.

At the time of his birth, Kaleb, who wasn't due until mid-February, only had a five percent chance of survival. During her hours-long visits, Dana sings to her son and reads from the thousands of encouraging prayers and posts left on Facebook for them

Kaleb is likely to spend months in the hospital before his parents are able to bring him home

Arkell Graves (right) said that 'God is good. He's a miracle. Kaleb is a miracle.' Above the couple is pictured taking some time away from the hospital to get pedicures

Dana, seen here while pregnant, was told of the severe risks that continuing to hold 'her baby inside' posed. Arkell is pictured before the C-section took place in October

Seeking the cause of the problem, Dana went to see a doctor, and was giving a shocking diagnosis. Not only was she pregnant, but she was nearly at the five-month mark.

'I was ecstatic,' she said. 'We hadn't planned anything, we weren't trying.'

In the viral video of the pregnancy announcement, Dana has her husband check what's cooking in the oven. Arkell then sees buns in the oven and realizes his wife is pregnant.

The video has been viewed more than 10 million times and a community of thousands have tracked the couple's progress.

Kaleb is likely to spend months in hospital before his parents are able to bring him home.

Her sister, Melanie Griffin-Hamlin, created a GoFundMe page 'with the purpose of helping to offset some of the expenses of the enormous hospital bills and to have a beautiful, well- deserved nursery for Baby Kaleb.'

Since being created in October, the family has raised more than $6,500 of the $10,000 they are asking for.
A female serial killer jailed for life for killing three men has claimed being segregated at her prison is a breach of human rights.

Joanna Dennehy, who was imprisoned in 2014 for the horrific crime spree, is asking for compensation because segregation at HMP Bronzefield makes her 'upset'.

Her QC Hugh Southey is currently challenging the jail bosses' decision in London's High Court.

Murderer: Serial killer Joanna Dennehy who laughed and smiled in the dock at the Old Bailey as she awaited sentencing for murdering three men, has claimed being segregated in prison is a breach of her human rights

Victims: Lukasz Slaboszewski (left) and John Chapman were murdered by Joanna Dennehy before their bodies were dumped in ditches

The Sun reported he told Justice Singh Dennehy was a victim of treatment banned by the Human Rights Convention and disability discrimination.

During the hearing, he said she was vulnerable due to personality disorders and asked for damages to be awarded.

Incredibly, the court heard she had been segregated from the general prison population because authorities discovered a planned breakout plot that involved cutting off a guard's finger and using it to trick security biometrics.

On February 27 last year, Dennehy laughed and smirked as Judge Justice Spencer branded her a cruel, calculated, selfish and manipulative serial killer.

But after the judge ordered her to serve the rest of her life in jail, the mother of two, who was flanked by ten security guards, looked stunned and started wailing.

Third victim: Kevin Lee who was also murdered in Peterborough by the serial killer

Dennehy is only the third woman to be given a whole-life prison term  along with Moors murderer Myra Hindley and House of Horrors serial killer Rose West  and the first to be given the term by a judge. Hindley and West were both handed the sentence by home secretaries.

During a ten-day killing spree, Dennehy stabbed lover Kevin Lee and housemates Lukasz Slaboszewski and John Chapman, dumping each body in ditches in Cambridgeshire in March last year.

Dennehy, who was brought up in a stable family home in the Home Counties, carried out the attacks to gratify her sadistic love for blood.

The Old Bailey was told the killer had a sexual and sadistic motivation. Later she told a psychiatrist: I killed to see how I would feel, to see if I was as cold as I thought I was. Then it got more-ish.

Experts said Dennehy craved notoriety and wanted to humiliate her victims through sick sex games. Before the killings she had boasted she had already killed four times.

When the three bodies were found police launched a high-profile murder investigation.

Meanwhile Dennehy, 31, travelled to Hereford and started scouring the streets with accomplice Gary Stretch for more men to kill.

The pair randomly selected two dog walkers, retired fireman Robin Bereza, 64, and John Rogers, 56. Dennehy stabbed them in frenzied knife attacks.

Both survived the horrific attacks only because of swift medical intervention.

During her search for further victims, Dennehy posed for photos with a huge serrated knife and bragged that she and Stretch were like Bonnie and Clyde, whose gang killed nine policemen in 1930s America.
Autumn Prieschl, 36, of North Carolina has been charged with stealing an ambulance from a hospital

A woman in North Carolina has been arrested and charged with stealing an ambulance from a hospital.

Security cameras caught 36-year-old Autumn Prieschl getting behind the wheel of the ambulance around 10pm on Thursday at Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte, WCNC-TV reported.

The ambulance, which was empty at the time, had a GPS tracker, so police were able to stop it.

The woman reportedly was not under the influence, mentally unstable or sick, she just needed a ride, sources told WCNC.

The medical center will not release the footage from the security cameras, according to the station.

MEDIC officials said that crews had seen her lingering near the emergency entrance but did not think much of it at the time.

A spokesman for MEDIC says crews often leave keys in their trucks and leave them running so they can get to an emergency quickly.

The spokesman also said MEDIC had 30 trucks covering the Charlotte area so the theft did not disrupt service, according to WCNC.

Prieschl, who has not been arrested previously, was charged with larceny of a motor vehicle and trespassing.

It was not known if she had an attorney.

Security cameras caught 36-year-old Autumn Prieschl getting behind the wheel of the ambulance around 10pm on Thursday at Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte (pictured)
arrested after President vowed to bring terrorism 'to its knees'

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Turkish warplanes hit back at Kurdish rebel targets a day after a suicide car bombing killed 37 people and injured 125 others in the capital, as President Recep Tayyip Erdogan vowed to bring terrorism 'to its knees'.

Two suspected Kurdish militants, one of them a woman, targeted people milling near a busy transport hub in the heart of Ankara yesterday.

Shocking CCTV footage shows cars travelling close to the main square when a massive explosion rips through the area, setting nearby vehicles ablaze.

The bomb had been packed with pellets and nails to cause maximum injury and carnage, a police source said.

Turkey responded by pounding Kurdish rebel targets with air strikes and arresting 11 suspects. Meanwhile funerals were held for 17 people and details emerged about some of the victims, which included the father of a Galatasaray footballer.

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Relatives of Feyza Acisu one of the victims who was killed in an explosion weep over her coffin during the funeral in Ankara, Turkey

Relatives of Feyza Acisu one of the victims who was killed in an explosion cries during the funeral in Ankara, Turkey, on Monday

A woman cries over the coffin of a suicide bombing victim during a commemoration ceremony in a mosque in Ankara, Turkey

Family members and relatives of car bombing victim Murat Guel mourn over a coffin holding his body in a mosque in Ankara, Turkey

The state-run Anadolu Agency reported that Umut Bulut's father, Kemal Bulut had watched Galatasaray play Genclerbirligi in the city after visiting his son at his hotel. He was returning home when the explosion occurred.

Police officer Nevzat Alagoz, who also perished in the blast, was waiting for a bus to take him home after policing the game, Anadolu reported.

Another victim, Ozan Akkus, a 19-year-old engineering student, had lost his close friend in deadly twin suicide bombings that targeted a peace rally in the capital in October, Hurriyet newspaper said.

Soon after Sunday's blast, Ankara residents rushed to hospitals and morgues for news of missing loved ones.

Ridvan Baskiran said he went to several hospitals searching for his cousin, Kubra Pekgenc, who was working at a mall near the blast scene.

'We kept trying to call her, but it was ringing busy,' Baskiran said. 'We went around from hospital to hospital and we finally found her. She had brain surgery.'

Thirty victims were killed at the scene and seven others died in hospital, with at least 125 others injured.

Health Minister Mehmet Muezzinoglu said 71 people were still being treated, of whom 19 were in a serious condition.

This is the shocking moment a suicide car bomb blast ripped through the Turkish capital, killing at least 37 people and injuring 125 others

Dramatic CCTV footage appeared to show cars moving past a bus stop before a massive ball of fire erupts, setting nearby vehicles ablaze

Several vehicles were destroyed or damaged in the explosion, which took place in the Guven Park near busy Kizilay square in Ankara

Footage from the scene showed the exact moment the bomb went off

Security officials said one of two suspects was a woman who joined the PKK militant group in 2013.

They identified the woman as having been born in 1992 and being from the eastern Turkish city of Kars.

The other was a man whose severed hand was found 300 metres from the blast site.

Mr Erdogan said Turkey would use its right to self-defence to prevent future attacks and called for national unity.

'Our people should not worry, the struggle against terrorism will for certain end in success and terrorism will be brought to its knees,' he said.

Eleven warplanes struck 18 positions of the PKK in Iraq, including the Qandil mountains where the group's leadership is based.

Police also detained dozens of suspected Kurdish militants in a southern Turkish city and imposed a round-the-clock curfew in the southeastern town of Sirnak in order to conduct operations against rebels there.

Emergency workers work at the explosion site in Ankara's main road after an explosion ripped through a bus stop in the capital

Ambulances rushed to the scene of the explosion on Kizilay square, a key shopping and transport hub close to the city's embassy area

Firefighters extinguish a burning car after the explosion which occurred near a crowded bus station

A vehicle burns after an explosion that killed at least 37 people and wounded 125 others in Ankara

People and policemen try to help a wounded victim after the blast which has killed dozens of people in the Turkish capital Ankara

A wounded person reacts near the scene of a blast in Ankara, on Kizilay square, a key hub in the city

However, a local media analyst told MailOnline the death toll could be considerably higher as hospital sources reported that at least 138 bodies have been recovered

Anadolu said four people suspected of direct links to the bombing were detained in the south-eastern city of Sanliurfa, but did not say in what way they were suspected of involvement.

Police, meanwhile, carried out raids in the southern city of Adana, detaining 38 suspected PKK rebels, while 15 suspected Kurdish militants were detained in Istanbul, the agency reported.

Turkey's prime minister Ahmet Davutoglu has postponed a visit to Jordan following the deadly bombing in Ankara.

Interior minister Efkan Ala said Sunday's attack would not deter the country from its fight against terrorism.

British prime minister David Cameron said he was 'appalled' by the atrocity, tweeting: 'My thoughts are with all those affected.'

US State Department spokesman John Kirby said: 'We reaffirm our strong partnership with our Nato ally Turkey in combating the shared threat of terrorism.'

Nato secretary general Jens Stoltenberg said: 'There can be no justification of such heinous acts of violence.'

Several vehicles were destroyed or damaged in the explosion, which took place in the Guven Park near busy Kizilay square in central Ankara.

Forensic experts investigate the scene of the explosion a day after a suicide car bomb ripped through a busy square in central Ankara

Kizilay neighbourhood is a key commercial and transport hub close to government agencies, embassies and parliamentary buildings

Inconsolable: Relatives of victims killed in the explosion try to comfort each other in front of the forensic medicine institution in Ankara

Relatives of victims who were killed in an explosion wait comfort each other in front of the forensic medicine institution in Ankara

Grieving: Violence has spiralled in Turkey's predominantly Kurdish southeast since a two year ceasefire with the PKK collapsed in July

Family members mourn as they wait outside the Medical Forensic Centre a day after the deadly explosion in Ankara, Turkey

Relatives of victims weep at a forensic building as they wait for the body of their loved ones a day after the suicide car bombing

Gunfire was also heard after blast, while ambulances rushed to the area, officials said.

A local reporter said the blast took place where several bus stops are located in one of Ankara's main roads.

The Kizilay neighbourhood is a key commercial and transport hub close to a number of government agencies, embassies and parliamentary buildings.

NTV television said the explosion occurred as a car slammed into a bus, suggesting that the blast may have been caused by a car bomb.

The Ankara's governor office said: 'The blast was caused by a vehicle packed with explosives close to Kizilay square'.

Blown out: Broken windows of a shop are seen close to the site of a suicide car bomb attack in Ankara

Forensic experts investigate the scene of the explosion on Monday after a suicide car bomb ripped through a busy square in Ankara

Security and forensic experts work at the site of Sunday's explosion in the busy centre of the Turkish capital, Ankara, on Monday

However, a local media analyst told MailOnline the death toll could be considerably higher as hospital sources reported that at least 138 bodies have been recovered.

He spoke on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to discuss the matter publicly.

An Ankara court ordered a ban on access to Facebook and Twitter in the country after images from the explosion were shared.

Smoke could be seen rising above the area from a distance 2.5 km away. Dramatic CCTV footage appeared to show the moment a huge car bomb went off.

In the video, several cars can be seen moving past a bus in a road close to Ankara's main square, Kizilay. A massive blast can then be seen, setting nearby vehicles ablaze.

Medical sources said the wounded had been taken to 10 different hospitals around the city, with a dozen said to be in a very serious condition.

A huge explosion has hit the Turkish capital of Ankara killing and wounding many people

The blast occurred near a bus station in central Ankara, capital of Turkey

Forensic officers work on the site of the suicide attack in Ankara after a car bomb was detonated in the heart of the capital

Pictures of the aftermath showed cars burning, charred buses and several scattered bodies

The US embassy in Ankara had warned about a potential terrorist attack with a statement on 11 March

Burnt vehicles and charred buses can be seen after the explosion in central Ankara

A television channel said the bomb exploded close to bus stops near a park at Ankara's main square, Kizila

Dogan Asik, 28, said he was on a packed bus when the explosion occurred.

'There were about 40 people,' said Asik, who sustained injuries on his face and arm. 'It (the bus) slowed down. A car went by us, and 'boom' it exploded.'

The explosion occurred less than a month after a car bomb attack in central Ankara killed 29 people. Kurdish militants claimed responsibility for that attack.

The US embassy in Ankara issued a warning about a potential terrorist attack on March 11.

A woman sits sobs on the sidewalk after the attack that ripped through a busy square in central Ankara

Forensic police work near burnt-out vehicles at the scene of the Ankara blast

A local reporter said the blast took place where several bus stops are located in one of Ankara's main roads

Several vehicles were destroyed or damaged in the explosion, which took place in the Guven Park in central Ankara

The U.S. Embassy informs U.S. citizens that there is information regarding a potential terrorist plot to attack Turkish government buildings and housing located in the Bahcelievler area of Ankara. U.S. citizens should avoid this area,' it said.

'We advise U.S. citizens to review their personal security plans, remain aware of your surroundings and local events, monitor local news stations for updates, and follow local authority instructions.'

The blast is the second major attack in the capital in less than a month after a suicide car bombing targeting the military killed 29 people, claimed by a dissident faction of the PKK.

The fact the militants were able to strike again so soon in an area close to the prime minister's office, parliament and foreign embassies will raise fresh questions about Turkey's ability to manage the twin security threat posed by ISIS and Kurdish rebels.

Fadi Hakura, an associate fellow and Turkey expert who is based at Chatham House in London called on Mr Erdogan to pursue further peace talks with the Kurds.

The explosion occurred less than a month after a car bomb attack in central Ankara killed 29 people

Speaking on BBC Radio 4's Today programme this morning, he said: 'I think the attack bears the hallmarks of the Kurdistan Workers' Party or the PKK. Islamic State goes for soft targets such as tourists or activists instead.

'The President should go back to reopening peace talks with moderate Kurdish nationalists, taking a more balanced approach to Syria and to restore ties with Syria, Iraq and neighbouring countries.

'There's no doubt that Europe could show a bit more solidarity with Turkey, but really the issue lies with the Turkish Government. I think the best way forward is a political settlement because in Turkey it is political rather than security or military.

'I think there is a pacification of the quagmire in Syria, this will help the prospects of resolution. The Kurdish fighters that control much of the [area] are closely linked. Any peace in Syria will positively spill over into Turkey itself.

'The Turkish accession process is pretty much a pantomime, it is not going to happen in my lifetime. I don't think it has any affect whatsoever, Europe no longer places any demands on Turkey to improve its human rights or freedoms.'
Clinton issued a statement hours later apologizing for her huge mistake and said that she 'misspoke' about the

Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders was absolutely miffed by rival Hillary Clinton's high praise of the late Nancy Reagan's record on HIV/AIDS.

'I just don't know what she was talking about,' Sanders told Jake Tapper this morning on CNN's State of the Union.

On Friday, Clinton said on MSNBC that President Ronald Reagan and the first lady 'started a national conversation' about the AIDS epidemic when nobody would talk about it.'

Quite the opposite actually occurred with the Reagans staying mum about the disease until the president's second term.

'In fact, that was a very tragic moment in modern American history,' Sanders continued. 'There were many, many people who were dying of AIDS.'

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Sen. Bernie Sanders was asked this morning on CNN's State of the Union to respond to Hillary Clinton's eyebrow-raising remarks praising the late Nancy Reagan for her HIV/AIDS activism

Huge mistake: Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton made a huge mistake while speaking about Nancy Reagan's AIDS activism on Friday

The secretary of state made completely inaccurate comments about the role the Reagan's played in combating the AIDS epidemic that was gripping the United States in the 1980s

Clinton was forced into making an apology (above) hours later about the mistake she made about the Reagans

'And, in fact, there was demand all over this country for President Reagan to start talking about this terrible tragedy and yet he refused to talk about it while the AIDS epidemic was sweeping the country,' Sanders continued.

'So I'm not quite sure where Secretary Clinton got her information,' Sanders added.

The Vermont senator told Tapper he was glad that Clinton apologized for the gaffe.

'But the truth is, it was not President Reagan and Nancy Reagan who were leaders in talking about this issue, quite the contrary,' Sanders reiterated.

'They refused to allow that discussion to take place,' he said.

'They didn't get involved in it while so many fellow Americans were getting sick and dying.'

Clinton attended Nancy Reagan's funeral on Friday and that's when she heaped on praise for the former first lady's HIV/AIDS record.

'It may be hard for your viewers to remember how difficult it was for people to talk about HIV/AIDS back in the 1980s,' Clinton said.

'And because of both President and Mrs. Reagan  in particular Mrs. Reagan  we started a national conversation.

"Because of both President and Mrs. Reagan, in particular Mrs. Reagan, we started a national conversation" about HIV and AIDS.- Hillary ClintonWatch more: http://on.msnbc.com/1pkO90S Posted by MSNBC on Friday, March 11, 2016

Clinton's statement reads: 'While the Reagans were strong advocates for stem cell research and finding a cure for Alzheimer's disease, I misspoke about their record on HIV and AIDS. For that, I'm sorry'

Clinton claimed that President Ronald Reagan and his wife 'started a national conversation' about the AIDS epidemic when 'nobody would talk about it' while speaking to MSNBC

'When before nobody would talk about it, nobody wanted to do anything about it, and that too is something that I really appreciate with her very effective, low key advocacy but it penetrated the public conscious and people began to say, 'Hey, we have to do something about this too.''

Clinton issued a statement later in the afternoon Friday apologizing for her huge mistake about the Reagans.

'While the Reagans were strong advocates for stem cell research and finding a cure for Alzheimer's disease, I misspoke about their record on HIV and AIDS. For that, I'm sorry,' the statement reads.

According to Teen Vogue, there were only 121 deaths from AIDS in 1981, but the number of cases jumped to 100,000 in America by 1989.

Even though meetings about AIDS were being held by the World Heath Organization starting in 1983, the White House largely ignored the epidemic and offered little support.

President Reagan first took office in 1981, but did not address AIDS until his second term, according to Teen Vogue.

In addition, during a White House press briefing on October 15, 1982, Press Secretary Larry Speakes was asked by reporter Lester Kinsolving about the disease that was ravaging the gay community at that time.

'What's AIDS?' Speaks asked.

'It's known as the 'gay plague,'' Kinsolving replied.

Everyone in the room laughed, according to audio of the conversation obtained by Slate.

'I don't have it,' Speakes replied. 'Do you?'

Even though meetings about AIDS were being held by the World Heath Organization starting in 1983, the White House largely ignored the epidemic and offered little support. President Reagan did not publicly address the disease until his second term in office

Hillary Clinton tried paying tribute to the late Nancy Reagan by speaking about her AIDs activism - on the Reagan White House famously ignored the disease for years

Speakes continued to answer his questions with jokes about the disease and eventually acknowledged that the White House, including the president, knew nothing about the epidemic that was sweeping the country.

By the time President Reagan first mentioned the disease publicly, more than 20,000 Americans had already died.

Included in that number was Nancy Reagan's close friend, Hollywood actor Rock Hudson, who died from complications related to AIDS in 1985.

Hudson, who was gay, reached out to the White House for help to combat the disease, but was denied by Nancy Reagan, who ignored and turned her back on thousands of other people who were also dying from the disease while she was first lady.

The actor's shocking death eventually forced the Reagans into acknowledging the disease, and the first lady then encouraged her husband to seek more funding for AIDS research.

After Clinton spoke remarks on MSNBC, many people were outraged on social media about her gaffe.

The President of The Human Rights Campaign, Chad Griffin, spoke out on Twitter (above) against Clinton's comments, even though he endorsed her for president earlier this year

Twitter user Jacob Vail didn't agree with Clinton's apology and wrote the above tweet

Ben Norton said the former senator managed to applaud the Reagans in her apology and wrote the above tweet

The President of The Human Rights Campaign, Chad Griffin, spoke out on Twitter against her comments, even though he endorsed her for president earlier this year.

'While I respect her advocacy on issues like stem cell & Parkinson's research, Nancy Reagan was, sadly, no hero in the fight against HIV/AIDS,' Griffin wrote in a tweet.

Twitter user Jacob Vail didn't agree with Clinton's apology and wrote: 'I feel like more than a two sentence apology is needed for such an enormous error.'
It said the spin operation had 'all the hallmarks of a carpet-bomb PR drop'

But Yorkshire Post rejected Cameron's article after spotting the trend

They included newspapers in Norfolk, Northumberland, Norfolk and Devon

PM's name appeared in a string of articles to mark English Tourism Week

David Cameron has been accused of writing a series of insincere letters professing his love for different regions of England.

Articles under the Prime Ministers name appeared in a string of regional newspapers to coincide with English Tourism Week.

In each one, he highlighted the virtues of particular destinations in what were sold by spin doctors as very personal pieces.

David Cameron (pictured on holiday with his wife Samantha last August) has been accused of writing a series of insincere letters professing his love for different regions of England

But questions were raised over how sincere his emotions were, when almost identical articles appeared in five different newspapers.

Mr Cameron was also embarrassed when his article managed to misspell the name of a famous beach in Norfolk.

The similarity between articles describing different parts of the country were spotted by one newspaper, the Yorkshire Post.

The papers comment editor, Tom Richmond, said the spin operation had all the hallmarks of a carpet-bomb PR drop.

He wrote that he was offered a PM-authored piece beginning I love Yorkshire & the Humber.

It was proposed, he wrote in an article for the paper, at the very moment Mr Cameron was on Sky News embroiled in talks with EU leaders over the migrant crisis which is engulfing Turkey.

Was this multi-tasking at its very best? he asked.

In one of his articles - in the Eastern Daily Press - it was meant to mention 'Holkham', a seaside village in Norfolk (pictured)

But instead the article written by the Prime Minister quoted 'Holcombe,' a coastal village in Devon (pictured)

And then, when the column did arrive, doubts quickly surfaced  it appeared very formulaic, lacked empathy and only made passing reference to the misery caused by the Yorkshire floods.

The paper decided not to run the piece, partly he said because it was still waiting for a reply to a campaign for more money to fix flood-afflicted areas.

He then discovered a similar column had been written for the Plymouth Herald, beginning I love Cornwall and Isles of Scilly.

From their stunning beaches and coastal walks to their creative arts projects, this county is one of the many jewels in Great Britains crown.

The Newcastle Chronicle carried a piece beginning I love Northumberland.

From Hadrians Wall to Europes biggest sky park, this county is one of the many jewels in Great Britains crown it said.

In the Lincolnshire Echo: I love Lincolnshire.

From the quaint market towns to the rolling countryside, this county is one of the many jewels in Great Britains crown.

In the Eastern Daily Press he said he loved Norfolk and described the 'meandering waterways of the Broads' and its 'stunning beaches'.

He also described a family holiday on one of its most famous beaches, but managed to misspell the name.

The PM reminisced about enjoying 'holidays on the coast at Holcombe'. But Holcombe is a seaside village in Devon.
Schools are having to employ teaching assistants on 65 a day to translate for Eastern European pupils.

More than a dozen classroom jobs for speakers of Polish, Lithuanian, Slovak and Romanian are up for grabs.

One post at a Liverpool primary school will pay up to 300 a week plus expenses for a teaching assistant fluent in Polish. The role is needed for just one pupil.

More than a dozen classroom jobs for speakers of Polish, Lithuanian, Slovak and Romanian are up for grabs

Schools across the UK, including in the Midlands and Yorkshire, are hiring teaching assistants who have are fluent in an Eastern European language

Almost 200,000 pupils in the country now have an Eastern European first language - up from around 52,000 seven years ago

Association of Teachers and Lecturers president Kim Knappett said schools with translators, including teaching assistants, now had a bigger role to play in schools.

She added schools with a higher proportion of pupils with a first language from an Eastern European country were facing 'real challenges'.

Almost 200,000 pupils in the country now have an Eastern European first language - up from around 52,000 seven years ago.

Schools, including across the Midlands and Yorkshire, have posted job adverts online in a hunt for suitable teaching assistants.

Association of Teachers and Lecturers president Kim Knappett

One secondary school in Derbyshire needs a Polish teaching assistant for pupils, helping with 'translating information both verbal and written'.

Teaching assistants fluent in Romanian, Slovak and Polish can earn up to 65 a day in in Leicestershire.

More than 65 per cent of pupils at Park Academy in Boston, Lincolnshire, do not speak English as their first language.

Mum-of-three Cherie Twitchen, 28, told the Sun on Sunday: 'More than half my daughter's class are from a foreign background.

'One teacher speaks half in English, half in Polish. It takes twice the time and slows the children's learning.'

Cherie mother to Jessica, ten, Leo, seven, and Ruben, 15 weeks, said parents often would group together depending on their languages.

'All the East European parents huddle together while all the British gather on the other side of the street. I'm at fault, too. But am I supposed to learn Polish or Lithuanian?,' she added.

A message on Park Academy's website says: 'We all smile in the same language.' The school's phone answering service has an option for Polish to be used.

Park Academy head teacher Claire Pinder said it was important to celebrate different cultures and languages in school.

The MailOnline has contacted the school's academy trust, the Phoenix Family of Schools, for a comment.

The think tank, Policy Exchange, said Boston topped a list of Britain's least culturally integrated towns.

A Department of Education spokesman said less than one per cent of the schools' budget was used to support children who do not have English as a first language.
Lucy Lowe, 38, from Ottery Saint Mary in Devon, was left blocking a hospital bed for almost two years even though she was well enough to go home

A mother was left blocking a hospital bed for almost two years even though she was well enough to go home - costing the NHS more than 250,000.

Lucy Lowe, 38, from Ottery Saint Mary in Devon, was left paralysed from the waist down after damaging her coccyx while going down a vertical 'death' slide at her own wedding reception and being forced to have it removed.

Doctors said she was medically fit to go home three months later but the mother-of-four was unable to leave Ottery Saint Mary Hospital because she could not afford to make her house wheelchair accessible.

The former cafe worker said that her drive was so steep she could not reach the front door, and once inside she was not able to get up the stairs to access the bathroom or bedroom.

She did not receive a means-tested council grant to pay for the adaptations, despite being unable to work and the family of six having to survive on her sales manager husband's salary alone.

Mrs Lowe was forced to raise 30,000 by herself, but spent 21 months in hospital as she did so.

She was finally able to go home on Friday, almost two years after she had the surgery to remove her coccyx.

The cost of keeping her in hospital and providing her with three meals a day would have amounted to 252,800, based on the Department of Health estimate of 400 a day.

Mrs Lowe said she had felt like a 'prisoner' in her hospital bed, adding that it was ridiculous that she had to come up with so much money while her husband Adrian, 45, struggled to keep the family afloat.

She said: 'The way the council turned us away because my husband was working was disgraceful. It has cost the NHS a fortune.

The mother-of-four was left paralysed from the waist down after she damaged her coccyx while going down a vertical 'death' slide at her own wedding reception

Doctors at the Ottery St Mary Hospital (pictured) said she was fit to leave three months after surgery but she could not afford to make her house wheelchair accessible

'We have paid into a system all our lives but don't get anything back from it when we need help.

'It's unbelievable that there is nothing out there to help normal, working families.

'I've been shoved from place to place. I was basically bed-hogging because we couldn't afford to have the adaptations done at home.'

She added that she spent hours on end battling boredom and would 'cry all the time' at being away from her children, Callum, 17, Tilly, 16, Lydia, 14 and Barnaby, 12.

'I haven't been back home once for 21 months and I've not been able to spend time with my children because of it,' she said.

'They have found it incredibly difficult - their mum hasn't been there.

'I have felt like a prisoner. People get shorter jail sentences for worse crimes than not being able to come up with 30,000.'

Mrs Lowe was not given a council grant, even though the family of six were being kept afloat by her husband Adrian's (right) salary alone

Her family set up a fundraising page on GoFundMe, eventually raising 30,000 for the adaptations needed

With nowhere else to turn, her family set up a fundraising page on GoFundMe in the hope of capturing the generosity of the general public - and eventually raised the full amount.

She now has a downstairs bedroom and bathroom and an outside ramp, meaning she is able to get her wheelchair up the steep drive which leads to her front door.

'I'm just so excited to be a proper, normal family again,' Mrs Lowe said.

Mrs Lowe said she had felt like a 'prisoner' in her hospital bed

'It's amazing that people have backed us so generously. We wouldn't be at this stage without their kindness.'

Last year, when Mrs Lowe had been in hospital for 12 months, East Devon District Council said that though no final decision had been made, it did not appear that she qualified for funding.

They said at the time: 'From the information already given to us by Mrs Lowe, it seems unlikely she will qualify for this grant, as it is means tested.'

The spokesman added that they were waiting for information from her occupational therapist before they could complete the assessment.

Speaking on Friday, a spokeswoman on behalf of the council said that a concrete decision had still not been made as the assessment could not be completed.

She said: 'We are still waiting for a Statement of Need from Mrs Lowe's Occupational Therapist, which would identify her requirements.

'Until we receive this information, we are unable to undertake any assessments for a mandatory Disabled Facilities Grant (DFG).'

Mrs Lowe mostly stayed at Ottery Saint Mary Hospital in Ottery, Devon but was also moved to Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital and Great Western Hospital in Swindon.

Until Friday, she was living at Plym Neuro-Rehabilitation Unit in Plymouth, Devon.
Advertisement

They have hung on the wall of Chatsworth House untouched for almost 200 years, seen by millions of visitors.

But when these two rare tapestries were taken down for restoration work, it was found there is even more to the treasures than meets the eye.

For conservation workers discovered hidden sections that were feared lost  which have confirmed that these priceless pieces, from the Mortlake workshop in London, date as far back as the 1630s.

Now, after two years of restoration, the panels are back in place and can be enjoyed in their full splendour when the stately home in Derbyshire reopens to the public next Saturday.

When two rare tapestries (pictured) at Chatsworth House were taken down for restoration work, experts found hidden panels

The pieces were acquired from the Mortlake workshops in London by the third Earl of Devonshire, who lived from 1617 to 1684

Conservation workers discovered hidden sections that were feared lost  which have confirmed that these priceless pieces date as far back as the 1630s

Amy Secker, textile technician at Chatsworth, said: We knew there was a missing section and we really hoped it was there but we were absolutely delighted when we found it.

The pieces, which depict the Acts of the Apostles, are gems of the English tapestry industry and are based on cartoons by Italian Renaissance painter Raphael. They are the only surviving examples outside of the Vatican to show the cartoons.

It is believed that the tapestries were acquired from the Mortlake workshops by the third Earl of Devonshire, who lived from 1617 to 1684, and were moved into the State Drawing Room by the fifth Duke (1748 to 1811).

The tapestries were hung in very thick wooden frames, which Miss Secker said were added by the sixth Duke of Devonshire in the 1830s  and the pieces have not been moved since.

It had been feared the original borders were cut off to fit the space.

The tapestries, which depict the Acts of the Apostles, are gems of the English tapestry industry and are based on cartoons by Italian Renaissance painter Raphael

One highly detailed part of a tapestry depicting a woman's face was painstakingly restored in a process that took two years, leading to an impressive contrast between the before (left) and after (right) results

The works, hanging on the wall of a stately home in Derbyshire, are the only surviving examples outside of the Vatican to show the cartoons

The tapestries were hung in very thick wooden frames, which it is believed were added by the sixth Duke of Devonshire in the 1830s  and the pieces have not been moved since

But when the team took the tapestries down, they discovered the missing sections had been hidden by the frame, which allowed them to date the pieces more accurately  and to an earlier time of around 1635  than previously thought.

Miss Secker said: Permission to have them woven wouldve come from the Crown - although this happened with most tapestries.

Because we found the missing section of the cartoon, they ended up being a lot earlier than we thought.

Later Mortlake tapestries havent got the missing part on them, this is how we managed to date them back to the 1630s.

The tapestries were very faded and in urgent need of restoration and the work was a major undertaking.

It was six years in the planning and then took two years to be completed by conservation studio Shephard Travis.

The hidden section of artwork (pictured) led to the exciting revelation that the rare tapestries dated back to as early as the 1630s

Dozens of people worked on the restoration of the delicate needlework as the faded tapestries were in urgent need of care

Restoration of the priceless 400-year-old pieces of art reaped stunning results. Pictured before (let) and after (right)

The restoration process included washing to remove acidic pollutants, repairing the fabric and adding a support cloth for extra strength

The restoration process included washing to remove acidic pollutants, repairing the fabric and adding a support cloth for extra strength.

The two pieces were also reunited with a third tapestry, which has been in storage for a number of years after being restored earlier.

Susie Stoke, head of textiles at the stately home, said: Its extremely exciting to be able to reunite these hugely important and beautiful tapestries and put them back on display.

'For the first time, visitors will have the opportunity to see the tapestries up closely to fully appreciate these beautiful works of art.

RAPHAEL THE RENAISSANCE PAINTER UNCOVERED Raphael (Raffaello Santi) was born in Urbino where his father, Giovanni Santi, was court painter. He almost certainly began his training there and must have known works by Manteqna, Uccello and Piero della Francesca from an early age. His earliest paintings were also greatly influenced by Peruqino. From 1500 - when he became an independent master - to 1508 he worked throughout central Italy, particularly Florence, where he became a noted portraitist and painter of Madonnas. In 1508, at the age of 25, he was called to the court of Pope Julius II to help with the redecoration of the papal apartments. In Rome he evolved as a portraitist, and became one of the greatest of all history painters. He remained in Rome for the rest of his life and in 1514, on the death of Bramante, he was appointed architect in charge of St Peter's.

Though he died at 37, Raphael's example as a paragon of classicism dominated European painting until the mid-19th century. For centuries Raphael has been recognised as the supreme painter, more versatile than and more prolific than their older contemporary Leonardo. Advertisement

Amy Secker (pictured), textile technician at Chatsworth House inspects the breathtaking detail of the incredibly rare artwork

The panels are finally back in place and can be enjoyed in their full splendour when the stately home reopens to the public next Saturday

The two pieces were also reunited with a third tapestry, which has been in storage for a number of years after being restored earlier
The former Labour prime minister conceded there is a real anxiety for people who feel their income is stagnating and said it was driving some towards the far right

Tony Blair has admitted high immigration is fuelling populism but criticised the unemployed who complain migrants are taking their jobs.

The former Labour prime minister conceded there is a real anxiety for people who feel their income is stagnating and said it was driving some towards the far right.

But he said those who feel they have been squeezed out of the labour market by cheap workers from overseas should stop blaming immigration and instead get better education and the skills.

His comments will anger those who say New Labour oversaw an open door policy during the Blair years, leading to an expansion in arrivals to the UK.

Last month, a new book claimed Mr Blair presided over a conspiracy to change the face of Britain for ever with mass immigration by rebranding asylum seekers as economic migrants.

Speaking today at a global education conference in Dubai, Mr Blair said migration had fuelled right-wing populism.

He said: This whole debate around migration is really difficult for people.

There is no point in just dismissing it as prejudice - although a lot of it is prejudice.

Its also a real anxiety for people about the way the worlds changing, particularly if they think their incomes are stagnating and theyre not really getting anywhere in life, then this becomes an easy thing to gravitate to.

And whether its in America or in Europe right now, that is the card, that type of populism at least the right wing of politics will play.

He said that education was key in combatting populism, and that it was important to educate both refugees entering countries and those that are already there.

He added: Its important that the host country is educated about those that are coming in.

And the answer to someone who is unemployed in a country like mine or anywhere else in Europe, is not to blame migrants for having taken your job.

Its to get the education and the skills necessary in order to be able to operate in the modern world.

That in the end is the answer.

Youve got to try and speak with real conviction about the real answers to the problems that people face.

His comments were made in response to a question about his views on Donald Trump, Bernie Sanders and Jeremy Corbyn.

He said: It's all very interesting. There is a populism of left and right. There's a lot of anger about.

Anger is all very well but it's answers that deliver results

Journalist Tom Bower's new book Broken Vows: Tony Blair The Tragedy of Power

I have literally no idea whats going to happen. When I look at politics today, I am not terribly sure that I quite understand it.

If you want to push back on that populism we shouldn't have that type of populism govern our politics  youve got to go out and make the argument.

Mr Blair was speaking as part a panel discussion at the Global Education and Skills Forum, which was held at the weekend in the United Arab Emirates by the Varkey Foundation.

He was accompanied by his wife Cherie, who sat in the audience wearing a multi-coloured floral dress over beige trousers.

Last month, journalist Tom Bowers new book Broken Vows: Tony Blair The Tragedy of Power claimed Mr Blair presided over a silent conspiracy to change the face of Britain for ever with mass immigration.

It said he ordered his Labour government never to discuss in public the supposed advantages of the unprecedented influx.

But behind the scenes ministers were instructed to wave tens of thousands of asylum seekers into the UK under cover of their being economic migrants, the book said.

The book says 350,000 asylum seekers benefited this way. In 2002 alone, Mr Blair gave the go-ahead for 150,000 work permits. Most of the recipients, including the unskilled, went on to become UK citizens.

And it claimed the minister Mr Blair put in charge of borders ruled against deporting failed claimants because it would be too emotional.

The main aim of allowing in millions of people was to make the country see the benefit of a multicultural society the book said.
Sir Mike Tomlinson said he introduced the ban following negative publicity over how hardliners infiltrated state schools

The phrase Trojan Horse scandal has been banned in Birmingham because it is unhelpful to the city and its schools, its education commissioner has revealed.

Sir Mike Tomlinson said he introduced the ban following negative publicity over how hardliners infiltrated state schools in the city and tried to impose an Islamic agenda.

He said the phrase, which he refused to even say himself, was damaging morale among teachers and even hurting recruitment to schools.

Sir Mike, who is a former chief inspector of schools, was brought into the city in 2014 to help repair the damage done by the affair.

It was sparked by an anonymous letter sent to the city council about a plot by Muslim groups to install governors at schools called Operation Trojan Horse.

Speaking at the Varkey Foundation Global Education and Skills Forum in Dubai, Sir Mike said the phrase was not used by officials anymore.

He said: 'The term that was originally used about the letter is not in official use now.

'It has disappeared as a term, we refer more broadly to schools that are vulnerable, rather than that phrase.

'I'm not going to say it because I was the one that got it to be stopped.

'It wasn't helpful to the schools and it wasn't helpful to the city and its schools.

'So it's not used anymore.'

Former Oldknow Academy acting head teacher, Jahangir Akbar, was accused of trying to eliminate the celebration of Christmas in school and of undermining tolerance of other beliefs

The Trojan Horse affair saw the launch of multiple investigations and reports focusing on several schools with mainly Muslim pupils.

The authenticity of the letter has never been established, but Sir Mike said he believes it accurately reflected events that had taken place in schools.

He said that staff who opposed the infiltration were targeted, bullied and harassed until they resigned.

In the wake of the government inquiries, the need for schools to promote British values was introduced and Sir Mike's current role, overseeing schools in the city, was created.

Several teachers alleged to have been involved have faced disciplinary action by the National College for Teaching and Leadership (NCTL).

Sir Mike said: 'Some of the schools that were first of all caught up in that, it was ultimately proved that they weren't involved at all.

'Secondly, without a doubt that term was beginning to have an adverse impact on the morale of teachers in Birmingham.

And equally, an impact upon the recruitment of people to Birmingham - not just to the schools but to the authority itself.

'It was 21 schools out of 437. So one has to be quite careful about that term.

A teaching panel found that pupils at Park View School had been 'immersed in orthodox Islamic doctrine'

'At the time, I know why it was used, but gradually it became more of a problem rather than a solution.

'So if I'm as careful as I try to be, I never use the term.'

The problems facing Birmingham's schools could happen in other cities, he said.

The events were unprecedented but not impossible to happen elsewhere, he said.

Sir Mike said that in response to the controversy there had been improvements to whistleblowing arrangements and staff training and greater scrutiny of the role of governors.

Young people are now undoubtedly safer, he said.

TROJAN HORSE: SCANDAL THAT SAW SCHOOLS PUT IN SPECIAL MEASURES The Trojan Horse scandal started with an anonymous letter in March last year describing an Islamic plot to take over schools in Birmingham called 'Operation Trojan Horse'. The document - now thought to be a hoax - proposed a campaign of installing governors and undermining and then replacing school leaders with staff who would be more sympathetic to their religious agenda. That in turn led to 21 schools being inspected by schools inspector Ofsted, which put six schools in special measures and said five had not done enough to protect children from extremism. Golden Hillock School, Nansen Primary School, Park View School - all run by the Park View Educational Trust - Oldknow Academy and Saltley School in Birmingham were placed in special measures. Another school investigated, Alston Primary, was already in special measures. Then in November last year, inspectors found evidence that six independent faith schools in Tower Hamlets, in east London, had an unbalanced curriculum. Several teenage girls have fled to join ISIS in Syria from schools in Tower Hamlets. Advertisement




Police have arrested 24 people involved in an alleged sophisticated cockfighting ring in Tewksbury, Massachusetts.

Police on Friday went to a home on Chandler Street after acting on a tip that people were gambling on cockfights in the garage of the house.

Responding officers discovered that the residence used a look out, motion sensor lights and video surveillance equipment in the operation, according to a Tewksbury Police Department release.

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Police have arrested 24 people involved in an alleged sophisticated cockfighting ring in Tewksbury, Massachusetts. Investigators found gamecocks with spurs attached to them at the scene (left and right)

Disturbing photos of what investigators found at the scene also included cages filled with roosters (pictured)

Police on Friday went to a home on Chandler Street after acting on a tip that people were gambling on cockfights in the garage of the house

Disturbing photos of what investigators found at the scene included gamecocks with spurs attached to them to inflict more damage to each other, a fighting ring and cages filled with roosters.

The alleged ring leaders of the fight - Frank Castro, 41, of Dorchester and his girlfriend Janet Montanes, 40, of Tewksbury - were arrested and charged with cruelty to animals, keeping or promoting an animal fight and being present at an animal fight.

Police also arrested 22 other alleged participants who were all charged with cruelty to animals and being present at an animal fight.

They had been released but Castro and Montanes, the homeowners, remained in jail, WHDH reported.

The alleged ring leaders of the fight - Frank Castro, 41, (left) and his girlfriend Janet Montanes, 40, (right) of Tewksbury - were arrested and charged with cruelty to animals, keeping or promoting an animal fight and being present at an animal fight

Eighteen gamecocks were seized from the home, five of which appeared to be severely injured, and several packages of spurs, four kits with tape and more than $13,000 were recovered, police said

Police also arrested 22 other participants who were all charged with cruelty to animals and being present at an animal fight (a fighting ring pictured above)

Eighteen gamecocks were seized from the home, five of which appeared to be severely injured, and several packages of spurs, four kits with tape and more than $13,000 were recovered, police said.

Shocked neighbors said they were not aware that this was going on inside the home.

'This is not only scary this is beyond belief,' one neighbor told The Boston Herald.

Neighbor Ron Lemelin was in disbelief it went on and he never knew about it.

Scenes from inside the operation. Shocked neighbors said they were not aware that this was going on inside the home

'It's awful to have that go on and not know,' he told WCVB. 'We didn't hear a darn thing, and our bedroom is right there.'

All 24 suspects are scheduled to be arraigned Monday in Lowell District Court.
Record-breaking floods in the South have left six people dead and thousands of homes damaged in the South after a week of storms.

More than 24 inches of rain have fallen in the hardest-hit areas, the Weather Channel reported. Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Tennessee and Texas have all been affected.

A man drowned on Wednesday afternoon in Bienville Parish, Louisiana, as he tried to drive across a flooded highway, according to the Weather Channel.

Three more deaths have been reported in the state. A 22-year-old man drowned in his car and a six-year-old girl passed away after her mother lost control of their vehicle, also on Wednesday.

At least six people are dead after a week of extreme weather in Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Tennessee and Texas. Pictured, volunteers return to a flooded house in Clarksdale, Mississippi, on Friday

More than 185 homes were hit by floodwaters and about 650 homes sustained minor damage in Mississippi. Pictured, a Sedan sits underwater in Drew, Mississippi

Another Louisiana man drowned after his boat capsized, the Weather Channel reported.

In Oklahoma, a 30-year-old man drowned in his car while trying to cross a flooded bridge.

A 22-year-old man, Francisco Ruben Garza, of Hidalgo, died in Texas on Monday after his kayak capsized. He was fishing at the time of the storm without wearing a life jacket, police said.

Six deaths have been confirmed in total and two fishermen were reported missing in Mississippi on Sunday. Officials had no reports of deaths or injuries there.

Downpours have submerged roads and cars, washed out bridges and forced residents to flee their homes.

More than 4,958 houses were damaged in Louisiana, emergency officials said. That number is expected to rise as more reports come in.

In Mississippi, more than 185 homes were hit by floodwaters and about 650 homes sustained minor damage.

Two fishermen were reported missing in Mississippi on Sunday. Officials had no reports of deaths or injuries there. Pictured, residents walk through a flooded street in Greenville, Mississippi, on Thursday

More than 4,958 houses were damaged in Louisiana, emergency officials said. That number is expected to rise as more reports come in. Pictured, water rises behind homes in Petal, Mississippi, on Friday

The heavy rains that swamped the South this week make up the most widespread non-hurricane flooding the Louisiana National Guard has ever dealt with. Pictured, caution tape closes off this neighborhood in Drew, Mississippi, on Friday

Rivers across the South neared record flood stages, the Weather Channel reported. This is the most widespread non-hurricane flooding the Louisiana National Guard has ever dealt with, guard spokesman Pete Schneider said.

The National Guard had about 1,400 soldiers and air crews at work in flooded areas throughout Louisiana. By Sunday morning, National Guard crews had evacuated more than 2,415 people and 197 pets.

President Barack Obama declared the flooding in Louisiana a major disaster on Sunday, meaning flood victims will receive federal aid.

Louisiana Lieutenant Governor Billy Nungesser worried that many of them had not purchased flood insurance.

'A lot of these people I spoke to did not have flood insurance because they had never flooded before,' Nungesser said.

He warned that residents may not get federal disaster aid if they didn't have insurance.

'It's not going to be the open check book,' he added.

More severe weather is expected in the South as the Weather Channel predicts strong winds, heavy hail and some potential tornadoes.

Tornado watches were issued on Sunday evening for parts of Arkansas, Oklahoma, Texas and Louisiana according to the Weather Channel.

More severe weather is expected in the South as the Weather Channel predicts strong winds, heavy hail and some potential tornadoes. Pictured, floodwaters partially submerge a picnic pavilion in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, on Saturday
A police officer died in a gunfight Sunday after a suspect launched an 'unprovoked' attack on a police station in a Washington, D.C. suburb.

The deceased was identified as Jacai Colson, 28, an undercover narcotics officer and a four-year veteran with the Prince George's County police department.

'One of your defenders lost his life in defense of this community today. This was an unprovoked attack,' Colson's chief said.

The gunman began shooting at the PGPD District 3 police station at 7600 Barlowe Road in Landover, Maryland around 4:30pm, police said.

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Jacai Colson, 28, was killed in the line of duty Sunday after a gunman carried out an 'unprovoked' attack, police said

'One of your defenders lost his life in defense of this community today,' wrote Jacai Colson's colleagues

After officers inside responded, Colson was struck, and was taken in a squad car to Prince Georges Hospital Center where he succumbed to his injuries, police said.

Police said there was no immediately apparent motive for the shooting.

'It wasn't about anything,' said police chief Henry P. Stawinski III at a press conference Sunday evening.

'My understanding is he opened fire on the first officer he saw, and then continued that conduct as officers became aware of what was going on,' Swawinski said of the shooter, who was also injured in the gun battle.

The shooter and another suspect were taken into custody shortly after the assault.

Their family members, who identified the suspects as brothers Malik and Michael Ford, also struggled to understand what caused them to launch the attack.

'What we wanna know is why did all of this happen? What caused this? Thats what we wanna know,' the suspects' aunt, Erica Thomas, 39, told the Washington Post.

At a press conference at Prince George's Hospital Center, PGPD chief Hank Stawinski (right) leads police officials in confirming one of their officers was shot and killed

Police officers console each other outside the Prince George's Hospital Center where another officer, shot in the line of duty, died Sunday

The shooting happened at the PGPD District 3 station in Landover. Jacai Colson, 28, was transported to hospital in critical condition and died shortly afterwards, police said.

Officers put the area around the police station on lock down for several hours after the shooting while they searched for the attackers.

Traffic was closed on Barlowe Road and along the 202 from the Capital Beltway to Martin Luther King Jr. Highway during the search, police tweeted Sunday afternoon.

At least one of the suspects was arrested outside a nearby Popeye's fast food restaurant, NBC Washington reported.

Colson was born in Boothwyn, Pennsylvania and played football at Randolph-Macon College.

His football coach described him as a 'great kid.'

'A really respectful kid and just a high-character young man. He treated everyone with respect... To be honest, he wasnt a great player, but he was a really great person,' said coach Pedro Arruza of Colson, according to the Post.

Police officers lead a fellow officer away as he sobbed outside the hospital where Jacai Colson died Sunday

Officers line up to pay respect to their fallen colleague Jacai Colson, 28, Sunday

Maryland governor Larry Hogan offered his condolences on his Facebook page Sunday evening.

'I am shocked & saddened by the news of the death of Prince George's County police officer Jacai Colson,' Hogan wrote.

'It is my hope that his proud legacy of commitment and passion for law enforcement and serving others will provide some comfort in the difficult days that lie ahead,' the governor continued.

Hogan ordered flags to be flown at half-staff in Colson's honor.

Landover is located about 10 miles from Washington, D.C.

A police officer walks outside a Popeyes restaurant during an investigation into the shooting which left an officer dead
Killed 77 people in bomb and gun rampage in south east Norway in 2011

Norwegian mass murderer Anders Breivik is suing the country for breaching his human rights by keeping him in solitary confinement.

The right-wing extremist claims the state are subjecting him to 'inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment' and denying him a 'private and family life' by keeping him locked up alone in a three room cell.

He will appear in court on Tuesday, five years after taking the lives of 77 people - most of them teenagers - in a bomb and gun rampage.

Norwegian mass murderer Anders Breivik is suing the country for breaching his human rights by keeping him in solitary confinement

The now 37-year-old was jailed for 21 years for detonating a car bomb in Oslo's government district before opening fire on a left-wing youth camp on the island of Utoya in the south-east of the country.

In jail he has an entire cell block to himself and access to both a computer and a PlayStation.

His lawsuit alleges that his prison conditions breach the European Convention on Human Rights - a claim rejected by the government.

They note that Breivik moves freely among his three cells and has daily access to an exercise yard as well as a TV and the top of the range games console.

His contacts with the outside world are strictly controlled - something the killer claims is another breach of EU laws.

His lawsuit has been slammed by the Norwegian Attorney General, who says there is no evidence of the murderer suffering from his prison conditions.

The right-wing extremist claims the state are subjecting him to 'inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment' and denying him a 'private and family life' by keeping him locked up alone in a three room cell at Skien prison (pictured)

Breivik was sentenced to 21 years' imprisonment with preventive detention in 2012, and has been kept in isolation since his arrest.

There is no maximum time for how long he can be held in such 'extra high security', a Norwegian prison service official said.

His legal argument has been described as 'a tough pill to swallow' for many survivors and the families of victims.

Some survivors will try to ignore the four-day trial starting Tuesday in a gym-turned-courtroom inside Skien prison.

The now 37-year-old was jailed for 21 years for detonating a car bomb in Oslo's government district before opening fire on a left-wing youth camp on the island of Utoya (pictured) in the south-east of the country

Breivik was sentenced to 21 years' imprisonment with preventive detention in 2012, and has been kept in isolation since his arrest

Dag Andre Anderssen, who survived Breivik's shooting, said: 'I won't read newspapers that week.

'Most people will just try to get on with their lives and not be affected. But for some maybe traumas will come back.'

In violence that had seemed unfathomable in peaceful Norway, Breivik detonated a car bomb

Eight people were killed in the bombing and 69, mostly teenagers, died in the shooting massacre. Some were shot at point blank as they pleaded for mercy; others drowned in a chilly lake as they fled the island in panic.

Describing himself as a patriot and militant nationalist, Breivik showed no remorse in his 2012 trial, where he dismissed the victims as traitors for supporting immigration.

Dag Andre Anderssen (pictured), who survived Breivik's shooting, said many of the survivors and victims' families will try and avoid the court case

He didn't appeal his sentence, which can be extended for as long as he's considered a danger to society.

However, in letters written to the media, Breivik accused prison officials of 'low-intensity torture' for frequent strip searches and for keeping in him in isolation and preventing him from establishing contacts with other right-wing extremists.

In 2013, he threatened to go on a hunger strike unless he got better video games, a sofa and a larger gym.

The government's attorney, Marius Emberland, in a pre-trial submission to the court said: 'There is no evidence that the plaintiff has any physical or mental problems as a result of the prison conditions.'
Fitness guru Richard Simmons - who many have speculated is 'missing' - made a surprise television appearance Sunday via telephone, after a two-year absence from the media spotlight.

The fitness guru addressed the recent reports about why he had not been seen in public in more than two years.

He told Entertainment Tonight in a telephone interview: 'I am not kidnapped. I am just in my house right now.

'No one should be worried about me. The people that surround me are wonderful people who take great care of me.'

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Fitness guru Richard Simmons - who many have speculated is 'missing' - made a surprise television appearance Sunday via telephone, after a two-year absence from the media spotlight

Mauro Oliveira made new allegations that 'black magic' or 'witchcraft' is to blame for Simmons' disappearance from the public eye after close friends have shown their concern for the fitness guru

He also slammed the New York Daily News report that those close to him had expressed concerns about his whereabouts.

Simmons said: 'For the last 40 years I have been traveling, teaching classes, and I had a knee injury, so I had a knee replacement, which was very difficult for me.

'I have really just been taking it easy, staying at home, working out in my gym and doing the things I haven't done in a very long time.'

His appearance comes after Simmons' representative spoke out against the speculation of his disappearance as 'preposterous' and said he is not 'missing' and has simply been out of the limelight.

He told Entertainment Tonight in a telephone interview: 'I am not kidnapped. I am just in my house right now'. He added: 'No one should be worried about me. The people that surround me are wonderful people who take great care of me.'

His friend and former assistant Mauro Oliveira made new allegations Saturday that 'black magic' or 'witchcraft' was to blame for Simmons' disappearance after close friends have shown their concern for the fitness guru.

Oliveira said: 'I think it was [caused by] black magic, witchcraft. That's not close to your culture, but to my culture in Brazil, and to Mexicans, that is a real thing. They invoke the spirits.'

But the star's rep told People: 'As I have stated in the past, these claims are untrue and preposterous.

'Richard, after 40 years of being in the spotlight, is now simply taking a break from the public eye and working behind the scenes to continue to help those millions of people worldwide in need of his assistance and on several projects to be announced soon.'

The pop culture personality who shot to fame in the 90s with his exercise videos Sweatin to the Oldies, was reportedly depressed after suffering from a knee injury and dealing with the death of his beloved dog Hattie.

According to Oliveira, who struck up a fast friendship with Simmons in 2013, Simmons said he wanted to be alone and the two could no longer see each other. Pictured with two police at an undated LA benefit

Shortly after, the 49-year-old Brazilian was thrown out of the house when Simmons' house keeper Teresa Reveles forbade him to go upstairs and reportedly shouted at Oliveira to get out. Pictured, with Katy Perry in 2013

In a new, detailed anecdote reported by the NY Daily News, Oliveira, who struck up a fast friendship with Simmons in 2013, recounted the details of their last meeting in 2014.

The massage therapist, former assistant, friend and visual artist visited Simmons' home after receiving a phone call from the 67 year old saying the two needed to talk.

According to Oliveira, Simmons told him he wanted to be alone, and that the two could no longer see each other.

Shortly after, the 49-year-old Brazilian was thrown out of the house when Simmons' house keeper Teresa Reveles reportedly forbade him to go upstairs and shouted at Oliveira to get out.

Oliveira told the news website Simmons said 'yes' when he asked whether Reveles was controlling his life.

Oliveira said: 'I think it was [caused by] black magic, witchcraft. That's not close to your culture, but to my culture in Brazil, and to Mexicans, that is a real thing. They invoke the spirits.'

He later said: 'It's extremely hard to explain to you how someone is when they are tormented by bad force. That's the thing. F***ing Teresa is putting black magic on him.'

Oliveira even wrote a self-published e-book recounting his impression of what has happened to Simmons.

Titled King Rich and the Evil Witch, Oliveira hopes the book can be adapted into a Broadway play.

Oliveira said: 'I think it was [caused by] black magic, witchcraft. That's not close to your culture, but to my culture in Brazil, and to Mexicans, that is a real thing.' He even published an e-book recount his version of events

In one of his last media appearances on CNN, Simmons teared up when the anchor asked him what he considered the greatest compliment. He said: 'That I just simply made them laugh, and that I gave them hope. Because with hope, you can cope'

Simmons attended the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York in November 2013, where he struck poses while riding on a float.

It was one of his last public appearances. On New Year's Eve of 2013, Simmons appeared on CNN to talk about making fitness resolutions, when he began tearing up.

Anchor Brooke Baldwin asked him what he told himself as he looked in the mirror in the morning, and he choked back tears when he responded: 'Try to help more people.'

Later, when she asked him what he considered the biggest compliment, Simmons cried as he said: 'That I just simply made them laugh, and that I gave them hope. Because with hope, you can cope.'

In January 2015, TMZ reported the LAPD checked in at Simmons' house after they received a tip with an elder abuse claim.

Simmons was walking with a limp and answered the door with a beard, but he appeared to be in good health, law enforcement officials told the gossip site.

His longtime spokesman Thomas Estey previously said Simmons was 'sad' over the 'serious' injury to his knee, but refuted allegations that Simmons was depressed and had become a recluse.

When Dailymail.com spoke to Reveles in 2014, she said: 'He's perfectly fine. He's home and he's fine.'

Reynold Gideon, who lives directly opposite Simmons' house, said Reveles is adamant the sparkling fitness fanatic is merely 'resting'.

His longtime spokesman Thomas Estey previously said Simmons was 'sad' over the 'serious' injury to his knee, but refuted allegations that Simmons was depressed and had become a recluse




A female police officer accused of improperly accessing and leaking confidential files to a 'friend' suspected of murder has been asked if she had a sexual relationship with him or his lawyer.

Senior Constable Tanya Prescott, from the Gold Coast, was investigated by Ethical Standards officers after an audit of the QPRIME police system found she had accessed confidential files relating to the murder of Shaun Barker, the Courier Mail reported.

Investigators found that Constable Prescott had been friends with a man police believe was involved in the grisly murder for over two years but had not disclosed the relationship to her boss.

Senior Constable Tanya Prescott was investigated by Ethical Standards officers after an audit of the QPRIME police system found she had accessed confidential files relating to the murder of Shaun Barker

The single mother, who worked at Southport watch house, was found to have accessed confidential files relating to the murder investigation numerous times between May 2014 and May 2015.

She told police the man's lawyer had told her that officers suspected Mr Barker's body had been moved in his client's car.

But she has denied being involved in a sexual relationship with either men when questioned about the nature of their relationship.

'I think it could have went that way, but we didn't let it. So no, we weren't intimate,' she said of the murder suspect.

She said the lawyer asked her on a date after inquiring about the relationship Constable Prescott had with his client but she declined to go to dinner with him and said that they were just friends who happened to speak on the phone sometimes after 11pm at night, the Courier Mail reported.

Police allege Shaun Barker was tortured and killed in December, some months before his body was found in Toolara forest in April.

She moved to have Ethical Standards barred from using texts from her mobile phone, which was seized in August, as evidence against her during the investigation.

Constable Prescott initially told police she did not access the files but later changed her story once presented with digital evidence that detailed what documents she looked at, when and for how long.

She then told investigators that she had forgotten she accessed the files and had only looked at them to check her friend's mobile phone number as he often texted her from various numbers.

Constable Prescott initially told police she did not access the files but later changed her story once presented with digital evidence that detailed what documents she looked at, when and for how long

Constable Prescott had been working at the Southport watch house when she accessed the files

Three men - aged 23, 46 and 38 - have been charged over the murder of 33-year-old Mr Barker.

Police allege he was tortured and killed in December, some months before his body was found in Toolara forest in April.

The Brisbane Magistrates Court heard that Mr Barker was tortured over a period of time, which included being locked in a commercial esky and tied up in bushland, with honey poured over his genitals to attract ants.
Bernie Sanders received a surprise celebrity endorsement today in the form of actor Danny DeVito.

DeVito was the Vermont senator's opening act this afternoon at a rally in St. Louis, Missouri where he likened him to one of Star Wars' favorite Jedi masters.

'We need you Obi-Wan,' DeVito said.

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Danny DeVito is feeling the Bern showing up for a campaign rally today in St. Louis and comparing the Democratic candidate to Jedi master Obi-Wan Kenobi

Star Power: Bernie Sanders fist pumps alongside actor Danny DeVito a special guest at today's rally in Missouri

Hugging It Out: The much taller Sen. Bernie Sanders squeezes petite actor Danny DeVito who lead a call and response 'Feel the Bern' cheer at today's rally

The pop culture reference wasn't lost on the screaming crowd, who also engaged in a little call and response with the petite actor, who brought along a wooden box to stand on so he could see over Sanders' podium.

'I ... feel ....,' DeVito began.

'The Bern,' the crowd roared back.

DeVito is just the latest of an odd mix of celebrities and musicians the senator has had at his side.

In Iowa, a state he wasn't expected to win, but lost only by a tiny margin, Sanders brought out actress Susan Sarandon several weeks before the caucuses.

He attracted the support from Foster the People's lead man Mark Foster, who brought along Hunger Games actor Josh Hutcherson to canvass for the first time.

Actor Justin Long and the band Vampire Weekend also tagged along.

A group of surrogates, including Cornell West, an early backer of Sanders, even got onstage together at the University of Iowa to sing 'This Land Is Your Land,' a song that the Vermont senator performed in spoken word for his 1987 folk album 'We Shall Overcome.'

Danny DeVito hoists up a wooden box that he uses to peer over Bernie Sanders' podium at today's rally in St. Louis

Actor Danny DeVito, atop a wooden box, warms up the crowd at today's Bernie Sanders rally in St. Louis. He even used a Star Wars reference

Rapper Killer Mike has also been an outspoken Sanders surrogate.

When the Sanders campaign moved to New Hampshire to compete in that state's early primary, the co-founders of Ben & Jerry's  Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield  were often seen at the senator's side.

Actor Mark Ruffalo, who first vocally supported a potential Elizabeth Warren bid for the White House, is also feeling the Bern and spoke on behalf of Sanders in the spin room at the Democratic debate last Sunday in Flint, Michigan.

DeVito had previously told Twitter followers that he was going to be out and about with Sanders in Missouri, but promoted a different event.
Retired people had more time to out for a stroll or do exercise, a study from Sydney University's School of Public Health found

While slogging away at work, many of us dream of retirement as the time when well finally get around to joining the gym  and even get a bit more sleep.

Now, scientists have shown that stopping work really delivers a healthier lifestyle.

A study found that those who had retired did around an hour and a half more exercise a week than workers, sat down for an hour less each day and slept 11 extra minutes a night.

And half of women who smoked before retirement stopped, the researchers found.

Lead researcher Dr Melody Ding said: A major life change like retirement creates a great window of opportunity to make positive lifestyle changes.

Its a chance to get rid of bad routines and engineer new, healthier behaviours.

The researchers looked at 25,000 retired Australians, taking into account their age, sex, marital status, education and whether they lived in a city or the countryside.

There was no significant link found between retirement and alcohol use or fruit and vegetable consumption.

But the study, published in the Journal of Preventive Medicine, found that physical activity increased by an average of 93 minutes a week and sitting down decreased by 67 minutes per day.

Dr Ding, from Sydney Universitys School of Public Health, pointed out that working and commuting eats a lot of time out of the day, while those who are retired have more time for exercise, sleeping and enjoying their hobbies.

The largest drop in time spent sitting was found in those who lived in urban areas and were more educated.

The team hope their findings might 'translate to better health in older people, preventing cardiovascular disease and diabetes'

Dr Ding was inspired to do the study by her mothers experience of the retirement age of 55 for women in China.

She said her mother had been anxious about leaving her job but now spends her days enjoying so many hobbies she cant remember how she had time to work.

Dr Ding said retirement is a good time for doctors to talk to patients about making their lifestyles healthier, which could add years to their life.

She added that we hope this information could translate to better health in older people, preventing cardiovascular disease and diabetes.
She narrowly avoided a group of 10 people inside waiting for the service

The woman drove through two walls of the church before stopping

She was going to the 4pm service at Kingdom Hall of

An elderly woman drove her car through two walls of a Jehovah's Witness church on Thursday as worshipers gathered inside for an afternoon service.

A 78-year-old woman was heading to a 4pm service at the Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses' church just north of Darwin, Northern Territory, when she drove into the building, narrowly missing 10 people inside, according to NT police.

'She was arriving for the 4pm afternoon service about 30 minutes early,' Duty Superintendent Louise Jorgensen told NT News.

A 78-year-old woman was heading to a 4pm service at the Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses church just north of Darwin, Northern Territory, when she drove into the building (pictured)

'It appears the woman mistook the accelerator for the brake and crashed through the walls.'

'Luckily given the time of the day and how early she was, there was only about 10 people inside when normally there would have been many more.

The elderly woman was taken to a hospital to be treated for cuts, bruises and shock.

No one else was injured in the accident and police said they are not expecting to prosecute the woman.
Children in the UK are falling behind in maths because lessons in the subject are a mile wide and an inch deep, according to an international education expert.

Andreas Schleicher, of the Organisation of Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) suggested that much maths teaching in this country is superficial.

He said he focuses on memorisation and learning facts, rather than the basic building blocks of mathematical concepts.

Andreas Schleicher, of the Organisation of Economic Co-operation and Development, claims the maths being taught to children is simple but the context it is explained in is over-complicated

He said: One of the things that we see when you look at high-performing education systems in maths, they typically have three things in the curriculum, one is rigour, the second is focus and the third is coherence.

Rigour means really having a high level of cognitive demand, and the UK is not doing well on it.

Basically, the UK has a curriculum that is a mile wide and an inch deep, in the sense that a lot of the learning in maths is rather superficial.

He suggested that maths teaching in the UK tends to be over-complicated, rather than taught in a simple fashion to ensure pupils grasp a concept.

In comparison, East Asian education systems - which traditionally top international league tables - teach fewer topics in more depth and put a much great emphasis on understanding.

The typical problems that students encounter in maths in England is relatively simple mathematics, embedded in a kind of complex context, Mr Schleicher said.

He added: Basically, the mathematics may not be very demanding, but theyre presented to students in a context that makes it sort of difficult.

You dont see that sort of teaching in China or Singapore. What those countries do, is they put an emphasis on do children understand the foundations? Can they think like a mathematician?

The latest Pisa tests, published in 2013, put England in 26th place for maths, behind areas include Singapore, Taiwan, Shanghai, South Korea and Japan

Speaking ahead of the Global Education and Skills Forum in Dubai Mr Schleicher said that following the global financial crisis, many countries, including the UK, said that students needed to be more financially literate.

The latest Pisa tests, published in 2013, put England in 26th place for maths, behind areas including Singapore, Taiwan, Shanghai, South Korea and Japan.

Englands education system is undergoing radical reform, including an overhaul of the curriculum and the introduction of new, tougher GCSEs and A-levels.

A Department for Education spokesperson said: The quality of maths teaching is improving dramatically in this country, because we have reformed the curriculum bringing maths teaching into line with international standards, ensuring young people can compete with the best in the world regardless of their background.
Five paintings by British artist Francis Bacon (pictured) worth an estimated 23.25m have been stolen from the Madrid home of their owner

Five paintings by British artist Francis Bacon worth an estimated 23.25m have been stolen from the Madrid home of their owner.

Sources close to the investigation said the theft appeared to have been a highly-professional operation which took place while the owner was away, with the perpetrators disabling the alarm system.

The thieves, who left no trace of their handiwork, had tracked the owner's movements to ensure he did not return to his apartment to catch them red-handed, they said.

Spanish media quoted sources as saying the artwork, comprising portraits and landscapes, was stolen last June. It was not immediately clear why news of the theft was not made public until now.

It was also unclear exactly which paintings were involved but one contemporary art specialist told the paper they would be extremely difficult to sell.

'It is not at all easy to sell a Francis Bacon, large or small without that getting to the ears of those who pore over such a rarified sector,' said the expert, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Police from a specialist arts and antiques unit have opened an investigation into the heist.

Dublin-born Bacon died in Madrid in 1992 aged 82 and his expressionist-surrealist works, including the 1996 piece Study for a Portrait (above left) and the 1959-1967 painting Seated Figure (Red Cardinal) (above right), remain hugely sought after

THE LIFE OF FRANCIS BACON Bacon (1909-1992) was born in Dublin to English parents and moved to London in 1926. Although he had no formal training as an artist, he started to exhibit his work in the 1930s and a decade later his angst-ridden paintings of twisted and mutated forms became a sensation in the artistic community. He died of a heart attack in Madrid in 1992. Today, his work is among the most popular of 20th-century art at auction. Advertisement

The owner of the paintings was believed to be a close friend of Bacon's.

Dublin-born Bacon died in Madrid in 1992 aged 82 and his expressionist-surrealist works, which are often raw and emotional, remain hugely sought after.

Bacon's death only enhanced his reputation and the 2013 sale of his 1969 work 'Three Studies of Lucien Freud' fetched 98m at auction, a world record at the time.
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She is a true leviathan of the oceans. Weighing in at 227,000 tons  and 124ft longer than the Eiffel Tower is tall  the new Harmony Of The Seas is the largest cruise ship ever to set sail.

The awesome vessel  which set out on its maiden trial voyage last week  is so vast it even houses a scaled down version of New Yorks Central Park within its 18 decks  complete with 10,587 plants and 52 trees up to 20ft tall.

An astonishing feat of engineering, built at a cost more than 800 million, Harmony Of The Seas pulled slowly out of Saint-Nazaire in France, where she was built, with no fewer than three pilots on board  specially trained on computer simulators  to guide her through the difficult manoeuvres needed to exit the estuary.

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Giant: Weighing 227,000 tons  and 124ft longer than the Eiffel Tower is tall - Harmony Of The Seas is the largest cruise ship ever to set sail

Lavish: The impressive vessel has VIP Royal Loft Suites, pictured, which cost 7,525 per person, per week and come complete with a butler

Dining: The Harmony Of The Seas has 16 restaurants and cafes to choose from, including its Wonderland fantasy themed venue (pictured)

Entertainment: Thrill seekers can test their mettle on four onboard water slides (left) or those hoping to enjoy a song and dance, can head to the 1,380-seat theatre where they can enjoy shows including Broadway's hit musical Grease and high-flying acrobatics

Such is the scale of the quarter-of-a-mile long Royal Caribbean International ship, when its first 6,000 passengers board in Southampton in May they will be issued with GPS-style wrist trackers so they wont get lost in her labyrinthine interiors.

And a squad of Royal Genie butlers will be at the beck and call of VIP guests. Thrill seekers will be able to choose from four onboard slides, including the Ultimate Abyss, the worlds tallest slide at sea, boasting an impressive 100ft plunge.

Elsewhere, a zipwire will whizz adventurous guests nine decks above the open-air atrium, robots will pour cocktails at a bionic bar, and passengers can learn to surf on a ship-board wave simulator.

Entertainment includes Broadways hit musical, Grease in the full-size theatre, a state-of the-art multimedia ice rink spectacular and high-flying acrobatics.

Mechanical service: Among the unique features on the Harmony Of The Seas, is a bionic bar where robots will pour passengers cocktails

Size: Harmony Of The Seas is 330ft longer than the Titanic and is as high as seven double decker buses stacked on top of each other

Engine room: Three power pods, each with 20ft propellers, along with four bow thrusters for manoeuvring, power the ship forward

The ship has 16 restaurants and cafes  including a Jamies Italian  boutique shopping on the Royal Promenade, and high-speed wi-fi in the staterooms. And for voyagers wanting a challenge, theres the Escape Room where guests have to try to break out by solving a series of puzzles.
Sharon Stone turned 58-years-old on Thursday.

And to thank her fans for the birthday love on social media - she was called everything from 'amazing' and 'beautiful' to a 'great actress' - the Basic Instinct vet shared a sweet message to Instagram: 'Really appreciate the kind birthday messages on social media.... Grateful.'

In her accompanying photo, the blonde beauty went makeup free.

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Baring it: Sharon Stone turned 58-years-old on Thursday. And to thank her fans for the birthday love on social media, she went makeup free

She looks better than most women in Hollywood: The Casino star at the Critics' Choice Awards in January

The Sliver star looked remarkably wrinkle free and vibrant.

The mother-of-three appeared to be sitting in a restaurant as there was a bottle of Voss water in front of her with two wine glasses.

Stone looked to be in great spirits as she smiled a natural smile, not a faux pucker up. And she was typing on her smart phone.

Nice words: The Basic Instinct vet also shared a sweet message to Instagram: 'Really appreciate the kind birthday messages on social media.... Grateful'

The Vanity Fair favorite wore her blonde locks pulled back with a black bandanna and looked youthful in a semi-sheer cream colored collared blouse.

The day before the siren was makeup free again as she wore log-cabin jammies to blow a candle out on what appeared to be muffin or a cupcake with an S on top.

Stone had on blue tinted glasses and looked genuinely touched that she was presented with a treat.

Celebrating: The day before the siren was makeup free again as she wore jammies to blow a candle out on what appeared to be muffin or a cupcake

Comfie screen queen: She had on blue tinted glasses and looked genuinely touched that she was presented with a treat

Flawless: Here she was makeup free too and seemed to have perfect skin

At work: Stone also explained she was on set in Utah. She may be filming Twisted with Billy Zane

She doesn't let her self go: The star showing off her toned body at the Aviva's Annual 'A Gala' Fundraiser in 2014

The Total Recall actress also explained she was on set in Utah. She may be filming Twisted with Billy Zane.

That film has a synopsis on imdb that reads: 'A group of beggars, smugglers and other criminals from Eastern Europe go to West in search for bread, glamour and prosperity.

'In the course of illegal activities in connection with delinquents of diverse countries, they amass a fortune in "spotted" dollars that they can't use.

'How will they clean the money? A Spanish swindler by the nickname of Bogus advises them to invest in international movies, where they can easily erase the tracks.'

The icon also has four other movies in the works: The Disaster Artist, The 11th, Running Wild and Mothers And Daughters.

Her first big hit: The Pennsylvania native with Michael Douglas in the 1992 thriller Basic Instinct
It is to be expected that a celebrity of Nicole Kidman's calibre would commute in style.

But Nicole Kidman, 48, upped the ante on Sunday when she revealed a glimpse at her astonishingly opulent suite as she enjoyed a flight with Etihad Airways.

Taking to Facebook, the Australian actress shared a picture of a double bed inside her private suite, which is branded as The Residence, captioning the snap with: 'WOW!!! The most amazing flight ever! Thank you to all the Etihad Airways staff #theresidence'.

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'WOW!!! The most amazing flight ever!' Nicole Kidman, 48, revealed a glimpse at her astonishingly opulent suite as she enjoyed a flight with Etihad Airways on Sunday

Fans were quick to gush about Nicole's glamorous lifestyle, with one commenting: 'How the other half live! If only...'

'Hi Etihad I'm available for filming your adverts anytime. Looking for flights to Sydney from UK to suit you', quipped another fan.

According to the Etiad Airways website, The Residence 'is the only three-room suite on a commercial airline', boasting a living room, separate bedroom and ensuite shower room. '

How the other half live! Fans were quick to gush about Nicole's glamorous lifestyle

The VIP lodgings don't come cheaply, with a one-way journey from Sydney to London costing around $43,000 AUD a pop.

Nicole,a celebrity brand ambassador for Etihad, fronted a slick campaign for the brand last year in which she is pictured posing among a plush aeroplane interior picturing while clad in a series of glamorous designer outfits.

Her decision to partner with the brand soon became a cause for criticism thanks to claims made by US union, the Association of Professional Flight Attendants.

High flying! Nicole, a celebrity brand ambassador for Etihad, fronted a slick campaign for the brand last year

Opulent: In the photos, Nicole is seen posing among a plush aeroplane interior picturing while clad in a series of glamorous designer outfits

In an open letter to Nicole, the president of the Association of Professional Flight Attendants, Laura Glading, accused Nicole's Etihad sponsorship deal as being at odds with her role in the United Nations as a Women's Goodwill Ambassador.

The union waged a public campaign against Etihad and other United Arab Emirates airlines, claiming they 'are well-known in our industry for their discriminatory labour practices and deplorable treatment of female employees'.

Etihad has since rejected the allegations, arguing that its commitment to its employees is one of the airline's top priorities.

Controversial: Nicole's Etihad sponsorship deal has been slammed as being at odds with her role in the United Nations as a Women's Goodwill Ambassador




She's been keeping up her fitness regime since splitting from Ben Affleck.

And Jennifer Garner showed her estranged husband what he's missing as she headed for another gruelling work-out in Beverly Hills on Saturday.

The 43-year-old actress flaunted her pert derriere in skin-tight black yoga leggings.

Fitness fanatic: Jennifer Garner showed Ben what he's missing as she showed off her pert derriere in Beverly Hills on Saturday

Thanks to her slim waist and toned stomach, Jen's sculpted chest also appeared fuller as she got set to get the endorphins flowing.

The star added a splash of colour on her trainers, with her black and grey ensemble.

She had changed into her work-out gear which clung to her slim frame after a morning of quality mother-daughter time.

Keeping on track: Later, the beauty made up for her cheat day by hitting the gym in Beverly Hills

Earlier in the day, the results of her healthy lifestyle turned heads as she flaunted her pert derriere in perfectly-fitting jeans in Santa Monica.

The Alias actress enjoyed a trip with seven-year-old Seraphina to a candy store, as she radiated positive energy.

The Dallas Buyers Club actress went with a laid back look, but showed off her classic style and impressive physique in a fitted black turtleneck sweater.

Ready for action: The make-up free Alias star added a splash of colour on her trainers, with her black and grey ensemble

Her shapely pins were on display in light denim skinny jeans and she wore black strappy sandals which matched the sunny weather.

Her silky honey locks were swept back into a high ponytail and her look was completed with dark movie star shades.

Little Seraphina wore a bright pink hooded sweatshirt with matching sneakers, denim overalls and a tie-dyed tee for the outing.

Hot mama! Jennifer Garner turned heads as her slim pins were on display in skinny jeans in Santa Monica on Saturday

Svelte: The Dallas Buyers Club actress showed off her slender physique in a fitted black turtleneck sweater

Once the ladies had gotten their fill of sugar, they stepped out onto the busy street and made their way to baby gear shop, Caro Bambino.

Earlier this month the A-list actress ditched her red carpet glamour and sported a shabby bathrobe for her upcoming role in The Tribes of Palos Verdes.

She was spotted on the Los Angeles set perched on the edge of a cliff as she threw her arms about in the air while filming a scene.

The Golden Globe winner plays a suburban mother nearing breakdown after moving to a Californian beach community and dealing with divorce.

Dynamic duo: Jennifer Garner, 43, enjoyed some mother-daughter bonding time with Seraphina, aged seven on Saturday

Sugar fix! The Golden Globe nominee took her daughter to the Santa Monica candy shop A Real Treat as the girls indulged their sweet tooth

Who's expecting? Once the ladies had gotten their fill of sugar, they made their way to baby gear shop, Caro Bambino

She explained to a group of youngsters on Friday night that the movie was 'not nice' so they probably wouldn't be able to watch it.

Jennifer was filming at Friendly Hills Country Club in Whittier, California, reports TMZ, and chatted to a mother/daughter group who were holding a dance close-by to filming after producer's asked them to keep the noise down.

The polite actress took the opportunity to explain that she plays the 'worst mother in the whole wide world in this movie' and thanked the group for their patience while they were shooting.

Showing off her personable nature she then asked the girls to cheer if they had a 'great mom'.

In the gritty drama, Jennifer's character comes face to face with the woman (played by Alicia Silverstone) she believes is having an affair with her husband (played by Justin Kirk).

However, in real life she has been dealing with her own marriage split from actor Ben Affleck in a remarkably civilised manner.

Jennifer and Ben, who have two other children together besides Seraphina (Violet, aged 10, and Samuel, aged three), announced their split in June after ten years of marriage and just a month before talk of his involvement with their 28-year-old nanny.

Shooting on set: Earlier this month the A-list actress ditched her red carpet glamour and sported a ratty bathrobe for her upcoming role in The Tribes of Palos Verdes

Former flames: However, in real life she has been dealing with her own marriage split from actor Ben Affleck in a remarkably civilised manner; Ben pictured at LAX airport on Saturday
The Jump has courted controversy after several stars sustained injuries in recent weeks.

And Tina Hobley is considering legal action against Channel 4 and the show's production company TwoFour over the serious arm injuries she sustained while filming in Austria.

The 44-year-old actress, best known for her role as Chrissie Williams on Holby City, told the Daily Star: 'Someone told me to jump and it wasn't safe to jump. So it wasn't an accident that was my fault.'

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Downhill: Tina Hobley is considering legal action against The Jump after injuries sustained on the daredevil Channel 4 show. The Holby actress was one of seven contestants to sustain injuries while filming in Austria

Tina broke her arm in two places and dislocated an elbow after swerving to avoid a member of the production crew.

Last month, Tina posted a shot of her arm in a cast, tweeting, 'When you're sent to jump and find a man in your landing area - dislocated elbow, two fractures, so sad!'

Mother-of-three Tina added to the paper: 'What happened was painful.'

MailOnline has reached out to both Tina and The Jump for comment.

'So sad': Tina Tweeted her disappointment about her dislocated elbow and two fractures

Off to a flying start: Tina looked radiant in an orange jumpsuit before the show began

For the high-jump! Channel 4's show has been repeatedly making headlines this year

Still flying high? When contacted by MailOnline a spokesperson for the show said: 'It is categorically untrue to suggest the show has been axed'

The news comes as the third series of the reality show, which pits celebrities against one another in a variety of events, comes to a close with an injury tally of seven.

Following a spate of crashes and mishaps in training and the actual live events, competitors in this years show have been ferried to the emergency room in unexpected numbers.

Amongst the most serious of the mountain mishaps has been Olympic gymnast Beth Tweddle's.

The 30-year-old sporting hero damaged two vertebrate while competing in the show - resulting in her undergoing surgery which she is currently recovering from.

Other victims of bad luck on the mountainside include Made In Chelsea's Mark-Francis Vandelli, Olympians Rebecca Addlington and Linford Christie; Sarah Harding; Joe Swash; actress Tina Hobley, and Heather Mills.

Dropping like flies! The news comes as the third series of the reality show, which pits celebrities against one another in a variety of events, comes to a close with an injury tally of seven to date

Recovering: Beth Tweddle damaged two vertebrate while competing in the show - resulting in her undergoing surgery which she is currently recovering from

Reality star Mark-Francis, 26, suffered a fractured ankle during a live event, and was forced to withdraw from the show after heading to hospital.

Double Olympic gold medallist Rebecca Adlington, 26,withdrew from the show on medical advice after she dislocated her shoulder mid-jump in the show's titular event.

The most recent victim of bad luck on the show was Heather Mills, who had been drafted in to help replenish the stable of celebrity competitors.

However, the 48-year-old entrepreneur crashed out of the show in a practice round just hours before the semi-final; with her retiring from the competition with an injured leg and hand.

Crocked: Reality star Mark-Francis, 26, suffered a fractured ankle during a live event, and was forced to withdraw from the show after heading to hospital
They've spent six weeks in the South African jungle, battled the harsh elements, struggled with limited food intake and completed tough tucker trials on I'm A Celebrity...Get Me Out Of Here!

And on Sunday night's episode of the show - the highly-anticipated grand final - Laurina Fleure was the first contestant to be given the boot and sent home.

The 31-year-old was named the second runner-up out of the three grand finalists and excitedly told Brendan Fevola and Paul Harragon: 'See ya on the flip'.

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She's gone! Former Bachelor star Laurina Fleure (centre) was named second runner-up on I'm A Celebrity...Get Me Out Of Here on Sunday night. Seen centre with Paul Harragon (L) and Brendan Fevola (R)

When hosts Chris Brown and Julia Morris announced that the former Bachelor beauty had to leave the camp, Laurina did not appear at all surprised.

Upon hearing the news, Laurina smiled widely, immediately jumped up and hugged her campmates, Brendan and Paul.

'Oh, my God! Love you guys so much. See ya,' she said, before adding: 'See ya on the flip.'

After leaving the camp, she described her time on the show as 'amazing' to hosts Julia and Chris.

Saying goodbye: Upon hearing the news, Laurina smiled widely and immediately jumped up and hugged her campmates

'It was amazing. There were so many ups and downs but by the end of it I felt like every down I took something, a lesson out of it,' she said.

'I polished up some things about myself - I took something good from everything bad that happened.'

When asked by Julia about being different to the girl who first went into the jungle - when she said she wanted to be an 'agitator' - Laurina claimed she is 'still the same girl.'

But she said she had learned a variety of lessons in the jungle.

'I'm still the same girl. I still sneak food into camp, question the rules, but I think it was the others that came to get me and accept me,' she added.

What an experience! After leaving the camp, she described her time on the show as 'amazing' to Julia and Chris

But she admitted it wasn't all easy, continuing: 'I had a really low point at one time, when I felt like I was being ignored.

'From that lesson I took, "Hang on, I'm butting in on people's conversations." So I calmed down, stopped being so excited to get in there.

'That was a great lesson. Another lesson I took when we were having the drama with Jo Beth in the kitchen and Chief spoke to everyone, he said, "Look, whatever the issues are, it's about delivery." I took that on board.'

The hosts noted how 'young women around Australia felt you stood up for yourself in the jungle' and loved it.

'Honestly, I'm the same person now,' Laurina said.

Opening up: Laurina is seen here talking to the show's hosts Chris Brown (L) and Julia Morris (M)

'The other day they put a ban on something and I cracked...but people didn't hold it against me. I'm still the same person but people understand and accept me now.

'At first people can be very judgmental and they assume you're one dimensional. I have made a few tweaks and I'm a lot more calmer about my delivery but I think it just took people to get me as well.'

After reflecting on her time in the jungle, she then walked into the arms of her man, Lewis Romano.

Happy: The brunette appeared in high spirits after being voted off the show

It comes after she and Lewis enjoyed a passionate reunion shortly before she was booted off.

The pair kissed one another, but the romanced was somewhat diminished when he asked: 'What's happened to your skin baby?'

The former Bachelor star has battled jungle related breakouts for weeks and sounded disappointed as she retorted: 'I know, it's a mess here!'

Lewis then noticed she had a new odour from her six weeks in the South African jungle and told her: 'You stink!'

Her man: On Sunday night, scenes also played of when she and Lewis had a passionate reunion ahead of her being booted off

But Laurina certainly proved herself during her time in the jungle.

The fashion boutique owner became a world record holder for doing the most tucker trials of any celebrity from the global franchise.

The brunette beauty snagged the title from American star Janice Dickinson who competed on the UK version of the show.

Laurina gained the world record after doing her eleventh challenge, called Jungle Houdini, which saw her stuck in a cage with locks on it in a river, with thew water rising as she floated along.

Some of the trails she has faced included The Viper Room, which saw her placed in a coffin as 45 snakes wiggled their way around her.

Tucker trial ace: The star is seen here doing The Viper Room challenge

Another trial saw her being covered in gruesome things such as buffalo manure, molasses and feathers.

She described it as having: 's**t poured over my head.'

At the start of the show, she also refused to eat a plate of bull's eyes and blood soaked maggots in a trial and said she didn't want to upset her stomach after having an operation six months ago for a twisted intestine.

At the time her boyfriend Lewis said in an interview his girl is 'not a princess.'

She also admitted on the show she was struggling without her creature comforts needed for her beauty regime.

Gross: Another trial saw her being covered in gruesome things such as buffalo manure, molasses and feathers

As she complained of the lack of products in the jungle, she admitted to having cosmetic enhancements - including having her eyebrows tattooed.

'It's pretty hard looking after your appearance in the jungle with very, very limited resources,' the brunette lamented ruefully.

'And being out in the elements all the time, it's pretty rough on the complexion, and sort of vitality and health of your skin with the fire and the wind and the...it's a struggle.

'I have had a few little cheeky nips and tucks,' she later added.

Laurina also had a run in with Brendan during her time on the show.

Clashes: Laurina also had a run in with Brendan during her time on the show

She had admitted to camp earlier this month that she broke the rules and stashed a piece of the dried meat Biltong from dinner rations.

Brendan wasn't impressed, snapping: 'Everyone will get punished!'

He then demanded the beauty return the meat to the diary room to abide with the rules.

She's also had numerous feuds with former campmate Jo Beth Taylor, 44.

They once clashed when Jo Beth did the dishes and noticed Laurina's plate was missing after a meal.

Adding fuel to the fire: Jo Beth Taylor (R) slammed Laurina (L) on the show as she complained the former Bachelor star is notorious for leaving her dishes at her bed

'Laurina is a little notorious for eating and then just going straight to bed and leaving her dish on the end of her bed,' she said to Bonnie Lythgoe beside the makeshift sink.

Bonnie set out through the campsite to find Laurina's plate, left by her bed, and in a diary room confession she complained: 'I thought I was the one that was difficult.'

She went on: 'I thought I was the one that wants my bed made and my bed laid down and all those things, I am pretty easy compared to what she's like.'

Jo Beth went on to say: 'We don't think that it's fair that we should have to go searching for people's dishes.'

Anthony Callea, 33, also noticed Laurina wasn't one to keep up with her chores and remarked: 'I think the consensus with camp is every time Laurina has had a chore to do she's very good at somewhat getting out of it as much as possible.'

Having his say: Anthony Callea, 33, also noticed Laurina wasn't one to keep up with her chores

Paul, 47, stepped in and told Jo Beth he would pull the former Bachelor contestant aside to talk about the dishes.

Jo Beth also once flipped the birdie at Laurina, after Laurina complained she was excluded by Jo Beth from contributing to cooking for the camp.

Laurina didn't see the rude gesture but was informed by camp mates afterwards.

She also made a number of candid confessions during her time on the show, including working at a strip club when she was 20-years-old.

She said she would saunter around in a bunny costume and would rake in tips, earning up to six of seven hundred dollars in a single shift.

'My goal in life when I was 19 and I dropped out of uni was to work the VIP room and get really good tips and meet a gangster,' she told her campmates on the show,' she said on the show.

'I met a gangster but then I got into modelling and went travelling all around the world so I never made it to the VIP room to get them tips.'

She added: 'I would earn six or seven hundred dollars for working a five-hour shift as a waitress just dressed as a little bunny.'
They are generally dressed to impress.

So it came as no surprise that the Real Housewives Of Melbourne (RHOM) stars would turn up to Gamble Breaux's bridal shower in their old designer wedding dresses.

The women - who dressed in their old gowns following a request from fellow housewife Chyka - flaunted their curves in the dazzling floor-length frocks which boasted sequins, frills, shoulder pads and trains that went on for days.

Flashback! The Real Housewives Of Melbourne stars dazzle in their frilly and expensive wedding dresses as they celebrate Gamble Breaux's bridal shower

The first to cut a chic figure in her off-the-shoulder lace dress was hospitality entrepreneur and hostess of the 44-year-old bride-to-be's party, Chyka Keebaugh.

Donning the gown she married in 24 years ago, she completed her vintage look with a long white hair veil which fell to the floor.

'When I was 23 years old it was something that I thought was a princess dress,' the 47-year-old mother-of-two said ahead of the drama-filled party.

Wedding of the year: Chyka Keebaugh, now 47, got married when she was 23-years-old

Before and after: Chyka could just fit her curvaceous frame into the wedding dress which she wore more than 24 years ago when she wed Bruce Keebaugh

She added: 'It was a big wedding and everyone was talking about it.'

Country girl turned Toorak socialite Susan McLean showed off her slim frame in a studded Alex Perry frock.

Although the dress looked easy on the eye, the two-time divorcee admitted the designer ensemble was painful to wear.

'I had bruising on two of my ribs...Alex Perry made the dress and I think he actually forgot that we have a pancreas, a liver and internal organs in here,' the 47-year-old said.

Such a stunner: Country girl turned Toorak socialite Susan McLean showed off her slim frame in a studded Alex Perry frock

Former bliss: The starlet has been divorced twice, with her last marriage to former St Kilda Football Club President Rod Butterss only lasting five months

She's still got it: Pettifleur Berenger said after 17 years, her dress still fit like 'a glove'

Flaunting her figure: The 51-year-old flaunted her gym-honed body in her 17-year-old wedding dress

Successful property developer Pettifleur Berenger, 51, said after 17 years, her white uniform still fit like 'a glove' - unlike some of the women who had difficulty in managing the zipper.

Meanwhile, psychic Jackie Gilles opted to walk down the aisle in a Henry Roth designed dress that included various layers of frills.

However, Janet Roach had to attend the party in a plunging cocktail dress after admitting that she had thrown her wedding dress in the 'bin'.

Rock star wedding: physic Jackie Gilles opted to walk down the aisle in a Henry Roth designed dress that included layers of frills

In the bin: Janet Roach had to attend the party in a plunging cocktail dress after admitting that she had thrown her wedding dress in the 'bin'

Married twice, but no gowns: Janet admitted her first wedding dress was made into a quilt and the second dress was thrown in the bin

'I've been married twice. So I've had two wedding dresses. The first one I made into a quilt and I put my children's white christening gowns into it.

'The second one was a ball gown that I already had and I just slipped on for the day. I didn't think I needed it again.'

Gamble donated her old smock to charity and had to attend her own party in a much more modern design.

Modern design: Gamble dazzles in a more modern design after she gave away her wedding dress

Long gone: The former model's wedding dress was structured and ended at the ankles

Why not? Lydia flaunted her toned pins in a handmade Dolce & Gabbana lace dress for her romantic wedding

The detail: The expensive gown included intricate red, green and blue stitching, a high neck, puffy sleeves and ended just below her knees

Meanwhile Lydia flaunted her toned pins in a handmade Dolce & Gabbana lace dress.

The expensive gown included intricate red, green and blue stitching, a high neck, puffy sleeves and fell just below the knees.

Moving on from the gushing over wedding dresses, Pettifleur takes her fight with Gamble to the next level after she rejected her wedding invitation.

Rejected! Tensions build between frenemies on Sunday night's episode of Real Housewives Of Melbourne after Pettifleur (right) rejected Gamble (left) wedding invitation

And while the fallout includes yelling, tears and eventually hugs - all is eventually forgiven between the frenemies.

Meanwhile, Janets hosted her first extended family dinner since she and Brian split up after 17-years of marriage.

A gathering of the two families makes for the perfect occasion for the blonde to reveal her weight-losing medical diagnosis  post traumatic stress.

Janet suffered with stress for four years after her son, Jake Zogoolas, sustained third degree burns to 70 per cent of his body in a fire accident.

The dating game: Janet revealed she's exploring her options and is later wined and dined by 'Christopher' the farmer

But dinner with her ex doesn't stop Janet from exploring her options and she's later wined and dined by 'Christopher' the farmer.

The mother-of-two reveals she 'would really like some companionship' after two divorcees.

'I would really like to fall in love again and have lots and lots of regular sex.'

Meanwhile, Susies sons are introducing her to the world of online dating after two unsuccessful marriages.

Although the new housewife isn't too sure she want's to be back in the dating game.
Actor Charlie Weber is reportedly divorcing his wife of less than a year.

The How to Get Away with Murder star, 37, is fiercely private about his home life, but TMZ reports that the star has filed for divorce from his wife, Giselle, citing irreconcilable differences.

The entertainment news site claims the papers were filed in Los Angeles last month and that there was a prenup in place.

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It's over: Actor Charlie Weber, 37, is reportedly divorcing his wife of less than a year

The couple, who don't have children together, wed in a private ceremony last April in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.

Such was the privacy surrounding their relationship, that at the time of the wedding Giselle's name wasn't even known to the public.

It was reported that Charlie's HTGAWM co-stars Matt McGorry and Katie Findlay were present for the nuptials.

Irreconcilable differences: The divorce papers were reportedly filed in Los Angeles last month

In an interview with Steve Harvey early last year, the actor discussed the couple's engagement.

He said: 'After we shot the pilot in Philadelphia, I came home and proposed to my girlfriend. I did it. We've been engaged for just under a year, and I'm taking her to Bora Bora.'

Charlie has a 10-year-old daughter from a previous relationship.

In the same interview, he said: 'I'm trying to keep her my baby for as long as I possibly can. She's still my little angel," Weber told Harvey. "We'll see how long that lasts, but right now all is well.'

Before HTGAWM, the actor was probably best known for his role as Ben in Buffy the Vampire Slayer. He appeared in 14 episodes across 2000-2001, starring opposite Sarah Michelle Gellar and Alyson Hannigan.

He currently plays Frank Delfino, an assistant to leading lady Viola Davis's law professor, in the hit ABC drama.
He is an internationally renowned heartthrob.

So Henry Cavill is bound to get his fair share of female attention - although he insists he is opposed to such advances when he is with his girlfriend Tara King.

Speaking to Sunday Times Style magazine the 32-year-old actor revealed he cannot tolerate 'disrespectful' fans who make comments in front of his girlfriend, 19.

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Loved-up: Henry Cavill is bound to get his fair share of female attention - although he insists he is opposed to such advances when he is with his girlfriend Tara King

The Superman star said: 'I've heard some things in my time, I have to say. I'd best not say what. I don't mind it - not unless I'm with my girlfriend and someone is being complimentary to me in order to disrespect her.

'People who don't respect other people's feelings really get my goat.'

Henry also claimed that he is the victim of catcalls from women and often finds it uncomfortable due to the role reversal between men and woman.

He adds: 'I do think there's a bit of a double standard, you know. I mean, if a girl shouts something like, "Oi, love, fancy a shag?" to me as I walk past, I do sometimes wonder how she'd feel if a builder said that to her. Although, of course, I wouldn't feel physically threatened, as she might.'

Strong bond: Speaking to Sunday Times Style magazine the 32-year-old actor revealed he cannot tolerate 'disrespectful' fans who make comments in front of his girlfriend, 19

Lucky girl: The incredibly handsome Brit recently revealed there was no issue with the 13 year age gap between them

The incredibly handsome Brit recently revealed there was no issue with the 13 year age gap between them.

Henry recently opened up about how he fell head over heels for the 'mature' teen.

In a candid interview with Elle Magazine, he revealed: People say age is just a number. It's actually real and true sign of someone's maturity. But in this case, she's fantastic.

When I met my girlfriend, I was super intimidated. I wanted to impress her, the Man Of Steel star continued. I was thinking, Don't mess this up, man.

Super happy, man! In a candid interview with Elle Magazine , he revealed: People say age is just a number. It's actually real and true sign of someone's maturity. But in this case, she's fantastic.

And although the British heartthrob feels at ease with the teenage University student, Henry confessed he understands natural reaction to the couple's age difference.

The Tudors actor went on to confide that he has dated older women in the past, by adding: When I was 19, I was going out with a 32-year-old.

The Mail on Sunday revealed in October that Henry and Tara were an item after they were pictured together at a rugby match at Twickenham.

They have since been on three holidays together, the most recent break being New Zealand during Taras reading week at university.

Loved up in LA: And although the British heartthrob feels at ease with the teenage University student, Henry confessed he understands natural reaction to the couple's age difference.

A lot of people wondered if the relationship would last, but this shows its serious, despite the age difference, a friend of the actor told the publication.

The New Zealand adventure came two weeks after the pretty blonde joined Henry to meet his family at home in Jersey, and two months before that they travelled to China.

Henry, who is gearing up for the highly anticipated Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice movie, has previously dated a string of famous women in his quest to find his real-life Lois Lane.

He was in an on/off relationship with American actress Gina Carano, 33, and was briefly linked to Big Bang Theory star Kaley Cuoco, 30, three years ago.

She's a sport! The Mail on Sunday revealed in October that Henry and Tara were an item after they were pictured (here) together at a rugby match at Twickenham
He's rumoured to be dating Parisian model Sonia Ben Ammar, ringing in his 17th birthday with the model last week in London.

And Brooklyn Beckham seemed to be enjoying the company of the star as they looked close on a recent day out in Disneyland in California.

The eldest son of David and Victoria Beckham looked calm and content as he walked round the park with Sonia, 17, who seemed to be getting into the spirit of things by donning a pair of Minnie Mouse ears.

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Taking the Mickey! Brooklyn Beckham enjoyed a day out to Disneyland Park in California with his rumoured girlfriend Sonia Ben Amer - who got into the spirit of things by donning a pair of Minnie Mouse ears

Joined by a group of friends, the pair split away from the group to enjoy some alone time, chatting animatedly as they soaked in the sights.

Clad in a beige top and black skinny jeans, Brooklyn looked effortlessly stylish on the journey, rolling the sleeves up on his shirt to give the look a more fashionable edge.

Meanwhile, Sonia looked equally chic in a pair of denim shorts and a plain black T-shirt.

Layering up in a camouflage jacket, the teenage model finished off her ensemble with a small backpack.

Chic and cheerful! Clad in a beige top and black skinny jeans, Brooklyn, 17, looked effortlessly stylish on the journey, rolling the sleeves up on his shirt to give the look a more fashionable edge

Resting her arm on Brooklyn's shoulder, the brunette star beamed broadly as she walked around the park.

Chatting away, the pair were no doubt pleased to be able to spend some time together, as Brooklyn lives in London whilst Sonia is based more than 200 miles away in Paris.

They have maintained a close friendship after meeting in the Maldives over the 2014/2015 New Year's holiday with their families.

Word of mouse: Sonia looked effortlessly chic in a pair of denim shorts and a plain black T-shirt. Layering up in a camouflage jacket, the model, 17, finished off her ensemble with a small backpack

Sonia is the daughter of Beata and Tarak Ben Ammar - a Tunisian-born film producer and distributor who has worked on Life Of Brian and The Passion Of The Christ.

French-born Sonia is signed to prestigious Next Models in Paris and has also been paving a career for herself in acting and singing.

She has already starred on Broadway and appeared in the 2013 French movie Jappeloup.

Brooklyn, meanwhile, has been pursuing his passion for photography, and landed his first job last month, shooting Burberry's latest social media campaign.

The squad: Brooklyn and Sonia have maintained a close friendship after meeting in the Maldives over the 2014/2015 New Year's holiday with their families
High energy, unease as Trump rally faces more protests

It may not have been his most violent, but Donald Trump's Saturday rally at a cavernous exposition center in Cleveland saw plenty of protests, both inside and out.

Trump received a rock star welcome from thousands of supporters who embrace his message of being tough on immigration, playing hardball with China and others on trade, and rebuilding the military.

"Are we going to win Ohio!?" he boomed, earning a deafening roar from the crowd that gathered just three days before Ohio holds its presidential primaries for Republicans and Democrats.

Attendees clash during a Trump rally on March 12, 2016 in Cleveland, Ohio Brendan Smialowski (AFP)

But within a minute of the brash billionaire taking the stage, opponents of his campaign disrupted the event, chanting "Dump Trump" and waving anti-Trump signs.

"Where do these people come from?" Trump mused as security escorted some protesters from the rally.

A protester and a Trump supporter scuffled in the middle of the crowd.

"These are Bernie's people," he taunted, referring to Senator Bernie Sanders, who is challenging Hillary Clinton for the Democratic nomination.

Sure enough, in the sea of Trump campaign posters, one young woman held up a hand-drawn, red white and blue "Bernie" sign.

She was quickly led away.

Trump at first made light of the protests, but eventually grew irritated, ordering: "Get 'em the hell out."

- Danger for protesters -

Protesting a Trump rally has become dangerous political activity in recent days. A black man was sucker-punched in North Carolina as he was led out of a Trump event.

Chaos erupted at a planned Chicago rally on Friday, forcing the real estate mogul to cancel his appearance.

The scuffle has been compared to the far more violent Democratic National Convention of 1968 in the same city.

State and local law enforcement were very visible at Cleveland's rally, where some police outside rode armored horses. Trump's own security detail and the US Secret Service were on hand.

At a separate rally in Dayton earlier in the day, a protester tried to breach a security buffer, prompting Secret Service to form a protective circle around the candidate.

Still, things turned heated outside in Cleveland.

About a dozen protesters holding signs that read "Trump Wants to make America Hate Again" got into loud, sometimes testy back-and-forth arguments with Trump supporters.

More than 100 people encircled the protesters, some taunting them or shouting "Get a job" and "All lives matter," a twist on the African American activist movement "Black Lives Matter."

"You want free health care? Join the military!" screamed one Trump fan.

"It was tense," 24-year-old graduate student Joy Childress told AFP after things calmed down.

She said people were shouting "Go back to Africa" at her.

Eventually, sheriff's deputies intervened and defused the confrontation.

"The ignorance was real among this crowd," Childress said. "They were arrogant too. If you have arrogance on top of ignorance, that creates a bunch of bigotry."

Trump has been under fire for the provocative nature of his rallies. At one event, Trump told a protester who disrupted his speech that he would like to "punch him in the face."

While Trump called for protesters' ejection on Saturday, he showed restraint, using none of the forceful language that earned him rebukes in the past.

"That was inappropriate what he said before. He needs to defuse the situation more," said Nicole Blazek, a store manager from Cleveland who was waving the flag for Trump.

Blazek, 32, admitted she was "a little nervous" as she waited in line to enter the rally, but then felt reassured by the Secret Service presence.

A few dozen protesters also lined up on the entrance road outside the expo, holding signs that read: "Trump is Hitler's son."

As he waited to get inside, Bill Burns, a small business owner from Shefield Lake, bristled when asked about Chicago's unrest and whether Trump bore any blame.

"No not at all. All the problems are from the protesters," said Burns, 41.

"You see them standing on the American flag. That's just garbage."

Trump is his man, Burns said, because he "speaks how he feels" and loathes political correctness.

Not everyone who crashed Trump's party was an agitator.

Two women who support Sanders said they unzipped their sweatshirts mid-rally to reveal "Feel the Bern" shirts underneath.

Trump fans converged on them and shouted for their expulsion.

The women said local police came over to investigate, and when they saw the women doing nothing to disrupt the event, they let them stay and walked away.

Protesters rally outside a Trump rally on March 12, 2016 in Cleveland, Ohio Michael Mathes (AFP)

A supporter of Bernard Sanders holds up a sign during a Trump rally on March 12, 2016 in Cleveland, Ohio Brendan Smialowski (AFP)

Protesters gather across the street from a Trump rally on March 12, 2016 in Cleveland, Ohio Brendan Smialowski (AFP)
Australian icebreaker home for repairs after Antarctica grounding

Australia's flagship icebreaker has arrived home for repairs after running aground in Antarctica, as the government thanked international teams from China, Japan and the United States for helping to evacuate the expeditioners on board.

The Aurora Australis broke its mooring in a raging blizzard and ran aground at Horseshoe Harbour close to Australia's Mawson station on February 24, stranding 68 people on board.

The icebreaker was eventually refloated and left Antarctica on March 2, arriving at the West Australian port of Fremantle on Saturday, Environment Minister Greg Hunt said, where it is expected to undergo repairs for hull damage.

Several countries have territorial claims on Antarctica, viewed as a potential future source of huge mineral resources Torsten Blackwood (AFP/File)

Hunt thanked the Chinese, Japanese and US Antarctica programmes for diverting from their own missions by supplying planes and moving expeditioners to help those who had been stranded.

"The assistance offered by all three Antarctic programmes is greatly appreciated as were the many other offers of support from other countries," Hunt said in a statement Saturday.

"Antarctica is a hostile, remote and inherently dangerous environment and international cooperation is vital for our dedicated Antarctic teams to be able to carry out their important work."

The expeditioners are due to be flown back to Australia in the next few days, Hunt added.

The ageing Aurora Australis, which is owned by P&O Maritime Services, is scheduled to be replaced in 2019 by a new custom-built ship that will be faster, bigger and offer increased endurance.
Al Gore in surprise visit to Haiyan ground zero in the Philippines

Climate change activist and former US vice president Al Gore made a surprise visit on Saturday to an impoverished Philippine city ravaged by one of the strongest storms on record.

The Nobel Peace Prize winner lit candles at a mass grave in Tacloban for thousands killed by Super Typhoon Haiyan in 2013, a picture tweeted by Climate Reality showed.

The US non-governmental organisation is holding a seminar on adapting to climate change in Manila next week, where Gore is scheduled to speak.

A woman, accompanied by her young family members, writes the name of a loved one on a cross at a mass graveyard for victims of typhoon Haiyan, in Tacloban City, Leyte province, central Philippines, in November 2015 Ted Aljibe (AFP/File)

"We hope his visit reminds the world of what happened after Yolanda," 51-year-old typhoon survivor Demetria Raya told AFP, referring to the local name for Haiyan.

The mother of three said she met Gore Saturday in a seaside village near Tacloban airport where her home once stood, before it was wiped out by the storm.

"He asked if I want to rebuild my house here. I said no. This place reminds me of my ordeal, how the waves washed away everything," said Raya, who now lives in a temporary shelter several kilometres away.

More than two years after Haiyan, Tacloban and surrounding areas have yet to recover, with many living in shanty towns without running water and electricity. Survivors often still bear emotional scars.

Haiyan swept through central islands of the Philippines in November 2013, with giant waves wiping out entire communities and leaving 7,500 people dead or missing.

Since the disaster, high-profile personalities including the Pope and French President Francois Hollande have visited Tacloban to call attention to the effects of climate change.

Experts are studying the link between climate change and the increasing strength of storms battering the nation.
S. Africa, Nigeria: African giants battle for economic supremacy

When South Africa's President Jacob Zuma visited Nigeria last week he was on a delicate mission to mend rifts between the continent's two economic powerhouses.

From economic rivalry to political friction, relations between South Africa and Nigeria have been strained in recent years.

The election of Nigeria's President Muhammadu Buhari into office last May did not immediately ease the tension.

South Africa's President Jacob Zuma reviews a guard of honour at the presidential villa in Abuja on March 8, 2016 Philip Ojisua (AFP/File)

When Zuma visited Abuja last week, Buhari set aside diplomacy and accused one of South Africa's largest companies of failing the country in its fight against the Boko Haram insurgency.

Telecoms giant MTN was fined $3.9 billion for missing a deadline to disconnect 5.1 million unregistered SIM cards, a legal requirement aimed at hampering the militant Islamists.

Buhari said MTN was "very slow" in cutting off the lines and that the unregistered lines were used by "terrorists" and "contributed to the casualties".

The Nigerian government's concern "was basically on the security, not the fine imposed on the MTN," he said.

But MTN is not the only South African company riding rough waves in Nigeria.

Hotel and resort chain group Sun International is also a target of investigation by the country's economic financial crimes commission.

"We have an exemplary track record of operating in many countries over the past 30 years, but the difficulties we have experienced in Nigeria are unprecedented," Michael Farr, Sun International group's general manager for communications, told AFP.

"We'll continue to evaluate the situation and therefore our options."

Africa's largest satellite broadcaster, Johannesburg-headquartered Multichoice, last year came under pressure to reduce its tariffs following accusations by the Nigerian authorities that it was abusing its dominant position.

Some South African companies, such as the Truworths clothing retailer, have pulled out of the country altogether.

"We closed our four stores in Nigeria because we were unable to send stock to stores due to the regulations in Nigeria," Michael Mark, Truworths CEO told AFP.

- 'Targeted because of envy' -

Following the rebasing of its gross domestic product figures in April 2014, Nigeria became the continent's largest economy, overtaking South Africa.

While 120 South African companies operate in Nigeria, the west African nation is only Pretoria's seventh-biggest trading partner on the continent.

"Some South African business people and officials suspect that South African companies are being targeted because of envy from local competitors," said Peter Fabricius, an analyst with the Institute of Security Studies in Pretoria.

But "many Nigerians believe (MTN) was grossly negligent about obeying the rules and arrogant," said Fabricius.

Muda Yussuf, the director general of Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry said that it "does not mean these companies are being targeted".

"It is just that companies operating anywhere have to comply with the laws governing business behaviours in their host countries. It does not matter if the companies are from South Africa or somewhere else.

"Laws are made to be obeyed. What happened to MTN can happen to any Nigerian company."

After signing more than 30 bilateral agreements on trade, energy, defence and security among others, Pretoria put a positive spin on the visit.

"The visit of Zuma... is a testimony that there is no undercurrent of 'cold war' between Nigeria and South Africa," said Sola Oni, investment analyst and former senior manager with the Nigeria Stock Exchange.

"Nigeria is such a strategic country that cannot be easily ignored by any country globally," said Oni.

But both countries are facing economic headwinds.

South Africa's growth is undermined by the slowdown in China and falling commodity prices, while Nigeria, the continent's top oil producer, is suffering from low oil prices.
Trade seen as key to return to normality in NE Nigeria

The annual rains are approaching in northeast Nigeria but with farmers having fled the Boko Haram conflict and their fields fallow, it's feared another planting season will come and go.

"If this crop season is missed, the food situation will worsen," warned Mohammed Rijiya, president of the Borno State Chamber of Commerce.

"It is not sustainable to continue feeding the displaced in camps. They need to go back home and cultivate," he told AFP.

Nigerian soldiers ride new motorcycles introduced to provide security along highways reopened in the northeast state of Borno, nearly three years after they were shut because of Boko Haram attacks

At least 17,000 people have been killed since the conflict began in 2009, most of them in Borno state. More than 2.6 million others have been forced to flee their homes.

Fears of raids or the aftermath of deadly attacks have left towns and villages deserted, forcing many in the largely agricultural region into camps for the internally displaced or host communities.

With harvests missed, stores of grains looted, livestock stolen and roads blocked, food has been in increasingly short supply in rural Borno and even the towns and cities where many have fled.

The World Food Programme last month said 5.6 million people in the Lake Chad Basin of northeast Nigeria, northern Cameroon, southeastern Niger and southwestern Chad were "food insecure".

A total of $32 million (29 million euros) was "urgently required to meet the most immediate needs in the four countries over the next six months", the WFP said.

Last year, nearly 6,500 children were found to be severely malnourished in IDP camps in Borno, according to health officials.

Malnutrition was a factor in the deaths of 459 from preventable childhood illness.

- Rural lifeline -

With the Islamists now on the run after a sustained military counter-offensive over the last year, business leaders believe trade should be at the forefront of the region's revival.

"The government has to ensure the resumption of security in the areas affected by the violence and the resumption of economic activities there for normal life to return," said Rijiya.

Currently, all 280 rural markets across Borno have been shut because of the violence, with the government and military worried about Boko Haram's use of local trading centres to raise money.

Last week, the Borno authorities shut down four cattle markets following security reports they were being used by the militants to sell stolen livestock.

That -- and the closure of the main cattle market in the state capital, Maiduguri -- has led to a shortage of meat, provoking a public outcry.

Even Boko Haram itself has not been immune from the shortages, with reports dozens of starving fighters have surrendered and forced into neighbouring countries in the search for food.

There are fears that reopening the markets -- a lifeline for local traders and people -- could turn on the militants' supply routes again.

But Rijiya said: "These rural markets drive the local economy of Borno because they provide patronage to our traders. As long as these markets remain closed there is no end to our suffering."

- Security key -

Nigeria's military recently announced it has secured and re-opened the Damboa to Biu and Maiduguri to Gamboru roads, which were previously prone to regular attacks on motorists.

Securing all major routes in to and out of Maiduguri and other commercial centres is now key to allowing people to return.

"The security situation is precarious because only Maiduguri is secure," said Abubakar Gamandi, who heads the fishermen's union in Borno.

"But once you venture three kilometres (nearly two miles) outside the city you are prone to Boko Haram attacks because the gunmen are not far from the city."

The road to Gamboru, on Borno's eastern border with Cameroon, is still a known hot-spot for attacks and all but impassable without a military escort, which is impossible for most, Gamandi said.

Borno's government aims to return the displaced to areas secured by the military as part of its reconstruction, resettlement and rehabilitation programme.

But the commissioner responsible, Babagana Umara, has said the project could take years and the state doesn't have the huge resources needed to rebuild hundreds of destroyed towns.

Several traders instead proposed paying compensation to the displaced to allow them to rebuild at their own pace and get the economy moving again.

"It is not about reconstruction, it is all about restoring security to our homes and resuming trade and commerce," said Bundi Abba, who heads the boat operators' union in Baga, on Lake Chad.

"Once that is done we will gradually rebuild our lives because we have all it takes to do that."

Young girls fleeing Boko Haram Islamists carry their belongings as they walk past a burnt house on the outskirts of Maiduguri, the capital of Nigeria's northeast Borno State
Trafficked Nepali, Bangladeshi women trapped in Syria

Nepali villager Sunita Magar thought she was heading to a safe factory job in Kuwait, but only when she landed in Damascus did she realise "something had gone very wrong".

Frequently beaten with a baton and given only one meal a day, Magar says she spent 13 months working as a maid for a Syrian household and pleading to be allowed to go home.

"I was just in shock, I couldn't stop crying," the single mother-of-two told AFP.

Nepalese migrant worker Sunita Magar (L), who was trafficked to Syria, sits with her mother (R) and father (back) at their home in Dhadhing district, some 100 km west of Kathmandu Prakash Mathema (AFP)

Magar is among scores of poor Nepali and Bangladeshi women who travelled to the Middle East on the promise of a good job, only to be trafficked into Syria, wracked by five years of civil war.

Nepal's top diplomat in the region said nationals from the Philippines, Indonesia and other countries, which, like Nepal and Bangladesh, have large migrant labour populations, stopped working in Syria because of the dangers involved.

"Since then traffickers have been targeting Nepalis," said Kaushal Kishor Ray, head of Nepal's diplomatic mission based in Cairo.

"The numbers have gone up hugely in recent years, we estimate there must be around 500 Nepali women in Syria," Ray told AFP.

In nearby Bangladesh, Shahinoor Begum lies in a Dhaka hospital bed recovering from her seven-month ordeal after being trafficked into Syria as a sex slave.

"I was sold to a Syrian man who tortured and raped me every day, sometimes along with his friends," Begum, also a single mother-of-two, said.

"I begged for mercy, but they didn't have any. Instead they used to beat me so badly that I broke my arms," she told AFP.

Accompanied by labour agents, the 28-year-old and several other women left Bangladesh on the promise of working as maids in Jordan.

But they too were taken to Syria, where fighting between the regime and rebel forces has left more than 260,000 dead and displaced more than half the population.

Begum eventually developed kidney disease, prompting traffickers to contact her ageing mother to demand money for her safe return home.

Lieutenant Colonel Golam Sarwar said his team from Bangladesh's elite Rapid Action Battalion are investigating her case and two others -- although families of 43 other women have lodged similar complaints.

"Bangladesh is apparently a soft target for the traffickers," Sarwar told AFP.

- 'Always afraid' -

Criminal networks target nationals from Nepal and Bangladesh in part because their governments have little diplomatic influence in the region and no embassy in Syria.

A Nepal government ban on migrant workers travelling to Syria has failed to stop the traffickers, an International Labour Organization (ILO) official said.

"Nepal's government thinks a ban is the easiest solution, it basically allows them to wipe their hands of the issue," said Bharati Pokharel, ILO national project coordinator in Kathmandu.

"India has much more diplomatic clout than Nepal or Bangladesh and traffickers are aware of this. They know Nepal is weak and that they will face no legal action for their activities," Pokharel told AFP.

Illiterate, trusting and desperate to dig herself out of poverty, Magar didn't hesitate when a labour broker approached her with a promise of a well-paid job in Kuwait. The 23-year-old says she didn't realise she had been duped until the plane landed in Damascus.

"I was always exhausted, always hungry, always afraid," Magar said of working 20 hours a day for no pay and sleeping on her employer's penthouse balcony.

At night, she listened to Nepali songs to try to drown out occasional sounds of gunfire and bombs and chase away thoughts of suicide.

- Corrupt officials -

When a massive earthquake hit Nepal last April, Magar stepped up pleas to her employers, who had confiscated her passport, to return home.

They contacted the broker who then demanded payment from Magar's family to ensure her release. Her mother then highlighted the case to local newspapers, kicking off a social media campaign. Expat Nepalis as far afield as Finland and Hong Kong raised $3,800 to pay off her employers.

Magar, who finally arrived in Kathmandu in August, counts herself among the lucky few to have escaped.

Rohit Kumar Neupane's aunt was trafficked to Damascus last spring. She alerted her family via Facebook a few months later, prompting Neupane to repeatedly seek help from government officials without success.

A foreign ministry official said Neupane's request had been forwarded to its overworked embassy in Cairo, which covers nine countries including Syria.

"Frankly, we are not in a position to manage these cases from Cairo...what we need is precautionary action to prevent them from coming to Syria in the first place," said diplomat Ray.

But an apparent nexus between local labour brokers involved in trafficking and corrupt Nepali officials means they operate freely, according to experts.

"Even in the rare instance that a case is filed, it will just drag on with no possibility of resolution or a guilty verdict," said Krishna Gurung, project coordinator at Kathmandu's Pourakhi emergency shelter house for female migrant workers.

In her village of Murali Bhanjyang in central Nepal, Magar has little hope of seeing the traffickers brought to justice.

"I still have nightmares about that time...I start crying in my sleep," she said.

"Sometimes it feels like none of this is real, like I am back on that balcony in Syria, dreaming of Nepal."

Nepalese migrant worker Sunita Magar, who was trafficked to Syria, holding her passport at home in Dhadhing district, some 100 km west of Kathmandu Prakash Mathema (AFP)

Nepalese migrant worker Sunita Magar (C), who was trafficked to Syria, is being hugged by her children, son Bipin Magar (R) and daughter Elina Magar, at their home in Dhadhing district, some 100 km west of Kathmandu Prakash Mathema (AFP)
Wild bear kills three people in India before being shot

A bear killed two villagers and a wildlife officer sent to tranquilise it before being shot dead in a forest in central India, police said Sunday.

The sloth bear mauled the villagers late on Saturday, sparking a police hunt for the beast after fearful locals in Chhattisgarh state demanded its capture.

Police shot and killed the female bear after it also fatally attacked the wildlife official who had been sent to trap and tranquilise it, said Rajesh Kukareja, deputy police chief of Mahasamund district.

Sloth bears are found in India, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Bhutan but shrinking habitats and rampant poaching have reduced their numbers Manpreet Romana (AFP/File)

"The bear was very aggressive and killed the officer at the spot. We had no option but to shoot it," Kukareja told AFP.

"It was on a rampage, attacking everyone," he said.

Tribal villagers found the bodies of the two men after they failed to return from a trip to the forest to pick edible flowers, triggering a search for them.

Mahasamund is home to numerous animal species, including hundreds of black sloth bears, according to its website.

Sloth bears are found in India, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Bhutan but shrinking habitats and rampant poaching have reduced their numbers, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

The IUCN has put them on its red list of threatened species and their total estimated population is 20,000.
Australian journalists detained in Malaysia for trying to question PM

Two Australian journalists were detained overnight and have been barred from leaving Malaysia after they tried to "aggressively" question Prime Minister Najib Razak about a corruption scandal, police said Sunday.

The pair were detained after they crossed a "security line and aggressively tried to approach the prime minister" who was visiting a mosque in Kuching on Borneo island, according to a police statement.

"Both of them were subsequently arrested for failing to comply with police instructions not to cross the security line," it said.

Malaysia's Prime Minister Najib Razak, seen during an Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) meeting at Sunnylands estate in Rancho Mirage, California, on February 15, 2016 Mandel Ngan (AFP/File)

The journalists work for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's Four Corners investigative programme.

"ABC 4Corners team arrested in Malaysia last night after trying to question PM Najib Razak over corruption scandal," the programme's executive producer Sally Neighbour tweeted Sunday.

Reporter Linton Besser and camera operator Louie Eroglu had approached Najib on the street before their arrest, the broadcaster added.

The pair were detained on Saturday night but released on Sunday without charge.

Neighbour said their passports, which were initially seized, had been returned to them but they "can't leave Malaysia".

We will discuss with the Attorney General's Chambers (whether) to charge them," national police chief Khalid Abu Bakar was quoted as saying by Malaysian news agency Bernama.

"Police are responsible for the prime minister's security. So we do not want anything untoward happening to him," he said, adding that the journalists were barred from leaving Sarawak state while investigations were underway.

Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said local and foreign media would not be sanctioned for covering events but "must perform their duties according to the journalism ethics".

- Scandal-hit premier -

But veteran opposition MP Lim Kit Siang said he was "horrified by the very clumsy and ham-fisted manner" in which the affair was handled.

Footage posted online by The Star showed Besser asking questions at a tense press conference in Kuala Lumpur earlier on Saturday relating to the still-murky 2006 murder of a Mongolian woman.

Two of Najib's bodyguards were convicted of the murder and sentenced to death.

Najib, who was defence minister at the time, has strongly denied any involvement in the murder and has said he did not know the woman.

But government critics have long alleged that the two bodyguards, members of an elite unit that guards top ministers, were scapegoats in the killing of Altantuya Shaariibuu, who was at the centre of allegations of massive kickbacks in the $1.1 billion 2002 purchase of French Scorpene submarines.

Najib, 62, has also been under fire over allegations that billions of dollars were stolen from a state firm he founded, and over his own acceptance of a murky $681 million overseas payment.

Najib and the state firm have vehemently denied any wrongdoing but he has curbed investigations into the scandals and purged his ruling United Malays National Organisation of critics, essentially shutting off internal party challenges.

Whistle-blowers have been arrested while media outlets reporting on the allegations have been muzzled, raising concerns over rights and freedom of speech.
Syria peace talks set to resume amid ceasefire warnings

Syria's warring sides gathered in Geneva Sunday for UN-brokered indirect peace talks as the United States and France warned the Damascus regime against trying to disrupt the fragile ceasefire.

As the fifth anniversary of the violence looms, the main players in the conflict were on Monday to resume negotiations in the latest bid to end bloodshed which has killed more than 270,000 people and displaced millions.

United Nations Syria envoy Staffan de Mistura met representatives of both delegations on Sunday for "informal meetings" ahead of the negotiations.

Key obstacles remain in the push for a solution to Syria's five-year civil war, including the fate of President Bashar al-Assad Louai Beshara (AFP/File)

He has said that the round of Geneva talks would not last more than 10 days.

In Paris, after meeting European allies, US Secretary of State John Kerry hit out at comments by his Syrian counterpart who said talk of removing President Bashar al-Assad would be a "red line" in the talks.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault went further, calling Walid Muallem's comments a "provocation" and a "bad sign" in the peace efforts for Syria.

Kerry warned Damascus and its allies Russia and Iran against "testing boundaries" or lessening their compliance with a fragile February 27 truce that has largely held despite the sides trading mutual accusations of violations.

While analysts say much has changed since the last round of indirect talks collapsed in February, Assad's fate and the holding of elections within 18 months remain huge obstacles.

- 'Moment of truth' -

"We will not talk with anyone who wants to discuss the presidency... Bashar al-Assad is a red line," Muallem said in Damascus on Saturday.

Kerry said the Syrian minister was "clearly trying to disrupt the process... clearly trying to send a message of deterrence to others.

"But the fact is (Assad's) strongest sponsors Russia and Iran have both adopted... an approach which dictates that there must be a political transition and that we must have a presidential election at some time."

Kerry urged Russian President Vladimir Putin to bring Damascus into line, saying he should be concerned that Assad had used Muallem "to try and act as a spoiler, to take off the table something that president Putin and Iran had committed to".

"So this is a moment of truth, a moment where all of us have to be responsible."

Kerry hailed the fact that the ceasefire had led to a reduction of violence of up to 90 percent, and made possible the delivery of emergency supplies to some 150,000 civilians in besieged areas.

He said the coalition had pushed the Islamic State group out of 20 percent of the territory it held in Syria and that 600 IS fighters had been killed in the last three weeks.

He highlighted the importance of the Geneva process in tackling the unprecedented refugee crisis in Europe, saying that if the ceasefire did not hold "we will be back here next year or even the year after next facing a Middle East with even more refugees, even greater numbers of dead and displaced, even more suffering".

- Transitional body -

Syrian government negotiator Bashar al-Jaafari arrived Sunday in Geneva, a day after delegates from the main opposition group, the High Negotiations Committee (HNC).

The HNC Sunday pledged to stick with the talks, but reiterated that Assad could play no role in the planned transitional body.

"We have come to discuss a political solution seeking to end the suffering of the Syrian people and we hope that the other party will be as serious as us," said HNC spokesman Salem al-Meslet, saying the opposition had no intention of "pulling out" of the talks.

The HNC was hoping the talks would begin with a discussion of the transitional body which would be imbued with "all the powers, including those of the president," he said.

"There will be no role within this body for those who have committed crimes or for Bashar al-Assad."

The HNC has repeatedly called for Assad's departure as a prerequisite for any deal, with chief opposition negotiator Mohammad Alloush saying Saturday that the transitional period "should start with the fall, or death, of Bashar al-Assad".

"It cannot start with the presence of the regime, or the head of this regime still in power."

In the latest violence on the ground, Al-Qaeda fighters and allied jihadists clashed with a rebel faction known as Division 13 overnight in northwestern Syria after storming its weapons depot, the group said.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group said at least six combatants were killed, four of them identified as Division 13 fighters.

The conflict in Syria Gillian Handyside (AFP)

US Secretary of State John Kerry (right) and French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault attend a meeting in Paris on March 13, 2016 Gonzalo Fuentes (Pool/AFP)

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad speaks to AFP in Damascus on February 11, 2016 Joseph Eid (AFP/File)

Fighting has eased across Syria since a landmark ceasefire between the regime and rebels took effect Abdulmonam Eassa (AFP/File)
Ivory Coast president vows country will not be 'intimidated by terrorists' after attack

Ivory Coast President Alassane Ouattara vowed Monday that the country would not be "intimidated by terrorists", as the death toll in the country's first jihadist attack climbed to 18.

Armed with grenades and assault rifles, gunmen on Sunday stormed three hotels and sprayed the beach with bullets in the resort of Grand-Bassam, a sleepy town popular with expats just a short 40 kilometre drive from the commercial capital Abidjan.

The attack claimed by Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) left 15 civilians dead, including a German woman, as well as killing three special forces troops, the government said. A total of 33 people were injured, 26 of whom are still in hospital.

An Ivorian patrols along the beach in Grand Bassam, some 40 kms east of Abidjan on March 14 , 2016, a day after gunmen attacked the Ivory Coast resort town Issouf Sanogo (AFP)

France said four of its nationals were among the dead.

AQIM's real target was France, analysts said, punished both as Ivory Coast's former colonial master and for hunting down jihadists in Mali and elsewhere.

"The Ivory Coast will not allow itself to be intimidated by terrorists", Ouattara said in a statement broadcast on radio and television.

"Ivory Coast is standing up, standing up to fight the cowards and protect its people."

He vowed to work with countries in the sub-region, on the continent and with our "other international partners to reinforce our cooperation to fight these terrorists".

Interior Minister Hamed Bakayoko said "three terrorists were killed" in the assault.

Asked whether more gunmen were involved -- some witnesses had reported several attackers -- the minister said "we're still looking. We don't suspect more but we're making sure we carry out the widest possible sweep."

Along with a three-day national mourning period starting Monday, he said the West African nation would boost security at "strategic sites and in public places... (such as) schools, embassies, international institutions... and the borders."

In the latest such jihadist assault in West Africa, witnesses described the panic as gunfire rang out across the sand and an assailant shouted "Allahu Akbar" -- Arabic for "God is greatest".

- 'I thought this was it' -

Condemnation came from around the world with UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon pledging to help government "efforts to bring the perpetrators of these crimes to justice."

French President Francois Hollande's office said his country will support Ivory Coast "to fight terrorism and considers that cooperation between all the states threatened by terrorist groups, particularly in West Africa, must intensify more than ever".

It was the third such attack in four months in West Africa and a blow to a nation working to lure back foreign tourists to its palm-fringed beaches and rainforests as it recovers from a brutal civil war.

The German victim was named as 51-year-old Henrike Grohs, who headed Abidjan's Goethe Institute, the German language centre's secretary-general said.

Grand-Bassam is packed at weekends with visitors drawn by its magnificent beaches and UNESCO-listed colonial-era buildings.

Carine Boa, a Belgian-Ivorian teacher at an international high school in Abidjan, was at one of the beach bars with her two sons when the gunmen arrived.

"We were really scared. We thought of the people at the Bataclan," she said, referring to the concert venue attacked by gunmen during November's terror attacks in Paris that left 130 people dead.

"I thought this was it for us," she said.

Some witnesses reported seeing more than three assailants, contradicting the official version.

"When they arrived, it was a woman who brought their luggage to put it in the bungalow," said one witness.

"They changed (their clothes), there were seven. The first person who came out was wearing a white top, and then he had a scarf on his head. He faced a child and then said 'Allahu Akbar' and fired at the child. When we saw that we ran."

- Fears run high -

The US-based SITE Intelligence Group said AQIM, the terror group's North African affiliate, had claimed responsibility.

West African nations have scrambled to boost security after jihadist attacks in November and January on upscale hotels in the capitals of Mali and Burkina Faso that were also claimed by the group.

Sunday's attack also bore grim similarities to the Islamist gun and grenade assault on a Tunisian beach resort last June, which left 38 foreign holidaymakers dead.

"Hitting Ivory Coast is clearly a way of attacking France's historical ally in the region," said Antoine Glaser, author of a recently published critical account of French colonisation in Africa called "Arrogant comme un Francais en Afrique" (Arrogant like a Frenchman in Africa).

Robert Besseling of Exx Africa, a specialist intelligence company, said the attack should not have come as a surprise.

"Cote d'Ivoire has been receiving warnings for at least a year from France's intelligence service that Islamist militants are planning to attack major cities," said Besseling, using the French name for Ivory Coast.

Ivory Coast resort attack Gal Roma, John Saeki, Adrian Leung (AFP)

Armed soldiers patrol in the streets of Grand Bassam, Ivory Coast, on March 14, 2016, a day after jihadist attackers stormed three hotels in the weekend resort Issouf Sanogo (AFP)

An investigator walks in front of the Hotel Etoile du Sud in Grand Bassam, Ivory Coast, on March 14, 2016, a day after jihadist attackers stormed three hotels in the weekend resort Issouf Sanogo (AFP)
Sanctions possible over Iran ballistic missile launches: France

French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault on Sunday warned Iran of possible European sanctions over its recent ballistic missile launches.

"If necessary, sanctions will be taken," Ayrault said after a meeting with US Secretary of State John Kerry and several European counterparts.

Kerry described the launches -- which the US has asked to be discussed at a UN Security Council meeting on Monday -- as a breach of UN resolutions.

French Foreign minister Jean-Marc Ayrault Khaled Desouki (AFP/File)

"They are longer than the distance allowed for ballistic missiles. And because of that they represent a potential danger to the countries in the region and beyond," Kerry said.

"If Iran chooses to violate that they will invite additional sanctions."

The UN atomic watchdog has said Iran is complying so far with the landmark July 2015 nuclear deal with major powers.

But under the terms of that deal that Western powers say is designed to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear weapon, it is still barred from launching ballistic missiles capable of carrying a nuclear bomb.

Iran has maintained that its missile programme is not aimed at developing a nuclear capability.

Tehran said the latest missile tests took place on Tuesday and Wednesday.
For more of the latest news from Egypt visit www.dailymail.co.uk/egypt

Critics had called for him to be sacked and put on trial

Critics had called for him to be sacked and put on trial

Egypt's Prime Minister Sharif Ismail has sacked the justice minister after he said on television that he would arrest a prophet in remarks that sparked outrage in the country.

'Prime Minister Sharif Ismail decided to dismiss justice minister Ahmed al-Zind from his post,' a statement from the premier's office said, but without giving the reason for the decision.

Zind sparked outrage on social media over the weekend and a warning from Cairo-based Sunni Islam learning centre Al-Azhar after an interview he gave to private satellite channel Sada al-Balad on Friday.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi (right) shakes hands with Ahmed al-Zind in Cairo in May 2015

Asked about a case involving journalists accused of defaming him and whether he would jail them, Zind said he would imprison anyone.

'Even if it's a prophet, God's peace and blessings be upon him,' Zind said, using the Islamic saying of reverence spoken by Muslims only when referring to the Prophet Mohammed.

Upon realising what he had said, Zind immediately stopped and said: 'I ask for forgiveness from God.'

He further said any 'wrongdoer, whatever his identity - even judges' would be jailed if found guilty.

Angry Egyptians launched the Twitter hashtag 'trial for Zind' as they lashed out at the minister.

'At least he should be sacked and then put on trial. This issue is not a joke,' said one tweet.

'God will take revenge,' said another.

Zind is the second justice minister to be dismissed in less than a year for controversial comments.

In January he angered human rights when he called for the 'mass killing' of outlawed Muslim Brotherhood supporters.

His latest comment drew a stern warning from Al-Azhar against insulting the Prophet Mohammed.

'All those involved in public discourse and in the media must respect the name of the Prophet. He should not be subjected to any insult even if it's unintentional,' it said in a statement without naming Zind.

Zind had clarified his comments in a telephone interview Saturday with private network CBC television, saying they were a mere 'slip of the tongue'.

They were 'meant in a hypothetical sense ... but the Muslim Brotherhood supporters seized on them'.

In January, Zind said in an interview with the same Sada al-Balad television that he 'would not be satisfied until 10,000 Brotherhood members were killed for every martyr' from the armed forces and the police.

Human Rights Watch said his remarks encouraged the 'slaughter' of political opponents.

Egyptian authorities have cracked down on the Muslim Brotherhood movement after the army ousted Islamist president Mohamed Morsi in 2013.

Hundreds of Brotherhood supporters have been killed and thousands more jailed in the crackdown, while several of its leaders including Morsi have been sentenced to death or lengthy jail terms.

Zind, described by legal experts as 'elitist,' was known for his animosity towards Islamists and the 2011 uprising that ousted ex-president Hosni Mubarak.

Under Mubarak, he openly supported him and opposed a judges movement that called for judicial independence and reform.
Russia accuses Turkey of Syria 'expansion'

Russia on Sunday accused Turkey of operating inside Syria in a "rampant" military expansion across its conflict-riven neighbour's border.

"According to information we have, (Turkish forces) are fortifying their positions hundreds of metres (yards) from the border, inside Syria," Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told broadcaster Ren-TV.

"That is rampant expansion," he charged.

A Turkish soldier stands overlooking damaged buildings following heavy fighting between government troops and Kurdish fighters in southeastern Turkey, near the Syrian border on March 2, 2016 Yasin Akgul (AFP/File)

"While demanding that Kurdish positions are not reinforced in Syria, Turkey has been claiming its sovereign right to create 'security zones' on Syrian soil," said Lavrov.

Turkey has called for the creation of a secure zone 10 kilometres (six miles) inside Syria.

Last month, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan dismissed a Russian claim that Turkey was looking to invade Syria was "laughable".

The Syrian conflict has stoked growing friction between Ankara and Moscow, which wants to see the Kurds included in diplomatic efforts to resolve the five-year civil war.

Last month, the UN Security Council rejected a Russian draft resolution calling for a halt to Turkey's military actions in Syria.

Earlier this month, Lavrov called for the closure of the Syrian-Turkish border to cut off outside supplies to "terrorists" and also said that any attempt to keep the Kurds out of peace talks would infringe on the rights "of a large and significant group" of people living in the war-torn country.

Such remarks have sparked anger in Turkey, which last month pledged to keep up retaliatory artillery strikes on Syrian Kurdish fighters to defend its "territorial integrity" despite a truce which came into force on February 27.

Moscow is urging the inclusion of Kurds in the upcoming talks which begin in Geneva on Monday in the latest push to end a war that has killed more than 270,000 people and forced millions into exile.

Ties between Moscow, which backs Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, and Ankara, which supports the opposition, nosedived after Turkey shot down a Russian warplane on the Syrian border in November, claiming it had entered Turkish airspace

The issue of Syria's Kurds has caused a rare rift between the US and Turkey, with Washington seeing the armed wing of Syrian Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD) as the most effective force fighting Islamic State jihadists in Syria.
Kerry says 'we are all looking for solution' on Israeli-Palestinian conflict

US Secretary of State John Kerry said Sunday a solution to the long-running Israeli-Palestinian conflict required "the global community", as France prepared to present proposals to revive the peace process to EU foreign ministers.

"Obviously we are all looking for a way forward. The United States and myself remain deeply, deeply committed to a two-state solution," Kerry said after a Paris meeting with his counterparts from France, Italy, Britain, Germany and the EU.

"At the moment it is a difficult one, because of the violence that has been taking place, and there are not many people in Israel or in the region itself right now that believe in the possibilities of peace because of those levels of violence," he added.

Israeli security forces gather in East Jerusalem after a shooting attack on March 8, 2016 when a Palestinian shot and seriously wounded two Israeli police officers Ahmad Gharabli (AFP/File)

Kerry's comments came after his French counterpart Jean-Marc Ayrault said he would present proposals to revive talks to EU foreign ministers meeting in Brussels on Monday.

"The Israeli-Palestinian conflict remains but is getting worse, the status quo cannot last," Ayrault said in Paris.

The newly-appointed French foreign minister visited Cairo last week to drum up support for the initiative to hold an international conference by the summer to revive peace talks.

A previous round of talks brokered by Kerry collapsed in April 2014.

"...not any one country or one person can resolve this. This is going to require the global community, it will require international support," said Kerry.

Senior French diplomat Pierre Vimont is touring Israel, the Palestinian territories and other countries in the region to discuss the proposal before heading to Washington next week.

EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini said France was coordinating its proposals with the EU as part of "joint efforts to try and create conditions for a two-state solution".

The renewed efforts to resolve one of the world's oldest conflicts come amid a wave of violence that has seen Palestinians carry out knife, gun or car-ramming attacks against Israelis.

Since October 1, 188 Palestinians, 28 Israelis, two Americans, an Eritrean and a Sudanese have died, according to an AFP count.

Most of the Palestinians were killed while carrying out attacks, Israeli authorities say.

Others were shot dead by Israeli forces during clashes or demonstrations.

Many analysts say Palestinian frustration with Israeli occupation and settlement building in the West Bank, the complete lack of progress in peace efforts and their own fractured leadership have fed the unrest.

Israel blames incitement by Palestinian leaders and media as a main cause of the violence.
Montoya defends title in IndyCar season opener

Reigning Indianapolis 500 champion Juan Pablo Montoya of Colombia won his second consecutive IndyCar Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, holding off Frenchman Simon Pagenaud to win Sunday's 2016 season opener.

Montoya gave car owner Roger Penske his eighth win in the past 11 races over 110 laps at the 1.8-mile (2.89km), 14-turn Florida temporary street course.

The South American star guided the car to victory despite a broken steering arm that caused severe play over the final five laps.

Juan Pablo Montoya of Colombia races the qualifying for the Verizon IndyCar Series GoPro Grand Prix of Sonoma on August 29, 2015 Robert Laberge (Getty/AFP/File)

"It was like lag, lag, turn, but it was OK," Montoya said.

Montoya won for the first time since taking his second Indy 500 title last year while pole starter Pagenaud was second with American Ryan Hunter-Reay third and Brazil's Helio Castroneves fourth.

Australian pole winner Will Power was pulled from the lineup with a stomach illness and later diagnosed with a concussion, with Spain's Oriol Servia replacing him in a vehicle that was moved to the rear of the 22-car field.

Pagenaud moved into pole position, the third of his IndyCar career, and Castroneves joined him on the front row and Montoya started on the inside of row two. Pagenaud led early while Montoya passed Castroneves for second.

US rookie Conor Daly, on a different fuel strategy, led on a lap-57 restart that saw Montoya pass Pagenaud on the inside of the first turn seconds before a chain-reaction crash in turn four that collected nine cars.

"We raced each other hard but we gave each other room," Montoya said.

On a lap-64 restart, Montoya again moved inside on the first turn to pass Daly and seize the lead for good.

Daly pitted with 29 laps remaining and two laps later, Montoya and Pagenaud made their last pit stops. The South American beat the Frenchman back onto the course and denied Pagenaud his fifth career IndyCar win.

Montoya raced two ChampCar seasons in 1999 and 2000, winning 10 races and the 1999 season crown plus the 2000 Indianapolis 500, then spent six seasons in Formula One, winning seven races before jumping to the US stock car series for seven seasons from 2007 to 2013.
How open record laws are applied in state legislatures

Lawmakers in every state have adopted laws requiring most government meetings and records to be open to the public. But in some states, lawmakers have exempted themselves from complying.

The Associated Press sent open-records request to the top lawmakers in all 50 states and most governors, seeking copies of their daily schedules and emails from the government accounts for the week of Feb. 1-7. The AP received more denials than approvals from lawmakers. It did not generally request emails from private accounts because rules and practices on those vary widely from state to state.

Summaries showing how they responded in each state:

ALABAMA

Alabama's top lawmakers agreed to release emails from official legislative accounts, although documents shed little light on legislative business. Spokespeople for legislative leaders said the lawmakers largely do not use the accounts for state business. The hundreds of pages of released emails showed almost entirely incoming correspondence from constituents. Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley does not have a state email account that he uses for state business, according to his office. Legislative leaders also agreed to release their calendars for the week, which coincided with the first week of the Alabama legislative session. The calendars showed a variety of public and private events, including receptions hosted by interest groups and meetings with the governor, a college chancellor and lobbyists.

___

ALASKA

Under a policy set by the Legislative Council, records of a legislator while in that lawmaker's possession are not public records based on the deliberative process privilege and a state constitutional provision dealing with legislative immunity. But all lawmakers can decide whether to release information from their records. Republican Senate President Kevin Meyer provided a copy of his calendar and allowed a reporter to look over an aide's shoulder to see how his email inbox is sorted. The other three top legislative leaders ultimately denied the request, responding with either a legal opinion on what the law requires or a copy of the legislative records' policy. Gov. Bill Walker's office released a copy of his calendar. It was still working on a request for his emails.

___

ARIZONA

Arizona's public records law applies broadly to the governor and Legislature as well as any elected official. It requires records to be released in most instances, although there are exemptions for security, privacy interests and some deliberative matters. Senate President Andy Biggs doesn't keep a calendar, but his staff released his emails for the week, apparently unredacted. House Speaker David Gowan released a calendar that redacted the subject of some meetings but included attendees, apparently citing the deliberative process exemption. He received or sent more than 1,500 emails, but staff had not yet reviewed them all because the Legislature is in session. Democratic House and Senate leaders also said they would comply, but with even smaller staffs had not yet reviewed and released all the documents. The governor's office provided unredacted calendars and emails, although it appears Gov. Doug Ducey sent no emails and most he received were form letters.

___

ARKANSAS

Arkansas' top lawmakers declined to provide schedules or correspondence from their publicly listed email accounts, citing exemptions in the state's open-records laws. Republican Senate President Pro Tem Jonathan Dismang, Democratic Senate Minority Leader Keith Ingram and Republican House Speaker Jeremy Gillam all turned down the AP requests soon after receiving them. Rep. Michael John Gray, the Democratic minority leader in the House, responded Saturday after the AP contacted the chamber's spokeswoman. The Arkansas Freedom of Information Act exempts the correspondence of the governor and state legislators from public access, despite the act's expressed intent to allow residents to track the performance of officials "in public activity and in making public policy." Republican Gov. Asa Hutchinson's office turned down the AP's emailed records request in a letter sent through U.S. mail.

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CALIFORNIA

The Assembly and Senate Rules committees declined requests for emails and calendars for the top legislative leaders, citing a number of exemptions including privacy and legislative privilege. California's legislative branch is bound by a less transparent public records law than the executive. It exempts from public disclosure all "correspondence of and to individual members of the Legislature and their staff" as well as any communications between private citizens and the Legislature. The committees also cited a 1991 California Supreme Court decision allowing government agencies to maintain the secrecy of public officials' appointment calendars. Gov. Jerry Brown's office said it releases the governor's calendar monthly and declined to provide earlier access to a week of appointments. Brown's office said he did not use his official email account during the first week of February, the week requested by the AP.

___

COLORADO

Colorado's legislative leaders agreed to release personal calendars and emails  for a price. Three of the four lawmakers said responding to the public records request would require them to spend time reviewing the documents, which triggers a $30 per hour search-and-retrieval fee under the Colorado Open Records Act, according to Legislative Legal Services Director Dan Cartin. Senate President Bill Cadman, House Speaker Dickey Lee Hullinghorst and Rep. Brian DelGrosso estimated the costs to be between $30 and $125 each to comply with the request. Sen. Lucia Guzman provided the documents without a fee. Gov. John Hickenlooper's office provided his calendar and emails without charge, after requesting a four-day time extension to identify the appropriate emails.

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CONNECTICUT

Much of Connecticut's open records law applies to the Legislature and the governor. All four top legislative leaders and the governor said they would provide emails and schedules to the AP, and three of the lawmakers had done so by early March. The amount of material provided to the AP varied by leader. Some schedules were more detailed than others. Many of the emails provided included mass letters or news releases about particular subjects, such as a national popular vote for president or abusive practices of debt collectors. In some cases, emails were sent from members of the public who were responding to mass emails the legislative leaders had sent in advance of the new legislative session to supporters. While the Legislature must abide by the records portion of Connecticut's Freedom of Information act, state lawmakers have exempted themselves from requirements surrounding the noticing of public meetings and posting requirements for agendas.

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DELAWARE

Delaware legislative leaders refused to provide their emails. The Legislature has specifically exempted emails of lawmakers and their staffs from the state's Freedom of Information law, as well as any communications between lawmakers, or between lawmakers and their constituents. A bill to remove those exemptions was introduced earlier this month but has yet to be heard in committee. An attorney for the lawmakers also said many activities on their daily schedules are exempt from disclosure, asserting that exemptions allowed by statute or common law extend to the concept of "legislative privilege" based on the Delaware Constitution and common law. The attorney nevertheless released portions of the lawmakers' schedules while asserting that doing so was not a concession that the information is subject to the FOI law. The activities mostly involved appearances at community meetings and charitable events. The deputy legal counsel for Democratic Gov. Jack Markell said the governor's office is working diligently to respond to the AP's request, but that more time is needed because review of the records requires legal advice. Markell's office has previously denied formal records requests for his emails.

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FLORIDA

Florida's open-records law applies to lawmakers and the governor, and all responded by to the AP's request by providing copies of their government emails and daily calendars. But some initially said there could be costs. The House Republican and Democratic leaders, for example, were swamped with hundreds of emails for the week of Feb. 1-7, as the chamber was considering bills allowing guns on college campuses and the open carrying of firearms. They said the records request would require extensive staff time and fees, so the AP narrowed the scope to review only certain emails. Some lawmakers have dealt with the open-records law by not using email for public business. Only the response from Democratic Senate Minority Leader Arthenia Joyner included substantial emails both to and from the legislator. Republican Gov. Rick Scott's response consisted of a reference to a website where he publishes his schedules and emails.

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GEORGIA

Three of the state's top lawmakers  the House speaker and minority leaders of both chambers  refused to release calendars or emails. In emails denying the requests, legislative counsel Wayne Allen said the General Assembly is not subject to the Georgia Open Records Law. Allen cited a 1975 state Supreme Court decision in a case over access to legislative committee meetings. The Supreme Court found that the state's law regarding open meetings does not apply to the General Assembly because the Legislature is not an "agency" under the open meetings law. Allen said "agency" is defined the same way in state law regarding open records. The Supreme Court's majority opinion in that case also states: "If the House, the Senate, or both want to let the sun shine more brilliantly and more pervasively upon their deliberations and actions, they can do so by adopting rules and procedures applicable to their operations that will accomplish this purpose." Sen. David Shafer, the Senate's president pro tem and a Republican from Duluth, did not respond to the open records request or a follow-up message emailed to his Senate account. By comparison, Gov. Nathan Deal's office released seven pages of emails and Deal's calendar for the week, including all of his meetings at the Capitol.

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HAWAII

Hawaii's top Democrat and Republican in the House did not supply emails and calendars, saying that the state constitution provides immunity from the request; a statement some dispute. They also cited state laws that provide exemptions for personal files for members of the Legislature and "government records that, by their nature, must be confidential in order for the government to avoid the frustration of a legitimate government function." Senate President Ronald Kouchi's office also denied the request, citing an appeal before the state Office of Information Practices that would determine what the Legislature is obliged to provide. Of the lawmakers, only the state's lone Republican Senator, Sam Slom, divulged the requested information, handing over printed emails and calendars. Gov. David Ige's office asked for more time to respond to the request, and then provided some of the governor's emails while withholding others. He provided a calendar that showed only his public events.

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IDAHO

Idaho's top four legislative leaders agreed to release their emails and personal calendars after requesting an extension for more time to review them for possible exemptions. Together, the speaker of the House, Senate president pro tem and minority leaders in both chambers had more than 3,700 emails. Lawmakers' emails are public records under Idaho's open records laws, a statute the Legislature adopted in 1990. However, fulfilling that request would not have been free because state law allows officials to charge after providing one free hour's of work. Gov. C.L. "Butch" Otter's typically provides emails and personal calendars with little to no redaction.

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ILLINOIS

Neither the Senate nor the House, both controlled by Democrats, turned over any records. House Speaker Michael Madigan of Chicago, speaker for 31 of the last 33 years, doesn't use email or keep an appointment calendar, spokesman Steve Brown said. The Senate said it is not required to disclose any of the requested records because of legislative immunity granted by the state constitution. Both the House and Senate also argued that the requested documents are not public records, as defined by the Illinois Freedom of Information Act, because they are held by individuals who do not constitute "public bodies." They may also be withheld, officials argued, under exemptions in the law for documents that contain "preliminary" discussions and that prohibit disclosing records when doing so would be a "clearly unwarranted invasion of personal privacy." Gov. Bruce Rauner, a Republican, disclosed a fairly detailed appointment calendar  more detailed than before The Associated Press and other media raised objections to redactions  but indicated there were no responsive emails.

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INDIANA

Indiana's Access to Public Records law states that "all persons are entitled to full and complete information regarding the affairs of government." But lawmakers argue that their "work product" is exempt. The Indiana Supreme Court will hear arguments March 17 in a case brought by advocacy groups that sued House Republicans for refusing to release possible email exchanges with energy industry lobbyists. GOP leaders who control the Legislature say releasing the emails would reveal constituents' sensitive and personal information. And they say their schedules contain details from their private lives that are not related to state business. Republican Gov. Mike Pence's office says a request for one week of emails by The Associated Press was "too broad" and that his schedule is exempt from public records law. Meanwhile, minority Democrats are split on the issue. Senate Minority Leader Tim Lanane said GOP Senate leaders instructed him not to release the documents. House Minority Leader Scott Pelath said his office is reviewing his records to see what may be released. The state's public access counselor, Luke Britt, disagrees with lawmakers' decision not to release emails: "There is no exemption in public records law for historical practice or longstanding policy," he said.

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IOWA

Staff for top legislative leaders cited the Iowa Constitution in their refusal to release work emails and daily calendars for the lawmakers. The Iowa Supreme Court has upheld that authority. The secretary of the Democratic-majority Senate cited a constitutional section that states each chamber shall "determine its rules of proceedings." The state Supreme Court, in a 1996 ruling involving public access to telephone records maintained by the Senate, confirmed both chambers have authority over policies regarding confidentiality and legislative proceedings. The chief clerk for the Republican-controlled House said the constitution specifies each chamber "solely controls the dissemination" of such records. The Senate secretary added that the requested emails and calendars have not customarily been deemed public documents and that their release "would almost certainly have a detrimental chilling effect on citizens' constitutional rights and willingness to petition their elected officials." The state's public records law does apply to the office of the governor, and a records request for work emails and daily calendars to Gov. Terry Branstad's chief of staff, Michael Bousselot, yielded more than 400 emails and attachments. Staff for his office said some documentation was withheld according to exemptions in that law. Branstad, who does not have a work email, releases a weekly calendar of public appearances.

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KANSAS

The Kansas Open Records Act specifically exempts legislators' records from potential disclosure, and both Republican Senate President Susan Wagle and GOP House Speaker Ray Merrick cited the exemption in declining to release calendars or emails from state accounts. However, the Legislature's two top Democrats  Senate Minority Leader Anthony Hensley and House Minority Leader Tom Burroughs  released their calendars and emails. Hensley's office responded to the AP's request within days, releasing more than 1,000 pages of documents and indexing them in black binders. Burroughs' office released about 600 pages of documents. Republican Gov. Sam Brownback acknowledged last year that he uses a private cellphone and email account for official communications and has been doing so since he was a U.S. senator in the 1990s because sometimes it's not clear whether something represents official business. His office released his calendar and about a dozen pages of copies of emails from his official state account.

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KENTUCKY

Kentucky's governor and top legislative leaders refused to release their emails or detailed personal calendars. An attorney for the Legislative Research Commission said lawmakers' emails have always been protected by law "to encourage effective and frank communication." An attorney for Republican Gov. Matt Bevin said the governor sent and received four emails during the one-week period covered by The Associated Press' open-records request. Three of those emails were recommendations while the fourth email was a status update on a complaint or investigation. The attorney cited state law that exempts preliminary recommendations "in which opinions are expressed or policies formulated." Both the governor and the legislators cited a 1995 Kentucky Court of Appeals case that ruled calendars are "draft documents" and not subject to public disclosure.

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LOUISIANA

The Senate's top lawmakers released their personal calendars, although the Senate president's calendar had few engagements listed on it. House leaders haven't yet released their calendars. Lawyers for both the House's and Senate's top lawmakers have said they will release some emails, but said it takes time to sift through the documents and remove those that don't involve public business. They also indicated they intend to remove emails that are granted exemptions, like for advice given by legislative staff. Staff members for the lawmakers say they must do the work around other obligations. With the Legislature in a special session to deal with the state's worst budget problem in nearly 30 years, no date was given for turning over emails. By comparison, Gov. John Bel Edwards' office released his calendar and emails within days of the request, although the email correspondence was limited. Edwards spokesman Richard Carbo said the governor rarely uses email.

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MAINE

Public records, such as emails and personal calendars, must be made available "within a reasonable period of time," according to Maine law. Senate President Michael Thibodeau, a Republican, produced email and calendar records four days after receiving a request from The Associated Press. The staff for Gov. Paul LePage said it would take two months to provide the same type of records. In a letter to the APs, Jennifer Tarr, a state employee who oversees public record requests for the Republican governor, said the administration has a backlog of pending requests and is handling them in the order they are submitted. A "good-faith non-binding time estimate is that it will take us two months to provide the requested records," she said.

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MARYLAND

Maryland's Public Information Act gives the public the right to access government records without unnecessary cost and delay. However, not all government records are disclosable under the law. For example, state legislators are shielded from disclosing documents relating to legislative activities by an absolute constitutional privilege, according to counsel for the General Assembly. When the AP requested emails and a daily schedule of activities for top lawmakers for the first week of February, most of the records would not have been releasable under the law, according to the attorney. However, the legislators waived legislative privilege and released hundreds of pages of documents, anyway. The governor's office also released his emails and calendar for the same week's period.

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MASSACHUSETTS

Democratic House Speaker Robert DeLeo and Republican minority leader Brad Jones declined to release their emails or personal calendars, citing state law that exempts the Legislature from the state's public records law. Senate President Stan Rosenberg also cited the legislative exemption, but Senate Counsel Grace Miller, in a letter to The Associated Press, said the Democratic leader agreed to make available his calendar and emails "in the spirit of openness and transparency associated with Sunshine Week." Rosenberg's office subsequently turned over to the AP hundreds of pages of email correspondence from the week of Feb. 1-7. Many of them were from constituents or advocacy groups and involved pending legislation on issues such as charter schools, solar energy and even public records reform. Republican Gov. Charlie Baker also turned over his schedule and several hundred pages of email correspondence from the week, with some material redacted for reasons including privacy or security. The governor and his predecessors have also claimed an exemption from the public records law but have selectively responded to requests over the years.

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MICHIGAN

Requests for records were denied in Michigan by Gov. Rick Snyder and all but one of the four legislative leaders. A letter from Snyder's deputy legal counsel said the governor's office "is expressly exempt from FOIA's coverage." Snyder recently voluntarily released his emails and those of his staff related to Flint's water crisis. The Senate Business Office, responding on behalf of Republican Majority Leader Arlan Meekhof and Democratic Minority Leader Jim Ananich, said emails and daily activity schedules are not financial records and therefore not subject to public inspection under Senate rules. In 1986, the state attorney general said lawmakers are not subject to FOIA, issuing an opinion that the Legislature's intent in enacting the 1976 open-records law was to exclude legislators from the definition of "public body." Financial records are subject to disclosure, though, under the Michigan Constitution and legislative rules. In a letter, the House Business Office said Republican Speaker Kevin Cotter's emails and calendar would not be released because the House of Representatives is not subject to FOIA. A spokeswoman for Democratic Minority Leader Tim Greimel said he would release the records requested by the AP.

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MINNESOTA

Top lawmakers in Minnesota refused to release their emails or schedules, and they don't have to do so. The Legislature exempted itself from Minnesota's open records law, deferring instead to internal House and Senate rules that don't require lawmakers to turn over their own records. Legislators defend the long-standing exemption, arguing it protects sensitive communication with constituents and allows them to freely consider issues. But Democratic House Minority Leader Paul Thissen says he will push this year to subject the Legislature to the same rules as other public officials. Gov. Mark Dayton has routinely released scores of emails. But Minnesota governors have long protected their personal schedules.

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MISSISSIPPI

The top Republicans in the Mississippi Legislature, Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves, and House Speaker Philip Gunn, refused to release their emails or schedules. The Democratic leaders in each chamber, Sen. John Horhn and Rep. David Baria, did not respond to requests for the records. In denying a request, Gunn wrote that the state's 1983 Public Records Act does not apply to members of the Legislature. Gunn also wrote that disclosing the requested records would endanger the privacy of other legislators and of constituents "who should be able to expect a private communication with his or her legislator about policy." Republican Gov. Phil Bryant's office released his schedule and emails with some information, such as telephone numbers, redacted. The schedule showed Bryant attended a funeral, held several meetings about economic development projects, ate meals with legislators, spoke to community college students and went on a hunting trip in Arkansas.

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MISSOURI

Three of Missouri's top four lawmakers  the House speaker, Senate president pro tem and Senate minority leader  all denied requests to release their government emails and daily calendars. The Missouri Sunshine Law applies to any "public governmental body." The Legislature has interpreted that to cover its two chambers and various committees but not each individual lawmaker. It points to a July 2003 ruling of a state appeals court panel, which said a St. Louis school board president as an individual was not a "public governmental body" and thus not individually subject to the Sunshine Law. House Minority Leader Jake Hummel, a Democrat from St. Louis, was the only legislative leader to release his records. He believes the Sunshine Law applies to individual lawmakers and has instructed House Democrats to comply. Gov. Jay Nixon also released his daily calendar and emails, although the emails consisted only of news clips and press releases. A Nixon spokesman said the governor doesn't typically communicate by email.

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MONTANA

The state's top lawmakers generally cooperated with requests for emails and schedules, but in some cases were reluctant to do so. The Senate president, Debby Barrett, responded only when pressed. When she did respond, she simply stated that she conducted no official business via email during the week in question. A legislative subcommittee last month took up the issue of public requests for email and directed staff to clarify existing guidelines, including the use of personal email addresses in the conduct of public business. Some legislators, even when using government-issued accounts, balked at providing all correspondence that flowed through their government-issued accounts, citing privacy. Staff members for Gov. Steve Bullock said they would work on fulfilling the request, but about a month later had yet to produce the documents.

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NEBRASKA

The state's top lawmakers agreed to release detailed personal calendars but refused to provide their emails. The main reason they cited is to protect the sensitive and personal information of their constituents. Nebraska's open records law exempts "correspondence, memoranda and records of telephone calls" related to a state lawmaker's duties. They can only be released to the public with the lawmaker's approval. Nebraska has the country's only unicameral legislature. By comparison, Gov. Pete Ricketts' office released about 600 pages of emails from the governor's public account, which mostly consisted of correspondence from constituents and Twitter notifications (the governor and his staff say they no longer use personal email accounts for state business). The governor also released his public schedule but refused to disclose the governor's personal calendar, which includes all of his meetings at the Capitol.

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NEVADA

Lawyers representing the state's top lawmakers declined to provide any emails or calendars. Their 28-page denial cites a bill rushed through on the chaotic last day of the 2015 legislative session that strengthened laws granting "legislative immunity" from records requests and covers all communications, even electronic ones. The lawyers also pointed to a statute that absolves the lawmakers from paying any court costs or attorney's fees when they are sued over records requests, even when they lose the case. By comparison, Gov. Brian Sandoval's office released a detailed calendar of his week that included phone calls with legislative leaders and U.S. Sen. Harry Reid, a "veteran of the month" ceremony and a private black tie dinner in Las Vegas. Lawyers for his office said they needed more time to meet a request for his emails.

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NEW HAMPSHIRE

Gov. Maggie Hassan's legal counsel said it is a long-standing position of the state Department of Justice that New Hampshire's Right to Know law does not apply to the governor's office. However, Hassan's schedule and some emails were provided in accordance with the state constitution. The office withheld 51 documents it said were exempt because of attorney-client privilege, being in draft form, or because they dealt with personnel issues or the deliberative processes. The state's top lawmakers did not yet respond to the AP's request. Legislators' emails, phone records and calendars have been considered exempt from public view, based on a 2011 opinion interpreting the state's Right to Know Law from then-Attorney General Michael Delaney. Last year, the state Democratic Party was turned down when it requested communications records between the Republican state Senate president and Republican U.S. Sen. Kelly Ayotte, her staff and any paid consultants. Senate Legal Counsel Richard Lehmann wrote that the position taken by legislators on the matter "has been uniform and consistent in response to requests from both major political parties and the press."

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NEW JERSEY

All four of New Jersey's legislative leaders denied a request for records and schedules under the Open Public Records Act. The law exempts certain legislative records, such as correspondence with constituents, from being made public. But in practice, the Legislature exempts itself from disclosing records. Gov. Chris Christie denied a request for emails under an exemption for deliberative documents. His office released statements on his schedule that had been made public, although they included no detailed information about his agenda. Instead, they directed the reader to contact his presidential campaign, which he quit after a poor finish in New Hampshire.

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NEW MEXICO

The Legislative Council Service provided calendars with rough itineraries for lawmakers that included breakfasts and dinners sponsored by industry and interest groups, with a few redactions for personal appointments. A small share of the work-related appointments included names of individuals, and none described the content of conversations. Lawmakers also released hundreds of emails. They were mainly from constituents, and only three were outgoing emails. Three emails were withheld by one lawmaker under an exemption for correspondence with staff at the Legislative Council Service, which helps lawmakers draft legislation. Republican Gov. Susana Martinez provided her daily calendar but delayed responding to the request for emails beyond the 15-day deadline for immediate inspection of records, saying her office was busy reviewing legislation for approval or veto. She also invoked open records law provisions related to "excessively burdensome and broad requests."

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NEW YORK

New York lawmakers aren't subject to the state's open-records law. Republican and Democratic leaders of the Senate and Assembly declined to disclose their schedules and emails, citing their rules that don't require it. Gov. Andrew Cuomo has proposed extending the open-records law to the Legislature. The Cuomo administration has been criticized by journalists and issue advocates for slow and often limited disclosures under the law that does apply to executive agencies beyond a prompt initial response acknowledging receipt of requests.

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NORTH CAROLINA

State law defines public records as those "made or received pursuant to law or ordinance in connection with the transaction of public business." But the General Assembly passed laws that let lawmakers choose to keep confidential documents created by legislative employees. And legislative leaders also believe emails from constituents aren't "made or received pursuant to law or ordinance" and are thus privileged except in limited circumstances. It's led to a mix of results from the requests to legislative leaders. The offices of House Speaker Tim Moore and Senate leader Phil Berger say calendars are created by legislative workers and are confidential. They also agreed to provide a limited number of emails, most of which were press releases or financial statements from other agencies. House Minority Leader Larry Hall said he had nothing that "would be responsive to your request under the public records laws." Senate Minority Leader Dan Blue, however, provided close to 500 emails, dozens of which came from citizens urging him to oppose changes proposed by the state employee health insurance governing board.

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NORTH DAKOTA

State law exempts the Legislature from the open-records law. The Republican House and Senate majority leaders denied the AP's records requests for emails and calendars, citing the law. But the Democratic minority leaders complied with the request. House Majority Leader Al Carlson, R-Fargo, said he does not conduct "political correspondence" on his state email; rather, he uses a personal email account and "encourages all caucus members to do the same." He said some Republican House members eschew email altogether in favor of traditional mail. Gov. Jack Dalrymple, who is subject to the law, released his emails and calendar.

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OHIO

Ohio law requires the Legislature, governor and other state agencies and offices to release most public records, including official calendars and emails, that serve to document the functions, policies, activities or decision-making of the office. Certain exceptions exist for records or portions of records considered to raise privacy, proprietary or security concerns. Legislators also are allowed to withhold work-related documents that are exclusively for personal use, such as personal calendars, meeting notes and personal papers.

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OKLAHOMA

Most of Oklahoma's top lawmakers refused to release their calendars or emails, citing an exemption in the Open Records Act for the Legislature. The Republican and Democratic leaders in the Senate sent a joint response to the AP's request, citing the statute's exemption. House Speaker Jeff Hickman sent a separate rejection from the House's general counsel. Only House Democratic Leader Rep. Scott Inman agreed to provide both his detailed calendar and all of his emails. Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin's office is not exempt from the Open Records Act, and the AP's request was acknowledged by her general counsel's office and placed in a queue behind other pending requests. Fallin's office has typically taken a year or more to respond to records requests, prompting a legal challenge from the Oklahoma Democratic Party that is pending in district court. Oklahoma law says a public entity should provide "prompt, reasonable access to its records but may establish reasonable procedures which protect the integrity of the organization of its records and to prevent excessive disruptions of its essential functions."

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OREGON

Oregon's governor and top lawmakers have agreed to comply with the requests for calendars and emails, which are public record under state law. Half of the eight top lawmakers who received records requests released their calendars, including the Senate president and House speaker. Some information was redacted, including phone numbers, addresses and details about specific events. Release of the calendars from the other four lawmakers and the governor are pending, as are the requests for emails. Legislative staff said the number of emails is 1,000 or more for the governor and some lawmakers. It's common for responses to records requests to take months in Oregon, particularly with the governor and lawmakers while they are in session. Although Oregon's public records laws are applied broadly, there are some exceptions for the Legislature. For example, lawmakers and legislative staff can ignore records requests filed between the 15 days leading up to the start of the legislative session and when it adjourns. When the session is over, however, the same records requests can be re-submitted and the Legislature would have to comply. Only one lawmaker initially chose to ignore the AP's request, but later decided to comply.

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PENNSYLVANIA

Requests to all four legislative leaders for emails and calendars were denied. Legislative records are narrowly defined under the state's Right-to-Know Law and include financial records, bills, co-sponsorship memos, chamber rules and other documents, but notably, not emails or daily schedules. The Senate letter denying access to those documents noted that making the request of the senators directly rather than through the clerk's office could have delayed the process. The Senate also noted the AP had made very similar requests for correspondence in 2009, with the same negative result. Those two 2009 requests were the first appeals handled under a revamped public-records law that took full effect that year. The governor's office has exercised its right to take up to 35 days to comply with the pending request, and its full response is due by March 17. Gov. Tom Wolf, a Democrat in his second year, has posted his public schedule online, a break from past practice that was apparently a response to an open-records court case.

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RHODE ISLAND

Three of Rhode Island's four top lawmakers and its governor denied requests to release their emails, citing a provision in the state's open records law that exempts elected officials. The same law allows them to voluntarily disclose those emails. But the three lawmakers  two Democrats and one Republican  sent a joint response saying they were "conscious of the chilling effect that voluntary disclosure" would have on constituents if they knew emails were not held in confidence. Only one, Republican Senate Minority Leader Dennis Algiere, provided printouts of his correspondence with residents and local officials, most of it routine commentary on pending bills. Algiere said he did not include confidential emails, such as those disclosing medical conditions. House Speaker Nicholas Mattiello, Senate President Teresa Paiva Weed and Gov. Gina Raimondo, all Democrats, disclosed their calendars. The official schedules showed meetings with lobbyists and fellow officials and fundraising events. Republican House Minority Leader Brian Newberry said he does not keep an official calendar, noting that he is a "part-time legislator with a busy law practice."

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SOUTH CAROLINA

Legislative attorneys declined to release personal calendars or emails of South Carolina's top legislators, including the Senate president pro tem, House speaker, and the chambers' majority and minority leaders. The House attorney's response noted that a schedule of the Legislature's public meetings and their agendas are available online. The responses cited a section of the state's public records law that excludes "memoranda, correspondence, and working papers in the possession of individual members of the General Assembly or their immediate staffs." Efforts to strengthen the state's Freedom of Information Act in the past several years have been repeatedly stymied over an amendment proposing to remove that exemption. Legislators have argued they lack the time and staff to comply with a potential barrage of requests and would not want to release constituents' personal information. The governor, however, is not exempt. Gov. Nikki Haley's office released 28 pages of her public schedule, as well as 142 pages of emails from an address her office says is used for inter-office communication. The vast majority of those emails contained summaries of that day's news articles. Much of the rest contained weather forecasts and warnings. Her office also allowed review of several hundred emails that constituents sent to her public email address. The wide array included requests for meetings, help with agencies, support for legislation and recommendations of who to endorse in the GOP primary.

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SOUTH DAKOTA

South Dakota law says public records include all records and documents, regardless of physical form, belonging to government entities  unless a different law, ordinance or rule bars particular information from public disclosure. Records exempted from disclosure include correspondence, memoranda, calendars or logs of appointments of public officials or employees. Gov. Dennis Daugaard's office and the state Legislative Research Council cited the law exempting the disclosure of correspondence and calendars in denying the AP's requests for emails and calendars.

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TENNESSEE

The state's top lawmakers agreed to release personal calendars and copies of incoming emails, although some of the writers' contact information was redacted. While Tennessee lawmakers are exempt from the state's open records laws, the Legislature's general practice is to make a good faith effort to be responsive to requests. Lawmakers provided the records they considered to be responsive, rather than having the email server searched by an independent party. Senate Minority Leader Lee Harris disagreed with that practice, arguing it shouldn't be up to the subject of the request to decide which records are relevant. The Memphis Democrat provided the log-on information to his legislative email system for a reporter to inspect his records in their entirety. Republican Gov. Bill Haslam's office released emails, but has long refused to release his personal calendar on the basis of "deliberative process privilege" under common law.

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TEXAS

Republican Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, who heads the Senate, released 48 pages of emails consisting mostly of invitations to policy conferences and a daily newsletter produced by a legal news service. Patrick's office also stated that it was withholding other information, including that related to state audits, and seeking an opinion from the Texas attorney general that doing so met appropriate exceptions to open-records rules. Patrick's weeklong public schedule contained just three listings: attending a play; holding a news conference; and giving a speech. All were in the lieutenant governor's native Houston. Sen. John Whitmire, the chamber's longest-serving Democrat, didn't reply to the AP's request, despite open-records requirements that a response or explanation of why one isn't yet ready be provided within 10 working days. Rep. Garnet Coleman, a leading Democratic voice in the state House, released 700-plus pages of emails and a detailed schedule that included his meetings and other official and non-official business. Republican Gov. Greg Abbott's schedule consisted of seven blank pages, each labeled "no scheduled events." His office did not release any emails, instead saying the requested items were exempt from disclosure.

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UTAH

Utah's House and Senate provided emails for the top Republican and Democrat in each chamber. But both chambers denied a request for calendars, citing part of Utah's open records law that says a daily calendar is not considered a public record. The Senate released about 500 each from the accounts of Senate President Niederhause and Minority Leader Gene Davis. Well more than 100 emails each were released from the accounts of House Speaker Greg Hughes and Minority Leader Brian King. The Utah governor's office denied a request for the governor's calendar, citing the same part of Utah law as the House and Senate did. The governor's office instead provided a copy of the governor's weekly schedule, which contains a selection of public appearances and meetings. The governor's office also denied the request for a week's worth of Gov. Gary Herbert's emails. Herbert's general counsel said Utah's public records law requires that a person requesting a record shall provide a "description of the record requested that identifies the record with reasonable specificity." Herbert's office said the AP request was for a specific time period but not a specific record. The office has in the past released nearly a year's worth of emails on a particular topic.

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VERMONT

The state's top lawmakers and governor agreed to release detailed personal schedules for their time at the Statehouse or on state business. But Vermont's is a part-time legislature with many members juggling outside jobs around their legislative work, and they were not willing to release detailed information on how that time was spent. Three of the legislative leaders are lawyers, and simply said they were meeting with clients or, in the case of Senate President Pro Tem John Campbell, working on cases as a deputy state's attorney in Windsor County. The governor and lawmakers also released emails, with one exception. Senate Minority Leader Joe Bennington noted that he has no staff and that checking through his email to redact constituents' personal informant would take hours of his own personal time, or time away from his law practice. House Speaker Shap Smith's aide, Dylan Giambatista, noted that the release was provisional. "After consulting with the Legislature's legal staff, "we have decided to provide you these records even though we were advised that we could assert arguments to withhold them. We reserve the right to assert such arguments in the event of a future Public Records Act request," Giambatista wrote.

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VIRGINIA

Virginia's public records law grants elected officials broad discretion in what they can withhold, including any correspondence or records related to "personal or deliberative use." Gov. Terry McAuliffe and the top Democrats and Republicans in both the House and the Senate all declined to provide emails The Associated Press requested. The governor and Democratic legislative leaders provided their calendars. Republican Senate Majority Leader Tommy Norment also provided calendars, but it showed only floor sessions and committee and caucus meetings  not any private meetings or events. Republican House Speaker William J. Howell said the request for a week's worth of his calendar was too vague to qualify as a legitimate public records request.

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WASHINGTON

Leadership in Washington's House and Senate all denied requests to release their emails and daily calendars. Legislators have largely exempted themselves from the state public records law, which says "reports or correspondence made or received" by individual members of the Legislature are not public records. This exemption was cited by the offices of each chamber when denying the request. The state's high court ruled in 2013 that the governor is allowed to shield some documents from the public because of an "executive privilege." Gov. Jay Inslee has said he will not exercise the privilege. Upon request, his office released his detailed daily schedules and 39 generally uneventful emails. The emails often contained bits of information passed on by staff and news releases for Inslee to review.

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WEST VIRGINIA

State law says there is a "presumption of public accessibility to all public records," although there are plenty of exemptions. The House speaker and minority leader released their emails in response to an AP request, but their Senate counterparts did not. All the top lawmakers declined to release detailed personal calendars. The House said that's because they "are in draft form, contain appointments that may or may not occur, are revised daily, are never corrected, and are not an accurate log" of actual appointments. The Senate said the records requests were "overly broad and lack a reasonably specificity for the information sought." The state constitution says lawmakers are privileged for "words spoken in debate, or any report, motion or proposition made." Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin's office said he does not personally use his official email account. It said the account received more than 600 emails over the timeframe. Tomblin did not release his detailed calendar, echoing the reasoning of the House.

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WISCONSIN

Wisconsin's open records law allows requestors to obtain copies of records maintained by government authorities. The reason for the request is irrelevant and records are presumed to be open to inspection and copy. However, government officials don't have to provide information if a record doesn't exist and don't have to create records to fulfil requests. All of Wisconsin's top lawmakers released copies of their emails in response to the AP's request. Most also released their daily calendars. But Republican Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald said his office deletes the calendar daily and that the Legislature isn't subject to retention clauses in open-records laws.

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WYOMING

State law exempts the Wyoming Legislature from the open-records law. Under Wyoming law, lawmakers do not have to disclose any communication with constituents or correspondence with legislative staff. The request for emails and calendars to both the Republican and Democratic leaders in the state Senate and House resulted in the same basic reply, noting the exemption. Republican Gov. Matt Mead, who is not exempt from any provisions, released his calendar, minus certain sensitive security details, and emails. However, the state Supreme Court has ruled recently that public officials can refuse public inspection of documents they relied on in reaching final policy decisions. The ruling came in a case against the governor's office.

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Many state legislatures exempt themselves from record laws

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP)  State capitols are often referred to as "the people's house," but legislatures frequently put up no-trespassing signs by exempting themselves from public-records laws.

That tendency was apparent when the Associated Press sought emails and daily schedules of legislative leaders in all 50 states. The request was met with more denials than approvals.

Some lawmakers claimed "legislative immunity" from the public-records laws that apply to most state and local officials. Others said secrecy was essential to the deliberative process of making laws. And some feared that releasing the records could invade the privacy of citizens, creating a "chilling effect" on the right of people to petition their government.

FILE - In this Jan. 22, 2015 file photo, House Speaker Philip Gunn, R-Clinton, answers a question at the Capitol in Jackson, Miss. As one of the top Republicans in the Mississippi Legislature, Gunn has refused to release emails or schedules. In denying a request, Gunn wrote that the states 1983 Public Records Act does not apply to members of the Legislature. Gunn also wrote that disclosing the requested records would endanger the privacy of other legislators and of constituents "who should be able to expect a private communication with his or her legislator about policy." (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis, File)

Without access to such records, it's harder for the public to know who is trying to influence their lawmakers on important policy decisions.

"The public has a right to know what their elected officials are doing, because it's the people's job to hold those folks politically accountable," said Peter Scheer, executive director of the First Amendment Coalition, a San Rafael, California-based nonprofit that advocates for greater openness in government.

All legislatures allow people to watch and listen to their debates. But an AP review of open-government policies found that many state legislatures allow closed-door caucus meetings in which a majority of lawmakers discuss policy positions before public debates. Others have restrictions on taking photos and videos of legislative proceedings. In some places, lawmakers have no obligation to disclose personal financial information that could reveal conflicts of interest.

Legislators possess the power to change that but are sometimes reluctant to act.

A bill advancing this year in Massachusetts, for example, would strengthen the state's public-records laws by limiting fees and setting new deadlines for state agencies and municipalities to comply. Yet it would continue to exempt lawmakers.

That mirrors the way things work in Washington, D.C. Congress exempted itself when it passed the national Freedom of Information Act 50 years ago. The president and his immediate staff also are exempt. By contrast, many governors are subject to state sunshine laws.

In many states, the public-records requirements passed by lawmakers present "a stunning contradiction," said Charles Davis, dean of the College of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of Georgia and a former executive director of the National Freedom of Information Coalition.

"I have just always found it astonishing that they would put those requirements on public officials throughout government and exempt themselves at the same time," he said.

To gauge compliance with public-records laws, the AP sent requests to the top Democratic and Republican lawmakers in all states and most governors seeking copies of their daily schedules and emails from their government accounts for the week of Feb. 1 to Feb. 7. Of the more than 170 lawmakers who responded by mid-March, a majority denied the requests by claiming they were legally exempt. The governors were slower to respond but more often provided the information.

The legislative denials came from lawmakers of both parties, although slightly more from Republicans. In states where some lawmakers said "yes" and others "no," it was more often the majority party lawmakers who denied the requests while a minority party leader complied.

In Missouri, Senate President Pro Tem Ron Richard was asked in front of dozens of reporters and editors whether he would release his government emails and daily calendars.

"All you have to do is ask for it, and I'll give it to you. I don't care," Richard told those attending a statewide press association event in February.

Yet when the AP subsequently submitted an open-records request, Richard reversed course. A Senate administrator responded on his behalf with a letter saying that individual lawmakers aren't subject to the Missouri Sunshine Law. Richard, who is in his first year as the Senate's top lawmaker, explained that he learned his predecessors had determined they were exempt, and he didn't want to break with precedent.

"I'm telling you I don't hide anything in my emails. I just don't do that," said Richard, a Republican from Joplin.

Mississippi House Speaker Philip Gunn responded with a denial letter asserting his emails and calendars were his personal property, not subject to the Mississippi Public Records Act and protected "under the doctrine of legislative immunity" dating back hundreds of years to English common law.

Denial letters on behalf of Illinois' top Democratic and Republican lawmakers said, among other things, that releasing the records could amount to a "clearly unwarranted invasion of personal privacy" for individuals who contacted lawmakers without expecting their names to appear in the news media.

An attorney for Kentucky's legislature said secrecy was needed "to encourage effective and frank communications."

"Arranging honors for our fallen heroes, seeking options for Kentuckians with substance abuse problems or counseling citizens regarding confidential problems are all in a day's work for our members," wrote Kentucky legislative general counsel Morgain Sprague. "These communications have always been protected by law."

If lawmakers followed the same open-records rules that apply to others in government, the potential for some sensitive content being revealed would not be a reason for denying access to all of their emails. Rather, they could redact or withhold particular emails covered by various sunshine law exceptions while releasing the rest.

In several states, lawmakers who provided their records did withhold certain emails that they considered to be exempt from disclosure.

Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, who is the Republican head of the Senate, released 48 pages of emails but withheld the rest pending a request for a state attorney general's opinion on whether confidential communications between elected officials and citizens are shielded from disclosure.

New Mexico lawmakers released hundreds of emails, mainly from constituents, but withheld three under an exemption for correspondence with certain legislative staff. They also released copies of their daily calendars showing breakfasts and dinners sponsored by industry and interest groups.

Lawmakers in Florida, which has one of the more expansive sunshine laws, freely released emails from people urging them to support or oppose particular bills. They also released calendars showing meetings with lobbyists for dentists, hospitals, teachers, the aerospace industry and others. The schedule for House Minority Leader Mark Pafford even included his morning exercise time and his flight itinerary for a trip to Washington, D.C.

"This is the people's government. If somebody finds out I'm doing a workout or having a doctor's appointment at a certain time, that's OK," said Pafford, a Democrat from West Palm Beach.

In Alaska, three of the top four lawmakers declined the AP's request, explaining that their records can be kept confidential under the state constitution and "the deliberative process privilege." But Senate President Kevin Meyer, a Republican from Anchorage, provided his calendar and let an AP reporter look at his email inbox as an aide scrolled through it.

Open-records advocates said such case-by-case allowances ultimately leave it to the whims of whoever is in power to decide what the public can see.

"The problem with that is that's just an act of legislative mercy," said Davis, of the University of Georgia, "and tomorrow they might have an absolutely identical document that they decide not to give you, because you have no legal right to it."

___

Associated Press writers Adam Beam in Frankfort, Kentucky; Becky Bohrer in Juneau, Alaska; Morgan Lee in Santa Fe, New Mexico; William March in Tallahassee, Florida; John O'Connor in Springfield, Illinois; Emily Wagster Pettus in Jackson, Mississippi; Bob Salsberg in Boston; and Will Weissert in Austin, Texas, contributed to this report.

___

Follow David A. Lieb at: http://www.twitter.com/DavidALieb .

FILE - In this March 30, 2015 file photo, Mississippi House Speaker Philip Gunn, R-Clinton, speaks at the Capitol in Jackson, Miss. As one of the top Republicans in the Mississippi Legislature, Gunn has refused to release emails or schedules. In denying a request, Gunn wrote that the states 1983 Public Records Act does not apply to members of the Legislature. Gunn also wrote that disclosing the requested records would endanger the privacy of other legislators and of constituents "who should be able to expect a private communication with his or her legislator about policy." (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis, File)
MSF challenges Pfizer's India vaccine patent application

NEW DELHI (AP)  Doctors Without Borders has challenged Pfizer's application for an Indian patent for its pneumonia vaccine so cheaper versions can be available to children in poor countries and to humanitarian organizations.

The medical aid group, also known as Medicins Sans Frontieres, said in a statement late Friday that it was challenging Pfizer's patent application to allow Indian manufacturers to make affordable versions of the pneumococcal conjugate vaccine.

If Pfizer is granted a patent for the vaccine, Indian drug companies would not be able to make cheaper generic versions.

"The pneumonia vaccine is the world's best-selling vaccine, and last year alone, Pfizer brought in more than $6 billion in sales just for this product," Dr. Manica Balasegaram, Executive Director of MSF's Access Campaign, said in the statement. "Meanwhile, many developing countries, where millions of children risk getting pneumonia, simply can't afford it."

"To make sure children everywhere can be protected from deadly pneumonia, other companies need to enter the market to supply this vaccine for a much lower price than what Pfizer charges," Balasegaram said.

Doctors Without Borders said its decision to oppose New-York based Pfizer's patent application comes after "years of fruitless negotiations" to get the company to reduce the price of the drug for use in humanitarian projects.

Pfizer India said Saturday that the company had not yet received a copy of the patent opposition, and that it was in talks with Indian health officials to try to assess local needs.

Pneumonia kills almost a million children each year.
Judge tosses immigration suit linked to Mexico grandmother

RENO, Nev. (AP)  The federal government does not have to explain to a Nevada man why his wife_a grandmother and farmer in Mexico_has been denied entry to the U.S. for more than 20 years under "alien smuggling" rules, a federal judge has ruled.

A lawyer for Reno landscaper Jose Isabel Esparza-Munoz, 69, had been arguing in court since November about whether immigration officials must do more than simply cite the section of law pertaining to smuggling. U.S. immigration officials have been blocking 65-year-old Maria Esparza's entrance to the country since she first acknowledged in 1994 that a son listed on her original visa application was really her grandson born to her teenage daughter.

U.S. District Judge Robert Jones said in dismissing the case Thursday none of that matters because Esparza-Munoz didn't become a naturalized U.S. citizen until after the visa was denied.

FILE - In this file photo taken Monday, Dec. 7, 2015, Reno attorney Steve Brazelton sits in his office, in Reno, Nev., as he telephones his clients, Jose Isabel and Maria Esparza, in Cuachtemoc, Mexico, west of Mexico City. The couple filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Reno, Nevada against the U.S. State Department challenging the denial of a visa for Maria, due to alien smuggling, to join her husband living and working in Nevada. The Justice Department and attorney Brazelton have been arguing in court since November 2015 whether immigration officials must do more than simply cite the section of law pertaining to smuggling to deny her visa. (AP Photo/Scott Sonner, File)

"Because the spousal visa denial occurred when plaintiff was not a citizen, no violation of the due process clause can have resulted from the denial, because only citizen spouse have any cognizable liberty interest in the context of spousal visa applications," the judge wrote in a 3-page opinion.

The government never raised that issue in its briefs. But Jones concluded that if such rights are to be "extended to those who were not citizens but only resident aliens when their spouse's visa application was denied, it must be done by the court of appeals, not by this court."

Jones has been in the spotlight recently because the 9th Circuit reversed a number of his decisions and earlier this month took the extraordinary step of ordering him off a case as part of the remand to district court  the fifth time that has happened in just the past two years.

Reno lawyer Steve Brazelton told The Associated Press on Friday they are considering an appeal to the 9th Circuit in San Francisco but had no additional comment.

Chloe Dybdahl, a U.S. State Department lawyer, said in a declaration filed last month that the boy Maria Esparza presented as her child in 1994 "was really her grandchild and had no possible legal eligibility for an immigrant visa." Dybdahl acknowledged that Esparza later obtained a waiver from U.S. Immigration Services that made her eligible for one exception to the prohibition, but no such exception is allowed under the section of law regarding alien smuggling.

Brazelton said the woman living on a modest family farm outside Mexico City bears no resemblance to a smuggler, defined under the law as someone who imports or exports "secretly contrary to law," or with "fraudulent intent." He cited a long list of previous federal circuit court rulings on appeals decisions interpreting the smuggler statute.

"Each of the cases involves a border inspection station or airport inspection station entry or attempted entry," he wrote in court documents last month. "None of the cases involve a misrepresentation made on a visa application or at a visa review."

Maria Esparza's initial application was accompanied by an official birth certificate listing her and her husband as the parents of Yazarit Esparza, now 22.

Brazelton said it was obvious to the couple at the time that their daughter was unprepared to be a mother and that the biological father "shirked all responsibility."

"The baby was born at home and so Mr. Esparza and his wife took the baby and registered the baby as their own child," he wrote. "Thereafter, they treated and represented the child as their own for all purposes, including the visa application at issue. They answered all questions truthfully at their visa interview, including acknowledging that Yazarit was their biological grandchild rather than child."
Sunday, March 20

Today is Sunday, March 20, the 80th day of 2015. There are 286 days left in the year.

Highlights in history on this date:

1616 - Sir Walter Raleigh is released from Tower of London to seek gold in Guyana.

1784 - Holland cedes Negapatama and Madras, India, to Britain.

1816 - U.S. Supreme Court affirms its right to review state court decisions.

1849 - Second Sikh War between Sikhs and Britain begins in India; Ludwig I, King of Bavaria, abdicates.

1850 - Another Anglo-Kaffir war breaks out in South Africa.

1852 - Harriet Beecher Stowe's influential novel about slavery, "Uncle Tom's Cabin," is published in the United States.

1896 - Marines land in Nicaragua to protect U.S. citizens in the wake of a revolution.

1899 - Martha M. Place of Brooklyn, New York, becomes the first woman to be executed in the electric chair in the United States.

1916 - Allies agree on partition of Turkey.

1942 - U.S. General Douglas MacArthur declares: "I shall return" to the Philippines after leaving for Australia in the face of a Japanese invasion.

1956 - France recognizes independence of Tunisia, with Habib Bourguiba as its first president.

1972 - Nineteen mountain climbers on Japan's Mount Fuji are killed in avalanche.

1976 - Newspaper heiress Patricia Hearst is convicted of armed robbery for her part in a San Francisco bank holdup.

1988 - Honduran warplanes bomb Nicaraguan troops who chased Contras rebels into Honduras.

1990 - Namibia becomes an independent nation, marking the end of 75 years of South African rule.

1992 - Iraq backs down under threat of possible air raids and admits far larger ballistic and chemical arsenals than disclosed earlier.

1994 - Tunisians elect first multiparty parliament.

1995 - In Tokyo, 12 people are killed, more than 5,500 others sickened when packages containing the poisonous gas sarin leak on five separate subway trains.

1997 - The Swiss National Bank confirms that it helped other neutral European countries to buy millions of dollars worth of Nazi gold during World War II.

1998 - The Trans-Kalahari Highway, sub-Saharan Africa's first road connecting the Atlantic and Indian Ocean, is opened.

2000 - President Abdou Diouf concedes defeat in Senegalese elections, marking a rare victory for democratic change in Africa and bringing a fiery opposition leader to power.

2004 - Thousands of people march in cities across the globe to mark the first anniversary of the war in Iraq, demanding an end to the U.S. occupation and the withdrawal of international troops.

2009 - France submits a formal request to rejoin NATO's command structure after a 43-year-absence.

2010 - Visiting U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon says that Israeli settlements being built anywhere on occupied land are illegal and must be stopped.

2011 - Moammar Gadhafi vows a "long war" as allied forces launch a second night of strikes on Libya, and jubilant rebels who only a day before were in danger of being crushed by his forces now boast they will bring him down.

2012 - Residents of an Afghan village near where an American soldier is alleged to have killed 16 civilians are convinced that the slayings were in retaliation for a roadside bomb attack on U.S. forces in the same area a few days earlier.

2013 - President Barack Obama, on his first visit to Israel as president, affirms the Jewish state's sovereign right to defend itself from any threat and vows to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons.

2014 - Syrian troops capture a famed Crusader castle near the border with Lebanon, raising the government flag above the stone ramparts of the 12th century fortress.

2015 - A judge rules the U.S. must release photographs showing abuse of detainees in Iraq and Afghanistan in a long-running clash of letting the world see potentially disturbing images of how the military treated prisoners.

Today's Birthdays:

Ovid, Latin poet (43 B.C.-17 A.D.); Henrik Ibsen, Norwegian dramatist (1828-1906); Lauritz Melchior, Danish-American operatic tenor (1890-1973); Fred Rogers, U.S. children's TV personality (1928-2003); Carl Reiner, U.S. producer (1922--); Spike Lee, U.S. filmmaker (1957--); Holly Hunter, U.S. actress (1958--).

Thought For Today:
Western Sydney beats Newcastle 1-0 in A-League, level in 1st

NEWCASTLE, Australia (AP)  Forward Jaushua Sotirio's goal in the 17th minute gave Western Sydney a 1-0 win over the Newcastle Jets on Sunday, moving the Wanderers level into first place in the A-League but marginally behind on goal difference with the Brisbane Roar.

With four rounds remaining, the leading pair has 41 points, two ahead of Adelaide, with Melbourne City in fourth with 38 points.

The Roar have a goal differential of plus-9, one better than the Wanderers.

Perth moved into fifth place after a 4-0 win Saturday over Central Coast, a point ahead of the Melbourne Victory, who hold the sixth and final playoff spot.
Fourth day of wet weather saturates parts of California

SAN FRANCISCO (AP)  A storm brought strong winds, heavy rain, snow and high surf to California on Sunday, the fourth day of wet weather that has inundated rivers and roads and led to some evacuations.

California is in its fifth year of drought, and though the rain and snow help, it will take years of normal or above-normal rainfall to right the deficit, experts say.

The storm that dumped rain in much of Northern California weakened as it moved south, though the southern part of the state could see scattered showers or drizzle, and beachgoers were warned of powerful surf along the central and Southern California coast.

Avery Thompson, 10, left, and her sister, Taylor, 8, play in puddle on the River Walk as the Sacramento River flows through downtown on Sunday, March 13, 2016, in West Sacramento, Calif. A storm brought strong winds, periods of heavy rain, snow and high surf to California on Sunday, the fourth straight day of wet weather. (Paul Kitagaki Jr./Sacramento Bee via AP) MAGS OUT; TV OUT (KCRA3, KXTV10, KOVR13, KUVS19, KMAZ31, KTXL40) MANDATORY CREDIT

The rain was expected to taper off early Monday, with warm, dry weather predicted for the rest of the week.

North in Washington state, a man died after a large tree fell on his car in Seattle as a strong windstorm battered much of the western part of the state.

Meanwhile, Northern California saw rivers and creeks swell and flood risk rise. More than 7 inches of rain fell during a 72-hour period in Pescadero Creek in San Mateo County, the National Weather Service said.

Downtown San Francisco received 3 inches of rain during the same period.

"We've reached more rain in the past two weeks than what we'd get on an average March," said Johnnie Powell, a meteorologist with the weather service in Sacramento.

Donny Mata, who coaches water polo and swimming at Bay Area Sunset Aquatics in Vallejo, said he's thankful for the downpours but that coaching a youth club team in the rain over the past few days has been challenging.

"It's hard to have these kids in their swimsuits out in the cold and not able to see because the water is splashing on their faces," he said. "But you got to put your rain boots on and bite the bullet."

Authorities helped evacuate about 175 people from a campsite in Santa Clara County after a creek began rising, threatening to trap the campers, San Jose television station KNTV reported.

More than a foot of snow fell overnight in the Sierra Nevada, and up to 3 feet was expected in the higher elevations through Monday, the weather service said.

In the Sierra foothill town of Placerville, a mudslide sent a large boulder onto Clint Stayley's driveway.

"I just heard a big shaking vibration about 11:30 at night, didn't know what it was, came back the next morning, and all of this was like this," Stayley told Sacramento news station KTXL-TV (http://bit.ly/1UaBMAJ ).

A tree also fell into a nearby creek that has roared back to life, he said.

"We haven't heard this creek in five years, now you can hear it rumbling  it's crazy," Stayley said, adding that he's worried more rocks and downed trees could come downhill.

Powerful rains also slammed central California, flooding streets in Fresno and briefly shutting down the airport.

For the first time in more than three years Sunday, water from the rain-swollen Sacramento River spilled over a 33.5-foot-high concrete wall and into a bypass built to divert floodwater.

The bypass is an expanse of farmland and natural habitat that stretches from Sacramento to Davis and was created a century ago.

Andy Laughlin and Katie Sarber, of West Sacramento, look at the rising level of the Sacramento River at the Broderick Boat Ramp on Sunday, March 13, 2016 in West Sacramento, Calif. Yesterday when Laughlin took his grandchildren to the same area, the bench was not covered in water. A storm brought strong winds, periods of heavy rain, snow and high surf to California on Sunday, the fourth straight day of wet weather.(Paul Kitagaki Jr./Sacramento Bee via AP) MAGS OUT; TV OUT (KCRA3, KXTV10, KOVR13, KUVS19, KMAZ31, KTXL40) MANDATORY CREDIT

A man walks along the shore of Lake Shasta behind Shasta Dam in Lake Shasta, Calif., Sunday, March 13, 2016. The lake's water level has been rising after a series of storms brought strong winds, periods of heavy rain, snow and high surf to California Sunday, the fourth straight day of wet weather. The lake is rising after several years of dropping water levels due to the ongoing California drought.(Nathan Solis/The Record Searchlight via AP)

Lake Shasta behind Shasta Dam in Lake Shasta, Calif., is seen Sunday, March 13, 2016. The lake's water level has been rising after a series of storms brought strong winds, periods of heavy rain, snow and high surf to California Sunday, the fourth straight day of wet weather. The lake is rising after several years of dropping water levels due to the ongoing California drought.(Nathan Solis/The Record Searchlight via AP)

The shore of Lake Shasta behind Shasta Dam in Lake Shasta, Calif., is seen Sunday, March 13, 2016. The lake's water level has been rising after a series of storms brought strong winds, periods of heavy rain, snow and high surf to California Sunday, the fourth straight day of wet weather. The lake is rising after several years of dropping water levels due to the ongoing California drought. (Nathan Solis/The Record Searchlight via AP)

Pedestrians under the cover of umbrellas look at the rising level of the Sacramento River near the Tower Bridge on Sunday, March 13, 2016, in West Sacramento, Calif. A storm brought strong winds, periods of heavy rain, snow and high surf to California on Sunday, the fourth straight day of wet weather. (Paul Kitagaki Jr./Sacramento Bee via AP) MAGS OUT; LOCAL TELEVISION OUT (KCRA3, KXTV10, KOVR13, KUVS19, KMAZ31, KTXL40); MANDATORY CREDIT
Germanwings crash: New rules needed for pilot health issues

LE BOURGET, France (AP)  Seeking to ensure that suicidal pilots can't crash their jets, French authorities investigating last year's Germanwings crash are urging new reporting requirements for doctors treating pilots, and new measures to keep pilots from hiding mental health issues.

The recommendations are delicate. The investigators from France's BEA air accident agency acknowledged Sunday that it's not easy to balance patients' right to medical privacy and public safety, and said they don't want to stigmatize people suffering depression.

But they argue that aviation authorities around the world need clearer rules, after Germanwings co-pilot Andreas Lubitz locked his captain out of the cockpit and slammed Flight 9525 into an Alpine mountainside March 24, 2015. All 150 people aboard were killed.

Arnaud Desjardin, deputy head of the investigations department of BEA, the French Air Accident Investigation Agency, delivers a speech during a press conference at Le Bourget airport, north of Paris, Sunday, March 13, 2016. Germanwings co-pilot Andreas Lubitz had been treated for depression in the past, and the investigation found that he had consulted dozens of doctors in the weeks before he deliberately crashed a jet into the French Alps on March 24, 2015, killing all 150 people on board. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)

Lubitz had suffered from depression in the past, but authorities and his airline later deemed him fit to fly. What they didn't know is that his mental health troubles had returned.

The final crash report released by the BEA Sunday lays out in chilling detail how bad things had become.

Lubitz consulted dozens of doctors about perceived vision troubles and sleeplessness in the months leading up to the crash. One doctor prescribed antidepressants, including one whose side effects can include suicidal tendencies. Another doctor referred Lubitz to a psychiatric clinic two weeks before the crash, suspecting a potential "psychotic episode," said Arnaud Desjardin, leader of the BEA's Germanwings investigation.

Lubitz reported none of this to Germanwings or its parent Lufthansa. Neither did the doctors, citing Germany's strict medical confidentiality laws.

The BEA says those rules need to change.

Among a list of 10 safety recommendations to international, European and German aviation authorities, the BEA said they should draw up new rules requiring medical workers to warn authorities when a pilot's mental health could threaten public safety.

It suggested more rules like those in the U.S. and some other countries, which allow use of some antidepressants under medical supervision, to encourage pilots to seek treatment and come forward about depression.

Germany's confidentiality laws prevent sensitive personal information from being widely shared, though doctors are allowed to suspend patient privacy if they believe there is a concrete danger to the person's safety or that of others.

Desjardin said German doctors fear losing their jobs or potential prison terms if they unnecessarily report a problem to authorities. The doctors who treated Lubitz for depression and mental illness also refused to speak with the BEA investigators, citing medical privacy  and complicating the investigation.

Johann Reuss of Germany's air accident investigation agency told The Associated Press "there is no need to change the law." Reuss said "it might not be easy" to loosen the privacy rules and suggested that authorities instead focus on giving doctors checklists to prevent similar scenarios with pilots.

The BEA safety recommendations also include special insurance options and peer support groups for aviation workers, to ease concerns about losing a job that pilots with mental health issues face.

Even though Germany's medical privacy laws are stricter than those in the U.S., it's hard to imagine a U.S. doctor reporting mental health concerns about a pilot to an airline or the FAA without his patient's permission, said John Gadzinski, an veteran U.S. airline pilot and safety consultant.

The underlying problem is that society hasn't figured out how to deal with mental health in a way that protects both the patient and society, Gadzinski told the AP from his home in Virginia Beach, Virginia.

"I think the Germanwings accident is more of a symptom than the major issue," he said. "The major issue is how do we deal with mental health."

Jim McAuslan, general secretary of the British Airline Pilots Association, said in a statement, "Pilots welcome recommendations to introduce peer support programs for pilots across the aviation industry. ... By encouraging those with mental health problems to seek help, offering them treatment and ensuring they do not suffer financially if they do come forward, we prevent these issues being driven underground."

The BEA also recommended more frequent, deeper monitoring of pilots who had mental health issues in the past  for example every three months instead of every year. Lubitz' relapse appeared to begin around four months before the crash.

The agency said airplane cockpit security rules shouldn't be changed, saying hijacking remains a greater threat than pilot suicide. Current cockpits are equipped with a code system to prevent the kind of hijackings that occurred on Sept. 11, 2001, in the United States, where planes full of passengers were turned into weapons.

After the Germanwings crash, some airlines required that at least two people be in the cockpit at any given time.

Lufthansa pledged to back the new safety recommendations. Since the crash, the airline has replaced its Germanwings brand with the name Eurowings.

On the day of the flight, Lubitz rehearsed a similar crash a few hours earlier. Then half an hour after Flight 9525 took off from Barcelona, Capt. Patrick Sondenheimer handed the controls to Lubitz and went to the restroom. Lubitz quickly locked the cockpit and set the plane into an accelerated dive for a mountainside near the French village of Le Vernet, where a stone memorial to victims marks their memory.

Traces of anti-depressive medications Citalopram and Mirtazapine were found in Lubitz's remains, as well as the sleeping medication Zopiclone, the BEA report says. The U.S. National Library of Medicine notes on its entry for Citalopram that children and young adults who take the drug can become suicidal.

Lubitz was 27 when he crashed the plane.

The BEA investigation is separate from a manslaughter investigation by French prosecutors seeking to determine eventual criminal responsibility. Lufthansa strongly denies any wrongdoing, but relatives of those killed have pointed to a string of people they say could have raised the alarm and stopped Lubitz, going back to the days when he began training as a pilot in 2008.

Families of Germanwings victims met with BEA investigators Saturday, but many were disappointed in the explanation.

"Some of the family members felt as if these BEA representatives were Lubitz's lawyers  making excuses as to why Germanwings didn't take action knowing what they knew," Robert Tansill Oliver, whose son died in the crash, told the AP.

"How is it possible Germanwings would let a crazy guy fly a plane? He was mentally unbalanced, tremendously unbalanced," Oliver said.

___

Geir Moulson reported from Berlin. Joan Lowy in Washington, and Alan Clendenning in Madrid, contributed to this report.

FILE - In this June 10, 2015 file picture, a convoy of hearses drives on the highway in Duisburg, Germany. taking home victims who died in the Germanwings plane crash in the French Alps in March 2015. France's air accident investigation agency releases report into the March 2015 crash of the Germanwings jet on March 13, 2016 . Investigators have said co-pilot Andreas Lubitz intentionally slammed the plane into mountainside. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner,file)

In this March 24, 2015 file picture students stand near candles in front of the Joseph-Koenig Gymnasium in Haltern, western Germany. .Students of this school were among the victims of of the Germanwings plane that crashed in the French Alps killing all 150 people on board. France's air accident investigation agency releases report into the March 2015 crash of the Germanwings jet on March 13, 2016 . (AP Photo/Martin Meissner,file)

FILE - In this July 24, 2015 file picture a stele, a stone slab erected as a monument, set up in the area near where a Germanwings aircraft crashed in the French Alps, in Le Vernet, French Alps. France's air accident investigation agency releases report into the March 2015 crash of the Germanwings jet on March 13, 2016 . (AP Photo/Claude Paris,file)

Journalists listen to Remi Jouty, director of BEA, the French Air Accident Investigation Agency, during a press conference at Le Bourget airport, north of Paris, Sunday, March 13, 2016. Germanwings co-pilot Andreas Lubitz had been treated for depression in the past, and the investigation found that he had consulted dozens of doctors in the weeks before he deliberately crashed a jet into the French Alps on March 24, 2015, killing all 150 people on board. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)
US envoy John Kerry meets Europe's top diplomats in Paris

PARIS (AP)  U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry called for the resumption of Syria peace talks Monday in Geneva following a meeting with France's new foreign minister and other senior European diplomats.

Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault hosted Sunday's meeting in Paris which also included his British, German and Italian counterparts, and the European Union's foreign policy chief.

The meeting comes ahead of U.N.-sponsored indirect peace talks on Syria, which are scheduled to start Monday in Geneva amid a partial cease-fire that came into force two weeks ago and has mostly held.

French Foreign Minister Jean Marc Ayrault, left, and United States Secretary of State John Kerry, attend a meeting at the Quai d'Orsay ministry in Paris, Sunday, March 13, 2016. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry is meeting with new French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault and Europe's top diplomats to discuss major international issues including the Syria peace talks. (Gonzalo Fuentes/Pool Photo via AP)

"We look forward to the resumption of talks in Geneva on Monday," Kerry said in a joint news conference with his counterparts.

Fighting has continued inside Syria but to a lesser degree than in February. Government forces advanced on the ancient city of Palmyra, which is held by the Islamic State group, while continuing to clash with jihadists and rebels in other parts of the country Sunday.

In the northern part of the country, factions arrayed against the government turned against one another in an effort to assert their dominance during the cease-fire. Al-Qaida militants swept through a rebel-held town in northern Syria, arresting U.S.-backed fighters and looting weapons stores belonging to the Free Syrian Army.

Delegations from the Syrian government and opposition, represented in part by the Saudi-backed High Negotiations Committee, arrived in Geneva Sunday, but with conflicting visions for the talks.

HNC spokesman Salem Mislet said the opposition would discuss the establishment of a transitional governing body in which Syrian President Bashar Assad and his associates would have no role.

"The Syrian people have submitted half a million martyrs not to keep Assad in power for a longer period but in order to terminate his presence and to put an end to the suffering of the Syrian people and also to put an end to the terrorism that targeted the region," he said.

But Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moallam said Saturday any talk of removing Assad during the transitional period was "a red line," adding that the government rejected the U.N. envoy's call for presidential elections to be held in the next 18 months.

Kerry said Moallam's comments "clearly tried to disrupt the process" of negotiations.

Kerry insisted that both Iran and Russia  supporters of the Syrian regime  have adopted "an approach which dictates that there must be a political transition and that we must move toward a presidential election at some point of time."

The last round of indirect talks collapsed on Feb. 3 over a Russian-backed government offensive in Aleppo.

As the Syrian civil war enters its sixth year, Kerry reaffirmed the "determination" of the U.S.-led coalition against the Islamic State group in Iraq and Syria, "to defeat this barbaric organization."

The meeting's participants also issued a joint statement on Libya to express their support for the U.N.-sponsored unity government and call for its quick installation in the country's capital, Tripoli.

"Political unity and an inclusive and functioning government is the only way to put an end to the instability that has fueled the development of terrorism in Libya," the statement said.

Libya fell into chaos after the 2011 toppling and killing of longtime leader, Moammar Gadhafi. The country is ruled by two competing governments since 2014: an internationally-recognized body based in the eastern city of Tobruk and a rival one, backed by Islamist-allied militias, in Tripoli.

European Union countries are preparing possible sanctions against officials in Libya blamed for undermining the peace process. The issue will be discussed at a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Brussels on Monday.

Additionally, diplomats have discussed a possible initiative to restart the Palestinian-Israeli peace process, as France hopes to host an international conference on the issue in the coming months. The new French Mideast peace envoy, Pierre Vimont, will travel to Washington next week to discuss France's proposal, Ayrault said.

Yemen's civil war and the Ukraine peace process were also on the agenda of the Paris talks.

___

Associated Press writer Philip Issa in Beirut contributed to this report.

French Foreign Minister Jean Marc Ayrault, right, and United States Secretary of State John Kerry, second left, speak during a meeting at the Quai d'Orsay ministry in Paris, Sunday, March 13, 2016. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry is meeting with new French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault and Europe's top diplomats to discuss major international issues including the Syria peace talks. (Gonzalo Fuentes/Pool Photo via AP)

French Foreign Minister Jean Marc Ayrault, left, and United States Secretary of State John Kerry, attend a meeting at the Quai d'Orsay ministry in Paris, Sunday, March 13, 2016. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry is meeting with new French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault and Europe's top diplomats to discuss major international issues including the Syria peace talks. (Gonzalo Fuentes/ Pool Photo via AP)

European Union foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini, second left, French Foreign Minister Jean Marc Ayrault, fourth left, United States Secretary of State John Kerry, fifth left, Italian Foreign Minister Paolo Gentiloni, right, and German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier, third right, attend a meeting at the Quai d'Orsay ministry in Paris, Sunday, March 13, 2016. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry is meeting with new French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault and Europe's top diplomats to discuss major international issues including the Syria peace talks. (Gonzalo Fuentes/Pool Photo via AP)

United States Secretary of State John Kerry, right, and Political Director of the French Foreign Ministry Nicolas de Riviere arrive to attend a meeting at the Quai d'Orsay ministry in Paris, Sunday, March 13, 2016. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry is meeting with new French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault and Europe's top diplomats to discuss major international issues including the Syria peace talks. (Gonzalo Fuentes/Pool Photo via AP)

French Foreign Minister Jean Marc Ayrault, left, shakes hand with United States Secretary of State John Kerry, prior to a meeting at the Quai d'Orsay ministry in Paris, Sunday, March 13, 2016. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry is meeting with new French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault and Europe's top diplomats to discuss major international issues including the Syria peace talks.(Gonzalo Fuentes/Pool Photo via AP)

French Foreign Minister Jean Marc Ayrault, left, shakes hand with United States Secretary of State John Kerry, prior to a meeting at the Quai d'Orsay ministry in Paris, Sunday, March 13, 2016. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry is meeting with new French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault and Europe's top diplomats to discuss major international issues including the Syria peace talks.(Gonzalo Fuentes/Pool Photo via AP)
The Latest: French urge more open medical system for pilots

LE BOURGET, France (AP)  The Latest on the French air accident report on the 2015 Germanwings plane crash (all times local):

4 p.m.

French air accident investigators are recommending that European aviation authorities adopt a more American-style system on mental health issues to encourage pilots to come forward about what medications they are taking.

Remi Jouty, director of BEA, the French Air Accident Investigation Agency, speaks to journalists during a press conference at Le Bourget airport, north of Paris, Sunday, March 13, 2016. Germanwings co-pilot Andreas Lubitz had been treated for depression in the past, and the investigation found that he had consulted dozens of doctors in the weeks before he deliberately crashed a jet into the French Alps on March 24, 2015, killing all 150 people on board. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)

The BEA agency says authorities in the U.S., Britain, Australia and Canada allow pilots to continue to fly while taking specific medications to treat depression as long as they are under clear medical supervision. Currently this is not done in Europe.

The French agency, in a report on the 2015 Germanwings plane crash, says co-pilot Andreas Lubitz was using several antidepressants when he crashed a plane into the Alps, killing all 150 people on board.

Germanwings says it had no knowledge of his illness, and BEA says the many doctors who treated him did not bring any concerns about his mental health issues to authorities.

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3:25 p.m.

A union representing German pilots is welcoming recommendations from French aviation investigators aimed at avoiding a repeat of the Germanwings plane crash, while stressing the need to protect patient confidentiality.

Markus Wahl, a spokesman for the Cockpit union, said in a statement Sunday that French investigation agency BEA's safety recommendations are "a balanced package of measures" and should be implemented in full.

The BEA has urged that laws be changed so medical workers must report concerns about pilots' mental health to authorities.

Cockpit said patient confidentiality must be protected and that "strict data protection standards" should be applied in drawing up checklists of criteria setting out what illnesses doctors must report. It said there needs to be a "careful balance" that secures "an improvement that is reliable for all sides without damaging the trust between a doctor and their patient.

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2:30 p.m.

A German investigator says there's no need to change German medical privacy laws despite concerns that they contributed to the crash of a Germanwings flight flown into a mountain by a suicidal co-pilot.

Germanwings co-pilot Andreas Lubitz had been treated by several doctors in the weeks before the March 2015 crash that killed 150 people, including one who referred him to a psychiatric clinic fearing a psychotic episode, according to a report released Sunday by France's BEA air accident investigation authority.

The report urges world aviation authorities to require doctors to tell authorities when a patient's health could threaten public safety.

But Johann Reuss of Germany's air accident investigation agency told The Associated Press "there is no need to change the law."

Germany's criminal code says that doctors can be punished with a fine or up to a year to in prison for breaching patient confidentiality. Reuss says "it might not be easy" to loosen the rules, and suggested that authorities should instead focus on giving doctors checklists to prevent similar scenarios with pilots.

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2:10 p.m.

Germanwings parent Lufthansa is pledging to support the implementation of any new safety measures prompted by French investigators' probe of last year's plane crash.

France's BEA accident investigation agency on Sunday recommended that aviation agencies draw up new rules requiring medical workers to warn authorities when a pilot's mental health could threaten public safety. Germanwings co-pilot Andreas Lubitz, who had been treated for depression in the past, deliberately crashed his Airbus A320 into the French Alps last March.

Lufthansa said in a brief statement that "ensuring the highest possible flight safety was and remains our utmost priority."

It added that "the company will of course continue to cooperate with the relevant authorities and will support the possible implementation of concrete measures" based on the BEA report.

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1:25 p.m.

France's air accident investigation agency says Germanwings co-pilot Andreas Lubitz was using antidepressants when he crashed the plane carrying 150 people into the Alps.

A report released Sunday by France's BEA investigation agency says traces of anti-depressive medications Citalopram and Mirtazapine were found in Lubitz's system as well as the sleeping aid medication Zopiclone.

The U.S. National Library of Medicine notes on its entry for Citalopram that children and young adults who take the drug can become suicidal "especially at the beginning of your treatment and any time that your dose is increased or decreased."

Lubitz was 27 when he crashed the plane.

BEA chief Remi Jouty acknowledged that it's possible for pilots to be flying while using antidepressants that they don't declare to their employers.

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12:25 p.m.

French aviation investigators say one factor leading to the Germanwings plane crash might have been a "lack of clear guidelines in German regulations on when a threat to public safety outweighs" patient privacy.

At a news conference Sunday in Le Bourget, Arnaud Desjardin, leading the investigation for the BEA agency, described Germany's privacy rules as being especially strict. He says doctors fear losing their jobs if they unnecessarily report a problem to authorities.

Desjardin says "that's why I think clearer rules are needed to preserve public security."

The BEA report also recommends measures to remove the fear of losing a job that many pilots face for mental health issues. It says "the reluctance of pilots to declare their problems and seek medical assistance ... needs to be addressed."

But Desjardin says the investigators determined that systematic, deep psychological tests every year for all pilots would be "neither effective nor beneficial."

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12:10 p.m.

French investigators say that airplane cockpit rules should not be changed despite a crash by a suicidal Germanwings co-pilot who locked his pilot out of the control room.

The BEA air accident investigation agency said Sunday that it's still just as important to protect the cockpit from attackers elsewhere in the plane. Current cockpits are equipped with a code system to prevent the kind of hijackings that occurred on Sept. 11, 2001, in the United States.

BEA investigator Arnaud Desjardin said "a lockage system cannot be created to prevent threats coming from outside and inside the cockpit."

Many airlines and regulators have issued changes since the March 2015 Germanwings crash in the French Alps and now require at least two people to be in the cockpit at any given time to prevent similar crashes.

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11:50 a.m.

French air accident investigators say the pilot certification process failed to identify the risks presented by Germanwings co-pilot Andreas Lubitz.

The BEA investigation agency, in its report on the March 2015 crash, said Lubitz had been referred by a doctor to a psychiatric clinic two weeks before he crashed a plane into the French Alps, killing 150 people.

Arnaud Desjardin, leading the BEA investigation, told reporters that experts found Lubitz's symptoms at that time "could be compatible with a psychotic episode."

He says this information "was not delivered to Germanwings."

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11:40 a.m.

French air accident investigators say a doctor referred Germanwings co-pilot Andreas Lubitz to a psychiatric clinic two weeks before he crashed a plane into the French Alps, killing 150 people.

The BEA investigation agency, in releasing a report Sunday on the March 2015 crash, said multiple doctors who treated Lubitz in the weeks before the crash did not inform authorities of concerns about his mental health.

Because Lubitz didn't inform anyone of his doctors' warnings, the BEA said "no action could have been taken by the authorities or his employer to prevent him from flying."

Investigators found that Lubitz intentionally crashed Flight 9525 en route from Barcelona to Duesseldorf.

The BEA investigation is separate from a manslaughter investigation by French prosecutors seeking to determine eventual criminal responsibility for the crash.

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11:25 a.m.

French air accident investigators are recommending that world aviation bodies define new rules to require that medical professionals warn authorities when a pilot's mental health could threaten public safety.

The recommendation comes after a Germanwings co-pilot deliberately crashed a jet into the French Alps last year, killing 150 people.

The BEA investigation agency released a report Sunday into the Germanwings crash with several recommendations to avoid such accidents in the future, notably about pilot mental health and screening before a pilot is certified.

Germanwings co-pilot Andreas Lubitz had been treated for depression in the past, and the investigation found that he had consulted dozens of doctors in the weeks before the crash.

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9:15 a.m.

French air accident investigators are issuing a report Sunday about what led to the March 2015 Germanwings jet crash  and their recommendations on how to prevent a repeat scenario.

Investigators say co-pilot Andreas Lubitz intentionally crashed the plane into the French Alps, killing all 150 people on board Flight 9525 from Barcelona to Duesseldorf. Most victims were German and Spanish.

The report is likely to address cockpit door rules, because Lubitz locked the pilot out of the cockpit thanks to measures introduced to prevent attackers from accessing a plane's controls. It is also expected to recommend tougher reporting requirements for pilots' doctors and urge relaxing medical privacy restrictions in cases of a threat to public safety.

FILE - In this July 24, 2015 file picture a stele, a stone slab erected as a monument, set up in the area near where a Germanwings aircraft crashed in the French Alps, in Le Vernet, French Alps. France's air accident investigation agency releases report into the March 2015 crash of the Germanwings jet on March 13, 2016 . (AP Photo/Claude Paris,file)

FILE - In this June 10, 2015 file picture, a convoy of hearses drives on the highway in Duisburg, Germany. taking home victims who died in the Germanwings plane crash in the French Alps in March 2015. France's air accident investigation agency releases report into the March 2015 crash of the Germanwings jet on March 13, 2016 . Investigators have said co-pilot Andreas Lubitz intentionally slammed the plane into mountainside. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner,file)

In this March 24, 2015 file picture students stand near candles in front of the Joseph-Koenig Gymnasium in Haltern, western Germany. .Students of this school were among the victims of of the Germanwings plane that crashed in the French Alps killing all 150 people on board. France's air accident investigation agency releases report into the March 2015 crash of the Germanwings jet on March 13, 2016 . (AP Photo/Martin Meissner,file)

Representative of German Federal Bureau of Aircraft Accident Investigation (BFU) Johann Reuss attends a press conference at Le Bourget airport, north of Paris, Sunday, March 13, 2016. Germanwings co-pilot Andreas Lubitz had been treated for depression in the past, and the investigation found that he had consulted dozens of doctors in the weeks before he deliberately crashed a jet into the French Alps on March 24, 2015, killing all 150 people on board. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)

Representative of Spanish Bureau of Aircraft Accident Investigation (CIAIAC) Francisco-Javier Sanz Hernandez attends a press conference at Le Bourget airport, north of Paris, Sunday, March 13, 2016. Germanwings co-pilot Andreas Lubitz had been treated for depression in the past, and the investigation found that he had consulted dozens of doctors in the weeks before he deliberately crashed a jet into the French Alps on March 24, 2015, killing all 150 people on board. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)
Greece: Stranded migrants head for dangerous route north

HAMILO, Greece (AP)  Hundreds of migrants and refugees walked out of an overcrowded camp on the Greek-Macedonian border Monday, determined to use a dangerous crossing to head north.

More than 300 people, including dozens of children, were heading west toward a river that crosses the border, about 5 kilometers (3 miles) outside the village of Idomeni, where some 14,000 people are stranded at a sprawling camp.

They refused to turn back at a Greek police cordon outside the camp.

Macedonian coroners carry a coffin with drowned migrants by the river of Suva Reka near the southern Macedonian town of Gevgelija, Monday, March 14, 2016. Police in Macedonia say the bodies of two men and one woman, believed to be migrants, have been found in a river near the border with Greece. Another 19 were placed in a shelter and three were hospitalized after crossing the river in a separate incident. More than 40,000 people have been stranded in Greece after Macedonia and other ex-Yugoslav countries closed their borders, prompting many to try and seek more dangerous crossings. (AP Photo/Visar Kryeziu)

More than 40,000 people have been stranded in Greece after Macedonia and other ex-Yugoslav countries closed their borders to migrants and refugees  prompting them to seek more dangerous crossings.

Underscoring the risks, police in Macedonia said the bodies of two men and one woman, believed to be migrants, were found Monday in the Suva Reka river near the border with Greece. Twenty migrants crossed safely and another three were hospitalized, authorities said.

"This is the situation in which people have become desperate and frustrated," said Ljubinka Brasnarska, a spokeswoman in Macedonia for the United Nations refugee agency, UNHCR.

"The border restrictions imposed by the countries have forced people to take desperate actions."

Police and armed forces on the Macedonian side of the border have stepped up patrols along parts of the newly-built border fence where migrants are likely to cross.

Parts of the fence are made up solely of coils of razor wire, while breaks in the barrier also occur at rivers and mountain slopes on the border, mainly to the east of Idomeni.

A cap on migrants imposed by Austria last month set off a domino effect of border closures across the Balkans, leaving thousands stranded in Greece.

Despite the closures, more 8,500 refugees and migrants traveled to the Greek islands from Turkey last week, according to the UNHCR.

In an interview published Sunday, Austria's foreign minister said border closures should be extended.

Sebastian Kurz told Germany's Bild am Sonntag newspaper that the route leading through Italy to central Europe should also be blocked.

"Smuggling can't be prevented entirely ... (so) we will have to do everything that we are now doing on the western Balkan route along the Italy-Mediterranean route too." he said.

"The time of waving through refugees to central Europe is over."

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Testorides reported from Skopje, Macedonia, Amer Cohadzic contributed from Idomeni, Greece. Derek Gatopoulos in Athens, Greece and Geir Moulson in Berlin also contributed.

___

Follow Kantouris at http://www.twitter.com/CostasKantouris

Syrian girl Diana, 10 years-old, whose family fled a suburb of Damascus, stands barefooted due to lack of shoes, one of the major problems affecting many migrants, on the wet stones covering the railway tracks at the northern Greek border station of Idomeni, Sunday, March 13, 2016. Bad weather returned after a brief pause and conditions in the refugee camp on the Greek-Macedonian where about 14,000 people are stranded have further deteriorated, many of its residents struggling struggling to cope with the many challenges posed by the heavy rain .(AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)

A migrant woman carries a child covered in plastic sheets after receiving a daily snack on the railway tracks at the northern Greek border station of Idomeni, Sunday, March 13, 2016. Bad weather returned after a brief pause and conditions in the refugee camp on the Greek-Macedonian where about 14,000 people are stranded have further deteriorated, many of its residents struggling struggling to cope with the many challenges posed by the heavy rain. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)

A woman throws away water collected from around her tent at the northern Greek border station of Idomeni, Sunday, March 13, 2016. Bad weather returned after a brief pause and conditions in the refugee camp on the Greek-Macedonian where about 14,000 people are stranded have further deteriorated, many of its residents struggling struggling to cope with the many challenges posed by the heavy rain. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)

A child struggles with an umbrella at the northern Greek border station of Idomeni, Sunday, March 13, 2016. Bad weather returned after a brief pause and conditions in the refugee camp on the Greek-Macedonian where about 14,000 people are stranded have further deteriorated, many of its residents struggling struggling to cope with the many challenges posed by the heavy rain. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)

A child covered in a thermal blanket carries food supplies past large puddles at the northern Greek border station of Idomeni, Sunday, March 13, 2016. Bad weather returned after a brief pause and conditions in the refugee camp on the Greek-Macedonian where about 14,000 people are stranded have further deteriorated, many of its residents struggling struggling to cope with the many challenges posed by the heavy rain. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)

Children, one wearing adult sized shoes, walk next to large puddles at the northern Greek border station of Idomeni, Sunday, March 13, 2016. Bad weather returned after a brief pause and conditions in the refugee camp on the Greek-Macedonian where about 14,000 people are stranded have further deteriorated, many of its residents struggling struggling to cope with the many challenges posed by the heavy rain. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)

A child covered in a thermal blanket carries food supplies past large puddles at the northern Greek border station of Idomeni, Sunday, March 13, 2016. Bad weather returned after a brief pause and conditions in the refugee camp on the Greek-Macedonian where about 14,000 people are stranded have further deteriorated, many of its residents struggling struggling to cope with the many challenges posed by the heavy rain. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)

Large puddles surround tents at the northern Greek border station of Idomeni, Sunday, March 13, 2016. Bad weather returned after a brief pause and conditions in the refugee camp on the Greek-Macedonian where about 14,000 people are stranded have further deteriorated, many of its residents struggling struggling to cope with the many challenges posed by the heavy rain. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)

A man shields his fire with plastic sheets at the northern Greek border station of Idomeni, Sunday, March 13, 2016. Bad weather returned after a brief pause and conditions in the refugee camp on the Greek-Macedonian where about 14,000 people are stranded have further deteriorated, many of its residents struggling struggling to cope with the many challenges posed by the heavy rain. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)

Migrants try to warm up near a fire on the railway tracks at the northern Greek border station of Idomeni, Sunday, March 13, 2016. Bad weather returned after a brief pause and conditions in the refugee camp on the Greek-Macedonian where about 14,000 people are stranded have further deteriorated, many of its residents struggling struggling to cope with the many challenges posed by the heavy rain. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)

A boy peers out from under plastic sheets covering his family's tent to check the weather at the northern Greek border station of Idomeni, Sunday, March 13, 2016. Bad weather returned after a brief pause and conditions in the refugee camp on the Greek-Macedonian where about 14,000 people are stranded have further deteriorated, many of its residents struggling struggling to cope with the many challenges posed by the heavy rain. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)

A migrant woman carries a child covered in plastic sheets after receiving a daily snack, on the railway tracks at the northern Greek border station of Idomeni, Sunday, March 13, 2016. Bad weather returned after a brief pause and conditions in the refugee camp on the Greek-Macedonian where about 14,000 people are stranded have further deteriorated, many of its residents struggling struggling to cope with the many challenges posed by the heavy rain. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)

Macedonian coroners place the body of a drowned migrant in a coffin on the river bank of Suva Reka river near the southern Macedonian town of Gevgelija, Monday, March 14, 2016. Police in Macedonia say the bodies of two men and one woman, believed to be migrants, have been found in a river near the border with Greece. Another 19 were placed in a shelter and three were hospitalized after crossing the river in a separate incident. More than 40,000 people have been stranded in Greece after Macedonia and other ex-Yugoslav countries closed their borders, prompting many to try and seek more dangerous crossings. (AP Photo/Visar Kryeziu)

Macedonian soldiers scout for bodies of drowned migrants on the river bank of Suva Reka river near the southern Macedonian town of Gevgelija, Monday, March 14, 2016. Police in Macedonia say the bodies of two men and one woman, believed to be migrants, have been found in a river near the border with Greece. Another 19 were placed in a shelter and three were hospitalized after crossing the river in a separate incident. More than 40,000 people have been stranded in Greece after Macedonia and other ex-Yugoslav countries closed their borders, prompting many to try and seek more dangerous crossings. (AP Photo/Visar Kryeziu)

Macedonian police officer secures the area where a few bodies of drowned migrants lie on the river bank of Suva Reka river near the southern Macedonian town of Gevgelija, Monday, March 14, 2016. Police in Macedonia say the bodies of two men and one woman, believed to be migrants, have been found in a river near the border with Greece. Another 19 were placed in a shelter and three were hospitalized after crossing the river in a separate incident. More than 40,000 people have been stranded in Greece after Macedonia and other ex-Yugoslav countries closed their borders, prompting many to try and seek more dangerous crossings. (AP Photo/Visar Kryeziu)

Bodies of drowned migrants lie on the river bank of Suva Reka river near the southern Macedonian town of Gevgelija, Monday, March 14, 2016. Police in Macedonia say the bodies of two men and one woman, believed to be migrants, have been found in a river near the border with Greece. Another 19 were placed in a shelter and three were hospitalized after crossing the river in a separate incident. More than 40,000 people have been stranded in Greece after Macedonia and other ex-Yugoslav countries closed their borders, prompting many to try and seek more dangerous crossings. (AP Photo/Visar Kryeziu)

Macedonian coroners place the body of a drowned migrant in a coffin on the river bank of Suva Reka river near the southern Macedonian town of Gevgelija, Monday, March 14, 2016. Police in Macedonia say the bodies of two men and one woman, believed to be migrants, have been found in a river near the border with Greece. Another 19 were placed in a shelter and three were hospitalized after crossing the river in a separate incident. More than 40,000 people have been stranded in Greece after Macedonia and other ex-Yugoslav countries closed their borders, prompting many to try and seek more dangerous crossings. (AP Photo/Visar Kryeziu)

A Macedonian coroner looks at the bodies of drowned migrants on the river bank of Suva Reka river near the southern Macedonian town of Gevgelija, Monday, March 14, 2016. Police in Macedonia say the bodies of two men and one woman, believed to be migrants, have been found in a river near the border with Greece. Another 19 were placed in a shelter and three were hospitalized after crossing the river in a separate incident. More than 40,000 people have been stranded in Greece after Macedonia and other ex-Yugoslav countries closed their borders, prompting many to try and seek more dangerous crossings. (AP Photo/Visar Kryeziu)
Scot leader: UK vote to quit EU would fuel independence push

LONDON (AP)  Scotland's leader says she doesn't want to use a possible British vote to leave the European Union as leverage to achieve independence. But First Minister Nicola Sturgeon concedes that Scots' secessionist spirits would be inflamed if English voters forced them out of the EU.

Sturgeon spoke Sunday on the second day of her Scottish National Party's spring conference, which is focused on strengthening nationalist control of Scotland's Parliament in a May 5 election.

She linked the United Kingdom's June 23 referendum on EU membership to her party's ambition to stage a second referendum on ending its political union with fellow U.K. members England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Scotland's First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon, walks in the hall after her speech at the Scottish National Party spring conference at the Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre in Glasgow, Scotland, Saturday March 12, 2016. Sturgeon called on supporters to increase the vote for her Scottish National Party in a May election, part of a renewed push for independence from the United Kingdom. (Andrew Milligan/PA via AP) UNITED KINGDOM OUT

A poll published in the Scotland on Sunday newspaper provided new indications that Scotland's case for independence would be revived if the United Kingdom as a whole voted to leave the European Union.

The poll, Sturgeon said, "demonstrates the strength of feeling in Scotland that we want to stay in the European Union  but also the strength of feeling there would be if we were taken out of the European Union against our will, if Scotland voted to stay in but the rest of the U.K. outnumbered us."

When Scotland voted on independence in September 2014, a majority  55.3 percent  chose to maintain the 307-year-old union with England.

Sunday's published poll data suggested that Scottish voters appear much more enthusiastic than their English neighbors about staying inside the 28-nation bloc, with 50 percent planning to vote "yes" to Europe, 35 percent "no." That contrasts with several U.K.-wide polls this month that put pro- and anti-EU camps in a virtual tie.

When asked whether they would support Scottish independence in the event of a British rejection of EU membership, 49 percent said they would and 43 percent wouldn't.

The survey of 1,000 registered voters across Scotland questioned last week by pollsters ICM had a three-point error margin.
UN Chad peacekeeper kills 2 colleagues in northern Mali

BAMAKO, Mali (AP)  The United Nations says that a Chadian peacekeeper in northern Mali has killed two colleagues and injured another after shooting at them.

The spokeswoman for the U.N. mission in Mali, Radhia Achouri, said Sunday that authorities have arrested the soldier who fired in the Saturday night shooting in Tessalit in Mali's northern Kidal region. She said the reason for the attack was not known and that investigations have been opened into the incident.

This is the not the first time a Chadian soldier has opened fire on colleagues. On Feb. 25 in Kidal, a Chadian peacekeeper killed a commander and a doctor with the U.N. mission in Mali.
Man found dead at Salt Lake City light rail platform

SALT LAKE CITY (AP)  Authorities say a man was found dead at a downtown Salt Lake City light rail platform.

KUTV in Salt Lake City reports (http://bit.ly/1QOSCBx) that police were checking on the man Saturday and found him unresponsive.

Officers pronounced him dead at the scene.

Utah Transit Authority officials believe the man had been sitting at the platform for at least two hours as crowds heading to a St. Patrick's Day parade passed him.

Police do not suspect foul play and believe the 57-year-old man had suffered a medical issue.

His identity has not been released pending notification of family.

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Egypt media says country is facing Euro-Islamist conspiracy

CAIRO (AP)  Egyptian media and lawmakers have accused the Muslim Brotherhood of bribing European Parliament members to adopt a resolution stating a "grave concern" that Egyptian authorities might be culprits in the torture and killing of an Italian graduate student in Egypt.

The Thursday resolution condemned the killing of 28-year-old researcher and graduate student Giulio Regeni, whose body was found with torture marks nine days after he vanished in Cairo on Jan. 25  when police were out in force to quash any signs of protest on the anniversary of Egypt's 2011 uprising. Egyptian authorities say they are investigating the case.

The resolution stated that the European Parliament is concerned the case "is not an isolated incident, but that it occurred within a context of torture, death in custody and enforced disappearances across Egypt in recent years."

FILE -- In this Feb. 12, 2016 file photo, the family of Giulio Regeni follows his coffin during the funeral service in Fiumicello, Northern Italy. Some Egyptian media and lawmakers are accusing the Muslim Brotherhood of bribing European Parliament members to adopt a resolution stating a "grave concern" that Egyptian authorities might be culprits in the torture and killing of Regeni, an Italian graduate student in Egypt. His body was found with torture marks nine days after he vanished in Cairo on Jan. 25. (AP Photo/Paolo Giovannini, File)

Evening talk shows are one of Egypt's main shapers of public opinion. On Saturday night, a steady stream of hosts and guests outlined a variety of conspiracy theories designed to weaken and isolate Egypt  with the help of the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood and a collection of anti-Egypt human rights organizations.

"The Muslim Brotherhood pays all these people in Europe ... they have influence over all these people," lawmaker and retired Maj. Gen. Hamdy Bekheet told the el-Mehwar channel late Saturday.

In the state-run Al-Ahram newspaper's Sunday edition, a headline read: "The European Parliament has fallen in the trap of the international organization of the Muslim Brotherhood."

Ahmed Moussa, one of the country's most popular talk show hosts, insinuated Saturday that the Italian embassy may be covering up crucial evidence in the case that would link Regeni's death to a personal dispute.

Moussa claimed on the Sada el-Balad channel that the Italian consulate's cameras have captured footage of Regeni and another Italian man in a quarrel close to the consulate, a day before Regeni disappeared.

"I am here challenging the Italian ambassador in Cairo to release the information he has," said Moussa.

Mokhtar Noah, a member of the National Council for Human Rights  was another accuser, telling the al-Assema channel that "Europe (only) talks about its issues that are related to toppling the steadfast Egyptian regime."

Italian officials have repeatedly complained of a lack of transparency from Cairo in the Regeni investigation.

The Italian news agency ANSA reported on March 3 that the head of the Italian National Intelligence and Security Department, Giampiero Massolo, told Italian TV that the case "is not marked by full, satisfactory collaboration with Egypt."

The Italian Foreign Ministry said on March 2 that its embassy in Cairo had received some documents from Egyptian investigators, but it was only "a part of the material requested."
Palestinian teacher wins $1 million Global Teacher Prize

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP)  A Palestinian primary school teacher who grew up in a refugee camp and educates her students about non-violence won a $1 million prize for teaching excellence on Sunday, beating out 8,000 other applicants from around the world.

Hanan al-Hroub, a primary school teacher in the West Bank city of al-Bireh just outside Ramallah, was awarded the second annual Global Teacher Prize during a ceremony in the city of Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

Dubai ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum was on-hand to present the prize to al-Hroub, however her name was announced by Pope Francis in a video message after he talked about the importance of education and teachers, especially for children who grow up amid war.

Palestinian primary school teacher Hanan al-Hroub reacts after she won the second annual Global Teacher Prize, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Sunday, March 13, 2016. Al-Hroub who encourages students to renounce violence won a $1 million prize for teaching excellence. (AP Photo/Kamran Jebreili)

"I feel amazing and I still can't believe that the Pope said my name," al-Hroub told The Associated Press. "For an Arab, Palestinian teacher to talk to the world today and to reach the highest peak in teaching could be an example for teachers around the world."

She told The Associated Press that she will use the million-dollar prize money to create scholarships for students who excel in order to encourage them to choose careers in teaching.

Her win comes at a time of spiking tensions between Israelis and Palestinians. Five months of unpredictable stabbing, shooting and vehicular attacks by ordinary Palestinian civilians have killed 28 Israelis and two Americans. Israeli forces have killed at least 179 Palestinians, the majority said by Israel to have been attackers.

Israeli officials blame Palestinian leaders and social media for inciting the violence, while Palestinian leaders say it is the product of frustration and despair after nearly 50 years of occupation.

As al-Hroub accepted her award, Palestinians in the audience waved their country's flag and some chanted, fists pumping in the air, "With our souls, our blood, we sacrifice for you Palestine."

In her acceptance speech, she reiterated her mantra of "No to violence" and stressed the importance of dialogue.

"The Palestinian teacher can talk to the world now. Hand in hand we can affect change and provide a safe education to provide peace," she told the AP.

Al-Hroub was among 10 finalists flown to Dubai to attend the ceremony. The nine other finalists hail from Australia, Finland, India, Japan, Kenya, Pakistan, Britain and two from the United States. Al-Hroub had them stand on stage with her to roaring applause after her speech.

The Global Teacher Prize was established two years ago to recognize one exceptional teacher who has made an outstanding contribution to the profession, employs innovative classroom practices and encourages others to join the teaching profession.

The award is presented by the Varkey Foundation. Its founder, Sunny Varkey, established the for-profit GEMS Education company, which has more than 130 schools around the world.

Al-Hroub's official biography says she grew up in a Palestinian refugee camp in Bethlehem, where violence was a regular occurrence. Her biography says she went into teaching after her children witnessed a shooting on their way home from school. That experience pushed her to think more about traumatized children and how classrooms can help. She developed a book called "We Play and Learn" focusing on the importance of playing, trust, respect, honesty and literacy.

The inaugural prize last year went to Nancie Atwell, an English teacher from rural Maine.

___

Associated Press writer Fay Abuelgasim contributed to this report.

Pope Francis, who spoke of the importance of education and teachers in a video message to the audience, introduces the winner of the second annual Global Teacher Prize, Palestinian primary school teacher Hanan al-Hroub, who receives her trophy from Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President and the Ruler of Dubai, center, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Sunday, March 13, 2016. Al-Hroub who encourages students to renounce violence won a $1 million prize for teaching excellence. (AP Photo/Kamran Jebreili)

Actor Matthew McConaughey, right, stands next to Bollywood actor Abhishek Bachchan as he speaks during a ceremony awarding the Global Teacher Prize, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Sunday, March 13, 2016. Palestinian primary school teacher Hanan al-Hroub, who encourages students to renounce violence, won a $1 million prize for teaching excellence. (AP Photo/Kamran Jebreili)

Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President and the Ruler of Dubai, center, arrives for the Global Teacher Prize ceremony attended by former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair and celebrities, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Sunday, March 13, 2016. Palestinian primary school teacher Hanan al-Hroub, who encourages students to renounce violence, won a $1 million prize for teaching excellence. (AP Photo/Kamran Jebreili
Former Minnesota congressman Martin Sabo dies at 78

MINNEAPOLIS (AP)  Former U.S. Rep. Martin Olav Sabo, a longtime Minnesota congressman whose quiet Scandinavian demeanor conveyed a sense of civility during increasingly partisan times in Washington, has died at age 78.

Sabo died Sunday morning at Abbott Northwestern Hospital in Minneapolis, according to his daughter, Karin Mantor. She said her father, a longtime smoker who was on oxygen, had been hospitalized for a week because he was having trouble breathing. Doctors discovered Sabo had a mild case of pneumonia, Mantor said, but the cause of death was not immediately known.

Sabo served 28 years in the U.S. House, easily winning each re-election after his first win in 1978 and eventually rising to House Budget Committee chairman. The Minneapolis Democrat announced his retirement in 2006 and was succeeded by fellow Democrat Keith Ellison, the first Muslim elected to the House.

FILE - In this March 18, 2006, file photo, Rep. Martin Sabo, D-Minn., announces his retirement at his office in Minneapolis. Former Minnesota congressman Sabo has died. He was 78. Sabo's daughter, Karin Mantor, says he died Sunday, March 13, 2016, at Abbott Northwestern Hospital in Minneapolis. (AP Photo Craig Lassig, File)

Politicians praised Sabo, a Norwegian Lutheran, for his understated manner and ability to deliver millions of dollars to the Twin Cities for road and housing projects, including the Hiawatha Avenue light-rail line and the Minneapolis Veterans Medical Center. The Martin Olav Sabo Bridge, a 215-foot-long suspension bridge for bicyclists and pedestrians in Minneapolis, is named in his honor.

Gov. Mark Dayton said Minnesota has important infrastructure projects because of Sabo's senior position on the House Appropriations Committee. The Democratic governor called Sabo "a great political leader and outstanding public servant."

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi said Sabo "was the embodiment of good sense, legislative leadership, and lifelong service to our country." She cited his work as budget committee chairman in helping forge the 1993 deficit reduction agreement.

U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., recalled Sabo agreeing to do joint lawn signs with her when she first ran for Hennepin County attorney.

"He was a veteran congressman and I was a political rookie, but he didn't hesitate to help. He saw it as part of his job to help young people get started in politics," Klobuchar said in a statement.

Before being elected to Congress, the North Dakota native served 18 years in the Minnesota Legislature, where he was first elected in 1960 at age 22 and rose to House minority leader, and then speaker.

"Sabo's quiet leadership style and dedication to his district are a true inspiration. He showed us the progress that can be made when Democrats and Republicans work across the aisle for the common good," Minnesota DFL Chairman Ken Martin said in a statement.

In announcing his retirement after a 46-year political career, Sabo called putting together the 1993 federal budget as House Budget Committee chairman one of his proudest accomplishments. He also cited the so-called Minnesota Miracle  the 1971 Legislature's groundbreaking overhaul of the state's school funding system  as a major success.

Sabo also took pride in never publicly disparaging another politician. He said Congress had become more polarized during his time there.

"I've always believed the fundamental problem with politics today are people who over-promise and overstate. I've tried to do the opposite," Sabo said. "I've also tried to treat my colleagues with respect. I don't recall ever making a public statement critical of my colleague, whether it's Democrat or Republican."

Funeral arrangements are pending.

___

This story has been corrected to correct spelling of Ellison.

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Dog with no legs leaves South Korea for new life in Arizona

PHOENIX (AP)  A dog that was left in a garbage bag behind a meat market in South Korea has a new life  and new limbs  on the other side of the world in Arizona.

Chi Chi, a golden retriever mix, hit the ground walking but not quite running Saturday at her new home in Phoenix. The 2-year-old dog spent two months in a veterinary clinic in Seoul learning how to live with prosthetic paws. Now she will be living with Richard and Elizabeth Howell and their 12-year-old daughter Megan.

"She can run. She can walk," Megan Howell said. "She can pretty much do anything a real dog can do except go up the stairs."

In this Saturday, March 12, 2016 photo, Chi Chi, a golden retriever mix, lays down in the yard of her new home in Phoenix. The 2-year-old dog has spent two months in a veterinary clinic in Seoul learning how to live with prosthetic paws. (AP Photo/Terry Tang)

Chi Chi was shepherded over by Los Angeles-based Animal Rescue, Media & Education, or ARME. Chi Chi, which means "loving" in Korean, was likely intended to be slaughtered for food, president Shannon Keith said.

Ju Yu, who heads an animal rescue group in South Korea, said the dog was found among the garbage outside a meat market in the countryside. In Korea, dogs are considered a traditional delicacy and have only recently become popular as pets. Chi Chi's legs were bound with wire. Her tendons and bone were visible.

The rescuers whisked the dog away to the veterinary clinic where it was determined that for any chance of survival, all four legs would need to be amputated.

Afterward, the dog was fitted with prosthetics.

ARME has been showcasing Chi Chi's recovery on YouTube and Facebook, which is how the Howells learned about her. Ardent supporters of rescuing dogs, they were initially just going to give money.

"When it came down to it, the biggest need was that she needed a place to live," Richard Howell said. "I think ultimately as we progressed with her story, we just felt a connection with her. Chi Chi is different. She might actually change the world."

The family has three other dogs.

The Howells know Chi Chi will require a team for the rehab she has ahead of her, Elizabeth Howell said.

"We are still in the process of figuring out what she needs," she said. "She's already got some appointments this week."

Chi Chi's apparent triumph over adversity, however, could make her the perfect therapy dog.

"Maybe she can encourage people who have to have amputations themselves like soldiers and kids," Richard Howell said. "We want to use her story to make the lives of humans better. I think if we do that, we're doing something positive in the world."
The Latest: Man accused in Iditarod crash has $50,000 bail

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP)  The Latest on the Iditarod Sled Dog Race (all times local):

4 p.m.

An Alaska man accused of intentionally driving a snowmobile into two Iditarod teams at speeds as high as 100 mph has appeared in court for the first time.

This photo provided by KTUU shows Arnold Demoski, who was charged with colliding his snowmobile with Iditarod trail sled dog race teams Saturday, March 12, 2016, near Nulato, Alaska. Demoski, 26, of Nulato was arrested on suspicion of assault, reckless endangerment, reckless driving and six counts of criminal mischief. (Kyle Hopkins/KTUU.com via AP)

The Fairbanks Daily News-Miner (http://is.gd/Zwk0tb ) reports that bail was set at $50,000 on Sunday for 26-year-old Arnold Demoski. He faces charges including assault and reckless endangerment after authorities say he rammed into the dog sled teams of Aliy Zirkle and four-time Iditarod champion Jeff King early Saturday.

One of King's dogs died and at least two others were injured.

Court documents say Demoski was going about 100 mph when he crashed into King's team and about 40 mph when he struck Zirkle's team.

Demoski appeared in court in Fairbanks by teleconference. Attorney Bill Satterberg declined to comment to the newspaper.

___

3:15 p.m.

Mushers are pressing their dog sled teams closer to the finish line in Alaska's famous Iditarod after authorities say a snowmobiler intentionally rammed into two top competitors, killing one dog and injuring others.

Experts say the crash wasn't the first encounter between teams and snowmobiles, but they're rare. It's just one of the perils of the 1,000-mile race, which covers long stretches of unforgiving terrain.

Besides blinding snow and ripping winds, mushers also contend with fatigue, brutal cold and the occasional encounter with wildlife, such as moose.

A 26-year-old man arrested in the crash Saturday is accused of intentionally driving a snowmobile into the team of Aliy Zirkle and then the team of four-time Iditarod champion Jeff King. One of King's dogs died and at least two others were injured.

___

11:30 a.m.

Defending champion Dallas Seavey is leading in Alaska's Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race, gunning for his fourth win in the nearly 1,000-mile (1,600-kilometer) contest, with his father the closest rival.

The younger Seavey left the checkpoint at the coastal village of Shaktoolik, 171 miles (275.19 kilometers) from the Nome finish line, mid-Sunday morning. As of late morning, his father, Mitch Seavey, was the only other musher to reach the village.

Meanwhile, a 26-year-old man was set to appear in court Sunday afternoon following his arrest Saturday on allegations he intentionally drove a snowmobile into the teams of two other top mushers, killing one dog and injuring at least two other dogs. Arnold Demoski of the checkpoint village of Nulato (noo-LAH-toh) has said he was returning home from a night of drinking when he struck the teams.

The incident prompted the Nulato Tribal Council to issue a statement Saturday, saying it was "disturbed and saddened" by the incident and offering condolences to the mushers.

This undated photo provided by Husky Homestead shows Crosby, a dog that was injured when a man drove a snowmobile into teams of two mushers near the front of the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race on Saturday, March 12, 2016, in Alaska. The man was arrested Saturday in a Yukon River village. (Maren Johnson/Husky Homestead via AP) MANDATORY CREDIT

This undated photo provided by Husky Homestead shows Nash, a dog that was killed when a man drove a snowmobile into teams of two mushers near the front of the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race on Saturday, March 12, 2016, in Alaska. The man was arrested Saturday in a Yukon River village. (Maren Johnson/Husky Homestead via AP) MANDATORY CREDIT
Osborne: Spending cuts needed now so we don't pay later

George Osborne has insisted "we need to act now so we don't pay later" as he paved the way for fresh spending cuts in the upcoming Budget.

Savings equivalent to 50p in every 100 the Government spends need to be found by 2020, the Chancellor said.

But the cuts are "not a huge amount in the scheme of things", Mr Osborne told BBC One's Andrew Marr Show.

Chancellor George Osborne is seeking to make more spending cuts

"My message in this Budget is that the world is a more uncertain place than at any time since the financial crisis and we need to act now so we don't pay later," he said.

"That's why I need to find additional savings equivalent to 50p in every 100 the Government spends by the end of the decade because we have got to live within our means to stay secure and that's the way we make Britain fit for the future."

Asked about claims the Government is facing an 18 billion blackhole in its finances, he replied: "18 billion is the sum of money that has been revised off our nominal GDP. In other words, that's a number out there last year because inflation was lower.

"It's a real number in the sense that all around the world every Western country, and indeed in big emerging countries like China, Brazil, Russia, people are looking at economic prospects and thinking they are not as rosy as they were just a few months ago."

Mr Osborne appeared to indicate the Government may hold back from fuel duty rises in Wednesday's Budget. The Chancellor has come under pressure from Tory backbenchers to resist hiking up the levy.

He said: "I'll set out the tax rates in the Budget. On fuel duty, we had a manifesto commitment there and we have pencilled in fuel duty plans going forward but what I would say is, every time we can have our economy more competitive, we do."

Around 640,000 people will be affected over the next five years by changes to Personal Independence Payments (PIP).

But Mr Osborne denied claims he was hitting the most vulnerable through cuts to the disability benefits payments.

"I don't accept that at all. We are increasing spending on disabled people," he said.

Mr Osborne defended the 130 million tax sweetheart deal Google reached with HMRC, which was criticised by MPs for being "disproportionately small''.

"I was faced with a situation when I became Chancellor where we were not raising any money from this company. We are raising money from Google and indeed, from Facebook and the like. I think that is a success."

Next week's Budget will include a clampdown on a tax loophole widely exploited to disguise employees as freelancers.

Civil servants, along with institutions like the BBC and the Bank of England, will be hit by rule changes to stop earners gaining tax advantages by being "off the books".

Around 20,000 public sector workers are avoiding an average of more than 3,500 a year in income tax and National Insurance Contributions under the current system, according to the Government.

Sources claimed that an estimated 90% of earners who should comply with the rules do not.

Under the Chancellor's clampdown, state-backed organisations, instead of the individual, will become responsible for deciding if income should be taxed at source.

New guidelines will also be introduced to make it clearer when employment taxes should be paid.

MPs criticised the BBC in 2012 after it emerged 3,000 people were paid through personal services companies, potentially allowing them to limit their tax liabilities.

The set-up was traditionally used by professional contractors doing short-term work for several firms but is now widely exploited.

Police, councils, the NHS, schools, Whitehall, Network Rail and Channel 4 will also be affected by the changes, which the Government says will ensure colleagues doing the same jobs will be paying the same amount of tax.

As Mr Osborne tried to put the finishing touches to his Budget, his concentration was disrupted by "noisy" filming outside the Treasury by the new Top Gear team

The Chancellor tweeted host Chris Evans pleading with him to "keep it down".

" Trying to write my Budget, despite noisy episode of BBC Top Gear being filmed outside on Horseguards Parade. Keep it down please Chris Evans," he wrote.

Labour called for the Chancellor to take action in the Budget to tackle homelessness.

It claimed that that, on current trends, the number of homeless families is set to reach nearly 400,000 by the end of the Parliament.

Labour housing spokesman John Healey said: "Rising homeless figures carry the starkest warning for the Chancellor ahead of the Budget.
Johnson slams Obama's 'outrageous hypocrisy' over EU debate

Barack Obama's intervention in the EU referendum debate is a "piece of outrageous and exorbitant hypocrisy", Boris Johnson has claimed

The US president's warnings that Britain will lose influence on the world stage if it quits the 28-member bloc are also "wholly fallacious", accordin g to the London Mayor.

New York-born Mr Johnson attacked the US for interfering in the debate, when it defe nds its own sovereignty with "hysterical vigilance".

The London Mayor hit out at the American leader's 'interference' on the matter

Downing Street has refused to comment on reports that the US president, who has previously made it clear that America wants its closest ally to remain part of the EU, is heading to the UK next month to make the case to voters.

In his regular Daily Telegraph column, Mr Johnson w rote: " Sometime in the next couple of months we are told that president Obama himself is going to arrive in this country, like some deus ex machina, to pronounce on the matter.

"Air Force One will touch down; a lectern with the presidential seal will be erected. The British people will be told to be good to themselves, to do the right thing. We will be informed by our most important ally that it is in our interests to stay in the EU, no matter how flawed we may feel that organisation to be.

"Never mind the loss of sovereignty; never mind the expense and the bureaucracy and the uncontrolled immigration. The American view is very clear. Whether in code or en clair, the president will tell us all that UK membership of the EU is right for Britain, right for Europe, and right for America; and why?

"Because that - or so we will be told - is the only way we can have 'influence' in the councils of the nations. It is an important argument, and deserves to be taken seriously. I also think it is wholly fallacious - and coming from Uncle Sam it is a piece of outrageous and exorbitant hypocrisy.

"There is no country in the world that defends its own sovereignty with such hysterical vigilance as the United States of America. This is a nation born from its glorious refusal to accept overseas control."

Mr Johnson, meanwhile, has come in for criticism from George Osborne for suggesting Britain could achieve a Canadian-style trade deal. The Chancellor insisted the agreement took seven years to negotiate and tariffs on exports remain in place for cars and beef.

"I hear people saying 'I want Britain to be like Switzerland, I want Britain to be like Norway, I want Britain to be like Canada'. You know what? I want Britain to be like Great Britain'," Mr Osborne told BBC One's Andrew Marr Show.

Mr Osborne also appeared to take a more personal swipe at the mayor, who came in for criticism over his performance during a recent appearance on the programme.
Dunblane minister offers thanks for prayers on 20th anniversary of killings

The people of Dunblane "appreciate the support and prayers of others throughout the world", a minister has said 20 years on from the shocking school shootings that killed 16 children and their teacher.

The young children - aged just five and six - and teacher Gwen Mayor were murdered by gunman Thomas Hamilton, who opened fire on a gym class at Dunblane Primary School on March 13 1996.

The massacre in the Stirlingshire town shocked the nation and led to the UK enforcing some of the strictest firearms legislation in the world.

Dunblane Primary School, where the shootings happened in 1996

No official events are being held to mark the 20th anniversary but tributes will be paid at traditional Sunday church services in the town.

Rev Colin Renwick, minister at Dunblane Cathedral, which contains a stone memorial to the victims and held a special remembrance service for hundreds of people just months after the tragedy, will lead tributes in his Sunday sermon.

He said: "The tragic events of March 13 1996 will long be remembered in Dunblane and there has not been a day since when there has been no remembrance of those lost, injured, bereaved or traumatised.

"Since that day, people have appreciated the support and prayers of others throughout the world, but have also valued being allowed the space to grieve and rebuild with privacy and dignity, with as little media scrutiny as possible.

"During these various services, there will be an opportunity for those who gather to remember and to pray for continuing strength and peace."

Monsignor Basil O'Sullivan will also mark the anniversary in the Holy Family church in Dunblane.

He was parish priest at the time of the tragedy and told the Scottish Catholic Observer: "As we have every year without fail, we're having an anniversary Mass.

"We pray for the injured, we pray for the bereaved and those who still suffer every day."

Survivors and relatives have also been reflecting over the last week on the impact of the shooting on their lives and on the country as a whole.

Mick North, whose five-year-old daughter Sophie was killed, said the positive legacy should not be forgotten - that people are safer from gun crime than they were 20 years ago.

He said: ''In many respects, the day of the forthcoming anniversary won't be especially different - any day from the last 20 years was one for memories.

''The importance of the 20th anniversary is as an occasion when others can recall and reflect on a horrific event, and also a time when those too young to remember might learn about what happened and consider its significance.''

Alison Ross, sister of five-year-old victim Joanna Ross, wants people to see the positive life in Dunblane today.

She told a BBC Scotland documentary: ''We still had to power on and push on with our lives, and it's important that everyone knows we're doing it, and doing it well.''

Police Scotland have also paid tribute to the town and those caught up in the shooting.
Expert questions 'inch deep' formula for teaching maths in UK schools

UK schoolchildren are falling behind in maths because lessons in the subject are "a mile wide and an inch deep", according to an international education expert.

Andreas Schleicher, of the Organisation of Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) suggested that much maths teaching is "superficial" focusing on memorisation and learning facts, rather than mathematical concepts.

"One of the things that we see when you look at high-performing education systems in maths, they typically have three things in the curriculum, one is rigour, the second is focus and the third is coherence.

An expert suggested that the UK's model for teaching maths is not the best formula

"Rigour means really having a high level of cognitive demand, and the UK is not doing well on it. Basically, the UK has a curriculum that is a mile wide and an inch deep, in the sense that a lot of the learning in maths is rather superficial."

He suggested that maths teaching in the UK tends to be over-complicated, rather than taught in a simple fashion to ensure pupils grasp a concept.

In comparison, East Asian education systems - which traditionally top international league tables - teach fewer topics in more depth and put a much great emphasis on understanding.

"The typical problems that students encounter in maths in England is relatively simple mathematics, embedded in a kind of complex context," Mr Schleicher said.

He added: "Basically, the mathematics may not be very demanding, but they're presented to students in a context that makes it sort of difficult."

"You don't see that sort of teaching in China or Singapore," Mr Schleicher said. "What those countries do, is they put an emphasis on 'do children understand the foundations? Can they think like a mathematician, can they think like a scientist, or can they think like an historian?' They really put the emphasis on deep conceptual understanding, for example do students know what probability is?"

He went on: "In fact, when you think about memorisation, rote learning, many people 'I ask who comes out on top (in this)?', they will say China. England comes out on top. There is a lot of emphasis on the memorisation of a relatively shallow knowledge, where students have much fewer exposure to the deep under-pinning concepts."

Speaking ahead of the Global Education and Skills Forum in Dubai this weekend, Mr Schleicher said that following the global financial crisis, many countries, including the UK, said that students needed to be more financially literate.

But when the results of the OECD's major programme for international student assessment (Pisa) tests - which assess students around the world on areas such as literacy and numeracy, were published, the students who did best at financial literacy were those from Shanghai, who had not been taught financial education, but knew how to think mathematically, and can apply that knowledge.

Mr Schleicher said that the UK is not doing badly in international tests, but is still far away from the highest performing systems.

The latest Pisa tests, published in 2013, put England in 26th place for maths, behind areas include Singapore, Taiwan, Shanghai, South Korea and Japan.
Fergus McFadden says there is no point targeting Johnny Sexton

Opponents are wasting their time targeting Ireland's "talisman" fly-half Johnny Sexton, according to Fergus McFadden.

Sexton's Leinster team-mate McFadden marvelled at the British and Irish Lions' playmaker's ability to shake off big hits and keep on churning out first-class performances.

Even the usually straight-laced Sergio Parisse tried a late hit on Sexton as Ireland swept past Italy 58-15 for their first win of this year's Six Nations in Dublin on Saturday.

Fergus McFadden says Johnny Sexton, pictured, is 'as tough as nails'

But in a campaign where France again tried to ruffle Sexton's feathers and England boss Eddie Jones suggested the outside-half's parents should worry about his history of concussions, McFadden hit back to laud Ireland's pivotal performer.

"Tens can get bashed around a lot in teams and when it's such a pivotal position guys are always going to target the number 10 jersey," said McFadden.

"Listen, Johnny's as tough as nails. They keep coming and he keeps getting up, he was a real talisman for us in that first-half against Italy.

"He doesn't shy away from it. In a way it plays to his strengths when guys run down his channel because he's a very physical tackler and he gets a lot of turnovers himself.

"We need Johnny to be fully fit for us next week so he can do a job on the Scots."

Ireland entered the Six Nations as defending champions but are now fighting for a mid-table finish, a return that boss Joe Schmidt has long since accepted as reasonable given the daunting injury count.

The opening draw with Wales and defeats in France and England dented Ireland's confidence, but former Leinster boss Schmidt hopes the nine-try thumping of Italy will go a long way to addressing that issue.

Leinster back-rower Josh Van der Flier again proved his vast Test potential, with bullocking Connacht lock Ultan Dillane offering another hugely promising cameo off the bench.

Ireland finished Saturday's clash with five Connacht stars on the field, a reflection of the province's fantastic Pro12 campaign.

Connacht men Finlay Bealham and Kieran Marmion lined up to praise bruising lock Dillane's Test potential, backing the 22-year-old to carve out a significant Ireland career.

"I have been playing with Ultan since we were at Corinthians a number of years ago and he has been playing like that since I first started playing with him," said prop Bealham.

"Just to see him bring it through to Pro12 level and then international level is a credit to him and the work he has put in. He is a real good mate and I am just happy for him.

"I tend to stay away from him at training. A couple of years ago he was a bit skinnier, he was all bones, and he'd put his shoulder in you and you'd be feeling it for days.

"I would stay away from him. He's a tough man.

"He puts a lot of work in and he keeps striving to get better. It'll be good to see how far he can go."

Scrum-half Marmion has had to wait patiently for chances behind Conor Murray and Eoin Reddan, and insisted he is happy to bide his time - provided he reaps the benefit in the long run.

"Ultan is a huge lad," said Marmion.

"He hasn't played that much for Connacht and when he had he has taken it with both hands.

"When there have been injuries he has stepped right up and he has a big future ahead of him.

"I have had to wait my time out for chances, I have lads like Reddan ahead of me and he has 70-odd caps.

"It is not about being thrown straight in, you have to work hard to get there.

"I have been doing that over the last few years and hopefully soon my time will come.
Minister plays down fears of surge in numbers for Daesh in Libya

Foreign fighters are not responding to Islamic State calls to head to Libya rather than Syria or Iraq, the UK Government has claimed.

Middle East Minister Tobias Ellwood said he believes the terror group has up to 6,000 extremists in Libya, with the "vast majority" foreign fighters rather than Libyans.

But he attempted to play down suggestions that IS, also known as Daesh, is bolstering its fighting force with new foreign recruits in the north African country rather than its existing strongholds.

Tobias Ellwood played down fears of a surge of foreign fighters in Libya

United Nations experts believe the political and security vacuum in Libya is being exploited by IS, reporting it has "significantly expanded" the territory it controls in the nation and become "increasingly attractive to foreign fighters".

They noted, in a report to the UN Security Council released last week, that fighters mainly used Sudan, Tunisia and Turkey to reach Libya in 2014 and 2015.

Mr Ellwood, responding to a written parliamentary question, said: " Our current estimate for the number of Daesh fighters in Libya is between 3,000-6,000.

"We do not have earlier estimates from which we could extrapolate a trend. The vast majority of Daesh fighters in Libya are foreigners rather than Libyans.

"While some Daesh figures have called for foreign fighters to go to Libya rather than Iraq/Syria, we have not seen any evidence to suggest this has happened."

Mr Ellwood said US estimates suggest there are approximately 19,000 to 25,000 IS fighters in Iraq and Syria compared to 20,000 to 31,000 in 2014.

Defence Secretary Michael Fallon announced last month Britain would send 20 troops to Tunisia to help prevent IS extremists entering the country from Libya.

He has also offered to provide training and advice to support a new Libyan government although stated he does not intend to deploy British troops in "any combat role" in Libya.
Hundreds in protest against Housing and Planning Bill

Hundreds of people have descended on Parliament Square to protest against a Bill which it is claimed could "smash social housing".

Protesters carried banners and placards reading "Anti-social housing policy from the House of Ill Repute", "Kill the Housing Bill" and "You're heartless, We're Homeless" as they passed the Houses of Parliament.

Labour MP Diane Abbott, who joined the London demonstration against the Housing and Planning Bill, tweeted: " Tories determined to smash social housing & socially cleanse big cities like London."

Demonstrators during a protest against the Government's Housing Bill, in Westminster, central London

Speakers at Parliament Square, including representatives from trade unions and a traveller group, told supporters: "We're not going anywhere", to huge cheers and applause.

During a debate on the Bill in the House of Lords last week, peers said that forcing the sale of high-value council properties in order to subsidise the right to buy for housing association tenants is unfair.

Among the protesters was a teacher living in Islington who said the Bill makes her feel like a second class citizen.

Camilla, who did not want to give her surname, said even though she is a professional, she worries about not being able to afford high rents.

The 39-year-old said: "It makes you feel like a second class citizen based on the fact that you don't earn a six-figure salary. And because of that you don't deserve a safe home.

"It makes it very hard to focus on your job and your relationships and anything else in your life because you're constantly worried about where you're going to be for the next six months."

The Government has been accused of adding to the housing crisis as only some of the money raised is earmarked for replacement council housing, which does not have to match the size of properties sold off.

A spokesman for the Department for Communities and Local Government said: "More council housing has been built since 2010 than in the previous 13 years.

"The Housing Bill makes sure we make the best use of social housing based on need and income, while reinvesting in building new homes.
Rebels shoot down Syrian warplane

BEIRUT, March 12 (Reuters) - Rebels shot down a Syrian government warplane over western Syria on Saturday, rebels and a military source said, although there were conflicting accounts on whether it had been brought down by a missile or anti-aircraft guns.

The Syrian military source said militants had targeted a warplane while it was landing in Hama province, bringing it down, and calling the attack a breach of a "cessation of hostilities" agreement.

A rebel group operating in the area, Jaish al-Nasr, said it had brought down the jet with anti-aircraft guns. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, however, said a rebel group had brought down the jet with two heat-seeking missiles.

Syrian rebels have previously shot down Syrian warplanes with anti-aircraft guns.
Libya's Presidential Council calls for transfer of power to unity government

TUNIS, March 12 (Reuters) - Libya's U.N.-backed Presidential Council called on Saturday on the country's institutions to begin a transfer of authority to a unity government, and appealed to the international community to stop dealing with any rival powers.

The Presidential Council nominated a unity government last month, but recognition of the proposed cabinet has been held up by the failure of Libya's eastern parliament to vote to approve it.
Slovakian premier's hopes of forming a coalition improve

BRATISLAVA, March 12 (Reuters) - Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico's efforts to form a new government got a boost on Saturday after the head of a rival party said it would negotiate with him after all.

Fico, whose centre-left Smer party won the most votes but lost its parliamentary majority at last weekend's inconclusive election, has until Friday to form a government.

Smer needs to find at least two and probably three coalition partners among the eight parties that won parliamentary seats. So far, only the Slovak National Party has said it has found common ground with Smer.

The Most-Hid (Bridge) party, which has support among the Hungarian minority, at first refused to negotiate with Fico, saying it preferred a broad coalition of six centre-right parties.

Such a coalition would also have to include the Slovak National Party (SNS), but its leader Andrej Danko said on Saturday he would not join because he feared that the inclusion of two protest movements would be a source of potential instability.

"After today's decision by the SNS it's clear that a right-wing government can't be formed in Slovakia," Most-Hid chief Bela Bugar told reporters on Saturday evening.

"We are willing to negotiate with Smer and we are calling on all standard parties to be ready for a compromise that would enable the formation of a stable government," Bugar said.

Fico now needs another U-turn by a potential coalition partner in order to secure a parliamentary majority - possibly the centrist Siet (Net), which had also initially refused to treat with Smer.

If Fico fails in his negotiations President Andrej Kiska is expected to hand the task of forming a government to Richard Sulik, head of the second strongest, economically liberal Freedom and Solidarity (SaS) party.

If Sulik then failed to form a government the possible consequences would be several, including a grand coalition, a caretaker cabinet or a snap election.

Slovakia will take over the rotating presidency of the European Union in the second half of the year, giving it a stronger voice on issues such as Europe's migration crisis.
Sled dog killed in apparent snowmobile 'attacks' at Alaska's Iditarod

By Steve Quinn

JUNEAU, Alaska, March 12 (Reuters) - Alaska State Troopers on Saturday arrested a 26-year-old man in connection with attacks on two musher teams taking part in the Iditarod dog sled race that killed at least one dog and injured three others.

Two veteran mushers in Alaska's Iditarod told race officials on Saturday that a person driving a snowmobile tried to drive the machine into their sled teams in apparent attacks.

Alaska State Troopers said they arrested Arnold Demoski in connection with the incidents, which occurred about 12 miles (19 km) from the Nulato checkpoint, about 582 miles (936 km) into this year's 975-mile (1,570-km) course.

A dog belonging to four-time champion Jeff King was killed when his team was hit from behind by a snowmobile, and two of his other dogs were injured, the Iditarod Trail Committee said in a statement on its website.

"It did not seem like an accident," King said, adding that the driver never stopped or returned to the scene. "It felt like an intentional attempt to scare me."

King said the trail was 40 feet (12 meters) wide at the point of contact, and he and his team wore reflectors and lights to enhance their visibility.

The second driver, Ailey Zirkle, said she had been attacked in the same area by a person riding a snow machine who "repeatedly attempted to harm her and her team," race officials said. One of her dogs sustained non-life-threatening injuries, the statement said.

The snow machine turned around several times and came back at Zirkle's sled before driving off, according to police. Police said they arrested Demoski around 11:45 a.m. on charges of assault, reckless endangerment, reckless driving and criminal mischief, and located the snow machine.

"I don't know we ever thought of this happening, an aggressive move on mushers intentionally made, which is what this appears to be," Karen Ramstead, an official at the Nulato checkpoint, said in a video clip posted on the race's website.

Both team were continuing with the race despite the incidents, the website said.
At least 17 militants killed in southern Yemen - witnesses

ADEN, March 13 (Reuters) - Air strikes killed at least 17 suspected al-Qaeda militants overnight in a restive district in the southern Yemeni port city of Aden, witnesses, medics and a security official said on Sunday.

The air strikes hit al-Mansoura district, a stronghold for militants and an area which has witnessed several attacks against local security officials since the Saudi-led coalition retook Aden last July from the Iran-allied Houthi militia.

The sources said at least 20 civilians and militants were wounded as well as three members of the security forces. The strikes targeted the militants who were sitting atop vehicles and one of the strikes hit a local government building. Intermittent clashes were still going on, they said.

A security official said the strikes, thought to have been carried out by the Saudi-led coalition, were the "second stage" of freeing al-Mansoura from militants.

There was no immediate comment from the Saudi-led coalition on the strikes.

They come a day after forces loyal to Yemen's president broke a siege by the Houthis around Taiz, Yemen's third biggest city, about 200 km (124 miles) northwest of Aden.

Yemen's embattled government has been forced out of the capital Sanaa by the Houthi rebels and is now based in Aden but struggles to impose its authority even there.

The southern city has gone from being one of the world's busiest ports as a former hub of the British empire to a backwater, and then in recent months, a conflict zone.
Helicopters kill 17 as Yemen government moves against Aden militants

By Mohammed Mukhashaf

ADEN, March 13 (Reuters) - Saudi-led helicopters attacked al Qaeda militants in Aden overnight in an effort to dislodge them from a stronghold in the southern port city, killing at least 18 people, medics and a security official said on Sunday.

The assault took place as Saudi-backed forces supporting President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi fought to widen their control of Taiz in the southwest of Yemen after breaking a siege there on Friday.

Islamist militants from al Qaeda and Islamic State have exploited the conflict to expand their control, especially in areas where Hadi supporters have managed to expel the Iran-allied Houthis, including in Aden and Lahej provinces.

Witnesses and medics said Apache helicopters from the Saudi-led coalition struck armoured vehicles and a government compound used by the militants in al-Mansoura district, a stronghold in north Aden. There was no immediate comment from the coalition.

Medics said a total of 18 people have been killed -- 17 suspected militants and one civilian bystander -- and at least 23 civilians and militants were wounded. Three members of the security forces were also injured.

Security forces cordoned off an area of al-Mansoura district where dozens of suspected militants are believed to be holed up, while warplanes from the Saudi-led coalition dropped leaflets on the area telling residents to stay home and report any militants to authorities.

A tenuous calm in the district was broken occasionally in the afternoon with bursts of gunfire. A Reuters reporter saw the rubble of a butcher's shop and the wreckage of cars. Electricity was cut across the district and food shops remained closed.

Shops and businesses closed as security forces sealed off a block in the area, where dozens of suspected militants are believed to be holed up.

The city's governor said the operation was the second phase of a government campaign to restore state control over the city, the temporary seat of the Yemeni government.

"This stage will continue until it achieves its objectives, foremost of which to impose the authority of the state and restore security and stability in all districts of the capital Aden and its suburbs and to end the security chaos," Governor Aydaroos al-Zubaidi said.

Militants killed Zubaidi's predecessor and several other government officials, military and security officers in a series of suicide attacks and shootings in Aden since Hadi's forces captured the city from the Houthis last July.

MORE FIGHTING IN TAIZ

The campaign took place a day after forces loyal to Hadi broke a siege by the Houthis around Taiz, Yemen's third biggest city, about 200 km (124 miles) northwest of Aden.

The advance represented a breakthrough for Hadi's government, which has been struggling to achieve a major victory against the Houthis who seized control of most of the country in 2015 in what they described as a revolution against corruption.

Residents said that more fighting was reported in eastern Taiz on Sunday between the Houthis and fighters allied to Hadi, where reinforcements from both sides have arrived.

Witnesses said there were many casualties but gave no figures or more details.

Medical supplies provided by Saudi Arabia have also reached the main al-Thawra hospital in Taiz for the first time since last year, a medic at the facility said.
Belarus detains prominent businessman formerly close to president

MINSK, March 13 (Reuters) - The Belarussian security service said on Sunday it had detained prominent businessman Yury Chizh on suspicion of large-scale tax evasion.

Chizh, owner of Belarussian firm Triple, had been a close adviser to authoritarian Belarussian President Alexander Lukashenko since the 1990s but business sources say he fell out of favour in recent months. He now faces up to seven years in prison if convicted.

Spokespersons at Chizh's company, Triple, could not be reached for comment on Saturday and Sunday.

"Together with him (Chizh) there were detained a series of people," said Dmitry Pobyarzhin, a representative of the KGB security service. "They are all now in a KGB detention centre."

Opposition parties have called Chizh President Lukashenko's "wallet". In 2012 he was included in a list of EU sanctions imposed on Belarussian individuals and companies in protest at the country's human rights violations.

Belarussian media had reported on Friday that Chizh had been detained, but this was not confirmed at the time by the KGB.

The Belarussian government controls 70 percent of the former Soviet republic's economy, and the biggest companies are known for having close links with the authorities.

The EU ended five years of sanctions against Belarus and Lukashenko in February, citing improving human rights.
Polish minister says foul play behind president's jet crash

By Wiktor Szary

WARSAW, March 13 (Reuters) - Poland's defence minister appeared to suggest the death of president Lech Kaczynski in a 2010 plane crash in western Russia was the result of foul play, an allegation that is likely to test already troubled relations with Moscow.

Antoni Macierewicz did not spell out who he suspected, but the comments were made in a passage of his speech referring to a number of events blamed on Russia, including the violence in shared neighbour Ukraine.

They also come at a politically sensitive time, months before Poland is due to host a NATO summit where it will push for the alliance to station more troops on its eastern flank to counter the newly assertive Russia.

An inquiry into Kaczynski's death by the previous government blamed pilot error. But Poland's new government, led by Kaczynski's twin brother Jaroslaw, has said an onboard explosion could have caused the crash. Though his party never openly accused Moscow of orchestrating the president's death, it has said the Kremlin benefited from it.

"I don't want to rule on whether ... political enemies of the current Russian authorities, who accuse (them) of reaching the highest positions by using armed terror against their own population, are right - perhaps it's not true," Defence Minister Macierewicz said in a lecture given at a conference on warfare and terrorism on Saturday.

"But there is no doubt that the (Russian) attack on Georgia was one that was first preceded by internal sabotage, inside of Georgia. There's no doubt that what happened over Smolensk was aimed at depriving Poland of the leadership who led our nation towards independence."

The five-day Georgia-Russia war of 2008 saw Moscow strengthen its grip over largely pro-Russian South Ossetia, which had effectively been beyond Tbilisi's control since 1990. Russian troops pushed through South Ossetia deep into Georgia before withdrawing.

"After (the) Smolensk (plane crash), we can say that we were ... the first great victim of terrorism in the modern conflict, that's playing out right before our eyes," Macierewicz said.

Earlier this year, the conservative government of the Law and Justice (PiS) party relaunched an official inquiry into the crash.

The Russian foreign ministry declined to respond immediately to Macierewicz's comments. Commenting on Poland's decision to relaunch the probe at the time, Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said: "I hope that this is not linked to politics. This hope is a faint one, but it still exists."

The plane crash, which killed 96 people, including the president, his wife, the central bank chief and top military brass, took place close to the site where Stalinist secret police forces shot some of the 22,000 Polish officers and intellectuals they executed in 1940.
US, France say Syrian government trying to spoil peace talks

By John Irish

PARIS, March 13 (Reuters) - The United States and France accused the Syrian government of trying to disrupt a new round of peace talks set to begin on Monday and said Russia and Iran would need to show the Syrian government was "living up to" what had been agreed.

Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moualem said on Saturday that his government would not discuss presidential elections at peace talks in Geneva this week or hold talks with any party wishing to discuss the question of the presidency.

"It's a provocation ... a bad sign and doesn't correspond to the spirit of the ceasefire," French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault told a news conference with his British, German, Italian, U.S. and EU counterparts.

Calling Moualem's comments a clear attempt to "disrupt the process", U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said the Syrian government and its backers were mistaken if they thought they could continue to test the boundaries of a fragile truce.

Accusing Syria of carrying out the most violations of the truce, Kerry said Russian President Vladimir Putin needed to look at how Assad was acting.

"So President Putin, who is invested in supporting Assad, with an enormous commitment - and it has made a difference obviously on the battlefield - should be somewhat concerned about the fact that President Assad sent his foreign minister out yesterday to try and act as a spoiler, to take off the table something that President Putin and Iran had committed to," Kerry said. "This is a moment of truth, a moment where all of us have to be responsible."

He was referring to agreements over the last few months between the International Syrian Support Group - a mix of international and regional powers - who have pushed for a peace roadmap.

Monday's talks will coincide with next week's fifth anniversary of a war that has killed more than 250,000 people, created the world's worst refugee crisis, and allowed for the expansion of the Islamic State militant group.

They are part of the first diplomatic push since the Russian air force intervened in September to support Assad, tilting the war the Syrian government's way and helping Damascus reclaim significant territory in the west.

"It's important now for those who support President Assad to make sure that he is living up to this agreement," Kerry said. "And therefore, as a result that they are living up to this agreement too."

Moualem said on Saturday the government delegation would be willing to discuss U.N. special envoy Staffan de Mistura's agenda, but as far as the government was concerned, "political transition" meant a transition from the existing constitution to a new one, and from the existing government to a new one with participation from the other side.
Greece migrant costs to exceed 600 mln euros -Greek central bank

ROME, March 13 (Reuters) - The cost of managing the migrant crisis in Greece will exceed a previous estimate of 600 million euros ($670 million) as more and more refugees are forced to remain in the country, Bank of Greece Governor Yannis Stournaras said on Sunday.

More than 41,000 refugees and migrants are stranded in Greece, their plans to travel north blocked by border shutdowns throughout the Balkans.

Just last month a central bank source estimated 600 million euros would cover rescue operations, shelters and repatriation.

"That estimate was based on the presumption that Greece was only a transit nation, but if now we have to host a large number of refugees, this estimate will have to be revised," Stournaras told Italy's Il Sole 24 Ore newspaper.

The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development said last week that Greece would need help to deal with the strain that migrants were putting on its economy.

Greece also expects to talk about debt relief at the spring meeting of the International Monetary Fund in April, Stournaras said.

Athens has pledged to cut pension spending by 1 percent of GDP this year and reach a primary surplus of 3.5 percent by 2018. Stournaras said Greece's euro zone partners had promised debt relief in a meeting last year if Greece met its obligations.

"This promise has not yet been fulfilled," the central banker said. "We hope our partners and the IMF are able to fulfil the promise because it was not only a promise, but an agreement."
PROFILE-U.N. looks to end Syria's war with a gentleman's agreement

By Tom Miles

GENEVA, March 13 (Reuters) - Dismissed by critics as a diplomatic dandy, hailed by allies as a creative consensus-builder, Staffan de Mistura takes the hot seat in Geneva on Monday as the man in charge of forging peace in Syria.

In an impeccable suit and pince-nez spectacles, the Swedish-Italian diplomat looks as though he'd be more comfortable strolling through Geneva's quaint Old Town rather than refereeing a war that has killed more than 250,000 people.

But de Mistura, whose other roles include being Swedish consul on the Italian isle of Capri, has come closer than anyone else to negotiating an end to the Syrian civil war.

The peace talks he mediates resume on Monday, and if they eventually bring an end to the war, it will not be because he forced an agreement, but perhaps because he recognised it was not in his power to do so.

De Mistura took over the job in mid-2014 after the spectacular failure of his two predecessors, Kofi Annan, a former U.N. secretary general, and Lakhdar Brahimi, one of the Arab world's most accomplished diplomats. Each had quit after holding a peace conference in the Swiss city of Geneva that failed to stop the war.

In contrast to their ambition, he adopted a "minimalistic" approach, removing any expectation that the U.N. could impose peace. He did not summon the warring parties to negotiate, nor order the big powers of the U.N. Security Council to end the war.

That left a leadership vacuum that, late last year, was filled by the United States and Russia. Moscow and Washington used their influence to bring Syria's warring sides to de Mistura's table, but it will be up to him to get them talking.

"MY MOTHER WOULD NOT BE DELIGHTED"

In a four-decade diplomatic career that included war zone assignments across Africa, the Balkans, the Middle East and Afghanistan, de Mistura developed a reputation for quietly building trust with warring parties hostile to outsiders.

"I cannot list to you how many people who my mother would not be delighted to know I shook hands with," he once said.

U.N. spokesman Ahmad Fawzi said de Mistura's logical approach helps him cut to the thrust of complex issues, and his sense of humour provides relief at difficult moments.

"He has a wonderful way of connecting with people, whether it's the media or his interlocutors in a difficult political process like this one," Fawzi said. "When he approaches people it's with great respect, whoever they are, wherever they are on the hierarchy ladder."

People who have worked with him cite his creativity, evident when he pioneered airdrops to relieve Ethiopia's famine in the 1980s. Described by the Washington Post as "a loquacious Italian in a safari suit", he dared the Sudanese People's Liberation Army to shoot down his rainbow-painted plane.

He was almost shot down again two decades later, as U.N. envoy in Iraq. His plane from Baghdad ran into Iranian war games, and was given 20 seconds to turn around or be destroyed.

He later became the top U.N. man in Afghanistan, and was one of the United Nations' most experienced diplomats by the time he took on the Syria role, prompting the Guardian newspaper to call him "the man with the toughest job in the world".

De Mistura, 69, likes to joke that he has a chronic condition, being an incurable optimist. But he also suffers from occasional gaffes. And his start with Syria was not smooth.

"TOO MUCH TIME SUNBATHING"

Rumours abounded that his heart wasn't in the job and he wanted to do it part-time from Brussels.

He gave an interview to the New York Times, which said he was "more widely known for his dapper style than for any diplomatic coups" and cited a former Lebanese minister as saying he spent too much time sunbathing at a private club.

"I thought it was a little unfair, didn't you?" de Mistura told Reuters at the time, lining up at the U.N. salad bar.

He angered Syria's opposition by sounding more open to the views of Damascus than his predecessors had. There followed an almost fatal error, when he told reporters in Vienna that President Bashar al-Assad was "part of the solution".

He immediately clarified his comments, saying Assad bore part of the responsibility for ending the war. But the mis-step dogged De Mistura for many months and caused deep mistrust.

An early ceasefire plan misfired too, with misplaced hope that a "freeze" in fighting in Aleppo would trigger local truces across the country. When that failed, De Mistura launched open-ended "consultations" with Syrians of all stripes over several months, although opposition armed groups refused to attend.

A political adviser, Mouin Rabbani, quit De Mistura's team within weeks of arriving, and emerged as a vocal critic, saying he was "out of his depth" and "wasn't up to the task".

"The cronyism, dodgy personnel decisions, and resultant amateurism I witnessed were simply breathtaking," Rabbani wrote of his U.N. experience.

De Mistura's apparent lack of ambition looked weak but also reflected reality. With Washington and Moscow falling out over Ukraine and Iranian-Saudi tensions in Yemen, any U.N. peace effort would surely have been futile.

Suddenly, by the end of last year, Islamic State's advance and Europe's refugee crisis provided stronger motives, a nuclear deal between Western powers and Iran provided an opportunity, and Russia's entry into the war provided a catalyst. "Geneva 3" was born.

De Mistura, who had been preparing a soft series of "working groups" to debate post-war Syria, was told by the United States and Russia to junk his plans in favour of a legally binding peace negotiation.

He looked in danger of falling into the same trap as Brahimi, whose "Geneva 2" peace talks drowned in a swamp of side-arguments: "Are the opposition terrorists?", "Can Assad stay in power?", "Where is the justice for war crimes?"

He dodged nimbly, referring the terrorist question back to the U.N. Security Council, leaving Assad's fate up to the Syrian people, and saying human rights were not negotiatiable. And with no early progress, he halted initial talks last month and told the United States and Russia they needed to do more.

The result was a temporary cessation of hostilities, sponsored by Washington and Moscow and accepted by both Assad's government and most of his foes.
Russia has evidence Turkish troops in Syria, Lavrov says

MOSCOW, March 13 (Reuters) - Russia has evidence that Turkish troops are on Syrian territory, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said in an interview broadcast on Sunday, accusing Turkey of a "creeping expansion" on its border with Syria.

The comments by Lavrov are the latest confrontation between Moscow and Ankara, after Turkish jets shot down a Russian warplane near the Turkish-Syrian border in November.

"Turkey has started to declare it has a sovereign right to create some safety zones on Syrian territory," Lavrov told Russian television channel Ren-TV. "According to our data, they have already 'dug themselves in' several hundred metres from the border in Syria. ... It's a sort of creeping expansion."

Lavrov also said that Russia would insist the United Nations invites Kurds to peace talks on the Syrian conflict despite Turkey's opposition.

Russia and Turkey are on opposing sides of the five-year-old conflict in Syria. Relations between the two countries nosedived after the downing of the Russian plane, which President Vladimir Putin called a "stab in the back".

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan has not apologised over the incident, saying the Russian jet crossed into Turkish airspace and ignored repeated warnings. Russia denies the warplane violated Turkey's airspace.

Lavrov added to Ren-TV that Russia was willing to coordinate its actions in Syria with the United States so that the city of Raqqa could be taken back.
Moroccans protest over U.N. Ban's West Sahara position

By Aziz El Yaakoubi

RABAT, March 13 (Reuters) - Tens of thousands of Moroccans marched though the capital Rabat on Sunday to protest against U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's position on the Western Sahara dispute and rally support for the king.

Waving portraits of King Mohamed and Moroccan flags, protesters chanted the "The Sahara is ours, the King is ours" as they packed the streets near the parliament building in a rally supported by the government.

Morocco's government last week accused Ban of no longer being neutral in the Western Sahara conflict, saying he used the word "occupation" to describe Morocco's presence in the region that has been at the centre of a dispute since 1975.

"That was a serious attack on the feelings of all Moroccans, the march shows we are all united in our national cause," Mbarka Bouida, delegate minister for foreign affairs said, joining the protesters.

State news agency MAP said three million people attended the march, though those figures could not be confirmed. Some protesters said they were bussed for free to the march and said trains had also been free for the day of the rally.

The long-running dispute over the region in the northwest edge of Africa has dragged on since Morocco took control over most of it in 1975 following the withdrawal of former colonial power Spain.

The Polisario Front, which claims the territory belongs to ethnic Sahrawis, fought a rebel war against Morocco until a U.N.-brokered ceasefire in 1991, but the two sides have been deadlocked since that agreement.

Ban said earlier this month he would restart U.N. efforts to reach a solution after visiting camps in southern Algeria for the Polasario Front leadership and refugees who fled the conflict and who have spent decades there.

The Moroccan government said Ban used the word "occupation" to describe Moroccan annexation of Western Sahara in 1975

Polisario, backed by Morocco's regional rival and neighbour Algeria and a number of other African states, wants a referendum promised in the ceasefire agreement on the region's fate. Morocco says it will not offer more than autonomy for the region, rich in phosphates and possibly offshore oil and gas.

"We came to tell Ban and the world that the Sahara is a red line for us, and we would die for it," a protester named Salah, who travelled from Oujda area.
S.Africa finance minister cannot meet deadline in spy unit case - lawyers

JOHANNESBURG, March 13 (Reuters) - South Africa Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan cannot meet a Monday deadline to respond to questions posed by a special police unit on his role in setting up a spy unit at the revenue service, his lawyers said in a letter sent to media on Sunday.

The Sunday Independent newspaper had reported that Gordhan had been given until Monday to respond to questions about the spy unit at the South African Revenue Service (SARS), which was set up when Gordhan headed SARS.
Nigerian minister warns oil pipeline vandals will be prosecuted

By Felix Onuah

ABUJA, March 13 (Reuters) - Nigeria's government will prosecute those who attack the country's oil pipelines, the Nigerian information minister said on Sunday, amid fears of a revived militant movement in the Niger Delta.

Attacks on facilities have risen in recent weeks in the Delta, whose oil provides around 70 percent of national income, since President Muhammadu Buhari vowed to shake up an amnesty scheme introduced in 2009 for ex-rebels who stopped blowing up pipelines.

A statement issued by the office of Information Minister Lai Mohammed said the government "will deal ruthlessly with those engaged in pipeline vandalism and the sabotage of power infrastructure".

"Government is now fully ready to prosecute them according to the laws of the country that deal with economic saboteurs and vandalism," Mohammed told Reuters in a telephone interview.

"None of them will go free when arrested. Government will make sure that they are prosecuted and pay for the crime they committed against the nation," he said.

Authorities have sent troops to protect oil facilities amid fears that recent attacks may herald a return to the violence that crippled the oil industry in Africa's biggest economy less than a decade ago.

Last month, unidentified militants hit a Shell underwater pipeline, interrupting oil flows and forcing the company to shut down its 250,000 barrel-a-day Forcados export terminal for weeks.

It came a month after an arrest warrant was issued for former militant leader Government Ekpemupolo, better known as Tompolo. Like other ex-rebels, he had halted attacks in exchange for cash and contracts as part of the amnesty programme.

The threat of a return to widespread Delta militancy comes as Nigeria grapples with an economic crisis caused by the collapse of oil revenues, on which it relies for around 90 percent of foreign earnings, as global crude prices fall.

Buhari is set to travel to Equatorial Guinea on Monday for talks with the country's president about combating crude oil theft, attacks on oil rigs, piracy and arms smuggling in the Gulf of Guinea.

"The conclusion and signing of an agreement by Nigeria and Equatorial Guinea for the establishment of a combined maritime policing and security patrol committee on Tuesday is expected to be the major outcome," said Buhari's spokesman, Femi Adesina.

The president will be joined by security officials, including the defence minister and the national security adviser.
Ivory Coast security forces "neutralise six terrorists", minister says

ABIDJAN, March 13 (Reuters) - Ivory Coast's security forces "neutralised six terrorists" on Sunday after a deadly attack on a beach resort town that left around a dozen people dead, Interior Minister Hamed Bakayoko said.
Saudi Arabia says it will punish anyone linked to Hezbollah

DUBAI, March 13 (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia said on Sunday it would punish anyone who belongs to the Lebanese Shi'ite Islamist group Hezbollah, sympathises with it, supports it financially or harbours any of its members.

An Interior Ministry statement carried by the state news agency SPA said that Saudis and expatriates would be subjected to "severe penalties" under the kingdom's regulations and anti-terrorism laws. Foreigners would be deported, it said.
Slovak opposition party makes U-turn to start government talks with PM Fico

By Tatiana Jancarikova

BRATISLAVA, March 13 (Reuters) - Slovak centrist party Siet (Net) will negotiate with leftist Prime Minister Robert Fico on forming a government, it said on Sunday, reversing its earlier position and increasing Fico's chances of retaining power.

Siet's decision together with a similar turnaround by another opposition party could help overcome a post-election stalemate and give Fico a parliamentary majority.

Fico, 51, campaigned against allowing in any large numbers of migrants from the Middle East and beyond, and has sued the EU over a decision to relocate hundreds of asylum-seekers to Slovakia.

His centre-left Smer, which ruled in 2006-2010 and again since 2012, won the most votes at last weekend's inconclusive election but lost its parliamentary majority. Initially, other parties' stances had given him slim chances of forming a government by a March 18 deadline given by President Andrej Kiska.

Slovakia, a euro zone country, holds the European Union's rotating presidency in the second half of the year, which will give it a larger voice in formulating the EU agenda including migration and the aftermath of Britain's vote on whether to leave the EU.

Siet and the Most-Hid party changed their mind after the Slovak National Party (SNS) decided to negotiate only with Fico, burying the chances of a centre-right majority that would have included the libertarian Freedom and Solidarity party.

"We need to negotiate with Smer, SNS and Most-Hid to find the best scenario for Slovakia," Siet deputy leader Andrej Hrnciar told journalists.

Leaders of Smer, SNS, Most-Hid and Siet were expected to meet on Monday to discuss policy priorities for a cabinet that would have 85 votes in the 150-seat parliament.

OLD VS NEW PARTIES

Fico's Smer party lost 34 of its current 83 seats in the election as voters responded to opposition campaigning against corruption and shortcomings in healthcare and education, while taking the same line on immigration.

Part of the anti-immigrant vote went to the People's Party-Our Slovakia, which others see as neo-Nazi and refuse to deal with.

Allegations of graft and cronyism linked to most traditional parties also spurred surprising gains by two other centre-right protest movements -- 'Common People', and 'We Are Family', formed by businessman Boris Kollar who ran under the slogan "You can trust me, I'm not a politician."
Egypt's justice minister sacked after comments criticised as blasphemous

CAIRO, March 13 (Reuters) - Egypt's prime minister sacked Justice Minister Ahmed al-Zend on Sunday after he was criticised for saying he would jail Islam's Prophet Mohammad himself if he broke the law.

Zend's comments came in a televised interview on Friday. He immediately said "God forgive me", and on Saturday issued an apology in another interview. It was not immediately clear who would replace Zend, a hardliner and outspoken critic of the Muslim Brotherhood.

"Prime Minister Sherif Ismail issued a decree today to relieve Ahmed al-Zend ... of his position," a government statement said, giving no more details.

Zend, a former appeals court judge, had been publicly outspoken in his criticism of the Islamist movement removed from power by the army in mid-2013 and banned as a terrorist group.

He has in the past denounced the 2011 revolt that ended Hosni Mubarak's 30-year rule and ushered in the election that brought the Muslim Brotherhood to power. He has also been a strong defender of the judiciary and its powerful position.

Egyptian judges issued a statement opposing Zend's removal over what the head of the Judges Club told Reuters was a slip of the tongue that could have happened to anyone.

"Egypt's judges are sorry that someone who defended Egypt and its people, judiciary and nation in the face of the terrorist organisation that wanted to bring it down should be punished in this way," said Abdallah Fathi.

Egyptian courts have been absolving Mubarak-era officials, while imposing long sentences on liberal and Islamist activists.

Egypt's judiciary has faced criticism from rights groups in the past two years after judges issued mass death sentences against Muslim Brotherhood supporters, locking up youth activists and sentencing writers and journalists.
Saudi Arabia says it will punish anyone linked to Hezbollah

DUBAI, March 13 (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia said on Sunday it would punish anyone who belongs to Lebanon's Iran-backed Shi'ite Islamist group Hezbollah, sympathises with it, supports it financially or harbours any of its members.

An Interior Ministry statement carried by the state news agency SPA said that Saudis and expatriates would be subjected to "severe penalties" under the kingdom's regulations and anti-terrorism laws. Foreigners would be deported, it said.

The move comes after Gulf Arab countries declared Hezbollah a terrorist organisation, raising the possibility of further sanctions against the group, which wields influence in Lebanon and fights alongside President Bashar al-Assad's forces in Syria .

"Any citizen or resident who supports, shows membership in the so-called Hezbollah, sympathises with it or promotes it, makes donations to it or communicates with it or harbours anyone belonging to it will be subject to the stiff punishments provided by the rules and orders, including the terrorism crimes and its financing," the statement said.

Foreigners working and living in the oil-exporting kingdom would also face expulsion, it said.

Hezbollah has close ties to Iran, Saudi Arabia's bitter rival for power in the region. Saudi Arabia supports Syrian opposition groups to topple Assad and blames Iran and Hezbollah for helping him cling to power after five years of civil war.

Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah has stepped up criticism of Saudi Arabia, accusing it of directing car bombings in Lebanon.
Syria peace talks set to struggle despite foreign pressure

By Tom Perry and Suleiman Al-Khalidi

BEIRUT/GENEVA, March 13 (Reuters) - Syria peace talks due to begin in Geneva this week look set to struggle, with the sides showing no sign of compromise over the issue at the heart of the five-year-long conflict: the future of President Bashar al-Assad.

The U.N.-led talks getting under way on Monday with U.S. and Russian support are part of the first serious diplomatic effort towards ending the conflict since Moscow intervened last September with air strikes that have tipped the war Assad's way.

With the crisis approaching its fifth anniversary this week, Western states seem more determined to bring an end to a war that has driven hundreds of thousands of refugees towards Europe and helped the rise of Islamic State.

But while recent cooperation between the United States and Russia has helped to reduce the level of violence and brought the parties to Geneva, the positions of the government and opposition reveal little ground for a negotiated settlement.

Pointing to a possible escalation in the war if there is no progress, the Russian defence ministry said rebels had used an anti-aircraft missile to shoot down a Syrian warplane on Saturday.

Rebels said it was shot down with anti-aircraft guns, rather than a missile, a weapon fighters have sought but Western countries want to keep out of their hands because of the potential threat to civil aviation if Islamist militants acquire them.

Reflecting the Damascus government's confidence, Foreign Minister Walid al-Moualem warned the opposition on Saturday it was deluded if it believed it would be able to take power at the negotiating table, and ruled out any talks on the presidency.

READY TO FIGHT ON

The opposition are holding out little hope that Geneva will bring them nearer to their goal of toppling Assad. Announcing its decision to attend the Geneva talks, the main opposition umbrella group said the government was preparing for more war.

Rebels say they are ready to fight on despite their recent defeats. They hope foreign backers - notably Saudi Arabia - will send them more powerful weapons including anti-aircraft missiles if the political process collapses.

"I expect that if in this round the regime is stubborn, and doesn't offer anything real, it will be the end of the talks and we will go back to the military solution," said Bashar al-Zoubi, a prominent rebel.

The talks aim to build on a "cessation of hostilities" agreement brokered by the United States and Russia that has brought about a considerable reduction in fighting since it came into effect on Feb. 27.

It marks the most serious effort yet towards de-escalating the conflict, surprising many and allowing for aid deliveries to besieged areas, though the opposition says the deliveries to rebel-held territory fall well short of needs.

The sides have, however, accused each other of violations, and Saturday was one of the most violent days since it came into force, with rebels and government forces clashing in Hama province and insurgents shooting down the warplane.

The Russian defence ministry said a portable air-defence system had been used to bring down the Syrian MiG-21.

"Russia wants to accuse the friends of the Syrian people of supplying it with missiles, and this did not happen," said Mohamad Alloush, head of the politburo of the Jaish al-Islam group and HNC chief negotiator.

He said all groups were requesting the means to defend civilians from warplanes and barrel bombs - oil drums filled with explosives that the opposition says the army uses to cause indiscriminate damage in rebel areas.

REBELS UNDER PRESSURE

The main opposition alliance, known as the High Negotiations Committee (HNC), comes to the talks with the balance of forces stacked against it after Russia's intervention and an increase in military support to Assad from Iran, his other main ally.

The HNC has also voiced concerns about what it sees as a softening of the U.S. stance on Syria, saying Washington has given ground to Moscow. HNC official George Sabra, speaking in Geneva, called the American position "ambiguous, even for its allies".

The HNC says the talks must focus on setting up a transitional governing body with full executive powers, and that Assad must leave power at the start of the transition.

But Foreign Minister Moualem on Saturday set out a very different vision, indicating that the most the government would offer was a national unity government with opposition participation, and a new or amended constitution.

He also said the government delegation would resist any attempt to put the question of presidential elections on the agenda, and criticised U.N. envoy Staffan de Mistura for last week outlining an agenda that includes elections.

De Mistura is due meet the sides separately on Monday before briefing the Security Council.

"SPOILER"

Syria's U.N. ambassador Bashar Ja'afari, head of the government delegation, said the talks needed to work on preparatory issues first and it was premature to talk about a transitional period.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said Moualem's comments aimed to disrupt the political process.

Kerry also said the Syrian government and its backers were mistaken if they thought they could continue to test the boundaries of the fragile truce. Accusing Damascus of carrying out the most violations, Kerry said Russian President Vladimir Putin needed to look at how Assad was acting.

"President Assad is singing on a completely different song sheet and sent his foreign minister out yesterday to try to act as a spoiler and take off the table what President Putin and the Iranians have agreed to," Kerry said.

Attempts to get the diplomatic process moving have already faced big obstacles, including a row over who should be invited to negotiate with the Syrian government. The HNC groups political and armed opponents of Assad.

Russia reiterated its view that the Kurdish PYD party, which wields wide influence in northern Syria, should be at the talks. The PYD has been excluded in line with the wishes of Turkey, which views it as an extension of the PKK group that is waging an insurgency in southeastern Turkey.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Moscow had evidence that Turkish armed forces were on Syrian territory, calling Turkey's actions "creeping expansion". There was no immediate Turkish response, but Ankara has in the past repeatedly denied that it was planning an incursion.
CHARLESTON, W.Va.  Some West Virginia lawmakers and Capitol staffers had a very bad weekend after drinking raw milk to celebrate a law loosening restrictions on the product. Now state health officials are investigating whether the milk was to blame for their fever, vomiting and diarrhea, and weighing allegations the raw-milk party broke the law.

So far, state and county health officials say they havent received medical reports of illnesses related to the dangerous bacteria that can live in raw milk, which include campylobacter, listeria, salmonella and E. coli. The lawmaker involved, Del. Scott Cadle, who also stayed home sick on Monday, blames his and other illnesses on an unrelated stomach virus circulating the Capitol.

Everybody up there is getting it, said Cadle, a Mason County Republican. Its a stomach virus. It didnt have nothing to do with that milk.

Some of those who got sick, including House Speaker Tim Armstead, R-Kanawha, did not drink the milk, House spokesman Jared Hunt noted.

Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin signed a bill March 3 that will let people share milk-producing animals and drink raw milk if people sign a document acknowledging the health risks, and if the animals have passed health tests within the previous year. The law, which takes effect in late May, maintains selling and distribution bans. Selling or even offering raw milk is illegal and still will be, subject to fines of $50 to $500, unless the new requirements are met.

Tomblin, a Democrat, vetoed a similar bill last year, saying raw milk contains bacteria particularly dangerous for children, pregnant women and people with compromised immune systems. Asked Wednesday why he changed his mind this time, the governor said, I think the one this year gave a little bit more oversight to our state Department of Health and Human Resources.

I still have concerns, Tomblin added. When you listen to the health experts, there are people who do become ill sometimes because of tainted raw milk that has not been pasteurized. I would just caution anybody that you should know the source of your milk, that its safe and clean before you drink it.

Cadle said he brought in raw milk last week to share with friends after the governor signed the bill into law. He wouldnt say where he got it.

I might have been breaking the law, Cadle told the Charleston Gazette-Mail. Hell, I dont know. I gave it away.

State health officials got involved after someone filed a complaint Tuesday alleging that the distribution of raw milk in the halls of the Capitol violated the law, and could have been to blame for illnesses over the weekend. Officials dont release the names of people who file complaints.

Its not clear how many people got sick, or whether any of them were tested by doctors, who are required by law to report confirmed cases to the state health department.

State Health Officer Dr. Rahul Gupta said his department investigates about 200 possible outbreaks of all kinds of illnesses every year, so this one isnt unusual, nor is it confirmed.

Its important to note that a lot of the information out there is alleged, Gupta said. Its important to conduct an investigation to figure out exactly the facts.
With the advent of candidates like Donald Trump, African Americans have once again become an irrelevance and this is why theyre lashing out at Trump rallies, organised by the Soros hand nonetheless, but lashing out in sheer desperation.

Blacks are a thorn in Americas side, and they will continue to be so for as long as they are around. Look at Detroit, look at Chicago, look at New York city, these places are blighted. They had their Trayvon moment, but real Americans have had enough of this black violence, drugs, rape and low morals. They say stop shooting us? Well, stop committing the crimes then. Look at the prisons, 80% African American. Look at all the crime, 90% African American. All the projects you see for miles, populated solely by black people, and they get their EBT, they get their free healthcare, they get their Obama phone. Real Americans are sick of the lazy low IQ African Americans, the aggressive violence if they dont get their way all the time, and the handouts they demand all the time. Were sick of it. We cant stand it any more, and we want our country back again. Our forefathers should have picked their own cotton, biggest mistake we ever made was bringing those things over from Africa! an angry Trump follower at a rally in Cincinnati told local radio news.
Oxitec has genetically modified, which also transmits dengue and chikungunya, so the males produce offspring that do not live.

Miami: The spread of the Zika virus in Latin America is giving a boost to a British biotech firm's proposal to deploy a genetically modified mosquito to try to stop transmission of the disease.

Oxitec has genetically modified the Aedes aegypti mosquito, which also transmits dengue and chikungunya, so the males produce offspring that do not live.

But until now, its proposal to test the mosquito in the Florida Keys has languished at the Food and Drug Administration while the company conducted similar field trials outside the United States.

"The data seems to be promising in terms of reducing the mosquito populations in those small field trials, but we need to go through our process, and we are greatly expediting the process," FDA Assistant Commissioner Dr. Luciana Borio said earlier this month at a House Energy and Commerce subcommittee hearing on Zika preparedness.

Here are some things to know about genetically modified mosquitoes.

How Are They Modified?

Oxitec modifies Aedes aegypti mosquitoes with synthetic DNA to produce offspring that won't survive outside a lab. Modified females are manually separated in the lab from the modified males, which do not bite and are released to mate with wild female mosquitoes.

Does It Work?

Oxitec says it has completed successful tests in Panama and the Cayman Islands, along with a test as part of a dengue-fighting program in Piracicaba, Brazil. The city's health department has confirmed Oxitec's results: a reduction in the wild Aedes larvae population in the targeted neighbourhood by over 80 per cent.

Some experts have questioned whether the use of genetically modified mosquitoes is feasible on a countrywide scale or is efficient for controlling mosquito populations and the spread of diseases over the long term.

Dr Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, told the March congressional hearing that researchers would have to show that a reduction in the mosquito population led to a decline in disease. "Scalability is really going to be a problem," he said." You don't want to scale up unless you know it works."

Tom Frieden, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said Thursday that tests of the genetically modified mosquitoes have only been done in small areas involving the release of tens of millions of mosquitoes. "So while they're promising technologies that we absolutely need to pursue, I think we also have to be realistic about what the impact in this mosquito season is likely to be," he said.

World Health Organization's Marie-Paule Kieny has called for "extreme rigor" in evaluating the effectiveness of modified mosquitoes.

What Are The Risks?

Oxitec says it has received no reports of adverse impacts from its modified mosquitoes.

Anti-GMO activists say they want more proof that stray female modified mosquitoes that leave Oxitec labs aren't spreading genetic material through bites or that there are no other environmental risks, such as opening areas to infestation by another disease-carrying mosquito species. Outside researchers say Oxitec's method is safe and worth exploring as a weapon against a hard-to-eliminate mosquito, but some also say public perceptions about GMOs pose a significant challenge for Oxitec, which was bought last year by the biotechnology company Intrexon.

Public Outreach

Before the trial started in Brazil last April, Oxitec spent months on public outreach, including a radio jingle explaining how the technology worked and fliers about the "friendly mosquito." Oxitec also invited residents to place their bare arms in "bug dorms" containing hundreds of its modified mosquitoes, to demonstrate that the insects would not bite.

About 35 million modified mosquitoes have been released in the middle-income residential neighbourhood of Eldorado, flying from vans equipped with bladeless fans to blow insects out their windows

Piracicaba's mayor and health secretary say they hope to continue and expand the trial because traditional eradication methods hadn't been effective. "We were aware of its application in agriculture, and we have no doubts that it would be an important alternative to tackle what has become a daily headline story in the media," Mayor Gabriel Ferrato said when the trial results were announced in January.

The Florida Proposal

The Florida Keys Mosquito Control District wants Oxitec to test its modified mosquitoes in a neighborhood of 444 homes clustered on a relatively isolated peninsula north of Key West. With or without the test, the district is looking for additional options to kill Aedes aegypti, which it considers a significant and expensive threat in the tourism-dependent island chain. A residents' group called the Florida Keys Environmental Coalition wants the district to instead try infecting mosquitoes with a bacteria that curbs their ability to transmit disease, arguing that Oxitec's proposal is mostly marketing hype and won't be subject to adequate federal oversight.

When Will They Be Released In Florida?

Not anytime soon. Borio said the FDA will soon release a draft environmental assessment for the Keys trial for public comment. The agency will review the public comments and may require more documentation from Oxitec before deciding whether to approve the trial - and there is no deadline for this process.

"We need to give the public an opportunity to comment on the environmental assessment, given the significant attention that this novel technology has generated, especially in the communities for the proposed sites," Borio said.

Have Genetically Modified Insects Ever Been Released In The US?

Yes. Oxitec has released genetically modified pink bollworms in field tests aimed at reducing the population of the cotton pest in Arizona. Last summer, the company received approval for field cage trials in upstate New York for genetically modified diamondback moths, another agricultural pest, and Oxitec plans to continue further field trials in conjunction with Cornell University this summer. The US Department of Agriculture has overseen both projects.
Hyderabad: Armed with a tip-off, Korutla circle inspector K. Rajashekhar Rao and his team lay in wait on the Metpally road in Karimnagar district, on February 11.

As a red car approached, they barricaded the road and stopped the vehicle. Police asked the three men inside to get out and searched the vehicle. Their information was not wrong: They found Rs 2.3 lakh worth fake currency notes concealed in the car. Police arrested the three men, and nabbed another person a few hours later.

The fake currency notes were of high quality and printed in Bangladesh. The notes were smuggled to Malda in West Bengal and spread from there to the villages.

Two of the gang members, T. Kishan and G. Bhubaneswar, had visited Malda at least thrice in the last few months. They drove to Vizag in the car, parked it at the railway station, went to Kolkata by train and took a bus to Malda, where their sources handed them the fake notes, said Mr Rajashekhar Rao.

After their earlier trips, the gang spent the fake money in local shops, where unsuspecting shopkeepers and villagers never spotted the cleverly printed fakes. They spent the money in kirana shops, cool drink kiosks and other places. It was only when the notes were taken to a bank did someone notice that they were counterfeit, Mr Rajashekhar Rao said.

Before that, bank officials at Metpally found Rs 8,000 in counterfeit currency with a depositor. Following police investigation, 25 people were arrested. A large amount of fake notes smuggled from Malda is already in circulation.

This is common in many villages and small towns across Telangana state.

At Matwada in Warangal, police arrested Armed Reserve constable Galli Sudhakar and a woman, S. Rajitha, who had with them a few lakhs in fake currency.

The duo later confessed they had travelled to Malda and had smuggled in the cash. Police in Sadasivpet in Medak, Mominpet in Ranga Reddy, places in Adilabad and Nalgonda have carried out similar counterfeit busts in the last two years.

Last week, the Ranga Reddy police arrested two persons at Mominpet with fake notes. One of them confessed that he had been visiting Malda for four years. Meghavath Prakash had circulated the fake notes elsewhere in the state before coming to Ranga Reddy district.

Gangs based in Malda either use their own agents or local agents from Telangana to pump the fake currency into semi-urban and rural areas where law enforcement is comparatively weaker than in the cities.

Police officials say this is one reason that the Malda rackets encourage agents from rural areas and small towns. Apart from fake Rs1,000 and Rs 500 notes, lower denomination counterfiet notes have also been smuggled into many villages.


Taking a major step towards finalising the deal, the United States government on March 6 had formally issued a notification on the sale of eight F-16 fighter jets to Pakistan. (Photo: AP)

Islamabad: Balochistan representative to the United Nations Human Rights Council and the European Union Mehran Marri on Sunday condemned the move by the United States Government to sell F-16 fighter jets to Pakistan, saying that Islamabad would use them against the Balochistan population.

"We condemn the sale of any arms and ammunition to Pakistan Government and military, especially F16 with mountainous capabilities because they're purely used against Balochistan population," said Mehran.

"It is a sad and black day in the history that more weapons of destruction have been sold to Pakistani military. During Bin Laden era, America and European Union heavily armed the Pakistan military to find Bin Laden and eliminate him. But we came to know that Bin Laden was sitting in their lap in Abbottabad," he added.

Mehran also feared that Islamabad, which has been using the arms and ammunitions against the Balochistan, would now use it against them again.

Taking a major step towards finalising the deal, the United States government on March 6 had formally issued a notification on the sale of eight F-16 fighter jets to Pakistan.

The notification estimates the total cost of the deal to be nearly USD 700 million.

However, India and some US lawmakers are questioning Washington's move and that if such an arms transfer will help combat terrorism while claiming that 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 argued, 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".

However, Pakistan has conveyed to the United States that it needs the F-16 jets for counter-terrorist operations which would strengthen the country and promote regional stability.
Nepal's top diplomat in the region said nationals from the Philippines, Indonesia and other countries, which, like Nepal and Bangladesh, have large migrant labour populations, stopped working in Syria because of the dangers involved. (Representational Image, Photo: AP)

Murali Bhanjyang, Nepal: Nepali villager Sunita Magar thought she was heading to a safe factory job in Kuwait, but only when she landed in Damascus did she realise "something had gone very wrong".

Frequently beaten with a baton and given only one meal a day, Magar says she spent 13 months working as a maid for a Syrian household and pleading to be allowed to go home.

"I was just in shock, I couldn't stop crying," the single mother-of-two said.

Magar is among scores of poor Nepali and Bangladeshi women who travelled to the Middle East on the promise of a good job, only to be trafficked into Syria, wracked by five years of civil war.

Nepal's top diplomat in the region said nationals from the Philippines, Indonesia and other countries, which, like Nepal and Bangladesh, have large migrant labour populations, stopped working in Syria because of the dangers involved.

"Since then traffickers have been targeting Nepalis," said Kaushal Kishor Ray, head of Nepal's diplomatic mission based in Cairo.

"The numbers have gone up hugely in recent years, we estimate there must be around 500 Nepali women in Syria," Ray told AFP.

In nearby Bangladesh, Shahinoor Begum lies in a Dhaka hospital bed recovering from her seven-month ordeal after being trafficked into Syria as a sex slave.

"I was sold to a Syrian man who tortured and raped me every day, sometimes along with his friends," Begum, also a single mother-of-two, said.

"I begged for mercy, but they didn't have any. Instead they used to beat me so badly that I broke my arms," she told AFP.

Accompanied by labour agents, the 28-year-old and several other women left Bangladesh on the promise of working as maids in Jordan.

But they too were taken to Syria, where fighting between the regime and rebel forces has left more than 260,000 dead and displaced more than half the population.

Begum eventually developed kidney disease, prompting traffickers to contact her ageing mother to demand money for her safe return home.

Lieutenant Colonel Golam Sarwar said his team from Bangladesh's elite Rapid Action Battalion are investigating her case and two others -- although families of 43 other women have lodged similar complaints.

"Bangladesh is apparently a soft target for the traffickers," Sarwar told AFP.

'Always afraid'

Criminal networks target nationals from Nepal and Bangladesh in part because their governments have little diplomatic influence in the region and no embassy in Syria.

A Nepal government ban on migrant workers travelling to Syria has failed to stop the traffickers, an International Labour Organization (ILO) official said.

"Nepal's government thinks a ban is the easiest solution, it basically allows them to wipe their hands of the issue," said Bharati Pokharel, ILO national project coordinator in Kathmandu.

"India has much more diplomatic clout than Nepal or Bangladesh and traffickers are aware of this. They know Nepal is weak and that they will face no legal action for their activities," Pokharel said.

Illiterate, trusting and desperate to dig herself out of poverty, Magar didn't hesitate when a labour broker approached her with a promise of a well-paid job in Kuwait. The 23-year-old says she didn't realise she had been duped until the plane landed in Damascus.

"I was always exhausted, always hungry, always afraid," Magar said of working 20 hours a day for no pay and sleeping on her employer's penthouse balcony.

At night, she listened to Nepali songs to try to drown out occasional sounds of gunfire and bombs and chase away thoughts of suicide.

Corrupt officials

When a massive earthquake hit Nepal last April, Magar stepped up pleas to her employers, who had confiscated her passport, to return home.

They contacted the broker who then demanded payment from Magar's family to ensure her release. Her mother then highlighted the case to local newspapers, kicking off a social media campaign. Expat Nepalis as far afield as Finland and Hong Kong raised $3,800 to pay off her employers.

Magar, who finally arrived in Kathmandu in August, counts herself among the lucky few to have escaped.

Rohit Kumar Neupane's aunt was trafficked to Damascus last spring. She alerted her family via Facebook a few months later, prompting Neupane to repeatedly seek help from government officials without success.

A foreign ministry official said Neupane's request had been forwarded to its overworked embassy in Cairo, which covers nine countries including Syria.

"Frankly, we are not in a position to manage these cases from Cairo...what we need is precautionary action to prevent them from coming to Syria in the first place," said diplomat Ray.

But an apparent nexus between local labour brokers involved in trafficking and corrupt Nepali officials means they operate freely, according to experts.

"Even in the rare instance that a case is filed, it will just drag on with no possibility of resolution or a guilty verdict," said Krishna Gurung, project coordinator at Kathmandu's Pourakhi emergency shelter house for female migrant workers.

In her village of Murali Bhanjyang in central Nepal, Magar has little hope of seeing the traffickers brought to justice.

"I still have nightmares about that time...I start crying in my sleep," she said.

"Sometimes it feels like none of this is real, like I am back on that balcony in Syria, dreaming of Nepal."
A day after protesters forced Donald Trump to cancel his rally in Chicago, the Republican presidential front-runner today faced another protest as a man tried to reach the stage by breaching the security buffer while he was speaking at a campaign event in Ohio city.





The US Secret Service agents, however, immediately scrambled onto the stage and surrounded the Republican presidential candidate at the campaign rally in Dayton, his first public address after the Chicago rally was cancelled due to the protest.



Secret Service agents immediately removed the protester.

Trump was speaking at the rally when he was briefly surrounded by Secret Service agents, who formed a protective barrier around him.



Trump, who continued with his speech after the brief interruption, alleged that by succeeding in stopping him to address the Chicago rally last night, the protestors have infringed upon his freedom of speech.



Alleging that the Chicago protest was "planned and "organised" and professionally done, Trump came out in support of his ever increasing supporters by asserting that they did not cause any problem at the Chicago rally.



"They were taunted, they were harassed by these other people  by the way, some represented Bernie, our communist friend," Trump said.



Referring to the fact that some of the protestors at the Chicago rally were chanting "Bernie, Bernie", Trump urged the Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders to calm down his supporters.



"With Bernie, he should really get up and say to his people, 'stop, stop.' Not me," Trump said. Sanders has condemned the Chicago violence and denied that they were his supporters.



Trump cancelled his campaign rally in Chicago citing security concerns after hundreds of people gathered at the arena to protest against his 'politics of hatred' and scuffled with his supporters in the largest-ever demonstration against the Republican presidential front-runner.



Addressing the massive rally in Dayton, Trump slammed all those who said that he should take responsibility for the unrest at his rallies and tell them to be nicer.



"My people are nice, folks. My people are great," he said amidst loud applause from the supporters.



"We have got to change our thinking. Yeah and if there's a group out there, just throw them the hell out," he said, as he noticed a group of protesters at the rally.

"We're all together and we want to get along with everybody, but when they have organised, professionally staged wise guys we've got to fight back, we've got to fight back," Trump said.



Meanwhile, In a statement, the Trump Campaign said the Chicago Police Department Commander George Devereux was "informed of everything before it happened".



Likewise, Secret Service and private security firms were consulted and totally involved, it said.



"We have received great credit from everyone for cancelling this event. Nobody was injured and crowds disbanded quickly and peacefully. It has been termed "really good management and leadership under great pressure!" the campaign said.



"It would have been easier for Trump to have spoken, but he decided, in the interest of everyone's safety, to postpone the event," the statement said.



Following the protest and violence at Chicago rally, both his rivals in the GOP and the opposition Democratic party have slammed him for his "provocative" language at his rallies.



"The person most responsible for what happened in Chicago last night is Donald Trump. Time and again we've watched the Republican front-runner rile up his supporters with calls to violence, sometimes subtle, sometimes explicit, usually directed at minorities, and always un-presidential," said Democratic National Committee Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz.



"The divisive rhetoric we are seeing should be of grave concern to us all. We all have our differences, and we know many people across the country feel angry," said Hillary Clinton, the Democratic presidential front-runner.



Trump's other rivals in the Republican party also slammed him.

"When the candidate urges supporters to engage in physical violence, to punch people in the face, the predictable consequence of that is that is escalates," said Senator Ted Cruz, who is currently running a distant second to Trump in the Republican presidential race.



"I wouldn't say Trump is responsible for the events of last night, but he most certainly in other events has in the past used some pretty rough language and encouraging the crowd, saying things like, "in the good old days we used to beat these people up, or I'll pay your legal bill if you rough them up. So I think he bears some responsibility for the general tone for the things happening," said Marco Rubio, another GOP White House aspirant.



Governor John Kasich, another GOP presidential candidate, in a statement blamed Trump for the atmosphere.



"Tonight the seeds of division that Donald Trump has been sowing this whole campaign finally bore fruit, and it was ugly," he said.




Government and RBI were today on the same page cautioning against overstating bad loan crisis in banks lest it hampers the lending operations, while markets regulator Sebi barred wilful defaulters from raising public funds and taking control of listed firms, as a controversy raged over massive default by Vijay Mallya.





Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and RBI Governor Raghuram Rajan made it clear that misdemeanors and criminal action cannot go unpunished.



The two were speaking to the media after Reserve Bank's Board Meeting here attended by the Finance Minister as a post Budget tradition in which they discussed the need to clean up the banks balance sheets.



"We don't want to create a situation where we overstate the crisis and in the process, the whole activity of lending for growth itself starts suffering because people become extraordinarily defensive. We don't want to reach that situation.



"So its that limited category where there is some kind of a prima facie misconduct or misdemeanor, which has taken place by the individual. Its those areas which will be looked into differently," Jaitley said.



Echoing similar views, Rajan said there is a need to be "careful" going forward, so that criminal actions are penalised, but there is no "broad fishing expedition which then becomes a reason for banks to get worried about making loans which then hamper the recovery and hamper the absolutely important infrastructure investment that have to take place".



"So as a country, as a system, we have to draw that balance very carefully and we are hopeful that we can manage that," he said.



The gross Non Performing Assets (NPAs) of the public sector banks (PSBs) increased from 5.43 per cent as on March 2015 to 7.30 per cent as on December 2015. Gross NPAs of PSBs increased from Rs 2,67,065 lakh crore in March to Rs 3,61,731 lakh crore in December.



On the same day, markets regulator Sebi, whose board was also addressed separately by Jaitley today, announced a multi-pronged clampdown on 'wilful loan defaulters', by barring them from raising public funds, as also from taking control of listed firms and holding board positions -- a move that would disqualify beleaguered Mallya from various posts.



Besides, such defaulters -- including individuals and the companies as well as their promoters and directors -- would be debarred from setting up or being associated with the market entities like mutual funds and brokerage firms.



Sebi is also mulling making it mandatory for listed companies to disclose their bad loans if they breach certain thresholds set by the banking sector regulator RBI.



Sebi Chairman U K Sinha also announced measures to enhance surveillance actions in the marketplace and to check financial frauds, including by making it mandatory for listed firms to disclose impact of lapses flagged by the auditors.



The measures to choke funding avenues for wilful loan defaulters assume significance in the wake of a raging controversy over UB Group Chairman Mallya, who has left the country amid continuing efforts by banks to recover dues totalling over Rs 9,000 crore of unpaid loans and interest.



Mallya recently resigned as Chairman and Director of United Spirits Ltd as part of a sweetheart deal with the company's new owner Diageo -- a deal which itself is under Sebi's scanner. He, however, remains on board of various other companies including of his UB Group as also a few others including Indian subsidiaries of some multinational firms.



Sebi Chairman said the new rules on restraining wilful defaulters would come into effect immediately after they get notified and would apply to all listed firms, as also to their promoters and directors.



While refusing to comment on any individual, Sinha said the new rules are likely to be notified within a few weeks.



These restrictions would apply to every individual and company declared as wilful defaulter as per RBI norms.



"If somebody is declared by RBI, or by other orders, that he is a wilful defaulter, then it is very risky to allow that person, or company to raise money from retail persons in the market," Sinha said.



"They will not be allowed to raise money from the market. They will also be debarred from taking any position in a listed company. Such persons will also be declared not fit and proper under various intermediary regulations," he added.



An individual or a company is declared 'wilful defaulter' for deliberate non-payment of the dues despite adequate cash flow and good net worth and for siphoning off funds to the detriment of the defaulting unit, among other factors.



RBI had approached Sebi to put curbs on fund-raising activities of wilful defaulters, after which the capital markets regulator also started a public consultation process.



The decision follows discussions between various regulators and government departments to tighten the regulatory noose on wilful defaulters, especially in the wake of many such cases coming to fore in recent months.



Sebi said any company or its promoters and directors categorised as wilful defaulters would not be allowed to take control over other listed entity.



However, if a listed company or its promoters or directors are categorised as wilful defaulter, and there is a takeover offer in respect of that listed company, they may be allowed to make competing offer, the regulator added.
The first water dispensing unit at a public place by the Delhi Jal Board will be installed this month. Delhi government had last year announced its plan to install kiosks this summer to provide free drinking facility at public places.





Though the exact location has not been identified yet, according to DJB officials, it will be launched somewhere on the Ring Road stretch.



We are launching the project this month. After the first one in March, others too will be installed soon, Delhis Water Minister Kapil Mishra told Deccan Herald.



Capacity of unit

The unit will have a capacity of 500 litres and a consumer can draw 150 ml of good quality water at one go.



The kiosk will have two dispensers, one for adults and one at lower height for children, will be manned by a security guard. The guard will also be responsible for distributing disposable glasses through an interaction window to the public.



The board has studied similar models in Punjab and Himachal before launching the project, a Delhi Jal Board (DJB) official said.



The DJB has planned to target areas near DTC queue shelters in the first phase as a huge number of people wait there. Other public places are also being identified for setting up these units.



Major streets and market areas in Delhi will be identified. We will see the requirements of individual areas and then proceed, he said.



PPP model

The project is taken up on Public Private Partnership (PPP) model and DJB plans to generate revenue by using these water kiosks for advertisements by private companies.

Since these machines will be set up on major roads, the amount of revenue generated through advertisement is expected to be substantial, the official added.



The Aam Aadmi Party in its election manifesto had promised it would work towards ensuring that residents have access to safe drinking water. Mishra had earlier said that the summer of 2016 will be the best summer so far in terms of water.
A bill to regulate private placement agencies in the capital and to improve the working conditions of domestic workers is likely to be introduced in the upcoming Delhi Assembly budget session.





The draft bill has been prepared by the governments Labour department, after receiving suggestions from the Delhi Commission for Women (DCW), and submitted to Labour Minister Gopal Rai.



The Placement Agency Regulation Bill makes it compulsory to get a licence for placement agencies and not just registration. It lists terms and conditions under which the domestic helps will work, as well as wages and welfare schemes like insurance and healthcare.



A crucial part of the law will be stringent action against agencies which violate the rules, and non-registration and not getting a proper licence will be criminalised.



According to our proposal, a clause has been added for both punishment and penalty. If they dont adhere to the rules, the agencies can be blacklisted, their licences seized, and action as per law will be taken against them, a senior government official told Deccan Herald.



The department has consulted various stakeholders such as NGOs, DCW, and placement agencies before finalising the draft. The wages will be decided according to the Minimum Wages Act and there is a provision for both monthly and hourly wages.



Registration process

The registration will be done under the Organised Workers Security Act, 2008 and terms and conditions of work for domestic helps will be included in the new bill.



The DCW had last year informed that out of total 1,250 registered private agencies, not even one has taken the licence and nobody had authenticated the details provided by them.



Following this, DCW chairperson Swati Maliwal Jaihind had met Rai and highlighted the role of unregulated placement agencies in human trafficking.



Licensing agency

The DCW had also pointed out that the current registration process is flawed. The department does the registration online without verifying any details provided by the agency owner and a certificate is generated on the website which is then wrongly used as a approval letter by the agencies.



So, none of them go for the necessary licensing after the registration.

After this was highlighted last year, the city government decided to take up licensing of the agencies seriously and also set up a committee to draft the bill to address the issue.



It is very important that there is some criminal action. The Labour Department should have powers to shut down a shop, which they dont have currently, and the onus of licensing should also lie with them. These actions will prove as a deterrent. Also, the Delhi Police needs to set up a proper information system for controlling human trafficking, Maliwal told Deccan Herald.


Former Union minister and Congress leader B Janardhan Poojary on Saturday said the State governments failure to stop Yettinahole project will provoke the demand for separate Tulunadu statehood.





Briefing mediapersons here on Saturday, he said that both the Centre and the State governments are playing with the lives of the people when it comes to Yettinahole project. Peeved over the implementation of Yettinahole project, the demand for a separate Tulunadu state has been gaining momentum. Both the BJP and the Congress will be responsible if the people start an agitation demanding a separate statehood for Tulunadu, he said.



He said Raitha Sangha leaders, who have been demanding water to the parched districts, have no concern for the farmers of coastal districts. Why has Karnataka Neeravari Nigama failed to chalk out any programmes when Dakshina Kannada district suffers from shortage of water during peak summer? he questioned.



Poojary said, I too support permanent drinking water project for the people of Chikkaballapur and Kolar districts, but not at the cost of Nethravathi river. If this project is implemented, fresh water will not flow to the sea. The people of the district will not forgive B S Yeddyurappa, Eshwarappa and Jagadish Shettar and even Congress leader Veerappa Moily.



He said the chief minister should visit drought-hit taluks in the State and take adequate measures to solve the problems faced by the people.



Criticising MLA Ramesh Kumar for reportedly using derogatory comments against him in the Legislative Assembly, Poojary said, Ramesh Kumar has used unparliamentary words against me in the Assembly. I will not stoop to such a low level. He can suppress the voice of Poojary, but not the people of the district. Why did Speaker Kagodu Thimmappa allow Ramesh Kumar to use unparliamentary words in the Assembly? he questioned.



There are allegations that Ramesh Kumar has encroached upon 100 acres of land belonging to SC/ST community members. There are no such allegations against me. Ramesh Kumar should answer to the allegations against him, Poojary challenged.




After the oil ministry's tough talk, BP of the UK has signalled its desire to end arbitration seeking higher prices for natural gas from eastern offshore KG-D6 block that it co-owns with Reliance Industries.





The Cabinet on Thursday allowed market prices for undeveloped gas discoveries in difficult areas subject to a cap. But this higher rate will not apply to areas where their operators have either filed legal suits or arbitration over gas pricing.



Asked for comments, BP India spokesperson said, "The recent decision by the government on marketing including pricing freedom for new production from deep, ultra-deep water and high-pressure, high-temperature areas provides clarity to end the pending gas pricing dispute."



RIL, BP and their partner Canada's Niko Resources had in May 2014 filed an arbitration seeking implementation of higher gas prices for the flagging KG-D6 block.



The Thursday's Cabinet decision that allows operators to charge up to USD 7.08 per million British thermal unit (mmBtu) as against the current USD 3.82 per mmBtu will be applicable to new gas production and not existing output from fields like Dhirubhai-1 and 3 and MA in KG-D6 block.



The new rate will apply to four satellite gas discoveries of D2, 6, 19 and 22 as well as R-Series gas find in the same block. It will also be applicable for 1.4 trillion cubic feet MJ-1 discovery in KG-D6 block.



But that can happen only when arbitration and litigation directly on gas price are concluded or withdrawn.



"BP and its partners will now focus on working closely with the government to develop resources and bring additional natural gas to market," the spokesperson said.



The three partners plan to invest USD 1.53 billion in producing 10.36 million standard cubic metres (mmscmd) of gas per day from the four satellite fields.



They are also lining up another USD 3.18 billion in R-Series or D-34 gas discovery holding 2.2 tcf of reserves to produce a peak of 12.9 mmscmd of gas. Field development plan for MJ-1 discovery is yet to be finalised.



An oil ministry official said the government wants operators to withdraw only those arbitration that directly challenge the government's right to decide gas price.



RIL has also gone for an arbitration over disallowance of USD 2.3 billion as KG-D6 output lagged targets. Another one challenges the ministry's decision to take away 814 square kilometre of KG-D6 area that contained five gas discoveries.



RIL-BP-Niko had in May 2014 initiated an arbitration over delay in implementing the revision of natural gas prices.



Interestingly, BP is not part of the arbitration over taking away of the area after end of contractual deadline.



In the gas price arbitration, they contended that they were entitled to get a new rate from April 1, 2014, after expiry of the 5-year term of USD 4.2 per mmBtu rate.



The previous UPA government, in June 2013, had approved a formula linked to global benchmarks, potentially doubling rates to USD 8.4 per mmBtu from April 1, 2014.

The Election Commission, however, in March 2014 asked government to defer an increase until the completion of the Lok Sabha elections.



The new NDA government then put the previous decision of the UPA government on hold and in October 2014 announced a new gas pricing formula that led to a rise in rates to USD 5.61 per mmBtu in November 2014, which subsequently dropped to USD 3.82.



The marketing freedom announced on Thursday will be subject to a cap which will be lower than the one-year average cost of imported cost of fuel oil, or landed price of liquefied natural gas (LNG) or weighted average of imported price of coal, fuel oil and naphtha. Based on 2015 prices, the lowest of these averages comes to USD 7.08.


As a controversy rages on over Vijay Mallya leaving the country despite huge unpaid loans by his group, the beleaguered businessman today said he was being "hunted down by media in UK" but they did not look in the "obvious place".



A miffed Mallya, who is reportedly in the UK and has been only tweeting for the past couple of days, did not disclose his exact location.



"I am being hunted down by media in UK. Sadly they did not look in the obvious place. I will not speak to media so don't waste your efforts," he said in a tweet.



Mallya, who is said to have left India for London on March 2, is facing legal proceedings for recovery of over Rs 9,000 crore, including interest, from his group companies.



Besides a few personal tweets, Mallya has also been re-tweeting various news reports including those about the problems in the aviation sector and about his sport and beverage ventures.



He also retweeted a tweet by his son Siddharth Mallya, who had said, "People don't understand that I have nothing to do with it!" in reply to a message whether he was fed up with the Twitter backlash.



Earlier on March 11, the UB Group chief had released a series of tweets saying he was not an "absconder" and keeps making frequent visits to and from India as an international businessman.



The 60-year-old liquor baron left the country days before banks approached the courts to seek orders restraining him from going abroad.



Opposition leaders including Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi have raised questions about how he was allowed to leave the country.



The government told the Supreme Court that Mallya had left India on March 2 following which the bench issued notice to him and sought his response within two weeks on pleas filed by a consortium of banks seeking direction for freezing his passport and his presence before the apex court.



Hundreds of unpaid employees of the defunct Kingfisher Airlines, which was promoted by Mallya, have meanwhile written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, seeking his intervention in the recovery of their dues which was estimated to be around Rs 300 crore.



However, in a move which will provide some relief to the former Kingfisher employees, the tax department has asked its officials not to demand taxes if the TDS has been deducted and not deposited in the government's account by the deductor.



The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) in an office memorandum has "re-emphasized that the assessing officers shall not enforce demands created on account of mismatch of credit due to non-payment of TDS amount to the credit of the Government by the deductor".
In a veiled reference to the recent Jat agitation, RSS today disapproved of reservation demands by the "affluent" sections and favoured a study to ascertain whether the deserving backward classes are actually getting the quota benefits.





Pitching for social harmony, the Sangh fountainhead said members of the "Hindu community are responsible" for caste-based discrimination and "we need to eradicate it" for social justice, regarding which he invoked B R Ambedkar.



Disapproving of demands for quota by "affluent" sections, RSS general secretary Suresh Bhaiyyaji Joshi said the provisions of reservation made by Bhimrao Ambedkar were for social justice and that concept should be kept in mind by those demanding reservation today.



"It is felt that this thinking (demand by affluent class) is not in the right direction. People of such (affluent) class should give up their right and should help the weaker section of the society. But instead of that, they are demanding reservation for themselves which is not a thinking in the right direction," he said.



He did not make any direct reference to any section making such demands but appeared to be hinting at Jats who recently launched a major violent agitation in Haryana for reservation.



He was addressing a press conference at the end of a three-day conclave of Akhil Bhariya Pratinidhi Sabha, the highest decision-making body of the RSS, which passed resolutions on Social Harmony as also Education and Healthcare.



"Any kind of discriminatory behavior and evil like untouchability should be uprooted altogether. For the smooth functioning of the society, it is utmost essential that all the social and religious institutions in the society need to steer the course based on our hoary ideals of life," said the resolution on Social Harmony.



"Caste-based discrimination is a matter of concern for all of us and members of the Hindu community are responsible for it. But now we need to eradicate it. A message for this should be conveyed in the society so that there is no discrimination, atrocities against anyone and social harmony should be maintained," Joshi said.



He said there should be a proper study to ascertain whether the backward classes which really need reservation are actually getting the benefits.



"Baba Ambedkar gave the provision of reservation. It was for social justice. Today, the level of education of dalit class has improved," he said.



"There are many backward castes today. It should be studied and discussed whether the deserving castes are getting reservation benefits. This issue should be studied," he said, adding "it is also a matter of detailed discussion whether or not creamy layer system should be there in all categories."



Sharing details of the resolutions, he said the document on 'Social Harmony' underlines the importance of Samrasta (social harmony) in day-to-day life and eradication of caste-based discrimination, untouchability and mutual distrust from the society.



In the resolutions on Education and Healthcare, he said it was underlined that both the facilities should be made available to everyone. "Accessibility, affordability and quality of these services should be there for all," he said
Amid a raging row over loan defaults by Vijay Mallya, the government today said "full force of the law" is being applied to bring all wilful loan defaulters to justice.



Minister of State for Finance Jayant Sinha said wilful defaulters and the corporates that are unable to repay loans as their business being hit due to global slowdown should not be commingled.



"We have some people that are wilful defaulters, that have genuinely engaged in illegal activity. As far as those are concerned, the full force of the law is being applied. All the investigative agencies are working in that regard to ensure that they have to be brought to justice," he told reporters here.



He, however, did not made any direct reference to Mallya who had left India on March 2, presumably for London, days before the Supreme Court heard a plea of clutch of state-owned banks seeking recovery of over Rs 9,000 crore from his group companies.



Sinha said the second set of defaulters are those corporates who because of some slowdown in global economy or because of policy failure of the previous government are facing significant financial distress.



"And we have to have appropriate resolution process as well as appropriate policy intervention to ensure those that are NPAs for those kind of reasons go through orderly resolution process," he said.



He said there wasn't anything "illegal or criminal" done by those classic business failures that happened because of wrong business/financial strategies or external factors that made project or business unviable.



"... we have to recognise that we have to ensure these problems have occurred because people have done willfully wrong thing ...(and) people who are facing business challenges do not have to go through those kind of problems again.



"So we have to deal with structural issues which is where bankruptcy code becomes important so that we avoid these problems in future...," he said.





Sinha was addressing media along with IMF chief Christine Lagarde at the end of three-day Advancing Asia conference co-hosted by India and IMF.



Lagarde supported Reserve Bank Governor Raghuram Rajan's move to address bank balance sheets "head-on".



"I think the approach is right. He is accessing the weakness of the bank balance sheet... (and) those accounts that have extensively borrowed from the banks," she said.



The Finance Ministry, she said, was also addressing the issue from legal point of view in pushing through Parliament a bankruptcy law that will help reorganise those corporate accounts that are loaded with debt, which weigh on bank balance sheets.



"I think equally relevant are various mechanisms and instruments that are being worked out to deal with bad loans and distressed assets in banks's balance sheets and are clearly clogging their balance sheets," she said.



Lagarde said reorganising them in such a way that they become more agile and are able to lend better in a more sustainable basis is going to be good for growth.



"Banking system of India seems to be well capitalised and this effort to reinforce and strengthen even better is well taken," she said.



Sinha said the resolution process needs to be strengthen both in near terms through Corporate Debt Restructuring (CDR) and Strategic Debt Restructuring (SDR) but in the longer term through bankruptcy and insolvency code, which is in Parliament.



Stating that it was important to prevent these kind of situation from occurring again. he said a comprehensive, multi dimensional approach to strengthening banking system is being adopted. "In pursuit of that RBI and Finance Ministry have got together very closely to address the structural issue," he added.


Pakistan will release 86 Indian fishermen languishing in a Karachi prison on March 21, a Gujarat government official said today.





These fishermen had been apprehended by the Pakistan Marine Security Agency (PMSA) for allegedly violating International Maritime Boundary Line between the two countries and had been languishing in Karachi's Landhi jail for around a year.



Pakistan had earlier announced that it would release 86 fishermen in addition to 87 others, who were released on March 7.



"Another group of 86 Indian fishermen jailed in Karachi's Landhi jail will be released on March 21," Assistant Superintendent, Gujarat Fisheries Department in Veraval, Vimal Pandya told PTI.



"The fishermen to be released on March 21 had been arrested by the PMSA around a year back after their boats drifted into Pakistan waters crossing the maritime border between India and Pakistan in the Arabian Sea," he said.



These fishermen would reach the Wagah border on March 22, but would take another couple of days to reach their homes in Gujarat, Pandya said.



Meanwhile, National Fishworkers Forum (NFF) secretary Manish Lodhari said they have received a list of 18 fishermen, who have been languishing in Pakistan jail for around three years. The jailed fishermen sought their release through a letter that they sent with the recently-released fishermen.



"As many as 18 fishermen have been in Pakistan jail for three years now, despite completing their jail term. They wrote to us requesting to take up their case and facilitate their release. Even now, there are still more than 400 fishermen languishing in Pakistani jails," Lodhari said.



Lodhari, who is also the president of Porbandar Fishermen Boat Association, had recently written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and urged to initiate efforts to release all jailed Indian fishermen along with boats seized by PMSA.



There are as many as 860 Indian fishing boats in Pakistan custody, he added.
Art of Living founder Sri Sri Ravi Shankar today said parties should not politicise events having a bearing on the country's reputation and suggested that the media has been "harsh" in its criticism of the World Cultural Festival organised on the Yamuna flood plain.





He claimed that his Foundation has already received invitation from Australia, Mexico and other nations for holding the next edition of the event.



"We need a certain maturity. I don't mind but I request all political parties. Whenever such a grand event is being organised, party politics should be kept aside.



"You should come together so that India's prestige on the world stage rises. It is not easy to organise an event of this magnitude.... It is a major thing... so that people from across the world can feel connected," the spiritual guru said.



"People from across the world are amazed. We got a letter from the Australian Prime Minister asking us to hold the event there. They are ready to give all the help we need, from Mexico.... The countries are keen to host this event. At the same time, the international media is asking why the Indian press is so harsh towards this festival. I smiled and said that I don't know," he said.



Defending the organising of the festival on the flood plains of Yamuna, he said they would work for the rejuvenation of the river.



Replying to a query related to his statement that he would not pay the Rs five crore fine imposed by National Green Tribunal, he said the NGT has made it clear that it was not a fine but compensation to rejuvenate the area.



The AOL founder said his organisation will come with up a concrete plan for conservation of Yamuna river.



"We had consulted a couple of environmentalists before the event and they had said there would be no damage to the flood plains if this event was held. Further, we will also consult some environmentalists and work on rejuvenation of Yamuna with a concrete plan of action for Yamuna," he said.



He said they had initially thought of holding the event in a stadium, but then the idea had to be dropped because of the magnitude of the programme.



"Any stadium would not have been able to accommodate these many artists and people," Ravi Shankar said as the three-day cultural extravaganza ended today.



He said over 172 dignitaries from across the globe had come for the event, which drew intense criticism and also litigation over allegations that it damaged the ecology of Yamuna flood plains.



Questions were also raised on deploying army personnel for its preparation and the traffic woes due to the massive event.
President Barack Obama, resigned to his failure to broker a peace deal between Israel and the Palestinians, is looking past his time in office and weighing a plan that would preserve at least the principle of a two-state solution for his successor to pursue.





The White House is debating whether the president should lay down the outlines of an agreement, several officials said, perhaps through a resolution at the United Nations Security Council or in a presidential speech.



The objective would not be to revive direct negotiations  almost nobody believes that is likely now  but to enshrine the proposals Secretary of State John Kerry made during his last failed effort at peacemaking in 2014.



A Security Council resolution, officials said, would give enduring legitimacy to the compromises that Kerry hammered out in private between the two sides, and build broad international support for a series of proposed solutions that could provide the framework for a future Israeli-Palestinian agreement.



These deliberations, which have been percolating for several months, have rattled Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel and could lead to further tension between him and the president in a relationship that has already been marked by bitter rifts.



Netanyahu on Monday declined an invitation to meet with Obama on March 18 in Washington, ostensibly because he did not want to get drawn into the volatile presidential election. In fact, several officials said, Netanyahu did not want to meet with Obama without having sealed the terms of a new pact on American military aid.



The 10-year agreement, potentially worth more than $40 billion, is viewed as a way to compensate Israel for the Iran nuclear deal. But negotiations have run into snags, these people said, and Netanyahu did not want to risk leaving an Oval Office meeting empty-handed.



An even deeper potential source of friction between the leaders, officials said, stems from the possibility that Obama will make a last foray into peacemaking. In whatever form that would take, the purpose would be to show a way of resolving all the central issues that divide the two sides, from the borders of a Palestinian state to Israels security and political status of Jerusalem.



Obama and Kerry are looking at the very real likelihood that the two-state solution could die on their watch, said Martin S Indyk, who served as the special envoy for Israel-Palestinian peace negotiations under Kerry in 2013 and 2014. Having tried everything else, I think they feel a responsibility, above all to Israels future as a Jewish and democratic state, to preserve the principles of a two-state solution.



After months of intensive talks, Kerry failed to break a deadlock on the so-called final-status issues between Netanyahu and the president of the Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Abbas. Netanyahu has since won re-election with a government that is even more hard-line on these issues than his last one. During that campaign, the prime minister disavowed his support for the two-state solution. Abbass position, meanwhile, has been eroded by months of violent attacks by Palestinians on Israeli Jews.



Adding to the urgency of the debate, officials said, is a mounting American concern that a continued expansion of Jewish settlements in a swath of territory in the West Bank known as Area C will soon make a geographically and politically viable Palestinian state impossible.



West Asia peace initiatives have long had appeal for late-term presidents. Ronald Reagan opened a dialogue with the Palestine Liberation Organisation during his final months in office. Bill Clinton and George W Bush both made last-ditch attempts to broker peace deals in their last years in office. Any new effort by Obama would bear a host of uncertain political ramifications in an election year.



While the Democratic front-runner, Hillary Clinton, the former secretary of state, has declared that she would pursue a peace accord as president, she might not welcome having to take a position on a Security Council resolution that is viewed as putting pressure on Israel.



Republicans could seize on a diplomatic overture to throw their support behind Israel, though the partys current front-runner, Donald J Trump, has pledged to take a neutral stance in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.



Yet all these qualms, officials said, could take a back seat to Obamas frustration about his failure in the peace process and its impact on his legacy, particularly as a president who once made an Israeli-Palestinian peace agreement a centrepiece of his diplomacy.



There will be a great temptation to do something in the final year, said Aaron David Miller, a vice president at the Woodrow Wilson International Centre for Scholars. For a president who came out faster and more aggressively on the West Asia than any of his predecessors, there is a gnawing sense of incompletion and perhaps even failure.



Bilateral negotiations



In Jerusalem, Israeli officials refused to comment on any possible moves by Obama. But they reiterated their long-held position that the only way to reach any agreement with the Palestinians was through bilateral negotiations, not international organisations.



Ehud Yaari, a prominent Israeli analyst at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, said Netanyahu was probably less concerned about the possible publication of parameters by the administration or a Security Council resolution than about what, if any, mechanism would be proposed for propelling the peace process forward.



It would be one more UNSC resolution, Yaari said, adding that the wording would not necessarily be negative for Israel. Washingtons policies are well known, he said, adding, Obama is not going to produce something dramatically different, he said. The question is what mechanism is to be introduced.



Indyk agreed that a Security Council resolution need not be punitive for Israel. It would most likely be modeled on a UN resolution adopted after the 1967 Arab-Israeli war, which called for Israeli forces to withdraw from occupied territories and for the establishment of a lasting peace.



The latest contretemps between Netanyahu and Obama showed how little trust they have for each other. After articles appeared in the Israeli news media that the president had not offered the prime minister a date for a meeting, the White House issued a statement that pointedly rebuffed that claim.



Hours later, Netanyahus office issued a statement in which it said the whole thing was a misunderstanding. The prime minister, the statement said, was looking forward to a visit on Wednesday by Vice President Joseph R Biden Jr and discussing how we can meet the many challenges facing the region.



While the negotiations over the military aid package were complex, US officials expressed confidence they would be resolved soon. Were in the kind of final stages of talking, said the deputy defence secretary, Bob Work.



International New York Times
Private financial institutions harassment on loan defaulters continues in Tamil Nadu, as a young farmer in Ariyalur district committed suicide over non-payment of loan borrowed for purchase of tractor.





Various political parties expressed serious concern over the incident and demanded adequate compensation to the victim.



The 26-year-old Azhagar ended his life by consuming pesticide after his tractor was seized by loan recovery agents of a private finance company for defaulting on a loan taken for the vehicle.



The farmer had taken a loan of Rs 7 lakh for which he had paid 5 lakh rupees and the remaining 2 lakh was pending.



Farmers suicide came on the close heels of the brutal assault on another farmer Balan in Thanjavur by the police and private bank personnel over non-payment of loan availed for purchase of tractor.



Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam president M Karunanidhi and Pattali Makkal Katchi founder Dr S Ramadoss on Sunday condemned the harassment on farmers and seizure of the vehicles by the banks and the financial institutions.



Quoting statistics from the National Crime Records Bureau, he said a total of 2,423 farmers have committed suicide from 2011 to 2015 in the country the leaders also said waiver of the loans availed by them will be the only solution.
To cash in on Vijayakanth-led DMDKs decision to go it alone in the polls, the Congress in Tamil Nadu has decided to demand more than 60 seats with its major ally the DMK for the May 16 Assembly polls.





The Congress, which got into poll alliance last month, left the seat sharing decision with the DMK since the DMDK was expected to join the alliance. However, when actor-politician Vijayakanth literally ditched the DMK, the Congress, which was trying to settle with at least 20 seats, is expected to bargain for more.



We will definitely demand more than 60 seats from the DMK since Vijayakanth ruled out his partys alliance with us, a senior Congress leader said on Sunday.

He told Deccan Herald that the Congress is confident of winning in more than 60 constituencies in the state. There is no major political party that is expected to join DMK-Congress coalition and therefore, allocating more seats will not be a problem for the DMK high command, he said.



Putting aside their past acrimony, the DMK and the Congress entered into a poll pact in February for the forthcoming Assembly elections to the State. In 2011 polls to the Assembly, the DMK allocated 63 seats in the alliance. In 2006, it was 48 seats.



After having an alliance with the Congress in 2004, the DMK snapped its ties with the UPA government in 2013 by charging the Centre for not effectively handling the Sri Lankan Tamils issue.



In 2014 Lok Sabha elections, the Congress and the DMK fought separately and the former drew blank in all the 39 seats in Tamil Nadu. The Congress in the state has weakened after one of its senior leader and former Union minister G K Vasan quit the party and revived his Tamil Maanila Congress (TMC).
The Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana or the Skill India programme will be rolled out in April with an aim to train lakhs of youths across the country to become telecom operators, beauticians and retail sellers among others.





Every parliamentary constituency will have a model skill centre. Hard skills are already being imparted in various Industrial Training Institutes (ITI). We are now working on providing courses for training on soft skills in service sectors like health, telecom, beauty and wellness as well as retail, Union Skill Development Minister Rajiv Pratap Rudy told Deccan Herald.



India would require 581.89 million people at work by 2022, which is an increase of 119.2 million from the 2013 figure. The government assessment showed that the beauty and wellness sector needs 14.27 million skilled workers in 2022 from 4.21 million in 2013.



Similarly, the retail sector would need an extra 17.2 million by 2022 from 38.6 million. Telecom sector would also need 2.1 million extra hands by 2022. Rudy said his ministrys focus is at the bottom of the pyramid. There is high demand for entry level jobs, he said.



Identifying the need for a defined ecosystem for skills, the minister said there was no central structure for skilling until now and the Modi government has managed to take steps to address the issue. At present, he said, 24 ministries are holding 70 schemes and the biggest challenge is to give a defined ecosystem for skills.



The ministry has now decided to give statutory backing to the National Framework for Skill Development. In a month or two, we will bring legislation, he said.



The Skill Development Ministry is also working towards creation of a common certification board for various skills, he said adding this would be an autonomous body.
With many MBBS doctors lacking in their skills, the Health Ministry plans to introduce a nation-wide common entrance test for undergraduate medical education.





The move would level the playing field for meritorious students, instead of allowing seats to go to the moneyed class through the capitation fee route.



The ministry received the support of a panel of lawmakers, who asked the government to remove roadblocks to start the common medical entrance test so that merit alone and not the ability to pay becomes the criterion for admission to medical colleges.



We are working on it, Union Health Minister J P Nadda said. Last month, the Medical Council of India recommended an amendment to the Indian Medical Council (IMC) Act to empower the body to conduct a nationwide common medical entrance test.



The majority of seats in private medical colleges is allotted for a capitation fee going up to Rs 50 lakh and even more in some colleges despite the fact that the capitation is not legal. This system keeps out the most meritorious but underprivileged students who can pay neither for the seats, nor the high annual fee in private medical colleges, the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Health said in its report tabled last week.



With poor-quality students entering the medical colleges relying on money power, many fail to acquire the skills that an MBBS graduate should possess.



Even basic skills like conducting a normal delivery, providing early care for a fracture or suturing a wound are not within the competency of a graduate doctor, said the panel. The MBBS doctors seek post-graduate training to develop the clinical expertise.



But since India has just about 25,000 PG seats in medicine, compared to 55,000 seats at the UG level, almost 50% students cannot go to the post-graduation. Among them, a large number of MBBS pass-outs either do not have skills or confidence to practise medicine.



The health ministry previously attempted to conduct common entrance test for the UG and PG medical education, but the effort was negated by a 2013 Supreme Court ruling, which cancelled two Health Ministry notifications after private medical colleges filed petitions against the move.



The ministry filed a review petition relying on the dissent ruling given by Justice Anil Dave, who differed from Justice Altamas Kabir and Justice Vikramjit Sen, who rejected the notifications. The review is still pending.



If only one examination is conducted and admissions are given on the basis of the result of that examination, in my opinion, unscrupulous and money-minded businessmen operating in the field of education would be constrained to stop their corrupt practices and it would help the deserving students a lot, Justice Dave wrote in his dissent ruling.
Under the garb of protecting the $46-billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), the Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) troops have reportedly made their presence felt in Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir (PoK).





Sources told Deccan Herald that Chinas PLA troops were spotted at the forward posts opposite north Kashmirs Nowgam sector along the Line of Control (LoC) on the Pakistani side of Kashmir.



While no one from the Indian Army spoke on the issue, sources said they have been constantly updating the higher ups in the government and intelligence agencies about the development.



The sources also said that besides the PLA troops, Pakistan has also raised three additional brigades of its Army complete with artillery and helicopter support to protect China-funded $46-billion CPEC.



The Pak Army Brigades are under a Special Security Division (SSD) commanded by a Major General-level officer and translate into some 15,000 men, of which 5,000 belong to the special services group, sources revealed.



To hide the identity of PLA troops, they will operate under a local security wing in PoK.



The PLA troops can just motor down the existing Karokaram highway, an area under illegal occupation of China, and their numbers vary from time to time, they added.



The CPEC was launched by Chinese President Xi Jinping in Islamabad last year with agreements on pipelines, power plants and to connect the two countries through road and rail infrastructure.



New Delhi has already objected to the multi-billion dollar project as it runs through a part of Jammu and Kashmir that is occupied by Pakistan. New Delhi also protested against the presence of Chinese troops in Gilgit and Baltistan, an area in PoK, saying that it was unacceptable to India.



The latest development comes in the wake of a transgression in Ladakh sector by PLA troops earlier this week when they entered almost six km inside Indian territory near the scenic Pangong lake area.



Sources said the incident occurred on March 8 when a platoon of at least 11 PLA men led by a Colonel-rank officer crossed over the imaginary Line of Actual Control (LAC) at Finger VIII Sirjap-I area close to the Pangong lake.



The Chinese soldiers entered in four vehiclestwo light one medium and one heavyfrom across the Thakung border post of India and reached 5.5 km deep inside Indian territory, they said and added the soldiers were soon countered and engaged by a patrol of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police(ITBP).



Both the armies were locked in eye-to-eyeball confrontation for a few hours after which the situation got defused and the other side retreated, sources added.
The Centre and the leadership of pro-talk faction of ULFA led by Arabinda Rajkhowa and Anup Chetia have decided to postpone a crucial round of talks on the ongoing peace parley.





The next rounds of talks were supposed to be held on March 14. Earlier both the Centre and the ULFA leadership had hinted that they might sign a draft deal ahead of the Assam polls but on Sunday the outfits general secretary Anup Chetia made it clear that the next round of talks will only happen after the poll process is over.



Peace talks



The peace process has been postponed till the elections. We will go to Delhi only after the polls are over. We will ask permission from the Centre for going to Bhutan to find our missing leaders and cadres since the 2003 operations there. We will also urge the Centre to talk to Bangladesh government for the release of our cadre Dipjyoti Mohanta alias Pradip Roy who is lodged in Bangladeshi jail, Chetia said.



Chetia also made it clear that the pro-talk faction of ULFA will not support any political formation in the Assam polls. He also urged political parties not to use the emotive issue of extra judicial killings of ULFA cadres and their family members and friends between 1998 to 2001 (better known as secret killings in Assam) as a poll plank.



With the ULFA leadership making it clear that the peace talks are not happening before the polls, BJPs plans to bring a major surprise and get a draft deal signed in the lines of the framework agreement signed between NSCN(IM) and Centre last years, has received a severe blow.
Security forces have sounded an alert of hit squads drown out of cadres of various militant group of the region to disrupt the upcoming Assembly polls in Assam.





This came to light after security forces were able to trace the movement of a 16-member special hit squad comprising of militants form several rebel groups in upper Assams Tinsukia district.



On March 8, a group of UNLFWSEA and some other extremist organisations entered Upper Dihing Reserve Forest, Tinsukia. The group was a conglomerate of ULFA(I), PLA, KYKL, NSCN(K), Assam Police informed through a press statement.



The United National Liberation Front of Western South East Asia (UNLFWSEA) is a new alliance formed last year by major underground militants groups of Northeast India based in Sagaing division of Myanmar. Last year one of its hit squads killed 18 jawans in Manipur.



It was after that attack that Indian Armys Special Forces carried out surgical strikes on militant bases near the Indo-Myanmar border in Nagaland and Manipur.According to intelligence sources, since March 8, security forces in Tinsukia were tracing the group led by hardcore ULFA(I) cadres and self-styled lieutenant Prodip Gogoi alias Akon Asom.



Target



Their initial target was to attack security forces in Upper Assam on March 16, ULFAs Army Day, sources added.



For the past few days a massive operation has been taking place with various security agencies combining together. They got success when two ULFA(I) cadres from the same squad  War Asom and Biman Asom  deserted the group and surrendered.



Security forces have also indicated that two cadres of the Peoples Liberation Army of Manipur and one from KYKL another banned group of Manipur who were also part of the same group have deserted and are trying to surrender. Meanwhile, an alert has been sounded across Assam.
At least three Union Ministers of the Modi government attacked at the critics of the World Culture Festival organised by Art of Living Foundation (AoL), hailing the success of the three-day mega event, which concluded here on Sunday.





Addressing the programme, Union Minister Arun Jaitley said a lot of efforts were made to stop the holding of the mega event on the flood plains of the Yamuna. But the scene at this sight is that environment is very beautiful here, he said.



He also took dig at a section of media, maintaining that he did not even had to suffer any traffic congestion on his way to the venue of the programme.



Parliamentary Affairs Minister Venkaiah Naidu also attacked the critics of the Sri Sri Ravi Shankars World Cultural Festival, saying it was not the Yamuna which is polluted but some minds which must to be cleaned.



I saw in media that people are saying the Yamuna is polluted. I see from here and the Yamuna appears to be very clean and calm. Only minds are polluted, he said.



He thanked Sri Sri Ravi Shankar for organising the programme, saying We are moving forward. Tension is reducing, attention is increasing. He also said human values were eroding and morals were being foregone with increasing violence and obscenity in public life, maintaining that efforts must be taken to bring all these things to an end.



Joining his cabinet colleagues, Union Minister Ravishankar Prasad also maintained there was no pollution and no environmental damage was caused at the event site. Sri Sri Ravishankar also took on the critics of his programme, saying it was a floating stage build at the venue for participants but people failed to understand how such stage can be constructed without digging deep in its foundation.



They said it (stage) is unsafe. But I said I am here to think of every ones security. Those strong from within can bring security to every one. Our job is to unite hearts and mind, he said.
A total of five patients have been treated under the Mukhyamantri Santwana Harish Scheme, the Karnataka governments new health plan for accident victims, which was launched on March 8.



The scheme provides for cashless treatment of up to Rs 25,000 at 280 hospitals across the State within 48 hours of an accident.



It is named after Harish Nanjappa, the man from Tumakuru district who donated his eyes immediately after his body was cut into half in a ghastly road accident last month.



The first beneficiary of the scheme was treated at Pragathi Hospital in Puttur town of Dakshina Kannada district.



The four others are being treated at two different hospitals in Bengaluru, according to officials of Suvarna Arogya Suraksha Trust which is implementing the scheme.



In Bengaluru, one of the beneficiaries was an elderly man from Ramanagaram, who was treated at the Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Chest Diseases (RGICD) on Friday.



He sustained a chest injury after falling from a 15-foot-tall tree.



He has recovered and will be discharged on Monday, the doctors treating him said. Another beneficiary is from the same hospital, a 28-year-old man who was injured while trying to lift a heavy object.



350-400 cases per year



Dr Shashidhar Buggi, director, RGICD, said the institute reported 350-400 cases of chest injuries every year and most of the patients were poor.



If a chest injury is not treated in the Golden Hour, the chances of death are high. It may also lead to long-term complications, he said.



The institute has also proposed to treat another accident victim, a 61-year-old man from Nelamangala who suffered multiple fractures, under the new scheme.



The other two accident victims are being treated at BGS Global Hospitals.



On Saturday, a team was sent to attend to victims of a road accident in Davangere, which resulted in three deaths and two injuries.

Minor accident victims decline benefits



Victims of minor accidents are refusing treatment under the new scheme to avoid filing police complaints, according to Dr P Bore Gowda, Executive Director, Suvarna Arogya Suraksha Trust.



In a case in Mangaluru, the accident victim didnt want to enrol as a beneficiary fearing a police complaint, though he was approached. In minor accidents, patients often do not wish to approach the police. Under such circumstances, we take an undertaking from them that they refused treatment though we reached out to them, he said.
To avoid the confusion that prevailed after erroneous II PU results were published on private web portals last year, the PU department may host the results only on its official website or on other government department websites.





Amid confusion over faulty evaluation of II PU answer scripts and wrong results last year, students also complained of discrepancies in results published on various websites.



Primary and Secondary Education Minister Kimmane Rathnakar had also claimed to have filed a first information report (FIR) against at least two private web portals for publishing erroneous results.



Pallavi Akurathi, director, Department of Pre-University Education (DPUE) said: We may host the results only on our own websites or on websites of departments like the Department of Collegiate Education (DCE), Department of Public Instruction (DPI) or the National Informatics Centre.



Akurathi added that the matter would be discussed with the government as well as the departments concerned.



The matter will be taken up with higher authorities, she said, expressing confidence that the proposal would be approved.



With over 6 lakh students appearing for the exam, the portal may crash due to too much traffic on the PU department website. To prevent this, the department is keeping the option of hosting results on other government websites open. Officials, however, said that such issues would be taken care of.



Principal, New Horizon PU College, Edward Christopher, said hosting results only on the departments website would not make any difference.



Once the results are declared, the department sends them to each college, which will then display the results, said Christopher.



Shishir G, a first year engineering student, faced a harrowing time last year when results were declared.



Students will benefit since there will be no ambiguity. There will be portals which would show wrong results and many of them even declare that they are not responsible for wrong information. If results are declared on government websites, they can be held accountable, he said.
A five-year-old girl was killed on the spot in a collision between two vehicles near Singasandra on Hosur Main Road in Electronics City traffic police limits in the wee hours of Sunday.





The deceased was identified as Keerthana. The victims parents Madhusudan and Sujatha also suffered injuries in the accident. The family was travelling from Kadiri in Andhra Pradesh to Bengaluru, said the police.



Madhusudan had taken a house on rent at Nagamangala near Parappana Agrahara a week ago. He loaded household materials on to a goods vehicle and proceeded from Kadiri to the City.



The driver of a Tempo Traveller who was driving recklessly lost control over it near Singasandra at around 3 am. He tried to overtake Madhusudans vehicle, but rammed it from behind.



Madhusudans vehicle toppled due to the impact. Keerthana suffered injuries and was rushed to a hospital, where she was declared dead on arrival.



Jolly ride proves costly



A techie was killed in a road accident near Hoskote in the early hours of Sunday. The deceased is Vasanth, 30, a resident of Malleshpalya and a native of Tiruchirapalli in Tamil Nadu.



The accident took place when Vasanth and 10 other bike enthusiasts were on a morning ride on the Bengaluru-Kolar highway and the victim was trying to negotiate a curve. A speeding Vasanth failed to control his bike and rammed it into the median. He fell down and suffered massive injuries. He was rushed to the Hoskote government hospital where he was declared dead on arrival, police said.



Vasanth owned a wide range of bikes. His father is a chief pharmacist at BHEL Foundation. His mother is a teacher.



Auto driver, friend held



An autorickshaw driver and his friend were arrested for assaulting a traffic sub-inspector and a constable while they were on duty on Sunday.



The arrested have been identified as Tabrez and Afsar. The duo assaulted Chikkajala traffic police station sub-inspector Nanjabhairappa and constable Balakrishna as they directed Tabrez to remove his autorickshaw which was parked in no-parking zone, said the Sampigehalli police.



Tabrez entered into an argument with the police and Afsar,who was sitting in the auto, got down and slapped the two policemen. Nanjabhairappa alerted the Sampigehalli police who rushed the spot and arrested the two, added the police.
Two students of an engineering college in Bengaluru were killed after their motorbike rammed a road divider near K Shettahalli in the taluk on Sunday.





The deceased have been identified as Ayush Shetty (19) and Tanmayasheel (19), students of Don Bosco Engineering College, Kumbalgodu, Bengaluru, police said.



According to police, four students of the college were on their way to Mysuru on two motorbikes for picnic when the accident occurred near Srirangapatna. Shetty, a resident of Vijayanagar in Bengaluru, who was riding pillion was killed on the spot while Tanmayasheel who hailed from Guwahati, Assam, died on the way to a hospital.



The accident triggered snap protest with local people alleging that the curve near K Shettahalli had become accident zone. They said that in the past one-and-half months more than eight people had lost their lives in accidents at this spot. The stir disrupted movement of vehicles on the busy Bengaluru-Mysuru road.
George Osborne look to grab as much as 20bn to fill shortfalls in his Budget this Wednesday, making deep cuts in public spending, an increased insurance premium tax and other new or increased duties and taxes, while also looking to cut taxes for North Sea oil producers. The Sunday Times said Osborne is also expected to limit the amount of tax relief that international companies can claim for interest payments on their debts to 30% of underlying UK profits.

Osborne will aim to cut government spending by 0.5%, as he feels the country must act now so we dont pay later. The chancellor, in a BBC interview summed up in the Observer, said this was "not a huge amount" and was needed as the world was a more uncertain place than at any time since the financial crisis.

The UK fiscal watchdog, the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR), is expected to cut its outlook for national growth this year to 2.2%, down from its 2.4% estimate in November. The Sunday Telegraph noted Osborne's statement that even at its slow pace of growth, the UK will still be the fastest growing economy in the developed world.

Virgin Media has told regulators that of its plans to create a new fourth mobile network in the UK by buying mobile masts and radio spectrum that it hopes to be sold by Three and O2 as part of their merger requirements, the Sunday Telegraph reported. Potentially disrupting other merger plans for owner Liberty Global, Virgin would only be able to follow through with this plan if regulators insist the UK has four network operators, which would force Three owner Hutchinson to sell O2s masts and a small chunk of the scarce spectrum.

The London Stock Exchange and Deutsche Boerse will this week set out plans to make savings of more than 400m from their proposed 20bn merger. The Sunday Times reported that the pair will also reveal that LSE chairman Donald Brydon will stand down as chairman of the merged company in three years, which could raise some concern in the City.

RELX, formerly known as Reed Elsevier, and private equity group Cinven are both eyeing developments at Thompson Reuters as it restructures, with the sale of its 3bn intellectual property and sciences units expected to be launched in the next few weeks. Reuters is up for selling off the business in parts, the Sunday Times wrote, which would suit both potential suitors.

Sainsbury's will raise its offer for Argos-owner Home Retail Group to 185p a share, or around 1.5bn, on Friday's 'put up or shut up' deadline, "without breaking sweat" according to analysts. The Mail on Sunday noted that Sainsbury's cash and shares offer has risen to around 170p as the grocer's stock has risen, but the revelation that Home Retail has 100m more cash than expected will allow a no-brainer decision for Sainsbury's board, which may well bring rival bidder Steinhoff International back with a return offer.

Sainsburys is merely likely to match or marginally top South African conglomerate's 175p bid, the Sunday Times declared, but no decision had yet been taken, with Sainsburys prepared to withdraw if it is uncomfortable with the price. Sources close to Steinhoff suggested the Wiese-controlled group is committed to seizing control of long-term target Argos, and that an 180p bid is unlikely to scare them off.

As the UK's major supermarkets look to battle the rise of the discounters, chilled food specialist Iceland, which is 57% owned by Steinhoff's Christo Wiese, has begun to try and raise the profile of its premium food ranges. Frozen whole sea bass, dover sole, scallops, swordfish steaks, plus cheese souffles, quinoa and frozen berries for juicing have all been added to the grocer's offer, the Observer reported in an interview with CEO Malcolm Walker, with investment to also expand the new Food Warehouse subsidiary.

Drax power station has been dragged into a complaint to the US Securities and Exchange Commission about its wood pellet supplier Enviva, which allegedly used a loophole in EU and UK law to falsely claim to American investors that its wood-pellet fuel emits far less carbon dioxide than coal. Drag has been plunged into crisis, the Mail on Sunday said, with investors hoping the complaint does not puts Drax's 350m-a-year renewable energy subsidies in danger.

A shareholder group action lawsuit against Royal Bank of Scotland over its 2008 rights issues is close to being taken to mediation before moving to the High Court in London next year. If the court case goes ahead, evidence is expected to be heard from former CEO and chairman Fred Goodwin and Sir Tom McKillop.

Even if its commercial landlords vote to agree a 75% cut to rents at many of BHS's stores, some do not believe the department store will survive for long. The Company Voluntary Arrangement (CVA) vote will take place in the coming fortnight and chief executive Darren Topp told the Sunday Telegraph that his turnaround plans involve more than just rent cuts.

Previous BHS owner Sir Philip Green is being pursued by the Pensions Regulator for a contribution of 280m over BHSs pension deficit, much more than his initial offer of 80m. The department store's schemes have a shortfall of 571m and are due to enter the Pension Protection Fund (PPF) as part of the CVA deal, the Sunday Times said.

Bookmaker Ladbrokes has refused to operate any betting shops at the Cheltenham Festival of horse racing this week as the gambling industry objects to new requirements made by the British Horseracing Authority, the Racecourse Association and the Jockey Club, which owns Cheltenham racecourse. Ladbrokes, William Hill, Paddy Power Betfair, Betfred and Gala Coral are objecting after the horse racing industry demanded bookies needed to share some of the profits they make on racing from offshore bets, blocking those that did not comply from sponsoring races or advertise at racecourses, the Mail on Sunday reported.

A Bank of England project has devised a digital crypto-currency to rival Bitcoin and, said the Sunday Telegraph, could "pose a devastating threat to large tranches of the financial industry, and profoundly change the management of monetary policy". The proto-currency, known as RSCoin, would be controlled by the state, unlike Bitcoin, allowing the central bank to keep a tight grip on the money supply and respond to crises, as well as eroding commercial banks ability to generate money and profits from the fractional reserve banking system.

Sweden's Skanska and Balfour Beatty, the Sunday Times wrote, are looking to sell their 40% stakes in the 30-year Connect Plus contract to widen and maintain the M25. The consortium, which also includes Atkins and French engineer Egis, has finished most of the initially widening work but are unhappy with the terms of the contract and have found it difficult to refinance the debt.

Sir Martin Sorrell, chief executive of advertising group WPP, will take home up to 70m in salary and bonuses for last year. This years award depends on a long-running incentive plan which was approved by shareholders with 83 per cent voting in favour in 2009, the Mail on Sunday noted, though WPP shareholders rebelled against Sorrells pay award in 2012.

Listed vodka maker Stock Spirits is facing a spirited shareholder battle after serving up weak results last week. Portuguese cash-and-carry tycoon Luis Amaral, a 9.7% shareholder and major customer of the company, has demanded a deeper review of the business to find ways to improve the cost base and stem the recently shrinking market share, the Sunday Times wrote.

Scientists are up in arms about the lack of patent and other commercial protection their work at the National Graphene Institute (NGI) is receiving, which has led to China overtaking the UK in the development of the wonder substance that is 200 times stronger than steel. Work at the NGI to further the development of graphene, which was originally invented in Manchester University, included a deal struck between senior university management and Taiwan's BGT Materials, which some academics worry may be unfairly exploiting Manchesters intellectual property, according to the Sunday Times.
Finsbury Food shares should be sold, according to Danny Fortson in the Sunday Times' Inside the City column. Although the baker's share have rebounded from 2008's depths of 11p tenfold to more than 110p recently, the bonus payments made to chief executive John Duffy and finance director Stephen Boyd were questioned. Duffy and Boy, who were appointed in 2009 and 2010 respectively, were each awarded 240,000 cash bonuses related to two key deals they tied up, plus their salaries were effectively doubled through bonuses to reward hitting targets for earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation.

The deal were chiefly the 56m acquisition of bread specialist Fletchers, funded by a 35m placing, which doubled group revenues and helped transform prospects for the baker. The other deal was sale of its 'free-from' gluten-free bakery division to Genius Foods for 21m. Inside the City felt a more cynical view of the pair's remuneration would be that they "got paid extra for simply doing their job". Although Finsbury grew pre-tax profits by more than a quarter last year despite the cut-throat grocery market, the generous bonuses has left a bad taste.





Shares in Fevertree Drinks are worth holding, said Questor in the Sunday Telegraph. The maker of premium tonic waters and other high-end mixers, which floated on AIM in November 2014, is due to publish final results this week that analysts estimate will show profit before tax bubbling up sixfold. Investors should not break open the champagne yet, as adjustments for previous loans and other one-off items means profits will merely double, or near enough, to 17m from 9.2m a year ago plus a dividend policy that aims to pay out a quarter of profits.

However, the shares have fizzed from below 200p to almost 700p last month, making them seem rather costly at 40 times forward earnings per share. Fevertree's medium-term future looks bright, with sales forecast to rise 30% and PBT to grow in the high teens for 2016. The company has enjoyed a great first full year on the market and with its shares losing some of their vim investors might look for the price to come down by a third or so first.





4imprint shares are also worth holding or taking part profits, advised Midas in the Mail on Sunday. The promotional products maker, which specialises in bespoke designs for mugs, t-shirts and bags, posted annual results last week that showed 20% growth in turnover and profits, with the large part coming from the UK and especially the US. The Wisconsin-based company, which reports in dollars, proposed a 30% increase in the dividend in sterling terms.

A $9m investment in its headquarters was announced to expand the facilities sufficiently to accommodate the group's growth over the next five years. It also agreed a 10m pension buy-out contribution in 2016 with the pension deficit expected to reduce by half. The cash generative company has produced impressive returns and so existing investors could bank some profits but should hold on as profits are still on the way up.
Here's how to nominate prep athletes of the week in 2022-23
A motorcyclist who suffered critical injuries in a two-vehicle collision on Alabama Highway 109 in southern Houston County was airlifted to a hospital Saturday night.

According to a text message from the City of Dothan, the male patient suffered a leg amputation.

Information from the scene indicated a Kia sport utility vehicle was headed south from Dothan toward Florida when it struck the motorcycle as it was attempting to turn left onto Plaza Street.

The SUV hit the motorcycle from behind and rolled over. The driver and two passengers in the SUV were not injured. The motorcyclist was airlifted to Southeast Alabama Medical Center.

The collision was reported at 7:22 p.m. and is being investigated by Alabama State Troopers.
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.
I havent had an eyelash extension in years my first was actually my last and didnt bother doing it again because my first time stings a lot each time I take a bath! When I was told that my visit at California Nails & Day Spa includes an eyelash extension treatment, I did not hesitate. It has been awhile since I tried one and since this is a different place their eyelash glue may not be as stingy as the one I tried before.

As soon as I got to California Nails and Day Spa Somerset Olympia branch last Saturday (just near Manila Peninsula in Makati) they took me to the treatment chair area to have my eyelash extension treatment started. They usually do it in one of the treatment rooms but somebody was having a wax treatment. I was asked to choose what size of eyelashes I want to have on. They have three different size, size 8, 10 and 12. I had the size 8 natural hair. They also have synthetic hair available.

Theclose to my real eyelashes to make it appear real. I was surprised at how fast their technician work it didnt take us an hour to have my both eyes done. I think

Yes it was that fast and Im so glad to tell you all it doesnt sting when it gets wet! Look how long and pretty my eyelashes are. Another good thing about this is

After my eyelash extension treatment I tried their

I choose thea very nice not so dark or light pink shade that is oh so summery! While I choose afor my toes (oops forgot to take a shot!)

But here is Iris of PinayAds and me with our matching hand and toe nail colors!

heres a photo I grabbed from Ana of Fashion Commuter

The ladies, Iris, Tracy Ayson and Ana Gonzalez while having their nails done

I was impressed with the eyelash extension treatment it was really fast I didnt even feel the hands of their technician lay on me ( sobrang gaan ng kamay nya! Galeng )

I didnt feel any sting on my eyes when it gets wet unlike my previous experience from a different salon.

I super love my very natural textured long lashes ( ang lakas makaganda ng mahaba at mapupungay kong pilikmata kahit sa malayo kitang-kita! )

My eyelash extension are still formed well. They said this will last for a week or two up to a month!

For eyelash extension, treatment starts at Php600.00 any length.

My Verdict?

Gel Nail Polish Experience at California Nails & Day Spa

I love the wide selection of colors , 24 shades available!

I love how fast the application is and how it doesnt need a long wait time to get dried. They use this UV light to get the gel nails dry fast.

They said Gel nails last for three weeks so lets see, I will update you through this post or via my instagram or tweets.

For gel polish, service starts at Php1,400.00 depending on the length of the nails.

Do I recommend the treatments?

Definitely. Like I said earlier, ang lakas makaganda ng long eye lashes, I look like a barbie doll. I can bat my eyelashes all the time without any hesitation! Hahaha! As with the gel polish, its perfect for summer since it doesnt get chap easily unlike regular nail polishes!

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We here in Somerset (and Yates) are being besieged by Apex Wind to "host" seventy 620-foot wind turbines here, being labeled as NIMBYs (Not In My Backyard) because we are objecting so strongly and for so long (since October 2014). Maybe more of the public should know why. Somerset is on the shore of Lake Ontario. We are located on a major flyway, where right now, in mid-March, you can see and hear literally thousands of migrating Canada geese who have arrived to rest. Swimming among the geese are all varieties of diving ducks, like Mergansers, American Golden Eyes, Old Squaws, and occasionally, Loons. The geese migrate at night, accompanied by a beautiful "racket" out there in the darkness. This week the Snow Geese have arrived, as well. Even the US Fish & Wildlife Service objects to industrial wind turbines so close to the lakeshore, where they will act as massive Cuisinarts to avian populations, both migrating and residential. Why else would we object? Despite Apex labeling these as "annoyances", there is proof, both scientifically and anecdotally, that infrasound, a sound below the level of human hearing, affects humans. People who live in wind projects attest to it inside their homes, as it affects sleep, affects cardio rhythms, and produces symptoms in some who are already prone to motion sickness. The infrasound has many more negative health effects, too numerous to list here. These towers--the height of the HSBC tower -- will be close to homes. Wind energy companies typically attempt to "mitigate" these effects by paying for window blinds for residents, as if those cosmetics would alleviate invasive sound waves within a home. It is being falsely circulated that residents here are against "green" energy. Yes, we have an existing coal plant that employs 100 people here. But we love the environment, and believe in renewable energy. In fact, Niagara County has the biggest renewable energy plant in the Robert Moses hydroelectric facility, from which, ironically, we are able to draw no electricity. Wind energy isn't green at all, however, since wind is intermittent. All wind turbines have thousands of gallons of (fossil fuel) oil inside each. For them to be utilized they must have a stand-by reliable power source to kick in whenever the wind isn't blowing. Those stand-by systems cannot be fired up instantly, but must be constantly "on" to be at the ready. That means that the Somerset coal plant must still be operating to provide backup. But Apex insists that wind energy is clean, free, and abundant. Not true. Construction of wind turbines here will be anything but "green", with four-story excavations for each turbine. A relatively short life-span of turbines is reminiscent of those huge TV dish antennas that used to sit in front yards, a testament that technology moves on, leaving relics. Turbines will pay only residents' town taxes, no other levies. And a PILOT of $1.6M divided among school districts and municipalities does not amount to much, when one considers the true cost, both monetarily and in ways for which money cannot begin to compensate. Somerset is home to many summer homes, the Lighthouse Christian Camp, the scenic Golden Hill State Park. How are hulking steel towers with their whirring and blinking lights enhance those nighttime campfires? Money is not the answer. The worst thing is, we have been denied the right to vote Apex away from our community because Gov. Cuomo and NYS enacted special legislation in 2011 known as Article 10. It means that when it comes to electrical generating facilities, Home Rule does not apply. The State Public Service Commission gets to decide. So in reality, what choice to we have but to petition the State and to inform residents that we love our town out here on the "frontier". Somerset has enacted our own wind zoning law, our only allowable attempt to keep industrial wind turbines out of our town. Apex is hoping it will not hold up in court. Somerset residents deserve the right to tell Apex to get packing back to Charlottesville, VA, and to decide for ourselves what is the right way to develop our community. Thank you. -- Christine Bronson, Barker, NY



Check out East Niagara Post videos on YouTube, Vine and Periscope.


Donald Trumps Republican opponents have tried ignoring him under the assumption that hed flame out under the weight of his own audacious ego. It only made him stronger and more popular.

They have tried attacking him during debates but, unskilled in the art of playground bullying, they fell flat, and were reduced to I know you are but what am I? responses when he called them stupid, weak, and small.

One of them, Marco Rubio, finally sank to Trumps level and insinuated that Trump has a small dick. But Rubio was sparring with the master of puerile politicking and came away looking worse than he went in.

Simply put, the Republicans have shown us a multitude of ways NOT to beat Trump. The truth of the matter is that they simply have not been able to shut Trump up, even for one news cycle.

Then came Chicago.

Trump has spent months and months letting his followers know that hes totally okay if they beat the shit out of his protesters. As a protester was removed from a Nevada event, Trump told the crowd hed like to punch him in the face. You know what they used to do to a guy like that in a place like this? Trump told the slavering crowd. Theyd be carried out on a stretcher, folks.

In Oklahoma, he told his cheering supporters that political correctness has ruined all-American pastime of pounding the crap out of protesters. In the good old days, theyd rip him out of that seat so fast, he said. But today, everybodys politically correct. Our countrys going to hell with being politically correct.

This past week in North Carolina, Trump incited violence in his supporters once again, saying, We had some people, some rough guys like we have right in here. And they started punching back. It was a beautiful thing. I mean, they started punching back. He once again lamented the good old days when good, strong Americans could bloody up a protester without fear of being going to jail.

After all of this, theres little surprise that Trump rally-goers come ready for battle, waiting even the slightest slight to give them license to start punching hippies. And punching hippies is happening regularly at Trump rallies now. Rakeem Jones was being escorted from a Trump rally in North Carolina when a fist came flying out of the crowd and smashed into his face. Then, instead of going after the perpetrator, 78-year old John McGraw, law enforcement officials tackled the victim, forcing Jones to the ground. His assailant was later charged with assault but in the heat of the moment, the bad guy was the one who was punched and Trumps violent supporter was the good guy. Trump later called Jones a real bad dude. Meanwhile, McGraw defended his sucker punch saying, He deserved it. The next time we see him, we might have to kill him. We dont know who he is. He might be with a terrorist organization.

In Chicago, protesters and Trump rough guys came ready to face off. In a gripping behind-the-scenes look at protest preparations at Politico, Keith OBrien details the smart planning that went into the coordinated protest that ended up with Trump cancelling the rally. OBrien also shows just what the protesters faced:

I was just there to watch, but I could feel it myself. The protesters, mostly black and Latino and young, were standing shoulder to shoulder with the people that their protest would upset most. The crowd was white  all of them  sporting Hillary for Prison and Bomb the Hell out of ISIS pins, wearing camouflage ball caps, hunter orange, and N.R.A. gear, and shouting for their candidate, who was late, but coming, surely coming. U-S-A! they chanted. And: Build that Wall! And: We want Trump!

Their non-violent protest, which took place both inside and outside the UIC Pavilion, was an unmitigated success. They forced Trump to blink. After months of stoking up violent fervor against his detractors, he was finally forced to admit that things had gone too far. Sure, he kept talking. But now he was forced to defend the irrational violence of his racist supporters, putting him on the defensive in a way that is not helping him with average Americans. Calling protesters thugs who are inciting violence is pretty hard to square with the optics of a handful of brown protesters surrounded by tens of thousands of white people who look like they would have fit right in with a George Wallace for President crowd or at a Ku Klux Klan rally.

For the first time since he announced his candidacy, protesters forced Trump to shut up for one day.

And thats something no Republican has yet been able to do.

[CC image credit: Thomas Hawk | Flickr]
An inside contact associated with the City of Elk Grove from time to time sends us links to news stories about the successes of nearby municipalities in recruiting employers to their respective jurisdictions. Our contact, with a distinct hint of gallows humor, usually titles the emails as "Doan loses another one."The Doan, of course, is Elk Grove's Economic Development Director Darrel Doan. As a $146,000 annual salaried city employee, Doan is charged with recruiting major employers and their high-paying jobs to Elk Grove.The keywords in Doan's mission are "major" organizations and "high-paying jobs."Sorry Doan but jobs at Gil Moore's five-star gas station, trendy fast food joints, smoke shops, deprivation tank salons, retailers or existing employers like Apple can't be counted towards your success. We are looking for, demanding, jobs that you recruited along with Mayor Gary Davis and Vice Mayor Steve Ly, all on your own.What got us thinking about Doan, his boss Elk Grove City Manager Laura Gill and, of course, the Elk Grove City Council was another email from our city employee contact titled, what else, but "Doan loses another one."The newest missed opportunity, as reported in the Sacramento Bee , was United Bakery, who, with the help of the City of West Sacramento, just upgraded to a 65,000 square-foot facility in that city. Elk Grove loses again.So that invariably led to the question - just what is Doan doing? What are the city manager and the city council doing aside from jacking up Mello Roos fees and planning for more rooftops to bring these long desired high-paying jobs to Elk Grove?From what we can see, nothing.Before he was canned, former Elk Grove Economic Development Director Randy Starbuck was scheduled seemingly on a quarterly basis to provide updates at council meetings. While Starbuck's reports were usually nothing more than a regurgitation of new fast food joint openings and his activities to recruit tenants on behalf of the Howard Hughes Corporation for the still-unfinished Elk Grove Promenade, now known as the Outlet Collection at Elk Grove, at booze-soaked conventions in Las Vegas on the taxpayers dime, we at least heard something.Since Doan has taken the helm, barely a whisper has been heard from him.Why? Could it be there is nothing worth reporting?It is the duty and responsibility of the City Manager Gill and city council members to monitor Doan's sales activities, track any significant successes he might have and regularly report to the public just exactly what this discretionary employee is doing to recruit high-paying employers to Elk Grove. It's time for the public to have a full accounting of his activities and hold his feet to the fire.If we don't hear a report soon, for all we know he could be sitting in his Elk Grove City Hall office reminiscing about his days in Baltimore and watching episodes of The Wire on his city provided iPhone. The public is entitled to know.
By Michael Monasky | March 12, 2016 | I touched a nerve at a recent city council meeting when I declared that the city council memb...

http://www.elkgrovenews.net/2016/03/what-elk-grove-councilman-says-and-what.html





By Michael Monasky | March 12, 2016 |





I touched a nerve at a recent city council meeting when I declared that the city council members must be removed from office...only then will a new sun of sensibility shine upon Elk Grove, and disinfect it of your influence.





I made these remarks related to the Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) for Laguna Ridge, a specific plan development area defined by Poppy Ridge, Bruceville Road, Elk Grove Boulevard, just West of State Highway 99. It includes the public lands set aside for the civic/senior center, veterans hall, and aquatic center. Fees assessed in this defined community facilities district have a complex narrative which embraces the disciplines of planning, engineering, and finance.





Needless to say, developers, financiers, insurers, banks, attorneys, construction companies and affiliated trade unions, land speculators, and other private companies that engage in land use issues, are all stakeholders and weigh in the policy-making process. But where do the people of Elk Grove fit in?





The result of the city's policy-making, planning, and construction efforts at Laguna Ridge has been what one disgruntled citizen characterized as being promised a mansion, with a built-in pool, and in-law's quarters...but being given a mobile home, a pop-up pool, and a future expansion to a double-wide to accommodate the in-law.





The city council has long done the bidding of its developers, whose political contributions have put and kept them in office. Fees assessed for parks and other amenities have been so low that infrastructure development has been hampered. The city and its developer-base have argued that more rooftops must be built to generate new funds to pay for past promises. This is the planning department's version of a Ponzi scheme, a house of cards; it limps and will eventually collapse.

I hold Michael Baker International responsible for this irresponsible planning. Acting as Pacific Municipal Consultants, PMC is the private planning agency that drives planning policy in Elk Grove. It is the company that propelled the campaign to incorporate the city in 2000, and now has its fingers in every project conceived by the city council.





But, back to what infuriated especially one city councilman: I had been hammering the council on its poor judgment in not applying responsible environmental review; policy for handling solid waste (our waste contractor burns most of our lawn clippings;) the council's minuscule and impotent housing stabilization program; its plan pay excessive consultancy fees to place a regressive sales tax increase on the ballot to pay for delayed road maintenance. I closed with a critique of the city's failure to fully assess developers' housing projects with fees sufficient to maintain roads, build parks, fund public transit, and pay for needed infrastructure.





That last critique set off Steve Detrick, who launched into an ad hominem attack against me, itemizing his disgust at my negativity towards city policy. He said that if I did not understand the staff reports, I should solicit staff time and expertise, as he does, for a layman's explanation of these complex issues. Otherwise, Detrick said, I'm wasting my time, the time of the council, and demonstrating gross disrespect for the excellent staff and the hard work they put into these great reports.





Now, back to that Laguna Ridge Capital Improvement Plan. It was presented by the city manager's assistant, Christopher Jordan. He could be the most suave bureaucrat, or the biggest idiot ever to make a report; I think he's just human and made a significant error that night, but not as serious as councilman Detrick. Jordan's estimate for the infrastructure costs of the CIP came to $34 Million; but his arithmetic was $9 Million off. The error was caught by Chris Bardis, of the development firm, Reynen and Bardis.





In his green-sheet letter correcting Jordan's error the day before the city council meeting, Bardis decried the staff's reluctance to meet with his company about the Laguna Ridge CIP. We have attempted to get involved with the proposed CFD [Community Facilities District] but were informed that the City does not need our inputs...Reynen and Bardis were the principal developers of the Laguna Ridge Specific Plan...[and] is the largest participant in the City's project. I was in total shock when I was informed...that the city was prepared to move forward without any inputs from Reynen and Bardis...[so we're] formally objecting to the proposed Staff Report.





Some of the shock that Mr. Bardis feels from being excluded from the policy-making process is that all his campaign contributions to the mayor and city councilmen might not buy the political access he expected. Perhaps this is his (first?) glimpse into how it looks to regular taxpayers who do not engage in such political influence, but are subjected to verbal abuse from the dais when they dare to question and challenge elected officials.





The members of the Elk Grove City Council frighten me in the vast chasm between what they say they know, and what they really know. Meanwhile, good luck with getting potholes filled, or that time in traffic. This council has grand, sexy schemes in mind; civic duties to its citizens are secondary or merely forgotten.








Are Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt having marital issues? That might be the case as there's a new report that suggests things are going from bad to worse for the Hollywood couple. In fact, rumor has it that Jolie fired a nanny and even threatened to divorce Pitt after a "naked romp" of his.

Are Brad And Angie Adopting Again?

According to Celebrity Dirty Laundry on Friday, the two supposedly had a screaming fest of Pitt's relationship with one certain member of their staff. Jolie was apparently so upset to find out that the nanny was trying to get it on with her husband that she fired her on the spot.

A source close to the couple said, "The stunning staffer's intentions were hot and heavy towards Brad. That didn't sit well with Angelina who wasted no time confronting this woman. The nanny then was ordered to pack her bags, get out and never come back."

Does Brad Pitt Want To Get Chummy With Justin Theroux?

The insider added that Angelina, "doesn't think anything happened between them, but she noticed the nanny was always at the pool when Brad was there."

And even if Jolie decides to pull the plug on their marriage because of Pitt's wandering eye, the couple has a lot in stake here. They own $480 million dollars in assets and of course have six children together.

So far, a rep for the couple has not made any comments about the rumored divorce or cheating rumors.

Keep up with Enstars for all the latest news on Angelina Jolie, Brad Pitt and all of your favorite celebrity couples right here.
Is Kanye West changing teams here? That might be the case as there's a new rumor that says the rapper might be backing controversial Presidential candidate Donald Trump. In fact, sources close to Kanye say that he's even a fan of The Donald himself.

Is Derek Hough Quitting 'Dancing With the Stars' For Broadway's 'Singin' In the Rain'?

According to Page Six on Friday, Kanye might be the lone supporter as the rest of the Kardashian family, including his wife Kim Kardashian, are backing Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton.

The site says that one eyewitness overheard a conversation Kanye had with another passenger during a recent flight from Paris to Los Angeles. He just happened to be sharing his political views loud enough for the rest of the cabin to hear.

'DWTS' Pros Witney Carson & Keo Motsepe Get Poster Treatment For Season 22

The spy said, "He's not going to vote for Trump but he supports him."

Yet, Kanye has a history of backing Democratic candidates and even donated $2,7000 to the Hillary for American campaign last summer. Previously, he also donated $15,000 to the Democratic National Committee in October of 2014 and even performed at a Democratic fundraiser at The Warfield in San Francisco, too.

So far, no word on whether or not Donald plans on sending his love (or at least his admiration) to Kanye.

Keep up with Enstars for all the latest news on Kanye West, Donald Trump and the entire 2016 race to the White House right here.
To reach me for collaborations, sponsorships, and event invitations, I am contactable at

the-ice-angel@hotmail.com


SAN DIEGO, March 13, 2016 -- Electronics manufacturers constantly hunt for ways to make faster, cheaper computer chips, often by cutting production costs or by shrinking component sizes. Now, researchers report that DNA, the genetic material of life, might help accomplish this goal when it is formed into specific shapes through a process reminiscent of the ancient art of paper folding.

The researchers present their work today at the 251st National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society (ACS). ACS, the world's largest scientific society, is holding the meeting here through Thursday. It features more than 12,500 presentations on a wide range of science topics.

"We would like to use DNA's very small size, base-pairing capabilities and ability to self-assemble, and direct it to make nanoscale structures that could be used for electronics," Adam T. Woolley, Ph.D., says. He explains that the smallest features on chips currently produced by electronics manufacturers are 14 nanometers wide. That's more than 10 times larger than the diameter of single-stranded DNA, meaning that this genetic material could form the basis for smaller-scale chips.

"The problem, however, is that DNA does not conduct electricity very well," he says. "So we use the DNA as a scaffold and then assemble other materials on the DNA to form electronics."

To design computer chips similar in function to those that Silicon Valley churns out, Woolley, in collaboration with Robert C. Davis, Ph.D., and John N. Harb, Ph.D., at Brigham Young University, is building on other groups' prior work on DNA origami and DNA nanofabrication.

The most familiar form of DNA is a double helix, which consists of two single strands of DNA. Complementary bases on each strand pair up to connect the two strands, much like rungs on a twisted ladder. But to create a DNA origami structure, researchers begin with a long single strand of DNA. The strand is flexible and floppy, somewhat like a shoelace. Scientists then mix it with many other short strands of DNA -- known as "staples" -- that use base pairing to pull together and crosslink multiple, specific segments of the long strand to form a desired shape.

However, Woolley's team isn't content with merely replicating the flat shapes typically used in traditional two-dimensional circuits. "With two dimensions, you are limited in the density of components you can place on a chip," Woolley explains. "If you can access the third dimension, you can pack in a lot more components."

Kenneth Lee, an undergraduate who works with Woolley, has built a 3-D, tube-shaped DNA origami structure that sticks up like a smokestack from substrates, such as silicon, that will form the bottom layer of their chip. Lee has been experimenting with attaching additional short strands of DNA to fasten other components such as nano-sized gold particles at specific sites on the inside of the tube. The researchers' ultimate goal is to place such tubes, and other DNA origami structures, at particular sites on the substrate. The team would also link the structures' gold nanoparticles with semiconductor nanowires to form a circuit. In essence, the DNA structures serve as girders on which to build an integrated circuit.

Lee is currently testing the characteristics of the tubular DNA. He plans to attach additional components inside the tube, with the eventual aim of forming a semiconductor.

Woolley notes that a conventional chip fabrication facility costs more than $1 billion, in part because the equipment necessary to achieve the minuscule dimensions of chip components is expensive and because the multi-step manufacturing process requires hundreds of instruments. In contrast, a facility that harnesses DNA's knack for self-assembly would likely entail much lower start-up funding, he states. "Nature works on a large scale, and it is really good at assembling things reliably and efficiently," he says. "If that could be applied in making circuits for computers, there's potential for huge cost savings."

###

A press conference on this topic will be held Monday, March 14, at 1 p.m. Pacific time in the San Diego Convention Center. Reporters may check-in at Room 16B (Mezzanine) in person, or watch live on YouTube http://bit.ly/ACSliveSanDiego. To ask questions online, sign in with a Google account.

The researchers acknowledge funding from the Semiconductor Research Corporation.

The American Chemical Society is a nonprofit organization chartered by the U.S. Congress. With more than 158,000 members, ACS is the world's largest scientific society and a global leader in providing access to chemistry-related research through its multiple databases, peer-reviewed journals and scientific conferences. Its main offices are in Washington, D.C., and Columbus, Ohio.

To automatically receive news releases from the American Chemical Society, contact newsroom@acs.org.

Note to journalists: Please report that this research is being presented at a meeting of the American Chemical Society.

Follow us: Twitter | Facebook

Title

3D DNA Origami Templated Nanoscale Device Fabrication

Abstract

Because electronic and mechanical devices continue to decrease in size, exploring nontraditional fabrication methods provides added opportunities. For example, materials not currently used in devices, such as biological molecules, can contribute to new fabrication procedures. Self-assembling biological molecules especially show promise as useful starting materials, because nanodevice fabrication can exploit interactions that lead to highly specific self-assembly. DNA origami is a method that folds pieces of single-stranded DNA into designed structures by taking advantage of nucleotide base-pairing. Designs that include single-stranded extensions can provide further attachment points for other materials such as metal nanoparticles and nanorods. Such specific placement of metal on a DNA origami template can create nanowires as part of a larger nanocircuit. 2-D DNA origami templates can help position materials in a planar circuit pattern, but 3-D DNA origami uses a third dimension to further compact the nanocircuit elements. To test possible applications of 3-D origami, I designed a tube-shaped DNA origami with a hollow center. To verify correct folding of DNA origami structures, I stained them with lanthanum (III) and lead (II) and imaged them with SEM. I also made two variations of the tube-shaped origami, one with a location for nanoparticle attachment at an end of the tube and one with a location for particle attachment in the center of the tube. To verify successful attachment of gold nanoparticles, I confirmed with SEM imaging the presence of origami-nanoparticle hybrids. This design provides several possibilities for attachment of nanomaterials, both inside the hollow center and to the outside of the tube, which provide a pathway to creating a vertical nanowire logic gate. A flat base-like DNA origami could then position an array of tube DNA origami structures for more complex applications. An array of this type could be a step towards making more compact electronics.
SAN DIEGO, March 13, 2016 -- As electronics grow ever more intricate, so must the tools required to fix them. Anticipating this challenge, scientists turned to the body's immune system for inspiration and have now built self-propelled nanomotors that can seek out and repair tiny scratches to electronic systems. They could one day lead to flexible batteries, electrodes, solar cells and other gadgets that heal themselves.

The researchers present their work today at the 251st National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society (ACS). ACS, the world's largest scientific society, is holding the meeting here through Thursday. It features more than 12,500 presentations on a wide range of science topics.

"Electronic circuits are very sophisticated these days," says Jinxing Li. "But a crack, even an extremely small one, can interrupt the flow of current and eventually lead to the failure of a device. Traditional electronics can be fixed with soldering, but repairing advanced electronics on a nanoscale requires innovation."

Gadgets will soon be more ubiquitous than ever, appearing in our clothes, implants and accessories, says Li, a Ph.D. candidate in the lab of Joseph Wang, D.Sc., at the University of California at San Diego. But finding ways to fix nanocircuits, battery electrodes or other electronic components when they break remains a challenge.

Replacing whole devices or even parts can be tricky or expensive, particularly if they're integrated in clothes or located in remote places. Creating devices that can fix themselves would be ideal, according to Wang, whose lab develops nanoscale machines. To work toward this goal, his lab and others have turned to nature for ideas.

"If you cut your finger, for example, platelets will automatically localize at the wound location and help start the healing process," Li says. "So what we wanted to do is create and use extremely small robots to perform the same function, except in an electronic system."

To accomplish this, Wang's team collaborated with the group of Anna Balazs, Ph.D., who is at the University of Pittsburgh. They designed and built nanoparticles out of gold and platinum that are powered by hydrogen peroxide. The platinum spurs the fuel to break down into water and oxygen, which propels the particles. Testing showed that the nanomotors zoomed over the surface of a broken electronic circuit connected to a light-emitting diode, or LED. When they approached the scratch, they got lodged in it and bridged the gap between the two sides. Because the particles are made of conductive metals, they allowed current to flow again, and the LED lit up.

Li says the nanomotors would be ideal for hard-to-repair electronic components such as the conductive layer of solar cells, which are subject to harsh environmental conditions and prone to scratching. They could also be used to heal flexible sensors and batteries, which the Wang lab is also developing.

Additionally, the same concept with different materials and fuels could be used in medical applications for delivering drugs to specific locations. The lab is also developing new nanomotors that could potentially be deployed in the body to treat different diseases, such as stomach infections.

###

A press conference on this topic will be held Tuesday, March 15, at 1 p.m. Pacific time in the San Diego Convention Center. Reporters may check-in at Room 16B (Mezzanine) in person, or watch live on YouTube http://bit.ly/ACSliveSanDiego. To ask questions online, sign in with a Google account.

Li acknowledges funding from the U.S. Department of Energy and the Kavli Institute for Brain and Mind.

The American Chemical Society is a nonprofit organization chartered by the U.S. Congress. With more than 158,000 members, ACS is the world's largest scientific society and a global leader in providing access to chemistry-related research through its multiple databases, peer-reviewed journals and scientific conferences. Its main offices are in Washington, D.C., and Columbus, Ohio.

To automatically receive news releases from the American Chemical Society, contact newsroom@acs.org.

Note to journalists: Please report that this research is being presented at a meeting of the American Chemical Society.

Follow us: Twitter | Facebook

Title

Self-Propelled Nanomotors Autonomously Seek and Repair Cracks

Abstract

Biological self-healing involves the autonomous localization of healing agents at the site of damage. Herein, we design and characterize a synthetic repair system where self-propelled nanomotors autonomously seek and localize at microscopic cracks and thus mimic salient features of biological wound healing. We demonstrate that these chemically powered catalytic nanomotors, composed of conductive Au/Pt spherical Janus particles, can autonomously detect and repair microscopic mechanical defects to restore the electrical conductivity of broken electronic pathways. This repair mechanism capitalizes on energetic wells and obstacles formed by surface cracks, which dramatically alter the nanomotor dynamics and trigger their localization at the defects. By developing models for self-propelled Janus nanomotors on a cracked surface, we simulate the systems' dynamics over a range of particle speeds and densities to verify the process by which the nanomotors autonomously localize and accumulate at the cracks. We take advantage of this localization to demonstrate that the nanomotors can form conductive "patches" to repair scratched electrodes and restore the conductive pathway. Such a nanomotor-based repair system represents an important step toward the realization of biomimetic nanosystems that can autonomously sense and respond to environmental changes, a development that potentially can be expanded to a wide range of applications, from self-healing electronics to targeted drug delivery.
Often patients undergo procedures without real informed consent being achieved due to technical language, jargon and time pressure, with up to half of patients finding it difficult to understand what their doctor tells them [1, 2]. Now a group of Australian doctors has prepared patients for surgery using iPads, and found that patients' understanding was much better than after a face-to-face consultation.

It is vitally important that patients understand what medical procedures they face, both so that they can cope better with the procedure, and so that they can give fully informed consent to the treatment. However, many patients come out of critical face-to-face interviews with doctors not really understanding what to expect or what they might have agreed to.

"Patients often find it difficult to understand the medical language used by Doctors during face-to-face standard verbal communication, and they often feel intimidated by the interaction", said lead researcher, Matthew Winter (Royal North Shore Hospital, Sydney, Australia). "Often doctors work within busy practises and clinical environments with time limiting the quality of a consult and or verbal consent for a procedure. Patients often find it difficult to comprehend their planned procedure. We have found patient's knowledge is greatly improved through the use of portable video media and is their overall preferred method of information delivery compared with standard verbal communication"

The researchers designed a randomised controlled trial (RCT) to check the understanding of 88 patients facing surgery for acute renal colic (the abdominal pain often caused by kidney stones). 45 of the patients discussed the forthcoming surgery with their doctor as normal, whereas 43 patients were given a video presentation with cartoon animation narrated by a Doctor which could be viewed on tablets such as an iPad. The patients were then questioned on their understanding of the medical procedure and their satisfaction regarding the information delivery technique. After this they were switched, with those who had received face-to-face counselling receiving the video, and vice versa, followed by the same questionnaire. Patients were then asked to give their overall preference of information delivery.

They found that that use of the video increased understanding by 15.5%, in comparison to the direct consultation. In addition, 71 patients (80.7%) preferred the video as against 17 (19.3%) who preferred the face-to-face meeting.

Commenting, Dr Winter said "Informed consent for patients undergoing procedures is both an ethical and legal responsibility and crucially important for optimising treatment. Patients should be intimately involved in deciding upon their treatment, and understanding their treatment is often vital to a good recovery. Although medicine has advanced by leaps and bounds, there has been little change to the informed consent procedure and how a doctor explains the treatment to the patient. Through the use of portable video media, a doctor can present his/her own practise and procedural technique in an innovative, dynamic and engaging manner.

"We are not saying that using portable video media should replace consent. Our work shows that there are alternatives to interviews, which can help significantly, improve patient understanding and satisfaction. Most patients prefer being able to use the portable media devices to a face-to-face consultation which benefits both clinician and patient through improved quality of care. Portable video media is a useful addition to the informed consent process and I predict will form a crucial component of this process in years to come".

Commenting, Professor Fiona Burkhard, chairman of the EAU Guidelines panel for Urinary Incontinence said: "This innovative approach to patient information, using a cartoon animation narrated by a doctor, allows each individual patient as much time as needed to understand the proposed procedure. It should not replace a face to face discussion with the physician, but will allow patients to meet the physician already informed and prepared, thus benefiting both the physician and the patient".

###

Note: This paper will be presented in Munich by Dr Sunny Nalavenkata.

This research was funded by the Central Coast Urology Research & Education Fund. An edited version of the video is available to journalists from the press office.
From Washington, D.C.s cherry blossoms and the Bundy family situation to professional drone racing and donkeys up for adoption, here are 12 news stories from around the web this week:

Cherry blossoms

Washington, D.C.s famous cherry blossoms are about to make their spring debut. The National Park Service says that this years blossoms are expected to peak between March 31 and April 3. The peak bloom occurs when there are open blossoms on 70 percent of the cherry trees. Last years peak date was April 10.

Into the woods

The Schmuki family knows trees. The Ohio Farm Bureau Federation says that the Schmukis Newcomerstown woodlands, certified by the American Tree Farm System, are a place where renewable resources grow and where the environment is protected. With three generations involved in the conservation and management of Ohios trees, the family is committed to improving the woodlands.

Pennsylvania 4-H support

Pennsylvanias state budget impasse could affect the states 4-H and other agricultural programs if a solution isnt found by May. The Patriot-News reports that supporters of the ag programs rallied March 9 in Harrisburg, asking lawmakers to let Penn State use the $50.5 million set aside for 2015-2016 instead of forcing the land grant university to close its county programs and extension offices. A statement from Gov. Tom Wolf can be viewed here.

Organic farming

The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced at the end of February that it is expanding the Conservation Reserve Program. The expansion will help to create 20,000 acres of conservation buffers on organic farms. Organic farmers can receive rental payments and cost share assistance for setting aside land for conservation, which controls soil erosion, improves water quality and promotes the development of wildlife habitats.

Getting close to nature

Are urban parks the answer to our need for nature? National Geographic takes a look at the urban parks that are springing up in the U.S. and across the globe. Theyre transformed from old military bases and bridges and made into pieces of the natural world.

Cliven Bundy

Whether or not youve followed the story of Cliven Bundy  the Nevada rancher who faced off with the U.S. government in 2014 for illegally grazing his cattle on public land  High Country News reports the latest on the Bundy ordeal. Also involved are Bundys sons, Ammon and Ryan, who participated in protests on behalf of ranchers imprisoned for arson as well as the occupation of Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in Oregon. Since February 10, 19 individuals have been arrested and detained in connection to the Nevada standoff.

Raw milk

Call it coincidence or irony that West Virginia lawmakers passed a bill allowing residents to consume raw milk, but then several of those lawmakers became ill after drinking the unpasteurized dairy product. OregonLive reports that West Virginias Department of Health and Human Resources is investigating.

Medical research

In February, the Cleveland Clinic performed the worlds first uterus transplant. However, on March 9, after the recipient experienced complications, the organ had to be removed. The recipient was the first of 10 women who were part of the clinical study, which will continue.

Professional drone racing

Farmers have been introduced to the idea of using drones to scout fields and collect data, although the Federal Aviation Administration has not yet finalized rules.

Now, drone racing is a professional sport, just not through farmers fields. Watch CNNs video to learn more.

Climate change

The U.S. and Canada have resolved to reduce methane emissions, TIME reports. President Obama and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau met March 10. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will draft regulations that would control methane emissions from current sources, one of which is the energy industry.

Adopt a donkey

Well, miniature donkey, to be exact. Triple R Horse Rescue in Cave Creek, Arizona, has 30 miniature donkeys that need to go to good homes. The Arizona Republic says that the horse rescue decided to run a lottery because there have been so many people filling out adoption applications. If you dont live in Arizona, youre out of luck: the horse rescue is only letting in-state residents adopt.

Food from Mars

A team of Dutch researchers have successfully grown a handful of plants in simulated Martian and moon soil. Now, theyre hoping to raise the funds to check out if the plants are safe to eat. CNN has more.
Starring: David Thewlis, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Tom Noonan

Anomalisa

Director: Charlie Kaufman

Rating: 4.5/5

2016 looks like it is going to be another fantastic year for the animation genre and Anomalisa is already being called one of the standout films so far.

Anomalisa marks the return of Charlie Kaufman to the director's chair for only the second feature film of his career; this project sees him team up with Duke Johnson. As well as being in the director's chair, Kaufman has penned film's screenplay, which is based on his own play.

Michael Stone (Thewlis) is a successful motivational speaker with fans across the country, but inside him sits a knot of anxiety that renders much of his daily life meaningless. Everything and everyone just seems the same to him. But then Michael meets Lisa (Leigh) on a speaking tour stop in Cincinnati. Lisa is an anomaly.

Michael and Lisa begin with prickly, cautious conversations and then move towards love. But, unlike in a conventional Hollywood romance, that romantic arc is neither simple nor obvious. The love scene at the heart of Anomalisa should instantly rocket up the list of cinema's greatest. It's intimate, awkward, heartbreaking and deeply erotic despite the fact that the lovers are made of felt.

Anomalisa is a movie that has been met with acclaim since it started playing on the festival circuit last year. It is not hard to see why this movie has been winning over critics and audiences as it is a thought-provoking and touching film that reminds you just how powerful the animation genre can be.

I imagine that the slow pace will not be to the taste of everyone, but there is something so normal, everyday, and ordinary about this story of loneliness - it really is a tale that will pull at the heartstrings.

Kaufman has penned some wonderful screenplays over the years and you are never quite sure what to expect when you sit down to watch a movie that he written or directed. I have to admit, I was not expecting to experience so human and truthful - believe me, when I say, this is a story that stays with you long after you have left the cinema.

I am a huge fan of stop-motion animation and it is a shame that we don't see more of hit on the big screen. Kaufman has used it to beautiful effect and it is one of the most unique looking films that we will see all year.

We are so used to seeing CGI-driven animation movies that are just as exciting and action-packed as live-action films, that we almost forget that the animation genre can be arresting, powerful, and incredibly insightful; Kaufman delivers all of these with Anomalisa.

However, there is quite a dark side to the story - something which I thoroughly enjoyed - as Kaufman explores the depths of loneliness and the impact that it can have on an individual and their life. It really is a wonderful and somewhat unexpected exploration of this subject. In fact, it deals with this topic better than most live-action film; and that all comes down to Kaufman's wonderful script.

Anomalisa was in the Oscar mix last month when it was nominated for Best Animated Feature, losing out to the juggernaut that was Inside Out.

We won't see another animation film like Anomalisa on the big screen this year as Kaufman has delivered another film that is unique and is packed with interesting characters and a wonderfully human story. This really is an animation that cannot be missed if you are a fan of this genre.

Anomalisa is out now.

by Helen Earnshaw for www.femalefirst.co.uk

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IIFA (International Indian Film Academy Awards) brings the fever to Bollywood fans across the Globe and Bollywood actors Anil Kapoor, Sonakshi Sinha and Hrithik Roshan are already in the south-western European country to create awareness about Indian cinema by performing a huge flash mob on their popular songs.

As always, Hrithik is looking suave and no wonders, why his girl fans are going gaga over there, which you can see in the pictures. On the other side, Sonakshi is looking no less stylish and is seen in an energetic avatar with fans.

Click On 'VIEW PHOTOS' To Check Out All The Pictures Below:

DAMN HOT PICS: SRK's Son Aryan Khan Posts New Shirtless Selfies!

The International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) awards is returning to Europe for the second time with Madrid, Spain, hosting the 2016 edition from June 23 to 26.This is the second time IIFA will be traveling to Europe following the ceremony in Amsterdam in 2005.

LEAKED: Sensuous Bikini Shot Of Shraddha Kapoor From Baaghi!

"We are extremely excited to announce that IIFA 2016 will travel to Europe again. We had been working on Madrid for many years and as 2016 marks the 60-year friendship between India and Spain, we feel this is the right time to showcase our culture and Bollywood there," Andre Timmins, Director, IIFA and Wizcraft, told PTI over phone from Madrid.

He added, "We zeroed in on Madrid because we feel that the place is best for our industry. We also have been welcomed by the Mayor of Madrid, who is hosting us here. Its just the right time."

The new venue aims to reach out to the huge Latin Amrtican market for Indian films. In the last 17 years, IIFA has travelled to four continents including Africa, Europe, Asia and North America.
Bosch Smart Community app provides localized, dynamic content to residents

Smart Community app developed with Lennar Urban exclusively for The Shipyard Communities

Bosch launched its new IoT (Internet of Things) Cloud at Bosch ConnectedWorld Berlin

In the flagship project with Lennar Urban at The Shipyard Communities in San Francisco, Bosch technologies are bringing connectivity to a new community in the making, and offering a taste of life in a smart city.

Lennar Urban, in partnership with the City and County of San Francisco, is developing the city's last piece of undeveloped land. Combined, the former military shipyard and the former site of Candlestick Park, are being reimagined into a 750 acre mixed-use community along the City's southeast waterfront. At these communities, Bosch will participate in building solutions for smarter homes, safer communities and widespread mobility and connectivity.

The Smart Community application for The Shipyard Communities, developed by Bosch and Lennar Urban, will provide residents of the San Francisco Shipyard and Candlestick Point with highly-localized information about transportation, home appliance maintenance and surveillance. For example, plans are in the works for household alert systems tied to a "walk me home" feature, which will allow residents to share their route home with friends and family, using the app's GPS functionalities.

In addition, Bosch and Lennar Urban are exploring incorporating Bosch sensor systems into a new parking garage structure being developed at Candlestick Point. The sensors would minimize the time spent searching for parking spots, which will help reduce emissions and traffic congestion.

Bosch, a supplier of technology and services, showcased the project at Bosch ConnectedWorld Berlin, its annual conference on the Internet of Things, with a keynote presentation from Lennar Urban President Kofi Bonner.

Mike Mansuetti, president of Robert Bosch LLC, presentated the project as part of a presentation on the intersection of connected mobility and smart city at the Connected Mobility Showcase, an event hosted by C3 Group focused on how future technology can help improve and transform transportation in cities. The Connected Mobility Showcase also featured the announcement of five finalists for the U.S. Department of Transportation Smart City Challenge by Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx.

"The Smart Community app, built by our Bosch Software Innovations team, enables cities to engage citizens with content that matches their interests," Mansuetti said. "The application for The Shipyards community was a collaboration from the beginning between Lennar Urban and Bosch, showcasing how Bosch works with communities to bring smart technologies to life in unique and exciting ways."

Bosch launches IoT Cloud to enable connected technology like smart cities

Bosch announced at the Bosch ConnectedWorld event in Berlin the launch of its own cloud for web-based services, the Bosch IoT Cloud. The Bosch IoT Cloud comprises technical infrastructure as well as platform and software offerings for the internet of things (IoT) that enable solutions for smart city, connected mobility and more. These IoT applications are created using the Bosch IoT Suite. The suite offers all the functions necessary to connect devices, users, and companies. More than five million devices and machines are currently connected via the IoT Suite. Details: http://bit.ly/1RQY07q

To begin, Bosch will use it for in-house solutions. From 2017, the Bosch IoT Cloud also will be made available as a service to other companies.

About Bosch:

Having established a regional presence in 1906 in North America, the Bosch Group employs some 28,700 associates in more than 100 locations, as of April 1, 2015. In 2014, Bosch generated consolidated sales of $11.3 billion in the U.S., Canada and Mexico. For more information, visit www.boschusa.comwww.bosch.com.mx and www.bosch.ca

The Bosch Group is a leading global supplier of technology and services. It employs roughly 375,000 associates worldwide (as of December 31, 2015). According to preliminary figures, the company generated sales of more than $77 billion (70 billion euros) in 2015. Its operations are divided into four business sectors: Mobility Solutions, Industrial Technology, Consumer Goods, and Energy and Building Technology. The Bosch Group comprises Robert Bosch GmbH and its roughly 440 subsidiaries and regional companies in some 60 countries. If its sales and service partners are included, then Bosch is represented in roughly 150 countries. This worldwide development, manufacturing, and sales network is the foundation for further growth. In 2015, Bosch applied for some 5,400 patents worldwide. The Bosch Group's strategic objective is to deliver innovations for a connected life. Bosch improves quality of life worldwide with products and services that are innovative and spark enthusiasm. In short, Bosch creates technology that is "Invented for life."

Additional information is available online at www.bosch.comwww.bosch-press.com and twitter.com/BoschPresse

Exchange rate: 1 EUR $1.1095

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160312005018/en/

Contacts:

Robert Bosch LLC

Tim Wieland, +1 248-876-7708

Tim.Wieland@us.bosch.com

or

Lennar Urban

David Satterfield, +1 408-802-6767

david@gfbunting.com


WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Genworth Financial, Inc. (GNW) disclosed in a regulatory filing that it has reached an agreement in principle to settle a securities litigation, currently pending in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia.



Genworth noted that the settlement agreement provides for a payment to the class of $219 million, inclusive of all Plaintiffs' attorneys fees and expenses and settlement costs, of which $150 million will be paid by its insurance carriers, and $69 million pre-tax will be paid by the company.



The company expects the payment to be made into an escrow account during the first quarter of 2016 and also expects to incur additional legal fees and accruals related to the litigation over amounts previously accrued and expensed of approximately $10 million pre-tax in the first quarter of 2016.



Genworth noted that plaintiffs in the lawsuit alleged securities law violations by the company, its current chief executive officer and its former chief financial officer, related to certain disclosures in 2013 and 2014 concerning, among other things, long term care insurance reserves. The agreement in principle was reached in connection with a voluntary mediation.



Genworth, which believes that the Plaintiffs' claims are without merit, said it is settling the lawsuit to avoid the burden, risk and expense of further litigation.



Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

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From The International Federation of Air Line Pilots' Associations (IFALPA), following the publication of the final report of the BEA concerning Germanwings flight 4U9525 of the 24th March 2015, an A320 aircraft enroute from Barcelona (BCN) to Dusseldorf (DUS).

One year on, our thoughts are still with the families of the 150 crew and passengers that were on board the aircraft.

Now the considered, fact based results of the proper investigation are available, IFALPA urges all regulators to listen to the BEA and implement the whole basket of measures in a balanced way. "The safety recommendations of the accident investigation authority form a balanced package of measures designed to make such a disaster in the future less likely. It is important that this package is implemented in its entirety and not just those parts which seem easy to implement." said Captain Martin Chalk, President of IFALPA

Particular attention should be paid to the care of affected crew members. Peer support programs are recognized as the best protection from behavioural health problems. These programs offer help without fear of direct consequences for employment. Only then can the basis for the necessary trust between doctor and patient be assured, which is a necessary for an affected crew member or their family, colleagues or friends to share their concerns.

Another fundamental recommendation is financial and social security in the event of a possible loss of license and income. The risk of economic ruin is a large negative influence against disclosure of concerns of the individual or their family.

For further information please contact Captain Martin Chalk, IFALPA President, at +44 7432 616 119 or martinchalk@ifalpa.org, or Ms. Anna Lou, IFALPA Communications Marketing Coordinator, at +1 514 419 1191 or annalou@ifalpa.org.

Note to Editors: The International Federation of Air Line Pilots' Associations represents in excess of 100,000 pilots in about 100 countries around the globe. The mission of IFALPA is to promote the highest level of aviation safety worldwide and to be the global advocate of the piloting profession; providing representation, services and support to both our members and the aviation industry.

See the Federation website www.ifalpa.org

2016 The International Federation of Air Line Pilots' Associations

In the interests of flight safety, reproduction of this Press Release in whole or in part is encouraged.

It may not be offered of sale or used commercially. All reprints must credit IFALPA.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160313005015/en/

Contacts:

IFALPA

Captain Martin Chalk, +44 7432 616 119

President

martinchalk@ifalpa.org

or

Ms. Anna Lou, +1 514 419 1191

Communications Marketing Coordinator

annalou@ifalpa.org
17Capital, a London, UK-based specialist private equity firm, recently announced a series of promotions.

These include:

 Owen James, who becomes an Investment Director with experience in private equity, banking and accountancy. Prior to 17Capital, he worked at SVG Advisers (now Aberdeen AM), Bank of Scotland (now Lloyds Banking Group) and PwC.

 Fokke Lucas, who becomes an Investment Director with private equity and mezzanine experience. Prior to 17Capital, he worked at Neovara, the spin-out of the Lehman Brothers European Mezzanine business.

 Vjerana Spajic, who becomes a Vice President in the investment team. Prior to 17Capital, she worked at Carlyle Groups AlpInvest, evaluating and executing secondary private equity transactions

 Jason Wunscher, who has joined the investment team from the investment bank, Canaccord Genuity

Led by Managing Partner Pierre-Antoine de Selancy, 17Capital works with private equity fund managers looking to increase investment capacity without the constraints of debt financing.

The firm has an international team of 17 professionals with experience in private equity and banking and 800m under management across three funds, with backing from prominent international institutions, including pension funds, sovereign wealth funds, insurance firms, and family offices.

FinSMEs

13/03/2016
Halo Business Angel Network, a joint initiative of InterTradeIreland and Enterprise Ireland responsible for the all-island promotion of business angel investment, launched a new angel syndicate.

Led by John Mullen, chair, The West by North West (WxNW) syndicate, together with Enterprise Ireland, WestBIC and the Western Development Commission, will invest 2m in startups located in the West and North-West of Ireland in 2016, providing funding, support and access to networks to help businesses grow operations.

Target sectors include technology, manufacturing, education, tourism and med-tech

The syndicate, which currently includes 12 business angels based in or connected to the western seaboard of Ireland, will double the number of angels to 24 over the next year, qith the target to become one of the largest networks in Ireland.

Through its other syndicates, HBAN has already supported a number of companies located in the area, such as Embo Medical and Capsos Medical.

Since 2008, it has invested 50M in startups across Ireland and Northern Ireland.

FinSMEs

13/03/2016
New Delhi: Art of Living founder Sri Sri Ravi Shankar on Sunday said parties should not politicise events having a bearing on the country's reputation and suggested that the media has been "harsh" in its criticism of the World Cultural Festival organised on the Yamuna flood plain.

He claimed that his Foundation has already received invitation from Australia, Mexico and other nations for holding the next edition of the event.

"We need a certain maturity. I don't mind but I request all political parties. Whenever such a grand event is being organised, party politics should be kept aside.

"You should come together so that India's prestige on the world stage rises. It is not easy to organise an event of this magnitude.... It is a major thing... so that people from across the world can feel connected," the spiritual guru said.

"People from across the world are amazed. We got a letter from the Australian Prime Minister asking us to hold the event there. They are ready to give all the help we need, from Mexico.... The countries are keen to host this event. At the same time, the international media is asking why the Indian press is so harsh towards this festival. I smiled and said that I don't know," he said.

Defending the organising of the festival on the flood plains of Yamuna, he said they would work for the rejuvenation of the river.

Replying to a query related to his statement that he would not pay the Rs 5 crore fine imposed by National Green Tribunal, he said the NGT has made it clear that it was not a fine but compensation to rejuvenate the area.

The AOL founder said his organisation will come with up a concrete plan for conservation of Yamuna river.

"We had consulted a couple of environmentalists before the event and they had said there would be no damage to the flood plains if this event was held. Further, we will also consult some environmentalists and work on rejuvenation of Yamuna with a concrete plan of action for Yamuna," he said.

He said they had initially thought of holding the event in a stadium, but then the idea had to be dropped because of the magnitude of the programme.

"Any stadium would not have been able to accommodate these many artists and people," Ravi Shankar said as the three-day cultural extravaganza ended on Sunday.

He said over 172 dignitaries from across the globe had come for the event, which drew intense criticism and also litigation over allegations that it damaged the ecology of Yamuna flood plains.

Questions were also raised on deploying army personnel for its preparation and the traffic woes due to the massive event.

PTI
Allahabad: Underlining the issue of pendency of cases in courts, President Pranab Mukherjee on Sunday said the judiciary is yet to fully meet people's aspirations for "speedy and affordable" justice.

Inaugurating the 150th anniversary celebration of Allahabad High Court, he said justice must be "accessible, affordable and quick" for people to understand the meaning of justice.

The President said as an upholder of the Rule of Law and enforcer of the right to liberty, the role of the judiciary was sacrosanct and the faith and confidence people have in it must be always maintained.

"Though the Indian judiciary has many strengths, it is yet to fully meet the aspirations of our people for speedy and affordable justice," he said at the sesquicentennial celebration.

Mukherjee noted that the judiciary has played an important role since independence in strengthening the democratic framework of the country and maintaining rule of law.

"High Courts in particular have a unique position under the Constitution of India. They are not only guardians of people's rights and liberty, they also have the onerous responsibility of ensuring that access to justice is not denied to any citizen on account of economic or any other disability," the President said.

He said judiciary which is one of the three important pillars of our democracy, is the final interpreter of the Constitution and it must help maintain social order by swiftly and effectively dealing with those on the wrong side of the law.

"Our courts are today overburdened on account of number of cases pending before them. There are over three crore cases pending in various courts throughout the country.

"Out of these, about 38.5 lakh cases are pending in 24 High Courts. The pendency of cases in the High Courts has slightly declined from 41.5 lakh in 2014 to 38.5 lakh in 2015, but still have a long way to go," he said.

His remarks come in the wake of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's statement on the issue during the centenary celebrations of Patna High Court yesterday. Modi had mooted a novel idea of courts coming out with an annual bulletin to highlight the oldest cases being tried by them to help create sensitivity on pendency of cases in the country.

Expressing concern over vacancy of judges in High Courts, the President said out of a sanctioned strength of 1,056 judges in all the High Courts, the working strength of High Court judges through out the country was only 591, as on March 1, 2016.

"The High Court at Allahabad has only 71 judges, including the Chief Justice, against the sanctioned strength of 160 judges. Approximately, 9.11 lakh cases are pending in this court as of February 2016, a decline from 10.1 lakh cases in 2014," he said.

The President said the governments, judges and lawyers must work hand in hand to make justice a living reality.

"Justice delayed is justice denied. I am sure that the central and state governments will extend all support to the Allahabad High Court in its endeavour to reduce pendencies," he said.

Chief Justice of India (CJI), Justice T S Thakur said judiciary as an institution was facing challenges from outside and within.

"I am referring to crisis of credibility that we face today. Judges need to be conscientious of discharge of their duties, punctuality, judicial retribute and efforts to do their best is the need of the hour," he said.

PTI
Pace secularism, it is perhaps India's longest-running political farce that the Bharatiya Janata Party is a Hindu nationalist political party. Any mention of the party in the print media is usually prefaced with those two adjectives and the international press has also unquestioningly copied the locals in the custom. However, it is difficult to discern any Hindu agenda in the BJP's governance either between 1998 and 2004 or since 2014. Although the party has been using the label to its benefit for years, even fed it with wild rhetoric from time to time, the BJP has hardly taken up the Hindu cause as it is so often accused of doing.

It is disheartening to see that few can even identify Hindu issues, such has been the impact of the jejune blaring from the media houses on India's public sphere. Were an outsider to peek in for a second, he would assume that the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya and the Uniform Civil Code are two important political issues for Hindus  and he would be wrong. The former is largely symbolic  and yes, symbols do have power  but it does not have a large enough impact on the Hindu community to accord it such primacy among issues. As for the latter, it hardly affects Hindus except in an intellectual way  legal systems of other religions, for all their flaws, do not impact Hindus; the inequality of various communities before a national judiciary is philosophically unpalatable but ultimately of little consequence to the narrower interests of the Hindu community.

Arguably the most important item on the Hindu agenda is the liberation of their temples from government control. The Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Act, first passed in Madras in the 1920s, was ostensibly enacted to introduce better management and eliminate corruption in temple administration. The law applied, as its name suggests, only to Hindu organisations; it is farcical to assume that these challenges do not plague religious organisations of other faiths or, indeed, that the government of a weak democracy is capable of better management or is freer of corruption than a private entity.

Although hundreds of temples are administered by the government, it is the rich temples that are the prize. Offerings by devotees run into hundreds of crores annually and the wealth is siphoned off to government coffers. To add insult to injury, the committees in charge of temple operations are not necessarily drawn from the community the temple serves or even pious Hindus. For example, Abdul Rehman Antulay was appointed a trustee of the famous Siddhivinayak Temple in Bombay, and the Marxist takeover of Kerala's devaswoms is well-known. For all the talk of Hindutva by both, the media and the BJP, the party's agenda on making temples autonomous is unclear. If indeed there exists such an action plan, it is so vapid that it does not come to mind.

An equally critical arena of Hindu interests is education. Through the innocuously named Right to Education Act (RTE), the government has essentially commandeered private school capacity to further its populist agenda. Although the Act is portrayed as creating a quota for the economically underprivileged, that number is but a small portion of the total reservation which primarily benefits other categories. Minority institutions are exempt from this state hijacking of infrastructure.

It is far more difficult for Hindus to start their own schools, training colleges, and universities than it is for minorities. Even before the RTE was passed, minority institutions also controlled their student admissions and teacher hiring criteria; they were not subject to any quotas or other regulations non-minority institutions have to follow. This effectively changes the divide in Indian education from private/public to minority/non-minority. The BJP has disappointed many of its supporters by not repealing the RTE or even attempting to put all schools minority and non, on an equal footing.

The problem is not simply about quotas, though the social engineering of the Hindu community deserves attention too. It would be quite entertaining, for instance, to see the Indian government take similar interest in Muslim affairs and legislate quotas for Ahmadis, Shia, Zaydis, Sufis, and women in madrassas.

A greater problem lies in the syllabi prescribed by the various boards of education in the country. Although everyone can agree that there ought to be some balance and rigour in the curriculum, dozens of examples of sycophancy to the Nehru-Gandhi dynasty and an overly rosy interpretation of the Islamic conquest of and rule over India's overwhelmingly Hindu population fill the pages of history textbooks. In this context, it was ironic to see an MP of an allegedly Hindutva party declare in parliament just a few days ago that she was not guilty of saffronisation.

Finally, a third major plank of a core Hindu agenda would be the reversal of a relentless assault on Hindu customs, traditions, and rituals. The law against superstition and black magic, the ban on Jallikattu, the sudden chorus of environmental appeals timed to perfection around Deepavali and Ganesh Chaturthi, the demand to open up temple entry to all, the call to abolish made snana, are all facets of the same agenda to delegitimise Hinduism. The BJP's record on defending against these assaults ranges from non-existent to abysmal.

It should be noted that there are already pre-existing laws that adequately cover any real damage arising from black magic or whatever else outsiders find offensive. Between them and the voluntary nature of some of the rituals, there really is no need for interference by the state except to socially re-engineer Hindu society; it seems Hindus are the only community not guaranteed protection by the constitution from the arbitrary powers of the state.

Only a party that has a coherent position on these issues can be considered to be a Hindu party. The BJP, sadly, is not such a party, although many of its individual members may indeed be devout. For those who support it on cultural grounds, it is seen more as the least anti-Hindu political party than a Hindutva party; it is the tyranny of There-Is-No-Alternative. Interestingly, the demands on these three core Hindu issues is only for equality with other faiths; no special dispensation is sought from other communities nor any largesse from the state. Were any other party to champion these very reasonable causes, it might even put a dent in the BJP's electoral fortunes. Of course, such a move would also need to take into account media spin and the impact on other votebanks.

As for that other adjective - nationalist - that is hurled as an insult at the BJP, one would hope that all parties that seek to govern India are nationalist. Geopolitics is not a graduate history seminar where one has the intellectual luxury of sitting on the fence, above the fray; rather, it is about clearly picking your team and giving it your full-throated support. So about that Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party... Hindu, I doubt it; nationalist, I certainly hope so.
Raipur: Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi is scheduled to visit Giroudhpuri Dham - a popular scheduled caste Satnami community's pilgrim centre - in Chhattisgarh on Monday.

"Rahul Gandhi is expected to arrive at Raipur's Swami Vivekanand airport at around 2 pm from where he will directly leave for Giroudhpuri in a helicopter," Congress' state unit general secretary Shailesh Nitin Trivedi told PTI.

Giroudhpuri, located around 130 kms from the state capital, in Balodabazar district is the birth place of Satnami saint Guru Ghasidas.

A 253-ft high 'Jaitkham' has been erected at the pilgrim centre and is touted as the highest concrete tower in the country.

"The visit of Rahul Gandhi is completely non-political. He is coming to Giroudhpuri dham just to take blessings of Satguru Ghasidas. No public meeting or interaction will be held there," Trivedi said.

AICC General Secretary and Chhattisgarh in-charge B K Hariprasad and AICC treasurer Motilal Vora will also be present during his visit to the state.

However, Gandhi's visit to the dalit community's biggest pilgrim centre in Chhattisgarh is seen by political experts as the Congress' exercise to regain support of Satnami community (SC), which constitutes about 12 per cent of the state's population of 2.5 crore.

In the 2013 Assembly election, the Scheduled Caste voters drifted largely towards BJP even as the Raman Singh government pruned their reservation quota from 16 to 12 per cent.

Contrary to speculations that SCs will support Congress, the BJP bagged 9 out of 10 SC reserved seats, leaving just one for its rival in the previous Assembly polls.

Gandhi's visit is also considered as crucial amid the ongoing tension within the Congress over the Antagarh bypoll fixing row.

PTI
The grassroot revolt in both the local BJP and the AGP in Assam has given a whole new dimension to state politics and unravelled the smooth plans of all the leaders of the two parties. It has also opened up the space for the Congress which, according to all calculations, would have found it difficult to breach the rock solid BJP-AGP wall. But now with the disaffected from all parties making a bee line for the Congress, the contest is wide open and talk of a hung assembly is very much in the air.

The situation may change in the course of the campaign but for now, no clear winner is in sight. At one point, the BJP-AGP alliance was called off due to opposition from the rank and file. But leaders of both parties realised that unless they combine, it would be difficult to carry the state. This is especially true for the regional party, which grew out of the anti-foreigner agitation launched by the student leaders in the early eighties. The AGP has been consistently losing ground. The top leadership of the AGP knows this well, so despite protests from the cadres, they decided to go for an alliance with the BJP. The AGP has got just 24 seats in the 126-member assembly though the original demand was for 40 seats. This has infuriated the workers and led to disappointed aspirants crossing over to the Congress. The alliance was hammered out between the AGP and the BJP central leadership in New Delhi.

The tussle over seats finally led to the revolt by a section of the AGP and BJP hopefuls. Two senior BJP leaders have gone over to the waiting arms of the Congress. They are Sankar Prasad Ray, a former AASU president and well-known lawyer Rabda Ram Rabha, an important tribal leaders from lower Assam. Rabha was with the AGP but quit the regional party to join the BJP bandwagon in 2014. He was hoping to contest the Assembly polls from the Tamalpur assembly segment. The BJP had, however, promised the seat to its other ally the Bodoland Peoples Front (BPF) An angry Rabha quit the party and joined the Congress. Sherman Ali and Ataur Rahman Bhuyan, two prominent leaders of the AIUDF, have also quit and hot footed to the Congress. A breakaway group has also formed the Trinamool AGP, but chances of them winning appear dim.

The BJP-AGP combine in 2001 state assembly electins had yielded little. The two were together also for the 2004 and 2009 national polls without much success. The best results for the BJP was in 2014 national elections, when riding on the countrywide Modi wave, it won seven of the 14 Lok Sabha seats. In 2009, the BJP managed to win 4 seats. The BJP graph has been steadily rising in Assam, where there is the xenophobia of Bangladeshi immigrants taking over the state.

The BJP, particularly Prime Minister Narendra Modi, had in the past often spoken out against illegal migrants from Bangladesh. So when as Prime minister, he had asked Assam to give a little land to Bangladesh when fixing the land border with India, there was resentment in the state. The UPA government, which had worked it out with Dhaka earlier, had been severely criticised by the AGP and student leaders for this. The local unit of the BJP had warned the party leadership about this, but Prime Minister Modi, realising the importance of getting the Land Border Agreement sealed, did not heed the party plea.

The other niggle with the BJP in Assam was the Prime Minister asking the state to take some Hindu Bangladeshi refugees. Despite these minor hiccups, Narendra Modi and the BJP continue to be embraced by the Assamese middle class.

Considering that the Congress has been in power for three consecutive terms, many want a change. However, Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi, leading the Congress campaign, is unfazed about incumbency. "People are happy with my government. You can take it from me, we will form the government by ourselves." The three-time chief minister shrugged off incumbency, saying that people are happy with him, including the Assamese middle class. He refuses to accept that by and large, the Assamese living in urban centres have long been alienated from the Congress. "No, who said so? Government school teachers, lecturers in private colleges, our government regularized all their jobs and these people will vote for the Congress," Gogoi claimed.

Tarun Gogoi is supremely confident, and perhaps this may have something to do with the fact that sections of Muslims in Assam are getting back to the Congress. This is more so in lower Assam, where there is a drift away from the All India United Democratic Front of Badruddin Ajamal, a prominent Muslim leader of the state. Ajmals AIUDF is responsible for breaking the Congress parties Muslim vote bank.

Gogoi has also wooing the rural masses. This winter, his government distributed blankets and cotton thread to the poor. The thread is for the home looms. Assamese women usually have a loom in their backyard, where they weave their traditional clothes at home. Whether these free bees will do the trick for Gogoi is hard to foretell.

The fact is whether he wins or loses, the Congress is giving the BJP a run for its money. Many believe this is not so much a reflection of the Congress strength as the weakness of the BJP.
Aden(Yemen): At least 17 suspected Al-Qaeda members and two policemen have been killed in two days of clashes in Yemen's Aden, the southern city serving as the government's temporary base, security sources said Sunday.

Clashes resumed Sunday after a short period of calm overnight in the central Mansura district, a stronghold of jihadists.

Warplanes and Apache helicopters from a Saudi-led coalition have carried out air strikes in support of security forces, security sources said.

"At least 17 Al-Qaeda fighters and two policemen have been killed since Saturday," a security official told AFP, adding that most of the jihadists were killed in air raids.

Dozens of gunmen in balaclavas carrying the Al-Qaeda flag deployed to push back police trying to enter the neighbourhood, witnesses said Saturday.

The police said in a statement that fighting against the "armed terrorist gangs in Mansura will continue to ensure the safety of residents" in Yemen's main southern city.

Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group have taken advantage of the conflict between Iran-backed Huthi insurgents and pro-government forces to reinforce their presence in the south, including in Aden.

More than 6,100 people have died -- half of them civilians -- since the coalition launched air strikes against the Shiite rebels and their allies in March 2015, according to the UN.

AFP
BEIRUT Syria's government on Saturday ruled out any discussion of the fate of the presidency at peace talks this week, just as the lead opposition negotiator said a political transition could not even start unless Bashar al-Assad was no longer president.

The statements reflected the huge challenges facing diplomats as they prepare for talks to resume in Geneva on Monday, trying to build on a ceasefire deal that has reduced violence sharply since February 27.

Foreign Minister Walid al-Moualem confirmed his government's participation but said the talks would fail if the opposition had "delusions that they will take power in Geneva that they failed to take in battle".

He also heaped criticism on U.N. envoy Staffan de Mistura for already presenting an agenda for the talks and for saying that a presidential election would take place in 18 months.

"The government delegation will reject any attempt to put this on the agenda," Moualem told a televised news conference.

"We will not talk to anyone who talks about the position of the presidency ... I advise them that if this is their thinking, they shouldn't come to the talks."

Within hours, opposition negotiator Mohamad Alloush, already in Geneva, had described Moualem's comments as worthless.

"We consider that the transitional period starts with the fall of Bashar al-Assad or his death," he told reporters. "There's no possibility to start this period with the presence of this regime or the head of this regime in the power."

Another negotiator, Monzer Makhous, said Moualem was "putting the nails in the coffin of Geneva".

The talks will coincide with next week's fifth anniversary of a war that has killed more than 250,000 people, created the world's worst refugee crisis, and allowed for the expansion of the Islamic State militant group.

They are part of the first diplomatic push since the Russian air force intervened in September to support Assad, tilting the war his way and helping Damascus reclaim significant areas in the west.

The ceasefire agreement, brokered by the United States and Russia, has been more widely respected than many expected, though fighting has continued on some important fronts, including near the Turkish border.

TRANSITIONAL BODY

Alloush's High Negotiations Committee (HNC) has praised the agenda outlined by de Mistura focused on governance, a new constitution and elections.

The HNC wants to focus on a transitional governing body with full executive powers as outlined in a 2012 Geneva communique in an early bid to end the conflict.

A U.N. Security Council resolution approved in December called for the establishment of "credible, inclusive, and non-sectarian governance", a new constitution, and free and fair elections within 18 months.

Moualem indicated that a "national unity government" with opposition participation was the most on offer, an idea ruled out by the HNC.

He said the government delegation would be willing to discuss de Mistura's agenda and would travel to Geneva on Sunday, but would return to Damascus within 24 hours if the other side did not show up.

As far as the government was concerned, "political transition" meant a transition from the existing constitution to a new one, and from the existing government to a new one with participation from the other side, he added.

KURDS

The diplomacy has been complicated by disputes over who should be invited to negotiate with the government.

The Kurdish PYD party, which holds sway over wide areas of northern Syria, has so far been excluded from the talks in line with the wishes of Turkey - which sees the PYD as an extension of the PKK rebels fighting for Kurdish autonomy inside its territory.

Moualem said the Syrian army and the Kurds were in "one trench" fighting Islamic State, apparently in reference to the YPG militia, the PYD's armed wing, which has been battling the jihadist group in northern Syria with support from U.S.-led air strikes.

But Moualem ruled out the idea of federalism, one of the ideas backed by the PYD and mentioned by a Russian minister as a possible model for Syria.

The Russian Defence Ministry said it had registered 10 ceasefire violations in the previous 24 hours, but the truce was largely being respected.

Rebels did, however, shoot down a Syrian government warplane over western Syria on Saturday, rebels and a military source said, although there were conflicting accounts on whether it had been brought down by a missile or anti-aircraft guns.

Rebels have previously shot down Syrian warplanes with anti-aircraft guns.

They have asked foreign backers to supply them with anti-aircraft missiles but say they have not received any, reflecting fears that they could fall into the hands of Islamic State.

(Additional reporting by Omar Fahmy in Cairo and Marina Depetris, Firas Makdesi, Yara Abi Nader and Tom Miles in Geneva; Writing by Tom Perry and Kevin Liffey; Editing by Alistair Bell)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
Lahore: Mumbai attack mastermind Hafiz Mohammad Saeed on Sunday criticised the Nawaz Sharif government for banning the coverage of his Jamaat-ud-Dawah (JuD) in Pakistani media, claiming it was under the direction of the US that such a step was taken.

"The order to ban the JuD (on media) has not come from Islamabad but from Washington," he said in a statement issued in Lahore.

The Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority on 2 November had restrained all Pakistani television channels from "all kinds of coverage" of the JuD, its front Falah-e-Insaniat Foundation and about 60 other proscribed organisations and their leaders.

The 66-year-old - who orchestrated the 2008 Mumbai terror attack in which 166 people were killed but roams around freely in Pakistan - also questioned the 'liberal agenda' Sharif is trying to 'impose' in Pakistan for which he is being praised in the Western media, in an apparent reference to a recent Washington Post article.

The Post had praised Sharif for his liberal agenda, saying the "shift in tone can be traced to Sharif's ambitious economic agenda, the influence his 42-year-old daughter (Maryam Nawaz) has over him, and his awareness that Pakistan remains the butt of jokes, according to his friends, senior government officials and analysts".

PTI
CAIRO/ADEN Forces loyal to Yemen's president have broken a siege by the Iranian-allied Houthis around the strategic Yemeni city of Taiz, local fighters and residents said on Saturday, as the United States raised the possibility of a Syrian-style truce in Yemen.

At least 48 people were killed in heavy clashes in Yemen's third biggest city, medics and local fighters said, and at least 120 were wounded. Witnesses said there were bodies scattered in the streets.

Supporters of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi, backed by a Saudi-led Arab coalition, have been trying for months to lift the siege of the southwestern city and open up supply routes.

The coalition has been trying for a year to roll back gains by the Houthi militia and restore Hadi, who is currently in Saudi Arabia. The war has killed more than 6,000 people and displaced millions.

The reported capture of the western entrance to Taiz, nearly half of whose 250,000 residents had been trapped since May, was hailed by the pro-Hadi Sabanew news agency as a major breakthrough. It said Hadi had telephoned the local military commander to congratulate him.

The rival Houthi-run news agency, Sabanews, acknowledged heavy fighting in Taiz but said fighters from the group had killed 27 fighters loyal to Hadi.

Yemeni Vice President Khaled Bahah, who is also the prime minister, told a news conference in the southern port city of Aden that the Yemeni government was preparing an aid convoy to Taiz to leave soon, but gave no further details.

Bahah also said the government had prepared 1,000 men to impose security in Taiz immediately to avoid a repetition of the lawlessness that had gripped Aden after pro-Hadi forces captured the city from the Houthis in July last year.

The United Nations has accused the Houthis of obstructing the delivery of humanitarian supplies to civilians in Taiz, saying residents had been living under "virtual siege".

The Houthis and troops loyal to their ally, former president Ali Abdullah Saleh, remain entrenched in much of the northern half of Yemen, including the capital Sanaa. Islamist militants have exploited the chaos to widen their influence.

POSSIBILITY OF CEASEFIRE

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, who met Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir at Hafr al-Batin in northern Saudi Arabia, said they discussed the possibility of a ceasefire in Yemen similar to the arrangement that has been implemented in Syria.

"We both agree that it would be desirable to see if we can find a similar approach, as we did in Syria, to try to get a ceasefire," Kerry said, referring to the truce that has largely held for two weeks in Syria.

Jubeir said Saudi Arabia believed a political settlement that would ensure the Houthis abided by common understandings reached before the Houthi capture of Sanaa would pave the way to a solution.

"We reiterated to the secretary of state our commitment as expressed by the GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) heads of state to embark on a long-term reconstruction and development plan for Yemen once the hostilities have ended," Jubeir said.

A delegation from the Houthis is currently in Saudi Arabia for talks on facilitating humanitarian aid to Yemen.

The visit, which Yemeni officials say may be a precursor to resuming U.N.-sponsored peace talks in Switzerland after two unfruitful rounds last year, came after Saudi Arabia and the Houthis exchanged prisoners last week.

(Reporting by Mohammed Ghobari in Cairo and Mohammed Mukhashaf in Aden; Writing by Sami Aboudi; Editing by Andrew Bolton)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
Nepal: Nepali villager Sunita Magar thought she was heading to a safe factory job in Kuwait, but only when she landed in Damascus did she realise "something had gone very wrong".

Frequently beaten with a baton and given only one meal a day, Magar says she spent 13 months working as a maid for a Syrian household and pleading to be allowed to go home.

"I was just in shock, I couldn't stop crying," the single mother-of-two told AFP.

Magar is among scores of poor Nepali and Bangladeshi women who travelled to the Middle East on the promise of a good job, only to be trafficked into Syria, wracked by five years of civil war.

Nepal's top diplomat in the region said nationals from the Philippines, Indonesia and other countries, which, like Nepal and Bangladesh, have large migrant labour populations, stopped working in Syria because of the dangers involved.

"Since then traffickers have been targeting Nepalis," said Kaushal Kishor Ray, head of Nepal's diplomatic mission based in Cairo.

"The numbers have gone up hugely in recent years, we estimate there must be around 500 Nepali women in Syria," Ray told AFP.

In nearby Bangladesh, Shahinoor Begum lies in a Dhaka hospital bed recovering from her seven-month ordeal after being trafficked into Syria as a sex slave.

"I was sold to a Syrian man who tortured and raped me every day, sometimes along with his friends," Begum, also a single mother-of-two, said.

"I begged for mercy, but they didn't have any. Instead they used to beat me so badly that I broke my arms," she told AFP.

Accompanied by labour agents, the 28-year-old and several other women left Bangladesh on the promise of working as maids in Jordan.

But they too were taken to Syria, where fighting between the regime and rebel forces has left more than 260,000 dead and displaced more than half the population.

Begum eventually developed kidney disease, prompting traffickers to contact her ageing mother to demand money for her safe return home.

Lieutenant Colonel Golam Sarwar said his team from Bangladesh's elite Rapid Action Battalion are investigating her case and two others -- although families of 43 other women have lodged similar complaints.

"Bangladesh is apparently a soft target for the traffickers," Sarwar told AFP.

'Always afraid'

Criminal networks target nationals from Nepal and Bangladesh in part because their governments have little diplomatic influence in the region and no embassy in Syria.

A Nepal government ban on migrant workers travelling to Syria has failed to stop the traffickers, an International Labour Organization (ILO) official said.

"Nepal's government thinks a ban is the easiest solution, it basically allows them to wipe their hands of the issue," said Bharati Pokharel, ILO national project coordinator in Kathmandu.

"India has much more diplomatic clout than Nepal or Bangladesh and traffickers are aware of this. They know Nepal is weak and that they will face no legal action for their activities," Pokharel told AFP.

Illiterate, trusting and desperate to dig herself out of poverty, Magar didn't hesitate when a labour broker approached her with a promise of a well-paid job in Kuwait. The 23-year-old says she didn't realise she had been duped until the plane landed in Damascus.

"I was always exhausted, always hungry, always afraid," Magar said of working 20 hours a day for no pay and sleeping on her employer's penthouse balcony.

At night, she listened to Nepali songs to try to drown out occasional sounds of gunfire and bombs and chase away thoughts of suicide.

Corrupt officials

When a massive earthquake hit Nepal last April, Magar stepped up pleas to her employers, who had confiscated her passport, to return home.

They contacted the broker who then demanded payment from Magar's family to ensure her release. Her mother then highlighted the case to local newspapers, kicking off a social media campaign. Expat Nepalis as far afield as Finland and Hong Kong raised $3,800 to pay off her employers.

Magar, who finally arrived in Kathmandu in August, counts herself among the lucky few to have escaped.

Rohit Kumar Neupane's aunt was trafficked to Damascus last spring. She alerted her family via Facebook a few months later, prompting Neupane to repeatedly seek help from government officials without success.

A foreign ministry official said Neupane's request had been forwarded to its overworked embassy in Cairo, which covers nine countries including Syria.

"Frankly, we are not in a position to manage these cases from Cairo...what we need is precautionary action to prevent them from coming to Syria in the first place," said diplomat Ray.

But an apparent nexus between local labour brokers involved in trafficking and corrupt Nepali officials means they operate freely, according to experts.

"Even in the rare instance that a case is filed, it will just drag on with no possibility of resolution or a guilty verdict," said Krishna Gurung, project coordinator at Kathmandu's Pourakhi emergency shelter house for female migrant workers.

In her village of Murali Bhanjyang in central Nepal, Magar has little hope of seeing the traffickers brought to justice.

"I still have nightmares about that time...I start crying in my sleep," she said.

"Sometimes it feels like none of this is real, like I am back on that balcony in Syria, dreaming of Nepal."

AFP
New Delhi: World leaders on Sunday hailed Art of Living (AoL) and its founder Sri Sri Ravi Shankar for holding the World Culture Festival and invited him to their countries.

British Prime Minister David Cameron invited Ravi Shankar to address the House of Commons, the lower house of parliament, while Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull invited AoL to Australia for the next World Culture Festival.

Cameron sent his invitation in a message through his Conservative Party's parliamentarian Matthew Offord who attended the AoL's World Culture Festival here.

"British Prime Minister David Cameron has invited you to address the House of Commons whenever you visit UK next time," Offord said.

"People say that no one can change the world but Sri Sri had made a good start. We are seeing a ray of hope," Cameron was quoted as saying in his message.

"Art of Living foundation promotes peace and understanding," the British prime minister's message said.

The Australian prime minister, who could not turn up for the event, invited Sri Sri through his message to AoL that Australia would love to hold the next festival.

Colombia's President Juan Manuel Santos also sent a message.

"It's a gathering from across the globe to promote values and human life on earth. Sri Sri teaches us that happiness and peace which is inside us. We need to recognise it to be able to live happy. No more fear, hatred, if we only want happiness," he said in his message.

German parliamentarian and deputy chairman of the ruling Christian Democratic Party (CDU) Armin Laschet said: "Twenty-five years ago, there was a wall in Berlin and people were shot dead while crossing it. Today, there's a wall of terror and violence between Russia and Ukraine, in Syria and some part of Africa."

He praised the World Culture Festival calling it an "Act of Understanding" which will change the world in coming days.

IANS
Citizens across U.S. have always pushed for the right information about the food that they eat. This is called food labeling.

GMO labelling on the other hand was introduced to give consumers the freedom to choose between GMOs and conventional products. Essentially, if a foodstuff is produced using genetic engineering, this must be indicated on its label. Actual labelling practice, however, is far more complicated - and must be planned and regulated with issues such as feasibility, legal responsibilities, coherence and standardization.

Because American consumers now worry on what they put in their mouth, they question and rally what's in their food and is it safe?

Remember that there was a version of the bill entitled "The Safe and Accurate Food Labeling Act" (when in fact it is what Americans call "Denying Americans the Right to Know," or DARK Act)-passed the House last year, and having it approved by the Senate mean that mandatory GMO labeling will only be a thing of the past.

Now, key debates regarding products that contain genetically modified organisms are aimed at food industries and they are on the defensive.

Just recently, a legislation cleared the Senate Agricultural Committee that would block state-level laws mandating GMO labeling. The legislation, which the committee passed with bipartisan support in a 14-6 vote, favors a voluntary national standard rather than mandatory labeling. It would pre-empt a labeling law in Vermont, the first of its kind in the U.S., that's set to go into effect in July. The bill, backed by Agriculture Committee Chairman Sen. Pat Roberts (R-Kan.), could be called to a Senate vote as early as next week. The House already approved similar legislation last year. Allies and lobbyists of the Roberts bill, which include prominent industry figures like ConAgra, DuPont, Coca-Cola and Walmart, appear confident in the proposal's chances, even as a rival group of senators has proposed alternative legislation.

The alternative bill, introduced last week, aims to protect state-level GMO laws while also working toward a plan that would avoid a national patchwork of conflicting regulations. It is backed by Sens. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Jon Tester (D-Mont.) and Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.).

On the other hand, Democrats' bill outlines four different ways manufacturers can disclose the use of GMOs on the already-required nutrition facts panel. They include a catchall statement that the product was "produced with genetic engineering" at the end of the ingredient list and the inclusion of a symbol developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration that would note the presence of GMOs. Neither front-panel disclosures nor "warnings" would be required.

It is ironic for America when Russia and China recently enacted an embargo on all imports of corn and soy products originating in the U.S.
Usually, peanut and peanut butter consumption are associated with weight gain. However, a recent study found that a group of Hispanic middle school children who were at risk of being obese or overweight were able to reduce their Body Mass Index (BMI) by consuming a snack comprising peanuts!

The findings of the 12-week study undertaken jointly by scientists at the Department of Health and Human Performance (HHP) of University of Houston, Baylor College of Medicine and Texas Woman's University were published recently in the Journal of Applied Research on Children, Science Daily reported.

The study admitted that people generally eat more snacks during their years and if the eating habit is unhealthy, it may result in unwanted weight gain. This is particularly true when a student doesn't eat other meals during his/ her school hours.

According to HHP professor Craig Johnston, currently obesity is among the most burning health issues worldwide and they believe that it is possible to prevent the problem. However, as of now, there is not much that can be done to prevent obesity and weight gain on a large-scale.

Talking about his findings, Johnston said that several children skip meals for a variety of reasons. Usually, school going children return home at about 4.00 p.m. when parents are seldom home to supervise them. As a result, these children normally sit down to watch TV and keep eating various stuff, because they skipped food in school.

During the course of their study, the researchers worked with 257 Latino adolescents from three charter schools in the Houston area via a program that included physical activity as well as nutrition education. Half of these students were given a snack of peanuts or peanut butter thrice or four times a week while the remaining students were given snack less than once a week. The students received the snack just after school when they were about to board the school bus for home. In fact, the researchers opted for peanuts since these nuts are loaded with nutrients that promote a sense of fullness, the University of Houston reported.

At the end of the study, students spent an additional 12 weeks to maintain their healthy snacking habit. After the study, it was found that students ate snacks more regularly experienced a reduction in their overall BMI (-.7kg/m2), than those who did not eat the peanut snack regularly (-.3kg/m2). Researchers arrived at the conclusion that afterschool programs like the one undertaken by them and even schools help the students from becoming obese by replacing unhealthy snacks with healthier alternatives like peanuts, provided the students did not suffer from the allergy to peanuts.
The year may still be young, but 2016 promises to be pivotal for marijuana one way or another.

The expansion of marijuana at the state level is looking like a win-win for residents and legislators. Consumers now have the freedom to purchase legal amounts of marijuana for recreational purposes in four states, and medical marijuana patients in 23 states have access to a new pathway of treatment that may prove safer, cheaper, and more effective than traditional pharmaceutical products.

As for lawmakers, marijuana is packing a tax revenue and licensing fee punch. In Colorado, for example, total marijuana sales hit nearly $1 billion in 2015, generating $135 million in tax and licensing revenue. At least $35 million of this has been earmarked for Colorado's education system, with other funds likely being parsed out to law enforcement agencies and drug abuse programs. The money comes out of the pockets of marijuana-based businesses and marijuana consumers, meaning it's not a statewide tax increase, which is something most residents of these states can get behind.

But the 800-pound gorilla in the room remains the federal government. President Obama doesn't have marijuana on his agenda in the final year of his second term, and Congressional lawmakers seem content to wait until more comprehensive safety data is available on marijuana.

Unfortunately for supporters of the drug, a study released last week didn't exactly strengthen the case for federal approval.

Evoking all the wrong emotions

According to a study released by Colorado State University and published in the journal PLOS ONE on Feb. 29, 2016, people who use marijuana may have a tougher time processing emotions compared to persons who don't use marijuana.

Lucy Troup, assistant professor of psychology at CSU, conducted experiments on 70 people over the course of two years. The group consisted of either medical marijuana users, recreational marijuana users, or non-marijuana users. Researchers used an electroencephalogram (EEG) to measure P3 event-related brain activities of these 70 participants, first asking them to pay attention to an emotion and then identify it, and later on asking them to focus on the sex of the face being shown and then identify the emotion.

The findings? According to Troup and her team, marijuana users and marijuana non-users had indistinguishable scores when they were asked to explicitly define the emotion they were looking at. That's good news.

However, the study notes that cannabis users scored much lower than non-users in the second portion of the test where it came to implicitly identifying emotions. Marijuana users also had a tougher time empathizing with the emotions they were presented with. The data suggested that there may be some compensatory factor involved considering that there was no difference with the explicit identification test, but it appeared that some adverse effect was realized by cannabis users overall. Researchers concluded that their findings merit further research.

Inaction leads to big disadvantages

It's important to keep in mind that researchers see a need to conduct additional research, and that we're only talking about 70 participants, which isn't what I would personally deem representative of the U.S. population. Thus, if there are rays of sunshine to take away from CSU's study, it's that correlation does not equate to causation -- at least not yet.

However, the findings still aren't encouraging. Congress needs an impetus to consider taking up marijuana legislation, and studies that highlight potentially adverse effects on the human brain aren't likely to accomplish that.

The big issue is that inaction from the federal government is placing marijuana businesses at two major disadvantages.

First, since the federal government still views the marijuana plant as illegal, banks have kept their distance. In fact, just 3% of the nation's banks are providing financial services to the marijuana industry despite most medical or recreation-legal states having laws in place that act as a workaround. Without access to basic banking services, including lines of credit, marijuana business expansion has been challenging, and security has been compromised since cash is the only form of payment in many instances.

The other issue is that in spite of being illegal at the federal level, marijuana retailers, growers, and processors are still required to pay federal income taxes. Worst of all, they aren't allowed to take normal business deductions like rent.

This is a tough set of challenges for marijuana businesses to overcome, and without the support of the federal government it could be difficult for many to survive over the long run. My personal suggestion, as it's been for years, is to keep your investable money far away from the marijuana industry until the federal government changes its stance.
what about the pollution created to mine and ship , manufacture and create the parts and pieces needed to create one of these green cars ? i know this is created by the manufacture of all automobiles but why doesn't anyone take this into consideration ? plus as mentioned by the disposal of all the dain batteries used in these vehicles ? Also do not most of these turds use a gas engine tp keep a charge in them ? So they pollute that way too hmmmmm. i cannot remember where i found the charts online but the building of my 53 and the pollution it has created over it's lifespan doesn't even come close to the pollution just to create one of these "green" cars . and as mentioned they get the charge / electricity from power plants that are probably bigger gross polluters than any number of conventional cars and trucks , so in the end these green cars are just someones attempt at selling / brainwashing the public into believing all the rhetoric that they spew about them being the wave of the future and being better for our environment ................ i grew up snorting dead dino fumes and not volts and i intend to stay that way . as far as him being fined well all i got to say it's about time someone slapped one of these tree hugger eco freak , self righteous posers with a fine ......
The terrorist attack in the Ivory Coast Sunday most likely targeted a US delegation led by the assistant commerce secretary visiting the country, a diplomatic source in the region tells Fox News.

Assistant Secretary of Commerce Marcus Jadotte was leading a group of Americans in Grand-Bassam, located 25 miles east of the capital city of Abidjan, including college recruiters from the University of Florida. US embassy officials from Abidjan were also included in the group, according to the source.

The delegation was supposed to arrive at the scene of the attack at a hotel popular with Westerners, Etoile du Sud. The delegation had not made it to the hotel before the attack took place.

No terrorist group has claimed responsibility for the attack, but a jihadist group called Ansar Dine, or "defenders of the faith," linked to al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb is suspected, according to the source.

The US Embassy in Ivory Coast has instructed all Americans to "shelter in place."

There is no indication any Americans have been killed or wounded in the attack, according to the source. The US ambassador to the Ivory Coast was not in the country at the time of the attack having left to attend a worldwide chief of mission or ambassadors conference in Washington led by Secretary of State John Kerry this week.

The attack in Cote d'Ivoire Sunday is the third West African attack by Islamic militants against popular establishments frequented by Westerners since November.

In November, an attack on the Radisson Blu hotel in Malis capital city of Bamako left 20 dead. A US special forces soldier assisted in evacuating the wounded.

In January, an attack in Burkina Faso's capital city killed 30 at a popular hotel including an American missionary, Mike Riddering sitting at a cafe across the street from the hotel.

The Ivory Coast attacks followed a deadly blast in Turkey. As reported by Foxnews.com, an "explosive-laden vehicle" blew up near an Ankara bus stop on Sunday, killing at least 32 people and wounding 75 others, according to Turkish security officials and the Ankara governor's office.
Image source: Flickr user Florian Schwalsberger.

Amid the bickering of this year's presidential debates, a number of issues have emerged. Perhaps none has worked its way into the limelight more than Social Security.

Often thought of as America's most important entitlement program, Social Security is designed to provide a financial foundation for low-income retirees during their golden years, as well as supply income to disabled persons and survivors of deceased workers. Unfortunately, Social Security's current path is unsustainable, and both the voting public and politicians vying for the White House know it.

Social Security is coming to a crossroads Based on the most recent Social Security Trustees' report, the program can continue making benefits payments without any changes for roughly 19 more years. However, by 2035 the cash reserves for the Old Age, Survivors and Disability Insurance Trust will be depleted. The end result is that a 21% cut in benefits would be needed to sustain the program (and payments) for another 52 years.

Why is this happening? It's pretty much a result of two major demographic shifts. First, people are living longer than ever before in the United States. Based on the latest data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the average American is living to be about 79 years old, or about nine years longer than five decades prior. If beneficiaries are living longer, it means the ability to pull benefits for a longer period of time, thus draining the OASDI.

The other issue is that baby boomers are retiring in growing numbers. As boomers shift out of the workforce, there simply isn't enough payroll tax revenue being generated by new workers and existing workers to cover the expected jump in payments to eligible beneficiaries.

In sum, Social Security needs some tweaking -- but the nature of that tweaking has long been up to debate.

Image source: Flickr user Ninian Reid.

Donald Trump's hypothetical Social Security fixes pose serious concerns Many of the candidates for president have released some detail as to how they would counter the pressure Social Security is facing. However, one candidate who's withdrawn from the Social Security debate is Republican front-runner Donald Trump.

It's not uncommon for presidential candidates to reveal their stance on issues in slivers as opposed to giant press releases, but it's somewhat interesting that Trump hasn't revealed his stance on Social Security, a major issue concerning nearly all Americans, during this election cycle (with the exception of stating in October that he'd give up his Social Security benefits in retirement, and calling on other well-to-do persons to do the same).

Yet, in spite of Trump's relative silence, we do have more than a decade's worth of his views on Social Security that can be pored over. Prior to his current presidential run, Trump has been vocal about a handful of "fixes" that he believed would be best for Social Security. Today, we'll look at two of Trump's hypothetical solutions to fix Social Security, as well as how dangerous his two plans could actually be.

1. Privatize a portion of the programOK, so you'll need to dust off your way-back machine for this, but back in January 2000 Donald Trump released The America We Deserve, a book that highlighted a number of fixes to problems that were at the time plaguing America. Among the problems Trump covered was Social Security. The following is a passage from Trump's book:

Image source: Pixabay.

On one hand, the idea of being able to invest a portion of my Social Security benefits as I see fit sounds great to me. Then again, I've been actively researching individual stocks for almost two decades. Some Americans simply don't have the time, dedication, or financial know-how to manage investment accounts on their own. If Americans were allowed to make investment decisions with their Social Security benefits and wound up losing money, it could put them in a precarious financial position in retirement. Additionally, lower-income workers might be more liable to take unnecessary investments risks in order to make up for their low wages, thus increasing their chances of losing money.

Privatizing any portion of the program could prove dangerous.

2. Do nothingIn 2013, at a Conservative Political Action Conference, Trump announced that trying to adversely change Social Security, Medicare, or Medicaid during an election simply wasn't a smart move. Here's what Trump actually said according to The Washington Times,

This statement, which is only from three years ago, could help explain why Trump has avoided taking a firm stance on fixing Social Security. Trump's fellow Republicans have offered a number of solutions, including Ted Cruz, Trump's primary competitor within the Republican Party, who would partially privatize Social Securityas well as raise the retirement age. Raising the retirement age to reflect an aging population is a common solution for Republicans, but one that Trump has avoided endorsing.

Image source: Flickr user Bruce Krasting.

Trump's lack of clarity on the issue could signify that his best solution might be to simply kick the can down the road for another day. Doing nothing will indeed solve Social Security's imminent funding shortfall, but in 19 years it'll ultimately result in a 21% benefits haircut. This reduction in benefits could be catastrophic for low-income Americans relying on Social Security as their primary source of income in retirement. Furthermore, doing nothing could strain income security programs that are in place to ensure that retirees have access to affordable food and housing.

If there is some solace here, Trump in 2011 also referred to Social Security as "honoring a deal," so it doesn't look as if he'd let the program wither away. However, his inaction also implies he might be willing to do nothing during his presidential term, leaving a decision on the program's future to someone else.

Keep this in mind It's important to once again point out that we're looking at Trump's proposals from a hypothetical standpoint. It's not uncommon for politicians' views on an issue to evolve over time, so it's possible Trump's current views no longer match up with what he had to say three or 16 years prior. However, the simple fact that Trump has only scratched the surface on a Social Security fix, combined with his prior commentary, is a bit worrisome for lower-income retirees and pre-retirees who may be forced to rely on Social Security for a substantial portion of their income in retirement.

In the coming weeks and months I would look for Trump to heed the voting public's concerns regarding Social Security and issue a somewhat detailed plan on how he'd propose to fix it. Until then, we can only speculate on whether Trump will rely on one of his previously discussed solutions.

The article Donald Trump's 2 Potentially Dangerous Approaches to Fixing Social Security originally appeared on Fool.com.

Sean Williamshas no material interest in any 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 has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. Try any of our Foolish newsletter servicesfree for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe thatconsidering a diverse range of insightsmakes us better investors. The Motley Fool has adisclosure policy.

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The good news is red wine can cure cancer. The bad news is you'd need to drink 100 glasses a day.

While David Sinclair doesn't recommend that, his work has shown red wine can have health benefits after all. And if things according to plan, they'll be available in a 'red wine pill.'

The Australian biologist said an international study, published Friday in the journal Science, had settled a controversy over whether resveratrol, a natural compound found in red wine, can fight cancer, Alzheimer's and type 2 diabetes.

Ten years ago scientists found resveratrol could activate a sirtuin protein known to combat age-related diseases. But the claim was disputed because the reaction could only be observed when a fluorescent chemical known as fluorophore was present.

The new study, which also involved American and Portuguese researchers, showed resveratrol could have the desired effect in the absence of the synthetic chemical.

Sinclair, who shares his time between Harvard and the University of NSW, said fluorophore mimicked greasy amino acids that exist naturally in the body.

It's as we thought  resveratrol really does turn on this anti-aging enzyme," Sinclair said.

It's more elegant and exciting than just mopping up free radicals. It's activating our body's genetic defenses against aging and diseases. That's probably more effective than any anti-oxidant.

On the downside, red wine only contains low concentrations of the compound. But Sinclair said synthetic drugs that work the same way but with 100 times the potency could be available in five years.

About 4,000 varieties of the drug have been developed since 2005, with the more promising versions tested on mice and three progressing to human trials.

The studies are small so we can't claim victory yet, but the drugs appear to be safe in humans so far, Sinclair said.

He was open to the possibility that small doses of resveratrol could be beneficial. But drinking a glass or two won't cure any major diseases. It's not potent enough.

Click for more from The Australian.
About the only thing Kevin Flynn enjoys more than drinking his home-brewed beer is sharing it with fellow beer club members at festivals and tasting competitions. So Flynn and his buddies were shocked to discover that Wisconsin law prohibits sharing homemade suds anywhere outside the brewer's home.

The law could "pretty much be the end of competitions in Wisconsin," he lamented. "At least legal ones."

An explosion of interest in home brewing is forcing lawmakers across the country to review long-forgotten alcohol laws, some of which date back to Prohibition. Although the old rules have rarely been enforced, beer enthusiasts fear they could criminalize the rapidly growing hobby and kill scores of annual tasting events that bring tourists to small towns and cities.

In Wisconsin, Flynn and other home brewers may soon be off the hook. The state Legislature last week passed a bill to allow them to transport homemade beer and wine and to share it with other adults. Brewers will still not be permitted to sell anything they make, and they will remain exempt from permit requirements and taxes.

The proposal now heads to Gov. Scott Walker, who plans to sign it into law.

At least 17 states have ambiguous laws on whether home brewers can transport beer or wine outside the home, according to the American Homebrewers Association in Boulder, Colorado.

The patchwork of rules can be frustrating for hobbyists who would prefer to spend their time exchanging recipes for pale ale or rhapsodizing about different varieties of hops, barley and yeast.

Some states -- including Georgia and South Carolina -- have restrictions similar to Wisconsin's.

In Kansas and Minnesota, home brewers can only make beverages for themselves or family members. Other states permit homemade beer and wine to be consumed by guests, too, as in Arizona, Hawaii, Idaho and Illinois.

A few states have been slow to accommodate the trend. Utah just legalized home brewing in 2009, and Oklahoma followed in 2010. Mississippi and Alabama are the only states that still forbid it.

Dan Grady of the Wisconsin Homebrewers Alliance, who led the legislative effort to revise Wisconsin's law, said beer-makers need to be watchful in case states try to use the issue to generate money for their tight budgets.

"States are under enormous pressure. It's a revenue issue," he said. "Everything is on the table these days."

Gary Glass, director of the home brewers association, said it's a balancing act when considering whether to pursue a change in the law.

"The question becomes, at what point does a home brewing community want to take on having the law changed if it's not really having an impact to what they're doing?"

Glass, who organizes the group's popular national conference, said he's had trouble securing a venue in states with vague home brewing laws. The conference, which changes its location annually, brings in $500,000 to local economies.

A grassroots reform effort succeeded last year in Oregon, where the law had been similar to Wisconsin's. Glass, who helped draft Wisconsin's bill, said the legislation's demise would have set a bad precedent for home brewing.

"In this economy, you're stifling an industry that's growing," he said. "It sounds like a bad move."

More than ever, people with little or no experience brewing beer or other fermented beverages are investing in kits and ingredients to make their own. The hobby has expanded into a vibrant beer culture, with brewers freely sharing their concoctions among neighbors and friends and in clubs and competitions.

Last year, there were 411 beer competitions sanctioned by the home brewers association and the Beer Judge Certification Program. That's up from fewer than 100 in the early 1990s.

"Back in the day, everybody thought home brewing would just be what your grandfather would do," said Jason Heindel, president of the Beer Barons of Milwaukee Cooperative.

Home brewing has also helped invigorate the booming craft brewing industry. And it's generated a cottage industry of its own. An annual survey of brewing supply shops around the country showed an increase in sales for beginner brewing kits, according to the home brewing association.

Home brewing was illegal in the United States until 1978, when the federal government lifted Prohibition-era restrictions on making alcohol in the home. The revised law allowed homemade beer and wine to be offered at tasting competitions but also left most alcohol regulations up to individual states. So many states have their own home-brewing rules that supersede federal policies.

In Wisconsin last year, brewers were caught off guard when the state Department of Revenue ruled that it was illegal for home brewers to share beer outside the home. The decision came after Racine officials inquired about a contest known as the Schooner Home Brew Competition.

After the department's announcement, organizers quietly moved the contest, one of the state's largest, from Racine to nearby Union Grove. But they didn't advertise it because they feared possible fines.

Grady said home brewers in other states can learn from Wisconsin.

"Home brewers need to look at their state law, because they might be just as ambiguous as Wisconsin," he said. "And if there's ambiguity, they need to contact their lawmakers to get them clarified, much like we're doing here."
On the heels of Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker's history-making recall victory, the governor of nearby Indiana with his own record of curtailing union benefits suggested public-sector unions are past their prime and should be abolished.

"I think, really, government works better without them," Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels told "Fox News Sunday," when asked whether public-worker unions should even exist.

Daniels had cracked down on collective bargaining for state workers as soon as he took office in 2005, six years before Walker and his GOP allies in the state legislature started down the same path -- triggering a backlash that forced him to stand for election this past Tuesday. Walker made history as the first governor to survive the recall test, beating Democrat Tom Barrett.

Daniels said that vote should send a message about the problems with public-sector unions.

"I think the message is that, first of all, voters are seeing the fundamental unfairness of government becoming its own special interest group, sitting on both sides of the table," he said.

The pushback on union benefits extends far beyond Wisconsin. In California, voters in San Diego and San Jose just backed ballot measures to curtail retirement benefits for city workers. Speaking on CBS' "Face the Nation," Walker said he thinks his victory is a sign that Americans want "people willing to take on the tough issues" in his state and "across the country."

Daniels said private-sector unions, while in decline in America, remain "necessary." But he suggested the public-sector unions have hobbled governments by gobbling up taxpayer resources with generous benefits and salaries and "bulletproof" job protections.

Daniels said he hopes Tuesday's election marks "some kind of turning point" in addressing the public union system.

Top representatives of that system, though, pushed back on the idea that the Wisconsin election opens the door to a dismantling of public-union benefits.

Dennis Van Roekel, president of the National Education Association, said Walker's victory was in part a product of "unlimited corporate funding in elections." He said Walker's side simply was able to push out its message better than the governor's opponents.

AFL-CIO Deputy Chief of Staff Thea Lee said the public does support pensions for public- and private-sector workers.

"That's something that people do support at the end of the day. We have to figure out how to fund it, we have to figure out how to make it viable, but I don't think that voters in this country want to go to a place where our elderly people are living in poverty," she said. "When times are tough, people are trying to figure out who's to blame, but we need to be able to fund our public sector."

Public-sector workers continue to enjoy better benefits than in the private sector. About 64 percent of private-sector workers have access to pensions, compared with 90 percent of state and local government workers. Private-sector workers earn an average of $8.53 in benefits per hour, while government workers earn $14.31 in benefits per hour.

Lee, though, said government workers are not overpaid when salaries are taken into consideration, noting that highly skilled professionals like doctors make less in the public than private sectors.

She said the debate should focus on how the private sector can offer better retirement benefits, not on how the public sector can offer fewer benefits.
It used to be that taking a bite of a chicken sandwich just meant you were hungry. Now it has become a symbol of whether you stand for or against same-sex marriage, or  alternately  the right to express your personal views without fear of retaliation.

At Chick-fil-A locations across the country, people voted with their wallets today, coming out to express support for the fast-food chain after CEO Dan Cathy said in an interview that he is a firm backer of traditional marriage.

I believe what the Bible says (about marriage), Chauncy Fields told us after wolfing down a breakfast of chicken and biscuits. So I came out here to support Chick-fil-A and the movement.

Chris Johnson sees a double standard. He (Dan Cathy) said the exact same thing that President Obama said, Johnson told Fox News -- referring to the presidents past opposition to gay marriage  And he gets negativity, and Obama gets positivity.

At one Atlanta location, the restaurant was packed, while the line for the drive-thru looped twice around the building and out into the street.



The backlash across the country against Chick-fil-A has been ferocious. After the mayors of Chicago and Boston heaped scorn upon the company, the mayor of Washington, DC, suggested it was peddling hate chicken.

Those comments drew a sharp response from Rev. William Owens of the Coalition of African American Pastors. Some people are saying that because of the position that Chick-fil-A is taking, they dont want them in their cities. It is a disgrace. It is the same thing that happened when I was marching for civil rights, when they didnt want a black to come into their restaurant," he told a press conference in Washington, DC.

The Chick-fil-A firestorm has taken on different meanings for different people. For some, it harks to the days of intolerance and segregation. For others, it is about religious views of marriage. But for most people who Fox News spoke to today, it is about free speech.

I think it comes down to a First Amendment issue. I mean, I do believe in the traditional values of marriage between a man and a woman, youth pastor Stephen Lenahan told Fox News after a leisurely breakfast with three members of his ministry. He is also puzzled as to why Dan Cathy is such a target, when other corporate CEOs who openly support same-sex marriage are not similarly criticized by conservatives.

Lenahan says he sees a bigger issue at work here. There is kind of a culture war going on and people arent really respecting each other and difference of opinion. Theres no dialogue taking place to get to the heart of what we really believe as a nation and what is truth.

Chick-fil-A Appreciation Day  as it is being called was the idea of former Arkansas governor and Fox News contributor Mike Huckabee. But as protests against Chick-fil-A swelled across the country, dozens of groups and prominent individuals joined in support of the company.

Among the groups is Project 21, a black conservative activist organization. One of its members, Demetrios Minor, said critics of Dan Cathy have taken his statements completely out of context. I think liberals are missing a vital point in their blind hatred of Chick-fil-A, Minor said in a statement sent to Fox News. Being against gay marriage is not being anti-gay.

Crtitics of Chick-fil-A argue that the companys opposition to gay marriage goes well beyond Dan Cathys statements. Over the years, its philanthropic wing, WinShape, has donated millions of dollars to outside organizations that actively lobby against efforts to legalize same-sex marriage.

On Friday, supporters of same-sex marriage will have their say. They plan a kiss-in at Chick-fil-A restaurants across the country  encouraging gays and lesbians to share a public display of affection at the home of the chicken sandwich.
During the next presidential debate, the candidates will be pondering the important questions of our time. But the most controversial may be "Sausage or pepperoni?"

Pizza Hut is offering a lifetime of free pizza  one large pie a week for 30 years  or a check for $15,600 to anyone who poses the question to either President Barack Obama or Republican candidate Mitt Romney during the live Town Hall-style debate next Tuesday.

The proposed stunt, which the pizza chain announced Tuesday, is unlikely to happen because of the strict rules that these types of debates typically follow. But if it does occur, it threatens to tick off millions of viewers who are expected to tune in to the debate to hear what the candidates have to say about the economy, health care and other serious concerns facing this country.

"It's a terrible waste of time for the presidential candidates, the people who organize the debate and everyone who wants to listen," said Mickey Sheridan, a 43-year-old bartender from Queens, N.Y., who is a Pizza Hut fan. "They should find some other way to advertise."

Pizza Hut's move comes as marketers continue to look for new ways to engage TV audiences that increasingly are resistant to their traditional commercials. It's also happening at a time when Americans are paying closer attention to presidential debates. On Oct. 3, an estimated 67.2 million people watched the first debate between Obama and Romney, the largest TV audience for a presidential debate since 1992, according to Nielsen's ratings service.

It's not the first time a question that could be seen as frivolous has been asked of a president or candidate during a live, televised event. One of the most famous moments in TV history came during a 1994 MTV Town Hall when an audience member asked then-President Bill Clinton whether he wore "Boxers or briefs?" Clinton's sheepish response, "Usually briefs," became an indelible moment in pop culture.

But such moments don't always end well. During Obama's 2009 State of the Union address, for instance, South Carolina Congressman Joe Wilson yelled out "You lie, you lie." Wilson quickly apologized but was widely criticized by members of both parties for the breach of decorum.

"I think people are frustrated with the political process, but they don't want it to become a zoo," said Allen Adamson, managing director of branding firm Landor Associates in New York.

It can be even more difficult for marketers to get away with such outbursts. While companies long have used hot political topics to gain publicity for their brands, it can backfire. For example, there was backlash in February 2011 when Kenneth Cole compared the Arab Spring uprisings to a frenzy over the U.S. designer's spring collection. The company later apologized.

"Context really matters," said Deborah Mitchell, Clinical Professor of Marketing at Ohio State University. "Political satire is fine if it's in the context of where people are expecting it. When context is violated that's when you run into trouble."

Even if Pizza Hut's stunt doesn't turn off viewers, Laura Ries, president of Atlanta-based brand strategy firm Ries and Ries, said it still will likely fail. That's because it does not substantially connect back to the Pizza Hut brand.

"The problem is that it's too contrived; it's completely made up," she said. "For something to move past silly gimmick and become more successful brand connection, it does have to have some sort of relevance."

To its critics, Pizza Hut, a unit of Louisville, Ky.-based Yum Brands Inc., said there is room for both serious and lighthearted questions in the debate, which will be broadcast on most network and cable news stations.

"We know there are a lot of serious topics that are going to be debated and need to be debated," Pizza Hut spokesman Doug Terfehr said.

But Terfehr said the pizza chain, which operates 10,000 restaurants in 90 countries, saw this as a way to ask an "everyday question" that people can relate to. "Pizza seems to be a question everyone understands."

John Dunn, 51, a manager of a data center from North Carolina, said Pizza Hut's question is one that should not be asked during the presidential debate. "This election means a lot to me," he said. "I'd rather ask them a more important question if I actually had the opportunity to ask a presidential candidate a question."

To be sure, because of rules governing the debate, Pizza's Hut stunt may not even be possible. The first Town Hall-style presidential debate was in 1992 and there were not many rules, which made for a lively debate, says Alan Schroeder, a professor of journalism at Northeastern University and author of "Presidential Debates: 50 Years of High-Risk TV."

But since then, campaigns have added many restrictions in their negotiations in the way audience members can ask questions. The terms for this year haven't been made public, but in the past, Schroeder notes that audience members have had to arrive early and write out their questions on notecards, with the moderator selecting among the questions that got the green light.

Even if someone attempts to ask the "Sausage or pepperoni?" question, it's likely they would get immediately shut down. That's because in 2004, campaigns negotiated a rule that an audience member's microphone would be cut off if they veer away from pre-determined questions.

In any case, Schroeder, the journalism professor, said he doesn't think anyone who makes it into the debate audience will dare pose the question to the candidates.

"It's so unseemly, for a lifetime of free pizzas, to make a fool out of themselves in front of millions of people," he said. "They'd have to give a partial ownership of the company for that."
House Republicans are investigating allegations that EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson and other high-ranking agency officials have been conducting official business with email aliases or secret accounts to avoid scrutiny from agency watchdogs and the public.

The House Science, Space and Technology Committee is leading the investigation and has asked Jackson to turn over information connected to the email account Richard Windsor  one of the alleged alias accounts.

The committee has sent letters to White House lawyers and the EPA inspector general asking them to investigate the allegations and report on their findings by the end of the month.

The Daily Caller reported first that Jackson was using an email alias, based on research by Competitive Enterprise Institute fellow Christopher Horner.

He says the agencys use of secret email accounts dates back to the Clinton administration and then-Administrator Carol Browner.

You remember Ms. Browner, the lady who suddenly ordered her computer hard drive reformatted and backup tapes erased, hours after a federal court issued a preserve order  that her lawyers at the Clinton Justice Department insisted they hadnt yet told her about? Horner said in the Daily Caller story.

Horner and the institute filed a lawsuit in September claiming EPA employees are using the private Gmail-type accounts to send official emails.

The House committee says federal law requires agencies to preserve all internal records associated with official activities and prohibits the use of private email accounts for government business, unless there are procedures in place to track and store such messages.

An EPA spokesman said Monday the agency has for roughly a decade assigned internal and public email addresses to administrators and that they use the internal one to communicate with staff because of the massive amount of traffic on the public accounts.

The spokesman also said both accounts are reviewed and made available when a Freedom of Information Act request is made.

The committee also said the email allegations follow similarly secretive and highly questionable methods of communication by senior officials at science agencies within the White House, Commerce Department and Energy Department.
Donald Trump dismissed criticism Sunday that hes fueling the violence at his campaign rallies, saying hes just the messenger for Americans festering frustration and urged campaign supporters in Illinois to give me two years to turn around the country.

We have protesters so mean. They are so bad, the front-running GOP presidential candidate said at an outdoor rally in Bloomington, Ill. Our people started swinging back, and the next day we are the bad guys.

Trumps comments at the rally follow a weekend of campaign events marred by violence and increasing calls for him to acknowledge that his fiery campaign rhetoric has caused at least some of the problems.

Among the problems are arrests, clashes between supporters and protesters, a would-be stage crasher and the cancellation of a rally Friday night in Chicago.

Trump told Fox News Sunday and others that Americans are angry about years of stagnant wages, few jobs and other issues -- including bad international trade deals and the lack of care for U.S. military veterans.

"The people are angry at that, Trump said on NBCs Meet the Press. They're not angry about something I'm saying. I'm just the messenger."

Ohio Gov. John Kasich said Saturday that Trumps campaign rhetoric, including the argument that essentially all Muslims dislike America and his talk about "punching" campaign protesters, has incited the violence and is creating a toxic environment."

Democratic presidential frontrunner Hillary Clinton said at a rally Saturday: "The ugly, divisive rhetoric we are hearing from Donald Trump and the encouragement of violence and aggression is wrong, and it's dangerous. ... That's not leadership. That's political arson."

Trump also argued Sunday that his events draw crowds that far exceed those of his White House rivals -- including 35,000 people at a recent rally in Alabama -- so the repeated talk about violence is being exaggerated.

Nobodys ever been hurt, he told Fox. Some of these protesters are bad dudes. They swing and they punch.

Trump said he doesnt condone violence, including the case of the white male supporter who is accused of striking a black protester in the face during a recent rally in Fayetteville, N.C.

Trump also make stops Sunday in Ohio and Florida, ahead of voting Tuesday in those states and in Missouri, Illinois and North Carolina that could be make-or-break for candidates.

The Illinois rally was interrupted several times by protesters, which was followed by Trump unapologetically telling security to get em out.

He also continued to argue that the protesters are hired and suggested that some of them are backed by the same people or groups that support Democratic candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders, Vermont.

Send them back to Bernie, Trump shouted at the rally. What happened in Chicago was a setup.  They are not protesters; They are disruptors.

Trump also called up to the stage a rally attendee wearing a T-shirt that read: Im a legal alien.

I came here when I was 5 years old, the man said. Im surprised to be up here. My parents did it by the book.

A town hall-style event later Sunday in West Chester, Ohio, outside of Cincinnatti, then a rally in Boca Raton, Fla., were both interrupted by protestors.

Although the police presence was obvious in West Chester, the audience was far friendlier than at the past few Trump stops.

Only two protesters sneaked into the ballroom where Trump was speaking: a man holding a Sanders for president campaign sign and a woman who faced the news media covering the event and tore a Trump sign in half.

Following Friday nights unrest in Chicago before one of his rallies, Trump was met with protests and countless interruptions Saturday in Ohio and Missouri.

The Chicago Police Department said in a news release sent Saturday night that three men from Chicago and a 45-year-old woman from Michigan were arrested and charged for participating in a disturbance at the protest Friday night.

At a rally in Dayton, Ohio, on Saturday, a man tried to breach the security buffer at the event and he was removed rapidly and professionally, Trump spokeswoman Hope Hicks said. Secret Service agents rushed the stage to protect Trump.

Thomas Dimassimo was identified as the barrier jumper. He was charged with inducing panic and disorderly conduct, Montgomery County Sheriff Phil Plummer said.

Such problems continued in Kansas City, Mo., where Trump was interrupted numerous times. At least seven people stalled the rally in the first few minutes. And police had to pepper spray several protesters.

"I think they're Bernie [Sanders] supporters," Trump said of the protesters, pointing to at least one protester who appeared to be holding a sign in support of the senator.

Trump canceled his rally at the University of Illinois at Chicago on Friday after violence broke out in the arena where he was scheduled to speak.

He spoke later to Fox News, saying he canceled the event because he didnt want to see people get hurt.

He said he made the decision to cancel after meeting with law enforcement authorities. Trump also said his First Amendment rights had been violated.

Hours earlier, Trump supporters and opponents stood calmly in a line together waiting to get inside. Police horses and barricades kept the bulk of the demonstrators across the street.

Trump opponents were protesting what they called his divisive comments, particularly about Muslims and Mexicans. Dozens of UIC faculty and staff had petitioned university administrators to cancel the rally, citing concerns it would create a "hostile and physically dangerous environment."

At one point, nearly 20 officers who had been manning barricades suddenly bolted for an intersection across a street bridge over a freeway -- where protesters shouted at and jostled with police already there. An officer was seen walking from that intersection with blood on his head.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump said he was going to start pressing charges against the protesters who kept interrupting him on the campaign trail on Saturday.

Following Friday nights unrest in Chicago before one his rallies, Trump was met with protests and countless interruptions in Ohio and Missouri.

I hope they arrest these people, because honestly they should be, Trump said to cheers from the crowd. The only way to stop the craziness is to press charges.

The Chicago Police Department said in a news release sent Saturday night that three men from Chicago and a 45-year-old woman from Michigan were arrested and charged for participating in a disturbance at the protest Friday night.

At a rally in Dayton, Ohio, Saturday, a man tried to breach the security buffer at the event and he was removed rapidly and professionally, Trump spokeswoman Hope Hicks said. Secret Service agents rushed the stage to protect the billionaire business mogul.

Thomas Dimassimo was identified as the barrier jumper. He was charged with inducing panic and disorderly conduct, Montgomery County Sheriff Phil Plummer said.

Trumps path continued onto Kansas City, Mo. where he was interrupted numerous times. At least seven individuals stalled the rally in the first few minutes.

"I think they're Bernie [Sanders] supporters," Trump said of the protesters, pointing to at least one protester the Republican frontrunner said was holding a sign in support of the Democratic presidential candidate.

Trump canceled his rally at the University of Illinois at Chicago on Friday after violence broke out in the arena where he was scheduled to speak. He spoke later to Fox News, saying he canceled the event because he didnt want to see people get hurt.

He said he made the decision to cancel after meeting with law enforcement authorities. Trump also said his First Amendment rights had been violated.

Hours earlier, Trump supporters and opponents stood calmly in a line together waiting to get inside. Police horses and barricades kept the bulk of the demonstrators across the street.

Trump opponents were protesting what they called his divisive comments, particularly about Muslims and Mexicans. Dozens of UIC faculty and staff had petitioned university administrators to cancel the rally, citing concerns it would create a "hostile and physically dangerous environment."

At one point, nearly 20 officers who had been manning barricades suddenly bolted for an intersection across a street bridge over a freeway -- where protesters shouted at and jostled with police already there. An officer was seen walking from that intersection with blood on his head.

For Sunday, Trump is expected to make a stop in Bloomington, Illinois. He is expected to be met with more protests and local officials said they would be deploying extra police.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
In the midst of the snow-covered mountains of Porsangermoen, Norway, 200 U.S. Marines from the Black Sea Rotational Force gathered near a frozen lake last month and, one-by-one, jumped in. Freezing to the point where some later said they could not speak, the Marines used their ski poles to lift themselves out of the frigid water, rolled around in the surrounding snow, and then partook in one final ritual before changing into dry clothes.

They threw back a generous shot of rum.

It was really cold, Cpl. Mark Glass told the BBC. Its hard to talk and breathe when youre inside the water.

Glass and his brethren were enduring the torturous exercise as part of innovative cold-weather training hosted, for the first time, by Britains Royal Marines Mountain Leaders, the UK Corps experts in cold-weather.

"This does feel, in the Arctic, a little Cold War-esque."  Heather Conley

U.S. Marines learned how to patrol on skis and snowshoes while still being able to use their weapons. They set up 10-man tents and dug a sleeping chamber into snow banks. They had lessons in analyzing ice thickness, surviving an avalanche and catching and killing food  including reindeer.

The stated purpose of the intensive course was to ready the troops to participate in NATOs 15,000-man March war games, Exercise Cold Response.

But the training, which took place fewer than 200 miles from Norways border with Russia, may have served a dual purpose: preparing the Marines for whatever results from continued Russian aggression in the Arctic.

This does feel, in the Arctic, a little Cold War-esque, said Heather Conley, a Senior Vice President at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

Following incursions into Georgia and the Ukraine during the past decade, and taking a more prominent role in Middle Eastern politics, Russia has slowly turned its gaze toward the Arctic region. Russian bombers have come close to breaching Norwegian airspace on numerous occasions, the Kremlin has decided to reopen and refurbish about 50 Cold War military bases in the area and Russias strategic command structure has been reconfigured to include the Arctic.

Russia has said it perceives threats in the region; as polar ice melts, however, Russias true ambition may be in establishing a grip on the crucial Northern Sea Route shipping pathway.

Russia is rushing to nationalize and control new waterways across the Arctic Ocean that could open not simply to commercial shipping, but also military and intelligence activities, Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., wrote in a September opinion piece for The Washington Post. Vast natural resources, including oil and gas, could become available for exploitation, potentially transforming the Arctic into a new theater of geopolitical competition.

Russias massive Arctic coastline is already vitally important to the Russian economy, accounting for 14 percent of Russian GDP and 22 percent of exports, according to Conley. All the more reason Vladimir Putin may aim to shore up and expand his hold on the region.

Russias military activities, as far as I can see, are always aimed at causing concern, and it is very important that we monitor events closely, Krister Bringeus, Swedens ambassador to the Arctic Council, told Defense News. This is what we are doing.

As Europe and North America warily watch Russias Arctic advance, its probably little coincidence the U.S. Marine Corps chose this moment to up its cold-weather proficiency.

Cold-weather warfighting capabilities are very specialized, Conley told FoxNews.com. Its very small and we need to practice and grow it, because, even if you do a search-and-rescue operation, youre going to need that expertise in the harshest climates. Weve, in some ways, allowed that skill to atrophy.

The Russian response to NATOs Cold Response war games will also be worth watching. In 2015, the NATO war games only consisted of 4,000 troops and the Russians, given advance notice, were invited to observe the exercises in Norway. But the Kremlin responded by ordering a 45,000-man snap military exercise, with no warning, at full combat readiness.

This is not a tit-for-tat at all, Conley said. I see that Russia is presenting a very different face to us on security in the Arctic, which is creating concerns, which is requiring NATO and individual countries to reassess its own military means.

Our NATO allies still respect the rules of how we do this; Unfortunately, Russia has chosen not to follow those rules.
About 100 inmates were involved in a riot at an Alabama prison late Friday that led to a fire, seizure of a dormitory and two injured corrections officials.

The William C. Holman Correctional Facility, which is the only prison in the state that conducts executions, was on lockdown after the uprising began.

Alabama Department of Correction spokesman Bob Horton said Saturday the prison warden and a corrections officer were stabbed at one of the dormitories at the prison, near Atmore. Their injuries were not-life threatening, Horton said.

Horton said the facility is now calm and remains on lockdown after three emergency response teams were deployed to bring the dorm under control. The violence began late Friday night when an inmate stabbed an officer while the officer was trying to break up a fight between two prisoners.

Warden Carter Davenport was stabbed when he and other officers arrived to assess the situation.

"When the warden responded to the situation he was also stabbed. Inmates tried to take control of one of the dorms," Horton said.

Video was posted on social media through a contraband cellphone by one of the inmates. Images show inmates starting a fire at the end of the dormitory and running around the dormitory.

The Department of Corrections confirmed that some inmates inside the prison were able to publish photos of the disturbance using social media. Corrections officers were conducting a complete search of the prison for illegal cellphones and other contraband, prison officials said.

It was the second incidence of violence within a week in the state's troubled prison system, which has come under criticism for overcrowding and staffing level concerns.

A corrections officer was stabbed Monday at St. Clair Correctional facility in Springville while trying to break up a fight between two inmates. An officer was also stabbed at St. Clair in November.

Six inmates were killed across the state prison system in inmate-on-inmate assaults in 2015, according to previously provided information from the Department of Corrections.

Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley addressed the incidents Saturday, saying the jammed packed state prisons has reached a breaking point, according to AL.com.

"A volatile mix of overcrowding and understaffing have created an environment that is dangerous to both inmates as well as the corrections officers who serve our state," Bentley said in a statement.

"Our state must take the necessary steps to address and solve this problem immediately. We must reduce overcrowding and provide facilities that are safer and more secure for both inmates and corrections officers."

Alabama prisons hold nearly twice the number of inmates the facilities were originally designed to house. According to AL.com, Alabama has about 24,000 inmates in prisons meant for 13,000.

The most recent monthly statistics available from the Alabama Department of Corrections show 830 prisoners housed at Holman in December. While the prison was designed to hold 581 inmates, it was packed with 835 beds at the time.

"It's going to get worse and worse until we still start dealing with the overcrowding," Sen. Cam Ward, chairman of the legislative Prison oversight committee, told The Associated Press.

"You can't have that low level of staffing and that many inmates in such a small confined inmates," he said. "Anybody who has been inside the facilities know what a dangerous situation those officers work in every day."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Click for more from AL.com.
Heavy downpours in the South have caused severe flooding, submerging roads and cars, washing out bridges and forcing residents to flee homes.

Six people have been confirmed dead this week as a result of the storms, The Weather Channel reported. At least three people died in Louisiana, the Associated Press reported. Two fishermen were reported missing in Mississippi.

Forecasters predicted another round of showers and thunderstorms Sunday afternoon and evening, some of which could be severe, in parts of the Mississippi Valley where flooding has already caused considerable damage, The Weather Channel reported.

The threat includes large hail and possibly a few tornadoes.

The storm system is projected to move through quickly, according to The Weather Channel.

As of Saturday evening, Mississippi officials reported damage to 95 homes, minor damage to 277 others, with reports still coming in from 41 of the states 82 counties.

The flooding was the worst since 2012, when Hurricane Isaac dumped more than 24 inches of rain throughout the state, Lee Smithson, head of the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency, said.

However, he said, "It has not been quite as rough a day as we thought it was going to be today. ... It looks as if the significant rainstorms for the Mississippi Gulf Coast have not materialized."

Rescue teams from Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries and local firefighters rescued more than 700 and nearly 100 pets from homes, cars and campgrounds, the New Orleans Times-Picayune reported Sunday.

"We have seen flood events in this state, but never from one tip of the state to the next," Lt. Gov. Billy Nungesser told WDSU-TV in New Orleans.

A power substation flooded, keeping Washington-St. Tammany Electric Cooperative Inc. customers south of Folsom without power, spokeswoman Coylean Schloegel told the station.

Areas Affected by Recent Flooding | WeatherDB Areas Affected by Recent Flooding

The storm dumped so much water into the Ouachita River at Sterlington, about 25 miles north of Monroe that it was running backward, John Stringer, president of the Tensas Basin Levee District, told The News-Star. "There are some strange things happening with this storm that I've never seen before," he said.

Clarksdale Mayor Bill Luckett has declared a state of emergency in his Mississippi Delta town, estimating at least 100 houses have been flooded after the area received more than 10 inches of rain.

Luckett told the Associated Press Saturday that the Big Sunflower River and tributaries are out of their banks and flooding homes, businesses and the city school system central office. Flooding is at its worst on the north side of the town of 18,000 people.

Tempers flared in Jackson, Miss., as some business owners dealt with the flooding, Fox affiliate MS NEWS NOW reported.

The businessmen claim the city won't fix the sinkholes, drainage and other issues causing the flooding.

We are pretty much stuck. We are stuck in a city that doesn't care about us," Justin Jones told the station.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.


Hes a silent avenger.

Dennis Nicholl, a financial analyst at the University of Illinois Hospital in Chicago, was arrested this past week for fulfilling the dreams of many commuters worldwide: silencing cellphone conversations.

The epic saga began in late 2015, when Chicago residents noticed their calls being dropped or lacking service altogether while traveling on area trains. Chicago IT worker Brain Raida outed Nicholl as the cause after sharing a photo on Reddit of the man with the jammer in one hand and a can of beer in the other. The illegal device is capable of shutting down cellphone and radio signals throughout the vicinity.

I think he liked the feeling of being in control of the car, Aaron Robison, who witnessed Nicholl in action, told the Chicago Tribune. Its kind of a digital, Stay off my lawn, you young people with your cellphones. 

The Chicago Police Department, Chicago Transit Authority and the Federal Communications Commission conducted an undercover sting operation on March 8 to catch Nicholl in the act. He was charged with a felony, as jammers can shut off police radios and block emergency calls. He faces jail time and a fine of up to $100,000.

Residents of the Windy City are once again free to make personal calls in transit, to the dismay of many.

Lets free the cell phone jammer right now. Folk hero, tweeted @AnthonyBialy.

Even online cellphone-jammer retailer @jammerstore once tried to profit off New Yorkers desires to hush their fellow subway riders, tweeting: Cellphone Service Arrives at 6 #NYC #Subway Stations  Why not use a cell phone #jammer to trip without anybody talking too much!

As for Nicholls motivation, he insists he simply wanted to travel in peace.

Hes disturbed by people talking around him, Nicholls attorney, Charles Lauer, told the Tribute. He might have been selfish in thinking about himself, but he didnt have any malicious intent.

Nicholl was released Wednesday after posting $10,000 bail.

Click for more from the New York Post.
A Maine man threw his 1-year-old dog repeatedly against the wall of his apartment, further abusing an animal who was already nursing an untreated fractured leg, police said.

Robert LaChance, 29, was issued a criminal summons on March 4 for aggravated cruelty to animals in the assault on Buddy, a black Labrador mix, according to The Times Record.

This is the most egregious case of animal abuse Ive seen in my career, Brunswick Police Commander Marc Hagan told Bangor Daily News.

Police received a report of the abuse on Feb. 28 after neighbors reported hearing loud banging on the wall.

I heard, bad dog, then I heard boom, yelp, and it sounded like he threw the dog up against our wall, neighbor Heather King told WGME.

When police arrived at the apartment, they discovered the dog had a one-week old leg fracture that ultimately required amputation.

To allow them to suffer for over a week is, you know, its very concerning, Hagan told WGME.

Buddy is reportedly recovering well from surgery, but there are other scars that may take longer to heal.

We are seeing some pretty significant signs of stress and anxiety, said Dr. Mandie Wehr, a veterinarian and director of shelter operations for Coastal Humane Society. So hes a continue care case for now.

LaChance has said he wants Buddy back, but Wehr said the dog would eventually be adopted by someone else, according to The Times Record.

Were thankful that Buddy is in a safe environment now and that LaChance will answer for his abuse in court, Hagan told The Times Record.

LaChance is set to appear in Cumberland County Superior Court on May 17.
A Florida sheriffs deputy was killed after his car collided head-on with another vehicle early Saturday, authorities said.

John Robert Kotfila, Jr., 30, was a deputy at the Hillsborough County Sheriffs Office. He had just left a hospital where he had been working on an investigation when his vehicle collided with the vehicle of a driver who was heading the wrong way on the Lee Roy Selmon Expressway.

Erik Thomas McBeth, 31, of Hudson, was identified as the other driver in the accident and died at Tampa General Hospital, The Tampa Tribune reported. He was heading west on an elevated highway that was dedicated to eastbound traffic at the time and slammed into Kotflias 2013 Dodge Charger at around 2:45 a.m. in Tampa.

Larry McKinnon, a Hillsborough County Sheriffs Office spokesman, said the investigation into the wreck is ongoing and a toxicology test will be conducted to determine whether drugs or alcohol played a part in the crash.

Authorities said Kotfila died at the hospital. He had worked with the agency for six years.

Our HCSO family is one less today. The tragic loss of one of my deputies has all of our hearts heavy, Hillsborough County Sheriff David Gee said. The most dreaded part of being sheriff of Hillsborough County is getting the news that a deputy has lost his or her life in the line of duty.

According to The Tampa Tribune, Kotfila comes from a law enforcement family. John Kotfila, Sr. told the paper that his sons grandfathers were both involved in police work. Kotfila Sr. himself is a sergeant with the Massachusetts State Police. His uncle is a deputy in Pinellas County, Fla.

Both his grandfathers were in law enforcement, Kotfila Sr. told the paper. Kotfila Jrs grandfather on his mothers side was a Massachusetts State Police lieutenant and his paternal grandfather served in the Holyoke, Mass. Police Department.

Kotfila, Jr's brother, Michael, is an officer in Falmouth.

Kotfila graduated from Westfield State College and wanted to move to Florida, where his uncle and grandparents lived, to get a law enforcement job, his father told The Tampa Tribune. Kotfila chose the Hillsborough County Sheriffs Office because of its reputation and the way they did things.

HCSO lost a good one, Kotlifa Sr. said. The state of Florida lost a good cop. He was a good kid.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Click for more from The Tampa Tribune.
A Maryland police officer was killed Sunday afternoon and two people were in custody after what authorities called an "unprovoked attack."

Prince George's County Police Officer Jacai Colson, 28, was pronounced dead after being taken to Prince George's Hospital Center.

Gunfire erupted at around 4:30 p.m. local time in Landover, a suburb about 10 miles northeast of downtown Washington, D.C. Prince George's County Police Chief Hank Stawinski told a press conference that the initial gunfire prompted several officers to return fire at the alleged shooter, who was wounded but was expected to survive.

"Those officers did not shrink. They bravely advanced and engaged this individual," Stawinski said.

Stawinski said a second man was believed to have been present with the suspected shooter when the shots erupted, but fled and was later arrested.

"It wasn't about anything. This man launched an attack on a police station," Stawinski told WTVR. "Officers weren't in the process of apprehending him or engaging him in any way. They were going about their business on a Sunday afternoon, at their home, when they were attacked."



Immediately after the shooting, police advised residents near the police station to stay inside, and others to avoid the area, because of an "active shooter" situation. They later lifted the "shelter in place" advice in a message on Twitter soon after the second suspect was apprehended.

WTTG reported that Colson was ambushed by the suspect, who walked up and opened fire without warning. Colson was working as an undercover narcotics officer at the time of his death, though Stawinski said that had no relation to his shooting.



Prince George's County State's Attorney Angela Alsobrooks called the shooting an "act of cowardice" and a "horrific act of evil." She promised an aggressive investigation and prosecution of the suspects, whose names were not immediately released.

"This is a crime against this entire community and we will treat it as such," Alsobrooks said. "His life was precious."

Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan said in a statement Sunday night he was "shocked and saddened" over the officer's killing.

"It is my hope that his proud legacy of commitment and passion for law enforcement and serving others will provide some comfort in the difficult days that lie ahead," he said.

The Washington Post reported that one woman near the site grabbed her sleeping, 14-month old baby from his play pen when she heard what she thought might be either firecrackers or gunshots. The woman told the newspaper she looked outside and saw a man dressed in black firing a handgun.

"He fired one shot, and then he started pacing back and forth, then fired another shot," said Lascelles Grant, who then watched police officers pour out of the station. "Just looking outside, I'm like, 'Oh my God, look at all these police officers running out, putting their lives really in danger.'"

The FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives have begun assisting local police in the investigation, spokesmen for the two federal agencies said. They said the Prince George's County Police remained the lead investigating agency.

Dave Fitz, spokesman for the FBI in Maryland, told the AP that the FBI "reached out and offered support" and sent a couple of special agents to assist. He had no further details.

Click for more from Fox5DC.com.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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It was a run-in with the enemy that was too close for comfort, and more than 70 years later, the details remain vivid in the mind of a Navy veteran who served aboard a legendary ship.

U.S. Navy Torpedoman 1st Class James Nerison was part of the PT-305 crew patrolling off the coast of Corsica in 1944 when a pair of German destroyers locked onto them. The Higgins Industries Patrol-Torpedo boats were known for their speed and maneuverability, but they were up against superior Nazi firepower.

We couldnt shake them off for about 45 minutes and we were drawing a lot of fire, Nerison, now 91, recalled. I secured the torpedo rack that we launched the torpedoes with and ran up to the skipper and said, Do you want me to throw over a smoke pot?

The young sailor was referring to a 5-gallon can with chemicals that emitted smoke as a distraction. He was given the approval to toss the container over the side, and the German warships quickly started firing at it as PT-305 slipped off into the darkness.

We got off to one side and they werent able to find us that night, Nerison said.

The California natives experience is just one of many among the 44 officers and enlisted men who called PT-305 home during World War II. Now Nerison, along with Joseph Brannan, a former 1st class gunners mate who also served on PT-305, hope to ride the boat once again.

The National World War II Museum, located in New Orleans, on Tuesday launched a Kickstarter campaign to raise $100,000 to complete its PT-305 restoration project, and hopes to have the boat sailing Louisianas Lake Pontchartrain by early next year.

It helps us cover all of the costs that are needed to transport the boat to the water and cover all the testing and certifications so the boat is ready to operate, Tom Czekanski, the museums director of exhibitions and collections, told FoxNews.com.

The battle-hardened boat, which operated in the Mediterranean along the coasts of southern France and Northern Italy, conducted more than 77 offensive patrols and operations, fought in 11 separate actions and sank three German ships during its 14-month deployment, according to the museum.

After the war, PT-305 took on a civilian role as a tour boat in New York Harbor, a fishing charter and an oyster boat, while falling into disrepair before the museum scooped it up in 2007.

"German planes would see you in the daytime and come out of nowhere and strafe you and bomb you"  Joseph Brannan, 93, former First Class Gunners Mate on PT-305

A volunteer crew, which includes people from all walks of life -- from students to architects -- has already worked more than 100,000 hours on the project at the museums restoration pavilion.

Parts for restoring the boat -- such as engines, deck fittings and exhaust ports -- have come from other PT boats and nearly $3 million from in-kind donations.

Czekanski said ever since the museum opened in 2000, curators have coveted a working Higgins PT boat. All thats left to be done, he added, is the installation of mechanical systems, such as plumbing lines. The weapons on the ship, however, will not be operational.

Once the boat is available for the paying public to ride on, the museum hopes it will generate enough revenue to cover its upkeep and ensure that future generations can learn about the heroics of the veterans that served aboard PT-305.

The restoration of PT-305, like all museum restoration projects, is aimed at making history accessible to todays audiences in as detailed and authentic a way possible, said museum executive vice president and COO Stephen Watson.

Nerison can't wait to see his old boat sail again.

I was taken aback by the fact that my boat was finally going to be restored, Nerison told FoxNews.com. Im just lucky to have been on the boat that is going to be on show for everybody to see.

PT-305, built by New Orleans-based Higgins Industries  a company that specialized in manufacturing small boats -- was completed on December 8, 1943. It was then assigned to the Motor Torpedo Boat Squadron 22.

The boats, designed for stealthy torpedo attacks on enemy supply and troop barges, relied on speed and maneuverability to get away from danger.

They are fast and nimble and a great piece of American ingenuity used in the war, Czekanski told FoxNews.com.

PT-305 also conducted reconnaissance missions, landed troops on occupied coasts and carried generals, making most of its movements at night underneath the cover of darkness.

German planes would see you in the daytime and come out of nowhere and strafe you and bomb you, Brannan, 93, told FoxNews.com.

There were no railings on the outside of the boat and we never lost anyone, he added.

Brannan, an Arkansas native who said he was very excited about the project, started serving on PT-305 in December of 1944.

In June 1945, Brannan and Nerisons squadron returned to New York from the Mediterranean and the war ended before PT-305 could be overhauled for deployment to the Pacific.

"We didn't need the eyes anymore, because we had her home at last"  Tom Czekanski, the National World War II Museums director of exhibitions and collections

But the boat didnt look the same as the first time it crossed the Atlantic.

Nerison, who wanted a fix for the stuffiness of the crews quarters, said when the crew was based in Saint Tropez in Southern France after fighting began to subside, he managed to find some brass portholes at a boatyard.

He asked the skipper if he could install one on each side of the boat -- and the problem was solved.

That was a modification that I dont think any other PT boat in the Navy had at the time, Nerison told FoxNews.com.

Following the war, the Navy burned 118 boats off the coasts of the Philippines to downsize its fleet.

Only a handful of PT boats survived  PT-305 being one of them  and it was sold as military surplus for $10 along with the rest of the squadron, the museum said.

During its civilian life, PT-305 underwent additional modifications  such as the removal of 13 feet from the stern -- to reduce operating costs and to comply with Coast Guard regulations.

Czekanski led the trip to Galveston Island to retrieve PT-305 from the Defenders of America Naval Museum in Galveston, Texas, in April 2007.

The restoration team had painted eyes on the front of the boat, which, according to nautical legend, would help it find its way home.

"We didn't need the eyes anymore, Czekanski said, because we had her home at last."
The Vatican and Bolivia both insist no offense was intended or taken when President Evo Morales gave Pope Francis a "Communist crucifix" as gift during his visit to this South American nation.

The Catholic blogosphere was buzzing Thursday about what Morales, a socialist who has attacked the church in the past, meant by giving the crucifix carved into a hammer and sickle to Francis, who was surprised to receive it  a reaction clearly visible in footage of the encounter.

Bolivia's government said the gift wasn't a political maneuver of any sort, but rather a symbol that Morales thought the "pope of the poor" would appreciate.

"It was really from great affection, a work designed by the very hands of Luis Espinal," Communications Minister Marianela Paco said. The Rev. Luis Espinal was a Jesuit activist assassinated in 1980 by suspected paramilitaries during the months that preceded a military coup.

Francis, a fellow Jesuit, stopped his motorcade on Wednesday to pray at the site where Espinal's body was dumped.

The Vatican spokesman, the Rev. Federico Lombardi, said the pope had no idea Espinal had designed the crucifix when he received it. Some reports suggested the pope told Morales, "This isn't good." One of Francis' friends sent a tweet quoting him as saying such. But Lombardi said it wasn't known what the pope said.

Lombardi said Espinal designed the crucifix as a symbol of dialogue and commitment to freedom and progress for Bolivia, not with any specific ideology in mind. Lombardi said he personally wasn't offended by it.

"You can dispute the significance and use of the symbol now, but the origin is from Espinal and the sense of it was about an open dialogue, not about a specific ideology," Lombardi said.

He noted the context in which Espinal was living: as a priest working for social justice in Bolivia during a period of instability that preceded a right-wing dictatorship known for human rights abuses.

However, one of Espinal's friends and fellow Jesuits, the Rev. Xavier Albo, said Espinal's intent was for the church to be in dialogue with Marxism. He said Espinal had altered his crucifix to incorporate the Communists' most potent symbol: the hammer and sickle.

"In this he clearly wanted to speak about the need to permanently dialogue not just with Marxism but with peasants and miners, etcetera," Albo told The Associated Press earlier this month.

The Vatican launched a harsh crackdown on "liberation theology" in the 1970s and 1980s, fearing Marxists were using its "preferential option for the poor" to turn the Gospel into a call for armed revolution.

The Rev. James Bretzke, a theologian at Boston College in Massachusetts, said there is no church legislation that addresses whether Christian imagery is sacrilegious since Christian art is often portrayed in a variety of ways.

But, he added: "Is this in good taste? Does this seem to be using the crucifix for political agenda? And I would say the answer is probably yes. Therefore, I would judge it personally in bad taste and especially manipulative to present it to the Holy Father in a situation like that where it clearly hadn't been cleared ahead of time."

The Rev. Robert Gahl, a moral theologian at Pontifical Holy Cross University in Rome, said it all boils down to Espinal's intent in designing the cross and Morales' intent in giving it to the pope.

"I'd suppose that, given Morales' warm welcome and Espinal's personal convictions, the intent was not to offend but rather to indicate potential for dialogue and even synergy," Gahl said in an email.

___

Associated Press writers Frank Bajak and Paula Flores in Santa Cruz and Rachel Zoll in New York contributed to this report.

___

Nicole Winfield on Twitter: www.twitter.com/nwinfield
A deadly attack on a popular Ivory Coast beach resort Sunday that killed at least 16 most likely targeted a U.S. delegation led by the assistant commerce secretary, who was visiting the country, a diplomatic source in the region told Fox News.

There was no indication any Americans had been killed or wounded in the attack, according to the source.

Assistant Secretary of Commerce Marcus Jadotte was leading a group of Americans in Grand-Bassam, including college recruiters from the University of Florida. U.S. embassy officials from the capital city of Abidjan were also included in the group, according to the source.

The delegation was supposed to arrive at the scene of the attack, Etoile du Sud, a hotel popular with Westerners. The delegation had not yet made it to the hotel when the attack occurred.



A jihadist group called Ansar Dine, or "defenders of the faith," which is linked to Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, was suspected of the attack, the source said. Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb later claimed responsibility for the attack, according to a Jihad monitoring website cited by the Associated Press.



The US Embassy in Ivory Coast had instructed all Americans to "shelter in place" following the attack.



The U.S. ambassador to the Ivory Coast was not in the country at the time of the attack, having left to attend a conference in Washington led by Secretary of State John Kerry.

But the deadly attack did leave 14 civilians and two special forces soldiers dead, as well as all six attackers, President Alassane Ouattara said, according to Reuters.



The attackers, who were "heavily armed and wearing balaclavas, fired at guests at the Etoile du Sud, a large hotel which was full of expats in the current heatwave," a witness told AFP.

Marcel Guy said he saw at least four gunmen with Kalashnikov rifles on the beach. He said one approached two children, and spoke in Arabic. One child knelt and prayed, the other child was shot dead.

"I was swimming when it started and I ran away," said Dramane Kima, who showed video of the carnage to Reuters. He also took pictures of grenades and ammunition clips he believed were left behind by the gunmen.

Jacques Able, who identified himself as the owner of Etoile du Sud said one person had been killed at the hotel.



A receptionist at Etoile du Sud hotel said the attacks happened on the beach.

"We don't know where they came from, and we don't know where they've gone," he said of the gunmen.

Security forces and members of the Ivorian Red Cross were clearing the bodies.



Josiane Sekongo, who lives across from one of the town's many beachfront hotels, said she ran outside when she heard the gunfire and saw people running away from the beach. Sekongo, 25, said residents were hiding in their homes as security forces responded.

At least one French person died in the attack, a French Foreign Ministry spokesperson told Reuters.

French President Francois Hollande denounced the "cowardly attack."

"France will bring its logistical support and intelligence to Ivory Coast to find the attackers," Hollande said in a statement viewed by Reuters. "[France] will pursue and intensify its cooperation with its partners in the fight against terrorism."

The attack in Ivory Coast Sunday is the third West African attack by Islamic militants against popular establishments frequented by Westerners since November.

In November, an attack on the Radisson Blu hotel in Malis capital city of Bamako left 20 dead. A U.S. special forces soldier assisted in evacuating the wounded.

In January, an attack in Burkina Faso's capital city killed 30 at a popular hotel including an American missionary, Mike Riddering, swho was sitting at a cafe across the street from the hotel.

Fox News' Lucas Tomlinson and The Associated Press contributed to this report.


Hundreds of thousands of Moroccans are demonstrating to protest the U.N. chief's remarks about the contested Western Sahara territory.

Morocco considers the vast mineral-rich region as its "southern provinces" and took offense when U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon used the word "occupation" after a visit this month to refugee camps for the region's native Sahraouis in southern Algeria.

Protesters on Sunday filled the streets of Rabat after leading Moroccan political parties, unions and non-governmental groups called for a national demonstration. Authorities claimed there were up to 3 million.

The U.N. has been trying for years to hold a referendum on independence for the territory, which was annexed by Morocco when Spain withdrew in 1975. Morocco proposes increased autonomy instead.

Ban also called for renewed peace efforts during his trip.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called on world powers Saturday to take immediate punitive steps against Iran, following the countrys ballistic missile tests.

U.S. officials told Fox News Friday that Iran is preparing to launch a new long-range rocket into space as soon as the weekend. Any test of a new ballistic missile would be a direct violation of a UN resolution forbidding Iran from working on its rocket program.

A statement from Netanyahus office said he had told the Foreign Ministry to appeal to world powers that negotiated the landmark nuclear deal with Iran to act, according to Reuters.

They must take immediate punitive steps following the repeated gross transgressions by Iran in the matter of rockets, the statement said. Israel said it would be a test for world powers to test their ability to enforce the nuclear agreement.

Samantha Power, the U.S. ambassador to the UN, said the U.S. will raise the issue during a closed door Security Council meeting next week and is urging other countries to cooperate on undermining Irans missile program.

This week, Iran launched multiple ballistic missiles on one day for the first time since 2012, according to defense officials.

UN Security Council Resolution 2231 says Iran is not to undertake any activity related to ballistic missiles designed to be capable of delivering nuclear weapons, including launches using such ballistic missile technology.

Thursday, a senior Revolutionary Guard commander said that Iran's ballistic missile program will continue to move forward, despite threats of international sanctions.

The U.S. State Department says the launches this week were not in violation of the nuclear deal, but inconsistent with UN Security Council Resolution 2231, which was tied to the nuclear deal when it went into effect.

Vice President Joseph Biden, while meeting Netanyahu Wednesday did not acknowledge the missile launch directly, but he issued a strong warning to the Iranians.

"A nuclear-armed Iran is an absolutely unacceptable threat to Israel, to the region and the United States. And I want to reiterate which I know people still doubt here: if in fact they break the deal, we will act," he said.

Iranian Revolutionary Guards senior commander was quoted as saying last week that its latest round of missiles were being designed to hit Israel.

Fox News Lucas Tomlinson contributed to this report.

Click for more from Reuters.
The U.S. and South Korea conducted a big military exercise Saturday, storming a simulated North Korean beach defense as tensions on the Korean Peninsula continue to rise and Kim Jong Un threatens to wipe out his enemies.

The amphibious landing drills on South Koreas east coast are part of eight weeks of exercises with the U.S., which the South has said are the largest ever. North Korea responded to the drills calling the exercises nuclear war moves and threatened to respond with attacks, according to Reuters.

Tensions between the North and South raged on this week as Seoul announced more sanctions on Pyongyang, which the North responded by firing short-range ballistic missiles into the sea as a show of defiance and vowing to liquidate all remaining South Korea assets at a former joint factory park.

The missile firing came a day after North Korea media printed photos of Kim posing next to what appeared to be a mock-up of a nuclear warhead. Also, South Korea lawmakers said that the number of North Korean cyberattacks on the South has doubled over the past month.

The U.S. Navy said about 55 American Marine aircraft and 30 U.S. and South Korean ships, including the USS Bonhomme Richard and USS Boxer, took part in Saturday's military drill on the beaches near Pohang.

They will penetrate notional enemy beach defenses, establish a beach head, and rapidly transition forces and sustainment ashore," the U.S. military said in a statement before the exercise, according to Reuters.

North Korea said it was prepared to counter the U.S. and South Korean forces with an ultra-precision blitzkrieg strike of the Korean style.

North Korea also reported it has a missing submarine, two defense officials told Fox News Friday. One official said the submarine is a 70-foot Yono class midget submarine that is diesel powered and ahs a crew of two, with room for a squad of saboteurs.

Earlier this week, Kim ordered its military to improve its nuclear attack capability by conducting more missile tests. He also claimed his country had miniaturized nuclear warheads to mount on ballistic missiles, which could be launched at South Korea.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Click for more from Reuters.
About Me africanelections www.africanelections.org contact us at africanelectionsproject AT gmail.com View my complete profile
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The previous week was fruitful in niche premieres. Perfume houses willingly or accidentally revealed what they are going to bring to the exhibition in Milan. It would be too early to judge what will be fashionable in the upcoming season, but we will certainly discuss it after the show. However, looking at recent scents coming from the niche segment, I see that the powder trend (iris and musk) is continuing to conquer brands. Dusty, velvety, earthy, animalic and feminine, powdery accords have been in focus for a few years now, starting with a very nostalgic wave from the 1920-es. We carefully tested if we could get a feel for grandmothers' fashion again, and we actually liked it. Musk, violet and iris, still with a dash of nostalgy, are now tested to start a really big fashion.



NEW IN NICHE:

Aedes de Venustas

CIERGE DE LUNE

powder, musk, amber, suede, vanilla, ylang-ylang...

Inspired by the blooming cereus or the Queen of the Night flower, with a central theme of vanilla.



Masque Milano

LATTESA

citruses, champagne, iris root, tuberose, leather accord...

Waiting for your beloved in the romantic atmosphere of a warm summer evening. Two glasses of champagne are on the table, a cicade song is intertwining with jazz music. You wish it would last forever.

Montale

OUDMAZING

pear, fig, orange, grapes, iris root, jasmine, leather, musk...

How could we live without another new fragrance from Montale? This scent is absolutely unpredictable as far as smell goes, although it contains oud.



Rance 1795

ELEONORE

peach, incense, vanilla, saffron, musk, amber, tonka beans...

It seems that the singer of Napoleon, the house of Rance, has run out of close relatives as sources of inspiration, and began to dig deeper in Napoleon's love affaires. Eleonore is the mother of his first biological child, who was born after a short relationship while Napoleon was still married to Josephine.

Tauerville

FRUITCHOULI FLASH

Fruitchouli is made with a real apricot extract and 100% natural patchouli according to its author, Andy Tauer.

It is fruity floral fragrance, that anyone can wear anywhere.

Tiziana Terenzi

TYL ASSOLUTO

lavender, oxygen, jasmine, rose, amber, vanilla, musk...

Gold but weightless, an intimate and truly precious fragrance, dedicated to the star in the Dragon constellation.

After all these pretty syrupy descriptions, please brace yourself for something bold and unconventional from Laurent Mazzone (LM Parfums):

Aldheyx Scandinavian Crime Sine Die

Completing the niche fragrances overview, let's take a peek into the semi-niche department: Jo Malone is launching another set of scents after their herbal/vegetable perfumes, it is called Rare Teas Collection:

Darjeeling Tea

Golden Needle Tea

Jade Leaf Tea

Midnight Black Tea

Oolong Tea

Silver Needle Tea



LUX:

A trio of super cool fragrances from the NYC-based clothing designer Robert Graham, known for his bright, patterned apparel for men, is available for purchase. It was a smart and bold step into the fragrance territory by this fashion designer (introduced by Marlen). Welcome, Courage, Valour & Fortitude.

Go solar! Jil Sander launches its annual limited editions, Jil Sander Sun Shake and Jil Sander Sun Fizz. If you do not like this offer, ask for their competitor, Lancaster, and try out the fragrance Le Parfum Solaire.

The house of Dolce&Gabbana has added the 13th scent to their The Velvet Collection, Velvet Ginestra, inspired by the honey aroma of the Mediterranean broom flower.

More Spring invinting scents: Le Couvent des Minimes Eau Sereine as reviewed by Sandra:

Kenzo continues its Kenzo Amour line adding the airy romantic Kenzo Amour Make Me Fly.

plum, citruses, white flowers, cherry blossom, musk, cedar.

This limited edition you can find in Duty Free stores in many European airports.

Marc Jacobs re-launches its four clean watery best sellers from the past. They were launched in different years (2006, 2007 & 2008) and now united as a 2016 offer:

Marc Jacobs Cotton Splash 2016

Marc Jacobs Cucumber Splash 2016

Marc Jacobs Pear Splash 2016

Marc Jacobs Rain Splash 2016





FRAGRANTICA COLUMNISTS:



Serguey Borisov:

Fly, Vetiver, Fly: Paul Emilien's New Vetiver Indien - interview with Anastasia Mathieu and review.

Paint Me a Perfume: Interview with Justyna Neyman who creates her own posters to fragrances.

An Interview with Frederic Malle: The Development of Editions de Parfums.

Annees Folles: How a Time Machine Works - Would we see a true or invented history in History-based perfumes?

Marlen Harrison:

Courage, Valour & Fortitude: The First 3 Fragrances from Robert Graham.

Travel with Travalo: The Easiest Way to Leave the Bottle at Home.

Bargain Fragrances: Cabotine by Gres (1990).

Elena Vosnaki:

Stella & Dustin: Affordable Scents Made in the USA and Much More - keep it in mind for small gifts to friends and family.

Fabienne Christenson:

Spikenard Magic: About how Himalayan spikenard smells and the reason why spikenard was prized for centuries?

Welcome our new writer, Fabienne Christenson, an independent perfumer who owns Possets Perfume!

Eugeniya Chudakova:

Violetta di Parma: Jewels' Joy Brings Back a Classic - Violetta di Parma by Borsari discontinued! Long live Violetta di Parma by Jewels' Joy!

An Interview with Frederic Malle: The Development of Editions de Parfums.

Ida Meister:

Scented Snippets Perfumed Journey With Dawn Spencer Hurwitz: From Boston to Boulder / The Creation of Rendezvous.

Jodi Battershell:

Sanae Intoxicants Hotbox - a signature custom fragrance created for a book.

Perfumed Truth: New Dame Soliflore Eau de Toilette Sprays - a new way to enjoy Jeffrey's perfumes.

Sandra Raicevic Petrovic:

Pantheon Roma Fragrances and the Ritz-Carlton Berlin: From Perfumes to a Unique Cocktail! You can experience it in Milan.

John Biebel:

Let Nature Find Your Perfume with The Harmonist - feng shui in perfumery.

Mike V. Shilov:

My old friend Balenciaga pour Homme - a profound review of the vintage perfume.

Welcome our new writer! Mike v. Shilove is a celebrated interior designer from Russia, who loves and collects fragrances.



BEST IN SHOW: CHERRY BLOSSOM FRAGRANCES

Sakura enthusiasts and plain cherry blossom fans should find their favorite among our editors' selections.



SHOPPING CHALLENGE: BEAUTIFUL ROSE AROMAS FOR $15 OR LESS

The flower that has a professional smell. The first one coming to mind when we think of floral perfumes and often about perfumes in general. We tried to find a solution for a small budget.



EVENTS:

Everyone who is coming to Esxence, might consider visiting other perfume events taking place at the same time in Milan. For example, the perfume show organized by INTERTRADE GROUP, called UNSCENT which will be held from Thursday, March 31st till Sunday, April 3d 2016 at Viale della Liberazione 11 in Milan (details in Sandrina's announcement):



PHOTO CONTEST FRAGRANTICA:

Honestly, we were not prepared for such big response from our readers. We've got so many beautiful pictures that we had to slightly change the original plan. I am really sad that we can't award everybody, because the pictures are very talented and creative. Have a look for yourself to see how many talented people visit Fragrantica, and vote for the best pictures among our finalist on Fragrantica facebook page! The winners will be announced on March 15th.



I'd like to finish my weekly overview with my warm regards to the enthusiastic community of our new Mongolian Fragrantica. I was very touched and happy looking at pictures from their meeting.

Have a lovely Week-End!



Elena Knezevic

Founder and chief editor of Fragrantica.com & Fragrantica.ru
Maybe you dont know what the Leedstown Resolutions were. However, if you had been at Stratford Hall in Westmoreland County on Feb. 27 and had attended the 250th Anniversary Commemoration, you would know that the so-called Leedstown Resolves was a protest document/grievance against the mother country, Great Britain.

The Resolves document was written 10 years before the Declaration of Independence and signed in 1766 by 115 Colonial patriots at Leedstown. Richard Henry Lee of Stratford penned the grievances.

What were these gentlemen protesting in 1766? Of course, taxes and more than a dozen other concerns. At the time of that assembly of patriots, Leedstown was a small town but was a thriving port along the Rappahannock River in what was then King George County, and is Westmoreland today.

A crowd of 150 folks gathered to celebrate and commemorate the 250th Anniversary of the Leedstown Resolves in the Council House at Stratford Hall. There was standing room only for about 30 attendees!

The program was completed with solemnity, interesting history and great fun.

A special thanks goes to the Northern Neck Historical Society and the people portraying the 18th-century charactersRichard Henry Lee, John Augustine Washington, John Belfield and William Sydnor.

King George County Board of Supervisors Chairwoman Ruby Brabo addressed the crowd with a distinguished reading of the 1766 Leedstown Resolves. Rounding out the program was good patriotic music performed by the Yorktown Fife & Drum Corp.

Appreciation is extended to all organizations and participants who made this celebration possible in the Northern Neck.

Weather-wise, celebrants enjoyed close to a springlike day at Stratford. It was a fine time in February for such a patriotic celebration.

Brenda Hamilton Hynson

King George
Germanwings : Briefing for relatives of crash victims

Bonn/Paris French investigative authorities brief relatives of German Wings crash victims as to their findings one year later.

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About one year after the crash of a German Wings flight into the French Alps, aviation investigators from Paris (BEA) announced their findings. They met on Saturday with the relatives of German victims in Bonn. This was a closed doors meeting for these families only, preceding a press conference planned for Sunday in Paris. There the official report will be released to the public.

An interim report concluded that co-pilot Andreas Lubitz (27) had locked himself in the cockpit and piloted the aircraft directly into the mountainside. All 150 people aboard the aircraft were killed. The flight had been in route from Barcelona to Dusseldorf.

Some of the families had asked for permission to have their lawyers present at the briefing but the BEA did not allow it. They said it was not standard to have lawyers at such a preliminary meeting and the BEA safety investigation is separate from any legal fights concerning the case. They are not there to determine guilt but rather to look at the accident in terms of what are the implications for aviation security. French state prosecutors have begun a separate investigation.
First Photos Of Ooni Of Ife and New Wife, Olori Wuraola After Their Wedding (Photos)

nametalkam at 13-03-2016 10:36 AM (6 years ago) (m)

Yesterday Ooni of Ife  tied the knot traditionally with Wuraola Zynab Otiti at a traditional ceremony in Benin City, Edo state which he wasnt present for.





READ: First Photos As Ooni of Ife Marries New Wife At Traditional Wedding In Benin



Shortly after the marriage rites were concluded in Benin, the new bride was taken to Ile Ife to meet her husband, the king at his palace.



And here are the first photos of the brand new couplemeet the Oba & his Olori.







READ: First Photos As Ooni of Ife Marries New Wife At Traditional Wedding In BeninShortly after the marriage rites were concluded in Benin, the new bride was taken to Ile Ife to meet her husband, the king at his palace.And here are the first photos of the brand new couplemeet the Oba & his Olori.

Post Reply I specialize in investigative reportage across several subject matter and sectors but mainly focus on metro events and investigation. Do leave your thoughts and opinion on my reports to let me know what you think about them. Thank you Posted: at 13-03-2016 10:36 AM (6 years ago) | Addicted Hero

Vectorcy at 13-03-2016 10:52 AM (6 years ago)

(m) I seee,,,This woman go harsh oooo...she no da even smile,,oly Oba da smile...issokay Posted: at 13-03-2016 10:52 AM (6 years ago) | Hero I seee,,,This woman go harsh oooo...she no da even smile,,oly Oba da smile...issokay Reply

climax_man at 13-03-2016 10:56 AM (6 years ago)

(m) Ok. Nice 1 Posted: at 13-03-2016 10:56 AM (6 years ago) | Gistmaniac Ok. Nice 1 Reply

gloryeyo at 13-03-2016 10:58 AM (6 years ago)

(f) congrt Posted: at 13-03-2016 10:58 AM (6 years ago) | Upcoming congrt Reply

rasheal at 13-03-2016 11:08 AM (6 years ago)

(f) Quote from: victor matt on 13-03-2016 10:52 AM I seee,,,This woman go harsh oooo...she no da even smile,,oly Oba da smile...issokay



Like seriously Posted: at 13-03-2016 11:08 AM (6 years ago) | Upcoming Like seriously Reply

malamy at 13-03-2016 11:09 AM (6 years ago)

(m) Beautiful! Posted: at 13-03-2016 11:09 AM (6 years ago) | Gistmaniac Beautiful! Reply

youngrashy at 13-03-2016 11:11 AM (6 years ago)

(m) Ooni I go soon snatch dis ur wife frm u Posted: at 13-03-2016 11:11 AM (6 years ago) | Gistmaniac Ooni I go soon snatch dis ur wife frm u Reply

gogoman at 13-03-2016 11:12 AM (6 years ago)

(m) wicked queen like those one in NOLLYWOOD MOVIE lol Posted: at 13-03-2016 11:12 AM (6 years ago) | Addicted Hero wicked queen like those one in NOLLYWOOD MOVIE lol Reply

emma4love3 at 13-03-2016 11:30 AM (6 years ago)

(m) better thing good when you use old eye look

am well....my king you have chosen well... Posted: at 13-03-2016 11:30 AM (6 years ago) | Hero better thing good when you use old eye lookam well....my king you have chosen well... Reply

samdove28 at 13-03-2016 11:36 AM (6 years ago)

(m) THIS WOMAN GET BEAUTY FOR BODY OOO... SHE REALLY LOOK PRETTY WITH THAT THING WEY THEY HER BODY. WELL HAPPY MARRIED LIFE. Posted: at 13-03-2016 11:36 AM (6 years ago) | Gistmaniac THIS WOMAN GET BEAUTY FOR BODY OOO... SHE REALLY LOOK PRETTY WITH THAT THING WEY THEY HER BODY. WELL HAPPY MARRIED LIFE. Reply

Eazyatumeyi at 13-03-2016 11:42 AM (6 years ago)

(m) she looks beautiful but hope she is having a good heart? Posted: at 13-03-2016 11:42 AM (6 years ago) | Hero she looks beautiful but hope she is having a good heart? Reply

Oworen25 at 13-03-2016 11:55 AM (6 years ago)

(m) Beautiful picture from them and congratulations Posted: at 13-03-2016 11:55 AM (6 years ago) | Hero Beautiful picture from them and congratulations Reply

kp45 at 13-03-2016 12:44 PM (6 years ago)

(m) Nice costume Posted: at 13-03-2016 12:44 PM (6 years ago) | Hero Nice costume Reply

slimmygal at 13-03-2016 12:59 PM (6 years ago)

(f) why d olori kon strong face like person wey dem throw shit for, anyway make una enjoy una marriage ooooo. Posted: at 13-03-2016 12:59 PM (6 years ago) | Gistmaniac why d olori kon strong face like person wey dem throw shit for, anyway make una enjoy una marriage ooooo. Reply

kison at 13-03-2016 02:01 PM (6 years ago)

(m) JUST be careful,be very very careful, CAREFULLLLLLLLL............... Posted: at 13-03-2016 02:01 PM (6 years ago) | Hero JUST be careful,be very very careful, CAREFULLLLLLLLL............... Reply

botlex at 13-03-2016 02:26 PM (6 years ago)

(m) HML... Wishing u the best in your marriage Posted: at 13-03-2016 02:26 PM (6 years ago) | Gistmaniac HML... Wishing u the best in your marriage Reply

BournIdentity at 13-03-2016 02:30 PM (6 years ago)

(m) OK o I don hear,, I don c Posted: at 13-03-2016 02:30 PM (6 years ago) | Addicted Hero OK o I don hear,, I don c Reply

raynebee at 13-03-2016 03:05 PM (6 years ago)

(f) good luck to her Posted: at 13-03-2016 03:05 PM (6 years ago) | Hero good luck to her Reply

osarobo62 at 13-03-2016 03:10 PM (6 years ago)

(m) the king has found a beautiful good thing in Edo kingdom. Posted: at 13-03-2016 03:10 PM (6 years ago) | Hero the king has found a beautiful good thing in Edo kingdom. Reply
Military Strikes Continue Against ISIL Terrorists in Syria, Iraq

From a Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve News Release

SOUTHWEST ASIA, March 12, 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

Attack, fighter, and remotely piloted aircraft conducted eight strikes in Syria:

-- Near Hawl, a strike struck a large ISIL tactical unit and destroyed two ISIL mortar systems.

-- Near Dayr Ar Zawr, a strike struck an ISIL gas and oil separation plant well head.

-- Near Manbij, two strikes struck two separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed five ISIL vehicles and an ISIL fighting position.

-- Near Mar'a, four strikes struck four separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed an ISIL artillery piece, two ISIL weapons caches, 10 ISIL fighting positions, and an ISIL heavy machine gun position.

Strikes in Iraq

Attack and fighter aircraft conducted nine strikes in Iraq, coordinated with and in support of Iraq's government:

-- Near Baghdadi, a strike destroyed an ISIL heavy machine gun position.

-- Near Hit, a strike struck an ISIL tactical unit.

-- Near Ramadi, five strikes struck three separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed an ISIL rocket position, two ISIL vehicles, an ISIL fighting position and three ISIL tunnel systems and denied ISIL access to terrain.

-- Near Sinjar, two strikes struck two separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed two ISIL fighting positions and an ISIL weapons cache.

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 group's ability to project terror and conduct operations.

Coalition nations which have conducted strikes in Iraq include the United States, Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Jordan, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. Coalition nations which have conducted strikes in Syria include the United States, Australia, Bahrain, Canada, France, Jordan, the Netherlands, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates and the United Kingdom.

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Easyriders Helicopter Squadron Rescues Stranded Fishermen

Navy News Service

Story Number: NNS160312-03

Release Date: 3/12/2016 5:14:00 PM

By Commander, U.S. 3rd Fleet Public Affairs

KONA, Hawaii (NNS) -- Sailors from Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron (HSM) 37, the Easyriders, rescued three stranded fishermen approximately 140 nautical miles southwest of Kona, Hawaii about 2:30 a.m. (HST), March 11.

Joint Rescue Coordination Center Hawaii received two Search and Rescue Satellite Aided Tracking (SARSAT) alerts from Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacons (EPIRB) on board the 41-foot commercial fishing vessel Vicious Cycle and dispatched an MH-60R Seahawk helicopter from HSM-37, based at Kaneohe Bay, to assist.

The Coast Guard also launched an HC-130 Hercules aircrew from Coast Guard Air Station Barbers Point. The Coast Guard Cutter Alex Haley (WMEC 39) and a fishing vessel operating in the vicinity diverted to assist.

The teams found the fishermen adrift in a life raft. The HSM-37 aircrew hoisted them aboard for transport to Kalaeloa Airport where they were then taken to Queen's Medical Center for evaluation.

'I am extremely proud of our Easyrider team's ability to flex from a training mission to a life-saving search and rescue,' said Cmdr. Tony Chavez, HSM-37's commanding officer. 'These events happen fast and our nation's heroes never skip a beat when callen upon to serve.'

HSM-37 is the only helicopter maritime strike squadron in the Middle Pacific (MIDPAC) region and provides a variety of helicopter services to MIDPAC-based combatant ships and submarines in addition to deploying operational detachments. HSM-37 detachments support all Pearl Harbor-based Arleigh Burke-class destroyers and Ticonderoga-class cruisers throughout the Western Pacific and Indian Oceans.

The MH-60R's primary missions are surface warfare and anti-submarine warfare prosecution through utilization of AGM-114 Hellfire missiles and MK-46/54 torpedoes. Secondary missions include search and rescue, medical evacuation, vertical replenishment, Naval surface fire support, and communications relay, command, control, communications, and command and control warfare.

U.S. 3rd Fleet leads naval forces in the Pacific and provides the realistic, relevant training necessary for an effective global Navy.

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'No concessions' to Turkey on rights in refugee deal: Hollande

Iran Press TV

Sat Mar 12, 2016 5:45PM

French President Francois Hollande says his government will offer "no concessions" to Turkey on human rights or visas in exchange for guarantees to tackle the massive influx of refugees into Europe.

"There cannot be any concessions on the matter of human rights or the criteria for visa liberalization," Hollande said on Saturday after a meeting in the French capital, Paris, with more than a dozen social democrat leaders from the European Union (EU).

The French president also called for more "clarification and transparency" in the EU discussions with Turkey about a complex deal to ease the refugee crisis.

On March 7, the Turkish government proposed to take back all those refugees who cross into Europe from its soil in return for more money, faster EU membership talks and quicker visa-free travel. European Union leaders also welcomed the initiative.

Critics have, however, accused Turkey of blackmailing Europe into letting it join the EU.

The deal has already triggered concerns among rights advocates while governments and international organizations have also blasted it as inhumane.

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra'ad al-Hussein on March 10 criticized the draft deal, saying the agreement may lead to "illegal" expulsion of people seeking asylum in Europe.

The UN refugee agency has also slammed the agreement as a violation of refugees' right to protection under international law.

EU leaders are expected to finalize the refugee deal with Ankara during a summit at the EU headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, on March 17-18.

Turkey is the main launching point for refugees making the dangerous crossing into Europe, which is facing an unprecedented influx of refugees, most of whom are fleeing conflict zones in Africa and the Middle East, particularly Syria.

Hollande's comments come amid fears over freedom of expression as well as rights abuses in Turkey.

Earlier on March 4, Turkish police forces stormed the mainstream opposition newspaper Zaman's office to enforce a court ruling to place it and its subsidiary outlets under the management of trustees.

The opposition newspaper switched to a pro-government line after the seizure, placing on the front page of its last Sunday edition a picture of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan holding the hand of an elderly woman.

The paper's takeover triggered massive nationwide protests, which police violently quashed with water cannons and tear gas.

The Human Rights Watch (HRW), Amnesty International and the European Union have condemned the Turkish government takeover of Zaman, calling on Ankara to respect media freedom.

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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57 killed as Yemen forces, pro-Saudi militants clash in Ta'izz

Iran Press TV

Sat Mar 12, 2016 6:45AM

At least 57 people are killed as pro-Saudi militants battle Houthi fighters and Yemeni army forces in a push to capture Yemen's third biggest city of Ta'izz.

Military sources said 37 members of the Yemeni army and their allied Houthi fighters and six civilians were killed in Friday clashes which involved airstrikes by Saudi warplanes.

Fourteen militants loyal to former president Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi were also killed. Medical officials said most of the casualties were caused by Saudi aerial assaults.

Saudi Arabia has been pummeling Yemen from the air, sea and ground for a year now in a bid to restore Hadi to power.

Ta'izz governor Ali al-Maamari said pro-Hadi forces captured areas in the western and southern suburbs of Ta'izz, including the al-Misrakh district.

Local witnesses, meanwhile, said al-Qaeda-linked militants had kidnapped a number of Houthi fighters in Ta'izz.

Ta'izz, widely known as Yemen's cultural center, has been under the control of Houthi fighters and allied army forces for over a year now.

The city is located between the capital Sana'a and the southern port city of Aden, which pro-Hadi militants overran in July. Aden has been wracked by violence and chaos since the fall and attacks by Takfiri groups have become a regular occurrence.

In November, pro-Hadi forces announced a major offensive to try to take Ta'izz.

On Saturday, Saudi fighter jets bombarded residential areas in Khwlan District of Yemen's western province of Sana'a, leaving an unknown number of people, mostly women, dead or injured.

Saudi jets also pounded Majzar District of central Ma'rib Province, Yemen's al-Masirah news channel reported.

In retaliation, the Yemeni army forces fired a ballistic missile at a center of gathering belonging to Saudi mercenaries at the al-Anad Air Base in Yemen's southwestern Lahij Province.

According to pro-Hadi media, five Katyusha rockets hit an area west of the strategic air base, but the strikes caused no damage.

Meanwhile, another Saudi base between Ma'rib and the province of Bayda came under Yemeni rocket attacks.

At least 8,400 people have been killed and over 16,000 others sustained injuries since the onset of the Saudi war. The military campaign has also taken a heavy toll on the impoverished state's facilities and infrastructure, destroying many hospitals, schools, and factories.

Yemenis have been carrying out retaliatory attacks on the Saudi forces deployed in the country as well as targets inside Saudi Arabia.

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US plans to send troops close to Iraq frontlines: Officials

Iran Press TV

Sat Mar 12, 2016 5:9AM

US military commanders in Iraq are devising plans to move American troops closer to frontlines as Iraqi forces gear up to retake the northern city of Mosul from Daesh (ISIL) terrorists, Pentagon officials say.

It would be a significant change of role for US soldiers, who have been deployed back to Iraq on a "train-and-advise" mission, according to The Hill.

US forces are currently working with Iraqi security forces at the division-level or above and President Barack Obama has pledged that they will be kept out of direct combat.

However, the new plans would put small US teams of about 15 troops alongside Iraqi brigades as they establish headquarters in preparation for what is expected to be a fierce battle for Mosul.

Mosul, the capital of Nineveh, has been the main seat of Daesh since the Takfiri group began its terror activities in Iraq in June 2014.

Iraqi commanders say the offensive would require between eight to 12 brigades  which means approximately 180 US soldiers could take part, ordering airstrikes, and providing intelligence, logistics, tactics, and fire support.

One Pentagon official told The Hill that recommendations on how to speed up the campaign have been submitted to the staffs of Defense Secretary Ashton Carter and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Marine Gen. Joseph Dunford.

General Lloyd Austin, the commander of US Central Command, told a Senate hearing earlier this week that he had made recommendations on how to recapture Mosul and Raqqah, Daesh's de facto capital in Syria, to his leadership.

The general said more US troops were needed to help develop better intelligence on the ground and help with logistics. "We could increase some elements of the Special Operations footprint."

The United States has been leading a campaign of airstrikes in Iraq and Syria. The strikes have done little to stop Daesh advances in both countries.

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China Begins Civilian Flights to Disputed Island in the South China Sea

Sputnik News

04:26 12.03.2016(updated 11:17 12.03.2016)

Washington condemns flights, claims Beijing seized the island against claims by other countries.

China's state run media announced Friday that the country will begin civilian flights to and from Sansha City on disputed Woody Island in the South China Sea's Paracel archipelago. US officials condemned China's assertive position regarding the territory, noting that launching civilian flights complicates ongoing disputes between rival claimants in the region.

China's territorial claim has significant economic and foreign policy ramifications for the region. The waters surrounding the island are said to have significant offshore oil deposits and also play host to over $5 trillion in annual ship-borne trade. China, along with neighbors Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan, and Vietnam have competing claims for the territory and surrounding waterway.

US State Department spokeswoman Anna Richey-Allen said the commercial flights would be 'inconsistent with the region's commitments to exercise restraint from actions that could complicate or escalate disputes.'

In calling on the Chinese to cease its island-building activity, Allen went on to say, 'China should heed to its prior public commitments to cease land reclamation and militarization on their outposts in the South China Sea, and instead focus on reaching agreement on acceptable behavior in disputed areas.'

Friday's announcement comes after weeks of heated rhetoric by US and Taiwanese officials against China's placement of surface-to-air missiles on the island. The US condemned these actions, saying that they represent a move by China to militarize the South China Sea creating not only a security risk, but also acting in contravention to China's previous stated diplomatic commitments.

Beijing responded by saying that it is entitled to 'limited defensive facilities' on what it regards to be its own territory. China contends that there have been no surface-to-air missiles placed on the island, suggesting the accusations are propaganda and media hype.

Washington responds by claiming that Beijing is engaging in full-scale militarization and takeover of the territory, citing the presence of armed Chinese fighter jets and a reinforced military air hanger on the island.

 Sputnik

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Angola Leader's Plan to Step Down Draws Skepticism, Speculation

by Peter Clottey March 12, 2016

Angola President Jose Eduardo dos Santos' surprise announcement Friday that he will leave national politics in 2018 has drawn skepticism about the longtime leader's decision as well as speculation about his potential successors.

In a nationally broadcast speech to key members of the ruling Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA), dos Santos said he would 'leave active political activity in 2018.'

Now 73, he has headed the oil-rich southern African country since 1979. The country's parliamentary elections will take place in 2017, and the winning party's leader will take the government's reins.

Alcides Sakala, spokesman for the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA), the main opposition party, described the announcement as a calculated attempt by dos Santos and his MPLA to divert the public's attention from the country's dismal economy.

Reeling from slumping oil prices

Angola  Africa's second-largest oil exporter  has been hit hard by the sharp decline of world oil prices.

Sakala also questioned the credibility of dos Santos' claim that he would step down.

'We don't believe it because it is not the first time he says that.  He is still there, so let us wait and see,' the UNITA spokesman said. 'On the other side, it's true Mr. dos Santos is tired because he has been in power for [37] years and it's quite a lot of time.'

Who might succeed him?

Dos Santos did not indicate a preference about who might succeed him.

Among those being mentioned are his vice president, Manuel Vicente, and his son, Jose Filomeno de Sousa dos Santos.

Some MPLA members suggested Vicente's experience as vice president means he's best qualified to carry out the party's policies.

But Sakala said Vicente 'is mixed up with corruption problems. ... He has lost credibility for the moment, which means that the MPLA and dos Santos and the leadership are really in a bad position in the country.'

Gary van Staden, a political analyst with NKC African Economics in South Africa, was more positive about the vice president's prospects. He told the Reuters news agency that dos Santos 'has been grooming Vicente for quite a while now. ... He has deputized for him on a number of important occasions, which sent a strong signal.'

MLPA supporters rejected the accusation against the vice president as the opposition's attempt to score cheap political points. They said dos Santos has effectively led the country's economic transformation, built a world-class infrastructure, and ensured peace and stability after a civil war that stretched from 1975 to 2002.

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China to open international maritime judicial center

Iran Press TV

Sun Mar 13, 2016 10:16AM

A top court in China says Beijing is set to establish an international maritime judicial center as tensions continue to escalate over a growing territorial dispute in the South and East China Sea.

On Sunday, the Supreme People's Court made the announcement in a report to the annual session of the National People's Congress (NPC) legislature.

The court's head, Zhou Qiang, said the new maritime judicial center would help Beijing "implement its strategy of becoming a powerful maritime country," and "resolutely defend" its "national sovereignty, maritime rights and interests, and other core interests."

Zhou did not, however, provide details on how the center would differ from other existing judicial institutions.

According to a last year statement by the Supreme Court, China already has a system of maritime courts, which have adjudicated over 225,000 cases over the past three decades.

Beijing has long-standing disputes over maritime territory in the South and East China Sea with states such as Japan, the Philippines and Taiwan, which also claim territory in the region.

The Philippines has recently taken its dispute with China to an international tribunal in The Hague, drawing criticism from Beijing.

China has been expanding its presence and capacity to respond to what it calls growing threats against its interests. The country is also reforming its military by investing in submarines and aircraft carriers.

Beijing is also uneasy with the US military buildup in Southeast Asia and regular military exercises between American forces and their allies in the region.

Washington is assertively siding with China's rivals in a dispute over a group of islands in the South China Sea, with Beijing accusing Washington of interfering in its regional affairs.

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Northcom's First Priority is 'No-Fail' Homeland Defense, Commander Says

By Cheryl Pellerin DoD News, Defense Media Activity

WASHINGTON, March 11, 2016  Homeland defense is the first priority of U.S. Northern Command, Navy Adm. William E. Gortney told members of the House Armed Services Committee yesterday.

Gortney wears two hats as commander of Northcom and of North American Aerospace Defense Command, both headquartered in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

The admiral testified before the panel on how the fiscal year 2017 DoD budget request impacts Northcom and NORAD. He also discussed command operations.

Homeland defense, the admiral told the panel, "is a no-fail mission and it's just as important today as when NORAD and Northcom were established, with one single commander responsible for the defense of our homeland through the many domains of air, space, maritime, land and cyber."

Within cybersecurity, he added, Northcom's responsibility is to defend its own networks.

Terrorist, Criminal Threats

Gortney named the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant and whatever form it takes in the future, and transnational organized criminals who move drugs, people, weapons and anything else that will turn a profit as the most dangerous and likely threats to the nation.

Terrorist organizations and global criminal networks exploit what the admiral calls "seams" between nations in North, Central and South America; seams between the government agencies of those nations; and seams created by inadequate authorities, resources and training of many of the same agencies.

"And yes," he added, "seams created by the geographic boundaries of our combatant command structure, seams for which [Navy Adm. Kurt W. Tidd, commander of U.S. Southern Command] and I are accountable to close while we work the military-to-military effort or our nation's whole-of-government approach to the many shared challenges within North, Central and South America."

Today's evolving and resurgent threats are a function of the return to great power competition and the continuing threat of global terrorism, Gortney said.

Evolving Threats

These threats, he said, create vulnerabilities best mitigated through an integrated and binational approach across multiple domains that requires an integrated defense in the air, in space, on and under the sea and on land domains.

As a result, he said, "together NORAD and Northcom have evolved well past our Cold War and 9/11 origins and are today inseparable."

The commands work seamlessly together to defend the homeland in the air through NORAD and the remaining domains through Northcom, facing the traditional and nontraditional threats in our assigned battle space, Gortney said.

NORAD and Northcom are focused on unity of command and effort, he said, two commands but a single integrated headquarters, organized and trained to face the diverse array of evolving national security threats.

Traditional, Nontraditional Threats

Traditional military threats now exist created by the return of great power competition as illustrated by the recent actions of Russia, China, North Korea and Iran, Gortney said.

Regarding nontraditional threats, the admiral said his main concerns involve homegrown violent extremists who are self-radicalized and don't actively communicate with ISIL.

"To counter this threat I'm a support team commander to the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of Justice and the many law enforcement agencies engaged in this crucial fight," Gortney explained.

"These extremists are targeting soft Department of Defense [targets]," he said, "Department of Defense personnel and facilities and our own fellow citizens. This is what occurred in Chattanooga on a DoD facility and in San Bernardino against our nation's civilian population."

Close Partners

As the commander accountable for setting the force protection condition of DoD facilities in the continental United States, Gortney said, Northcom works closely with the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps "to balance the enduring nature of this threat with the services' ability to complete the many missions they have here in the homeland."

Homeland partnerships also enable Northcom-NORAD success, he said.

Northcom partners continuously with the interagency, the admiral said. Partners include National Guard airmen and soldiers, the intelligence community, law enforcement agencies and the Department of Homeland Security, which is Northcom's closest partner, he said.

"Our mission partners maintain nearly 60 liaison officers in our headquarters and these patriots are fully embedded in  our intel organization," Gortney said, noting that building partnership capacity is vital to Northcom's mission.

At Northcom, he added, 70 percent of major exercises -- involving nearly 200 each year -- are focused on mission partners as the primary target audience.

"We call this state-of-security cooperation within the homeland. This is Northcom supporting our mission partners and our mission partners supporting us," Gortney said, "which is why we view these homeland partnerships as our center of gravity."

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Car bomb rocks Turkish capital, '27 killed, 75 injured'

Iran Press TV

Sun Mar 13, 2016 5:4PM

A bomb blast has occurred in the center of the Turkish capital of Ankara, killing at least 27 people and injuring 75 more, the governor's office said.

The explosion took place near the Guven park in the Kizilay district of central Ankara on Sunday.

A senior security official said the blast was apparently caused by a car bomb.

A second security official said gunfire was heard after the blast.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility; however, a Turkish security official as saying that initial findings suggest that the bombing was carried out by the Kurdish militant group Kurdistan Workers' Party, also known as the PKK, or an affiliated group.

'According to initial findings, it seems that this attack has been carried out either by the PKK or an affiliated organization,' the official told Reuters.

The explosion occurred less than a month after a car bomb attack in central Ankara killed 29 people. Kurdish militants claimed responsibility for that attack.

On February 17, a car filled with explosives went off as military buses were passing by. A 26-year-old Turkish national born in the eastern city of Van from the Kurdistan Freedom Falcons (TAK), a PKK splinter group, claimed responsibility for the attack.

The militant group said in a statement posted on its website that it carried out the attack in response to the policies of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

In January, at least 10 people were killed in another bombing in Istanbul, which was blamed on Daesh militants. More than a hundred others were killed in a twin bomb blasts at a Kurdish peace rally in Ankara last October.

The Turkish army has been carrying out a military campaign in several regions with a majority Kurdish population in the past few months. The operations began in the wake of a deadly July 2015 bombing in the southern Turkish town of Suruc. More than 30 people died in the attack, which the Turkish government blamed on the Takfiri Daesh terrorist group.

After the bombing, the PKK militants, who accuse the government in Ankara of supporting Daesh, engaged in a series of attacks against Turkish police and security forces, prompting the Turkish military operations.

The PKK militants have sought an autonomous Kurdish region in Turkey since the 1980s.

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22 killed as gunmen attack hotels in Ivory Coast beach resort

Iran Press TV

Sun Mar 13, 2016 4:2PM

Attacks on three hotels in the Ivory Coast beach resort of Grand-Bassam have killed 22 people, including at least four Europeans.

Armed assailants attacked three hotels in Grand Bassam, which is popular with foreign tourists on Sunday.

"Six attackers came onto the beach in Bassam this afternoon... We have 14 civilians and two special forces soldiers who were unfortunately killed," President Alassane Ouattara said during a visit to the site of the attacks.

The six attackers were also killed, he said.

A French Foreign Ministry spokesman has meanwhile said one French person is among those killed in the shooting.

French President Francois Hollande on Sunday denounced the "cowardly" attacks.

"France will bring its logistical support and intelligence to Ivory Coast to find the attackers. It will pursue and intensify its cooperation with its partners in the fight against terrorism," he said in a statement.

Grand-Bassam is about 40 kilometers (25 miles) east of commercial hub Abidjan.

Attacks in recent months on luxury hotels in the capitals of neighboring Mali and Burkina Faso have left dozens of people dead, leaving West African nations scrambling to boost security in the face of terrorism.

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Blast Rocks Turkish Capital, Killing At Least 27

by VOA News March 13, 2016

A large explosion ripped through the main square in Turkey's capital, Ankara, on Sunday, killing at least 27 people and wounding 75.

Officials said the blast occurred on Kizilay square, a key shopping and transportation hub near foreign embassies and government buildings.

The attack comes two days after the U.S. Embassy issued a security warning about a potential plot to attack central Ankara and asked its citizens to avoid the area.

Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu convened an emergency security meeting after the bombing Sunday.

The NTV news channel said a car believed to be laden with explosives detonated near a bus. Several cars caught fire and television footage showed several gutted vehicles.

Dogan Asik, a bus passenger when the explosion occurred, said, "We were thrown further back into the bus from the force of the explosion." Asik sustained injuries on his face and arm.

The blast comes less than a month after a car bomb attack in the capital killed at least 29 people.

Turkey said that attack was carried out by a Syrian man with links to Kurdish militia groups.

Ankara has been battling the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party, or PKK, which has been fighting a 30-year guerrilla war for more Kurdish autonomy in southeastern Turkey.

Turkey has also been targeted by Islamic State, which was blamed for last October's suicide bombing at a peace rally in Ankara that killed more than 100 people  the bloodiest single terrorist attack since Turkey became a modern state in 1923.

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Al-Qaida Affiliate Claims Attack that Killed 16 in Ivory Coast

by Emilie Iob March 13, 2016

Al-Qaida's North African affiliate has claimed an attack by six heavily-armed assailants on an Ivory Coast resort that killed 14 civilians and two soldiers on Sunday. Twenty-two people were wounded.

SITE Intelligence, a for-profit group which monitors jihadist websites said al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb claimed the attack in a post to its Telegram channels, calling three of the attackers "heroes" for the assault on three hotels in the beach resort of Grand-Bassam.

Ivorian President Alassane Ouattara visited the shooting site later Sunday afternoon.

He says "I would like to say that these coward terrorist attacks will not be tolerated in Ivory Coast." He also says the situation is now under control and calm has been restored.

Ouattara said the six terrorists were killed. The death toll is 14 civilians, as well as two members of the security forces, while 22 people were wounded.

Witness Jean-Baptiste Beugre works at a hotel next to where the shooting took place. He says he saw one of the gunmen arrive.

They heard gunshots, he says, and first thought it was firecrackers. When they got closer to see what was happening, they saw a man wearing fatigues, a flak jacket and carrying an AK47. He shouted "down!" and then started to shoot at people. Children, women, everybody.

Witnesses said the gunmen looked very young and was heavily armed.

Survivor Marcel Guei describes how one of the terrorists asked one man if he was praying (going to the mosque). He said yes and survived. Then the terrorist asked the man next to him. He said he didn't pray, and the gunman shot him dead.

Witnesses said the assailants wore hooded face masks and arrived on foot on the beach at one of the hotels, the Southern Star, which was full of foreign expatriates during a heatwave in the city of about 80,000 people.

As the shooting rampage was unfolding, a hotel receptionist said, "We do not know where they came from, and we do not know where they have gone." Everyone in the hotel was safe, he said, and police were on the scene.

The United States condemned the "heinous attack," and praised "Ivoirian and French" forces for preventing more people from dying.

National Security Council spokesman Ned Price said the U.S. is prepared to assist Ivory Coast in its investigation. He also reiterated U.S. commitment to working with others in West Africa to fight terrorists who want to undermine efforts to "build tolerant and inclusive societies."

Grand-Bassam is a former French colonial capital, about 40 kilometers east of the commercial hub of Abidjan, and is designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site because of the elegant colonial-era facades of buildings in the city.

It is the third such deadly attack in the past few months in West Africa. In November, gunman stormed a hotel in Bamako, in neighboring Mali, and in January, armed men stormed a hotel and a restaurant in Burkina Faso. The same al-Qaida group claimed responsibility for those attacks as well.

Ivorian authorities had increased security around hotels and all around Abidjan, as it was feared that Ivory Coast could be the next target.

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Soyuz 2-1B Carrier Rocket Successfully Launched From Baikonur

Sputnik News

22:11 13.03.2016(updated 22:44 13.03.2016)

The Soyuz 2-1B carrier rocket with the Resurs-P No.3 remote-sensing satellite was successfully launched from Baikonur on Sunday, which was the second attempt, a spokesman to the Russian Space Agency Roscosmos told RIA Novosti.

MOSCOW (Sputnik)  On Saturday, an automatic engine cutoff cancelled the launch of the Russian Soyuz 2-1B rocket carrier from Baikonur. After that, the launch was postponed to Sunday evening, with no changes introduced into the schedule of other Soyuz launches.

'The carrier rocket Soyuz-2-1B was launched at the scheduled time  9:56 p.m. Moscow time [18:56 GMT],' the spokesman said.

 Sputnik

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Global Aspirations: China Mulls Network of Overseas Naval Bases

Sputnik News

15:37 12.03.2016(updated 18:11 12.03.2016)

China is mulling an expansion of its overseas military bases beyond Djibouti, Foreign Minister Wang Yi hinted at a press conference during the National People's Congress.

'We are willing to, in accordance with objective needs, responding to the wishes of host nations and in regions where China's interests are concentrated, try out the construction of some infrastructure facilities and support abilities,' Wang was quoted as saying by Reuters.

'I believe that this is not only fair and reasonable but also accords with international practice,' he added.

His remarks came shortly after China began construction of its first overseas military base, located in Obock, Djibouti.

The site is within strategic proximity to piracy hot spots in the Gulf of Aden and the Arabian Sea. However, Beijing is very careful with its language, preferring to describe its bases as 'support facilities' or 'logistic facilities.'

Beijing has clarified that the base in Djibouti will be used to enable its navy to support anti-piracy efforts and other activities, including humanitarian assistance and disaster relief operations.

Wang's comment suggest that the Djibouti facility will be the first among similar bases, likely around the Indian Ocean, where China has several partner states, according to an article in The Diplomat.

The foreign minister made clear that Beijing will set up these facilities in response to the 'wishes of host nations.'

'What's striking about the Djibouti facility is the relatively quick turnaround from conception to construction,' the author wrote.

Indeed, initially Djibouti President Ismail Omar Guelleh confirmed that the country had started talks with China on a possible facility in May 2015. Six months later, Beijing confirmed the plan. Finally, construction began in February 2016.

'Assuming that Beijing is able to recreate this turnaround rate with other partner states in and around the Indian Ocean, we could see similar facilities crop up across the region,' the author noted.

According to the article, possible candidates for Chinese expansion include Pakistan, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, the Maldives, and the Seychelles. Each of these countries has its own political and diplomatic considerations to undertake before making an offer to China.

'With the establishment of its first overseas military facility in Djibouti, China has opened a door that long remained closed. With its foreign minister now openly discussing the possibility of future 'host nations' in the plural, it shouldn't come as a surprise when China announces plans for similar facilities,' according to the article.

 Sputnik

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China-Russia Talks Focus on North Korea

by Bai Hua March 11, 2016

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi's two-day visit to Moscow this week has largely focused on North Korea's increasing nuclear threats.

After meeting with Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov on Friday, Wang said China would not recognize North Korea's status as a nuclear power. He also said Pyongyang's development of nuclear weapons must be stopped, and that China was firmly committed to denuclearization of the entire Korean Peninsula.

Vowing that Beijing would not abandon efforts to resume six-party talks, Wang said all provisions of the U.N. resolution sanctioning North Korea must be fully implemented, but with an eye to minimizing any adverse impact on ordinary North Koreans.

In the meantime, he said, escalation of tensions on the peninsula should be avoided at all costs.

Opposition to missile system

Both Wang and Lavrov stressed opposition to South Korea's possible deployment of THAAD, the advanced U.S. missile defense system that has been at the center of recent talks between Washington and Seoul. Wang said the system would 'undermine security interests of China and Russia, destroy the strategic balance and trigger a regional arms race.'

On Monday, Leon Panetta, a former U.S. defense secretary and CIA director, told VOA that ongoing THAAD talks might have pressed Beijing to support the latest U.N. sanctions on North Korea.

Lavrov said Russia and China oppose using North Korea's nuclear activity as justification for an increased military presence in the region, and that he hoped Pyongyang would heed U.N. Security Council appeals to return to the six-party talks.

Some international relations experts say Beijing and Moscow have been forced to coordinate their positions on Pyongyang because Kim Jong Un refuses to compromise.

'The problem of the Korean Peninsula is extremely important, and it has caused widespread concern among all parties. It is not only a headache for China but also for Russia,' said Dmitry Streltsov, a scholar with the Moscow State Institute of International Relations. 'Since they don't see the possibility of any improvement of the situation in the future, it is very important for China to find out about Russia's bottom line on the issue. The two sides may also discuss any possibilities of taking joint actions.'

Russian scholar Alexey Maslov, head of the Oriental Studies Department at the Russian Higher School of Economics Research University, said China is already taking a tougher stance on North Korea by restricting its supply of various material goods. Maslov said Russia should follow suit by reducing its own exports to North Korea.

On same page

Maslov also said he thought Beijing supports Washington's current position on North Korea.

'We should also notice Wang Yi visited the United States recently, and even met with Secretary of State John Kerry,' he said. 'This shows that on some international issues, especially the North Korean nuclear issue, China and the U.S. share the same position.'

Lavrov said after meeting Wang that he expected political interaction between Russia and China 'to be no less than last year,' and that the quality of economic and trade cooperation between the two countries would improve.

Lavrov also announced that Chinese Premier Li Keqiang has accepted an invitation to visit Russia at the end of this year, and that this fall's G20 summit in China's Zhejiang province will provide another opportunity for improved Sino-Russian ties.

Russian President Vladimir Putin briefly met with Wang on Friday at the Kremlin, where he told Wang that he hoped to have in-depth discussions with Chinese President Xi Jinping during his visit to China this summer.

Putin also hailed bilateral relations between the two countries and called for more economic cooperation and cultural exchanges.

This report was produced in collaboration with VOA's Mandarin service. Some information for this report was provided by AP.

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US Senators Push for Action on Reunions with N. Korean Families

by Eunjung Cho March 11, 2016

A group of U.S. senators is proposing legislation to try to reunite Korean Americans with their families in North Korea.

The move comes amid heightened tensions between the U.S. and North Korea over Pyongyang's recent nuclear test and long-range missile launch.

Senator Mark Kirk, an Illinois Republican, along with Senators Mark Warner, a Virginia Democrat, and Cory Gardner, a Colorado Republican, introduced a bill Wednesday to push the U.S. to take action on reunions between family members in the U.S. and North Korea, who were separated during the Korean War six decades ago.

The bill would require the U.S. to consult with South Korea about opportunities for reunions. It also would call for the U.S. special representative on North Korea policy to meet with the Korean Americans every six months to brief them on the reunion efforts.

"Time is running out for these reunifications to happen and more families will have no knowledge of their loved ones' whereabouts," Kirk, a longtime advocate for the families, told VOA Thursday through email.

'Voice and hope'

"We need to make sure that there is an official channel to assist in the reunification of Korean Americans. This bipartisan bill gives a voice and hope to the thousands of families seeking reunification," he said.

The U.S. State Department refused to comment on the bill. "As a matter of policy, the department does not comment on pending legislation," a department official told VOA Friday through email.

The divided Korean American families have been working to raise awareness of the issue since 2000. In 2008, they organized the National Coalition on the Divided Families, a group of representatives from 13 states, to launch a campaign seeking support from the U.S.

It is estimated that about 100,000 Korean Americans have relatives in North Korea. Some have met privately with relatives, but no meetings have been arranged through the U.S. government.

The two Koreas have arranged 20 rounds of face-to-face reunions since 2000 through government channels. Nearly 20,000 people from both sides have participated. The last round of inter-Korean reunions was held in October 2015.

This report was produced in collaboration with VOA's Korean service.

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North Korean submarine goes missing: Reports

Iran Press TV

Sat Mar 12, 2016 7:22AM

US officials claim North Korea has lost contact with one of its submarines, amid ongoing military exercises by South Korea and the United States in the region.

Reports on Saturday said the vessel, of an unknown class, was last seen operating off the North Korean coast earlier this week.

They cited US military officials as saying that American spy satellites, aircraft, and ships have been watching the North Korean navy search for the missing submarine.

The report said the US military is unsure whether the vessel is adrift or has sunk, but believes it underwent an unspecified failure during an exercise.

The US Naval Institute (USNI) News, meanwhile, has said the vessel was presumed sunk.

North Korea has not confirmed the incident, and has made no comment on the report.

A South Korean Defense Ministry official, whose name was not mentioned in reports, said his country is investigating the reports.

The report of the submarine going missing came as Pyongyang issued a new warning against South Korea and the US over their joint ongoing drills.

The official North Korean KCNA news agency cited a statement from military chiefs, who warned that Pyongyang would carry out "a preemptive retaliatory strike at the enemy groups" involved in the joint US-South Korean exercises.

The statement said the North planned to respond to the drills with an "operation to liberate the whole of South Korea including Seoul' with an "ultra-precision blitzkrieg."

On Thursday, North Korea fired short-range ballistic missiles into the sea in an apparent reaction to the ongoing war games between the US and South.

Later on Saturday, US and South Korean troops staged massive amphibious landing exercises and assault drills on South Korea's east coast.

"They will penetrate notional enemy beach defenses, establish a beach head, and rapidly transition forces and sustainment ashore," the US military based in South Korea said in a statement before staging the exercises.

Relations between North and South Korea have been characterized by consistent tension. The two countries fought a war in the early 1950s, and have been at odds ever since the war ended.

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North Korean Submarine Lost Off Eastern Coast - Reports

Sputnik News

04:38 12.03.2016(updated 11:20 12.03.2016)

North Korea has lost contact with one of its submarines off the east coast of the country, CNN reports citing US officials.

MOSCOW (Sputnik)  US spy satellites, aircraft and ships observed as the North Korean navy searched for the missing submarine for several days, the officials said on Friday. The United States is unaware of the submarine's current whereabouts.

On Thursday, South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said that North Korea had fired two short-range missiles. The missiles hit waters northeast of the port city of Wonsan, the South Korean military said.

On March 3, the South Korean Yonhap news agency reported citing South Korean Defense Ministry spokesman Moon Sang-gyun that several short-range missiles were fired from the North Korean Wonsan naval base. All of them reportedly fell into the sea.

The reported launches come in the wake of new sanctions introduced against North Korea by the UN Security Council earlier this month.

The sanctions came in response to Pyongyang's January hydrogen bomb test, as well as the launch, a month later, of a long-range rocket to allegedly place a satellite into orbit, in defiance of UN Security Council resolutions.

 Sputnik

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US, South Korea Begin War Games Amid North Korean Threats

by VOA News March 12, 2016

The United States and South Korea began a series of annual joint military exercises Saturday, after days of threats by North Korea that it will retaliate if the war games turn into an attack  threats generally made each year.

The annual U.S. and South Korean exercises last eight weeks and are meticulously planned. Saturday's activities began with U.S. and South Korean troops in assault vehicles storming a beach on South Korea's east coast.

South Korea's Defense Ministry is calling the exercises 'the largest-scale ever,' with 300,000 South Korean and at least 17,000 U.S. troops participating.

A U.S. statement released before the exercises began said about 55 U.S. Marine aircraft and 30 U.S. and South Korean ships are taking part in the war games near Pohang City.

North Korea's military has said it is prepared to counter the U.S. and South Korean forces 'with an ultra-precision blitzkrieg strike of the Korean style.'

In response, South Korea's Defense Ministry has warned Pyongyang against 'rash behavior' and 'provocations.'

Missing N. Korean sub

Meanwhile, CNN reports a North Korean submarine has gone missing off the east coast, prompting a search that U.S. officials say seems to have lasted several days. U.S. military officials say they have been watching the investigation for days.

It is unclear whether the sub is adrift underwater or has sunk entirely, but officials say it was carrying out an exercise when it seemed to suffer some type of failure.

In another development, North Korean state media report that leader Kim Jong Un ordered the country to improve its nuclear attack capability after watching a recent ballistic missile launch test.

Kim Jong Un orders more nuclear tests

North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) quoted Kim saying he wanted 'more nuclear explosion tests to estimate the destructive power of the newly produced nuclear warheads and other tests to bolster up the nuclear attack capability.'

It says Kim declared that the DPRK would make its enemies 'regret their misjudgment' and 'reckless action.'

On Thursday, North Korea fired two short-range ballistic missiles that traveled about 500 kilometers before falling into the water off the country's east coast.

The missile tests were likely in response to massive military drills by South Korea and the United States, which Pyongyang has called a preparation for invasion.

Following the tests, Pyongyang said it will 'liquidate' all remaining South Korean assets on its territory, referring to two abandoned joint projects: the Kaesong industrial complex and the Mount Kumgang tourism resort, both inside North Korean borders.

The North's Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of Korea also said it is nullifying all agreements with South Korea on economic cooperation and exchange programs, and threatened military and economic actions against the South Korean government.

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Iran may face sanctions over missile tests: France

Iran Press TV

Sun Mar 13, 2016 4:1PM

France says Iran may be targeted with new sanctions over its recent ballistic missile tests, to which the Islamic Republic says it is entitled because they fall within the realm of conventional military capabilities.

"If necessary, sanctions will be taken," French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault said in Paris on Sunday. He was speaking after a meeting with US Secretary of State John Kerry and several European counterparts.

Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) successfully test-fired two ballistic missiles, dubbed Qadr-H and Qadr-F, on Wednesday as part of military drills to assess their capabilities.

A day earlier, the Guards had fired another ballistic missile, called Qiam, from silo-based launchers in different locations across the country.

Last October, Iran successfully test-fired its precision-guided long-range Emad missile, sparking an uproar among US politicians.

In January, the US Department of the Treasury imposed new sanctions against Iranian citizens and companies over the country's ballistic missile program.

Iran says it has a right to carry out missile tests, asserting that none of its missiles are capable of carrying nuclear warheads.

US Secretary of State John Kerry, who was speaking alongside the French top diplomat, described the recent tests as a breach of UN resolutions. Washington has, meanwhile, asked the UN Security Council to discuss the matter on Monday.

The Islamic Republic has repeatedly said that its military might poses no threat to other countries, reiterating that its defense doctrine is merely based on deterrence.

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Iran Rejects Russia-Saudi Oil Freeze Proposal

March 13, 2016

by RFE/RL

Iran has said it has no plans to freeze its oil production, in a blow to a deal reached last month between Russia and Saudi Arabia to curb falling global oil prices.

Iranian Oil Minister Bijan Namdar Zanganeh told Iran's Press TV on March 13 that other oil-producing countries should 'leave us alone.'

Zanganeh added Tehran would only consider a freeze after it increases production to 4 million barrels a day, the level it saw before international sanctions were imposed due to concerns about its nuclear program.

Zanganeh has previously said an oil freeze would be a 'joke' and Iran wanted to recover its lost market share.

According to the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), Iran's current oil production is between 2.8 million and 3.5 million barrels a day.

The Russian-Saudi deal, to which OPEC members Venezuela and Qatar also agreed to, is aimed at boosting global oil prices, which have fallen by up to 70 percent since their peak in mid-2014.

Since the removal of the international sanctions Iran has been trying to regain its share of the global petroleum market.

Zanganeh also welcomed U.S. companies to invest in Iran's oil and gas sector.

'In general, we have no problem with the presence of American companies in Iran,' Zanganeh told Press TV.

The minister said it is the U.S. government that is 'creating restrictions for these companies.' But he did not elaborate.

All international sanctions related to Iran's disputed nuclear program were lifted in January under a historic deal reached between Tehran and major world powers in July 2015.

However, Washington maintains separate sanctions imposed on Iran over its ballistic-missile program and it support for State Department-designated terrorist groups.

Zanganeh also told Press TV that he has asked German company Siemens to invest in Iran's petroleum sector.

'The German company must come to Iran to build equipment and parts needed in our oil industry and manufacture them here,' Zanganeh said.

With reporting by dpa, AP, and Press TV

Source: http://www.rferl.org/content/iran-against- russian-saudi-oil-freeze/27607604.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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Iran to Involve All State Forces in Large Military Exercises

Sputnik News

16:58 13.03.2016(updated 17:32 13.03.2016)

Iran intends to hold large-scale military exercises for all types of the national armed forces, the country's ground forces commander said on Sunday.

MOSCOW (Sputnik)  Iran plans to hold large-scale military exercises for the national armed forces, the country's ground forces commander said on Sunday.

'In the future, we will definitely conduct military exercises involving more troops and greater cooperation in all directions- on the ground, in the air and at sea,' Brig. Gen. Ahmad Reza Pourdastan was quoted by the Tasnim news agency as saying.

He also said that Iran would not use chemical, biological and nuclear weapons, even if its forces had it at their disposal.

Earlier this week, Iran held nationwide missile exercises, when, in particular, the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Aerospace Forces test-fired two types of Qadr ballistic missiles, both of which successfully hit the targets.

According to the IRGC Aerospace Forces commander Brig. Gen. Amir Ali Hajizadeh, the drills were aimed at demonstrating Iran's might and at verifying Iran's ballistic missile readiness to counter Iran's 'enemies.'

According to media reports, US Envoy to UN Samantha Power said that Washington would raise the issue of Tehran's 'dangerous' launches during the Monday Security Council consultations.

 Sputnik

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Britain to deploy more troops to Iraq

Iran Press TV

Sat Mar 12, 2016 5:36PM

Britain said Saturday it would send more troops to Iraq to train Iraqi forces in their fight against the Takfiri Daesh terrorists.

UK Defense Secretary Michael Fallon said Britain will deploy a further 30 troops to provide training in logistics and bridge-building, as well as specialist medical staff in Iraq.

That would take the total number of British personnel on training mission in Iraq to 300, reports suggested.

"Now is the time to step up our training of Iraqi forces, as they prepare for operations in key cities such as Fallujah and Mosul," Fallon said, adding that Britain has made "solid progress" in the collective fight against Daesh.

The British official boasted the move to increase the number of troops in Iraq as proving the "crucial role" London is playing in the fight against Daesh, saying UK airstrikes against purported positions of militants in Iraq have trebled.

British jets have been targeting purported positions of Daesh in Iraq and neighboring Syria as part of an international coalition against the Takfiri group. The central government has on occasions expressed regret that the US-led attacks have failed to target militants as locals have reported damage to civilian areas.

The British Ministry of Defense said four airstrikes were carried out on March 9 in northern and western Iraq. It said British Tornado and Typhoon aircraft conducted five more combat sorties the day after in the same area, claiming that they managed to destroy a weapons cache and several Daesh positions.

Experts said the UK announcement may be a sign that Iraq is nearing its long-anticipated mission to recapture the city of Mosul, Iraq's second-largest city which serves as the stronghold of Daesh in the northern province of Nineveh.

Sending troops with expertise in bridge-building could also assist the government in repairing those bridges destroyed in airstrikes by the so-called coalition and attacks by Daesh. Some Iraqi groups has resisted the contribution of Western governments in the fight against Daesh, saying those countries do little to address the aftermath of war and how to rebuild areas devastated in the attacks.

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Iraqi forces recapture two areas in Anbar from Daesh terrorists

Iran Press TV

Sat Mar 12, 2016 4:49PM

Iraqi counter-terrorism forces have fully liberated two districts in the conflict-ridden western province of Anbar, purging the areas of members of the Daesh Takfiri militant group.

The Iraqi military media office said in a statement on Saturday that the forces had managed to establish complete control over al-Safiriya and Albu Tayban regions on Saturday, and raised Iraqi flags over a number of buildings, Arabic-language al-Sumaria satellite television network reported.

Iraqi counter-terrorism forces also distributed foodstuff as well as medical supplies among thousands of affected families, and moved them to safer places.

The government troopers also detonated three vehicles rigged with explosives.

Meanwhile, Anwar al-Asi, a commander of the pro-government Popular Mobilization Units, said his forces have repelled Daesh assaults against Ajil and Alas oilfields, located northeast of Salahuddin provincial capital city of Tikrit. The Iraqi forces killed 25 of the extremists and wounded 20 others in the process.

A total of twenty members of the Iraqi army, security and Popular Mobilization Units also lost their lives during the heavy clashes.

Separately, Commander of the third Battalion of the 30th Brigade of the Iraqi Army, Major General Zana Khalil, was fatally shot by a Daesh sniper south of Fallujah, located roughly 69 kilometers (43 miles) west of Baghdad.

Brigadier General Sarhad Qadir, Kirkuk's provincial police chief, also said Kurdish Peshmerga forces thwarted a Daesh attack against their base in the oil-rich city of Kirkuk, and killed five bombers clad in explosive-laden jackets.

Qadir added that a Peshmerga fighter was also killed and four others were injured during the fierce skirmishes.

The northern and western parts of Iraq have been plagued by violence ever since Daesh Takfiri terrorists began their march through the 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.

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We will retaliate against Daesh chemical attack, Iraqi PM says

Iran Press TV

Sat Mar 12, 2016 4:6PM

Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said Saturday the Takfiri Daesh terrorists will be punished for a recent chemical attack in northern Iraq that claimed the life of a young girl.

The suspected mustard gas attack targeted the town of Taza, Kirkuk Province, on March 9 from the nearby village of Bashir, which is under the control of Daesh.

The attack left dozens of people injured and hospitalized, including three-year-old Fatima Samir, who died of respiratory complications and kidney failure in hospital on Friday.

Prime Minister Abadi said in a Saturday statement that the attack on Taza "will not go unpunished."

Hundreds of mourners held a funeral on Friday for Fatima while some of them carried placards demanding protection.

According to Burhan Abdallah, the head of Kirkuk health directorate, four people were in serious condition after the gas attack and have been taken to the capital, Baghdad.

Samples have been collected from the site of the attack and are being examined by experts to determine the chemical agent used in the deadly assault. Local officials believe it is mustard agent.

The Iraqi air force hit Bashir with a strike overnight. Abadi promised a ground operation to recapture the town from Daesh.

The Takfiri militants have so far launched similar chemical attacks in both Syria and Iraq, where they have been wreaking havoc over the past months. Although the attacks have not caused many casualties, it is believed that they have detrimental psychological effects.

Earlier in March, Iraqi intelligence officials said head of Daesh's unit responsible for developing chemical weapons was arrested in a February raid in the northern part of the country.

Daesh, which holds parts of Iraq, has reportedly been trying to produce chemical weapons and is thought to have formed a special unit for chemical weapons research. Iraqi scientists from the Saddam-era weapons program as well as foreign experts are to reportedly be working for the terror group.

However, experts say the terror group cannot carry out a huge chemical weapons attack as such an offensive needs proper equipment, materials and a supply-chain to develop enough of the chemical agent.

Daesh terrorists launched an offensive in Iraq in June 2014 and took control of swathes of the Iraqi territory. The militants have been committing heinous crimes against all ethnic and religious communities in the Arab country, including Shias, Sunnis, Kurds, and Christians.

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Bombings, shooting leave 9 dead, dozen wounded in, around Baghdad

Iran Press TV

Sat Mar 12, 2016 1:25PM

Nine people were killed and a dozen others injured in a series of bomb explosions and a shooting attack Saturday at residential neighborhoods in and around the Iraqi capital, Baghdad.

A security source, speaking on condition of anonymity, said two people lost their lives and seven others sustained injuries when an improvised explosive device went off close to a popular market in the southern Mahmoudiyah neighborhood of the capital, Baghdad, Arabic-language al-Baghdadia satellite television network reported.

Unidentified armed men also stormed a house in al-Munsiyah village, situated about 20 kilometers (14 miles) southeast of Baghdad, killing all the seven people inside. There were three women among the victims.

Elsewhere in the capital's southwestern neighborhood of Hayy al-A'amel, one civilian was killed and five others injured when a bomb blast ripped through a commercial district.

The United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq says a total of 670 Iraqis were killed and 1,290 others injured in acts of terrorism, violence and armed conflict in February.

According to the UN mission, the number of civilian fatalities stood at 410. Violence also claimed the lives of 260 members of the Iraqi security forces. A great portion of the fatalities was recorded in Baghdad, where 277 civilians were killed.

The northern and western parts of Iraq have been plagued by violence ever since Daesh Takfiri terrorists began their march through the 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.

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Iraqi Officials: IS Chemical Attacks Kill Child, Wound 600

by VOA News March 12, 2016

The Islamic State group has launched two chemical attacks near the northern Iraqi city of Kirkuk, killing a 3-year-old girl, wounding 600 people and causing hundreds more to flee, Iraqi officials said Saturday.

Security and hospital officials say the latest attack took place early Saturday in the small town of Taza, which was also struck by a barrage of rockets carrying chemicals three days earlier.

Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi vowed to retaliate against the Islamic State group for the attack. The suspected mustard gas attack on Taza that left a three-year-old girl dead 'will not go unpunished', the premier said in a statement.

"There is fear and panic among the women and children," said Adel Hussein, a local official in Taza. "They are calling for the central government to save them." Hussein said a German and an American forensics team arrived in the area to test for the presence of chemical agents.

Symptoms

The wounded are suffering from infected burns, suffocation and dehydration, said Helmi Hamdi, a nurse at the Taza hospital.

Talking to VOA, a Kirkuk based writer and political observer confirmed the attacks.

"It is unlikely that IS can launch a massive attack on Kirkuk, but they may continue such criminal activities and carry on random attacks," said Mala Farman.

U.S. and Iraqi officials said U.S. special forces captured the head of the IS unit trying to develop chemical weapons in a raid last month in northern Iraq.

The U.S.-led coalition said the chemicals IS has used include chlorine and a low-grade sulfur mustard that is not very potent. "It is a legitimate threat. It is not a high threat. We are not, frankly, losing too much sleep over it," U.S. Army Col. Steve Warren told reporters Friday.

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Daesh Takfiris on the run in Iraq's Anbar Province

Iran Press TV

Sun Mar 13, 2016 12:20PM

The Daesh Takfiri militants are fleeing the areas under their control in Iraq's western province of Anbar, with an Iraqi military spokesman saying the terrorist group has pulled its militants out of three towns in the conflict-ridden province.

The majority of Daesh militants "in Hit, Rutbah and Kubaysah have fled through the desert to other regions,' said military spokesman Yahya Rasool on Sunday.

Rassol also said that an operation has begun to "hunt them down with Iraqi aircraft.'

'Hit is surrounded by Iraqi forces from the south and north. Thousands of families have fled the area to meet our forces,' he added.

Meanwhile, a member of the Anbar provincial council said that at least 80 Daesh members were arrested as they were trying to flee the liberated districts of Zankurah, Albu Tayeban and the village of al Asriyah in the northwest of Ramadi.

Earlier on Sunday, an army general, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said that Daesh militants have completely left Rutbah and gone towards al-Qa'im.

Qa'im is a Daesh bastion on Iraq's border with Syria.

'Daesh's armed men started pulling out last night and completed their withdrawal this morning. Rutbah is now free of Daesh," the general added.

Rutbah mayor Imad Ahmed also confirmed the report, saying Daesh has no armed men there now.

'This withdrawal looks real, a consequence of their losses in Anbar, notably the retaking by the security forces of Ramadi, of areas east of Ramadi and the progress towards Hit,' Ahmed added.

Iraqi forces established full control over the city of Ramadi in February and have launched operations in areas around the provincial city to free more regions from Takfiri militants.

Counter-terrorism forces, army soldiers, police and allied volunteer fighters have been conducting a joint operation since March 1 aimed at retaking militant-held areas near the capital, Baghdad.

The northern and western parts of Iraq have been plagued by violence ever since Daesh Takfiri terrorists began their march through the Iraqi territory in June 2014.

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Iraqi army, popular forces kill 75 Daesh terrorists

Iran Press TV

Sun Mar 13, 2016 10:3AM

Fighters from Popular Mobilization units and the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) have killed more than 70 Daesh Takfiri militants during two separate operations in Iraq's northern provinces of Kirkuk and Nineveh.

Jabbar al-Mamouri, a commander of the pro-government Popular Mobilization units, told Arabic-language al-Sumaria satellite television network on Sunday that more than 40 bodies of Daesh extremists together with tens of wounded militants arrived at the main hospital in the town of Hawijah, located about 282 kilometers (175 miles) north of the capital, Baghdad, late last night.

Mamouri added that the Takfiris had been killed or injured during fierce exchanges of gunfire with Iraqi forces in close proximity to Ajil and Alas oil fields, located northeast of Salahuddin provincial capital city of Tikrit.

There were six high-profile Daesh militant commanders, identified by the noms de guerre Abu Qa'qa al-Misri, Abu Osama al-Ansari and Talhah al-Araqi, among the slain militants.

Separately, PKK announced in a statement on Sunday that the Kurdish fighters have launched an offensive against a position of Daesh Takfiris in the strategic Shelo region, which lies southwest of Sinjar Mount in Nineveh Province, killing 21 terrorists in the process.

The statement added that a sizeable amount of weapons, munitions and military supplies was seized following the bloody gunfight.

Meanwhile, Anwar al-Asi, a commander of Popular Mobilization units, said 14 Daesh militants were killed and seven others injured during clashes with tribal fighters southwest of Kirkuk.

The northern and western parts of Iraq have been plagued by violence ever since Daesh Takfiri terrorists began their march through the 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.

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Daesh Terrorists Leave Strategically Important City Ar Rutbah in Iraq

Sputnik News

17:28 13.03.2016(updated 17:32 13.03.2016)

Daesh terrorists completely retreated from the strategically important city of Ar Rutbah in western Iraq, according to the governor of the city.

MOSCOW (Sputnik)  Terrorists of the Islamic State (ISIL or Daesh) militant group have left the strategically important city of Ar Rutbah in western Iraq, the governor of the city said on Sunday.

'IS militants have completely retreated from Rutbah,' Imad Ahmed was quoted by the Iraqi Alsumaria news channel as saying.

The Daesh, a group outlawed in Russia and many other counties, is currently in control of large areas of Syria and Iraq. The group is notorious for its brutality and many human rights violations, including on-camera executions of foreign hostages posted online.

The Daesh are Sunni militants who denounce the Shia Muslims, making up almost 70 percent of the Iraqi population, as infidels. The Daesh has carried out numerous terror attacks and committed many human rights atrocities in the country.

The Daesh took control of Ar Rutbah in mid-2014, becoming one of the first cities which the militants occupied in Iraq. The city is considered of strategic value as it is located on the Iraqi-Jordanian border, and it allows the militants to better control the western border and transfer weapons and ammunition. It also occupies a strategically important spot on the Amman-Baghdad road, and the MosulHaifa oil pipeline.

 Sputnik

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Iraqi Army Kills at Least 25 Terrorists Near Site of Daesh Chemical Attack

Sputnik News

17:00 13.03.2016(updated 17:11 13.03.2016)

At least 27 Daesh terrorists were killed by the Iraqi army in the Iraq's province of Kirkuk, according to the military press service.

MOSCOW (Sputnik)  Iraqi army killed at least 27 militants in the northern country's province of Kirkuk near the site of the recent usage of chemical weapons by Daesh, the military's press service said Sunday.

Earlier in the week, Daesh terrorists have used chemical weapons for attacks on the northern Iraqi town of Taza in the province of Kirkuk that have killed a child and injured hundreds of civilians.

According to the military, Iraqi artillery shelled the Daesh positions near Kasbah Bashir settlement that were used to launch missiles rigged with toxic substances.

Kirkuk province has repeatedly been at the epicenter of fierce clashes between Daesh, which is prohibited in many countries, including Russia, and Iraqi forces since the jihadist group captured vast parts of Iraq in June 2014.

 Sputnik

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Iraqi Military Reclaims From Daesh Two Districts in Anbar Province

Sputnik News

06:16 13.03.2016(updated 06:27 13.03.2016)

In the ongoing offensive, the Iraqi military has managed to regain from Daesh two areas in the country's western province of Anbar, purging the militants away from the territories.

On Saturday, Iraqi counter-terrorism forces took full control over the al-Safiriya and Albu Tayban districts of the province, raising the state flags over key buildings across the regions, local al-Sumaria satellite television network reported.

In the course of cleansing, the Iraqi military also detonated three mine-studded vehicles, Press TV reported.

Thousands of local residents have been provided with food and medical supplies. According to AFP, over 10,000 people who suffered under Daesh occupation have been transported to safer zones.

Separately, the pro-government Popular Mobilization Units repelled Daesh attacks against Ajil and Alas oilfields in northeast of Anbar, according to the group's commander Anwar al-Asi. The Iraqi forces reportedly killed 25 radicals and injured 20.

Moreover, Iraqi forces repulsed a Daesh assault on the Makr al-Nu'am outpost located in Anbar near border with Saudi Arabia, according to a local security source. Militants used machine guns and a suicide car bomb in the attack, but border guards defeated them after a three-hour fight. According to Xinhua, nine attackers and three Iraqi troops were killed as a result of a clash.

'The border outpost is under full control of the border guards after defeating the IS militants,' the source said.

The Iraqi Anbar border line stretching from the west point of the war-ravaged country is the country's longest, and has been subjected to numerous attacks by Daesh.

 Sputnik

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Multiple states, companies violating Libya arms embargo: UN

Iran Press TV

Sun Mar 13, 2016 1:13AM

A United Nations report has blamed multiple countries, companies, and individuals for sending weapons to rival militant factions in Libya in violation of an international arms embargo on the divided country.

Among those involved in breaking the arms ban are two US companies, an Italian broker working with a Libyan national in Britain representing the Tripoli-based government in the North African country as well as countries such as the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Turkey, Egypt, Jordan, Sudan and Ukraine, according to the UN document, cited in a number of press reports since Friday.

The investigative report was submitted to the UN Security Council in January and is due for public release in near future.

The Security Council, the reports say, will consider evidence cited by UN investigators in the document and decide on possible measures against member countries, firms and individuals involved.

The Council imposed the weapons ban on Libya and all warring factions within the North African nation during its popular uprising in 2011, as part of a Western-led military intervention against long time Libyan dictator Moammar Gaddafi, who was eventually toppled and killed by Libyan revolutionaries.

The arms embargo, however, has remained in effect since then as Libya continues to struggle in a bid to achieve political and security stability.

The weapons cited by UN probers were reportedly intended for Libya's two rival governments as well as their affiliated militia forces, which have been clashing for control of the oil-rich country in the past years.

One of Libya's rival governments is based in the capital, Tripoli, and the other, which enjoys international recognition, is based in the eastern city of Tobruk. The two administrations have yet to fully accept a UN-brokered deal on establishing a unity government in the war-ravaged nation.

Authorities from the Tobruk-based government have confirmed receiving armaments from friendly allies but insist they are essential for self-defense.

"I don't think the Security Council should have any say in who the Libyan government buys or receives weapons from," said an official with the parliament, Abdulsalam Nasiya, as cited in a report by US-based daily The Wall Street Journal.

The report further cited a Tripoli-based parliament member, Saad Sharada, as saying that his political allies have only received military personnel carriers while denying procurement of weapons.

"Arms and ammunition are continuing to be transferred to various parties in Libya, with the involvement of member states and complex networks of brokering companies that do not appear to be deterred by the arms embargo," said the UN report as cited by the US daily.

The report includes more than 100 pages of documentation including copies of arms orders, invoices, end-user certificates, as well as serial numbers and photos of weaponry that were previously held by national armies but ended up in Libya.

UN investigators state that the UAE approved weapons shipments to the Tobruk-based regime and also allowed its national companies to sell weapons to that faction.

Egyptian military hardware, including attack helicopters, ended up in the arsenal of the Tobruk administration, the report said, citing photos of the helicopters, including tail numbers.

Additionally, Turkish arms makers have shipped weapons to Libya, while Ukrainian national companies are alleged to have also been involved in shipping armaments.

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Myanmar army releases 46 child soldiers under UN deal

Iran Press TV

Sun Mar 13, 2016 6:21AM

Myanmar's military has released nearly 50 more child soldiers from service as part of an agreement with the United Nations, state media say.

On Saturday, 46 children who had served in the Myanmarese army, called Tatmadaw, were handed over to their families during a ceremony in Yangon, the Global New Light of Myanmar newspaper reported.

"The Tatmadaw is committed to rid its ranks of underage soldiers," Major General Tauk Tun was quoted as saying in the report.

The report added that so far 744 child soldiers have been discharged "in 12 batches, including yesterday's release," under the 2012 pact with the UN.

The exact number of children currently serving in the army or other groups is not known.

Myanmar's army has faced a wide range of accusations, including rights abuses and the forced recruitment of children to work as porters and human mine detectors.

According to the UN, besides the army, at least seven different rebel groups, including the Kachin Independence Army, Karen National Liberation Army, Karenni Army, Shan State Army South and the United Wa State Army, are known to be actively recruiting children as soldiers.

Myanmar is currently in the process of transitioning from decades of brutal military rule to the formation of a government.

Last November, the National League for Democracy (NLD) won 80 percent of seats during a parliamentary vote, allowing the party to form the first civilian-led government for the country in decades.

The new parliament is expected to choose a new president, as well as speakers and deputy speakers of both the lower and upper houses.

Myanmar has been grappling with internal struggles from countless ethnic minority armies battling for greater autonomy, since the end of the British colonial rule in the country in 1948.

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India Disagrees US F-16 Sales to Pakistan to Help 'Combat Terrorism'

Sputnik News

00:41 13.03.2016(updated 00:50 13.03.2016)

The defense minister of India has denounced the US decision to sell a set of Lockheed Martin F-16 fighter jets to Pakistan, saying the aircraft won't help Islamabad in fighting terrorists acting within the country.

Defense Minister Manohar Parrikar has claimed in a written statement to the Indisan parliament that India is displeased and disappointed with Washington's views on the sale of the fighter jets. To express the country's leadership concerns, he also said the External Affairs Ministry summoned the American ambassador.

'India does not agree with the US rationale that such arms transfers help to combat terrorism,' the Indian Express quoted Manohar as saying.

Prior to that, Indian Air Force officials stressed that sale of eight F-16s to Pakistan would hamper the work of the country's military in the region.

The Obama administration's planned $699 million deal to sell eight F-16s, radars and other equipment to Pakistan was proposed in February and immediately split the American establishment.

Following the announcement, Republican Senator Rand Paul called Pakistan "an uncertain ally" while Senator Bob Corker claimed Islamabad is engaged in covering terrorists.

'They [Pakistan] continue to support the Taliban, the Haqqani network, and give safe haven to Al Qaeda," Corker said.

Despite the backlash, the Obama Administration has strongly defended its decision, which will come into effect in 30 days if US Congress does not block it.

 Sputnik

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Moscow Expects to Receive Data on Lesin's Death From US Investigators

Sputnik News

13:16 12.03.2016(updated 13:17 12.03.2016)

Moscow would prefer learning new information on the circumstances of the death of former Russian Press Minister Mikhail Lesin directly from the US investigators rather then media reports, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said Saturday.

MOSCOW (Sputnik)  On Friday, a medical statement was released to media stating that Lesin, who was also ex-head of Gazprom-Media, died as a result of blunt force injuries of the head, in contradiction to earlier announcements.

The former Russian press minister died in Washington, DC on November 5, 2015. Following his death, Lesin's family told media that he died from heart attack.

'We believe that as the American investigators have new information, we would like to receive it directly from those people who are obliged to [provide] it, not from the journalists, not from the reports,' Zakharova said.

Lesin was born on July 11, 1958. He served as minister for the affairs of the press, broadcasting and mass communications from 1999 to 2004 and as presidential adviser from 2004 to 2009. He was appointed to head Gazprom-Media holding in October 2013 and resigned in January 2015, citing family reasons. Lesin is also widely credited as the creator of international broadcaster RT.

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As UN Prepares to Resume Syrian Talks, US Condemns Cease-Fire Violations

by Pamela Dockins March 11, 2016

The United States on Friday condemned the Syrian government for hampering deliveries of humanitarian aid and for launching airstrikes that have reportedly hit civilians.

The strongly worded condemnation from the State Department came as the U.N.'s Syria envoy plans to resume "substantive" talks between the Syrian government and the opposition in Geneva on Monday.

State Department spokesman John Kirby said the Syrian regime was guilty of an "ongoing practice of removing badly needed medical supplies" from emergency humanitarian aid deliveries.

He also said there were reports that regime airstrikes had struck civilians, in areas including Aleppo. In one case, he said, a strike hit civilians who were part of a congregation leaving a mosque.

"Attacks against civilians and the denial of humanitarian aid needs to stop immediately," said Kirby, who added that the U.S. was urging Russia and other parties with ties to the Syrian regime to use their influence to try to persuade it to stop.

Clashes reported

Although the overall level of fighting has dropped since a partial cessation of hostilities took effect two weeks ago, there have been reports of violations on both sides.

Despite of those reported violations, the U.S. said the Syrian opposition, which initially agreed to a two-week cessation, is now willing to allow the cease-fire to continue as the U.N. moves forward with proximity talks.

"None of the armed factions nor the [opposition] High Negotiations Committee itself has indicated they want the cessation to end," Kirby said.

Earlier Friday, the High Negotiations Committee umbrella group confirmed that it was ready to participate in the second round of U.N.-facilitated talks in Geneva.

However, it said opposition leader Riyad Hijab thought the chances of reaching an agreement on a political transition were "slim."

In a statement, the group said the Syrian regime and its allies had carried out unlawful detentions and bombings over civilian areas and had blocked aid access to besieged areas.

Syrian, Russian targets

The first round of proximity talks broke off in early February, partly because of opposition complaints that the Syrian and Russian governments were bombing Syrian rebels instead of the Islamic State and other terrorist groups.

Russia said the Syrian government, which has accused rebels of violations, had confirmed it would participate in the second round of political talks.

Also, Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moallem scheduled a Saturday news conference that may shed more light on his government's intentions.

Some U.S. analysts have expressed doubt about the prospects for ending Syria's civil war through dialogue.

"The prospects for a political agreement in Syria have long been dim to negligible," said Daniel Serwer, a Middle East Institute analyst and professor at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies.

"The current momentum comes from putting aside the central issue: whether [Syrian President] Bashar al-Assad will continue in power," he said in an article in peacefare.net.

Kerry, Saudis confer

As the U.N. prepares to relaunch negotiations, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry met with officials in Saudi Arabia on Friday.

"Kerry emphasized that now is the time to keep moving forward toward ending the conflicts in Syria and Yemen," the State Department said.

The U.S. and Saudi Arabia are part of the 17-nation International Syria Support Group, which has been backing plans for a political transition in Syria.

Also, the U.S. has been backing a Saudi-led coalition in Yemen, which has been carrying out airstrikes against Houthi rebels.

Syria will likely be a focal point for Kerry when he travels to Paris for meetings with his counterparts from France, Germany, Britain and Italy as well as EU High Representative Federica Mogherini.

Syria's five-year civil war has resulted in 400,000 deaths, according to some reports, and has left millions displaced.

"No one wants to see a sixth year of conflict start on March 15," said officials in a Friday statement from the U.N. and a group of nongovernmental organizations.

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Syrian jet crashes over central Hama province

Iran Press TV

Sat Mar 12, 2016 10:22PM

A Syrian government fighter jet has crashed in the country's western-central province of Hama.

On Saturday, the Syrian government confirmed the incident, citing 'technical difficulties', adding that the pilot 'managed to eject safely' and was rescued by Syrian forces.

According to the so-called Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, the MiG-21 was downed by the al-Qaeda-linked Ahrar al-Sham Takfiri terrorist group with heat seeking missiles on Saturday.

'The first missile missed but the second one struck the plane,' said Observatory head Rami Abdel Rahman.

Syrian forces have recently been making rapid advances against terrorists, who are committing heinous crimes against all religious groups, in several parts of the crisis-hit country.

Last week, Syrian troops killed over 70 Nusra terrorists and destroyed several of their armed vehicles. Elsewhere, government forces retook several villages and areas from the terrorists in the northern province of Aleppo.

Syria has been gripped by foreign-backed militancy since March 2011. According to a February report by the Syrian Center for Policy Research, the conflict has claimed the lives of over 470,000 people, injured 1.9 million others, and displaced nearly half of the country's pre-war population of about 23 million within or beyond its borders.

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Russia urges Turkey not to torpedo Syria peace talks

Iran Press TV

Sat Mar 12, 2016 2:50PM

Russia has called on Turkey to stop actions that could torpedo Syria's peace talks and disrupt the ceasefire in the war-stricken country.

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Gennady Gatilov on Friday slammed Ankara for shelling Syrian Kurdish positions and for sending weapons across the border to assist foreign-backed militants, Bloomberg reported.

Such actions must stop "to provide a more constructive atmosphere for the intra-Syrian talks and a more durable ceasefire," said Gatilov.

Gatilov's remarks come as a new round of talks between Syria's government and opposition is scheduled for Monday in Geneva, Switzerland, as a partial ceasefire extends into a third week.

The ceasefire agreement in Syria, brokered by Russia and the United States, entered into force on February 27. The Syrian government accepted the terms of the truce on condition that military efforts against Daesh and the al-Nusra Front militants, who are excluded from the ceasefire, continue.

Since February, Turkey has been shelling the positions of fighters of the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) and its affiliate Democratic Union Party (PYD) in the northern parts of Syria.

Ankara regards the YPG and YPD as allies of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which has been fighting for an autonomous Kurdish region inside Turkey since the 1980s.

The YPG, which controls nearly Syria's entire northern border with Turkey, has been fighting against the Daesh Takfiri terrorist group.

The government in Ankara is angered by the rapid advance of Syrian Kurdish fighters in areas near the Turkish border.

Syria constitution to build 'democratic society'

Gatilov also urged the Syrian government and opposition groups to show "real willingness" to agree on a new constitution for Syria that would build a "future democratic society."

The new constitution must include "guarantees that ensure an equal participation in the electoral process for all Syrians," he said, adding that international monitoring will be key to free and fair elections.

UN Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura said on Friday that presidential and legislative elections in the country, which will be observed by the United Nations, will be held in the next 18 months.

De Mistura said reaching an agreement on a new all-inclusive government would be one of the key points during the upcoming negotiations in Geneva. The other two main issues to be discussed are the adoption of a new constitution and the holding of elections.

Russian, Syrian strikes targeting Daesh, Nusra

Gatilov also dismissed claims by the Syrian opposition that Russian and Syrian forces are violating the ceasefire on a daily basis, saying they are targeting only the Daesh Takfiri terrorists and the al-Qaeda-linked Nusra Front, which are excluded from the truce.

Since late September 2015, Russia has been conducting airstrikes against foreign-backed militants in Syria upon a request by the Damascus government.

Syria has been gripped by foreign-backed militancy since March 2011. According to a February report by the Syrian Center for Policy Research, the conflict has claimed the lives of over 470,000 people, injured 1.9 million others, and displaced nearly half of the country's pre-war population of about 23 million within or beyond its borders.

Saudi Arabia and Turkey have widely been blamed for the surge in the deadly militancy in Syria as they have been supporting militants with funds, training and weapons.

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Syrian Air Force MiG-21 Jet Downed, Pilot Killed - Source

Sputnik News

23:17 12.03.2016(updated 02:05 13.03.2016)

A Syrian Air Force MiG-21 jet reportedly has been downed near a military airfield in Hama Governorate.

Syrian Air Force MiG-21 has been downed by armed militants near a military airfield in western Hama Governorate, a military source told Sputnik. The pilot had been shot dead from the ground while parachuting, according to the source.

'A Syrian warplane MiG-21 was shot down near the Hama military airfield,' the source said.

A Syrian military source later explained Sputnik that one pilot of the MiG-21US jet was able to eject to safety while the second one died in a failed emergency landing.

'After the Syrian Air Force plane was hit, one pilot ejected and landed at the al-Magir village, which is controlled by the [government] army. The second pilot attempted an emergency landing at the Hama military airfield. The landing failed and the pilot died,' the source explained.

This week, the Hama Governorate has seen clashes between the Syrian government troops and militants from the two main terrorist groups operating in Syria  Islamic State (Daesh) and the al-Qaeda linked Nusra Front.

Neither of the two terrorist groups is part to the ongoing cessation of hostilities in Syria, which was brokered by the United States and Russia two weeks ago. The truce has largely held, despite reports of sporadic violations.

 Sputnik

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Russian Defense Ministry Says 42 Armed Groups Join Syrian Ceasefire

Sputnik News

18:31 12.03.2016(updated 18:48 12.03.2016)

The number of armed groups that have joined the Syrian ceasefire reached 42, while negotiations with three more are underway, the Russian Defense Ministry said Saturday.

MOSCOW (Sputnik)  Ten violations of the cessation of hostilities were recorded in Syria within the past 24 hours, the Russian center for Syrian reconciliation said in a bulletin published Saturday.

'The ceasefire is generally holding. At the same time, 10 violations of the ceasefire were recorded within 24 hours (Damascus  6, Aleppo  3, Hama  1),' the bulletin published on the Russian Defense Ministry's website read.

The positions of government troops in Damascus have been shelled five times from areas under control of the Free Syrian Army, according to the bulletin.

Last month, Russia and the United States brokered a truce between the Syrian government and key opposition forces in Syria.

The ceasefire took effect on February 27 and has largely held so far, despite sporadic violations. It does not apply to terrorist groups operating in the country, mainly Daesh and al-Nusra Front.

'Negotiations with the leaders of three armed groups operating in the city of Aleppo are underway. The number of armed groups that have joined the ceasefire is 42,' an information bulletin of the Russian reconciliation center in Syria read.

 Sputnik

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Inside the Battle Between Syrian Army and Daesh Terrorists in Homs

Sputnik News

15:35 12.03.2016(updated 17:48 12.03.2016)

Over a year ago the terrorist group Daesh captured the strategically important city al-Quaryatayn in the southeast province of Homs. Over time, the city has become a stronghold for the terrorists, as it is situated on the main transport route between Damascus and Palmyra.

A RIA Novosti correspondent Mikhail Alaeddin witnessed how an assault group of the Syrian army moved into the desert fighting fiercely, pushing forward to the al-Quaryatayn heights, destroying terrorist observation posts and fortified positions.

Accompanied by the commander of one of the units of the local militia and the mayor of Sadad Sleiman Al-Khalil the correspondent arrived to the front heights of the Syrian army to the south-west of al-Quaryatayn.

The soldiers took up positions on the embankments along the whole of the perimeter with heavy machinery arriving at the rear. It only took about five minutes before whistling bullets of the enemy came soaring suddenly.

"The first bullets flew within just meters from us. The Syrian soldiers began shouting to us to lie down and we crawled towards them," the correspondent recalled.

The shelter was not the best, and the armored vehicles moved back to the defense line. "We clung to the ground, ears ringing from the continuous gunfire. Syrian soldiers were on the front line firing densely to cover their colleagues, so that those could take a comfortable position."

"The fire from the opposite heights only intensified. A tank drew closer to us and fired. There was no time to cover our ears. An enormous amount of dust was raised and for a moment it seemed that the fighting has stopped. I saw that my neighbors in the shelter were in the same state. I only had time to notice that the soldier was trying to say something when the next fire was shot," the correspondent said.

Judging from the intensity of the battle, both sides understood how important this territory was. The terrorists of Daesh need the Damascus-Palmyra territory on which al-Quaryatayn is situated. The Army plans to cut off the supply of Daesh from the vicinity of al-Quaryatayn into Palmyra.

The city, according to Syrian intelligence is completely empty; the insurgents have concentrated their forces in the surrounding areas.

"We regularly inspect the area with the help of a drone. Al-Quaryatayn is the cheese in a mousetrap. There's absolutely no one, the enemy has concentrated its forces on the heights and in the canyons outside the city. They are using the mountain chain of the city to support the Palmyra front," Lt. of Syrian Special Forces said.

Continuing his narration, the correspondent noted how that night in the desert makes everything look sinister.

"Silence made everyone nervous. If you look into the black desert, it seems like silhouettes of dozens of people were approaching in our direction quickly and silently, disappearing and appearing closer and closer. Adrenaline was inspiring worst scenario assumptions."

"There's nobody here, if you look into the wilderness for long, the imagination paints the most incredible picture of ghosts."

At this height, in spite of the wind, the smell of medicine and burning debris was very strong. The silhouettes of the dead militants, only about 15 people, could be made out in the darkness. The fighters of the Syrian Special Forces then reported to the senior team that at this location there were a lot of abandoned weapons, three cars, and strange drugs with used syringes.

No one could explain from where the smell of drugs came but at that moment it wasn't so important because the main task was to make sure that the area was under control.

"Toward dawn we were given a guide who would return us to the cars. At sunrise we arrived at the headquarters of the Syrian Special Forces, where we were waiting for the return of the group," the correspondent said.

"Over a cup of tea the Chief of Staff said that the previous night was one of the most successful in the last three months. Just a few minutes ago he was told from the front that it was possible to destroy two enemy observation points and take control of the three heights. Among the Syrian troops one soldier had been killed and two others were injured."

Good news arrived during the night from other sectors of the al-Quaryatayn front. The militia and armed forces were breaking out in the desert from three different directions.

"When you listen to the commander and regard the destruction of the mosque through a huge hole in the wall, one can sense hope in the heart of the Syrian army officer that there will be success and development towards end of the war," the correspondent said.

 Sputnik

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We Stand for Unity': Damascus Opposes Federalization, Partition of Syria

Sputnik News

15:02 12.03.2016(updated 15:09 12.03.2016)

Syria's leadership opposes the partition of the republic and does not support the idea of the country's federalization, Foreign Minister Walid Muallem said Saturday.

DAMASCUS (Sputnik)  On Friday, UN Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura said that Syria's federalization could be one of the issues discussed at the upcoming peace talks in Geneva.

'I tell you as a Syrian citizen: we are against the idea of federalization. We stand for the unity of Syria's territory and its public,' the minister said at a press conference in Damascus.

Russia has been repeatedly saying that reserving Syria's territorial integrity was a critically important issue for the majority of states taking part in the process to settle the Syrian crisis.

Last month, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said Moscow would support the establishment of a federal republic in Syria if the Syrians themselves decided that that is what is best for their country.

In February, Russia and the United States reached an agreement on the cessation of hostilities in Syria. The ceasefire took effect on February 27. The agreement does not apply to groups operating in Syria that are designated as terrorist organizations by the United Nations.

Even before the ceasefire was implemented, Washington had expressed skepticism about the successful implementation of the agreement, warning that violations would likely occur that may necessitate reverting to a Plan B for Syria that could include the partitioning of the country.

 Sputnik

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Syrian PM's comments on Assad disruptive to peace: Kerry

Iran Press TV

Sun Mar 13, 2016 6:37PM

US Secretary of State John Kerry has slammed as "disruptive to peace" remarks by his Syrian counterpart who has described President Bashar al-Assad's ouster as a "red line."

Speaking after talks with European allies in Paris on Sunday, Kerry said Walid Muallem was "clearly trying to disrupt the process... (he was) clearly trying to send a message of deterrence to others."

"But the fact is (Assad's) strongest sponsors, Russia and Iran, have both adopted... an approach which dictates that there must be a political transition and that we must have a presidential election at some time," Kerry said on the eve of a new round of peace talks in Geneva.

Previous talks collapsed in February, after the so-called High Negotiations Committee (HNC), which is backed by Saudi Arabia, insisted on Assad's removal as a prerequisite for any peace process.

Muallem told a Damascus news conference on Saturday that "we will not talk with anyone who wants to discuss the presidency... Bashar al-Assad is a red line."

"If they continue with this approach, there's no reason for them to come to Geneva," he asserted.

The UN-brokered negotiations, due to begin on Monday, are the latest in a series of international efforts to end the five-year conflict in Syria, which, according to a February report by the Syrian Center for Policy Research, has killed more than 470,000 people and injured some 1.9 million more.

Fighting across Syria has dropped significantly since a landmark ceasefire took effect two weeks ago.

Kerry said violence has decreased by 80-90 percent since the truce, something he described as "very, very significant" news ahead of the talks.

Kerry threatens new sanctions on Iran

Elsewhere in his remarks, Kerry threatened Iran with new sanctions over its recent missile tests, hours after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called on Tel Aviv allies to react.

Netanyahu ordered Israeli diplomats to demand the P5+1 group of countries, who reached a nuclear agreement with Iran last July, take immediate action against Tehran's "gross transgressions."

On Tuesday, Iran fired Qiam ballistic missiles from silo-based launchers in different locations across the country and on Wednesday, it successfully test-fired two more ballistic missiles of the Qadr family.

"The missiles (tests) are a violation of the UN Security Council, because they are longer than the distance that is allowed," Kerry said in Paris. "Because of that they represent a potential threat to countries in the region and beyond."

According to Commander of the IRGC Aerospace Division Brigadier General Amirali Hajizadeh, Qadr-H missile has a range of 1,700 kilometers while Qadr-F missile can destroy targets some 2,000 kilometers away.

US envoy to the United Nations Samantha Power said Friday that the tests are a threat to Israel, adding Washington has asked the UN Security Council (UNSC) to discuss the issue.



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Russia says has evidence of Turkey forces on Syria soil

Iran Press TV

Sun Mar 13, 2016 4:24PM

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov says Moscow has evidence that Turkish forces are on Syrian territory despite Ankara's denial of troops' entry to the war-torn Arab country.

Lavrov made the remarks in an interview with Ren-TV that was broadcasted on Sunday.

Last December, Moscow also said it has evidence Turkey is involved in the smuggling of oil from areas held by Daesh in Iraq and Syria. Ankara has strongly rejected the claim.

Russian Defense Ministry officials showed satellite images at a briefing in Moscow, revealing that tanker trucks loaded oil at installations controlled by Daesh in Syria and Iraq, before entering neighboring Turkey.

Turkish Defense Minister Ismet Yilmaz has rejected that Turkish forces have entered Syrian territory to help foreign-backed militants fighting against the Syrian government. Last month, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, however, said Saudi Arabia and his country could launch a ground operation in Syria.

Also on Sunday, Lavrov referred to Turkey's shelling of Kurdish positions in Syria and called Ankara's actions on the border with Syria "creeping expansion."

The Russian foreign minister further noted that despite Ankara's opposition, Moscow will call on the United Nations to invite Kurdish groups to a new round of talks between the Syrian government and opposition groups which is scheduled for Monday in Geneva, Switzerland.

Turkey's tanks have shelled positions of Kurdish People's Protection Units, also known as YPG, over the past few months, accusing them 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.

Lavrov also said in the Sunday interview that Moscow was ready to coordinate its operations in Syria with the US so that the northern city of Raqqah could be freed from Takfiri militants.

Daesh has seized parts of Iraq and Syria, where it has been engaged in bloody acts of terrorism against people of all communities.

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Kerry Meets European Ministers In Paris Ahead Of Syria Talks

March 13, 2016

by RFE/RL

U.S.Secretary of State John Kerry met with the foreign ministers of France, Britain, Italy, and Germany  along with EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini -- in Paris on March 13.

A top item on the agenda was the UN-sponsored indirect peace talks due to begin in Geneva on March 14 between Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's regime and representatives of Syrian opposition factions.

Those talks are aimed at capitalizing on a shaky truce between Syrian government forces and opposition fighters.

Kerry, speaking in Paris, warned the Assad regime and allies against exploiting the truce.

'If the regime and its backers think they can test boundaries, diminish their compliance in certain areas, or act in ways that call into question their commitment to the cessation -- without serious consequences for the progress we have made -- they are mistaken,' Kerry said.

Kerry also said IS militants in Syria were being weakened.

'In Syria, over the last three weeks alone, [the IS] has lost 3,000 square kilometers and 600 fighters,' he said.

Al-Qaeda militants and IS fighters are not included in the truce deal and will not be represented at the Geneva talks.

UN peace envoy Staffan de Mistura has said the Geneva meetings would not last more than 10 days.

Russia had called on de Mistura to include Syrian Kurds in the Geneva peace talks.

De Mistura told the Swiss newspaper Le Temps that while Syrian Kurds would not take part, they should be given a chance to express their views.

The negotiations are set to cover the formation of a new Syrian government, a fresh constitution, and the organization of UN-monitored presidential and parliamentary elections within 18 months.

The High Negotiations Committee, a Saudi-backed umbrella opposition group, said it will attend the Geneva talks and press for a transitional government with full executive powers that does not include Assad or any of his close associates.

Chief opposition negotiator Muhammad Allush said in Geneva on March 12 that 'the transitional period should start with the fall, or death, of Bashar al-Assad.'

Allush said a transitional government 'cannot start with the presence of the regime, or the head of this regime still in power.'

Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Muallam said Assad's delegates would head to Geneva on March 13.

But Muallam said on March 12 that the oppoition's calls for Assad's ouster would be a 'red line' and suggested that it would lead to the end of the indirect negotiations in Geneva.

Muallam said: 'We will not talk with anyone who wants to discuss the presidency.... Bashar al-Assad is a red line. If they continue with this approach, there's no reason for them to come to Geneva.'

Kerry's visit to Paris follows his talks in Saudi Arabia with King Salman, Crown Prince Muhammad bin Nayaf , and senior Saudi ministers.

With reporting by Reuters, AP, and AFP

Source: http://www.rferl.org/content/kerry- paris-eu-syria-talks-migrant-crisis- france-germany-britain/27607254.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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Nusra Front Shelling in Two Syrian Provinces Kills 10

Sputnik News

18:27 13.03.2016(updated 18:46 13.03.2016)

10 people were killed and about 30 wounded in the Syrian provinces of Damascus and Idlib as a result of continuous shelling by the Nusra Front militants, according to the Russian center for Syrian reconciliation.

MOSCOW (Sputnik)  At least 10 people have been killed and about 30 wounded in the Syrian provinces of Idlib and Damascus in a shelling by the Nusra Front militant group, an al-Qaeda affiliate in Syria, the Russian center for Syrian reconciliation said on Sunday.

'As a result of continuous shelling by the Nusra Front militants from mortars and artillery systems, 10 people were killed and about 30 wounded in the [Syrian] provinces of Damascus and Idlib,' the center said in an information bulletin published by the Russian Defense Ministry.

Last month, Russia and the United States reached a deal to establish a ceasefire in Syria. The UN Security Council unanimously adopted Resolution 2268, endorsing the agreement on the cessation of hostilities in Syria on February 26.

Russia's reconciliation center at the Hmeimim air base in Latakia launched a daily bulletin providing data on the progress of the ceasefire on the second day since the truce entered into force on February 27.

 Sputnik

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Ceasefire in Syria Violated 29 Times Over 24 Hours - Reconciliation Center

Sputnik News

18:00 13.03.2016(updated 18:18 13.03.2016)

According to Russian center for Syrian reconciliation, the ceasefire regime in Syria has been violated 29 times over the past 24 hours.

MOSCOW (Sputnik)  The ceasefire regime in Syria has been violated 29 times over the past 24 hours, the Russian center for Syrian reconciliation said in a bulletin published Sunday.

According to the bulletin published on the Russian Defense Ministry's website, 18 violations have been registered in Latakia, five in Damascus, three in Aleppo, two in Idlib and one in Hama regions.

On February 22, Moscow and Washington reached an agreement on a ceasefire in Syria. The ceasefire came into force on February 27.

The truce does not apply to the Islamic State or Nusra Front terrorist groups, which are outlawed in a number of countries worldwide including Russia and the United States.

 Sputnik

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Syrian Gov't, Opposition Must Have Right to Veto in Transitional Body

Sputnik News

15:56 13.03.2016(updated 16:24 13.03.2016)

One of the leaders of the Syrian Popular Front for Change and Liberation Qadri Jamil said that it is too early to talk about the federalization of Syria, as the balance between central and local authorities should be discussed first at the reconciliation negotiations.

GENEVA (Sputnik)  The upcoming round of Syrian reconciliation talks is expected to focus on the structure and functions of a transitional governing body, and the government and the opposition should have a right to veto, a member of the Syrian opposition delegation formed after meetings in Moscow and Cairo and one of the leaders of the Syrian Popular Front for Change and Liberation Qadri Jamil told Sputnik on Sunday.

The Geneva I communique stipulates the establishment of a transitional body which is expected to create a 'neutral environment' in which the transition of power in Syria can take place. According to the communique, the transitional body should exercise executive powers and could include members of the current Syrian government, opposition groups and 'other groups.' It should be formed on the basis on mutual consent.

'The Geneva I communique speaks of a transitional body that has not been defined. They need to determine what kind of body it will be. Everyone has their own interpretation of the transitional organ,' Jamil said.

He said that in the present government's view, this body should be an expanded version of the government, with opposition included in it. According to Jamil, Riyadh sees this body as an organ that wields full power.

'We think the truth is somewhere in between these two extremities. The transitional body should be based on a 50/50 basis and on the consensus regarding the functions and composition. Each side needs to have the right to veto,' Jamil said.

Jamil also stated that it is too early to talk about the federalization of Syria, as the balance between central and local authorities should be discussed first at the reconciliation negotiations.

'I think Syria is too small for federalization. Federalization on what basis? Religious? Confessional? National or geographical? The matter of centralization which is an essential condition for the existence of a state is a different issue. The balance between central and local authorities should be discussed,' Jamil said.

 Sputnik

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Reaching New Heights: Syrian Army Targets Hill Overlooking Key Idlib Town

Sputnik News

11:09 13.03.2016

The Syrian Army and the country's National Defense Force have reportedly managed to move closer to Kabani hill near the border between Latakia and Idlib Provinces.

A significant advance has been made by the Syrian Army and the country's National Defense Force on the border between the mostly government-held coastal province of Latakia and the predominantly terrorist-held province of Idlib. The army has deployed troops near Kabani hill above the key town of Jisr al-Shughur, according to the Iranian news agency FARS.

The agency quoted sources as saying that the army had managed to seize the southern overlooking heights of Kabani after heavy fighting with the Al-Nusra Front terrorists.

'The Syrian government forces pushed the terrorists back from Jabal al-Zweiqat for the second time in the last 72 hours and also imposed full control over another mount opposite Jabal al-Zweiqat which paved the way for their easier access to the southern outskirts of Kabani,' the sources said.

Earlier, it was reported that the terrorists continued to retreat in Latakia's northeastern areas near the border with Idlib province after the Syrian Army's large-scale offensive in the region.

Syria has been mired in a civil war since 2011, with forces loyal to President Bashar Assad fighting against a number of opposition factions and extremist groups, including Daesh (ISIL/ISIS) and the al-Qaeda-linked al-Nusra Front, which are prohibited in many countries, including Russia.

In February 2015, the UN Security Council unanimously adopted Resolution 2268, endorsing a Russia-US agreement on the cessation of hostilities in Syria, shortly before the ceasefire came into force on February 27.

While hostilities across the country have subsided, government forces continue to battle recognized terrorist organizations which are not party to the truce.The cessation of hostilities does not apply to designated terrorist organizations operating in Syria, including Daesh and the al-Nusra Front.

Adding to the Syrian Army's anti-terror effort is Russia's ongoing air campaign, which was launched on September 30 when more than fifty Russian warplanes, including Su-24M, Su-25 and Su-34 jets, commenced precision airstrikes on Daesh and al-Nusra Front targets in Syria at the behest of President Assad.

 Sputnik

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US: Syria 'Clearly Trying to Disrupt' Peace Talks

by VOA News March 13, 2016

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry on Sunday accused Syria of "clearly trying to disrupt' the U.N.-sponsored peace talks aimed at ending the bloody five-year civil war in the country by demanding that there be no discussion of removing President Bashar al-Assad from power.

The top U.S. diplomat said that violence in the war-wracked country has been 'hugely reduced' -- by 80 to 90 percent -- since a "cessation of hostilities" was declared two weeks ago. But he said the 'single biggest violator' of the truce has been the Assad regime, and he described Assad as a 'spoiler.'

"Aerial bombardments ... must stop," Kerry said. "Look hard at who is committing these violations."

He said "incremental violations threaten to undermine" efforts to permanently end the fighting and any effort to eventually hold elections in Syria.

Kerry spoke after meeting with his British, French, German and Italian counterparts Sunday in Paris about the Syrian crisis, a day before the U.N. talks are set to begin in Geneva.

Ahead of Monday's discussions, Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Muallem warned negotiators that any talk about the fate of Syria's president is off the table. 'We will not talk with anyone who wants to discuss the presidency . . . Bashar al-Assad is a red line,' Muallem said.

Assad has to go

Mohammad Alloush, the chief negotiator for Syria's main opposition group, said the president has to go, a demand the U.S. also has long made.

Alloush told the French news agency AFP, 'We believe that the transitional period should start with the fall or death of Bashar al-Assad.'

Kerry has urged both sides in Syria to proceed with the peace talks despite their conflict over the presidency.

Muallem said the Syrian government remains committed to the cease-fire agreement, but its delegation to the peace talks will only wait 24 hours for the opposition delegation to arrive for the talks. Muallem said Saturday in Damascus the diplomats will leave for Geneva Sunday.

A Syrian opposition official said the foreign minister is 'halting Geneva talks before they start.'

U.N. peace envoy Staffan de Mistura has said the Geneva meetings, which are scheduled to open on the eve of the fifth anniversary of the start of the conflict in March 2011, would not last more than 10 days.

Aid deliveries

U.N. officials said the cessation of hostilities agreement has made it possible for U.N. and partner agencies to deliver food, medicine and other aid to 115,000 Syrian civilians living in areas under siege by government or opposition forces. They said last year, aid agencies were unable to access any of these areas.

But Kerry said he continues to be "deeply concerned" about the Syrian government's efforts to deter the delivery of medical and surgical supplies.

He accused the Syrian government of siphoning off vital medical aid to war-hit communities.

Syria's five-year conflict has killed more than 270,000 people and forced millions from their homes.

Lisa Bryant in Paris contributed to this report.

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As Ankara Eyes Tougher Visa Rules, Neighbors Fret

March 12, 2016

by Charles Recknagel

Dauren Zhumadilov never thought he'd get caught up in Europe's migrant crisis.

But the enterprising Kazakh manager's tourism agency in Almaty, some 3,500 kilometers from the Turkish riviera, would be hit if Brussels successfully presses Ankara to toughen its visa requirements for many countries as part of an accord to stem the flow of migrants to Europe.

'If that happens,' he says of Turkey reinstating a visa requirement for his countrymen, 'that will tremendously and negatively affect us.'

The danger for Zhumadilov, and his peers in a handful of other currently visa-free countries, lies in the small print of the working papers the EU has prepared as it negotiates the details of its March 7 draft migrant deal with Turkey. As part of the bargain, Turkey committed to toughening its visa regime in exchange for the EU giving Turkish citizens visa-free access to Schengen states no later than the end of June.

Brussels says the reference point for a tougher Turkish visa policy should be the EU's own highly restrictive visa-free and visa-required lists for entering EU countries.

If Ankara agrees to the EU's position, the results would be a drastic reduction in the number of countries whose citizens can easily enter Turkey -- from dozens today to just a handful in the future.

Nations whose citizens need a visa to enter the EU but do not need a visa to enter Turkey include all of the former Soviet republics, Iran, and several Middle Eastern and North African states.

'The tourism business in Kazakhstan is mainly based on external tourism, and the major destination is Turkey,' Zhumadilov tells RFE/RL by phone from Turan Express travel agency in Kazakhstan's largest city. 'They choose Turkey [because] it is visa-free.'

He says if Turkey toughens its visa regulations for Kazakhs, his clients would likely go to countries like Croatia, on the Adriatic coast, which eases its entry rules for Kazakh tourists during the peak summer months.

The fact that the EU-Turkey talks are going on behind closed doors only worries regional business people like Zhumadilov all the more. No details of the negotiations are likely to emerge until at least March 17 or 18, when European Council President Donald Tusk is to brief a summit of EU heads of state in Brussels on progress.

The EU's recommendation that Turkey radically tighten its visa regime would reverse over a decade of efforts by Ankara to open its doors to encourage trade and tourism. The easy-entry policy has been a hallmark of Turkey's ruling, religious-based Justice and Development Party (AKP), whose 'zero problems' foreign policy has made a point particularly of reaching out to nearby Muslim states.

But now the easy-visa policy is much criticized in Brussels as the EU says it is a major reason why Turkey has become a springboard for migrants seeking to reach Europe in the biggest influx to the continent since World War II.

According to the EU, more than 888,000 of the 1.2 million or so migrants who entered Europe last year arrived via Turkey. They mostly came from Syria, Afghanistan, and Iraq, but also originated in Iran, Morocco Pakistan, Bangladesh, Algeria, Somalia, and Lebanon.

But if the EU recommends that Turkey now bring its visa requirements into line with the bloc's own tough rules, it is ultimately up to Turkey to decide how it will accomplish that goal.

'I don't think the EU finds itself in any position where it can demand Turkey does anything but it can, of course, ask nicely,' says Amanda Paul, a senior policy analyst at the Brussels-based European Policy Center. She says Turkey has a strong hand in negotiations because it knows the EU cannot easily solve its urgent migrant crisis without Ankara's help.

Two Tracks

There are two ways migrants use Turkey's liberal visa regime to enter the country and move on to Europe, according to Frontex, the EU's border-control agency.

Citizens of countries with which Turkey has visa-free agreements can enter Turkey without a visa and stay from 30 up to 90 days. This is the case for Iranians, for instance, who made up 3 percent of the total migrants to Europe via Turkey last year. It is also the case for Moroccans, who made up 1 percent.

The visa-free entry means the travelers are never screened by Turkish consular officers in their home countries or at the Turkish border. Syrians, who made up 56 percent of those entering the EU last year, cross into Turkey visa-free as refugees.

Citizens of many other states require a visa. But Turkey offers many of them, too, a way to bypass screening by Turkish consular officers in their home countries. They can use Turkey's electronic visa program, which allows travelers who claim to have Schengen visas or to reside in a Schengen state to get their visas through the Internet.

When the travelers arrive in Turkey, immigration officials are supposed to verify that they in fact hold onward Schengen visas. However, Frontex says, the passport controls are often cursory and stop with simply verifying the travelers are not on security blacklists.

Among the countries whose citizens can get visas electronically are several major sources of migrants to Europe, including Afghanistan and Pakistan. Afghans were the second-largest group of migrants to Europe via Turkey in 2015, composing 24 percent of the total. Pakistanis made up another 3 percent.

Costs For Turkey

As it decides how much to change its current easy-visa policy, Turkey will have to weigh not just EU pressure but also its own economic interests.

'The present liberal visa regime is triggered in large part by the hunger of Turkey for tourists,' notes Murat Bilhan, vice chairman of the Istanbul-based Turkish Asian Center for Strategic Studies (TASAM).

The tourism industry, one of the country's biggest employers, has already been hard hit by Russian sanctions following Turkey's downing of a Russian warplane in November. Recent figures show Russian tourism to the Antalya coast was down 81 percent in January compared to the same time last year. That gives Ankara strong reasons not to make access more difficult for the tourists from Egypt, Israel, Azerbaijan, and Iran who now are reportedly taking the Russians' place.

But Turkey also must consider a domestic economic cost to its liberal visa regime, and that is the burden of supporting some 200,000 irregular migrants now living in the country. They are in addition to the some 2.2 million refugees Turkey hosts from Syria.

'If immigrants don't find a chance to move to other countries and try for better conditions there, they settle in Turkey, which is a threat to Turkey,' says Bilhan. 'Turkey does not have enough means and capacity to absorb them.'

Turkey has already signaled twice this year that it is ready to tighten up visa requirements for its neighbors.

In January, Ankara introduced visa obligations for Syrians coming to Turkey from third countries like Lebanon and Jordan, both of which have large numbers of Syrian refugees. The move was intended to help stem irregular migration to Europe.

And in February, Turkey stopped issuing visas to Iraqis at the Turkish border, insisting they now obtain visas through a Turkish consulate at home. However, Iraqis claiming to have visas or residency permits for Schengen states can still obtain electronic visas. Iraqis made up 10 percent of migrants to Europe via Turkey in 2015.

Source: http://www.rferl.org/content/turkey-eu-visa- rules-neighbors-tourism/27606376.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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Turkey imposes curfews in two Kurdish towns

Iran Press TV

Sun Mar 13, 2016 2:46PM

Turkey has announced a new round-the-clock curfew in two Kurdish-dominated towns in its southeast as part of operations to battle Kurdish militants.

Turkish authorities on Sunday declared indefinite curfews in the towns of Yuksekova and Nusaybin.

The office of the governor of Hakkari Province, which borders Iraq and Iran, said a curfew would take effect in Yuksekova at 2000 GMT (4 p.m. EDT) Sunday, adding that entering and leaving the town would also be banned.

Authorities in Mardin Province also announced curfew in the town of Nusaybin - on the border with Syria -starting midnight.

Ankara has been imposing curfews in several mainly-Kurdish towns in its southeast since August last year. It has also been conducting offensives against the positions of the militants in northern Syria and northern Iraq.

The operations began in the wake of a deadly July 2015 bombing in the southern Turkish town of Suruc. More than 30 people died in the attack, which the Turkish government blamed on the Takfiri Daesh terrorist group.

After the bombing, the Kurdish militants, who accuse the government in Ankara of supporting Daesh, engaged in a series of attacks against Turkish police and security forces, prompting the Turkish military operations in return.

The clashes that erupt between the militants and the Turkish military in the flashpoint areas in Turkey have forced tens of thousands of people to flee their homes and raised concerns over human rights violations and civilian deaths.

The militants are those of the Kurdistan Workers' Party, also known as the PKK, who have had ambitions for an autonomous Kurdish region in Turkey since the 1980s.

Anadolu news agency said in a report earlier in March that more than 1,200 Kurdish militants had been killed in such offensives in southeastern Turkey.

Last week, however, the Turkish military ended a three-month operation against the militants in the historic Sur district of Diyarbakir - the largest city in the country's mostly Kurdish southeast.

On Sunday, authorities eased the curfew in some streets and one neighborhood of Sur, but the siege over the district's main areas was still in place.

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Turkey Imposes Curfew in Country's Southeastern Districts

Sputnik News

15:46 13.03.2016

The curfew was declared in the Turkey's provinces of Mardin and Hakkari, according to official statement.

ANKARA (Sputnik)  Administrations of Turkey's southeastern provinces of Mardin and Hakkari issued statements on Sunday, imposing curfew in their respective districts of Nusaybin and Yuksekova.

On Friday, Turkish Interior Minister Efkan Ala announced new anti-terror campaign against the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) in country's southeast, especially in the districts of Yuksekova, Nusaybin and Srnak.

'In order to ensure the safety of our citizens' lives and property, due to the increased terror activities in the Yuksekova district, in order to re-establish the peace and order the curfew has been declared in Yuksekova starting from March 13, 2016, 22:00 [20:00 GMT],' the statement issued by the administration of Hakkari province reads.

The administration of Mardin province said in its separate statement that the curfew in Nusaybin would come into effect on March 14.

In summer 2015, Turkey initiated a military campaign against the PKK in the country's southeastern regions, mostly inhabited by the Kurds. Since the beginning of the campaign, Ankara has imposed several round-the-clock curfews, preventing civilians from fleeing the regions where the military operations are taking place.

 Sputnik

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UK to increase training to Iraqi forces

12 March 2016

Britain is set to pledge several dozen more troops to support the Iraqi Security Forces (ISF) as they take the fight to Daesh.

The Defence Secretary has authorised an offer of more than 30 extra troops to provide training in areas such as logistics and bridge building, as well as specialist medical staff. They are expected to be deployed to training locations at Besmayah and Taji.

The uplift will build on the training the UK already provides the Iraqi forces in infantry skills, counter-Improvised Explosives and weapons maintenance. These training programmes have saved lives and supported recent successful operations on the ground, such as the retaking of Ramadi. It will bring the total number of UK personnel involved in training inside Iraq to over 300, and the total engaged in theatre to over 1,000.

Defence Secretary Michael Fallon said:

'We've seen solid progress against Daesh in Iraq in recent months. Now is the time to step up our training of Iraqi Forces, as they prepare for operations in key cities such as Fallujah and Mosul.'

'Along with the trebling of UK air strikes, this underlines the crucial role our armed forces are playing in the fight against Daesh.'

The British army has helped train more than 6,500 personnel in Iraq to date, while the RAF has flown around 2200 missions against Daesh in Iraq and Syria, carrying out more than 640 strikes.

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Ex-Melbourne resident Nick Stone and business partner Alexandra Knight own Bluestone Lane cafe in New York. Photo: Jessica Dale

Are Melbourne's baristas the best in the world? Nick Stone certainly thinks so, and he's in town this week hoping to recruit some crack locals to work at his chain of Melbourne-style cafes in New York, Bluestone Lane.

"I do think that Melbourne is the Silicon Valley of coffee culture," says Stone. "Silicon Valley recruits the best engineers. We want to recruit the best baristas."

Stone, a former investment banker and one-time AFL player, moved to New York in 2010. He opened the first Bluestone Lane  a hole-in-the-wall espresso bar  in the atrium of the Meredith building in midtown Manhattan in 2013.

Illustration: Matt Golding

Since then he has launched six other cafes that bring the full Melbourne experience to New Yorkers: avocado smash, corn fritters, table service  unusual in American cafes  and real baristas pulling great flat whites.

And it turns out it's not just New Yorkers who have fallen in love with our approach. The chain recently expanded to Philadelphia, and Stone has plans to open 10 more cafes in 2016.

Stone will be offering local baristas a chance to audition for a job in New York next weekend at the Melbourne International Coffee Expo at the Royal Melbourne Showgrounds.

"The main thing is for people to ... talk about the cafes they've worked in," Stone says. "The biggest drivers are personality and skill set. We're looking for people who have drive and pride in their work."

Stone turned the concept of a Melbourne-style cafe into a thing in New York:

"Everything we do is modelled around providing an authentic Melbourne cafe experience. It's more than just coffee, it's about a great healthy food offering, personable and engaging service, creating an environment where customers can escape. Most importantly, we are focused on developing intangible connections like knowing our customers' names, orders and predicting whether they want to engage and chat or not.

Advertisement

"These are the secrets of the immersive Melbourne cafe experience," says Stone.B

That and the product. Bluestone Lane cafes serve Niccolo coffee  roasted in Melbourne and flown to New York each week  and other familiar Melbourne brands such as Prana Chai and Matcha Maiden teas.

"We have an unlimited pipeline of opportunities to open cafes in America," says Stone. "The only restriction is the people we can recruit."

"Melbourne cafe staff really understand the need for engagement focused on relationship building rather than the typical American 'transactional' focus," he says. "They intuitively understand what a premium cafe experience is and appreciate it's not just about coffee."

Melbourne International Coffee Expo, March 1719, Royal Melbourne Showgrounds, see internationalcoffeeexpo.com
Contributed photo/Bob Moorhouse Bob Moorhouse was vice president and general manager of the Pitchfork Land & Cattle Company from 1986 to 2007. He still serves on the board of directors.

Jerry Lackey Columnist SHARE The chuck wagon loaded down with bedrolls. Photo courtesy by Bob Moorhouse

Moorhouses photos capture history of ranch

Robert "Bob" H. Moorhouse was vice president of the Pitchfork Land and Cattle Company from 1986 to 2007 and continues to serve on its board of directors.

"Jim Humphreys, who, as fifth manager of the Pitchfork, hired me and tolerated my mistakes," Bob said. "For more than a century of its existence, the owners have had only six general managers. The owners of the ranch, the Williams family, are very gracious people, honest and fair to work for and with."

As general manager, Bob reinstated the use of the chuck wagon. He wanted to preserve ranch tradition and save the cowboys' time. "They don't have to get up as early, ride out and then go back home that night," he said.

"When you work cattle, ideally you are with the wagon, a set of pens, maybe 15 cowboys and no pickups. The best way to work is with cowboys who trotted to the pasture, gathered the cattle, and worked 'em and trotted back," Bob said.

"We want to tell our grandchildren that we still pulled out a wagon in the 1990s, and not bragging about it, but we're glad we did it. And I'm glad we worked for people who like tradition and heritage, as well as the bottom line."

Moorhouse took up photography as a hobby which eventually became a part of his daily work. As a working cowboy, he carried his camera sometimes 20 to 30 miles a day on horseback. He recorded moments in the pasture of cowboys, nature and ranch life seldom ever captured.

The Pitchfork home ranch at 165,000 acres in Dickens and King counties near Guthrie is the only West Texas ranch larger now than it was when first established. The Pitchfork sold its Flint Hills ranch in Kansas and purchased land in Jefferson County, Oklahoma. In 1993 the Flag Ranch in Wyoming was sold and more land was purchased in Texas bringing total acreage to 180,000.

Bob Moorhouse was born Nov. 6, 1947, in Knox City, Texas, to Johnson Charles "Togo" and Lucille Hunter Moorhouse. Bob and his three brothers  George Edward, John, and Tom  grew up on the Moorhouse Ranch in Benjamin, only 45 miles from the Pitchfork. He graduated from Texas Tech University with a degree in agriculture and went right to work on the Pitchfork.

While working at the Knox County Courthouse in the county clerk's office, Lucille Hunter boarded with Ada Moorhouse, Togo's mother.

Togo Moorhouse and Lucille Hunter were married May 17, 1941. Her parents were George Lee and Lula Hunter.

Edward Moorhouse, Bob's grandfather, ran cattle in Texas and Oklahoma's Indian Territory in the 1800s. The drought of 1918-19 forced him to sell the family ranch he established near Benjamin in Knox County.

After Edward died in 1920, his son Togo, who learned about ranching by cowboying for day wages on the McFadden Ranch in King County, started buying the original Moorhouse land back.

In 1979 Togo and his four sons formed the Moorhouse Ranch Company.

"We operated 80,000 to 90,000 acres, but we leased a lot of that, so the acreage fluctuated from year to year," Tom Moorhouse said. "We owned about 10,000 of the total acreage."

After Togo died in 1995, the ranch was passed down to his sons who operated it together until 2000. While the brothers split up their shares of the ranch, Tom continued to operate his share under the Moorhouse Ranch Company name.

In 2008, the Moorhouse Ranch Company won the American Quarter Horse Association Bayer Best Remuda Award. The ranch's remuda included 32 mares, 65 geldings and two stallions, plus 1,200 cows and 1,000 stockers.

Owner Tom Moorhouse operations included 50,000 acres owned or leased in King, Knox and Stonewall counties.

Bob and his wife Linda Moorhouse live at Lake Kemp on the Waggoner Ranch Estate near Seymour. They have two children: Amy Moorhouse Lee and Keri Ann Moorhouse.

A collection of Bob's photographs has become the American Quarter Horse Heritage Center and Museum's first traveling exhibit. It has traveled extensively throughout the United States and Europe, entitled "Hoofbeats on the Pitchfork Ranch." He has also been published in various publications including, The Cattlemen, Western Horseman, Quarterhorse Magazine, American Cowboy, and Range Magazine.

Togo Moorhouse died Dec. 16, 1995. Lucille Hunter Moorhouse died Jan. 29, 2009. George Edward "Ed" Moorhouse died Oct. 23, 2015. They were all buried at the Moorhouse Ranch Cemetery.

Jerry Lackey is the agriculture editor emeritus. Contact him at jlackey@wcc.net or 325-949-2291.
associated press Former Chicago Tribune reporter Kim Barker's book, "The Taliban Shuffle," was the basis for the current movie "Whiskey, Tango, Foxtrot," starring Tina Fey.

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She wrote book made into Tina Fey film

By David Heinzmann, Chicago Tribune (TNS)

CHICAGO  Kim Barker was sitting at a restaurant table with a handful of old Chicago Tribune colleagues, making fun of her eyelashes.

Nobody would have noticed but she pointed them out  fake eyelashes.

The former Tribune war correspondent who wrote "The Taliban Shuffle," a darkly comic memoir about living by her wits during the Afghan war, was in town on a movie-studio junket to promote the book's film adaptation, "Whiskey Tango Foxtrot." Wherever she went during her two-day stay, she was first made camera-ready by a stylist.

So goes the surrealism of this moment in Barker's life  arriving in her old city, shepherded by a team of publicists to talk to people in her own profession about the movie that fictionalizes her life and stars Tina Fey.

"This is just temporary. This is one of those 15-minute things," she said, as if trying to convince herself that the statement was true.

Barker kept coming back to the fake eyelashes. She was trying to illustrate the strange experience of straddling a line between the real Kim Barker and the fictional Kim Baker that Fey portrays in the movie.

"If people want to mix me up with Tina Fey and her character, that's going to happen. But I know who I am and my friends know who I am," she said. "And they know I'm kind of bemused by this whole idea. I'm going around, I've got fake eyelashes and, look at me, man, I've got TV anchorman hair. I'm coiffed. Look at the makeup on my face. Have you ever seen me with this much makeup on my face?"

The answer is no, and this is probably the place to disclose that Barker is my friend. Most of our interaction during her recent visit to Chicago was spent in a group of old Tribune friends eating, drinking wine and celebrating her alleged "15 minutes." So this piece should not be construed as an objective comment on her book or the movie.

But in a series of conversations during her two days in town she held forth on her experiences covering Afghanistan and Pakistan, and on the strange path toward having an actress regarded as one of the funniest comedians in Hollywood portray her on the screen.

In the movie, which opened March 4, Fey plays a midcareer TV producer stuck in professional and personal ruts, viewing the chance to cover the war as an opportunity to "blow up her life."

That's not really how it happened. As is the case with several details in "Whiskey Tango Foxtrot," Barker's story has been condensed and altered to dramatize the experience of being a woman with no war-reporting experience cast into the chaos of Afghanistan.

Despite the fictionalizing of her reality, Barker feels like the story on the screen captures the essential truth of her experience.

The experiences of women journalists covering conflict in a Taliban-influenced Islamic culture are central to the themes of the movie. And gender issues were on Barker's mind when the real story began.

"I remember after 9/11 happened, (former Tribune reporter) Kirsten Scharnberg and I went to some Italian restaurant that had white butcher paper on the table and we mapped out how many women were getting sent out and how many men were getting sent out (to cover aftermath of the terrorist attacks)," she said. "As a journalist you don't really think that much about the risk or of being terrified. It was just, 'I want to be one of the people who get to see it.' "

In the early assignments after 9/11, mostly male reporters were being dispatched to New York, Washington and abroad. But when a group of older male reporters pulled Barker aside and told her then-editor Ann Marie Lipinski wanted more women on the front lines, she knew a moment of truth had come.

"And I kind of felt like I had gotten myself into a situation.  I sort of boxed myself into a position of OK, now you really have to go."

She introduced herself to the paper's foreign editor and stated her intentions. To her surprise, he immediately said, "Get ready to go to Pakistan."

She called home to tell her family and "my parents were like, why would they send you to Pakistan? You haven't even been to Europe."

Nonetheless, Barker started making trips to South Asia in early 2002 and was the Tribune's correspondent there from 2004 to 2009. Officially, she was based in Delhi, but she rarely saw her apartment there. Most of her time was spent traveling in Afghanistan and Pakistan. In Kabul, she stayed in a series of ramshackle hotels and guesthouses. Her depiction of them in the book leaves readers with the impression of shabby lodgings that were part newsroom, part psychiatric ward, mostly frat house.

Her learning curve was steep.

"My news judgment was crap in the very beginning," she said. Her boss in Chicago "would call me and ask, 'Why don't you have that story? Because that's actually news.'  I was working with these fixers in Pakistan. I swear, I had this one guy, who, all he wanted to do was come and eat lunch and breakfast  and invite all of his friends."

Foreign journalists are heavily dependent on fixers, locals who speak the language and can set up interviews, interpret and guide a correspondent on working safely in a conflict zone. Barker's relationship with her longtime fixer in Afghanistan was one aspect of her story that the filmmakers did not alter.

She remains close to her Afghan fixer, Farouq Samim, and said she would not have written the book in the style she did if he had not escaped Afghanistan with his family.

He relocated to Canada in September 2009, and Barker planned for him to come to New York for the premiere of the movie.

One fundamental change the filmmakers did make has been the source of much grief directed at Barker from her reporter friends. Screenwriter Robert Carlock made "Kim Baker" and all of the other journalists in the story into television reporters instead of print reporters. In fact, the "Kabul High" environment she describes in the book was populated almost exclusively by print reporters, she said.

"It was mostly print reporters who were based there.  The heavy lifting really is done by the print reporters, and you don't see any print reporters in the movie," she acknowledged. "Of course, I would love my profession to be up there. I'd love it to be like 'Spotlight.' "

The filmmakers told her that TV reporters shooting video made for better drama than print reporters taking notes and typing stories. While the depiction of rumpled, khaki-clad Boston Globe reporters in "Spotlight" didn't seem to undermine the drama in that Oscar-nominated movie, Barker said it would be hypocritical for her to complain about it.

"When you sell the rights to your book, you accept what happens with that. And overall, if you're going to ask me if I'm upset with the movie or happy with the movie, I'm pleasantly surprised by the movie," she said. "I was terrified and thought what if it turned out to be like 'Anchorman.' That would not do the story justice. It would be humiliating."
Nellie Doneva/Reporter-News James Smith, a sales rep from Paris, Texas-based Randall's Wildlife Creations, wears a tanned snakeskin and a necklace made from snake vertebrae Friday at the annual World's Largest Rattlesnake Roundup in Sweetwater. The event runs through Sunday afternoon.

SHARE Nellie Doneva/Reporter-News One of the items for sale by Randall's Wildlife Creations at the World's Largest Rattlesnake Roundup in Sweetwater. Nellie Doneva/Reporter-News Brandon Campos (left), 27, looks at a necklace with a rattlesnake head at the 58th annual World's Largest Rattlesnake Roundup. Campos traveled from the Chicago area with his daughters Hailey Campos (center) and Isabella Campos (right), and several other family members. Nellie Doneva/Reporter-News Dennis Cumbie milks a snake at the 58th annual World's Largest Rattlesnake Roundup. Nellie Doneva/Reporter-News Larry Martin (right) lets visitors touch a live rattlesnake during the World's Largest Rattlesnake Roundup in Sweetwater. This marks the 58th year of the event.

Sweetwater rattler event rounds up many

By Titus Falodun, Abilene Reporter-News

SWEETWATER  Fourteen people. A 16-hour drive  one way. And 1,101 miles. That sums up a Chicago-area family's visit to the 58th annual World's Largest Rattlesnake Roundup in Sweetwater.

The Campos family left Mundelein, Illinois, on Thursday and headed south to Sweetwater's Nolan County Coliseum.

"I heard it was a very fun experience, that's why we came out here," said Nick Campos, 42. "The kids wanted to see and feel and touch and enjoy the experience."

Campos said the family typically comes to Texas at least once a year, but this is the first time members  including brothers, sisters, daughters, nieces, mom and Dad  have attended the roundup.

"It's the first time you get to see them in person and feel them, touch 'em, skin 'em," he said. "They had fun with everything. The skinning stood out. Their shoes got blood on them. Brand-new shoes are stained."

Brandon Campos, Nick's 27-year-old brother, joked, "It's safer to come to Texas  you have less of a chance to be bit by a snake than be shot in Chicago."

The youngest Campos, Isabella, 8, chimed in, "The snakes are nicer than the people."

Though a little more than a dozen family members came down to view the spectacle, Nick and Brandon said they look forward to getting 50 to attend next year.

"Little by little, bring more and more," Nick Campos said. "In fact, we own a small business, and we ended up closing shop just to come out."

Some visitors to the roundup travel even farther than the Campos family, with some journeying from places as far away as Asia, officials said.

"It's amazing to see where people come from," said Leah Andrews, executive director of the Sweetwater and Nolan County Chamber of Commerce.

"Last year we had some people from Japan that flew in on a private jet," Andrews said. "We have some people already here from China. Just talked to a man from Cincinnati. I actually love it. I go and talk to people from all over the world. To me, it's just thrilling just to find out where they come from and what their experience is."

Andrews, now in her third roundup, recalled her first experience with the event.

"My favorite thing about it the very first year is just to see all the pieces of this, because you got the Jaycees and some of them are in charge of the skinning, some are in charge of the sale. ... You have people that are doing the cook shack, people that are weighing the snakes, doing all that," she said. "All these nonprofit organizations, all these people from the entire community that come together and work together for one weekend a year to pull this off. And that is my favorite thing. Everybody working together for the good of everyone else."

Last year's event drew about 30,000 visitors and produced an economic impact of $8.4 million, Andrews said.

Organizers are expecting about the same this year, Andrews said.

"I don't think last year was unusual," she said. "I think it was pretty normal."

Vendors come from all around for a spot at the roundup, Andrews said.

"We are filled up because there is no more space out here," she said. "We actually have a waiting list of vendors who want to come. As they're packing up to leave on Sunday, they'll pay for next year, just because they don't want to lose their spot."

This year's event already has brought in more snakes than in 2015, Andrews said.

"We're up to 9,500 pounds, so far, that have been brought in," she said Friday. "Last year, our total was 3,800 pounds. So, we're already almost triple it."

The roundup is held annually during the second week of March. This year's event runs through Sunday afternoon.
Christoval resident Terri Holland was raised around rodeos and western music.

So when she began working with Western star Red Steagall in 2007, Terri and her family became friends of Red and guests to Steagall's cowboy gathering in Fort Worth.

Then Terri began thinking about how to put together a gathering of Western musicians in San Angelo.

"We didn't have anything like that here then," she said. "But if I ever got the opportunity I was going to do it."

Then four years ago Terri decided she was ready and San Angelo Cowboy Gathering was on its way.

"I think I can pull this off," she told Red. "What do you think?"

He said, "Terri, I think you can do it and I will help you all I can.'"

That was how San Angelo's first Cowboy Gathering came together at Fort Concho.

"It was hotter than blue blazes that September," Terri said, "but we made it work, and Red came and was headliner and it was wall-to-wall people."

She knew they were doing something right, despite the weather.

"We had outgrown the Gathering that very first year."

From that point, it has become "much more streamlined and organized. It's been great."

The second year they moved the Cowboy Gathering to a larger area at San Angelo's Veterans of Foreign Wars hall.

Last September, for the third annual gathering, they found a home in the Wells Fargo Pavilion next to the Foster Communications Coliseum.

"If we were going to do this, we had to have a bigger place," Terri said.

The Cowboy Gatherings have brought Western musicians and audiences together from everywhere, including San Angelo.

However, it's not only for local people.

Last year's event sold out three weeks before opening day and had 1,000 people in attendance both days. The audience came from 92 cities in Texas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Iowa, Colorado and Canada.

A portion of the proceeds from the 2015 gathering went to the Concho Valley Home for Girls/Children's Emergency Shelter. The 2016 Gathering will benefit Meals for the Elderly.

The Cowboy Gathering offers food for sale, all kinds of merchandise and more, but it's more than shopping and eating.

"People who come to the Gathering love the music," Terri said. "We are losing so many of the foundations of country music: George Jones, Ray Price, the older artists."

Their lineup of entertainers for the fall show has many of the their regulars coming back, "but we always like to bring in some new ones, and some young ones that are getting started," Terri said.

This September the Cowboy Gathering will include: The Old Hat Band, Jeff Woolsey and the Dancehall Kings, Bobby Flores and the Yellow Rose Band, Clearwater, Clifton Fifer Jr., Brady Honeycutt, The Rocky King Band, Billy Mata and the Texas Tradition, Case Hardin and Day Money, and Gary and Jean Prescott.

"Folks enjoy their music and follow it near and far," Terri said.

People from all over are taking notice.

The gathering received the Festival of the Year award in the 2016 Ameripolitan Music Awards last month at Austin's historic Paramount Theatre.

The voting for festivals began on Thanksgiving of last year and ended by Christmas.

"It kind of put San Angelo on the map this year," Terri said. "We are the No. 1 festival in the nation."

Along with San Angelo, other locations that tried to capture the big trophy included Nashville, Las Vegas, Virginia and Massachusetts.

Terri said her first thought after hearing they had won was: "You've got to be kidding."

They weren't.

The fourth San Angelo Cowboy Gathering will be back Sept. 9-10. Tickets are $35 per day or $50 for a two-day pass.

For more information, call 325-763-9923 or 325-655-920

You can also find the San Angelo Cowboy Gathering at sanangelocowboygathering.com or facebook.com/SanAngeloCowboyGathering.

Rick Smith is a local news and community affairs columnist. Contact him at 325-659-8248 or rick.smith@gosanangelo.com.
Graphic Illustration

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By Rashda Khan, rashda.khan@gosanangelo.com / @rashda_SAST

While Texas teen Ethan Couch, who used an "affluenza" defense in a deadly drunken-driving wreck, is probably the most notorious juvenile offender in the country right now, most juvenile offenders come from very different backgrounds.

"With most kids, there's a reason why they're in trouble," said Mark Williams, chief juvenile probation officer for the Tom Green County Juvenile Department. "I'm not saying they don't have to be responsible for their actions, but often there are things that are not within their control."

The majority of referrals to the department come from lower-income and broken families, he said.

"Most of the kids we deal with have some sort of instability in their life," Williams said. "That causes a lot of other problems in their lives."

Possible contributing factors Williams listed include divorce, poverty, abuse, drugs and alcohol dependency, mental health issues, bad peers and even the child's home and neighborhood environment.

In 2015, 413 new children were referred to the Juvenile Department, and it was working about 200 active cases.

The county's 2015 Juvenile Probation report states: "Of the children under active supervision of the Department in 2015, 15 were believed to be emotionally abused, 11 were believed to be physically abused, and 7 indicated sexual abuse. A total of 2 children were hospitalized or received treatment for emotional or mental problems."

51st District Attorney Allison Palmer, whom Gov. Greg Abbott appointed to the Task Force on Improving Outcomes for Juveniles Adjudicated of Sexual Offenses, for the most part agrees with William's assessment.

"A divorce alone doesn't doom a child, it's the lack of parental involvement after the divorce," she said, adding that lack of parental involvement or support sometimes can be a problem in intact households as well.

Another issue, Palmer pointed out, is that her office often comes across cases in which the parents were too young or unprepared to be parents, and drug and alcohol are often a part of the problem.

"When drugs are driving the train, drugs are making the decision," she said. "The parents (who are using drugs) are not making good decisions. All too often kids are introduced to a drug culture in the home."

The same applies to issues such as domestic violence and abuse.

"The standard you're setting in your home  whether it be drugs or violence  says this conduct is OK," Palmer said. "The child has no reason to believe that same conduct isn't fine for them as well."

Palmer, who has handled cases involving crimes against children since 1995, said "any abuse is too much."

Victims of abuse can also act out. Abuse can cause diminished self worth, diminished self esteem and diminished confidence, which can lead to anger, suicide attempts, self-hurt and/or hurting others, damage to property and even increased promiscuity, which may lead to pregnancy, she said.

All of those factors may contribute to inappropriate behavior at school and "all kinds fallouts and then you get juvenile referrals," Palmer said. "But you have to remember every child is different."

The Texas Juvenile Justice Department sees the same issues in the backgrounds of the children referred to state facilities.

"We're sort of the last stop, the deepest end of the pool," said Jim Hurley, TJJD spokesperson. Hurley said some of the commonalities between children referred to them include mental health issues, drug and/or alcohol dependency issues, an incarcerated parent and being behind on education.

"All of these things individually don't mean a kid is going to end up in the juvenile justice system," Hurley said. "Combined, they increase the likelihood."

It's important to assess children on a case-by-case basis to identify issues and risk factors, Hurley said.

"The focus needs to be on catching kids before they enter the system," he said. "Treatment to be effective needs to be early and at the front end."

The TGC Juvenile Department recently started using Noble Software Risk Assessment program, which is used by 65 out of 70 Texas counties, Williams said. Each child referred to the department is assessed using the program, which helps determine if they are high-risk, moderate-risk or low-risk offenders.

"This software program is recognized across the state as one of the best indicators of a child's risk of re-offending," 391st District Judge Tom Gossett wrote in a letter accompanying the 2015 report. "It provides the probation officers a more comprehensive tool to make more informed decisions early in the referral process and to develop better young offender centered plans to work with the child and family to identify the specifics needs to be met."

Williams is excited about adding this tool to his department.

"There are studies that show low-risk kids are not really helped when exposed to high-risk kids," he said. "This is the first time we have a risk-assessment that's tested and validated. I think it's going to make a big difference."

Palmer also believes in quick and early intervention.

"Dealing with juvenile offenders is one of the most important things we do. It's crime prevention," she said. "We want to act quickly so consequences and actions happen much closer in time to make an impression."

The goal for her office, she said, is to keep the community safe, but also do what "we can for the juvenile so we never see that person in the adult system. It's better for the juvenile and for the community."

Hurley, in a phone interview from Austin, commended the TGC Juvenile Services.

"Y'all have very strong presence with Chief Williams and others who are committed to doing their best," he said. "Your county is very fortunate in that area."
Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times/TNS A woman performs yard maintenance Wednesday in Hildale, Utah. A jury on Monday found that Hildale and Colorado City, Ariz., two border towns run by a polygamist sect, violated the constitutional rights of nonbelievers.

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By Nigel Duara, Los Angeles Times (TNS)

COLORADO CITY, Ariz.  Decades and decades ago, members of a breakaway fundamentalist faction of the Mormon church fled their Utah home, most choosing the remote corners of North America to live in isolation. One group picked this mile-high cocoon, protected on three sides by the Vermilion Cliffs, to make their last stand for a polygamous society.

They encircled themselves yet tighter, building high fences around compounds and houses, with no trespassing signs mounted on every outward-facing wall. For the better part of a century, they held fast  nothing much more than a curiosity on a route to the Grand Canyon.

Now, once more, they may be on the move.

A Phoenix jury's verdict on Monday is almost certain to forever upend the strict theocracy instituted by the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in the police departments and municipal governments of Colorado City, Arizona, and Hildale, Utah, twin communities collectively known as Short Creek.

The jury found that the towns intentionally sabotaged people considered threats and enemies to the imprisoned FLDS prophet Warren Jeffs and his brother and surrogate, Lyle Jeffs. The jury found that the police departments followed, harassed and intimidated nonbelievers and that the cities denied services to new residents from outside the faith.

Colorado City Mayor Joseph Allred said in a brief interview Wednesday that he expected a rash of people to leave the city as enormous tracks of land formerly owned by the church were subdivided and sold off by a Salt Lake City trustee, leading to the eviction of the FLDS families still living on the properties.

"I think people leaving would be happening with all the evictions," Allred said. "But it's not my concern where people go."

The city is composed of clean, wide boulevards laddered by rough dirt roads, all set against striking copper-hued cliffs that earned this area the name Color Country. Life here has long been an odd mix for nonbelievers and those in the church, which is not affiliated with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

At a satellite campus here of Mohave Community College, staff learned to address, at least partially, the needs or wants of church members.

For example, FLDS women in the nursing program still live under Warren Jeffs' prohibition against using the Internet. Sometimes, college President Michael Kearns said, staffers will hit the "send" button if the women fill out an online form  technically sparing the women from "using" the Internet. Staff draws the line, however, on filling out online-only board exams students must take.

All around Colorado City are the marks of Jeffs' reign. They are in the unfinished roofs and skeletal wood frames of houses; all construction on church property or land owned by church members ended in 2005, when Jeffs declared that all building stop and construction money be redirected to his church.

Attempts to contact the FLDS church leadership were unsuccessful. When approached in public at FLDS-owned businesses in town, men and boys would stand silently or occasionally wave. Women in long dresses gave curt replies or didn't respond at all.

Allred, who repeatedly invoked his Fifth Amendment rights against self-incrimination during the trial, would not comment on the case or its outcome, but said, "The city is fair and impartial" and treats all of its citizens fairly.

Mohave County Sheriff Jim McCabe disagrees. For most of his 31 years in the county that surrounds Colorado City, sheriff's deputies would run daily patrols in the area, but didn't regard the local police as anything more than an arm of the FLDS church.

Then three years ago, McCabe received a state grant to offer his deputies more overtime. He immediately put his deputies on full-time patrol in Colorado City. "You put water where there's a fire," McCabe said. "With the constant allegations of unconstitutional behavior coming from inside that community, we had to do something. We've been working on this thing for 20 years."

McCabe's department isn't alone  allegations of misdeeds by the church troubled state and federal law enforcement for decades, but a disastrous raid on the cities in 1953 only made the case that FLDS families were victims and lawmen heavy-handed thugs. Jeffs' reign, beginning in 1998, drew the attention of law enforcement back on the sect as he exiled men he considered a threat and reassigned wives and families to his allies.

Facing a criminal indictment, Jeffs fled the state, assisted by city officials in Colorado City and Hildale before he was found, convicted and imprisoned for life for child sex abuse.

The U.S. Justice Department has pursued the city since 2012, when it filed a civil rights lawsuit alleging the city had violated the First, Fifth and 14th amendment rights of some residents.

From the evidence, including then police Chief Fred Barlow writing to Jeffs as his "servant," the jury found that the police departments had a pattern of violating the rights of nonbelievers. When the Justice Department has found a similar "pattern and practice" problem in other police departments, a lawsuit typically leads to a consent decree that empowers the federal agency to oversee elements of the local police department's affairs.

Will that be the case in Hildale and Colorado City?

"How much intolerance will the (Department of Justice) tolerate?" asked Amos Guiora, a University of Utah law professor. "That's the question for how much life will change there when the federal government makes changes. Are they going to leave some of (the church's) ways in place, or change everything?"

That won't happen soon enough for some people, who are delighted at the prospect of federal intervention. "We're wide-awake now," said Jason Black, a former longtime church member who left the FLDS in 2013.
In this Tuesday, Feb. 23, 2016 photo, rancher Masami Yoshizawa points a graphic showing the radiation level around the area during an interview at the Ranch of Hope in Namie, Fukushima Prefecture, northeastern Japan. Yoshizawa, 62, has been raising 330 cows at his ranch in the no-go zone just outside the crippled Fukushima nuclear plant, defying a government order to kill them. The prized black "wagyu" beef can never be eaten, but Yoshizawa keeps the cattle as living proof of the disaster and the unwanted truths the government may be hiding. iAn effort to eliminate a negative reputation is nothing but a cover-up,i he said. iThis is a farm that chronicles and tells the story of Fukushimais radiation contamination disaster. Weill stay here at the Ranch of Hope, and keep sending our message.i (AP Photo/Shizuo Kambayashi)

SHARE In this Tuesday, Feb. 23, 2016 photo, cattle stand together at the Ranch of Hope, run by rancher Masami Yoshizawa in Namie, Fukushima Prefecture, northeastern Japan. Yoshizawa has been raising 330 cows at his ranch in the no-go zone just outside the crippled Fukushima nuclear plant, defying a government order to kill them. The prized black "wagyu" beef can never be eaten, but Yoshizawa keeps the cattle as living proof of the disaster and the unwanted truths the government may be hiding. (AP Photo/Shizuo Kambayashi) In this Tuesday, Feb. 23, 2016 photo, rancher Masami Yoshizawa speaks during an interview at the Ranch of Hope in Namie, Fukushima Prefecture, northeastern Japan. Yoshizawa, 62, has been raising 330 cows at his ranch in the no-go zone just outside the crippled Fukushima nuclear plant, defying a government order to kill them. The prized black "wagyu" beef can never be eaten, but Yoshizawa keeps the cattle as living proof of the disaster and the unwanted truths the government may be hiding. iAn effort to eliminate a negative reputation is nothing but a cover-up,i he said. iThis is a farm that chronicles and tells the story of Fukushimais radiation contamination disaster. Weill stay here at the Ranch of Hope, and keep sending our message.i (AP Photo/Shizuo Kambayashi) In this Tuesday, Feb. 23, 2016 photo, electric pylons stand near cattle resting at the Ranch of Hope, run by rancher Masami Yoshizawa, in Namie, Fukushima Prefecture, northeastern Japan. Yoshizawa, 62, has been raising 330 cows at his ranch in the no-go zone just outside the crippled Fukushima nuclear plant, defying a government order to kill them. The prized black "wagyu" beef can never be eaten, but Yoshizawa keeps the cattle as living proof of the disaster and the unwanted truths the government may be hiding. (AP Photo/Shizuo Kambayashi) Masami Yoshizawa walks by a car attached with a sign and banner that read: "Tokyo Electric Power Co. and the government should compensate my great loss." and "Solidarity for my desperate battle to save (cows) at 14 kilometers (9 miles) from nuclear meltdown!" Associated Press file

Land near nuke meltdown still has cattle

By Mari Yamaguchi, Associated Press

NAMIE, Japan  Since the 2011 meltdowns ended their future as prized black "wagyu" beef, a rancher near the Fukushima nuclear power plant has given his cattle a new mission: They've become protesters.

Defying both government evacuation and slaughter orders, 62-year-old Masami Yoshizawa returned to his ranch 9 miles from the plant to keep his cattle alive as living proof of the disaster.

He and his cattle are no doubt a nuisance for the government as Japan gears up to showcase Fukushima's recovery ahead of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

"An effort to eliminate a negative reputation is nothing but a cover-up," he said. "This is a farm that chronicles and tells the story of Fukushima's radiation contamination disaster. We'll stay here at the Ranch of Hope, and keep sending our message."

The March 11, 2011, earthquake and tsunami swamped the Fukushima plant, knocking out power to vital cooling systems. When Yoshizawa heard explosions at the plant, he feared that the ranch he inherited from his father was finished.

Within weeks thousands of cattle in the evacuation zone around the plant died of starvation, including 200 of the 330 Yoshizawa had left at his ranch. Memories of the rows of dead cows at abandoned farms, collapsed after being reduced to skin and bones while waiting for food, still haunt him.

Surviving cows that escaped their ranches were roaming for food, damaging houses and disrupting traffic. Two months after the accident, the agriculture ministry ordered their slaughter to keep their meat from secretly entering the market. Neighborhood ranchers were divided.

"I said I was not going to let any more cows die on my ranch," Yoshizawa said.

His mostly lone resistance hasn't been easy. Authorities tried to block his feed transport and kept trying to persuade him to kill his cows.

The location of his ranch, on the border between two towns  Namie and neighboring Minamisoma  may have worked in his favor. Both towns have looked the other way and virtually given up.

A prefabricated hut on a driveway to the Ranch of Hope  which Yoshizawa renamed after the accident with the hope of establishing a nuclear-free society  serves as a tiny office for what he calls his "nuclear rebellion." Skulls of cattle that died early in the crisis decorate the exterior. His cows keep him company, mooing and grazing.

Radiation levels at the ranch measure about 10 times the safe benchmark. Yoshizawa has taken DNA tests twice and had his exposure level checked 20 times. So far no major health problems have been detected. Yoshizawa is not married, and his relatives now live near Tokyo.

The cattle population at Yoshizawa's ranch has grown back to 330, as he took in homeless cows from the neighborhood and other farms. They live on contaminated feed donated from towns in the area, which he said is the most ecological way to get rid of radioactive waste.
Michael Gerson is a Washington Post columnist. Contact him at michaelgerson@washpost.com.

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What Americas founders feared

WASHINGTON  As the unthinkable becomes likely, the question arises: Who is really to blame for Donald Trump?

The proximate answer is a durable plurality in the Republican primary electorate, concentrated among non-college-educated whites but not limited to them. They are applying Trump like a wrecking ball against the old political order. And it clearly does not matter to them if their instrument is qualified, honest, stable, knowledgeable, ethical, consistent or honorable.

But why has this group of voters cohered, while other elements of the Republican coalition have fractured?

Some blame compromised Republican leaders who have resolutely refused to do things  such as unilaterally overturning "Obamacare"  that they actually lack the constitutional power to do. Or maybe the establishment invited a backlash for insufficient toughness on illegal immigration  though it is hard to imagine why public urgency would spike just as the flow of illegal immigration has slowed to a trickle. Or maybe a parallel establishment of conservative talk radio, PACs and websites gains listeners, funds and clicks by inciting conservatives against Republicans.

Or maybe, as reform conservatives have argued, Republicans have not adequately responded to 25 years of economic dislocation and wage stagnation  challenges faced by blue-collar families that simply don't yield to a circa-1981 GOP agenda of tax cuts and deregulation.

The problem? All these same arguments were being made by the same people before Trump arrived on the scene. A new and unexpected development in American politics has managed to confirm everything people already believed, suggesting that not much learning is taking place.

Whoever else might be implicated, it is necessary to say that Trump is to blame for Trump. The fact that he is appealing to understandable concerns does not make him a valid or responsible voice. In the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks, for example, President George W. Bush could have chosen to blame Islam and stir up prejudice. He didn't. In the aftermath of the Paris and San Bernardino attacks, Trump did, picking on a religious minority for self-serving political reasons.

In a dangerous world, fear is natural. Cynically exploiting fear is an art. And Trump is a Rembrandt of demagoguery.

But this does not release citizens from all responsibility. The theory that voters, like customers, are always right has little to do with the American form of government. The founders had little patience for "pure democracy," which they found particularly vulnerable to demagogues.

"Men of factious tempers, of local prejudices, or of sinister designs," says Federalist 10, "may by intrigue, by corruption, or by other means, first obtain the suffrages, and then betray the interests, of the people." A representative government is designed to frustrate sinister majorities (or committed pluralities), by mediating public views through "a chosen body of citizens, whose wisdom may best discern the true interest of their country."

Trump is the guy your Founding Fathers warned you about. "The question is not 'Why Trump now?'" argues constitutional scholar Matthew Franck, "but rather 'Why not a Trump before now?' Perhaps some residual self-respect on the part of primary voters has driven them, up to now, to seek experience, knowledge of public policy, character, and responsibility in their candidates. The Trump phenomenon suggests that in a significant proportion of the (nominally) Republican electorate, this self-respect has decayed considerably."

With the theory of a presidential nominee as wrecking ball, we have reached the culmination of the founders' fears: Democracy is producing a genuine threat to the American form of self-government. Trump imagines leadership as pure act, freed from reflection and restraint. He has expressed disdain for religious and ethnic minorities. He has proposed restrictions on press freedom and threatened political enemies with retribution. He offers himself as the embodiment of the national will, driven by an intuitive vision of greatness. None of this is hidden.

The founders may not have imagined political parties as a check on public passions, but that is the role the GOP must now play  as important as any in its long history. It is late, but not too late. With losses in Ohio and Florida on Tuesday, Trump may well be held below a majority of delegates at the Cleveland convention. And then this chosen body of citizens should play its perfectly legitimate role and give its nomination to a constructive and responsible leader.

Michael Gerson is a Washington Post columnist. Contact him at michaelgerson@washpost.com.
Funding available is $12.5 million, and will support the US Consortium. In parallel, and with equivalent resources, Chinese funding will support a collaborative counterpart Chinese Consortium. The US consortium will pursue five topics; responsive application will address all five. These are:

The US Department of Energy is soliciting applications ( DE-FOA-0001542 ) for the formation of a Consortium to pursue five identified R&D topic areas related to improving the operating efficiency of medium- and heavy-duty trucks. The Consortium that is funded through this solicitation will form a new technical track under the US-China Clean Energy Research Center , a bilateral initiative to encourage R&D collaboration and accelerate technology development and deployment in both countries.

Advanced internal combustion engine and powertrain systems. Specific subtopics of interest include, but are not limited to, the following: Advanced high efficiency and clean combustion strategies (low temperature combustion, clean diesel)

Combustion control and optimization technology

Advanced air management system (exhaust gas recirculation, turbocharger, supercharging)

High conversion efficiency NO x after-treatment and particulate filters

after-treatment and particulate filters Alternative fuel combustion

Engine thermal management

Waste heat recovery

Engine friction reduction

Driveline and transmission efficiency improvements Overall energy management (system level efficiency improvements). Specific subtopics of interest include, but are not limited to, the following: Electrification of engine-driven auxiliaries/accessories

Reduction of accessory loads and auxiliary power requirements

Predictive engine accessory and driveline controls

Wind/weather and GPS-based cruise control and intelligent routing

Fleet-level operational efficiency improvements (intelligent scheduling, driver assistance, vehicle-to-vehicle communication, platooning, and other levels of automation) Hybrid electric powertrains. Specific subtopics of interest include, but are not limited to, the following: Drive unit optimization (engine, motors, power electronics)

Energy storage systems

Regenerative braking

Application-specific powertrain hybridization for targeted duty cycles

System architecture analysis

Dedicated engine for hybrid system Other key truck technologies. Specific subtopics of interest for heavy- and medium-duty trucks include, but are not limited to, the following: Aerodynamic drag reduction (tractor and trailer)

Vehicle weight reduction (frame, driveline, brakes, and suspension)

Tire rolling resistance (improved tire compounds, automatic inflation) Applied research, test, and evaluation. A range of advanced technologies developed under Topic Areas 1-4 will be deployed on a truck to demonstrate improvements in vehicle fuel economy and emissions reduction using one of the following approaches: modifying/utilizing an existing off-the-shelf or prototype truck; or building a full prototype truck.

In the 5 topics areas of the FOA, the proposed project will focus on cost-effective measures to improve the on-road freight efficiency of medium- and heavy-duty trucks by greater than 50% (compared to the 2016 baseline truck) to reduce transportations fuel use and climate change impacts.

To the extent that advanced technologies will be demonstrated to improve freight efficiency, they will conform to a customer-tailored drive cycle that meets the needs of the particular customer application and the EPA Phase 2 GHG/fuel efficiency regulatory cycles for the appropriate vocation.

Additionally, vehicle freight efficiency improvement must be achieved within the constraint of prevailing federal emission standards and applicable vehicle safety and regulatory requirements. Projects that demonstrate systems-level fuel efficient technologies must be matched with the duty cycle of the specific truck application to deliver the expected fuel savings.

Background. To encourage the rapid development and commercialization of technologies with strong climate change applications, the US DOE, Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST) and Chinese National Energy Administration (NEA) agreed in November 2009 to establish a US-China Clean Energy Research Center (CERC). (Earlier post.) Over the six years since this agreement, the CERC has successfully conducted joint research and development on clean energy topics by teams of scientists and engineers from the US and China.

Under CERC, 4 pairs of US and Chinese consortia are operating collaboratively on 4 technical tracks:

Advanced Coal Technologies with Carbon Capture, Utilization and/or Sequestration

Building Energy Efficiency

Clean Vehicles

Energy and Water

Each track comprises the equivalent of a $50 million bilateral commitment over 5 years, that is, $25 million for the US effort and $25 million for the China effort. In the US, this is broken down per track as $5 million per year, composed of $2.5 million per year in DOE funds, which is matched by another $2.5 million per year in non-Federal cost-share by the non-Federal partners in each consortium.

President Obama and President Xi Jinping announced a renewal and expansion of the CERC in November 2014. (Earlier post.) In September 2015, Obama and Xi announced a fifth CERC track on improving the energy efficiency of medium-duty and heavy-duty trucks.

The current funding opportunity is the US effort to operationalize this new track. The US consortium selected under this announcement will be funded by DOEs Vehicle Technologies Program, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE). The principal DOE coordinator of CERC activities within DOE, and internationally with the Chinese, is DOEs Office of International Affairs (IA). Both IA and EERE will work in collaboration with the National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) for the administration of this award.
Prices for light oil are set at $67 per barrel and natural gas prices fixed at $7.50 per million Btu (MMBtu). That means consumers are not reaping the benefits of cheap fuel. The higher prices they pay offer a huge lifeline for the oil industry.

Argentina offers one of the few places on earth where oil companies are not suffering from the full force of the collapse in prices. Argentina regulates oil prices, a policy originally intended to insulate the public from the whims of the market, protecting people from triple-digit crude prices. But with the crash in prices since mid-2014, the effect of the regulation has reversed: motorists are now effectively subsidizing the oil industry.

From the consumers standpoint, that may not sound like a great deal. But it may help Argentinas shale industry keep their momentum going. Argentina holds some of the largest shale potential outside of the United States. According to the EIA, Argentina has over 800 trillion cubic feet of unproved technically recoverable shale gas reserves (more than the 622 tcf located in the US) and 27 billion barrels of shale oil, which is less than only the US, Russia, and China.

The bulk of Argentinas shale reserves are located in the Vaca Muerta, a vast shale basin in central Argentina. The Vaca Muerta has attracted companies from around the world, including ExxonMobil, Chevron, Royal Dutch Shell and Gazprom.

Drilling activity has continued to grow, but high costs and infrastructure constraints have prevented production levels from rocketing skywards as they did in places like Texas or North Dakota.

But regulated oil prices could also prevent Argentina from suffering the effects of the bust that are now clearly visible across the well-known shale areas of the United States.

This is so important, strategically, said the outgoing CEO of state-owned YPF, Miguel Galuccio, referring to regulated prices, according to the WSJ.

Last week, Galuccio announced that production from the Vaca Muerta continued to inch upwards, having reached 50,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day (boe/d), up from 44,000 boe/d last year.

But Argentina faces profitability challenges even with regulated oil prices. Galuccio said that the profit from YPFs shale oil and gas production was marginal. YPF announced spending reductions as well as the decision to reduce its rig count. The company spent only $4 billion in 2015, down from the original $6 billion it had planned on spending. YPF will trim another 25 percent from its budget for 2016.

Galuccio argued, though, that the economics will improve as drilling scales up, techniques are refined, and operators learn more about the basin. He said that YPF has already reduced costs from the average shale well from $16 million to $13 million a piece. He expects that costs will decline to $10 million per well in 2016.

Regulated oil prices can buy YPFand other companies, including YPFs joint venture partner, Chevronsome space to continue to drill and bring costs down. We are doing this to sustain activity and employment, said Argentinas labor minister, Jorge Triaca, referring to artificially high prices.

Youve got to incentivize people to do exploration and development, especially when prices are low, said Ali Moshiri, the top Chevron official in Latin America said. If Argentina carries on with these incentives, it will encourage others to come to the country.

Meanwhile, a corporate makeover is also underway. Argentinas new President Mauricio Macri pushed YPFs CEO Miguel Galuccio out the door last week. The FT reported that Argentinas new energy minister, Juan Jos Aranguren, was not fond of Galuccio. In particular, he was critical of ballooning debt levels that took place under Galuccios management. Galuccio will be succeeded by a former JP Morgan executive.

But Galuccio is also credited with turning YPFs fortunes around. Since taking the helm in 2012 after the government of former President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner nationalized YPF, he improved the companys operations and achieved production increases.

President Macri and the new YPF CEO hope to keep the momentum going. Whether or not having the Argentinian public subsidize oil prices is smart policy, it offers the shale industry a rare bright spot for the energy industry.

Nick Cunningham is a Vermont-based writer on energy and environmental issues. You can follow him on twitter at @nickcunningham1.

Article Source: http://oilprice.com/Energy/Energy-General/67-Oil-Has-All-The-Majors-Converging-Here.html
ABIDJAN, Ivory Coast  At least six armed men attacked beachgoers outside three hotels Sunday in Grand-Bassam, sending tourists fleeing through the historic Ivory Coast resort town. Bloody bodies were sprawled on the beach in photos apparently taken at the scene and posted on social media.

Ivory Coast's government said security forces have "neutralized" the six attackers on three hotels, and said that security sweeps are being carried out.

Ivory Coast's President Alassane Ouattara says that 14 civilians and six assailants have been killed when the armed men attacked beachgoers and three hotels in Grand-Bassam.

Ouattara is in the town and says he is visiting the different hotels to express condolences and salute security forces for their quick responses.

The bursts of gunfire sent people running from the beach at Grand-Bassam, a UNESCO World Heritage site and popular destination for Ivorians and foreigners about 40 kilometers (25 miles) east of Abidjan, Ivory Coast's commercial center. It was the third major attack on a tourism center in a West African country since November.

"We don't know where they came from, and we don't know where they've gone," said a receptionist at the Etoile de Sud hotel in Grand-Bassam. Everyone in the hotel was safe, and gendarmerie were present, he said. He would not give his name.

Beachgoers could be seen lining up with their hands above their heads as they filed out of the area. Residents who heard the gunfire hid in their homes, said Josiane Sekongo, 25, who lives across from one of the many beachfront hotels.

An American embassy delegation was in Grand-Bassam on Sunday, but the U.S. Embassy in Abidjan said it is monitoring the situation and has no evidence U.S. citizens were targeted, nor confirmed reports that any were harmed.

Dozens of people were killed in the earlier attacks on West African tourist sites, starting with a siege at a Malian hotel in November and then an assault on a hotel and cafe in Burkina Faso in January. Analysts have warned for months that Ivory Coast, which shares a border with both of those affected countries, could be hit by jihadists as well. The West African attacks indicate that extremist attacks are spreading from North Africa, where a beach attack in June killed 38 people in Tunisia.

"I have always said that Abidjan (Ivory Coast) and Dakar (Senegal) are the next targets for jihadist groups because these two countries represent windows of France in Africa," said Lemine Ould M. Salem, an expert on al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb and author of a book "The Bin Laden of the Sahara."

He said the attackers could be from Moktar Belmoktar's al-Mourabitoun, but that Boko Haram should not be ruled out. The Nigeria-based Boko Haram pledged to the Islamic State last year
Jails in Guilford County are on track to comply with federal regulations designed to curb prison rape, months ahead of the deadline.

But officials, trying to navigate the complex labyrinth of red tape without guidance from the state or the federal government, wont know whether theyre complying correctly until a third-party auditor visits the county, most likely later this year.

We think were doing it right in aligning our policies, but what if we miss the mark? asked Major Chuck Williamson, who oversees the countys two jails for the Guilford County Sheriffs Office. Theres no regulatory body in the state to help the jails with this. Theres no structure. Its difficult to work under.

The federal Prison Rape Elimination Act, or PREA, was passed unanimously by Congress in 2003 after years of lobbying by human rights groups. Prison rape had been a known problem for decades and reports from various advocacy groups had occasionally led to unsuccessful efforts to pass federal legislation.

The tipping point, according to reports, was a 2001 study released by Human Rights Watch titled No Escape: Male Rape in U.S. Prisons. Researchers interviewed 200 prisoners from 37 states, all of whom had been sexually assaulted while incarcerated. The report included detailed first-person accounts but focused mostly on the systemic failure of prison administrators to address and prevent rape in confinement facilities.

I told the officer, a 16-year-old Arkansas prisoner wrote of a sexual assault. But they didnt do anything about it.

A Texas inmate shared another story.

(My cellmate) was younger, stronger than I and larger, he wrote. He introduced himself as a bisexual and was for two weeks touchie-feelie. I had to scream/yell at him to stop. ... He became more difficult to deal with and started to threaten me.

Finally, one day he attacked me.

***

Though the legislation passed unanimously, it took until 2012  nearly 10 years  for federal officials to release compliance standards to help correctional facilities implement changes to prevent rape.

Across North Carolina, prisons and jails began the slow work of coming into compliance with those rules, comprised of 43 main standards with more than 300 subparts.

One rule, for example, is that juvenile prisoners and adult inmates must be housed separately. Also when conducting body searches, correctional officials should try to pair prisoners with law enforcement officers of the same gender.

Guilford County must be in compliance by August, and some of that work was simple, according to Williamson. For instance, juveniles were already housed in quarters separate from adult inmates.

But other things, most notably stringent PREA training requirements for all jail workers, have been more difficult.

Thats a big job, Williamson said. Its a 24-hour facility. We have maintenance workers that come in. We have ministers, commissary providers, food-service providers  the list goes on and all those people have to have that training on an annual basis.

To help with that work, the mandate requires that correctional facilities appoint a full-time PREA coordinator. Problem is, Guilford County does not receive federal money for PREA efforts, so the sheriffs office converted an existing position to handle the work.

Honestly, we probably couldnt spare that position, but we had to comply, Williamson said. That person has to provide four hours of training for 340 officers in the detention facility and another 200 volunteers and contractors. Its a full-time job.

***

At the county level, the need for the mandate is questionable. It, Williamson said, was designed mostly for federal and state prisons, where sexual assault is more of a problem than at county jails.

They were looking to address the problem at places where inmates were staying in custody for years, Williamson explained. Our average length of stay is 16 days. The longer you stay and get acclimated, the greater the possibility is that (rape) could happen. In our jails, inmates still hold out hope that theyre going to be back on the street soon, so the mindset is different.

As part of PREA, Guilford County added 24-hour phones to the jails to allow inmates to immediately report sexual assaults. None have been reported since the phones were installed.

***

Federal statistics tell a different story. Between 2011 and 2012, according to the U.S. Department of Justice, 4 percent of state and federal prison inmates reported experiencing one or more incidents of sexual victimization, compared to 3.2 percent of inmates in jails.

But those statistics also show that rape exists at all, regardless of size or jurisdiction, said Keith Acree, a spokesman for the N.C. Department of Public Safety.

Its a problem everywhere, Acree said. It would make sense that in a facility where youre there longer, you have a tendency to develop relationships. But its certainly not nonexistent in smaller jails.

Its also likely that rape within prison walls, as in the outside world, is underreported.

Advocacy groups have said that more than 200,000 inmates are raped each year, but prisoners who seek help after being sexually assaulted can face retaliation from the correctional staff or other inmates. Studies have shown that within a confinement facility, rape is more about power than sexual release.

Because of that, more vulnerable populations of inmates  particularly juveniles and prisoners with mental illness or psychiatric issues  are most at risk of being assaulted by other inmates as well as facility staff.

Homosexual prisoners were more than three times as likely to be sexually assaulted by other inmates, according to federal statistics.

For prisoners with serious psychological distress, the likelihood was almost double.

Those dynamics are less likely to be as severe in county jails, where prisoners stay for short periods of time and dont form lasting relationships, county officials said.

Its also harder for inmates to fraternize at newer jails, such as the one in downtown Greensboro, which were designed specifically to allow more oversight by corrections officers.

Its not a problem here because we dont allow it, Guilford County Sheriff BJ Barnes said. But it is a problem in federal and state prisons and some jails where the line of sight and the oversight by correctional officers is just not there. It has become an issue.

***

The federal compliance standards are dense and complex, and county jail officials are left to figure it out mostly on their own.

The N.C. Department of Public Safety has a full-time PREA office, but that department oversees only the state prison system  though officials there will answer questions for county employees as they arise, said Charlotte Jordan-Williams, the PREA director for the state.

We have no official regulatory role with county jails unless a county has an agreement with the Department of Public Safety, Jordan-Williams said.

Which makes it difficult to know whether a correctional facility is fully up to speed on the mandate, Williamson said. According to the federal regulations, the only official measure of PREA compliance is a third-party audit. A third of the confinement facilities in every state must undergo that process each year.

Guilford County has until next August to schedule an audit, which Williamson said will most likely occur in the upcoming budget cycle.

The cost of compliance is unclear. The county has received estimates ranging from $10,000 to $20,000, which it must pay out of pocket. Its possible that the county could lose part of its funding from the U.S. Department of Justice if its not in compliance, but Williamson isnt so sure.

I think were headed in the right direction, he said. We meet regularly to go over our policies and were fairly sure that were meeting it, but there are a lot of unanswered questions.
In 1789, a Federalist panic had New England preachers warning against plots to undermine the new republic. In the 1950s, McCarthyism spread fear that our federal government had been infiltrated by communists. Today, its overheated rhetoric that America has been taken over, that American values have been taken away, capitalism has been undermined, national security and our independence have been destroyed with treasonous plots by intellectual political elites that control and manage the media.

Conspiracy theorists warned a U.S. Army guerilla warfare exercise in Georgia and a routine training mission in Texas recently were covert collaborations between the Department of Defense and the United Nations, preparing to take over our country. The paranoia of todays right  coming after our guns, eroding religious rights, inviting aliens into our country to take our jobs and dismantling our Constitution  is a Republican right-wing ploy to get Americans to vote with their emotions, not their heads.

We are not ever going to be a communist country. We are a capitalistic social democracy with Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid and other government social programs such as the U.S. Postal Service, public education and others. Do you want to dismantle these programs? The Republican Party does.

Jim Dye

Pleasant Garden
In a perfect world, in every online shopping experience, your customer would find exactly what he or she wants, proceed through the checkout seamlessly and become forever loyal to your brand. He/she would then return time and again for subsequent purchases.

Related: 39 Quick Ways to Increase Your Website's Conversion Rate

Well, the world's not perfect, right? More often than not, barriers arise complicating the checkout process, preventing conversions and compromising long-term customer loyalty. So, it's important to do whatever you can to provide a frictionless shopping experience and streamlined checkout for every customer.

The good news is that there are ways to make this happen. Here are ten ways merchants can increase customer conversions and payment acceptance, thereby increasing their customer retention and brand loyalty.

1. Facilitate a frictionless checkout.

Shopping cart abandonment is one of the biggest challenges online retailers face. Combat this problem by creating a less demanding checkout. To streamline the checkout process and ensure a higher conversion rate, require customers to fill out as few fields as possible to complete their purchase.

Retailer ASOS, cited by Econsultancy as having an exemplary checkout, reports that improvements to its form usability ultimately contributed to a 50 percent decrease in abandonment.

2. Provide a branded, hosted checkout.

To avoid situations that will reflect badly on your brand and lead to costly chargeback liability battles, use a payment solution that offers hosted payment fields. This means that the payment fields of your checkout are actually hosted by a payment platform, and any data submitted in these fields is securely stored on the platforms payment card industry (PCI)-compliant servers.

This minimizes your responsibility in securing the payment and ensures the functionality of the checkout without taking consumers out of their comfort zones -- or your brand experience.

Related: 5 Ways to Win Back an Abandoned Shopping Cart

3. Recognize returning customers, with tokenization.

Provide a seamless checkout experience for returning users, with tokenization, a PCI-compliant technology used by Apple Pay and other leading payment platforms. A token is a 16-digit number created to represent a credit card that was used or stored previously for payment purposes. When a return customer reaches the checkout and requests to pay, tokenization technology uses the token associated with the customer to recall the stored payment data from the secure servers.

4. Provide transparent fulfillment and delivery information.

Consumers everywhere want assurance that the products they order will arrive intact and in a timely fashion. An effective cross-border logistics solution should minimize the hurdles surrounding international shipments and customs clearance, global order tracking, inventory transparency and international returns.

Customers should be able to see up-to-date information about whats in stock and whats sold out, in real-time. They should know, up-front, the time it will take their shipment to be delivered, as well as how to make returns, if necessary.

The Baymard Institute has rated Crate and Barrel "best in class" for its checkout. Econsultancy explains that this is because the retailer's shipping and delivery options are clearly visible, as are estimated arrival dates.

5. Dynamically convert currencies and calculate taxes.

Each country requires different duties and taxes, which must be clearly presented to consumers on the checkout page and accurately reported to the relevant regulatory and tax authorities. A number of third-party vendors offer tax-calculation and real-time currency conversion, allowing taxable international customers to know the exact price of each item they are considering and the full amount they will owe when they check out.

6. Accept multiple regionally preferred payment methods.

Boost cross-border conversions by enabling your customers to use regionally preferred payment methods. This will make foreign consumers feel more comfortable paying on your website. Supporting PayPal is a good start, since it is used for cross-border transactions by consumers and retailers in 57 different countries. However, a truly international business should support the numerous region-specific ewallets in daily use by millions of potential customers. Examples are Alipay for Chinese consumers and iDEAL for consumers in the Netherlands and Germany.

7. Detect fraud to prevent chargebacks.

Proactively implement risk assessment and fraud-detection protocols on your ecommerce site to prevent chargeback impact and fraud. In addition to data-driven fraud technologies, consider integrating solutions that reassign chargeback liability. This means that when customers challenge credit card charges they do not recognize, you are not held accountable for reimbursement in cases of legitimate fraud that the fraud detector has failed to identify.

8. Ensure transaction acceptance, with real-time data.

Today, many data-driven solutions are available that actively monitor and collect transaction information as payments are processed. With this intelligence, merchants can evaluate the efficiency of their payment options from the aspect of decline rates, among other criteria.

By understanding why transactions are being declined, you can proactively make changes to ensure better processing performance. Look for a solution that offers dynamic transaction routing, as well, so your payments technology can detect when and where declines are happening and reroute the payments to financial institutions more likely to accept the payment.

9. Optimize payment acceptance with multiple providers.

If you are a cross-border retailer, consider working with local acquirers to optimize payment acceptance in problematic regions. In the past, working with multiple financial institutions was too complex and required demanding infrastructural changes; but todays sophisticated payment solutions can enable you to effortlessly connect to multiple acquirers and leverage transaction data -- in real-time -- to dynamically route transactions among financial institutions, significantly impacting acceptance rates.

Related: 4 Simple Strategies to Increase Your Website's Conversion Rate

10. Analyze customers' behavior to match their preferences in the future.

It is becoming industry standard for payments solutions to offer PCI compliance, enabling you to collect and store customer data through your gateway, acquirer or payment service provider (PSP). You can actually integrate a payment technology that analyzes this payment data and gives you insight into inefficiencies in your processing protocols, as well as improved understanding of customer behavior on your website. This data can indicate checkout deterrents, which can be used to cater to customer preferences in the future.

Related:

10 Ways Online Retailers Can Increase Their Payments-Conversion Rate

7 Website Hacks to Help You End Lackluster User Engagement

3 Simple Tips to Convert Curious Visitors Into Paying Customers



Copyright 2016 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved
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TRUMBULL  A convicted cocaine wholesaler broke into a Unity Road house early Saturday, assaulted his estranged wife and took thousands of dollars in cash before abducting his 7-year-old son, police said.

The boy was found safe 14 hours later after the father left him with a relative and called the police himself.

Police said 43-year-old Rodolfo Revello took his son 7-year-old son Ariel early Saturday, fleeing in a white van around 4:30 a.m.

It all began when Revello showed up at his estranged wifes house and forced his way inside, police said, assaulting the woman in her bedroom. Revello at one point retrieved a knife from the kitchen, but was disarmed by his 17-year-old stepson before he was able to return to the bedroom.

The woman was able to jump out a bedroom window and hide in the yard. Revello allegedly rounded up several thousand dollars worth of cash and jewelry from the house before grabbing Ariel and making a run for it, according to police Lt. Leonard Scinto. The woman was treated for minor injuries at a local hospital and released by early afternoon Saturday.

The 17-year-old stepson was not injured, Scinto said.

Police Chief Michael Lombardo said at a Saturday afternoon news conference the search was ongoing and town police were coordinating efforts with the Connecticut State Police, FBI, New York State Police and the New York City Police Department.

Police said Revellos home address is in Greenwich and he may have crossed over the state line.

Police stressed that anyone with information on Revellos whereabouts should call the authorities immediately, and asked them to be on the lookout not only for Revello himself, but also for his van, a 2015 white Ford Transit with Connecticut license plate C040379.

Scinto confirmed that a state judge had issued a restraining order against Revello on the estranged wifes behalf. He was not able to detail conditions of the order, but said Revello had visitation rights with the two boys.

Court records show Rodolfo Revello has been linked to the Latin Kings gang.

According to federal court documents, the father supplied cocaine to the Latin Kings gang members, who then sold the drug to customers in the Stamford area. For several months, police made multiple controlled purchases of cocaine from those supplied by Revello. On May 10, 2011, police arrested Revello when he was buying 50 grams of cocaine from a co-defendant for about $1,700, court documents stated.

Revello is on federal probation related to drug charges.

State court records also list convictions for assault, disorderly conduct and driving under the influence and one pending case for breach of peace.

Federal court records indicate that Revello was sentenced to 60 months in prison in 2012, and he was released in September 2014.

The town of Trumbull announced via social media shortly after 6:30 p.m. that Ariel Revello had been found, but Rodolfo Revello was still at large.

Neighbors said they had never suspected any trouble at the Unity Road home where the abduction occurred, but were grateful for Amber Alerts and recommended that other residents sign up for them.

We feel terrible that this happened, said Brian Dewey, who moved in down the street from Waltham, Mass., with his fiancee, Annie Nunziata, just two months ago.

Scinto wrote later Saturday that the boy was located in Queens, N.Y., this evening after his father called the Trumbull police shortly after 5 p.m. and told them he was leaving his son Ariel with a relative. Officers in New York were provided this information and, after responding to the address provided, located Ariel safe and unharmed.

Scinto said Saturday evening authorities were still working out the logistics of reuniting Ariel with his family, and Rodolfo Revello was still at large.

This incident is still under investigation and police will be seeking to obtain a warrant for Rodolfos arrest on multiple charges, said Scinto.

Anyone with information is asked to call Trumbull Police at 203-261-3665.
July 2019 Update

On the 26th of this month I will start my next cycling trip in the relatively cool climes of Holland and Belgium. For the first week, we will be based on a barge, and cycle during the day while the barge moves. The second week will be the more traditional inn-to-inn bike trip and will include visits to some of Belgium's famous breweries. I expect to start daily posting around July 26th.


























The press secretary for President John F. Kennedy and President Lyndon Johnson had been a student and teacher in Dickinson.

Pierre Salinger had been a child prodigy on the piano, and his virtuosity on the keyboard made him a local celebrity to the citizens of Dickinson, a city of which he had many fond memories. Western North Dakota was also the area he credited with helping him achieve manhood.

Pierre Emil George Salinger was born June 14, 1925, in San Francisco, to Herbert and Jehanne (Bietry) Salinger. His father was a Jewish-American mining engineer, and his mother was a French Catholic journalist who was special editor for art and music at the San Francisco Examiner. When Pierre was 4 years old, the Great Depression began and his father lost his job, forcing the family to move to Toronto, where he could find new employment.

In their new Canadian home, the Salingers had a baby grand piano. The youngster would climb upon the piano stool, gently push down various keys and intensely listen and observe the different sounds that each key produced. Salingers parents enrolled him in the Toronto Conservatory of Music, and five days each week, the noted pianist, Clement Hambourg, would come to the Salinger residence, where Pierre would receive three hours of music training. The youngster would then spend an additional four to five hours each day practicing.

In 1932, Salingers mother was offered the position of director of the music project of San Francisco, a Works Progress Administration position and the family returned to the United States.

Although only 12 years old, two years younger than his classmates, Salinger began attending Lowell High School in 1937. When his music tutor learned of this, he approached the boys parents and said, You have to take this boy out of school because he should have full time to practice .... You should not allow him to waste his time in school.

Salinger discovered a new passion at school  journalism. Since his mother was a well-noted journalist, it did not come as a big surprise.

In 1940, Salingers father was killed in an automobile accident, and because his mother needed to work extra hours to make up for the income lost by her husbands death, a man who recently moved to the U.S. from Japan was hired as a part-time cook. After graduating from Lowell, Pierre enrolled at San Francisco State College in 1941. Three months after he started classes, Japan bombed Pearl Harbor, and the U.S. was at war. When Pierre returned home from classes, he learned the cook had suddenly left because he was a Japanese intelligence agent.

On his 17th birthday, Salinger enlisted in the Navy. He was eager to serve, not only because of the action by Japan towards the U.S., but also because Nazi Germany was occupying France, the birthplace of his mother, and the Nazis were persecuting the Jews, the ethnicity of his father. While waiting to be called into service, Salinger took a job with the San Francisco Chronicle. He started running errands as a copy boy but soon became involved as a reporter for a new section in the paper that focused on the shipyard workers who assisted in the war effort.

On June 14, 1943, Salingers 18th birthday, he was called into service by the Navy and assigned to the V-12 Navy College Training Program that was about to be implemented. This was a program designed to produce commissioned officers for the war. There were 131 colleges and universities in the country participating in the program, and Dickinson State Teachers College (now Dickinson State University) was one of them. It was there that Pierre and many others, mostly from California, were sent.

Pierre was surprised that the Navy was sending him to the middle of the continent to learn about operating vessels in the middle of the ocean. However, he was completely pleased with his assignment. He found Dickinson to be a Norman Rockwell kind of place that took us young sailors to its heart.

His classes began on July 1, but he also quickly found himself involved in the community. Because of the war, many of the local young men, including teachers, were serving their country. Dickinson High School was without a history teacher, and Pierre ended up teaching that course.

At first, I did not fare too well because many of the seniors were actually older than I, but as I gained confidence, the students came to accept me, he wrote.

Also, because of his journalism background, he edited the college newspaper and wrote a weekly column for the city newspaper.

Pierre also learned that there were some talented musicians in his V-12 class. He formed a dance band that was so good we were invited to play all over the state. However, his most pleasant surprise was that the young ladies were attracted to men in uniforms. And, because he was a sensation on the piano, he had no trouble getting dates. This was unusual for Pierre since he had experienced only one rather unpleasant date prior to arriving in Dickinson.

In the spring of 1944, Pierre was transferred to midshipmans school in Plattsburgh, N.Y., and he was forced to say his sad farewell to Dickinson, a town he had grown to love. When his schooling was completed in Plattsburgh, Pierre was commissioned as an ensign and went to sub-chaser training school in Miami.

With his training complete, Pierre was assigned as second mate to the SC 1368 in the Pacific. Not long after that assignment, the commanding officer got drunk, ran the sea-craft aground and was stripped of his commission. At the age of 19, Pierre became one of the youngest vessel commanding officers in the U.S. Navy.




Haiti - Education : Nesmy Manigat at the Unesco intersessional meeting (Paris)





Thursday Nesmy Manigat, the outgoing Minister of National Education and Training has participated in the intersessional meeting of the Executive Board of Unesco, at the organization's headquarters in Paris.



This meeting focused on the Unesco Calendar for the year 2016, new guidelines on financing of sustainable development goals (SDGs) and the Strategic report on the results. A issue that has challenged the Minister Manigat who placed his intervention on the issue of financing actions of Unesco with regard to a model inspired by the World Health Organization (WHO).



Nesmy Manigat welcomed his participation in these exchanges within the Executive Board in a manner to continue advocacy in international forums for Haiti and build new networks for the country, which needs supports for achieving the MDGs by 2030, according to the World Education Forum Incheon Action Plan.



"It is important for the country to be present at major international meetings to defend the Haitian cause and to mobilize partners for its development," said Minister Manigat, which also recently assumed the position of Chairman of the Governance Committee, ethics, risk and finance the Global Partnership on Education (GPE) https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-16651-haiti-education-nesmy-manigat-appointed-president-of-a-committee-of-global-partnership-for-education.html



The Minister also recalled that Haiti was able to regain his place in the Executive Council (58 Member States) in November 2015 https://www.icihaiti.com/en/news-15743-icihaiti-politic-haiti-elected-member-of-the-unesco-executive-board.html through the support of 150 of 186 countries that voted in favor of the country. Noting that the Executive Council, is one of three key bodies of Unesco and takes care of the organization's work program and corresponding budget estimates by ensuring the effective and rational execution of the program by the Director General.



On the sidelines of the meeting, the Minister Manigat met with Irina Bokova, the Director-General of Unesco [candidate to succeed Ban Ki-moon at the UN General Secretary position], around its new Engagements in the GPE, which is an institution key partners of Unesco, responsible, inter alia, of the implementation of the post 2015 agenda in education.



See also :

https://www.icihaiti.com/en/news-16854-icihaiti-education-meeting-in-paris-between-nesmy-manigat-and-michaelle-jean.html



HL/ HaitiLibre


















Published on 2016/03/13 | Source

Students attend a job fair at Hanyang University in Ansan, Gyeonggi Province on Feb. 25, 2016. /Courtesy of IBK

Advertisement

The gap in entry-level salaries between major conglomerates and small and mid-sized businesses has widened further this year.

Jobs search portal Job Korea on Monday said the average entry-level annual salary of the country's top 150 companies is W38.93 million for a university graduate, up a healthy 3.2 percent from last year (US$1=W1,206).

But the average entry-level wage in SMEs fell 1.4 percent from last year to W24.55 million, and accounts for a mere 63.1 percent of big-company salaries, down from 66 percent last year.

The overall average salary in the 301 companies surveyed rose 5.9 percent to W32.28 million, with state-run companies and foreign firms also seeing an annual pay rise to W32.88 million and W32.77 million.

Automakers paid the fattest salary for new staff at W42.89 million followed by financial companies (W42.25 million) and builders (W41.67 million).

And the figures do not include bonuses.

Roh Min-sun at the Korea Small Business Institute said, "There may be many reasons for the widening wage gap, but the main reason is that small businesses are being affected more severely by the ongoing economic recession".
Harlow is a former New Town in Essex with a population of 86,000. Located in the upper Stort Valley, it was built in the decades after the Second World War to ease overcrowding and London and provide homes for people bombed out during the Blitz. It includes Britain's first pedestrian precinct and first modern residential tower block, The Lawn. Old Harlow, the historic part of the town, was mentioned in the Domesday Book. David and Victoria Beckham's former home, Rowneybury House, nicknamed 'Beckingham Palace', is nearby.

20:37, 21 OCT 2022
If your CEO sends you an email request to transfer a few million dollars from the company coffers into an offshore account, then your business might be the target of a sophisticated email scam.



This form of business email crime, where hackers impersonate the email account of a companys head honcho and send requests for staff to transfer company funds offshore has cost companies over US$2 billion in the past two years, according to the US Federal Bureau of Investigation.



Also known as CEO fraud, the FBI says that while the average loss is around $120,000, some companies have been duped into wiring up to $90 million into offshore accounts.



But if your employee unwittingly authorises the transfer of your precious company funds to the scammers accounts, employers may find themselves without a legal footing to discipline that staff member, says employer lawyer Ben Burke.



Whether an employer could discipline an employee who authorises a payment or transfer of company funds in reliance on a bogus request or instruction would depend on whether the employee complied with the companys policies, procedures and processes for payments and transfers of company funds, Burke says.



If an employee acted in good faith and complied with relevant company policies, procedures and instructions, it is unlikely the company could take action against the employee, says Burke, partner at Baker & McKenzie.



Employers must implement clear and comprehensive policies, procedures and processes for authorising payments and transferring company funds, Burke told HC Online.



These policies, procedures and processes should include appropriate checks and authorisations which ensure any request for payment of money or transfer of company funds is genuine and complies with relevant legal requirements, he says.



He says Australian employers should beef up their policies and procedures or risk falling victim to these scams.



Employers need to critically assess the risks they are exposed to and develop appropriate policies, procedures and processes, including cyber security policies and protections, to effectively manage these risks, Burke says.




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[This is merely an update to a previous post. Normally I just tack this kind of info to the end of my original post on the topic, but since this piece is s...

7 years ago
Signs of spring are becoming easier to detect, especially among our feathered friends. I've heard from numerous readers about flocks of American robins making welcome visits. While not the only harbinger of spring among our birds, robins are probably foremost among the birds we like to associate with the arrival of spring weather. The numerous large flocks of robins I observed during the last couple of weeks of February and early March, however, consisted mostly of birds coping with heavy snowfalls.

The month of March is usually a time of transition, with many winter birds making ready to depart as some of our summer favorites return from their more southern wintering grounds. At home, I have noted the spring arrivals of Eastern phoebes and belted kingfishers. On March 6, a wary pair of wood ducks made a brief visit to the fish pond on my property. A couple of other bird species will probably make their appearance at some point in March. Brown thrashers, tree swallows and a handful of other birds are usually in the vanguard of spring arrivals. Let me know what you're seeing as spring advances. I always enjoy hearing from readers.

Among the readers who have written to me recently was Shelly Jones, a resident of north Abingdon, Virginia.

"I have many bird feeders, with all kinds of seeds and suet cakes to attract as many different bird species that I can," Shelly wrote in an email. "Like you, I have had all the common woodpeckers come to my feeders."

Shelly commiserated with my never having been fortunate enough to get a visit from a red-headed woodpeckers at my home. She added that not only has she never been visited by a red-headed woodpecker at home, she has never seen one of these woodpeckers at all.

"I have seen the great pileated woodpecker flying through the tree tops," she noted.

Her luck changed shortly after I ran the last installment on a series of columns focused on the members of the woodpecker family.

"Today, when looking out at my feeders, there it was!" Shelly reported. It turned out to be a red-headed woodpecker. "My husband saw it, too," she wrote. "I tried to get a photo, but it flew away before I could capture it. I'll keep trying."

Shelly and her husband live on five acres, mostly pasture for their two horses, but they are surrounded by woods on three sides, with many oak trees thriving in the woods. The habitat she described sounded imminently suitable for attracting red-headed woodpeckers.

"Thank you for your article on these beautiful birds," Shelly wrote.

I wrote an email back to Shelly congratulating her on the home visit from this woodpecker and joked that I was a little envious of her good fortune.

Other readers have been sharing bird sightings that, if we're fortunate, offer a signal of the changing seasons as winter wanes and spring nears.

Adelaide Moss in Abingdon, Virginia, wrote with a question about vultures. Vultures, by the way, are considered a harbinger of spring in some sections of the country. The two species  turkey vulture and black vulture  are year-round residents in our region.

"I am very curious about the vultures that hang out in trees in winter," Adelaide wrote. "What on earth do they all eat? There are so many of them I can't imagine there is enough roadkill to feed them all.

She added that she never sees vultures eating except occasionally on roads where they are eating roadkill.

"I would love to know more about them," she wrote.

I'll focus on the turkey vulture, which benefits from a sense of smell that is absent in most other birds, the related black vulture included. With its finely-tuned olfactory senses, the turkey vulture can detect roadkill and other carrion from a distance of a mile.

These birds can also use their large wings to soar for hours. Soaring is much more energy-efficient than the flapping of wings. Experts who have studied turkey vultures estimate the birds may travel 200 miles or more in a single day in foraging for a meal such as a deer's carcass or even an opossum squashed on the side of the road. Like many a scavenger, the turkey vulture's not finicky and will eat almost anything. Pairing excellent eyesight with a good sense of smell means very little edible roadkill goes unnoticed by these birds.

Bryan Stevens lives near Roan Mountain, Tennessee. To learn more about birds and other topics from the natural world, friend Stevens on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ahoodedwarbler. He is always posting about local birds, wildlife, flowers, insects and much more. If you have a question, wish to make a comment or share a sighting, email ahoodedwarbler@aol.com.
CHILHOWIE, Va. -- The Chilhowie Fire Departments multi-pronged effort to reduce the number of house and business fires in town has earned state recognition.

The Chilhowie Fire and Emergency Medical Services Department was one of several departments to receive a nod of approval as a part of the Governors Fire Services Awards for 2015. The department was presented with the Excellence in Virginia Community Risk Reduction award recently at the Virginia Fire and Rescue Conference in Virginia Beach.

The award is a new category introduced this year. The Virginia Fire Services Board elected to combine the previous awards for excellence in fire and life safety and excellence in fire prevention. Two recipients were selected in the new category  a career department and a volunteer department.

The awards were established in 2002 as a formal recognition of excellence in Virginias Fire Services. Nominees are reviewed and selected by the Virginia Fire Services Boards executive committee and forwarded to the governor through the secretary of public safety and homeland security for final approval.

According to the Virginia Department of Fire Programs, the Chilhowie department was recognized for providing critical fire protection services to a rural community consisting of predominately single-family homes and small businesses. Fire Chief Charles David Haynes capitalized an opportunity to improve the community risk reduction efforts in Chilhowie following a devastating fire to a small business that could have been prevented by stronger fire safety education and code enforcement.

Haynes and the department were recognized for a commitment to provide opportunities for fire department members to obtain certifications in fire- and life- safety education, fire investigation and fire prevention inspection.

Town Councils adoption of local enforcement of the Uniform Statewide Building Code [USBC] in 2012 and the Virginia Statewide Fire Prevention Code [VSFPC] in 2014 led to the establishment of the town of Chilhowies code enforcement office and the staffing of that office by certified personnel.

The departments efforts have resulted in a reduction of house fires and a lack of business fires since local enforcement efforts began.

We have seen a steady reduction in the number of residential fires over the last several years, Haynes said. I believe this is attributed to a better understanding of fire safety and the efforts of the U.S. Fire Administration as well as our local efforts to get the fire-safety message out, Haynes said.

Our VSFPC enforcement efforts focus on commercial and industrial occupancies, and we are happy to say that we have not had a lost day of business in a commercial or industrial occupancy in the town of Chilhowie since we stated enforcing the code, he added.

Haynes explained that prior to local enforcement of the USBC in 2012, building inspection services were provided by Smyth County. He praised the work of the county, but pointed out that bringing the USBC under the town allows involvement in the fire safety of buildings literally from the ground up.

Before the town adopted the VSFPC and provided for local enforcement in 2014, inspections were handled by the Virginia State Fire Marshals office. Haynes said typically only a few structures were inspected annually.

We are able to achieve a 100 percent VSFPC inspection rate. To date, our office has identified and corrected over 300 violations. Each one of these violations could have started a fire in that structure. There are no inspections of homes under the VSFPC, but our public fire prevention efforts help homeowners make their homes safe. We do provide residential fire safety inspections at the owners request, Haynes said.

The department is also working closely with the zoning administrator to ensure compliance with the towns zoning code, he said.

Having their efforts recognized by the Virginia Fire Services Board was important to the department.

We were recognized for our fire prevention efforts as well as our overall life safety initiatives. The adoption of the USBC and the VSFPC were important steps as were other initiatives, such as the child safety seat program, smoke alarm installation program, home fire safety program and our public education efforts. We have spent several years putting these programs in place and to see our efforts recognized by our peers is very rewarding, Haynes said.
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP)  A man suspected of intentionally driving a snowmobile into teams of two mushers near the front of the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race was arrested Saturday in a Yukon River village.

Arnold Demoski, 26, of Nulato was arrested on suspicion of assault, reckless endangerment, reckless driving and six counts of criminal mischief.

A message left for Demoski at his home was not immediately returned. He told the Alaska Dispatch News that he had not intentionally driven into the dog teams of Aliy Zirkle and Jeff King, but he had blacked out while returning from drinking in another village.

The crashes killed one of King's dogs and injured at least two others. One of Zirkle's dogs also was injured.

Iditarod officials at first reported King had been injured. But the four-time champion said later the snowmobile had missed both him and his sled.

Zirkle, 46, who finished second three times from 2012 to 2014, was mushing from Kokukuk to Nulato, a run of less than 20 miles (32.19 kilometers) on the Yukon River, when she was hit, race marshal Mark Nordman said Saturday.

The snowmobile hit the side of Zirkle's sled about 5 miles (8.05 kilometers) outside of Koyukuk, turned around multiple times and came back at her before driving off, Alaska State Troopers spokeswoman Megan Peters said by email.

The snowmobile reappeared 12 miles (19.31 kilometers) outside of Nulato. The driver revved up and was pointed at Zirkle before leaving, Peters said.

One dog on her team was bruised. Officials described the injury as non-life-threatening.

Zirkle reached Nulato and told a race official the incident had left her shaken.

"I'm really bad. Someone tried to kill me with a snowmachine," she said on a video posted to the Iditarod Insider webpage. Snowmachine is what Alaskans call snowmobiles.

King, a four-time Iditarod champion, was behind Zirkle and fared worse. When King reached the vicinity 12 miles outside of Nulato, his team was struck from behind by the snowmobile.

Nash, a 3-year-old male, was killed. Crosby, another 3-year-old male, and Banjo, a 2-year-old male, received injuries and are expected to survive. King told the Iditarod Insider the snowmobile narrowly missed him and his sled, but hit his dogs at high speed.

"One of my dogs was killed pretty much on the spot, and a couple others I gave first aid to the best I could and loaded them into my sled," he told the Iditarod camera crew. "I kind of felt like a triage ambulance."

It did not appear to be an accident, he said. "It seemed like an act of bravado," King said.

Rural Alaska communities have many wonderful people, he said, but they also have serious social problems.

"It is beyond comprehension to me that this was not related to substance abuse," King said, adding that "no one in their right mind would do what this person did."

King remained in Nulato early Saturday afternoon.

The race leader early Saturday afternoon was Brent Sass, who left the village of Kaltag at 8:20 a.m.

Zirkle rested four hours in Nulato and dropped one dog before heading back onto the Yukon River with 14 dogs in harness. She reached Kaltag at 10: 44 a.m., and after a nine-minute rest, left again in second place.

Current champion Dallas Seavey left Kaltag at 11: 24 a.m. in third place. His father, former champion Mitch Seavey, was in fourth place.
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.
2016 is the United Nations Year of Pulses. It holds great importance for India, where pulses  the edible seeds of certain leguminous plants, including peas, beans and lentils  are a key, traditional source of nutrition. But many of these staple foods are going beyond the reach of many Indians due to rising prices fuelled by declining domestic production and record imports.

India has a billion mouths to feed and can ill-afford to be food-insecure. Sound public policy  especially regulatory policy  is essential.

As food productivity and nutrition have been declining in India over recent decades, the issues surrounding food security have not received sufficient attention from the Indian government. Perhaps the bureaucrats have forgotten the importance to India of the Green Revolution of the 1960s: In 1963, Indian wheat grew in sparse, irregular strands, was harvested by hand, and was susceptible to rust disease. The maximum yield was 800 pounds (one pound=454 g) per acre. By 1968, thanks to the new varieties created by Dr Norman Borlaug  the Father of the Green Revolution  the wheat grew densely packed, was resistant to rust, and the maximum yield had risen to 6,000 pounds per acre.

Read | Economic Survey 2016 backs hybrid seeds in boost for GM food crops

While Indias scientific community has been working on technologies to advance domestic agriculture, policymakers have been timid and inept and have blocked the maturation of new products and technologies.

The present Indian government has focused on marketing the country as a destination of immense business potential, economic progress and prosperity. Among its many stated goals was ushering in a more business-friendly climate, which is why last Decembers governmental price controls on cotton seeds  a particular setback to producers of high-quality but more expensive genetically modified (GM) seeds  is inexplicable. In addition, the government also intends to dictate the free-market arrangements between a technology licensor and a licensee, which is unheard of.

GM crops, which are the culmination of a centuries-old seamless continuum of techniques for the genetic improvement of crops, have been proven to be effective and have not posed any sort of novel uncertainty or problems. There is no evidence that they require any sort of special regulation.

Read | Monsanto threatens to exit India if govt imposes cuts on GM royalties

The year 2016 is also significant in commemorating two decades of introduction of GM crop technology. As of 2012, such crop varieties had been cultivated on more than 1.5 billion hectares by more than 17 million farmers in some 30 countries  without disrupting a single ecosystem or causing so much as a stomachache. Worldwide, these new varieties have provided very significant net economic benefits at the farm level, amounting to $18.8 billion in 2012 and $116.6 billion from 1996 to 2012, according to an analysis by economists Graham Brookes and Peter Barfoot.

Indias government must not deprive its citizens of such benefits.

Read | Time we gave science its fair due when it comes to GM crops

It takes 10-12 years on average to bring any new crop biotechnology from the research labs to commercialisation. With such long gestation periods, the industry cannot survive in perennial uncertainty over whether their research will eventually culminate in commercial products. Indias farmers are yearning for innovative technologies to boost their yields, provide resilience against pests, drought and other challenges, and enhance their income. However, uncertain regulatory policy and other sorts of governmental interference will not only lead to the flight of much-needed capital for research and development in agriculture, but also a brain-drain of promising and talented intellectual capital. Prolonged regulatory impasses and pandering to special interests represent a dereliction of duty.

According to government figures, Indias food import bills have been rising and unprecedented. The government needs to act responsibly, by allowing science and rational thinking to prevail in public policy. It must play an active role in setting up clear guidelines for field trials and commercial approval of new crop varieties and adhere to them. Uncertainty is anathema to research and development.

I wish India good luck in these endeavours, but I am reminded of the observation of French microbiologist Louis Pasteur that luck favors only the prepared mind.

Henry Miller is Robert Wesson Fellow in Scientific Philosophy and Public Policy at Stanford Universitys Hoover Institution.

The views expressed are personal
The Cold War between the US and China on the South China Sea dispute is becoming hot. Last month, it was reported that the US and India have held talks about conducting joint naval patrols that could include the disputed South China Sea. The US and India were quick to dismiss the report.

Even though it seems clear that the US and India are not ready for joint patrols, the trial balloon is indicative of the evolving Indian position on one of the key disputes in the Asian strategic landscape. A number of factors are forcing Indias hand. The US itself has been forced to adopt a more robust posture in the Indo-Pacific. The dramatic acceleration in American military commitment to the region is a function of the astonishing rise of China, which is becoming a serious regional military power.

Read | Dont militarise South China Sea: China tells India, US

Since most of Chinas territorial conflicts are spread across the East and South China Seas, naval force projection has gained uncharacteristic momentum for a country that, for most of its history, had a continental mind-set. Chinas maritime strategy and its increasing capabilities may overwhelm the smaller powers in the region. Its singular objective is to deny them any operational space in its oceanic sphere of influence. Against this background, US Prsident Barack Obamas pivot towards Asia represents an attempt to warn China away from using heavy-handed tactics against its neighbours and provide confidence to other Asia-Pacific countries that want to resist pressure from Beijing.

Read | What the South China Sea dispute is all about

Maritime security cooperation between India and the US has become a strategic necessity. American strategy, according to some in the US, should focus on supporting Indian pre-eminence in the Indian Ocean and closer US-India strategic cooperation.

India has to respond to this burden of growing expectations and it has its own reasons for challenging China. Chinas anti-piracy operations in the Gulf of Aden have raised hackles with some in the Indian Navy questioning the need for the Peoples Liberation Army Navys (PLANs) deployment of two frontline warships and a tanker. If, for China, the Indian Ocean is not an Indian lake, New Delhis imperative is to contest impressions in Beijing that the waters east of Malacca automatically fall under the latters sphere of influence. Indias naval engagement in the East, therefore, is also a reaction to Chinas expansion in the Indian Ocean. The turf war between the two navies, as both nations seek greater roles in regional dynamics, is set to grow.

Read | South China Sea dispute looms over US-ASEAN summit

Indian naval officials and maritime strategists seem to favour a naval forward strategy that could extend eastward into the South China Sea and the Pacific Rim. Indias engagements with Japan, Vietnam and the Philippines have become more serious.

Joint patrols with the US or not, India is conceiving a new and more ambitious role for itself in East Asia and India-US interests in the region are converging at an unprecedented rate. It is now up to New Delhi and Washington to take full advantage of these developments.

Harsh V Pant is professor of International Relations at Kings College London

The views expressed are personal
Amma Bi holds on tight to her tabeez as strange sounds at night terrify this lone elderly occupant of a grand Lucknow haveli. She becomes tearful when her son calls from the US to say he will not be visiting this year. Her efforts to coax, bribe and even threaten her part-time help, Juman, to stay back for company, meet with little success. She finally takes in a lodger, a working woman, Sabiha, but her ordeal is far from over.

His novella, Dopehri, in hand, Pankaj Kapur strides across the stage, reading aloud and breathing life into each of these characters with his voice and the ingenious use of light and sound. As the audience hangs on to each word, laughing at the antics of the dim-witted Juman, admiring Sabihas spirit and feeling Amma Bis anguish as she sits in her sun-soaked verandah killing time with memories of a happier past, it hardly seems like the veteran actor has been away from the stage for two decades.

It was at Delhis National School of Drama (NSD) in 1996 that its famous alumnus had staged the first, albeit informal, performance of Dopehri. He returned to the Delhi stage recently for a dramatic narration of the play at the 18th Bharat Rang Mahotsav. The iconic actor, who has worked in 74 plays, had more than 10 years of theatre behind him when he started work in films. Kanak Di Balli, Alberts Bridge and Panchvan Savaar are some of the plays that he directed.

Written, directed and performed in Hindi by Kapur, Dopehri is a heartwarming story of an elderly woman who finds purpose in life again by discovering a hidden talent.

Excerpts from an interview with Kapur:

What kept you away from the stage for so long?

It is difficult to define that but I think I got busy producing, directing, writing for TV, some film scripts, and then directing a film. It was also due to some unpleasant experiences I had when I moved to Mumbai and tried to do theatre.

How have you seen theatre change between now and then?

I have seen only a few plays in the last couple of years, but I salute people who have been able to do it consistently for quite a few years and create an audience for themselves. There is a lot to learn from them. Today there is an audience for theatre. There were not so many people watching plays when we were doing theatre 20-25 years back. Also, there are some new conditions that I will have to learn to adapt to. For instance, you get the theatre space to rehearse for only four hours or you pay for the whole day. The training we have had is that you do the rehearsals in the same theatre in which you open the show.

You and your wife, Supriya, recently started a new theatre group Theatron. What does it plan to bring to contemporary theatre?

I dont want to make any tall claims. I just want to do theatre. I have reached an age and a point in my life where I just want to enjoy myself and share with my audiences what I like, and see if it suits their palate or not. The idea is to use the experience of the experienced ones and put the energies, thoughts and wisdom of the youth into it and take it forward. We are just making a beginning right now, but in course of time, we feel that we should be able to do the kind of productions that I have always wanted to do as a theatreperson.

Pankaj Kapur during a performance of Dopehri.

Theatrons maiden production Dopehri is a dramatic reading of a novella that you wrote 20 years ago. What inspired it?

I thought of writing about a lonely woman and the afternoon that she has to spend. The title symbolises the age of the woman. She is in the late afternoon of her life. I feel a certain brightness precedes a sunset and that is what I have dealt with in terms of storytelling  how Amma Bi realises her own worth even in her mid-sixties. The idea was also to write a story which is entertaining and belongs to our culture, so that a reader anywhere in the world is able to relate it to their respective mothers and grandmothers and their loneliness in their respective cities where they have left them. I wanted to talk about the elderly who have lost their identity in the web of relationships, and the names that the relationships have given them, and how they can retain their identity through their own work.

Your children, Sanah and Ruhaan, were actively involved in the production of the play. Will we get to see them onstage in future productions?

I would love to cast them in my plays, but todays youngsters have their own way of looking at things. I am a father who never pushes or forces his children into anything. Theatron is their company. They are most welcome to be a part of any play that they would want to be part of. Certainly, at some point I think they would want to be onstage as they are trained actors. My daughter has already debuted in a film and my younger son, Ruhaan, has trained at the London Academy of Music & Dramatic Art.

You worked with Shahid and Sanah in Shandaar and earlier directed Shahid in Mausam. When working with family, how do you separate the personal and professional?

In case of the film that I directed, the entire family was too involved. When it comes to working together as actors, well, it is part of the job. When you are in front of the camera, youre a professional and off-camera you are family. You sit and eat together, but on-camera youre just the character youre playing.

Have you eased into the role of a father-in-law in real life?

Frankly, my daughter-in-law is more like a daughter to me. She is such a lovely person and it seems like she was always a part of the family.

Youve done just one film a year since you returned to the big screen with Matru ki Bijli ka Mandola (2013) after a gap of five years. Was that deliberate?

There was a gap because I was directing Mausam that took about three-and-a-half to four years of my life. I was directing my first film, so I wanted to devote myself completely to it. Thats when I did not accept any role, which was a mistake. When you ask me why I do one film a year, it is not my fault. Ive chosen what I liked from whatever work came my way.

What are you working on next?

I have finalised a few projects, but it is too early to talk about them.

Youve played several iconic characters on TV, be it detective Karamchand, Mussaddi Lal or Mohan Bharti from Zabaan Sambhal Ke. Which of them do you identify with most?

Mussaddi Lal. I came from a middle-class family, so I could relate to the problems of this character. But I wouldnt say this is the only character Ive loved playing. I have loved playing every character that I essayed. I loved playing Budhai Ram [a bonded labourer] from another series that I did called Neem ka Ped. I equally enjoyed doing Philips Top 10 with Satish Kaushik.

Indian TV has been crying out loud for some original content for long now. Do you plan to make a comeback on the small screen too?

The way Indian TV is today, unless someone comes and says we want to do work that is more close to life and literature and is a true reflection of society, it will be very difficult for someone like me to take up work on TV. Also, these days every show is a daily soap. To creatively devote 25 days a month to producing or directing or acting in something like that is beyond me. Creativity should be balanced with commercial interests.

But this is like a manufacturing unit. Every day, the producer, the director and the channel is worried whether they have been able to create content for the next five days or not. If that is the emphasis, then obviously everybody is pushed to do mediocre work.

Unless directors are allowed to be directors and not managers, and channels stop deciding the right way to tell a story, the scenario will stay the same. In that I find myself a misfit. So as of now, it seems unlikely.

Follow @DoNotRamble on Twitter

From HT Brunch, March 13, 2016

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Jewellers, who have been on strike since March 3 in protest against a new levy on gold purchases introduced in the Budget, on Tuesday announced their decision to stop sales of bullion bars with immediate effect.

Sixty-year-old Motilal Soni from Thane, a suburb of Mumbai, is a worried man.

Originally from Jaunpur, Uttar Pradesh, Soni has spent decades in Mumbai as an artisan in the jewellery business. Usually, due to the peak wedding season, March is a busy month for jewellers. But, this time it is different. Thanks to the indefinite strike by jewellers, who are protesting against the budget proposal to levy a 1% excise duty, Soni has no work.

Now in its twelfth day, the strike has raised questions on the future of Sonis entire family, given that he and his four sons are skilled jewellery workers.

We stay in a rented house, we have to take care of our family... No work means, no money. I am really worried how I or my family will survive since all we know is making jewellery, Motilal told HT when contacted.

While the big jewellers can sustain even if their shops remain closed, the situation is worrisome for the over 10-million skilled jewellery artisans and craftsmen across India, who get paid on a per-job basis and have been carrying on this work over generations. Last week, a worker at a jewellery-making unit in Indore reportedly committed suicide due to financial distress.

Sonis youngest son Vimal is now trying his hands at other small-time jobs that will earn him some daily wage. Yesterday, I delivered some clothes from a merchant to his clients. If this strike continues, we will have to try and do something else, after all its a question of survival, Vimal said.

Jewellers admit that business amounting to Rs 60,000 crore has already been lost, and they are concerned for the artisans. But its a question of resisting an unfair levy, said Mohit Kamboj, president of Indian Bullion & Jewellers Association. We are requesting the government to impose levy in any other form such as customs or VAT, but not excise. It will bring back inspector raj.

The association, along with other groups such as the Gems and Jewellery Trade Federation, plan to converge in Delhi on March 17 to put pressure on the government.

Since jewellery-making involves different hands  plate-making, wire-pulling, beads makers keeping track of books is likely to be difficult, jewellers said. Even for Rs 100, we will have to maintain transaction records. How are we expected to work like this, an employee at a small jewellery shop in Kandivali, Mumbai, said.

According to jewellers, it is not only about the 1% additional duty, but about the reams of paperwork that will have to be maintained. The government mentions ease of doing business. This (levy) is going backwards, said Yogi Bulchandani, CEO, Diamantina Fine Jewels.
In March last year a bizarre and unprecedented phenomenon occurred. Indian women began to launch a defence of Indian men on the social media and at dinner tables. Indian men were not as bad as the world perceived them to be, the women said, not all Indian men were rapists. Indian men, naturally, agreed. They were reacting to a documentary called Indias Daughter, which was about the gang rape and murder of a young woman in Delhi in December 2012. They had not watched the documentary yet, but they were led to believe that the film, directed by Leslee Udwin, a foreigner, had disdain for Indian society. There were many forces that fuelled the outrage but the primary source of the commotion, they did not realise, was one person whose motivation had nothing to do with rape or affection for the Indian male.

A few days earlier the communist and feminist Kavita Krishnan had published a curious note, which was nationalistic. She was yet to watch the documentary but was beset with a growing sense of unease at the global publicity campaign of the film, which had featured her. Her unease had something to do with Udwins comment to an interviewer: I made a film on rape in India. Mens brutal attitudes truly shocked me. Krishnan was also concerned that the films publicity campaign appeared to create the impression that Indian women were in need of a rescue by a white savior. Krishnan wrote, What comes through, then, is a sense of India as a place of ignorance and brutality towards women that inspires both shock and pity but also calls for a rap on the knuckles from the civilised world for its brutal attitudes. Nirbhaya, described patronisingly as a speaker of excellent English is marked approvingly as a good subject for the global rescue mission.

The reason behind this juvenile Sangh-like lament might be explained by an event that occurred a few days earlier.

She had appeared on Times Now to condemn the governments absurd action of offloading the Greenpeace activist Priya Pillai when she was on her way to London to complain to a group of British Members of Parliament about a mining companys seeming transgressions in a tribal area. The news anchor Arnab Goswami berated Krishnan for her defence of Pillai and called Krishnan, among other insults, an anti-national. Krishnan, who usually holds her own, was rattled. She was humiliated, as she later conveyed. On the show she mumbled that she was not an anti-national.

A few days later when she would watch the publicity campaign of Indias Daughter she may have grown nervous. She was featured in the film and the film appeared to be anti-national. That would explain her attempt to preempt, in her curious note, all reactions to the documentary.

It was a time, just a year ago, when anti-national was a very serious allegation. People who were accused of that condition believed it was extremely important to deny the charge. Krishnan, for instance, went to great lengths, even inadvertently duping women into launch a comical defence of Indian men. Those days people who were against the beef-ban were deemed anti-national. Aamir Khan was declared anti-national for revealing that his wife had suggested they leave the country because of an atmosphere of intolerance. It is possible that he also lost millions of rupees in endorsement contracts. The opposite of the anti-national was clearly defined as a patriot. Even in polite sophisticated circles it was not socially acceptable for anyone to claim he was not a patriot. Or to make fun of patriotism.

Read | Kanhaiya Kumars message was in the delivery

But in February this year something happened. It might seem like a minor cultural moment but it is more significant than it appears. Anti-national became a joke, and people began to lampoon not merely nationalism but also patriotism. On the social media and in middle class get-togethers regular people began to proclaim themselves as anti-national. If a news anchor calls a communist an anti-national on national television today she would laugh, even accept she is. The Sangh fellowship lost a powerful political emotion of an influential class of society. For old notions to die, we do not always need to wait for old men to die. Sometimes, an idea perishes when it becomes the joke of a generation.

The joke was in the making for the past several months as the BJPs politicians frequently described anti-Sangh feelings as anti-national, but in February a string of events led to the trivialisation of a stigma. Delhi police slapped sedition charges on a bunch of college students, one of whom, Kanhaiya Kumar, was thrashed by patriots. An unknowable number of people on the social media soon began to identify themselves overtly as anti-national without any fear, establishing a new meaning of anti-national  as anti-imbecility. It is a meaning that has come to stay. When Kumar was released he gave a speech. Never before has such a widely broadcast and disseminated speech, delivered in an Indian language, converted patriotism into a joke.

There is, indeed, a type of activism that may harm the nation even though the activists may have honorable intentions. For instance, mass movements that use foreign funds to impede Indias nuclear power generation. Also, there is history. In the past, the Central Intelligence Agency had sponsored several mass movements and cultural forces in the United States and other nations, including the defunct Indian magazine, Imprint and some activities of the feminist Gloria Steinem. A moment in a recent New Yorker profile of Darren Walker, president of the Ford Foundation, a financier of social change, has gone unnoticed in India:

Walker spent a long time talking with (Indian) government officials, trying to dispel their suspicion. But, he realised, it certainly was a delicate question, what Ford thought it was doing, funding attempts to undermine centuries-old customs in foreign countries. What if some foreign country tried to do that in America?

If the Modi government says the same thing, many Indians would find it hilarious.

Manu Joseph is a journalist and the author of the novel, The Illicit Happiness of Other People

The views expressed are personal, he tweets @manujosephsan

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A 20-year-old woman was killed by her mother on Saturday night  a day before she was supposed to get married  in an apparent case of honour killing.

Police said the woman was murdered after she was caught in a compromising position with a man who lived as a tenant in their north east Delhis Seelampur house.

Police said the 42-year-old accused smothered and strangulated her daughter to death.

The mother then informed her son, after which they took the womans body to a local hospital and told doctors that she had committed suicide. The mother and son were arrested after the doctors spotted strangulation marks on the womans neck and called the police.

A relative of the deceased told police that the woman had gone missing right before her marriage rituals were to start in the house. It was then that the mother and son began search for her.

The mother then stumbled upon the woman in a compromising position with their tenant. She then held her from her dupatta and dragged her to the ground, police said.

The tenant, Guddu, however managed to flee. The mother then allegedly smothered her with a pillow till she fell unconscious and then strangulated her till she died. Later she panicked and called her son, a police officer said.

The mother-son duo, the police said, later tried to revive the woman and took her to a hospital. They told other family members that the woman had fallen unconscious due to low blood pressure and palpitation, an officer said.

The duo was arrested while they were waiting at the hospital to take the body home. The victims father had died a few years ago and they lived off the rent they earned from Guddu.

Police said the deceased was set to marry a Ghaziabad businessman on Sunday. Investigation revealed she had an affair with Guddu for the last two years.
Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal has asked Art of Living founder Sri Sri Ravi Shankar to help clean the Yamuna and bring the Centre and the Delhi government together for the cause.

I am very selfish and want two things from you, Kejriwal said in his address to the World Cultural Festival on Sunday, referring to Ravi Shankar.

Nearly three lakh people attended the event on Sunday, the last day of the three-day festival.

We are on the Yamuna floodplains and are committed to cleaning the river. The Central government (ministers) is seated to your left and Delhi government (ministers) is seated to your right. We need your help. We are committed to cleaning the river and Im sure the centre is equally committed, Kejriwal said.

Read: Will pay Rs 5 crore as compensation, not fine: Sri Sri on AoL event

The CM also requested him to lend Art of Living (AOL) volunteers to the Delhi government to help implement programmes.

AOL volunteers are disciplined and are always smiling. We hold many programmes and require volunteers. Please send your volunteers for Delhi government programmes, he said.

Kejriwal was greeted by cheers by some members of the audience while some booed him.

Read: Art of Living event an ecological disaster, says Delhi high court

He was among the last politicians to speak at the festival on Sunday. BJP president Amit Shah, finance minister Arun Jaitley, urban development minister Venkaiah Naidu, railway minister Suresh Prabhu and power minister Piyush Goel were some high-profile leaders who addressed the gathering before the Delhi CM.

Read: Art of Living blinks, will pay Rs 25 lakh today, Rs 4.75 cr in 3 weeks

Kejriwal also appreciated the scale of the event. This sight is amazing. More than 4,500 artists congregated on a seven-acre stage. The programme is divine and extraordinary. Only Guruji (Ravi Shankar) with his message of peace and love could have managed it. One cannot fight hatred with hatred but only with love. This is the message Guruji takes to the world, he said.

Venkaiah Naidu said the Yamuna was not polluted. People are saying that the Yamuna is polluted. Look at it, it is clean and calm. It is the minds that are polluted, Naidu said.

Telecom minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said, There is no pollution here, only culture (sanskriti). There is no harm to the environment, only smiles.

Environmentalists had protested against the festival, claiming the festival will damage the eco-sensitive Yamuna floodplains.
Power generation company National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) moved Supreme Court to get distribution company BSES Rajdhani to clear its dues of Rs 720 crore, pending since October.

In an application filed before the top court, NTPC said the discom should face proceedings for violating judicial orders directing the company to pay current dues on time.

NTPC said it continued to supply electricity to the discom, despite the dues because of earlier court orders asking it to do so.

It moved the apex court as the non-payment of dues resulted in serious loss and prejudice to the generating company.

A chart provided by NTPC showed that BSES made a part of the payment for October 2015. NTPC said BSES still owed it around Rs 720 crore.

In a petition that is pending before the SC since 2014, the BSES alleged that illegal decisions of the Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission (DERC) and Delhi government left it cash-strapped.

The discom said they were forced to borrow money to fund day-to-day operations.

The company said the DERC-prepared tariff structure caused a loss to it.

In July 2014, the SC restrained NTPC from disconnecting power supply to BSES. The corporation had served it with a disconnection notice on the ground the power utility owed it Rs 400 crore.

The top court, however, asked the company to clear its current dues. On March 10, 2015, the top court reserved judgment on the discoms petition.

Delhis power generation companies TRANSCO and Indraprastha Gas Limited too filed contempt applications against BSES.

The SC is yet to hear them. Their counsel Wasim Qadri told HT: The court orders clearly state the discom shall keep paying the current bill. BSES paid TRANSCO and Indraprastha only till October 2014. Unfortunately, the SC hasnt taken up our applications.

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Women fighter pilots, dynamic women entrepreneurs, a woman politician riding a Harley Davidson into the precincts of Parliament, the atmospherics were all very positive on Womens Day. But in the nasty, brutish world that many Indian women inhabit, life does not change either before or after high-profile days commemorating the achievement of women.

This year, the aftermath of the day brought with it three particularly horrific cases. In one, a teenager was raped and set on fire by a young man. She has now succumbed to her burns. In another, a woman travelling on a bus to Bareilly was gangraped by the bus staff and her infant son dashed to death. The incident was witnessed by her three-year-old daughter who miraculously escaped. In yet another, a young woman was set on fire in public view on suspicion of an extra-marital relationship.

Read | Crimes against women up 40% in north Mumbai

This suggests that the push for reservation in politics or otherwise, women are no safer now despite changes in the law on rape and impassioned calls against the sort of violence against women being advocated in khap panchayats. We cannot wait around for mindsets to change, they are changing but far too slowly.

The fact that women are attacked so openly and frequently is undoubtedly due to a patriarchal mindset but it is because the culprits seem to believe, and quite justifiably in many cases, that they can get away with this. The criminal justice system simply does not seem to work in favour of women right from filing FIRs, to collecting evidence to building a watertight case against the culprits. The police are often either prejudiced against the woman, especially in rape cases, or simply do not know the correct procedures of the law.

Read | Rape cases in Uttarakhand on rise since 2012 Delhi incident

There are no quick solutions. The law has to be made to work and the certainty and severity of punishment made non-negotiable. Even in cases of educated women, for example like the sexual harassment one in Teri, there is no guarantee that empowering laws actually work in favour the victim.

There has to be a concerted political push for gender justice. We often hear how Indias image is tarnished when such instances of attacks on women are reported. If for nothing else, in enlightened self-interest, our political establishment should lend its heft to the civil society and the law enforcement agencies to ensure that half the population gets a fair deal. Having taxis and public transport bearing stickers proclaiming respect for women seem meaningless, even insulting, given the pace at which atrocities are taking place almost every day.
The Kullu district administration on Sunday morning sent three additional Indo -Tibet Border Police (ITBP) rescue teams from Nagar, Jana and Bijli Mahadev to locate eight trekkers who had gone missing near Chanderkhani Pass in Parvati Valley last week.

The missing trekkers, seven of whom are students of the Sant Longowal Institute of Engineering and Technology (SLIET) at Sangrur in Punjab, had reached the area on March 8. They were aided by Bharat Parkash, a former SLIET student hailing from Kullu.

The group lost contact with the police on Friday afternoon, and the district administration learnt about the matter when it was approached by Parkashs family later that day.

Read: Seven students from Punjab, guide go missing in Kullus Parvati Valley during trek

Kullu superintendent of police Padam Chand told Hindustan Times that the three teams, comprising eight soldiers each, left at 5 am on Sunday. On Sunday morning, a private heli-taxi hired to conduct a recce of the area from the Manali side found footprints again. The search teams have been asked to follow them and locate the missing trekkers, he said.

Although bad weather is hampering the search ops,hopeful that by evening there might be some breakthrough- PRO,ITBP pic.twitter.com/gOSyVjsBoN  ANI (@ANI_news) March 13, 2016

The district administration had earlier sent two teams after them, but the rescue operation was impeded by heavy rainfall.

Bad weather is still a big hurdle. If the weather improves, we will be able to use helicopters and heli-taxis to locate them. Local trekkers, experts from the Atal Bihari Vajpayee Institute of Mountaineering and Allied Sports in Manali, and local shepherds are engaged in the rescue operation, Chand said.

The parents of the missing trekkers want the government to seek the help of the Army and the National Disaster Response Force.
The Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad on Sunday filed a police complaint against JNU professor Nivedita Menon for her alleged remarks that India illegally occupied Kashmir.

JNU Students Union joint secretary Saurabh Sharma on Sunday lodged a complaint at Vasant Kunj police station against comments he attributed to Menon.

Everyone knows that India is illegally occupying Kashmir. It is said the world over. Everybody accepts (it), one of the statements attributed to Menon said.

Sharma said such sloganeering supported the propaganda of balkanisation of India and justified the proxy war carried out against Indian forces.

It gives legitimacy to the Pakistans claim over Kashmir among secession of other territories. This attracts criminal prosecution and appropriate action must be taken in this regard, Sharma said. Police are yet to register an FIR.

Menon earlier told HT, India is seen by many as illegally occupying Kashmir...This is why there are constantly maps ...depicting Kashmir in different ways that India keeps objecting to.

She could not be contacted depite many attempts.

The ABVP also lodged a police complaint against JNU associate dean for giving permission for the February 9 event commemorating 2001 Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru.
Former liquor baron Vijay Mallya, who is believed to have fled the country over an alleged Rs 9,000-crore loan default case, asked the media on Sunday to stop pursuing him.

I am being hunted down by the media in UK. Sadly, they did not look in the obvious place. I will not speak to the media, so dont waste your efforts, the business tycoon  who flew out of the country on March 2  said in an early morning tweet.

I am being hunted down by media in UK. Sadly they did not look in the obvious place. I will not speak to media so don't waste your efforts.  Vijay Mallya (@TheVijayMallya) 13 March 2016

On Friday last week, Mallya denied claims that he had absconded, instead saying he was an international businessman who was required to travel to and from India frequently. The Rajya Sabha MP said that while he respected the law of the land, he would not be subjected to a media trial. His Sunday morning tweet echoed a similar sentiment.

Read: Mallya went abroad 4 times before Mar 2 departure since look-out notice

Though the CBI got a look out circular (LOC) issued against Mallya on October 16 last year, preventing him from exiting the country, it did not request that his passport be impounded. In the third week of November, the agency allegedly changed the circulars terms  now only seeking to monitor Mallyas travels.

On the afternoon of March 2, immigration authorities alerted the CBI to the fact that Mallya was about to leave for London by plane. The agency reportedly permitted the liquor baron to do so.

Read: Vijay Mallya joins long list of fugitives in London

In his response during question hour in the Rajya Sabha on Thursday, finance minister Arun Jaitley said that though an SBI-led consortium of lenders had moved the debt recovery tribunal on February 27 to confiscate the former liquor barons passport, he left the country before a notice could be served.

The businessman, however, found support in Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S) chief HD Deve Gowda on Saturday. Dubbing Mallya as a son of Karnataka, the former chief minister said, These days, every airline is facing losses. Hence, there is no need to target a person who is a global businessman.

Read: Was IDBI ex-CMD behind Rs 900-cr loan to Vijay Mallyas airlines?

Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Farooq Abdullah also echoed Gowdas thoughts, saying there was no need to arrest Mallya because he was a gentleman and would return to India on his own. The former liquor barons lawyers have reportedly told the CBI that he would return by the end of this month.

Mallya was re-elected to the Rajya Sabha with the support of the JD-S and the BJP in 2010, defeating Congress candidate TV Maruthi. He had earlier served as a member of the Upper House from 2002 to 2008.
BJP chief Amit Shah has deferred the reshuffle of his team till the assembly elections in five states are over.

Shah was re-elected as BJP chief on January 24 for a three year term and the party constitution requires him to set up a new team of office bearers and national executive.

Shah was expected to announce the team before the March 19 and 20 national executive meet in Delhi. This has been deferred following his consultation with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on March 9, a BJP leader told HT.

BJPs national executive consists of the party president and a maximum of 120 members, of whom at least 40 have to be women and 12 have to belong to the SC/ST community. A maximum of 13 vice-president, nine general secretaries and 15 secretaries are nominated from these national executive members to form the team of national office-bearers.

Five states are going to polls in April and May and it was also felt that any change of responsibility at this point may also lead to confusion. Accordingly, Shah will continue with his present team for a couple of months and unveil a new one later. The posts of three vice-presidents and two general secretaries are currently vacant in the party.

Shah is also considering replacing some serving office-bearers with new faces.

With the lack of experienced leaders in the organisation troubling the RSS, there has been speculation that some ministers could return to take up an organisational job. That call will be taken by Prime Minister Modi. His government completes two years on May 26.
After a number of frequent incursions in Ladakh area, Chinese Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) troops have been spotted at forward posts along the Line of Control (LoC) on the Pakistani side of Kashmir, sounding alarm bells among security officials.

The Army has spotted the presence of senior PLA officials at the forward posts opposite Nowgam sector in North Kashmir.

Intercepted communications between Pakistani army officers suggests that the PLA troops have arrived to build infrastructure along the LoC, according to military sources.

The PLA troops were first spotted in the later half of 2015 as well as opposite Tangdhar sector, where Chinese government-owned China Gezhouba Group Company Limited has been building a Jhelum-Neelum 970 MW Hydel power project.

The hydel project is being built in response to Indias Kishanganga project being built in North Kashmirs Bandipore.

The intercepts also suggested that the PLA would be digging tunnels in Leepa Valley, located in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), with a goal to building an all-weather road as an alternate route to reach Karakoram Highway.

Experts consider the visit by PLA officials to be part of Beijings 46 billion dollar China-Pakistan-Economic Corridor (CPEC), under which Gwadar port in Karachi is linked to Chinese Xinjiang province via the Karakoram highway.
The Art of Livings World Culture Festival ended on Sunday with a number of colourful performances, entertaining nearly three lakh people from India and abroad.

Union finance minister Arun Jaitley, Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, Union minister of communications and information technology Ravi Shankar Prasad, urban development minister Venkaiah Naidu, Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan, BJP president Amit Shah and Delhi water minister Kapil Mishra were among senior politicians who attended the festival on Sunday.

Along with the international dignitaries came an invitation from British Prime Minister David Cameron. The British PM sent his invitation in a message through his Conservative Partys parliamentarian Matthew Offord.

British Prime Minister David Cameron has invited you to address the House of Commons whenever you visit the UK next time, Offord said.

People say that no one can change the world but Sri Sri has already started, Cameron was quoted as saying in his message to the spiritual leader.

One of the highlights of the day was Cosmic Rhythm, where over 4,600 artists presented a performance comprising 30 dance forms, followed by a soulful rendition of Tagore songs by 1,000 artistes.

Over 452 dancers from Assam performed Bihu, 1,250 artistes from Rajasthan showcased Ghoomar and 1,050 artistes from Andhra Pradesh performed Kuchipudi, among other events. The international performances were led by 50 Pakistani Sufi dancers. The other international artistes who enthralled the audience included 148 Tango dancers by Argentina, 75 artistes from Indonesia and hip hop dancers from the US.

For 10-year-old Amit Sethi, it was an experience of a lifetime. It took us nearly three hours to reach this place from our home in Saket. However, it is great to see a fiesta which is as grand as an Olympic ceremony. So many people from so many countries, it is really exciting, said Sethi, who came with his parents and grandparents.

Day 3 had the maximum number of footfall with people from all corners of the city gathering in this section of East Delhi to be a part of the grand picnic.

Every Sunday people go to India Gate or Qutub Minar for a good time with the family. This Sunday, we are at World Cultural Festival, said Manish Kumar, a resident of Dilshad Garden.

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A farmer from Orathur in Tamil Nadu committed suicide late last week, after a private finance company seized his tractor over non-payment of dues.

Sources said 26-year-old Algar, hailing from the village in Ariyalur district, had taken a loan of Rs 7 lakh from the firm a few years ago. Though the farmer managed to return as much as Rs 5 lakh, he was not able to clear the rest of his dues. Consequently, agents from the finance company seized his tractor on Thursday.

Police said that a distraught Algar consumed poison soon after, succumbing at a private hospital in Keezhapavur on Friday.

Sources in the village alleged that the farmer was also abused by loan collection agents, and later assaulted by unidentified people.

Police said action would be taken against the people responsible for his death.

Read: Tamil Nadu farmer thrashed for non-payment of loan instalments

This incident came close on the heels of the alleged police assault of Balan, a farmer from Thanjavur district, over his failure to repay a loan amount of Rs 3.8 lakh. A video of the incident went viral, following which the National Human Rights Commission issued notices to the authorities concerned  seeking a report within two weeks.

Dravidar Munnetra Kazhakam president M Karunanidhi had cited the incident to allege that farmers in the state were facing hardships under the AIADMK regime.
In 1991-92, Mian Abdul Qayoom, a lawyer in Srinagar was arrested and sent to jail for two years. He was later released on bail. Though it was still early years for the rise of terrorism in the Kashmir valley  AFSPA was introduced in the state in July 1990  Qayoom had behind him over a decade of defending the terror-accused or those accused of plotting against the country.

Even before the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act (TADA) and the Prevention of Terrorism Act were introduced, people in Kashmir were booked under the Enemy Agent Ordinance. I have been defending such people in the state since the 1970s and was finally arrested for it in 1991, says Qayoom, president of the Bar Association in Srinagar, in a telephonic interview.

In the past few weeks, the legal fraternity in India has presented a dual image. In Chhattisgarh, a group of human rights lawyers were forced out of their practice in Jagdalpur for representing and defending those branded as Maoists. On the other hand, at the Patiala House Court in Delhi, a group of lawyers resorted to violence as student leader Kanhaiya Kumar, booked under sedition charges, was brought for trial. The lawyers beat up Kumar as well as media personnel present in court.

The political and public war of words that broke out after the incident over the definition of who was anti-national continues to rage with the Ishrat Jahan case being back in the news. Jahan was killed in an encounter in 2004 and was posthumously accused of being a Lashkar-e-Taiba operative.

The JNU incident, too, erupted over protests against the execution of Afzal Guru, convicted in the 2001 Parliament attack case. The lawyers who defended both find themselves in the spotlight because they made it their professional duty to stand up for those whom most were happy to condemn.

Guilty by association

I have been called an anti-national, says lawyer Kamini Jaiswal, who had represented SAR Geelani, a Delhi University professor who was arrested in the Parliament attack case of 2001. Later acquitted, he has now again been booked in a sedition case. Senior human rights lawyer Prashant Bhushan talks of abuse on social media for having appeared as a support lawyer in the appeal case of Yakub Memon, who was executed in the 1993 Mumbai blast case. I have also repeatedly been called a Naxal lawyer for speaking in support of activist Soni Sori and others branded as Maoists, he says.

For many, as in the case of Qayoom, the repercussions have gone beyond slander. In 2010, Mumbai lawyer Shahid Azmi was shot dead in his office. Azmi, who himself had been arrested on terror charges in his youth, had defended many terror accused as a lawyer, including Faheem Ansari, accused in the 2008 Mumbai attacks. Ansari was later acquitted owing to lack of evidence.

The list of lawyers targeted for providing what the law of the land grants every accused  legal representation and a fair trial  is endless. In June 2015, lawyer Mehmood Pracha was allegedly threatened by an officer of the Rajasthan Anti-Terrorism Squad while arguing a case in court. Pracha has been the defence counsel for many terror accused, including Ahmed Kazmi, accused in the 2012 Israeli Embassy attack in New Delhi and Mirza Himayat Baig, accused in the 2010 German Bakery blast case in Pune.

Watch video: Is it okay for lawyers to reject cases on moral grounds?

In August 2015, Shalini Gera of the Jagdalpur Legal Aid Group (JagLAG) in Chhattisgarh was asked to get off the bus she was travelling in by cops who claimed they had received information about a suspicious person with a bob cut. She was on her way back to Jagdalpur after attending a case hearing in the Sukma court. Last month, the group was forced out of Jagdalpur under pressure from the Samajik Ekta Manch (a vigilante group that, JagLAG says, maintains close links with the police), and the local Bar Association, which called the trio outsiders and therefore unsuitable for legal practice. At press conferences, the Manch has aired threats of untoward incidents and said that the group was their next target.

At times, the lawyers fight to ensure that the accused get a fair trial is against their own fraternity. In 2008, The Bombay Metropolitan Magistrate Courts Bar Association passed a resolution that forbade members from representing Ajmal Kasab. In Uttar Pradesh, lawyer Mohamad Shoaib was twice physically assaulted by other lawyers for defending terror-accused.

In the line of duty

What spurs these lawyers to stand up for their clients is not only a desire to ensure that their rights as human beings are not violated, or that they are in principle against capital punishment  common in such cases  but a keen sense of professional integrity.

A lawyers role is not to decide the innocence of a person. Everybody has a right to effective and appropriate legal representation. Nobody asks lawyers whether they have gone into the books or the accounts of Vijay Mallya or Sahara to see whether these people are good citizens, or whether they have paid their taxes The job of the lawyer is to represent the client. But as a human rights lawyer, I think, by now, I have enough experience to know the manner in which state abuse is powered, the manner in which the State muddies the water about facts, and that is apparent in these cases. It doesnt require too much hard work to negotiate that, says Vrinda Grover, who has been representing Ishrat Jahans mother in her demands for a CBI enquiry into the case.

Similar reasons moved senior lawyer and former additional solicitor general of India Raju Ramachandran to appear as amicus curae for Ajmal Kasab and later to defend Yakub Memon. In Memons case, there were questions about the legality of the death warrant that had been issued. Just two months before that I had appeared in another case at the Supreme Court where there had been a debate on what should be the procedure that should be followed while executing a death warrant and those principles had been violated in Yakubs case, he says.

Others like Mehmood Pracha take up a case when they believe in the innocence of the client. When I go through the chargesheets, I can often make out the flawed reasoning and the forced manner in which the accused is being held. My attempt during the cross-examination is to bring out the truth so that the guilty might be punished, he says.

Trial and error

What many lawyers find demoralising in such cases, however, is the courts attitude. In many cases, it does seem that the judge has already made his decision before he has heard the argument. Our law says that an accused is innocent till proved guilty, but in such cases the accused is held guilty and the burden to prove him innocent lies with the defence, says Abdul Wahab, a Mumbai lawyer, speaking over the telephone.

The predisposition against the accused is worse in areas like Kashmir. Qayoom says the accused can hope for a fair trial only in Srinagar and no where else in the state. Speaking of the time when he was arrested in Jammu, he says, No lawyer came forward to defend me. A lawyer from Srinagar came to arrange my bail.

Ramachandran remembers the shock of having a judge in the Yakub Memon case ask him if he was aware of whom he was trying to save.

In a high percentage of the cases, at least in the higher courts, the appeals are properly heard and the judges try and come to the correct conclusion. But in certain cases, where there has been a huge media trial and a lot of publicity has been attendant to the case leading to some kind of public perception being created about the person, sometimes judges do come under pressure of public opinion or perceived public opinion. To some extent, that detracts their ability to do justice in those cases, says lawyer Prashant Bhushan.

Recent events would suggest that mob hysteria is on the rise. When the Parliament attack case was being tried, it took place at the Patiala House court (where Kanhaiya was attacked). I dont remember any lawyer getting attacked, any accused getting attacked, it was in the very same premises of Patiala House that the entire trial for a period of six-seven months took place. So what is very apparent is there is a deliberate way in which this kind of frenzy and hysteria is being ignited and orchestrated. And I think there are very clearly political interests that are involved here, which is very unfortunate, says Grover.

What these lawyers want is a space for debate and dialogue. It is the destruction of that space and that freedom  the very basis of a democratic society -- that they rue more than the personal attacks on themselves.

Read: Find us a house, we are also victims of war, says Bastar lawyers

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Amid water-sharing row, all political parties of Haryana, barring the Congress, on Saturday unanimously passed a resolution requesting Haryana governor Kaptan Singh Solanki to stop Punjab from bringing a bill de-notifying the Sutlej-Yamuna Link (SYL) canal land.

The resolution passed during the all-party meeting described Punjabs move as an unconstitutional and mischievous act of hindering the process of the Supreme Court which was hearing the case.

The Congress boycotted the meeting chaired by Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar. Parliamentary affairs minister Ram Bilas Sharma, agriculture minister OP Dhankar, leader of Opposition Abhay Chautala, BJP state president Ashok Barala, INLD president Ashok Arora, Haryana Janhit Congress president Kuldeep Bishnoi and others attended the meeting.

Haryana is neither asking for charity nor demanding Punjabs share of water. Haryana only wants a passage to get its allocated share of the Ravi-Beas waters, and this passage is the SYL canal, read the resolution passed by parties. Though the Supreme Court had given its verdict in Haryanas favour on January 15, 2002, Punjab filed a review petition, which was dismissed by the apex court on March 5, 2002, it further said.

However, the-then Punjab government got the Punjab Termination of Agreements Act2004 passed in the Vidhan Sabha annulling all inter-state agreements pertaining to Ravi-Beas.

A presidential reference in this regard was pending in the Supreme Court, said the resolution, adding that on Haryanas request, the SC had started hearing on February 29, 2016. While the hearing was also held on March 8, 2016, the Punjab government announced that it would bring a bill in the Vidhan Sabha to de-notify the land acquired for the SYL canal and return it to the farmers, it said.

As the hearing is being held in the SC on the presidential reference after 11 years, the introduction of such a bill by the Punjab government amounts to gross violation of the dignity of the Constitution and stares federal structure in the eye, said the resolution.

After the meeting, when INLD leader Abhay Chautala was asked about his familys personal relations with Punjab chief minister Parkash Singh Badal, the former said these two were separate issues and to him interests of Haryana were above all.

Later, Khattar presented a memorandum on the SYL canal issue to the governor. The governor has told the delegation that the issue (SYL) concerns both Punjab and Haryana and the matter would be discussed.

On boycott of the all-party meeting by the Congress, Khattar said it might be due to the internal politics of the party, but it was not in favour of the state. The Congress should have also extended its support to the cause, he added.

Cong to submit memo to governor today

Earlier, state Congress chief Ashok Tanwar and Congress Legislature Party leader Kiran Choudhry said the party had decided not to participate in the meeting as it had already clarified its stand on the issue that the BJP was only fooling people on SYL as it had alliance with the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) government in Punjab and had its government in the Centre. They said all Congress leaders would submit a memorandum to the Haryana governor on Sunday requesting him to ask the Khattar government to rectify its functioning. The BJP, if it wants, can find a solution to the SYL tussle. But it is only fooling the people of Haryana by making it a political issue, Choudhry said.

On a specific query that even Punjab Congress president Capt Amarinder Singh supported the Punjab governments stand on SYL issue, Tanwar said he doesnt support his Punjab counterparts decision and will take up the issue with the high command.
It was the governments show in Parliament through the week. From Prime Minister Narendra Modis spirited attack on the Congress and home minister Rajnath Singhs counter-offensive over UPA flip-flops on the Ishrat Jahan encounter to pushing crucial bills, the treasury bench was in command.

It was one of the most productive weeks for the government so far, with at least five important bills getting cleared by either House.

Parliament enters the last week of the budget sessions first half on Monday and the government is confident of getting the pending bills passed. But the Opposition is not inclined to allow the government to rush through important bills without extensive debate.

With just three days remaining before Parliament goes for a month-long recess on March 16, the Rajya Sabha will spend considerable time on budget discussions.

Read | Aadhaar bill: For one citizen, one identity reality

The government is keen to get the bill providing statutory status to Aadhaar cleared by the Rajya Sabha but the Opposition is not ready to oblige. Its leaders insist that such crucial legislation should get sufficient time for deliberation.

The Rajya Sabha also has to decide on another bill that seeks to amend a 48-year-old law to guard against claims of succession or transfer of properties left by people who migrated to Pakistan and China after the wars.

The Opposition has again red-flagged the governments strategy to get it passed before March 16. The Rajya Sabha has passed a bill to regulate the real estate sector and the Lower House will take it up next week. That bill is likely to be passed.

Overall, it was a successful week for the government as bills related to the development of 106 rivers across the country into transport waterways, removing pensionary benefits of high court judges and providing increased compensation to air travellers in case of death or damages got the nod from both Houses.

Read | Real estate act the best thing homebuyers could hope for
Authorities rescued on Sunday six of the eight trekkers who had gone missing four days ago amid bad weather in the snow-clad mountains of Himachal Pradeshs Kullu district. The two others are safe inside a cave, officials said.

An aerial recce by the local administration near the 12,000-foot-high Chandarkhani Pass located the seven engineering students and their instructor, following which six of them were airlifted.

We lost our shoes while walking in the snow. We took shelter in a cave to save our lives, said rescued trekker Chetan Chori. Yesterday (on Saturday) we heard the sound of a helicopter and realised that efforts were on to rescue us,

The districts deputy commissioner, Hans Raj Chauhan, said the other two trekkers will also be pulled out once the skies clear while rescuers dropped packets of food and medicines for them.

Once weather gets clear,other 2 will also be airlifted.All 8 trekkers safe- Hans Raj Chauhan,Kullu Depy Commissioner pic.twitter.com/8oCe3i7lWn  ANI (@ANI_news) March 13, 2016

The group lost contact with police on Friday afternoon after which relatives of one of the missing men sought help from the district administration.

Hitender spoke to me on March 7 and told me about some trekking plan with his friends, said Nandlal Verma, the father of one of the students. All we could do was pray to God about their safety.

Authorities deployed three teams of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police after members of a local mountaineering institute and police failed to rescue the trekkers amid inclement weather.

I will ask the government to regulate trekking activities in the area as every year several trekkers lose their life, said area MLA Maheshwar Singh.

Two paths lead to the pass: One from the Naggar settlement via the Rumsu village and the other from the ancient Malana village.

Seven of the trekkers are final year BTech students of Punjabs Sant Longowal Institute of Engineering and Technology (SLIET) while the instructor is a former student of the same institute.

They have been identified as Hitendra Sharma from Himachal Pradeshs Theog town, Chetan Chori and Saurav Sharma from Punjabs Ambala district, Ankush Kumar from Punjabs Gurdaspur district, Rohit Kumar from Bagpat district in Uttar Pradesh, Anil Kumar from Hamirpur district in the same state, Akshay Kumar Bura from Himachal Pradeshs Chamba district and Bharat Prakash from Kullu district.
Vijay Mallya wants to return to India but fears the time isnt right as his words may be twisted in spite of his best intensions following his Rs 9,000 crore loan default, the liquor baron told .

In an email interview with the newspaper Sunday Guardian, the tycoon said he left India due to a personal visit with a friend and appeared to shift the blame of the massive loan default to the banks.

There was a lookout notice issued against me last year. But I didnt escape. Why am I being portrayed as a criminal now? he said.

Read: Being hunted by media in UK but wont speak to them: Vijay Mallya

The tycoon -- who triggered outrage for leaving India in spite of a CBI probe and Supreme Court proceedings against his alleged financial misconduct  is known for his flashy lifestyle and often billed himself as The King of Good Times.

But his now-defunct Kingfisher Airlines defaulted on a Rs 900 crore loan, allegedly in collusion with IDBI bank employees, triggering a CBI probe and a case by the Enforcement Directorate.

Read: Mallya went abroad 4 times before Mar 2 departure since look-out notice

Loan defaults are a business matter. When the banks give out loans, they know the risk involved. They decide, we dont. Our own business was flourishing, but plummeted suddenly, he said.

Dont make me the villain. I have the best intentions. Im quiet because I fear my words will be twisted like of others.

Last week, a consortium of 17 banks approached the Supreme Court SC to bar Mallya from leaving India, worried about the fate of their loans worth thousands of crores.

Read: Vijay Mallya joins long list of fugitives in London

The court issued a notice to Mallya, seeking his personal appearance in the SC and impounding his passport, but by then, he had left India.

I am an Indian to the core. Of course I want to return. But Im not sure Ill get a fair chance to present my side. Ive already been branded as criminal. I do not feel the time is right. I feel passions are high, he told Sunday Guardian.

People need to think rationally. They need to understand that business, whether large or small, has risks involved. But I hope that I return one day. India has given me everything. It made me Vijay Mallya.

A debt-recovery tribunal order has barred him from touching the Rs 515 crore he received from liquor giant Diageo as settlement but the British company has said it already paid Mallya Rs 269 crore.

Banks owed money by Kingfisher Airlines have demanded first right to the Diageo cash, arguing that they were left with unpaid debts worth Rs 9,000 crore when the company collapsed more than three years ago.

But a combative Mallya didnt back down, hitting out at the media and saying he didnt do anything wrong.

Most of the big media houses are running a whole lot of lies about me. Speculations rule the papers. TV channels claim to have information about me from their sources. Its a big agenda that some people are pushing against me. I am being victimized, he said.

And if people are doubting the integrity of bank employees, then why point the finger at me?

The development comes at a time when Indias banking sector, dominated by about two-dozen state-run lenders, has been bruised by its highest bad-loan ratio in years as lagging economic growth hit companies abilities to service debt.
Activists of the Left- wing association, All India Democratic Womens Association ( AIDWA), on Saturday marched from Murthal flyover on the Grand Trunk (GT) road in Sonepat to Sukhdev Dhaba, a distance of four km, to protest against the alleged Murthal gangrapes during the Jat stir for reservation.

The group alleged that their team conducted research and found that women belonging from another state, who were passing through Haryana to attend a marriage function, were targeted as they were new to the area and would not know of the local law environment. They said the eyewitnesses were deeply terrorised to report against the matter.

Jagmati Sangwan, general secretary of the association, said, Not only did the administration allowed the situation to drift and escalate, we also learnt that the police intervened in the situation and discouraged the victims of sexual assault and their families from lodging formal complaints. The police argued that there was no chance of identifying and intercepting culprits in the current situation and lodging of complaint will only result in bringing further trauma and dishonor to their families.

She added, The police strictly warned the locals of dire consequences if they opened their mouth on the issue. They were threatened that the youths of their villages would be framed in police cases if they confirmed to the occurrence of the sexual assault incidents.

The women, in their memorandum to chief justice of the Punjab and Haryana high court, sought a high-level inquiry to bring out the truth. They said, Given the dubious role of the police and the administration in Haryana, we have serious doubts regarding the impartiality of the investigation.
The Ghaziabad resident who recently tried to slap JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar on campus filed a complaint against the student leader on Saturday for his remarks about army men allegedly raping Kashmiri women.

From day one, I have been observing his speeches and the previous instance where anti-national slogans were raised on the JNU campus. I had decided to speak to him and challenge him for a debate. But those days, there were legal proceedings going on. So I decided to wait, said Vikas Chaudhary (26).

Chaudhary, who works with a private developer at Raj Nagar Extension, said Kanhaiya made derogatory remarks against the army after he was released on bail.

I could not stop myself and went to meet him at JNU he refused to speak to me. Several people said I was not a student and pushed me. I too pushed them. They alleged that I tried to slap Kanhaiya, he said.

Kanhaiya Kumar on Tuesday told a gathering of students, We will speak against Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA). With all my due respect to army soldiers, I will say this that in Kashmir women are raped by security personnel.

Chaudhary, in his complaint to the Ghaziabad police, also alleged that both Kanhaiya and Umar Khalid raised anti-national slogans under a conspiracy.

I have forwarded my written complain to the policeThey are yet to lodge any FIR so far, he said.

Kanhaiya Kumar sedition charges in connection with an event where anti-national slogans were allegedly raised.

The contents of the complaint will be verified and we will even consider their jurisdiction area. Some legal process is already going on in Delhi, said Ashok Shishodia, Kavi Nagar station house officer.

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Mother Teresa will be canonised on September 4, with the Vatican set to confirm details of the grand sainthood ceremony for the founder of the Missionaries of Charity and four others on March 15, sources said on Sunday.

A consistory, or formal meeting of Pope Francis with cardinals and church officials who promote sainthood causes, is expected to be held on Tuesday morning to finalise the sainthood ceremony, the sources in the Vatican said.

The event at the Vatican will be followed by a thanksgiving celebration in Kolkata on October 2.

There has been speculation for months about the final date, and the sources said they had been expecting it to be around September 5, the death anniversary of Mother Teresa.

Pope Francis had officially cleared the path to Mother Teresas sainthood on December 17 last year, when he recognised the miraculous healing of a Brazilian man whose multiple brain abscesses were cured after his wife prayed to Mother Teresa.

The beatification of Mother Teresa  another step towards declaring her a saint  took place after Pope John Paul II recognised the healing of an Indian woman with a stomach tumour and conferred on her the title of Blessed on October 19, 2003. More than 300,000 people had attended this event at St Peters Square in the Vatican.

A canonisation ceremony usually involves a special mass conducted by the Pope and is attended by huge crowds of believers. It is often held outdoors in St Peters Square, although sometimes the ceremony has been held in the home country of the person declared a saint.

The saints life history is read aloud and a large tapestry of the saints image is unfurled.

Sainthood is one of the highest honours granted by the Catholic Church through a long, complex and secretive process in which miracles are analysed theologically and medically before being attributed to a saint, the sources said.

Two miracles that take place after the death of the person have to be traced back to him or her. While healings are usually considered these days for sainthood, some of the other miracles the Church believes in range from incorruptibility (where the persons body does not decay in the grave for a long time) to levitation during prayer and stigmata (the five wounds of Christ) that bleed during mass.

Read | Sainthood for Mother Teresa: My tumour vanished with her divine light

Mother Teresa nee Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu was born on August 26, 1910 in Skopje, today the capital of Macedonia. She was the youngest of three children of an Albanian grocer named Nikola and his wife Drane. Her father died when she was eight.

Mother Teresa once famously said, By blood I am Albanian. By citizenship, Indian. By faith I am a Catholic nun. As to my calling, I belong to the world.

When she was 18, she left her family to join the missionary Sisters of Loreto in Ireland, where she got her name Mary Teresa. She first came to India in 1929 and moved to the slums.

In 1950, with the permission of the Vatican, she founded the Missionaries of Charity, a Roman Catholic religious order of women dedicated to serving the poorest of the poor. Mother Teresa won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979.

The cost of beatification and canonisation reportedly runs into several hundreds of thousands of euros. On March 4, Pope Francis announced new regulations in a bid to keep the canonisation budget in check.

Vatican officials said the causes of the beatification and canonisation, due to their complexity, require a lot of work. This includes expenditure for the dissemination of knowledge of the person for the diocesan or eparchial inquiry, and celebrations of beatification and canonisation.

Loved by her admirers, missionary workers and volunteers for her work for the poor around the world, Mother Teresa also had her share of critics. In her Nobel speech, she said abortion was the greatest destroyer of peace and called it a direct murder by the mother herself.

Feminists around the world actively condemned her statement.

Read | Mother Teresa sainthood: She was always a saint of the dispossessed
Foreign ministers of India and Pakistan will likely meet on the sidelines of a South Asian meeting in Nepal this week to discuss the next steps in their bilateral relations, but New Delhi is still awaiting dates for the visit by Pakistans special investigating team (SIT) on Pathankot attack.

The visit by the Pakistani probe team is critical to making progress in action against Pakistan-based terror groups responsible for cross-border violence, including the January 2 attack on the Indian Air Force base in Pathankot. The latter is a precondition for resumption and sustenance of peace talks between India and Pakistan.

External affairs minister Sushma Swaraj and foreign secretary S Jaishankar are expected to have bilateral interactions with their Pakistani counterpart, Sartaj Aziz and Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhary, at a two-day ministerial meeting of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), starting Wednesday at the Himalayan resort town of Pokhara in Nepal.

India expects Pakistan to furnish an update on their SITs proposed visit as well on their probe into the Pathankot attack. The progress into the investigation on Pakistans side remains limited to the detention of some Bahawalpur-based members of Jaish-e-Mohammad  the group India holds responsible for the attack  and sealing of some of its seminaries.

National Security Adviser Ajit Doval and his Pakistani counterpart Naseer Khan Janjua continue to be in touch with each other, but Islamabad has yet to propose any dates for the visit by its probe team, headed by Additional Inspector General of Pakistan Counter-Terrorism Department M Tahir Rai.

It was scheduled to come to India after Islamabad filed an FIR on February 18 on the basis of information on the attack India provided to Pakistan. The Pakistani probe team will be allowed to go to the scene of the attack  subject to final consent from the Indian defence ministry  and exchange notes with Indias National Investigation Agency, which is probing the Pathankot attack.

Pakistans action on Pathankot and relations between the two countries are expected to come up for review at a possible meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Pakistan counterpart Nawaz Sharif on the sidelines of the March 31-April 1 Nuclear Security Conference in New York.

We have moved beyond the sinusoidal relationship with Pakistan, where the entire diplomatic activity was wasted on either dialogue or no dialogue. The focus is now on tangibles with both sides accountable to the progress of bilateral relationship, said a senior Indian government official.

Unlike the past, the Modi government has not broken off the dialogue with Pakistan despite the Pathankot attack and has demonstrated a willingness to move forward on the bilateral path as long as its terror concerns are addressed.

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Ahead of meetings to set the agenda for the next SAARC summit, Pakistan has decided to take it slow on an ambitious project to boost road connectivity in the subcontinent  showing yet again how issues between India and its neighbour continue to hold up the regional integration blueprint.

The motor vehicle pact aims to allow free movement of vehicles, both passenger and cargo, within member countries of SAARC (or the South Asian Association for Regional Corporation). However, both India and Pakistan have been taking turns to stall it at crucial junctures.

The SAARC nations  comprising India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Maldives and Sri Lanka  will meet in Kathmandu from March 14 to chalk out plans for the upcoming summit in Islamabad. The motor vehicle pact, however, will not be part of the agenda.

Read: No decision on Indo-Pak talks on sidelines of SAARC meet

Pakistan had reportedly told India last month that it wanted the SAARC transport ministers postponed, so it could have some more time to consider it. The sixth meeting of the SAARC inter-governmental group of transport was scheduled for February 15-16 in Kathmandu. This was to be followed by the transport ministers meeting, and we had given our consent. But now, Pakistan has requested that the meeting be postponed. This will further delay the signing of the connectivity pact, said the source.

Pakistan had earlier refused to sign the motor vehicle pact at the Kathmandu summit in November 2014.

Read: PM Narendra Modi to cut down foreign trips in 2016

Founded in 1985, the eight-member SAARC remains one of the least integrated groupings in the world. Less than 5% of the regions global trade takes place among member countries, and barely 10% of the regions commerce is conducted in the SAARC Free Trade Area. As the forum works on the basis of consensus, Pakistans request for postponement will again hold back new initiatives of the grouping, an official said.

With Pakistan delaying the motor vehicles pact, India had looked at boosting regional connectivity with its eastern neighbours  Nepal, Bhutan and Bangladesh  through a landmark agreement in June last year. But the deal, which paves the way for free movement of passengers as well as cargo through the four countries, is yet to become operational because its protocol is being finalised by member countries.
The BJP and its allies in the NDA are hoping to cross a Rajya Sabha hurdle before the Assam assembly polls on April 4 and 11. Polls to fill up the two Rajya Sabha seats from Assam and one from Nagaland are scheduled on March 21.

The NDA is sure of the Nagaland seat, as candidate KG Kenye is a leader of ruling ally Naga Peoples Front (NPF). All 60 legislators in the Nagaland assembly belong to the NPF-led Democratic Alliance of Nagaland that has the BJP and JD(U).

In Assam, the BJP has reportedly joined hands with the ideologically opposite All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) to deny the Congress one of the two seats by backing Mahavir Jain, an independent candidate.

The Bodoland Peoples Front, BJPs ally for the assembly polls, nominated Jain, who is also backed by the Asom Gana Parishad. The common factor for the divergent opposition has been the minority tag for Jains community. The current LS and RS have no member from the Jain community, Jain, president of Kamrup Chamber of Commerce as well as Jain Samaj, said.

Jain hopes to sail through with the backing of 43 MLAs in the opposition. The Congress has 69 MLAs with an effective strength of 114 (due to resignations), two others cannot vote. If the Congress first candidate and former minister Ripun Bora is assured of votes of 40 Congress MLAs, the chances of second choice candidate and former MP Ranee Narah appear bleak. The Congress is wary of the impact the loss of one RS seat could have on the assembly polls. Besides, most MLAs were not happy with the imposition of the two candidates by AICC.

A majority of the Congress MLAs had sought nominations for former MP Paban Singh Ghatowar and former minister Abdul Muhib Majundar, who represent tea tribes or Adivasis and Muslims.

The choice of candidates for the RS seats does not give the right message ahead of the assembly polls, a Pradesh Congress leader said.

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No toilets? No vegetables or haircut is the mantra adopted by Bhuteda village of Ratlam district to force slackers to adopt the Swachh Bharat mission.

To achieve the coveted open-defecation free status, villagers here have decided to stop deliveries of essential items such as vegetables to those who have not constructed toilets in their homes, while a barber pasted a poster essentially banning people who defecate in the open.

I had attended a training session of Swachh Bharat Abhiyan a few days ago. I discussed with the villagers that open defecation is not only a bad habit but can also have a negative impact on health. After this, the villagers decided to take several initiatives, said Lokesh Sharma, the man behind the unique initiative.

Among others who joined Sharmas cause was a vegetable vendor, Dhuribai, and Amaru Lal Sen, the only barber in the village.

Whenever a person who defecates in the open comes to my shop, I humbly refuse to give him a shave or give him and his family members a haircut. But I also tell him that if he constructs a toilet in his house and starts using it, I will give free service on the first visit to my saloon, said Sen.

Read | Panchkula trying shame as ploy to tackle open defecation

The pioneers also have to taken it upon themselves to go around the village each day stopping people from relieving themselves in the open.

Taking their cause further, the villagers are now planning to socially boycott people who still do not have a toilet.

Villagers are trying their best. After this campaign, many people have started constructing toilets, but still there are a few people who are not showing interest in giving up their habit. Hence, we are also planning to boycott these families, said village sarpanch Bharat Malviya. Sharma said the villagers were trying to achieve the target of becoming open-defecation free by March 16.

Also read | In Rajkot, college students ensure no open defecation

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In a suspected honour killing, family members of a high-caste Hindu girl sent hired killers to murder her husband, a Dalit, in Tirupur on Sunday.

A gang of unidentified men, armed with hatchets and sickles, rode into Udumalaipettai town in Tirupur district, waylaid Shankar, 22, and hacked him to death in broad daylight. The youth died en route to hospital.

His wife Kausalya, who was with him at the time of the incident, was critically injured and admitted to the ICU later.

In a statement to the police, she blamed her family members for her husbands death and told the police that she had complained about the threat from her family earlier.

The couple fell in love while studying at an engineering college in Palani and got married around eight months ago. However, the girls family tried to take her away even when she told the police that she had married the man of her own free will.

An eyewitness said few people who tried to help the couple were also attacked.

Police said all checkposts in and around Udumalaipettai were alerted for a lookout against the killers.

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The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) said on Sunday the affluent should not ask for reservation in jobs and education while calling for a study to determine whether the system has benefitted disadvantaged communities, weeks after pro-quota movements turned violent in parts of the country.

The Sangh, considered the ruling BJPs ideological mentor, was responding to a question on fierce campaigns by the relatively well-off Jat community in Haryana and Gujarats Patidar clan, demanding quotas similar to those provided to underprivileged castes.

If the prosperous sections also demand reservation, then it does not sound good. This reflects a deviation from the thought of Dr BR Ambedkar and the Constitution, RSS general secretary Suresh Bhayyaji Joshi said at the end of an annual meeting of its supreme policy-making body, the Pratinidhi Sabha.

Quotas are the rule in government jobs and schools in India with politics often holding sway over who gets benefits, while critics urge for a transition to need-based programmes that provide advantages based on economic or geographic conditions.

Last month, the national commission for backward classes had joined the debate and pitched for forcing the private sector to introduce quotas for the deprived sections of society.

The RSS urged for harmony while saying members of the Hindu community are responsible for caste-based discrimination and we need to eradicate it for social justice.

Any kind of discriminatory behaviour and evil like untouchability should be uprooted altogether, the organisation said. For the smooth functioning of the society, it is essential that all the social and religious institutions steer the course based on our hoary ideals of life.

This is not the first time that the Sangh has called for a rethink on caste-based quotas.

Read | Review reservation policy: RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat

RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat stoked a controversy ahead of last years Bihar election by asking for a revision of the policy. Following uproar from political parties and anticipating a backlash for the BJP government at the Centre, he later clarified that reservation should continue until the beneficiaries give it up.

But his comments were seen to have contributed to the BJPs loss in the crucial polls and, since then, the Sangh has been cautious in its remarks on the policy.

Sundays comments by the RSS are likely to spur widespread debate on the issue and throw up a test for the BJP as more than half a dozen states will have assembly elections over the next 18 months.

The development comes on the heels of Jat protesters burning houses and vehicles, vandalising businesses and allegedly even sexually assaulting women in Haryana during pro-quota protests last month.

The turmoil echoed violence that engulfed Gujarat last year over reservation demands by the Patel community, which left several people dead.

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Three days after declaring hed rather go to jail than pay a Rs 5-crore fine, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar said on Sunday his Art of Living foundation would pay the amount ordered by the national green tribunal, insisting it was compensation and not a penalty.

The NGT has said this. This is not a penalty, not a fine It is development compensation. A development fee for a biodiversity park, the spiritual guru said as his foundations three-day World Culture Festival on the banks of the Yamuna came to a close.

The event has been controversial with environmental activists accusing the foundation of ripping up vegetation on 1,000 acres of the fragile floodplain, damaging the riverbed and disrupting water flow.

Giving the festival the go-ahead, the tribunal had ordered the organisers to pay an initial Rs 5 crore, with the final amount to be decided after an assessment of the damage done to the floodplain.

But the foundation failed to pay the amount by the Friday deadline, after which the tribunal directed it to pay Rs 25 lakh first and the rest within three weeks. Even then, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar insisted hed go to jail but not pay a penny.

But on Sunday, he said he was willing to pay. If it is for development, definitely I am all for the Yamunas development.

Read | Will go to jail, but wont pay Rs 5-cr fine: Ravi Shankar on Yamuna fest

Asked if the event had impacted the environment, he said, We consulted some environmentalists before the event and they said there would be no damage to the floodplain. We will go back to them and work on the Yamunas rejuvenation with a concrete plan of action.

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar said theyd initially thought of holding the event in a stadium. We considered the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium. But any stadium would not have been able to accommodate these many artistes and people.

The Art of Living founder said political parties should not politicise an event with a bearing on the countrys reputation, and suggested the media had been harsh in its criticism.

I request all political parties that whenever such a grand event is being organised, party politics should be kept aside. You should come together so Indias prestige on the world stage rises.

The foundation claimed the event drew some 20,000 foreign guests from over 150 countries.

People from across the world are amazed. We got a letter from the Australian prime minister asking us to hold the event there from Mexico.... At the same time, the international media is asking why the Indian press is so harsh towards this festival. I smiled and said I dont know, he said.

Read |PM, thousands attend controversial Art of Living event despite rains
In a virtual carpetbombing of the chief ministers bastion, Lambi in Bathinda district, with its volunteer strength, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) will on Sunday send teams to each of the 72 major villages in the assembly constituency. It is hoping to take at least 20,000 families in its fold under its Parivar Jodo campaign.

In all, over 1,000 volunteers will fan out in teams of 10-15 each for the door-to-door campaign, also covering CM Parkash Singh Badals native village, Badal, said Deepak Bansal, AAPs in-charge for the sector comprising Lambi, Bhucho and Bathinda assembly segments. The Parivar Jodo has been running for over a month and has been carried out gradually so far, not targeting a particular segment as a whole in one day.

We are adopting the carpetbombing strategy there since our efforts in Lambi so far have elicited a poor response due to hesitation and fear among the people. Since its the CMs segment, we also want to project that we are serious in our bid to wrest this seat at all costs, Bansal said, adding, Our strength in numbers might break through the fear of the people to come out in our support. Our teams working there so far have faced harassment, so we also want to instil confidence in them.

Asked which leaders would participate, he said the partys central observer for Bathinda zone ( Lok Sabha segment) Romy Bhati and zonal in-charge Narinder Pal Bhagta will also lead teams. I personally will go to Badal village, said Bansal, a 32-year-old IT professional-cum-politician. Data of families willing to support the AAP will be compiled and uploaded into the partys online system by a team of IT professionals in Bathinda.

So far, the rookie party claims to have covered nearly half of the 55 lakh households in Punjab.

However, it is still open to speculation as to who from the AAP stable would contest from Lambi. Our candidates would be announced in due course, but first we need to be sure whether or not the CM would contest, Bansal said.

Badal has won from Lambi constituency four times in a row since 1997, and despite his advanced age and the recent health problems looks set to contest again.

His son and deputy chief minister Sukhbir Singh Badal, who is also president of the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), has declared that the Badal Senior would be the SAD-BJP combines CM candidate this time too.

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All women above age 40 visiting the gynaecology OPDs at the government hospitals in Punjab would be encouraged to get themselves examined on the spot for breast cancer, a spokesperson of health department said here on Sunday.

The move is aimed at early detection of breast cancer and those with any abnormal lump will be referred for further investigation to rule out the possibility of the disease, the spokesperson said.

The women visiting dental OPDs would also be scanned. Punjab principal health secretary Vini Mahajan, who initiated the project in consultation with the PGI, Chandigarh, that had come out with a study report of the population-based cancer registry recently, gave directions to the civil surgeons across the state to put up display boards offering the breast cancer detection facility.

The health department would also provide study material regarding types of cancer at all government hospitals, the spokesperson said.
Kids live in a world of their own fancy and conjure up adventures with their beloved cartoon characters. To make paediatric wards in government hospitals more pleasant and engaging for their visitors, the Punjab health department is going to wield the brush and make bare walls of these wards its canvas. Popular cartoon characters including Mickey Mouse, flowers and smileys will adorn paediatric wards in hospitals across the state.

The move is geared towards creating a warm ambience for children, promote institutional deliveries and compete with private hospitals.

The initiative is for offering a warm welcome and a joyous trip to children visiting the paediatric wards. Usually, children get distressed in hospitals and we want to ensure that they feel happy during the visit, Hussan Lal, managing director of Punjab Health Systems Corporation.

He further said all civil surgeons and medical superintendents of government hospitals had been asked to get walls of paediatric wards painted with popular cartoon characters, flowers etc in bright colours. The expenses will be borne by the hospitals and sourced from user charges fund.

Lal added that, moreover, well-painted paediatric wards would also attract children and parents to visit government hospitals as private hospitals also painted walls of paediatric wards with beautiful patterns.

Speaking about the first-of-its-kind initiative in government hospitals, civil surgeon Dr Varinder Singh said the idea was to make mothers and children feel safe in the embrace of beautiful wall paintings. Spray of colours and popular cartoon characters would be pleasing to the eyes, he added.

Singh said it was an exciting project for them. As the department has directed us to complete it soon, we will kick off the project within a few days, he said.

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The cyber crime cell of Chandigarh Police have arrested a Delhi resident for cheating people on the pretext of winning jackpot prizes, while purchasing electronic items online. The accused Munish Kumar used to cheat people through his website www.saveinkart.com.

Inspector Harinder Sekhon of the cyber crime investigation cell said the accused had been duping people for the last one year and was arrested following a complaint by a city resident who was cheated of Rs 1.17 lakh.

How the accused duped people

Sekhon said a case had been registered at police station 11, Chandigarh, on the complaint of Piyush Nanda who is a resident of Sector 15, Chandigarh. In his report, he mentioned that he had received a call from an unknown number that he could be the lucky winner of a Royal Enfield motorcycle if he shopped from the website that was being used by the accused. Nanda shopped for a total bill of Rs 1.17 lakh and paid through PayU.com (payment gateway). However, the cost of all the items was Rs 6,200, said officials.

Nabbing the accused

Nanda lodged a complaint and when the police launched an investigation, it was found that the mobile number on the website and company was registered at an address in Badarpur, New Delhi, but the company was nowhere to be found.

All evidence, including mobile phone sets, computers and invoices, has been recovered, the director of the company.
A day after police arrested three men accused of burning a Bir (copy) of Guru Granth Sahib at Amritsars Ramdiwali Musalmana village, they had to save another sacrilege accused (a man reported to be deranged) from a mob and Satkar Committee radicals on Sunday at Thothian village in the district.

Police say accused Jaswinder Singh was bashed up before they moved in. Amritsar senior superintendent of police (rural) Jasdeep Singh said nobody before had reported this sacrilege incident of March 3 and the gurudwara management had done its own investigation based on the footage from a security camera.

In the video, they spotted the accused tearing pages of the holy book. On Sunday, they called him over to the gurdwara and shut him in a room, where a mob attacked him. Police had to send in a big team to rescue him. The accused is under treatment for a mental ailment, said the SSP.

SGPC flays incidents

Shiromani Gurdwara Parbadhak Committee (SGPC) president Avtar Singh Makkar condemned the sacrilege incidents of the two Amritsar villages and asked gurudwara managements to be vigilant. He demanded tough action against the accused.

If the accused in the Thothian case has a mental ailment, then the police should find out who motivated him to commit the sin, said Makkar, appealing for peace and calm.
A day after reports of desecration Guru Granth Sahib of at Musalmana village in Amritsar district, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Sunday accused the SAD-BJP government of its failure to check such incidents.

Such incidents have become a regular feature for the past one year and are hurting religious sentiments of the Sikhs, AAP convener Sucha Singh Chhotepur said in a statement here.

He said: Though the accused had been arrested, the officials could not be trusted looking at their track record. In October last year, the police had arrested Rupinder Singh and his brother Jaswinder Singh of Faridkot district on sacrilege charges at Bargari village during the tenure of DSP Sumedh Singh Saini but it boomeranged. Saini not only produced telephonic transcripts before the media but had also claimed a foreign hand behind sacrilege incidents. But owing to public pressure, the police had release both the duo as they were unable to find any incriminating evidence against them. Chhotepur said.

He said deputy chief minister Sukhbir Singh Badal, who holds the home portfolio, had failed to put an end to such incidents.
The Parkash Singh Badal-led SAD_BJP government completes nine years in power today. the coalition - the first to have two successive terms in Punjabs history - has had its share of ups and downs as it braces for elections in less than a year. Hindustan Times takes a 360-degree look at the showing of the government, measuring it up against the promises it made in what it calls a blueprint of Punjabs destiny. After all, a manifesto is like a promissory note - an article of written commitments to people. A stock-taking of eight key areas shows its performance to be a mixed bad of hits and misses.

Big ticket investments: Hype vs hope

Deputy CM Sukhbir Singh Badal has been trying to project his state as an ideal investment destination with the money-follow-ideas credo. But the SAD-BJP governments performance in the industry and IT sectors has been a mixed bag. Though the state managed to assemble some top business leaders at its much-hyped investment summits, the promised investments are still to bear fruit.

The delivery on poll promises is not any different. While the government has not met its promise of bringing in a new manufacturing policy, the existing industries feel ignored. However, some relief did come the traders way after measures were taken under the rahat scheme, launched in 2014, to reduce the impact of inspector raj.

Similarly, the promise of developing SAS Nagar and Amritsar as IT hubs has been partly met with the good news coming from SAS Nagar. Other than a new Software Technology Park of India (STPI) centre in Amritsar, its development as an IT hub remains a dream. As for the promise to put the state in wi-fi mode, it is being done through Reliance Jio. Going by the deadline given to the company, the state, including rural areas, would be connected through broadband before the year-end. However, the services will not be free.

The government has faltered its promise of giving employability allowance of Rs 1,000 per month to jobless youth belonging to weaker sections to acquire vocational skills. The scheme was tweaked from being a grant to jobless youth to it being paid as fee by the government to the institute when the youth took admission in a vocational course. The scheme was not advertised and there were virtually no takers.

Populism above prudence

Chief minister Parkash Singh Badal and his party, the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), had gone out all guns blazing against the Congress in the run-up to the 2007 assembly elections, blaming it for the fiscal mess in the state.

They had made the right noises about pulling the government out of financial morass by putting the economy back on track. But there has not been much change in the narrative during the SAD-BJP rule of nine years. The state finances are in a mess, owing to the high salary and pension bill of the government workforce, raising interest payments and ever-increasing subsidies, besides flagrant profligacy and the burden of revenue-guzzling populist doles.

The revenue receipts, which saw robust growth for two to three years during the tenure of the alliance due to value-added tax (VAT) and stamp duty, have failed to keep pace with the expenditure, falling short of targets. The biggest surge was in VAT and stamp duty, but the collections have been below expectations due to the economic slowdown.

The VAT collections, which saw a jump of 31% in one year alone, are estimated to grow by a minuscule 2% this year. On the other hand, the states committed liabilities such as salary and pension bill and interest payments have been growing, eating up bulk of its revenue receipts. The revenue deficit, which indicates the excess of revenue expenditure over the revenue receipts, is on upward trajectory again.

The government has had to borrow liberally to meet its financial liabilities, a government official said. The debt burden has gone up from Rs 48,344 crore in 2006-07 to Rs 1.25 lakh crore in 2015-16. Badal had, in a letter to Union finance minister Arun Jaitley on July 12, 2014, described the public debt as humongous and unsustainable, seeking a special package for the financial restructuring of the revenue-deficit state.

However, the FM, in his reply on August 19, 2014, made no commitment on the special package. He advised the state to consider routing receipts of the Punjab Infrastructure Development Fund and Rural Development Fund through its consolidated fund and rationalising power subsidy.

The government, in other words, was advised to adopt prudent financial practices. The fiscal stress has been affecting capital expenditure in the state. And, the government will need to get its act together and show fiscal discipline to salvage the situation.

Problem of plenty

A problem of plenty is what the Punjab government is facing in the power sector. The state has increased its total general capacity to 11,000 mega watt (MW), but demand keeps fluctuating, crashing to 3,000 MW at night and 5,500 MW during the day. The Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) is forced to shut down its thermal plants.

The excessive power in the state is forcing the corporation to pay huge fixed charges running into crores every year to private thermal power plants in Talwandi Sabo and Rajpura. As per the power purchase agreements, PSPCL is required to pay fixed charges even if power generated is not consumed by the state. The situation seems to be a result of capacity addition without proper demand assessment. The debt-laden corporation is hoping the Ujwal Discom Assurance Yojana (UDAY) for which the state has signed an MoU with the Centre would help it save Rs 500 crore every year through a reduction of 4% in interest cost. The entire debt burden of PSPCL will also be gradually shifted to the state government. The corporation may claim to be doing fairly well, but it continues to struggle financially, leading to delay in disbursement of pensions and salaries.

Some success, but still ailing

Upgrading health infrastructure, better delivery of services and affordable treatment were among the SAD-BJP alliances poll promises. While the Badal government is grappling with issues related to health infrastructure and staff shortage, it has done well in delivering healthcare to poor. The state achieved some success by reaching out to 16 lakh blue-card holders but has been facing a challenge due to fluctuating figures. The number of blue-card holders gone up to 28 lakh.

The annual health insurance cover under the Bhagat Puran Singh scheme was also increased from Rs 20,000 to Rs 50,000 last year though free surgical treatment remains a concern. The enrolment of farmers under the accidental death insurance scheme with a cover of Rs 10 lakh is still to start after it was announced last year.

Another initiative is the scheme for free treatment of trauma patients for the first 24 hours. The scheme was launched on August 15, 2015, with a funding of Rs 300 crore under the National Rural Health Mission.

Sangrur remains the only destination for advanced treatment of cancer. Another mega project coming up is Medicity at Mullanpur near Chandigarh for which the foundation stone was laid by then prime minister Manmohan Singh in December 2013. However, the Badal government has not honoured its promise of formulating a health policy for the state that is needed to remove the mismatch between diseases prevalent in the state and the Centres disease control programme.

Stagnating farms, sulking farmers

Despite being known as a party of peasants, the SAD, which leads the alliance, continues to draw flak for the slide in the agriculture sector. With farmers incomes going down and land holdings shrinking, the governments role was reduced to that of an intermediary passing on central grants to cultivators. Its handling of crop failure and other farmrelated issues has been, unsatisfactory.

The government got a thumbs down from farmers for last years whitefly attack on the cotton crop. The agriculture department was criticised for irregularities in purchases and mishandling the situation. As spurious pesticides were supplied, farmers bore the brunt. The scam led to the arrest of then agriculture director Mangal Singh Sandhu. Agriculture minister Tota Singh also faced criticism and was snubbed by his own party.

The wheat crop in the rabi season suffered due to untimely rains and the yield fell by 15%. In the kharif season, farmers and the state government had to spend Rs 1,000 crore more to run tubewells due to delayed rainfall. The government failed to provide timely relief to farmers. Reports of suicides by debtridden farmers have been pouring in but government agencies are left high and dry.

The government has been slack in timely contribution for centrally-sponsored schemes. Though the financial year is coming to a close, the funds from the Centre cant be used as the state has not been able to contribute its 40% share. The crop diversification plan too has suffered because the basmati variety could not fetch a good price, selling for just Rs 1,400 per quintal against a price of Rs 3,000 a quintal in previous years.

Same old poll recipe, with some added spice

The populist atta- dal scheme was the first poll promise to be implemented by the Badal government after coming to power in 2007. It was later credited for its second victory in a row in the 2012 elections, as the Akalis promised to make the vote-churning scheme  which covered 15.4 lakh families providing each with Rs 4 per kg wheat and Rs 20 per kg dal more poor-friendly by subsidising wheat to Re 1 per kg to counter the Congress that had announced to do so.

While the government has failed to fulfil its promise of giving wheat at Re 1 a kg, beneficiaries have to shell out more on pulses  they now cost Rs 30 a kg instead of Rs 20 to help the government tide over spiralling costs.

But the National Food Security Act, 2013, has helped the state rebrand the old scheme. The food and civil supplies department says more than half of the states population will get wheat at FSA rate of Rs 2 per kg and dal at Rs 30 per kg and not the rates promised in the manifesto.

The scheme entailing an annual expense of Rs 400 crore has been marred by complaints of erratic supply of pulses, undeserving beneficiaries and low-quality wheat. Another promise was doubling pension amount for senior citizens, widows, disabled and dependent children to Rs 500 per month. The government had only last month announced the hike from Rs 250 to Rs 500 per month.

As it went about weeding dead and bogus beneficiaries, the social welfare department courted controversy over eliminating some deserving ones. The number of pensioners kept fluctuating. The government has also reverted to the politically-motivated system of empowering panchayats to distribute pensions. However, it is yet to hike the Shagun scheme amount to Rs 31,000 and provide free gas connections to all BPL families. The poll promise of free five marla plots to landless poor also remains on paper.

Scams, agitations mar track record

The SAD-BJP combine made lofty promises to provide access to education and improve its quality, but its government failed to fulfil most. The educa- tion sector has hit the headlines for mostly the wrong reasons  multiple scams, irregularities in selections, teachers agitation and delay in giving school uniforms  during their nine years in power.

While the textbooks scam in which firms were handpicked to supply books, science lab equipment and maps to schools caused embarrassment to the government, it was also in trouble due to irregularities in the recruitment of physical training instructors. An FIR was registered but no action taken.

Despite these controversies, there have been efforts towards improving the quality of education. The state has opened seven meritorious schools for government school students scoring 80% and above and also taken measures for rationalising teachers in its schools. A lot more needs to be done.

The poll promise of one Adarsh school in all146 blocks to provide quality education to rural children is unfulfilled. The ones set up under public-private partnership have failed to deliver at most places. Their number has remained stuck at 26. Other promises such as free education up to graduation for girls and free cycles, aimed at retention and continuity, have also not seen any concrete action.

Showcasing past for future

The SAD calls itself the sole custodian of the rich and enviable legacy handed down to the people of Punjab by the gurus, seers and prophets. And, the sole focus of Parkash Singh Badal in his fifth stint as CM has been on building memorials of different hues. By building monuments showcasing the rich diversity, he has shrewdly attempted to leave behind a firm footprint to connect with GenNext.

Rarely a week has passed in four years without a review meeting on the status of the CMs pet projects  the memorials. Such is the priority Badal has been according to these projects that most are set to be ready before the assembly poll bugle is sounded. The flow of funds to these projects has been smooth despite the tight financial position.

The focus of the government after dethroning the Congress in 2007 was on the completion of the prestigious Virasate-Khalsa museum at Anandpur Sahib in memory of the foundation of the Khalsa Panth. Another major monument set up in the memory of Baba Banda Singh Bahadur, the saint soldier who avenged the killing of Guru Gobind Singh and was a terror till the last for the Mughals.

Jang-e-Azadi memorial and museum, as the name suggests, is coming up to showcase the contribution of Punjabis in the Indian freedom struggle. Spread over 25 acres at Kartarpur and costing more than Rs 200 crore, galleries will be constructed to highlight different movements of the freedom struggle.

Ram Tirath or Valmiki Ashram is coming up near Amritsar at a cost of Rs 180 crore. It is believed Valmiki resided and composed Ramayana there. Badal has promised it will be an engineering marvel. From this low input, high-yield politics of memorials, Badal has attempted to carve out a legacy he wants to be remembered for.

(Chitleen K Sethi, Navneet Sharma, Gurpreet Singh nibber, Prabhjit singh, Sukhdeep Kaur, Pawan Sharma)
With Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal to visit Punjab again on March 15, his Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has decided to host a fund-raising lunch on the occasion.

It has sent more than 300 invites to various industrialists and prominent personalities of the city for the lunch to be organised on Sunday in Hotel Ranbir Classic on the Amritsar road. The reserved fee per plate is Rs 5,000, but the party has left it to the guests, if they want to contribute more. State party affairs in-charge Sanjay Singh, Sangrur MP Bhagwant Maan, state convener Sucha Singh Chhotepur, and national organisational in-charge Durgesh Pathak will be among the hosts.

We have sent invites to many personalities, but its an open invitation to all who want to contribute to the party, said partys Jalandhar Lok Sabha observer Rajiv Chaudhary, adding: We expect a gathering of 200 to 240 people. He said there was a great enthusiasm among the city traders and prominent personalities regarding the lunch. Its the best way to collect funds in a fair and transparent manner. The AAP does not believe in bullying the industrialists or traders for donation, said Chaudhary.

In the evening, the AAP leaders would host a fundraising dinner in Hoshiarpur, where at least 200 personalities are invited. Its for the first time that the AAP will collect money by organising this programme in Doaba. So far, these events were hosted in the Malwa region only. These meetings and fundraising exercises hold great importance in the wake of Kejriwals scheduled visit to Dalit-dominated Doaba on March 15.

Wooing Dalits, journalists

With eye on Dalit votes, the AAP chief will visit family of Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) founder late Kanshi Ram in Rupnagar district and also go to Dera Sachkhand Ballan to meet its head, Sant Niranjan Dass. He will stay there for more than an hour in a closed-door meeting with the head. Sources said he would appeal the dera head to support the party in Punjab for the better future of the Ravidassia community. The dera holds great sway among the community.

The party is in touch with prominent Dalit and Hindu leaders of Doaba, including its popular journalises, whom it is exhorting to join the AAP.
In another twist to the drug peddling case against two cops, the Moga police, now, seem to be trying their best to save the people of their own ilk. The police have also moved an application in the court claiming the charges against the cops were false.

The accused cops  assistant sub-inspector (ASI) Jarnail Singh, who was then the in-charge of Nathuwal police post; and head constable Jasbir Singh  were arrested on September 6, 2013 after recovery of 168-kg poppy husk, 66 bottles of liquor and Rs 46,000 from the police post.

The cops were nabbed following the arrest of drug peddler Jagsir Singh alias Sheera of Mahla Kalan in Moga, from whose possession 140 kg poppy husk was seized. Interestingly, to prove that the cops were innocent, the police are also allegedly diluting the case against Sheera.

Two separate first information reports (FIR)  against Sheera and accused cops  under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act were registered at Baghapurana police station on September 6, 2013, in the presence of the then deputy superintendent of police (DSP) Gurmeet Singh and station house officer (SHO) Amarjit Singh.

As per the record accessed by HT, the details of case against Sheera vary in challans produced in court from carbon copy of challan submitted in vernacular record keeper (VRK) branch at the senior superintendent of police (SSP) office. In record copies  challans produced in the court and a challan copy submitted to the vernacular record keeper (VRK) branch at the senior superintendent of police (SSP) office 

related to the case against Sheera, procured by Hindustan Times from sources, the details vary though they are carbon copies.

Tampering with records?

The date mentioned below the signatures of Jarnail Singh on the court copy is September 7, 2013, while the case was registered on September 6, 2013, in the presence of DSP Gurmeet Singh and other witnesses, also signed by investigation officer sub-inspector Rajinder Singh. In contrast, the copy procured from vernacular record keeper branch through Right To Information (RTI) act has no date mentioned below the signatures of Jarnail Singh.

It has been learnt that the accused cop wanted to prove that police had forcibly taken his signatures on the challan against Jagsir Singh as he was in the police custody on September 7, 2013, which meant he was not authorised to sign the official document being the police post in-charge.

Similar attempt has been made in the case against Jarnail Singh. The copy of challan against Jarnail Singh produced in the court mentions September 8, 2013, while the case was registered on the night of September 6, 2013.

When contacted, DSP Gurmeet Singh, station house officer Amarjit and investigating officer Rajinder Singh claimed that there was no date mentioned below the signatures of Jarnail as he was present at that time when FIR was registered against Sheera. They also said that they had recorded their statement before the court.

The dates were deliberately incorporated below the signatures of Jarnail. However, the police cant register an FIR in the absence of a witness, the DSP said.

Accused got bail as challan was delayed

Taking advantage of delay in filing challan by the police, the accused cops and Sheera got bail. The police reinvestigated the case and moved a plea in the court in February 2015 that the accused were innocent. Moreover, after getting bail, both the accused cops were reinstated even as the trial was still on. Sources said the accused cops had the support of a ruling party leader from Baghapurana sub-division.

After reinvestigation of the case by the special investigation team (SIT), it has been found that the case was falsely registered as no police party nor accused persons were found present at the spot. Nothing was recovered from the police post as mentioned in the FIR, reads a letter submitted in the court by the police.

However, the court has not considered the letter given by the police so far. The next hearing in the case is on March 17, 2016.

Ramesh Grover, ex-president, District Bar Association, Moga, said there was a nexus among politicians, police and drug smugglers and the cops were trying to save the accused.

Grover said he would file a writ petition in the high court, demanding a Central Bureau of Investigation probe or judicial inquiry in the case.

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The untimely heavy rain, coupled with strong winds and light hail, at many places has dashed the hopes of many farmers whose crop has been flattened. Farmers fear that this would result in decrease in the yield, besides paying more for harvesting.

Faridkot received about 37mm rainfall since Friday night till Saturday evening.

About 50% crop has been flattened and the loss could go up if the weather remains unchanged in the coming days. Crop on four acres has been lodged which leads to decline in the yield as the ears under the fallen crop do not receive sunlight and air. Besides, farmers have to pay more for harvesting, said Sukhmander Singh, a farmer from Sarawan village of Faridkot.

In my area, about 40% of crop has been flattened. Heavy rain accompanied by hail and winds on Saturday morning have led to losses to the farmers. About 75% crop on 7 acres of has been lodged. A portion of the crop for personal consumption, where fertilisers and chemicals were not used, too has been flattened, said Sukhjinder Singh Brar, a farmer from Niamiwala village of the district.

Faridkot chief agriculture officer Baljinder Singh Brar said lodging in the district was only 10 to 15%.

We estimate about 2% decline in the yield. Otherwise crop is good and we expect bumper yield this year. But it depends on the weather conditions over the next two days. Most of the lodged crop is the one given high dosages of nitrogen, said Brar.

In Muktsar, according to the agriculture department, the lodging has occurred on about 10 to 15% of the total sown area. Though the lodging is there, yet many farmers saved the crop by stopping the irrigation for many days going by the prediction of the weather. In areas prone to waterlogging, farmers have learnt from the past experiences and they do not irrigate the crop for three to four weeks, so that maximum of rainwater seeps into the soil, said Beant Singh, chief agriculture officer, Muktsar.

But farmers differ with the departmental version. My village has about 9,500 acres and we think lodging of nearly 60 to 70% crop, said Resham Singh, a farmer from Bhilaiana village of Muktsar.

However, Rain is welcome till February, but in mid-March, it causes damage to the crop. Still there is hope if the weather clears in the next 24 hours. As per the forecast, the weather is expected to be clear from Monday, said Beant Singh.

Agricultural experts also claim that the fallen crop would recover as it is still in milking stage.

The grain formation starts after March 25 and then ears gain weight. The lodged crop will resurrect itself easily, said the officer.
Like other parts of the state, farmers in Ludhiana district are also distressed due to inclement weather that damaged their crop in the past two days.

Heavy rainfall along with high-velocity winds has inundated the fields with rain water and caused lodging of the crop which according to experts and farmers will affect the crop yield.

Chandigarhs meteorological centre has predicted similar weather conditions March 18 onwards due to western disturbances. District agricultural officer (DAO) Sukhpal Singh Sekhon said, Such weather conditions will damage the crop, thus overflowing the cup of woes of farmers across the state.

According to our survey, the rain on Saturday caused just 3-5% of damage to the crops. We have observed that about 15-20% of wheat has been damaged in isolated places of the district till now. Last night and during early morning hours, high-velocity winds have flattened the crop. Also, rain at this stage will slow down the maturity of crop, Sekhon added.

GS Buttar, additional director of extension at Punjab Agricultural University (PAU), said, If rainy days along with strong winds continue to march ahead, harvesting can also get delayed.

Narpinder Singh, a professor in the department of food sciences and technology at Amritsars Guru Nanak Dev University (GNDU), said, Besides low yield or delay in harvest, rain and winds at this stage can also affect the grain quality that later may not be able to satisfy the bakery industry due to rise in moisture content.

Talking to farmers hailing from different areas of the district, they said that last year as well they had to face losses due to bad weather.

Preetinder Singh, a farmer from Narongwal village said, Inclement weather has worried the farmers. Day and night, we talk about weather, which has become a big challenge for us. Hope state government will compensate us if damage continues to soar.

Meanwhile, the district received a total of 16mm rain in the past 48 hours.

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Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) on Sunday said Punjab government was exercising its constitutional right to bring a Bill in the assembly on Monday to de-notify and return 5,376 acres of land acquired for the SYL canal to the owners.

It is our legal right as per the Constitution to bring a Bill in the Vidhan Sabha and we are just exercising that right, SAD spokesperson Daljit Singh Cheema said.

Cheema said The Punjab Sutlej Yamuna Link Canal (Rehabilitation and Re-vesting of Proprietary Rights) Bill, 2016 will be tabled in the state assembly on Monday for passage.

On political parties in Haryana requesting governor Kaptan Singh Solanki not to give his assent to the Bill, the SAD spokesman said, Governor has the constitutional duty to perform and we are using our legal right.

Reacting sharply to the allegation that the Bill was unconstitutional, Cheema said, The Bill cannot be termed as illegal or unconstitutional. Punjab cabinet has cleared the draft of the Bill and the opinion of legal remembrancer (LR) is attached, the state education minister said.

Talking to reporters at Rupnagar, Cheema hailed chief minister Parkash Singh Badals decision to de-notify the land acquired for the Sutlej Yamuna Link (SYL) canal and return it to the farmers.

The historic decision of chief minister Parkash Singh Badal to return the land to the farmers has saved Punjab from becoming a desert, said Cheema.

Cheema indicated that SAD would highlight the government stand on SYL canal issue during Hola Mohalla celebrations at Anandpur Sahib. People wanted to thank chief minister Parkash Singh Badal and deputy chief minister Sukhbir Singh Badal for the historic decision. They (Badals) would be honoured on the occasion of Hola Mohalla, he said.

He said that the Congress party was responsible for injustice with Punjab over river water-sharing. He said PPCC chief Amarinder Singh was shedding crocodile tears on the issue as there photos showing him welcoming the then prime minister Indira Gandhi at the time of ground-breaking ceremony for the canal in 1982.

(WITH AGENCY INPUTS )
Fourteen civilians and two soldiers were killed on Sunday when gunmen attacked the Ivory Coast resort town of Grand-Bassam, President Alassane Ouattara said.

The toll is heavy. The terrorists succeeded in killing 14 civilians and we have lost two members of the special forces, said the president, who travelled to the scene of the attack.

Six gunmen who carried out the attack were also killed, he said.

The six armed men attacked beach goers outside three hotels in Grand-Bassam, sending tourists fleeing through the historic Ivory Coast resort town. Bloody bodies were sprawled on the beach in photos apparently taken at the scene and posted on social media.

The bursts of gunfire sent people running from the beach at Grand-Bassam, a UNESCO World Heritage site and popular destination for Ivorians and foreigners about 40 kilometers (25 miles) east of Abidjan, Ivory Coasts commercial centre. It was the third major attack on a tourism center in a West African country since November.

An American embassy delegation was in Grand-Bassam on Sunday, but the US Embassy in Abidjan said it is monitoring the situation and has no evidence U.S. citizens were targeted, nor confirmed reports that any were harmed.

Dozens of people were killed in the earlier attacks on West African tourist sites, starting with a siege at a Malian hotel in November and then an assault on a hotel and cafe in Burkina Faso in January.

Analysts have warned for months that Ivory Coast, which shares a border with both of those affected countries, could be hit by jihadists as well. The West African attacks indicate that extremist attacks are spreading from North Africa, where a beach attack in June killed 38 people in Tunisia.
An Indian-origin journalist with a major US television network was heckled by Donald Trumps supporters and briefly detained by police during a protest at the Republican presidential front-runners campaign rally, media reports said.

CBS News reporter Sopan Deb was detained by police while covering the protest that broke out last night following the cancellation of Trumps rally in Chicago.

Deb was covering the clash between protesters and the Republican front-runners supporters when he was detained, the news organisation said.

Deb was filming video of a man whose face was bloody and laying on the ground near police at the time of his arrest, according to a CBS This Morning report.

Deb alleged that he was thrown to the ground and handcuffed without notice or warning, the CBS news reported.

Illinois State Police charged Deb with resisting arrest though the network reported that neither his video, nor that of a nearby film crew, showed any sign of resistance.

I have never seen anything like what I am witnessing in my life, Deb tweeted after the incident.

I've never seen anything like what I'm witnessing in my life.  Sopan Deb (@SopanDeb) 12 March 2016

Deb, who has been covering Trumps campaign ever since he announced his presidential run last June, said A Trump supporter just asked me at Reno event if I was taking pictures for ISIS. When I looked shocked, he said, yeah, I am talking to you.

The Trump campaign did not immediately respond to questions.

Trump cancelled his campaign rally citing security concerns after hundreds of people gathered at the arena to protest against his politics of hatred and scuffled with his supporters in the largest-ever demonstration against the Republican presidential front-runner.

Of late journalists have been at receiving end at the Trump campaign.

Foreign journalists have been made totally out of bound while the domestic media are put inside an enclosure at all his rallies and are not allowed to move out of that.

In the last few weeks, several journalists have been scuffled by security agents and Trumps supporters.

The developments forced the White House Correspondents Association (WHCA) to issue a rare statement.

Broadly speaking, the WHCA unequivocally condemns any act of violence or intimidation against any journalist covering the 2016 campaign, whether perpetrated by a candidates supporters, staff or security officers. We expect that all contenders for the nations highest office agree that this would be unacceptable, WHCA president Carol Lee said in a statement early this week.

We have been increasingly concerned with some of the rhetoric aimed at reporters covering the presidential race and urge all candidates seeking the White House to conduct their campaigns in a manner that respects the robust back-and-forth between politicians and the press that is critical to a thriving democracy, said Lee, White House correspondent of The Wall Street Journal.
Donald Trump trained his fire on Saturday on the protesters disrupting his rallies, branding them thugs and extremists, as White House rivals warned the Republicans heated rhetoric was dangerously fanning tensions.

Democratic frontrunner Hillary Clinton issued a stern warning a day after a Trump rally in Chicago was called off amid scenes of violence, with days to go until a crucial round of nomination votes on Tuesday.

If you play with matches, youre going to start a fire you cant control. Thats not leadership, thats political arson, Clinton said.

But Trump dismissed the notion his extreme statements on immigrants and Muslims had exacerbated tensions, placing the blame squarely on organized thugs as he returned to his theme over and over on the campaign trail Saturday.

After a demonstrator tried to rush on stage during Trumps rally in Dayton, Ohio, early Saturday, the candidate made unverified claims that the man was linked to the Islamic State group.

So, the judge let him go. And then one of my people said, wow. They found his name, and it was probably ISIS or ISIS related. Do you believe it? Certainly, hes not in love with our country, that I can tell you, okay? Trump said.

According to the Dayton Daily news website, the man in question is a 22-year-old anti-racism activist named Thomas Dimassimo, who was filmed last year taking part in a protest that involved students standing on American flags, holding signs saying, Not my flag.

In support of his claim, Trump tweeted a link to a video of the flag protest, dubbed over with Islamic chants in what appeared to be a crude hoax intended to suggest ties to extremism.

Demonstrators taunt supporters of Donald Trump as they leave a rally at the University of Illinois . (AFP)

Earlier, Trump had described the Chicago skirmishes as a planned attack by organized agitators against his supporters -- the nice folks.

He blamed our communist friend, the Democratic candidate Bernie Sanders, who has urged Trump to act against violence at his rallies and said he never encouraged his backers to disrupt them.

Where do these people come from? Trump asked. Theyre Bernies crowd.

Palpable tension

Fridays violence flared after throngs of protesters -- many of them blacks and Latinos angered by Trumps anti-immigrant stance -- massed at the Chicago venue in a tense standoff with the candidates own supporters, with fistfights breaking out as the meeting was called off.

Trump hosted two huge meetings Saturday in the heartland state of Ohio and one in Kansas, which passed off without major troubles, but in a climate of palpable tension with groups of protesters picketing the various venues.

In Cleveland, protesters gathered outside the cavernous exhibition centre hosting Trumps rally holding signs that read Dump Trump!, and Donald Trump: Making America Hate Again.

Half a dozen police on horseback watched from a distance a heated verbal exchange between several black protesters and mostly white Trump supporters who yelled in their faces: Get a job! Get a job!

The evening rally in Kansas City was repeatedly disrupted by protests.

Get em out, Trump said. I hope they arrest these people, because theyre really violating all of us, okay? he said, vowing to press charges.

Bill Burns, a small businessman from Sheffield Lake, Ohio who came to cheer Trump in Cleveland, was clear on who was to blame for the troubles.

All the problems are from the protesters, said the tall, bearded 41-year-old, who wore a T-shirt reading EBOLA, with the O made to resemble Barack Obamas campaign logo.

Theyre the ones out there, you see them standing on the American flag. What do you expect to happen? Youre just adding fuel to the fire.

Make-or-break

Trumps Chicago rally was postponed, citing safety concerns, after learning hundreds of demonstrators were given tickets for the event. (AFP)

Saturdays campaign stops came three days ahead of key elections expect to further winnow the Republican field, with Florida Senator Marco Rubio and Ohio Governor John Kasich both facing make-or-break tests in their home states.

Trumps three remaining rivals for the Republican nomination -- Texas Senator Ted Cruz, Rubio, and Kasich -- seized a chance to bring the frontrunner down a notch and unanimously condemned the rally chaos.

But many in the party see Tuesdays votes as the last best chance to derail Trumps insurgent candidacy.

Cruz scored a small victory Saturday against Trump, trouncing him with 66.3% of the vote in the Wyoming Republican caucus, against 19.5% for Rubio and just 7.2% for Trump.

That hands Cruz nine more delegates for the Republican national convention. Cruz also picked up one delegate in Guam, though the US island territorys five other delegates remain uncommitted. Rubio won the caucuses in the US capital Washington.

But the reality TV star, who has never served in elected office, has so far won 15 of 27 early contests -- to the despair of the Republican establishment.
Half Moon Bay, CA (94019)

Today

Windy. Cloudy skies will become partly cloudy this afternoon. High 62F. Winds NW at 20 to 30 mph. Winds could occasionally gust over 40 mph..

Tonight

A clear sky. Low near 50F. Winds NNW at 15 to 25 mph. Higher wind gusts possible.
Having a hard time sleeping at night? Is your work efficiency affected because of your inability to sleep the night before? In lieu of the National Sleep Foundation Sleep Awareness Week, sleep experts are trying to address issues causing insomnia and suggested natural sleep aids ways to alleviate it before trying on prescription drugs.

The American Academy of Sleep Medicine notes that 30 percent of adults experience symptoms of insomnia. Ten percent of these adults may have felt severe symptoms of sleeping disorders in a way that it is affecting their daytime activities. Nevertheless, statistics declared that less than 10 percent of adults will experience chronic insomnia, which may have serious health repercussions.

The AASM further said that people who belong in the middle-aged and adult group are more likely to experience insomnia considering physical or mental problems of some people that may hinder them in achieving the ideal sleep cycle.

Julie A. Dopheide, PharmD, BCPP, FASHP, professor of clinical pharmacy, psychiatry, and behavioral sciences at the University of Southern California School of Pharmacy, spoke about insomnia during a session at the American Pharmacists Association (APhA) 2016 Annual Meeting and Exposition. She stressed the role of technology, particularly cellphones, in delaying sleep.

"Those electronics can stimulate the brain to stay awake because of the light emitting from those electronics. ...It's good for the parents to set an example, too," she said.

Dopheide also discussed the importance of pharmacists' participation in giving sleeping pills or anti-depressants to patients. Pharmacists are advised to ask questions regarding the patient's sleeping habits. They can also recommend a sleep diary or explain the effects of their chosen antidepressant, as well as give nonpharmacological tips such as keeping a "sleep hygiene" or tips on how to reduce negative associations towards sleep and their bed.

Meanwhile, Dr. Cathy Goldstein, a neurologist at the University of Michigan Sleep Disorders Center, suggested some tips to help people fight insomnia even without the use of drugs and sedatives.

Goldstein once again stressed the importance of 25 to 50 minutes of moderate exercise and its effectiveness in healing even chronic insomnia. She advised people to change their bed or move to a new bedroom just to change their negative associations towards their bed that would not let them sleep.

In case exercise and changing beds don't work, you might want to try these natural sleep aids that have been proven effective and safe. Melatonin supplements may help adults over the age of 55, as they tend to have lower melatonin levels in their body. Unwinding with the use of valerian plant, chamomile and cherries have also been proven to be helpful.

@ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Snapchat, the social media app famous for its disappearing selfies and augmented reality features that allow users to overlay different GIFs on their photos or mini-video clips, has recently hired several experts in the field of wearable technology, causing speculations that the company might be planning to create smart glasses.

Based on the lineup of freshly hired team members, not only is the Los Angeles-based company trying to enter the tech hardware industry, but it also seems to be hoping to create smart glasses that are normal-looking and something that people would actually wear on a regular basis.

Some of the hired personalities include Mark Dixon, who was part of the team behind Microsoft's HoloLens headset; Eitan Pilipski, who previously worked at Qualcomm for a project called Vuforia, which is an Augmented Reality software platform for phones and smart glasses; and Lauryn Morris, a famous eyewear maker who was involved with Innovega - creator of the iOptik mixed-reality glasses - as well as someone who has designed frames for big names like Michael Kors and Zac Posen.

"If they are actually investing in new tech, that could be great," said a virtual reality entrepreneur who requested to remain anonymous. "They probably know that most apps in their situation have a limited lifespan and monetization potential."

Some are surprised by the move, especially considering that the brand has not gotten involved in hardware before, and the only thing it got to producing, aside from software, are beach towels and pillows.

However, some see the move as somewhat similar to the track that another social media network is taking - Facebook. This social media giant has invested in virtual reality since its purchase of Oculus in 2014 and has been showcasing progress in that realm in the recent months. Additionally, since Snapchat has also increased its value over the years, which is now pegged at $16 billion, the branching out is but to be expected.

In fact, in 2014, while the company did not make it known to the public, Snapchat also purchased a startup called Vergence Labs, which was a company that focused on creating eyewear similar to Google Glass, a sign that the social media company has been planning this path for a long time now.

Presented with these trends, it has become more convincing that Snapchat indeed has something planned up its sleeves. What remains to be known is whether the company is going to create an eyewear to co-exist with its current chatting platform or create a totally separate gadget that consumers can use in their daily lives.

@ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Scientists have found evidence of ancient super-eruptions near Yellowstone National Park and are now taking a closer look at what these eruptions were like to learn a bit more about massive volcanic events.

Yellowstone is a hotbed for volcanic activity. The term "supervolcano," or "super-eruption," implies that a volcanic center has had an eruption of magnitude 8 or greater on the Volcano Explosivity Index (VEI). There are several different characteristics that allow researchers to characterize a volcano on this scale, including the volume of ejecta that is produced during an eruption and the column height during an eruption.

With that said, these super-eruptions haven't occurred for tens of thousands or even for millions of years. That's why researchers are now piecing together these volcanic eruptions by looking at the remains of the ejecta still embedded in the landscape.

In the Cassia Hills, which are located in southern Idaho, researchers have found evidence of a staggering 12 catastrophic super-eruptions. These massive eruptions left widespread glassy deposits fused to the landscape. Each of the deposits preserve different characteristics that allow them to be traced to their source.

In the latest study, the researchers analyzed the magnetic, mineralogical and chemical characteristics of the deposits found in the Cassia Hills. They uncovered records of large-scale eruptions, which caused Earth's crust in the region to actually subside by more than three kilometers. This lowering of the land left behind a deep volcanic basin along the Snake River Plain.

These older eruptions were probably hotter and more frequent than the ones that actually occurred in Yellowstone. With that said, it appears as though the entire region was prone to supervolcanic eruptions in the past.

Understanding these eruptions is extremely important for the future. This is largely because it's possible that these super-volcanoes could erupt again. With that said, scientists have calculated that the yearly probability of another caldera-forming eruption is about one in 730,000, or .00014 percent. Needless to say, these aren't large odds. This means that while it's important to understand supervolcanoes, it doesn't necessarily mean one will occur in the near future.

The findings were recently published in the journal Geological Society of America Bulletin.

@ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
As drought conditions ignite wildfires in California and Washington, researchers from Olin College are working on a firefighting drone project that has the potential to save lives and livelihoods.

These researchers were granted an exemption by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to fly unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), or drones as they are often referred to as, to "conduct research on its own behalf and on behalf of other research groups." Their drone project is currently in its testing phase.

To develop their specialized drones, Olin Robotics Prof. Andrew Bennett and a team of students worked with Scientific Systems, a company that specializes in developing products that "collaboratively accomplish missions in difficult environments." Their project was also partly funded by NASA.

Specifically, the researchers are interested in creating drones that can be deployed into a wildfire and send back information in real time. Current wildfire mitigation strategies provide firefighters with information on where a fire is headed in a variety of ways, including from pilots and first-hand accounts. This information is then used to appropriately deploy fire bombers, personnel and other resources.

However, these methods are not as effective as they should be, as the relayed data can be 12-24 hours out of date and is often unreliable. Furthermore, communication is nearly impossible in wildfire environments where driving conditions can be treacherous and the Internet can be non-existent. In other words, firefighters are not adequately prepared to move and adjust their resources when a wildfire changes course.

The Olin project, however, features several drones that can communicate to each other while flying in dangerous conditions and, most importantly, send back data immediately.

"We can fly over land, water and sea. We have equipped our drones with 1080 quality video cameras, as well as thermal imaging cameras," Bennett explained.

The researchers note that their project aims to help fight fires using drones, rather than hindering the process, which has happened recently with consumer drones flying into the flight path of air tankers in California.

So far, Bennett and his team have been successful in designing and deploying drones in less than ideal flying conditions. Within the past several years, researchers have been working on SnotBot, which is a drone used to fly over, and sometimes in, water to collect information on whales to be used to learn more about the animals' stress levels.

When completed, researchers expect their firefighter drones will fly in coordination with fire bombers.

@ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Donald Trumps recent rallies have been a mess, with the potential republican candidate being forced to cancel his appearance in Chicago following conflicts between supporters and protesters in the crowd (hes actually encouraged violence toward protesters in this kind of situation), while a protester in Ohio attempted to rush the stage before being apprehended by secret service agents.



As some rap fans quickly pointed out on social media, the man who was looking to interrupt Trumps speech happened to be wearing a Dreamville shirt, which if youre not familiar, is the name of J. Coles imprint.



The man, who was identified as Thomas Dimassimo, was arrested for disorderly conduct and inducing panic, and released on bail Saturday night, according to ABC.

Later on, he responded to a tweet from DailyRapFacts on Twitter, where he revealed that the shirt was ripped by Trumps security. At which point, Dreamville president Ibrahim H. swooped in to promise the protester a box full of new merch, advising him to be safe out there.



Check out the tweets and some footage from the protesters attempt at crashing the stage below.

J. Cole
Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick is on to something when he complains about recent tuition increases at the University of Texas at Austin and other public universities, including the University of Houston. He and state Sen. Kel Seliger, the Amarillo Republican who chairs the Senate Higher Education Committee, sent a letter to public university presidents and chancellors last week decrying the increased financial burden students and their families will have to bear. Meanwhile, Gov. Greg Abbott has convened a tri-agency task force charged with studying how to make college more affordable and how to help students enter the workforce more quickly with marketable skills.

We applaud both efforts, and we look both to state government and to public higher education for solutions. One place to start is to return tuition rate-setting to the Legislature.

Lawmakers relinquished control in 2003. Since then, tuition at Texas colleges and universities has more than doubled and fees have continued to spiral upward, in part because those same lawmakers who handed over rate-setting powers also have consistently cut state funding. That way, they can complain about rising costs and the increasing burden of student debt without taking responsibility for resolving the problems.

"Thirteen years ago the governor and legislative leaders decided to abdicate their responsibility to adequately invest in educational opportunities for Texas families and passed the buck to our universities," state Sen. Rodney Ellis told the Chronicle via e-mail last week. As a result, we've effectively priced the opportunity for higher education, and access to the American dream, out of reach for numerous working and middle-class families across the state."

The Houston Democrat was one of several lawmakers from both parties who filed legislation last year that would either have capped tuition increases or put the Legislature back in control. The legislation went nowhere, although Ellis intends to keep pushing.

There was a time when lawmakers really meant it when they speechified about education being an investment in the nation's future. In Texas, and elsewhere, that commitment has waned. For example, 25 years ago, for every dollar a student paid in tuition at a University of Texas System institution, the state provided more than $4 in funding. That figure is now down to less than 35 cents.

The Legislature reduced funding to UT by $92 million in the 2012-13 biennium. Although lawmakers have since restored $50 million, that's still quite a gap. Patrick and friends can't simply blame the universities.

"We've spent years blaming schools for doing what they had to do to keep their doors open," Ellis said. "It is time to put the horse back in the barn and require the Legislature to do the job they were elected by the people to do - invest in our universities at a level necessary to ensure they provide the quality education that Texans deserve at a cost Texas families can afford."

The universities aren't blameless. State Sen. Charles Schwertner, R-Georgetown, noted recently that the average resident undergraduate at UT-Austin can now expect to pay $304 more than last year; at both Texas A&M and UH, it's $208 more. Schwertner blames, in part, what he calls "academic one-upmanship." "Each new program, building, administrator or faculty member comes with a price tag," he wrote in the Texas Tribune recently. "Some costs are modest, others dramatic, but all end up on the bottom line of a student's tuition statement."

Whether it's locking in tuition rates for students who finish in four years; curtailing excessive bonus enticements for all-star teachers and researchers; resisting the urge to build, build, build; empowering the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board as it looks for ways to eliminate unnecessary duplication, colleges and universities have a responsibility as public institutions. In Patrick's words, they "must identify ways to make college education more affordable for students and families across Texas rather than identifying how much they can increase tuition."
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Some people only want to be a digital subscriber to get access online and others want to also receive the print edition.

If you are already a print subscriber and want online access, it is free, you simply have to create an online account and then attach your print subscription account number to the online account you create.
Athens Macedonian News Agency: News in English, 16-03-13 Athens News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article From: The Athens News Agency at <http://www.ana.gr/> CONTENTS [01] Central banker: Greek debt talks may start Apr 15; country will repay 3.5 bln to ECB in July [02] Alt. Defence minister visits Schisto's refugee relocation camp [03] Athens' central market to remain open overnight [01] Central banker: Greek debt talks may start Apr 15; country will repay 3.5 bln to ECB in July The debate on the reduction of Greece's public debt is likely to start the International Monetary Fund's (IMF) spring meeting on April 15, the country's central banker Yiannis Stounaras said in an interview with Italian paper "Il Sole 24 ore" on Sunday, adding that the country will repay 3.5 billion euros to the ECB in July through the ESM. Concerning debt talks, the head of the Bank of Greece said: "It is a commitment of the Eurogroup on November 28, 2012, when I was finance minister. According to this commitment, if Greece achieves a primary surplus and if it implements the necessary reforms, then its partners will take some measures to ease the debt. This commitment has not been fulfilled yet. I hope our partners, as well as the IMF, will be in a position to fulfill this commitment, because it's not just a promise, it's an agreement." Asked by the paper whether Greece will be able to repay its looming debt tranche to the ECB, Stournaras said the government is "negotiating effectively with its partners and there will be an agreement with its creditors for the ESM to repay the tranche, which will the ECB to be repaid." Commenting on the reforms Greece is implementing, he said they are being implemented not because Greece's creditors request it, but because they are necessary to have a viable social security system. "We need a just taxation system in which all those who can pay will pay what they're due," he added. He also reassured that the country's lenders are adequately recapitalized and that the banking system is stronger now than in the past, as the CET1 and capital adequacy ratio (pro forma) indicators are approaching 18.2 pct, which is the second highest in the eurozone after Finland, which is at 20 pct. He reiterated however, that non-performing loans remain a big challenge and that the government and the banks must take hard but necessary measures so that banks can achieve the ambitious target of reducing them. [02] Alt. Defence minister visits Schisto's refugee relocation camp Alternate Defence Minister Dimitris Vitsas visited the refugee relocation camp of Schisto, in Piraeus, on Sunday to inspect first-hand the living conditions offered to the people who are accommodated in the former Stefanaki military camp. Vitsas expressed his satisfaction for the effectiveness of the Armed Forces who set up the camp as part of the efforts to manage the refugee-migration crisis. [03] Athens' central market to remain open overnight Following a long tradition, Athens' main market, Varvakios, will open at 22.00 on Sunday night until noon on Monday to allow shoppers to buy fish and seafood for Clean Monday's lunch table. Bakeries will also be open on Monday selling the traditional lagana bread. Athens News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article
A British man who was jailed in the US for supporting terrorism through the internet has said that he was naive to support the Taliban.

Speaking to BBC Twos Victoria Derbyshire programme in his first broadcast interview, Babar Ahmed said that he regretted supporting the Taliban but that it was naivety which led him to do so.

He said: Advocating support of the Taliban was to help establish an Islamic society but I do accept that with hindsight, that was naive of me to do soI regret doing that and it was naive of me to do that, because it was a complicated situation.

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And whatever was going on then, I didn't have to advocate support for them.

Babar Ahmad speaks to Victoria Derbyshire

Two articles on Ahmads Azzam website encouraged Muslims to send money and equipment to the Taliban, according to the BBC, and after a lengthy extradition battle, Ahmad was handed a 12 year jail sentence by a US judge in July 2014.

It took into account the 10 years he had already spent in prison in the UK before his extradition and so he was freed in June 2015.

At the time, Ahmads detention was the longest period any British citizen had been held without charge since the September 11 attacks.

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Although he was never charged in the UK, Ahmad pleaded guilty to two counts of providing material support to terrorism in the US.

He was prosecuted in the US because of the role American authorities played in shutting down the Azzam network.

Delivering sentence at the time, US Judge Janet Hall said Ahmad helped allow Osama bin Laden to be protected when he was plotting the September 11 attacks by supporting the Taliban.

However, she stressed that he had no knowledge of the plot and there was no evidence he supported al-Qaeda.

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Ahmad said that he had not knowingly supported bin Laden through his actions.

He also told Derbyshire that the so-called Islamic State (IS) terror group was alien to him.

He said: [Islamic State] is alien to me. I mean, Jihad is something to be an Islamic history and heritage and beliefs. It's a noble act that's meant to protect and defend innocent people from acts of terror.

Ahmad was held in prison in the UK for 10 years

And when terror and misery is brought to people, under the label of Jihad it's not Jihad, it's, God knows what it is but, no god tolerates terror and misery being brought to innocent people on behalf of some sort of cause.

He added that he could understand why people might feel outraged about the treatment of Muslims in some countries but urged those who were attracted to militant groups not to be manipulated.

He said: "Ultimately, we are responsible for our actions and it's important that before people decide to take a course of action, before you translate your outrage into action, think deeply and carefully about what you are doing. And don't allow yourselves to be a pawn.

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A Christian magistrate is planning to sue Michael Gove after he was sacked for opposing adoption by gay parents.

Richard Page, who sat on the family bench in Kent, was struck off for his "biased and prejudiced" views, but insists his "motivation is to do what was right for the child".

He has pledged to take legal action and sue the Lord Chancellor through an employment tribunal, saying he has "the wrong end of the stick".

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Michael Gove

Andrea Minichiello Williams, chief executive of the Christian Legal Centre which is supporting him, said: "He has made the decision to sue the Lord Chancellor for removing him from the bench.

"That will go through the employment tribunal system because he is an office bearer."

The 69-year-old was previously sent for retraining after saying during an adoption hearing that it would be better for a child to be brought up by a mother and father than a same-sex couple.

During a BBC interview in March 2015, Page said: "My responsibility as a magistrate, as I saw it, was to do what I considered best for the child, and my feeling was therefore that it would be better if it was a man and woman who were the adopted parents."

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A spokesman for the Judicial Conduct Investigations Office said his comments "would have caused a reasonable person to conclude he was biased and prejudiced against single sex adopters".

Page criticised the decision as "intolerant" and accused Gove of "pandering to the new political orthodoxy", the Press Association reports.

He said: "As a magistrate, I have to act on the evidence before me and quite simply, I believe that there is not sufficient evidence to convince me that placing a child in the care of a same-sex couple can be as holistically beneficial to a child as placing them with a mum and dad as God and nature intended."

He added: "To punish me and to seek to silence me for expressing a dissenting view is deeply worrying. I shall challenge this decision as it is deeply illiberal and intolerant."

He later told the Press Association: "Why did I talk to the BBC? I talked to the BBC because it was on a programme about the Equality and Human Rights Commission report about people feeling stressed at work because they were Christian, Muslim, Hindu, or because they were gay.

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"And therefore making them feel that if they admitted it they'd get sacked. And that was what I was talking about. I wasn't talking about the court case."

Asked what he would like to say to Gove, he said: "I'd probably sort of say that you've got completely the wrong end of the stick. But you know this isn't what I said. Sorry, it is what I said, but the motivation is to do with what was right for the child."

He added: "It isn't that I'm homophobic. As a Christian I think homosexual activity is wrong. I think that sex outside marriage is wrong."

He said: "I was sitting there making a decision that was best for the child. And that's totally irrelevant of whether it's good for the adoptive parents. The child is important."

Page pointed out that he also raised "a lot of other queries" in the case.

Talking about the issue of same sex adoptive parents, he said: "There is some evidence around that in fact single sex parents, adoptive parents, are actually very good."

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He added: "But there is also evidence from America that when they go through puberty and into their teen age they absolutely flip."

He said: "In the case of single sex people adopting children in America, a very, very high percentage have huge psychological, personality disorder problems, all sorts of things.
Mick North arrived in America with memories of his five-year-old daughter and hopes he could help prevent more children dying the same way. His efforts were, he says, "to no avail".

The 68-year-old scientist turned gun control campaigner, loathed firearms before Sophie North was killed by one. He would always turn the television off when a programme featuring guns came on. He remembers travelling with his wife Barbara before Sophie was born and fearing walking the streets of American towns because there were "too many guns out there".

Then, on March 13, 1996, Sophie was one of 16 pupils shot dead along with their teacher at Dunblane Primary School. Thomas Hamilton, a loner who blamed others for the setbacks in his life, then shot himself with one of his handguns.

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Mick North with a photo of his daughter Sophie

Thanks to North and other campaigning parents, each of the handguns Hamilton used is now illegal to possess in Britain. The Gun Control Network, of which North was a founding member, was a crucial voice in the fight to stop more children dying in gun massacres.

North has been a passionate, rational and public voice for nearly two decades but media work has gradually subsided over the years. He tells The Huffington Post UK he "promised myself" he would limit any media interviews ahead of the 20th anniversary of his daughter's death today [Sunday, 13 March], but the questions I pose stir him: "The lack of action in the USA is something that I continue to feel concerned, baffled and upset about," he says, after accepting the interview invitation.

In December 2012, North was in his car in a Tesco car park, about to visit friends, when a radio bulletin reported another shooting in America. His friends later turned the TV off to shield him from what had happened and the parallels with Dunblane. He started receiving phone calls but ignored them. The news gradually trickled to him over the weekend.

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In Newtown, Connecticut, Adam Lanza, 20, killed his mother with a .22 caliber Savage Mark II rifle, then went to Sandy Hook Elementary School to kill 20 pupils, aged six and seven, and six teachers with a Bushmaster Model XM15-E2S semiautomatic rifle and finally shot himself with a Glock 20 10 mm pistol. All of these remain legal to possess.

Thomas Hamilton (left) and Adam Lanza (right) both gunned down young children at school

North had made a conscious decision a year earlier to step back from gun control campaigning but Sandy Hook "dragged me back in." The "horrible comparisons" resonated with him. "It had happened at the same time of day, the age of the children. I had this immediate fellow feeling with the people who were suffering."

Days later, he was telling the story to CNN host Piers Morgan of how Dunblane led to a handgun ban, and the differences he encountered between American and British attitudes. After Dunblane, a ban in Britain was mooted almost immediately. After Sandy Hook, the debate in America went in different directions, raising issues like self-defence. "I just do not understand the logic of arming teachers," a baffled North told Morgan. "The idea that because the problem is guns, the answer is more guns, is ridiculous."

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Mick North speaking to Piers Morgan less than a week after Sandy Hook

A friend in New York, active in international gun control, contacted North to invite him to a quickly-convened conference on gun violence in Baltimore. North went to preach about Britain's success. Setting off, he was not confident they would get the reform they wanted. North initially grew more optimistic as the conference went on.

The conference at Johns Hopkins University opened with an address from then-New York mayor Michael Bloomberg. The audience of mainly academics listened to speakers discuss how gun violence could be reduced. North described the successful campaign to ban handguns and repeated his arguments in a chapter of the book published after the conference.

But as the conference went on the cultural difference between here and there came to the fore. "I gradually felt that the discussion and the arguments were all being hampered by having to say at the beginning of every speech 'Of course I believe in the Second Amendment [The constitutional right to 'bear arms']'. That was restricting what anyone could say." As he learned from the Piers Morgan interview, discussing gun violence in America could quickly turn to questions about how well armed others should be to defend themselves against the deranged.

"Things that had never been an issue in Britain ran very deep through all the presentations by Americans," he says. "They were having to make recommendations with one hand tied behind their back because, everybody felt you can't rile the gun lobby too much... We felt it needed a bit more push than that."

To see the difference in American attitudes, you need only look at the mission statement of Sandy Hook Promise (SHP), a campaign group set up by grieving parents to reduce gun deaths. "SHP strongly believes in upholding the rights of gun owners," it says. "We do not support bans on firearms or believe the sole cause of gun violence is the gun."

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At around the time North was at the Baltimore conference in early 2013, Senator Diane Feinstein's proposal to ban the sale and ownership of semiautomatic assault weapons was introduced in the Senate. Despite stern words from Obama, who famously dried his eyes during a press conference about the shooting, it did not happen. The ban was excluded from the version of the bill the Senate ultimately voted on. It still failed to pass. Another bi-partisan bill to expand background checks on those buying guns, which families of Sandy Hook victims lobbied for, was also defeated. Obama called it a "shameful day in Washington" and accused the gun lobby, including the powerful National Rifle Association (NRA), of intimidating senators.

Dunblane mourns the dead (above) and a woman (below) says a prayer as she lights a candle and places flowers the day after Sandy Hook

In North's words, the shooting lobby in Britain was limited and fragmented. Shooters counted Conservative MPs among their members, many of whom sat around John Major's Cabinet table at the time of Dunblane. But much of the press favoured a ban. With a more sympathetic Labour Party poised to take power, the challenge to campaigners was relatively simple. "We just had to keep the issue alive long enough to get political change... To keep talking about it long enough."

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When asked whether he thinks the US will ever pass a meaningful firearms ban, North is doubtful. He has been tempted to think so "too many times" after other shootings like Columbine and Virginia Tech, only to see issues other than the guns themselves blamed. "The immediate reaction is to seek something else to blame rather than see the common factor in all these mass shootings which is that the perpetrator was armed. It's some kind of blindspot. Politicians are quite willing to buy into the NRA view that guns are the solution, not the problem."

Later in 2013, North was in the US with his partner and another family from Dunblane. They drove to Newtown to meet relatives of Sandy Hook victims. They felt exhausted after their hopes of new national gun restrictions went unfulfilled. Despite, this the feeling of fellowship made it "very moving" and North still hopes they can come to visit him in Scotland.

The victims' families in Dunblane had an advantage over victims' families of previous mass killing like the 1987 Hungerford Massacre. While Hungerford victims had little in common, the families of the Dunblane dead were all from the same small town. The close connection made it easier to co-ordinate. North could step in to do media interviews if others did not feel up to it.

Meeting Sandy Hook families, North says he was confused about what advice to give to people who had faced such strong opposition. "There's a limit to people's resilience and strength," he notes. "I wouldn't want to see them getting too exhausted. It probably needs a different way of campaigning than we had in Britain because the gun lobby is so intransigent there."

Throughout the interview, North is composed and focussing on the facts, reflecting his background as a scientist. Speaking to journalists, he sounds like the voice in his heartbreaking but emotionally austere memoir, in which he tells the story of his life before and after the shooting. The book recalls details like what Sophie had for breakfast the morning she was killed and the picture she drew on the computer the night before. He interweaves the story of Hamilton, whose growing aggression towards authority - and the failure to deprive him of his legally-owned guns - ominously overshadows Sophie's short life.

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North pauses and fights back tears when asked whether he believes Hamilton would have killed anyone if his guns had been made illegal earlier. After a pause of a few seconds, he says: "No." Though a loner on the fringes, Hamilton was a "stickler" for rules. "I don't think he would've wanted illegal handguns, he would've lost interest," North says. "I think it's only because he had guns [that he] had the idea of killing people... It was convenient for him... Who knows whether he actually intended to do it until the morning it actually happened."

Two decades of campaigning have given North a plethora of statistics: Those who own guns are more, not less likely to be killed by one. The number of gun deaths in Britain a year is roughly equivalent to the number in the US a day. Americans are 25 times more likely to die violently than in other developed countries.

Prof Jon Vernick, the gun violence prevention researcher who co-convened the conference North addressed, said the failure to reform the laws left him "frustrated that the science about what we know works doesn't always get translated into effective policies".

"We certainly did not do what the UK did after Dunblane, we did not do what Australia did after Port Arthur," he tells HuffPost UK.

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(Left to right) Campaigners Tony Hill, Ann Pearston and North in Westminster during the campaign for the handguns ban

After the Senate defeats the bill to expand background checks, Mark Barden, father of a Sandy Hook victim, addresses reporters as Barack Obama and Joe Biden look on

Most Americans support legislation to stop dangerous people getting guns - "almost any policy you can dream up, even a majority of gun owners," Vernick says - but not banning them outright. "That majority support is more shallow than the very, very fervent opposition of that very committed minority," he adds.

Vernick adds there is another important difference: "In the US, there are estimated 300million guns in private hands. That's nearly one for every man, woman and child. The UK, even before Dunblane, just didn't have the same number out there... About a third of all US households have a gun. That number has been declining but it's still so much more than the UK."

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The setbacks toward reforming gun control prompted British journalist Dan Hodges to say the Sandy Hook shooting was "the end" of the gun debate in the US. "Once America decided killing children was bearable, it was over," he said in a comment retweeted more than 50,000 times.

In retrospect Sandy Hook marked the end of the US gun control debate. Once America decided killing children was bearable, it was over.  Dan Hodges (@DPJHodges) 19 June 2015

Vernick is more optimistic. The reaction to Sandy Hook is the "a tale of two stories". Nothing changed on the national level but 20 states have legislated for restrictions, such as more background checks and banning larger magazine clips. New York was among the first to legislate that every gun sale should trigger a background check, rather than only those sold by licensed gun dealers.

A total of 54 senators voted for the background check bill that was defeated, six more and it would have passed. This shows Vernick that a "sea change" is not needed. The goal is within reach. The fact Sandy Hook did not lead to national change is "unacceptable, tragic and unconscionable", he says, but it taught him change is possible. "At least in some states, the gun lobby has less power... We have to maintain our optimism that change can happen. If we give up, then we give in," he says. "You have to draw strength from the victories along the way, smaller than you wish but victories nevertheless."

Unlike Vernick, North did not become a campaigner against gun violence by choice. Sophie would have turned 25 in October last year. North arrived in Dunblane with a pregnant wife, ready to settle into family life. After the shooting, he was a childless widower, his wife Barbara having died of cancer aged just 31 when Sophie was three.

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His work continues. The Derrick Bird killings in 2010 and a 2012 triple-murder/suicide have prompted calls for restrictions to gun licensing. In January, he and other Gun Control Network members sat down with Policing Minister Mike Penning and Shadow Home Secretary Andy Burnham to lobby both sides to agree to passing all the recommendations of a scathing report on firearms licensing that said the police were "sometimes inexcusably compromising public safety". "Gun ownership is a privilege not a right," North says.

He reminds me that a quarter of people shot dead in Britain in 1996 were murdered by Thomas Hamilton at Dunblane Primary School and that the number of mass shootings in the US make it harder to shock.
The Germanwings co-pilot who caused the crash which killed 150 people was referred to a psychiatric clinic two weeks before the the tragedy, it has been revealed.

French air accident investigators recommended on Sunday that world aviation bodies draw up new rules requiring medical workers to warn authorities when a pilot's mental health could threaten public safety.

Co-pilot Andreas Lubitz had been treated for depression in the past, and the investigation found that he had consulted dozens of doctors in the weeks before the crash on 24 March last year.

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Andreas Lubitz deliberately crashed Germanwings flight 9525 last year

But the many doctors didn't inform authorities of concerns about his mental health, France's BEA investigation agency said. One doctor referred Lubitz to a psychiatric clinic just two weeks before the crash, it said in its report on the disaster, according to the Associated Press.

"Experts found that the symptoms (he was presenting at that time) could be compatible with a psychotic episode," said Arnaud Desjardin, leader of the BEA investigation. This information "was not delivered to Germanwings."

Because Lubitz didn't inform anyone of his doctors' warnings, the BEA said, "no action could have been taken by the authorities or his employer to prevent him from flying."

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Germanwings and parent company Lufthansa have strongly denied any wrongdoing in the crash, insisting that the 27-year-old was certified fit to fly.

But relatives of those killed have pointed to a string of people they say could have raised the alarm and stopped Lubitz, going back to the days when he began training as a pilot in 2008.

The father of a British man killed in the Germanwings air crash has blamed the airline for allowing the pilot who caused the tragedy to fly, the Press Association has reported.

Flight 9525 from Barcelona to Dusseldorf crashed in the French Alps on March 24 last year, killing 150 people, and a probe found evidence suggesting co-pilot Andreas Lubitz deliberately downed the plane after locking the pilot out of the cockpit.

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Philip Bramley's son Paul, 28, died along with two other Britons - Martyn Matthews, 50, from Wolverhampton, and seven-month-old Julian Pracz-Bandres, from Manchester, who died alongside his mother, Spanish-born Marina Bandres Lopez-Belio, 37.

Bramley, 60, from Hull, told the Sunday Mirror that if one of the 41 doctors who had seen him had reported their concerns, his son "would still be alive".

He said: "But it's my view that the airline is at fault.

"They should be more diligent about who they employ and have more safeguards to stop people slipping through the net."

The specialist aviation law team at Irwin Mitchell, which is representing British families, said it wanted to see "important lessons learned".

Irwin Mitchell say they hope it will feature recommendations to improve aviation safety including improved checks on the health of pilots and co-pilots, both physical and mental.

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A memorial to the 150 people killed in the crash

They want recommendations about guidance on access to the cockpit mid-flight.

The lawyers have also called for transparency and disclosure of medical records and details of the involvement of the US flight school where the co-pilot was trained.

Jim Morris, an expert aviation lawyer at Irwin Mitchell and former RAF pilot, who is one of the team representing the families involved, said: "The information about this tragedy has already been devastating for the families to hear."

He said they want to know why more was not done to prevent the co-pilot from flying "when it seems clear from the evidence already available that he was a potential risk to himself and passengers".

Morris added: "It's crucial that any reasonable recommendations made in the accident report to improve aviation safety are implemented as soon as possible.

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"Nothing can turn back the clock or bring the innocent victims back but the families now want to see important lessons learned from this so that it reduces the risk of similar incidents.
Thousands of people took to the streets in London on Sunday to demonstrate against the Government's Housing and Planning Bill, which could see council tenants forced to move out of their homes due to sharp rises in their rent.

The bill will require councils to change how they bill tenants with a combined income of more than 30,000 and 40,000 in London. Critics say that it will make rent and house prices soar, destroying council and social housing.

Demonstrators met at midday on Sunday in Lincoln's Inn Fields, in London, in a march of solidarity against David Cameron's controversial bill.

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Protesters carried banners and placards reading "Anti-social housing policy from the House of Ill Repute", "Kill the Housing Bill" and "You're heartless, We're Homeless" as they passed the Houses of Parliament.

Solidarity with everyone protesting to #killthehousingbill. It is an attack on our communities - it must stop! pic.twitter.com/DY0sozBA3N  I'm a JSA claimant (@imajsaclaimant) March 13, 2016

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Message to the Tories. Look around you. More & more people are sleeping rough. Homes not jails #killthehousingbillpic.twitter.com/t2HycbQU31  HotelWorkersUnite (@HWUnite) March 13, 2016

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Among the protesters was a teacher living in Islington who told the Press Association that the bill makes her feel like a second class citizen.

Camilla, who did not want to give her surname, said even though she is a professional, she worries about not being able to afford high rents.

The 39-year-old said: "It makes you feel like a second class citizen based on the fact that you don't earn a six-figure salary. And because of that you don't deserve a safe home.

"It makes it very hard to focus on your job and your relationships and anything else in your life because you're constantly worried about where you're going to be for the next six months."

Politicians Natalie Bennett and Diane Abbott were among the thousands protesting today.

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On the march in support of council tenants fighting the Tory Housing bill #KilltheHousingBillpic.twitter.com/hxYbGtkyPY  Diane Abbott MP (@HackneyAbbott) March 13, 2016

A spokesperson for the Kill the Housing Bill campaign said: The Tories Housing Bill aims to destroy council housing, and will hit everyone on low or middle incomes trying to rent or buy.

It condemns millions to a lifetime of insecure, expensive private renting. Everyone deserves a decent home, but landlords, developers and the rich will be the only ones to benefit from this bill.

The government has defended the bill.

Housing Minister Brandon Lewis told Sky News: Once you get above 30,000 which is the median income, we will taper so people who are earning just above 30,000 will only be paying a few pounds more.

There will be a taper. We will be outlining the details of that in the weeks ahead with people in the sector to make sure we get that right.

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Although only discovering Instagram in 2014 (a little late to the party, we'll admit), we've learned in a short space of time what makes for a successful account, having built a substantial following. Below is a short summary of what we've gleaned so far about the mysterious and ever-growing world of Instagram.

1) It's not all about you

Although we're living through 'the age of the selfie', it is often best to resist posting endless photographs of yourself (unless, of course, you're Kim K). For example, if you're wishing to use Instagram to promote your travel blog, then keep it focused on just that: travel. What we learned very quickly is that people had very little interest in us, and much more interest in the places we visited. And why wouldn't they? Stick to your topic and you'll quickly grow a community of followers, brought together by one shared interest.

2) Pick a style and stick to it

The most popular Instagram accounts have a clear and distinct style, which will be religiously maintained. Like any good gallery, they have been carefully curated and thought about. For us, we love colourful, HDR photography. Although this style perhaps goes against the grain of the muted, loco-photography that Instagram itself promotes, it's a style we stick to through thick and thin. This provides us with a clear branding and ensures a consistent aesthetic appeal throughout our entire feed.

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3) Keep it visual

Pinterest may be the Mecca of uplifting quotes, but Instagram is not the best platform for text. Instagram is, and always will be, a place for photography lovers and the 'visual' side of social media. If you want to communicate verbally, then your best option is Twitter. Beautiful, thoughtful and carefully curated photographs will keep your followers engaged, and will ensure the continued growth of your community.

4) Keep it real

In the early days of creating an Instagram account, it's easy to become disappointed with your number of followers. You go to bed with 100 followers and wake up with 93. It's at this point that you might consider 'buying' followers to boost things along. Do not do this. Not only is it obvious to both followers new and old (if you have 50,000 followers but only 20 likes, it suggests something is amiss!), but it also causes problems in the long run. Instagram regularly culls fake accounts and it is likely you'll find yourself swiftly losing numbers just as quickly as you bought them. Stay authentic and your account will grow. It just takes patience, and a little love and TLC!

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5) Hashtags

The desire to add endless hashtags to the bottom of a photograph to improve your reach can be strong. Again, avoid this if you can. Adding common hashtags such as #like4like or #followme will only attract 'ghost' followers (fake accounts), or people after their own gain. Although you might gain a few hundred more likes on a photo, they won't mean much. Any followers you do gain won't stick around for long and hashtagging #boobs may not endow you or your 'brand' with the integrity you're after. Instead, pick a few (i.e. 3-5) relevant hashtags for your photographs. This will ensure anyone looking at your photo will have a genuine interest in its content. Instagram is about building communities of like-minded people and this is what you should focus on, rather than 'likes' or 'followers'. The stronger the community, the stronger your account and influence.

6) Regular content

This seems obvious, but it's surprisingly over-looked. We know the feeling, you've had a few boring days at work and posting an exciting photograph on Instagram is difficult. This is where preparation is key. As travel bloggers, we stockpile photos, ready for those rainy, uninspiring days. This means we always have access to regular and popular content.

Sometimes, the exact opposite happens: you've just visited somewhere incredible and you want to show the world. Over fifteen consecutive posts. Bombarding your followers with photograph after photograph will only overwhelm them, culminating in them potentially unfollowing you. Aim to post content once a day, to ensure continuity, and your followers will eagerly be awaiting your updates! Little and often is the key.

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7) Engage, engage, engage!

Finally and perhaps the most important rule of Instagram: engagement. Instagram was created as a community-based platform. From sharing photos with people, to creating community hashtags - Instagram is all about the social element. It can be easy to forget this when you're on a one-woman crusade to amass followers, but it's key to your account's growth. Over the two years in which we've created our Instagram account, we've created genuine, trusted relationships with our followers. Not only do I trust what our followers say (often visiting places they do, or investing in the brands they do), but they trust us. And this is integral in this fast-paced and often shallow world of social media.
There's a silent, growing democratic crisis in London - the plummeting levels of young people who are registered to vote. As up to 84% of London's youngest voters could be left without a say in our democracy, Bite The Ballot is calling on every teacher to bring voter registration into their classrooms, now.

The latest figures from the ONS reveal a worrying drop in the number of young people registered to vote. This follows last year's change to our registration system. Across London, the number of 'attainers' (young citizens who reach voting age by the next election) fell by an astonishing 11% in inner London and 9% in outer London. Not only are they unable to vote, they can't apply for a credit rating and can't sit on a jury.

This ONS snapshot of the register from December 2015 tells us how many 'attainers' are on the register in London. If we compare this figure against the best population data available, we get an indication of how many 16 and 17-year-olds may be missing from the roll. There were 187,695 16 and 17-year-olds in London in mid-2014. Just 30,736 were registered to vote.

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Urgent action to tackle this is now badly needed. This is a national disgrace, and every mayoral candidate should pledge to never let this happen again.

London's greatest strength is its incredible diversity. Around every corner, you'll find a different history, heritage and story. Its distinctiveness as a multicultural melting pot is the envy of the world. However, the democratic foundations that London is built upon - making it the tolerant and open society we live in - are too often taken for granted. In 2016, it cannot be right that a home-owning pensioner from the 'shires has a 90% chance of remaining on the register, but a young Black man living in London's private-rented accommodation has less than a 10% chance.

Putting the facts to one side, where do schools come in? As Nicky Morgan MP has argued, 21st century schools aren't here to produce students with excellent qualifications. They're here to help build the character and resilience needed for young people to meet the challenges and expectations of life outside the classroom. Becoming informed, active and confident citizens has to be central to this.

And voter registration isn't just a bureaucratic form-filling exercise. It forms a crucial first step in young citizens' political engagement - and a vital stepping stone towards active citizenship for young people on the margins of politics. They need to be inspired by school leaders, teachers and educators who have the freedom to innovate and the ability to use resources that work. Bite The Ballot, the youth democracy charity that's empowering young changemakers, is calling on teachers to incorporate a straightforward - but revolutionary - idea into school life. They want us make sure every young person is given the opportunity to register to vote.

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We know this works, and can take inspiration from N. Ireland where a 'schools initiative' sees Electoral Registration Officers and schools working together to help students sign-up. After changes to the registration system in 2000s, just 244 'attainers' were left on N. Ireland's register. Recognising the need to act, the Chief Electoral Officer introduced the programme, which increased the number to 11,227. With almost 190,000 16 and 17 year olds in London, this could be a revolutionary shot in the arm to UK democracy.

With the fast approaching, once-in-a-generation vote on EU membership, and elections for the next Mayor of London and Assembly, we can't sit back and watch young people be pushed to the margins of democracy.

Bite The Ballot is asking every London mayoral candidate to pledge to support and work with schools to weave voter registration into every young person's school life. They're also calling on the Department of Education to issue special guidance to London's schools and colleges. But the best changes start, as ever, with individual teachers.

Like many teachers, I'm looking forward to helping the next generation of Londoners become engaged, educated and empowered to take part in democracy.
Photo by Harriet Zych

A child electrocuted by a loose cable. Exhausted men and women living in squalor, losing toes to gangrene. Children caked in mud, coughing and vomiting. Families forced to sleep outside in torrential rain.

These are not scenes from a horror movie. They're just some of the desperate stories medics are witnessing at the Greece-Macedonia border right now.

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After Macedonia recently this week shut its Idomeni border to all refugees, more than 13,000 refugees are now stuck there, forced to live in filthy makeshift settlements. The route may be shut off, but the arrivals, sometimes hundreds every day, have not stopped.

Greece, a country already feeling financial strain, is slowly becoming a huge refugee camp. And it's the refugees who are suffering.

"The situation is deteriorating rapidly," says Sarah Collis, a nurse volunteering at the border for the international health charity Doctors of the World. "Every night women and children are sleeping in our clinic because their tent is waterlogged or they simply don't have a tent.

"Children are hit the hardest," she adds." They are living in rain-sodden tents for long periods of time. This is leading to a big increase in severe nappy rash and croup, a viral infection that leads to swelling of the windpipe which can be fatal if not treated."

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Medics from Doctors of the World and Doctors Without Borders are providing for immediate primary health needs and the number of people sent to hospital has increased fourfold in the last week. Pregnant women are particularly vulnerable, and many are at the brink of exhaustion.

"We see dozens of pregnant women every week," says Sarah. "Many of them are travelling alone and they are often cold wet and very dehydrated."

Photo by Louise Orton

Macedonia closed its borders just after the EU and Turkey set out a plan to stem the flow of people coming to Europe. If implemented, it would involve sending back migrants who have made the crossing from Greece to Turkey. In exchange, the EU would resettle Syrian refugees living in Turkish camps.

For those stuck at Idomeni, the fear of being abandoned by Europe can be too much to bear, with people's mental health a primary concern. Dozens are getting panic attacks, fainting fits and hysteria after realising their long, painful journey is at a dead end.

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"We saw a lot of acute mental health needs," says nurse Harriet Zych, who recently returned from working at the Greek border. "One man hit himself with a rock on his head until he went unconscious when he found out he couldn't cross the border."

The Greek Ministry of Migration has opened several military-run camps in northern Greece over the past week, some of which are already at full capacity. Government plans to relocate refugees to these camps from Idomeni are currently under discussion but there are concerns about the lack of medical supplies and paediatric doctors, with many facilities also limited to cramped, poorly lit tents.

More funding is urgently needed to extend services at these camps, where thousands remain trapped, although the arrivals keep coming. According to the International Organisation for Migration, more than 320 people have already drowned this year during the perilous journey by boat to Europe.

"Border closures won't stop desperate refugees coming to Europe. It will just further force them into the exploitative grip of brutal people smugglers," says Leigh Daynes, executive director of Doctors of the World UK.
As the first country to allow its population to vote on whether or not to legalise same sex marriage, Ireland can be perceived as being relatively progressive. How, then, can this country which is on point when it comes to one human rights topic fall so devastatingly short on another?

Ireland, both Northern Ireland and the Republic, has some of the most restrictive abortion laws in Europe.

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In Ireland, women can be jailed for up to 14 years for having an abortion. In Northern Ireland, women face the spectre of life imprisonment.

Medical staff who perform terminations can also be sent to prison for carrying out a termination. Even in the cases of rape, incest, or where the foetus won't survive, women in Ireland are not permitted to have an abortion.

Consequences of these laws are severe: women and girls either take abortion pills without medical supervision and face a possible 14-year prison sentence, or have to travel abroad for the procedure often with huge financial, psychological and physical expense.

Several women have told Amnesty of the impact this punishing law has had on their lives.

Lupe, who was carrying a foetus with no heartbeat for 14 weeks, told Amnesty she had to travel to her home country of Spain for proper medical treatment: "I didn't feel safe at all...I was feeling really scared because it became clear to me, that if any complication was raised, these people would let me die."

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Nicola was 19 weeks into her pregnancy when a routine scan revealed a problem with the foetus. A more detailed scan made it clear that the impairment was fatal and there was no chance of the baby's survival.

Nicola told Amnesty, "I thought straight away they would induce me but the nurse explained they couldn't do that because it's classed as a termination and wasn't allowed in this country." Nicola had to continue with her pregnancy for another five weeks until the doctors confirmed the foetus had died.

Abortion laws in Ireland are in desperate need of change, and the majority of the Irish public would appear to agree.

In an Amnesty Ireland poll published last week, 87% of respondents supported the call to expand access to abortion in their country. Forty-two per cent were in favour of allowing abortions where the woman's life is at risk, where there is a diagnosis of fatal foetal abnormality or where the pregnancy is the result of rape or incest. Meanwhile, 38% supported allowing women the right to access abortions as they choose. The additional seven per cent were in favour of allowing abortion in Ireland only where the woman's life is at risk or where there is a fatal foetal abnormality.

Only five per cent of respondents were opposed to abortion in all circumstances.

Clearly, Irish law is massively out of step with majority opinion.

So, what if the Irish government offered the chance to vote on this in the same way they did with same sex marriage? If these poll results are anything to go by, then the current Irish abortion laws would be torn up and thrown into the rubbish bin, where they belong.

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At the root of all of this is the basic human right to control and make decisions about one's own body.

Whichever party, or coalition, governs Ireland following recent elections, one thing is clear: amending the abortion laws in that country must be the absolute first priority.
Don't tell my Mum but I have had casual sex, not recently but I have done it. And don't get me wrong (for any potential suitors out there) I have put my all into these encounters, there was nothing casual in terms of effort. It would be true to say that many of my longer term relationships, including my marriage, kicked off with what was only intended to be a casual skirmish between the sheets.

So now that I find myself single, the wrong side of 50 and in possession of just one tit I am understandably anxious about future encounters. Can anyone tell me when is the best time for the big one tit reveal?

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And so it is under these circumstances that I am enjoying coffee with a male friend discussing my fear of the future dearth of relationships. Fear that I may die a born again virgin, that my life will be so devoid of knicker action there will be cobwebs and spiders lurking in my gusset. I imagine, like many 50 something newly single women before me, the prospect of meeting someone new and revealing my body to him makes me anxious. I can now add to this fear a concern about whether the uniboob reveal might leave a man recoiling in horror. My friend, like most others that I ask, deems it necessary to reassure me that once a man falls in love with me he will accept my incomplete body. But there's the rub. My life, like that of many of my acquaintance does not, and has not, led me into situations where love blooms prior to any acts of intimacy. I know for a fact that the friend I am discussing this with now is happily married to a woman who, before the pair of them embarked on a life together, was a repeat recipient of the booty call and good luck to them. And so, here we are again facing the miracle of my disease. Post cancer, not only have I become a "brave and beautiful survivor" my life will be transformed by meaningful encounters with the opposite sex. I am so angry at the hypocrisy of these points of view that I tell my friend where to stick his ill-informed optimism and with some choice swear words abandon my coffee and storm out of the cafe.

My reaction might be unfair, I know he means well. Just as do the messages of hope from my online support groups. They gush about how any man worth his salt will love me for "who I am". Well it's been a struggle to find men of a compatible age who were bowled over by my personality when I had two tits, let alone one. But why does nobody talk about this.

Imagine if you will, you have one tit and you find yourself on a date and it's going well. Perhaps you're having dinner and there's a sparkle in his eye and you're eating off his fork. You might have had a little too much to drink and his keys are on the table as he laughs at all your jokes. The mood is light, a little flirtatious, anything could happen. Do you stop the action right here - drop the cancer bomb and tell him you only have one boob? Maybe that's too soon, so instead you let him drive you home, invite him in for a coffee. Now assuming he hasn't made any early lunges and realised you have one boob (courtesy of a stick on prosthesis) considerably and unnaturally firmer than the other, he settles on your sofa as you boil the kettle. It's Friday night, he says he has no work in the morning, it's a long drive home....is the time ripe now for the cancer bomb? The longer you leave it the harder it gets. What if, in the heat of the moment, you leave it far too late and before you know it undergarments are being removed and fingers are exploring your lady parts. Forgive me for my cynicism here but I'm not convinced that should I find myself in this situation it's my personality that will see me through the shock of the uniboob reveal. What if, God forbid, the sight of my scar poured icy water on a passion that up to that point seemed immense. And so it seems that I am forever destined to bring cancer into the conversation at the earliest opportunity to avoid potential pre-coital alarm and erectile dysfunction. And yet, I am currently at a loss to know how to keep the topic as light and flirtatious as early encounters demand.

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At this stage I have no answers. I am looking for them. I am as yet unsure of how I will meet new men. As "brave and beautiful" as my cancer is deemed to have made me I am conscious of the lack of eligible men of my age looking for women of their own age to date. I am loathe to reduce the probabilities by throwing in a minor disfigurement. If I were to venture online in my search does that mean I have to disclose my boob status in my dating profile for fear of charges of mis-selling? - seems like a potential passion killer to me.

And please don't tell me that boobs don't matter. They do. Shallow as it is, my boobs made me feel sexy and feminine. Now they, or more accurately it, don't.

Answers on a postcard please.
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An Australian teenager stranded in Syria has branded a federal government decision to cancel his passport as "absolutely ridiculous", rejecting claims he planned to participate in politically motivated violence in the war-torn nation.

Queenslander Oliver Bridgeman is currently trapped in Syria where he says he has been doing humanitarian work for almost 12 months.

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The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) cancelled Bridgeman's passport in February after accusing him of engaging in hostile activities in a foreign country and the Australian Federal Police have issued a warrant for his arrest.

Speaking on Muslim internet channel One Path Network, the 19-year-old defended his actions in the war-ravaged country, saying he was in Syria doing humanitarian work.

"This winter we have been very active in distributing much needed supplies, delivering warm jackets, heaters, mattresses to people in refugee camps," he said.

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"We have been actively helping the youth in projects."

He said he did not know why his passport had been cancelled and a warrant issued for his arrest.

"I saw the assessment on why they cancelled my passport and when I looked at what they said, it is absolutely ridiculous," Bridgeman said.

"The claims were something to do with my aid work here and on my Facebook page.

"So when I looked at the claims it was kind of a big joke, I kind of had to laugh myself.

"I have no idea whey they did this, like I said, they basically stated for humanitarian reasons and at the end they included that they thought I was going to participate in political violence, which is obviously not true."

The Queenslander said he felt betrayed by the government and questioned whether the decision was based on his faith.

"Is it because I'm Muslim? I don't know what it is. I think they've painted every Muslim that comes to Syria all with the same brush, that we're all terrorists, when that is quite frankly not the case," he added.

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Bridgeman contrasted his treatment with that of Ashley Dyball who was allowed to reenter Australia after joining a Kurdish military campaign battling Islamic State.

Bridgeman's comments come after his lawyer Alex Jones last month blamed the government for stranding the teenager in Syria.

Jones said the decision to cancel Bridgeman's passport was made when he was organising to come home.

He said Bridgeman could not get across the border and if he did would be in breach of Australian law.

"There is absolutely no evidence Mr Bridgeman had engaged -- or ever intended to engage -- in any unlawful acts while in Syria," he said at the time.

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"We do not understand the point of this. Mr Bridgeman has nothing to hide. His parents have co-operated with authorities during their sons time in Syria and are devastated that he now has no means of returning home to them."

Bridgeman's appearance in the online interview comes ahead of a 60 Minutes investigation into the situation that will air on Sunday night.

Oliver Bridgeman has spent a year in Syria and is suspected of being a terrorist. Now, hes trying to come home.https://t.co/dGmA4h5NoU  60 Minutes Australia (@60Mins) March 11, 2016

The government has previously defended the decision to cancel Bridgeman's passport, saying Australians have been warned not to travel to Syria.

A DFAT spokeswoman would not comment directly on Bridgeman's case but told The Huffington Post Australia the agency was aware an individual in Syria "may be seeking to return to Australia".

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"For privacy reasons, we do not comment on the status of a persons passport," she said.

"It is standard practice to provide Australians who have had their passports cancelled while overseas a temporary travel document to enable them to return to Australia."

She said the government had consistently discouraged Australians from travelling to Syria and Iraq "to participate in hostile activities".


Jennifer Simard as Sister Mary Downy in Disaster!. Photo by: Jeremy Daniel Photography.

On an evening back in 2013, I sat down with my best friend to see a show at St. Luke's Theatre called Disaster!. I had no knowledge of the show beforehand - I had not gotten the tickets and when I'm not reviewing I often like to remain purposefully in the dark if I'm not familiar with a play, as it's somewhat rare that I get to be totally surprised. I walked out of the theatre that night after having laughed so hard I cried. I was particularly blown away by the character of Sister Mary Downy, a nun with a powerhouse voice and brilliant comic timing, played by Jennifer Simard.

So it is that I responded immediately when I saw that Disaster! was making the transfer to Broadway. I couldn't wait to see the show again, especially with the impressive cast of musical theatre veterans that populated the Broadway cast. As excited as I was to see Roger Bart and Adam Pascal back on stage, I was equally thrilled to see that Simard and Seth Rudetsky, who co-wrote the show with Jack Plotnick, would reprise their roles from 2013. It is therefore a very big honor for me to have had the opportunity to talk to Simard about Disaster! and her experience on Broadway.

A trip to the historic Palace Theatre with her parents and brothers in Manchester, New Hampshire marked the moment Simard knew she wanted to be on stage. After cutting her teeth in New England and working her way up in New York City's theatre scene, this talented character actress now finds herself originating a Broadway role for the first time. A few days ago, I got to ask Simard about her current role and what led up to it.

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Bess Rowen: You were a standout back in 2013 when Disaster! was at St. Luke's and now you're stealing the show on Broadway; is Mary Downy as fun to play as she is to watch?

Jennifer Simard: Oh, absolutely. I think it's a good fit, ultimately, for what I do. You know, she has a lot of darkness in her, and my favorite thing about her - and people in general - are the things we find least lovable about ourselves, the dark, nougatey, gooey center. And Mary Downy is one of those people that I think you come across in life and you look at them and say, "wow, what happened to them?" Because she does have some sort of undiagnosed social disorder, a personality disorder, and it's really fun to find those colors every night; and I keep finding things. I am so lucky to work with such experts on stage, because they've actually informed her even more than I imagined, they've helped find new things about her. So it's definitely a team effort.

BR: That's so great. I was going to ask you actually, the show just looks like so much fun to do. I was wondering if you have any particular stories about working with this team - whether that be what you just said, expanding on if there's some sort of new aspect of the character you've found out about, or if there are just hijinks happening during rehearsal or some fun story?

JS: Oh, how funny. Well, as far as hijinks go...I might ask my cast, like a yearbook, "who's most this?" "who's most that?" and as far as who's the funniest, I think most of us would agree that Roger Bart has us in stitches. Backstage and on stage. But backstage, I look forward to seeing Roger every day, because he makes me laugh every single day. And I think Adam Pascal said that as well. He just keeps us rolling, and it's good for morale, because he's just funny, he's just innately funny!

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So as far as hijinks, I can't think of any specifics off of the top of my head...although I've been doing a vlog for broadway.com and I did a whole episode about what are our most irrational fears. And Roger has a fear of balloons...because of the surprising popping noises that they an make. And one day I was about to throw away my balloons that I had gotten from the ladies ensemble and I thought, "oh, wait a minute! I'm going to prank Roger, I'm going to tie them to his chair!" And he was a great sport about it. So, we honestly do have a lot of fun backstage. This cast loves each other; there's no drama, we're just a really happy bunch.

BR: It's really clear too. That's very immediately obvious on stage. I mean the show is very funny as written, but also you have a really great cast at the moment, but that makes it even more fun. [Reference to a particularly brilliant aspect of Bart's performance that I would like to keep a surprise.]

JS: Oh, yeah, absolutely! You know, I have to say that I think Roger has one of the toughest jobs of the show, because it's very difficult to make a villain lovable. And gosh darn it, he succeeds!

BR: He does, yeah, totally! I'm really glad you all like each other. That makes me like the show even more.

JS: Oh yes! You know, everyone has their main scene partners. [...] I do most of my scene work with Faith Prince - the wonderful, the incredible, the genius that is Faith Prince - and the amazingly talented, star, diva, Broadway debut, Lacretta Nicole. And I am so lucky to have them, they make me better every day.

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BR: You've sort of already touched on this, but what's your favorite thing about this part? Is it being able to play that balance of that darkness and the comedy?

JS: My favorite part...yes, I think you just hit the nail on the head. It's that, and it's the fact that I get to sing the way I love to sing, but because of, I think, because of the way I look, I never get the opportunity to. I never get to sing high, scream, belt rock 'n' roll. I love, love, love my Led Zepplin and my Aerosmith, and little old 5' 2" me gets to release my inner Steven Tyler! You know, I don't picture many opportunities in my life to feel like a rock star, so I get to sing that way. So that is an absolute joy for me. Just because of my type, I don't get the chances very much. So that's another guilty pleasure.

BR: Well it's a joy to watch. No guilt involved, no guilt involved.

JS: Okay, okay. I'm Catholic, that's a very tall order, but I'll try.

BR: [...] This isn't the first time you've gotten to play a singing nun on Broadway. You were saying about your particular type, so what do you think it is that keeps bringing you to the singing sisters?

JS: Well, it's funny you should say that. Back in New England, I did Nunsense, back in Boston in the early '90s. In fact, I was doing Nunsense right when I auditioned for Forbidden Broadway, which is the show that brought me to New York City. So I was playing Sister Mary Amnesia in that show, which was just a joy every day, at the Theatre Lobby in the North End in Boston. And I did it in New Hampshire prior to that. Then, of course, I was honored to be in the ensemble of Sister Act. And in that show you wouldn't have heard me as much, because I was, you know, singing, as you do, blending, in a group, but I got to sing high in that show. But I think, a couple things. One, you know, I was raised Catholic and I know my way around nuns! But I think, more than that, I think it's a good fit for my type, my face, who I am. My friend Madeleine Doherty and I used to joke that if you need a nun, a nurse, a maid, or a fishmonger, we're your gals, give us a call! You know, or a whore. There are just certain archetypes that you always need from a character actress's point of view. You know, it's a stock character, so that's probably why.

BR: [...] What do you want people to know about Disaster!?

JS: Oh, that's an excellent question. I'm going to say, in my heart of hearts, what I want them to know, is that I am so deeply proud of Jack Plotnick and Seth Rudetsky. Because these two people had a dream and an idea - and a lot of people have dreams and ideas -these two actually made it happen. They opened their laptops and they started typing. How many times do we all sit there going, "I have the greatest idea for a cabaret show" and you never do it. Or, you know, insert the dream item here. These two are entrepreneurs. And they're brave! Do you know how brave you have to be to put something out there knowing that someone could come with the gavel and say, "no, overruled!" It's very hard to mount a Broadway show. It's basically a game: let's see how many no's we can get. And these two are just driven and persistent.

And that's what I want people to know about Disaster!. Not only is it a great show. I could give you the standard, stock answer about how the show is. I think it speaks for itself. It was a New York Times Critic's Pick, and those two did it. And any sort of success that I have in the show, is because of them, and that's it. And I'll never be able to repay them, and I love them very much.

BR: I'm so glad you took that in that direction. [...] It's good to know that that feeling is on all sides. I firmly agree with you, and I'm really glad that people get to hear that in your words, not mine. My last interview question is always: is there anything else you want us to know? About the show, about anything?

JS: Great. You know what, I will take that offer. One of the things I loved - you know, I don't make the decisions about how the show's marketed and whatnot - and I was so pleased to see in Playbill, in the list of shows, under Broadway shows, things are listed under "Musical" or "Play", that my show, Disaster!, is listed as "Musical Comedy." And, whoever decided that, I actually got a huge smile on my face, and in the classic good old fashioned, musical comedy world, this is what that is. And I don't know about the rest of you, but comedy, to me, can make you cry. You can have tears running down your face. It's cathartic. And you sometimes, I kid you not, you can have real tears of pain, in a good way - of that release. There's one moment in the show that gets a lot of people, including myself every night. And it's such a surprise. But this show is funny, funny, funny, and I love that it is now in the history books, it's opened on Broadway, and it's a musical comedy, so come and laugh! Because, my God we need to. So that's what I want to say. I was so happy to see it on Playbill. I was like, darn right, musical comedy!

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As the results of the elections in the three German Lander (states) are coming in, it is clear that what had been broadly expected has indeed happened. The far right Alternative for Germany (AfD) is the big winner of the elections. But that is also the only really clear lesson so far. Why the AfD has won and, more directly related, at whose expense, will remain unclear until more detailed individual-level voter studies become available.

In the first reports the emphasis is on the gains of the AfD and the losses of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) of Chancellor Angela Merkel, seeing the rise of the anti-immigrant AfD as the backlash to her Willkommenkultur (welcome culture) toward the Syrian refugees. Yet, while it is true that the CDU lost in two of the three states, they only lost big in one. In fact, the three state elections seem to be at least as much guided by state politics as by federal politics.

As a quick background to this new upstart in German politics, the AfD was founded by a group of mostly conservative economists in 2013. It was a soft Eurosceptic party, supporting European integration but opposing the Eurozone. The first election results were encouraging, including 4.7% in the 2013 federal elections (just under the 5% threshold) and 7.1% in the 2014 European elections. But like all parties to the right of the CDU before them, the AfD was soon 'infiltrated' by far right activists, including supporters of the Islamophobic street movement Patriotic Europeans Against the Islamisation of the West (Pegida). Internal pressures came to a blow at the party meeting in 2015, where conservative party leader Bernd Lucke was replaced by the far right Frauke Petry, who made the AfD practically into the party political representative of the broader Pegida movement (without having a formal partnership).

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In this first significant test for the new far right course the AfD achieved its biggest result in Saxony-Anhalt, the only state in the former East to contest elections this weekend. According to ARD predictions the far right party will win 24 percent! Interestingly, the CDU, which governs the state in a Grand Coalition with the center-left Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD), loses only modestly in Saxony-Anhalt (-2.8%). The big losers are the SPD (-11.3%) and the far left Die Linke (The Left), which loses a staggering 8.0% in opposition. The extreme right National Democratic Party of Germany (NPD) also seems to have lost much of its 4.6% of 2011.

In the two western states the successes of the AfD are fairly similar, but the losers are strikingly different. The rich southern state of Baden-Wurttemberg presents the classic pattern: the far right AfD wins big (14.9%) at the expense of the center-right CDU (-12%) and the center-left SPD (-10.4%). However, Baden-Wurttemberg didn't have a Grand Coalition of CDU and SPD but a red-green coalition of SPD-Greens. And the Greens were the second biggest winners this weekend, becoming the biggest party with 30.5% (+6.3%).

Finally, in Rhineland-Palatine the AfD won the least, though still 11.7%, and the main parties lost the least: opposition party CDU lost 3.2% and governmental party SPD won 1.1%! Here the Greens did pay the price for governing (with the SPD), losing two-thirds of its 2011 electorate and falling from 15.4% to 5.2% (-10.2%).

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Senior woman drinking iced water while relaxing on a deckchair in an allotment during late afternoon

The Huffington Post recently posted a column reporting Boomer regrets. The column, Sad Data Reveals Baby Boomers' Biggest Regret Is Not Traveling Enough revealed results of a survey taken by British Airways. The source of the survey alone caused me to be a little suspicious of the outcome. Certainly the airlines want to encourage Boomers, with disposable income, to travel more. But the content did stimulate my thinking to ponder the value of filling our inspirement years acting on lifelong desires.

When my twin daughters were in the second grade, they were asked to draw a picture completing this sentence: "My Mom loves to..." Imagine my surprise when my daughter brought home the completed picture with this sentence: "My Mom loves to work." The accompanying image showed me (wearing my glasses, of course) driving off to work.

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Talk about the sound of one hand clapping!

As a single mother, I did work a lot. And my seven-year-old daughter's prescient characterization of her mother is unchanged. Even in inspirement, I have found a part-time job. Work has always been a big part of my identity where I can use fulfilling activities as outlets for my energy. Currently, I'm generating extra income for our two-retiree household by teaching and scratching my creative itch developing curriculum. It's not a bad arrangement.

A valuable mentor once taught me: 'If you want to know what people value, look at how they dedicate their time.' And it seems like this is the point in our lives, when there is more time behind us than in front of us, to truly obligate energy and resources fulfilling our lifelong dreams.

Certainly, financial capacity has a lot to do with reality. I'm not going to be climbing Mount Everest any time soon. I don't have the desire or financial capacity to do so. But as I encounter other youthful retirees, I see acting on their life priorities leads to a variety of possibilities. Here are some of them:



1. Voracious reading. Kindles have replaced our dusty bookshelves. Even if finances are limited, most public libraries have lending systems for Ebooks. If you still like to hold a book, you can check them out from your local library, plus the used book sections at the Goodwill and Salvation Army thrift stores are great places to spend hours browsing.Note: A local, retired bookseller has a great blog where her retired bloggers review books. I find her website, Bookin' With Sunny a better resource for reading recommendations than the Bestseller lists found in big publications.

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2. Travel. Okay, let's be honest, travel takes money and not all retirees have disposable income. However, there are travel talks at adult learning centers, senior centers and libraries. Also, spending an afternoon watching travel videos on Youtube or Public Television helps scratch the itch to get away, if even for a few hours. Since moving from San Francisco, I occasionally take the Megabus (cheap!) there to see friends or just feel the vibe of the City. We are fortunate to visit our families several times each year, plus we try to plan one bigger trip when we can afford it. (Next year we will have to decide between a trip and a new roof. I already know the outcome.)

3. Time with the Grandkids. I know some grandparents who live for this. I also know working adult parents who couldn't manage without the grandparents to help watch the children. Even though we do not live in the same cities are our grandchildren, we tried to be available to them before they started school. Once the school routines become the priority, juggling visits, overnights and activities becomes tricky. Our grandson is eleven now and has his own cellphone. We love to text each other; email is the electronic communication choice with our granddaughter. Tread lightly with social media. Not all teens and 'tweens want to friend their grandparents on Facebook.

4. Volunteer. Do you love animals? There is a pet shelter that needs you. Are you a retired educator? There is a nonprofit where you could tutor children after school. Are you a retired business professional? There is a nonprofit Board that would maximize your skills. Do you love classical music? Volunteer to be a greeter at concerts (usually includes a concert ticket). Do you like riding bikes? We just discovered a local nonprofit yesterday that specializes in fixing up and selling donated bikes. Politics? Well, this is your year!

5. Lifelong Learning. I saved this category until last because it offers a chance to emphasize cultivating your curiosity. Most major universities have free, special interest classes for Seniors. Keeping your brain active by attending classes and meeting like-minded people has value beyond measure. Lifelong Learning can also stimulate your creativity. Paint. Write. Act. Sing. Perform. Dance. Exercise. It's all there for you.

And it is this last category where I am devoting my time this year. I started a book in 2013, then life interfered. At the start of 2016, I asked myself, 'If not now....when?' This year, I am picking up where I left off, and my goal for 2016 is to finish the book. In the Fall, I will take a month away from home and finalize this work which I want to be part of my legacy.

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NEW YORK, NY - MARCH 13: Peace activists take part in a rally and march against Donald Trump on March 13, 2016 in New York City. The Trump campaign cancelled a recent rally in Chicago after learning hundreds of demonstrators were ticketed for the event. (Photo by Eduardo Munoz Alvarez/Getty Images)

"I'm a unifier," said Donald Trump, the odds-on favorite to be the Republican Party's nominee.

This, coming from the man whom a simple Google search with his name yields countless stories that characterize him as quite the contrary.

Commonly referred to as a divider, a bully, bombastic, someone who embraces scaremongering, is erratic, thin-skinned and a ticking-time bomb, I'm not sure it's conceivable that a statement from "The Donald" could be further from the truth.

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Now, in a perfect world, these descriptions would give credence to the reality that such a candidate was in no way electable to the local School Board -- let alone President of the United States.

That's precisely the problem, because 2016 is anything but perfect, or even close to predictable.

As it's been exhaustingly reported, political gravity and conventional wisdom simply just don't apply to Trump.

Why? Nobody can yet answer such a question. In fact, since the inception of Trump's campaign back in June of 2015, it's been bewildering the brightest political minds in America.

The unorthodox campaign that he is running comes at a time when American's are seemingly more frustrated with Washington and the status quo than nearly any other period in modern history.

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He's brilliantly capitalized on this deep anxiety people are feeling and has built a movement around it.

This Trump coalition is comprised of a far-reaching spectrum of voters. It encompasses evangelical and Tea Party Republicans, moderates and die-hard conservatives, Reagan Democrats, young people, Independents and more. His movement also stretches across every corner of the U.S., from the west to the deep south, and from New England to the industrial midwest.

The depth and breadth of Trump's appeal, both ideologically and geographically, should amplify and intensify the ringing of alarm bells for Democrats as the November election creeps closer by the day.

Unlike the 2016 Democratic primary election, Trump's candidacy has led to soaring voter turnout, reflecting numbers that Democrats generated in 2008 with the historic battle royal between Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton.

Bernie Sanders, who is competing against Clinton this time around, claims that he's constructing a "political revolution" to take on the establishment. The challenge for Sanders and Clinton alike, is that there's no evidence to prove that such a revolution, in terms of turnout, is being crystalized on the Democratic side this cycle.

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While it's true that Sanders has amassed tremendous support from young people and Independents, his numbers among these demographics far underperform those of Obama's from 2008. As for Clinton, she isn't breaking new ground by expanding the Democratic primary electorate. Instead, she's merely turning out traditional Democratic primary voters to run up the delegate score against Sanders in order to capture the nomination.

This turnout dynamic, arguably due to an enthusiasm gap that differentiates Republicans from Democrats this primary season, is only one hurdle that Democrats face when gearing up for the general election.

Another hot-button issue that cuts across party lines and which may play a pivotal role in determining who triumphs in the general election, is trade.

At a time when so many American's are insecure about the economy, trade is a topic at the center of Trump's isolationist economic policy that helped propel him to a commanding victory in a rustbelt state like Michigan.

It's a state where tens of thousands of jobs were shipped overseas due to international trade deals like NAFTA that were supported by President Bill Clinton. In much the same way as Trump, Bernie Sander's used the issue of free trade in Michigan as a wedge issue to separate himself from his opponent. The move helped Sanders secure himself a jaw-dropping, come-from-behind win in the state.

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Why will this issue matter? Because in a presumed Trump and Clinton general election matchup, this potent issue can potentially put historically blue and purple rustbelt states in jeopardy for Democrats. Yes, I'm talking about Michigan, but also states like Pennsylvania and Ohio as well.

As we look further towards the general election, beyond issues like turnout and trade that may cause Democrats heartburn, today's polling data should also be a major point of concern.

Rather than provide analysts with a sneak peak of what's likely to happen on election day with pinpoint and precision-like accuracy, polling this cycle has been all over the map.

On the GOP side, in Iowa, Trump was poised to trounce Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio. Instead, he came in second and only one point ahead of Rubio. On the Democratic side, Nevada was supposed to be a dead-heat between Clinton and Sanders, yet Clinton pulled off a decisive 6-point win.

After Iowa, countless pundits hypothesized that 'The Donald' would reach a ceiling of no more than 35% of the vote in any state. Since then, he's proven nearly every one of these polling predictions wrong.

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For Democrats, last week in Michigan most polls had Clinton up by roughly 20-points over Sanders. Then, in a shocking upset, the Vermont Senator prevailed, stunning everyone in the political universe, especially pollsters.

All these points illustrate the fact that polling this cycle is enormously volatile.

So when we look at last week's NBC/Wall Street Journal poll that found just 25% of all voters nationwide had a positive opinion of Trump, while a significant 64% viewed him negatively, we need to take it with a grain of salt.

Democrats should do the same when examining head-to-head match-ups with Trump versus Clinton or against Sanders where both Democrats clobber the Republican frontrunner in almost every poll released to date.
The "bad boss" has become a comedic part of work culture, permeating movies and television, but when you actually work for a bad boss, there's nothing funny about it.

"People ask the difference between a leader and a boss. The leader leads, and the boss drives." - Theodore Roosevelt

It's obvious that bad bosses hurt your productivity, so what do people working for bad bosses do about it? Not much.

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There are many theories as to why people keep working for bad bosses, ranging from Stockholm Syndrome to company loyalty. Sometimes it's just "comfortable couch" syndrome, where putting in the effort to find a new job seems too overwhelming.

The problem is that the longer you stay with an abusive boss, the harder it becomes to convince yourself to leave and the bigger the toll it takes on your mind, body, and family. That's why it's important to know how to recognize the signs of a bad boss early on before you're sucked in so deeply that it's hard to leave. Here are some critical things to watch out for.

Belittling. Sometimes it's necessary for bosses to deliver feedback about your performance that isn't easy to hear. But some of them give you the strong impression that they enjoy it. They don't just give you important feedback, they relish the act of putting you in your place--even more so if they have an audience. While you don't necessarily want a boss who can't deliver tough feedback, you definitely don't want to work for someone who enjoys criticizing and blaming. If that's the kind of boss you have, get out quickly, for the sake of your health.

Temper tantrums. Like everyone else, bosses have bad days. Pressure might make your boss lose his temper, but that shouldn't be happening on a regular basis. If your boss flies off the handle anytime something doesn't go exactly the way he wants it to, it's time to reconsider your employment. Whether it's directed at you, his bosses, or just the forces of nature, tantrums set a negative emotional tone that reverberates throughout your workplace. They make people timid and cautious. People stop speaking up and sharing their creative ideas because they're afraid they're going to get slapped back down. If you hear your boss yelling down the hall, and instead of thinking 'What in the world is going on?' you're thinking 'Here we go again,' then it's time to move on.

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Unreasonable expectations. Some bosses see their employees the same way that young children see their teachers--as having no identity outside of their work. They can't quite wrap their minds around the importance of family obligations, hobbies, or anything else outside of the office that doesn't serve them. These are the bosses that expect you to put in unreasonable hours that serve little purpose. If you get the feeling that you're disappointing your boss every time you leave for the day, then you're working in an unhealthy environment.

Failure to lead by example. If there's one thing that drives almost all employees crazy, it's a boss who doesn't walk the talk. It's extremely difficult to feel inspired and to take your job seriously when the person who sets your standards doesn't live up to those expectations herself. If your boss is a hypocrite, it's time to go.



Bringing It All Together

Having a bad boss is more than just irritating--it can cause very real damage to your mental and physical health. So, if you've got a bad boss, stop telling yourself to buck up. Instead, do an objective tally of the toll it's taking on you, and, if it's time to go, get busy today.
For many of us, 2016 began with a promise -- a promise that this year we will accomplish that which has eluded us. Often it's the everyday things that prove most difficult -- managing your schedule, treating people the way you ought to, and keeping things in perspective when chaos is at hand.

The sad truth is that nearly 80% of us fell off the resolution bandwagon by Super Bowl Sunday; and by this time next year, a mere 8% of us will have succeeded in reaching our goals.

There are two reasons why we're so bad at reaching our goals:

The first is that we bite off more than we can chew. It may seem reasonable to pick up three or four new skills to add to your repertoire, but that's an expectation the mind can't execute. When we try to develop too many new skills at once, they become competing priorities that leave us distracted, discouraged and overwhelmed.

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The second reason most self-improvement efforts are doomed to fail is that our emotions have a nasty habit of hijacking our behavior. Without a strong ability to recognize and manage our emotions as they occur, old habits are sure to die hard.

The Good News

The good news is that you can address both problems and make the changes you desire by resolving this year to develop a single skill -- emotional intelligence (EQ).

Piles of research over the last two decades has shown that emotional intelligence is likely the single most powerful success factor yet discovered, affecting everything from your performance at work, to your mood and the quality of your personal life.

We've tested emotional intelligence alongside 33 other critical skills and found that it subsumes the majority of them. It's no wonder that 90% of top performers are high in EQ and people with high EQs make $28,000 more annually than their low EQ counterparts (Source: Emotional Intelligence 2.0).

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But how does emotional intelligence play such a large role in so many important skills? Our brains are wired such that emotions are the root of all human behavior. Whether we're aware of it or not, the motivation behind every action (no matter how small) is inherently emotional.

Here's how it works:

All of your primary senses enter at the base of your brain (the light blue shaded area below). Before you can think rationally about what you're experiencing, these signals must travel through the limbic system--the place where emotions are generated. This ensures you have an emotional reaction to events first.

Emotional intelligence ensures effective communication between the rational and emotional centers of your brain. As you improve your emotional intelligence, you improve your ability to understand and control the primary motivations for your behavior, which reaps dividends in everything you do every day. Emotional intelligence is powerful and efficient--it allows you to focus your energy on a single skill with tremendous results.



What Does Emotional Intelligence Look Like?

Emotional intelligence is the "something" in each of us that is a bit intangible. It affects how we manage behavior, navigate social complexities, and make personal decisions that achieve positive results. Emotional intelligence is made up of four core skills that pair up under two primary competencies: personal competence and social competence.

Personal competence comprises your self-awareness and self-management skills, which focus more on you individually than on your interactions with other people. Personal competence is your ability to stay aware of your emotions and manage your behavior and tendencies.

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Self-Awareness is your ability to accurately perceive your emotions and stay aware of them as they happen.

Self-Management is your ability to use awareness of your emotions to stay flexible and positively direct your behavior.

Social competence is made up of your social awareness and relationship management skills; social competence is your ability to understand other people's moods, behavior, and motives in order to respond effectively and improve the quality of your relationships.

Social Awareness is your ability to accurately pick up on emotions in other people and understand what is really going on.

Relationship Management is your ability to use awareness of your emotions and the others' emotions to manage interactions successfully.

While working on your emotional intelligence will improve a lot of different skills, there are five in particular that people tend to set goals around when the year changes. I'll explain how you can improve each of these skills solely by focusing on your emotional intelligence.

Time Management

In this age of abundance, time is the one thing nobody has enough of. Perhaps that's why Google receives 111 million searches a month for Time Management. Few people recognize how time management depends upon the emotional intelligence skills of self-management and relationship management.

Creating a good schedule is a very rational thing, but sticking to that schedule is decidedly emotional. Many of us start out every day with the best intentions to manage our time wisely. But then we receive a complicated email from a co-worker, a consuming phone call from a friend, or otherwise get sidetracked until our well-laid plans go up in flames. We spend the rest of the day trying to put out somebody else's fire, or working to resolve issues that weren't there in the morning. Before you know it, the day is gone and you're completely off schedule.

When the distractions are your own, sticking to a schedule requires self-management. When the needs of others try to impede upon your plans, it takes effective relationship management to finesse the relationship while ensuring that your priorities are still addressed.

Embracing Change

Show me somebody who claims to love change, and I'll show you a well-intentioned liar. Change is uncomfortable for everyone at times, and for many of us it makes our skin crawl. Those who apply well-honed self-awareness and self-management skills tolerate change much more successfully than others. Self-awareness enables you to adjust comfortably to change because it gives you the perspective needed to realize when change is coming and how it's affecting you.

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Self-management keeps you cool in the moment--often with a reminder that even the most stable, trusted facets of your life are not completely under your control. Those most averse to change, who possess great self-awareness and self-management skills, even set aside a small amount of time each week to list possible changes and what actions they can take in response.

Assertiveness

Emotional intelligence is commonly mistaken as a synonym for "nice." In fact, the most emotionally intelligent response is often one where you openly and directly express yourself. To paraphrase Aristotle, getting angry is easy. Getting angry with the right person, at the right time, and to the right degree requires emotional intelligence. Emotional intelligence doesn't allow lashing out, or making yourself into someone else's doormat. To be assertive, you have to know what you're feeling, read the other party accurately, and express yourself in a way that garners the best result. People with high EQs do this naturally.

Making Great Decisions

It has taken the world far too long to wake up to the fact that emotions simply cannot--and should not--be ignored when making decisions. Neuroscience shows us that sometimes the most rational thing you can do is trust your emotions when making a decision. But in order to make this work, you have to be aware of the emotions you're feeling, know why you're having them, and see how they factor into the situation at hand. Here, there is no substitute for emotional intelligence.

Giving Outstanding Presentations

Few things strike primal fear in people like standing under the spotlight in a room full of people. Even the most eloquent among us can be reduced to spewing verbal garbage once the sheer anxiety of public speaking takes hold. That's why a knock-'em-dead presenter's most inspiring presentation is often the one he delivers to himself. A bit of positive self-talk--reminding himself of all the times he has succeeded and how qualified he is to speak on the topic--enables the effective speaker to use his performance anxiety to sharpen his focus and make him more articulate. If you think that's silly, then you probably haven't tried it. Emotional intelligence doesn't just make you aware of your emotions; it equips you with strategies for keeping them from holding you back.

Bringing It All Together

Give improving your emotional intelligence a real shot in 2016. You'll be surprised where it takes you.

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Too big to fail companies are not limited to the financial sector. Entire swaths of the economy are dominated by large corporate entities encountering very little competition. Three forces drive voter rage.

1. Private Sector Misfeasance

Corporate consolidations coupled with heavy legislative lobbying at state and federal level force workers to do more for effectively less. The minimum wage is not adjusted for cost of living while employers feel no competitive pressure to increase wages.

Truck drivers, much like other U.S. workers, chose to become effectively serfs. Once long ago, I was a card-carrying member of the Teamsters Union. Back then truckers generally drove the proper speed; had very good pay and much respect.

Then the government forced deregulation and allowed unions to be literally crushed. If workers refuse to join together, they will hang separately which is precisely what happened. Once the government allowed a race to the bottom in wages and safety regulations, nearly every company was forced to join the race to bottom wages and high corporate profits for survival.



Republicans and conservatives in Congress allowed corporations to force policy changes on individual states removing any chance of safe and sane laws. What works on the high plains with straight roads and little traffic does not work in crowded, older, urban areas with narrow roads and high volume traffic.

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2. Stagnant or reduced wages and pensions -- fear

Yes, Donald Trump feeds the monsters of hate and division. However, his real success is built upon worker outrage. Conservatives and others see their dreams of retirement fade away as the years pile up and their savings dwindle. Bitter indeed is the worker who bought the anti-union rhetoric and toiled in the factories and workshops of Middle America believing that their ship would come in -- too many ships, not enough ocean.

Many Americans are facing pensions that may be a meager social security check and little else. Their children, many of whom believed conservative elites that college was not needed, now see younger, better educated people grabbing the high paying jobs. Of course, those same Republican and conservative elites sent their children to the finest colleges available.

3. Higher state and local taxes coupled with artificially higher private sector costs

Industry "consolidations" enable entire sectors of the economy to increase profits while decreasing wages and benefits.

Loan industries, from so called payday loans to education loans, are seen to be rapacious. Working class people are essentially saddled with debt for most of their lives. Senator Bob Casey, sponsoring the "In the Red Act" legislation to address college affordability, provided this information:

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Low-income graduates (those who received a Pell Grant while in school) borrow at far higher rates--and in higher amounts--than their middle- and upper-income counterparts at both two- and four-year institutions, regardless of the type of institution attended and despite receiving thousands of dollars in grant aid. A full 84 percent of graduates who received Pell Grants graduate with debt, compared to less than half (46%) of non-Pell recipients. This shift places an unequal burden on communities that have historically been denied an opportunity to gain and leverage wealth.

Being lower income is expensive but not just for education.

Both cable and telephone conglomerates effectively stifle competition and divide markets between them. An example in my region, Verizon Fios is not available in the entire market area while cable companies reign nearly supreme. The result is a less economically competitive business environment. Local economies become competitively disadvantaged through "less than highest speed" internet; communications companies maintain high profitability. Politicians are silent in the face of deliberate inaction by corporations.

U.S. airline companies and their partners appear to have eliminated real competition in both U.S. and foreign markets. The result is high profits but even higher costs and worse service for their customers while employees' wages and benefits are crushed -- they have nowhere else to go. The passengers are often in the same situation.

In the absence of either unions or a government maintaining a level playing field, we reap a nation of serfs. It is not just trucking but nearly every industrial sector from retail to aviation where quality suffers yet profits soar. Why Donald Trump or Bernie Sanders? Why not? If government will not respond -- shake it hard. This is why Trump and Sanders are getting so much attention.

Wage equity is not enough. Competition, government regulation and/or a combination of both is necessary to restore the US economy and pride. The trouble with laissez faire capitalism is it fails faster than communism, ending in oligopoly. Here we are. What happens next?
I don't know whether the County seeded the clouds like they did last week to cause yesterday's downpour but it sure made today's tree planting easier.

This morning I was in a neighborhood I don't get to too often. 77th Street and Hoover in South LA. The occasion was a tree planting and City Plants tree giveaway at Loren Miller Elementary School kicking off the City of LA's Arbor Day celebrations.



City Plants is a public-private partnership between the City of Los Angeles, local non-profit organizations, community groups, residents and businesses. The group's mission is to expand and maintain LA's green canopy, with a particular focus on communities like South LA.

In addition to City Plants, the event featured LA Mayor Eric Garcetti, Councilmember Marqueece Harris-Dawson and other dignitaries and neighborhood residents happy to be out on a beautiful Spring day planting trees and learning about the importance of greening LA to help combat global warming.

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As the Mayor reminded us, tree planting and the removal of concrete to make room for the trees helps cool the street and gives the rainwater that does fall in our still droughtstricken region a chance to percolate into the ground rather than run down our sewers and flood channels to the sea.

Like CicLAvia, LA's quarterly miles-long block party, which knocked it out of the park again last week (in the northern San Fernando Valley) by enabling Angelenos from all corners of the region to explore the streets together car-free, tree plantings and events like today's unite us as a city.

Coming on the heels of yesterday's near riot at a Donald Trump hatefest in Chicago, the contrast between today and the loathing sewn by Trump wherever he goes could not have been greater.

After the speeches, I joined Koreatown Youth & Community Center (KYCC) and a group of students from Mount Saint Mary's University planting shade trees along Hoover. Special thanks to KYCC's Ryan Allen for the tutorial on how to plant trees the right way before we got started!

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After the tree planting, I came home with one of City Plants' beautiful free apricot seedlings which is already in the ground.
Dear Secretary Clinton,

With your recent statement about the legacy of Nancy Reagan so fresh in my mind, I am writing to ask you to do something more than tweet an apology to my community. I'm asking you to do something about HIV/AIDS, something no candidate has yet committed to doing, and no POTUS has been able to do so far--end the HIV/AIDS epidemic.

The Reagans had a unique position in history, they could have turned the tide on AIDS, but they didn't. What they did, and what they said, is shameful--and as you know during their time in office thousands of Americans died. Since then, America has lost well over 650,000 to AIDS. And the death toll, and the toll on this nation, has not changed in thirty-five years. The toll on black gay men, on homeless youth, on transgender women--these are real people facing profoundly higher risk today--when we have treatment that could save our lives, and socio-economic barriers blocking access, we need a POTUS who will lead us out of this miasma of suffering--the exact opposite of the Reagan administration.

When Martin Shkreli raised the price of an HIV drug at Turing Labs, you rightly went mad with rage. Shkreli was roundly criticized, arrested for fraud, and your rival Bernie Sanders took the check Shkreli gave his campaign and gave it to an HIV Clinic. In 2016, you have raised more campaign cash from large pharmaceutical companies than any other candidate. When do you return that check? Prove to us what you have insisted all along, that money cannot buy your vote--prove this by making a commitment to ending HIV/AIDS.

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It's time to talk about Gilead Sciences--maker of Truvada (PrEP)--and the prices Gilead is charging for this drug, and all of their HIV/AIDS medications. It's time for a candidate to challenge Gilead about their pricing of Harvoni, a cure for Hep-C. The single largest impediment to access to treatment for HIV and Hep-C patients is the prices Gilead charges for their drugs. It's time to ask why Congress is not investigating Gilead. It's time to threaten revocation of patents, break up their monopoly on HIV, if Gilead does not make these life saving treatments available to all. We can no longer allow one company to control five out of six of the first line patents for HIV treatment, and the only known prophylaxis for HIV--Truvada. It's time to rein in Gilead's price lock on our lives.

When the U.S. Senate, in a bi-partisan investigation of Gilead's pricing of Sovaldi, condemned the company and found evidence that Gilead priced their drugs in a manner that would assure no end to Hep-C--no one budged. No candidate stumped, and no one screamed but those of us who rely on Gilead drugs for our lives. Like the 1980's, we are shouting in a vacuum all over again--prove to me that someone is listening and condemn Gilead Sciences. Talk about PrEP, PEP, and TASP, and you will flout Nancy Reagan's bitter legacy.

I am asking you to not only revise your thinking about the Reagans, I am asking you to go one better and commit to ending HIV/AIDS and Hep-C. This you must do, because you can--because the tools and treatments are available--what we lack is leadership and focus--access and accountability. It would be the best way to assure my community you mean business when you say you misspoke about Nancy Reagan, and that you not only want our vote--you'll fight for it.

I have been fighting for my life since Reagan was in office. I remember the conversation about AIDS Nancy Reagan started--I remember the dark black wind of nothingness. I remember watching my young friends die, their bodies loaded into lawn and leaf bags and dragged to Potter's Field. And as the years past and the Reagans silence roared, it grew dense, it echoed like a fallen tree in a primeval forest where no one heard. As a result of the inaction from the Reagan administration over thirty-five million people are infected with HIV, and forty million have died worldwide.

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Nancy Reagan's AIDS legacy was nonexistent--she started nothing--in a letter to Rock Hudson's friend she pined: "I cannot do something for him that I wouldn't do for anyone else." And she was right--she did nothing for him, and she did nothing for anyone else. I urge you to remember that history, never forget it, as I cannot forget thirty-five years later. I dream of dead flowers, I dream of it ending, and I urge you to do something more than tweet an apology--talk about AIDS, talk about drug pricing and access to healthcare for all people at risk for the virus. Talk about what you're going to do--then do it.
If the Islamic State's brutal activities were confined to its original home in Iraq and Syria, a minimal amount of optimism on the part of counterterrorism strategists might be justified. Air strikes by the United States and its allies have taken their toll, not only in reducing the number of IS fighters in the field, but also in damaging its administrative infrastructure, such as by blowing up some of its money warehouses.But the residual strength of the Islamic State is its ability to metastasize. It has an estimated 6,500 fighters in Libya, it is actively recruiting in Pakistan, it is competing for influence with the Taliban in Afghanistan, and it has alliances of sorts with terrorist groups ranging from central Africa to Southeast Asia.And yet, we hear from top officials in the U.S. government, such as Special Presidential Envoy Brett McGurk, that the "caliphate is shrinking." In truth, it is expanding and becoming more dangerous. Consider the threat to Tunisia, which is the one country to emerge from the "Arab spring" on a path toward democracy. IS operatives from Libya have infiltrated into Tunisia, where a March 7 attack by IS gunmen left at least 53 dead.The Obama administration is considering a campaign of air strikes to hit IS in Libya. That is a tactical response, not a strategy. So too is the notion that the United States and its allies can kill IS fighters faster than the organization can recruit new ones. There is no evidence, outside the Iraq/Syria theater of operations, that this is happening.

Over the long term, it will be crucial to turn off the IS recruiting faucet. Doing so will require counterterrorism officials to better understand that that the "snuff videos" for which IS has become so well-known are not the principal enlistment tools. Rather, than "come kill" the strongest message is "come build the caliphate."

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Idealism, however misplaced, is more powerful than bloodthirstiness, and it must be offset by counter-messaging. This in turn requires undermining the notion that the ummah -- the global community of 1.6 billion Muslims -- is under siege by the West. As was the case with Al Qaeda before it, the Islamic State has been successful in selling this idea to young Muslims for whom their faith is the most stable part of their lives. (And it should be noted that the U.S. presidential campaign provides daily reinforcement for the IS message.)

The IS leaders are not stupid. They will deploy their assets in ways that will limit the damage that can be done by conventional military operations. Defeating the Islamic State must occur on other battlegrounds, such as the realms of social media and public diplomacy. As of now, anti-IS countermeasures on this terrain have been puny compared to the masterful manipulation by IS proselytizers. To put this in terms U.S. officials might understand, we need a surge of media content, crafted by indigenous sources, that will be delivered at such a volume and with such forceful content that the lies of the Islamic State can be drowned out.
The radar of crises and settlements recorded this week an instance of Turkish-Iranian coordination to resolve crises in the Middle East through "gradual steps," especially in Syria. Prime Minister Ahmed Davutoglu communicated to Tehran his country's willingness to help broker Saudi-Iranian reconciliation, wishing at the same time upon Iran to help de-escalate Russian-Turkish tensions, especially with regard to Syria. At the same time, Turkey has sought a controversial deal regarding curbing the flow of Syrian refugees crossing its territory in return for expediting EU accession talks and exempting Turkish nationals from entry visas to European countries. The radar also recorded a breakthrough in Yemen, with a Houthi delegation visiting Saudi Arabia for the first time since the Saudi-led Arab coalition intervened in Yemen against Houthi rebels and forces loyal to deposed President Ali Abdullah Saleh. However, amid the optimism over this breakthrough concerning negotiations on a ceasefire along the Saudi-Yemeni border, Brigadier General Masoud Jazayeri, deputy chief of staff of the Iranian armed forces, suggested Iran could support the Houthis in a similar way it has backed President Bashar al-Assad's forces in Syria, by sending military advisers to Yemen. Iran's roles in Syria and Yemen lead to the third issue this week, namely, Lebanon. Lebanon is a hostage to regional powers on the one hand, but on the other, has become a basket case of a corrupt political class amid polemics and policies that seem to abide by no ethical limit - from drowning the country in garbage, the prevention of the election of a president, and the deliberate assassination of downtown Beirut to implicating Lebanon in others' wars, and childish gambits by most leaders that are further destroying the country.

Let's start with Yemen. An understanding there would have implications that go beyond the scope of the war there. Practically speaking, Yemen would be a testing ground for the intentions of regional and international players. UN envoy, Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed, has been working on arranging meetings and direct face-to-face negotiations between the Saudi-led coalition and the Houthis. He has relied on the Omani channel repeatedly to facilitate and secure agreement on pushing forward negotiations towards a political settlement in Yemen, which the parties seem to be ready for now more than any time before in the past.

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The Iran-backed Houthi group sent a delegation to the southern Saudi border to negotiate with Saudi leaders on ending the war "once and for all", according to the Yemeni Information Minister Mohammed Qubati. This was the first visit of its kind and coincided with relative calm along the Saudi-Yemeni border and a reduction in the number of strikes carried out by the coalition in Sanaa. According to an official in the Houthi delegation, the visit was at the invitation of Saudi officials, following secret week-long preparatory talks. The purpose of the visit was to negotiate a ceasefire along the border but without a ceasefire applying to cities. As for the direct negotiations the UN envoy hopes to restart, they are set to be held in Geneva between March 24 and 26.

A short while ago, signs emerged of increased US and Russian keenness on paving the way for a strategy to end the Yemeni war, based on the priorities of Saudi national security along the border with Yemen. Both powers have helped the Saudi-led coalition with crucial intelligence. But both fear the war could allow al-Qaeda to regroup and regain its influence in Yemen, and also ISIS to capitalize on the chaos to gain a foothold in Yemen.

Neither Washington nor Moscow accept for Saudi national security to be threatened through Yemen. They do not share the view of the hardliners in Tehran and their partners like Hezbollah, whose secretary general recently vowed not to remain silent in Yemen and to "continue" what he is doing there, in reference to his continued involvement in the war alongside the Houthis in Yemen.

Brigadier General Masoud Jazayeri's remarks to the Tasnim news agency regarding the possibility that Iran could send advisers to assist the Houthis is very serious, because it is an implicit acknowledgement of what Iran is doing militarily in the Yemeni war. He said Iran feels it is its duty to assist the Yemeni people in any way possible and at any level needed. This was in response to a question about Tehran's willingness to send military advisers to assist the Houthis in the war.

The Iranian general's remarks coincided with the Hezbollah chief's public escalation last week. So either this is the position of the Islamic Republic that made Hassan Nasrallah volunteer his declaration without hesitation, or this is the position of the hardliners in the Iranian regime, offset by the official silence on the important negotiations taking place under international auspices amid a US-Russian keenness on having them succeed.

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Regardless of which possibility is closer to reality, it is time for the ruling class in Iran that claims to be moderate and to be pursuing a new direction to adopt positions that rein in the hawkishness of hardliners, especially in Arab arenas. Iran's testing of ballistic missiles and warnings to the "enemies of the revolution" is to remind everyone of the strength of the hardliners and their intention to escalate on all levels, to reassert their position and influence in the regime in Tehran. It is possible the decision to escalate against Saudi Arabia out of Lebanon was made by this front. If the moderate front is serious, it must prove this in both the Yemeni and Lebanese arenas, especially since the Syrian and Iraqi arenas are more difficult because of the insistence of the Revolutionary Guards and their allies to make gains on the ground there no matter what.

It may be that Yemen will be a stop for Saudi-Iranian accords that would gradually de-escalate conflicts in the region, the price for which is being paid by the Arab states and peoples. It may be too that moderate forces will be able to rein in the escalation undermining Lebanon's stability and economy. If the Yemen stop proves difficult, then Lebanon may be more amenable for Saudi-Iranian confidence building measures. While the international decision, especially the US-Russian decision, may be to help end the war in Yemen, the decision by these countries to prevent a military conflagration in Lebanon may not be enough. Instead, they must immunize it against regional and local escalation, rather than leaving Lebanon prey to it.

Clearly, most leaders in Lebanon have lost regional and international respect over their childish political games. It is time for these leaders to quit their greed and insolence. Their beautiful country, blessed by God with a dazzling natural landscape, has become the subject of ridicule around the world. How is it possible to explain the scandals and fraud in the waste management issue, and the farce of the presidential elections, not to mention the declaration of war by a local militia against a major Arab country after it fought proxy wars on behalf of Iran in Syria, Iraq, and Yemen?

Not long ago, downtown Beirut was a testament to rebirth from ruins. It was a place for children's laughter and grownups' hopes, and for youthful passion for opening cafes and restaurants and charting out a prosperous future. But today, it is a fortified military zone allegedly for the protection of parliament from protesters against the garbage crisis. But how can the crime of killing Beirut's commercial heart be justified using the pretext of protecting parliament, which is illegitimate to begin with? Indeed, the Lebanese deputies had renewed their own term, yet they refuse to attend sessions to elect a president, citing a so-called constitutional right to boycott the vote. It is therefore a lie to claim that the reason for killing Beirut's city center has to do with security. It is a willful decision, but a decision by whom and for what purpose? Those behind it know the answer very well.

Any Lebanese deputy who walks on the streets of Beirut without feeling guilty has no conscience. People's livelihoods have been crushed, the economy has been strangled, and the dreams and ambitions of youths have been deliberately destroyed. Enough corruption. But it is also time for the parents of young protesters to stop criticizing them for having been infiltrated by political parties, which discredited them. It is time for parents to quit their complacency and their concern for their privileges, and rise up instead of bowing down to leaders while complaining about the failure of their children to challenge these types that are making the country rottener.

The sin in Lebanon is not purely Lebanese; it is also regional. If the dash to rearrange regional and international relations is truly serious, Lebanon must not be forgotten.

We are being told that the US-Russian decision is pushing for de-escalation in Syria through a ceasefire. Some are saying it is tactical and provisional, while others are hoping for the decision for a political settlement to be serious. What we are witnessing on the level of Iranian-Turkish relations indicates that the two countries want to benefit from US-Russian partnership in Syria to reconsider their relations both in strategic terms and in terms of the situation in Syria.

The visit by the Turkish prime minister to Tehran last week sought to enhance security, political, and economic cooperation between the two countries, and to promote bilateral understandings in light of talk of federalism in Syria and the two countries' concerns regarding a possible Russian and US reward to the Kurds in Syria and Iraq, which would no doubt affect Kurds in Turkey and Iran.

Ankara finds itself in a confrontational relationship with Moscow due to their deeply conflicting policies in Syria but also for other bilateral issues. Tehran welcomes what it sees as a change in Turkey's approach to the Syrian crisis, in light of the clarity of a US-Russian partnership on the Syrian issue.

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Al-Hayat's correspondent in Tehran, Mohammad Saleh Sedkian, quoted an informed Iranian source as saying that Davutoglu's visit will help steer the climate in the region towards more stability and security, noting that Tehran wants balanced relations with all neighbors. The source said Davutoglu asked Tehran to mediate to help mend relations with Moscow, in return for Ankara doing the same for Iranian-Saudi relations. Apparently, Iran is fine with both.

This is interesting, especially if we take into account the remarks by Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir during the Gulf Cooperation Council meeting, stating that Riyadh was ready for rapprochement with Tehran as a neighbor, if it changes its aggressive behavior.

Informed sources attributed this to the coming turn in Saudi-Iranian relations, based on separating pressure on Iran from pressure on Hezbollah, and separating developments and escalations with Hezbollah from normalizing relations with Tehran based on the latter changing its behavior in Yemen, Iraq, Syria, or Lebanon. In other words, the Gulf decision is to ignore Hassan Nasrallah's invitation to a duel, and to bypass it by reining it in another place unrelated to the countries concerned, Lebanon or Iran.
My Answer is yes and no - Here is why.

After living in Miami for over 20 years, I would say yes. But when I first arrived in Florida, and drove that long skinny road down to the final and southernmost destination in the USA, I did not even think it was that pretty.

I had seen nicer roads when leaving in California before Florida. And I had definitely experienced much better beaches in many parts of the country. The Keys do not stand out for beautiful beaches -- a few locations are quite nice and sandy, but this is not why one goes to the Keys.

It's just about 165 miles from Miami to Key West (180 miles from my house) and any map will tell you it's a 3 to 4 hour drive, but in fact it never is. Unless you trace that road in the middle of the night on a Tuesday, it will never be a 3-hour drive but more like five hours, should you stop for gas and a cold drink. And it does not matter if you drive a fast Jaguar, it's not you, it's all the other incidentals.

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First, you must take into account that there is only one road to go south, and even though it will take you there, it will never be free of cars or monumental vehicles such as boats on trailers or humongous RVs. So that's one thing. I have yet to see one of those large campers go at 55 miles per hour. True, the road is not adapted to speeding for them. So you might get stuck behind a large piece of the moving kind for long stretches.

My first secret is to take the Card Sound, as soon as you leave Florida City, look to your left after the last chain hotel and the road will take you off the traditional causeway going to the Keys onto a left detour -- that never says where it goes, but trust me, it goes. It cuts the causeway drive to bring you at the entrance to Key Largo, at the very same point the causeway ends.

So if you want to go all the way down to the finale destination, Key West, it is surely not a day trip, as it may take you five hours to get down. A full weekend is better. The leisurely pace of the islands is going to take over your time, and nothing will be done quickly anymore for the rest of your visit here.

The detour way is exactly the same distance than via the causeway, but very few drivers use it; even some Miami natives do not know this way. And at night, with zero city lights, the most magnificent stargazing experience is there, just look up. Technically, the first so-called Key should be Key Biscayne, but that island is so much part of the city of Miami, it's more like a chic suburban place than a wild spot.

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Having done the road to the Keys so many times, I can tell you that the most beautiful parts are not visible from the main US 1. You need to turn left or right to a side part to see what the islands are all about: water -- on the left the Atlantic Ocean, on the right the Gulf of Mexico, as you head south from Miami. You know what they say: it's the journey that counts, not the destination!

All along the main road (US 1), you will see the mile markers used to indicate the location of a hotel or an attraction -- Keys people say "I live at MM 84", they don't use addresses for directions, unless they want to send you off the main road. Mile zero is Key West. Several majestic bridges linking the islands will certainly draw justified wows of wonderment.

My Main Squeezes.

Key Largo: this is really a fishing heaven, but since none of us fish, I'll skip that part. Instead head to the John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park, where you can dive down 25 feet to reach the giant Christ of the Abyss sculpture, one of three such copies.

Islamorada: the town calls itself the Fishing Capital of the World. Go watch the massive beasts -- aka the giant tarpons coming to feed every day at Robbie's marina , an amazing ballet of schools of fish coming for crumbs and getting so fat! There is a charge of $1 to walk on the pier.

Big Pine Key: this is where the tiny Deer Key can be spotted, sometimes too close to the road. I know of a thrift store off the main US 1 that has plenty of such visitors by the side of their building, even though they never leave food out. You can never plan on seeing the adorable agile creatures; they are wild and come as they please.

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Bahia Honda: The Sate Park here is such a treat for us! This is our favorite beach. We always walk pass the obvious first stretch of sand with parking spaces where most people stay and head instead to the left for a 15-minute walk on the sand, after the curve of the island to find the most pristine waters and some shade under palm trees. We even had a family tree there for many years, where all my kids used to climb and hang with their feet in the water. After a few hurricanes, the naked tree is finally gone.

Key West: the southernmost point of the continental United States is there, with a perfect anchor-like buoy to show you. That's right, you cannot go any further down than that, and on clear nights, it's supposed to be possible to see the halo of lights from Cuba in the sky. Rafters and boat people rarely make it there though, as the currents of the strait usually pushes them further up the Florida coast, around Fort Lauderdale or Palm Beach.

The ceremonial of watching the sunset in Key West is more like a circus event, with food, clowns, street tricks, fire eaters, booths of hippie jewelry, and savant dogs showing their tricks. I prefer to watch the sun hitting the horizon line in a deserted area, where the purples and oranges of the sky cannot be spoiled by fire tricks and smoking demonstrations. But it is a popular sight, and if you will be in KW just once, go ahead and watch the ceremony.

It is Addicting in a Way.

It's the laid back charm that gets you, and it's called the Keys disease. I definitely got it after a few trips, but it took me a while to get in the trance and find it nice. I still take my French friends and family down south, and they don't see why I like it so much. I guess they need to relax.

The sometimes distressed look of the Victorian architecture brought in by the first Bahamian inhabitants, the many dilapidated wooden house - albeit very expensive - is sometimes a sad thing to see, but the true nature of the Keys is really to enjoy the water, the sun, and the relaxed ways of the locals. "Don't worry be happy" was surely created for the people of the Keys.

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I am not a supporter of animals' water parks or dolphins' encounters, but the Keys have plenty of that of course, which I have not visited. With the weather constant between 70 and 90 degrees, with a couple of spikes in either direction, the climate here is indeed ideal, that you can count on. Hurricanes do come between June and October, but you will know about it days in advance and will easily escape them.

So should you visit? Yes, if you have time and are ready to relax and let go with no schedule and no tight social rules. No, if you only have one day to spare, are hurried tourists, or have expectations of any kind. This is a tropical paradise, and as such, the main goal is to have fun, drink rum and enjoy the music.
"QUIET ON SET!"

Someone usually yells that out before we shoot a take. Everybody takes their place, technicians gather around a monitor inspecting the details and filming begins.

Now imagine moving that shoot to a street, where you don't actually have the permission to shoot. Then put that shoot on an expensive BMW car you don't own and can't afford to damage, on a road you don't have permission to shoot on, with equipment that costs ten times more than the net worth of your whole life. There's no "Quiet on Set" because it's not a set, and because you can't afford to designate one person to do that job. Our crew was tiny and a lot of things just had to be done away with.

No director wants to shoot a film this way, but I knew this was the only way for us to make this film.

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Titled LOEV (and pronounced "love"), the film is about three men, friends, trying to understand and negotiate the boundaries between friendship and love. It's a small, fragile, honest film that tries to capture the silences and the things unsaid in male friendships, and it tries to give you a real look into what upper class Mumbai is really like.

It's honest and confessional, and I only had the courage to write it because I didn't think it would even get made. The idea that local actors with Bollywood aspirations would play a gay part in a first time director's film or the idea that local investors and producers would want to be part of a film that is sure to get censored or banned in its home country isn't realistic. Just to put Indian censorship in context, James Bond wasn't allowed to kiss Monica Bellucci in the last Bond flick.

But Mumbai surprised me, and I soon found myself on this crazy, crowded market street, in a very religious and conservative city, shooting a romantic date between two men. It's not like there is a law that prohibited us from shooting the story, but we had such a low budget and so few shooting days that we just couldn't afford a disruption of any sort. We couldn't afford to deal with corporate PR and go through clearances that rested on the moral judgment of officers. The end result: We never used the word "gay" to describe the film. It was a film about friendship.

The first time the two characters kissed, the moment was twice as electric because half the crew had no idea it would happen. A gasp went around the "set" and my costume designer hurried over -- "Did you not tell them?!" No. I actually hadn't. I meant to, but given the other one million problems I was busy solving on a no-budget film, I never got around to doing it. "What do we do?" he asked me. Shoot another take. Five minutes later, it was business as usual for these conservative, religious men who probably would have recoiled if I had pitched it to them in my first meeting.

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Once they became part of the core team, I would give everyone a bound script. I would explain my vision and intent for the film and everyone understood why this needed to get made. They also understood why I was not able to gather all the resources required. I never whined to my producers or investors for more money than absolutely necessary because I couldn't see a clear path to recovery either. A lot of the team invested their salaries into production and gave us deep discounts.

And then there was the personal journey. Telling folks I was making this film felt like coming out of the closet in a way and I didn't see the point in doing it until I was certain the film would actually get done. I was so unsure of our ability to finish this film that it wasn't until the world premiere that my family even found out what the subject matter of the film was.

India has always been known for its contrasts and, true to form, it surpassed us and resisted us and bullied us in as many ways as it loved us and supported us and surprised us with kindness. India gave me my first feature, so I'll always be grateful to her, but I'm not done asking yet.

While we're busy promoting and screening the film outside the country, we've never screened it back home. I hope it is released there, finds an audience there and I hope its able to show my unintentionally homophobic uncle and aunt how undiscriminating the heart is when it comes to love. Gay or straight, rich or poor -- the complications of love get us all and when they see two men together, it may look different (much like the spelling of our title) but at its heart, it's just love.
Our vision is to create the ultimate 'Gateway to South Asia' on a solid foundation of sound business practices, leisurely human interaction and luxurious living.

To develop Colombo Port City as the symbol of emerging Sri Lanka with limitless opportunities and a promise to offer unmatched potential for business, leisure & tourism and high quality of living, not only for the local inhabitants but also for the countless numbers of the global human family from across the shores.
This is the third post and first interview in my series, Millennials Paving The Way, highlighting today's brightest Millennials who are empowering future generations to become change makers.

I spoke with Riley de Leon, an author, keynote speaker and philanthropist, about how he manages his time between all of his responsibilities, the topics he's most passionate about, and his best advice to you.

Riley's unlimited drive began in high school when he founded two non-profit organizations that, to date, have collectively raised over $100,000 in domestic and international benefit. The Springfield, Missouri native was propelled into his career at 17 years old when he wrote his first book, Life's Not Always Written in Times New Roman, now published in 5 different countries. In addition to being a full-time student, Riley continues to travel and speak about the importance of self-awareness and the challenges faced by young adults with uncanny clarity and developed solutions tailored to their personal needs.

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As a keynote speaker and mentor, his purpose is to inspire a generation of millennials, both the under-appreciated and the over-coddled, who are too easily discouraged by the world we currently live in, and activate them to overcome their fear of stepping up to change it. As a result of working with Riley, students around the world have experienced significant shifts in confidence. Riley is a sophomore at the University of Missouri's School of Journalism pursuing a degree in strategic communications and entrepreneurship. His next book, Driven is a millennial manifesto and will be released on April 29, 2016.

On the pay gap, female Millennials are near wage parity; earning 93 cents for every dollar Millennial men make. How can your generation benefit from this?

I think it's first and foremost important to acknowledge that the gender pay gap is real. As Will McAvoy says, "The first step in solving a problem is recognizing there is one." We might be near closing this gap and reaching parity, but we have so much more work to do in terms of the way that many men view a woman's role in our capitalist society. However, I preface that to say I think millennials should be proud that we've come so far.

Our generation can benefit from entirely closing the both the gap in wages and the gap in workplace role because doing so will allow us to focus on the quality of our careers rather than the identities fulfilling them. Closing these gaps will also allow millennials to choose a career based on what they love to do, which as studies have shown, create greater job satisfaction. And, only by closing these gaps do I believe that, as a society, we can look past gender and place a greater emphasis on compensation based on character.

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The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation recently released their annual letter which called on Millennials to fight climate change and sexism, along with eight other world problems. In your opinion, do the next generation of world leaders care about being a force for good in the world? Please explain.

We do in a lot of different ways. I think first and foremost, many people who label millennials as "entitled" or "lazy" need to realize that we're inheriting a mess from Gen X. It's not a stretch to say that many of us are discouraged by the world we currently live in, which is precisely why I travel and speak to millennials across the country and write books like those I have-- to inspire the most technologically savvy, opportunity enabled, try hard generation the world might ever see- but also, the one that I truly believe in.

I believe that all millennials have an innate desire to be a force for good in the world. We all have an inner voice that demands certain things be done the right way, a better way, sometimes our way, but most importantly, a way to believe in. What I've learned as a millennial is that success is more about creating a lifestyle that conforms to our needs and the needs of those around us while solving problems that we don't yet know we have.

I go to the University of Missouri where, if you pay attention to the news, you know that I see this force in action every single day. A force that has an innate need to push forward, change or shake things up, and demand more from themselves something that doesn't come from tradition. I know that millennials care about being a force for good in the world because if you don't already see the signs of increasing tolerance, decreasing materialism, and the critical challenging of authority among them, then you often see them fighting for it.

Congratulations on the upcoming release of your book, Driven: A Millennial Manifesto. What can readers expect? Is it geared towards Millennials only?

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This book, like my first, is specifically geared toward millennials. One of the reasons for that is because I think our digital culture lacks a strong, human presence for relating to one another and relating to some of the shared or similar experiences that we, as millennials, may have in life. I have learned that sharing those experiences through dialogue enables us to take care of each other. It drives us to do our life's work without the collateral damage typically associated with what is outwardly perceived as selfish, narcissistic, and entitled, but what we know is a genuine effort to improve our own lives and the lives of others.

Driven emphasizes that fostering a strong drive, be it toward a lifestyle, goal, healthier relationship, or higher rung of the ladder begins by addressing who you are in order to become something greater. Readers should expect to gain a greater appreciation for what it takes- what it really takes- to be extraordinary when navigating the world that we currently live in.

What advice would you give to other Millennials that want to follow in your footsteps and publish a book?

For years people have sat down with me to explain their goals and aspirations. My advice to those people is to quit dreaming so much, and to start taking the steps necessary to make those dreams a reality for yourself.

Millennials have always been a generation of dreamers. Unfortunately, most of our aspirations fail to materialize because we adopt constraints that simply don't exist. In my mind, one thing that holds many dreamers heads' in the clouds rather than puts their boots on the ground is, as Gary Vaynerchuk so eloquently says, "this romanticized version of who you think you are and who you think you want to be, versus who it is you actually are."

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With that in mind, I think that a lot of people who want to "follow in my footsteps" see the things I'm doing and think it's really sexy, and so they try to emulate it. My advice to those people, is that you have to have your own purpose. You have to stick to your own DNA because everyone's story is entirely unique, which also means that simply being unique is no longer considered to be a quality attribute. What you have to offer has value in a marketplace, believe me. My advice is simple economics: Differentiate yourself.

The significance of Millennials extends beyond their numbers. You are among the first generation to have had access to the Internet during your formative years. As the most connected generation in history--to technology, to your peers, to information--how has technology impacted your work as an author and keynote speaker?

I firmly believe that without technology (and more specifically, social media) I would not have an early career. I would not have discovered a degree of success uncommon to many 19-year-old college students. The fact that anybody can have that same unorthodox degree of success if they want it bad enough like I did, is incredible.

Millennials are at an amazing advantage because this is the world that we were brought up into. We're the reason for such a huge social shift. So, not only do we live in a world that moves at an incalculable speed, but we thrive in it because essentially, it's all that we know.

For me, that's evidenced by 90% of the opportunities that reach me- speaking engagements, interviews, business ventures, partnerships, etc.- coming through Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.

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On the same token, I think it's important for millennials to do more with the information that they're receiving from technology. I can connect with somebody on LinkedIn, but if I don't capitalize on the opportunity to grab coffee with them and learn more about how our connectivity can be mutually advantageous, than I'm not doing enough.

To learn more about Riley, connect with him on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.

Author's Note: This series will cover the online habits of Millennials, their spending power, impact on the Fourth Industrial Revolution, role in achieving gender parity and much more.
By David Wemer

British Prime Minister David Cameron has now announced a June 23rd date for a referendum on the United Kingdom's membership in the European Union. A decades-long feud over Britain's place in Europe now relies on a short five-month campaign between "Remain" and "Leave." Here are six key storylines to watch:

David Cameron's Tightrope Walk

Cameron stunned political observers when he turned what looked like a deadlocked general election into a landslide win for his Conservative Party in May 2015. His victory, however, was not due to winning seats from his traditional Labour Party rivals, but rather by simultaneously holding off the rising far-right UK Independence Party (UKIP) and taking seats from the center-right Liberal Democrats. Cameron's decision to support the "Remain" campaign in this referendum can be viewed as an attempt to retain the support of the former Liberal Democratic voters, who historically have been very pro-Europe. Should Cameron and "Remain" be successful, however, it is likely that UKIP will set its sights solely on Cameron, especially if the margin is close. Cameron's support of "Remain" has also exposed a huge fault line within the Conservative Party, where London Mayor Boris Johnson, Lord Chancellor Michael Gove, and 126 current Conservative Members of Parliament support "Leave." Will Cameron be able to hold his party together, while also holding back UKIP and the Liberal Democrats? Less than a year after his most impressive electoral victory, is Cameron's political career in danger?

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The Scottish Question

There could be more than one Union at stake in this election. Scotland's First Minister and Leader of the Scottish National Party (SNP) Nicola Sturgeon has already made it clear that the dramatic changes a "Brexit" would entail should trigger a second Scottish referendum on independence. Perhaps more worryingly for Cameron, Sturgeon has said she will not campaign alongside Cameron, her ideological and national nemesis, for a "Remain" vote. Despite large support for "Remain" in Scotland, Sturgeon's absence on the campaign trail could lower turnout in an area where "Remain" needs to run up the score. Will Sturgeon really stay on the sidelines if Brexit is on track for victory? Will Scots turn out in force to keep the UK in Europe?

Will the Young Show Up?

Much attention was given to the inclusion of sixteen and seventeen year-olds in the 2014 Scottish referendum, and indeed the Labour party tried to include these voters in the EU referendum, only to have their efforts stopped by the House of Commons last December. The push made sense for the pro-European Labour party, as a recent poll found nearly seventy percent of 18-24 year-olds favor remaining in the EU, while only 34 percent of 65 or older voters agreed with them. However, the same poll predicted only 53 percent turnout among 18-24 year-olds. Compounding that problem, the June 23rd referendum date falls directly in the middle of the Glastonbury music festival, which draws more than 135,000, mostly young, people. Will young Britons show up in force to keep Britain in?

The Ibiza Threat

It is still unclear what specific issues the "Remain" campaign will focus on to make their case to the British people. Cameron's deal from the European Union, which gained small concessions on welfare restrictions for migrants and a re-emphasis on member state sovereignty, is far too technical to serve as the main theme, especially compared to the emotion Eurosceptics attach to issues such as immigration and British exceptionalism. Most pro-European rhetoric has centered on the potential economic collapse triggered by leaving the European Union's single market. Pro-European voices, however, have struggled to connect this imminent threat to the British economy in a way that resonates to voters. A theme that may be picked up instead: travel. Do you enjoy holidaying in Ibiza, Prague, or Nice? Expect airline prices to go up, mobile roaming charges to increase, and to have less spending money as the pound weakens due to Brexit. While these may seem like trivial issues, such small, tangible, and immediate changes demonstrate how Brexit could meaningfully impact Britons' wallets almost overnight.

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A Royal Secret Weapon

Queen Elizabeth II made an uncharacteristic foray into political dialogue last June when she warned against "division" in Europe and highlighted Britain's' "key part" in forming Europe's post-war order. The Queen made highly publicized comments hinting at her desire for a "No" vote in the 2014 Scottish referendum, so it is not unimaginable that she could make a similar gesture against Brexit. Her action could prove decisive, as an emotional plea from the popular sovereign could take much of the sting out of the "Leave" campaign's appeal to British independence and patriotism, and give "Remain" the push needed to get over the finish line.

No End in Sight

Despite all of the excitement, this may just be the first of several campaigns to rock Britain or Europe in the years to come. Should "Leave" prevail, a second Scottish referendum could be called and other EU nations could see referendums, as populist parties challenge a weakened Brussels. A "Remain" victory on the other hand, may only temporarily delay the Eurosceptic cause in Britain. The electoral choice is very clear, but the outcome for British, European, and indeed world politics may be far more uncertain.
By Lily Lousada

Jordan's desert capital of Amman is only about 60 miles from the Syrian border, but it is a beacon of stability in a convulsing region. The stability is impressive but fragile, interrupted by small signs of tension: a begging Syrian child in the street, or the many suspiciously fit, plain-dressed Westerners, who make little effort to hide their heavy-duty boots or occasional Joint Task Force backpacks.

Peaceful Jordan is also the coordinating base for U.S.-led coalition efforts to counter violent extremism in Syria. That covert campaign has not been going well and the surreptitious approach comes with an often-overlooked cost to U.S. security by providing a foothold for radicalizing conspiracies, not only in Jordan but among moderates in the rest of the region.

The whole region is watching how the United States engages in Syria -- and finding it lacking.

In the war against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), the United States is leading fitfully from behind. The desultory and covert tactics not only seem to prolong the conflict and allow the humanitarian disaster to deteriorate but leave U.S. strategic goals ambiguous. By insisting on a small and quiet footprint in the battle against radical jihadism, the United States has been unable to counter public concern and suspicion about its tactics and motives -- leading to new conspiracy theories in a region where they already flourish as a substitute for actual knowledge of what governments are doing.

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Indeed, the lack of transparency, and loss of credibility, allows ISIL to explain U.S. action in its own narratives for recruitment. These narratives are not new, but rather they build fluidly off of founding radical Islamist thought against American Imperialism. For example, Sayyid Qutb, the philosophical forefather of al-Qaeda, called for a violent response to the broad sense of American meddling, through both hard military might and soft power attempts at distracting internal Islamic discourse away from key issues.

For years, the U.S. presence in the Middle East has been controversial. But it has also been assertive and undeniably powerful. Jordan, for example, is the fourth largest recipient of U.S. foreign aid in the world, with an additional $1 billion slated to arrive in fiscal year 2016. Yet now, next to the growing Syrian quagmire and terrifying expansion of Islamic radicalism--considered the greatest threat to U.S. security--America seems to be sinking out of sight.

Jordanians are not used to it. They find it confusing, disturbing, and sometimes frightening--especially with heavy fighting as close as the nearby Syrian city of Dera'a, and mortar shells sometimes falling in northern Jordan. In interviews and informal conversations around Amman, university students, service industry workers, and even members of the Jordanian elite often wonder why America has not directed the same kind of resources and military capability toward taking down Syrian President Bashar al-Assad as they have with Arab leaders who have fallen out of fashion before him.

Some of them imagine that for a country as powerful as the United States, there must be a darker reason. As an Amman taxi driver, Abu Fares (not his real name) told me: "America wants ISIL to exist, because they want to control the whole region. Assad lives in his castle, right? And they know where his castle is? So is it not true that they could just destroy it if they really wanted?"

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The true geopolitics are of course more complicated. But the Jordanian sense of inaction against Assad, coupled with a lack of transparency about what the United States is actually doing and how, provides fertile ground for conspiracy theories to substitute for facts. The idea of ISIL being a creation of the United States, and particularly of the CIA, is not uncommon. Nor is it entirely without a place in history: Jordanians recall CIA-supported mujahedeen fighters in Afghanistan who morphed into followers of al-Qaeda, and the support for contras in Central America.

In a 2015 Jordanian public opinion poll conducted by the International Republican Institute, of those who did not support international intervention against ISIL, the second most popular response given, at 34 percent, was that it is a "conspiracy targeting Muslims and Islam." The most common reason for opposing intervention was a "fear of dragging Jordan into war and instability." In Lebanon, the notion that Hillary Clinton had admitted that the United States created ISIL was so popular that the U.S. Embassy in Beirut circulated a statement disavowing the idea as "patently false," and "a fabrication."

The same skepticism and sense of an underlying conspiracy has also expressed itself in disbelief regarding ISIL's violent tactics. In 2014, The New York Times interviewed young Tunisians who considered beheading videos and other horrifying records of ISIL atrocities to be "manufactured in the West." At that time, Tunisia contributed more recruits to the movement than anywhere else in the world, demonstrating the dangerous link between conspiracies and radicalization, which has been one of ISIL's greatest successes in recruiting and mobilizing followers.

The fact that the United States is in alliance with countries like Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, which are often accused of funding ISIL and other violent factions in Syria, has not helped U.S. reputation and security--particularly when these joint efforts fail, as with the embarrassing retreat from programs like that to arm moderate Syrian rebels. But the covert nature of the anti-ISIL effort makes matters worse.

ISIL has not been effectively weakened; in fact, it has even recently gained territory in Libya. Instead, covert action so far has cost the United States in both credibility and security. Thus, while military success remains uncertain, gaining ground in the ideological battle is far from reach--and growing farther with each covert operation.

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The United States should move quickly to shift the dynamic in Syria with a transparent strategy and goal, or consider disengaging completely. Until then, the silent war is only ripening conspiracies that rustle across Jordan and the region like a gusty fall wind in the date palms.
By Katie Sizemore

During Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos' visit in February 2016, U.S. President Barack Obama announced a proposal for "Peace Colombia," a $450 million assistance package to take effect after peace talks wrap up in Havana, Cuba with the country's most powerful guerilla group, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC). This would follow "Plan Colombia", the $10 billion, 15-year U.S. effort to support counterinsurgency operations and drug eradication heralded as a foreign policy success by American officials.

In reality, a rose-tinted view of Plan Colombia severely neglects the detrimental humanitarian toll it has had on the country's rural poor. If the United States is to be effective in supporting its South American ally during its peaceful transition, "Peace Colombia" demands a better understanding than its predecessor of the local realities in the areas where its efforts and dollars are likely to be focused.

In support of Colombia's battle against drug production, drug trafficking, organized crime, guerilla and paramilitary groups, Plan Colombia contributed to the tripling of Colombia's military spending and doubling the size of its security forces. The associated human, social, and economic impacts have been widely documented. For example, the aerial spraying tactic using toxic chemicals - the main pillar of U.S.-funded strategies for coca eradication in Colombia - disproportionately impacted the health and environment of rural communities.

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Plan Colombia originally involved a lucrative $170 million contract with DynCorp International to oversee aerial fumigation operations. Although never confirming or denying that they were one of the suppliers of herbicide falling from the crop-dusting planes, Monsanto's controversial and risky glyphosate-containing product: RoundUp, has been widely cited as the chemical of choice in use since the 1990s to destroy hundreds of thousands of acres of coca and surrounding farmland. The spraying of glyphosate reached a peak period in 2006 when some 405,000 acres were sprayed.

Aerial fumigation is credited with reducing coca hectares from around 400,000 to an estimated 120,000 by 2012. Despite this often-cited statistic, the UNODC reported cocaine output remaining relatively stable from 2000-2010. More recently, cocaine production has been on the rise. By mid-2015, Colombia once again became the world's top cocaine producer.

Aerial spraying is also one of the most expensive ways to attempt to reduce drug production. A 2014 econometric study revealed that reducing cocaine supply by one kilogram through U.S.-subsidized aerial spraying carries a marginal cost of $940,000. Not only is this vastly higher than the marginal cost of reducing cocaine consumption in the United States (estimated at $175,000 if supporting Colombian interdiction efforts), it is also much larger than the cost of one kilogram of cocaine in U.S. retail markets, which is in the ballpark of $100,000-150,000.

Although these fumigation practices have not altered the flow of cocaine over the long term, they have destroyed livelihoods, as the farmland on which the coca is grown is the same land yielding the subsistence crops rural families need to survive. Farmers growing coca make about $2000 a year selling it to guerrilla groups, and they are extorted by these same groups for "protection taxes." There is no immediate solution as farmers continue to face violent coercion to grow coca because FARC affiliates are trying to make large profits before the peace accord forces them "out of business."

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In addition to the continued violence and intimidation at the hand of the FARC, paramilitary forces, and public security forces, aerial coca eradication deprives rural farmers of their main source of income and causes health problems, pushing them into urban centers and contributing to the 6 million internally displaced people as of December 2014 - nearly as many as Syria. Afro-Colombians and rural, indigenous populations are the most heavily affected.

Following a report from the World Health Organization (WHO) which classified glyphosate as "probably carcinogenic to humans," Colombia decided to suspend aerial spraying of the herbicide, in a move that was described as defying the United States. This decision came just after FARC and Colombian government negotiators reached a plan simply titled "Solution to the Problem of Illegal Drugs," which calls for voluntary and gradual eradication of coca, replacement with licit crops, and social investments in the rural poor regions where coca growing is prevalent.

While any agreement on this topic is promising, it is important to remember that past efforts at crop substitution in Colombia's coca regions have been dismal as they do not respond to local realities. Licit cash crops such as coffee, yucca, and cacao have lower, fluctuating prices (while coca prices remain strong). Meanwhile, the lack of roads and other infrastructure impedes the ability of farmers to sell their crops competitively. Aerial spraying has even destroyed crops that were part of previous government efforts at alternative development. Farmers are left worse off, in debt, and often become part of the ever-increasing number of displaced persons.

Few details about the new U.S.-aid package have been released publicly, but Obama pledged that the new plan will "reinforce security gains, reintegrate former combatants into society, and extend opportunity and the rule of law into areas denied them for decades." These "areas" were also adversely affected by decades of misguided U.S.-subsidized drug eradication efforts and deserve to see lasting change.

While 71 percent of Plan Colombia aid went to the country's security forces, the new "plan" for "Peace Colombia" should be more balanced and responsive to the needs of the rural communities who bore the brunt of decades of violence in the Andean region. In the meantime, these communities are left asking how the promise of peace will benefit them, as the politics of sustaining peace are often more complicated than those of war.

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Handout via Getty Images NEW DELHI, INDIA - MARCH 11: In this handout photo provided by the International Monetary Fund, International Monetary Fund Managing Director Christine Lagarde (R) and IndiaAs Finance Minister Arun Jaitley (L) shake hands after they signed a memo of understanding March 11, 2016 at the Taj Palace Hotel in New Delhi, India. (Photo by Stephen Jaffe/IMF via Getty Images)

NEW DELHI -- Appreciating continuing reform process in the country, IMF chief Christine Lagarde today said "India's star shines bright" amid global economic challenges and can deliver nearly two-thirds of the worldwide growth over the next four years despite a slowing momentum.

The world's fastest-growing large economy, she said, is on the verge of having the largest and youngest-ever workforce and, in a decade, set to become the world's most populous country.

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"So, India stands at a crucial moment in its history -- with an unprecedented opportunity for transformation. Important reforms are already under way," the IMF Managing Director said at a conference on 'Advancing Asia: Investing for the Future' here.

"Think, for example, of 'Make In India' and 'Digital India'. And with the promise of even more reforms to come, India's star shines bright."

The conference is being organised by the Ministry of Finance and IMF, which was attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Recalling that India and IMF go back a long way together -- India was a founding member of the Fund more than 70 years ago -- Lagarde said Asia is the world's most dynamic region and today accounts for 40 per cent of the global economy.

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"Over the next four years, even with a slightly declining momentum, India stands to deliver nearly two-thirds of global growth," she added.

Lagarde, who got reelected for the second term as chief of the Washington-headquartered International Monetary Fund (IMF), pointed to the global economy facing many challenges.

These challenges, she said, include volatile markets and capital flows, economic transitions and financial tightening in many countries, the large drop in commodity prices, including oil and escalated geo-political tension.

Earlier this year, Lagarde had said quota and governance reforms came into effect that enhanced the representation of emerging Asian economies within 188 member countries.

"One consequence is that India now joins China and Japan among the Fund's top 10 shareholders," she said.

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Lagarde further said that in about 10 days, India, Nepal and many other countries will be celebrating Holi (festival of color), which heralds the coming of spring.

"I am not suggesting that we cover each other with colour or spray water as is customary (we will leave that to children). But I do think today we should celebrate India's achievements and Asia's achievements," she said, adding that "Asia has a lot to be proud of".

Stressing that making the most of Asia's dynamism is of great interest to the entire world, she acknowledged that Asia's rapid integration into the world economy has been one of the most striking global developments of the last generation.

In that relatively short time, many countries across this vast and diverse region have achieved economic "miracles", and many have become powerhouses of the global economy.

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For the past 25 years -- the Asian crisis notwithstanding -- the region's economy has grown by around 6 per cent a year. In the aftermath of the recent global financial crisis, Asia was a rare bright spot, Lagarde said.

"This region's dynamism presents a historic opportunity to invest now in the future -- and to advance Asia. Doing so will not only put Asia on the path to sustained growth, but also strengthen its role in the global economy -- as a key contributor and as a leader for the 21st century," she stressed.

She also spoke of empowering women as an essential element -- whether by enhancing girls' access to high-quality education, dismantling legal and logistical barriers to economic participation, or making it more practical for women to combine a job and a family.

"An initiative of Prime Minister Modi's government, for example, is to improve women's welfare services under Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao," the IMF MD said.

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Imperial Valley News Center

Eight Lessons on "Compassion in Health Care" From the Dalai Lama

Rochester, Minnesota - Eight Lessons on "Compassion in Health Care" From the Dalai Lama:

"A more compassionate mind is very, very helpful to good health."

"Loving kindness, warm-heartedness are keys to health."

"Each of us has some responsibility to make a contribution."

"You can lead this moment because you practice these things."

These words from His Holiness the Dalai Lama resonated with Mayo Clinic staff and guests gathered to hear a special talk on "Compassion in Health Care" on Monday, Feb. 29, at the chapel on the Saint Marys Campus of Mayo Clinic Hospital in Rochester. The Dalai Lama's message was especially pertinent in a setting with a strong connection to the Mayo Clinic Value Statements, which include the values of compassion, respect and healing, all of which came up repeatedly in the Dalai Lama's talk and question-and-answer session that followed.

Below are lessons from the Dalai Lama noted by some of those attending the session.

1. Treat everyone the same.

His Holiness the Dalai Lama spent a good deal of time in his talk emphasizing the "sameness" of all human beings. "Basically, we are the same, human beings, whether different faith, nationality, fate, rich, poor, educated, uneducated," he says.

He himself prefers simply to be called "brother."

"When someone calls me 'brother,' I feel touched on a basic level of humanness," he says. "Professions are on a secondary level. When a specialist asked how to address me, I say, 'Simply call me brother.' I feel closer." Otherwise, we're creating barriers, he says. "If I put too much emphasis on being His Holiness, I create a barrier ... If I consider my secondary differences as important, I create a wall. In that wall, I am a lonely person."

2. A sense of oneness is important in health care.

In a world of 7 billion people, the Dalai Lama says it is important to educate people that we are all human beings. "In today's world, we really need that," he says. "If we put the emphasis on the sameness of 7 billion people (instead of differences), we can reduce problems across the world."

He also noted how that sense of oneness already exists in health care.

"We have a oneness as human beings," he says. "For people who are working with patients or with illness, that spirit is there. Doctors, nurses and technicians are really very, very kind. Their human sense of friendship is based on love."

3. Many of the problems we face are of our own creation

When we feel anger or irritation toward someone else, it is important to ask ourselves whether that person has been our "enemy from birth," according to the Dalai Lama. Chances are, they were not, he says.

"Ninety percent of negativeness is your own perception," he says.

"We should utilize our wonderful brains and analyze and look for wider perspectives," he adds. "The same person from one angle may appear irritating, from another angle they may be neutral, and from a different angle they may be positive  When you develop anger, try to look at them from a different angle, from different dimensions."

4. How to treat a patient who has received a difficult diagnosis

The Dalai Lama offered his advice for dealing with a patient who has received a difficult diagnosis. "Let the person cool down," he says. "Speak nice things to them. Express concern and let the person feel that the person is really taking care of them seriously. Show your serious concern about their well-being."

He also noted it was important to be honest with a person about a diagnosis, so that person can be prepared for the consequences. "Let me know the reality and then I can prepare," he says.

5. Addressing burnout in caregivers

"Destructive emotions are linked with ignorance  not knowing the reality and focusing on just one aspect of our emotions," he says. "The only remedy is to look at it from a wider perspective. Some part of our curriculum should be to study the map of our emotions and the vast interconnectedness."

He also noted that sometimes, all a caregiver can do for a patient is his or her best. "Accept that reality," he says. "Just provide kindness and smile. Feeling of love."

6. On whether religion is necessary to be compassionate

"Whether or not you are religious, you are still a human being," he says. "One of my commitments is the promotion of human value."

He shared the story of a Catholic monk he met in Spain. The monk had spent five years as a hermit in the mountains with very little by way of physical comfort. He existed on tea and bread. When the Dalai Lama asked him about his meditation, he answered, "Meditate on love."

"Without relying on religious beliefs, use intelligence to increase constructive emotions," he says.

7. On how to remain positive in the face of anguish and suffering

"In the long run, figure out which emotions are helpful and constructive," he says. He advises people to then familiarize themselves with those positive emotions and train themselves to focus on those emotions.

8. On the different kinds of compassion

The Dalai Lama suggests that there are two kinds of compassion.

Biased: While a person may have compassion and loving kindness, it may be limited to those that they are related to or only people they know. It is oriented toward others' attitudes about them.

Unbiased: Through awareness, 7 billion people can come to think of each other as brothers and sisters and to realize that their futures are interlinked.

"I have dedicated all my life until my death to try to make a little contribution as much as I can to bring a little inner peace to the entire 7 billion people," he says.

"Change starts from the individual. On that belief, one individual's belief will not change the world, but we must start as individuals," he says. "Each of us, part of the 7 billion, should share a clear goal of a happy humanity, a peaceful humanity, through awareness and through education. Practice as individuals and be an example to others. Each of us has a possibility to make a contribution."

He concluded by saying, "Basic human nature is loving kindness. Once we understand that, there is hope."

Dalai Lama quotes:

"When I think I am a human being, we all are human beings, [there is] no barrier."

"Just one person cannot survive. Our survival depends on the rest of our community."

"Personal happiness must develop in our mind, not through personal facilities."

"The mental level experience is more important than the physical-level experience."

"What is the destroyer of peace? Anger and self-centered thoughts."

"Anger develops from looking at one angle. Try to look from a different angle."

"Kindness is unbiased."

"Trust is the basis of friendship."

"The basic human condition is loving kindness."

"One individual's effort will not change the world. But we must start from somewhere  from the individual."
Reclamation Releases Final Environmental Documents for the Proposed Five-Year Friant-Kern Canal Groundwater Pump-In Program

Fresno, California - The Bureau of Reclamation has released the Final Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact for the proposed Five-Year Friant-Kern Canal Groundwater Pump-In Program.

The groundwater pump-in program will allow seven Friant Division Central Valley Project contractors and North-Kern Water Storage District to cumulatively introduce up to 50,000 acre-feet per year of their non-Project groundwater into the Friant-Kern Canal over a five-year period. Introductions are dependent on groundwater meeting Reclamations water quality requirements. This additional water is needed to supplement areas where shortages are taking place within the Friant Division CVP service area.

The Final EA/FONSI were prepared in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act, and are available at http://www.usbr.gov/mp/nepa/nepa_projdetails.cfm?Project_ID=24455 . If you encounter problems accessing the document online, please call 916-978-5100 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

For additional information or to receive a copy of the Final EA/FONSI, please contact Molly Burns at 559-487-5531 (TTY 800-877-8339) or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .
ICE officials honored for response to San Bernardino attack

Los Angeles, California - U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) was one of 14 law enforcement agencies awarded the Helene and Joseph Sherwood Family Prize for Combating Hate by The Anti-Defamation League during a recent ceremony held at the Skirball Cultural Center in Los Angeles.

ICE, along with other agencies including the FBI, San Bernardino Police Department and San Bernardino Sheriffs Department, was recognized for its response to the Dec. 2 terrorist attack at the Inland Regional Center in San Bernardino, California, that left 14 dead and another 22 wounded. ICEs Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and Enforcement Removal Operations (ERO) were on the scene within moments of the attack, assisting local authorities and the FBI at the incident command post. Members of the Los Angeles ICE ERO and HSI Special Response Teams provided tactical assistance, securing the perimeter of the crime scene and helping clear one of the two buildings where the shooting occurred.

ICE was honored to be recognized and included in this prestigious award ceremony, said Robert Goetsch, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of HSIs Riverside and San Bernardino offices. We were all from San Bernardino that day and the days that followed. It was truly a joint effort between the community and all of law enforcement, and I was proud to accept the award on behalf of all of the ICE personnel who answered the call on Dec. 2, and who answer the call every day.

The Sherwood Price recognizes law enforcement personnel who demonstrate an outstanding commitment to combating extremism, bigotry and hatred by performing acts outside the normal scope of duties.
Santa Monica Man Faces Five Years in Federal Prison after Pleading Guilty to Conspiring to Engage in Synthetic Identity Fraud

Los Angeles, California - A Santa Monica man pleaded guilty Thursday morning to a federal conspiracy charge stemming from a synthetic identity fraud ring that created bogus identities for the purpose of obtaining credit cards.

Yair Shoshani, 38, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud.

In a plea agreement filed in court, Shoshani, who also used the names Ben Yahuda and Ben Cohen, agreed to forfeit five properties and nearly $4.5 million in cash, including more than $3.2 million from a Swiss bank account.

Shoshani admitted that he conspired with others to conduct a bust-out scheme using synthetic identities and fictitious merchants to defraud banks that issue credit cards. Shoshani and the others created entirely fictitious synthetic identities, applied for credit with those bogus identities and manipulated the credit ratings for the synthetic identities by adding them as authorized users to credit card accounts belonging to real people who had high credit scores. With credit ratings established for the synthetic identities, Shoshani and the others set up fake business to process credit card transactions by the synthetic identities  transactions that were never paid for.

Victim banks in this bust-out scheme included JPMorgan Chase Bank, Bank of America, Citibank and Wells Fargo Bank.

Proceeds of the fraud scheme were used to purchase five properties in Los Angeles, West Hollywood and Santa Monica.

Shoshani pleaded guilty before United States District Judge George H. King, who is scheduled to sentence the defendant on June 13. As a result of todays guilty plea, Shoshani, who has been in custody since June 2014, faces a statutory maximum sentence of five years in federal prison.

Synthetic identity fraud causes significant loss to our nations financial institutions, as this case illustrates, said United States Attorney Eileen M. Decker. This guilty plea is a testament to law enforcements ability to look behind numerous false identities and fictitious businesses to hold the perpetrators accountable for their fraud. My office will continue to prosecute those that engage in identity fraud to the fullest extent of the law.

The investigation into Shoshani was conducted by the Los Angeles Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Los Angeles Police Department, and the Los Angeles Sheriffs Department.

Shoshanis conviction is the most recent in a line of identity crime prosecutions brought by the U.S. Attorneys Office. Recent cases include:
Wanted Serial Bank Robber Surrenders

Sacramento, California - Wednesday, Special Agent in Charge Monica M. Miller of the Federal Bureau of Investigation announced David James Lira, 39, of Roseville has surrendered to federal authorities without incident.

Lira was wanted for multiple counts of robbery and attempted robbery of federally insured banks located in the Northern California cities of Roseville, Modesto, Oroville, Tracy, and Dublin. During the reported incidents, witnesses described Lira as wearing disguises, often with large eyeglasses. Witnesses also stated Lira presented demand notes during the commission of the robberies.

According to the criminal complaint filed on March 8, 2016, in the U.S. District Court, Eastern District of California, Lira confessed to the following robberies and attempted robberies:

Attempted robbery on December 1, 2015

Bank of the West located at 1112 Galleria Boulevard in Roseville

Bank of the West located at 1112 Galleria Boulevard in Roseville Robbery on December 3, 2015

Umpqua Bank located at 1801 Douglas Boulevard in Roseville

Umpqua Bank located at 1801 Douglas Boulevard in Roseville Attempted Robbery on December 11, 2015

Delta Bank located at 2711 McHenry Avenue in Modesto

Delta Bank located at 2711 McHenry Avenue in Modesto Robbery on December 11, 2015

Wells Fargo Bank located at 3456 McHenry Avenue in Modesto

Wells Fargo Bank located at 3456 McHenry Avenue in Modesto Robbery on December 23, 2015

US Bank Located at 2111 Oro Dam Boulevard East in Oroville

US Bank Located at 2111 Oro Dam Boulevard East in Oroville Robbery on January 6, 2016

US Bank located at 2175 W. Grant Line Road in Tracy.

Lira also confessed to a robbery on December 17, 2015, at Wells Fargo Bank located at 4400 Tassajara Road in Dublin.

Lira will make his first appearance this afternoon in U.S. Magistrate Court at the United States Courthouse in Sacramento. As is always the case, charges set forth in a criminal complaint are merely accusations and do not constitute proof of guilt. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless proven guilty.

For more information about other wanted bank robbery suspects, log into the FBIs Wanted Bank Robber website at bankrobbers.fbi.gov.
Border Patrol Agents Seize Meth at Highway 86

Salton City, California - El Centro Sector Border Patrol agents assigned to the Indio Station working at the Highway 86 checkpoint, arrested a woman suspected of drug smuggling after they discovered packages of methamphetamine hidden in her vehicle today.

The incident occurred at approximately 10:30 a.m., when a 31-year-old woman approached the checkpoint driving a 2004 white Chevrolet Malibu.

A Border Patrol detection canine alerted to the vehicle during a pre-primary inspection. Agents referred the woman to the secondary inspection area for a closer examination. After an intensive search, agents discovered 27 bundles of methamphetamine hidden in the vehicles door panels.

The methamphetamine had a combined weight of 29.68 pounds with an estimated street value of $296,800.

The woman, a Mexican national, the vehicle, and narcotics were turned over to the Drug Enforcement Administration for further investigation.

In fiscal year 2016, El Centro Sector has seized than 500 pounds of methamphetamine.
Energy Department Announces Denver as Next Location for Solar Decathlon Competition in 2017

Denver, Colorado - At an event in Denver, the U.S. Department of Energys (DOE) Under Secretary for Science and Energy, Dr. Franklin Orr, joined Mayor Michael Hancock to announce Denver as the host city for the next U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon competition in the fall of 2017.

Dr. Orr revealed that Denver won the bid to host this biennial event, in which student teams compete to design, build, and operate cost-effective, energy-efficient, and attractive solar-powered houses. The teams from across the country and around the world will be competing for $2 million in prize money.

In the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon 2017, 16 teams will compete in 10 contests, ranging from architecture and engineering to home appliance performance. The winner of the competition is the team that best blends aesthetics and modern conveniences with maximum energy production and optimal efficiency. Watch highlights of the 2015 event here.

As one of the top 10 metro areas for solar installations and sunny days, Denver is a great choice to host the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon, said DOE Under Secretary Orr. This competition gives students a unique opportunity to take real action on climate change and shape our sustainable future by encouraging the kind of innovation well need to meet our nations clean energy goals. I congratulate Denver on becoming our next Solar Decathlon host city, and I wish the participating students the best of luck as they prepare for next years competition.

The competition is planned to be staged near a new development close to Denver International Airport. The area around the 61st and Pena Commuter Rail Station is positioned to become a national model for sustainable, transit-oriented, greenfield development that can enhance the regions overall economic competitiveness. It will do so by linking employment opportunities with a wide range of housing choices through increased transportation options and building value in existing and new neighborhoods along the East Corridor.

Denver is proud to work with the U.S. Department of Energy to bring this fun and engaging academic competition to our city, said Mayor Michael B. Hancock. This opportunity not only highlights the Denver metro areas leadership in energy efficiency but allows us to spotlight our burgeoning solar energy industry."

Over the next 18 months, the competing teams will raise funds; design and build their 800-square foot, 100-percent solar-powered houses; and then transport their houses to the Denver competition site.

The teams are strongly interdisciplinary: drawing together students of architecture, engineering, computer science, marketing, and other disciplines to carry out their projects.

In addition to the site announcement, DOE announced Energetics Incorporated of Columbia, Maryland, as the new program administrator. Energetics will organize, manage, and conduct the competition. It will also help support the departments commitment to improving the nations science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education efforts.

For the first time in the competitions history, teams will compete for $2 million in prize money. Each team that brings an eligible house to the competition will receive prize money of at least $100,000 to help with construction and transportation expenses. The top-place finishers will receive more. For example, first place will receive $300,000, second place $225,000, and third-place $150,000.

The solar-powered houses developed by the teams will represent a diverse range of design approaches and building technologies. They will cater to a variety of target markets and geographic locations, climates and regions, including urban, suburban, and rural settings.

In the fall of 2017, the competing student teams will showcase their solar-powered houses at the competition site to the public, providing free tours of renewable energy systems and energy-efficient technologies, products, and appliances helping homeowners nationwide save money by saving energy. On average, the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon draws about 60,000 visitors per competition, including more than 500 middle school students who attend the showcase event through scheduled field trips. The Orange County Great Park, located between Los Angeles and San Diego, California, hosted both the 2013 and 2015 competitions. Previous competitions were held in Washington, D.C.

The colleges and universities competing in Solar Decathlon 2017 are:

Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne (Lausanne, Switzerland)

Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and Daytona State College (Daytona Beach, Florida)

Georgia Institute of Technology (Atlanta, Georgia)

HU University of Applied Science Utrecht (Utrecht, Netherlands)

Missouri University of Science and Technology (Rolla, Missouri)

Northwestern University (Evanston, Illinois)

Rice University (Houston, Texas)

Syracuse University (Syracuse, New York)

University of Alabama at Birmingham (Birmingham, Alabama)

University of California at Berkeley (Berkeley, California)

University of California, Davis (Davis, California)

University of Maryland (College Park, Maryland)

University of Nevada, Las Vegas (Las Vegas, Nevada)

Washington State University (Pullman, Washington)

Washington University (St. Louis, Missouri)

West Virginia University (Morgantown, West Virginia).

The 16 teams include eight returning teams and eight new teams. Learn more about the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon 2017 at http://www.solardecathlon.gov/.
Secretary Johnsons Meeting With French Minister Of Interior Cazeneuve

Washington, DC - Friday, Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson met with French Minister of Interior Bernard Cazeneuve to discuss cooperation on a number of shared security-related issues, including law enforcement collaboration, border security, and information sharing to enhance counterterrorism efforts.

Secretary Johnson and Minister Cazeneuve discussed the European migration crisis and the importance of effective information sharing in the aftermath of the tragic terrorist incidents in Paris on November 13, 2015. They focused on opportunities for the United States and France to enhance counterterrorism cooperation and the screening of travelers and migrants. Secretary Johnson and Minister Cazeneuve also discussed the progress of European efforts to strengthen immigration and security controls on the Schengen Zones external borders and to collect and analyze Passenger Name Records for flights to and within the European Union.

During todays meeting, Secretary Johnson and Minister Cazeneuve addressed efforts to facilitate legitimate trade and travel. Secretary Johnson thanked Minister Cazeneuve for the ratification of the Preventing and Combating Serious Crime (PCSC) Agreement and on the progress that is being made on the implementation of the new legislative and policy requirements of the Visa Waiver Program.

Secretary Johnson and Minister Cazeneuve continued the dialogue between the United States and France on opportunities for law enforcement collaboration, including closer cooperation between U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and its French counterparts. Secretary Johnson underscored that the Department of Homeland Security remains committed to routinely sharing information with international law enforcement and our intelligence and homeland security partners to ensure our collective security.
Russian National Pleads Guilty in Connection with Conspiracy to Work for Russian Intelligence

New York - Evgeny Buryakov, aka Zhenya, 41, pleaded guilty Friday to conspiring to act in the United States as an agent of the Russian Federation without providing prior notice to the Attorney General.

The guilty plea was announced by Assistant Attorney General for National Security John P. Carlin and U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara of the Southern District of New York.

Evgeny Buryakov pleaded guilty to covertly working as a Russian agent in the United States without notifying the Attorney General, said Assistant Attorney General Carlin. Foreign nations who attempt to illegally gather economic and other intelligence information through espionage pose a direct threat to U.S. national security. The National Security Division will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to identify and hold accountable those who illegally operate as covert agents within the United States.

An unregistered intelligence agent, under cover of being a legitimate banker, gathers intelligence on the streets of New York City, trading coded messages with Russian spies who send the clandestinely collected information back to Moscow, said U.S. Attorney Bharara. This sounds like a plotline for a Cold War-era movie, but in reality, Evgeny Buryakov pled guilty today to a federal crime for his role in just such a scheme. More than two decades after the end of the Cold War, Russian spies still seek to operate in our midst under the cover of secrecy. But in New York, thanks to the work of the FBI and the prosecutors in my office, attempts to conduct unlawful espionage will not be overlooked. They will be investigated and prosecuted.

According to indictment, other court filings and statements made during court proceedings:

Beginning in at least 2012, Buryakov worked in the United States as an agent of Russias foreign intelligence agency, known as the SVR. Buryakov operated under non-official cover, meaning he entered and remained in the United States as a private citizen, posing as an employee in the New York office of a Russian bank, Vnesheconombank (VEB). SVR agents operating under such non-official cover (NOCs) are typically subject to less scrutiny by the host government and, in many cases, are never identified as intelligence agents by the host government. As a result, an NOC is an extremely valuable intelligence asset for the SVR.

Federal law prohibits individuals from acting as agents of foreign governments within the United States without prior notification to the Attorney General. Department of Justice records indicate that Buryakov never notified the Attorney General that he was, in fact, an agent of the Russia Federation.

Buryakov worked in New York with at least two other SVR agents, Igor Sporyshev and Victor Podobnyy. From on or about Nov. 22, 2010, to on or about Nov. 21, 2014, Sporyshev officially served as a trade representative of the Russian Federation in New York. From on or about Dec. 13, 2012, to on or about Sept. 12, 2013, Podobnyy officially served as an attache to the Permanent Mission of the Russian Federation to the United Nations. The investigation, however, showed that Sporyshev and Podobnyy also worked as officers of the SVR. Sporyshev and Podobnyy were charged along with Buryakov in January 2015, however, Sporyshev and Podobnyy no longer lived in the United States at that time and were not arrested.

The directives from the SVR to Buryakov, Sporyshev and Podobnyy, as well as to other covert SVR agents acting within the United States, included requests to gather intelligence on, among other subjects, potential U.S. sanctions against Russian banks and the United States efforts to develop alternative energy resources.

During the course of their work as covert SVR agents in the United States, Buryakov, Sporyshev and Podobnyy regularly met and communicated using clandestine methods and coded messages in order to exchange intelligence-related information while shielding their associations with one another as SVR agents. Sporyshev was responsible for relaying intelligence assignments from the SVR to Buryakov.

On or about March 28, 2014, Sporyshev was recorded telling Buryakov that he needed help researching the effects of economic sanctions on our country, among other things. A few days later, on April 2, 2014, Sporyshev called Buryakov and stated, in an intercepted conversation, that he had not seen Buryakov in a while, and asked to meet Buryakov outside VEBs office in New York in 20 minutes. A court-authorized search of Buryakovs computer at VEB revealed that, at around the time of this telephone call, Buryakov conducted the following internet searches: sanctions Russia consiquences [sic] and sanctions Russia impact.

Two days later, on April 4, 2014, Buryakov called Sporyshev and in an intercepted conversation, stated that he wrote you an order list, and suggested that they meet. Approximately 20 minutes later, Sporyshev met Buryakov in the driveway of Buryakovs home. Their encounter, which was captured by a video surveillance camera located near Buryakovs residence, lasted approximately two minutes. On the video footage, the defendants appeared to exchange a small object.

In the summer of 2014, Buryakov met multiple times with a confidential source working for the FBI and an FBI undercover employee, both of whom purported to be working on a casino development project in Russia. During these meetings, Buryakov accepted documents that were purportedly obtained from a U.S. government agency and which supposedly contained information potentially useful to Russia, including information about U.S. sanctions against Russia.

Buryakov will be sentenced on May 25, 2016, where he faces a statutory maximum sentence of five years in prison.

Assistant Attorney General Carlin joined U.S. Attorney Bharara in praising the investigative work of the FBIs Counterintelligence Division.

The prosecution is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Emil J. Bove III, Brendan F. Quigley and Stephen J. Ritchin of the Southern District of New York, with assistance provided by Senior Trial Attorney Heather Schmidt of the National Security Divisions Counterintelligence and Export Control Section.
Crude oil shipments by rail from Midwest to coastal regions decline

Washington, DC - The movement of crude by rail within the United States, including within Petroleum Administration for Defense Districts (PADDs), reached a high of 928,000 barrels per day (b/d) in October 2014, with most of the shipments originating in the Midwest and going to the East Coast, West Coast, and Gulf Coast regions. Since October 2015, crude-by-rail volumes have declined as production has slowed, as crude oil price spreads have narrowed, and as more pipelines have come online.

The economics of moving crude by rail depend largely on significant domestic crude discounts compared with international crudes. Because domestic crudes such as West Texas Intermediate (WTI) and Bakken, which are priced at Oklahoma and North Dakota, respectively, are no longer priced significantly less than waterborne crudes such as North Sea Brent, there is less of a cost advantage for costal refineries to run the domestic crudes. The narrower the spread between domestic and imported international crude, the more likely costal refineries will choose to run imported crudes rather than domestic supplies shipped by rail.

Crude supplies carried by rail from the Midwest to the East Coast (PADD 2 to PADD 1) continue to be the largest rail movement, accounting for 50% of total crude oil moved by rail within the United States in December 2015, the latest month for which data are available. However, this flow has been trending downward since reaching 465,000 b/d in April 2015. With a narrowing price spread between domestic and imported crude oil, imports of crude oil to the East Coast, particularly from countries in western Africa, have grown. Increased runs of imported crude in East Coast refineries have reduced the need for rail shipments of domestic crude oil to that region.

The next largest crude-by-rail movement is from the Midwest to the West Coast, which typically goes to refineries in the Pacific Northwest. Although movements from the Midwest to the West Coast fell in the early part of 2015 during planned and unplanned refinery outages, deliveries resumed when refineries restarted in late spring. The West Coast received an average of 139,000 b/d of crude oil by rail from the Midwest in 2015, roughly comparable with 2014 levels.

Movements of crude by rail from the Midwest to the Gulf Coast (PADD 2 to PADD 3) formed the largest inter-PADD rail movement from 2011 to 2013. Midwest-to-Gulf Coast rail movements started to decline in the second half of 2013 as new and expanded pipeline capacity came online. As additional pipeline capacity was added throughout 201315, crude-by-rail movements to the Gulf Coast from the Midwest continued to decline, dropping to 38,000 b/d in December 2015, 75,000 b/d less than in the previous year. Other crude oil-producing regions, such as the Niobrara in the Rocky Mountains (PADD 4) and the Permian Basin in Texas and New Mexico (part of PADD 3) also experienced growth in pipeline takeaway capacity to the Gulf Coast refining centers, reducing the need for railed crude supply from the Midwest.

Continued pipeline takeaway expansions and interconnections with existing pipelines in crude-producing regions such as the Bakken and the Gulf Coast will further reduce the need for intra-PADD rail flows within the Midwest and the Gulf Coast, as well as inter-PADD rail flows from the Midwest to the Gulf Coast. However, no crude oil pipeline infrastructure currently exists to move crude to the East and West coasts from the Midwest. Therefore, future crude-by-rail flows from the Midwest to the coasts will depend on the price dynamic between domestic and international crudes, as well as any long-term contractual volume commitments made by refiners.
USDA Announces Grants to Support Strategies to Reduce Child Food Insecurity in Rural Communities

Washington, DC - Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack Wednesday announced that the USDA Rural Child Poverty Nutrition Center at the University of Kentucky awarded $1.3 million in grants to help reduce child food insecurity in 17 rural communities. The funding, ranging from $50,000 to $100,000, will help these rural communities implement creative strategies to improve access to federal nutrition assistance for families and children.

Secretary Vilsack made the announcement during a panel discussion on the current state of food and nutrition in America hosted by the Bipartisan Policy Center.

"Children living in persistently poor rural areas tend to experience worse outcomes in terms of nutrition, activity, and obesity," said USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack. "Despite their critical role in our economy, too many Americans in rural areas are not sharing in our nation's economic growth and, in turn, their children have also been disproportionately affected. These grants will make it possible for children in these areas to access much-needed nutrition assistance and help close the large food insecurity gap between urban and rural communities."

According to the USDA Economic Research Service, one-fourth (25.2 percent) of children in rural areas were considered poor in 2014, compared to about one-fifth (21.1 percent) of urban children. Thriving rural communities are vital to the future of our nation. They provide the vast majority of food, energy, and environmental benefits to the rest of the country; are the source of nearly 90 percent of renewable water resources; and are home to important service sector and manufacturing hubs.

In an effort to bridge this gap for rural children, grantees will use their funds to develop programs and processes that help communities better coordinate existing child nutrition programs and create solutions to target child food insecurity in order to make it easier for children to receive assistance. For example, Fulton County Schools in Kentucky recognizes that transportation is a barrier for area families. The organization plans to create a mobile system to deliver meals to congregate meal sites in high need areas throughout the county as part of the agency's summer meal program. Summer meal programs funded by the USDA provided meals to students in low-income areas during the summer months when schools are not in session and those students lose access to free and reduced priced meals at school.

Other grantee project examples include:

Crisp County Community Council (Georgia): The Crisp County Community Council plans to expand the number of summer meal program sites in their community in order to provide more foods to children during summer months when school meal service is absent. The council will also reach out to families with children to increase their awareness of other food assistance programs.

Summit School District #54-6 (South Dakota): The Summit School District will expand its backpack program to ensure students have access to food when school is not in session. The district will also partner with churches and other nonprofits to implement the summer meal program.

Texas Hunger Initiative (THI) at Baylor University: THI will develop and support the formation of Child Food Security Stakeholder Councils to recruit new afterschool program sponsors, increase the operating capacity of current child nutrition program sponsors, and increase the availability of school breakfast.

For a full list of grantees and project proposals visit: http://www.fns.usda.gov/usda-rural-child-poverty-nutrition-center-grants-2016

In 2015, USDA selected the University of Kentucky to create the Rural Child Poverty Nutrition Center, which will administer and evaluate the grants awarded today.

This initiative is part of USDA's commitment to growing economies, increasing investments, and creating opportunities in poverty-stricken rural communities. Nearly 85 percent of America's persistent-poverty counties are in rural areas. Through the USDA StrikeForce for Rural Growth and Opportunity, USDA has supported partnerships and projects in over 700 persistent-poverty counties, parishes, boroughs, Colonias and tribal reservations.

Over the past seven years, USDA has enhanced federal nutrition programs, providing a critical safety net for millions of American children and families. By expanding access to nutritious foods and increasing awareness about the benefits of a healthy lifestyle, USDA programs have made a real difference in the lives of many, promising a brighter, healthier future for our nation.

March is National Nutrition Month. Throughout the month, USDA will be highlighting results in improving nutrition and reducing food insecurity at www.medium.com/usda-results
Inflatable Halloween Pumpkin Twice the Size of a House Rings in Spooky Season
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In Lyndsey Fayes new historical crime novel, Jane Steele, her titular heroine follows a narrative similar to that of her fictional favourite, Jane Eyre.

Like Eyre, shes abused by her cousin and boarding-school headmaster, and a mysterious housekeeper is a malevolent presence. But theres an important difference: Jane Steele murders her adversaries.

In her Historical Afterword, Faye acknowledges the ridiculousness in portraying a Jane Eyre-ish murderess.

But its ridiculousness is based in both truth and fiction: Steele attends Lowan Bridge school, based on Jane Eyres Lowood, in turn based on Cowan Bridge, the school that destroyed Charlotte Brontes sisters, Maria and Elizabeth. Jane Steele herself stresses: I was not a fictional orphan but a real one, however.

The gap between the real and the fictional is exploited by authors depicting murderesses to a degree, and with an ingenuity, that few other imagined figures enjoy.

Which may be the secret to our fascination with fictional representations, from Snow Whites wicked queen to Gone Girls Amy Dunne, as well as real-life female killers. When the two combine, our fascination becomes irresistible.

In the 19th century, Thomas Hardy couldnt resist turning Tess of the DUrbervilles into a murderess when she stabbed Alec DUrberville through the heart. Hardys recall of a hanging he once witnessed shows the dubious erotic appeal such a woman had for him (I remember what a fine figure she showed against the sky as she hung in the misty rain, and how the tight black silk gown set off her shape as she wheeled half-round and back), an eroticism he carried over to his invented heroine.

The 15 best opening lines in literature Show all 15 1 /15 The 15 best opening lines in literature The 15 best opening lines in literature Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife. chipkidd.com The 15 best opening lines in literature Anna Karenina, by Leo Tolstoy All happy families are alike but an unhappy family is unhappy after its own fashion. npr.org The 15 best opening lines in literature A Tale of Two Cities, by Charles Dickens It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way. The 15 best opening lines in literature Wuthering Heights, by Emily Bronte I have just returned from a visit to my landlord  the solitary neighbour that I shall be troubled with", which pitches you straight into the story. Penguin Books The 15 best opening lines in literature Middlemarch, by George Eliot Miss Brooke had that kind of beauty which seems to be thrown into relief by poor dress. Penguin Books The 15 best opening lines in literature Nineteen Eighty-Four, by George Orwell "It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen." AP The 15 best opening lines in literature The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald In my younger and more vulnerable years my father gave me some advice that Ive been turning over in my mind ever since. Whenever you feel like criticising any one, he told me, just remember that all the people in this world havent had the advantages that youve had. cracked.com The 15 best opening lines in literature Peter Pan, by J.M. Barrie "All children, except one, grow up." read.gov The 15 best opening lines in literature One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, by Ken Kesey Theyre out there. Black boys in white suits up before me to commit sex acts in the hall and get it mopped up before I can catch them. listed.com The 15 best opening lines in literature Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Bronte "There was no possibility of taking a walk that day." rarebookschool.org The 15 best opening lines in literature One Hundred Years of Solitude, by Gabriel Garcia Marquez Many years later, as he faced the firing squad, Colonel Aureliano Buendia was to remember that distant afternoon when his father took him to discover ice. Harper Collins The 15 best opening lines in literature The Metamorphosis, by Franz Kafka As Gregor Samsa awoke one morning from uneasy dreams he found himself transformed in his bed into a monstrous vermin. minabach.com The 15 best opening lines in literature The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, by Mark Twain You dont know about me without you have read a book by the name of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, but that aint no matter. That book was made by Mr. Mark Twain, and he told the truth, mainly. Penguin Books The 15 best opening lines in literature The Old Man and the Sea, by Ernest Hemingway He was an old man who fished alone in a skiff in the Gulf Stream and he had gone eighty-four days now without taking a fish. npr.org The 15 best opening lines in literature Catch 22, by Joseph Heller "It was love at first sight. The first time Yossarian saw the chaplain he fell madly in love with him." gonereading.com

Wilkie Collinss 1866 novel, Armadale, also relied on a sexually alluring but deadly figure: Lydia Gwilt. Published almost 10 years after the trial of 22-year-old Madeleine Smith, accused of poisoning her French lover with arsenic, it recalled the case too uncomfortably for some.

Real life, wrote one critic, was dominated by [a] sexually ambiguous image  that of the domestic poisoner, the woman  who slips packets of arsenic into her unsuspecting husbands food and drink. Smiths Edinburgh jury couldnt decide on her guilt, declaring the case not proven and thereby releasing back into society a woman some viewed as fatally dangerous.

Lydia Gwilt herself falls in love with a man she means to murder; in art as in life, sex and death become irrevocably intertwined. But Collins also rewrote Smith in fiction as a repentant woman who paid for her alleged crime with her life; both her sexual transgressions and her murderous behaviour were punished.

Hardy and Collins killed their fictional murderesses. James M Cain in the early 20th century took it further. Sex and death combined in the real-life trial of Ruth Snyder and her lover Judd Gray, jointly accused in 1927 of murdering Snyders husband.

Snyders love letters showed a frivolous, unhappy woman who appeared in photographs as utterly unremarkable. In his 1936 novella, Double Indemnity, based on the case, Cain exaggerated the sexual appeal of Phyllis Nirdlinger, his version of Snyder:

Under those blue pajamas was a shape to set a man nuts. Nirdlinger romanticises herself, too: (I) think of myself as Death, sometimes. In a scarlet shroud, floating through the night. Im so beautiful, then. In Cains hands, Snyder became a serial killer, dangerous and demented.

Wilkie Collins gave the murderess her own voice, Lydia Gwilt speaking through her diary. Cain crystallised a genre of women as femmes fatales, relaying Nirdlinger through her lovers eyes. Both methods were almost transgressive acts on the authors part, though, making us question our perceptions of the murderess, her hidden possibilities for sorrow or horror.

Female writers, however, chose a different kind of transgressive path, less willing to punish their literary murderesses in this way.

Megan Abbott based her 2009 novel, Bury Me Deep, on the infamous Trunk Murders of 1931, letting us inside a murderesss head as Collins had done and challenging the narrative that sexual transgression led to murder which ended in punishment. Winnie Ruth Judd was accused of shooting two female friends whom she regarded as love rivals, and packing their bodies into a trunk.

Abbotts imagined version of Judd, Marion Seeley, is lonely and unsure. Abandoned by her addict husband, she becomes a nurse and is corrupted by two unscrupulous women, then framed by an exploitative politician. But her voice has strength, (she was not such a wilting thing) and Abbott gives her anti-heroine a chance, celebrates her instinct for survival enough to let her flee.

This particular literary murderess surpassed her real-life counterpart, who was sentenced to life imprisonment.

Again and again, the literary murderess exploits, challenges, or even subverts, the official story, the accepted version. Alias Grace, Margaret Atwoods 1996 novel, is based on the life of Grace Marks, who was found guilty of murdering a fellow servant and her employer in 1843.

Grace is given her own voice as she tells her story to a young psychiatrist. That voice veers between truth and fiction, plays games with facts. Is she a killer or not? Atwood leaves it open.

Similarly, Angela Carter avoids judgment in her 1985 short story, The Fall River Axe Murders, based on Lizzie Borden.

Carter begins with the heat on the day Bordens father and step-mother would be bludgeoned to death in their Massachusetts home. Hot, hot, hot  very early in the morning, before the factory whistle, but even at this hour, everything shimmers and quivers under the attack of white, furious sun already high in the still air.

The myth of Lizzie Borden tells us that the heat made her painful menstruation more likely to lead to the murders she was accused of committing. But Sarah Millers new study, The Borden Murders: Lizzie Borden and the Trial of the Century, insists that the heat that day was nothing unusual.

Carter describes a poor home, full of locked doors and suppressed desires. In fact, the house was roomy and Borden adored and respected her father. Found not guilty, she was nevertheless treated like a murderess by the Fall River residents.

Carter portrays an angry woman, an angel of death driven to revenge, full of power, and in doing so, subverts the real-life outcome that befell Borden. However, in Lizzies Tiger, another story about Borden written a few years later, Carter twists her position again, depicting Borden as a child and prophesying her victimisation by the townsfolk. Carter, ever the artist, has it both ways.

The literary murderess doesnt just tell us something important about how we view women, and women who commit crime in particular. She also exposes the mystery of the transition of life into art.

The literary murderess shows us not only how transgressive a figure she herself is, but also how transgressive inspiration itself can be, what boundaries it may push. Little wonder we are so fascinated, finding her both explicable and inexplicable by turns. If the Muse is female, perhaps it also follows that the Muse is a murderess.

Lesley McDowell is currently working on a book about literary murderesses.
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At a press conference for his new film Chi-Raq at last months Berlin Film Festival, Spike Lee was told about Victoria, a German film that was all shot in a single continuous take.

Lee was bamboozled. How long is the film? he asked. To which journalists responded, Over two hours. Thats not possible. How many cinematographers did he use? No one can hold a camera for that long, posited a bemused Lee. Only one, bellowed the crowd. Ive got to see this film, piped Lee.

Audiences In Britain would do well to follow Lees lead. Victoria is one of the most remarkable films yet made with a digital camera. Whereas, previous one take films, such as Alexander Sokurovs Russian Ark and Alfred Hitchcocks Rope, were limited to a single venue, as was the-made-to-look-like-one-shot Oscar winner Birdman, Victoria crisscrosses Berlin, and includes club scenes, robberies, and shootouts.

Most people thought that director Sebastian Schipper was mad, when he proposed the film. One German sales agent revealed that they passed on the film, because they just didnt believe he could pull it off.

First known as an actor, Schipper appeared in The English Patient and Run Lola Run and his career as a director has been patchy.

In 1999, he made a hilarious comedy, Absolute Giants, a smash hit in Germany, but rarely seen anywhere else. In 2006, he directed himself and Daniel Bruhl in A Friend of Mine, a mundane film about men who love fast cars. Even more poorly received was his 2009 effort, Sometime in August, loosely based on Goethes novel Elective Affinities.

Yet, in the process of trying to convince financiers about the project, Schipper learnt a lesson, which would prove vital when it came to making the film. One of the first people I met to talk about the project was the Berlin Film Fund director and she said, thats not possible, even for five minutes, you have to show me, recounts Schipper.

So the 47-year-old made a 10-minute one-take short film in a hotel room. I learned so much doing that, I realised, at that moment, that when Sturia Brandth Grvlen, our cinematographer, knows the movements of the actors, when to pan, and was waiting for an action, that for my feeling, was already too much.

He wanted spontaneity. Its the reason Schipper didnt bother watching Russian Ark or Rope; Those films were no reference to us. We were out on the street: our approach was to film the action in the manner of a war photographer. Its not about setting up immaculate framing. You follow an event that is snowballing, and you cant quite believe whats going on, whats going to happen next? You just want to get closer to the action.

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If that was his goal, he achieved it. The film is a rollercoaster ride. On its two hour and 20 minute journey, it sets up anticipation, speeds up, slows down, loops back on itself, before a finish that will have your heart beating faster than its ever done in any Marvel movie.

Spanish actress Laia Costa plays Victoria. The action starts with her knocking back a shot and leaving a club. At the exit, she meets four real Berliners, they converse with her in broken English and they convince Victoria to join them for a drink on a rooftop.

Still from the film Victoria

As she flirts with Sun, played by Frederick Lau, you settle in to watch a romantic tale along the lines of Richard Linklaters Before Sunrise. Then Schipper pulls the tablecloth from under the crockery and all the dishes smash on to the floor.

For all the technical wizardry, the Hanover-born director was always aware that, first and foremost, he had to please the audience: There is the experiment and the craziness of it, but, of course, it has to be a good film. At the end, you want to entertain.

The decision to have a Spanish girl speak English to a German group came because the director wanted to celebrate Europe and reflect the reality of the German capital. It had to do with Berlin, says Schipper.

But it also has to do with our times. I wanted this European aspect. I wanted this aspect of Berlin, being a little refuge for people of Europe. The solidarity amongst young people is very touching, they stand for each other, they help each other, and of course, its no coincidence that she comes from Spain.

Still from the film Victoria

"I didnt want her to come from Greece, because that would make it super political, but obviously she is coming from a place that is not doing so good, and she is coming to a country Germany, and we are doing really, really good.

The language choice probably cost Schipper an Oscar nomination. Victoria won six awards at the German Film Awards, but did not qualify for the Best Foreign Language Oscar category, because the majority of the film is spoken in English.

Cinematographer Grvlen, also won the Silver Bear at last years Berlin Film Festival for his extraordinary contribution. That he too didnt get noticed by the Academy seems absurd: his is the only piece of camerawork that could have seriously given Emmanuel Lubezkis work on The Revenant a run for its money.

So how did Schipper pull off a feat that had Lee, one of the worlds great directors, shaking his head in disbelief? We rehearsed and we shot three long takes, says the German. We shot the entire film three times. It was super intense, because we only had a 12 page treatment, and no dialogue. The actors would improvise lines on the move.

There was a contingency plan if things went wrong. That was the thing about the project, if we had to make cuts, we always said that we would reveal them. But thankfully every scene was better the third time. They also shot in the middle of the night, at 4am, to reduce the chance of the public walking in front of the camera.

I always said, we have to have a product in the end, continues the director. It was really expensive to do each take. If it didnt work, maybe we would have tried to get more financing, but of course you have got to prove it, and Im not sure, if the third take had been like the first two, I dont know if we could have used it as proof.

After each attempt, scenes would be cut and different ideas mooted. The key to the production was having three sound crews: There was always one booming a scene, another waiting at the next location and one at the location after. I was really happy we boomed the entire film, because we had to have good sound.

"Many times that is the sign of quality. The picture, we make compromises, but our ears, they are very, very smart. They like to be entertained, they like to hear stuff.

And of course, there was that one element, we can all do with: Honestly, we were really lucky. There were moments we were close to this not working out.

Victoria is released on 1 April
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On 8 September 1966, a new weekly drama series made its first appearance on American network television. Space: the final frontier, the voice-over intoned, as a curiously shaped vessel whooshed past. These are the voyages of the Starship Enterprise. Its five-year mission: to explore strange new worlds, to seek out new life and new civilisations, to boldly go where no man has gone before. And the theme tune, even then sounding a little creaky and old-fashioned, roared in.

Its first viewers, if they didnt flip channels to watch something else, will have discovered a world, or maybe universe, that had already been imagined in some detail. Transporters, shuttlecraft, phasers on stun, warp engines, dilithium crystals: they are all there, right from the beginning. In other, equally important ways, though, the Star Trek universe resembles our own. The captain is a young man, good-looking, charismatic, clever, a strong leader. His second-in-command, the man with the ears, is even cleverer. The ships doctor is a crusty old everyman, a sawbones. The engineer is Scottish. All the women wear terrifyingly short skirts. Its the 1960s, 300 years on.

That first episode, The Man Trap, wasnt the best or most distinctive episode with which to start. It was the 10th to have been made, but it had a monster in it, and NBC wanted to start with a monster. Other science-fiction shows had monsters. Viewers liked monsters. Network executives liked monsters. Everyone knew where they were with them.

Leonard Nimoy: The 10 best Spock quotes Show all 10 1 /10 Leonard Nimoy: The 10 best Spock quotes Leonard Nimoy: The 10 best Spock quotes The best Spock quotes "Live long and prosper." Hulton Archive/Getty Leonard Nimoy: The 10 best Spock quotes The best Spock quotes "Insufficient facts always invite danger." Getty Images Leonard Nimoy: The 10 best Spock quotes The best Spock quotes "Without followers, evil cannot spread." Getty Images Leonard Nimoy: The 10 best Spock quotes The best Spock quotes "Space: the final frontier. These are the voyages of the starship Enterprise. Her ongoing mission: to explore strange new worlds, to seek out new life-forms and new civilizations; to boldly go where no one has gone before." Rex Features Leonard Nimoy: The 10 best Spock quotes The best Spock quotes "Once you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth." Rex Features Leonard Nimoy: The 10 best Spock quotes The best Spock quotes "Computers make excellent and efficient servants, but I have no wish to serve under them." Rex Features Leonard Nimoy: The 10 best Spock quotes The best Spock quotes "Fascinating is a word I use for the unexpected, in this case I would think interesting would suffice. Hulton Archive/Getty Leonard Nimoy: The 10 best Spock quotes The best Spock quotes May I say that I have not thoroughly enjoyed serving with Humans? I find their illogic and foolish emotions a constant irritant. Hulton Archive/Getty Leonard Nimoy: The 10 best Spock quotes The best Spock quotes "The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few, or the one." Getty Images Leonard Nimoy: The 10 best Spock quotes The best Spock quotes "I realise that command does have its fascination, even under circumstances such as these, but I neither enjoy the idea of command nor am I frightened of it. It simply exists, and I will do whatever logically needs to be done." Getty Images

Science-fiction television was not an advanced form in 1966. Lost in Space, considered a kids show in the UK (because essentially it was), was as SF as you could get on US prime time. Danger, Will Robinson! said the Robot. The pain! The pain! said Dr Zachary Smith. And having landed on a new planet, which looked exactly like the previous weeks planet, the extraordinarily dull Robinson family would immediately be threatened by the latest monster  or as we thought of him, the man in the monster suit.

(Irwin Allen, the creator of this show, had a profitable line in SF concepts that never progressed, ever, by a single nanometre. Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea found what at the bottom of the sea? Monsters, usually. In Land of the Giants, an Earth spaceship landed on a mysterious planet where everybody they encountered was 12 times larger than they were, but still spoke English in an American accent. The crew spent two years and 51 episodes avoiding giant beetles.)

Original cast members with creator Gene Roddenberry (top) and director Robert Wise (Getty Images)

Star Trek was designed to be better than this. With its sucker-thumbed, shape-changing salt vampire, The Man Trap was atypical, and you get the feeling that NBC never forgave or forgot. The three-year history of the series would be one of constant battles with an unsympathetic network, which never began to work out what it had within its grasp. NBC drifted out of the picture in 1969, when it cancelled the show, but Star Trek is still with us, 50 years later. To be celebrating its half-century, possibly with a glass of Romulan ale, seems bizarre. Television shows come and go, and the vast majority of them stay gone. But Star Trek has come and gone and come and gone, and its here once again in the form of JJ Abramss rebooted film series. One day, Im sure, it really will all be over, but we may all be dead by then.

I came to Star Trek both early and late. I saw the first episode to be shown on British television and was instantly entranced. This was in the summer of 1969, and I was nine years old  so I wasnt to know that, although I was an early adopter in the UK, the series had already run its course in the US and been cancelled. A new generation of British fans was being nurtured as their American equivalents were writing furious letters to the network and tuning tearfully into the syndicated re-runs on local television stations. But the effect, if delayed, was much the same. At my school it rapidly became clear that you were either a Star Trek fan or a Doctor Who fan  a Trekkie or a Whovian, as we might now say in moments of weakness. I was always a Trekkie. I watched Doctor Who with pleasure, and I still do, but such loyalties are imprinted young, and they neither fade nor falter.

 Star Trek Beyond - Trailer

A quick word on terms here. The word Trekkie has long carried a slight tone of flippancy or even disparagement, possibly from the days when to be a signed-up fan of anything was to cash in all your remaining dignity chips and settle for a life of chronic uncoolness. To be a Trekkie was to contemplate buying Star Trek uniforms and wearing them in the privacy of your own home. I never went that far, although I did buy James Blishs novelisations and read and reread them while waiting for the episodes to be shown again. When I played Star Trek games with my friends, I always wanted to be Captain Kirk and was very disappointed if I ended up being Mr Sulu.

Some time in the 1970s, though, Trekkies became tired of people laughing at them and decided that thenceforth, they wished to be known as Trekkers. I always thought this was a bad move. The implication was that Trekkies were sad and lonely individuals with no lives, while Trekkers were more outgoing, culturally inclusive types with good jobs and attractive partners, but Im not sure anyone was fooled. Indeed, it seemed to me that saying Im a Trekker, Im not a Trekkie was far more tragic and desperate than actually being a Trekker or a Trekkie. Who cares what anyone else thinks? Its a great series and I have never seen any problem in acknowledging my love of it. To come out of the Trekkie closet, you need to have been in it in the first place.

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That said, the book Ive written isnt really aimed at the deranged Trek fan, whether Trekkie, Trekker or some other subgroup I havent identified. There are already hundreds of books geared towards the specialist market, from detailed histories and photographic records, to fascinating monographs on the science or design of the show, to autobiographies of the participants and, in the greatest profusion of all, spin-off novels, of which there are so many you wouldnt know where to start. What I havent seen is a book aimed at the general reader, at the person who has grown up with Star Trek and watched it with enthusiasm, but has never felt the pressing need to wear a prosthetic Klingon forehead over their real head. Thats the book Ive tried to write.

So why Star Trek, exactly? Its a question often asked by those who dont get the show, and answered, sometimes with difficulty, by those who do. Failure, in a television show or anything, is often too easy to diagnose and deconstruct. Success can be slightly more elusive. But taking it from the start, I think there are three significant factors.

The first was the shows palpable seriousness. Gene Roddenberry, Star Treks mercurial creator, pitched his series to NBC as Wagon Train to the stars, which promised simple, solid action-adventure with an outer-space setting. But he had a higher intent. Star Trek was conceived from the beginning as a vehicle for serious dramatic themes, artfully concealed behind standard action-adventure conventions. Roddenberrys first pilot for the show, The Cage, was thoughtful, talky...and a little slow. NBC said no and asked for a bit more fighting. Roddenberry learnt quickly to moderate his preachy tendencies and throw in a few space battles, but the shows underlying seriousness was never diluted. When he unveiled the second pilot at an SF convention in early September 1966, an audience of 3,000 SF aficionados (including Isaac Asimov) applauded wildly, and asked to see more.

Original cast members such as Deforest Kelley (second left) and William Shatner (far right) showing their age in 1982s Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (Rex Features)

The second factor was the characters. The grand trinity of Kirk, Spock and McCoy took a pilot or two to come together, but once they did, their chemistry was so strong you felt they had been doing this for years. The first series of Star Trek finds its feet astonishingly quickly  you might say miraculously so. From nothing to The City on the Edge of Forever in less than a year is some going. It was the strength of the characters, and the absolute suitability of the actors who played them, that made this possible.

Finally, and crucially, the shows optimism. Science fiction is a miserable old genre. Almost all of it is telling us how appalling the future is going to be. Its raw material is how appalling the present is; it then stretches and twists it and extrapolates from it, and the result can usually bring the most cheerful soul to the edge of breakdown. The great science-fiction films of the 1950s were almost all warnings of incipient catastrophe. The only previous American SF television series of note, The Twilight Zone and The Outer Limits, were not so much pessimistic as nihilistic, if often playfully so. Star Trek, by contrast, really did boldly go where no man had gone before. It posited a future where, broadly, things worked. Our world had found peace, money had been abolished, poverty had disappeared, humanity had finally become civilised. Now we were venturing into deep space on a mission of peace and exploration, not to conquer but out of sheer curiosity. And every problem we encountered, we felt we had a chance of solving, mostly in less than 50 minutes of screen time. My God, even religion had been abandoned.

The late 1960s were turbulent times, and Star Treks optimism, if they noticed it at all, might well have suited the NBC executives innate conservatism and cautiousness. Anything with a more obvious counter-cultural message would not have crept under their radar. Instead, Star Trek carried all sorts of unobvious counter-cultural messages, which its audience delighted in. Its bridge crew included a black woman in a position of responsibility. In the second series a young Russian ensign with a slightly unexpected Beatles haircut was introduced. In the future, we understood, clever and well-intentioned people would prevail. Those of us growing up who happened to consider ourselves clever and well-intentioned found this very much to our taste.

The transporter in the 1965 TV pilot (Rex Features)

And what I think has enabled Star Trek to keep going is that there has never been anything else quite like it. One or two other shows have briefly taken up the baton, but remarkably few have been directly inspired by this most apparently fertile of formats. Maybe Roddenberrys vision was so particular that other producers did not even try to duplicate it. Later Star Trek producers knew not to mess too much with it. Like a Borg cube, it appears to be resistant to attack.

What Im doing is celebrating a very singular television show, for all its many and varied incarnations. Thats not to say that what Ive written is moist-eyed with uncritical adoration, for that which we love can also drive us mad with rage and disappointment. As one episode title asks, Is there in truth no beauty? (For the world is hollow and I have touched the sky, says another.) This was at a point in the series when the episode titles were more enjoyable than anything you might see in the actual show.

Story, of course, is everything. Star Trek had some of the best stories you could see on television, but its own story is, in some ways, even better. Cancelled after three years, it stayed alive through the urgent advocacy of a smallish group of dedicated fans, who quite simply wanted more. The wholly unexpected, globe-straddling success of Star Wars gave it a second life in the cinema; the popularity of the films led to Star Trek: The Next Generation; and the popularity of that show gave us a dizzying variety of spin-offs. Finally, when that seam appeared to have been thoroughly worked out, JJ Abrams went back to the original series and remade it with new, young actors as a big, bold, primary-coloured action film. Not everyone, I understand, has maintained contact with the show through its long and tortuous history. For the sake of the general reader, then, these are the shows more popular incarnations: the original Star Trek series (1966-69), The Next Generation (1987-94); and the films, both ancient and modern. Thats not to say that Deep Space Nine (1993-99), Voyager (1995-2001) and Enterprise (2001-05) are inferior series, although some would say just that. (I would defend Deep Space Nine to the hilt. It took a while to find its way, but grew into a drama of epic scope and ambition.) But non-aficionados barely know them, and this is not the place to learn more than the basics.

The transporter in the 2012 film Star Trek Into Darkness (Paramount)

By curious coincidence, I was finishing my book in the week that Leonard Nimoy died. Perhaps ridiculously, given that I came no closer to meeting him than to climbing Everest, I felt bereft at his passing, even though he had clearly lived long and prospered. What did surprise me, though, was that I wasnt alone in this. There was a sense, in that week, that someone genuinely significant had gone, and with him a slice of our childhoods  or, if were going to be honest about this, our lives. On Facebook someone I know juxtaposed two stills from the original series. In the first, Kirk, Spock, Bones and Scotty are in the Enterprise meeting room discussing something of import. In the second, theres a long shot of the same table and only Kirk is sitting there. Their vision of the future, we now realise, was an awfully long time ago.

Hurray, then, for DVDs and streaming services, for hard disks and for a culture that has grown to value the ephemeral telly rubbish of the distant past. Recently, I took the opportunity to introduce the original series in its remastered glory to my 14-year-old daughter, who had developed a taste for science fiction and fantasy that, in my own childhood, would not have been encouraged. She loved it, needless to say. My son, then 11, was less impressed: it was all a bit too talky and needed more action. He hopes one day to get a job as an NBC executive.

Set Phasers to Stun: 50 Years of Star Trek, by Marcus Berkmann (Little, Brown, 13.99) will be published on 24 March
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Fracking is set to lead to a sharp rise in emissions of climate changing greenhouse gases, newly undermining industry and government claims that shale gas is a relatively clean fuel that can help combat global warming, an authoritative new study reveals.

On Thursday, the United States and Canada agreed to cut methane emissions from the oil and gas industry by almost half.

The new study strikes another blow at the strategy of both the US and British governments to rely on shale gas as a relatively clean bridge from dirty fossil fuels to non-polluting renewable sources such as the sun, winds, waves and tides.

Recommended Read more Fracking is main suspect in startling US methane surge

Their policies are based on the fact that gas emits only half as much carbon dioxide as coal when it is burned  but do not take into account the leakage of methane and other greenhouse gases during the process. When these are added in, studies show, shale gas can create even more pollution than coal.

The new study  led by a former director of the US Environmental Protection Agencys (EPA) Office of Civil Enforcement, who now heads the Environmental Integrity Project  focuses on emissions from industrial developments spurred by development of fracking fuel.

Fracking sites across America have been targeted by environmental activists (Getty)

Fracking has led to a US gas surplus, which it is now increasingly exporting around the world after turning it into liquid natural gas (LNG). Last year alone, the report says, 23 new LNG gas-processing and compressing facilities were proposed or permitted across the United States. Once operating, these would emit the equivalent of 47 million tons a year of carbon dioxide, a 34 per cent jump over releases from the entire industry in 2014.

Simultaneously, new supplies of shale oil from fracking are also causing an increase in refining petroleum. Seven new refineries were proposed or permitted in the US last year, which would release another 5.4 million tons a year, when running.

The report  Greenhouse Gases from a Growing Petrochemical Industry  adds that the cheapness of shale gas is encouraging other energy-intensive industries to expand. Seven new fertiliser industry projects are scheduled to emit another 15.8 million tons of carbon dioxide equivalent, and seven new chemical plants would add another 17.6 million tons.

In total, the almost 86 million tons a year emitted by all these plants, when and if they are in operation, would be equivalent to the climate-changing pollution from 19 coal-fired power plants, the report concludes.

This will come as a blow to President Barack Obamas attempts to reduce US emissions of greenhouse gases, as a legacy issue for his second term in office. On Thursday he struck a fully united agreement to tackle them with the new Canadian Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, who is also making tackling climate change a top priority for his administration. Their most striking decision was to cut emissions of methane  which is 86 times more potent in warming the Earth over a 20-year period than carbon dioxide  from the oil and gas industries by 40 to 45 per cent from 2012 levels by 2025.

How fracking works and where it could happen Show all 2 1 /2 How fracking works and where it could happen How fracking works and where it could happen 02-FrackingHowItWorks.jpg How fracking works and where it could happen 02-FrackingMapWeb.jpg

The agreement was attacked by the American Petroleum Institute for potentially discouraging the shale energy revolution, but Gina McCarthy  who heads the EPA, which has consistently underestimated industry leakage  said: It has become clear it is time to regulate existing sources in oil and gas.

The industry suffered another big setback when both Democratic presidential candidates made clear their hostility to shale gas and oil in a debate last Sunday. Senator Bernie Sanders said: I do not support fracking, citing dangers to water supplies. And Hillary Clinton said that she would enforce tough regulation  including over methane leaks  to the extent that I do not think that there will be many places in America where fracking will continue.

However, expert allegations that fracking maybe responsible for a surprise 30 per cent increase in methane over the United States in the last decade are challenged by new research, published in the journal Science, suggesting that it may instead be due to agriculture especially dairy farming.
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Billions of lentil-sized plastic pellets, known as nurdles, are spewing out of Britains factories into the environment each year and posing a significant risk to wildlife, according to an alarming study.

Plastic fragments, which come in varying sizes, are the building blocks of industry, delivered to factories in monumental quantities, where they are welded together to make everything from Barbie dolls and smart phones.

However, a huge number of them work their way free from their packaging, escaping from manufacturing plants and distribution trucks into the surrounding area.

Recommended Read more National Wildlife Crime Unit to continue despite closure threats

Many get washed into rivers and make their way to the sea, where they pose a threat to fish, birds and, potentially, humans, according to the report, which is the first to estimate the number of nurdles spilling into the environment.

Nurdles are a similar size and shape to fish eggs, so they are often mistaken for food by fish. They are also highly absorbent, so they can suck in dangerous chemicals such as DDT insecticide, which can leach out into the fish and potentially pass along the food chain  all the way to the dinner plate, experts warn.

Before the 5p charge, eight billion plastic bags were handed out by Britains supermarkets each year (Getty)

The sheer volume of nurdles that we appear to be releasing into our oceans is mind-boggling. These tiny plastics are being eaten by aquatic life at all stages of the food chain and are highly toxic, said Louise Edge, the senior oceans campaigner at Greenpeace. The potential impacts on human health are as yet unknown, but if were eating fish that could have ingested plastic thats clearly cause for concern.

Dr Madeleine Berg, of Fidra, the environmental charity that commissioned the research, is also concerned about the dangers posed by nurdles. Countless pellets already litter UK beaches and unfortunately there is no way to clean them up once at sea, she said. Pellet loss is an entirely avoidable source of pollution, so we must make sure no further pellets are released.

UK factories use 7.3 million tons of plastic each year, most of it made up of tiny pellets between 3mm and 5mm wide and weighing about 20mg each. About 600 nurdles are used to make a small plastic water bottle.

Although only a tiny fraction  less than 0.01 per cent  are thought to escape, so many nurdles pass through the UKs factories that as many as 53 billion are spilled into the wider environment each year, according to the report by the research group Eunomia. To put that in context: 53 billion nurdles is equivalent to 35 tanker-loads of pellets weighing more than 1,000 tons.

Microbeads are minuscule plastic beads used to texturise cosmetics  the US is estimated to flush eight trillion a day into its water system (Getty)

The estimate is based on a review of studies into the extent of pellet loss in other European countries, factoring in the rate of loss in those countries and the number of nurdles used in the UK manufacturing process. It comes after a study last year found that nurdles posed a risk to a key puffin colony on the Isle of May in the Firth of Forth. It found the tiny pellets in the stomachs of many of the birds, adding to the soup of plastic fragments that have become so prevalent in the sea that 9 out of 10 sea birds already have some lodged in their stomachs.

Many cotton buds use stems made from plastic which pass through the majority of sewage treatment works into the sea (Rex)

Fidra is calling on plastics companies to get more heavily involved in an initiative by the British Plastics Federation to tackle the nurdle problem. Named Operation Clean Sweep, it is a voluntary scheme that asks companies to recognise the importance of preventing the loss of resin pellets into the environment ... and strive towards zero pellet loss.

A spokesman for the British Plastics Federation said: The loss of pellets into the wider environment is not acceptable and the industry is working with a range of stakeholders to identify the sources of pellets found on some beaches, which could also be from foreign shores or shipping incidents.
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When politicians say that they are leaving office to spend more time with their families, it usually means that they have been pushed out of a job rather than leapt into the hugger-mugger of raising their children. But I really did leave the office to spend more time with my family  I quit the rat race to become a stay-at-home dad.

Id like to say that I was driven to abandon my career by a longing to spend more time with my two under-fives, or that my professional brilliance made early retirement all but inevitable. But my eureka moment  as with so much of parenting  was a decision based on finances. My salary as a journalist barely covered our childminding outgoings, while my wife brought home around four times what I could muster. My ego had long absorbed this, and it seemed only logical that I made the move in-house.

But there was more to the decision than money: wed become increasingly aware that our children hardly knew us. Wed chosen to outsource our pastoral responsibilities as parents to a nanny, a wonderful woman who came to be known, inevitably, as Mama. Her job was to keep the kids alive: fed, watered and clear of busy roads and electrical sockets. The nurturing of soul, the conjugation of verbs and the correct orientation of numbers such as six and three were not part of the remit, and nor could we expect them to be.

This came into vivid focus during our sons first term in Reception. Delightful child, they said. A gentle soul. But middling.

How could this be? Somehow, in an era in which even the click of a camera shutter is governed by the relentless pursuit of perfection, wed managed to make a hash of our first-born.

And so it was that, eight months ago, over the kitchen table and two bottles of wine, my wife and I drew our plans against conformity. I took it upon myself to save the day. I pulled on the superhero suit. I would become Silver Bullet  inspirational tutor, art impresario, sport supremo and generally the man who maketh the manners that maketh the man. I believed in the power of my billowing cape. I even saw it as a vehicle to right my own middling career. My man-bag of sugary bribes and spare undies would include a laptop, and Id crank out articles to order  perhaps even books  during playdates, swimming lessons and Disney DVDs. The sense of freedom I gained was overwhelming. It felt like an escape.

The 10 best parenting books Show all 10 1 /10 The 10 best parenting books The 10 best parenting books 656151.bin The 10 best parenting books 656148.bin The 10 best parenting books 656144.bin The 10 best parenting books 656142.bin The 10 best parenting books 656147.bin The 10 best parenting books 656141.bin The 10 best parenting books 656149.bin The 10 best parenting books 656143.bin The 10 best parenting books 656146.bin The 10 best parenting books 656145.bin

You can probably guess where this is going. For the life of me, I cant understand why I didnt. The novelty of making house wore off within weeks. In its place came the monotony of being at my childrens beck and call. If I wasnt peeling carrots, I was on my knees peeling trodden rice off the kitchen floor. Quality time? Forget it. Writing? Dont have me on  I hardly had time to shower or shave. Each new day was simply a chore-laden clone of the one before. I missed the office. I missed commuting. I even missed Monday mornings.

Then, about two months in, something noteworthy did actually happen: I was called aside by my daughters nursery teacher. She sat me down on the worlds tiniest chair to inform me that our little one had regressed. Shed developed a stutter and had begun to cling to the staffs lower limbs. Had there been any changes at home, she ventured.

Mama had left us, I was in charge, and it was painfully obvious to all.

I wondered if perhaps all this was due to factors beyond my control. It had been a while since I had evoked this approach to blame distribution, and it rang curiously hollow outside the confines of an office. I was the problem. Id imagined being the primary carer to be a no-brainer: Id just deliver my children to where they needed to be and everything else would follow. But it hadnt happened like that. My daughter had regressed and Id been reduced to a shell in less time than it takes to incubate a baby.

I tentatively asked fellow stay-at-home mums about their experiences. How do you do it, I asked. How do you keep smiling? Some simply shrugged, others replied with a single word: wine. Others possibly thought that I was being either patronising or dangerously naive. But mostly they told me that they just got on with it for the sake of their children. Besides, they said, who else would do it? Who else could do it? Not men, they seemed to be implying, and the figures seemed to back them up. While in 2014 the Office for National Statistics revealed that in the UK there were 229,000 stay-at-home fathers, their number was eclipsed by the 2.04 million stay-at-home mothers.

I watch as their dexterity grows keener by the day, and I delight in seeing their eyes grow wide as I regale them with tales of the world I knew before it was eclipsed by them <p> </p>

Was this my undoing? By dint of gender, I suddenly thought that I had a get-out-of-jail card, and it was burning a hole in my pocket. Fathers arent expected to be at home. I could easily crawl back under that fence. Id lose some face, but society wouldnt deem me a bad person. Plus Id be free.

An opt-out isnt normally a drawback, but the lure of this escape route drove me to distraction. Far from correcting the wrongs I had inflicted on my children, I began to dwell on number one and the path that I had forsaken. What happened to my development? What happened to my life? I used to break the news! I used to engender respect! Now I cooked pasta and dreaded my wifes return from work. Where once Id regale her with details of the latest celebrity misdemeanours, I now bored her with school circulars and news of lost property.

Primary carers are required to be utterly selfless. They need to relinquish the spotlight and back off into the shadows. But thats not me. I dont do cameos. And yet here I was, playing referee to two warring infants, circling their dinner table with wet-wipes and hopeless pleas, juggling remote controls until their exacting television demands were met. Id been deposed as head of the family by a coup of my own creation. Stripped of the trousers and fatherhoods traditional mandate, I was now just the go-to guy for missing shoes.

But lately, Ive been finding that these constant lost-and-found requests fail to enrage me as they once did. Indeed, every pair of reunited shoes brings me a measure of inner peace. When I first noticed this, I suspected that my mind was going, but Im starting to believe something deeper is happening. They need a shoe, I have keen eyes and two minutes to spare  whats the problem? Surely no one is too big to fit an arm under a sofa.

At the risk of getting all Deepak Chopra about it, the circle of mundane chores of which my day consists opens vast chasms for self-examination  meditation, even. Lifes smaller details, once wholly invisible to me, now stop me in my tracks. Im moved beyond words by steepling cloud formations, by the wind in the trees, by blossom. I feel the urge to share my awe with my new companions.

Each of these tiny interactions gives me a sense of the distance between who I am, who I thought I should be, and the type of man that my children actually need. Theyll be after my pay cheque soon enough. Until then, their focus rests squarely on the ready provision of patience, hugs, lost shoes and thorough answers to their constant questions.

Now, we peel carrots together, two bums perched either side of the chopping board. I watch as their dexterity grows keener by the day, and I delight in seeing their eyes grow wide as I regale them with tales of the world I knew before it was eclipsed by them.

These episodes make me come over all peculiar. Sometimes, it feels like Im seeing these children for the first time, and from afar. In a sense, I am. I orbit these beings from a distance, holding them steady as they hurtle through the vastness of time and space. Its terrifying and lonely and gruelling beyond measure. But the view is stunning.
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Dear Virginia...

My friend is always falling for hopeless men. But recently, she said she had found someone new  and she has been raving about him. Shes obsessed and says that at last shes managed to buck the trend and find someone responsible  a sensitive man who will also care for her. But yesterday I met him and Im afraid I can see hes just another hanger-on, a total loser. Ive talked to a few mutual friends and they all agree. Is there any way I can tell her this without her getting angry and upset? I hate to see her about to get hurt yet again.

Yours sincerely, Sue

Virginia says...

Some women just are irresistibly drawn to hopeless men. Who knows why. It could be because one of her parents was very dependent and being in a caring role makes her feel in some way at home. Unpleasant as it is in one way, and burdensome in another, its familiar and cosy. Its the devil she knows.

Or it could be that, even though she couldnt help her mother or father turn into the person she needed to nurture her, some primal bit of her still feels that if only she could help the person shes closest to, hell eventually change and become the parent of her dreams.

She may even be aware of this pattern. It sounds from what you say that at least shes clued up enough to know to avoid the obvious disasters. Shes learnt something so far and has at least a modicum of insight and self-knowledge.

Unfortunately, that subconscious bit of her never seems to communicate with the conscious bit, so it draws her towards unsuitable men, and manipulates her into thinking that these men are somehow different to the others.

It has to be said that many hopeless men have, again, a daddy-like veneer, which soon fades when you get to know them better. Theyre like the monsters in science fiction films. Halfway through the relationship, they unpeel their human faces and reveal the needy monsters underneath.

Love and sex news: in pictures Show all 31 1 /31 Love and sex news: in pictures Love and sex news: in pictures What makes a perfect penis? Scientists have now answered one of these great unknowns. According to a new study, general cosmetic appearance is the most important penile aspect when it comes to what women value down there. This is swiftly followed by the appearance of pubic hair, penile skin, and girth. Length comes in at number six, with the look of the scrotum trailing closely behind. The least important facet of the phallus, say the scientists, is the position and shape of meatus, the vertical slit at the opening of the urethra. Getty Love and sex news: in pictures Half of divorcees had doubts on their wedding day Over half of divorcees considered abandoning their husband or wife-to-be at the altar on their wedding day, a new study has revealed. On top of likely worrying about wedding favours and making sure guests behave on their big day, 49 per cent of divorcees admitted they were unsure before the ceremony that their marriage would last. Some 15 per cent of divorcees polled said they were so wracked with doubt that they felt physically sick in the run up to their wedding. Joe Raedle/Getty Images Love and sex news: in pictures Students who marry after studying the same subject Picking a university subject is already difficult enough for young people. But heres an extra piece of data to weigh on your decision: you may be picking a life partner as well. Dan Kopf of the blog, Priceonomics, analysed US Census data and found that the percentage of Americans who marry someone within their own major is actually fairly high. About half of Americans are married, according to the 2012 American Community Survey (part of the Census). And about 28 per cent of married couples over the age of 22 both graduated from college. (The survey didnt recognise same-sex marriages for the 2012 data, but it will for 2013 onwards, says Kopf). Sean Gallup/Getty Images Love and sex news: in pictures How much sex we have (and how much we'd like) As a nation, we dont have as much sex as we would like, a survey has (somewhat unsurprisingly) confirmed. In a poll of 1523 people by YouGov, 64 per cent of Britons said they would wish to have sex at least a few times a month. The same sample said that only 38 per cent had sex at least a few times a month. In addition, 10 per cent said they wished to have sex every day, a goal which only 1 per cent admitted reaching. Rex Love and sex news: in pictures The new female condom Picture an internal condom. The chances are youre thinking of something which resembles a carrier bag. However, this could all be about to change with the new VA w.o.w. Condom Feminine. Not only is it a wireless, Bluetooth enabled, vibrating interactive device, which comes available in the shape of a heart, but the manufacturers think youll love it more than not using a condom at all. Love and sex news: in pictures One in five Brits admit to having had an affair One in five British adults admits they have had an affair, according to a new poll. 20 per cent of male respondents and 19 per cent of female respondents admitted to having had an affair in a new poll of 1660 respondents by YouGov. Orlando /Three Lions/Getty Images Love and sex news: in pictures The UK's favourite sex position Casting aside the myth that Brits are a prudish bunch, a new survey has revealed that doggy style is the nations favourite sex position. As many as a quarter of UK adults surveyed said doggy style was their favourite way to indulge with a partner. Missionary, which is sometimes scoffed at the most boring position, was favoured by a fifth of the 1,000 people surveyed by high street sex shop Ann Summers, seeing it come in as third under "woman on top". Caiaimage/REX Love and sex news: in pictures Who's most likely to cheat? Men and women who are economically dependent on their spouses are more likely to cheat, a new study has revealed. Researchers have found that men who are solely financially dependent are more like to cheat than women, at 15 per cent and 5 per cent respectively. Men who are rely on their wives may cheat because they are undergoing a masculinity threat by not being the primary breadwinner as is culturally expected, said study author Christin L. Munsch, a UConn assistant professor of sociology. Eye Candy/REX Love and sex news: in pictures Jailed for loud sex noises A woman who breached a court order barring her from causing nuisance by making "loud sex noises" was sent to jail. Gemma Wale, of Small Heath, Birmingham, was given a two-week prison sentence after a civil court judge concluded that she had breached the order by "screaming and shouting whilst having sex" at a "level of noise" which annoyed a neighbour. Rex Features Love and sex news: in pictures Photo of wedding guest proposing to girlfriend in front of bride and groom goes viral When the staggering amount time, money, and effort that goes into to planning a wedding is considered, it seems pretty obvious that all guests have is to do is turn up with some gifts, and not upstage the couple. But this fact seems to have escaped one man, whose grinning face has gone viral after he decided to propose to his girlfriend in front of the bride and grooms top table. The photo, which has been viewed over 1.4 million times on Reddit, shows a boyfriend perched on one knee in front of his crying girlfriend. Joe Raedle/Getty Images Love and sex news: in pictures Sexual fantasies The results of a sex survey are busting the myth that Britons are sexually repressed, by revealing how the majority of women have lived out their sexual fantasies. As many as 81 per cent of women and 77 per cent of men have shared and acted out fantasies with a partner  with having sex in public topping the list of turn-ons. The study also laid bare the influence of TV and film on our desires, with three-quarters of couples saying they had inspired them. Meanwhile, a further three quarters of women and over half of men have played out a fantasy theyd found in a book. LEO RAMIREZ/AFP/Getty Images Love and sex news: in pictures The world's sexiest nationalities Irish men are the worlds sexiest, according to a survey of thousands of jet-setting women. In a poll of 66,000 of single American women who use MissTravel.com, as many as 8,000 said that Irish men are the sexiest. Around half of the females who took said they were turned on by Irish men said their accent influenced their choice, according to the Irish Times. ANDREW COWIE/AFP/Getty Images Love and sex news: in pictures More sex = happiness? Couples were asked to double the amount of sex they had each week over a three month period by researchers at the Carnegie Mellon University, who compared them to couples who had their normal amount of sex. Their findings, published in the Journal of Economic Behavior, went against advice given by the average self-help book  having more sex doesnt automatically make a person happier. Instead, couples who were instructed to have more sex reported a decrease in happiness levels. Mood Board/Rex Love and sex news: in pictures Most sexually satisfied countries It is often considered the most amorous nation on the planet, but France doesn't even feature in a new list of the most sexually satisfied countries. According to a Durex global survey of 26,000 people, aged 16 and older, across 26 countries, only 44 per cent of people are fully satisfied with their sex lives. In the wake of these results, AlterNet has compiled a list of the 12 most sexually satisfied countries, with Switzerland, Spain and Italy topping the list. INDRANIL MUKHERJEE/AFP/Getty Images Love and sex news: in pictures Sex o'clock They say women are from Venus and men are from Mars  but a new sex survey suggests that members of the opposite sex seem to operate in different time zones too. While women like to get steamy between 11:21pm on average, men are more likely to be turned on at the rather inconvenient time of 7:54am. These times fall into the broader timeslots of 11pm and 2am for women, and 6am and 9am for men. PIERRE ANDRIEU/AFP/Getty Images Love and sex news: in pictures More sex = more money People who have more sex are likely to earn more, new research claims. The research, partly conducted from the responses of 7,500 people, found employees who have sex two or three times a week earn 4.5 per cent more than colleagues who do not. Rex Love and sex news: in pictures The effects of watching porn Contrary to suggestion that porn desensitises viewers to sex, a study has found that it doesn't "negatively impact sexual functioning" and in fact boosts couples' sexual attraction to one another. In research published in the Journal of Sexual Medicine, scientists at the University of California tested the effects of visual sexual stimuli on men in relationships, finding that it "is unlikely to negatively impact sexual functioning, given that responses actually were stronger in those who viewed more VSS." Rex Love and sex news: in pictures 'I have herpes' A woman diagnosed with herpes at the age of 20 has written an emotional essay about living with the common condition to fight the stigma surrounding it. Ella Dawson, now 22, said she had never had unprotected sex and thought she wasn't the sort of person STDs happened to when the symptoms first appeared during her time at university in the US. She wrote that the diagnosis initially felt like a punishment for her values and relationships and worried her that telling boyfriends would ruin her love life. Ella Dawson Love and sex news: in pictures More sleep, better sex A new study could have a simple answer to enhancing your sex life  just get a good nights sleep (if you are a woman at least). A study conducted by a team at the University of Michigan Sleep and Circadian Research Laboratory found women who get an extra hour of sleep at night reported higher levels of sexual desire and were more likely to have sex with their partners. Getty Images Love and sex news: in pictures Swipe right A woman has detailed her experiences of a week of always swiping right on Tinder. By opening the floodgates, as Ms Caster describes it, she receives scores of messages from different men  and not all are terrible. Love and sex news: in pictures The most adulterous town in the UK Ever wondered what the neighbours are up to? Well if you live in Beeston, Nottinghamshire, then the answer is probably... having an affair. The bustling East Midlands town has been granted the dubious honour of being the UK's top spot for infidelity  with a total of 941 affairs reportedly taking place right now. According to The Official Infidelity Index 2015, which was released this week, 2.54 per cent of the towns population are currently seeing someone they shouldn't. REX FEATURES Love and sex news: in pictures Average penis size revealed Scientists have measured more than 15,000 mens penises in an effort to find out what size is normal. Researchers at Kings College London and a London NHS trust said they hoped the review would help address the concern that some men have about their penis size and aid people suffering from anxiety and distress. They revealed that the average flaccid penis is 3.6ins (9.16cm) long, or 5.2ins (13.24cm) when stretched, and 3.7ins (9.31cm) in circumference. Erect penises are 5.1ins (13.12cm) long on average and 4.5ins (11.66cm) in girth. Rex Love and sex news: in pictures One true love Men fall in love more times in their life than women, according to a new survey. 2,000 adults were asked about relationships, and discovered that more than half of men say they've loved more than one person their lifetime. For women, it's markedly fewer, with only 45 per cent saying they've had multiple loves. Love and sex news: in pictures Dating site for 'beautiful people only' A self-proclaimed elite dating website has removed around 3,000 members because they were "letting themselves go". BeautifulPeople.com describes itself as the largest internet dating community exclusively for the beautiful and puts peoples photographs to a members vote to decide if they are allowed in. But administrators have now shown that the rigorous 48-hour selection period is not a permanent pass by taking thousands of profiles down, mainly because of weight gain and graceless ageing. Love and sex news: in pictures Sex is a 'miracle cure' Regular exercise  including sex, walking and dancing  are miracle cures staring us in the face and could dramatically cut our risk of cancer, dementia, heart disease and diabetes, leading doctors have said. In a new review of existing evidence which reveals the full extent of benefits that can be accrued from exercise, the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges said the improvement in health and savings to the NHS could be incalculable. Susannah Ireland Love and sex news: in pictures Pornhub searches by age of user Pornhubs prolific Insights blog fires out many reports of sociological interest, none more so than its latest on age, which lays bare different age groups' sexual proclivities. Looking at the most popular searches among 18-24s, there are several familial terms including 'step mom', 'milf', 'mom' and 'step sister', a trend that seems to die out somewhat in users' 30s. By 65, 'massage' becomes the top term, while 'granny' perhaps unsurprisingly also hits the top ten. PlaceIt/Just Another IKEA Catalog Love and sex news: in pictures Mature sex Research into the sexual lives of more than 7,000 men and women between the ages of 50 and 90 in England reveals that half of men and almost a third of women aged 70 and over were still sexually active, with around a third of these sexually active older people having sexual intercourse twice a month or more. Around two-thirds of men and over half of women thought good sexual relations were essential to the maintenance of a long-term relationship or being sexually active was physically and psychologically beneficial to older people. Getty Creative Love and sex news: in pictures The secret to an eighty year marriage Figures from the Office of National Statistics show that 42 per cent of marriages in England and Wales end in divorce, and the average British marriage which ends in divorce lasts 11 years and six months. Helen and Maurice Kaye, now aged 101 and 102, have been married for 80 years, and say the secret is: I think its important to have patience and tolerance. You're two entirely different people who suddenly live together, which can't be easy. But if you love each other, you get over the difficulties. Love and sex news: in pictures Valentine's Day porn Pornhub saw a (slight) drop in traffic on Valentine's Day as people focused on pleasuring their partners rather than themselves. Everywhere, it is, except for London. Overall UK traffic dipped 3 per cent across the UK, with Plymouth and Oxford seeing the biggest drops of 11 per cent and 10 per cent respectively. In fact every major city spent less time watching porn bar London, the Pornhub audience for which grew by 2 per cent. Getty Love and sex news: in pictures 1 in 10 men paying for sex A tenth of British men have admitted to paying for sex, according to a new study. Professionals aged 25 to 34 who binge drink and take drugs were found to be the most likely to have used the services of prostitutes, based on findings from a study of 6,108 men. Around 11 per cent of subjects, in the study published in the Sexually Transmitted Infections journal, have ever paid for sex in their lifetime and four per cent admitted to doing so in the last five years. Getty Images Love and sex news: in pictures Questions that determine if you're in love The existence of love and its nature is something that has troubled philosophers for centuries, but a pair of scientists believe they have a set of questions that yield "clear empirical evidence" of it, or at least whether your relationship will end in divorce. They are: 'How happy are you in your marriage relative to how happy you would be if you weren't in the marriage?' and 'How do you think your spouse answered that question?' Columbia

So its no surprise that your friend is seduced by this man. It often takes kissing a lot of frogs to discover that none of them is going to turn into a prince, and this is just another step along her learning curve. Im afraid no amount of warning on your part will shake her of her conviction that this is the bloke of her dreams. Youre right  she would feel angry and betrayed if you did.

Surely youve had obsessions in the past? And then, months later, the scales fall from your eyes and you realise that youve been completely fooled? What was obvious to all your friends from the outset suddenly becomes clear. But until this happens, no amount of reasoning from kindly well-wishers will persuade you that the man is anything other than a saint made in heaven.

You dont have to rave over your friends new man. Just be reasonably detached and cool. You may discover that youre right. Or you may find that he has hidden qualities that even you cant see after one meeting. All you can do at the moment, however, is simply wait and, when the scales do start falling, be there to offer comfort and support.

Your friend can avoid the obvious losers. Now she just has to learn to avoid the pretenders, too. And try to hope that after this unhappy episode, shell be even more wary of those men she finds irresistible.

Readers say...

Get to know him better

You have only met him once, so you may be wrong. Words to your friend can only alienate her  and she may need your support later. You could try simply absorbing him into your circle, so that his faults will become apparent by contrast. Invite him to as many pay-Dutch events as possible, along with the other mutual friends and their (presumably) non-loser partners, and if your friend has to keep paying her mans share, she might see the light. Or he might reveal hidden virtues.

Moyra

by email

Its her mistake to make

You dont say why your friends new man is apparently a loser. We can form judgements of others so quickly and easily. Think about exactly what hes said or done to make you dislike him and whether that opinion is really fair. Sometimes, we look down on the people who those close to us choose to adore, but if theres something there that your friend sees in him that you dont, she will deeply resent any harsh criticism.

While obsessed with him, nothing bad you say about the relationship can change such feelings anyway. It may even cause them to bond more closely and make you a negative influence in her life  you and other companions wont just upset her by calling him a loser, you may push her away or cause a complete falling out.

Keep a lid on it. If, indeed, your friend is about to get hurt yet again, falling for hopeless men is her mistake to make. All you can do is be there and support her when things go wrong.

Emilie Lamplough

by email

Be more specific

Does your friend worry that she falls for hopeless men? Does she acknowledge the fact ? If so, that may make it easier to raise your concerns with her, but please be specific. After meeting him just once, you perceived him as another hanger-on, a total loser. Tell your friend you are concerned about her new partner, but give reasons for your conclusion.

Norma Postin

Rugby

Save her from herself

Personally, I think that as the friend who generally has to pick up the pieces when her relationships go wrong, you have earned the right to wade in now. Save her from herself.

H Barber

Sheffield

Next week's dilemma...

I love my girlfriend, but the problem is that shes endlessly trying to discuss our relationship. Well go out for dinner and she starts analysing it, and wondering about our motives and what we want out of it and then picks over every little thing in detail. I am finding it exhausting, and also Im not really interested. I just want to be with her and have a great time. Ive tried to explain this, but she says Im just trying to avoid the issues. Do you think Ive got my head in the sand? Sometimes I dread seeing her for fear one of these relationship dissections will start.

Yours sincerely,

Ben
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The Epilepsy Society has launched a new campaign calling on the Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt to act against avoidable deaths from the condition.

Although sufferers are at greater risk of premature death, almost four in 10 of those deaths are avoidable, according to the charity, which says better care, treatment and services are urgently needed. It has also launched an online campaign urging MPs to write to Mr Hunt requesting that a National Clinical Audit into the condition take place  for the first time since 2002.

The charitys campaign comes after the Hollywood star Harrison Ford revealed last week that his 25-year-old daughter Georgia has epilepsy. The 73-year-old actor explained how long it took for his daughter, from his marriage to the screenwriter Melissa Mathison, to be correctly diagnosed after initially taking medicine for acute migraines.

During a speech in New York , he said: Dr Orrin Devinsky, who is a dear friend, made the diagnosis: epilepsy. He prescribed the right medication and therapy; she has not had a seizure in eight years.

In an interview with TalkAboutIt.org, an organisation that aims to end misconceptions about epilepsy and seizure disorders, Mr Ford said: It not only affects the person who has epilepsy, but it affects the whole family. Its really important to talk about it and find out about it.

The Epilepsy Society said the most worrying aspect is the postcode lottery for the 500,000 people in England living with the condition. Data from the Office for National Statistics shows that rates of premature death vary vastly: for example, someone with epilepsy is 49 per cent more likely to die prematurely in West Yorkshire than in Cheshire.

Samantha Ahearn, right, suffered a sudden unexpected death in July 2009

The Department of Healths removal of two of the epilepsy performance indicators that are used to evaluate local commissioners has left local health decision-makers in the dark about how services are performing in averting premature death in epilepsy, the charity said.

The family and friends of Samantha Ahearn, who suffered sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (Sudep) in July 2009, when she was 19 and seven months after being diagnosed, are only too aware of the consequences of poor treatment and a lack of information.

Samanthas mother, Lynn McGoff, 51, from Manchester , said although they were conscious of the caution needed with epilepsy, they had never heard of Sudep and were at no point made aware of the potential for it.

They were told by healthcare professionals after her death that Samantha had not been not at risk ofSudep, when the opposite was true. The potential severity of Samanthas condition was missed.

Professor Ley Sander, a leading epilepsy neurologist, said: Premature death is an issue not only for those directly affected but for society as a whole. Those that are often affected are young. There is an urgent need to take action to eradicate avoidable deaths.

Epilepsy Society said only by understanding more about the current weaknesses in care management, can care can be directed where it is needed, which will stop people dying needlessly.

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Neurological care in England was heavily criticised last month in a Public Accounts Committee report which revealed that almost one in three (32 per cent) patients with neurological conditions are being re-admitted more than five times to emergency departments in the UK before seeing a specialist.

The committee stated that neurological conditions are not a priority for the Department of Health and NHS England, and the report also highlighted the wide variation across the country in access, outcomes and patient experience for affected people. The Department of Health said it would consider the recommendations.

David Marshall, of the Epilepsy Society, said: By identifying where the people of greatest need are located, and which factors contributed to avoidable deaths, a new national clinical audit will provide a spur to tackle avoidable deaths more efficiently and eliminate regional disparities.

Health officials are said to believe the indicator for epilepsy, logged as Unplanned hospitalisation for asthma, diabetes and epilepsy in under 19s, is a good sign of how well young people are supported locally by services.

The Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, with a number of partners, undertook a paediatric epilepsy audit, called Epilepsy 12, which reported in 2014.

The Department of Health declined to comment.
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Labour has accused George Osborne of being on course to preside over a decade of the largest sustained funding squeeze in NHS history.

Analysis from the House of Commons Library estimates how much would have been spent on the health service had Labours spending levels been maintained: based on a percentage of overall spending, there will been an aggregate fall of almost 90bn by 2020.

The figure is based on spending levels set during the last year of Gordon Browns administration, when 6.28 per cent of GDP was spent on the NHS. Given current forecasts for UK economic growth and the present level of NHS spending, it is estimated that 20bn less a year will be being spent on health by 2020.

Recommended Read more MPs voting on whether to reverse NHS privatisation

Although health spending in the first six years of David Camerons premiership has been constant, as a proportion of GDP it has been falling. The UK is currently spending less on health than many of its larger European neighbours.

Heidi Alexander, Labours shadow Health Secretary, said that throughout both the Blair and Brown years, chronic NHS underfunding was addressed. She accused both the current PM and the Chancellor of presiding over a new NHS spending crisis  one of their own making.

She said: Patients are facing longer waits and poorer care, with hospitals overcrowded, understaffed and facing financial crises. Ministers have failed to give the NHS the money it needs.

Ms Alexander said the Chancellor should acknowledge in his Budget speech this week that unless there is a substantial change of course, patients will continue to pay a high price.

Before last years election, Mr Osborne pledged to protect our precious NHS by guaranteeing an 8bn increase in real terms by 2020. The Government later confirmed that by 2020-21 there would effectively be an additional annual boost of 10bn.

Last week Lord Kerslake, the former head of the civil service, said that current financial pressures on the NHS meant the Government needed to bring health spending back in line with GDP, and potentially increase income tax to pay for it.
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First Sweden was the country to emulate, when former education secretary Michael Gove was enthused by free schools. Then attention turned to Shanghai, and an initiative to improve the standard of maths in primary schools by bringing Chinese teachers to the UK.

Now, though, we are taking a leaf out of Russias book as ministers seek to improve the supply of top- quality mathematicians by setting up specialist maths colleges for 16- to 18-year-olds.

The first specialist maths college was opened in the former Soviet Union about 50 years ago by the distinguished mathematician Andrey Kolmogorov. His aim  to ensure the next generation of mathematicians are excellent  was successful, and the idea caught on. More specialist schools were set up in the Soviet Union, and the initiative was copied in other east European countries.

A key figure in the establishment of specialist maths institutions in the UK was Baroness (Alison) Wolf, a professor at Kings College London. She knew about Russian maths skills because of her work in universities, where maths departments often attract a fair few Russian academics.

Recommended Read more 22 well paid jobs for people who do not like maths

Initially, the idea in the UK was for universities to set up a nationwide network of specialist maths schools. However, only Kings College London and Exeter have taken the plunge.

Dan Abramson, head of the Kings College London Mathematics School in south London, suspects that some [universities] might be waiting for our exam results to see if we are successful. The portents are good  97 per cent of students at the Kings College school achieved an A grade in AS-level maths last summer and 11 of the 65 students in one year group have been offered places at Oxford and Cambridge, the highest percentage of Oxbridge offers of any institution in the country. The first intake will sit their A-levels this summer.

The school is oversubscribed, with more than three students applying for every place, and has no catchment area as such. Anybody who can get here can apply, said Mr Abramson. But it works with local schools in Lambeth, south London, on the site of a former public wash-house and training centre for medical students, to ensure that the most disadvantaged students who show a talent for maths can gain access. An enrichment programme which takes in about 100 students from around 50 schools and offers two hours of training once a fortnight, plus a place at a maths summer school.

Our aim is twofold, said Mr Abramson. We want to encourage the brightest and best, and widen participation in maths. Its not just to be an alternative to independent schools. We look at postcodes, we look at whether a student is eligible for free school meals, the parental history of higher education.

Students at the school say one of the big attractions is the ability to discuss maths with others who are keen on the subject. In their previous schools, there may have been just one or two pupils on the same wavelength.

Andrea Cozza, 18, from Camden Town, north-west London, said: I really wanted to do medicine at my last school, but I learnt that I actually didnt like the subject. What I really wanted to do was maths.

Its good here to be studying alongside people who are just as keen on the subject.

The schools main curriculum areas are maths, science, engineering and economics, but students can also do an extended project (essay) on a in any field that they are passionate about. Im doing an essay on Greek tragedy, she said.

Libby Walker, also 18, said: Everybody is doing the same subjects, and thats really good because we can all help each other. There are 10 different people to help you out with any problem you might have.

Its also nice being with people who are maths-y, she said. That can lead to developing a deeper understanding of the subject.

The school, which opened in September 2014, has been set up as a free school  and ministers have not abandoned the idea of similar colleges being set up in the future.

Nick Timothy, chief executive of the New Schools Network, the charity which supports free schools, said: If the best universities are serious about taking on more pupils they need to take direct action to make sure schools are giving children the right opportunities.
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Jeremy Clarkson has announced that he wants Britain to stay in the EU in order to establish a United States of Europe with one army and one currency.

The former Top Gear presenter revealed he was taking the side of David Cameron and the 'in' camp during his column in The Sunday Times.

I suppose that now is as good a time as any to declare my hand. Im with the man whose wife we fancy. Im in, the 55-year-old wrote.

The Doncaster-born broadcaster, who was sacked by the BBC last year, said it would be better for Britain to remain part of Europe than outside where it would have little global clout.

Isnt it better to stay in and try to make the damn thing work properly? To create a United States of Europe that functions as well as the United States of America? With one army and one currency and one unifying set of values?

Britain, on its own, has little influence on the world stage. I think we are all agreed on that. But Europe if it were well run and had good cohesive, well thought-out policies, would be a tremendous force for good.

Clarkson was also vocal about his affection for European cultural values.

Whether Im sitting in a railway concourse in Brussels or pottering down the canals of southwestern France or hurtling along a motorway in Croatia, I feel way more at home than I do when Im trying to get something to eat in Dallas or Sacramento. I love Europe, and to me thats important.

Jeremy Clarkson's Top 25 Most Obnoxious Lines Show all 26 1 /26 Jeremy Clarkson's Top 25 Most Obnoxious Lines Jeremy Clarkson's Top 25 Most Obnoxious Lines "Short people. When you've finished using a car, put the f**king seat back, so humans can use it afterwards," he posted on Twitter. Offensively. Jeremy Clarkson's Top 25 Most Obnoxious Lines "Honestly, the burka doesnt work. I was in a cab in Piccadilly the other day when a woman in a full burka crossing the road in front of me tripped over the pavement, went head over heels and up it came, red G-string and stockings." Jeremy Clarkson's Top 25 Most Obnoxious Lines Driving a Jaguar round a toilet in India: "This is perfect for India because everyone who comes here gets the trots." Getty Jeremy Clarkson's Top 25 Most Obnoxious Lines "The only person who looked good in a 4-seated convertible was Adolf Hitler." Jeremy Clarkson's Top 25 Most Obnoxious Lines As a Thai man walked over a bridge he had built during a Top Gear challenge: "That is a proud moment - but theres a slope on it." Jeremy Clarkson's Top 25 Most Obnoxious Lines On the Ferrari F430 Speciale: "it was a bit wrong ... that smiling front end ... it looked like a simpleton ... [it] should have been called the 430 Speciale needs." Getty Images Jeremy Clarkson's Top 25 Most Obnoxious Lines On the Renault Clio V6 handling bends: "In typical French fashion it just gives up! A bit like the French did with the Germans." Jeremy Clarkson's Top 25 Most Obnoxious Lines "I'm thinking. If you had gone to the trouble of making a chemical bomb, why would you detonate it on a coach from Preston?" Jeremy Clarkson's Top 25 Most Obnoxious Lines On public sector workers in 2011: Id have them all shot. I would take them outside and execute them in front of their families. Jeremy Clarkson's Top 25 Most Obnoxious Lines "I don't understand bus lanes. Why do poor people have to get to places quicker than I do?" Jeremy Clarkson's Top 25 Most Obnoxious Lines "The only reason the Arabs and Jews have managed to keep their nasty little war going for 50 years is because it never bloody rains there. If the post-war powers had put Israel in Manchester, there'd have been no bloodshed." Jeremy Clarkson's Top 25 Most Obnoxious Lines "If all the creatures on earth were the same size, it's said a lobster would have the smallest brain. But then someone invented Wayne Rooney." Jeremy Clarkson's Top 25 Most Obnoxious Lines On the invention of the segway: "They're made in America, of course, so fat Yanks can go to the fridge without expending any energy." Jeremy Clarkson's Top 25 Most Obnoxious Lines "Supercars are supposed to run over Arthur Scargill and then run over him again for good measure. They are designed to melt ice caps, kill the poor, poison the water table, destroy the ozone layer, decimate indigenous wildlife, recapture the Falkland Islands and turn the entire third world into a huge uninhabitable desert, all that before they nicked all the oil in the world." Jeremy Clarkson's Top 25 Most Obnoxious Lines "Im sorry, but having an Aston Martin DB9 on the drive and not driving it is a bit like having Keira Knightley in your bed and sleeping on the couch. If youve got even half a scrotum its not going to happen." Jeremy Clarkson's Top 25 Most Obnoxious Lines On a caravaning holiday: You arent allowed to have a party, you arent allowed to have music, you arent allowed to play ball games, you arent allowed to have a camp fire, you have to park within two feet of a post, you have to keep quiet, you have to be in bed by eleven. This is not a holiday, its a concentration camp! Jeremy Clarkson's Top 25 Most Obnoxious Lines "Britains nuclear submarines have been deemed unsafe probably because they dont have wheel-chair access." Jeremy Clarkson's Top 25 Most Obnoxious Lines If we are being honest HIV is a pathetic virus, it can only live in the air for 6 seconds and it does what ebola does to you in 10 days in 10 years. Jeremy Clarkson's Top 25 Most Obnoxious Lines On the Lotus Elise: This car is more fun than the entire french air force crashing into a firework factory. Jeremy Clarkson's Top 25 Most Obnoxious Lines On actress Sarah Jessica Parker: People think oh she must be pretty. She isnt  she looks like a boiled horse." Jeremy Clarkson's Top 25 Most Obnoxious Lines On Liverpool: "People up there earn less, die more quickly, have fewer jobs and live in houses that are worth the square root of sod all." Getty Images Jeremy Clarkson's Top 25 Most Obnoxious Lines On the BMW Z3: "And if you are clinically insane, by which I mean you wake up in the morning and think you are an onion, heres your car." Jeremy Clarkson's Top 25 Most Obnoxious Lines On the Ferrari 430 Scuderia: Its like God having really unusual sex it should come with toilet roll. Jeremy Clarkson's Top 25 Most Obnoxious Lines "The problem is that television executives have got it into their heads that if one presenter on a show is a blonde-haired, blue-eyed heterosexual boy, the other must be a black Muslim lesbian." Jeremy Clarkson's Top 25 Most Obnoxious Lines "If you're thinking of coming to America, this is what it's like: you've got your Comfort Inn, you've got your Best Western, and you've got your Red Lobster where you eat. Everybody's very fat, everybody's very stupid and everybody's very rude - it's not a holiday programme, it's the truth." Jeremy Clarkson's Top 25 Most Obnoxious Lines On the N-word row: "Ive been told by the BBC that if I make one more offensive remark, anywhere, at any time, I will be sacked." PA

Warning of a world order which saw Trump set against Putin, Clarkson emphasised the need to make the continent work the way the Continent should  as a liberal, kind, balanced fulcrum in a mad world.

This is not the first time Clarkson has revealed his Europhile tendencies - he also praised the European project in a Sunday Times column in June of 2014.

I long for a time when I think of myself as a European first and an Englishman second. I crave a United States of Europe with one currency, one army and one type of plug," he wrote.
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A South by Southwest film festival volunteer has been sacked and organisers have apologised after an US Olympic fencing star was asked to remove her headscarf in order to obtain a pass.

Registration official Amin Simms said it was "an insensitive request" and against the festival's policy to ask Ibtihaj Muhammad to remove her hijab at the event in Austin, Texas.

Sabre fencer Ms Muhammad, 30, could not immediately be reached for comment.

Ms Simms said festival organisers were embarrassed by the situation and apologised to Ms Muhammad.

The fencer will be competing for the US at the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro this summer.

South by Southwest is a major festival of film, interactive media, and music

Only two days before, Ms Muhammad had spoken out against Donald Trump's wil rhetoric about Muslims in the US presidential campaign.

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

The U.S. presidential hopeful proposed in December to ban Muslims from entering the country following the deadly shootings in San Bernardino, California, by two Muslims who authorities said were radicalized.

"I feel like I owe it to people who look like me to speak out," Muhammad told reporters on Wednesday. "When I hear someone say something like, 'We're going to send Muslims back to their countries,' I say, 'Well, I'm American. Where am I going to go?"

Muhammad says she has watched the US presidential race with trepidation, worried that "fear-mongering" about Muslims is setting a perilous precedent.

She is frequently confronted by anti-Muslim "trolls" on social media, whose messages she promptly deletes.

But she says she also gets hundreds of messages of support each day, including from young Muslim girls whom she has inspired.

"I'm hoping to change the image that people may have of Muslim women," Muhammad says.

PA/Reuters
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George Osborne has scolded Top Gear's Chris Evans for making a racket near Downing Street and distracting him from writing the Budget.

The Chancellor said a "noisy episode" of the BBC Two show was being filmed in central London on Sunday.

He tweeted: "Trying to write my Budget,despite noisy episode of @BBC-TopGear being filmed outside on Horseguards Parade. Keep it down please @achrisevans."

The Budget is due to be delivered on Wednesday.

On Saturday Top Gear host Matt LeBlanc and professional rally driver Ken Block surprised a bride and groom and their wedding guests at St Paul's Cathedral as they motored past, with the former Friends star sticking his arm out of the car window to wave.

Meet the new Top Gear presenters Show all 7 1 /7 Meet the new Top Gear presenters Meet the new Top Gear presenters Chris Evans Chris Evans said of his new Top Gear gang: We really do have a bit of everything for everyone. A fellow lifelong petrolhead from the other side of the pond in Matt; a fearless speed-demon in the irrepressible and effervescent Sabine; the encyclopedic, funny and wonderfully colourful character that is EJ; Chris, one of the worlds top no-nonsense car reviewers; and Rory, who simply blew me away in his audition and fully deserves his place on the team" Meet the new Top Gear presenters Matt LeBlanc LeBlanc, best known for playing Joey in Friends, set the fastest celebrity lap time in the reasonably priced car on the former Top Gear hosted by Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May. He recently presented the standalone spin-off Top Gear: The Races, where he reminded fans of the most memorable moments from the past 22 series. He will be Top Gear's first non-British host. 2015 Getty Images Meet the new Top Gear presenters The Stig The Stig, clearly not wanting to be left out of todays announcement, sent the following reply via electronic communication: -.-. .... . .-- .. . --..-- / .-- . .----. .-. . / .... --- -- . .-.-.- <static text> Meet the new Top Gear presenters Sabine Schmitz Sabine Schmitz is a German racing driver who is already well known to fans of Top Gear. She grew up in her parents hotel just 300m from the legendary Nurburgring track and has spent her life surrounded by cars and racing. She became the first woman to win the prestigious Nurburgring 24 hours in 1996 and repeated the feat a year later. Sabine became known as the Worlds fastest taxi driver by driving passengers around the track in a BMW M5 and has since presented several motoring shows for German TV. She has appeared on Top Gear several times over the years, becoming a firm favourite with viewers. She still races successfully today and runs her own race team Meet the new Top Gear presenters Eddie Jordan Eddie Jordan is an Irish former racing driver, team owner and entrepreneur whom a host of drivers owe their breaks to Eddie as a champion of young talent including Michael Schumacher and Rubens Barrichello and Eddie Irvine. Having suffered a number of major accidents whilst competing in racing himself Eddie retired to set up his Jordan team in 1980. The team went on to be champions in Formula 3 with Johnny Herbert in 1987, Formula 3000 in 1989 with Jean Alesi - and in 1990 Eddie established Jordan Grand Prix and entered Formula 1. He sold Jordan Grand Prix in January 2005 and has since developed a portfolio of business interests as well as presenting the BBC's coverage of Formula 1. He has been inducted into the Irish Motorsport Hall of Fame and in 2012 he was awarded an honorary OBE by Her Majesty The Queen in recognition of his services to charity and motor racing 2015 Getty Images Meet the new Top Gear presenters Rory Reid Rory Reid is an award-winning journalist of eighteen years specialising in cars. Rory has written and presented for the likes of CNET UK, where he launched the company's popular Car Tech channel, receiving a prestigious Association of Online Publishers (AOP) award for Best Use of Video in the process. Rory has featured in a number of car-focused television shows and had a starring role in the Gadget Geeks series on Sky 1, where he reviewed cars and consumer tech. He was also a presenter on the hugely successful Fast Furious & Funny YouTube channel. He is editor-in-chief of Recombu, specialising in producing car reviews Meet the new Top Gear presenters Chris Harris Chris Harris is probably best known for his popular YouTube channel, Chris Harris on Cars which he launched in 2014, established with the help longtime friend Neil Carey. It has already amassed over a quarter of a million subscribers and the content has been viewed over 20 million times. Chris began his career in motoring journalism at UK-based Autocar magazine, becoming their official road-test editor. This gave him the opportunity to do some racing and skidding before starting a website for fast cars the week Lehman Brothers went under in 2008, which obviously ended badly. He then looked to solve his new found indebtedness at Evo magazine and then became a member of the Pistonheads.com crew, as well as a regular feature on YouTubes DRIVE channel

Filming for the Top Gear reboot is well under way, as the new series of the BBC Two show is due to start in May.

A seven-strong line-up includes LeBlanc, radio DJ and presenter Chris Evans, and Top Gear stalwart The Stig.

Also on board are Formula 1 commentator Eddie Jordan, German racing driver Sabine Schmitz, motoring journalist Chris Harris and car reviewer Rory Reid.

Press Association
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Nearly a million men, women and children are set to become homeless by 2020 unless the Government takes action to address a crisis described by Labour as a test of our basic humanity.

Speaking ahead of this weeks Budget  which The Independent on Sunday can reveal will include a package of measures to tackle homelessness  the shadow housing minister John Healey said the soaring numbers should shake the Chancellor from his complacency.

According to a broader definition of homelessness used by charities, 275,000 families in England were affected last year  up from 200,000 in 2010. Labour pointed out that if the numbers continue to rise at the current rate, there will be more than 391,000 homeless families by 2020/21.

The latest estimate for rough-sleepers, who are not included in the homelessness statistics, found there were 3,659 individuals on the streets of England on one night in the autumn last year  double the number in 2010.

Assuming homeless families are the same size as the average household, this means that in five years time more than 950,000 people will be living in hostels and B&Bs, sleeping on the sofas of friends, sleeping rough or otherwise without a home of their own, if the trend persists.

The Treasury refused to comment about the Budget, but one well-placed charity source said they believed Mr Osborne could be about to do something incredibly good to address homelessness. We are incredibly nervous but excited, the insider added.

However Labour listed a string of government policies and other factors since 2010 that it said had contributed to the problem.

UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 21 October 2022 Sculptor Peter McKenna puts the finishing touches to a pumpkin that will form part of the Planet A Hebden Bridge Pumpkin Trail in the West Yorkshire town PA UK news in pictures 20 October 2022 Britains Prime Minister Liz Truss delivers a speech outside of 10 Downing Street in central London to announce her resignation AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 19 October 2022 Salmon leap up Stainforth Force on the River Ribble in the Yorkshire Dales as they swim upriver to their spawning grounds during the annual Salmon migration PA UK news in pictures 18 October 2022 Just Stop Oil protesters continue their protest for a second day on the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge, which links Kent and Essex and which remains closed for traffic, after it was scaled by two climbers from the group PA UK news in pictures 17 October 2022 Hundreds of students take part in the traditional Raisin Monday foam fight on St Salvator's Lower College Lawn at the University of St Andrews in Fife PA UK news in pictures 16 October 2022 A protester holds a placard during a march into central London at a demonstration by the climate change protest group Extinction Rebellion AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 15 October 2022 A member of the public drags an activist who is blocking the road during a "Just Stop Oil" protest, in London, Britain REUTERS UK news in pictures 14 October 2022 Germanys Womens double skulls during day one of the World Rowing Beach Sprint Finals at Saundersfoot beach, Pembrokeshire PA UK news in pictures 13 October 2022 Family and mourners arrive at St Michael's Church, in Creeslough, for the funeral mass of 49-year-old mother of four Martina Martin, who died following an explosion at the Applegreen service station in the village of Creeslough in Co Donegal on Friday PA UK news in pictures 12 October 2022 Motorists in Coventry pass trees showing autumnal colour PA UK news in pictures 11 October 2022 A woman and her dog in the the North Sea at Tynemouth Longsands beach before sunrise PA UK news in pictures 10 October 2022 Police officers remove a campaigner from a Just Stop Oil protest on The Mall, near Buckingham Palace, London PA UK news in pictures 9 October 2022 A drummer plays during the Diwali on the Square celebration, in Trafalgar Square, London PA UK news in pictures 8 October 2022 Timothee Chalamet attending the UK premiere of Bones and All during the BFI London Film Festival 2022 at the Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre, London PA UK news in pictures 7 October 2022 Two young male fallow deer lock antlers in Dublins Phoenix park as rutting season begins PA UK news in pictures 6 October 2022 The Princess of Wales during a cocktail making competition during a visit to Trademarket, a new outdoor street-food and retail market situated in Belfast city centre, as part of the royal visit to Northern Ireland PA UK news in pictures 5 October 2022 Greenpeace protesters interrupt Prime Minister Liz Truss as she delivers her keynote speech to the Conservative Party annual conference PA UK news in pictures 4 October 2022 Prime Minister Liz Truss and Britains Chancellor of the Exchequer Kwasi Kwarteng wearing hard hats and hi-vis jackets, visit a construction site for a medical innovation campus in Birmingham AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 3 October 2022 British artist Sam Cox, aka Mr Doodle, reveals the Doodle House, a twelve-room mansion at Tenterden, in Kent, which has been covered, inside and out in the artist's trademark monochrome, cartoonish hand-drawn doodles PA UK news in pictures 2 October 2022 Erling Haaland celebrates after scoring Manchester City's second goal against Manchester United at Etihad Stadium. 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. The building was built in 1480 as a residential dwelling but has been a tearoom for over 50 years PA UK news in pictures 28 September 2022 Criminal barristers from the Criminal Bar Association (CBA), demonstrates outside the Royal Courts of Justice in London, as part of their ongoing pay row with the Government PA UK news in pictures 27 September 2022 David White, Garter King of Arms, poses with an envelope franked with the new cypher of King Charles III 'CIIIR', after it was printed in the Court Post Office at Buckingham Palace in central London AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 26 September 2022 A gallery staff member poses next to a painting by Lucian Freud - Self-portrait (Fragment), 1956 - on show at a photocall for the Credit Suisse exhibition - Lucian Freud: New Perspectives at the National Gallery in London PA UK news in pictures 25 September 2022 Labour leader, Sir Keir Starmer is interviewed by Laura Kuenssberg in Liverpool before the start of the Labour Party annual Conference which he opened with a tribute to Queen Elizabeth II and sang the national anthem PA UK news in pictures 24 September 2022 Handout photo issued by Buckingham Palace of the ledger stone at the King George VI Memorial Chapel, St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle PA UK news in pictures 23 September 2022 A climate change activist protests against UK private jets while lighting his right arm on fire during the Laver Cup tennis tournament at the O2 Arena in London EPA UK news in pictures 22 September 2022 Woody Woodmansey, Lee Bennett, Kevin Armstrong, Nick Moran and Clifford Slapper attend the unveiling of a stone for David Bowie on the Music Walk of Fame at Camden, north London PA UK news in pictures 21 September 2022 A flock of birds in the sky as the sun rises over Dungeness in Kent PA UK news in pictures 20 September 2022 Flowers which were laid by members of the public in tribute to Queen Elizabeth II at Hillsborough Castle in Northern Ireland are collected by the Hillsborough Gardening Team and volunteers to be replanted for those that can be saved or composted PA UK news in pictures 19 September 2022 The ceremonial procession of the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II travels down the long walk as it arrives at Windsor Castle for the committal service at St Georges Chapel AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 18 September 2022 A man stands among campers on The Mall ahead of the Queens funeral Reuters UK news in pictures 17 September 2022 Wolverhampton Wanderers Nathan Collins fouls Manchester Citys Jack Grealish leading to a red card. City went on to win the match at Molineux Stadium three goals to nil. Action Images/Reuters UK news in pictures 16 September 2022 Members of the public stand in the queue near Tower Bridge, and opposite the Tower of London, as they wait in line to pay their respects to the late Queen Elizabeth II, in London AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 15 September 2022 Members of the public in the queue on in Potters Fields Park, central London, as they wait to view Queen Elizabeth II lying in state ahead of her funeral on Monday PA UK news in pictures 14 September 2022 The first members of the public pay their respects as the vigil begins around the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II in Westminster Hall, London, where it will lie in state ahead of her funeral on Monday PA UK news in pictures 13 September 2022 Crowds cheer as King Charles III and Camilla, Queen Consort arrive for a visit to Hillsborough Castle Getty UK news in pictures 12 September 2022 Crowds line the Royal Mile, Edinburgh, as King Charles III joins a procession from the Palace of Holyroodhouse to St Giles Cathedral following the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II Katielee Arrowsmith/SWNS UK news in pictures 11 September 2022 Members of the Public pay their respects as the hearse carrying the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II, draped in the Royal Standard of Scotland, is driven through Ballater AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 10 September 2022 Britain's Prince William, Prince of Wales, Britain's Catherine, Princess of Wales, Britain's Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, Britain's Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, wave at well-wishers on the Long walk at Windsor Castle AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 9 September 2022 King Charles III and Camilla, Queen Consort wave after viewing floral tributes to the late Queen Elizabeth II outside Buckingham Palace Getty UK news in pictures 8 September 2022 A screen commemorating Britain's Queen Elizabeth II in Piccadilly Circus, London Britain EPA UK news in pictures 7 September 2022 Police officers stand guard after Animal Rebellion activists threw paint on the walls and road outside the Houses of Parliament in protest, in London, Britain Reuters UK news in pictures 6 September 2022 Queen Elizabeth II welcomes Liz Truss during an audience at Balmoral, Scotland, where she invited the newly elected leader of the Conservative party to become Prime Minister and form a new government PA UK news in pictures 5 September 2022 Visitors at the PoliNations garden in Victoria Square, Birmingham, which is made up of five 40ft high tree installations and over 6,000 plants. 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These include cuts of 5bn to housing benefit support over the last five years, such the bedroom tax, and 45 per cent cuts to financial support for homelessness services. Private sector rents are expected to rise by a 16.5 per cent over the next five years, while the number of council houses has fallen by more than 100,000 since 2010.

Labour also said that over the next five years housing benefit cuts would total nearly 11bn, while council budgets would face 7 per cent cuts, further reducing their ability to help.

Mr Healey said: This spiralling scale of homelessness shames us all when Britain is one of the richest countries in the world. It is a test of our basic humanity. It should shake the Chancellor from his complacency about the growing homeless crisis and shock him into action. The homeless figures hide personal stories of hurt and hopelessness; thousands of people whose ordinary lives have fallen apart from illness, debt, family break-up, addiction or redundancy.

He pointed to Wales, where the Labour administration has introduced a statutory duty requiring councils to take steps to prevent homelessness. In 2014-15, there were more than 14,100 people without a home, down from 15,800 the previous year.

In Scotland, the number of people applying to be treated as homeless has also fallen, from more than 15,100 in the second quarter of 2010 to about 8,100 in the same period of last year.

The homelessness charity Crisis produced a report in January, which found there were 275,000 cases of homeless families in 2014/15 in England.

Charity workers distribute food to the homeless next to Westminster Cathedral (Getty)

It warned: With recent policy decisions leaving major question marks hanging over the future supply of, and access to, social and affordable rented housing, coupled with deep cuts in welfare that are making access to both rental sectors increasingly difficult for low income households, the question who will house the poorest? is becoming an increasingly urgent one.

Councillor Peter Box, the Local Government Associations spokesman for housing, said there was a desperate need for more affordable housing. As the housing crisis intensifies, councils are facing real difficulties in finding emergency care for all homeless people and to expand the range of accommodation for homeless people, particularly those who are young, vulnerable, or with families, he said.

Angela Barratt, who runs Street Support Salford and Manchester, painted a shambolic picture of the help on offer to people without a home. She said: Its really an emergency situation because its just getting worse and worse. The Government needs to put an action plan into place.

A government source did not dispute the figures, but cautioned that the data in this area is not the best.

A spokesman for the Department for Communities and Local Government said: Homelessness is less than half its peak in 2003, but one person without a home is one too many. Thats why we have increased central government funding to tackle homelessness over the next four years to 139m, and protected homelessness prevention funding for local authorities at 315m by 2019-20.
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George Osborne is expected to postpone fresh austerity measures this week until 2018 as part of a highly political Budget which will emphasise the dangers to the world economy ahead of the EU referendum this summer.

The Chancellor will tell MPs, in a sombre statement dominated by warnings about global pressures and risks to the UK, that new spending cuts will be needed to maintain Britains economic security. But Mr Osborne will resist imposing any new spending cuts this year or next, The Independent on Sunday understands. It comes amid claims  not rejected by the Treasury  that an 18bn black hole has opened up in the Governments finances because of the economys weaker than projected state.

Mr Osbornes stark message risks sparking accusations that he is using this weeks set-piece Commons event to drive home the Governments Project Fear campaign highlighting the dangers of leaving the EU. Eurosceptic Tory MPs went as far as to warn Mr Osborne publicly not to play referendum games with the Budget.

However, an exclusive poll for The IoS today reveals widespread dissatisfaction with Mr Osbornes record as Chancellor and growing concern about the state of the economy. A majority of the public  51 per cent  says the British economy is no better off now than it was this time last year, with just a third disagreeing.

Two-thirds of the public also claim their personal financial situation has not improved over the past 12 months, compared with 26 per cent who say it has.

The public concern about the state of the economy  five years after Mr Osborne took over as Chancellor  is reflected in growing dissatisfaction with his record. People are now more likely to believe he has done a bad job in the Treasury than a good one. Overall, four out of 10 say they are unhappy with his record as Chancellor, compared with less than a third who are satisfied.

John McDonnell speaking at the 'Building an Economy to Serve People and Not Profit', an alternative economics event in Manchester, in January (Corbis)

However, in a blow to Labours hopes of capitalising on public concern, the public is still far more likely to trust the Conservatives on the economy than Labour.

Nearly half  45 per cent  say they trust David Cameron and Mr Osborne more than Jeremy Corbyn and John McDonnell to run the economy, compared with 29 per cent who say the same of the Labour pair.

Mr Osborne is expected to use this Budget to expose Labours difficulties in winning back public trust to run the economy, emphasising Mr McDonnells plan last week to borrow billions of pounds to invest in infrastructure projects while running a balanced day-to-day budget.

A senior government source told The IoS that this weeks Budget would not be could not be characterised as an austerity budget  with the spending plans for 2016 and 2017 outlined in last years statement set to remain broadly unchanged. The savings expected to be outlined by Mr Osborne will come at the end of the spending review period closer to the next election.

The source said: The overall feel of the Budget will be about global pressures, slowing growth, commodity prices  the referendum too. This is a risky period we are in and we have to be ahead of that. Britain cant be immune from what is going on in the rest of the world. Every major country has been downgraded. We need to respond to whats happening, to make sure we can maintain economic security.

UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 21 October 2022 Sculptor Peter McKenna puts the finishing touches to a pumpkin that will form part of the Planet A Hebden Bridge Pumpkin Trail in the West Yorkshire town PA UK news in pictures 20 October 2022 Britains Prime Minister Liz Truss delivers a speech outside of 10 Downing Street in central London to announce her resignation AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 19 October 2022 Salmon leap up Stainforth Force on the River Ribble in the Yorkshire Dales as they swim upriver to their spawning grounds during the annual Salmon migration PA UK news in pictures 18 October 2022 Just Stop Oil protesters continue their protest for a second day on the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge, which links Kent and Essex and which remains closed for traffic, after it was scaled by two climbers from the group PA UK news in pictures 17 October 2022 Hundreds of students take part in the traditional Raisin Monday foam fight on St Salvator's Lower College Lawn at the University of St Andrews in Fife PA UK news in pictures 16 October 2022 A protester holds a placard during a march into central London at a demonstration by the climate change protest group Extinction Rebellion AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 15 October 2022 A member of the public drags an activist who is blocking the road during a "Just Stop Oil" protest, in London, Britain REUTERS UK news in pictures 14 October 2022 Germanys Womens double skulls during day one of the World Rowing Beach Sprint Finals at Saundersfoot beach, Pembrokeshire PA UK news in pictures 13 October 2022 Family and mourners arrive at St Michael's Church, in Creeslough, for the funeral mass of 49-year-old mother of four Martina Martin, who died following an explosion at the Applegreen service station in the village of Creeslough in Co Donegal on Friday PA UK news in pictures 12 October 2022 Motorists in Coventry pass trees showing autumnal colour PA UK news in pictures 11 October 2022 A woman and her dog in the the North Sea at Tynemouth Longsands beach before sunrise PA UK news in pictures 10 October 2022 Police officers remove a campaigner from a Just Stop Oil protest on The Mall, near Buckingham Palace, London PA UK news in pictures 9 October 2022 A drummer plays during the Diwali on the Square celebration, in Trafalgar Square, London PA UK news in pictures 8 October 2022 Timothee Chalamet attending the UK premiere of Bones and All during the BFI London Film Festival 2022 at the Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre, London PA UK news in pictures 7 October 2022 Two young male fallow deer lock antlers in Dublins Phoenix park as rutting season begins PA UK news in pictures 6 October 2022 The Princess of Wales during a cocktail making competition during a visit to Trademarket, a new outdoor street-food and retail market situated in Belfast city centre, as part of the royal visit to Northern Ireland PA UK news in pictures 5 October 2022 Greenpeace protesters interrupt Prime Minister Liz Truss as she delivers her keynote speech to the Conservative Party annual conference PA UK news in pictures 4 October 2022 Prime Minister Liz Truss and Britains Chancellor of the Exchequer Kwasi Kwarteng wearing hard hats and hi-vis jackets, visit a construction site for a medical innovation campus in Birmingham AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 3 October 2022 British artist Sam Cox, aka Mr Doodle, reveals the Doodle House, a twelve-room mansion at Tenterden, in Kent, which has been covered, inside and out in the artist's trademark monochrome, cartoonish hand-drawn doodles PA UK news in pictures 2 October 2022 Erling Haaland celebrates after scoring Manchester City's second goal against Manchester United at Etihad Stadium. 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. The building was built in 1480 as a residential dwelling but has been a tearoom for over 50 years PA UK news in pictures 28 September 2022 Criminal barristers from the Criminal Bar Association (CBA), demonstrates outside the Royal Courts of Justice in London, as part of their ongoing pay row with the Government PA UK news in pictures 27 September 2022 David White, Garter King of Arms, poses with an envelope franked with the new cypher of King Charles III 'CIIIR', after it was printed in the Court Post Office at Buckingham Palace in central London AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 26 September 2022 A gallery staff member poses next to a painting by Lucian Freud - Self-portrait (Fragment), 1956 - on show at a photocall for the Credit Suisse exhibition - Lucian Freud: New Perspectives at the National Gallery in London PA UK news in pictures 25 September 2022 Labour leader, Sir Keir Starmer is interviewed by Laura Kuenssberg in Liverpool before the start of the Labour Party annual Conference which he opened with a tribute to Queen Elizabeth II and sang the national anthem PA UK news in pictures 24 September 2022 Handout photo issued by Buckingham Palace of the ledger stone at the King George VI Memorial Chapel, St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle PA UK news in pictures 23 September 2022 A climate change activist protests against UK private jets while lighting his right arm on fire during the Laver Cup tennis tournament at the O2 Arena in London EPA UK news in pictures 22 September 2022 Woody Woodmansey, Lee Bennett, Kevin Armstrong, Nick Moran and Clifford Slapper attend the unveiling of a stone for David Bowie on the Music Walk of Fame at Camden, north London PA UK news in pictures 21 September 2022 A flock of birds in the sky as the sun rises over Dungeness in Kent PA UK news in pictures 20 September 2022 Flowers which were laid by members of the public in tribute to Queen Elizabeth II at Hillsborough Castle in Northern Ireland are collected by the Hillsborough Gardening Team and volunteers to be replanted for those that can be saved or composted PA UK news in pictures 19 September 2022 The ceremonial procession of the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II travels down the long walk as it arrives at Windsor Castle for the committal service at St Georges Chapel AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 18 September 2022 A man stands among campers on The Mall ahead of the Queens funeral Reuters UK news in pictures 17 September 2022 Wolverhampton Wanderers Nathan Collins fouls Manchester Citys Jack Grealish leading to a red card. City went on to win the match at Molineux Stadium three goals to nil. Action Images/Reuters UK news in pictures 16 September 2022 Members of the public stand in the queue near Tower Bridge, and opposite the Tower of London, as they wait in line to pay their respects to the late Queen Elizabeth II, in London AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 15 September 2022 Members of the public in the queue on in Potters Fields Park, central London, as they wait to view Queen Elizabeth II lying in state ahead of her funeral on Monday PA UK news in pictures 14 September 2022 The first members of the public pay their respects as the vigil begins around the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II in Westminster Hall, London, where it will lie in state ahead of her funeral on Monday PA UK news in pictures 13 September 2022 Crowds cheer as King Charles III and Camilla, Queen Consort arrive for a visit to Hillsborough Castle Getty UK news in pictures 12 September 2022 Crowds line the Royal Mile, Edinburgh, as King Charles III joins a procession from the Palace of Holyroodhouse to St Giles Cathedral following the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II Katielee Arrowsmith/SWNS UK news in pictures 11 September 2022 Members of the Public pay their respects as the hearse carrying the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II, draped in the Royal Standard of Scotland, is driven through Ballater AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 10 September 2022 Britain's Prince William, Prince of Wales, Britain's Catherine, Princess of Wales, Britain's Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, Britain's Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, wave at well-wishers on the Long walk at Windsor Castle AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 9 September 2022 King Charles III and Camilla, Queen Consort wave after viewing floral tributes to the late Queen Elizabeth II outside Buckingham Palace Getty UK news in pictures 8 September 2022 A screen commemorating Britain's Queen Elizabeth II in Piccadilly Circus, London Britain EPA UK news in pictures 7 September 2022 Police officers stand guard after Animal Rebellion activists threw paint on the walls and road outside the Houses of Parliament in protest, in London, Britain Reuters UK news in pictures 6 September 2022 Queen Elizabeth II welcomes Liz Truss during an audience at Balmoral, Scotland, where she invited the newly elected leader of the Conservative party to become Prime Minister and form a new government PA UK news in pictures 5 September 2022 Visitors at the PoliNations garden in Victoria Square, Birmingham, which is made up of five 40ft high tree installations and over 6,000 plants. The PoliNations programme aims to explore how migration and cross-pollination have shaped the UKs gardens and culture PA UK news in pictures 4 September 2022 Undergraduates at the University of St Andrews take part in the traditional Pier Walk along the harbour walls of St Andrews before the start of the new academic year PA UK news in pictures 3 September 2022 The Massed Pipes and Drums parade during the Braemar Highland Gathering at the Princess Royal and Duke of Fife Memorial Park PA UK news in pictures 2 September 2022 Number 12 Company Irish Guards at Wellington Barracks, central London, before commencing their first Guard Mount at Buckingham Palace PA

Senior Conservative MP Bernard Jenkin warned the Chancellor not to use the Budget as a campaigning tool to keep Britain in the EU. He said: The Chancellor should concentrate on the day job or running the economy. Hes got enough on his plate without playing referendum games with the economy.

Mr Osborne will attempt to placate Tory MPs by raising the threshold at which people start paying the 40p tax rate  a key manifesto commitment. The Tories pledged to raise the threshold for the 40p rate to 50,000 by 2020. The Government is also committed to raising the point at which low earners start paying income tax to 12,500.

However, a senior government source played down the Governments ability to make significant tax cuts, saying: Its all quite tight in terms of room for manoeuvre.

Mr Osborne is also expected to set out a series of stealth taxes to help to raise funds to plug the growing hole in the public finances, including an increase on fuel duty of up to 2p a litre and a hike in the tax on insurance. Millions of households could face an increase in insurance costs, following a warning that the Chancellor may target premiums in next weeks Budget.

Welfare cuts for disabled people could also raise up to 1bn according to some estimates. There is speculation Mr Osborne could find the cash for a headline-grabbing cut on beer duty.
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Barack Obama will jet into the UK next month and use his star power to convince Britons they should vote to stay in the European Union.

The timing of the US Presidents intervention, a major coup for the Remain campaign, is revealed by The Independent on Sunday, as a ComRes poll for this newspaper finds that Boris Johnson, unofficial leader of the Leave campaign, matches David Cameron on trust  suggesting that the referendum could be closely fought. Asked which of the two they trust more to do what is best for Britain, 35 per cent say Mr Cameron and 34 per cent Mr Johnson.

Mr Obamas visit will also help restore relations with Mr Cameron. In an interview last week, the US president accused the Prime Minister of being distracted over the Libya campaign.

This has been viewed as an unprecedented rift between countries that are supposed to have a special relationship. Mr Obama appeared to suggest that Mr Cameron did not help oversee the transition to a stable government after the fall of Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, though the Presidents advisers have since insisted he did not mean to be critical.

A No 10 source confirmed that Mr Obama will make his intervention and visit the UK as an extra leg of a trip to Germany next month. He is scheduled to open the Hannover Messe 2016 technology fair on 24 April.

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

The source said: Barack Obama is coming over at around that time. You wouldnt look stupid saying that [the President is going to tell British voters to stay in the EU]. It would be pretty shocking if he didnt ask voters to stay in the EU.

Rumours have circulated for months that Mr Obama, who is considered the greatest electoral campaigner of his generation after becoming the first black person to win the White House in 2008, would intervene on the EU vote.

 UK would not join the EU today

Bob Corker, the chairman of the US Senate foreign relations committee, said last month that Mr Obama was planning a big, public reach-out to persuade British voters of the merits of staying in the EU. But several government and Remain campaign sources have now confirmed the timing and added that he will fly into the UK to make a direct appeal to the British electorate.

The IoS can also reveal a host of high-profile names who have joined the Women In campaign, led by Jenny Halpern Prince. These are journalist and television presenter Mariella Frostrup, award-winning computer scientist Dr Sue Black, and author Kathy Lette.

Brexiteers are furious at the prospect of Mr Obama swaying undecided British voters. A pre-emptive online petition has nearly 16,000 signatories, who want to Stop President Obama from speaking inside our Westminster Parliament concerning Britain staying inside the European Union. Steve Baker, the Conservative MP who said Britains recent EU membership renegotiations were akin to polishing poo, told the IoS: Whenever a US president intervenes in our constitutional future, I always reread the US Declaration of Independence. We will solve peacefully at the ballot box the problem for which their nation fought a bloody war of insurrection.

I will take lessons from the US president when the US accepts a supreme court over its own, and free movement from Canada to Central America  but God bless America!

Peter Bone, another Conservative MP who is prominent in the Leave campaign, added: Why should President Obama tell the UK whether we should be part of a European superstate or a sovereign nation? He should keep his comments, his views, to himself.

Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron has welcomed Mr Obama's visit (Getty)

But Tim Farron, leader of the pro-EU Liberal Democrats, said Mr Obamas visit was welcome. He added: This is a reminder that if Britain wants to be a big player on the world stage, then being in the EU is one of the ways we achieve it.

Sometimes our friends from outside have a clear picture on where we stand. People often refer to the fact that were the fifth biggest economy in the world, but they forget we were only the seventh biggest economy when we joined the European Community [in 1973]. Our political relevance is enhanced by the EU.

Mr Farrons pro-EU stance has taken a surprising knock by the establishment of a Liberal Democrat Brexit campaign, headed by former MP Paul Keetch. Mr Farron said: It wouldnt be the Lib Dems if someone didnt oppose what 99.5 per cent of the party agree with.

A White House spokesman said there was no UK visit to announce at this time.
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It usually befalls the foreigner to explain to the natives what they have and what they are about to lose, says Labours German-born MP Gisela Stuart  the unlikely new head of the campaign for Britain to leave the European Union.

It is a powerful sentiment from a woman who only moved to Britain in 1974  a year before the UKs first referendum on Europe.

In her first interview since being named chair of Vote Leave, the Brexit campaign group backed by Boris Johnson, Ms Stuart reveals how she feels a duty to reassure ordinary voters they are not bad people for being worried about the EU.

There is this idea that if you are liberal and internationalist and outward looking and educated and ... a good person then you must be pro Europe. If youre not, youre saying things about yourself which are inward looking, a little Englander and all those kind of things.

I just thought that unless people like me actually do stand up and say, no, this is about options  both of which are equally outward looking  then I think we diminish the range of the debate.

She says that, unlike many European countries, Britain does not need Brussels to escape the narrow nationalism which has blighted the Continent.

A lot of continental countries stuck for a very long time with this nationality principle based on bloodlines, she says. In contrast: For 300 years, these isles had a supranational identity  being British. Few countries have that, she adds, which is why to a lot of Europeans  and the Germans in particular  being European is so important.

She rejects any suggestion that Britain will become a hostile place for foreigners after a vote to leave. In fact, Ms Stuart believes many of the concerns about European immigration are reasonable.

When my Pakistani newspaper man, who has spent the last 40 years of his life getting up at 5am, has a problem getting in his mother for a family wedding, but finds a Bulgarian taxi driver can claim child benefit for children who are not even here, its very easy to say, this is racism, but they cannot understand why the bias is to a particular place in the world which they find it difficult to have an allegiance to.

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.

Ms Stuart believes there are more dangers in remaining in the EU than in leaving. A yes vote also has consequences. It will mean that we, the British people, have just democratically endorsed a structure and a political construct which, if there is one thing you can say is consistent, it goes for deeper political integration.

Ms Stuart is one of just a handful of Labour MPs who support UK withdrawal. Privately, many believe her leader Jeremy Corbyn is another.

At the moment, she believes he is being loyal to the party ahead of Mays elections, but, tantalisingly, suggests this could change. I dont know what happens after that, but at the moment I think he just feels he owes a loyalty to the mainstream of his MPs.

Vote Leave has confirmed that the Education Secretary Michael Gove will co-convene the campaign to quit the EU, alongside Ms Stuart.
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If the UK leaves the European Union it would face a lengthy and expensive regulationfest as the Civil Service and private sector scrambled to set up vastly expanded bureaucracies to cope with replacing long-established trade and other legal regulations linked to Brussels, leading lawyers have warned.

A report by Lawyers IN for Britain (LIFB), which is campaigning for the UK to remain part of the EU, claims that misconceptions on everything from cutting red tape to the environment and access to international markets, are playing a pivotal role in the in-out debate.

John Davies, chair of LIFB, said the aim of the 300-page report was to bypass the great deal of misinformation currently dominating the EU debate.

Recommended Read more Worried EU nationals dash for UK citizenship amid Brexit fears

The documents evidence, he said, had been sourced from the UK governments own figures, studies by the Bank of England, the UKs Office for Budget Responsibility, and leading UK universities. Mr Davies added: The words we hear most from those yet to make up their minds, are give us the facts. We have done that  and our conclusion is that that the UK is safer, stronger and better off in the EU.

The LIFB analysis states that a more informed discussion is needed before Britain votes in June. Three former EU judges, 24 law professors, 30 QCs and 250 lawyers and academics, including partners in some of the UKs leading firms, have concluded that the benefits of EU membership outweigh the burdens.

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

Among the lengthy list of misconceptions discussed, is the assumption that a Brexit would mean a reduction in rules, regulations and red tape. This is the biggest misconception, said Martin Coleman, one of the LIFB lawyers who contributed to the report. Thousands upon thousands of new UK rules and regulations will be needed if the UK leaves. Separate international, bilateral and individual trade deals will need to be negotiated and drafted. New UK rules will still need to comply with many of the existing European rules. Far from offering a reduction in rules, the UK will be engaged in a regulationfest, needing a swollen Whitehall and an expansion in government lawyers, advisers and bureaucrats.

Although UK lawyers would have a short-term surge in work, as the UK decouples from 40 years of legal links to Brussels, one of the reports authors said: It would be like doctors saying a plague was keeping them busy, but ultimately the outlook on patient numbers wouldnt be good.

Other misconceptions, the report says, includes the notion that the EU prevents the UK from making its own laws. The report says the UK parliament has remained sovereign, and that the common rules of the EU ensure UK businesses and citizens are not discriminated against.

The report also identifies confusion over the role of the European Convention on Human Rights and the European Council, which would not be altered by Brexit.

On the notion that Brussels limits the reach of Londons City markets, and that freeing the UK from the EU would increase Britains international trade influence, the report says a minimum of 50 EU trade agreements with other countries would need immediate renegotiation.
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Tory tensions over the European Union referendum have been laid bare again after George Osborne took a series of swipes at Boris Johnson over his backing for Brexit. The Chancellor accused the Mayor of London of campaigning for Brexit out of political ambition, and mocked his support for a Canadian-style free trade deal with the bloc.

Mr Johnsons decision to play a leading role in the Leave team has infuriated David Cameron and Mr Osborne who believe he has acted opportunistically to court favour among Tory activists for a leadership bid.

The Mayor has retorted that he has a long history of criticising Brussels dating back more than 20 years when he was a reporter covering the EU.

Mr Osborne told BBC1s Andrew Marr Show that Canadas trade negotiations with the EU had so far lasted seven years and were still not complete.

He said: I dont want us to be Canada. I want us to be Great Britain. In the end this is not some political game. This is the biggest decision facing this country for 50 years. In an apparent reference to his rivals widely criticised appearance on the show last week, Mr Osborne said he would not sit here and blather away and not actually do anything.

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.

A new book serialised in The Mail on Sunday claimed Mr Cameron was petrified of Mr Johnson challenging him for the leadership, telling the former Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg that the Mayor is clearly after my job.

Asked about the book by the former Lib Dem cabinet minister David Laws, Mr Osborne replied: I dont think its the greatest  revelation in human history to discover Boris Johnson is interested in a job in government.

The Prime Minister is also said to have confided in Mr Clegg that Michael Gove, the Justice Secretary, had gone a bit nuts recently and was driving him around the bend.

Mr Gove, who is one of six cabinet ministers to support Brexit, told a private meeting of Tory and Lib Dem ministers that plans to hold the referendum were completely barmy, the book claims.

The book, which has been written with Mr Cleggs co-operation, is likely to open the former Lib Dem leader up to criticism after he recounts a talk with the Queen in which he outlined changes to the rule of royal succession.

Mr Clegg was critical of attempts to drag the Queen into the referendum campaign after comments she was alleged to have made about the EU were leaked to a newspaper.
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A Christian magistrate who was sacked after opposing adoption by gay parents on national television is planning to sue Michael Gove over the decision.

Richard Page, who sat on the family bench in Kent, was struck off for his "biased and prejudiced" views.

But he has pledged to take legal action and sue the Lord Chancellor through an employment tribunal.

Andrea Minichiello Williams, chief executive of the Christian Legal Centre which is supporting him, said: "He has made the decision to sue the Lord Chancellor for removing him from the bench.

"That will go through the employment tribunal system because he is an office bearer."

The 69-year-old was previously sent for retraining after saying during an adoption hearing that it would be better for a child to be brought up by a mother and father than a same-sex couple.

During a BBC interview in March 2015, Mr Page said: "My responsibility as a magistrate, as I saw it, was to do what I considered best for the child, and my feeling was therefore that it would be better if it was a man and woman who were the adopted parents."

A spokesman for the Judicial Conduct Investigations Office said his comments "would have caused a reasonable person to conclude he was biased and prejudiced against single sex adopters".

Mr Page criticised the decision as "intolerant" and accused Mr Gove of "pandering to the new political orthodoxy".

He said: "As a magistrate, I have to act on the evidence before me and quite simply, I believe that there is not sufficient evidence to convince me that placing a child in the care of a same-sex couple can be as holistically beneficial to a child as placing them with a mum and dad as God and Nature intended."

He added: "To punish me and to seek to silence me for expressing a dissenting view is deeply worrying. I shall challenge this decision as it is deeply illiberal and intolerant."

PA
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Based in the Sahara and Sahel, Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) seeks to rid North Africa of Western influence.

The group, which has its origins in the Islamic Armed Group during Algerias civil war, has named Spain and France as its main far enemies.

It has about 1,000 members in Algeria and supporters in Chad, Libya, Mali, Mauritania, Nigeria and Tunisia.

AQIM and its allies held vast tracts of Mali in 2013, before being driven back by French soldiers.

It claimed joint responsibility for November attack on the Radisson Blu hotel in Mali, in which 100 people were taken hostage and 19 were killed.

In January, gunmen killed 30 people in the Burkina Faso capital of Ouagadougou after storming the Cappucino restaurant and the Splendid Hotel in the heart of the city.

The Foreign Office has updated its travela dvice to Ivory Coast to say: "The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) advise against all but essential travel to the western regions of Dix-Huit Montagnes, Haut-Sassandra, Moyen-Cavally and Bas-Sassandra. See Local travel

"On 13 March, there have been reports of an armed attack at Grand Bassam Resort, near Abidjan. You should avoid the area if possible. If you are in the vicinity follow the instructions of the security authorities

"There is a high threat from terrorism. You should be vigilant after recent attacks in Mali and Burkina Faso. Attacks could be indiscriminate, including in places visited by foreigners."

It is linked to Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), which was established in 2009 through a merger of the Yemeni and Saudi branches of al-Qaeda.

AQAP was behind the foiled underpants bomb on a plane to Detroit on Christmas Day, 2009, as well as two attempts to bring down Chicago-bound cargo planes in 2010.

Based in southern Yemen, where it has been targeted by US drone strikes for more than a decade, it is responsible for more than 1,200 deaths over the past five years.

AQAP claimed responsibility for the Charlie Hebdo attacks.

Additional reporting Jonathan Owen
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At least one child was among the 16 people killed in an attack at the popular Grand-Bassam resort in Ivory Coast, it has been reported.

Officials say four Europeans were among 14 civilian victims, while two soldiers died as part of an operation that saw six gunmen "neutralised".

A witness named Marcel Guy said he saw a group of at least four men armed with Kalashnikovs on the beach near the L'Etoile du Sud hotel.

A bearded gunman approached two children and allegedly spoke in Arabic.

One child knelt and prayed but the other was shot dead.

"The Christian boy was shot and killed right in front of my eyes," Mr Guy said.

Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb has taken responsibility for the attack, which marks the first Islamist terror attack on the West African nation since 2011.

Many other countries in the region have been hit hard by Islamist militant insurgencies.

Neighbouring Mali has seen significant conflict in recent years.

In November 2015, the Radisson Hotel in Malis capital Bamako was targeted by extremists.

120 hostages were taken and 20 people were killed before special forces stormed the site.
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Sixteen people have been killed after six heavily armed gunmen attacked a beach resort in Ivory Coast, officials say.

The government has said the attackers have been 'neutralised.'

Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb have reportedly taken responsiblity for the attack, which marks the first Islamist terror attack on the West African nation since 2011.

The violence happened near the Hotel Etoile du Sud, in the coastal city of Grand-Bassam, which is popular with Western tourists.

On a visit to the area following the attack, President Alassane Ouattara said: "Six attackers came onto the beach in Bassam this afternoon"

"We have 14 civilians and two special forces soldiers who were unfortunately killed," he told Reuters.

State Minister Hamed Bakayoko also appealed for calm.

Witnesses reported hearing the gunmen shout "Allahu Akbar" (God is great) as they opened fire.

There are varying reports of both the number feared dead and the number of attackers.

A government spokesperson told Bloomberg at least five attackers had been killed and another five were on the run.

The shooting started at the Hotel Etoile Du Sud's Koral Beach and continued in nearby establishments, according to the website Ivorian Connection.

Local media had reported the gunmen had entered the hotel and took guests and staff hostage.

Security forces evacuate people in Bassam, Ivory Coast (REUTERS/Joe Penney)

However, a receptionist at the Etoile de Sud hotel told Associated Press that everyone in the hotel was safe, and gendarmerie were present.

"We don't know where they [the gunmen] came from, and we don't know where they've gone," he said.

Images of the attack on social media show bodies on the beach.

The beach and surrounding area has now been evacuated by the army.

An American embassy delegation was in Grand-Bassam on Sunday but the U.S. Embassy said it has no evidence that U.S. citizens were targeted or hurt.

Grand-Bassam is a Unesco world heritage site and is around 40km (25 miles) east of the country's economic capital, Abidjan.
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Celebrating a ruling in Ohio allowing some 17-year-olds to cast ballots on condition they are eighteen come the November general election, Bernie Sanders was evincing new confidence that he can catch up with Hillary Clinton not just there but also in Illinois in primary elections on Tuesday.

The Sanders campaign enjoyed a fillip with its from-behind victory in Michigan a week ago, seen as evidence that he can beat Mrs Clinton in large industrial states in the Midwest. A new CBS poll showed him just ahead of the former first lady in Illinois, a state where he has previously trailed.

The campaign, which has drawn much of its support from youngvoters and college students, had filed suit in Ohio to overturn an order by the states Secretary of State, a Republican, that only those already 18 years of age could participate in the primaries.

 Bernie Sanders surprises with Michigan primary win

A county judge found in favour of the Sanders request. If things turn out to be tight in Ohio, the change could give Mr Sanders a crucial edge.

By contrast, Mr Sanders had by the weekend given up all hope in Florida, which also votes on Tuesday. Polling there shows him losing to Ms Clinton by as much as thirty points.
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The Bernie Sanders campaign has released a statement on the disorder which took place at Fridays Trump rally in Chicago.

In it, Mr Sanders denies the accusation of Republican frontrunner Donald Trump that his supporters organised the protests.

Mr Sanders also said that the Trump campaign was guilty of provoking violence.

The full statement reads: As is the case virtually every day, Donald Trump is showing the American people that he is a pathological liar. Obviously, while I appreciate that we had supporters at Trumps rally in Chicago, our campaign did not organize the protests.

Bernie Sanderss message in some ways appeals to the same audience that backs Donald Trump (AP)

What caused the protests at Trumps rally is a candidate that has promoted hatred and division against Latinos, Muslims, women, and people with disabilities, and his birther attacks against the legitimacy of President Obama.

What caused the violence at Trumps rally is a campaign whose words and actions have encouraged it on the part of his supporters. He recently said of a protester, I want to punch him in the face.

Another time Trump yearned for the old days when the protester would have been punched and 'carried out on a stretcher. Then just a few days ago a female reporter apparently was assaulted by his campaign manager.

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

When that is what the Trump campaign is doing, we should not be surprised that there is a response.

What Donald Trump must do now is stop provoking violence and make it clear to his supporters that people who attend his rallies or protest should not be assaulted, should not be punched, should not be kicked.

In America people have a right to attend a political rally without fear of physical harm.

A statement by the Trump campaign citing security concerns was also released: Commander George Devereux of the CPD was informed of everything before it happened. Likewise, Secret Service and private security firms were consulted and totally involved.

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump (AP)

However, the Chicago Police Department has since denied that they were consulted before the event was called off.

The statement continues: We have received great credit from everyone for cancelling this event.

Nobody was injured and crowds disbanded quickly and peacefully. It has been termed really good management and leadership under great pressure!

The Trump statement apparently ignores two police officers who were hurt trying to control the crowds, one of whom was hit by a bottle.

The statement concludes: It would have been easier for Mr Trump to have spoken, but he decided, in the interest of everyone's safety, to postpone the event.
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An unremittingly belligerent Donald Trump has indirectly threatened to flood the rallies of Bernie Sanders with his own supporters as retaliation for what he insists has been the deliberate infiltration of his events by protestors loyal to the Senator from Vermont.

The developer, who appears set to make more gains in his bid for the Republican nomination when five big states vote on Tuesday, meanwhile said he may pay the legal fees of a 78-year-old supporter facing assault charges for throwing a punch at a protester at one of his rallies last week.

The latest Trump manoeuvers put paid to any suggestion of his perhaps attempting to calm the tensions now enveloping the presidential race in America, which exploded into violent skirmishes ahead of a scheduled Trump rally in Chicago on Friday evening. The event was cancelled at the last moment.

It was the first time since the riots at the Democratic Convention in Chicago in 1968 that Americans have seen political combat turn into physical confrontation. There are fears that the scenes in Chicago, which left two police officers hurt, could happen again soon elsewhere, if not something more serious.

One after another the other contenders for the presidency, from both parties, blasted Mr Trump as having some responsibility for the violence, some citing his rhetoric on ejecting Mexican immigrants and blocking entry to American for all Muslims. Hillary Clinton, the Democratic frontrunner, accusing him of political arson. But Mr Trump just dug himself further in.

Answering questions on NBC, he suggested that his supporters are sick and tired of American leadership and the failure to confront problems including the rise of Isis. The people are angry at that  theyre not angry about something Im saying. Im just the messenger, he said I dont accept responsibility. I do not condone violence in any shape.

Since Friday, Mr Trump has taken to invoking Mr Sanders every time a protester disrupts one of his event and has to removed by security. Bernies people, he intones at each interruption which at some of his appearances now are so frequent he barely gets the chance to speak about much else. Get em out, he said at one particularly chaotic event. Hey Bernie, get your people in line.

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

Some of those engaging in skirmishes in Chicago on Friday were indeed carry Sanders signs, but the Vermont Senator called the notion that he told his supporters to disrupt the event a lie. Anyone who had been following Mr Trump and his campaign, knows that he tells the truth very, very rarely, Senator Sanders told ABC. At rally on Saturday, Mr Trump referred to Mr Sanders as our communist friend.

According to Mr Trump it is the other way about, however. Bernie Sanders is lying when he says his disruptors arent told to go to me events, he said on Sunday via Twitter. He then went on: Be careful Bernie or my supporters will go to yours!

If conservative Republicans went into his rallies you see things that would be unbelievable, the New York developer and former reality TV host told CNN later.

Arguably it was the surfacing of video footage of the 78-year-old aiming a punch at the black protestor at the North Carolina event that set things off in Chicago, where protesters were almost equal in number to supporters. The rally was called off about 30 minutes before Mr Trump was due to take the stage.

Provocative might be the best way to characterise Mr Trump pondering offering financial help to the man with the clenched fist, identified as John Franklin McGraw. The candidate told NBC that the man may have got carried away, and maybe he doesnt like seeing whats happening to the country.

After his Illinois stop, Mr Trump is due to appear before thousands in an outdoor ampitheatre in Boca Raton in South Florida. New polling suggested that Mr Trump remained in a strong position on Tuesday to win Florida, the home state of Senator Marco Rubio whose own candidacy now hangs by a thread. By contrast there were signs that John Kasich may hold of the Trump challenge in Ohio, where he is Governor, a victory that would give new life to his campaign.
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It was a wan Marco Rubio, the US Senator from Florida, who alighted from his bus at the Temple Beth El synagogue in West Palm Beach to denounce Donald Trump for being soft in his support for Israel. But it was Tuesdays Republican primary in the state that was on his mind.

Polls show Senator Rubio losing to Mr Trump in the winner-take-all primary on Tuesday, a result that would spell the end of his candidacy.

But the Rubio campaign, as it faces possible oblivion, is at the last moment asking for something rarely uttered in presidential nomination battles: some tactical voting.

Recommended Read more Rubio urges supporters in Ohio to vote tactically to stop Trump

Mr Rubio implored supporters of the other two runners, Senator Ted Cruz and Governor John Kasich of Ohio, to tick his name on Tuesday instead, as the only sure way to deny Mr Trump victory and slow his momentum.

A vote for Ted Cruz or a vote for John Kasich in Florida is a vote for Donald Trump, Mr Rubio said. The only one who has a chance to beat Donald Trump in Florida is me and any vote that doesnt go to me in essence is helping Donald Trump to win. He likewise released his supporters in Ohio, which also votes on Tuesday, to do the same  skip him and make sure Mr Kasich prevails over Mr Trump.
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If you like eating meat in America, theres an army of trade groups and lobbyists wholl fight for your right to do so, from the North American Meat Institute to the National Hot Dog and Sausage Council. If dairys more your thing, the American Cheese Society and the American Egg Board will back you up. And if you want to slather any of that in ketchup and bright yellow mustard, rest assured the Association for Dressings and Sauces is working tirelessly every day to make it happen.

If, on the other hand, youd prefer to wash down your tofu burger with a cool glass of almond milk, youre on your own. Or, at least, you were  until last week, when 23 vegan-friendly food companies came together to launch the Plant Based Foods Association, the first US trade group dedicated to the promotion and protection of the booming trade in plant alternatives to meat, dairy and eggs  a sector the association says is now worth $3.5bn (2.4bn) a year.

With consumers more conscious than ever of the health, ethical and environmental effects of their food choices, the market for plant-based protein products is currently expanding at a faster rate than its traditional food industry rivals, with growth of close to 9 per cent in the past two years alone, according to data from the market research group Spins.

Milks from plants such as soy, rice, almond and coconut are the biggest drivers of that growth, with more than $2bn in annual sales. But meat substitutes such as tofu and the related product tempeh are also increasingly popular, as are plant-based yoghurts, whose so-called mouth-feel has recently improved by leaps and bounds, the association claims.

One obstacle to further growth is the relative cost and unavailability of plant-based products. Michele Simon, the associations executive director, said the group would work to create a level-playing field for its producers and consumers.

The market for plant-based protein products is currently expanding at a faster rate than its traditional food industry rivals (AFP/Getty)

The animal food industry has enjoyed a lot of subsidies and other ways to make their prices lower, she said. Unfortunately, theres a perception that eating healthily is expensive, but its really more that we subsidise unhealthy eating in the US, and thats part of what we want to change: we want to make healthier and more sustainable foods more accessible and more affordable.

The group has already hired a lobbyist in Washington: Elizabeth Kucinich, the British-born wife of erstwhile Democratic congressman and presidential candidate Dennis Kucinich. In 2013, Ms Kucinich helped create the Congressional Vegetarian Staff Association, to lobby for better veggie options at the US Capitols cafeterias. She told The New York Times the associations mission was to ensure plant-based food producers have a seat at the table alongside the powerful meat industry.

Based in San Francisco, the group has five founding board members including the Tofurky Company, whose chief executive Jaime Athos is its inaugural president. Eighteen other companies are already on board, among them Louisville Vegan Jerky Co, Luna and Larrys Coconut Bliss, Next Level Burger and Tofuna Fysh. Member companies are not required to be exclusively vegan or vegetarian. It doesnt matter if your entire product line is plant-based or you just make one veggie burger, Ms Simon said. We just want people who can help take this industry to the next level.

The groups remit includes public relations, consumers and retailer education, as well as legal and policy issues. For example, Miyokos Kitchen, maker of nut cheeses such as Aged English Sharp Farmhouse and High Sierra Rustic Alpine faced resistance from Californias public health department when marketing its products as cheese substitutes, even though the word cheese did not appear on any packaging. The firm was finally told to call its creations cultured nut products.
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The brutal three-sided fight in Burmas northern Shan State, involving two ethnic militias as well as the national army, the Tatmadaw, underlines the vast challenges confronting the National League for Democracy (NLD) government of Aung San Suu Kyi, that will take power at the beginning of April.

One of the main achievements of the outgoing government of President Thein Sein was the signing of a Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA) last October. But its impact was lessened by a nasty and well-resourced war that is still in progress between the Kokang, an ethnic Chinese minority in Shan State, and the Burmese army; and between the Kachin people and government forces further to the north. Ive been told there were some 400 separate ethnic militias dotted around the country which were outside the remit of the NCA.

The Taang, the principal victims in the present dispute, are one of the many dozens of ethnic minorities who have never settled their differences with the Burmese state. Related to the Mon, the earliest inhabitants of Burma, and the Khmer of Cambodia, they are Theravada Buddhists, but cherish their linguistic and cultural differences. And they were not signatories to the NCA  which may explain why serious hostilities have opened up between them and the Shan forces.

Senior figures from Ms Suu Kyis party endorsed the NCA and ethnic peace must be the new governments top priority. Given its solid majority in parliament, the NLD government will want to chart its own course; working closely with the army will be abhorrent to a party that suffered so much at the military regimes hands. But it has no alternative: the army continues to control all the relevant ministries: home, defence and border affairs.

The choices are stark: instant stalemate, or wary progress. If Burma is ever to prosper in peace, its races and tribes need to be stitched together, protecting and enhancing the rights of the minorities without sacrificing the integrity of the whole. Ms Suu Kyi, who obtained broad support from ethnic minorities and the majority population in Novembers election, is the only person with a hope of succeeding in this epic task. She will need all the help, in expertise, encouragement and money, that the international community can give her.

The Lady and the Generals: Aung San Suu Kyi and Burmas Struggle for Freedom, by Peter Popham, is published by Rider
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When Aye Khaung saw 500 soldiers arrive in her village in Burmas northern Shan State, she was fearful. Sitting in the grounds of the monastery she now calls home, she picks at nail varnish on her thumbnail as she recounts the moment when the countrys latest ethnic conflict arrived in the remote village of Ban-nin.

When I saw their guns and knives I was afraid, because I knew they could kill me, she says.

The violence between the militias of the Taang National Liberation Army (TNLA) and the Shan State Army  South (SSA-S) began last year and has intensified. The Burmese army, or Tatmadaw, is also operating in the area  taking control, it says, of the latest of many long-running ethnic armed conflicts to flare up in the country.

Too afraid to answer the questions from the Tatmadaw soldiers about whether TNLA or SSA-S soldiers were in the area, Aye Khaung claims her silence did not go unpunished. I was too afraid to answer. Then they beat me on my shoulder and head. They punched me and they beat me with a stick, she says. I was so afraid and my whole body was shaking. Afterwards I could not eat anything and I felt sick.

Aung San Suu Kyi, whose party is due to take over the government in April (Getty)

Aye Khaung, dressed in a pink Minnie Mouse T-shirt, looks younger than her 19 years. Two days after her beating, the soldiers were still in her village, so she ran away to Kyaukme, a local town.

It is a journey many others have made, and by the end of February more than 4,000 people had sought shelter in the 21 monasteries around Kyaukme.

Aye Khaung looks up nervously as someone approaches. It is just one of the monasterys monks, sweeping, but she waits for him to pass before she continues: Whenever I think about going back to my home I cannot eat and I cannot sleep. Im still afraid there will be soldiers.

Aung San Suu Kyi walks free Show all 3 1 /3 Aung San Suu Kyi walks free Aung San Suu Kyi walks free 495121.bin GETTY Aung San Suu Kyi walks free 495123.bin EPA Aung San Suu Kyi walks free 495122.bin REUTERS

For Maran Ja Taung, returning home was the start of her nightmare. She fled fighting in the village of Ho Pone along with her four children and her husband in January. When they returned in February, the homes of 300 villagers had been burnt and the communitys livestock slaughtered and eaten.

Maran Ja Taungs husband went to look for vegetables, not realising that whoever had destroyed their livelihoods had left one last surprise: a landmine. When he stepped on the landmine, he did not die, says Maran Ja Taung through her tears. I heard the bomb blast and ran to him. He had lost his legs. He was lying there, bleeding. She tried to get her husband to hospital, but the first one they came to would not accept him. He died on the way to the second hospital.

On the way there he said to me: Please forgive me because I cannot support our family any more,  she says. I told him I can earn, we can survive. I thought he was asleep, then I realised he wasnt breathing.

It is not clear who burned the homes, slaughtered the livestock and laid the landmines, as ethnic armed groups and the Burmese military had been operating in the area, but Maran Ja Taung says the ethnic armies fled the scene when the local civilians did.

Even Burmas revered Buddhist monks have not escaped abuse. Soldiers from the TNLA locked U Thu Sat in his monastery. I was afraid I would get shot, he says, as he also waits in Kyaukme for the chance to go home.

I asked them to stop fighting but they did not listen to me. They said I did not need to worry, and they were there for my security, but I think they were using me for protection. The Burmese Army and the ethnic armed groups did not respond to a request for comment over the alleged incidents.

The new government of Aung San Suu Kyi says its first priority, when it takes power at the end of the month, is to deal with ethnic conflict. But for the scared, homeless and mourning people of Shan State, that moment cannot come quickly enough.
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North Korea has claimed that it could wipe out Manhattan by sending a hydrogen bomb on a ballistic missile to the heart of New York, the latest in a string of brazen threats.

Although there are many reasons to believe that Kim Jong Uns regime is exaggerating its technical capabilities, the near-daily drumbeat of boasts and warnings from Pyongyang underlines the regimes anger at efforts to thwart its ambitions.

Our hydrogen bomb is much bigger than the one developed by the Soviet Union, DPRK Today, a state-run outlet that uses the official acronym for North Korea, reported Sunday.

If this H-bomb were to be mounted on an inter-continental ballistic missile and fall on Manhattan in New York City, all the people there would be killed immediately and the city would burn down to ashes, the report said, citing a nuclear scientist named Cho Hyong Il.

The website is a strange choice for issuing such a proclamation, given that it also carried reports about rabbit farming and domestically made school backpacks.

North Koreas newly developed hydrogen bomb surpasses our imagination, Cho is quoted as saying, because it is many times as powerful as anything the Soviet Union had.

Everyday life in North Korea - in pictures Show all 10 1 /10 Everyday life in North Korea - in pictures Everyday life in North Korea - in pictures 'Ordinary life' in North Korea A man cuts the hair of a young boy at an apartment building in Pyongyang. High rise apartments are a common form of accommodation for people living in the capital city AP Photo/Dita Alangkara Everyday life in North Korea - in pictures 'Ordinary life' in North Korea North Koreans pause to give way for passing vehicles as they cross a road in Pyongyang. AP Photo/Dita Alangkara Everyday life in North Korea - in pictures 'Ordinary life' in North Korea North Koreans wait for public transportation at a bus stop in Pyongyang AP Photo/Dita Alangkara Everyday life in North Korea - in pictures 'Ordinary life' in North Korea A woman and her daughter walk past a North Korean flag hung on a utility pole as part of celebrations of the Liberation Day in Pyongyang AP Photo/Dita Alangkara Everyday life in North Korea - in pictures 'Ordinary life' in North Korea People attending the conference for national reunification as they observe their 70th anniversary of Korea's liberation, marking the end of World War II, in Panmunjom AFP PHOTO / KCNA via KNS REPUBLIC OF KOREA OUT Everyday life in North Korea - in pictures 'Ordinary life' in North Korea A man looks at items at a stamp shop in Pyongyang AP Photo/Dita Alangkara Everyday life in North Korea - in pictures 'Ordinary life' in North Korea North Koreans participate in a closing event for its celebration of the 70th anniversary of Korea's independence from Japan's 1910-45 colonial rule, at the truce village inside the demilitarized zone (DMZ) that divides the two Koreas in Panmunjom, North Korea. The country changed it's timezone on the occasion. North Korea introduced 'Pyongyang time' and pushed back its clocks by half an hour on 15 August, the same as before the Japanese occupation when the standard time used by the Korean empire was eight and a half hours ahead of GMT, instead of nine hours, which is Tokyo time EPA/KCNA SOUTH KOREA OUT Everyday life in North Korea - in pictures 'Ordinary life' in North Korea People attending the conference for national reunification as they observe their 70th anniversary of Korea's liberation, marking the end of World War II, in Panmunjom AFP PHOTO / KCNA via KNS Everyday life in North Korea - in pictures 'Ordinary life' in North Korea Youths and students attending an evening gala at the Kim Il-Sung Square in Pyongyang to celebrate the 70th anniversary of Korea's liberation, marking the end of World War II AFP PHOTO / KCNA via KNS REPUBLIC OF KOREA OUT Everyday life in North Korea - in pictures 'Ordinary life' in North Korea North Korean leader Kim Jong Un visits the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun to mark the occasion of the 70th anniversary of Korea's liberation REUTERS/KCNAATTENTION EDITORS

The H-bomb developed by the Soviet Union in the past was able to smash windows of buildings 1,000 kms away and the heat was strong enough to cause third-degree burns 100 kms away, the report continued.

Kim in January ordered North Koreas fourth nuclear test and claimed that it was a hydrogen bomb, not a simple atomic one. But most experts are skeptical of the claim, saying the seismic waves caused by the blast were similar to those caused by the Norths three previous tests.

Then in February, Kim oversaw the launch of what North Korea said was a rocket that put a satellite into orbit but that is widely considered part of a long-range ballistic missile program.

North Korea has made advances in its inter-continental ballistic missile program, and experts generally conclude that the United States West Coast might now be in reach but that there has been no suggestion that the North would be able to hit the East Coast.

Many experts are also skeptical of the miniaturized warhead that Kim showed off last week during a visit to a nuclear weapons plant, saying it doesnt look right.

But Jeffrey Lewis, director of the East Asia nonproliferation program at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey, warned against dismissing it too soon.

It does not look like US devices, to be sure, but it is hard to know if aspects of the model are truly implausible or simply that North Korean nuclear weapons look different than their Soviet and American cousins, Lewis wrote in an analysis for 38 North, a website devoted to North Korea. The size, however, is consistent with my expectations for North Korea.

As international condemnation of the Norths acts mounted, culminating in the toughest U.N. sanctions against Pyongyang yet, Kims regime has become increasingly belligerent, firing missiles into the Sea of Japan, also known as the East Sea, and issuing a new threat or denunciation almost every day.

The sanctions coincide with annual spring drills between the U.S. and South Korean militaries, which Pyongyang considers a rehearsal for an invasion. The current exercises are particularly antagonistic because special forces are practicing decapitation strikes on regime leaders and taking out nuclear and missile sites.

On Friday, North Koreas state media reported that Kim had ordered more nuclear tests, while the Norths Korean Peoples Army warned in a statement Saturday that it would counter the drills by liberat[ing] the whole of south Korea including Seoul. . . with an ultra-precision blitzkrieg strike of the Korean style.

South Koreas Defense Ministry urged Pyongyang to stop its threats and provocations.

If the North continues to make provocations despite the stern warnings made by our military, it is inevitable for us to roll out a strict response that may lead to the destruction of the Pyongyang regime, South Koreas Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement, according to the Yonhap News Agency.

Additional reporting yoonjung Seo

Copyright: Washington Post
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The Turkish authorities have reportedly imposed media restrictions and residents are describing limited access to social media in the aftermath of an explosion in the capital, Ankara.

Some broadcast media were reportedly subject to a ban on covering aspects of the explosion, suspected to be a car bomb.

Analysts also said that access to social media was "extremely slow or blocked after the explosion."

The Independent has also been in contact with sources in Turkey who have confirmed that this is the case.

The state-run TRT station, which broadcasts internationally, is the only TV network which can broadcast images of the bombing, a source inside TRT told the Independent.

A court order was allegedly given to restrict social media access after images of the bombing were shared online.

A photo of the alleged order has been circulated online:

Commentators have said that it would still be possible for people in Turkey to communicate using VPNs.

Abdullah Bozkurt is a journalist with Today's Zaman, sister newspaper of Zaman, which was recently taken over by the state.

Other experts appeared to backup the claims.

Officials say at least 27 people have been killed and scores more wounded after a huge explosion near busy bus stops in the Turkish capital on Sunday evening.

Reports from Turkey suggest a car bomb was detonated near Ankara's main square in the Kizilay neighbourhood, though this has not been confirmed.

The Ankara governor's office said around 75 other people had been injured in the incident, which comes just a few weeks a bomb attack on a military convoy in the city killed 28.
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The suicidal pilot of the Germanwings aircraft that crashed into the French Alps almost a year ago killing 150 people was told to seek treatment in a psychiatric hospital two weeks before the disaster.

The recommendation was made by a private doctor consulted by Andreas Lubitz but was not revealed to the airline, according to the final report by the French air accident investigation bureau, BEA.

The report confirms that Lubitz, the co-pilot, locked his senior pilot out of the cockpit before plunging the Barcelona to Dusseldorf flight into an Alpine ridge killing all 150 people on board on 24 March last year.

The BEA recommends that all pilots should be subjected to regular medical tests to examine their capacity to fly and especially for psychological or psychiatric problems. The report says that Germany, and all European countries, should reconsider the lack of clear guidelines on when the principle of medical privacy should be abandoned in the name of public safety.

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 Bureau d'enquetes et d'analyses (BEA) says investigations in Germany show that Lubitz began to display symptons consistent with psychotic depression in December 2014, four months before the crash. He consulted a string of doctors, none of whom alerted Germanwings or the German aviation authorities.

German prosecutors have also found evidence that Lubitz had problems with his eyesight and feared losing his job. Examination of his computer showed that he had researched suicide methods in the months before the disaster.

The co-pilot was allowed to fly because of a waiver following a previous episode of depression in 2008-9. The report says he knew that this waiver would be revoked  removing his licence  if he reported his psychiatric problems to his employer.

Search and rescue workers collecting debris at the crash site in the French Alps (EPA)

It appears he did not follow up the recommendation by a private doctor in early March last year that he should seek treatment in a psychiatric clinic.

At a press conference presenting the report, Arnaud Desjardins, the chief French investigator, demanded clearer rules on when medical secrecy should be abandoned

Several private doctors had information indicating that Lubitz was sick, he said. This information did not reach the aviation authorities, nor his employer, Germanwings.

More systematic medical tests on pilots should include, he said, accompanying measures which would prevent pilots from concealing medical conditions because they feared losing their flying licences
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A former aide to Vladimir Putin could still be alive, a Russian opposition leader has claimed.

Mikhail Lesin, a former Kremlin propaganda chief, was found dead in a hotel room in Washington DC five months ago following what US medical authorities said were blunt force injuries to the head.

But prominent opposition activist Alexei Navalny now says American border crossing records show the Russian left the US on a flight from Los Angeles in December 2015 - 40 days after his reported death on 5 November.

Mr Navalny told the Daily Mail: "It smells of witness protection programme and a stage death [sic].

"I don't know how to explain it. I exclude a mistake in the database. We had identical certificates on him when he was alive and right after his death - or "death." The last record was absent then. Now it's there.

"Perhaps it was his clone, or his ghost, or himself alive. Perhaps it was his secret brother.

Vladimir Putin and the people Show all 11 1 /11 Vladimir Putin and the people Vladimir Putin and the people 561608.bin Vladimir Putin and the people 561611.bin GETTY IMAGES Vladimir Putin and the people 561614.bin EPA Vladimir Putin and the people 561615.bin REUTERS Vladimir Putin and the people 561617.bin AP Vladimir Putin and the people 561618.bin GETTY IMAGES Vladimir Putin and the people 561620.bin PA Vladimir Putin and the people 561621.bin AP Vladimir Putin and the people 561622.bin GETTY IMAGES Vladimir Putin and the people 561624.bin GETTY IMAGES Vladimir Putin and the people 561625.bin EPA

"The fact is that on 15 December 2015 somebody with Mikhail Lesin's passport crossed state border of America and that didn't raise suspicions either with airline's representatives, nor with state border control."

On Thursday, the state-funded news channel Russia Today - which Mr Lesin helped create - quoted an unnamed family member as claiming he had died from a heart attack following a lengthy illness.

But Washington DCs chief medical examiner said that an autopsy revealed the 57-year-old had suffered severe blunt force injuries to his head as well as extensive trauma to his neck, arms, legs and torso.

His body was discovered at a $240 dollar a night hotel in Dupoint Circle - just a few streets away from the White House - after he failed to attend a gala honouring Russian billionaire and philanthropist Pyotr Aven.

Officially, his cause of death has been classified as uncertain but the New York Times reports that he appeared to have had some sort of altercation that happened before he returned to his room.

Mr Lesin served as President Vladimir Putins press adviser between 1999 and 2004.

He was appointed as head of state-controlled Gazprom-Media in 2013 but resigned in 2014 to move to Los Angeles.

US Senator Roger F.Wicker asked the Department of Justice to investigate Mr Lesin in 2014 on suspicion of violating the Foreign Corrupt Practices act after he questioned how he was able to purchase $28m worth of property in Los Angeles after leaving the Russian government.

The Justice Department did not have an open investigation into Mr Lesin's activites at the time of his death, according to a US law enforcement official who declined to comment on his death.

Additional reporting by Reuters
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A photograph has emerged of a refugee woman appearing to wash her 20-day-old baby in a puddle.

The mother is pictured reaching out of the door of a crowded tent at the Idomeni refugee camp in Greece, where more than 14,000 people are living, unable to travel further after Macedonia closed its borders.

The Syrian baby, a boy named Bayan, joins four other siblings  aged between 18 months and 10 years  who fled the war-torn city of Idlib along with their mother and father.

International aid charity Medecins sans Frontieres estimated last week that more than 30 per cent of the refugees in the Idomeni camp were children, many of whom are struggling with infections and illnesses.

Torrential rain last week worsened conditions further, turning the camp into a into what volunteers with the Hellenic Center for Disease Control & Prevention (KEELPNO) described as a muddy swamp, sweeping away tents and personal belongings.

KEELPNO is currently dealing with dozens of ill children, transferring some on to the nearby Kilkis hospital. A spokesperson told The Independent that in the past three days, 70 children were taken to the Kilkis hospital with respiratory infections and gastroenteritis.

The 28 European Union member states voted on Monday to shut down the so-called Balkan route, leaving 42,000 refugees stranded on Greek soil. Thousands continue to arrive in the country each day, which has lead to major overcrowding in some areas and reports of fights breaking when food was distributed.

Initially, Macedonian authorities only allowed Syrians and Iraqis to cross, but earlier this week completely sealed off the border for anyone without valid EU-traveling documents.

The Greek government announced on Friday that evacuating the Idomeni site is an urgent priority. Authorities hope that leaflets distributed in Arabic, Farsi and Pashtun will convince the refugees to abandon the camp and move on to accommodation facilities set up by the government elsewhere in the country.

The president of Macedonia, Gjorge Ivanov, has defended the decision by saying that the country would have been flooded with jihadists.

Macedonia/Greece Border Crisis Show all 10 1 /10 Macedonia/Greece Border Crisis Macedonia/Greece Border Crisis Macedonia Border Crisis Migrants attempt to pass the Greek-Macedonian border guarded by Macedonian police near the town of Idomeni, northern Greece AFP/Getty Macedonia/Greece Border Crisis Macedonian Border Crisis A migrant reacts as he carries a child during clashes with Macedonian police at the Greek-Macedonian border Reuters Macedonia/Greece Border Crisis Macedonia Border Crisis A Macedonian policeman armed in riot gear clashes with a migrant girl, police have reinforced control at the border with Greece in a bid to stop the influx of migrants, but a few hundred Syrians managed to cross the frontier overnight AFP/Getty Macedonia/Greece Border Crisis Macedonia Border Crisis Macedonian special policemen guard the border as more than a thousand immigrants wait at the border line Reuters Macedonia/Greece Border Crisis Macedonia Border Crisis Migrant men help a fellow migrant man holding a boy as they are stuck between Macedonian riot police officers and migrants during a clash near the border train station of Idomeni, AFP/Getty Macedonia/Greece Border Crisis Macedonia Border Crisis A barbed wire fence lines the border of Macedonia and Greece near the Gevegelija Railway station, Macedonian special policemen are guarding the border as more than a thousand immigrants wait at the border line of Macedonia and Greece Reuters Macedonia/Greece Border Crisis Macedonia Border Crisis Macedonian Police stand firm at the Greek-Macedonian border in a bid to stop the influx of migrants AFP/Getty Macedonia/Greece Border Crisis Macedonia Border Crisis Government of Macedonia has declared the state of emergency in the region of country's southern and northern border and in accordance with the law to open a possibility for appropriate engagement of the army of Macedonia AFP/Getty Macedonia/Greece Border Crisis Macedonia Border Crisis Macedonian police drove back crowds of migrants and refugees trying to enter from Greece on Friday after a night spent stranded in no-man's land by an emergency decree effectively sealing the Macedonian frontier. Reuters Macedonia/Greece Border Crisis Macedonia Border Crisis A migrants woman with childrens wait to pass the Greek-Macedonian border, guarded by Macedonian police near the town of Idomeni, northern Greece AFP/Getty

In an interview with German newspaper Bild, Mr Ivanov said: In the refugee crisis we have been paying for the mistakes of the EU, already we have spent 25 million euros of our own taxpayers money and what did we get from Europe? Nothing were not an EU country, not Schengen, not [a member of] NATO. Nobody wants us. Yet we protect Europe.

If we had to rely on Brussels, which has failed to act, we would have long ago been been flooded with Jihadists.

Norbert Blum, Germanys former Labour and Social Affairs Minister, described the conditions at the Idomeni camp as an "attack on humanity".

"This kind of brutality is unworthy of European culture," he said on Saturday. "It is a disgrace to civilization."
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Officials say at least 34 people have been killed and 125 wounded after a suicide bomb attack in the Turkish capital of Ankara.

A car bomb was detonated close to busy bus stops near Ankara's main square in the Kizilay neighbourhood.

Health Minister Mehmet Muezzinoglu said around 19 people had been seriously hurt in the incident, which comes just a few weeks after a bomb attack on a military convoy in the city killed 28 people.

Two of the dead are believed to be the attackers.

A destroyed bus is seen in the street after an explosion in Ankara. The exploison happened near a crowded bus station and many people were reported to have suffered injuries according to local media (EPA)

Eyewitness Dogan Asik was injured in the attack:"There were about 40 people."

"It [the bus] slowed down. A car went by us, and 'boom' it exploded," he said.

In pictures: Ankara bombing Show all 30 1 /30 In pictures: Ankara bombing In pictures: Ankara bombing Family members and relatives grieve for victims of a car bombing outside the forensic morgue in Ankara In pictures: Ankara bombing Men hold Turkish flags over the coffin of a car bombing victim during a commemoration ceremony in a mosque in Ankara In pictures: Ankara bombing Relatives of Feyza Acisu one of the victims who was killed in an explosion cries during the funeral in Ankara In pictures: Ankara bombing In pictures: Ankara bombing Relatives of Murat Gul one of the victims who was killed in an explosion pray near the coffin covered with Turkish flags during the funeral in Ankara In pictures: Ankara bombing Forensic experts investigate the scene of an explosion the day after a suicide car bomb ripped through a busy square in central Ankara killing at least 34 people and wounding 125, officials said, the latest in a spate of deadly attacks to hit Turkey In pictures: Ankara bombing Forensic experts investigate the scene of an explosion, the day after a suicide car bomb ripped through a busy square in central Ankara In pictures: Ankara bombing Turkish police secure the area as scenes of crime officers search the area after an explosion in Ankara In pictures: Ankara bombing Relatives of victims who were killed in an explosion mourn in front of forensic medicine institution in Ankara In pictures: Ankara bombing People carry an injured person on a stretcher at the scene of a blast in Ankara In pictures: Ankara bombing Relatives of people wounded in an explosion in Ankara, Turkey, react as they arrive at a hospital to see their loved ones In pictures: Ankara bombing Emergency workers are seen on a bus at the explosion site in Ankara In pictures: Ankara bombing Forensic experts investigate the scene of an explosion in Ankara In pictures: Ankara bombing A burning car after a blast in Ankara In pictures: Ankara bombing Emergency services attend the scene in central Ankara's Kizilay Square In pictures: Ankara bombing In pictures: Ankara bombing Dogan Asik, 28, who was blown away from inside a bus by a powerful explosion speaks at the explosion site in the busy center of Ankara In pictures: Ankara bombing Emergency services help an injured person following after an explosion in Ankara's central Kizilay district in Ankara In pictures: Ankara bombing The wreckage of a bus and a car are pictured at the scene of a blast in Ankara In pictures: Ankara bombing Forensic services and firemen work around burnt out taxi vehicles after a blast in Ankara In pictures: Ankara bombing In pictures: Ankara bombing In pictures: Ankara bombing In pictures: Ankara bombing At least 27 people were killed and 75 wounded in an explosion in the Turkish capital Ankara in what appeared to have been a car bomb attack according to Ankara governor Mehmet Kiliclar Getty In pictures: Ankara bombing Medics carry an injured person at the explosion site in the busy center of Turkish capital, Ankara AP In pictures: Ankara bombing The bomb exploded close to bus stops near a park at Ankara's main square, Kizilay. The news channel said the explosion occurred as a car slammed into a bus, suggesting that the blast may have been caused by a car bomb AP In pictures: Ankara bombing Emergency workers work at the explosion site in Ankara Reuters In pictures: Ankara bombing Emergency workers work at the explosion site in Ankara, Turkey Reuters In pictures: Ankara bombing A destroyed bus is seen in the street after an explosion in Ankara EPA In pictures: Ankara bombing Emergency workers work at the explosion site in Ankara, Turkey Reuters

Witnesses said the explosion happened near the main bus station, close to government ministries and parliamentary buildings, and several nearby vehicles were left burning in the aftermath.

Police have closed off the area around the Guvenpark in the Kizilay neighbourhood.

Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said:

"Turkey will certainly unite and overcome these hard times," Anadolu Agency reported.

"Terror attacks do not diminish our will to fight against terror, but further boost it."

Government sources have blamed the bombing on the Kurdish Worker's Party (PKK).

"According to initial findings, it seems that this attack has been carried out either by the PKK or an affiliated organization," the official told Reuters.

The PKK is banned in Turkey.

However, the country's pro-Kurdish party, the Peoples' Democratic Party, condemned the attack the attack and said it shares "the huge pain felt along with our citizens."

The statement was significant because the party is frequently accused of being the armed wing of the PKK  an accusation it denies  and of not speaking out against PKK violence.

Several analysts have also reported that Turkish media coverage of the event has been restricted.

It is the third explosion in the Turkish capital since October 2015.

British Prime Minister David Cameron tweeted he was "appalled" by the attack and that his thoughts were with those effected.

On 11 March, the US Embassy in Turkey warned of a potential terrorist plot to attack Turkish government buildings and housing located in the Bahcelievler area of Ankara.

Last month, a Kurdish militant group claimed an attack on a military convoy in Ankara which killed 28 people.

In October, 103 people were killed and 250 wounded when two suicide bombers targeted a peace rally in the deadliest attack in Turkish history.
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Commentators have missed the significance of President Barack Obamas acerbic criticism of Saudi Arabia and Sunni states long allied to the US for fomenting sectarian hatred and seeking to lure the US into fighting regional wars on their behalf. In a series of lengthy interviews with Jeffrey Goldberg published in The Atlantic magazine, Mr Obama explains why it is not in the USs interests to continue the tradition of the US foreign policy establishment, whose views he privately disdains, by giving automatic support to the Saudis and their allies.

Obamas arguments are important because they are not off-the-cuff remarks, but are detailed, wide ranging, carefully considered and leading to new departures in US policy. The crucial turning point came on 30 August 2013 when he refused to launch air strikes in Syria. This would, in effect, have started military action by the US to force regime change in Damascus, a course of action proposed by much of the Obama cabinet as well by US foreign policy specialists.

Saudi Arabia, Turkey and the Gulf monarchies were briefly convinced that they would get their wish and the US was going to do their work for them by overthrowing President Bashar al-Assad. They claimed this would be easy to do, though it would have happened only if there had been a full-scale American intervention and it would have produced a power vacuum that would have been filled by fundamentalist Islamic movements as in Iraq, Afghanistan and Libya. Mr Goldberg says that by refusing to bomb Syria, Obama broke with what he calls, derisively, the Washington Playbook. This was his liberation day.

The US has been notoriously averse since 9/11 to put any blame on the Saudis for creating salafi-jihadism, at the core of which is Sunni sectarian hatred for the Shia and other variants of Islam in addition to repressive social mores, including the reduction of women to servile status.

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

President Obama is highly informed about the origins of al-Qaida and Islamic State, describing how Islam in Indonesia, where he spent part of his childhood, had become more intolerant and exclusive. Asked why this had occurred, Mr Obama is quoted as replying: The Saudis and other Gulf Arabs have funnelled money, and large numbers of imams and teachers, into the country. In the 1990s, the Saudis heavily funded Wahhabist madrassas, seminaries that teach the fundamentalist version of Islam favoured by the Saudi ruling family. The same shift towards the Wahhabisation of mainstream Sunni Islam is affecting the great majority of the 1.6 billion Muslims in the world who are Sunnis.

Arab oil states spread their power by many means in addition to religious proselytism, including the simple purchase of people and institutions which they see as influential. Academic institutions of previously high repute in Washington have shown themselves to be as shamelessly greedy for subsidies from the Gulf and elsewhere as predatory warlords and corrupt leaders in Iraq, Syria, Lebanon and beyond.

Mr Goldberg, who has had extraordinary access to Obama and his staff over an extended period, reports: A widely held sentiment inside the White House is that many of the most prominent foreign-policy think tanks in Washington are doing the bidding of their Arab and pro-Israel funders. Ive heard one administration official refer to Massachusetts Avenue, the home of many of these think tanks, as Arab-occupied territory. Television and newspapers happily quote supposed experts from such think tanks as if they were non-partisan academics of unblemished objectivity.

It will be important to know after the US election if the new president will continue to rebalance US foreign policy away from reliance on Sunni powers seeking to use American military and political muscle in their own interests. Past US leaders have closed their eyes to this with disastrous consequences in Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya and Syria. Mr Goldberg says that President Obama questioned, often harshly, the role that Americas Sunni Arab allies play in fomenting anti-American terrorism. He is clearly irritated that foreign policy orthodoxy compels him to treat Saudi Arabia as an ally.

What is truly strange about the new departures in US foreign policy is that they have taken so long to occur. Within days of 9/11, it was known that 15 out of the 19 hijackers were Saudi, as was Osama bin Laden and the donors who financed the operation. Moreover, the US went on treating Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Pakistan and the Gulf monarchies as if they were great powers, when all the evidence was that their real strength and loyalty to the West were limited.

Though it was obvious that the US would be unable to defeat the Taliban so long as it was supported and given sanctuary by Pakistan, the Americans never confronted Pakistan on the issue. According to Goldberg, Obama privately questions why Pakistan, which he believes is a disastrously dysfunctional country, should be considered an ally of the US at all. As regards Turkey, the US President had hopes of its President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, but has since come to see him as an authoritarian ruler whose policies have failed.

A striking feature of Obamas foreign policy is that he learns from failures and mistakes. This is in sharp contrast to Britain where David Cameron still claims he did the right thing by supporting the armed opposition that replaced Muammar Gaddafi in Libya, while George Osborne laments Parliaments refusal to vote for the bombing of Syria in 2013.

Not surprisingly, Obama sounds almost contemptuous of Cameron and the then French president Nicolas Sarkozy, who played a leading role in demanding the Nato air campaign in Libya. The US went along with President Sarkozys bragging as the price of French support, though Mr Obama says that we [the US] had wiped out all the air defences and essentially set up the entire infrastructure for the intervention. Despite all the US efforts not to make the same mistakes it made in Iraq in 2003, Obama concedes that Libya is a mess and privately calls it a shit show, something that he blames on the passivity of US allies and Libyan tribal divisions.

 Cameron on arms trading with Saudi Arabia.mp4

Three years later, the collapse of Libya into anarchy and warlord rule served as warning to Obama against military intervention in Syria where he rightly calculated that the Libya disaster would be repeated.

The calamitous Libyan precedent has had no such impact on Cameron or the Foreign Secretary, Philip Hammond, who continue to advocate armed action using arguments which President Obama has abandoned as discredited by events as well as being a self-serving attempt by others to piggy-back on American power.

Syrian children living in Greece take part in a demonstration against President Bashar al-Assad in Athens in 2012, to mark the first anniversary of the anti-regime revolt (AFP/Getty)

It will become clearer after Novembers presidential election how far Obamas realistic take on Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Pakistan and other US allies and his scepticism about the US foreign policy establishment will be shared by the new administration. The omens are not very good since Hillary Clinton supported the invasion of Iraq in 2003, intervention in Libya in 2011 and bombing Syria in 2013. If she wins the White House, then the Saudis and the US foreign policy establishment will breathe more easily.

Chaos and Caliphate: Jihadis and the West in the Struggle for the Middle East (OR Books) by Patrick Cockburn is published this month
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Isis fighters are forcing their sex slaves to take birth control to allow them to continue raping them.

Birth control pills and injections are forced on captives in order to stop them from becoming pregnant so they can repeatedly raped and sold between their captors.

The practise emerged to circumvent a ruling in the Islamic law used by Isis which states a man cannot rape his slave if they are carrying a child.

Another ruling says a man must ensure his newly-bought slave is not carrying another man's child by abstaining from having sex with her for a month, in a process known as Istibra.

 Yazidi women speak of rape and beatings at the hands of Isis

One of 37 former sex slaves interviewed by the New York Times said: Every day, I had to swallow one in front of him. He gave me one box per month.

"When I ran out, he replaced it. When I was sold from one man to another, the box of pills came with me."

When some slaves were sold between fighters, their owners provided the box of birth control as proof they were not pregnant.

In pictures: The rise of Isis Show all 74 1 /74 In pictures: The rise of Isis In pictures: The rise of Isis Isis fighters Fighters of the Islamic State wave the group's flag from a damaged display of a government fighter jet following the battle for the Tabqa air base, in Raqqa, Syria AP In pictures: The rise of Isis Isis fighters Fighters from Islamic State group sit on their tank during a parade in Raqqa, Syria AP In pictures: The rise of Isis Isis fighters Fighters from the Islamic State group pray at the Tabqa air base after capturing it from the Syrian government in Raqqa, Syria AP In pictures: The rise of Isis Isis fighters Fighters from extremist Islamic State group parade in Raqqa, Syria AP In pictures: The rise of Isis Isis kidnapping A video uploaded to social networks shows men in underwear being marched barefoot along a desert road before being allegedly executed by Isis Getty Images In pictures: The rise of Isis Isis kidnapping Haruna Yukawa after his capture by Isis In pictures: The rise of Isis Isis kidnapping Khalinda Sharaf Ajour, a Yazidi, says two of her daughters were captured by Isis militants Washington Post In pictures: The rise of Isis Isis fighters Spokesperson for Isis Vice News via Youtube In pictures: The rise of Isis A pro-Isis leaflet A pro-Isis leaflet handed out on Oxford Street In London Ghaffar Hussain In pictures: The rise of Isis Isis fighters Isis Jihadists burn their passports In pictures: The rise of Isis Isis controls Syrian Aid A man collecting aid administered by Isis in Syria In pictures: The rise of Isis Isis controls Syrian Aid A woman collecting aid administered by Isis in Syria In pictures: The rise of Isis Isis controls Syrian Aid Local civilians queue for aid administered by Isis. Since it declared a caliphate the group has increasingly been delivering services such as healthcare, and distributing aid and free fuel In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq crisis Iraqi security forces detain men suspected of being militants of the Isis group in Diyala province In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq crisis Mourners carry the coffin of a Shi'ite volunteer from the brigades of peace, who joined the Iraqi army and was killed during clashes with militants of the Isis group in Samarra, during his funeral in Najaf In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraqi refugees An Iraqi Shiite Turkmen family fleeing the violence in the Iraqi city of Tal Afar, west of Mosul, arrives at a refugee camp on the outskirts of Arbil, in Iraq's Kurdistan region In pictures: The rise of Isis Isis leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi A photograph made from a video by the jihadist affiliated group Furqan Media via their twitter account allegedly showing Isis leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi delivering a sermon during Friday prayers at a mosque in Mosul. Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi declared an Islamist caliphate in the territory under the group's control in Iraq and Syria In pictures: The rise of Isis Islamic extremists destroying mosques in Iraq Shiite's Al-Qubba Husseiniya mosque explodes in Mosul In pictures: The rise of Isis Islamic extremists destroying mosques in Iraq Smoke and debris go up in the air as Shiite's Al-Qubba Husseiniya mosque explodes in Mosul. Images posted online show that Islamic extremists have destroyed at least 10 ancient shrines and Shiite mosques in territory - the city of Mosul and the town of Tal Afar - they have seized in northern Iraq in recent weeks In pictures: The rise of Isis Islamic extremists destroying mosques in Iraq A bulldozer destroys Sunni's Ahmed al-Rifai shrine and tomb in Mahlabiya district outside of Tal Afar In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq crisis Iraqi security forces celebrate after clashes with followers of Shiite cleric Mahmoud al-Sarkhi, in front of his home in the Shiite holy city of Karbala, 50 miles (80 kilometers) south of Baghdad In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq crisis Iraqi security forces arrest a follower of Shiite cleric Mahmoud al-Sarkhi after clashes with his followers in the Shiite holy city of Karbala, 50 miles (80 kilometers) south of Baghdad In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq crisis Iraqi security forces arrest a follower of Shiite cleric Mahmoud al-Sarkhi at his home after clashes with his followers in the Shiite holy city of Karbala, 50 miles (80 kilometers) south of Baghdad In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq crisis Iraqi security forces arrest a follower of Shiite cleric Mahmoud al-Sarkhi after clashes with his followers in the Shiite holy city of Karbala, 50 miles (80 kilometers) south of Baghdad In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq crisis A vehicle burns in front of a home of a follower of Shiite cleric Mahmoud al-Sarkhi after clashes with his followers in the Shiite holy city of Karbala, 50 miles (80 kilometers) south of Baghdad In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraqi refugees An Iraqi woman holds her exhausted son as over 1000 Iraqis who have fled fighting in and around the city of Mosul and Tal Afar wait at a Kurdish checkpoint in the hopes of entering a temporary displacement camp in Khazair In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraqi refugees Displaced Iraqi women hold pots as they queue to receive food during the first day of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, at an encampment for displaced Iraqis who fled from Mosul and other towns, in the Khazer area outside Irbil, north Iraq In pictures: The rise of Isis Isis fighters in Syria A militant Islamist fighter waving a flag, cheers as he takes part in a military parade along the streets of Syria's northern Raqqa. The fighters held the parade to celebrate their declaration of an Islamic "caliphate" after the group captured territory in neighbouring Iraq In pictures: The rise of Isis Isis fighters in Syria Isis fighters wave flags as they take part in a military parade along the streets of Syria's northern Raqqa province Reuters In pictures: The rise of Isis Isis fighters in Syria Isis fighters travel in a vehicle as they take part in a military parade along the streets of Syria's northern Raqqa province In pictures: The rise of Isis Isis fighters in Syria Fighters from the Isis group during a parade with a missile in Raqqa, Syria. Militants from an al-Qaida splinter group held a military parade in their stronghold in northeastern Syria, displaying U.S.-made Humvees, heavy machine guns, and missiles captured from the Iraqi army for the first time since taking over large parts of the Iraq-Syria border In pictures: The rise of Isis Isis fighters in Syria Isis fighters during a parade in Raqqa, Syria In pictures: The rise of Isis Isis fighters in Syria Fighters from the Isis group during a parade in Raqqa, Syria. Militants from the splinter group held a military parade in their stronghold in northeastern Syria, displaying U.S.-made Humvees, heavy machine guns, and missiles captured from the Iraqi army for the first time since taking over large parts of the Iraq-Syria border In pictures: The rise of Isis Isis fighters in Syria Isis fighters hold a military parade in their stronghold in northeastern Syria In pictures: The rise of Isis Isis fighters in Syria Isis fighters during a parade in Raqqa, Syria In pictures: The rise of Isis Isis fighters in Syria A member loyal to the Isis waves an Isis flag in Raqqa In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq crisis Iraqi anti-government gunmen from Sunni tribes in the western Anbar province march during a protest in Ramadi, west of Baghdad. The United Nations warned that Iraq is at a "crossroads" and appealed for restraint, as a bloody four-day wave of violence killed 195 people. The violence is the deadliest so far linked to demonstrations that broke out in Sunni areas of the Shiite-majority country more than four months ago, raising fears of a return to all-out sectarian conflict In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq crisis Iraqi security forces hold up a flag of the Isis group they captured during an operation to regain control of Dallah Abbas north of Baqouba, the capital of Iraq's Diyala province, 35 miles (60 kilometers) northeast of Baghdad In pictures: The rise of Isis Isis fighters in Iraq Isis fighters parade in the northern city of Mosul In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq crisis Volunteers, who have joined the Iraqi army to fight against the predominantly Sunni militants from the radical Isis group, demonstrate their skills during a graduation ceremony after completing their field training in Najaf In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq crisis Kurdish Peshmerga troops fire a cannon during clashes with militants of the Isis group in Jalawla, Diyala province In pictures: The rise of Isis Lieutenant General Qassem Atta speaks during a press conference Iraqi Prime Minister's security spokesman, Lieutenant General Qassem Atta speaks during a press conference about the latest military development in Iraq, in the capital Baghdad. Iraqi forces pressed a campaign to retake militant-held Tikrit, clashing with jihadist-led Sunni militants nearby and pounding positions inside the city with air strikes in their biggest counter-offensive so far In pictures: The rise of Isis A police station building destroyed by Isis fighters An exterior view of a police station building destroyed by gunmen in Mosul city, northern Iraq. Iraq's new parliament is expected to convene to start the process of setting up a new government, despite deepening political rifts and an ongoing Islamist-led insurgency. Iraqi President Jalal Talabani issued a decree inviting the new House of Representatives to meet and form a new government In pictures: The rise of Isis Isis fighters in Iraq Smoke billows from an area controlled by the Isis between the Iraqi towns of Naojul and Tuz Khurmatu, both located north of the capital Baghdad, as Iraqi Kurdish Peshmerga forces take part in an operation to repel the Sunni militants In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraqi refugees An elderly Iraqi woman is helped into a temporary displacement camp for Iraqis caught-up in the fighting in and around the city of Mosul in Khazair In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraqi refugees An Iraqi Christian woman fleeing the violence in the village of Qaraqush, about 30 kms east of the northern province of Nineveh, cries upon her arrival at a community center in the Kurdish city of Arbil in Iraq's autonomous Kurdistan region In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraqi refugees An Iraqi woman, who fled with her family from the northern city of Mosul, prays with a copy of the Quran AP In pictures: The rise of Isis Isis fighters in Iraq The body of an Isis militant killed during clashes with Iraqi security forces on the outskirts of the city of Samarra Reuters In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq crisis Iraqi civilians inspect the damage at a market after an air strike by the Iraqi army in central Mosul EPA In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq crisis Members of the Al-Abbas brigades, who volunteered to protect the Shiite Muslim holy sites in Karbala against Sunni militants fighting the Baghdad government, parade in the streets of the city AP In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq crisis Shia tribesmen gather in Baghdad to take up arms against Sunni insurgents marching on the capital. Thousands have volunteered to bolster defences AFP/Getty In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq crisis A van carrying volunteers joining Iraqi security forces against Jihadist militants. Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki announced the Iraqi government would arm and equip civilians who volunteered to fight AFP/Getty In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq Fighters of the Isis group parade in a commandeered Iraqi security forces armored vehicle down a main road at the northern city of Mosul In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq An Islamist fighter, identified as Abu Muthanna al-Yemeni from Britain (R), speaks in this still image taken undated video shot at an unknown location and uploaded to a social media website. Five Islamist fighters identified as Australian and British nationals have called on Muslims to join the wars in Syria and Iraq, in the new video released by the Isis In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq Al-Qaida inspired militants stand with captured Iraqi Army Humvee at a checkpoint belonging to Iraqi Army outside Beiji refinery some 250 kilometers (155 miles) north of Baghdad. The fighting at Beiji comes as Iraq has asked the U.S. for airstrikes targeting the militants from the Isis group. While U.S. President Barack Obama has not fully ruled out the possibility of launching airstrikes, such action is not imminent in part because intelligence agencies have been unable to identify clear targets on the ground, officials said In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq Militants attacked Iraq's main oil refinein Baiji as they pressed an offensive that has seen them capture swathes of territory, a manager and a refinery employee said In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq Militants from the Isis group parading with their weapons in the northern city of Baiji in the in Salaheddin province In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq A smoke rises after an attack by Isis militants on the country's largest oil refinery in Beiji, some 250 kilometers (155 miles) north of the capital, Baghdad. Iraqi security forces battled insurgents targeting the country's main oil refinery and said they regained partial control of a city near the Syrian border, trying to blunt an offensive by Sunni militants who diplomats fear may have also seized some 100 foreign workers In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq Militants of the Isis group stand next to captured vehicles left behind by Iraqi security forces at an unknown location in the Salaheddin province. For militant groups, the fight over public perception can be even more important than actual combat, turning military losses into propaganda victories and battlefield successes into powerful tools to build support for the cause In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq An injured fighter (C) from the Isis group after a battle with Iraqi soldiers at an undisclosed location near the border between Syria and Iraq In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq Fighters from the Isis aiming at advancing Iraqi troops at an undisclosed location near the border between Syria and Iraq In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq Fighters from the Isis group taking position at an undisclosed location near the border between Syria and Iraq In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq Fighters from the Isis group inspecting vehicles of the Iraqi army after they were seized at an undisclosed location near the border between Syria and Iraq In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq One Iraqi captive, a corporal, is reluctant to say the slogan, and has to be shouted at repeatedly before he obeys Sky News In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq Iraqi captives held by the extremists Sky News In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq Iraqi captives held by the extremists Sky News In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq Militants of the Isis group force captured Iraqi security forces members to the transport In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq Militants of the Isis group transporting dozens of captured Iraqi security forces members to an unknown location in the Salaheddin province ahead of executing them In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq A major offensive spearheaded by Isis but also involving supporters of executed dictator Saddam Hussein has overrun all of one province and chunks of three others In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq Militants of the Isis group executing dozens of captured Iraqi security forces members at an unknown location in the Salaheddin province In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq Isis militants taking position at a Iraqi border post on the Syrian-Iraqi border between the Iraqi Nineveh province and the Syrian town of Al-Hasakah In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq Isis rebels show their flag after seizing an army post AFP/Getty Images In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq Isis militants waving an Islamist flag after the seizure of an Iraqi army checkpoint in Salahuddin Getty Images In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq Demonstrators chant slogans as they carry al-Qaida flags in front of the provincial government headquarters in Mosul, 225 miles (360 kilometers) northwest of Baghdad. In the week since it captured Iraq's second-largest city, Mosul, a Muslim extremist group has tried to win over residents and has stopped short of widely enforcing its strict brand of Islamic law, residents say. Churches remain unharmed and street cleaners are back at work

At least one pregnant woman was forced to take abortion pills.

Another pregnant slave was repeatedly punched in the stomach after refusing to have an abortion.

Most Isis sex slaves are from the thousands of Yazidi women captured when Isis overran Mount Sinjar in Iraq in 2014.

Yazidi women who escaped from Isis have said as many as 3,400 Yazidi women and children are still being held hostage by the group.

Isis leaders previously issued a fatwa detailing how and when its fighters could rape female sex slaves, which described the practise as "one of the inevitable consequences of jihad".
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The Iraqi Prime Minister has vowed to punish Isis after the group launched two chemical weapons attacks in the last week.

A three year-old girl was killed and 600 people were wounded when ockets carrying chemical substances were used on the Iraqi town of Taza, close to the northern city of Kirkuk.

The wounded suffered from infected burns, suffocation and dehydration, according to local nurse, Helmi Hamdi.

A man lies in a hospital following the in Taza, Iraq (REUTERS/Ako Rasheed)

Eight people have been transferred to Baghdad for further treatment and there have been reports that Iranian doctors have been dispatched to the town to assist the medical response.

"There is fear and panic among the women and children," said Adel Hussein, a local official in Taza. "They're calling for the central government to save them."

In a meeting with village elders in Taza on Saturday, Iraqi Prime Minister, Haider al-Abadi, said: "What the Daesh [Isis] terrorist gangs did in the city of Taza will not go unpunished."

"The perpetrators will pay dearly.

The girl killed in the attack has been named as Fatima. Her father, Samir Wais, is a member of a Shia militia fighting Isis and was on the frontlines when the attack occurred.

Iraqi Sameer Wais (R) carries the coffin of his three-year-old daughter, Fatima (Marwan Ibrahim/AFP/Getty Images) (Marwan IBRAHIMMARWAN IBRAHIM/AFP/Getty Images)

"We took her to the clinic and they said that she needed to go to a hospital in Kirkuk. And that's what we did, we brought her here to the hospital in Kirkuk," said Mr Wais.

Fatimas health appeared to improve, and her family brought her home. However, her condition began to deteriorate.

"By midnight she started to get worse. Her face puffed up and her eyes bulged. Then she turned black and pieces of her skin started to come off," he said.

Fatima died the following morning.

Now I will fight Daesh more than before, for Fatima," Mr Wais said.

Her funeral was attended by hundreds of people; many carrying placards calling for government protection from further attacks.

While chlorine or mustard gas is suspected to have been used, forensics teams from Germany and America have begun work in the area to confirm the type of chemicals used.

The US has acknowledged the use of chemical weapons, including mustard gas, by Isis but is not overtly concerned by their use due to their low potency.

"It's a legitimate threat, US Army Colonel Steve Warren said.

Children receive oxygen, after suffering from choking, at a hospital in Taza (Reuters) (REUTERS/Stringer)

However, he continued: It's not a high threat. We're not, frankly, losing too much sleep over it."

Chemical weapons have been a focus of the anti-Isis coalition efforts for the past two months. Air strikes and special forces raids have been used in an attempt to weaken the ability of Isis to develop or stockpile chemical weapons.

An American special forces unit also captured a significant Isis commander last month who was in involved in the militant groups development of chemical weapons.

The man, named in reports as as Sleiman Daud al-Afari, is thought to have worked for the Military Industrialisation Authority under the regime of Saddam Hussein, specialising in unconventional weapons.

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. 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Masks, which were already compulsory on public transport, in enclosed public spaces, and outdoors in Paris in certain high-congestion areas around tourist sites, were made mandatory outdoors citywide on August 28 to fight the rising coronavirus infections AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 August 2020 Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe bows to the national flag at the start of a press conference at the prime minister official residence in Tokyo. Abe announced he will resign over health problems, in a bombshell development that kicks off a leadership contest in the world's third-largest economy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 27 August 2020 Residents take cover behind a tree trunk from rubber bullets fired by South African Police Service (SAPS) in Eldorado Park, near Johannesburg, during a protest by community members after a 16-year old boy was reported dead AFP via Getty World news in pictures 26 August 2020 People scatter rose petals on a statue of Mother Teresa marking her 110th birth anniversary in Ahmedabad AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 August 2020 An aerial view shows beach-goers standing on salt formations in the Dead Sea near Ein Bokeq, Israel Reuters World news in pictures 24 August 2020 Health workers use a fingertip pulse oximeter and check the body temperature of a fisherwoman inside the Dharavi slum during a door-to-door Covid-19 coronavirus screening in Mumbai AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 August 2020 People carry an idol of the Hindu god Ganesh, the deity of prosperity, to immerse it off the coast of the Arabian sea during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Mumbai, India Reuters World news in pictures 22 August 2020 Firefighters watch as flames from the LNU Lightning Complex fires approach a home in Napa County, California AP World news in pictures 21 August 2020 Members of the Israeli security forces arrest a Palestinian demonstrator during a rally to protest against Israel's plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank AFP via Getty World news in pictures 20 August 2020 A man pushes his bicycle through a deserted road after prohibitory orders were imposed by district officials for a week to contain the spread of the Covid-19 in Kathmandu AFP via Getty World news in pictures 19 August 2020 A car burns while parked at a residence in Vacaville, California. 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He allegedly told US officials the militant group had used powdered mustard gas and loaded it into artillery shells.

Some commentators have linked Isiss use of chemical weapons with the groups military failures.

Using gas has a huge physiological impact that far outweighs its physical impacts," said Hamish De Bretton Gordon, a British chemical weapons expert.

"As Isis get more and more pushed, we're seeing them use it more and more often. They are trying to prevent defeat," he added.
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The United States accused the Syrian government of trying to disrupt peace talks after the latter declared the departure of President Bashar al-Assad was a red line that was not open for discussion.

Speaking as the opposing delegations arrived in Geneva for a fresh round of negotiations due to begin today, the US Secretary of State, John Kerry, warned Damascus against trying to act as a spoiler. He called on Mr Assads backers, Russia and Iran, to ensure that the government was living up to what had been agreed.

The latest round of talks in Switzerland coincided with the fifth anniversary of the Syrian uprising, which began in March 2011 with peaceful protests but later descended into an armed conflict that has claimed at least a quarter of a million lives.

Five years on, the role of Mr Assad remains a central question  and a major stumbling block. On Saturday, the Syrian Foreign Minister, Waleed al-Muallem, attacked the UNs Syria envoy, Staffan de Mistura, for proposing presidential and parliamentary elections within 18 months. He said talks would fail if the opposition had delusions that they will take power in Geneva that they failed to take in battle.

Arriving in the city, Salim al-Muslat, a spokesman for the official opposition delegation, said his team chose to attend the talks on the understanding that a transitional government would be high on the agenda. He said a transitional Syrian government would not have a role, in that phase or any phase, for any criminal who has perpetrated crimes against the Syrian people, including Assad.

 Despite ceasefire, fighting continues in Syria

The conflicting statements underline the huge challenge facing diplomats as they resume indirect talks at the Palais des Nations. The last round, in February, collapsed after the opposition said it could not negotiate while a government offensive pummelled rural Aleppo backed by Russian jets.

This time, they take place against the backdrop of an internationally agreed ceasefire that remains shaky but has defied expectations. A fall in the violence has enabled hundreds of activists to take to the streets to protest. It has also exposed and deepened fault lines among rebel groups.
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March 2011: On 18 March, security forces open fire on a protest in Daraa, killing four, in what activists regard as the first deaths of the uprising. Demonstrations spread.

April 2011: Security forces raid a sit-in in Syrias third-largest city, Homs.

June 2011: Police and soldiers in Jisr al-Shughour in north-eastern Syria join the protesters they were ordered to shoot, and the uprising claims control of a town for the first time.

August 2011: President Barack Obama calls on Assad to resign and orders Syrian government assets frozen.

Recommended Read more How the West got it wrong as the Syrian civil war developed

Summer 2012: Fighting spreads to Aleppo, Syrias largest city and its former commercial capital.

August 2012: Kofi Annan quits as UN-Arab League envoy after his attempts to broker a ceasefire fail.

March 2013: After advancing in the north, rebel forces capture Raqqa, the first major population centre controlled by the opposition.

May-June 2013: Backed by thousands of Lebanese Hezbollah fighters, Assads forces recapture the strategic town of Qusair from rebels, near the border with Lebanon.

August-September 2013: A chemical weapons attack in Damascus kills hundreds.

October 2013: Under international pressure Syria destroys its chemical weapons production equipment. The number of Syrian refugees registered with the UN tops two million.

January 2014: Infighting among rebels spreads.

February 2014: Peace talks led by UN-Arab League mediator Lakhdar Brahimi in Geneva end without a breakthrough.

9 May: Rebels withdraw from the old quarter of Homs in a significant symbolic victory for the government.

13 May: Mr Brahimi resigns as UN-Arab League envoy.

3 June: Syrians in government areas vote in presidential elections. Assad, one of three candidates, overwhelmingly wins with 88.7 per cent.

June: Isis seizes much of northern and western Iraq and declares a self-styled Islamic caliphate.

3 July: Isis takes control of Syrias largest oil field, al-Omar.

19 August: Isis releases video of beheading of American journalist James Foley, the first of five Westerners to be beheaded.

23 September: US-led coalition begins air strikes against Isis targets in Syria.

January 2015: UN estimates Syrias conflict has killed at least 220,000 people and uprooted nearly a third of the prewar population of 23 million from their homes.

26 January: With the help of US-led air strikes, Kurdish fighters take control of Kobani.

3 February: Isis releases a video of captured Jordanian pilot Muath al-Kaseasbeh being burned to death in a cage.

28 March: The north-western city of Idlib falls to Islamist groups led by al-Nusra.

30 September: Russia begins launching air strikes in Syria in support of Assads forces.

14 November: Seventeen nations meeting in Vienna adopt a timeline for a transition plan in Syria.

18 December: The UN Security Council adopts Resolution 2254 endorsing the Vienna road map.

3 February 2016: Indirect peace talks between the Syrian government and opposition in Geneva collapse after a few days.

22 February: The US and Russia announce a partial ceasefire in Syria will start on 27 February.

9 March: UNs Syria envoy says indirect talks will resume in Geneva on 14 March.
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More than 250 British tourists were murdered while abroad, new figures have revealed.

Pakistan was named deadliest country for Britons to visit, with 37 people being murdered there since 2012.

Thirty-four Britons were killed in Tunisia, the majority of whom died during the terror attack on a beach in Sousse in June last year in which 38 people - including 30 Britons - were shot dead by Seifeddine Rezgui.

Jamaica and the US also feature high on the list with an average of four British tourists a year being murdered.

The data, obtained by Mail Online via a Freedom of Information request, also shows British people have been caught up in other terror attacks around the world with 10 killed in Ukraine and seven in Algeria.

10 British men were among the 298 passengers and crew killed when the MH17 plane was hit by a Russian-made Buk missile over the separtist region of Donetsk in August 2014.

The most dangerous places in the world for British tourists Show all 12 1 /12 The most dangerous places in the world for British tourists The most dangerous places in the world for British tourists 1. Pakistan (37) Pakistan was top of the list with 37 British deaths since August 2002. Pictured: a terror attack on the Marriott Hotel in Islamabad in 2008 AFP The most dangerous places in the world for British tourists 2. Tunisia (34) 30 people were killed in Sousse, Tunisia in 2015 after a gunman opened fire on a tourist beach 2015 Getty Images The most dangerous places in the world for British tourists 3. Jamaica (18) Jamaica is overwhelmingly safe for tourists but there is violence in the capital, Kingston (pictured) AFP The most dangerous places in the world for British tourists 4. US (15) The most dangerous places in the world for British tourists 5. France (14) France made the list despite the figures not including the terror attack in Paris in November Getty Images The most dangerous places in the world for British tourists 6. Johanessburg (11) A general view of Johanessburg in South Africa AFP The most dangerous places in the world for British tourists 7. Ukraine (10) 10 British people have been killed in Ukraine since a popular revolt led to the fall of the pro-Russian government - including those killed when the MH17 plane was shot down by pro-Russian separatists in 2014 AFP The most dangerous places in the world for British tourists 8 = Australia (7) 7 Britons have been killed Down Under since 2012 The most dangerous places in the world for British tourists 8 = Algeria (7) Seven British men were killed when a gas station in Algeria was overrun by Malian militants in 2013 AFP The most dangerous places in the world for British tourists 9 = Barbados (6) Six Britons have died on the Carribbean island since 2012 The most dangerous places in the world for British tourists 9 = Afghanistan (6) Although much safer than it was, six British people were still killed in Afghanistan over the past four years (pictured: Kabul) The most dangerous places in the world for British tourists 9 = Spain (6) Six British people have been killed in Spain since 2012 (pictured: the Guggenheim museum in Bilbao) AFP

A further seven men were killed after being taken hostage with 23 others by Malian militants at a gas field in northern Algeria in January 2013.

Also feature on the list was France - which had 14 British deaths - but the figures do not include the death of Nick Alexander who was killed in the Bataclan theatre during the Paris attacks as they only go up to summer 2015.
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This is Britains immigration referendum. When it comes to the ballot boxes, it will not be overregulation by Brussels, the Swiss model or the sovereignty of British courts deciding Leave of Remain. It will be the great unmentionable: are you comfortable with immigration and ethnic change?

Take a look at the Eurosceptic map of Britain. The pattern is strikingly clear in this new YouGov survey of 80,000 voters. Where immigration is experienced in the form of cheap Spanish nannies and willing Polish builders in London, or as skilled Austrian biochemists and French data architects in Oxford and York, the Remain campaign looks set to win. Where immigration is experienced, as it is in Lincolnshire, as fields of exploited Lithuanian fruit-pickers and Romanian gangmasters, or in Bradford as tense white and Kashmiri segregation, the Leave campaign is heading for success.

Recommended Read more The French have a bad habit of ignoring claims of political sleaze

Covering British politics, I have driven up and down the country repeatedly this year and what I witnessed was a gulf between Eurosceptic activists and Eurosceptic voters. Activists, as always, are ideas-obsessed, ready to talk at length about Swiss-style trade pacts or our lost ties to what was once called the white Commonwealth. I detected, in passionate denouncements of Brussels stitch-ups, talk of a plot against Britain.

Eurosceptic voters could not be more different. In my hundreds of street interviews, EU opposition almost always sounded something like: Were full.

In a country fast becoming an immigrant nation as diverse as the United States, this shouldnt surprise us. Immigration, like industrialisation, is not inherently positive or negative. It is simply something that can be managed well, or managed badly. Britain is changing.

During the decades ahead most of our major cities will follow London and Leicester in becoming places where white British are the minority. A study from Oxford University estimates that by 2050, nearly 30 per cent of the population will be non-white.

When voters say they are worried about immigration, they do not mean whether 80,000 or 250,000 arrived that year. These numbers are totally abstract, meaningless to their reality. No, they are talking about something more profound: ethnic change. They mean changing street signs (Polski Sklep) and changing balances of power between cultures in their towns (They want to impose sharia law). In everyday English, immigrants means ethnic minorities, not recent arrivals.

The Leave campaign is, in fact, intensely aware that this has become an immigration referendum  and this is why it has chosen to mention the fact as little as possible. Many campaigners fear it becoming a referendum fought on liberal values.

I am strongly for In, but not so dogmatic to suggest that Eurosceptic voters are wrong to believe that voting to stay will further the ethnic transformation of Britain. Remaining in the EU or the Single Market (which most Outers propose doing) does mean a high rate of immigration from eastern Europe  perhaps some 1.5 million people every decade becoming a permanent feature of British life. So, are you happy with Britain becoming an immigrant nation? Tell me yes or no, and I can tell you whether you are In or Out.
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Does the Queen back Brexit?

The Sun said so on its front page on Wednesday, and Tony Gallagher, the editor, stood by the story on the Today programme on Thursday. The story came from a lunch attended by Nick Clegg and other ministers, including Michael Gove, at which the Queen was said to have told the deputy prime minister the EU was going in the wrong direction. As this was in 2011, before David Cameron had even promised a referendum, it does not mean that she supported withdrawal, even if the account is accurate. She was also reported to have told MPs at an undated reception at Buckingham Palace: I dont understand Europe.

Gallagher said, "We do know more than we printed," but that he hadnt printed it to protect sources. Pity he didnt print any actual evidence that the Queen supported Brexit, though. She is likely to be a moderate, small-c conservative Eurosceptic  its her sovereignty that is being pooled, after all  but there is no evidence that shes an Outer.

Did the EU slow down Crossrail?

Boris Johnson in his interview with Andrew Marr last Sunday said the EU had decided that Crossrail tunnels had to be 50 per cent bigger in order to accommodate German trains. He said: We had to spend literally a year trying to fend off that demand.

Tunnel diameter was discussed before 2009, but as Johnson admits the demand was fended off, and it did not hold up the project.

Has the EU blocked safer tipper trucks in London?

Another of the Mayors claims was that there was nothing he or the Transport Secretary could do to ensure that we had safer tipper trucks on the streets of London to stop cyclists being crushed. Marr disputed it: The EU agreed with your argument in 2015 and has put forward legislation to allow safer tipper trucks. Johnson insisted it had been blocked until 2021 or 2022 by France and Sweden because they have truck businesses that dont want to see it.

I think Johnson is broadly right. A report by InFact, a pro-EU fact-checker, says the law allowing safer trucks (not requiring them), will not come into effect until 2020.

Would tariffs be charged on our exports to the EU if we left?

The Prime Minister spoke at a factory in Chester on Thursday, and said that before we joined the EU, we faced extremely high tariffs, and gave some examples: 14 per cent on cars, 17 per cent on bicycles, 32 per cent on salt, 37 per cent on china. He extolled the benefits of selling to a continent full of customers  500 million people  tariff-free.

Tariffs have fallen worldwide in recent decades, and the average tariff charged by the EU on imports from outside is now around 3 per cent. Stephen Booth of Open Europe says that sectors such as cars, chemicals, food and financial services currently face tariffs higher than 4 per cent, and would be disrupted unless new tariffs were negotiated.

Would we be part of EU free movement rules even if we left?

One of David Camerons repeated arguments is that the Leave campaigns wont say what the UKs relationship with the EU would be from the outside. Would we be like Norway or Switzerland, in which case we would have to sign up to all the EUs rules, including the free movement of EU workers, to have access to the single market? Or would we be like Canada, in which case we would face tariff and non-tariff barriers (such as a refusal to recognise our professional qualifications) to selling in Europe.

Cameron is right that there is no single Leave policy, partly because there is not yet a single official Leave campaign. But if we voted to leave, Boris Johnson would probably be the prime minister who negotiated the terms of our new relationship. He implied on the Andrew Marr Show that he wanted to restrict freedom of movement and that he didnt think tariffs were a problem.

Would I need a visa to go on holiday in Spain if we leave?

Citizens of countries comparable to the UK, such as the US and Canada, dont need a visa to visit the EU. Even citizens of Albania dont need a visa to enter the rest of the EU  although they do need one to come to the UK. People from most other countries, such as Turkey (even though it is a candidate to join the EU), do need a visa.

Even if the UK were not part of the visa-free European Economic Area (Iceland and Norway), the EU is unlikely to impose visa requirements.

Answers are colour coded: green for closer to yes, red for closer to no.
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Colin Hegarty. Remember the name. Few outside of Wembleys Preston Manor School knew it before he reached the final stages of a global competition to find the worlds most exceptional teachers. But so many more do now that the awards ceremony in Dubai has taken place  although Palestines Hanan Al Hroub won the $1m (710,000) prize.

Mr Hegarty (inset) is still a winner. You dont reach the last 10 in the world of anything without being exceptional  in teaching it is truly something. He is a maths teacher, which means we all have someone to compare him with in our own lives. Believing that there is no such thing as a maths gene or being inherently good at maths, he feels anyone can achieve in the subject if they just stick at it.

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Thats so old school that its worth noting the initiative that got Mr Hegarty noticed was decidedly modern. He set up a website with videos teaching pupils how to solve maths problems. He first had the idea when one of his pupils had to leave school to care for his sick father and wanted to keep up with his maths lessons.

Mr Hegartys explanation is that maths lends itself to online videos because pupils can benefit from looking at problems repeatedly until they understand. Mr Hegartys workings-out are half his attraction.

But then Im a sucker for a good teacher, believing teaching to be the most criminally undervalued of all professions. Perhaps Im just emotionally suggestible, because this past week I had probably my last serious encounter with teachers in my lifetime. After my 14 years schooling and both my daughters respective 14 years, last week I attended my last parent-teacher meeting.

Two daughters, two meetings a year respectively and 14 years each. Thats a hell of a lot of angst, emotion, ambition, expectation and  yes  joy, as dozens of dedicated teachers emphasised just how much they go beyond grades and the syllabus to demonstrate that they truly understood my girls, sat nervously between their parents in the schools great hall.

We have known many a fine teacher over the years, and as a result the girls are confident enough to tell me unequivocally that Im not allowed to single any out. One daughter is still there and it would be so embarrassing. But I will mention two that have since moved on: Marika Lowe and David Benefer, sport and art respectively  people who have literally changed my daughters lives. Thanks to you both and the many others.

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Thank you too, Pat Liddiard, Hugh Hargreaves and the late Bernie Robson, three stand-out teachers from my own school years. My appreciation of sport, literature and open debate stems from their inspiration.

Fancy quotations are not normally my thing, but Mrs Lowe, Mr Benefer, Mr Liddiard, Mr Hargreaves and Mr Robson, Colin Hegarty and so many others, I salute you with the words of Aristotle: Those who educate children well are more to be honoured than they who produce them; for these only gave them life, those the art of living well.
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I wish the Brexit camp would stop exaggerating the amount of money we pay into the EU each year. Michael Gove says we pay 350m per week. Nigel Farages favourite figure is 55m per day, which equates to 385m per week, or 20bn a year.

None of these figures takes into account the 5bn a year rebate we get set against our contribution (of 18bn a year) before we actually pay anything. So, in 2015 our government actually paid about 13bn to the EU, that is 250m per week, or 36m per day.

But this is only half the story, because our government gets back a further 4.5bn a year in public sector receipts  payments for farmers and development grants to poorer areas such as Wales and Cornwall. Wales is in fact a net beneficiary of the EU. This brings our governments net contribution down to 8.5bn a year, considerably less than half the figures quoted by Gove and Farage.

Furthermore, as a nation, our net contribution is even lower, because we get about 1.5bn to 2bn back each year paid direct to the private sector and to universities and research institutes.

Iain Duncan Smith complains that our payments go towards other member states who get back more than they pay in. But this is a main point of the system: that the richer countries help the poorer to develop, so that they in turn can, among other things, participate to a greater extent in the market.

If, as the stay-in camp believe, we are financially better off in the EU than out of it, then our net contribution of 6.6bn to 7bn per year should be seen as an investment, not as some kind of confiscation.

Francis Kirkham

Crediton, Devon

The Costa Del Crime that Lib Dem leader Tim Farron cites (12 March) disappeared in 2003. That was the year fast-track extradition was negotiated on a country-to-country basis between the UK and Spain. Nothing to do with the European Arrest Warrant, nor the EU.

A European Arrest Warrant has the effect that a UK judge is no longer able to review the primary evidence. Extradition has become a box-ticking exercise. There are no adequate safeguards.

The subjects of the warrant are often consigned to the harsh legal systems in the EU, where there is not the same degree of presumption of innocence which we take for granted in the UK. This actually happened with two constituents in Hungary.

Odd that the leader of the Lib Dems, meant to be the party of civil liberties, is a cheerleader for the European Arrest warrant.

William Dartmouth MEP

Deputy Chair, Ukip

Whiteway, Devon

Sturgeon drives on for independence

Nicola Sturgeons SNP conference speech declaring a new drive for independence has grabbed headlines, but does it tell us anything new?

Separation from the UK is the SNPs raison detre. A them and us narrative dominates every policy decision, every Westminster and Holyrood vote, every speech. But its the subtext of Sturgeons speech that matters. Shes admitting the majority of us oppose her UK break-up goal. It even seems probable that another independence referendum wont be in Mays SNP manifesto.

With dire Scottish financial figures just published, Sturgeon has work to do before a majority of Scots share her dream.

Martin Redfern

Edinburgh

We have just read of the enormous 15bn deficit that Scotland would have faced if it were about to separate from the rest of the UK. Yet still the First Minister chooses this moment to reinforce her partys commitment to making a new case for independence. Apparently the SNPs spin-doctors are to make a start in the summer.

The SNP faithful gave this a great response at their conference. For the rest of us the message could not be clearer. Nicola Sturgeon and her party intend to pursue the break-up of the UK whatever the cost to the people of Scotland.

Keith Howell

West Linton, Scottish Borders

I have no strong opinion either way about extending opening hours on Sundays, but what I find totally objectionable is the way in which the SNP has conspired to block an activity in England and Wales that is already allowed in Scotland.

It shows the SNP in its true colours, as well as highlighting Camerons English votes for English laws as a useless fudge.

What is essential for England, if Scotland remains in the Union, is an English Parliament with at least as many powers as devolved to Scotland. But with the Tories and SNP united in resisting the idea, it is not going to happen until English MPs can only get elected on a platform of home rule for England.

Roger Chapman

Keighley

Let conservative Muslims sit apart

At Prime Ministers Questions last week, David Cameron said to the Labour benches: I think you should all take the pledge  no more segregated meetings. Mr Cameron also demanded that Labour stops pandering to bigoted religious views. He is of course referring to infrequent political gatherings of conservative elements of the Muslim community when there are elections on.

As a politically active Muslim, I find this perplexing. The majority of conservative Muslim men and women would not want to sit side-by-side; sitting separately is a choice. It is more comfortable for them that way.

For me, sitting together is not an issue. However, if you want to open politics up to conservative Muslims, allowing them to sit separately is not only justifiable but necessary. Imposing that they sit together would drive them away.

I accept that this is strange for non-Muslims. It boils down to the Islamic concept of hijab. The hijab is not a piece of cloth, but a form of separation to maintain the modesty of both genders prior to marriage. A conservative Muslim, man or woman, will want to maintain this modesty. So, sitting together where legs may touch or small-talk may happen is off-limits. I know it seems odd, but that is how it is.

Do we want to engage all elements of society in the political process to bring them out of their shells and become one with the community? The first step is letting people engage in a way with which they feel comfortable.

Mr Cameron, for all his talk of British values, radicalisation and teaching English to Muslim women, would rather conservative Muslims be pushed further into an enclave.

Umaar Kazmi

West Bridgford, Nottinghamshire

No money outside the South-east

You report (12 March) that the North of England is in danger of becoming a cultural wasteland as town hall leaders, struggling to cope with George Osbornes austerity measures, are forced to slash budgets for museums.

You could well replace the North of England with Wales and reprint the article. The oldest museum in Wales is currently under threat. Opened in 1841 and the jewel in Swanseas crown, the Swansea Museum, which Dylan Thomas wrote looked as though it should be in a museum, faces a bleak future. To cut costs, the local authority is considering handing it over to a not-for-profit body, which would threaten its future stewardship.

Mike Stroud

Swansea

There is apparently no limit to the amount of public money available for HS2 on top of the eyewatering expense of Crossrail in London.

Without these, London, we are told, would metaphorically collapse, while in the North of England and other parts of the UK affected by bad weather, roads, bridges and train lines have actually collapsed but the money is not forthcoming for repairs.

These problems away from the South-east are a national scandal which should be addressed before any other infrastructure projects are considered.

Sue Thomas

Bowness on Windermere, Cumbria

Trump carries on a sinister tradition

A ranting, angry demagogue promises to make his country great again, blaming its weakness on an out-of-touch government, foreign agents and internal minority groups. His supporters visit violence on those who dare to protest.

Germany in the 1930s, or the USA in 2016? Of course, history doesnt repeat itself. Does it?

Ian Bartlett

East Molesey, Surrey

Precisely the right start to the day

Overheard while drinking morning coffee at my local greasy spoon:

Student to counter server: Id like to order a breakfast. I want three eggs, two rashers of bacon, two sausages, two slices of black pudding, three hash browns, two rounds of toast please, and beans.

Counter server to student: How many beans?

Barbara MacArthur

Cardiff
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Five years after the start of the conflict in Syria, world leaders are still trying to work out how they can heave the country out of the abyss. But one thing is certain: the British aid effort has been severely let down by our European partners.

Since 2012, donor governments and aid organisations have spent around $15 billion on looking after ever increasing numbers of Syrian refugees. About 10 per cent of that has been contributed by the UK. Overall, Britain is by far the biggest European donor to Syrian refugees in the Middle East.

Countries like Germany and France did not pull their weight in the early days of the Syrian refugee crisis. Unlike the UK, they failed to spend enough money on families who had stayed in the region after fleeing the horror of the civil war.

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The result? Hundreds of thousands of refugees decided to risk everything by making the journey to Europe.

Caring for the basic needs of a refugee in Europe costs at least ten times as much as in countries neighbouring Syria. Whereas a budget of $3,000 per refugee in Jordan would provide not just basic food and water but also education and opportunity, this will cost over $30,000 per refugee in Germany or Austria.

European countries will now pay more in the long run, so how did this situation come about? Due to the scale of the crisis, that $15 billion never amounted to more than $2,000 per refugee per year - not much of a budget to support people who were barred from earning money themselves in their countries of refuge.

A second failure was that the aid effort never moved beyond a first 100 days emergency response. Even though it was clear in 2013 that there would be no rapid return to Syria, refugees were still unable to work in Jordan, Turkey or Lebanon, and Western donor governments did little to encourage a change of policy.

While food and water kept people alive, it was hopeless to believe that four million people would simply stay where they were without access to work or education.

In camps and shelters across the region, increasing numbers of girls are being forced into early marriages  some as young as 12 years old. Rates of sexual violence are shamefully high, with girls and boys are being trafficked into the sex trade. More than half of Syrias refugee children are not in any form of education.

Hundreds of thousands of Syrians are forced to sit idle, unproductive and disillusioned, while camps serve as recruiting grounds for militias.

It is now important for the UK to mobilise other donor countries to live up to our example when responding to conflict based emergencies. Pointing out the difficulties which can occur if they dont should ensure that we win the argument when the next round of fighting breaks out in the Middle East.

Rob Williams is CEO of War Child UK
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Last weeks complaint by the Palace over The Suns Queen backs Brexit story will probably have been received by the Independent Press Standards Organisation with a degree of trepidation. It is precisely the kind of case which may end up in a ruling that satisfies nobody. After all, the Palace is unlikely to confirm whether the Queen made the comment attributed to her. It will rely, instead, on the more specific argument that The Suns headline wasnt justified by its story.

Recent changes to the Editors Code of Practice mean that headlines are under more scrutiny than ever, but they still cannot be examined in isolation. The Sun will presumably argue that the headline is its legitimate interpretation of the information they had received. Ipso has shown itself to be pretty robust since it came into being 18 months ago; this case provides a further test.

Meanwhile, the Press Recognition Panel last week closed its consultation over an application by the would-be alternative press regulator, Impress. The PRP was set up by Royal Charter in the wake of the Leveson Inquiry to grant formal recognition to any regulator which fulfilled various Leveson-inspired criteria. Ipso, established by the bulk of the traditional newspaper industry, will not seek recognition. Impress is the only body which has applied; and probably the only one likely to. The PRP is widely expected to give Impress a seal of approval, despite the fact that it isnt operational and has only a dozen, small-scale member publications  including the Port Talbot Magnet and The Ferret.

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Oddly, Lord Justice Levesons primary conclusion in 2012, following his investigation into press malpractices, was that a tougher form of self-regulation was required  albeit one backed by legislation, which to some was contradictory. Yet what exactly does self-regulation mean? It isnt something the PRP appears set to consider when examining applications from wannabe watchdogs. And Impress isnt a self-regulator: indeed it is largely funded by Max Mosley, a man who has likened the tabloid press to a bunch of feral muggers.

Some 12 years ago, when I worked at the Press Complaints Commission  the forerunner of Ipso  a colleague and I were interviewing applicants for a new case officer post. At the end of one interview we asked the candidate if she had any questions. She looked across at us, a pair of 25-year-olds, and said: Yes, one thing. Did you two guys set up the PCC?

This seemed funny by its inherent notion that a couple of random punters could simply set up a press regulator, pick up some keen members and start to take complaints from the public. Now, thanks to Leveson, a Royal Charter and the PRP, its eminently possible  as long as the running costs can be found from somewhere. And really, isnt that a bit of a rum do?

Once more with feeling

Some readers were offended by last Tuesdays daily cartoon, which depicted Angela Merkel  as embodiment of the EU  kicking the drowned refugee, Alan Kurdi, back into the sea with a note attached: Return to sender. Some thought the cartoon was an endorsement of EU policy, others that it was simply too emotive.

In fact, it was quite the opposite of an endorsement. As for using emotive material, guilty as charged  and thank goodness we can.

The Independent, along with the Evening Standard, Guardian and the Financial Times, remains currently outside the system of self-regulation overseen by Ipso.
Ireland's undocumented migrants are living in fear of deportation, campaigners said.

A group of 1,400 workers and their families called for immigration reform at home as the political elite champions the cause of the Irish in the shadows in the US this St Patrick's Day.

Filipino and Chinese people are among the most likely to become irregular in Ireland. Up to 20,000 are estimated to live in the country.

Justice for the Undocumented (JFU) said: "We're here today to send a message to political leaders travelling to Washington: we need immigration reform here in Ireland too. We're here to remind them that there are undocumented migrants in Ireland too.

"We're here in solidarity with undocumented migrants everywhere, especially the undocumented Irish in the US this St Patrick's Day."

Lobbyists for reform held a Dublin street party on Sunday to highlight their cause.

"Today we stand strong in solidarity with undocumented migrants on both sides of the Atlantic.

"We are calling on our political leaders to act with integrity and think of their home country and the situation here as they travel abroad for St Patrick's Day; to remember us as they ask US leaders to think of the Irish undocumented there.

"We too work hard in our adopted country, we too are unable to travel home for funerals and weddings, we too are simply asking for a chance to come forward and stop living in fear."

Some migrants work as carers and child minders, others as cleaners.

Most have been in Ireland for more than five years and have found work.

Almost half are parents and more than half have third-level education.

Around 86% entered the country legally and subsequently became undocumented.

A regularisation proposal from the undocumented campaign group, which would allow them the chance to re-enter the immigration system, is supported by a diverse coalition of business, political and civil society groups and has been considered by the Government.

The Department of Justice has traditionally opposed any large-scale measures to regularise the status of migrants and has examined individuals on a case-by-case basis.

However, former minister for justice Alan Shatter has expressed support for regularisation measures.

Earlier this year Justice Minister Frances Fitzgerald said she had no plans to implement generalised regularisation.

She said significant departure from the case-by-case approach adopted by EU member states could have implications for the common travel area with the UK.

"It remains open to any foreign national, who finds him or herself in an undocumented situation, to return to their home country and apply to re-enter the State or, alternatively, to approaching the immigration authorities to seek permission to remain in the State.

"Such cases would be carefully considered, taking the all relevant circumstances into account, before any final decision was made.

"An important factor in any such consideration would be the circumstances in which the person concerned became undocumented. Following such a process it is reasonable for the State to expect that people will respect this decision."
Desmond and McManus will face the might of Michael O'Leary at Cheltenham

Cheltenham is the one time of the year when drinking in bed isn't seen as a worrying sign. It's also a time when some of the country's richest and most powerful business titans do battle for equine bragging rights.

Ryanair's billionaire boss Michael O'Leary has the biggest raiding party to leave the shores, with his Gigginstown Stud holding a staggering 120 entries in races over the four-day festival. That's far more than anyone else. Obviously, some are duplicate entries and others will be pulled out before the race.

It's far bigger than fellow billionaire JP McManus's delegation. He only has 89 entries.

Another billionaire, Dermot Desmond, has his Derryvoss entered in three races but again it's not clear where it will run, if at all.

Icon founder Ronan Lambe won the Gold Cup with Lord Windermere two years ago. His Springheeled is entered in the Cross Country Chase.

Other runners owned by well-known business people include a bunch of horses from Barry Connell, one of the founders of Merrion Capital and later Rockview Capital.

Cork warehousing magnate Edward O'Connell has Un de Sceaux in the Queen Mother Chase on Wednesday.

O'Leary won the Gold Cup in 2006 with the epic War of Attrition. This time, he's got the supremely talented Don Cossack heading the betting at 7/2 and Don Poli not far behind. He's got five entries in total for the Gold Cup.

Ryanair may still be tight with money but it is ponying up for some mega-sponsorship of O'Leary's favourite sport. It now sponsors the Ryanair Chase and the Ryanair World Hurdle on Thursday. His Road to Riches and Valseur are the second and third favourites in the Chase, with Prince of Scars probably his best chance in the World Hurdle.

While the sport of kings is a hobby for O'Leary, it's not without its financial rewards. Since 2010, his gee-gees have won 13.56m. This season alone, O'Leary's 531 runners have trousered 2.72m. His strike rate is better than it has been for a couple of years too, with 24pc of his horses delivering the goodies.

However, backing O'Leary is a mug's game. For ever 1 punted on his horses this season, you'll lose a rather unpleasant 5.31.

Ryanair shares on the other hand - despite a curious move into kitting out of business charter jets - seems a far smarter gamble.

Glanbia audit shake-up: PwC out, Deloitte in

One of the most high-profile audit gigs in the country has just changed hands. Feargal O'Rourke's PwC has been bumped by Glanbia's Siobhan Talbot to make way for Brendan Jenning's beancounters at Deloitte.

PwC has had the contract since the Avonmore and Waterford Food merger that created Glanbia back in 1997. However, the Glanbia audit account isn't quite as peachy as it once was. Traditionally, the big accountancy firms send in the brown suits to do the audit and form-filling grunt work.

The real money comes from advice - particularly with regard to cutting tax bills. This is provided by partners in better shoes.

Over the last three years, this higher-value service has made up between 57pc and 66pc of the billings from PwC. Last year, PwC earned 3.35m from Glanbia. Their advice certainly helped slash Glanbia's corporate tax bills, giving it an effective tax rate of about 17pc, which isn't bad, given the scope of its global operations, which includes places with far, far higher tax rates than Ireland.

The dairy and nutrition firm has been able to pay less tax than it thought by using a series of approved schemes, including moving close to 1bn to companies in Luxembourg with no employees at all.

Details of these transactions came to light as part of the 'Lux Leaks' in 2014, when details of advanced tax arrangements (ATAs) were published by the Washington-based International Consortium of Investigative Journalists.

Responding to the Lux Leak revelations, Glanbia said that it "took great care that we met our legal, compliance and disclosure requirements".

However Glanbia has now decided that it won't be paying its auditors big bucks to come up with clever new wheezes to reduce its tax bills. The firm has said that it anticipates that the level of non-audit fees will "reduce significantly" in 2016, as it has decided to restrict the external auditors' involvement in due diligence and "taxation consulting services" on the back of new moves in Europe.

In other words, the partners with the good shoes may not be required as much.

Tesco could pull trigger to buy back 3 stake

Robert Finnegan and his team at Three have got to be looking at what they can do with the 50pc stake in Tesco Mobile that they acquired as part of the 750m buyout of O2's Irish operations two years ago.

Tesco Mobile has 3.6pc of the Irish mobile market (based on revenues), according to telecoms regulator Comreg. With Vodafone having 42.2pc, Three 34.2pc and Eir 18.8pc of the market revenues, it's clear that Tesco Mobile is going nowhere fast. Unless something major happens.

Tesco's group chief, Dave Lewis, had considered selling off the entire Tesco Mobile business as he sought to shore up the retailer's creaky balance sheet last year. But now the group looks more likely to diversify out of the savage grocery environment into something slightly higher-margin.

Following its 12bn buyout of O2 in the UK, Three is under pressure to satisfy competition regulators that it won't dominate the mobile market. Financial modelling by competition czars has suggested that if Three's purchase of O2 is rubberstamped by regulators, prices could rise by 6pc. However, offloading its interest in Tesco Mobile and allowing Tesco to make a serious stab at growing market share could see prices increase by just 1pc.

There are suggestions that Tesco is interested in buying out the Three stake in the UK for about 360m - but only if it can ink a good long-term capacity deal on the Three network. Given that Three's owner, Hutchison Whampoa, has invested over 1bn in breaking into the Irish market - both in a big cheque for O2 and seriously heavy operational losses - a call from Tesco Ireland boss Andrew Yaxley may not go unanswered.
Daly and McDonagh said they asked for 'an update to Nama on the viability of an enterprise sale in the context of current global market conditions'

Nama employed Swiss financial-services giant UBS to evaluate whether a sale of the agency's entire loan book would be feasible, just months before the controversial purchase of the Northern Ireland portfolio by Cerberus.

The evaluation was done as part of a legally obligated review, known as a Section 227 review, of Nama's progress. UBS said multiple factors militated against such a sale, with one being the prospect of a "near-term general election with an uncertain outcome".

The details of the review are contained in a letter written to Finance Minister Michael Noonan last March by Nama's top bosses, chairman Frank Daly and chief executive Brendan McDonagh.

Daly and McDonagh said they asked for "an update to Nama on the viability of an enterprise sale in the context of current global market conditions".

"Since UBS last reported to the board of Nama in May 2014, real-estate markets have continued to improve and the fair value of the loan portfolio has been substantially reduced through sales. All else being equal, this improves the viability of an enterprise sale."

But the Swiss company said that in addition to the political uncertainty, there would only have been two investors in the world who would have been able to cut a deal of that size - and that they were unlikely to want to make such a large, geographically-concentrated investment.

"UBS believes that, in practice, the purchaser under an enterprise sale would be a consortium assembled for the purpose. The related debt financing would also require a syndicate of lenders that would likely reach double figures given the overall commitment, putting upward pressure on borrowing costs," McDonagh and Daly's letter says.

It also said the complexity of the loan book would mean "an almost insurmountable challenge for a purchaser to underwrite it".

A Nama spokesman said: "This option was examined as part of Nama's wider Section 227 review. The Nama board took the decision not to proceed with it as the strategic option ultimately taken represents a better outcome for the taxpayer.

"It is no longer under active consideration. The stance adopted by the board in 2014 and again in 2015 (that its existing strategy would optimise value) has been borne out by the results of 2014 and 2015 asset-disposal activity. Nama reviews strategy on an ongoing basis to ensure that its strategy will deliver the best achievable outcome for the taxpayer."
In the end, it all happened fairly quickly. Petroceltic's largest shareholder looks to have prevailed in the battle for control of the Irish oil and gas explorer after a bitter dispute.

Last Thursday, Worldview Capital Management told the market that one of its vehicles had bought nearly 70pc of the debt left outstanding on the company's senior bank facility. It said the debt had been purchased at a discount to its face value - meaning the previous lenders had taken a financial hit to get out of dodge.

That announcement came days after Michael McAteer of Grant Thornton had been appointed as an interim examiner to Petroceltic by the High Court.

The examinership process is designed to give a company 100 days of protection from creditors. If a rescue deal - which has to be approved by one class of creditors - is approved by the judge, the company might be saved. As the major debt holder, Worldview will have a big, big say. And now it wants to work with McAteer and the company on a deal that could put it very firmly in the driving seat.

"Worldview intends to approach Petroceltic and the interim examiner with a proposal to restructure the senior bank facility, as part of a wider restructuring of Petroceltic's capital structure - either pursuant to an examinership scheme of arrangement or as a standalone restructuring - which, amongst other consequences, could lead to the potential conversion of a significant proportion of the outstanding debt into new ordinary shares in the capital of Petroceltic," a Worldview statement said.

It's all a far cry from 2014. That was the year that Dragon Oil approached Petroceltic with a possible offer, valuing the Irish company at nearly 500m. It was going to offer 230p sterling in cash per share. Now, those shares could be worth nothing at all.

Dragon walked away from the deal without making an offer, citing turbulent market conditions. It now looks like a prescient move.

Since December 2014, Petroceltic's shares have plummeted from 113.5p each to 7.5p. It was in that month that Worldview launched an assault on Petroceltic's management, saying a review of the business had not been carried out.

Petroceltic responded with fighting talk - labelling the proceedings "totally without merit and misconceived".

The fighting talk continued for most of 2015. Early that year, Worldview requisitioned an EGM, seeking to have Petroceltic chief executive Brian O'Cathain removed from his post and to appoint Worldview founder Angelo Moskov to the board.

Here's what Petroceltic thought of that: "Worldview has proposed the Worldview Resolutions principally as a means by which it can obtain control of the board without paying shareholders a fair price for obtaining control of the company.

"Approval of the Worldview Resolutions would have a negative impact on the board's effectiveness, by increasing Worldview's representation on the board and reducing the proportion of independent directors.

"The removal of Brian O'Cathain as a director could materially prejudice the business and operations of the group. Mr O'Cathain has a deep knowledge of the group's operations and past corporate history and has long-standing relationships of high quality with a range of important stakeholders. Worldview has put forward no credible reason as to why Mr O'Cathain should be removed as a director."

Ultimately, O'Cathain won that battle, though not by a comfortable margin. Just under 61pc of the votes were cast in his favour.

A geologist and petroleum engineer. O'Cathain has been Petroceltic's boss since 2009, having previously been chief executive of oil company Afren from the middle of 2005 to early 2007.

Having started in the oil industry in 1984, the 56-year-old worked with Shell International, Enterprise Oil and later became managing director and general manager of Tullow Oil's international business.

At Enterprise Oil, he was managing director of the company's Irish subsidiary and was in charge of developing and appraising the Corrib field.

He was hoping to replicate that success at Petroceltic with the Ain Tsila field in Algeria - the company's prize asset. The development plan for the field envisaged producing 2.1 trillion cubic feet of sales gas, 67 million barrels of condensate gas, and 108 million barrels of liquefied petroleum gas. In September, Petroceltic said drilling at the field was shortly to commence.

After O'Cathain kept his seat on the board, a new frontier arrived. The company announced it was contemplating a $175m bond issue, with the proceeds to be used for refinancing as much as $50m of its debt, to finance development capital expenditure across its portfolio of assets and for general corporate purposes.

Worldview didn't like the plan.

"Petroceltic appears to have now run out of money. As a result, it is proposing to pledge the company's crown jewel - namely, its participation in the Ain Tsila asset - as a security for a contemplated $175m bond issuance. In our view, this will result in squandering shareholder value," it said.

Petroceltic came back with more fighting talk. "Since 2013, Petroceltic has been consistent in disclosing its intention to consider such a bond issue or equivalent financing as part of its plan to part-finance development of the Ain Tsila asset in Algeria.

"Petroceltic confirmed at its 2015 capital markets day that its objective was 'to effect a partial or first stage of refinancing during 2015'. This financing strategy has been discussed extensively with shareholders, including Worldview."

Worldview sought another EGM to vote on that proposal, but this was blocked by the High Court after Petroceltic initiated legal action.

All the while, Petroceltic's share price was plummeting - as was the price of oil. The firm became embroiled in a row over defamatory allegations made towards the company on an anonymous blog, managing to secure a High Court order to have the blog taken down.

But despite these victories, the company did in the end run out of money.

In an explosive statement released days before Christmas, the company announced that it was living at the grace and favour of its lenders. It was exploring a sale of some or all of the business.

"A combination of adjustments to reserves... the drop in oil prices and a reduction in capital investment programmes in relation to the group's assets in Egypt and Bulgaria had impacted on availability under the group's senior bank facility during 2015.

"These circumstances led to the requirement to make material repayments, which the group has not to date been in a position to satisfy, and other breaches to the covenants of the senior bank facility, which is secured over substantially all the assets of the group.

"Options being considered by the board include, but are not limited to, a farm-out or sale of one or more of the company's existing assets, a corporate transaction, such as a merger with a third party, the sale of the entire issued and, to be issued, share capital of the company and the raising of capital in the form of debt and/or a subscription for new ordinary shares in the company by one or more third parties."

Egyptian exploration assets were sold off to a joint venture partner and the company received a series of rolling waivers from its lenders, right up until Worldview's examinership application foiled another.

As to what happens now, analysts at SP Angel put it best on Friday.

"Unless the shareholders outside of Worldview are going to support management, or engage with Worldview, it would appear as if Worldview will now be successful in asserting control over the company.

"So now, it is down to shareholders as to whether they want to see the value of the Algerian asset fully reflected in the share price, or whether they just give up."
Last month, Apple in the US refused to help the FBI unlock a terrorist phone on the basis that breaching privacy "threatens the security of our customers".

We Irish have a stake in this dispute. Partly, it is the same stake everyone in our intensively interconnected world has in the conflict between privacy and security, between individual rights and public safety. In fact, the case calls for the most thoughtful discussion and debate of the balance between privacy, security, personal rights, and collective safety.

But that's not the discussion I want to have just now.

Because our more particular and immediate Irish stake in Apple is founded in the fact that the world's biggest company employs 4,000 workers in its European headquarters in Cork - a quarter of its European workforce - and employs a further 2,500 "indirectly in the local area". By mid-2017, the Cork headquarters alone is slated to grow to 6,000 employees.

Now, personally, I do not know whether Apple's concern for its customers' privacy and individual security is as paramount and sacrosanct as it claims. What I do know to be an absolute certainty is that, for Apple, its brand is paramount and sacrosanct.

This is something I understand very well because, as a businessman, I feel exactly the same way about my own company's brand. More importantly, as an Irishman, it is how I feel about the brand of Ireland.

Clearly, Apple bought into our Irish brand when it established its European headquarters here. Any multinational company has to find us very attractive for at least five reasons: our low corporate taxes; our educated and motivated workforce; our democratic government; our geographical location ideal for trans-Atlantic business, and - well - the fact that Ireland is a country of great physical beauty and enormous cultural appeal.

In fact, with all Ireland has to offer, Apple would have been out of its mind not to headquarter here. Indeed, both they and we are very happy with the present arrangement - and we invite more multinationals to look, learn, and follow suit. Welcome to Ireland.

But now, the European Commission cometh.

Apple sets up subsidiaries in a variety of low-tax jurisdictions to avoid paying significantly higher US taxes. The US is understandably unhappy about this, but so are other European countries with relatively high corporate-tax rates. Under existing EU law, these countries have not been able to do much about it. Our tax rates are our affair.

Recently, however, the EU came up with a new angle. EU law forbids "state aid" to businesses in ways that "distort" market competition.

Accordingly, the EU is currently investigating whether Apple's tax deal with Ireland constitutes state aid. If so, Apple will be ordered to pay Ireland some $19bn - a decade's worth of taxes that the EU says it should have paid.

So who doesn't want a $19bn windfall? And why aren't we cheering? Because our brand is worth much, much more. If Apple is forced to pay us, our brand will suffer. Let's face it, of the five reasons I mentioned for moving a business to Ireland, the first - low corporate taxes - trumps the other four.

Right now, the audit of the Apple-Ireland tax situation is moving slowly. To those awaiting the results, European Commissioner for Competition Margrethe Vestager recently remarked: "Don't hold your breath. I'm just warning you."

So, I wonder, which will come first? The EU's decision about Apple or the UK's decision about Brexit?

For most small European countries, EU membership is a no-brainer. But, because of all five of the reasons I listed for doing business here, Ireland is not your typical small European country.

It is a very local place with a very compelling global orientation, in part due to its special relationship with a vast diaspora that has long permeated much of the world with Ireland.

The unique position of our "brand" requires us to have a free hand in trade with the world and the world's enterprises. Apple and other multinationals love our low taxes and everything else we have to offer.

Given a choice, these companies would surely prefer dealing with our straightforward government than engaging with the entire EU bureaucracy, attitude and regulatory infrastructure.

The Apple tax dispute is not a dispute between Apple and Ireland, but between Apple and the EU. We want Apple's business and all the other businesses Apple attracts to us. We therefore have an opportunity to make a stand with Apple, to show Apple loyalty, and to defend the Apple brand.

More important, in this dispute we have an opportunity and an obligation to enhance the Irish brand: as a nation that sincerely partners with the businesses its hosts, that burdens them with a minimum of regulation and red tape, and that enhances their value when they decide to call Ireland home.

How we tax those who do business in our nation and employ our citizens is a sovereign Irish matter, and any EU attempt to meddle in it should prompt our doing what the UK is doing, namely reconsidering its relation to the EU.

There is a very good chance that the UK will leave the EU. We urgently need to make sure that any terms and conditions given to Britain are extended to us. We have demonstrated in the past that we are not able to stand up to the German juggernaut and we were forced to pay the bondholders 100pc in the Euro.

Ireland has no reason to fear Brexit. It is, at the very least, our wake-up call, rousing us to make a sober and unblinking assessment of just what we get and just what we lose by continuing in a European Union that is increasingly dominated by a single member.

Peter Casey is founder and executive chairman of Claddagh Resources and is contesting the Seanad election on the Industrial and Commercial Panel
Stephen Sealey, managing director of Brown Thomas, said the future of the BT2 brand was safe, but insisted the closure was necessary because the two Grafton Street stores - Brown Thomas and BT2 -were "just too close"

The closure of BT2 on Dublin's Grafton Street will not result in job losses as Victoria's Secret takes over one of the most prominent stores in the city.

The BT2 chain, dubbed as Brown Thomas' "little sister", will be replaced by the America's most famous lingerie company when it closes next January.

Stephen Sealey, managing director of Brown Thomas, said the future of the BT2 brand was safe, but insisted the closure was necessary because the two Grafton Street stores - Brown Thomas and BT2 -were "just too close".

Potential refit costs and a pending rent review were factors in the decision to shut up shop.

However, he says the workforce is safe, as brands will migrate over to the main Brown Thomas store on Dublin's main shopping thoroughfare.

"You can see the logic of all this. It gives us the opportunity to bring the best of the brands from BT2 across here," Mr Sealey said.

"That will give us a much better 'customer journey', because clearly it doesn't really make sense to have to cross the road to get your jeans. It makes a lot more sense to invest in property that we own, rather than property we rent.

"There were other factors, like a rent review coming up - and, to my mind, if a landlord is making more money than you are out of a store, it's not really a great place to be," he added.

For the full interview with Mr Sealey, see today's Sunday Independent Business section.
By 2028, the qualification age for the State pension is set to rise to age 68

The last few years have delivered so many financial blows to ordinary people that the raising of the age at which you qualify for the State pension has probably slipped the minds of many.

But the cruel reality is that the age for qualifying for the State pension has gone up and is due to rise further.

At the start of 2014, the traditional State pension paid to people from the age of 65 ceased to exist after the age was raised to 66. By 2028, the qualification age for the State pension is set to rise to age 68.

Add to this the outrageous theft of pension money from the levy on the assets of private-sector workers, and you have a distasteful cocktail that will leave ordinary people with a sour taste in their mouth and much diminished retirement incomes.

The pensions levy theft is particularly unfair as the average pension pot in the private sector is tiny anyway. This means the 2.5bn collectively taken away from those in the private sector savvy enough to provide for themselves was egregious.

The levy represents a permanent reduction in the pension income of those impacted, unlike the levy in the public sector, which is essentially a pay cut and does not impact on the amount paid in retirement. Given that, the earlier decision of the last Government to raise the age at which all workers - private and public - qualify for the State pension that they contribute to through their pay-related social insurance (PRSI) is doubly unfair.

It is like you are running a race - but half-way through you are told that the finishing line has been moved further up the road. So keep running, is the message.

However, the good news is that the decision to raise the State pension age has been cast into doubt after a Dutch court found against a similar move there.

Stephen Gillick, a partner with law firm Mason Hayes & Curran, said it was open to those affected by the change to take a similar case here.

The case concerned a 60-year-old widow who was in poor health. The woman was being paid a widow's pension but would cease to be entitled to payment when she reached 65. As the Dutch state pension was not payable until she reached 67, the widow would be left with a two-year income gap.

The Dutch court of first instance found in her favour.

A successful challenge here could limit the State's ability to change the pension age, and force a reversal of the controversial move. Mr Gillick said he was surprised there had not already been a challenge here.

Given the decision in the Dutch case, it is now highly likely there will be a legal challenge here.
If you have ever received a bill from your mobile-phone provider or utility company which you didn't fully understand, then this week's story will help make you feel like you are not alone.

In fact, according to Alan Coleman, co-founder and CEO of Brite:Bill, some 40pc of people who receive such bills end up calling their provider to seek clarification on some aspect of it.

Set up in 2010, along with co-founder Jim Hannon, Brite:Bill already employs more than 90 staff and has an annual turnover of over 12m. Fifty of their staff are based in Dublin while the remainder are spread across the company's offices in London, Madrid, Toronto, Kansas and San Francisco.

"We develop software that helps our client companies improve their billing communications with their customers," Alan tells me as he welcomes me to Brite:Bill's contemporary new offices on Dublin's Grand Canal Street.

"Bills have traditionally been seen as static, cold notifications or demands for payments. However, using our specifically designed software - and operating across all platforms of communication including printed bills, online and mobile - companies can now transform the way they present and manage their billing so as to make these communications with their customers more positive, engaging and customer-centric."

The company uses the latest in analytics-based technology to create bills that are easy for customers to understand and which they will pay without the need to call the service provider's helpline or customer-contact centre.

"In the US, it costs a company $10 every time a customer calls their helpline, so it makes absolute sense to prevent this type of needless activity," Alan explains.

In only five years, the company has built up an impressive list of national customers. Most are well-known names in the telecoms sector such as Eir, Virgin and Vodafone. However, 90pc of revenues now come from exports to large international clients such as Tele2, in the Netherlands, T-Mobile in Germany, Rogers in Canada and Sprint in the US.

"Currently, there are more than 25 million individual bills, worth in excess of $5bn, processed every month around the world on the Brite: Bill platform," says Alan proudly.

"We are also due to sign our largest ever customer in the US in the near future and this will double the number of bills being processed to over 50 million - or $10bn per month," he adds.

Pulling out some samples of bills, Alan explains how his company's software can design the bill so that it explains to the customers anything that is non-standard.

"The idea is to get this information in front of the customer so that they understand it before they become frustrated with an aspect of the bill that they don't understand - triggering a call to the service provider's contact centre," he explains.

For example, a customer might have signed up for a new mobile-phone package at 39.99 per month - but when they receive their first bill, they discover to their frustration and annoyance that the bill is for 59.99.

Instead of having to ring the contact centre for an explanation, the Brite:Bill platform picks up the variance and explains to the customer that, as they signed up in the middle of a month, the bill relates to a six-week period rather than a month - and reassures customers that their bill will return to the standard fee, as agreed, in their next bill.

Customers often struggle, too, where companies use different names for the products they sell compared to what actually appears on their bills.

"Such inconsistency can lead to confusion among customers," he explains. "If a person orders a family fibre package for their home but later receives a bill that refers to a charge for a 50mb broadband and landline offering, they struggle to connect this to what they actually ordered because the provider has not made mention of either family or fibre in their communication.

"The tendency is again for the customer to ring the company's helpline for clarification, leading to added frustration on the part of the customer and added cost for the service company.

"The large US firm with whom we hope to start working with shortly spends over a half-a-billion dollars every year answering queries about their bills. Our software will help drive that down," insists Alan.

It's certainly been an exciting journey for the young man who grew up in Howth and who never set out to become an entrepreneur.

After school, Alan studied Computer Science in UCD (at which, by his own admission, he was terrible), but he managed to scrape through. Later, when studying for his Masters in Business at Smurfit Business School, he realised that he had finally found his niche. Already technically conversant, the application of technology in a business context would form the foundation for his next career steps as well as the eventual establishment of his own business, Brite:Bill.

His first job was with the investment bank Morgan Stanley in London, where he helped traders get the most out of the technology they were using. In 1999, he returned to Dublin where he joined a start-up, Macalla Software, that specialised in connecting mobile-phone companies to banks for the purposes of allowing customers to automatically top up their phone credit.

"The four years I spent there were exciting and formative for me. I got to travel the world meeting customers and dealing with venture-capital companies," says Alan.

"I grew to love the freedom and the entrepreneurial aspects of working in a small company and began, for the first time ever, to consider setting up my own business."

However, the downturn that followed the 9/11 tragedy led him to join Accenture, where he worked for the next seven years, helping customers achieve better deals from their hardware and software suppliers. "During my time in Accenture, I was always exploring new ideas that might allow me to start my own business," Alan recalls. "It was the classic case of thinking about a problem that, in my opinion, needed to be fixed and coming up with potential solutions."

He had been travelling a lot by then and found paying bills difficult. The more he studied it, the more he realised that many people experienced difficulties in understanding their bills.

"Some people explained how they would get annoyed with the service provider as a result, with some ending up switching service provider altogether," says Alan. "From the service provider's position, this was resulting in customer 'churn' - all due to their poor or ineffective billing communications."

Alan focused his attention on the mobile-phone market, which seemed to be the perfect fit. Having won business initially from Eircom (now Eir), he went on to secure contracts with Vodafone and UPC (Virgin Media). His big breakthrough came when he landed T2 in Holland and Rogers in Canada.

"That was the moment of scale," enthuses Alan. "From there, we were able to land Sprint, the third or fourth-largest operator in the US, and we have grown rapidly ever since."

What are his plans for growth?

"Last year alone we grew by over 300pc and this year we expect to double our turnover," responds a calm but confident Alan. "With between 400 million and 500 million monthly bills being generated in the US by telecom companies alone, we are really only scratching the surface of the possibilities in this market. And that's before we extend into other markets such as healthcare, financial services and utility companies."

While he never set out to become an entrepreneur, Alan has become an exceptionally successful one. Now, as he seeks to expand his company even further, one can only conclude that the future looks bright for Brite:Bill.

For further information, see www.britebill.com

Alan's advice for other businesses

1 Best way to learn is on the job

"Become comfortable with learning on the job - in real time. While I don't know how to do it myself, I do think running a business is like learning to surf: you can study as much as you like about it while sitting on the beach - but it's only by actually surfing and getting hit by waves that you become proficient at it."

2 A.B.C - (Always Be Closing)

"Sales and business development is the life blood of every firm. Alex Baldwin's character in Glengarry Glen Ross, reinforces this point, highlighting the need that in business, you must always be closing a sale. If you're not selling, you will not have the monies to sustain and grow your business."

3 Hire others who put you to shame

"In sport, you have to pick the right team if you want to win - and it's the same if you want to be successful. This involves surrounding yourself with people who put you to shame because of their talent. This is especially true if you are a small company trying to take on much larger ones in your sector."
Irish and European advertisers are to be warned by industry regulators about internet pop-up ads, overlays and other 'annoying', content-obscuring online advertisements in a bid to fight the rise of ad-blocking.

The chief executive of the Interactive Advertising Bureau Ireland, Suzanne McElligott, said that such ads would be "called out" by a new IAB advertising charter that aims to stem the rise of ad blocker usage for online content.

"The annoyance factor is never a positive one," she said. "Some ads are being called out as being overly disruptive. In terms of pop-ups and overlays, we are seeking to get agreement for advertisers to minimise these and other ads that obscure content."

McElligott said that the new charter, which is expected to be finalised this summer, will also ask advertisers to sign up to online ads that take up less computing space.

The IAB initiative comes as millions across Europe download ad-blocking technology to prevent the display of advertisements on web pages and smartphones. One in five Irish people now use ad-blockers when viewing content online, according to recent figures from Adobe and Pagefair.

The trend is set to cost publishers billions in revenue this year, according to analysis from the two companies. Last month, the mobile operator Three said that it was going to start blocking online ads at a network level. It will start this in its UK and Italian mobile operators, while the Irish operator will "watch and see" how things progress with the move. Digicel, the Caribbean mobile operator chaired by businessman Denis O'Brien, has also pledged to filter out online ads at a network level.

However, McElligott said that ad blocking had not yet halted a rise in digital advertising revenues.

"The growth in the uptake of ad blocking is ultimately damaging for the industry, but the market is still growing dramatically," she said.

She was speaking as the IAB released an ad-blocking detection script that lets publishers and advertisers know whether a visitor is using ad-blocking software. Publishers and titles such as Forbes and Wired use such scripts to cut off readers.
According to a recent report, Ireland is now seventh in the world for average broadband speed

Monaghan tops the country's 'broadband blackspot' list - with Waterford enjoying the fastest download speeds anywhere in Ireland.

Access to broadband emerged as one of the key election battlegrounds and - to the surprise of Government parties - the focus of deep voter dissatisfaction both in pre-election opinion polls and at the ballot box.

Now, new details have emerged that prove that large swathes of the Irish countryside have been left without reliable internet connectivity.

Wexford and Kerry are seriously lagging behind the rest of country - with average download speeds of just 8.3 megabits per second (Mbps) and 8.6Mbps respectively.

The Taoiseach's heartland of Mayo is also way down the national league table, with a speed of just 9.4Mbps.

Offaly (9.8Mbps), Cavan (10.1Mbps) and Clare (10.8Mbps) are also sluggish compared to the rest of the country.

Topping the list is Waterford, with 28.5Mbps, followed by Dublin at 27.9Mbps, and Kildare, which came in at 26.5Mbps.

Also in the top tier of broadband-connected counties are Carlow (21.1Mbps), Laois (19.3Mbps) and Cork (16.8Mbps).

In the mid-table are Galway (13.7Mbps), Westmeath (13.6Mbps) and Longford (12.6Mbps).

Overall, Ireland's average broadband speed is 14.7Mbps.

Alan Ward, marketing director of comparison website comparebroadband.ie, said internet users across Ireland experience a wide range of broadband speeds, with some users being left in the "slow lane".

High-speed broadband is now regarded as a necessity for modern living and working. Mr Ward said more needs to be done at government level to rectify the situation.

"For example, Monaghan residents receive average broadband speeds (8.2Mbps), that are less than a third of those that people living in Waterford and Dublin enjoy," he told the Sunday Independent.

However, while variation in download speeds might be frustrating for some, it's important to remember that there are a wide range of internet options out there.

"Residents in Westmeath and Leitrim might be surprised to find that wireless internet providers are delivering speeds as fast, and sometimes faster, than the wired options available locally," he added.

Seamus Sherlock, rural development chairman of the Irish Cattle and Sheep Farmers' Association (ICSA), has called for rural broadband to be made a top priority by the next government.

He pointed out that farmers are now expected by the Department of Agriculture to do most of their administration work online.

"However, the question arises as to how farmers are expected to comply when they do not have access to adequate broadband in many counties.

"Farmers have to jump through hoops to comply with the demands of the department in order to receive their payments.

"We have had to adapt to many new procedures and are happy to do so, but completing applications online when you don't have access to broadband will cause serious difficulties," he said.

He also said that rural dwellers feel "marginalised" when it comes to broadband access.

"It is unacceptable for those in rural Ireland to be consigned to battle with poor connectivity.

"Over and over again we hear of the problems a lack of broadband is causing in rural areas. It is adding to the isolation many in rural Ireland feel - and is contributing to the demise of local communities."

Meanwhile, Eir has announced further details of the 100,000 rural homes and businesses to which it plans to roll out high-speed fibre broadband over the next year.

These householders are among a group of 300,000 that were originally due to be part of the State's subsidised 1.5bn National Broadband Plan (NBP), the tender for which is due to be awarded later this year.

Eir, however, intends to wire them up anyway, with fibre that can be run straight into buildings from a network strung across telegraph poles.

It is aiming to expand its fibre broadband network to 1.9 million premises by 2020.

The plan will see speeds of 1 gigabit per second becoming available to 200 communities.

The company said that 1.4 million homes and businesses can already access high-speed broadband in Ireland.

It also says it remains on target to reach 1.7 million premises by this time next year.

Poor-quality rural broadband has been highlighted as a contributory factor in Ireland's two-tier economy.

According to a recent report, Ireland is now seventh in the world for average broadband speed.

However, the study also found we have some of the most pronounced two-tier coverage in Europe.
Ray Tomlinson, who died on March 5 aged 74, was a computer programmer generally credited as the man who invented the email, transforming the way we communicate and socialise.

The first electronic messaging system, developed in the 1960s, would only allow messages to be exchanged between users on the same computer. In the late 1960s, however, the American Defence Department's Advanced Research Projects Agency launched the Arpanet, a program designed to create a network tying together disparate computer science programs it was funding around the country. This is now considered the precursor to the internet.

In 1971 Tomlinson was working at the Boston-based technology company Bolt, Beranek and Newman, a major contractor on the Arpanet, trying, in his own words "to find things to use this new-fangled network for". He had heard about a proposal to send messages to be printed with a printer and stuffed away in mail boxes for people to read and had the idea that messages should go to computers instead: "I thought about it for a bit and then decided to put together a system that might do that."

Borrowing a code from a file-transfer program he had created called Cpynet, Tomlinson modified an existing internal computer messaging program so that messages could be sent between two machines that were side-by-side on his desk. When he wrote the program, he needed to find a punctuation symbol to separate the name of the recipient from their computer location. He chose the symbol "@" (known as the asperand), the least used sign, and the only preposition, on the keyboard.

At first, Tomlinson did not consider his email messaging system to be significant. "Don't tell anyone! This isn't what we're supposed to be working on," he told a colleague. Yet email quickly matured from a fun idea to a central feature of the Arpanet - and later the internet.

"I'm often asked 'Did I know what I was doing?'" Tomlinson said when he was inducted into the Internet Hall of Fame in 2012. "The answer is: Yeah, I knew exactly what I was doing. I just had no notion whatsoever about what the ultimate impact would be."

History, sadly, does not record the content of the first ever email message, Tomlinson describing it as "insignificant, something like 'QWERTYUIOP'".

Raymond Samuel Tomlinson was born in Amsterdam, New York, on April 23, 1941, and brought up in Vail Mills. From Broadalbin Central School, he took a degree in electrical engineering at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York, followed by a master's degree at MIT, where he developed an analogue-digital hybrid speech synthesiser.

In 1967 he joined Bolt, Beranek and Newman (now Raytheon), where he continued to work until his death.

He did not become rich from his invention, confessing that he had often wondered what fraction of a cent per @ sign it would take to make him very comfortably off: "It's a very small fraction."

Described by a friend as "surprisingly, not addicted to email", Tomlinson lived in Lincoln, Massachusetts, where he and his partner Karen raised miniature sheep.

She survives him with two daughters from an earlier marriage.

 Telegraph

Telegraph Media Group Limited [2022]
Developments in technology raise questions over the role of human beings in accountancy, according to the head of the International Federation of Accountants.

Fayezul Choudhury said advances in data-processing capability raises questions about the role human beings will play in future.

"The effect of technology on all professions, including the accountancy profession is going to be very profound. Because if you have that much processing capacity, than arguably artificial intelligence becomes much more realistic, indeed likely," Choudhury told the Sunday Independent.

"Given that one of the hallmarks of a profession is the exercise of judgment, you can have the technical rules, but where you add the value is the exercise of the technical judgment. So certainly you can put a lot of the technical rules into technology, you can do that today. But if artificial intelligence can start to exercise judgment... that diminishes the role of the human being.

"Changes are underway and trying to identify the issues and how to be ahead of it is obviously important."

Choudhury was in Dublin at an event linked to the Institute of Certified Public Accountants in Ireland's (CPA Ireland) 90th anniversary. He said globalisation is also having an effect on the profession.

"When we look at globalisation, the days when the person in Dublin, or New York, or London is going to sit and provide all the capacity and technical support that's needed in the various globalised elements of their business, that's gone. You've got to build up capacity within countries all around the world, firstly just to make for efficient and orderly capital markets, but also just to create sustainable organisations and strong economies within the country."

He said the accountancy profession has an important role to play in the debate about where multinationals should pay their taxes.

"When you've seen the issues on the ground, you're in a very good position to advise the powers that be... at a more granular level of what the issues that need to be addressed are, and what effective means of addressing them are.

"I would like to think that the accountancy profession is, and will be, seen to be part of the solution."
More than 112,000 visitors from all over the world are in Ireland for St Patrick's day, and as the country gears up to celebrate the national feast day, there is no shortage of festivities to consider.

The first major parade of the day will take place in Galway, kicking off at 11.30am. It will feature lots of local theatre and arts groups as they aim to highlight the city and region's cultural activity in preparation for its European Capital for Culture 2020 bid.

Limerick city's parade, celebrating the theme 'Commemorate', will start at 12pm and Cork's St Patrick's Day parade will begin at 1pm with the theme of 1916 'The Legacy'.

The Dublin parade begins at 12pm with the theme 'Imagine if', with floats looking towards the next 100 years of Ireland's future. The parade, beginning at Parnell Square, will be led by the youngest ever grand marshal, 19-year-old disability rights activist Joanne O'Riordan.

Commuters dealing with the Luas strikes can avail of a special bus service on St Patrick's Day that will run from Luas park-and-ride stops to and from the city centre every 10 minutes from 7.30am to 7pm. Luas pre-paid tickets and leap cards can be used and passengers are being told to allow extra time to travel to and from the parade.

Street theatre will also be staged, with workshops, musical and theatrical performances and even Irish language lessons from Mr Tayto at various locations around Dublin city centre.

Dublin historian Pat Liddy will lead the 'In the Footsteps of St Patrick Walking Tour', which begins at 2.15pm at the Molly Malone statue and ends at St Patrick's Cathedral. For gaelgoirs, there's the Gaelstage at Earlsfort Terrace at 3pm, hosting Irish language and music. Meanwhile, the capital's iconic buildings, including Christ Church Cathedral, will be lit up in green.

The Harbour2Harbour walk between Howth and Dun Laoghaire will begin at 10.30am in aid of Aware, or you can head west for the Croagh Patrick Heritage Trail. Taking place over St Patrick's weekend, the trail extends over 61km from Balla, Co Mayo, to the village of Murrisk at Croagh Patrick.

In Kilkenny, the St Patrick's Day 5km dash kicks off at 11am in Kilkenny Castle Park, as part of the Kilkenny Tradfest, which will see Hothouse Flowers heading the bill. Damien Dempsey, Colm Mac Con Iomaire, Kila and Duke Special will also play during the five-day music festival. In Cork, the Lee Sessions offers a pub crawl with traditional Irish sessions taking place in nine pubs from 3.30pm to 9.30pm.

Meanwhile, 'Music in the City' will see bands playing everything from ska to reggae at various venues in Dublin.

The RDS will host the fifth annual Irish Craft Beer and Whiskey Village from Wednesday until Saturday, offering the best of Irish beer, cider, whiskey and artisanal food. St Patrick's Festival has also teamed up with the Dublin Bay Prawn Festival, which will take place in Howth from March 18-20.

Belvedere House, Dublin , will host 'Ultimate Sunday' with culture, comedy and coffee to nurse the hangovers.

Video of the Day

If you're staying home, you can enjoy watching history being made: New York City's parade will be broadcast live for the first time in Ireland by Irish TV from 3pm-7pm; this will be the first time that members of the LGBT community will be allowed to march in the parade.

You could also consider Monsterrat, the island south of Puerto Rico, with a population of 5,000, otherwise known as the 'Carribbean Emerald Isle'. It is the only territory outside Ireland where March 17 is a national holiday.
Ronan Scolard and Glenn Murphy will appear on The Ellen DeGeneres Show. PIC: Ronan Scolard Twitter

It was one of the highlights of Adele's 3Arena Dublin gigs, and it didn't get past the eagle eyes of US presenter Ellen DeGeneres.

Ronan Scolard and Glenn Murphy had uploaded a video of themselves performing a medley of Adele's songs and on the second night of her two Dublin gigs she invited the shocked and surprised duo on stage to perform.

They went viral with their stunning, emotional effort and and are currently flying to LA ahead of an appearance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show this week.

The Ellen Show is known for picking up on heartwarming and unusual virals. They previously spoke to Northern Ireland comedian 'Frostbit Boy' about appearing on the show.

Here's the guys' original medley and below you can watch them on stage at the 3Arena, Dublin
ONE-WAY TICKET: Touched by an Angel star Roma Downey, who emigrated to New York in her younger days

Touched by an Angel star Roma Downey has described how the tragic deaths of her parents compelled her to leave Ireland as her world fell apart.

The star in one of America's best known TV series, explained how, at rock bottom, she bought a one-way ticket to New York.

Three decades later, and listed on Variety's 100 Most Powerful Women in Hollywood, Roma has brought her 'angel's touch' to a number of epic dramas that have been watched by over 100 million people worldwide.

Speaking to the Sunday Independent this weekend, she said: "My mum died when I was only 10 and my father when I was in college, so when the opportunity to emigrate came up, I thought I had nothing to lose.

"I asked myself, what is the worst thing that could happen?

"Back then, I thought, 'If I move to NYC and don't like it, what's the big deal?' As long as I had the price of a return ticket, I would be alright."

She continued: "All these years later, I still have the price of a return ticket - I have just never needed it. I am so fortunate that it all worked out for me."

Roma was speaking as she prepares to receive the inaugural 'Irish Diaspora Award' - which will be presented by the Irish Film & Television Academy (IFTA).

She now travels back home each year to spend time with her remaining family and friends in Derry.

"There are no friends like the old friends. I still get together with the girls I went to primary school with; girls I have known for over 40 years.

"We always have a brilliant laugh together, sharing a few drinks and catching up. Our lives are different now, but we share a bond. I have never forgotten where I come from."

Having Irish blood in Hollywood has significant bonuses, she says: "Americans genuinely love the Irish, there are so many Americans of Irish heritage. After all, we helped build the USA. I have always felt very welcome in the States.

Video of the Day

"I am grateful to all the Irish who went ahead of me and paved the way. Now, I am paving the way for others... It's important to create opportunities for others to rise up [and] to encourage the dream in the [next] generation."

The actress spoke about the Irish-centred projects currently in production.

"At MGM, we film Vikings in Ireland and we are developing other projects that we hope to shoot in Ireland, including an amazing story about the Irish Famine.

"The story is based on the bestselling books from author Mary Pat Kelly, Galway Bay and Of Irish Blood, which I optioned from her and we are currently developing them into a dramatic, heart-wrenching series that will tell this story of the Great Hunger in a way it's never been told before."

The IFTAs will take place on April 9 at the Round Room of Dublin's Mansion House.
It is not the first time GOAL have been inspired by the streets of Dublin to highlight their cause - the international aid agency used a striking poster about Nepal to stop shoppers in their tracks last year

Pedestrians in Dublin will be transported to the Middle East by a shocking scene on one of the capital's busiest streets tomorrow.

International charity GOAL will place an 'unexploded missile' on a southside street to mark five years of suffering in Syria.

The display will take place on King Street by the Gaiety Theatre on Monday morning from 11am to 1pm.

The unexploded missile has been constructed by acclaimed street artist, Will St. Leger, using various salvaged materials.

It will be placed in a hole on the pavement, created using compost and pre-smashed paving stones.

Special effects will be created by coal dust for blast scorch and smoke, along with a number of other elements.

The charity want to highlight the ongoing suffering of innocent civilians in Syria, as the latest round of peace talks on the Syria crisis begin in Geneva tomorrow.

Artist St. Leger was commissioned by GOAL to build the structure "to mark the fact that rockets and missiles continue to land in civilian areas in Syria every day, killing innocent men, women and children in the process".

GOAL CEO Barry Andrews will attend the event with GOAL Syrian staff member, Alia Alsoud.

Alia left Syria at the start of the war but still has family living in the country.

She also lost family members in the violence, while other have been trapped in sieges.

It is not the first time GOAL have been inspired by the streets of Dublin to highlight their cause.

In May of last year, the international aid agency used a striking poster to stop shoppers and commuters in their tracks on Dublin's O'Connell Street.

The poster, which was fashioned by a Dublin-based graphic designer, showed the street, and its buildings and monuments, lying in ruins.

The agency used the poster campaign to bring global humanitarian disasters like the earthquake in Nepal closer to home.

"The image of OConnell Street destroyed by an earthquake is shocking, but thankfully it is unlikely ever to happen to us," said GOAL CEO, Mr Andrews at the time.

"We are extremely fortunate that we live in a location that will never experience a major crisis such as an earthquake, a hurricane, or a drought.

"Unfortunately, it is a reality for millions of people across the world living in places like Nepal," he added.
The funeral has taken place of 11 month old baby, Karol Rozycki in St Martin Church in Ochaby, Poland

The funeral has taken place of 11 month old baby, Karol Rozycki in st martin Church in OCHABY Poland

The funeral has taken place of 11 month old baby, Karol Rozycki in St Martin Church in Ochaby,Poland

The funeral has taken place of 11 month old baby, Karol Rozycki in St Martin Church in Ochaby,Poland

The funeral has taken place of 11 month old baby, Karol Rozycki in St Martin Church in Ochaby,Poland

The funeral has taken place of 11 month old baby, Karol Rozycki in St Martin Church in Ochaby, Poland

The funeral has taken place of 11 month old baby, Karol Rozycki in St Martin Church in Ochaby, Poland

The funeral has taken place of 11 month old baby, Karol Rozycki in St Martin Church in Ochaby, Poland

The funeral has taken place of 11 month old baby, Karol Rozycki in St Martin Church in Ochaby, Poland

The funeral has taken place of 11 month old baby, Karol Rozycki in St Martin Church in Ochaby, Poland

The funeral has taken place of 11 month old baby, Karol Rozycki in St Martin Church in Ochaby, Poland

The funeral has taken place of 11 month old baby, Karol Rozycki in St Martin Church in Ochaby, Poland

The funeral has taken place of 11 month old baby, Karol Rozycki in St Martin Church in Ochaby, Poland

The funeral has taken place of 11 month old baby, Karol Rozycki in St Martin Church in Ochaby, Poland

The funeral has taken place of 11 month old baby, Karol Rozycki in St Martin Church in Ochaby, Poland

The funeral has taken place of 11 month old baby, Karol Rozycki in St Martin Church in Ochaby, Poland

The funeral has taken place of 11 month old baby, Karol Rozycki in St Martin Church in Ochaby, Poland

The funeral has taken place of 11 month old baby, Karol Rozycki in St Martin Church in Ochaby, Poland

The funeral of 11-month-old baby Karol Rozycki, at the Church of St Martin in Ochaby, Poland

The 11-month-old baby boy who died in Killarney last weekend was yesterday laid to rest in his mother's hometown in rural Poland.

The funeral of little Karol Rozycki took place amid heartbreaking scenes at the Church of St Martin in the small village of Ochaby, 30 minutes outside the city of Bielsko-Biala in south Poland.

Villagers and Anna Rozycka's family and friends joined the devastated young mother to show solidarity and support just six days after she discovered Karol's lifeless body at their apartment in Park Place, Killarney.

Ms Rozycka, who works at the Aghadoe Heights Hotel in Killarney, clutched her son's much-loved cuddly toy and white roses as the tiny white coffin was brought into the church. A beautiful pictorial portrait of baby Karol playing was placed at the side of the altar.

In his homily Fr Marek Rozycki, a relative of Anna said: "No one among us could imagine that we would be gathered here in such circumstances. But God decided that after 11 months with us Karol would go back to him.

"Now, we are sure that Karol is happy, and nothing bad will happen to him again, only goodness. He brought our family a lot of happiness, goodness, and a beautiful smile."

The infant's body was repatriated from Dublin on Friday, accompanied by his grieving mother and his grandmother Teresa, who had flown to Ireland earlier last week to comfort her daughter. The child would have celebrated his first birthday on April 17.

A 32-year-old man who was found critically injured at the apartment was pronounced dead last Thursday.

Andrzej Piolunowicz was taken to Kerry University Hospital in Tralee last Sunday.

He was then transferred from to Cork University Hospital on Tuesday after his condition deteriorated and also due to the nature of his injuries, understood to be self-inflicted stab wounds.

In a statement released on Ms Rozycka's behalf, she thanked the people of Killarney and the public for their support. "Me and my family are proud to be the part of this community. We have met a lot of wonderful people to whom we want to express our gratitude."

A bank account has been set up at the Ulster Bank in Killarney to help Ms Rozycka with the cost of repatriation for yesterday's funeral.

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A document headed "estimated cost of Ecocem" was seized from an Irish Cement premises during a dawn raid by the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC), the High Court has heard.

Ecocem is a rival of Irish Cement that produces an type of environmentally friendly cement.

The document was taken by a Competition and Consumer Protection Commission official during a raid of an Irish Cement premises in Platin, Co Meath, according to an affidavit read to the court by counsel for Irish Cement Paul Sreenan SC.

The raid was in connection with alleged abuse of a dominant position in the Irish bagged cement sector by Irish Cement, a subsidiary of the building materials giant CRH.

The case at the High Court centres on whether the CCPC was entitled to seize emails within a crh.com email account, owned by CRH executive Seamus Lynch, that were unrelated to the business of Irish Cement.

Mr Lynch had previously been managing director of Irish Cement but was no longer in the role at the time of the search last May.
Former Anglo Irish Bank boss David Drumm will be appearing in court in Dublin tomorrow.

Mr Drumm is due to fly back from Boston to face 33 charges in the Criminal Courts of Justice.

Last month, the former Anglo chief waived his right to challenge his extradition from the US.

In late February, lawyers for former Anglo Irish Bank chief executive David Drumm wrote to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) to express their concern about the 'delay' in extraditing him from the United States.

The Sunday Independent reported that Drumm's solicitor, Michael Staines, wrote to the DPP to tell them that the US authorities had completed all the steps required for the former banker's return to Dublin.

All that remained was for the Irish authorities to provide the US Marshals Service with a date to effect Mr Drumm's removal, he said.

Expand Close David Drumm, the former Anglo Irish Bank chief, outside court in Boston. / Facebook

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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.

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 expressed their frustration at the time 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 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.

Mr Drumm was detained at the Plymouth County Correctional Facility, near Boston.
The State will pay a six-figure sum to the widower of Savita Halappanavar, who sued for damages over his wife's death three years ago, according to informed sources.

The Health Service Executive (HSE) reached an out-of-court settlement with Praveen Halappanavar on Thursday.

Informed sources said the settlement is a six-figure sum and could "approach 1m".

The agreement brings an end to the protracted legal actions and inquiries launched into Ms Halappanavar's death from blood poisoning, while she was suffering a miscarriage in Galway University Hospital in 2012.

Her death shocked Ireland and led to a change in Ireland's abortion laws, and the HSE later apologised for her death.

Praveen Halappanavar's personal injury action against the HSE and the consultant, Dr Katherine Astbury, the consultant obstetrician responsible for Ms Halappanavar's care, was due to open in the High Court last week.

Mr Halappanavar, who now lives in the US, was expected to return to Ireland to testify. He was not in the High Court on Thursday when the judge was told that the claim had been settled.

In 2013, the HSE issued an "unreserved apology" for Ms Halappanavar's death, after a report found serious failings in her care.

Praveen Halappanavar's claim against the HSE listed more than 30 grounds of alleged negligence and that his wife's constitutional right to life was breached. The case was managed by the State Claims Agency on behalf of the HSE and Dr Astbury.

Ms Halappanavar, a 31-year-old dentist, was admitted to Galway University Hospital when she was 17 weeks pregnant. She was suffering a miscarriage, but a developing infection went undetected. She was repeatedly refused a termination because the foetal heartbeat was present. Days later, she went into septic shock and died.

An inquest into her death found that she died of medical misadventure. The inquest heard that Ms Halappanavar asked for a termination on several occasions but was told an abortion could not be carried out under Irish law as her life did not appear to be in danger at that time.

In his personal injury action, Mr Halappanavar alleged that the HSE paid too much emphasis on the presence of the foetal heartbeat and ignored his wife's right to life and her right to appropriate medical treatment. Her death caused great suffering, mental distress and hurt to her family. Mr Halappanavar sought aggravated, punitive and exemplary damages from the HSE.

The HSE is also reported to have made an out-of-court settlement with Ms Halappanavar's parents, Akkamahadevi and Andanappa Yalagi, and her two older brothers.

A later investigation by the health watchdog, Hiqa, criticised her medical team and said there were "many missed opportunities" which, if acted on, could have changed the outcome for Ms Halappanavar.

Galway University Hospital has said that nine of the 30 medical staff who treated Savita were disciplined. The remaining 21 staff had no case to answer. Some staff received counselling, mentoring and training, others received written warnings.

It emerged last year that the Medical Council will take no action against Dr Katherine Astbury.

The Lord Mayor of Galway, Padraig Conneely, lodged a complaint about Dr Astbury, but the Medical Council informed him that no action would be taken.
A specialist army search team using high-tech scanning equipment for detecting underground bunkers began sweeping a Dublin warehouse yesterday, where gardai believe that weapons from the Regency Hotel attack are still concealed.

Detectives are satisfied that the arsenal of weapons used by the hit team - four AK 47s and two handguns - were brought back to the industrial unit in Coolock shortly after the military-style attack on February 5 last.

The Sunday Independent can reveal that members of the National Surveillance Unit and the anti-terrorist Special Detective Unit (SDU) had the warehouse under surveillance for the past two weeks.

The deadly assault rifles were loaned to the Hutch gang by the so-called New IRA for use in the audacious attack, in which drug dealer David Byrne was shot dead and two associates injured.

The gang had intended to take out Daniel Kinahan, the leader of the Kinahan crime cartel, and several of his associates, but they arrived too late.

Gardai, who were working on top-grade intelligence, had decided to wait it out until the dissident republicans considered it safe enough to return the weapons to the North.

On Wednesday, Donegal man Shane Rowan (39) was arrested when the Emergency Response Unit stopped him near Slane, County Meath, and found three AK 47s which security sources said were used in the Regency attack.

Rowan from Forest Park, Killygordan in Donegal, was followed by undercover officers after he visited the Coolock warehouse and drove towards the Border.

On Friday night, he was charged at the Special Criminal Court with possession of the assault rifles, three magazines and 75 rounds of ammunition at Tuiterath, Balrath, Slane, Co Meath, on March 9.

Mr Rowan was also charged with membership of an unlawful organisation, styling itself the Irish Republican Army, otherwise Oglaigh na hEireann, otherwise the IRA.

Gardai believe that the rest of the arsenal, including a fourth AK 47 and the two handguns, which were photographed in the hands of two hit men, are still concealed somewhere in the warehouse.

Senior officers decided to call in the specialist team from the Army Ordnance Corps after two earlier searches failed to turn up the weapons.

It is understood that the military team is equipped with scanning devices capable of detecting bunkers or chambers hidden in walls and underground.

The seizure of the three weapons was one of the highlights of a week which saw the gardai mounting a massive counter-offensive against organised crime that has not been seen in 20 years.

The huge investigation, sparked by the murders of David Byrne and Eddie Hutch, has taken on a dramatic momentum, with security sources expressing confidence that several gang members are likely to be charged with murder and other serious offences.

Detectives have identified the six-man Regency hit team, which included a former IRA member from Tyrone and close associates of gangster Gary Hutch, the nephew of crime boss Gerry 'The Monk' Hutch, whose murder sparked the current feud.

They have also identified up to six individuals who collected the hit team and their weapons immediately after the attack.

It is understood that gardai are planning a series of arrests and further searches over the coming days and weeks.

Up to 250 officers are involved in the multilayered investigation, which includes the Byrne and Hutch murders and a wider operation to smash the two drug gangs and seize their wealth.

On the same day that the murder weapons were recovered in Meath, the Criminal Assets Bureau seized over 1m worth of top-of-the-range cars, jewellery and cash when they raided several homes and business premises connected with the extended family of David Byrne, who are the Kinahan's business partner.

In further searches on Thursday, detectives from the South Central Division also seized cash, jewellery and documentation, including tracking devices.

As part of the overall strategy, senior gardai have confirmed that they expect to use the Witness Protection Programme to accommodate members of both gangs who decide to turn state witnesses.

"People who were not involved in the murder are suddenly finding themselves in a lot of trouble because they agreed to hide or move weapons, or render other logistical assistance in the attacks," said a senior source.

"The overall strategy involves a multilayered strategic plan, which has factored in the very likely possibility that gang members from either the Kinahan or Hutch sides decide that it is in their best interests to become state witnesses.

"This investigation is probably one of the biggest since the murder of Veronica Guerin, because like that case, the feud between the Kinahans and the Hutchs is a milestone in criminal history and must be met with robust and implacable force.

"As can be seen over the past week, when we are given the resources, An Garda Siochana can get the job done. This ongoing operation has been a huge morale boost for our people," the source added.
LEADER: Enda Kenny on his way to see President Higgins at the Aras. Photo: Tom Burke

For the last five years, I have been chief speechwriter to the Taoiseach Enda Kenny. Fine Gael might not be my natural political habitat, but I believe in Enda Kenny. I admire his compassion, his insight, his ordinariness, his warmth, his feminism, his huge intellect. That noise you hear is the self-appointed Hibernian intelligentsia guffawing. Jackasses, knock yourselves out.

It's been a hectic but terrific five years, not least since the Department of An Taoiseach is run by a consummate professional and gentleman, Martin Fraser. I was privileged to work with the Taoiseach on his most effective speeches, particularly on the State apology to the women of the Magdalen laundries.

Having spent so much time with the women, he wanted to do them justice. Since I had gone to a convent school with a Magdalen laundry attached, I had insight that would help. The Obama tribute lines that were 'plagiarism'? God help us. With Barack Obama himself listening and the world's media watching, nobody would ever know.

It is a measure of Enda Kenny as Taoiseach and as a man, that no matter how late it was, or how tired he was - and boy, does he work - if a speech happened to go especially well, I would get a text or a call to say "thank you". I would say what all speechwriters do. 'Delighted. But remember, it's your speech, not mine'.

Since taoisigh and prime ministers have non-stop schedules, usually they have a team of writers and one person they like to work with on particular speeches.

Someone who knows them, what makes them tick, what they believe in, what they read, the kind of things they want to say. That writer thinks, reads, they have a brain.

Over the years then, I have been bemused by the stories that I work only on the "language" of the Taoiseach's speeches. Something that was news to us both. But could it be because I am a woman? And it is accepted that women who are speechwriters to leaders of countries are a veritable tundra of thought.

Intellectually barren, we take the naturally gigantic thoughts of men and magic up words around them. In our homes, we don't have furniture, we have a Versailles of mots.

My teenagers lounge on angelicity. My favourite reading spot is under superflux. In place of a fridge, I have a famished castle which I lent to the playwright and columnist Hilary Fannin. A woman. My pets are asphyxia and congealment.

We women speechwriters leave the anti-convulsants in the box, lest we miss a verbal tic. We scry into rain-barrels at the full moon, watch carefully the habits of voles, examine the scat of foxes, make barefoot circles in the dew, "sound our barbaric yawp" through the suburbs, are devotees of Madame Blavatsky and John Dee. We are Rainwomen of language.

Big men think big thoughts, which they pass to us. Then we little women apply emotion and ejaculation. Tears and Tourettes. Patriarchy as chips on our ickle shoulders? Not a bit of it. We have a lip for curry sauce.

Since we are the political incarnation of Amma, would you like a hug with that?

But little women are prone too to the horrifying epiphanies that we know, once they are mansplained to us, are a kind of pre-thought. We'd never cope with the real thing. Pre-thoughts, like, say, that globally QE has failed, growth is mostly fumes, the entire financial architecture on which we have built our lives must change.

Little women worry uselessly about climate change and the wind in Ireland - reader, do you wonder about that wind? - and the colour of the grass that my sister and I call emergency green.

Little women feel for the people of Lahinch opening their front door to what looks like the entire Atlantic, spilling the souls of our coffin-ship dead.

Rinsed of thought, we wonder when the State will start giving us grants to weather-proof our homes? Those tiny three-bed semis we bought at Cote d'Azur prices were never built to withstand the north-Atlantic monstrosities excavating Bronze Age forests and disappearing Massey Fergusons.

We worry too about other little women and the little men sitting frightened in houses they are about to lose, or will never own, despite a lifetime working to pay for them. Transfixed in our kitchens, we wonder was it gift or instinct that saw us paint them Dead Flat in Mouse's Back and Savage Ground and Bone and Borrowed Light and Elephant's Breath and Twine and Mizzle, the colours of insanity or entanglement, amnesia or oblivion?

We are conscious of the karma of children, mothers and fathers condemned to 'a family life' in hotels and B&Bs.

And we watch politics in modern democracies and the rise and rise of the professional advisor class, with good suits and better teeth. You can tell a lot by the smile of a nation.

A couple of years ago, I flew to be with my son the day he buried his friend. After the funeral, we came upon Jean-Claude Juncker and his apparently all-blond, all-blue-suited election entourage, their glossy, snub-nosed people-carrier nudging its way across the cobbles of a European city. Sharpshooters on the roofs, haughty locals in black, sneering at sweating Germans and the M&S Teal-and-Turquoise mob. All of us the popolo minuto - the little people - held behind scorched barriers, while the professional Europeans swept past us to an ancient palace scorched by the Bonfire of the Vanities.

All of us Europeans, all of us democrats, but I wondered if for those of us outside the barriers, our votes had become homage?

And if they had, what did that mean for our Union of Peoples? And particularly now, with an ocean of humanity crashing against our borders, but leaving our conscience and comfort untouched?

But I am encouraged and relieved by Jean-Claude Juncker's insight into the refugee crisis and Europe's political and moral obligation. Like Angela Merkel, when it comes to the refugees, Juncker is showing humanity, strength and leadership. Not a focus group in sight.

Back home, now that gender quotas are working in the Dail, let them work too in the backrooms. Let the parties hire more women and when they do a good job, pay them as much as the men. (I have a friend opening a cafe soon; 10pc discount if you speak Gaeilge, 20pc off for women to reflect the gender pay gap.)

And to the government parties in particular, I say hire people who tell you what you need to hear. And women can be fierce prone to that. No actual thought, though. Just the blessing of the idiot savant, the curse of the extra X chromosome.

Surround yourselves with people who know what it's like to have chest pain when the bills drop like bombs into the hall; who know the lunatic agony of a toothache when they can't afford the dentist.

Find people who have experienced what it's like to live on the minimum wage or have survived on the dole. Or gender-fixed or gender-fluid, someone who volunteers in the community?

I have to admit, I'm a late recruit to the gender-equality war. Over the last 25 years, I joined many women in the grand silence.

It goes on to this day. If we need jobs, clients, projects, we roll our eyes at each other, say the Serenity Prayer and carry on.

Yet, in every sector, every day, women are shrunk to fit the tiniest version of themselves. But it's life, it's the cultcha. And to keep a roof over our heads, the banks want our principal, not our principles.

It was motherhood made me a feminist. With my son, I was determined he would be a man who valued and respected women. He's almost 19 now and bingo.

With my daughter? In her career, I want her to be recognised and rewarded for her intelligence and the quality of her work, not be defined or diminished or mansplained by her gender.

Now the 31st Dail is over and my writing contract is up. Right now, I'm polishing up my CV for Frank Underwood, though truth be told, I don't have the stomach for a threesome with Claire. Or a twosome with anyone.

And if you happen to bump into Birgitte on a gleaming morning in Copenhagen? Maybe you'd put in a word. For my words.

And ask her, please, where she finds those beautiful earrings? Cos, you know, we're women.
Back in business: Micheal Martin and his team of Fianna Fail TDs at Leinster House last week as they arrived for the first sitting of the new Dail. Photo: Niall Carson

Michael Moynihan took a sheet of plain white paper and scribbled on it: "Fianna Fail, 41 seats."

He wrote the date - April 29, 2015 - signed his name and slipped the sheet into an equally plain white envelope. He gave it to a close friend for safe keeping until after the election.

Colleagues describe Moynihan as a "man who listens more than talks". True to form, he kept his prediction to himself. He thought people would baulk at it.

When the General Election kicked off, he didn't feel the need to go on radio and argue with broadcasters and political commentators who, he says, "wouldn't know their arse from their elbow".

But the five-term Cork North West TD who, as chair of Fianna Fail's constituency committee, was central to the party's election planning, preferred to operate below the radar of the commentariat.

He spent the last three years doing laps of the country in his car, meeting TDs, councillors and grassroots members where a story about a brash young Fine Gael TD was often told.

Weeks into the coalition Government in 2011, the first-time TD approached Moynihan and his colleague, Dara Calleary in the Dail bar.

He bragged that Fine Gael's election victory signalled the end of Fianna Fail. Members would now abandon the party en masse.

The "respectful element" would join Fine Gael and the "rougher types" would sign up to Sinn Fein.

The Fine Gael TD has lost his seat but his story, recounted in pubs and town hall meetings across the country, only served to bolster the very party he intended to do down.

"They became more arrogant in four weeks than we did in four years," a senior Fianna Fail figure said.

People like Michael Moynihan helped Fianna Fail win 44 seats in the General Election. However, Fianna Fail's achievement was five years in the making.

From the ashes of electoral disaster in 2011, Micheal Martin, his five-strong inner sanctum and his quietly loyal deputies began the process of rebuilding the party, passing on the presidential election, going hell for leather for the locals in 2014.

Despite being consigned to non-existence by its political revivals, things were looking good for Fianna Fail on the ground.

People were having a bad time of it, especially in rural areas, but the venomous anger trained on Fianna Fail in the 2011 General Election was no longer there.

"From Bantry to Donegal and everywhere in between, candidates were saying they were getting a great response but no one believed them," Moynihan said.

But Martin was having a hard time of it too.

TDs were stamping their feet at parliamentary party meetings, insisting that not enough was being done by Martin to bring the soldiers of destiny back to the frontline of national politics.

Agitators were making no secret of their disquiet with Martin, who was regularly forced to deny that his leadership of the party was under threat.

The opinion polls didn't help. Fianna Fail wasn't really moving far from the 17pc it held in the party's worst general election in modern history.

Bertie Ahern, the former taoiseach, and Mary Hanafin, the former minister who lost her seat and was trying to stage a comeback, also made life difficult for Micheal Martin, sniping from the sidelines.

The grassroots didn't care.

A senior Fianna Fail source said: "I asked a seasoned campaigner in a rural constituency if the Hanafin debacle would have any impact on the election. And he looked at me and said, 'That's all going on in Dublin, what do we care about all that?'"

Fianna Fail cleaned up in the locals, becoming the biggest party in local government and found itself an array of willing candidates who actually wanted to run for a party that only a couple of years earlier had been considered toxic.

It was time. In September of that year, Micheal Martin called a meeting of his most trusted lieutenants in Rochestown Park Hotel in Douglas, Cork. It was time to look to the nationals.

Moynihan was there, as was Martin's long-time adviser, Deirdre Gillane, Fianna Fail general secretary Sean Dorgan, the assistant general secretary, Darragh McShea and the party's head of communications, Pat McParland.

Despite the magnitude of the task at hand, they were a tight-knit and secretive group.

"We could trust no one. If someone sneezed wrong, it was on the front page of the newspapers and there was suddenly a crisis in Fianna Fail," a source said.

They mulled over every constituency in the country. The pros and cons of each candidate were thrashed out and preliminary decisions were made.

Over the following months, town hall meetings were held around the country in conjunction with regular Fianna Fail cumann gatherings.

Martin, who prides himself on being a man with an ear to the ground, was out there with them.

"Since the locals, Micheal has been out two or three times a week with the representatives. He would come back and say, 'People aren't feeling the recovery,'" said one source.

Out of that, came the 'Ireland for All' slogan that was to be Fianna Fail's pitch to the electorate.

Research confirmed what the party was on the right track: it showed that people wanted better public services, not necessarily tax cuts, and it also threw up that fact that people didn't believe a change of government equalled "chaos".

Last September, Sean Dorgan presented it to the parliamentary party in Leinster House.

When the election was called two months ago, Fianna Fail had done its homework. The slogan was in the bag, the campaign posters were in storage and the candidates strained at the bit.

Nothing prepared the party's inner circle for what one observer called the slow-mo, low-impact 'minor collision' that Fine Gael's campaign turned out to be.

Fianna Fail's campaign headquarters was a couple of rooms on the fourth floor of a building on Mount Street with a big television screen. The campaign foot soldiers were mostly twenty-somethings who knew how to work social media.

Billy Kelleher was appointed director of elections after Pat Carey decided to step aside.

Peter McDonagh, another veteran of the Ahern era, returned to Dublin for the campaign from the Czech Republic, where he lives with his family. Hence the nickname "child of Prague".

For the 21 days of the campaign, Martin's core team met each morning at 8am and again at 7pm.

The meetings lasted 45 minutes "max", said one insider. Martin McMackin, PR director and former Fianna Fail general secretary, was brought in to chair them.

There were no blow-ups, one strategist claimed. They were all on the same page.

"You don't need big, long meetings. They were very aware of what was going on. They just had to make any decisions that were needed and get on with it," he said.

Fianna Fail embarked on a "steady as she goes" campaign that followed a slight upward incline. Martin performed well in the debates. The polls didn't inspire but nor did they spark hysteria.

The team was becoming quietly more confident. On the last Saturday of the General Election campaign, the ping of texts rang out within Micheal Martin's inner circle.

Enda Kenny had just delivered Micheal Martin's team one of the highs of its election campaign when he stood on a platform in Castlebar and condemned the local "whingers".

"We couldn't believe he said it. Then the next day, we couldn't believe that he said he wasn't going to apologise for saying it," said one insider.

Seven days later, they watched on in near disbelief as returning officers stood up in cattle marts and town halls to announce the names of the successful Fianna Fail candidates. The final count had them at 44 seats, six off Fine Gael.

It was unimaginable and even gave Fianna Fail the upper hand ahead of government negotiations.

Last Thursday as TDs bustled into Leinster House for the beginning of the new Dail term, Moynihan and his pal opened the envelope that had been sealed almost a year earlier and took out the note inside.

"Fianna Fail, 41 seats," stared back him.

An underestimation, as it turned out. But he was proud of the prediction, nonetheless.

On Thursday night, after 10 hours of Dail pantomime of not voting in the next Taoiseach, Moynihan got into his car to make the three-hour drive back to his home in Mallow.

The next morning, many of his colleagues back in the Big Smoke nursed hangovers from the "first-day-back drinks the night before in Leinster House.

Moynihan got up to do the school run. Then it was back to constituency duties and planning for the next election.
Mr McGuinness has made no secret of his belief that Fianna Fail should enter into a coalition with Fine Gael .Pic Tom Burke

Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny had a lengthy discussion with rebel Fianna Fail TD John McGuinness about the formation of the next government, the Sunday Independent can reveal.

The conversation is understood to be the first time Mr Kenny has spoken in detail about the future of the country with a member of Fianna Fail.

The meeting, which sources said "happened by chance" on the street outside Leinster House on Wednesday night, was not sanctioned by either party.

However, onlookers said the rival politicians spoke at length about the recent General Election and the possibility of forming a stable government.

A source said Mr McGuinness encountered Mr Kenny and former Fine Gael TD Tom Barry near Merrion Square in Dublin City Centre.

Around 10 minutes after Mr McGuinness arrived, Mr Barry parted company with them, leaving the rival politicians to speak for a significant length of time.

"Clearly they were discussing the future of Irish politics and the outcome of the General Election," a source said.

Mr McGuinness has made no secret of his belief that Fianna Fail should enter into a coalition with Fine Gael.

However, his view is not shared by sections of his party who fear leaving Sinn Fein as the lead opposition party.

Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin is among those against entering into a coalition with Fine Gael.

Mr Kenny has yet to state publicly his preferred option but Fine Gael insiders believe he is leaning towards a 'grand coalition' with his party's civil war rivals.

Contacted by the Sunday Independent, Mr McGuinness and Mr Barry refused to comment on what both insisted was a private conversation.

A spokesman for Mr Kenny said the Fine Gael leader "talks to everybody".
The Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin is prepared to support a Fine Gael-led minority government on a vote-by-vote basis, the Sunday Independent can reveal.

A 'confidence and supply' deal between the two parties would see the Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny secure a second term as Taoiseach.

Fianna Fail will demand key policy concessions in return for not voting against a Fine Gael-led minority administration on budget and confidence issues.

But Fianna Fail will this week also step up its efforts to win support from Independent TDs and smaller parties to support Mr Martin for Taoiseach.

And the party will expect a 'confidence and supply' deal with Fine Gael if Mr Martin wins more support than Mr Kenny for Taoiseach on March 22.

Senior sources in both parties yesterday said a "formal arrangement" would be reached. "A verbal contract isn't worth the paper it is written on," a senior Fianna Fail source said.

Mr Martin last week put in place a team to negotiate with Independent TDs and smaller parties with a strict condition that no 'sweetheart' deals would be offered.

The Fianna Fail negotiators, Michael McGrath, Barry Cowen, Jim O'Callaghan and Charlie McConalogue, have been instructed to negotiate on policy-issue details only.

Read More

This is in contrast to the position adopted by Mr Kenny, who has offered Cabinet, Minister of State and Oireachtas committee chairman positions to Independents and others in return for supporting his nomination as Taoiseach.

Last week, the Sunday Independent revealed that Mr Kenny was making a 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.

Yesterday, several Cabinet ministers told the Sunday Independent that such a government "could not be ruled out".

But a senior Fianna Fail source yesterday said Sinn Fein's "antics" in the Dail last week had made certain that there would be no 'grand coalition'. Agriculture minister, Simon Coveney also said Sinn Fein's "disruptive tactics" were a "reality check", which would focus the minds of those trying to form a government. He accused Sinn Fein of seeking to take "every possible opportunity to gain political advantage and embarrass other parties."

Mr Kenny is now expected to turn to Mr Martin within weeks, if not days, to seek support for a Fine Gael-led minority government.

The Fine Gael leader is understood to favour a 'grand coalition' and had let it be known that he is willing to divide Cabinet seats on a 50/50 basis. But Mr Kenny was told at a meeting of ministers last week that a Fine Gael-led minority government supported by Fianna Fail was the most likely outcome.

Mr Kenny is being advised to "run down the clock" to put Mr Martin under pressure to make a move before the Dail returns in two weeks.

"He will make the call himself but that might not be for some time. We need to put the responsibility back on Fianna Fail," a senior Fine Gael source said.

Read More

Should Independents and other parties support Fianna Fail on the basis of agreed policy issues, including parliamentary reform, the prospect exists that Mr Martin could win more support than Mr Kenny for Taoiseach.

In those circumstances, the Fianna Fail leader would then ask Fine Gael to support a Fianna Fail minority government.

Last night, a senior Fianna Fail source said: "There will be no return to the constituency-type deals we have seen in the past." The offer of Cabinet positions to Independents and smaller parties is also understood to be off the table.

At the moment, Mr Kenny is certain of 50 votes for Taoiseach and Mr Martin is assured of 43.

Last night, a senior Labour source said the party would not support Mr Kenny's nomination for Taoiseach on March 22, nor was it willing to be part of the next government.

However, should Independents and others either continue to abstain or decide to support the Fine Gael leader, Mr Kenny would remain favourite to be Taoiseach, but would still need the agreement of Fianna Fail to form a more stable minority government.

In those circumstances, Mr Martin is understood to favour a 'confidence and supply' arrangement to support a Fine Gael minority government led by Mr Kenny.

There is a growing view within both Fine Gael and Fianna Fail that a 'confidence and supply' deal can be arranged between the two parties, similar to the minority government arrangement that has existed between the main parties in New Zealand.

However, Fine Gael remains concerned that Fianna Fail could withdraw support at short notice and collapse such a government.

Read More

Mr Kenny will demand firm commitments from Mr Martin related to the duration of a minority government.

"Any government that Fine Gael leads, that relies on Fianna Fail supporting from Opposition benches, I think will be in quite a perilous position, given how they might potentially use that," a Cabinet minister said.

"We are not interested in being in government with no power. If you can't make decisions, you can't fulfil a mandate."

'Confidence and supply' is an agreement that is more loose than a formal coalition. Under such a deal, a smaller party (or number of parties) backs a larger party in government on a vote-by-vote basis, in exchange for policy concessions, on budget and other key votes that could otherwise bring a government down if they did not pass.

Fine Gael intends to seek a commitment from Fianna Fail that a minority government would last a full five-year term. However, Fianna Fail believes a deal could be reached for up to two years to implement agreed policies on crucial issues such as housing/homelessness, rural regeneration and health.

Under a 'confidence and supply' arrangement, a Fine Gael-led minority government would be obliged to consult Fianna Fail on all matters, including the broad outline of a legislative programme, key legislative measures, major policy issues, broad budget parameters and policy issues and legislative measures to which Fianna Fail is likely to be particularly sensitive.

If the New Zealand model is to be adopted, consultation would occur in a "timely fashion" to ensure that Fianna Fail views would be incorporated into final decision-making.

Other co-operation would include access to relevant ministers, regular meetings between the Mr Kenny and Mr Martin, advance notification to the other of significant announcements by either Fine Gael or Fianna Fail before any public announcement.
'Empty nest' mothers are increasingly turning to booze to combat loneliness and isolation after their children have left home, experts have warned.

Addiction specialists are worried about a new cohort of problem drinkers - women in their 50s who suddenly find themselves with time on their hands and start feeling that their life is without purpose.

Solitary wine drinking is highlighted as a particularly high-risk activity, which can result into a slide towards severe alcoholism.

Two leading Dublin-based addiction experts confirm all income groups are at risk. However, middle-class mothers, with disposable income, should be especially aware of their alcohol intake.

Gerry Cooney, senior addiction counsellor in Dublin's Rutland Centre, said middle-aged mothers seeking help is a growing phenomenon.

"Children have often been their primary focus. But when these women suddenly have loads of time on their hands, it's a huge lifestyle change.

"It's a void that has to be filled and some women struggle with that," he said.

"For some women, it's not acceptable to be out drinking very heavily in public, as is the case with men. But it can mean they're drinking lots at home - and in secret.

"This is an age group with increased addiction problems and empty nest syndrome would partly explain it."

In his experience, men often fail to adequately support a wife or partner who may have developed a drinking problem.

Some husbands become "enablers", he said, as they may be heavy drinkers themselves.

"Generally, men are less supportive to their drinking wives than women are to their drinking husbands. Therefore, women may not be getting help they desperately need.

"Some men take it personally and believe their other half's heavy drinking is a reflection on them. They question whether she is happy in the marriage, or if they are a bad husband or parent. So the reaction can be to underplay or ignore it.

"Addiction is a progressive problem, but if people are enabling or accommodating it, it gradually becomes more serious, and with greater consequences. The smartest people get into trouble. Rationality and intelligence don't come into play when it comes to making good decisions about substances that change our mood."

Women face greater health risks from alcohol than men - and the onset of drink- related health problems begins earlier. Women are more vulnerable to tissue damage, cirrhosis of the liver and increased risk of breast cancer.

Drinking one standard alcoholic drink a day is associated with a 9pc increase in the risk of developing the illness.

Alcohol counsellor Rolande Anderson says drinking among older women remains a "big problem".

"When they feel their role is complete, and the children have moved out, a flatness can set in. There is a propensity among some women to drink wine regularly - sometimes a bottle a day - and they think nothing of it."
Former Clerys workers who lost their jobs protested outside the Dublin store on Saturday to mark the ninth month since its closure.

Clerys was bought by the Natrium Constortium, which bought it for 29m in June of last year.

The iconic site on Dublin's O'Connell Street entered into receivership before being scooped up by Natrium.

The closure in led to the loss of 460 jobs and workers were sacked without notice or redundancy payments.

At the time, Natrium announced the site would be developed into a retail zone with luxury apartments, but no progress has been made since.

The workers staged a protest outside the landmark Dublin store on Saturday and demanded a meeting with the store's new owners.

Teresa Hannick, SIPTU Sector organiser, said workers are being ignored.

"Meet with the workers, that's all they've asked," Ms Hannick said when speaking to Newstalk.

"They've tried to contact Natrium and its directors in Dublin and London. They have tried every avenue through the Government, ministers, through IPTU to IBEC and still they have been ignored, totally ignored.

"And all we're looking for, all these workers are looking for, is somebody to meet with them and treat them with respect."
MISCHIEF: Rhys Malone-Casley decided to dive-bomb his aunts wedding dress as she walked up the aisle of St Marys Church in Lucan

Rhys in his ring-bearers outfit with his cousin Beth, who is the bride and grooms daughter

The bride whose nephew decided to dive-bomb her wedding dress as she was walking up the aisle has said that the four-year-old simply wanted to hold her hand.

Tanya Monaghan, who is currently on honeymoon with her husband Mark, has been amazed to see how the clip of her nephew Rhys landing in the full skirt of her dress has gone viral.

The video has made television news reports in New Zealand and America as well as here and in the UK and is gaining hits on YouTube every minute, reaching more than 100,000 views already.

Tanya said she thinks her nephew just wanted to do what he had done at the rehearsal a couple of days before the wedding last week. "When we were at the wedding rehearsal he took my hand and walked up the aisle with me and I think that he wanted to do that on the day and he was just trying to get to me to hold his hand," she said.

Rhys is her sister Andrea's son and was intended to be the ring-bearer.

However, as they waited in the church porch before setting off up the aisle, the four-year-old had a last-minute change of heart: "He wasn't interested in the cushion. I didn't mind, I was very relaxed," Tanya explained.

She revealed that, as she began to walk up the aisle of St Mary's Church in Lucan, Co Dublin, she heard him approaching behind her.

"I heard the footsteps then heard the gasps from our guests and looked around. He had landed slap bang in the middle of the dress."

After the mishap, he turned to the bride's father, Anthony Malone, and said, "Ga Ga, it was a fluffy cloud."
The bullets, which resemble those used in an AK 47

Workers at a company operating windfarms formerly owned by the Quinn Group have been warned to stay away or "face the bullet".

A chilling handwritten message, accompanied by three bullets, was left near the company's premises during the week. The message ends with the words: "Final warning."

A spokesman for the company concerned, Vestas, confirmed it had received a warning letter and said it is engaging with the relevant authorities.

A cross-border police investigation is underway following a fresh outbreak of hostilities over the former Quinn Group.

Police in Northern Ireland have warned Liam McCaffrey, the chief executive of Quinn Industrial Holdings (QIH) - which bought some of the Quinn Group's former assets - to review his personal security in recent weeks, according to informed sources. It is understood that a director of the company, John McCartin, a Fine Gael councillor, has been advised on security by gardai.

Mr McCaffrey was a key player in bringing Sean Quinn back into the fold after a group put together by Quinn supporters bought back some of the businesses he was ousted from over his massive debts. Mr Quinn returned to the group's old headquarters amid jubilant scenes in late 2014 and was appointed as a consultant to the business.

It is understood that police believe the threats directed against senior management in the company are of a general nature rather than specific.

Investors who financed the management team's takeover of the former Quinn Group companies, have also been briefed on the police investigations into the alleged threats.

The developments mark a sinister return to the threats and intimidation that dogged the Quinn Group companies after the bank placed them in receivership in 2011. It follows a prolonged period of calm that started when his former management team, backed by US investors, took over former Quinn Group packaging and building businesses in 2014.

Sources say that in recent months, differences have emerged between Sean Quinn and the management team over the future of Quinn Industrial Holdings, and Mr Quinn's role in the business.

A local group called Concerned Irish Citizens, which led a Facebook campaign to return the old Quinn Group companies to their founder, began posting messages critical of the management team at QIH earlier this year.

Mantlin, the owner of a former Quinn windfarm in the area, said it was "very concerned" about the message the incidents were sending out: "As an EU company which has invested in the Northern Ireland energy market, we are very concerned about the message these aggravated attacks are sending out about investment in Fermanagh."

In a statement, a spokesperson for the Quinn family said: "Sean has repeatedly condemned acts of sabotage and intimidation made against Quinn companies and management, his statements were widely reported in the national media at that time."

"Unfortunately, in recent times, certain security firms have again been engaged by some of the parties, their involvement has previously led to an escalation of tension."
Premium

Brendan OConnor Opinion The jig is up as Feis fixing has former winners like me reeling

As the holder of the Marie Cranny Perpetual cup for Extempore and Public Speaking (Under 15s) in Feis Maitiu in, of all years, 1984, I would like to use this platform to say this feis-fixing scandal has sullied my legacy, and that of all other holders of the cup down the years (you had to give it back at the end of the year).
My Week: Conor McGregor*

Monday: I wake up. Although, of course, I have not actually been asleep. No, no, my friend. Not in the way that other, mere mortal people sleep. Instead I have trained myself to metaphysicise; I have transmorgorified, I have metamorphisitised, I have fundamentally reimagined a way of resting my body, so that I am consciously wrestling with the inner movements of my muscles, even as my body believes it is sleeping. And while I do dat, my amigo, I am also full of the most beautiful feelings and emotions. My woman, my girl, the future first Lady of Ireland and myself, did go and promenade the town last night, with a pint of Guinness and my very good friend and training partner, Artem "The Russian Hammer" Lobov.
Premium

Dan O'Brien Opinion While we catastrophise about Covid, we ignore risk of running out of cash

We Irish view the world in an increasingly strange and unhealthy way. We catastrophise about Covid in a way other European countries do not. We focus on how bad the effects of the virus could get, on how many more restrictions might be imposed by Government and how helpless we are in the face of the virus.
Premium

New hospital for a tenner may come at too high a price

The Taoiseach is under a lot of pressure  the kind of pressure that leads to costly mistakes. It perhaps explains why he has been saying things that are not quite true. Micheal Martin is in a tight political corner. From all sides hes being told he has to get the contract signed for the new National Maternity Hospital.
I first met Adrian Hardiman in 1969, shortly after I had begun lecturing in UCD's history department. I did not then realise that it was a case of the best wine coming first: never again in four decades of teaching did I encounter such a remarkable student.

His intellectual ability was beyond doubt and went hand-in-hand with an open mind and an omnivorous appetite for knowledge. Already widely read for one so young, he was armed with an intelligence that was as original as it was muscular. The fearlessness, latterly regarded as characteristic of his Supreme Court judgments, was already apparent, and the fluency both of his essays and of his subsequent discussion in tutorials made him a joy to teach.

He soon made his mark in the wider university world, becoming auditor of the L&H, UCD's premier debating society, as well as president of the student representative council, an office then traditionally entitling the holder to a seat as a government nominee on the university's governing body. Convention decreed that the outgoing president of the SRC resign to create a vacancy for his successor. But Adrian Hardiman's outspoken opinions had already made him a divisive figure, and his predecessor denied him his place on the governing body by refusing to resign.

There was never any doubt about Adrian Hardiman's intention to pursue a legal career, but his fascination with history and his affection for UCD's history department never diminished. It found expression at the end of the 1970s when he and three other barristers who had also combined a degree in history with taking the King's Inns examinations - John MacMenamin (now a judge of the Supreme Court), Kevin Cross (now a judge of the High Court) and John Finlay (now a Senior Counsel) - established the Dudley Edwards Prize.

The annual prize was named in honour of Robin Dudley Edwards, UCD's larger than life Professor of Modern Irish History, who was then on the point of retirement. Competition for the prize, which was generously endowed, was fierce.

It involved writing an essay on a set historical topic; shortlisted candidates would then read and defend their essays in a public debate at which the donors would take turns in acting as adjudicators. Those evenings, which invariably concluded with the donors liberally entertaining their former teachers, became a high point in the history department's calendar.

But it was only one of the planks of my own enduring friendship with Adrian Hardiman. His phenomenal success as a barrister was no surprise to me, but I was surprised in 2000 when, at age 48, he confided in me about his opportunity to become a judge of the Supreme Court.

Indifferent to a dramatic drop in income at such an early age - he was then one of the highest earning Senior Counsels - he realised that his divisive reputation and close political affiliations with the Progressive Democrats meant that such an offer might not come again. He was also attracted by the opportunity to set his personal stamp upon the Supreme Court.

His extraordinary success in so doing was captured in the glowing tribute of Chief Justice Susan Denham on the day after his death when she described him as a "colossus of the legal world".

The same qualities, already apparent when he was a student and in his advocacy as a barrister, characterised his judgments: integrity, independence and utter indifference at the prospect of incurring the disapproval either of ministers or of An Garda Siochana.

He was never afflicted by the timidity which can inhibit judges on the Supreme Court, anxious to avoid government displeasure because of their ambitions to become Chief Justice.

A classic example was his dissenting judgment in April 2015, in what he termed "as significant a case on criminal law and evidence as any that has come before the Court in the last 25 years. It affects, in an important way, the rights and liberties of every citizen".

The Supreme Court, by a four-to-three majority decision, allowed the appeal by the Director of Public Prosecutions to alter the Supreme Court ruling in the Kenny case in 1990 that had excluded evidence obtained under circumstances where there was a breach of the Constitutional right, regardless of whether or not that breach was deliberate or the result of a mistake.

Mr Justice Hardiman's magisterial and eloquent dissent of 166 pages is devastating. It insisted that, "The rights of the ordinary citizen depend in the first place on the governments - successive governments - being rooted in a tradition of legality and lacking any positive desire to cut down the citizens rights."

He was "horrified that it is proposed to make 'inadvertence' a lawful excuse for State infringements of individuals' Constitutional rights". He pointed out that this will apply not only to gardai, but to other "officials with compulsory powers - tax inspectors, planning officials, water-meter installers, customs, and official enforcers of all kinds" - that "wider legally empowered class'" he described as the "force publique".

That goes to the heart of Adrian Hardiman's reverence for the Constitution: it must always stand for the rights of the individual, whenever those rights were threatened by the forces of the State.

He wrote many such judgments, yet still found the time and energy to pursue his historical interests and, freed from the relentless case-after-case grind of the successful barrister, used his years on the Supreme Court to write a wide range of historical lectures and essays. He had a particular interest in James Joyce's attitude to the law, as revealed in his treatment of a variety of legal cases in Ulysses, and had already completed a fascinating book on the subject which awaits publication.

His approach is that of the historian and he meticulously sets Joyce's work in its appropriate historical context while eschewing the metaphysical posturings of so many Joyceans.

But the trenchant eloquence of his public image gives no clue to the private man. He was immensely proud of his family: of his three sons Eoin, Hugh and Daniel, and of his wife, Yvonne Murphy, a retired Circuit Court judge, and in particular of her renown as the author of the Murphy Report and of the Cloyne Report into sexual abuse; and he was utterly devoted to his three grandchildren.

Convivial and always amusing, his encyclopedic memory was a treasure trove of poetry and doggerel, and of historical and legal anecdotes. He was a wonderful companion and a friend whose loyalty and thoughtfulness knew no bounds.

After the death of my partner of 40 years two years ago, I was again and again the beneficiary of innumerable acts of kindness. And I shall always cherish the memory of our conversations about everything under the sun as he drove me to and from his holiday home in the remoter recesses of Donegal.

But my abiding memory of Adrian Hardiman is of a friend untainted by eminence and success, a Supreme Court judge to whom I always talked and who always talked to me in just the same way as the undergraduate I first met 46 years ago in UCD.

His death before mine is a reversal of the natural order of things and I shall miss him more than I can say.

Ronan Fanning is Professor Emeritus of Modern History at UCD
Some elections are easy to read. In 2011 there was a clear rejection of Fianna Fail. Fine Gael and Labour were in a lucky position to benefit from that rejection. Other elections are harder to interpret. This election was one of them, and the failure to elect a new government on Thursday confirms that. This did not stop many in the Dail - and many commentators - claiming with great certainty that election 2016 was a victory for their own pet position.

It was variously described as a victory for social democracy, a victory for pro-lifers, a victory for women, a victory for the water charges protests, a victory for the radical left; it was a victory for whatever you're having yourself.

But just because election results aren't clear doesn't mean some conclusions can't be drawn: It was a rejection of the government, and in the RTE exit poll there was some consensus that the Government made a mistake in focusing more on tax cuts than restoring public services.

Fine Gael and Labour, by necessity, had implemented severe cuts to public sector spending. Some of this stripped excess fat off the public wage bill, but undoubtedly people felt it also hit the quality of services.

The Government had started to put money back in, but the opposition message that the recovery was unfair obviously resonated with enough people. People wanted more money put into public services.

The Irish weren't lurching to the left. After years of austerity they were swinging back to the centre.

It shouldn't be a surprise that the party that made the most gains in this election, Fianna Fail, placed itself as a more centrist alternative to a right-wing Fine Gael.

The same exit poll asked people to place themselves on a left-right scale. Over half of the respondents placed themselves in the centre, with 20pc on the left and 20pc on the right.

For those who supported Independents, over 60pc place themselves in the centre. This didn't surprise me. Other surveys in Ireland have shown no discernible shift to the left or right over the past 15 years.

Election 2016 was a victory for the centre ground in Irish politics. It's just that support in the centre has fragmented, being divided between many parties and Independents.

What does this mean for government formation? We sometimes talk about 'the numbers' in the formation of a government. We assume that the largest party has the best chance of creating a government, but that the government has to have 'the numbers'. What this actually means is that we have to have a cohesive majority. So no government can be formed that makes up its majority with support from the left and the right and ignores the centre ground.

For a government to work, it has to have the 'median voter', or the voter who is in the middle in the distribution of views on the political spectrum. If we assume that Fine Gael is to the right of Fianna Fail, then Fianna Fail has the 'median' TD in the 32nd Dail. Political science would suggest that the government that is formed should include Fianna Fail.

Now political science is often wrong. As Einstein observed, "politics is more difficult than physics." The physicist doesn't have to contend with gut forces in the stomachs of politicians and voters.

If the Fine Gael-Fianna Fail coalition is still ruled out - and there are good reasons why it might be - then, in a choice between a minority Fine Gael government and minority Fianna Fail government, it is the Fianna Fail option that could have the best chance of success. That is because, in shifting policy back to the centre, Fianna Fail can draw on the support of the large number of centrist TDs in the Dail.

In the next few weeks Micheal Martin could put together a limited programme of measures that could get majority support in the new Dail. For instance, there is broad support for investment in infrastructure in rural Ireland. Changes that increased the supply of homes would be hard for TDs to vote against. It could even allow a referendum on the Eighth Amendment if a majority of TDs wanted this. It does not have to advocate a particular position.

Even if there is no agreement on the future of Irish Water, Fianna Fail could put pressure on Sinn Fein to support a change to the water charges regime. It might embarrass Sinn Fein if it were to vote against a new policy that increased the free allocation to families with children or old people. This is bringing the policy closer to Sinn Fein's position. If the party is serious about the needs of its voters, it would have to support it.

The advantage of government is that it sets the agenda. It can carefully construct policy proposals that draw broad support from the centre, and that are hard for Fine Gael and Sinn Fein to oppose. Of course it is likely that Sinn Fein isn't serious about improving policy. Its stance so far has been to ensure the party's strategic goal of becoming a mainstream party.

As ever there are risks and opportunities in this. Governing isn't popular these days, but with GDP growth at close to 8pc last year and all the really tough decisions already made, this isn't the worst time to govern, even in an unstable arrangement.

It would be hard. Being a minister would be no cakewalk. They would have to negotiate everything with opposition TDs and committees. But this might be no bad thing.

For this to work, Fianna Fail should remind people that it is helping get the country out of a jam; it could call itself the 'National Government' and in doing deals with some smaller parties and Independents accept that at times it will fail. Those failures need not hurt it. Voters might accept the need for a second election in a year's time and reward its efforts with increased support.

The risks associated with an immediate second election are that it may not produce a different result. It would be easier to agree a stable deal between Fine Gael and Fianna Fail then, but the drawbacks with such a deal - not least leaving Sinn Fein to lead the opposition - would still be there.

People are saying that Ireland's politics is now unstable. However, the opposite might be true.

With no government, policies cannot be changed. Even though Irish voters are centrist, it doesn't mean they don't want change. If the political centre doesn't respond to the needs of people, it can be eaten by ideologues on the left and right. Too much stability at a time when people demand change leads people to look to populists, as has happened in Greece, Spain, France and the US.

The future shape of the Irish party system depends on the choices for government made in the coming weeks. But it's more important than that. Despite our problems, we've become a healthier, wealthier, more interesting and more tolerant place in the last 30 years. Ireland's chance of remaining a stable, safe, cohesive society is high, but it is not guaranteed.

Dr Eoin O'Malley is a senior lecturer in political science at the School of Law and Government in Dublin City University
Ireland is not the only country suffering from a bad case of the Trots right now. The British Labour Party was also embroiled in a row last week over its decision to grant membership to Gerry Downing of so-called 'Socialist Fight', a group of over-excited Marxist agitators at constant war with the forces of imperialism and capitalism, albeit that the imperialists and capitalists don't seem to have noticed.

Downing's membership was revoked within hours after comments he'd made about 9/11 and Isil were made public; he later insisted that his words had been taken "out of context", but it was another shot across the bows by the Trostkyists, who made Labour unelectable in the 1980s and are gearing up with renewed determination to do it again now that Jeremy Corbyn is Labour leader.

What's most dangerous for Labour is that, as another leftist Walter Mitty-type admitted on the BBC, they don't even mind losing elections, they'll just keep fighting the good fight until they either win the argument and/or the revolution, whichever comes first.

It's the eternal battle between Mensheviks and Bolsheviks, now recast as an ideological battle between those who want to work within the social democratic framework to enact incremental change for the betterment of working people and those who'd rather tear down capitalism in its totality first.

That battle is being played out in the new Dail as well. On the one side, the Irish Labour Party, committed to trading its political capital inside government in return for progressive change; on the other side, the Anti-Austerity Alliance-People Before Profit, who'd rather have nothing than be forced to settle for less than everything.

Somewhere in the middle, Sinn Fein, who still haven't made up their minds which way to eeny meeny miny go.

The thing about being a Menshevik, though, is that you have to make social democracy work in order to hold back the romantic tide of Bolshevism; and that's where the Irish Labour Party fell down. By all means, trade your seats for concessions for ordinary working people, but make sure they're the right concessions.

Labour in the most recent government sacrificed too much for too little in return, nodding through cuts to essential services and vulnerable groups while getting back only footling social change on issues such as same sex marriage and legislation to deal with the X Case, neither of which matter nearly as much as their advocates and opponents mistakenly believe.

Labour leader Joan Burton delivered a graceful, dignified speech when the Dail returned last Thursday, and her decision to support the nomination of Enda Kenny as Taoiseach was a principled stand that had the important symbolic significance of showing Fine Gael and Labour as the only two groupings in the new Dail still able to show cross-party unity on a day when all other parties retreated warily to their tribes, waiting in the long grass for the right moment to strike.

Burton's choice of a quotation from Romeo And Juliet to expose the far left's self-indulgent preference for purity in opposition over compromise in government was also inspired. "They jest at scars that never felt a wound," she said of those sneering at Labour's losses. There was hurt in her voice, but ice and steel too.

Sadly, it was almost immediately undermined by her insistence that she had "no regrets" about the choices made in office. There can't be any healing without identifying the source of the wound.

Fine Gael's reliance on Tory-lite campaigning techniques showed the foolishness of transplanting British strategies into an Irish context without first adjusting them to fit; but that doesn't mean some lessons can't make the journey across the Irish Sea.

The UK Labour Party commissioned a report to see why it lost the election last year, and one striking conclusion was that the party needed to stop defending the huge increase in public spending during its previous term of office. It hadn't caused the crash, but it had made it worse, as well as copperfastening the party's reputation as economically profligate. The message was clear: you might think that you did the right thing, but no one else does, so get over it.

Labour's still smarting from not being appreciated. It was there in Joan's voice. It's there in each media interview with one of Labour's bright young things who bore the brunt of the voters' revenge.

Of the 19 Labour TDs who lost their seats this time round, 13 were elected for the first time in 2011, and it shouldn't have taken a genius to decipher what the voters who put them there wanted at that historic election, or how they might react if that hope turned to disappointment.

They won't move on without humbly accepting that this is an argument they cannot win. Labour supporters expected more from their Mensheviks. Maybe that was foolish of them, but they did.

It would be easy to now read Labour its last rites. There are certainly signs of the party being muscled off its traditional turf as Sinn Fein and the hard left mop up disaffected, austerity-hit communities and guilt-ridden faux intellectuals in nice bourgeois neighbourhoods alike.

At first glance, a strategy to win them back isn't obvious.

But the Tories weren't finished in 1997, and Fianna Fail wasn't in 2011 either. Rumours of its death were greatly exaggerated. Labour's base in the public sector, universities, schools and media is still there, and it's lucky in one crucial respect, namely that Sinn Fein hasn't yet reconciled itself to its destiny as the new, slightly edgier Labour Party.

At the moment, Sinn Fein is playing at being Bolshevik, as that's where all the fun is to be had in the playground; but ultimately, the future for Sinn Fein is Menshevik-shaped, and deep down it knows. There will always be a social democratic hole in Irish politics, and Labour's best hope of expanding to fill that gap once more is for Sinn Fein to continue squandering every golden opportunity to snatch it from their hands.

Throwing a little pity party would be a forgiveable indulgence if there was no prospect of an election soon; but Labour now needs to be on a permanent war footing, as the Left/Independents always are. Government parties were still trapped last month in an obsolete way of doing politics, where you only have to make your case once every five years. The reality now is of constant campaigning.

Labour needs to adapt quickly if it wants to show that it, rather than a Sinn Fein still abstentionist in spirit, is best placed to make a difference. Mensheviks must deliver when they get the chance. It's that simple.
Sir - I was intrigued as I read Niamh Horan's interview with Michael and Danny Healy-Rae (Sunday Independent, March 6).

Oh, how we could do with them here in Donegal. Driving along our stunning, breath-taking scenery you could be forgiven for thinking that you are in a third-world country as your car tyres hit yet another pothole. The people of this community took to the streets recently to march in protest in a bid to save our services. Lifford, Ramelton and St Joseph's hospital, Stranorlar face closure. The imminent removal of these vital services is a devastating blow to our community and will cause severe hardship for those effected. If the Healy-Raes were representing this constituency, I doubt if this would be an issue.

As for the minister who blanked Michael Healy-Rae in the corridors of power, the same minister failing to get re-elected, strikes little sympathy. It could well be considered poetic justice. The so-called intelligentsia have described the Healy-Raes in less than flattering terms, but whether they want to accept it or not, the facts speak for themselves.

These men work hard for the people they represent - we could do with the likes of them in Donegal.

Collette Bonnar

Stranorlar

Co Donegal

Let's see GAA democracy

Sir - Colm O'Rourke (Sport, Sunday Independent, March 6) is right again.

What a pity the delegates to the GAA's annual congress did not include people like him. Maybe Meath would not wish to nominate Colm as one of their official delegation because of his ability to articulate motions which would benefit the GAA in every respect. In fairness, the president and the ard stiurthoir continue in their futile efforts to push forward proposals to improve the unfortunate situation.

The clubs continue to be neglected - although we hear that the club is the most essential part, the core of our association.

My club put forward a motion that, for any general rule to be amended, the vote would have to be 55 against 45. The reason we did not propose that a simple majority would be needed to amend a rule was because we thought the reduction from two-thirds would have a better chance of success. Unfortunately, we did not get past our own county convention in Clare.

However, I hope my club will again propose a motion for change, except we will be looking for a simple majority to amend any general rule. This will stimulate strong opposition from the diehards, but we eventually overcame those who opposed the opening of Croke Park. Why, if decisions relating to our Constitution, the appointment of the Dail or even the election of the Pope can be achieved with a simple majority vote, why is this not the case with the GAA?

Much is made of the democracy of the GAA, so let's see it happen in the overall interest of the association - and in particular the long-suffering clubs.

I hope Colm O'Rourke, John O'Mahoney and others of that ilk will be delegates at next year's congress if we get our motion on the agenda and that other counties submit similar motions in the interest of democracy.

Noel Walsh

Limerick

A myopic media that serves us ill

Sir - During the election campaign the fact that this country had just had a lucky escape from its worst calamity since independence and could have ended up like Greece was mostly absent from the media narrative. The fact that government since 2011 was cleaning up a mess caused by disastrous decisions made by a small number of powerful people in government and financial institutions during the pre-2010 decade of the boom was also mostly absent from the media coverage during the election campaign.

The latest contributor to this myopic debate is Shane Ross (Sunday Independent, March 6). His profound contribution to the debate is to call recently elected public representatives "political corpses". The fact that he poured praise on financial institutions during the boom, which did indeed turn out to be financial corpses, only highlights the stupidity of much of the public discourse both during the boom and now.

He is just one member of the media that, day after day right through the Celtic Tiger boom, supported government decisions to treble government spending and similar decisions by financial institutions to treble bank lending.

The same media, day after day during the consequent austerity, cheer-led the demands for taxpayers' money that were made by every vested interest from Ballygobackwards to the salubrious suburbs.

This is a media that, day after day, positively rejoices in the fact that this country has been reduced to a state of instability by the results of the election.

When the leaders of the public discourse have learned so little from the collapse, and our lucky escape from a Greek-style scenario, and have learned even less about the potentially serious consequences of instability and the failure to form a government, it illustrates how ill served the citizens of this democratic republic are by their media.

A Leavy

Sutton

Dublin 13

A Taoiseach who deserves respect

Sir - I regard myself as a personal friend of Enda Kenny. We have, on occasion, walked the hills of Mayo and further afield. On such outings one gets to know the person. Enda Kenny is a decent, hard-working, humble, deeply committed and fiercely proud Irishman and politician. He is a good family man. There is not an arrogant bone in his body. He has done his State, not to mention Fine Gael, more than a little service.

Just because he is a politician and Taoiseach does not mean that he is not entitled to the respect that all people of the State should be allowed.

All I know about Shane Ross (Sunday Independent, March 6) is what I read.

I have never met the man. Following his "political corpse" moment, I don't feel any inclination to make his acquaintance.

He let himself down, and, worse than that, he compounded his mistake by declining the opportunity to draw back from his asinine comment. It is little wonder that the Independent Alliance members are somewhat embarrassed. How long will they stay together as a cohesive group?

There is a question as to whether it is appropriate that Shane Ross should have a weekly platform in the Sunday Independent to espouse his political outlook. Surely other candidates in the general election are entitled to feel aggrieved. Is it a case of one law for Shane and to hell with the begrudgers? One might question the ethics of it all, but Shane could hardly be accused of being unethical. Perish the thought! Shane is pure as the driven snow and no doubt believes he is infallible on matters political. Could he be a touch arrogant?

It is probably not appropriate to come to conclusions on the basis of one inappropriate comment about the Taoiseach, especially when I might be accused of being biased, but I have tried to come up with one word that might describe my thoughts on Shane Ross. 'Contemptible' immediately came to mind, but then I thought the comment was beneath contempt.

Christy Loftus

Newport

Co Mayo

Surnames and our different traditions

Sir - Reading Jody Corcoran and Elaine Byrne (Letters, Sunday Independent, March 6), on the different traditions of the Anglo-Norman or Old English and the Native Irish or Gaelic people, I always thought -and any historian that I ever read thinks - that this difference ended when both sides united as Jacobites in the Williamite wars of 1688-1691.

However, there is the distinct probability that the descendants of the New English from the 16th and 17th century plantations would be, in the majority, Fine Gael.

Martin Aherne

Loughrea

Co Galway

Irish DNA and our mixed species

Sir - Regarding the Irish DNA of Fianna Fail and the responses of Elaine Byrne, along with Jody Corcoran's lengthy reply, (Letters, Sunday Independent, March 6), might I add a few more interesting names?

Apart from de Valera, Childers and Lemass, we have had other luminaries who held public office in Fianna Fail.

A few names immediately come to mind - names like Mansergh, Booth, Acheson, Cowen, Briscoe, Blaney, all no doubt very worthy (or most of them), but hardly fior gael of the species! And of course we have had a Fianna Fail Lord Mayor of Cork, the late Gerald Goldberg. A mixed-up State indeed?

Brendan Cafferty

Ballina

Mayo

Putting the wealth to really good use

Sir - The Rich List 2016 (Sunday Independent, February 21) highlighted the 300 wealthiest people in Ireland who are now worth 88bn. It showed that, because of the turbulent stock markets, 2015 was a year of wealth preservation rather than creation. Yet it would seem that 210 of those listed did manage to make some profit - which came to a total of nearly 8.5bn.

In the lottery of birth, many of those named undoubtedly were not only lucky by being born into wealthy families but also had intelligence, tenacity and vision to progress in life. Many too in their own right have been extraordinarily generous with their time, enthusiasm and money in helping charities.

We are now at a time in Irish history where we all have an opportunity to reflect on the meaning of the 1916 Rising and The Proclamation and its significance in the evolution of Irish society.

We need to consider the economic legacy that has left a growing gulf between the winners and the losers.

As we wait to see the alignment of the next government, let's hope it will be one that will provide continuity for the next five years. Political stability is important in providing the right environment for our wealth creators.

Let's hope there are enough of our elected representatives who have the wisdom to realise this and that their full term in office will be one that tackles social injustice and promotes inclusion.

We might also ask what the impact would be if that 8.5bn profit from the wealthy were redirected towards creating a better Ireland for all.

Mary Healy

Killarney

Co Kerry

Harris has got it wrong on coalition

Sir - As a keen fan of Eoghan Harris, I can understand his chagrin at being left on the sidelines by RTE (Sunday Independent, March 6). His opinions may be controversial, but they are always interesting and stimulating and his views on Sinn Fein alone should always warrant maximum exposure.

He would have brought a different perspective to the current political situation. Obviously, he trod on the corns of somebody powerful out in Donnybrook. However, his arguments against a possible Fine Gael-Fianna Fail coalition are flimsy to say the least. It should be obvious that the majority of the electorate voted conservative; so why is it a problem giving the people what they voted for?

Looked at from another perspective, how dare the conservative members of this Dail refuse to grant the electorate its wishes?

If Mr Harris wonders why he has not been given more TV time, maybe the nonsense he wrote in the latter part of his article in last week would offer another possible explanation. What would his reaction be if some of the Tractor Boys from Roscrea and the New Car Boys of Clongowes were picked to represent their country and then proceeded to squabble like spoiled children, refused to find common cause and eschewed wearing the green jersey if it meant packing down together?

Ian Lee

Tullamore

Co Offaly

Plain murder as an 'ambitious act'

Sir - Last Monday, RTE One television news showed the President, who was at Croke Park as Tricolours were being presented to schoolchildren, telling them - and the nation - that 1916 could be seen as "a stunningly ambitious act of imagination".

The President's father, John Higgins is from Ballycar Townland. Just five miles east from there lies the town of Kilmurry, also in southeast Co Clare. It was the home town of one Michael Lahiff, a former farm labourer and a member of the Dublin Metropolitan Police.

The unarmed Constable Lahiff was murdered at the age of 29 by the privately educated deb and scion of the landed gentry Constance Gore-Booth (aka Countess Markievicz) on Easter Monday, April 24, 1916.

She fired her pistol three times into his lungs and left arm at close range, on the Harcourt Street corner of St Stephen's Green. This was confirmed by an eyewitness, Geraldine Fitzgerald, a nurse from Co Offaly, who was standing yards away, across the street in St Stephen's Green.

In the same area, the same armed 'socialist revolutionaries', murdered another unarmed man, this time an elderly civilian, Michael Kavanagh (69) from Ringsend, Dublin. At the time he was killed, the father of 10 was trying to get his cart back from their barricade - it being his only means of earning a living.

This, then, was their class war: the landed gentry murdering an unarmed ex-labourer.

Another murder in cold blood carried out by the Irish Citizen Army (of which Gore-Booth was vice-commandant) was that of James O'Brien, again an unarmed member of the Dublin Metropolitan Police (DMP). In this case, the Irish Citizen Army's Capt Sean Connolly shot Constable O'Brien in the head at the Cork Hill entrance of the Upper Yard of Dublin Castle on Easter Monday. Aged 45, with 21 years' service, he was also in the DMP's B Division, like Michael Lahiff. Constable O'Brien is buried in the President's native county, in Kilfergus, Glin, Co Limerick, in sight of his family home.

Can anybody seriously regard any of these war crimes as "a stunningly ambitious act of imagination"?

The ringing declaration of James Connolly ("Ireland without its people means nothing to me") was in fact violently contradicted by the murders carried out by his own tiny armed band of Dublin workers, the ICA.

Is this in any way compatible with the new ethics that the President wishes to impart to the rising generation?

Such deliberate acts are, by any decent moral standards, brutal and depraved.

Will public figures, in further speeches during this year, admit that such war crimes were committed, and unambiguously recognise their character as murder?

Tom Carew,

Ranelagh,

Dublin

Untruths about Ms Markievicz

Sir - It is sad that Emer O'Kelly (Theatre, Sunday Independent, March 6), whose judgment and perceptiveness as a journalist I have often admired, should swallow without question the untruths currently being circulated in a play about Constance Markievicz. Nothing of what she asserts is true. In the forthcoming revised edition of my biography of Markievicz, the real facts about these issues are made plain.

One allegation I do not deal with, however, is that she was a snob. Considering the choices Markievicz consistently made, this is too patently absurd for consideration.

Anne Haverty

Dublin 6

'Cheyenne' Clint wasn't Eastwood

Sir - In the obituary for George Kennedy (Sunday Independent, March 6) it is stated that he appeared in numerous westerns, recalling the characteristics of stars such as Clint Eastwood of Cheyenne.

Clint Eastwood did not star in Cheyenne. He co-starred as ramrod Rowdy Yates, alongside Eric Fleming as trail boss Gil Favor, in the series Rawhide.

Clint Walker starred as Cheyenne Bodie in the eponymous series Cheyenne.

Denis O'Toole

Rathfarnham

Dublin 16
'When I die," photographer Cecil Beaton once said, "I want to go to Vogue." I don't want to appear dismissive, but I can't really imagine anyone saying the same about Marie Claire or Hello! can you?

This year, we've been so frantically recalling the Proclamation and Patrick Pearse that we almost forgot to acknowledge another significant centenary celebration; British Vogue turning the big 100.

That's right; 100 years of couture seasons, catwalk shows, IT Girls, high heels, low dives, Kate Moss's nipples, blitzes, bombshells, knickers, and knife pleats.

To mark the momentous occasion, Vogue has launched a new exhibition: 'Vogue 100: A Century of Style' at the National Portrait Gallery in London, which is packed with almost 200 of the most evocative pictures from the Vogue archives. The exhibition is expected to attract the same crowds who flocked to the city for last summer's Alexander McQueen Savage Beauty exhibition - huge numbers of Irish fashion lovers among them.

The new exhibition has been carefully pieced together over the course of six years by former Picture Editor Robin Muir, who says British Vogue was born out of a mixture of economic necessity and opportunism.

The US edition, established in 1892, had been introduced to the UK in 1912. It was popular with American ex-pats and sold well. However, by 1916, The Great War was proving to be an awful nuisance for the imported magazine trade.

Paper shortages resulted in print numbers being reduced and shipping 'non-essentials' to England was severely restricted. Unfortunately a luxe fashion mag was not deemed a war time must-have.

"Conde Nast wasn't going to let something like a World War get in the way of Vogue," Muir says. And so, on September 15 1916 British Vogue hit shop shelves.

Eager to impress the upper echelons of English society, its pages were filled with pictures of Lords and Ladies. Mrs John Lavery, the wife of the Irish portrait painter and future rumoured lover of our own Michael Collins (later immortalised on Irish banknotes) featured in the first edition. So, British Vogue had something of an Irish flavour right from the get-go.

In the early days, there was some tension between the UK and US offices. The Manhattan branch dubbed British Vogue 'Brogue', and was none too pleased with the publication snaffling valuable UK advertising from under its nose.

Video of the Day

It wasn't long, however, before the two publications reached a truce and worked their own side of the street.

The first editor of British Vogue was Dorothy Todd. A lesbian and an intellectual, Todd was an unusual choice of editor - given that she had no real interest in fashion.

Instead, she believed Vogue should have a literary bent. While Todd's vision was admirable - she featured articles by the Bloomsbury set, Noel Coward and Virginia Woolfe - Vogue failed to come into its own under her leadership. It was, rather bizarrely, the onslaught of World War Two that saw the magazine flourish.

"The War was the making of British Vogue," Muir says. "Many think fashion died during the war because Paris couture petered out, but British Vogue was given extra paper, even under rationing, to help boost morale on the home front."

Between 1939-49, Vogue proved it was more than a fashion magazine - it reflected and documented the events of the day. This was helped in no small part by model-turned-journalist Lee Miller who acted as Vogue's wartime reporter. Miller's photographs are among those on display at the new exhibition.

Vogue's place and positioning within British society was solidified thanks to a succession of strong and dynamic editors. Audrey Withers (1940-1960) and Ailsa Garland (1960-1964) were followed by Beatrix Miller. Known for her exacting standards, Miller remained at the magazine from 1964-85 and was idolised by her entourage of writers, or "Voguettes".

Miller fully grasped the importance of the sexual revolution taking place in the 1960s, and ensured that people "on the scene", rather than those in high society circles, landed in its pages. She was responsible for hiring the Cockney trio of photographers - Brian Duffy, David Bailey and Terence Donovan - and pushing new It-girls such as Twiggy and Jean Shrimpton.

Miller retired in the 1980s, and was succeeded by Anna 'Nuclear' Wintour who remained in her corner office for two years until Manhattan came a-calling. Liz Tilberis, who persuaded Princess Diana to appear on the cover, was followed by the magazine's current and longest standing editor, Alexandra Shulman - who is celebrating her 24th year in the role.

Robin Muir has skilfully managed to convey the sense of history embedded in Vogue's pages in 'A Century of Style'. Irish model Anne Gunning poses in a pink mohair coat outside the City Palace in Jaipur; Fred Astaire dances frantically; Claudia Schiffer straddles a motorbike; while Morecambe and Wise jostle and joke.

Muir has also caught the progressive nature of the magazine. It's worth remembering that British Vogue was the first mainstream magazine to feature a black cover model, Donyale Luna, in 1966. Vogue has and continues to remain culturally relevant; the editors seem adroit at spotting talent who embody the cultural zeitgeist - they featured a gap-toothed and topless Kate Moss in 1992, named Alexa Chung as London's It-girl, and have promoted and have pushed Irish designers including JW Anderson, Simone Rocha and Danielle Romeril.

"Hopefully, the exhibition will alter pre-conceived notions of what Vogue is," Muir says. "We don't stand around for hours on end discussing the colour mauve - there's a lot more to it."

It can be easy to dismiss the magazine as "fluffy" with lots of air kissing and champagne swilling, but that does Vogue a disservice. British Vogue is not only an institution, it's a trooper. This was a magazine that sprung out of conflict - sandwiched between two wars. And perhaps that explains its success. It's unafraid of the good fight; to wrestle for relevancy, readership and currency - while maintaining an effortlessly chic facade.

'Vogue 100: A Century of Style', sponsored by Leon Max, is at the National Portrait Gallery, London, until May 22
Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb claimed responsibility for an attack on an Ivory Coast resort town on Sunday that killed 14 civilians and two soldiers.

"In a message posted on its Telegram channels on March 13, 2016, the group reported that three `heroes' from its group were able to storm the resort," according to the SITE Intelligence Group, which monitors online communications by militant groups.

Assailants opened fire on beach-goers in Grand-Bassam, a historic Ivory Coast resort town, sending tourists fleeing through hotels.

Photos posted to social media apparently taken at the scene showed bodies sprawled on the beach.

The Ivory Coast's president has said 14 civilians, including four Europeans, and six assailants were killed in an attack on the Grand-Bassam beach resort.

Security forces responded as the area was evacuated, while residents hid in their homes.

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Ivorian Ministry of Interior reported three hotels in Grand Bassam to be attacked.

They said that six attackers have been 'neutralized'.

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The bursts of gunfire were heard in the south-eastern Ivory Coast beach town about 25 miles east of Abidjan, Ivory Coast's commercial centre, said a witness, in what is the third major attack on a tourism centre in a West African country since November.

Shots rang out in Grand-Bassam, a popular weekend destination for Ivorians and foreigners, according to 25-year-old Josiane Sekongo, who lives across from one of the town's many beachfront hotels.

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People ran from the beach amid the gunfire, she said.

A receptionist at the Etoile de Sud hotel in Grand-Bassam said the attacks happened on the beach.

"We don't know where they came from, and we don't know where they've gone," he said of the gunmen.

Everyone in the hotel was safe, and police were present, he said.

An American embassy delegation was in Grand-Bassam on Sunday, but the US Embassy in Abidjan said it is monitoring the situation and it has no evidence that US citizens were targeted. It could not confirm reports of any US citizens having been harmed.

Attacks by extremists on hotels frequented by foreigners in two other West African countries, Mali in November and Burkina Faso in January, killed dozens of people and indicated that extremist attacks are spreading from North Africa.

The historic town of Grand-Bassam is a Unesco World Heritage site.
The Republicans' race to the White House was dissolving into chaos last night under the weight of the controversies over race and immigration aroused by Donald Trump's seemingly unstoppable campaign.

The party's front-runner cancelled a rally over security concerns in Chicago, Illinois, one of four states whose primaries on Tuesday now hold the key to the nomination. The decision was taken after fist-fights between supporters and opponents of Mr Trump.

Opponents claimed that the violence was a consequence of the deteriorating tone of the election campaign, and its highly charged rhetoric over race.

Mr Trump immediately exploited the cancellation to argue that he was the victim of unconstitutional attacks on America's fundamental freedoms.

"It's sad when you can't have a rally," Mr Trump complained live on television as the fighting in Chicago unfolded. "Whatever happened to freedom of speech?"

He added that he had cancelled the rally because he "didn't want to see anyone get hurt".

But American social media has been awash with scenes of incipient violence at previous rallies, where protesters - many from black and other ethnic minorities - have been assaulted or frog-marched out as they tried to criticise the real estate billionaire's anti-immigrant and "strong America" message from the floor.

John Kasich, the governor of Ohio and the underdog in the Republican race, said the Chicago violence was the inevitable outcome of Mr Trump's approach to politics.

"The seeds of division that Donald Trump has been sowing this whole campaign finally bore fruit and it was ugly," he said.

Mr Trump had been due to speak on Friday night at the rally at the University of Illinois. Unlike his rallies in conservative, particularly southern, states dominated by adherents of his populist, anti-liberal establishment message, the Chicago hall was packed with both supporters and opponents, amounting to about 10,000 people in all.

Many of the latter showed their hostility openly, wearing pro-minority T-shirts, such as those of the campaign against police violence, Black Lives Matter.

Another held a sign saying "We are not rapists" - a reference to Mr Trump's characterisation of Mexican immigrants as rapists last year.

Gradually, the two sides began to trade insults and then blows with each other. Half-an-hour before he was due to speak, Mr Trump's aides announced it had been cancelled. The violence then spilled over on to the streets outside.

News of the protests caused alarm among Republican Party grandees, who have openly campaigned to stop Mr Trump's candidacy before it damages the party beyond repair and leads to a Hillary Clinton victory in November.

Opinion polls suggest that Mrs Clinton, the presumed Democratic candidate, would beat Mr Trump easily, but not before further rifts in both the party and American society at large had been dangerously exposed.

The grandees are hoping that Marco Rubio, the Florida senator regarded as the most successful mainstream candidate left in the Republican race, can somehow overhaul Mr Trump's lead.

Mr Rubio echoed Mr Kasich's message that Mr Trump was the ultimate author of events in Chicago. He recalled a rally earlier this month in which the property mogul encouraged his supporters to "knock the crap" out of a number of protesters.

"When you have a presidential candidate going into rallies and basically telling his followers, 'You know, in the good ol' days people who interrupted left on stretchers', I think he should own up to that and take some responsibility," Mr Rubio said.

But political operatives loyal to Mr Rubio in Florida feared that, rather than damage Mr Trump, the clashes might only strengthen the fervour of the supporters around him.

The sentiment showed a growing if belated awareness of the resilience of Mr Trump's campaign.

The heir presumptive, Jeb Bush, has already dropped out. Mr Rubio, his former protege, was meant to take up the mantle of the establishment's candidate, but now his campaign is struggling to survive.

He is even behind his fellow Cuban-American candidate, Ted Cruz, as well as Mr Trump, in the delegate count.

Mr Trump has won 15 of the 24 primaries and caucuses so far. The primaries in Florida, Ohio, Illinois and Missouri on so-called 'Mega Tuesday' are key. With 459 delegates already won, Mr Trump is almost half-way there.

Florida and Ohio represent the last best chance for the Republican establishment to derail Mr Trump's runaway train.

In his home state of Florida, Mr Rubio has been fighting back, after days in which rumours began to spread that he was on the verge of pulling out.

He has so far hauled back a humiliating 20pc deficit in his home state to Mr Trump to just seven points, according to a poll released last week - just about small enough for him still to be regarded as in with a chance.

Last night, there were fears for the next rallies, many in Ohio, Mr Kasich's home state and also home to a liberal base likely to be fiercely hostile to Mr Trump's message.

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An 11-year-old boy in China reportedly chopped off his own index finger after an argument with his parents over his smartphone usage.

The child, referred to as Xiaopeng, was rushed to Ruihua Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University alongside his severed finger, according to Sina News.

Xiaopeng's mother reportedly approached the boys father about how their son's "excessive" smartphone habits might be negatively impacting his six-year-old brother, which led to a "stern talk" between father and son on Saturday.

The talk escalated into a row and Xiaopeng sliced off his own index finger using a kitchen knife, in a fit of anger.

"Young children have fine blood vessels, which made the operation much more difficult," head surgeon Ren Zhourong told reporters, as quoted by Mashable.

"If the operation is a complete success, the impact of this rash incident on Xiaopeng's future use of his left hand should be minimal."

Though Xiaopeng's fingertip has been reattached, the healing process for the three-hour operation will take weeks.
At least 14 civilians and two special forces operatives have been killed by six armed men in a historic Ivory Coast resort town.

Beach-goers were attacked by gunmen outside three hotels in Grand-Bassam, with b loody bodies left sprawled on the beach.

Ivory Coast's president Alassane Ouattara said that the six attackers had also been killed.

Mr Ouattara has travelled to the town, pledging to visit the hotels involved to express condolences and salute the security forces for their quick response.

Al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb has claimed responsibility for the attack, according to SITE Intelligence Group which monitors jihadist websites.

The Islamic extremist group made the declaration in a post to its Telegram channels, calling three of the attackers "heroes" for the assault.

Bursts of gunfire sent people running from the beach at Grand-Bassam, a Unesco World Heritage Site and popular destination for Ivorians and foreigners about 25 miles east of Abidjan, Ivory Coast's commercial centre.

It is the third major attack on a tourism hotspot in West Africa since November.

Witness Marcel Guy said that he saw at least four gunmen with Kalashnikov rifles run onto the beach. One of the gunmen had a long beard, he said.

The gunmen approached two children on the beach, and Mr Guy said he heard the man speak Arabic. One of the children then knelt and started praying.

"The Christian boy was shot and killed right in front of my eyes," he said.

A reporter later saw four bodies sprawled out on the beach in front of a small resort next to the popular Etoile du Sud hotel.

Jacques Able, who identified himself as the owner of Etoile du Sud, said one person had been killed at the hotel.

A receptionist there said everyone was safe afterwards.

Beachgoers could be seen lining up with their hands above their heads as they filed out of the area.

Residents who heard the gunfire hid in their homes, according to Josiane Sekongo, 25, who lives across from one of the many beachfront hotels.

A US embassy delegation was in Grand-Bassam on Sunday, but the US Embassy in Abidjan said it is monitoring the situation and has no evidence US citizens were targeted. It could bot confirm whether or not any were hurt.

Dozens of people were killed in the earlier attacks on West African tourist sites, starting with a siege at a Malian hotel in November and then an assault on a hotel and cafe in Burkina Faso in January.

Analysts have warned for months that Ivory Coast, which shares a border with both of those affected countries, could be hit by jihadists as well.

The West African attacks indicate that extremist attacks are spreading from North Africa, where a beach attack in June killed 38 people in Tunisia.

"I have always said that Abidjan (Ivory Coast) and Dakar (Senegal) are the next targets for jihadist groups because these two countries represent windows of France in Africa," said Lemine Ould M Salem, an expert on al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb and author of a book, The Bin Laden of the Sahara.

Speaking outside the Etoile du Sud later, Mr Outtara said: "I present my condolences to the families of the people who were murdered, and of course I am very proud of our security forces who reacted so fast.

"The toll could've been much heavier."

Meanwhile, the United States strongly condemned the attack, sending "thoughts and prayers to all affected by this senseless violence".

The US Embassy in Abidjan is making every effort to account for the welfare of American citizens in the area, according to the statement issued by State Department spokesman John Kirby.

The statement said Ivory Coast is an important regional partner to the US, adding: "In the days ahead we stand ready to support the Ivorian government as it investigates this heinous attack."
Medics attend to an injured person at the explosion site in Ankara (AP)

At least 34 people have been killed and 125 others have been injured after a suicide car bomb was detonated near bus stops in the heart of the Turkish capital.

The blast, which Turkish police believe was carried out by Kurdish militants, occurred on Ankara's main boulevard, close to the main square and a public park.

Turkish health minister Mehmet Muezzinoglu said 19 of the wounded are in serious condition.

He said that 30 people died at the scene, while the other four perished at hospitals. Two of the dead were believed to be the assailants, he added.

Interior minister Efkan Ala said the attack, which came as Turkey prepared to launch large-scale military operations against Kurdish militants in two towns, would not deter the country from its fight against terrorism.

He confirmed the blast was the result of a car bomb, which targeted civilians on Ataturk Bulvari close to Kizilay square.

The private NTV news channel said several vehicles caught fire following the blast, which also shattered the windows of shops that line the boulevard and the square.

Dogan Asik, 28, said he was on a board a packed bus when the explosion occurred.

"There were about 40 people," said Mr Asik, who sustained injuries on his face and arm. "It (the bus) slowed down. A car went by us, and 'boom' it exploded."

Police sealed off the area and pushed onlookers and journalists back, warning there could be a second bomb. Forensic teams are currently examining the scene.

No-one has claimed responsibility for the attack, although Kurdish militants and the Islamic State group (IS) have carried out bombings in the city recently. A far-left militant group is also active in Turkey.

The bombing is the third in the city in five months and comes as Turkey is faced with an array of issues, including renewed fighting with the Kurdish rebels, threats from IS and the Syrian refugee crisis.

The incident occurred just three weeks after a suicide car bombing in the capital targeted buses carrying military personnel, killing 29 people.

A Kurdish militant group which is an offshoot of the outlawed Kurdish rebel group, the Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK, claimed responsibility for the February 17 attack.

The government, however, said that attack was carried out by a Syrian Kurdish militia group in concert with the PKK, which has waged a 30-year insurgency.

Sunday's attack also came two days after the US Embassy issued a security warning about a potential plot to attack Turkish government buildings and housing in one Ankara neighbourhood and asked its citizens to avoid those areas.

As with the previous bombings, Turkish authorities quickly imposed a ban Sunday preventing media organisations from broadcasting or publishing graphic images of the blast or from the scene.

The country's pro-Kurdish party, the Peoples' Democratic Party, condemned the attack the attack and said it shares "the huge pain felt along with our citizens".

The statement was significant because the party is frequently accused of being the political arm of the PKK - an accusation it denies - and of not speaking out against PKK violence.

Hundreds of people have been killed in Turkey in renewed fighting following the collapse of the peace process between the government and the PKK in July.

Authorities on Sunday had declared curfews in two towns in the mainly Kurdish south-east region in anticipation of large-scale military operations against PKK-linked militants.

Turkey also has been struck by several bombings in the last year that were blamed on IS as the government joined efforts led by the US to fight the extremist group in Syria.

The deadliest came in October when a peace rally outside Ankara's main train station killed 102 people.
Delegates during the opening session of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference at Beijing's Great Hall of the People (AP)

Top prosecutor Cao Jianmin speaks at the National People's Congress at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing (AP)

Battling "infiltration, subversion and sabotage by hostile forces" is a key priority this year, China's chief prosecutor has said, with terrorists, ethnic separatists and religious extremists in his sights.

In a speech to the annual session of China's national legislature, Cao Jianmin said combating cyber-crime and ensuring national sovereignty in cyberspace topped the list of 2016 priorities.

Prosecutors will also continue to follow up on cases brought to as part of an almost three-year-old nationwide anti-corruption campaign spearheaded by the ruling Communist Party's watchdog agency, Mr Cao said.

Although he identified no specific groups or individuals as threats, Beijing has in the past cited a long list of "hostile forces" it accuses of seeking to end communist rule and plunge China into chaos, division and economic ruin.

Those include agents of foreign governments, civil groups which challenge the party's absolute authority, religious dissenters such as the underground church and the banned Falun Gong meditation sect.

Those campaigning for ethnic rights are also frequently cited, including exiled Tibetan leader the Dalai Lama and advocates for the Turkic Muslim Uighur minority from the northwestern region of Xinjiang.

In an accompanying address to the legislature, top judge Zhou Qiang said Chinese courts convicted 1,419 people last year of national security and terrorism crimes that carry potential death sentences.

That compares with 712 people sentenced for incitement to separatism, terrorism and related charges in 2014, before last year's passage of a sweeping new national security law.

Fighting corruption also remains a priority, with prosecutors handling 4,490 cases involving more than one million yuan (107,700) last year, up 22.5% from 2014, Mr Cao said in his report. That was out of a total of 54,249 officials investigated.

Those prosecuted for corruption last year include 22 former officials at the ministerial level or above, including Zhou Yongkang, a past member of the party's all-powerful Politburo Standing Committee, who was sentenced to life in prison.

Such cases are referred to prosecutors only after suspects have been thoroughly investigated by the party's Central Committee for Discipline Inspection. The body, whose methodologies and standards of evidence are kept secret, said this month it had dished out demotions and other punishments to nearly 300,000 officials last year.

But Mr Cao said prosecutors had yet to indict 41 officials of ministerial rank or above under investigation for corruption, including Ling Jihua, a key aide to former president Hu Jintao.

He has been under investigation for at least 15 months since being removed as head of the party's United Front Work Department in December 2014.

From October 2014, China has also brought about the return of 124 corruption suspects who had fled abroad to 34 different countries, including some who had turned themselves in, Mr Cao said.

Details were not given on new measures to prevent Chinese Internet users from accessing overseas websites, something China insists is its innate right in order to protect its "national cyberspace sovereignty".

China already blocks a wide range of foreign websites featuring news, research tools such as Google, social media including Facebook and Twitter, and file-sharing sites such as YouTube.
Aviation agencies around the world should draw up new rules requiring medical workers to warn authorities when a pilot's mental health could threaten public safety, French investigators have recommended in their report on the Germanwings plane crash.

Germanwings co-pilot Andreas Lubitz had been treated for depression in the past, and the investigation found that he had consulted dozens of doctors in the weeks before he deliberately crashed a jet into the French Alps on March 24, 2015, killing all 150 people on board.

But the doctors did not tell authorities of any concerns about Lubitz's mental health, France's BEA air accident investigation agency said, even though one even referred Lubitz to a psychiatric clinic just two weeks before the crash.

"Experts found that the symptoms (two weeks before the crash) could be compatible with a psychotic episode," said Arnaud Desjardin, leader of the BEA investigation. This information "was not delivered to Germanwings".

As Lubitz did not inform anyone of his doctors' warnings, the BEA said, "no action could have been taken by the authorities or his employer to prevent him from flying".

Germanwings and parent company Lufthansa have strongly denied any wrongdoing in the crash, insisting that the 27-year-old was certified fit to fly. There was no immediate comment from Lufthansa on Sunday after the report was released.

But relatives of those killed have pointed to a string of people they say could have raised the alarm and stopped Lubitz, going back to the days when he began training as a pilot in 2008.

The BEA investigation is separate from a manslaughter investigation by French prosecutors seeking to determine eventual criminal responsibility for the crash of Flight 9525 from Barcelona to Duesseldorf. The focus of its report was recommendations to avoid such events in the future, notably about pilot mental health issues and better screening before a pilot gets certified.

The agency found that the certification process failed to identify the risks presented by Lubitz. It said one factor leading to the crash might have been a "lack of clear guidelines in German regulations on when a threat to public safety outweighs" patient privacy.

Germany's confidentiality laws prevent sensitive personal information from being widely shared, though doctors are allowed to suspend patient privacy if they believe there is a concrete danger to the person's safety or that of others.

Mr Desjardin described Germany's privacy rules as being especially strict, and said doctors fear losing their jobs if they unnecessarily report a problem to authorities.

"That's why I think clearer rules are needed to preserve public security," he told reporters at a press conference in the French city of Le Bourget.

The BEA recommendations also included peer support groups and other measures to remove the stigma and fear of losing a job that many pilots face for mental health issues.

"The reluctance of pilots to declare their problems and seek medical assistance ... needs to be addressed," the BEA said.

Doctors who treated Lubitz for depression and mental illness refused to speak with the BEA investigators, according to victims' family members who were briefed on Saturday on the report.

Half an hour into the Germanwings flight, Captain Patrick Sondenheimer handed the controls to Lubitz and went to the restroom. When he returned, Sondenheimer found the cockpit locked from the inside. Lubitz, it seems, had disabled the safety code that would have allowed the pilot to open the door.

Shortly afterward, the Airbus A320 hit the ground near the French village of Le Vernet.

Lubitz had previously been treated for depression and suicidal tendencies, and documents seized by prosecutors show he partly hid his medical history from employers.

Lubitz interrupted his Lufthansa training for several months due to psychological problems. He was allowed to return in 2009, having received the "all clear" from his doctors - though his aviation record now contained the note "SIC" meaning "specific regular examination."

Lufthansa said after the crash that it was aware of Lubitz's depressive episode, but Germanwings, which he joined in 2013, said it had no knowledge of his illness.

The French investigators determined that systematic, deep psychological tests every year for all pilots would be "neither effective nor beneficial," Desjardin said.

Instead, the BEA recommended tougher monitoring of pilots who had mental health issues in the past.

It also said that cockpit security rules shouldn't be changed because it was still very important to protect the cockpit from outside attackers. Current cockpits are equipped with a code system to prevent the kind of hijackings that occurred on September 11, 2001, in the United States, where planes full of passengers were turned into weapons.

"A lockage system cannot be created to prevent threats coming from (both) outside and inside the cockpit," Mr Desjardin said.

After the Germanwings crash, many airlines and aviation regulators began to require at least two people in the cockpit at any given time to prevent such crashes.

Many of the relatives of the Germanwings victims were still upset after hearing about the report Saturday from BEA officials.

"People were not happy at all with some of the explanations. Some of the family members felt as if these BEA representatives were Lubitz' lawyers - making excuses as to why Germanwings didn't take action knowing what they knew," said Robert Tansill Oliver, whose son died in the crash.

"How is it possible Germanwings would let a crazy guy fly a plane? He was mentally unbalanced, tremendously unbalanced," Mr Oliver said.

For many victims' families, the biggest hope of holding someone to account lies in taking Lufthansa to court. Their frustration is heightened by the fact that the company has offered little more than the standard compensation required under German law - 25,000 euros (19,000) for each victim - plus 10,000 euros (7,700) to each of the victims' immediate relatives.

Since the crash, the airline has replaced its Germanwings brand with the name Eurowings.

Investigators also revealed that Lubitz was using antidepressants at the time of the crash.

Traces of Citalopram and Mirtazapine were found in Lubitz's system as well as the sleeping aid medication Zopiclone.

The US National Library of Medicine notes on its entry for Citalopram that children and young adults who take the drug can become suicidal "especially at the beginning of your treatment and any time that your dose is increased or decreased".

BEA chief Remi Jouty acknowledged that it is possible for pilots to be flying while using antidepressants that they have not declared to their employers.
Former Labour spin doctor Alastair Campbell has attacked newspapers that support Britain quitting the EU for plumbing "fresh depths of dishonesty".

Tony Blair's ex-director of communications said "the wretched right-wing press" was becoming little more than "propaganda sheets".

In an article for the Observer, he also dismissed reports that the Queen backed Brexit as a "load of c**k".

"More than in any such debate I can remember, large chunks of the press have totally given up on the role of properly informing public debate," he wrote.

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"The Mail, the Sun, the Express, and the Star in particular, to a lesser extent the Telegraph and, on a bad day, the Times, are more propaganda sheets for one side of the argument."

Justice Secretary Michael Gove is facing continued pressure over claims he was a source for reported comments made by the Queen on the EU.

During a Brexit campaign visit on Saturday he refused to deny being involved and told reporters he did not know where The Sun got "all" of its information.

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Buckingham Palace has lodged a formal complaint with the Independent Press Standards Organisation (Ipso) about the report, which appeared under the headline Queen Backs Brexit.

"I don't know how The Sun got all of its information," Mr Gove said.

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Conservative MP Sir Nicholas Soames said Mr Gove "will know the right thing to do" if he had made a misjudgment.

He told the Mail on Sunday: "Michael is a man of the highest integrity, and if on this occasion he has made a terrible misjudgment, I am sure he will know the right thing to do."

Courtiers are reportedly stepping in to prevent the Queen being pulled back into the EU referendum campaign.

A Whitehall official with links to the Palace and No 10 told The Sunday Times: "There's a concern and a need to draw the Queen back out of the political space."

Meanwhile US president Barack Obama is set intervene again in the referendum debate during a visit to Britain next month, according to the Independent on Sunday.

Downing Street said no visit had been announced and it would not comment on "speculation".

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The shadow chancellor has insisted his party will be "on the stomp" campaigning to remain in the EU after his party was accused of lacking enthusiasm in the debate.

John McDonnell also denied that he was against the EU or voting tactically when challenged by Andrew Marr over his Euroscepticism.

Speaking on the BBC One show, he said: "It is a matter of principle that we need to solve these global problems facing us like climate change, like migration, like world instability. We need to do that through international cooperation. The EU gives us that opportunity but it does need reform.

"I'll be on the stomp after this week, you'll see our campaign... you'll see Jeremy Corbyn and me and the rest of the Labour Cabinet on the stomp around the country arguing for our Europe, a people's Europe."

He said the Labour party has been working with socialist parties across Europe to put together an "alternative agenda" for Europe based on shared prosperity.

"We're meeting with on a regular basis our socialist and social democratic parties across Europe because we're going to present an alternative agenda," he said.

"After this budget is out of the way, I'll be going on the stomp around the country arguing for an alternative agenda and it will be about reform from within and reform on the basis of ensuring again that we have prosperity across Europe shared by all."
Angela Merkel, German Chancellor and leader of the conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party attends a Baden-Wuerttemberg state election campaign rally in Haigerloch, south-western Germany March 12, 2016, ahead of Sunday's regional elections in three states where the refugee crisis is expected to dominate voters' decisions. REUTERS/Kai Pfaffenbach

Voters punished Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservatives in three German regional elections on Sunday, giving a thumbs-down to her open-door refugee policy and turning in droves to the anti-immigrant Alternative for Germany (AfD).

The result is a big setback for Merkel, who has led Europe's biggest economy for a decade, and could narrow her room for manoeuvre as she tries to convince her European Union partners to seal a deal with Turkey to stem the tide of migrants.

Merkel's Christian Democrats (CDU) lost ground in all three states - Baden-Wuerttemberg and Rhineland-Palatinate in the west and Saxony-Anhalt in the east - which were together widely seen as offering a verdict on Merkel's liberal migrant policy.

"These results are a serious rebuke for Merkel and the most pronounced protest vote we've seen so far," said Holger Schmieding, an analyst at Berenberg Bank.

The result in the two western states was the worst-case scenario for Merkel, who has staked her legacy on her decision to open Germany's doors to over 1 million migrants last year. But she still looks set to run for a fourth successive term as chancellor, with no real challenger for the right to lead her party into next year's federal election.

"The result will increase the noise within the CDU and constrain the government's options on migrants and Greece, but Merkel's chancellorship is not at risk," said Carsten Nickel at Teneo Intelligence.

Responding to voters' fears, she has promised to stem the flow of migrants to Germany, and is trying to convince Turkey to help - and other EU partners to share the burden. In the last few weeks, the numbers of migrants entering Germany have fallen.

AFD RIDES HIGH

With a high turnout in all the votes, the AfD, already represented in five of Germany's 16 regional assemblies, succeeded in entering three more.

Its support was strongest in Saxony-Anhalt, where it grabbed 24.2 percent of the vote behind a diminished CDU showing, surpassing even the Social Democrats (SPD), Merkel's coalition partner in Berlin, ZDF television projections indicated.

With campaign slogans such as "Secure the borders" and "Stop the asylum chaos", it was the first time the AfD had come as high as second in any state.

"We have fundamental problems in Germany that led to this election result," said AfD chief Frauke Petry.

The AfD's rise, which has coincided with strong gains by other European anti-immigrant parties including the National Front in France, punctures the centrist consensus around which the mainstream parties have formed alliances in Germany, and may embolden more European leaders to challenge Merkel on the migrant issue.

The CDU's leader in Saxony-Anhalt pointed the finger squarely at Merkel for his party's losses.

"The issue that has brought the AfD into parliaments across Germany can't be ignored on a federal level any more. We need solutions," Reiner Haseloff told ARD television.

Charlotte Knobloch, former head of Germany's Central Council of Jews, bemoaned a "massive shift to the right".

"If voters follow the call of right-wing populists and extremists to such an extent, it is a failure of the democratic parties," she said.

SPD SUFFERS

In Baden-Wuerttemberg in the southwest, the Greens for the first time became the strongest party in a state, with 31.1 percent of the vote, ZDF television projections indicated.

The state was a CDU stronghold for more than 50 years before turning to a Green-led coalition with the SPD in 2011 after the Fukushima nuclear disaster in Japan, and CDU support fell by another 12 percentage points on Sunday.

Also damaging for the CDU was the result in Rhineland-Palatinate, the home of former chancellor Helmut Kohl.

There, the CDU's Julia Kloeckner, who had positioned herself as a future candidate to succeed Merkel, failed to unseat SPD state premier Malu Dreyer.

It was the only bright spot for the SPD, the biggest loser overall. In Saxony-Anhalt, its support almost halved and in Baden-Wuerttemberg it sank by more than 10 percentage points.

Asked if the SPD's weak showing in those two states would trigger questions about SPD leader Sigmar Gabriel's future, deputy party chairman Ralf Stegner said: "No, not at all."

It is still unclear which coalitions will take power in each state, but the splintered vote opens the prospect of deep changes to the political landscape.
People help an injured person on the ground near the explosion site in Ankara, Turkey March 13, 2016. REUTERS/Tumay Berkin

At least 37 people were killed and 75 more wounded in a blast in the Turkish capital Ankara on Sunday evening, broadcaster CNN Turk said, citing the local governor.

CNN Turk had earlier said 25 had been killed.

Later it said that two more people had died en route to hospital.

Turkish officials have confirmed it was a car bomb that targeted civilians at a bus stop in Ankara

Last month, a car bombing a few blocks away killed 29 people.

NTV television said the blast took place near a park at Ankara's main square, and that several cars caught fire.

Several ambulances and police cars were sent to the scene.

NTV television said the blast took place close to bus stops near a park at Ankara's main square, Kizilay.

The news channel said the explosion occurred as a car slammed into a bus, suggesting that the blast may have been caused by a car bomb.

The explosion came just three weeks after a suicide car bombing in the capital targeted buses carrying military personnel, killing 29 people.

A Kurdish militant group which is an offshoot of the outlawed Kurdish rebel group, the Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK, claimed responsibility for that attack.

Police sealed off the area and pushed onlookers and journalists back, warning there could be a second bomb.

Additional reporting by PA
Prime Minister David Cameron (left) and the Mayor of London Boris Johnson. Mr Cameron is "petrified" of Mr Johnson and branded Michael Gove a "Maoist" who wants to be the darling of the Tory right, according to an insider's account of the Coalition years Credit: John Stillwell/PA Wire

David Cameron is "petrified" of Boris Johnson and branded Michael Gove a "Maoist" who wants to be the darling of the Tory right, according to an insider's account of the Coalition years.

The Prime Minister is said to have confided in Nick Clegg that the Justice Secretary had "gone a bit nuts recently" and was driving him "around the bend".

Mr Cameron also admitted to the former deputy prime minister that the London mayor "is clearly after my job", the memoirs of former Liberal Democrat Cabinet minister David Laws claim.

Extracts published in the Mail on Sunday also state the premier agreed to a referendum to keep his "mad" backbenchers happy.

But the book, which has been written with Mr Clegg's cooperation, is also likely to open the former Lib Dem leader up to criticism after he sets out details of a conversation with the Queen.

Mr Clegg was critical of attempts to "drag the Queen" into the referendum campaign after comments she was alleged to have made about the EU were leaked to a newspaper.

Read More

The Justice Secretary, who has been accused of being the source, had a publicly fractious relationship with Mr Clegg but has long been a close friend of the Prime Minister.

But the book, Coalition: The Inside Story Of The Conservative-Liberal Democrat Coalition Government, suggests the relationship may have been under strain in recent years.

Setting out details of a conversation between the PM and his deputy about Mr Gove, the book states: "Cameron replied to the Deputy Prime Min-ister's complaints about Gove by saying 'Look, I understand your frustration over this, Nick. Michael does seem to have gone a bit nuts recently. To be honest, I am being driven around the bend by Michael right now. We know he isn't very popular in the country.'

"When Nick complained again after another bust--up with Gove, the Prime Minister laughed. 'The thing that you've got to remember with Michael is that he is basically a bit of a Maoist - he believes that the world makes progress through a process of creative destruction!'"

Mr Gove, meanwhile, told a private meeting of Tory and Lib Dem ministers that the PM's referendum was "completely barmy", according to Mr Laws.

Mr Clegg gave the former minister, a close ally, open access to his private papers and diaries, according to the Mail on Sunday.

"'God, Osborne and Cameron really are desperate for power, aren't they?' Nick Clegg told me in his cavernous office at 70 White-hall, with its extensive views of Horse Guards' Parade, on March 29, 2012," Mr Laws recounts.

"They would sell their mothers to stay in Downing Street. They are petrified of Boris Johnson coming along and challenging them for the leadership."

The book reveals details of a joke the Queen is said to have made to Mr Clegg who, as Lord President of the Privy Council, was at Buckingham Palace in 2012 for a regular audience.

"'What is happening in Parliament at the moment?' asked the Queen. Nick Clegg shifted uncomfortably. 'Well, Ma'am' he said, 'I am not sure that you are going to approve. We are just legislating to change the rules on the Royal succession. For the first time ever in the history of the British monarchy, a first-born girl will succeed to the throne before a later-born boy'.

"The Queen was quiet, staring off into the middle distance. 'I hope this change does not cause difficulties, Ma'am?' added the Deputy Prime Minister, to break the silence. 'Good grief, Mr Clegg', the Queen said, turning her face back again. 'By then, I'll be dead!'"

Mr Cameron is reported to have compared the fallout from his decision to push ahead with gay marriage to the impact the U-turn on tuition fees had on the Lib Dems.

"Over food and wine in the 10 Downing Street flat, the prime minister told Nick Clegg: 'Gay marriage has been an absolute disaster. It has totally split my party. It has been as bad for me as tuition fees were for you, Nick'. The prime minister said he now realised that it had been a big mistake to upset the 'Tory base' in the country."

Mr Laws told how he got "nervous" in the run-up to the 2015 Budget "when it became clear Osborne's proposal to completely abolish the tax on savings income may cost far more than his 800 million estimate".

"I said it was wrong when there were also painful cuts to the incomes of the poorest. Even Osborne admitted it wasn't well targeted. 'It will only really be of help to stupid, affluent and lazy people, who can't be bothered to put their savings away into tax-efficient vehicles! But it will still be very popular - we have polled it'."

Asked about the memoirs, Chancellor George Osborne told BBC One's Andrew Marr Show: "I don't really recognise much of what was said. I don't think it's the greatest revelation in human history to discover that Boris Johnson is interested in a job in government."
Behind the wire: Turkish soldiers stand guard as Syrians wait behind the border fences near the southeastern town of Suruc in Sanliurfa province, Turkey. Photo: Kadir Celikcan/Reuters

Even here in Kilis, there are bombing noises  its more trauma for us; thats why we left Syria, says 17-year-old Rama, from Aleppo.

The unmistakeable sound of artillery from the Turkish army firing into Isil-held areas in North Aleppo reverberates loudly around the town. On Tuesday, around eight rockets fired from Syria killed a 55-year-old woman and a four-year-old boy in two separate incidents. The Turkish army says they came from Al-Bab, an area in North Aleppo controlled by the so-called Islamic State.

The Turkish military responded by sending rounds of artillery-fire back in to Al-Bab on Tuesday and throughout the day on Wednesday.

It is events and times like this  which are occurring more frequently at the Turkey-Syria border  that are still prompting Syrians to take the so-called death-trip to Europe, on unseaworthy boats and rubber dinghies across the Aegean Sea to Greece. Last year, over one million Syrians crossed this way; this year, its around 124,000 and rising.

No amount of EU law will stop already, traumatised survivors of war in their bid to reach safety, many say.

Next week, Rama and her mother and three brothers are taking a boat to Greece; hoping to find solace and a future in Germany. Their father  a civil engineer  has been living there for nearly a year and the family, which once lived a charmed existence in Syria, say they want more from life than living off food stamps and donations.

Her mother, Reem, was a pharmacist, and her older brother, Ali (18), speaks four languages. This is not our war; now is the time for me to study and hopefully make my own profession  but it will never happen if we stay here, he says.

According to the UNHCR, over 55pc of those travelling are women and children. Last year, 70pc were men  many of whom were beating the track for their families to follow.

Thats the case for Doha Ama, a 39-year-old woman from Northern Aleppo. In a few weeks time, she says shell take her three children (aged between eight months and 14 years) across the sea to meet her husband in Frankfurt. Theyve had no luck securing a reunification visa from the German embassy or the UN, and she says she cant cope any longer without support from her husband and a regular income.

If the embassy dont respond soon, Ill leave in a couple of weeks; what else can I do, she says.

She is well aware of the new policies the EU and Turkish government is seeking to implement in the coming weeks. Under the proposal, all refugees or irregular migrants trying to reach Europe without applying for asylum in Turkey first will be returned.

For every one returned, a different Syrian in Turkey will be resettled in Europe. Those intercepted by Turkish, Greek or Nato patrols will also be penalised for their efforts and have their asylum application put to the bottom of the list, according to Jean Claude Juncker, President of the European Commission.

Asked about entrusting her life and the lives of her children to the notoriously callous network of smugglers operating in Turkeys port city of Izmir, she replies: I hope God will save us  Im frightened, but nobody is working here, and we have no money.

Meanwhile, around 60,000 refugees remain stranded at the border between Syria and Turkey; desperate to be allowed in.

Fatima, from Al-Bab, arrived in Turkey two months ago after paying smugglers to help her family, including her three children  her infant son has Down syndrome  as well as her sisters family, escape Isil-territory. She is still traumatised by what they witnessed under Daesh rule [Arab term for Isil], she says.

Even going to the market, we had to see people crucified and look at heads on the street, as well as tortured bodies.

On the regimes side, indiscriminate shelling from the Russian military in civilian areas has greatly exacerbated the violence in Syria, which is entering its fifth year of conflict this week. Russias intervention has propped up a fatigued and desolate Syrian army and changed the dynamic of the conflict, which had otherwise been stalemated.

People need to look at how profoundly evil the Russian intervention is, says Conor Elliot, Goals director of programmes, which supports Syrians with humanitarian aid inside Syria, and refugees coming to Turkey. Look at the use of double-tapping. Its immoral and wrong and deeply sickening, says Elliot.

Double-tapping is an illegal military strategy borrowed from terrorist groups, where a group re-engages an area a second time a short while after an initial air strike, in order to deliberately kill first responders and civilians.

Turkey already hosts over two million refugees, and some of its towns are now populated by more or as many Syrians than the local Turkish population.

The town of Kilis, with a population of 127,000 Syrians and 90,000 Turks, is exemplary in its treatment of the refugee population. It is now being put forward as a candidate for the Nobel Peace Prize.

Mayor of Kilis, Husan Kara, says the major pressure on resources is no problem for the town.

We were collecting 35,000 tonnes of garbage daily, now its over 100,000. But we welcome them.
Donald Trump says he has "instructed my people" to explore the possibility of helping pay the legal bills for a 78-year-old man charged with assault at a Trump rally.

Authorities have said John Franklin McGraw of Linden, North Carolina, was charged after he was caught on video hitting a man deputies were escorting at a Trump rally last Wednesday in Fayetteville.

Mr Trump told NBC's Meet The Press that McGraw "got carried away" and "maybe he doesn't like seeing what's happening to the country"

Mr Trump was asked if he might help McGraw with legal fees, if McGraw needed it.

Mr Trump says: "I've actually instructed my people to look into it, yes."

The man who was punched has said he and others went to the event as observers, not protesters. He says someone swore at one in their group, and by the time they tried to object, the police were escorting him out.
SHARE

By Coverage Partner Wspa Channel 7

GREENVILLE  A Pickens man was found dead Saturday in a Greenville motel room after a small fire.

The Greenville County Coroner said 49-year-old Arthur Junior Grubbs III was pulled out of a room at the Economy Inn by bystanders when they saw smoke.

Emergency responders tried unsuccessfully to revive Grubbs and he was pronounced dead at the scene on Augusta Road.

The coroner says the fire was concentrated around the bed in the motel room.

An autopsy will be performed Monday to determine the cause of death.

Gantt Fire Department, Greenville EMS and Belmont Fire Department also responded to the call.
Jessica Traynham (left) and Katie Gill of Tata Queens of Upstate South Carolina toss plastic bead necklaces to spectators during the St. Patrick's Day in the Electric City event in downtown Anderson.

SHARE Liz and Mason Carey drive by spectators during the St. Patrick's Day in the Electric City event in downtown Anderson. Thomas Fortner wins the St. Patrick's Day Fun Run in downtown Anderson. Frances Lake of Anderson wears a Liberty foam hat while watching floats during the St. Patrick's Day in the Electric City event in downtown Anderson. Steve Kay waves from the Bleckley Inn cart during the St. Patrick's Day in the Electric City event in downtown Anderson.

By Frances Parrish of the Independent Mail

Heidi Holliday's children waved at the people in the St. Patrick's Day Parade on Saturday and excitedly ran to catch the candy and beads thrown from the brightly decorated floats.

Floats from the Anderson Free Clinic, the Ta-Ta Queens, St. Joseph's Catholic School and the Anderson County Mobile Library rolled down Main Street in Anderson Saturday morning. Even the South Carolina Ghostbusters made a special appearance.

Anderson residents wearing green shirts, beads and hats came out to the annual parade hosted by local non-profit Pints for the People.

Holliday's daughter, Haven Turner, 11, watched her younger siblings gather the candy and then show their mother the spoils. But her favorite part was watching a bagpipes player dressed in a kilt lead the parade.

"I like the bagpipes," Haven said.

The Holliday family, like others, attend the parade each year for a family day of fun.

Liz Carey, founder of Pints for the People, started the parade three years ago to bring more life to downtown Anderson.

"We wanted to make sure there were events for people in Anderson to go to and to help out the local businesses," Carey said.

Each year, the organization donates money to a local charity. This year, funds from the parade benefit the Anderson Free Clinic.

Carey said the parade raised more than $500 for the clinic.

Before the parade, about 300 runners competed in the Race for the Rainbow hosted by First Flight Alliance. The run raised $1,550 for five local organizations.

Money was donated to the downtown Anderson Police Department, the South Carolina Advocates for Epilepsy and three efforts supported by AnMed  adding more automated external defibrillators, purchasing a mobile diagnostic unit for breast cancer and for Camp Asthmania, a camp for kids with asthma.

This is the first year competitors ran for a cause in a specifically colored shirt. Runners wore red for heart, pink for breast cancer, gray for asthma, purple for epilepsy and black for the police department.

"In the past, we've done a color run, but we wanted to transition out of it and run for color and a cause," said Alison Youngblood, co-founder of First Alliance and coordinator for the run. "We wanted to support some of those causes, creating a rainbow for St. Patrick's day."

Follow Frances Parrish on Twitter @frances_AIM
Its reasonably well known that income from agriculture attracts no tax in India.What isnt quite as well known is that of more than 400,000 taxpayers claiming exemption for agricultural income in the assessment year 2014-15, the biggest were seed giant Kaveri Seedsit claimed Rs 186.63 crore exemption and made a profit of Rs 215.36 crore before taxand multinational Monsanto India, which claimed Rs 94.40 crore as exemption from agricultural income and earned Rs 138.74 crore profit before tax.Agro-companies growing crops are allowed the same tax relief as individuals in states levying no agricultural income tax, although some states do indeed tax some kinds of farming.Allowing big farmersindividuals or companies farming more than say 30 acresagricultural income-tax exemption makes no sense, said R Durairaj, CEO and founder, Mother India Farms, an organic farm. Durairaj farms 200 acres of family land and supports agricultural-income-tax reformalthough he does not pay any tax on his agricultural income.On 39 million Indians, falls the countrys tax burdenThe rural crises that beset India are unprecedented this century, but agriculture also hides a number of companies and rich farmers, whom no finance minister will taxalthough with their numbers declining, as we shall see, these are reasonably easy to identify.Agricultural income is exempt from taxation in spite of large agricultural holdings, said the 2014 Third Tax Administration Reform Commission (TARC) report. a large number of rich farmers, who earn more than salaried employees in the cities, get away with paying no tax at all in view of the governments lack of will to consider an agricultural income tax.Taxing large agriculturists would help widen Indias taxpayer baseas the 2016 Economic Survey recommendedbeyond the current 5.5%, or 39 million earning individuals, who pay tax.The aversion to taxing agriculture is the fallout of a colonial experience when farmers were taxed, but it is not very widely know that some states do indeed tax some farms.Why agriculture haslargelynot been taxed for 130 yearsWhen India introduced income tax in 1886 under colonial rule, income tax on agriculture was kept out of its ambit because of existing land levies and the right to collect any form of agricultural income tax was vested with the main colonial administration.In 1935, the right to land revenue, and to potential agricultural income tax, was transferred to the provinces, todays states. Since then, each state has developed its own agricultural income- tax policy, with wide interstate disparities.Consider these examples:Uttar Pradesh introduced agricultural income tax in 1948, and repealed it in 1957, one of six states to flip flop thus in the first decade post Independence, to move away from oppressive agricultural taxes under the British, one of the reasons for the freedom struggle, said Indira Rajaraman, leading economist and RBI Chair Professor, National Institute of Public Finance and Policy, New Delhi.Or, because the meagre prospect of revenue of the tax on income arising from cultivation of non-plantation crops and also the growing cost of collection compelled some states to abandon this tax in course of time, writes Biswadeb Chatterjee in Tax Performance in Indian States: A Comparative Study.Assam introduced agricultural income tax in 1939. But it levies the tax, up to 45% (the highest slab), only on tea-cultivation income.Leaving agricultural income taxation to individual states has resulted in plantations in Kerala being taxed at 50% while our competitors in neighbouring Tamil Nadu pay no tax, said Thomas Jacob, managing director, Poabs Estates, a 6,000-acre coffee, tea, cardamom and pepper plantation.High taxes leave us with very little to reinvest in the land; consequently, plantations in Kerala, including our own, are loss-making, said Jacob, who is also vice chairman of the Association of Planters of Kerala. Talk about one India must translate into practical action; agricultural income tax should be totally abolished or be made uniform across India.How bigger farmers justify their agricultural-income-tax-free statusStates should pass a resolution under Article 252 of the Constitution authorising the Centre to impose tax on agricultural income, and all such taxes collected by the Centre, net of collection costs, could be transferred to the states, said the 2014 tax administration reform report.Against a tax-free limit of Rs 5 lakh on agricultural income, farmers with incomes around Rs 50 lakh could be taxed, recommended the report.Thats easier said than done, of course.Large farmers and agro-corporations with tax-free agricultural income wield significant clout over the government and they will lobby against it.Heres how some big farmers and farm companies justified their stance against agricultural income tax to IndiaSpend.With yields across India having stagnated and most farmers lacking bargaining power to sell their produce, agriculture doesnt leave much on the table for farmers. Significant economies of scale dont kick in from farming large tracts of land because the cost of key inputsseeds, fertiliser and waterrises almost proportionately, said Sandeep Saxena, managing director, Big India Farms, a farming and food-chain supply company.Other business activity isnt curtailed, whereas the land ceiling act restricts the land holding per family. Treat agriculture like any other business, hike the land ceiling per family to 100 acres at least; then consider taxing agricultural income, said Khushwant Singh, a writer and novelist who farms 30 acres.In Punjab, the law permits a family to hold 17.50 acres of irrigated land; and up to 32 acres of barren land without irrigation.A 17.50-acre farm is not enough to support a family nor does it justify mechanisation, said Singh. A tractor becomes cost effective only at double that size.Singh, his father and his brother collectively farm 60 acres and own two tractors between them. To augment family income, Singh senior has started a dhaba and Singhs brother runs a resort, Citrus County.Land prices have appreciated so significantly in rural India that the temptation to cash in is immense.We earn 0.1% of the value of our land; what businessman would stick on with those terms? Clearly, the math is against agriculture as a profession, said Singh. Well stick it out, but our next generation will definitely not live on the farm.Fewer big farmers should make agricultural income tax easier to administerConventionally, taxes are based on self-declared income.Self-declaration has been shown to work in plantation agriculture, which is closest to manufacturing in terms of scale of operation, year-round operation, formal records of accounts and links to the banking system, said Rajaraman, the economist.Assessing taxable agricultural income on the basis of declared figures would be arbitrary, and in all likelihood, lead to endless appeals.How could the revenue officer make objective assessments of income or challenge the declared income when it depends on so many variables and no criteria exist to define those variables? Rainfall, the sun, soils pests and diseases, irrigation, etc. are some of the influencing factors, said Sudhir Prakash, chairman, DLX Ltd, owner of Glenburn Tea Estate, Darjeeling, West Bengal, and an associated tea estate in Assam.West Bengal does not tax agriculture produce or plantations, whereas such tax in Assam is more or less at par with central income-tax rates, 45% as we said.The silver lining could be the dwindling number of medium and large farmers, defined as holdings exceeding 4 hectares and 10 hectares (24.7 acres) respectively, as per the 2011 agricultural census, as well as the acreage held by medium and large farmers. Today, India has roughly two-thirds of the number of medium farmers it had in 1971, and about a third of the number of large farmers.The big earners would be easy to target, tax and draw into the banking system. Medium and large farmers make up 10% or more of the farming community only in four states: Punjab (35%), Rajasthan (22%), Gujarat (12%) and Madhya Pradesh (10%), according to the 2011 agricultural census.Agricultural income declared by taxpayers, in returns filed up to November 28, 2014, for exemption in the 2014-15 assessment year, stood at Rs 9,338 crore.Currently, transactions in the farming sector (except plantations) are mainly in cash, said Prakash. To track transactions, you need them to be routed through the banking infrastructure, and to transact through banks, you need literate farmers.How panchayats could tax agricultural incomeIf farmers do not use the banking system and maintain accounts, could rich farmers be taxed on the basis of what they have assumed to have earned?Farmers could be taxed based on the area sown with high-return crops, proposed Rajaraman in a 2004 paper Taxing Agriculture in a Developing Country: A Possible Approach. High-return crop cultivators whose yield falls below a stipulated threshold would be exempted for the sake of fairness.She suggested, in her 2003 book, A Fiscal Domain for Panchayats, that such tax be collected by village councils.Property tax is paid locally, why not tax on agricultural income? said Rajaraman. Agriculture thrives only when law and order prevails, and the panchayat governs locally. Farming makes use of local utilities, so it should give back locally.That would make local governance more responsive than it might by receiving handouts from Delhi, as the recent budget provided for with Rs 2.78 lakh crore ($41.34 billion) in grants to panchayats (rural councils) and urban local bodies, or above Rs 80 lakh per panchayat.A panchayat that benefits from tax collection is more likely to ensure compliance, said Rajaraman, than a distant state government.Bahri is a freelance writer and editor based in Mount Abu, Rajasthan. Indiaspend.org is a data-driven, public-interest journalism non-profit/FactChecker.in is fact-checking initiative, scrutinising for veracity and context statements made by individuals and organisations in public life.)
I would be happy to hear from you about your explorations at Indiana Ties. Send me comments, suggestions or questions using the box below. Happy hunting,

Nancy Hurley



We're glad you're here! Indiana Ties includes family history, photos, research and just fun. If you're searching for a specific subject, you may want to use the search box at the bottom of this column.
One gloomy day for the patients at children's ward of Memorial Health hospital in Savannah, Georgia turned into a happy one recently. Reason? WWE wrestler-turned-actor Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson paid a surprise visit!

The 43-year-old actor, who was shooting for Baywatch in the hospital posted a cute photograph with the kids he met!

He wrote:

"I surprised the children at Savannah's Pediatric Specialty Ward aaaaand look at the concentration on lil' Aiden's face! We shot #BAYWATCH scenes at Memorial Health Hospital and thought I'd pop up to the ward. Awesome experience and THANK YOU to all the hard working and caring staff who helped make this visit possible. To all the kids I met - you guys keep smiling and staying strong. All the mamas and daddy's I met, y'all stay strong too..."

After posting some of the most happening pictures with Zac Efron, Priyanka Chopra, Alexandra Daddario, Kelly Rohrbach and Ilfenesh Hadera, this photograph surely will make you smile!
A 75-year-old Air Force veteran, one of the spearheads of the one rank, one pension (OROP) movement, was arrested by Gurgaon Police from his Delhi home on Friday on a complaint of embezzlement filed against him by a former Armyman.

Wing Commander C K Sharma (retired), treasurer of the Indian Ex-Servicemen Movement (IESM), has been accused of misusing donation money worth Rs 14 lakh that was meant for OROP protests

afp

But the police action in a case that dates back to 2013 came in for sharp criticism from his daughter and other OROP activists, who saw this as an establishment effort to pit veterans against one another and coerce OROP protesters. Sharma has been booked under sections 420 (cheat ing) and 406 (criminal breach of trust) among other sections of the IPC. IESM was formed in 2008 to spearhead the OROP protests.

Sharma was booked along with two others -Maj Gen Satbir Singh (retd) and Group Capt V K Gandhi (retd) -in a case registered at Palam Vihar police station on February 8. The complaint was filed by Lt Gen Raj Kadiyan (retd), the IESM chairman who alleged "they had taken a lot of cash from the society funds between January and July 2013".

Singh and Gandhi were not arrested because they got interim bail from the Punjab and Haryana high court. Sharma's anticipatory bail application was rejected by a Gurgaon court.

My father Wing Commander CK Sharma Retd 75 years has been very active in the OROP fight.5 police men just half an hour... Posted by Nisha Sharma on Thursday, 10 March 2016

"Five policemen barged into my parents' house, threw his phones away . He was just picked up from his bed (he has been hospitalized and sick for he last 2 weeks). The police are not telling us where he is and what his condition is. The charges are fake and inspired by political vendetta, please support the man who supported countless widows and armed forces personnel," she wrote

Col Anil Kaul (retd) of the United Front of Ex-Servicemen (UFESM), an umbrella body of 200 ex-servicemen organisations of which IESM is a part, said the arrest seemed to be targeted at the Jantar Mantar agitation for OROP and silencing the activists.

"The complaint has been investigated twice over earlier and dismissed both times because there was no substance n it. In Thursday's hearing, the court verbally conveyed to our advocate that no pre-emptive action was to be taken till the hearing on Friday . The same was intimated to the police but they did not pay heed to it. At no time has IESM not made available its personnel or documents for a thorough probe, so this act seems highly unjustified to say the least." Sharma was produced in a Gurgaon court and taken on a day's police remand. Police said he was being questioned by the economic offences wing.

"Retired Wing Commander CK Sharma along with retired Major Gen Satbir Singh and retired Group Captain VK Gandhi are accused in the said FIR on allegations of misappropriation of funds belonging to ex-servicemen.Their anticipatory bail application was rejected by Gurgaon's additional district judge on February 29", said Hawa Singh, ACP (crime), Gurgaon.
Actor Anupam Kher has said he does not mind being called a 'chamcha' (stooge) of Prime Minister Narendra Modi who works day and night for the country and wondered why children cannot chant slogans in admiration of a Prime Minister.

"Why can't our children chant slogans in admiration of our Prime Minister in schools? As children, we used to chant slogans for Lal Bahadur Shastri in our schools. What is the problem?

Twitter

"Here is a man (Modi) who is constantly working day and night, who has enhanced our country's image throughout the world. But they (critics) are trying to find loopholes in each aspect of his work and run him down," he told Rajat Sharma in 'Aap Ki Adalat' on India TV.

Modi is constantly talking about the country and no Prime Minister prior to him ever spoke on women's toilets from the ramparts of Red Fort, he said.

On critics describing him as a Modi 'chamcha' (sycophant) Kher said, "I am better off being called a chamcha of Narendra Modi, than a 'balti' of somebody else. They are using this word (chamcha) to put me on the defensive. I am a chamcha of thespian Dilip Kumar and Amitabh Bachchan too." "If you use the word 'chamcha' for admiration, then it is perfectly alright with me, because after a long time we now have a Prime Minister who has brought emotions in me for my country, a man whose career graph is not a fluke, a man who did not enter politics as part of any legacy."

Kher, husband of BJP MP Kirron Kher, ruled out joining politics in the near future, saying he valued his freedom more than joining any political party according to a release.

Asked whether he wanted his wife to become a minister, Kher said she deserves it and it will be good thing if she becomes one. He also defended his outburst against retired Supreme Court Judge AK Ganguly at The Telegraph conclave in Kolkata, saying the Indian inside him suddenly flared up and told him his statement was shameful.

"Ganguly Saheb, with due respect to him, had questioned the manner in which Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru was hanged. I was angry because Afzal Guru was hanged after going through all the due processes of our judicial system, and this statement was coming from a former Supreme Court judge. I told him it was shameful."

He called Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi a "reluctant politician" and that politics was thrust on him.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has a habit of turning his audience into his fans by his easy going wit and simple demeanour.

Shawglobalnews

44-year-old Trudeau, who assumed office in November last year, surprised everyone by including four Sikh-Canadians in his Cabinet.

A fact that he attributed to while poking fun at his Indian counterpart while speaking at a function in Washington, US.

The quip came when Trudeau was taking 10 questions from students at the American University in northwest Washington during his state visit to the US.

Ironically he was replying to a student named Jahan from the Punjab province of Pakistan told Trudeau that it was really great to see so many Punjabis in his cabinet.

I have more Sikhs in my cabinet than Modi does, Trudeau quickly retorted.

Trudeau is not just one of the youngest state premiers in the modern world, he is also one with lot of progressive ideas and is vocal in his support of them.

His cabinet celebrates Canada's rich diversity too. We had earlier reported that Punjabi is now the third official language of Canada's Parliament.

We also profiled his Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan, who is considered by many as the most badass defence minister ever!

And the people of Canada stand by Trudeau's decision too. In fact Harjit is so famous in Canada, he has a burger named after him

Checkout What Happened When The Minister Came Mouth-To-Plate With His Namesake
Its from one endorsement deal to the next for Nollywood actress, Funke Akindele.

The comic actress has just signed an endorsement deal with Iroko TV.

The actress was unveiled as the companys brand ambassador on Wednesday at IrokoTVs headquarter in Ikeja, Lagos.

Speaking about the deal, according to the companys Head of Legal & Distribution, Uloma Onuma, Our choice of Funke Akindele was because she has proven to be not just a multi-talented award-winning actress, but an inspirational character that excites many Nigerians with her educative and interesting movies as well as her comic character Jenifa.
Former President of the Senate, Senator David Mark has described the destruction of lives and properties in Agatu Local Government Area of Benue State by armed men suspected to be Fulani herdsmen as barbaric. He called it a genocide against his people.

Speaking, Friday, when he visited the affected areas, Mark said he was shocked beyond words at the extent of destruction he saw Agatu on Friday.

This is unbelievable and unimaginable. Nothing whatsoever justifies this brazen act of destruction meted out on the people of Agatu. My heart bleeds, he said.

Mark, who was on assessment tour of the war ravaged communities along with some members of the National and state Assembly from his Benue South constituency, urged security operatives to do all that is needed to bring the perpetrators to book.

He said that the attacks could not have happened by accident but a planned and orchestrated genocide against his people of Agatu.

About 10 communities have been razed down to the rubbles while no fewer than 500 lives have been lost to the recent hostilities .

The former President of the Senate also visited one of the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camps located in Apa Local Government Area where he counselled the victims to remain calm as authorities would do the needful to ameliorate their situation.
Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike has declared that former Governor Rotimi Amaechi needs urgent psychiatric evaluation and treatment.

Wike said this while reacting to Amaechis appearance on a radio programme in Port Harcourt, yesterday, where he said: You dont accuse me of corruption, because I am not corrupt, you dont abuse my wife and you dont abuse my Mother. The last two persons are vulnerable and so need to protected. You go to this areas I fight back.

Amaechi also said the Justice George Omereji-led panel of inquiry set by Governor Wike never indicted him. But when the Government came out with a White Paper, they smuggled an indictment. We are waiting for them in court, he said.

Angered by his predecessors comments, Governor Wike said Amaechi is monstrously corrupt. He said that after his litigation on his indictment by the judicial Commission of Inquiry, his (Amaechis) prosecution over the embezzlement of Rivers resources will take place.

Speaking at the PDP Rivers West Senatorial District Campaign rally at Ahoada on Saturday, Governor Wike said that only a man with psychiatric disorder will compare his failed eight years in office to just eight months of the new administration.

Governor Wike said that the APC has refused to campaign for the rerun elections because they are relying on the military and security forces to rig.

He is a psychiatric patient who was at the radio station abusing people who are old enough to be his fathers/mothers simply because his party lost at the Supreme Court.

We will defeat Amaechi again and again. No matter the deployed army to Rivers State, the PDP will win all the seats, Wike said.

Only yesterday, I intercepted the communication of the DSS director and the Brigade commander where they were planning on the ways of rigging the election alongside Amaechi. That plot has failed.

Amaechi lacks sound parental upbringing. He has vindicated us when he said that he has been given the army to rig the rerun elections. I know the Chief of Army staff very well. He should not allow a psychiatric patient to use the Army to rig.

Is Amaechi now the Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces that he talks about deploying soldiers? Our people will rise up to defend their votes. They will make the needed sacrifices [to protect] their votes, Governor Wike said.

Wike said no matter the time it takes, Amaechi will face trial for stealing Rivers resources .

If President Muhammadu Buhari visits Amaechis house in Asokoro, he will never allow him to come into Presidential Villa. After the case initiated by Amaechi over his indictment, he will face justice for embezzling state funds.
An Orange County defense attorney suffered a bloodied face and fractured nose after a brawl with a district attorneys investigator in a courthouse hallway, his lawyer said. James Crawford was speaking with a witness in the courthouse Wednesday morning when an investigator asked him who he was and called defense lawyers sleazy, said Jerry Steering, Crawfords attorney.

The men traded insults and the investigator threw a metal document clip at Crawford, which he threw back, Steering said. The investigator then grabbed Crawford, slammed his head into a bench and began punching him, Steering said Crawford did not strike back. The Orange County District Attorneys office declined comment. The county sheriffs department is investigating the incident, which was reported Friday by the Orange County Register.

Paul S. Meyer, an attorney for the investigator, told the newspaper that Crawfords account was not accurate. There are two sides to every story and that is certainly true here, Meyer said. The state attorney generals office will review the incident, which has stoked outrage among many defense attorneys. It is an affront to the criminal justice system and to the citizens of Orange County that this DA would allow this to happen on his watch and stay completely silent, Jacqueline Goodman, an executive committee member of the California Attorneys for Criminal Justice, said in a statement.

The fight comes amid a simmering scandal in the county over the Orange County district attorneys use of jailhouse informants and handling of related evidence. Crawford recently won a new trial for a suspect in the 1998 murder of a pregnant woman over the allegations. The Justice Department is reviewing requests for a federal investigation into the countys justice system, Dena Iverson, a spokeswoman for U.S. Attorney General Loretta E. Lynch, told the newspaper.

AP.
A 32-year-old man identified as Ikechukwu Anigbo, a barber, was reportedly killed and burnt around a popular relaxation centre at the old London Lane, in Apo, Abuja at the weekend, after he was allegedly mistaken for a robber.



Daily Trust reports that the deceaseds friend, one Chukwudi Orji had visited his barbing salon on Saturday. However, about 30 minutes after he left, Orji was said to have received news of violence involving some motorcyclists and at about 11p.m, he learnt that his friend, Anigbo was the victim of the violence.

According to Orji, I saw the fire, but I did not know that someone was inside. There was smoke everywhere; there was no way you would have known that there was someone in the fire, except you were there or somebody told you about it, he said.

Reports have it that a quarrel had ensued between the deceased who hails from Aku in Enugu State and a motorcyclist over N10 change, he was supposed to have collected after paying his fare.

It was alleged that during the argument, the motorcyclist attracted his colleagues to the scene by shouting thief.

According to the taskforce chairman of Abuja Spare Parts Dealers Association, Apo, Mr. Ezema Virginus Chukwudike, The mob that gathered following the alarm collected tyres from a vulcanising workshop near the scene and set the deceased on fire.

The taskforce chairman reportedly lamented the excesses of motorcyclists in satellite towns within the territory and the need to be curbed.

When news of the incident spread, people became angry. They wondered why the motorcyclists would burn an innocent man. Even the man who volunteered to carry the corpse after he had been killed, was chased away.

This is not the first time that motorcyclists are killing someone over a paltry sum of money.

A similar thing happened in Kabusa, when a boy was stabbed because of change. Another man was killed on Wumba road. The same change issue led to the death of a man in Damagaza. In his case, after he was killed, they kept him near a river until the next day, Chukwudike was quoted to have said.

The last time such an incident occurred in the area, the traders protested and it took the intervention of policemen to bring the situation under control, he added.

He noted that the matter was reported at the Apo Police Station.

When contacted, the spokesperson of the FCT police command, ASP Anjuguri Manzah said, There was a disagreement last night between two opposing groups and we are in the know.

Manzah said there are several versions of the incident. While some insist that the late Anigbo did not commit any crime, some alleged that he attempted to snatch the motorcycle but was overpowered by the motorcyclists.

However, A thorough investigation is ongoing to give a clearer picture of what actually transpired, he said.

The taskforce chairman, speaking further, said government should stop motorcyclists from arming themselves with daggers.

Why should government allow them to move around with daggers unchallenged? he asked.

Source:Dailypost
Black Mama, White Mama is a Roger Corman produced riff on Stanley Kramers film, The Defiant Ones starring blaxploitation icon Pam Grier. Veteran Filipino director Eddie Romero helms the film from a story by future The Silence of the Lambs director Jonathan Demme. Black Mama, White Mama is a rare exploitation film that balances action, humor, violence, and sleaze extremely well. Combine this with Arrow Videos stellar presentation and youve got an impressive Pam Grier package!

The film opens on a bus carrying women into a rehabilitation center in an unnamed country. On board is Lee Daniels (Grier), a tough as nails hooker and Karen (Markove), a revolutionary with connections to a local guerrilla force. Inside the compound the vicious main guard, Densmore, takes more than a passing interest in Karen. Fans of cult cinema will recognize Densmore as actress Lynn Borden from Dirty Mary, Crazy Larry. After the guests check in a guard calls out, Okay, strip em and get em wet. *Cue playful shower scene*

Densmore likes to mix business with pleasure, but when Lee refuses her advances its Karen that succumbs to the guards demands. After a day spent in the oven together sweating it out, Lee and Karen realize that even though they dont agree on much, they can agree on finding a way out of the prison camp. Surprisingly, both women are set up for a transfer to a maximum security prison in the city. Its revealed that Karen is near the top of her revolutionary organization and that Lees drug lord pimp is the biggest dealer on the island. (Theyre on a island?) These women are in the clink for more than just parking tickets and loitering.

Thus far Black Mama, White Mama has maintained a true Women-In-Prison setup with the introduction of our captive women, establishing the predatory lesbian guard, and concluding with an unapologetic shower scene crucial to exploitation cinema. Director Eddie Romero is no stranger to this style of film. Responsible for many great Filipino action films, Romero doesnt cut corners with his movies, but he doesnt try to reinvent the wheel either. Too often nudity can carry an entire scene and sometimes entire films. In my opinion Romero never cashes in on the nudity here. He keeps the camera moving without lingering too long on the actresses.

Now chained together, Lee and Karen board the transport bus. Enroute a firefight erupts killing the guards. On the hilltop we see Karens guerilla friends firing away. The women escape into the jungle leaving bloodied bodies behind them. Tracking Lee and Karen are a corrupt cop, a drug lord pimp, and a flamboyant cowboy bounty hunter played by the legendary Sid Haig. If you closely watch the scenes with Sid Haig you can see that Romero lets him direct the scene to keep the action moving with the amateur local actors. Brilliant stuff! Fans of Filipino action cinema will instantly recognize druglord Vic as veteran actor Vic Diaz! What a crew!

As Lee and Karen flee across the island they butt heads at every turn. Youve got the idealist revolutionary versus the self-centered hooker out to collect her money and run. Karen tries to make Lee understand her cause by shouting, Were trying to set this island free. Youre black! You understand, dont you?

*obligatory girl fight with slapping, hair pulling, and rolling in the dirt*

I wasnt familiar with Black Mama, White Mama other than a passing glance at the VHS artwork some years ago. Its rarely mentioned in the Pam Grier canon with the same esteem as Coffy and Foxy Brown. I shouldve picked up that VHS because an exotic locale, gunfights, humor, and sleaze makes this a perfect exploitation film for longtime fans and those new to the genre. Though the film admittedly has a paper thin plot, I think the cast of characters make for an exciting and funny action film that never stops! Those looking to discover a great 70s cult film need to look no further than Black Mama, White Mama.

The Blu-ray: Vital Disc Stats

Black Mama, White Mama escapes onto Region A/B Blu-ray thanks to Arrow Video. Housed in a clear case along with a reversible artwork sleeve and booklet is a Region 1 DVD version of the film. The disc opens to the Arrow Video logo before arriving at the Main Menu. When you hear the funky groove youve made it, Mama!
The Kano State Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Haruna Umar Doguwa, has changed his mind about disciplinary actions against former Governor of the State and current Senator, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso.

Doguwa had earlier held that Mr. Kwankwaso should face disciplinary proceedings for allegedly maltreating the present Kano State Governor Abduallahi Umar Ganduje during a condolence visit.

However, he told reporters in Kano on Saturday, that he made his previous statements under pressure from Party leaders.

I was coerced to sign [his previous public memorandum] under duress, Doguwa said.

Having reviewed the reaction of the earlier press statement, I and other officials of our Party deemed it necessary to take corrective measures to preserve unity, cohesiveness, and to jealously guard our hard earned victory Kano State, he said.

We have observed with great concern the reactions from our Party members, and indeed the general public, which turnout to be negative.
The Commandant-General of the Peace Corps of Nigeria, Ambassador Dickson Akoh has described the campaign promise of N5,000 to Nigerian youths by the All Progressive Congress (APC) as an insult to Nigerian youths.

While commending President Muhammadu Buhari for jettisoning the idea, Akoh canvassed for empowerment scheme for youths as well as legislative backing to ventures and ideas that will uplift the Nigerian youths.

Akoh said the Peace corps bill is one of the various ideas that will create 800,000 jobs when finally passed into law by the National Assembly.

Speaking on the bill which scaled through the second reading in the National Assembly last week, Akor said the bill sponsored by Senate leader, Senator Ali Ndume when passed seeks to empower, develop and provide alternative employment for the youths to facilitate peace, community services and other related matters.

The bill when finally passed into law has the capacity to provide alternative employment for Nigerian youths, facilitate peace, community services and nation building, Akoh told newsmen on Saturday in Abuja.

The bill will provide positive engagement of the youths with a view to pre-occupy them in ventures that would make them economically productive to themselves and larger society.

Currently in Nigeria, we are investing a lot of energies and resources to contain the menace of insurgency, militancy, kidnapping, vandalism, armed robbery, political thuggery, drug trafficking, prostitution, suicide bombing, cattle rustling and a host of other social vices.

These vices no doubt constitute social challenges that have retrogressive effects and implications on the economic development and security of the nation.

This bill seeks to give statutory functions to the existing peace corps of Nigeria which currently has over 98,000 members with well structured network of branches in 34 states of the federation including the Federal Capital Territory and observing adequately all its stated functions, and achievement of no small measure for an NGO.

The Nigerian Peace Corps was established 17 years ago alongside the Nigerian Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC).
A six-year-old Palestinian girl and her 10-year-old brother were killed in the Gaza Strip by fragments from a missile fired by an Israeli aircraft, medical officials said. Debris from the explosion early on Saturday landed on the childrens home in Beit Lahiya.

The girl, Israa Abu Khosa, died in hospital on Saturday afternoon having succumbed to critical injuries sustained during the attack, Ashraf al-Qidra, spokesperson for Gazas Ministry of Health, told Al Jazeera. Her brother Yassin died earlier, and was the first fatality from an air strike in Gaza since October. Their brother, 13-year-old Ayoub Abu Khosa, sustained moderate injuries from the attack.

The Israeli air strike took place hours after rockets were launched at southern Israel on Friday night, according to the Israeli military. No casualties were reported from the rocket strikes. The Gaza health ministry said Israel carried out five air raids on Hamas facilities. Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of the Hamas movement, vowed retaliation late on Saturday. A statement on its website said of the two killed children, their blood will not be shed in vain. Gaza rocket fire has tapered off significantly since a 2014 war when more than 2,100 Palestinians, mostly civilians, and six Israeli civilians and 67 soldiers were killed.
Dad-of-two Joao Valdecir de Borba, 52, was killed after stepping outside the building where he worked during a musical interlude. The former crime reporter had switched to presenting music-led programmes five months ago after receiving death threats.

The shocking crime occurred around 9pm local time on Thursday at the offices of Radio Difusora AM in Sao Jorge do Oeste in the southern Brazilian state of Parana near the border with Argentina. There were conflicting reports yesterday about the circumstances leading to his death.

A colleague who was with him the night of the murder claimed he had stepped outside for a cigarette but radio station coordinator Eliziane Conter said Borba was shot as he answered a knock on the studios front door. The killers, who are still on the run, fled the scene in a dark-coloured Fiat Strada.

Joao, who had worked for Radio Difusora AM for ten years and was married with two children, died as he was rushed critically injured to hospital. The Brazilian Association of Radio and Television Presenters revealed in February eight journalists had been shot dead in Brazil last year, making it the fifth most dangerous country in the world for reporters.

Abebel.
Gen Re is set to close its office in Melbourne, alongside five other global offices, as part of a reorganisation of its business.The reorganisation of the businesses Direct Global P&C operations will see three offices in the United States close, one in Riga, Latvia and another in Hong Kong shut its doors as the business positions itself for the future.The closing offices will be integrated into teams in larger locations to facilitate a more robust delivery of services to clients.In a statement announcing the changes, Gen Re said that they remain committed to the markets facing closures as Bob Jones, president and property & casualty chief marketing officer of Gen Re, said the moves follow a global review.We have reviewed our entire global footprint, and with this change, we are positioning Gen Res Property & Casualty operation to address the realities of todays markets, while capitalising on tomorrows opportunities.Jones continued that the advent of technology in the direct reinsurance space has seen the business change and the global reorganisation will place the company on the right track for the future.When you add technology to the equation, being a direct reinsurer in the 21st century has evolved from where it was two decades ago, Jones noted.We need to deliver underwriting and claims expertise in the most effective manner, while not compromising the quality of our products and promises.This new structure positions us to deliver on that.Gen Re, which is a Berkshire Hathaway company, also announced changes to its European treaty underwriting resources to better align the business with its global counterparts.
Join ITR and TMF Groups tax experts at 2pm CET (1pm GMT) on November 15 as they discuss how finance leaders are increasingly faced with doing more with less, and how CFOs should adapt.
Starring : Kyle Gallner, Adam Nee

Director : Aaron Nee

Plot Synopsis

A modern day retelling of Mark Twains iconic books, "Band of Robbers" is a comedic adventure that reimagines the characters as grown men, and small-time crooks. When Huck Finn is released from prison, he hopes to leave his criminal life behind, but his lifelong friend, and corrupt cop, Tom Sawyer, has other plans. Not ready to give up on his childhood fantasies, Tom forms the Band of Robbers, recruiting their misfit friends Joe Harper and Ben Rogers, to join them for an elaborate plan to find a fabled treasure. But the plan soon unravels, thrusting the guys on a wild journey with dangerous consequences...



This special Blu-ray edition comes packed with Director's Commentary, Cast Auditions and Behind the Scenes Featurettes.
Si svolgera martedi 26 luglio, alle ore 21.00, nella splendida cornice del Foro Romano, levento musicale dedicato al Giubileo della Misericordia: Music for Mercy. Il concerto, iniziativa dellOpera Romana Pellegrinaggi in collaborazione con il Teatro dellOpera di Roma, avra tra i suoi ospiti 30 rifugiati, tra cui saranno presenti anche le tre famiglie siriane in fuga dalla guerra che Papa Francesco ha portato con se al ritorno da Lesbo.

Ad assistere alla serata musicale anche un gruppo di 20 detenuti degli istituti penitenziari di Rebibbia, che prestano quotidianamente attivita lavorativa gratuita a titolo di volontariato nellambito delle iniziative per questo Anno Santo. E davvero un concerto straordinario  ha dichiarato monsignor Liberio Andreatta, vice presidente dellOpera Romana Pellegrinaggi -, non solo perche parla di misericordia ma perche se ne fa testimone. E un grande onore per noi che alcuni rifugiati e detenuti partecipino allevento, labbiamo fortemente voluto, e il 26 luglio celebreremo tutti insieme, con grande gioia, il valore della misericordia.

Il concerto era stato presentato nel Vicariato di Roma lo scorso 24 giugno e in quelloccasione era stata resa pubblica la partecipazione di alcuni grandi artisti come Andrea Bocelli, la cantante Carly Paoli che interpretera lAve MAria, canzone ufficiale dei Cammini del Giubileo. Ad accompagnare i cantanti ci sara lOrchestra del Teatro dellOpera di Roma diretta dal cinese Tan Dun.
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Investment Banking vs. Investment Management: An Overview

Plenty of undergraduate finance majors and master of business administration (MBA) students consider pursuing a career in investment banking or investment management, two intensely competitive fields in the finance industry, after receiving their degrees. These professions offer some of the highest starting salaries in the field, and there's plenty of room for growth for those who are talented and ambitious enough to land one of these spots.

If you take away all of the industry terminologies and boil these jobs down to their basic elements, investment bankers and investment managers (sometimes called asset managers or fund managers in the U.K.) are primarily responsible for channeling money from investors to companies that need capital. Some of the top experts in the investment world can be found in these positions.

Investment management is all about investment decisions and asset allocation. This means coming up with investment strategies and directing funds to property, equities, or debt securities on behalf of clients. Investment bankers, by contrast, are deal-makers. They work as high-level consultants and analysts for large companies to help with capital raising strategies.

Key Takeaways Investment managers help clients by managing their money. Clients can include individuals, educational institutions, insurance companies, and pension funds.

Investment managers perform financial analysis, portfolio allocation between bonds and stocks, equity research, and issue buy and sell recommendations.

Investment bankers help with corporate finance needs, such as raising funds or capital. Companies and governments hire investment bankers to facilitate mergers and acquisitions as well as IPOs, and new debt issuance such as a bond offering.

Investment Management

Investment managers help clients reach their investment goals by managing their money. Clients of investment managers can include individual investors as well as institutional investors such as educational institutions, insurance companies, pension funds, retirement plans, and governments. Investment managers can work with equities, bonds, and commodities, including precious metals like gold and silver.

Investment managers can have varied roles and responsibilities, depending on the firm, which can include:

Financial statement analysis

Portfolio allocation such as a proper mix of bonds and stocks

Equity research and buy and sell recommendations

Financial planning and advising

Estate and retirement planning as well as asset distribution

Investment Banking

Investment bankers help with corporate finance needs, such as raising funds or capital. Companies and governments hire investment bankers to facilitate complicated financial transactions, including:

Debt issuance such as a bond offering

New securities underwriting

Mergers and acquisitions

Initial public offerings (IPOs)

Investment banking can involve equity and security research and making buy, sell, and hold recommendations. Investment banking firms are also market makers, which provide liquidity or connect buyers and sellers to "make" the market.

Almost every investment banker starts out as an associate or analyst and hopes to put in enough years to reach a role as a vice president or managing director.

Special Considerations

Education and Skills

Competition for both careers is notoriously stiff. Investment banking firms are usually only interested in candidates who have graduated from top schools and who have worked previously with major corporate players. It's virtually impossible to find an investment banking associate position without an MBA and strong recommendations from respected professionals in the field. Investment management positions aren't quite as crowded by top applicants, but it's still very difficult to break into major firms.

Networking is very important and sometimes matters more than experience or academic bona fides. Many firms use internships as extensive application processes; in fact, some investment management and banking internships are more competitive than entry-level positions for corporate finance or research analyst positions.

Undergraduate degrees are preferred in business disciplines, such as finance, economics, accounting, or investment analysis, although degrees from other fields are considered. Some banks look for demonstrated analytical proficiency in specific sectors, like healthcare or pharmaceuticals.

Firms are generally looking a strong combination of the following skills and characteristics:

Strong written and verbal communication skills

Analytical and problem-solving skills

Demonstrated independence and responsibility

Responsiveness and attention to detail

Negotiation and client management skills

Knowledge of investments, corporate finance and business negotiations (practical commercial expertise)

Advanced mathematical and technical skills

An ambitious, eager, get-it-done attitude

Salary

Investment banking and investment management jobs have attractive salaries and bonuses. Even the lowest-level investment banking analyst at a smaller firm can expect a first-year salary of $65,000 to $95,000 and a hefty signing bonus.

The average base pay for investment managers is $95,829 with salaries that can be as high as $180,000, according to glassdoor.com. Additional compensation averages $14,900, which includes commissions and bonuses.

The average base pay for investment bankers is $119,110 with salaries that can be as high as $235,000, according to glassdoor.com. Investment banking analysts make anywhere from $73,000 to 108,000.

Work-Life Balance

High-level investment jobs are highly concentrated in New York, London, and Tokyo. Even though there is some evidence of geographical shifts as the 21st century marches forward, it is still probable that a career in investment banking or investment management means moving to one of these three global financial hubs.

Workloads for investment managers vary. Those employed by mutual funds or hedge funds work when the stock market opens and closes. This can be a relatively short time if the firm is only active in one market, but those active in all three major exchanges can have very irregular. Private equity firms average much longer workdays, sometimes as many as 65 to 70 hours per week.

Investment bankers sometimes joke that they enjoy a nice "work-work" balance. Very few careers demand as much time and energy as investment banking; it's not uncommon to work 12- to 14-hour days for six or seven days a week. Despite the high salary and prestige afforded to an associate or analyst, many burn out and suffer physically and emotionally after a few years on the job. These roles are for career-minded people who may have little time for relaxing on weekends and spending time with family.

Occupational Outlook

These are very prestigious careers with huge salaries, so competition should remain very high for the foreseeable future. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that financial jobs such as analysts, bankers, and financial managers will experience 15% job growth between 2019 and 2029.

In all likelihood, a prospective banker or manager must decide on a firm-by-firm basis. Pay structures and workloads can vary, and the choice may hinge on the specifics of the role and the career goals of the individual.
EBay Inc. (NASDAQ: EBAY) runs one of the largest and most successful e-commerce platforms that connects buyers and sellers across the world. The company's site allows sellers to operate online stores and sell items directly to buyers.

The company, which was founded in 1995, has also developed and acquired several online marketplaces including StubHub and Classifieds. As of market close on October 22, 2019, the company has a market cap of $33 billion. EBay's growth has made several of its largest shareholders, including its founder, very wealthy.

According to the company, for the full year 2018, eBay delivered revenue of $10.7 billion, growing 8% year over year.

Key Takeaways eBay has grown to become a household name in online shopping and auctions, generating nearly $11 billion in revenue in 2018.

The company was founded by French-born Pierre Omidyar in 1995. He is now the largest insider shareholder with more than 45 million shares held.

90% of the company shares, however, are held by mutual funds and other institutional shareholders.

Pierre Omidyar

Pierre Omidyar founded eBay in 1995 and is company's largest shareholder with 45,398,858 shares worth $1.8 billion according to a filing with the SEC in 2019. Omidyar started the company, which he originally called AuctionWeb, from his home on Labor Day weekend when he began writing code for an idea to bring buyers and sellers together in an open marketplace. He hired his first employee in June 1996 to help manage the company's explosive growth, and he renamed the company eBay in September 1997.

Omidyar founded a philanthropic venture named the Omidyar Network in 2004. As part of this organization's efforts, he gave $100 million to Tufts University, from which he earned a bachelor of science in computer science. He serves as an advisor to Neoteny Co. Ltd. and as commissioner of the Presidents Commission on White House Fellowships. He continues to serve as a member of the board of directors of eBay.

John Donahoe

John Donahoe is the second-largest eBay shareholder with 823,896 shares according to his most recent filing with the SEC back on July 17, 2015. Donahoe was the chief executive officer (CEO) and president of the company from March 31, 2008, to July 17, 2015. He joined eBay in 2005 as president of eBay Marketplaces. In this role, he managed all of the company's e-commerce platforms. After the company acquired PayPal, Donahoe became PayPal's interim president from January to April 2012. Prior to joining eBay, Donahoe served as the CEO and worldwide managing director of Bain & Company.

Donahoe has served on several boards of companies and not-for-profit organizations. He is currently President and CEO at ServiceNow. He is also chair of PayPal (PYPL). Donahoe graduated with a bachelor of arts in economics from Dartmouth College and received an MBA from the Stanford University Graduate School of Business.

Devin Wenig

Devin Wenig is eBays President, CEO, and third-largest shareholder with 728,738 of the company as of October 15, 2018. Wenig is the third CEO in Ebay's history. Wenig became CEO in July 2015, after overseeing eBay's Marketplaces business as President for close to four years. While Wenig has been CEO, eBay has grown annual Gross Merchandise Volume from $60.3 billion in 2011 to $88.4 billion in 2017. During this timeframe, eBay grew its user base by 71 million active customers to a total of 170 million.

Wenig received his bachelor of arts from Union College and his Juris Doctor from Columbia University School of Law.

Michael Jacobson

Michael Jacobson is the fourth-largest eBay shareholder with 518,559 shares as of July 15, 2017. Jacobson was the general counsel and secretary of eBay Inc. from August 1998 to July 2015 and the senior vice president of legal affairs until July 2015. Jacobson helped shape the company's content, contracts and law enforcement policies as well as its Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) compliance during his tenure with eBay. Prior to joining eBay, Jacobson was a partner with the law firm of Cooley Godward LLP, where he specialized in securities law and mergers and acquisitions (M&As).

Jacobson has served as a director of GSI Commerce Inc. and eBay Enterprise Inc. since June 2011. He holds a bachelor of arts in economics from Harvard College and a Juris Doctor from Stanford Law School.

Institutional Shareholders

While company insiders may hold a lot of eBay shares, most are held by institutional investors. The following are the largest such shareholders as of October 22, 2019:
Fidelity and Vanguard are among the largest fund companies in the world, and both offer 401(k) plans as parts of their services. Since 401(k) plans operate under the same tax laws and regulations, there are three main areas of comparison: the companies themselves, the funds offered, and provider features.

Company Structure

Vanguard is owned by the clients who invest in its funds; it is similar to a customer-owned credit union in that regard. Since there are no external owners hoping to make profits, the fees are set just high enough to carry the actual operating expenses and keep the company healthy, but no more than that.

The Fidelity owner structure is more traditional with external owners, notably a series of family trusts. This fundamental difference explains why Vanguard fees consistently undercut the market average by a wide margin. However, Fidelity is by no means a high-cost company. Many of its funds are considerably cheaper than the market average, even beating Vanguard in a few notable instances.

Fidelity has received criticism in the past for its practice of subcontracting funds, essentially allowing third parties to label their funds "Fidelity" and taking a cut of the earnings while stating a lower return on investment to the investor. Since the funds don't have to make the same disclosures that a real Fidelity fund would, investors were kept in the dark about the fact they were being bilked, according to Ken Himmler, a Los Angeles-based financial planner, author, and founder and president of H&H Retirement Design and Management.

A new set of disclosure rules went into effect in 2012 that should make 401(k) fees considerably more transparent. Each 401(k) provider is now required to disclose every cent it charges in the annual prospectus it sends to its clients.

Comparing the Funds

As of February 2016, Vanguard offers over 124 funds in its lineup, while Fidelity has approximately 575. Fidelity also runs a fund network with access to over 10,000 funds from hundreds of different providers.

The main strength of Vanguard is its razor-thin fees, especially for its index funds, which helps the bottom line for investors. A fee difference of 0.5% may seem insignificant at first blush, but many years or perhaps even decades of compounding makes the size difference of the nest egg quite significant in the end.

Meanwhile, Fidelity has a knack for attracting talented fund managers and has several exceptionally successful actively managed funds. The fees may be higher, but they may be worth it for niche sectors and regional expertise.

Who has the better offering boils down to what kind of investor you are. An active trader who likes to sniff out bargains and undervalued sectors will appreciate Fidelity's vast selection. By contrast, a passive investor who merely glances at the annual statement once a year may be better served by the slimmer but cheaper selection of fundamentals offered by Vanguard.

Features

Both companies offer plenty of educational material about retirement savings, asset allocation, compounding returns, and fund basics on their websites. Vanguard has more tailored resources for specific situations, while Fidelity has a cleaner interface, making navigation a breeze.

Each offers one-on-one phone consultations and assistance for starting new accounts, and each offers an easy rollover option for dormant 401(k) capital from previous employers. Fidelity maintains a number of investment centers in most metropolitan areas and runs free investment seminars on everything from financial basics to advanced income diversification strategies in retirement. Vanguard offers personal advisors who maintain client profiles and can be reached by phone or email for investment consultations.

In truth, both companies provide very high levels of user-friendliness on their websites and in their services. The key as a client is to figure out what features are most important to you, what type of funds you are looking for, and what the costs are.
Connemara holds on to the ancient traditions of St. Patrick at a shrine nestled deep in the Maumturk Mountains. Literally magic!

For many, St. Patrick's Day means green beer and parades, parties and celebrations. But that's a distinctly modern idea.

The first St. Patrick's Day parade wasn't even held until 1762, and then, it was in New York City and arranged by Irish soldiers in honor of their homeland's patron saint. Ireland's own official St. Patrick's Festival was only given the government's stamp of approval in 1995, and has since grown to a four-and-a-half day celebration held in Dublin.

But nestled deep in the Maumturk Mountains of Connemara is Mamean (sometimes called Mam Ean or Maumeen), an ancient, off-the-beaten-path shrine where pilgrims are holding onto the ancient ways. The trek to get there is no walk down to the corner pub, and it crosses through some of the most beautiful countrysides in the country.

Read more: Mayo and the Cliffs of Moher tours

Surrounded by untouched mountains and rocky, sheer fields separated by centuries-old stone walls where sheep climb like mountain goats, even the walk is a stunning reminder of the hundreds of years of history that's roamed the wilds.

The chapel itself, somewhere around halfway through the mountain pass, is thought to be one of the smallest in Ireland, and according to legend, it was the place St. Patrick went to bestow his blessing on the wide, rugged terrain of Connemara.

The site itself is incredibly ancient, pre-dating even St. Patrick himself and once closely tied to Lughnasa, the great fire festival that marked the beginning of the autumn and of the harvest season. When Christianity swept through the area, it brought with it a new meaning to the site. Tradition says that when St. Patrick walked through Connemara and climbed the mountains, it was at the holy well that he stopped at to bless some of the wildest lands in Ireland.

Read more: Galway and the West tours

Today, visitors can still see the ancient holy well, and a series of stone circles meant to represent the Stations of the Cross. There's also a Mass Rock, which has a history of its own. During the 18th century, the practice of Roman Catholicism was outlawed, and the faithful needed to find covert ways  like the simple, discreet Mass Rock altar  to celebrate their faith.

There are a few more modern buildings there, too, including a small chapel that stands next to the cleft in the rocks known as St. Patrick's Bed. In 1986, a statue was erected; it depicts St. Patrick as a shepherd, with a sheep at his feet.

The time between the secrecy of the 18th century and the 1980s revival was something of a trying time for Mamean. During the 19thcentury, local feuds made the annual pilgrimages to the site a rather complicated affair that became less about religion and more about confrontation. Tensions between the two different factions  those from Joyce Country and those from Connemara  became unbearable, especially when some started pitching tents and serving poitin among those that came to say their prayers. By the turn of the century, there were few people heading up to the chapel in Mamean anymore, but a revival came in the 1980s thanks to Fr. Michael McGreil and a devoted community.

Read more: Dublin and surrounding areas tours

Because of its connection to Lughnasa, Mamean is the site of an annual pilgrimage in August, too. While the Mass and the Stations of the Cross is a somewhat solemn, respectful affair, now it's also followed by music, dancing, and the leaving of small offerings at the spot where St. Patrick once knelt.

Getting to the pilgrimage site is no small challenge, and although there's a couple of different ways to get there, most choose to start from the parking area off the N59. From there, expect a good few hours of hiking to get up (and back) through Mamean (or from one side to the other, which takes hikers from the Inagh Valley to Maam).

The name of the pass itself means pass of the birds, and those that head off the regular tourist route and into the Connemara Mountains will find it's a very apt name, especially stopping to look down over the sprawling, rocky bog lands below.

Have you or would you celebrate St. Patricks Day with a pilgrimage to Mamean? Is it important to you to celebrate the spiritual aspect of St. Patricks Day, as well as the national pride? Share your thoughts in the comment section, below.

Read more: Kerry and the Wild Atlantic Way tours

---

Originally from Attica, NY Debra Kelly is a freelance writer and journalist who has seen most of the U.S. during her travels. Ready for something new, she's now living in the wild hills of Connemara with her husband and plenty of animals. She is a frequent contributor to Urban Ghosts, Listverse, and Knowledgenuts.

* Originally published in 2016.
The Society of the Friendly Sons of St Patrick, one of Americas oldest Irish societies, has inducted its first female honorary member, Irish Ambassador to the U.S. Anne Anderson.

The society was founded in Philadelphia in 1771 to help newly arrived Irish immigrants in the U.S. While the society has been open to Catholics and Protestants alike throughout the years, women have alway been excluded.

Anderson, who has spoken out about the tradition of men-only Irish societies in the U.S., was inducted, along with 20 women admitted to full membership, at a St Patricks Day dinner on Saturday at the organizations founding chapter in Philadelphia.

This is a very special night, whose resonance extends well beyond this room and well beyond Philadelphia. It is one of these rare occasions when we feel the ground shift, and witness the arc of history bend a little, said Anderson, who was the guest speaker at the societys 245th Annual St Patricks Day Gala.

Tonight, after 245 years as an all-male organization, you have opened your doors to women members.

I feel immensely privileged to become the first woman honorary member of your Society, joining twenty distinguished women who are admitted to full membership.

It is a source of particular pride that I am only the second adopted member of your Society. I am informed that I follow in the footsteps of George Washington who in 1781 became the first  and to date the only - adopted member of the Society. There can hardly be a more exclusive club: a membership of two, with the other member being George Washington.

Anderson also acknowledged the Friendly Sons of St Patricks president, Joseph Heenan, who led the campaign for the inclusion of women into the society, since taking over the role in June 2015.

I express my deep appreciation to your President, Joseph Heenan, for his enlightened leadership and to your membership who last September, by an overwhelming majority, took the landmark decision to admit women members, said Anderson.

Heenan, who told IrishCentral in December that the admission of female members was long, long overdue, said that more than 90 percent of the branchs 650 male members agreed with the inclusion of female members.

The decision came from a sense of fairness. I think it was a sense of imbalance and and that it needed to be on fair footings for all of us, he said.

Whether were male or female, you have your Irish heritage and you should be participating in it.

Speaking of the 1916 Centenary, Anderson said: There could not be a more fitting year for your Society to take this step forward. 2016, as we all know, is a momentous year, centenary of what is perhaps the most iconic year in Irish history.

This is a year to reclaim the spirit and intent of the 1916 Proclamation. And that spirit and intent, remarkably for its time, was deliberately inclusive.

The Proclamation addresses both Irishmen and Irishwomen. Its second paragraph calls on our exiled children in America. We might linger a moment on that language: not our exiled sons as would have been in no way unusual at the time, but our exiled children, to include both daughters and sons.

The Proclamations most sacred promise is the new Republics guarantee of religious and civil liberty, equal rights and equal opportunities to all its citizens.

She also addressed the historic inclusion of LGBT groups at this years New York St Patricks parade.

It is heartening, and moving, that Irish America should be marking this centenary year with new steps toward inclusivity.

"Five days hence, we will cheer a very different St Patricks Day parade as it proudly marches down Fifth Avenue  a parade that for the first time includes Irish LGBT groups. Tonight the Friendly Sons have broken down barriers of 245 years; on 17 March in New York, we will see another barrier of very long standing dismantled, she said.

In both instances, Irish America is making a statement: there are no second class citizens; no children of a lesser God.

Anderson ended her speech with a message of inclusivity.

Two hundred and forty five years ago, in choosing to become a non-sectarian organization, the Friendly Sons grasped something essential: that inclusivity enriches us all. It is not just a gift bestowed or a right recognized. It is something which carries its own reward: binding us together, making our communities stronger and more resilient.

And so let us celebrate the more inclusive Irish America that is emerging in Philadelphia tonight and in New York next week  an invigorated Irish America, more ready to take on new challenges, better equipped to embrace the future.

As I conclude, let me emphasize again how meaningful this night is. In this hallowed city, in this centenary year, your Society has shown true leadership, decisively embracing renewal and modernity. As so often before, history is being written in Philadelphia. It is a privilege and a joy to be part of it.
This blog is looking for wisdom, to have and to share. It is also looking for other rare character traits like good humor, courage, and honor. It is not an easy road, because all of us fall short. But God is love, forgiveness and grace. Those who believe in Him and repent of their sins have the promise of His Holy Spirit to guide us and show us the Way.
Irelands Censorship of Publications Board has voted to ban a book for the first time in 18 years.

The board found the novel The Raped Little Runaway, written by Jean Martin to be indecent and obscene for its numerous and explicit descriptions of the rape of a minor. The book is published in New York by an adult book publisher.

The board is an independent body that oversees all books and periodicals on sale in Ireland. Under Irelands Censorship of Publications Act, the initial prohibition order on a book lasts for a period of 12 years.

The Irish Times reports that the ban, which went into effect on Friday, means that the book cannot be sold or distributed in the State.

Board chairman Shane McCarthy told the Irish Independent that the decision was unanimous among the five board members.

"It was the only resort," he said.

"We either ban it or allow it. It isn't like a film where you can put in an age restriction. It is black or white."

"The collective view of the board was that it was a vile publication as it contained graphic descriptions of the rape of a minor. It was not singular.

The banning of a text by the board is a rare occurrence.

The last book it banned was The Base Guide to London, in 1998. The book explored the seedy side of the English capital and advertised the locations of places of ill-repute.
This weekend I took all of my kids to see the new Disney movie Zootopia, and its hard to miss the liberal propaganda the film doles out.

The filmmakers could not have known this, but the film has a message for our times, dominated as they are by a certain guy named Trump, whose skin tones seem to have come out of an animated movie.

Donald Trump voters, if you wont take advice from a Disney cartoon -- or John McCain, or Mitt Romney, or even Louis C.K. -- please take advice from conservative guru Karl Rove. Believe it or not, Rove recently wrote a book with a message quite similar to what we see in Zootopia.

Fear always wins, a manipulative politician says at one point in Zootopia, which has a surprisingly deep message at its core about the ways fear can be used to scare voters.

But this is only surprising because this is a cartoon and thats not what people expect from cartoons. Otherwise, when you look around at the current presidential election, its quite clear that fear is motivating a large percentage of voters. And Donald Trump is also counting on the idea that fear wins.

How else to explain the appeal of his anti-immigrant and anti-Muslim message? He is exploiting a certain segment of the electorate that -- it must be said -- is all too willing to be exploited.

Much is being made of how angry Trumps voters are. Okay, fine.

You know what? Every election has angry voters. That does not mean their anger is justified.

You know when voters were also angry? During the election of 1896. Back then, voters were rip-roaring furious at Irish as well as other ethnic Catholics.

These immigrants were seen as a force of evil in the country. (Sound familiar?) But Republican presidential nominee William McKinley chose not to exploit these fears.

Of all people, master GOP strategist Rove has come out swinging against his own partys history of divisiveness.

In The Triumph of William McKinley: Why the Election of 1896 Still Matters, Rove praises former president McKinley for doing battle with religious bigots -- the fiercely anti-Catholic wing of the late 19th century GOP.

As Rove notes, one of the most powerful political forces during the election of 1896 was the American Protective Association. This was a group, with a base in the Midwest but with nationwide appeal, that wanted to make sure that only white Protestants held positions of power. They blatantly pressured elected officials -- including McKinley -- to stay away from Catholics who might wield power and influence.

Roves book may be about the past, but he has a clear message for todays Republicans as well.

Its hard to miss Roves message for 21st century Republicans when he credits McKinley for recognizing his party must broaden and modernize its appeal and rejecting the American Protective Associations...anti-immigrant appeals.

The trouble is, todays Republicans are not listening. There is a temptation here to focus on Trump, because he is a such a polarizing figure.

But really, we need to focus on Republican primary voters here who are determined to support a polarizing figure. Just like the anti-Catholic wing of the Republican Party back in 1896, todays Trump supporters are not going to be shamed into voting in a more enlightened fashion.

They are downright proud of their backwards views. It confirms their belief that powerful forces despise them. It only proves that they are right (in their minds) to vote for Trump.

Lets not forget, Republicans created this monster. Marco Rubio is now at war with Trump.

But look what he did a few weeks back. President Obama visited a Baltimore mosque, prompting Rubio and others to dismiss Obama as divisive. Huh?

Even normally sensible conservative New York Times columnist Ross Douthat recently suggested that there is an obvious person to blame for the Trump phenomenon: President Obama.

Obviously. Why bother with the difficult answer, when there is a much more easy solution.

Please. Republicans. If you wont listen to Louis C.K. and the Hollywood liberals, at least listen to what your own one-time wonder boy Rove about religious bigots in the old days.

* Contact sidewalks@tdeignan.blogspot.com.
Donald Trump should be allowed talk. The First Amendment trumps inflammatory speech no matter what the critics say. Personally I believe what Trump is really doing is catapulting his party back into the past at the worst possible time for them. He has raised the ghosts of the Know Nothings and the Ku Klux Klan.

But let him live by their words rather than seek to censor them. As immigrants know, Americas first amendment can be seen so much more favorably in the light of the freedom of speech laws in other countries.

In Britain there are : notices where the government can downright ban an article from appearing for national security reasons most recently done during the Wikileaks scandal.

In Ireland, for decades the government kept Sinn Fein off the airwaves to allegedly contain the violence. Gerry Adams even had an impersonator mouth his lines on television. The ventriloquist turned out to be the first unemployed casualty of the peace process.

Th British ban on Adams' voice only fractured when Gerry Adams appeared on Larry King's program during his historic trip to America in 1994 and the program was beamed into Britain. The British learned the hard lesson of the First Amendment reality that night.

Trump and his campaign carry-on is not unknown territory. We know the path to power in America and we think we know the rules. When we look at history we can see that we have been here before. Trump is nothing but the same old story.

He has had his predecessors: the Know Nothings, who along with the Ku Klux Klan, were determined to keep immigrants, especially Irish Catholics out and keep America white and Protestant. At one point they attacked the the old St Patrick's Cathedral and only the intervention of the AOH, led by Archbishop John Dagger Hughes from Tyrone, saved the church from being burned to the ground.

In the modern era, John F Kennedy faced down religious bigotry. When Kennedy ran for president, leading Protestant preacher Norman Vincent Peale stated vociferously, Faced with the election of a Catholic our culture is at stake.

JFK shut Peale up and finished the Catholic/Protestant debate when he faced 400 Protestant ministers in Houston and said:

I am not the Catholic candidate for president. I am the Democratic candidate for president. End of the issue. Free speech survived.

Like anti-Catholicism, the Klan faded at least until Trump revived them in national debate recently. The Know Nothings aren't a million miles from the outlook of many Trump followers  America for Americans. Let's make America white again.

Somehow all such crises and such demagogues in the past were overcome and the free press and free speech reigned.

Father Charles Coghlan, who was a notorious anti-Semite, was eventually put off the air.

Even during the Cold War when the Soviet Union got the atom bomb and Joe McCarthy was running riot, seeings 'reds under the bed' everywhere, the American system set up by the founding fathers prevailed and McCarthy was eventually discredited. The lesson throughout about Trump is, even though hes a penny ante Mussolini with policies that border on incitement and a man who doesnt hesitate to use violent language, better Trump speak than be able to claim censorship.

The media of course is already facilitating him carrying every speech live while pretending to be horrified at the violence.

But talk of preventing him speaking runs afoul of one of the great foundations stones of American democracy: speak your truth unabashed, let the people judge.

With Trump they will surely have their say.
Update 1.22pm

Dublin West Sinn Fein representative Cllr Paul Donnelly will present an emergency motion at tomorrows Fingal County Council monthly meeting to highlight the proposed eviction of 208 tenants in Tyrrelstown in the coming months.

Cllr Donnelly said: I will be calling for a suspension of standing orders tomorrow at our monthly council meeting to highlight this catastrophic news for 208 families in Tyrrelstown are facing eviction, many of whom are social housing tenants.

They are shocked that their homes were bought by venture capital group Goldman Sachs who, along with Davey Stockbrokers controlled group, European Investment Group and Twinlite Developers, are moving very quickly to evict them.

I have spoken to residents many of whom have been in their current accommodation for over 10 years and who are terrified as to what the future holds for them.

I am calling on Twinlite to assure their tenants that they will not move to evict anyone who cannot find alternative accommodation and secondly for Fingal County Council and the Department of Social Protection to immediately set up a working group to identify all tenants of Twinlite who are at risk of homelessness and to start working with them immediately to help them.

In the long term, we need whatever new government that comes together to acknowledge that we are in an emergency situation and that it becomes a top priority.

We need to start building homes again on a massive scale, Sinn Fein have proposed the building of 100,000 social and affordable homes. The time for talking is now over, action is needed and the people will accept nothing less.

Update 11.22am

The Minister for Transport has said vulture funds are bound by the same regulations as other landlords when it comes to evictions.

Around 200 families in west Dublin risk losing their homes as the properties in Cruise Park in Tyrrelstown have been sold to a vulture fund to meet debts by a property developer.

60 families have already received notice to quit.

Minister Paschal Donohoe has said they cannot just be thrown out of their homes: They have to follow the same rules as everybody else.

Crucially, they are also subject in many cases to the jurisdiction of the Financial Ombudsman.

That change came in last summer, precisely in anticipation of a worry like this developing.

Update 10.44am

Over 200 families in Dublin are facing eviction, as their homes look set to be sold to meet debts by a property developer.

60 families in the Cruise Park area of Tyrrelstown have already received notices to quit their rented homes.

The Sunday Business Post reports that the notices were issued after a Goldman Sachs vulture fund bought an 89m loan on the Cruise Park development.

Legislation requires that long-term tenants be given a minimum of between four and five months notice to vacate a property.
It was twenty five years ago today that they walked out, blinking, into freedom. They had spent sixteen and a half years incarcerated for something they didnt do. Some of them had endured hard, hard years in British prisons, extended periods in solidary, long years despised by some elements as murderers of twenty one innocent people.

A crowd was waiting for them outside the Old Bailey, the symbol of British justice, which had for centuries evoked pride in a people who value their own sense of fair play.

On March 14 1991, the cries went up as the six, Paddy Joe Hill, Richard McIlkenny, Hugh Callaghan, Gerry Hunter, John Walker and Bill Power, came through the doors. The crowd there to greet them were swelled by passers by, construction workers in nearby sites, and not a few who were just satisfying a curiosity about a case that had for years by then achieved the status of cause celebe.

Paddy Joe Hill addressed those present with the kind of emotion that draws on a reservoir built up through sixteen years of anger and gut wrenching pain.

The police told us from the start that they knew we hadnt done it, he roared. They knew we hadnt done it. They told us they didnt care who had done it and that we were selected and they were going to frame us just to keep the people in there happy.

His arm now waving at the Old Bailey, he went on. Justice, I dont think those people in there have the intelligence to spell the world, never mind dispense it. Theyre rotten.

The tears flowed through clenched fists. Justice was theirs at last, but what had it cost? The stolen years behind bars, separated from loved ones, prevented from developing in life, was one thing. But the years ahead would not be theirs either, continually haunted by what might have been.

The Birmingham pub bombs exploded at a time when Britain was under attack from the IRA.

For the eighteen months preceding the attacks on November 21 1974, bombs had gone off across southern England as the Provos brought their war across the Irish Sea.

At 8.11pm on the night in question, a call was made to the offices of the Birmingham Post&Mail.

There is a bomb planted at the Rotunda, there is a bomb planted in New Street at the tax office, the caller said, providing an accepted code word. Immediately the police were contacted, but there wasnt time to access and evacuate.

The two bombs went off at the Mulberry Bush pub and the Tavern in the Town, roughly but not precisely at the location mentioned in the warning call. A third devise failed to detonate.

Twenty one people were killed and around 180 injured. It was at the time the worst atrocity in the UK during peacetime.

That same evening five of the six Irishmen who would be framed for the atrocity were on a train to take them to the boat for a trip back to Belfast. The sixth, Hugh Callaghan, saw them off at New Street station in the city. All had been living in Birmingham for years, some for decades. Five were from Belfast. John Walker was a native of Derry.

They were returning for the funeral of an IRA man who had been killed while planting a bomb in Coventry the previous week, as most knew the mans family from Belfast. That fact would be held against them when they were eventually tried.

While they were stopped for a routine security check at Heysham, word came through of the bombings. The men were detained on a cautionary basis, but within twelve hours they were handed over to the West Midlands Police, an outfit that would go on to have a notorious reputation.

Over the following weeks, as the British police were put under severe pressure to get the culprits, the six were subjected to savage beatings, until such time as four of them signed statements implicating all six.

In an interview on RTE Radio two weeks ago, Paddy Joe Hill recalled one occasion during his detention when the policeman pulled out his firearm and pushed it into his mouth.

He said, Im going to count, to three. One, he pulled back the hammer, two and then on the count of three he pulled the trigger back and I can still see it going back, it seemed to take ages and then I heard the click He pulled it out an hit me on the head with the gun and did the same thing again, one two three and pulled the trigger. The third time he did it he stuck the gun into my left eye and he said either you do it this time (make a statement) or youre dead.

All the men told similar tales. The verdicts in their trial were a foregone conclusion. It was as if the whole state apparatus from police through to the legal system and the judiciary had elected to turn a blind eye to justice because circumstances demanded that somebody, anybody, must pay a price for a heinous crime. All were sentenced to life in prison.

The attitude of the British authorities to the six was best summed up by Lord Denning who heard an application for the men to appeal their convictions for the second time in 1980.

If the six men win, it will mean that the police were guilty of perjury, that they were guilty of violence and threats, that the confessions were involuntary and were improperly admitted in evidence and that the convictions were erroneous, he said.

That would mean the Home Secretary would either have to recommend they be pardoned or he would have to remit the case to the Court of Appeal. This is such an appalling vista that every sensible person in the land would say: It cannot be right these actions should go any further. This case shows what a civilised country we are.

In reality, the appalling vista had come to pass. Denning and all his ilk were simply unable to accept that their misplaced confidence in the system was wholly unwarranted.

As the years wore on the truth began to seep out The case of the Birmingham Six was taken up by Chris Mullen, a British Labour party MP whose interest in the case had been awoken. He had no connection to the men, and precious little to Ireland, but Mullen more than anybody was responsible for blowing open the appalling miscarriage of justice. At a time when many in the Irish establishment and media were cautious of tackling anything that could possibly smell of another Provo propaganda campaign, Mullen went were others simply would not until such time as the truth became to come obvious.

Momentum increased after the release of the Guildford Four in 1989, a group whose experience mirrored that of the six. It took another eighteen months, however, before the British authorities could swallow the grave injustice which had been perpetrated.

Since their release the men have received monetary compensation varying from 800,000 to 2 million, but there are some injuries that simply cannot be healed by money. All have referred at one stage or another to the impact that the whole ordeal had had on their lives.

Speaking earlier this year, Hugh Callaghan said that he still had nightmares about the beatings.

It was a terrible ordeal for me and for us and for our families, he said.

I am very angry. The beatings were terrible. I remember one time I said to Gerry Hunter, I think they are going to kill us and he said, I think you might be right.

People dont realise that the whole world was against us, even the other prisoners. It was deadly and now to think they may have known all along that we were innocent.

Earlier this month, Paddy Joe Hill told Ray Darcy on RTE Radio One that the men had been diagnosed as suffering from the highest level of post traumatic stress disorder, higher than most combat veterans.

One minute youre alright and the next minute youre on your knees crying your eyes out and you dont know what youre crying about. Ive learned to look after myself. I realised years ago we were on our own. I manage myself.

The case did lead the British authorities to review the system which lead to the setting up of the Criminal Cases Review Act, which facilitates a second look at cases where new evidence comes to light.

The policemen who were involved in the detention, assault and framing of the Birmigham Six were never prosecuted.

WHERE ARE THEY NOW?

HUGH CALLAGHAN

He lost his family as a result of his detention on his struggles to come to terms with life afterwards. He eventually settled in London and penned a book on his story, Cruel Fate. Now 85, he lives with his new partner, Adeline whom he credits for saving him.

JOHN WALKER

He lives in a remote part of Donegal with his second wife, with whom he has a son. Now 79, he rarely comments on the case.

RICHARD MCILKENNY

The father of six returned to Ireland soon after he release and he lived in Dublin with his wife right up until his death from cancer in 2006.

PADDY JOE HILL

Now 71, Paddy Joe Hill lives on a 20 acre farm in Ayreshire, Scotland with his second wife. He has had great difficulty coming to terms with life after his imprisonment, and says that he has practically no relationship with his six children since he came out of prison. He has been one of the main movers behind the Miscarriages of Justice Organisation, which campaigns in cases where a miscarriage is believed to have occurred.

BILL POWER

Like Paddy Joe Hill he had major issues around bonding with his children after he came out of prison. While he lives a quiet life in London, the 71-year-old did become involved two years ago in a campaign to block legislation in the UK which would make it more difficult for those who have been wronged to seek compensation.

GERRY HUNTER

Now 71, he lives on the Algarve in Portugal. In an interview a few years ago he described how he has moved on. I learned in prison that hate and bitterness will only destroy you, he said.
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.
WASHINGTON (AP)  Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida narrowly won the District of Columbia's Republican convention on Saturday, seizing his third primary-season victory as a critical contest looms in his home state.

The small band of establishment-friendly Republican voters in the nation's capital also offered a rebuke to GOP front-runner Donald Trump, who failed to win a single delegate. Rubio got 37 percent of the vote and won 10 delegates, and the runner-up, Ohio Gov. John Kasich, won nine delegates with 36 percent of the vote.

Trump was third and Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas was fourth, but neither met the minimum threshold to earn delegates.

Earlier this month, Rubio won the GOP caucuses in Minnesota and the party's primary in Puerto Rico, but he's still a distant third in the overall delegate count behind Trump and Cruz.

The convention was the first of its kind in the nation's capital, and it offered a rare opportunity for Republicans in the overwhelmingly Democratic city to cast a meaningful vote. Many were fueled by anxiety over Trump, sporting stickers with the hashtag "#NeverTrump" as they waited up to 3 hours in a line that covered three city blocks to cast their ballots at a downtown hotel.

Many Rubio supporters were pinning their hopes on a brokered convention to deny Trump the nomination.

"We need some good people to go down there and do the right thing and stop Trump," said Rina Shah, who won a convention spot as a Rubio delegate. "He's a deranged, mediocre businessman. How can we vote for this guy?"

The District convention attracted scant national attention, with the candidates focusing on Florida, Ohio and other delegate-rich states that hold primaries on Tuesday. Campaigning in the city was left largely to volunteers who made phone calls and knocked on doors.

Rubio defeated Kasich by just 50 votes, with 2,839 people  10 percent of the city's registered Republicans  casting ballots. Local GOP leaders were happy with the turnout given the circumstances of the convention  all votes were cast at a single location because the city's primary date is too late to send delegates to the national convention under party rules.

The District GOP is heavy on what some would call "Beltway elites"  lawyers, lobbyists, political strategists and think-tank wonks. Candidates for delegate included former White House officials from the Reagan and both Bush administrations.

Robert Kabel, the city's Republican national committeeman, said the convention was the most exciting local GOP gathering in decades, and he credited the anti-Trump contingent.

"I think he helped us bring people out  people who are supporting the other candidates," Kabel said. "D.C. by definition is the establishment town."

But Marya Pickering, who ran unsuccessfully as a Trump delegate, said the businessman deserves credit for bringing new, energetic voters to the party.

"I hope people will unite behind him because I think he can win," Pickering said.
All Politics Blog From Milwaukee, Madison and beyond, a daily dose of political news and glimpses behind the scenes SHARE

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Republican Tommy Thompson, the former Wisconsin governor and U.S. health and human services secretary, says the GOP-led U.S. Senate should hold hearings if President Barack Obama makes a nomination to replace the late Antonin Scalia on the U.S. Supreme Court.

Thompson made the comments on Sunday's edition of the public affairs TV program "Upfront with Mike Gousha."

"I think the Senate has got to take on the responsibility and hold hearings. They can vote it down. But I think America is entitled to democracy to work," Thompson said.

He added: "The government's got to work and it has not worked in years. And it's about time they start doing their responsibility. and carrying on what their repsonsibilty is, and that's holding public hearings. And then vote it down if they don't like the candidate. Let the next president choose. But to say, I'm just not going to hold publics hearings is not an answer."

Republican senators including Wisconsin's Ron Johnson have vowed to block any nominee put forward by Obama.
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Palmdale, Calif.  The secretive Skunk Works in this Los Angeles-area city has over the years spawned such sleek aircraft as the SR-71 Blackbird spy plane and the F-117 Nighthawk stealth fighter.

Today, one of the facility's hangars houses a 120-foot-long, 21-foot-tall dirigible that resembles a cloud with three puffs  the prototype of a much larger Hybrid Airship that Lockheed Martin Corp. has touted as a way to deliver heavy cargo and personnel to remote locations.

When fully built, the LMH-1 will be a 21 metric ton, 300-foot-long and 80-foot-tall airship that is intended to carry truck-sized loads to areas that are inaccessible to trucks and other more traditional modes of transportation.

It could potentially be used in the oil and gas or mining industries, as well as for humanitarian relief, said Grant Cool, chief operating officer of Atlanta-based Hybrid Enterprises LLC, the exclusive reseller of the Lockheed Martin Hybrid Airship.

Lockheed Martin officials couldn't confirm whether they had any orders yet, but said there were more than a dozen interested parties.

"We are targeting a market that is not really competing with anything else out there," Cool said.

The LMH-1, which has yet to be built, could have its first flight by late 2017, and is expected to be in commercial service by the end of 2018. A single airship will cost $40 million.

Lockheed Martin has said the airship will be able to carry up to 47,000 pounds and burn less fuel than conventional aircraft.

The Hybrid Airship is the result of more than 20 years' worth of research. In 2006, the company flew the P-791, the one-third sized prototype currently in the Skunk Works hangar, over its facilities in Palmdale and completed all of its in-flight test objectives.

The Hybrid Airship is just the latest entry in a category of vehicles that their makers are betting can disrupt cargo transportation.

For example, in 2014 Montebello-based Worldwide Aeros Corp. christened the Aeros 40D Sky Dragon, a white, helium-filled airship that resembled a smaller version of the Goodyear blimp. The airship was sold to Grupo Toyan, a Mexican company that intended to use it to monitor oil pipelines.

But analysts said the market for such airships is uncertain.

Air cargo numbers have been low for years, and there is a lot of capacity in the air freight business, said Richard Aboulafia, aviation analyst at the Teal Group, an aerospace and defense research firm.

A commercially successful airship will likely have to depend on transporting exotic cargo to exotic locations, he said.

"In theory, it sounds like a great idea," Aboulafia said. "It's when you get to the details that things get problematic. There could be something, some kind of niche  it's just proved elusive so far."
Quasimondo Milwaukee Physical Theatre performs Kama Sutra through March 26. Credit: Andy Walsh

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Is the "Kama Sutra" sexist?

Four years ago, K.R. Indira made a splash in India by insisting that it was indeed, in a radical rewrite of this ancient manual for sensuous living.

Inverting gender roles to put women on top, Indira asked: Why can't a woman have sex like a man?

The latest amazing and ambitious devised piece from Quasimondo Milwaukee Physical Theatre asks an even braver and more radical question: Why can't all of us approach our bodies and ourselves without being so confined by traditional gender roles? Directed by Brian Rott and Jenni Reinke, the title says it all: "Kama Sutra: Ritual Contortions on the Anatomy of Love."

Like Alyssa Bolden's splendid Indian costumes, some of these contortions  presented through some two dozen vignettes  are breathtakingly beautiful.

Drawing on a tantric tradition in which sex itself becomes a ritualized exploration of the entire body and mind rather than a narrowly directed march toward climax, Reinke and Alison Von Brown create dazzling geometric figures with their joined limbs, melding into each other as they drink in each other's eyes.

They're surrounded all the while by six performers engaged in comparable stretching exercises on yoga mats; each of them becomes an extension of the feminine energy at their core.

We're thereby taken back to an earlier, strikingly similar scene in which Rachel Buth had emanated comparable energy as the many-limbed Kali, presented here as an earth mother giving life to the numerous extensions of herself. Late in the night, we'll see Buth morph into an obstetrician  a latter-day Kali enabling life in a new way.

As my description of this one through line suggests, the gods never entirely leave us in "Kama Sutra"; like so much in this piece, they simply assume a new form, inviting us to notice them and follow their life-sustaining example so that we might expand our sense of who we could be.

Not everyone is interested or willing to listen.

"Kama Sutra" includes numerous images of degraded sexuality that frame women within the male gaze, from objectification as a prepackaged Indian porn star (Kelsey Lee) to an appearance as rustically charming washerwomen inviting tourists to visit. Caught within this mirrored gaze, one woman kills herself.

But others are reborn.

In one of the night's most sustained through lines, a captivating Ben Ludwig's Krishna rejects his inherited legacy as a great male warrior; guided by Jessi Miller's Radha, his views about sex, women and his own gender evolve, freeing him to explore the feminine within himself.

The joyous consequence of such liberation is exuberantly embodied by the ensemble in a Raas, a playful folk dance in which gyrating bodies move in a circle, freed from their separated selves to make something better, together.

IF YOU GO

"Kama Sutra" contains mature content, including nudity. It continues through March 26 at Studio G in The Shops at Grand Avenue, 161 W. Wisconsin Ave. For tickets, visit thequasimondo.com. Read more about this production at

TapMilwaukee.com.

TAKEAWAYS

Setting the Scene, Part I: In tantric teaching, one's environment plays an integral role in any sexual ritual, and Quasimondo has taken that lesson to heart. Scenic designers Bridget Cookson and David John George have provided audience seating options that include couches, pillows and rugs as well as traditional seats.

The downstage playing space is framed on two sides by soft, earth-colored fabrics that can be moved aside to reveal a second, upstage space with a massive painted backdrop of flowers, water, clouds and hills (scenic painting by Cookson and George as well as Nerissa Eichinger, Julia Teeguarden and Andy Von Walsheim).

Functionally, that fabric veil functions like a vaudeville curtain, allowing bigger scenes to be set up in the rear while smaller, bridging scenes are played out before it. Thematically, the removal of that veil suggests how much more of the world we might see  and how much more variegated and colorful it is  once we remove the impeding prejudices in which we dress ourselves and which prevent us from getting in touch with ourselves and the world.

Setting the Scene, Part II: Von Brown, who is a yoga instructor, helped audience members get in touch with themselves  and open themselves to the possibilities in the piece to come  with a transformative change of her own. Reshaping the traditional curtain speech into a tantric breathing exercise, she encouraged us to feel both the masculine and feminine currents flowing within and through us.

Confined Women: In contrast with this expansive, free-flowing vision of new possibility, those above-referenced scenes in which women are reduced are usually played small. As a porn star, Kelsey Lee is continually confined to boxes, prepackaged and feeding an Internet porn addiction; when she dares move outside the box and actually establish a connection, her voyeur (Kara Foster) scampers away in fright at the prospect of genuine rather than virtual human contact.

At another point, the lithe and graceful Reinke wraps herself in a different form of packaging, confining her body in saran wrap that restricts her, as do the mirrors into which she gazes and through which she is invited to objectify herself.

Miller, who as Radha is Krishna's friend and adviser, initially undergoes a similar reduction, courtesy of Krishna himself; throughout the night, her beauty will attract unwelcome attention from men (including Glenn Widdicombe, as a Shiva-like figure of male authority) who want to lead her by the nose rather than let her find herself.

Liberating Women: For all that, "Kama Sutra" unfolds much as Von Brown had promised us it would: Just as Kali flows through Shiva, it is through feminine energy that male matter is transformed. Or, more prosaically: it's the women in "Kama Sutra" who bring the men to a fuller understanding of themselves. Miller's Radha teaches Ludwig's Krishna. Wanting to have a baby, the idealized dyad of Reinke and Von Brown engage in a tender menage a trois that unlocks the pent-up potential in a man unable to express himself (Thom Cauley). Ludwig's utterly transformed, gender-fluid iteration as Princess Krishna will complete this man's education, in an intimate scene between Ludwig and Cauley that pointedly echoes the early, above-mentioned scene between Reinke and Von Brown.

The Beatles and India: Ludwig's Krishna gets a theme song, which will recur throughout the night: "Om Hare Om (Gopala Krishna)," from George Harrison's still-moving, still-surprising "All Things Must Pass," the triple album he released in 1970. We're also treated to snippets from two tracks on the Beatles' "White Album": We're led into intermission by the Beatles "Wild Honey Pie" and we also hear portions of "Why Don't We Do it in the Road"  two songs in which love and sex, respectively, are simple and straightforward.

And, also, reductive? Paul McCartney's inspiration for "Why Don't We Do it in the Road" was two monkeys' quick copulation on a road in India, where McCartney and the Beatles were on retreat. "That's how simple the act of procreation is," McCartney later recalled thinking. "We have horrendous problems with it, and yet animals don't."

Honoring the song's origins, the Quasimondo troupe dances along wearing animal's heads. But in the context of "Kama Sutra," Quasimondo is also calling attention to how naive McCartney's statement was; its view of sex reduces a potentially expansive experience, filling the entire body as well as the mind, to a quick and utilitarian copulation. The Beatles' early views of India  as some sort of back-to-nature paradise freeing them of their western civilization hang-ups  were often equally naive.

But for Harrison, as for some of the characters in "Kama Sutra," a deeper transformation was underway; both musically and culturally, his explorations of India and Indian culture would eventually take him much further. Light-years separate the tone of a hard-driving song like "Why Don't We Do it in the Road" and much of "All Things Must Pass." That's the point in juxtaposing the two, in a piece that's ever mindful of how India itself is readily famed, reduced and therefore misunderstood by the West.

Much like Harrison, Quasimondo isn't retreating from our collective responsibility to explore and even represent worlds other than our own; that's why we're able to see this incredible production in flyover country, USA. But as its invocation of the Beatles makes clear, Rott, Reinke and the Quasimondo collective are mindful that in presenting a view of this world, they remain self-consciously wary of how readily it can be misinterpreted and misunderstood. Even by gifted, sincere and well-meaning artists like the Beatles  or the Quasimondo collective itself.
Soon many of us will be celebrating St. Patrick's Day with a glass of green beer; maybe even a steaming bowl of Irish stew or a kidney pie. (Hopefully you won't tint your mashed potatoes green.)

And that's fine if you live in the states.

But, on a recent trip to the southern part of Ireland, my husband, Phil, and I quickly learned that locals don't drink green beer on St. Patrick's Day (or any day), and they don't feast on what we consider typical Irish fare.

"There's no green beer here  maybe in Dublin. But St. Patrick's Day is probably bigger in New York than in Dublin," said a bartender named Michael at O'Halleran's pub in Ennis.

He added that when the Irish do celebrate the day, they are likely to eat bacon, cabbage and ribs.

But that's not all we learned about Irish cuisine on our travels. Instead of the heavy, potato-laden dishes we expected, we found the food to be light and creative with an emphasis on seasonal and locally sourced foods.

Ruby Johnson, who owns and runs a bed and breakfast called Cherryville House just outside of Kildare Town, credits creative Irish chefs such as Clodagh McKenna and Darina Allen with prompting these changes when they opened cooking schools and began appearing on cooking shows on TV.

"In the past, Irish food was often heavy and bland, but of late we have become more sophisticated about food," she said.

Johnson said change came to her town within the last three to four years after small co-ops made locally sourced foods more accessible. Now when she shops, she finds fresh greens, free-range eggs, homemade jams, even freshly baked goods such as brown soda bread and scones.

"People pay a membership to belong to the co-op. We created a conversation about food that wasn't there before," she said.

Irish cooking expert McKenna said changes to the cuisine in her homeland started about 10 years ago.

She is the author of five cookbooks, appears on TV in Ireland and the U.S., has two restaurants in Dublin and studied in France and New York and trained and worked at Ballymaloe Cookery School and House in County Cork.

"It's evolved over the past 10 years and it has all trickled down from the farmers coming to markets and selling their wares and chatting with people at the markets" so that those people use their products.

"Chefs are also using all of these great products. Ireland has some of the greatest food in the world. We have everything from fresh fish to lamb, lots of unusual things like seaweed, and great cheeses," she said in a telephone interview from her home in Dublin.

"Our cows are outdoors nibbling on beautiful pastures with wildflowers and herbs. They are eating from all those lovely fresh clean pastures," and seafood is readily available because Ireland is surrounded by water.

Cheeses in Ireland are unique and especially delicious, and have been since the 1970s, she added.

"Ireland has more cows grazing on grass than we have people, so we should have some of the best cheeses in the world," she said. "We also have the best milk and butter; our cheeses are one of the stars of our cuisine.

"Cheese producers have been at the forefront of the food revolution in Ireland. They've been coming up with new and creative cheeses. Now they are all becoming household names and they are really fantastic."

Great cooks are also making a difference.

"With the economy changing, younger chefs can afford to rent small spaces and be creative, she said.

Peter Fitzgerald, manager at The Munster Bar, a 200-year-old pub in Waterford that his grandfather bought 60 years ago, said the food in his country also changed when it "got more ethnicity within the last 10 years when chefs from different backgrounds came to Ireland to work." At his pub, which has always had the same name, all three of his chefs are from Poland.

"We have a chowder, and people come from Boston, they say it's better than in Boston. It's a meal, not just chowder, and almost everything is locally sourced. We use cod, salmon, haddock, prawns and mussels. This recipe is a secret, we won't give it out to anyone," he said.

The recipe, called Munster Seafood Chowder, is made with seafood from Dunmore East (a nearby fishing village), and is served with homemade brown bread.

"We serve pub food," he said. "Pub food is a simpler menu. We lose all the airs and graces and have simple food that is good. We pride ourselves with our battered fish.... Also our beef and Guinness pie is a bestseller. It has locally sourced beef in a rich Guinness sauce and is topped with puff pastry."

Other options on his menu include roasted goat cheese on a puff pastry galette, chicken curry made with free range chicken breasts that are mildly spiced, baked potatoes topped with tuna, sweet corn, red onion and cheddar, and jumbo sausages served on traditional Colcannon bread with a Guinness and onion gravy.

John O'Connor, who owns Hazelbrook Bed and Breakfast in Waterford with his wife, Margo, said that these days there is a lot of variety in his homeland when it comes to food.

"If you want food that is heavy, you can get it, but if you want it light, you can get it light," he said.

His wife said that some of the more popular dishes in Waterford these days are chicken curry and fish pies, and that Asian dishes are popular owing to a good number of Asian restaurants that have opened in the area.

"We mix fish such as salmon, hake and cod and boil them," she said, describing one fish "pie." "Then we strain them and add milk, onion and a roux and simmer them. Then we put it in a bowl and grate cheese over it. We don't put them in a pie shell," she said.

Despite these changes, Ireland's wonderful traditional dishes haven't disappeared. But in some cases they've been updated, said McKenna.

"I still cook Irish stew, but I put pearl barley in it or add potato dumplings to it," she said. "There are even different ways to make soda bread. We're taking all those great, glorious soul food recipes and giving them really fresh and modern flavors."

While change has been good for Ireland's cuisine, there's one specialty that's not likely to change  Waterford's Blaa bread.

"It's more like a bread than a roll and it's covered in flour. You can only get it in Waterford," said Fitzgerald. "If it's made anywhere else, it won't taste the same."

The Baking Academy of Ireland's website agrees:

"The true authentic Blaa should be made from naturally fermented dough, and the rounded dough pieces should be given a prolonged proof prior to baking. This traditional method gives the Blaa its distinctive flavour....

"Some bakers have succumbed to making their blaas using modern high-speed no-time systems. This means there is no natural dough fermentation. These modern production systems result in the Blaa lacking the original flavour that made it famous."

What about dessert?

When it comes to desserts, Ruby Johnson of the Cherryville House said the Irish generally aren't sweet on them, and that after meals they are more likely to serve fresh fruit or fruit topped with custard sauce or ice cream.

For special occasions she said she might make a recipe she calls Quick Crumble in which she crumbles together and then freezes equal amounts of flour, butter, brown sugar and oatmeal. Then, when needed, she uses it to top sliced fresh fruit, baking it in a preheated 350-degree oven until the fruit is tender and the mixture bubble slightly on the sides. The dish is then cooled slightly and served with whipped cream.

Maureen Moran, owner of Eden Hill House in Ennis, agreed, and said that when she serves desserts it's fresh fruit, fruit pies or  for special occasions  a sherry trifle.

Top o' the morning fare

On our trip through the southern part of Ireland we drove from one spot to another and stayed primarily at bed and breakfasts where owners of the establishments served top-notch breakfasts.

In addition to homemade breads, scones, jams and omelets they also gave visitors the option to try what the Irish call "a proper Irish breakfast."

Maureen Moran of Eden Hill House said this breakfast could consist of a wide variety of foods and in substantial portions.

One might be served bacon, pork sausages, black and white pudding (ground pork with blood in it), white pudding (ground pork with bread crumbs), fried green tomatoes, sauteed mushrooms, baked beans, potato cakes (potatoes mashed into a patty and then toasted and fried) and fried eggs.
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Milwaukee police late Saturday were investigating the shooting of a 22-year-old Milwaukee man that happened around noon in the 3900 of N. 6th St.

The man was shot during a confrontation with another person, police said. The victim was taken to a hospital for treatment of what police believe were injuries that are not life-threatening.

Police say they are seeking a suspect in the case.

Earlier Saturday, Milwaukee police said they were investigating two shootings from Friday night that left two young men recovering from their wounds.

The first occurred around 5 p.m. in the 6400 block of N. 106th St. A 22-year-old man suffered a gunshot injury and went to an area hospital where he received treatment. Police said the circumstances surrounding the shooting remain under investigation.

Almost five hours later, around 9:50 p.m., a 23-year-old man was shot and wounded following an argument. According to police, a suspect produced a gun and fired several shots, striking the victim. The injured man transported himself to the hospital for treatment.

Police are seeking the suspect in that shooting.
By of the

Milwaukee's Hmong community is holding a candlelight vigil from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday at 3330 S. 92nd St. in memory of the three people who were shot and killed at that address on March 6.

The three who died were Phia Vue, 36, Mai K. Vue, 32, and Jesus R. Manso-Perez, 40. Thirty-nine-year-old Dan J. Popp has been charged with three counts of first-degree intentional homicide in the case.

Sunday's vigil is being held to honor the victims, comfort their families and show support the Vues' four young children. The candle lighting is scheduled to begin at 6:15 p.m.
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Messmer Catholic Schools will spend $500,000 to boost teacher salaries by 10% to 30% over the next two years in a move intended both to sustain recent academic gains and uphold the church's teachings on social justice, its president said.

"If we're going to exhibit Catholic values of justice, that means appropriate compensation and fulfilling our mission," said Jim Piatt, whose system employs about 100 teachers on three campuses.

"Teachers should not be paid at a level that qualifies them for assistance or free and reduced lunch," he said.

The move by Messmer is an attempt to raise its teacher salaries to about 90% of their public school counterparts in and around Milwaukee, said Emily Koczela, its newly hired chief financial officer, who like Piatt had worked in the Brown Deer School District before joining Messmer.

She stressed that the money for the raises would come from internal savings and increases in state-funded voucher payments, and not new pleas to donors.

Koczela said she expects at least some of the other 100-plus schools in the 10-county Archdiocese of Milwaukee to follow suit.

"We're pretty sure this is going to be a beacon," she said.

At least one other local network of Catholic schools also expects to boost wages beginning this summer. Bill Hughes, chief academic officer for the newly created Seton Catholic Schools, said all staff in its nine-member network will receive raises in July. And the system will embark on a comprehensive salary study in the fall.

Across the country, Catholic schoolteacher salaries have traditionally lagged behind their public school counterparts, and Milwaukee is no exception.

Kathleen Cepelka, superintendent of schools for the archdiocese, said it recommends schools maintain salaries of at least 80% of the market.

"However some schools struggle to reach that and are, in fact, less," she said.

At Messmer, the salary for a beginning teacher is about $29,000, and its highest-paid earns about $59,000. Within two years, its pay scale will range from about $37,000 to about $73,000.

A report for the National Catholic Education Association said Catholic schoolteachers in the Midwest earned between $22,000 and $125,000 in the 2012-'13 school year, the latest data available. The median salary ranged from $29,000 for a beginning teacher to about $57,000 for the most experienced.

Messmer serves about 1,675 students in three schools: Messmer High School at 742 W. Capitol Drive, Messmer Preparatory at 3027 N. Fratney St., and St. Leo and St. Rose elementary at 514 N. 31st St.

About 98% of its students attend through state-funded vouchers. A voucher increase of $100 per student for the coming year will contribute about $164,000 toward the cost of the raises. Most of its students live near or below the federal poverty level.

The boost comes as Messmer's students have begun to show measured gains in reading in the early grades, and math at the middle and high school, in part because of a new science, technology, engineering and math, or STEM, program. At the same time, the system has continued to lose valuable teachers to higher-paying jobs in the surrounding public schools, according to Piatt.

"As a system, we can't lose teachers at the rate we've lost them and sustain those gains," he said. "We don't want to be the farm system for the public schools."
Two life-size statues, one of a boy and one of girl, stand in the lobby of the Milwaukee French Immersion School. They have been there since 1941 when it was called Steuben Junior High. The model for the boy died last month. Here, a K-4 class with their teacher Dawn Balistreri (at left) and paraprofessional Lamona Anderson (at right). Credit: Michael Sears

Jim Stingl In My Opinion SHARE Jean Zilavy Callow poses in 2010 with the statue for which she modeled. Family photo Art should be closer to people, said David G. Parsons, who created the Steuben statues. Family phoyo

For 75 years now, two bronze life-size figures of teenagers have been standing proud inside the front doors of what used to be Steuben Junior High School.

Steuben closed in 2004 and gave up the building to Milwaukee French Immersion School, but still the statues keep watch, chins up and sights set on however bright the future looked in 1941.

Tarnished plaques on each pedestal say one statue is called Male Student, the other Female Student.

But to 89-year-old Leroy Konrath, that bronze boy was his classmate, Earle Albright, who posed for the sculptor. Konrath called to tell me that he spotted Albright's death notice in the Journal Sentinel this month, and he drove to the school at 2360 N. 52nd St. to tell them, too, and see if the statues remain.

"Sure enough, there they are just as big as life," said Konrath, a retired police officer living in Fox Point.

He also remembers the girl model's name, Jean Zilavy, who was in his class, as well. I found Jean in Florida, very much alive and nearing 90 years old.

To be fair, other students also posed for the statues, according to a Milwaukee Journal article from June of 1941. The story mentions Zilavy and says she was an excellent model who did much of the posing for the girl figure. The boy was said to be a composite, though Konrath can still picture Albright doing the honors.

Albright died Feb. 27 in Wheeling, Ill. He was 89. His obit says he went on to Washington High School and to college, excelled in academics and sports, and made his career in advertising and marketing. He lived in Wauwatosa. My attempts to reach his family were unsuccessful.

The artist is listed on the plaques as David G. Parsons, who at the time was a recent UW art school grad in his late 20s. The two statues were commissioned as a federal WPA project.

Jean Zilavy, who also went on to Washington High School and graduated in 1944, became Jean Callow when she married William Callow, a justice on the Wisconsin Supreme Court from 1977 to 1992. At ages 13 and 14, she posed for the statue numerous times, both at Parsons' studio and in the school entrance way. It was fun at first, but she was glad when it was over.

"He did the end of the statues where they are now in the vestibule so the kids would be able to see him while he was working on it," Callow said.

Her mother invited the artist to their home for dinner a few times, and in return he created a bust of Callow that the family used as a hat rack for years.

Parsons was an art professor for decades at Rice University in Texas. He died in 2005 at age 93. His son, Davy, from the Houston area, told me he had seen photos of the two statues, part of his father's vast body of work.

"We thought they were in Chicago. They were lost to us. That's so neat to find them," he said.

Of course, they were never lost here, though their backstory faded. Gina Bianchi, the principal at French Immersion School for K-4 through fifth grade, calls them the old Steuben statues  the girl in a skirt and blouse and holding a book, and the boy with his legs apart and hands clasped behind his back.

"It's a big, beautiful building we inherited, but I don't know why those statues were made," she said.

For Parsons, it was about students witnessing the work coming together, first in clay, then plaster and finally in bronze.

"Art should be closer to people," he says in the 1941 article. "The public usually sees only the finished work. They don't see it grow. When they see all the processes, they appreciate it more. They have a personal stake in it."

Students at the school back then embraced Parsons, often flocking around him and seeking his advice on their adolescent problems. And they informally named the statues Gertie and Johnny.

Jean Callow does not remember those nicknames. She knows the role she played, and looking at the statue takes her back to her youth.

"I think it has my nose and, yeah, I think it looks a lot like me."

Call Jim Stingl at (414) 224-2017 or email at jstingl@jrn.com
Milwaukee County officials set a late June start for repairing the deteriorated Estabrook Park dam on the Milwaukee River and building a fish passage around its north end at a cost of $3.4 million, in a revised schedule given to the state Department of Natural Resources. The four gates on the right would be removed for construction of a fish passage. Credit: Michael Sears

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Milwaukee County officials set a late June start for repairing the deteriorated Estabrook Park dam on the Milwaukee River and building a fish passage around its north end at a cost of $3.4 million, as part of a revised schedule given to the state Department of Natural Resources.

Work would be completed by the end of the year, under a schedule that depends on DNR approval of all permits and plans by mid-May.

The DNR will hold a public hearing March 22 in Glendale to gather public comments on the department's preliminary analysis of the environmental impacts of repairs, fish passage construction and proposed dam operating plans.

Repairs are estimated to cost $2.3 million and the fish passage is priced at $1.1 million.

The county parks department intends to submit a fish passage construction permit request to the DNR and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers by the end of March.

Dam gates have been fully open since 2008 after state inspections found numerous safety problems and confirmed the need for extensive repairs. On the list: returning full function to flood gates; repairing concrete buttresses between gates; stabilizing north and south ends of the dam where it meets the shoreline; and reconstructing ice barriers upstream of the dam.

In the preliminary analysis of impacts of dam repairs and fully closing gates, the DNR informed county officials last week that closed gates would increase risk of flooding of upstream properties.

In 2012, a county circuit judge declared the dam a nuisance and required the county to repair the problems or demolish it. The DNR subsequently gave the county a deadline of December 2016 for work to be done.

In selecting publicly funded repairs rather than removal of the 1930s-era dam on the border of Glendale and Milwaukee, the County Board in 2014 and 2015 also agreed to spend an estimated $160,000 a year on operating and maintenance costs. That amount includes pay and benefits for an employee who would monitor river flows and adjust dam gates.

Over 20 years, those operating costs would add $2.2 million to the price of keeping the dam in place, boosting the total to $5.6 million.

The board rejected the proposed one-time cost of $1.7 million for removing the dam, the option recommended by a county consultant and the preferred choice of County Executive Chris Abele.

Abele supports removal as the least expensive option and the best choice for water quality.

Repairing the dam benefits only a small number of property owners adjacent to the shallow artificial pond held back by the dam when its gates are closed, according to Abele.

Removing the dam would eliminate the long-term maintenance liability, he said.

The Milwaukee Common Council, Shorewood Village Board and the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District's commission support removal of the aging dam.

County Board Chairman Theodore Lipscomb Sr. has justified the repairs for the purpose of restoring the artificial pond for a few hundred residential property owners upstream of the dam.

The Milwaukee Riverkeeper environmental group will continue to advocate for removing the dam, said Riverkeeper Cheryl Nenn.

The Riverkeeper's 2011 lawsuit resulted in a judge declaring the dam a nuisance. A different judge continues to monitor county action to eliminate the nuisance.

Dam removal guarantees better fish passage at a fraction of the cost while also reducing flooding risk, she said. Eliminating the shallow, stagnant impoundment that would be held back by closed gates also would improve water quality for fish, mussels and other aquatic life, she said.

Stagnant water heats up quickly and carries less dissolved oxygen.

The dam has two structures: a dam with floodgates north of an island in the river and a fixed spillway south of the island. A line of ice barriers protects the gated dam.

Rather than carving out a traditional fish passage through land on one side of the dam, the county is proposing to remove four gates at the north end of the dam. Six remaining gates would be repaired.

Removing four gates would create an opening for fish swimming upstream from the harbor and lower river, said Parks Director John Dargle Jr.

Those fish would encounter water flowing down a sloped rock ramp made up of a series of steps. About 10% of river flows would be directed down the ramp.

This would be sufficient water for northern pike and other weak swimmers to move up the ramp, one step at a time, Dargle said.

Rocks and boulders on each step would create small pools for fish to rest before taking another step.

Fish returning to the harbor and Lake Michigan could swim down the ramp.

A concrete wall would be constructed adjacent to the fish passage to separate the passage ramp from the upstream impoundment.

Public hearing and comments

The public is invited to comment on the Wisconsin DNR's draft environmental impact analysis of Milwaukee County's proposed repairs and operation of Estabrook Park dam.

Public hearing: 5:30 to 9 p.m. March 22 at Glenn Hills Middle School, 2600 W. Mill Road, Glendale.

Written comments accepted through April 6. Mail to: Kristina Betzold, Department of Natural Resources, 2300 N. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, Milwaukee, WI, 53212. Send email to: DNREstabrook@wi.gov.
By of the

One might easily imagine the life of Wisconsin artist Patrick Farrell as just an illusion.

How else could it be that a boy raised in a trailer park  who never went beyond the eighth grade in school  could grow into a renowned painter, breathing three-dimensional life into oil and canvas with a skill that was totally self-taught?

"He was a remarkable self-made man against all odds," artist and longtime friend Judy Ramazzini said of Farrell, who cultivated his artist's eye through movie house imagery and department store displays while playing hooky on the streets of downtown Milwaukee. "By his spirit of adventure he created an incredible life for himself."

A tribute will take place Sunday for Farrell, who died Feb. 15 in Milwaukee of congestive heart failure at age 75.

"Patrick Farrell is a master of illusion, a super-realist whose trompe l'oeil style seems to deny the obvious fact that his works are 'really' spots of paint on canvas," Welch D. Everman once wrote for New Art Examiner.

Farrell was born March 14, 1940, in Hardwood, Mich., the youngest of four children born to Carmen and Ira Farrell.

The family moved to Cudahy, where chronic illness kept his mother hospitalized for years. Farrell's father, worried about her health and the family's finances, hardly had time to keep a watchful eye on his son, Farrell told the Milwaukee Sentinel in 1977.

Troubled by problems at home, Farrell stopped going to school at age 14.

"Lots of days I'd go to the Boston Store and just ride the elevators up and down all day," Farrell told the newspaper.

He also spent a lot of time in movie theaters, said Christopher Baugniet, who co-founded the RiverEdge Galleries in Mishicot with Farrell in 1984.

"He became so obsessed with the ladies of the silver screen it (later) inspired a whole series of his paintings," Baugniet said.

Farrell worked as a busboy and an errand boy for a record distribution firm and got his own apartment at 17.

Then  without ever taking an art class  he started painting landscapes and still lifes to cover the walls.

"After having lived most of my life in a one-bedroom house trailer, with the john and shower in a public building in the trailer park, I was proud of having my own place," Farrell told the Sentinel.

After stumbling upon an art show at a shopping center and realizing his work was comparable, Farrell decided to display some of his paintings and woodcuts in an art fair at Capitol Court.

"I sold some of the woodcuts," Farrell later told the Sentinel, "but what made me feel even better was that people were actually relating to something I had created.

"Maybe for the first time, I felt that I had some worth as a person."

Soon he was making a living selling his creations to collectors around the country, gaining critical recognition and evolving as an artist.

"For someone who was self-taught, he was a very good business person," Baugniet said. "Not only did he paint pictures, he had to market them."

In the mid-1970s, Farrell traveled to Europe, where he learned to infuse paintings with life by observing life directly.

"That's the way it is for an unschooled painter. ...It sometimes takes years to discover something you could have found out in art school," Farrell said in the Sentinel interview.

Farrell's work  which included his signature subjects, bowls of fruit, vases of flowers and butterflies  has been featured in 35 solo exhibitions nationally and can be found in public and private collections throughout the United States, according to Milwaukee gallerist Tory Folliard.

"Patrick will be remembered as a master of super-realism," said Folliard, whose gallery has represented Farrell since 1994. "His paintings are treasured by collectors all over the country."

Farrell himself was as elegant as his artwork, Folliard said, a thoughtful perfectionist who took pride in what he accomplished professionally without a formal education.

Known to close friends as "Pads," Farrell's pursuit of perfection was reflected in the strides he took to cultivate and maintain his personal relationships, which he reinforced with beautifully handwritten notes, cards, and even formal invitations to lunch, Ramazzini recalled.

"He really tried to create happiness for everyone," Ramazzini said.

"And he did."

Farrell was preceded in death by his life companion, James W. Schroeder.

Patrick Farrell

A tribute to Farrell will take place from 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday at The Wherehouse Nightclub, 818 S. Water St. at the east end of National Ave.
Republican presidential candidates, Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla, from left, Donald Trump, Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and Ohio Gov. John Kasich stand for a moment of silence for former first lady Nancy during a primary debate at the University of Miami in Coral Gables, a suburb of Miami on Thursday. Credit: Associated Press

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Obama Derangement Syndrome is striking Republicans once again.

To avoid having to answer for the rise of Donald Trump, they want to hold the man in the White House responsible for the emergence of a demagogic showman who has been the loudest voice challenging the legal right of the winner of two elections to be there.

Obama picked his words carefully but with some quiet glee when he was asked about this at a joint news conference with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Thursday. "I have been blamed by Republicans for a lot of things," Obama said, "but being blamed for their primaries and who they're selecting for their party is"  here he paused, enjoying the moment  "novel."

On the contrary, Obama insisted, it was Republicans who had created "an environment where somebody like a Donald Trump can thrive" and allowed "the circus we've been seeing to transpire." He urged his opponents to "do some introspection."

That would be nice, wouldn't it?

I should acknowledge a stake in this fight, having published a book in January called "Why the Right Went Wrong," arguing that the emergence of Trump was the logical consequence of a half-century of conservative history and of the steady legitimation of extremist ideas within the GOP. The nation, not just the Republican Party, desperately needs a different and more constructive brand of conservatism.

But if progressives are to beat back an increasingly virulent right and encourage the emergence of a more temperate form of conservatism, they have to ponder the crisis on their own side that is visible in this campaign and in most of the European democracies, as well.

The strength of Bernie Sanders' challenge to Hillary Clinton from the left, like the radicalization of American conservatism, is a symptom of the decay of a moderate brand of progressivism that rose in the 1990s when Bill Clinton was president and Tony Blair was Britain's prime minister. Its ideology was rooted in a belief that capitalism would deliver the economic goods and could be balanced by a "competent public sector, providing services of quality to the citizen and social protection for those who are vulnerable."

Those last words are Blair's from a collection of essays by 11 center-left politicians from around the world released on Friday by the Center for American Progress and Canada 2020 to coincide with Trudeau's visit to the United States. The title of their effort, "Global Progress," is optimistic and Bill Clinton, for one, continued to express confidence that government could "empower people with the tools to make the most of their own lives and to create the institutions and conditions for them to succeed."

This never stopped being a good idea, but the sober reflections of Ricardo Lagos, Chile's former president, pointed to the "significant challenge to progressive politics" created by the economic crisis of 2008. It raised "profound questions" about policies "that favored the deregulation of the economy and allowed the financial system to self-regulate." The moderate left, it turns out, had more confidence in a loosely governed capitalism than was merited.

And in the post-crash period, progressives largely lost the argument against austerity policies. A significant exception was the United States during the first two years of Obama's term: Keynesian policies helped lead to a revival of the American economy that was faster and more robust than in other places. But continued economic sluggishness, Lagos argued, feeds "the anger and alienation of a dangerous populism on the extreme left and right." Trudeau himself said Friday that the economically excluded "don't feel like this idea of progress still holds."

If Republicans delude themselves that Obama is responsible for Trump, there's little hope for the soul-searching their party requires. But progressives of moderate inclinations can't use the right's shortcomings to blind them to their own call for reflection. Those who believe in gradual, steady progress need to provide plausible responses to a world both less secure and less orderly than it was in the 1990s. Otherwise, the alternatives, as Trump is showing us, will be irrational and grim.

E.J. Dionne is a columnist for The Washington Post. Email ejdionne@washpost.com. Twitter: @EJDionne
Matthew Desmond in a Milwaukee trailer park on the south side, where he lived for six months in 2008 while doing research for his book Evicted. Credit: Michael Kienitz

"Do we believe that housing is a right?"

Matthew Desmond asked that question during an interview with Mike Gousha at a program at the Marquette University Law School recently. His answer is yes.

We think so, too.

Adequate shelter is fundamental to a host of other issues, including family stability, jobs, education and poverty. But all of that is compromised  and freedoms are compromised  if families don't have a grasp on stable shelter, Desmond argues.

A right to housing doesn't mean that everyone gets a nice house with a picket fence courtesy of the government. It does mean that everyone should have access to affordable housing where lead isn't pealing off the walls, the plumbing works and there's heat in the winter. And where you don't have to spend 80% of your income on your housing or face eviction if you complain about substandard conditions.

At the very least it means expanding the federal Housing Choice Voucher Program at a cost of $22.5 billion, providing tenants with legal representation in civil court when they face evictions, providing tax credits and creating more affordable housing units.

That's not cheap, but Desmond argues that the nation can afford it, considering it spends $171 billion on homeowner tax benefits such as the mortgage interest deduction. At the very least, Desmond has started a discussion worth having.

A little background:

Desmond is the author of "Evicted / Poverty and Profit in the American City," which details the devastating effect that evictions and substandard housing have on families, specifically in Milwaukee, where he spent 15 months in 2008 and 2009. Some of the personal stories in "Evicted" will break your heart; others will inspire you. But what they all do is emphasize Desmond's argument that housing must be central to the discussion of poverty in America.

"I was shocked to discover that one in eight Milwaukee renters experienced at least one forced move  formal or informal eviction, landlord foreclosure or building condemnation  in the two years before being surveyed," Desmond wrote. He also has noted that there are 16,000 formal evictions each year in Milwaukee, and more that are so-called quiet evictions, in which a tenant finds her belongings on the street or the front door taken off the apartment or the lights or heat turned off.

Desmond notes that adequate and affordable housing is in dismally short supply. Only one in four people eligible for housing aid receive any, he says.

Milwaukee city and county officials attest to the intractable nature of the problem.

Tony Perez, executive director of the city's Housing Authority, told us that although the city does a good job with the housing it makes available, there simply isn't enough. He pointed to the need to expand low-income tax credits and to build more affordable housing.

Hector Colon, director of the county's Health and Human Services Department, also noted the shortage of housing and that "what's critical for us is more rental vouchers" and the use of wraparound supportive services that can "lead to self-sufficiency." He also said that the county's track record is good on evictions, with less than 20 in the last five years.

The problem is when people are forced to rely on the private market, where they can spend an inordinate amount of their income on rent and where some landlords can make a hefty profit at the expense of their renters. But this is not a black-and-white issue of rapacious landlords preying on innocent victims. There are irresponsible tenants, and there are landlords who buy food for their tenants or give them financial help.

Desmond is right on this: Housing is at the heart of the poverty issue. The nation can't reduce poverty without addressing housing. Let's have that discussion. And in this election year, let's demand that candidates for every office talk about what they would do to ensure a right to decent housing.
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Bradley's writings do matter

Christian Schneider thinks that "some ugly columns" that Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Rebecca Bradley wrote when she was a 21-year-old student at Marquette University are not relevant with what she actually thinks today ("I care about what she thinks now," March 8, Opinions).

People do change in many ways over the years, but fundamentally their core values stay the same. If she really thought that gays were "queers" and that they were murderers because of the AIDS virus and that Americans were "either totally stupid or entirely evil" for electing President Bill Clinton, these words show how shallow and prejudiced she is toward all of us who did vote for Clinton. A person does not magically change his or her views over the years. They may change a little, but basically that person is who she is and her views reflect that. Bradley is a condescending and biased person who does not belong in that important position.

Republicans, especially this new brand of tea party people, have turned their party into one of hate-talkers. When they can't argue effectively they switch to lies or half-truths. It seems to be the only way they think they can win. I believe their days are numbered as a party because of this.

We used to be a country of great debaters  not anymore. The extremists have taken over. God help us. And, yes, I am a Democrat and I do believe in God.

Judith M. Tutkowski

New Berlin



Appalled by Bradley's views

Like many others, I am appalled by the contemptible views expressed by state Supreme Court Justice Rebecca Bradley when she was younger ("Bradley's student writings aired," March 8).

Some (such as columnist Christian Schneider) excuse the opinions she held then due to her youth and then-prevailing norms; I concede that attitudes have changed since the 1990s. However, beyond the disgusting content of Bradley's writings, they reveal a character that I find disqualifying in a justice: her worldview seems to be rather Manichaean. That is, she sees everything as black or white, right or wrong, for us or against us.

In her own words, voters for former President Bill Clinton are "either totally stupid or entirely evil." By voting for Clinton, "either you condone" a list of things she finds unacceptable, or else you are ignorant, "dumb" and "obviously immoral."

Can she not acknowledge that no candidate perfectly embodies all of a voter's values? The inability to discern shades of gray is troubling in a neighbor, but disqualifying in a judge. Solomon himself would not approve of her candidacy.

Paul Lyman

Shorewood



Great column and beautiful photo

Jim Stingl's March 6 column on Dan Johnson's meeting with Garrison Keillor arranged by Johnson's wonderful wife, Deb, was a very heartwarming story ("A pretty good 'Prairie Home Companion' gift").

Johnson is facing the horrific effects of Alzheimer's disease.

Something that struck me so profoundly was the beautiful photograph of Johnson hugging his grandson, Cooper Peterson, with Johnson providing the comfort, and the child's eyes looking out from the embrace of his grandfather. Initially, I thought it was a painted portrait.

I returned to stare at that beautiful photograph several times over the next few days. That photograph should be captured in an expensive frame and displayed in the art gallery. It is that fantastic. That photo of Dan and Cooper needs to be captured just like it was on the front page of the Milwaukee Journal and placed in the center of their family room. What an heirloom. It's awe-inspiringly beautiful.

Michael Nichols

New Berlin



Criticism is not bigotry

Milwaukee Archbishop Jerome Listecki seems to believe that criticism of the Catholic church is bigotry ("That old, ugly anti-Catholic bias is back," Crossroads, March 6).

He also seems to think that pointing out that the Catholic Church has hidden those who have sexually abused children is out of bounds. The archbishop or the pope have the right to state their beliefs, but I and others have the right to point out the gross abuses in the Catholic Church. Remember, sex abuses and other scandals hurt predominantly Catholics, not this supposed "secular elite." Catholics have a right to know about the church they have no say in.

Now, if a group such as the American Humanist Association or American Atheists hid leaders who committed sexual abuses, it would be perfectly OK to point it out. It would not be bigoted against humanists or atheists. As a secular humanist, I have a belief system and at no point is it bigoted if someone disagrees with me about humanism. Humanism is a set of beliefs, just like Catholicism or any religion, and a set of beliefs does not obligate anyone to respect it. I believe that humanism (which is the principle that society should be based on reason and not religious doctrine) can defend itself quite well.

Finally, the archbishop stated that the Catholic Church has weathered 2,000 years of history. Well, those who reject religious doctrine have weathered a lot longer history, including persecution by the Catholic Church.

Jerome McCollom

Milwaukee



Moving forward on mental health

In reading about Milwaukee attaining the White House Healthy Communities Challenge, I reflected on when I had the privilege of serving Milwaukee County residents twice in my career as the top administrator of the Behavioral Health Division ("Obama visit celebrates ACA," March 4).

I returned in 2011 because five years ago, County Executive Chris Abele was committed to changing our system to a person-centered, community-based, recovery-oriented model in which not only the people with lived experience were going to receive better service, but our entire community would benefit as more people would be able to access the service they need to be healthy.

The county has achieved much in the last five years in many departments, but particularly in mental health. Is it perfect? No. We still have a long way to go, but without the advocacy and leadership Abele has provided, we would not be transforming the mental health system in this county.

It is much like how our nation is reaching toward the goal of access to high-quality, affordable health care that includes mental health parity for every person. I applaud the efforts of the county executive and every county department that has helped thousands of people have access to comprehensive affordable health care. Our community will be healthier and safer because of it.

Kathleen Eilers, RN, MSN

Milwaukee



Amalgamation of immigrants

In response to Ralph Kling's letter on March 8, I felt a thorough response was warranted ("America has its own culture," Letters).

Kling's letter boils down to a call for Americans to embrace speaking English, our country's cultural ties to Christianity, the extant "American culture" and patriotism by foremost not complaining about the country.

The great irony here, of course, is that nearly our entire country historically has been built as an amalgamation of immigrants and immigrant culture. Save for the 2% of our country's population that is native, every person in this country came from another country, and in almost every instance, cultural artifacts and traditions that were brought along became absorbed over time.

Many of Milwaukee's current cultural facets exist as they do because German immigrants carried many traditions and ethnic practices with them. Oktoberfest, German Fest, Bratwursts, Milwaukee's excellent breweries, etc., are never decried as being un-American by those who seem concerned with "diluting national identity and sovereignty."

Perhaps the most puzzling aspect of the "embrace American values or leave" ethos lies in its assertion that Christian values are under attack. Given that 2016 is the first year that a non-Christian has ever won in a U.S. presidential primary, and that 92% of the current U.S. House of Representatives identifies as Christian (compared to 73% of the U.S. population), it's hard to see any shortage of political or social power for Christians.

The idea that we must be resistant to changes in America's culture or viewpoints also points to a limited understanding of how our country's growth works. We continually reinvent our views and social arrangements based on evolving economies, and, in some of the grislier corners of our nation's history we've had to countenance and evolve away from our innumerable prejudices.

We no longer have the choice to isolate ourselves from the world in an age when the Internet and global technologies are a reality. A recent survey by the American Association of Colleges and Universities found that 95% of employers think that intercultural skills and the ability to adapt to new ideas are of the "highest level of importance" for new hires. Our original national motto "E pluribus unum" seems particularly relevant now in light of this global reality. Everything we were, are and will continue to be is the product of many.

Ian Stone

Whitewater



Diversity makes us great

I feel that I must respond to the letter, "America has its own culture," by Ralph Kling (Letters, March 8).

I am amazed at the xenophobic attitude that Kling and so many of our citizens have been prey to this election cycle. We live in a global world, like it or not. As an easy example, Milwaukee itself is known for its great cultural diversity  Hello! The many ethnic festivals this "City of Festivals" is known for!

Has Kling ever patronized any of these events or eaten at many of the myriad ethnic restaurants that make our city so delightful? Operated, I may say, by American citizens. Sure, our motto is "In God We Trust." However, there is a reason it does not state "In Jesus We Trust." The right of religious freedom  including all religions  was fundamental to our nation's founding.

So, go ahead and move to another country  most of the developed countries of the world speak English as well as the native tongue. Has Kling been to Europe and seen how many McDonald's there are or visited Euro Disney? Or perhaps he would prefer a place that is monotheistic, such as parts of the Middle East where we are currently fighting against people who want only their religion and culture and are killing thousands of people to achieve the very thing Kling espouses for America.

Wake up, everybody! We have a great country. Its very diversity is what makes it great!

Tom Smith

Wauwatosa



Tolerance is necessary

I was absolutely appalled by Ralph Kling's diatribe advocating for maintenance of status quo, suggesting that this is "our country, our land and our lifestyle" ("American has its own culture," Letters, March 8).

He goes on to proclaim that we should only speak English and adopt Christian principles here in the United States.

Mr. Kling, please speak for yourself, as those of us who truly embrace democracy consider the viewpoints, feelings and needs of others. May I remind Kling that before the European settlers planted themselves on this continent, there were many other native cultures, languages and religions practiced on this soil.

Just because one group of people was effective in obliterating another's culture doesn't justify their actions or warrant that we continue on with such a subversive mind-set. Diversity and tolerance are both necessary and beneficial to all societies, and those who recognize this will not only strengthen our country, but our shared humanity.

Katie Herrmann

Hartford



Editorial position fails citizens

The Walker-appointed Department of Revenue Secretary Cathy Stepp, demeans the natural domain, belittles its vulnerable inhabitants, places ideology over life itself, and the Journal Sentinel Editorial Board's position, its advice to us, its Fourth Estate protection of the common good is: "Citizens need to watch this process carefully" ("Get reorganization right," Opinions, March 4).

My God. Is there anyone on the Journal Sentinel staff willing to stand up to Gov. Scott Walker, to voice the alarm I think most of us feel?

William Schuele

Muskego



A parade of fools

After viewing the latest Republican debate fiasco, I am now fully determined that I will no longer use my American right to vote. The manner in which we American people elect our highest office of president is simply downright disgusting. As well as humiliating. I had to turn off the television, for I could no longer view the remaining time.

One cannot help but wonder what those across our planet are thinking about our election process. It is no wonder that many Americans are viewed with disdain. What I watched was nothing less than a dragdown cat-and-dog fight. And, then, to see how we protect the winner with dozens of security officers.

Why would I want to prostitute or desecrate my given right to vote to elect and partake in such a parade of fools? Shakespeare wrote so wisely, The whole world is a stage and the people are merely players. Not only spoken, but well played out in truth!

Fr. Russell F. Witon

Milwaukee



GOP candidates mortifying

As an octogenarian and a lifetime reader of the Journal and the Journal Sentinel, I can honestly state that I have never seen a political campaign that has brought out the poorest attributes of the Republican candidates. To see grown men act like adolescent ruffians, not like educated adults, is mortifying.

Over the years, I have voted for both parties, but even when both candidates disagree on the Democratic side, they at least remain civil. Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders address the common needs of the majority.

Lona Schindler

Milwaukee
By

Presidential candidates are fond of promising to protect the American dream. But research increasingly shows that one's chance of achieving the American dream is often predetermined by something as arbitrary as the ZIP code in which one is born and spends one's formative years. And that is bad news for millions of Americans.

While the national economy has seen steady growth since the end of the Great Recession in 2009, more than 50 million Americans live in communities marred by serious economic distress  places where the American dream has essentially packed up and left the neighborhood. Consistent private sector job growth and a declining national unemployment rate obscure the dismal reality that thousands of American communities have been passed over by the recovery.

Unfortunately, Milwaukee is a prime example of a city with more than its fair share of distressed communities  ones characterized by low educational attainment, high poverty rates, vacant housing, disappearing jobs and shuttered businesses.

How do we ensure that the benefits of economic growth and recovery reach more people in places such as Milwaukee? It starts with a better understanding of the challenges facing Americans in communities that have missed out.

The Economic Innovation Group created the Distressed Communities Index (DCI) to provide a multifaceted view of community economic well-being throughout the country. The DCI allows us to "heat map" ZIP codes, counties, cities and even congressional districts in order to identify and evaluate clusters of economic prosperity and distress, yielding powerful insights about where Americans find access to opportunity and growth.

Our analysis found that while Milwaukee suffers economically, Wisconsin as a whole is doing quite well by many measures. Only 8% of Wisconsinites live in distressed ZIP codes, just over half the national average of 15% per state. A whopping 35% of the state's population live in prosperous ZIP codes  well above the average of 27% per state.

Madison, for example, is not only one of the most prosperous cities in the country, it is also one of the most equitable: Well-being doesn't vary significantly across different neighborhoods, a characteristic shared with other mid-sized knowledge economy hubs.

The residents of Milwaukee are encountering an entirely different  almost foreign  economic reality from Wisconsinites in other parts of the state.

In Milwaukee, the slow transition to the new industries of the knowledge economy, the lack of a robust entrepreneurial ecosystem and endemic segregation have contributed to the economic distress of half of the city's ZIP codes. In fact, fully two-thirds of the Wisconsin population living in distressed ZIP codes can be found in Milwaukee.

We also found that, during the first four years of the national economic recovery, the counties surrounding Milwaukee enjoyed on average 5% job growth, but employment in Milwaukee County was essentially flat. Within the city itself, employment fell. Job growth during that nominal economic recovery was negative in seven of the city's 10 distressed ZIP codes. The vast majority of ZIP codes saw more businesses close than open.

This underscores a theme we find throughout the country: Economic growth and recovery has too often failed to reach the neediest communities. In fact, the country's worst-off ZIP codes experienced double-digit losses in employment and business closures while the most prosperous enjoyed booming double-digit growth.

In light of these findings, it is clear why so many Americans feel anxious and disconnected from the overall growth of the U.S. economy. Policy-makers must evaluate how to systematically attract new sources of capital, a new generation of entrepreneurs and new skilled workers to bring economic opportunity back to Wisconsin's distressed communities  and to make sure opportunity endures in more prosperous ones.

The silver lining for Wisconsin is that its leaders in Washington are well-positioned to make a difference.

House Speaker Paul Ryan has made fighting poverty and expanding economic opportunity the signature focus of his speakership. U.S. Rep. Ron Kind, the leader of the New Democrat Coalition and a key member of the powerful House Ways and Means Committee, is helping to lead a new bipartisan effort in the House and Senate to bring new investment and economic hope to distressed communities.

Republicans and Democrats alike believe that all Americans deserve the opportunity to rise above their circumstances. The DCI underscores the urgency for both sides to come together with new ideas and new approaches to broaden access to economic opportunity. Where someone starts in life, geographically or economically, should not limit access to the American dream.

John Lettieri and Steve Glickman are co-founders of the Economic Innovation Group.
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As Apple tries to fend off government demands for access to encrypted iPhone content, the company is leaning on free speech arguments as a key part of its defense.

With no fewer than 10 lawsuits filed this year against net neutrality rules, both sides claim First Amendment support in this long-running dispute over the federal regulation of Internet service.

This is Sunshine Week in the United States, when news organizations put a spotlight on the public's right to know and size up the state of government openness and access to public records.

This year, we should add a more sweeping question: How will the First Amendment navigate the dramatic changes in information technology?

Complicated disputes are popping up everywhere.

Cases moving through the courts range from whether Facebook "likes" and Twitter posts are protected speech (both are for the moment) to what speech rights businesses should have (they're expanding).

The mere definition of free speech is getting clouded: Are video games a kind of speech? And what about computer-driven content such as searches and automated stories? Put another way, can iPhone's Siri claim First Amendment rights if she somehow libels you?

First Amendment laws shaped over decades are colliding with modern privacy concerns. On some campuses, students are protesting against free speech. There's growing support for "right to be forgotten'' laws that allow people to erase pieces of their past.

When a humorist gathered 50 signatures calling for repeal of the First Amendment as a joke last year at Yale, nobody should have been laughing.

The First Amendment has survived plenty of change in 225 years as it has adapted to telegraph, print, radio and television. But those who follow the topic most closely say the information age is a whole new era.

Here are five questions likely to shape the future of the First Amendment:

How will the Internet alter free speech practices? There's a lot of unsettled law about how speech and expression play out in a Facebook world.

Scholars say rules taking shape generally extend existing standards to the Internet. The challenge will be figuring out when speech is altered by the Internet's speed and reach.

"The Internet amplifies everything," said Thomas Healy, a Seton Hall law professor. "It amplifies expression. It makes it more powerful, more dangerous, more offensive."

Early court decisions hold that data-driven communications, such as computer-assembled news and Google searches, are indeed protected forms of speech. So is computer code itself, which is the basis of the First Amendment argument Apple is making for refusing to crack open the iPhone of the San Bernardino mass shooter.

Who's advocating for the public's interest? We should watch which players step up as a changing of the media guard takes place.

The newspaper and broadcast companies that championed speech and press rulings of the 20th century don't have the power or financial strength they once did. The dominant technology companies have not shown that same kind of stewardship of the First Amendment.

"I worry," said John E. Finn, the Wesleyan government professor who taught the Great Courses series on the First Amendment, "about the lack of well-funded institutions advocating for openness."

Who controls how information moves? Just as important as who creates content will be who distributes it, which is why net neutrality rules approved by the Federal Communications Commission last year are under withering attack.

The current rules say service levels and rates should be the same for all. Internet providers say that curbs business options, while content creators say reversing this would give the Internet's utilities too much power over the marketplace that would lead, for instance, to download speeds based on your willingness to pay.

What will expanding business rights mean? Corporations have turned to the First Amendment to free themselves from limits on advertising, ingredient listings and political contributions.

Some say that the expansion of any speech rights serves all comers. Others say this shift goes against the intent to protect the rights of citizens against powerful government and corporate interests.

And finally, where do you stand? Here the news is encouraging: The simple, 45 words covering religion, speech, press, petition and assembly is woven into our civil fabric.

Polls consistently find overwhelming support for the First Amendment. Unlike other topics in public life, those sentiments cut across political, ethnic, age and economic lines.

Two-thirds of the world lives without religion and press freedom, and many countries, from China to Cuba, are using technology to suppress rights. This makes the American model an even brighter beacon if we succeed in using technology to extend freedoms.

"We have the gold standard," said Alberto Ibarguen, director of the Knight Foundation, which funds media innovation around the world. "It's our responsibility to make sure we maintain that."

The First Amendment did not find its place at the core of our rights without many struggles over two centuries. Sunshine Week is a good time to remember there are fresh battles ahead.

Anders Gyllenhaal is vice president for news at McClatchy and can be reached at Agyllenhaal@McClatchy.com.
All of Wisconsin's top lawmakers released copies of their emails in response to the AP's request. Most also released their daily calendars. Credit: Mark Hoffman

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Jefferson, Mo.  State capitols are often referred to as "the people's house," but legislatures frequently put up no-trespassing signs by exempting themselves from public-records laws.

That tendency was apparent when The Associated Press sought emails and daily schedules of legislative leaders in all 50 states. The request was met with more denials than approvals.

Some lawmakers claimed "legislative immunity" from the public-records laws that apply to most state and local officials. Others said secrecy was essential to the deliberative process of making laws. And some feared that releasing the records could invade the privacy of citizens, creating a "chilling effect" on the right of people to petition their government.

Without access to such records, it's harder for the public to know who is trying to influence their lawmakers on important policy decisions.

"The public has a right to know what their elected officials are doing, because it's the people's job to hold those folks politically accountable," said Peter Scheer, executive director of the First Amendment Coalition, a San Rafael, Calif.-based nonprofit that advocates for greater openness in government.

All legislatures allow people to watch and listen to their debates. But an AP review of open-government policies found that many state legislatures allow closed-door caucus meetings in which a majority of lawmakers discuss policy positions before public debates. Others have restrictions on taking photos and videos of legislative proceedings. In some places, lawmakers have no obligation to disclose personal financial information that could reveal conflicts of interest.

Legislators possess the power to change that but are sometimes reluctant to act.

A bill advancing this year in Massachusetts, for example, would strengthen the state's public-records laws by limiting fees and setting new deadlines for state agencies and municipalities to comply. Yet it would continue to exempt lawmakers.

That mirrors the way things work in Washington, D.C. Congress exempted itself when it passed the national Freedom of Information Act 50 years ago. The president and his immediate staff also are exempt. By contrast, many governors are subject to state sunshine laws.

In many states, the public-records requirements passed by lawmakers present "a stunning contradiction," said Charles Davis, dean of the College of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of Georgia and a former executive director of the National Freedom of Information Coalition.

"I have just always found it astonishing that they would put those requirements on public officials throughout government and exempt themselves at the same time," he said.

To gauge compliance with public-records laws, the AP sent requests to the top Democratic and Republican lawmakers in all states and most governors, seeking copies of their daily schedules and emails from their government accounts for the week of Feb. 1 to 7. Of the more than 170 lawmakers who responded by mid-March, a majority denied the requests by claiming they were legally exempt. The governors were slower to respond but more often provided the information.

The legislative denials came from lawmakers of both parties, although slightly more from Republicans. In states where some lawmakers said "yes" and others "no," it was more often the majority party lawmakers who denied the requests while a minority party leader complied.

In Missouri, Senate President Pro Tem Ron Richard was asked in front of dozens of reporters and editors whether he would release his government emails and daily calendars.

"All you have to do is ask for it, and I'll give it to you. I don't care," Richard told those attending a statewide press association event in February.

Yet when the AP subsequently submitted an open-records request, Richard reversed course. A Senate administrator responded on his behalf with a letter saying that individual lawmakers aren't subject to the Missouri Sunshine Law. Richard, who is in his first year as the Senate's top lawmaker, explained that he learned his predecessors had determined they were exempt, and he didn't want to break with precedent.

"I'm telling you I don't hide anything in my emails. I just don't do that," said Richard, a Republican from Joplin.

Mississippi House Speaker Philip Gunn responded with a denial letter asserting his emails and calendars were his personal property, not subject to the Mississippi Public Records Act and protected "under the doctrine of legislative immunity" dating back hundreds of years to English common law.

Denial letters on behalf of Illinois' top Democratic and Republican lawmakers said, among other things, that releasing the records could amount to a "clearly unwarranted invasion of personal privacy" for individuals who contacted lawmakers without expecting their names to appear in the news media.

An attorney for Kentucky's legislature said secrecy was needed "to encourage effective and frank communications."

"Arranging honors for our fallen heroes, seeking options for Kentuckians with substance abuse problems or counseling citizens regarding confidential problems are all in a day's work for our members," wrote Kentucky legislative general counsel Morgain Sprague. "These communications have always been protected by law."

If lawmakers followed the same open-records rules that apply to others in government, the potential for some sensitive content being revealed would not be a reason for denying access to all of their emails. Rather, they could redact or withhold particular emails covered by various sunshine law exceptions while releasing the rest.

In several states, lawmakers who provided their records did withhold certain emails that they considered to be exempt from disclosure.

Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, who is the Republican head of the Senate, released 48 pages of emails but withheld the rest pending a request for a state attorney general's opinion on whether confidential communications between elected officials and citizens are shielded from disclosure.

New Mexico lawmakers released hundreds of emails, mainly from constituents, but withheld three under an exemption for correspondence with certain legislative staff. They also released copies of their daily calendars showing breakfasts and dinners sponsored by industry and interest groups.

Lawmakers in Florida, which has one of the more expansive sunshine laws, freely released emails from people urging them to support or oppose particular bills. They also released calendars showing meetings with lobbyists for dentists, hospitals, teachers, the aerospace industry and others. The schedule for House Minority Leader Mark Pafford even included his morning exercise time and his flight itinerary for a trip to Washington, D.C.

"This is the people's government. If somebody finds out I'm doing a workout or having a doctor's appointment at a certain time, that's OK," said Pafford, a Democrat from West Palm Beach.

In Alaska, three of the top four lawmakers declined the AP's request, explaining that their records can be kept confidential under the state constitution and "the deliberative process privilege." But Senate President Kevin Meyer, a Republican from Anchorage, provided his calendar and let an AP reporter look at his email inbox as an aide scrolled through it.

Open-records advocates said such case-by-case allowances ultimately leave it to the whims of whoever is in power to decide what the public can see.

"The problem with that is that's just an act of legislative mercy," said Davis, of the University of Georgia, "and tomorrow they might have an absolutely identical document that they decide not to give you, because you have no legal right to it."

In Wisconsin

Wisconsin's open records law allows requesters to obtain copies of records maintained by government authorities. The reason for the request is irrelevant, and records are presumed to be open to inspection and copy. However, government officials don't have to provide information if a record doesn't exist and don't have to create records to fulfill requests. All of Wisconsin's top lawmakers released copies of their emails in response to the AP's request. Most also released their daily calendars. But Republican Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald said his office deletes the calendar daily and that the Legislature isn't subject to retention clauses in open-records laws.
Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson (left) talks with Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee chairman (right), and Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) on Capitol Hill in Washington last week. Credit: Associated Press

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For U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson, border security has emerged as one of his signature issues.

In the past year, the chairman of the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs has held more than a dozen hearings, traveled to Central America and issued a report on U.S. border security.

It's uncertain how Republican Johnson's focus on the border will affect his re-election race against Democratic challenger Russ Feingold. And it's not at all clear that Johnson is even weighing how it all plays politically.

"My approach to the campaign is to continue to do my job," he said in a recent interview. "I look at our unsecured border as a problem as it relates to illegal immigration. I want to solve that problem."

Johnson has said he does not favor Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump's proposal to "build a great wall" along the U.S.-Mexico border. Instead, he said he is coming to the issue as a problem-solver, gathering information and metrics as he tries to "lay out the reality" of border security.

Johnson is critical of President Barack Obama's administration, which he claimed has taken an all-or-nothing approach to immigration reform. Instead, Johnson favors a "step by step approach" to solving the issue that begins with improved border security.

He said the Obama administration has encouraged its Democratic allies in the U.S. Senate "not to do anything on immigration reform, which includes border security, unless it's comprehensive. Of course, by comprehensive, they mean a path to citizenship."

Johnson said, "Politically, I don't think the American people will support comprehensive reform until they see the government on a bipartisan fashion, finally serious about and committed to dramatically increasing border security."

By comparison, Feingold is a backer of comprehensive immigration reform.

"Russ Feingold has long supported ... a plan which supports the needs of Wisconsin businesses, secures the border and recognizes the humanity of the undocumented Wisconsinites who contribute to our communities every day," Feingold spokesman Michael Tyler said.

He said Johnson has "joined Donald Trump and Republican leaders in Washington who want to rip families apart and leave the problem to others to solve instead."

Johnson, trained as an accountant, said he has been working with Jeh Johnson, secretary of Homeland Security, and others to fashion a "pretty simple border metrics bill," to provide an objective way to measure border security.

A major root cause of the border problem, the senator said, is America's "insatiable demand for drugs" that fuels drug cartels operating south of the border.

He also claimed there are "incentives" for illegal immigration, the biggest being the ability to get jobs in the United States. He said "we ought to turn that into a legal process. You'd have to do that with a guest worker program" with input from the states that would include "different prevailing wages based on the industries so we don't depress America wages."

During a hearing last week, Johnson highlighted what he called "the crisis of unaccompanied children coming in from Central America." He said the problem is growing worse than in 2014, when there was a surge in unaccompanied minors crossing the U.S.-Mexico border.

"I think everyone is burying their head in the sand on that one," he said.
It was a close election year in 2002. A late barrage of commercials may have made the difference for the party that won the Governor's office and control of the legislature.

Within months, the donors who gave at least $725,000 used to buy air time for those commercials were rewarded with a state contract so generous it was eventually ruled unconstitutional.

It was another highly competitive time during the recall elections of 2011 and 2012. Again, a big donor came through with $700,000 in campaign advertising money used to help a party keep control of the Governor's office and legislature.

Within months, state laws were rewritten to ease environmental regulations for the donor's industry.

Should citizens in a democracy know about such donations? How else can voters determine whether their elected representatives are working for them or for a much smaller group of powerful interests who might even live in another state or country?

This donor information is becoming increasingly difficult to find at the same time that more money than ever is flowing into state elections.

When the U.S. Supreme Court determined that buying political commercials is a form of First Amendment protected speech, it effectively erased a century of campaign finance limits. In many states those limits were passed during an economic era similar to our own in that decades of technological innovation had concentrated enormous wealth in the hands of a privileged few. For some early 20th Century oil, railroad, mining, timber and communications barons, it wasn't enough to own businesses that employed hundreds of thousands  they wanted to own the government, too. Politicians like Theodore Roosevelt and Bob LaFollette, supported by the average citizens they represented, worked to cap their influence.

I'm not criticizing the Supreme Court's "Citizens United" decision to protect advocacy spending as free speech. If a billionaire runs for governor, and has virtually unlimited personal resources to spend on campaign commercials, why shouldn't groups of less wealthy people have the freedom to pool their resources in opposition? I get that.

The problem right now is that the old restrictions on donor influence haven't yet been replaced, at the federal or state level, with new rules to limit the power of the few over the many.

One simple solution could help, and Sunshine Week is a good time to start the conversation: Let the voters know who is financing political campaigns by requiring full and immediate disclosure of major contributors to the campaigns, parties and groups buying political ads before an election.

That will let citizens see if tribes are spending $725,000 in a last minute push to back Democrats, as in 2002. Which, in turn, may make it harder for those Democrats to negotiate eternal casino compacts in private, removing the voters' ability to ever renegotiate them.

That will let voters see if a mining company is spending $700,000 to elect Republicans, as in 2011 and 2012. Which, in turn, may make it harder for those Republicans to quickly ease environmental regulations for mines in Wisconsin without an open debate.

We learned of the mining donations by accident when a U.S. Appeals Court mistakenly unsealed them in the controversial John Doe II investigation of possible illegal coordination between private groups and political campaigns. Those limits on coordination no longer exist. That doesn't mean the donors should remain secret.

We learned of the tribes' donations when our reporters checked the financial reports politicians and parties must file twice a year -- meaning months after the election. Today, thanks to modern technology, major donors to all political actors buying pre-election advertising could be reported immediately if required to.

Why should any honest politician of either party oppose immediate full disclosure of who is paying for political advertising?

Big donors won't like it, claiming fear of criticism might inhibit their willingness to speak with money. But really they just don't want to lose power by negotiating in the light of day, where support for law changes and business proposals must be won through public forums and bidding processes.

It's harder and messier. But that's real democracy.

George Stanley is the editor of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. He can be reached via email at gstanley@journalsentinel.com and followed on Twitter @geostanley.
Vice President Dick Cheney and his wife, Lynne Cheney, are seen in a 2004 file photo on a trip to Tokyo. Credit: Getty Images

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By of the

Madison  In a sign of divisions in Wisconsin's judiciary, judges were sharply split over having Lynne Cheney speak at a November conference  with some saying her speech was a sign politics had infected the courts and others saying her historical insight was welcome.

Judges who filled out evaluation forms were nearly equally split on what they made of the presentation by Cheney, the wife of former Vice President Dick Cheney and the author of the 2014 book "James Madison: A Life Reconsidered."

Some judges also raised concerns about how Cheney was selected as a speaker because she wasn't chosen by two committees of judges that normally decide on the agenda for the annual Judicial Conference.

State Supreme Court Justice David Prosser was key in getting Cheney to speak at the conference.

He said he hadn't been involved in conference arrangements previously and worked on getting Cheney here with Chief Justice Patience Roggensack and Karla Baumgartner, the director of the Office of Judicial Education. He wasn't aware speakers normally were approved by the two committees, he said.

"If I didn't go with perfect protocol, it's maybe because I didn't know what perfect protocol was," he said.

The state court system paid about $3,000 to have Cheney speak at the conference on Nov. 12 at the Marriott Madison West in Middleton. That covered a $500 speaking fee and her travel costs.

Her appearance sparked some strong reactions.

"I find (Cheney's speech) another piece of evidence that politics over principle is on the rise in the Supreme Court. It saddens me deeply. We got a book report  not a bad one, but relevant it was not based on the establishment of federal courts or any legal/judicial subject," one judge wrote.

But another weighed in with this comment: "Lynne Cheney lecture was wonderful. It's important for us to be in touch with history."

The critics complained about having someone speak at the conference who had political ties, but they did not say the talk she gave on Madison's presidency was itself political.

The Supreme Court is controlled 5-2 by conservatives, and the justices in recent years have jousted with one another, at times in very personal terms.

Prosser, a former Republican speaker of the state Assembly, said he wanted Cheney at the event because he was so impressed with her book, not because of her political background. He said he would welcome having a Democrat at a future conference, provided his or her focus was on scholarship and not politics.

"It seemed to me there's no question what the purpose was," he said of Cheney's speech. "It wasn't supposed to be politics and I don't believe anything political was said.

"I think the test is not whether they're a political figure. It's whether they have something to say to larger audience."

The judges filled out the evaluation forms anonymously. Thirty-five offered negative reviews, 31 offered positive reviews and 10 offered mixed reviews, a review by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel found.

The director of state courts, J. Denis Moran, provided the evaluation forms recently in response to a request the Journal Sentinel made in December under the state's open records law.
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.
Anissa Weier (left) and Morgan Geyser (right) as they appeared last September. As the Slender Man case languishes in court, a new documentary film about the case is set to debut. Credit: Journal Sentinel files

By of the

One of the two girls charged in the 2014 Slender Man stabbing case has been getting psychiatric treatment at a state mental hospital after a judge committed her there in mid-January.

The revelation comes nearly two years after the crime drew international attention to Waukesha, and just as an HBO documentary film premieres about the case and its troubling questions about the Internet's impact on modern child development.

Morgan Geyser, 13, had been diagnosed with rare, early onset schizophrenia during a court-ordered competency evaluation in 2014. But a confluence of factors left her untreated for 19 months in a West Bend juvenile jail, where she continued to have conversations with Slender Man and other imaginary characters.

"She's made substantial progress," said her attorney, Anthony Cotton. "The voices are disappearing," in response to medication.

"More recently, Morgan began expressing remorse; she's starting to feel regular and normal emotions now," he said.

Last month, for the first time since her arrest and incarceration, Morgan told her mother she misses her, Cotton said.

"It's amazing how quickly schizophrenics respond to the medication," he said.

Cotton said he plans to again ask that Geyser's $500,000 bail be reduced to a signature bond so she can live at home and continue getting treatment while awaiting trial.

That decision would come from the judge hearing the criminal case, not the different judge who signed off on Geyser's civil commitment for treatment.

Her improved mental condition now would not preclude an insanity defense if the case does go to trial in adult court, possibly this summer.

Geyser and Anissa Weier were 11 and 12 when they plotted the death of a friend and classmate to impress Slender Man, a fictional Internet character.

Both were charged as adults in June 2014 with attempted first-degree intentional homicide, but their case has dragged on nearly two years. Each girl underwent psychological evaluation to determine if they were competent to face prosecution.

Then defense attorneys tried to have the case transferred to juvenile court. Waukesha County Circuit Judge Michael Bohren's August decision to keep the girls in adult court is on appeal.

Even the appeal has taken extra long. The defense filed briefs before Christmas, but the state Department of Justice requested three extensions of its deadline, and only filed a response in late February.

The final defense briefs are due Monday, and the Court of Appeals could finally begin reviewing the case this month. Weier remains held at the West Bend facility.

Documentary premiere

The sensational case may get another boost of national attention before the decision. "Beware the Slenderman," an HBO documentary film, premiered Friday night at South by Southwest, a music, film and interactive festival in Austin, Texas.

Unlike "Making a Murderer," the Netflix series about another infamous Wisconsin crime, "Beware the Slenderman" won't be immediately viewable by millions of people.

The 114-minute film uses TV news clips, court testimony, and dozens of interviews and Internet images and video to examine both the crime and broader implications of children becoming so easily drawn into beliefs easily fostered, spread and intensified through the Internet.

Both girls' parents gave extensive access to filmmaker Irene Taylor Brodsky, and a good part of the film deals with the parents' efforts to cope with the tragedy.

William Weier, Anissa's father, will join Brodsky and a psychologist who studies children's perceptions of reality for a question and answer session after a Sunday screening at the SXSW festival.

Brodsky said she was astonished at the parents' honesty and called them brave to be part of the film, which she showed each family separately. She said it was emotional because the parents saw their girls have now become their own Internet memes.

"I know that's very hard on their family," Brodsky said. "It was the hardest part of showing the film to them. I didn't know if they had seen all that."

"These girls are hauntingly real to me, and should be to everyone,'' Brodsky said in an interview from her home in Portland, Ore., before going to Austin.

An HBO spokesman said the film would eventually air on the subscriber-only network. Brodsky said it may also be shown at other film festivals and at some theaters.

"We know it's hit close to home in Waukesha. We'll make it a priority to make it available around there," she said, but cautioned, "Everything needs to align."

A good part of the film features interviews from experts on folklore, and child behavior, and the speed and potential influence of Internet memes, like planking or the ice bucket challenge.

But perhaps the most haunting segments are outtakes from the girls' initial police interrogations. They had been arrested near Interstate 94 about six hours after a passing bicyclist found Payton Leutner bleeding on the edge of the woods where she had been stabbed 19 times.

Geyser matter-of -factly asks if Payton died. The detective says he's not sure. "I was just wondering," Geyser says.

Weier is much more emotional, but appears, as she speaks to a detective, to already be changing her own belief in Slender Man and the threat he posed to an understanding that she may have been badly mistaken.

"I just know what the Internet has told me," Weier replies to one question about Slender Man.

Brodsky said she sought the Leutners' perspective, but the family did not want to participate. Since the crime, they have given one interview, to ABC's 20/20 which featured the case in September 2014, after Payton returned to school.

Victim still improving

Stephen Lyons, a Madison lobbyist who has been a spokesman for the Leutner family, said they have been focused only on making Payton better, and having cameras in their home didn't meet that goal.

Further, he said, he got the sense Brodsky's project might portray Geyser and Weier as victims.

"One little girl is a victim  she was stabbed 19 times," Lyons said.

A court order has prohibited any contact between the Leutners and the Geysers and Weiers. Asked how the Leutners feel about whether the case should remain in adult court, he said only that, "We fully support the actions of the DA."

He said Payton, now in eighth grade at the same middle school, has completely recovered from her physical injuries, but still faces an open-ended emotional recovery.

Supporters have contributed about $200,000 for Payton's ongoing care.

Mostly, he said, she's doing very well, including at school where everyone has been very supportive.

"But part of the healing is she wants to get beyond being the victim in the Slender Man case," he said. "Now it's on to the next step."
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By Silvia Boarini | (Inter Press Service) |  

GAZA, Palestine, (IPS)  In the safety of his sisters bare flat in Beit Hanoun, Gaza, 42 year-old Iyad Yusef still shakes his head in disbelief when he recounts the journey that from war-torn Syria, brought him and his family to the relative safety of the blockaded strip.

It was the year 2012 and by December, close to half a million Syrians had fled the country. But for stateless Palestinian refugees who had lived in Syria since the 1948 war with Israel, leaving was becoming harder every day.

Palestinian refugees from Syria Iyad Yusef, his wife Ibtisam and their youngest son Noor, sit in a relatives home in Beit Hanoun, Gaza. Credit: Silvia Boarini/IPS

By April 2012, as disclosed by Human Rights Watch, Jordan was detaining Palestinian refugees from Syria in a facility on the border. Egypt was enforcing a transit only policy. Lebanon was beginning to tighten measures that resulted in a full ban on Palestinians in 2015 and in some cases in forced deportations back to Syria.

And in Turkey, where the UN Relief and Work Agency (UNRWA) set up in 1948 for Palestine Refugees in the Near East has no operations, Palestinians were reportedly excluded from UN High Commissioner for Refugees services, despite an article in the 1951 Convention on Refugees guaranteeing their protection in special cases.

As the Palestinian policy network Al Shabaka stresses, since 1948 Arab and neighbouring states have explained their unwillingness to absorb Palestinians as a way to protect their right of return and not absolve Israel of its duties. This status quo though, the think-tank concludes, has resulted in heavily discriminatory policies which have left stateless Palestinians in legal limbo.

The dream of return

It was through the grapevine that Yusef heard of families successfully returning to Gaza, in occupied Palestine. He began planning the journey for his wife, three children, his mother and for his sisters family. Theirs, he recalls thinking, would not be just a journey to safety but one of return.

They left at different times but the trip was the same for all. First, a flight to Cairo, then by bus across the Sinai to Rafah and on foot through the tunnels to Gaza. Since 2012, some 400 Palestinian families, roughly 1,800 individuals, escaping Syria have made this same journey.

Walking underground in that tunnel, felt like being trapped in my own grave, Yusef told IPS. He smiles when he admits that he hoped the people of Gaza would be waiting at the other end to welcome them as returnees.

But as he climbed above ground and his eyes finally caught a glimpse of the night gracing his homeland  that idealised land called Palestine which had filled his dreams and which in its absence had so sharply defined his identity  he realised they were alone.

Alone and invisible in Gaza

From that day on, Yusef describes living in Gaza as an uphill struggle. There is no long-term plan for dealing with us, no one can offer regular help, he told IPS. Syria used to be the place where Palestinian refugees enjoyed the highest standard of living, I was a civil servant and now I have to borrow money to pay the rent.

Although Yusefs family survived unscathed the 2014 Israeli bombardment of the Strip, things took a turn for the worse last January when due untreated high blood pressure Yusef lost his sight. The doctors told me they cant do anything. Maybe abroad, they said, I can get treated and regain some sight but not here.

This is a common refrain in Gaza, where the people pay the consequences of the ongoing Israeli blockade and of the internal rifts between the Palestinian Authority (PA) and the de-facto Hamas government. But for Yusef, abroad is further away than it already is for most Gazans.

Palestinians from Syria, who entered illegally and have not been registered by Israel, which still controls the population registry, cannot even apply for exit papers since they effectively do not exist. The only document they can be issued by the local authorities is an ID card without a number.

Shortcomings of humanitarian aid

Yusefs wife Ibtisam is also suffering from psychosomatic pain to her arm due to stress and his mothers asthma is worsening. Everyone tells us to go to the NGOs to ask for help, he sighed. Before coming here, I didnt even know what an NGO was. The government and UNRWA were assisting us in Syria.

There is some help for the children through UNRWA, he added, at least they are enrolled in school but for us adults, there is practically nothing.

Only few NGOs are offering some informal assistance but budgets are usually tied to specific projects and specific categories of beneficiaries. Amongst NGOs, the assumption is also that UNRWA is looking after them.

But the agency is facing problems of its own. We are in the midst of the worst financial crisis in our history, Chris Gunness, UNRWA spokesperson told IPS, urging donors to dig into their pockets because it is seven times cheaper to deal with refugees here in the Levant than it is in Europe or the West.

Gunness accepts that people might be angry at UNRWA as it struggles to deliver essential services but reminds critics that there are many actors involved in Gaza. This is also a question for the Israelis, he continued. People are in a terrible situation in Gaza because they are blockaded.

In the vacuum left by the lack of a political solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and with only a faulty humanitarian system to help them, refugees are losing hope.

Organising to demand protection

Although there are a number of success stories of Palestinian refugees from Syria who have opened businesses and rebuilt their lives in Gaza, for the majority, things have been far from the idyllic dream of return.

To make their voices heard, a group of Palestinians from Syria established the association Hakki. Omar Ouda, Hakkis spokesperson, arrived in Gaza in 2012. Even when we were few, it took us such a long time to get any help at all, he told IPS.

We set up a picket in front of the Ministry for Social Affairs to make them realise we are here and that we need a long-term solution. Despite regular demonstrations, not much assistance has materialised. Even getting the association registered was a problem given their lack of regular papers.

In time, UNRWA channelled some funds to help some families pay the rent, then some temporary job opportunities came up but none of this help, complains Ouda, has been regular. We are still mostly looking out for ourselves, he concluded.

This has led many to lose faith in the possibility of staying in Gaza at all, let alone return one day to their villages in Israel. We are lawyers, teachers and doctors looking for an opportunity to stay in Gaza, in Palestine, in our homeland, Atef Ammawi, a member of Hakki, told IPS.

We feel betrayed, the right of return is an empty promise. We are so few and still no one can help us? Those who can, he added, are getting the money together to leave illegally, hoping to reach Europe, Canada or the USA. Already 160 of the 400 families that have reached Gaza since 2012, have left.

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By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) |  

Five years ago this week, protests began in Damascus and Deraa (mainly Deraa) in Syria, on the heels of the overthrow of dictators in Tunisia and Egypt.

Syrias government was even more repressive than those of the other two countries, however, much more of a Stalinist state on the old Soviet model. That it was dominated at the top by members of the Shiite Alawite sect (some 10-14% of Syrias population) made it difficult for the regime to compromise, since it feared reprisals and marginalization if it did not maintain control.

A half-decade later, Syria is a basket case and its social statistics look like those of Afghanistan in the 1980s. Half of the 22 million Syrians are now homeless, and some 450,000 alleged to have been killed. That statistic, if true, whould suggest 1.5 million wounded. Most of the dead are young men, which is to say, young fathers, who left behind wives and orphaned children in an ever-married society where the father is central to the familys welfare. Large swathes of Syria are controlled by an al-Qaeda affiliate, the Support Front, which reports to 9/11 mastermind Ayman al-Zawahiri. Other large swathes are ruled by a so-called caliphate. No one could have imagined this fate for Syria in 2010.

There arent really any winners in this war, which have crippled a major nation. But if we put on our objective analysts hats, who are the relative winners and losers?

As we speak, Iran is a winner in this conflict They did not want to see one of their few Arab allies overthrown. Their intervention has kept the Damascus government in place and preserved their land bridge through Iraq for supplies to Lebanons Hizbullah.

Turkey is a loser. President Tayyip Erdogan had tried to cultivate Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad before 2011, on the basis of the doctrine of no troubles with neighbors. Once the civil war broke out, Turkey strongly allied with the rebels. But Turkish aid has not so far produced a victory. Now, the radicalism winked at by Turkey among the rebels is blowing back on that country. Bombings by Syria-related groups have deeply damaged Turkish tourism in the past 8 months.

Russia is a winner. It only came into the war in a big way in October of last year. But so far at least, Moscow is having its way. Russia has helped the regime survive, and has asserted Syria as a Russian sphere of influence. After the sanctions and isolation produced by Putins intervention in Ukraine, by 2015 Russia was privately getting kudos from Western powers like France, which feared Daesh more than it did a Russian sphere of influence in Syria.

The people of Homs and Aleppo are losers, having seen much of their cities destroyed by fighting between rebels (some of them radical) and the regime.

The Kurds of the northeast are winners. The YPG or peoples protection units has emerged as a Pentagon favorite because it is among the best fighting forces willing to take on the al-Assad government. Whereas Kurds were stripped of citizenship in 1963 by Arab nationalists, now everyone wants them on their side.

The people of Raqqa and Deir al-Zor provinces are losers, since they ended up under the brutal rule of the Daesh (ISIS, ISIL) gang.

Damascus is a relative winner, since the city itself never went to civil war, though outlying neighborhoods did. Some 5 million people now live in the capital or its vicinity.

The people of Idlib in the northwest are losers, since they came under hard line Salafi rule, and some of them are under al-Qaeda. Some of the villages ruled by al-Qaeda are Druze, whom Daesh considers heretics, and whom it has mistreated.

The Alawites of Latakia are winners, since their province so far has not fallen to the Sunni guerrillas.

The US Pentagon is a loser, since its program to train moderate Free Syrian Army elements crashed and burned.

But, as I said, there really are no winners in this horrible conflict. In some ways the bigget losers were the UN and the European Union, both of which demonstrated that this sort of humanitarian and security crisis is beyond their ability or perhaps interest to resolve.



Related video:

BBC News: Syria: 5 year milestone since protests lead to civil war  BBC News
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By Chris Toensing | ( Otherwords.org) |  

Washington wants to loosen aid restrictions even as security forces crack down on innocent Egyptians.

Ever since the Black Lives Matter movement exploded into the headlines, violence by American police officers has come under fire from activists and ordinary citizens alike. Less discussed, however, is how the U.S. government winks at the police brutality of its client states abroad.

The military government in Egypt, for example, is cracking down hard on its restive citizenry  harder than any time in memory. And the United States, which sends the country over a $1 billion a year in security aid, is looking the other way.

The cops on the beat in Egyptian cities are a menace. They demand bribes from motorists on any pretense and mete out lethal violence on a whim.

On February 18, a Cairo policeman shot 24-year-old Muhammad Sayed in the head because the youth asked him for a few extra dollars to do the cop a favor. The policeman is facing murder charges. But, as in the United States, its common for Egyptian courts to acquit officers or send them away with a slap on the wrist.

Beatings and other abuses are rampant at the countrys police stations.

Last month, according to the heroic El-Nadeem Center for the Rehabilitation of Victims of Violence, a Cairo-based group, there were eight deaths in police custody  and almost 80 cases of torture. The group estimates that nearly 500 Egyptians died in police custody last year, and over 600 were tortured.

Even worse are the plainclothes agents of the Interior Ministry, who operate with near total impunity against perceived political dissidents. When these secret police take people away, Egyptians say theyve gone behind the sun. No one knows where the detainees are, and anyone who looks for them too long will go blind.

Those Interior Ministry goons are the leading suspects in the torture and murder of Giulio Regeni. The Italian graduate student was found dead on a desert roadside, his body bearing cigarette burns and other signs of repeated torture, in early February. Hed been missing for 10 days.

Because he was from Europe, Regenis case got a lot of media attention. But its grimly ordinary for Egyptians to disappear and die under similar circumstances.

Egyptians dont take these outrages lying down. Students at the American University in Cairo, where Regeni was a visiting scholar, hung banners in protest. Thousands more surrounded a police station to demand justice for Muhammad Sayed.

Most famously, five years ago young protesters chose January 25  designated by the government as Police Day  to start the enormous popular uprising that forced the octogenarian dictator Hosni Mubarak to step down. For a time after the 2011 revolt, the hated police disappeared from the streets, and neighborhood watches sprang up in towns and villages across Egypt.

But as the authoritarian state reasserted itself, so did the most appalling tactics of repression. Police torture, in particular, has become more frequent and more severe. El-Nadeem Center director Aida Seif al-Dawla calls it a beast that took a break and came back in full force to take revenge.

This makes it pretty odd timing for the United States to remove all the remaining human rights conditions on the $1.3 billion aid package it sends annually to its cherished ally on the Nile. But thats exactly what the Obama administration is asking Congress to do.

Secretary of State John Kerry says human rights concerns in Egypt are outweighed by Washingtons huge interests there  among them a counterterrorism partnership, a strong state in a region roiled by civil war, the Suez Canal, and Egypts peace treaty with Israel.

These are the same arguments for stability that U.S. administrations of both parties have made for decades. The Egyptian regime gets the message, and so do the Egyptian people: Washington doesnt care, ultimately, if the police state is unleashed.

The United States is in no position to lecture other countries about police brutality. But the Obama administrations stance toward Egypt effectively condones it.

Chris Toensing is editor of Middle East Report, published by the Middle East Research and Information Project in Washington, DC.

Via Otherwords.org)

-

Related video added by Juan Cole:

France24: Egyptians furious over deadly police brutality
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Every fall, medical schools welcome nearly 20,000 college graduates. They arrive anticipating endless hours of lectures, too much coffee, and infinite facts to memorize. There is one thing they do not expect, however. I know. Forty-nine years ago, I was one of them.

The first day I walked onto the wards was in spring of 1967. I was in St. Louis, doing my second year of medical school. Previously my presence in the hospital had been restricted to the cafeteria. I was twenty-three, had only examined the eyes and ears of my classmates  never a patient  and was about to perform an unsupervised cardiac exam.

Anxiously, I waited with an instructor and three classmates outside the room of our assigned patient. We had just finished eight weeks of lectures on how to perform a physical exam, with two weeks devoted exclusively to the examination of the heart.

Theyve already told us this patient has a heart murmur, I reminded myself. How difficult can this examination be?

When it was my turn, I knocked timidly.

Ready, a female voice answered.

Easing the door open, I found myself alone in a room with a woman about my age, sitting on the hospital bed. Trying to make eye contact, I couldnt avoid noticing her breasts, outlined by her loosely fitting gown. Suddenly, unforeseen and unwanted sexual feelings engulfed me.

Then it registered. Wed been shown illustrations of male bodies only. Obvious differences between male and female anatomy had not been addressed. There was no mention of the need to reposition the breast to be able to feel the hearts impulse, tap out its borders and hear its sounds. Nothing had been said about how to ask a stranger to disrobe. Two months of lectures about the techniques of the physical exam had not included a single word about the emotions that performing the exam might arouse. She may have been ready, but I wasnt.

Attempting to regain my composure, I stared out of the window while searching for my stethoscope in the short white doctors jacket I was wearing for the first time. It was in the right pocket, just where Id put it earlier.

Beads of sweat broke out across my forehead as I positioned its earpieces in my ears, took a deep breath and heard myself say, Would you please lower your gown?

Without hesitation, she did. Leaning over, separated from her by the length of my stethoscope, I put one hand on her left breast and held it aside. With my other hand, I rested my stethoscope on her bare chest and began to listen. She was silent. I was speechless. In three minutes, it was over.

Thank you, I said and walked out.

After wed completed our exams, the instructor asked each of us to describe what wed heard.

I had no recollection of what Id done only minutes before.

Aortic stenosis, I guessed.

No, the instructor replied, much to my humiliation.

The only member of our small group to correctly locate and identify the murmur was our female classmate. Shed found it under the patients breast.

Realizing that my unexpected sexual feelings had blocked any memory of my first cardiac exam, I felt mortified. Had my two male classmates experienced the same thing? If I asked them, theyd certainly know what my experience had been. So I didnt  and for forty-nine years I never spoke to anyone of that day.

Medical practice necessitates touching and observing patients. In this context, its only human that sexual feelings occur. Studies of medical students and physicians have consistently shown that these emotions can influence their behavior. One report demonstrated that male physicians, more than their female peers, examine incompletely, or omit altogether, the areas of the heart that lie under the breast  thereby possibly missing clues to illness. Another concluded that male and female students alike experience emotional discomfort while performing intimate exams on opposite-gender patients. This may explain the lower rates of cervical cancer screening performed by male physicians and of prostate cancer screening performed by female physicians.

Although much in medical education has changed since I was a second-year student, today only a few medical schools make room in their curriculum to address these powerful, unwelcome but inevitable feelings. For the most part, the topic remains taboo. Medical students are still not forewarned of this potential for unexpected titillation. Theyre left on their own to find personal strategies to isolate their discomforta long and lonely journey, undertaken in silence and burdened by guilt and shame.

It seems that medical schools are quick to emphasize treating the whole patient but slow to educate the whole student.

Ralph Freidin is an internal medicine physician. This piece was originally published in Pulse  voices from the heart of medicine.

Image credit: Shutterstock.com
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There was a tragedy in France recently: Innocent French citizens were taken down by a profession whose mission is to heal and comfort. A medical clinical trial careened off the rails and crashed. Were these volunteer study patients properly informed? Are medical study patients here in the U.S. truly making a free choice?

From time to time, friends, patients, and relatives ask my advice if they should participate in a medical experiment. While I am a doctor, I usually say no. And, once I explain to them the realities of medical research, they usually say no also.

While my colleagues may chastise me for not encouraging my patients to join clinical trials, my primary obligation is to advocate for the patient before me, not for society. If physicians contemplate changing this ethical construct to consider the greater good when we advise patients, then we need to engage the public in a serious conversation on this issue.

When an individual joins a research project, the medical study is not designed to benefit the individual patient. This point is sorely misunderstood by patients and their families who understandably will pursue any opportunity to help an ailing relative. I get this. I wonder, however, how many of them would sign up if they knew that they would be unlikely to personally benefit.

There are three powerful conspiring forces that may exert undue influence on prospective study patients:

Medical research needs a steady diet of new study recruits. In other words, the beast must be fed.

Medical investigators often have biases favoring their research and truly believe that the new drug or treatment has a real chance of helping study patients. Phrasing such as preliminary results are quite promising may be well intentioned, but may be beyond the facts.

Patients, particularly those who are not responding to conventional treatment, are vulnerable.

Heres the truth. Medical research projects and clinical trials are designed to generate new knowledge that will be used to help patients down the road, not those in the study. Of course, I cannot assert that a study patient wont realize a favorable result, but this serendipitous outcome is not the studys planned yield.

Beware of the packaging. If your mom or dad has Alzheimers disease, of course, you would be susceptible to the following pitch.

Is someone you love struggling against Alzheimers disease? Our Neurological Institute has been fighting hard against Alzheimers disease and is now testing a new drug to help conserve memory. Call for confidential information. Doesnt this wording suggest direct benefit toward volunteers? Are study participants, in fact, facing risks without benefit?

I strongly support medical research which is our source of future cures and treatments. The medicines and treatments that we use today are the result of years of research done years ago. We need to generously fund our respected research institutions. But, we must ensure that the research community adheres to the highest ethical standards, and that any breaches are exposed and remedied. Theres a reason that the term informed consent contains the word informed. Uninformed or misinformed consent cant be tolerated.

In France, 90 volunteers were in a study testing the safety of a psychiatric medication. One is dead, and others have suffered irreversible brain damage. While a horrible outcome is not tantamount to guilt, this is a deeply disturbing event that must be investigated. We will find out soon enough if the French study subjects were given all the information they were entitled to, and if investigators and others behaved properly. Even if no lapses are discovered, it will underscore that experimental treatment has unknown risks, which may be devastating. In other words, investigators may be unaware of the full extent of a studys risks. Hence, patients arent fully aware either.

If you want to join a medical study to serve humanity  and not yourself  then you are free to make this informed choice, and I applaud your decision. Helping others is a praiseworthy act. So is telling the truth.

Michael Kirsch is a gastroenterologist who blogs at MD Whistleblower.

Image credit: Shutterstock.com
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It comes as no shock to me, and probably many other current and former program directors, that a recent study showed faculty overall performance evaluations of residents do not correlate with their scores on the yearly American Board of Surgery in Training Examination.

According to the JAMA Surgery paper, faculty evaluations encompassed technical skill and the six core competencies  medical knowledge, patient care, interpersonal and communication skills, professionalism, practice-based learning and improvement, and system-based practice.

The paper analyzed data for 150 residents at different levels of training over four years and also found that even faculty evaluations of the category medical knowledge couldnt predict who would get a good or a bad score on the test.

Its great to know that at the authors institution, the average annual evaluation scores ranged from just over 75 to 100 with means and medians both slightly above 92  like Garrison Keillors mythical Lake Wobegon, where all the women are strong, all the men are good-looking, and all the children are above average.

Medical knowledge can be measured, but the other parameters are so subjective that they border on meaningless. They remind me of the infamous smiley face numerical pain scale that means different things to different patients.

Some examples. Earlier this year, I wrote about the difficulty defining professionalism. Using a numerical scale, how can you rate one resident as more professional than another?

And I always had trouble ranking one resident over another in system-based practice. It might be better to rate system-based practice on a binary scale; that is, can a resident define the term or not?

Big business is having trouble evaluating employees too. The evaluation process at General Electric was examined by Quartz. At GE, the annual review is not effective for managing people or improving performance. It leads to a tendency  to focus excessively on process over outcomes and is an exercise in paperwork and bureaucracy instead of an agent of change.

Note that the JAMA Surgery study accumulated 1,131 evaluations. Even if that was only virtual paperwork, its much work for little value, but at least, there was a lot of data to show a site visitor from the residency review committee.

A New Yorker article noted that consulting firm Deloittes evaluation process involves consensus meetings ending with managers marking on a 5-point scale how strongly they agree with two statements: Given what I know of this persons performance, and if it were my money, I would award this person the highest possible compensation increase and bonus, and Given what I know of this persons performance, I would always want him or her on my team. And they must answer yes or no to two more: This person is at risk for low performance, and This person is ready for promotion today.

Maybe we should adopt a modification of Deloittes system for our resident evaluations. Faculty must respond yes or no to this statement: I would let this resident operate on me. If the answer is no, why should we let that resident operate on anyone?

Skeptical Scalpel is a surgeon blogs at his self-titled site, Skeptical Scalpel. This article originally appeared in Physicians Weekly.

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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...

18 hours ago
This week I am going to look at instances of Dollard or Dullard which crop up in Kilkenny Families in the Great War. There are only about a half-a-dozen entries but to one particular family there is a story. A Kilkenny city man, going about his daily business happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time when he emerged from the Friary Church having said a quick prayer before going in search of his breakfast. He was an employee of Kilkenny Corporation and never made it back to his work place.

This week I am going to look at instances of Dollard or Dullard which crop up in Kilkenny Families in the Great War. There are only about a half-a-dozen entries but to one particular family there is a story. A Kilkenny city man, going about his daily business happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time when he emerged from the Friary Church having said a quick prayer before going in search of his breakfast. He was an employee of Kilkenny Corporation and never made it back to his work place.

Dollard or Dullard is a surname I associate with the area around Listerlin & Tullogher which are in the parish of Rosbercon, which is very near where I grew up in the parish of Inistioge. Our next door neighbour Jack, biked it to mass in Listerlin/Mullinaharrigle Chapel every Sunday and every Holy Day, a journey of three difficult miles each way, while his wife travelled with us to Inistioge, which as well as being an easier journey had the added advantage for her, that she could catch up on family news, with her sister-in-law, who happened to be the Inistioge chapel woman, a post she held for many years. Often we sat in the car while the two women chatted andthen shopped and quite often my father, getting impatient, would mutter that neither of them would give last to the Almighty. But our neighbour, Bridget, knew her man and knew too that a packet or two of cigarettes kept to hand in her house (even though she never smoked herself) ensured silence but this was only a cover for their respective roles as good neighbours. Inevitably during the following week he would run-out & as Inistioge was too far, one of us would be sent down to Bridgets for a supply. In the thirty years they knew each other, she never ran out! Anyway, Bridget knew most of the Listerlin/Mullinaharrigle families including Dollards, who I think are still in the area. Now to the Dullards/Dollards.

The first chap we have is James F. Dollard about whom we know very little. He was from Kilkenny, as he gave it as his place of residence, when he enlisted into the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers (serial no. 8/26036). We picked him up twice in the local newspaper  The Kilkenny Moderator - and once in the Irish Times, when he was wounded in action about 20th of May 1915 and again in July 1917. Thats the last we see of him and as far as we know he survived the war. He may not have returned to live in Kilkenny.

The next man is Edward (Ned) William Dullard of Walkin St where he was born 8 June 1886 to a William Dullard, a carpenter, and his wife Margaret Thornton. By the time Ned enlisted he had moved to Rutland (MASS, USA). He served on the western front and is recorded on an Honor Roll for Ward 7, Waltham (MASS). A local paper there reported that he was wounded in action in August 1918. He survived the war but not for long due to bad health. He died of TB which was rampant amongst veteran survivors but his death was also due to having been gassed during the War. He received treatment at the Veterans Hospital, 89th Street, Rutland (MASS) but he died at the home of his brother, Nicholas F. Dullard of Pearl St., Waltham and was buried on 7 February 1927 in Calvary Cemetary, Waltham, in an unmarked grave no. 4365-66. The pall-bearers at his funeral were from the American Legion Post no 156 of Waltham who were led by Lt-Col Arthur A. Hansen. He was a cousin of Nicholas Dullard who also served in the war but we will come to him a little later in the story.

Next we have James Dullard from St. Canices parish who was born c. 1887. Before the war he enlisted at Clonmel and served for over ten years before leaving the army. He lived in England for a while but had returned to Kilkenny and was living in Walkin St when he was mobilised for the 3Bn., Royal Irish Regiment (no 8293) and by 27 August 1914, he was in France. In January 1915 he was severely wounded in action and evacuated to Kilkenny to recover from his injuries. He had partially recovered when complications set in and he died in the Kilkenny Military Hospital on 26 February 1915 in or about his 28th year. He was buried in St. Johns Roman Catholic cemetery, in a grave about nine yards west of the east entrance, his remains having been brought there on a gun carriage, driven by six members of the 235th Battery, RFA, and escorted by a 100 men of the same force, under the command of Capt Mackesy and Lts Campbell & Adams.

His late father Edward Dullard had also served with the Colours and it is reported that he often enjoyed displaying his different medals and decorations, probably over a pint. The latter had it seems two brothers in the army, including Pte John Dullard who was in the 2/Battalion, Royal Irish Rifles (no 7815). He had arrived in France by 13 August 1914 and was taken prisoner by the Germans soon after and as a result spent much of the war in Limburg Camp, where he had arrived by February 1915. He survived the war and as a resident of Archer St., in October 1919 was registered to vote as an army/navy man. The Kilkenny People of 6 February 1915 reported on his presence at Limburg, where he no doubt came to know and appreciate Fr Thomas (James) Crotty, the Roman Catholic chaplain, who had been sent by the Pope to minister to all Catholics held there.

The next man is Pte Martin Dullard, husband of Bridget Walsh whom he had married at St. Patricks Church, 2 October 1911. Martin enlisted at Kilkenny on 23 December 1914 for the duration of the war when he gave his age as 22 years and 11 months ; he was 55 tall, had a chest size of a little over 33 and weighted about 112 lbs. He sailed from Southampton with his battalion 6/Royal Irish Regiment, on 17 December 1915 and was in France the same day. He survived until 9 September 1916 when he died of injuries received on the battlefield. His widow Bridget got the news in a letter dated 28th September. He left three young children after him: Patrick (b 10-9-1912) ; James (b27-7-1914) and a daughter Mary Catherine (b 2-9-1916) who never knew her father. The infant James died about the same time as his father. Martins will survives in the National Archives (147/293274 16/17).

Our last man is Nicholas Dullard, of Walkin St who enlisted into the 1 Bn of the Leinsters (serial no 6108). Nicholas enlisted at Kilkenny, a veteran of the Boer War ; he had served for over seven years. He was in France by 8 September 1914 and survived until 23 April 1915 when he was mortally wounded in action, while on watch duty in a front trench when an enemy attack was launched. His warmest of friends and platoon sergeant, J.Matthews - another Kilkenny man - with whom he had soldiered in different lands, had his wounds dressed and removed back to a temporary hospital behind the lines, where he lingered throughout the day, but succumbed to the bullet wound that had entered his right breast and exited through his right lung at 4.a.m. Sgt. J. Matthews wrote to Nicholass window to elaborate on his bravery and to return a photo Nicholas had had on him of her and their child. Nicholass last words to Sgt. Matthews were Oh my poor dear wife and child. He was buried by his comrades in a little graveyard some distance from the firing line, and on his cross was the simple but true inscription Killed in Action yet that grave, or at least the marker was subsequently destroyed for to-day Nicholas has no known grave, but he is commemorated on the Menin Gate Memorial at Ypres, Belgium, panel 44. He was only 35 (or 33) years old. His widow, Mary Dullard, nee Byrne, resided post-war at 2 Callan Road, Kilkenny. Nicholass will also survives in the National Archives (64/167833 15/16). The Kilkenny People of 8th May 1915 reported his death. This Nicholas was a cousin of the Edward (Ned) William Dullard, who had died in the USA of TB in 1925 & also of the latters brother, another Nicholas. The dead Nicholas, who was born c 1880 was possibly son of a Nicholas who was b 1859 at Inistioge who would seem to have been the youngest son of a Thomas Dullard (born about 1849) and his wife, Catherine, nee Murphy. This couple also had : William, b 1850 St. Patricks parish, Thomas, b 1854 Inistioge, Catherine, b 1855 Inistioge (who married in 1881 in St. Patricks, a William Shiels) and a Mary b 1857, probably in Inistioge.

Now we must move forward in time to the War of Independence but we are still in Kilkenny. At about 9.30 on Monday 21st February 1921 a party of between eight & ten soldiers of the Devonshire Regiment, including a boy soldier named Reginald Graham of about sixteen years, entered Friary St, on their way with a provisions cart from the Military Barracks to Kilkenny Jail, where a number of political prisoners were held. The provisions party was led by a lance-corporal and the men were in extended formation, two by two back to the rear guard, These two last solders were attacked by two men of the Kilkenny Brigade of the IRA, namely Captain Thomas Hennessy, a respected figure from the Threecastles area and Michael Dermody, a farmer and road-contractor. The attackers were after the guns of the soldiers and had nearly succeeded in getting them when a female passer-by alarmed by the scuffle cried out, thus alerting the lance-corporal, who instantly gave the orders to shoot. Six shots were fired all from the military side even though it was subsequently found that Hennessy and Dermody had loaded pistols in their pockets. Hennessy died instantly while Dermody lingered for a few days. Their names are commemorated in a mural monument on the wall of the building which is at right angles to the Friary Church.

A third man however died that morning, whose name went unrecorded on any memorial. This was Thomas Dullard, a Corporation employee, who had been at work since early morning in charge of a number of men at the Corporation sandpit which was off Wolf Tone St. As Dullard left the church he encountered the military and the IRA attackers. In the crossfire he attempted to escape via Alderman Slatterys poultry establishment but the soldiers thinking he was one of their attackers shot him after they had called Haltand he had failed to stop, believing that the order was not meant for him. Thomas Dullard suffered a head wound which had blown away part of his skull. He died almost immediately, the last rites having been administered by a Capuchin. The Military closed off the area while they searched for the companions of the two attackers. A number of bicycles were found but the search party failed to find any colleagues of the two dead Kilkenny Brigade men.

Next day, Tuesday , the body of Thomas Dullard was released from the Kilkenny Military Hospital and conveyed to St. Patricks Church. Captain Hennessys body was also released that same day. Very large crowds attended both funerals. The weekly meeting of Kilkenny Corporation which met that evening, adjourned after passing a vote of sympathy for Tom Dullards widow and children. The next day, Wednesday, Tom Dullard was buried. Captain Hennessys funeral attracted a greater crowd and there was a feeling of tension in the air, as the British Military stopped the cortege and removed a republican flag from the coffin.

Tom Dullard was only 37 years when he died and left a widow, Bridge, nee Nolan, with six children. The couple had married in 1905. Thomas was the sole bread-winner for the family and within a year his widows poor circumstances forced her to leave their home on Walkin St and take up residence on the Callan Road in a much smaller two-roomed house. Bridget Dullard unsuccessfully went to the Courts for compensation from Kilkenny Corporation. Her case was repeatedly adjourned. Mr. Buggy acted for the Corporation. Finally the Judge found in favour of the Corporation and Mrs. Dullard received nothing. Fortunately however she was able to pursue a claim for malicious damages against the British Forces and received an award which supplemented her widows pension.

Many years after this event, Reginald Graham, the 16-year-old-boy-soldier who had been one of the soldiers escorting the provisions cart from the Military Barracks to Kilkenny Jail, gave an interview to the Imperial War Museum. He was by then a very old man having had a successful military career and had ended up with the rank of major. He recalled that day in Friary St and it was his belief that his fellow soldiers had in shooting dead Thomas Dullard, had in fact killed a veteran of the Great War who had been on their side in the fight against the hated Hun. The fortunes of War he thought. He wasnt quite accurate. Thomas Dullard had not been involved in the Great War but other Dullards had been, some of whom were close kin of the corporation employee. This knowledge came to Reginald Graham, possible from some of his fellow-soldiers, who no doubt were Irish and might even have included a Kilkenny man or came to him in the local pubs after the event.

Nicholas Dullard who died at the Front in April 1915 had lived in Walkin St as did Thomas Dullard. We know that the soldier, Nicholas Dullard was a cousin of Edward (Ned) Dullard who had emigrated to the USA and died there of TB in February 1925. We know too that Ned was the son of a William Dullard, a carpenter who is probably the same William who was born c. 1850 to Thomas Dullard and his wife Catherine Murphy whose children were born either in Inistioge or in Kilkenny city. It is probable that Thomas Dullard, the 37 year old Corporation worker who died in Friary Street on that fateful day was close kin to Nicholas Dullard the dead soldieer & to Ned who died in Anmerica and also to the latters brother, another Nicholas all being grandsons of the original Thomas & Catherine Dullard who had lived in Inistioge for many years before moving to Kilkenny city.
By Rachel Seymour and Andrew Binion

POULSBO  Police Chief Al Townsend was allowed to continue working while being investigated for a romantic relationship with a then-Poulsbo police officer, according to a monthslong investigation by the Kitsap Sun.

Before a formal investigation could take place, Mayor Becky Erickson said she was convinced Townsend had not committed any wrongdoing.

Erickson said an "internal investigation" was done in August after Townsend was found in his unlit office with officer Danielle Branes during a weekend graveyard shift. Townsend said Branes had been showing him her glow-in-the-dark fingernail polish and gave him a hug. Erickson said she issued a verbal reprimand to Townsend for the incident and ordered him to undergo sexual harassment training.

Following that internal investigation, a Seattle-based consultant was hired to investigate further claims brought to Erickson's attention by the deputy police chief in October that Branes was in a romantic relationship with the chief. City policy prohibits supervisors from having relationships with their subordinates.

The investigations cost more than $13,000.

Branes, who now goes by her maiden name, submitted her resignation Nov. 2 after seven months on the job. She refused to participate in either investigation.

Townsend denied any wrongdoing, and Erickson said the results of the city's probe cleared him.

According to the summary of the outside investigation, then-Deputy Chief John Halsted informed Erickson in October of allegations of an inappropriate relationship between Townsend and Branes. He later wrote a report of his findings. The Kitsap Sun questioned Erickson in November about whether there was more going on than an inappropriate meeting in the unlit office. She said there was not.

"That's it," Erickson said on Nov. 10. "That's exactly what happened."

She did not mention any further investigations or continued allegations.

When later pressed on the omission, Erickson said she could see how it could appear she was not honest.

"To the best of my knowledge, I have never told an untruth to a newspaper reporter in my life," Erickson said, later adding that she needed to substantiate whether "rumors and accusations" about Townsend were true before discussing them.

The Sun has made 20 public records requests since November to get to the bottom of the incidents. The city has missed two deadlines to release documents pertaining to allegations of the inappropriate relationship between Townsend and Branes, other than a two-page summary of the outside investigation.

INVESTIGATION TAKES PLACE

In the two-page summary, the Seattle-based investigator wrote that Branes made allegations of a romantic relationship with Townsend, but her allegations were "unsubstantiated." The investigator, however, wrote that the findings could change if Branes decided to participate. The investigator added that evidence considered in the probe cast doubt on Branes' credibility.

Branes has declined an interview with the Kitsap Sun. In emails to the Sun, she wrote that she never made allegations about Townsend, contradicting the investigation, and never had a relationship with him.

The investigation into Townsend's conduct was paid for by the city's risk pool, the Washington Cities Insurance Authority, which will pay for investigations of personnel matters. Townsend at no time was placed on administrative leave during the investigations, which the city first requested assistance with on Aug. 18. The outside investigation summary provided to the Sun was dated Jan. 4.

Erickson said Townsend was not placed on administrative leave because the accusations had not been proved and she did not believe them to be true from the beginning.

According to Halsted's report, Halsted drove to Branes' residence around 8:15 p.m. Oct. 21 and saw Townsend's department vehicle in her driveway. This information was not included in the investigative summary given to the Sun by the city.

Townsend confirmed to the Sun in an interview Jan. 5 that he had gone to see Branes in person to discuss the rumors about the incident in his office, despite receiving a "verbal reprimand" from Erickson for unprofessional conduct.

"I felt like it was significant enough that I would go there and talk to her rather than just tell her on the phone," Townsend said. In the same interview, Townsend said he believed Branes told stories to bring attention to herself.

"I feel like all these accusations against me are completely false," Townsend said.

RECORDS REQUESTS FILED

Many of the Sun's public records requests, which began in November, attempted to uncover Halsted's report. In the meantime, the Sun received a copy of the report from an anonymous source.

The report, signed by Halsted, detailed Branes' alleged admission of an ongoing affair with Townsend and that she was disturbed about rumors involving her and the chief.

When contacted by the Sun, Halsted refused to confirm or deny the existence of the report. The Sun then confirmed with a former city employee that the city had possession of the report.

At the end of January, Halsted stepped down to sergeant after a year as the department's second-in-command, saying he preferred the work of a patrol sergeant.

Halsted's report has not been included in records requests the city has fulfilled nor has it been included in any "exemption log," which acknowledges records the city has but believes it should not release under state law.

In addition, a public records request made in early January for the full investigation has not been fulfilled, with the city missing two deadlines it set for itself to provide the information. The most recent was March 4.

On Jan. 5, after being questioned by the Sun, Erickson confirmed Halsted had told her about an alleged affair between Branes and Townsend. Erickson then told the Sun an investigation of Townsend was wrapping up, and she provided the Sun a copy of the two-page investigative summary.

The next day, Branes sent an unsolicited email to the Sun, denying that she made allegations about Townsend.

When questioned, Erickson said Human Resources Manager Deanna Kingery contacted Branes to inform her the newspaper was working on a story.

RECORDS DELAYED

Although Halsted would not confirm whether the report with his signature existed, former City Clerk Nicole Stephens confirmed the city had been in possession of the report.

When Erickson was told by the Sun that Stephens confirmed the city had possession of Halsted's report, the mayor provided the Sun documents on misconduct allegations regarding Stephens' timecards, apparently to cast doubt on Stephens' credibility. Then, on Jan. 16, the North Kitsap Herald ran a story about the allegations against Stephens. Erickson told the newspaper she made the allegations public to "quell rumors" about Stephens' departure in November.

Although the Sun was swiftly provided documents from the city about Stephens' alleged misconduct, the city has yet to release the full outside investigation on Townsend or Halstead's report.

The city, in giving its reasons for the second delay for the investigation, wrote that, "The City has been diligently identifying, gathering, and reviewing records which may be responsive to this" but said the latest delay was because of the volume of records, staffing changes, third-party notices and the need for redactions.

A response to the request for the outside investigation and Halsted's report was scheduled to be delivered to the Sun on Jan. 22, but that deadline was pushed back to March 4. On March 3, the city extended the deadline again to April 4  nearly eight months after the initial investigation began and three months after the last investigation was completed.

TIMELINE

April 16, 2015: Danielle Branes becomes a full-time Poulsbo police officer.

Aug. 9: Police Chief Al Townsend is found in his unlit office with Branes during a graveyard shift. He says she was showing off her glow-in-the-dark fingernail polish. Mayor Becky Erickson verbally reprimanded Townsend for the incident.

Aug. 18: Poulsbo city officials contact the city's insurance provider about investigating Townsend's conduct.

Oct. 21: According to a report signed by then-Deputy Chief John Halsted, Branes told Halsted that she was engaged in a romantic relationship with Townsend. Halsted goes to Branes' house and sees Townsend's department vehicle parked in her driveway.

Oct. 22: According to Halsted's report, he informed Erickson about Branes' allegations.

Nov. 2: Branes submits her resignation letter.

Nov. 10: Erickson tells the Kitsap Sun there was nothing more to the Aug. 9 incident than Branes showing Townsend her fingernail polish.

Nov. 11: The Sun begins making a series of public records requests for documents about Townsend and an alleged relationship with Branes.

Nov. 13: The Sun publishes a story that Erickson warned Townsend about his conduct in the Aug. 9 incident.

Jan. 5, 2016: The Sun tells Erickson it has Halsted's report, outlining an alleged admission from Branes that she was involved in a romantic relationship with the police chief.

Jan. 6: Branes emails the Sun to say she did not make any statements about a romantic relationship with Townsend.

Jan. 8: Erickson and Townsend come into the Sun for an interview.

Jan. 22: The city delays providing the investigation until March 4.

March 3: The city delays providing the investigation until April 4.
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By Ed Friedrich of the Kitsap Sun

SILVERDALE  Dozens of Bangor submariners heard validation of their work during a conference on nuclear deterrence Friday.

Speakers told them and their supporters about the importance of the triad of ballistic missile submarines, intercontinental ballistic missiles and strategic bombers in the past, present and future. The event, at Silverdale Beach Hotel, was titled, "The Benefits of Strategic Nuclear Deterrence: Modernizing the Triad and Nuclear Deterrent Enterprise."

Brad Roberts of Lawrence Livermore National Lab spoke about the case for nuclear weapons in the 21st Century. Georgetown University professor Matthew Kroenig refuted six arguments against nukes. Adm. Cecil Haney, commander of U.S. Strategic Command, talked about strategic deterrence in an uncertain world. And Peter Huessy of the Mitchell Institute of the Air Force Association, who organized the conference, proposed that alternatives to the triad don't make sense.

They were preaching to the choir. Naval Base Kitsap-Bangor, home to eight of the nation's 14 ballistic missile submarines, is believed to house more nuclear firepower than any place on earth. As such, the audience was particularly interested in Rear Adm. Charles Richard's update on the triad's submarine leg.

The Navy has begun a replacement of its Ohio-class ballistic missile subs. Twelve boats will replace the existing 14 because the new subs don't need to be shelved for a year for refueling. One new boat is expected to be delivered each year starting in 2031. The program is the Navy's top priority, said Richard, who commanded Bangor's sister base in Kings Bay, Georgia, before his current assignment as director of the Undersea Warfare Division. Fewer boats won't suffice, as some have proposed, Richard said.

"We can do the job with 12, but no less, to provide survivability through the 2080s," Richard said of having enough boats to patrol the world while some are undergoing maintenance or are in transit. "Survivability is independent of the number of missiles on a submarine. Numbers are part of it, how you give your adversary an unsolvable problem."

The new subs will have 16 missile launch tubes instead of 24 on Ohio-class submarines. They'll continue to carry D-5 Trident II missiles. Each can be armed with eight independently targetable nuclear warheads.

The service lives of the Ohios were extended from 30 years to 42 years to maintain operations until they can be replaced.

"If we can't get the Ohios out to 42 years, the rest of that (replacement program) doesn't matter," Richard said. "Being given the appropriate resources to get them to 42 years is a top priority."

By the time the USS Louisiana is retired in 2039, the Ohios would have served nearly 60 years. The USS Ohio arrived at Bangor in 1981 to much protest. Thirty-five years later, protests have swung to indifference. Kids have never heard of duck-and-cover or bomb shelters.

"We have taken that out of the national psyche," Richard said. "The nation takes for granted the day-in, day-out commitment that helped give 70 years of nuclear non-use."

Richard calls criticisms of the replacement program's cost silly. It's less than 1 percent of the defense budget, as it was with the past two generations of ballistic missile subs  the original "41 for Freedom" submarines (commissioned between 1959 and 1967) and the Ohios (commissioned between 1980 and 1992).

"That's just silly," he said. "We've already done it two times. It's a matter of priorities. If we remain committed to strategic defense forces, we can continue to enjoy the benefits of nuclear non-use for the next 70 years."
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By Our View

By the Kitsap Sun editorial board

Transparency can be tough.

A glaring example of that in this community was seen last fall, when a Kitsap County's Sheriff's sergeant was questioned about driving drunk, eventually resigning after the situation became public. It's easy to imagine a situation in which the public information that substantiated the incident  police reports and particularly the video footage from body cameras worn by two Poulsbo Police officers that night  would be swept under the rug. To the credit of both, the city of Poulsbo and the Sheriff's Department turned over all records after our requests, allowing the community to fully understand the situation, scrutinize the response by those involved and begin a discussion over how such encounters should be handled.

Was it tough for some in the law enforcement community, city leaders in Poulsbo and you readers to see the findings? You bet, and the fallout wasn't comfortable. But that's the price public agencies and officials  who are funded by and work for you  must pay to maintain trust in our institutions and our democracy.

That trust is built on open government. That's why March 13-19 is known as Sunshine Week, an annual event when news organizations lend our voices to highlight public records laws and the essential concept of the public's right to know.

There's too much potential for abuse when government would prefer the public not see what's going on. That doesn't only apply to the media's interest, but for everyday citizens who have a right to ask about what their government is doing, inspect records or attend meetings.

Our state is one of the better actors, as Washington's Public Records Act, or PRA, ensures relatively strong protections for those requesting information. Those laws can come in conflict with the federal Freedom of Information Act  seen recently when requesting Navy planning documents for earthquake preparedness, in which the Sun filed a lawsuit  which only serves to highlight the need for our legislators to remain on the side of openness when legislation comes along that could create hurdles.

One pending issue of government transparency and its balance with privacy stems from the Poulsbo incident. That is, the use of police body cameras, and a camera's role as an impartial eye on law enforcement actions without interfering with the sensitive nature of investigations.

Rep. Drew Hansen, D-Bainbridge Island, sponsored a bill this session (HB 2362) that would set some restrictions on video footage recorded by police body cameras, while clarifying when records are public. The bill is intended to ensure public access to police camera footage, in the interest of full transparency, while allowing some exemptions to the law to protect the privacy of victims or witnesses, for example. It's a balance that most House members and nearly all Senators agreed on, after debate and changes.

The bill now sits on Gov. Jay Inslee's desk awaiting his signature and hopefully ushers in an era when more law enforcement agencies use body cameras in their daily work. That tool, as shown in last fall's example, is a major benefit to the community's right to understand public safety and reasonable access for outside review must be ensured.

The Kitsap Sun continues to stand up for open government. A story today notes that the Sun currently has several outstanding PRA requests with the city of Poulsbo, and we can assure you that we'll keep pushing all agencies for information and access in your interest.

Trust comes through transparency, and during Sunshine Week we're reminded that both are essential.
Stuff reports:

The last-minute cancellation of a major Chicago rally by Donald Trump on safety grounds has pivoted the attention from Republican party infighting to the increasingly violent tone at his rallies and the extent to which Trump encourages it.

Scuffles and fights broke out between pro- and anti-Trump protesters as thousands waited in a stadium at the University of Illinois at Chicago for the candidate, who was a no-show. Instead columns of police filed into the stadium, attempting to separate the factions as announcements were made that Trump had cancelled.

Amidst chaos, it became clear that unlike the usual mix of a dozen or so protesters among Trumps thousands of rally attendees, as much as half of the crowd crammed into the UIC stadium were there to protest against Trump.

Trump blamed on Saturday organised thugs for the protests that shut down his Chicago rally and said the incident had energised America.

The organised group of people, many of them thugs, who shut down our First Amendment rights in Chicago, have totally energised America! Trump said on Twitter.
A bill being considered in Missouri would authorize the sale at auction of newly acquired state park land along the Eleven Point River.
Extensive testing is being done for radioactive contamination in neighborhoods around St. Louis thanks to citizens who made their voices heard.
Lost in the noise of the presidential primaries is a Washington fight that pits Congress and its Wall Street allies against you  and you don't even know it. Congress is attempting to prevent a regulation that would require retirement-plan investment advisers to act in their clients' best interests.

That's correct: Majorities in the House and Senate are trying to stop a proposed Department of Labor regulation that requires advisers to act in the best interests of their 401(k) and IRA clients.

Because of the way they choose to organize, some paid financial helpers are legally considered salesmen, not fiduciary advisers. While spending millions of advertising dollars to convince you of the value of their advice, these firms also spend millions of lobbying dollars convincing regulators that they aren't technically advisers.

The Department of Labor doesn't have regulatory authority over investment advisers, but it does regulate retirement plans  and it wants anyone who advises on retirement plans to be required to place client interests before their own.

Opponents of the regulation argue that if advisers were required to act only in their clients' best interests, they would be precluded from selling some of their most lucrative products and would likely refrain from serving smaller investors.

That argument is insulting. It assumes that overly-expensive conflicted advice, riddled with hidden fees, is preferable to no advice at all.

Even when these are compared with high-profile Ponzi schemes, I am convinced that the largest dollar amounts of client "theft" occurs via excess fees, a little at a time. With the help of enabling legislation, it is completely legal. When choosing among mutual funds, annuities and other structured products to sell you, your broker has no legal obligation to offer the least expensive.

"Disclosure" is hardly a sufficient defense. You can't morally justify unethical behavior by pretending to tell a would-be victim of your intended malfeasance in the fine print of a 30-page document.

Few industries make it more difficult to understand industry regulation, licensing or compensation than does the investment industry. The relationships and conflicts are complicated, and that's not an accident.

A March 1 paper by economists Mark Egan, Gregor Matvos and Amit Seru finds that more than 7 percent of the nation's registered investment advisors have been disciplined for misconduct or fraud. Repeat offenders make up almost 40 percent of all disciplined advisors. They simply move to another firm and start over.

Some firms are much more likely than others to employ dirty advisers. The authors suggest that some very well-known firms "specialize" in misconduct and cater to unsophisticated consumers.

Misconduct is most likely associated with the sale of insurance and annuity products.

Google "Egan Gregor adviser paper" to find the report. The firm misconduct lists are on page 36.
SHARE Kasey Shadrick stands on the sidewalk in front of Liberty Tax Service, dressed as the Statue of Liberty, waving at motorists and twirling a sign Thursday. Victor Porter, who owns the Liberty Tax Service franchise on Western Avenue, says, "Wavers bring about 75 percent of our new business each year, they are very important to us."

By Ed Marcum of the Knoxville News Sentinel

Winter's grip seems to be fading, the days are getting longer, a hint of spring is in the air, and that can only mean one thing: tax time is just around the corner.

It's a hectic time for many people, as the April 15 deadline approaches. The IRS estimates a record 150 million tax returns will be filed this year, with about 3.1 million of those in Tennessee. Mark S. Green, IRS regional spokesman, said the 1.4 million tax returns filed electronically from Tennessee so far represents an increase from last year, and the average refund of $3,128 is also an increase.

But, other records are being set this year that have IRS officials concerned. The agency reports that it has seen a 400 percent increase in phishing and malware incidents across the country this tax season, as scammers try to steal taxpayers' personal information. So far this year, 75 Tennessee taxpayers have lost $412,438 to scammers, according to the IRS.

Scammers have not only been targeting individuals through phone calls, emails and text messages, but have been targeting companies  even those that prepare people's taxes. No one seems to be immune.

"I even got a call recently," said Green, who is stationed in Atlanta and is IRS spokesman for Georgia, Tennessee, Mississippi and Virginia. "They said they were from the IRS and that I owed a balance and if I didn't pay I would be arrested."

Tax professionals in Knoxville have been hearing similar stories from their customers. Victor Porter, general manager of Liberty Tax Service, 4421 Western Ave., said tax preparers there occasionally have to reassure customers who are worried because they have received threatening calls or messages, supposedly from the IRS.

"We tell them that the IRS will not call you like that; usually, the IRS will get in touch with you by mail," he said.

Another twist this year is that scammers are trying to use email to trick tax preparers into giving online access to their information. A scammer might pose as the IRS and send an email asking a tax preparer to update records by clicking on a link. Once that happens, a program is installed to steal information on taxpayers' accounts, Green said.

"It's a way of taking it a step further," he said. "They are not getting as much from the consumers, so they try to go through the back door to the tax preparers, who have the gold mine of consumers' information."

Porter said Liberty Tax Service has a well-sealed computer system to avoid any cyber intrusion, and Kelli Hayes, a tax preparer there, says the staff follows strict protocol in interacting with the IRS.

H&R Block, which has 18 locations in the greater Knoxville area, also follows strict rules to avoid phishing scams, said Lisa Atkins, office manager and senior tax adviser.

"Most tax preparers know that the IRS does not contact you by email or text. That just doesn't happen," she said. "There is a process they go through and we always adhere to the formal procedure to the letter to make sure we protect all of our customers."

H&R Block is hearing a lot of concern from customers who have gotten the scam calls or messages, and there are some taxpayers who do not know until filing their taxes that they have been victimized.

"We have had customers that have suffered identity theft and they didn't realize it until we tried to file their taxes and found out someone else had already filed with their identity," she said.

Taxpayers can get professional tax preparation for free through the IRS Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program. Income level is not an issue as long as the taxpayer does not have complicated income sources, said Terry Reed, who manages the program.

With its eight locations in Knoxville, the program helped 2,400 taxpayers last year, Reed said. The 21 volunteer preparers where he is headquartered at 2247 Western Ave. have often had to deal with people who have received scam calls or emails threatening them with arrest by the IRS for unpaid taxes.

"It scares people to death," Reed said. "They try to prey on the elderly, and we've had a number of elderly clients come in here scared to death because they are afraid they owe money. And I've been able to sit down with them and help (calm) them."

Taxpayers who have had their identities stolen are assigned an Identity Protection PIN, which is a personal identification code they can use on their tax returns. If a person lost or forgot the PIN, the IRS has a tool on its website that allows that person to retrieve the PIN online. However, criminals have managed to compromise the website tool and steal the tax information of an estimated 700,000 people.

Reed said the IRS has temporarily suspended the online tool and is strengthening its security. The IRS issued 2.7 million PINs by mail this tax season and about 5 percent of filers, or 130,000, have used the online tool to retrieve a PIN. The IRS has enhanced its processes and filters for detecting fraud with these tax returns, and through the end of February had stopped 800 fraudulent returns using a PIN, he said.

Reed said there are several things taxpayers should keep in mind to avoid scams: The IRS will never call about your taxes without first sending you an official notice, and it will never demand payment of taxes without giving you the chance to question or appeal the amount owed. It will never demand payment with a prepaid debit card or some other means, and it will not ask for credit card information over the phone. The IRS will not threaten to send the police to arrest you.

If you believe you have been targeted by a tax scam, report it to the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration at 800-366-4484 or online at www.tigta.gov, Reed said.

On a brighter note, there is $17 million in refunds waiting for Tennessee taxpayers who did not file a tax return in 2012, Reed said. In cases where a tax return was not filed, there is a three-year window to claim a refund. For 2012, that window closes on April 18.

Current and past-year tax forms and instructions are available at IRS.gov or by calling 800-829-3676.
By News Sentinel Staff

A Middle Tennessee man was killed by a Lenoir City police officer overnight when the victim allegedly attempted to flee a DUI stop, according to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation.

The officer, whose name has not been released, had made contact with the suspected DUI driver at Bimbos convenience store, 1204 U.S. Highway 321 in Lenoir City early Sunday, TBI spokeswoman Susan Niland said.

The officer was arresting a passenger in the pickup for public intoxication when the driver sped away.

"While the officer attempted to prevent the driver from fleeing, early reports indicate the officer jumped into the bed of the vehicle," according to Niland. "The officer remained in the bed of the truck while the driver exited the parking lot and pulled into the road.

"The officer ordered the driver to stop and fired shots into the cab of the truck, striking and killing the driver."

TBI identified the driver as 30-year-old Joshua Grubb of Lebanon, Tenn.

The pickup came to a stop across the highway at another convenience store. The officer "did not sustain any significant injuries," Niland said.

TBI agents are investigating the shooting and will turn over the results of their investigation to 9th Judicial District Attorney General Russell Johnson.

The incident marks the second officer-involved shooting in East Tennessee in less than a week.

TBI agents also are investigating a shooting involving two Harriman police officers who shot a man during a confrontation in Roane County on March 8.

The victim, 27-year-old Nathan Manis, who works as a state corrections officer in Morgan County, allegedly opened fire on the officers as they responded to a reported domestic disturbance.

Manis was flown to the University of Tennessee Medical Center, where his condition remains unavailable.

More details as they develop online and in Monday's News Sentinel.
SHARE Jacqueline Crank testifies on Jan. 12, 2009, in Loudon County Criminal Court that she relied on her Christian faith to treat her 15-year-old daughter, Jessica, who died of bone cancer in 2002. Crank, who was convicted of child neglect in connection with the death, is asking the Tennessee Supreme Court to overturn the judgment. (MICHAEL PATRICK/NEWS SENTINEL) Universal Life Church Pastor Ariel Ben Sherman listens during Jacqueline Crank's child neglect trial on Jan. 12, 2009, in Loudon County Criminal Court. Cranks, who testified she relied on Christian faith to treat her 15-year-old daughter, Jessica, who died of bone cancer in 2002, says Sherman is her "spiritual leader." (MICHAEL PATRICK /NEWS SENTINEL)

By Richard Locker of the Knoxville News Sentinel

NASHVILLE  Tennessee lawmakers are moving to repeal a controversial 1994 law that was at the center of a long court fight over the 2002 death of a Loudon County girl whose mother refused medical care in favor of "spiritual treatment" and prayer.

Without debate, the state Senate last week approved 32-0 a bill by Sen. Richard Briggs, R-Knoxville, a cardiac surgeon, to repeal the "spiritual treatment" exemption to the state's child abuse and neglect statute. The state House Criminal Justice Committee is scheduled to consider the bill Wednesday.

The bill is sponsored in the House by Rep. Andrew Farmer, R-Sevierville, a lawyer, and won easy approval last week in the criminal justice subcommittee.

The provision was intended to provide a shield from prosecution for child abuse or neglect if "the child is being provided treatment by spiritual means through prayer alone, in accordance with the tenets or practices of a recognized church or religious denomination by a duly accredited practitioner of the recognized church or religious denomination, in lieu of medical or surgical treatment."

The exemption was included in a 1994 revision of Tennessee's 1989 child abuse and neglect law that increased the penalty for abuse and neglect from a Class A misdemeanor to a Class D felony. The 1994 discussion in the state Senate indicated the exemption was added at the request of the Church of Christian Science and approved with no debate.

But the exemption came into play less than a decade later in the highly publicized death of Jessica Crank, 15, of Loudon County. Her mother, Jacqueline Crank, was a follower of Ariel Ben Sherman, who conducted religious services under the name of the Universal Life Church in a rented house in Lenoir City.

Jessica became ill and in February 2002 was taken by her mother and Sherman to a Lenoir City chiropractor, who immediately referred her to an emergency room, but the two refused to take her. Three months later, with the girl in great pain, Crank and Sherman took her to a walk-in clinic, where nurses instructed them to take her immediately to the University of Tennessee Medical Center in Knoxville, which the nurses called to make arrangements. Crank and Sherman again refused and pursued "spiritual treatment" through prayer.

After the medical providers notified police, Jessica was removed from her mother by state and local authorities in late June and taken to a Knoxville hospital, where she was diagnosed with Ewing's sarcoma, a rare form of cancer. But the cancer was too far advanced, and she died Sept. 15, 2002.

Sherman and Jacqueline Crank were indicted in April 2003 on child neglect charges. A long legal fight ensued, and both were eventually convicted after courts ruled that Sherman's group was not a "recognized church or denomination" covered by the exemption.

Sherman died during appeals. But the mother's conviction was finally upheld by the Tennessee Supreme Court in February 2015 in a ruling that also held the spiritual treatment exemption is not so vague as to render it unconstitutional, as Crank had argued.

For Briggs, repealing the exemption is personal, given his profession as a medical doctor and surgeon. In about 1979, when he was a general surgeon working in another state, a boy about 14 was brought to see him with a ruptured appendix. His parents initially opposed surgery on religious grounds.

"I don't even know why they brought the child in but they did. The parents, against our medical advice, took the child home," Briggs said last week. "They brought him back about four or five days later, and I really thought he was within 24 hours of dying. He was in and out of consciousness. And finally the father, who was not as devout as the mother, consented to us operating. I think if he hadn't been 13 or 14 he would have died.

"So it was a personal thing with me that I've never forgotten."

With the state Supreme Court ruling essentially upholding the spiritual treatment exemption a year ago, Briggs filed Senate Bill 1761 to repeal it. When the bill came up for review in the Senate Judiciary Committee, he had in the audience ready to testify Frank Harvey, the now-retired assistant district attorney general who helped prosecute Jacqueline Crank.

The committee recommended approval immediately after Briggs described the bill's purpose. Last Monday, the full Senate approved the bill with no discussion. If the House follows suit and the bill becomes law, the spiritual treatment exemption would be repealed in Tennessee as of July 1.

Briggs said representatives of two groups that he wouldn't identify came to talk with him against repealing the exemption.

"They were arguing both on religious and parental rights, that even if a child dies, the parent has a right to do what they want to do," Briggs said. "I told them they had just made a great case for abortion, because the right to life does not stop at birth. The right to life is for the entire life. Part of your parental rights, duties and responsibility includes obtaining medical care when your child needs it.

"They also said a group should be able to practice their religion and government should not be able to interfere even if it results in that. I told that group, you just made a great case for sharia law in the United States, and do we really want women stoned to death in the streets in the United States of America?" Briggs said.

"One of the groups changed their mind and supported the bill. The other didn't."
Tennessee State Museum

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By Tom Humphrey of the Knoxville News Sentinel

NASHVILLE  In a change of plans, the board overseeing the Tennessee State Museum will hold an open meeting for discussion of procedures in selection of a new museum executive director rather closing the session to the public.

Tom Smith of Nashville, who chairs a museum board committee on "succession planning," initially announced the March 28 "workshop" would last eight hours and would be held behind closed doors.

That brought a protest last month from former Knoxville Mayor Victor Ashe, a member of the Douglas Henry State Museum Commission as well as the board of directors for the Tennessee Coalition on Open Government, and Smith recently notified members that the plan had been changed.

"We are retooling the session to take out the items related to all museum personnel and instead just have a session related to strengths we envision in a new executive director," Smith wrote in an email. "Since we won't be working on all of the museum's personnel analysis we can and will make this an 'open meeting' and all who care to can attend."

Ashe, a former U.S. ambassador to Poland, lauded the change.

"I'm glad it's been reconsidered and now at least this part of the process is transparent," Ashe said in an interview.

The revised plan calls for a four-hour meeting instead of an eight-hour one, according to Smith's email.

"The agenda will be set by the state Department of Human Resources and will be their agenda based on their workforce planning model. We will be participants and they will manage the workshop and the discussion," he wrote.

There will also be an update from Mark Cate on progress toward building a new $160 million state museum and the effort to raise $40 million in private funds to go with $120 million in state money. Cate, formerly chief of staff to Gov. Bill Haslam, is serving as project manager for the new museum.

Cate said in an email that Haslam has begun "reaching out to potential donors," though he declined to say how much has been raised or provide other details at this time.

"As with any project and fundraising campaign, there will be a variety of progress updates, events and announcements along the way. We don't have any announcements to make at this point," Cate wrote.

Groundbreaking for the new museum is scheduled for April 6. The museum board has scheduled a meeting for April 10.

Ashe said he remains concerned that the museum board is moving "almost at a snail's pace" toward seeking a successor to Lois Riggins-Ezzell as executive director. Ashe, who has clashed with Riggins-Ezzell on some museum management issues, said new leadership should be in place during the fundraising and construction phase.

Read more from Tom Humphrey at "Humphrey on the Hill:"
Rhetorical missiles fly on the presidential campaign trail as candidates go ballistic. Meanwhile, Iran and North Korea are flinging ballistic missiles while thumbing noses at President Barack Obama.

Iran again fired ballistic missiles last week, with Israel's name literally stamped on them, in direct defiance of the United States and the United Nations. Tennessee Republican Sen. Bob Corker, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, responded forcefully to Iran's blatant breach. "Iran's complete disregard for the ballistic missile restrictions that remain in place must be met with swift and immediate consequences from the U.S. and the U.N. Security Council," Corker said in a statement.

He challenged the Obama administration. "The administration's hesitancy and the council's refusal to act after multiple violations last fall must not be repeated now that Iran appears ready to test the will of the international community with the nuclear agreement in place," Corker said. "A failure to hold them accountable now  would undermine our efforts to contain Iran's destabilizing behavior and raise serious questions about the ability to enforce violations of the nuclear deal itself."

On Thursday, North Korea defied the United States by launching ballistic missiles a month after Obama signed sanctions Corker helped shepherd through the Senate. In January, North Korea tested a nuclear device it claimed was a hydrogen bomb, then tested other ballistic missiles in February.

"We can no longer afford to pursue a failing policy while North Korea advances its nuclear capabilities and continues to top lists of proliferators of weapons of mass destruction, perpetrators of cyberattacks, and systemic violators of human rights," Corker said after the 96-0 sanctions vote.

Which brings me to Donald Trump.

Trump's ballistic bellicosity continues to enthuse and energize Republican primary voters, giving him a big delegate lead. He promises to "make America great again" by unilaterally and extra-constitutionally  a la Obama  launching trade wars against China, Mexico, Japan, Vietnam and, basically, the world.

China, of course, is proximate geographically and politically to North Korea. Trumpian antagonism is sure to push China toward North Korea and could lead to more Chinese animus toward our ally Japan.

Trump displays no understanding of how American economic engagement enhances global stability. Also like Obama, Trump believes he can alter the laws of economics and the arc of history by his personality, by bluff and braggadocio.

Global leaders are alarmed by Trump. Republican foreign policy experts are aghast at his shocking unpreparedness to lead on the global stage. Last week, 117 conservatives, including Robert Zoellick, Michael Chertoff and Michael Mukasey, who have engaged in foreign policy for decades, highlighted Trump's cluelessness in an open letter on WarOnTheRocks.com.

"His vision of American influence and power in the world is wildly inconsistent and unmoored in principle," they wrote. "He swings from isolationism to military adventurism within the space of one sentence. His advocacy for aggressively waging trade wars is a recipe for economic disaster in a globally connected world."

Trump's verbal assaults on Muslims drew scorn. "His hateful, anti-Muslim rhetoric undercuts the seriousness of combating Islamic radicalism by alienating partners in the Islamic world making significant contributions to the effort," they wrote. "Furthermore, it endangers the safety and constitutionally guaranteed freedoms of American Muslims."

Finally, they panned Trump's character. "He is fundamentally dishonest," they wrote. "Evidence of this includes his attempts to deny positions he has unquestionably taken in the past, including on the 2003 Iraq war and the 2011 Libyan conflict."

Like Obama's erudite acquiescence, Trump's ballistic belligerence is no foreign policy. The world is complex and America needs a leader who is not a huge geopolitical simpleton.
When Donald Trump vowed to "open up" libel laws so politicians could win "lots of money" from newspapers for "purposely negative and horrible and false articles," he was attacking the New York Times v. Sullivan Supreme Court decision.

The case involved an Alabama police commissioner who wanted damages because a critical civil rights ad in the Times was "false" since it misstated such details as the song protesters sang at the state capitol. The landmark ruling declared that public officials could not collect damages for defamatory articles  even if they were false  unless the falsity was due to "actual malice or reckless disregard" for the truth.

So technically, Trump already can win lots of money for purposely horrible and false articles. He just can't collect on inadvertent mistakes.

Still, he complained, "In England, I can tell you it's very much different and very much easier."

Ah, jolly old England. That calls to mind another New York libel case that arose 230 years before Times v. Sullivan.

It was the 1730s, and the not-yet-Big Apple was the property of Great Britain and ruled by a colonial governor, William Cosby.

Think of Cosby as a sort of royal Ray Blanton. Soon after he arrived, he ordered his predecessor, a local guy who had been filling in, to hand over half the money he'd earned. When a judge objected, Cosby kicked him off the bench. Then he took over the colony's newspaper, the New York Gazette, and had the editor crank out propaganda such as a poem that began:

"Cosby the mild, the happy, good and great,

"The strongest guard of our little state; "

Nauseated New Yorkers decided to start an independent paper, and they hired a printer named John Peter Zenger to publish it.

On Nov. 5, 1733, the first edition of the New York Weekly Journal hailed the election as assemblyman of Lewis Morris, the same man Cosby had recently ousted as judge. Things went downhill from there.

As was the style in those days, articles were signed by Cato and the like. Soon Cosby was offering 50 pounds sterling for the real identities of the authors. Zenger refused to give up the sources, helping establish an American tradition, and on Nov. 17, 1734, he was hauled off to jail, where he spent eight months in lieu of a huge bail.

Cosby had Zenger's first two lawyers disbarred, but the case finally went to trial in July 1735, when an out-of-state lawyer, Andrew Hamilton of Philadelphia, took the case, and went on to shape history.

In those days, anything negative published about the governor  true or not  was "seditious libel." To find Zenger guilty, all prosecutors had to prove was that he was the printer.

Hamilton didn't contest that. Instead, he appealed to the jury to ignore the law and declare Zenger innocent because what was published was true. After 10 minutes' deliberation, the jurors did just that.

A half-century later, the great-grandson of Lewis Morris  Founding Father Gouvernor Morris  wrote: "The trial of Zenger in 1735 was the germ of American freedom, the morning star of that liberty which subsequently revolutionized America."

If we'd stuck with the British way of doing things, we wouldn't have the same annoying press we have today.
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There's a great scene about public records in the movie "Spotlight," which is based on the true story of The Boston Globe's investigative reporting of child sex abuse by Catholic priests.

Reporter Michael Rezendes rushes to the court clerk's office to get an exhibit that had been filed as part of a court motion. It contained letters and evidence that showed that the Archdiocese of Boston had known about the molestation of children for years, but failed to stop it.

The reporter gets to the Suffolk County Recorder's office just as they are closing, and the clerk would not help him. But he is there again when the doors open in the morning and asks for the records.

"Those records are sealed," says the clerk.

"No, that's a public motion. Those records are public. I work for the Globe," Rezendes replies.

"Good for you," the clerk says, unmoved.

"Can I talk with your supervisor?" the reporter asks.

"Not in today," the clerk responds.

Rezendes then goes to the judge's office.

"These exhibits you are after, Mr. Rezendes, they are very sensitive records," the judge says.

"With all due respect, your honor, that's not the question. The records are public," the reporter says.

"Maybe so. But tell me, where is the editorial responsibility in publishing records of this nature?" the judge asks.

The reporter replies with a line that captures a strongly held conviction about the role of the First Amendment in our society.

"Where is the editorial responsibility in not publishing them?"

The reporter gets the records and they become the basis for a report that helped crack open one of the more stomach-turning stories of our time  a trusted institution that failed its own values and people, hurt children and hid it.

There's more intrigue in the movie surrounding the pursuit of the records, including official documents that went missing from a court file, and a judge described as "a good Catholic girl" who hands the newspaper a First Amendment victory in court.

The story is relevant because it displays the tension that occurs when access to public records is blocked in the name of some sort of "other good." Here, the "other good" was protection of the church, and many lined up to keep things secret. But in this case, that secrecy lay squarely in opposition to the fundamental principle that the public has an interest in the functioning of its justice system. Judges recognized that and the Boston Globe was able to get the story.

Few struggles to gain access to public records are dramatic enough for a movie. But after 25 years in newsrooms as a reporter and editor, I can easily say that statutory and constitutional access to government records and court records are critical in maintaining a free and independent press. They are critical in the ability of citizens to get at the truth and facts of how their government is operating  from the local county government to the largest institutions that serve our democracy.

A fresh debate capturing some of the same tension and discomfort with media scrutiny as in the movie "Spotlight" is being played out right now across the country.

Against the backdrop of high-profile officer-involved shootings, many police and sheriff's departments are spending millions of dollars to outfit their officers with body cameras, creating thousands of hours of video footage of interaction between police and citizens.

Many people believe that the video  a public record  will increase law enforcement accountability.

But in Memphis, the mayor has said footage will be kept confidential if it's related to an ongoing investigation. In fact, he said in a TV interview, it must be kept confidential.

Play that out. If an officer uses lethal force, and an investigation is launched, any video that captured events leading up to the event, or the event itself, will be kept from the public for months, maybe years in some situations as investigations drag on and cases work their way through the system.

Seeing such difficult footage may raise questions, at times, of citizen privacy and fair trials. But it also pits those issues squarely against the very First Amendment rights that allowed The Boston Globe to finally bring sunlight onto the Catholic Church's cover-up.

A handful of competing bills in the Tennessee Legislature seek to navigate the body camera issue. Some appear to be headed to restricting the press  or for that matter, the public  from seeing relevant records created by police cameras, essentially sealing some or all of them in advance. The Tennessee Supreme Court is weighing arguments in a case that deals with similar constitutional issues, which might be a reason to slow down.

Should Tennesseans care about access to public records?

In the movie, the editor of The Boston Globe, Marty Baron, is warned that trying to get access to certain court records will be viewed as an attack against the church. His publisher notes that 53 percent of the newspaper's subscriber base is Catholic.

"I think they will be interested," Baron replies.

As it turned out in Boston, sunlight proved itself again as the best disinfectant.

Deborah Fisher is executive director of Tennessee Coalition for Open Government, a nonprofit organization that tracks access to government records and meetings, and threats to it, at www.tcog.info.
As it has become prone for them to try doing, Tennessee legislators are trying to micromanage the University of Tennessee. The problem is that they do not know how to manage the business of the Legislature, much less the business of the university.

Take, for example, Sen. Dolores Gresham, R-Somerville, chair of the Senate Education Committee, who backed legislation to shift some $8 million within the UT budget to Agricultural Extension Services and to rural outreach services at UT campuses in Chattanooga and Martin. While Ag Extension and rural counties may well deserve more funding, it is wrong to try wringing that money from other vital programs at the Knoxville campus.

Gresham, following a vote in committee, said what she wanted was that the UT Knoxville Office for Diversity and Inclusion would no longer receive state funding but rely solely on federal dollars. The problem with that approach is that the diversity office does not receive any federal funding, which reflects the level of the good senator's extensive research on the subject. If legislators can do no better than this, why should they be trusted to run the university?

Diversity matters in higher education. It matters in American life, a fact that seems lost on the likes of Sen. Ron Ramsey, R-Blountville, the lieutenant governor of Tennessee. Ramsey sees no value in diversity at the university. No value in a diverse student body. No value in having a diverse faculty and staff.

In Gov. Bill Haslam's recent State of the State address, he mentioned that a top priority of his was to recruit businesses and industries to Tennessee. In addition to assessing the availability of land and office space, a key consideration for any business evaluating where to move and invest dollars is a well-educated, diverse workforce. And that is a responsibility of the state. But the Legislature, blinded by its own bigotries and prejudices, cannot see this larger picture.

Part of the problem is the university administration itself. When the issues first broke around the UT Knoxville Office for Diversity and Inclusion late last year regarding postings on its web page, chief administrators from both the system and the campus seemed to be soft-pedaling the matter. They took control of the website, a mistaken act of appeasement. The administration was being bullied by members of the state Legislature and even U.S. Rep. John J. Duncan Jr. But appeasing bullies never works. If a bully wants your lunch money today and you give in, he will be back tomorrow wanting it again  plus an extra dime. The administration should stand on principles. Legislators must come to understand they were not elected to micromanage higher education in the state.

In 1968, Rita Sanders Geier, then a faculty member at Tennessee State University, filed a lawsuit against the state and the University of Tennessee, alleging that they were maintaining a dual system of public higher education, one for whites the other for African-Americans. The court found in her and other plaintiffs' favor. The case stayed in the courts for more than three decades. It was finally dismissed with prejudice just a few years ago after the state managed to demonstrate that it had made progress in this area.

Now the state of Tennessee and the University of Tennessee seem ready to risk another lawsuit similar to the Geier case. The level of funding some legislators have embraced, around $2.5 million, is inadequate to meet state and federal reporting requirements. Yet another problem looms: the massive amount of all federal funding that the university receives could be put at risk.

Rather than looking for ways to defund diversity efforts, UT administrators and members of the Legislature should be looking for ways to increase funding. Comments like those by Gresham and others that the state should not be funding diversity efforts at the university, relying solely on federal dollars when none are available, suggests they do not believe the state has any responsibility to support diversity. But that is wrong. The university and the state have serious responsibilities in this area which they should embrace.

How can any clear-thinking person risk losing federal funding over suggestions  suggestions!  to make holiday celebrations more inclusive?
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The purpose of a Christian liberal arts education is to provide a balance between a Christian worldview and critical thinking as it applies to a student's growth and preparedness for one's future. While secular institutions like the University of Tennessee maintain standards set by the state, church-affiliated institutes have higher standards.

Carson-Newman University, a constituency of the Tennessee Baptist Convention, has for many years held a complicated, if not a conflicted, relationship with the governing body. For example, more than 10 years ago, Ralph Elliott, a 1949 alumnus and author whose 1961 work, "The Message of Genesis," denied the Genesis account of creation and the flood, was awarded the Distinguished Alumnus Award. Such a move created turmoil within the Southern Baptist Convention and Tennessee Baptist Convention.

In addition, the 1999 move to nominate its own trustees caused the TBC to briefly withhold funding until the new president was named and compromise reached. Finally, the numerous associations of the college community with moderate and liberal groups that left the Southern Baptist Convention have disillusioned theological and political conservatives who have sought a true Christian experience, and they transferred to other institutions such as Union College or Liberty University. While those affiliated with Carson-Newman have called for a split with the Tennessee Baptist Convention, conservative groups both inside and outside Carson-Newman have raised concerns about what is being taught.

More recently, the waiver of Title IX has further divided individuals in the community. Yes, people of different backgrounds are welcome at this school, but in order to maintain its ties with the Tennessee Baptist Convention, the institution needs to affirm the Baptist Faith and Message statement of 2000, just as Union does. Lastly, there should be a balance of political and theological persuasions at Carson-Newman to minimize the appearance of a liberal takeover.

Benjamin E. Schlechter, Dandridge
Clarence Brown Theatre to honor Emmy Award winner, Paula Pell





Emmy Award winner Paula Pell. Image courtesy of Clarence Brown Theatre.



Emmy Award Winner and Former Saturday Night Live Writer, Paula Pell, will be honored at the Annual Clarence Brown Theatre Gala.



Pell will be awarded the CBT Artistic Achievement Award at the Clarence Brown Theatres annual Gala to be held May 20, 2016 from 7:00-11:00 pm at Jackson Terminal, 205 W. Jackson Avenue in Knoxville. Pell is an Illinois native and University of Tennessee alumna.



Famed behind-the-scenes comedy queen, Pell was a writer for Saturday Night Live for more than 20 years. During her time at SNL, she helped create memorable characters such as the Spartan Cheerleaders and later the middle school music teachers The Culps in addition to the ever-popular Debbie Downer.



Pell has often guest-starred and written episodes for TVs hit series 30 Rock and Parks and Recreation. More recently, Pell did additional writing for blockbuster comedies Bridesmaids, This is 40, and The Heat, before writing her own screenplay  the 2015 hit Sisters, starring Tina Fey and Amy Poehler.



Currently, Pell and fellow UT alum/SNL writer James Anderson star in their own web series, Hudson Valley Ballers, in which they play ex-SNL writers running a bed and breakfast in New Yorks Hudson Valley. CBT Producing Artistic Director Cal MacLean states This is going to be fun. Paula has been entertaining us from afar for years. It will be great to welcome her back to her alma mater to celebrate her success. Im sure we will hear some great stories.



The CBT Gala benefits the Clarence Brown Theatre Artists Endowment, which helps bring professional guest artists from across the United States to the CBT to engage and teach undergraduate and graduate students, all while creating the world-class, professional theatre experiences Greater Knoxville audiences have come to expect.



Modeled after Truman Capotes Black & White Ball, 2016 CBT Gala attendees can expect an elegant evening with lots of laughs from the honoree herself. Guaranteed to be your favorite Friday evening of the year, attendees will enjoy cocktails, followed by a lavish full-course meal with Honoree Pell, MacLean, Managing Director David B. Byrd, and passionate theater-goers from the Greater Knoxville area. The evening will also include a Live Auction for extravagant and exciting packages, including coveted tickets to a Saturday Night Live performance and a one-night hotel stay in the Big Apple, among many others. CBT 2016 Gala Chair Lyle Irish exclaims, "The Clarence Brown Theatre is excited to have Pell as its 2016 Gala Honoree. She is the latest in a list of stellar former honorees with ties to the University of Tennessee who are excelling in their artistic careers."



Want Paula Pell seated at your table? It isnt too late! Corporate and individual sponsorship packages are available now.



Tickets go on sale April 18. For more information, please visit clarencebrowntheatre.com/gala. Published March 13, 2016






Two Cumberland homestead houses to be preserved forever







Vaden House, photo courtesy of Delos Hughes.

Guest House, photo courtesy of Delos Hughes. CROSSVILLE, TN  Two historic properties will be preserved forever thanks to the National Historic Preservation Act and the Tennessee Preservation Trust's (TPT) preservation easement program.



TPT accepted the donation of two preservation easements this February from Delos Hughes for the Vaden House and the Guest House, two homes located in the Cumberland Homesteads historic district just south of Crossville, TN. The preservation easements will ensure that the special character of these historic properties will be conserved forever for future generations to enjoy.



These unique homes represent the dedication and unending will of those worst affected by the Great Depression in the Cumberland Plateau.



As part of the National Industrial Recovery Act of 1933, the Division of Subsistence Homesteads was created to help displaced factory and mill workers and unemployed laborers rebuild through resettlement communities. The Cumberland Homesteads was one of the first of these subsistence communities and only a little over 200 families-of thousands who applied-were accepted as part of the New Deal program.



These families who lived in the planned community also built it between 1934 and 1938. They began with barns where they slept as they built homes, and then eventually outbuildings and community buildings.



Of the original 250 homesteads approximately 200 remain, including the Vaden House and the Guest House, along with the Administrative Building and the school. The Administrative Building, now known as the Tower Building, is home to the Cumberland Homesteads Tower Association Museum and the school has over 800 K-8 students enrolled.



The Cumberland Homesteads has been a local historic district since 1984 and in 1988 was listed in the National Register of Historic Places made possible by the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) of 1966. Since both the Vaden House and the Guest House are listed as contributing to the National Register Historic District they were both eligible for TPT's preservation easement program.



The donation of these preservation easements comes just as TPT launches its statewide efforts to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the NHPA, as part of the nationwide "Preservation50" campaign.



For five decades the NHPA has provided for historic preservation efforts all across the country and Tennessee. In addition to creating the National Register, the NHPA established the Historic Preservation Fund, which provides grant funding for historic preservation projects, and state historic preservation programs such as our own State Historic Preservation Office and the Tennessee Historical Commission.



Without the NHPA, programs like TPT's preservation easement program would not be possible and the landscape of Tennessee's cultural heritage might look very different today.



Both the Vaden House and the Guest House are important pieces of that cultural heritage that will continue to share their story for even more than five decades to come. Published March 13, 2016
2:04 p.m. March 13, 2016

Former Oklahoma Senator sentenced for Wire Fraud and Tax Evasion







TULSA, OK  Former Oklahoma State Senator Ricky L. Brinkley was sentenced on Friday to serve 37 months in federal prison for fraudulently obtaining over $1.8 million dollars from the Better Business Bureau and for tax evasion. In addition to the prison term, Brinkley was ordered to pay $1,829,033.86 representing proceeds of the wire fraud scheme.



On August 20, 2015, Brinkley, 54, of Owasso, Oklahoma, pleaded guilty to five-counts of wire fraud and one-count of subscribing to a false tax return.



From August 2, 1999 to April 26, 2015, Brinkley was employed as the President and Chief Executive Officer and then the Chief Operations Officer of the Better Business Bureau. During his employment, Brinkley was responsible for the operation, accounting, and financial management including paying bills and signing checks on behalf of the Better Business Bureau.



From November 2005 to February 2015, Brinkley diverted in excess of $1.2 million dollars through the creation of fraudulent invoices for services not rendere and improperly represented these invoices as reimbursement for legitimate expenses. He fraudulently signed checks, transferred, used, and disbursed funds to pay personal expenses and debts including mortgage payments, expenses for pool cleaning services at his home, and his personal American Express, Discover, and Visa cards.



Brinkley also used his employers credit card to make cash withdrawals at automated teller machines located within casinos to support his gambling habit. He also created and processed for payment false invoices using company funds for payment.



In addition, Brinkley failed to report approximately $165,625 in income for tax year 2013 to the Internal Revenue Service.

Published March 13, 2016
1:10 p.m. March 13, 2016

State Department designates Abdullah Nowbahar and Abdul Saboor as terrorists







The Department of State has designated Abdullah Nowbahar and Abdul Saboor as Specially Designated Global Terrorists (SDGTs). This action was taken under an Executive Order which imposes sanctions on foreign persons that have committed or pose a serious risk of committing acts of terrorism that threaten the security of U.S. nationals or the national security, foreign policy, or economy of the United States. All property subject to U.S. jurisdiction in which Nowbahar and Saboor have any interest is blocked and U.S. persons are prohibited from engaging in any transactions with either of these men.



There is a reward of up to $3 million for information on Saboor and up to $2 million on Nowbahar.



These men are explosive experts for Hezb-e-Islami Gulbuddin (HIG). Both Nowbahar and Saboor participated in the September 18, 2012 attack on a bus carrying foreign employees of Kabul International Airport that killed 12 people. Saboor is also responsible for a May 2013 suicide attack in Kabul that destroyed a U.S. armored vehicle, killing two soldiers and four U.S. civilian contractors; eight Afghans  including two children  were also killed and another 37 were wounded.



The actions taken against these men put the U.S. public and the international community on notice that Abdullah Nowbahar and Abdul Saboor are actively engaged in terrorism. Designations of terrorist individuals and groups expose and isolate organizations and individuals and result in denial of access to the U.S. financial system and can assist or complement the law enforcement actions of other U.S. agencies and other governments.

Published March 13, 2016
Mercedes-Benz customers pack the lobby of the Grand Peace Hall at Kyung Hee University in eastern Seoul, Saturday. More than 3,000 owners of Mercedes-Benz cars were invited to the 2016 Mercedes Fans' Night, which featured the company's latest models and performances by some of Korea's top entertainers. However, the overly-crowded event, which had much to be desired, suggested that the carmaker is increasingly losing its premium allure as more and more people, even those in their 20s, drive Mercedes vehicles whose price tags can easily exceed $100,000.

/ Korea Times photo by Lee Hyo-sik



By Lee Hyo-sik

Mercedes-Benz Korea (MBK) held a customer event at Kyung Hee University in eastern Seoul, Saturday night, inviting more than 3,000 customers.

The 2016 Mercedes Fans' Night showcased the carmaker's latest models, such as the New S-Class Cabriolet, as well as featuring the performance of some of Korea's top entertainers such as Tae-yeon, a member of popular K-pop girl band Girls' Generation.

In addition, Greek-born MBK CEO Dimitris Psillakis and other company executives gave out free gifts through a lucky draw, eliciting an enthusiastic response from the crowd.

However, the overly-crowded function, which left much to be desired, did not live up to Mercedes' premium brand image.

The venue was overly packed and was short of necessary amenities. People had to line up for a long time to get free cocktails and snacks. This was no surprise, given that the university's Grand Peace Hall is not big enough to accommodate 3,000 highly-demanding people.

A woman in her 30s said she would not have come to the event if she knew the place would be so heavily crowded, regretting that too many people drive Mercedes these days. A middle-aged woman also expressed disappointment to the host, saying the latest customer event failed to match up to her expectations.



A woman who looked to be in her 60s said the quality of the function has deteriorated over the years in line with a rise in the number of attendants, stressing Mercedes does not hold a premium allure any more.

Well, these largely-disappointing reactions seem to be inevitable, given that MBK has been selling tens of thousands of car in Korea every year. In 2015, it sold about 47,000 cars, up 33.5 percent from a year earlier. In 2016, the carmaker aims to sell more than 50,000.

Before going to the Saturday function, this reporter thought the majority of Mercedes customers would be the middle-aged in their 50s and 60s. But this age group was the minority, while those in their 20s and 30s, particularly young women, were the most visible.

Maybe, many older customers did not come knowing how crowded and inconvenient the event is. Who knows?

Nonetheless, the 2016 Mercedes Fans' Night showed precisely how diversified Mercedes' customer base has become, making it harder for the carmaker to sell its premium image.

Many Koreans and other Asians are willing to pay top dollars for Mercedes-Benz because many people don't own them. Besides safety and reliability, scarcity is what drives them to pay more than for Hyundai, Kia and other brand vehicles.

With more and more Mercedes-Benz seen in the street day after day, the brand will inevitably lose its premium attraction and people will be less willing to pay top dollar for vehicles owned by many others. Those seeking rarity may turn their eyes to Maserati, Porsche and other high-end brands.

During the Saturday event, CEO Psillakis himself drove Mercedes' two latest models  the New S-Class Cabriolet and the New C-Class Coupe  onto the stage, pitching how great they are.

Before introducing new models, MBK first needs to ask itself this underlying question: How long can it maintain its premium allure among Korean consumers?
By Lee Hyo-sik





Park Dong-hoon, CEO of Renault Samsung Motors

Renault Samsung Motors has promoted Executive Vice President Park Dong-hoon to CEO, replacing outgoing chief Francois Provost who will oversee Renault's China operations.

Park, who is scheduled to take the helm officially on April 1, will be the first Korean to head the local unit of the French company.

Renault said Park has accumulated extensive knowhow and knowledge of the automotive industry over his 40-year career.

Park, who began working at Hanjin Construction in 1978, became head of Gojin Motors, an importer of Audi and Volkswagen vehicles, in 2001. In 2005, Park was the first CEO of Audi-Volkswagen Korea and held the post through August 2013.

From 2008 to 2012, he was also Chairman of the Korea Automobile Importers and Distributors Association.

In September 2013, he moved to Renault Samsung as executive vice president, managing the nation's fourth-largest carmaker's sales division. Park received a bachelor's degree in architectural engineering from Inha University.

Meanwhile, Provost, who has been in Korea for nearly five years, will become CEO of Renault's China business.

"Provost, who came to Korea in September 2011, has been credited for turning Renault Samsung around," a company spokesman said.

"Under his leadership, we were able to post operating profits in 2013, one year earlier than initially projected, as well as expanding our market share and boosting customer satisfaction."
Minister Lee Dong-phil, left, describes samgyetang,' chicken soup with ginseng, to a Chinese tourist during a tasting event in Myeong-dong, downtown Seoul, on Feb. 20, 2016. / Courtesy of Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs



Rice, kimchi, samgyetang expected to be a hit from Chinese consumers

By Lee Hyo-sik

Korea is betting high on the Chinese market for its agricultural and food exports, eyeing the growing number of increasingly wealthy Chinese consumers, many of whom regard Korean products as safer and more sanitary.

The demand for Korean food products in the world's second-largest economy have increased over the years, with more Chinese people willing to pay more for Korean products than locally-grown or produced goods.

In addition to Korean food's premium, high-quality image, the "hallyu," or the Korean cultural wave that has been sweeping the globe, has helped bolster the demand for Korean agricultural and food products on the Chinese mainland.

The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs has taken various steps to capitalize on the growing popularity of Korean food products in the neighboring country.

It has been negotiating with its Chinese counterpart to change China's rules for food imports to make it easier for Korea's agricultural and food items to be brought into the mainland. Over the past year, China has resumed importing of milk and kimchi, and started buying rice and other fresh produce.

The ministry has also been providing domestic food companies looking to enter China with market information, as well as customs, quarantine and logistics-related services.

On Feb. 18, Lee Dong-phil, minister of agriculture, food and rural affairs, held a meeting with the heads of local food firms seeking to make inroads into China. At the gathering, the minister outlined the ministry's plans to bolster food exports this year and pledged to extend all the required support to food exporters.

Lee said Korea's food exports will reach $8.1 billion this year, up from $6.11 billion in 2015. In China alone, the government aims to increase agricultural and food exports by up to 32 percent to $1.4 billion from last year.

"We should make the best use of the Korea-China Free Trade Agreement to bolster food shipments to the mainland," Lee said. "The agreement has lowered tariffs on food items brought into China, as well as eased other non-tariff barriers. The government will do everything it can to encourage more food companies to do business in China. We will offer comprehensive consulting services in marketing, customs, quarantine and logistics."

The ministry also plans to open more warehouses in China to make it more convenient and less costly for food exporters to sell their products there. It will also organize a series of sales promotion activities on behalf of companies, according to the minister.

Rice, kimchi, samgyetang: key exports to China

Korea made its first shipment of rice to China on Jan. 29, four months after President Park Geun-hye and her Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping agreed to do so during their summit last September.

Six agricultural cooperatives across the country, certified by the Chinese government to produce and process rice bound for China, shipped a combined 30 tons of rice. Lotte Mart, which operates 75 stores in China, will offer rice to Chinese consumers.





Agriculture Minister Lee Dong-phil, center, attends a ceremony with other dignitaries to mark Korea's first rice shipment to China at the Gunsan container terminal, North Jeolla Province, on Jan. 29.



On Feb. 26, the government made the second shipment of 72 tons of rice to China. Besides Lotte Mart, Chinese retail stores in Beijing and nearby cities have been selling rice grown in Korea.

"We would like to export as many as 2,000 tons of rice to China this year. We will promote it as a premium alternative to the ones grown in China," an agriculture ministry official said. "Exporting rice to China will help significantly reduce the country's soaring inventories. We will continue to expand certified rice processing plants to increase the shipments, and we will organize sales promotion activities in the coming months."

In 2015, Korea exported a total of 2,240 tons of rice valued at $5.15 million to cater mostly to Koreans living in the United States, Australia and 44 other countries

In addition, the ministry seeks to bolster the shipments of kimchi and fresh milk to the mainland this year.

Last December, China resumed the import of kimchi from Korea after easing its sanitary and quarantine rules on one of Korea's national dishes.

Korea had been exporting kimchi to China until 2010 when the Chinese government strengthened its rules on Korean kimchi and other imported food. China did not recognize kimchi as a fermented food and subsequently imposed a guideline that kimchi cannot contain more than 30 colitis bacteria per 100 grams. As a result, Korean kimchi was banned in China for the past six years.

With the easing of the rules, however, the agriculture ministry expects that the nation will export $1 million's worth of kimchi to China this year.

Last July, China also resumed importing fresh milk from Korea, presenting a lucrative business opportunity for Korean dairy farms and processers.

Korea had been exporting fresh milk to China from 2011 through June 2014, until China took issue with the milk's longer shelf life.

"We will actively promote kimchi, milk and fresh produce in China," the official said. "We will work more closely with food companies to process and produce kimchi and milk in a more sanitary and efficient way. The government will also help them expand their sales network on the mainland."

Korea has also been seeking to export "samgyetang," or chicken soup with ginseng, and other processed poultry products to the world's second-largest economy.

According to the agriculture ministry, China is close to revising its rules concerning food safety for imported chicken products from Korea. It expects Harim, Nonghyup and other samgyetang producers to be able to ship their products as early as June.

"Japan, which consumes 70 percent of Korea's samgyetang exports, has reduced its imports over the past few years," the official said. "But when we begin selling it to Chinese consumers, the exports will bounce back."

In 2011, Korea sold 2,272 tons of samgyetang, valued at $12.2 million, to Japan. But the volume plunged to 888 tons worth $3.5 million last year.

The country also ships samgyetang to the United States and many other countries, with large Korean populations.

The official said the chicken soup has been well-received by Chinese visitors, stressing that its shipments bound for China will exceed those for Japan and the United States in a year or two.

"More and more Chinese people know what samgyetang is in line with the growing number of tourists from the mainland," he said. "When the chicken soup is readily available at China's retail stores, it will be sold like hot cakes. We are preparing to launch a large-scale sales promotion campaign in China in cooperation with producers."
By Nam Hyun-woo





Nonghyup chairman

Kim Byung-won

Nonghyup's new Chairman Kim Byung-won will start his term today, raising expectations about how his policies can bring changes to the mega-size agricultural cooperative.

According to Nonghyup, or the National Agricultural Cooperative Federation, Kim will begin his term with an inauguration ceremony followed by a visit to a new Nonghyup education center in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province.

Kim's accession comes as the first leadership change in eight years for the cooperative, which has 2.35 million members, 432 trillion won in assets, 31 subsidiaries and 88,000 employees.

At his inauguration ceremony, Kim is expected to say that his leadership will be in line with the government's initiatives for a "creative economy" and that he will focus on creating jobs.

Initially, Kim pledged that Nonghyup would be comprised of one federation and one holding company, scrapping one of two existing ones. But his promise is likely to face problems because the government opposes the plan.

Kim is also under a prosecution investigation for alleged irregular campaign activities during his election, in which he replaced Choi Byung-won as chairman.

Representatives elected Kim in January after a six-way competition.

Kim began his career at Nonghyup in 1978 after receiving a bachelor's degree from Chonnam National University. From 1999 to 2014, he headed a Nonghyup chapter in Naju, South Jeolla Province, for three consecutive terms.
By Nam Hyun-woo



Banks are bracing for intensifying competition following the opening of the much-hyped "individual savings accounts" (ISAs) from today.



The government is seeking to create a more competitive financial environment for local banks, however, critics are warning of possible side effects. Bank employees, for their part, are complaining over the mounting workload.



According to the Korea Financial Telecommunications and Clearings Institute (KFTCI), 2.03 million people have switched banks by transferring their services to a new one, after the service became available through KFTI's online system, Oct. 30 last year.



The "money move" mostly occurred at banks, with 1.51 million people switching accounts after consulting with bank workers. Of these, some 45 percent were in their 50s or older.



"It was like a week without a weekend," said one bank worker in Seoul, asking not to be named. He said he spent a "disastrous" week dealing with a deluge of customer inquiries for account switches and ISAs. After office hours, he used his private SNS to "beg" all of his friends and acquaintances to use his banks' account switching system or ISAs in order to meet the quota assigned to him.



"Another burden is ISA," said another bank worker in Incheon. "Many workers already suffer from an excessive workload coming from the account switching system, but headquarters are pushing each branch harder to attract more ISA customers in the early stages."



ISA is a type of savings account where tax is not collected from interest earned or gains from investments up to a set value. Also various types of financial products, such as funds, deposits and equity linked securities, are attached to the accounts, meaning banks are allowed with retail investment. Since one person can open only one account, Monday is earmarked as "the rise of the war."



According to the Financial Services Commission, 33 banks, securities firms and life insurers will release their "trust-based" ISAs on Monday. There are two types of ISA products: one is "trust-based," which allows customers choose what financial products they should invest and determine the amount. The other is for customers to choose a model portfolio and give the financial institutions discretion on selecting products and rebalancing.



Most of securities firms will launch both types of ISAs on Monday, while banks will first launch trust-based ones on Monday and will come up with the second type as early as next month.



Banks are paying their full effort to attract customers, with KB Kookmin and Shinhan Banks sending personnel at headquarters to each branch to bolster marketing efforts.



To prepare for the debut of ISAs, banks said they have been operating educational programs to train their employees. However, questions are raised that more time is needed to train employees to tap into a sector that were previously the domain of only securities firms, given ISAs involve financial products that can cause loss of customers' money.



"Since education is not sufficient enough and infrastructure still requires improvements, there are risks over side effects," said a bank official who asked not to be named.




Amid Google's artificial intelligence (AI) program AlphaGo's defeat of world go champion Lee Se-dol, attention is growing over the incorporation of AI into other areas such as criminal investigations.

According to a report from the Korea Institute of Criminology, Sunday, AI could be applied to crime prevention, investigations and at correctional institutions as well as monitoring certain ex-convicts once they are released.

The report says driverless cars and drones could be employed as crime prevention tools, with the latter expected to be used soon. "Driverless cars and robots can replace the current police force in patrolling. By analyzing criminal data, these devices can be placed in high crime areas," said Yun Jee-young, the author of the report.

Intelligent devices can also be used in investigations. Drones can observe sites utilizing zoom-in lenses as well as take pictures.

Robots can also be utilized in correctional facilities, in patrolling and managing inmates. They may be able to provide interpretation services for foreign inmates and offer medical services, the report stated.












Officials of the National Election Commission look at an election campaign leaflet at their headquarters in Gwacheon, Gyeonggi Province, Sunday. / Yonhap



By Kim Hyo-jin

Ruling Saenuri Party Chairman Rep. Kim Moo-sung will compete in a primary in his Busan constituency for the April 13 general election, the party announced, Sunday.



Rep. Lee Hahn-koo, the head of the party's nomination management committee, unveiled a list of 43 applicants to compete in primaries for 18 constituencies.



Kim will compete against Kim Yong-won, a member of the party's nomination supporters group and a former lawyer of law firm Hanbyul; and Choi Hong, ex-CEO of ING Asset Management in primaries for the Jung and Yeongdo districts in Busan, Lee said. Supreme Council members Reps. Suh Chung-won, Rhee In-je, Kim Eul-dong will also compete in the primaries to earn tickets for the election.



The committee chief also came up with 19 candidates who would skip the in-house nomination contest. The party had sought to put a single candidate in certain districts where they have a competitive advantage.



The list includes incumbent lawmakers Reps. Chung Doo-un and Kim Yong-tae, who were involved in the so-called "hit list" scandal in which Chung triggered an intra-party stir by claiming that he heard from Kim about a list of lawmakers who were to be excluded from the nomination process. They were former Gyeonggi Governor Kim Moon-soo and former Finance Minister Rep. Choi Kyung-hwan, a key member of the faction of President Park Geun-hye followers.



The party selected three constituencies in which it will put up a female candidate following the committee's recommendation. Sohn Soo-jo is expected to win a ticket in the Sasang district of Busan, heralding a big match with Moon Jae-in, former leader of the main opposition Minjoo Party of Korea (MPK).



Lee also unveiled the results of primaries held for 20 constituencies, with 18 candidates, including nine sitting lawmakers, being nominated and two districts up for a run-off vote.



Two incumbent lawmakers Park Seong-ho and Yoon Myung-hee, whose constituencies are in Changwon, South Gyeongsang Province and Icheon, Gyeonggi Province, respectively, failed to earn a ticket for the parliamentary race after losing their primaries.

Among the 18 are Rep. Kim Hee-jung, a former minister of gender equality and family, and Rep. Lee Cheol-woo, a member of the National Assembly Intelligence Committee.



Parties frame election as judgment on each other



With just a month to go before the April 13 general election, the rival parties are taking shots at each other as their respective campaigns get underway.



The main opposition MPK has framed this election as a judgment on the Park Geun-hye administration, criticizing the government's economic policies of the past three years as an "overall failure."



Meanwhile, the ruling Saenuri Party is claiming the opposite, that it is a judgment on the opposition party, while voicing the need for the government to gain momentum during the remainder of Park's presidency.



Observers say that the heated rivalry in the race shows that parties are hoping to secure big wins before the 2017 presidential race.



The Saenuri Party aims to secure 180 seats in the election in order to revise the National Assembly Law that it claims caused a legislature deadlock during the 19th Assembly.



It has called for an easing of the current 60 percent approval of 300 Assembly members needed to table a bill for a vote, to a majority, saying that opposition from the MPK has bogged down the Assembly.



"We should grab a sweeping victory to judge the opposition parties and to revise the Assembly Law that brought on the legislative deadlock," Rep. Kim Moo-sung said in a party meeting on March 8.



The Saenuri Party plans to launch an all-out offensive against the MPK for stalling a number of economy-related bills, by labeling it as anti-reformist. As the election looms, the contentious bills _ including labor reform bills _ are less likely to be discussed by the rival parties, said party officials. The government has pushed for the endorsement of the bills, claiming they could revitalize the stagnating economy if implemented.



"We will seek votes, highlighting the contrasting characteristics of us being reformist and supporter of economic revitalization," said a Saenuri Party official.



The MPK, which aims to win more than its current 109 seats, is attempting to garner votes by emphasizing that the government has failed to devise economic policies conducive to the improvement of people's living standards.



"We plan to show how serious the economic situation is and strengthen the image of the party as competent for economic policies," said an MPK party official, calling it a long-term plan for change of the government in 2017.



"It seems that the MPK is focused more on economic aspects to avoid the ideological frame as it has often done in elections," said Choi Chang-ryol, a professor at Yongin University. "But it is doubtful if the seriousness of the economic situation will resonate with the public."



For the Saenuri Party's approach, Yoon Tae-gon, a senior political analyst at Moa Agenda Strategy, said, "A judgment on the opposition party, is quite a new way of framing the election. President Park, who denounced the Assembly for failing to endorse the pending bills, seems to have helped create the new approach."
Police officers carry the body of abuse victim Shin Won-young down a hill in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province, Saturday, after his father and stepmother told officers that they had buried him there. / Yonhap



By Kim Se-jeong

The body of a seven-year-old boy, who was reported missing after his stepmother allegedly left him in a street, has been found with horrific injuries.

Police say the boy died, apparently as a result of constant physical abuse by the woman.

Officers in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province, found Shin Won-young's body on a hill in the town on Saturday morning after the stepmother, surnamed Kim, reportedly confessed that she and her husband, Shin's biological father, buried the body on Feb. 12.

Kim, 38, told police the boy died on Feb. 2, and the couple kept the corpse in their home for 10 days before burying it.

She also said that while the boy was alive, they kept him locked in the washroom for three months from November, giving him only one meal a day. Several days before his death, Kim allegedly poured bleach on him.

Then, one day before the death, she allegedly poured cold water on the naked boy for wetting his pants, and left him in the bathroom for about 20 hours only to find him dead, according to police.

An autopsy showed that starvation, multiple hypodermal bleeding and hypothermia caused him to die. The boy weighed just 15.3 kilograms, and some of his skin was damaged, apparently from the bleach, according to the autopsy team.

After checking the search engine history on a device, investigating officers also found that Kim had looked up "sentence for murder" on Feb. 20.

After the boy died, the couple allegedly tried to pretend he was still alive. The father sent Kim a text message, "Is Won-young okay?" and she replied, "He ate well and brushed his teeth," according to police.

The father told the police he had been aware of Kim's abusive behavior, but had not taken the boy to a hospital because he feared he would be punished for child abuse.

Police plan to send the case to the prosecution this week.

It could have been prevented

Shin's story is another case of domestic child abuse that could have been prevented if community child care centers and kindergartens had acted  but they say they could not do so due to a lack of necessary regulations.

According to the community child care center near Shin's home, Shin and his older sister were known to be constantly starving between 2013 and 2014.

A counselor also found wounds on the boy's body, while giving him a shower. His sister was sent to her grandmother and able to avoid further abuse, but the boy remained with the abusive parents.

Community center staff reported the case to a regional child protection authority, but the authority could do little because the parents refused to talk, saying it was a "domestic matter."

In January this year, the parents notified the education authorities that they would postpone the boy's elementary school enrolment for one year. The school demanded that the parents come to school with the boy to explain the delay, but they refused, and the school reported the matter to police.

Under growing pressure and suspicions about the boy's whereabouts, the parents told police on March 4 that they had lost the boy, prompting an extensive search.
By Kang Seung-woo





Mark Lippert

U.S. Ambassador to South Korea Mark Lippert rejected speculation Friday that his country has changed its position about signing a peace treaty with North Korea, claiming that Pyongyang's denuclearization is its No. 1 priority.

His statement is the latest by a series of U.S. government officials denying that the United States would hold talks with North Korea about a peace treaty simultaneous with denuclearization negotiations.

"As many of you have seen from our press statement as well as (Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs) Daniel Russel's statement when he was here in Seoul as well as Sung Kim's interview, our policy especially with respect to the peace regime with North Korea, remains unchanged," Lippert said in a press briefing in Seoul.

"Denuclearization is our no. 1 priority."

His remarks came as speculation is rampant here that Washington is stepping back from its denuclearization precondition for peace treaty talks with the North, as evidenced by its unsuccessful attempt to hold a secret meeting before the North's Jan. 6 nuclear test to discuss the latter's atomic weapons program as well as a peace pact.

In addition, U.S. State Department spokesman John Kirby said in a briefing earlier this month that the U.S. has not ruled out the possibility that there could be some sort of parallel process, in line with China's proposal to hold simultaneous talks.

Given that Beijing joined the Washington-led UNSC sanctions, there were rumors that the two sides might have struck a secret deal  without Seoul's knowledge  to pursue such negotiations.

However, Lippert dismissed the speculation.

"We are now working to implement the UNSC resolution sanctions, and we remain in close coordination and close consultation with partners in the Republic of Korea government," he said.

As for a possible deployment of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system on the Korean Peninsula, the U.S. ambassador said it is not a bargaining chip for Chinese cooperation in the sanctions on the North, its major ally.

"It's not part of some political deal on the Security Council resolution. The reason we have started official consultations on THAAD is to defend against the growing missile threat from North Korea," he said, stressing that any decision over THAAD here will be based on "national security interests."
A large number of ordinary Japanese are not cordially disposed towards South Korea, a local polled showed Sunday.

According to a poll released by the Mainichi Daily and other news outlets here, 64.7 percent of adults said they did not have friendly feelings towards the neighboring country.

Of respondents, 33 percent said they had warm feelings about South Korea. The poll was conducted from Jan. 7 through Jan. 17.

Compared to a similar survey conducted in October of last year, the percentage of people who felt positively gained 1.5 percentage points, while negatives feelings were down 1.7 percentage points.

The modest shift has been attributed to the two countries reaching agreement on the thorny "comfort women" issue at the end of last year.

On Dec. 28, Seoul and Tokyo agreed to "finally and irreversibly" resolve the issue on forced sexual slavery of South Korean women by the Japanese military during World War II.

In the same survey, Japanese sentiment towards China reached its lowest ebb since polls on the matter were started in 1978.

The latest numbers revealed that 83.2 percent of Japanese adults were disposed against its Asian rival, up 0.1 percentage point from 2014. Those that said they had cordial feelings stood unchanged at 14.8 percent. (Yonhap)
By Rachel Lee



Selangor State Government of Malaysia, through Invest Selangor, held a roundtable meeting at the Lotte Hotel Seoul on March 7.

Malaysian Investment Development Authority (MIDA) Seoul and Korean Bio Industry Organization supported the event, "Selangor the Economic Powerhouse of Malaysia."

According to MIDA, the meeting was designed to promote the state as the Biotech hub of the ASEAN region and to create business relations and investment opportunities between Korea and the state. About 30 potential investors attended this event.

"As in other places, Selangor always emphasizes the importance of being economic sustainability in terms of generating more businesses and employment opportunities," Senior Executive Councilor of Selangor State Dato' Teng Chang Khim said at the meeting.

"Our growth rate has been faster than the national average. Even in difficult times, we have shown that we are more resilient."

He said that in 2014, Malaysia registered real gross domestic product (GDP) growth of 6 percent as compared to 4.7 percent in the previous year.

"In this respect, I am proud to say that the state of Selangor contributed as much as 22.4 percent of the national GDP with the Federal Capital Kuala Lumpur behind us with 15.1 percent and the largest state in Malaysia, Sarawak, contributing 10.1 percent,"he said. "The rest of the states share less than 10 percent each," the senior executive councilor said.

He outlined the roles of Invest Selangor as an investment solution center.
French Ambassador to Korea Fabien Penone, left, attends the Collection Francaise 2016 at the InterContinental Seoul Coex hotel in southern Seoul, March 10. / Courtesy of the French Embassy



By Rachel Lee

France, home to the most creative and influential fashion houses, has sought more usiness opportunities in Korea.

Organized by Business France, the Collection Francaise 2016 involved representatives from 13 fashion brands  including La mome bijou, Maison Ernest, Charles Jourdan, Twins for Peace and Caresse D'orylag  at the InterContinental Seoul Coex hotel in southern Seoul, March 10-11.

They showcased the Fall/Winter collection 2016 and 2017.

"French fashion and design has continuously worked on innovation and creativity while keeping tradition," said Oh Hyun-sook, commercial attache at the French embassy.

Collection Francaise 2016 is part of events marking the 130th anniversary of Korea-France bilateral relations.

Business France is a national agency supporting the international development of the French economy. The organization is responsible for fostering exports growth by French businesses, as well as promoting and facilitating international investment in France.

It promotes French companies, business image and nationwide attractiveness as an investment location, and also runs the VIE international internship program.
By Oh Young-jin



President Park Geun-hye, the first female head of state, has been doing what the combination of her three male predecessors failed to do. With a little hyperbole, Park may end up being part of the credible myth in which Korean women excel men. Sportswomen's lofty achievements in the global arena often being cited as an example. In Park's case, it is still a tossup whether she is doing the right job.



Regarding North Korea, she has turned the clock back to the height of the Cold War.



Admittedly, it is not her bidding that the inter-Korean standoff has come to the worst point in recent memory. The North brought in the New Year with the test of what it claims was an H-bomb test but experts believe to be a boosted-fission bomb, and followed it up with a long-range missile test in February.



Although her exact role is opaque by her high-profile wheeling and dealing, pitting the U.S. against China, it's certain that Park will not be pushed aside into the margins as her predecessors were.



A week after the North's nuclear test, Park called a press conference and talked about her intention to allow the controversial advanced U.S.-made Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense system, or THAAD. Previously, the advanced missile defense system was regarded as a taboo issue for her government, which took pains not to reveal its position on it.



Irrespective of whether to give her credit or not, it can't be denied that the THAAD issue proved to be a pressure point that forced China to drop its protective stance on the North, which embarrassed it by firing the long range missile only a couple days after a senior Chinese official's visit.



Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi met his U.S. counterpart John Kerry in Washington to broker a deal in which Beijing promised to go with what was to be the toughest U.N. sanctions against the North in return for a delay in THAAD deployment.



A Chinese official here said that THAAD was a sensitive issue to China without commenting on the alleged Beijing-Washington deal.



Park's decisiveness was also highlighted by her decision to pull out of the Gaeseong Industrial Complex, the flagship inter-Korean economic cooperation project that dates back to the presidency of the late Kim Dae-jung, affectionately known by his initials DJ, who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2000 for his Sunshine policy of reconciliation with the North. In 2013, the industrial park was temporarily closed by Pyongyang, which accused Seoul of "blaspheming" Kim Jong-un, its leader.



The Gaeseong closure was a daunting political decision that not only meant the severance of what little ties remained between the two Koreas but also caused a great deal of financial damage for 124 tenant factories to the tune of billions of dollars .



Her government said that it was inevitable in order to convince other countries, notably China, that Seoul was serious about getting tough with the North. Beijing reportedly dared Seoul to cut off the $100 million in annual wages to North Korean workers in Gaeseong.



DJ pressed on with the construction of the Gaeseong complex even after a naval conflict in July 2002. Lee Myung-bak, Park's conservative predecessor who was elected on stricter reciprocity in inter-Korean relations, kept Gaeseong open even after a South Korean woman was shot to death by a North Korean guard during a tour to Mount Geumgang. The North refused to apologize for the death, forcing Seoul to close its tours to the scenic North Korean mountain.



Now, Park has dug her heels in, going head to head, toe to toe with the North. Under her watch, the South is conducting a major drill involving U.S. strategic assets and half of the ROK Armed Forces, while Park is showing no signs of backing down despite the North's firing of new multiple launch rocket systems that can strike Seoul; and its latest claim backed by the photo of its 33-year-old leader Kim Jong-un checking out what it claimed was a miniaturized nuclear warhead.



She even talked about a regime change in the North, which could be interpreted as her intention not to make a deal with the North. It wouldn't be surprising if some in the North's leadership felt Park deviated from the usual pattern of behavior by the South's leaders.



She was not less tenacious with the U.S. During her Washington trip, she accompanied her Defense Minister Han Min-koo on his visit to the Pentagon. Han was on a mission to ask his counterpart Ashton Carter to be more generous about a technology transfer in connection with Korea's purchase of F-35 fighters. Her presence was obviously aimed at putting pressure on the U.S. although Han's request was rejected.



Then, what caused her to be bold, if not audacious?



An easy answer would be the influence of her father, the late Army general-turned-President Park Chung-hee, a hard-headed leader who is credited with laying the groundwork for the nation's industrial development at the cost of human rights and democracy.



There are many anecdotes about Park with U.S. presidents, trying persistently despite causing red faces on both sides to gain bigger financial support from Lyndon Johnson for sending ROK soldiers to help the U.S. in Vietnam and to prevent Richard Nixon from reducing the size of U.S. troops to be withdrawn from Korea, for example.



With her family background, it was inevitable she would have a sense of mission.



It's laudable for her to have it, but the real question is whether she can make a success out of her initiative. For now, the jury is still out.



Oh Young-jin is The Korea Times' chief editorial writer. Contact him at foolsdie5@ktimes.com.




Match rigged but still entertaining



No matter how much hype there may be, it wouldn't bury the fact that the ongoing battle pitting Korea's world go champion Lee Se-dol against Google's AlphaGo is not a man-vs.-machine fight but a lopsided match pitting one person against an army of super-smart people armed with unfathomable computing power provided by the global multinational, Google.

What comprises AlphaGo proves beyond a doubt the match is stacked against Lee. This software puts together a network of 1,202 high-powered central processing units (CPUs), which can be comparable with the same number of smart people working together. This CPU network is backed up by 176 graphic processing units (GPUs) for more efficient analysis of data. Its combined computing power is equivalent to 5,000 high-specification computers working in tandem, the result being that the AlphaGo software can make 100,000 computations per second. Lee can make100.

In terms of memory storage, the two are incomparable. Lee has only his one brain to pick but AlphaGo has support from Google's vast cloud-computing memory storage in the U.S.

Plus, DeepMind, an artificial intelligence (AI) firm acquired by Google in 2014, has "trained" AlphaGo with 160,000 case studies and an additional 80 million additional studies, meaning that it has acquired data tantamount to what one can learn in 1,000 years.

Simply put, this big data may well cover virtually every contingency and diminish the belief that go is a game of infinite probabilities. Although its functioning network of policy and value resembles a human neural network and gives the impression that it works as if an intelligent being, it can't be disputed that it all comes down to algorithms, an area of Google's profit-making expertise, which has been honed from its years of keeping track of users' online behavior for customized advertising.
The presidential secretary for cybersecurity has recently resigned, an official said Friday.



Shin In-seop had been in charge of cybersecurity at the presidential office of national security since last April.



The presidential official said work is under way to find Shin's replacement, though he did not give any details on why Shin quit his job.



Shin was not immediately reached for comment.



A source familiar with the issue said Shin quit his job last week. He declined to elaborate and asked not to be identified, citing policy.



Earlier this week, South Korea accused North Korea of stealing information from about 10 South Korean officials by hacking into their smartphones between late February and early March.



It remains unclear whether North Korea's cyberattacks had any influence on Shin's resignation.



South Korea's Cabinet approved the creation of Shin's post last year as part of its efforts to better deal with cyberattacks from North Korea.



North Korea -- which has thousands of cyberwarfare personnel -- has a track record of waging cyberattacks on South Korea and the United States in recent years, though it has flatly denied any involvement. (Yonhap)




By Tong Kim

If the current escalation of tension continues, and if mutual hostility continues to mount on the Korean Peninsula, one should be legitimately concerned of the possibility of a costly confrontation between them, limited or all out. With all lines of communication cut off and the abrogation of all economic agreements between the North and South, Korea once again is in a crisis of war, perhaps the most dangerous one so far.

It is terrifying to listen to harsh statements or to watch confrontational actions by the leaders in Pyongyang and Seoul. The North Korean authorities are notorious for employing belligerent rhetoric, which has been largely dismissed like "the boy who cried wolf." What if the wolf may indeed show up this time? It is shocking that the leaders seem ready to accept the horrendous consequences of war.

In the wake of the adoption of the UNSC resolution 2270 against the DPRK  the toughest in 20 years and characterized by a virtual air and maritime blockade, prohibiting trade and denying access to international financial services  Pyongyang rejected the resolution that also bars its continued nuclear and missile development program, which the North reconfirmed it would continue.

Also in response to the joint U.S.-ROK annual military drills, now being conducted in their largest scale in recent years, the DPRK has been firing a new type of multiple rocket launcher and short-range missiles on the East Coast. In a series of statements, the North Korean regime claimed that its military has deployed nuclear weapons equipped with a miniaturized device and it is ready to use them against the South and the United States, in a preemptive strike if necessary.

The U.S. and South Korea are carrying out a full-dress rehearsal under OPLN 2016, designed to repel a North Korean invasion, to strike the targets of nuclear hideouts and missile bases, and to attack the North Korean leadership. As part of the operational plan, a preemptive strike is not ruled out.

Now, both sides are considering the option of a preemptive or preventive strike. The question is who is to judge beforehand that an attack, conventional or nuclear, is imminent from the other side. The theory of a preemptive strike is justified only in terms of self-defense, which legitimizes the centuries-old right to a "just war" or the right to use force allowed under the U.N. Charter. The side that might trigger a war by a preemptive strike would claim it did so in self defense.

Korea is in a very dangerous situation: yet, the people on both sides go about business as usual. It is astonishing that they do not seem concerned enough, perhaps ostensibly, about the mounting tensions on the peninsula that can drag them into a military confrontation that might result in unbearable consequences to them all.

The sanctions against North Korea, by the U.N., EU and individual countries including the U.S., South Korea, and Japan, will certainly contribute to undermining the ability of the DPRK to continue developing its nuclear and missile program. However, given the loopholes  placed in consideration of "humanitarian and livelihood purposes" and an intent against "adverse consequences for the civilian population"  it is unclear whether the sanctions  even if carried out fully by China as well  would bring back the North Koreans to negotiations for denuclearization.

The most recent U.N. resolution, too, is all about sanctions, with only two of its 52 main provisions about "diplomatic resolution" and the resumption of the six-party talks. South Korea, the U.S., and the rest of the international community are focused on implementing the U.N. resolution or imposing additional unilateral sanctions. These sanctions are likely to hurt the livelihood of the North Korean people before they affect the interest of their leadership, hell-bent on improving its nuclear arsenal.

Except for China, no country is talking about the need for dialogue. After Wang Yi's phone call with John Kerry on March 9, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Hong Lei said, "China calls on all parties to keep calm, exercise restraint and avoid provoking each other" in the "highly charged situation" on the peninsula. He further called on "all parties to refrain from aggravating tensions."

Of course, China is acting in its own strategic interest for a stable Korean Peninsula. China has recently proposed a two-track discussion  the negotiation of denuclearization in parallel with the discussion of a peace agreement. Chinese foreign minister Wang also said on March 8 that China is open to a flexible format of talks that may involve three, four, or five parties. China clearly stands out as an advocate for dialogue, as Washington and its allies show little interest in engaging the North except in "meaningful and credible" denuclearization talks.

Diplomacy should be more than just about sanctions and military armament. In theory and practice, negotiation is the ultimate task of diplomacy to resolve disputes without use of force. One does not have to be a pacifist  "a principled, pragmatic or semi-pacifist"  to oppose war and support peace. There should be better ways forward to the resolution of the North Korean nuclear issue. Confrontation should be the last resort.

History shows that pacifism  against war, violence, or military  has failed to prevent state leaders from going to war. War ends lives and destroys properties. The Korean War alone killed millions of people and reduced the divided land to ashes. If war breaks out again, hundreds of thousands of South Koreans would be killed in the first few hours of conflict.

To avert this crisis, both Koreas, in particular, should heed China's advice to restrain from mutual provocation and manage tensions by returning to peaceful coexistence and going back to peace talks. The value of peace should not be forgotten. What's your take?

Tong Kim is a Washington correspondent and columnist for The Korea Times. He is also a fellow at the Institute of Korean-American Studies. He can be contacted at tong.kim8@yahoo.com.
Less than a year ago, a sharply divided Supreme Court ruled 5-4 that the Constitution requires states to permit same-sex marriage, and each of the justices in the minority filed a dissenting opinion. But on Monday, there was no such discord: Without even hearing arguments and with no recorded dissent, the court reversed an Alabama Supreme Court ruling that refused to recognize a woman's adoption of her female partner's biological children.



Although the legal issues were different, the matter-of-fact way in which the court handled this case was a gratifying sign of how far the ground has shifted on equal rights for gays and lesbians.



While living in Georgia, a woman identified by the court as V.L. adopted three children born to her partner as the result of insemination by an anonymous donor. The couple were living in Alabama years later when their relationship came to an end and V.L. was denied access to the children. She filed suit, and eventually the Alabama Supreme Court ruled that it need not recognize her status as an adoptive parent because a Georgia court had erred in granting her parental rights in the first place.



The precise question before the U.S. Supreme Court was whether Alabama was required to recognize the Georgia adoption because of a clause in the U.S. Constitution requiring states to give "full faith and credit ... to the public acts and judicial proceedings of every other state." In an unsigned opinion, the justices said that the clause did apply because questions of adoption were clearly within the jurisdiction of the court that granted V.L. parental rights. The court added: "A state may not disregard the judgment of a sister state because it disagrees with the reasoning underlying the judgment or deems it to be wrong on the merits."



Strictly speaking, this decision wasn't about marriage, either same-sex or opposite-sex. Nor does it require that spouses or partners in same sex couples automatically be accorded parental rights. But it is nevertheless significant in its recognition of the fact that children in this country sometimes have two parents of the same sex and that such arrangements are becoming both more common and increasingly recognized by the law.



Justice Anthony Kennedy emphasized that point last year in the same-sex marriage case. "Most states," Kennedy noted, "have allowed gays and lesbians to adopt, either as individuals or as couples, and many adopted and foster children have same-sex parents. This provides powerful confirmation from the law itself that gays and lesbians can create loving, supportive families."



But sometimes, as also happens with heterosexual unions, same-sex relationships break up. That is no reason to dissolve the bonds between children and their adoptive parents.



This editorial appeared on the Los Angeles Times and was distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.




Living under the constant threat of terrorism, whether from religious extremists or North Korea, it is important to give proper legal tools to the National Intelligence Service (NIS). By no means would it mean handing a blank check to the spy agency but rather it should be conditional on how it earns public trust through rigorous oversight and the agency's own efforts to embrace accountability and improve transparency.



After all, the NIS has been often used as a "willing" tool by those in power to spy on or stymie political foes and create a favorable political situation for the ruling party. Even the current government faced allegations that the spy agency was used in the 2012 presidential election.



Following the passage of the antiterrorism bill, a bill against cyberwarfare is being pushed by the government. But the agency's latest behavior raises a question about its trustworthiness.



A day after President Park Geun-hye stressed the urgent need for an action on the bill at the National Assembly last week, the NIS revealed that North Korean hackers infiltrated top diplomats' mobile phones, making it look like it was engaged in an act of self-promotion. Then, it fell silent without explaining what it's been doing to thwart the North's hackers or prevent the recurrence of cyberattacks. It dropped more hints Friday through a briefing to lawmakers, but questions remain.



If it had failed to detect the North's attempts beforehand or revealed its ongoing investigation, it would mean the agency was incompetent or committed potentially criminal misconduct through a breach of secrecy. More importantly, it risked deeper mistrust by the public.



The NIS should remember the recent mass migration to a foreign messaging service by people who are worried about being snooped on following the passage of the antiterrorism bill, which critics argue strengthens the agency's authority without increasing supervision in proportion or forcing transparency.



There is, no doubt, a limit to the agency's self-regulation so it is important to empower the outside supervisory role to be assumed by the Prime Minister's office as stipulated in the terrorism law, for starters. This is the least that the government can do in order to force the agency to become more accountable and put the public worries to rest.



A tighter leash is also recommended for the NIS during the deliberations of the cyberwarfare bill. The NIS has cried wolf or acted as a servant for power one too many times that, although it is deplorable, its every step requires scrutiny.




A noncommissioned Army officer was seriously injured in a suspected suicide attempt near the heavily fortified border with North Korea on Friday, a military official said.



The sergeant first class, whose identification was withheld, shot himself at around 10:00 a.m. at his place of duty in Yeoncheon, located midway along the Demilitarized Zone which separates the two Koreas, the official said.



He was rushed to a nearby hospital, but his injury is not life-threatening, according to the official who asked not to be named.



The military is investigating the motive of the incident although "the sergeant first class appears to have attempted suicide," he said.



On Wednesday, another soldier, an Army officer, was found dead in the area in what was suspected to be a suicide by pistol. (Yonhap)




Google's Lexus SUV, left, crumpled its front left side after crashing the side of a public bus traveling at about 24 kilometers an hour in Mountain View, California, on Feb. 14. / Screen capture from YouTube



By Ko Dong-hwan

A self-drive Google vehicle has crashed into a bus  the first time the artificial intelligence vehicle has caused a crash. A video recording of the accident was released online on March 9.

On Feb. 14, Google's Lexus SUV, equipped with sensors and cameras that allowed it to drive itself, crashed the side of a bus traveling at about 24 kilometers an hour in Mountain View, California.





The collision crumpled the SUV's front left side, flattened a tire and tore off the radar Google had installed to allow the SUV to view its surroundings. The SUV was towed away.

Google's driver and 16 people on the bus were unhurt.

The Santa Clara Valley transport authority released the video and post-crash photos.





/ AP-Yonhap



The transit agency, according to the Guardian, concluded that the bus driver was not responsible, spokeswoman Stacey Hendler Ross said.

The crash is the first in which Google acknowledged its car made a mistake that led to a collision.

Google's driver and 16 people on the bus were unhurt.





The Santa Clara Valley transport authority released the video and post-crash photos.




The SLFP does not condone the continuation of the Emergency Regulations (The Public Security Ordinance) more than a day necessary

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Question: Ive rented a single-family home more than 15 years. My landlord is a homeowner association. I was served an eviction notice telling me I had 60 days to vacate, but doesnt provide my last date of possession. The line stating signature of person serving notice is blank. Doesnt it have to be signed? The form states if you fail to give up possession by the specified date, a legal action will be filed seeking possession and damages that could result in a judgment being awarded against you. I am disabled and have nowhere to move to. Are the laws different for a non-homeowner association landlord? The eviction notice does not state a reason why Im being evicted. Does it have to? Does the eviction notice have to be signed by the landlord who is purporting to evict me? Exactly how much notice must the landlord give me to move? Does my landlord have to pay my relocation fees, how much, and when does he have to pay it?

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Answer: All landlords, whether homeowner associations or not, must abide by the law, as must tenants.

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First of all, make sure that what your landlord sent was an eviction notice, not a three-day notice to pay or quit, which is sent out if a tenant hasnt paid the rent on time. That notice says, among other things, how much rent you owe the landlord. The notice must include the tenants name and the name of the person (either landlord or manager) who will accept payment from the tenant, under California Code of Civil Procedure 1161. There is no specific requirement for the notice to be signed by the landlord or building manager.

The eviction notice you describe has many problems.

The proof of service is part of the eviction notice and must be signed and dated by the person serving the notice (who might not be the landlord) or the eviction notice is invalid. The eviction notice must provide the specific date by which you must vacate the property. An eviction notice must state a reason why you are being evicted, otherwise it is invalid.

However, if your lease is expiring, this is not an eviction, and the landlord may not be required to provide a reason for terminating the lease agreement. In Los Angeles, no reason must be given in such circumstances. In other places, such as San Diego, a landlord must provide a valid reason to terminate the tenancy even if the lease is expiring. Check local ordinances to be certain.

If the landlord terminates a month-to-month tenancy and the tenant lived in the property less than 12 months, the landlord must provide at least 30 days prior notice to vacate. For tenants who lived in the property for more than 12 months, the landlord must provide at least 60 days prior notice to vacate, under California Civil Code 1946. If you live under a rent control ordinance, the landlord may not be able to terminate your lease but for a valid cause.

In specific circumstances, tenants in Los Angeles are entitled to relocation fees. The tenant must live in a residential unit under the Los Angeles Rent Stabilization Ordinance, also known as rent control, to qualify for relocation assistance. Tenants are not entitled to relocation fees when theyre evicted for breaking the lease, not paying rent, or when the tenant simply chooses to leave the unit and move elsewhere.

The most common circumstances under which a tenant is entitled to relocation fees are fairly specific, such as when:

 The landlord decides to remove the rental unit from the market permanently.

 The unit is converted into a condominium.

 The landlord decides to occupy the unit himself, or his spouse, his children, his parents, or a building manager.

 The landlord is required to comply with an order from a government agency.

Often, relocation fees are determined by the tenants age and the length of tenancy. But typically, relocation fees apply to tenants under rent control; single-family homes generally arent under rent control, so such fees may not apply in your case.

Avi Sinai, Sinai Law Firm, is an attorney specializing in landlord-tenant law and host of the Sinai Legal Blog at www.losangeleslandlordlawyer.com where landlords and tenants can ask questions and find answers at no cost. Vanitzian is an arbitrator and mediator. Send questions to Donie Vanitzian, JD, P.O. Box 10490, Marina del Rey, CA 90295 or noexit@mindspring.com.
Whether its introducing fantastically named college-football players, doing spot-on Obama impressions or making inspired mayhem across the TV dial, the comedy duo of Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele have been deservedly at the top of the sketch game for years, as socially provocative as they are goofy.

Hopes, then, run understandably high for their first feature film, an action-spoof called Keanu that made its work-in-progress debut at a late (like, end-at-3:30-a.m.-late) screening Saturday night at the SXSW Film Festival, an event at which the stars showed up and tossed stuffed animal giveaways into the crowd.

Key and Peele produced and star in the film, while the latter was also a writer. Keanu is directed by Peter Atencio, another ingredient in their secret sauce; he has helmed every episode of their hit Comedy Central show. In other words, its an all-in-the-family affair.

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The film focuses on underachieving stoner Rel (Peele) and his best friend/cousin Clarence (Key), a suburban square whose very presence riffs on racial preconceptions. (Warner Bros. New Line made Keanu and will release it in theaters April 29.)

The title is a reference to, yes, that Keanu, only this time hes a cat that saves Rel by showing up at his door after the stoner underwent a bad breakup--but whose disappearance sends him and Clarence on a crime-riddled spin through some of L.A.'s gang underworld. Its that kind of movie.

The film is at its best when the pair, often in impossible situations, are given a chance to do their up-close loose sketch work. That means one-liners -- We in the market for a new gangsta pet, Clarence ad-libs quickly when Peele shows a little too much interest in retrieving his prized kitten in front of a violent toughie -- but it also means the kind of rubbery reactions, on-the-spot impressions and other character comedy that works so well in three-minute installments.

The personae theyre known for -- Key the kind of high-energy pleaser and Peele the slower-talking, shoulder-shaking too-cool-for-schooler stoner -- are on display here, but also get scrambled when, for instance, Key is forced to go gangster. Indeed, race is on their minds, both in white and black respective perceptions as well as competing notions of black identity, as when Clarences tweedily white demeanor drops for something more street.

Earlier in the week, Atencio told The Times this was all part of the movies ambition.

The thesis of the show in a lot of ways was identity and where people feel comfortable and code-switching and different forms that identity can take on, he said. And that extends to the movie, and especially when it comes to masculinity and the expectations of men, and especially African American men, and how that changes depending on the context of their situation. (He also said that the thing that Im really excited about is that it certainly is everything comedically that people love about the show, but its in a different packaging. The guys are playing characters that are very grounded and much closer to who they are as people.)

In keeping with their style and the contractual requirements of modern comedies, a number of pop-culture in-jokes go beyond the title subject. A running George Michael gag gets closer to the patience threshold than a 1980s Top 40 radio station; more freshly, a celebrity cameo in the form of an unlikely actor lands nicely (lets just say those who want to see a Scary Movie staple reach an untimely end will be satisfied).

1 / 72 Kelly Rowland speaks during her Chasing Destiny SXSW interview at the Austin Convention Center on March 19. (Vivien Killilea / Getty Images for BET) 2 / 72 DJ Steve Aoki poses with a fan at the Pandora Discovery Den on March 19. (Rachel Murray / Getty Images for Pandora) 3 / 72 The Roots brought their legendary Jam Sessions to the festival for the first time during an exclusive performance at the Bud Light Factory on March 19. (Rick Kern / Getty Images for Bud Light) 4 / 72 Rapper Tory Lanez performs at the Pandora Discovery Den on March 18. (Rachel Murray / Getty Images for Pandora) 5 / 72 Actor Paul Reubens answers questions at the premiere of Pee-wees Big Holiday at the Paramount Theatre on March 17. (Mike Windle / Getty Images for SXSW) 6 / 72 Actors Joe Manganiello and Sofia Vergara attend the premiere of Pee-wees Big Holiday at the Paramount Theatre on March 17. (Mike Windle / Getty Images for SXSW) 7 / 72 Wynonna Judd, center, with her band the Big Noise attend the Pandora Discovery Den on March 17. (Rachel Murray / Getty Images for Pandora) 8 / 72 DNCE perform at Music Is Universal Styld.by Gap presented by Marriott Rewards and Universal Music Group at the JW Marriott Austin on March 17. (Christopher Polk / Getty Images for Universal Music) 9 / 72 Rae Sremmurd take the stage at the Bud Light Factory during the Interscope Showcase on March 17. (Rick Kern / Getty Images for Bud Light) 10 / 72 Har Mar Superstar performs on a table at the McDonalds Loft on March 17. (Jay Janner / Associated Press) 11 / 72 The Cactus Blossoms perform onstage during the Pandora Discovery Den on March 17. (Rachel Murray / Getty Images for Pandora) 12 / 72 Iggy Pop performs at ACL Live the Moody Theater on March 16. (Rich Fury / Invision/Associated Press) 13 / 72 Chvrches Lauren Mayberry performs at the MTV Woodies/10 for 16 taping on March 16. (Jack Plunkett / Invision/Associated Press) 14 / 72 Anderson.Paak performs at the MTV Woodies/10 for 16 taping on March 16. (Jack Plunkett / Invision/Associated Press) 15 / 72 Ryan Adams performs at Music Is Universal on March 16. (Christopher Polk / Getty Images) 16 / 72 John Legend headlines the AXE Collective + Crew on March 17. (Rick Kern / Getty Images for AXE) 17 / 72 Musicians Thao Nguyen, center, and the Avett Brothers attend a screening of A Song For You: The Austin City Limits Story on March 17. (Mike Windle / Getty Images for SXSW) 18 / 72 Actor-director Don Cheadle attends the screening of Miles Ahead on March 16, (Mike Windle / Getty Images for SXSW) 19 / 72 First Lady Michelle Obama speaks at the South by Southwest festival on March 16. (Neilson Barnard / Getty Images for SXSW) 20 / 72 Big Boi performs at South by Southwest Interactives closing party at Stubbs on March 15. (Jack Plunkett / Invision / Associated Press) 21 / 72 Actor Don Cheadle poses in the Samsung Studio at the South by Southwest festival on March 15. (Jonathan Leibson / Getty Images for Samsung) 22 / 72 Aluna Francis of AlunaGeorge performs at Spotify House during the South by Southwest festival on March 15. (Anna Webber / Getty Images for Spotify) 23 / 72 From left, recording artists Sleepy Brown, Ray Murray and Rico Wade of Organized Noize attend a screening of The Art of Organized Noize at the Paramount Theatre during the South by Southwest festival on March 15. (Mike Windle / Getty Images for SXSW) 24 / 72 Texas meets Hollywood near the Paramount Theatre as the South by Southwest festival kicks off in Austin, Texas. (Larry W. Smith / EPA) 25 / 72 A general view of The Powerpuff Girls parade and screening at SXSW on March 14. (Robin Marchant / Getty Images for Cartoon Network) 26 / 72 Seth Rogen, left, and Evan Goldberg answer questions at the premiere of the work-in-progress Sausage Party at the Paramount Theatre on March 14. (Mike Windle / Getty Images for SXSW) 27 / 72 Actor Greg Poehler, from left, actress Rachel Blanchard, You Me Her creator John Scott Shepherd and actresses Priscilla Faia and Melanie Papalia attend the SXSW premiere of AT&Ts Audience Networks You Me Her on March 15. (Vivien Killilea / Getty Images for DIRECTV/AT&T) 28 / 72 Actors Melanie Papalia, from left, Priscilla Faia and Greg Poehler attend a brunch celebrating the premiere of AT&Ts Audience Networks You Me Her on March 15. (Vivien Killilea / Getty Images for DIRECTV/AT&T) 29 / 72 Bella Thorne, a Shovel Buddies cast member, attends the movies South by Southwest screening on Monday. (Neilson Barnard / Getty Images for SXSW) 30 / 72 Motivational speaker Tony Robbins attends the screening of the documentary Tony Robbins: I Am Not Your Guru on Monday. (Mike Windle / Getty Images for SXSW) 31 / 72 Andrew Jarecki, director of the documentary The Jinx: The Life and Deaths of Robert Durst, speaks at SXSW on Monday. (Rich Fury / Invision / AP) 32 / 72 Actor Craig Robinson, at SXSW with the movie Morris From America, poses for photos in the Samsung Studio on Monday. (Jonathan Leibson / Getty Images for Samsung) 33 / 72 Comedian Hannibal Buress serves as host at the Spotify House on Monday. (Anna Webber / Getty Images for Spotify) 34 / 72 Rapper Tory Lanez performs at the Spotify House on Monday. (Anna Webber / Getty Images for Spotify) 35 / 72 Actors Dominic Cooper, from left, Ruth Negga and Joseph Gilgun attend the screening of Preacher at the Paramount Theatre in Austin, Texas on Monday during the South By Southwest festival. (Mike Windle / Getty Images for SXSW) 36 / 72 Directors Evan Goldberg, left, and Seth Rogen attend the screening of Preacher at Paramount Theatre during SXSW on Monday. (Mike Windle / Getty Images for SXSW) 37 / 72 Director J.J. Abrams speaks after the screening of Secrets of the Force Awakens: A Cinematic Journey at the Paramount Theatre during SXSW on Monday. (Mike Windle / Getty Images for SXSW) 38 / 72 R2-D2 attends the screening of Secrets of The Force Awakens: A Cinematic Journey at the Paramount Theatre during SXSW. (Mike Windle / Getty Images for SXSW) 39 / 72 Sia performs at Samsung Galaxy Life Fest at SXSW on March 13. (Rick Kern / Getty Images for Samsung) 40 / 72 Sia, background, and dancers perform at Samsung Galaxy Life Fest. (Rick Kern / Getty Images for Samsung) 41 / 72 Willie Nelson performs at the Spotify House during SXSW on March 13. (Anna Webber / Getty Images for Spotify) 42 / 72 James Caan attends a screening of his new film The Waiting at the Paramount Theatre on March 13. (Jack Plunkett / Invision/Associated Press) 43 / 72 Andrei Dementiev, wearing the GoPro camera setup, attends a screening of Hardcore Henry at the Paramount Theatre on March 13. (Jack Plunkett / Invision/Associated Press) 44 / 72 Singer Elle King performs onstage at Samsung Galaxy Life Fest at SXSW on March 13. (Jonathan Leibson / Getty Images for Samsung) 45 / 72 Actor Johnny Galecki experiences Samsung Gear VR at the Samsung Studio at SXSW. (Jonathan Leibson / Getty Images for Samsung) 46 / 72 Actresses Kate Micucci, left, Alia Shawkat and Gillian Jacobs at the Samsung Studio on March 13. (Jonathan Leibson / Getty Images for Samsung) 47 / 72 Director Mike Birbiglia attends a screening of Dont Think Twice at the Paramount Theatre on March 13. (Mike Windle / Getty Images for SXSW) 48 / 72 Scandal actress Kerry Washington speaks during South by Southwest at the Austin Convention Center. (Rich Fury / Invision / Associated Press) 49 / 72 Mr. Robot actor Rami Malek speaks during South by Southwest. (Rich Fury / Invision / Associated Press) 50 / 72 Mr. Robot actor Christian Slater speaks during South by Southwest. (Rich Fury / Invision / Associated Press) 51 / 72 Anthony Bourdain speaks during South by Southwest at the Austin Convention Center. (Rich Fury / Invision / Associated Press) 52 / 72 Jake Gyllenhaal, left, Jean-Marc Vallee and Bryan Sipe arrive at the screening of Demolition during South by Southwest at the Paramount Theatre. (Rich Fury / Invision / Associated Press) 53 / 72 Actor Alexander Skarsgard, left, director John Michael McDonagh and actor Michael Pena at a screening of their new movie War on Everyone during the South by Southwest Film Festival. (Jack Plunkett / Invision / Associated Press) 54 / 72 Actors Jordan Peele, left, and Keegan-Michael Key attend the screening of Keanu during the 2016 SXSW Music, Film + Interactive Festival in Austin. (Mike Windle / Getty Images for SXSW) 55 / 72 Miguel performs as part of the SteelHouse Concert Series during the South by Southwest Interactive Festival. (Gary Miller/Getty Images for SteelHouse) 56 / 72 Burt Reynolds sits on a 1977 Pontiac Trans-Am at the world premiere of The Bandit during the South by Southwest Film Festival. (Jack Plunkett / Invision / Associated Press) 57 / 72 Ellen Page speaks at a panel discussion during South by Southwest. (Rich Fury / Invision / Associated Press) 58 / 72 Vice Principals Georgia King, left, David Gordon Green, Jody Hill, Kimberly Hebert Gregory, Danny McBride and Walton Goggins gather during the South by Southwest Film Festival. (Jack Plunkett / Invision / Associated Press) 59 / 72 Zoey Deutch arrives at the premiere of Everybody Wants Some at the Paramount Theatre. (Rich Fury / Invision/Associated Press) 60 / 72 Director Richard Linklater at the premiere of Everybody Wants Some at the Paramount Theatre. (Rich Fury / Invision/Associated Press) 61 / 72 Actors Glen Powell, left, Juston Street, Austin Amelio and Wyatt Russell at the Samsung Studio at SXSW. (Jonathan Leibson / Getty Images for Samsung) 62 / 72 Dallas Mavericks wwner Mark Cuban speaks during Sports and VR, presented by Gear VR, at the Samsung Studio at SXSW. (Rick Kern / Getty Images for Samsung) 63 / 72 Festival goers experience Samsung Gear VR at the Samsung Studio at SXSW. (Rick Kern / Getty Images for Samsung) 64 / 72 Actors Nathan Parsons and Ksenia Solo at the Samsung Studio at SXSW. (Jonathan Leibson / Getty Images for Samsung) 65 / 72 President Barack Obama, right, talks with Texas Tribune Editor in Chief/CEO Evan Smith at the Center for Performing Arts in Austin as part of the South by Southwest Festival. (Pablo Martinez Monsivais / AP) 66 / 72 President Barack Obama waves upon his arrival on Air Force One at Austin Bergstrom International Airport. Hell speak at SXSW and attend two Democratic National Committee fundraisers. (Pablo Martinez Monsivais / AP) 67 / 72 The First Order, from Star Wars: The Force Awakens, has landed at SXSW. (Vivien Killilea / Getty Images for Walt Disney Studios) 68 / 72 The Austin Convention Center is ready for the publics arrival on the first day of South by Southwest in Austin, Texas, on Friday. (Larry W. Smith / EPA) 69 / 72 A state trooper and a volunteer walk through the hall inside the Austin Convention Center before the public was let in on the first day of the South by Southwest festival. (Larry W. Smith / EPA) 70 / 72 People line up inside the Austin Convention Center to register on the first day of SXSW. (Larry W. Smith / EPA) 71 / 72 People wait in line to see President Obama participate in a South by Southwest interactive panel on March 11 in Austin, Texas. (Erich Schlegel / Getty Images) 72 / 72 Visitors look over movie posters inside the Austin Convention Center at SXSW. (Larry W. Smith / EPA)

But the action-spoof moments dont work as well, playing on every trope in the book with overdone absurdity, itself an overdone technique. As far back as 1980s comedies like Adventures in Babysitting were getting ordinary people into impossibly crime-riddled situations while, going back to Zucker-Abrahams-Zucker movies, many genre cliches were sent up with silliness. There are also at least six false endings.

The diminishing-returns rule of comedian-driven features, and the old line that five minutes of comedy can get weaker when it stretches to 105 minutes, is not always disproved here.

But Keanu is also admittedly a work in progress, and if theres one thing Key and Peele have proved its their ability to react nimbly (not to mention read a zeitgeist).

Before the film started, Peele riffed on the idea. if you like it, he told the audience, this is the finished product. If you dont like it, were changing it. he said, and this movie in fact isnt their movie at all--its John Wick 2. Heres hoping by the end of next month theyve retained all that works but made a few tweaks in the high-level spirit of that joke.

Times staff writer Mark Olsen contributed to this report.

@ZeitchikLAT
Regarding Letters, March 6: First, kudos to [letter writer] Joe McGrath for his comments on Global Entry Denial Brings Up Old Charge [by Catharine Hamm, Feb. 28]. He has it entirely correct. The applicant did not apologize for his crimes or for lying about them. Frankly, the government should not have granted redress.

Re: Family Seating, the letter writer talks about booking and making a family reservation. Frankly, I am at a loss here. When I book airline tickets, I first select my travel dates, then my choice of flights, then proceed to seat selection. I pick the seats I want. If there are not sufficient seats together for my party, I change flights, airlines or dates until I can find what I want.

No airline has ever not seated my group together, mainly because I always pick my seats myself. And the same applies to the letter writer, whom I presume is always vigilant about predators; travelers should select the seats they prefer. Again, if that is not possible, then change the travel parameters.

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Are there any Travel Letters readers who are not terminal whiners?

George Carney

San Gabriel

::

I also was denied Global Entry approval after forgetting an arrest 40 years earlier when I was 17. The interviewing agent repeated the question three times before I remembered an arrest resulting in a dismissal and the records being sealed under a youthful offender program in New York.

It took two months to track down and obtain a copy of the disposition of the arrest, which had been contracted to an archival service in Illinois.

Attempts to appeal were denied. I can only assume that a charge of trespassing and possession of a hash pipe (a.k.a. narcotic instrument) makes me a national security risk as a parent, homeowner and law-abiding citizen 40 years later.

As a footnote, even without Global Entry, U.S. Customs and Border Protection continues to confuse me with someone on a watchlist. Application of a special redress number intended to differentiate me from my doppelganger has proved ineffective, as Ive been relegated to secondary screening (a room filled with anxious and uncertain immigrants) four times in the last five years.

It annoys and angers me that I am more welcomed as a visitor elsewhere in the world than as a U.S. citizen returning home to my own country.

Keith Thompson

Foothill Ranch

Donner tragedy

The elegant hotels and glitzy brewpubs described in the Truckee feature [Both Downhill and Uptown, by Spencer Spellman, Feb. 28] are in glaring contrast to the brutal suffering and many months of misery the loosely named Donner Party endured there in the winter of 1846-47, after a freak early snowstorm prematurely halted their journey. It was hardly a party.

Donner Memorial State Park, briefly mentioned, is well worth visiting, if only to better understand the extreme living conditions and historical context of this tragedy in early California.

The Pioneer Monument pictured in the article is built to the exact height of the snowpack level that grueling winter. The people in the photo underneath look tiny by comparison.

Kyle Kimbrell

Playa del Rey
Rick Smegelski pulled back the hoist lever with his right hand, calculating how fast his load was rising.

As operator of Tower Crane No. 1 at the construction site for the Wilshire Grand, Smegelski looks upon downtown Los Angeles from his cab, 900 feet above Figueroa Street. Below him stood the signature element of this $1-billion-plus project, the tower, soon to become the tallest structure west of Chicago.

Im getting toward the end of my career, said Smegelski, 59. So this building is a pretty big feather in my cap. This will be here forever. I can take my great-grandchildren here and show them that I built it.

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One day last week, Smegelski had a special audience, and though he couldnt see or hear them, he knew applause was rising from the assembled dignitaries: architects, engineers, construction managers and representatives of the buildings owner, Korean Air.

Hey up, someone in the crowd shouted as the beam lifted by Tower Crane No. 1 cleared a latticework of steel that will one day support a skylight sweeping between the tower and adjoining ballrooms.

The 35-foot, 2,100-pound beam had been trucked in from Eloy, Ariz., and was tagged with signatures of the many people who had a piece of the project, from workers who poured the concrete foundation to executives who signed off on the plans.

1 / 21 A pedestrian walks past the Wilshire Grand hotel, center, currently under construction at Wilshire Boulevard and Figueroa Street in downtown Los Angeles. When finished, the Wilshire Grand will rise 1,100 feet high and become the tallest building west of the Mississippi. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times) 2 / 21 Brett Baker welds a belt truss to a box column on the 70th floor of the Wilshire Grand, currently under construction in downtown Los Angeles. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times) 3 / 21 The Wilshire Grand, far right, will be the tallest building in the Los Angeles skyline when it is completed, surpassing the U.S. Bank Tower, at left. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times) 4 / 21 Glass foreman Gary Wahlenmaier, right, looks on as glaziers Carlos Riviera, left, and Joe Guevara sign their names on a 35-foot-long steel beam inside the Wilshire Grand, currently under construction. The beam was later raised up by a crane to the 72nd floor where it was bolted in place. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times) 5 / 21 A welder works on the framing of the skylight located inside the atrium of the Wilshire Grand Center, under construction in downtown Los Angeles. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times) 6 / 21 A construction worker reaches out with a tag line as a crane operator lowers a window into position at the Wilshire Grand Center. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times) 7 / 21 Luis Sanchez, left, and Anthony Gutierrez work on level 64. of the Wilshire Grand Center. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times) 8 / 21 The Wilshire Grand Center, left with cranes on top, as seen from Kenneth Hahn State Recreation Area in Los Angeles. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times) 9 / 21 The Wilshire Grand Center, which is under construction in downtown Los Angeles, will feature an InterContinental hotel. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times) 10 / 21 The rising Wilshire Grand Center in downtown L.A. reflected in the Wedbush Building. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times) 11 / 21 Taping foreman Luis Cervantes, left, and taper Raymundo Avendano, apply fire tape to the dry wall on level 53 of the Wilshire Grand Center. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times) 12 / 21 Carpenters David Sprenger, left, and Abel Castaneda, work on the 51st floor of the Wilshire Grand Center. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times) 13 / 21 Iron worker Paul Graham, with safety line attached, walks along a 7 1/2 inch steel beam, as work begins on putting up the framework for the New Wilshire Grand project. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times) 14 / 21 An iron worker grabs onto a tag line while guiding a rebar wall into position above the concrete core of the New Wilshire Grand project. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times) 15 / 21 Iron worker Javier Jimenez guides a rebar wall, approximately 32 feet by19 feet into position as it hangs from a crane above the New Wilshire Grand project. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times) 16 / 21 Welder Marvin Chapman welds clips onto a steel column at Schuff Steel in Phoenix Schuff Steel is fabricating steel that will be used to build the new Wilshire Grand hotel. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times) 17 / 21 A steel beam is moved into position by crane at Schuff Steel in Eloy, Ariz., on Nov. 17, 2014. Schuff Steel is fabricating steel that will be used to build the new Wilshire Grand hotel. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times) 18 / 21 When completed, the Wilshire Grand hotel will be the tallest structure west of Chicago. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times) 19 / 21 Carpenter Angel Diaz uses epoxy to fill in holes while working at the Wilshire Grand Center. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times) 20 / 21 The Wilshire Grand Center under construction. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times) 21 / 21 The Wilshire Grand center. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times)

Construction projects celebrate many milestones, especially ones as ambitious as the Wilshire Grand.

In 2013 came demolition of the 16-story hotel that once occupied this site. In 2014, workers poured the foundation, a marathon 18-hour event, and now this, the completion of the concrete core, the central pillar of the tower.

The ceremony, known as the topping out, is a tradition for high-rises and includes sending an American flag and a small fir tree to the highest point.

But Smegelski knew that the events below, complete with barbecue and speeches, was mostly symbolic.

Months of work lie ahead before the top of the building is complete: a steel and glass crown with a spire and beacon reaching to 1,100 feet. But still, the concrete core was a feat unto itself: 32,000 cubic yards of concrete and 50 million pounds of rebar rising 892-feet, 6-inches from the foundation.

Chris Martin, head of the architectural firm that designed the building, told the crowd that in one year  on March 8, 2017  they will gather again to celebrate the end of construction.

His words were both a promise and a reminder not to let up. The date coincides with the birthday of Yang Ho Cho, chairman of Hanjin International Corp., which owns Korean Air.

Smegelskis beam, rising at 600-feet per minute, took 90 seconds to reach the top. He depressed his right foot, and the crane rotated toward the ironworkers, who stood ready to wire and bolt it into place.

The work is nothing special, Smegelski said. We do this all day long.

For more than two years, the Wilshire Grand, rising from the bedrock of the city, has become the daily focus for these workers, and what seems chaotic and inconceivable to passers-by is for them both routine and ordinary.

Humans get used to the weirdest things, said Marc Turcot, a superintendent with Turner Construction Co., which is managing the work. What you thought was impossible is now normal.

When Turcot first came here in 2013, the Wilshire Grand presented challenges he had never encountered. The 2.8-acre city block was no bigger than a postage stamp, leaving little room to store materials. Negotiating the flow of trucks took the patience of an air-traffic controller, and downtown  its 24-hour ebb and flow  crowded in on all sides.

The trades had conflicts as they got to know their jobs, he said. But job sites like this provide a lesson in human nature.

Construction has a way of finding the best ways of doing things just by putting people together, he said. At some point, you have to give in in order to move forward.

Today, the Wilshire Grand is a hive of activity, bearing the hallmarks of an assembly line as workers  up to 14 trades and 47 locals  have on average four days to complete their jobs on each floor before moving to the next.

As the final yards of concrete were setting on the 73rd floor, finishing work had begun far below, where the space is hemmed in by windows, sheet-rock walls and the pre-fabricated bathrooms, shipped in from Madera, Calif., and lifted by crane onto each floor.

On the 31st floor, workers are putting the finishing touches on the first hotel room, and tenants are being courted for the nearly 400,000 square feet of office space in the 18 stories below.

But as prosaic as the work can be, the view from the top seldom disappoints. From the 66th floor, the city spreads out like a Berber carpet, each loop in the crowded fabric a home, an apartment or office building.

Far below, downtowns public librarys four-sided tower is dwarfed by skyscrapers bearing the names of the citys corporations. At eye-level, these declarations read like cryptic ephemera: AON, Deloitte, PWC, KMPG.

Johnny McCormack has watched this view evolve. He has spent the last two years directing the delivery of concrete into the walls, and each week, a little more of Southern California emerged.

Everything just drops out from underneath you and you watch the city get smaller and smaller, lower and lower, McCormack said. Every week you would see different buildings and different pools.

First, the parking lot at Dodger Stadium became clear, then the headlights of the morning commuters streaming down Kellogg Hill in San Dimas, and one day an island no one in his crew knew existed. They thought it might be a ship, but then they found it on Google maps.

It was Santa Barbara Island, just on the edge of the horizon, more than 30 miles away.

The workers mark the passage of time by the completion of their jobs. They have seen tradesmen come and go, first the rod-busters who fashioned the steel cages that support the concrete, and now the concrete workers, who are left with mostly patching work here and there.

They have felt seasonal winds rattle the core with 70-mph blasts, and they have memories associated with this place they will never shake.

When crane operator Smegelski looks back on his 28 months on site, he thinks about his friend and fellow crane operator Robert Manos.

Smegelski met Manos in Las Vegas on projects more than 10 years ago. They came to Los Angeles together, finding a trailer in Temple City, closer to the job site than their homes and families in Santa Ynez and Bakersfield.

Manos died last August after a short battle with a brain tumor. He was 47.

On his cellphone, Smegelski keeps a video in memory of Manos.

All right, Robert, says a voice over a shot of the construction site. This is for you: a tribute from your fellow operators at the Wilshire Grand.

A loud blast from the air horns on the each tower crane booms through downtown in honor of Manos.

This week, they found space on the beam for the name of a friend who couldnt be here.

thomas.curwen@latimes.com

Twitter: @tcurwen

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Clippers rookie Branden Dawson is arrested on suspicion of felony spousal abuse
Famed dog whisperer Cesar Millan is defending himself amid an investigation by Los Angeles County animal control officials involving a pot-bellied pig that was attacked by a French bulldog mix during a TV episode.

Investigators are asking for the names of everyone who appeared on the Feb. 26 episode of National Geographic Wilds Cesar 911 show and also want to see the pig, officials said.

Then they will decide whether the canine-on-swine-related violence rises to the level of a crime, officials said Friday.

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Millan, however, said no crime occurred and that the entire episode is much ado about nothing.

I do have a large group of fans and a small group of people who dont agree with me. They are taking this the wrong way and blowing it way out of proportion, he said in an interview with the Associated Press.

Discuss this story on our Facebook page >>

In a statement, National Geographic Wild does not dispute that the French bulldog mix, named Simon, attacked the pig during training. The dog reportedly bit the pig in the ear, drawing blood. Later in the episode, the same pig appears to be leashed to the dog on a walk around a pen in an attempt to train it to co-exist with pigs  which was a big problem for Simon.

 A clip from Nat Geo Wilds Cesar 911 shows host Cesar Millan teaching Simon, an aggressive French bulldog/terrier mix, how to get along with his owners pot-bellied pigs. One pig, which Simon nipped, is later shown taking the dog for a walk.

Animal control officials said context is important in investigating allegations of animal cruelty, which were lodged Thursday by an animal rights activist who saw the episode.

We know what we saw, and if you saw the entire video, then you know what we know, said Aaron Reyes, deputy director for the L.A. County Department of Animal Care and Control. Theres no question that what happened, happened. A dog under Cesar Millans control escaped and attacked another live animal, in this case a pot-bellied pig.

The dog that was in question, that Cesar was attempting to train, broke away from him in the video, and immediately charged the pig. Now, what were hearing from the [complaining party] is that the biggest concern is someone had that pig, a male adult was holding one of those pigs, those rear legs, and holding the pig up, which made the pig squeal, which made the dog [go] into a frenzy. And it immediately charged at that pig. And the dog attacked, Reyes said.

Before filing the complaint, the activist called TMZ and let it know that he was going after Millan, Reyes said. The complaint against the celebrity dog trainer was filed soon after.

We dont investigate people; we investigate allegations, Reyes said.

Animal control officers and sheriffs deputies visited Millans home Thursday night and spoke with his son, who is a minor, Reyes said. The son notified Millan, who was out of state. Millan is cooperating with the probe, and investigators are waiting to see the pig, as well as to talk to other people.

Theres no history of animal cruelty complaints tied to the property where the February incident took place  a 45-acre dog-training ranch in Santa Clarita, Reyes said.

In a statement released to the media, National Geographic Wild explained what it said happened in the episode:

Millan was working with Simon, a French bulldog/terrier mix, who frequently attacked other animals, including his owners pet pot-bellied pigs. A short clip from the episode was shared online and showed Simon chasing a pig and nipping its ear, causing the ear to bleed. The clip caused some concern for viewers who did not see or understand the full context of the encounter. The pig that was nipped by Simon was tended to immediately afterward, healed quickly and showed no lasting signs of distress.

The dog ultimately did not have to be euthanized or separated from his owner, according to the statement.

For breaking California news, follow @JosephSerna on Twitter.

Hoy: Lea esta historia en espanol

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University of California President Janet Napolitano has announced a new sexual harassment review process for administrative leaders, amid furor over Berkeleys handling of misconduct claims involving its law school dean.

Napolitano also ordered new action against Berkeley law school dean Sujit Choudhry, who resigned this week after his former administrative assistant filed a civil lawsuit against him and the UC regents. In the lawsuit, Tyann Sorrell alleged that UC officials mishandled her complaints that Choudhry subjected her to continuous unwanted kissing and touching over several months until March 2015.

NEWSLETTER: Get essential California headlines delivered daily >>

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The Choudhry case represents the latest allegation that UC officials failed to properly handle sexual harassment claims involving faculty. This month, students and faculty members urged UCLA to take stronger action against history professor Gabriel Piterberg over his alleged sexual harassment of two female graduate students. University officials imposed a $3,000 fine and Piterberg was suspended for one quarter without pay.

Last year, Berkeley administrators decided not to fire Geoff Marcy, a renowned astronomer found to have sexually harassed female students for years, prompting his colleagues to mount a successful campaign to force him out.

And Graham Fleming, UC Berkeleys vice chancellor for research resigned last April after allegations arose that he sexually harassed a former campus employee. But he retained a position as an international ambassador for the schools planned Global Campus in Richmond  an arrangement Napolitano nixed this week in ordering him immediately removed from that job and all other administrative responsibilities.

In a letter to all 10 chancellors Friday, Napolitano said the rash of cases has underscored the importance of action against sexual violence, assault and harassment.

This issue is critically important to the University of California, and to me personally, she wrote. At a minimum, our employees are entitled to come to work without fear of sexual harassment or sexual violence.

She said university leaders must make sure that substantiated cases of sexual misconduct were dealt with firmly, fairly and expeditiously and that appropriate sanctions are imposed that recognize the serious nature of these claims.

Napolitano announced that a new systemwide committee would review and approve all proposed sanctions against senior leaders who violated UC sexual assault and harassment policies. She also ordered that all leaders -- chancellors, provosts, vice chancellors, vice provosts and deans -- complete sexual assault and harassment training by March 25.

A joint committee of administrators and academics is currently reviewing sexual misconduct policies involving faculty, with its report due next month. But Napolitano said the recent cases made clear that more immediate steps were needed.

In a separate letter, Napolitano directed Berkeley Chancellor Nicholas Dirks to bar Choudhry from campus for the rest of the term and institute disciplinary proceedings against him through the Academic Senate, which could result in suspension or dismissal. Napolitano also told Dirks that UC does not intend to defend Choudhry against Sorrells claims in court.

Berkeley officials, in an internal investigation last year, found that Choudhry had violated the schools sexual harassment policy. Choudhry acknowledged he hugged, kissed and touched Sorrell but not as frequently as alleged, according to a redacted campus report.

Provost Claude Steele imposed a 10% cut in Choudhrys annual salary of $415,000, reducing it to $373,500, and ordered him to undergo counseling and apologize to Sorrell. But Steele allowed Choudhry to retain his post at the prestigious law school until Sorrell filed her lawsuit Tuesday. The next day, Choudhry took an indefinite leave of absence, then resigned Thursday.

------------

FOR THE RECORD

A previous version of this story said Dean Sujit Choudhrys salary was $173,000, and that Provost Claude Steele had placed Choudhry on an indefinite leave of absence.

------------

In a statement provided by Berkeley, Choudhry said he disagreed with Sorrells allegations but could not comment further.

Berkeley spokesman Dan Mogulof said Dirks welcomed Napolitanos actions.

The chancellor and the president are on the same page  there needs to be decisive, rapid and dramatic change, Mogulof said. The chancellor knows there have been decisions in the past that are not defensible.

He said Dirks was consulting with experts on campus and beyond to improve Berkeleys response to sexual assault and harassment complaints.

More than 100 campuses across the country, including Berkeley and UCLA, are under investigation by the federal government for their handling of sexual misconduct cases.

For more education news, follow me @TeresaWatanabe

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Rescue boats, a helicopter and emergency crews on Sunday were searching for a man who was last seen clinging to a pylon in the waters below the Santa Monica Pier.

Harbor Patrol officers responded to a report of a swimmer in distress near the pier and found a person hanging over the railing, looking at someone in the water, said Captain Brian Jordan of the Los Angeles County Fire Department. The swimmer was reported last seen about 3 a.m. Sunday.

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Officers searched below the pier but couldnt find the swimmer, Jordan said.

The waters beneath the Santa Monica Pier are dangerous, Jordan said. Barnacles encrusting the pillars supporting the pier can slice a swimmers skin open and the current can be strong.

It was dark, it was cold, and there were waves, Jordan said.

Authorities have not connected any open missing person case to the swimmer, and the Harbor Patrol has never actually seen the missing swimmer, but authorities are searching regardless, Jordan said.

Witnesses said the swimmer was a man in black clothing. Its not clear if the witnesses knew the swimmer, Jordan said.

Crews from the Santa Monica Police Department, Coast Guard, Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department, and county lifeguards were searching the waters around the pier with several rescue boats Sunday morning, Jordan said.

Anyone with information about a potential missing swimmer is being asked to call the Coast Guard at 310-521-3815.

frank.shyong@latimes.com

Twitter: @frankshyong

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His reputation precedes him, along with his attitude and anecdotes and, now, the images of a near-riot that forced cancellation of a campaign stop just the night before.

So when Donald Trump appeared Saturday at a rally outside Dayton, it had the feeling of one of those boisterous homecoming events, with plenty of yelling, sneering and enough swagger and bravado to fill an entire airport hangar.

Election 2016 | Live coverage on Trail Guide | March 8 election results | Track the delegate race | Sign up for the newsletter

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When his custom Boeing 757 pulled up outside, the soundtrack from the movie Air Force One booming so loud it rattled bones, the crowd cheered.

When he stepped from the aircraft and flashed two big thumbs up, the crowd cheered.

When he belittled his rivals, Little Marco Rubio and Lyin Ted Cruz, the crowd cheered.

They knew his repertoire, like a concert audience come to hear their favorite hits.

Build a wall along Americas southern border and who will pay for it? Mexico, the audience shouted.

1 / 42 Donald Trump supporter Birgitt Peterson, center, of Yorkville, argues with protesters on March 11, 2016, outside the UIC Pavilion after the rally for the Republican presidential candidate was canceled. (E. Jason Wambsgans / Chicago Tribune) 2 / 42 Donald Trump supporters and protesters clash March 11, 2016, outside the UIC Pavilion after the rally for the Republican presidential candidate was canceled. (E. Jason Wambsgans / Chicago Tribune) 3 / 42 Donald Trump supporters and protesters clash March 11, 2016, outside the UIC Pavilion after the rally for the Republican presidential candidate was canceled. (E. Jason Wambsgans / Chicago Tribune) 4 / 42 Protesters and Donald Trump supporters struggle outside the UIC Pavilion in Chicago after it was announced that the rally for Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump was canceled March 11, 2016. (E. Jason Wambsgans / Chicago Tribune) 5 / 42 Protesters mock Donald Trump supporters who appeared stuck in the venues parking garage after the Republican presidential candidates campaign rally March 11, 2016, at UIC Pavilion was canceled because of security concerns. (Chris Walker / Chicago Tribune) 6 / 42 Protesters line up above the Eisenhower Expressway after Republican presidential candidate Donald Trumps campaign stop at the UIC Pavilion was canceled because of security concerns March 11, 2016, in Chicago. (Chris Walker / Chicago Tribune) 7 / 42 Police remove an activist after it was announced that a rally with Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump at the University of Illinois at Chicago was canceled. (Scott Olson / Getty Images) 8 / 42 Police restrain a man after confrontations broke out between anti-Trump protesters and police in Chicago. (Chris Walker / Chicago Tribune) 9 / 42 Police try to control the crowd on the street after Republican presidential candidate Donald Trumps campaign stop at University of Illinois-Chicago was canceled due to security concerns. (Chris Walker / Chicago Tribune) 10 / 42 The podium is empty after a rally for Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump was cancelled. (Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune) 11 / 42 Protesters against Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump chant after it was announced that a rally for Trump was canceled. (Charles Rex Arbogast / Associated Press) 12 / 42 Chicago police start to clear the crowd after a rally for Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump was canceled on the campus of the University of Illinois-Chicago. (Charles Rex Arbogast / Associated Press) 13 / 42 Supporters of Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, left, face off with protesters after a rally on the campus of the University of Illinois-Chicago was canceled. (Charles Rex Arbogast / Associated Press) 14 / 42 Supporters of Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, left, face off with protesters . (Charles Rex Arbogast / Associated Press) 15 / 42 Protestors shout down a rally scheduled by Businessman and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump forcing its cancellation out of concern for public safety at the University of Illinois at Chicago Pavilion. (Tannen Maury/ EPA) 16 / 42 A protester holds up a ripped Donald Trump sign before the start of a rally for the Republican presidential candidate at the UIC Pavilion on March 11, 2016, in Chicago. (Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune) 17 / 42 Protesters wearing shirts reading Muslims United Against Trump are escorted out the UIC Pavilion in Chicago prior to the start of a rally for Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump on March 11, 2016. (Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune) 18 / 42 A demonstrator is removed by Chicago police during a rally for Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump at the UIC Pavilion on March 11, 2016, in Chicago. (Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune) 19 / 42 People wait for the start of a rally for Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump at the UIC Pavilion on March 11, 2016, in Chicago. (Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune) 20 / 42 People gather at the UIC Pavilion for Republican presidential candidate Donald Trumps rally March 11, 2016, in Chicago. (Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune) 21 / 42 A Donald Trump supporter moves a jacket upon getting settled in at the UIC Pavilion for a rally for the Republican presidential candidate March 11, 2016, in Chicago. (Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune) 22 / 42 Ed Landmichl, of Chicagos South Side, waits for the start of a rally for Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump at the UIC Pavilion on March 11, 2016, in Chicago. (Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune) 23 / 42 Donald Trump supporter Valerie Schmitt, of Naperville, gets settled before Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks at a rally at the UIC Pavilion on March 11, 2016, in Chicago. (Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune) 24 / 42 People wear socks adorned with the U.S. flag while attending a rally for Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump at the UIC Pavilion on March 11, 2016, in Chicago. (Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune) 25 / 42 People wait for the start of a rally for Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump at the UIC Pavilion on March 11, 2016, in Chicago. (Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune) 26 / 42 Marco Maltbia, of Chicagos South Side, waits for the beginning of a rally for Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump at the UIC Pavilion on March 11, 2016, in Chicago. (Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune) 27 / 42 People arrive for a campaign rally at the UIC Pavilion on March 11, 2016, to support Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump. (Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune) 28 / 42 Protestors march in Chicago on Friday, March 11, 2016, before a rally with Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump at the University of Illinois-Chicago. (AP Photo/Matt Marton) (Matt Marton / AP) 29 / 42 Brian Wilkinson, 35, holds an American flag while Donald Trump supporters enter the UIC Pavilion on March 11, 2016, prior to the Republican presidential candidates rally. (Armando Sanchez / Chicago Tribune) 30 / 42 Donald Trump supporters line up March 11, 2016, at the UIC Pavilion in advance of a political rally. (Chris Walker / Chicago Tribune) 31 / 42 Button vendors Lorie Levi, left, and Deanne Golembiewski sell Donald Trump for President buttons outside the UIC Pavilion on March 11, 2016, in Chicago. (Jose M. Osorio / Chicago Tribune) 32 / 42 Jack Righeima, 15, left, and Andrew Alessia, 18, students from Aurora Central Catholic High School, play Trump the Game on March 11, 2016, outside the UIC Pavilion in Chicago. (Jose M. Osorio / Chicago Tribune) 33 / 42 June Pitts, center, of Oak Forest, waits in line outside the UIC Pavilion on March 11, 2016. (Jose M. Osorio / Chicago Tribune) 34 / 42 Linda Slabaugh, of Romeoville, a nurse and attorney, attends a rally for Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump on March 11, 2016, at the UIC Pavilion. (Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune) 35 / 42 epa05207005 Protestors shout down a rally scheduled by Businessman and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump forcing its cancellation out of concern for public safety at the University of Illinois at Chicago Pavilion in Chicago, Illinois, USA, 11 March 2016. Residents go to the polls to cast their votes in the Illinois primary on 15 March. EPA/TANNEN MAURY ** Usable by LA, CT and MoD ONLY ** (TANNEN MAURY / EPA) 36 / 42 Robert Maricle, of Peoria, stands in line outside the UIC Pavilion on March 11, 2016, for a rally with Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump. (Jose M. Osorio / Chicago Tribune) 37 / 42 Donald Trump supporter John Gora, of Chicago, proudly shows his T-shirt that reads Friends Dont Let Friends Vote Democrat as he stands in line outside the UIC Pavilion on March 11, 2016, in Chicago for a rally with the Republican presidential candidate. (Jose M. Osorio / Chicago Tribune) 38 / 42 Julie Contreras, from left; her daughter Ariana Aprim, 18; Salvador Contreras; and Gilberto Melchor-Sanchez hold a prayer vigil March 11, 2016, across the street from the UIC Pavilion in Chicago. The group, representing the League of United Latin American Citizens, is holding the vigil in anticipation of Donald Trumps presidential campaign stop. (Jose M. Osorio / Chicago Tribune) 39 / 42 Ariana Aprim, 18, with the League of United Latin American Citizens, shuts off electric lights at the site of a prayer vigil March 11, 2016, near the UIC Pavilion in Chicago. (Jose M. Osorio / Chicago Tribune) 40 / 42 A small shrine is placed at the site of a prayer vigil across the street from the UIC Pavilion on March 11, 2016, in Chicago. (Jose M. Osorio / Chicago Tribune) 41 / 42 Julie Contreras, with the League of United Latin American Citizens, sets up a sign near a prayer vigil across the street from the UIC Pavilion on March 11, 2016, in Chicago. Activists assembled in anticipation of Donald Trumps presidential campaign stop in the evening. (Jose M. Osorio / Chicago Tribune) 42 / 42 Kayla Utley, left, of Center Point, Iowa, holds a photograph of herself with Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump from a campaign stop as she stands in line outside the UIC Pavilion on March 11, 2016, in Chicago. With Utley are Trump supporters Giovanni Montalbano, center, of Park Ridge, and Travis Klinefelter, of Dubuque, Iowa. (Jose M. Osorio / Chicago Tribune)

Water-boarding is too good for the terrorists threatening the United States. Drown em, one man hollered.

The Republican presidential hopeful asked the audience of 2,000 or so if they wanted to hear a story  one he maybe shouldnt tell, he suggested  and they knew which one even before he started. Yes, they screamed, tell it.

The story was the apocryphal account of Army Gen. John J. Pershing killing Muslim terrorist in the Philippines with bullets dipped in pigs blood. When Trump finished, the crowd shouted its approval.

The rally was the first following the mayhem Friday night in Chicago, so Trump offered his account of what happened. The protests and violence that spilled into the streets was the work of professional agitators, he said, many associated with the communistic Bernie Sanders, the candidate running for president on the Democratic side.

Frankly, it would have been easier to go, Trump said, but I didnt want to see anybody get hurt.

His sacrifice, he concluded, was an excellent example of leadership and command under pressure. No one in the audience disagreed.

For some, though, the explanation was wholly unnecessary.

David Rife, one of those who came to see Trump on Saturday, said, yes, he knew all about the upheaval in Chicago.

Supporters are hyped up and then here comes along some punk or somebody confronting em and they dont want to hear it, said Rife, 62, who sells construction equipment for a living and dates a steep decline in sales to the instant President Obama took office. It is only just turning around, he said.

No, Rife went on, he didnt think Trumps incendiary comments at previous rallies  about punching people, and wanting to see protesters carried out on stretchers  was in any way responsible.

When he says, Hit that guy, hit that guy, hit him!, Rife said. Because hes right. Hes watching it from up there and seeing whats going on. 

Typical of a Trump rally there were intermittent catcalls and protesters interrupting the candidate. A handful of college-age demonstrators in the far back of the hangar chanted, Stop the hate!

At one point Secret Service agents swarmed a startled Trump after a man hurdled a barrier and attempted to take the stage. He was swiftly detained and soon Trump regained his composure.

I was ready for him, but its much easier when the cops do the job, dont we agree? Trump said.

He was interrupted several more times when demonstrators popped up throughout the audience. Trump responded with a characteristic mix of machismo and sarcasm. The protesters were quickly expelled  one pushing a walker  as the crowd took up the chant, Trump! Trump!  and USA! USA!

Get him out of here! he directed security officers as they marched off one demonstrator.

Go back home to mommy! he scoffed. Lock him in his bedroom!

The crowd roared.

By the way, Trump said a few moments later. Is there anything more fun than a Trump rally?

The crowd cheered.

Follow @markzbarabak for national & California politics.



ALSO

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After scuffles in Chicago, Trump tells supporters he can unite the country. Its a hard sell
Rubio criticizes Trump, calling his attitude toward violence not excusable

Florida Sen. Marco Rubio lamented the fractious tone of the campaign as he continued to barnstorm through his home state on Sunday, particularly pinning blame on GOP front-runner Donald Trump.

We are now seeing images on television we havent seen in this country since the 1960s, images that make us look like a Third World country, Rubio told an audience at The Villages, a mega-retirement community near Orlando.

Although he said some of the responsibility for violent acts at Trumps rallies lay with professional protesters, he criticized Trump for telling people in his audience go ahead and punch someone in the face, and Ill pay your legal bills. Thats not an excusable attitude.

We are now a nation where people hate each other, he said. We are now a nation where we are no longer capable of debating serious public policy without immediately concluding that the person who disagrees with you is evil. This cant continue.

Rubio sought to distance himself from the billionaire businessman on multiple fronts, including his approach to global trade.

While Trump has emphasized how globalization has harmed workers at home, Rubio said international markets present opportunity for the American economy.

They want to buy things from us, and they want to trade with us, Rubio said. And they want to be our investors and our partners and our collaborators and our clients and our customers.

And while Trump has taken a tone some see as hostile toward immigrants, Rubio played up his background as the child of immigrants, a theme he said every person in the audience had in common.

We are still the descendants of go-getters, every single one of us, he said

If youre an American  you are the descendant of someone that refused to accept the circumstances of their birth and came to America in search of a better life.
The two leading candidates for the Republican presidential nomination held a spirited debate over foreign policy last week, and the differences were striking.

Donald Trump would cozy up to Russian President Vladimir Putin, whom hes praised as a strong leader; Texas Sen. Ted Cruz would escalate our new Cold War with Russia. Trump wants to renegotiate President Obamas nuclear deal with Iran; Cruz promises to rip [the agreement] to shreds on day one. Trump says hed try to broker a peace agreement between Israel and the Palestinians; Cruz says hes not interested in talks and would back Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to the hilt.

See the pattern? Trump wants to make deals, and doesnt much mind whos across the table  Russian autocrat or Iranian mullah. Cruz doesnt want to negotiate, he wants to pick sides.

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Those are the differences. But there are similarities too.

When it comes to Islamic State, Trump and Cruz are on the same page  and neither has much of a strategy to offer. They have both suggested that intensified U.S. bombing can win the war. (It cant.)

Trump says hed aim to kill terrorists families, which would be a war crime. Cruz says hed carpet bomb Islamic State strongholds  a potential war crime, since it would needlessly kill civilians.

Neither cares much who rules Syria in the end, as long as its not Islamic State. We have no dog in the fight, Cruz has said. Trump says hed let Putin sort it out.

And while they both do their best to sound ferocious, neither wants to deploy U.S. ground troops. In that sense, Trump and Cruz are rather minimalist  just like Obama.

The rise of the two outsider candidates has been bad news for Republican internationalists, the hawkish conservatives who have dominated GOP foreign policy since World War II. Internationalists, who include such figures as former Gov. Mitt Romney and Sen. John McCain, think Obama has been too cautious about using U.S. power overseas. Many of them think the U.S. should be doing more in Syria  for example, setting up (and defending) safe zones for the opposition.

But thats not where most GOP voters are this year. The internationalists had two favorite candidates, former Gov. Jeb Bush and Sen. Marco Rubio, but the formers already out and the latter isnt faring too well.

Much of the country is clearly not where Republican internationalists would like it to be, said Robert Kagan, a former adviser to Romney. The American people, in both parties, are in a mood for retrenchment.

Want proof? Last month, Trump not only called the 2003 invasion of Iraq a big fat mistake, he said the George W. Bush administration lied to sell the war to the public. Republican voters barely blinked.

Trumps foreign policy departs from GOP orthodoxy on a host of issues. He wants to demand that Germany, South Korea, Japan and Saudi Arabia increase payments to the U.S. for military protection, moves that would strain those traditional alliances. He wants to slap tariffs on goods imported from China and Mexico, which would almost surely set off an expensive trade war. And, of course, he says hell force Mexico to pay for his wall on the border, although hes never explained how.

Cruz, too, has called the Iraq invasion a mistake. He hasnt accused Bush of lying, but he has accused Washington neo-cons, shorthand for the GOP neo-conservatives who backed the Iraq war, of indiscriminate military interventionism.

His favorite example: the overthrow of Libyan dictator Moammar Kadafi in 2011. In Cruzs view, the United States shouldnt have helped topple Kadafi; it should have protected him.

Kadafi was a bad man, he had a horrible human rights record. And yet  he had become a significant ally in fighting radical Islamic terrorism, Cruz argued last year.

Cruz believes the United States should relegate human rights concerns to a back burner, especially when it comes to the Middle East.

So if the GOP race comes down to a choice between Trump and Cruz, whats an internationalist-minded Republican to do? It looks like an unappetizing choice to me, but Id say: Choose Cruz.

Cruz is scary, but Trump is dangerous. Cruzs soft spot for pro-American dictators would actually be a return to the conservative orthodoxy that prevailed before Ronald Reagan injected democracy promotion into GOP foreign policy.

But Trump, who has a distinct authoritarian streak, seems to admire autocrats like Putin even when theyre not pro-American.

Kagan, who is writing a history of U.S. diplomacy, agrees that Cruz is the better option.

Trump is a throwback to the 1920s and 1930s view that the world can go to hell and its not our problem, he said. If Hitler were rampaging across Europe, Trump would say  as many said at the time  that hes someone we can do business with.

And if the choice is between Trump and likely Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton?

Kagan, who also worked in the Reagan administration, says hed vote for Clinton.

doyle.mcmanus@latimes.com

Twitter: @doylemcmanus

Hoy: Lea esta historia en espanol

Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion and Facebook

MORE FROM OPINION

Is America on the brink of returning to torture?

Why a smoking age of 21 is a bad idea

For Democrats, one thing is worse than President Trump: President Cruz
Donald Trump has declared his intentions: He wants to make America torture again. Hes said that as president he would use waterboarding and worse on terrorists and take out their families. We might expect such rhetoric from a candidate so politically inexperienced and prone to bullying, but what is more alarming is how little distinguishes his torture enthusiasm from that of the other leading Republican candidates, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio and Texas Sen. Ted Cruz.

Granted, neither is as blunt as Trump. Rubio refuses to condemn torture and then offers a favorite dog-whistle statement: Captured terrorists are getting a one-way ticket to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, [where] we are going to find out everything they know. Cruz relies on his well-honed double-speak; he claims to be against torture  which he then defines as excruciating pain that is equivalent to losing organs and systems. That, of course, was the same narrow definition the Bush administration used to justify its torture policies.

I spent five years in the Bush Pentagon as Navy general counsel and confronted such perverse thinking about torture then. I witnessed personally the damage inflicted on our military when it acceded to the demands of George W. Bush, George Tenet and Donald Rumsfeld to use torture. After the debacles of Guantanamo and Abu Ghraib, I saw how difficult it was to restore discipline, values and honor to the military, and how American lives were lost when terrorists and foreign fighters were given cause to join our enemies.

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If any of these GOP candidates make it to the White House, would anything prevent the U.S. from falling back into the moral and legal abyss of torture?

Gen. Michael Hayden suggested the answer might be yes during an interview last month. If [Trump] were to order that once in government, the American armed forces would refuse to act... Youre required to not follow an unlawful order, said the former director of the NSA and CIA on Real Time with Bill Maher. Hes right that torture and the targeting of innocents are violations of international (and U.S.) law. Hes right, too, that given the lessons learned after the Abu Ghraib scandal, the U.S. military would not carry out such an order.

But we should take note of Haydens silences as well as his words. He was mute, for instance, on what the CIA, the Department of Justice or other federal agencies would do if ordered to torture. Given that the CIA was the ultimate tool of choice to apply torture during the Bush administration, a refusal by the military to torture is no guarantee that other agencies would also refrain.

Its ironic that Hayden  the most vigorous current defender of CIA practices during the Bush era  is the one now sounding the alarm about Trumps torture talk. To be sure, Hayden arrived to lead the CIA after the Bush administration largely had suspended its use of enhanced interrogation techniques and extraordinary renditions. So he doesnt bear responsibility for creating those policies. But he did help shield the CIA from accountability and reform and, as a result, he helped make torture cost-free to those who devised and inflicted it.

Our failure to hold ourselves accountable drains the crime of torture of its proper gravity, serves to encourage those (like Trump, Rubio and Cruz) who wish to use it again, and helps explain why being pro-torture is no longer stigmatized. A 2015 Pew Research Center survey found that 73% of Republicans and 58% of all Americans think torture can be justified against people suspected of terrorism.

As mentioned, although Hayden said the military would not torture, he tellingly did not say the CIA would also refuse to do so.

Current CIA director John Brennan has devoted his skill and energy not to reform, but to blunting Senate oversight of its disastrous Rendition, Detention, and Interrogation program and to ensuring that those responsible for it stay on the promotion ladder.

If any of these GOP candidates make it to the White House, would anything prevent the U.S. from falling back into the moral and legal abyss of torture?

The story is much the same at the Department of Justice, which gave legal cover to the Bush administrations torture policies. It failed to censure any of the attorneys involved or to prosecute anyone for inflicting or authorizing torture. Instead the DOJ has, perversely, focused its energies on prosecuting torture whistleblowers; shielding torture documents from discovery in judicial proceedings; supporting a dysfunctional military commission system that cant resolve how to deal with the torture of its defendants; and asserting state-secret objections in federal courts to block every claim for civil remedies pursued by torture victims.

A President Trump or Atty. Gen. Cruz bent on restoring torture would find much to like at the DOJ and the CIA.

Compared with these largely unreformed agencies, the U.S. military looks positively enlightened. I have discussed the issue with scores of three- and four-star flag rank officers. To a man and woman, every one opposes torture and regards with contempt the Bush administrations decision to use it. Its illegality, though, is not the only reason. Like Arizona Sen. John McCain, they recognize that the character of an America that tortures is coarser than one that does not. They understand that we must foster a world that is less, not more, cruel and that adherence to the architecture of international law and human rights is in our national interest.

It is, of course, the military that experienced first-hand the strategic damage caused by our use of torture. Torture diminished our ability to sharply distinguish our principles and war aims from those of our Al Qaeda and Islamic State enemies. It hurt international public support for American leadership and tore at the fabric of the alliance we had created.

By using torture we also handed our enemies a gift. We alienated millions of Muslims whose support is critical to success in the war on terror. From Guantanamo and Abu Ghraib to the present, we enabled the Taliban, Al Qaeda and now Islamic State to use the theme of American cruelty against Muslims as a recruiting tool  and that message remains potent because it was true.

The fevered talk of torture in the Republican primary reveals how thoroughly the allure of torture has infected our nation, how shallow our understanding of the cost and consequences of torture remains, how lacking our leadership is on this critical issue, and how close we are again to picking up the weapon whose use would destroy what we seek to protect.

Alberto Mora, a senior fellow at Harvards Carr Center for Human Rights Policy, was general counsel of the Navy from 2001 to 2006.

Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion and Facebook
When black, Muslim and Latino student activists at the University of Illinois at Chicago heard last week that Donald Trump was planning a rally on campus, they did what any good organizers do in 2016: They went online.

Within days, thousands of people had liked a Facebook page called Stop Trump  Chicago. Tens of thousands added their names to a MoveOn.org petition calling on the school to cancel the rally.

Election 2016 | Live coverage on Trail Guide | March 8 election results | Track the delegate race | Sign up for the newsletter

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They all had one thing in common, said Casandra Robledo, a second-year student who helped organize the protest: We felt so strongly that Donald Trump and his bigotry and racism wasnt welcome here.

------------

For the Record

March 12, 4:13 p.m.: A previous version of this article referred to the Muslim Student Association as the Muslim Student Alliance and misspelled Assatas Daughters as Asatas Daughters.

------------

The students large demonstration at Trumps rally Friday night led the Republican presidential candidate to abruptly cancel his planned appearance and sparked a melee between Trump supporters and protesters that resulted in multiple injuries and arrests.

Trump took to Twitter on Saturday morning, calling the protesters thugs who denied him and his supporters their 1st Amendment right to free speech.

The organized group of people, many of them thugs, who shut down our First Amendment rights in Chicago, have totally energized America! he wrote.

The clashes marked the most violent episode of a campaign that has grown increasingly tense since the businessman and reality television star announced his bid for the Republican presidential nomination last summer.

1 / 42 Donald Trump supporter Birgitt Peterson, center, of Yorkville, argues with protesters on March 11, 2016, outside the UIC Pavilion after the rally for the Republican presidential candidate was canceled. (E. Jason Wambsgans / Chicago Tribune) 2 / 42 Donald Trump supporters and protesters clash March 11, 2016, outside the UIC Pavilion after the rally for the Republican presidential candidate was canceled. (E. Jason Wambsgans / Chicago Tribune) 3 / 42 Donald Trump supporters and protesters clash March 11, 2016, outside the UIC Pavilion after the rally for the Republican presidential candidate was canceled. (E. Jason Wambsgans / Chicago Tribune) 4 / 42 Protesters and Donald Trump supporters struggle outside the UIC Pavilion in Chicago after it was announced that the rally for Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump was canceled March 11, 2016. (E. Jason Wambsgans / Chicago Tribune) 5 / 42 Protesters mock Donald Trump supporters who appeared stuck in the venues parking garage after the Republican presidential candidates campaign rally March 11, 2016, at UIC Pavilion was canceled because of security concerns. (Chris Walker / Chicago Tribune) 6 / 42 Protesters line up above the Eisenhower Expressway after Republican presidential candidate Donald Trumps campaign stop at the UIC Pavilion was canceled because of security concerns March 11, 2016, in Chicago. (Chris Walker / Chicago Tribune) 7 / 42 Police remove an activist after it was announced that a rally with Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump at the University of Illinois at Chicago was canceled. (Scott Olson / Getty Images) 8 / 42 Police restrain a man after confrontations broke out between anti-Trump protesters and police in Chicago. (Chris Walker / Chicago Tribune) 9 / 42 Police try to control the crowd on the street after Republican presidential candidate Donald Trumps campaign stop at University of Illinois-Chicago was canceled due to security concerns. (Chris Walker / Chicago Tribune) 10 / 42 The podium is empty after a rally for Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump was cancelled. (Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune) 11 / 42 Protesters against Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump chant after it was announced that a rally for Trump was canceled. (Charles Rex Arbogast / Associated Press) 12 / 42 Chicago police start to clear the crowd after a rally for Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump was canceled on the campus of the University of Illinois-Chicago. (Charles Rex Arbogast / Associated Press) 13 / 42 Supporters of Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, left, face off with protesters after a rally on the campus of the University of Illinois-Chicago was canceled. (Charles Rex Arbogast / Associated Press) 14 / 42 Supporters of Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, left, face off with protesters . (Charles Rex Arbogast / Associated Press) 15 / 42 Protestors shout down a rally scheduled by Businessman and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump forcing its cancellation out of concern for public safety at the University of Illinois at Chicago Pavilion. (Tannen Maury/ EPA) 16 / 42 A protester holds up a ripped Donald Trump sign before the start of a rally for the Republican presidential candidate at the UIC Pavilion on March 11, 2016, in Chicago. (Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune) 17 / 42 Protesters wearing shirts reading Muslims United Against Trump are escorted out the UIC Pavilion in Chicago prior to the start of a rally for Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump on March 11, 2016. (Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune) 18 / 42 A demonstrator is removed by Chicago police during a rally for Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump at the UIC Pavilion on March 11, 2016, in Chicago. (Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune) 19 / 42 People wait for the start of a rally for Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump at the UIC Pavilion on March 11, 2016, in Chicago. (Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune) 20 / 42 People gather at the UIC Pavilion for Republican presidential candidate Donald Trumps rally March 11, 2016, in Chicago. (Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune) 21 / 42 A Donald Trump supporter moves a jacket upon getting settled in at the UIC Pavilion for a rally for the Republican presidential candidate March 11, 2016, in Chicago. (Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune) 22 / 42 Ed Landmichl, of Chicagos South Side, waits for the start of a rally for Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump at the UIC Pavilion on March 11, 2016, in Chicago. (Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune) 23 / 42 Donald Trump supporter Valerie Schmitt, of Naperville, gets settled before Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks at a rally at the UIC Pavilion on March 11, 2016, in Chicago. (Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune) 24 / 42 People wear socks adorned with the U.S. flag while attending a rally for Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump at the UIC Pavilion on March 11, 2016, in Chicago. (Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune) 25 / 42 People wait for the start of a rally for Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump at the UIC Pavilion on March 11, 2016, in Chicago. (Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune) 26 / 42 Marco Maltbia, of Chicagos South Side, waits for the beginning of a rally for Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump at the UIC Pavilion on March 11, 2016, in Chicago. (Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune) 27 / 42 People arrive for a campaign rally at the UIC Pavilion on March 11, 2016, to support Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump. (Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune) 28 / 42 Protestors march in Chicago on Friday, March 11, 2016, before a rally with Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump at the University of Illinois-Chicago. (AP Photo/Matt Marton) (Matt Marton / AP) 29 / 42 Brian Wilkinson, 35, holds an American flag while Donald Trump supporters enter the UIC Pavilion on March 11, 2016, prior to the Republican presidential candidates rally. (Armando Sanchez / Chicago Tribune) 30 / 42 Donald Trump supporters line up March 11, 2016, at the UIC Pavilion in advance of a political rally. (Chris Walker / Chicago Tribune) 31 / 42 Button vendors Lorie Levi, left, and Deanne Golembiewski sell Donald Trump for President buttons outside the UIC Pavilion on March 11, 2016, in Chicago. (Jose M. Osorio / Chicago Tribune) 32 / 42 Jack Righeima, 15, left, and Andrew Alessia, 18, students from Aurora Central Catholic High School, play Trump the Game on March 11, 2016, outside the UIC Pavilion in Chicago. (Jose M. Osorio / Chicago Tribune) 33 / 42 June Pitts, center, of Oak Forest, waits in line outside the UIC Pavilion on March 11, 2016. (Jose M. Osorio / Chicago Tribune) 34 / 42 Linda Slabaugh, of Romeoville, a nurse and attorney, attends a rally for Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump on March 11, 2016, at the UIC Pavilion. (Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune) 35 / 42 epa05207005 Protestors shout down a rally scheduled by Businessman and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump forcing its cancellation out of concern for public safety at the University of Illinois at Chicago Pavilion in Chicago, Illinois, USA, 11 March 2016. Residents go to the polls to cast their votes in the Illinois primary on 15 March. EPA/TANNEN MAURY ** Usable by LA, CT and MoD ONLY ** (TANNEN MAURY / EPA) 36 / 42 Robert Maricle, of Peoria, stands in line outside the UIC Pavilion on March 11, 2016, for a rally with Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump. (Jose M. Osorio / Chicago Tribune) 37 / 42 Donald Trump supporter John Gora, of Chicago, proudly shows his T-shirt that reads Friends Dont Let Friends Vote Democrat as he stands in line outside the UIC Pavilion on March 11, 2016, in Chicago for a rally with the Republican presidential candidate. (Jose M. Osorio / Chicago Tribune) 38 / 42 Julie Contreras, from left; her daughter Ariana Aprim, 18; Salvador Contreras; and Gilberto Melchor-Sanchez hold a prayer vigil March 11, 2016, across the street from the UIC Pavilion in Chicago. The group, representing the League of United Latin American Citizens, is holding the vigil in anticipation of Donald Trumps presidential campaign stop. (Jose M. Osorio / Chicago Tribune) 39 / 42 Ariana Aprim, 18, with the League of United Latin American Citizens, shuts off electric lights at the site of a prayer vigil March 11, 2016, near the UIC Pavilion in Chicago. (Jose M. Osorio / Chicago Tribune) 40 / 42 A small shrine is placed at the site of a prayer vigil across the street from the UIC Pavilion on March 11, 2016, in Chicago. (Jose M. Osorio / Chicago Tribune) 41 / 42 Julie Contreras, with the League of United Latin American Citizens, sets up a sign near a prayer vigil across the street from the UIC Pavilion on March 11, 2016, in Chicago. Activists assembled in anticipation of Donald Trumps presidential campaign stop in the evening. (Jose M. Osorio / Chicago Tribune) 42 / 42 Kayla Utley, left, of Center Point, Iowa, holds a photograph of herself with Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump from a campaign stop as she stands in line outside the UIC Pavilion on March 11, 2016, in Chicago. With Utley are Trump supporters Giovanni Montalbano, center, of Park Ridge, and Travis Klinefelter, of Dubuque, Iowa. (Jose M. Osorio / Chicago Tribune)

Activists angered by Trumps inflammatory statements on immigration, Islam and other topics now show up at nearly every public event.

They are typically escorted out by police as his supporters cheer. One Trump audience member was recently arrested after he punched a black protester who was being led away.

Ahead of the Chicago rally, the students cited safety concerns in letters to campus officials that urged them to cancel the event.

As an undocumented UIC graduate student, I feel unsafe knowing that Trump along with his followers will be at my university, organizer Jorge Mena wrote in an open letter to the schools administration. We already face systemic violence but were increasingly becoming targets of attack by his followers on and off Trumps campaign trail.

Some campus faculty joined in, penning a separate letter to school officials.

Amalia Pallares, a political science professor involved in the effort, said she believes Trumps divisive rhetoric is inconsistent with the universitys values of inclusion. We didnt feel this was the right venue for this kind of event, she said in an interview.

We were not opposed to free speech, she continued. It was a security issue. We felt that it would be a big challenge for the university to protect the students.

Planning for the event started Monday night, when leaders from a range of groups gathered in a campus lecture hall. They included the Black Student Union, the Muslim Student Assn. and the Fearless Undocumented Alliance, which advocates for immigrants in the country illegally.

Other local and national activism groups also got involved, including some local labor organizations, Black Lives Matter and MoveOn.Org, which has endorsed Democratic candidate Bernie Sanders.

Nick Berning, communications director at MoveOn.Org, said his organization printed signs for the protesters and sent out an email blast to its members in the Chicago area inviting them to join.

Tess Raser, an organizer with Assatas Daughters, a group of black women that has protested police violence, said her organization saw the protest as an opportunity to connect Trumps racist rhetoric with institutional racism in Chicago.

The demonstration kicked off Friday afternoon, with a rally on campus where Muslim and Latino immigrant students spoke. Protesters then marched to the rally site carrying a banner that read: Trump makes America hate. Our students make America great.

While some protesters stayed outside, others went into the event, many of them concealing anti-Trump posters under their clothes.

When Trump officials announced that the candidate wouldnt be appearing because of security concerns, the crowd erupted, said B. Loewe, an organizer with a Latino group called Mijente, who was present at the rally. Trump supporters were angry, he said, and protesters were celebrating.

Some protesters chanted, We stopped Trump, he said, while others sang the lyrics to a Kendrick Lamar song, We Gon Be Alright, that has become an anthem of the Black Lives Matter movement.

Others in the crowd yelled slogans in support of Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders.

Organizers of the demonstration and Sanders said Saturday that the protest was not in any way officially affiliated with his campaign, despite claims from Trump on Twitter that it was Clinton and Sanders people who disrupted my rally.

As is the case virtually every day, Donald Trump is showing the American people that he is a pathological liar, Sanders said in a statement. Obviously, while I appreciate that we had supporters at Trumps rally in Chicago, our campaign did not organize the protests.

On Saturday, as Trump held more rallies across the Midwest, activists in Chicago and around the country were talking about what comes next.

Tia Oso, national coordinator for Black Alliance for Just Immigration, which works with Black Lives Matter activists, said protests of Trump rallies will most certainly continue in the months ahead.

Hes viewed as this legitimate candidate and as people begin to see he could possibly lead this country, theyre going to push back against him and what hes throwing out there, Oso said. You cant go around saying youre going to ban all Muslims and not think people are not going to be upset. You cant bad mouth Mexicans and think everyone will just be all fine with it.

Patrisse Cullors, a leading force behind Black Lives Matter, said the protests, the disruptions will continue.

Without disruption there is no progress, she said.

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On a farm in the heart of Hawaiis ongoing dengue outbreak, coffee grows wild among the ferns, and vanilla vines climb guava trees. Its hard to know where nature ends and the farm begins, and thats the way organic farmers there like it.

But state efforts to combat the outbreak  and prevent the related Zika virus from making inroads on the island  could put these farmers out of business. Posting no spray signs on their properties, theyre pushing back on the use of pesticides to kill the mosquitoes that transmit both infections.

Global health officials have identified mosquito eradication as the key to curtailing the Zika outbreak that has taken hold in Latin America and been linked to birth defects in Brazil, as well as preventing it from taking hold in other areas where the Aedes aegypti mosquito is prevalent, including the southern U.S.

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Any place a dengue outbreak can occur, a Zika outbreak could occur, Lyle Peterson, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Preventions division of vector-borne diseases, told the Associated Press. Given the fact that many affected travelers could be coming to Hawaii as outbreaks occur around the Pacific, there

is always the possibility of infecting local mosquitoes.

But mosquito control is highly variable around the U.S., and a chunk of the $1.8 billion in emergency funding the Obama administration is seeking for Zika would go to shoring up those capabilities, Dr. Anne Schuchat, the CDCs principle deputy director, told a Senate committee this month.

In many areas, there are big holes, she said.

Plus, this mosquito species is an aggressive daytime biter that can live not just in the yard but inside the house. A little water left in a flower pot is enough for its eggs to hatch; they even can survive drought until rain returns.

Hawaii has had four cases of Zika, all in travelers to countries with ongoing transmission, according to the CDC. But local mosquitoes have infected 260 people on the Big Island with dengue fever. And the CDC reported active local Zika transmissions in Pacific islands that have a fair amount of traffic to Hawaii, including Samoa, American Samoa, the Marshall Islands and Tonga.

In a report, Peterson said staff shortages in the state Health Department and conditions on the island make it difficult to fight mosquito-borne diseases. The report cited abundant mosquito breeding grounds, dense vegetation, unoccupied homes and widespread use of cisterns to provide water to households.

On Old Ways Farm, organic farmer Steve Mann tends to his herbs with mosquito netting dangling from his straw hat.

He wouldnt allow his home or farm to be sprayed with pesticides. Its not organic, and that would cancel our certification for a period of three years, Mann said. That might well put us out of business.

Organic farmers arent the only ones pushing back. Hundreds of residents flock to the Legislature annually decrying their use.

Steve Okoji, supervising sanitarian for the state Department of Health, said his teams ask permission before spraying at homes and work with farmers on possible alternatives. But they have reached only a quarter of households in dengue-affected areas, instead of the recommended 90%, the CDC report said. Okoji said repeated visits have helped improve that number.

Hawaii slashed its mosquito control and entomology staff from 56 employees in 2009 to 25 this year. The state has redirected workers who usually perform sanitation and radiological health roles to help fight dengue.

We actually have an adequate amount of people and resources to meet this response  but what were doing is were just pretty much treading water, Okoji said. We need to actually try and get ahead of the disease.

The state is advising residents to remove standing water, fix leaky faucets and repair screens to keep mosquitoes out.

Dengue victim BreeLyn DuPertuis, a South Kona massage therapist and organic farmer, allowed crews to spray her property with pesticide.

I think if there was more resources put toward it, it would have been handled in a more effective way, DuPertuis said. Of all the times to act, and act aggressively, its now.

Bussewitz writes for the Associated Press.

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After Burroughs High junior Miles Lopez became fascinated with the German language in his German class, , he decided to pursue an exchange program. For the past seven months, hes enjoyed learning more about the language while living in Germany.

In Bevergern, a town of about 4,500 people, Miles resides with a host family made up of a mother, father, son and daughter.

NEWSLETTER: Get the latest headlines from the 818 straight to your inbox >>

The father works for the Army, and the mother is a veterinary nurse. My host sister is 21 years old and works quite a bit, and my host brother is 18 years old and goes to the same school as me, Miles, 16, wrote in an email.

In his time outside of school, Miles said he has explored nearby towns and castles as well as the nature [that] surrounds us.

He said hes enjoying the experience, but it hasnt been that different from what other teens do, just in a foreign country.

The days are filled with things such as school, spending time with my new family, studying the language, sometimes working out and riding bikes, hanging out with friends, or driving into the city for some dinner, shopping, to watch a movie, and the other things that normal teenagers like to do, he wrote.

Ive already been to quite a few different cities and countries, [including] Munich, Cologne, Hamburg, Italy and Holland, he added.

When he was a freshman at Burroughs, Miles signed up for a German for Beginners class, not long after he visited the country for the first time with his family during his first trip to Europe.

He eventually won a full scholarship to live in Germany for 10 months through the Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange program.

With the help of my teacher, [Nancy] Pierce, and her fantastic class, I was able to slowly get a feel for the complex language. Without the hours [she] spent on us, I would definitely not be where I am today, Miles wrote. The class gave me the courage and knowledge to confidently leave my home country and embark on this journey of a lifetime.

--

Kelly Corrigan, kelly.corrigan@latimes.com

Twitter: @kellymcorrigan
Highlights from the Angels 9-5 exhibition victory over a San Franscisco Giants split squad in Tempe, Ariz.

AT THE PLATE: Albert Pujols lined a two-run home run to left field, his first this spring, against Jake Peavy in the first inning and just missed a three-run home run in the fifth, hitting a 410-foot drive to the warning track in center field for an out. Johnny Giavotella had two hits, Yunel Escobar singled, walked and scored two runs, Andrelton Simmons doubled and scored on Carlos Perezs sacrifice fly in the second inning, and Mike Trout lined a run-scoring single to left field in the fifth. Reserve outfield candidate Todd Cunninghams two-run single in the sixth capped a three-run rally that gave the Angels a 7-5 lead. Cunningham also doubled and scored on Gregorio Petits single in the eighth. Ji-Man Choi had two hits, including a run-scoring single in the seventh.

ON THE MOUND: Hector Santiago was scheduled to throw four innings, but his high pitch count (66) limited to him 2 2/3 innings in which he gave up three runs  one earned  and four hits, struck out four and walked two. But the left-hander was pleased with the development of his slider, a pitch he is trying to use more this season, and his overall stuff and command. Today was a positive day, Santiago said. It may not look like it, but pitch-wise, I felt great, I located on both sides of the zone, kept the ball down, got a couple swings and misses with my changeup and slider, threw first-pitch curves for strikes  everything was where it needed to be. Mike Morin struck out two batters in a scoreless sixth inning, and Al Alburquerque struck out three in a scoreless seventh. Joe Smith gave up a long two-run home run to Mac Williamson in the fifth.

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EXTRA BASES: Escobar, the Angels third baseman, booted Trevor Browns hard grounder in the second inning for an error that allowed two runs to score.  Manager Mike Scioscia said Choi, a first baseman-outfielder who is competing for a bench job, has scrapped plans to switch-hit and will bat exclusively from the left side. He hit right-handed last year as an experiment, but we feel hes much more confident, and his swing is much more advanced, from the left side, Scioscia said.

UP NEXT: Rangers on Sunday, 1 p.m. PDT at Tempe Diablo Stadium. TV: FS West; Radio: 830.
Recent shootings on a road between two major tourist destinations in Laos have prompted the State Department to issue a travel alert.

Road 13 connects Luang Prabang, a UNESCO World Heritage site, and Vang Vieng, whose tourist attractions  tubing, kayaking and rock climbing, among them  are the draw.

On March 1, five people were wounded by gunfire on Road 13, similar to an attack Jan. 14 on a tourist bus, the State Department alert said. U.S. Embassy personnel may not travel on certain stretches of the road.

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The State Department did not mention a motive in its March 7 alert, but Radio Free Asia noted that construction on a dam had perturbed many in local communities. Among the injured in the March 1 attack were Chinese workers, who are doing some of the work on the dam.

Info: www.lat.ms/1QyKSDP

Worldwide caution

On March 3, the State Department updated a July 29 Worldwide Caution that gives an overview of terrorist threats by region.

In Africa, it notes that Al Shabab assassinations, suicide bombings, hostage taking and indiscriminate attacks in civilian-populated areas are frequent in Somalia and that the terror group retains its demonstrated capability to carry out attacks in government-controlled territory in Somalia and in neighboring countries such as Kenya and Djibouti.

On Monday, the Pentagon reported that a drone air strike against an Al Shabab training camp about 120 miles north of Mogadishu, Somalias capital, killed 150 people. Al Shabab, which is linked to Al Qaeda, was planning an attack, the Pentagon said.

The Associated Press also reported last week that the Australian navy had intercepted a cache of weapons headed for Somalia.

The State Department caution notes that Europe continues to be potentially vulnerable to terrorism.

Info: www.lat.ms/1OXWqMD

Turkey

On Feb. 29, the State Department issued a warning on travel to southeastern Turkey and said U.S. citizens should be careful throughout the country. This was an update of a Feb. 4 warning.

Recent attacks have targeted popular tourist sites, U.S. government buildings, police and other local authorities throughout Turkey, the State Department said.

Travel in southeastern Turkey near the Syrian border could be dangerous, it noted, and it also urged Americans to avoid crowds, especially at tourist areas.

Info: www.lat.ms/1Fq7Qut

Russia

Russian divers spent more than an hour on a 335-foot dive in the White Sea, the Russian Geographical Society reported, making it the deepest recorded below-ice dive on record. Water temperatures were nearly 30 below zero, but divers reported seeing life at that depth.

Austria

Be careful about belching in Austria. A Vienna bartender was fined after an after-dinner burp erupted that police said was too loud. The diner had just finished a dinner of a doner kebab.

The restaurant where the incident occurred decided to treat the bartender to a two-day all-expenses-paid trip to Turkey, known for its doner kebabs, a Turkish dish usually cooked vertically on skewers.

The company also paid the mans $77 fine, Associated Press reported.

Kyrgyzstan

You might also want to mind your manners in Kyrgyzstan, where a joke about sausage led to a Scottish mans deportation, UPI.com reported.

On New Years Eve, the man reportedly posted to Facebook an unsavory comment about the horse-meat sausage known as chuchuk.

Authorities at first said this was a crime under the countrys hate laws.

Despite his posted apology, he was arrested and could have spent five years in jail. The legal system eventually decided he had not stirred up any ethnic violence, but apparently the documentation that allowed him to work in Kyrgyzstan was faulty and he was deported.

Sources: The U.S. State Department, Radio Free Asia, Reuters, Associated Press, UPI.com

travel@latimes.com
Heres a stylish new travel website for discerning LGBT travelers.

Name: MrHudsonExplores.com

What it does: Handpicked beautiful hotels in major cities around the world including Berlin, Tel Aviv, Palm Springs, London, Madrid and Panama City.

Whats hot: The website focuses on gorgeous, welcoming hotels and stunning destinations. Its inclusive attitude is represented by a greeting for travelers who just like the look of its neat, refined online presence and are not members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender communities. Dont miss the Places to Explore section for a magazine-like guide to the citys best places to dine, drink, stay and shop. The site describes its namesake and inspiration, 17th century British explorer Henry Hudson, as a gentleman driven by a passion for adventure and discovery, who inspired thousands of people to follow in his footsteps.

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Whats not: The site is a little confusing about what audience it wants. Gay men seem to be referenced more than any other group, but the site really reads like a well-executed place for luxe travelers with a keen sense of design and style.
An insurgent group that has sometimes fought alongside the Taliban said Sunday that it would take part in peace negotiations with the government of Afghanistan.

The announcement by the military wing of Hezb-i Islami, led by former Afghan Prime Minister Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, comes weeks after the Taliban denied reports that it would engage in direct talks with the Afghan government.

Hezb-i Islami, Afghanistans second largest insurgent group after the Taliban, said in a statement that it was prepared to participate in the talks to show to the nation it wants peace.

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The peace bid is being led by the four-nation group of Afghanistan, Pakistan, China and the United States and is seen as the best chance in years for a negotiated settlement to end a conflict now in its 15th year.

But representatives of the four countries have failed to persuade the Taliban to come to the negotiating table, raising questions about the effectiveness of the effort. The participation of Hezb-i Islami, which had signaled a willingness to negotiate before, is unlikely to change the Talibans calculations, particularly as the Taliban has racked up military successes against government forces in recent months.

Though Hezb-i Islami said it accepted Kabuls calls for direct talks, it remained critical of the U.S. military presence in Afghanistan, which includes 9,800 troops focused on advising Afghan forces.

The U.S. insists on war and bloodshed in Afghanistan, and some circles within the [United States] government see the peace initiative as a threat, the groups statement read.

The statement comes days after the State Department designated two of the groups members as global terrorists and offered rewards leading to their capture. They were identified as Abdullah Nowbahar and Abdul Saboor, described as explosives experts who took part in a September 2012 bombing that killed 12 people near the Kabul airport.

The group claimed that the attack, which targeted a minivan transporting workers of a U.S.-contracted aviation company, was carried out by a female suicide bomber. The use of female suicide bombers is extremely rare in Afghanistan.

The State Department said Saboor also was responsible for a May 2013 suicide attack in Kabul that killed eight Afghans and four American civilians.

The group rarely claims responsibility for attacks anymore, and the strength of its forces is unclear. But it has taken a hostile stance against the Taliban, which Hekmatyar opposed during the groups six-year rule over Afghanistan in the late 1990s before forming alliances with some Taliban commanders following the 2001 U.S.-led invasion.

Hekmatyar has a long history with the United States. As a former commander of Afghan mujahedin forces who fought off the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan in the 1980s, Hekmatyar received financial and military assistance from the U.S. government, which viewed him as an ally despite his often hostile anti-American rhetoric.

In 1985, Hekmatyar was among a delegation of mujahedin commanders who were invited to the White House to meet with then-President Ronald Reagan. Hekmatyar traveled to the United States but refused to see Reagan.

He is currently believed to be in Pakistan. Last year, pictures of his son, Habib-ur-Rahman, flanked by Pakistani police, caused an uproar in Afghanistan, where many still believe that the Pakistani military is supporting Afghan insurgents.

Latifi is a special correspondent.
Germanwings co-pilot Andreas Lubitz saw several doctors in the month before he deliberately flew a passenger jet into a mountain, killing all 150 people on board, French air accident investigators revealed Sunday. Some of those doctors issued him sick leave certificates, and one referred him to a psychiatric hospital  but no one informed the airline due to patient privacy regulations, and Lubitz continued to fly.

Lubitz may have been suffering from a psychotic depressive episode at the time of the crash, and had been prescribed antidepressants and sleeping pills in the months before, the Bureau dEnquetes et dAnalyses (BEA) said in its 87-page final report on the tragedy.

German airlines rely on pilots to self-report any medical conditions that would prevent them from flying. Because Lubitz never told Germanwings that he was suffering from mental illness, no action could have been taken by the authorities or his employer to prevent him from flying, the BEA concluded. Germanwings, a subsidiary of Lufthansa, has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing, insisting that Lubitz was certified fit to fly.

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French investigators expressed frustration that doctors treating Lubitz refused to speak to the team conducting the inquiry, citing medical confidentiality.

The report recommended that airlines introduce more frequent medical evaluations for all pilots showing any kind of psychological or psychiatric problems, however minor, and urged changes to medical confidentiality rules that would allow them to be overriden in the interest of public safety. Investigators also called for greater support for pilots suffering depression, so they would be encouraged to admit they were ill and receive treatment rather than hide their condition for fear of losing their jobs.

The BEAs findings drew angry reaction from the victims families, who were briefed in advance of the reports release.

People were not happy at all with some of the explanations, Robert Tansill Oliver, whose son Robert Oliver Calvo was one of three Americans who died in the crash, told The Associated Press. Some of the family members felt as if these BEA representatives were Lubitzs lawyers  making excuses as to why Germanwings didnt take action knowing what they knew.

The report did not answer the question of how it is possible that such an ill person gets a pilots license, Christof Wellens, a lawyer for some of the victims families based in Bonn said.

And the statutory compensation offered by Lufthansa  around $34,430 for each victim -- is too low, lawyers representing the families say. Wellens said his clients were launching legal action against the flying school in Phoenix, owned by Lufthansa, where Lubitz trained, in the hope of winning a bigger financial pay-out.

It was here he first stopped his pilot training for a while because of psychological problems. He should never have been allowed to return to them, Wellens said.

On a March 24, 2015, flight from Barcelona, Spain, to Dusseldorf, Germany, Lubitz waited until the flight commander had left the cockpit to use the restroom, locked the cockpit door and deliberately set the Airbus A320s autopilot on a controlled descent into the French Alps.

Lubitz ignored frantic calls from airline crew, who tried to smash the cockpit door with a crowbar and fire extinguisher, to let them in and failed to respond to repeated calls from civilian and military air traffic controllers.

Sundays report confirmed that Lubitz appeared to have rehearsed the crash on the outbound flight from Dusseldorf to Barcelona earlier that morning, waiting for the captain to leave before briefly reducing the aircrafts altitude from 38,000 to 100 feet, then returning the plane to its cruising altitude after a few seconds.

The investigation revealed that Lubitz had begun suffering a severe depressive episode without psychotic symptoms in August 2008 and had made several no suicide pacts with his treating psychiatrist.

In February 2015, a private doctor diagnosed Lubitz with psychosomatic and anxiety disorders and referred him to a psychotherapist and psychiatrist. On March 9, another private physician gave Lubitz a sick leave certificate, which was not forwarded to Germanwings. The following day, the first doctor who saw Lubitz in February saw him again and referred him to a psychiatric clinic for treatment of possible psychosis.
At least six armed men attacked beachgoers outside three hotels Sunday in Grand-Bassam, sending tourists fleeing through the historic Ivory Coast resort town. Bloody bodies were sprawled on the beach in photos apparently taken at the scene and posted on social media.

Ivory Coasts government said security forces have neutralized the six attackers, adding that that security sweeps are being carried out.

Officials did not say immediately how many people were killed or injured.

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A detailed toll will be communicated in the coming hours, State Minister Hamed Bakayoko said in the statement. We urge the public to remain calm.

The bursts of gunfire sent people running from the beach at Grand-Bassam, a UNESCO World Heritage site and popular destination for Ivorians and foreigners about 25 miles east of Abidjan, Ivory Coasts commercial center. It was the third major attack on a tourism center in a West African country since November.

We dont know where they came from, and we dont know where theyve gone, said a receptionist at the Etoile de Sud hotel in Grand-Bassam. Everyone in the hotel was safe, and gendarmerie were present, he said. He would not give his name.

Beachgoers could be seen lining up with their hands above their heads as they filed out of the area. Residents who heard the gunfire hid in their homes, said Josiane Sekongo, 25, who lives across from one of the many beachfront hotels.

An American Embassy delegation was in Grand-Bassam on Sunday, but the U.S. Embassy in Abidjan said it is monitoring the situation and has no evidence U.S. citizens were targeted, nor confirmed reports that any were harmed.

Dozens of people were killed in the earlier attacks on West African tourist sites, starting with a siege at a Malian hotel in November and then an assault on a hotel and cafe in Burkina Faso in January. Analysts have warned for months that Ivory Coast, which shares a border with both of those affected countries, could be hit by jihadists as well. The West African attacks indicate that extremist attacks are spreading from North Africa, where a beach attack in June killed 38 people in Tunisia.

I have always said that Abidjan [Ivory Coast] and Dakar [Senegal] are the next targets for jihadist groups because these two countries represent windows of France in Africa, said Lemine Ould M. Salem, an expert on Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb and author of The Bin Laden of the Sahara.

He said the attackers could be from the extremist group Al Mourabitoun, associated with veteran Algerian terrorist and Al Qaeda loyalist Mokhtar Belmokhtar. He also said Boko Haram should not be ruled out. The Nigeria-based Boko Haram pledged allegiance to Islamic State last year.
Kate del Castillo ended two months of silence about her and Sean Penns controversial meeting with then-fugitive drug lord Joaquin El Chapo Guzman, saying Penns account of an encounter with a Mexican military checkpoint never happened.

The Mexican-born actress spoke in three days of interviews for an article in the upcoming issue of the New Yorker that was available online Friday, after largely keeping out of the spotlight since Guzmans recapture and the publication of Penns article about the meeting.

In his January Rolling Stone piece, Penn wrote that while traveling to meet Guzman they came across a checkpoint and were allowed to continue when soldiers recognized one of the cartel capos sons, who was traveling with the actors.

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NEWSLETTER: Get the days top headlines from Times Editor Davan Maharaj >>

According to Del Castillo, they didnt go through any military checkpoint, much less one where government soldiers waved them on, the New Yorker reported.

It added that two Argentine film producers who were riding in another car also have no recollection of encountering a military checkpoint.

The New Yorker said Penn maintains that his account is accurate, and he confirmed that in a response to a request for comment Friday.

I stand by my piece, the actor told the Associated Press via email, adding: I think Kate would be happier to separate herself from recollections that inflame the Mexican government at this point.

Del Castillo told the magazine the scene was not in an early draft that had been sent to and approved by Guzman, and it appeared only after a Rolling Stone editor asked Penn to add a more detailed description of their overland journey.

Guzman pulled off his second brazen escape from prison last July, fleeing a maximum-security lockup through a tunnel that accomplices dug to the shower of his cell. Penns lengthy Rolling Stone piece was published a day after Guzman was recaptured on Jan. 8 by Mexican authorities and several months after his meeting with the actors in fall 2015.

Del Castillo had been contacted by Guzmans lawyer the previous year and entered into an agreement for her to make a movie about the convicted drug lords life, and she had hoped to bring Penn on board with the project. She maintains she had no idea a magazine article was in the works.

She told the New Yorker she was unaware that Penn was bearing a letter of assignment from Rolling Stone when they met with El Chapo, and she felt blindsided when he announced to Guzman that he intended to write an article. Penn has insisted he told her beforehand, but she dismissed that as total and complete [bull].

This was not how I was expecting the night to be, she was quoted as saying. But at the moment I thought, maybe we can base the movie on this article.

The New Yorker reported that the Argentine producers said the article had been discussed on the trip, before the meeting with Guzman.

Mexican authorities are probing possible money-laundering involving Guzman and Del Castillos tequila business and have sought to question the actress, while saying she is considered a witness and has not been charged with any crime.

A kind of summons for her to be questioned has been issued, but Del Castillo, a naturalized U.S. citizen, has remained in Los Angeles where she lives. Her attorney in the United States says she has nothing to hide and is willing to talk to Mexican authorities

Del Castillo considers the probe a witch hunt, she told the New Yorker. She also alleged sexist treatment by the Mexican media, much of which has focused on a series of seemingly flirtatious text messages between her and Guzman that were leaked this year.

A spokesman for Mexicos presidency declined to comment.

Del Castillo said she was dismayed when Mexican authorities announced they had been able to find and capture Guzman thanks to his communications with actresses and producers.

I wanted to die, she was quoted as saying.

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Islamic State has launched two chemical attacks near the northern Iraqi city of Kirkuk, killing a 3-year-old girl, wounding some 600 people and causing hundreds more to flee, Iraqi officials said Saturday.

Security and hospital officials say the latest attack took place early Saturday in the small town of Taza, which was also struck by a barrage of rockets carrying chemicals three days earlier.

What the Daesh terrorist gangs did in the city of Taza will not go unpunished, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider Abadi said, using an Arab acronym for Islamic State during a meeting with local elders Saturday in Taza. The perpetrators will pay dearly.

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Sameer Wais, whose daughter Fatima was killed in the first attack, is a member of a Shiite militia fighting Islamic State in Kirkuk province. He said he was on duty on the front lines when the attack occurred early in the morning. He quickly ran home, where he said he could still smell the chemicals in the rocket.

We took her to the clinic and they said that she needed to go to a hospital in Kirkuk. And thats what we did, we brought her here to the hospital in Kirkuk, he said.

Wais said his daughter appeared better the next day, so they took her home. But by midnight she started to get worse. Her face puffed up and her eyes bulged. Then she turned black and pieces of her skin started to come off, he said.

By the next morning, Fatima had died, Wais said.

The hundreds of wounded are suffering from infected burns, suffocation and dehydration, said Helmi Hamdi, a nurse at the Taza hospital. He said eight people were transferred to Baghdad for treatment.

There is fear and panic among the women and children, said Adel Hussein, a local official in Taza. Theyre calling for the central government to save them. Hussein said a German and an American forensics team arrived in the area to test for the presence of chemical agents.

U.S. and Iraqi officials said a raid last month by U.S. special forces in northern Iraq captured the head of the Islamic State unit trying to develop chemical weapons.

The U.S.-led coalition said the chemicals Islamic State has so far used include chlorine and a low-grade sulfur mustard that is not very potent. Its a legitimate threat. Its not a high threat. Were not, frankly, losing too much sleep over it, U.S. Army Col. Steve Warren told reporters Friday.

Experts also say the extremist group appears incapable of launching a large-scale chemical attack, which requires not only expertise, but also the proper equipment, materials and a supply-chain to produce enough of the chemical agent to pose a significant threat.

The coalition began targeting Islamic States chemical weapons infrastructure with airstrikes and special operations raids two months ago, Iraqi intelligence officials and a Western security official in Baghdad told the AP.

Airstrikes are targeting laboratories and equipment, and further special forces raids targeting chemical weapons experts are planned, the officials said. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to brief reporters.

The extremist group is believed to have set up a special unit for chemical weapons research made up of Iraqi scientists who worked on weapons programs under Saddam Hussein as well as foreign experts.

The group is believed to have created limited amounts of mustard gas. Tests confirmed mustard gas was used in a town in Syria when Islamic State was launching attacks there in August 2015. There have been other unverified reports of Islamic State using chemical agents on battlefields in Syria and Iraq.

Separately, attacks across Baghdad on Saturday killed 13 and wounded 27. The attacks were mostly carried out with homemade bombs placed along roads in the capitals southern and eastern neighborhoods. There were no immediate claims of responsibility, but Islamic State often claims responsibility for bomb attacks in the Iraq capital targeting civilians. As the group has endured territorial losses in Iraq  most recently the city of Ramadi, which was declared fully liberated by Iraqi and U.S. officials last month  they have stepped up insurgent-style attacks in Baghdad and other areas far from the front lines.

Hamish De Bretton Gordon, a former British army officer and chemical weapons expert, says the use of chemical weapons by Islamic State also appears to be linked to losses on the battlefield.

As they get more and more pushed, were seeing them use it more and more often, he said. They are trying to prevent defeat.

Wais, Fatimas father, said he was planning to return to the front line against Islamic State as soon as possible. Now I will fight Daesh more than before, for Fatima.

ALSO

Germany says it has obtained files on Islamic State members

Islamic State detainee tells U.S. about chemical weapons plans

Palestinian brother and sister, 10 and 6, killed in retaliatory airstrike by Israel
For all the flack Donald Trump receives for his vague economic policy proposals, employers still view the Republican presidential front-runner as the ideal candidate for small businesses.

The Pepperdine University Graziadio School of Business and Management released a survey Friday indicating business owners prefer Trump over every remaining Republican and Democratic presidential candidate. Respondents chose Trump by a two-to-one margin, giving the real estate magnate a 34 percent favorability rating when it came to offering the best policies small businesses.

Democratic leader Hillary came in second with 18 percent, followed by Bernie Sanders at 12 percent; Ted Cruz at eight percent; and John Kasich with seven percent. Kasich won over 18 percent of mid-sized business owners, compared to Trump's 32 percent.

"Trump's popularity among small business owners is understandable since he is an independent business owner himself," said Dr. Craig R. Everett, assistant professor finance and director of the Pepperdine Private Capital Markets Project, in a press release. Small business owners have felt in recent years that politicians have abandoned main street priorities in favor of the needs of the large multinational companies."

Everett added, "Trump's unapologetic pro-business attitude dampens the blowback from his more disturbing comments among a sizable number of America's private business owners."

Small Business Concerns

The biggest takeaway from Pepperdine's survey is that business owners are afraid to hire new workers. Balancing the U.S. budget and reforming the Affordable Care Act were the biggest concerns among the 2,469 respondents, the latter a sign that Obamacare may be stretching small businesses beyond their means.

Overall, 82 percent supported a balanced budget; 55 percent want significant ACA reform while another 48 percent want it repealed altogether.

About one in three people believe government regulation was the factor likely to influence the country's gross domestic product growth this year. Similarly, 23 percent are concerned politics, primarily the 2016 presidential race, will have an impact on the U.S. GDP.

Trump and the American Economy

Trump's tax reform plan centers around four goals: bringing tax relief to the middle class, simplifying the tax code, growing the economy by discouraging corporate inversions, and ensuring the trillion-dollar deficit doesn't grow.

One of his arguments is that countries like Mexico and China take of imbalanced trades with the U.S. Some economists believe his plan to levy high tariffs on these countries is sound, if anything because it would make them reconsider their trade practices.

Others, like AFL-CIO deputy chief of staff Thea Lee, warn that it could lead to another recession.

"His proposals aren't viable, they're not practical and they're hypocritical, to be honest, said Lee, in her appearance on CNBC's "Power Lunch" earlier this week. "There's no question that we have a terrible disadvantage right now because of our trade policies have failed, but obviously he's talking about policies that would be outside of all our current trade agreements and trade rules."
A Georgia police department has launched its first ever Hispanic citizen's police academy in hopes of fostering a better relationship between the community's rising immigrant population and area law enforcement.

The Duluth police department is now training a class of 30 students made up of area residents with the goal being to help locals overcome their growing fear and distrust of law enforcement, particularly when it comes to the issue of deportation.

Detective Heading Program is Former Puerto Rican Police Officer

"I've found that's the main concern, that's the main problem in the Hispanic community," said Detective Havier Bahamundi, who before joining the Duluth department in 2007 spent 17 years as an officer in Puerto Rico.

Over the last several decades, large swaths of Hispanic and Asian immigrants have settled into a 10-square-mile stretch of Duluth known as Pleasant Hill Road. As the immigrant population has grown, so too have the worries about authorities looking to deport as many unauthorized immigrants as they can.

Before Program Many Hispanics Steered Clear of Police

The end result is many Hispanics in the area now steer clear of police at all cost, even in situations when they themselves have been the victim of a crime.

In heading up the program, Bahamundi is hoping the outreach will began to chip away at the layers and layers of suspicions the two sides have long harbored for one another. Part of the message he insists officers want to drive home is that they are not immigrant agents interesting in jump-starting any deportation actions.

"It's amazing how the Hispanic community responded," he said. "I'm still receiving calls from the people who want to apply."

If the program ends as well as it started, the department might consider more courses, perhaps one for the Korean population, added a department spokesperson.

The tenements of the course stem from a similar program run by the nearby Norcross police department. The Duluth department put out word of its program on local Spanish speaking television and radio ads.
The European-Russian ExoMars mission is destined for Mars this month in an expedition that could answer the age-old question of whether there is life on other planets.

The spacecraft is slated to lift off from the Baikonur spaceport in Kazakhstan aboard a Proton rocket on March 14, at promptly 5:31 A.M. (ET), marking the start of a seven month sojourn with the spacecraft expected to land on Mars sometime around October.

During the ExoMars 2016 first part of the two-phase mission, the spacecraft will carry an atmospheric probe designed to sniff out such gases as methane that might radiate near Mars and contain a satellite that will track a rover from space. The mission will also include testing out various technologies that might be needed for the second part of the mission in 2018, when a Mars rover will be launched.

The spacecraft consists of an orbiter used to measure methane and other gases in the Martian atmosphere and a lander, known as Schiaparelli, to study dust storms.

NASA Mars Rover Curiousity Previously Detected Methane

Back in 2014, NASA's Mars rover Curiosity detected spurts of methane gas in the planet's atmosphere. Here on Earth, methane is a chemical that on is strongly tied to life.

Many scientists have narrowed the discovery down to two possibilities: That the methane could stem from micro-organisms known as methanogenes, that became extinct millions of years ago and left gas frozen below the planet's surface, or that some methane-producing organisms still exist.

"Proving that life exists or has existed on Mars would show that Earth is not unique in terms of having life on it," Rolf de Groot, head of the European Space Agency's (ESA) Robotic Exploration Coordination Office, recently told Reuters.

"That would make it much more likely that there are other places in the universe that also have life," he added.

Another possibility could be that the methane is produced by geological phenomena, similar to the oxidation of iron.

2018 Mission Will Look to Analyze Samples

The 2018 part of the mission, where a European rover is delivered to the surface of Mars, will be the first time such an instrument has had the ability to both move across the planet's surface and drill into the ground to collect and analyze samples.

"The radiation from space destroys all the biological material," added de Groot. "If you go two meters into the ground you may be able to find places that were protected (from radiation)."

The total U.S. cost of the ExoMars mission is expected to top $1.4 billion. In 2018, NASA also plans to launch a Mars spacecraft, a satellite known as InSight and designed to study the deep interior of Mars.

Related Space News

NASA Astronaut Scott Kelly recently returned from a yearlong stay in space where he reportedly grew taller after he returned to earth.

Word is Kelly was two inches taller upon his return from his International Space Station mission. The Verge reports such growth typically happens because of a lack of gravity in space, which results in the spine stretching to longer dimensions.

The new height is expected to only be temporary, with the eventually expected to shrink him back down to his original height.
T-Mobile and Verizon begins to update the HTC One M8 unit to Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow. Subscribers can expect new Marshmallow features such as Google Now On Tap, Doze, and App permission on the One M8 devices after update installation.

HTC's Mo Versi revealed last week via Twitter that T-Mobile and Verizon just got technical approval to roll out Marshmallow OS. Earlier this week, Lawyer Herald reported that both T-Mobile and Verizon already started releasing the official Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow update for HTC One M8 units. Sprint is the first US carrier to release Marshmallow to One M8, Verizon and T-Mobile come in second place. In addition, T-Mobile and Verizon subscribers can now fully enjoy the Marshmallow update on their devices by just following specific installation instructions.

According to GSM Arena, Verizon users will receive the software version 4.17.605.17 and 6.21.605.3 package, while T-Mobile users will have the 6.20.531.5 build. Both versions are Android 6.0 based and are 1.14 GB in size. Users are advised to have a Wi-Fi network connection or a strong Verizon or T-Mobile Wireless signal before installing the firmware. The update might take a while to download and install so users should not forget to charge their devices. The battery should be charged up to at least 50% before proceeding with installation.

Marshmallow is the latest major Android OS update and it comes with some changes and improvements. Based on the article of Phone Arena, T-Mobile' LG Stylo also has updated to Android 6.0 with software version H63120b and 767 MB size.

The new Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow update introduces Google Now on Tap functionality. This new feature allows the device to generate relevant information based on whatever is on the screen. Marshmallow also comes with a new app permissions system that allows users to customize permissions per application.

Marshmallow also debuts Doze Mode that can extend battery life by putting background apps in a deep sleep state. The update also enables the use of microSD cards as default storage, Chrome custom tabs for improved in-app web browsing, and more goodies.

HTC told customers that the Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow for One M8 has HTC-specific changes. Users can expect changes on user interface, update to built-in apps, performance upgrades, and stability enhancements on their devices. AT&T subscribers might have to wait for a while as there is no official announcement yet for its rollout of Marshmallow update.
The United Nations has warned that the recently drawn up deal between the European Union and Turkey to ease the migrant crisis might be illegal as it violates long-cherished principles on human rights. Under the pact, the EU would push refugees back to Turkey, which will receive political and financial support in exchange.

The deal is a product of the EU-Turkey summit held in Brussels on Monday. Turkish Prime Minister Ahmed Davutoglu suggested the "quick fix," under which every Syrian refugee or migrant who makes his way to Greece will be forcibly sent back to Turkey. More specifically, for every Syrian returned to Turkey, EU would accept another. The refugee accepted by the EU will then be assigned to a member state through a quota system.

United Nation's refugee agency (UNHCR) strongly opposed the agreement, arguing that it is tantamount to a violation of fundamental human rights.

"The collective expulsion of foreigners is prohibited under the European Convention of Human Rights," said UNHCR Europe regional director Vincent Cochetel, via Al Jazeera. "An agreement that would be tantamount to a blanket return of any foreigners to a third country, is not consistent with European law, is not consistent with international law."

The "one-for-one" deal comes with a bargain that will be advantageous to Turkey. Compliance with the agreement means Turkey will receive more funding to sustain the refugees returning to the country, which is estimated at around 6 billion. According to Straits Times, the EU-Turkey deal also grants faster approval of visa-free travel for Turks to Europe as well as expedites the discussions regarding Turkey's long-stalled EU membership.

Meanwhile, NATO will be allowed access into Turkey's territorial waters to facilitate the transfer of refugees.

Human Rights Watch refugee rights director Bill Frelick commented that the deal puts the European Union's integrity and values at stake.

In response to the criticism against the deal, Turkey has promised to comply with international law and treaties. According to a senior Turkish government official, the UNHCR will also assist in implementing the agreement.

"UNHCR will certainly not be excluded on any work conducted between Turkey and the EU. UNHCR will take part in the execution and the implementation," the official, who refused to be named, told Reuters.

Turkey is looking at a May 1 deadline to complete measures and other preparations to accommodate the influx of refugees and migrants once the deal takes effect. Among the measures taken are the passage of the personal data security law and introduction of biometric passports.
Second-gen Dacia Duster coming next year

Mar 13, 2016, 7:00am ET

Dacia might expand the Duster lineup with a seven-seater model.

Dacia has confirmed it will introduce the second generation of its popular Duster SUV next year.

Official details are vague at best, but rumors indicate the next Duster will likely shift to the modular CMF platform found under Renault's Talisman, Megane, Scenic, and Espace models, as well as Nissan's Qashqai and Rogue crossovers. The new architecture will make the Duster noticeably longer than the current model (pictured), and it will allow Dacia to expand the lineup with a seven-seater model for the first time.

Mechanically, the Duster will continue to use gasoline- and diesel-burning four-cylinder engines borrowed from the Renault parts bin. A manual transmission and front-wheel drive will come standard, and buyers will be able to pay extra for an automatic transmission or four-wheel drive. The next Duster will be at least as capable off-road as the current version thanks in part to a generous amount of ground clearance.

More details about the second-generation Dacia Duster will emerge in the coming months, and the SUV is tentatively scheduled to greet the public for the first time at next year's edition of the Geneva Auto Show. Built in its home country of Romania, it will go on sale across Europe a few weeks after its debut.

Photos by Ronan Glon.
Mar 13, 2016, 1:59pm ET

Nissan creates glow-in-the-dark Juke

Two \"GlowJukes\" were created for an Aussie art and music festival

Nissan has found perhaps the perfect use for the Juke's already funky styling: a canvas for even funkier glow-in-the-dark art.

Nissan Australia recently took a pair of new Juke crossovers to White Nights, a 12-hour, dusk-to-dawn, Melbourne-area art and music festival. The cars were first dipped glow-in-the-dark paint. Then two artist were invited to use black paint and markers to create what is perhaps the ultimate dorm room black-light poster.

Artist Chris Le used the glowing Juke to pay homage to a Japanese TV series called Monkey Magic, which was popular in Australia in the 1970s. He titled his illustration Journey to the West, the Chinese fable of the Monkey King on which the TV program was based.

The second team of artists, Josh Meyer and Josh Brown, call themselves Snake Hole. Perhaps expected, they drew snakes. "Our initial impression when we saw the JUKE was it had snake-like characteristics," Snake Hole explained. "The grill, headlights and long smooth lines resonated immediately with us."

Throughout the event, onlookers were encouraged to participate by using lights from their mobile phones to draw on the cars' light-absorbent surfaces. The project, of course, has its own hashtag, #glowjuke, if you'd like to follow along. Or, just watch the video below.
About 30 residents gathered Sunday in protest at the site of a proposed 312-apartment development that they say doesn't belong near single-family homes in Palmer Township.

This is a rendering of the Palmer Point development, 312 apartments proposed by Lou Pektor at 3100 Charlotte Ave., Palmer Township. (Courtesy photo)

"We're not opposed to development," said John DeRemer, who lives near the site. "We support something here, but 312 apartments is just over the top. They're really pushing the envelope."

Developer Lou Pektor is seeking permission to build "Palmer Point," a three-story development made up of apartments at 3100 Charlotte Ave., an abandoned ITT industrial site. Pektor also is seeking approval to construct higher than two stories to improve the site's "architectural excellence."

Pektor's plan calls for 156 one-bedroom apartments and 156 two-bedroom units. There would be a clubhouse, pool, walking trails, children's play area, dog park and common areas. The 28-acre site currently is zoned light industrial and would need to be changed to residential.

The project is before the Palmer Township Board of Supervisors. Supervisors are required to make a decision within 90 days of the plan submission, but since the hearings aren't over, Pektor has waived that requirement.

Residents Sunday morning stood at the other end of the proposed development on Hartley Avenue, carrying signs, reading, "Tell Palmer Supervisors We Don't Want 312 Apartments on Hartley Avenue."

Several said they only learned about the project in December and felt they had been left in the dark, believing it was discussed among the board in prior months. The planning commission gave the project its endorsement in November.

"I was upset with the board of supervisors not letting us know right away," said Joseph Gagliano, who lives at 2900 Hartley Avenue. "We pay taxes. We'll remember this at election time."

Resident Christina Galdieri, another Hartley Avenue resident, said apartments go hand in hand with crime.

"We fear there's going to be drugs," she said.

Others said schools will become overpopulated, property values will decrease and additional traffic is unsafe for children living on Hartley Avenue.

"My concern is the speedway it already is," said Susan Paci, a mother who lives in the 2900 block of Hartley Avenue. "I don't let my daughter play on the front lawn unless I am there. God forbid, a ball or Frisbee goes into the street. It's not easy to stop a dump truck on a dime."

"The safety of the children is a major concern," echoed resident Rachael Perkins.

Pektor previously said the old ITT facility, abandoned in 2008, is too dilapidated to be renovated and must be razed. The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection authorized an environmental cleanup in 2014 that left the interior gutted and the windows boarded up.

The developer is billing the apartments as upscale. Pektor said rents for the one-bedroom units would be about $1,000 to $1,100. Two-bedroom apartments would be about $1,400 to $1,600.

Pektor could not immediately be reached for comment Sunday afternoon.

Pamela Sroka-Holzmann may be reached at pholzmann@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow her on Twitter @pamholzmann. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.
A man armed with a handgun, facing a personal crisis, refused to comply with police orders and barricaded himself in his home for hours Saturday in Lehigh County, authorities said.

Five homes were evacuated during the standoff in Salisbury Township, and residents of other homes in the well-appointed neighborhood were asked to shelter in place, township police Sgt. Donald Sabo Jr. said Saturday night.

No one was injured as police resolved the situation with the man's surrender at the home in the 900 block of Buckingham Drive, Sabo said. The man, in his 20s, was taken to Lehigh Valley Hospital, Salisbury Township, for a medical evaluation and crisis intervention.

The incident began about 2 p.m. with a call to township police from a county social-service agency about the crisis.

Police closed the incident about 6:45 p.m., shortly after the man's surrender.

No one else was in the home during the standoff, police said.

Police were not identifying the man and said no charges would be filed in what police labeled a behavioral intervention and medical incident.

"Ultimately we're looking for a successful resolution, which it was," Sabo said.

Kurt Bresswein may be reached at kbresswein@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @KurtBresswein. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.
Here is the full text of Tim Farrons speech to the York conference rally this weekend:

When youre sat in the front row, its impossible to miss your cue to get on stage.

But for those of you who were at conference in the autumn, you may have noticed I was a little late to the stage.

I was sitting very happily having a cup of tea in the green room, completely oblivious to what was happening

I didnt think I was due on for at least 5 more minutes.

So, in my own good time, I wandered on stage, reasonably calm and collected, unaware that panic had set in.

People were dashing around backstage trying desperately to find me.

One member of my team, frantically rushed into the toilets thinking I was stuck inside and broke down a door.

So, not only do I have to apologise to the Bournemouth Arena for the broken door but also to the poor person who was actually sat on the toilet at the time.

Thank you so much to Lauren and all the amazing people whove spoken tonight.

With talent and energy like that we know that our future is very bright.

I met Lauren when I went to campaign in her council by-election.

She knew everyone and everything about that community.

I was massively impressed. I said, Lauren how long have you lived here?

18 years she said. I thought for a second. How old are you Lauren?  18.

Well for Lauren, and anyone here who wants to, I hope that each one of our new members tonight has the best opportunity to become a member of parliament.

And Im not going to be neutral about this. I am crystal clear that we can make a difference and make that happen by supporting Sundays diversity motion, and creating a better chance of getting them there.

I dont believe in laissez faire economics because it doesnt create fairness. Surely now we understand that laissez faire doesnt create fairness when it comes to diversity.

And thats one of the reasons were all here in York, and why we come to conference.

To debate our polices;

debating diversity;

debating cannabis when no other party has the confidence to do so;

and debating the intrusive way the Government wants to gather our most personal data.

Together we are shaping the fightback

one member one vote, opening our doors and opening our debate to every member, shaping this movement, building our distinctive, radical, Liberal agenda that can transform Britain from the grassroots up.

And there are millions of liberals in this country. Our mission is to turn them into Liberal Democrat members.

As we heard from Saleyha, she joined because she believes in what we believe in.

Of course, Saleyha joined  crucially  because someone asked her.

So, Im sure you have seen there are two membership forms on every seat.

My challenge to you is to recruit two new members each before the end of this month.

And together we will be part of a growing, exciting team that will make a difference in May, and secure the result we all want in the referendum.

So, the EU referendum. If like me, you were born after 1957, this is the first time you will get to vote on our future in Europe.

This is likely to be the biggest vote you will ever cast.

So its important we weigh up all the arguments. And in that spirit youll see that there is a stall here for the Leave campaign.

And they are here for 2 reasons.

One, we are lovely liberals who like a debate.

Two, they are giving us cash.

Cash, ladies and gentlemen, we will spending on a campaign, to beat them.

So, this is the biggest campaign you will ever fight.

The biggest stakes, the most to gain, the most to lose.

So the campaign has begun.

Lots of noise and its only going to get louder.

People in the UK are waiting for a clear honest case.

Over these last few weeks as Ive been knocking on doors, more and more people are mentioning Europe.

And most of them, dont want to tell me their views, they want to know mine.

Now obviously, theyve come to the right person  trust me, Im a politician.

So lets be honest about where we stand.

We believe that Britain is stronger in Europe.

And this vote is so much more important than the tedious internal Tory party soap opera thats playing out in the news every day,

And more important, indeed, than what the Queen really thinks about Michael Gove.

I, of course, would not dream of speculating as to Her Majestys views on Europe.

All I will say is that she is a shining example a shining example of European integration and harmony  of how a Greek family and a German family can be united in peace and happiness for 70 years.

Aside from the soap opera, people really want to know the substance.

They want to know what it will mean for their family, for their business, their job, their childrens future, our safety.

So here goes:

200,000 British companies currently export goods to Europe.

Yes we pay in, but the CBI says Britains access to the European single market is worth 78 billion pounds.

The car industry, reliant on European trade, employs 700,000 people.

The single market gives us access to 500 million consumers.

British families benefit from cheaper goods and services  everything from phone tariffs to flights  are cheaper because of European cooperation.

So you can fly on holiday for less, and then when you get there post really tedious selfies from the beach at a fraction of the cost.

Thousands of criminals are no longer on our streets because our police can share information.

And hundreds of criminals have been brought back to justice here in Britain.

And British workers have better annual leave, they have better protections from harassment at work, and better maternity leave.

Strength in numbers, clear benefits, common sense.

So there is an enormous net financial, economic and business benefit of being Europe.

That doesnt stop those who want to exit, constantly talking of the cost of being in Europe.

But I look around our continent, at the scars of the last hundred years, and I see a far more painful cost of a dis-united Europe.

People have different reasons for their stance on Europe.

Business interests, the opportunities for their children, or maybe they just saw an opportunity to gain a bit more attention in their bid to become the next Tory leader.

But for me, one thing stands out above all else.

Countries who once had warheads pointing at each other, today work together in peace.

I dont remember the last war.

But I remember the cold war.

Theres an odd, stone building in the woods near our village, and I always joke with the kids that its the entrance to a nuclear bomb shelter, that there are four men from Kendal still down there, fighting over the last potnoodle thinking the bomb dropped three decades ago.

When I was a teenager, I remember coming down Fishergate Hill in Preston on a Sunday morning.

I did a double take because the old laundrette had changed hands, instead it had become a showroom for nuclear fallout shelters.

I was 14, and I thought: One, nuclear fallout shelters cost a lot of money,

Two, nobody I knew in Preston had any money, Three, here was a shop apparently successfully selling these things anyway,

Four, ergo, the end of the world was imminent.

And that threat might seem laughable now.

But it wasnt then.

It was 1984, we lived in a divided Europe, we lived in the shadow of the bomb.

Now, as it happens, I drove down Fishergate Hill with my dad a couple of weeks ago and its gone back to being a laundrette.

Over those years, Paranoia and aggression has given way to cooperation and hope.

After decades of brutal conflict, European nations came together.

Countries behind the iron curtain are our allies.

The Warsaw Pact gave way to a unified Europe.

Those who wish to turn their backs on Europe, turn their backs on history.

When we face a dangerous world, I want to stand with my neighbours.

I thank God that today, that our leaders sit around a table with leaders of countries who a generation ago had nuclear weapons on their soil pointed right here.

If that was the only reason to remain, it would be good enough for me.

So, our arguments are powerful, the cause is crucial but the campaign is not going to be easy.

But we will make it even more difficult if we refuse to accept that things arent perfect.

Just as we know that Westminster is not perfect. So Europe is not perfect.

Just as we want to change Westminster, we should also want to change the European Union.

And you dont affect change by storming off in a huff.

As any kid whos picked up the ball in a sulk and stalked off home will tell you, thats not the way you make friends.

And its definitely not the way to win the match.

Before we can convince the British people that Europe offers a great future for Britain, we should recognise that too often the Union appears out of touch and out of reach.

It needs further renewal and reform to meet the challenges of the 21st century.

By leading, and not leaving, we can maximise our influence to drive renewal and reform of the EU.

This is Britains time to lead the way.

Lets reduce the moments where it has become too burdensome, bureaucratic and bloated, but lets drive forward the things it does so well, to create opportunity, drive prosperity and open our eyes to the world.

Lets complete the single market, and drive forward the digital economy.

Lets give small business much greater representation in Brussels.

And lets spearhead green growth and sustainability.

Some of the rhetoric in the campaign recently has been unpleasant to put it mildly

Iain Duncan-Smith has said wed be at greater risk of Paris style terror attacks if we remain, and people on both sides have tried to scare monger about borders, refugees and migrants.

Using desperate people fleeing war and terror, as pawns to score points, is appalling and it is weak.

This campaign needs the opposite.

This campaign needs strength and compassion.

If the leave campaign wish to play nasty, we cant really affect that.

The same forces who used images of babies in incubators to campaign in the AV referendum cant wait for a race to the bottom on immigration, migration and refugees.

But Liberal Democrats, I will not stand for it.

There are many people on the leave side who are complaining about something they call project fear.

Now, as you know, I believe that being in Europe is better for Britain, and I know I can run a campaign that is positive, that is hopeful, optimistic and praises the benefits of our membership.

But, I cant ignore the fact, that the prospect of leaving scares me.

Its quite sensible to be afraid of something that is dangerous.

But to use fear of the other, to demonise those who are different to you, that is disgraceful and we will call it out whenever we see it.

And to make matters worse, all this anti-European nationalism is charting the way for Neil Hamiltons political comeback.

The Hamiltons!

Neil Hamilton is now the top of the list for UKIP in Wales.

What on earth has Wales done to deserve that?

And not only is Neil Hamilton on the list. Mark Reckless, the poor-mans Douglas Carswell, is also looking to Wales for his comeback.

Two Englishmen who took democracy for granted, assuming that Wales will accept what England has rejected.

Another reason why Kirsty Williams leadership is so vital in giving Wales positive politics against the rise of nasty isolationism.

So the referendum, do you remember AV? That went well.

Do you remember, at the time, there was a newly elected left wing Labour leader who wouldnt put his back into the campaign?

Sound familiar? History seems to be repeating itself.

Jeremy Corbyn, please do not let your own internal party chaos get in the way of winning this campaign.

I know you may have wanted to leave in the past, but we treat your conversion as genuine and so I ask you to show the zeal of the convert and get on board.

If ever there was a time you needed to show your party, and the country, that you can lead, now is that time.

Shall we cross party lines, put our party interests aside for the good of our country?

Because if you wont, Ill make a direct appeal to those Labour party members now.

The Liberal Democrats are a united force.

We are Britains internationalist party.

We believe in international cooperation, that Britain stands tall in the world because we stand tall in Europe, that British business is more successful, that our streets are safer, and we are better equipped for those challenges that dont stop at borders.

If your party leadership remains blinkered to the risk, then your party is sleepwalking to the exit.

So, come with us, share a platform, and lets make the positive, unified case that we all believe in.

In together, lets make Britains future better, by making Britains future one that is in Europe.

Recently, Nicola Sturgeon gave a big speech, on why we should remain in Europe.

It was a strong pro-European speech. She made this important speech in London, which is not in Scotland.

Perhaps she didnt want the Scottish people to hear it.

She called for a positive case to be made for Britain to stay in Europe

And then focussed her entire attention on threatening the rest of the UK with a leave campaign of her own.

In fact Nicola has spent the last month talking about whats going to happen if we lose the referendum, rather than working with others to try and win it.

We know that the EU referendum is just another opportunity for nationalists to pursue their single minded, destructive goal of separation at all costs.

They are lining up to tell us that a vote to leave would inevitably lead to a second referendum on independence for Scotland.

That will not help persuade a single wavering voter.

What Nicola Sturgeon is doing is blowing a dog whistle giving permission to separatists to vote to leave the EU so that Scotland can then leave the UK.

The EU referendum is too important to be treated as an excuse to hark back to the independence debate.

When we look to Scotland we should remember how the referendum there was won.

Charles Kennedy, Michael Moore, Jo Swinson, Willie Rennie  they were out on the streets with campaigners from all parties and none. Making the positive, liberal case.

They shunned the aggression and nastiness of the online battles, and offered hands of friendship and cooperation.

I am a patriot, and patriots love their country. Nationalists hate their neighbours.

We will campaign as patriots, as liberals, we will campaign together.

In Britain we have a menu of parties in this debate:

Those that are resolutely anti Europe  UKIP

Those split down the middle  Tories and Greens

Those who are half hearted with ulterior motives  the nationalists

Or the half-hearted and just a bit rubbish  Labour.

And then theres the party, the only party, passionate about a reforming Britain, in a reforming Europe.

A prosperous Britain in a prosperous Europe, a green Britain in a green Europe, a secure Britain in a secure Europe.

There are millions of people in Britain who know that this is the biggest choice for our country in their lifetimes, and that just as Britain is stronger together with others, so are we as individuals stronger when we join those of like mind to achieve what is right.

The Liberal Democrats offer you the chance to work with those who think like you about our future in Europe.

We need you, you need us  join us today, join the party that is united in the shared belief that Britains position in Europe is vital to the countrys future security and prosperity.

And this campaign will be a major focus as we rebuild our party.

In together we will fight for a stronger and more prosperous nation, creating opportunity for future generations, respected all over the world.

The global issues that we face can only be overcome by international cooperation.

Those who believe we can be stronger alone are turning their backs on the real world, a modern world, lost in a sepia tinted view of memories and false nostalgia.

We could once separate our politics between domestic and international.

But not anymore.

The questions is not whether Britain can survive alone,

it is whether Britain can better thrive with others

When we face the world together, there is no doubt in my mind that for our future prosperity and safety, we should vote to remain.

There is no doubt in my mind that to work alongside those countries who share our interests and share our values, we need to remain.

And there is no doubt in my mind that to be the beacon of hope and freedom, in a turbulent and dangerous world, we must vote to remain.

We are a proud nation that stands tall in the world.

We are home to freedom, ingenuity, creativity.

In these next 14 short weeks, the post-war European project of peace, co-operation and prosperity lies in Britains hands.

Europe looks to us.

We are clear.

Britain must not leave.

Britain must lead.
Here is the full motion, with the amendments to be debated, for Electing diverse MPs (including All Women Shortlists) which is about to be debated at the York conference. (Note: you can see the motion with its line numbers starting on page 57 of the agenda paper for conference here and the amendments starting on page 17 of Saturdays Conference Daily sheet here.). A reminder that you can watch the live stream of the debate here.

The motion

F20 Electing Diverse MPs

Federal Executive

Mover: Caron Lindsay

Summation: Cllr Chris White

Conference notes:

I. The Liberal Democrats commitment to eliminating all prejudice and discrimination based upon race, colour, religion, age, disability, sex or sexual orientation, and opposition to all forms of entrenched privilege and inequality.

II. The need for the countrys elected bodies and party structures to reflect the diversity of the society we live in.

III. The insufficient diversity among the partys past and present representatives in the House of Commons.

IV. The efforts made to date to increase diversity amongst the partys Westminster candidates, including the Campaign for Gender Balance and the Leadership Programme, which led to more than half of all candidates in target or held seats being women.

V. The definition of under-represented groups in guidance to political parties in the Equality Act 2010 as inclusive of women, BAME, LGBT+ and disability.

VI. With regret that despite the success of measures taken recently, there has been a limited impact on the proportion of individuals elected from under-represented groups and low socio-economic backgrounds.

VII. That whilst selection of candidates is a matter devolved to the state parties, the Federal Party supports actions that are already being taken in England, Scotland and Wales to improve diversity amongst Liberal Democrat candidates and elected representatives.

Conference acknowledges that:

a) The partys list of approved Westminster candidates does not fully reflect the communities we aim to serve.

b) The party at all levels needs to ensure that candidates from under-represented groups are attracted to apply and then selected to stand for elected office.

c) To have a more diverse set of MPs, the party must concentrate its efforts to increase the number of diverse candidates in the most winnable Westminster seats.

d) Proposals will be coming forward on wider party diversity, including in party structures and local government, as part of the Federal Executive-led Governance Review to the Autumn Federal Conference.

e) Our use of zipping in past EU elections shows that positive action can be very effective.

f) Scottish Liberal Democrats do not allow seat selections to proceed unless 40% of the short-list is female, and that seats have been asked to re-advertise where their efforts to increase diversity were not deemed sufficient, and welcomes Scottish Leader Willie Rennies working group which is considering measures to improve gender balance in future elections.

Conference recognises that:

i) The party is required to consider the provisions of the Equality Act 2010, including Section 104, which permits political parties to take proportionate positive action to reduce inequality in the partys representation in Westminster, but does not allow shortlists for candidate selections to be restricted to individuals with protected characteristics other than by gender and disability.

iI) In percentage terms, the largest single under-represented group is women, who make up 51% of the UK population.

iii) Individuals may have more than one protected characteristic which should be taken into consideration in any intervention.

iv) There can be minorities who are under-represented even within under-represented groups and that this should be taken into consideration in any intervention.

v) Liberal Democrats continue to value candidates from over-represented groups, and will ensure that training and support is available for them.

Conference therefore resolves that to increase the proportion of Liberal Democrats from under-represented groups in the House of Commons the Liberal Democrats will:

A. Continue and extend support for individuals seeking approval or selection as Westminster candidates from under-represented groups, thus building on the work that has been done in the past including the Leadership Programme.

B. Create a 2020 Candidate Diversity Task Force to co-ordinate party-wide efforts to actively recruit parliamentary candidates from under-represented groups from both inside and outside the Party. This will include a focus on recruiting candidates with more than one protected characteristic and from minorities who are under-represented even within under-represented groups. The Task Force will work with ALDC and our cohort of councillors, recognising that, whilst local government is important in its own right, it can also be a good recruiting ground for potential Parliamentary candidates. It will report to the Federal Executive, working with the Diversity Engagement Group as appropriate. The Task Force will have one representative each from the three state parties, the Federal Executive, ALDC, EMLD, LDDA, LGBT+, LDW, Liberal Youth and PCA and be led by a Candidate Diversity Champion appointed by the Leader and the President. The Federal Executive Report to Conference will include updates on the work of the Candidate Diversity Task Force.

C. Through the work of the 2020 Candidate Diversity Task Force and Candidate Diversity Champion, in association with SAOs, AOs, ALDC and parliamentary candidates, examine the partys approval and selection processes, and the role of PPCs after selection, to identify barriers that may exist for under-represented groups, including those identified in the Speaker?s Conference on Parliamentary Selection, as well as disadvantaged groups including those from a low socio-economic background. Solutions will be proposed to overcome these barriers; to seek to make proposals to increase diversity at all levels in the party; and to bring forward proposals on how to address the emotional, practical and financial challenges facing candidates from under-represented groups.

Conference recommends that:

1. Any local party should be able to vote for an all-women shortlist or an all-disabled shortlist, or reserve some spaces for candidates from other under-represented groups.

2. As a minimum the three state parties should follow the Canadian Liberal Party practice of requiring the relevant Local Party to provide documented evidence to their region or state (as relevant) of a thorough search for potential candidates from under-represented groups before being granted permission to start their Westminster selection process; this should apply in those seats where the Liberal Democrat parliamentary candidate received more than 15% of the vote in the 2015 General Election but the seat is not held by the Liberal Democrats.

3. In Scotland, Wales and each Region of the English Party, take measures to move towards a slate of candidates that reflects the diversity of the state or region, in line with the Leader?s ambition of having at least 50% women candidates and at least 10% BAME candidates across Great Britain.

4. If any sitting MP elected in 2015 decides not to contest the next General Election, his replacement should be selected from an all-women shortlist.

5. In Scotland, Wales, and each Region of the English Party where there are two or more non-held seats which gained 25% or more of the General Election vote in May 2015, the regions should designate as a minimum of one seat not held by a Liberal Democrat MP to select its candidate from an all-women shortlist. Where these seats are affected by boundary changes, the party?s rules on re-running selection processes will apply.

6. In addition to the one seat identified in 5. above, where the Liberal Democrat parliamentary result at the 2015 General Election was in the 10% of seats which had the highest percentage vote without returning a Liberal Democrat MP, the selection shortlist for the 2020 General Election should, subject to sufficient applications, include at least two candidates from under-represented groups.

Applicability: Federal.

Mover and summation: 16 minutes combined; mover and summation of any amendments: 4 minutes, all other speakers: 3 minutes. For eligibility and procedure for speaking in this debate see page 13.

In addition to speeches from the platform, voting members will be able to make concise (maximum one-minute) interventions from the floor during the debate on the motion. See page 13 for further information.

Amendments proposed

F20 Electing Diverse MPs

The FCC wishes to make it clear that it considered this motion and its proposed amendments (including those

amendments that were not selected) in the light of the detailed provisions of the Equality Act 2010, the guidance

issued under the Act and related equalities legislation.

The Federal Conference Committee has accepted the following drafting amendments to the motion:

In I. (line 3), after religion insertor belief, and after sex insert, gender identity.

After VII. (line 24), insert:

VIII. The proportion of Liberal Democrat councillors who are female has stayed flat at around one third for

25 years.

After C. (line 96), insert:

D. Working in conjunction with ALDC, the 2020 Candidate Diversity Task Force shall undertake a project

to encourage a move diverse local government base including identifying any barriers which exist for

currently under-represented groups. It will also consider good practice from council groups across

the country that more accurately reflect the diversity of their communities.

After 6. (line 130), add:

7. Ask ALDC to submit recommendations within twelve months to the three State Parties on measures

that should be taken to ensure gender balance and diversity across both council groups and

amongst selected council candidates.

Amendment One

East Midlands

Mover: Rebecca Thomas

Summation: Adam Wain

In 1. (line 98), delete for an all-women shortlist or an all-disabled shortlist, or and insertto.

In 1. (line 100), delete other.

Delete 4. and 5. (lines 115124).

In 6. (line 125), deleteIn addition to the one seat identified in 5. above,.

In 6. (lines 127128), deletewithout returning a Liberal Democrat MP.

Amendment Two

12 party members

Mover: Ruwan Uduwerage-Perera

Summation: Sarah Noble

In B. (line 69), afterco-ordinate insertand monitor.

After C. (line 96), insert:

D. Campaign to amend the Equality Act 2010 to remove the restrictions on shortlists for candidate

selections for people from under-represented groups.

In 3. (line 114), afterGreat Britain insertand set out to each Local Party the options they can take to

improve diversity, including the use of banding when shortlisting, and the potential to reserve places on

shortlists for people from under-represented groups within the terms of Section 104 of the Equalities Act.

State Parties should report on the implementation of each of these measures.

Footnote:The final part of this amendment refers to positive action measures permitted by the Equalities Act

2010, including the ability to shortlist candidates from under-represented groups ahead of other candidates on a

tied score.

* Paul Walter is a Liberal Democrat activist and member of the Liberal Democrat Voice team. He blogs at Liberal Burblings.
A COUNTY Limerick man was sentenced to five months imprisonment after he admitted driving  just a fortnight after he was disqualified for six years.

Michael Putt, aged 61, who has an address at The Shop, Patrickswell, Holycross pleaded guilty to a number of charges including driving without insurance or a driving licence on July 16, 2014.

Garda Geoffrey Kenny of the divisional traffic corps told Limerick District Court he received a computer alert when he encountered a car being driven by the defendant at a petrol station on Ballysimon Road at around 1.15pm.

When he approached the vehicle, he observed the tax, insurance and NCT discs were all out of date.

He said the defendant, who was sitting in the drivers seat, initially gave a false name and claimed he listening to the radio but later admitted he was the driver.

Judge Aeneas McCarthy was told Putt has 25 previous convictions and that he has been disqualified on a number of occasions in the past.

Sergeant Donal Cronin said he was disqualified for six years at Killaloe Court on July 1, 2014 and that he had been disqualified for five years in May 2011.

Laurence Goucher BL said his client his client, who he described as no spring chicken had driven to the petrol station on the day as he intended selling the vehicle to remove any temptation.

He said he had made arrangements to meet a potential buyer but that he has been unable to locate him since. His intention was to part with it (the car) as soon as possible, said Mr Goucher, who urged the court to be lenient, as Putt had fessed up instead of playing the system.

Imposing sentence, Judge McCarthy said the defendant has shown a total disregard for the road traffic laws and he said the fact he drove while disqualified was an aggravating factor.

He imposed a five-month prison sentence and he disqualified Putt for 15 years. Fines totalling 350 were also handed down.

On Tuesday, lawyers representing the defendant indicated an appeal is likely to be lodged against the severity of the sentence.
AN EQUINE dentist was fined a total of 1,150 at Kilmallock Court over medication found by Department of Agriculture officials.

John Collins, of Main Street, Oola pleaded guilty to possession of a prescription-only medicine, Sedalin gel, on March 25, 2014 at Cooig, Doon without the required veterinary prescription.

He also pleaded guilty to one count of importation to Dublin Airport of an unauthorised animal remedy, namely AnaSed, on a date between April 25 and May 2, 2014.

And one of possession of an unauthorised animal remedy Flunixiject on June 11, 2014 contrary to Regulations 38(1), and 3(1) respectively, of the European Communities (Animal Remedies) (No 2) Regulations 2007, as amended.

Barrister Mark Nicholas, representing the Department of Agriculture, said Mary Courtney, a local veterinary inspector, saw medicine in a vehicle belonging to Mr Collins and quizzed him..

He handed Sedalin gel over to her. He didnt have a prescription, said Mr Nicholas.

Brian Flaherty, senior veterinary inspector, said AnaSed addressed to Mr Collins was intercepted coming into the country after they liaised with Fedex.

On June 11, 2014, a search was carried out of a property under warrant.

He co-operated fully. He showed us where he had Flunixiject in a locker. The medicine is not authorised in the state, said Mr Flaherty.

The senior veterinary inspector said the defendant was using the medicine to sedate animals that he was doing dentistry work on.

Robin Lee, solicitor for Mr Collins, said the Flunixiject was for a horse belonging to his client that died a number of years ago.

Mr Flaherty said: He didnt tell me that.

Mr Lee said the medicine was used to treat colic.

The horse suffered severely from colic and was in distress. Could this be possible? asked Mr Lee.

Could be, said Mr Flaherty.

Mr Lee said the Sedalin gel is applied under the tongue of a horse and is absorbed.

Mr Flaherty agreed but said Mr Collins didnt have a prescription for it.

Mr Lee said equine dentists are a necessary part of training stables or leisure stable to do the horses dentistry work.

It is important the animals are sedated, said Mr Lee.

The solicitor put it to Mr Flaherty that his client would now be seen as damaged goods by stables.

Hard for me to say, said Mr Flaherty.

Mr Lee said Mr Collins enjoyed a reasonably satisfactory profession as an equine dentist.

It is not a recognised profession in this country but a wholly necessary one in the training of horses - racing, show jumping and leisure.

Horses suffer the same issues with their teeth as humans do, said Mr Lee.

Judge Marian OLeary asked if veterinary surgeons extract teeth,

That is the issue. It is not something vets like to do. The likes of Mr Collins attend to this work. He would like to be supervised by a vet. It is what should happen but doesnt happen.

It left him in the invidious position of obtaining medicine from the US. They are available in the US and they are for the comfort of the animal so they dont get distressed while he is filing or extracting teeth.

There is no possibility of it entering the food chain, said Mr Lee, who stressed that Mr Collins co-operated fully with all parts of the investigation, was very forth-coming and pleaded guilty to the three offences.

Judge OLeary fined Mr Collins a total of 1,150 for the three offences. The judge said there are reasons for laws governing these medicines.

A confiscation order was granted in respect of the animal remedies seized.
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Back from the brink

(Image credit: Steve Hillebrand / USFWS)

Conservation efforts can make a big difference for threatened and endangered species around the world, from bald eagles to sea turtles. By protecting vulnerable animal populations and helping them to recover, stabilize and even to grow  as seen in these species that are slowly making a comeback from the brink of near-extinction  ecologists and government agencies can preserve Earth's precious biodiversity. Pictured here is a grizzly bear cub in the Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge in southwestern Alaska.

Indian rhino

(Image credit: Krish Dulal / CC BY-SA 3.0)

Indian rhinos were once common across the northern part of the Indian sub-continent, according the World Wildlife Fund (WWF). But by 1975, only 600 individuals remained. Dedicated conservation saw the rhinos' numbers increase to 3,000 by 2012. In Nepal, now home to an estimated 645 rhinos, poachers are the animals' greatest threat. But improved protections combined with grass-roots anti-poaching programs have kept their entire population of rhinos safe from poachers for the third year in a row since 2011, the WWF said in a statement published online Feb. 8, 2016.

Grizzly bear

(Image credit: Terry Tollefsbol / USFWS)

After nearly three decades of steady recovery, the number of grizzly bears in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem across Montana, Wyoming and Idaho has grown to approximately 700 individuals  up from 136 counted in 1975  prompting the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) to propose removing the species from the Federal Lists of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife. Grizzlies now occupy over 22,500 square miles of the Yellowstone ecosystem, more than doubling their 1970s range. USFWS director Dan Ashe called this "a historic success" in a statement released online March 3,2016, attributing it to 30 years of collaborative efforts between federal, state and tribal agencies.

Trumpeter swan

(Image credit: Donna Dewhurst / USFWS)

People living in 19th-century Minnesota must have found trumpeter swans delicious, because the species was eliminated from the state  and practically from its entire range in the United States  after it was over-harvested for food. The largest native waterfowl species in North America, trumpeter swans didn't successfully return to the wild in Minnesota until a number of ecological agencies partnered in the 1980s to restore them, according to a statement released Feb. 11, 2016, by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (MDNR). Trumpeter swans' Minnesota population is currently estimated at 17,000, and continues to grow, the MDNR reported.

Bald eagle

(Image credit: USFWS)

In decades past, use of the pesticide dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) in the state of New Jersey nearly eradicated its bald eagle population, leaving just one known nesting pair through the 1970s and 1980s. DDT bans and diligent restoration efforts have gradually increased the number of bald eagles  23 nesting pairs were counted in 2000; 82 pairs were spotted in 2010; and 161 pairs were found in 2015, according to the 2015 Bald Eagle Report, published by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection Division of Fish and Wildlife.

West Indian manatee

(Image credit: Keith Ramos / USFWS)

Manatees  once mistaken by likely delirious sailors as alluring mermaids  were listed as endangered by the USFWS in 1967, when only a few hundred individuals swam in Florida waters. But on Jan. 7, 2016, the USFWS announced in a statement that they were reclassifying West Indian manatees, changing their status from "endangered" to "threatened" due to significant improvements in the manatees' habitats and in the animals' populations, now numbering over 6,300 in Florida and approximately 13,000 worldwide.[Mermaids and Mermen: Facts and Legend]

Tiger

(Image credit: Koshy Koshy / CC BY 2.0)

Poaching and habitat loss have taken a heavy toll on wild tigers over the last century, with their populations dropping from 100,000 to just over 3,000, according to the WWF. Once native to 23 countries in Asia, tigers can now be found in only 11, and have disappeared entirely from the wild in Cambodia and in Vietnam in recent years. But government initiatives to track tiger populations and deter poachers could provide some hope for the tigers' future. A recent wild tiger census in India showed a promising increase in population numbers: 2,226, up from 1,411 in 2007, and mostly in protected areas, National Geographic reported (opens in new tab) in January 2015. [Fun Facts About Tigers]

Delmarva Peninsula fox squirrel

(Image credit: Brett Billings / USFWS)

More than 40 years of conservation work contributed to the rebound of the fluffy-tailed Delmarva Peninsula fox squirrel, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced on Nov. 13, 2015 in a statement, declaring that the squirrel "is no longer at risk of extinction." The squirrels' sharp decline began in the mid-20th century when its forest range shrank by 90 percent, landing it on the Endangered Species Act's very first list of 78 animals that urgently required protection. Today, approximately 20,000 squirrels inhabit Delmarva  a peninsula on the east coast of the U.S. that includes Maryland, Delaware and Virginia  with most of them found in Maryland.

Green sea turtle

(Image credit: Brocken Inaglory / CC BY-SA 3.0)

During the 1980s, University of Central Florida (UCF) researchers monitored green sea turtles as they built their nests on a 13-mile (21 kilometers) stretch of beach in Florida's Archie Carr National Wildlife Refuge, counting fewer than 50 nests per year during the nesting season, which lasted from May 1 to Oct. 1. In September 2015, researchers reported counting 12,026 nests, demolishing the previous record of 11,839 nests set in 2013. "It is a really remarkable recovery and reflects a 'perfect storm' of conservation successes," said Kate Mansfield, a UCF assistant professor of biology, in a statement.

Red-cockaded woodpecker

(Image credit: USFWS)

In October 2015, four pairs of red-cockaded woodpeckers were released in the Great Dismal Swamp National Wildlife Refuge in Suffolk, Virginia, the first of these endangered birds to inhabit the area since 1974. The species was designated as endangered in 1970, as destruction of its mature pine forest habitat across the southern United States sent its numbers plummeting. Today, there are approximately 6,400 breeding pairs of the woodpeckers, up from 4,200 pairs in 1994. "This effort illustrates the role that our national wildlife refuges can play in the recovery of threatened and endangered species," refuge manager Chris Lowie said in a statement.

Orangutan

(Image credit: Tbachner)

After 10 years of conservation work in Indonesia's Sebangau National Park, the WWF announced in November 2015 in a statement that orangutan numbers in the reserve  which holds the largest wild orangutan population in the world  had risen by 7 percent since 2007, with 5,826 individuals recently counted. However, ongoing efforts will be required to ensure the species' survival, the WWF added, as 70 percent of orangutans live outside of protected areas and are threatened by logging and agricultural expansion.
Looking to stay up to date about all of the news stories and local headlines that are important to Long Islanders? We've rounded up the top coverage for all of the important topics from multiple sources around Long Island, so you can be sure you've got the most recent update on the top stories for Long Island. Have an idea for a news story? Email us at news@longisland.com

Columnists Press Releases
The 13th Division claims that Al Nusrah attacked its fighters, including the TOW specialist pictured on the left. Source: 13th Divisions Twitter feed.

Al Nusrah Front and the 13th Division, a Syrian rebel group that has received US-made anti-tank TOW missiles, clashed in the past two days. The two sides have fought in Maarat al Numan, a town in Syrias northwestern Idlib province, as well as in the surrounding area.

The Idlib province fell to the Jaysh al Fateh rebel coalition last year. Al Nusrah Front, an official branch of al Qaedas international organization, is a cofounder of the alliance. The 13th Division has long coexisted with Jaysh al Fateh and has also fought alongside the jihadists against their common enemies.

But that all changed in the past 48 hours.

Both the 13th Division and Al Nusrah have released statements via social media blaming each other for the conflict.

In a series of tweets on its official account, the 13th Division accused the al Qaeda branch of raiding its headquarters in Idlib and seizing its weapons. One sarcastic tweet reads: We congratulate [Abu Muhammad al] Julani on this conquest! Julani is Al Nusrahs emir, or overall leader.

The firefight with Al Nusrah can be heard in another tweet posted by the 13th Division.

In its own version of events, Al Nusrah claims it doesnt know what precipitated the 13th Divisions strange aggression at this sensitive moment in this revolution. The 13th Divisions fighters raided the homes of some Al Nusrah members in Maarat al Numan, according to the jihadists brief account.

We call on all the wise ones to intervene and rectify the situation to avoid spilling blood, and to redirect the mujahideens rifles toward the Nusayri [a derogatory word used by Sunni jihadists to describe Alawites], Rejectionist [Shiites] and Russian alliance that surrounds the Levant and its people, Al Nusrahs statement reads.

Jund al Aqsa, another al Qaeda-linked jihadist group, also participated in the operations against the 13th Division, according to independent accounts.

The 13th Division is led by Ahmad al Saoud, a former officer in Bashar al Assads military. Saoud, who is from Maarat al Numan, told Al Jazeera in 2014 that his group had approximately 1,800 men who were ready to fight anywhere, at any time. In addition to Assads regime, the 13th Division has also fought the Islamic State, Al Nusrahs jihadist rival in Syria.

According to Al Jazeera, the group has received funds from Saudi Arabia. Multiple videos posted online show Saouds men firing US-made TOW missiles. The New York Times reported in October that the weapons are delivered to the field by American allies, but the United States approves their destination. The CIA reportedly works with liaison intelligence services and governments to deliver the weapons.

We get what we ask for in a very short time, Saoud told the Times.

Previous raids against Western-backed rebels

Al Nusrah Front has consistently resisted the Wests uneven attempts to build a reliable opposition force to fight Assads regime and the Islamic State.

In late 2014, Al Nusrah pushed the Syrian Revolutionaries Front (SRF), which had reportedly received some support from the West, out of its strongholds in the Idlib province.

After being vanquished, SRF head Jamaal Maarouf accused Al Nusrahs emir, Abu Muhammad al Julani, of being a Kharijite (or extremist). This was an about-face in the relationship, as the SRF and Al Nusrah had previously fought side-by-side. Maarouf also publicly lamented the limited support he had received from the West.

In early 2015, Al Nusrah also took the fight to Harakat Hazm (the Hazm Movement) outside of Aleppo. Despite receiving Western support, including US weaponry, Hazm was allied with the jihadists in the past and its leaders had praised Al Nusrah. Regardless, it was eventually forced to disband under Al Nusrahs relentless pressure. Hazms remaining members were folded into other rebel groups.

It is suspected that TOW missiles fell into al Qaedas hands as a result of the battle with Hazm. The weapons were used during the jihadists successful assault on Idlib in March, as well as during other key confrontations with the Assad regime.

Rebels belonging to Division 30, a group supported by the US, suffered losses immediately upon entering the Syrian fray in July 2015. More than 50 members of Division 30 were sent from Turkey into Syria, but Al Nusrah quickly thwarted their plans even though the US-backed rebels intended to fight the Islamic State, Al Nusrahs bitter rival. A number of Division 30 fighters were captured or killed within days of embarking on their mission.

Al Nusrah released a statement at the time saying that Division 30 is part of an American scheme that is opposed to the interests of the Syrian people. Al Qaedas branch accused the group of trying to form the nucleus of a national army and blasted the attempt to bolster the moderate opposition. [See LWJ report, Al Qaedas branch in Syria says it captured US-backed rebels.]

Al Nusrah also attacked Division 30s headquarters in Azaz, a city north of Aleppo. The US responded with airstrikes, killing a number of jihadists, but unfortunately it wasnt enough to stop Al Nusrahs advances.

Then, in September 2015, fighters belonging to the New Syrian Forces handed over American-supplied vehicles and ammunition to Al Nusrah in return for safe passage in Syria. The New Syrian Forces were supplied under the Pentagons $500 million train and equip program, which was subsequently halted. [See LWJ report, US-backed rebels handed over equipment to al Qaeda in Syria.]

Thomas Joscelyn is a Senior Fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and the Senior Editor for FDD's Long War Journal.

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Ivorian troops responding to the attack. (Photo: Abidjan.net)

Gunmen from Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) targeted a popular beach resort in southern Ivory Coast today, killing at least 14 civilians and two soldiers according to local media. The beach resort, which is in the city of Grand Bassam, is located only 25 miles east of Ivory Coasts largest city of Abidjan.

According to the AFP, the gunmen roamed the beach firing shots before targeting the LEtoile du Sud and two other nearby hotels. Local media has reported that the three hotels are popular with Westerners and other expatriates, which is likely why the hotels were attacked. The Ivorian government responded to the assault by deploying military personnel to the resort and quickly neutralized the gunmen, which is usually a euphemism for killed. Graphic photos from the scene appear to show several bodies strewn across the beach, as well as weapons recovered by the military, but are too graphic to be published at The Long War Journal.

The governments statement says that six terrorists were killed, however, in AQIMs short claim of responsibility released online, the jihadist group states only three of its fighters were involved in the assault. Three heroes from the knights of al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb were able to break into the tourist resort city of Grand Bassam, the jihadists said indicating a larger statement will be released soon. The Mauritanian news site Al Akhbar has reported that sources within AQIM told the site that its Sahara Emirate and its Katibat al Murabitoon, which is led by Mokhtar Belmokhtar, were behind the offensive. Al Qaeda has yet to release a larger statement confirming this.

However, these two al Qaeda groups have been responsible for other similar hotel attacks in the region. In January, the Katibat al Murabitoon killed 20 after assaulting the Splendid Hotel in Burkina Fasos capital of Ouagadougou with two car bombs before breaching the perimeter and entering the hotel. In addition to hitting the hotel, a nearby restaurant was also targeted. Over 30 hostages were freed before the situation was contained. (See Threat Matrix report, Al Qaeda attacks hotel in Burkina Faso.)

Before that, the Sahara Emirate and Al Murabitoon attacked Malis capital of Bamako in November. In that offensive, the jihadists stormed the Radisson Blue in Bamako, killing 22 civilians and taking more than 100 people hostage before being killed in a joint raid led by Malian forces. Al Murabitoon said it was responsible in conjunction with the Sahara Emirate of AQIM, according to a statement sent to Al Jazeera. In August, Al Murabitoon attacked a hotel in the central Malian town of Sevare, killing 12. (See LWJ report, Al Qaeda group claims credit for attack on hotel in Malis capital.)

The Bamako assault heralded the reintigration of Al Murabitoon into AQIM. On Dec. 4, AQIMs Al Andalus Media released an audio statement from Abdelmalek Droukdel, the emir of AQIM, announcing the merger of Al Murabitoon into its ranks. The same statement also said that the Bamako raid was the first joint assault carried out by the two.

Al Murabitoon is led by Mokhtar Belmokhtar, a veteran African jihadist who is openly loyal to Ayman al Zawahiri and has denounced the Islamic State. Belmokhtar was originally a commander in AQIM before splitting with the group over personal disagreements with Droukdel and other leaders. Belmokhtar and his followers have been behind several spectacular attacks in West Africa over the past several years, including the January 2013 suicide assault on the In Amenas gas facility in southeastern Algeria, and the May 2013 suicide assaults in Niger which targeted a military barracks and uranium mine.

The Sahara Emirate of AQIM is led by Yahya Abu Hammam, who is listed by the US as a specially designated global terrorist for playing a key role in the groups ongoing terrorist activities in North Africa and Mali. It is based in northern Mali, but is able to strike in far reaching places within the Sahel. The reintegration of Al Murabitoon further strengthens its abilities in the region.

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.

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Home > Archives (2006 on) > 2016 > Real and True Nationalism

by P. C. Jain

The recent episode at JNU involving the student community has resurrected an old debate on Nationalism and Patriotism that had long been forgotten. What is Nationalism? and what is Patriotism? Are Kanhya Kumar and his comrades guilty of anti-nationalism? This brings to our mind the basic question: what is nationalism?

Nationalism is the product of the Nation. The Nation was earlier defined as a group or community of persons having common race, religion, language, culture, history and ethos. Allegiance and loyalty to this group or community came to be known as nationalism. It came into existence as the result of the Industrial Revolution in Europe. Community of language, culture, race also led to political unity in the form of state. One nation and one state became identical.

Where nationalism became deeply conservative, authoritarian and aggressive, it assumed the form of Nazism and Fascism as in the case of Italy, Germany and Japan in the mid-20th Century. What have been the results of the rise of Nazism and Fascism are well known to us. In Fascist and Nazi states it was anti-national and unpatriotic to criticise the government of the day having sole monopoly of the State as in this case the State and Government were considered identical and they were regarded supreme. Thousands of people were massacred simply on the assumed suspicion of being anti-national and unpatriotic. Freedom of speech and fundamental rights were absolutely denied.

However, in course of time, this definition of the nation was found to be too narrow. At a later stage the nation was understood to be a broad community or society consisting of different races, languages, religions, culture, customs and ethos. Thus emerged the concept of a multi-national state. A nation may now consist of different nationalities, different races, speaking different languages, practising different religions, having different cultures etc. Most of the big and powerful states in the modern era are now multi-national states such as the USA, UK, the erstwhile USSR and now in its place Russia, Germany, China, Indonesia, Australia and India etc.

In the new context, nationalism can be defined as the feeling or sentiment of political unity, that is, desire to live together as one political unit having independence and sovereignty. Any expression in violation of this desire, feeling or sentiment or thinking can only be described as anti-national or unpatriotic.

Any criticism of the policy of the government in power, state or country cannot be dubbed as anti-national by any stretch of imagination; for example, to say India is a backward country or corrupt country is not anti-national unless there is incitement or attempt to disintegrate or break up the state by violent means.

It is also evident that action and inaction of the Delhi Police under the leadership of its Commissioner, Mr Bassi, has been taken with the nod of the Central Government which is bent upon crushing all opposition and dissent by hook or crook. How could a top cop dare to interpret and apply Section 124 of IPC brazenly flouting its interpretation by the Supreme Court in its landmark decision in 1962 in the Kedarnath versus State of Bihar case? Moreover in Article 19 (2) of the Constitution giving permissible ground of restriction on freedom of speech and expression granted in Article 19 (1) (a) of the Constitution, there is no mention of Sedition as the ground for restriction. Also, the IPC is an Act that was made by an alien government to suppress the freedom of speech and expression and it is not to be applied blindly. Freedom of speech and expression is a sacrosanct fundamental right of the citizens of free India and it can be restricted or suppressed only in exceptional circumstances. To acclaim any other country is also not unpatriotic unless we are at war with it or do not recognise it by not having any diplomatic relations with it.

Thus the involvement of the Modi Govern-ment in all this catastrophic tragedy is as clear as one can see. All this is a part of its general policy that it is mercilessly following. All this tends to throw us into the jaws of fascism. Therefore, to save the country it is imperative to oppose it tooth and nail by all concerned.

The concept of patriotism has also undergone a change. Now it is not sufficient to blindly follow ones country and justify it regardless of whether it is right or wrong. It will be mere lunacy to call for the destruction of Pakistan or China as we are having hostile relations with them. It is in our interest that they should exist and exist peacefully and may also progress. Today our loyalty and allegiance is to a much bigger political entity called humanity.

The author is an Associate Professor (Retired), Department of Political Science, Bundelkhand College, Jhansi.
Home > Archives (2006 on) > 2016 > Union Budget 2016-17: Transforming Rural India

by P.K. Bhargava and Jyoti Bhargava

The importance of agriculture as also of the rural sector cannot be undermined in India as a large part of the population still lives in the villages and earns its livelihood from agriculture. Unfortunately, the preceding two years have been of significant distress to this sector owing to the unfavourable monsoon. In this context, the initiatives incorporated in the Union Budget for 2016-17 deserve to be appreciated as they focus on doubling the farmers income in the next five years (2022) together with emphasis on rural employment and infrastructure.

To protect the farmers from the vagaries of the monsoon, a notable scheme The Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana has been launched that will enable the farmers to face the adverse consequences of nature. It is reported that the farmer will pay a nominal amount of insurance premium and get the highest-ever compensation in the event of any loss suffered. In addition, issues of optimal utilisation of water resources, creation of new infrastructure for irrigation, conservation of soil fertility with balanced use of fertiliser and providing value addition and connectivity from farm to markets, have been addressed.

While irrigation is a critical input for agricul-ture, a significant part (almost 54 per cent) of the net cultivated area in our country does not have this facility. Hence, the proposed implementation of 89 irrigation projects to irrigate 80.6 lakh hectares, creation of a dedicated Long Term Irrigation Fund in NABARD and simultaneously a major programme for sustainable management of ground water resources constitute important steps in this direction in the Budget. The Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana has also been strengthened and 28.5 lakh hectares will be brought under irrigation under this scheme. Further, to enable the farmers to make judicious use of fertilisers, the Soil Health Card Scheme is to be implemented with greater vigor whereby the farmers will get information about the nutrient level of the soil. To increase the crop yield in rain fed areas, organic farming is being promoted. As access to markets is critical for the income of farmers, the Budget mentions that the Unified Agricultural Marketing e-platform will be dedicated to the nation on the birthday of Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar on April 14 this year. Steps have also been incorporated in this Budget to enhance the production of pulses, making dairy more remunerative, the benefit of MSP reaching the farmers and ensuring adequate and timely flow of credit to them.

If agriculture is to be strengthened in the country, the rural economy must be developed. Gram Panchayats at the village level, if strengthened financially, as this Budget proposes, can be a game-changer in rural life. The Budget mentions that the Ministry of Panchayati Raj will work with the States and evolve guidelines to actualise this. A new restructured scheme, namely, Rashtriya Gram Swaraj Abhiyan is proposed to be launched so that the Panchayati Raj Institutions develop governance capabilities to deliver on the sustainable development goals.

Road connectivity and availability of electricity in the rural areas constitute the two most important pillars of rural infrastructure. The implementation of the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) with greater emphasis in this Budget (earlier it suffered due to underfunding) is a very significant step of the present government that raised the allocation in the last two years and has now allocated Rs 19,000 crores in 2016-17. It is reported that as on February 23, 2016, 5542 villages have been electrified and the Budget for 2016-17 proclaims that the government is committed to achieve 100 per cent village electrification by May 1, 2018. The earlier it is done, the better would it be.

In the context of the changing scenario, the need to spread digital literacy in rural India cannot be overemphasised. Of the 16.8 crore rural households as many as 12 crore households do not have computers and are unlikely to have digitally literate persons. Hence, the proposal to launch a new Digital Literacy Mission Scheme for rural India to cover around six crore additional households within the next three years is a significant step in this context. Spread of digital literacy shall help the rural people in a variety of ways, including the modernisation of land records which is essential for dispute-free titles. It is of great significance that the National Land Record Modernisation Programme has been revamped under the Digital India Initiative and will be implemented as a Central sector scheme from April 1, 2016.

The Budget initiatives and allocations for various schemes and programmes signify the concern of the government for development of agriculture and the rural sector in India. Agriculture and farmers welfare have received a sum of Rs 35,984 crores and for rural development as a whole an amount of Rs 87,765 crores has been assigned in the Budget for 2016-17. Apart from this, a sum of Rs 38,500 crores has also been allocated for MGNREGS.

A significant feature of the Union Budget for 2016-17 is that specific measures to raise resources, such as Krishi Kalyan cess at 0.5 per cent on all taxable services and Krishi Kalyan surcharge at 7.5 per cent of undisclosed income, have been incorporated to be used for agriculture and rural economy.

While there appears to be a genuine effort on the part of the government to boost agriculture and rural economy of the country, the more rele-vant and serious concern is: how shall the various programmes/schemes be implemented? And how would the physical outcome match with the stipulated targets and objectives? The Finance Minister has, however, not outlined any administrative mechanism by which his thinking and ideas shall be translated into reality.

Prof P.K. Bhargava is a former Emeritus Fellow, University Grants Commission. Dr Jyoti Bhargava ia an Associate Professor, NPGC, Lucknow.
Home > Archives (2006 on) > 2016 > On Jaitleys Claim and Charge of Sedition

EDITORIAL

Finance Minister Arun Jailtley, speaking in his capacity as the Number Two person in the Narendra Modi Government, has made a facile claim at a conference of the BJPs youth wing that the party, or to be more precise, the partys student organisation, the ABVP, had won the ideological war in the JNU row. One can react to this with only a derisive smile.

Let us face the facts. The police had arrested the President of the JNU Students Union, Kanhaiya Kumar, on the charge of seditionhe was accused, on the basis of an FIR lodged with the police, of being hand in glove with those who had organised the programme, A country without a post-office, on Februry 9 wherein objectionable, anti-national and seditious slogans were allegedly raised calling for the breakup of India. Not only that. Kanhaiya was further charged with having uttered those slogans on the basis of videoclips (which were subsequently found to be doctored). However, Kanhaiya had himself, in a speech at the JNU a couple of days later, openly condemned those slogansbut all that was conveniently ignored and overlooked.

Why did Jaitley find it necessary to make the specious claim of the BJPs victory in the ideological war? The reason is simple: Kanhaiyas electrifying speech in the JNU campus on March 3 on his release after three weeks of detention had a tremendous effect across the country and beyond, especially in the social media where it received massive, spontaneous, rousing acclaim. So Jaitley was forced to engage in a damage-control exercise. And while doing so he came out with the fantastic assertion that the BJP had decisively won the ideological war. (How?that is beyond the comprehension of ordinary mortals likes us.)

Meanwhile two other students of the JNUUmar Khalid and Anirban Bhattacharyaare still in detention. They too are being charged with sedition. But the moot question is: can they be charged with that offence? Experts, including eminent jurists, have unequivocally pointed out that even the slogans raised (they were uttered by neither Kanhaiya nor the other two students but by outsiders) did not fall under the category of sedition because in order to qualify for sedition such pronouncements must be accompanied by a call for violent insurrection or uprising.

Yet the authoritiesthat is, political leaders like Arun Jaitley in power with PM Narendra Modicontinue to use the term sedition with gay abandon even if there is no basis for doing so. As the President of the All India Students Federations JNU unit, Aparajitha Rajas article, Where even the walls talk, in The Indian Express (March 9, 2016) underlines,

These days, it seems that the most important law of the land is on sedition. I cant stop wondering how this archaic colonial law became the defining legislation that determines our worthiness to remain citizens or be flung across the border. The speed at which sedition charges are being handed out is comic. It is time we dump this colonial baggage. However, in these dark times, sedition charges seem safer, considering that Comrades Govind Pansare and Narendra Dabholkar and Professor M.M. Kalburgi were murdered without a hearing.

But then is anything better to be expected from the Narendra Modi Government? One of its members (HRD Minister Smriti Irani) continues to occupy the ministerial chair even after her state-ments in Parliament on Rohith Vemulas suicide were refuted by none other than the victims mother and the doctor who had checked him soon after his death. This is nothing short of Goebbelsian propaganda seeking to mask the face of Hitlerite fascism under the Modi regime.

March 9 S.C.
The five international financial institutions partially financing the Panama Canal Expansion Program traveled to Panama earlier this week to see the 96.6 percent progress made thus far.



During their three-day visit to the Canal, representatives were guided through the Agua Clara and Cocoli locks, as well as the fourth phase of the Pacific Access Channel (PAC-4). They also toured the Canals training centers: the Center for Simulation, Research and Maritime Development (SIDMAR) and the new Scale Model Maneuvering Training Facility, which will train pilots and other waterway personnel to maneuver through the Expanded Canal. In addition, they visited the construction site of the third Panama Canal bridge, which will connect Colon to communities west of the Canal.



As part of the annual visit to the project, the representatives met with ACP executives and specialists to discuss the Expansions progress, timeline and personnel training.



The five institutions which agreed to procure partial financing of $2.3 billion in December 2008 for the Expansion Program are:



Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) - $800 million

European Investment Bank (EIB) - $500 million

Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) - $400 million

International Financing Corporation (IFC) - $300 million

Development Bank of Latin America (CAF) - $300 million



This funding, agreed to 20 years with a ten-year grace period, stipulating that creditors will not intervene in the management or operation of the Canal and will not affect the Canals contributions to the National Treasury, as established by Law 28 of 2006 which approved the Expansion Program.
Norwegian ship builder Kleven launched its build no 370 today  a 116 metre long Expedition Support Vessel.



This is the second vessel from Kleven to Mr Graeme Hart, and as with the first vessel, Mr Hart and his family attended the launch seremony at the yard in Ulsteinvik, Norway. The first vessel, 107 m long Ulysses, was delivered from Kleven Verft in 2015, and is now on her first cruise in the Mediterranean.



The high specification vessel is of type MT 5006 MKII ESV, designed by Norwegian ship design company Marin Teknikk in cooperation with Naval Architect Kyle Dick of New Zealand based Oscar Mike Naval Architects. The vessel is specially designed for long expeditions in rough waters, and blends a robust, hard-working character with luxurious added extras. The vessel will accommodate 66 people, and is to be delivered from Kleven Verft in July this year.
New legislation will enable Patrick Henry Community College (PHCC) and New College Institute (NCI) students who earn credentials in certain high-demand career fields to have most of their expenses paid by the state.

The New Economy Workforce Credential Grant Fund and Program will provide grants covering two-thirds of the expenses for students enrolled in noncredit workforce training programs designed to fill jobs in demand where they live. The state will pay a third of the cost when students complete their training and another third when they earn a license or certificate. Students will be responsible for paying the remaining third.

Legislation establishing the program was adopted by the House 96-2 and the Senate 39-0. Gov. Terry McAuliffe signed the legislation into law on Thursday. He said he is proud of bipartisanship shown by lawmakers in the effort.

Virginia is the first state to have such a program. It is investing $20 million, including $12.5 million for credential incentives, $6 million for equipment needed for career and technical training programs and $1.5 million to establish an online portal specifically to reach military veterans with information about the program.

The program will position us to modernize and expand our training programs to more fully meet the needs of the people we serve, Virginia Community College System (VCCS) Chancellor Glenn DuBois stated in a release.

With this new law, McAuliffe stated in a release, we continue the process of transforming our workforce development system from a costly, redundant and ineffective web of programs to the efficient and streamlined skills training engine we need to build a new Virginia economy.

The program will be transformative not only for students facing challenges in their efforts to be successful in life, DuBois said, but also for businesses that have been unable to find people with skills needed for vacant jobs and for colleges striving to ensure their workforce development efforts are meaningful to students.

This legislation has been a long time coming. Its needed, said NCI Acting Executive Director Leanna Blevins. Its a huge win for our regional employers as well as for prospective students who now are going to have financial incentives to complete (job) certifications.

Rhonda Hodges, PHCCs vice president for workforce, economic and community development, said businesses have told college officials what skills and credentials they need for employees to have, and the college has tailored programs to those needs.

Because employers have helped to develop the programs, they want to interview the students who complete the programs, Hodges said.

Although the PHCC Foundation has set aside some money for scholarships for students in noncredit programs, there has been no statewide funding source to help students in noncredit workforce training programs, she said.

The program should entice students who need financial assistance and are interested in pursuing training but have wondered whether they would be successful in a college program, said PHCC President Angeline Godwin.

The state will not reimburse community colleges for students who enroll in a program but fail to earn credentials, Godwin said. Therefore, colleges have an incentive to ensure that students successfully finish programs, she said.

Basically, were putting our money where our mouth is by taking two-thirds of the risk, she added.

Some workforce training programs can be completed in as few as 12 weeks, Godwin noted. Costs usually range from $1,500 to $4,000, with the average cost being about $2,000, she and Hodges estimated.

Those prices include tuition, books and other learning materials and any exam that is required to earn a license or other credential in a particular trade, they said, noting that grants would help cover them all.

By bundling the costs into one package, it makes sure that people have everything they need to go through a program, Godwin said.

It has not yet been determined what training programs will qualify for their students to receive grants. That will be determined by the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia, the VCCS board and the Virginia Workforce Development Board based on desires expressed by colleges, Godwin and Hodges said.

They mentioned advanced manufacturing, health care, information technology and logistics as fields pertaining to local businesses and industries which they think should qualify.

Godwin added that she anticipates the grant program will be a tremendous economic development tool for PHCCs service territory of Martinsville, Henry County and Patrick County because through having more people complete training programs, wed have the chance to stand up a workforce for the (prospective) company very quickly.

Blevins said she is pleased that the state included higher education centers such as NCI in the grant program.

NCI itself does not confer degrees or credentials; that is the responsibility of the institutes partner colleges and universities. For that reason, Blevins said she anticipates that NCI will partner with PHCC  and maybe Danville Community College  to develop programs for which grants could be provided.
Kandy Marshall Burnett, vice chair of the Patrick County School Board, recently was charged by Mount Airy, North Carolina, police with misdemeanor driving while impaired.

According to an arrest report for the Mount Airy Police Department, Burnett, 37, of 1198 E. Fork Road, Ararat, Virginia, was charged in connection with an incident on Feb. 25. She was charged at 4:17 p.m. at New Market Crossing. (According to online information, New Market Crossing is a shopping center at 715 W. Independence Blvd. in Mount Airy, at the intersection of Independence Boulevard and West Pine Street.)

The arrest report, by Officer H.D. Wilburn, says Burnett was encountered during a traffic stop. After a brief investigation she was placed under arrest for (driving while impaired). She submitted to a blood draw with Surry EMS. She was released on a written promise.

There are no results yet since there was a blood draw.

The report indicates that Burnett had consumed drug/alcohol and that she was driving a silver 2006 Chrysler Town & Country. It lists her occupation as laborer and her employer as Patrick County Schools.

The North Carolina Court System website says that Burnett is scheduled to appear in Surry County District Court on the morning of March 28.

Burnett, who represents the Dan River District on the school board, did not immediately return a phone call to the Bulletin.

Ronnie Terry, who represents the Blue Ridge District and is chairman of the school board, said, I have no comment right now.

Michelle Day, who represents the Mayo River District on the school board, said, At this time, the school board has spoken to her in closed session, and I do not wish to disclose that information now.

J.D. Morse, who represents the Smith River District on the school board, did not immediately return a phone call to the Bulletin.

Annie H. Hylton, who represents the Peters Creek District on the school board, said: We cant make a decision right now. I didnt know anything about it until this afternoon (Friday).

She said the case has not been to court and she wants more details about what happened.

Someone could be impaired for a variety of reasons, including taking certain medication, Hylton pointed out. For example, some medications have warnings not to operate machinery when taking the medication, she added.

Shes a good board member, Hylton said of Burnett.

William Sroufe, superintendent of Patrick County Public Schools, did not immediately respond to an email.

Speaking generally in response to some questions from the Bulletin, Andrew Nester, Henry County commonwealths attorney, explained: In Virginia someone serving in public loses their privileges, generally, only when they are convicted of a felony. NC driving while impaired is similar to Virginias DUI  both of which are misdemeanors. While the persons drivers license is likely to be suspended for a period of time and they would be required to attend VASAP, I dont know of any reason the person would not be able to keep their job in Virginia.

(VASAP is short for Virginia Alcohol Safety Action Program, which has developed many educational programs designed to improve highway safety, according to the VASAP website.)

Nester added: Of course they would be subject to the court of public opinion and it would certainly be a topic for discussion at the next election cycle. The only recourse the public would have for conviction of a DUI would be to attempt a removal proceeding  much like they are trying to effectuate with the clerk in Montgomery County

The Roanoke Times reported Thursday that an effort to remove Montgomery County Circuit Court Clerk Erica Williams from office has enough signatures to go forward (more than 1,962 signatures), organizer James Willis said.

Williams, a Democrat who was elected to a second eight-year term in November, stirred controversy in December by not reappointing four of her nine deputy clerks. A fifth deputy clerk declined reappointment, the Roanoke Times reported.

Virginia law allows elected officials to be removed by a Circuit Court for conviction of certain hate, drug and sex crimes, or for neglect of duty, misuse of office, or incompetence that have a material adverse effect upon the conduct of the office, the Roanoke Times reported. Willis petition alleges the latter point, saying that Williams impaired her offices functioning and reputation by removing experienced personnel.

A court decision on whether to remove an elected official is triggered by a petition that gains the signatures of a number of registered voters equal to 10 percent of the total votes cast in the last election for that position, the Roanoke Times reported.

It added that Willis is a spokesman for the county Republican committee.
god notes.jpg

(JOHN SUCHOCKI / THE REPUBLICAN FILE)

AMHERST For 24 hours from April 1-2, God's mercy and love will be evident at the Newman Catholic Center on the campus of the University of Massachusetts as priests offer the Sacrament of Reconciliation to Catholics and spiritual exercises are available to help everyone grow closer to God.

Called "24 Hours of Mercy," this is part of the observance of the Extraordinary Jubilee Year of Mercy called for by Pope Francis.

The worldwide Holy Year of Mercy is meant to highlight the Catholic Church's mission to be a witness of mercy; it began on the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, Dec. 8, and will close on Nov. 20.

The Sacrament of Reconciliation - confession - will be available at the Newman Catholic Center for 24 hours from 1 p.m. on Friday, April 1, to 1 p.m. Saturday, April 2.

Students, faculty and staff of the university as well as lay people of the Diocese of Springfield and beyond are invited to avail themselves for this extraordinary event of God's mercy.

"We think it fits the college students' schedule," said the Rev. Gary M. Dailey, director of the Newman Catholic Center. "And it is a great opportunity to extend God's mercy to as many people as possible."

Different priests will be available throughout the 24 hours for confessions; some may choose to hear confessions in a confessional while others may choose to hear them face to face with the penitent.

IF YOU GO

Event:

"24 Hours of Mercy"

When:

1 p.m. Friday, April 1, to 1 p.m. Saturday, April 2

Where:

Newman Catholic Center on the campus of the University of Massachusetts, Amherst

Cost:

Free

For more information:

Online to newmanumass.org or by phone at (413) 549-0300

"We thought the novelty of having this through the whole night will awaken people to the importance of the Sacrament of Reconciliation," Dailey said.

He encourages Catholics to visit the center during the 24 hours, especially those who have been away from the Sacrament of Reconciliation. "Please consider making this an opportunity to return to the sacrament and receive God's abundant, overflowing and endless mercy," he said. "This is a wonderful opportunity to come home again during Lent and in anticipation of Easter."

He said persons should not be concerned if they have forgotten the prayers used during confession. "The formula is not important," he said. "Confessing your sins and seeking God's mercy and being forgiven are the most important things."

In addition to confessions, there will be Eucharistic Adoration during the 24 Hours of Mercy and the recitation of the rosary at different times.

During the daytime there will be a discussion about religious life for women with members of the Sisters of Life.

Spiritual materials and reading will be available throughout the 24 hours.

The biblical theme of the holy year is, "Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful."



"No one can be excluded from God's mercy," Pope Francis has said. "I frequently have thought about how the Church can make more evident its mission to be a witness of mercy;" that is why he decided to call a special Holy Year.



Traditionally, every 25 years the pope proclaims a holy year, which features special celebrations and pilgrimages, strong calls for conversion and repentance and the offer of special opportunities to experience God's grace through the sacraments, especially confession.



Extraordinary holy years, like the Holy Year of Mercy, are less frequent, but offer the same opportunities for spiritual growth.

For more information about "24 Hours of Mercy" go online to newmanumass.org or call (413) 549-0300.
SPRINGFIELD  Connecticut State Police reportedly seized nearly four kilos of cocaine during a Saturday morning traffic stop on Interstate 95 in Milford.

Police said troopers conducting a stop for alleged speeding on I-95 northbound near exit 35 in Milford detected various indicators of narcotics trafficking and asked to search the vehicle.

Officers, who requested assistance from a narcotics detection dog from the Fairfield Police Department, reportedly found a case containing four vacuum sealed bricks of suspected cocaine, according to Connecticut State Police.

The street value of the suspected cocaine, which reportedly weighed 8.7 pounds, or just under four kilos, is valued at more than $250,000, police said.

The vehicle's operator and lone occupant, Rueben Abreu, 46, of New York, NY, was arrested and transported to Troop G for processing, police reported. He was held on a $300,000 bond and is set to appear in Milford Superior Court. on Monday.
SPRINGFIELD  A fire at a Girard Avenue apartment complex has displaced two city residents and resulted in more than $10,000 in damage, Springfield Fire officials reported Saturday.

Firefighters responded to reports of a blaze at Bergen Circle Towers, located at 15 Girard Ave., just after 3:30 p.m.

Dennis Leger, executive aide to Fire Commissioner Joseph Conant, said the fire was sparked in the bedroom of an apartment due to an overloaded electrical circuit. It caused an estimated $10,000 to 15,000 in damage.

According to Leger, no injuries have been reported and the flames were quickly extinguished. The fire did not spread to other apartments.

While the unit's two adult occupants have been displaced by the fire, Leger said the management company has offered them another apartment. The Red Cross will also provide assistance.
glid.mars.octo.lumbra.jpg

From left: William Glidden, Holyoke Mayor Alex B. Morse, Mars, Jon D. Lumbra and what the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said is a new species of octopus.

(FILE PHOTOS)

HOLYOKE -- Shake the notebook, see what tumbles out:



Glidden to the Apple; pedometers at 30 strong

William Glidden, former aide to Holyoke Mayor Alex B. Morse, is headed to New York City. Glidden, 23, said he will be a development associate with Community Access, an organization that helps people with psychiatric disabilities make the transition to independent living. "I'm looking forward to it," Glidden said. Morse: "Billy will be missed greatly but he will forever be a part of my team. He's a great person and he loves Holyoke with all his heart." ... A sign on an easel at City Hall says "'MARCH'" to fitness" beneath a photo of gyrating generic people. It's a challenge to city employees to walk 30 minutes a day for fitness. "Stop by the Board of Health to get your free pedometer," the sign says. Health Director Brian Fitzgerald said about 30 pedometers have been handed out. "And no they do not have to return the pedometers," he said.



Lumbra tries to rescue IRS; O'Connell Care at Home accredited

Jon D. Lumbra, former city treasurer and City Council candidate, is one of 32 new appointees to the volunteer Taxpayer Advocacy Panel (TAP). "The TAP" is a committee that gives advice to the U.S. Internal Revenue Service to improve customer service. Appointees were chosen from more than 1,000 applicants, an IRS press release said. Lumbra is the only new member of the 73-person panel from Massachusetts. "I'm honored to be selected and to have the opportunity to serve on a national level. I look forward to bringing the taxpayers' perspective forward and seeing what we as a team are able to accomplish over the next three years," Lumbra said in an email ... O'Connell Care at Home, which has offices in Holyoke, Springfield and South Deerfield, has received accreditation from the Home Care Alliance of Massachusetts. The organization represents 190 home health and elder care agencies across Massachusetts, said a press release from Market Mentors public relations firm.

No love for Mr. Banana. Coral reef on Sargeant Street

Life would be less interesting without City Council President Kevin A. Jourdain. During a meeting Tuesday about proposed tax agreements for solar-power installations, Jourdain teed off on one of his favorite topics, government neglecting taxpayers. Residents who buy homes have as much of an investment in Holyoke as an out-of-town business considering locating here, he said: "I really don't care about Joe Banana from Walla Walla, Washington." Jourdain struck again later when talk turned to requiring that an owner be bound to remove unsightly solar panels once the array becomes obsolete, "Something that looks like it might be from the surface of Mars." ... Gerardo Ramos received renewal from the City Council of the home occupation permit for his business at 275 Sargeant St. Marine Reef Habitat. Ramos sells the coral he grows to aquarium-supply businesses and he uses some of the revenue to return to Puerto Rico to replant depleted coral. His new permit allows up to five customer visits per month.

Purple Heart Trail

Veterans of Foreign Wars Hampden District 7 March 8 presented Ward 3 Councilor David K. Bartley with its City Councilor Award. This was for Bartley's leading the effort to have the City Council on Oct. 7, 2014 designate Route 202 here from Westfield to South Hadley a Purple Heart Trail to honor military men and women who were injured or died in combat. Bartley made clear that he accepted on behalf of the entire City Council ...

Keaton, octopuses, phone books

Non-Holyoke Item 1: Actor Michael Keaton deserves the praise he is receiving for playing an editor in the Academy Award-winning "Spotlight." The movie tells how The Boston Globe's investigative team revealed the pedophile priest scandal in the Catholic Church. "Spotlight" wasn't Keaton's first role as a newspaperman. Check out 1994's excellent "The Paper," in which Keaton plays the metro editor of the fictional New York Sun tabloid. Killer cast includes Robert Duvall, Glenn Close, Marisa Tomei, Jason Robards and Randy Quaid, along with cameos by Pete Hamill, Bob Costas, Kurt Loder, Richard Price and the late columnist Mike McAlary.

Non-Holyoke Item 2: Dogs will always occupy the heart here at the Holyoke Affairs Desk. But octopuses might be the coolest creatures on Earth. The eight-armed animal can change color, texture and shape almost instantly to blend into its surroundings and hide from predators. They can grow a new arm if one is bitten off. They have been filmed opening jars containing food and dismantling aquariums to escape. They are found in all oceans at many depths. This comes to mind with reports that a new species of octopus, a ghost-like creature, apparently has been discovered on the Pacific Ocean floor near the Hawaiian Islands, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. "The cute little guy differed from other octopuses in its tentacles, which had just one row of suckers, and in that it was very unmuscled," discovery.com said. Anyone who enjoys a good ocean-depth street fight should check out the "shark vs. octopus" video. Hemingway wrote in "The Old Man and the Sea" that sharks have no enemies because they are so fast, strong and well-armed. Tell that to the shark that trespassed into this octopus' den.

Non-Holyoke Item 3: Remember when phone books had presence? When their heft made them the reference point for thickness? Well the new one arrived Friday not much bigger than a box of Altoids. Thank you, technology.
Salient Technologies, Inc. http://salient-tech.com/blog/ is a creative product development firm fully capable of turning your ideas into reality. Located in beautiful Bozeman, Montana, our talented team helps leading brands and manufacturers achieve a competitive edge in the marketplace.

Salient offers a wide variety of services to help take whats in your head and put it in your hands. Weve worked with  and designed for  just about every industry, working alongside clients from inspiration to production in product design, reverse engineering, 3D modeling, prototyping, animations, patent illustrations, photo-realistic renderings, design for manufacturing and more.

Well let our work speak for itself, but were pretty confident once youve met us youll wish youd found us sooner!

http://salient-tech.com/blog/
"The whole aspect of them blaming the structure and not being able to renovate or preserve any of this existing building, basing it on structural aspects, is just not true."

DAVID ERICKSON [email protected]

Full Story: http://missoulian.com/news/structural-engineer-disputes-bozeman-developer-s-claims-about-missoula-mercantile/article_e8ec9bff-f54a-5963-8e0c-5474a1be8645.html

***

Missoula Mayor Engen backs proposal to demolish Mercantile building.. but at what cost to Missoulas architectural soul? http://www.matr.net/article-70601.html

Save the Merc  Missoula community uses social media as platform to support Mercantile http://www.matr.net/article-70652.html

Soon to be owners of Missoulas Merc Building share their vision http://www.matr.net/article-63027.html
Air Mauritius will operate 04 weekly commercial flights to and from Antananarivo (TNR) effective Thursday 07 April 2022 on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays with both the Airbus A350-900 and A330-900neo aircraft.

The timings are as below:

From Mauritius

Days of Operations Flight Number Time of Departure Time of arrival Tuesdays MK288 14h20 15h15 Wednesdays MK288 14h20 15h15 Thursdays MK288 14h20 15h15 aturdays MK288 14h20 15h15

To Mauritius

Days of Operations Flight Number Time of Departure Time of arrival Tuesdays MK289 17h00 19h45 Wednesdays MK289 17h00 19h45 Thursdays MK289 17h00 19h45 Saturdays MK289 17h00 19h45

For reservations, you can on 207 7575, airmauritius.com or get into contact with your travel agent.

Partager et informez vous aussi......

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by Joe Mandese @mp_joemandese, March 13, 2016

AUSTIN, TEXAS -- Even as taxi and limousine workers worry about being replaced by technology, Uber and Lyft drivers should start looking for a new line of work thanks to the next generation of technological innovation. Specifically, robots. Thats what robotics industry pioneer Rodney Brooks predicted during a keynote conversation with New Yorker editor Nick Thompson here Sunday.

Brooks said, I dont think many people in this room are going to lose their jobs to robots. He then predicted that drivers for Uber and Lyft, however, would.

The reason, he said, is that robotic innovation, despite conventional wisdom, popular science fiction and the dire warnings of geniuses like Bill Gates, Elon Musk and Stephen Hawking, just wont happen quickly enough to impact human dexterity, intelligence, and cognitive thought enough to replace many higher-functioning human roles.

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Brooks, who is founder, chairman and CTO of Rethink Robotics, showed a video of the current generation of state-of-the-art robots performing mindless, rudimentary assembly tasks in manufacturing facilities. He then pointed out that, if anything, the progress of robotic tasks has been moving in the opposite direction.

He noted that robots have gone from sweeping floors (iRobots Roomba) to opening stool samples for researchers at the University of Colorado (Brooks own Baxter robot).

In a way, its going downhill, he said, adding, We dont have the super-intelligent robots that were available in science fiction when I first started in this area.

When he came to the U.S. from his native Australia in 1977, Brooks said there were only three mobile robots in the world, but that since then, a company like iRobot has sold 16 million Roombas.

The next big breakthrough, he predicted, would be evolving from robotic floor cleaners to eldercare. His main reasoning was that the global population is aging and young people simply wont want to care for geriatric citizens, which will necessitate robots capable of performing those tasks.

In fact, he described the next generation of self-driving cars as eldercare robots, because they will help older people retain their mobility and autonomy even when they are no longer capable of driving themselves.

Even then, Brooks predicted robots would have relatively little impact on jobs for humans. He cited the introduction of automated teller machines (ATMs) in the 1980s, which many predicted would put bank tellers out of jobs.

There are actually more bank tellers than before. But Im not sure what bank tellers do, he quipped.

While it did not address the impact robots might have of on the kind of jobs that ad agency and brand executives perform, he implied robots would likely have little impact on the labor of the media industry overall.

Asked during the audience Q&A whether robots might soon replace the editing, writing and storytelling skills of editors like The New Yorkers Thompson, Brooks said hes not impressed by the current generation of machine technology that can write stories and aggregate news content.

I dont enjoy the aggregated stories, he said.
Often patients undergo procedures without real informed consent being achieved due to technical language, jargon and time pressure, with up to half of patients finding it difficult to understand what their doctor tells them. Now a group of Australian doctors has prepared patients for surgery using iPads, and found that patients' understanding was much better than after a face-to-face consultation.

It is vitally important that patients understand what medical procedures they face, both so that they can cope better with the procedure, and so that they can give fully informed consent to the treatment. However, many patients come out of critical face-to-face interviews with doctors not really understanding what to expect or what they might have agreed to.

"Patients often find it difficult to understand the medical language used by Doctors during face-to-face standard verbal communication, and they often feel intimidated by the interaction", said lead researcher, Matthew Winter (Royal North Shore Hospital, Sydney, Australia). "Often doctors work within busy practises and clinical environments with time limiting the quality of a consult and or verbal consent for a procedure. Patients often find it difficult to comprehend their planned procedure. We have found patient's knowledge is greatly improved through the use of portable video media and is their overall preferred method of information delivery compared with standard verbal communication"

The researchers designed a randomised controlled trial (RCT) to check the understanding of 88 patients facing surgery for acute renal colic (the abdominal pain often caused by kidney stones). 45 of the patients discussed the forthcoming surgery with their doctor as normal, whereas 43 patients were given a video presentation with cartoon animation narrated by a Doctor which could be viewed on tablets such as an iPad. The patients were then questioned on their understanding of the medical procedure and their satisfaction regarding the information delivery technique. After this they were switched, with those who had received face-to-face counselling receiving the video, and vice versa, followed by the same questionnaire. Patients were then asked to give their overall preference of information delivery.

They found that that use of the video increased understanding by 15.5%, in comparison to the direct consultation. In addition, 71 patients (80.7%) preferred the video as against 17 (19.3%) who preferred the face-to-face meeting.

Commenting, Dr Winter said

"Informed consent for patients undergoing procedures is both an ethical and legal responsibility and crucially important for optimising treatment. Patients should be intimately involved in deciding upon their treatment, and understanding their treatment is often vital to a good recovery. Although medicine has advanced by leaps and bounds, there has been little change to the informed consent procedure and how a doctor explains the treatment to the patient. Through the use of portable video media, a doctor can present his/her own practise and procedural technique in an innovative, dynamic and engaging manner.

"We are not saying that using portable video media should replace consent. Our work shows that there are alternatives to interviews, which can help significantly, improve patient understanding and satisfaction. Most patients prefer being able to use the portable media devices to a face-to-face consultation which benefits both clinician and patient through improved quality of care. Portable video media is a useful addition to the informed consent process and I predict will form a crucial component of this process in years to come".

Commenting, Professor Fiona Burkhard, chairman of the EAU Guidelines panel for Urinary Incontinence said:

"This innovative approach to patient information, using a cartoon animation narrated by a doctor, allows each individual patient as much time as needed to understand the proposed procedure. It should not replace a face to face discussion with the physician, but will allow patients to meet the physician already informed and prepared, thus benefiting both the physician and the patient".

This research was funded by the Central Coast Urology Research & Education Fund.
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Moderate drinking, as defined by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, is no more than one drink per day for women and no more than two drinks per day for men, translating to seven or fewer drinks per week for women and 14 or fewer drinks per week for men. A standard drink is a 12-ounce beer, 8-ounces of malt liquor, a 5-ounce glass of wine or a 1.5-ounce shot of liquor.Binge drinking, which is especially problematic, is four drinks in two hours for women and five drinks in two hours for men. More than one-third of college students engage in binge drinking monthly."Alcohol leads to impulsive decisions and can be addictive," Hendricks said. "Even though it's legal for those 21 years of age and older, college students should be aware of the dangers of drinking alcohol."Megan McMurray, clinical psychology intern at UAB, notes that drinking alcohol in excess is dangerous and can quite easily lead to death. Overdose of alcohol can occur when a person has blood alcohol content sufficient to produce impairments that increase the risk of harm. Age, drinking experience, gender, the amount of food eaten and even ethnicity can influence BAC. Critical signs and symptoms of alcohol poisoning include: Confusion, Vomiting, Seizures, Slow breathing, Irregular breathing, Hypothermia."As BAC increases, so does alcohol's effects and the risk for harm," McMurray said. "Even small increases in BAC can decrease coordination, make a person feel sick and impair judgment. This can lead to injury from falls or car crashes, leave one vulnerable to sexual assault or other acts of violence, and increase the risk for unprotected, unintended intercourse."McMurray explained further, "When BACs get even higher, amnesia or blackouts occur. If a person has signs of alcohol poisoning, it is very dangerous to assume that an unconscious person will be fine by sleeping it off."Alcohol acts as a depressant, impairing basic bodily functions, such as the gag reflex, leaving people vulnerable to choking on their own vomit and dying in their sleep. Alcohol can also irritate the stomach, making the suppression of the gag reflex especially problematic.Furthermore, on a national level, 696,000 students between the ages of 18-24 are assaulted every year by another student who has been drinking and 97,000 students between the ages of 18-24 report experiencing alcohol-related sexual assault or date rape each year.According to an article published in Lancet in 2010, alcohol is rated as the single most harmful of all abused substances, ranking higher than heroin, crack cocaine and methamphetamine."Alcohol is ingrained in our culture, and binge drinking is perceived as a lighthearted, fun and humorous rite of passage among college students," Hendricks said. "It's crucial to communicate the dire risks of binge drinking and challenge the notion that alcohol use is a normal and harmless part of the college experience."Hendricks recommends that those under the legal drinking age of 21 refrain from drinking alcohol. Moderate drinking (again, no more than two drinks per day for men and one drink per day for women) may be considered for those over the age of 21. Hendricks offers suggestions that may help reduce the harm of immoderate alcohol use.Alternate each alcoholic beverage with a glass of water. Eat a full meal before drinking occasions. Sip drinks slowly and avoid taking shots, chugging or using a beer bong, as drinking quickly leads to a steep BAC curve and subsequent impairment. Do not mix alcohol with other drugs as this increases risk of toxicity and harm. Mixing alcohol with benzodiazepines (for example, Xanax and Klonopin) is especially problematic and can lead to death. Have a safe ride home by designating a driver or using public transportation, taxi or safe rides. Never leave your friends. Do not accept drinks from someone you do not know. Never take your eyes off of your drink. Intoxicated individuals cannot provide consent to sexual contact or intercourse. Sexual contact or intercourse with an inebriated person may be considered rape in most states.Source: Newswise
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who is a role model for many countries around the world because of his culturally diverse cabinet, referred to Narendra Modis cabinet when asked about the presence of so many Punjabis in his own government.

Trudeau, who was addressing students at American University in Washington D.C, was responding to a student from Pakistan who said that he was delighted to see so many Punjabis in the house. Take a look at how the Prime Minister responded.

And indeed thats true. PM Trudeau is revered as an inclusive figure in Canada as was visible when he helped out women to prepare langar before the elections.

Happy Diwali! Happy to celebrate at Gursikh Sabha in Scarborough and contribute to the langar. pic.twitter.com/BwYtreqTd3  Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) November 3, 2013

His cabinet includes three sikh ministers with Harjit Sajjan holding the all-important office as the Defence Minister of Canada. And for those of you wondering, yes, thats even better than the UPA government.

Now that is what you call diversityare you listening Mr. Modi?
The Foreign Ministry mourns the unexpected loss of its Ambassador to Madrid, Nikolaos Pazios.



Nikolaos Pazios, recently promoted to the highest rank of the Diplomatic hierarchy, did the utmost honor to the homeland, wherever he served, was an excellent Diplomat, an exceptional public official with profound belief in Democracy, a model and source of inspiration for all those who were fortunate enough to know him and who, today, cannot believe the news of his untimely passing.



Ambassador Nikolaos Pazios entered the Diplomatic Service of the Foreign Ministry in 1982 and served at Greeces Embassies in Paris, Bucharest and the Vatican. His postings included Consul General in Paris, Ambassador to Albania, Head of the Middle East and North Africa Directorate, and Ambassador to Madrid.



Foreign Minister Nikos Kotzias and the whole of the political and service leadership of the Foreign Ministry, as well as all of Nikolaos Pazios colleagues, express deep condolences to his family.
SANTA ANA, Calif. (AP)  An Orange County defense attorney suffered a bloodied face and fractured nose after a brawl with a district attorney's investigator in a courthouse hallway, his lawyer said.

James Crawford was speaking with a witness in the courthouse Wednesday morning when an investigator asked him who he was and called defense lawyers sleazy, said Jerry Steering, Crawford's attorney.

The men traded insults and the investigator threw a metal document clip at Crawford, which he threw back, Steering said. The investigator then grabbed Crawford, slammed his head into a bench and began punching him, Steering said Crawford did not strike back.

The Orange County District Attorney's office declined comment. The county sheriff's department is investigating the incident, which was reported Friday by the Orange County Register (http://bit.ly/1nCPCxA ).

Paul S. Meyer, an attorney for the investigator, told the newspaper that Crawford's account was not accurate.

"There are two sides to every story and that is certainly true here," Meyer said.

The state attorney general's office will review the incident, which has stoked outrage among many defense attorneys.

"It is an affront to the criminal justice system and to the citizens of Orange County that this DA would allow this to happen on his watch and stay completely silent," Jacqueline Goodman, an executive committee member of the California Attorneys for Criminal Justice, said in a statement.

The fight comes amid a simmering scandal in the county over the Orange County district attorney's use of jailhouse informants and handling of related evidence.

Crawford recently won a new trial for a suspect in the 1998 murder of a pregnant woman over the allegations.

The Justice Department is reviewing requests for a federal investigation into the county's justice system, Dena Iverson, a spokeswoman for U.S. Attorney General Loretta E. Lynch, told the newspaper.

The Association of Orange County Deputy Sheriffs, which represents district attorney's investigators, said there were many witnesses to the courthouse fight.

"His one-sided version of events is simply not true," said Tom Dominguez, the association's president.
KALISPELL, Montana (AP)  A 55-year-old Kalispell man was killed in a car wreck southwest of Whitefish while chasing his wife in another vehicle.

Flathead County Sheriff Chuck Curry says Bruce Eugene Boles had been arguing with his wife Wednesday afternoon when she drove off. Curry says Boles got in another vehicle and began to chase her.

Curry says at one point during the "mobile domestic violence event" the two vehicles made contact with each other. Boles' vehicle eventually went off the road and rolled about 2:30 p.m. He was thrown from the vehicle and died at the scene.

Curry says he did not believe Boles' wife contributed to the crash, which is still under investigation.
Almost 100 people mostly from Haiti who were rescued from an overcrowded boat off the Florida coast had no food or water for...
Relocating to the Bay Area in the late 1990s presented both excitement and concern. Excitement in starting a new career and the next phase of my life upon finishing my undergraduate degree, and concern due to my lack of knowledge regarding the quality of life the Bay Area had to offer.

Ryan Carley, President of the Bay Area Chamber, grew up in downstate Michigan and planned to put down roots in Southeast Michigan or Chicago as he pursued his career in the financial industry. In fact, he had never actually set foot in Bay County until his first interview.

The rest, as they say, is history.

Carley landed in Bay City and during the next several years became smitten by the authenticity of the people, the deep-rooted appreciation for the history of the community and the focus on evolving collectively.

Today, as the leader of the Bay Area Chamber of Commerce, Carley continues to be impressed by the latter of these attributes he so quickly discovered.

Over the years in the Bay Area, there has been a concerted effort to advance the ball with a specific plan. Most recently that has taken the form of something called the "Road Map to the Future" -- a joint effort of the Chamber of Commerce and the Bay Area Community Foundation that focuses development and progress in four areas:

A strong sense of place

A robust and diverse economy

The presence of outstanding talent

Possessing the ability to meet basic human needs

A tremendous amount of work has been done to promote this plan and make sure that when any organization -- from municipalities to nonprofits to private businesses -- looks to make investments in the Bay Area, they do so keeping in mind the goals set forth in the roadmap.

The result is a constantly improving community.

Highlighting just one of these four areas -- strong sense of place -- Carley suggests that the commitment to creating it and fostering it is one of the main reasons why, after 20 years, he continues to call the Bay Area home.

And what fosters a strong sense of place? Investment in one of our greatest assets -- the waters of Saginaw Bay, the Saginaw River and the Saginaw Bay Watershed; a focus on the arts; promotion of a unique and diverse restaurant and retail business scene; and access to green space, trails and nature areas.

All of these things help build the Bay Area as an appealing player in Michigan's travel and tourism industry, which is just one leg of a three-legged stool that serves as a foundation for the Bay Area -- the other legs being agriculture and industry.

This diverse environment has allowed the Bay Area to follow the progress the entire state has seen since the recession. The Michigan Department of Technology, Management and Budget reports continued improvement in the area's unemployment rate, which sits below 5 percent -- levels not seen since 2000.

Staying true to a community's history while evolving takes courage, planning and belief.

The Bay Area is a place Carley believes in and he welcomes everyone to pay the area a visit to see for themselves the incredible things happening.
GRAND RAPIDS, MI -- A new trend among thrift shops is selling second-hand merchandise by the pound.

Bargain hunters sift through trays of donated cast-offs, and then pay based on how much their bundle weighs.

Goodwill Industries and World Mission are two Grand Rapids area retailers trying out the "pound program" which lets shoppers buy in bulk.

"While our four World Mission Thrift Stores have always been a haven for smart shoppers, we've come to the realization that there are still many people who need to stretch their hard-earned dollars as far as possible when clothing their family," said Greg Kelley, World Missions' chief executive officer. "The pricing on this special section of clothing answers that need."

Selling clothing by the pound isn't new for thrift stores, but traditionally this pricing method is reserved for those buying big bales of clothing for distribution in overseas markets.

World Mission recently opened a "99-cents a pound" clothing section at the ministry's Comstock Park store, at 949 Four Mile Rd NW. Items that sell for 99 cents include clothing, purses, shoes and sporting goods. Housewares sell for 69 cents per item.

The Goodwill Industries sells even more categories by the pound at its Grandville outlet center, at 3035 Prairie St.

The items, that range from clothing to books, tend to have already had a four-week rotation through a Goodwill store. They are sent to the outlet center for a sort of "last call" sale before moving on to the recycle process.

"Depending on volume the bins are rotated between every hour, 45 minutes or 30 minutes," said Lynda Kistler, Goodwill's interactive marketing manager.

Here's the price breakdown by pound for a variety of items sold at Goodwill's outlet store:

 $1.39 - shoes

 $1.09 - textiles such as clothing, purses, sporting goods and winter boots

 49 cents - blankets, records and stuffed animals,

 79 cents - housewares, books and media.



While the Salvation Army, another major chain of thrift stores, doesn't sell by the pound in West Michigan, non-profit Christian organization has tried out a "pound program" at its Minneapolis store, reports the Minneapolis Star Tribune.

Locally, Salvation Army culls its inventory with store-wide sales that discount prices as low as 25 cents a piece, said Roger Snider, the group's spokesman for the Western Michigan Northern Indiana region.



The Salvation Army operates eight Family Thrift Stores across West Michigan. Four stores are in the Greater Grand Rapids area, and the rest are spread among Holland, Battle Creek, Portage and Plainwell. There are 59 locations statewide.

Goodwill of Greater Grand Rapids operates 19 stores across a eight county region. The revenue generated at the store funds Goodwill's job training and placement programs.

World Mission describes itself as a Grand Rapids Christian-based used clothing recycler, which uses the store sales to fund the distribution of a multi-lingual, solar-powered audio Bible, called The Treasure, to the remotest parts of the world

Shandra Martinez covers business and other topics for MLive. Email her or follow her on Twitter @shandramartinez.
Amtrak_station_061014_RJS_02.jpg

The existing Amtrak station location on Depot Street emerged in 2014 as one of two finalists in terms of potential sites for a new Amtrak station in Ann Arbor. The city is also considering a site along Fuller Road in front of the University of Michigan Hospital.

(Ryan Stanton | The Ann Arbor News)

ANN ARBOR, MI -- Where might a new Amtrak station be built in Ann Arbor? Fuller Road? Depot Street?

After several months of mostly silence from city officials, who have declined to say what's being discussed between the city and the Federal Railroad Administration with regard to a preferred site, some information might be coming soon.

Tom Crawford, interim city administrator, provided a brief update on the city's study of alternative station locations in a report to the City Council this week.

"Staff is revising the alternatives analysis consistent with FRA feedback. If possible, staff will bring a final alternatives analysis forward to the public in April," Crawford wrote in the memo dated Thursday, March 10.

No further details were provided, but that's the first indication in a while that the city might be updating the public soon.

The Ann Arbor News followed up on Friday with Eli Cooper, the city's transportation program manager, to ask where the study is at in the process.

"Nothing new to report," Cooper said, noting only that the city is continuing to coordinate with the FRA and the Michigan Department of Transportation. "I have stopped anticipating when we will move back into the public arena."

City officials said 10 months ago they were nearing completion of an extensive review of alternative locations for a new Amtrak station, and they expected at that time to identify a preferred site within a month or so. A site recommendation was expected to be presented publicly in June 2015, but that didn't happen.

Since then, city officials have stayed mostly silent, giving no indication publicly of which way the city is leaning in terms of a preferred site.

Last August, the city submitted a draft alternatives analysis report to MDOT. It was then expected to go to the FRA for review.

The report, which the city has refused to release under the Freedom of Information Act, included a comprehensive review of options for a new station both on Fuller Road and Depot Street, as well as a no-build option. The city acknowledges the report discusses a recommendation as to preferred location, though city officials won't say specifically what the report says or what's being discussed.

Mayor Christopher Taylor has defended the city's decision to keep the public in the dark about what's in the draft report.

He said the city wants to make sure that when it puts forward a final report, it has been fully vetted by all reviewing agencies, including the FRA.

The city has given consideration to several options for a new Amtrak station, including demolishing the existing station on Depot Street and building a new one there, or building on the footprint of a city-owned parking lot along Fuller Road in Fuller Park in front of the University of Michigan Hospital.

As for the idea of returning the historic Michigan Central Railroad Depot on Depot Street, now the Gandy Dancer restaurant, to use as a train station, something the federal government asked the city to explore, the city's project consultant laid out a list of reasons last May why that wouldn't be a very good option.

In an interview in late December, Taylor offered his take on the pros and cons of the Fuller Road and Depot Street sites.

"The benefits and detriments of the Depot site versus the Fuller Road site are still known," he said. "It's long been my understanding that traffic engineers and transportation engineers who look at the two sites see the Fuller Road site as having plain transportation-related advantages. It is directly accessible by pedestrians who wish ingress and egress to the most visited site in the county, the university health system. It is on a corridor that is appropriate for last-mile mass transit. These features distinguish Fuller Road from Depot."

The city in October 2013 hired URS Corp. for $824,875 to lead the train station study. A little less than $165,000 came from funds the city previously budgeted, with the rest covered by a federal rail grant the city accepted in 2012.

The $2.8 million federal rail planning grant also is expected to cover some additional future expenses as the project moves forward.

The city's project team has been operating under the assumption that ridership along the Detroit-to-Chicago rail corridor will increase significantly in the coming decades, with daily roundtrips by Amtrak increasing from 3 to 10, along with new commuter rail service between Ann Arbor and Detroit.

The city's position is that the existing station is inadequate and will become increasingly inadequate in the years ahead in terms of passenger demand, quality and comfort, access, intermodal connectivity, and integration within the city.

The city and U-M recently announced new details about plans for a separate light rail project called the Ann Arbor Connector that includes a stop at the U-M medical center, providing an option for people coming into Ann Arbor by train to hop on the Connector rail line and continue their commute to other parts of the city.

The City Council approved a resolution in October 2012 promising Ann Arbor residents will get to vote on whether to build a new Amtrak station. The resolution stipulates that "at or before the completion of a final design" the city will put the question of whether to move forward with construction to a vote of the people.

The city's Capital Improvements Plan shows $2.6 million in planned expenses for final design of a new Amtrak station in fiscal year 2016-17.

The CIP also shows $44.5 million for construction in 2017-18. The city expects to receive federal funding for a significant portion of the project.

Ryan Stanton covers the city beat for The Ann Arbor News. Reach him at ryanstanton@mlive.com.
HOWELL, MI - More than 20 empty railroad cars derailed Sunday morning on a track just north of Howell.

No one was hurt and there were no concerns about hazardous materials, Howell Area Fire Chief Andy Pless said. The cars, intended to carry grain, toppled over both sides of the track in or along a wheat field, and the incident did not affect any roads, homes or structures.

Emergency authorities were sent shortly after 9 a.m. March 13 to the area between Oak Grove and Byron roads in Livingston County.

Great Lakes Central Railroad is handling the cleanup, which Pless expected would take a couple days. The railroad had its own security personnel at the site.

Pless did not know what caused the cars to leave the tracks.

An effort Sunday to contact the railroad company was not successful.

Chris Bagwell, general manager, told the Livingston Daily Press and Argus one 3-foot piece of railroad track broke. He said this is not uncommon in the industry. Great Lakes Central called in a crew with the Ohio-based R.J. Corman Railroad Group to upright the freight cars, Bagwell told the newspaper.

Firefighters remained on scene only for a short time. They were mostly concerned with keeping spectators and gawkers away from the tracks.

Great Lakes Central Railroad is the largest regional railroad in Michigan, with 400 miles of track stretching through central and northern Michigan, according to the company's website.
FLINT, MI - The Community Foundation of Greater Flint hopes a telethon will boost donations above $5 million for a fund established at the nonprofit organization to help children impacted by the city's ongoing water crisis.

The "Flint Water Crisis: 4 Our Families" telethon by WDIV-TV is set to run from 6 a.m.-8 pm. Tuesday, March 15 and air on a handful of other stations.

Proceeds from the telethon will be donated to the Flint Child Health & Development Fund that's providing ongoing and long-term care for children in the community.

Mary Jo Herbig, director of communications for the Community Foundation of Greater Flint, said to date the fund has raised more than $4 million with contributions for over 8,000 people in all 50 states and overseas.

"The outpouring of support has really inspired our staff and it continues every day," she said of the donations.

An advisory committee has been put together to target nonprofit organizations where grants will go to areas targeted by lead mitigation strategies developed through Michigan State University's Pediatric Health Initiative being led by Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha, founding donor of the fund.

The areas for newborns to children 6 years old -- the group most vulnerable to developmental issues from lead -- include finding access to a doctor to create a medical home, access to healthy food, and providing early childhood education.

Herbig said the assistance through the fund is being offered as wraparound services not covered by state or federal funding.

"We need millions and millions of dollars more to make this really impact the lives of children into adulthood," she said of the non-endowed fund, with hopes of raising $500,000 during the telethon.

Tom Gores, Detroit Pistons owner, has offered a $1 million match for donations received during the telethon, while Art Van Furniture has pledged up to $100,000 in sales from the day to the fund.

"We are grateful to Tom Gores and the FlintNOW fund for providing a one-to-one match," said Herbig. "It's incredible and we hope that inspires people to give."

Viewers will have the opportunity to make donations during the telethon by calling 844-FLINT KIDS or visiting any of the news stations' websites, all of which will be accepting credit card contributions through www.flintkids.org.
NORTHERN MICHIGAN, MI - Researchers in a helicopter and snowmobiles used a "net gun" to temporarily capture elk to fit them with GPS collars that will help track and study the animals in the Lower Peninsula.

The state Department of Natural Resources and Michigan State University put GPS devices on 40 elk as part of an MSU graduate student's research project.

"One of the goals of this project is to look specifically at the effects of recreation in the core elk range by tracking elk movements over the next three years," said Brian Mastenbrook, DNR wildlife field operations manager.

The core of the elk range is the Pigeon River Country State Forest, an area including 100,000 acres of public land northeast of Gaylord in parts of Cheboygan and Otsego counties, the DNR said.

The tracking project began in 2006.

"In the early 1980s, our research looked at the effects of oil and gas development. In the late 1980s, we looked at how hunting affected elk behavior within the elk range," DNR wildlife research biologist Dean Beyer said.

"Now as time has passed, we face new issues. This research is designed to look at elk habitat and how elk move in relation to human activities, specifically horseback and mountain bike riding."

The netting project began Feb. 14. DNR staff, MSU researchers and a helicopter crew from Texas took part. Elk were not tranquilized during capture.

"Not tranquilizing an animal changes the ground game in this collaring. We are handling large animals, fully aware and capable of moving, so we need to move quickly," Beyer said.

"The elk can then be back on their way and return to their natural setting. Fortunately, we have highly qualified and experienced staff to make this happen."

Elk can reach 5 feet tall and 900 pounds. The males had not dropped antlers, which could weigh 40 pounds, adding another element of danger.

DNR crews in two airplanes flew at low altitude to spot the animals.

"It's like hunting for morel mushrooms," said DNR wildlife technician Mark Monroe. "Just like morels, if one elk is spotted, typically others can be found - because elk are a social animal."

He led the ground team on snowmobiles.

"The plane would alert us to the number of elk they'd spotted, their location and if they were males or females," Monroe said. "The best reports were multiple elk near a clearing - which is great, because we need the room to work."

The helicopter would then fire a net gun to capture elk before the snowmobiles moved in. They blind-folded the animals and secured legs with straps while others removed tangled netting.

Researchers put GPS collars on elk. The process takes 10 to 15 minutes.

The collars fall off after three years.

The team equipped 20 males and 20 females in two days.

"We are very excited about how quickly we were able to complete this collaring mission," Mastenbrook said. "Although the project development itself was years in the making."

To learn more about Michigan's elk populations visit www.michigan.gov/elk.



John Agar covers crime and other issues for MLiveE-mail John Agar: jagar@mlive.com and follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/ReporterJAgar
JACKSON, MI - The Michigan Court of Appeals has affirmed the conviction of a former Indiana school principal serving time in prison for criminal sexual conduct and child pornography offenses.

A jury convicted Michael Ettenberger, 48, in 2014 of several crimes for encouraging the creation of and receiving a sexual video and pictures of a then 9-year-old girl.

His co-defendant, Jill Miller of Liberty Township, a 40-year-old past PTO president who met Ettenberger online, also is serving a prison sentence. She captured the images at his request, according to information presented in court.

On appeal, Ettenberger challenged the sufficiency of the evidence against him and contended Jackson County Circuit Judge John McBain erred when he denied a motion for a directed verdict, a rarely granted request to dismiss a case or acquit a defendant in advance of jury deliberations.

Ettenberger conceded he had "perverse fantasies" and he communicated these desires to Miller. This does not mean, he argued, he is guilty of second-degree criminal sexual conduct, "child sexually abusive activity," use of a computer to commit specified crimes and possession of child pornography, as the jury convicted him.

He contended there was no documentation of any conversations during which he encouraged Miller to create and send child porn and her recollections were unreliable "due to her intoxication" and her desire to minimize her own role.

The three-judge panel of appellate considered arguments from county Chief Appellate Attorney Jerrold Schrotenboer and Ettenberger's lawyer, Laurel Kelly Young, and disagreed.

Ettenberger admitted to police he was "driving" the sexual conversations about the 9-year-old, he said was "addicted to pornography," and there was evidence of his interest in "taboo porn," according to the opinion, released last month.

"The jury could reasonably conclude that (Ettenberger) did more than discuss sexual fantasies with Miller," the opinion states in reference to Ettenberger's second-degree criminal sexual conduct conviction. "That is, this evidence supports the inference that (Ettenberger) encouraged, and intended for Miller to engage in sexual contact with a minor for the purpose of providing (Ettenberger) with footage of that conduct."

While Ettenberger contended he could have accidentally viewed the video, simply labeled "vid" when it was sent to him, the Court of Appeals was not convinced. His conduct "plainly evinces" intentional steps to gain access and control of the content, and those efforts "wholly belie any claim" that his viewing was merely accidental, according to the opinion.

Ettenberger resigned from his position as a middle school principal in the Indianapolis area in 2013 and currently is serving five to 20 years in prison at the Cooper Street Correctional Facility in Jackson.

Miller, sentenced to six to 20 years, is housed at the Huron Valley Correctional Facility in Ypsilanti at least until June 2019, according to Michigan Department of Corrections records.
JACKSON, MI - At a time when the state is focused on findings of high lead levels in Flint, the Jackson County Health Department and Allegiance Health pediatric offices are promoting the importance of lead screening.

Only about 20 percent of Jackson County children are tested each year and of those, 8.3 percent had elevated levels of lead in their blood in 2013, the most recent information presented, according to a statement from the health department issued this month. "Despite the continued presence of lead in the environment, lead poisoning is entirely preventable, and screening is the first step."

To reduce children's risk, parents who suspect exposure should talk to their doctors or the health department about testing, covered by Medicaid health plans, according to the health department.

Parents living in homes built before 1978, the year lead-based paints were banned for use in housing, might want to further consider a lead inspection. According to 2014 data from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, almost 70 percent of Jackson homes fall into this category, the health department reports.

Even low levels of lead in blood have been shown to affect intelligence, ability to pay attention and academic achievement, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Any effects cannot be corrected.

Lead-based paint and lead-contaminated dust are the most hazardous sources of lead for children in the United States, the CDC reports. Children, at risk because they are rapidly growing and tend to put object in their mouths, also can be exposed through soil, a parent or relative's workplace and contaminated drinking water. Those younger than 6 are most susceptible.

In recent years and months, Flint has drawn attention to lead as it handles a water crisis that has residents taking legal action and authorities scrambling to explain and remedy.

The city water supply was switched to the Flint River in April 2014, prompting complaints from residents about smelly, discolored water, later shown to be more corrosive to pipes. Test results eventually revealed elevated lead levels in the water and in adults and children, moving the city in October 2015 to again attain its water from Detroit.

Jackson County residents with questions can contact Brianna Hampton, the lead poisoning prevention health educator, at 517-768-2087 or by email at bhampton@co.jackson-mi.us, or visit the health department lead information site.
PORTAGE, MI -- The man shot at a Portage nightclub early Sunday morning, March 13, was a member of a Detroit-based rap group, police say.

Detroit police had contacted the Portage Department of Public Safety and said a suspect with an arrest warrant for armed robbery was expected to be at The Renaissance with the rap group Shred Gang.

Portage Public Safety officers responded to a call of shots fired and a person down at the nightclub, 3750 E. Kilgore Ave., around 12:44 a.m. Sunday.

There, officers found a 22-year-old Detroit man who had a single gunshot wound to the face. He also was a member of Shred Gang. He was taken to Bronson Methodist Hospital in a personal vehicle and is there in serious condition.

Police said Sunday the nightclub had been rented out for a birthday party.

The suspect Detroit police had been looking for also went to the hospital and was arrested on the warrant.

The investigation is ongoing. Portage police were assisted at the scene by Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety officers, the Kalamazoo County Sheriff's Department and Michigan State Police.
PHILADELPHIA -- The Philadelphia 76ers are not considered much of a threat, which the Detroit Pistons learned is a bit of a misconception Saturday.

The Pistons got played tough again by the 9-57 Sixers but equaled their highest-scoring half and scored their most points in regulation this season in a 125-111 win.

The Pistons (34-32) swept the four-game season series and increased their lead over the Chicago Bulls to one game in the competition for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. The Pistons have 16 games to play, 11 of them at home, as their schedule grows more favorable by the day.

MLive Pistons beat writer David Mayo was on hand for the victory.

Click on the video for his breakdown.

-- Download the Detroit Pistons on MLive app for iPhone and Android

-- Like MLive's Detroit Pistons Facebook page
President John Mahama has eulogised veteran comedian Bishop Bob Okala who passed away Sunday dawn.

The popular Ghanaian comedian, born Samuel Kwadwo Buabeng passed away at the Koforidua Hospital Sunday dawn after he collapsed on stage during a carnival at the Koforidua Jackson park sponsored by Joy Herbal Industries.

Managing editor of Bryte FM, a Koforidua based radio station owned by Joy Herbal industries, Kwaku Solomon, confirmed the news of Okalas death to Myjoyonline.com.

President John Mahama remembering the comedian, who was part of Kumawood actors who re-enacted the Gold Coast police performance during the 59th Independence Day parade at the Black Star Square on March 6, said he brought joy his wife and himself.

He said in a tweet: RIP Bob Okalla. You brought joy to many homes, and of course to Lordina & I. #RIPBobOkalla

Bob Okala shot to fame in the 90s during the popular comedy show, Key Soap Concert Party, which was showed on GTV on Saturday evenings.

The veteran comedian, who became identified with a big clock on his wrist during his performances created a niche for himself in comedy and in no time got to star in some local movies.

In what many fans have described as a sad year for Ghanaian comedy, another popular comedian Yaw Donkor, famously known as Nkomode in showbiz world passed on February 5, 2016, and will be buried in April.

The two veteran comedians were always in a tight competition to determine who was funnier during the Key Soap Concert Party days.

Political 'Bishop' Bob Okala did not hide his support for the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC).

He was active on several campaign platforms to garner votes for the party.

Okala was 59.

Story by Ghana | Myjoyonline.com | Ernest Dela Aglanu (Twitter: @delaXdela / Instagram: citizendela)
Banda (B/A), March 12, GNA - The First Lady, Mrs Lordina Mahama, has commended health professionals, especially those working in rural areas, for the critical role they play to attain healthcare delivery for all.

'Indeed, you our health professionals, particularly those of you working in the rural communities, deserve our applause and recognition, since you perform a most critical role in our progress towards economic development and prosperity,' she said.

Speaking at a forum of chiefs and people of Banda-Ahenkro in the Brong Ahafo Region as part of her working visit, Mrs Mahama said while government had invested significant resources in improving medical care, many rural health facilities were deprived.

She said people stood the risk of not receiving quality healthcare if non-governmental organisations and charitable institutions did not assist to supplement the efforts of government.

Mrs Mahama said that was why the Lordina Foundation was reaching out to communities with the provision of medical equipment and drugs to support government efforts at healthcare delivery.

'We believe that a healthy nation is a wealthy nation. Over the last few years many health facilities have been constructed or upgraded. We are all encouraged by the improvements in our healthcare system. It is my expectation that government would continue its positive interventions in the health sector to ensure an even better system,' she said.

She described Banda as a town whose inhabitants were some of Ghana's hard working and dedicated people.

She said Banda, with its unique environment and land layout, had become a home to numerous groups seeking shelter from across West Africa and a major tourist attraction that was contributing to the tourism sector of the country.

'I believe we share the same interest in realising progress for this town. I am, therefore, here today to donate these medical supplies to help improve the health services of the Banda Health Centre'.

Mrs Mahama said healthcare issues were of utmost importance and 'must engage the attention of all in our daily discourse'.

The First Lady said Ghana's effort in the healthcare sector had been commended many times by the international community but the country should not relent on those achievements.

'Together we must strive to make Ghana a medical hub for West Africa. I am certain that with our continued commitment, we can achieve this beautiful goal.'

She commended the Foundation's partners, MedShare of USA, for its continuous support in the medical outreach programme, which had so far taken her team to eight regions and over 44 hospitals across the country.

Mr Jacob Munukpah, the District Director of Health, who received the medical supplies on behalf of the health centre, thanked the First Lady for the gesture.

He, however, appealed that the Banda Health Centre should be upgraded into a district hospital with qualified health personnel to provide adequate health care to the surrounding communities.

On the trip with the First Lady were Mr Eric Opoku, the Brong Ahafo Regional Minister, Nana Saa Gyamfua, Member of the Council of State, Mr Jacob Boateng, the District Chief Executive and some regional executives of the National Democratic Congress.

GNA
Wenchi (B/A), March 12, GNA - The First Lady, Mrs Lordina Mahama, has entreated stakeholders, including traditional, religious leaders and individuals, to support government to end child marriage in Ghana.

She said as a mother, one issue that touched her heart was child marriage and so all stakeholders must assist in intensifying strategies towards ending child marriage.

Speaking at Wenchi in the Brong Ahafo Region during a tour of the area, Mrs Mahama, who is also the Sompahemaa of the Nkoranza Traditional Area under the stool name, Nana Akosua Frema Sika I, said: 'The future of our children is very important and we must ensure that girls are allowed to go to school instead of being married off at tender ages'.

'We hold it a duty as parents to support our children to climb the academic ladder and become responsible members in society before giving them away in marriage,' she told the enthusiastic chiefs and people of Wenchi who had gathered at a durbar to welcome her.

Mrs Mahama explained that Ghana had joined other African states in the fight against child marriage by launching the End Child Marriage campaign at the recently held Seventh African Conference on Sexual Health and Rights, which she hosted in Accra.

As part of the visit to the region, the First Lady, who was accompanied by Mr Eric Opoku, the Brong Ahafo Regional Minister, Nana Saa Gyamfua, Member of Council of State and some regional and district officers of the National Democratic Congress, presented some medical supplies to the Wenchi Health Centre.

The Lordina Foundation together with its donor partners, particularly MedShare of USA, donated the medical supplies to the facility as part of their contribution towards improving the healthcare delivery system of the community.

She described Wenchi as a very important town in Ghana's history as the Prime Minister of the Second Republic, Dr Kofi Abrefa Busia, came from the town.

'Even as we celebrate the 59th anniversary of Ghana's Independence, we must also be proud of towns like Wenchi for their contribution to the progress of our nation'.

Mrs Mahama said since the majority of the people in the area engaged in farming and livestock rearing, there was no doubt that Wenchi was contributing significantly towards the growth of the national economy.

She said the availability of health infrastructure, medical supplies, and trained personnel were key to realising a successful quality healthcare delivery system, expressing government's determination at prioritising the health of citizens.

'The President, in his State of the Nation Address, restated his commitment to continue the upgrading of our health system. And as the President said on that day, a healthy nation is a wealthy nation,' she said.

Mrs Mahama said: 'We acknowledge that well trained health care professionals are essential players in ensuring quality healthcare for our people. In view of this, the Lordina Foundation with its partners will do all it can, through our charitable donations, to make quality healthcare delivery easier for our doctors and nurses and all who are involved in the frontline of healthcare delivery'.

She expressed her gratitude to MedShare USA for its support in making the donation a reality and urged the recipients to use them for the intended purpose.

Mr Annoduku Arnoh, the District Health Director of Wenchi, received the items on behalf of the Health Centre.

Nana Owusu Ansah Sasraku Besseeh I, Chief of Wenchi, commended the First Lady for donating towards the health of the people as well as providing other infrastructural needs of Wenchi.

GNA
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Johannesburg (AFP) - When South Africa's President Jacob Zuma visited Nigeria last week he was on a delicate mission to mend rifts between the continent's two economic powerhouses.

From economic rivalry to political friction, relations between South Africa and Nigeria have been strained in recent years.

The election of Nigeria's President Muhammadu Buhari into office last May did not immediately ease the tension.

When Zuma visited Abuja last week, Buhari set aside diplomacy and accused one of South Africa's largest companies of failing the country in its fight against the Boko Haram insurgency.

Telecoms giant MTN was fined $3.9 billion for missing a deadline to disconnect 5.1 million unregistered SIM cards, a legal requirement aimed at hampering the militant Islamists.

Buhari said MTN was "very slow" in cutting off the lines and that the unregistered lines were used by "terrorists" and "contributed to the casualties".

The Nigerian government's concern "was basically on the security, not the fine imposed on the MTN," he said.

But MTN is not the only South African company riding rough waves in Nigeria.

Hotel and resort chain group Sun International is also a target of investigation by the country's economic financial crimes commission.

"We have an exemplary track record of operating in many countries over the past 30 years, but the difficulties we have experienced in Nigeria are unprecedented," Michael Farr, Sun International group's general manager for communications, told AFP.

"We'll continue to evaluate the situation and therefore our options."

Africa's largest satellite broadcaster, Johannesburg-headquartered Multichoice, last year came under pressure to reduce its tariffs following accusations by the Nigerian authorities that it was abusing its dominant position.

Some South African companies, such as the Truworths clothing retailer, have pulled out of the country altogether.

"We closed our four stores in Nigeria because we were unable to send stock to stores due to the regulations in Nigeria," Michael Mark, Truworths CEO told AFP.

- 'Targeted because of envy' -

Following the rebasing of its gross domestic product figures in April 2014, Nigeria became the continent's largest economy, overtaking South Africa.

While 120 South African companies operate in Nigeria, the west African nation is only Pretoria's seventh-biggest trading partner on the continent.

"Some South African business people and officials suspect that South African companies are being targeted because of envy from local competitors," said Peter Fabricius, an analyst with the Institute of Security Studies in Pretoria.

But "many Nigerians believe (MTN) was grossly negligent about obeying the rules and arrogant," said Fabricius.

Muda Yussuf, the director general of Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry said that it "does not mean these companies are being targeted".

"It is just that companies operating anywhere have to comply with the laws governing business behaviours in their host countries. It does not matter if the companies are from South Africa or somewhere else.

"Laws are made to be obeyed. What happened to MTN can happen to any Nigerian company."

After signing more than 30 bilateral agreements on trade, energy, defence and security among others, Pretoria put a positive spin on the visit.

"The visit of Zuma... is a testimony that there is no undercurrent of 'cold war' between Nigeria and South Africa," said Sola Oni, investment analyst and former senior manager with the Nigeria Stock Exchange.

"Nigeria is such a strategic country that cannot be easily ignored by any country globally," said Oni.

But both countries are facing economic headwinds.

South Africa's growth is undermined by the slowdown in China and falling commodity prices, while Nigeria, the continent's top oil producer, is suffering from low oil prices.
The First Lady, Lordina Mahama, has donated essential medical supplies and assorted food items to support the inmates of Nsawam Female Prison in the Eastern Region.

The presentation was held at a durbar to welcome Her Excellency to the prison. Some of the medical supplies were catheters, wheel chair, theatre bed, syringes, bandages, forceps, and gloves.

The rest are 30 bags of rice, 10 boxes of cooking oil, 5boxes of tin tomatoes and sugar.

Her maiden visit followed that of President John Mahamas visit to the Nsawam Medium Security Prison last when he launched Project Efiase.

In a welcome address, the Eastern Regional Prisons Commander, Deputy Director of Prisons (DDP), Mr. Isaac Egyir, commended the government for registering 95% of the total inmates population onto the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS).

DDP Egyir identified water shortage as one of the challenges confronting the prison establishments in the region. He, therefore, requested for five additional boreholes to complement the supply of water in the prisons.

The First Lady who is also the President of Organisation of African First Ladies Against HIV/AIDS (OAFLA) called on the judiciary to review the high sentences meted out to offenders leading to overcrowding in the prisons.

She suggested that minor offences like stealing should attract non-custodial sentence such as community service, instead of convicting minor offenders to the already congested prison.

Mrs. Mahama advised the prisoners to consent to HIV/AIDS testing in order to know their status and receive early treatment if tested positive.

The First Lady pledged to support the batik tie and die vocational training at the Nsawam Female Prison. She lauded the Prisons Service Council for launching Project Efiase and, therefore, pledged her unflinching support for the Project.

Miss Mercy Gyamaa, leader of the inmates, appealed to the President to intervene on their behalf and ensure that the high sentences imposed on first offenders were reduced.

She recounted that for the past twenty-five years she had been in prison, this was the first time she has witnessed a First Lady visiting prisoners.

The acting Director-General of Prisons (DGP), Mr. Emmanuel Yao Adzator, thanked Her Excellency for her remarkable visit and show of love to the prison inmates.

He praised government for providing 77 vehicles to the Prisons Service to enhance its operations nationwide. He also praised the Minister of Fisheries for donating boxes of Tuna flakes to the Service.

The acting DGP underscored that the growing prisoner population has made it difficult for government alone to bear the cost of maintaining the welfare of prisoners in a decent and acceptable condition as required by law.

He, therefore, called on corporate organizations, civil society groups and individuals to support the prisons.

The Chairman of the Prisons Council, Rev. Dr. Stephen Wengam, said the unprecedented visit of President Mahama to the Nsawam Prison came with a lot of good tidings to the Service.

It would be recalled that the government allocated an amount of GH50, 000, 000.00 in the 2015 mid-year budget for the construction of a remand block at the Nsawam Medium Security Prison to ease congestion.

Rev. Dr. Wengam described the First Ladys gesture as a fulfillment of scripture. He further stated that inmates reforms can be effective through the word of God, skills training programmes, and the support of kind hearted leaders like our own mother, the First Lady.

He lamented that the Prisons Service cannot boast of a single hospital like its allied forces, the military and the police. The drawings of the proposed hospital were presented to the First Lady. Dr. Wengam called on corporate Ghana to support the Service to put up the facility.

The First Lady was presented with a citation and gifts from the Prisons Council, the Service, and inmates of the Nsawam prisons respectively.

Other dignitaries present were, Hon. Mavis Ama Frimpong, the Eastern Regional Minister; Nana Okumanin Baffour, a nominee of the President on the Prisons Council; members of the Prisons Directorate; and some prison ambassadors.
File Photo

13.03.2016 LISTEN

"...According to the Ghana Petroleum Commission, Ghana can "achieve" the same oil revenue using any "fiscal regime", (Ghana Hybrid System, PSA, Concession, or Joint Venture). But, a Joint Venture is merely a political strategy, and it was directly the hopelessness of concession type agreements that spurred Malaysia to develop the PSA to better ensure Malaysia received a fair share of its oil revenues, in 1976...We, of the FTOS-Gh/PSA Petition/Campaign, recognize the Petroleum Commission's fallacious position as analogous to the Ghanaian case of a rotten "Tuo-Zaafi" fiscal proverb...(Prof Lungu, 8 Mar 16).

Recently, on 20th February to be exact, an official meeting was held in Ada, Greater Accra Region, to account for the means for collecting money for Ghana's oil. As far as we know, the meeting was called to precisely discuss the wisdom in Ghana continuing with the so-called "Hybrid System" as the government-approved "fiscal regime" to collect as much of the money due Ghana for Jubilee Oil, and others that will come up the line. The "Ghana Hybrid System" is to be compared and contrasted with the world standard Production Sharing Agreement (PSA) advocated by members of the Fair-Trade Oil Share Ghana (FTOS-Gh/PSA) Petition/Campaign.

The 20 February meeting was attended by several Members of Parliament, leadership and staff of the Petroleum Commission, members of the Ghana United Nations Association (GUNA) Board, and the Ghana Institute for Governance and Security (GIGS), as representative of the Fair-Trade Oil Share-Gh (FTOS-Gh/PSA) Petition/Campaign.

During the meeting, the Petroleum Commission presented a somewhat confusing 48-page PowerPoint slide to support their idea that the so-called "Ghana Hybrid System" is superior to a PSA fiscal regime.

Following a de-brief, the FTOS-Gh Team provided an initial response to the Petroleum Commission, Part I , on 26 Feb. Further, in the interest of improving communications and widely circulating information about the Ghana Oil money impasse, we completed our Part II response and posted the papers (PDF and Slide Show) on http://ghanahero.com/FTOS_GH_Campaign.html .

Finally, just yesterday, we posted slides from the Part II to Twitter ( https://twitter.com/professorlungu ).

In this mini paper and others that will follow on this item, we will focus on just one aspect of our response to the PC for the benefit of readers on other online platforms. It is part of our continuing effort to bring this very technical subject to a level the average person can understand. Hopefully, as we continue to make the case for the PSA and focus more on the true world standard for collecting oil money due a country, this will help everyone make their own decision about the choice between the world standard (PSA), versus the so-called Ghana Hybrid (a system derived by some Ghanaians that is a mish-mash of several ideas without coherence, a system missing the more fundamental elements of a PSA, a system that has caused Ghana to lose over $6 billion during the last five years.

According to the Ghana Petroleum Commission, Ghana can achieve the same revenue using any "fiscal regime", (Hybrid, PSA, Concession, or Joint Venture). But, it was directly the hopelessness of concession type agreements that spurred Malaysia to develop the PSA to better ensure Malaysia received a fair share of its oil revenues, in 1976. Critically, a Joint Venture (JV) is merely a political strategy without any resource naturally at bottom begging for answers to a million questions!

So, in summary, the claim by the Petroleum Commission that Ghana can achieve the same income by whatever fiscal regime it adopts is an arcane and preposterous idea. That idea appears to have been borrowed from an insignificant section of the literature on Oil and Gas fiscal regimes.

That fair weather oil income idea is at once unintelligent and contrary to the interests of a sovereign state that actually owns the oil within its borders. In fact, it is precisely the kind of idea that tend to be advanced by entities that do not directly own the resource (e.g. World Bank, arm-chair academicians, policy and political elites, oil lobbyists, and non-profit organizations funded by other countries and interests, etc.), by those who do not hold that type of resource in trust for others.

The suggestion that Ghana can achieve the same income from oil by whatever fiscal regime it adopts actually channels the Wachtler Ham-Sandwich proverb. According to that proverb, in front of a Grand Jury, a prosecutor can indict even a "Ham Sandwich", to same and equal effect.

We, of the FTOS-Gh/PSA Petition/Campaign recognize the Petroleum Commission's fallacious position as analogous to the Ghanaian case of a "Tuo-Zaafi" fiscal proverb.

Yes, the "Tuo-Zaafi" fiscal system will also bloat and yield the same result, to same effect. Just make sure you demand "Royalties" and "Taxes", and adjust the books according to quantity of oil reported to you as lifted, then normalize all of that with the price of oil on the market.

The Petroleum Commission is in essence arguing that there was absolutely no need for Malaysia to develop the PSA fiscal regime for its sovereign oil and gas.

But the entire world knows the answer to that question. In fact, according to our records, 1 country shy of 100 (99 countries), have in fact adopted the PSA. But, the foreign oil companies in those countries have not vacated the oil fields because those countries elected to adopt the PSA as the first step, and best fiscal system, through which they intend to get their fair share of their depleteable oil resources.

In short, from the start, compared to all the others, the PSA is the Better Mouse Trap invented for sovereign oil, barrel-by-barrel.

THE FTOS-GH/PSA DEMAND: Withdraw and remove the Ghana Hybrid System-infested Petroleum Exploration and Production (E&P) from the Parliament of Ghana. Replace with world standard Petroleum Sharing Agreement (PSA) provisions and demonstrate good faith, responsible stewardship, and trusteeship of Ghana's Oil and Gas, for Kwame Nkrumah's Ghana.

Get with the program, Ghana Petroleum Commission!

(In Part 2 of this mini paper series, we will take up the matter of large sums of money paid to several entities in Ghana, entities that nonetheless are performing as "gatekeepers" with respect to the decision by Ghana to adopt the PSA vs. the so-called Ghana Hybrid System).

FTOS-Gh Interest Items:

1. Fair-Trade Oil Share-Ghana (FTOS-GH/PSA Petition/Campaign):

Read about it, join it, sign it: https://www.change.org/p/ghana-fair-trade-oil-share-psa-campaign-ftos-gh-psa ).

2. http://www.GhanaHero.Com/FTOS_Gh_Campaign for more information.

(Join the action! Read mo! Listen mo! See mo! Reflect mo!).

Prof Lungu /GIGS/ANON/GUNA/FTOS-Gh/PSA/

Prof Lungu is Ghana-Centered/Ghana-Proud.

@professorlungu - Twitter ( #FTOS_Gh )

Subj: It's Official: Petroleum Commissions Hybrid System is a Rotten "Tuo-Zaafi" Fiscal Proverb!

Brought to you courtesy www.GhanaHero.com11 Mar 16.
13.03.2016 LISTEN

Ghana celebrated her 59th independence on the 6th March, 2016. Of all that happened, the much talked about is the error riddled brochure that made Ghana a laughing stock in the eyes of the international community. The concern has been on our reputation as a country, our prowess in the Queens language which we think puts us ahead of all other English speaking African countries. Yes, all the above concerns are genuine. But if I may ask, how does that impact on our economy?

Permit me to highlight to you the most important issue that went unnoticed in the 2016 budget statement probably because, many of us do not have the lenses to detect such grave ERRORS which has dire consequences on our economy. For those who are figure-phobians, the Minister of Finance and Economic Planning came to make noise during the budget presentation. Let me be swift to say that, our continuous survival as a nation greatly depends on the budget presented every year. The budget is expected to provide cure for diseases the economy might be suffering from.

As constitution demands and in accordance with Article 179 of the 1992 constitution, the Minister for Finance and Economic Planning is expected to present to parliament the budget statement for every fiscal year for approval. This budget is to tell the people of Ghana the areas that would be prioritized in terms of government expenditure, the various sectors that have challenges and must be addressed through government spending.

This piece is centered on the budgetary allocations to the various Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) in the 2016 budget to highlight the error that went unnoticed. The MDAs have been group under five sectors namely Administration, Economic, Infrastructure, Social and Public Safety.

The total budget allocation for 2016 to Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) is GH50,109,851,734 but the sub total exclusively to the MDAs is GH24,909,158,966. The allocation to the Social Sector is (51%) which constitute more than halve of the entire budget allocation to the MDAs followed by the Administrative Sector with (23%), while the Economic, Infrastructure and Public Safety constitute 9%, 7% and 10% respectively of the allocations to the MDAs.

The allocation to the social sector is huge with the understanding that, the Ministries of Education and Health has the chunk of government employees. The two ministries alone have a whooping allocation of 98.6% of the total budget allocation to the social sector with GH7,553,878,943 and GH4,884,037,864 to the Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health respectively.

Quite surprising is the percentage allocation to the Administrative Sector which was allocated GH5,824,782,125 (23%) at the expense of the Economic and Infrastructure Sectors. A cursory look at the various items making up the Administrative Sector shows that, the allocation to the District Assembly Common Fund and the Electoral Commission is GH2,014,312,552 (34.6%) and GH826,897,772 (14.2) respectively. This implies the two have an allocation of 48.8% of the total allocations to the Administrative Sector. These allocations are quite understandable since the local assembly is where much of the development efforts must take place and considering also that, the year 2016 is an election year.

Of the remaining 12 MDAs under the Administrative Sector, Government Machinery has the highest budgetary allocation which has been allocated GH718,854,911 (12.3%) of the total budget allocated to the Administrative Sector.

The allocation made to the government machinery in the 2016 budget is higher than the allocations made to the Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of Fisheries and Aqua Culture combined. The Ministry of Agriculture was allocated GH501,501,708 and the Ministry of Fisheries and Aqua Culture was allocated GH52,706,712 with the two ministries allocation totaling GH554, 208, 420. This falls short of the allocation made to the office of Government Machinery by GH164,646,491. This implies that the budgetary allocation to Government Machinery is 30% higher than the budgetary allocations to both the Agriculture and Fisheries and Aqua Culture Ministries altogether.

In our economy today, about 75% of the foods we consume in our homes are imported. From the grains to the fishes not forgetting of the meat we eat. I am not reminding Ghanaians of pain, but do you reminder the accident that claimed over 60 lives on the Kintampo-Tamale highway? I just want you to recall the product the truck involved in the accident was carrying. It was common tomatoes being transported from another country. That is how far our agriculture sector has become.

Be reminded that, according to the 2016 budget statement, the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) data pegged Industry Sector growth at 9.1 percent, followed by the Services Sector (4.7%) and Agriculture Sector (0.04%). This is a true reflection of the allocations our dear nation makes to the various sectors of the economy year after year.

As a country, we proud ourselves as an agrarian economy where we have a huge percentage of our working population engaged in agriculture. It is also a naked truth that, the economy has been struggling for some time now as well a huge deficit in the infrastructure base of the various MDAs. It is thus expected that budget allocations should tilt heavily to such areas to provide the necessary infrastructure for economic growth. The meager budget allocation our nation makes to the Agriculture sector is a threat to our survival since our food security is threatened. Note that, the food crop sector under Agric grew by (-1.7%). This is greatest error that must catch the attention of every Ghanaian because of its implication on our economy and our existence as a people.

Yes, it is important we cry foul about the goof on the 59th Independence Day brochure which has cast a shadow on our integrity as a nation when it comes to our command over the English language. We are still being laughed at but I am sure in any other program of such, those who would be entrusted with such responsibilities would do due diligence so avoid such a nasty experience we went through on the Independence Day. However, same cannot be said about our budget allocations. The agricultural and aqua culture sectors of the economy are suffering but the current budget does not seem to provide the cure for it.

Conclusively, our nation Ghana must wake up from her slumber. We cannot continue wishing higher growth and development when the very bases of how we spend our monies (BUDGET) leave much to be desired. The gap between where we are as a nation and where we want to be is closed by the BUDGET and until we get right with our budget, our development cannot get any better than what we are currently experiencing. Development does not come about by wishful thinking but by diligently working towards it.

Reference: MoF, (2016). The Budget Statement and Economic Policy of the Government of Ghana for the 2016 Financial Year. Accra, Ghana.

Joshua Kwame Addae.

@2016.
13.03.2016 LISTEN

Thank God I am a first-year undergraduate of the University of Cape Coast (UCC) pursuing Bachelor of Commerce in Accounting, making me more competent to proceed with my lamentation as a primary stakeholder in Ghana's university education.

How can I gainsay an explicit constitutional provision in Article 25, Clause 1, Paragraph (C) of our 1992 Constitution? It states that, "Higher education shall be made equally accessible to all, on the basis of capacity, by every appropriate means, and in particular, by progressive introduction of free education." That's as simple as A-B-C, but it definitely transcends the issue of free university education or accessibility. The government may claim that university education in Ghana is becoming more accessible pursuant to the aforementioned constitutional provision. Like seriously?

I doubt in all honesty, for accessibility is a function of availability and affordability. By logical inference, Ghana's university education is less accessible since it falls short of increasing availability and affordability. Also, every university student in Ghana is conscious of the flawed standards of our university education. Most people satirically describe it as a theory-based system, but I fell in love with a defiant pronouncement by Prof. K. A. Monney, my Wildlife Utilisation lecturer, which reads, "...university education in Ghana has been reduced to the collection of lecture notes..." That is why Ghanaian undergraduates inevitably develop predefined abilities which are lacking in the dynamics of globalisation. Thus suppressing their inherent imaginative power so that they are not defiantly unleashed.

And remember, "The African child has been at the receiving end of an unproductive educational policy. For many years, our methods and style of exposing knowledge to the child have rather spelt doom for him. This is because the wrong methods applied have rather shut the enquiring mind of the child" (Asare-Bediako and Asare-Bediako, 2007). In UCC especially, students are actually compelled by the tense atmosphere on campus to confine themselves with memorising lecture notes for exact reproduction at exams. I mean, academic creativity is not highly regarded here to say the least. "...we're in the university and we need to think universally...," the Educated Cocoa Farmer (ECF) in UCC stressed.

Moreover, our backward-looking university education has virtually no correlation with the dazzling quote of Albert Einstein, an erstwhile German theoretical physicist. According to him, "The true sign of intelligence is not knowledge but imagination." Incredibly creative students in our universities who may not be academically better, are intelligent; and not necessarily first-class students who are only good at passing exams excellently.

No wonder the purely refined talents who graduate from the university accomplish remarkable feats in their respective fields. And the grade 'A' graduates mostly end up unemployed or even poor. Why? The 21st Century rewards innovation at its best, not excellent academic qualifications!

I read yesterday on Citi FM's Facebook page that the University of Ghana produces over 5000 graduates annually yet many of them become jobless. The reason is so simple: student entrepreneurship is not really instilled in university students; the employee mentality, mediocrity mentality and get-rich-quick mentality rather dominate their souls. I tell you, lazy students and graduates have no rightful places in this globalised world where gifted passion through superb creativity rules.

The certificate of a degree-holder is just a mere sheet, so why should I die for it at all costs? As a university student, I strive to be a generational thinker and a gentleman of rare value. That is the common hallmark of Mark Zuckerberg, Jay Z, Pastor Chris, Tom Cruise, Oprah Winfrey, Aliko Dangote etc.

Source: sirarticle.blogspot.com
13.03.2016 LISTEN

Maize is Ghanas most important cereal crop produced and consumed by a vast majority of households in all parts of the country. Maize marketing is traditionally a private sector driven which takes place largely in the informal markets. It has been observed that, Ghanas domestic maize trade is largely dependent on a network of private women traders who dominate the local and regional markets while larger groups of wholesalers engage in spatial arbitrage across regions/districts. These women traders are referred to as Market Queens or Ohemma. Market queens through their networks and associations procure about 93.1% of the total maize produced with the NAFCO procuring paltry less than 5%.

The Ghanaian maize marketing industry is traditionally and currently being operated by private players. In the rural areas, farmers sell to local assemblers who then sell to wholesalers or commission agents. These wholesalers may store large stock of the grains in the warehouses in the urban centers or sell to retailers. The local assemblers and commission agents often act individually while the wholesalers organize themselves into associations under the leadership of the Market Queens.

The market queens influence the quantity of maize to be made available as well as the price at which maize should be sold to them by the farmers. Additionally, because of the industrious nature of these market queens lots of indigenes in these maize farming communities have been able to gain employment, enabling them to earn incomes in order to help support their households.

A study was conducted in two regions in Ghana, namely Greater Accra and Brong Ahafo Region due to productions and consumption of maize in these regions. Brong Ahafo Region is a major maize producing Region in Ghana, producing about 30% of the total maize consumed in the country according to production figures obtained from the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MOFA) as the year 2015. The study involved in-depth interviews, structured questionnaires and focus group discussions with farmers and market queens.

Research Findings

Factors that determine price of maize in the market

Price of maize in the markets is determined by several factors. The survey results revealed that the main factors that affect the price at which farmers sell their maize to the traders are cost of production, cost of transportation from the farm to the market centres and profit margin. The most important factor that determines price maize according to the market queens is the cost of transportation.

Processes of price determination

According to the survey results, about 71.4% of the traders reported that the price at which they buy the maize is arrived at through negotiation between the farmers and the traders while only 28.6% reported that they buy maize at the predetermined market price. On the other hand, about 63% of farmers reported they sell at a price predetermined by the market queens while the remaining 37% suggested otherwise. About 81% of the traders buy from individual farmers while only 19% buy from an assembled point. Given the fact that almost all the traders belong to one association or the other, the same cannot be said about the farmers, which puts farmers at a disadvantage in terms of negotiation for the price of their products.

The contribution of market queens to economic development

The positive externalities of market queens to the Ghanaian economy have been under studied and neglected by policy makers. The research findings from the study revealed there are laudable contributions that the market queens are making both in the maize procurement sector and the economy as a whole.

One of the foremost contributions made by market queens is job creation the youth.. During the maize harvest season, the market queens employ locals to aid in bagging the maize and also transporting the bagged maize from the farm gates to the market centres.

Secondly, the activities of the market queens have led to reliable supply of food and food security for the urban economy. The maize staple food sector is one sector characterized by significant post-harvest losses. However, the maize queens have been able to reduce this by ensuring the timely transportation of maize from the farms to the market centres both in the rural and urban areas.

Thirdly, these market queens have been able to fill the gap of financial institutions by providing soft loans or such financial assistance to these farmers in order to aid them commercialize their production. From survey conducted, it was realized that the market queens perform several activities to help farmers in their production process. Furthermore, the activities of the market queens extend to providing storage facilities, regular supply of inputs, transport facilities and regular supply of raw material to processors to farmers.

Fourthly, the activities of the market queens serve as a reliable source of revenue to the government since the taxes and rents paid by the traders serve as a major source of internally generated revenue to the district assembly within which the markets are located. The taxes and rents paid to the assemblies are paid through the market management in the form of market tolls commonly referred to as tickets.

Additionally, the position of a market queen sets the stage for women traders to develop leadership skills, since the women are trained to acquire the necessary entrepreneurial skills in the maize trading sector. About 60 per cent of the traders inherited the business from their parents and superiors after having acquired experiences.

Finally, the activities of market queens have not only transformed the agricultural sector but have also contributed to the achievement of the women empowerment policy goals of the nation. These market queens have been able to create job opportunities for themselves and members of their community. These women are able to earn money to support themselves and also their families. This exposure enables the women to acquire entrepreneurial skills enabling them to expand their businesses.

CUTS Ghana is a policy think tank which works in the areas of consumer protection and education, economic regulation, trade and development, regional integration, competition policy and law, etc. For more information about CUTS, and competition policy and law | Office: +233-30-224-5652 | Email: [email protected] , or [email protected] Website: http://www.cuts-international.org/ARC/accra
Afoko

13.03.2016 LISTEN

He does not write the sort of readable English that one would expect of a person sporting such a common Anglo-Irish name as Charles McCarthy. And many of my countrymen and women may not want to hear this, but Ghanaians with such dislocated geocultural names as Charles McCarthy are a major part of the psychological problems we have as Africans struggling epically to come into our own, as it were.

It was in recognition of this psychological handicap and the imperative need to assuming his proud African identity that inspired then Mr. Francis Kofi Nwia Nkrumah to change his name to Kwame Nkrumah.

In our own time, such traumas of our neocolonialist identity crisis and inferiority complex have prompted some among us to muff up their psychological inadequacies under the guise of Christian nomenclature. We shall make time to discuss this subject further in the near future.

For now, we need to get one or two things clear, namely, the indisputable fact that in spite of its seismic internal political turmoil, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) remains the most democratic political organization in the country. It is the only major political party in which presidential nomination is not by cabalistic imposition, Mafia-style, the way it is done in the National Democratic Congress (NDC).

But then how can one blame a party whose legitimacy is squarely predicated on a functionally stultifying Indemnity Clause that was inserted into the countrys 1992 Republican Constitution? Then also must be recognized the fact that the NPP is a functional democratic organization where the mere fact of ones congressional election does not afford one the carte-blanche to ride roughshod over the rights of ones peers, associates and even subordinates. This is what significantly differentiates the New Patriotic Party from the National Democratic Congress, and which the well-meaning but clearly misguided likes of Mr. McCarthy may do themselves a lot of good to fully appreciate.

It goes without saying that if today Mr. Paul Awentami Afoko has been indefinitely suspended from his post as NPP National Chairman, it is not because the party leadership is autocratic or imperialistic, as Mr. McCarthy would have his readers believe. Rather, it is because Mr. Afoko and such close associates as Messrs. Kwabena Agyei Agyepong and Sammy Crabbe decided to flout the civilized and democratic rules of conduct by becoming a law unto themselves, with the cynical objective of railroading their internal political rivals and opponents.

The brutal acid-dousing assassination of Mr. Adams Mahama, the former Upper-East NPP Regional Chairman, did not positively demonstrate the skills of Mr. Afoko as a unifying party patriarch, as Mr. McCarthy insolently would have his readers believe. Mr. Afoko, it is significant to observe, had been directly and actively involved in the raucous and violent events that led to the brutal assassination of Mr. Mahama. Indeed, as I have had occasion to point out time and again, in a more civilized culture, calls would have promptly gone out in demand for the immediate resignation of the legitimately suspended NPP National Chairman.

And were he really the disciplined and impeccably professional administrator and leader that Mr. McCarthy would have the rest of us believe he is, Mr. Afoko would have promptly apologized for being complicit in the dastardly chain of events that led to the brutal assassination of Mr. Mahama. He would also have fully cooperated with law-enforcement agents to have his younger brother, Gregory, prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law, rather than so flagrantly and impudently attempting to concoct an alibi for his brother.

If this vampiric and thuggish leadership style of Monsieur Afokos is what Mr. McCarthy would have Ghanaians believe is direly required to give the New Patriotic Party a fighting chance at Election 2016, then I would rather pray for the effective disintegration of the party for the sake of the spiritual and psychological redemption of our beloved country.

Even as I write, the family of Mr. Adams Mahama is in virtual suspended animation while their battle for justice and closure torturously drags on in court. If Mr. Adams Mahama were Mr. McCarthys blood relative, would he be screaming so loudly to have Mr. Afoko returned to the helm of NPP affairs, so that the latter could create more mischief and mayhem with glee? Does Mr. McCarthy have a conscience?

*Visit my blog at: kwameokoampaahoofe.wordpress.com Ghanaffairs
13.03.2016 LISTEN

The shooting deaths of some two brothers in Asante-Mampong on Wednesday, Feb. 10, is very disturbing and one that requires immediate investigation. The brothers, only one of whose name was given as Francis Benneh, obviously because the latter is said to have been an instructor at the Mampong Midwifery Training College, and thus of a relatively higher social status, had been mistaken for burglars by the local police who had reportedly been called to the scene by some neighborhood residents (See IGP Must Set Up Independent Investigative Committee  MP Kasapafmonline.com /Ghanaweb.com 2/14/16).

We are told that when the police arrived on the scene, they spotted Mr. Benneh and the other man, who turned out to have been his brother, on their motorcycle and proceeded to discharge their loaded weapons almost immediately at the pair. Altogether, we are told that there were four police officers at the scene. As of this writing, all four police officers were reported to have been taken off active duty, largely as a result of the trauma they sustained from the incident. Mr. Francis Addai-Nimoh, the Asante-Mampong Member of Parliament, is reported to have called on Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Mr. Kudalor to establish a committee of investigators to enquire into the matter.

The MPs call is perfectly in order, except that it would have been more appropriate for Mr. Addai-Nimoh to have first called on Mr. Kofi Boakye, the Commissioner of Police (COP) for the Asante Region. Mr. Addai-Nimoh has been in the business of politics for quite some time now and ought have been aware of the fact that there is a neatly demarcated chain of command in the Ghana Police Service. At any rate, there ought to be clearly laid-down policies for identifying criminal suspects at any scene where a crime is reported to be in progress before law-enforcement agents resort to the discharging of their firearms.

For instance, when the police officers first arrived on the scene and spotted the Benneh Brothers taking off on their motorcycle, their first reaction ought to have been for these officers to have used their bullhorns or megaphones to demand that the pair stop their vehicle, raise their hands up in the air in a show of unconditional surrender and identify themselves. If our police officers do not have bullhorns and megaphones, then they ought to be promptly supplied or equipped with the same.

Procedures also have to be established whereby the officers first order of business, if they are forced by unforeseen circumstances to discharge their weapons, ought to be to shoot to maim or disable, not to kill instantly, unless, of course, officers at the scene of a crime have ample reason to believe that the criminal suspects are armed with deadly weapons and pose an immediate danger to the lives of these proverbial first responders.

So far, all the available evidence shows that during the three decades that yours truly has been out of the country, Ghana has increasingly become a very violent society with a lot of guns, both licensed and unlicensed, in wide circulation among the general population.

This is an area bordering on the quality of our national life where the government could launch a gun buy-back campaign, with no penalties or threats of penalties targeted at those who decide to promptly comply with the law by handing in their weapons at designated police posts and / or stations. A period of amnesty, such as six months or even a year, could be stipulated after which all civilians found to be carrying and/or in illegal possession of guns and other forms of deadly assault weapons could be promptly and rigorously prosecuted.

But, of course, the preceding gun-control measures could only be effective if general public safety and security in the country are significantly boosted. Short of the preceding measures, and a few others recommended by law-enforcement and national-security experts, any attempt to stem the high tide of violence and insecurity in the country would be akin to taking a wicker basket to the stream or riverside to fetch water.

*Visit my blog at: kwameokoampaahoofe.wordpress.com Ghanaffairs.
Tarkwa (W/R), March 13, GNA - A 26-year old farmer, Jacob Sophadae, has been remanded for defiling and impregnating a 13-year old school girl.

The accused pleaded guilty to the offence and would re-appear on April 19.

Prosecuting, Police Detective Chief Inspector Oscar Amponsah told the court that the complainant, Stephen Kwasi Essilfie, is a Forest Guard and relative of the victim.

He said both the accused and victim lived in the same vicinity at Dompim in the Tarkwa-Nsueam Municipality of the Western Region.

He said in 2014, the victim was sent by her mother and the accused also asked her to buy some items for him.

However, when the girl delivered the items to him in his room, Sophadae locked the door and sexually assaulted her.

According to the prosecutor, the accused fled to neighboring Cote d'lvoire after the act but was arrested when he returned to Ghana this year. GNA
13.03.2016 LISTEN

Accra, March 13, GNA - Mrs Joyce Bawa Mogtari, Deputy Minister of Transport, has called on Ghanaians to desist from activities that could threaten the peace and stability of the country.

She said for a country to be developed there was the need for the citizenry to love one another and be tolerant of each other's' views at all times.

Mrs Mogtari made the call at this year's Ghana Day celebration of the Cedar Mountain Chapel International in Accra.

The celebration, on the theme: 'Peace and Security' was to promote made-in -Ghana goods, renew the sense of patriotism of members, and pray for a peaceful general election.

Mrs Mogtari said government would do everything possible to ensure free, fair and peaceful elections.

She paid glowing tribute to the founding fathers for their fight for the independence of Ghana.

Reverend Dr Stephen Wengam, Lead Pastor of Cedar Mountain Chapel International, commended past leaders of the country whose efforts had contributed to the sustenance of peace.

He urged Ghanaians to love one another and contribute towards national development.

Rev. Dr Wengam, also the Chairman of the Prisons Service Council, said marijuana should not be legalized as it would rather put a burden on the Government and the Council.

Miniature Ghana flags were distributed to the members of the church to remind them of the need to be patriotic.

Mrs Mogtari was honoured as a Cutting-edge Emerging Leader of the 21st Century.

GNA
Fumbisi (U/E), March 13, GNA - The various educational directorates have been urged to strengthen their counseling and mentoring units to advice the youth on career choices so as to contribute meaningfully to society.

Madam Elizabeth Jane Afuic, the Builsa South District Chief Executive, said the District Assembly would work in collaboration with the educational directorate to create a mentoring platform for the youth to interact with role models to build the needed self-confidence and maximise their potentials.

In an interview with the GNA she said for the total development of the country, there was the need to actively involve the youth in certain critical areas of development such as conflict prevention, peace building, governance, democracy and leadership.

Madam Afuic called on Ghanaians, especially citizens of Builsa South, to use to foster unity and patriotism towards the growth and development agenda of the country.

She expressed the hope that citizens would be inspired by the spirit of patriotism and sense of unity to push the development agenda of the district and nation forward.

GNA
Accra, March 13, GNA - Tropenbos International (TBI) Ghana, a Non-Governmental Organisation, has implemented an European Union funded project to support the integration of legal and legitimate domestic lumber markets into the Voluntary Partnership Agreement (VPA).

The project, which took place from 2011 to 2015, aimed to secure the supply of legal lumber to the domestic market in support of Ghana's Forest Law Enforcement Governance and Trade (FLEGT).

Mr Tabi Agyarko, the Principal Planning Officer, Technical Directorate, Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources, speaking at the final workshop for the project, commended the organisation and its partners for a good work done in developing the concept of artisanal milling.

He commended them for their excellent collaboration with the Ministry to develop a draft policy to guide legal lumber for local use.

He said government, through the Forestry Commission, had been working closely with TBI Ghana and its partners to address the problem of illegal lumber supply to the domestic market.

Mr Agyarko said government was happy about EU support in carrying out some legislative reforms and also to put in place systems and processes that would make it possible for Ghana to produce and trade in only legal timber.

He expressed the hope that management of the project had placed the necessary measures and structures to ensure that the multi stakeholder platform established under the programme continued.

Mr Agyarko said the Ministry was committed to the process and had, therefore, donated two artisanal mills for the piloting of the concept.

On the outcomes and inputs of the project, he said government would study them and take the necessary steps to implement the recommendations and lessons learnt.

Mr Sam Nketiah, the Programme Director of TBI Ghana, said the project was a precursor to an earlier one conducted from 2007 to 2011 between Ghana and Guyana.

He said the specific objectives of the 2011- 2015 project were how domestic market issues could be effectively incorporated into VPAs of Guyana and other countries through Ghana's FLEGT.

Mr Nketiah said the project had yielded tremendous results, which had impacted positively on the country's forest governance.

He said the project was implemented in 10 forest districts including Akyem Oda, Begoro, Kade, Juaso, Goaso, Sunyani, Nkwanta and Tarkwa.

GNA
13.03.2016 LISTEN

Ningo (GAR), March 13, GNA - Nene Kanor Attiapah II, the Acting President of Ningo Traditional Council, has warned fishermen of Ahwiam, a fishing community near Ningo, to stop impregnating school girls which has resulted in a high drop-out rate in the area.

He said he would call the police to arrest any man or youth found to have impregnated any girl of school-going age and also ensure that the families of both the victim and culprit were sanctioned.

Nene Attiapah gave the warning in an interview with the Ghana News Agency after he had met with the chiefs and elders of Ahwiam on the issue.

He expressed regret at the increasing numbers of pregnant girls of school-going age adding: 'as the Acting President of the Council I will not allow such an eye-sore to continue. It is time the youth were warned to put an end to it'.

Nene Attiapah said the fishermen lured the girls with fresh fish and ended up impregnating them adding that the problem had worsened the poverty rate and disturbing the peace of Ahwiam.

He reiterated his call on parents of the community to take good care of their children, especially the girl-child, and not allow them to roam the beaches in search of fish.

Nene Meerh III, the Chief of Ahwiam, who was at the meeting, said he had warned the people, especially the youth, on several occasions not to engage in premarital sex but that had not yielded any results.

'It is sad to see a 14-year-old girl who is supposed to be in school being pregnant or carrying a baby at her back, compelling her to drop out of school'. GNA
Attack in Ivory Coast. By Laurence Saubadu (AFP)

13.03.2016 LISTEN

Grand-Bassam (Ivory Coast) (AFP) - At least five people were killed on Sunday when heavily-armed gunmen opened fire in the Ivory Coast resort town of Grand-Bassam, leaving bodies strewn on the beach.

"At the moment there are five dead," a military source said on condition of anonymity after the assault in the resort popular with Westerners.

An AFP photographer said he saw seven bodies on the beach and another in the Etoile du Sud (Southern Star) hotel, one of the establishments that came under attack in the country's former French colonial capital.

The assailants, who were "heavily armed and wearing balaclavas, fired at guests at the L'Etoile du Sud, a large hotel which was full of expats in the current heatwave," one witness told AFP.

It was not immediately clear who was behind the shooting in the resort, which lies on the Gulf of Guinea around 40 kilometres (25 miles) east of the commercial hub Abidjan.

Another witness told AFP: "The shots took us by surprise and now we are staying holed up."

A crowd of several hundred people had gathered at the entrance to Grand-Bassam's French quarter at the edge of the old town, where a dozen ambulances were on standby.

- Attacks on hotels -

An AFP journalist saw around a dozen people, including an injured Western woman, being evacuated in a military truck.

Military vehicles carrying heavy machine guns were also heading to the scene, along with armed traditional hunters known as Dozo.

Attacks in recent months on luxury hotels in the capitals of neighbouring Mali and Burkina Faso have left dozens of people dead, leaving West African nations scrambling to boost security in the face of a growing jihadist threat.

Analysts have voiced fears that Islamist attacks could spread to countries such as Ivory Coast and Senegal, and the region's US-led Flintlock military exercises that wrapped up recently focused on the need to counter jihadism.

In Burkina Faso and Mali, Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) claimed responsibility for deadly attacks on hotels popular with foreigners in November 2015 and in January this year.

The Mali attack in November left 20 people dead, while gunmen killed 30 people in the assault on a top hotel in Burkina Faso's capital Ouagadougou in January.

Ivory Coast is the world's top cocoa producer. Its former president Laurent Gbagbo is currently on trial at the International Criminal Court for crimes against humanity over deadly violence that followed the disputed 2010 election.

More than 3,000 people were killed in five months of unrest after the presidential polls, when Gbagbo refused to concede defeat to Alassane Ouattara.

Ouattara was re-elected for a second presidential term late last year, hoping to turn the page on the violence and revive Ivory Coast's conflict-scarred economy.

Home to some 80,000 people, Grand-Bassam holds UNESCO World Heritage status thanks to its elegant colonial-era facades. The town has several hotels frequented by expatriates.

UNESCO describes Grand-Bassam as a late 19th and early 20th century colonial town that "bears witness to the complex social relations between Europeans and Africans, and to the subsequent independence movement".

"As a vibrant centre of the territory of French trading posts in the Gulf of Guinea, which preceded modern Cote d'Ivoire, it attracted populations from all parts of Africa, Europe and the Mediterranean Levant," the UN cultural agency says on its website.
A lot of articles have been written, odes, pieces, satires, jokes and fun have been out of our 59th Independence Day celebration. Senior state men and women have commented and expressed their opinions on how our nation had its day of shame besides her annual doses of cholera, floods and begging for crumbs from our benefactors. I was at work that day, so couldnt have the luxury of time to follow through with all the news and sound bytes which came along with it. 6th of March every year represented a joyous occasion for school children and adults alike, when we were younger, we used to wait anxiously to wear our white socks and black shoes on this day, our teachers would teach us to march in a proper fashion, sweat swarmed on our smooth faces as we laughed and joyously marched. I wont befuddle the essence of this celebration by boring you any further. This years Independence Day celebration would go down as a bitter sweet pill. We saw a gallant and brilliant display from our security forces and school children, with our comedians and other artistes setting the pace. The nemesis of the program was the so called brochure that has gained a notoriety by been tagged a brouhaha.

What is this brouhaha about? Just for those who may not have heard about it, this was a series of mistakes, grammatical errors, typographical errors, misinformation and you name it that saw President Uhuru Kenyatta of Kenya spontaneously metamorphosing to become the president of Ghana. This magic left in its wake a lot of mess in both the print and electronic media. Ghana was ridiculed in international news circles as Kenyans laughed at the debacle. Most international news outlets made fun of our good selves , as if we hadnt produced the Efua Sutherlands and the Kofi Awoonors whose grammatical prowess left an avalanche of admirers in those same establishments , not to talk of our own Akrasi Sarpong of the BBC who dazzled those folks with his brofo. Ghana has a lot of talent and were reputed to be one of the few nations in Africa with a proper grasp , command and control of the queens tongue . Follow our news portals and outlets and youll see one denominator, impeccable grammar, on point presentation of facts and the proper mix of grammatical imperatives. What went wrong with this particular brochure, why did it have to become a brouhaha considering that weve celebrated our independence day as long as I can remember? The mandated body which is the Information Services Department came out to deny their involvement in the printing and made further revelations about how theyve been sidelined from carrying out their mandate. It became clear during this period that , to use the words of Bernard Avle of Citifm , the OGA at the top was actually pulling strings to ensure that a few cedis are made out of this event, eei did I say a few cedis , perhaps some cedis rather . The call for further enquiry couldnt have come anytime sooner. What then was the cause of this national embarrassment and disgrace? simply put corruption and wanton recklessness.

As a Scientist, my brains cant fail to look at issues through a particular lens and I dont think I can be blamed for my skewed perspective of events. The scientists code is that of evidence and hard core fact. It involves a little bit of guess or hypothetical foundation which would have to be proved anyway. Listening to one of the radio stations during the week, I got to know that a similar phenomenon had occurred in the past, where the flag of Ghana was turned upside down. What the heck is wrong with us? In standard laboratory practice theres something called non  conformance which means going against the laid down Standard Operating Procedures (S.O.P). Non conformances could be major or minor depending on the impact it has on patient results, its consequence on organizational brand amongst a host of others. Where I work now, a major non conformance could lead to loss of job, possible suspension or a protracted litigation. Either way, a non conformance sends shocks down the spines of many professional workers. When a non-conformance occurs, an audit is done to determine its cause and proffer a remedy which would be documented and filed to act as a future reference. This is done to prevent any future occurrence of such an issue. The question that begs answering is whether the government of Ghana operates by any set of principles or guidelines? does the government have the authority to do as it pleases with no oversight responsibility from anyone ?. Does the government exist only for political expedience and satiation?

The disgrace plastered over us demands immediate remedy and I believe we could go about that by taking a cue from what a standard laboratory would have done when confronted with such a situation . The basis for judgment of anything being right or wrong is dependent on the rules which govern its existence. As an example, killing by firing squad is permitted in certain jurisdictions while its not permissible in others. This in itself doesnt mean capital punishment isnt permissible in both jurisdictions. Therefore, a government can only determine what is correct or incorrect by measuring it against a standard. What is the standard of the government of Ghana? is it mediocrity and and international humiliation ?, is it political bravado in silence or proper projection of Ghanaian values and pedagogy. These few questions can help the government decide whether it has to probe further into what resulted in the countrys day of shame. That notwithstanding, sacking an acting head could be said to be a first step but does it answer the questions above? When a non conformance occurs, theres an open confrontation of parties to determine what could possibly have resulted in it. Was it due to low worker motivation? was it due to clear negligence , was it due to tiredness or maybe a random error?. These are a few questions that are asked in a bid to solve such problems. In answering these questions that old devil of prejudice must be confined to the bottomless pit. The main aim should be towards preventing such an activity from occurring again. Governments sack as an initial measure is appreciated but there must be a proper inquisition into the spate of events that marred our independence day. After the inquest has been made, an analysis of the facts as presented is done and the professional is accordingly advised or trained according to the report. If this brouhaha resulted from mere typos, how do we prevent that from happening again, if it occurred due to someones negligence, how we prevent that from happening again. The ultimate aim of a non  conformance remedy is to prevent its occurrence in the future. President Uhuru Kenyatta could possibly learn a few lessons from my humble laboratory which is less than a quarter the size of the flagstaff house.

The writer is a champion of preventive healthcare, and has a passion for stemming the ills in society through constructive pieces and articles. Hes a Scientist and takes key interest in prevalent public health issues. This he does as his contribution to knowledge advancement and a cure to the ills of society. He can be reached on [email protected]
Cairo (AFP) - Egypt's Prime Minister Sharif Ismail sacked Sunday the justice minister after he said on television that he would arrest even "a prophet," in remarks that sparked outrage in the country.

"Prime Minister Sharif Ismail decided to dismiss justice minister Ahmed al-Zind from his post," a statement from the premier's office said, but without giving the reason for the decision.

Zind sparked outrage on social media over the weekend and a warning from Cairo-based Sunni Islam learning centre Al-Azhar after an interview he gave to private satellite channel Sada al-Balad on Friday.

Asked about a case involving journalists accused of defaming him and whether he would jail them, Zind said he would imprison anyone.

"Even if it's a prophet, God's peace and blessings be upon him," Zind said, using the Islamic saying of reverence spoken by Muslims only when referring to the Prophet Mohammed.

Upon realising what he had said, Zind immediately stopped and said: "I ask for forgiveness from God."

He further said any "wrongdoer, whatever his identity -- even judges" would be jailed if found guilty.

Angry Egyptians launched the Twitter hashtag "trial for Zind" as they lashed out at the minister.

"At least he should be sacked and then put on trial. This issue is not a joke," said one tweet.

"God will take revenge," said another.

Zind is the second justice minister to be dismissed in less than a year for controversial comments.

In January he angered human rights when he called for the "mass killing" of outlawed Muslim Brotherhood supporters.

- Al-Azhar warning -

His latest comment drew a stern warning from Al-Azhar against insulting the Prophet Mohammed.

"All those involved in public discourse and in the media must respect the name of the Prophet. He should not be subjected to any insult even if it's unintentional," it said in a statement without naming Zind.

Zind had clarified his comments in a telephone interview Saturday with private network CBC television, saying they were a mere "slip of the tongue".

They were "meant in a hypothetical sense ... but the Muslim Brotherhood supporters seized on them".

In January, Zind said in an interview with the same Sada al-Balad television that he "would not be satisfied until 10,000 Brotherhood members were killed for every martyr" from the armed forces and the police.

Human Rights Watch said his remarks encouraged the "slaughter" of political opponents.

Egyptian authorities have cracked down on the Muslim Brotherhood movement after the army ousted Islamist president Mohamed Morsi in 2013.

Hundreds of Brotherhood supporters have been killed and thousands more jailed in the crackdown, while several of its leaders including Morsi have been sentenced to death or lengthy jail terms.

Zind, described by legal experts as "elitist," was known for his animosity towards Islamists and the 2011 uprising that ousted ex-president Hosni Mubarak.

Under Mubarak, he openly supported him and opposed a judges movement that called for judicial independence and reform.

Zind had taken over from Mahfouz Saber, who too was replaced after saying that becoming a judge was too lofty an ambition for the sons of cleaners.
President John Mahamas 10 million initiative to fund youth entrepreneurs has been described as unconstitutional and lacking parliamentary approval.

The Member of the Finance Committee of Parliament, Member of Parliament for Efutu constituency, Alexander Afenyo Markins told Joy News, the disbursement breaches Article 181 of the 1992 Constitution.

"(1) Parliament may be a resolution supported by the votes of a majority of all the members of Parliament, authorise the Government to enter into an agreement for the granting of a loan out of any public fund or public account" a part of the law states.

But the lawyer explained that the President ignored the provision when he launched the initiative on Tuesday, August 12, 2014. A secretariat has also been created at the Presidency to begin disbursing.

Checks on the government website revealed applications were opened on January 22, 2016, and closed February 19, 2016.

Chief Executive Officer Of Youth Enterprise Support (YES) Ms Helga Boadi

According to the website www.yes.gov.gh, no single business plan can receive more than 50,000.00.

Any business that receives financial assistance from YES is expected to repay the financial assistance at no interest.

Afenyo Markins suspects the President may have used an Executive Order or a cabinet decision to take money out of the consolidated fund for the initiative.

The President cannot implement this through an Executive Order or a cabinet directive. Who approved it? Is it parliament? No. Parliament has never approved it, said Markins.

Effutu MP Afenyo Markins

Scanning through the 2015 and 2016 budgets, the lawmaker said there was no financial provision for YES.

Afenyo Markins warned that there are consequences of any arm of government breaching the constitution.

He wants government to regularise the YES initiative by coming to Parliament to obtain consent for the programme.

Lack of parliamentary approval for financial transactions was enough a basis for the Supreme Court to declare the payment of 25 million to Waterville as illegal. The apex court ruled that two international Business Agreements of 26th April 2006 between the Republic of Ghana and Waterville Holdings (BVI) did not go through parliament.

In 2015, the Minority in Parliament also accused the President of breaching the constitutions after it entered into a 3-year agreement with the IMF without parliamentary approval.

Afenyo Markins warned that there are consequences of any arm of government breaching the constitution.

He wants government to regularise the YES initiative by coming to parliament to obtain consent for the programme.

Afenyo Markins, a known defender of the provisions of the 1992 constitution usually goes to court to ensure that erring state institutions

He got the Supreme Court to the processes of the district level election as unconstitutional. It forced the Electoral Commission to postpone local government elections at great loss to the state.

Listen to audio



Story by Ghana|myjoyonline.com|EA
A companion to AfriClassical.com, a website on African Heritage in Classical Music.
13.03.2016 LISTEN

Last Sunday, 6th March, 2016; Ghana my beloved country was 59 years old from colonial rule. It was a great news and passion for the then awesome statesmen under the able leadership of Dr Kwame Nkrumah, the first president of Ghana to announce to the good people of this land that, after so many years of dictatorship from foreign leaders, Ghana was from 6th March 1957 going to rule herself. It meant freedom for the people. But did we actually gain the freedom we wanted as a nation? The answer is a big NO!

This is not to say our forefathers did not help us by securing our independence but what has become of the freedom we declared that very day is the problem. We have had several forms of governance; military or dictatorship and rule of law (self rule), in other words democracy. To me, the second form of governance has done more harm to us than good. Democracy has bedeviled our quest and passion for growth. No country can develop through democracy but that is what we have chosen to.

After 59 years of independence, Ghana, comparatively has nothing to offer. India and Malaysia who are our peers are by far better than Ghana. But why should it be so? Bad and poor leadership is the reason. Ghana has failed in almost every developmental exam she has taken. From Civilization to Agriculture through to industrialization and Technology then to security; we have failed all these four transformations the world has gone through. Today, the United States, France,Germany, UK and other European countries spends much of their resources on building efficient security system....here we are still trying to make our country food secured. Is it a curse? We ought to be more than serious for once.

I did not take part in this year's independence day celebration. My two (2) day old nephew was bleeding and was admitted at the Mother and Baby Unit (MBU) of the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital in Kumasi. This is a day I will never delete from my memories not because my nephew was sick but what I saw. As the president of the republic was on television making long-story empty promises and non existent legacies of Ghana, the entire MBU section of KATH was full of bedbugs. Yes! This is what I saw with my naked eyes. In this 21st century world, bedbugs are friends of the people in Ghana. I did not have the opportunity to enter the chamber in which the children are kept under light rays on beds but upon sneaking my neck, I again noticed the chamber was badly overcrowded with children.

As I stood ashamed, I asked a nurse passing by how they manage to work in such an overcrowded room and she was much troubled as I was. She said "my brother, we are seriously worried but if we don't manage too, we will loose several innocent babies...we force ourselves to work here. Sometimes, even gloves and oxygen to work on these babies is a problem". At 59, we cannot even furnish our big hospitals with gloves? Are we serious? People who come to visit their loved ones admitted in this facility are forced to stand for hours because the place is too small to accommodate more than 25 visitors with chairs.

The few wooden chairs there have also turned to be a breeding place for bedbugs. The security at post said something which I agree with her. It was an answer to a question someone asked concerning these bedbugs. She said, " we would like to fumigate this place but the problem is, where are we going to move these sick babies to before fumigating this place"? This bounds to inadequate facilities in the hospital. So can't we put in place measures to avoid this shame?

Another sad event was when a nursing mother who entered to feed her baby when it was time to feed them. As she entered, she needed a place to sit so that she can be comfortable to feed her baby boy. So she resorted to a nearby chair. Unfortunately, this chair was used as a hook to hold one broken bed housing three babies for treatment. As she unknowingly removed the chair, the bed fell with three babies, one of them was on water injection. So sad to see, I was confused in mind. So is the Ghana at 59 we are celebrating today? I asked myself. It was barely a week past when our president was in parliament painting a very nice picture of our health sector and its infrastructure as far as his NDC government was concerned.

Didn't someone alert the president this sad situation at KATH? If the second largest health facility after Korle-Bu Teaching hospital is far behind meeting the requirement of making sure sick babies are kept and treated well, what then could be of our so-called District health facilities (District hospitals)? What happened to the over USD 240million President Mahama said his government has invested into a so-called medical equipment replacement scheme? Someone ought to explain to me. The only emergency incubator at KATH is as old as perhaps, the word old itself. Yes, it so old and I can't even tell if it was still working because as I saw it, it was standing. But let me also hasten to applaud the nurses and Medical officials handling that facitlity at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital including all staff, they are very professional and deligent in discharging their duties.

If what I saw in these people the calibre of people we have as staffs and officials in the MBU, then the director in charge must be hailed as well as the

entire staff when it comes to professionalism. At a point, I was so much convinced that, if these people had the

basic needs to facilitate in discharging their duties, they would do much better and child mortality in that facility I am sure would reduce to the barest minimum. Thumbs up to you all!! Continue to serves your country in such zeal and God will reward you.

This issue of inadequate facilities and equipments is not perculiar to only the MBU. I know and can again testify to it when in December,2015, my colleague at work, Bornaventure Kwame Tarkpah was admitted at the Accident and Emergency Unit of KATH. Kwame has got choked with meat tendron in his oesophagus and was transferred from the Amansie Central District Hospital in Jacobu to KATH for treatment. Before then, my colleague had not taken any water or food for 24 hours.

Upon reaching the Emergency was at about 12a.m, we were told the Doctor in charge had closed for the day. There was no doctor in replacement as at that time. Kwame have to keep suffering till the next morning. Unfortunately, it was the first Friday of December which is dubbed as a public holiday. It was a farmers' day celebration. So for the whole day too, we were told the Medical officer in charge of E &T centre will not come to work. So he was still kept at emergency unit still without water and food.

Kwame has to force and fight for a transfer from the Emergency centre to ward. This was made possible at arround 2:30pm same day. Suprisingly, at the E & T ward, we were made to wait for hours for someone waiting to be discharged that very day to leaves before my friend could be assigned to that vaccant bed. So one colleague who with me went to inquire from one the nurses as to when the doctor will be available to treat our friend, we were told the Doctor had come there since morning waiting for patients to come for treatment but no one was available so he left after taking care of the few people who were there.

Negligence of the staff at the emergency unit has caused my suffering colleague to wait for another whole day to be treated and still no food nor water had entered the system. His throat was blocked completely with the meet.

It was on the third day a doctor came to enforce some treatment on him. Even that day, he was just given some drug list to buy and prepare the next day for the theartre. A patient was choked with meet was treated in about 5days. So what was the essence of calling that facility and emergency centre? Five days was enough to let my colleague die if the situation called for him to die. God saved him. They also lacked facilities that could link them to the situations in the various wards. In this 21st century Ghana, can we not afford online networking of our health facilities and units to their energency wards? This is just a basic technology. We need serious brains to lead our actual and real transformations. Our leaders ought to know better. We must be serious as a nation.

The Komfo Anokye hospital is not just a hospital but a teaching hospital used in training our upcoming medical professionals so if they don't have the necessary and basic equipments to operate, how then do these medical students learn something practically? Ghana is what you and I have and we must handle it with caution. There is no place like Ghana.

I am doing my part as an agriculturalist and enterprenuer. I have on several times in collaboration with some colleagues organized agricultural education for a our farmers in rural communties with no fee. Both animal and crop farmers have benefitted from this. We have also thought people on mushroom production and grasscutter farming. All these were done voluntarily. I still have the passion to teach and educate anyone who needs my services for free even though I am unemployed after school. I love to that because I see helping a fellow countryman as serving my own self. I wish you will have same spirit and determination in whatever profession you are into.

Ghana can collectively be built...two heads are better than one. Do your part and I will also do my part so we can see the transformation we need.

God bless our homeland Ghana!

The writer:

Richard Sarpong

(An agriculturalist and enterprenuer)

Email: [email protected]
Accra, March 13, GNA - The Deputy Minister of Communications, Mr Ato Edward Sarpong, has reiterated government's commitment to creating an enabling environment to help telecommunication operators grow.

Speaking at the brand transformation launch of mobile network operator, Tigo, in Accra, he said growth in the telecom sector would ultimately benefit the country as it would help create jobs and improve living standards.

Mr Sarpong said government was committed to bridging the digital divide between rural and urban and considering several options which would help expand access to telephony services in rural areas.

He expressed optimism about the positive gains of the telecom sector explaining that despite the challenges Tigo encountered during the transition from analogue to GSM, it is was still a dominant force in the market.

Mr Sarpong said with over 35 million mobile subscribers and 17 million data subscribers in Ghana, Tigo needed to be commended for keeping pace with the changing times.

'Twenty-five years of operation in Ghana is a big milestone especially in the light of all the technological changes that have since taken place globally. For being the first operator in the country and reinventing yourself over the years, Tigo should be commended,' he said.

Mr Sarpong praised the company for investing millions of Ghana cedis over the last couple of years to improve network quality, rolling out to new areas and building data centres.

He urged telecom operators in the country to join forces in accelerating 4G network rollout to increase internet usage.

'Recently, we auctioned 800MHz band for mobile services - one is still available and we are hoping that operators will put resources together and use it for the benefit of our people,' he said.

GNA
13.03.2016 LISTEN

Accra, March 13, GNA - The Ghana Centre for Democratic Development (CDD - Ghana) has announced that four leading research institutions are set to release their findings touching on Ghana's growth domains and mooting ways of attaining economic transformation.

The institutions include CDD-Ghana, University of Ghana Business School, Institute of Statistical, Social and Economic Research, and the Effective States and Inclusive Development Research Centre of the University of Manchester, UK.

Ms Mina Okuru, Communications Officer of CDD, in a statement to the Ghana News Agency on Friday, said there would be a cutting-edge event from April 4 to 6 this year for the four research bodies to present their findings as Ghana approached another crucial election.

She said the partner research institutions would release their innovative research findings, seeking to answer pressing development challenges facing Ghana, and how to achieve socio-economic transformation in the context of acrimonious politics.

'The research focuses on a number of important development domains including the dynamics of natural resources, the determinants of quality public services in health and education and the challenges and prospects for public sector reform in Ghana,' she said.

Ms Okuru said the event had the potential to make a real difference to the thinking and policy making that shaped the future of Ghana's development by stimulating debate among citizens, policy makers, and political parties preparing their manifestos.

Speakers include Prof Emanuel Gyimah-Boadi of CDD-Ghana, Prof Joshua Abor of the University of Ghana Business School and Dr Robert Osei of ISSER.

Others are Prof Kwesi Botchway, Chairman of The National Development Planning Commission, Prof David Hulme, Chief Executive Officer of ESID and Mr Amoako Tuffour of the Africa Center for Economic Transformation.

GNA
Accra, March 13, GNA - The Universal Access to Healthcare Campaign (UAHC), a Non-Governmental Organisation in health, has called on the Ministry of Health to invest more in the National Health Insurance Scheme.

This, the organisation believes, would ensure that the poor in society could access healthcare without suffering any financial hardship.

The organisation made the call at the weekend when it presented a communiquA to the Ministry of Health after a walk from the Obra Spot in Circle through some principal streets in Accra to the Arts Centre.

Archibald Adams, National Campaign Co-ordinator, UAHC, said the walk was to prompt the Ministry to bridge the inequalities in the health sector.

'Health is a human right and every Ghanaian in any part of the country should enjoy good healthcare at all times,' he said.

Mr Adams appealed to the Ministry to make available essential lifesaving drugs especially for HIV/AIDS patients and maternal and new born.

He commended government for the review of the National Health Insurance Scheme, stressing that the review should be geared towards making the scheme financially sustainable.

Mr Adams called on the Ministry of Health to liaise with the Ministry of Transport to invest in regional and district transportation to increase access to healthcare through improved road network.

'We are also calling on the Ministry to support civil society organisations to monitor and hold state institutions accountable for delivering health services and strengthening communities' capacity to deliver healthcare services,' he said.

Mr Hamidu Adakurugu, Legal Director at the Ministry of Health, who received the communiquA on behalf of the Minister, gave the assurance that urgent attention would be given to the concerns raised.

GNA
13.03.2016 LISTEN

Accra, March 13, GNA - Madam Hanna S. Tetteh, the Minister of Foreign Affairs & Regional Integration, has left Accra to Isreal for a three-day visit.

The visit is at the invitation of the Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, who also holds the portfolio of Foreign Minister.

A statement signed by Dr. Edward Omane Boama, Minister of Communications, and copied the Ghana News Agency, said during the visit the two sides will deepen bilateral relations and discuss agriculture, education and investment promotion between the two countries.

The Minister will return to Ghana on March 16.

GNA
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March 13, 2016

Syria: Another CIA Supplied Group Hands Its Weapons To Al-Qaeda

Syria's Idleb province is held by Jabhat al-Nusra, aka al-Qaeda in Syria, and Ahrar al Sham with a sprinkling of "moderates" added to the mix. While Nusra and Ahrar have support from Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Qatar, the "moderates" are supported by the CIA which provides them with anti-tank weapons.

When in 2013 these groups stormed government held positions in Idleb, Nusra, Ahrar and Islamic State Jihadis were leading the fighting and employed suicide bombers. Their attacks were supported by electronic warfare measures from Turkey which disabled the Syrian Army's communication. The CIA "moderates" were integrated as anti-tank teams using their U.S. supplied weapons in support of the Jihadi offense.

The U.S. supported groups in Idleb are currently grouped under the moniker "Division 13" or "Brigade 13". The cessation of hostilities in Syria means that all these "moderates" in Idleb province have time to discuss their ideological differences. Jenan Moussa (@JenanMoussa) is the "Roving reporter Arabic Al Aan TV. Based in Dubai but roams around MidEast". She reports on Syria from a mostly pro-opposition standpoint and has long favored "moderate" as well as "not-so-moderate" Jihadis.

Here are some of here recent tweets:

Jenan Moussa @jenanmoussa Jenan Moussa Retweeted    Nusra attacks FSA supporters protesting Assad in #Idleb province. Nusra bans FSA flags, allows only Jihadi banners. 4:44 AM - 11 Mar 2016 Yesterday Nusra had meeting in Idleb with activists & local Syrian journalist urging them all not to carry FSA flags, only Jihadi banners. Here full video of Nusra attack on protestors in Maaret ElNoman. Its seriously amazing some dared to carry FSA flag https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=youtu.be&v=D-_ymP4BMxo Anti regime protests also in Sarmada, Harem &Darkoush in Idleb province. Protestors carried both FSA &Jihadi banners In Nusra mentality, FSA flag seen as 'pro-democracy &pro-secularism'. They have banned it but can't yet enforce ban in their territories. Moment when Nusra attacked AbuElias AlMaaeri, local anti-Assad celebrity. They took his mic for singing FSA slogans https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CdRReICWEAAq-sa.jpg

On Saturday some reports from Idleb claimed that Division 13 fighters, enraged that their propaganda protests were disrupted by Nusra, attacked some Nusra positions and fighters in Idleb.

Charles Lister @Charles_Lister BIG: FSA's Division 13 has launched raids on Jabhat al-Nusra bases in Marat al-Numan (24hrs after clashes at opposition Friday protest). 11:11 AM - 12 Mar 2016 #Idlib rebel dynamics are hotting up pre-#Geneva talks: Division 13 denies attacking Nusra in Marat al-Numan: pic.twitter.com/2dpQLpYvcd

Then came the counter(?) offense by Nusra.

Jenan Moussa @jenanmoussa #BREAK Nusra (AlQaeda in Syria) is right now attacking HQ of FSA-group "Brigade 13" in Maraat Nouman, Khan Sheikhun, AlGhadfa, Jbala &Heesh> 3:18 PM - 12 Mar 2016 Nusra (AlQaeda Syria) is trying 2destroy last FSA groups in Idlib, who r already weak. Just like Nusra destroyed Jamal Marouf &Hazem before. If thing continue like this, FSA group division 13 will cease 2 exit in morning. Nusra (AlQaeda in Syria) will destroy them tonight. Nusra (AlQaeda in Syria) kills 4 FSA fighters from Division 13 as they attack their HQs in Maaret AlNoman. #Idlib Nusra (AlQaeda in #Syria) &Jund AlAqsa gathering their troops 2 attack main HQ of FSA division 13 in Maaret Noman. I am hearing that Nusra (AlQaeda in Syria) confiscated weapons of FSA Division13. If true, Division 13 receives U.S weapons including TOWs. FSA Brigade13 says their main specialist in firing (US-supplied) TOW rockets at SAA tanks "attacked w/ RPG by Nusra" 2 versions. Nusra says FSA attacked us first. FSA says we are weaker why would we attack? Nusra attacked us first.

And that, dear folks, was the predictable end of the last "moderate" Jihadi group with direct U.S. support in Idleb. The CIA supplied weapons, lots of TOWs but allegedly also including anti-air MANPADs, are now, like on earlier occasions, in the hands of al-Qaeda.

Excellent job Mr. Brennan!

Posted by b on March 13, 2016 at 7:30 UTC | Permalink

Comments
HOUSTON - After years of spending billions of dollars constructing massive oil and gas projects, Chevron Corp. is planning to pivot to more profitable, shorter-cycle investments like its fields in the West Texas tight-oil plays.

The No. 2 U.S. oil company says it is winding down long-term investments on big projects as they come into production this year and next, but its going to put more of its budget toward the Permian Basin. It believes it can double or nearly triple its oil production there by the end of the decade by doubling its spending from $3 billion, about a tenth of its budget, and boosting its rig fleet there to 14 from seven.

Dont be surprised if by the middle of the next decade 20 to 25 percent of our production is in this short-cycle shale and tight activity, Chevron chairman and CEO John Watson told investors Tuesday in an annual update.

In the Permian Basin, Chevron says it has 1,300 drilling locations that can make a 10-percent return at $40 oil; at $50 oil, 4,000 locations can turn a profit; at $60, 5,500 locations. And thats just assessing a third of its portfolio there.

It expects to drill 175 wells this year with seven operated rigs and nine non-operated rigs. By 2020, the company projects it could pump up to 350,000 barrels a day out of the Permian, up from its current 125,000 barrels a day.

The only way to cope with the oil downturn is to get more efficient and productive. Over the past year, Chevron said its cost to drill a horizontal well has fallen 40 percent to about $7.1 million and the time it takes to drill a well has been cut in half to 20 days. By improving its well-stimulation techniques, the company has boosted its returns from the play by 30 percent.

When you combine our royalty advantage with the good rocks and competitive execution performance, it translates to compelling economics, said Jay Johnson, senior vice president of upstream at Chevron.

That cost-cutting has a human toll. Chevron said it plans to shed 20 to 25 percent of its upstream work force this year, and it has yet to make more than half of those job cuts. All told, it expects to cut 4,000 jobs this year, on top of the 3,000 it cut last year.

Bracing for low oil and gas prices, Chevron said it will cut its capital spending from a range of $26.6 billion this year to $22 billion to $17 billion a year in 2017 and 2018.

But the portion of money earmarked for big projects that were under construction last year should fall from about half to a fraction of the budget. Still, it expects production to increase through the end of the decade as its projects come online, Watson said.

The company expects to boost production to 2.9 to 3 million barrels a day in 2017, from 2.62 million barrels a day in 2015. Part of that will come from the massive Gorgon and Wheatstone liquefied natural gas projects coming online in Australia this year and next year, among other projects.

Were in a fairly unique position in the industry, Watson said. Were cutting spending pretty dramatically but were going to see higher volumes.
J. L. Davis, chairman of the WTG family of companies, announces a series of promotions and new appointments.

David Davis was named president of WTG Exploration Inc. and its oilfield subsidiary, WTG Services.

Richard Hatchett is now president of West Texas Gas Inc. and its regulated gas pipeline subsidiaries.

Michael Davis has been named president of WTG Gas Processing and Davis Gas Processing Inc. along with all other WTG midstream gas gathering and gas processing entities.

Larry Mills will now serve as president of WTG Fuels Inc. and its subsidiaries in the retail and wholesale refined product and propane industry.

Lori Winter is now president of Basin Aviation Inc., a fixed-base flight operation and charter service at Midland Airpark.

Other promotions and appointments within the WTG family of companies include: J. J. King, vice president, gas marketing; Jeff Sheppard, vice president, midstream engineering and operations; Casey King, vice president, operations for WTG Fuels; Nancy Davis, vice president, human relations and Barbara Geffken, assistant secretary

Konica Minolta honors Hilliard Office Solutions

Konica Minolta Business Solutions U.S.A. Inc. has honored Midland-based Hilliard Office Solutions with a 2016 Pro-Tech Service Award.

This award recognizes those Konica Minolta dealerships that demonstrate the highest commitment to customer support and satisfaction.

A Pro-Tech Service Award winner for the third year in a row, Hilliard Office Solutions, headed by Brent Hilliard, president, is dedicated to delivering professional, reliable service and maximum performance for Konica Minoltas award-winning solutions. To attain the Pro-Tech standard, each element of Hilliard Office Solutions operation was evaluated and measured, including its management skills, inventory control systems, technical expertise, dispatch systems and customer satisfaction ratings.

My Community FCU opens new branch

My Community Federal Credit Union will celebrate the opening of its sixth branch, inside the new H-E-B at Loop 250 and Andrews Highway, with a ceremony March 16 at 11:30 a.m.

The new branch is full-service, offering everything from opening an account, depositing/withdrawing money, applying for an auto or personal loan or credit card, signing up for online & mobile banking, or inquiring about investment opportunities and mortgage loans. This location opened doors on February 26 along with H-E-Bs grand opening. Hours are Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Midland-Odessa Dominos raises $5000 for St. Judes

Midland and Odessa residents came out in full support of St. Judes Childrens Research Hospital when two Dominos stores owned by Jim and Cassie Gerety hosted Townsquare Media radio stations for Live Radio Remotes.

During the two-hour remotes, Dominos sold Medium Pepperoni Pizzas for just $3 each, with $1 from each pizza being donated to St. Judes. In addition, Dominos accepted cash donations for St. Judes. These radio remotes were the kick off of the two-day radiothon called Country Cares that Townsquare Media does each year. The Townsquare Medias goal is to raise more than $100,000 for St. Judes during this two-day event through phone-in and on-line pledges.

Dominos Pizza franchisee Jim Gerety announced that the community and his nine stores in Midland & Odessa raised $5,000 for St. Judes.
To ascertain how to best utilize a smaller pool of federal funds, the citys community development division met with residents last week to hear their concerns and receive feedback.

I think (the meetings) went well, said Isaac Garnett, division manager. Were here to do what we can and to work within our means. Im not going to promise you things that we can't deliver.

Garnett was referencing concerns about roads: Paving one stretch of road could cost well over $1 million. The city will have about $712,000 to spend under the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) plan during the 2016-2017 fiscal year. The grant is funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Future distribution of funds also must be timely. HUD performed its annual review of CDBG grant recipients and found that the citys 2014 action plan of acquiring land for affordable housing was behind schedule. Funds budgeted for that program should be allotted to other projects.

Reprogramming these funds to activities that could be implemented quickly would help to resolve the citys timeliness problem, HUD said in a letter to City Manager Courtney Sharp. The city has until Aug. 2 to meet the timeliness test, or the citys CDBG grant funds will be reduced, HUD wrote.

Timeliness is the crux of our problem, Garnett said during the meeting.

The funds must go toward initiatives benefiting low- and moderate-income areas. Garnett said they can be used for buying lots of land for affordable housing and the citys housing minor repair program that benefits senior citizens.

We will see what the community needs, and our dollars, and try to pair them up, Garnett said.

A map of Midland displayed at the meetings showed two small blocks of possible affordable housing sites. The lots are subject to whether the owners will sell to the city; eminent domain will not be used, Garnett said.

Concerns voiced by residents also included the nutrition programs administered by Casa de Amigos and Senior Link. The next step will be to review all feedback and incorporate it into the divisions action plan. The plan will be reviewed after April 14, the deadline for when community programs such as Senior Link can apply for funding for the next year.

A local committee will look at applications and community feedback to decide which can receive a portion of the funds, Garnett said.

The amount of funds the city has to distribute has been reduced in recent years because of several factors, primarily because HUDs allocation has been decreased. City funding is determined by a formula that is based on statistical data surrounding poverty and pockets of poverty, Garnett said.

Follow Cassie on Twitter at @Cassie_Burton51
As Midland treads through the current economic climate, area nonprofits have to plan ahead. Operating on funds likely received from donations, fundraisers and grants from previous years, agencies have to consider their future while donors currently may be tightening their belts.

That lapsed effect results in organizations having to rethink their financials to prepare for the future.

For some, its business as usual. Before Chocolate Decadence, the Aphasia Center of West Texas annual fundraiser, executive director Kitty Binek told the Reporter-Telegram in February that the community has always been able to come through to fulfill the organizations needs.

West Texans are just incredible people. They are generous, and Im so grateful because of it. This event has always been successful because of them, she said.

On the flip side, with job layoffs and financial uncertainty, nonprofits -- particularly food pantries -- are encountering new clients in need of their services.

Over the holiday season, the Jubilee Center reported that at Thanksgiving it served 240 families -- double the usual number.

A downturn in the local economy typically equates to an increase in services needed throughout the community. People remain here without the resources needed to support their family, said Ryan Loyd, president of the Association of Fundraising Professionals - Permian Basin.

We currently see this to be true as the West Texas Food Bank, the Jubilee Center, the American Red Cross, the Genesis Center and other benevolence service providers diligently work to provide support for community members who are without work, he said Friday.

With an eye on the nonprofit sector at large, Loyd said that these days, any funds are welcome.

It is not uncommon for nonprofits to experience a drop in individual giving from donors who perceive their gift to be too small. These donors should know that donations of all levels are imperative for nonprofits serving the community. Your $5 donation could be the difference for someone in need, especially in a down economy, Loyd said.

There are options to consider in donating, Loyd said. The community can support through monthly giving programs because the impact is evident for organizations bottom lines. The same could be said for corporations adjusting their philanthropic budgets, he said.
Geno Garcia, 36, of Midland was charged March 4 with possession of a controlled substance under 4 grams.

Destiney D. Owens, 20, of Midland was charged March 4 with possession of a controlled substance under 1 gram.

Cassandra M. Parkins, 33, of Midland was charged March 4 with prescription fraud.

Mark W. Perry, 39, of Midland was charged March 4 with possession of a controlled substance under 1 gram.

Jesus M. Ruiz, 22, of Midland was charged March 4 with aggravated robbery.

Caden E. Sowards, 17, of Midland was charged March 4 with possession of a controlled substance under 1 gram.

Quinn S. Ward, 19, of Midland was charged March 4 with possession of a controlled substance under 1 gram.

Kenneth S. Ellis, 44, of Midland was charged March 5 with possession of a controlled substance under 1 gram.

Gearado S. Collazo, 51, of Midland was charged March 6 with two counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.

Rachael M. Floyd, 29, of Midland was charged March 6 with unauthorized use of a vehicle and credit card or debit card abuse.

Eddie G. Frazier, 59, of Midland was charged March 6 with failing to register as a sex offender.

Iry J. Williams, 37, of Midland was charged March 6 with burglary, evading arrest/detention causing serious bodily injury and aggravated robbery.

Marissa D. Gutierrez, 22, of Midland was charged March 7 with injury to a child/elderly/disabled person with intent of bodily injury.

Tyree T. Johnson, 36, of Midland was charged March 7 with driving while intoxicated.

Dmonte D. Montano, 21, of Midland was charged March 7 with aggravated robbery.

Eusebio Munoz-Cepero, 19, of Midland was charged March 7 with two counts of violating motor fuel tax requirement.

Reinier Munoz-Martin, 30, of Midland was charged March 7 with violating motor fuel tax requirement.

Natalie N. Perea, 30, of Albuquerque, New Mexico, was charged March 7 with possession of a controlled substance under 1 gram and prohibited substance/item in a correctional facility.

Scott M. Allen, 36, of Midland was charged March 8 with driving while intoxicated.

Robert J. Bennett, 27, of Midland was charged March 8 with assault of a family/house member impeding breath and two counts of obstruction or retaliation.

Christopher M. Fino, 31, of Midland was charged March 8 with three counts of possession of a controlled substance under 4 grams.

Miranda M. Govea-Arenivas, 22, of Midland was charged March 8 with unauthorized use of a vehicle.

Steven L. Lozano, 31, of Midland was charged March 8 with burglary of a habitation and March 10 with two counts of assaulting a family or household member by impeding breath and one count of stalking.

Anna M. Navarette, 19, of Midland was charged March 8 with fraudulent use/possession of identification information.

Yaritz N. Sanchez, 19, of Odessa was charged March 8 with possession of a controlled substance under 1 gram.

Adrian R. Trevino, 22, of Midland was charged March 8 with possession of a controlled substance under 1 gram.

Charles J. Welch, 52, of Midland was charged March 8 with burglary of a building.

Karl D. Wilson, 24, of Midland was charged March 8 with possession of a controlled substance under 1 gram.

Marissa Y. E. Te Ybarra, 23, of Midland was charged March 8 with aggravated assault of a date/family/house member.

Marcus W. Bell, 34, of Midland was charged March 9 with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.

Guillermo F. Galindo Jr., 46, of Midland was charged March 9 with obstruction or retaliation.

Cedric L. Harris, 46, of Midland was charged March 9 with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.

Kheyanev M. Littledog, 18, of Midland was charged March 9 with prohibited substance/item in a correctional facility.

Justin W. McMorries, 39, of Midland was charged March 9 with driving while intoxicated.

Rudy F. Mireles, 39, of Midland was charged March 9 with burglary of a habitation.

Shaquille O. Patterson, 22, of Midland was charged March 9 with possession of a controlled substance under 1 gram and abandonment/endangerment of a child.

Dominique L. White, 28, of Midland was charged March 9 with two counts of possession of a controlled substance under 1 gram and abandonment/endangerment of a child.

Jake T. Belzner, 39, was charged March 10 with burglary of a habitation.

Roberto P. Espinoza, 32, was charged March 10 with aggravated assault.

Terrance Fillmore, 26, was charged March 10 with one count of evading arrest of a detective with a vehicle and one count of possession of a controlled substance under 1 gram.

Michelle B. Galindo, 43, was charged March 10 with four counts of aggravated assault with a weapon.

Hardy Lenard, 43, was charged March 10 with two counts of tampering or fabricating evidence and possession of a controlled substance under 4 grams.

Joshua Lorenz, 28, was charged March 10 with assaulting a family or household member by impeding breath.

Steven L. Lozano, 31, was charged March 10 with two counts of assaulting a family or household member by impeding breath and one count of stalking.

Christy L. Normand, 31, was charged March 10 with theft of more than $2,500 but less than $30,000.

Mark W. Sanford, 66, was charged March 10 with evading arrest of a detective with a vehicle.

Kaylie S. Stroud, 19, was charged March 10 with one count of possession of a controlled substance under 1 gram.

Lisa Valenzuela, 42, was charged March 10 with fraudulent use or possessing identification information.

Source: Midland County Sheriffs Offices
Despite leading Republican nominee Donald Trumps speech  such as Islam hates (the U.S.), local Muslims painted a different picture of the deeply red Midland County.

I am a Muslim, and I have never seen people treating me differently or anything like (that), said Ahmed Elsonbaty, who moved to Midland a year and a half ago for his job in the oil industry.

Farook Rafeek, a Midland resident of about 35 years, said that he never faced any repercussions for being Muslim when in public or at work.

Even if theyre not nice, they never show it, Rafeek said. In every society, there are good people and there are some not so good people.

Rafeek said that while the mosque does experience occasional terroristic threats made online, eggs thrown at windows or broken glass, he considers it vandalism, not a crime born of hatred. He points to positive examples of community outreach to the Muslim community. After the 9/11 attacks in 2001, churches all over Midland reached out to the Muslim Association of West Texas, where Rafeek and Elsonbaty worship.

(Almost) every church called us to find out if we were OK, if we need help, how we were doing. It was enormous, Rafeek said. And that speaks a lot for Midland people here. If everyone is saying, If your womenfolks are scared to go to the store, well come and escort them to the store. That shows how much concern they have for us as a Muslim group.

Rafeek and Elsonbaty both said the medias inaccurate portrayals of Islam and showing only extremists such as ISIS have led to terroristic threats made to the mosque  which are forwarded to the FBI and have yet to be found serious  and has raised doubt in some peoples minds.

I had a co-worker ask me if anyone in my family was in ISIS, Elsonbaty said. I mean these are innocent questions, because ... if you listen to the media, its ISIS-Islam-ISIS. You feel theres a link, especially when youre not a Muslim and you dont have knowledge or understand what the difference is between Islam and ISIS.

Elsonbaty said Trumps popularity is disappointing.

Trump can say anything he wants, Elsonbaty said. I dont believe he can ban Muslims (if elected). The disappointment is from people supporting him and accepting what hes saying. It seems he is telling them what they want to hear. ... It just gets me to think, do people think, really deep down inside themselves, that Im a terrorist or something? They should be scared of me or something?

Fareek also thinks Trumps popularity comes from saying exactly what people want to hear.

The way the Trump campaign is going ... this is what you expect from Third World country, not a civilized country like the United States. Its ridiculous, Fareek said. The reason why I dont take it personally is because I think Trump is telling people what they want to hear. ... Some of the people, especially his followers, like what he is saying: build this wall, saying things about women, about Islam. So these people that follow him, they like that, and those people tend to feel like Trump can really change this country, that its all going to be one society, and we dont need any outsiders.

Like Elsonbaty, Fareek said he does not feel threatened by Trump because Islam is a religion of God.

It is the not so good people in the U.S. who support Trumps general anti-Muslim speech, and who are terrorists in the Islamic faith.

If people read the Quran and people really study Islam, whatever is happening in the Middle East and all these ISIS killings  ISIS doesnt stand for (Islam). Its totally different, Fareek said.

Elsonbaty said he is encouraged by some non-Muslims who visit the Midland mosque to ask questions about Islam. A few convert. English and Spanish copies of the Quran are available free to the public.

(Trump) said the other day that, Muslims hate us, Elsonbaty said. He didnt even say radical, he said it in general, and that thats what they say in mosques, Death to America. I would invite you to come to the mosque in Midland. We have books and people who can tell (visitors) what they want to hear or what they want to know, people who can tell them ... about true Islam.

Follow Cassie on Twitter at @Cassie_Burton51




Fellow Oklahoma Republicans,



The Oklahoma Republican Party State Committee met Saturday and elected a new State Vice Chairman. DeWayne McAnally was elected to serve the remainder of the term of former OKGOP State Vice Chair Estela Hernandez, who resigned in January to accept a new opportunity to serve Oklahomans.



Dr. Harold Haralson, who serves as a Cleveland County Commissioner, finished second in the first round of voting. Dr. Haralson then made a motion, seconded by third-place finisher Porter Davis of Oklahoma City to elect Mr. McAnally by acclamation on the second ballot.



The vote of acclamation was a continuing signal that the Oklahoma Republican Party is unified for the 2016 election cycle. We had three great candidates for Vice Chairman of our Party, and they all exemplified the character and vision were going to need in November, said Oklahoma Republican Party Chairman Pam Pollard.



"I'm looking forward to working again with DeWayne McAnally focusing on the historic number of open seats in addition to the Presidential Election of 2016. DeWayne brings a wealth of experience and a desire to unite the party around our candidates and conservative Oklahoma principles in November, concluded Chairman Pollard.



DeWayne McAnally is a financial advisor residing in Oklahoma City. He is known for his work with children in the Oklahoma City area through the McAnally Foundation and the Big Brothers Big Sisters program.



Pam Pollard,

OKGOP Chairman
Kevin Batts, blogger at TheRedRiverChronicle.com





Why March 23rd Common Core May Be Coming Back to an Oklahoma Classroom Near You

Brought to You by State Superintendent Joy Hofmeister

While the electorate is distracted by the Republican Presidential primaries candidates, the voters in Oklahoma are unaware that Common Core is about to be brought back to their state. The Oklahoma legislature has been lulled to sleep and unaware of how close they are to bringing back Common Core via approving newly submitted state education standards.In 2014, Oklahomans led an enormous grassroots effort that completely upended the education industrial complex in the state. The repeal is widely recognized as the first full repeal of Common Core in the country. Meanwhile, the advocates of the Common Core standards regrouped in Oklahoma and in their retreat, their plan was to rename it. The resurrection of common core in Oklahoma has been planned incrementally.The anatomy of the Common Core of yesterday and the one of today are identical but to pacify the electorate, the Common Core of yesterday had to go underground.This takes us to 2016 and the submission of new standards for English and Math as the replacement in Oklahoma. Oklahoma Legislators in the Sooner state, are knowingly or unknowingly, on March 23rd, are about to welcome the Common Core standards back into the state. The vehicle theyre using to bring it back in are the new subject matter standards that are aligned with the ACT testing series. A series that in the test makers own words is known to be Common Core aligned
Sarkodie should have been bigger than ...
Troopers are looking for the driver in a hit-and-run crash that left a bicyclist dead in Orlando.

The crash happened at 10:40 p.m. Friday on Colonial Drive near Peachtree Road in Orlando.

According to the Florida Highway Patrol, a 2011 Nissan Altima was driving "at a high rate of speed and in a reckless manner" east on Colonial Drive. A trooper tried to stop the car at the intersection with State Road 441, but the driver kept going.

Troopers say Charles McMurray, 52, of Orlando, was stopped on his bicycle in the bi-directional turn lane at the intersection when he was hit by the Nissan Altima.

McMurray was thrown from his bicycle. He was taken to Orlando Regional Medical Center, where he later died from his injuries.

The Nissan Altima was found abandoned about 30 minutes later in Orlando.

The crash remains under investigation. Charges are pending.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Florida Highway Patrol at 407-737-2213 or to contact Crimeline.


GOP presidential candidate Marco Rubio made a campaign stop in Central Florida Sunday afternoon, trying to garner support ahead of Tuesdays primary.

After Rubio's appearance, supporters at the rally said Rubio seems to be the only one that will be able to bring the country together.

"I think he would be a good representative and a strong voice," said Pam Cunningham, one of Rubio's supporters at the event.

Wearing her "I voted" sticker, Cunningham spoke to Rubio's ability to handle the many problems the next president will be asked to tackle.

"The Medicare, the health care we need done," said Cunningham, "things for senior citizens and really the international presence around the world."

While on stage, Rubio reminded supporters that the stakes in the election as a whole, not just in choosing a Republican nominee, could not be higher.

"This election is a referendum on America and its identity," said Rubio. "It's a referendum on our identity as a nation and as a people. I think we need to go one step further. I think this election is a referendum of what it means to be a conservative."



According to a recent exclusive statewide News 13/Bay News 9 poll, Rubio trails GOP frontrunner Donald Trump. In fact the poll found that 37 percent of Floridians likely to vote in the Republican primary on March 15 said they would vote for Trump.

But his supporters insist that he may be the only one who can unite the party.

"Unless we have somebody who can truly inspire people, help bring people together, it's going to continue to be very divisive," said Chris Steele, another Rubio supporter in attendance Sunday.

"I just hope that everything that's been happening this past week that people will really listen to what he's saying," added Cunningham. "I think he's very genuine and honest and I trust him."

Rubio has said hes unsure what a loss in Florida would mean for his campaign. He said if Trump were to become the nominee he would support him, but it would be difficult.

I still, at this moment continue to intend to support the Republican nominee, butgetting harder every day, Rubio said.
TRUMBULL, Conn. (AP)  Police are searching for a 7-year-old boy who they say was abducted by his father after an early morning domestic assault.



An Amber Alert has been issued for Ariel Revello, of Trumbull.



Police say 43-year-old Rodolfo Revello assaulted his estranged wife with a knife before fleeing with the child around 4:30 a.m. Saturday. The woman was treated at a hospital and released. No other injuries were reported.



Ariel is 4-feet-8-inches and weighs 75 pounds. He has brown hair and brown eyes. He was last seen wearing gray and blue pajamas and an olive green jacket.



Police are looking for a white 2015 Ford Transit cargo van with the combination plate C040379.



New York State Police say Revello could be headed for the Bronx.



Anyone with information should call 911.






HARTFORD, Conn. (AP)  Former Connecticut Gov. John Rowlands appeal of his 2014 campaign fraud convictions is set to go before a federal court.



The 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New York is scheduled to hear arguments Friday, exactly a year after the Republican was sentenced to 2 years in prison. He remains free on bail.



Rowland was convicted of conspiring to hide payments for work he did on the failed 2012 congressional campaign of Republican Lisa Wilson-Foley and trying to do the same on the failed 2010 congressional campaign of Republican Mark Greenberg.



Prosecutors say Rowlands convictions should stand. They deny allegations in the appeal that they withheld evidence favorable to the defense.



Rowland resigned as governor in 2004 during a corruption scandal that sent him to prison for 10 months.






Peter Straub is no stranger to the supernatural.

He has written such unsettling novels as Ghost Story, Floating Dragon and Shadowland.

He co-authored The Talisman and its sequel Black House with Stephen King, and his horror fiction has earned such honors as the Bram Stoker Award, World Fantasy Award and the International Horror Guild Award.

But to Straub, 73, the perversity of human nature provides the ripest fodder for truly disturbing stories.

What people are willing to do to one another is pretty awe-inspiring, he says. Human beings will justify almost any actions. Theyll bring it in line as moral or at least forgivable behavior.

Straubs latest collection, Interior Darkness: Selected Stories (Doubleday, $28.95) reflects that astute outlook.

More Information Interior Darkness: Selected Stories By Peter Straub Doubleday, $28.95 See More Collapse

Typical Straub: In the black, grisly comedy Mr. Clubb and Mr. Cuff, a revenge fantasy goes horribly awry when a jealous husband hires two torturers to punish his unfaithful wife. We could tell you stories to curl your hair, Mr. Clubb tells the unfortunate husband  and then proceeds to do so.

The success of Straub indicates we continue to have a taste for such dark material. Why?

It has to do with the messiness of common humanity, he says. Despite our best efforts, we are all deeply flawed. The only way to have a moral life is to acknowledge those flaws and not forget about them or deny them.

Q: How did you go about choosing works for a single anthology?

A: It took a long time. I made many lists. Each list was the final one until I thought about it again. Part of the problem is that half of the shorter fiction Ive written isnt at all short.

Q: What was your criteria for including certain stories? Were you looking for certain themes?

A: I wanted a kind of balance. Really one of the best things Ive ever done is a story called Bunny Is Good Bread  which has some very graphic abuse of a small boy. When I used to read it in public my daughter would make this little Oh no, hes reading that again! face. Its not gratuitously nasty, but it is deeply nasty. I did have one story about child abuse I was eager to place in the book (The Juniper Tree), and I thought probably one of those was enough for a single volume of stories. There are two stories about torture, though.

Q: Youve seen the publishing industry change dramatically over the years. How do these changes affect you?

A: Im in my early 70s  I do pretty much what I want to do. I have a comfortable life. What I do now daily at my desk is not going to pay for the tuition of my children in private school  theyre adults, theyre out on their own. Im pretty sure Im not going to be homeless  though the second I say that, I start to wonder. But theres a worry level Ive graduated from. Im very fortunate. If I were younger Id have to deal with the one dreadful fact that has taken place in American publishing, which is that advances have gone way down. Many a writers income just vanished. Its harder to make a living. People could support themselves by writing a book a year, which is not easy  its hard work to write a book a year. I have a good friend in northern California, my age, who just discovered she has to write four books a year to support herself, and she was not living like a princess. Its gotten stonier and colder and harder.

Q: And yet your daughter Emma Straub (author of Other People We Married, The Vacationers and the upcoming Modern Lovers) went into the family business despite all this!

A: Emma is a very remarkable human being. Its a terrible cliche, but she does have her head screwed on right. Shes absolutely determined in her core to do her job as well as she can do it. Making up a kind of life that seems as real as the one you actually have, thats an odd activity, but Emma, it turns out, is good at it. When she was right out of college she wrote a long Wuthering Heights-type novel set in high school. She gave me this manuscript about 800 pages long, and I took it with some trepidation. As soon as I started to read it, though, I could relax, because though it might have been kind of a mess, Emma could really write. She had this built-in ability to write very agreeable, well balanced, thoughtful, funny sentences. When you read her prose, you trusted her. This is a real gift.

Q: So is there any truth to the rumors that a third Talisman book is forthcoming?

A: I certainly hope so. Its totally dependent on the patience of my saintly collaborator, Steve King. We were supposed to start it three or four years ago, but I had medical problems that stopped me in my tracks. Then I had problems with a book I was doing. So were no closer to being able to start it. But part of the reason hes so patient is we have a great idea for the book. I wont tell you what it is, but there was a famous story that happened in the world when we were young. He kept a scrapbook about it and so did I, him in Maine and me in Milwaukee. It has a lot of juice in it, and he and I both feel that way about it, so we are eager to do this book. I think hell cut me a break and let me go a year or two, and then well start working on it.
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Dressed in elegant trajes accessorized with satiny sashes and ties, hundreds of young mariachis converged at Southwest High School for the first University Interscholastic League State Mariachi Festival.

While the majority of the 57 participating ensembles are based in South Texas, groups came from as far as Lubbock, Houston and Dallas. The two-day competition is running through Saturday.

Violinist Veronica Flores, 18, made the 270-mile trip from Dallas to take the stage with Molina High Schools Mariachi Jaguar. Though they had performed hours before, she and her bandmates sat in the audience studying the other groups and cheering them on.

Since its a state competition, its a new experience, Flores said. I think its just fun and nice to know that we were able to get this far.

Mariachi has been part of UIL regional competition since 2007. The move to a statewide contest is a testament to the surge in popularity of mariachi programs in Texas schools.

Were thrilled that this first year weve seen such high levels of participation and look forward to seeing continued growth, said Bradley Kent, state director of music for UIL.

Statwide competition also brings validation to a musical form that has historically been underappreciated, some said.

It goes back to folk music and jazz and spirituals at first not being recognized as quality music, said Robert Albright, director of fine arts at Southwest Independent School District. Now were recognizing mariachi music as quality music. And if Texas does it, the country will do it.

The first ensemble Saturday took the stage at 8:30 a.m.. Each group presented a 15-minute program for an appreciative audience filled with family members and educators. They were judged on intonation, instrumental technique, interpretation and showmanship.

Outside the auditorium, musicians clustered to chat and scroll through their cell phones, shiny instruments tucked under their arms. A violinist with Southwest High Schools Mariachi Los Dragones, Loren Torres was among those waiting to go on stage.

The nerves are building up as I get there, Torres, 17, said with a smile.

Daniel Cantu, director of Southwests mariachi program, said his students appreciate the significance of the competition.

Its a big deal to them because they realize (mariachi) is being elevated in the UIL level, he said. They understand for someone like me, growing up playing mariachi, its not an opportunity we had.

Anthony Medrano, a member of the professional ensemble Mariachi las Campanas de America and director of MARIACHI USA, a national festival held at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles, was there on Saturday to take in the up-and-coming talent.

I like to see whats here and let them know maybe one day theyll be on the same stage where the Beatles performed  the LA Philharmonic, Mariachi Vargas  and encourage them, he said.

Shary Mejia, 18, who plays violin and guitarron with Edison High Schools Mariachi Oro de Edison said she is pleased to see more high schools offering such programs.

I know students from my school, that Spanish is not their first language, but they learn the songs, she said. I think it should be recommended to have mariachi programs because thats part of our culture and theres a high percentage of Hispanics in the United States.
Children who are 3 and 4 years old cannot represent themselves in immigration court. These children are of an age in which language, brain development and social skills are still being actively formed.

That the above defense of migrant children has to be made is because Jack H. Weil, a longtime immigration judge, essentially made the claim in a deposition in federal court in Seattle. The American Civil Liberties Union and a coalition of immigrant rights organizations are suing the federal government to provide legal counsel to migrant children, a need heightened by the recent influx of children, accompanied and unaccompanied, fleeing murder, violence and privation in their Central American countries  principally Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala.

Weil later said the comments were taken out of context and were part of hours-long sworn testimony in the deposition. But it seems clear that in the deposition, he said he has taught children that age immigration laws and, while not ideal, they can be made to understand.

Federal law does not provide for government-provided legal counsel in immigration proceedings  for adults or children. But it does require full and fair hearings. Not providing legal counsel in these proceedings for children stretches the definition of fair beyond recognition.

The federal government has bent a bit, finding that many Central American migrants  adults and children  could demonstrate credible fears for their well-being should they be returned to their countries. Immigrant advocates say most who are successful in staying are those with legal representation, generally pro bono from advocacy groups. These groups, however, are stretched to sustain this level of representation and not every Central American migrant gets it.

Providing this kind of help to at least the children would make these proceedings fuller and fairer.

Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid and others have introduced a bill that would require legal representation for these children and for victims of abuse, torture or other violence. Under the bill, the Department of Homeland Security would also have to ensure that detainees know their rights and responsibilities under the law.

Unfortunately, it is unlikely to become law in the last year of the Obama presidency.

The federal government should stop fighting this suit and reach a settlement to give them legal representation.
This past week there has been a lot of discussion regarding a new carbon tax on Canadians. Prime Minister Trudeau tried to convince the premiers to sign on to a proposal for a minimum national carbon tax. While this would be one way for the government to generate revenue, it would also mean that taxpayers would be on the hook for more of their hard-earned money.

We have all felt the impact of the struggling economy in some shape or form. For example, you may have been shocked to see the ever-increasing prices on your recent grocery bill. Higher prices lead to a greater strain on our household budgets. For small businesses, it is tougher to hire and keep employees. A carbon tax would certainly not help to improve these conditions. Worse yet, a carbon tax would have a disproportionate impact on rural Canadians, which describes many residents of Provencher, who already face higher costs of living.

Another new tax is not the answer, especially a tax that will force Canadians to pay more for everyday things like groceries and heating our homes. As the Member of Parliament for Provencher, I will be steadfast in my commitment to defend your hard-earned tax dollars.
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By Gaius Publius, a professional writer living on the West Coast of the United States and frequent contributor to DownWithTyranny, digby, Truthout, and Naked Capitalism. Follow him on Twitter @Gaius_Publius, Tumblr and Facebook. Originally published at at Down With Tyranny. GP article archive here.

Donald Trump talking about trade during his March 8 victory speech

Shorter Thomas Frank: Its easier for liberals to blame Trump voters for racism than to blame themselves for the job-loss and pain of the working class.

I want to share a piece about Donald Trump, racism and working class voters. Its long enough (and good enough) to ask you to read the whole thing. Its by Thomas Frank, the Whats the Matter with Kansas writer, looking at the Trump phenomenon and asking why.

Before you read, though, take a moment to watch less than two minutes of Donald Trump above, from his victory speech after winning in Michigan and Mississippi. Ive cued it up to start at the remarks I want to highlight, Trump discussing our trade deficit.

Now Thomas Frank, writing in The Guardian. He starts by noting the utter invisibility of real working Americans to our elite class, including our media elites, and especially our liberal media elites (my emphasis throughout):

Millions of ordinary Americans support Donald Trump. Heres why When he isnt spewing insults, the Republican frontrunner is hammering home a powerful message about free trade and its victims Let us now address the greatest American mystery at the moment: what motivates the supporters of Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump? I call it a mystery because the working-class white people who make up the bulk of Trumps fan base show up in amazing numbers for the candidate, filling stadiums and airport hangars, but their views, by and large, do not appear in our prestige newspapers. On their opinion pages, these publications take care to represent demographic categories of nearly every kind, but blue-collar is one they persistently overlook. The views of working-class people are so foreign to that universe that when New York Times columnist Nick Kristof wanted to engage a Trump supporter last week, he made one up, along with this imaginary persons responses to his questions. When members of the professional class wish to understand the working-class Other, they traditionally consult experts on the subject. And when these authorities are asked to explain the Trump movement, they always seem to zero in on one main accusation: bigotry. Only racism, they tell us, is capable of powering a movement like Trumps, which is blowing through the inherited structure of the Republican party like a tornado through a cluster of McMansions.

The conclusion of these writers is this:

The Trump movement is a one-note phenomenon, a vast surge of race-hate. Its partisans are not only incomprehensible, they are not really worth comprehending.

And yet

A lot of people are racists, including those not supporting Trump. But people have other concerns as well, especially working people. They are dying faster than they used to, from drugs and despair, and they fear for their jobs and their families, for very good reasons. This economy is failing them.

They also hate  and understand  free trade.

Trump Also Talks Trade

Donald Trump talks about more than just race and immigration. He talks about trade and the trade deficit, an issue that powered Bernie Sanders to his Michigan victory as well. From the New York Times:

Trade and Jobs Key to Victory for Bernie Sanders Democratic presidential candidate had campaigned in Traverse City, Mich., in decades until Senator Bernie Sanders pulled up to the concert hall near the Sears store on Friday. Some 2,000 people mobbed him when he arrived, roaring in approval as he called the countrys trade policies, and Hillary Clintons support for them, disastrous. 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, Mr. Sanders said in Traverse City, about 250 miles north of Detroit. Mr. Sanders pulled off a startling upset in Michigan on Tuesday by traveling to communities far from Detroit and by hammering Mrs. Clinton on an issue that resonated in this still-struggling state: her past support for trade deals that workers here believe robbed them of manufacturing jobs. Almost three-fifths of voters said that trade with other countries was more likely to take away jobs, according to exit polls by Edison Research, and those voters favored Mr. Sanders by a margin of more than 10 points.

There is no question  Americas billionaire-friendly, job-destroying trade policy is toxic  again, literally. Thats why Obama and his bipartisan free trade enablers in Congress have to pass TPP, if they can, in post-election lame duck session. TPP is also toxic to political careers, and only lame ducks and the recently-elected can vote for it.

Frank again on Trump:

Last week, I decided to watch several hours of Trump speeches for myself. I saw the man ramble and boast and threaten and even seem to gloat when protesters were ejected from the arenas in which he spoke. I was disgusted by these things, as I have been disgusted by Trump for 20 years. But I also noticed something surprising. In each of the speeches I watched, Trump spent a good part of his time talking about an entirely legitimate issue, one that could even be called left-wing. Yes, Donald Trump talked about trade. In fact, to judge by how much time he spent talking about it, trade may be his single biggest concern  not white supremacy. Not even his plan to build a wall along the Mexican border, the issue that first won him political fame. He did it again during the debate on 3 March: asked about his political excommunication by Mitt Romney, he chose to pivot and talk about  trade. It seems to obsess him: the destructive free-trade deals our leaders have made, the many companies that have moved their production facilities to other lands, the phone calls he will make to those companies CEOs in order to threaten them with steep tariffs unless they move back to the US.

On the subject more generally, Frank adds:

Trade is an issue that polarizes Americans by socio-economic status. To the professional class, which encompasses the vast majority of our media figures, economists, Washington officials and Democratic power brokers, what they call free trade is something so obviously good and noble it doesnt require explanation or inquiry or even thought. Republican and Democratic leaders alike agree on this, and no amount of facts can move them from their Econ 101 dream. To the remaining 80 or 90% of America, trade means something very different. Theres a video going around on the internet these days that shows a room full of workers at a Carrier air conditioning plant in Indiana being told by an officer of the company that the factory is being moved to Monterrey, Mexico and that theyre all going to lose their jobs. As I watched it, I thought of all the arguments over trade that weve had in this country since the early 1990s, all the sweet words from our economists about the scientifically proven benevolence of free trade, all the ways in which our newspapers mock people who say that treaties like the North Atlantic Free Trade Agreement allow companies to move jobs to Mexico. Well, here is a video of a company moving its jobs to Mexico, courtesy of Nafta. This is what it looks like. The Carrier executive talks in that familiar and highly professional HR language about the need to stay competitive and the extremely price-sensitive marketplace. A worker shouts Fuck you! at the executive. The executive asks people to please be quiet so he can share his information. His information about all of them losing their jobs.

Frank goes to greater length, and again, please click through. But you get the idea. This is what Trump is speaking to, whether he means what he says or not, and this is what his voters are responding to, whether they like his racism or not. After all, havent you, at least once, voted for someone with qualities you dislike because of policies you do like?

Whose Fault Is This? Both Parties, But Especially the Democratic Elites

One final point. Frank takes on the issue of responsibility:

Trumps words articulate the populist backlash against liberalism that has been building slowly for decades  Yet still we cannot bring ourselves to look the thing in the eyes. We cannot admit that we liberals bear some [or most] of the blame for its emergence, for the frustration of the working-class millions, for their blighted cities and their downward spiraling lives. So much easier to scold them for their twisted racist souls, to close our eyes to the obvious reality of which Trumpism is just a crude and ugly expression: that neoliberalism has well and truly failed.

I am certain, if this comes up in a general election debate between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump, she could very likely get her clock cleaned; not certainly, but certainly very likely. First, she can only equivocate, and Trump will have none of it. (Trump: Let me understand. You were for this before you were against it? So  will you be for it again next year? Im just trying to understand.)

Second, this is a change election, Trump is one of only two change candidates in the race, and Clinton is not the other one.

Heres that Carrier Air Conditioning were moving to Mexico video that Frank mentioned above. Take a look, but prepare to feel some pain as you watch:

Are all of these people racists, the man walking past the camera at the 30-second mark, for example? Of course not. What these people do have in common is hopelessness, powerlessness, and creeping despair. If you were any of those people, would your response be different than theirs? And if you were any of these people, is your candidate Hillary Clinton?

My view: In a TrumpSanders contest, Sanders gets at least half of these voters. In a TrumpClinton contest, Trump gets them all.

Something for the free-trading leaders of the Democratic Party to consider as they move toward the convention and the 2016 fate that awaits them.
From a book Ive started reading, American Amnesia: How the War on Government Led Us to Forget What Made Us Prosper, by Jacob Hacker and Paul Pierson, has an important tidbit on our deteriorating educational outcomes:

The United States is now a mediocre performer in international education rankings. And we would look a lot worse if we had not done so well in the past. The share of Americans that have completed high school, for instance, remains impressive. Yet this high average reflects our big early lead. Among young adults, high school education rates are subpar (although they have risen in the past decade). The United States now ranks twentieth out of twenty-seven OECD nations in the share of young people expected to finish high school. This isnt just a case of other countries racing ahead; its also a story of American stagnation. Graduation rates in the US have barely budged since the early 1970s.At the same time, more and more kids who are counted as having finished high school actually receive a General Educational Development (GED) certificate. Yet GEDs confer little of the economic and social benefits of graduating from high school. The big story, however, is our relative decline in higher education.Older Americans are among the most educated in the world. Younger Americans, not even close. Americas youth fare particularly poorly when it comes to reading and technological skillsIn all countries, the young are better at math and working with technology. Older Americans are close to international average for older adults. Younger Americans, while scoring slightly higher, are years behind their international peers.The same is true of the other skills measured by the OECD: The US falls further and further behind as you move down the age ladder.

Inequality is part of this story:

As one OECD researcher put it: The vast majority of OECD countries either invest equally in every student or disproportionately more in disadvantaged students. The US is one of the few countries doing the opposite.

However, when I went to college (late 1970s) at Harvard, it was widely believed that kids who had attended public schools in Europ were much better educated than their peers in American public schools (in other words, that part of the purpose of college was to bring American students up to the level of education of European secondary schools).

And if Austin-based reader GlobalMisanthropes experience is representative, its much worse out there in the field that Hacker and Pierson realize. As he wrote yesterday:

I grew up in Houston in the 60s and 70s. It was not what anyone would call an intellectual hub. Nevertheless, in 4th grade we learned about the Boston Tea Party and Paul Reveres ride and in 5th grade we were required to read a book every two weeks and write and present a book report. In junior high (middle school) band we were taught music theory. In junior high English we were introduced to poetry and prose as concepts and had to write both. We learned how a bill becomes a law. (Schoolhouse Rock!, baby.) We ran mock political campaigns for the 72 Presidential election. In high school my World History teacher dressed in ethnic and period costumes (!) that corresponded to what we were learning and held a mock UN summit. My Government teacher had us compare and contrast capitalism, socialism and communism; and she explained the Texas caucus system to us, saying that if we werent going to show up at our precinct conventions, then we might as well not vote in the primaries. True that my high school American History teacher portrayed unions as being a good idea when they started but unnecessary and corrupt in the end and the ERA (it was 1976) as ridiculous, but he nevertheless covered both subjects in detail. By contrast, my son, who is graduating from a competitive public high school in Maymeaning he had to apply, have the grades, write an essay and audition to get incant tell me how a bill becomes a law. I just asked him. He knows some of it, but only has a vague idea about the process over all and really no idea about the relationships between the different branches of government. Hes a music major and they have only one semester of theory. His middle school Intro to Algebra teacher knew so little English and spoke with such a thick Thai accent that I could barely understand her. How were all those kids supposed to learn anything? I complained to the Principal and was told that the teacher had a Masters in math and that it wasnt a lecture class. He can name the presidents back to FDR, but he asked the other day whats considered the Middle East. The other night he was working on his Astronomy homework when I got home. It was connecting stars to form constellations and coloring them. Hes a Senior. I voiced my shock at the elementary-school level of the work. He said, I know. Theyre not even preparing us for college. Everybody I know is going to have to take prep classes at community college before they can even start college level work. High school is just a waste of time. As Lambert would say, ka-ching.

Reader Richard Kline discussed historical examples of educational decline in 2012:

A better comparable might be The Dumbing of Hispania. In c. 1250, the Iberian Peninsula had a culturally diverse (if frequently warring) mosaic of ethnically distinct states, some of them with the best educational and literary cultures in Western Europe. By 1650, Hispania was an intellectually backward, econonmically pallid backwater, living off imperial rents and colonial slavery. That happened when rascist, ultra-conservative, aristocratically choked Castile conquered the rest, expelled or converted those different (when not massacring them outright), eliminated any but the most rigidly orthodox education, neutered (and rapidly snuffed) such quasi-democratic institutions as had sprung up, and founded a military conquest state off whose extractions overseas the domestic state lived wildly beyond its means in a zombie-like fashion with utter disregard of the domestic economy. The same trajectory could be argued for several of the all-China imperial aggregations there, or the Persian Empire for instance. That is what decline really looks like in the historical record, folks: ultra-conservative, think-not empires run for the benefit of a tiny, parasitic elite. Historically, the process hasnt been quick, taking numbers of generations. Whether those trajectories are accelerated int he modern age (since 1600 in most of the world) is debatable, if quite possible. It is a joke of the universe or some gods in it that conservatives of the rejectionist sort are literally their own worst enemies in the long runbut they dont care about the long run, only about staying rich and in power till they, personally, die in any given generation.

So a query to readers with children in or who have very recently graduated from public school: Hacker and Pierson suggest that American education has stagnated. GlobalMisanthropes personal data points say it has gotten a lot worse. What do you see?
Submitted The coastal contemporary-style home being constructed by BCB Homes in Aqualane Shores, has more than 6,000 total square feet.

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Submitted By B-Squared Advertising

BCB Homes is constructing a new luxury custom home in Aqualane Shores, just a few blocks south of the historic Third Street South business district.

The coastal contemporary-style, lakefront home is located at the corner of Gordon Drive and 16th Avenue South in Naples and was designed by award-winning architect John Cooney of Stofft Cooney Architects.

The two-story residence was positioned on the corner homesite to take full advantage of the lake, which is surrounded by tall palms and colorful native plants.

The lake, which was created in the early 1950s, is partially responsible for the home's name - Twin Waters.

"The name was inspired by the view of the backyard lake and the fact it's just one block from the beaches of the Gulf of Mexico," said Marita Gastaldello, founder of Global Market Connection Group and broker associate with Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Florida Realty.

The two-story, five-bedroom plus office/five-and-a-half-bath home has 4,867 square feet under air and 6,029 total square feet including a three-car garage.

As you enter the home, with furnishings and interiors by AR Arquitetura & Design, an award-winning international interior and architectural design firm, you step into the foyer and see the double-crowned ceiling replete with an imported chandelier. Beyond it lies the spacious great room featuring walls of sliding glass that lead out to the pool and lakeside, expanding the living area for entertaining and relaxing.

The gourmet kitchen has a large granite island counter and a stone backsplash throughout, Sub-Zero and Wolf appliances, plus an oversized walk-in pantry.

The adjacent dining room, large enough for a 10-seat table, features a wine room and walls of sliding glass that open directly onto the outdoor living area.

On the opposite side of the great room is the home's office or study. It measures over 200 square feet in size, has two entrances, and offers a view of the pool and lake.

To the right of the foyer lies the powder room and a vestibule which leads to the master retreat. The expansive bedroom has direct access to the pool, plus his and her walk-in closets.

For the ultimate in elegance and privacy, the master bath includes a private water closet, his and hers vanities, his and hers showers and a freestanding soaking tub positioned in the middle of the bathroom.

A staircase near the foyer and an elevator off the dining room can be used to reach the second floor.

At the top of the staircase is a large loft with walls of sliding glass that lead to a sun balcony. Also located on the second level are three guest suites, each with its own bath and walk-in closet. A convenient launderette is also located on the second floor.

The expansive outdoor living area features a heated pool and spa, a custom lakeside dock and a Florida room with under-roof seating area and an outdoor kitchen with grill, sink and refrigerator.

According to Scott Weidle of BCB Homes, the Old Naples residence was a unique prospect in that it sits on a corner lot and the existing lake encroached onto the property.

"The City of Naples permitted us to rebuild and reshape the lake's edge," stated Weidle. "This gave us the opportunity to custom design the pool, decks and outdoor living area around the water's edge. The end result was an outdoor experience that intertwines with nature."

According to Weidle, the reshaping of the lake took more than a year, but the end result was well worth the effort.

"Besides its excellent location and large corner lot with circular drive, one of the other great selling points of the home is the lake view," he said. "The entire home has a southern exposure which is extremely popular with buyers."
Submitted The Sanibel model.

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Submitted By Whalen Public Relations

Stock Development is hosting this year's Designer Showcase Luxury Home Tour at Hidden Harbor, the 2015 Community of the Year.

Sponsored by The Southwest Florida Symphony Society, the event will offer visitors the opportunity to tour four exquisitely furnished coastal estate homes where local artisans will display their work in jewelry, acrylic, watercolor and glass.

"This is a wonderful opportunity to get an exclusive look at Hidden Harbor's incomparable waterfront lifestyle while supporting the Southwest Florida Symphony," said Claudine Leger-Wetzel, vice president of sales and marketing for Stock Development. "This is a wonderful cause. Proceeds received in connection with the Designer Showcase and the related events will go directly to the SWFL Symphony."

The event will be held Sunday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. The cost to tour these homes is $20, payable at the door.

With its beautifully designed homes and a clubhouse overlooking the gulf-access harbor, Hidden Harbor is a new boating community by Stock Development.

The company recently began construction on the community's 4,484-square-foot clubhouse. The interior will include a fitness center with new state-of-the art equipment, a comfortably furnished lounge area and a club room will be available for social events.

Outside will be a resort style pool with a fire pit, a barbecue area and a beautifully furnished sun deck. There will also be a kayak launch and open green space. It will feature waterfront views from two sides.

Residential construction is also advancing rapidly at Hidden Harbor. Four furnished models are open  the Biscayne, Sanibel, Amelia and the Useppa, which earned a Sand Dollar Award from the Collier Building Industry Association for Product Design. Two inventory homes are complete and a third is under construction. Four more inventory homes are in permitting and will be under construction soon. A fifth furnished model, the Anastasia, also recently began construction.

A total of nine floor plans are offered at Hidden Harbor. These three and four bedroom homes feature from 2,384 to more than 3,000 square feet of living area. They are priced from the $500s and Stock Development is offering homebuyers at Hidden Harbor options and upgrades valued at up to $50,000 with each new home purchase.

Hidden Harbor provides access to the Gulf of Mexico by way of the Ten Mile Canal and Estero Bay. Residents may boat, kayak and canoe directly from their personal boat dock.

The on-site sales center is at 17270 Hidden Estates Circle. Online at www.stockdevelopment.com.
Submitted The lobby of the Mystique.

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Submitted By Gravina, Smith, Matte & Arnold Marketing And Pr

Gulf Bay Group of Companies announced that reservations for the 72 estates and penthouses at Mystique, the new high-rise in the Pelican Bay community, are one-third complete.

Under the direction of Aubrey J. Ferrao, who founded Gulf Bay Group of Companies in 1986, Gulf Bay has completed 14 luxury properties along a 1.5-mile stretch of gulf-front land within Pelican Bay.

"The response to Mystique has been overwhelming, and surpassing this milestone demonstrates the demand for this iconic tower just steps from the beach in Pelican Bay," said Ferrao.

The 21-story Mystique will feature 68 estate and four penthouse residences on one of only two remaining developable land parcels in Naples between The Ritz-Carlton on the beach and Port Royal. Mystique's expansive estates range from over 4,000 to over 5,280 square feet under air and are priced from over $3 million to over $7 million.

Reservations for Mystique are ongoing, with Naples-based Premier Sotheby's International Realty serving as the exclusive listing agent. The sales center, which opened in December 2015, reflects the modern architectural style of the high-rise and showcases several features of Mystique's sophisticated and refined design, including luxury kitchen and bath vignettes.

The developer for Mystique is Pelican 1 Owner LLC, an equal partnership between an affiliate of the global investment firm Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. and an affiliate of the Gulf Bay Group of Companies.

The sales center is at 6885 Pelican Bay Blvd. Online at www.MystiquePelicanBay.com
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Real estate show

Jim York, a local Realtor, hosts a real estate update show each week on current issues or trends. Join York every Thursday afternoon from 1:30 to 3 p.m. through the end of the year. There will be a different guest who specializes in a currently relevant topic each week. Any questions about upcoming topics or to be an audience guest, contact U.S.A. Marketing LLC by email: usamrktggroup@cs.com. All shows can also been seen at NaplesYorkRealEstate.com or their Real Estate News Blog: YorkRealEstateGroupSWFL.com.

Final beam set

Suffolk Construction reached a milestone at the Moorings Park at Grey Oaks Phase IV project with the setting of the final steel beam.

Suffolk leveraged lean principles including pull planning to schedule the most complex components of the project. By bringing together the design team and trade partners, Suffolk was able to create a detailed sequence for the structural steel to be fabricated and brought on site in time to meet the aggressive schedule.

Free public seminar

A public talk will be held for any person thinking of buying a home. Real Estate expert Jim York will divulge how you can save thousands by timing your purchase correctly, along with common mistakes to avoid and many other useful tips for homebuyers and sellers. A Real Estate market update will also be discussed, which will elaborate on the most current market statistics and trends. This seminar will be held at 10:30 a.m. March 16 at Talis Park Clubhouse, 16475 Talis Park Drive, Naples. To register, call 239-821-0150 or email jdy@yorknaples.com

Transactions

Investment Properties Corp. reported the following transactions:

Designer Shower of Naples Inc. leased 5,000 square feet of showroom/warehouse space from Larry A. & Betty J. Fieldhouse at 29 Commercial Blvd. William V. Gonnering and Christine McManus negotiated this transaction.

Khalil Ventures of Naples LLC leased 1,200 square feet of retail space from GLL Selection II Florida LP at 6420 Naples Blvd., Suite 306. Patrick Fraley negotiated this transaction.

2390 Chamber Building LLC purchased 2,539 usable square feet of office space from Greater Naples Chamber of Commerce Inc. at 2390 U.S. 41 N., Suite 100. Clint L. Sherwood negotiated this transaction.

The Education Foundation of Collier County Inc. purchased approx. 23,568 square feet of office condominium space at 3606 Enterprise Ave., Unit A, from Suncoast Property LLC for $1,405,000. Craig D. Timmins and Rob Carroll negotiated this transaction for the buyer. Dean Prevolos of Commercial Management of Naples negotiated this transaction for the seller.

MQ Florida Acquisitions has acquired 30.72 acres at 16951 Pine Ridge Road in Fort Myers for $4 million. John Mounce represented the buyer.
Joanna Fitzgerald/Special to the Daily News A great blue heron injured from entanglement in fishing line and hooks gains strength while recovering in a large enclosure inside the bird room at the von Arx Wildlife Hospital.

SHARE Jacque Hatch/Special to the Daily News Conservancy vet Dr. PJ Deitschel removes a fish hook embedded in a great blue heron's neck. The heron also had line entangled in its wings and around its legs.

By Joanna Fitzgerald

A great blue heron and a raccoon were among the 48 animals admitted to the von Arx Wildlife Hospital at the Conservancy of Southwest Florida this past week. Other admissions include three Eastern screech owls, a chuck-will's-widow, a Florida snapping turtle and five gray squirrels.

The great blue heron was found wrapped in fishing line on south Fort Myers Beach. The heron had a large wound on its neck from the hook. The heron also had injuries where the fishing line was wrapped tight and cut into the skin and muscles on its legs and wings.

The great blue heron was given an antibiotic, pain medications and an anti-inflammatory. The wounds required treatment once a day, and a low-energy laser was used on the constriction injuries where circulation had been compromised. The heron was able to eat on its own, so staff was able to minimize handling. The heron is recovering in a large enclosure inside the bird room at the von Arx Wildlife Hospital.

The great blue heron is not alone in its struggle with injuries caused by fishing line and hooks. Four brown pelicans and a tri-colored heron were also admitted this past week with severe wounds resulting from hooks and line.

If you participate in angling activities, always place unwanted fishing tackle in appropriate trash receptacles. If you miscast and your line gets tangled in surrounding rocks, trees and vegetation, be responsible and retrieve the monofilament debris. Hooks and line can be deadly to unsuspecting wildlife if left in the environment.

Also take precautions to avoid injuring birds that may be nearby foraging. Check to ensure no birds are flying by when you cast your line; never leave baited hooks and line unattended. If you accidentally hook a bird, stay calm and don't cut the line. Slowly reel the bird in and cover its head and body with a towel to help keep it calm and make it easier to handle. Carefully push the hook through to expose the barb. Cut the barb off and gently back the now-barbless hook out. If the hook is deeply embedded in the bird, please call the wildlife hospital for assistance.

The raccoon is one of many admitted over the last several months suffering from neurological issues often seen in animals with distemper. This raccoon was found in Bonita, although sick raccoons have been found throughout Collier County, too. The raccoon and was in severe distress  it was seizuring and unable to walk. The person who found the raccoon was at work; she contained the raccoon in a box but since she was at work she could not transport the animal to our facility. A Conservancy volunteer critter courier who lives in North Naples was able to bring the raccoon to us for care.

Unfortunately the raccoon was in such critical condition humane euthanasia was the only viable treatment option. Without running diagnostic tests, it is difficult to determine whether an animal is suffering from canine distemper or rabies. Both are highly contagious viral diseases that can affect dogs as well as foxes, coyotes, raccoons, otters and skunks.

If you encounter an animal that appears sick, please call the hospital before taking action. Staff can provide information to keep you safe while attempting to offer help to an animal in need.

Recent Releases

A Cooper's hawk, a gray catbird, a peninsula cooter, a pied-billed grebe, four brown pelicans, a double-crested cormorant, two marsh rabbits and a black scoter were all released this past week.

Under Construction

Our outdoor wildlife viewing area is temporarily closed to the public while our new outdoor animal recovery enclosures and guest education areas are constructed. Visitors to the Conservancy can continue to experience the nursery viewing window and wildlife rehabilitation exhibits throughout the Nature Center. Thank you for your understanding and patience while we improve our patients' recovery areas.

Opportunities to Help

Please visit the Conservancy website at www.conservancy.org to view all of the amazing volunteer opportunities at the Conservancy of Southwest Florida. Your volunteer time, memberships and donations are vital in helping us continue our work to protect Southwest Florida's water, land, wildlife and future.

Joanna Fitzgerald is director of the von Arx Wildlife Hospital at the Conservancy of Southwest Florida. Call 239-262-2273 or see conservancy.org.
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By Melhor Leonor of the Naples Daily News

In laying out the goals of the Collier County School District through 2019, Superintendent Kamela Patton has begun to roll out a draft of the public school system's strategic plan.

Four community meetings later this month will give the community a chance to weigh in on the plan that will guide the district's work for the next three years.

Patton presented a draft strategic plan to district administrators this week. The district also plans to gather input from other stakeholders in the coming weeks. The school board will eventually weigh in on the plan.

In a presentation last week to a group studying the educational landscape of the county, Patton gave a rough outline of how the district plans to move forward.

Though still a draft, the district divided its goals into seven target areas: early childhood education; college and career readiness; a curriculum centered around science, technology, engineering, arts and math; the district's workforce; academic students achievement; fiscal responsibility; and community engagement.

Notably, the outline now includes communication and the engagement of the community as a key goal; the strategic plan now in place does not.

The draft plan also modifies the district's STEM push for one that adds in the arts  changing the moniker to STEAM.

Workshops geared towards the community at large will be held inside four Collier County high schools toward the end of March. They'll be preceded by workshops for district employees only. The Strategic Plan Community Forums will be held at:

Immokalee High School, 701 Immokalee Dr., on Wednesday, March 23. A session for district employees will start at 4:30 p.m.; the community forum will start at 6 p.m.

Lely High School, 1 Lely High School Blvd., on Monday, March 28. A session for district employees will start at 4:30 p.m.; the community forum will start at 6 p.m.

Gulf Coast High School, 7878 Shark Way, on Wednesday, March 30. A session for district employees will start at 4:30 p.m.; the community forum will start at 6 p.m.

Barron Collier High School, 5600 Cougar Dr., on Thursday, March 31. A session for district employees will start at 4:30 p.m.; the community forum will start at 6 p.m.
Fluoride will stay in Collier County drinking water.

The Collier County Commissioners voted 4 to 1 to continue the practice of adding fluoride to the public portable water supply distributed by the Public Utilities Division's Water Department.

Commissioner Georgia Hiller was the lone dissenter.

'There is no proof to the benefits that are touted,' she said. 'I am concerned about litigation. I am concerned about the liability the government is assuming by medicating people. The majority of people in this community oppose fluoridated water. It should be an individual choice.

'Water is essential. Fluoride is not.'

The vote came after about 90 minutes of impassioned testimony from medical professionals and concerned citizens.

Medical professionals said fluoridating the water was sometimes the only way impoverished people received the mineral. They said without it, the public would be more susceptible to tooth decay.

Dr. Todd Vedder said he worried that, should the county remove fluoride from the water system, he would see more patients in his office with compromised immune systems because of tooth decay.

But Naples resident Amanda Woodward said she doesn't want fluoride in her water. She said she cannot afford a $4,000 reverse osmosis system for her tap, but said there are cheaper ways, including buying fluoride toothpaste, to get fluoride for those who want it.

'It is unethical to put it in the water,' she said. 'You do not have my consent. It is poison.'

Commissioner Tom Henning voted for the measure, but said he would like to see more evidence about fluoride in the water before he would let the matter rest.

'If I find evidence that this is not (beneficial), I get to bring it back,' he said. 'I want to see some evidence either way that is peer reviewed and scientifically-based.'
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By Daily News Staff

Collier County sheriff's deputies continue searching for a Golden Gate man who disappeared more than a week ago, and whose pickup was recently discovered parked at an East Naples motel.

Salvador Sanchez Azcona, 30, was last seen at the 8 Ball Lounge in Golden Gate late at night on Sunday, March 6.

Friends reported him missing when he did not show up to work the next day. His blue 2001 Ford pickup truck was found at a Super 8 motel in the Tollgate Commercial Center off Collier Boulevard, a Sheriff's Office spokeswoman said Sunday.

Deputies and Azcona's friends and family searched for him Sunday in the wooded area near the motel.

Anyone with information about Azcona's disappearance is asked to contact the criminal investigation division of the sheriff's office at 239-252-0098.
By Joseph Cranney of the Naples Daily News

With presidential primaries for both major parties and several competitive municipal races on the ballot, local election offices expect high turnout for Election Day on Tuesday.

In Naples, voters will elect three new members to the City Council and choose among three candidates for mayor. Turnout will likely be high, said Melissa Blazier, chief deputy to the Collier County Supervisor of Elections.

But Blazier said the turnout in Naples, with about 14,500 registered voters, is unlikely to greatly impact the overall turnout rate from Collier County's more than 162,000 voters. In presidential primaries in 2008 and 2012, Collier County's turnout rate was about 43 percent.

Blazier said her office expects this year's race to turn out 35 percent to 40 percent of voters, but said it is hard to anticipate interest in presidential primaries. She noted the range of ballot selections that also includes a straw-ballot question on fire and emergency response consolidation in Collier County.

"With this one, pretty much everyone in Collier County has something to vote on," Blazier said.

Lee County is projecting a large voter turnout, too, said Vicki Collins, spokeswoman for the Lee County Supervisor of Elections.

"I think it's going to be fairly high," Collins said. "Because we have both parties voting this time."

The last time that happened was in 2008, when Lee and Bonita Springs both saw high turnouts at 57 and 62 percent, respectively.

Rules require the elections offices to include all qualifying candidates on the presidential primary ballots. That means voters in Collier and Lee counties will see former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and former Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley on the ballot, among other candidates who have officially suspended their campaigns.

The Republican primary candidates still running active campaigns are Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas, Gov. John Kasich of Ohio, Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida and businessman Donald Trump. For the Democrats, it's former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont.

Lee's high turnout rate dipped in 2012 during a Republican-only primary, plummeting to a 21 percent voter turnout despite a rise in registered voters from 2008 to 2012 of more than 99,200.

Bonita Springs, too, saw a smaller voter turnout in 2012 at 37 percent.

If early voting and mail-in ballots are any indication, Tuesday's election promises to be a bounce-back year for both Lee and Bonita Springs.

Of the roughly 424,600 registered voters in Lee, more than 93,000 have already cast their vote via mail-in ballots and by visiting the polls early, Collins said.

"That's quite a large number to have already voted before Election Day," she said. "It's almost a quarter of the registered voters."

By comparison, the last presidential primary in 2012 only saw about 30,000 ballots cast prior to Election Day.

"That's a huge jump in four years," Collins said.

There's also been an uptick in mail-in votes in Collier County. Nearly three times as many Collier voters went to the polls during the first five days of early voting than during the same span of 2012. More than twice as many have mailed in their votes.

Bonita Springs  which will choose from among three mayoral candidates and five City Council candidates in two district races  historically outpaces the rest of the county in getting voters to the polls. But individual cities in Lee don't factor into the overall picture that much, Collins said.

"I don't think it's the cities that are bringing people out," she said. "I think it's the presidential candidates."

Additionally, Collins said, the county's steady population growth paired with a highly-publicized presidential primary race make for stronger voter turnouts.

"I think it's the natural progression of Lee County growing and the high-profile of the candidates," she said. "There is an awful lot of attention on this."

Naples usually turns out a higher percentage of voters than the county, even with less competitive local races. In 2012, when the mayor wasn't on the ballot, about 51 percent of the city's 16,800 registered voters cast ballots in the City Council race or the Republican presidential primary.

About 56 percent of Naples registered voters cast ballots in 2008 when Bill Barnett won another term as mayor against Henry Kennedy, winning 85 percent of the vote.

In the Bonita Springs and Naples mayors races, the top vote-getter wins the election, regardless if that candidate wins a majority or a plurality of the votes.

Barnett, who served as mayor from 1996-2000 and 2004-12, is now seeking a fourth term, running against Mayor John Sorey and City Councilwoman Teresa Heitmann.

"I think we'll see the biggest turnout we've ever seen here," Barnett said.
Republican presidential candidate, Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., visits Tiffany's Family Restaurant in Palm Harbor, Fla., Saturday, March 12, 2016. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

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By Bartholomew Sullivan, bartholomew.sullivan@jmg.com

WASHINGTON  Marco Rubio continues to travel across Florida in the final days of the state's GOP presidential primary, campaigning as much for the Tuesday election as he is for his legacy if he loses his home state.

Rubio, who has only two wins this primary season, faces the real possibility that he will lose the Florida election to Donald Trump on Tuesday. That prospect and his poor primary performance  he didn't win one delegate from states that held contests Tuesday  has some state Republicans urging him to rethink his future.

But Rubio pushes on, saying he's focused on the Florida race and other contests that follow. He said he's not considering dropping out.

"We haven't even thought about that, honestly. We've just focused on winning Florida," Rubio said during a stop Friday in Naples. "I've always felt the winner of the Florida primary is probably going to be the nominee and I still feel that way. Right now we're focused on winning. We don't have any plans to change trajectory right now. Our plan is to head out to Utah and Arizona on Wednesday."

Longtime Republican strategist and former Rubio consultant Steve Ingram said the U.S. senator needs to take stock of his presidential campaign, and drop out now to salvage a future political career.

"He's got to look at this race and realize no Republican candidate is ever going to get his party's nomination after having only won the state of Minnesota and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico," said Ingram. "After (Tuesday) night's disaster, he really needs to reassess not only this race but what continuing on means for his political future, if he is to have one.

"If I were advising Marco, I would strongly encourage him to go ahead and get out of the race, even before Florida votes," he said.

Last year, Ingram speculated that Rubio would drop out early and "cruise" to an easy re-election to his Senate seat. With the June qualifying deadline, that's still a prospect, but Ingram suggests it will no longer be an easy race to win. (There are seven announced GOP Senate candidates, including the two congressmen and the lieutenant governor seeking the nomination.)

"Today I'm not so sure Florida voters feel like they're getting adequate representation from Senator Rubio," Ingram said.

Rubio, who has expressed frustration with the Senate's slowness and arcane rules, has said he will not seek re-election to his Senate seat even if he drops out of the presidential race. But technically he has the time to change his mind. Speculation that he might has been growing.

"That speculation is false," Rubio's communications director Alex Conant said. "Marco will not seek re-election."

Rubio came in fourth of four candidates in Michigan and Mississippi and third in Idaho and Hawaii on Tuesday. He has 152 delegates to Trump's 459, and is trailing Trump in Florida in most polls.

The senator said he will campaign hard these final days before his state's election, a strategy he argues will serve him well in his presidential bid.

"You keep working hard. It's what I've done my whole life. You just chip and chip and chip until you get there. And we feel good. We feel the excitement around the campaign, the growing momentum," he said Friday. "Nobody is going to work harder over the next four days than we have and we feel confident that leads to victory."

He admits he has a lot riding on Florida's vote.

"I just want to win by one vote so I can get 99 delegates and move on," Rubio said. "I think it reshapes the contours of this race and really gives us a boost of momentum heading into Arizona and Utah."

In a Senate re-election bid, Rubio would have a financial advantage, statewide name recognition in a race without a major Republican front-runner and the powers of incumbency, said Terry Miller, the former head of Lee County's Republican Party. And in a race with multiple candidates, he could win with just 35 to 40 percent of the vote, he added: "Just ask Donald Trump."

But Miller said he doesn't expect it to happen.

"It would be a hard sell for Marco to ask voters to accept that," he said. "He's just too far down the road."

But if he loses to Trump in his home state and suspends his campaign, he can endorse Texas Senator Ted Cruz and use that leverage to gain a Cabinet appointment, said Miller.

"If he is the domino that falls that changes the course of the race and makes Ted Cruz the nominee, and he goes on to win, Marco is in a pretty strong (place) to get just about anything he wants," Miller said. That probably wouldn't include an offer to be vice president, however, if he hasn't been able to carry his own state, he said.

Staying in the race "guarantees a Donald Trump win," he added.

Collier County Republican Party chairman Michael D. Lyster noted that, with a June 24 qualifying deadline, Rubio has "plenty of time to put a team together and go for that, if he so desired," but doubts he will.

"He would lose a lot of support because he said he's not going to do that," said Lyster. "Could he win? I don't know."

But one thing a Rubio re-election run would guarantee, he said, is mayhem.

"The outcome of that would certainly be congressional seats in disarray," he said. "We've got two congressmen running for that seat. What do they do? It would cause chaos."
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By Associated Press

PALM COAST, Fla. (AP)  Authorities are crediting a prison bloodhound for finding a missing woman who was trying to harm herself.

The Daytona Beach News-Journal (http://tinyurl.com/znjourx) reports the K-9 unit at Tomoka Correctional Institution received a call this week to search for a 50-year-old woman. Family members said she'd sent text messages about harming herself. Deputies ramped up the search after finding her abandoned car.

Wyatt, a 7-year-old bloodhound, sniffed a piece of the woman's clothes that authorities had found in her car and located her within minutes. According to the Flagler County Sheriff's Office, the dog led them to the woman's unconscious body laid out in the woods next to two Xanax bottles and a bottle of alcohol.

Deputies say she had been there more than three hours and believe she may have overdosed on prescription medication.

___

Information from: Daytona Beach (Fla.) News-Journal, http://www.news-journalonline.com
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Southwest Florida Republicans and Democrats are actively helping determine the November presidential match-up. Meanwhile, a significant bloc of voters waits on the sidelines.

Based on Collier and Lee elections office reports as of Friday afternoon, about one in three registered voters will have cast a mail-in or early ballot in each county by the time the polls open Tuesday.

Lee already had about 31 percent of registered voters casting ballots as of Friday afternoon, with Collier at more than 26 percent. That's an encouraging early turnout. After all, there is a large bloc of voters with no party affiliation in each county who don't have a significant decision to make unless they live in Naples, Bonita Springs or Fort Myers Beach.

We're also hopeful for a strong Election Day turnout to bolster that percentage, considering what's at stake. Will Florida buttress the Donald Trump GOP nomination or accelerate the Stop Trump movement? Will Sen. Marco Rubio's strategic focus on national politics over the needs of his home state unravel a once-promising political future? How will local governing boards shape up  and then heal  after races in Naples and Bonita Springs became divisive?

Presidential preference

Florida's election system allows only partisans within the Republican and Democratic parties to choose presidential nominees. Florida is a winner-take-all state in terms of delegates awarded to the presidential candidates who win Tuesday.

There's a roster of presidential candidates from which to choose, including some who have suspended or shut down their campaigns. While votes for any of them will be counted by elections officials, we'd see a vote for anyone other than the four active Republicans and two active Democrats as a waste. For example, with his endorsement Friday of Trump, what's the point now of voting for Ben Carson?

Once Republican and Democratic national conventions are held in July and party nominees determined, expect Florida to again become a focus as a swing state.

Florida has about 4.5 million registered Democrats and about 4.2 million registered Republicans, based on Jan. 31 state data. The outcome in Florida in November, however, may be determined by the state's nearly 3 million registered voters who don't identify with either major party.

That's reflected in both Collier and Lee counties, where there are more voters registered with no party affiliation (about 48,000 in Collier and nearly 128,000 in Lee) than there are registered Democrats.

Naples mayor and council

The nonpartisan race for Naples mayor and council is about the future, not the past.

That's one of the reasons we endorse Mayor John Sorey for re-election over two opponents who now serve with him on the seven-member council. Sorey's extensive community involvement beyond City Hall is also persuasive.

Fortunately, three of six council seats will be filled by newcomers. The current council members publicly chose sides, creating a divisive environment to heal.

We endorse attorney Jim Moon, experienced businesswoman Michelle McLeod and civically involved businessman Reg Buxton for the three seats. Each has experience on a city board. The top three vote-getters among six candidates win.

Bonita mayor and council

In Bonita Springs, we endorse businessman and current Councilman Steve McIntosh for mayor over two opponents. McIntosh has a 20-year track record of civic service and extensive community connections that will benefit the city.

There are five excellent candidates for two contested council seats. We endorse businessman Marc Devisse in District 1 and congressional district staff member Jesse Purdon in District 2 as those best-suited to create a balance of voices on council that's reflective of the city as a whole.

Vote

Whatever your presidential preference, or your choices in city elections, make your feelings known. Last chance is Tuesday: Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
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Erastus Buckrod, Naples

Mass shootings normal?

Yes, children, another mass shooting where someone with access to an automatic weapon in Kalamazoo, Michigan, randomly killed six people.

Yet the front page of the next day's Naples Daily News was about a bridal show whereas the Kalamazoo mass shooting was relegated to page 19A.

Are we now simply accepting mass shootings as normal or has the NRA squashed any news story that smacks of infringement of the most holy Second Amendment?

Gun advocates will cry that if everyone was armed, the Kalamazoo shooter would not have gotten far. I'd argue that if the shooter was carrying a flint-lock rifle he would could have been tackled and subdued before he could reload.

Next time you are in a movie theater, look around. If terrorists or a nut job entered the theater and began shooting, would you trust the persons to your left and right, front and behind to protect you? People in Naples can't even be trusted to use a turn signal let alone calmly stand up in a crisis situation and, with a keen eye and cat-like reflexes, take out just the shooter.

It's truly sad that our country is so crazy and naive that we cling to Wild West logic and that our newspaper prioritizes a bridal show above terror of our own design. Perhaps if a celebrity would have been killed in Kalamazoo, that would have been considered sufficiently tragic to warrant front page worthy "news." Otherwise, Feb. 21 was apparently just another Pleasant Valley Gunday here in crazy person land.
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Theron Trimble, Naples

Water additives

Recent letters to the editor by David Bolduc and Deirdre Clemons suggest psychedelics may accompany fluorine in our water.

Bolduc and Clemons accuse the UN of hijacking the educational system of the United States. Both provide lots of opinions, probably disseminated by the radical right, but no evidence. Among Clemons' claims:

1. "Most colleges promote anti-American, pro-Marxist themes." I attended four and have taught for seven without ever seeing any evidence that this is true. This is particularly significant since my courses were often the ones in which this indoctrination should have taken place. Maybe I didn't follow the correct syllabus.

2. "...we are not allowed to see Florida's new Florida Standards Assessment (FSA) Test." If anyone wants to know what the test is measuring, look at the standards. After teaching a grammar standard, one does not test for keyboard skills. Is there really an expectation to release a test for public scrutiny? I wish my German teacher had been willing to do so.

3. "UNESCO is promoting a 'master curriculum' promoting globalism and 'social justice.'" How dare they do such a thing. We must stand up for our right to live in a rural swamp and promote social injustice.

4. "This explains why our youth cannot answer questions about U.S. history or our 'republic' form of government." If this is true, how did 65 percent of Florida's students and 70 percent of Collier's students pass the 2014 U.S. History end of course exam from the state? If you doubt our students' knowledge, tune in to the Education Channel and watch the middle and high school Scholar Bowl competitions.
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By Jb Holmes, Adjutant, VFW Post Golden Gate

Debi Lux, co-founder of Collier County Honor Flight, spoke at the District 13 meeting of the VFW Post 7721 in Golden Gate.

She explained to VFW members that the purpose of Collier County Honor Flight is to have the remaining WWII veterans in Collier and adjoining Lee County visit the WWII Memorial in Washington, D.C.

The memorial opened in 2004, almost 60 years after the end of WWII. Most WWII veterans were in their 80s by that time and many were unable to make the arduous journey to Washington, D.C., without assistance.

A club in Ohio began flying small groups of WWII veterans to Washington aboard private aircraft to see the memorial. Honor Flight was formed in 2005 and soon thereafter commercial charter flights commenced.

Collier County Honor Flight was formed in 2013 by Dr. Lux (lieutenant, U.S. Navy), VFW member Sean Lux (USAF, enlisted) and VFW member Capt. Johanna Dettis (U.S. Navy, retired).

Six weeks later, the first Honor Flight departed Fort Myers on Nov. 9, 2013. Honor Flight VII was flown Nov. 7 and now 500-plus WWII and Korean War veterans have flown to Washington from Collier and Lee. There are four additional flights scheduled in 2016. There is also an all-female honor flight in the planning for June.

The passion of these veterans to form an Honor Flight organization stems from the realization that American freedom comes from veterans and WWII veterans need the opportunity to see the memorial, built to honor sacrifices the Greatest Generation made for our freedom.

Honor Flight is a community effort, all volunteer, locally funded 501(c3). Honor Flight board members work four to five hours daily on activities in addition to their regular jobs.

The selection of veterans to fly on Honor Flight is determined by the date the application is received. Terminally ill veterans go to the front of the line. Veterans are all asked if they are willing to be on a waiting list. If a veteran must drop out due to illness immediately before the flight, they are replaced with a veteran from the waiting list.

The number of WWII veterans in the area eligible to fly is unknown, however applications have jumped after each flight as veterans taken on a flight refer others. There are 150 Korean War veterans and 50-plus WWII veterans on the waiting list.

There is no cost for a veteran to participate in Honor Flight. However, the cost of chartering an aircraft can be as much as $70,000.

It will be particularly poignant when the last WWII veteran flies on Honor Flight, but it is hoped that all WWII veterans will have the opportunity to participate.

The goal is to ensure contributions these WWII veterans made aren't forgotten, and giving them the welcome home they never received, allowing the veterans to reflect upon their service.

Each veteran is accompanied by a guardian on an Honor Flight. Guardians donate $400 each for the privilege of accompanying a veteran on a flight to visit Washington, D.C., the WWII Memorial, the Korean War Memorial, the Vietnam Memorial, the Marine Memorial, Arlington National Cemetery and a number of other memorials honoring American heroes.

As many as 75 veterans and 75 guardians may be on each flight. Honor Flights depart the Fort Myers airport at 5 a.m. on a Saturday and return at 11 p.m.

Members of the Golden Gate VFW Post have attended every departure and return of Honor Flight. In addition, members of the post have flown as both veterans and guardians on flights. The VFW has voted to financially sponsor guardians on Honor Flights and individual members of VFW Post 7721, Golden Gate, have financially sponsored guardians participating in Honor Flights as well as making the financial contribution for their personal participation.

Guardians are essential to the success of Honor Flight. Guardians initially meet their veterans at a meet-and-greet hosted by Grace Lutheran Church of Naples. Guardians are provided with training sessions prior to participating in one of the trips.

From the moment veterans are in hands of Honor Flight until they are returned to loved ones that night, guardians are asked to treat these heroes as if they are family and ensure that every veteran has a safe, memorable and rewarding experience.

The passion of the Golden Gate VFW to support Honor Flight comes from the realization that American freedom comes from veterans and that the WWII veterans need the opportunity to see the WWII memorial, built to honor the sacrifices the Greatest Generation made for our freedom.

__ Contact Golden Gate VFW Post 7721 at post7721@flvfw.org or 239-455-7721.
Clonmelman Ronnie Moloney, co-founder and managing director of TR Motors, this year celebrates his 50th year with Mercedes-Benz service in the motoring industry. His company, which is situated in the Dublin suburb of Harolds Cross, is a main authorised service dealer for Mercedes-Benz.

Clonmelman Ronnie Moloney, co-founder and managing director of TR Motors, this year celebrates his 50th year with Mercedes-Benz service in the motoring industry. His company, which is situated in the Dublin suburb of Harolds Cross, is a main authorised service dealer for Mercedes-Benz.

Ronnie Moloney began working at the age of 16, taking up an apprenticeship with the then local Mercedes-Benz main dealer in Tipperary, King Keating, in his home town Clonmel.

From King Keating he emigrated to Canada, where he worked for the German-owned Mercedes-Benz of North America organisation. Returning to Dublin he continued to work with Mercedes-Benz through their Modern Motors, Rialto and Ballsbridge Motors dealerships.

In 1975 he co-founded TR Motors Limited, and since then the dealership has operated as an exclusive service outlet for Mercedes-Benz passenger cars.

Situated on Harolds Cross Road, next to the greyhound stadium, TR Motors has enjoyed a distinguished history, listing many prominent Mercedes-Benz owners amongst its client base, including numerous foreign diplomats and embassies.

In 1992 the company suffered a major setback when fire destroyed their original premises. Heartened by the support of all concerned, the company undertook a complete re-development to create the modern showrooms and extensive workshop and spare parts facility from which it now operates.

Today Ronnie Moloney is supported in the business by his daughter Louise, son Gavin and a staff of 14.
Ed ORiordans soon to be published offering, Lonely Little Gods Acre, is a 170 page book on Shanrahan Churchyard, Clogheen. The book gets its title from a description by historian Fr. John Everard, a former Ballyporeen curate who became Parish Priest of Clogheen in the early 1900s.

Ed ORiordans soon to be published offering, Lonely Little Gods Acre, is a 170 page book on Shanrahan Churchyard, Clogheen. The book gets its title from a description by historian Fr. John Everard, a former Ballyporeen curate who became Parish Priest of Clogheen in the early 1900s.

Lonely Little Gods Acre is a timely publication given that the year 2016 will see the 250th anniverary of Fr. Sheehys execution being commemorated, and an entire chapter covers the history of the planning and construction of the Fr. Sheehy Tomb and Railing in 1898. Fr Sheehy was the Parish Priest of Shanrahan, Ballysheehan and Templetenny (modern day Clogheen, Burcncourt and Ballyporeen). This is the areas 98 Rebellion commemoration monument. Ed has researched and included all the names of the planning committee, the preparations for the day, the speeches on the day, etc. and a photo from The Nationalist showing the crowd of thousands as they assembled and prepared to march solemnly from the Square in Clogheen to Shanrahan. The Nationalist September 7, 1898 described the scene:

The Memorial Car followed, drawn by four horses and covered with a profusion of floral wreaths. The solemn strains of The Dead March in Saul were splendidly rendered by the bands, those of Cashel and Cahir leading. The various contingents came in the following order; -

Clogheen Band and Banner; Ballyporeen Contingent with Banner; Skeheenarinka contingent, with banner and brass band; the Clonmel Corporation; City of Cashel contingent, consisting of members of the 98 Association with splendid banner and Cashel brass band; Cahir contingent, banner and brass band; Ardfinnan band and banner; Tipperary banner and contingent; Cappoquin brass band; Tipperary Foresters with magnificent flag; Mitchelstown brass band and banner; Ballylooby band and banner; Clonmel Trade and Labour League, with banner; Clonmel C.J. Kickham Fife-and-Drum Band; Clonmel Irish National Foresters; Glanworth Brass Band, pikemen and banner; Bansha contingent and band; Kilbehenny brass band and banner; Mullinahone, Drangan, and other contingents.

The names of the subscribers to the tomb, the names of the representatives of the various towns and villages, as well as the names of the members of the several bands from the various towns and villages are in Eds new book. The Mayor of Clonmel and the members of the Corporation attended in their robes to do honour to Tipperarys martyr priest.

Also in this new publication is a history of the ruined church in Shanrahan churchyard, with the names of the congregation and the names of the local men who worked on the maintenance of the building during its last one hundred years of use. In 1820, the new Protestant church was opened at the Bella Hill and the furniture and fittings from the Old Church were donated to the Catholic Church then being built in Clogheen. A drawing by the architect, James Pain, of the church on the Bella Hill is included as well as a list of the names of the congregation. The church in the cemetery was originally the Catholic Parish Church of Shanrahan. Ed has included a plan of that old church as well as many fascinating photos which explain the building.

The 1966 Fr. Sheehy Commemoration is not forgotten either. This great event in Clogheens recent history is covered in some detail with great photos from the day, as well as details of the organisation that went into the planning. Dr Michael Russell, the Bishop of Waterford and Lismore, and President Eamon de Valera attended at Clogheen and Shanrahan to do honour to Nicholas Sheehys memory. Ballyporeen received special mention from the Clogheen correspondent who said they were the most organsied and largest group on the day.

Other chapters in the forthcoming book include information on Catholic Churches in the parish of Clogheen and Burncourt, the Bronze Age cairn on Knockshanahullion, a brief report on the OCallaghan Mausoleum, and some pages on the two Sheela na Gigs in Shanrahan. The plan to build a Protestant Church in Ballyporeen is also included with a drawing of that building, also by architect, James Pain. Other pages deal with the ivy covered tower in Shanrahan which is all that remains of a defensive 13th century Castle/Hall House that once guarded the southern border of Tipperary and kept watch on the pass through the Knockmealdown Mountains at this point. The book will be available before Christmas and, in the meantime, Ed is taking orders for what will be a limited edition. He can be contacted on 086 3840894 or edoriordan@gmail.com
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Which is more important, a big heart or a big brain?

(NaturalNews) A study published last month by the Center of Global Consciousness, explores the manner in which humans are being pushed to the brink of extinction through a sinister eugenics program orchestrated by the world's elite, using forced vaccinations industrial pollutants and Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) delves into the underlying basis of eugenics, the concept that in order for civilization to "progress," the unintelligent need to be swiftly weeded out. "The higher the level of civilization, the better off the population," eugenicists argue, adding that a high IQ can only be passed on through heredity.In order to accept this theory, one must believe that an individual's contribution to society is based solely on IQ, a rather foolish way of looking at things considering morality, compassion, patience and kindness, are far more valued in today's society than an IQ score.Belief in the philosophy also requires one to endorse the mass killing of millions of innocent people, which the study's author says is driven "by the highest echelons of science, industry and public administration for the geopolitical objectives of international cohabitation, preservation of resources, environmental conservation and decarbonization, all of which hinge on depopulation."The text was published in the journalby Kevin Mugur Galalae, founder and director of Center of Global Consciousness, a group dedicated to stopping eugenics programs that seek to eliminate those undervalued in society. Galalae is also the leader of the Human Rights Party of Canada and the founder of Protect Your Child.Getting his life's work published was no small feat. In fact, Galalae says he endured imprisonment and separation from his family, as well as the pain of having his credibility destroyed and his career squashed. His journey to expose the truth resulted in him being arrested seven times, placed behind bars, and being "forcibly separated" from his wife and children for four years.He also suffered through five hunger strikes, with the longest lasting 75 days. He overcame the adversity through the publishing of his work, which outlines a plan for eliminating the causes of non-communicable disease, and an overall course of action for effective disease prevention, which he says will restore not only our individual, but also our social health. Click here to read the text in full.(Photo credit: Zengardner.com)
Sheriff's deputies removed more than a dozen senior patients from a Northern California assisted living facility in Saturday after it was determined that they had been left "abandoned" there by the owners and staff.

The State Social Services shut down the Castro Valley facility onThursday, but 14 elderly residents were still there more than two days later, Alameda County Sheriff's Office said.

The Sheriff's Office was called Saturday afternoon to the facility on Apricot Street, which appears to be listed variously as Valley Springs Manor, Valley Manor Community Care Home or Valley Manor Residential Care, after a medical call, Sgt. J.D. Nelson said.



Responding paramedics became concerned after they found that most of the staff had left and only a skeleton crew remained, Nelson said.

Authorities said patients at the facility were left with only a cook, a janitor, and a caretaker for two days. The rest of the employees left after the state ordered the facility to be temporarily shutdown.



In addition, the state Department of Social Services had posted a notice on the door stating that the facility was to be closed on Oct. 24th, Nelson said. The sign on the front door read, "NOTICE: CLOSED FOR BUSINESS."



Nelson said the patients were elderly, some bedridden or in wheelchairs.



Sheriff's deputies are searching now for the owners of the facility, Nelson said. The owners could be facing jail time for elderly abuse.

Relatives said they did not know where their loved ones were or that they have been living at the facility without most staff.

One woman, whose husband's mother was living in the facility, said she was shocked to find out what happened.

"It's brutal and horrific to know," she said. "It's not even just her. There were over a dozen people that were left behind that couldn't fend for themselves."

She said she still has no idea where her mother is.

"I'm actually pretty upset because we have no idea where his mom is," she said. "The officers are trying to figure out where they relocated her to, so it's really infuriating."

The Social Services web site showed Valley Springs as still licensed, but there were no details about why the state shut down the assisted living facility.

But a review on Caring.com, which claims to be from a resident written over a month ago, said:

"This place has been fined several times for several things...We have no nurses, and the food is not conducive to balanced nutrition or diabetic needs."

The case will be handed to the district attorney to determine if there are any criminal charges.

The patients are being medically evaluated, while deputies continue their investigation. A man whose parents were in the facility says the owner should face charges.

"What they've done is negligent, and they should be prosecuted for what they've done at this facility and other facilities," Burton Nash said. "Abandoning elderly people and elderly abuse is just criminal."

State officials said the owner of the assisted living facility also owns facilities in Oakland and Modesto. Those facilities were temporarily shut down last week as well.

All three have had violations dating back to 2008.
A storm brought strong winds, periods of heavy rain, snow and high surf to California on Sunday, the fourth day of wet weather that has prompted road and school closures and left an officer injured.

In Napa, state highway 121 was closed to all traffic from Wooden Valley Road to Circle Oaks due to storm damage. Only residents with proof of residency and emergency vehicles were permitted to enter.

The inclement weather downed trees in Berkeley and prompted the Golden Gate National Park Service to close the Point Bonita Lighthouse and Nike Missile Site on Sunday.

A flood advisory was issued for southeastern Santa Clara and Santa Cruz counties through 7:45 p.m..

The rain also triggered a mandatory evacuation at the Thousand Trails campground in Morgan Hill. An estimated 175 campers were asked to leave as the swollen Uvas Creek's water level began to rise Sunday. Officials said they are worried a bridge connecting the camp to Watsonville Road could flood and trap the campers.

The National Weather Service issued a high surf warning for the Point Reyes National Seashore, Ocean and Half Moon Bay State beaches, and in Monterey and Big Sur. Swells between 15 and 18 feet are expected, with the largest waves anticipated Sunday evening and night.

Breakers are projected to exceed 20 feet and there is a risk of sneaker waves and rip currents, the weather service said. People were urged not to turn their back to the ocean and fishermen were advised to avoid rocks and jetties.

In the East Bay, park officials asked Lafayette-Moraga Regional Trail to watch out for hazardous conditions after inclement weather caused a landslide near the Moraga Country Club and prompted at least two homeowners to evacuate from their hillside homes.

Also in Moraga, a sinkhole opened up at Rheem Boulevard and Center Street. Initially, the road was closed while workers tried to repair the damage, but when a major gas line broke, the area had to be evacuated. Several local business shuttered, including 24 Hour Fitness, CVS and Nation's Hamburgers.

In Danville, a clogged drainage ditch caused muddy water littered with debris to swarm around driveways in residential neighborhoods. City crews did come clear out the blockage, but residents are worried it will just build back up again.

A California Highway Patrol officer was in serious but stable condition Sunday after being struck by an out-of-control vehicle as he provided traffic control in snowy conditions on a mountain pass, the CHP Truckee office said.

The accident Saturday led authorities to temporarily close a portion of Interstate 80 near Donner Summit, a treacherous road in the Sierra Nevada in the northeastern part of the state that has been battered by a series of winter storms. The weather was bad enough that the officer had to be taken to the hospital by ambulance instead of by helicopter, CHP Lt. Sven Miller told the Sacramento Bee.

More than 1 foot of snow fell in the area overnight and up to 3 feet were expected in the higher elevations of the Sierra Nevada through Monday, the National Weather Service reported.

In counties north of San Francisco, rivers swelled and the flood risk was high. About 8 inches of rain fell during a 72-hour period in the unincorporated town of Venado in Sonoma County.

Water from the rain-swollen Sacramento River was spilling Sunday over a 33.5-foot-high concrete wall and into a bypass built to divert flood water.

The overflow is expected to reach a depth of 3 feet Tuesday then start receding, said Robert Hartman, a hydrologist with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

It's the first time water that has spilled over the so-called Fremont Weir crest and into the Yolo bypass since 2012. The nearly 2-mile-long concrete wall is located about 8 miles northeast of Woodland.

The bypass is an expanse of farmland and natural habitat that stretches from Sacramento to Davis and was created a century ago.

A portion of California Highway 1 in Mendocino County was closed where slides nearly toppled a California Department of Transportation dump truck with an employee inside.

The truck hit a guardrail  stopping its fall  and landed at a 45-degree angle. No one was injured.

Powerful rains also slammed the central part of the state, flooding streets in Fresno and briefly shutting down the airport there.

The storm dumping rain in much of Northern California is expected to weaken as it moves south, though the southern part of the state could see scattered showers or drizzle, and beachgoers were warned of powerful surf along the Central and Southern California coast.

Waves up to 8 feet could pound beaches for most of the day Sunday, the National Weather Service said.

A high surf advisory is in effect in Santa Barbara, Ventura and Los Angeles counties.

Meanwhile a wind advisory has been issued for some coastal areas and in the mountains and high deserts.
Brazilians took to the streets on Sunday for nationwide protests against embattled President Dilma Rousseff that are widely seen as a key test of her ability to weather the political and economic crises lashing the country.

The president faces impeachment proceedings over alleged fiscal mismanagement with the country in the throes of the worst recession in decades and amid a sprawling investigation into corruption at the state-run oil giant Petrobras.

Observers say a big turnout at Sunday's protests could further hamper Rousseff's ability to fight for her political survival amid record-low approval ratings. But anemic turnout could breathe new life into her administration by suggesting that the majority of the population opposes her ouster.

Planned in more than 300 cities and towns throughout the country, the demonstrations were publicized largely through social media, with organizers saying they expected high turnout. Their prediction appeared to be playing out in cities where early demonstrations were held.

An estimated 100,000 people are thought to have taken part in the demonstration in the capital, Brasilia, and events in the central city of Belo Horizonte and the northeastern coastal city of Recife also appeared to draw thick crowds. In Sao Paulo, Brazil's economic capital, crowds began to flood the main thoroughfare hours ahead the scheduled start of the event.

Although Rousseff herself had raised fears of possible clashes between supporters of her Workers' Party and the anti-government demonstrators, no such incidents appeared to mar Sunday's protests, which had a festive, almost Carnival-like atmosphere.

In Rio de Janeiro, multitudes defied the threatening rain clouds overhead to converge on Copacabana Beach the morning after heavy rains that caused widespread flooding throughout the city. Dressed largely in the yellow and green hues of the Brazilian flag, the Rio demonstrators filled the broad avenue that runs along the beach, chanting anti-government slogans and singing the national anthem. Organizers estimated that about 1 million people turned out at the Rio protest. The police, whose crowd estimates are generally a fraction of that of organizers, has not provided its own count.

"The people are suffering. Every month the prices go up and more people get laid off and things get harder," said Dirceu de Castro, a 67-year-old engineer whose face was painted with patriotic green stripes. "If Brazil were a private company, Dilma would have been fired long ago."

Other demonstrators stressed their anger extended well beyond Rousseff and her Workers' Party, saying the so-called Car Wash investigation into corruption at Petrobras had compromised the entire political class.

"Of course I want to see Rousseff booted out," said Maria de Lima Pimenta, a 75-year-old retired schoolteacher. "But then the problem becomes, who will replace her? They're all crooks."

Protest organizers stressed the movement wasn't linked to any opposition political party, and signs endorsing parties were largely absent from the demonstrations.

The Petrobras scandal has ensnared key figures from Rousseff's Workers' Party, including her predecessor and mentor, former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, as well as members of opposition parties.

Political tensions in Brazil have spiked since earlier this month when Silva was briefly detained by police for questioning as part of the corruption probe. Silva's supporters and detractors gathered in front of his apartment in the Sao Paulo area, and scuffles broke out between the two groups.

On Wednesday, the tension was ratcheted up another notch, as Silva was charged in a separate case with money-laundering.

In a show of solidarity with the former president, several hundred people gathered outside of Silva's apartment early Sunday. At one point, Silva himself went down to greet the approximately 400 supporters.

News reports have said Rousseff has offered Silva a ministerial post that would shield him from possible imprisonment on corruption and money laundering charges. Under Brazilian law, only the Supreme Court can authorize the investigation, imprisonment and trial of cabinet members.

Speaking on Friday, Rousseff said she would be "extremely proud" to have Silva, the once-wildly popular leader who governed Brazil from 2003-2011, but declined to say whether he would join the government.

Asked whether she would resign amid mounting pressure, Rousseff objected to the very principle of demanding the resignation of an elected president without concrete evidence the leader had violated the constitution.

She said that "if there is no reason to do so, I will not step down," calling on journalists at the event in Brasilia to "at least attest that I don't look like someone who is going to step down."

Rousseff's second term in office runs through the end of 2018.

Prominent politicians from opposition parties and also from within the broad governing coalition have floated the idea of a "semi-presidential" regime as a way out of the political crisis. Under the proposal, Rousseff would remain head of state and a head of government figure would be created. Observers say the proposal would likely not be a fast fix, however, as it would have to win approval from Congress.
French air accident investigators recommended Sunday that world aviation bodies draw up new rules requiring medical workers to warn authorities when a pilot's mental health could threaten public safety, after 150 people died when a Germanwings co-pilot deliberately crashed a jet into the French Alps last year.

Co-pilot Andreas Lubitz had been treated for depression in the past, and the investigation found that he had consulted dozens of doctors in the weeks before the crash on March 24, 2015.

But the many doctors didn't inform authorities of concerns about his mental health, France's BEA investigation agency said. One doctor referred Lubitz to a psychiatric clinic just two weeks before the crash, it said in its report on the disaster.

"Experts found that the symptoms (he was presenting at that time) could be compatible with a psychotic episode," said Arnaud Desjardin, leader of the BEA investigation. This information "was not delivered to Germanwings."

Because Lubitz didn't inform anyone of his doctors' warnings, the BEA said, "no action could have been taken by the authorities or his employer to prevent him from flying."

Germanwings and parent company Lufthansa have strongly denied any wrongdoing in the crash, insisting that the 27-year-old was certified fit to fly.

But relatives of those killed have pointed to a string of people they say could have raised the alarm and stopped Lubitz, going back to the days when he began training as a pilot in 2008.

The BEA investigation is separate from a manslaughter investigation by French prosecutors seeking to determine eventual criminal responsibility for the crash of Flight 9525 from Barcelona to Duesseldorf. The focus of its report was recommendations to avoid such accidents in the future, notably about pilot mental health issues and better screening before a pilot gets certified.

The agency found that the certification process failed to identify the risks presented by Lubitz. It said one factor leading to the crash might have been a "lack of clear guidelines in German regulations on when a threat to public safety outweighs" patient privacy.

Germany's confidentiality laws prevent sensitive personal information from being widely shared, though doctors are allowed to suspend patient privacy if they believe there is a concrete danger to the person's safety or that of others.

Desjardin described Germany's privacy rules as being especially strict, and said that doctors fear losing their jobs if they unnecessarily report a problem to authorities.

"That's why I think clearer rules are needed to preserve public security," he told reporters at a press conference in the French city of Le Bourget.

The BEA recommendations also include peer support groups and other measures to remove the stigma and fear of losing a job that many pilots face for mental health issues.

"The reluctance of pilots to declare their problems and seek medical assistance ... needs to be addressed," the BEA said.

Half an hour into the Germanwings flight, Capt. Patrick Sondenheimer handed the controls to Lubitz and went to the restroom. When he returned, Sondenheimer found the cockpit locked from the inside. Lubitz, it seems, had disabled the safety code that would have allowed the pilot to open the door.

Shortly afterward, the Airbus A320 hit the ground near the French village of Le Vernet.

Lubitz had previously been treated for depression and suicidal tendencies, and documents seized by prosecutors show he partly hid his medical history from employers.

Lubitz interrupted his Lufthansa training for several months due to psychological problems. He was allowed to return in 2009, having received the "all clear" from his doctors  though his aviation record now contained the note "SIC" meaning "specific regular examination."

Lufthansa said after the crash that it was aware of Lubitz's depressive episode, but Germanwings, which he joined in 2013, said it had no knowledge of his illness.
U.S. clocks will "spring forward" again on March 12 to make room for an extra hour of sunlight in the evenings as winter fades away.

Daylight saving time officially starts at 2 a.m. Sunday, when clocks are pushed forward one hour to 3 a.m.

Here are five things to know about daylight saving time before you adjust your watches, alarms and microwaves (most cell phones adjust on their own):

How It Affects Your Health:



The hour of sleep lost  or gained  may play a bigger, perhaps more dangerous role in our bodys natural rhythm than we think.

According to a University of Colorado study, researchers found a 25 percent jump in the number of heart attacks occurring the Monday after we spring forward compared to other Mondays during the year  a trend that remained even after accounting for seasonal variations in these events.

"[Heart attacks] were much more frequent the Monday after the spring time change and then tapered off over the other days of the week," lead author Dr. Amneet Sandhu, a cardiology fellow at the University of Colorado in Denver, said in an American College of Cardiology news release. It may mean that people who are already vulnerable to heart disease may be at greater risk right after sudden time changes."

When Was DST Implemented



Before President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Uniform Time Act in 1966, which established a uniform daylight saving time, local governments could start and end daylight saving time as they desired. For five weeks a year Boston, New York and Philadelphia were not on the same time as Washington, D.C., Cleveland or Baltimore. Different daylight saving times also caused confusion for travelers going from the Midwest to Northeast.

In 2005, President George W. Bush extended the daylight saving time for an extra four weeks through an energy bill. Since 2007, daylight saving time has begun on the second Sunday of March, ending on the first Sunday of November.

Not All States Observe DST



Arizona and Hawaii are the only two states that do not observe daylight saving time. Indiana did not observe the practice until 2005. The American territories of American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands also do not participate.

Some states have tried to get rid of daylight saving time but haven't been successful. In the last year alone, 14 state legislatures have debated bills aimed at revising how we keep time. In March, the Utah state legislature rejected a bill that would have ended daylight saving time.

Founding Father Did Not Come Up with DST



According to the History Channel, Benjamin Franklin did not come up with the idea of daylight saving time; he only suggested a change in sleep schedules.

Englishman William Willett is the one who suggested in 1905 that the United Kingdom move its clocks forward by 80 minutes between April and October, so people could enjoy the sunlight. He published "The Waste of Daylight" and spent much of his fortune and time promoting the idea.

DST is Singular Not Plural



By the way, it's "daylight saving time," not "daylight savings time."
Parents at an East County school are upset over tactics being used by a parent who said her children have been victims of bullying and racism.

The mother said she has kept her three children out of school for three weeks.

Theyre being harassed, theyre being bullied, theyre having things thrown at them. Theyre having people call them (N-word), said parent Shelly Monroe.

Monroe has led at least three protests outside of Cajon Park School in Santee. Some of the protesters include people with no connection to the school.

A video posted on a Facebook page shows a loud protest, with a person on a bull horn using foul language, and telling parents to 'shut up.'

The upset parents say Monroe is attempting to address bullying by being a bully herself, and say her protests have frightened young students.

Kids who have never heard racial slurs are now having to ask what does this mean, and why would someone call someone this. And its terms not coming from the school, its terms coming from the protesters, said Lu Magneta, who has two sons attending the school.

Magneta has started a Facebook group page called Stand Up for Cajon Park Teachers and Administration.

Other parents say the school has had to change student pickup procedures to avoid protesters, and the school has played loud music to drown out the protesters.

Meanwhile, Monroe and a civil rights activist met with Santee School district officials on Friday.

According to Shane Lewis, with the National Action Network who was at the meeting, district officials will help transition Monroes three children back to the school, and allow supervision by their grandmother.

In an email response to several questions, district superintendent Cathy Pierce said the district is not anticipating another protest.

We have an upset parent and continue to work with her toward a resolution. We are committed to continue those conversations until we find common ground. As always, please know that we care about all children, and we want all children to feel safe at school, wrote Pierce.
What if your doctor prescribed maqui berries to treat inflammation instead a pharmaceutical drug?



It's an idea the creators of a documentary debuting at the San Diego Latino Film Festival Sunday would like you to think about.

The short film, called "Pu Ruka Lawen," shows how the ancient medicine of the indigenous Mapuche people of Chile is being used in the mainstream medical system there. A non-profit cooperative operates the innovative program, which is funded by the Chilean government.

The documentary was produced by Proyecto ACCESO, a legal skills training and rule of law public education program at San Diego's California Western School of Law.

"I thought we'd do something to celebrate what's already going on in Latin America," said James Cooper, Associate Professor of Law at Cal Western.

Cooper hopes the documentary will show people in the Unites States how they can learn from indigenous people about integrating nautral remedies, or what's known as Traditional Knowledge, into our health care system. He calls the approach in Chile holistic, and says it treats people as part of a bigger universe, rather than just individuals.

The idea emerged from research Cooper has been doing for many years while running the Chile Summer Program. Cooper first went to Chile 20 years ago, training the the country's first indigenous public defenders.

"It's a way to showcase what works," Cooper said, "This is a happy story, a story of cooperation and collaboration."

His long-time collaborator on Latin American programs, Sebastian Vives, directed the documentary.

Cooper told NBC 7 San Diego his long term plan is to produce a series of documentaries to teach others about the millions of indigenous people who he believes are doing wonderful things around the world.



"Those things need to be celebrated, not marginalized. A little respect is due," Cooper said.



The screening of "Pu Ruka Lawen" is at the AMC Fashion Valley at 1:45 p.m. on Sunday, March 13. The documentary is in Spanish, with English subtitles.

The 2016 San Diego Latino Film Festival runs through March 20. You can learn more about tickets and and the festival film schedule on the festival's website.

Pu_Ruka_Lawen from Proyecto ACCESO - CWSL on Vimeo.
Single mother Lili D'alessandro had barely even heard of street racing when she got a gut-wrenching call just past midnight.

Only hours earlier, her 16-year-old daughter Valentina, an aspiring fashion designer, had gone out with a group of friends. Val was planning to stay over with one of her friends in Wilmington.

D'alessandro had gone to sleep expecting to see her daughter again in the morning.

Then the phone rang. There had been an accident  a horrific collision on Avalon Boulevard at Anaheim Street. Five people were injured and one did not survive: Val.

"You just feel dead inside," D'alessandro said of the emotional paralysis that enveloped her on the worst night of her life. "You don't have time to get angry. You just feel it's unfair."

D'alessandro learned Val and her two friends were headed to Wilmington after a party. A 17-year-old boy was behind the wheel of the car they were riding in -- a red Mustang. Heading south on Avalon, the driver of another car challenged him to race. At Anaheim Street, the Mustang blew through a red light, striking an SUV in the intersection.

The boy faced proceedings in juvenile court, and at one point, D'alessandro had a face-to-face talk with him. She said he acknowledged what had happened on that night in December 2013.

That Val's death could have been prevented is the thought that D'alessandro said never goes away.

She knew she needed to do something, but what?

Then she got a phone call from the office at South High School in Torrance, attended by one of Val's friends. Administrators wondered if D'alessandro would feel up to speaking to an assembly of students, sharing the tragedy of Val's life being cut short as a cautionary tale.

"She did not choose to be an example, but now she is one," D'alessandro said of her beloved Val. "And she's going to save lives."

D'Alessandro has now spoken half a dozen times to assemblies at different schools, including Torrance High, where Val was a junior.

She's refined her PowerPoint presentation, plans to put together a video, but her message is the same: "Be as responsible as you can. Live for her. Live for yourself, because you're worth it."

She founded the organization called Street Racing Kills.

"She's going to have an impact," said Don Galaz, himself a drag racer who acknowledges he once raced on the street before committing himself to stopping others from doing the sname, and getting them on legal tracks with safety precautions.

"She's going to have a lot of people behind her. She's got a bunch of people behind her right now that she doesn't even know about yet," Galaz said, explaining that several car clubs are coming together to denounce street racing.

There were also other troubling factors in the chain of events that led to Val D'alessandro's death. There had been underage drinking at the party, her mother said she learned. Also, under California law, drivers under 18 are not permitted to carry passengers younger than age 20, nor to drive between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m.

Two weeks ago, on Interstate-5 in Commerce, three people were killed in a fiery crash that investigators concluded had been triggered by cars racing. A day later in Downey, a pedestrian was struck and killed by a car authorities allege was racing another.

D'alessandro feels the pain of those families, and motivation to share her message with as many as she can. She's designed and ordered wristbands she plans to share with the teens to whom she speaks, so that her message of personal responsibility stays with them: "Street Racing Kills. Live for Val."

A website for Street Racing Kills is in the process of being built, D'alessandro said. She's raising funds for the site and the wristbands. She can be reached at StreetRacingKills@Yahoo.com.
Nearly as quickly as flakka burst onto Broward County's street-drug scene, unleashing mania that had users stripping naked in the streets and racing from packs of imagined killers, 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 dramatically decreased, experts say and data shows.

``Nobody can deny we had a crisis on our hands,'' said Lt. Ozzy Tianga, of the Broward Sheriff's Office. ``By no means is it 100% gone, but the numbers speak for themselves. We've been successful.''

The county's medical examiner hasn't seen a flakka-related death since Dec. 11. There were a total of 63 since September 2014.

Flakka-related hospital cases, which had spiked to more than 300 a month in June through October, dipped 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 incidents at the Broward Sheriff's 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 had led the nation in flakka cases, DEA 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, dubbed $5 insanity, 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 laser-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 via 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.

China's ban was swiftly followed with an unprecedented visit to the communist nation by a delegation of Broward law enforcement officials, including Tianga, to voice their support of the restrictions.

Representatives from Fort Lauderdale and Coral Springs police, the U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency journeyed to Bejing with Tianga in early November and met with the U.S. ambassador to China, Chinese police and government officials to drive home the seriousness of South Florida's flakka epidemic.

``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 Broward's flakka expert. ``However, the China ban is just part of the story.''

Equally key 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, faith leaders and the United Way of Broward County's 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 just that blazed through Legislative approvals in Tallahassee and is now headed to Gov. Rick Scott for his signature. State senators unanimously approved it March 4; House representatives did the same Feb. 24.

In the past, lawmakers have had to tackle problematic designer drugs one chemical compound at a time. This 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.

``That's 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.

``This life saving legislation,'' Bondi said in a news release, ``will allow us to categorically outlaw synthetic drugs as a whole . it will help bolster our efforts to combat the growing threat of synthetic drug use.''

But 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.

A spike in heroin/fentanyl overdose deaths in October was noted by the Broward Medical Examiner's 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 said in a recent email. ``Had five (fatal overdoses) in one day.''

While fentanyl and flakka are each incredibly 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 unique reaction termed ``excited delirium,'' which combines aggressions, delusions and hallucinations.

The county's Flakka Community Action Team, at a meeting two weeks ago, breathed ``a sigh of relief'' as it pertains to the flakka front, Hall said. It simultaneously pledged to shift focus to the next problem with a new moniker- the Community Response Team.

``We are prepared now to move on to the opiate epidemic, including heroin, fentanyl and other prescription opioids and the deaths related to them,'' Hall said.



This story was first reported by the Sun-Sentinel.
Hundreds of opponents and supporters of President Nicolas Maduro held rival marches in Caracas on Saturday, with anti-government forces demanding Venezuela's leader step down and his sympathizers denouncing U.S. sanctions on some top officials.

The marches were animated but peaceful, unlike massive anti-government protests in 2014 that left dozens dead and barricades burning in the streets.

Government critics dressed in white shirts marched through the capital's better-off Chacao district on Saturday, calling for the liberation of detained opposition members they consider political prisoners.

"There is no bureaucracy or military gang that can stop us," said National Assembly President and opposition leader Henry Ramos. "Nicolas, save us the tragedy, resign! Do this favor for Venezuela."

The opposition blames the socialist-inspired government for the widespread shortages, deep recession and soaring inflation plaguing Venezuela.

"I swore that I would never surrender to the oligarchy, under no circumstances," said Maduro, speaking in a central Caracas plaza where the pro-government march ended.

He denounced a recent decision by President Barack Obama to renew an executive order that declared a national emergency with respect to Venezuela, a decree used to justify sanctions against officials accused of human rights abuses and corruption. The individuals come from the top echelon of Venezuela's state security apparatus that was responsible for cracking down on the 2014 protests and for pursuing charges against leading opponents.

"Respect Venezuela!" shouted government supporters, some holding up signs with images of late Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez.

The opposition coalition officially unveiled its multi-pronged strategy for ousting Maduro this week, drawing little reaction from Venezuelans struggling to make ends meet.

On Thursday, the opposition-controlled Congress gave preliminary approval to a bill that would put the country on the road to a presidential recall referendum. Lawmakers are expected to give the bill final approval later this month.

Members of the ruling socialist party, which controls the presidency and most state institutions, said the legislation amounted to an attempted coup.

Venezuelans have grown accustomed to dueling marches in recent years. Government supporters tend to stage counter-demonstrations whenever the opposition calls a rally. Still, Caracas residents had talked anxiously about Saturday's protests, and some said they had made plans to avoid the city in case violence broke out.
Donald Trump was repeatedly interrupted while speaking at a rally in Kansas City, Missouri, Saturday evening, and promised to take action against those who interrupted him, while telling the audience he wanted to "beat" a man who disrupted his earlier rally.

Trump asked police to remove the first three people within minutes of taking to the stage. At several points, Trump jokingly asked whether there were "any more protesters" in the audience before promising to press charges on anyone disrupting his rallies.

"I say to the rest of the room, we are going to go strongly for your arrest, Trump told protesters. "And Im going to do this from now on."

Trump accused the protesters of coming directly from the Bernie Sanders camp. Sanders issued a statement saying his campaign did not organize the protests.

The Kansas City Police Department tweeted it "had to use pepper spray 2 times" outside the rally and "arrested 2 people," following up that the "Majority of people exercised their rights peacefully."

We had to use pepper spray 2 times outside Trump rally and arrested 2 people who refused to follow law. (1/2)  Kansas City Police (@kcpolice) March 13, 2016

Trump seemed unfazed by what happened just hours earlier, when a man tried to jump onto the stage when he was speaking at a rally in Dayton, Ohio.

The suspect, identified as Thomas Dimassimo, 32, "attempted to breach the secure buffer and was removed rapidly and professionally," a campaign spokewoman said.

I wasn't prepared," Trump told the Kansas City audience of the disruption. "He was a strong guy."

Trump thanked the Secret Service agents who rushed to protect him. Trump said he would have beat Dimassio, making a motion with his fist.

Dimassio was charged Saturday with disorderly conduct and inducing panic  both misdemeanors, officials told NBC News.

Trump said he was released, but told supporters he felt Dimassio should be in jail.

On Friday, groupings of well-organized students succeeded in keeping Trump from even taking the stage at a rally in Chicago.

I had a decision to make. Do I go speak and watch an unbelievable riot? Or do I say Im not going to do it?"

Trump said he decided to cancel the rally, which demonstrated he his ability to work well under pressure."

Trump's events have always been intense. For months, he incorporated interruptions by protesters into his speeches, growling "Get 'em out!"  sparking explosive cheers from the audiences as he did so.

While Trump sometimes appears angered by the disruptions, he has also embraced them, using the interruptions as opportunities to lead his supporters in chants of "USA, USA." He's also joked about how the protesters force TV cameras to pan out over the crowd and show how large they are.

Trump has laughed off some of the recent events, arguing that he's not to blame for what's taking place at his rallies.

"My people aren't violent," Trump said at his rally in Cleveland. "It's these people that come in. My people want to do one thing: Make America great again. That's what they want to do, one thing."

The Associated Press also contributed to this report.
Chester's mayor urged residents in his city to be patient and show restraint on Sunday, a day after a police-involved shootout left an officer injured, a man dead and a second man wounded.

During a news conference Sunday morning, Mayor Thaddeus Kirkland praised the hospital that saved Police Capt. Alan Davis' life, offered prayers to the man injured in the shooting and asked that the community show restraint as authorities investigate the incident.

Davis was shot in the chest and arm. He was in stable condition on Sunday. Police have not identified the man who died in the shooting or the man who was wounded.

"If we go through the process, then the truth will be revealed," Kirkland said. "So we're asking the Chester community once again to practice restraint, practice patience and understand that once this is done ... the truth will come out."

The shootout began as a traffic stop when Chester Police responded to a report of a possibly stolen vehicle at Union and Parker streets just after 4 p.m. Saturday, officials said. When officers arrived, at least one person inside opened fire, according to authorities.

"When the officers tried to stop it they didn't cooperate and there ended up being shots fired from the car and then back at the car," said Chester Police Chief James Nolan.

One officer is in the hospital and one suspect died after shots were fired Saturday night in Chester. NBC10s Randy Gyllenhaal reports with the updates in the story.

Captain Davis and the second suspect, a 19-year-old man, were taken to the Crozer-Chester Medical Center. Davis, a 26-year veteran of the police force, is currently in stable condition. Family members of the 19-year-old man who were outside the hospital told NBC10 he is stable as well. They also claimed the man is innocent and that police "got the wrong car."

One police officer is being treated at the Crozer-Chester Medical Center after he was shot during a traffic stop in Chester. NBC10s Drew Smith reports with an update on how the officer is doing.

A large crowd of community members gathered at the scene of the shooting Saturday evening. NBC10's Randy Gyllenhaal reports a confrontation and fight occurred between police officers and some members of the crowd leading to pepper spray being used. Police told NBC10 the scuffle began when the crowd pushed up against the barrier as officials removed the man's body from the scene. Police detained two people during the scuffle and say they have the situation under control.

WARNING: EXPLICIT LANGUAGE

Breaking: Pepper spray and large fight breaking out at scene of Chester shooting. Crowd very angry @NBCPhiladelphia pic.twitter.com/aevC4CgVax  Randy Gyllenhaal (@RandyGyllenhaal) March 13, 2016

Crowd pushed forward at scene of police involved shooting demanding answers. pic.twitter.com/yw40lSvmHk  Randy Gyllenhaal (@RandyGyllenhaal) March 13, 2016

Police continue to investigate the shooting. Residents told NBC10 they're concerned about transparency during the investigation in light of another deadly police-involved shooting in February.

"The question is back to the police," said Pastor Calvin Williams. "Who was at fault? Are ya'll gonna tell the truth? All we want is the truth. We the people of the city of Chester, we want the truth this time."
A tugboat crashed into a barge on the Hudson River early Saturday, killing a crew member and dumping about 5,000 gallons of fuel into the water. Two others aboard the tug were missing and presumed dead.

The 90-foot tugboat named Specialist hit a barge at around 5:20 a.m., near the site where the new Tappan Zee Bridge is being built, police said.

Within minutes, it sank in more than 40 feet of water, officials said.

"This was a loss of life and it is tragic, and our hearts go out to the families that had to hear that news today," Gov. Andrew Cuomo said at a news conference.

Paul Amon, 62, of Bayville, New Jersey, who was aboard the Specialist, was killed in the accident, authorities said.

New York State Police, the U.S. Coast Guard and fire and police agencies from Westchester and Rockland counties were searching for the missing crew members. Their names haven't been disclosed.

The search was called-off for the night at about 9 p.m.

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation was on the scene addressing the fuel spill, and a spill team had been ordered to the site, officials said.

"We don't expect at this time any long-term damage," Cuomo said of the spill. He went on to say: "So far we believe that we have it contained."

The tugboat was pushing a barge down the Hudson when it crashed into a barge that is part of the bridge construction project, officials said. No one on that barge was injured.

The Specialist had departed from Albany and was en route to Jersey City.

The crash occurred near the scene of an earlier boat crash in 2013 that killed a bride-to-be and her fiance's best man.

That crash, which killed Lindsey Stewart and Mark Lennon, both 30, also involved a Tappan Zee Bridge construction barge. Victims' families have filed lawsuits against several construction companies in that crash. The Coast Guard and the state Thruway Authority, which is building the bridge, said the barge was properly lighted, although additional lighting was installed after the crash.

The new bridge is to replace an adjacent aging span that now connects Westchester and Rockland County. Construction on the $3.9 billion project began in October 2013 and is expected to be completed by 2018.
A northeastern Pennsylvania school teacher is facing drug, evidence tampering and other charges in connection with her boyfriend's fatal heroin overdose last month. State police say 35-year-old Nicole Gordon, of Towanda, tampered with the scene and had drug paraphernalia on her after he boyfriend died in Sheshequin Township on Feb. 15.

Police have also charged Gordon with endangering her young daughter, who they say was present when she and her boyfriend, Wade Sparbanie, used heroin that day. Police say Gordon lied to them about using drugs and hid evidence including syringes and pills.

Online court records don't list an attorney for Gordon, who is suspended with pay from her job at Canton Area Junior/Senior High School. That's in Bradford County, about 60 miles northwest of Scranton.
UPDATE: Philadelphia Police identified the suspect as Steven Simminger and victim as Colin McGovern. They say the incident appeared to begin as a verbal fight over Simminger's New Jersey Devils baseball cap.

Police arrested a homeless veteran accused of stabbing and killing a man in downtown Philadelphia's Rittenhouse Square neighborhood after what witnesses described as an argument over sports teams.

Police said they responded about 3 a.m. for 9-1-1 calls about a person with a weapon and a stabbing at 19th Street and Rittenhouse Square. The victim, a 24-year-old man from Bucks County, was walking with another man and two women when they were approached by a man they did not know, investigators told NBC10's Monique Braxton.

Braxton learned at the scene that the victim and the attacker argued over sports teams briefly before the attacker pulled a knife and stabbed the man in the stomach.

Good Samaritans and the victim's friends rushed to help him, taking off articles of clothing to try to stop the bleeding.

"I took my jacket off, I knelt down beside him, lifted his shirt up and just started putting pressure on what was a stab wound that we saw on his stomach," Megan Hellander, one of those Samaritans, said. "And I was just trying to kind of whisper in his ear that the ambulance was coming."

Police said it appears that the man did not know the assailant and that he and his friends were approached by the person at random.

"There was a brief verbal altercation, a struggle ensued that lasted a few seconds, and by witness accounts, the offender stabbed the complainant," Philadelphia Police Capt. Nicholas Smith said at the scene. "Then [the attacker] fled the area going southbound on 19th Street, then eastbound on Manning Street."

Sunday night, police told NBC10 they arrested a suspect in the deadly stabbing. While they did not release his name, they said he is a homeless veteran who frequently stays in Rittenhouse Square. A source told NBC10 he went to the VA Hospital on Woodland Avenue because he was injured during a scuffle before the stabbing. Police told NBC10 they were able to identify him through surveillance video.
The 911 call the evening of Aug. 27, 2015 is chilling to hear. A man in his 20s, with a gunshot wound himself, is heard crying for his brother who would later not survive.

"Bro!" the dispatcher can hear him cry. "Bro! My brother's been shot!" and then a long, loud scream: "Noooooooo!"

That caller is Wendal Jamar. And he felt those same feelings just 10 years before when he was present for the murder of his twin brother. That case remains unsolved.

But for his big brother, 38-year-old Davion Washington, his murder happened when Washington was trying to rescue Jamar from the streets of South LA.

"We had already moved to Texas," Valerie Sherman says of her son Davion. "He was coming back to convince him to move with us."

It was supposed to be a quick trip. It would be Davion's last.

"You get that call and it's like, your son's been shot. I thought I'd never breathe again," Sherman said.

The murder happened in the middle of South LA's deadliest month in decades and during the rumored #100Days100Nights of violence. LAPD 77th Division is investigating and detectives from South Bureau Criminal Gang Homicide Division say it's likely someone knows who the shooters were.

The shooting happened in an apartment courtyard near West Century Boulevard and Van Ness. Police describe it as an ambush, leaving three people shot. Only Washington was killed.

"A green Mitsubishi Montero pulled up to the location," describes LAPD Officer Gregg Fischer. "Two male blacks, mid 20s, exited the vehicle, both armed with handguns. They fired 14 rounds at the victims, striking all three victims."

It was just after six in the evening, the sun was still shining and the trio were enjoying a barbecue. Neighbor Stanley Piper remembers hearing the gun shots and hitting the floor.

"It's senseless," he says. "Actually seeing the person gasping for air, taking their last breath, whatever. It kinda sticks with you."

Piper says he believes someone knows something they're not sharing with police, too, adding that the code of silence is affecting the community.

"In order for the neighborhood to change, the people gotta change," he says.

As for Sherman, she doesn't make excuses for the lives her sons lived. She admits to having overcome drug and alcohol addiction, saying her faith in God is what pulled her through then and pulls her through now.

"I don't understand why it happened but I trust God," she says.

And still her pain is like hundreds more mothers in South Los Angeles grieving over their children, many of them without any answers as to who pulled the triggers. Their only hope is that someone will come forward in their search for justice.

"I know that justice will be served for my son. I know that," Sherman says, "I know it in my heart."

Anyone with information in the case is asked to contact LAPD South Bureau Criminal Gang Homicide Division. Callers can remain anonymous. The number is: 323-786-5100.
Comedian Kevin Hart "smoked" Louisiana State University's Track and Field star Jada Martin in a hilarious race.

At least that's the version of the story Hart will be telling.

Hart challenged the two-time All-American to a sprint. In a video posted to LSU's Track and Field Facebook account, a man is heard saying "Ready, set" as Hart clearly takes off before the word "go" is uttered.

Martin quickly reacts, sprinting to catch up. But Hart is able to outpace her.

In a subsequent video, Hart taunts Martin with his win, telling her "100 thousand people just saw" him "smoke you from the start." [[371882642, C]]

The "Ride Along" star advises Martin to "work on her starts." Ouch. Hart-less.

The pint-sized funny man is no stranger to running. Hart is known for soliciting fans on social media to join him on spontaneous 5K jogs around cities in the U.S. during his stand-up tours. [[371882842, C]]
A bald eagle was rescued in Charles County, Maryland, after it was found entangled in a cord in the woods on Friday.

A post on the Charles County Sheriffs Offices Facebook page showed how Department of Natural Resource officers and private wildlife rescue personnel worked with the sheriffs office to free the bird. The two police officers who responded help catch the eagle and held it while others freed the bird from the cord.

They said the cord was choking the eagle and had wrapped around its talons. Within minutes, they were able to free the bird, check it for injuries and release it safely.
After a surprise upset in Michigan, Illinois is more in play than ever in the Democratic presidential primary.

Bernie Sanders is among the candidates turning their attention to Illinois, and in his efforts to take the state, Sanders is taking on a new adversary: Mayor Rahm Emanuel.

At a rally in suburban Summit Friday, he criticized the embattled mayor, thanking him for endorsing Hillary Clinton over him.

"I don't want the endorsement of a mayor who is shutting down school after school and firing teachers," Sanders said, to cheers from the crowd.

He elaborated on his statements at a press conference Saturday, flanked by community members including Jesus 'Chuy' Garcia, who challenged Emanuel in his 2015 re-election bid.



"As you know, Hillary Clinton proudly lists Mayor Rahm Emanuel as one of her leading mayoral endorsers, I believe he is at the top of the list of mayors who are endorsing her," Sanders said.



"Based on his disastrous record as mayor of the City of Chicago, I do not want Mayor Emanuels endorsement if I win the Democratic nomination. That is not the kind of support that I want to take," he continued. "We want the endorsement of people who are fighting for social and racial justice, we do not want the support of people who are indebted to Wall Street and the big money interests."

Sanders addressed the budget shortfall at both the local and state level, attributing both to "toxic swaps" with Wall Street banks.

"Mayor Emanuel had a choice: He could stand with the children or he could stand with Wall Street," Sanders said. "He made the wrong choice."

"The mayor has no problem putting pressure on teachers when he wants concession from them. He has no problem arm twisting parents on the South Side or the West Side when he wants to close down their schools. He is really tough isnt he, taking on the children and the parents?," he asked. "But he aint so tough taking on the big money interests on Wall Street."

This rhetoric comes just days after Sanders launched three television ads in Illinois, featuring Garcia, as well as Chicago School Principal Troy LaRaviere, all critical of Emanuel.
While the Maryland General Assembly's presiding officers rely on staff to read and respond to email on their state accounts, Gov. Larry Hogan is in the driver's seat of his. The 59-year-old Republican is blunt with his staffers when it comes to defending his administration and protecting his image.



The Associated Press obtained hundreds of pages of emails from the governor and leading lawmakers over a week's time in a Public Information Act request as part of a Sunshine Week initiative. From complaints about editorials to how he looks in a photograph, Hogan doesn't hold back when he reads something he doesn't like.



"What idiots" Hogan wrote, after complaining to his deputy director of communications about a reporter's story on a budget matter on Feb. 5 and asking the staffer to correct him.



The AP requested emails and calendar items from Feb. 1 to Feb. 7, a busy week during the state's legislative session that included Hogan's State of the State speech. The governor bristled at an editorial in The Baltimore Sun about his speech to the legislature, in which the newspaper wrote: "The battle lines in Annapolis appear to be shifting from a fight about whether Mr. Hogan's agenda is dangerous for Maryland to one about whether his inaction is setting the state back."



The governor wrote to his communications director: "My `inaction is setting the state back.' What a joke. We have more action in one year than most do in 8."



The governor added in the Feb. 3 email that he has been a leading voice for improving the state's economic competitiveness and that Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller and House Speaker Michael Busch were not focused on the issue before Hogan called attention to it.

Hogan noted their response, which included convening an economic development panel headed by former Lockheed Martin CEO Norman Augustine to make recommendations. The governor wrote that the "fact they have done nothing proves it was a PR stunt in response to me."



Hogan took issue with another Sun editorial two days earlier, after a snowstorm, when the newspaper wrote that Howard County Executive Allan Kittleman raised Lt. Gov. Boyd Rutherford's street higher in priority for plowing. The Sun quoted Del. Frank Turner as finding it "odd" that his street didn't get plowed as quickly even though he lives near Rutherford.



"What a BS Sun editorial," Hogan wrote to two administration spokesmen. "We have the best response of any state. And the only thing to focus on is Boyd, again?! We should raise holy hell."



He wrote another email less than an hour later: "Baltimore City still hasn't dug out thousands of people and they get a pass. They'd rather talk about one whiny delegate and one street in Howard County as the most important lesson of storm?!"



The Sun isn't the only publication to annoy the governor.



Hogan, who underwent 30 days of chemotherapy last year to treat B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma, noted a photo he thought was used often by The Washington Times that showed him during the worst period of his treatment. The governor wrote: ``Can we get Wash Times to stop using that photo?''



The week also included a campaign trip to New Hampshire for New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, who campaigned for Hogan in 2014. Hogan emailed an aide who gathers press clips that "you missed a bunch of hogan christie stories and tv clips."



While the Hogan administration released about 210 pages of emails, some were withheld because they were protected by executive privilege, wrote Geoffrey Hengerer, in a letter responding to the PIA request. Documents withheld or redacted involved communications to and from employees and officials of the governor's office in discussion of "different options available to it when considering various budgeting and legislative priorities," Hengerer wrote



Miller and Busch, who are both Democrats, also provided emails and calendars, but both have staffers read and respond to emails. Many of them are letters from residents expressing support or opposition to legislation. Del. Nic Kipke, the House minority leader, and Sen. J.B. Jennings, the Senate minority leader, also provided emails and calendars.



None of them were required to release many of the emails under the state's Public Information Act, according to Sandra Brantley, counsel to the General Assembly. As members of the legislature, all public records related to their legislative activities "are absolutely privileged and do not have to be disclosed," Brantley wrote in a letter responding to the request.



"Nearly every email and calendar item you requested falls within the constitutional legislative privilege," Brantley wrote, adding that the lawmakers decided to waive their privilege.
A Prince George's County police officer was killed in what police are calling an "unprovoked attack" outside police headquarters in the Palmer Park area of Landover, Maryland.

Police have identified the fallen officer as 28-year-old Jacai Colson, a four-year veteran of the Prince George's County Police Department. Colson was a narcotics officer and would have celebrated his 29th birthday this week.

"It is my sad duty to come to the community this evening and to tell you that one of your defenders, Jacai Colson... lost his life in defense of this county today," Prince George's County Police Chief Hank Stawinski said in a news conference Sunday night.

Stawinski said Colson was killed in an "unprovoked attack" on the District III police station at about 4:30 p.m. when one man started firing a gun at officers.

"It wasn't about anything. This man launched an attack on a police station and engaged several Prince George's County police officers in a gun fight, to which they responded -- heroically."

The suspect was arrested at a Popeyes fast food restaurant nearby.

A second suspect was arrested a short time later. One suspect was wounded and taken to the hospital. Police could not confirm if the suspect was shot by an officer and said he is stable and is expected to survive.

Police do not believe there are any more suspects.

Colson was transported to Prince George's Hospital Center in the back of a police cruiser and later pronounced dead.

"This is truly a dark day in Prince George's County. An unwarranted, unprovoked attack on our officers at a police station," said John Teletchea, Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 89 president. "We would ask for the community's prayers at this time...and we would ask for God to bless Prince George's County so we never see a day like this again."

Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan has ordered the flags to fly at half-staff in honor of Colson. He released the following statement:

"I am shocked and saddened by the news this evening of the death of Prince George's County police officer Jacai Colson in the line of duty. Our administration is committed to assisting Prince George's County officials during this time, and the Maryland State Police are working closely with local law enforcement to provide support as needed. The First Lady and I send our sincere prayers to the family and loved ones of Officer Colson, who made the ultimate sacrifice in service to his fellow citizens and community. It is my hope that his proud legacy of commitment and passion for law enforcement and serving others will provide some comfort in the difficult days that lie ahead."

County officials expressed similar sentiments at the police news conference the night of the shooting.

"The thing that we have to do as a county, as a government and as a society, is to do our best to make sure this never happens again," Prince George's County Executive Rushern Baker said.

The county state's attorney, Angela Alsobrooks, called the shooting an act of "evil" and "cowardice."

"This is a crime against this entire community and we will treat it as such," Alsobrooks said. "His life was precious."

The District III police station is next to Prince George's County police headquarters on Barlowe Road, police said.

Several roads were closed in the area to allow for police response and investigation.

Police had called this an "active shooter" situation earlier in the evening and had encouraged residents to shelter in place and avoid the area. That shelter in place order has been lifted.

Colson was from Upper Chichester, Pennsylvania, near Philadelphia, NBC10 reports.

Two weeks ago in Prince William County in Virginia, 28-year-old Officer Ashley Guindon was shot and killed on her first day on the job. Two other officers were also shot. They were responding to a domestic dispute at a home in Woodbridge.
One person is dead and one person hospitalized after a canoe tipped over in a Lancaster, Massachusetts pond.

Fitchburg Police confirmed a regional dive team was called to Fort Pond at 5 a.m. Sunday.

The body of 18-year-old Michael Thao of Leominster was pulled from the pond just after 6 a.m., according to police.

Authorities say they initially received a call Sunday morning of a breaking and entering in progress; however, when police arrived at the scene, they found a man inside the home who said he broke in to use a phone to call 911 himself after the canoe he was fishing in with his nephew capsized.

The man, who was not identified by police, was able to swim to shore to call for help.

Investigators say Thao's death is an "unfortunate" accident.
Three families are homeless and a community is heartbroken after a tenant lost her life in an early-morning apartment building fire in Boston.

The fire broke out around 6 a.m. Saturday on the third floor of a building on East Canton Street. Everyone inside was awakened by fire alarms.



"Some of them were crying, some of them were coughing," said Paulette Sadberry, who rushed out of the building next door.

That's when she found out a friend of more than 10 years didn't make it out.



"She lost her life this morning," said Sadberry. "I can't believe it. It's unbelievable."

Fire officials say the woman was found trapped in the bathroom. Her husband suffered burns on his head.

Sadberry was able to see the victim's husband and daughter before they were rushed to the hospital.



"I immediately gave the little girl a hug and I held on to her because I noticed that she was not completely dressed," she said. "I offered my condolences."

Officials believe this was Massachusetts' 20th fire fatality since January.

Boston Fire Commissioner Joseph Finn says recently, there has been an uptick in fire deaths at buildings without working fire alarms or detectors, but that was not the case Saturday.

Investigators continue to look in to why the fire broke out, while Sadberry's focus is on the grieving family.

"All I know is that a life was lost today," she said. "How that happened, why did it happen, it doesn't matter now. All we need to do is pray for the family and offer our condolences and support."

Two more people were treated for non-life threatening injuries. Two other apartments had to be evacuated due to smoke damage.

Damage to the building is estimated at $100,000.

Police and fire officials are investigating the cause of the fire, which appears to have started near the bathroom of the apartment.
A Hartford, Connecticut officer is the subject of an internal investigation after a photo of a Trump for President bumper sticker on his cruiser was seen by a passerby and posted to social media.

A statement from Deputy Chief Brian J. Foley called the behavior irresponsible.

"This political sticker situation has been addressed. The sticker, which was conspicuously affixed to the top of a HPD laptop computer within the marked patrol vehicle, has been removed, the statement continued. The officer was counseled on the critical importance of remaining neutral and impartial. We also reminded all HPD officers to remain politically neutral. Specific daily roll call training is being given at all shifts. The matter will now be referred for an internal investigation.

I am, and we are, embarrassed and sorry for this lack of professionalism and judgement.

Foley said the department also reached out to community leaders to apologize.

The name of the officer was not released.
A Norwich educational charity, set up in memory of a Norwich Anglican priest, to support students from a Palestinian refugee camp, is inviting people to support its Christmas appeal  to be launched on November 29.

A Norwich educational charity, set up in memory of a Norwich Anglican priest, to support students from a Palestinian refugee camp, is inviting people to support its Christmas appeal  to be launched on November 29.

Norfolk drug and alcohol charity pays tribute to its founder Andy Sexton, CEO of the Matthew Project, introduces a series of tributes from the charity to its founder, Peter Farley. Read more

Cliff look alike at Cromer Church breakfast Cliff Richard tribute performer Will Chandler will be the speaker at a special Mens Breakfast at Cromer Parish Hall next month, and all men are welcome to come along. Read more

Heartsease Lane Methodist church to close As part of a reorganisation of the Norwich Methodist Circuit, Heartsease Lane Methodist Church will be closing towards the end of the year. Read more

Free Julian of Norwich reflection and prayer day The Friends of Julian of Norwich present a free Quiet Half-Day with Robert Fruehwirth, author and former Priest Director of the Julian Centre, on Saturday November 12, 10.30am-2pm. Read more

What it means for us to repent Nigel Fox believes that now is the time for a tide of repentance, and shares his thoughts about what that actually means for our society. Read more

Christmas card shop opens in Norwich church Thousands of Christmas cards from around 30 local Norfolk charities have gone on sale today (October 19) at the Original Norwich Charity Christmas Card Shop inside St Peter Mancroft church in Norwich city centre. Read more

Revelation Christian Resource Centre and Cafe Revelation in Norwich is a Christian resource centre, offering a bookshop, a meeting place and a welcoming refuge for refreshment open to visitors of any faith or none. Read more

Farewell as Yarmouth church leader moves on Captain Marie Burr, the Salvation Army leader in Great Yarmouth, has paid tribute to everyone at the church and charity after she left her post at the end of last month to move to a new role. Read more

Norwich Cathedral chorister in BBC final Norwich Cathedral chorister Alice Platten has her sights set on being crowned BBC Young Chorister of the Year after reaching the final stages of the prestigious nationwide competition. Read more

Norwich to hear pastor, Policeman and tramp tale Essex Baptist Pastor Dave McDowell has been a Policeman, fed orphans in India and lived under a boat as a tramp. He will tell his remarkable story at the October dinner of Norwich FGB on Wednesday October 26. Read more

Pioneer UK leader speaks at Sheringham church Ness Wilson, national leader of the Pioneer network of churches, was the main speaker at a day of teaching and worship held at Lighthouse Community Church in Sheringham on 12 October, to be followed up by Word and Worship sessions at October half term. Read more

Norwich event to give tips on bouncing forwards St Stephens in Norwich will be hosting an evening in October with Patrick Regan OBE, as he explores themes from his book Bouncing Forwards. Read more

Youth for Christ lights a fire in north Breckland North Breckland Youth for Christ will be putting on a mini residential camp this year to coincide with Bonfire Night. Read more

Delia Smith interviewed at Norwich church Top TV cook and well-known writer Delia Smith spoke about her faith at SOUL Churchs weekly Chapel gathering on October 11. Read more

Children's Christian holiday club in Briston A half term childrens holiday bible club is taking place in Briston next week, and there is no charge to take part in the fun. Read more

Ashill church puts on music to touch the soul The Fountain of Life Church in Ashill is hosting an afternoon concert in early November with classical, jazz, opera, ballads and pop classics. Read more

Fakenhams new rector is officially installed Rev Tracy Jessop has been officially installed as Rector for Fakenham during a service at Fakenham Parish Church on Tuesday September 27, fourteen months after their last reverend retired. Read more
Champaign, IL (61820)

Today

Sunny to partly cloudy. High around 80F. Winds S at 15 to 25 mph. Higher wind gusts possible..

Tonight

Some clouds. Low 61F. Winds SSE 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 American Thoracic Society applauds the collaborative effort of President Barack Obama and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of Canada to reduce methane emissions from the oil and natural gas sector. Methane is a powerful greenhouse gas that contributes to global climate change. Joint U.S.-Canada commitment to reduce methane emissions by 40-45 percent below 2012 levels by 2025 speaks volumes; it is a serious policy response that shows a willingness to embrace rigorous scientific research in advancing actions to address the human health risk posed by global climate change.

"This decision is a big win for communities and for public health," said Atul Malhotra, MD, ATS President. "Controlling methane gas emissions is an important step to addressing the myriad human health effects caused by global climate change. Hopefully this partnership between the U.S. and Canada will set the standard for more global initiatives."
Home News Sports Social Obituaries Events Letters Looking Back Health Jewels Stitch in Time Women in Agriculture Conference at University of Idaho Extension Office March 14, 2016 On Saturday, March 19, the 2016 Women in Agriculture Conference will offer women in Idaho, Washington, Oregon, Montana and Alaska a unique opportunity to gather in 31 different locations for a one-day event featuring knowledgeable speakers, inspiring stories, networking with other producers, and practical advice for learning new skills.



This years event, Power Up Your Communication, Power Up Your Farm covers the topic of your communication style and how you use it to manage, motivate and influence people.



Locally, the conference will be held at the University of Idaho Extension Office Conference Room in Bonners Ferry, from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. For more information, please call 208-267-3235 or email Kate Painter at kpainter@uidaho.edu. Visit the website at www.womeninag.wsu.edu for details about the conference and registration. Scholarships in the form of reimbursement for registration will be available for Boundary County participants.



Whether you communicate on Facebook or face to face, it matters how you communicate with others. Understanding your style is a powerful tool for building personal and business relationships. This interactive and engaging conference will define how you communicate for success, according to Washington State University Douglas County Extension Director and chair of the conference, Margaret Viebrock. The format of this conference enables us to offer our headline speakers at all locations, while still tailoring the conference content for each region.



Last year, nearly 650 women attended, said Viebrock. Many attendees reported it is the best conference for women producers because it presents practical information they can use right away.



The lineup for the day includes Wendy Knopp and Michael Stolp with Northwest Farm Credit Services who will help the participants discover their communication style. These skills will improve decision making and connect marketing to what motivates prospects and customers.



Tangent, Oregon farmer Shelly Boshart Davis will show how she improved her communication approach to improve her business strategies, motivate employees, work with her family, and increase business sales.



In addition to improving communications, this conference will help women farmers use their personality traits to change as the situation changes, Viebrock added.



This conference is designed for women who are farming, as well as new and aspiring farmers. Supporting spouses, students, interns or people who own an agriculture-related business are also welcome.



The conference registration fee is $30, but the early bird special of $25 has been extended if you register this week. The conference registration fee includes the workshop, light breakfast, lunch and conference materials.



Persons with a disability requiring special accommodations while participating in this program may contact Margaret Viebrock, 509-745-8531, viebrock@wsu.edu. Questions or comments about this article? Click here to e-mail!
21-year-old killed over Puma sneakers

This, Holly Ann Moore believes is the motive for the murder of her 21-year-old son, Akil Hernandez who was shot dead outside his girlfriends home in St James, on Friday night.

Hernandez, a labourer who works in St Joseph, was sitting outside his girlfriends house at 10 New Road, St James, when just after 9 pm, a man emerged from a nearby track, and opened fire on him. He was shot three times and died at the scene.

After police arrived and crime scene investigators were processing the area, Moore lamented about her son.

I would never expect that my son would go like this! she exclaimed.

Is best they did take my life. This boy never disrespect me.

He is such a loving child. Everyday I go down on my knees and ask God to cover my son, with the blood of Jesus Christ, and look what they kill my son for! The mother of two explained to Sunday Newsday why she believed her son was killed.

Early last month, a young man from Port-of-Spain moved into the area to live and would later threaten Hernandez over a pair of Puma sneakers.

Moore had recently told Hernandez to leave two pairs of Puma sneakers he had under their house because they smelled of toe jam, insisting they could not be taken inside until they were cleaned.

Three days later she noticed the sneakers were missing.

I asked Akil if he cleaned his shoes he said no, Moore recounted.

I said the shoes were not under the house. Someone went with the shoes. About two weeks after he came to me and said he saw someone with the shoes (one of the pairs). He started to get upset but I told Akil before this start to get out of hand, it was best he go to the police station. Before he could go to the police station, Hernandez saw a police vehicle and told the officers about the missing sneakers and that he had seen someone wearing one of the pairs. The police found the young man whom Hernandez said had on the sneakers and arrested him, but the detainee told officers the pair was not stolen but was given to him by a friend.

However, Moore said at the time the police were questioning the young man, Hernandez was threatened by the mans friend.

That night, the boy who stole the shoes said he would kill Akil for making his friend get locked up. The next day he called my son outside, and as soon as he came outside he hit my son with a big stone in his chest. We went down in St James Medical (Facility) and got a check-up and he (doctor) gave him a slip. We went in the station and requested to make another report.

They (police) said they would come to our area to collect it, but they never came, Moore told Sunday Newsday.

Last Friday night, when Moore got home she checked to see if her son was there. She saw that another pair of sneakers, an Adidas, which he owned was not there and knew he had gone out.

 I noticed his blue and white Adidas missing. I called him and asked where he was. He said he was in the back by his girlfriend and he was coming home soon. I was waiting for him to come because I cannot sleep when my son is outside.

I really hear the four shots but I am not from any gangster area, so I dont know what gunshots sound like. I thought they were firecrackers going off. Then I hear someone calling out Akil! Akil! I pulled the curtain and I saw the neighbour.

I said Akil is not there, and the neighbour said, Mother they now kill your son. With that I ran up the road and saw my son lying there. Moore told Sunday Newsday she has lost all faith in the police, believing that if they had arrested the man who assaulted her son he would still be alive.

When the boy threatened my son and we went to the station to make the report, the police officer there said he could not do anything because he was not the investigating officer. I told him that they would wait until someone gets killed before they do something. They had someone locked up with my sons shoes on and telling me that they cannot charge him because he did not steal the shoes. The police went in the house that they were staying in and got the next pair of shoes.

They never come and hold the boy.

Meanwhile he kept sending threats for my son. People said they saw him walking up and down with a cutlass looking for my son. Moore said as far as she knew the person who stole Hernandez pairs of sneakers is still at large. The man who was arrested has since been released. Western Division homicide detectives have begun gathering evidence including Moores receipts of reports made to police about the threats. Ninety-five people have been murdered for 2016.
Catching Mr Big not easy

According to ACP Surajdeen Persad, in charge of Northern, Eastern and North-Eastern Divisions, for the year so far, 87 percent of murders were committed with firearms. Therefore, Trinidad and Tobago Police Service (TTPS) has made it a priority to reduce firearm- related violence.

Persad made the statement on Friday night at the TTPS Northern Division Town Meeting at the Tunapuna Community Centre.

Also speaking at the meeting was Snr Supt Sacenarine Mahabir, newly appointed Divisional Commander of the Northern Division, who stated that from 2013 to 2016 there had been a steady decline in criminal activity, by 50 percent, in the Northern Division.

He assured that the police would continue to work on further reductions.

He recognised that drugs and guns were the main drivers of criminal activity in the country, but stressed that catching the elusive Mr Big was not as simple as people believe. He noted these elements come in through the countrys porous boarders, of which the police had no control.

If we could stop drugs and guns in the country then we wouldnt need police officers. Thats the end of crime...

People seem to think that everyone knows who the drug pushers and runners are. If we have information, of course the police, for my part and the Northern Division...

we would work on it, but it is easier said than done, he said.
Girl, 10, bleeds like Christ?

The little girl from south Oro-pouche has become a source of wonder for villagers, with some likening her experience to the wounds of Jesus Christ, inflict-ed by Roman soldiers during his Crucifixion according to Christian beliefs.The occurrence of a person bleeding from the hands and feet without any sign of a wound is known as stigmata and Christian history has recordings of persons experiencing what many believe is a miracle.However, for parents sian and Felix Manrique that are not only baffled by what is happening to their daughter they worry for her health as she is in pain. I hope that this is a good sign and that my daughter is safe as I re-ally fear for her life at times, sian told Sunday Newsday yesterday.Ghinelle, the elder of two chil-dren, bleeds from her hands, feet, nose, navel, head and ears. Al-though there are no open wounds, the blood appears on her body while she feels pain. Ghinelle smiled shyly, when Sunday News-day spoke with her yesterday, say-ing she does not like to experience the bleeding.when asked if she understood the similarity some see between her bleeding and wounds of Jesus Christ, Ghinelle nods her head, signalling she was not sure. sian, her mother, said some peo-ple feel what is happening to her daughter is the devils work, but most feel it is a sign from God, as a reminder of Christ suffering, as Christians prepare to commemo-rate Holy week, which begins with Palm sunday next week leading to Good Friday, the day marking Christs crucifixion to be followed by the observance of his resurrec-tion on easter sunday.sian said the first time her daughter bled from her eyes on Carnival sunday (February 7) she was rushed to the hospital where she stayed for five days but doc-tors could not determine what was wrong with her. I was happy that the bleeding stopped and she had no damage to her eyes but just three days after she began bleed-ing at the centre of her palm and the under her feet, sian explains. The parents live a quiet life in the rural district and they both admit they are not church-goers. we do attend church but not on a regu-lar basis, sian said. since the news broke on social media scores of people have visited Ghinelle both at home and at her school. sian played a recording on her phone of Ghinelle while she experienced the pains and bleeding and it brought tears to the eyes of those listening to the young child as she held on to her father Felix.Roman Catholic priest Pax Jey-sarwan of Our Lady of As-sumption Church, Oropouche has witnessed this strange bleeding. He told the parents he could not say whether it was a spiritual oc-currence. The priest offered con-solation saying it could very well be a message from God. The media and others crowded the relatives home to find out the details of this unusual occurrence. The Manrique family lives in a narrow road just off the Fyzabad Main Road, in a simple wooden structure with a garage at the front of the house. sian was with her two daughters talking about the life of her ten-year-old. she said she when she was pregnant with Ghi-nelle, she experienced a lot of pain and had a high fever that brought about a seizure. she was eight months pregnant when she went into labour and Ghinelle was born. sian said she then got a rosary and placed it at the crib of her baby and she would pray for her daily. sian said her own mother, san-dra Ramjit, is a devoted Pentecos-tal and pray for her and Ghinelle. Follow this experience, sian did not have another child until seven years after when she gave birth to her second daughter Kiera, now three-years-old. she had feared going through the same experience she when she was having Ghinelle and this is why she waited several years to have another child. sian said she fell in love with her husband at the age of 15 but she was not allowed to speak to him and it was not un-til she was 18that she followed up on the relationship. she eventually married Felix just two years ago.
This Gone Girl Cruise

Was Weirder Than

You Could Imagine
(Newser)  The 26-year-old Alaskan who says he was driving blackout drunk when he hit two Iditarod sled dog teams Saturday, killing one dog and injuring others, has been arrested and charged on suspicion of assault, reckless endangerment, reckless driving, and six counts of criminal mischief, reports the Los Angeles Times. Arnold Demoski of Nulato is speaking quite freely with media, telling KTUU that the incident was not "intentional. That's not me. I don't do stuff like that." Mushers Jeff King and Aliy Zirkle, who were hit, beg to differ, telling authorities they believe the incident was intentional.

King's 3-year-old dog, Nash, was killed. "One of my dogs was killed pretty much on the spot, and a couple others I gave first aid to the best I could and loaded them into my sled," King says, per the AP. "I kind of felt like a triage ambulance." Demoski says he woke up after the morning after a night of drinking to discover that his snowmobile was missing its hood and had fresh, rust-colored stains on its sides. He called the village police officer to confess, he says. Asked whether he should face jail, Demoski tells KTUU that although he hopes to avoid it, he probably should go "for at least some time." (Read more Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race stories.)
(Newser)  An Orange County defense attorney suffered a bloodied face and fractured nose after a brawl with a district attorney's investigator in a courthouse hallway, his lawyer said. James Crawford was speaking with a witness in the courthouse Wednesday morning when an investigator asked him who he was and called defense lawyers "sleazy," said Jerry Steering, Crawford's attorney. The men traded insults and the investigator threw a metal document clip at Crawford, which he threw back, Steering said. The investigator then grabbed Crawford, slammed his head into a bench and began punching him. Steering said Crawford did not strike back. The Orange County DA's office declined comment. The county sheriff's department is investigating the incident, which was reported Friday by the Orange County Register.

"There are two sides to every story and that is certainly true here," says an attorney for the investigator. The state AG's office will review the incident, which has stoked outrage among many defense attorneys. "It is an affront to the criminal justice system and to the citizens of Orange County that this DA would allow this to happen on his watch and stay completely silent," says a rep of the California Attorneys for Criminal Justice. The fight comes amid a simmering scandal over the Orange County DA's use of jailhouse informants and related evidence; Crawford recently won a new trial for a suspect in the 1998 murder of a pregnant woman. The Association of Orange County Deputy Sheriffs, which represents DA's investigators, said there were many witnesses to the fight. "His one-sided version of events is simply not true," says the association's president. (Read more Orange County stories.)
(Newser)  A man in central Florida has been arrested after telling a deputy he was speeding because he had to go to the bathroom. Lake County Sheriff's officials say 24-year-old Carlos Adonis Ramos-Erazo refused to get out of his vehicle Thursday after being nabbed for going 20 miles over the speed limit75mph in a 55mph zone. He said he had to go to the bathroom and drove off, hitting the deputy's arm with the vehicle.

Authorities say the deputy followed the man to his home. When the Ramos-Erazo tried to run inside, the deputy shot him with a Taser. He apparently wasn't bluffing: Authorities say he urinated and defecated in the back of the patrol car on the way to the jail. The Daily Commercial reports he faces charges including fleeing and battery on a law enforcement officer. (Read more Florida stories.)
(Newser)  The four men left duking it out for the Republican nomination look likely to soon be three after Tuesday's primaries: The latest Wall Street Journal/NBC News/Marist poll shows that in their home states, "the fortunes of Gov. John Kasich and Sen. Marco Rubio appear to be heading in opposite directions," as the Journal puts it. Kasich is ahead of Donald Trump in Ohio with a 39% to 33% lead, while Ted Cruz has 19% in the Buckeye State. Rubio, meanwhile, looks headed for a disastrous loss in Florida; he trails Trump's 43% with 22%barely leading Cruz's 21% in his home state. Both contests are winner-take-all, with Florida's 99 delegates being the big prize of the day. In Illinois, Trump holds a 34% lead over Cruz's 25%; Kasich trails at 21%. (Rubio is cool with his Ohio supporters voting for Kasich. Kasich does not feel similarly in Florida.)
(Newser)  The mom of two teen girls who went missing for 11 months is accused of kidnapping them with help from a female lover, the Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin reports. Cindy Fortner, 46, wept heavily at an arraignment Friday in New York state when she pleaded not guilty to second-degree kidnapping. A few feet away, Broome County District Attorney Steve Cornwell accused Fortner of kidnapping her daughtersShaeleen Fortner, then 13, and Kylea Fortner, then 15on April 27, 2015, before a school bus could take them to their foster home. The DA is also accusing 29-year-old Amanda Hellman, apparently Fortner's lover, of being an accomplice. The girls were found living in Hellman's home in Vestal, NY, a half-mile from the police department.

"They didn't seem to be under duress at all, they seemed comfortable with the arrangement ... they'd go prancing down the street," says a Hellman neighbor. "We had no inkling about it being an abduction." But the legal question is whether Fortner and Hellmann had authority to keep the girls, Cornell says. "The girls cannot consent, as a matter of law, to be with them," he explains. "Not every kidnapping involves a stranger in a van with tinted windows, who's chaining people to the wall." Officials won't say why Fortner lost custody of her girls in the first place, the New York Daily News reports, but Cornell dropped a possible hint: "The case is not closed," he says. "We're certainly not done investigating the case. ... [T]here's a nexus between this case and the heroin epidemic." (Read more kidnapping stories.)
(Newser)  Apparent extremist attacks in the Ivory Coast and Turkey have left nearly 50 people dead. At least six armed men attacked beachgoers outside three hotels Sunday in Grand-Bassam, Ivory Coast, killing at least 14 civilians and two special forces, sending tourists fleeing through the historic Ivory Coast resort town, says Ivory Coast's President Alassane Ouattara. Bloody bodies were sprawled on the beach before being taken away by security forces and Ivorian Red Cross workers, the AP reports. Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb claimed responsibility for the attack, according to SITE Intelligence Group which monitors jihadist websites. The Islamic extremist group called three of the attackers "heroes" for the assault on the Grand Bassam beach resort.

Meanwhile, an explosion in the Turkish capital of Ankara has killed at least 34 people and wounded 125, 19 of them seriously, officials in Turkey tell the AP. The explosion near Ankara's main square is believed to have been caused by a car bomb that went off close to bus stops. No one has claimed the attack, although Kurdish militants and the Islamic State group have carried out bombings in the city recently. Turkey's pro-Kurdish partywhich is frequently linked to the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKKhas issued a statement condemning the attack. Interior Minister Efkan Ala says Sunday's attack won't deter the country from its fight against terrorism. He says authorities have obtained evidence but won't make an announcement on those responsible until the end of the investigation. (Read more terrorist attack stories.)
And now the Louisiana black bear is back. This species has multiplied and fallen off the list of federally protected species, says the government. The state will now take over the task of protecting it.

For decades, there has been work on restoring the species, though some conservationist groups doubted that it could be done. Now, the celebration is that it has at last been achieved, U.S. Interior Secretary Sally Jewell said Thursday.

This bear once roamed free in Texas, Mississippi, and Louisiana, but now it is discovered in at least two spots of eastern Louisiana as well as along the coast.

At the Tallulah office of the Tensas River National Wildlife Refuge, where the largest population of this bear is found, Jewell talked about how this bear inspired the teddy bear---when Roosevelt refused to shoot a tied-up Louisiana black bear for a hunting trophy in 1902.

Just that morning, Jewell came across a rescued seven-week-old cub.

"The work's not over," she said. "The work's really just beginning to bring back more of these hardwoods so Louisiana can help enjoy the kinds of animals that Teddy Roosevelt saw when he was here at the turn of the century."

However, Michael J. Robinson, a conservation advocate for the Center for Biological Diversity, pointed out that one animal among the groups counted as Louisiana black bears may actually be from those imported from Minnesota in the 1960s, not the Louisiana black bears.

It was recently revealed that an earlier U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service biologist opposed it, as the upper Atchafalaya Basin area northwest of Baton Rouge, a spot in which the eastern group is found, did not have any black bears till the Minnesota bears.

"Rather than contributing to the black bear population, they threaten to hybridize it," and probably should be sterilized or moved back to Minnesota, Robinson said.

Deborah Fuller, a federal biologist based in Louisiana, said the most recent genetic study indicates "the upper Atchafalaya bear comes out as its own thing. Not as Minnesota," though it may have Minnesota genes.
Washington:

Democratic presidential front-runner Hillary Clinton today accused Donald Trump of running an ugly and divisive rhetoric campaign, which she said is a political arson.

Clinton called the heated protests last night at the Republican front-runners rally in Chicago deeply disturbing.

The ugly, divisive rhetoric we are hearing from Donald Trump and the encouragement of violence and aggression is wrong, and its dangerous, Clinton told her supporters in St Louis, Missouri at a campaign rally.

If you play with matches, youre going to start a fire you cant control. Thats not leadership. Thats political arson, Clinton alleged.

She was speaking to about 100 campaign volunteer, local media reported.

Trump was forced to cancel his campaign rally in Chicago after hundreds of people gathered at the arena to protest against his politics of hatred and scuffled with his supporters in the largest-ever demonstration against the Republican presidential frontrunner.

For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
New Delhi:

Malia and Sasha Obama, the two much talked daughters of US President Barack Obama attended their first state dinner on Saturday. The teen sisters made headlines for their elegant dressing sense and graceful appearance at the dinner. The sophisticated sisters were seen flashing sweet smiles as they chatted with people at their tables during the lavish event.

Malia, who seems a fan of Hollywood star Ryan Reynolds, got some time to chat with him. Interestingly, while Malia was having a chat with Reynolds, the Shasha was giving her thumbs up.

President Obama couldnt help but gush about his daughters during his opening remarks, saying, When I was first elected to this office, Malia was just 10 and Sasha was 7. And they grow up too fast. Now Malia is going off to college . . . and Im starting to choke up. Keep reading to see more of their evening, and then check out President Obama talking about his girls to Ellen DeGeneres.
New Delhi :

Hitting out at media which is running from pillar to post to seeking out reports about the former liquor baron, Vijay Mallya on Sunday lashed out and sarcastically remarked that journalists did not look for him in the obvious place.

In an early morning tweet, Mallya wrote, "I am being hunted down by media in UK. Sadly they did not look in the obvious place. I will not speak to media so don't waste your efforts."

His remarks came in the backdrop of reports that the former King of Good Times is still hiding in his UK home where media is trying to cover reports about him.

The liquor baron's 'Ladywalk' country home is near the small town of Tewin, half an hour's drive from north of London.

Mallya, summoned by Enforcement Directorate in a money laundering case, remained cooped up over the weekend at his estate outside London without committing to a return date.

Significantly, the ED wants him back in India on March 18 and any failure to return would lead to criminal prosecution against him. The Indian govt may further request an extradition request to the British government.

According to sources, Mallya left for London by the 9W122 Delhi-London Jet Airways flight at 12:54 PM on March 2. Few days later a consortium of banks approached the Supreme Court for his passport to be impounded as Mallya is facing legal proceedings for alleged loan defaults by his group to the tune of over Rs 9000 crore.
New Delhi :

Hyderabad Court on Sunday issued non bailable warrant against former liquor baron Vijay Mallya and Chief Financial Officer of Kingfisher Airlines A Raghunath.

The warrants were issued on March 10 by the 14th Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate GS Ramesh Kumar who ordered police to produce them before the court on April 13.

Mallya, who is currently in the United Kingdom, is being sought out in India over charges of money laundering.

Meanwhile, employees of Vijay Mallya`s now defunct Kingfisher Airlines are set to file a case in the Supreme Court in order to get their dues from the company. Their case will be presented by senior lawyer MV Kini who assured that their case will be fought pro bono (for free), given their financial condition.



The government had earlier told the Supreme Court that Mallya had left India on March 2 following which the bench issued notice to him and sought his response within two weeks on pleas filed by a consortium of banks seeking direction for freezing his passport and his presence before the apex court.


New Delhi :

The strike by a section of workers at Tata Motors Sanand plant in Gujarat continued for the 24th day today, with the protestors threatening to launch a state-wide agitation.

Over two dozen trade union bodies, including the All India Trade Union Congress, Indian National Trade Union Congress, Hind Mazdoor Sabha and New Trade Union Initiative (NTUI), are backing them, the workers said.

They also claimed that the government was using the police to subdue the workers rather than attempting mediation through labour department officials.

The state labour department has been rendered dysfunctional because of vacancies. In their place, the collector and police are being used to subdue the workers, NTUI member Ashwin Roy said.

Police are not allowing workers to hold demonstration peacefully and the state government is misusing the Industrial Disputes Act to suppress the agitation. After Mondays demonstration in front of Collectors office, we will launch the agitation at the state level, Roy said.

District Collector Rajkumar Beniwal is trying to mediate between the company and the workers.

In a statement today, Tata Motors said the company recognised and respected the workers right to form a union.

All workmen other than those suspended on charges of indiscipline should resume duty...We continue to engage in discussions with workmen within legal framework, it said.

Some 420 workers at the plant went on strike last month to protest suspension of their colleagues. The Gujarat government has declared the strike illegal.

The company first suspended two workers for indiscipline, and later another 26 workers for allegedly damaging new vehicles at the plant, which manufactures the Nano car, during their protest.
Washington:

A 27-year-old woman, trapped in a fire in her second-storey apartment in Australia, dropped her two-day-old baby and toddler from a window to rescuers.

The woman had climbed onto the windowsill in her home in suburban Lakemba in Sydneys south-west, unable to escape fire when the firefighters arrived for rescue last night.

She dropped her 2-day-old baby and 2-year-old toddler down to a passerby from second floor, 6 metre above the ground, The Sydney Morning Herald reported today.

The children were uninjured by the fire and their fall. Firefighters used a ladder to rescue the woman who also escaped serious injury.

Residents from surrounding apartments made numerous calls to rescue authorities last night to report that a number of apartments in the three-storey block were on fire, and people were possibly trapped inside.

The fire is believed to have started in the kitchen of the womans apartment, before spreading to surrounding areas.

The flames prevented the woman from reaching her front door, so she grabbed her two children and rushed to the window, where she flagged down a man below, Senior Constable Jamie Wallace said.

She ended up dropping the two kids out the window and he caught them, he added.

According to a witness, neighbours dragged out a mattress and placed it below the window, and a sheet was used to catch the children.

The identity of the man who caught the baby was not known. After doing his heroic deed, he just wandered off into the night, so we want to say thank you to him, New South Wales Police spokesman said.

The woman was taken to St George Hospital suffering from cuts to her feet and smoke inhalation. Around 50 people were evacuated from the apartment block during the fire.

The fire was not believed to be suspicious, police spokeswoman said.

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London:

Night-time temperatures are more sensitive to climate change, a new study has found which explains why the nights have been warming much faster than the days over the last 50 years around the globe.

Analysis of the causes of this more rapid warming at night shows this is likely to continue in the coming decades, said researchers.

The study led by Richard Davy from Bjerknes Centre for Climate Research in Norway has examined the causes of the more rapid warming at night compared to the day, which has been seen around the globe in recent decades.

Researchers analysed the causes of these changes from observations and model reconstructions of the climate in the 20th century.

They showed that part of this more rapid warming at night is innate to the climate system, because night-time temperatures are inherently more sensitive to climate forcing.

The layer of air just above the ground is known as the boundary-layer, and it is essentially separated from the rest of the atmosphere.

At night this layer is very thin, just a few hundred metres, whereas during the day it grows up to a few kilometres.

It is this cycle in the boundary-layer depth which makes night-time temperatures more sensitive to warming than the day, researchers said.

The build-up of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere from human emissions reduces the amount of radiation released into space, which increases both the night-time and the day-time temperatures.

However, because at night there is a much smaller volume of air that gets warmed, the extra energy added to the climate system from carbon dioxide leads to a greater warming at night than during the day.

This higher sensitivity of night-time temperatures has also affected the number of cold-extreme nights we have seen in recent years.

The number of extremely cold nights has dropped by half during the last fifty years, in contrast to the extreme-cold days which have decreased by a quarter.

This daily cycle in temperature directly affects human health since night-time temperature extremes can trigger temperature-related fatalities, researchers said.

However, it also indirectly affects human health by controlling the growth rates of vegetation, and so affecting the length and stability of crop-growing seasons.

The findings by Davy and colleagues shows that a correct simulation of the nighttime boundary layer depth is the most important component to getting the right temperature change at night.

An improvement of the boundary-layer physics in climate models would very likely reduce our uncertainty in projections of temperature change, Davy said. The study was published in the International Journal of Climatology.

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Washington:

A 10.10 carat vivid blue diamond is expected to set the record for the most expensive piece of jewellery sold at auction in Asia despite an ongoing growth slowdown in Chinas economy, Sothebys said today.

The De Beers Millennium Jewel 4 is expected to fetch between USD 30 million and USD 35 million at the April 5 sale in Hong Kong, and is described by the auction house as the largest oval blue diamond ever to appear at auction and internally flawless.

The diamond, which is slightly larger than an almond in size, came from South Africas Cullinan Mine and was one of 12 displayed at Londons Millennium Dome to mark the year 2000.

There are no more than a dozen or so blue diamonds of fancy vivid colour and over 10 carats in the world, so they are very, very rare, Sothebys Deputy Chairman for Asia Quek Chin Yeow told AFP.

The sale will come five months after the 12.03-carat Blue Moon of Josephine was bought for a record USD 48 million in Geneva by an Asian property tycoona further sign the jewellery auction market remains strong despite slowing Chinese growth.

The worlds second-largest economy expanded 6.9 per cent in 2015, the worst performance in a quarter of a century and a far cry from years of double-digit increases.

Of course people are concerned about the China slowdown Quek said, but added that sales of rare items seem to be largely unaffected by growth numbers.

Its the rarity and the collectability of these wonderful objects. When they come to the market, they will have strong interest from all over the world, Quek said, adding that the location of the upcoming sale was a sign of confidence in the Asian market.

The previous record for a diamond sold in Hong Kong was set in 2013, with the sale of a 118-carat white diamond for USD 30.6 million.

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London:

Cow urine is being sold alongside food in convenience stores in the UK despite environment experts warning against the practice, according to a media report here.

Plastic bottles filled with cow urine, and marked for religious purposes, were found in several London stores which also sold food, a news agency has claimed.

The liquid has a large demand in South Asian Hindu community who use it for various religious ceremonies - although it is illegal to sell it for human consumption in England, it said.

Known as gau mutra, it was found in several shops which also sold food. In one shop urine bottles were displayed under a shelf of naan bread.

However, the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health (CIEH), an independent body representing environmental health concerns, has warned against its sale where food was present.

One worker in a shop in Greenwich said: Hindus come in to buy it for religious reasons, if a baby is born it may be used during a religious ceremony in the house for good luck.

A Hare Krishna temple in Watford, Bhaktivedanta Manor, has a dairy farm which also produces the urine for worshippers.

Managing director Gauri Das said the temple had been selling cow urine since the early seventies.

There has been a demand from the South Asian background. They use it for pujas [religious ritual], medicinal purposes or even cleaning in order to purify things, he said.

I dont sell it [the urine] for human consumption. It is down to the worshipper to do what they want with it.

A Foods Standards Agency (FSA) spokesperson said although it is illegal to sell the urine for human consumption, when applied externally it would not be considered food - although it could be subject to other legislation.

If cow urine is on sale for human consumption, the business must be able to prove it is safe, the CIEH said.

If the business cannot prove the product is safe then it must not be on sale. We would strongly advise not to sell cow urine where food is present.

A Greenwich Borough Council spokesperson said: Non-food products of animal origin are strictly regulated to prevent consumers from being exposed to harmful diseases.

We are not aware of any particular premises in the borough where this product is on sale but will investigate immediately upon receipt of further information, the spokesperson was quoted as saying by the report.

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New Delhi:

Donald Trump, US presidential candidate, who has become the second name of controversy due to his white nationalistic views is once again making headlines. Here are some of the most controversial things ever said by Donald Trump

On Mexican migrants:

Trump said that the people from who are coming from Mexicos side are rapists and bringing drugs. He made the remarks as he announced his run for the Republican nomination for president.

"When Mexico sends its people, theyre not sending their best. Theyre not sending you. Theyre not sending you. Theyre sending people that have lots of problems, and theyre bringing those problems with us. Theyre bringing drugs. Theyre bringing crime. Theyre rapists. And some, I assume, are good people.

On Journalist Megyn Kelly: . . . blood coming out of her, wherever

You could see there was blood coming out of her eyes, blood coming out of her, wherever.

Trump made the controversial remarks about celebrated Fox News anchor Megyn Kelly during a CNN interview on Aug. 7, 2015, a day after she asked him during the first Republican presidential debate about disparaging comments hed made about women. Trump later explained that he was referring to Kellys nose with his blood line, but didnt finish saying the thought.

On 9/11: Thousands and thousands of people were cheering

I watched when the World Trade Center came tumbling down. And I watched in Jersey City, New Jersey, where thousands and thousands of people were cheering as that building was coming down. Thousands of people were cheering.

Complete ban on Muslims entering the United States

Donald J. Trump is calling for a total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States until our countrys representatives can figure out what is going on. According to Pew Research, among others, there is great hatred towards Americans by large segments of the Muslim population.

This was a Written statement made on Dec. 7, 2015. Trump spoke that evening about his proposal during a rally aboard the aircraft carrier USS Yorktown in Mount Pleasant, S.C.

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Dallas:

President Barack Obama today gave a mocking rebuke of Republican frontrunner Donald Trump for his incendiary language on the campaign trail.

At a Democratic party fundraising event in Dallas, Texas, Obama offered a blunt condemnation of the divisiveness fomented by Trump on the campaign trail, including his motto Make America Great Again.

We are great right now, Obama retorted, in remarks that came one day after skirmishes broke out at a scuttled Trump rally in Chicago.

What the folks who are running for office should be focused on is how we can make it even betternot insults and schoolyard taunts and manufacturing facts, not divisiveness along the lines of race and faith. Certainly not violence against other Americans, Obama said.

A Trump campaign event was canceled in Chicago yesterday when throngs of protestersmany of them blacks and Latinos angered by Trumps anti-immigrant rhetoricmassed outside and inside the venue, mingling and in some cases brawling with the candidates supporters.

Critics warned that Trumps inflammatory language set the tone for the violence, and urged him to tone down the campaign rhetoric.

As Trump has edged further ahead of the once-crowded Republican field, Obama has sharpened his criticisms of him.

In Dallas, he also took a swipe at the moguls antics in showcasing his wine label at a recent press conference.

Has anybody bought that wine? Obama joked.

I want to know what that wine tastes like. I mean, come on, you know thats like some USD 5 wine. They slap a label on it, they charge you USD 50, saying this is the greatest wine ever. Come on!

Obamas ever-more direct criticism of Trump reflects a belief that the bellicose businessman may be the main thing standing between Democrats and a third consecutive White House term.

Obama is expected to campaign vociferously for the eventual Democratic nominee, wielding his status as one of the countrys most popular politicians to fire up the party faithful and make the case to young, black and Latino voters.

According to a recent Gallup poll, he has a 50 per cent approval rating, as high as it has been in three years and above average for a president in the last year of a two-term administration.

A Republican victory would throw much of Obamas legacy into doubtfrom landmark health care reforms to the detente with Cuba.

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Though fatal pedestrian accidents are on the rise nationwide, such deaths have actually declined in Connecticut. Still, police and transportation officials said pedestrian deaths remain a major concern here.

Right now, were not with the trend, but it doesnt change the fact that any fatalities are too many, said Kevin Nursick, spokesman for the Connecticut Department of Transportation.

This week, the Governors Highway Safety Association estimated that the number of people on foot killed in traffic jumped 10 percent between 2014 and 2015. The association came up with the figure by comparing the number of fatalities for the first six months of 2014  2,232  with those for the first six months of 2015  2,368. Complete data for 2015 wasnt yet available.

The study also looked at state-by-state statistics, and found that pedestrian deaths had gone up in 26 states. But they had dropped in 21 states, including Connecticut. The study showed that there were 16 pedestrian deaths in the first half of 2014 compared with 15 in the first of half of 2015. Nursick said total numbers for the whole of 2014 and 2015 show a more significant drop, from 47 to 37. He pointed out that the states 2015 numbers were still preliminary and they could change, but probably not by much.

But even as Connecticut bucks the national trend, tragic pedestrian accidents continue in the state. On Sunday, 24-year-old Vincent Pezzella of Trumbull died after being hit by a car on Bridgeport Avenue in Milford around 2 a.m. The driver of the vehicle, Hector Frias-Angomas, 46, of New Haven, was charged with driving under the influence of alcohol.

Other towns and cities throughout the state have seen their share of fatal accidents as well. That includes Bridgeport, which has already had three pedestrian deaths this year.

More Information Fast facts on pedestrian deaths The Governors Highway Safety Association projected that pedestrian deaths had increased roughly 10 percent between 2014 and 2015. Along with the increase in fatalities, pedestrians now account for a larger share of motor-vehicle crash-related deaths than a decade earlier - 15 percent versus 11 percent. Here are some other key facts from the report: In the first half of 2015 compared with the same period in 2014: 21 states had decreases in pedestrian fatalities 26 states and the District of Columbia had increases Three states - Maine, Utah, and Wyoming ?' remained the same. The number of pedestrian deaths for the first half of 2015 ranged from 0 in Vermont to 347 in California; Four states - California, Florida, Texas and New York - accounted for 42 percent of all pedestrian deaths; and Arizona, Delaware, and Florida had the highest rates of pedestrian deaths per resident population. See More Collapse

On Friday at the Capitol, the legislative Judiciary Committee approved a bill under which motorists who dont yield to pedestrians in crosswalks would be assessed $500 fines.

Last month, the city stepped up its traffic enforcement efforts in an attempt to curb such tragedies. Bridgeport Police Chief Armando A.J. Perez said the initiative aims to target a range of offenses, including distracted driving. But hes also looking to increase safe behavior by pedestrians.

Too often, Perez said, pedestrians dont obey traffic rules, or walk around oblivious.

We had an incident where a man walked in front of a car, the car stopped and he just kept walking and got hit by another car, he said.

Thankfully, he said, that incident didnt end tragically, but it could have. We need to nip this, Perez said.

Nursick agreed that many pedestrian accidents are preventable, through safer behavior. This is a truth that people dont necessarily want to accept, he said. More often than not, these accidents could have been prevented. When you talk about a (pedestrian fatality), more often than not, somebody has done something terribly wrong.

That dangerous behavior might be on the part of the driver  such as speeding, or driving while intoxicated  or on the part of the pedestrian themselves. We remind pedestrians to use sidewalks and crosswalks, wear reflective or bright clothing, or carry a flashlight when in low-light conditions or inclement weather, and take other precautions, said State Police spokeswoman Kelly Grant in an email. It is not only motorists responsibility, but pedestrians should also take responsibility when in the roadway.

On the national level, the Highway Safety Association report also gave several reasons for the fact that pedestrian deaths hadnt just gone up, but also made up a larger percentage of motor-vehicle related deaths. According the report, pedestrian deaths now account for 15 percent of all crash-related deaths, compared with 11 percent a decade earlier. Possible explanations given in the report include the rise of cell phone use, and a rise in the number of Americans walking for health and exercise.

Whatever the reasons, Nursick said its a no-brainer that deaths will decline if motorists and pedestrians alike are more conscientious and law-abiding. If you have people obeying the rules of the road, youre going to have safer scenarios, he said.
It is not necessarily easy to be a young, conservative, Republican  especially on a college campus in blue Connecticut. So when two Brookfield Millennials got to attend the Conservative Political Action Conference in Washington last weekend and hear most of the presidential candidates and other leading conservatives in the country speak, it was validating. And exhilarating.

To be around thousands of fellow conservatives, theres nothing better. Its almost like thousands of yourself, said Austin Samuelson of Brookfield. We chatted Friday in the Student Union at Western Connecticut State University in Danbury where he is a senior and co-director of the College Republicans.

Christy Petriccione, a sophomore at WestConn and one of about 15 members of Samuelsons group, said she had begun to lose hope for her generation and the future of the country  until the amazing experience of CPAC.

In school we are primarily influenced by professors with a liberal bias and surrounded by many students who are uninformed. Often times, these students have little, to no knowledge of what is going on in this country and cannot fathom how crucial a time this is for our nation, said the political science major. Being at CPAC and being surrounded by Millennials who are interested in politics, geared toward conservatism, and determined to make a change in this country one day, gave me a new hope for the future of America.

These young people are the hope for a political party that is seismically fractured with candidates who are embarrassingly crude, unsubstantive and now Friday, at Donald Trump rallies, inciting near riots.

The national Republican party is so split that former presidential candidate Mitt Romney is directing primary voters to ditch front-runner Trump and even fellow candidate Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida is hinting that his Ohio supporters should vote for Gov. John Kasich on Tuesday to stall Trump from racking up the delegates.

Despite the free-for-all, the young Republicans at WestConn believe the party can come together  even if Trump is the nominee.

If he is the nominee, then that is the will of the people and I believe that as a country whether you support Donald Trump or not, you have to respect that, said Christy, who would vote for Rubio if the Connecticut primary were this week.

Austin hesitated when asked what he thought of former candidate Ben Carson endorsing Trump on Friday. It took me by surprise. Thats all I can say now.

Carson was his choice for the Republican nominee because of his policies, such as a flat-tax, and his persona. There was something soothing and healing about his voice, he said. A self-described political junkie who watches old Reagan videos for fun, Austin compares Carson to the former president.

Last summer Austin was a field director for former Texas Gov. Rick Perry in New Hampshire and saw up close the hard work that goes into running for office. I got an inside look at how politics works driving Rick Perry around. He is one of the most genuine men Ive ever met.

Now Austin is supporting Kasich, who he believes could reunite the party. He knows what its like to grow up and work with your own hands, to make something of himself.

Austin and Christy are two Millennials who have seen politics at the national level, through CPAC, and are acting locally. Both ran for seats in the Brookfield Republican Town Committee primary this month; she was elected, he was not. But Austin is gaining local experience through an internship in Danbury Mayor Mark Boughtons office.

Philosophy becomes action as the College Republicans and the Black Student Alliance meet Tuesday at WestConn to find common ground.

I truly believe my generation has to take a stand, Austin said. The presidential candidates would do well to listen.

Contact Editorial Page Editor Jacqueline Smith at jsmith@newstimes.com or 203-731-3344.
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Mexican drug cartels are like the mythological hydra: cut off one head and two more take its place.

RELATED: Why 'El Chapo's' beauty queen wife says she is 'afraid for his life'

Such is the case with the Sinaloa Cartel, whose leader Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman was arrested in January after breaking out of a maximum-security prison near Mexico City in July 2015.

Guzman's prison stints and flights from law enforcement officers and the Mexican military have led to questions regarding who is directly in charge of the cartel's operations.

Mexican journalist Lydia Cacho told Telemundo in February that two of Guzman's sons "have controlled the cartel for many years, and the government knows this."

RELATED: Leader, co-founder of Mexican drug cartel Beltran Leyva pleads guilty to U.S. conspiracy charges

However, the brothers are believed to be active on social media, posting photos to Instagram, Twitter and Facebook flaunting their wealth and possessions.

In the past, this has led some cartel watchers to speculate whether members of the criminal organization would deem the brothers competent and sly enough to run the Sinaloa cartel.

"They're not as cunning," Mike Vigil, former DEA chief of international operations, previously told mySA.com. "They're not as astute as the older generation who try to keep a low profile. They didn't flaunt the wealth because they knew that, by doing so, they would become high-value targets."

RELATED: 3 men arrested in connection with killing of 7-month-old baby, family in Mexico drug gang shootout

Guzman's lawyer says the drug lord is now seeking extradition to the United States, the Associated Press reported Wednesday.

Guzman wants to escape harsh conditions he says he has faced in prison, including sleep deprivation by prison guards.

Meanwhile, there are Sinaloa cartel veterans who may be pulling the strings on the notorious criminal organization.

Scroll through the slideshow to see the six men who could potentially replace Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman as the head of the Sinaloa cartel.

jfechter@mySA.com

Twitter: @JFreports
Our display table was across from the Connecticut Secretary of States office, housed within the stunning, pristine 1878 State Capitol in Hartford, a registered National Landmark of High Victorian Gothic pomp. The Cultural Alliance of Western Connecticut, centered in Danbury, was one of the nine state regional arts service organizations to be present among 350 attendees, including artists, arts administrators, foundations, government officials, and other stakeholders. The event was Connecticut Arts Day, the first held at our seat of government for over a decade, and I accompanied Lisa Scails, executive director of the Cultural Alliance of Western Connecticut, to lay the table.

The days theme, Moving Arts from Nice to Necessary, seemed trite, but I guess someone thought it necessary. Ive never thought of art as nice (isnt our states tagline Still Revolutionary?) but then, I dont consider a sofa as a place to hang a work of art over, with matching colors and all that. I prefer a Tapies or Klabunde hung in the wherever-you-can-put-it style of Gertrude Stein.

I do, however, agree that art is necessary as a vibrant social statement and (exclamation point) an economic asset, the combo of arts and business development still eluding and challenging us, and those in attendance concurred.

Hosted by the Connecticut Office of the Arts, the event kicked off a new Arts and Cultural Strategy project to inform and integrate arts, business, and community. Greg Wencek, who helms the Danbury Cultural Commission, was there to meet the task at hand. As were we. We participate in this advocacy effort and networking opportunity to underscore the necessary work of co-joining business and arts to realize the empowerment that such a working relationship provides and strengthens a region, Scails noted.

The figures count: In the State of Connecticut, nonprofit arts and cultural organizations, according to the most recent survey, Arts & Economic Prosperity IV, soon to be updated, showed industry expenditures of $652,960,811, a job equivalent of 18,214, revenues to local government of $25.84 million, and an attendance to arts and cultural events of 9,178,804 nice and necessary enthusiasts.

Since 1965, the Connecticut Office of the Arts has been fueling a necessary and much needed connectivity of arts providers, as well as a subsequent quality of life, by fostering programs that focus on outcomes. Nice and necessary. The Cultural Alliance of Western Connecticut, as a Regional Service Organization, has joined the Waterbury Arts & Culture Collaborative, Cultural Alliance of Fairfield County, Greater Hartford Arts Council, Northwest Connecticut Art Council, Shoreline Arts Alliance, Southeast Connecticut Cultural Coalition, Arts Council of Greater New Haven, and Windham Arts in assuring what was shared in a day continues year round.

Creative businesses are key to boosting our regions economy and keeping our downtowns vibrant, said Diane Nadeau, vice president of Windham Arts, as quoted in the Connecticut Arts Day program. So was Participation in art increases blood flow in the brain by 10 percent. When you stare at great artwork, the part of your brain that is stimulated is the same as when you fall in love.  The University College of London. Nice.

So what is the take away? Perhaps as Stephen Sondheim wrote in the Pulitzer prize winning musical, Sunday in the Park with George, we should consider our art as children  to be loved, supported, esteemed, and cherished. And thats necessary.

Ted Killmer is an arts programming and public relations specialist who lives in downtown Danbury.
By GMM 13 March 2016 - 11:31





Just as the US grand prix ended its uncertainty, doubts have now emerged about whether this years Brazil race will take place in November.

Brazilian reports say F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone told a media outlet that talks with organisers about solving a financial matter were underway.

The Portuguese-language Grande Premio quoted Interlagos race promoter Tamas Rohonyi as acknowledging Ecclestones comments.

"When Bernie said that we are working to solve problems, he is referring to the effort to reduce organisational costs," he said.

"An example: there was a study to reduce medical staff costs required by the FIA and it was promptly answered," Rohonyi added.

So he played down claims Brazils future on the F1 calendar is now under a cloud.

"Doing a major international event in the current situation is difficult, but not impossible. It will be done according to the contracts in place at least until 2020," said Rohonyi.

"But it is a fact that all the races that are not paid for by governments face difficulties because of the astronomical fees."
Much of the $2.1billion arms funds put in care of the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) by the Jonathan Administration was...

$10million (July 11, 2014) BSIC-NIGER, Code Bank NE 110, Swift Code BSAHNENI, Account 020383700112 );

$38million paid to Societe Nigerienne de Banque (H0064B0100125111123981/22 CODEBIC( May 20, 2014)

$16million to a different account in Societe Nigerienne de Banque (H0064B0100125111123981/41 CODEBIC (May 20, 2014)

1,401,869 transferred to SONIBANK (Republique du Niger (October 2, 2013)

1, 395,346.84 to another account in SONIBANK( Republique du Niger on December 11, 2013

2,252,252.25 wired to SONIBANK (Republique du Niger) on April 1, 2014.

$36million remitted into CitiBank N.A.Canada Square, Canary Wharf London E14 5LB on May 20,2014;

$5million to CitiBank N.A. Canada Square, Canary Wharf London E14 5LB on June 4, 2014

$30million to CitiBank N.A.Canada Square, Canary Wharf London E14 5LB on March 9, 2015

$50million to Deutsche Bank Trust Company in New York on March 9, 2015

$6, 954,000 to Deutsche Bank Trust Company in New York on April 21, 2015

edits: The Nation

Dozens of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leaders, top government functionaries and retired/ serving military officers had earlier been linked with the sharing of the slush funds.Some of them are already facing charges in connection with the funds disbursement.The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission ( EFCC) which is investigating what became of the money which was originally earmarked for the procurement of arms to prosecute the anti-Boko Haram war has traced payment transfers to more the foreign accounts.Sources said yesterday that more accounts into which the funds were paid by the ONSA might be uncovered in the next few weeks.The agency may seek collaboration with its counterparts in other nations to determine the legality or otherwise of such transfers.Although the payment mandates indicated that the wired funds were for technical equipment or supply of vehicles, the EFCC is interested in establishing whether or not the items were delivered and if the costs of the items were inflated or not.Some of the transfers, according to sources, were effected through ONSA Foreign Operations Account No. 100367-USD-CABANK- with FBN Bank UK and a few others through the Central Bank of Nigeria and some commercial banks in the country.Transfers being investigated are as follows:A reliable source in EFCC said: We have succeeded in retrieving documents relating to some funds that were wired abroad by ONSA. We were able to identify more than 11 foreign accounts and the actual remittances.Already, we are tracking what the funds were used for including payment for technical equipment and supply of vehicles. Our investigation includes determining whether or not the equipment were bought and delivered; and whether the cost prices were inflated or not.This crucial aspect of investigation accounted for why some military officers were handed over to the EFCC for investigation.We are also collaborating with anti-corruption agencies in other jurisdictions to determine the validity of such transfers and confirm if the funds were not laundered.The EFCC is being painstaking in its investigation to ensure fairness to all suspects under probe.Responding to a question, the source said:the EFCC has recovered $2.3million from a suspect involved in the arms procurement contract scandal in the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA).The affected person is a contractor and not one of the military officers referred to this agency. He has more money to refund and we have decided to keep his identity under wraps until full recovery of the slush funds is made.We also do not want to reveal his identity in order not to jeopardize ongoing investigation.The presidency had handed over a former Chief of Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh and 17 others, including 11 serving senior military officers and 22 companies, to EFCC for investigation on the alleged $2.1billion arms deals.Apart from Badeh, others under investigation are ex-Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal M.D. Umar; a former National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki ; Col. N. Ashinze , who was the Special Military Assistant to the ex-NSA; and a former Chief of Air Staff, A.N. Amosu; the most senior Air Force officer, AVM A. M. Mamu (the Chief of Administration); AVM O.T.Oguntoyinbo (former Director of Production, Defence Headquarters); AVM R.A. Ojuawo (Air Officer Tactical Air Command, Makurdi; AVM J.B. Adigun (former Chief of Accounts and Budgeting in NAF); and AVM JA Kayode-Beckley(Director, Armament Research in Air Force Research and Development Centre); AVM T Omenyi (MD, NAF Holdings) four top officers at the Defence Headquarters(DHQ), Air Cdre AO Ogunjobi; Air Cdre GMD Gwani; Air Cdre SO Makinde; and Air Cdre AY Lassa.
President Mohammadu Buhari would leave Abuja on Monday for Malabo, Equatorial Guinea to holds bilateral talks on regional security wit...

The President would be accompanied to the trip by the Minister of Defence, Brig.-Gen. Mansur Dan-Ali (rtd.), the National Security Adviser, Maj.-Gen. Babagana Monguno (rtd.) and other senior security officials. The talks are expected to later translate into signing of an agreement by Nigeria and Equatorial Guinea for the establishment of a combined maritime policing and security patrol committee on Tuesday. The agreement would held secure the lives, resources and investments within the Niger Delta and Gulf of Guinea.The two leaders are also expected to discuss and agree on other collaborative measures to combat crimes such as piracy, crude oil theft, attacks on oil rigs, arms smuggling and human trafficking in the Gulf of Guinea. Another issue that is expected to receive the attention of both presidents would be the rescheduling of the joint summit of the Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS, and the Economic Community of Central African States ECCAS, on additional cooperative measures to curb terrorism and violent extremism in West and Central Africa.A statement by the presidential spokesperson, Mr. Femi Adesina on Sunday stated that the summit would have held last year by Equatorial Guinea last but was postponed because of Nigerias general elections. President Buhari is billed to return to Abuja on Tuesday at the completion of the assignment.
Donald Trump is under fire from rivals who blamed his incendiary rhetoric for a violent outbreak Friday between protesters and supporter...

Donald Trump is under fire from rivals who blamed his incendiary rhetoric for a violent outbreak Friday between protesters and supporters at the Republican frontrunner's rally in Chicago.Trump cancelled the event after demonstrators scuffled with his supporters and police struggled to maintain order, with hundreds of protesters showing up."When you have a campaign that affirmatively encourages violence, when you have a campaign that is facing allegations of physical violence against members of the press, you create an environment that only encourages this sort of nasty discord," Trump's main rival for the Republican nomination, Ted Cruz, told reporters.Throngs of protesters, many of them blacks and Latinos angered by Trump's incendiary anti-immigrant rhetoric, had massed outside and inside the venue in Chicago, mingling with the candidate's supporters.Pundits said the chaos at the rally was reminiscent of violent protests at the 1968 Democratic National Convention, also in Chicago, held when the United States was torn apart by opposing views on the Vietnam War.A Trump rally scheduled for Sunday in Cincinnati, Ohio has also been cancelled, with the local spokesman for the campaign telling US media that Secret Service supporting the campaign could not complete preparation work in time.CNN estimated there were between 8,500 to 10,000 people in the arena in Chicago when tensions erupted into chaos.The billionaire said he decided to call off the gathering after consulting with police in the city, where tensions had been rising for hours in the build-up to the event at a sporting arena at the University of Illinois at Chicago."I don't want to see anybody hurt," Trump told CNN afterwards. "I think we made the right decision (to cancel)... even though our freedom of speech was violated."The chaos ended several hours later, but not before members of the crowd threw bottles and other objects at officers, and several tried to take the stage and speak at the podium.One sign held by a protester inside the arena said "We are not rapists," referring to Trump's characterization last year of Mexicans as rapists.- 'Address the anger together' -Police made a total of five arrests and two officers were taken to area hospitals after sustaining minor injuries, the Chicago Police Department confirmed to AFP.Critics have accused Trump of fueling the toxic atmosphere. On February 1, as protesters interrupted a rally in Iowa, he encouraged supporters to "knock the crap out of them," and pledged to pay their legal fees.When a protester disrupted Trump's speech in Las Vegas, the brash billionaire said he would like to "punch him in the face."Trump dismissed the notion that he was responsible for whipping up tensions.In a statement, Trump's campaign said he had determined that "for the safety of all of the tens of thousands of people that have gathered in and around the arena, tonight's rally will be postponed to another date.""Please go in peace," it added.Trump's rivals framed the outbreak as at least partially caused by the frontrunner's incendiary rhetoric.Candidate John Kasich, also a Republican, said that "the seeds of division that Donald Trump has been sowing this whole campaign finally bore fruit, and it was ugly."The chaotic scenes come just days before the states of Florida, Ohio, Illinois and Missouri vote in the party primaries on March 15.Many in the party see next Tuesday's votes as the last best chance to derail the insurgent candidacy of the billionaire mogul, who has so far won 15 of 24 primary races.The sudden security concerns mark a major test for Trump as he seeks to lock up the nomination and turn his attention to doing battle against Hillary Clinton, the Democratic frontrunner.Clinton was quick to strike out at Trump over the Chicago violence, releasing a statement late Friday in which she said "we all have our differences, and we know many people across the country feel angry. We need to address that anger together."After rattling the Republican establishment with his shock emergence as the man to beat, Trump has been working hard in recent days to look presidential and shake off his brash, belligerent image.But Trump's rallies are known for being rambunctious, and that seeped over into violence on Wednesday night in North Carolina when a 78-year-old white man in a cowboy hat punched a black protester in the face.Trump, who is scheduled to hold a rally Saturday in Cleveland, Ohio, has called on Republicans to amass behind him to propel him into the White House.(AFP)
China has said it seeks more crude oil exports from Nigeria in spite of the recent changes in oil prices. Mr Zao LingXiang, Economic and ...

China has said it seeks more crude oil exports from Nigeria in spite of the recent changes in oil prices. Mr Zao LingXiang, Economic and Commercial Counsellor of the Chinese Embassy in Nigeria, said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja.But the total amount of export to China was only about one million barrels in 2015 that was just 1.3 per cent of Nigerian annual oil export. In my opinion, it really doesnt matter whether Iran comes back or not; Chinese companies want to import more crude oil from Nigeria, he said. He said that current trade volume between both countries stood at 14.94 billion U.S. dollars in 2014 making Nigeria third largest trade partner of China in Africa.The economic counsellor added that Nigerias trade figure was 8.3 per cent of Chinas total trade volume with Africa and 42 per cent of the total trade volume between China and Africa. He said that China also sought to explore other areas of cooperation with Nigeria which he noted would be of benefit to both parties.China is the largest developing country in the world and Nigeria is the largest developing country in Africa and both countries have complementary advantages in natural and human resources, funds and markets. Right now, the Nigerian Government is trying to diversify its economy which is fully in line with the 10 China-Africa cooperation plans announced at the summit on China-Africa trade in Johannesburg in 2015.There are great potential for cooperation between China and Nigeria in the fields of industrialisation, agricultural modernisation, infrastructure construction, financial services, trade and investment facilitation, among others.He, however, added that both countries had made remarkable achievements in the areas of infrastructure cooperation. He said that the coming visit of President Muhammad Buhari to China in April would facilitate the implementation of agreements reached at the 2015 China-African summit in Johannesburg.The economic counsellor further added that the presidents visit would also deepen cooperation between both countries. LinXiang explained that the total investment volume between China and Africa exceeded 100 billion U.S dollars in 2015 in spite of the decline in imports from Africa.He also assured that Africa remained Chinas largest trade partner despite recent changes in that countrys economy. The amount in import from Africa to China declined but did not decline remarkably. Moreover, the economic and trade cooperation between China and Africa is not only about trade but technical cooperation as well. Chinas total investment volume in Africa last year increased by 100 times more in a short span of 10 years, which shows that cooperation between both parties is moving to a new level, he said.
Nigerian Youths for Christ, has appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari and Lagos State Governor Akiwunmi Ambode, to commute the death sen...
About 16 persons were shot dead on Sunday after six gunmen stormed Ivory Coast beach resort of Grand Bassam and opened fired on tourists...

About 16 persons were shot dead on Sunday after six gunmen stormed Ivory Coast beach resort of Grand Bassam and opened fired on tourists.Reuters reports that the dead include 14 civilians and two soldiers while the assailants were also killed. The resort is visited by both locals and foreigners.The Ivory Coast President, Alassane Ouattara, confirmed the casualty number during a visit to the scene of the incident.He said, Six attackers came onto the beach in Bassam this afternoon  We have 14 civilians and two special forces soldiers who were unfortunately killed.Ouattara added that the six attackers were also killed.The Interior Minister, Hamed Bakayoko, told BBC that the gunmen had been neutralised.A witness of Sundays attack said, heavily armed men wearing balaclavas had opened fire near the LEtoile du Sud hotel, which was full of expats.Another eyewitness, Souleymane Kamagate, said he saw people running from the beach and fleeing in different directions.BBCs Maud Jullien reports that Ivory Coast has been identified as one of several countries in West Africa at risk of being targeted by Islamist militants.Luxury hotels were targeted by terrorists in Mali in November and Burkina Faso in January.
A brilliant strike from Dimitri Payet put West Ham United on the FA Cup semi-finals, but Manchester United were saved by Anthony Martial...

A brilliant strike from Dimitri Payet put West Ham United on the FA Cup semi-finals, but Manchester United were saved by Anthony Martial's late heroics to tie 1-1 at Old Trafford.An entertaining clash was opened up 68 minutes in when Payet drilled a fantastic free-kick past David De Gea from 35 yards, just seconds after the Frenchman had seen a penalty appeal turned down.Just when the Red Devils faced seeing their last chances of silverware evaporate, however, Martial swooped to secure a replay at Upton Park and keep the FA Cup dream alive and kicking.(Goal.com)
The Nigeria Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Borno Command, said it had arrested two men for allegedly selling cocaine in the Internal...





The Nigeria Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Borno Command, said it had arrested two men for allegedly selling cocaine in the Internally Displaced Persons camp in Dikwa.The Commander of the Borno Command, Mr Ona Ogilegwu, said in Maiduguri on Sunday that one the suspects disguised himself as an officer of NDLEA in the IDPs camp in order to sell the illicit drugs.After surveillance by men of the command, we decided to buy the hard drugs from him to confirm that he was selling the drugs.We apprehended him as he taught we were coming to buy in large quantity. Ogilegwu said that the command also arrested a 32-year-old man, who was similarly in possession of other hard drugs in the same IDPs camp.I dont know what is wrong with these people, but I will tell you that the level of drug intake among men and women in IDPs camps is beyond imagination", he said.
The National Coordinating Council of Oodua Peoples Congress, OPC, has finally dragged its embattled National Coordinator, Otunba Gani A...

exclusively learnt that the National Coordinating Council of the Oodua Peoples Congress, OPC in a petition dated March 4, 2016, stated that after its extra-ordinary meeting decided to report its erstwhile leader to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and the Independent and Corrupt Practices Commission, ICPC over multiple cases of fraud, misappropriation of OPC funds and outright stealing that ran into several billions of Naira.The copy of the petition which was made available toshowed that the anti-graft agency had received the letter which contained various allegations leveled against Gani Adams.Among sundry allegations leveled against him in the petition was that he used the Congresss funds to float a radio station known as Oodua Voice in United Kingdom.We want the whole world to know that Gani Adams is a crook and a fraudster who has used his position as National Coordinator of the OPC to amass questionable wealth for himself as well as his immediate family. He has in the last fifteen years used several methods to siphon funds and exploit our members.It added: Gani Adams apart from malleable puppets he uses as fronts- is the sole signatory to the several proxy accounts operated in the OPCs name. The accounts were opened under the names: Olokun Foundation, Gani Adams Foundation and Donys Global Concept Limited among others. Adams has thus being using the opportunity presented by the scenario to divert OPC funds at his whim and caprices to the detriment of the vast majority of members who are wallowing in poverty.The petition signed by twenty-six members of the National Coordinating Council also accused Gani Adams of criminal diversion of 20million naira paid to the OPC as compensation for the various malicious attacks on OPC members at Owo, as the members made their way to Gani Adams village, Arigidi Akoko in Ondo state in January 2002 after the funeral rites for the late Chief Bola Ige were concluded in Esa Oke, Osun State.
ATLANTIC CITY -- The ocean may be blue, but on the world famous Boardwalk Saturday, things were turning up green with the city's annual St. Patrick's Day Parade

Kicking off at 1 p.m., the parade had two grand marshals this year -- P.J. McGettigan and Thomas McMeekin Sr.

Also included in the line of march were string bands and Irish groups among many others. There were also representatives from local businesses, including the casinos.

The turnout to see the parade, which made its way from Rhode Island to Albany avenues on the Boardwalk, was large.

Last year the weather was cold and rainy, but things turned around this year with mild March temperatures and fair skies.

The first St. Patrick's Day Parade was held in Atlantic City in 1986, according to the parade's official website.

The route on that first day was from New Jersey to Albany avenues on the Boardwalk. About 35,000 people turned out that year to watch the estimated 1,000 participants march.

Impressed by the Philadelphia St. Patrick's Day Parade, Al McMahon, an area tavern owner, and Joe Shields, a local bartender, organized the march back in 1986.

Other area tavern owners joined in the effort, the parade's website says, and members of the Irish Cultural Society and the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick took part, too, to get things off the ground and establish and Atlantic City tradition.

South Jersey Times may be reached at news@southjerseymedia.com. Follow us on Twitter @theSJTimes. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
Haworth Public School (Photo: Google Maps)

-- A 20-year-old man is accused of

, vandalized the facility and pulled a fire alarm early Friday, according to a report.

Police said they found Sehyun K. Lee, a borough resident, hallucinating in the Haworth Public School after they responded to the alarm around 3:40 a.m., The Record reported.

Lee took a drug called morning glory, police said in the report. He allegedly smashed glass trophy cases, went through lockers and ripped various items from the walls.

Authorities searched the building to make sure there was no contraband left behind and determined the school was safe, district officials said in a statement.

Lee was taken to Bergen Regional Medical Center and faces charges, including creating a false public alarm, criminal trespass and burglary, according to Bergen County Jail records.

Noah Cohen may be reached at ncohen@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @noahyc. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
NEWARK - A lengthy standoff outside a North Ward home ended early Sunday morning after a man turned a gun on himself, according to authorities.

Newark police spokesman Capt. Derek Glenn said officers rushed inside the Mount Pleasant Avenue residence after hearing the 39-year-old man shoot himself in the abdomen around 2:45 a.m.

He was quickly rushed to University Hospital, where he was in stable condition as of Sunday afternoon.

According to Glenn, the standoff began around 9 p.m. when police were called to the scene after the man had a heated argument with his girlfriend. The woman managed to escape the house, but the man refused to come outside, threatening to shoot himself and anyone who attempted to enter.

The couple had been experiencing "domestic problems" as of late, Glenn said.

Police seized two guns from inside the home, which have been turned over to investigators for analysis. The man has not been charged in the incident, according to Glenn, and is set to undergo a psychiatric evaluation before being released from the hospital.

Dan Ivers may be reached at divers@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter at @DanIversNJ. Find
-- Police on Saturday night were attempting to negotiate with a gunman who was holed up in an apartment after a domestic violence incident, a department spokesman said.

The man threatened to shoot himself and anyone who tried to enter the residence on Mount Prospect Avenue, according to Detective Hubert Henderson.

Officers responded to the domestic incident and found that the man's girlfriend managed to escape the apartment, Henderson added.

Newark Mayor Ras Baraka and Public Safety Director Anthony Ambrose were at the scene, the spokesman said.

The standoff was ongoing as of around 9 p.m.

Noah Cohen may be reached at ncohen@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @noahyc. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
UPDATE: Community helps out family that lost house, pets in fire

EAST GREENWICH TWP. -- A firefighter was rescued after he fell through a floor while battling a house fire late Saturday in Gloucester County, authorities said.

The firefighter, who was not identified, partially fell through the floor and members of a rapid intervention crew pulled him to safety, according to a post on the East Greenwich Township Fire & Rescue Facebook page.

He was treated at the scene and taken to a local hospital as a precaution, officials said. A second alarm was called on the fire when the firefighter was injured.

The three residents of the house on the 500 block of Kings Highway were able to escape the fire uninjured and were assisted by the American Red Cross New Jersey Region.

The fire was reported at 11:13 p.m. and arriving firefighters saw heavy flames coming from the first and second floors of the house, according to East Greenwich Township Fire and Rescue.

Due to the collapsed floor, firefighters used ladder trucks to battle the remainder of the blaze.

The Gloucester County Fire Marshals Office and the East Greenwich Police Department are investigating the cause of the fire.

Don E. Woods may be reached at dwoods@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @donewoods1. Find the South Jersey Times on Facebook.
A high school senior from Gloucester County was killed Friday night in a crash involving a pickup truck and tractor trailer in Delaware that also left four others injured, police said.

Tyler Brown, 17, of Woolwich Township, was the front passenger seat of a pickup truck when it collided with a tractor trailer around 11:30 p.m. Friday in Middletown, Delaware. He was taken to a hospital where he was later pronounced dead.

Brown attended Salesianum School, a Catholic high school in Wilmington, Delaware. He was remembered by his classmates Saturday during a special mass at the school.

John Kirsch, 18, a senior at Salesianum, was driving the 2005 Dodge Dakota when the crash occurred. Kirsch, of Middletown, Delaware, was listed in serious condition following the crash, according to Delaware State Police.

"The Dodge Dakota pulled directly into the path of the tractor trailer where the front struck the right passenger side of the Dakota in the intersection," Delaware State Police said in a statement. The tractor trailer overturned from the force of the collision, police said.

Kelly Muschiatti, 17, a senior at Padua Academy in Wilmington, Delaware, was a passenger in the back seat during the accident. She remains in serious condition, according to a message posted by the school principal.

The driver of the tractor trailer Julio Gallegos, 52, of New Jersey, and his passenger, Carolina Garcia, 30, were also injured and taken to a Delaware hospital, police said.

Our school chapel will be open from noon until 6:00 PM on Sunday. Tyler's artwork will be on display along with a copy... Posted by Salesianum School on Saturday, March 12, 2016

Classmates remember Brown as an athlete and an artist, according to Delawareonline.com.

Brown was planning to go to Syracuse University in the fall to study architectural design. He played rugby, lacrosse, wrestled and was part of the Model United Nations at Salesianum.

The school's chapel will be open from noon to 6 p.m. Sunday for remembrances of Brown and his artwork will be on display, the Rev. Chris Beretta, principal at Salesianum said in a message to students and staff.

"On Monday, we will mark this sad occasion with a special schedule at school, and provide opportunities for students and staff to grieve and receive support," Beretta said. "This will be a difficult week for our school community. All of us will deal with it in different ways; many will struggle. Every Salesian needs to arrive Monday knowing that we are grieving the loss of one of our own."

Don E. Woods may be reached at dwoods@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @donewoods1. Find the South Jersey Times on Facebook.
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.
Today

Sunny to partly cloudy. High 81F. Winds SE at 10 to 15 mph.

Tonight

Some clouds. Low 66F. Winds SE at 5 to 10 mph.

Tomorrow

Except for a few afternoon clouds, mainly sunny. High 82F. Winds SE at 5 to 10 mph.
Today

Sunshine to start, then a few afternoon clouds. High 81F. Winds SE at 10 to 15 mph.

Tonight

Some clouds. Low 66F. Winds SE at 5 to 10 mph.

Tomorrow

Generally sunny despite a few afternoon clouds. High 82F. Winds SE at 5 to 10 mph.
For relatives and friends, closure is still elusive more than a month after the death of Sarah Root.

Root died of injuries she sustained in a South Omaha crash on Jan. 31. The man authorities accuse of being responsible for the crash, however, remains at large.

Eswin Mejia was charged with felony motor vehicle homicide and operating a vehicle while intoxicated on Feb. 3 and released after posting 10 percent of a $50,000 bond on Feb. 5. He has not been seen by law enforcement since his release.

Specifically, Mejia has not shown up for twice-daily Breathalyzer testing, a condition of his bond reduction, nor did he appear for his Feb. 26 preliminary hearing. A judge has since revoked his bail and issued a bench warrant.

Mejia was listed on his jail booking sheet as being from Honduras and not a U.S. citizen. Douglas County pretrial release officials graded him a low risk to flee despite the fact that he had a warrant and twice had failed to appear in court. Efforts by the Omaha Police Department to have Mejia detained by federal Immigration Customs Enforcement failed, which would have blocked his release upon posting bail.

Douglas County Attorney Don Kleine has criticized the cases handling, saying, There has to be a common-sense communication between the feds and the state.

In Iowa, Pottawattamie County Attorney Matt Wilber said Iowa Department of Corrections pretrial officers interview offenders and make recommendations about bond or detention, with Fourth Judicial District judges usually following the initial recommendations of pretrial officials.

(Judges) are more open to other options (or reductions in bond) upon the filing of a motion for a bond review by defense counsel, Wilber said.

Bill Pappas, pre-trial release supervisor for the Fourth Judicial District Department of Correctional Services, said individuals charged with aggravated misdemeanors and felonies are interviewed and the information that is collected is verified before a recommendation is made to the court.

Pappas said his officers recommendations, which are normally followed by the court, are generally that (a) the individual be held for bond; (b) be released with supervision, a release that may or may not require the individual to post a bond; or (c) be released on his or her own recognizance.

Those recommendations are based on responses to a standardized three-page questionnaire used by pre-trail investigators. Information gathered to make decisions includes:

 Present and previous address

 How long lived at those addresses

 Marital status

 Number of children and, if divorced, number of children supported

 Any cases pending in any criminal court

 Employment history and references

 The individuals prior record, including any probation or parole

 Whether the individual has ever failed to appear or absconded from prosecution, pre-trail release, probation or parole

 The individuals family ties

 The individuals financial resources, including wages and monthly expenses

 The individuals character and physical and mental condition, including prior treatment for mental illness or emotional disorders along with the pre-trail investigators evaluation of signs of anxiety, psychosis or other mental disorder

 The pre-trail investigators opinion regarding the safety of others if the individual is released

Pappas said that after the interview is completed, pre-trail officers check the individuals criminal history and attempt to verify the information collected during the interview

Our biggest concern, our No. 1 priority, is community safety, Pappas said.

If the information cannot be verified, there is no recommendation for pre-trial release.

Most of the people on pre-trail release do pretty well, Pappas said. We work very hard at looking at people before we make our recommendations, but there will always be instances when people slip through the cracks.

 The BH Media News Service contributed to this story.
Community

Its now easier than ever to connect and chat with others in your local area. You can connect with your community by asking general questions, give area updates and recommendations and even let your community know about local events that are taking place.
reThink Green, Sudburys environmental network is welcoming new staff in preparation for the launch of its target-based sustainability program Green Economy North.

reThink Green, Sudburys environmental network is welcoming new staff in preparation for the launch of its target-based sustainability program Green Economy North.Longtime community and political organizer Richard Eberhardt will lead the project ahead of an April 22 launch.As Program Manager of Green Economy North, Eberhardt will encourage sustainable business as a way to meet both environmental and economic goals. Caleigh Yaworsky, in her final year of Cambrian Colleges Public Relations program, will support the program launch as Social Media and Events Coordinator.Executive Director Rebecca Danard is thrilled with the new energy behind the project.We are so excited to have a growing team to bring this initiative to life, said Danard. Sudbury is one step closer to a more sustainable future.For organizations in Greater Sudbury seeking to increase their competitive advantage through sustainability, Green Economy North will provide the networks, resources and expertise needed to set goals and be recognized for their efforts.The program has received funding from the Ontario Trillium Foundation and is supported by Sustainability CoLab, an organization promoting seven similar programs across Ontario.The Green Economy North team is working with a number of potential early adopters from across the regions economic sectors, but more are welcome.Participating in Green Economy North is a real opportunity for organizations of all sizes, said Eberhardt. This is an excellent time for business to make that sustainable choice.Green Economy North will launch on Earth Day, Friday April 22, at a gala event at the S.R.O Lounge in downtown Sudbury.Registration is now open at www.rethinkgreen.ca . Since 2006 reThink Green has been the hub of the Sudbury environmental network and is the host of the annual Earth Day Festival.
An anesthetist at Health Sciences North (HSN), Dr. Rob Anderson, is a really engaging teacher apparently.

An anesthetist at Health Sciences North (HSN), Dr. Rob Anderson, is a really engaging teacher apparently. His ability to keep his students interested in the subject matter has earned him a Certificate of Merit Award from the Canadian Association for Medical Education.



Every year, the Certificate of Merit Award is given to a faculty member at each of Canadas medical schools, to acknowledge their contribution to medical education.



Anderson serves as an associate professor, the postgraduate site director, family practice anesthesia, and program director, anesthesiology residency programs at the Northern Ontario School of Medicine.



He also serves as both the medical director of anethesia and the Simulation Lab at HSN.



Dr. Anderson is an outstanding physician and teacher. His contribution to front-line care and teaching at HSN is exemplary, and Im honoured to have him as colleague, said Dr. Chris Bourdon, HSNs vice president of medical and academic affairs, chief of staff, and emergency department physician, in a news release.



Anderson isnt the first NOSM winner of the merit award with an HSN connection. The others include:

2015 - Dr. Lee Toner (Emergency Department Physician)

2014  Dr. Tara Baron (Pediatrician, NEO Kids)

2011  Dr. Jacques Abourbih (Urologist, retired)
Despite the weekends warm sunny weather, Environment Canada has issued a freezing rain warning for Greater Sudbury Sunday night, and into Monday morning.

Despite the weekends warm sunny weather, Environment Canada has issued a freezing rain warning for Greater Sudbury Sunday night, and into Monday morning.



A low-pressure system will approach the Great Lakes on Monday, which will herald the beginning of a period of unsettled weather for the province.



An initial band of intermittent rain will spread into southern portions of the province Sunday, then continue farther north and east in the overnight hours.



Environment Canada said freezing rain will likely persist into Monday morning for many areas northeast of Georgian Bay and Lake Huron.


SUTHERLAND  The search for a car in the canal west of Gerald Gentleman Power Plant in Sutherland came up empty once again.

The Sutherland Fire Department drug the canal between the gate that regulates water flow and the debris screen at the plant without success. The Lincoln County Sheriffs Office is looking for a car belonging to Ronald W. Kubiak, 50, of Sutherland, whose body was found in the Sutherland Canal on Wednesday. Officials ruled out what were thought to be car tracks near the gate when Nebraska Public Power District employees indicated the marks were probably made by steel cables used to pull debris from the canal.

They drug the canal with a weighted rope for  of a mile, said Sergeant Larry Myers, Lincoln County Sheriffs Deputy. They didnt find anything obvious. On Monday morning, Nebraska Game and Parks will bring a boat and sonar equipment out and well run this section of the canal to see if we find anything.

Kubiaks body was found at the point where the canal water enters the power plant. There is a debris screen at that point in the system. The LCSO said earlier in the week that it was virtually impossible for Kubiaks body to have entered the water anywhere other than the section noted. At the gate where the water enters that section of the canal system, there is a rake at the bottom with only four inches of spacing underneath, according to LCSO.

However, if a sonar search does not turn up anything, the LCSO will look at other options.

For more photos, click here.

It is believed Kubiaks body was in the water for several weeks before it was discovered. The results of an autopsy are still pending, according to LCSO.

If [the search Monday] does not give us anything, we may move our efforts a little bit further west here on the canal, Myers said.

The sheriffs office is asking for help from the public to locate the car since it has not yet been found in the canal. The vehicle owned by Kubiak is a dark red 1993 Chrysler Concorde. The color is a very dark red, almost black. The license plate number is Nebraska 15-Z720.

An automobile matching that description was seen at a shop in Paxton, but Myers said that is not the vehicle they are looking for.

Were hopeful the sonar will confirm what we found or didnt find today, Myers said. Weve been down this road before last summer.
Valparaiso has come a long way since it was included in the purchase of land from Potawatomi Indians by the U.S. government in October 1832.

The first county commissioners, in 1836, named the county seat "Portersville," in honor of Commodore David Porter, of the U.S Navy and the battle during the War of 1812 near the harbor of Valparaiso, Chile.

While the county became Porter County, Portersville was renamed Valparaiso in 1837. The town of Valparaiso was incorporated as a city in 1865.

Valparaiso means "vale of paradise," and more than 150 years after its founding, Mayor Jon Costas is more optimistic than ever that the city can feel like an urban paradise of sorts.

"We've got a quality of life and at the same time we've got the infrastructure to grow," he said.

"To grow businesses and be a magnet for people of all stages of life who want a higher quality of life, the level of citizen engagement is higher than ever. All signs point to our continued rise in livability."

Costas said a reason for that is the five pillars of community that are strong and work together in Valparaiso -- business and labor, education, nonprofits, government and faith.

"They are all so strong in our community," he said.

Railroads first reached the city in 1858, and today Valparaiso is looking forward to its planned Transit Oriented Development, which is being called the first of its kind in the Region. The city hopes to start on the main infrastructure in 2017. It will include a new bus and train station near the downtown and development surrounding it.

Valparaiso also in 2015 completed its expansion of its downtown park, Central Park Plaza, which includes an ice rink in the new William E. Urschel Pavilion.

"We knew the park was awesome, but it wasn't as usable year-round," Costas said on the decision to expand.

Valparaiso in 2015 received national recognition when it was awarded the Google e-city distinction for the state of Indiana. The distinction is given to cities with a high level of online business connectivity and strong Internet presence. Joining Valparaiso in the award were cities such as Denver, Minneapolis, Atlanta and Boston.

"Our local entrepreneurs and business sector are tech-savvy, and it shows nationally," Costas said.

In 2015 Valparaiso saw a strong construction growth totaling about $124 million, which was 24 percent over the previous year. This was in addition to the nearly $272 million invested in the Pratt Industries expansion.

In his 2016 State of the City Address, Costas said he's "fired up about the future of our city," telling citizens that together they can build the type of city their children not only want to return home to, but also hate to leave.

Valparaiso is home to the Porter County Museum, which is also undergoing expansion. Executive Director Kevin Pazour recently found a quote from a Jan. 28, 1916, story in the Valparaiso Evening Messenger that read, "The splendid condition of the town is due in somewhat to the character of the people."

"I still think this sentiment rings true today," Pazour said.
CMS jazz band receives gold at ISSMA

CHESTERTON  The Chesterton Middle School jazz band traveled to LaPorte High and competed in the ISSMA Jazz Contest. The band received superior gold ratings from all three judges resulting in an overall gold rating. Outstanding soloists included Abby Palmer, JD Browning, Mikayla Freeman, Emerson Stobbe, and Andrew Engel. Other performing band members were: Ben Rutkowski, Grace Finke, Greta Schmahl, Isabel Richey, Allena Merks, Rose Gonsiorowski, Carly Sparacio, Nolan Bernth, Ian Rutherford, Sam Huff, Aidan Healy, Indy Loving, Anthony Suleski, Zach Lane, Andy Gerth, Megan Koster, Adam Davis, Claire Jones, John Petro, Joseph Adcock, Gavin Dooley, Ben Hoham, Jackson Fleming and Olivia Cappos. The jazz band director is Vince Arizzi.

Circle the State with Song

HEBRON  The Indiana Music Educators Association Area 1, held the annual Circle The State with Song Choral Festival at Hebron High. Tim Cahalan, choir director at Logansport High and Lincoln and Columbia middle schools, was the guest clinician for elementary students. Robert Sinclair, director of choral activities at Vandercook College of Music, was the guest clinician for middle school students.More than 2,000 spectators attended the event.

Meekmas Makerspace

CEDAR LAKE  The Library at Lincoln Elementary is about to include Meekmas Makerspaces! What exactly does that mean, and why is it exciting? Makerspaces began to appear about a decade ago with the growth and popularity of the Do It Yourself movement. Its easy to imagine a group of crafty folks or creative designers gathering to share ideas and make something new.

Debra Meekma, a Lincoln librarian, saw beyond the sometimes more advanced tools being used to create elaborate Makerspaces, like digital printers, all the way to the very heart of the idea. If small groups of students get together and start to think outside the box and learn to look at making things with unique or unusual items, they will really be learning a host of skills theyll need in the future, Meekma said. They will be learning problem solving, the value of team work, and collaboration skills. There really is no telling how far they could take a project or how creative they could get.

The first needs identified by Meekma were a few tools for the project, namely an Osmo and a Zoob Challenge. Zoob Challenge kits are STEM learning collections that challenge students to build things using only specified items. Meekma describes the Osmo as alittle gadget that connects to an I-pad doc and allows students to enjoy a number of different activities. There are tangrams to solve, a physics game, various puzzles and even a mode for creating artistic masterpieces. The Makerspaces will also include a Lego wall station and Solo cup challenge station that will encourage teamwork. Meekma has even thought about her youngest learners. For them, it might be as simple as a craft project with cotton balls or yarn where students create something out of the ordinary using ordinary things.

Meekma is confident the project will see a trial run later this year and hopes the program can begin in earnest for the 2016-2017 academic year.
WESTVILLE  Purdue University Northwest continues its Books & Coffee discussion series on the North Central campus this semester. The programs are free and open to the public and meet from noon to about 1 p.m. in the Library-Student-Faculty Building, Assembly Hall, Room 170A, adjacent to the cafeteria. Directions to PNC and a campus map can be found at http://www.pnc.edu/maps.

Each session will feature a review of the book, followed by a discussion period. The books being reviewed are available in the North Central campus bookstore. Upcoming selections include:

March 23 - Peggy Glennie will discuss The Isle of Iona by Paula Evans. Glennie, who previously taught English composition at North Central, wrote this book under a pen name. The book is set in Cadymoor, Scotland, a quaint coastal village the 20th century has passed by. Residents live in fear of their selectman, Harry Nixon, with the exception of one school teacher, Heather MacIntosh. Harry uses fear and threats to exile any hapless resident to the Isle of Iona, a one-time religious retreat. The exiled person is never heard from again.

Heather is confident of her safety. Her brother is one of the sailors who has the duty to escort refugees to their new home, but that does not prevent her from standing trial on charges trumped up by Nixon. Her exile is all but guaranteed. Over the centuries, Iona has taken on the aura of a veritable hellhole. But there is a good reason no one on Iona tries to contact their families back in Cadymoor. With a self-governing population that thrives on freedom of thought, speech and creativity, who wants to ruin a good thing and chance Nixon finding out?

April 6 - Sunny Akhigbe will review A Boy and His Dream by Ambrose Okosun. Akhigbe, a graduate of the MBA program, wrote this book under a pen name. Author Ambrose Okosun was beginning his life in March 1973 in Lekki, Nigeria, as his parents marriage was ending. Left with his grandparents to eke out a living in a small village, Okosun was separated from his mother and was not allowed to see his birth father.

Okosun shares the struggles he endured and how he overcome those early challenges. From hunger to being ostracized by a polygamist family, he experienced severe poverty while growing up. At the same time, his elders imparted important lessons, including the message that he was in charge of his own destiny.

Learning by trial and error and with guidance from God, Okosun tells how he became educated, earned several degrees and immigrated to the United States. A Boy and His Dream narrates the story of a man who has come a long way from being an abused little boy in Nigeria.

Additional information about Books and Coffee may be obtained by contacting Dr. Jerry Holt, chair of English and Modern Language, at (219) 785-5346 or jgholt@pnc.edu.
UPDATE: A 28-year-old woman has been arrested and charged with concealment of a human corpse, police say.

New York City police say they are investigating after a newborn baby was found dead on Staten Island.

It happened around 11:30 a.m. Saturday.

The New York Police Department said officers responded to a 911 call at a home on Richmond Hill Road in the New Springville neighborhood, and found the newborn baby unconscious and unresponsive. Emergency crews pronounced the child dead at the scene.

The city's medical examiner will determine the baby's cause of death. Police said they are continuing to investigate.
Connecticut police say a 7-year-old boy abducted by his father after a domestic assault has been found and is safe.

Police found Ariel Revello in Queens, after his father called Connecticut police saying he was leaving the child with a family member.

Authorities say they're making arrangements to bring the boy back to his mother.

Connecticut police say the boy's father, 43-year-old Rodolfo Revello, broke into the Trumbull, Connecticut home of his estranged wife around 4:30 a.m. Saturday.

Revello allegedly pushed his wife and tried to attack her with a knife, and left with Ariel.

His wife was taken to the hospital and treated for her injuries.

Police are still looking for the father  he was last seen driving a white 2015 Ford Transit cargo van with the combination plate C040379.
Clark Gesner, the composer and lyricist of ''You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown,'' the good-natured and oft-produced musical based on the ''Peanuts'' comic strip, died on Tuesday on a visit to the Princeton Club in Manhattan, of which he was a member. He was 64.

The cause was a heart attack, said Page Gesner, his niece.

A series of vignettes featuring six of Charles M. Schulz's big-headed characters and a 14-song score, ''You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown'' was the breakout hit of 1967, opening at the 179-seat Theater 80 in the East Village and going on to run for nearly 1,600 performances. It spawned six national tours and countless productions at high schools, colleges and community theaters across the country and around the world.

With a cast that included Gary Burghoff (as Charlie Brown) and Bob Balaban (Linus), the musical offered a light, but still slightly subversive take on childhood at a time of enormous social and political upheaval. Writing in The New York Times, Walter Kerr said Mr. Schulz and the show's creators had accomplished a small miracle by ''opening up one end of his comic strip frame and letting his people out.''

That small miracle did not come easily; Mr. Gesner was, in fact, skeptical early on that the project would work. ''It was just a little private project,'' Mr. Gesner told The St. Paul Pioneer Press in 2000 before a local production there. ''Me and the songs and the strip.'' In the end it was the project that defined his career.
Ken Adam, a production designer whose work on dozens of famous films included the fantasy sets that established the look of the James Bond series, the car in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and, for Stanley Kubricks Dr. Strangelove, the sinister war room beneath the Pentagon, died on Thursday at his home in London. He was 95.

His death was announced by a James Bond Twitter account run by MGM Studios and Eon Productions.

Mr. Adam was hired by the producer Albert Broccoli, known as Cubby, to design the sets for the first Bond film, Dr. No, released in 1962. (The two had worked together on the 1960 film The Trials of Oscar Wilde, with Peter Finch and James Mason.) With a budget equivalent to about $300,000 today, Mr. Adam delivered the title characters sleek, futuristic headquarters, his extravagant living room with wall-size aquarium and his creepy, grottolike laboratory.

The combination of futurism and fantasy became a trademark of the Bond franchise. Dr. No started a new approach, Mr. Adam told The Guardian in 2002. I think they realized that design, exotic locations, plus a tongue-in-cheek element were really successful, and so it became more and more that way.
Chandler Lilian Rough, the daughter of Lori Hiratani Rough and Robert M. Rough of Plano, Tex., was married March 12 to Derek Scott Ramsey, the son of Dr. Katrin L. Ramsey and Greg J. Ramsey of Franklin Lakes, N.J. The Rev. Dr. Moriyoshi Hiratani, a retired Baptist minister and the brides maternal grandfather, officiated at the Brooklyn Winery.

Mrs. Ramsey, 26, is an associate who does financial analysis at BlackRock, the investment management company in Manhattan. She graduated with distinction from the University of Michigan.

Her father is a managing director for investment banking at Decosimo Corporate Finance in Dallas, where he specializes in corporate mergers and acquisitions. Her mother teaches English as a second language at Renner Middle School in Plano.

Mr. Ramsey, 29, is a financial analyst at Luxor Capital, a hedge fund in Manhattan. He graduated from Boston College.
I really liked him, but I was completely overwhelmed as to how much he liked me, she said.

In June 2007, she moved back to Manhattan to teach English at a middle school while completing her masters degree. Though she was now dating someone else, and Mr. Albertson was dating off and on, they stayed friends, accompanying each other to the ballet, museums and concerts.

Ms. Powell eventually married (That was a very disappointing day for me, Mr. Albertson said with a sigh), and the two fell out of touch.

In November 2013, he was living in San Francisco when he received a text message from Ms. Powell, whom he had not seen in two years.

I was looking back through some old emails and just thinking of you, she wrote.

He immediately wrote back: What I wouldnt have given to get this text eight years ago.

They soon spoke, and arranged to meet as soon as he was able to return to New York.

At that point, I had not told Patrick that I was going through a divorce. she said. But I started thinking that maybe I had misjudged some things in my life, Patrick being the biggest one of all.

He had been the most honest person I ever met. I guess I reread all of his letters because I was in a place where I needed to feel loved again.
COVINGTON, La.  Residents in Louisiana and Mississippi were taking stock of damage on Saturday after a deluge of rain submerged roads and cars, washed out bridges and forced residents to flee their homes.

The rain and flooding is part of a weather system that has also affected Arkansas, Tennessee and Alabama. At least three people have died in Louisiana alone.

In Mississippi, officials said as many as 1,000 residents homes could be flooded by the rising Leaf River in Hattiesburg, Petal and surrounding areas.

Late Friday in St. Tammany Parish in Louisiana, officials asked people living near two rivers to consider leaving because the waters were rising to historic levels after heavy rains north of the area.
I relate to him more, and he has legislative experience, said Mr. Burke, 33, who wore a gingham shirt and blue blazer and joked that he was one of downtowns few young Republicans.

Registered Democrats living in Washington outnumber Republicans more than 10 to one, but Patrick Mara, the executive director of the DC Republican Party, noted the national party had granted it 19 delegates to the convention, not an insignificant number considering that all of Florida, the biggest state voting on Tuesday and many times the size of the capital, has 99.

As a result, Mr. Mara said he was surprised candidates did not campaign here, though he acknowledged, Its hard to run here in a public way when you are spending your whole campaign running away from Washington.

Wyoming represented the days other prize. Three of the states 29 delegates are unpledged state party officials, and only 12 delegates were contested on Saturday, with Mr. Cruz, the Texas senator, winning nine of them. The remaining 14 will be pledged at a state convention on April 16. Officials in Wyoming have begun studying whether to abandon their complicated voting system, which involves three separate elections, and move to a primary.

We dont see a lot of attention, explained Tom Wiblemo, executive director of the Wyoming Republican Party.

But the Wyoming partys chairman, Matt Micheli, pointed out that Mr. Cruz had visited in August, hosting a couple of large rallies on opposite ends of the state, and that the Cruz campaign had remained engaged throughout the primary season. Donald J. Trump never made it to the state, Mr. Kasich visited last year and Rubio surrogates held several events.

Saturdays elections actually began on Friday evening, Eastern Time, in Guam, about 8,000 miles from Washington and on the other side of the international date line. About 300 Republicans met in a hotel ballroom there to vote to send nine delegates to the partys convention in Cleveland.
CHICAGO  Get live updates about voting in the March 15 primaries.

In his 30s and 40s, the Rev. C.T. Vivian rode with the Freedom Riders, organized sit-ins in Nashville and worked closely with the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Many years later, before the 2008 election, he traveled the country along with other civil rights leaders exclaiming to voters that a Barack Obama presidency was exactly the kind of prize that they had been fighting for all their lives.

All of that came back to him during a meeting at the White House three weeks ago between President Obama and several of those leaders. Mr. Vivian told the president how proud he was of him, and how sad he was to see him go.

And then he began to cry.

If there was a way I could keep him there I would keep him there for another term, Mr. Vivian, 91, said later from his home in Atlanta. It is difficult for people who are not African-American to understand what it has been to have someone in the White House that you know understands you.
Much of the political universe is focused on the results this Tuesday in Ohio and Florida, the delegate-rich states that could determine whether Donald J. Trump can clinch the Republican nomination soon or if the race is bound to remain unsettled until the convention in July.

But Senator Ted Cruz of Texas is shifting his focus this weekend away from Ohio to such far-flung Missouri communities as Ballwin, Cape Girardeau and Springfield.

With Mr. Trump leading polls in Florida, Gov. John Kasich battling Mr. Trump for supremacy in Ohio and his own team increasingly convinced that the race will become a grinding delegate battle across all 50 states, Mr. Cruz has decided to seek votes in places that offer the best chance to deliver him delegates on Tuesday.

In addition to his appearances on the stump, Mr. Cruzs campaign is aiming its television and online advertising, and its volunteer door knockers and phone bankers, at potentially overlooked areas, hoping to amass enough delegates to deny Mr. Trump an insurmountable advantage in the race.
NATPOP OF PROTESTERS CALLING FOR A RECALL <Protesters shouting> PROTESTER: Hes already apologized but that doesnt mean much much when people are poisoned. I think he should resign. I dont think he should be our governor anymore. VO: AS EFFORTS TO RECALL THE MICHIGAN GOVERNOR RICK SNYDER INTENSIFY, A LOOK AT HOW HE RESPONDED TO THE FLINT WATER CRISIS AS IT UNFOLDED. MUSIC AND TITLE CARD UP: SNYDERS RESPONSE TO FLINT IN APRIL 2014, THE CITY OF FLINT SWITCHED TO USING WATER FROM THE LONG-POLLUTED FLINT RIVER. COMPLAINTS QUICKLY POURED IN ABOUT STRANGE ODORS AND COLORS. NATPOP OF WATER AFTER MORE THAN A YEAR OF BOIL WATER AND LEAD ADVISORIES, GOV. SNYDER PUBLICLY ACKNOWLEDGED THERE WAS A HEALTH EMERGENCY IN FLINT. <SOT FROM OCT. 8th PRESSER> SNYDER: But we found some concerns in some of our testing of the schools of Flint. And we want to be proactive on that. So were going to ask for additional people resources to make sure were doing right by the children as they attend school. IN JANUARY, THE GOVERNOR MET WITH FLINTS MAYOR. <CLIP OF SNYDER APOLOGIZING AT PRESSER ..how we can do a broad-based suite of services, for this unfortunate situation I do apologize for.> A FEW WEEKS LATER AT HIS STATE OF THE STATE ADDRESS, HE ISSUED A SWEEPING APOLOGY TO THE RESIDENTS OF FLINT, CITING REPEATED MISSTEPS BY HIS ADMINISTRATION. <SOT: SNYDER (Jan. 20 State of the State, Storylog 37828)> To you the people of Flint, Im sorry and I will fix it. No citizen of this great state should endure this kind of catastrophe. Government Failed You - Federal, state, and local leaders by breaking the trust you placed in us. Im sorry most of all that I let you down. You deserve better. You deserve accountability. You deserve to know that the buck, buck stops here with me. Most of all. You deserve to know the truth. I have a responsibility to tell the truth. The truth about what weve done. And what I will do to overcome this challenge. NOW FACED WITH MOUNTING LAWSUITS AND PRESSURES TO RESIGN, THE GOVERNOR MUST TRY TO REHABILITATE HIS IMAGE BEFORE ITS TOO LATE. <CLIP OF SNYDER AT NEWS CONFERENCE, there were red flags here ... we didnt connect all the dots ... thats where Im kicking myself every day.> END IT.
The battle over a rare Picasso sculpture, first reported by The New York Times in January, has intensified with new legal complaints that the artists daughter canceled a first sale of the work for about $42 million to agents of the royal family of Qatar and then rushed in secret to close a better deal for $106 million by transferring ownership to another buyer.

The work, a 1931 bust of Picassos mistress Marie-Therese Walter, is the subject of legal actions in three countries, including France and Switzerland. The dispute pits the agent for the royal Qatari family against the New York art dealer Larry Gagosian over ownership of the work that was sold twice by Picassos daughter Maya Widmaier-Picasso, 80.

In a legal action filed late on Friday night in federal court in Manhattan, the Qatari familys agent, Pelham Holdings, outlined the chronology of the second, $106 million sale to Mr. Gagosian in May 2015, a month after the first sale was abruptly canceled. According to the Pelham complaint, the Picasso family was in such a hurry to carry out the second sale to Mr. Gagosian that it made the transfer of the title to the sculpture to him before he made a final payment. In turn, Mr. Gagosian sold the sculpture to Leon Black, a New York art collector, in a deal that would have allowed Mr. Black to take possession before that payment was fully made.

Over the course of the transaction, according to the Pelham complaint, Maya Widmaier-Picassos daughter, Diana, received a lucrative commission from Mr. Gagosian for acting as an intermediary on the second sale, which was based on a one-page invoice.
Empty seats are an all-too-familiar sight at major opera houses these days, but LoftOpera had the opposite problem on Saturday night during its performance of Tosca. Daniel Ellis-Ferris, one of the companys founders, urged the crowd of some 500 people who had assembled in an old bus depot in Bushwick, Brooklyn, to sit closer together on the benches arrayed in a section of the vast space. Other listeners sat on rugs on the floor just inches from the performers or stood against the back walls.

Staging opera in alternate venues is now fairly common, although Porta Potties are not usually part of the equation. LoftOpera events have a particularly subversive feel. Neon letters spelled the word opera on a graffiti-covered brick wall near the entrance of the decrepit-looking building, located in an isolated industrial area. During intermissions, listeners drank beer and mingled with the cast as pop music played from speakers and young hipsters smoked cigarettes outside.

But most important, the crowd  diverse in both age and ethnicity  seemed riveted by what proved to be a vocally and theatrically strong performance. The cast wore modern dress, but the director, Raymond Zilberberg, didnt impose any particular concept, using minimalist touches  like a picture of the Madonna and a few candles  to indicate settings like the church. He used the built-in amenities of the space wisely: Angelotti, the escaped prisoner (effectively rendered by Joseph Beutel), ran amid listeners before hiding in a closet; Tosca washed her hands at a sink after murdering Scarpia, the police chief.

After she sang before him trembled all of Rome, the chorus  dressed in what resembled painters overalls  slowly filed in, stared at the corpse and blew out the candles.
The final episode of Downton Abbey ran last Sunday and some viewers may already be feeling an acute sense of Dowager Countess withdrawal. Luckily, there are several shows (some British and some not) that could fill the void left by the shows absence in the weeks and months ahead. Here are just a few:

Current PBS Dramas

Mercy Street

This Civil War series focuses on Americans rather than Brits, but as Mike Hale of The New York Times notes: A stately building owned by a wealthy family whose fortunes are in jeopardy. A principled American beauty who married a European nobleman. Lavish helpings of period dresses, ball gowns and uniforms, adding, Downton Abbey fans will find that it has some comfortingly familiar elements. That is clearly what PBS is hoping for, since it showed the first season in the post-Downton Abbey time slot earlier this year. Season 2 was renewed last week, and the initial six episodes can be viewed on PBSs website and streaming on Amazon.

Call the Midwife

Many Downton Abbey fans have already become absorbed in this BBC/PBS series that focuses on women involved in the stress and joy of bringing new life into the world. The first four seasons, set at a nursing convent in 1950s and 60s London, can be viewed or purchased on streaming platforms, including Netflix, Amazon and Google Play; Season 5 begins April 3 on PBS.

Other British TV

The Paradise

The Downton-esque clash of low and high class plays a central role in this well-received BBC portrait of a shop girls entree into the world of the Paradise, Englands first department store. The show, which ran on PBS in 2013 and 2014, was canceled after two seasons, but can still be viewed in full on Netflix.

Upstairs, Downstairs

The original Downton Abbey. This 1970s BBC drama about the wealthy Bellamy family, who reside at 165 Eaton Place, and the staff who work for them, created a template that Julian Fellowes would eventually borrow for his stories about the Crawleys. The show is on DVD and Acorn TV, a subscription-based streaming site that focuses on nothing but classic and contemporary British television.
Endless supply of young, funny people; endless need for small-screen content: Yeah, it makes perfect sense that sketch comedy is suddenly turning up across the TV landscape. Some of it is kind of lazy, like Foxs new Party Over Here. But some of it is enlivening usually drab corners, like Night Class on  what?  the History channel. And, best of all, some of it is brashly experimental.

That last category describes The Characters, an eight-part offering that went up Friday on Netflix. Its a sort of long-form variation of the usual mishmash of short skits. Eight comics have each been given a full show  roughly a half-hour each  to do whatever they want, and the best results are comedic tapestries full of interconnected characters and sharp satire.

There is, for instance, the episode by Natasha Rothwell, a black comic who starts out with a character who has been called for jury duty. Before that woman has even made it to the courthouse, weve also met a homeless person on the subway who spends a lot of time in the New York Public Library and has read whatever books the other passengers are reading, knowledge that becomes an extortion device.

At the courthouse, there is an outlandish collection of other jurors. Best of all is a devastating side trip to a doctors office, where a white patient is treated by another of Ms. Rothwells characters for chigger bites. White people are scared of chiggers.
In defending himself against lawsuits from women who say he sexually assaulted and then defamed them, Bill Cosby is facing mountainous legal expenses.

Luckily for him, he has homeowners insurance.

That is the surprising tool Mr. Cosby is using to pay his legal fees as he battles defamation claims filed by 10 women in three states.

Mr. Cosbys insurer, American International Group, better known as A.I.G., has gone to court to deny him coverage, arguing, among other things, that it should not have to cover claims that arose from alleged acts of sexual misconduct.

But so far, Mr. Cosby is winning.

The court finds that plaintiff has a duty to defend, Judge Beverly Reid OConnell, of Federal District Court in Los Angeles, said in a ruling last November that favored Mr. Cosby.
She is, instead, suffering, just as he is  from disappointment, abandonment, a sense of reduced economic horizons. And so is Freyas father, Moose, the deputy general manager of the hotel.

Anyone who was alive in 1984 and reading the newspaper  or has made a cursory study of British history since  will recognize the broad outlines of High Dive. In September 1984, a member of the I.R.A. named Patrick J. Magee planted a long-delay time bomb in the bathroom of Room 629 of the Grand Hotel in Brighton, where Thatcher and her cabinet were set to convene for their annual Conservative Party conference. It detonated over three weeks later on Oct. 12, killing five and injuring 30. Thatcher was awake and at work in her suite, but she was not injured.

There has always been a low hum of speculation that Mr. Magee had an accomplice. In High Dive, Mr. Lee, a British novelist now living in Brooklyn (hes a senior editor at Catapult), has taken the liberty of scribbling him in.

It was an inspired idea. Rather than slavishly recreating the Brighton bombing in its every detail, Mr. Lee freestyles, creating a sympathetic ensemble both at the Grand Hotel and in the streets of Belfast  the book tacks back and forth between the two  all while making expert use of the dramatic tension inherent in waiting for a lethal explosion. His book reminds one of Alfred Hitchcocks distinction between surprise and suspense: Surprise is when the audience has no clue that theres a bomb beneath the table and it suddenly goes off; suspense, Hitchcock explained, is when the public knows it, probably because they have seen the anarchist place it there.

Image

We saw Dan put it there.

Its suspense that pulls us in. We make so many complex emotional investments in the lives of Mr. Lees characters, including Dan, that it takes a monks restraint not to flip to the very end of the book before you get there. (I managed. Sort of.)
Published between 2010 and 2014, Ms. Ferrantes Neapolitan novels  My Brilliant Friend, The Story of a New Name, Those Who Leave and Those Who Stay and The Story of the Lost Child  have rocketed the novelist from near obscurity to international fame since the first appeared in English translation in 2012.

Cinematic in scope, the novels trace the friendship of two women, Elena and Lila, from their childhoods amid the poverty of postwar Naples through the political and social changes that swept Italy in the 60s and 70s, to the present day. In The Story of a New Name, Elena, who is the books narrator and becomes an accomplished writer, studies at Pisa from 1963 to 1967. In a dramatic scene, she throws some enviably strong youthful writings by Lila, who does not fulfill her own writerly talent, off the Solferino Bridge in Pisa into the Arno one November.

In his essay, Mr. Santagata notes that the Solferino Bridge in Pisa was destroyed on Nov. 23, 1966 when the Arno spilled its banks in floods. The natural disaster isnt mentioned in the novel, which otherwise hews closely to the backdrop of current events. The silence about events of such importance suggests that if the memory of the narrator Elena Greco tells her to jump ahead to 1967, then that of the writer Elena Ferrante stops before the autumn of 1966, he writes.

Reached by telephone at her home in Naples on Sunday, Ms. Marmo, 69, denied that she was Elena Ferrante. Of Ms. Ferrantes novels, she said she had read only My Brilliant Friend and liked it. But she confirmed that she had studied history at the Scuola Normale in Pisa from 1964 until she decided to move back to her native Naples at the end of October 1966. After my exam in moral philosophy, she said. Diderot, she added. It went well.

Ms. Marmo said she had returned to Naples because she did not get on well with her thesis adviser in Pisa and because she had friends, family, and political connections in Naples. She was part of the center-left Nuova Resistenza movement founded by the anti-Fascist writer and painter Carlo Levi, who wrote Christ Stopped at Eboli, and she was married for decades to his nephew, Guido Sacerdoti, who died in 2013.

Ms. Marmos life and political and intellectual interests  Neapolitan organized crime, the history of capitalism, Italian social classes and industrialization in the Italian south  are also themes at the heart of the Naples novels. She spoke very quickly and energetically on a vast range of topics, and seemed to enjoy fielding questions. She said she wasnt Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, but added that one always has more than one identity.
HONG KONG  The Chinese owner of the Waldorf Astoria is placing a bigger bet on high-end lodging in the United States.

The Blackstone Group has agreed to sell Strategic Hotels and Resorts in a deal valued at $6.5 billion just months after buying it, according to a person with knowledge of the deal who was not authorized to comment. The buyer is Anbang Insurance Group, which bought the Waldorf Astoria hotel in New York for $1.95 billion in 2014.

With the deal, the Chinese insurance company would clinch a real estate investment trust that owns and invests in high-end properties. They include Four Seasons hotels and resorts in the Silicon Valley area, Washington and Jackson Hole, Wyo. Strategic Hotels also owns the JW Marriott Essex House Hotel near Central Park in Manhattan.

Details about the deal were not available.

The deal is a quick turnaround for Blackstone. Just six months ago, the New York private equity firm struck a deal to buy Strategic Hotels valued at about $6 billion, including the assumption of debt.
Back when its stock soared and investors fawned  just six months ago  Valeant Pharmaceuticals billed itself as a new kind of drug company. It thrived on acquiring new drugs rather than inventing them, and generating big profits from raising prices on old, undervalued treatments.

Now, in the face of federal investigations and a tumbling stock price, the company has a different pitch  as an old-fashioned drug company.

Valeant executives, struggling to persuade investors that the company is on the right path, have largely discarded audacious talk about big acquisitions and new business models. Instead, they are talking more about investing in research and development and paying down the companys more than $30 billion in debt.

The company is singing a very different tune, said Erik Gordon, who teaches business at the University of Michigan and studies the health care industry.
That stretch of Mulberry Street is a block south of the Little Italy boundary, and quieter, with a few small Chinese and Vietnamese restaurants and a bakery. The forced door opened into a small outer lobby, with a doormans desk (empty) and doors (locked) to the bank itself. Nothing seemed disturbed.

Then there was a door to an inner stairway, marked C.

Behind it, the floor was covered in smashed concrete, from tiny shards to chunks the size of hardcover books. An entire section of a cinder block wall had been pounded out  or cut out, to put it precisely, with neat edges along the top and sides, as if someone had been making a new door. It was large enough for a man to crouch and pass through. On the other side was a hallway with a door, and on the other side of that door was the large, dark lobby of the bank.

It looked like the scene of a brazen bank heist straight out of the movies. The stairwell door would have blocked a view of the intruders from Mulberry Street, allowing them to work methodically at their task. Someone had covered the lens of a security camera in the basement, a floor below.

Image The hole in the wall at 202 Canal Street in Manhattan.

The police said burglary equipment was found at the scene. Whatever tool was used on the wall made clean horizontal cuts through six rows of cinder blocks, two stacks thick, and a layer of drywall. Yet that very tool seemed to have set off the alarm that interrupted the job.
The larger point, though, is that people on the streets of large Polish cities today are defending something greater than Mr. Walesa  the legacy of 1989 itself. They suspect the government is using the attack on Mr. Walesa as an instrument to delegitimize liberal democracy.

And they seem to be right. Antoni Macierewicz, the current Polish defense minister, claimed bluntly that Mr. Walesas police file proved that post-Communist Poland was a product of the secret police and not of democratically elected institutions.

It is one thing to have to defend the 1989 revolution in defeated Russia. But why is it suddenly so hard to do so in victorious Poland, where people are freer and more prosperous than ever before and where Solidarity is a national icon?

The irony of the current wave of revisionism is that 1989 is rejected for the same reasons that it has long been acclaimed, namely its absence of radicalism. The fact that it chose to integrate the old elites instead of persecuting them has turned out to be, at once, the revolutions lasting achievement and its ultimate Achilles heel.

The populist insurgency feverishly advancing in Poland, Hungary and other parts of Eastern Europe is a rebellion against moderates and moderation. The events of 1989 are condemned as little more than an ingenious plot to transform the elites political power into economic power (like the Who song, its meet the new boss, same as the old boss.)

In this narrative, 1989 marks the liberation not of the people, but of the Communist elites. They were liberated from fear (of party purges and anti-Communist uprisings), guilt, ideology, the chains of community and even national loyalty  before they had the privilege to travel; now they have the right to be part of the West. Before they ran the country, but now they own it. The shadow power of the old elites has become the ultimate explanation for everything that went wrong after 1989  rising inequality, betrayed expectations.

Mr. Kaczynskis politics of anger, like Mr. Putins politics of resentment, resonates with the younger generations, who live in a world where history no longer matters. They have Google and smartphones but little patience for the moral complexities of the Communist period, and thus no desire to understand what Mr. Walesa actually did in the 1970s, or what choices Mr. Gorbachev faced in the 1980s. For those generations that cannot claim any personal experience with the destructive and self-destructive nature of revolutionary politics, moderation is neither inspiring nor justified.
MONTGOMERY, Ala.  After a white supremacist was accused of killing nine black churchgoers in South Carolina last summer, Gov. Robert Bentley of Alabama acted decisively: Within a week, and without public debate, he ordered the removal of four Confederate flags outside the State Capitol here.

But that was last year. Now, not even nine months after the massacre at Charlestons Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church, the momentum to force Confederate symbols from official display has often been slowed or stopped. In some states this year, including Alabama, lawmakers have been considering new ways to protect demonstrations of Confederate pride.

The pendulum has gone the other direction, where its no longer about trying to take away the emblems, said Dane Waters, a political consultant who worked on a failed effort this year to remove the battle flag from Mississippis state flag. Its now about protecting them and insulating them from future efforts, even after another Charleston-type shooting.

That attack produced widespread outrage about the battle flags prominence and helped lead to its lowering at South Carolinas Statehouse. A handful of Mississippi cities refused to fly the states flag, the only one in the country with the disputed emblem, and the speaker of the State House of Representatives urged a redesign. Confederate symbols were removed from public view. Retailers like Walmart stopped selling battle flag merchandise.
WASHINGTON  If there were any doubt, Senator Harry Reid clearly has one last, good fight in him.

Instead of cruising to retirement after securing a two-year budget deal last fall and essentially bequeathing his leaders suite to Senator Chuck Schumer of New York, Mr. Reid, Democrat of Nevada, is waging war with Republicans over the Supreme Court vacancy left by the death of Justice Antonin Scalia.

Though the battle is decidedly uphill, it is one that supporters of Mr. Reid, 76 and in his 30th and last year in the Senate, say he is well suited to wage. Win or lose, it will be a fitting capstone to a career that included eight years as majority leader, and countless bitter feuds, during one of the most rankly partisan periods in Senate history.

Its tailor-made for him, said Senator Tim Kaine, Democrat of Virginia, who was with Mr. Reid in Las Vegas days after Mr. Scalias death. Mr. Kaine said that Mr. Reid viewed the Republicans refusal to even meet with a potential Supreme Court nominee as disrespectful to President Obama and a threat to the Senate as an institution.

Its a battle for the job description of what a U.S. senator is, Mr. Kaine said. We should be guardians of this institution. To have a battle in your last year, to try to guard something important about the institution, thats a good battle for Harry Reid to have.
Martin Olav Sabo, a longtime Minnesota congressman whose quiet Scandinavian demeanor conveyed a sense of civility during increasingly partisan times in Washington, died on Sunday in Minneapolis. He was 78.

His daughter Karin Mantor said Mr. Sabo, a longtime smoker, had been hospitalized for a week because he was having trouble breathing.

Mr. Sabo, a Democrat, served 28 years in Congress, easily winning each re-election and eventually becoming chairman of the House Budget Committee. He announced his retirement in 2006 and was succeeded by Keith Ellison, the first Muslim elected to the House.

Minnesota politicians praised Mr. Sabo for his understated manner and ability to deliver millions of dollars to the Minneapolis-St. Paul area for road and housing projects.
A snowmobile driver accused of colliding with two teams of mushers in the Iditarod dog-sled race in Alaska over the weekend has apologized, saying that he had been drinking before the episode.

Alaska State Troopers arrested Arnold Demoski, 26, and charged him with assault, endangerment, reckless driving and criminal mischief for driving early Saturday morning into the teams of two racers, Aliy Zirkle and Jeff King. One of Mr. Kings dogs was killed in the crash, and two others were wounded but were expected to survive.

Mr. Demoski, who became emotional as he apologized in an interview, described the crash as an accident.

I shouldnt have been driving last night, he said in an interview with KTUU, an NBC affiliate. It wasnt intentional, though.
ABIDJAN, Ivory Coast  Gunmen opened fire on picnickers and swimmers enjoying a perfect day at three beach resort hotels near the Ivory Coasts largest city on Sunday, killing 16 people and leaving bodies strewn across the bloodstained sand. It was the third major attack in West Africa since November, and verified fears that the spread of terrorism across the region was far from over.

The attack, on the first sunny Sunday in weeks, took place in Grand-Bassam, a popular palm tree-lined getaway for Ivorians and foreigners. Fourteen civilians and two members of the countrys special forces were killed, as well as six gunmen, according to a spokeswoman for the president.

The authorities in Ivory Coast appealed for calm.

The situation is under control, President Alassane Ouattara told reporters on a visit to the scene of the shootings.

The North African affiliate of Al Qaeda, Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement released on Sunday evening that praised three knights who had carried it out. There was no immediate explanation for the discrepancy in the number of attackers.
RIO DE JANEIRO  Protesters in cities across Brazil called for the ouster of President Dilma Rousseff on Sunday, reflecting rising anger in the country over huge corruption scandals and a deepening economic crisis.

It was the fifth time in the past year that groups had mobilized large numbers of demonstrators  thousands both here and in Sao Paulo  for protests in the streets against the governing leftist Workers Party. The movement regained momentum this month after investigators targeted Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, the influential former president, who picked Ms. Rousseff as his successor.

More than 500,000 people were at the protest in Sao Paulo, according to the Datafolha polling company, ranking it among the largest since the end of military rule in the 1980s.

The entanglement of Mr. da Silva, 70, in inquiries into graft schemes involving Brazilian construction companies that benefited from lucrative government contracts has dealt another blow to Ms. Rousseff, 68. She was already battling impeachment proceedings over claims that she had improperly used funds from state banks to cover budget gaps.
BEIJING  Protests by angry workers at a vast failing state coal mine in the rust belt of northeastern China have forced a senior official to admit that he understated their problems, and signaled how President Xi Jinpings plans to shake up slumping state-owned industries could run into resistance.

The demonstrators had denounced the official, Lu Hao, the governor of Heilongjiang Province, after he said miners working down shafts there had been paid on time even as the government was trying to cut costs and jobs at the mine.

We must live, we must eat, said some banners displayed by protesters, according to images on a website that monitors social unrest across China. Lu Hao tells lies while his eyes are wide open, said another.

Mr. Lu made the rare public reversal Saturday in Beijing, where officials have gathered for the annual meeting of the legislature, the National Peoples Congress. Their discussion this year has focused on cutbacks at mines and sectors of heavy industry that are producing more than Chinas slowing economy can consume.
OGRABRAJ, India  The police on South Andaman Island know what to do when members of the isolated Jarawa tribe venture into the villages that surround them, hoping to snatch rice and other prized goods, like cookies, bananas or, for some reason, red garments.

The policy is to send the Jarawas back into the 300 square miles of forest that has been set aside for the tribe, where they are expected to survive by hunting and gathering, as they have for millenniums. Inspector Rizwan Hassan, whose precinct includes a buffer zone beside the tribes reserve, is under clear orders: to interfere as little as possible in the traditional life of the tribe, which India prizes as the last remnant of a Paleolithic-era civilization.

This did not prepare him for the criminal complaint that was registered at his station in November. A 5-month-old baby was dead, and witnesses came forward willingly, leaving the police, for the first time in history, confronting the prospect of arresting a Jarawa on suspicion of murder.

The Jarawas, who number about 400 and whom one geneticist described as arguably the most enigmatic people on our planet, are believed to have migrated from Africa around 50,000 years ago. They are very dark-skinned, small in stature and until 1998 lived in complete cultural isolation, shooting outsiders with steel-tipped arrows if they came too near.
LE BOURGET, France  French aviation officials on Sunday called for stricter international monitoring of the mental health of pilots and for guidelines that could require doctors to report pilots whose psychological condition might imperil public safety.

The recommendations were part of a report by French accident investigators into the deliberate crash last year of a Germanwings jetliner by its co-pilot, Andreas Lubitz. The inquiry found that doctors had prescribed Mr. Lubitz powerful antidepressants and sleeping pills in the month leading up to the disaster and that at least one had urged that he be hospitalized for a possible psychotic disorder.

But none of those physicians alerted the German aviation authorities or the airline about Mr. Lubitzs condition or his treatment for fear of running afoul of Germanys strict privacy laws. Investigators said such warnings might have prevented Mr. Lubitz, 27, from getting behind the controls of an Airbus A320 and killing himself and 149 others.

As a result, the final report on the March 24 crash by Frances Bureau of Investigations and Analyses strongly recommended that international health agencies and air safety regulators redefine the conditions that would oblige doctors to warn the authorities when an airline pilots mental health posed a potential risk to public safety  even without the patients consent.
BERLIN  A far-right party fiercely opposed to Chancellor Angela Merkels welcome for refugees made startling gains in three state elections in Germany on Sunday, dealing the chancellor a blow as she tries to seal a deal with Turkey to reduce the influx of migrants.

In elections that showed how strongly the refugee crisis has scrambled politics and daily life in Germany, Ms. Merkels center-right Christian Democrats failed to wrest control of two states in western Germany where they had once been expected to do so.

In the one eastern state that voted, her party finished first. But the Alternative for Germany, a populist, nationalist party formed in 2013, was only five percentage points behind.

Ms. Merkel, now facing the toughest challenges of her political career, had no immediate comment on Sunday. She left that to party lieutenants on television talk shows that spent hours dissecting the muddled outcome of the first big electoral test of Ms. Merkels refugee policy.
ISTANBUL  A car filled with explosives blew up in a public square in the heart of Ankara, the Turkish capital, on Sunday evening, killing more than 30 people in the latest of a string of terrorist attacks that have destabilized the country.

The attack, which raised questions about the Turkish governments ability to protect its citizens, occurred two days after the United States Embassy warned of a potential terrorist plot to attack government buildings and residences in Ankara.

Turkey once sought to contain the chaos unfolding across the Middle East, but is now increasingly being sucked into the violence. Devastating bombings, some linked to the extremists of the Islamic State and others to Kurdish militants who have been carrying out a long insurgency against the Turkish government, have struck gatherings of activists, Turkish military targets and a landmark tourist site in Istanbul. But the attack on Sunday seemed to suggest a shift in tactics, with the targeting of a large gathering of civilians in a major transportation hub.

At least 34 people were killed and 125 wounded in the attack, Health Minister Mehmet Muezzinoglu said. There were no immediate claims of responsibility. The Turkish authorities said an investigation was underway.
Huntington Beach, for the umpteenth time, has bowed to the NIMBY veto. The loudest voices in the room have won. There will be no new low-income and high-density housing in Huntington Beach.

However, the Southern California Association of Governments, which is responsible for allocating the number of affordable housing units, sees things differently.

That is why, after the Huntington Beach City Council unanimously voted down a housing plan that would meet state requirements, the council also asked the city attorney to draw up a legal challenge against SCAG.

It now seems almost certain the city will miss a September deadline to adopt a housing plan that meets with state approval, the Register reported. The city could have certain state funding withheld as a result.

To be sure, there is certainly a legitimate argument over the wisdom of state-mandated affordable housing requirements and the force used to impose them. These pages have long opposed, and continue to oppose, them, but the law is the law, and the city seems to have rejected common sense in seeking to challenge that law in a seemingly quixotic endeavor, as the courts have already ruled against the city.

In November, a Los Angeles Superior Court judge upheld a suit by the Kennedy Commission housing advocacy group.

Back then, according to the Register, while Judge James Chalfant found no fault with the citys overall housing plan, he did say that revising the Beach & Edinger Corridor Specific plan undercut the objective and policies of the general plan, and, as a result, ordered the city to cease enforcing, administering or implementing the revisions.

Because when the council cut more than 2,000 housing units from the Beach and Edinger plan, it also reduced the number of low- and very-low-income housing units from 783 to 123  more than 400 short of the states mandate of 533 units.

But the Huntington Beach council hasnt just spurned the state; it has also turned its back on the free market. The BECSP was an attempt to adopt a forward-looking vision that welcomes residents, increases meager housing stock and invites more modern, small-batch business operations. It streamlined building permitting and processes, reduced parking burdens for developers, sanctioned mixed-use development and more.

The city is 97 percent built out, and U.S. Census Bureau figures reveal very low vacancy rates and a population thats been flat for the better part of two decades. Enforcing arbitrary building rules for the sake of protecting views or enforcing the citys beachy feel seems a gross overreach for supposed supporters of limited government, especially when doing so will hold back many low-income people.

Huntington Beach needs more housing. The state is wrong to tell the city what to do, but the city has also erred in hamstringing the free market from fulfilling demand. A pox on both your houses.
The State Department has finished its review of the more than 30,000 emails that former secretary of state Hillary Clinton had kept on her private server and turned over to the State Department for review prior to their public release. The Clinton campaign made much of the fact that the State Department information-technology experts found no evidence that any emails had been hacked into, by foreign actors or others. Hence, they argued, even if her keeping work-related emails on her private server was unorthodox, there was no harm.

Also, Bryan Pagliano, a former worker in Clintons 2008 presidential campaign whom she then hired at the State Department and who set up her private server, last week was granted immunity in the FBI probe of the email system. He had earlier taken the Fifth Amendment to avoid answering Congress questions; now he will have to respond to the FBI.

At issue is exactly how the system was set up, why, if it was a private account, a State Department employee was assigned to create it and what rules other State Department employees were told to follow in forwarding material to the private account  especially in summarizing and conveying information (without being labeled as top secret) that had been so classified when conveyed through the State Departments official email.

Sen. Bernie Sanders has famously announced that hes heard enough, already about the emails. In another context, Clinton has said, What difference does it make? That also sums up the publics reaction to these recent developments. The minutiae of federal data storage law interest few; the publics attention has been blunted, and more fundamental questions have gone unanswered.

The most important of these is why Clinton set up a private server in her home. She says she used a private email account for her own convenience  but why the private server? Emails sent through a commercial account, like Gmail, would have been as convenient. Such emails, however, could be retrieved through a lawful court order to Gmail.

By establishing her own server, Clinton was providing for the day when she could wipe that server clean, without worrying about access through a commercial email service provider.

That day came. In December 2014, Hillary Clinton, then a private citizen, sent 30,000 of her emails to the State Department and simultaneously wiped her server clean of all others.

This act might not have been illegal, and for that reason, it has received little attention. What it tells us about Clinton, however, is of tremendous importance to understand the character she would bring to the Oval Office, especially regarding arrogance and lack of candor.

More than a year before Clinton cleaned her server, Congress had subpoenaed documents from the State Department and other federal agencies relative to the attack on the U.S. mission in Benghazi, Libya. At that time, in August 2013, subpoenas were not issued to Secretary of State Clinton herself because the existence of the private server was not known. Congress thought it was looking in all the right places.

When the server became known, Clinton, alone, decided which emails she would send to the State Department for review, and deleted all the rest. That was not her decision to make.

In normal civil litigation practice, when documents are sought for a trial, the parties must issue litigation holds to preserve all documents likely to be asked for, well before they are actually demanded and, in some cases, even before a lawsuit is filed. Failure to preserve such documents results in sanctions by the court.

If parties want to withhold documents, they still preserve them, so that the court can eventually make a decision about whether they have to be produced. As a former corporate attorney, Clinton must have known those rules. Her action prevented a neutral third party from ever learning what the emails she erased contained. She was, effectively, acting as the judge in her own case.

Lost in the detail of how the server was set up and messages classified is this fundamental, and undisputed point: Hillary Clinton destroyed possible evidence, on her judgment alone. Richard Nixon might have served out his presidency if he had burned the Watergate tapes. Instead, he held them, argued he did not have to turn them over, and lost. Hillary Clinton was a staff attorney on the Watergate Committee, and she has learned from that experience. Effectively, she has burned the tapes.

Tom Campbell is a professor at the Fowler School of Law at Chapman University. He served five terms in Congress, including on the Judiciary Committee. He has been a law professor for more than 30 years. These views are his own.
Wheres the budget savings from Proposition 47? Its a question voters are asking about the 2014 initiative, which reduced felony and misdemeanor penalties for many nonviolent and nonserious drug and property crimes. The voter pamphlet language that sold the initiative promised, This measure will save significant state corrections dollars on an annual basis. Preliminary estimates range from $150 million to $250 million per year.

But in his January budget proposal for fiscal year 2016-17, which begins July 1, Gov. Jerry Brown penciled in just $29.3 million in savings. A month ago, however, the nonpartisan Legislative Analysts Office released a study that concluded, We find that the administration likely underestimates the savings and overestimates the costs resulting from Prop. 47.

The LAO estimated Prop. 47 allowed the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation to avoid the need for 4,700 contract beds in 2015-16, which brought total prison savings to $135 million. Close enough for government work to $150 million.

This money is crucial because some communities, including in Orange County and the Inland Empire, have reported increased crime, with some blame going to Prop. 47. Yet crime is rising in other states, obviously not affected by Prop. 47. And despite the recent rise, crime in California and elsewhere remains far below what it was 20 years ago.

The former San Diego police chief William Landsdowne wrote March 10 in the Sacramento Bee, summarizing a recent Pew Charitable Trusts study, that, during the decade from 2001-11, states that increased their thresholds saw crime drop about the same amount as the 27 states that did not change their theft laws. A couple of more years and more data will be needed to determine Prop. 47s actual effect on the crime rate.

As Gov. Browns staff works on the May Revision to his budget proposal, we hope these questions are taken into account. Correct accounting could mean that, as promised, the saved money could be put into the Safe Neighborhoods and Schools Fund that, according to the initiative, is supposed to finance victim compensation, rehabilitiation and crime prevention.
A Void of values among GOP candidates [Opinion, March 6] by James Doti is stunning in its false inferences. Let me list some of them:

(1) It is inferred that the Republican Party of Lincolns time advocated illegal immigration. Somehow the Gettysburg Address, in referring to freedom for all men, preserving the Union and abolishing slavery, is endorsing open borders and illegal immigration. I would assume Mr. Doti would have presented some actual quote from Mr. Lincoln to that effect if it existed instead of inferring it from Mr. Lincolns historic speech.

(2) A secure border is inconsistent with freedom. This is completely false.

(3) Advocating secure borders and controlled legal immigration in accordance with the immigration laws of the U.S. is somehow hateful. Regardless of what anyone may think about Mr. Trump, he is right in saying that a nation without the rule of law and secure borders is not a nation.

Jon Rogers

Laguna Hills

  

Mr. Dotis equating the Gettysburg Address with the U.S. protecting its borders from illegal immigration is a bit confusing. His analogy of his parents coming to the U.S. legally from Italy and people illegally coming across our southern border is equally puzzling. Lincolns address praised the men who gave their lives to preserve the Union, and to promote human equality.

There is no doubt that most of those who illegally cross our border are coming here to afford themselves and their children a better future. But we have a mechanism for people to come here legally, and we cannot provide a sanctuary for everyone who wishes a better life. Can you imagine unlimited numbers of ships, with thousands of people from Asia, Europe and Africa coming to our ports every day? Its great to have empathy, but we need to employ logic, too.

Bob Guarrera

Laguna Niguel

  

With all due respect to Mr. Doti, he needs to be reminded of a few facts. He mentions the 11 million fellow Americans and a new birth of freedom for these 11 million Americans. These illegals are not Americans. What is it in the word illegal that Doti refuses to recognize? Also, the stat, 11 million illegals is over 30 years old. There are now estimated to be over 20 million.

Doti also uses the Statue of Liberty as a symbol of immigration. Wrong. The Statue of Liberty was a gift from France in 1886 to celebrate American independence. It was never intended to be a welcome mat for the tired, the poor, the huddled masses, the wretched refuse, the homeless and the tempest tossed. That was from a poem that was affixed in 1903. Now, however, the statue has, indeed, become a lamp beside the golden door. Doti needs to come down from that Ivory Tower and check the local and national welfare stats.

Doti also uses Lincoln as the Republican icon to support illegal immigration. Nope. In 1860, Lincoln was not faced with the tsunami of illegal immigration into America. He had other problems to deal with.

Joseph A. Lea

Mission Viejo

  

America is and historically has been a nation of immigrants, a fact that has allowed us to become the most diverse, creative, successful, compassionate, powerful and relevant country in world history. The only missing part in Mr. Dotis excellent article is two words: legal immigrants. Very few Americans are opposed to immigrants entering and becoming part of our fabric if they follow the lawful rules and regulations which are very clearly defined and have long been in place.

Like Mr. Doti, I am also a first generation American. My parents were born in Germany in the early 1900s. During the 1930s, they witnessed, with great concern and trepidation, the rise of Adolf Hitler and the ever-increasing Nazi terror that enveloped Germany. Fortunately, they had the wisdom, courage and ability to leave Germany and immigrate to America before all means of departure were locked down by the Nazi regime.

My parents described their cruise across the Atlantic Ocean and viewing, for the first time, Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty, a truly life-changing, exciting and liberating experience. Although America was in the throes of the Great Depression and they had language challenges, they found employment and scraped out a very simple and basic living, happy to be free, start a family and experience the American Dream. My parents completed the required steps and procedures to become legal residents and ultimately were sworn in as proud U.S. citizens.

The current immigration issue, primarily from Mexico and Central America, is inflamed by the unrestricted influx of illegal, uninvited visitors who knowingly flaunt our laws and create a social and economic burden in our country. Legal entry into America requires documentation, time and money, but those are the dues that must be paid to ultimately gain citizenship. The fact that breaking the law is the first act an illegal immigrant takes by stepping across our border clearly defines and amplifies the issue. It is really not that complicated or difficult to comprehend that lawbreakers must not be rewarded but must be redirected to follow the accepted path to citizenship as have millions of immigrants before them.

F. Radmacher

Tustin
When your neighbor suffers a medical emergency, or the business down the street spills a load of stinky chemicals, or flames roar through a nearby arroyo, chances are good that alarm bells will ring at one of the Orange County Fire Authoritys 72 stations.

The Fire Authority is O.C.s security blanket, providing emergency services to 1.8 million people in 23 cities and the unincorporated pockets of Orange County. But its facing financial uncertainties that some officials warn threaten its very existence.

New, more transparent accounting rules have flipped its official balance sheet into negative territory, largely due to unfunded pension obligations. And Irvine  its largest member city and funding partner  is threatening to secede from the fire protection network, adding to questions about the agencys future.

The red ink could cost taxpayers more by raising the costs of borrowing. And without Irvine  and the $68 million a year its property taxpayers provide  the Fire Authority would lose 20 percent of its budget. That could prompt remaining cities in the joint powers authority to pay more and reassess their emergency response services.

Cities have been assured that, in a worst-case scenario, the red ink now being reported by the authority would not become debt owed by the member cities. But there are differing legal theories on that question.

Jeff Lalloway, an Irvine city councilman who represents his city on the Fire Authoritys large board, says it is an existential threat. Were sending down a liability to our children that I dont think can ever be paid.

The Fire Authoritys assistant chief, Lori Zeller, said the agency is working to correct the imbalance. She said its a product of accounting changes, not a sign of problems that jeopardize operations.

Nothing has changed in our true financial position, said Zeller. Were in solid financial shape.

DIRE STRAITS?

New rules were imposed by the Governmental Accounting Standards Board to force public agencies to formally recognize long-term liabilities that were relegated to audit footnotes. The intent is to paint a clearer picture of what government agencies actually owe and eventually must pay for promised pensions.

This is the first year under the new rules, and the effects can be dramatic.

When unfunded pension, medical and other liabilities are formally included on its balance sheet, the Fire Authoritys debts exceeded its assets by $169 million for the fiscal year that ended in June.

Thats a plunge of more than 680 percent in its net position, or more than $420 million, over a single year.

The Fire Authority isnt alone in seeing millions  and even billions  of dollars in recorded assets instantly vanish. The County of Orange had more than $3.5 billion disappear from its financial cushion because of the new rules, with its net position shrinking from a comfortable $5.5 billion to $2 billion.

Observers are bracing for the state and other agencies large and small to release their numbers. But only a small percentage of the thousands of government agencies in California are expected to fall into the red as a result.

The Fire Authority has been hit particularly hard hit because its an independent government whose entire business is public safety, and public safety workers have the most expensive pension costs.

STATEWIDE PROBLEM

Consider: The County of Orange had 2,348 public safety workers wholl receive retirement checks equal to 3 percent of pay for each year worked once they hit age 50. That translates to 90 percent of pay for those who work 30 years, plus regular cost-of-living adjustments.

But public safety workers comprise only 13 percent of the workforce, making the hit to county governments bottom line less painful.

The Fire Authority, by contrast, had 892 workers covered by 3 percent at 50  or more than 70 percent of its workforce. There are dramatically fewer workers with lower-cost retirement benefits to blunt its financial exposure.

California has about 550 special districts like the Fire Authority, formed specifically for public safety jobs such as policing, fire suppression and ambulance services. Many of those agencies could suffer similar pressures.

Why does it matter to you? In California  outside of federal bankruptcy court  public pension promises are legally protected. If employer and employee contributions and investments dont earn enough to pay whats been promised, taxpayers must make up the difference.

The gap between what the Fire Authority has promised workers and what it currently has available for retirement benefits is $442.3 million. Thats more than double the 2004 gap of $186.1 million.

SNOWBALL STRATEGY

The new accounting rules  and moves by pension plan administrators like the Orange County Employees Retirement System to extract greater contributions from employers and employees alike  are designed to force agencies to put enough money aside now to make good on future pension obligations.

The Fire Authority has been one of the most proactive in trying to close the gaps. For four years, it has dissected its debts in great public detail and set money aside to cover not just its unfunded pension liabilities, but also unfunded health care liabilities. Most public agencies havent put much, if anything, aside for retiree health care costs, which are growing rapidly.

The money is coming from property taxes, fees and contract payments from member cities.

Assistant Chief Zeller calls it the snowball strategy. It will shift an extra $254.5 million to authority retirement funds administered by OCERS over the next dozen years.

Thats on top of the Fire Authoritys required annual payments to OCERS, which total $72.3 million this year, or 22 percent of the general fund budget.

You wont find many agencies with aggressive plans like ours in place, Zeller said. We engage our board and our labor groups in these decisions, and our financial statements win awards. We had a clean opinion from our auditor  we had zero findings.

I believe were financially strong, and will continue to be financially strong, she said.

ENRON 2016

Bankruptcy attorney Rick Barnett, a councilman for Villa Park, has represented his city on the Fire Authoritys board for four years. He gives the agency points for trying hard and doing a lot of good work, but says its attitude toward pension liabilities is ineffective, naive and frustrating.

I complain year after year that this agency is a financial disaster because of its unfunded pension liability, and every time I do, I get the same response: Were fine, everythings good. Approval of those extra pension payments allows us to pay down our deficit ahead of schedule, Barnett said.

I said, Are you serious? No one has any idea what our liability really is or will be. These numbers are a joke  sheer speculation.

The numbers recorded on agencies balance sheets for unfunded liabilities are, indeed, moving targets. They will grow, and shrink, depending on myriad variables. Barnett suspects the Fire Authority is actually a half-billion dollars in the red  or more  when longer life expectancies and more conservative investment returns are factored in.

Barnett thinks guaranteed and open-ended pensions are dangerous for public agencies and he fears the Fire Authority may be Enron 2016.

In 37 years of bankruptcy practice, Ive never been involved with an entity as financially troubled or with such irresponsible financial governance, he said. In his view, the Fire Authority needs to freeze wage and benefit increases in light of its deficit.

BURNING QUESTION

Could member cities be on the hook for authority debts at some point?

The agreement creating the Fire Authority specifically states that The Authority shall be a public entity separate from the (members) and its debts, liabilities and obligations shall not be the debts, liabilities and obligations of its members.

Irvines position is the same as other cities, Irvine City Manager Sean Joyce said. We confidently believe that OCFAs unfunded liabilities responsibility belongs with OCFA  the agency, not the member cities.

However, a legal analysis titled Liability of Municipal Members of a Joint Powers Authority, prepared for the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association when the city of Richmond considered joining a JPA, concluded that individual cities would remain liable  as to any damages arising from a JPAs activities.

Some O.C. city officials worry that their rainy-day funds might be tapped some day to cover Fire Authority obligations, or that theyll have to increase annual payments to make ends meet. That could mean less money to pay for other services for residents, from street repairs to parks and recreation programs, they said.

The unfunded liabilities at every level are incredibly disturbing to me, said Irvines Lalloway. Its the reason I ran for office in 2010, to try to fix this for my kids. Its bad for the taxpayers, and its bad for the people depending on these benefits.

IRVINE FIGHT

The new accounting requirements are playing out against the backdrop of Irvines threatened secession. Its an issue of fairness, the city argues.

The Fire Authoritys funding come from two sources: Direct fees for service paid by eight cash contract cities, including Santa Ana, San Clemente and Tustin; and a slice of property taxes designated for fire protection from 15 cities and the unincorporated areas, including Irvine.

Property owners in Irvine have been paying more to the Fire Authority each year than it costs to provide service, studies have found. By some estimates, the city could save some $20 million a year by pulling out and starting its own fire department.

In an attempt to keep the Fire Authority intact, an equity plan refunding millions to Irvine was negotiated. But the County of Orange balked. Property taxes received by the Fire Authority are specifically designated for fire protection, the county argued in a lawsuit, asserting that returning a portion to Irvine to use however it sees fit is an illegal gift of public funds.

A Superior Court judge agreed with the county and threw out the equity plan. Irvine and the Fire Authority have appealed; a decision is expected next week.

Irvine has the ability to leave the Fire Authority in 2020, and statements from council are, if we dont work something out, well have to explore our options, Lalloway said.

He likened the Fire Authority to a car careening down the highway out of control. Sooner or later, its going to hit something, Lalloway said.

FUTURE

Joe Kerr, spokesman for the firefighters association, believes the Fire Authority will weather the storms. If its time to adjust how much property tax is directed to firefighting, the association can help address that, he said.

But please. Balance the needs of a regional system, he said. There will never be what some would call complete equity in a regional system. But when you consolidate overhead and share economies of scale, it will always be more efficient than running your own fire department.

The red ink tied to pensions doesnt worry him, either. Unfunded liabilities will be addressed in a prudent way over the long-term, he said. Firefighters are paying more toward their retirements than ever before, and the Fire Authoritys snowball strategy is managing the deficit, he said.

We dont draw the conclusion, like some of these guys do, that the last decade and a half represents a one-way trend and that pension liabilities are on the way to swallowing OCFAs budget, he said. Quite the contrary.

The Orange County Fire Authority was created in the 100 days of turmoil post-bankruptcy back in 1995. Since then, Orange County firefighters have lowered health care costs, pre-funded retiree health care, found new functional revenue. The Fire Authority is solvent, safe and the best way to provide fire service to the county, Kerr said.

Contact the writer: tsforza@ocregister.com
ATHENS, Greece  The number of migrants at the overcrowded Idomeni camp on Greeces border with Macedonia will be significantly reduced within a week, Deputy Defense Minister Dimitris Vitsas said Saturday.

About 12,000 migrants are stranded at the makeshift camp, blocked from moving out of Greece by neighboring Macedonia and other countries further along the Balkan route to wealthier northern Europe.

The government began handing out fliers on Saturday that informed migrants in Arabic, Farsi and Pashto that the border was closed and urged them to accept accommodation at shelters elsewhere in Greece.

About 1,000 have boarded buses headed to shelters in Athens and other locations, Vitsas told TV network Skai.

Conditions at the camp, which was up to host no more than 2,000 people, deteriorated in recent weeks as the number of people rose. Human rights groups say the cold, muddy and unhygienic camp could become a humanitarian disaster.

A 9-year-old Syrian refugee staying at the camp was diagnosed with hepatitis A, a viral liver disease that often spread through contaminated drinking water. Greek health authorities said Saturday that the child was in stable condition at a hospital in Thessaloniki.

By the end of the next week there will be enough reception centers across Greece to accommodate 50,000 migrants, Vitsas said, a number the government committed to late last year.

Many of the migrants in Idomeni are awaiting the outcome of Thursdays summit of European Union leaders on the refugee crisis before deciding their next move, hoping that the borders that have been slammed shut by Balkan countries such as Macedonia will once again be opened, he said.

The EU has put its hope in a highly controversial deal being hashed out with Turkey, under which Ankara would take back any new migrants arriving in Greece, while the EU would directly resettle an equal share of Syrians living in Turkey.
GAZA CITY  Israel and Islamist militants in Gaza exchanged escalating threats and rocket fire over the weekend, as an Israeli retaliatory airstrike hit a family home in the coastal enclave, killing two Palestinian children.

Hackers associated with the Islamist militant movement Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip, also managed to interrupt a television broadcast of the popular local version of the Big Brother reality show Saturday night to warn Israelis, in Hebrew, that they should stay inside their homes and not venture out onto the streets.

The three-minute propaganda video showed images of dead bodies, called the Israelis murderers of women and children, praised the recent wave of Palestinian knife and gun attacks, and warned that more violence was ahead.

The escalation began Friday night when militants in the coastal enclave fired four rockets at Israel across the Gaza border fence. The projectiles landed in open fields and caused no damage, but they represented one of the largest salvos fired from Gaza since the end of the 50-day summer war in 2014.

None of the factions in Gaza claimed responsibility for the rocket fire, but Salafist militants are suspected of being behind the attack, possibly launching the projectiles to antagonize their rivals in Hamas.

Israeli military officials say that although the rockets may not have been launched by Hamas, the group is responsible for anything fired from its territory.

Israel responded Saturday night with missiles directed at four Hamas sites, according to the military. One missile, aimed at a Hamas training camp, struck a simple two-room cement home at the perimeter of the site that belonged to Salman Abu Khousa. Two of his children, Yaseen, 6, and Israa, 10, were killed.

My six children were sleeping with their mother in the next room. Suddenly I heard a huge boom and my wife screaming. I went to the room and found three of the children injured, two badly, said Abu Khousa, whose home is about a mile from Gazas border with Israel.

Israel will not accept rocket fire of any kind from the Strip at its territory, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday. The Israel Defense Forces will respond to any such provocation. Israel holds Hamas responsible for all firing carried out from the Gaza Strip toward Israel; Hamas must prevent such firing.

Israels defense minister, Moshe Yaalon, said, We will act even more harshly if these attempts continue.

An Israeli military official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because of security protocols, called the death of the Palestinian children an unfortunate human tragedy following four rockets launched at the people of southern Israel.

The Hamas target was hit, the official said, but it appears that some debris ricocheted approximately 100 meters away and fell through the prefabricated roof, causing the unfortunate loss of life.

A statement from the Hamas militia, Izzedine al-Qassam Brigades, posted on its website, warned that the blood of our children will not flow in vain.

The occupation must know that patience of al-Qassam Brigades and the resistance factions has its limits, the group said.

The militia referred to the dead children as martyrs and posted photos of their bodies being prepared for burial Saturday.

I blame the Israelis for this, the childrens father said. Nobody talked to me from the Israeli side. I havent received an apology from anyone, and even if they did, what can an apology do for me? Will it bring my kids back?

Abu Khousa said that he lost his home during the 2014 summer war between Israel and Hamas and that the family had been living in makeshift housing.

The Hamas military training site, basically an open field, was approximately 40 yards from Abu Khousas home.

Israeli military officials say Hamas does not want to fight another war with Israel now; instead, they say, the group is busy rearming itself, manufacturing rockets and digging tunnels along the Egyptian and Israeli borders.

A dozen diggers and engineers have been killed in Hamas tunnels that have collapsed in recent months.
A couple days ago, I took a break from the Register and drove to the Starbucks on 17th Street and Grand Avenue in Santa Ana, where I saw three homeless people. Ive seen many more in Orange County in recent weeks, commonly at freeway off-ramps, begging for money. Are homeless numbers really up?

Yes, thats an easy one, Chet Parker told me; the deputy Orange County sheriff is homeless liaison officer for the city of Lake Forest. The economy and high housing costs are just a giant piece of it. People who normally might be homeless for one or two months are remaining longer.

The reason, he said, is they more often are burning their bridges with their family and friends, with whom they have stayed temporarily. They move into their cars, but soon cant make loan payments or pay for repairs or even gas. Then, they have nothing and are out on the street.

By the numbers, he helped 26 homeless last year in Lake Forest, and seven so far this year, which works out to 37 for all 2016 if the trend continues  a 42 percent increase. About 70 percent of the homeless have some degree of mental illness that may be from drugs and alcohol.

His experience is confirmed by Jim Palmer, president of the Orange County Rescue Mission. Were seeing it all across the county, he told me Wednesday For example, in Newport Beach, all of a sudden were seeing a lot of homeless. For the last 12 months, were at 100 percent of occupancy in the missions Village of Hope shelter in Tustin, with 192 beds. Tonight its 104 percent. For all campuses, he said, the mission shelters about 500 homeless on any given night.

Part of the problem, he said, is for the past four years the federal government has put all its eggs in one basket, for rapid rehousing. But thats at most 25 percent of the homeless. The other 75 percent need a higher level of care.

Thats the Homeless Prevention and Rapid Re-Housing Program, which the website of the Department of Housing and Urban Development describes as short-term or medium-term rental assistance and housing relocation and stabilization services. The money funds mediation, credit counseling, security or utility deposits, utility payments, moving cost assistance and case management.

Before the aid gets to the homeless, HUD explains, its churned through the federal bureaucracy, then to the bureaucracies of metropolitan cities, urban counties and states for distribution to local governments and private nonprofit organizations.

Looks like another misguided use of federal taxpayers dollars at variance with whats going on at the local level. Its happened on the watch of both Democratic President Obama and the Republican-led House of Representatives.

Instead, in addition to a long-term focus, whats needed is more private housing, not government housing, Palmer said.

The cause of the crisis, which is occurring during economic growth? Theres not a single reason, Palmer said. But theres a lot of bad government, in particular Californias absurdly tight regulations on housing construction  something Ive written about in the past  and which is advanced by what, in these pages, Joel Kotkin has branded gentry liberals. Alas, thats unlikely to change.

What can be done? As a Thursday Register story reported, many of the homeless are veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder. So we need presidents who dont engage in unwise wars, such as those in Afghanistan (except for the limited goal of going after terrorist Osama bin Laden) and Iraq. They are wars almost everyone now acknowledges were disasters, and which the Register opposed from the start.

We need more private housing aid. And Parker advised, Dont promise anything you cant deliver to the homeless. And always deliver on your promises. Otherwise you can kiss them goodbye.
LOS ANGELES  Blackstone Group has agreed to sell Strategic Hotels & Resorts Inc., owner of Ritz-Carlton Laguna Niguel and the Montage Laguna Beach, to a Chinese insurance company for $6.5 billion, The Associated Press reported, citing a person familiar with the deal.

The agreement with Beijing-based Anbang Insurance Group comes about three months after the private equity firm completed its acquisition of the hotel operator.

The source, who spoke on condition of anonymity Saturday because they were not authorized to speak publicly about the deal, could not immediately say how much of the $6.5 billion deal value includes debt.

Blackstone completed its acquisition of Strategic Hotels in December. That deal was valued at $3.93 billion, or about $6 billion including debt.

Strategics $360 million January 2015 purchase of the 250-room Montage Laguna Beach, from Ohana Real Estate Investors, was at the time the biggest hotel sale in California history.

A spokeswoman for Blackstone declined to comment Saturday. An email to a media representative at Anbang was not immediately returned.

Alan Reay, president of hotel consultant and broker Atlas Hospitality, said it had been rumored that the company was in play.

The purchase comes on the heels of Anbangs acquisition of the Waldorf Astoria in New York, so theyre obviously targeting irreplaceable trophy hotels assets in the United States, Reay said. Were seeing a lot of Chinese investment money coming into the United States. Its seen as a safe haven, and especially from major Chinese insurance companies that are looking for stable, safe investments.

Reay called the number of purchases and sales Strategic has completed in the past year unprecedented.

With the sale to Anbang, he doubts hotel operations will change much, but said the recent purchases are reminiscent of unsustainable Japanese investments made in the late 1980s.

The Japanese were buying at the peak of the market and had to walk away from many, many of those hotels, Reay said. Im not sure if we can draw the same comparisons, a lot will have to do with what the debt structure looks like.

Strategic Hotels portfolio is comprised of 16 properties with 7,532 rooms as well as meeting and banquet space.

Staff writer Samuel Mountjoy contributed to this report.
TEHRAN, Iran  U.S. companies are welcome to invest in Irans oil and gas industry, the Iranian oil minister said on Sunday.

State-run Press TV quoted Bijan Namdar Zangeneh as saying that in general, we have no problem with the presence of American companies in Iran.

He said it is the U.S. government that is creating restrictions for these companies, without elaborating. Zangeneh also confirmed that Irans state-run oil company has held talks with General Electric.

Of course, my deputy conducted these negotiations and when I inquired about them, it was said that the talks were positive, he said.

The TV report said Zangeneh also asked Siemens executives to invest in Irans oil and gas industry.

The German company must come to Iran to build equipment and parts needed in our oil industry and manufacture them here, he said.

All sanctions related to Irans nuclear program were lifted in January under a landmark agreement reached with world powers, but the U.S. maintains separate sanctions related to Irans ballistic missile program and its support for State Department-designated terrorist groups.

Iran is trying to regain its share of the global petroleum market after the removal of sanctions.

Saudi Arabia, Russia, Venezuela and Qatar floated the idea of a production cap last month with the aim of boosting global oil prices, but it was conditional on other producers joining in. Iran, which is eager to jumpstart its oil industry, has so far resisted.

Zangeneh dismissed the idea of a production freeze by Iran as a joke, according to the TV report. He said Iran will take part in discussions on a possible oil production freeze after its output reaches 4 million barrels per day.

As long as we have not reached 4 million bpd in production, they should leave us alone, Zangeneh said.
JERUSALEM  Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday called on world powers to punish Iran after the country test-fired two ballistic missiles emblazoned with the phrase Israel must be wiped out in Hebrew.

Netanyahu said he instructed Israels Foreign Ministry to direct the demand to the United States, Russia, China, Britain, France and Germany  the countries that signed the deal lifting sanctions on Iran in exchange for Tehran curbing its nuclear program.

Irans Revolutionary Guard test-launched the ballistic missiles last week, the latest in a series of recent tests aimed at demonstrating Irans intentions to push ahead with its missile program after scaling back its nuclear program under the deal reached last year.

Following last weeks missile launches, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called on Iran to act with moderation, and the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations said the launches were provocative and destabilizing.

Irans Foreign Ministry said the missile tests do not violate Irans nuclear deal with world powers or U.N. Security Council resolutions. A Security Council resolution last year removing sanctions called on Iran not to undertake any activity related to ballistic missiles designed to deliver a nuclear weapon.

The Israeli leader said world powers had pledged to prevent Iran from such violations. Speaking ahead of his weekly Cabinet meeting, Netanyahu said his demand for punitive action against Iran was important as a test of the major powers determination to enforce the nuclear agreement with Iran and, of course, we expect their answers.

Frances foreign minister later raised the possibility of European sanctions against Iran over the missile tests.

Jean-Marc Ayrault said that if necessary, sanctions will be taken. He spoke during a news conference after a meeting in Paris with U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and several European counterparts.

Kerry said the Iranian missile launches are a violation of U.N. resolutions and could invite additional sanctions as we put them in place  as a result of the prior tests.
NEW YORK  There were moments in nursing school when Hina Naveed was tempted to quit, not because she couldnt do the work, but because she wondered whether, as an undocumented immigrant, shed be allowed to get a license once she graduated.

OK, I paid all this money. I got this far. Ive been talking about how Im so excited to be a nurse. Ive really enjoyed my experiences in clinical. All it comes down to is a piece of paper, said the 25-year-old New Yorker, who was brought to the U.S. by her Pakistani family at age 10.

New York and a handful of other states have been taking steps to remove the uncertainty for immigrants like Naveed, who were granted the legal right to work in the U.S. under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals policy implemented by the Obama administration in June 2012, but who still face legal and bureaucratic hurdles in earning professional licenses.

New Yorks Board of Regents, which certifies or licenses more than 50 different types of professionals, including teachers, doctors, nurses, interior designers and architects, voted late last month to adopt regulations that would allow applications from undocumented immigrants who are holders of so-called DACA status. The regulations are up for a final vote and would take effect June 1, if approved.

California passed a law in 2014 that eased licensing restrictions in 40 professions for qualified persons regardless of immigration status. Florida is granting law licenses to DACA holders. Nevada opened up teaching licenses, said Tanya Broder of the National Immigration Law Center.

The federal policy is aimed at those who entered the U.S. before they were 16 years old and have been here continuously since 2007. It is not a legal immigration status, but it puts off deportation and gives eligible residents an access to things like legal employment and, in some places, in-state tuition rates at state colleges.

The right to work, though, isnt the same as a right to teach or practice medicine. In New York, some professional licenses were previously limited by state statute to people who are citizens or have legal immigration status.

Last June, an appeals court in New York ruled in favor of an immigrant who passed his bar exam, but was initially denied a law license because he was brought to the United States illegally from Mexico when he was 5 years old.

That and other legal rulings in recent years led to the Board of Regents officially deciding to make the change and opening the licensing process up to DACA holders, provided they met all the educational requirements the licenses required.

Jose Perez, deputy general counsel at LatinoJustice PRLDEF, said that if kids go to college, get degrees and meet the requirements, a license shouldnt be withheld.

Having given them the benefit of higher education, we should be encouraging them to engage in these professions, he said.

Naveed is eagerly looking forward to getting started in her profession, though she still must pass her licensing exam in April.

Not everyone is as lucky. Monica Sibri, 23, of New Yorks Brooklyn borough, came to the U.S. from Ecuador three months after her 16th birthday, making her ineligible to apply for DACA. She is in college studying American politics and policy, something she chose because she knew there was no way her dream of practicing law or teaching would be possible.

I had to choose something that wasnt going to require me to get a license, she said. And even with the degree she does get, without work authorization, What am I going to do with that degree? Im in a place of no hope with my personal future, she said.
SACRAMENTO  California regulators are considering a plan to curb secret lobbying at the state Capitol.

The Fair Political Practices Commission plans to vote Thursday on narrowing a regulation that allows people to avoid identifying themselves as lobbyists by attending Capitol meetings as experts. They comply with current rules by working alongside lobbyists who are properly registered.

The regulation has faced scrutiny as a way for former legislators and officials to skirt state rules requiring they wait a year after leaving office to lobby their former colleagues.

People found it to be a little bit of a loophole, FPPC Chairwoman Jodi Remke told a Sacramento Press Club luncheon last month. We did have political operatives going along with paid lobbyists, kind of opening the door to certain public officials offices and saying that their expertise was the political process.

The proposed change would clarify the exception applies only to bona fide experts on specific, pending legislative or administrative actions.

Attorneys at the states political watchdog sought the change after deciding last September that former Assembly Speaker and Lieutenant Gov. Cruz Bustamante complied with the rule when he repeatedly lobbied from 2008 through 2013, but never reported it. He left office in January 2007.

A two-year FPPC investigation found Bustamantes firm presented its consulting services as a less-expensive alternative to big lobbyists. Contracts and testimonials included in FPPC documents the agency provided to The Associated Press show Bustamante worked on behalf of at least one local government and the cruise-line industry to influence legislative action.

But it appears many of your communications took place in the company of a registered lobbyist paid by your client, thereby exempting Bustamante from disclosing his lobbying activities, commission lawyer Dave Bainbridge wrote in a September 2015 advice letter.

After a thorough review by the FPPC, there were no findings, Bustamante said in an email response. He provided no other comment.

The change could be too vague for potential lobbyists to properly or uniformly follow, Sacramento attorney Diane Fishburn said at a hearing on the proposed rule change last month.

But Carl Borden, a California Farm Bureau lawyer, said the proposed change would not affect him or other registered lobbyists.

Its kind of a nothing-burger for us at this point, Borden said.

What critics call a revolving door between the Legislature and special interests was highlighted in December when former Assemblyman Henry Perea, a Fresno Democrat, resigned and went to work for the pharmaceutical industry. Two state senators left office in 2013 to join the lucrative lobbying business.

Former FPPC counsel Robert Stern said the commission should get rid of the exemption entirely.

The rule dates to the 1970s. It was intended to allow people to occasionally talk to lawmakers without having to register with the state and track their time at the Legislature, so long as they are not paid to sway legislators opinions. For instance, the rule would exempt from disclosure teachers who join a California Teachers Association lobbyist at the Capitol to discuss their classroom experiences.

The purpose has always been a fairly limited view of whos attending these meetings, commission lawyer Heather Rowan said at the Feb. 10 public meeting on the proposal.
Voters in three German states go to the polls Sunday in the first major electoral test of Chancellor Angela Merkels open-border refugee policy.

More than a fifth of the German population lives in the regions at stake, making the contest the biggest of Merkels third term and the most significant vote before the next federal ballot in 18 months. Voting stations open at 8 a.m. and close at 6 p.m., when exit polls will be released.

While voters will be casting their ballots for regional assemblies, surveys show the biggest public concern to be Europes refugee crisis and its impact on Germany. The arrival of about 1 million asylum seekers in Germany last year alone has hurt support for Merkels Christian Democratic Union party nationally and threatens to upend the election outcome in the states of Baden-Wuerttemberg, Rhineland-Palatinate and Saxony-Anhalt.

Merkel faces the most serious challenge of her chancellorship in the migrant crisis and a major setback for her party Sunday would trigger some unsettling headlines and possibly even speculation that her position may be at risk, said Holger Schmieding, chief economist at Berenberg Bank. That could cause concerns well beyond Germany.

The refugee issue is reverberating around the European Union, replacing the euro-areas debt woes as the most significant in a series of crises chipping away at the EUs political and economic cohesion. Bitter disagreements between capitals are stoking fears that border-free travel and commerce  one of the EUs signature achievements along with the single currency  will be suspended. An associated rise in populism is eroding support for established parties across the bloc, making coalition-building increasingly difficult from Spain to Ireland.

Sundays state elections are likely to show that Germany is no longer immune to the allure of right-wing populism, with polls suggesting a surge in support for the anti-immigration AfD party in all three regions.

Biggest Prize

Merkels problem is that as recently as last fall polls suggested the CDU had a lock on all of them. Since then, the onslaught of the refugee crisis has thrown the results into doubt.

The biggest prize on offer is Baden-Wuerttemberg, a state of 10.7 million on the Swiss border with an economy bigger than Polands. Its been led by Germanys first Green state premier since 2011, and the CDU is vying to recapture what was prior to that a heartland for more than half a century.

Rhineland-Palatinate, known for its wine terraces along the Rhine river as well as BASF SEs chemicals, may see Merkels party hold on to take the state from the Social Democrats, who have governed it for 25 years. In Saxony-Anhalt, in the ex-communist east, CDU premier Reiner Haseloff is within reach of another five years atop a state coalition with the Social Democrats, although support for the AfD of as much as 18 percent may derail that alliance.

Major losses on Sunday would add to the unease within her own party, said Berenbergs Schmieding. If Merkels approach to reduce the inflow of migrants, namely to strike a deal with Turkey, were to falter at the EU summit on March 17-18, she could be under serious pressure from within her own party.
SEOUL, South Korea  North Korea claimed Sunday that it could wipe out Manhattan by sending a hydrogen bomb on a ballistic missile to the heart of New York, the latest in a string of brazen threats.

Although there are many reasons to believe that Kim Jong Uns regime is exaggerating its technical capabilities, the near-daily drumbeat of boasts and warnings from Pyongyang underlines the regimes anger at efforts to thwart its ambitions.

Our hydrogen bomb is much bigger than the one developed by the Soviet Union, DPRK Today, a state-run outlet that uses the official acronym for North Korea, reported Sunday.

If this H-bomb were to be mounted on an inter-continental ballistic missile and fall on Manhattan in New York City, all the people there would be killed immediately and the city would burn down to ashes, the report said, citing a nuclear scientist named Cho Hyong Il.

The website is a strange choice for issuing such a proclamation, given that it also carried reports about rabbit farming and domestically made school backpacks.

North Koreas newly developed hydrogen bomb surpasses our imagination, Cho is quoted as saying, because it is many times as powerful as anything the Soviet Union had.

The H-bomb developed by the Soviet Union in the past was able to smash windows of buildings 1,000 kms away and the heat was strong enough to cause third-degree burns 100 kms away, the report continued.

Kim in January ordered North Koreas fourth nuclear test and claimed that it was a hydrogen bomb, not a simple atomic one. But most experts are skeptical of the claim, saying the seismic waves caused by the blast were similar to those caused by the Norths three previous tests.

Then in February, Kim oversaw the launch of what North Korea said was a rocket that put a satellite into orbit but that is widely considered part of a long-range ballistic missile program.

North Korea has made advances in its inter-continental ballistic missile program, and experts generally conclude that the United States West Coast might now be in reach but that there has been no suggestion that the North would be able to hit the East Coast.

Many experts are also skeptical of the miniaturized warhead that Kim showed off last week during a visit to a nuclear weapons plant, saying it doesnt look right.

But Jeffrey Lewis, director of the East Asia nonproliferation program at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey, warned against dismissing it too soon.

It does not look like US devices, to be sure, but it is hard to know if aspects of the model are truly implausible or simply that North Korean nuclear weapons look different than their Soviet and American cousins, Lewis wrote in an analysis for 38 North, a website devoted to North Korea. The size, however, is consistent with my expectations for North Korea.

As international condemnation of the Norths acts mounted, culminating in the toughest U.N. sanctions against Pyongyang yet, Kims regime has become increasingly belligerent, firing missiles into the Sea of Japan, also known as the East Sea, and issuing a new threat or denunciation almost every day.

The sanctions coincide with annual spring drills between the U.S. and South Korean militaries, which Pyongyang considers a rehearsal for an invasion. The current exercises are particularly antagonistic because special forces are practicing decapitation strikes on regime leaders and taking out nuclear and missile sites.

On Friday, North Koreas state media reported that Kim had ordered more nuclear tests, while the Norths Korean Peoples Army warned in a statement Saturday that it would counter the drills by liberat 1 / 8ing 3 / 8 the whole of south Korea including Seoul . . . with an ultra-precision blitzkrieg strike of the Korean style.

South Koreas Defense Ministry urged Pyongyang to stop its threats and provocations.

If the North continues to make provocations despite the stern warnings made by our military, it is inevitable for us to roll out a strict response that may lead to the destruction of the Pyongyang regime, South Koreas Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement, according to the Yonhap News Agency.

Yoonjung Seo contributed to this report.
Ohio must let 17-year-olds vote in the states March 15 primary, if they turn 18 by Election Day, a judge ruled in a boost to Bernie Sanders.

Sanderss surprise win over Hillary Clinton in the Michigan primary this week was driven in part by his popularity with younger voters, many of whom are attracted to his call for an economic revolution against the wealthy elite. Sanders got the support of 81 percent of 18- to 29-year-olds in the Michigan primary, according to CNNs exit polls.

Ohio Secretary of State Jon Husted, a Republican, reinterpreted a decades-old law by describing the primary as an election of delegates, rather than a nomination. Ohio doesnt let voters under 18 directly elect people, Husted said.

That was a misinterpretation of the law, Franklin County Court Judge Richard A. Frye said in a ruling Friday.

The secretary has a clear legal duty to promptly advise all 88 county Boards of Election to disregard his previous interpretation of the law, Frye said. The complaint was filed by students and the Fair Elections Legal Network. It wasnt affiliated with any candidate or political party.

A federal judge in Columbus, Ohio, earlier on Friday declined to rule in a parallel case filed by Sanders until after the state court judge ruled. While Sanders wasnt involved in the state court case, both suits made the same argument.

Huge Victory

This is a huge victory for 17-year-olds across Ohio. Their votes for presidential nominees will now count when they vote on either Tuesday or over the weekend in early voting, Brad Deutsch, attorney for the Sanders campaign, said in a statement.

Ohio, a key general election swing state, is among about two dozen states that allow threshold voters to cast primary ballots to increase turnout among young adults. Ohios law was passed in 1981, allowing 17-year-olds to vote in all the recent primaries, Sanders said in his complaint.

The students are really excited that their vote will be able to count, Rachel Bloomekatz, the teenagers lawyer, said in a phone interview.

Sanders argues the Ohio age restriction will have a greater impact on minority voters who make up a larger percentage of younger voters. He also says that voters who participate in the primary are more likely to turn out on Election Day.

Husteds predecessor, Democrat Jennifer Brunner, advertised the law heavily to young people with a campaign called Vote at 17, according to the compliant. And ex-Ohio State Senator Nina Turner, a Democrat who ran against Husted for secretary of state, said in a statement that Ohio law is clear that 17-year-olds may vote in presidential primaries.

Limiting Turnout

Groups aligned with Democrats are fighting court battles in several states to turn back what they say are Republican attempts to hinder voter turnout by minorities and young people who lean Democratic. The effort has focused on swing states.

In North Carolina, minority voters went to trial to overturn a strict voter restriction law. In Alabama, a federal judge is weighing the states request to dismiss a lawsuit filed in December by an NAACP chapter over a 2014 voter-ID law. The judge in February rejected the groups bid for an injunction. In Virginia, a trial over that states voter-ID law ended this month.
SANTA ANA  A man died after he was shot several times early Sunday morning, police said.

Julian Barragan, 21, was walking around 4:30 a.m. in the 4400 block of West Kent Avenue when someone approached him and fired multiple gunshots, police Cpl. Anthony Bertagna said.

Barragan was taken to UCI Medical Center in Orange in critical condition and underwent surgery before he died at 3:32 p.m.

The police had no suspects or motive later Sunday morning, Bertagna said.

Officials said Barragan had no known gang affiliations.

The killing came a day after church groups and others from the community held a rally to denounce the violence in their city.

Forty-one shooting incidents were reported in January and 29 in February, according to the Santa Ana Police Department. The two months had the highest number of shootings in that time period since 2011.

Contact the writer: gmellen@ocregister.com
RIO DE JANEIRO  Brazilians took to the streets on Sunday for a day of nationwide protests against embattled President Dilma Rousseff thats widely seen as a key test of her ability to weather the political and economic crises lashing the country.

The president faces impeachment proceedings over alleged fiscal mismanagement with the country in the throes of the worst recession in decades and amid a sprawling investigation into corruption at the state-run oil giant Petrobras.

Observers say a big turnout at Sundays protests could further hamper Rousseffs ability to fight for her political survival amid record-low approval ratings. But anemic turnout could breathe new life into her administration by suggesting that the majority of the population opposes her ouster.

Planned in more than 300 cities and towns throughout the country, the demonstrations were publicized largely through social media, with organizers saying they expected high turnout. Their prediction appeared to be playing out in cities where early demonstrations were held.

An estimated 100,000 people are thought to have taken part in the demonstration in the capital, Brasilia, and events in the central city of Belo Horizonte and the northeastern coastal city of Recife also appeared to draw thick crowds. In Sao Paulo, Brazils economic capital, crowds began to flood the main thoroughfare hours ahead the scheduled start of the event.

Although Rousseff herself had raised fears of possible clashes between supporters of her Workers Party and the anti-government demonstrators, no such incidents appeared to mar Sundays protests, which had a festive, almost Carnival-like atmosphere.

In Rio de Janeiro, multitudes defied the threatening rain clouds overhead to converge on Copacabana Beach the morning after heavy rains that caused widespread flooding throughout the city. Dressed largely in the yellow and green hues of the Brazilian flag, the Rio demonstrators filled the broad avenue that runs along the beach, chanting anti-government slogans and singing the national anthem. Organizers estimated that about 1 million people turned out at the Rio protest. The police, whose crowd estimates are generally a fraction of that of organizers, has not provided its own count.

The people are suffering. Every month the prices go up and more people get laid off and things get harder, said Dirceu de Castro, a 67-year-old engineer whose face was painted with patriotic green stripes. If Brazil were a private company, Dilma would have been fired long ago.

Other demonstrators stressed their anger extended well beyond Rousseff and her Workers Party, saying the so-called Car Wash investigation into corruption at Petrobras had compromised the entire political class.

Of course I want to see Rousseff booted out, said Maria de Lima Pimenta, a 75-year-old retired schoolteacher. But then the problem becomes, who will replace her? Theyre all crooks.

Protest organizers stressed the movement wasnt linked to any opposition political party, and signs endorsing parties were largely absent from the demonstrations.

The Petrobras scandal has ensnared key figures from Rousseffs Workers Party, including her predecessor and mentor, former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, as well as members of opposition parties.

Political tensions in Brazil have spiked since earlier this month when Silva was briefly detained by police for questioning as part of the corruption probe. Silvas supporters and detractors gathered in front of his apartment in the Sao Paulo area, and scuffles broke out between the two groups.

On Wednesday, the tension was ratcheted up another notch, as Silva was charged in a separate case with money-laundering.

In a show of solidarity with the former president, several hundred people gathered outside of Silvas apartment early Sunday. At one point, Silva himself went down to greet the approximately 400 supporters.

News reports have said Rousseff has offered Silva a ministerial post that would shield him from possible imprisonment on corruption and money laundering charges. Under Brazilian law, only the Supreme Court can authorize the investigation, imprisonment and trial of cabinet members.

Speaking on Friday, Rousseff said she would be extremely proud to have Silva, the once-wildly popular leader who governed Brazil from 2003-2011, but declined to say whether he would join the government.

Asked whether she would resign amid mounting pressure, Rousseff objected to the very principle of demanding the resignation of an elected president without concrete evidence the leader had violated the constitution.

She said that if there is no reason to do so, I will not step down, calling on journalists at the event in Brasilia to at least attest that I dont look like someone who is going to step down.

Rousseffs second term in office runs through the end of 2018.

Prominent politicians from opposition parties and also from within the broad governing coalition have floated the idea of a semi-presidential regime as a way out of the political crisis. Under the proposal, Rousseff would remain head of state and a head of government figure would be created. Observers say the proposal would likely not be a fast fix, however, as it would have to win approval from Congress.
SANTA ANA  Community and church groups are calling for peace after a violent start to the year.

Some 40 Santa Ana residents gathered at noon Saturday at the corner of Bristol Street and McFadden Avenue, holding banners reading Stop the Violence as they marched around the intersection.

The gangs are out here in force, the drugs are out here in force, said Richard Muro, a minister with Victory Outreach Southeast Santa Ana. Its time the churches come out in force.

Forty-one shooting incidents were reported in January and 29 in February, according to the Santa Ana Police Department. The two months had the highest number of shootings in that time period since 2011.

Santa Ana police stepped up enforcement efforts in February, targeting hotbeds of gang activity, seizing 23 guns and arresting 113 gang members.

In addition to Victory Outreach, groups at Saturdays event included churches Alcance Victoria Santa Ana and Praise Chapel Christian Fellowship, and members of some recovery homes.

Muro said the neighborhoods surrounding the Bristol Street and McFadden Avenue intersection are plagued by gang activity. Those marching said they wanted to bring attention to the gang violence and pray for the city.

Dozens of cars drove by Saturday as members of the rally waved signs. Music spilled through the streets, punctuated by testimonials on how a church helped someone better a life or leave behind drugs and alcohol.

Tania Gama, 23, among those waving signs, said she used to use and sell heroin, and connecting with Victory Outreach and its recovery programs helped her turn her life around.

Not a lot of people will work in the inner-city neighborhoods, Gama said. I think its wonderful.

Victory Outreach wants to organize a peace march through Santa Ana next month in response to the shootings. For more information on the march, call the church at 714-550-9977.

Contact the writer: 714-796-7990 or mnicolai@ocregister.com
RIO DE JANEIRO  Tensions are high on the eve of political protests planned around Brazil on Sunday by supporters of the governing Workers Party and those who want to see President Dilma Rousseff impeached.

Opposition groups have been planning the pro-impeachment demonstrations for weeks and hope the protests will draw millions onto the streets nationwide. But differences between the two sides have been sharpened by police actions earlier this month that saw Rousseffs predecessor, former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, spirited to a Sao Paulo police station to testify in a sprawling investigation of corruption at the state-run oil giant Petrobras.

Some Workers Party supporters are expected to stage their own counter-demonstrations on Sunday, setting up concerns by authorities over the possibility of violence.

Supreme Court Justice Marco Aurelio Mello said in remarks in Rio de Janeiros O Globo daily he was afraid the protests could result in conflict and even a corpse.

Sao Paulo Governor Geraldo Alckmin, of the opposition PSDB party, has banned government supporters from marching down the citys main avenue on Sunday in a bid to guarantee security.

Brazil is suffering its worst recession in decades, with new official statistics showing the economy shrank by almost 4 percent last year.

Rousseff saw her approval ratings dip into the single digits in the first year of her second term in office amid the spiraling recession. She is battling impeachment proceedings over claims she used state-backed banks to plug holes in the budget.

She has not been implicated in the massive Petrobras corruption probe, which has already ensnared many of Brazils richest businessmen and top politicians from across the political spectrum. The investigation is now closing in on Silva, Rousseffs mentor.

Police showed up at Silvas apartment in the greater Sao Paulo area early on March 4 and took the former president to a police station to answer questions about two properties hes connected with that investigators suspect were lavishly remodeled by a construction company embroiled in the Petrobras scandal.

In response to the police action, the Workers Partys leader in Congress, Jose Guimaraes, called on supporters to prepare for war in the streets.

Tensions further spiked on Wednesday, as Sao Paulo state prosecutors charged Silva with money laundering, in a separate case. A judge must accept the charges in order for that case to move forward.

Silva, a once-revered leader who presided over galloping economic growth and unprecedented social changes in Brazil, leaving office in 2010 with sky-high approval ratings, was long regarded as untouchable. His judicial dramas have galvanized both supporters and detractors.

Opposition activists see the recent events as compelling reasons for disgruntled Brazilians to attend Sundays protest. Government supporters, on the other hand, see Silvas legal problems as a bid to besmirch the former leaders image and undermine the government.

Amid the current polarized climate, worries about potential clashes on Sunday are justified, said Carlos Melo, an analyst at the Sao-Paulo based Insper business school.

Violence is a legitimate concern, said Melo. There is a climate of tension in the country that has been brewing since Rousseff was first elected in 2010. It grew steadily worse.
CLEVELAND  In a Republican presidential primary filled with extraordinary moments, a 24-hour stretch that began Friday night stands above them all.

What transpired exposed anew the remarkable anxiety ripping through a country dealing with profound economic and demographic changes, and the anger roiling inside one of Americas great political parties.

Opponents of Donald Trump were so committed to keeping him from speaking in Chicago on Friday that they aggressively clashed with supporters, forcing the GOP front-runner to abruptly cancel his rally before it began.

Saturday morning, two of the candidates fighting to defeat Trump, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio and Ohio Gov. John Kasich, said they were so disgusted by the chaos that they might not support the billionaire businessman if he clinches their partys nomination.

And when Trump appeared at a rally Saturday in Ohio, he was pulled midspeech into a protective ring of U.S. Secret Service agents charged with guarding his life after a man leaped over a barrier and rushed the stage.

Montgomery County Sheriff Phil Plummer said Thomas Dimassimo of Fairborn, Ohio, has been charged with inducing panic and disorderly conduct.

For those cringing at the discord and Trumps unanticipated political rise, there were no easy answers.

Trumps rivals have spent months tiptoeing around his provocative comments for fear of alienating his impassioned supporters.

But the images spilling out of Chicago, with young people angrily confronting one another, often divided by racial lines, appeared to be too much.

Rubio said in an interview that he might not be able to support Trump if hes the GOP nominee, citing the way the businessman is dividing both the party and the country so bitterly.

Rubio wouldnt say whether hed look for a third-party candidate to support if Trump does become the Republican standard-bearer, but he added, The fact that you even have to ask me the question shows why (Trump) is a problem.

Kasich, who has largely avoided tangling with Trump, said the real estate mogul has created a toxic environment that makes it extremely difficult to envision supporting him as the Republican nominee.

To see Americans slugging themselves at a political rally deeply disturbed me, Kasich said while campaigning in Cincinnati. Were better than that.

Only Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, who is closest to Trump in the delegate count, said he would unequivocally support the billionaire businessman if he emerges from the primary victorious.

Still, Cruz  eager for Rubio and Kasich to get out of the race after their home-state primaries Tuesday so that he can take on Trump in a head-to-head contest  blamed his rival for encouraging the kind of nasty violence that occurred in Chicago.

More than once Ive had protesters who get up and raise a point, and if they are being civil and courteous, Ill actually engage in a conversation with them and treat them with civility and respect, Cruz said. I think the way you interact with the citizens expresses what kind of person that you will be.

As Trumps delegate lead grows, theres little evidence that he sees any reason to alter an approach that includes encouraging his supporters to aggressively  and sometimes physically  stop protesters from interrupting his raucous rallies.

At a rally Saturday afternoon in Cleveland, which was also interrupted several times by dozens of protesters, Trump said that he thought all the disruptions would help him.

It just makes all of our friends and supporters more angry. Were going to go to the polls on Tuesday, he said, predicting a resounding victory.
We bounced around like bull riders as the van wound down a dark and seemingly endless dirt road.

Under other circumstances, this might have concerned me and my wife in the heart of Baja California, Mexico. But this van was driven by a 30-something entrepreneur from the Los Angeles area and was headed toward a culinary and wine oasis in the desert.

This was Baja wine country, or Valle de Guadalupe, one of the more surprising up-and-coming wine and food destinations in North America.

Sure, you could drive north to well-established wine regions around Santa Barbara, or up past the Bay Area to Napa Valley. But just three hours south of Orange County is this largely undiscovered gem with not only world-class wine and food, but also a rich cultural experience.

Maybe youve been to Baja before, but the drug cartel violence and other insecurities may have kept you away for a while. Though the U.S. State Department continues to issue travel warnings for the region and there has been a recent surge in cartel-related killings, overall crime is reportedly down, and I felt completely safe during my recent weekend there.

When crossing that southern border, rather than insecurity I felt a sense of freedom and escape cruising down the stunning Baja coast. I apparently wasnt alone in that sensation, as we discovered numerous other Americans and foreign tourists at the wineries, restaurants and hotels we visited.

My wife and I started our journey by meeting up with like-minded adventurers at Union Station in Los Angeles, where we were being picked up by Coast to Costa, a tour company started by 34-year-old Andrew Tyree in 2013. Tyree already had been leading trips to Cuba, Spain and other parts of Mexico when he discovered the burgeoning wine, food and beer scene in Baja last year on his honeymoon. (Yes, in addition to wine, craft beer is on the rise in Baja.)

Soon after, he expanded his operation to include weekend trips to Valle de Guadalupe.

Every time I go down there, Im discovering more places, said Tyree, who used to visit the area as a youth, partying in Tijuana in the quintessential Southern California rite of passage.

But like Tyree, the region has matured beyond its party reputation.

Even in TJ right now, its more craft beer-centered and wineries, Tyree said. The whole areas kind of grown up a little bit.

Our first stop wasnt actually in wine country, but at Wendlandt, a craft brewery in Ensenada. The small tasting room attached to the brewery is just steps from a rocky coastline and ocean view. It serves a deep variety of drinks, from full-flavored ambers and dark beers to hoppy IPAs. It also operates a brewpub in downtown Ensenada.

Then it was on to the wineries, which brings us back to that dark dirt road.

As we bounced along, we could see the lights of the occasional small house or farm but little else until we arrived at our destination, the Vena Cava winery and Corazon de Tierra restaurant. The winery specializes in sauvignon blanc and cabernet sauvignon, while the hilltop restaurant  built of wood and glass and exuding a rustic feel  focuses on local ingredients, many grown on site.

There is no menu. All the food served is based on the ingredients available that day, which creates unexpected and exciting food combinations. We dined on succulent quail, tangy ceviche, oysters, a variety of inventive vegetable dishes with edible flowers and unforgettable sauces and spices.

Throughout our weekend, we visited other wineries along the Valle de Guadalupes Ruta de Vino (wine route). The region produces 90 percent of the wine in Mexico, which to this point is much more famous for its beers and tequilas.

At Restaurante Familia Samarin, we learned about Bajas long history of winemaking, which goes back to Russian immigrants such as those who opened the winery and restaurant in 1905. Their descendants still operate it.

Its a great place to stop on a hot day, since sangria is the specialty. It sells a variety of locally made jams, cheeses, apple pie and other savory items perfect for an edible souvenir. Also onsite is a small museum in the familys original adobe home that exhibits their history in Baja.

Another winery and restaurant that have gained fame, this one for its unique hotel accommodations, is Encuentro Guadalupe. The beautiful restaurant and tasting room are constructed on and into a hill that affords breathtaking views of vineyards in the valley below and the mountains beyond.

Calling it a hotel is barely accurate, though  Encuentro features eco-lofts, modern cabin-like structures built on stilts dotting the hillside.

Gibran Huerta, a 30-year-old entrepreneur from San Diego who does marketing for Encuentro, said he was drawn back to the area after years of straddling the border. Despite enjoying the Baja cuisine for most of his life, he didnt realize what the region could offer until recent years, as the scene has exploded.

I didnt notice the beauty of it  until I started seeing it from other peoples perspective, Huerta said.

He said the prices of some of the wines and new hotels in Baja draw fewer Mexicans than they do foreign tourists, including plenty from Orange and Los Angeles counties.

Though unique, Encuentro is pricey  think high-end American hotel rates.

Instead, we stayed at Cabanas Cuatro Cuatros, as arranged and paid for by our tour guide. Unfortunately, we didnt get a chance to try the wine there after arriving late at night, but we did find ourselves surrounded by dark hills with a ceiling of stars.

The site is just off the coast highway but feels like the middle of nowhere, a perfect place to camp  or in our case, glamp, in comfortable, large canvas tents built on wooden platforms that contain beds, space heaters and modern bathrooms.

The top of a steep, nearby hill boasts a bar and incredible views of the deep blue Pacific Ocean far below.

If you stay overnight and need a filling breakfast before heading out for more wine tasting, try La Cocina de Dona Esthela. The small local kitchen, where you can meet Dona Esthela herself, crafts classic and flavorful Mexican dishes such as machaca (shredded beef) with eggs, chorizo and huevos rancheros.

Sitting in the small dining room or outside on the simple patio under the warm Baja sun, as fresh tortillas and mouth-watering dishes pile up on the table, you can see why FoodieHub, a gastronomy website that curates dining picks from top culinary experts, chose Dona Esthela as the tastiest breakfast in the world last year.

The region has far more wineries than we had time to visit, and it seems to be adding more every day. Those must remain to be discovered later, when the flavors, sights and ambiance draw us back to Baja.

Contact the writer: peakins@ocregister.com
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Bengaluru: Engineering student critical after lover attack

Bengaluru

oi-Shalini

Bengaluru, March 13: A 21-year-old pre-university dropout student set his girlfriend's house on fire which is located at Saibabanagar, Srirampura. After his girlfriend's rejection, he set her on fire. The girl, an engineering student sustained 60 percent burns and she was admitted to St John's Hospital, in critical condition.

According to police reports to media, Deepak Shivakumar, a resident of LN Pura near Bandireddy Circle, poured 20 litres of petrol on the main door and window of Meghana's house and set it on fire. Meanwhile, neighbour's broke the door and rescued her family members-- her father P Natarajan, mother Anupama and sister Sanjana.

After the attack plan, Deepak, who works in a medical shop at Devaiah Park got arrested by the police. Noticing the injuries while climbing the wall (after burning house), police questioned him. He admitted after long inquiry that he set her house on fire because he was upset with her (Meghana) relationship.

After getting medical treatment Natarajan, his wife and younger daughter got discharged on Saturday, March 12 from Victoria hospital,but Meghana is still in critical condition and fighting for her life.

According to family information, Meghana and Deepak were in a relationship since past four years, Deepak was upset because Meghana was concentrating on her studies and was not giving enough time to their relationship.

Meghana, was pursuing her higher studies and is very serious towards her studies. She even used to give advice to Deepak to be independent.

According to family information, earlier Deepak forcibly took Meghana to Mysuru to forcefully marry her in a temple. But Natarajan got clue about his plans and called him and said "we will do marriage in a traditional way and advised him to come back."

Meghana's father was not happy with the relationship and was trying to accept Meghana's choice. He even said "only they will allow this marriage if they both got jobs." Deepak even fought with her father for questioning him.

OneIndia News
11 start-ups graduate from GenNext Hub

India

oi-IANS

By Ians English

Chennai, March 11: Eleven technology start-ups graduated from the GenNext Hub, the Mumbai based start-up accelerator, an initiative of Reliance Industries Ltd. and powered by Microsoft Ventures, a joint statement said on Friday.

The GenNext Hub is now accepting applications for third batch, which will start in April 2016.

The GenNext Hub initiative is an extension of what Reliance Industries chairman Mukesh Ambani is often heard saying: "The idea is to find the next Reliance."

According to the statement, the initiative is to catalyse the startup ecosystem for a digital India.

The event held in Reliance Corporate Park, Navi Mumbai, saw the start-ups showcase their businesses to more than 150 investors, influencers, corporate customers and leaders.

The GenNext Hub enables entrepreneurs to build their companies through an immersive, four-month-long programme.

"At GenNext Hub we are catalyzing a unique startup ecosystem, which rests on the tripod of talent, technology and trust. We spot and encourage 'talent', help them harness their 'technology' and back them up by putting total 'trust' in them," GenNext chairman and a board member in Reliance Industries Raghunath A. Mashelkar was quoted as saying in the statement.

"We are supporting several of our startups from the second batch with strategic partnerships that will help them scale-up rapidly," Mashelkar said.

"We have seen some amazing innovation in the two batches that have graduated thus far from GenNext. Some of these have already made a mark in the ecosystem and have even become business partners for Reliance and Microsoft and we hope this trend will continue," Bhaskar Pramanik, chairman, Microsoft India, was quoted as saying in the statement.

During the four-month programme, the start-ups were mentored on customer development, business models, operational planning, product roadmap, market traction, fund raising and pitching.

The workshops cut across B2B and B2C businesses in diverse sectors such as sports, energy, hospitality, advertising, fitness, financial services, logistics, healthcare, payments and enterprise software.

Domain expertise was provided in intellectual property, product development, online promotions, advertising, public relations, financial modeling, communication and pitching.

Going forward, GenNext Hub will focus on helping companies scale-up with its "Scalearator" model and evolve from a "Minimum Viable Product" to a "Minimum Viable Company".

According to the statement GenNext Hub is now accepting applications for third batch, which will start in April 2016.

IANS
Is Chhattisgarh govt doing enough about Maoist menace?

The Magadh zone: Why naxals are desperate to revive it?

Elgar Parishad was a CPI (Maoist) conspiracy says HC while rejecting Jyoti Jagtaps bail plea

57 more Maoist supporters surrender in Odisha

India

oi-IANS

By Ians English

Bhubaneswar, March 13: As many as 57 Maoist supporters, including 25 women, surrendered before Odisha Police on Sunday, taking the total number of those who have surrendered in the last one week to 315.

These 57 sympathisers belong to Tamuda village in Malkangiri district.

A total of 315 Maoist supporters have given up violence and surrendered in the past seven days, Malkangiri Superintendent of Police Mitrabhanu Mohapatra said on Sunday.

"The rebels who surrendered today (Sunday) include 11 armed militia and two village committee members. The Maoist supporters were working for Kalimela Dalam of the Communist Party of India-Maoist," the police officer said.

He said the surrendered Maoist supporters will be rehabilitated as per the state government policy.

Notably, 19 Maoist sympathisers, who were members of Darwa division of the outlawed CPI-Maoist, surrendered on Saturday.

IANS
Ghulam Nabi Azad announces own party, says people of J&K will decide its name and flag

Azad twisting facts in his favour to befool people of J&K: Cong

Azad compares RSS with ISIS, BJP demands apology from Congress

India

oi-Avinash

New Delhi, Mar 13: Senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad on Saturday kicked-off a massive controversy after he compared the RSS with the Islamic State (IS) while saying he equally opposes both organisations.

The Congress MP in Rajya Sabha drew an angry protest from the RSS as well as the BJP which demanded an apology.

Addressing a meeting of religious minorities and opposition parties held under the aegis of Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind, Azad said, "We oppose ISIS with equal might as we oppose the RSS."

Religion should not be an issue, he said adding: "Even from among us if someone does any wrong thing, then he is also no less than the RSS."

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) demanded Congress president Sonia Gandhi to tender an apology and take action against Azad.

"These only reflect Congress frustration. They are still unable to stomach the defeat of 2014. We demand from Congress chief Sonia Gandhi that she should initiate action against Azad and tender an apology to the people of this country," BJP leader Shrikant Sharma told reporters.

Another BJP spokesman Nalin Kohli also slammed the Congress leader for his statement and said "is he (Azad) forgetting all the social services RSS do during natural calamities".

The RSS also reacted saying such remarks only show "intellectual bankruptcy" of the Congress party.

"Mr Azad comparing ISIS with RSS exhibits the intellectual bankruptcy of Congress," RSS leader Manmohan Vaidya tweeted.

He also said such remarks show the Congress' "unwillingness to deal with fundamentalist and cruel forces like ISIS".

Meanwhile, social media also slammed Azad for his remarks and tweeted in support of the RSS saying "RSS4India."

Comparing RSS And ISIS is like comparing pandavas with kauravas.Both of dem fought d battle but wid different intentions. #RSS4India  Dr Anuj Singh (@DrSinghAnuj) March 13, 2016

After every calamity RSS volunteers are always there for help,

Whereas Congiis are busy with some secular or communal issue !!#RSS4India  seema choudhary (@Seems3r) March 13, 2016

#RSS4India & India4World: RSS is ultimately for Universal Brotherhood of Mankind on Earth which is true Spirit of Hinduism since millennia.  DG Vanzara (@VanzaraDg) March 13, 2016

Congress has lost its mental balance & heading end. Its leaders now cant even make a logical statement. #RSS4India pic.twitter.com/LYYZde1iOc  ashima singh (@AshiQuotes) March 13, 2016

The RSS runs 27,000 Ekal Vidyalayas in remote tribal areas where more than 8 lakh socially deprived tribal students are enrolled #RSS4India  Joydeep Dey (@joydeepdey) March 13, 2016

OneIndia News

(With inputs from agencies)

For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications

Story first published: Sunday, March 13, 2016, 12:47 [IST]
Court acquits man of charge of threatening MCD employees

India

oi-PTI

New Delhi, Mar 13: A man, accused of encroaching a public park here and threatening MCD employees 19 years ago, has been acquitted by a Delhi court which refused to rely on the testimony of a civic body official saying it was "vague" and "vacillating".

Metropolitan Magistrate Anuj Agarwal let off the man, who was charged with the offence of criminal trespass under the IPC and Delhi Preservation of Trees Act in 1999, saying he deserved benefit of doubt as the MCD official's testimony did not inspire confidence.

"I am of the view that his (MCD officer) testimony is not of sterling quality. It is not clear from his testimony if he saw accused encroaching upon the MCD park. Rather, he deposed vaguely that on inquiry, he found that the construction was being carried out by the accused," the magistrate said.

The court also noted that during cross examination, the official deposed he does not remember whether accused was present on the spot.

"Therefore, it is clear that the witness has been taking vacillating stand and therefore his testimony does not inspire much confidence of this court and it would be unsafe to convict the accused on his sole testimony as very presence of accused on the spot has become doubtful," it said.

Proceedings against two other accused were abated as they died during pendency of the trial. According to the prosecution, in April 1999, the three accused persons trespassed by doing illegal construction in a park in Green Park Extension here, belonging to Municipal Corporation of Delhi and also uprooted trees from there.

A complaint was lodged by a woman resident alleging the accused were illegally digging in the park in front of her house, uprooted trees and broke a water pipe line there. The accused were listed in a charge sheet for the offences punishable under sections 447 (criminal trespass) of IPC and provision of Delhi Preservation of Trees Act.

It was alleged that the accused intimidated MCD employees and committed the offence of criminal intimidation under IPC. The court, however, noted that nothing could be proved against the accused from the woman's cross examination.

"Therefore, the whole case of prosecution appears to hang upon the testimony of the section officer of MCD. On closer scrutiny of his testimony, I am of the view that his testimony is not of sterling quality. It is not clear from his testimony whether he himself saw accused encroaching upon the MCD park," the magistrate said.

PTI
Govt to fastrack implementation of 3 hydro plants in Sikkim

India

oi-PTI

New Delhi, Mar 13: Looking to put back on track three stalled power projects in Sikkim, the Centre this week will meet officials of the state government and PSUs to resolve issues hampering implementation of the proposed plants.

Three stalled plants -- Panan, Teesta VI and Rangit IV -- in Sikkim have total generation capacity of 920 MW. "Power Ministry has called a meeting this week with top officials of Sikkim and PSUs like NHPC to resolve the key issues plaguing implementation of Panan, Teesta VI and Rangit IV power projects," a senior official told PTI.

"Centre has already shown its intent to complete these projects. The three projects have been awarded to private developers. Thus government would have to either incentivise these players or cancel their contracts after paying compensation for their investments," the official added.

The Centre is roping in the Sikkim government as the state has awarded these contracts and is also beneficiary of the projects. Teesta VI project of 500 MW is being implemented by Lanco Teesta Hydro Power Pvt Ltd (LTHPPL).

On the status of the project, the official said, "The company is saying that they are working on it." The 300 MW Panan project is a joint venture of Sikkim government and Himagiri Hydro Energy Private Ltd. The state government was to infuse 26 per cent equity in the project. It is almost stalled.

The Rangit IV project of 120 MW capacity was awarded to Jal Power Corporation Ltd in 2004. "The developers are not keen to make further investments because they know that they would not be able to break even soon," the official said.

"They would have to sell power at over Rs 6 per units to recover their investment while power is available at Rs 2-3 per unit at energy exchanges. They will exit the project only when they would get good compensation." The Power Ministry recently told Parliament that of 12th Plan hydro capacity addition target of 10,897 mw, capacity aggregating 4,371 mw is slipping, and 930 mw capacity is critical to commissioning during the Plan period (till March 31, 2017).

Based on the current status of projects, the likely capacity addition during the 12th Plan is 6,755 mw, it said. The factors for this slippage include disruption of works by locals, delay in regulatory clearance, land acquisition issues and poor geology, it added.

PTI
India's steel exports fall 31.9 percent till February

India

oi-IANS

By Ians English

Kolkata, March 13: India's steel exports fell by 31.9 percent in the first 11 months of current fiscal 2015-16 compared to same period last year and exports in February 2016 declined by 25.6 percent compared to corresponding month last year, according to provisional data released by the steel ministry.

"Export of total finished steel was down by 31.9 percent in April-February 2015-16 compared to same period of last year. Exports in February 2016 increased by 21.5 percent compared to January 2016 and decreased by 25.6 percent compared to February 2015," said a report by the ministry's Joint Plant Committee.

Institute of Steel Development & Growth director general Sushim Banerjee told IANS that exports fell "due to a muted world market".

"World prices have been very low and internal demand in many of the countries has shrunk. When the exports figures were taken into account, global prices were going through a bearish trend.

"Some of the global producers are even compelled to sell at a price which is lower than their cost of production. In order to sustain their capacities, global producers are exporting even at a loss," he said.

"India's steel sector is competitive in terms of cost of production. But some of factors like high freight cost (transporting steel from plant to port) along with taxes are playing a critical role in terms of exports. Country's steel makers are now eyeing domestic market," said Banerjee.

India's total steel consumption in February (2016) grew by 4.7 percent compared to same month last year.

"For the last seven days, global prices are showing signs to go up. Exports situation are expected to be improved by April or May if global prices go up further," he said.

At the same time, imports are also likely to fall in the coming months due to imposition of safe guard duty and minimum import prices, he said.

Meanwhile, the report said that imports in February 2016 fell by 7.3 percent compared to February 2015 and India was a net importer of total finished steel in the current fiscal so far.

Import of total finished steel at 10.215 mt in April-February 2015-16 saw a growth of 20.5 percent compared to same period of last year, it said.

IANS
Section 377: Shashi Tharoor appeals to Narendra Modi, but will the PM listen?

India

oi-Oneindia

By Maitreyee Boruah

Bengaluru, March 13: The entire LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) community and their supporters were both angry and disheartened after Lok Sabha for the second time in three months on Friday (March 11), voted against the introduction of a private member's bill brought by Congress MP Shashi Tharoor to decriminalize homosexuality.

An angry Tharoor called his fellow parliamentarians bigots and homophobic for showing no political will to amend or even scrap Section 377, which criminalises homosexuality.

Tharoor tweeted, "Bitter disappointment as my attempt to introduce my bill to amend Section 377 defeated again. Several MPs who'd promised to vote in favour absent. So bigotry & homophobia on the BJP side met indifference & prejudice on the Opposition's. Will have to leave it to the Supreme Court to resolve."

In a blog titled-- On 377, I Give Up, Hypocrisy And Bigotry Triumphs--Tharoor writes, "Here was the spectacle of a parliamentary democracy refusing to entertain debate -- the ruling party using its brute majority to defeat a motion without even a discussion. How can a deliberative legislature in what claims to be the temple of democracy dismiss an issue out of hand without even hearing the arguments in its favour or against it?"

He further writes, "Nonetheless, I am persisting with a petition -- to show public support to amend Section 377. So far, 65,000 people have signed it. My hope is to make the Prime Minister and his party aware that public sentiment has moved beyond the 19th century. If enough of us speak up, perhaps --just perhaps! -- we can make the government rethink its position."

Read Tharoor's petition addressed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi here:

"Section 377 should be amended so that all consensual sex between consenting adults irrespective of gender and sexuality is legal. But it should not legitimise forced sex, pedophilia or pederasty," reads the petition.

"Sign my petition and help me show the Prime Minister that Indians want Section 377 to be amended," it adds.

OneIndia News

For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications

Story first published: Sunday, March 13, 2016, 10:59 [IST]
What does the US actually want in Syria?

Syria's opposition says Assad must go, dead or alive

International

oi-PTI

Geneva, March 13: Syria's opposition has vowed that President Bashar al-Assad must leave power, dead or alive, if looming peace talks to end five years of civil war are to succeed.

UN-brokered talks are set to begin in Geneva on Monday, in the latest international push to end a conflict that has killed more than 270,000 people and forced half the country from their homes.

"We believe that the transitional period should start with the fall, or death, of Bashar al-Assad," chief opposition negotiator Mohammad Alloush told AFP in an interview with another press agency in Geneva yesterday.

"It cannot start with the presence of the regime, or the head of this regime still in power." The United Nations is pushing for a transitional government and a new constitution to be put in place in six months. Legislative and presidential elections would be held next year. The High Negotiations Committee opposition group has insisted the transitional government be given full executive powers, but the regime dismissed the idea outright ahead of the talks.

"We will not talk with anyone who wants to discuss the presidency... Bashar al-Assad is a red line," Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Muallem told a Damascus news conference Saturday.

"If they (the HNC) continue with this approach, there's no reason for them to come to Geneva."

Fighting has eased since a landmark ceasefire between Syria's regime and rebels, bar some Islamist groups, took effect two weeks ago. But Alloush accused the regime and its ally Russia of not abiding by the truce, which it said had been violated hundreds of times since it began on February 27.

"There have been more than 350 violations during the 14 days and that shows the regime violated the truce, or didn't commit to it," he said.

AFP
Trump is convinced Russia didnt interfere in 2016 polls; blames US for sour ties with Moscow

US midterm polls: American media houses remember 2016, to go slow this time

Hillary Clinton writes to 8-yr-old girl who lost to a boy in class president election

US Prez polls 2016: Hillary Clinton wins Northern Mariana Islands caucuses

International

oi-Shubham

Washington, March 13: Former US secretary of state Hillary Clinton on Saturday (March 12) got her 14th victory in the race for the Democratic Party's nomination for the November presidential election when she defeated Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders in the first-ever Northern Mariana Islands Democratic caucuses.

Complete list of American presidential primaries/caucuses schedules and results

Rubio wins DC contest; Trump finishes third

Cruz wins most delegates in Wyoming conventions; Guam mostly uncommitted

Clinton got 102 votes (54 per cent) while Sanders, who got a big victory in Michigan on March 8, could garner 65 (34 per cent). Twenty-two votes were uncommitted. Voting was held in Tinian, Rota and Saipan islands.

This win gave Clinton four delegates while two went to Sanders. The former already had the support of an unpledged superdelegate frm the North Mariana Islands.

Hillary wins 4 delegates, Sanders 2

The former secretary of state picked up four additional delegates with her win, while Sanders earned two delegates. Clinton already had the support of an unpledged superdelegate from the Northern Marianas.

Sanders has won nine contests so far.

To get nomination, a Democratic candidate needs to have 2,383 delegates. Clinton has 770 delegates so far as against Sanders's 551.

Oneindia News
Sky News 21 Oct 2022

Rishi Sunak supporters are claiming that he has the votes to progress to the next stage of the Conservative leadership contest.
By David Swanson, American Herald Tribune

U.S. District Judge George Daniels of New York has struck again, ruling that Iran must pay $10 billion to compensate for the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. If you have read this story in the United States, it probably came from Bloomberg News, which uniquely failed to note that in fact nobody has ever produced the slightest evidence that Iran had anything to do with the September 11 attacks.

If you read the story in Russian or British or Venezuelan or Iranian media or on sites that used the Bloomberg story but added a tiny bit of context, then you learned that Iran had, as far as anyone knows, nothing at all to do with 9/11 (a point on which the 9/11 Commission, President Obama, and pretty much everyone else are in agreement), that none of the al Qaeda hijackers were Iranian, that most of them were Saudi, that the same judge has exonerated Saudi Arabia and declared that nation to have sovereign immunity, that the ideology of al Qaeda puts it at odds with the Iranian government, that the $10 billion is very unlikely to ever change hands, and that -- in short -- this is a story about a crackpot judge operating within a crackpot culture, not a story about criminal justice.

Criminal justice is actually a much better response to 9/11 than endless war, but first you have to properly identify the criminals!

The same judge has done this before, and has based his decisions each time on the claims of ludicrous "experts" that go unanswered by any defense, as Iran declines to dignify such proceedings by showing up to defend itself. Five years ago, Gareth Porter, preeminent debunker of war lies about Iran, noted that in that year's proceedings, "at least two of the Iranian defectors [appearing as witnesses, had] long been dismissed by U.S. intelligence as 'fabricators' and ... the two 'expert witnesses' who were supposed to determine the credibility of those defectors' claims [were] both avowed advocates of crackpot conspiracy theories about Muslims and Shariah law who believe the United States is at war with Islam."



The power of U.S. judges has packed U.S. prisons with innocents, come down far more heavily on dark-skinned defendants, made money into speech, made corporations people, disenfranchised voters, and made George W. Bush president. It's a bit too generous to suggest that Judge George Daniels' actions are simply a matter of proper procedure. That he has other options than making a laughingstock of his country is illustrated by his very different treatment of Saudi Arabia. Daniels operates within a system that gives judges the powers of gods, and within a culture that demonizes Iran at every level.

The United States government has been promoting anti-Iranian propaganda for decades. This poison takes multiple and contradictory forms. Opponents of the recent nuclear agreement falsely claimed that Iran was building nuclear weapons. And many defenders of the agreement also falsely claimed that Iran was building nuclear weapons. Meanwhile, numerous false claims have in recent years been made about alleged Iranian terrorism, while the United States has in fact been sponsoring terrorism in Iran and openly committing the crime of threatening war on Iran. The recent elections in Iran show positive results of the agreement. The U.S. public, on the other hand, is in a worse place in terms of the credence it gives to anti-Iranian lies than it was prior to the nuclear negotiations. This is a grave danger, because many in Washington have not ceased pushing for war.

We're going to see efforts in Congress to tear up the nuclear agreement, to impose new sanctions, and conceivably even to steal the billions of dollars to pay off this court settlement by "freezing" Iranian assets. Reports Bloomberg: "While it is difficult to collect damages from an unwilling foreign nation, the plaintiffs may try to collect part of the judgments using a law that permits parties to tap terrorists' assets frozen by the government."

Who is a "terrorist" of course is defined in the eye of the government official. The history of U.S. trouble with Iran dates significantly to the 1953 overthrow by the CIA of Iran's democratic president, and the U.S. installation of a brutal dictator. The popular revolution that overthrew that dictator was hijacked by theocrats, and today's Iranian government can be severely criticized in many ways. But Iran has spent decades opposing the use of weapons of mass destruction. When Iraq attacked Iran with U.S.-supplied chemical weapons, Iran refused on principle to respond in kind. Iran has not pursued nuclear weapons, and has repeatedly, prior to this agreement, including in 2003, offered to give up its nuclear energy program. It now subjects its energy program to greater inspections than any other country ever has or the United States ever would, going above and beyond compliance with the nonproliferation treaty that the United States flagrantly violates.

In 2000, as revealed by Jeffrey Sterling, the CIA tried to plant nuclear weapons evidence on Iran. Even as Iran offered to assist the United States, post 9/11, the United States labeled Iran part of an "axis of evil," despite its lack of ties with the other two nations in the "axis" and its lack of "evil." The United States then designated part of Iran's military a terrorist organization, very likely murdered Iranian scientists, certainly funded opposition groups in Iran (including some the U.S. also designated as terrorist), flew drones over Iran, launched major cyber attacks on Iranian computers, and built up military forces all around Iran's borders, while imposing cruel sanctions on the country. Washington neocons have also spoken openly about their intentions to overthrow the government of Syria as a step toward overthrowing the government of Iran. It may be worth reminding U.S. audiences that it is illegal to overthrow governments.

The roots of a Washington push for a new war on Iran can be found in the 1992 Defense Planning Guidance, the 1996 paper called A Clean Break: A New Strategy for Securing the Realm, the 2000 Rebuilding America's Defenses, and in a 2001 Pentagon memo described by Wesley Clark as listing these nations for attack: Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Lebanon, Syria, and Iran. In 2010, Tony Blair included Iran on a similar list of countries that he said Dick Cheney had aimed to overthrow.

One common type of war lie about Iran that has helped move the U.S. to the brink of war a number of times in the past 15 years is the lie about Iranian terrorism abroad. These tales have grown more and more outlandish. For the record, Iran did not try to blow up a Saudi ambassador in Washington, D.C., an action which President Obama would consider perfectly praiseworthy if the roles were reversed, but a lie that even Fox News had a hard time stomaching. And that's saying something.

Why do some in the U.S. government think the rest of us will find outlandish war plots believable? Because they in fact engage in them. Here is Seymour Hersh describing a meeting held in then-Vice President Dick Cheney's office:

"There was a dozen ideas proffered about how to trigger a war. The one that interested me the most was why don't we build -- we in our shipyard -- build four or five boats that look like Iranian PT boats. Put Navy seals on them with a lot of arms. And next time one of our boats goes to the Straits of Hormuz, start a shoot-up. Might cost some lives. And it was rejected because you can't have Americans killing Americans. That's the kind of -- that's the level of stuff we're talking about. Provocation. But that was rejected."

Next Page 1 | 2

(Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher).
Much as we might wish that the anachronistic Electoral College would just go away, it won't. At least not in time for this November's presidential election, anyhow. Which means we need to take a hard look at the electoral map and consider the implications of the fact that the main electoral strength Hillary Clinton has demonstrated thus far lies in states that, unfortunately, are almost certain to go Republican this fall.

Up to this point, eleven states that went for Mitt Romney in 2012 have held their Democratic primaries or caucuses. Clinton has won eight of them, gaining 471 delegates to 236 for Sanders. Of the ten "blue state" races held thus far, Sanders has won six, with a 311 to 287 delegate lead. The entirety of Clinton's current 758 to 547 elected delegate lead, then, comes from "red states." The votes of red state delegates count in the Democratic presidential nominating convention, of course, but the unfortunate realities of our electoral system suggest that the actual voters from those states will not be able to have an impact on the November outcome, since all of the red states that have voted thus far, and given Clinton her delegate lead, have gone Republican in November in each of the last four presidential elections.

Now, for voters in the upcoming caucuses and primaries who are committed to Clinton on the issues or as a person, all of this will be beside the point. But pretty much everything we've seen thus far suggests that the assertion/belief that she has the advantage so far as electability goes is a central component of the Clinton candidacy. In Iowa, for instance, where Clinton eked out a win, 20% of voters told pollsters that the "candidate quality" that mattered most to them was that the candidate "can win in November." Those voters favored Clinton by 77-17% over Sanders in that poll (Martin O'Malley was still in the race), which would have given the state to Clinton, if reflected in reality..

But perhaps the most pointed example of the question's significance to the Clinton campaign effort came in Massachusetts. A UMass Amherst/WBZ pre-election poll found likely voters there declaring that it was Sanders who "best represents my views on the issues" by a 64-25% margin. 75% also considered him the "most trustworthy," compared to 13% who felt that way about Clinton. And yet she won the poll by a margin quite close to the 1.8% by which she won the state's actual primary vote. Why? In part because 65% thought Clinton was the one who "has the best chance of winning the general election," compared to 29% for Sanders. This suggests that here again, the difference between what people actually wanted and what they felt they had to settle for may have been enough to tip the state to Clinton.

There are two problems here -- for Sanders, obviously, but also more generally for the Democrats' prospects in the fall. The first is that it is Sanders who is emerging as the more popular among caucus and primary voters in states that Democrats have carried in any presidential election in this century. The second is that polls continue to show that it is Sanders, not Clinton, who has the better chance of beating Trump (and the other Republicans) in the fall. Polls do generally show Clinton beating the GOP as well, but by smaller margins. And with the Koch brothers pledged to bring $879 million in right wing money into play in this year's federal elections, we probably want to go into this with our strongest candidate. But, you may say, doesn't Sanders huge upset victory in Michigan show that we can't necessarily rely on the predictive power of polls? True that, but the fact remains that there is simply no evidence that it is Clinton who has the better prospects in the fall -- except for the mainstream media's feeling that it must be so.

Sanders made the decision to enter the Democratic primary process, after a two-decade congressional career as an independent, because he recognized that in order to have a real chance he had to do so. The results, as we have seen, have been spectacular when compared to most expectations. But there are, of course, drawbacks. The flocking of the super delegates to one of their own, the longstanding Democrat Clinton, is an obvious example (but one that can potentially be undone should Sanders emerge with the greater number of elected delegates). Less obvious is the absence of independents in many of the Democratic races. In some states independents are allowed to vote in Democratic contests and in others not, but overall, of course, their participation is lower. And the principal reason that Sanders shows better than Clinton in November polls appears to be his greater strength with those voters.

At this point, then, we might almost look at the Democratic Party nominating process as something of a bottleneck that Sanders must navigate in hopes of reaching the broader November electorate where he can bring that strength to bear. Our hope for the future must be that primary and caucus voters still to come will recognize that they need not replicate the results of the solid south that voted before them.
Reprinted from Reader Supported News

Hello,

There's a vacancy on the most important court in America, and the message from Senate Republicans is crystal clear: forget the Constitution.

In fact, their response to one of the most solemn and consequential tasks that our government performs is to pretend that the Supreme Court vacancy -- and President Obama himself -- do not exist.

But this isn't a new problem, and it's not isolated to one Supreme Court seat. For seven years, Republican senators have bowed to extremists who reject President Obama's legitimacy and abuse the Senate rules in an all-out effort to cripple the Administration and paralyze the federal courts.

In 2013, only one year into the President's second term, Republican leaders flatly rejected the President's authority to confirm any judges to fill any of three open seats on the second-highest court in the country. Democrats had to change the filibuster rules to move nominees forward. Once Republicans took over the Senate in 2015, judicial confirmations nearly ground to a halt.

The same is true for non-judicial nominees. Republicans have held up the President's nominees to run the Department of Labor and the Environmental Protection Agency, largely on the suspicion that those highly-qualified individuals might actually help those agencies do their work. Republicans have held up nominees to the National Labor Relations Board and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Republicans regularly hold up the confirmation of dozens of ambassadors, undermining our national security and our relationships with other nations.

Last year, Republicans blocked confirmation of the Attorney General, the highest law enforcement official in the country, for 166 days. That's longer than it took the Senate to consider the prior seven Attorneys General combined.

The message from Senate Republicans couldn't be clearer: no matter how much it damages the nation, no matter how much it undermines our courts, no matter how much it cripples our government or lays waste to our Constitution, they will not acknowledge the legitimacy of our democratically-elected President.

For too long, Senate Republicans have wanted it both ways. They want to nullify the Obama Presidency while claiming that they can govern responsibly. That game is over. Extremist candidates motivated by bigotry and resentment are on the verge of winning the Republican Party's nomination for President, and Republican Senators must now make a decision.

Because here's the deal: extremists might not like it, but Barack Obama won the Presidency in 2008 by nine million votes and won re-election in 2012 by five million votes. There were no recounts or hanging chads, no stuffing the ballot box or tampering with voting machines, no intervention from the Supreme Court. President Obama was elected the legitimate President seven years ago, and he is the legitimate President right now.

So if it's true that some Republican Senators are finally ready to stand up to the extremism that denies the legitimacy of this President and of the Constitution, I say to them: do your job. Vote on a Supreme Court nominee. Vote on District Court judges and Circuit Court judges. Vote on ambassadors. Vote on agency leaders and counterterrorism officials.

If Senate Republicans want to stop extremism in their party, they can start by showing the American people that they respect the President and the Constitution enough to do their job in the United States Senate.

Thanks for being a part of this,

Elizabeth
In reaction to a suit filed by the Sanders' campaign against Ohio Secretary of State Jon Husted, Franklin County Common Pleas Court Judge Richard Frye ruled that those who will turn 18 by November 8, 2016 should, indeed, be allowed to vote in the primary. Frye's ruling stipulated that those voters could not, however, vote on any ballot issues or in contests that would actually elect someone to office.

Brad Deutsch, the attorney representing the Sanders campaign in the case immediately praised the ruling. "This is a huge victory for 17-year-olds across Ohio," said Deutsch in a statement. "Their votes for presidential nominees will now count when they vote on either Tuesday or over the weekend in early voting."

Deutsch also pointed out how Judeg Frye "admonished the Secretary of State for abusing his discretion" on the issue and also directed Husted to be sure that poll workers in the state not only allow 17-year-olds to vote, but also instructed them to make a "reasonable effort" to determine and record choices that have already been made by any 17-year-old who may have voted early.

With Sanders consistently winning the youth vote over his rival Hillary Clinton by large margins in polling and previous state contests, the win is seen as significant both in technical terms and symbolically.

For his part, Husted contested the ruling and said his office would appeal.

"This last-minute legislating from the bench on election law has to stop," Husted told the Associated Press. "Our system cannot give one county court the power to change 30 years of election law for the entire state of Ohio, 23 days into early voting and only four days before an election."

Michael Brigss, Sanders' spokesperson told the New York Times he expected the appeal to be filed this weekend resulting in a federal court date Monday. He expressed confidence the ruling would be upheld.

In comments to the press, Sanders himself welcomed the ruling and called it concerning that Husted would be going out of his way to strip young people eager to participate in this year's election from their right to do so.

"It is an outrage that the secretary of state in Ohio is going out of his way to keep young people -- significantly African-American young people, Latino young people -- from participating." Sanders said.

"The idea that in the year 2016, we have Republican secretaries of state trying to suppress the vote, trying to make it difficult for young people to participate in the political process, is an outrage," he continued. "Our jobs is to get more people involved in the process, not fewer people, and I am glad that decision was won and I am confident that it will be sustained."
Reprinted from WSWS

The series of violent incidents at rallies for billionaire Donald Trump is a warning of the increasingly fascistic character of the Republican front-runner's campaign.

On Wednesday, at a rally near Fayetteville, North Carolina, a supporter of Trump attacked a 26-year-old black man, Rakeem Jones, as he was being escorted out of the Crown Coliseum by Cumberland County sheriff's deputies. Jones was one of a small group of anti-Trump protesters at the event.

The attacker, 78-year-old John McGraw, punched Jones in the face, knocking him down. Afterwards, McGraw boasted of the attack. He told a television interviewer, "You bet I liked it," adding, "He deserved it. The next time we see him, we might have to kill him... He might be with a terrorist organization." McGraw was subsequently arrested and charged with battery.

At a press conference Friday morning in Palm Beach, Florida, Trump defended the attack, blaming it on the victim. "It was a guy who was swinging -- was very loud -- and then started swinging at the audience," the billionaire real estate mogul said. "And you know what? It swung back. And I thought it was very, very appropriate."

The attack in North Carolina was followed by physical confrontations between Trump supporters and some of the thousands of protesters who attended a planned Trump rally in Chicago Friday evening. The event was called off at the last minute. In interviews later in the evening, Trump said that if the rally had gone forward, "someone might have been killed."

Earlier this week, when Michelle Fields, a reporter for the right-wing Breitbart.com web site, tried to approach Trump after a Florida rally, campaign manager Corey Lewandowski grabbed her by the arm and shoved her away, an assault witnessed by several journalists.

These incidents follow a pattern in which protesters at or outside Trump rallies have been physically attacked by Trump supporters, including members of white supremacist groups, and Trump security guards, or forcibly ejected by police. Last week a young black woman who brought an anti-Trump sign to a rally was attacked physically and cursed with racist and sexist epithets. Her sign was ripped up and she was frog-marched out of the rally.

Trump has repeatedly incited violence against protesters, beginning last fall but with increasing frequency once the primaries and caucuses began:

~ On February 1, he told a rally in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, "If you see somebody getting ready to throw a tomato, knock the crap out of 'em, would you? Seriously. Okay? Just knock the hell -- I promise you, I will pay for the legal fees."

~ On February 22, at a rally in Las Vegas, Trump denounced a protester, saying, "I'd like to punch him in the face, I tell ya." He added, "You know what they used to do to guys like that when they were in a place like this? They'd be carried out on a stretcher."

~ On March 9, in Fayetteville, he said of interruptions by protesters, "See, in the good old days this didn't used to happen, because they used to treat them very rough. We've become very weak." Shortly thereafter, the assault on Rakeem Jones occurred.

In the course of Thursday night's Republican presidential debate in Florida, CNN moderator Jake Tapper quoted these statements and asked Trump whether he had done anything to "create a tone" that encouraged violence.

Trump blandly denied the obvious. Blaming the victims, he said the protesters had provoked his supporters. "People come with tremendous passion and love for the country, and when they see protest, in some cases... They have anger," he declared.

None of Trump's three remaining rivals, Texas Senator Ted Cruz, Florida Senator Marco Rubio, or Ohio Governor John Kasich, pursued the issue. On the contrary, Cruz expressed sympathy with "the frustration that is boiling over." Rubio declared that police officers "deserve our respect," although the question was about right-wing thug attacks.

This evasion characterized the approach of Cruz, Rubio and Kasich to the debate as a whole, in which they did little to challenge Trump's status as the front-runner for the Republican nomination. There was no repetition of previous declarations that the billionaire demagogue was unfit to hold office or represented a threat to democracy.
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nuts.jpg

A protester identifying himself only as Frogman PDX joined others in fighting a developer's plan to cut trees in Portland's Eastmoreland neighborhood in 2015.

(AP Photo)

By Vic Remmers

This past January, Oregon was named the most popular state to move to for the third year in a row. This comes as no surprise to Portlanders. For years, the city has been publicly grappling with managing an influx of new residents -- and subsequent new homes -- while maintaining Portland's affordability and keeping its character intact.

One factor at this pivotal time for Portland's urban development? Preserving the hundreds of trees that make up the city's idyllic neighborhoods.

The reasonable solution does not involve climbing trees in protest. It also won't be accomplished by preventing builder property purchases. But, most importantly, the solution is not the "tree tax" currently proposed by the city of Portland.

Before detailing this proposed tax further, it's important for readers to understand the current process Portland builders face in deciding whether or not to save a tree on a piece of property. It may come as a surprise that most builders prefer to preserve existing trees on their purchased properties. They add to the sustainable footprint, increase the aesthetic curb appeal and lead to less overall landscaping.

However, due to the current process set by the city of Portland, saving trees on newly purchased properties is an exercise in futility. To keep a tree that is 30 inches in diameter on a piece of property, Portland builders must allow a "root protection" zone equal to one foot radius per inch in diameter, meaning builders are unable to build or disturb the land within a 2,826 square foot area. In urban lots, this limiting rule is often the demise of most trees that are removed during the sight planning process. While this requirement serves to protect trees with wide root ecosystems, it fails to account for the many deciduous Oregon trees that root down, in a narrow and deep manner.

After pressure from Portland residents, the city is now taking another misstep in an effort to save trees by proposing a "tree tax." The tax, which is currently up for vote with the city of Portland, would impose a $10,000 tariff to tree removals of 36 inches in diameter. Trees over 50 inches in diameter would incur a $15,000 fee. This proposed tree tax comes at a time when Portland home builders are facing an incredible challenge -- keeping up with Oregon's residential influx and housing demand, while also maintaining affordability and the city's character.

Introducing a tree tax will not stop builders from cutting down trees. If the city does not resolve their broken process, builders will unfortunately have no choice but to continue removing trees, with the cost accredited to future homebuyers.

Goodbye housing affordability and Portland's iconic character.

So how can we work together to save hundreds of Portland trees? The city of Portland needs to reexamine its rules on tree root protection zones by working with an arborist group to determine root system needs on a species-by-species basis as opposed to a one-size-fits-all rule.

This amendment will come up for vote in the next two weeks. To have your voice heard, please write to Commissioner Dan Saltzman. It's a simple fix that can prevent inflated home prices while allowing builders to save the trees they so desperately would like to.

*

Vic Remmers owns Everett Custom Homes.

Editor's note: This column has been corrected to include the proper method of calculating a root-protection zone.
Oregonian/OregonLive file photo

Clean up the Sheriff Staton mess fast: Editorial Agenda 2016

The credibility of the Multnomah County Sheriffs Office is on the line again after a series of accusations against Sheriff Dan Staton, the editorial board writes. A state justice department investigation into his behavior must be conducted promptly and not be drawn out.

'The Multnomah Sheriff's Office should not withstand more theater,' the editorial states. '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.' Read the editorial here.

Don't Edit

Photo by Randy L. Rasmussen/Staff

Unpacking the 'N' word at Grant High School: Editorial

Grant High School journalists tackled head-on the use of the N word, devoting the entire issue of the schools magazine to the uses and history of the racial slur, the editorial board writes. Their willingness to confront the issue contrasts with school administrators slowness in advancing a race discussion at the school, which has seen its own incidents in which the slur was used.

'While outcomes are difficult at this point to decipher, this much is clear: The students who conceived, researched and published the current issue of Grant Magazine will upon graduation join the school's notable alumni known, among other things, for daring to be bold learners and, perhaps, pioneers,' the editorial states. 'Their work, meanwhile, should be required reading in every public and private high school in Oregon.' Read the editorial here.

Don't Edit

Photo by Beth Nakamura/Staff

As governor stalls, education advocates propose measure to boost graduation rates: Editorial Agenda 2016

The lack of education leadership by Gov. Kate Brown to address the states poor results in graduating high school students is reflected in growing support for a proposal to dedicate funds to career and technical education and other high-school focused programs, the editorial board writes. While ballot measures are rarely the right way to set major policy in any area, the proposal includes some ideas worth considering.

'The proposal is a targeted approach to a specific problem that is universally recognized,' the editorial states. 'The funding will come from new revenue projected in the coming biennium with adjustments if income doesn't match expectations. And the solutions have already been shown to work in school districts both inside and outside Oregon.' Read the editorial here.

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Oregonian/OregonLive file photo

A judge, a tree, two rhododendrons and a battle with City Hall: Editorial Agenda 2016

The absurd back and forth between the city of Lake Oswego and a judge who simply wants to cut down one tree on his yard raises questions about the citys ability to properly balance the publics interest with that of property owners, the editorial board writes.

'Two appeals, the hiring of an arborist and the expertise that comes with being a circuit court judge: All were necessary to remove a single tree  in a group of 10!  whose existence is a burden to the person who owns it,' the editorial states. 'If Lake Oswego can't be counted on to strike the proper balance, should it be regulating what homeowners do with the plants in their yards at all?' Read the editorial here.

Don't Edit

Photo by The Associated Press

Salmon hatchery findings should inform a top-to-bottom review: Editorial

An Oregon State University study recently found significant genetic differences between hatchery and wild fish, the editorial board writes. The results call for a thorough evaluation of the expensive network of hatcheries built and backed by public dollars.

'The implications are huge: for wild, protected fish and for Northwesterners subsidizing their recovery in a tamed Columbia River,' the editorial states. 'Hatcheries have evolved tremendously since their start several decades ago. But now, with the recognition that a fish's genes are quickly changed by the environment of a hatchery, hatchery managers know they must create fish that are more and more like wild fish if they are to serve the goal of rebuilding native wild stocks.' Read the editorial here.

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Photo by Denis Theriault/Staff

Affordable-housing bill acknowledges Oregon's buildable land supply: Editorial

A bill that allows a pilot project in two cities to test expanding the growth boundary shows lawmakers willingness to at least explore how the boundary may constrain development, the editorial board writes.

'The effect of growth boundaries on housing prices is a source of perpetual debate between supporters and critics of Oregon's land-use system,' the editorial states. 'There are those, on the one hand, who believe Oregon should ditch growth boundaries entirely, and there are those, on the other, who insist that the state's land-use system already has an adequate affordability safety valve. But the former ain't gonna happen, and the latter is fantasy.' Read the editorial here.

Don't Edit

Photo by Brad Schmidt/Staff

Portland reimburses utility; school district's unlearned lesson: Editorial peaks and valleys

The City of Portland's reimbursement of nearly $1 million to the sewer bureau for funds dedicated to a stormwater management facility that was never built is this week's peak. Anti-transparency moves by both the city and Portland Public Schools are this week's valleys.

'In his long-running lawsuit against the city, (John) DiLorenzo has cast a useful light upon the city's habit of using utility funds for purposes that have little or no connection to the provision of water, sewer or stormwater services,' the editorial board writes. 'That's a no-no, as a Multnomah County judge pointed out in a 2014 ruling faulting the use of utility funds for political campaigns and Portland Loos. Since then, the city has returned millions of dollars to ratepayers.' Read the peaks and valleys here.
Ammon E. Bundy, the jailed leader of the national wildlife refuge takeover in eastern Oregon, is urging people to rally behind Grant County Sheriff Glenn Palmer as he faces state investigation.

Bundy said in a recorded statement posted Sunday to Facebook that Palmer was the only sheriff in Oregon who did not "get caught up in the deception" that occupiers put people at risk in Harney County.

The Oregon Department of Public Safety Standards and Training, which certifies police officers, has asked the state Justice Department to investigate nine complaints against Palmer. Among those filing complaints were the John Day police chief and the manager of the local dispatch center, who claim Palmer's apparent alliance with militants put the community in danger.

"I encourage all people who love freedom to stand with Sheriff Palmer," Bundy said.

Palmer, 54, sheriff in the rural county of 7,430 since November 2000, said he won't comment on any matter to The Oregonian/OregonLive.

Details on how Ammon Bundy, 40 of Emmett, Idaho, made the recording aren't clear, although it's likely he did it over a jail telephone. His voice recording was converted into a video posted on the Bundy Ranch Facebook page, garnering nearly 2,000 shares in two hours.

Ammon E. Bundy

Bundy and about a dozen others took over the headquarters of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge on Jan. 2 after a peaceful parade and rally in Burns. Once at the compound about 30 miles southeast of Burns, they demanded the release of two local ranchers facing federal prison and insisted federal land in Harney County be turned over to private interests or local control.

Eighteen days later, Palmer said that to resolve the armed standoff, federal authorities had to free the two ranchers, Dwight Hammond Jr. and son Steven, who reported to prison two days after the occupation to finish serving five-year sentences for burning federal land. Palmer also said the FBI, which had set up a command post in Burns because the protesters seized federal property, should leave Harney County.

Palmer later twice met in John Day with some of the occupation leaders and agreed to speak at a community meeting where they were to be featured. Bundy and other occupation leaders were arrested on their way to John Day for that Jan. 26 meeting, and Robert "LaVoy" Finicum, 54, a spokesman for the occupiers, was shot and killed by state troopers as he attempted to evade arrest.

Later, Palmer referred to the arrests and shooting as an "ambush," a characterization that drew a public rebuke from the Oregon State Sheriffs' Association.

Palmer's actions triggered the complaints in February to the state police licensing agency. The state Justice Department is still considering whether to lead the investigation or leave it in the hands of the agency's regulators.

That potential investigation caught Bundy's attention. He remains at the Multnomah County jail, charged with felonies for his participation in the Oregon standoff and one in Nevada in 2014 involving his father, rancher Cliven Bundy.

Ammon Bundy said the "appalling action" by state officials investigating Palmer "have me up in the middle of the night" responding.

"Sheriff Palmer was the only sheriff in Oregon that I know of that did not allow himself to get caught up in the political deception that the people of Burns were in danger while we were at the refuge," Bundy said. "Sheriff Palmer went to the source and found the truth."

Palmer has acknowledged that he got a text message from Bundy inviting him to the refuge during the occupation, but said he didn't go at the request of Harney County Sheriff Dave Ward.

Glenn Palmer, Grant County sheriff

Bundy said Palmer understood the occupiers "stood for the Constitution." Palmer is considered a "constitutional sheriff" in part for declaring the U.S. Forest Service had limited policing jurisdiction in Grant County.

"He also found out that we were good hard working family people that love this country and would not hurt another person," Bundy said. "Because of his understanding of the Constitution and loyalty to the people and not government officials, his office is being threatened."

Bundy said government agencies now intimidate and control elected representatives "such as a sheriff through mandates, procedures and licenses."

He said agencies don't control Palmer.

"Law enforcement power in Grant County belongs to the people of Grant County," Bundy said. "Those people gave it to Sheriff Palmer and they are the only people who can take it away."

In Oregon, no one can serve as sheriff unless they are certified after meeting state-mandated training requirements. The Department of Public Safety Standards and Training can revoke any police officer's certification, but the law isn't clear on what effect a revocation would have on a sitting sheriff.

Palmer is seeking election to his fourth term. He is being challenged by his former undersheriff, Todd McKinley, now director of Grant County Community Corrections.

-- Les Zaitz

@leszaitz
Clergy members organized a peace vigil Friday in Hood River to show support for a Buddhist monk who reportedly suffered an assault last month after he was mistaken for a Muslim.

Kozen Sampson of Trout Lake told police he was wearing a brown robe and taking his dogs out of his car at 12

th

and Eugene streets when a man approached him, yelling and calling him a Muslim. The man reportedly kicked the car door into Sampson, striking the monk in the face.

Hood River police have not identified a suspect.

The Rev. Judy Zimmerman, who leads a Unitarian Universalist congregation in Hood River, said more than 150 people showed up Friday evening to light candles, sing together and celebrate a more tolerant, peaceful community.

She said Saturday the attack on Sampson exposed a problem that extends beyond that single incident.

"We know we have Muslim neighbors who live in fear, but they're not the only ones who are afraid," she said.

Religious, racial and ethnic minorities all experience intolerance in the area, she said.

She and other faith leaders who organized the Friday vigil wanted to support Sampson and anyone in the community who has suffered bigotry and hate.

"The hate that exists everywhere in our country is obviously encouraging people to be vulgar," she said. "That's not who we want to be as a community."

Sampson, she said, was recovering well from his injuries.

"He's determined to use this incident to help other people," she said.

In an interview with KOIN 6 News, Sampson said, "We want to live in a place that's open and free and filled with heart. We want to live in a place that doesn't discriminate against any minority."

-- Emily E. Smith

esmith@oregonian.com

503-294-4032; @emilyesmith
Keizer firefighters praised the life-saving efforts of Target store employees, who put rescue training to use Saturday when a 72-year-old shopper collapsed.

The woman was using a motorized scooter when she suffered a heart attack about 6:30 p.m. and fell to the floor, according to the Keizer Fire Department.

A witness dialed 911 while store workers used their radio system to send out a medical emergency alert.

Employees began performing CPR on the woman and store manager Brad Dickerson applied an automatic heart defibrillator to her chest. The woman's color improved, firefighters said, and she awoke.

Employees brought the woman pillows and blankets and kept her comfortable as emergency medics responded to the call. When crews arrived, she was conscious and able to speak.

Firefighters said the store workers' quick action and training saved the woman's life.

-- Emily E. Smith

esmith@oregonian.com

503-294-4032; @emilyesmith
Police have arrested a Portland man on suspicion of sexually assaulting women he contacted online.

Anthony Ray Carter Jr., 30, was arrested on multiple sexual assault charges and other unrelated warrants following reports from two women.



Police said Carter met his victims through social media, including Facebook and Plenty of Fish, a dating website. Carter used different names with each victim, including "Travis Lynn" and "Jacob." He has also been known to go by "AJ," police said.



Carter picked the women up at their homes, or nearby, including one woman who lived in Washington state, police said. He drove them to areas of Portland that they were unfamiliar with and sexually assaulted them in the car or near it, they said.

Police suspect there are other victims. They asked anyone with information to contact Detective Mike Weinstein at 503-823-0764 or by emailing Mike.Weinstein@PortlandOregon.gov. Detective Nathan Sheppard can be contacted at 503-823-3886 or by emailing Nathan.Sheppard@PortlandOregon.gov.

Carter is 5-foot-9, weighs 160 pounds and has black hair and brown eyes.



Carter, who sold vehicles, used different ones, including an older red Chevrolet Camaro with a primer hood and T-tops, as well as a newer white Mercedes sedan, with a sunroof and blacked out wheels.



For information about programs for victims, call 503-823-0260 or visit http://www.portlandonline.com/police/womenstrength.

-- Lynne Terry
UPDATE: The Lebanese army said two missiles found on a passenger flight from Lebanon to Serbia and bound for Portland were used for training and did not contain any explosives.

BELGRADE, Serbia -- Serbia's authorities are investigating reports that a cargo package bound for Portland contained two missiles with explosive warheads on a passenger flight from Lebanon.

N1 television said the package with two guided armor-piercing missiles was discovered Saturday by a sniffer dog after an Air Serbia flight from Beirut landed at a Belgrade airport.

Serbian media say documents listed the final destination for the AGM-114 Hellfire missiles as Portland. The American-made projectiles can be fired from air, sea or ground platforms against multiple targets.

The Serbian state news agency Tanjug reported that the missiles had been packed in wooden coffins and unloaded at the Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport, where they were inspected by bomb-sniffing dogs.

This type of missile was originally designed to be fired from a helicopter and was named Helicopter Launched, Fire and Forget Missile -- later shortened to Hellfire.

The AGM-114 model is manufactured by Lockheed Martin, Boeing and Northrup Grumman. It weighs about 100 pounds and costs about $110,000 apiece. Most models use laser to home in on their targets, although one version of the AGM-114 relies on radar.

The FBI in Portland said it is looking into the reports.

"We don't have any information on that yet," Jennifer Adams, an FBI spokeswoman, said Sunday afternoon.

N1 reported Sunday that Air Serbia is helping in the investigation. The Serbian flag carrier says "security and safety are the main priorities for Air Serbia."

-- Staff and wire reports
VANDALIA, Ohio (AP)  Republican presidential candidates Marco Rubio and John Kasich suggested Saturday they may not support Donald Trump if he becomes the GOP nominee, as violence at the front-runner's rallies deepened the party's chaotic chasm.

Tensions ran high at Trump's latest rally, when Secret Service agents briefly formed a protective ring around the presidential candidate, then left the stage and allowed him to continue speaking at an airport hangar outside Dayton, Ohio.

Trump's campaign said the agents rushed the stage after a man attempted to breach the security buffer. The man was "removed rapidly and professionally," spokeswoman Hope Hicks said.

A defiant Trump has denied that he has encouraged violence at his events. But the scenes from his aborted rally in Chicago on Friday night appeared to be a final straw for some rivals who had pledged, despite deep concerns about his qualifications, to support the billionaire businessman if he were to become the nominee.

Rubio told The Associated Press that Trump is driving apart "both the party and the country so bitterly" that he may not be able to support the billionaire if he's the Republican nominee.

"It's an ongoing pattern," Rubio said. "And it's clear to me that he knows what he's doing."

Kasich, the Ohio governor, said the "toxic environment" Trump is creating "makes it very, extremely difficult" to support him.

"To see Americans slugging themselves at a political rally deeply disturbed me," Kasich said while campaigning in Cincinnati. "We're better than that."

The extraordinary shift by the two came just a few days before Tuesday's elections in five delegate-rich states, including their home states of Florida and Ohio.

The only candidate to stand by his pledge to support Trump if he becomes the nominee was Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, who is closest to the businessman in the delegate count.

"I committed at the outset, I will support the Republican nominee, whoever it is," Cruz told reporters Saturday.

President Barack Obama, speaking at a Democratic fundraiser in Dallas, said those who aspire to lead the country "should be trying to bring us together and not turning us against one another." He said leaders should also "speak out against violence"

"If they refuse to do that, they don't deserve our support," he said.

Trump insisted he'd done nothing to exacerbate tensions, despite having previously encouraged his supporters to aggressively  and sometimes physically  stop protesters from interrupting his raucous rallies.

Trump told CNN late Friday: "I don't take responsibility. Nobody's been hurt at our rallies."

He did several interviews as cable networks broadcast footage of the skirmishes both inside and outside the Chicago arena where he had planned to speak.

At the event near Dayton, the audience chanted Trump's name as agents rushed the stage. Trump did not explain what had happened, but said: "Thank you for the warning. I was ready for 'em, but it's much better if the cops do it, don't we agree?"

Trump also had stops scheduled Saturday in Cleveland and Kansas City, Missouri.

The brash billionaire's unexpected political success has roiled the Republican Party. Most leaders expected his populist appeal would fade as voting contests began and largely avoided criticizing even his most extreme comments out of fear of alienating his supporters.

But after 24 primary elections and caucuses, Trump remains the front-runner and leads his rivals in the all-important delegate count.

GOP leaders are grasping for a last-ditch idea to stop Trump from claiming the nomination. They've talked about a contested convention and about whether to rally around a yet-to-be-determined third-party candidate. All are long shots at best and would probably rip the Republican Party apart.

Rubio and Kasich must win their home state contests Tuesday to stay in the race and try to chip away at Trump's delegate lead.

The chaos in Chicago was sparked in part by Trump's decision to cancel his rally after skirmishes broke out in the crowd that, unlike past Trump events, was packed with protesters  many of whom had organized ahead of time with the intent of keeping Trump from speaking.

Many anti-Trump attendees had rushed onto the floor of the University of Illinois at Chicago Pavilion, jumping up and down with their arms up in the air after the event was called off. Some isolated confrontations took place afterward and police reported arresting five people.

As Trump attempts to unify a fractured Republican Party before Tuesday's slate of winner-take-all primary elections, the confrontations between his legion of loyal supporters and protesters who accuse him of stoking racial hatred have become increasingly contentious, underscoring concerns about the divisive nature of his candidacy.

In a telephone interview after postponing his event in Chicago, Trump said he didn't "want to see people hurt or worse" at the rally, telling MSNBC, "I think we did the right thing."

But Chicago police said they had sufficient manpower on scene to handle the situation and did not recommended Trump cancel the rally. That decision was made "independently" by the campaign, said police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi.

___

Associated Press writers Kathleen Ronayne in Sharonville, Ohio, Tamara Lush in Tampa, Florida, and Darlene Superville in Dallas contributed to this report.

___

Follow Julie Pace on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/jpaceDC and Dan Sewell at http://twitter.com/dansewell
MURFREESBORO, Tennessee (AP)  Outside the $200-a-week motel room that Steven Gibbs and his family call home, the afternoon sun sparkled. Inside, though, he had the curtains pulled tight. After working third shift at a round-the-clock McDonalds, his wife, Debbie, sat on the edge of one bed, her eyes closed. But the hour didn't matter.

"Half the time I'm scared to go outside the door," said Gibbs, 61, a former construction worker jailed twice since late 2013 after he couldn't pay hundreds of dollars in probation fees for driving on a suspended license. Despite a court order barring the county and a private probation company from jailing him again, those fears lingered.

"I don't trust none of them anymore," Gibbs said, in late January. The company continued charging him fees until last week, when a judge agreed to put him on a new plan, supervised instead by the court, to pay down fines he owes the county.

Probation is supposed to substitute for jail or prison, requiring offenders to report regularly and maintain good behavior. But in this fast-growing county outside Nashville and more than a dozen states, probation for misdemeanors is a profit-making  and increasingly contentious  venture.

Those with cash to pay fines when they're convicted often avoid supervision, while poor offenders can be snared in a cycle of debt and punishment. Critics of for-profit probation say it can create a modern "debtor's prison."

Rutherford County is just the latest hotspot in a widening debate over this system, which has spurred numerous lawsuits demanding change. Some communities have abandoned for-profit probation, others are vowing reform.

"It's not supposed to be about the money," says the local sheriff, Robert Arnold, noting that he chooses words carefully in a county sued for its use of for-profit probation. "The unfortunate part of our judicial system is once you get caught up in it, it's like a rat wheel you can never get out of because of some of the fines and the probation."

Gibbs, whose disability check and wife's wages don't leave enough for an apartment security deposit, says he could never satisfy a probation officer who wanted $45 every week for company fees and court fines. He was jailed for failure to pay in late 2013, then jailed again last July after failing a drug test the company charged $20 to administer.

Local officials and the probation company agreed recently to end their contract at the end of March. The federal judge who granted an injunction against the county and company pointed to a 1983 Supreme Court decision that courts cannot jail people just because they can't afford fines. The county mayor, citing a responsibility to taxpayers, has recommended the county take over the job.

But more than 1,000 courts, most in the South but ranging to Michigan and Washington state, sign over supervision of misdemeanor offenders to private companies.

The arrangement is praised as a way to uphold justice and improve collection of fines while saving money for governments. Critics, though, call it unfair, saying probation funded entirely by charging offenders piles costs on people who can't pay and jails them for offenses as innocuous as traffic tickets.

"You don't criminalize poverty," says Hub Harrington, who, as an Alabama circuit judge, called one city's private probation program a "judicially sanctioned extortion racket" when he shut it down in 2012. "If you turn the courthouse into a profit center, this is what you get."

___

In the debate over how to punish crime, most attention focuses on jails and prisons  but that overlooks nearly 9 million Americans on probation.

People on probation for the most serious crimes, felonies, are supervised by public agencies. But 44 percent of those on probation were sentenced for misdemeanors such as shoplifting or simple drug possession or lesser infractions like running a stop sign.

In the 1970s, some states began delegating supervision of misdemeanor offenders to cities and counties to cut costs. A Florida judge contracted with the Salvation Army, setting up a program funded by charging offenders monthly fees, the first privatization of probation.

By the 1990s, for-profit companies began lobbying for the contracts, says John McMahon, director of corrections for the Salvation Army's Florida division. The nonprofit still handles probation for eight Florida counties, but has been replaced by companies in about 20 others.

People convicted of lesser offenses can often avoid probation burdens by paying fines and court costs immediately. Those who can't must report to a probation officer, usually weekly, and comply with orders to, for example, avoid alcohol or undergo counseling.

The companies charge offenders supervision fees averaging $40 to $45 a month, and most also collect court-imposed fines and court costs. They also levy other charges  for orientation, drug tests and counseling sessions. Some probationers are charged fees to participate in litter pickup or other assignments that reduce their obligations.

"The system is designed to sell as many probation services as possible," says Jack Long, a Georgia attorney who has brought 18 suits against one company, Sentinel Offender Services. "For each service they sell, they make a profit." He calls the system "cash register justice."

In late February, Long won a jury verdict in Augusta, Georgia, against Sentinel in a suit filed by a woman who'd been repeatedly jailed for probation violations. She was awarded $50,000.

Steven Queen, Sentinel's director of Georgia Services, disputes the notion that his company runs up fees, regardless of probationers' ability to pay.

"There is no intent, practice, behavior or policy that in any way promotes the exploitation of any participant, regardless of financial position," Queen said in a letter responding to questions from The Associated Press.

People are given opportunities to show financial hardships, and courts can sentence them to alternatives such as community service, Queen says. But, he adds, for people guilty of offenses like domestic violence or repeated drunken driving, probation matches them with court-ordered counseling.

Privatized probation also has allowed government to focus resources on felons while saving taxpayers millions of dollars, says John Prescott, president of the Community Corrections Association of Georgia, an industry group, in a written response to questions.

Leanne Alarid, a professor of criminal justice at the University of Texas at El Paso, says some courts and companies partner effectively, but others have lost sight of probation's intent.

"It has "morphed into, not cost-sharing, but a reliance on the probationer to pay for 100 percent of the cost," she says.

Some companies reward probation officers for collecting fees. Sentinel offered $500 bonuses and a $1,000 prize in a "March Madness" contest for workers who met or exceeded collection goals, a document filed in the recent Georgia case shows.

In Harpersville, Alabama, private probation was an abusive system, according to Harrington, the retired judge who closed the system there.

He said the probation company threatened and harassed people it knew couldn't pay, including a mentally disabled man who'd been involuntarily committed several times by a probate judge. "They jailed him and were extorting money from his family to let him out ... and the only income he had was Social Security disability," Harrington says.

Private probation based on fees also violates people's rights because it imposes a different punishment on one group, Harrington argues. "A $200 ticket," he says, "should cost $200. Period. End of story. You can't charge a poor person more."

Some veterans of the business question the extent of abuses.

"I just don't know that they're as widespread as they're made out to be," says Dale Allen, chief probation officer in Clarke County, Georgia. Allen has worked for both public and for-profit probation operators.

Some people simply want to escape fines, he says. "It's easier to say I can't afford to pay something, but what's the truth?"

Many governments contracting with probation companies are in a financial bind, says Chris Albin-Lackey, author of a 2014 Human Rights Watch report on for-profit supervision. But judges too often fail to consider whether someone has the ability to pay, and the contractor has a financial incentive to do the same, he says.

"You see a lot of cases where people are trying to explain to their probation officer why they honestly cannot afford to pay," he says, "and essentially the response from the probation officer is, 'I don't want to hear that. You don't pay that, I'm going to throw you in jail.'"

___

The lunch tables at The Journey Home, an outreach center for Murfreesboro's homeless, are emptying fast. Wait here, Marguerita Scroggins says.

Shouldering a daypack carrying her teddy bear, Jo Jo, Scroggins heads for the woods where she sleeps. When she returns, she spreads out paperwork documenting her arrest last fall for possession of a crack pipe. It instructs her to report to the probation company every Tuesday and to bring $45 each time to cover its fees and court fines. Her address is listed as the homeless center.

"They knew I was homeless because I wrote it down," she says.

Scroggins, 54, says her only income is a $744 monthly disability check. She is facing $1,200 in fines and court costs. On her first visit to the probation office, she says, she brought an instant coffee jar holding $3 in change. The probation officer told her they didn't take cash.

After nine years of running the Journey Home ministry, Scott Foster says he's used to seeing the men and women who come in one day for lunch show up the next on the sheriff's mug shot app. Charged for trespassing or public intoxication, most wind up on probation, and often in jail.

"You tell the judge you couldn't pay but that you're trying to do better, you're trying to make ends meet, and so they basically start your probation over again," he says. "So essentially, for our very indigent folks, we've almost set up a debtor's prison here in 21st century suburban America."

___

Lawsuits in a number of states have spotlighted tensions between companies and offenders.

 Georgia is considered the capital of private probation. As of last March, there were 182,000 misdemeanor probation cases, about 80 percent of them supervised by for-profit companies, state officials say.

More than 30 probation companies operate in Georgia. Many are local firms, but one, Judicial Correction Services, is a subsidiary of a jail health care contractor partly owned by a private equity firm with billions of dollars in investments.

The 2014 Human Rights Watch report that cited widespread problems in Georgia's system estimated that private companies collect about $40 million a year from the people they supervise. Georgia law considers traffic offenses to be criminal, creating an additional group of probationers.

The Southern Center for Human Rights sued one company, Red Hills Community Probation, alleging it was threatening to or illegally detaining traffic violators and others and also requiring probationers to pay fines and fees after their sentences had ended.

Adel Edwards of Pelham, Georgia, who is mentally disabled, pleaded guilty to burning leaves in his yard without a permit. A judge fined him $500 and placed him on a year's probation. He also was required to pay a $44 monthly fee to Red Hills, increasing his debt to $1,028.

Edwards lived on food stamps in a house without running water. When he couldn't pay, he was jailed for a few days until his cousin's boyfriend came up with $250 to get him released, according to Sarah Geraghty, a center lawyer.

After Edwards' probation expired, a Red Hills officer ordered him to continue reporting and make more payments, which he did several times, according to the lawsuit. "I think we have to ask ourselves ... How is this promoting public safety or public welfare?" Geraghty adds. Red Hills closed last year. A lawyer for the company denied it engaged in any wrongdoing.

 In Alabama, JCS pulled out of the state last year after lawsuits brought by the Southern Poverty Law Center and others saw dozens of towns cancel contracts. The law center's suit accused the company of racketeering and extortion.

The company has also withdrawn from Mississippi, where it and the city of Biloxi face a lawsuit by the American Civil Liberties Union for jailing probationers who lacked money to pay fees and fines. The parties are attempting to negotiate a settlement.

JCS declined comment on the lawsuits or its reasons for withdrawing, but defended its work.

"We believe that JCS provides an important service to those municipal governments that do not possess the resources to enforce the terms of the court's probation and fine rulings," the company told AP.

 In Tennessee, a suit brought on behalf of Steven Gibbs and six other probationers, alleging racketeering and violation of due process, has cast scrutiny on Rutherford County and its probation company, PCC.

In an interim ruling in December, a federal judge concluded people who violated probation terms often had their supervision extended, incurring more fees they couldn't pay, leading to re-arrest and jailing.

"Indeed, Defendants trap probationers in a pernicious cycle for years on end," Judge Kevin H. Sharp wrote.

The county and company deny the lawsuit's allegations, and are appealing. The company that owned PCC when the lawsuit was filed, Arizona-based Providence Service Corp., declined to answer questions. PCC's current owner, Molina Healthcare Inc., another publicly traded firm, also declined to comment. So did the county's attorney.

Since the lawsuit was filed "hundreds of people have reached out to us," says Alec Karakatsanis, co-founder of Equal Justice Under Law, a legal advocacy group that filed the suit with the Baker Donelson law firm. "The stories about how they're extorted and victimized are, to me, just really disturbing."

____

It's 23 degrees out, and downtown Murfreesboro's street lights are still on when Sherri Barker pulls up in front of the PCC probation office to drop off her son, Charlie. Wearing five shirts under his hoodie to fend off the cold, he claims a spot by the locked door  just as he does every Thursday.

"I've been on probation since I was 23 years old. I'm 35 now," he says, recounting eight arrests for driving on a suspended license and another for drug possession. Each brought more probation, fines and fees. Barker used to work construction to pay. But driving to work got him rearrested, he said.

Soon, seven others join him in line. One man, arrested for driving under the influence, has come to pay the $84 weekly fee for an electronic ankle bracelet. Another complains about company-run anger management classes that cost $17.45 each.

Barker says when his mother gets a tax refund, he plans to pay the last $500 he owes. But he wonders if he'll have to keep paying for drug tests or supervision fees until probation runs out in September.

"Just $500," he says. "But I don't know what they're going to try to pull. I wish you could just pay it off and be done with it."

___

Georgia is trying to overhaul its misdemeanor probation system, following a scathing state audit that found it was poorly run, lacked transparency and was abusive to some poor offenders.

Legislative reforms that took effect last summer include caps on the amount for-profit companies can charge probationers and a ban on jailing those who can prove they're unable to pay. Companies also are now required to disclose the number of offenders they supervise, and the fees and fines collected. The firms don't have to make public their profits and losses.

Prescott, whose association helped shape the Georgia reforms, says poor people should not be jailed solely because they can't pay fines and noted the new law allows for more alternatives, including community service.

But Long, the lawyer representing probationers, dismissed the reforms as "window-dressing."

Geraghty, of the Southern Center for Human Rights, says it's too soon to tell, labeling the reforms a first step.

"We still have a system in which there is a profit motive to keep people on probation and to keep them there for as long as possible," she said, "and that has not changed."

___

Tucked in one corner of the Rutherford County Jail's "C'' block, cell 2 has a pair of steel sleeping platforms, a sink and toilet, and little else. For Rachael Hamm, jailed for her third violation of probation in two years, this is home until at least April.

"It's been a revolving door," says Hamm, who has run up $5,000 in probation fees since a 2012 arrest for possession of marijuana. "I've missed Thanksgiving. I've missed my baby's first Christmas...."

Hamm, who is 28 and has two of her children's names tattooed on the inside of her wrists, says her own mistakes got her here. She acknowledges abusing drugs. Her first violation was for failure to report to the probation officer. Then, when she and her boyfriend were pulled over, and police found marijuana and a container of urine that could be used to falsify a drug test, she went back to jail and probation was renewed again.

But Hamm says the court isn't helping her address her drug problem by piling on probation fees she has no way of paying.

The jail released 13 inmates in December, after a judge ordered the county to stop incarcerating people solely for not paying probation fees. But dozens are still being held, at a cost of $63 a day, for other probation violations.

The jail's records room holds 9,990 warrants for violating probation, the majority for non-payment. No doubt, many of those on probation could come up with the money. But what about those who can't?

Since the ruling, Fred Robinson worries less about being jailed again for not paying thousands of dollars in supervision fees. But more than four years after Robinson, 31, was arrested for possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia, he still can't escape probation.

Robinson endures recurrent internal bleeding and cirrhosis that forced him to give up a restaurant job. He says he told a probation officer that his $750 monthly disability check left nothing for court costs, fines and fees. But a judge renewed his probation and extended it.

"It's not about what I did," Robinson says. "It's about the money."
FLINT, Mich. (AP)  Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder's administration has a goal of creating 1,000 new jobs in Flint as a way of helping recover from the ongoing crisis sparked by lead in the city's water.

Officials in Snyder's administration discussed the jobs goal Friday in a meeting of the governor's Flint Water Interagency Task Force, The Detroit News (http://detne.ws/1QSIyVY ) reported.

Rich Baird, the governor's transformation manager, said the state is negotiating with two "major auto suppliers" about bringing jobs to the city. He told committee members that a non-disclosure agreement meant that he couldn't name the companies.

Baird also said that his team and Michigan Works! are working to identify 500 "workforce development jobs" that he said are designed to provide good-paying positions and remove obstacles in employment, such as not having access to transportation or child care.

"Mission Flint is really all about the longer-term, prosperous, sustained recovery," Baird, a Flint native, said in reference to the group of top state officials he leads that was formed to help the city make its water safe again and improve the struggling economy in the city.

Flint, with a population of about 100,000, had switched from Detroit's water system to the Flint River as a way to save money until a new pipeline to Lake Huron was ready. But during those 18 months, the corrosive water leached lead from the city's old plumbing because certain treatments weren't added to the water.

No level of lead in the human body is considered safe, especially in children. The river water also may have been a source of Legionnaires' disease, which killed at least nine people in the region.

Snyder, whose administration repeatedly downplayed the lead threat, now calls it a "disaster."

___

Information from: The Detroit News, http://detnews.com/
In at least 1,000 courts in more than a dozen states, people convicted of misdemeanors, and sometimes even traffic infractions, often face a difficult reality if they're poor and unable to pay fines and court costs on the spot. They are placed under the supervision of for-profit probation companies where they may find themselves snared in a cycle of growing debt and punishment. The practice has spurred many lawsuits on behalf of people who, unable to pay, struggle to stay out of jail. Here are four of their stories:

___

When Fred Robinson was convicted of two misdemeanor marijuana charges in 2011  but was unable to pay $2,500 in fines and court costs  a judge placed him on 11 months and 29 days of probation. More than four years later, Robinson is still trying to get out from under.

"I can't afford my medicine to stay healthy and stay out of here," he says, sitting up in bed at Saint Thomas Rutherford Hospital in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, during a recent stay for difficulty breathing. "And they've still got me on this thing for non-payment."

Robinson, 31, used to work in the kitchen at a chain restaurant. For years, he has struggled with health problems, including ulcerative colitis and cirrhosis, which eventually forced him to quit. He depends on a $750 monthly disability check and gave up his apartment to move in with his sister.

Robinson says he reported to the PCC probation office weekly, but couldn't pay its fees and what he owed the court. His probation officer reported this as a violation, and Robinson was jailed in 2012, then saw his supervision extended to 23 months. Last September, he was again charged with a violation.

Affidavits filed by the probation company in 2012 and 2015 list his only violation as failure to pay court costs, fines and probation fees. In December, a federal judge barred the county from jailing people solely for non-payment, but he remains on probation.

"It doesn't make no sense for 11 months and 29 days to turn into five years for nothing  or for money," he says.

___

Clifford Hayes has lupus and diabetes. He's also destitute. And for nearly a decade, he's been bouncing around the private probation system.

His first encounter came in 2007 when he was arrested twice in Georgia for misdemeanor driving offenses, including drunken driving and using the wrong lane. According to court records, he was placed on five years' probation.

In 2013, he went to the local sheriff's office for a background check so he could spend the night in a Salvation Army shelter in Augusta, Georgia. Instead, he wound up in jail. Hayes didn't know that five years earlier, Sentinel Offender Services, a private probation company, had obtained a warrant because he had not kept up with his fines and fees imposed in the earlier cases, according to his lawyer, Jack Long.

Less than a week after Hayes was arrested, a judge gave him a choice: Pay $854 or serve eight months in jail.

Neither is a realistic option, Long says. Hayes is too sick to work, he adds, and barely gets by, renting a room in a run-down boarding house, relying on a $720 monthly disability payment for rent, medicine and food.

Jailing him doesn't make sense, either, Long says, because an eight-month sentence would cost taxpayers more than $11,500, not including medicine. "Jail is being used as a collection tool, free of charge to the private probation company," he argues.

Long contends Hayes should have been ordered to perform community service. He's now suing Sentinel, claiming its practices are unconstitutional. He was able to secure Hayes' release pending a trial.

A lawyer representing Sentinel did not respond to requests for comment; a company official said in a statement that Sentinel does nothing to exploit people regardless of their income.

Hayes says private probation is "degrading to people.... They know you can't afford it, but they want you to keep paying, paying, paying. ... It makes you feel helpless."

___

Vera Cheeks failed to stop fully at a stop sign. She pleaded guilty after being ticketed in Bainbridge, Georgia.

In court in late 2014, she says she told the judge she couldn't afford the $135 ticket. She explained she was living part-time in Florida and not working while she cared for a terminally ill father. The judge placed her on three months' probation.

Cheeks, 55, says a Red Hills Community Probation officer at the courthouse that day told her she'd have to raise $50 to leave or face a 30-day jail sentence. Her fiance, who was with her, pawned Cheeks' engagement ring. While waiting for him, she says, she watched a steady stream of probationers filing in from the courtroom, handing over cash or making calls desperately trying to raise money.

"I kept telling people this is a sham," she says.

Later, after reading about similar cases, she called the Southern Center for Human Rights. Cheeks was part of a lawsuit filed by the center that claimed, among other things, that Red Hills was illegally detaining people. The company, which closed last year, has denied any wrongdoing.

When Cheeks went public with her story, a donor paid her ticket, wiping the slate clean.

Cheeks is glad she spoke out.

"I just knew in my gut  you're going to put me in jail for 30 days because I'm poor and I don't have $50? That's the part that I said was wrong and unfair," she says. "That means you'd put half the doggone community in jail."

___

When police in Biloxi, Mississippi, pulled over a car in which Qumotria Kennedy was a passenger last July, she knew her time was up as soon as the officer asked her for identification.

Three years earlier, Kennedy had been charged with driving without insurance and on a suspended license. In that earlier case, the judge placed her on a year's probation, requiring payments of $140 a month. Kennedy, who earned about $200 a week cleaning motel rooms, says she stopped reporting to the for-profit probation firm after an officer told her if she didn't pay she could be jailed.

Now, handing over her ID after her friend was stopped for running a stop sign, Kennedy says, "I knew it was coming. I just didn't know how long I would be in jail, and that was my concern because I do have two kids."

In jail, guards found a joint in her purse, and she was charged with possession. After being held five days, she lost her job for not showing up. A judge added another year of probation, requiring payments of $255 a month.

The American Civil Liberties Union has filed a lawsuit against the city and probation firm Judicial Correction Services on behalf of Kennedy and two others, and the sides are negotiating. JCS spokesman said the company does not comment on specific litigation.

Kennedy hopes a resolution will keep her out of jail  "because I can't afford to be in jail."
The Flint water crisis can teach us several lessons if we are willing to pay attention to this debacle. The crisis was a tragic mistake that allowed the city to draw water from the Flint River for residential use without proper evaluation.

Common good

The common good is the sum total of the conditions which enable everyone to have the opportunity to freely shape his/her life by responsible action in accordance with moral standards. This common good also leads to a better world. The purpose therefore of any public action or law must be in the pursuit of the conditions which lead to the common good.

State and national leaders all across the country seem far more interested in their own personal goals and re-election rather than the common good. The Flint situation is an example of what happens when the common good is not foremost in planning.

Anti-tax movement

This crisis in Flint also shows the futility of refusing to think of taxes as part of the solution to our social and economic problems. A candidate for public office is taking his life in his own hands if he dares speak of increasing taxes. As a result, three state representatives, including our own Gary Glenn, signed a pledge not to raise taxes during their terms in office.

This refusal to even consider raising taxes is eliminating one of the ways the legislature can balance the budget and provide necessary services to the citizens of Michigan and the nation. It is time to end this silly posturing and get down to the serious business of running our government properly.

The anti-tax movement has been spawned by a sincere belief, I think, that government is too big, but it fails to provide any way to change the way the government works. For example, during the past eight years, the national debt has doubled, as it did during the George W. Bush and the Ronald Reagan administrations. During the Clinton administrations second term the budget was balanced and the national debt was being reduced. The increase in our national debt is not the fault of President Obama any more than it was the fault of Bush or Reagan. That responsibility lies squarely on the 535 Representatives and Senators who make laws that would change this increase in the national debt, but they are afraid to and would rather rail against big government and the establishment than deal with the issue.

And yet these are the same people who go crying to the federal government for a bailout when they run into trouble. Gov. Snyder asked for federal help in resolving the Flint problem. Other governors have done the same thing. And they wonder why the federal government is so big.

Infrastructure

Another lesson which can be learned from the Flint crisis is that we as a nation are ignoring our infrastructure. It is as if our leaders believe that we can erect buildings, make roads and bridges, create water and sewage lines, and never have to worry about them again. On the contrary, these require constant maintenance, repair and rebuilding, all of which require tax revenue. The Flint crisis is a tragic example of the importance of examining and repairing our infrastructure.

Emergency manager

Another lesson from the Flint situation is the lack of effectiveness of the emergency manager policy. The emergency manager is appointed by the governor for broken financial cities and schools. On the surface, that sounds like a good idea but the reality has taken us to this crisis. The governor must be held responsible for the failure in Flint. The governor has accepted that responsibility and seems to be trying to do something about the Flint water crisis.

Poor decisions

Finally the most important lesson to learn from the Flint situation is that mistakes, poor judgment and decisions based on saving money will affect thousands of Flint lives for many years in the future even after the water crisis is resolved. Other decisions and non-decisions are doing the same thing. Already lawyers are promoting lawsuits against the city and state for damages caused to children.

As we think about the upcoming elections later this year, lets remember who is talking long term and is willing to say we need to raise taxes to pay for the mistakes of the last thirty years when lack of revenue has crippled our infrastructure, our ability to solve problems and our ability to create a vision for a better future for all citizens. Otherwise we may look back on the Flint debacle as a minor bump in the road instead of the horrific event it is.

Norbert Bufka is a Midland resident and occasional contributor to the Midland Daily News. He can be reached at norbert609@sbcglobal.net.
EDITORS NOTE  OWI means operating while intoxicated. DWLS means driving while license suspended. (MC) is for Judge Michael D. Carpenter. (L) is for Magistrate Gerald Ladwig. Sentences may vary based on previous offenses committed by the defendant. Some sentencings include other fees imposed by the state.

Bay City

Bradford William Sebald, 26, second-offense OWI on Oct. 4, one year in jail with all but 10 days held in abeyance and credit for one day, $975 fines and costs, one year probation, 80 hours community service, attend substance abuse program, to be monitored by an alcohol tether for 180 days, may not use or possess drugs or alcohol, subject to random drug and alcohol screening, may not enter bars except for work purposes, attend counseling as directed (MC).

Breckenridge

Cory Wayne Nicholson, 26, second-offense DWLS on Feb. 21, 120 days in jail with credit for one day (MC).

Coleman

Kathleen Ruth Triplett, 68, no license on person and no proof of insurance on Jan. 22, $50 fine (MC).

Christopher Jordan Wilson, 27, allowing DWLS and no proof of insurance on Jan. 24, $510 fines and costs (L).

Freeland

John Donald Chadwick, 50, OWI on April 12, 60 days in jail with credit for one day, vehicle immobilized for 90 days (MC).

Harrison

Bobby Joe Butters, 45, domestic violence on Jan. 10, 46 days in jail with credit for time served (MC).

Midland

Quinne Marie Billingsley, 36, North Seven Mile Road, assault and battery on Oct. 1, 30 days in jail with credit for time served (MC).

Shawna Elaine Bradshaw, 28, East Gordonville Road, DWLS on Jan. 26, $500 fines and costs (L).

Amanda Renee Firth, 26, Sugnet Road, aggravated assault on Oct. 17, one year in jail held in abeyance with credit for 77 days, $800 fines and costs, 18 months probation, may complete community service in lieu of fines and costs, attend mental health counseling and Anger Management, not to be involved in any assaultive, threatening, intimidating, violent, aggressive, disorderly or abusive behavior toward any person, no contact with the victim, may not use or possess drugs or alcohol, subject to random drug and alcohol screening, take medications as prescribed, may not enter bars, attend counseling as directed (MC).

Jessy Jo Fredrickson, 23, East Ashman Street, malicious destruction of personal property on May 10, 93 days in jail with all but 30 days held in abeyance, $272.80 restitution, one year probation, not to be involved in any assaultive, threatening, intimidating, violent, aggressive, disorderly or abusive behavior toward any person, no contact with the victim, may not use or possess drugs or alcohol, subject to random drug and alcohol screening, may not enter bars, attend counseling as directed (MC).

Adam Jonathan Gerwin, 28, East Youngs Court, heroin use on Nov. 5, one year in jail with all but 21 days held in abeyance and credit for 21 days, $775 fines and costs, one year probation, complete community service, attend substance abuse program, may not use or possess drugs or alcohol, subject to random drug and alcohol screening, may not enter bars, attend counseling as directed (MC).

Michael Henry Grimm, 32, Fournie Street, DWLS on Jan. 25, $500 fines and costs (L).

Alphonso Rafeal Jones, 27, Rodd Street, assault and battery on Feb. 23, 60 days in jail with credit for eight days (MC).

Jeremy John Maier, 38, West Chippewa River Road, marijuana use on Nov. 10, 45 days in jail with credit for one day, driver license suspended (MC).

John William Mantle, 29, Concord Street, impaired driving and allowing DWLS on Nov. 6, 93 days in jail with credit for three days, $1,075 fines and costs, 15 months probation, attend substance abuse program, to be monitored by an alcohol tether for 60 days, may not use or possess drugs or alcohol, subject to random drug and alcohol screening, may not enter bars, attend counseling as directed (MC).

Jonathon Michael Phipps, 20, Clay Street, receiving and concealing stolen property on Sept. 28, 20 days in jail, $825 fines and costs, $70 restitution (MC).

Shantelle Marie Roberts, 24, West Isabella Street, DWLS on Jan. 26, $650 fines and costs (L).

Emily Marie Sanderson, 27, East Ashman Street, attempted third-degree retail fraud on Nov. 6, 46 days in jail held in abeyance with credit for one day, $500 fines and costs, nine months probation, may complete community service in lieu of fines and costs, may not use or possess drugs or alcohol, subject to random drug and alcohol screening, may not enter bars or Walmart, attend counseling as directed (MC).

Elisa Roseann Sanmiguel, 35, North Saginaw Road, DWLS on Oct. 24, $500 fines and costs (MC).

Chad Edward Wagner, 35, Meyers Street, allowing DWLS on Jan. 29, $450 fines and costs (L).

Melisa May Webster, 27, Jefferson Avenue, domestic violence on Nov. 3, 93 days in jail held in abeyance with credit for eight days, $400 fines and costs, one year probation, may complete community service in lieu of fines and costs, not to be involved in any assaultive, threatening, intimidating, violent, aggressive, disorderly or abusive behavior toward any person, may not use or possess drugs or alcohol, subject to random drug and alcohol screening, take medications as prescribed, may not enter bars, attend counseling as directed (MC).

Brandi Rose Yarger, 25, South Bay Midland County Line Road, jostling on Sept. 11, 90 days in jail with all but one weekend suspended, $500 fines and costs, one year probation, attend substance abuse program and Anger Management, not to be involved in any assaultive, threatening, intimidating, violent, aggressive, disorderly or abusive behavior toward any person, no contact with the victim, may not use or possess drugs or alcohol, subject to random drug and alcohol screening, may not enter bars, attend counseling as directed (MC).

Alexander Joseph Zale, 23, Mertz Street, OWI on Nov. 8, 93 days in jail with all but seven days held in abeyance and credit for one day, $975 fines and costs, one year probation, attend substance abuse program, may not use or possess drugs or alcohol, subject to random drug and alcohol screening, may not enter bars, attend counseling as directed (MC).

Jordan John Zettel, 30, Windmill Drive, domestic violence on Dec. 23, 93 days in jail with all but seven days held in abeyance and credit for one day, $650 fines and costs, nine months probation, attend substance abuse program and mental health counseling, not to be involved in any assaultive, threatening, intimidating, violent, aggressive, disorderly or abusive behavior toward any person, may not use or possess drugs or alcohol, subject to random drug and alcohol screening, take medications as prescribed, may not enter bars, attend counseling as directed (MC).

Saginaw

Jacob Shay Haveman, 43, no proof of insurance on Jan. 30, $210 fine (L).

Sanford

Brian Larry Leath II, 24, impaired driving on Oct. 30, 93 days in jail held in abeyance with credit for one day, $775 fines and costs, nine months probation, attend substance abuse program, may not use or possess drugs or alcohol, subject to random drug and alcohol screening, may not enter bars, attend counseling as directed (MC).

Thomas John Thorington, 29, OWI on Dec. 22, $500 fines and costs (MC).

Elsewhere

Susanne Marie Bourque, 47, Davison, impaired driving on Oct. 16, 93 days in jail held in abeyance with credit for one day, $775 fines and costs, nine months probation, attend substance abuse program, subject to an alcohol tether for 30 days, may not use or possess drugs or alcohol, subject to random drug and alcohol screening, may not enter bars (MC).

Nicholas Morgan Schember, 22, Elkton, impaired driving on Nov. 1, 93 days in jail held in abeyance with credit for one day, $775 fines and costs, six months probation, attend substance abuse program, may not use or possess drugs or alcohol, subject to random drug and alcohol screening, may not enter bars, attend counseling as directed (MC).

Vern Gerald Smith, 36, West Branch, no proof of insurance on Jan. 27, $210 fine (L).
"Although I would love for the citizens to be able to have their say on the ballot ... my duty is to apply the law here," Circuit Court Judge Scott Kording said.
CLINTON  Linda The Egg Lady Moore, of Clinton, passed away on the morning of Feb. 22, 2016, at home.

A celebration of Lindas life will be Friday at Calvert Funeral Home, Clinton. A quiet time will begin at 9 a.m., and a memorial, with J. Kent Hickerson officiating, will begin at 10 a.m.

Memorials may be directed to Weldon Springs Foundation.

Linda was the daughter of Ora and Jesse Allen Wheeler. She married her high school sweetheart, Richard "Dick" Moore, in Clinton. After Dick returned from two tours in Vietnam, they decided to tackle the adventures of a military family, and while they did live in a few boring places, most were very exciting, like Germany and Hawaii. Along the way they had a daughter, Carla, who lives with her husband, Marvin, in Washington state; and a son, Bryon, who married Paula; they both live in and work for the state of Washington.

After their children were grown, Linda and Dick lived for a while in Tennessee but eventually moved back to Washington, where Dick had retired from the Army. They returned to Clinton in 2001 and purchased their first home together, but still couldn't stay away from Washington for very long, especially since they had two greatly loved grandchildren, Isaac and Noah, Bryon and Paula's sons, to keep up with.

Sadly, it was in their 15th year back in Illinois and the day of their 50th wedding anniversary that they learned of Linda's pancreatic cancer.

Linda was a compassionate home health caregiver for a great many people. She provided them with respect and dignity while handling many of their most sensitive needs. She gave as much loving attention as she could while also being professional.

Linda was called 'The Egg Lady' because her joy and talent was egg decorating. Much like the Faberge eggs, she would cut, paint and adorn everything from tiny sparrow eggs to melon-sized emu eggs. Most of her eggs contained lovely and intricate tableaus inside. Linda also taught classes, hoping to inspire others to take up her art form. Her eggs have been on display at the Washington State Fair and at Watkins Jewelry on the square in Clinton. Every Easter the John Warner Library would feature many of her creations.

In recent years, Linda was known to frequent the Clinton Hardee's, sparking discussion and the occasional controversy with a cup of tea and a few pilfered tater tots in hand. Comments from the Hardee's crowd touch on her voracious appetite for knowledge and how her absence had already been felt as she struggled through her chemo treatments.

Go with God, Linda.

Condolences may be made at www.calvertmemorial.com.
Pregnancy is considered to be one of the most life changing experiences a woman can ever have. It gives expecting mothers the thrill they haven't experienced before. From the very first ultrasound result, the sound of the heartbeat up to the first kick will tell that the baby is healthy. However, recent statistics show that one in 100 women suffer sudden miscarriages or a series of miscarriages that leave them with questions they try so hard to answer.

Just recently, a group of scientists found that stem cells in the lining of the womb are the ones that cause women to suffer from recurring miscarriages (the loss of at least 3 or more consecutive pregnancies), something that can hopefully lead to the treatment for this condition.

According to dnaindia.com, Prof. Jan Brosens at the University of Warwick in the United Kingdom explained that the patients they studied already had the defect before they got pregnant that's why they suffered from recurrent miscarriages. "I can envisage that we will be able to correct these defects before the patient tries to achieve another pregnancy. In fact, this may be the only way to really prevent miscarriages in these cases," he added.

Medical Daily reported that Brosens and his colleagues analyzed tissue samples from 183 donors being treated in the university's hospital from multiple miscarriages. The researchers discovered that the "epigenetic signature" that is typical of stem cells was absent in the tissue samples. Normally, after every menstrual cycle, miscarriages, and birth, the lining of the uterus restores itself.

A shortage in the number of stem cells in there indicates a quick aging of the said lining. It was also found that this may cause an increased risk of miscarriage. They also found that even if the lining of the womb is enough for an embryo to implant, the surrounding cells are not able to support the development of the embryo. Brosens also emphasized: "Cultured cells from women who had had three or more consecutive miscarriages showed that ageing cells in the lining of the womb don't have the ability to prepare adequately for pregnancy."

The researchers believe that the information they have will be able to develop a treatment to prevent pregnancy loss. They hope to correct these defects before the patient tries to have another pregnancy.
Many new moms thought that after they give birth, they will be able to fit right back into their pre-pregnancy jeans. But see here, it took nine months for your belly to grow, and you can't expect it to shrink in one day after giving birth. So for you not to get caught off guard, prepare for the following body changes after giving birth.

Bulging and sagging belly

This is one of the things that worry a lot of new moms. Expect only a small reduction on your waistline so that you can bring the proper set of clothing you'll use when leaving the hospital with your bundle of joy. With regards to the sagging, making the effort to exercise after getting clearance from your doctor will do the trick.

A lot of blood

Don't worry if you see a lot of blood on the big maxi pads because it's normal, as what Parents said. You can expect bleeding for several days, and some can last for weeks. Just be wary of larger size blood clots, and if in an hour, you soak two or more maxi pads. These often indicate hemorrhage and you must contact your doctor right away.

A lot of pee

You can also expect to still urinate frequently like when you were pregnant. In fact, a little incontinence is considered normal. However, if this "incontinence" would last for weeks, better inform your doctor about it.

Virtually no sex drive

Many mothers experience a drop in their sex drives. This is one of the body changes after giving birth that a lot of husbands don't like. Dr. Hope Ricchitti, MD, Harvard Medical School associate professor of obstetrics and gynecology said that, "It can take up to a year to feel like you are really back in the mood for sex." WebMD said that your focus is primarily on your little baby, that you don't have time for yourself, including sex.

Still Big Feet

If you have been eyeing your pre-pregnancy Tory Burch shoes, better forget about them first. Many pregnant women would still have swelling feet after giving birth. So better wait for the time that your feet will be back to its pre-pregnancy shape.

It is always best that you prepare for these five body changes after giving birth. Expecting them and preparing for them will make post-delivery hassle free and somewhat enjoyable.
"Good" high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, which has been always thought to protect against heart disease, may not always live up its reputation. A new study has linked the supposedly good cholesterol to increased heart risks on some people.

The Telegraph reported that the new study from Cambridge University, published in the journal Science, has contradicted to earlier research that recommended HDL cholesterol as protection to the heart. The researchers found that some people with high levels of HDL cholesterol are at much greater risk of heart disease.

The researchers have discovered that one-in-1,700 people suffer a mutation in a gene called SCARB1. Despite having high levels of good cholesterol, people with the rare mutation have an 80 percent increased risk of heart disease, which is just about the same increased risk as for smoking. The researchers found that SCARB1 could prevent the HDL from discarding the fat it had collected in the liver for processing.

"This is significant because we had always believed that good cholesterol is associated with a lower risk of heart disease," Prof. Adam Butterworth, one of the researchers, told the BBC News. "This is one of the first studies to show that some people that have high levels of 'good' cholesterol actually have a higher risk of heart disease so it challenges our conventional wisdom about whether 'good' cholesterol is protecting people from heart disease or not."

According to Prof. Peter Weissberg, British Heart Foundation medical director, the recent study sheds light on one of the major puzzles relating to cholesterol and heart disease. "These new findings suggest that the way in which HDL is handled by the body is more important in determining risk of a heart attack than the levels of HDL in the blood. Only by understanding the underlying biology that links HDL-C with heart attacks can we develop new treatments to prevent them," he stated.

While the recent findings gave direct contradiction to the importance of increased HDL cholesterol levels, the researchers still acknowledged its valuable role in predicting the risk of a heart attack. They added that they will still conduct further study to fully figure out the complex relationship between HDL and risk of heart disease.
A 22-year-old British makeup artist, Demi Wright, passed away just three weeks after being diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer. Doctors initially mistook her condition as pregnancy.

The Huffington Post reported that Wright, who hailed from the town of Colchester, started feeling pain in her side last November. She was initially confined to a maternity ward after manifesting symptoms of being pregnant.

But the doctors later found that Wright, who worked for Lancome in Williams and Griffin, was not actually expecting a baby. They discovered that she has been carrying a 12-centimeter tumor that was quickly progressing and emitting hormones akin to those of pregnant women.

Wright was diagnosed with terminal adenocarcinoma and was admitted to Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge early this year. Adenocarcinoma is a rare and aggressive type of cancer that affects various organs including the breasts, esophagus, lungs, pancreas, colon, and prostate.

Wright's condition deteriorated rapidly. She died on Feb. 23 just three weeks after her adenocarcinoma diagnosis.

"She didn't have a bad bone in her body. She had an infectious, beautiful smile and it showed her personality off," Wright's father Chris, a Captain based at Merville Barracks, shared to the Daily Gazette. "It's been devastating."

Moreover, Mitch Gregory, Wright's boyfriend, said that he felt like they were robbed. "It needs to be stressed how much courage she had. She's our inspiration now," he added.

Since Wright's death, her family members had set up a crowdfunding page to raise money in her memory. As of Friday, they have already reached their goal of almost 2,900, which will be donated to the Cancer Research UK.

According to Dr. Helen Webberley, the dedicated general practitioner for Oxford Online Pharmacy, Wright's case is also known as a molar pregnancy. She explained that a molar pregnancy acts just like the conventional pregnancy, however, it can be detected after the 12-week scan.

"The cells need to be removed and most women can expect a full recovery. However, close follow-up is needed because there is a small chance of developing a type of cancer, as appears to be the case with this patient," Webberley stated. "If a cancer does develop, effective treatment is available and most women can be cured."
Age-old myths made women believe that strenuous exercising during pregnancy can harm the baby. According to a doctor, heavy exercise will not hurt the baby, however, a woman would quickly get tired if she is pregnant.

Bruce K. Young, MD, coauthor of Miscarriage, Medicine & Miracles (Bantam) and professor of obstetrics and gynecology at New York University School of Medicine said that "there is no real evidence that exercise is linked to miscarriage."

Heavy exercise does not have a bad effect on babies inside their mothers. However, a pregnant woman easily gets tired because the amount of blood during the pregnancy increases to about 50 percent. Her heart needs to work harder in pumping all the blood around the body and to an additional organ, the placenta, Parents.com reported.

"That means the stress on your heart will be 50 percent greater for the same exercise that you were doing before pregnancy," Dr. Young says. Women can work just as hard by doing less than what they did before pregnancy.

Pregnancy is not the time for a woman to do heavy exercises, but it is okay and good for them. Cardiovascular exercises can help their heart rate.

In 1985, the recommended heart rate limit is at 140. However, during that time, "the scientific data on strenuous exercise in pregnancy was very scarce," said Dr. Raul Artal, the obstetrician and exercise physiologist who developed the guideline for the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), as reported by New York Times.

The recommendation was later withdrawn. "It has no scientific value," Dr. Artal said.

During that time, women were treated as if they had an illness when they are pregnant. They were advised to relax and even simple stretching or bending is prohibited.

"Textbooks, until the late 1960s and early '70s, said pregnancy is not a good time to exercise," Dr. Artal said. "They said, 'It's O.K. to walk.' ''


Tesco announced on Friday that they will donate the store's unsold food to 5,000 local charities and groups across the United Kingdom. In fact, the company is trying to influence other firms to adopt the same practice in an effort to help those in need while reducing the world's rate of food waste.

The said move is the supermarket giant's answer to food waste by its suppliers. According to the company's latest figures, 55,400 tons of foods were just thrown away at their stores and distribution centers across the country last year, as reported by Daily Echo. The program is called the Community Food Connection. It has generated over 22 tons of food over the last six months, which can serve 50,000 meals.

The program is operating through FareShare FoodCloud, a digital open platform that allows the store to cooperate with the charities in distributing surplus food. It has launched in 15 cities and regions this week, including Birmingham, Manchester, Portsmouth and Southampton. It plans to cover all their stores next year.

Tesco commits: no food that can be eaten to go to waste from storeshttps://t.co/Can8h6SkyH  Tesco News (@tesconews) March 11, 2016

Tesco and FareShare are calling up 5,000 community groups and charity to come and receive the food. The supermarket is also called on other retailers to adopt FareShare FoodCloud and establish an industry-wide platform.

"We believe no food that could be eaten should be wasted. That's why we have committed that no surplus food should go to waste from our stores," said Tesco chief executive Dave Lewis, Independent reported. "We know it's an issue our customers really care about, and wherever there's surplus food at Tesco stores, we're committed to donating it to local charities so we can help feed people in need."

FareShare chief executive Lindsay Boswell stated that they are delighted to offer their store level solution in collaboration with Tesco who are showing a real leadership in tackling food surplus. "FareShare FoodCloud is a natural extension of our work together which has already provided nine million meals to help feed vulnerable people," she added.
Crust, a restaurant in Solihull of West Midlands, England, has challenged its diners to devour a huge mouthwatering burger in 20 minutes for free. Failure to complete eating the colossal meal within the required period of time would mean a 19.95 bill.

According to the Daily Mirror, the giant burger, named Mr. Big, contains 6,300 calories and stands 12 inches. The mega meal is served with a double serving of fries and a large portion of coleslaw on the side.

Mr. Big is made up of beef burgers possessing 1,400 calories, pulled pork which has 500 calories, and bacon with 600 calories. It also has three slices of cheese with 300 calories and three servings of crispy battered onions having 640 calories, topped off with house burger sauce containing 640 calories, and six brioche buns owning 600 calories.

Crust's representatives said that only 10 percent of the daring diners had successfully completed the promo, which is almost similar to the popular American food reality TV series "Man V. Food". One of challengers, Eliott Rhodes, a 26-year-old burger lover, said finishing the whooping meal was tough because he felt too stuffed.

"I thought I'd have no trouble scoffing it down, but it was a lot harder than I imagined. By the end of it I was absolutely exhausted," Rhodes shared. "The top burger was great, and the crispy onions were an absolute delight - but by the time I got down to the second and third burger it was harder to swallow." Rhodes, however, added that he would recommend it because the towering burger was delicious.

The consumption of a 6,300-calorie burger in 20 minutes would mean taking 315 calories per minute. This is way too much as per UK's National Health Service (NHS) recommendations.

The NHS website stated that in order to maintain a healthy weight, the daily intake of calories from foods and beverages should be tracked. The daily calorie allowance for men is 2,500 while women should stick to a calorie limit of not more than 2,000 per day.
Marie Buchan, a single mother who takes 20,000-a-year benefits from the UK government to support her family's lifestyle, is facing home eviction with her kids due to unpaid rent. The controversial Birmingham mother-of-eight slammed the government for capping her benefits.

The Birmingham Mail reported that Buchan appeared at Birmingham County Court last Wednesday after incurring a hefty bill of more than 4,000. The single parent has successively failed to pay the 600-a-month rent of her new Selly Oak home.

The ruling on the case whether Buchan's family should be evicted or not is scheduled on Monday. If the court will not favor her, she and her eight kids will be forced to leave the house by April 13.

Buchan, who describes herself as a full-time mom to eight kids between the ages of 13 and two, blamed the government's benefits cap for her current situation. She claimed that the 500-a-week handouts are not enough to pay the rent of her four-bedroom house.

The jobless mom has been enjoying annual benefits package that is made up of council tax, child benefit, child tax, income support and housing benefit. However, her benefits fell from 26,000 to 20,000 after the government introduced the cap.

"Lots of people are getting themselves in this situation because of the benefits cap. Raising eight kids on the cap while paying full rent is hard enough," Buchan complained.

"I have been trying to find work for a long time now but it is not that easy," she added. "As soon as you say you have eight dependents they don't want to know. My only way out of the cap is doing 16 hours of work a week."

According to the Daily Mail, Buchan lives with her kids Tia, Leah, Latoya, Joshua, Alisha, Mikayla, Amelia, and youngest Olivia. She got her Selly Oak home last year after she demanded the local council that she should get a larger house because her previous three-bedroom home was too small for her huge brood.
Many kids do not like going the dentist because of their fear that something bad is going to happen to them in the clinic. Most of the time, their fears are unfounded. But once in a while, a dentist visit can go really bad.

That is exactly what happened to 4-year-old girl Navaeh Hall during a dentist visit for her tooth decay, her mother Courissa Clark told ABC News. The once healthy girl suffered severe brain during her dentist visit to Dr. Bethaniel Jefferson's clinic called "Diamond Dentistry" in Houston, Texas.

"She can't talk or walk or do anything she used to do," Clark explained to ABC News. "She even had to get surgery just to get a feeding tube into her stomach." For these reasons, the Texas Board of Dental Examiners has issued a temporary suspension on Dr. Jefferson's practice while investigations are ongoing.

The horrible incident began when Navaeh experienced seizures after being sedated by Jefferson. Jefferson tried to treat the girl's seizures by giving her a Halcion oral medication instead of calling emergency services. Emergency services were only contacted several hours after the incident which allegedly caused the brain injury on the girl.

Apparently, the Texas Board of Dental Examiners has already reprimanded Jefferson twice in the past. He was reprimanded in 2012 for "falling below the minimum standard of care in the sedation of a minor" and falling below the "minimum standard of care" and inadequate patient's records back in 2005.

The victim's lawyer, Jim Moriarty, informed ABC News of their plans to file a lawsuit against Jefferson. Moriarty has previously succeeded in getting a $39 million settlement with a previous dental case, according to NY Daily News.

The girl also suffered vision problems after the dentist visit and is currently going through many hours of daily physical, occupational and speech therapy. "This is our baby, so we just have to accept and live with what we have," Clark told ABC News.
Actor Hugh Grant allegedly clashed with the owner of a dog which peed on his residence in Chelsea, London last Thursday. The pet owner claimed that the actor was angry at him and his dog because he hates pets peeing and pooping along the street.

The Evening Standard reported that Grant accosted 46-year-old property developer Justin O'Brien when his pet Buddy urinated along the street in Chelsea. The miniature schnauzer claimed that the "Notting Hill" actor came up to him has said that he was "sick and tired of s*** and p***."

O'Brien said Grant thought that Buddy peed at his Chelsea home but the owner explained that the dog only urinated on the pavement. "I didn't realise it was Hugh Grant at first. He was in a hoodie," added O'Brien.

He claimed that the incident made his perception about Grant change. "When I asked, 'Where should my dog p***?' he replied 'In the gutter,'" he added. "I was a fan but not anymore."

According to the same report, the actor admitted that he was a bit rude to O'Brien. However, he noted that he is ready to express his apologies to the pet owner if he sees him again.

Despite being sorry for his act, The Sun said that he ranted about dogs pooping along the streets and even on his door. But O'Brien maintained that Buddy was aiming at the pavement and did not pee on Grant's property during Thursday's incident.

The actor earlier mentioned in a Vanity Fair report that he is fed up with dogs just pooping anywhere. "I've reached that stage in middle age where I'm furious about people who allow their dogs to do that. People need to pick up after their dogs. It's the right thing to do!" he added.

He claimed that his hero is Andrew Hawes, the person who made it his mission to clean streets in England from dog poop. He also disguises as a man in a camouflage to apprehend owners who just leave their pet droppings along the streets.
Finally, gay men in Canada now have a safe place where they can consult health concerns especially fears of HIV infections. The gay men's clinic in Winnipeg, Canada, aims to respond to the health need of gay, bisexual and even men who have sex with men.

According to CBC News the Our Own Health Centre mainly focuses on HIV among the said community but claimed that the medical facility is also open to the public. "As a gay man myself, about 30 years ago, I first proposed this idea in Winnipeg and at that time I had hoped to be able to develop this clinic in the context of HIV," said medical director Dick Smith.

He noted that during that time, very few men had HIV so he had a hard time justifying the need for such clinic. But for the past years, LGBT clinics started opening in the area so Smith was determined to continue with his plan.

The doctor explained that the difference of the medical facility to other LGBT clinics is that it mainly caters to men who have sex with men. He mentioned in the CBC News report that they will screen men for sexually transmitted diseases, perform surgical procedures and even provide sexology consultation.

"It's an important milestone but we are still far from securely achieving our goal," Smith added. He noted that he wants to raise more money to be able to hire quality doctors in the future.

Winnipeg Free Press added that during its opening last Saturday, the clinic already intro ducted three part-time doctors, kinesiologist and a full-time physician assistant. But Smith definitely wants to improve on the services offered by the clinic by having more specialists.

"[Gay men] have unique health care needs and we believe that they deserve optimal health care that takes their specific health and wellness needs into account," he added. Smith also shared that all staff and doctors at the clinic are gay to make "appropriate and insightful."
A study in Taiwan shows that children who were born in August are more likely to be diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder or ADHD. However, children who were born in September had the lowest risk.

The research found that males born in August had a 4.5 percent risk of being diagnosed with the condition, which is higher than 2.8 percent for the males who were born later that month. The figure spiked from 0.7-1.2 percent for females, Mid-Day Daily reported.

But there is an explanation to the phenomenon. Scientists believe that many teachers are more likely to compared kids that are a year younger, hence more immature to more mature peers. That made the younger ones often diagnosed with ADHD by default.

Many of the ADHD cases may be false alarm, resulting to healthy kids being forced to take ADHD medication, researchers said. Most of the condition's symptoms are constant fidgeting, impulsiveness and short attention span, which are also signs of an emotionally immature child, team suggests.

Dr. Mu-Hong Chen, the study's lead author and a child and adolescent psychiatrist at Taipei Veterans General Hospital in Taiwan, gathered information of 380,000 schoolchildren in ages 4 to 17 from a health insurance database. They sorted out the children who were diagnosed with the condition by birth month and examined those who were taking medication to treat the condition over a period of 14 years, as reported by Huffington Post.

The cutoff birth date for entering school in Taiwan, which is August 31, made children on the same grade may be almost a year apart in age. The students with birth dates just before the school cutoff date are way younger and less mature compared to those who are born in other months, Chen explained.

Meanwhile, there is a previous study on ADHD in the United States and Canada that suggests age within the grade level has an impact for a child being diagnosed with and receiving medication for ADHD. This evidence supports Chen's study.


Saturday Night Live with host and musical guest Ariana Grande was a risky wager given the current seasons malaise. SNL opened Season 41 with Miley Cyrus attempting a similar double-booking feat, and it was an unmitigated disaster. Selena Gomez was the last pop princess to grace Studio 8H with her presence, and that too was a season low.

But Ariana Grande earns a solid B in her first time hosting the show, and reallynone of us should be surprised. Grande got her start in musical theatre and broke through in one of those relentless Nickelodeon kid shows (doesnt matter which one, you get the idea). Many of our contemporary pop stars come up like this, and by their twenties have more performance swagger than Sinatra did at twice their age.

At the ripe old age of 22, Grande is a showbiz pro, and though Saturday Night Live doesnt push her too hard, she turns in a fine night of work as host and musical guest.

Saturday Night Live addresses the current race for the White House with more Trump and Bernie and Hillaryas The Totalitarian Boor and The Grouchy Mensch and The Frantic Automaton, respectively. Its interesting that these impressions of each candidate have not only stuck, but continue to define them. Cliches are trite, but most cliches are true. Thats kind of the point. And no matter your politics, you must admit SNL has captured the feel of each one of these politicians perfectly. With Carson Endorsement, Hillary Campaign Ad and the first third of Weekend Update, we see these parodies elevated (at times) to satire. And its a wonderful thing.

Worth mentioning: Larry David is back as Bernie Sanders. There are plenty of things to parody about Bernie. His disheveled, grumpy old Brooklyn demeanor is only one, though. Davids got that down, but its starting to run thin. It would be nice to see SNL dig a little deeper. Still, Im not five posts a day great! and My message is resonating with a very diverse group of white people is a fine start.

The episode was worse for its running order. Though Celebrity Family Feud never quite fulfilled the promise of its premise, it should have happened earlier in the night. Same goes for Sound of Music, the last sketch of the evening (which should have been Mermaids). Kids Choice Awards was a solid piece to kick things off with (post-opening monologue and pre-tape Hillary Campaign Ad), but not strong enough to overcome the leaden This Is Not a Feminist Song.

Though most of us consume Saturday Night Live in small bits and pieces, days after its live broadcast, the fact that the show still happens live, with a live audience, does contribute to the success of each small part. The shows running order has been a consistent problem all season. Enough of the right sketches in the wrong places can kill a show. And it certainly held this one back.

This Is Not a Feminist Song, a music video satire about modern American women trying to come up with a unifying anthem for their own empowerment, never gets any lift. Its ultimately crushed under the weight of its over-complicated premise. The idea that women are diverse, that they have trouble agreeing on the political and social goals of feminismthat an inspiring song and video will be just the thing!...theres something to all that. But successful SNL musical parodies tend to be very simple, very straightforward. Last seasons best sketch was the music video Wishin Boot, an absurdist country music anthem about a wish-granting cowboy bootsimple as that. The ideas behind Feminist Song would have been better dealt with in a sketch.

Mermaids, a tale from the sea about three sailors who survive a violent storm thanks to the rescue of three magical female sea creatures, is a mid-level, throwback style SNL sketch, elevated by Kate McKinnons performance and makeup. To see her Shud is to love it. And its good to see last years breakout star back in fine, character-crafting form.

Heres what you need to know about Weekend Update: Riblet. If you are a Riblet (Bobby Moynihan) fan, youre in for a treat. Michael Ches so-called friend from high school who works at Friendlys but thinks Ches job is too easy crashes Update againthis time bigger than ever. But there are those Riblet detractors out theregood people who just cant stand Bobbys bluster and bombast. Look. Its a Riblet world, folks. Look away if you must, but at least give it one more shot before you reject the Rib forever. As for me, I stand with Riblet.

Ariana Grande was mediocre at best performing two forgettable, corporate pop songs: Dangerous Woman and Be Alright. But lets not hold it against her or Saturday Night Live. Grandes opening monologue was spot-on, her entire appeal perfectly captured. Grande is an actressa stagey comedian-type with a terrific singing voice (re: the cloying Tidal sketch). Shes used the corporate pop princess platform to get your attention. And now, with this appearance on SNL, she has it. And its clear: her career intentions have very little to do with music. Saturday Night Live recognizes this. Thats why they double-booked her. And all things considered, theres really no harm in having an Ariana Grande on Broadway or in cheesy network sitcoms. Its her music thats banal, not her.

So no, this episode of SNL wasnt terrible. That deep-felt horror we all felt upon hearing those dreaded wordsAriana Grande as host and musical guestwell, it turned out okay. No harm, no foul. Now, if we can just hold our sky-high expectations for Peter Dinklage as host in check

SNL returns April 2 with Peter Dinklage and Gwen Stefani.

Chris White writes and directs independent feature films. His latest is Unbecoming, a southern gothic comedy starring Patti DArbanville and Michael Forest. Follow Chris on Twitter.
On Tuesday we reported that was one step closer to a new law that would fine Apple up to $386,000 each time they refuse to assist France in an investigation requiring them to unlock an iPhone. Yesterday French Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve was attending a talk on counterterrorism at George Washington University and voiced support for President Barack Obama's administration in its efforts to get Apple to unlock the iPhone of one of the San Bernardino attackers.

"I don't think it's necessary to wrestle" with Apple and other companies that provide encryption because "they have an interest to be our partners," Cazeneuve said.

"The digital ecosystem, that's democracy. If democracy cannot defend itself" against violent extremists, "the ecosystem falls apart," he added.

"The citizens who today tell us 'privacy' and 'freedom' will tomorrow ask us 'but what did you do to protect us'" from new devastating attacks, Cazeneuve said.

The report lastly noted that before returning to France next week he'll be heading off to New York to meet with city police where he's expected to discuss the resilience of major cities hit by large-scale attacks.

About Making Comments on our Site: Patently Apple reserves the right to post, dismiss or edit any comments. Comments are reviewed daily from 4am to 6pm PST and sporadically over the weekend.
For more than a half-century, the Justice Department has relied on wiretaps as a fundamental crime-fighting tool. To some in law enforcement, if companies like WhatsApp, Signal and Telegram can design unbreakable encryption, then the future of wiretapping is in doubt. No decision has been made, but a court fight with WhatsApp, the world's largest mobile messaging service, would open a new front in the Obama administration's dispute with Silicon Valley over encryption, security and privacy.

Whether the WhatsApp dispute ends in a court fight that sets precedents, many law enforcement officials and security experts say that such a case may be inevitable because the nation's wiretapping laws were last updated a generation ago, when people communicated by landline telephones that were easy to tap.

Some investigators view the WhatsApp issue as even more significant as the one over locked phones because it goes to the heart of the future of wiretapping. They say the Justice Department should ask a judge to force WhatsApp to help the government get information that has been encrypted. Others are reluctant to escalate the dispute, particularly with senators saying they will soon introduce legislation to help the government get data in a format it can read.

WhatsApp, which is owned by Facebook, allows customers to send messages and make phone calls over the Internet. In the last year, the company has been adding encryption to those conversations, making it impossible for the Justice Department to read or eavesdrop, even with a judge's wiretap order.

As recently as this past week, officials said, the Justice Department was discussing how to proceed in a continuing criminal investigation in which a federal judge had approved a wiretap, but investigators were stymied by WhatsApp's encryption.

Even though the FBI's case with Apple is very important, many in law enforcement think that's what's happening with 'WhatsApp' is of far greater concern.

The mystery as to what has actually changed or when the government realized that recent White House policies directly contradict the everyday needs of law enforcement isn't known. But there's definitely been a change of heart by the White House.

Businesses, customers and the United States government also rely on strong encryption to help protect information from hackers, identity thieves and foreign cyberattacks. That is why, in 2013, a White House report said the government should "not in any way subvert, undermine, weaken, or make vulnerable generally available commercial encryption."

In a strange twist, the government actually helped develop the technology behind WhatsApp's encryption. To promote civil rights in countries with repressive governments, the Open Technology Fund, which promotes open societies by supporting technology that allows people to communicate without the fear of surveillance, provided $2.2 million to help develop Open Whisper Systems, the encryption backbone behind WhatsApp.

Because of such support for encryption, Obama administration officials disagree over how far they should push companies to accommodate the requests of law enforcement. Senior leaders at the Justice Department and the F.B.I. have held out hope that Congress will settle the matter by updating the wiretap laws to address new technology. But the White House has declined to push for such legislation. Josh Earnest, the White House spokesman, said on Friday that he was skeptical "of Congress's ability to handle such a complicated policy area."

Those who support digital privacy fear that if the Justice Department succeeds in forcing Apple to help break into the iPhone in the San Bernardino case, the government's next move will be to force companies like WhatsApp to rewrite their software to remove encryption from the accounts of certain customers," writes the NYTimes. This explains why WhatsApp founder Jan Koum was one of the first to support Tim Cook's stance against the FBI.





The New York Times quoted Chris Soghoian, a technology analyst with the American Civil Liberties Union, as saying "That would be like going to nuclear war with Silicon Valley."

WhatsApp co-founder Jan Koum had spoken about implementing end-to-end encryption to its chats at annual Digital-Life-Design (DLD) conference in Munich in January 2016, reports the Indian Express. Koum had said, "We are a couple of months away from calling it done. Soon we will be able to talk more about this."

The end-to-end encryption will apply to messages and calls, and users will have to turn on the feature in the setting. The end-to-end encrypted messages can't be read by anyone, including WhatsApp.

So while Apple is taking all of the heat over the privacy issue today, it's clear that Facebook's WhatsApp is next in the government's crosshairs.

On Friday when President Obama was interviewed about the problem with encryption, he finally noted: "My conclusion so far is that you cannot take an absolutist view on this. So if your argument is: strong encryption no matter what and we can and should in fact create black boxes; that I think, does not strike the kind of balance that we have lived with for 200-300 years and its fetishizing our phones above every other value and that can't be the right answer."

In light of the White House's 2013 policies that were noted earlier in this report, it's clear that recent circumstances involving terrorist acts in Paris and San Bernardino have changed the Government's view of the encryption issue. And this is what's angering both law enforcement and the public: U.S. Policies that are razor thin and that change with the tide. So while President Obama isn't a fan of 'absolutism" on the issue of encryption, most are fed up with a government talking on both sides of its mouth whenever it suits the political winds du-jour.

About Making Comments on our Site: Patently Apple reserves the right to post, dismiss or edit any comments. Comments are reviewed daily from 4am to 6pm PST and sporadically over the weekend.
Today the American Episcopal church celebrates a feast in honor of the life and ministry of the Rt Rev James Theodore Holly, born the child of freed slaves, and who became the first African-American bishop of their church.

He was born in 1829, his mother a Roman Catholic. As a young adult he crossed over to the Anglican communion. He was ordained a priest in 1856 and served as rector of St Lukes Church in New Haven, CT.

During these years he was active in the former slave re-settlement scheme, and became interested in Haiti. In 1861 he resigned his pulpit and led a party of 110 people to Haiti. Despite terrible privations, which included the deaths of his mother, wife, and two of his children in their first year, the mission righted itself, and began to flourish.

In 1874 he was consecrated bishop for Haiti. He continued to serve there until shortly before his death in 1911.


Joseph Priestly is much more than the patron saint of teenagers and all who drink sodas.

Born on this day in 1773, Priestly, in addition to being the inventor of soda water, was the chemist generally acknowledged as the discoverer of oxygen, an educator, progressive political theorist, and clergyman.

According to the Wikipedia article on him, Priestleys science was integral to his theology, and he consistently tried to fuse Enlightenment rationalism with Christian theism. In his metaphysical texts, Priestley attempted to combine theism, materialism, and determinism, a project that has been called audacious and original. He believed that a proper understanding of the natural world would promote human progress and eventually bring about the Christian Millennium. Priestley, who strongly believed in the free and open exchange of ideas, advocated toleration and equal rights for religious Dissenters, which also led him to help found Unitarianism in England.

Of course, The controversial nature of Priestleys publications combined with his outspoken support of the French Revolution aroused public and governmental suspicion; he was eventually forced to flee, in 1791, first to London, and then to the United States, after a mob burned down his home and church. He spent the last ten years of his life living in Northumberland County, Pennsylvania.

But, first, back to those 1791 riots. They swept through the English city of Birmingham, and continued for three days. The reasons were many, but they circled sufficiently around the scientist, political activist and Unitarian minister Joseph Priestly, that the incident, or incidents, it was a series of assaults, are often called the Priestly riots.

There had been long simmering hostility between the progressive Dissenters and the majority Anglican citizens of the city. The Dissenters had been pushing hard for full civil rights. But their near unanimous support for the French Revolution offended the conservative majority.

And all that they suspected came together in Joseph Priestlys denial of the trinity and his sermons calling people to a more naturalistic humanism, humanism in the classical sense rather than our twentieth and twenty-first century understanding of the term.

The core thread running through Priestlys preaching was his insistence that human reason rather that divine revelation was the secret of our possibility. If you want to know God, study the world. In short, Rational Religion.

It seems the spark for the riots was the insistence of some that Priestleys books be included on the shelves of the citys library. Apparently free access to his ideas was the bridge too far.

So, starting with Priestlys home, laboratory and chapel (Dissenters could not call their religious centers churches), the rioters burned four Chapels, several businesses, and twenty-seven houses. Later the King, George III, is said to have said, I cannot but feel better pleased that Priestley is the sufferer for the doctrines he and his party have instilled, and that the people see them in their true light.

Priestly fled the country just ahead of a series of arrests and the notorious 1794 Treason Trials, coming to the warm embrace of America. Taking refuge in Philadelphia, he gave a series of sermons which would result in the gathering of the First Unitarian Church of Philadelphia, the first church in America to claim the name unitarian.
Patna: Prime Minister Narendra Modi, speaking at the closing ceremony of the centennial celebration of the Patna High Court on Saturday, cited the historical relevance of the hall of judiciary saying the Patna High Court had set a high bar for the rest of the courts around the country by living up to the highest standard one expected from such institution.

"This court has reached unprecedented heights in the last one hundred years and I expect it to continue this tradition for many, many more years to come," the Prime Minister, who was earlier given a warm welcome by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and Bihar Governor Ram Nath Kovind at the Patna Airport, said in his keynote speech.

Mr. Modi, however, expressed his concerns over hundreds of thousands of pending cases in courts around the nation saying all efforts must be made to dispose of cases buried in court files for years, sometimes even for decades.

"We must use the current technology that is readily available to us. Information that used to take days, weeks, or months to obtain can be obtained now in minutes thanks to Google and other tools available to us. There is no reason why old cases cannot be brought to conclusion on time now," he said.

The Prime Minister also suggested publication of an annual bulletin highlighting all the pending cases in an attempt to give a sense of urgency to such case.

Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who sat at a distance from the Prime Minister, emphasized the need for the judiciary to work side by side with the Center in order to maintain full transparency and independence in the judiciary. He also urged Union Law Minister Sadanand Gowda to release funds on time and expressed his thanks to the Prime Minister for finding time for today's event.

This is Mr. Modi's first trip to Bihar after his party and the NDA got major drubbings in the last year's state assembly elections in a highly acrimonious political atmosphere.

Chief Justice of India T. S. Thakur and other top judicial luminaries were present on the occasion.
Iran, 7 other countries to cooperate on building 3 satellites

03/13/16

Source: Mehr News Agency

Iran and 7 member states of the Asia-Pacific Space Cooperation Organization (APSCO) are planning to jointly design and build a remote sensing satellite, said head of Iranian Space Agency for International Cooperation on Friday.

Iran's representative at APSCO, Abolghasem Naghash, told Mehr News on Friday that Iran, in addition to holding the presidency of the APSCO, is also pursuing cooperation on various projects with member states of the Asia-Pacific Space Cooperation Organization.

He maintained that one such satellite projects is the construction of a type of student miniaturized satellite, saying "the general outlines of the project have been approved by APSCO, and the first round of negotiations over the details and financial issues will start on March 28 in China."

Naghash further added that the universities from China, Turkey, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Thailand, Mongolia, and Peru have stated their readiness to take part in the satellite project.

"In the joint student satellite project, the participating teams intend to build two 'CubeSats' and a 'Microsatellite'," he said.

According to him, Iran's Amirkabir University of Technology, University of Science and Technology, as well as K.N. Toosi University of Technology have expressed their interest in participating in the project.

The project timeline and its details will be determined in the meeting on March 28, he said.

APSCO, headquartered in Beijing, China, is an inter-governmental organization establsished in 2005 and dedicated to promote and strengthen the development of collaborative space programs among its Member States including Iran, Bangladesh, China, Mongolia, Pakistan, Peru, Thailand, Indonesia and Turkey.
Iran Rejects Russia-Saudi Oil Freeze Proposal

03/13/16

Source: RFE/RL

Iran has said it will not freeze its oil production, a blow to a proposal by Russia and Saudi Arabia to freeze global output to help turn around a plunge in oil prices. Iranian Oil Minister Bijan Namdar Zanganeh told Iran's Press TV on March 13 that other oil-producing countries should "leave us alone."



Iranian Oil Minister Zanganeh talks to reporters in southern port of Bandar Abbas, March 13, 2016.

(photo by Shana)





Zanganeh added Tehran would only consider a freeze after it increases production to 4 million barrels a day, the level it saw before international sanctions were imposed due to concerns about its nuclear program.

According to the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), Iran's current production is between 2.8 million and 3.5 million barrels a day.

The Russian-Saudi proposal, which OPEC members Venezuela and Qatar have supported, is designed to stabilize oil prices, which have fallen by up to 70 percent since their peak in mid-2014.

The International Energy Agency credited Russia and Saudi Arabia with helping to turn around a plunge in oil prices this year by proposing the output freeze.

In a report on March 11, the organization that represents oil-consuming nations said the Saudi-Russian effort to gather producers behind a freeze represented a "first stab at co-ordinated action that is intended to stabilize prices."

While the freeze, which is still under discussion and not officially in place, is aimed at pushing oil prices up to around $50 a barrel, the agency said getting prices to stabilize in that vicinity will be difficult and probably will not occur until 2017.

In remarks to Press TV, Zanganeh also said U.S. companies were welcome to invest in the country's oil and gas industry.

Zangeneh said "in general, we have no problem with the presence of American companies in Iran."

He confirmed that Iran's state-run oil company has held talks with General Electric.

With reporting by dpa, AP, and Press TV

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
Patrick Kramer pulled back his sleeves and reached out an empty hand to offer his business card.

His contact details appeared on the smartphone screen as if by magic, but it was a sufficiently advanced technology that made it happen.

For an encore, he opened a locked door without a key. When anyone else touched the handle, it remained locked.

Unlike other magicians, Kramer willingly explained the secret to the trick, which is so simple a dog could perform it: In the flesh between his left thumb and forefinger, he has inserted a tiny glass bead containing an NFC chip.

Theres no point trying to teach your pedigree pooch this trick: It probably already knows how its done. Microchipping of valuable pets and livestock is increasingly common, and is already mandated in some countries. It will become compulsory for dogs in England and Scotland from April, and is already required in other parts of the U.K.

Kramers company, Digiwell, can microchip you too, right here at the Cebit trade show in Hanover, Germany.

The company sells two types of implant: the newer xNT, which operates at 13.56MHz, and the 125kHz xEM, compatible with older RFID access control systems.

As with other NFC chips, you can use a suitably equiped mobile phone to read from or write to the xNT, which is how Kramers business card trick works.

It will cost you 69 (US$77) including the special syringe to insert it and a few bits and bobs to keep everything sterile while you do it. Its possible to do it yourself, but Digiwell recommends you have it done by someone qualified  a category that includes tattoists and veterinarians.

You can get chipped for free at Cebit if youll submit to the procedure on stage during what Kramer refers to as happy hours. They start at 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. every day till the show closes on Friday.

Cebit received over 200,000 visitors last year, but only 10 or 15 of those are likely to submit to the chipping process, Kramer said.

Thirty would be a huge success, at an enterprise IT trade show like Cebit, he said, although Digiwell typically implants that many chips at much smaller events dedicated to biohacking, a field at the intersection of citizen science and body modification.

The key question, of course, is does having a chip implant hurt?

This reporter wasnt ready to find out, but Kramer said its like pinching yourself between the thumb and forefinger: a sensation of discomfort, rather than pain.

We have some people who think it really hurts, and others who say, Oh, did you already do it? Everyone reacts differently, he said.

Even if theres no pain, what might you gain? Kramer uses his chip implant to carry his business card and to open the front door of his house, which is fitted with a special NFC lock. Other applications being tested include authorizing bitcoin payments and checking in for flights, he said.

Digiwell goes out of its way to reduce the risk of infection in the implanting process, but one biohacker last year sought to increase it: U.S. Navy Petty Officer Seth Wahle programmed an NFC impant to infect Android phones with malware when he held them, according to CIO magazine.
Small businesses with global ambitions will soon have a new cloud partner  at least wherever Vodafone has data centers.

Vodafone Total Cloud Flex is a virtual private cloud service that can be managed via a self-service portal, and directly integrated with on-premises infrastructure via VPN or MPLS.

Telecommunications operator Vodafone unveiled the service in Hanover, Germany, on Sunday, on the eve of the Cebit trade show.

The service is scheduled to go live by the end of June in Germany, Italy, the U.K. and Ireland. Other countries will follow, half a dozen of them in the third quarter, including the U.S. and either Hong Kong or Singapore, said Nadja Risse, Vodafones head of sales for cloud and hosting in central and southern Europe.

The company will operate at least two data centers in each country where it offers the service. That allows for redundancy and disaster recovery, and also means that data stays in the country where it originates, she said. Enterprises want the certainty that the cloud solution they opt for reliably protects their data in line with national data security and compliance standards.

Customers in Germany will have their applications hosted near Frankfurt, she said.

Hewlett Packard Enterprise will provide the underlying technology, but Vodafone will operate and monitor the service, Risse said.

Customers in Germany and Italy, at least, will be able to access the self-service portal in their own language. Global companies often do everything in English, she said, but In the larger countries, we plan localized portals.

Pricing per server will vary with the capacity and services required. As an example, a small or medium-size business wanting to run Active Directory, MySQL, Microsoft Dynamics and Skype for Business might start with five Windows virtual machines with a 99.9 percent availability guarantee. With a fully redundant 100 Mbps connection, a firewall and mitigation for DDoS (distributed denial of service) attacks, Vodafone will charge from 2500 (US$2785) per month, which works out at around 0.28 per VM per hour.
Bitcoins day in the sun at Microsoft appears to be over, at least for now. According to a report on Softpedia published Friday, the purveyor of all things Windows has decided to stop taking the cryptocurrency after accepting it as a form of payment on the WIndows Store since late 2014.

Sure enough, Microsoft published a short help doc to its website that confirms the chance in policy.

The reasoning behind the change isnt exactly clearMicrosoft has yet to openly explain why it will no longer accept Bitcoinbut for its part, Softpedia speculates that it just didnt catch on as a way to pay for goods on the Windows Store, and that Microsoft had no reason to continue keeping it as a supported digital currency.

The story behind the story: Microsoft first announced that it would accept Bitcoin in the U.S. Windows Store back in December 2014, and at the time, it was kind of a big deal. Bitcoin enthusiasts had long hoped that the cryptocurrency would become a widely accepted alternative to traditional currencies, but so for that hasnt happened, for a variety of reasons.

Existing Bitcoin balances honored

If you have unused Bitcoin credited to your Microsoft account, you need not worry about losing it. Although Microsoft isnt accepting new Bitcoin payments, you can still use any remaining Bitcoin balance credited to your Microsoft account to make purchases on the store, but Microsoft will not refund your remaining balance.
The Ramona Bowl Amphitheatre sits on 168 acres in one of the best spots in the San Jacinto Valley, with a view of nearby mountains and the cities below.

For more than 90 years, it has been home to Ramona, Californias official outdoor play.

Now, administrators of the nonprofit association that owns and runs the facility want people to visit more often.

To that end, a group of community leaders has been organized to look into developing the property south of Hemet.

Everyone knows that the bowl is underutilized, said Ramona Pageant Association Vice President Tami Wilhelm. The idea was to bring a group of guys together that would understand how to maximize the bowls potential from a real estate perspective.

The advisory group will be led by former state legislator Dennis Hollingsworth, who grew up in San Jacinto, and will include San Jacinto Valley community leaders Eric Gosch of Gosch Auto Group; Kevin Farrenkopf, president of Bank of Hemet; and attorney Rob Davis.

The idea is this group is going to work together from soup to nuts to figure out how were going to develop the bowl, Wilhelm said.

Whats going to be there?  Their job is going to be to take the bowl and create a specific plan.

Multiplier

The committee will meet for the first time Wednesday.

Looking at the physical assets and trying to figure out if there are opportunities to create revenue is a smart exercise, said Hemet-based real estate broker Howard Rosenthal, also a member of the committee.

If nothing else, the facility needs a face-lift, including refurbishment of the parking lot and hacienda area, Rosenthal said.

Wilhelm would like to see a mix of small shops and restaurants with coffee, wine tasting and cheese, with an 1880s theme, harking back to the days of Ramona.

She also envisions a performing arts charter school and an expanded museum that would feature more than the history of the play.

Their mission is to turn the Ramona Bowl into the destination that it should be, the economic engine it should be for a modern day, Wilhelm said. My hope is it would become one of our destinations, one of the places in our valley that we love and enjoy, and spend time at.

We have to create something that people are going to want to do up there every day to make that happen.

Rosenthal said it will have to be determined if the location can sustain standalone businesses. He suggested the property could be suited for a senior community in the hills overlooking the bowl.

I think theres an opportunity to look at development complementary to the neighborhood and the bowl, he said.

As with any project, especially in postrecession California, financing always will be an obstacle.

Wilhelm sees joint ventures with private developers paying the bills.

If it really is a good idea, if it has a profitable bottom line, money isnt the hard part, she said.

The bowl sits in a neighborhood accessed by two-lane roads to the east and west and near some upscale houses.

Wilhelm said the neighbors back the project and are more concerned about the quality of events and not the quantity.

To protect the facility, it will be fenced and gated to keep people away during off hours.

No matter what happens, Wilhelm said the play, which has been performed at the bowl since 1923, will go on.

And selling the property to a developer?

That would be crazy, she said. Thats not in keeping with our mandate as a board, managing this nonprofit.

This asset belongs to the community. So to just hand it over to a developer for cash would be silly.

Contact the writer: 951-368-9086 or cshultz@pressenterprise.com
A motorcyclist was hospitalized with major injuries in Apple Valley on Saturday, March 12, after a collision with a car that also injured the cars driver, according to a San Bernardino County sheriffs Department news release.

Matthew Tyler Briggs, 28, collided shortly after noon with a car driven by Robert Clinton Smith, 69.

According to a preliminary Sheriffs Department investigation, Smith was driving east on Ottawa Road when he pulled out in front of Briggs as he was riding north on Navajo Road.

Briggs was flown to Loma Linda University Medical Center with major injuries, while Smith was driven by ambulance to St. Mary Medical Center for treatment of injuries not described in the news release.

Navajo Road was closed in both directions for several hours.

The collision is under investigation. If you have any information, contact sheriffs Deputy Jason Grantham at 760-240-7400.
University of California President Janet Napolitano has ordered a new sexual harassment review process for senior leaders amid outrage over UC Berkeleys handling of misconduct claims against its law school dean.

This week, a lawsuit was filed against Dean Sujit Choudhry and the University of California Board of Regents with claims including sexual harassment, retaliation and failure to stop it.

In a letter to 10 UC chancellors on Friday, Napolitano said university leaders must make sure that substantiated cases of sexual misconduct be dealt with firmly, fairly and expeditiously and that appropriate sanctions are imposed that recognize the serious nature of these claims.

A report on sexual harassment policies involving faculty was already expected next month from a committee of administrators and academics, but Napolitano said the recent cases showed that need for more swift action, the Los Angeles Times reported.

Among the actions announced Friday, the Times reported, was a new systemwide committee that would review and approve proposed sanctions against senior leaders who violated sexual harassment policies.

She also ordered that senior leaders  from deans to chancellors  complete sexual harassment and assault training by March 25, the Times reported.

In a separate action, she barred Choudhry from campus for the rest of the term.

The lawsuit against Choudhry involves allegations from Tyann Sorrell, a former executive assistant to Choudhry, who claims that from September 2014 to March 2015, he sexually harassed her with kisses to the cheeks, bear hugs and repeatedly rubbing her shoulders and arms  and that when she complained to supervisors, they didnt stop him and tried to retaliate against her.

Hundreds of alumni quickly banded together after hearing of the lawsuit, which follows another recent high-profile case of alleged sexual harassment at the prestigious public university.

On Thursday, through his attorney, Choudhry issued a statement:

Earlier today, I tendered my resignation from the position of Dean of UC Berkeley Law School, effective immediately. I took this step because the pending lawsuit, against the university and me, appears to have become a distraction for the law school, the university and our community, an outcome I had hoped could be avoided.

The Associated Press, the Washington Post and the Los Angeles Times contributed to this report.
Matt Burns pressed a button on his phone and played this ominous warning:

This message is intended to contact you regarding an enforcement action executed by the United States Treasury. Ignoring this message will be an intentional second attempt to avoid an appearance before the magistrate judge or a grand jury for a federal criminal offense. My number is 214-247-7139. I advise you to cooperate with us and help us to help you. Thank you, the caller said.

Cathy Berndt shared a similar phone message she received:

Hi this is Pilary calling you from the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration. This call is to notify you about a legal case which has been filed against your name. And your physical address is under investigation. Your case file number is CF100122. To get more information you can get back to me at my number which is 914-265-1199. Thank you and have a nice day.

Neither Riverside resident, however, was unnerved. And neither called the fake government employee back.

I knew it was a scam, said Burns, 72, a retired Air Force electrician and computer repairman.

It just made me laugh, said Berndt, 63, a retired school teacher who was a bank supervisor before that. I thought, youre not going to call me on the phone. If I get anything from the government, Im going to get it in the mail.

Both were correct. Unfortunately, not everyone has caught on.

Scams that prey on fears of the IRS and other government agencies that once targeted people with limited English skills and little knowledge of how the tax system works now target everybody, IRS spokesman Rafael Tulino said. Those scams, which trick people into paying money they dont owe, are once again ramping up as the April 18 filing deadline approaches.

The tax season tends to be scam season, Tulino said.

Since the summer of 2013, Tulino said, victims have lost $30 million to IRS-related scams, including $6 million by Californians. Many of these scammers operate from overseas, remaining out of reach of authorities.

Those schemes are hardly the only ones trying to separate honest people from their money. Inland residents report receiving calls from people claiming to be from the police department, courts, utilities and computer companies who say that the person has a warrant for his arrest, failed to show for jury duty, didnt pay the electric bill or has a computer that has been hacked.

The typical solution to the problem is for the person to purchase a debit card, load it with several hundred dollars and read the serial number to the caller. Soon after, the scammer drains the money from the card and disappears without a trace.

Jerry and Jeannette Brickner, of Hemet, received such a call recently from someone warning them that their computer had been hacked. Jerry, 81, hung up before the caller could ask for money to fix it. The person called back 10 minutes later, and Jeannette, 80, took the call.

I said, But I dont have a computer, Brickner, a retired Southern California Edison employee, said. And then he wasnt very nice.

The caller cursed at her and hung up.

Scams are frequent topics of conversation among members of the various clubs at their Hemet West community.

We watch out for each other, said Jerry, a retired school teacher.

IRS WONT INITIALLY CALL

Phone calls like those received by Burns and Berndt are among the IRS dirty dozen scams that the agency publicizes annually. They are listed at IRS.gov under the News&Events tab.

Taxpayers should know that if theres a problem with their taxes, such as underreporting income, the first contact from the IRS will come by mail. The letter will not demand immediate payment or threaten arrest, deportation or loss of a license, Tulino said.

The scammer is making people think that the IRS works that way, Tulino said. We dont want to send the paddy wagon after you. We want to get you in compliance.

The IRS will propose the amount of tax that it believes the taxpayer owes. The taxpayer can pay that amount or submit documentation to support his contention that he owes less. The taxpayer can submit the IRS decision to an IRS appeals department, and if the taxpayer still disagrees with the IRS, he can take his case to a tax court. There could be some phone calls to and from the IRS along the way, but not at the beginning. The IRS also offers payment plans.

Someone can be jailed if he willfully deceives the IRS or refuses to pay taxes owed, Tulino said.

THINK BEFORE YOU ACT

Since Jan. 13, Burns has logged 51 calls that he considers suspicious. He enters the phone numbers from caller ID into a device called Phone Defense Blocker that connects to a phone. It recognizes phone numbers and prevents the phone from even ringing.

Works great, Burns said.

Problem is, scammers are often one step ahead of their victims. Technology allows them to spoof a phone number so that Internal Revenue Service or Riverside County Sheriff shows up on caller ID. That, official-sounding callers and using names of real agencies such as the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, frighten victims into paying up.

Burns said he has received three calls purportedly from a sheriffs lieutenant claiming that there was a warrant out for his arrest for failing to appear for jury duty and that Burns needed to immediately pay a $500 fine using a reloadable debit card.

Burns called the Sheriffs Department, which said he was being scammed.

We never call anybody to elicit money. Thats absurd, said Mike Manning, a real sheriffs lieutenant.

Burns said he benefits from warnings in his AARP magazines and a lifetime of experience.

I like to tell people Im a black belt in the school of hard knocks. Ive had just about everything tried to be pulled on me that I can think of, and thank God Im not one of those people who dont think before they act.

Berndt is similarly on her toes after years in banking, where elderly customers with large nest eggs are favorite targets of rip-off artists. She has told her children to ask questions if she starts doing actions that are out of character, such as taking large sums of money from her bank accounts.

As people get older, the filters get down a little bit, the skepticism gets down maybe a little bit, she said. Some are more gullible and some people are intimidated. If youre not second-guessing anybodys whos calling, you might buy it.

Contact the writer: brokos@pressenterprise.com or 951-368-9569
There are increasing signs that 2016 might just be the year the largest state in the nation legalizes recreational marijuana.

Polls have shown that up to 60 percent of Californias likely voters in the November presidential contest support legal pot. And due in part to hefty financial backing from a Silicon Valley billionaire, the leading pro-marijuana measure  the Adult Use of Marijuana Act  is off to one of the strongest starts among dozens of proposed initiatives on different topics being pitched for the Nov. 8 ballot.

We believe that AUMA has a very strong chance of passing in 2016, said Chris Beals, chief strategy officer for Weedmaps, which has donated $500,000 to the campaign. While there is still much work to be done to further educate voters on the issue, support for ending prohibition is strong in California.

Of course, much could change between now and the November election. Law enforcement and other groups that helped defeat a marijuana legalization measure in 2010 are just gearing up efforts to oppose AUMA. Plus theres continuing discord among advocates over a glut of legalization proposals and which would best serve residents without allowing big corporations to dominate a pot industry thats poised to grow substantially.

Still, AUMA has landed a broad coalition of mainstream supporters, including gubernatorial candidate Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom, the California Medical Association and a slew of environmental groups.

Story continues below. Mobile users, take a poll on the legalization of pot here.

The campaign for the measure already has raised $2.25 million, and it gathered a quarter of the 365,880 signatures needed by April 26 in just 29 days.

Momentum for legalization is building, too, with recreational use now permitted in Colorado, Washington, Oregon, Alaska and Washington, D.C. And the independent Legislative Analysts Office is predicting that annual new tax revenue under AUMA could reach up to $1 billion.

I think everyone views California as the Super Bowl of this movement, said Jason Kinney, spokesman for the initiatives campaign. Winning here would have an impact on the rest of the country.

ANOTHER PROP. 19?

California was the first state to vote on legalizing marijuana, with Proposition 19 in 1972. That time, 66.5 percent of voters said no.

California also led the way in legalizing medical marijuana in 1996. It took 38 years for recreational use to make it back on the ballot in the form of a second Prop. 19 initiative in 2010.

A Public Policy Institute of California poll in September of that year found that 52 percent of Californians supported the second measure. That dropped to just 46.5 percent in favor of legalization by the time the vote was counted in November.

Analysts point to many causes for the fall-off, including a strong pushback against state legalization prior to the vote by U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder, who vowed to continue vigorously enforcing federal laws against pot sales.

In recent years, President Barack Obamas administration largely has let states that have voted to legalize adult pot use follow through with their own regulations and enforcement.

Voters can look at Colorado and see that the sky didnt fall, said Lynne Lyman, California director for the Drug Policy Alliance, which is supporting the AUMA campaign. I think that instills a lot of confidence.

In 2010, then-Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger also slashed penalties for marijuana possession, reducing momentum for legalization shortly before the balloting.

Since Schwarzeneggers action, legalization advocates note there has been little improvement in the disproportionate effects criminalization of pot has had on Californias growing minority population. Overall felony arrests on marijuana charges have held steady but remain sharply skewed to young men of color, Lyman said.

No matter how we change or soften our drug laws, we are incapable of applying them equally, Lyman said. Decriminalization did not work for California.

The failed 2010 initiative also contained what Nate Bradley, executive director of the California Cannabis Industry Association, called the poison pill. That was a clause prohibiting employers from disciplining workers for marijuana use, except in cases where their performance was impaired. That sparked opposition from the California Chamber of Commerce and other influential business groups.

AUMA leaves discipline policies for workers up to employers.

The 2010 Prop. 19 may have brought in too little money too late, with a large portion of the $4 million proponents raised arriving in the final weeks before the election.

By contrast, AUMA has brought in more than half that amount with eight months to go. Along with money from Weedmaps and Lymans group, state records show that billionaire Napster co-founder Sean Parker has given $1 million to the campaign and an additional $250,000 to an independent group supporting it.

Backers of legalization also note that the 2010 vote took place in a midterm election, when there tend to be fewer young voters.

This year, the vote coincides with a presidential election that has generated a surge of interest among millennials. A 2015 statewide poll by PPIC of likely millennial voters, ages 18-34, showed 62 percent in favor of legalization, and a February survey by Probolsky Research in Newport Beach puts millennial support at nearly 80 percent.

THE OTHER GUYS

One potential hurdle from 2010 persists, proponents acknowledge: Divisions persevere among legal pot supporters.

In all, 19 legalization initiatives initially were proposed for the ballot, and 13 have been cleared to gather signatures.

I would like to see the people in the cannabis community get together and make one initiative, said Barbara Ayala, the president of Senior OC NORML who helped gather signatures for the 2010 vote. I think thats the only way its going to pass.

Five of the proposed legalization initiatives already have been withdrawn or failed. Several more have been abandoned by their proponents.

One of those, the so-called ReformCA measure, originally was backed by Alice Huffman, president of the California NAACP, and Dale Sky Jones, a former spokeswoman for the 2010 initiative campaign. Both women now supportAUMA.

Another activist, Samuel Clauder, said he also has abandoned two initiatives he was sponsoring. Instead, the former Orange County resident hopes to legalize cannabis by working with the Legislature.

A handful of other competing proposals still are being promoted by proponents critical of AUMA.

Were still at the table, said John Lee of San Jose, who is tied to six legalization ballot measures cleared to gather signatures.

Lee says his group, Americans for Policy Reform, has included initiative provisions requested by current cannabis business owners who believe AUMA favors big corporations and would impose onerous taxes on retailers and growers.

The main obstacle to getting other initiatives on the ballot, Lee said, is money.

After AUMA, the next largest pot of funding for a marijuana initiative is Clauders now-abandoned California Cannabis Legalization Act of 2016. That campaign has $10,000  all from Clauder.

If you dont have probably at least $1 million, youre never going to qualify for the ballot unless you have the most amazing grass-roots effort ever, said Bob Stern, who co-founded the Center for Governmental Studies and helped author the book Democracy by Initiative. On the other hand, Stern said, Any initiative that has $3 million will almost always qualify.

Still, Stern added, only around a third of initiatives that make it to the ballot become law.

Lobbyist John Lovell, who fought legalization in 2010, is leading a recently launched AUMA opposition campaign that has collected $25,000 from law enforcement and hospital groups, according to state records.

However one feels philosophically about the legalization of marijuana, I think there are so many obvious flaws in this ballot measure that voters will reject it, he said.

Critics also cite a February study from UC San Franciscos Center for Tobacco Control Research and Education. It argues that new state tax revenue from a legalized pot industry might not fully offset the public health costs of increased marijuana use, including an increase in impaired driving and potential cardiovascular problems. As with some of the effects of tobacco, the study said taxpayers then would be required to make up the difference.

Adding to the political mix, one proposed ballot measure that would block recreational pot use while imposing greater restrictions on medical marijuana use also has been cleared to gather signatures by state election officials.

WHAT IF IT PASSES?

If AUMA is approved, Californians 21 and older would be permitted to possess up to an ounce of marijuana, up to 8 grams of concentrated cannabis and up to six plants.

It would prohibit driving while impaired, giving cannabis to minors or consuming it in public. And  building on the Medical Marijuana Regulation and Safety Act signed into law in October  it includes provisions for licensing, testing, labeling, advertising and local control over marijuana businesses.

The 62-page act also establishes a 15 percent sales tax (which would not apply to medical marijuana patients) plus a tax by weight for growers.

The Legislative Analysts Office anticipates that those tax revenues could top $1 billion annually and the state would save as much as $100 million a year on marijuana enforcement.

Parkers initiative dedicates the new revenues to research, law enforcement, education and environmental cleanup.

While AUMA isnt perfect, said Beals, of Weedmaps, it is the product of all the stakeholders and it will enable the industry to operate in an open, legal market that benefits patients and business owners.

Contact the writer: 714-796-7963 or bstaggs@ocregister.com
ANCHORAGE, Alaska  A man suspected of intentionally driving a snowmobile into teams of two mushers near the front of the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race has been arrested in a Yukon River village.

Arnold Demoski, 26, of Nulato, was arrested Saturday on suspicion of assault, reckless endangerment, reckless driving and six counts of criminal mischief.

Demoski spoke to KTUU-TV, saying he was returning home from a night of drinking when he struck Aliy Zirkle and Jeff Kings teams early Saturday morning.

The crashes killed one of Kings dogs and injured at least two others. One of Zirkles dogs also was injured. Iditarod officials at first reported King had been injured. But the four-time champion said later the snowmobile had missed both him and his sled.

Demoski said when he woke up Saturday morning and heard what had happened to the mushers, he checked his snowmobile and realized he had done it. The snowmobile was missing a part and had rust-colored stains, he said.

Demoski said he doesnt remember the collisions, which the Iditarod described as apparently intentional attacks.

I just want to say Im sorry, he said.

Zirkle, 46, who finished second three times from 2012 to 2014, was mushing from Kokukuk to Nulato, a run of less than 20 miles (32.19 kilometers) on the Yukon River, when she was hit, race marshal Mark Nordman said Saturday.

The snowmobile hit the side of Zirkles sled about 5 miles (8.05 kilometers) outside of Koyukuk, turned around multiple times and came back at her before driving off, Alaska State Troopers spokeswoman Megan Peters said by email.

The snowmobile reappeared 12 miles (19.31 kilometers) outside of Nulato. The driver revved up and was pointed at Zirkle before leaving, Peters said.

Demoski told KTUU that he did not return to harass Zirkle. He said he wanted to check to make sure she was OK.

One dog on Zirkles team was bruised. Officials described the injury as non-life-threatening.

Zirkle reached Nulato and told a race official the incident had left her shaken.

Im really bad. Someone tried to kill me with a snowmachine, she said on a video posted to the Iditarod Insider webpage. Snowmachine is what Alaskans call snowmobiles.

King, a four-time Iditarod champion, was behind Zirkle and fared worse. When King reached the vicinity 12 miles outside of Nulato, his team was struck from behind by the snowmobile.

Nash, a 3-year-old male, was killed. Crosby, another 3-year-old male, and Banjo, a 2-year-old male, received injuries and are expected to survive. King told the Iditarod Insider the snowmobile narrowly missed him and his sled, but hit his dogs at high speed.

One of my dogs was killed pretty much on the spot, and a couple others I gave first aid to the best I could and loaded them into my sled, he told the Iditarod camera crew. I kind of felt like a triage ambulance.

It did not appear to be an accident, he said. It seemed like an act of bravado, King said.

Rural Alaska communities have many wonderful people, he said, but they also have serious social problems.

It is beyond comprehension to me that this was not related to substance abuse, King said, adding that no one in their right mind would do what this person did.

King remained in Nulato early Saturday afternoon.

The race leader early Saturday afternoon was Brent Sass, who left the village of Kaltag at 8:20 a.m.

Zirkle rested four hours in Nulato and dropped one dog before heading back onto the Yukon River with 14 dogs in harness. She reached Kaltag at 10: 44 a.m., and after a nine-minute rest, left again in second place.

Current champion Dallas Seavey left Kaltag at 11: 24 a.m. in third place. His father, former champion Mitch Seavey, was in fourth place.
A man was arrested Saturday, March 12, after setting 10 small brush fires and throwing a knife at a pursuing San Bernardino County sheriffs deputy in Twentynine Palms, officials say.

Another pursuing sheriffs deputy was cut by another knife the man brandished, but required no medical aid, according to a San Bernardino County Sheriffs Department news release.

Michael Pace, 53, a transient from Twentynine Palms, was arrested for investigation of assault with a deadly weapon against a peace officer and for arson.

After firefighters and deputies responded shortly after 11 a.m. to a brush fire behind a Stater Bros. store in the 71700 block of Twentynine Palms Highway, witnesses described a man they saw running from the scene.

Sheriffs deputies Raman Singh and Dennis Tollefson found a man fitting the witnesses description in the nearby foothills.

As the deputies approached, the man pulled out two knives. He threw one toward Deputy Singh, but did not hit him.

Deputy Tollefson then attempted to disarm the man. After a brief struggle in which Tollefson received a minor cut on his arm, both deputies subdued and handcuffed the man.

A Sheriffs Department Arson and Bomb Detective identified 10 small brush fires Pace had set.

Pace was booked into the Morongo Basin Jail in lieu of $50,000 bail.
Two ABC journalists in Malaysia were arrested and detained for six hours after trying to question Prime Minister Najib Razak over a $1.4 billion corruption scandal.

ABC 4Corners team arrested in Malaysia last night after trying to question PM Najib Razak over corruption scandal @4Corners  Sally Neighbour (@neighbour_s) March 13, 2016

Reporter Linton Besser and camera operator Louie Eroglu (whose work includes the phenomenal doco The Killing Season) are in Malaysia rn on assignment for ABC 4Corners.

On Saturday night, they approached Razak in the street and tried to question him over allegations that as much as $1.4 billion had been deposited into his personal bank account, when they were both arrested. On Sunday morning they were released without charge  and eventually had their seized passports returned to them  but both have been told not to leave the country.

The whole thing is descending into an argument about the free press and ethics. Malaysian police released a statement that claimed the two breached a security line and aggressively tried to approach the prime minister, while ABC 4Corners executive producer Sally Neighbour says they were simply doing what journalists do in countries with a free press.

Tan Keng Liang is one Malaysian politician whos absolutely livid over the journalists actions, if his Twitter is any indication. Below are a sample of what amounts to several dozen tweets in the last 15 hours, slamming the journos and Australia in general.

should foreign press be above Msian laws? Can they breach security of our PM @NajibRazak ?

Imagine if they breach Obama security? Ethics pls  Tan Keng Liang (@tankengliang) March 13, 2016

imagine if Malaysian Press try to breach Australian PM security & disobey Aus police? Urge @4corners @neighbour_s to apologize to Malaysia!  Tan Keng Liang (@tankengliang) March 13, 2016

some foreign press treating us like 3rd world country. These ppl dont deserve any respect from us. And they should never be above our laws  Tan Keng Liang (@tankengliang) March 13, 2016

For the record, Razak has been under scrutiny for a year over the alleged cash injections into his bank account, leading to political leaders across Malaysia last month calling for his removal. He has denied any wrongdoing.

Besser and Eroglu remain in the country.

Source: ABC.

Photo: Pool / Getty.
The idea of Australia as a republic is damn enticing. A new constitution! Updated currency! No more allegiance to Ol Lizzie!

Thats all well and good, but a new survey commissioned by The Royal Commonwealth Society has highlighted one of the key perks of, uh, being in the Commonwealth: more often than not, its members are down for granting others special privileges.

In this case, those possible perks pertain to visas, and the ability of us Aussies to conquer the classrooms, bars and ski slopes of New Zealand, Canada, and the UK itself. A majority of respondents from all four nations said theyd be chill with living and working in other member nations without a visa. Like, at all.

via The Royal Commonwealth Society / ABC.

Unsurprisingly, 80% of Australian respondents under the age of 35 indicated theyd be down for the concept. Its obvious why, too: young Aussie expats living in the UK, who are also sponsored by UK companies, are currently required to return here to change or obtain a visa. Which is awkward as hell.

Lord Howell of Guildford  yes, really  acts as the Societys president, and he wrote the views and wishes of these fellow Commonwealth friends [are] in strong support of closer ties.

Governments must find ways to build them and to remove obstacles that stand in their way.

If that all sounds very European Union to you, youre not wrong, and such a system would be a pretty huge shake-up to the way we currently deal with immigration. Wed also be opening our borders to fellow Commonwealth nations, allowing even more Poms, Kiwis and Canucks to float through Bondi, St. Kilda and the like.

The report calls on the various governments to do research on the issue, and emphasises the whole labour mobility deal. Thats all well and good, especially if it allows even more of us to fulfill our lifelong dreams of working as glassies in Shepherds Bush.

Source: ABC.

Photo: Dan Kitwood / Getty.
landisville.png

East Hempfield Township Police say they got word a student threatened to bring a weapon to the Landisville Middle School. The investigation is ongoing.

(Hempfieldsd.org)

Police and school officials say a student at a Lancaster County middle school threatened to bring a weapon to school.

Hempfield School District officials posted a notice on the district's website Sunday indicating they, along with the East Hempfield Township Police Department, have been investigating the threat they say was made by a Landisville Middle School student.

East Hempfield Township Police Lt. Tammy Marsh said school officials got word from an adult late Thursday afternoon saying a Landisville student threatened to bring a weapon to school.

Marsh said the tipster indicated the threat was made back in January but did not notify the school until Thursday. But as soon as the school got word, officials immediately called the police and cooperated with the investigation, which is ongoing.

No charges have been filed.

Marsh said she does not know why there was a delay in the adult reporting the threat, but she pointed out as soon as it was known, both the police and the school district started investigating and taking precautionary measures.

"The student will not be there on Monday," Marsh said. "I do want the district and parents to know that student safety is always paramount to us."

A school resource officer is always on hand, she said, and police officers routinely patrol the school and have lunch with students.

"We believe we are taking every precaution to ensure the safety of the students," she said.

The student under investigation had been in school from the time it is believed the threat was made until the investigation started with no incident, she noted.

School officials said in the statement that the district and police will take the appropriate disciplinary and legal action, adding student disciplinary action is confidential.

According to the statement:

"We are grateful when students or other members of the school community share information with us in a timely manner that allows us to take the action necessary to keep our students and staff safe. The district has a close working relationship with the local police departments, and we will continue to collaborate with local law enforcement to aggressively address any situations brought to our attention that suggest students, staff, or other members of the school community may be at risk of harm."
chester-police-shooting

Chester, Pa., police investigate at the scene of a gun battle Saturday, March 12, 2016, following a traffic stop. An officer was critically injured and a suspect was killed.

(CBS Philly)

CHESTER, Pa. (AP) -- Authorities say an officer shot in an exchange of gunfire that killed a suspect in a city near Philadelphia is listed in good condition at a hospital.

Chester's police chief says officers tried to stop a vehicle at about 4 p.m. Saturday but someone in the car started shooting and police returned fire.

Chief James Nolan said two people in the car were shot. One died and the other's condition wasn't immediately available. A third person in the car was arrested.

At one point, a scuffle broke out among a crowd of onlookers and police used pepper spray.

The officer was taken to Crozer Chester Medical Center, where he was initially listed in critical condition but was listed in good condition Sunday.

Chester is about 18 miles southwest of Philadelphia.
JOHN KASICH.jpg

Republican presidential candidate, Ohio Gov. John Kasich speaks at a town hall meeting at Kennesaw State University in Kennesaw, Ga., Tuesday, Feb. 23, 2016. (AP Photo/Alex Sanz)

By Charlie Gerow

Delegate Math.

Republican strategist Charlie Gerow

It sounds as confusing as the latest version of elementary school math. It's really pretty simple.

To secure the Republican nomination for president, you need 1,237 delegate votes, a simple majority of those seated at the Cleveland convention.

Despite all the media hype, no candidate has yet gotten 40 percent of the delegates necessary to win.

Donald Trump leads the pack and has the momentum on which campaigns run.

But his 458 delegates are less than 100 more than those amassed by Sen. Ted Cruz, who currently holds down the second spot. Sen. Marco Rubio trails with 157 and Gov. John Kasich has 54.

The media focus tends to be on the number of states won and both national polls and those from upcoming states. A quick look underneath those numbers shows the state of the race and the pivotal role "Titanic Tuesday" will play.

While the race is far from settled, the path ahead for each of the contenders is very different based on "delegate math."

When you have emerged as the pack leader, as Donald Trump has, at this point the path is much smoother.

There simply isn't as much distance between your current position and the finish line. Trump holds a significant, if not overwhelming, lead and simply needs to win fewer delegates than the others.

If Marco Rubio or John Kasich were to win every primary between now and June 7, neither would like have enough votes to secure the nomination outright.

Trump and Cruz could both get to 1,237 without "winning out."

I once asked my students, "If you were running in a race and passed the second place runner, what would be your position?"

Most reflexively replied, "First place." Of course, the answer, as they quickly realized, is that you'd be in second place. You have to pass the first place runner to occupy first place. It's a corollary to the old adage that, "if you aren't the lead dog, the view never changes."

For Donald Trump, the view has been and remains unobstructed. The principle challenge for his pursuers is that there have been so many of them. With the field narrowed, it's now knuckle down time.

Tuesday marks the first time that delegates can be awarded "winner-take-all." Large blocs of delegates will be awarded to the winner of several states. That means that a candidate could win all of a state's delegates taking little more than 25 percent of the vote.

Previously delegates were awarded proportionally. In most states that meant that delegates were spread across multiple candidates.

Tuesday will be especially critical contests for Rubio and Kasich. Both badly need wins in their home states. If they take them they pick up 99 and 66 respectively. If they don't, it's infinitely more difficult for them to get to 1,237, much less make a plausible case for winning the nomination.

Most of those scenarios already are predicated on no candidate arriving in Cleveland with enough delegates to win.

That's not out of the question, if Trump doesn't take the lion's share on Tuesday (meaning victories in Florida or Ohio or both) the likelihood of a contested convention, where no one arrives with enough delegates to win is great.

It's been 40 years since the Republicans went to their convention uncertain of the nominee.

That was in 1976 when Ronald Reagan challenged incumbent President Gerald Ford. Time Magazine had a delegate count that showed as few as 15 votes separating the two. The Washington Post pegged Ford's lead at a whopping 63 with 136 still up for grabs.

Those "undecided," "undeclared" or "unbound" delegates would be the linchpins in a convention where no candidate had the necessary majority. Pennsylvania would have the lion's share.

The 54 delegates elected by voters in each of Pennsylvania's 18 congressional districts at the primary will all be technically "unbound." While the rest of Pennsylvania's delegates will be required to vote for the winner of our primary, that requirement applies to the first ballot only.

That requirement and similar requirements in other states could spell trouble for Donald Trump should he arrive at the convention without the majority necessary to win the nomination outright.

Many delegates who will be required to vote for Trump on the first ballot by virtue of his electoral success in their states don't personally support him. How they would vote on subsequent ballots, when they are free to vote their wishes and consciences, could well decide the nominee.

In 1976, one of Gerald Ford's cabinet members was compelled to vote for his rival, Ronald Reagan, on the first ballot. Had the convention gone beyond that, it's pretty clear how his vote would have been cast.

All of this potential intrigue may be laid to rest on Tuesday if Trump can shut out Rubio and Kasich.

While it would likely create the one-on-one contest many of Trump's detractors have hoped for, it would also give him a much wider lead and keep the view for Ted Cruz very much the same.

It's always better to be the lead dog.
minimum wage.jpg

Rallies held to advocate for increasing the minimum wage have not resulted in legislation getting passed so Gov. Tom Wolf plans to use his executive authority on Monday to order the hourly wage for workers under his jurisdiction and who work for organizations that get state contracts to be no lower than $10.15.

(File photo/Sean Simmers, PennLive)

By Suzanne Stoltenberg

A recent PennLive column by Wolf administration spokesman Jeffrey Sheridan on the need to raise minimum wage doesn't present a clear picture of who is making the minimum wage in Pennsylvania.

The latest Pennsylvania Minimum Wage Advisory Board Report shows less than 200,000 employees in Pennsylvania earned a minimum wage, just 3.2-percent of all employed workers.

The number earning the minimum decreased over the year prior.

More than half of those workers are under age 25 and 82 percent of them have no children. Nearly six in 10 (59 percent) have a household income of more than $40,000 a year. Only 10 percent are single parents.

The governor was asked by reporters when he signed his executive order on minimum wage what data he was using to back up his claim that a $10.15 minimum wage would not result in job losses or hurt the state's economy.

Wolf cited a survey done in 1994 by Card and Kreuger that has been totally debunked by the same journal which published it, The National Journal of Economic Research.

When payroll records were used instead of the Card Kreuger method of phone surveys, the data showed employment did not rise with a higher minimum wage, but actually dropped.

More recently the Pennsylvania Independent Fiscal Office reported that a $10.10 minimum wage hike would result in the loss of 31,000 jobs.

There are some small businesses that would be especially impacted, such as restaurants, retail shops, daycare centers, camps, and the amusement and recreation industry.

A number of those businesses truly cannot afford to raise the hourly wage for entry-level, unskilled employees by nearly 3 dollars an hour. We have one amusement business in the Poconos that provides 500 Carbon County teens with seasonal jobs every summer.

The owner says he would absolutely have to cut jobs. The result will be the elimination of entry-level jobs and a rise in teen unemployment. It will simply make it harder for those who need to enter the workforce without any skills or experience to get their first job.

It is important to note that not only will wages for those making between $7.25 and $10.14 need to be increased.

To keep good employees who've been with a small employer longer and make more, all hourly wages may need to go up.

They would surely notice when a colleague with less skills and experience is suddenly making the same wage as they do.

To get a real feel for how it would impact certain small businesses here is a video with comments from some of our member businesses:

Suzanne Stoltenberg is the Pennsylvania Communications Director for the National Federation of Independent Business. She writes from Harrisburg.
Screen Shot 2016-03-13 at 9.08.01 AM.png

Protesters are removed before a rally for Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, on the campus of the University of Illinois-Chicago, Friday, March 11, 2016, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast) (Charles Rex Arbogast)

Good Sunday Morning, Everyone.

Another work week beckons and Daylight Saving Time is screwing with our internal clock this morning. Let's take a quick look back at the week that was.

Donald Trump:

The Republican presidential candidate's planned rally in Chicago on Friday descended into violence. And while

The Donald

is blaming everyone from

Hillary Clinton

to Bernie Sanders, in truth, the fault lies entirely with him. As

, the forces

Trump

has unleashed -- simmering resentment, racial tension and class resentment -- may not now be contained: "

Trump's slogan is Make America Great Again, but his campaign for president continues to call out dark forces that divide a polarized America," Balz writes. "Fueled by acrimonious rhetoric, he has sparked an angry movement that has now created an angry backlash. Campaign 2016 is on a downward and dangerous descent."

He's right. And citizens who exercise their freedom to protest against this kind rhetoric are not thugs. They are, like

Trump's

camp followers, also exercising their First Amendment right to free expression. And, for good measure, only a churl, confronted with eyewitness testimony and audio, would accuse a female victim of assault of fabricating her story. As we have said before,

Trump

is a national embarrassment.

Gov. Tom Wolf:

Okay, points for optics. The York Democrat had a good moment last week

. We deduct points, however, for the administration's decision to hike the wage when the state's budget situation remains unresolved and another difficult budget season still lies ahead. Republicans were justifiably angered by the move.

for a statewide hike to the minimum wage. That was a smart move. But we can't help but wonder if

Wolf

may have poisoned the well somewhat with his unilateral action last week.

EQUAL END U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey: Yes, the Pennsylvania Republican is maintaining his re-election season lead over the Democratic candidates looking to unseat him. But three of the four candidates included in a Harper poll last week are closing the gap with the Lehigh Valley native. Toomey leads former Congressman Joe Sestak 47-41 percent in the poll. He's up 47-39 percent over former Wolf administration official Katie McGinty. And he beats Braddock, Pa. Mayor John Fetterman 47-36 percent. All three margins are narrower than the last Harper poll in January. The fourth Democrat seeking the nomination, Joe Vodvarka, was not included in the poll.

UP ARROW END U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio: Okay, we'll give it to him. The Florida senator won Washington D.C.'s Republican caucus on Saturday. It'll put a bit of a bounce in Rubio's step going into this week's Florida primary, where, let's face it, things look seriously dire. As the Sun-Sentinel reports, Rubio and U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas are splitting the anti-Trump vote in the Sunshine State. Will it be enough to dent Trump's lead after a seriously ugly weekend for the GOP frontrunner? We'll find out on Tuesday.

DOWN ARROW END Hillary Clinton: The Democratic front-runner was forced to swiftly backpedal last week for incorrectly praising the Reagan administration's non-effort to combat AIDS/HIV. The nation's LGBT community, who suffered devastating losses in the face of the GOP administration's chilly indifference to the epidemic, were outraged by Clinton's statements. In a statement, Clinton said "The Reagans did not start a national conversation about HIV and AIDS. That distinction belongs to generations of brave lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people, along with straight allies, who started not just a conversation but a movement that continues to this day."

And that's the week. Enjoy your Sunday. We'll see you all back here on Monday.
transparency.jpg

By Terry Mutchler

The Founding Fathers recognized the power of public records in a democracy. The Declaration of Independence decried government gamesmanship that kept public records away from citizens.

Terry Mutcher (PennLive file)

"[The King] calls together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable and distant from the depository of their public records for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures."

This week, known as Sunshine Week, is a seven-day window when transparency advocates grade the status of open government.

News organizations rightly recite the rinse and repeat cycle of FOIA fatigue: citizen files a request; the federal government ignores it, or labels it as vague or burdensome and then buries it into what is officially known as the "Complex Que," for 36 months.

Yes, that's a real case, and similar versions play out across the country under state laws.

Experts also will use this week and this year, which marks the 50th Anniversary of the landmark Freedom of Information Act, to write about the ironies of access. For example, do you know the official title of those that handle records requests at the Defense Department and other federal agencies?

They are called The Initial Denial Authority, or IDA's. Or, the irony of the state agency that vehemently denied a record citing national security, while the same record was available for purchase on their website.

If we are to transform FOIA from principal on paper to a robust and real time practice of putting records in the hands of citizens, we need a new strategy.

We have to retire the failed strategy that is as old the law itself: complaining that it doesn't work; copy fees are too much; there is too much delay. All true. But it still doesn't clear up the clouds, even during Sunshine Week.

The key new strategy for FOIA reform should be to take the complaints directly to the campaign trail, town halls and editorial boards. We must elevate the policy of open government by injecting an open government platform and forcing candidates to commit to specific reforms the same way we have with immigration reform and health care.

Employing this new strategy will remind citizens that access to records isn't just a philosophy. Open government means the release of police body camera footage in Ferguson, Cleveland, Baltimore, Philadelphia, or In Your Town.

It means being able to obtain water evaluation studies Flint, from Pennsylvania's Marcelles shale ponds, or your town's water supply. It means seeing financial records that reveal the true players in the 2008 economic meltdown.

The bedrock of a true democracy is open and honest government in which citizens can access the records they own.

We, the people, then must force those contending for their Party's nomination in Philadelphia and Cleveland to commit to true reform if they are to earn our coveted votes, financial support and editorial board endorsements.

The candidates must outline how they will eliminate the disgraceful backlog of records' requests, the oldest dating back to 1982.

All the candidates, with one notable billionaire businessman exception, have policies on their websites for national security, health care, immigration and education. We must demand that they outline their step-by-step plan to address FOIA reform, meaning access to records in real time. Let's tear down the impenetrable wall, builtbrick by brick, with every "denied" FOIA response.

This strategy of unrelenting pressure on the political candidates has a proven track record.

The Illinois legislature, including when President Obama was a member, repeatedly failed to rewrite the anemic law that ranked 50th worst in the nationTired of FOIA fatigue, a veteran reporter injected FOIA questioning nearly daily into a hotly contested Attorney General race.

The one candidate who pledged FOIA reform, Attorney General Lisa Madigan, won and the reporter kept writing about her promise. Midterm, Madigan created Illinois' first Public Access Counselor, a post I held for five years.

In Pennsylvania, previously ranked 49th worse state, a similar "going public pressure" strategy worked but not by pressuring a single candidate. Rather, a whip smart staffer recognized that nearly every lawmaker's seat was at risk amid several scandals that enveloped the Capitol.

The now-head of the Office of Open Records, Eric Arneson, gamely suggested that his boss, then Republican Majority Leader Dominic Pileggi, rewrite the archaic law to stop the election-loss hemorrhaging that resulted from Bonusgate and the famed lawmakers' midnight pay raises.

The law passed unanimously. And in 2008, then-Gov. Ed Rendell tapped me to create an independent Office of Open Records.

Access to records in Illinois and Pennsylvania has improved a hundredfold, and both states have catapulted into the top five national rankings by transparency advocates.

In creating two state agencies from the ground up, I can tell you that change usually only happens as a result of intense public pressure.

It is only under deep duress (translation: threat of job loss) that politicians hand over public records in the most critical situations. Think Chicago Mayor and police video. Think Michigan Governor and water studies. Think Pennsylvania Attorney General and pornographic emails.

Public pressure pries open government filing cabinets. Thus, his strategy should be used not only by reporters on the campaign trail, but by citizens at town halls. It should be a standard question in all gubernatorial and attorney general races coast to coast: will you commit to FOIA reform? How? When?

As an expert in Transparency Law, it's not lost on me that the states with among the most-corrupt reputations - among them Illinois, Pennsylvania, and New York - are also states that at one time had the weakest records access laws.

Going public with an open records agenda in presidential and down-the-ticket races should be employed until there is real FOIA reform that includes workable timetables and giving binding authority to the federal Ombudsman office that was patterned after the Pennsylvania Model of an independent OOR. We should employ this strategy immediately; during the next Presidential debate.

Open government cannot be an after-thought once a public official is elected.

It must be center stage on the campaign trail, in editorial board sessions and at town halls. When candidates are forced to make open government a priority, it will become a priority for their custodians of records - who, after all, are merely handling those records on behalf of their top boss: the citizenry.

Terry Mutchler, founding Executive Director of the Pennsylvania Office of Open Records, has created the nation's first Transparency Practice at Pepper Hamilton. She is the author of the award-winning book, Under This Beautiful Dome: A Senator, A Journalist and the Politics of Gay Love in America (Seal 2014)
With its romantic name, storied past and jaw-dropping beauty, could there be a more quintessentially British tiara than the Queen Marys Lovers Knot?

Sometimes referred to as the Cambridge Lovers Knot, it is one of the best-known tiaras in the British royal familys collection, mostly thanks to it being a favorite of the late Princess Diana.

A little more than century old, the tiara recently sparkled in the spotlight once again when Kate Middleton wore the diamond-and-pearl creation once again for a reception for diplomats at Buckingham Palace on Tuesday.

Andrew Parsons/i-Images/Polaris

Unlike some other famous royal pieces, the tiara is part of the familys private collection and currently belongs to Queen Elizabeth II.

The stunner was originally commissioned from famous court jewelers Garrard by Queen Mary sometime in 1913 or 1914. Its actually a replica of a 200-year-old Gothic Revival tiara owned by Marys grandmother, Princess Augusta of Hesse, the Duchess of Cambridge. (Hence the alternate name of Cambridge Lovers Knot.) The original Cambridge Lovers Knot Tiara was later sold at auction at Christies in Geneva in May 1981 for more than $747,000 in todays dollars to an anonymous buyer and is presumed to be in an unknown private collection. But really, whats the point of owning a historical tiara if you cant show it off every now and then?

According the Court Jeweller, Mary sacrificed her Ladies of England Tiara and borrowed upright pearls from her Girls of Great Britain and Ireland Tiara (which is still in the Queens jewelry vault) to make the topper. The tiara itself consists of 19 arches, 38 drop-shaped pearls  19 of which hang as pendants and another 19 which serve as the removable upright pearl spikes. The upright pearl drops is a look weve rarely seen in public, although Mary did wear the tiara with the removable pearls in 1926 (see below).

 Want to keep up with the latest royals coverage? Click here to subscribe to the Royals Newsletter.

Anwar Hussein/Getty Images

When Queen Mary died in 1953, she left the tiara to her granddaughter, the Queen, who wore it with style during many formal appearances throughout the 50s. However, she later retired the tiara in favor of her other go-to looks, including the Girls of Great Britain and Ireland sparkler. In 1981, she loaned the tiara to Diana as a wedding present, with many thinking the future Princess of Wales would wear it on her wedding day. However, when the big day came, Diana instead chose to wear the Spencer Tiara, an 18th-century family heirloom from her great aristocratic family, the Spencers. (That famous tiara, which Di wore often during royal engagements, still belongs to the Spencer family.) Diana still held onto the Lovers Knot topper, however, and it became a favorite piece over the years and thus became closely associated with the Princess of Wales.

When Diana divorced Prince Charles in 1996, the tiara went back into Elizabeths royal vault. (Some have speculated that Elizabeth gave the tiara to Diana, but according to The New York Times, the princess was allowed to keep all the jewelry she had amassed during her royal marriage  implying that the tiara was simply a loaner, not a gift.)

After Dianas death, the tiara itself wasnt publicly seen until 2015, when Kate dusted it off for the special reception in December. Its a fitting choice for the princess  not only is it based on a tiara owned by a previous Duchess of Cambridge, but it also has a strong connection to Williams mother. And, historical significance aside, the romantic shape of the tiara aligns with the other tiny tastes of tiaras weve seen on Kate, including the Cartier Halo Tiara.
Election Q&A: Meet the candidates for Emmet County Commission

The first, third, fourth, fifth and sixth districts are all contested races on Nov. 8.
Bijan Zanganeh/Lisi Niesner-Bloomberg



Iran on oil freeze: Leave us alone' until production higher

DUBAI

Petroleumworld.com 03 14 2016

Iran plans to boost crude output to 4 million barrels a day before it will consider joining other suppliers in seeking ways to rebalance the global oil market.

They should leave us alone until then, Oil Minister Bijan Zanganeh said, according to the Iranian Students News Agency. After that we will work with them.

Saudi Arabia, Russia, Venezuela and Qatar proposed an accord to freeze oil output and tackle a global surplus. Oil extended gains after their initial meeting on Feb. 16, and has climbed more than 40 percent since the 12-year low in January. Oil at $70 a barrel is suitable, ISNA cited Zanganeh saying.

Iran wants to boost output by 1 million barrels a day this year after international sanctions on its oil industry were lifted in January. Production was 3 million barrels a day in February, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. Brent crude closed Friday at $40.39 a barrel.

Zanganeh will meet with Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak on Monday, according to ISNA, which didn't specify the location or topics of discussion.

The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries and non-members have intermittently held discussions since November 2014, when OPEC first signaled it was unwilling to cut production on it own to support prices. Saudi Arabia, Venezuela, Russia and Mexico assembled in Vienna that month without reaching any deal. A tour of oil capitals from Moscow to Riyadh last month by Venezuelan Energy Minister Eulogio Del Pino failed to produce an accord.

Iran's oil exports will rise to 2 million barrels a day in the month ending March 20, the end of the Iranian year, from 1.75 million barrels a day a month earlier, Zanganeh said, according to ISNA.






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Four years ago after the 2012 general election former Louisiana governor Bobby Jindal said Republicans have to stop being the stupid party. But Jindal likely knew that since the Republican base is inherently stupid, GOP candidates have to at least appear stupid to connect with its stupid supporters across the nation. Now, those stupid Louisiana voters who dutifully elected Jindal and Republicans to run the state into the ground are going to suffer even more economically, and personally, because the Republican legislature is making them pay higher taxes to try to save the state.

On Wednesday this column reported that due to Jindal and Republicans outrageous tax cuts for the rich and corporations, Louisiana may soon fundamentally cease to function as a state. The states new Democratic governor, John Bel Edwards, had to convene a second emergency session of the legislature this week to attempt to prevent the states trickle down demise. The big task was finding over a billion dollars in revenue to cover running the state for the rest of the fiscal year ending in three months. The Republican legislature also had to find an additional $2 billion for the next fiscal year just to keep the governments lights on.

The Republican legislature came up with a typically Republican plan that preserved Jindals tax cut largesse for the rich and corporations. And, like a typical Republican plan, it is the poorest Louisiana residents who will suffer and pay to possibly save the state from fundamentally ceasing to function. However, even with a tax hike on the poor and middle class, the plan to preserve gifts to the rich still requires eliminating large portions of the state that serve the poor and middle class.

Instead of eliminating, or at least reducing, the generous tax rates for the rich, the Republican legislature decided it will eliminate what little money the poor subsist on and raise the states sales tax by 25 percent through 2018. Even such a large tax hike on the poor still leaves the state $800 million short of ameliorating Jindals financial malfeasance for the fiscal year ending on June 30. The Republican legislature came up with another plan to reduce a fraction of that $800 shortfall and are happy to completely gut several more government programs like education, healthcare, safety nets, and childrens programs.

The Republican legislature readily admitted that raising the sales tax is regressive and deliberately targets the poor. But in the spirit of cooperation and compromise they decided that if any group deserves to be targeted it has to be the poor. It is a deliberate Republican attack on the poor because hiking taxes on those less able to absorb the blow sends them deeper into poverty and despair. Republicans know this because the Louisiana Budget Project reported that such a regressive tax mechanism like a sales tax hike is meant to take a much bigger bite out of a poor familys income.

Even with the poor bearing the brunt of the burden, the sales tax hike will still be about $2 billion short of the over $3 billion budget shortfall over the next 16 months. Allegedly the sales tax hike is temporary and scheduled to end in June 2018, but with more red ink still on Louisianas horizon, lawmakers will certainly have to prolong poor Louisiana residents pain for a long time. Republicans even came up with a plan to cover the next years shortfall, but Democrats thwarted a serious campaign to raise the sales tax by twice as much at the last minute. Even with the tax hikes and combination of bills eliminating and drastically slashing services, the Associated Press reports that the effect on the states financial situation is listed as uncertain; the revenue shortfalls are just too devastating to overcome with cuts and tax hikes on the poor to overcome.

This action in Louisiana is typical of Republicans; make the states poorest people shoulder a load caused by a Republican administrations twisted, sick addiction to trickle-down economics and always insufficient tax breaks for the rich and corporations. Like Republicans fought ferociously to preserve Bush-era tax cuts while the poor and middle class suffered cuts to services, Jindals tax cuts will remain in place while the state struggles to stay afloat.

The same situation has been playing out in Kansas and other Republican-led states and it is precisely what happened at the national level when Bush-Republicans blew up the deficit with their tax cuts for the wealthy. Remember, as soon as Barack Obama became President Republicans immediately began cutting services and safety nets that aid the poor and middle class to rein in the Bush-created national debt.

Even with the 25 percent sales tax hike, Republicans confess that a majority of key state services are going to disappear into that remaining budget hole. Just the current fiscal year budget shortfall will force doomsday cuts to agencies like the Department of Children and Family Services, college scholarships, hospitals, public schools, healthcare, social safety nets, and higher education; all agencies and services that were already at less than half strength after the most recent massive cuts toward the end of Jindals term.

Four years ago Bobby Jindal got it completely wrong; it is not Republicans who have to stop being stupid, it is their racist religious and anti-government base. Jindal termed out as governor, but based on voters re-electing a Republican-majority legislature, it is believable that the stupid electorate would give Jindal another four years to inflict more typical Republican destruction on the state and its stupid people.

It is why liberals and Democrats who are so confident they will regain the Senate or the White House in November based on another incompetent crop of Republican candidates is troubling indeed. It is a frightening sign that Democrats still underestimate the danger of stupid people who cling to their guns, bibles, and Klan robes without a semblance of intelligence or self-preservation. It is also a sign that perhaps Democrats are not nearly as politically intelligent as they are inclined to believe. After all, the cocky smart side has been celebrating the demise of stupid religious Republicans for the past eight years while the religious racist GOP gains ground in the states and Congress.
Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders pushed Trump closer to cracking up by calling out his lies during a Sunday interview.

Video:



ABC Breaking News | Latest News Videos

Sanders responded to this tweet by Trump on Sunday morning:

Bernie Sanders is lying when he says his disruptors aren't told to go to my events. Be careful Bernie, or my supporters will go to yours!

Transcript via ABCs This Week:

SANDERS: Well, I think anybody who understands Mr. Trumps campaign knows that he tells the truth very, very rarely and Im afraid that on this occasion, hes lying again.

First of all, he calls me a communist. Obviously, thats a lie.

Then he says that our campaign is organizing disruptions of his rallies. Thats a lie.

George, we have millions of supporters out there, and clearly, some of them were at that rally, along with many, many other protesters.

But to say that we organized that, totally untrue.

Uh, Mr. Trump, I think, is getting very nervous. He is catching onto the fact that the American people do not support a candidate like Trump, whose  whose verbiage, whose language, whose rhetoric incites violence.

I mean weve all seen rhetoric  weve all seen some of the video of people at his rallies sucker punching people, of kicking people. And I would urge Mr. Trump, really, to tone it down, uh, to not incite violence on the part of his supporters.

STEPHANOPOULOS: You know, some of your  some Democrats are  are taking even stronger language than youve used this morning.

Marsha Fudge  Congresswoman Marsha Fudge, the chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus, calling Donald Trump a racist.

Mayor Bill de Blasio of New York this morning, uh, saying Mr. Trump behaves like a racist, speaks like a racist, of course Donald Trump is a racist.

Are they right?

SANDERS: Well, look, this is a man, you will recall, a few years ago, who led the, uh, anti who led the birther movement. That was a movement that tried to delegitimize the presidency of Barack Obama, trying to claim that the president was not born in this country.

A funny thing, George, you know, my father was born in Poland. Im the son of an immigrant. Nobody has asked me for my birth certificate.

Were there strong racial overtones to try to challenge the legitimacy of President Obama?

Of course there was.

But I think what we are seeing in the Trump campaign is not only racist attacks, but what youre seeing is attacks on Muslims, on women, on veterans.

To attack Senator John McCain because he was a POW is crazy. To insult Mexicans, our neighbors to the south, calling Mexicans a rapist or  or criminals, this guy  there was a big debate in the United Kingdom parliament of whether or not he should even be allowed to enter the United Kingdom.

This is a man who is dividing up his country in very serious ways, frightening ways.
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On Saturday in Kansas City, anti-Trump protesters got a special reward from Kansas City police for embracing their First Amendment right to peacefully assemble and express themselves: Pepper spray.

For some reason  no trigger has been identified  police began moving along the line of protesters and spraying pepper spray in their faces. This included journalists.

One witness, @stokith, tweeted this video:

As you can see, we were far from what happened and were not involved but he in walked up spraying us pic.twitter.com/f22WB5FAAG  Chris (@stokith) March 13, 2016

Inside, Trump was interrupted and people were kicked out, including, prominently, and to no ones surprise, black lives matters protesters. Trump, demonstrating again how he is manufacturing these incidents, claimed Kansas City officials wanted him to cancel the event, but those very same officials revealed that to be another Trump lie, like when he lied about Chicago officials asking him to cancel his rally in that city:

No. We did not ask him to cancel. https://t.co/ASUi1V0XlV  KC City Manager (@KCMOManager) March 13, 2016

Norm Chomsky told Boston activist Simone Chun of the Republicans that, I have never seen such lunatics in the political system. And he wasnt even speaking specifically of Donald Trump.

His words ring true, and more so when you read about Donald Trumps increasingly irrational behavior and rhetoric, for example, saying of demonstrators in Kansas City,

I dont want to ruin peoples lives. But the only way were gonna stop this craziness is if we press charges. Because then their lives are gonna be ruined, theyre gonna know their lives are gonna be ruined. So Ill just tell you folks, from now on, if you do anything, were pressing charges, okay?

Actually, the madness could end today if Trump would stop spewing it. Its all coming out of his mouth, after all. As Rachel Maddow pointed out, its impossible call what happened in Chicago an accident. What happened in Kansas City was also certainly not an accident.

Donald Trump is engineering these violent displays everywhere he goes. He is the one, after all, who promoted the idea of punching people in the face, a response his followers have taken to heart.

And now he wants to make an arrest record your reward for embracing your First Amendment rights of free speech.

Welcome to Donald Trumps America.

Image: Twitter screen capture
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The following is a PoliticusUSA editorial written by co-publisher and managing editor Sarah Jones.

The media keeps playing dumb by asking Democratic candidates Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton if Donald Trump is a racist. This question sets the issue up as if it is a matter of debate or personal opinion and is being used to exploit drama for ratings.

This happened during the Univision Democratic debate and again on ABC today:

STEPHANOPOULOS: You know, some of your  some Democrats are  are taking even stronger language than youve used this morning. Marsha Fudge  Congresswoman Marsha Fudge, the chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus, calling Donald Trump a racist. Mayor Bill de Blasio of New York this morning, uh, saying Mr. Trump behaves like a racist, speaks like a racist, of course Donald Trump is a racist. Are they right?

Asking if Donald Trump is a racist is putting the onus on Democrats to say yes, and then treating it like just another campaign barb. This is highly irresponsible, especially in light of the violence being incited by Donald Trump toward African Americans.

Donald Trump told his crowd of supporters just hours before the Chicago event, These people are so bad for our country You have no idea folks, you have no idea. They contribute nothing.

They are the enemy. They being the protesters, the black people. They need to be hurt. They deserve to be hurt. This is what Donald Trump is saying.

Republican strategist/apologist Alex Castellanos said today on Meet the Press that Donald Trump is not a racist because he doesnt have violence in his heart:

CHUCK TODD: Stuart Stevens this morning in The Post, Alex, Romneys chief strategist, made the comparison to George Wallace. He went for the George Wallace route and said the Democratic party did shut Wallace out and threw him, essentially, rhetorically threw him out. Does the Republican party need to do that with Donald Trump? ALEX CASTELLANOS: INo, I dont think so. Because I dont think Trump is a racist. I dont think he has violence in his heart. Ive seen first-time candidates get up there, you get up on stage, youre starch, youre having fun, a protester, it works, and you do more of it. And its all fun and games until one day theres blood on the floor.

Theres already blood on the floor and Donald Trump is saying he might pay the legal feels of the man who repeatedly sucker punched a protester who was being led out by security.

When you have to resort to claiming x negative thing is not in someones heart, something that cant be proven or disproved, youre pretty desperate. This is a fallacious argument of the highest order: Dont look at what Donald Trump is doing or saying; Imagine his heart instead! Castellanos doubled down by making a lame excuse about first-time candidates. If Republicans would stop excusing the inexcusable, they might not have Donald Trump as their front-runner. But that would take political courage.

Thus Republicans again cede the party of responsibility to Democrats.

But even more importantly, the question is not is Donald Trump a racist, although if that is the question, the media need only recall this August of 2015 interview during which Trump announced that since he thinks Obama was horrible, we wouldnt have another African American president for a long time.

Is Donald Trump acting like a racist, inciting racism, stoking racism, playing on the fears about minorities? Or is Donald Trump the kind of person who can lift us up to unify us?

The answer is Donald Trump is deliberately playing with political violence. He is doing it so he can point the finger at protesters and drum up even more hate, and then play the part of tough guy who will straighten out the people who are so bad for our country. Donald Trump is inciting racial violence.

That is the only answer anyone needs to know, and its a fact. Rachel Maddow proved this with her sound bites that were date stamped as Trumps rhetoric escalated.

The media needs to stop pretending this is a matter of opinion. It is not. These events at Trump rallies are facts. It is the medias job to take facts and form an analysis of what they mean. It is not their job to pretend that basic facts are up for debate. This is how we got to the point where we are debating science, FYI. Lets not do this again.
After blaming Trump for the violence, Cruz went on to also blame President Obama for the violence and claim that Obama is just like Trump.

Video:

Transcript via Meet The Press:

(BEGIN TAPE)

PRESIDENT OBAMA:

And whats been happening in our politics lately is not an accident. For years, weve been told we should be angry about America and that the economys a disaster. And that were weak. And that compromise is weakness. And that you can ignore science and you could ignore facts and say whatever you want about the president. And feed suspicion about immigrants and Muslims and poor people and people who arent like us.

(END TAPE)

CHUCK TODD:

Thats the president essentially saying, This has been happening for years, before most of his term.

SEN. TED CRUZ:

You know, Chuck, Barack Obamas a world class demagogue. That language there is designed to divide us. No, Mr. President, were not angry at that. Were angry at politicians in Washington, including you, who ignore the men and women who elected you. Who have been presiding over our jobs going overseas for seven years.

Who have been cutting deals that are enriching the rich and powerful, the special interests and the big corporations, while working men and women are seeing their wages stagnating. And he talks about immigrants and Muslims. Mr. President, were mad at a president who wants to bring in Syrian refugees who may be infiltrated by ISIS. And youre unwilling to be commander in chief and keep us safe. So dont engage in attacking the people, like the president did. Ill tell you, that language is the kind of self-righteous

CHUCK TODD:

All right.

SEN. TED CRUZ:

moralizing from the President that makes people angry.

CHUCK TODD:

You think thats worse than what Donald Trumps been doing?

SEN. TED CRUZ:

To be honest, I think its very much the same. Theyre both engaging in demagoguery. We need instead a president who wakes up every day working for the hardworking taxpayers. If Im president, Chuck, my focus is going to be the hardworking taxpayers, bringing back jobs and economic growth.

Were going to do that by repealing Obamacare, by passing a simple flat tax. By abolishing the IRS, by pulling back the regulations that are killing small businesses.
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A delusional Donald Trump claimed that thousands of Bernie Sanders supporters were responsible for the violence at his rallies.

Video:

Transcript via CNN State Of The Union:

TAPPER: Now, protests on the campaign trail are obviously nothing new. I have seen one in every previous election I have covered. But, in every one I have seen before, the leader on the stage tries to lower the temperature, not raise it. Do you ever consider whether you should be trying to lower the temperature when these protests erupt? TRUMP: I think, in many cases, I do lower the temperature. I tell the police, please take it easy when people are punching the police and trying to hurt people. When I say things like I would like to punch him, frankly, this was a person that was absolutely violent and was like a crazed individual. A lot of them are  you know, I dont even call them protesters. I call them disrupters. A lot of them come from Bernie Sanders, whether he wants to say it or not. And if he says no, then hes lying. Bernie Sanders, they have Sanders signs all over the place. And theyre made by the same people that make the regular Bernie Sanders signs. Theyre professionally made. And we have great rallies. We have by far the biggest rallies. We have 25,000, 30,000 people at rallies. And out of that, you have had very little problem. And then what I did with Chicago  and I could have gone. It would have been easier for me to go and make the speech, and you would have had a clash, because you had professional disrupters, thousands of them, from Sanders and to a smaller extent Hillary. Hillary doesnt have very much fervor. I will say that. And so people dont care that much. But you have Sanders disrupters going over there. You had Ayers there. You had a lot of people there that I dont think is so good to be there. And Ill tell you what. I think what I did  and I have gotten a lot of credit for it, not from CNN. I watched John King this morning. That was a total kill job, the entire show. I was amazed at that show. It was like a total kill.

Trump was lying. Nothing that Donald Trump said in that exchange was true. The fact that his lies are becoming so exaggerated to the point of delusion revealed how unfit for the presidency Donald Trump is.

Donald Trumps proof that Bernie Sanders supporters are behind the violence at his rallies is that the protesters have signs that he claims are made by the same people who make the Bernie Sanders campaign signs. Of course, Trump offered no evidence to back up his claim. CNNs Jake Tapper didnt bother to challenge Trumps claim, because when a member of the press is on the receiving end of a tidal wave of lies, it is difficult to pick out what sounds like a small one in the live television moment. Tapper focused on what seemed big at the moment, which was Trump threatening Sanders, but a deeper look at the interview revealed the depth of Donald Trumps disassociation with reality.

Trump has no concept of truth. He is making it up as he goes along. The Republican frontrunner sounded insane in this interview, and if the media ever tries to force Trump to prove one of these allegations, it will be disastrous for the Republican Party.
HAYFIELD  The Hayfield School District became the latest southeast Minnesota district to join the technology arms race earlier this month, when the school board approved a plan that will put an iPad in the hands of every student and teacher by the 2017-18 school year.

The board unanimously approved spending $120,000 on Feb. 11 to take the first step in the ambitious four-year plan. The high school infrastructure will be improved this summer to enhance wireless access and increase bandwidth in preparation for expanded online capability. The elementary school will undergo similar work next summer, bringing the total renovation cost to $90,000.

Teachers in the high school building, which includes students in grades 7-12, will be outfitted with iPads for 2013-14 at a cost of $45,000. Training will be supplied with a budget of $7,500, as a first step toward embracing the increasingly online world.

High school students will receive iPads for the 2014-15 school year for $80,000, effectively starting a three-year rotation that will shift the older equipment down to elementary school in 2017.

"It's all been positive  very appreciative that we're moving forward in this direction." Hayfield Superintendent Ron Evjen said of the community feedback. "We understand that this is our students' world now, and we need to prepare them for the future."

ADVERTISEMENT

Other local communities who are either using iPads or will be shortly include: Kasson-Mantorville, Stewartville, Blooming Prairie, Grand Meadow, Southland, Byron and Triton.

Rochester has purchased a limited number of iPads for use in the district and continues to pursue a plan that would put such technology in the hands of every student. It's projected to cost millions and remains a work-in-progress.
One of the more head-scratching phenomena of this election is the independent voters in open primary states who tell journalists and pollsters that they are undecided between Trump and Sanders. To the conventional political mind this makes no sense. It suggests that a Trump-Sanders election this fall might be highly volatile and unpredictable.

The common attraction of these disparate men is chalked up to their Jacksonian appeal, that is, the fact that they represent the most authentic challenge to the establishment elites and rotten institutions in the country. This is true, but I think it doesnt go deep enough. It is possible that underlying the present enthusiasm for Trump and Sanders is a longing in the soul for the good ends of the good life that are slipping away in our dysfunctional country. Sanders is offering the old fashioned true religion of socialism, which has a (defective) theory behind it as to how it heals the human soul, while Trump is offering something very different with his appeal to national greatness, which is why he probably would win over Sanders in the end.

I ran across a passage from Harry Jaffas critique of Martin Diamond (who had been a Trotskyite socialist as a young man) that sheds some light on the deeper currents here, and also, along the way, explains why the kids went nuts on college campuses in the 1960s and again in recent monthscauses that are linked in the background of our current discontent:

Diamond argued that socialisms profounder claim was not economic, but moral. And this claim was characteristic of all brands of socialism, Marxist and non-Marxist alike. It was the belief that the solution to the economic problem was at the same time the solution of the human problem, the problem of human well-being. But Diamond was convinced that the very success of capitalism had given the lie to socialism: in the proof that material well-being did not bring with it that satisfaction that must be the mark of genuine happiness. Diamonds turning away from socialism prepared him to understand the crisis of capitalism, the crisis, long developing, that came to a head in the later 1960s. It was the crisis of the upper middle classes, in particular the children of these classesthe ones who predominated in the classroomsthe pampered darlings of the most economically privileged class the world has ever seen. Many of these supremely privileged beings became a counterculture, and rejected the system that privileged them, as if in fact they had been the most oppressed class in history. In doing so they became the most powerful empirical evidence for a proposition that should not have needed any empirical evidence: the proposition that even an infinity of means cannot become a substitute for ends.

Human happiness, Diamond was convincedas indeed were all those who had turned from moderns to ancients for guidance on this questionconsisted in a proper relationship between means and ends. Socialism, born of radical modernity, denied that there were any ends of human life, either of God or of nature, either of faith or of reason. It had substituted in their place the project of infinite means. The classless society of the future, projected by Marx in the German Ideology, was one in which there was no external obstacle to the will. . .
The District of Columbia held its primary today. It wasnt held in a phone booth, exactly, but it did take place at a single location  the Loews Madison Hotel. Formerly known as the Madison, this luxury hotel made its name as a favorite hangout of lobbyists. Make of that what you will.

Marco Rubio won the primary, narrowly edging out John Kasich. The tally was 1,059 to 1,009. Donald Trump and Ted Cruz were way behind at 391 and 351, respectively. 14 stalwart Cartelists voted for Jeb Bush. I think I might be able to name most of them.

The results mean that Rubio and Kasich will split D.Cs 19 delegates. Rubio gets 10; Kasich 9.

One imagines that Cruz would have been embarrassed had he won the D.C. primary. After all, this was literally an inside-the-beltway affair. Had the Washington Cartel embraced Cruz, he would have had some explaining to do.

D.C. Republican officials boasted of long lines of voters waiting hours for the opportunity to participate. But when you hold the voting at a single location, even the D.C. Republican party will tend to get long lines.

Actually, many fewer people voted in this D.C. primary than voted in the last one when multiple polling locations were used, which is also quite natural. Making it inconvenient to vote will invariably suppress turnout.

It seems ridiculous to award 19 delegates (as many as Hawaii has and more than Vermont and Delaware) based on the preferences of only around 3,000 voters. Nonetheless, Rubio and Kasich will be happy to have picked up the delegates and Cruz will probably be happy enough not to have them, given that they didnt go to Trump.
Daylight saving time is mistakenly credited to Benjamin Franklin, but it may still be a good idea even if it wasnt inspired by Franklin. Nevertheless, I find the commencement of daylight saving time today annoying.

As a morning person, I am not the least bit pleased by the extension of dawn by an hour so early in the year. By the same token, do we really need to move sunset back an hour this early in March? It seemed to be coming along fine all by itself. Couldnt we wait a few weeks, until the start of daylight saving time wouldnt be so noticeable in the morning?

Congress didnt think so. In 2005 it passed a mammoth new energy bill that included the controversial monthlong extension of daylight saving time under which we are now operating. National Geographic recounts the story here (it also has a handy history of daylight saving time here).

A deep theory of energy savings was the basis of the applicable provision of the 2005 bill. As of the effective date of the new regime in 2007, however, National Geographic was noting that the moves energy-saving potential is uncertain and is already being called into question.

Advocates such as Massachusetts Democrat Ed Markey, who co-sponsored the bill in the House of Representatives, said the plan was about more than just saving energy. Markey actually issued a press statement proclaiming: In addition to the benefits of energy saving, less crime, fewer traffic fatalities, more recreation time and increased economic activity, daylight saving just brings a smile to everybodys faces. Im not buying it.

Redistributing daylight is the kind of zero-sum game that underlies the liberals vision of the world. The hour of daylight in the evening comes at the expense of the morning. At least it is in fact only a zero-sum game.

The economy is not a zero-sum game, although liberals frequently treat it as such, as though the wealth of the rich comes at the expense of the poor. When liberals succeed in acting on or imposing their vision on us, I think on balance it produces effects that are detrimental or destructive.

Markeys press statement demonstrates a certain credulity that puts me in mind of the scientists of Laputa discovered by Gulliver in the course of his travels. They sought to extract sunlight from cucumbers. Markey and his colleagues would undoubtedly find their project worthy of taxpayer funding. The additional sunlight would bring so much happiness.
Despite suspending their strike, Nigerian oil workers insist on the convocation of an all-inclusive conference to discuss the problems facing the oil and gas industry in the country.

The nationwide strike suspended on Thursday was embarked upon to protest governments decision to restructure the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC.

The oil workers, under the aegis of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, PENGASSAN, said the problems facing the industry are too much for one individual, group or government to provide solutions to.

The President of PENGASSAN, Francis Johnson, told PREMIUM TIMES in an exclusive interview in Abuja that the problems are so much that it would require the coming together of all interest groups in the industry to proffer solutions that would be lasting legacies for future generations.

Mr. Johnson identified some of the problems to include crude oil theft, pipeline vandalism, backlog of joint venture cash calls, poor state of refineries, corruption in the importation of petroleum products and subsidy payment to marketers, and abuse of Nigerian Content policy.

He said the problems also include the status of the Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency, PPPRA, Petroleum Equalization Fund, PEF, and interfering role of the NNPC in the performance of their mandates.

What we (oil workers) want is an all-inclusive stakeholders meeting, so that Nigerians will hear the position of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC; PENGASSAN; National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, NUPENG, civil society, government and all other interest groups, so that we all know that whatever we are doing is in the open and transparent in the interest of Nigerians, Mr. Johnson said.

No responsible union enjoys protests. But, it is the last resort where dialogue fails. All what we want is for everyone to agree to work as one indivisible entity in the interest of Nigeria, so that the benefits from the oil and gas industry can come to all Nigerians, he added.

On the on-going restructuring of the NNPC, the PENGASSAN president said the concern of his members was not to oppose what would bring the greatest benefits to all Nigerians, but to ensure that due process was followed and all interest groups are carried along.

He said the main grouse of oil workers on the restructuring of NNPC was on government insisting on carrying out the massive exercise without their involvement, regardless that they would be the ones to be used in the implementation of the decisions.

He added that government cannot successfully go ahead with the restructuring of NNPC without first laying a solid foundation, by removing all issues capable of posing problems or frustrating the exercise.

He pointed at the NNPC Act of 1977 that set up the NNPC, arguing that as a legal entity established by the Act of the National Assembly, there was no way the government would think about unbundling the corporation without first either repealing or amending the Act.

Mr. Johnson said the unions were concerned about the way government was going about the restructuring, which seem to suggest it did not know exactly what it wanted to do.

Initially, the minister spoke about unbundling of NNPC. When there was so much pressure from the National Assembly over the issue, the Minister of State turned around to say government was not unbundling, but restructuring or reorganising NNPC.

For Gods sake, there is no way the unions or anybody would be against any decision that Nigerians are convinced would yield benefits to the people, provided such decisions are open, honest transparent and with sincerity of purpose.

For the unions, there must be consistency in policy formulation and implementation. There must be an informed consensus on all issues. There must be a buy-in by everyone. All interest parties must be on the same page. Everyone must understand the direction the industry is heading.

It is not too good for the country that the oil and gas industry, the mainstay of our economy, would show such inconsistency in the way policies are formulated and implemented. We seem to be going one step forward today, and two steps backward tomorrow, he said.
The arrest of a middle-aged drug peddler in an internally displaced persons camp in Dikwa, Borno State has become a source of worry to the Nigeria Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, officials said.

Baba Haruna, 48, was nabbed by agents of the drug agency while selling illicit drugs, including cocaine, to addicts within the camp as well as those in the host community, Maiduguri.

The Commandant of the NDLEA, Ona Ogilegwu, said Mr. Haruna used the camp as hub for his drug trade before he was arrested on February 27, 2016.

Journalists were unofficially informed that authorities are also trying to investigate allegations that Mr. Haruna was also a supplier of hard drugs to the members of the Boko Haram insurgents before his displacement to the camp in Maiduguri two years ago.

The suspect reportedly deceived some members of the camp from reporting him to the authorities by disguising to be an agent of the Nigerian anti-drug body.

The criminal disguised himself as an officer of NDLEA in the IDPs camp to sell illicit drugs, Mr. Ogilegwu said.

After one month surveillance by men of the command, we decided to buy the hard drugs from him like two times just to confirm he is selling.

We rounded him up the third time after he taught we are coming to buy in large quantity.

The command also arrested a 32 year old man who gave his name as Aliyu Wasaram, with hard drugs in the same Dikwa IDPs camp.

I dont know what is wrong with these people, but I will tell you that the level of drug intake among men and women in IDPs camps is more than you can imagine.

We have heard several report and we have sent our men in all the 28 IDPs camps to ensure we mop up of all nefarious activities in the camps, the Commandant said.

Bashir Diwama, a displaced person and father of six children, said he fears for his children who may been mixing up with substance abusers as they continue to live in the camp.

I have tried all my life to ensure my children are brought up in a decent environment so that they grow up to be good citizens, said Mr. Diwama, a 51 years old trader. But here in camp, where the children now mix up with all kinds of peers, I fear for their future, because one does not have control over ones family here.

Diwama and many other parents wished they could return back to their liberated communities at once.

Even before the insurgency, the northeast Nigerian state of Borno has been known as a major hub for illicit drug trafficking whose merchants are said to have links from West Africa, through the Central African Republic to Europe.

Hundreds of thousands of Nigerians have been displaced by the Boko Haram insurgency with majority of them in camps within Nigeria.

About 20,000 people are also believed to have died since the insurgency began in 2009.
The wife of the President, Aisha Buhari, on Saturday in Abuja decried poor access to health care services for women and children in Nigeria.

Mrs. Buhari stated this in Abuja during a cocktail in honour of the wives of Heads of Mission in Nigeria at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

She said that the occasion was to enable her to interact with the wives of Heads of Mission in Nigeria on issues of mutual benefits.

Mrs. Buhari said that one of the major challenges facing women and children in the country had been lack of access to health care services.

She, however, said that through her initiative, Future Assured, she had been advocating for the improvement and promotion of the health of the vulnerable group in the country.

She expressed her commitment to support all efforts aimed at improving the health of women and children as well as their living standard.

According to her, the need to interact with the wives of heads of mission becomes necessary as they promote social and cultural images of their various countries.

I know as you all come from far away, it comes with many challenges, but for those of you who have been in Nigeria for long will agreed with me that, hospitality of our people will make you feel at home.

She urged them to see Nigeria as their second home even after completing their tenure in the country.

The wife of the president urged them to enhance their unity to enable them achieve more progress and promotion for the interest of their children and women.

She said that such unity would sustain the existing relationship between Nigeria and their respective countries.

Mrs. Buhari thanked them for honouring the invitation, saying that their role as wives heads of missions in the country was a special one.

The wife of the Vice-President, Dolapo Osinbajo, described the occasion as an opportunity for the wives and the wife of the president to interact and explore areas of collaboration between Nigeria and their various countries.

Speaking on behalf of other wives of heads of Mission, Elza Lima, wife of the Brazilian Ambassador, commended Mrs. Buhari for initiating the event.

She expressed optimism that the occasion would go a long way in strengthening the relationship among the wives of heads of mission in the country.
To redress the imbalance in the ratio of women to men in media organisations in the country, media owners and managers have been urged to ensure gender parity in their newsrooms. The call was made on Friday during a tweet chat organised by the Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism to commemorate the International Womens Day with the theme Gender Parity in the Newsroom.

In the conversation led by a former Director of Editorials, NEXT Newspaper, Amma Ogan, and the General Manager, Radio One FM, Funke-Treasure Durodola, it was noted that there is an urgent need to ensure that more women occupy top editorial positions and cover major beats in the news media.

While the achievements of some women in the media were acknowledged, discussants said more women should be given equal opportunities like their male counterparts to maximise their potentials. Media managers were also urged to create an inclusive, flexible culture in the newsroom as well as work towards gender balance for leadership positions.

#GenderParity in the #Newsroom is critical if the #Media is to lead the change it advocates, the Wole Soyinka Centre tweeted with its handle @WSoyinkaCentre.

According to Ms. Durodola, the mind-set of assigning female journalists to soft beats instead of the harder news needs to change to achieve gender parity.

How many women are in political desks in newsrooms? Or defence she lamented.

She however urged women who are given the opportunity to lead to consciously work on being different, mentor others and break new grounds.

In her contribution, Ms. Ogan noted that media organisations should incorporate gender parity from The first step, newsroom to boardroom.

According to her, You need an assigning editor who is aware of and understands why gender parity matters. Gender parity awareness promotes itself. Assigning editors must make the right choices.

Other contributors noted that women have demonstrated that they can be trusted with more responsibilities in the newsroom based on the performance of those who have been in leadership positions over time. A call was also made for strong advocacy to protect womens parity considering instances where some female journalists have been forced to resign or were sacked under difficult bosses.

Some discussants raised questions on how women struggle to be recognised in the newsroom while others stated that women have more domestic responsibilities than men, which limit their growth or participation in the newsroom. The media was also urged to celebrate the voice of women and their achievement in the newsroom and male journalists were charged to encourage their female counterparts.

The hashtags for the chat #ReportWomen #Pledgeforparity and #IWD2016 trended as number one in Lagos as the discussions gained momentum. The chat started at about 11:00 a.m. with a brief introduction of the WSCIJ project, Report Women which focuses on girls and women issues in Nigeria. The WSCIJ under the initiative has trained eighty journalists and commissioned thirty-one stories. It has also published a documentary titled, Report Women: The untold stories of girls and women, which is available on YouTube.

The organisation used the opportunity of the chat to celebrate top female journalists, past and present, including Anike Agbaje- Williams, the first female broadcaster at Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN), late Remi Oyo, former Managing Director of News Agency of Nigeria and President Nigeria Guild of Editors; Bimbo Oloyede who has a four-decade experience in broadcasting; late Bilikisu Yusuf, Columnist with Daily Trust; and Funke Egbemode, Managing Director and Editor-in-Chief of New Telegraph, among others.

Earlier in the week, the WSCIJ in collaboration with the Centre for Black and African Arts and Culture, CBAAC, held a walkathon on Broad Street, Lagos, on Tuesday 8 March to encourage gender parity at all levels of society. Both organisations will also host a Symposium on Tuesday March 15 at Archbishop Soremekun Hall, Broad Street, Lagos, by 10 a.m. with Onari Duke, Chairman Board of Directors, Child Survival and Development Organisation of Nigeria, as the lead speaker.
By Austin Igbebe

The first civilian governor of Delta State, Felix Ibru, is dead.

He died after a brief illness at the age of 80 on Saturday.

He was born into the family of Peter Ibru and Janet Ibru on December 7, 1935 at Agbarha-Otor, a rural community in Ughelli North Local Government Area of the state.

He was one of the seven children of the famous Ibru family, renowned for business ventures in the country.

Mr. Ibru was educated at Yaba Methodist School. After his secondary school education at Igbobi College, he proceeded to the Nottingham School of Architecture in England where he qualified as an architect in 1962.

He served as governor of Delta State between 1992 and 1993 and later as senator representing Delta Central Senatorial District between 2003 and 2007. He was President-General of the Urhobo Progress Union.

In a condolence message, Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta described Mr. Ibru as a patriot and political icon who led the state in its embryonic stage.

In a statement by his media aide, Charles Aniagwu, the governor said Mr. Ibru would be missed by those whose lives he touched in many ways in his very fulfilled and achievements-laden life.

Mr. Okowa said the late governor was a renowned politician, businessman and a highly revered octogenarian, adding that he was among the very special people who made very significant and indelible contributions to their countries and humanity.

On behalf of the government and people of Delta State, I mourn the exit of a legend, political titan and first civilian governor of Delta State, Olorogun Senator Felix Ovuodoroye Ibru, the statement said.

Ibrus life-long dedication and indefatigable commitment to serving the people of Delta State as well as the Urhobos worldwide, where he served them meritoriously as Senator and as President of the Urhobo Progress Union (UPU), will be sorely missed.

The Speaker of Delta State House of Assembly, Monday Igbuya, described Mr. Ibrus death as painful and shocking.

He said Chief Felix Ibru as a governor, senator, international businessman, philanthropist and politician gained the respect, trust and love of the entire country and he will be greatly missed by all.

Mr. Igbuya prayed Almighty God to grant the soul of the late politician eternal rest and grant members of the family the strength to bear the loss.

In its tribute, the Urhobo Progress Union expressed sadness over the death of its one-time leader.

It said the news of the death came to the Urhobo people as a shock, adding the Urhobo nation has lost a rare gem which cannot be replaced.
The Federal Government said on Saturday that it would stabilise the price of rice from April to make it affordable to everybody in the country.

The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Audu Ogbeh, made this known while declaring open the 2016 National wheat farmers field day in Alkamawa village in Bunkure Local Government of Kano State.

Mr. Ogbeh said the stability of the price of rice would be very viable due to its demand and affordability to the people from April.

No further details of how to stabilise the price of rice, arguably Nigerias most consumed food, was reported by the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, which reported the story.

He said the boosting of wheat production and other cereals had become necessary to reduce over dependence on importation.

The minister added that over 300,000 hectares of land in wheat producing states would be dedicated to boost wheat production.

The government will continue to support farmers to encourage agricultural activity, enhance food security and employment generation in the country, he said.

According to him, the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari will diversify the economy with greater emphasis on agriculture.

Mr. Ogbeh urged Nigerians to embrace agriculture to enhance their welfare and enable them become self reliant.

In a remark, the Chairman Senate Committee on Agriculture, Abdullahi Adamu, said the senate would make legislation to remove obstacles being faced by wheat farmers in the country.

On his part, the Governor Atiku Bagudu of Kebbi said his state would dedicate 70 per cent of the proposed 300, 000 hectares for wheat production.

(NAN)
The clearance operations of the remnants of Boko Haram terrorists is gaining momentum in the various axis of the theatre especially in 7 Division area of responsibility. Within the last 48 hours, the troops were able to clear Boko Haram camps, killed several of the terrorists and recovered vehicles, weapons, equipment and rescued persons.

The troops of 151 Task Force Battalion have cleared terrorists hideouts in Izza and 8 surrounding other villages. Similarly, troops of 121 Task Force Battalion deployed at Pulka came under attack from suspected Boko Haram terrorists fanning out of Sambisa forest to escape sustained aerial bombardment by the Nigerian Air Force pilots.

The troops successfully repelled the attack by killing 17 Boko Haram terrorists and also recovered 12 AK-47 rifles, 6 AK-47 rifle magazines, 1 General Purpose Machine Gun, 1 Browning Machine Gun, 1 Toyota Hilux vehicle, a 60mm mortar tube, 4 pieces of 60mm mortar bombs, 1 belt of 12.5mm ammunition and 9 belts of 12.7mm (NATO) ammunition. Others were 3 hand grenades and 7 boxes of .50mm ammunition.

Troops of 114 Task Force Battalion while on patrol along Bitta-Pridang-Manawashe axis rescued 95 persons suspected to have escaped from Madube and Shuwari general area. The rescued persons are being screened and profiled.

Troops of 115 Task Force Battalion accompanied by some members of the vigilante group in their area, have also conducted patrol to Dogwaba, Dutse, Mayolarde, Musa A, B and C villages without any contact with terrorists. They have however continued to dominate the area and make it secure.

Similarly, troops of 117 of Task Force Battalion also conducted another patrol around Mildo, Vapura, Mildo, Shelmi, Gubla, Dar and Hyambula settlements. In the process, they also rescued 27 persons who escaped from Mayo Ali village. One of the female rescued persons gave birth to a baby boy few minutes after the rescue. Both mother and child are being cared for at the units Regimental Aid Post and are doing fine.

On their part, 7 Division Garrison in conjunction with Civilian Joint Task Force, have arrested one Ashiru Zarami at Mainok, a suspected Boko Haram terrorist logistic officer at Mainok with food items. The suspect has been handed over to the Joint Intelligence Processing Centre. In a related development, another suspected Boko Haram terrorist, Abubakar Kime, voluntarily handed over himself to troops and Civilian JTF at Benisheikh, Borno State. On interrogation he claimed to have escaped from Kalmari Village close to Alagarno forest.

The troops of 81 Battalion also laid an ambush for Boko Haram terrorists at suspected Boko Haram terrorists crossing point from Sambisa forest near Komala and Musafanari villages. Sensing danger, the approaching terrorists disembarked and abandoned their vehicles and fled into the bush leading back to deep into Sambisa forest shortly before approaching the killing zone. Nevertheless, the troops opened fire and wounded several of the terrorists.

The troops recovered the abandoned Toyota pick-up vehicle and 28 bags of groundnuts.

On their part, the heroic 7 Division Strike Group encountered an ambush by suspected Boko Haram terrorists enroute to Banki. They successfully fought it out, killed 4 terrorists and recovered AK-47 rifles, 2 mobile telephone handsets and a Shilka shell loaded with explosives.
The African Union said on Saturday that Nigeria will host one of Africas Centre for Disease Control, CDC.

Nigeria was favoured to host one of the regions CDC after AU experts appraised the effectiveness of the Nigerian government in managing the Ebola scourge in 2014, as well as the recent outbreak of Lassa Fever.

The head of the AU delegation, Olawale Maiyegun, informed PREMIUM TIMES that his team came to Nigeria with a checklist of requirements that Nigeria needed to fulfil before the AU committee on CDC could ratify its nomination as one of the 5 approved collaborative regional centres for Africa-CDC.

We are satisfied with our findings that Nigeria can be able to take on the triple responsibility of running the Nigeria-CDC, the Regional-CDC and African-CDC, said Maiyegun, a Director in charge of Social Affairs AU Commission.

The Ebola outbreak in West Africa, provided the impetus and the Heads of States and governments of the AU together with the executive council decided to fast track the establishment of the African-CDC.

In 2014, the Heads of states and government of the African Union at a Special summit on HIV, TBN and malaria, decided upon the need for an African Centre for Disease Control that will conduct life saving research, that will also have the capability for disease detection, surveillance and response.

In January 2015, the Assembly also reaffirmed and asked the African Union to get to work; even though they gave clear instructions on the nature of the Africa-CDC that is to be setup.

They want an African-CDC that will not reinvent the will, but build on an existing structure that will leverage on existing assets on ground, Mr. Maiyegun said.

The concept approved by the African leaders in January 2015, was to have a coordinating office inside the AU headquarters in Addis-Ababa with five regional collaborating centres, each bringing certain capabilities, asset and values to the work of the African-CDC.

And the ministers of health of each member countries had recommended criteria for the selection of the regional collaborating centres and which country was to host the regional centres.

We have to start with five  but they could be more than that as the CDC expands., said the Nigerian AU officer Maiyegun. Each regions of Africa was to nominate the centres for the African-CDC; and we received nominations from all the five regions of the continents.

Central African has nominated Gabon; East Africa nominated Kenya; North Africa nominated Egypt; the Southern African region nominated Zambia and West Africa Nominated Nigeria.

The AU team has to visit the countries proposed to host the regional centres for African-CDC for on the spot assessment to ensure they meet the criteria contained in the article 26 of the CDC statue.

The purpose of our mission is to see whether the Nigeria CDC which also doubles as a regional CDC for West Africa has indeed met those criteria contained in the statue. We are not comparing the countries hosting the African-CDC with each other, but we are evaluating and assessing them viz a viz the criteria contained in the statue.

The teams point of reference was to assess Government commitment, Human Resources, The infrastructure and Funding.

In all these, we are happy to note that there is strong commitment in the part of the government of the federal Republic of Nigeria and that was clearly demonstrated by the two ministers. We have seen the legal frame work and the one that is being put in place , which we feel is very strong and we hope that the efforts that will be made in the legal frame work to reflect the regional dimension of the Nigeria-CDC to be seen not only the Nigerian CDC but a regional one for West Africa, and a regional collaborating centre for the African CDC.

We are happy to note that from what we have seen on ground that indeed the Nigeria-CDC can take those responsibilities that is about to be entrusted to it.

We also looked at some of the strength that they are bringing to the table, we have found that they are bringing in strong human resources, a strong and powerful field epidemiological and laboratory training  which is a huge asset that will help in the fulfilment of the core capacity of the international health regulation.

One of the challenges that may affect the smooth running and sustenance of the Nigerian-CDC office is that the country has been notorious in not fulfilling its agreement on counterpart funding.

Mr. Maiyegun said his team strongly hopes the Nigerian governments c commitment will be translated into proper funding.

We will need more indication of continued funding, which is the strong political commitment being translated into budgetary support and financial allocation.

The committee said Nigeria has an edge over other African countries to earn its coordinating status because it has some key healthcare infrastructures that other dont have.

Nigeria has a very strong Emergency Operating Centre (EOC) dedicated to polio; and government will need to decide on putting it at the disposal of West Africa and the continent as a whole and begin to use it for the larger public health under the CDC. We see this as a very powerful asset that Nigeria can put at the disposal.

Unlike other four African Countries hosting the sub-regional CDC centres, Mr. Maiyegun said the CDC facility in Nigeria could function as a centre with triple obligations: for Nigeria, as a regional hub and as Africas CDC coordination centre.
The traditional ruler of Mubi, Isah Ahamdu, has charged the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, in Adamawa to stop deceiving the electorate.

The traditional ruler gave the charge when he played host to hundreds of APC members led by the state acting chairman, Ibrahim Bilal, in his palace in Mubi.

Stop deceiving the electorate if you want your party to succeed in Nigeria, he told his guests. The era of deceit is passed, you must keep to your words.

The traditional ruler said he gave the warning because he considered all the politicians as his children.

As a father to all of you here, if I cannot tell you the truth then I am not a good father, he said.

He added that his advice was not meant for only APC members but all politicians.

I advise you politicians to do what is right and sometimes do what your electorate want and not only what you want them to do.

He cautioned political parties to stop imposing candidates on the electorates, saying it affects not only their party, but the economy of the Nation.

Mr. Ahamdu added that if political parties will present qualified people with the fear of God to occupy leadership positions in this country, irrespective of religion, gender and status, the problem we are having now would have been very minimal.

In his response, Mr. Bilal said, We came to pay homage and seek for royal blessings as we set to unite the party at all levels before the forth coming local government elections in the state.

(The headline of this story was corrected, with politicians replacing APC, after clarification from the reporter and witnesses at the event).
The Federal Government has warned that it will deal ruthlessly with those engaged in pipeline vandalism and the sabotage of power infrastructure that have combined to drastically reduce power generation/transmission as well as fuel supplies in recent times, thus inflicting untold hardship on Nigerians.

In a statement issued in Abuja on Sunday, the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, said the repeated attacks on oil and gas pipelines and the wilful shutdown of power facilities by protesters amount to economic sabotage which no government will tolerate.

Vandals, whatever their motives are, cannot and will not be treated with kid gloves because their actions constitute a clear and present danger to the nations economic, social and political well being. The attack on the Forcados Export Terminal that has affected gas production by oil firms and reduced gas supply to power generating plants and the shutdown of the Utorogu gas plant are totally condemnable and cannot be allowed to continue.

Also, while this Administration will not do anything to abridge the constitutional rights of any individual or group to carry out protests, it will also not tolerate a situation in which anyone will hide under the guise of legitimate protests to sabotage power infrastructure. The shutdown of the national transmission facility in Osogbo and the Ikeja Disco by some unionists amount to economic sabotage, he said.

Mr. Mohammed said the government is not unaware that as it steps up the fight against corruption, corruption will vigorously fight back in many forms, including the destruction/sabotage of key national infrastructure to make the government look bad.

However, nothing will make this government to slow down in its anti-corruption fight and no one who is corrupt will be spared, he assured.

The minister appealed to Nigerians to join hands with the government to check the activities of the unscrupulous and unpatriotic elements who have taken it upon themselves to continuously work against the interest of the people.

When oil and gas facilities are vandalized, the impact is felt directly by Nigerians. When power infrastructure is sabotaged for whatever reasons, Nigerians bear the brunt. While those actions may be aimed at discrediting the government, those who pay the price are the vast majority of innocent, law-abiding and well-meaning Nigerians, not just the vandals or the saboteurs. This is why Nigerians must not allow the few recreants behind these attacks to hold sway, he said.

Mr. Mohammed said the power situation is gradually improving as generation has now increased to around 4,000MW while the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Ibe Kachikwu, has assured that the prevailing fuel queues will gradually ease in the next few days.
At least seven people were killed on Sunday when two factions of vigilante groups clashed in Adamawa State, residents have told PREMIUM TIMES.

The fighting occurred during coronation of two officials of amalgamated union of Nigerian hunters in Gombi.

There was fierce gun battles between the two rival groups during which lives were lost, a resident of the area, Musa Buba, said.

Seven local hunters were feared killed and about 19 others were rushed to the Specialist hospital in Jimeta.

When contacted the state chairman of the hunters association, Muhammad Tola, stated that some boys (hunters) loyal to the other faction struck while the occasion was progressing and just started firing shots.

Though I cannot give the exact casualty figure for now, I can confirm to you that over three members were killed and at least 20 others were rushed to hospitals here in the state capital.

Mr. Tola said his intervention prevented the violence from escalating.

I asked my members not to retaliate, he said.

In a reaction, the leader of the rival group who has the title of Sarkin Bakan Gombi, Muhammad Yaki, denied that his group initiated the attack.

In fact, they followed through my house shouting all sorts of slogans, they even opened fire on us.

I lost my members, about seven were affected, he told PREMIUM TIMES in a telephone interview.

When contacted, the police spokesperson, Othman Abubakar, said the police were already investigating the incident.

I was told that only one person was killed and investigation is still on course, he said.

Armed vigilante groups have become more involved in providing security in Adamawa, Borno, and Yobe states as they assist security officials in the battle against Boko Haram insurgents.
The Rivers State Government has again re-stated its position that a supremacy battle among rival cult gangs is the cause of killings in the state.

The government, according to a statement from the Commissioner for Information and Communication, Austin Tam-George, said it has been working with the police and other security agencies to check the upsurge of violent crimes in the state.

Within two months in office, Governor Wike released over 60 security-fitted vehicles to the police in the state, said the statement issued on Saturday. He also released over 30 vehicles to the joint security forces.

Mr. Tam-George said, Investigations by the Rivers State police Command have shown again and again, that the killings witnessed in some areas of the state were the result of retributive attacks launched by rival cult gangs battling for supremacy.

The governments position contradicts the claims by the All Progressives Congress that the party members in the state were the targets of the killings, and that the Peoples Democratic Party had a hand in it.

Mr. Tam-George said the police, in collaboration with the state government, have made arrests, and obtained vital intelligence from gang leaders in custody, and that those implicated would be prosecuted.

He mentioned the names of three suspects in police custody: Anthony Ugoh, arrested for allegedly killing one Frank Obi and two others in Omoku; Ndubuisi Tochi, for the killing of Ofinjite Amachree in Buguma; and Luke Okimebi, for the killing of Godstime Iforuiyala in Buguma.

The commissioner berated the former governor of the state, Rotimi Amaechi, for accusing Nyesom Wikes government of abetting and supporting criminals in the state.

He accused Mr. Amaechi, who is the federal minister of transportations, of inciting people against Wikes government during his (Amaechis) recent interviews on the African Independent Television, and Rhythm FM, Port Harcourt.

The commissioner said for Mr. Amaechi to blame the state government for the killings in Rivers was shameless and irresponsible.

He said, Amaechi should have used the opportunity of the live interviews to give account of his disastrous and visionless administration.

Despite receiving over three trillion Naira in revenue in eight years, Rotimi Amaechi left the most abandoned projects in the history of Rivers State, since 1967.

Today, the abandoned monorail project over which Amaechi spent sixty billion naira stands out in its mammoth ugliness along Azikiwe Road, Port Harcourt. It is a headstone to the corruption and waste that characterized the Amaechi era.
The executive and legislature in Ogun State appear to have taken different positions on the strike by civil servants in the state.

While the state lawmakers are appealing to workers to end the one-week-old strike, the executive has threatened to implement the no work, no pay, policy from Monday.

The House of Assembly, in a statement made available by its Head of Information, Lawal Jamiu, on Sunday resolved to intervene in the dispute over the non-remittance of deductions in workers salary.

The statement added that at a meeting with the labour leaders, led by the Chairman of the state chapter of the Joint National Negotiating Council, Abiodun Olakanmi, the leadership of the House led by the Speaker, Suraju Adekunbi, called for the suspension of the strike to allow it look into the matter with a view to fashioning out a lasting solution to the dispute.

The Assembly blamed the situation on the global oil price, saying the APC-led government in the state is a labour friendly one.

It asked the union leaders to give the House the opportunity of bringing both the government and labour to the negotiating table to find a common ground around the logjam.

It is hoped that with the intervention of the House, Labour will reciprocate the good gesture of the Assembly by toeing the line of amiable resolution of the dispute soonest, the Speaker was quoted as saying.

However, unlike the lawmakers, the Executive ordered the workers back to work on Monday, with a declaration that failure to heed the directive will be punished.

The order was contained in a statement by the Head of Service, Sola Adeyemi, declaring that government would invoke no work, no pay rule on workers who fail to resume duties from Monday.

The Ogun State Government has invoked the no work no pay rule of the Trade Dispute Act in relation to the ongoing industrial action by its workforce, Mr. Adeyemi said.

Consequently, the State Government has directed all workers to be at their duty posts from Monday, March 14, 2016.

.

According to the statement, the application of the no work, no pay rule followed the refusal of the striking workers to heed appeals from government and well-meaning indigenes of the state and the refusal of the labour unions to consider all entreaties to end the industrial action so that the state might be in a position to generate resources for the benefit of the workers and generality of the citizens.

Section 43 (1) (a) of the Trade Dispute Act, provides that Where any worker takes part in a strike action, he shall not be entitled to any wages or other remuneration for the period of the strike, and such period shall not count for the purpose of reckoning the period of continuous employment and all rights dependent on continuity of employment shall be prejudicially affected accordingly, government pointed out.

Despite the fact that the State Government has been consistent with payment of workers salaries as and when due and has paid workers up to February 2016, with a promise to meet other demands once the finances of the state improved, union leaders went ahead to call out workers on a strike on March 7, 2016 and physically prevented majority of the employees, who reported for duties, from gaining access to their offices, the statement said.

Government will not yield to pressure to downsize or reduce salaries of its workforce as being suggested in some quarters. This is the reason why government employees should be in their offices. Government reaffirms its commitment to the welfare of its workers and calls for their understanding during the current economic downtown in Nigeria.

In its response to the directive, the leadership of the striking workers have said that no amount of intimidation from government would make them return to work until all their demands are met.

The workers at a rally held at the NLC secretariat said they would protest to the governors office on Monday.
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.




DUBAI, UAE, March 13, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --

The veteran PR guru said that the rise of social media brought more opportunities to reach more specific audiences

Lord Bell said that governments should work together with communications firms to construct a 'counter-narrative' against ISIS

Lord Bell served as an advisor to late former UK PM Margaret Thatcher

Lord Timothy Bell, the chairman of public relations firm Bell Pottinger, told an Al Arabiya English panel discussion on Thursday, March 10, 2016, that the public relations industry is more relevant than ever in the age of social media.

"All that social media is is more media communication. More channels, more opportunity to talk to people, more opportunity to talk to small groups of people, large groups of people. And the skills don't change, the technique doesn't change and all the gobbledygook that people talk in technical terms doesn't make any difference to the fact that you're still trying to do exactly the same thing," Lord Bell said at a panel discussion moderated by Faisal J. Abbas, the editor-in-chief of Al Arabiya English.

The panel was attended by a number of government representatives, public relations industry professionals and senior journalists.

A communications veteran, Lord Bell advised UK conservative Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher's three successful general election campaigns over her 11 years in power, which began in 1979. Lord Bell received his title in 1990, after Thatcher nominated him for a knighthood.

Lord Bell said that today, public relations firms still have the "same audience, but broken down into smaller groups. The essence of public relations is to use third party endorsement to inform and persuade. None of that has changed... it's the same skill, and the art of it that is to have an idea that you communicate with the same power to capture the imagination of the people you're talking to, which makes them change the way they think and the way they behave."

Brexit views

A regular commentator on Britain's membership in the European Union, the PR veteran told the panel that he believed the UK should walk away from the bloc.

"Unfortunately, the European Economic Community that we joined in 1975 is not what the European Union is today. What the European Union is now, is an collection of countries and a bunch of unelected civil servants in Brussels, who invent rules that are supposed to harmonize the countries, so that we all have the same policies and the same rules and the same laws, and therefore we get the same outcome," he said.

"But the definition of madness is to do the same thing again and expect a different result. The concept of the European Union is based on a socialist collective. A socialist collective is exactly what communism is and what Marxism is, and it's never worked," Lord Bell added.

ISIS solution

The Bell Pottinger chief also said that governments should work together with communications firms to help fight a "war of words" against ISIS, the militant group which controls vast swathes of Iraq and Syria.

"The communications industry around the world has the skills to counter the [ISIS] propaganda. I don't see why the industry can't get together and start a campaign to wipe out the evil of ISIS," he said.

"There's a military war, and there's a war of words the people in this room are perfectly capable of answering that. You don't have to spend money, [as] the world wide web is free."

The panel is part of a ongoing series, Al Arabiya News Global Discussions. The Discussions are an initiative created by Al Arabiya News (http://www.alarabiya.net/english) - the English-language digital platform of the Arab world's leading news channel - as part of our relaunch in 2013 to help bolster understanding, encourage dialogue and find ways to bridge the communication gap between our region and the rest of the world.

SOURCE Al Arabiya English
Name : php

Product : Fedora 22

Version : 5.6.19

Release : 1.fc22

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.



-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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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)

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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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

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Lucknow, March 11 : The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Friday attacked Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav for misleading people, and cited the CAG report for the financial year 2014-15, where the auditor pointed out the state government spent nothing it had earmarked for in the budget.

State spokesman Vijay Bahadur Pathak told IANS the report pointed out that the state government, which makes tall claims of comprehensive development, has not been able to spend a penny under the 115 heads.

"The chief minister bills free laptop distribution scheme, Kanya Vidyadhan scheme as the flagship schemes of his four-year-old government but due to non-expenditure, the allocations had to be surrendered," Pathak said.

He said the ruling Samajwadi Party (SP) in the run-up to the 2017 state assembly polls has been claiming that it has fulfilled its 2012 poll promises, but in the wake of the CAG report, it must now explain why the funds running into crores were surrendered in important schemes like free sarees for women and blankets for the elderly from BPL families.

The state government which is celebrating "Farmers Year" in 2016 had not spent the funds allocated for bio-fertilisers, and this is an indicator that the "fool Akhilesh was making out of farmers," Pathak added.

The CAG also reported that important schemes like a vetenerary science university in Azamgarh, the Lok Sabha constituency of his father and party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav, also have not been opened.
New Delhi, March 11 : The Congress on Friday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal of "blatant political and constitutional impropriety" by supporting and participating in the World Culture Festival.

"The support and participation of both in an event that has been legally held to be an 'ecological disaster' and a wrongdoing punishable by a fine, characterises gross hypocrisy of the BJP and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)," said Congress spokesperson P.L. Punia.

"While organising a World Culture Festival to showcase Indian culture is a welcome step, one is left to wonder as to why should it be organised by destroying one of the most sacred and vibrant symbol of our cultural heritage- the Yamuna. Why couldn't it have been organised at a rather open place or a stadium?" Punia asked.

The National Green Tribunal on Friday gave three weeks to organiser Art of Living (AoL) to pay environmental compensation of Rs.5 crore for holding the World Culture Festival on the Yamuna floodplains in Delhi.

AoL told the tribunal that it will abide by the ruling and sought four weeks to deposit Rs.5 crore.

The tribunal said that the AoL should pay Rs.25 lakh on Friday and the balance in three weeks.

"One is also forced to wonder as to what brand of spiritualism upholds environmental destruction? We have witnessed blatant collusion between the government of India, the government of Delhi and Sri Sri Ravishankar in organising an event which will result in a body blow to the holy Yamuna flowing besides the national capital," said Punia.

The Delhi High Court had earlier described the proposed World Culture Festival as an "ecological disaster".

"The very fact that the NGT decided to fine the organisers AOL and the governments of India and Delhi, prima facie establish that the event is illegal and will result in irreparable damage to the Yamuna. Why is an illegal and environmentally degrading event being allowed to take place by the governments concerned?" asked Punia.

"While union culture minister Mahesh Sharma gave a grant of Rs.2.25 crore to the event, a hand-in-glove Kejriwal's minister Kapil Mishra wrote to the defence ministry urging them to build more pontoon bridges for the cultural event," he added.

The AoL's three-day cultural extravaganza started on Friday on a colourful note. The organisers have already spent Rs.25.63 crore for the event.
Mumbai, March 12 : Irrfan Khan is happy after being nominated for the Best Actor in the Critics' Choice for his film "Talvar" and Best Actor in a Supporting Role for "Piku" at the second edition of the Times of India Film Awards (TOIFA). The actor says both the films are "special" to him.

"'Piku' and 'Talvar' have been special to me and I am happy that I have been nominated. I am pleased to be a part of them as they are important for me, the film industry and the audience," Irrfan said in a statement.

Directed by Shoojit Sircar, "Piku" was an endearing father-daughter tale, with megastar Amitabh Bachchan essaying the role of the father of Deepika Padukone. Irrfan joined the journey of the father-daughter duo during a road trip to Kolkata and how his relationship evolved with the actress during the trip.

On the other hand, "Talvar" directed by Meghna Gulzar was based on the 2008 Noida double murder case, in which a teenage girl and her family servant were found murdered, and her parents were arrested for the murders.

To be held on March 18 in Dubai, the second edition of TOIFA will see celebrities like Amitabh Bachchan, Ranveer Singh, Kalki Koechlin and Anushka Sharma being lauded for their performance in Hindi cinema.

The award event will be co-hosted by actors Parineeti Chopra and Riteish Deshmukh, who will be seen entertaining their fans with quirky acts.

The award ceremony, presented by Gulf Air and Splash, will witness performances by Bollywood celebrities like Shah Rukh Khan, Varun Dhawan, Jacqueline Fernandez, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Yo Yo Honey Singh and many others.

The first edition of TOIFA was held in Vancouver, British Columbia in 2013.
Kolkata, March 12 : In its bid to take on West Bengal's "oppressive" Trinamool Congress, rights group Aakranta Aamraa on Saturday announced Jadavpur University professor Ambikesh Mahapatra, who was arrested for circulating emails mocking Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, will contest the coming assembly polls.

The forum comprising "victims of human rights violations under the Mamata Banerjee regime", also announced the candidature of Pratima Dutta, wife of murdered green activist Tapan Dutta.

While Mahapatra would contest from Behala East constituency, Pratima would in the fray from Domjur in Howrah district. Both would contest the polls as independents.

The forum has sought support from all the opposition parties including the Congress, the Left Front as well as the BJP for its electoral endeavour.

"The decision to contests the polls is more of an experimental venture to try sending a true peoples' representative to the assembly who will be the voice of all those who have been oppressed, tormented and attacked by the barbaric Trinamool regime," said Forum convenor Arunava Ganguly.

Admitting contesting the polls was a tough task especially with "limited resources", Mahapatra said the contesting the polls was only a manifestation of the peoples' desire to see an end to the Trinamool regime.

"We have sought the support of all the political parties which are opposed to the Trinamool. I am not fighting for myself but for the people of this state none of whom are safe under this regime," said Mahapatra who was arrested in 2012.

He along with a neighbour were put behind bars for circulating a collage of photographs of Banerjee and party leader Mukul Roy with some dialogues of Satyajit Ray's detective masterpiece "Sonar Kella", showing the duo discussing how to get rid of party leader Dinesh Trivedi, who was forced by the chief minister to give up the railways portfolio.

Dutta, who has been fighting for justice after her husband Tapan was shot dead in 2011 for opposing the filling of a wetland in Bally in Howrah, said the motive for her to contest the polls is to "unmask the criminal-politician nexus".

Former Supreme Court judge and vehement Banerjee critic A.K. Ganguly extended his support to the twin candidates.

"From democracy to secularism, from police to the common people, none are safe under this barbaric regime which has no respect for law or for the people. The need is for the opposition parties and democracy loving people to unite and prevent this undemocratic party (Trinamool) from coming to power again," he said.
Colombo, March 13 : At least 23 Indian fishermen were arrested in Sri Lanka for poaching in the country's waters, the media reported on Sunday.

The fishermen were arrested by Sri Lankan navy in the seas off the town of Mannar and were handed over to the police, Xinhua news agency reported.

The police said that the navy handed over the fishermen and three boats to them in Mannar.

The fishermen are between the age of 15 and 56, the police said. They will be produced before a court on Sunday.

Sri Lankan navy frequently arrests Indian fishermen for poaching as there is a better catch in the island nation's waters. Both the countries are looking at ways to address the issue of fishermen.
Kabul, March 13 : At least 24 Islamic State (IS) militants were killed in military operations in eastern Nangarhar province of Afghanistan, an official statement said on Sunday.

The operation, which still continues, was launched in Achin district a few weeks ago, Tolo news agency reported.

"Most parts of Achin have been cleared of insurgents but the operation is ongoing," read the statement from Afghan army officials.

However, the statement did not say anything about casualties among the security forces.
Patna, March 13 : The high level of arsenic in ground water is causing and spreading cancer on either side of the Ganga in Bihar, according to experts.

The most affected are the poorest of the poor. A.K. Ghosh, a Patna- based arsenic expert, said a large number of cases had been reported from the districts along the river.

"It's a matter of serious concern," Ghosh, professor at the department of environment and water management at AN College, Patna, told IANS. He has conducted several arsenic field surveys in the last ten years.

According to a 2014 study by Ghosh, 18 of the 38 districts of Bihar were affected by ground water arsenic. The worst affected districts were Bhojpur, Buxar, Vaishali, Bhagalpur and Samastipur.

Scientists at the Patna-based Mahavir Cancer Sansthan (MCS) said in their latest research study that arsenic had been found in tissues of patients suffering from cancer. The source of the offending chemical element was drinking water, they stated.

The scientists concluded that the probability of two types of cancer (skin and gall bladder) was due to ingestion of drinking water in which arsenic presence was more than 300 parts per billion (ppb).

Their research also said arsenic increases the possibility of DNA damage. The MCS study was based on 200 cancer patients from Bhojpur, Vaishali and Buxar.

The study headed by Dr Arun Kumar observed that arsenic might not be the single factor in causing cancer, but its effect gets multiplied when combined with other carcinogens.

According to an official report of the state health department, around 75,000 new cancer cases are detected annually in Bihar.

Of these, the highest number of cases are reported from districts affected by arsenic.

Ghosh said that several patients often moved out of Bihar for treatment, making it difficult to identify the exact number of cases in the state.

A cancer specialist, Dr A.J.K Singh said arsenic poisoning was one of the main factors for cancer of prostrate, liver and gall bladder in the state, adding that the poorest were hit hard by it.

Singh said the government should join hands with different organisations to get rid of arsenic from drinking water.

Water samples collected at random from 44,000 tubewells by officials in affected districts found that arsenic concentration was above the World Health Organisation's permissible limit of 10 parts per billion (ppb) in most of them. The India government's guidelines peg the permissible limit at 50 ppb.

The highest level of concentration was found in Bhojpur at 1861 ppb, followed by Buxar at 1230 ppb and Bhagalpur at 915 ppb. Even Patna district had a very high incidence of 760 ppb.

Last year, a state government report based on a survey of water samples collected from 19,961 tubewells in 398 villages, found that arsenic concentration was above 10 ppb in 310 villages and above 50 ppb in 235 villages.

Bihar's Minister for Public Health Department Krishnanandan Prasad Verma told the State Assembly last week that 13 districts in the Gangetic plain had more arsenic content than the permissible limit of 50 ppb.

Experts say a large number of hand pumps in Bihar need to be painted red -- warning against use -- and sealed.

Arsenic was also finding its way into agricultural products like rice, tomato, maize, wheat and spinach. Often, over-extraction of water through hand pumps worsened the situation by raising the concentration levels.

The source of arsenic, according to experts, was siltation from the Himalayas which gets deposited downstream through the Ganga. In its natural form of arsenopyrite (iron arsenic sulfide), it is insoluble in water.

Arsenic, an odourless and tasteless semi-metal element, occurs naturally in the environment and is sometimes deposited as a by-product of agriculture processing and industrial use.

(Imran Khan can be contacted at imran.k@ians.in)
Beijing, March 13 : In a crackdown against polluting industries, China shut down 20,000 plants and got $654 billion as fine from polluters in 2015. The amount is 34 percent more than the 2014 fines.

Besides, 34,000 plants had to halt production for not complying with the environmental rules, the government said in a report.

In 2015, 1.77 million enterprises were inspected while 191,000 companies were investigated for flouting environmental laws.

A total of 97,000 administrative orders were issued, with a total penalty of $654 billion, an increase of 34 percent than the figure in 2014.

Approval for projects in 20 cities and counties of China were also suspended.

The report said the average PM 2.5 concentration in 74 cities of China decreased by 14.1 percent and some 3.9 million outdated vehicles were scrapped.

China is faced with worsening air pollution and environmental degradation -- an offshoot of unbridled growth of factories.

The issue is one of the top agendas in the ongoing session of the National People's Congress -- China's parliament.

According to study in 2015, 1.6 million die people die every year due to air pollution in China.

Beijing is one of the most polluted cities in the world. In December last year, it ordered closure of schools in the wake of worsening smog in Beijing.

China, which is battling its slowest economic growth rate in 25 years, has made it clear that recovery will not come at the cost of environment.

The world's second-largest economy grew by 6.9 percent in 2014. This year, the government has pegged the growth rate between 6.5 and 7 percent.

In a meeting with legislators on Thursday, President Xi Jinping said that environment should be treated as "our lifeline".

"The ecological environment has irreplaceable value. We should treat it as our lifeline and protect it like the apple of our eye," Xi was quoted as saying by Xinhua news agency.

(Gaurav Sharma is the Beijing-based correspondent of IANS. He can be contacted at gaurav.s@ians.in)
Kathmandu, March 13 : Senior forestry officials from India and Nepal are meeting in New Delhi from Monday to chalk out a joint strategy to save the tiger population along the trans-boundary corridor after 14 of the felines were killed during the last one year.

Officials here said both countries were mulling a joint strategy to save the endangered animal after an increasing number of cases of tiger-poaching along the Nepal-India border were reported.

The two-day meeting in New Delhi will focus on saving tigers on both sides of the international border, said Akhileshwor Karna, who is leading the Nepali delegation.

Between January 2015 and February 2016, at least 14 tigers were killed in the border areas causing panic on both sides. Six of the endangered specie were killed on the Nepal side.

With the increase in tiger-poaching cases, the ambitious project to double the tiger population in the region by 2022 has hit a roadblock.

Surmounting the challenges in the trans-border area is key to the success of the project, said Karna adding that apart from this the officials will also discussthe joint strategy for saving the tiger.

Tigers from India's Dudhwa National Park and Balmiki Tiger Reserve and from Nepal's Chitwan National Park, Bardiya National Park and Shuklaphanta Wildlife reserve, regularly cross the international border with officials on both sides facing similar difficulties in saving the endangered specie.

In India and Nepal, over 45,000 sq.km. land in the trans-border area from Bagmati to Yamuna rivers is home to 15 conservation areas and wildlife parks.

The tiger population in Nepal is estimated at around 200 and in India at 2,200.
A university arts festival venue in the hilly district of Idukki in Kerala reverberated with slogans in support of the students of Jawaharlal Nehru University against whom the Narendra Modi government has slapped sedition charges.

The pro-JNU slogans echoed at the venue of the Mahatma Gandhi University Youth Festival, 2016 when the mono-act competition was underway on Friday.

However, it was a contestant himself who chanted the slogans and the sloganeering very much a part of his performance.

Arsho Kanjirappuzha, a contestant, surprised the audience when, towards the end of his mono-act performance, he fished out a poster and shouted slogans declaring support to JNU students and former Delhi University professor SAR Geelani, a report by news portal Southlive.in said.

The audience was caught by surprise but a few law students among them took up the slogans and the rest of the audience joined in, ensuring that the venue got drowned in pro-JNU slogans, the report said.

Arshos mono-act dealt with the theme of the Modi governments arbitrary use of the colonial-era sedition law to clamp down on dissent and freedom of expression.

The slogan shouting witnessed at the venue was a clever demonstration of how one could exercise his freedom of expression to cock a snook at the authorities, and use a creative platform to make strong political statements.

The slogans in support of the JNU students were slyly weaved into the mono act performance, thus giving no room for anyone to charge him with staging protests at the venue of the arts festival.

The poster held up by Arsho read Stand with JNU and also contained slogans demanding the release of JNU students Umar Khalid, Anirbhan Bhattacharya, and Delhi University professor SAR Geelani.

Arsho Kanjirappuzha is unit secretary of the Students Federation of India at the Government College of Law, Ernakulam, the southlive report said.
Colombo, March 13 : A nationwide power failure was reported in Sri Lanka on Sunday, the third to hit the island within six months.

Anura Wijepala, chairman of the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB), told Xinhua news agency that the exact reason for Sunday's outage could not be immediately ascertained and engineers were working to restore power.

"At the moment, we do not know what is wrong. Our engineers are working on it," Wijepala said.

Sunday's power failure is the third to be reported since the new government came to power in a parliamentary election in August last year.

The first power failure was reported in September 2015 due to a technical fault at the CEB, followed by another one on February 25.

Power and Energy Minister Ranjith Siyambalapitiya said last month's power cut was due to a lightning strike on one of the main electricity lines in the capital.

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has called for an immediate probe into the repeated power failures and appointed two special committees to look into the matter and submit their reports soonest.
Beijing, March 13 : Chinese lawmakers have filed 462 motions to the secretariat of the fourth session of the 12th National People's Congress (NPC), an official said on Sunday.

According to Kong Ping, an official with the secretariat, 442 concerned legislation for issues such as the market economy, cultural reform, anti-corruption, environment and law enforcement, Xinhua news agency reported.

The remaining motions were about the NPC supervision and other resolutions.

Last year, 522 motions were filed. Since NPC deputies were first tasked with raising motions at the annual session in 1983, the number increased sharply from 61 in that year to a peak of 1,374 in 2004. It has remained around 500 since 2005.

"The quality of motions this year is fairly good. About 68 percent of them have been informed by surveys, inspections or interviews," Kong said.

Motions from NPC deputies can be legally binding if they are adopted.

The secretariat also received around 8,600 proposals from NPC deputies, which are less formal and will not be legally binding.
Hyderabad, March 13 : Telangana Urban Development Minister K. T. Rama Rao on Sunday said that 74 percent of Hyderabad Metro Rail project has been completed.

He told the state assembly that metro line has been laid to an extent of 43 km in a short span of time and claimed that it is a world record for the world's biggest metro project in public private partnership.

Replying to questions from opposition members, he denied that there is any delay or cost of the 72-km project cost escalated.

The opposition tried to blame the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) government for the delay in execution of works due to change of alignment proposed by it but the minister clarified that changes in the alignment at three places were mooted in January 2015.

He recalled that the agreement for the project was reached in 2010 but then government did not take necessary decisions to launch the work till 2012. He said there was no progress in the metro works till TRS came to power in Telangana state in 2014.

Rama Rao said the work was speeded up at several places by removing all the hurdles. He pointed out that it took seven - and - half years to lay metro line up to 15 km in Delhi, seven years to complete 6 km work in Bengaluru and eight years in Chennai for the same work.

The minister said under the viability gap funding for the project, the state government has to provide Rs.3,000 crore while the central government will provide Rs.1,244 crore.

L&T, the project developer, will invest Rs.12,744 crore into the project. He assured the house that the project will be completed as scheduled.

On the concern voiced by members over fare structure, Rama Rao said only 50 percent of the cost of running the metro will come in the form of passenger fare.

Congress member Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka said the cost of the project escalated by Rs.3,000 crore to Rs.6,000 crore due to the delay. He attributed this to the changes in the alignment at three places.

Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM) leader in assembly Akbaruddin Owaisi also voiced concern over the delay in metro works.

He clarified that MIM is not against the metro project but the government should clarify about the alignment in the old city.
Thiruvananthapuram, March 13 : The CPI-M is likely to field popular Malayalam actress K.P.A.C. Lalitha as a Left-supported independent candidate in the May 16 assembly polls in Kerala, sources said on Sunday.

A source said the day-long CPI-M meeting that was busy finalising the list of candidates zeroed down on Lalitha who will be fielded from a constituency in Thrissur.

The 69-year-old Lalitha began her career through the hugely popular Kerala People's Arts Club (KPAC) -- the pioneer in performing arts and the oldest theatre group in Kerala -- and that is how her name got the prefix.

She entered the film industry in 1969 and since then has been a regular. She has acted in more than 600 films and continues to be very active.

Her husband was the acclaimed award-winning director Bharathan, who passed away in 1998. Their son Siddarth is a budding director.

Lalitha is likely to take on former Congress chief minister K. Karunakaran's daughter Padmaja Venugopal, who is on the list of probables from a constituency in Thrissur.
March 13 : Filmmaker Major Ravi has said that he stands by the controversial remarks he made the other day against Asianet News chief coordinating editor Sindhu Suryakumar.

The ace director had reportedly hit out at the journalist over certain derogatory remarks she allegedly made against Goddess Durga during a debate on the JNU issue on Asianet News.

With his remarks snowballing into a controversy, Mr. Ravi told Manorama News channel on Sunday by way of clarification that he did not take the name of any particular journalist, refuting media reports to that effect.

However, he stood by his comments, saying that if a woman could make such comments, then his response would be in a similar vein.

Everyone should avoid making references to Gods, especially on social media, he told the news channel, adding that talking about Gods was tantamount to vilifying an entire community.

Major Ravis tirade against the journalist came at a discussion held on the sidelines of a function held to celebrate the 90th birth anniversary of Malayalam poet Akkitham.

Speaking at the discussion, Mr. Ravi reportedly said that he would spit on the face of the journalist who had denigrated Goddess Durga.

Ironically, the topic of the discussion was culture.

He had also said that if the journalist termed Goddess Durga a sex worker, then maybe that was her culture and she too belonged to the same ilk.

Interestingly, Major Ravi admitted to not having watched in full the debate on JNU aired by Asianet news in which Ms. Suryakumar allegedly made the derogatory remarks on Durga.

I have yet to watch the controversial debate in full. I was speaking merely on the basis of media reports, he told Manorama News.

The controversy over the debate on JNU aired by Asianet News pertains to Sindhu Suryakumar, who moderated the debate, allegedly making derogatory remarks against Goddess Durga.

However, it has since been established that she made no such remarks and that the allegations against her were cooked up on social media platforms by certain right-wing elements.

She had received death threats following the smear campaign against her on social media.
Kolkata, March 13 : The Congress' West Bengal unit president Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury on Sunday claimed an understanding has been reached with the Left Front in all but seven constituencies for polls to the 294-seat assembly.

Chowdhury said that as per the understanding, the Left Front would contest 189 seats, and the Congress would be in the fray in 90 constituencies. In eight seats, support would be extended to independents and intellectuals.

"We will have friendly fights in seven constituencies," Chowdhury told the media in Baharampur of Murshidabad district.

He said three seats of Murshidabad (Domkol, Hariharpara and Bharatpur), two in Malda district (Harishchandrapur and Malatipur), one each in South Dinajpur (Tapan) and Kolkata (Belaighata) will see friendly fights between the Congress and the Left Front.

Chowdhury said the Congress would leave the Joypur seat in Purulia district to the Left Front. The party had earlier declared it would name its nominee from the seat.

Chowdhury announced a fresh list of 16 seats where his party would put up candidates.

The Congress is yet to declare its candidates for any of the seats it is contesting in the assembly polls.

Meanwhile, hectic parleys were on between Left Front spearhead Communist Party of India-Marxist and the Congress to narrow down the disputes.

CPI-M state secretariat member Rabin Deb met Congress leaders Somen Mitra, Pradip Bhattacharya and Abdul Mannan to arrive at some compromise formula on the disputed seats.

"I hope now the matters will proceed smoothly. The complications are over," said Bhattacharya, a former state Congress president.

Deb said most of the issues have been resolved. "Only a few more are still pending. It is a seven-phase election. We will hold discussions on the seats in phases."

"The discussions were more or less positive."
Bamako (Mali), March 13 : Two UN peacekeepers were shot dead and another injured by their Chadian colleague, the UN mission in Mali said on Sunday.

Authorities arrested the peacekeeper but the reason behind the shooting was still unknown, spokeswoman for the UN mission in Mali Radhia Achouri was quoted as saying by Xinhua.

This was not the first time that UN peacekeepers were killed by colleagues.

Last month, a Chadian soldier killed his own commander and an army doctor over living conditions.
Kolkata, March 14 : The Congress and the Left Front on Sunday extended support to two independent candidates, including Jadavpur University professor Ambikesh Mahapatra put up by a rights organisation for the upcoming West Bengal assembly polls.

The two candidates - Mahapatra and Pratima Dutta - are backed by Akranta Amra, an organisation comprising activists of human rights under the Mamata Banerjee regime.

In a statement, Left Front chairman Biman Bose said the civil society has an important role to play to safeguard the interests and ensure security of the people in the state.

"So we appeal to all well meaning and democracy-loving people to elect Dutta and Mahapatra in the coming polls," said Bose.

Mahapatra, who was arrested for circulating emails mocking Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, would contest from Behala East constituency.

Dutta, wife of murdered green activist Tapan Dutta, would be in fray from Domjur in Howrah district.

State Congress president Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury told the media in Baahrampur of Murshidabad district that his party will supprot both the candidates.

The forum has sought support from all the opposition parties including the BJP for its electoral endeavour.

Mahapatra, along with a neighbour, was put behind bars for circulating a collage of photographs of Banerjee and former railway minister Mukul Roy with some dialogues of Satyajit Ray's detective masterpiece "Sonar Kella", showing the duo discussing how to get rid of party leader Dinesh Trivedi, who was forced by the chief minister to give up the railways portfolio.

Dutta, who has been fighting for justice after her husband Tapan was shot dead in 2011 for opposing the filling of a wetland in Bally in Howrah, said the motive for her to contest the polls is to unmask the criminal-politician nexus.
Paris, March 14 : US Secretary of State John Kerry here on Sunday urged Syrian warring parities to respect cessation of hostilities, a day ahead of the resumption of the United Nations-brokered Syrian peace talks in Geneva.

Kerry said some 600 combatants of the Islamic State (IS) have been killed during the past three weeks of US-led coalition strikes in Syria, stressing that the operation will be intensified, Xinhua reported.

He made the remarks after a meeting on Syria with his counterparts from France, Germany, Italy and Britain in Paris on Sunday.

"All parties must respect the cessation of hostilities, cooperate in the delivery of humanitarian aid, and respect the process of negotiations to achieve a political transition," said Kerry at a press conference with his European counterparts.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault said in order to "guarantee the credibility of the negotiations (in Geneva), the unimpeded humanitarian access and the truce in Syria must be fully respected".

Ayrault also said the Geneva talks would be "difficult" but had to focus on "real political transition" in Syria.

The foreign ministers of France, Germany, Italy and Britain, along with John Kerry also expressed their full support to the Libyan national unity government.
Accra (Ghana), March 14 : At least 12 people, including some foreign nationals, have been reported dead after an armed group attacked a popular restaurant on a beach close to the L'Etoile Sud Hotel at Grand Bassam resort outside the Ivorian capital Abidjan.

The Indian embassy in Abidjan could not confirm whether any Indian national was in the area where the attack took place.

There were, however, conflicting reports on the terror attack. A local resident, Etienne Konan, told IANS on phone that between two and 15 armed individuals attacked a popular restaurant on a beach at Grand Bassam which is popular with Westerners and Lebanese.

Konan said some of the media reports claimed that over 50 people were killed in the attack but the official casualty figure is still not out.

According to some reports, the situation has been brought under control after state security forces arrived at the scene.

"It is a worrying situation making the West African region a very dangerous place. It started in Mali where a hotel was attacked on November 20 last year. Then another attack took place at a hotel in Burkina Faso on January 15," Konan said.

French security sources earlier this year had warned the authorities in Ivory Coast and Senegal of possible terror attacks in public areas.

Soon after Sunday's attack, the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office issued a travel alert to its citizens.

"On 13 March, there have been reports of an armed attack at Grand Bassam resort near Abidjan. You should avoid the area if possible. If you are in the vicinity follow the instructions of the security authorities," it said.

"There is a high threat from terrorism. Attacks could be indiscriminate, including in places visited by foreigners," it added.

"As seen in Mali and Burkina Faso, terrorist groups continue to mount attacks on hotels frequented by foreigners. Be especially vigilant in these locations and avoid crowded places," the advisory said.

(Francis Kokutse can be contacted at francis.k@ians.in)
Dr. Kendall Roehl, renowned plastic and reconstructive surgeon from Texas, is the newest addition to the Memorial Plastic Surgery Groups roster of board-certified doctors. She has taken the helm at the plastic surgery clinics first-ever branch in Clear Lake which opens on March 1, 2016.

As the clinics founder, Dr. Patrick Hsu said in a statement, Memorial Plastic Surgery is proud and excited to announce the recruitment of Dr. Roehl into the practice. [She] has been an esteemed colleague and friend for over 10 years and her addition will add tremendous expertise and experience to our diverse group.

Dr. Melissa A. Crosby, distinguished plastic surgeon and partner at MPS, added, [Dr. Roehls] reputation as an outstanding surgeon and compassionate physician will no doubt lead to her success at Memorial Plastic Surgery [in Clear Lake].

The MPS Groups newest member completed her residency at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston and later her fellowship in Microsurgery at the prestigious M.D. Anderson Cancer Center. Since 2010, Dr. Roehl has been certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgeons and has established herself as one of the leading reconstructive micro-surgeons in Texas.

Of her newest designation, Dr. Roehl said, I could not be more excited to join Memorial Plastic Surgery and two people who I love and respect. With our combined efforts, we can make a significant impact on breast reconstruction in the city of Houston and its surrounding areas. With similar goals and vision, we will launch our group onto great things for the future.

The clinics newest branch, where Dr. Roehl leads, is located in Webster, TX and welcomes patients from Clear Lake and the greater Houston area which includes the surrounding communities of Pasadena, Pearland, League City, Galveston, and Friendswood.

Similar to its Houston counterpart, the Clear Lake office offers a wide range of plastic surgery procedures such as breast augmentation, liposuction, tummy tuck, mommy makeover, and facelift. As a womens health advocate, Dr. Roehl specializes in advanced breast reconstruction surgeries including but not limited to: DIEP flaps, latissimus flap, and reconstruction after nipple-sparing mastectomy.

In line with the grand opening, MPS Clear Lake has launched its own stand-alone website specifically designed to cater to local patients interested in plastic and reconstructive surgery. The new site is responsive and viewable across different media platforms such as smartphones, tablets, laptops, and desktops.

For more information about Memorial Plastic Surgery Clear Lake, visit http://www.memorialclearlake.com.

About Memorial Plastic Surgery - Houston

Founded in 2013, Memorial Plastic Surgery is the practice of board-certified plastic surgeons Dr. Patrick Hsu and Dr. Melissa A. Crosby based in Houston, Texas. They cater to patients with cosmetic and reconstructive surgery needs with a special focus on the face, breast, and body. Some of the more popular cosmetic procedures performed at the clinic include breast augmentation, tummy tucks, liposuction, mommy makeovers, and breast reconstruction. With fellowships from the MD Anderson Cancer Center, Dr. Hsu and Dr. Crosby also serve breast cancer patients needing reconstructive surgery.

For more information, visit http://www.memorialplasticsurgery.com. Follow Memorial Plastic Surgery on Facebook and @HoustonSurgeons on Twitter.
For many seniors, the presence of a companion several hours a day in their home can mean the return of freedom and greater independence.

A companion to a frail senior, or someone with early Alzheimers Disease or dementia, can mean all the difference in the world, said Amy McDonnell, RN, BSN. Amy McDonnell is the Director of Care and Co-owner of the recently launched Cottage Caregivers, a non-medical home care agency servicing the South Shore & Southeastern, MA. Providing a companion gives homebound people back their freedom and gives them hope. We strive to match the perfect Caregiver with our clients to meet their specific needs, said Karen Carroll, Director of Caregivers and Co-owner of the business.

The services provided by specialty home care agencies in this area like Cottage Caregivers are in great demand  and will only grow in the years ahead. According to the National Academy on Aging Society, there are an estimated 8.5 million people over age 70 in America with limitations in walking, dressing, bathing, shopping, paying bills and preparing meals. Estimates are that the number will grow to 21 million in the next quarter century.

We feel very lucky to work with so many great people from our clients to our incredible caregivers. Part of our personalized experience is matching clients with caregivers. To ensure we best meet the expectations and desires of our clients, we take into consideration personalities to ensure the development of solid relationships and trust. We are incredibly rigorous in our screening process and accept only 5% of applicants, said Karen Carroll.

Providing services like this also present an important benefit to what sociologists refer to as the sandwich generation, those baby boomers who find themselves caring for both their children and their elderly parents.

I tell my contemporaries if they are not facing this problem (with their parents) now, they will, said Amy McDonnell. Its all very close to our hearts. As we both have close family members who have needed that in-home support and we feel very privileged to be able to provide this support for families like ours.

As people grow older, they become more susceptible to the frailties of old age and those activities that were once so simple, become increasingly more difficult.

Local agencies like Cottage Caregivers - a member of Companion Connection Senior Care, a national organization that strives to maintain high standards of quality care for the non-medical care agencies that comprise its network - provide clients help with their Activities of Daily Living (ADLs). This includes supervision with dressing, bathing and grooming, as well as meal preparation, light housekeeping, and transportation to and from doctors offices. Perhaps, most of all, seniors benefit from the companionship itself, a necessity for the many whose social world has grown smaller.

For many of these people, their only option would be to have family members look after them  or they are forced to move into a senior facility, said Karen Carroll. Many people either dont have family members to care for them, or are reluctant to shift the burden of care upon their children. Plus, they dont want to leave their homes to live in a senior facility, except as a last resort. We provide a third, very viable option  a companion who gives them the help they need, and the social outlet. Even just several hours a day can make a huge difference. Many of our clients say that its these hours of the day, or these days of the week, that they look forward to most. We truly live by our motto of compassionate home care from our family to yours.

For more information about Cottage Caregivers, call Karen Carroll at 781-430-8599 or visit cottagecaregivers.com.
Business GPS, a business turnaround firm located in Northern Virginia, is proud to announce it expects record results in Q1 of 2016. Total debt assignments are expected to surpass $20,000,000 with over 100 new clients.

Business GPS takes a unique, performance based approach to helping companies turn their business around, avoiding layoffs and even bankruptcy in the process.

Bill Schneider, Founder of Business GPS stated, Having a success based business model is the best way to support the long term success of our clients. It truly makes us a partner with each and every company we help. The exponential growth of our business is a direct reflection of just how unique our business model is and how much the marketplace was craving a better approach to helping companies stabilize themselves and strengthen for long term growth.

Business GPS helps companies of all sizes across the country, in any business sector, both public and private.

About Business GPS:

Business GPS is a financial restructuring & debt mitigation consulting firm in Fairfax, Virginia. Business GPS works with companies of all sizes across the country that are struggling with a variety of cash flow related issues. The programs offered allow companies to work through their liabilities on terms that work for them  not the creditors. As your claims are negotiated, you avoid the risk, uncertainty and expense of litigation and most costly, the distraction of court. In essence the service allows the company and its management to refocus on the future of the business and not dwell on past obligations.

They help businesses settle debt issues from high interest loans, aged account payables, judgments, lawsuits, liens, and any other issues negatively impacting cash flow. As a comprehensive business consulting firm, we analyze each business and streamline operations to drive revenue and decrease expenses.

Business GPS primarily works on a performance fee basis. We get paid only upon successful resolution of your issue(s). Business Guidance, Performance, Success, its that simple!

For more information, please contact:

Bill Schneider

Founding Partner

Bills(at)bnsgps(dot)com

OR

Billy Miller

Director of Client Services

Bmiller(at)businessgpsllc(dot)com
The greenest contest of the year takes place between 15-17 March on KeepCallings Facebook page.

KeepCalling.com wishes all its customers a lucky St. Patricks Day and invites them to show that they have the luck of the Irish by taking part in a competition. Ten participants will win $10 worth of credit for international calls.

By visiting KeepCallings Facebook page between March 15-17, customers will meet Patrick, KeepCallings Irish Customer Service Manager. All they have to do to enter the competition is post a comment with an original wish for Patrick on St. Patricks Day. Top 10 best wishes will win $10 Voice Credit.

The greenest contest of the year takes place between 15-17 March on KeepCallings Facebook page: facebook.com/iamhomesick. To have the most chances to win, contestants should surprise Patrick with a funny or inspiring wish he never heard before.

The Voice Credit gift received by the winners can be used to make calls anywhere in the world at the best rates from:



any phone through the use of access numbers,

from any computer with an Internet connection through the Web Call application or

from any smartphone using KeepCallings free app, for both iOS and Android devices.

In addition to Voice Credit, KeepCalling.com also offers Mobile Recharge, Monthly Plans, and Virtual Numbers. Mobile Recharge is a service through which customers can recharge phones anywhere in the world. The process is fast and secure and the credit reaches its destination instantly. With over 300 operators from more than 100 countries, KeepCalling.com can satisfy every need of international mobile recharge.

Monthly Plans are monthly subscriptions which offer discounted rates for certain destinations for low monthly fees. The countries which customers can call through KeepCalling.coms monthly plans are: Australia, Bangladesh, Bulgaria, China, India, Germany, Kenya, Mexico, New Zealand, Nigeria, Poland, Romania, South Korea, Thailand, and United States.

Virtual Numbers are monthly subscriptions through which customers pay a low monthly fee and receive unlimited calls from another country. The people calling the Virtual Number only pay the rate of local calls.

To find out more about KeepCalling.coms newest offers, customers are invited to visit their blog at blog.keepcalling.com or to follow them on:



Facebook.com/iamhomesick

Twitter.com/KeepCalling

Plus.Google.com/+KeepCalling

About KeepCalling.com:

KeepCalling.com is an interactive website designed by KeepCalling, a global telecommunications company registered in 2002 in USA. Presently, KeepCalling provides its services to hundreds of thousands of consumers and businesses, with a focus on customer satisfaction. KeepCalling has been listed by Inc 5000 as one of the fastest growing companies in the USA for 5 consecutive years. In 2015 the company registered a revenue increase of over 200% from 2011 to 2014.
Client Services Incorporated (CSI), one of the largest employers in St. Charles County concluded its 2015 charitable giving efforts with two successful employee supported events. CSI asked its employees to take time out of their busy holiday schedules in November and December and give back to the community by volunteering on behalf of the Salvation Army. Setting a donation goal of $5,000, CSI employees were encouraged to volunteer two hours to one of four volunteer events: Wehrenberg Cans Festival, Wal-Mart Fill the Truck Toy Drive, Toy Town Distribution and Kettle Bell Ringing. CSI employees responded by volunteering 87 hours of their personal time to assist the Salvation Army efforts in St. Charles and St. Louis counties. Scott Lindley, Executive Vice President, had this to say about his recent experience ringing bells,

To help support an organization such as Salvation Army, the least we could do is to offer our employees an incentive for working. For every two hours volunteered, that employee received a casual day of their choosing and CSI is donating $100 per hour worked, up to $5,000. We have far surpassed our $5,000 goal, thanks to the generosity of our employees.

Also during the month of December, CSI employees from the St. Charles location coordinated a toy drive to help bring a happy holiday season to a local Crisis Nursery. We are happy to report that thanks to these efforts, over $492 and more than 7 large containers of toys were donated to this worthy charity!

Founded in 1987, Client Services, Inc. (CSI) is a growing, locally-owned, multi-faceted call center. From its inception, CSI has paid special attention to attracting and retaining outstanding talent. As a result, CSIs workforce is comprised of individuals with the drive and determination required to flourish and succeed in a competitive environment. It is that same spirit that has helped CSI evolve into a full-service Customer Relationship Management company. Today, CSI offers a full suite of Accounts Receivable Management (ARM), Business Processing Outsourcing (BPO) and Healthcare solutions
Their exceptional accounting and advisory skills, leadership abilities and commitment to our firms mission will bring tremendous value to our firm.

Hernandez & Company, a Miami based accounting and consulting firm specialized in providing international advisory services, has recently announced the appointment of two new partners to the firm: Michelle Gonzalez-Rubio and Eduardo Carrillo.

We are very pleased to welcome Michelle and Eduardo to the partnership group, said Armando Hernandez, President & CEO of Hernandez & Company, CPAs. Their exceptional accounting and advisory skills, leadership abilities and commitment to our firms mission will bring tremendous value to our firm.

Michelle has over ten years of professional experience in assisting private and multi-national enterprises with their various international tax and accounting matters. She focuses primarily on advising foreign private clients that are investing in the U.S. in the areas of real estate, manufacturing, import-export and technology.

Due to the growing international landscape of Miami, Michelle also specializes in cross-border tax planning and accounting advisory for foreign subsidiaries and pre-immigration tax planning.

Eduardo has extensive experience in estate and gift tax planning and pre-immigration planning for foreign, high-net worth individuals as well as international inbound and outbound compliance and planning for multinational companies.

Prior to joining Hernandez & Company, Eduardo worked as a Tax Manager at KPMG LLP, where he led the global compliance and consulting efforts for a variety of large multi-nationals as well as large domestic clients.

About Hernandez & Company

Founded in 1992, Hernandez & Company is a full service, boutique CPA firm specializing in national and international tax, accounting and advisory services. The firm specializes in providing corporate and multinational tax planning, U.S. inbound and outbound tax services, trusts and estates and family office services. For more details about the firm, please visit: http://www.floridacpa.com
The presentation of our new brand and logo signals a new era at DHJJ, said Tom Jordan, Managing Director at the firm. "We are large enough to specialize but small enough to individualize our relationship with each and every client.

DHJJ Certified Public Accountants and Business Advisors, formerly DiGiovine, Hnilo, Jordan & Johnson, Ltd., unveiled their new brand this week symbolizing how the firm focuses on its clients, while celebrating the internal culture it built over the past 40 years.

The presentation of our new brand and logo signals a new era at DHJJ, said Tom Jordan, Managing Director at the firm. We are large enough to specialize but small enough to individualize our relationship with each and every client. Our strategic initiative for re-branding was to communicate the firms extensive resources, specialists, and experience we can commit to business owners, CFOs and individuals.

The new logo simplifies the firms name to DHJJ, takes the 7 recognizable hash marks from the previous logo and places them within the letter D of the new design. The 7 hash marks represent DHJJs 7 beliefs  Service, Family, Faith, Fun, Excellence, Respect, and Success.

These beliefs drive everything we do, Elizabeth Gonzalez, Chief Operating Officer at DHJJ said. And since these beliefs are part of us, we embedded the hash marks into the logo to represent that we don't separate our business from our beliefs, rather we live them every day and exist to serve our clients and become their trusted business advisors.

The new brand also includes a redesigned website that focuses on providing easy access to content and resources for business owners, CFOs and individuals. The updated site works easily with mobile devices so clients can quickly find the information they need, whether searching for services or connecting with the firms team of advisors.

About DHJJ Certified Public Accountants and Business Advisors

DHJJ exists to help clients reach their goals by making astute and well informed financial and management decisions. The firm was formed in 1974, and in the years since has grown to include over 75 team members who share a commitment to helping all clients fulfill their financial potential. With offices in the original location of Naperville, Illinois and in St. Charles, Illinois, DHJJ offers a complete range of tax, assurance, accounting, business advisory, and financial advisory services to businesses and individuals in the Chicago area and across the Midwest. For information, visit http://www.dhjj.com.

###
A new approach to content curation and customized learning paths has streamlined the learning curve for entrepreneurs, business owners, new hires, and executives looking to expand their knowledge in the growth marketing field. In the Know recently completed a comprehensive site overhaul to focus on delivering the best growth content directly to the user.

This new approach features both original and sourced material from the brightest minds in growth, distributed through a system of Learning Paths to guide the user seamlessly through the content. Content is delivered through a variety of mediums -- videos, books, blog posts, online courses, podcasts, etc. -- in order to meet the needs of diverse learners. In the Know includes original material with top contributors like Neil Patel, Tim Sykes, Eric Smith, Brian Moran, Nick Eubanks, David Darmanin, and others, in addition to curated content from sources like Sean Ellis, Brian Balfour, Seth Godin and other industry leaders.

By offering a highly customized learning path approach to education, In the Know allows individuals and companies to quickly and conveniently gain the skills they need, from trusted authorities in the most relevant fields. More information is online at beintheknow.co.

In the Know is an innovative learning hub that publishes and curates trusted content for those who are tasked with growing an organization. Personally curated content covers a variety of growth marketing topics across different learning formats (books, blogs, videos, podcasts and courses). Users can find relevant and actionable information quickly and cost effectively, gaining the skills they need to leap ahead of the curve.
Search for anyone in the U.S. using PeepDeets.com (http://www.peepdeets.com) simply by searching by name, email, or phone number. PeepDeets' lightning fast search results help zero-in on the person by showing information like age, location, and known associates. A PeepDeets person report can reveal images, phone numbers, addresses, social media profiles, associates, and potential criminal records.

PeepDeets.com also has an iOS app -- PeepDeets (https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/peepdeets/id1087478195) -- which brings the rich features of PeepDeets.com to iOS devices. The Head of Product for PeepDeets, Kit Corry, said: "Its like having a people search engine in your pocket for when you really need to contact someone but dont have their information."

PeepDeets is dedicated to reconnecting people who have lost touch by allowing users to search by name, email, or phone number. Reconnect with lost friends, update mailing lists for the holidays, help organize family or school reunions. Find out who has been calling. Verify email addresses to real-world people.
It is truly exciting that we have won this award, right on the heels of becoming one of Inc. 5000s fastest growing companies."

The Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service are the worlds top sales awards, business development awards, contact center awards, and customer service awards. The Stevie Awards organizes several of the worlds leading business awards shows including the prestigious American Business Awards and International Business Awards.

The awards were presented to honorees during a gala banquet on Friday, March 4 at the Paris Hotel in Las Vegas. More than 500 executives from the U.S.A. and several other nations attended.

More than 2,100 nominations in 59 categories were evaluated in this years competition, an increase of 11% over 2015. Finalists were determined by their average scores by 115 professionals worldwide. More than 60 members of several specialized judging committees determined the Gold, Silver and Bronze Stevie Award placements from among the Finalists during final judging earlier this month.

Patagonia Health is a healthcare supplier of a modern, cloud and apps-based Electronic

Health Record (EHR) software. We started this company with a focus on solving two major user problems: to provide a modern, easy-to-use EHR software, and just as importantly, to provide excellent service. Our goal is to go well beyond traditional customer support. We take a more holistic approach to service said Ashok Mathur, co-founder and CEO, Patagonia Health.

Entries to the Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service continue to grow every year, further validating the essential roles that business development, customer service, and sales play in business success, said Michael Gallagher, president and founder of the Stevie Awards. The widespread support of this program made the 2016 competition that much more intense among finalists. The judges were deeply impressed by the Patagonia Healths accomplishments and we congratulate all the winners on their commitment to excellence and innovation.

It is truly exciting that we have won this award, right on the heels of becoming one of Inc. 5000s fastest growing companies. Just the fact that we can sustain our level of service during a long period of rapid growth, tells me we are doing the right thing, with the right people. We know we have a great product and it is good to be recognized for excellent service stated Mathur.

Watch Patagonia Health EHR Services Video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iLRfX28ZE48

Details about the Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service and the list of Stevie winners in all categories are available at http://www.StevieAwards.com/sales.

About Patagonia Health Inc.

Patagonia Health Inc. is a healthcare software supplier that has built a cloud and apps-based software solution. The solution includes an integrated, federally-certified, Electronic Health Record (EHR), Practice Management (PM) and Billing software. The companys mission is to solve two major barriers to EHR adoption, usability and cost, and address customers number one problem: billing. Patagonia Healths one-of-a-kind apps-based system represents a paradigm shift in the EHR software industry, and its highly-intelligent solution uses sophisticated technology that is extremely easy-to-use. Innovative and unique apps provide timely data for organizations to improve workflow, streamline their operations and take their organizations to the next level. For more information, visit http://www.patagoniahealth.com or email info@patagoniahealth.com.

About The Stevie Awards

The Stevie Awards are conferred in six programs: The American Business Awards, the German Stevie Awards, The International Business Awards, the Stevie Awards for Women in Business, the Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service, and the Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards. A seventh program, the Stevie Awards for Great Employers, will debut in April 2016. Honoring organizations of all types and sizes and the people behind them, the Stevies recognize outstanding performances in the workplace worldwide. Learn more about the Stevie Awards at http://www.StevieAwards.com, and follow the Stevie Awards on Twitter @TheStevieAwards.

For more information, contact:

Patagonia Health Inc.

1915 Evans Road

Cary, NC 27513

Email: info(at)patagoniahealth(dot)com

Phone: (919) 238.4780

Fax: (919) 238.7920

Web: http://www.patagoniahealth.com

Media Contact:

Monique Dever

919-238-4780

monique(at)patagoniahealth
DSM Technology Consultants is pleased to welcome Richard Nicholas to the team as the VP of Service Delivery and Corporate Development. Nicholas previously worked at his familys data center business. During his time there he took the helm, and rapidly turned the company into a best in class data center business, and sold it to WOW! Business, a publicly traded cable company. At WOW! Business, he led their national cloud, and data center business. He also completed the acquisition of a cloud, fiber, and data center business in Ohio. At DSM, Nicholas is responsible for the delivery of all services including Enterprise Cloud, Managed Infrastructure Services, Disaster Recovery as a Service, Data Protection as a Service and Co-location Solutions. He also plays a key role in DSMs merger and acquisition efforts. Richard enjoys running, ultimate Frisbee, craft beer, travel, and reading, but most of all enjoys spending time with his two children, wife and two cats. Richard graduated with degrees in Political Science and Psychology from Wake Forest University.

About DSM Technology Consultants, LLC

DSM is Floridas leading managed cloud provider and is presently developing a national footprint. By utilizing the largest inland private cloud network in Florida, DSM delivers fully managed private cloud solutions as well as hybrid cloud networks utilizing both private and public cloud environments. DSMs white glove services provide customers with cost effective solutions that drive to business objectives, including Managed Infrastructure Services, Disaster Recovery as a Service, Data Protection as a Service, Security as a Service, and custom Platform as a Service. These highly scalable solutions are delivered from CJIS, SSAE16, SOC 1, SOC 2 and HIPAA certified facilities. DSM leverages its Professional Services organization with deep technical expertise and strong client-centric focus to enable its clients to achieve their business needs and goals.

For more information, visit http://www.dsm.net.
Premiers reputation, unwavering commitment to customer satisfaction and a family environment is what attracted us to join them.

Premier Pools and Spas, the largest and fastest growing swimming pool company in the country, is thrilled to announce that they have added yet another Florida franchisee to their growing company. In a continued effort to expand into the Florida market, Premier Franchise Management, the franchisor of Premier Pools & Spas, has hand-chosen two powerhouse pool builders: Bill Steed and Ron Sills. Premier Pools & Spas has a stronghold on the Florida pool building market with thriving businesses in Tampa and Daytona, Paul Porter, franchisor and CEO of Premier Franchise Management, recently opened up the rest of the Florida territories. With a number of builders interested, Porter chose Bill Steed and Ron Sills to operate in the Miami, Dade County, St. Augustine and West Palm Beach regions.

Sills and Steed are well-known in the pool industry as they were top producers at a combined eight million in sales last year in their previous organization, a competing franchisor. With 15 years of industry experience, a genuine need to operate with integrity and an exceptional track record Porter knew they were the right fit for Premier Pools & Spas. Every franchisee we bring on must share the same core values and work ethic, Ron and Bill mirror our standards and have an unwavering commitment to excellence. Porter stated. Sills and Steed stated, "We are very excited to be joining the Premier Pools family. After 15 years with a Nationwide company, we both felt something was missing. Premiers reputation, unwavering commitment to customer satisfaction and a family environment is what attracted us to join them."

The selection process for new franchisees consists of a comprehensive background check and several inquiries to local vendors and distributors, as well as previous customer and personal references. For more information on how to become a Premier Pools and Spas franchisee, please visit http://premierpoolsandspas.com/why-choose-us/become-a-franchisee/ or call Brian Porter, Vice President of Premier Pools & Spas, at (916) 220-2194.

About Premier Pools and Spas

Since 1988, Premier Pools and Spas has built over 50,000 custom pools and knows what it takes to achieve high-quality results within the customers budget. Premier Pools and Spas has won numerous local and national awards including several APSP International Awards of Excellence for Design, 2006 National Pool Builder of the Year and 2012 US #1 Ranked National Pool Builder by Pool & Spa News.
The Coalition for a Democratic Syria thanks the United States Holocaust Memorial Museums Simon Skojdt Center for the Prevention of Genocide for hosting an event on Tuesday, March 15 commemorating the 5th anniversary of the Syrian Revolution.

The commemoration, hosted with support from CDS, will bring together survivors of global atrocities, analysts, and legislators to discuss policy approaches to the protection of civilians, cessation of hostilities, and eventual peaceful transition to inclusive governance in Syria.

The event will be held on Tuesday, March 15 at 2pm. Speakers will include:

Rep. Ed Royce (R-CA), Chairman, House Committee on Foreign Affairs

Rep. Eliot L. Engel (D-NY), Ranking Member, House Committee on Foreign Affairs

Adam Entous, National Security Correspondent for the Wall Street Journal

Robert Satloff, Executive Director of The Washington Institute for Near East Policy

Qutaiba Idlbi, Syrian survivor

The US Holocaust Memorial Museum has been a dedicated partner in condemning these senseless attacks happening daily against civilians in Syria, said Dr. Yahya Basha, chairman of CDS. We hope that our combined efforts will facilitate the swift conclusion of the violence against the Syrian people.

Tuesday marks the anniversary of the Syrian Revolution. Five years of conflict have left over 470,000 dead and over 12 million displaced. Despite the condemnation of the international community, the Syrian Regime and its allies continue to perpetrate acts that the UN Commission of Inquiry has called war crimes and crimes against humanity, amounting to a campaign of extermination at the hands of the state.

The Coalition for a Democratic Syria is a group of Syrian-American non-profit organizations working together to bring about a swift end to the conflict and support the establishment of peace, freedom, and democracy in Syria. CDS is a multi-ethnic, multi-confessional, non-partisan organization. CDS includes: Syrian Emergency Task Force, United for Free Syria, Syrian American Council, Syrian Christians for Peace, the Association of Free Syrians, and the American Syriac Union.
In a thoughtful piece entitled The Governing Cancer of Our Time that recently ran in the New York Times, columnist David Brooks observes, We live in a big, diverse society. There are essentially two ways to maintain order and get things done in such a society -- politics or some sort of dictatorship. Either through compromise or brute force. Our founding fathers chose politics.

Mr. Brooks continues, Politics is an activity in which you recognize the simultaneous existence of different groups, interests and opinions. You try to find some way to balance or reconcile or compromise those interests, or at least a majority of them. You follow a set of rules, enshrined in a constitution or in custom, to help you reach these compromises in a way everybody considers legitimate.

But, as he notes, unfortunately this process has broken down in recent years. Over the past generation we have seen the rise of a group of people who are against politics. These groups -- best exemplified by the Tea Party but not exclusive to the right -- want to elect people with no political experience. ... The antipolitics people elect legislators who have no political skills or experience. That incompetence leads to dysfunctional government, which leads to more disgust with government, which leads to a demand for even more outsiders.

We see this happening in Washington. And we see it happening in Springfield, where a governor who ran as an outsider refuses to seek common ground with a state legislature controlled by the other party.

It hasnt always been that way. We can only look back with nostalgia to the era when Jim Edgar was governor of Illinois (1991-1999.) A moderate Republican, which is a rare bird today, he knew that he had to work with the Democratic majorities in the state legislature, which he successfully accomplished. Even when Republicans achieved majorities in both houses of the state legislature, he continued working with those on both sides of the aisle.

By the time Gov. Edgar left office in 1999, he had eliminated the backlog in the payment of the states bills and reduced the size of state government. And, though this is hard to comprehend today, when he left office, the state had a budget surplus.

And what is his take on the situation in Springfield today? In an October newspaper interview, he stated, State governments probably in the worst state its been in the 47 years that Ive been around [it.] Youve got dozens and dozens of programs that arent being funded, agencies that are having trouble doing their mission, and I think its very unfortunate. He called upon Gov. Bruce Rauner to quit holding a state spending plan hostage to his political agenda.

Now its all shouting

Its much the same on the national level. In his New York Times piece, Mr. Brooks observes, The antipolitics people refuse compromise and so block the legislative process. The absence of accomplishment destroys public trust. ... Were now at a point in which normal political conversation has broken down. People feel unheard, which makes them shout even louder, which further destroys conversation.

This era of irrational animosity is fertile ground for political bullies who like to throw their weight around and boast about what they will do when they get elected. Instead of thoughtfully discussing the issues, political bullies are constantly on the attack, including making disparaging comments about the anatomy of their opponents. As Mr. Brooks correctly points out, they have chosen the path that the founding fathers rejected -- that of opting for brute force, rather than practicing the art of politics.

A postscript

In 2003, U.S. Sen. Peter Fitzgerald announced he would not be running for reelection. The Bush administration approached Jim Edgar to see if he would run for that seat. Given his success as governor and great popularity, he would have been a formidable candidate. But because of some health concerns  he had undergone open heart surgery  he chose not to run. As a result, a state legislator with little political experience ended up being elected to represent Illinois in the U.S. Senate. Prior to completing that Senate term, he ran for higher office and is now completing his second term as president. We can only speculate about what the political scene would have been like today if Jim Edgar had said yes rather than no when asked to run for that U.S. Senate seat.
ROCK ISLAND -- As the 31st Quad-Cities' St. Patrick's Day Grand Parade began, 88-year-old Ethel Stotz sat with a smile in her walker/chair near the curb.

Attired in green, she waited for the bands, vehicles, walkers and 63 floats to pass by her seat near Fourth Avenue and 20th Street in downtown Rock Island.

"My grandkids gave me a leprechaun hat that sings, 'When Irish Eyes Are Smiling,'" Ms. Stotz said. "They wanted me to wear it, but I said, 'No, I'm not wearing that to the parade today.'"

Instead, the Davenport resident wore a green knit hat to watch the parade with her daughter, Marcy Sanhueza, who traveled from the Denver area to be with her mother.

Ms. Stotz said she occasionally would frequent the bars in Rock Island, watch the parade with friends "and enjoy the company."

"I don't have trouble with people, you know?" she said. "I've worked in different places over the years. People know me from Sears Roebuck, Montgomery Wards, the Adler Theatre, church. I've got people in all these categories.

"I've been a widow for over 30 years, and I do things by myself."

As Ms. Stotz watched, the parade got underway in downtown Rock Island. With a green bowler hat and his beard dyed green, Dan Dugan stood on Fifth Avenue and yelled "Irish flags!"

Mr. Dugan said he was selling Irish and American flags Saturday to raise money for Rock Island Boy Scout Troop 243 for camping.

"We're selling them as fast as we can make money," Mr. Dugan said. "It's the first time we've tried Irish flags. We're getting a good response."

Not everyone was buying, he said. "Some people may be saving their money for beer, I guess."

Moses Robinson, director of the Metropolitan Youth Program in Rock Island, was gearing up his students for the parade route. Youth 6 to 18 years old rehearsed, preparing the drumline, amid Metro Youth steppers wearing Rock Island red and yellow colors.

"Once a Marine, always a Marine," the former Marine said Saturday about the squad's preparade drills. He noted he's also working to recruit more students for the program he took over in 2012.

"We've had steady growth," he said. "This is the first time in three years that we're in the parade. We've been around for 30 years, and a lot of people are still learning about us.

"We're trying to dismantle the myth that you have to be a Rock Island resident," Mr. Robinson said."It's Quad-Cities-wide. We're glad to be here today."

Nearby, Quad City Parrot Head Club member Randy Martinson was dressed as Captain Morgan.

"My sister made the whole outfit," he said. "She took the label (off the bottle) and made it.

"I like seeing people smile," he said. "That's the big thing."

The "O'Brien Clan" float also was hoping to see people smile with their float that displayed a paper rainbow descending into a golden toilet.

"That is the pot of gold," said Erin Baker. "We've been in this parade almost every year since it started."

Political candidates also were in Saturday's parade, including Brandi McGuire, Republican candidate for the District 72 Illinois House seat, on her family's annual float.

"The McGuire family is here every year," she said, describing this year's float. "That's the McGuire family crest."

From side streets and parking lots filled with vehicles, people walked to Saturday's parade. Skeleton Key Art and Antiques owner owner Brandy VandeWalle displayed a sandwich board sign with the chalked message, "St. Patrick was a gentleman who through strategy and stealth drove all the snakes from Ireland.

"Here's a toast to his health. But not too many toasts unless you lose yourself and forget the good St. Patrick and see all those snakes again."

"It's an old Irish saying I found and put it out there," she said. Beneath it was written, "Clearance Sale Inside."

"It's been a pretty good day for us," Ms. VandeWalle said.
DAVENPORT  Many people think green on St. Paddy's Day, but lovers of a different green will gather in the Quad-Cities by the thousands this week to celebrate antique John Deere equipment and farming history.

Up to 2,500 two-cylinder and New Generation tractor collectors, restorers and enthusiasts from across the U.S. and Canada will attend the biannual Gathering of the Green conference Wednesday through Saturday at the Davenport RiverCenter, 136 E. 3rd St., on both floors in both north and south buildings.

"It's huge, and the displays the display committee puts on are incredible," said Don McKinley, of Quincy, Ill., a two-cylinder and implement restorer, collector, longtime Gathering planner and co-creator. He likes the event for "the knowledge that's there, in one place. These guys and gals, they are an exceptional group of people," he said.

On Thursday night, the 88-year-old retired school principal will give a talk titled "From Clam Shells to Space," focusing on the evolution of farm equipment, including major revolutions that have occurred in agriculture and suggesting we're in the midst of a new one.

That's the 21st century trend of precision farming, in which high-tech tools aid farmers, Mr. McKinley said. "It's amazing. Agriculture started about 10,000 B.C., and for 10,000 years, we really didn't advance much in equipment, really into the 1830s. From then, it's just exploded."

While he's come to Gathering of the Green since it started 16 years ago, Mr. McKinley has never given a presentation. "This is the only meeting of its kind," he said. "They've got 60 workshops; the best there is in the country will lead the workshops. People want to know how the experts do it."

The history of farm equipment and implements has been a passion of Mr. McKinley's since he

retired in 1986. He was born in southwest Iowa and worked on the family farm. With his son-in-law, Marvin Huber, in 2003, he built and opened a 1930s agriculture museum in Quincy.

The free museum's 4,000 items include a 1936 Deere tractor and a Deere riding plow from 1869 that won an international plowing contest in France in 1875.

The Gathering of the Green is sponsored by four John Deere antique tractor clubs  Deer Valley Collectors, Illinois Valley Two-Cylinder Club, North Eastern Illinois Twin-Cylinder Club and Northwest Illinois Deere Collectors. It attracts several collectors from Canada, England and Germany, Mr. McKinley said.

"We put it together to preserve and educate," Mr. McKinley said of the massive event. "I enjoy seeing young farmers. They use GPS. This is not how it was. They're usually fascinated and appreciate what they have."

With the theme Forge to Farm," the convention-style conference will offer John Deere admirers a chance to enjoy the workshops and shop the vendor area. There will be an opening reception, evening speakers, Deere factory and ag-related tours and an ending banquet. Proceeds from a Friday night auction will be used to put on future gatherings.

Workshop topics will include plows, combines, planters, cooling systems, New-Gen hydraulics, New-Gen diesel repair, electrical systems, sheet-metal repair/painting and much more.

Up to 70 vendors will offer repair services, new and used parts, tractor restoration services, manuals, literature, tires, signs, decals, art, toys, clothing, memorabilia and more.

The extensive displays for this year will reflect the theme. Attendees can view significant tractors and implements from yesteryear, as well as a vintage barn, early 1900s corn crib and an old-time livery stable.

The Saturday night banquet keynote speaker will be Dr. Jerry Apps, a well-known Wisconsin author, historian and PBS personality, who will share his memories of a time when life was simpler.

For a complete schedule and more information, visit gatheringofthegreen.com.
ROCK ISLAND ARSENAL  The U.S. Army Sustainment Command filled two major staff positions in January. Patty Perrigo is the new deputy chief of staff, G-1 (Human Resources), and Cheryl Vincent is the new deputy chief of staff, G-8 (Resource Management).

Their promotion ceremony was held Feb. 29.

Perrigo and Vincent both served as interim in their current positions for several months and were selected after an extensive application and interview process. Vincent first met Perrigo in 2008 when she took a job as the military personnel team lead in the G-1, but was soon placed as the Manpower Division lead. Perrigo was the civilian personnel team lead at the time.

I wanted to spend some time in the G-1, said Vincent. I needed to understand the personnel aspect of the organization.

In 2014, the Manpower Division was moved back from G-1 to G-8. Vincent said she believes it is important for the G-8 to have a good understanding of how personnel works, given the close connection between manpower and personnel.

Vincent said she was impressed with Perrigo.

Manpower is the connection between G-1 and G-8; you need the positions and the funding for those positions, she said. I had the spaces, and Patty had the faces. I had immediate respect for her; it was quite obvious she had a wealth of experience. She is an extremely knowledgeable individual.

You listened to her in meetings, and you listened because you could tell she knew her stuff.

Perrigo said she is pleased to be working with Vincent at the G-staff level.

Shes absolutely the perfect person for the job, she said. The nice thing about working with people who really understand each other  its not seen as someone trying to push work onto someone else. Its more of a process-oriented and effective relationship focused on finding improvements.

As the Army downsizes, Vincent said it is important for the G-1 and the G-8 to be working closely together.

Especially in an environment of declining financial resources, the G-1 and the G-8 are involved with everything happening in the command, said Vincent. Its important for us to have everything in place we are a huge support to the operational side of the command.

I am excited about the One and the Eight working together in the future. I think we can do great things, she said.
Today-Sunday, March 13

--Bethel A.M.E. Church, 323 W. 11th St., Davenport: 6 p.m., 150th Anniversary, "Honoring Our Legacy -- Rooted in the Foundation of Faith" gala and year-long fundraiser kick-off; Radisson Quad City Plaza, 111 E. 2nd St., Davenport; Bethel is Iowa's oldest African American church; keynote speaker the Rev. Cyrus J. Burns, St. James A.M.E. Church; $50 per person, 563-349-0966 or bethelame150yrs@gmail.com; 11 a.m. Sunday worship service, led by the Rev. Gregory Armstrong.

Tuesday, March 15

--Marketplace School of Ministry: 6:30-7:30 p.m., session 1, "Religion Movements of our Day," discussions about faith groups including Mormons, Jehovah's Witnesses, Muslims, The New Age Movement, Christian Science; session 2, 7:30-8:30 p.m., "How to Share the Word," advice about how to prepare a Bible study, a Bible Message and share faith; both held Tuesdays, through May 10, at New Life Fellowship Conference classroom, 2345 19th St., Moline; 6-6:30 p.m. March 15; Dr. Ken Lundeen at 309-788-0778.

Wednesday, March 16

--Church of Peace, 1114 12th St., Rock Island: how the criminal justice system relates to Christian faith, Lenten series continues; Lynda Sargent, Heart of Hope Ministries; 5:30 p.m. dinner, 6:15 p.m., program; 309-788-6357, ChurchofPeaceUCC.org.

Thursday, March 17

--Rock Island First Church of the Nazarene, 2921 38th St., Rock Island: 7 p.m., Ofer Levy, a missionary with Jews for Jesus, "Christ in the Passover;" explains the link between the ancient festival of redemption and Christ as the Lamb of God with a table set with traditional Passover items, and Scripture, to weave the story of the Exodus together with the life, death and resurrection of Jesus; 309-786-8232; Mr. Levy, of Israel, is on a U.S. multi-week missionary tour.

Saturday, March 19

Heart of Hope Ministries: 3rd annual Trivia Night Fundraiser, Martin Luther King Center, 630 7th Ave., Rock Island; 5 p.m. doors open; 5:30 p.m. trivia begins; Modern Woodman of America will match donations, up to $2,500; proceeds benefit the ministries's food pantry, visited by 1,432 people representing more than 7,000 local families; pantry distributed more than 33,000 pounds of food last year; at 1740 9th Ave., Rock Island; heartofhopeqc.org, 309-428-4752 to register; $10 per person or $80 for a table of 8; or $12 per person at the door.

Friday, March 25

--Union Congregational Church, 1811 53rd St., Moline: 1 p.m., Good Friday worship service; unionuccmoline.com.

Saturday, March 26

--Gospel Mission Temple, 5074 N. Pine St., Davenport: noon, annual Egg-Extravaganza; more than 4,000 eggs hidden with candy inside; area vendors/exhibitors also on site; 563-388-9081 gospelmissiontemple.org.

Saturday, March 26-Sunday, March 27

--Edgewood Baptist Church, 2704 38th St., Rock Island: five Easter weekend services highlighting a "Comeback" theme; 5 and 7 p.m. Saturday, and 8, 9:30 and 11 a.m. Sunday; child care, children's program at all services; 309-786-7913 or edgewoodbaptist.net.
DURANT, Iowa -- Ever since the 2009 breakup of the U.S. Episcopal Church and American Anglicans, St. David's Church in Durant has gathered at a community center and a nearby Methodist Church.

By Easter, the Anglican congregation hopes to change all that and open its eyes to a new church they call their own -- without seeing any indebtedness.

Church leaders bought and are converting the former Courtney Eye Care building at 409 8th Ave., Durant. It also was a feed store in the mid-1960s and a restaurant/tavern, according to church pastor the Rev. John Spencer.

At one time, Rev. Spencer was vicar general, diocesan standing committee president and media officer of the Quincy Episcopal Diocese. He recently completed "Solarium Trilogy" stories about researchers sealed inside a science complex to see if life can survive in a completely closed, manmade environment.

Rev. Spencer said he opted to return to being a "simple parish priest" after the politically charged church split.

"Many Quad-Citians make the drive to Durant to attend services, he said. "We're a 40-member congregation. We're tiny, but I felt God gave me a sign that St. David's was going to have its own church. His hand has definitely been in this from the start."

Rev. Spencer said he came to the Durant church a year after the Anglican-Episcopal split, "beyond the point" of any sore feelings caused by the schism. The church began a capital campaign that raised $220,000 in six weeks. The congregation bought three acres of land on Iowa 6 just east of Durant, where it someday plans to build a new church, Rev. Spencer said.

"But a new church would have cost between $500,000 and $1 million, so we didn't have enough," he said.

Parishioners noticed a small "for sale" sign in the yard of the Courtney Eye Clinic and learned the eye doctor was trying to sell the property on her own without going through Realtors. She and church leaders agreed to a price and renovation began.

About 80 percent of the work has been done by building committee chairman Harvey Dittmer and a team of up to 20 volunteers, Rev. Spencer said. Tri-County Builders, of Durant, helped on some of the bigger projects requiring tradesmen, such as installing 38-foot ceiling trusses that span from wall to wall.

The sanctuary area will be able to seat about 100 people, Rev. Spencer said. A large commons room will be able to be opened up to accommodate more people. It also will have space for Sunday school rooms and offices.

An insurance company agent also maintains an office on site, Rev. Spencer said.

"It's not a huge building," he said. "But it will allow us to keep growing and, in 10 years or so, we will look to build on the land we bought.

"This takes the pressure off of us building on the three-acre lot when it might not be possible to pay for it all," he said. "This is actually a Godsend.

"People may naturally wonder what we are going to do with this building when we build our new church," Rev. Spencer said. "We're thinking about making it some kind of youth center to give area youth somewhere to go and something to do."

He said church members previously met at the Durant Community Center before it became too hectic. The church relocated services to Walcott United Methodist Church and hopes to be in its new home at the corner of 5th Street and 8th Avenue by Good Friday or Easter Sunday.

A new fiberglass steeple from Alabama, bought by a parishioner, was put in place earlier in the week. Its height had to be toned down a bit because city ordinance restricts objects exceeding 35 feet, Rev. Spencer said.

But there's no telling the true heights St. David's will be able to reach as a church.
The first thing to say is that these reflections arise from an area of the mind unclouded by present presidential contentions.

Nancy Reagans death brings to another area of the mind deep gratitude for various things: personal dignity and grace, high standards, devotion to country and enduring ideals; not least, warmth and humor.

The Reagans were something -- both of them. Many who read these words, even those who supported Jimmy Carter or Walter Mondale, remember with some appreciation a time when a political campaign wasnt a bid to send an opponent tumbling headlong to the ninth ring of hell.

The myth of Reagan and House Speaker Tip ONeill uncorking a bottle together after an all-day battle celebrates, whether with needlepoint accuracy or not, the possibility of there being such a bottle, and of clinking glasses in a friendly way before moving on to the nations next challenge. Its something nice to think about, the ideal seeming so distant and inaccessible.

The Reagans, who were one spirit as well as one flesh, brought to the America of the 80s a feeling of hope concerning the American dream, whatever that all-purpose catchphrase is supposed to connote. They excited criticism for policy stands and actions; they were dismissed for alleged simpleness of mind and snobbishness. They never exploded or lashed out, though Mrs. Reagans voice could grow icy at the tactless suggestion that her Ronnie was deficient in any significant presidential, far less human, attributes.

They were a class act, the two of them. Together, they lifted America during a hard time. They emerged from the midst of the tumult and shouting not without wounds and failures but with heads held high, and with smiles, despite it all, on their faces. They did their best; they did it with personal aplomb and profound sincerity.

Profound, yes. The Reagans were shallow only in the eyes of those who saw conservative ideas -- old-fashioned ideas, traditional ideas  as shallow and unsuitable for the New Time in which we lived.

Their unqualified love of America must have been to many outsiders their most unnatural, and enraging, characteristic. They seemed to wave the flag wherever they went: with thankful upward glances toward the Author of Liberty. Theologians they were not, parsing doctrine and creeds. They had hired on for a different job -- that of giving renewed life to the dream of a country where Gods familiarity at national table and board made Him a welcome rather than an alien presence.

The Reagan yearscannot be called paradisical. There were national divisions that persist; there were wars and rumors of war. Clearly if all our problems had been solved circa 1981-89, the contenders in the present campaign would be running for the right to bore us during the next four years. They would be planning picnics rather than raising outcries for change.

The late Nancy and the late Ronnie dignified their calling all the same, playing a role, if you want to call it such. But what a role: champions of a country struggling to get back on its feet after some untimely knockdowns. If their labors worked only in part, still they worked. The end of the cold war lay just ahead; tax cuts did more than revive the economy -- they reminded many that the fruits of work belong chiefly to the worker and only afterwards to the government that insists on its ever-larger share for public purposes.

The Reagans moved about the world with a sense of their places as spokesman and spokeswoman for a country with an exceptional view of its duties and possibilities. They were never self-aggrandizing, never boastful, in keeping with their view of the presidency as an office meant to exalt general postulates and ambitions, as opposed to navel-gazing.

I said at the start, these reflections arise from no examination of todays contentions. But any who see them as relevant somehow to those contentions  all I can say in a spirit of liberty is, take em however you like.
This is not an article about radio.

Well it kind of is, but only in the loose sense that a radio, or any, career can have an impact on maintaining friendships due to the need (particularly early) to move around the country or in some cases the world.

So whilst there is kind of a tenuous link, this article really isnt about radio as such.

Let me explain.

A very good friend of mine who had a fantastic and successful radio career, before moving into a different industry (also extremely successfully), has had a rough time with his health over the past year.

We go back a long way. We studied radio together in our late teens, weve lived together, worked together at the same radio station, worked in a market on opposition stations to each other, we both MCd each others weddings, he stayed with my parents for some months when he got a job on a radio station in my hometown  he even married a great girl who went to the same high school as I did!

So we go back forever.

However we have, for many years, lived in different states. And through the tyranny of distance weve not kept in touch as much as we should have. We have to an extent, but sporadically and inconsistently  nowhere near regularly enough. And unfortunately now its getting too late to make up that time.

Whats that old line about life getting in the way?

In recent months, whilst hes faced his health challenges we have been speaking more, and catching up  on the phone, in person, on text  and its obvious that all of the excuses that get in the way of catching up over the years are just that. Excuses.

Any career that requires moving, or travelling, and probably even those that dont, make the maintaining of relationships harder. So whats the point of this article with a very tenuous link to radio on a radio industry website? Perhaps its simply cathartic, I suspect thats a part of it.

But maybe, if youve read this far, you might think of one person who youve lost contact with, or havent spoken to for a while  and take time to give them a call and catch up, even if its just a phone call.

Because its important. And life shouldnt get in the way of things like that.
Nowhere else will you get such a wide overview of developments in radio with so many programmers sharing their ideas and experiences. Over 1300 people attend from over 60 countries including many from Australia and New Zealand. And we have it covered with RadioTodayLive.

The event, which has grown to be the biggest gathering of radio professionals in Europe, starts on Sunday 10pm AEST and continues till Tuesday evening.

If you are going  you can check in and browse the exhibition from midday Sunday in Paris. There are exclusive film showing, networking sessions, workshops, sessions and a welcome session. And thats just Sunday.

During the event, there are 50+ sessions with 100+ speakers. At most times, 4 different sessions are running on 4 stages throughout the venue in Paris. Download the full session PDF here.

Representing Australia is Kyle and Jackie O , along with their ARNs National Content Director Duncan Campbell who will present a keynote KIIS and say goodbye The Big Move.

And CRAs Joan Warner will also join the RadioDays Europe stage in two panel presentations: Digital Radio  Europes choice,and another on Mobile  a giant leap forward  discussing securing DAB access in mobile phones.

If its RadioDays Europe  we have it covered with our partners, Radio Today UK, RadioTodayLive and a Live stream from our partner radio station inRadio.

Tweets from RadioToday Live

Heres a summery of our Radio Today coverage this year with our Parters Radio Today UK and RadioToday Live:

Live tweets  we are in the main sessions tweeting the highlights, the exciting quotes and the delegates comments. Our Emma will keep you 100% up-to-date on@RadioTodayLive.

Live photos  we have cameras and we are not afraid to use them. Youll see photos from the stages, the exhibition, the delegates and the speakers. If you want a photo of someone or something, let Will know!

Interviews  our AudioBoom page is where you need to be for a constant flow of audio interviews from our man on the ground Mark Pendergast.

Live stream  our partner radio station inRadio has managed to secure the rights to stream the first session live. Listen at6pm AEST Monday for the live link up  dont be late because it wont be repeated!

Your comments  weve created a feed of the hash tag #RDE16 and you can view it, along with all the above content, on Radio Today.

Round-up  Trevor Dann will also be in attendance with the RadioToday Programme Flashmic talking to the great and the good, so if you cant keep up with our live coverage, our weekly podcast will provide a look back.
Video inventory platform provider SpotX is expanding its supply-side operations for the UK and southern Europe.

It has appointed Robert Greaves as supply operations manager and Julian Strutt as business development manager. Joining from Brightroll, Greaves and Strutt will work with publishers and broadcasters in the UK and southern Europe to maximise their video advertising revenue. Based in London, they will report to the managing director for the UK and Southern Europe, Leon Siotis.The two new execs will be charged with working with publishers, broadcasters and app developers to create private and curated marketplaces for video, mobile video, connected TV and advertising revenue strategies for linear TV.Commenting on the appointments, Siotis said: With years of experience in video advertising between them, both Strutt and Greaves can offer seasoned advice to publishers and broadcasters on the best optimisation techniques to improve their performance for advertisers and their agencies, and maximise their advertising revenue. Greaves employs his analytical and scientific skills to effectively manage algorithms whilst Strutt brings a wealth of commercial experience and industry relationships, which will benefit the supply side and help business grow in the UK, and across Europe.
HRW, March 9, 2016

By Patricia Gossman





Its a bitter irony that the latest blow to justice for Farkhunda Malikzada occurred on the eve of International Womens Day.

This week, Afghanistans Supreme Court granted significant sentence reductions to 13 men convicted of Farkhundas brutal murder in March 2015. The men were part of a mob that beat Farkhunda to death in broad daylight in central Kabul while police stood by and watched. The Supreme Court confirmed a lower courts decision to vacate four death sentences, reducing the prison terms to 20 years in three cases, and 10 years in the fourth, while also reducing the sentences of nine other defendants. The decision is a reminder of just how badly the Afghan justice system has failed Farkhunda and her family.

Commuting the four death sentences averts the further cruelty of capital punishment. But it does not bring justice for Farkhunda any closer. Thirty men were initially charged with a murder that was witnessed by scores of people and video recorded by her killers and bystanders alike. At every stage of this case the Afghan criminal justice system failed to adequately investigate, hold to account or appropriately punish those responsible. The trials of those originally accused were conducted in haste and riddled with procedural errors, with many defendants lacking legal counsel. Police also failed to arrest a number of attackers who are clearly identifiable in video footage of the killing. Of the 19 police prosecuted for failing to intervene to stop the mob, the court lightly disciplined only 11.

President Ashraf Ghanis government could still do much more to track down those individuals implicated in Farkhundas killing who have so far evaded justice. The case also highlights the urgent need to tackle judicial and police reforms to give other women a better chance at justice. The government should develop robust mechanisms to hold police officers accountable for their behavior, and recruit more female police and provide them with safe, decent working conditions. Properly enforcing Afghanistans 2009 Law on the Elimination of Violence Against Women will also offer some hope to the many women that the justice system is currently failing to protect.

No violence against women is acceptable, President Ghani said earlier this year at an event to help female victims of violence. Hes right, but now he needs to stick to his word and take meaningful steps to end impunity for such violence.
realclearworld Newsletters: Europe Memo

Let's take a moment to survey the Transatlantic zeitgeist. As any RealClearWorld reader knows, it's not an attractive scene. "Existential" quickly became the most common modifier to describe the European Union's crises after September 2015. Indeed, predictions of the European Union's demise, and descriptions of its stifling irrelevance, are no longer the exception -- they shape the conventional wisdom. The attendant fragmentation of national politics may be a coincidence, or may well vindicate the long-held notion that the European institutions have had some hand in keeping peace on the Continent.

But we're well past that now. To cast mud on long-established alliances has become a trivial habit: Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump singles out Mexico and Japan, while U.S. President Barack Obama uses a major editorial intervention to rail against bandwagoning allies and, shortly following the 70-year anniversary of its addition to the Transatlantic lexicon, to bring into question the usefulness of the so-called Special Relationship between Britain and the United States. RAND finds that Russia, if it so chose, could overwhelm NATO during an incursion into the Baltics. Countries from the United Kingdom to France and Germany are revisiting foreign policy leitmotifs. Elections, across the board, have become frightening affairs, often resulting in an inability to form governments.

And so the commentariat begins to ponder the End of the West. Not in a whisper, but a highly-credentialed roar. Anne Applebaum writes that "we are two or three bad elections away from the end of NATO, the end of the European Union, and maybe the end of the liberal world order as we know it." Der Spiegel heralds Trump as the most dangerous man in the world, while Nicholas Vinocur envisions, in resigned tones, a Europe left on its own by an election of Trump. Charles Moore says the European Union would be the logical body to step up for an America that has left the West dangerously exposed under Obama's guidance. Too bad, though, says Moore. None of Europe's leaders can lead.

This isn't the space for a deeper philosophical discussion about what "The West" is. For pragmatic purposes, let's look at it from three angles, and peer in at the moment we're living. One angle is as an amalgam of nation-states bound together by some degree of ideological and functional overlap and, at least loosely, by geography. Another angle is the cooperative institutions that bind these states together. Another still is definition via a common adversary, logically one to the east, Russia.

Moscow's bellicosity -- perhaps best illustrated by its swift takeover of Crimea in 2014 -- has stunned the world in recent years. Far more insidious has been the way in which the Kremlin has managed its interest in undermining European unity.

That bellicosity did not come out of nowhere. Flip the map, and it's easy to see why Western lamentations of a revival of Russian power make little sense. Sure, Russia gained Crimea; but it lost Ukraine. Looking back, Moscow has a point when it says that the West ignored its opposition to NATO encroachment in what it considers its sphere of influence. There is a long patchwork of Kremlin protestations on the issue quilting the years between Soviet collapse and Putin's rise. Andrew T. Wolff documents the process well in an article for Chatham House, "The Future of NATO Enlargement."

Intimations of NATO membership for Ukraine and Georgia, pushed for by President George W. Bush in 2008, could not possibly be seen in any kind of friendly light by any responsible Kremlin strategist. In looking back, we can see in NATO the same kind of stuck-in-the-moment thinking that has characterized the European institutions since history famously ended -- the kind of thinking that fosters a system ill-prepared for crises. In the EU, a borderless region with no common means for securing exterior borders, and a currency zone with multiple economic policies; in NATO, the enlargement of a military alliance to a historically sensitive region, with questionable ability to militarily defend that very region, done under the political presumption that its advance would be seen peacefully by an adversary, or that said adversary would remain too weak to push back. The West priced a victory over history into its calculations and erred. It was not viewed as a peaceful expansion, and Russia -- which began a military modernization program in the latter part of the last decade -- now looms across an eastern NATO edge comprising a number of countries of scant population or negligible, for now, military means.

This is no apology for Putin, but rather an attempt to point out a paucity of planning. Consistency matters. Russia is engaged in the fight now, and it is a question to what extent NATO, and the West as a whole, are ready or able to push back against Russian interference. Moscow wants to weaken Europe from the inside. The Kremlin gives money to populist parties such as the strengthening Front National in France. In a survey this week published in the Dutch daily Volkskrant, 58 percent of voters in the yes' camp of a looming referendum on an EU trade agreement with Ukraine saw Russian hands in the effort to organize and bring forward the referendum. (In that same poll, 57 percent of respondents said they plan to reject the accord with Ukraine.) Ben Judah for The Independent this week contemplated Russia's considerable interest in a British exit from the European Union. And the pipelines that are the material veins of Russian power into European politics are undermining the key Continental player, Germany, as it revisits its traditional Ostpolitik, a diplomatic approach from Berlin toward Moscow that has been placed under severe strain. Germany is willing to lead on Russian sanctions; but in the meantime, it may be paving the road for the Nord Stream II pipeline, the geopolitical implications of which merit a column of their own.

Russia's hybrid war seizes on many messages and means, and historically it's hard to find anyone who is better at finding the means and messages needed to bind adherents to a shared struggle. The Russians have been doing it for ages in their search for state coherence. Take this anecdote from Milovan Djilas' "Conversations with Stalin," wherein the one-time top Tito aide is surprised at an expedient Stalinist ideological adaptability:

"I had previously learned from Soviet officials that as soon as the war broke out, the Russian patriarch began, without asking the government, to distribute mimeographed encyclicals against the German invaders, and that they enjoyed a response which went far beyond his subordinate clergy. These appeals were also attractive in form, in the monotony of Soviet propaganda they radiated with the freshness of the ancient and religious patriotism. The Soviet government quickly adapted itself and began to look to the church, too, for support, despite the fact that they continued to regard it as a remnant of the old order. In the misfortunes of war, religion was revived and made headway, and the chief of the Soviet mission in Yugoslavia, General Korneev, told how many people -- and very responsible people at that -- considered turning to orthodoxy, in a moment of mortal danger from the Germans, as a more permanent ideological mobilizer. We would have saved Russia even through Orthodoxy if that were unavoidable!' he explained."

Meanwhile, the manifold pressures on the European Union daily create new strains on the institutions and arrangements that bind the West. The United Kingdom is headed for a historic vote on June 23. British voters will decide whether they want their country to be the first to ever withdraw from the supranational bloc. It is hard to fully measure the possible consequences. David Francis of Foreign Policy points out that in the aftermath of a Leave vote, a trade war between Germany and Great Britain could follow.

Here is where events on both sides of the Atlantic converge. Brexiteers should heed the warning of Michael Froman, the top U.S. trade representative, who recently said the United States would have little urgency to arrange a new trade deal with the United Kingdom. What kind of a deal, one has to ask, would the United Kingdom hope to make with an America under the thrall of Trump- or Bernie Sanders-style protectionism? Zooming out, what might the future hold for the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership, a Euro-American attempt to set the tone for trade in the global commons, as populist sentiments rise on both sides of the Atlantic?

Zooming back in, we arrive at the third angle of view: the health of the Western nation-state. Secessionist movements have flowered into prominence in Catalonia, in Scotland, in Corsica. Traditionally strong political parties have been disrupted: from the inside, in the case of Britain's Labour Party and the Republicans in the United States, in the guise, respectively, of Jeremy Corbyn and Donald Trump. But more broadly, the firewalls erected country-by-country across Europe to maintain a centrist consensus are breaking down. Elections from Spain and Portugal, to Slovakia and Croatia, are seeing the arrival of extremist parties and the breakdown of a long-stable centrist consensus. Now we all wait for the British and Americans to cast their crucial votes this year, with France and Germany to follow in 2017.

Supranational pretensions aside, the nation-state is still the essential building block: The European institutions must answer to their nation-states' needs, and the nation-states must answer the needs of their citizens. Where the political center fails, where the elites no longer respond to the needs of the population, voters quite naturally move to the fringes. And the problem with fringes is that they don't like each other very much -- their first instinct is to fight, and when our societies are fighting each other, they skew the pursuit of the national interest, which is the common interest we all share.

Indeed there is much for the pundit class to ponder. Surely the West has seen its share of uncertain moments in the past. But as this relatively easily assembled laundry list of symptoms makes clear, the malaise is real. As the editor of RealClearWorld, I don't expect the "End of the West" headlines to stop coming my way anytime soon.

Feedback

Questions, comments, contributions? Feel free to send us an email, or reach out on Twitter @joelweickgenant.

And be sure to check for all of the latest news and analysis on Europe at RealClearWorld.com.
I took a walk around my yard looking for signs of spring. It's a small yard, but it surprises me.

Sure enough, the lavender under the window was tinged with tiny purple flowers. The succulents by the pool were sending up bright orange spikes. And the vine that climbs a wall around the front porch was draped with fat, red blooms.

We live in the desert on a hill overlooking Las Vegas. Spring in the desert is somewhat softer spoken, less showy than in some places. But it is spring nonetheless. And I'm hungry for it.

I suspect you might be, too.

Winter has a beauty and a purpose all its own. I don't know what that purpose is, but I'm sure it has one  if only to make us appreciate other seasons.

I love family gatherings at the holidays  the warmth of a fire on a cold winter night; the wonder of snowflakes falling from heaven to Earth.

But winter can act like an uninvited guest that doesn't have enough sense to know when to leave. Some years I wish I could send it packing. This is one of those years.

As a child, I could hardly wait to spend spring break with my grandmother on her farm in the mountains of North Carolina.

The weather was not always springlike. One year it snowed so deep that I couldn't get home in time to go back to school. Come to think of it, that might have been my favorite spring.

But most years, springtime in those mountains was a blessed reprieve from the bitter cold prison of winter.

We shared a ritual, the two of us, my grandmother and I.

"Let's go see if the dogwood's in bloom," she'd say.

Then we'd bundle up as need be, grab our walking sticks and take off up the mountain together.

She would lead and I would follow, talking as we walked, the way walkers often do, about everything and nothing  trees in bud, sprigs of grass popping up in patches of snow, birds singing "Hallelujah, we're alive."

Just when I thought I couldn't walk another step, we'd come to a clearing where a dogwood tree lived its life with no apparent purpose, but to be beautiful and shelter birds and bear witness to the passage of seasons and the persistence of life.

Each spring when we made our dogwood pilgrimage, that tree would be in full bloom, a perfect mass of soft pink blossoms like a sky filled with clouds at sunset.

Far more than the tree, I loved the time with my grandmother. What else are rituals for, if not to remind us of who we are and how much we are loved and to make sure we never forget?

My grandmother left this world long ago. Her farm was sold and much of the mountain has been subdivided. I'm not sure if the dogwood is still there. But I see them clearly that tree and my grandmother. They live in my memory forever in bloom.

These days, I'm trying to make new rituals and new memories to be revisited in years to come.

Recently, I heard the call of a mourning dove, a sure sign of spring. Any day now, we'll see quail chicks darting across the yard. My husband and I might take a drive to see wildflowers. And soon I'll go to California to see my grandchildren.

They're too little to know a lot about seasons and rituals, aside from Christmas and birthdays. But I want them to know what I learned as a child, that seasons change and we change, too, but every day is a chance to celebrate the gift of life.

I want them to remember who they are and how much they are loved. If I'm lucky, maybe they will remember me, too. I can't guarantee it. But, for now, when they spot a UPS van, they shout, "Look. It's Nana's truck."

Just when we think winter will never end, a tree blooms in memory and hope sings, "Hallelujah, we're alive!"

What's your ritual for spring?

Sharon Randall can be reached at P.O. Box 777394, Henderson, NV 89077, or on her website at www.sharonrandall.com.
This photo taken Friday, Feb. 26, 2016, shows the dock and U.S. Coast Guard boat house of President John F. Kennedy's bunker on Peanut Island in Riviera Beach, Fla. The bunker where President Kennedy would have been whisked if World War III erupted while he vacationed in Florida may face a bigger threat than Soviet missiles ever posed: a battle between its operators and the Port of Palm Beach. (AP Photo/Alan Diaz)

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By TERRY SPENCER, Associated Press

RIVIERA BEACH, Fla. (AP)  The bunker where President John F. Kennedy would have been whisked if World War III erupted while he vacationed in Florida may face a bigger threat than Soviet missiles ever posed: a battle between its operators and the Port of Palm Beach.

The once top-secret fallout shelter, code name "Hotel," and the retired Coast Guard station on Peanut Island are now a tourist attraction and the focal point of a long-running legal war between the port, which owns the island, and Palm Beach Maritime Museum, which leases the attraction.

Anthony Miller, who operates the site for the museum, said the port's commission and Palm Beach County have blocked attempts to make the attraction financially stable. He said the commission thwarted a $500,000 grant last year. The county limited the number of weddings that can be performed at the picturesque Coast Guard boat house to three per year, down from 30, and banned the construction of a restaurant. The site's $200,000 annual maintenance budget is barely covered by admissions and donations, he said. The maritime museum's lease ($100 a year, plus 4 percent of gross sales) ends next year.

He says the port wants to tear down the facility, citing communications he says the museum has had with the commission.

"They have been trying to kick us off for 20 years by starving us of money," Miller said.

Greg Picken, the port commission's lawyer, said the port has no intention of razing the bunker or Coast Guard buildings, but hopes to find a better caretaker when the museum's lease expires. He said the museum's board is in disarray, citing lawsuits members have filed against each other. He said the $500,000 would have been "a drop in the bucket" compared to the millions in repairs he says the site needs and the museum has failed to make.

To visit the bunker, about 200 tourists a week take a short boat ride to manmade Peanut Island, named for an aborted attempt to use it to ship peanut oil almost a century ago. In the 1930s, the Coast Guard station was built. Soon, its Coast Guardsmen would protect American cargo ships from German U-boats off Florida during World War II.

The station made the island the perfect site in 1961 to build a bunker for the newly inaugurated Kennedy, whose wealthy family's Palm Beach compound was a 10-minute ride away.

Built in 10 days by Navy Seabees, the Spartan, 1,600-square-foot bunker  the size of a small U.S. home  could have been the nerve center for U.S. and NATO forces if Soviet nuclear weapons had incinerated Washington and New York. While it wouldn't have survived a direct or nearby hit, it would have provided protection from fallout blown in from elsewhere.

Miller leads visitors down a path to the bunker, lifting a lever that opens the sealed steel door with a creak and thudding echo.

A 40-foot tunnel slopes down to a second door where entrants would have checked themselves with Geiger counters and, if radioactive, stripped and showered. Fresh clothes, if needed, would have been slipped through a slot in the final door. It opens to the single room where Kennedy and 30 members of his family, aides and military advisers would have lived for up to a month beneath a 12-foot ceiling, two metal roofs sandwiching 18 inches of cement and 12 feet of dirt.

Open to the public since 1998, the room is now part re-creation, part Kennedy museum. The cement floor is dominated by a painting of the presidential seal, just like 1962. Two of the 15 metal bunk beds that would have lined the walls, the barrels that would have served as toilets and a display of military rations give a taste of what life would have been like. Miller said Kennedy visited the site a few times as part of drills.

"The goal was survival, not luxury," Miller said.

In one corner sits a replica of the wooden desk where Kennedy would have worked. A globe, ash tray and three phones, two black and one red, rest atop it. The desk is flanked by U.S. and presidential flags. Next to the presidential flag is a rocking chair that Kennedy needed for his famously balky back. In another corner sits a ham radio, from where coded messages would have been dispatched to military commanders worldwide.

But there are also items that wouldn't have been there -- photos of Kennedy, a mushroom cloud and fallout bunkers near Washington and Moscow. Copies of newspapers from the days following Kennedy's 1963 assassination. And the three cats who patrol the island and bunker -- Jack, Jackie and, slyly, Marilyn.

"Fifty years ago, this place was state-of-the-art protection for the most important person in the free world," Miller said.

___

If You Go ...

JOHN F. KENNEDY BUNKER: Tours of the bunker, Coast Guard living quarters and boat house, Thursday-Sunday, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Boats leave for Peanut Island from Riviera Beach Marina, 200 E. 13th St., Riviera Beach, Florida. Adults, $15, seniors, $12 (age 60-plus), children 5-17, $10; http://www.pbmm.info , 561-848-2960.
SHARE Sharon Kay Turman Date of birth: Nov. 14, 1964 Vitals: 5 feet 7 inches; 175 pounds; brown hair, hazel eyes Charge: Reckless evading Beverly Annette Williams Date of birth: June 21, 1963 Vitals: 5 feet 1 inch; 140 pounds; brown hair, brown eyes Charge: Grand theft Antonio Luis Vargas Date of birth: July 29, 1986 Vitals: 5 feet 9 inches; 210 pounds; black hair, brown eyes Charge: Grand theft Lucas Andrew McLeod Date of birth: Jan. 12, 1995 Vitals: 6 feet 1 inch; 185 pounds; brown hair, hazel eyes Charge: Domestic 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.

As of Friday a total of 564 arrests have been made through the Most Wanted program since it began in September 2013. One of today's Most Wanted is Sharon Kay Turman, who is wanted on suspicion of reckless evading after officers last Sunday chased a van painted like the "Scooby-Doo Mystery Machine."

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.

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.
Sydney Bennett, 11, works with a robot Saturday during a software developing session during the AAUW's Women in STEM Conference at Simpson University. The goal of the event is to inspire middle school girls to become the next generation of scientists, engineers, mathematicians and computer scientists.

SHARE Greg Barnette/Record Searchlight Ellery Faith, 12, (from left) Miranda Hellums, 11, and Grace Meyer, 12, right, learn about veterinary medicine from Palo Cedro veterinarian Dr. Kristin Campbell during the AAUW's Women in STEM Conference on Saturday at Simpson University.

By Amber Sandhu of the Redding Record Searchlight

More than 300 girls accepted an invitation from the Redding chapter of the American Association of University Women to attend its Women in STEM conference Saturday at Simpson University.

The event has been put on by AAUW every other year since 1996, as a way to increase and encourage young women and girls to make career choices in science, technology, engineering and mathematic-related fields.

Pris Brutlag, co-chair of the local AAUW, said the group specifically reaches out to girls in middle school because it prepares them for high school, which is when they begin making career choices and look into courses they would like to take.

"AAUW is all about empowering women," she said. "We need to let them know what their options are for their future."

This year's event featured informational sessions on 25 different professions including nursing, animal husbandry, forensic science, piloting, psychology, veterinary medicine, neurology, optometry, computer programming and software engineering.

Despite the pouring rain, the girls navigated through Simpson University's campus looking for their informational sessions.

Kaylee Wood, 13, of Janesville said she had good time learning about the differences between alpacas and llamas in her animal husbandry informational session. She plans on working with animals and becoming a veterinarian herself.

"I think it's going to help me more about career options," Wood said about the conference.

Wood made her way to the informational session about software engineering, which was being taught by Brandy Camacho. She introduced the young women in her session to coding, website development, mobile application development, and the idea of "working remotely."

"I get to work in my pajamas. Can you believe how cool that is?" Camacho told her class.

Camacho also explained how women make up half the workforce, but only hold 25 percent of the jobs in the technology industry.

She said software engineering is a diverse field that encourages creativity. She gave the example of the iFart mobile application that was created in 2008 and has grossed over $2 million.

"We need more women in this industry," she said. "You get to be creative as you want."

Kaylee Bangs, 11, said this was her second time attending the STEM conference. She said she was particularly excited about attending the forensic science class, a career path she wants to pursue.

She said the conference helped her a lot, especially when it came to redefining gender norms. "It shows me what women can do, as well as men," she said.

The sponsors for this year's conference were PACE Engineering  Redding, Simpson University, Redding Electric Utility, Shasta County Office of Education, Chartwells, Build It and Expanding Your Horizons.
William Cooper of Sequoia Middle School (right) spells a word on stage at the Record Searchlight Spelling Bee on Saturday while Kaden Lindskog listens. William Cooper won the contest while Lindskog finished second.

SHARE Photos by Hung Vu/Special to the Record Searchlight William Cooper of Sequoia Middle School (right) spells a word on stage at the Record Searchlight Spelling Bee on Saturday while Kaden Lindskog listens. William Cooper won the contest while Lindskog finished second. Lucas Cogburn of Pacheco Elementary pauses for a moment during Saturday's spelling bee at Sequoia Middle School. Cogburn finished in third place. Hung Vu/Special to the Record Searchlight Emma Coffman, a fifth-grader at Burney Elementary school, competes Saturday in the 18th annual Record Searchlight Regional Spelling Bee. Hung Vu/Special to the Record Searchlight Spelling bee winner William Cooper (left) gives a handshake to Kaden Lindskog (right) after Cooper won the spelling contest Saturday afternoon at the annual Record Searchlight event. Lindskog came in second place. Related Photos 2016 Record Searchlight Spelling Bee

By Amber Sandhu of the Redding Record Searchlight

William Cooper of Sequoia Middle School won the Record Searchlight Regional Spelling Bee on Saturday out of a field of 30 competitors.

Cooper, in his third time competing at the bee, won by correctly spelling "taupe," a dark tan color in between brown and gray.

The seventh-grader said he had practiced using a Merriam-Webster's Spell It! booklet, and while he had no set technique on how to practice for the competition, he said he began preparing extensively as the date of the competition came closer.

Cooper, 12, will head to Washington, D.C., on an expense-paid trip in May to participate in the Scripps National Spelling Bee competition. He also won $100 in cash that he plans to save, a one-year subscription to Encyclopaedia Britannica online, the Samuel Louis Sugarman Award and a Merriam-Webster Third New International Dictionary.

The Record Searchlight Regional Spelling Bee celebrated its 18th year, with six spellers returning from last year's competition.

The second-place winner was 11-year-old Kaden Lindskog, a fifth-grader at Boulder Creek Elementary, who spelled "hyperbole" incorrectly, by adding an extra "e" at the end of the word. After Cooper finished spelling "taupe," the judges were prompted to meet and listen to audio of Lindskog spelling his word to see if he was correct.

After a short meeting, Cooper was declared the spelling bee winner.

Lindskog won $75 in cash and a Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary.

Lucas Cogburn, 13, of Pacheco Elementary came in third place. The seventh-grader was eliminated after he stumbled trying to spell "phenomenon." He realized he had made a mistake and continued to spell, but laughed off his mistake before exiting the stage.

"I didn't take my time," he said about spelling. "But, I'm happy I made it this far."

This year's event opened with the national anthem sung by 9-year-old Allison Bay of Grant Elementary School and a short speech by last year's bee winner, Emily Alldrin. She encouraged Saturday's competitors and said she practiced for more than eight months to win.

Parents, grandparents and teachers filled McLaughlin Auditorium at Sequoia Middle School as they watched children spell. Judges gave the spellers instructions and started off with a practice round to help gain familiarity with the rules. Words like "chocolate," "harmonica," "henna" and "sultan" were a few of the words tossed around in the practice round.

Each round presented more challenging words as time went on. Words such as "gazelle," "spaghetti" and "algebra" led to early eliminations. But as the competition progressed, the words "strategy," "macron," "knavery," "tithe" and "sputnik" led to more disqualifications.

In addition to the Record Searchlight, this year's sponsors included Tri Counties Bank and the Sierra Pacific Foundation.
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By Jenny Espino of the Redding Record Searchlight

Redding officials are asking Northern Valley Catholic Social Service to temporarily head the planning body that coordinates homelessness services in Shasta County.

The Redding/Shasta County Homeless Continuum of Care is without a coordinator, and a contract with NVCSS would ensure that deadlines for data submissions to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development are not missed.

The proposal heads to the City Council for its consideration Tuesday.

The thought is that NVCSS will stay through September while the continuum of care receives direction from a strategic plan addressing homelessness, reorganizes and finds a new coordinator that can give the area better footing in securing more grant moneys.

But NVCSS' housing director said her organization's work won't require staying past May. NVCSS has agreed to do the data entry for the point-in-time count carried out by volunteers in January and for other federally required tasks due this spring, Bobbi Sawtelle said.

"The goal is to just to make sure the HUD submissions are made in a timely manner," she said. "The city and county and (COC) executive board will determine the next phase as far as establishing what happens next."

The coordinator is a part-time position jointly sponsored by the city and county for $30,000 plus $10,000 in county office space each year.

No contract was processed this fiscal year, in part because of a pair of studies that were in progress last summer to evaluate the continuum of care and its methods to count the homeless. Those reports found that the area needs more permanent housing, better data collection and improved coordination among agencies and an organized continuum of care to turn the tide on homelessness.

The county used its share last year to compensate a temporary county employee to carry out key duties.

The city's unspent share of the contract  $20,000 in Community Development Block Grant funds  will be used to pay NVCSS for the work left to be done this spring.

The continuum of care's executive board  whose membership includes the city and county, service providers and community leaders that will be brought on board through an effort led by Councilwoman Kristen Schreder  plans to put out a request for proposals by May. The new coordinator would start Sept. 1.

Applicants likely to get the board's attention are well-established nonprofits that can compete for planning and capacity-building grants. In Shasta County the most logical place to put new money is toward getting more providers to use an information system. The county bought the software, but it gets little participation because of the high implementation costs to providers.

The system tracks patterns and demographics and can help improve the delivery of housing and services.

Little money can help go after the big money, said Richard Kuhns, Shasta County's director of Housing & Community Action Agency.

The county receives each year about $375,000. The money is split between FaithWorks, which runs the Francis Court project with its 16 transitional housing units, and NVCSS. It's used on 34 vouchers for permanent, supportive housing.

Butte County has expanded to 12 programs and seen allocations grow from about $250,000 to nearly $600,000 since 2009 when it launched a more structured continuum of care overseen by a consultant.

"Every single bit of it is used, and we can use some more," said Tom Tenorio, CEO of the Community Action Agency of Butte County and continuum of care council chairman.

About $400,000 supports 60 units, half of which are to reach the chronically homeless. The remainder pays for use of the information system, management and planning functions at the continuum of care.

The programs are targeted at different groups, ultimately creating a system that also helps the local emergency shelters, which are not equipped to handle the needs of every guest coming through the doors.

"Now they can be sent to those programs, so they can finish the job," Tenorio said.

It's unknown at this stage whether the city and county would increase funding for the continuum of care.

Deputy City Manager Greg Clark spoke of the difficulty relying on federal funds that have been drying up.

"We cannot predict what we are going to get this year," he said. "It is still at the whim of the (federal) government, and it has been reduced in recent years."

Completion of the strategic plan commissioned by Schreder will be in June.

"This is a short-term step," Schreder said of the proposed contract with NVCSS. "Now we have to plan for the long term."

If you go

What: Redding City Council meeting

When: 6 p.m., Tuesday

Where: Redding City Hall, 777 Cypress Ave.

About the meeting: The council will consider applying again for a federal transportation grant for improvements at the Oasis Road and Interstate 5 interchange. It also is poised to accept about $2.3 million in federal dollars for road improvements on Placer Street. Also on the agenda are proposals to contract with Northern Valley Catholic Social Service temporarily to host the Homeless Continuum of Care and to approve the citys 2016 water transfer agreements.
SHARE Kenneth Edwards

Police: Man bought alcohol for minor

Anderson police cited a Redding man Saturday for allegedly buying alcohol for a minor in a shoulder-tap operation conducted with the state Department of Alcohol Beverage Control.

Officers said a 21-year-old man bought alcohol for a teen used as a decoy. Officers gave the man a misdemeanor citation, and he faces a fine of about $3,000.

In shoulder-tap operations, a minor decoy between age 16 and 18 approaches people at convenience and liquor stores, tell the patrons they are under 21 and ask them to buy alcoholic beverages for them.

The operation was funded through a grant from the ABC and California Office of Traffic Safety.

The operation was supposed to be an all-day event, but the rainy weather cut it short.

Killer's cellmate gets prison term

A Redding man who was once on Shasta's Most Wanted list and who was nearly strangled to death by a Shasta County Jail inmate later convicted of murdering three people, was sentenced to 10 years in prison Friday in Shasta County Superior Court.

Kenneth Leeman Edwards, 25, the former cellmate of convicted killer Joshua McCormick, recently pleaded no contest to evading officers and admitted violating mandatory supervision in exchange for the agreed upon 10-year prison sentence.

Edwards, who has a lengthy criminal history, was nearly strangled to death in March 2014 after McCormick choked him with a makeshift rope he made from a torn bedsheet, sheriff's officials have said.

McCormick was convicted of attempted murder in the attack. He told detectives he tried to kill Edwards because he would not stop talking. And, he said, he would have killed him if correctional officers had not shown up when they did and stopped him.
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Our democracy has been usurped by the powerful, yet we cling to the belief that our votes count.

Both parties are posturing to manipulate the presidential election. The Republican Party bosses, elected politicians, corporate interests, political action committees and more are working to determine the outcome of the election.

The Republican bosses want to prevent Donald Trump from reaching the prerequisite number of delegates to win the nomination. They want to select the nominee.

Regardless of who you want to vote for, does this sound like a democracy?

The Democratic Party is equally guilty of manipulating the political process. They are behind Hillary Clinton, including manipulation of the debate schedule to favor Clinton.

The super delegates are members of the Democratic elite. Their votes have been added to the total primary and caucus count, giving the false impression that Hillary Clinton is winning by a landslide.

Bernie Sanders' call for a social revolution is in response to our domination by the corrupt political and economic elite who control our lives.

America, once a new frontier freed from the domination of the European elite, has emerged to be dominated by a similar social structure and concentration of power and wealth.
Himanshu Juneja reviews this budget phone that offers 3GB RAM, finger print scanner and more for just Rs 6,999

With the Chinese manufacturers taking a special liking for the Indian market, it was only a matter of time that the competition started to heat up in favour of the customers.

Coolpad has been making news for good reasons, and after proving its mettle with the Coolpad Note 3, the latest offering in the form of Coolpad Note 3 lite has raised the bar for other manufacturers in the sub Rs 7,000 category.

One of the few to carry a finger print scanner in this segment, 3 GB of RAM and good battery back up seems to be the USP here. Let us take a closer look at what the handset has in store for the buyers.

Construction

Thanks to the rounded corners and the textured back, it is fairly easy to wrap one's hand around it. The matte plastic used is good, and the built quality is fairly decent too.

The gold trim running around the edges and the fingerprint scanner or even the camera lends it a good aesthetic touch. The back panel is removable, but the battery remains sealed in.

Buttons and card slots

The right edge carries the power button, whereas the left edge has the volume rocker. The 3.5 mm audio jack finds its place at the top, while the bottom edge carries the microUSB port. One finds the slots for the SIM cards as well as the microSD card slot hidden underneath the back panel.

Display

One of the biggest concerns for the budget devices is the display, and thankfully Coolpad does not skimp here. The 5-inch HD display has a 720 x 1280p resolution translates to a very decent pixel density of 294 ppi. There is no Gorilla glass here, but thankfully, the company provides a protective layer for some sturdiness.

The colours are vibrant, and text looks good as well. The contrast ratio and the viewing angles do not disappoint, and while readability under sunlight is good, the brightness levels could have been better. Users can tweak the colour temperatures to their taste. Overall the display doesn't disappoint.

Specifications

Given the budget, the phone comes fitted with a Mediatek MT6735 SoC. The Quad core CPU consists of Cortex A53 processor clocked at 1.3 Ghz. Then there is the Mali T720MP2 GPU as well. It is a nice surprise to find a generously supplied 3 GB worth of RAM and 16 GB of onboard storage capacity in a budget offering.

Users can further expand storage memory by up to 32 GB via microSD card.

Connectivity

Coolpad has ensured that the buyers won't have to excuse themselves when phone comparison gets underway. A 4G/LTE enabled device has the usual connectivity options like Wi-Fi b/g/n, Bluetooth (ver 4.0), and GPS assistance.

The inclusion of FM with recording feature only makes the dual SIM device more enticing. For the budget, Coolpad Note 3 lite is fairly loaded up.

Operating system

The phone comes sporting Cool UI 6.0 skin, while the underlying OS is Android Lollipop (5.1). The missing app drawer is not a surprise anymore, but what strikes is the option to opt for a layout which has an app drawer. Clearly thought has gone in here.

The UI is pretty smooth and allows for seamless operation in general. There is the theming option available, but choices are very limited for the time being. Custom designed icons in the different themes can make things confusing as well.

Other pre-loaded in house apps are Cool service, which is yet to deliver by showing service centre information, there is Xploree which a flexible keyboard with customisation and feature for taking notes. Needless to say an app to finger print lock down the apps for exclusive use only has been included as well.

There is some third party content as well, as one finds apps from Facebook, Amazon, WPS Office etc. These can thankfully be uninstalled, and the Facebook app, which is a proven memory hog, should be removed to free up vital resources.

Performance and finger print scanner

The phone performs admirably well. The apps launched smoothly, and the general usage didn't show any stuttering or lag. Gaming experience was fairly good, with even the demanding games (Dead Trigger: 2) showing up without too many issues at moderate to low settings. There were the few odd stutterings, but nothing to raise a concern. The ample RAM definitely plays a part here. The speaker is pretty loud but not rich in sound.

The finger print scanner was impressive as it went along with its job. It is fairly accurate and picks up the ridges easily. The performance rate is not 100 per cent, but users won't be disappointed. The handset allows a total of five finger prints to be stored, and these can be used to launch specific apps as well to quicken up process.

Camera

The phone comes fitted with a 13 MP camera at the rear, and a 5 MP front facing camera. As expected, the performance during daytime is very decent. The colour reproduction looks good, the noise level are manageable, but details were somewhat lacking. The reminder about the budget category offering becomes more apparent with low light photography, as noise in the result becomes apparent.

The app provides a pro mode, but the options are not widespread. Settings like ISO, white balance, exposure and focus can be tweaked. The video maxed out at 1080p, and the quality is just about decent. The front facing camera delivers fairly good selfies during well lit conditions.

Battery

As mentioned earlier, the battery is sealed in, not allowing users the advantage of swapping spare units when in need. But the 2500 mAh battery pack impressed with the performance, allowing the phone to last a complete day's rigour on a single charge.

The provided charger takes its sweet time to rejuice the battery up.

Verdict

With the Moto G3 inching towards the Rs 10,000 mark, it was inevitable that the manufacturers upped the ante in even lower priced segments. Coolpad seems to have grabbed the honours. With a very impressive display, generous 3 GB of RAM, good battery life making up for strong selling point, the presence of a decent finger print scanner pole vaults the handset in a hallowed category.

Users tight on a budget who won't mind an otherwise choppy user interface with an okayish camera should definitely consider the Coolpad Note 3 Lite. For others, there is always the Moto E to consider as a capable alternative.
Art of Living founder Sri Sri Ravi Shankar on Sunday said parties should not politicise events having a bearing on the country's reputation and suggested that the media has been "harsh" in its criticism of the World Cultural Festival organised on the Yamuna flood plain.

He claimed that his Foundation has already received invitation from Australia, Mexico and other nations for holding the next edition of the event.

"We need a certain maturity. I don't mind but I request all political parties. Whenever such a grand event is being organised, party politics should be kept aside.

"You should come together so that India's prestige on the world stage rises. It is not easy to organise an event of this magnitude.... It is a major thing... so that people from across the world can feel connected," the spiritual guru said.

"People from across the world are amazed. We got a letter from the Australian prime minister asking us to hold the event there. They are ready to give all the help we need, from Mexico.... The countries are keen to host this event. At the same time, the international media is asking why the Indian press is so harsh towards this festival. I smiled and said that I don't know," he said.

Asked about his reported remarks that "Jai Hind and Pakistan Zindabad should go together" after a Pakistani scholar's address at the event on Saturday, he said, "They said guruji said something. That's not the case. The imam always concludes his talk with Pakistan Zindabad. I said that yes you can say it and I say Jai Hind. So I said Jai Hind and he said Pakistan Zindabad.

"I said it could be a win-win situation for both the countries. Somewhere we need to connect. We need to come together and that's what is happening," he said.

Defending the organising of the festival on the flood plains of Yamuna, he said they would work for the rejuvenation of the river. Replying to a query related to his statement that he would not pay the Rs five crore fine imposed by National Green Tribunal, he said the NGT has made it clear that it was not a fine but compensation to rejuvenate the area.

The AOL founder said his organisation will come with up a concrete plan for conservation of Yamuna river.

"We had consulted a couple of environmentalists before the event and they had said there would be no damage to the flood plains if this event was held. Further, we will also consult some environmentalists and work on rejuvenation of Yamuna with a concrete plan of action for Yamuna," he said.

He said they had initially thought of holding the event in a stadium, but then the idea had to be dropped because of the magnitude of the programme.

"Any stadium would not have been able to accommodate these many artists and people," Ravi Shankar said as the three-day cultural extravaganza ended on Sunday.

He said over 172 dignitaries from across the globe had come for the event, which drew intense criticism and also litigation over allegations that it damaged the ecology of Yamuna flood plains.

Questions were also raised on deploying army personnel for its preparation and the traffic woes due to the massive event.
In a fresh jolt to the Naxals in Odisha, 57 Maoist sympathisers, including 11 militia and two village committee members, today surrendered before the police in Malkangiri district.

The rebel supporters of Maoists' Kalimela and Padia Dalam units surrendered before the police with a pledge to join the mainstream, Sub-Divisional Police Officer (Malkangiri), Madkar Sandeep Sampad said.

Those who surrendered were members of Andhra Odisha Zonal Committee Division of the outlawed Communist Party of India-Maoist, he said, adding they were all residents of Tangguda village under Chitrangapalli Panchayat.

Among the 57, 11 are militia members and two village committee members.

"We welcome the 57 persons. The government will make arrangements for them under the surrender and rehabilitation policy," Sampad said, urging people to shun violence and join the mainstream for their better future.

The fresh development of naxal supporters giving up the path of violence came a day after surrender of 19 Maoist sympathisers in Mathili area of the district.
At least 16 people, including two soldiers were killed when terrorists launched attacks on three hotels in the Ivory Coast.

The feet and utility belt of what Ivorian security officers said was a dead attacker is seen on the beach in Grand Bassam, Ivory Coast. Photograph: Joe Penney/Reuters

Six terrorists were killed by authorities after they targetted the popular seaside town of Grand-Bassam, a weekend retreat for residents of Abidjan, about 25 miles (40km) away.

Local media reported gunmen had entered the L'Etoile du Sud (the Southern Star) hotel, seizing guests and staff on Sunday.

Ivory Coast Interior Minister Hamed Bakayoko said foreign citizens from France, Germany, Burkina Faso, Mali and Cameroon were among the victims.

A short drive from Abidjan -- one of West Africa's largest cities with about 5 million inhabitants -- Grand Bassam fills up on weekends with thousands of beachgoers.

Witnesses said the gunmen followed a pathway onto the beach where they then opened fire on swimmers and sunbathers before turning their attention to the packed seafront hotels where people were eating and drinking at lunchtime.

A soldier comforts an injured boy in Bassam. Photograph: Joe Penney/Reuters

"They started shooting and everyone just started running. There were women and children running and hiding," Marie Bassole, a witness, told Reuters. "It started on the beach. Whoever they saw, they shot at."

Security forces moved to evacuate the area surrounding the beach. Bullet holes riddled vehicles nearby and glass from shattered windows littered the ground.

Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, which has carried out other recent attacks in the region, claimed responsibility for Sunday's shootings, according to the US-based SITE intelligence monitoring group, citing an AQIM statement.

Barely two months ago, Islamists killed dozens of people in a hotel and cafe frequented by foreigners in neighbouring Burkina Faso's capital, Ouagadougou. Gunmen also attacked a hotel in the Malian capital, Bamako, late last year.

Soldiers stand in guard on the beach in Grand Bassam. Photograph: Luc Gnago/Reuters

Both of those attacks were also claimed by AQIM and raised concern that terrorists were extending their reach far beyond their traditional zones of operation in the Sahara and the arid Sahel region.

Though previously untouched by Islamist violence, Ivory Coast, French-speaking West Africa's largest economy and the world's top cocoa producer, has long been considered a target for militants.

It has been on high alert since the Ouagadougou attacks, and security has been visibly bolstered at potential targets, including shopping malls and high-end hotels.
Judiciary as an institution is facing crisis of credibility which is a challenge from within, Chief Justice of India T S Thakur said in Allahabad on Sunday as he asked judges to be conscientious of their duties.

With concern being raised over huge pendency of cases, Justice Thakur did not mince any words as he said that Bar has "not been very very cooperative" in disposal of cases even if judges are ready to put extra hours.

"At times judges feel that the delay in the disposal of cases is only because the Bar does not, at times, cooperate," he said at the function to inaugurate 150th anniversary of the Allahabad high court.

The CJI said he can assure the lawyers that if Bar cooperates, judges will be ready to sit even on Saturdays to finish old matters, especially related to people languishing in jail for years.

Underlining the glorious history of Allahabad high court, he said it is a matter of great pride for him that Pandit Motilal Nehru, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, Tej Bahadur Sapru, Kailash Nath Katju, who have left indelible marks in history, belong to his home state Jammu and Kashmir.

"Difficult times have been seen by this court. Difficult challenges have also been seen by this court but judges have risen to the occasion. They have discharged their duties fearlessly...but we cannot sleep or rejoice over the laurels of the past only.

"We have great challenges in future and we need to get ready to meet those challenges. Judiciary as an institution, as we all know, is always under public gaze and has challenges not only from within but from outside also. Challenges from outside do not disturb us so much. We all face them well but we need to look after and what need to be aware of are challenges from within," he said.

The CJI said, "...and when I speak about challenges from within I am referring to the crisis of credibility that we face in the country today. Judges need to be conscientious of in their discharge of duties, punctuality, judicial retribute and effort to do the best is what is the need of the hour".

Seeking cooperation from the Bar in reducing pendency of cases, Justice Thakur said while judges are doing their best and have, to the satisfaction of the entire nation, upheld the Constitution, protected the rights of the people and ensured that access to justice is a reality, he would also like to also address the need for a similar commitment from Bar members.

He said without the Bar, administration of the justice is not possible terming it as the mother of the Bench.

"If you have good judges it is because of the Bar that you have.... Over the period of the time we have seen that the Bar is not very co-operative in the matter of disposal of cases," he said underlining that there are 10 lakh cases pending in Allahabad high court.

Justice Thakur said the cases of people who are languishing in jail can be taken on priority and disposed of but it is not possible without the cooperation of the Bar.

He said he can assure the lawyers that if Bar cooperates, judges will be ready to sit even on Saturdays to finish these old matters.

"In Punjab my judges offered to sit beyond four o'clock. They said even we are ready to sit on Saturday provided the Bar cooperates but the Bench was not inclined to cooperate.

"I would humbly request the Bar here that over the next year when we celebrate completion of 150 year, let us also resolve that cases are disposed of in largest possible number that would be a true tribute to those who have served this institution whether as judges or lawyers in the past," he said.
'Amid the different versions of truth on the Ishrat case, what is certain is that Ishrat's mother Shamima Kausar, who has continued to maintain that Headley's confession was nothing but an attempt by powerful people to save themselves in the case, is unlikely to find a closure anytime soon.'

Archis Mohan reports.

IMAGE: Ishrat Jahan, the Mumbra teenager, with the others, killed in an encounter by the Gujarat police. Photograph: PTI

Amid differing versions of the encounter that killed Ishrat Jahan and three others in Gujarat in 2004, David Coleman Headley's reported revelations on her links with the terror outfit Lashkar-e-Tayiba have added a new spin to the case, giving the Bharatiya Janata Party a rare chance to claim the moral high ground.

It has been nearly 12 years since 19-year-old Ishrat Jahan and three others were killed in an 'encounter' by the Gujarat police on June 15, 2004. Nearly every aspect of that encounter, including whether Jahan was indeed a terror operative on her way, along with her associates, to assassinate the then Gujarat chief minister, Narendra Modi, or if at all that encounter was genuine, has been in dispute ever since.

But if her 'extra-judicial' killing by the Gujarat police -- current BJP chief Amit Shah was then the junior home minister in the government that Modi headed -- made the BJP's ideological opponents push the party's current leadership into a corner, it's now the BJP government at the Centre that finds itself with an opportunity to brand all who had questioned the actions of the state police as anti-nationals.

For the BJP and the government, the controversy got a new life on February 11 when David Coleman Headley, who had conspired with the Lashkar to carry out the 26/11 terror attacks on Mumbai in 2008, told a Mumbai court via teleconferencing that Ishrat was indeed a terror operative.

There were reports in 2013 as well that Headley in his deposition had identified Ishrat as an LeT operative, but the National Investigation Agency had denied it.

The revelation couldn't have come at a better time for the BJP and the government, which was then in the midst of fighting a losing political battle after the suicide of Dalit PhD scholar Rohith Vemula. It had received flak for the intervention of two of its ministers in student politics, which ostensibly drove Vemula to end his life.

The Ishrat case, at least since 2013, was known more for how the Gujarat police carried out a fake encounter than her alleged links with the LeT. That year, the Central Bureau of Investigation had vindicated an investigation by a court ordered Special Investigation Team that the encounter was staged.

The CBI had filed a chargesheet against seven Gujarat police officers as well as some Intelligence Bureau officials for their role in the killing. Headley's disclosure helped shift the debate from the question of extra-judicial killing of Ishrat and others to the certainty that they were indeed terror operatives and were meted out justice before they could have mounted a terror attack.

Senior BJP leader and Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad lost little time to highlight how the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance government filed two contradictory affidavits related to the case within a space of two months in the Gujarat high court in 2009. The affidavits were in response to the petition filed by Ishrat's mother.

What is less known is that the additional judicial magistrate hearing the case had already cast doubts on the genuineness of the encounter, forcing the Union ministry of home affairs to file a second affidavit.

Unlike the first affidavit which had sought to prove that there indeed were intelligence inputs about Ishrat's terror links, the second affidavit stated how there was no conclusive proof.

In February this year, G K Pillai, the home secretary at the time of filing of the two affidavits, claimed that P Chidambaram as home minister then had altered the second affidavit 'bypassing' bureaucrats, and that the minister totally rewrote the affidavit.

The BJP demanded a judicial inquiry into the case and into Chidambaram's role. The party alleged that Chidambaram was attempting to frame Modi and Shah just before the Gujarat elections and on the orders of the Congress leadership.

Chidambaram has claimed the second affidavit was 'absolutely correct' and that Pillai was a party to it. In his defence, Pillai, currently a non-executive director with Adani Ports, has claimed that he didn't put a dissent note on the file then as Chidambaram was his political boss. Pillai retired in 2011, observed the two year cooling off period and joined Adani Ports, a company founded by Gautam Adani, who has earlier been targeted by the Congress for his proximity to Prime Minister Modi.

Within days of Pillai's claims there surfaced an interview he had given in 2013, two years after he had retired. Pillai had then said how he didn't think there was any conclusive evidence against her (Ishrat).

'Unless there is any proper investigation carried out, we will have to give her the benefit of the doubt.' Soon other police officials and bureaucrats came forward with newer revelations, including R V S Mani, the under secretary who had submitted the affidavits. Mani alleged that he was tortured by a court appointed Special Investigation Team to probe the Ishrat case.

Satish Verma, an Indian Police Service officer, rebutted Mani's claims. Currently the chief vigilance officer with a public sector unit and posted in Shillong, Verma said the SIT probe was extremely detailed, spoke to several witnesses and recorded confessions before magistrates to establish that the encounter was premeditated.

Verma said as part of the IB operation, two LeT men from Pakistan were lured to India, possibly with the help of Javed Shaikh. The SIT found that the intelligence input was about three men, and had no mention of a woman.

Verma said that the probe found that one of the men was detained 40 days before the killing and the second 15 days later, while Javed and Ishrat were caught travelling from Mumbai to Gujarat two days before the killing.

All, says Verma, were kept in illegal custody, taken to a predetermined spot, weapons were planted on them and then they were shot dead. He has said that the first affidavit cited a Pakistani Web site having carried her name as evidence of her terror links.

On Thursday, the Lok Sabha took up a calling attention motion to discuss the 'alleged alteration of affidavits relating to the Ishrat Jahan case.'

Home Minister Rajnath Singh claimed that letters sent by Pillai to the then attorney general in relation to the second affidavit were missing, and the corrected draft of the second affidavit was unavailable. He slammed the 'flip-flop' on the issue by the UPA government and its 'attempt' to defame the then Gujarat CM. The home minister said his ministry was conducting an internal inquiry of the entire issue.

BJP MP Satyapal Singh, one of the three IPS officers to have headed the SIT, told the House how the UPA government manipulated the names of those who were part of the probe team, and prodded them to come up with a report that proved that the encounter was fake.

He also questioned the SIT's final report, pointing out how much of the evidence that proved Ishrat's terror links was ignored.

It was left to the Biju Janata Dal's Kalikesh Bahadur Singh to point out how both the Congress and BJP have played 'vote bank politics' on Ishrat's killing, and how both governments -- the Congress-led UPA at the Centre and the BJP's in Gujarat -- rewarded or punished officials based on what suited their respective agendas.

The MP said the case being heard in the Gujarat high court isn't whether Ishrat was a terrorist or not, but about its extra-judicial nature.

Amid the different versions of truth on the Ishrat case, what is certain is that Ishrat's mother Shamima Kausar, who has continued to maintain that Headley's confession was nothing but an attempt by powerful people to save themselves in the case, is unlikely to find a closure anytime soon.
When Coca-Cola made its first appearance in Abilene, the brand slogan was 'The Great National Temperance Beverage.' Today, employees at the two Abilene Coca-Cola facilities are doing their part to make sure customers get to 'Taste the Feeling,' the current slogan.

'Coca-Cola has had a presence in Abilene since 1904,' said Buddy Moore, plant manager. 'Over the years, the presence has grown to what it is today, with both a production and a distribution facility.'

Coca-Cola in Abilene currently employs 140 people, 115 of whom are front-line associates. The operation runs 24 hours a day, six days a week. One day each week, the production facility shuts down for maintenance and sanitation.

Moore said Abilene's primary role is to produce niche products for which larger plants in Dallas, Houston and San Antonio are not as well suited. Abilene product is shipped all over the central United States, from far south Texas to central Minnesota.

'We are a very versatile operation,' said Moore, who noted that they have the capability to do a package changeover in less than one hour in some cases. 'They (Coca-Cola officials) come to us for the hard stuff that no one else wants to do. We stay current and efficient on technology, and our changeover rates are some of the best in the company.'

Moore has been with Coca-Cola for more than 40 years; it's the only job he's ever had. He started working in a small plant in Sherman and gradually progressed through the ranks to the position he holds today.

'I worked in the Sherman plant until they closed it in 1982, then moved to Fort Worth, where I worked for 25 years,' he said. 'When I started with Coca-Cola, everything was in bottles, and about all we had was the core products. Today, our plant is responsible for producing 355 SKUs (stock keeping units).'

With the help of the city of Abilene and the Development Corporation of Abilene, Coca-Cola in Abilene has been able to continually expand its capability. Since 2010, according to figures from the DCOA, Coca-Cola has invested or plans to invest $55 million into the Abilene plant, while the DCOA is contributing $4.7 million.

'In 2014, $9 million was invested to upgrade our syrup room,' Moore said. 'We expanded our can line capability in 2015 with the help of a $4.5 million project; that gave us greatly increased potential to run more flavors and packages.'

The DCOA also helped fund the extension of Enterprise Drive to allow the company better access to its warehouse. The conversion of Interstate 20 access roads to one-way made it a five-mile round trip from the warehouse to the bottling plant. Enterprise Drive has been extended to East Lowden Street so that Coca-Cola has a shorter route from the warehouse to the bottling plant.

DCOA Executive Director Kent Sharp says both the city and company benefit from the partnership.

'As they (Coca-Cola officials) get more competitive and decide which plants to keep, which plants to expand and which plants to downsize, Abilene's partnership with the local plant helps ensure decisions are continually made to keep upgrading the Abilene facility,' Sharp said. 'That's a win-win for Coke and the Abilene community.'

Since Moore arrived in 2010, the plant has increased production by more than 55 percent, from 14.1 million cases of product to more than 21 million cases in 2015.

Some of Abilene's most common niche products are NOS and Full Throttle energy drinks, Fuse teas, and Dasani Water. With current capability, the plant can crank out enough bottled water to fill a semitrailer every hour.

'All of our bottled water is treated to exacting specifications before bottling to ensure there is no taste variance,' said Moore. 'We take city water and filter it to its purest form; then inject a pre-dosed amount of minerals back into the water before bottling so that every bottle tastes exactly the same no matter which city you buy it in; and no matter which city it's bottled in.'

Abilene currently gets its can 'bodies' and plastic bottles from production facilities in Fort Worth and Big Spring. With an expansion currently underway to grow the plant by 22,000 square feet (at a cost of nearly $27 million), the plant will have the capability to produce its own plastic bottles.

'Currently, about 38 percent of our production is in cans; the other 62 percent is bottles,' said Moore. 'We are excited about the potential for this new addition, as it will not only allow us to produce our own bottles, but it will give us an additional production capability of 5 million cases per year.'

As 'the world's No. 1 most recognized trademark,' Moore said there is great pride in the employees of Coca-Cola.

'They invest in their people, their communities and their operations,' he said. 'There is growth opportunity, and they actively support career advancement. It is also a pleasure to be able to support and help fund community events like Toys for Tots, Keep Abilene Beautiful, and other charitable organizations.'

Moore added that the Abilene plant recycles 98 percent of the waste it generates, and is constantly looking for ways to improve its water and energy use.
MONDAY

Movie at the library

A free showing of a 1977 teen comedy movie will begin at 6:30 p.m. at the Mockingbird Branch of the Abilene Public Library, 1326 N. Mockingbird Lane.

Square dance workshop

TYE  The Key City Squares will conduct a square dancing workshop at 6:30 p.m. at the Wagon Wheel. A beginning square dance class will follow at 7:30 p.m.

Other ...

Overeaters Anonymous, noon, Hinds Square Building, 100 Chestnut St., Room 112.

Schizophrenia Support Group, 1-2 p.m., Mental Health Association of Abilene, 333 Orange St. 325-673-2300.

Blood drive, 1-6 p.m., First Baptist Church, Cross Plains.

Free swim class for people with multiple sclerosis, 5:30 p.m., YMCA, 3250 State St.

Anorexics Bulimics Anonymous, 6 p.m., Shades of Hope, 402A Mulberry St., Buffalo Gap. 800-588-4673.

Hendrick Ostomy support group, 6:30 p.m., Diabetes Center, 1742 Hickory St.

Central Texas Gem & Mineral Society of Abilene, 7 p.m., 7607 Highway 277 South. 325-692-0063.

Abilene Toastmaster's Club 1071, 7 p.m., Conference Center, Texas State Technical College, 650 E. Highway 80. 325-692-7325 or abilene.toastmastersclubs.org.

Al-Anon, 7 p.m., First United Methodist Church, 1501 N. Broadway, Ballinger. 817-689-2810 or 325-977-1007.

Mid-City Al-Anon, 7 p.m., First Christian Church. 325-670-4304.

Memory Men (4-part a cappella singing), 7 p.m., Calvary Baptist Church, 1165 Minter Lane. Park on east side, enter through kitchen. 325-676-SING.

Abilene Quilters Guild, 7 p.m., Highland Church of Christ, Room No. 112. Meet-and-greet at 6:45 p.m. 325-676-1478.

Abilene Community Band rehearsal, 7:30 p.m., Bynum Band Hall, McMurry University. 325-232-7383.

South Pioneer Al-Anon Group, 8 p.m., 3157 Russell Ave.

Alcoholics Anonymous/Narcotics Anonymous, 8 p.m., Avoca United Methodist Church. 325-773-2611.

Survivors of Childhood Sexual Abuse Group. 325-676-1400.

TUESDAY

Card tournament

A Yu-Gi-Oh! card game tournament for beginners, age 13 and up, will begin at 2:30 p.m. at the Mockingbird Branch of the Abilene Public Library, 1326 N. Mockingbird Lane. Tutorials and learning decks will be provided.

Movie at the library

A free showing of a PG-rated fantasy movie will begin at 6 p.m. at the Abilene Public Library, 202 Cedar St.

Square dance workshop

TYE  The Wagon Wheel Squares will conduct a square dancing workshop at 6:30 p.m. at the Wagon Wheel.

Other ...

Mission on the Move Soup Kitchen, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Southwest Drive Community United Methodist Church, 3025 Southwest Dr.

Abilene Southwest Rotary Club, noon, Beehive Restaurant, 442 Cedar St.

High Noon Al-Anon, noon, Southern Hills Church of Christ, 3666 Buffalo Gap Road (south end; follow the yellow signs).

Blood drive, 1-6 p.m., Coleman County Electric Co-Op.

Stroke/Aphasia Recovery Program support group, 1:30-2:30 p.m. West Texas Rehabilitation Center boardroom, 4601 Hartford St. 325-793-3535.

Dystonia Support Group, 5:15-6:15 p.m., Not Without Us, 3301 N. First St. Suite 117.

Take Off Pounds Sensibly (TOPS), 5:30 p.m., Brook Hollow Christian Church, 2310 S. Willis St. 325-232-7444.

Legacies Al-Anon Family Group, 5:30-6:30 p.m., Open Door Building, 3157 Russell Ave. 325-280-7584.

Family (of Mental Health Consumers) Support Group, 6-7 p.m., Mental Health Association in Abilene, 333 Orange St. 325-673-2300.

MHAA Bipolar/Depression Peer Support Group, 6-8 p.m., Ministry of Counseling & Enrichment, 1502 N. First St. 325-673-2300.

Free certified nurturing parent class (pregnancy to toddler), 6-8 p.m., Mission Church, North Third and Mockingbird streets. 325-672-9398.

Abilene Star Chorus, 6:15 p.m., First Baptist Church, 1333 N. Third St. 325-829-1470.

Overeaters Anonymous, 6:30-7:30 p.m., Exodus Metropolitan Community Church, 1933 S. 27th St.

Family Support Group for parents with special needs children, 6:30-7:30 p.m., West Texas Rehabilitation Center boardroom, 4601 Hartford St. 325-793-3500.

Alzheimer's Association  North Central Texas Chapter, 6:30-7:30 p.m., Chisholm Place, 1450 E. N. 10th St. 325-672-2907.

Al-Anon Parents Group, 7 p.m., Hillcrest Church of Christ, 650 E. Ambler Ave. Use Church Street entrance.

Al-Anon, 7 p.m., Doug Meinzer Activity Center, Knox City. 940-658-3926.

Brigadier General John Sayles Sons of Confederate Veterans Camp 366, 7 p.m., American Legion Building, 302 E.S. 11th St.

Abilene Society of Model Railroaders, 7-8:30 p.m., 2043 N. Second St.

Unity Group of Alcoholics Anonymous, 8 p.m., Episcopal Church of the Heavenly Rest, 602 Meander St.

WEDNESDAY

Free tax assistance

The AARP will offer free assistance in preparing income tax forms for low- and middle-income taxpayers from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Abilene Public Library, 202 Cedar St. Doors will open at 9 a.m. Space is limited, and help will be provided on a first-come, first-serve basis.

Art film

A showing of the film "The Rothko Conspiracy" will begin at noon at the Center for Contemporary Arts, 220 Cypress St. A discussion will follow. Participants are invited to bring a lunch.

Caregiver meeting

COMANCHE  The Alzheimer's Association will present a caregiver support group meeting from 2-3 p.m. at Western Hills Healthcare Residence. For more information, call 325-217-0822.

Other ...

Overeaters Anonymous, 8 a.m., Hinds Square Building, Room 112, 100 Chestnut St.

Blood drive, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Hangar Club, Dyess Air Force Base.

Abilene Cactus Lions Club, 11:45 a.m., Cotton Patch Cafe, 3302 S. Clack St.

Abilene Wednesday Rotary Club, noon, Abilene Country Club, 4039 S. Treadaway. $12 for lunch. Jo Ann Wilson, 325-677-6815.

Kiwanis Club of Abilene, noon, Abilene Country Club, 4039 S. Treadaway Blvd.

Clearly Speaking Toastmaster Club, noon, Westgate Church of Christ, 402 S. Pioneer Drive. 325-795-5570.

Alzheimer's Association Caregiver Support Group, 2-3 p.m., Western Hills Healthcare Residence, Comanche.

Alzheimer's disease support group, 5:15 p.m., Cedar Crest Care Center, 1901 W. Elliott, Breckenridge. Assists those who have a family member with symptoms of Alzheimer's disease. 1-800-272-3900 or 254-559-3302.

Free swim class for people with multiple sclerosis, 5:30 p.m., YMCA, 3250 State St.

Veterans Peer Support Group, 6 p.m., 765 Orange St. 325-670-4818.

Mid-week Al-Anon Family Group, 6-7 p.m., Open Door Building, 3157 Russell Ave. 325-698-4995.

Advanced Square Dancing, 6:30-8:30 p.m., Wagon Wheel.

Al-Anon, 7 p.m., First United Methodist Church, 1501 N. Broadway, Ballinger. 817-689-2810 or 325-977-1007.

DivorceCare support group, 7 p.m., Hillcrest Church of Christ, 650 E. Ambler Ave. 325-691-4200.

THURSDAY

Free tax assistance

The AARP will offer free assistance in preparing income tax forms for low- and middle-income taxpayers from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Abilene Public Library, 202 Cedar St. Doors will open at 9 a.m. Space is limited, and help will be provided on a first-come, first-serve basis.

Saint Patrick's Day

Keep Abilene Beautiful will present its "#GoGreenAbilene" Saint Patrick's Day celebration from 5:30-7:30 p.m. at The Mill Winery, 239 Locust St. Admission is free, with drink tickets provided to the first 100 participants.

Documentary showing

A free showing of a part of the PBS documentary series "Latino Americans" will begin at 6:30 p.m. at the Mockingbird Branch of the Abilene Public Library, 1326 N. Mockingbird Lane.

'The Foreigner'

A production of the comedy "The Foreigner" will be presented at 7:30 p.m. at Abilene Community Theatre, 809 Barrow St. Tickets are $15 for adults and $12 for students, seniors and military. For tickets, call 325-673-6271.

Other ...

Chronic Pain and Depression Group, 11 a.m. to noon, Mental Health Association of Abilene, 333 Orange St., 325-673-2300.

Abilene Founder Lions Club, 11:30 a.m., Al's Mesquite Grill, 4801 Buffalo Gap Road.

Kiwanis Club of Greater Abilene, noon, Beehive Restaurant, 442 Cedar St. 325-695-0092.

Blood drive, noon to 4 p.m., Taylor County Courthouse, 300 Oak St.

Retired Military Wives Club social meeting, 1 p.m., Rose Park Senior Activity Center, 2625 South Seventh St. 325-677-9656 or 325-793-1490.

Mental Illness Open Support Group, 1-2 p.m., Mental Health Association of Abilene, 333 Orange St. 325-673-2300.

Sagerton Hobby Club, 2 p.m., Sagerton Community Center.

Abilene 42 Club, 6 p.m., Rose Park Senior Center.

Teen Recovery Group, 6-7 p.m., Mission Abilene, 3001 N. Third St.

Free certified nurturing parent class (all ages), 6-8 p.m., Mission Church, North Third and Mockingbird streets. 325-672-9398.

Take Off Pounds Sensibly, 6:30 p.m. Brook Hollow Christian Church. Weigh-in begins at 5:30 p.m. 325-665-5052.

Free swim class for people with multiple sclerosis, 6:30 p.m., YMCA, 3250 State St.

Gambler's Anonymous, 6:30 p.m., Unity Spiritual Living Center, 2842 Barrow St. 325-338-2575.

Round Dancing, 7 p.m., Wagon Wheel. 325-829-1517.

South Pioneer Al-Anon Group, 8 p.m., 3157 Russell Ave.

Unity Group of Alcoholics Anonymous, 8 p.m., Episcopal Church of the Heavenly Rest, 602 Meander St.
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.
Movies at the library

A free showing of a 1977 teen comedy movie will begin at 6:30 p.m. Monday at the Mockingbird Branch of the Abilene Public Library, 1326 N. Mockingbird Lane.

A free showing of a PG-rated fantasy movie will begin at 6 p.m. Tuesday at the Abilene Public Library, 202 Cedar St.

A free showing of part of the PBS documentary series "Latino Americans" will begin at 6:30 p.m. Thursday at the Mockingbird Branch of the Abilene Public Library, 1326 N. Mockingbird Lane.

A free showing of a G-rated animated movie will begin at 3 p.m. Saturday at the Abilene Public Library, 202 Cedar St. Popcorn and lemonade will be provided while supplies last.

Spring Break Camp

The Abilene Recreation Division will conduct a Spring Break Camp for children ages 6-13 from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday at the Rose Park Recreation Center. Registration is $65. To register, call 325-676-6217 or go to the Community Services Office, 633 Walnut St.

Card game tournament

A Yu-Gi-Oh! card game tournament for beginners 13 and older will begin at 2:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Mockingbird Branch of the Abilene Public Library, 1326 N. Mockingbird Lane. Tutorials and learning decks will be provided.

Art film

A showing of the film "The Rothko Conspiracy" will begin at noon Wednesday at the Center for Contemporary Arts, 220 Cypress St. A discussion will follow. Participants are invited to bring a lunch.

Saint Patrick's Day

Keep Abilene Beautiful will present its "#GoGreenAbilene" Saint Patrick's Day celebration from 5:30-7:30 p.m. Thursday at The Mill Winery, 239 Locust St. Admission is free, with drink tickets provided to the first 100 participants.

Steam-n-Wheels

The 24th annual Steam-n-Wheels Bike Race & Fun Ride will begin at 10 a.m. Saturday at Nelson Park, 2070 Zoo Lane. Routes of 12, 32 and 48 miles are available. Advance registration is $25 for individuals and $50 for tandem teams; race-day registration is $30 for individuals and $55 for tandem teams. To register, go to www.abilenetx.com or www.bikereg.com. For more information, call 325-676-6217.

Art reception

A reception for the art exhibit "Edge" will take place from 6-8 p.m. Saturday at Studio 13, 909 N. 13th St. The exhibition will run through March 31.

'Steppin' Out for Memories'

The Alzheimer's Association  North Central Texas Chapter will conduct its 10th annual "Steppin' Out for Memories" dinner and auction at 6:30 p.m. Saturday at the Taylor County Expo Center. The theme is "Route 66." Jody Nix will perform. Tickets are $75. For tickets, or for more information, call 325-672-2907.

Texas Gun & Knife Show

The Texas Gun & Knife show will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday at the Abilene Civic Center, 1100 N. Sixth St. Admission is $5. For more information, go to www.texasgunandknifeshows.com.

Planning for success

Lu Amy Sloan, of Life Leadership, will present a two-part program, "What's Your Mindset," at 6:30 p.m. March 21 and 28 at the Abilene Public Library, 202 Cedar St. Sloan will discuss how to plan for success in life.

Business Expo

The Abilene Chamber of Commerce will conduct the 32nd annual Business Expo from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. March 23 at the Abilene Civic Center, 1100 N. Sixth St. More than 220 exhibitors will be present. Admission is $5. Complimentary tickets are available at the chamber office, 174 Cypress St.

Champion for Children Conference

The 17th annual Champion for Children Conference will be presented from 8:15 a.m. to 5 p.m. April 1 and from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. April 2 at the Abilene Civic Center, 1100 N. Sixth St. A variety of topics and training on preventing child abuse will be presented. Derek Clark will be the featured speaker. To register, or for more information, go to www.championforchildren.net.

Tax assistance at the library

Through April 15, the AARP will offer free assistance in preparing income tax forms for low- and middle-income taxpayers from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesdays and Thursdays at the Abilene Public Library, 202 Cedar St., and Fridays and Saturdays at the Mockingbird Branch, 1326 N. Mockingbird Lane. Doors will open at 9 a.m. Space is limited; help will be provided on a first-come, first-served basis.
Photographer Jesse Cancelmo provides nearly 200 color photos of underwater life in the Gulf of Mexico in his gorgeous coffee-table book, 'Glorious Gulf of Mexico: Life Below the Blue' (Texas A&M University Press, $30 flexbound).

The 600,000 square miles of the international gulf connects five U.S. states, six Mexican states, and Cuba.

Cancelmo said he hopes his book might demonstrate 'how much sense it makes for each of the three countries interconnected by this magnificent body of water to work together to preserve and protect it for future generations.'

Cancelmo's photos capture the stunning and rarely-seen underwater beauty of the gulf, with sections devoted to the Mexican gulf waters, the northern coast of Cuba, the Dry Tortugas of Florida, the area from middle Florida to Alabama and Mississippi, and the gulf waters of Texas and Louisiana.

Civil War Years: Lucy Pier Stevens was 21 when she arrived for a visit at her aunt's farm near Bellville, Texas, on Christmas Day 1859. A resident of Ohio, she would spend the entire Civil War in Texas.

'Another Year Finds Me in Texas: The Civil War Diary of Lucy Pier Stevens' by Vicki Adams Tongate (University of Texas Press, $29.95 hardcover, 376 pages) offers the rare insights of a young woman from the north who couldn't go home.

Her diary covers the years 1863-65, with introductory and concluding chapters by Tongate about Lucy's life before and after the diary.

Historical Novel: Carroll Mart Sinclair of Tyler has written a historical novel, 'Tree of Justice?' (Early Sundown Studio, $15.95 paperback) based on his own family's experiences in Centerville, Texas, in 1919.

Most of the book deals with the day-to-day life of poor, white, hardworking farming families in East Texas, focusing on two families in particular  the Dorsetts and the Sinclairs. The Dorsetts travel by wagon from Alto to Centerville to earn money picking cotton for Jim Sinclair, and the two families become good friends and look forward to being together during cotton-picking season the next year.

But, in the last 40 pages of the 174-page novel, the story turns tragic when a family member is murdered  and the book's title ('Tree of Justice?') comes into play. The oak tree, says author Sinclair, stood for about 75 years in front of the Leon County courthouse in Centerville before it was removed in the 1960s.

Read more at treeofjustice.com. The book is available online in paperback and e-book editions.

Glenn Dromgoole is co-author of 101 Essential Texas Books. Contact him at g.dromgoole@suddenlink.net.
Ray in English is a narrow stream of light, such as a ray of sun.

In Spanish, Rey means "king."

Rey Martinez was the king of a huge family reunion Saturday afternoon at Nelson Park, where the sun's rays finally broke through the clouds to shine on the offspring of the late Gregorria and Ponciano Martinez.

"He organized all this," said Jesse Jaloma, of Quanah, complimenting Rey on the first large-scale family reunion. "I wouldn't have done it."

Rey, a grandson and the youngest of 10 in his father Antonio Martinez's branch of the family, said he wanted to do it for his father, whose health is not the best. At 76 and the eldest attendee Saturday, he missed a smaller out-of-town gathering in 2015. He was in wheelchair, enjoying being the center of a lot of attention.

"I thought it would be a good idea to have it here," Rey said. "It makes me feel good to do this for him."

This is a weekend-long event that began Friday and ends midday Sunday. Home base has been MCM Elegante, but the event traveled across town Saturday for the outdoor gathering. The families of five of the couple's 11 children met  Antonio, Elvia (Jesse's wife and the baby of her parent's family), Chano, Arthur (excuse me, Arturo  he was clear on that pronunciation and proud to have fathered 16 children) and Gloria. Chaos was avoided by having each group color coded. Antonio's large Abilene contingent was in green, Elvia's in light gray, Chano's in burnt orange, Arturo's in robin's egg blue and Gloria's in dark gray.

Three children  Joe, Olivia and Corina  are deceased.

"She was so family oriented," Rey said of Gregorria Martinez. "This family is close-knit. She didn't want to talk to you on the phone. She wanted you to come see her."

Elvia echoed that.

"The first thing she'd say is you're family. Always keep in touch," she said.

Gregorria, who, like her husband of 50 years lived to be 94, also was deeply religious, a Catholic who read her Bible daily and insisted a family gathering of any sort started with prayer.

"She told us to always go to church and follow the Lord. He will guide you," Elvia said.

At the end of 2009, the year she died, Texas Monthly paid tribute to Texans lost the preceding 12 months. The list included Farrah Fawcett, Patrick Swayze, Horton Foote and ... Gregorria Martinez, who, Jordan Breal wrote, "was no doubt familiar with God's exhortation to Adam and Eve to 'be fruitful and multiply.'"

Eldest grandchild Rick Martinez called her "a softie, but stern."

The love and affection for this abuelita is why more than 200 of many more descendants descended on Abilene to meet again  or for the first time, eat, take photos, eat, share stories and contact information, eat, play games and go to the zoo, eat, cast fishing lines, eat and dance Saturday night away. Before everyone is to scatter Sunday  some to where they live distantly, they were to eat again.

"Oh yes. A lot of these guys like to grill," said Rey, overseeing a crew manning two portable pits in which 16 briskets, 60 pounds of sausage, 300 pieces of chicken and 200 or so hot dogs were being grilled to perfection. Tejano music played, though a good song by Garth Brooks or another gringo could be heard now and then.

As Abilene family arrived, pots and pans of more food was brought in. Even if the fish were not biting for the planned fishing tournament later in the afternoon, no one was going hungry.

Nearby, Rey's assistant, a freshly shaved Pomeranian named Devon, kept an eye on things, hoping for something good to eat later on.

The grills were fired up Friday evening, with the brisket on about 11:30 p.m. Friday's bountiful rain at least was abating.

"Oh yeah, it was still a little misty," Rey said. A sparkling Saturday afternoon, though, was the payoff.

"This is what it's like when we get together," Jesse said.

By Jesse's count, there now are 98 grandchildren, 178 great-grandchildren and 63 great-great-grandchildren. Most of the family lives in Texas, stretching from South Texas to the Wichita Falls area. But there are descendants now living coast to coast. And this is just Gregorria's own offspring.

"We didn't want everyone showing up. Seriously," Jesse said. "Seriously." OK, he wasn't joking.

Chano , backing away from the smoke coming out of the cooker, was looking forward to brisket but enjoying "having a great time with family" in the meantime.

Son Cisco said it was "a blessing" to get everyone together and make sure the younger ones get to know others their age now that families are so spread apart.

This is a family also noted for working hard at jobs that are hard work. Back in the day, many were migrants, working the fields from Texas to Wisconsin, picking cotton and cucumbers, and shearing sheep. Only Elvia finished high school.

Though migrant workers, no one took "welfare, food stamps or unemployment," Jesse said proudly. "It was strictly hard work" that got them by.

Anyone who wandered up Saturday probably would've been invited to eat.

Well, maybe not Donald Trump.

"It's unanimous, no one here is voting for Trump," Rey and Jesse said in unison, laughing. They hadn't checked with Arturo, who had some choice words for Obamacare and those here illegally.

"Everyone here is legal," Jesse said, laughing again.

Actually, the controversial Republican presidential candidate might have learned something Saturday.

Part of what will keep America great or make America great again are strong families.

The Martinez family symbolizes unity, something we could use more of this election season.
BROWNWOOD  More than 200 people came out Saturday to witness the unveiling and dedication of a memorial monument to a Department of Public Safety officer killed in the line of duty.

Sgt. William Karl Keesee died in a single vehicle accident Oct. 29, when his patrol car went over a guardrail and into a creek on Highway 84 near Goldthwaite. A 25-year DPS veteran, Keesee was the 217th DPS officer to die in the line of duty since 1837.

Saturday's memorial service, which included Keesee's family, DPS leadership and fellow troopers, was organized to dedicate a granite monument that stands just outside the entrance to the DPS headquarters on Market Place Boulevard in Brownwood.

"It takes an extraordinary person to take on the risks and responsibilities of a peace officer, and Sergeant Keesee was a man of great courage and principle who selflessly served his community," said Col. David Baker, DPS Deputy Director. "The Department of Public Safety is immensely grateful for his unwavering commitment to the people of Texas, and his sacrifice will always be remembered."

Added DPS Region 5 Commander Gary Albus: "Today we remember the life of a Texas hero and offer our deepest sympathies to the Keesee family. While there are no words to adequately express our appreciation for Sergeant Keesee's loyalty and dedication to this department and all of Texas, this monument will be a constant reminder of his noble service."

The monument was donated by Don Metcalf under a program known as "We the People of the State of Texas." The program was founded by Metcalf's brother, Richard, to honor DPS officers killed in the line of duty. After Richard Metcalf's death in 1998, Don Metcalf stepped in and continued the program honoring those who gave their lives protecting the citizens of Texas. There are currently more than 80 monuments throughout the state.

"I am honored to be here today," Don Metcalf said to those gathered. "Darla, Karesa, and Karlton, we care about your loss, and I can only hope that this monument will help his memory live on in the hearts and minds of everyone who sees it."

Keesee's widow, Darla, his daughter, Karesa, and son, Karlton were on hand to witness the unveiling and dedication. They also received the slain officer's pistol, which was presented by Albus.

"This day means a lot to my mom, my sister and I," said an emotional Karlton Keesee. "We want to thank everyone who was here, as well as the DPS. It has been unreal and amazing, the amount of support and love we've been shown since my dad died."

Karlton went on to say that he looked forward to being part of the DPS "family." He said he hopes to follow in his father's footsteps as a DPS trooper, and is waiting for the next opportunity to apply.

The monument reads "We the people of the State of Texas acknowledge and thank Sergeant William Karl Keesee for the great sacrifice he made to keep the public safe. His efforts will stand the test of time. May God bless his soul. October 29, 2015."
An Afghan militant group, Hezb-e Islami, has said it is ready for peace talks with the government.

The group led by notorious warlord Gulbuddin Hekmatyar said in a statement on March 13 that it wants peace.

The U.S. State Department lists Hekmatyar as a "terrorist" for supporting Taliban and Al-Qaeda, but U.S. and Afghan officials have met with Hezb-e Islami representatives in the past few years in an effort to help end the war.

Last year, Hekmatyar called on his followers to support the militant group Islamic State (IS) in the fight against the Taliban.

In its statement on March 13, the group criticized Washington for adding two of its members to the list of global terrorists on March 10.

Abdullah Nowbahar and Abdul Saboor, explosives experts, were both blacklisted for their roles in deadly attacks in Kabul.

The Taliban, the main militant group in Afghanistan, has said it will not participate in direct peace talks in Kabul scheduled for this month.

Based on reporting by Khaama and 1TV
The chief of police in Afghanistan's Ghazni Province has warned that several districts in the central province may fall to the Taliban if the government in Kabul does not take urgent measures.

According to local media reports, Aminullah Amarkhil said on March 13 that eight districts are on the verge of collapse but there are not enough security forces there to stop the militants' advance.

Amarkhil was quoted as saying the strategic KabulKandahar highway that passes through Ghazni has made the province a prime target for the Taliban.

The police chief has threated to quit his post if the central government doesnt send reinforcement troops to Ghazni.

There were no immediate comments from authorities in Kabul.

Meanwhile, Afghanistan's Defense Ministry said in a statement on March 13 that at least 26 militants were killed in military operations by Afghan security forces over the past 24 hours.

The ministry said the air and ground operations took place in the Herat, Helmand, Uruzgan, Baghlan, and Kapisa provinces.

Based on reporting by khaama.com and pazhwok.com
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiys office said 88 settlements in the southern Kherson region and 551 settlements in the northeastern Kharkiv region have been de-occupied, while the Ukrainian forces' counteroffensive in the Kherson region moves ahead.

Live Briefing: Russia's Invasion Of Ukraine RFE/RL's Live Briefing gives you all of the latest developments on Russia's ongoing invasion, Kyiv's counteroffensive, Western military aid, global reaction, Russian protests, and the plight of civilians. For all of RFE/RL's coverage of the war, click here.

Kyrylo Tymoshenko, the deputy head of Zelenskiys office, reported the data on October 21 on Telegram, broadcasting results since the Ukrainian military launched the counteroffensive several weeks ago in the direction of Kherson and before that in the direction of Kharkiv.

Zelenskiy added in his nightly video address that Ukrainian forces had shown good results in capturing Russian arms in Kherson.

Since early October, Ukrainian forces have captured more than 30 Russian armored vehicles, thousands of projectiles for tanks, and three artillery guns that will "help liberate our land," he added.

The claims could not be independently verified.

Russia has sent in thousands of recently mobilized troops to reinforce the defense of Kherson, the Ukrainian General Staff said earlier on October 21.

"Up to 2,000 mobilized Russians arrived in the temporarily captured Kherson region to replenish losses and strengthen units on the contact line," the General Staff said in a statement.

"At the same time, the occupation authorities issued an order to prepare for the evacuation of the so-called 'banking institutions' and Russian medical workers and teachers," the statement said.

Ukraine is trying to drive Russian forces in Kherson back east across the Dnieper River, which bisects the country. Russian soldiers on the western bank, where the city of Kherson is located, are reportedly close to being cut off from supply lines and reinforcements.

Ukraine has imposed an information blackout from the Kherson front, but Russian General Sergei Surovikin said this week that the situation in Kherson was "already difficult."

Ukrainian strikes made the Antonivskiy Bridge in the city of Kherson impassable, prompting Russian authorities to set up ferry crossings and pontoon bridges to relocate civilians and transport supplies.

Russian-installed officials are trying to evacuate up to 60,000 people from Kherson and to allow the military to build fortifications.

The situation is really difficult, the deputy head of Khersons Kremlin-installed regional administration, Kirill Stremousov, said in a video on Telegram. Today we are preparing the city of Kherson as a fortress for defense and are ready to defend to the last.

Other Kremlin-installed officials said Ukrainian shelling of a Dnieper River ferry crossing killed two journalists working for a local TV station that the Russians set up under occupation. At least two other people were reported killed and 13 wounded.

Natalia Humeniuk, a spokesperson for Ukraines southern operational command, confirmed that the Ukrainian military struck the Antonivskiy Bridge but said the strike took place during an overnight curfew that Russian-installed officials put in place to avoid civilian casualties.

Zelenskiy again on October 21 urged the West to warn Russia not to blow up a dam at the Nova Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant on the Dnieper River, as this could flood settlements toward Kherson.

Zelenskiy said Russian forces had planted explosives inside the dam, which holds back an enormous reservoir, and were planning to blow it up.

"Now everyone in the world must act powerfully and quickly to prevent a new Russian terrorist attack. Destroying the dam would mean a large-scale disaster," he said in his nightly address.

Russia has accused Kyiv of planning to destroy the dam. Ukrainian officials have called this a sign that Moscow might blow it up and blame Ukraine in a so-called false-flag operation. Neither side produced evidence to back up their allegations.

With reporting by Reuters, AFP, AP, and BBC
Belarusian authorities have detained prominent businessman Yury Chizh on suspicion of large-scale tax evasion.

Chizh had been a close adviser to Belarusian President Alyaksandr Lukashenka since the 1990s but had reportedly fell out of favor in recent months.

If convicted, Chizh faces up to seven years in prison.

Chizh, owner of the Belarusian firm Triple, was detained by the KGB, the Belarusian security service.

Dmitry Pobyarzhin, a representative of the KGB, said Chizh was in a "KGB detention center."

In 2012, Chizh was included on a list of European Union sanctions imposed on Belarusian individuals and companies in response to the country's human rights violations.

The EU ended five years of sanctions against Belarus and Lukashenka in February, citing improving human rights.

Based on reporting by Reuters and Interfax
Stalked for years before its existence could even be confirmed to skeptical 19th-century Europeans, then rapidly hunted, collected, or simply displaced into extinction, the wild Przewalski's horse suffered a pitiable demise in the Eurasian steppes.

Early efforts to reintroduce the tawny, thickset equine -- the only remaining wild, as opposed to feral, horse -- have been more, well, decorous.

Six Przewalski's horses arrived on a charter flight from France to Russia in October, kicking off a program to return the species to the Ural region of Orenburg, where the animal hadn't been seen in over a century.

Nearly five months later, conservationists say the animals -- one adult stallion, four mares, and an 18-month-old colt -- are adapting well to conditions on the freezing steppe.

The reintroduction project has been "very successful" in its earliest stages, according to Tatjana Zharkikh, head of the reintroduction center in the strictly protected Orenburg nature reserves along the border with Kazakhstan.

The trailblazing animals "get additional hay and oats twice a week because this winter is unusual for the Orenburg region -- a lot of snow," she says. "We're sure that the coming winters will be much warmer and much better for horses, but now we know that we and our horses are [prepared for] such conditions."

The small herd's new habitat spans more than 16,500 hectares of virgin steppe.

It is the latest scheme to bring a species that has gone from extinction in the wild and a breeding population in captivity of a mere 13 individuals back from the brink. There are now around 2,000 captive Przewalski's horses from a handful of breeding programs around the world, according to the American Museum of Natural History.

The Orenburg animals were donated by the Association for the Przewalski's Horse (TAKH) in southern France, where they roamed 600 hectares of enclosed natural grassland.

"They adapt to natural conditions," Zharkikh says. "They are not from a zoo, they are from a semi-reserve; that's why they [endure] the winter very well."

According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the Przewalski's horse -- with a thick mane in winter and a characteristic dark stripe from mane to tail -- ranged from the Russian steppes to Kazakhstan, Mongolia, and northern China until the late 18th century.

After Russian explorer Nikolai Przhevalski was thought to have described the species in the late 19th century, the herds were chased down to exhaustion, pushing the Przewalski's horse into extinction in its natural habitats.

But a half-century later, with five regional breeding programs from North America to Eurasia and Australia, the species, while still endangered, is considered a conservation success.

Reintroduction efforts have been under way to return animals to the wild in Mongolia and China since the 1990s and, perhaps more remarkably, in the Ukrainian exclusion zone around Chernobyl that was the scene of the world's worst civilian nuclear disaster.

Meanwhile in Kazakhstan, wildlife officials are teaming up with German biologists to mount a project to give Przewalski's horses a chance to thrive there.

But the species remains threatened by small population size, restricted range, loss of genetic diversity, and hybridization with domesticated horses.

In order to prevent mares in the Orenburg project who venture out of their protected habitat from breeding with horses kept in nearby villages, conservationists have built a fence around the entire area.

Zharkikh says she hopes the project will receive 10 to 20 more Przewalski's horses from abroad in the coming years.

"It's not enough to [establish] a semi-free population with only six horses," she says. "It's not enough [to] avoid inbreeding."
France has warned that Tehran could face European Union sanctions over the ballistic missile tests conducted by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) earlier this month.

Western governments have already said that if the missiles are confirmed as nuclear-capable, the tests would violate UN Security Council Resolution 2231 adopted in July.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault said in March 13 that "if necessary, sanctions will be taken" against Iran.

Ayrault made the comments after a meeting with U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and several European counterparts.

Kerry said Iran's missile tests are a breach of UN resolutions "because they are longer than the distance allowed for ballistic missiles and, because of that, they represent a potential threat to the countries in the region and beyond."

Iran says the missiles launch was part of a military exercise.

The missile tests by Iran are expected to be discussed by EU foreign ministers at a meeting on March 14.

Washington has also asked the UN Security Council to discuss the matter.

In January the United States imposed sanctions on 11 companies and individuals for supplying Iran's ballistic-missile program after a series of tests at the end of last year.

That move came a day after international sanctions related to Iran's nuclear program were lifted under a landmark deal Tehran and major world power reached last July.

As part the nuclear deal, a UN resolution that barred Iran from any work on ballistic missiles of carrying nuclear warheads was also lifted.

However, a new Resolution 2231 was adopted in July that "calls upon" Iran to refrain from such activity.

Iran maintains its missiles are not designed to carry nuclear weapons and says it will continue missile development.

Iran's Foreign Ministry said the tests do not violate Iran's nuclear deal with world powers or UN Security Council resolutions.

With a range of 2,000 kilometers, Iran's ballistic missiles would be capable of reaching Israel and U.S. military bases in the Middle East.

In another development on March 13, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called on world powers that signed the nuclear deal with Iran to punish Iran for the missile tests.

With reporting by AP, AFP, Reuters, and the BBC
Iran has said it has no plans to freeze its oil production, in a blow to a deal reached last month between Russia and Saudi Arabia to curb falling global oil prices.

Iranian Oil Minister Bijan Namdar Zanganeh told Iran's Press TV on March 13 that other oil-producing countries should "leave us alone."

Zanganeh added Tehran would only consider a freeze after it increases production to 4 million barrels a day, the level it saw before international sanctions were imposed due to concerns about its nuclear program.

Zanganeh has previously said an oil freeze would be a "joke" and Iran wanted to recover its lost market share.

According to the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), Iran's current oil production is between 2.8 million and 3.5 million barrels a day.

The Russian-Saudi deal, to which OPEC members Venezuela and Qatar also agreed to, is aimed at boosting global oil prices, which have fallen by up to 70 percent since their peak in mid-2014.

Since the removal of the international sanctions Iran has been trying to regain its share of the global petroleum market.

Zanganeh also welcomed U.S. companies to invest in Iran's oil and gas sector.

"In general, we have no problem with the presence of American companies in Iran," Zanganeh told Press TV.

The minister said it is the U.S. government that is "creating restrictions for these companies." But he did not elaborate.

All international sanctions related to Iran's disputed nuclear program were lifted in January under a historic deal reached between Tehran and major world powers in July 2015.

However, Washington maintains separate sanctions imposed on Iran over its ballistic-missile program and it support for State Department-designated terrorist groups.

Zanganeh also told Press TV that he has asked German company Siemens to invest in Iran's petroleum sector.

"The German company must come to Iran to build equipment and parts needed in our oil industry and manufacture them here," Zanganeh said.

With reporting by dpa, AP, and Press TV
Iraqs government in Baghdad says militants who call themselves the Islamic State (IS) have carried out a chemical attack near the northern Iraqi city of Kirkuk on March 12  the second such attack within days.

Iraqi officials say the poisonous chemicals used against the town of Taza killed the three-year-old daughter of a Shiite militia member who is fighting against IS militants.

They say the attacks wounded about 600 other people in Taza who are suffering from infected burns, suffocation, and dehydration. Hundreds more fled.

Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi told a meeting of village elders in Taza later on March 12 that the attacks will not go unpunished, and that the perpetrators will pay dearly.

Iraqi Kurdish officials say IS militants shelled Taza on March 8 with Katyusha rockets and mortars filled with poisonous substances.

Taza is a mainly Shiite village about 20 kilometers south of Kirkuk, a region under Kurdish control.

Wasta Rasul, a Kurdish Peshmerga commander, said the chemical attacks on Taza came from the nearby Bashir area, which is under the control of IS militants.

Based on reports by AP, Reuters, and AFP
U.S.Secretary of State John Kerry met with the foreign ministers of France, Britain, Italy, and Germany  along with EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini -- in Paris on March 13.

A top item on the agenda was the UN-sponsored indirect peace talks due to begin in Geneva on March 14 between Syrian President Bashar al-Assads regime and representatives of Syrian opposition factions.

Those talks are aimed at capitalizing on a shaky truce between Syrian government forces and opposition fighters.

Kerry, speaking in Paris, warned the Assad regime and allies against exploiting the truce.

"If the regime and its backers think they can test boundaries, diminish their compliance in certain areas, or act in ways that call into question their commitment to the cessation -- without serious consequences for the progress we have made -- they are mistaken," Kerry said.

Kerry also said IS militants in Syria were being weakened.

"In Syria, over the last three weeks alone, [the IS] has lost 3,000 square kilometers and 600 fighters," he said.

Al-Qaeda militants and IS fighters are not included in the truce deal and will not be represented at the Geneva talks.

UN peace envoy Staffan de Mistura has said the Geneva meetings would not last more than 10 days.

Russia had called on de Mistura to include Syrian Kurds in the Geneva peace talks.

De Mistura told the Swiss newspaper Le Temps that while Syrian Kurds would not take part, they should be given a chance to express their views.

The negotiations are set to cover the formation of a new Syrian government, a fresh constitution, and the organization of UN-monitored presidential and parliamentary elections within 18 months.

The High Negotiations Committee, a Saudi-backed umbrella opposition group, said it will attend the Geneva talks and press for a transitional government with full executive powers that does not include Assad or any of his close associates.

Chief opposition negotiator Muhammad Allush said in Geneva on March 12 that "the transitional period should start with the fall, or death, of Bashar al-Assad."

Allush said a transitional government "cannot start with the presence of the regime, or the head of this regime still in power."

Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Muallam said Assad's delegates would head to Geneva on March 13.

But Muallam said on March 12 that the oppoition's calls for Assad's ouster would be a "red line" and suggested that it would lead to the end of the indirect negotiations in Geneva.

Muallam said: "We will not talk with anyone who wants to discuss the presidency.... Bashar al-Assad is a red line. If they continue with this approach, there's no reason for them to come to Geneva."

Kerrys visit to Paris follows his talks in Saudi Arabia with King Salman, Crown Prince Muhammad bin Nayaf , and senior Saudi ministers.

With reporting by Reuters, AP, and AFP
At least seven miners were killed when a coal mine collapsed in northwest Pakistan.

Two more miners were still missing after heavy rain caused the collapse of a coal mine on March 12 in the Orakzai tribal district, a largely lawless tribal area along the Afghan border.

Zubair Khan, the top government official in the district, said 26 miners were rescued, but the rescue effort was being hampered by heavy rain.

A military statement issued late on March 12 said more than 100 troops from the army and the paramilitary Frontier Corps were helping operate heavy machinery at the site and providing medical support.

Pakistani mines are notorious for poor safety standards and bad ventilation.

At least 43 workers were killed in March 2011 when explosions triggered a collapse in a coal mine in southwestern Balochistan Province, which is rich in gas, oil, and mineral deposits.

Based on reporting by AFP, AP, and Dunya News
Russia has accused Turkey of deploying troops "a few hundred meters from the border inside Syria" to prevent Kurdish groups in northern Syria from consolidating their positions.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said in an interview aired on March 13 that Moscow has evidence of Turkey's rampant military "expansion" inside Syria.

"While demanding that Kurdish positions are not reinforced in Syria, Turkey has been claiming its sovereign right to create 'security zones' on Syrian soil," Lavrov told Russia's REN TV.

There were no immediate reactions from Turkish officials to Lavrov's comments.

The comments come as Ankara imposed curfews on two towns -- in Turkey's mainly Kurdish southeast -- where its security forces are set to launch large-scale operations against militants linked to the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK).

The Syrian conflict has sparked growing friction between Turkey and Russia, which says the Kurds should be included in diplomatic efforts to end the five-year civil war.

Earlier this month, Lavrov said any attempt to keep the Kurds out of peace talks would infringe on the rights "of a large and significant group" of people living in Syria.

Based on reporting by AFP and AP
Russias diplomatic mission in Geneva reportedly has confirmed that the United Nations human rights office in Moscow is being shut down  a development the UN's top rights official feared would happen.

A report on March 12 by Russias RIA Novosti news agency said the Russian diplomatic mission in Geneva confirmed a decision was made to close the mission in Moscow of the UNs Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR).

There was no immediate comment from the OHCHR about the report, which comes in the midst of a growing crackdown in Russia against rights activists, independent journalists, and public debate.

Russian ambassador Aleksei Borodavkin was quoted by RIA Novosti as saying the OHCHR has helped to create human rights institutions in Russia and "we do not see anything extraordinary" about the Moscow office being closed.

On March 10, UN Human Rights Commissioner Zeid Ra'ad al-Hussein expressed concern about signals received from the Kremlin that Russia intended to close the OHCHRs Moscow office.

Based on reporting by AP, RIA Novosti, and BBC
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What a chaotic election year! Voters across the land have loudly and clearly voiced their disapproval of the incumbent party. In fact, a very dissatisfied public has made it clearly known that it is fed up with both of the traditional parties and decisively demonstrated its desire to throw the candidates representing traditional parties out of power.

Think politicians have taken a beating here in the United States? We arent the only citizenry fed up with a national government perceived as being out of touch with its voters.

This is no ordinary election year for Ireland. This year is significant because the Emerald Isle is observing the 100th commemoration of the 1916 Easter Rising. The rebellion against British control that began on April 24, 1916, marked the beginning of a long and bloody civil war that eventually led to Irish independence in 1922.

A century later, the Republic of Ireland is governed as a parliamentary democracy. The nation is led by a prime minister and 15 departments headed by ministers. Together, they make up the Irish government and form the countrys executive power. (Ireland also has a president who is directly elected by the people. It is a seven-year term for an office that is mostly ceremonial.)

There are two houses of parliament. Dail Eireann is the 166-member House of Representatives and Seanad Eireann is the 60-member Senate. Irish elections for parliament take place every five years.

***

For more than 80 years, Irish politics have been dominated by two parties: Fine Gael and Fianna Fail. The current prime minister of Ireland, Enda Kenny, is a member of the Fine Gael party. He is a two-term PM, last elected in 2011. The rest of the government is primarily a coalition between the Fine Gael and Labour parties. The Fianna Fail and Sinn Fein parties also have some representation within the Dail.

For the first time in Irelands history, the combined totals of both of the big two political parties have failed to reach 50 percent of the vote. Neither party is strong enough to hold a parliamentary majority of 79 seats. As a result, writes Shawn Pogatchnik of the Associated Press, Parliament is left with at least nine factions and a legion of loose-cannon independents, few of them easy partners for a coalition government, none of them numerous enough to make a difference on their own.

A new parliament was to be convened on Thursday, March 10 to elect a prime minister to appoint a new government. Both the incumbent Kenny, and the head of Fianna Fail, Michael Martin, put themselves up for the position. As of this writing, it was uncertain who, if anyone, would be elected. If Parliament fails and a new prime minister is not elected, Kenny would continue to lead a lame-duck coalition government.

***

This is a new situation for the Irish, who have long prided themselves on an exceptionally stable government. That political stability has been one of the countrys strongest assets. It is one of the reasons (along with a quite favorable tax rate and a large pool of skilled workers) that in 2015, Forbes Magazine named Ireland the worlds fourth best country in which to do business. (The U.S. plummeted to No. 22 last year.) It is also one of the reasons that Ireland continues to have the fastest growing economy in all of the European Union.

Despite the nations relative rapid recovery (far faster and stronger than most European nations) from the 2008 global meltdown, the Irish people are fed up with government-imposed measures. New taxes on housing and water, deep cuts in wages and medical benefits, among other measures, have taken their toll on the citizens.

Austerity has been a painful experience for the Irish. Many were willing to accept the measures at the beginning of the collapse. However, as Irelands outlook brightens and its economy continues to grow, so does the anger of a citizenry that has yet to feel the benefits from the reforms.

***

For the first time in history, politicians from Fianna Gail and Fine Gael are going to have to learn how to get along. The two parties have been bitter opponents since 1922. Whether or not these two rivals can learn to work together is going to be a huge question for the Irish.

If the two parties are unable to form some sort of coalition government, then the nation faces the prospect of a second election later this year  something the Irish havent seen since 1982.

Should that happen, there remains the very likely possibility that the two center-right parties, Fianna Fail and Fine Gael, will both lose. The big winner could be the left-led opposition party, Sinn Fein. That party, however, has deep ties to the Irish Republican Army. Its leader, Gerry Adams, was for a long time the face of the IRAs bombing campaign in Northern Ireland.
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Clive Rice was a retired Navy man, a Civil War enthusiast and a former child radio star. From 1951 until 1955, Rice was Bobby Benson, the Cowboy Kid from the B-Bar-B Ranch. Bobby Benson, which first aired in the 1930s, was one of the longest-running radio shows for kids, airing up to four times a week on the Mutual Radio Network.

Rice moved to Roanoke in 1981 and lived here until his death from cancer on Feb. 17. He was 75. Betty, his second wife who was originally from Floyd, died in 2012.

Few local folks who knew him from his work with the Roanoke Civil War Round Table had any idea that Rice had been a child actor in the 1950s. Born in England, he moved to the United States with his parents and grew up in Connecticut. He auditioned for Bobby Benson and got the role, mainly because his uncle was a producer (Rices performance name was Clyde Campbell, so that people wouldnt think his uncle was playing favorites). The young actor traveled the country as Bobby Benson, including a stop in Roanoke in 1951 when he was 11.

Bobby Benson, which told the adventures of an orphan kid who ends up running a ranch, also featured a young Don Knotts as the character Windy Wales. The show ended when Rice was 15, and he eventually joined the Navy after high school. When he retired from the service, he moved to Roanoke with Betty.

I never looked back, he told The Roanoke Times in 1998.
Dorothy Ann (Dot) Arato, 77, of Roanoke, Va., went to be with the Lord on Thursday, March 10, 2016.She loved genealogy, was a graduate of George Wythe High School, and retired from the engineering department of the City of Roanoke. Dot was a faithful and active member of North Roanoke Baptist Church where she also taught Sunday School for years. Dot is survived by her husband of 57 years, Tibor L. Arato; her loving daughters, Anita Smith and her husband, Steve, and Cyndi Bowles and her husband, Wayne; grandchildren, Alex Smith and Summer Smith; stepgrandson, Glen Bowles; several cousins and extended family members; and many special friends.No prior calling. A Memorial Service celebrating Dot's life will be held at 5 p.m. on Thursday, March 17, 2016, at North Roanoke Baptist Church, 6400 Peters Creek Road, Roanoke with the Rev. Darryl Crim officiating. The family will greet friends after the ceremony in the church.In lieu of flowers, please consider North Roanoke Baptist Church Missions or the American Cancer Society. Online condolences may be expressed to the family at www.oakeys.com.
Garland Page English, 86, of Glade Hill, Va., departed this earthly life Friday, March 11, 2016, at Runk & Pratt. He was the son of Charlie and Ella English of Glade Hill. He was preceded in death by his parents; sisters, Sallie Nadine English, Mary Ann Adkins, and Nannie Kate Reynolds; and brothers, Norwood and Maury English.He was a graduate of Glade Hill High School in 1948 and started his career at DuPont in Martinsville, Va. He was soon drafted into the Korean Conflict and served two years as a corporal. After finishing his tour of duty, he returned to DuPont to work in several departments including spinning, pack room and the control room. He was fondly called "Lowboy" because of a mistake he made in not properly filling one of the textile containers. For many years, he worked a rotating shift at DuPont, would come home and rest a few hours, and then help his brother, Norwood, with his tobacco farm. In 1991, he purchased the family farm and started his farming career by raising beef cattle for 21 years. His faith and love for God was steadfast by being an active member of Forrest Hill Christian Church for 49 years. He took on the deacon responsibility to help manage the business decisions and well as operating activities for the church for over 25 years. He joined the VFW Post 10840 of Snow Creek and served as a chaplain for eight years. After the creation of Smith Mountain Lake in 1965, he purchased his first boat with his uncle, Hoover Potter. He learned to water ski and spent many enjoyable summers with his family and friends on the lake. He enjoyed traveling by car and was able to enjoy many vacations up and down the east coast including Canada, and traveled west to Texas and California. His favorite sport was NASCAR racing and he admired Richard Petty and Jeff Gordon. On Sunday afternoons, after church, he could be found downstairs relaxing in his pajamas and watching a race.He is survived by his devoted wife, Shelba Potter English, of 52 years; caring daughters, Shay and Jeff Brill, Gina and KC Miller; precious grandchildren, Shelby Kathleen and Page Bradley Miller; thoughtful brothers-in-law, Tal Adkins and Al Malpass; supportive nieces, Bonnie Belcher, Betty and David Hodges, Vickie and Ricky Prillaman, Sherri and Hulse Wagner, Julie Ellington; and kind nephews, David and Susan Potter, Brian and Brenda Potter.All services will be at Forrest Hill Christian Church. Family will receive guests from 5 to 7 p.m. Sunday, March 13, 2016, and funeral services will be conducted 11 a.m. Monday, March 14, 2016. A luncheon will be provided after the graveside service in the church cemetery.Special thanks to the care providers at Team Nurse, Runk & Pratt, and Carilion Franklin County Hospice for their assistance in his care. Thank you to the church family, friends, and family who sent cards and frequently called and came to visit. Memorial donations may be made to Forrest Hill Christian Church, 13185 Snow Creek Road, Penhook, VA 24137. Arrangements by Flora Funeral Service and Cremation Center, Rocky Mount.
Vishal Mehta, who has been the CEO of IIa Technologies Pte Ltd (Singapore) since July 2009, drives the companys global growth plans and strategic planning focused on innovation. He, along with his team, created a commercially viable approach of growing diamonds; and believes that all future innovations in the industry will be led by technology.

Vishal comes from a family with a history in the gems and jewellery business, going back to four generations. He began his career at the age of 18 as a diamond cutter in Mumbai, India.

Besides becoming a Gemologist from Gemological Institute of America (GIA), Vishal also holds a Masters in Business Administration in International Management from Thunderbird, School of Global Management.

In this interview with Rough&Polished, Vishal Mehta speaks about his company, its products and related issues.

To begin with, how and when did the idea of going into manufacturing lab-grown diamonds come about, given that you come from a family which has been in the natural diamond and jewellery business for four generations now?

IIa Technologies was set up in 2005, when Dr D S Misra (Ex IIT Bombay, India) and Mrs Sonia Mehta (an established Dubai-based Gems & Jewelry businesswoman) realized that the future of diamonds was in growing them  since the mines were a finite source with depleting supply. It was Mrs. Mehtas vision for Grown Diamonds that made her invest in a state-of-the-art greenhouse for growing diamonds in Singapore, coupled with the fact that Dr Misra was one of the few names in the science world whose diamond-related research was incontrovertible. They both understood the need to develop a sustainable, commercially viable diamond-growing process to truly explore the supermaterial like qualities of diamond.

I joined IIa Technologies in 2009, when the company was still in research mode. In fact, it was not until 2013 that IIa launched its commercial operations  because it was critical to get the diamond growing process right before thinking of selling grown diamonds. The brand name IIa was chosen because Type IIa diamonds are the purest grade of diamonds and are extremely rare in nature (just 2% of all diamonds in the world are Type IIa grade).

Can you tell us more about lab-grown diamonds and explain the technology being used in your company?

The journey in the last decade for IIa Technologies has been full of challenges and positive surprises. It is a matter of immense pride to have created a proprietary diamond growing process that remains unparalleled. We can commit consistent supply of grown diamonds, for use in various industries.

The simplest way to explain Diamond Growth is to keep the concept of a typical greenhouse in mind. The diamond growing process begins with diamond seeds (which are also diamonds grown from carbon) being placed inside a growth chamber. In this growth chamber, which is also known as the Diamond Greenhouse, a carbon-rich diamond-growing environment is conditioned and maintained for about 12-14 weeks. At the end of this period, diamond seeds have undergone natural crystallization  just as they do below the earth without any human intervention, resulting in a rough Type IIa diamond (pronounced 2a, also the name of our company).

Having spent more than a decade in R&D has enabled IIa Technologies to grow diamonds of various quality grades for various applications.

Numerous terms like CZs, moissanites, natural diamonds and now lab-grown diamonds can you explain how these lab-grown stones differ from mined stones? Does IIa Techs processed end product differ from the likes of other players in this genre?

A grown diamond is simply put a genuine diamond. Theres no similarity between Grown Diamonds and artificial diamonds or non-diamond simulants or CZs.

It is a recognized fact within the diamond industry that genuine diamonds are either grown inside earth or in diamond greenhouses above ground. Both are 100% carbon and have identical physical, chemical and optical properties. Both have the same hardness, specific gravity, refractive index and dispersion; are polished using the same equipment and techniques; and have the same brilliance, sparkle, fire and scintillation. We suggest you have a look at the recently launched IGDA website, which summarizes the grown and mined diamond properties in a technically accurate manner.

We welcome the launch of International Grown Diamond Association (IGDA) that will be central in presenting a collective, technically correct (based on scientific facts) and a global platform to the emerging grown diamond industry and players alike.

IIa Tech (2a Tech) is looked at as one of the largest lab-grown diamond manufacturer in the world. In terms of production, can we have an approximate annual production volume? What sizes of stones are produced today; and what is the biggest size that has been produced till date? Who do you cater to more, the industrial sector or the luxury jewellery sector? What would be the percentage in terms of volume in both these fields?

IIa Technologies grew around 350,000 carats of diamonds in 2015. The largest diamond that we have produced was a 3.04 carat diamond. Our target market is in the sweet spot of an average 1 carat based on what the market demands. The gems and jewellery industry is an important focus point and we believe that consistent and dependable supply will be the

hallmark for the grown diamond industry.



































Can you give us an idea of how big the global lab-grown diamond manufacturing industry is at present? How many and where in the world are these players established? Collectively, of the total global market for diamonds, what percentage are lab-grown diamonds at present? And how do you see the future panning out for this product?

A 2014 Frost & Sullivan analysis claims that global Grown Diamond production reached approximately 360,000 carats in 2014 and in next 3 years, its estimated to touch around 2 million carats. Grown Diamonds are an emerging industry, and there are quite a few companies which have been researching and growing diamonds for years now. As you can see on IGDAs website, we are spread from the US to South East Asia to Russia and grown diamond companies around the world are well equipped to start pushing supply to industry. The future is that grown diamonds will be able to supply consistent and growing rough diamonds to an industry whose key raw material, mined rough, is expected to start shrinking in supply.

The general perception in the natural diamond industry globally is that the lab-grown diamonds should be categorized to differentiate from mined natural diamonds; some may even see lab-grown diamonds as a threat as well. Whats your take on this?

We dont see grown diamonds as a threat to mined diamonds. Grown diamonds present the diamond trade with an opportunity to extend their business to new customers, offer new diamonds to old customers and widen the choice in diamonds. This, we think, will create a bigger & healthier diamond market.

The only distinction between a mined diamond and a grown diamond is that a grown diamond comes from above the earth, whereas mined diamond comes from below the earth. We support the need to differentiate  which is important to us as a leading grown diamond player  and we thus, support third party independent diamond certification. Certification also gives our retail customers means to know their diamonds origin and be assured that they are conflict-free and have distinct eco advantages.

More than this category of diamonds eating into the natural diamond business based on price etc., the feeling of threat seems legitimate due to instances of mixing of these stones with natural diamonds thus creating instability in the industry, especially in customer confidence being shattered. Your thoughts?

We believe in consumer education and disclosure through branding and as long as this is done, consumers have a choice. In todays information-rich environment consumers build confidence through their own research and we believe that informing them openly gives them the ability and the tools to choose whats right for them. Part of this education and disclosure is Certification by recognized labs which further ensures consumers know exactly what they are buying.

The natural diamond industry, while claiming that while it is not against lab-grown or synthetics per se, sees a differently categorized with disclosure made mandatory a workable solution. Do you, as manufacture, share the onus on this disclosure aspect or leave it to the downstream jewellery manufacturers and Wholesalers/retailers etc.? What is your opinion? And, how do you operate?

The diamond industry cannot be grouped or generalized together, there are quite a few that do not subscribe to this sentiment and try to put down lab-grown diamonds by calling it synthetic or worse. This strategy is to mislead consumers confuses them through bans on trading, lack of correct terminology and fear creation.

We, as a producer, are aware of our obligation to disclose that we are selling unique, beautiful and rare lab-grown diamonds. Just like in the larger diamond industry, obligation of disclosure passes from seller to buyer and just like in the mined diamond part of the industry, people take this obligation and their reputation very seriously.

In terms of demand for lab-grown stones, how positive is the response in terms of consumer acceptance globally? Can you give us a picture of the demand pattern country-wise? Its reported that the millennials are more pro lab-grown diamonds than the older generation of buyers. Any leads on this?

Grown Diamonds offer consumers a fantastic value. Along with being conflict free, origin guaranteed and all the eco-advantages, grown diamonds retail at about 30% lower than mined diamonds. This lets retailers draw in a whole new consumer group that might have never considered buying a diamond. The value also allows them to upsize their diamond, so if their spending limit stopped them shy of the size they wanted, they can get to the size and maybe even one with better purity. For now, the biggest market for grown diamonds is the US.

Grown Diamonds have shown to have a true emotional connect with todays customers, whatever the demographic. Today, diamonds are a symbol of love, and across the world the love for our environment, our world and everyone that lives in it is a big part of the buying decisions.

Is the lab-grown diamond sector putting in efforts to educate the public about this emerging product? What kind of promoting initiatives are being undertaken, if any?

Well, before this there has never been a diamond that hasnt been mined. Grown Diamonds are very new for the customers and thus education is going to be the key factor to make them aware about the unique benefits of these diamonds. This is why the grown diamond industry needed a global but collective platform like the IGDA to educate all about grown diamonds and their virtues based on technical facts.

When it comes to India, do you think a separate HS Code, for export and import, should be allotted by the government for lab gown and synthetic diamonds so as to clearly differentiate them from the natural diamonds?

Grown and mined are both diamonds from different origins. We agree on the need to differentiate between grown and mined diamonds but not by placing genuine diamonds grown in greenhouses in a synthetic category alongside non-diamond simulants. That would be discrimination and misrepresentation.

A recent PHDCCI report on the Grown Diamond industry correctly summarizes the situation. The report noted, The current HS code (7104) that covers grown diamonds creates a wrong image as Synthetic in the minds of stakeholders. The study suggests that grown diamonds are to be covered through the same HS code that categorizes Diamonds i.e. HS code 7102 but under a unique sub-category at the 6th and 8th digit level. The report also underlines that because of the inappropriate grown diamond classification, government is not able to derive various benefits of upcoming grown diamonds industry effectively in terms of generating distinct pool of employment, enhancing exports and propelling overall economys growth.

Many believe that lab-grown manufacturers are banking on the reports that mined diamonds will soon be out of supply. Is this just shooting in the dark because new mines are being discovered often as well? Your comments please

There hasnt been any new major diamond mine discovered in the last one decade. The Frost & Sullivan report estimates that the global mined diamond supply will drop to 13 million carats in 2050 from the projected 133 million carats in 2014. The report also notes that by 2022, mined diamond industry will see rough diamond demand clocking at 178 million carats (annually) while supply side would fall short by 41 million carats.

These forecasts are, however, just the background in which this industry has started. I would however, hesitate to say that it is a pre-requisite. Grown Diamonds offer consumer a new source guaranteed, conflict free, ecologically responsible diamond choice. These, I would say, are our USPs.

Do you think the lab-grown diamonds have made a mark already? Say another 10 years down the line, where do you see the lab gown diamond sector? Affluent, tech-savvy and socially conscious millennials are said to now prefer Lab-grown diamonds over mined diamonds. But are they a bankable section as clientele, given that millennials tastes change fast and they are quickly attracted to umpteen number of newer products and services that are made available to them?

Grown Diamonds is an emerging industry and we are one of the many diamond growers out there. While we cannot speak for the industry but Frost & Sullivan estimates that production capacity for grown diamonds (including gem and non-gem application) will rise exponentially in the next 10-15 years to touch 20 million carats by 2026.

Millennials are one of the various groups of customers that we appeal to. The fact that we offer a diamond that will last forever and is, for the first time in history, source guaranteed, conflict-free and an ecologically responsible choice  makes an important difference to consumers. These attributes have become underlying needs for many products for todays consumers, including diamonds.



Does IIa Tech manufacture coloured diamonds as well? Can you give more details regarding colours, size, etc.? Is sufficient demand generated for these coloured diamonds as against its manufacturing cost? From which country is the highest demand and in what sizes?

Yes, we grow colored  yellow and pinks. But just like in nature, colored diamonds are rare. We have had success in growing yellow diamonds upwards of .25 carats and up to 4 carats while we grow pink diamonds in sizes between .25-1 carat.

















As President of IGDA, what will be the primary issue that you will be addressing to start with? What is IGDA's agenda for the next few years? Do you see a scenario in the near future, when IGDA and 'natural diamond associations' engage themselves to work out parameters for smooth running of both the industries?

IGDA is a global platform for the grown diamond industry to collectively represent & promote grown diamonds as well educate all about grown diamonds. As mined diamond supply declines, Grown Diamonds will supplement the supply fall and can help sustain employment across diamond trade while ensuring consumers continue to have access to diamonds. Extensive research carried out by Frost & Sullivan and several other industry analysts like Bain, have been projecting a gradual supply shortfall for mined diamonds as against a growing demand for diamonds. Grown Diamonds allow diamond trade to widen their business horizon, even when mined supply declines, while ensuring that their consumer still gets a real diamond for a reasonable price.

These are too many things to do at once but we will start and focus on education and dispersion of right information about grown diamonds.

Finally, are Gemesis based in Singapore and the company with the same name in USA your Group companies? Can you clear the air over the brouhaha over Winsome Diamonds financial involvement in these companies?

IIa Technologies in Singapore is an independent company, not related to or involved with any of the companies that you have mentioned.

Aruna Gaitonde, Editor-in-Chief of Asian Bureau, Rough&Polished




Japan will on Monday release January figures for core machine orders, highlighting a light day for Asia-Pacific economic activity.

Machine orders are expected to add 1.9 percent on month and fall 3.8 percent on year after rising 4.2 percent on month and slipping 3.6 percent on year in December.

Australia will see January data for credit card purchases and balances; in December, they were A$27.6 billion and A$52.1 billion, respectively.

New Zealand will provide February figures for non-resident bond holdings; in January, it was at 67.6 percent.

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com
50% of Indian mobile users wish to upgrade to new device in 5G era

About 50 per cent of smartphone users in India plan to buy a new device within the first year as 5G ...
The Marinwood CSD did not want to share it with the public. As a continuing public service, we will post videos of our local CSD meetings...
Manna House Mission : Manna House, through the inter-religious efforts of many, is the Florence area's soup kitchen and emergency food bank. Its mission is to provide food for the poor, homeless and hungry in a safe, friendly and welcoming environment. The agency provides a nutritious breakfast and lunch weekdays, with an emergency food pantry operating Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings.

Recent successes : Recipient of the Marion Medallion award for contributions and service to the people of the Pee Dee. In addition to serving nutritious food, the staff and volunteers make it a priority to respond to those who dine with us with acceptance, respect and dignity, said Daphine Tedder, executive director. Manna House is committed to continue meeting the needs of the hungry and to provide a place where they can begin the process of regaining control of their lives.

How your Big Give donation helps : The Manna House is not federally or state funded, Tedder said. The increasing needs of our community make the success of the Manna House more important than ever. Your support will assist us in building maintenance and equipment upkeep.

Durant Childrens Center Mission : The Durant Childrens Center is committed to the safety and well-being of the children in our area. The Durant Childrens Center is a multidisciplinary assessment and treatment center, serving children and families of Chesterfield, Clarendon, Darlington, Dillon, Florence, Marlboro, Marion and Williamsburg. It conducts forensic interviews, medical examinations, and clinical evaluation and therapy in a child-friendly environment to lessen the trauma of abuse. Court services, family advocacy, community education and training, and parent education and support are other offered services. The House Where Healing Begins is the motto that guides the staff to provide exemplary services and support to each and every child and family served.

Recent successes : In 2015, 579 children and families from the Pee Dee were served at the Durant Childrens Center, said Katy Brown, a family advocate for the agency. Additionally, 206 parents attended parent education and support classes in 2015. Our most notable accomplishment in 2015 was receiving accreditation from the National Childrens Alliance, the national association and accrediting body for childrens advocacy centers.

How your Big Give donation helps : We are so excited to participate in Big Give Pee Dee, said Brown. The opportunity to share our program with the community through Big Give while raising money is amazing. Money raised from Big Give will be used toward direct services to victims of child abuse and their families.

Pee Dee Land Trust Mission : The mission of the Pee Dee Land Trust is to conserve, and promote an appreciation of, the significant natural, agricultural and historical resources of the Pee Dee.

Recent successes : Thanks to the support of the Pee Dee Land Trust conservation community, we have now surpassed the 22,000-acre mark in protected lands as of year-end 2015  which includes voluntary easement agreements with 63 land owners across nine counties, said Lyles Cooper Lyles, director of education and outreach. We have launched our BioBlitz child citizen scientist program at the Dargan Preserve, and we are on track to get more than 500 elementary age children before September 2016 out to the Dargan Preserve to experience this natural beauty of a property and learn about the living organisms that prosper on the preserve.

How your Big Give donation helps : As a public charity, PDLT represents the taxpayers, Lyles said. Our primary source of funding is individual members and donors  we are not dependent on government funding. Almost 60 percent of our funding comes directly from individuals, and we want to continue to grow our conservation community one member, one easement, one sponsorship, one volunteer at a time! The Big Give gives us a platform to reach out to folks outside our current member database and hopefully attract new supporters who are conservation minded. Each individual that gives a $25 or more donation during Big Give will become a member of PDLT for a year.

Darlington County Habitat for Humanity Mission: Putting God's love into action, Darlington County Habitat for Humanity brings people together to build houses, communities and hope. Its purpose is to build safe, decent homes at no profit and with a no-interest mortgage for families who could not otherwise afford to own their own home. The agency was established in Hartsville in 1996, and since that time, has built 42 homes. It has touched countless lives, inspiring hope and giving families a safe, secure home they can be proud of.

Recent successes : "Last year, Darlington County Habitat for Humanity put five families in new homes, and we have three more under construction, said Angel Brannon, administrative assistant. We have also started a Neighborhood Revitalization program to help qualified South Hartsville residents repair their homes. Weve made huge headway, completing eight repair projects with seven more scheduled in the coming weeks. We are very excited about the impact this will have in our community.

How your Big Give donation helps: Every dollar from Big Give is important to Darlington County Habitat for Humanity, Brannon said. We are excited about the new exposure Big Give generates  knowing that we will reach people that might not yet know what we do. The donations we receive will go toward helping build a new affordable home for another family who normally could never qualify to purchase their first home.

All 4 Autism Mission : To increase support, resources and opportunities for those of all ages with autism spectrum disorder by partnering with families, schools and communities throughout the Pee Dee.

Recent successes: We hosted the Autism Avengers Camp during the summer, which provided recreational and social programs for ASD kids, said Jessica Brown, executive director. Our camp incorporates social skills guidance, recreation and behavioral supports. This is the only camp designed for autistic children in the Pee Dee. Another program we offer is Joni and Friends Training, a special program for teachers and anyone involved with child care. It provides inclusion training on how to nurture and encourage relationships between special-needs children and their typical peers by promoting acceptance and awareness.

How your Big Give donation helps: All 4 Autism was started by two moms who wanted better resources and support for autistic families in the Pee Dee, Brown said. For seven years, we were an all-volunteer organization. After a lot of planning and prayer, we took a leap of faith and hired a director to implement our 18-month strategic plan for a new Autism Resource Center of the Pee Dee. We are a grassroots organization that will keep all of our money and services local, and provide the first resource center specifically for autism in the Pee Dee. Big Give is a wonderful opportunity to spread awareness and share our mission and vision, as well as help us fund our efforts. There is a dire need for support and services for autistic individuals and their families in our community. With your help, we will fill that need.

Live here. Give here. Grow here. To learn more about Big Give, visit biggivepeedee.org, email biggive@easterncarolinacf.org or call 843-472-7990.
Press Release

March 12, 2016 Bongbong gets rock star treatment from women of Davao del Norte Vice presidential candidate Senator Ferdinand "Bongbong" R. Marcos, Jr. got a 'rock star' treatment come from the women of Davao Del Norte when he dropped by at their gathering in RDR Gym at the provincial capitol grounds for the celebration of Women's month. As he went around to greet them a rushing mob of women converged towards Marcos, some even shrieking, as they attempted to shake his hand or have a selfie with him. Some even kissed and hugged him. Incidentally the guest of honor and speaker at that gathering was Liberal Party's bet for vice president, Leni Robredo. It was learned that Robredo, who had delivered her speech earlier, had left for Compostela Valley when Marcos arrived at the women's gathering. As part of his "Unity Caravan" in Mindanao, Marcos went to the provincial capitol in Tagum City to pay a courtesy call to Governor Rodolfo Del Rosario but arrived earlier than expected so former congressman Antonio "Tony Boy" Floirendo and Davao Del Norte 2nd District Rep. Antonio Lagdameo brought him to the women's gathering. "I was overwhelmed by the warm reception you have given me. In fact I thought I would lose my shirt," said Marcos, as he thanked them for giving him the opportunity to join them in their celebration. He paid tribute to the important contribution of women in society, particularly in the family. "In Ilocos Norte, and I think in all other areas of the Philippines, it would seem that it's the men who are playing a dominant role. But we all know who actually takes care of the family, who manages the householdit's the women," said Marcos. Marcos then proceeded to meet Gov. Del Rosario but after a brief chat the latter asked the senator to say hello to capitol employees who are having their seminar in another building in the capitol complex. Del Rosario told the employees that had it not been for former President Ferdinand Marcos, he would not be in his position today. "I owe a lot to the father of our senator, Bongbong Marcos," Del Rosario said, noting it was then Pres. Marcos who encouraged him to run for a political office in 1978 and appointed him in 1984 to be a member of the Cabinet as Minister of Natural Resources. "That is why I consider it a privilege to introduce to you all the son of my former boss. With your help and support, we may soon see him as the new Vice President of our country," he added. After going around Davao Del Norte Marcos proceeded to Compostela Valley, where he also paid a courtesy call to Governor Arturo T. "Chiongkee" Uy. Marcos has been receiving a groundswell of support from local political leaders and residents of Mindanao after bringing to Mindanao his "Unity Caravan" this week, going through various places including General Santos City, the provinces of South Cotabato, North Cotabato, Davao del Norte and Davao City.
Press Release

March 12, 2016 Infrastructure development to address unemployment,

Mideast crisis - Bongbong Marcos Vice presidential candidate Senator Ferdinand "Bongbong" R. Marcos Jr. said the next administration should focus in infrastructure development to address the unemployment problem and the impending exodus of Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) from the Middle East. Marcos said a good first step for infrastructure development is the implementation of foreign-assisted projects that have not been completed, especially those funded by the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), World Bank - International Monetary Fund, Asian Development Fund, and Asian Infrastructure Investment Fund. "A number of these foreign-assisted infrastructure projects have incurred delays in their completion and implementation due to technical and administrative problems. Steps should be initiated in resolving the projects' backlog," he said. Most of these foreign-assisted ventures are the construction of bridges, roads, irrigation systems, flood risk management, and other big ticket projects, which according to Marcos, could have already jumpstarted economic growth had they been completed on time. "Infrastructure development is a good way to boost the economy, address the unemployment problem and the impending arrival of our OFWs displaced from the Middle East and elsewhere," he pointed out. Marcos said that the government should, as early as now be thinking about alternative measures for workers who have been displaced or even for those who will not be given a chance to work abroad. The senator also pointed out that the government should be looking inward to develop opportunities for workers in the country instead of shipping them out in the first opportunity. "The sad thing about it is that we are always looking for opportunities elsewhere, but very seldom have Pinoy skilled workers simply just looked around and found opportunities to exercise their skills in their homeland," he lamented. Marcos said that there should be more efforts to retool and educate Filipino workers so that they will be able to find opportunities in industries that need a strong workforce as well as a review of salaries for these industries to make sure that they have competitive salaries. "If our government can provide growth opportunities here, in the Philippines, I am sure that our skilled workers will be the missing link to catapult our economy to its full potential. As it stands, other countries benefit from their skills because our government does not see what they can do for the country," he said.
Press Release

March 12, 2016 If we can subsidize MRT riders, why can't we buy bikes for kids

in far-flung schools? - Recto Because lack of transportation or high fares is a leading cause of school absences, government must include bicycles for poor kids in its education shopping cart, Senate President Pro-Tempore Ralph Recto said today. Recto said there is already funding for the purchase of "bancas and bicycles" for students and teachers in hard-to-reach schools this year, "but the next administration should expand this program." Recto said purchasing a bicycle for a student who walks five kilometers to school a day would still cost less than the annual subsidy taxpayers give to a regular MRT rider - which was last pegged by transport officials at P40 per trip. Under the Department of Education's (DepEd) "pedals and paddles" project, the agency will bankroll the purchase of "small boats, motorized boats, and bicycles," Recto said. In its 2016 budget briefer, DepEd said it will spend up to P10,000 for a small boat that can accommodate three to five kids and up to P50,000 for a motorized banca that can ferry 15 to 20. It will also spend up to P3,000 for a refurbished bicycle, Recto said, quoting the DepEd proposal. Both programs are under the agency's "last-mile learners" initiatives which also target schools in hard-to-reach areas and those not connected to energy grids. Recto welcomed DepEd's "novel idea as an effective deterrent to school absenteeism brought about by transportation barriers." In his first term in the Senate, Recto had already proposed a Bike-for-School program that will be given to indigent students living far from school. He said grantees can even amortize the bikes in easy "rent-to-own" terms. "It will have multiple uses because if the father is a farmer, he can use it to ferry his backyard produce to the market during weekends." "A bike is fuel-free, easy to maintain, promotes exercise, a green vehicle, and a tool for literacy." Recto said. He said surveys had tagged high transportation and long commutes as reasons for fluctuating school attendance and triggers for dropping out. "Kung sa ngayon, P12 ang pamasahe one-way, at dalawang magkapatid sasakay in tandem, then that's P48 saved a day or about P1,000 a month. On a 10-month school calendar, that's P10,000 a year," he said. In the case of riverine communities where waterways serve as highways, Recto said the lack of boats prevent children from attending school regularly. "Pero lupa man o tubig ang dadaanan, kahit may pagkaing baon na ang bata pero kung wala namang pamasahe or walang masakyan, paano siya makakapasok?" the senator lamented. "The use of these bikes and bancas must be linked to school attendance. If you ride, you must do well in school. This is another form of CCT--Conditional Communal Transport," he added. Recto batted for more funds for the "paddles and pedals" program to allow "DepEd to match the equity provided by its NGO partners." In the case of boats, DepEd's collaborator is the Yellow Boat of Hope Foundation while the Bikes for the Philippines is its partner in the bike program. With the help of these "admirable NGOs," the "Pedals and Paddles Project" aims to provide 35,734 bikes and 1,216 boats to learners in far-flung and hard-to-reach areas, Recto said. "I think we should increase at least by ten times the target for bikes. At 350,000, one and half percent lang yan ng total DepEd enrolees," he said. DepEd's 2016 outlay is P411.4 billion, of which P59.1 billion is in Maintenance and Other Operating Expenses (MOOE) and P99 billion is for Capital Outlays.
Press Release

March 13, 2016 Drilon's Sin Tax Reform Law gives P10.69 billion

in funds to tobacco farmers Tobacco farmers coming from provinces badly hit by natural disasters and poverty will soon receive funds amounting to a whopping P10.69 billion intended to help improve their livelihood, Senate President Franklin M. Drilon said today. The P10.69 billion came from the proceeds from the Sin Tax Reform Law (RA 10351) in 2013, which Drilon authored and fought for in 2012. "These funds will enable LGUs to reach out to tobacco farmers and help them increase their productivity and income, especially now that the country's agricultural sector is suffering from the El Nino phenomenon," Drilon, a re-electionist senatorial candidate of the Liberal Party, said. The four-time Senate President stressed that the amount is more than double than what these provinces used to received prior to the enactment of the Sin Tax Reform Law. The tobacco excise tax share of all the tobacco-producing provinces as mandated by Republic Act 8240 (Burley and Native tobacco excise tax law) and RA 7171 (Virginia tobacco fund) amounted only to P5.84 billion in 2012, P3.83 billion in 2011, and P5.49 billion in 2010, he noted. Drilon said that he is glad that with the Sin Tax Reform Law, the local government units would now have ample funding for programs which will "assist tobacco farmers to enhance their livelihood and increase their income." "I am particularly proud that because of the Sin Tax Reform Law, poor and fourth-class cities and municipalities such as the city of Candon in Ilocos Sur, and the towns of Quirino and Mallig in Isabela will now have additional funds," Drilon said. Candon City is the highest recipient of shares with P356.9 million, while the towns of Quirino and Malig will get P29.6 million and P14.9 million, respectively. Drilon said that the P10.69 billion allotment will go a long way in alleviating "the conditions of tobacco farmers and their families, who are often among the nation's poorest." "Considering that the province of Isabela, like so many others, has been under a state of calamity due to the dry spells brought by El Nino, our poor farmers need all the help we can provide through these funds," he pointed out. Isabela has declared a state of emergency last October 2015, following the widespread agricultural damage, amounting to P705 million, caused by El Nino to the province. "The situation in Isabela, Ilocos Sur, and other provinces are already alarming in terms of their effects to the livelihood of our people, and demands actions and solutions from the national government such as the release of these funds," he said. "This achievement would have been virtually impossible without the excise taxes on tobacco under the Sin Tax Reform Law, which brought billions to the national coffers," Drilon underscored. He noted that the collections on excise taxes in 2015 reached P140 billion, which has been the source of funds for the Philhealth enrolment of 15 million indigent families and two million senior citizens. Drilon then urged the Department of Budget and Management and the LGUs concerned to closely monitor the provision of the funds "to make sure that the funds are actually reaching farmers for whom they are intended to." Other tobacco producing LGUs who will be top recipients of the sin tax collections include Cabugao (P331,288,034), Narvacan (P276,896,635), Sta. Cruz (P264,492,112), San Juan (P239,652,663), Santiago (P232,386,288), Sinait (P196,236,833) Magsingal (P183,072,230) in Ilocos Sur, Balaoan (P320,426,556) in La Union, and Batac (P178,024,130) in Ilocos Norte, among others.
Press Release

March 13, 2016 Villar calls for immediate disposal of 3.9 million kilos frozen meat Sen. Cynthia Villar urged the Department of Agriculture (DA) and the Bureau of Customs (BOC) to immediately destroy 3.9 million kilos of meat abandoned at the Manila port. A report said in December 2014, 5 million kilos of meat, containing pork jowls, bellies, diaphragm and belly fat, in 203 refrigerated vans were stationed at the Manila International Container Port. The containers were held due to the absence of required permit from the National Meat Inspection Service (NMIS). In 2015, the number of vans decreased to 158 with 3.9 million kilos of frozen meat. "The presence of almost 4 million kilos of meat at the port after a year is already creating anxiety among the public. There is no assurance that unscrupulous and enterprising parties will be prevented from selling them," Villar said. "If we are serious in our drive to improve food safety levels in the country, we should dispose this immediately and not wait anymore for the consignees to appear. Clearly, they have abandoned the meat to rot," she added. Villar, chair of the Committee on Agriculture and Food, noted that the refrigerated vans continue to use electricity. It is also unclear who will pay for the disposal of the expired meat which entails extraordinary expense. The consignees have abandoned the containers to avoid payment of demurrage and storage fees. According to experts, as long as frozen meat shows no signs of thawing, it will be very difficult for consumers to tell fresh meat from bad. When meat is moved under poor conditions or repeatedly thawed, it could cause serious threat to health when consumed. Although cooking spoiled meat at high temperature kills some bacteria, toxins were left behind that cause food-borne illnesses such as nausea, diarrhea, fever, intestinal problems, or even death. Industry sources said some vans were allowed to leave port premises because the consignees were able to present a certificate assuring these are fit for human consumption. The consignees are Lean Pasture Trading, Lucky Sisters Meat Trading, and Jcore Enterprises. Villar also expressed dismay that meat smuggling continue to thrive with P8.8 billion of smuggled pork alone entering the country in 2014. The meat came from various countries, namely, US, Canada, Belgium and other European countries. Smugglers misdeclared imported frozen meat as fats, skin, offal, and deboned in order to pay only 5 percent in duties and taxes, instead of 30 to 40 percent. The misdeclaration results in about P1 million in revenue losses per container.
One man was killed and another injured late Friday in what police are calling a brazen shooting at a San Jose cafe.

A masked man entered the crowded Bon Mua Cafe at 1937 Tully Road at about 11 p.m. and opened fire with a handgun, said San Jose police Sgt. Enrique Garcia.

Garcia said the incident seemed to be targeted, but police dont know if one or both men was the intended victim. No one else in the cafe was injured.

Police said the suspect fled the scene immediately after the shooting. The suspect remains at large.

Both victims were transported to a nearby hospital, where one of them was later pronounced dead. The second victim remains in the hospital with minor injuries.

Police have obtained surveillance footage of the scene, but are asking anyone with more information about the incident to come forward.

Think about the other people nearby who couldve been injured or wounded by flying bullets, Garcia said. We still have a violent criminal on the street.

Anyone with more information can contact the department by calling (408) 277-8900 or 311. Additionally, they can report tips anonymously by calling Crime Stoppers at (408) 947-STOP.

Kevin Schultz is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: kschultz@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @KevinEdSchultz
Two men in La Honda were shot repeatedly on Saturday morning by an apparent home intruder who remains at large.

The violence occurred at around 7:15 a.m. near Mindego Hill and Alpine roads in the forested community, according to a statement from the San Mateo County Sheriffs Office.
The flood of Chinese money into Bay Area housing is coming not just from home buyers. Developers and investors are also building and backing large residential projects here. They mainly want to diversify away from Chinas overbuilt market but also serve Chinese buyers wanting a home in the Bay Area.

The only U.S. metro area attracting more Chinese development dollars between 2013 and 2015 was New York and its boroughs, according to Jim Costello, a senior vice president with Real Capital Analytics.

Like all developers, they want large, liquid markets that offer a good return on investment. But they also look at the local Chinese American community, Costello said. Can they hire some local brokers with Chinese language skills who can go back and forth between the U.S. and foreign partners and even potentially Chinese buyers?

The newest investment came in late February from Landsea Holdings, the U.S. subsidiary of one of Chinas largest home builders. It paid $186 million for a 24-acre Sunnyvale site entitled for 450 townhomes. John Ho, Landseas CEO, estimated that up to 30 percent of the townhomes will be purchased by people from China.

The seller, Watt Cos., had purchased the former chipmaking campus for $60 million just over two years ago and got it entitled for three townhome villages called the Vale. Watt was planning to build one or two of the villages itself, but we ended up getting an offer from Landsea that made it attractive ... to sell the whole project, said Max Frank, a Watt division president. Their appetite to grow their business in Northern California allowed them to get a bit more aggressive on their purchase.

Unlike some Chinese developers, Landsea recruits its U.S. employees locally. It has an experienced U.S. management team that understands home building in the U.S. and the culture, Frank said.

This is Landseas seventh and biggest U.S. development. Based in Irvine, it is also building 109 townhomes at Kingswood in Dublin and a 30-unit complex in Walnut Creek.

Its parent company, Landsea Green Properties, builds homes mainly in Shanghai, Nanjing and other Yangtze River Delta cities. It began diversifying outside China in 2012. We were doing really well as a company, Ho said, but our chairman had the foresight to see Chinas market was going to soften.

Chinese developers generally prefer permitted properties, said Darlene Chiu Bryant, executive director of ChinaSF, which promotes economic ties between the city and China. They dont understand the entitlement process. Some are willing to pay (up) for that; at least they know what they are getting.

Milpitas towers

In Milpitas, a partnership headed by Singpoli Capital Corp. is developing a major project called Landmark Tower. It bought the 3-acre property in late 2014 when it was entitled for one 18-story tower with 375 condos and 150,000 square feet of office and retail space. It now plans to build two 22-story towers with 450 condos, but only 34,000 square feet of office and retail space. The Milpitas Planning Commission voted on Feb. 24 to recommend the new plan, which goes to the City Council on April 5 for approval.

Singpoli began as a construction company in Hong Kong but is now based in Arcadia (Los Angeles County). Robert Ritner, Singpolis head of architecture and design services, said the company has domestic and foreign investors. In 2013, Hongye International Investment Group of Wuhai, China, invested $100 million in Singpoli to develop real estate construction in California and other projects.

Singpolis website says Landmark is a joint venture with Shanghai Bading Group. But Ritner said the developer is BDK Capital, which according to news reports is a joint venture between Singpoli and American BD. Kin Hui, Singpolis CEO, did not return phone calls.

Singpoli also runs Invest LA, an EB-5 regional center program. These programs connect U.S. developers with foreign investors, these days mainly from China. The program awards green cards to foreign investors and their families who invest at least $500,000 or $1 million (depending on the location) in a business that directly or indirectly creates or preserves 10 U.S. jobs.

The first big Chinese investment in a Bay Area residential project was announced in February 2013. China Vanke invested $175 million for a 70 percent stake in Lumina, a 656-unit luxury condo project being developed by Tishman Speyer in San Francisco. Of the more than 400 units sold, about 80 percent went to Bay Area residents, 10 percent to Chinese buyers and 10 percent to other international buyers, a Tishman spokesman said.

In April 2013, Signature Development Group of Oakland said it had brought in Zarsion Holdings Group, a Beijing home builder, to co-develop the $1.5 billion mixed-use Brooklyn Basin. The 64-acre project on Oaklands waterfront will have 3,100 residential units, 200,000 square feet of commercial space and 30 acres of parks and open space. Infrastructure construction is under way but the first apartments wont be ready until mid-2018, with condos to follow, said Mike Ghielmetti, president of Signature.

Brooklyn Basin was Zarsions first investment outside China. Their role is multifaceted, Ghielmetti said. They are using this to try and learn more about how development is done in the United States, which is vastly different than in China.

In November 2014, Beijings Oceanwide Holdings Co. Ltd. struck a deal to buy a 1.2-acre site at First and Mission streets in San Francisco for $296 million from TMG Partners. The sellers reportedly had purchased the high-profile property in 2013 for $122 million.

The proposed project at 50 First St., now called Oceanwide Center, is primarily commercial but would also include 265 residential units. Encompassing two towers, it would add 1 million square feet of office space, 169 hotel rooms and 12,500 square feet of ground floor retail. It is scheduled to go the planning commission in May.

Oceanwide bought the property through its U.S. subsidiary Tohigh Property Investment. Tohigh also reportedly purchased a 186-acre undeveloped site known as La Campagna near Kenwood in Sonoma County.

Buying binge

R&F Properties, a Chinese real estate developer based in Guangzhou, has gone on a buying binge in the Bay Area since acquiring its first U.S. property, 555 Fulton St. in Hayes Valley. That project, with 139 condos, is scheduled for occupancy this year, according to Alan Mark, president of the Mark Co., which is marketing the units.

Mark said he went to Guangzhou with the head of his parent company, Pacific Union International, to announce the 555 Fulton project. But the focus of his marketing effort is the Bay Area.

There are enough buyers right here, he said. The preponderance of foreign buyers have a child or other relative in the Bay Area, often one who is in school or recently graduated. The main reason Chinese developers are increasing their activity here is for diversification, he added.

R&F is developing other condo projects in San Francisco, Mark said, including 325 Fremont (approved for 118 units) and 119 Seventh Street (39 units). In downtown San Jose, it is developing Silvery Towers, a major product with 643 condos in two towers.

Asked if there is any chance the Bay Area could become oversupplied with new housing, Mark said not anytime soon.

It is so difficult to get entitlements in California, he said. We have only 666 new condos on the market (in San Francisco). In 2007-08, we had 3,000. Over the last half-dozen years we have ranged from 20 to 100 to closer to 1,000. I really believe we will not have more than 1,500 in any given year into the end of the decade. Buildings that are 40 stories or higher take 2 to 3 years to build.

Kathleen Pender is a San Francisco Chronicle columnist. Email: kpender@sfchronicle.com Blog: http://blog.sfgate.com/pender Twitter: @kathpender
San Jose police are investigating an officer-involved shooting that left a man injured early Saturday morning.

The incident began with a violent and chaotic confrontation outside a 7-Eleven store on Fruitdale and Meridian avenues. According to police, a man shot at a group of people who were standing outside the store at around 3:30 a.m. Three officers arrived at the scene shortly after the man jumped into his car and sped off.

Police stopped the car at a nearby Subway restaurant parking lot, at which point the man leaned outside of his window and began firing at the officers, using a semiautomatic weapon that resembled an AK-47, said Sgt. Enrique Garcia.

The officers returned fire, hitting the man at least once.

The suspect was later identified as San Jose resident Steven Pedroza, 24. He was taken to a local hospital with non-life threatening injuries. He will be booked in Santa Clara County Jail and charged with three counts of attempted murder on a police officer and one count of unlawful gun activity, Garcia said.

A woman who was in the car with Pedroza was interviewed by police and released, Garcia said. She was not injured in the gun battle.

Garcia said it was a fortunate coincidence that the three officers happened to be patrolling nearby at the time of the 7-Eleven shooting.

Think of how dangerous it could have been if there was just one officer following this person, he said. We could have easily had someone killed in the line of duty.

The officers involved in the incident will be placed on routine paid administrative leave, police said in a statement. The departments homicide unit is conducting a criminal probe, and the case is also being reviewed by the internal affairs unit, the district attorneys office, and the citys independent police auditor.

Anyone with information should call Detective Sgt. Raul Martinez or Detective Jorge Santiago of the homicide unit at (408) 277-5283.

Rachel Swan is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: rswan@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @rachelswan
Police are hunting for the driver of a car that roared through a Tenderloin intersection Saturday night and struck two men, killing one of them, before speeding away.

The collision happened at the corner of Ellis and Leavenworth streets in front of Amigos Market at 6:46 p.m., said San Francisco Police Sgt. Michael Andraychak.
GREENWICH  For the past nine years, Greenwich native Megan White Mukuria has fought for womens health and education in Africa. The work of her organization has attracted the attention of one of the worlds foremost foundations.

To mark International Womens Day, which fell on March 8, the ZanaAfrica Group was awarded a $2.6 million grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. The four-year grant will fund a study assessing the impact that access to disposable sanitary pads and reproductive health information has on the lives of adolescent girls in Kenya.

Mukuria calls the study groundbreaking.

ZanaAfrica Group, based in Nairobi, Kenya, provides young women there with feminine hygiene products and safe spaces to learn about their health. Mukuria, the co-founder and CEO of the group, said its work is vital.

In East Africa, sanitary pads are out of reach for four in five women and girls, and there is no mandated or reliable health education for girls as they enter adolescence, Mukuria said. As a result almost one million girls in Kenya miss up to six weeks of school each year.

The missed weeks contribute significantly to girls dropping out of school at twice the rate of boys once puberty begins. Mukuria said this leaves them more susceptible to human rights violations including unwanted sex and pregnancies, early marriage and genital mutilation.

The grant will greatly expand evidence supporting the importance of menstrual health management and girls education in Kenya and beyond, Mukuria said.

The findings generated have the potential to shape the future by making menstrual health interventions mainstream for governments, policy makers and non-profits seeking to support women and girls development, Mukuria said. This is a great step forward in continuing to improve the lives of adolescent girls, not only in Kenya but worldwide.

Mukuria, who attended Greenwich Academy, co-founded the group in 2007 as part of the American-based ZanaAfrica Foundation, which she also founded to support Kenyan girls. She estimates the foundation is able to reach 10,000 girls each year.

Mukuria first became involved in the issue while a student at Harvard in 1998 when she went on a summer project to Nairobi and worked with girls who had just left the streets through Homeless Children International. The work inspired her and in 2001 she moved back to work full-time in Africa.

I realized I wanted my life to be about helping unlock the most potential for the most girls and break the generational cycle of poverty, Mukuria said.

Her long-term goal is to strengthen the work of local partners to serve more girls each year. Right now the ZanaAfrica Group works with 21 local partners. Mukuria said a donation of only $10 can provide a girl with pads, underwear and education for an entire year.

This is the third grant the organization has received from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation since 2011. Mukuria called them a true partner.

(We) could not be more appreciative of their leadership and support, she said.

But others can help too, and they dont need to have founded Microsoft to do it.

From within Greenwich and across the United States we always welcome like-minded partners that can help carry out our mission, Mukuria said. Any individual or family can invest in the health, safety and education of a girl or support an entire girls school.

She is seeking a part-time, volunteer CFO for the group, ideally someone who is retired and seeking to make a difference by sharing his or her skills to build a mission-driven company.

Mukuria said if people come together as equals from diverse backgrounds, solutions can be found that individuals would not be able to come up with on their own. She said Americans should see Africa as an equal at the table since the countries have so much to learn from one another.

Africa does not need aid alone, Mukuria said. Across the continent, Africans need dignity and dignity comes through being listened to, being respected, being seen as an equal partner and being able to earn and buy the products they need.

More information is available online at www.zanaafrica.org and Mukuria said the work continues on to help young girls in Kenya focus on their studies without fear or shame and allow them to fully participate in society.

kborsuk@scni.com
WASHINGTON  Two U.S. senators with sway over federal spending have dealt a crippling bipartisan blow to the Pentagons troubled $2.7 billion program to use radar-carrying blimps to search for enemy missiles.

Sens. Thad Cochran, R-Miss., chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, and Richard Durbin, D-Ill., who holds the Democrats No. 2 leadership position in the Senate, have refused a request by the Obama administration to shift $27.2 million to the program to keep it alive.
1 Escapees caught: The second of two convicts who escaped from a fortified prison transport van in New Mexico was captured Saturday, Albuquerque police said. Officers located Lionel Clah in a northeastern area of the city, said police spokesman Simon Drobik. Clahs capture came less than a day after the other inmate, convicted murderer Joseph Cruz, was also found in Albuquerque. The two inmates were able to slip away from prison guards while traveling Wednesday night between Roswell and Las Cruces.

2 Coroner resigns: Los Angeles Countys coroner is resigning after only 2 years, saying understaffing left him unable to do the job. Medical Examiner-Coroner Mark Fajardo will return to his former job as chief forensic pathologist in nearby Riverside County. Ultimately, I wasnt supplied the resources I need to perform my job duties, Fajardo told the Los Angeles Times. The coroners office is one of the busiest in the nation, handling about 8,500 physical examinations a year as part of more than 20,000 investigations to determine the cause of death. There have been complaints about delays in handling cases.
WASHINGTON  Clandestine meetings. Soundproofed rooms. Top-secret instructions.

It sounds like the elements for a spy movie, but its become a hallmark of the undercover process for considering potential Supreme Court nominees.

The Obama administration is close to naming a replacement for Justice Antonin Scalia, who died last month and would have turned 80 on Friday. An announcement is expected soon, although whether a nominee can be confirmed by the Senate is in doubt. The Senates majority Republicans say the seat should be filled not by Obama, but by his successor.

If history is a guide, the White House will take elaborate precautions to make sure the choice for the lifetime seat is kept under wraps until the president is ready to reveal it.

Back in 2005, Samuel Alito was an appeals court judge based in New Jersey when he was summoned to Washington for a Saturday interview with President George W. Bush.

I checked into a hotel downtown, and they said that I ... should go to a particular corner at a particular time in the morning and wait for a Chrysler 300 to pull up, flash its headlights a couple of times, and then I was to get in this car, he told Weekly Standard Editor Bill Kristol in an interview last year.

So I felt like a spy, Alito said. But they wanted to make sure that media didnt get any word about people who were being interviewed.

President Obamas search appears to be focused on a small group of appellate court judges with a history of bipartisan backing. The investigation into a candidates background is usually headed by high-level Justice Department officials and White House aides. In some cases, the White House already has a short list of potential nominees ready to go.

That was the case with Clarence Thomas. He got a call from White House Counsel C. Boyden Gray on the same day Justice Thurgood Marshall announced his retirement. Soon, Thomas was standing across the street from the federal courthouse, where he was an appellate judge, waiting to catch a ride to the Justice Department.

Within a few minutes, I was seated at a conference table in the Justice Departments situation room, which is soundproofed so thickly that your words seem to die as soon as you say them out loud, Thomas wrote in his memoir, My Grandfathers Son.

Thomas was quizzed by Attorney General Richard Thornburgh and other officials with questions such as who his favorite Supreme Court member was. His answer: Scalia.
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New York

A tugboat crashed into a barge on the Hudson River near the Tappan Zee Bridge Saturday, killing a crew member and leaving two missing and presumed dead.

The 90-foot tugboat "Specialist" hit a barge around 5:20 a.m. near where the new bridge is being built, police said. The tugboat sank, spilling about 5,000 gallons of diesel fuel, authorities said.

State Police, the U.S. Coast Guard and fire and local police agencies were searching for the missing crew members.

Westchester County Executive Robert Astorino identified the dead crewman as Paul Amon, 62, of Bayville, N.J. The missing crewmen have yet to be identified.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo said State Police divers were using sonar equipment to determine the exact location of the sunken tug and still assessing if it was safe to send divers into the river to search for the other victims.

While not specifically saying the other two had died, Cuomo said: "You have three people who left for work and who aren't going to come home."

Authorities said three tugboats were pushing a barge from Albany to Jersey City, N.J., when one  situated on the right side as it headed south  hit a stationary barge that was part of the bridge project. The other tugs were not involved in the accident.

Richard Hendrick, Port of Albany general manager, said the vessel loaded its cargo Thursday and then left the port Friday morning with the heavy lift crane, which is part of the barge and other cargo. He did not know the exact time the crew left but said "things can happen quickly" in the business.

Hendrick said the crane is owned by Weeks, a New York City-based company.

"Our hearts go out to the families of the crew members," said Hendrick. "It's a tragedy and it's a tough business."

Cuomo said in a statement that 21 workers were on the bridge construction barge that was hit, but none was injured. He said it appeared the workers realized the barge was about to be struck and braced for impact. He added the construction barge was illuminated at the time of the pre-dawn collision.

The accident occurred near the center of the existing Tappan Zee Bridge, and the Specialist sank in about 40 feet of water within minutes, authorities said. The water temperature in the area was about 40 degrees, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

Cuomo said a Department of Environmental Conservation team was on site with a private contractor and was deploying booms to contain the leaking fuel. He said he did not expect any "long-term damage" from the spill.

James Mercante, an attorney for the owner of Specialist, said the crew members were licensed, competent and experienced personnel. "It's a shocking, horrific marine tragedy," Mercante said. "Right now the company is more concerned with the families of the crew and mourning."

A spokeswoman for Tappan Zee Constructors, a consortium of firms building the bridge, said the company is cooperating in the investigation. The crash occurred near the scene of a 2013 boat crash that killed a bride-to-be and her fiance's best man.

That incident also involved a bridge construction barge.

Times Union staff writer Paul Nelson contributed to this story. to this story.
Baghdad

The Islamic State group has launched two chemical attacks near the northern Iraqi city of Kirkuk, killing a 3-year-old girl, wounding some 600 people and causing hundreds more to flee, Iraqi officials said Saturday.

"What the Daesh terrorist gangs did in the city of Taza will not go unpunished," Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said using an alternative acronym for the IS group during a meeting with village elders in Taza on Saturday.

Security and hospital officials say the latest attack took place early Saturday in the small town of Taza, which was also struck by a barrage of rockets carrying chemicals three days earlier.

Sameer Wais, whose daughter Fatima was killed in the attack, is a member of a Shiite militia fighting IS in Kirkuk province. He said he was on duty at the frontline when the attack occurred early in the morning, quickly ran home and said he could still smell the chemicals in the rocket. "We took her to the clinic and they said that she needed to go to a hospital in Kirkuk. And that's what we did, we brought her here to the hospital in Kirkuk," he said.

Wais said his daughter appeared to be doing better the next day so they took her home. "But by midnight she started to get worse. Her face puffed up and her eyes bulged. Then she turned black and pieces of her skin started to come off," he said.

By the next morning, Fatima had died, Wais said.

The hundreds of wounded are suffering from infected burns, suffocation and dehydration, said Helmi Hamdi, a nurse at the Taza hospital.
Politicians in Mississippi have used campaign money to pay for such things as a BMW, an RV and $800 cowboy boots.

In Wisconsin, a railroad executive was caught violating contribution limits after an ex-girlfriend he met on a "sugar daddy" dating website reported him for illegally funneling cash to Gov. Scott Walker's campaign. Key to the investigation, election officials say, was a requirement that donors disclose their employers  but Republican lawmakers have since wiped out the rule.

Meanwhile, "dark money" spending by outside groups that aren't required to disclose their donors is expected to explode during this presidential election year. States can take action to stem the tide at the local level, but few have. Congress could require more disclosure about who is financing campaigns, but it has made no move to do so.

Disclosure may be the public's best and often only remaining way of knowing who is supporting political candidates in the wake of recent court decisions.

More Information About this series Sunday marks the beginning of Sunshine Week, an annual initiative, spearheaded by the American Society of News Editors to educate the public about the importance of open government and the dangers of excessive and unnecessary secrecy. See More Collapse

"Requiring people to stand up in public for their political acts fosters civic courage, without which democracy is doomed," the late Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia once wrote in an opinion in favor of disclosing petition signatures.

The U.S. Supreme Court repeatedly has ruled in favor of public disclosure of campaign contributions, even in its earth-moving Citizens United decision. The 2010 ruling found that political spending is protected under the First Amendment, and said that corporations and unions can spend unlimited amounts of money on political activities.

It effectively wiped out key campaign finance regulations that had been in effect for decades. But it also upheld disclosure requirements.

That and other Supreme Court decisions have resulted in unprecedented amounts of money pouring into elections. Because Congress has not acted to require further disclosure, the old limits are gone and new rules have not been passed to take their place, leaving citizens more in the dark than ever about whether elected officials are working for them or for special interests behind their campaigns.

Richard Hasen, a professor of law and political science at the University of California, Irvine, said that despite the highest court's support for disclosure of campaign donors, the Federal Election Commission and Congress remain frozen when it comes to requiring greater transparency about who is funding political groups.

"Political operators often look for ways to shield their donors," Hasen said. "The laws have to be constantly updated."

Congress could quickly require more disclosure, "if there was the political will to do so," said Hasen, author of the book "Plutocrats United: Campaign Money, the Supreme Court, and the Distortion of American Elections."

Groups that advocate for more transparency say the federal stalemate has driven reform efforts to the local level in some states, where they see greater opportunity to push for change.

Targeting states "seems like the only outlet for making change at this level," said David Donnelly, CEO of Every Voice, an organization working to advance state ballot initiatives that would require more disclosure about money in politics.

Donnelly argues state-level efforts, if successful, could restore the faith of voters who perceive an uninhibited flow of money into politics. The changes also could generate interest that would "build the political power, around the country, to eventually press Congress" to require some reporting of donors in national elections, he says.

States as battlegrounds

Efforts to change state disclosure laws are not just a function of opportunity, advocates say. They also are a necessity, given a state-level influx of dark money paralleling the federal flood.

Attempts to force more disclosure from outside special interest groups have succeeded in some states.

California enacted a law requiring information about donors who give above a certain amount to nonprofit organizations that engage in political campaigns. The law, signed by Democratic Gov. Jerry Brown in 2014, requires nonprofit groups to disclose the names of donors who give them $1,000 or more to fund political activity in California, if the group spends more than $50,000 in a year, or $100,000 over four years, to advocate for or against a candidate or ballot initiative.

Supporters praise the law as a turning point that helps shine light on special interests working to influence elections, and say it serves as a national example. Critics say it violates First Amendment rights.

Disclosure advocates also laud Hawaii and Washington as having exemplary donor reporting laws. The states treat outside groups focused on advocating for or against a candidate or ballot initiative as "political" actors and requires them to identify their contributors. Laws in both states withstood legal challenges in recent years.

But there's a limit to what states can do, since they don't have oversight of spending on federal races  such as presidential and Congressional contests, which are consistently the costliest elections.

While some state election agencies have moved to make more donor information public, they often struggle to win support from lawmakers, said Denise Roth Barber of the National Institute on Money in State Politics.

"A lot of the changes that need to take place require money, and most state budgets are tight," Barber said. "It's hard to set aside money to give to an agency to improve disclosure."

Barber's group is a nonprofit, tax-exempt group  known as a 501(c)3  which isn't required to publicly disclose its donors but voluntarily identifies major donors.

In a number of other states, lawmakers have rejected bills seeking to expand disclosure requirements to politically-active groups. Some cheer that result.

"Since Republicans are in the majority in most state legislatures, these efforts have often failed," said Bradley Smith, founder of the Center for Competitive Politics.

The center, a group that also isn't required to publicly disclose its donors, opposes campaign contribution limits, public financing of political campaigns and many disclosure requirements for private groups, as well as campaigns.

The Center for Responsive Politics found that, as recently as the 2006 cycle, dark money spending tallied only about $700,000. Four years later, for the 2010 cycle, it reached $127 million.
Gone are the days of commemorating a Hawaiian vacation with chocolate-covered macadamia nuts and kukui leis from the ABC Store. Local designers, responding to the islands deep cultural traditions and lush tropical milieu, are creating more meaningful mementos, from modern aloha shirts to artisan-woven lauhala hats to ocean-inspired jewelry. Heres our short list of favorite places to shop for the best suitcase stowaways.

Maui

Professional surfer and environmental activist Tiare Lawrences Wailea boutique, Otaheite, features local labels such as Hayhay Couture (new-wave swimwear hand-sewn in Haiku) and Hula Hoops Maui (modern precious metal jewelry made in Paia), as well as her own line of beachwear. With its Tahitian-inspired motifs in confectionery hues, Lawrences clothing brings awareness to both aina (land) and kai (sea). www.otaheitehawaii.com

Native Intelligence in Wailuku is like a well-curated museum shop, with Hawaii-designed objects for the home (Palapala tea towels block-printed with taro leaves) and wardrobe (embroidered trucker caps by Jon Kinimaka). But owner Kaponoai Molitau deepens the retail experience by providing Hawaiian cultural resources for shop patrons. As a kumu (teacher) of hula, he crafts and sells feather rattles and gourd drums and teaches in-store Polynesian chanting workshops. www.native-intel.com

Oahu

The new Ewa wing of Honolulus original shopping mecca, Ala Moana Center, debuted in November, with nearly 40 boutiques and department stores that embrace Hawaiian designs and products. Hawaiis first Bloomingdales holds trunk shows for local ocean-inspired jewelry makers such as Vanessa Pack and Kiele;, Nordstrom, which relocated to the new annex, is featuring punchy retro Hawaiian posters from Everything is Jake as well as ceramics by Meghan Gould of Maui-based Seeds & Stone, whose vessels reference volcanic rocks, ocean blues and rain forest flora. www.alamoanacenter.com

Courtesy Roberta Oaks

Fashion designer Roberta Oaks, who opened her eponymous retail shop/studio in Honolulus Chinatown six years ago, claims to have pioneered the modern aloha shirt. Her mens and womens collections feature aloha wear with fitted silhouettes, bold colors and striking prints  designs more reminiscent of Hawaiian garb from the 1960s, when, she says, people were all about expressing themselves. Next month, Hilo-based graphic designer Sig Zane, renowned for his bold botanical prints, will also open a shop in Chinatown, his first on Oahu. www.robertaoaks.com, www.sigzanedesigns.com

Amid the verdant monstera leaves and fiery red anthurium flowers is the popular botanical boutique, Paiko, where locals join flower-crown and terrarium workshops and visitors can find gorgeous goods that wont require an airport agricultural inspection: Catherine Weitzman gold jewelry, handmade in Honolulu and inspired by local flora; Tricia Beamans midcentury vases and planters, handcrafted at the Hawaii Potters Guild in Manoa; and pareos by Molokai-based Kealopiko, whichhonor the shapes and textures of Hawaiian plants and sea life. www.paikohawaii.com

Hawaii

At Hana Hou in Hilo, youll find Kanahele Jewelry rings and bracelets studded with Tahitian pearls and sea glass, as well as modern womens clothing by the local design duo Matt Bruening and Brandy Serikaku, otherwise known as Salt Liko. The shop is also a great resource for lauhala products, woven from the slender leaves of the hala (pandanus) tree; owner Michele Zane-Faridi is a master of the craft. www.hanahouhilo.com

Just north of the tony Kohala Coast resorts, Harbor Gallery in Kawaihae entices window-shoppers with a veritable forest of gorgeous wooden objects  glistening bowls, elegant jewelry boxes and abstract sculptures  created by local artists from native curly koa, Norfolk pine, monkeypod and other tropical hardwoods. www.harborgallery.biz

Jeanne Cooper

Kauai

This month, Malie Organics opens its newest boutique in Hanalei, giving Kauais North Shore devotees a chance to indulge in the body products infused with pure botanical distillates called Hawaiian hydrosols: The Kokee scent captures the verdant lushness of Kauais oldest rain forest, while Pikake, or Hawaiian jasmine, is an alleged aphrodisiac. www.malie.com

As a champion of Hawaii artists and designers, Anna Ulmer opened Halelea Gallery at The Shops at Kukuiula in Poipu to spotlight the Islands hottest talents; a Hanalei branch showcases fine art and jewelry. Youll find Kauai painter Melinda Moreys softly hued beach-life canvases shown alongside psychedelic Leiko clutches, sewn from 1960s muumuu by local girl Julie Lopez. Fine jewelry by Honolulus Jason Dow is a delicate foil to Machinemachine maxi dresses, hand-sewn from vibrant mix-match textiles by Hanapepe designer Shannon Hiramoto. www.haleleagallery.com

Freelance writer Jeanne Cooper contributed to this story.
WARSAW  Thousands rallied in Warsaw and other Polish cities Saturday to protest the conservative governments refusal to accept a constitutional court ruling that strikes down government changes that have paralyzed the court.

The protests come amid a deepening political crisis, with international organizations and the Constitutional Tribunal faulting Polands new government for centralizing its power. The Law and Justice party government, however, insists it has a mandate from voters for its actions.

In the capital, a large crowd rallied in front of the Constitutional Tribunal and then marched across town to the presidential palace with a banner reading, Lets bring back the constitutional order. City Hall estimated that 50,000 people took part while police put the number at 15,000.

The protests, also staged in Poznan and Wroclaw, aimed to show support for the beleaguered court and to urge the government to roll back changes that have undermined the courts ability to act as a check on government power.

Critics call the governments moves an attack on Polish democracy, which was won thanks to years of struggle by Lech Walesa and his Solidarity movement in the 1980s.

But the government, which remains popular with conservative voters, announced Saturday it still is refusing to publish a ruling by the Constitutional Tribunal that struck down the amendments passed in December that have blocked the court. The move prevents the ruling from becoming binding.

The announcement by spokesman Rafal Bochenek indicates a resolution is still nowhere in sight.

On Friday, the Venice Commission, an expert body with the Council of Europe human rights group, said Polands democracy is being threatened by government moves that have crippled its constitutional court. It said refusing to publish the courts ruling violates the rule of law.

Bochenek said the commissions opinion would be sent to parliament so all political sides could seek a resolution.

The government, however, denies that democracy is threatened.

Democracy is fine, very fine, said Beata Kempa, a leading official in the government of Prime Minister Beata Szydlo.
BAGHDAD  The Islamic State group has launched two chemical attacks in the northern Iraqi city of Taza, killing a 3-year-old girl, wounding some 600 people and causing hundreds more to flee, Iraqi officials said Saturday.

Security and hospital officials say the latest attack took place early Saturday. The small town of Taza was also struck by a barrage of rockets carrying chemicals three days earlier.

There is fear and panic among the women and children, said Adel Hussein, a local official in Taza. Theyre calling for the central government to save them. Hussein said a German and an American forensics team arrived in the area to test for the presence of chemical agents.

The wounded are suffering from infected burns, suffocation and dehydration, said Helmi Hamdi, a nurse at the Taza hospital. He said eight people were transferred to Baghdad for treatment.

U.S. and Iraqi officials said U.S. special forces captured the head of the Islamic State unit trying to develop chemical weapons in a raid last month in northern Iraq.

The U.S.-led coalition said the chemicals the militants have so far used include chlorine and a low-grade sulfur mustard which is not very potent. Its a legitimate threat. Its not a high threat. Were not, frankly, losing too much sleep over it, U.S. Army Col. Steve Warren told reporters Friday.

The coalition began targeting Islamic State chemical weapons infrastructure with air strikes and special operations raids two months ago, Iraqi intelligence officials and a Western security official in Baghdad told the Associated Press.

Air strikes are targeting laboratories and equipment, and further raids targeting chemical weapons experts are planned, the officials said. They spoke on condition of anonymity.

The extremist group is believed to have set up a special unit for chemical weapons research made up of Iraqi scientists who worked on weapons programs under Saddam Hussein.
1 Deadly avalanche: An avalanche struck in the Italian Alps on Saturday, killing six backcountry skiers as others looked on in horror as a swath of snow hundreds of yards wide cascaded down. Helicopters ferried survivors and victims back to the valley floor from the avalanche site, located just below Monte Nevosos 11,017-foot peak. The mountain is not far from the Austrian border in Italys Alto Adige region.

2 Kurds killed: The Turkish military carried out air strikes this week against Kurdish rebel targets across the border in northern Iraq, killing at least 67 militants, Turkeys state-run news agency reported Saturday. Anadolu Agency, citing unnamed security sources, said the strikes Wednesday destroyed ammunition depots, bunkers and shelters belonging to the Kurdistan Workers Party, or PKK. Turkeys jets have frequently bombed PKK sites in northern Iraq since July, when a fragile peace process between the government and rebels collapsed.
Kim Jun-bum/AP

SEOUL, South Korea  North Korea said Saturday its military is ready to preemptively attack and liberate the South if it sees signs that American and South Korean troops involved in annual joint military drills are attempting to invade the North.

The declaration from General Staff of the Norths Korean Peoples Army on state media is the latest outburst over the drills that the U.S. and South Korea say are defensive and routine. At the start of the drills on Monday, the North warned of an indiscriminate preemptive nuclear strike of justice on Washington and Seoul.
DAMASCUS, Syria  The Syrian government will send a delegation to Geneva to take part in U.N.-sponsored indirect peace talks with the opposition but has rejected the U.N. envoys call for presidential elections to be held in the next 18 months.

Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moallem told reporters that the government team will head to Geneva on Sunday but will not stay more than 24 hours if the opposition does not show up. The talks are scheduled to begin Monday.
PIRAEUS, Greece  Clutching an English phrase book, Mohammed Sawadi is preparing to head north.

The 23-year-old university student traveled from Damascus with his two cousins. They knew Greeces borders were closed before leaving home but say nothing will stop them getting to northern Europe.

We made a vow: We will get to Europe, and we will stay together, said Sawadi, wearing a Batman T-shirt and holding a map of central Athens.

The three cousins crossed Turkey before reaching the Greek island of Chios and taking a ferry to Piraeus, the countrys largest mainland port, near Athens. Sawadi wants to join his brother in Germany and eventually settle in the Netherlands.

European leaders are determined that they wont make it out of Greece anytime soon.

The countrys borders were sealed off to migrants and refugees a week ago, and NATO expanded patrols in the eastern Aegean Sea  and waited for signs that the number of arrivals was beginning to slow.

Its not yet clear if that is happening: From an average of 2,000 arrivals per day at Greek islands facing Turkey so far this year, the numbers have become more uneven.

The daily number stayed below 1,000 most of the past week, but spiked to 3,340 on Wednesday, according to data from the U.N. refugee agency UNHCR. About half of those arriving are from Syria, with the rest mostly from Afghanistan and Iraq.

Its too soon to draw a conclusion from that data. Well need to see what happens in the next few days, Public Order Minister Nikos Toskas told private Skai television Saturday. I think the flow of migrants and refugees will eventually slow down, but it wont happen in a day.

Since the borders closed, the number of migrants and refugees stranded in Greece has climbed to above 42,000. And the European Unions commissioner for migration, Dimitris Avramopoulos, a conservative Greek politician, revealed last week that emergency plans are being made to help the country cope with 100,000.

About a third of those stranded in Greece are camped out in harsh conditions at the Macedonian border, where no one has crossed in the past week.

Arrivals could remain high for as long as war and destitution affects refugees lives. The EUs decision to encourage the closure of the Balkan migration route doesn't mean people will stop trying to reach northern Europe, said Apostolis Fotiadis, an Athens-based migration researcher and author of the book Border Merchants: Europes New Architecture of Surveillance.

Migrants will just go underground, taking greater risks to their own life and boosting crime in Balkan economies, he said.

Salih Abbed, an accountant from Damascus and Sawadis cousin, says Syrians must make their own luck.

We're going to buy a tent and go to the border. Im not afraid to go there. We won't go to a camp, he said. It's different now: It was easy last year when you just followed the others. Now you have to depend on yourself.
PARIS  Last fall, soccer fans celebrated refugee children at a legendary Munich stadium; today, European voters are boosting anti-immigrant political parties and governments are closing their gates to new arrivals. The refrain of Europes migrant crisis has changed from welcome to enough.

It is not sustainable anymore that no ones playing a common game, said Yves Pascouau, a migration expert at the European Policy Center. We need to fix this and really need to move ahead.

But not all Europeans see this as a problem they must share. Worried about their own weak economies, concerned that their national values are eroding, many say war in the Middle East and poverty in Africa are someone elses responsibility.

Compassion had the upper hand just six months ago, as the number of Syrian refugees soared and the photo of a dead 3-year-old on a Turkish beach galvanized volunteers. Border guards greeted weary travelers with a hearty Welcome to Germany, and Chancellor Angela Merkel inspired other nations to do the same. Players on the Munich field promoted integration, holding hands with a refugee child on one side and a German child on the other.

Then, the refugees kept coming, along with economic migrants from Senegal, people fleeing repression in Sudan, and many, many others. Amid the swelling tide was a handful of violent extremists, who found common cause with angry young men whose families arrived a generation earlier.

Paris was attacked. Women were assaulted in Cologne. Attitudes shifted, creating a turning point in the crisis that has dominated Europe for the past year and will define its immediate future.

Now, resentment of the open-arms approach is driving support for a German nationalist party that made gains Sunday in three state elections. On the margins, extreme anti-immigrant youth in the French port of Calais torched tires and blocked migrants from the center of town this weekend, decrying a veritable invasion. Sweden, which has taken in more migrants per capita than any other country, has suffered a spate of arson attacks on asylum centers and other sites.

Europe is at a critical crossroads, said Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras of Greece, the first stop for migrants braving the sea crossing from Turkey. Extreme right forces, he said, are the real threat for Europe now.

Governments are cracking down, too. The route hundreds of thousands of migrants have taken through the Balkans effectively closed over the past few days, one nation after another shut its borders. Some 42,000 people are now stranded in overwhelmed, debt-weakened Greece, including 14,000 desperate souls languishing in a fetid field in the border town of Idomeni.

Some European leaders consider the unilateral border closures to be a threat to a continent meant to be borderless and based on consensus. But proponents say its the only way to show migrants with little chance of winning asylum that smugglers are peddling a false dream of easy prosperity in Europe.

Even Merkel now makes clear that she doesnt plan a repeat of last Septembers move to let in the migrants who had piled up in Hungary.

She still insists on a Europe-wide solution that addresses the causes of this massive migration. But her government has been tightening controls  declaring that several Balkan nations and North African nations are safe countries of origin, making their citizens ineligible for asylum.
Air New Zealand will deepen its tie-up with United Airlines with a revenue-sharing arrangement on New Zealand-US routes.

The agreement will come into effect from July 1 when United launches its San Francisco-Auckland route and will see the carriers promote and sell each others' services between New Zealand and the US, Air New Zealand said in a statement. The airlines currently codeshare on United's network in the US and to international destinations, and Air New Zealand's network across the Pacific.

Air New Zealand chief executive Chris Luxon said the airline will benefit from the deal without being specific.

"To have a strong home market carrier like United Airlines working with us to grow this market through its extensive sales and distribution channels in the US will provide a significant boost to inbound tourism," Luxon said. "The United States is New Zealand's third largest tourism source market, contributing almost a billion dollars to our economy in the past financial year."

Trans-Pacific traffic has become more crowded in the past year as cheap oil creates a stronger economic case for more marginal routes with Qantas Airways and American Airlines entering the fray.

Air New Zealand shares last traded at $2.835 and have declined 4.1 percent so far this year.

BusinessDesk.co.nz

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Tanya Hutchins hadn't worked in eight years when she walked into an ANZ branch in mid-2010. But she left with an $800,000 loan, and now she stands to lose her home.

Ms Hutchins was receiving Centrelink payments at the time, but ANZ records say she was a successful businesswoman earning $180,000 a year with a million-dollar property portfolio. She and her husband, Laurie Rounds, say bank employees deliberately ensnared her in a loan she could not afford.

In a lawsuit filed in the County Court, the couple claim the saga began after a meeting at the Elsternwick Hotel in 2010, where they were encouraged to invest in an off-the-plan apartment project in Caulfield East.

Property developer Charles "Chas" Sheridan Dale and consultant Shady Elmahmoud allegedly arranged a meeting for the couple with an ANZ lending officer to arrange a $300,00 loan to purchase two apartments. The couple was told the units were supposed to double in value.
The meeting comes as Mr Palmer and the Queensland government argue about environmental approvals for the site, near Townsville.

It's hoped there may be enough support among workers and businesses to buy the operation and keep it running, saving at least 550 jobs in the process.

The not-for-profit regional investment bank Sister City Partners has invited hundreds of disaffected parties to a meeting in Townsville, north Queensland.

Sacked workers and creditors of Clive Palmer's north Queensland nickel refinery will meet on Monday to discuss a community rescue plan.

Mr Palmer has claimed he's still waiting for the government to transfer some approvals he needs to keep the refinery open under his new management company, Queensland Nickel Sales.

But the government says he has everything he needs to honour his pledge to save the jobs of 550 refinery workers.

The refinery's remaining staff clocked off work on Friday afternoon with no idea if they'll ever return to their jobs.

Mr Palmer has warned that in addition to hold ups with approvals, the refinery's administrators cancelled a shipment of ore, further compounding problems at the plant.

He says there's no prospect of work in the short term because it could take up to two months to source the ore the refinery needs.
Members of an ABC Four Corners crew have been detained in Malaysia while trying to question Prime Minister Najib Razak over a corruption scandal, the broadcaster has announced.

The ABC confirmed that journalist Linton Besser and camera operator Louie Eroglu were detained and released hours after attending a press conference in the city of Kuching.

Their passports were seized and they have been told not to leave the country, the ABC reported.

"They have not been charged with any offence," an ABC spokesperson said on Sunday.
Plans to enshrine in legislation that the purpose of the superannuation system is to generate "retirement income", as distinct from accumulating savings, is not just legalese but a shift that could shake up the industry and drive some funds out of business.

Last week the Turnbull government launched a discussion paper ahead of plans to have a definition of superannuation written into law for the first time. The move has been welcomed by the retail, industry and self-managed factions of the sector  although debate remains over the exact wording.

KPMG Advisory partner Paul Howes says plans for a new legislative defintion of superannuation could be the biggest shock to the industry since 1992. Credit:Louie Douvis

Assistant Treasurer Kelly O'Dwyer said the government supports the definition recommended by the 2014 financial system inquiry led by former Commonwealth Bank boss David Murray: "To provide income in retirement to substitute or supplement the age pension."

Former union boss and industry superannuation fund director-turned-KPMG partner Paul Howes told Fairfax Media the effect of formalising such a seemingly obvious truth should not be underestimated.
Keystone Group has unveiled the sale of its waterfront icon Cargo Bar, at King Street Wharf, at a time when pubs and bars are the hot sector of the property industry.

There has been close to $200 million worth of pubs that have changed hands in the past year, from the outer suburbs of metropolitan Sydney to the inner fringe and parts of the City.

While some areas, such as Kings Cross, have been hit by the lockout laws in Sydney, those properties are now being converted to apartments, giving the suburbs a different atmosphere with a demand now for wine bars and cafes.

However, the so-called iconic, well-known pubs have retained high patronage.
Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has all but accused Clive Palmer of playing games with the government, as the future of 550 Queensland Nickel workers remains in limbo.

Workers at the billionaire businessman's Townsville nickel refinery were sacked by administrators on Friday.

Clive Palmer's Queensland Nickel refinery. Credit:Michael Chambers

But Mr Palmer shirked responsibility for the mass sackings on ABC-TV's Insiders program on Sunday morning, saying it as the fault of administrators, not him.

He said it would take at least eight weeks to get the appropriate government approvals to re-establish operations at the company.
The controversial privatisation of so-called "hotel services" at Royal North Shore Hospital has ended with NSW Health reclaiming operation of the service.

The Health Services Union, which represents cleaning staff, says the hospital's decision to not renew a contract signed in 2007 was an admission that privatisation of the service had failed.

NSW Health Minister Jillian Skinner Credit:Dean Osland

However, Dr Andrew Montague, acting chief executive of the Northern Sydney Local Health District, said the "best decision at the time" was made and the service may be put back into the hands of private operators in the future.

"I don't think in any way it is an admission that it has failed," Dr Montague said. "We made a decision on an interim basis, but we will be going back out to the market to see if we can get better value for money."
It's generally accepted that the English are obsessed with social class, and that class differences  even very tiny ones  are some of the most important aspects of the English imagination. How people relate to people of a different social class, how people carry their origins from birth  these are subjects that have consistently interested English novelists.

Mrs Elton, in Jane Austen's Emma, is condemned as vulgar for calling her husband "Mr E" and Mr Knightley "Knightley". The English novel is full of it.

Julian Fellowes continues his dissection of the English class system with his adaptation of Anthony Trollope's Doctor Thorne. Credit:New York Times

Anthony Trollope's Doctor Thorne, the third of his Barsetshire Chronicles, is one of his most penetrating and disillusioned investigations into social position. The novel hardly moves location at all from its rural setting, and it may be that Trollope's distance from the society he was describing gave his work an unusual clarity of thought.

Television has adored Trollope's work . The Palliser cycle of six novels was filmed by the BBC in 1974 in 26 episodes and in 1982, the first two novels in the Barchester series was produced as The Barchester Chronicles. More recently, what many people now regard as his masterpiece, The Way We Live Now, was adapted by Andrew Davies.
That's the conclusion of modelling undertaken by one of the world's most respected business accountancy consulting firms, PricewaterhouseCoopers Australia.

The publicly funded for-and-against campaigns, which some have argued should be given special dispensation to transgress hate-speech laws, will cost at least $6 per voter based on overseas experience.

Tony Abbott's public ballot on same-sex marriage, now embraced by Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, will cause major social harm and cost the economy more than $500 million in direct expenses and lost production.

In a serious blow to the claimed legitimacy-building power of the proposed plebiscite, PwC Australia has examined the proposal and warned it will do more harm than good, leading to high levels of social tension, discrimination, mental health and mood disorders, and will cost taxpayers and business far more than previously understood.

Malcolm Turnbull expects at least 50 per cent of voters will take part in the same-sex marriage postal vote

It found the plebiscite itself would cost $158 million to stage, not counting the extra $66 million in public funding likely to be committed to promote both the "yes" and "no" arguments. The modelling suggests there would be another $281 million surrendered from the national economy from lost production as people take the time to vote. That is, around $525 million all up.

"The real costs to government, the economy and members of the community to hold a stand-alone plebiscite are more than three times higher than the numbers commonly quoted," said PwC Australia chief executive officer Luke Sayers.

"Total economic costs have not been considered before and should be part of the debate on the best way to achieve a resolution to this issue."
Police will boost their numbers and increase their visibility across Sydney's CBD to combat anti-social behaviour after a weekend of alcohol-fuelled violence in the city.

Officers were kept busy during a weekend that featured numerous violent incidents, including a mass brawl involving 30 people.

Police initially said the incident involved 200 people as it broke out in a laneway near the Metro Theatre concert venue and then spread down George and Pitt streets, about 3am on Sunday.

An investigation has begun into what sparked the fight with one nearby resident saying he woke to screaming and shouting, and from his balcony filmed as a woman knocked another to the ground.
A teenager has been charged after he allegedly punched his pregnant former girlfriend and stomped on her on the NSW Central Coast early on Sunday.

The woman, 19, was allegedly attacked by her former partner, also 19, just after midnight on Sunday on in Tuggerawong Road, in Tuggerawong.

A witness, said the man shook the woman, causing her to fall to the ground.

He then allegedly punched her in the face and stomped on her legs, police were told.

When the witness intervened, the man continued walking but was arrested a short time later and taken to Wyong police station.
Australian teenager Oliver Bridgeman has hit out at the decision to cancel his passport, saying he has only been doing humanitarian work in Syria.

The 19-year-old Queenslander has told a Sydney-based Muslim community internet channel he and his parents feel betrayed by the Australian government.

Mr Bridgeman arrived in Syria about 11 months ago, and says his humanitarian work in refugee camps has included distributing warm jackets, heaters and mattresses, and working with youth.

His Australian passport was cancelled and a warrant issued for his arrest after he was accused of entering a foreign country intending to engage in hostile activities.
PHILIPSBURG:--- The 15th SMART - St. Martin/St. Maarten Annual Regional Trade Show - is slated for May 18th -20th , 2016 at Le Beach Hotel (former Beach Plaza Hotel) on the Northern side of the Island. SMART is the largest trade show in the North Eastern Caribbean for Tour Operators, Travel Agents, Travel Writers, and Event Planners from the US, Canada, Europe, and Latin America. The online registration for participation is now open and available for all interested persons. Registration can be done via www.smart2016.net. Registration period is open from March 14th to May 6th, 2016.

Attendees at last years event concurred that it was a successful SMART and organizers are, once again preparing to surpass expectations with the 2016 edition. This year the host venue will be on the Northern Side of the Island. The alternation of host venues on either side of the island is a tradition that dates back to the inception of the event. for over 15 years, SMART has been tangible evidence that a collaboration between the French and Dutch tourism stakeholders of the island can be lucrative and successful .

The L'Association des Hoteliers de St. Martin, L'Office du Tourisme de St. Martin in conjunction with the St. Maarten Tourist Bureau and St. Maarten Hospitality & Trade Association are expecting numerous Tour Operators, Travel Agents, Travel Writers, and Event Planners from the US, Canada, Europe, and Latin America to return to the island for this important event. The tradeshow provides a unique opportunity for local and regional hoteliers and activities providers to present their tourism product, network and negotiate prospective business opportunities.

After years of success and progress, in addition to St. Martin/St. Maarten, other islands attending this event now include Anguilla, Antigua, Barbuda, British Virgin Islands, Dominica, Guadeloupe, Montserrat, Saba, St. Barths, St. Eustatius, St. Kitts & Nevis, and Barbados. It has become a very significant event for the entire region in recent years, one that should not be missed!

SMART 2016 kicks off on Wednesday May 18th, 2016 when delegates have the opportunity to meet and mingle with their peers at the Welcome Reception hosted at Le Beach Hotel, before a full day of business where participants have set up appointments with travel partners and wholesalers as well as hotel and excursion operations for one-on-one discussions on potential business ventures. In addition to the pre-organized appointments, throughout the trade show, participants may also set up additional appointments.

Registration and additional details are available on the website www.smart2016.net or the SHTA website www.shta.com by contacting the St. Maarten Hospitality & Trade Association via email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and/or by phone at 542-0108. SHTA looks forward to welcoming all participants to SMART 2016.
Jan. 6 committee subpoenas Donald Trump

The extraordinary move puts the panel, which the former president has repeatedly criticized as political, into a legal confrontation with Trump.
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 Proton rocket that will launch the ExoMars 2016 spacecraft to Mars is shown being moved into a vertical position at the launch pad at Baikonur, Kazakhstan, on March 11, 2016, ahead of a planned March 14 launch.

A European-led Mars mission is blasting off early Monday morning (March 14), and you can watch the liftoff live.

The first phase of the ExoMars mission is scheduled to launch Monday atop a Russian Proton-M rocket from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan at 5:31 a.m. EDT (0931 GMT; 3:31 p.m. local Kazakhstan time). You can watch the liftoff live here at Space.com, courtesy of the European Space Agency (ESA); coverage begins at 4:30 a.m. EDT (0830 GMT).

The rocket launch will kick off a seven-month journey to the Red Planet for the ExoMars payload, which consists of two spacecraft: the Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO) and a lander called Schiaparelli. [Europe's 2016 ExoMars Mission: Complete Coverage]

The European Space Agency's ExoMars project involves an orbiter, lander and rover, launched on two separate Proton rockets (infographic) (Image credit: by Karl Tate, Infographics Artist)

TGO will study the Martian atmosphere for five years, hunting especially for methane and its molecular cousins. Living creatures generate the vast majority of the methane in Earth's air, and the gas is therefore regarded as a promising "biosignature" that could be an indication of Mars life.

The orbiter will also map out buried hydrogen, work that could help researchers identify near-surface deposits of water-ice on the Red Planet, ESA officials have said.

Schiaparelli has a different fate. The spacecraft will attempt a Mars landing on Oct. 19, to prove out the technologies needed to get the second part of the ExoMars program  a life-hunting rover that's scheduled to launch in 2018  onto the planet's surface.

ESA leads the ExoMars project and is responsible for most of the spacecraft hardware. Russia is ESA's chief partner, and is providing Proton rockets for both launches, as well as the landing system for the 2018 rover and some scientific instruments. (ESA had partnered with NASA on ExoMars until 2012, when the American space agency dropped out, citing budget issues.)

ExoMars is Europe's second robotic Red Planet effort. The first one, which launched in June 2003, sent the Mars Express orbiter and Beagle 2 lander toward the planet.

Mars Express achieved orbit and continues to operate today. However, mission controllers lost contact with Beagle 2 shortly after it separated from the Mars Express mother ship, and the lander has been silent ever since. Beagle 2 was recently spotted in images captured by NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, suggesting that the lander touched down softly but failed to deploy all of its solar panels as planned.

Russia, for its part, has yet to mount a successful Mars mission. The nation's previous two attempts  Mars 96 in 1996, and Phobos-Grunt in 2011  failed to make it out of Earth orbit. (Russia's predecessor, the Soviet Union, notched a few Mars successes in the 1970s and '80s, but most of its Red Planet attempts failed as well.)

Follow Mike Wall on Twitter @michaeldwall and Google+. Follow us @Spacedotcom, Facebook or Google+. Originally published on Space.com.
NASA is days away from beginning its UFO study, a rare red quasar peers out from the early universe and an astronaut helmet incident is now resolved. These are some of this week's top stories.

NASA to begin its UFO study

(Image credit: DoD/US Navy)

NASA will begin its highly anticipated study of unidentified aerial phenomena, or UAP, next Monday (Oct. 24). On Friday (Oct. 21) the space agency announced the 16 members of the team, which include several astrobiologists and one former NASA astronaut. Over the next nine months, the team will explore how UAP sightings could be investigated, and they will publish a report about their work in mid-2023.

Full story: NASA UFO study team includes former astronaut, scientists and more

NASA orders three new Orion capsules in a $2 billion deal

(Image credit: NASA)

NASA is still waiting to fly the first demonstration of its Artemis moon rocket. But on Thursday (Oct. 20), aerospace giant Lockheed Martin announced that NASA had ordered three more Orion crew capsules for Artemis missions six through eight. The Orion capsule that sits atop the current Artemis rocket at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida will carry test dummy torsos to the moon. Eventually, they hope Orion will eventually carry a new generation of astronauts to the lunar environment and beyond.

Full story: NASA orders 3 more Orion crew capsules for Artemis moon missions

Ariane 6 won't fly for at least another year

(Image credit: ESA-Manuel Pedoussaut)

The European Space Agency has once again delayed the launch of its new heavy-lift rocket, the Ariane 6. It is intended to be the successor of Europe's Ariane 5, which launched the James Webb Space Telescope at the end of 2021. Originally scheduled to fly in 2020, it will fly no earlier than the end of 2023. The delay will add another 600 million euros to its total cost.

Full story: Europe's long-awaited Ariane 6 rocket won't launch before late 2023

A team discovers a rare red quasar that is 11.5 billion years old

(Image credit: ESA/Webb, NASA & CSA, D. Wylezalek, A. Vayner & the Q3D Team, N. Zakamska)

Astronomers stared billions of years back in time thanks to the new observational capabilities that the James Webb Space Telescope began to provide this year. And when they did, the international research team discovered a rare red quasar  a supermassive black hole that is feeding on material  surrounded by merging galaxies. This finding represents an opportunity to observe how early galaxies merged and formed today's universe.

Full story: James Webb Space Telescope spies galaxies merging around 'monster' black hole

See also: James Webb Space Telescope still performing better than expected despite glitch, micrometeoroids

Pantheon+ analysis offers most precise dark energy and dark matter survey yet

(Image credit: NASA/CXC/U.Texas)

A new analysis called Pantheon+ used 1,500 observations of supernovas as "standard candles" to measure the acceleration of the universe. The team behind the new Pantheon+ work found that the universe has been expanding at an accelerated rate for the last few billion years, and also provided new accounting for the amount of dark energy and dark matter in space.

Full story: 1,500 supernovas offer most precise survey of dark energy and dark matter to date

NASA resumes astronaut spacewalks after helmet incident

(Image credit: NASA/ESA)

NASA will now allow for spacewalks after a seven-month hiatus. The space agency has completed its review of a March 23rd incident, when a European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut noticed a higher-than-normal buildup of water inside his helmet. The next spacewalk will take place in mid-November.

Full story: NASA greenlights US spacewalks again after spacesuit helmet water incident

RIP, Jim McDivitt

(Image credit: NASA)

On October 13, former NASA astronaut Jim McDivitt died. The Korean War veteran and former test pilot joined NASA in 1962 as a member of the same astronaut class as Neil Armstrong. McDivitt led the Gemini 4 and Apollo 9 missions. He died at the age of 93.

Full story: Jim McDivitt, astronaut who led Gemini 4 and Apollo 9 missions, dies at 93

See also: Lodewijk van den Berg, who became 1st Dutch-born astronaut, dies at 90

Phaenthon is a near-Earth asteroid with a strange quality

(Image credit: Arecibo/NASA/NSF)

Researchers noticed that the near-Earth asteroid Phaethon is spinning faster than before. This makes Phaethon the 11th-known asteroid to show a change to its rotational period, a rare characteristic. Japan's space agency will explore this asteroid up-close in 2028 after the launch of its DESTINY+ mission in 2024.

Full story: Astronomers discovered something strange about 'potentially hazardous' asteroid Phaethon

Early universe gamma-ray burst appears to a NASA observatory

(Image credit: ESO/A. Rossi et al.)

NASA spotted a gamma-ray burst whose light took 12.8 billion years to reach Earth. These events are considered some of the most luminous phenomena in the cosmos. This blast from the early universe appeared to NASA's Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory in September 2021.

Full story: Astronomers discover ancient, very distant gamma-ray burst

See also: Most powerful gamma-ray burst ever seen could help reveal how black holes are born

Polaris Dawn won't fly for at least another five months

(Image credit: Polaris Program/John Kraus)

SpaceX's Polaris Dawn mission, which seeks to perform the first-ever commercial spacewalk, delayed its launch. The mission was going to fly later this year, but Polaris Dawn will now fly into Earth's orbit no earlier than March 2023 from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

Full story: SpaceX's private Polaris Dawn mission now targeting March 2023

Follow us on Twitter @Spacedotcom (opens in new tab) and on Facebook (opens in new tab).




A fish rots from the head down : corruption starts from the top and filters downwards. If the leader is bad, the subordinates will reflect the leaders same behavior.

Oh, Scandal. Youre cooking up one hell of a political shit storm, arent you? Im almost afraid to know whats in the pot because your penchant to do the absolute most with very little stays set at 100. Taking into consideration the number of competing agendas that are vying for the throne that is the Oval Office, I can say with a 97.52% certainty that there are going to be some bodies strewn about the streets of the fictional Washington, D.C. when all of them come to a head. This is like the network equivalent of Game of Thrones!

Well, kinda. Sorta. Okay, maybe not really, but you see where I'm going with this, right?

The Fish Rots From the Head showcased the different factions making moves that each hoped would level the playing field or give them advantage over the competition. One such move required the participation of the President who was paying more attention to his libido than he was to anything else. Best time to sneak a few past him, yeah?

By the end of the episode, we see that despite the respective phases in which these characters presently find themselves, they remain the people that they have always been at their core. This fact is why forward movement was possible and some good achieved. It was the teeniest bit of progress, but it was enough to leave me hopeful for the eventual re-entry of some light.

Lets recap.

Olivia Pope, OPA and the White House

The episode picks up one month after Wild Card (episode 512) and starts out with Mellie sitting in her office. Shes autographing the inside of several copies of her memoir when Olivia comes into the room and remarks about the cover choice that Mellie went with. Olivia follows that by saying that she knows that Mellie didnt call her over to discuss the book and inquires as to why Mellie called her over. Mellie wants to know what it is that they are going to do about Susan Ross, but Olivia points out to her that there is no they because she isnt running Mellies campaign.

This is apparently not the first time that Olivia has had to recall Mellie to this fact. It also runs counter to what Id thought was the case an episode or two ago. Thinking back on them now, Olivia never did agree to run Mellies campaign, but she did decide to assist Mellie with her book. I cant be the only one expecting Olivia to eventually agree to this formally, right? Im actually hoping that she remains on the sidelines here, but Id be kidding myself if I thought Olivia could keep from meddling.

Since Olivia isnt her manager (yet), Mellie solicits her advice on Susan unofficially. Olivia tells her that shes going to have to talk to Fitz and get him not to endorse Susan. It would benefit Mellie to have Fitz remain neutral in a campaign where both herself and his vice president are vying for the Republican nomination. As sitting president and current leader of the Republican Party, Fitz throwing his support behind Susan would leave Mellie at a significant financial disadvantage and limit her access to the party leaders. Taking this one step further, it would also send the message to the public that Fitz trusts Susan to uphold and build upon the policies that he established during his tenure. It was therefore pivotal for Mellie to get her ex-husband to agree to sit this one out.

We get flashed over to some other part of Washington where Fitz is making his way down a rope line and interacting with an enthusiastic crowd. He is accompanied by his ever present agents and Abby. Along this line, he comes upon a woman who is all smiles in response to not only having just met the President but also to the sparks of mutual attraction that was flying between them. Homegirl looked like she may have been due for a new set of undies after he walked by. Fitzgeralds pheromone game is strong. (It also doesnt hurt that hes a man of enormous wealth and power...with his fine self.)

Abby peeped this exchange and looked resigned to the inevitable. In the scenes that follow, we hear her voice play over them as she explains what we see play out. Fitz sees a woman hes attracted to, he sends a signal to his people and they find some way to make the hook up happen. The women chosen are all within the circle in which Fitz finds himself, so photojournalists, fluff writers, women in government were all fair game. If you were in close proximity, attractive and willing, you would soon be in his bed. Fitzgerald is being a manwhore and I am bothered.

The unfortunate thing in all of this is that Abby has unwittingly found herself in the position of facilitator-in-chief. With the assistance of Secret Service agent Sam, Abby is serving as intermediary and has set up a system that allows for her to preemptively control the optics of the situation. When the President makes a pick, that pick is referred to as a guest and as a guest, the woman must be accorded respect. Once they are in the Residence, their cell phones and cameras are taken and they are given a nondisclosure agreement to sign before they can proceed into the Presidents bedroom. Once their business is done, their personal effects are returned and they are shown out via the service elevator.

Thumbs up to Abby for handling all of this with the delicacy that it required and making sure that Sam understood the importance of following the agreed upon protocol. It may not be airtight, but it gives the President what he wants while allowing her some control over the narrative should any of this leak out to the public. Given the seemingly never-ending revolution of the door through which these women enter, this aspect of her work wife duties cant be any fun, but Abby is single-handedly managing a situation that could go rogue at any moment like a real G.

And speaking of women, whatever happened to Madam Thirst Basket aka Lillian Forrester? Did Fitz grow bored with her and move on to the next? We havent seen the last of her, have we? Im not advocating for her return. Just wondering if shell be back.

Later that evening, Sam tracks down Abby at her office and asks to have a moment of her time. Closing the door behind him, he proceeds to tell her that he received a call from some agents who were having a party that night and said party had gotten out of hand. Abby wants to know how much out of hand right and then we are flashed over to Olivia and her associates. That out of hand.

OPA is being escorted by a Secret Service agent towards a hotel suite. As they are walking down the hall, Marcus is full of questions. He wants to know if them taking on this case means that they are working for the White House despite the fact that their boss dumped the President and distanced herself from him. Quinn tells him that yes, but that they are actually doing this for Abby, so there is a difference. Abby is their client, not their bosss ex-beau.

Once they are within steps of the suite, Quinn breaks away to bribe the housekeeper into taking an extra long break. She then proceeds into the room with the others as Olivia introduces herself and her team. Olivia inquires as to the situation and they are filled in on what happened by the lead agent. They rented the suite for the evening and things got out of control. His retelling is interrupted by a distraught woman who emerges from an adjacent room and mumbling about how she couldnt believe that Megan was dead. When Huck asks who the deceased is, the head agent points to the opposite side of the room to where a dead body lies. Olivia turns away from the corpse in disgust while Quinn turn to the agent with a quip that says that he understated the severity of the situation.

We next see Huck examining the body as the head agent is relaying what happened. He says that he promised the agents a party and with it being an election year, he thought it would be good for them to have a last chance to cut loose before their schedules became restricted. Megan and the other woman (Erin) are dancing together when Megan suddenly collapses and hits her head against the glass table. Head agent said they tried CPR, but he believes that she was dead before she even hit the ground.

This agent and his cohorts get the side eye from me because of the manner by which the head agent referred to Erin. That one? Really? Erin may as well be a piece of furniture for all he cares. But Erin did give them the name of Fantasia. I mean





Nevertheless, the very least the agent and his subordinates can do is refer to her/them by the names that they had proffered and not treat them as if they werent worthy of being acknowledged as human beings. Marcus certainly wasnt down with that and is quick to check him.

Olivia, meanwhile, is sitting with her arms wrapped about her purse, looking like shed rather be plucking out her eyeballs with a spork. She looks distracted and disconnected from the job at hand. Since the body was discovered, she hasnt said anything, which left the answer seeking to Quinn and Marcus, a task that is typically Olivias. Clearly something is going on with the head gladiator.

A second agent soon chimes in with more details, stating that Megan had been pretty messed up when she arrived at the suite. He says that her speech was slurred and her eyes glassy. Huck confirms that Megan did indeed hit her head on the glass table as evidenced by the presence of glass shards in her head wound, and then he points out the track marks in Megans arms. Marcus notes that there are a lot of them, which prompts Quinn to turn to Erin to ask if Megan was a user. When Erin confirms this to be the case, Quinn then asks if what the agents were saying was also true and Erin answers in the affirmative.

The head agent then says to Olivia that news of this situation cant get out and then adds for the Presidents sake. Uh huh. Lets pretend as if youre really worried about the President and not about saving your behind.

His remark prompts everyone to turn to Olivia for directions, but she nods to Quinn to take the lead on this. Not quite sure what is going on, Quinn hesitates for a second before snapping into action. The agents are to go to a pub and stay at a particular section. Shell make sure that a girl named Molly confirms that they had been there all night. Turning to Erin, Quinn directs her to leave and tells her that she was never in the hotel room. She then turns to Marcus and says that they are going to wipe down Megans phone and anything else digital, and she directs Huck to handle the cameras and the reservations database.

While shes talking, Marcus makes his way over to Olivia and asks if they are really going to cover up what happened in that room. Olivia comes to her feet then, finally showing signs of life again, and says to Marcus that what happened in the suite was an accident and Megan was a hooker, so yes, they are indeed going to cover it up. Olivia then departs and leaves her team to handle the details.

Geez. Olivia, that was cold and dismissive, but I get it. Megan was a prostitute aka sex worker, and given the kind of controversy thatll arise from something of this magnitude getting out, it was far simpler to fix it and move on. I just wasnt a fan of the (likely unintended) implication that Megans lost life merited no more than the effort OPA was required to put in on behalf of their clients.

With Olivia gone, the team gets to work with cleaning, collecting, bribing and concocting. They are going to set it up to look like Megan overdosed in the hotel room alone. Marcus is troubled by the concern that the agents had for themselves than they did about Megans death, and he is having a hard time dealing with the fact that they are cleaning up their mess. At that point, a frustrated Quinn asks when they are going to stop hearing from the do gooder Reverend Marcus and tells him that sometimes they get to save the day and other times, they are doing what they are doing now. Thats the job.

Flashing over to Olivia, we find her sitting in her car where she is staring intently over at where Jake is having dinner with his girlfriend. Soon Abby opens the passenger side door and climbs in. She greets her friend, but when she doesnt get a greeting back, she looks over in the direction that Olivia is staring in and catches the sight of Jake at dinner with his gal pal. It is then that Olivia finally speaks, telling Abby all she knows about the woman. Her name is Vanessa Moss. Shes a human rights lawyer, who does all pro bono work. Shes also a Rhodes scholar, debutante, and lawyer who graduated top of her class at Cornell.

Well, hot damn. Based on this information alone, Vanessa sounds like shed be more for the likes of Fitzgerald Grant than for Jake Ballard. What story did he tell her exactly about his background?

Olivia adds that this present date is the ninth one that they have had over the last four weeks, and Abby glances over at Olivia with a concerned look but Olivia completely misses it since her focus is on the couple across the way. Olivia remarks on her inability to figure out Jakes angle with Vanessa and Abby replies that the angle is obvious (Vanessa is a catch!), but Olivia doesnt believe that it is that simple. Abby points out to Olivia that what she is doing is basically stalking Jake with the whole car and spying and deep background checks on the mans girlfriend.

Olivia briefly glances away from her prey to give her bestie the side eye and Abby uses that as her cue to change the subject, asking about the situation with the agents. Olivia is less than pleased about having to handle a situation that came complete with a dead prostitute, and Abby promptly apologizes. She had no idea the depth of the problem. All she was told was that it was a party that had gotten out of hand.

Abby then asks if this is going to be a problem for the President, and Olivia tells her that she has the team handling it. Abby doesnt want this mess to come out on top of all the stuff that she has had to deal with regarding Fitz and says that she doesnt know what to do. It is at this point that she realizes that Olivia isnt listening to her. Her focus is back on Jake.

Olivia wonders out loud as to what it is Jake could be up to and Abby answers by saying that Jake is on a date. At this point, Olivia gives her friend her full attention and reveals to her that Jake killed someone to land his job at NSA. This date therefore isnt a date. Jake is up to something.

It would be nice to have some idea as to what this something may be because after three exhaustive seasons of Rowan, Jake and B613, I am far from pressed to find where I left the last damn I had for anything having to do with these characters and Olivias involvement with them. Lets move this along. Please.





The next day at OPA, Quinn and Huck are in the conference room doing nothing in particular. Quinn is lounging in her seat in contemplation while Huck is typing away on his laptop. As if finally figuring out a math problem, Quinn says to Huck that she believes Olivia is bored with the job and her life. Quinn reminds him of how Olivia was in the hotel suite and how anxious she was to get out of there, and Huck says that the reason is because Olivia doesnt like dead bodies. Shes not like the two of them who can handle seeing that kind of thing, but Quinn isnt buying that. Olivia was once upon a time living in the White House and running the country, but now shes back down low with the little people dealing with dead prostitutes.

It is at this point that Huck informs Quinn that Olivia is tracking Jake because he is being shady, but Quinn dismisses this and says that Jake isnt the problem. That its the White House and that Olivia misses it. Hucks response: Yeah, she misses a lot of things.





Just then, Marcus walks into the room with a hypothetical question about the prostitute, posing to them the possibility that Megan didnt die as the agents are saying she did. What if she hadnt overdosed on drugs and then fell and hit her head, he asks. Quinn is so over Marcuss inability to let a sleeping dog lie and says to him that the job is done and that they cant second guess things now. Marcus doesnt let up though, asking them both what if something else happened in that hotel room.

Now Hucks interest is piqued and he wants to know what it is that Marcus is talking about. Marcus tells him that when he went to wipe clean Megans phone, he saw that someone else had already beaten him to it. Everything on her phone and her cloud had been erased. Quinn then speaks up to say to him that they are fixers and not detectives. Their job is to make their clients problems go away, not solve them.

Despite Quinns nonchalance about Marcuss concerns, Huck wants to know more. Marcus tells him that he doesnt know who deleted the information but that he intends to find out. When he leaves, Quinn tells Huck not to encourage him and his do gooder mission.

Marcus returns to the office later with Megans autopsy report. When asked as to why he has the report, he says to Quinn that he has it because he wanted to know what it said. He heads directly into Olivias office with Huck and Quinn following close behind. He starts off by telling them all that Megans death was not an accident. Olivia is at a loss as to what Marcus is talking about and Quinn says to her that she told Marcus to leave the situation alone, but she gets cut off when Marcus asks Olivia to just take a look at the report.

The fall that resulted to the trauma to her head happened before any drugs had entered into her system and that gives both Huck and Quinn pause. That doesnt make sense, Quinn says. Huck then says that it does if the agents were trying to cover up what really happened. Marcus says that he knows that this isnt their job, but he is also aware of whats right and he says that he believes that Olivia knows whats right as well.

The response that Marcus gets from Olivia is not the one that he expects as she tells him that what is right is that their clients trust them to fix their problems, not to investigate them as suspects. She tells Marcus to let the matter go and Quinn leaves the room, justified in her rightness. Marcus is disappointed, but he has no choice but to do as the boss says.

Over at the Residence, Mellie has arrived with Teddy and they are looking for Fitz. They head straight for his bedroom and find him standing just inside the door in wait. This kid has got to be the cutest, most adorable thing, and watching Fitz play daddy does things to my insides. Ill spare you the details.

Fitz remarks that he wasnt expecting them until Friday and Mellie apologizes and says that she should have called, but the kid was missing his daddy, so she brought him over. Fitz is just fine with Teddy coming over sooner than expected, but what he doesnt know is that Mellie has an ulterior motive for bringing their child over off schedule. Mellies intent is to use the opportunity to talk to him about not endorsing Susans run as his replacement, but before she is able to do so, some chick pops her head out from the door leading towards the bathroom. Ah hell nah!

This woman is in a bathrobe and Fitzs face is a mask of discomfort. Whats worse is that Mellie knows who the woman is. Lisa from Treasury, she says. Lawd have mercy. Fitzgerald doesnt even have leave to open his mouth to try to explain himself. Talk about being figuratively caught with your pants down. If Mellie and Teddy had showed up some ten minutes earlier, who knows what they would have walked in on. Welp.

Once Lisa from Treasury is dismissed, Fitz turns to Mellie and before he could attempt to say anything, Mellie orders him to put their son down. Early visit is over. Fitz reluctantly sets Teddy on the floor after giving him and kiss and drops the boys bag on the floor as well. Mellie then pretends to be giving Fitz a goodbye hug and uses the opportunity to tell him that he is free to sleep with as many women--well, in typical Mellie fashion, she referred to them as whores--as he wants to, but he wont be doing that mess around their kids. She then releases him to proceed with Teddy out of the room. Before she is leaves, she looks back at Fitz and shakes her head in disappointment.









I feel you, Mellie, but you did come at him on a day when he wasnt expecting you or Teddy. You didnt even give the man a heads up so hed get himself in proper order (and stash the hoes) before yall came over. You invaded on his private time and now youre mad at what you saw? Thats your fault. You were too busy thinking of how you could use your child to soften Fitz and sway him into agreeing to your plan and not taking into consideration the fact that he may have plans that you are unaware of. You may want to call next time, maam.





And Fitzgerald, Ima need you to put Dick on ice, okay? You and your impressive friend are doing too much.

In the next scene, Mellie is sharing with Olivia what happened at the Residence. Olivia is like, say what? And Mellie is going on about how she had to tell Teddy that Lisa had spilled something on herself and that was the reason why she was in a bathrobe. Then she quips that Lisa probably did have something spilled on her and Olivia is like, um, too much information.

Mellie goes on to tell Olivia that apparently, sleeping with random girls is Fitzs thing now. His agents actually help him get girls he has identified as one hes interested in into the Residence. Mellie is so worked up about the whole thing, referring to Fitz as his Hornyship and Olivia cringes as she goes to claim one of the seats in front of Mellies desk. Mellie says that nobody knows about whats going on because the Secret Service is covering it all up.

While she is droning on, Olivia sits in contemplation. When Mellie notices that Olivia sitting in silence with a far away look on her face, she questions if this situation was making her jealous. Distracted by whats on her mind, Olivia belatedly replies that she isnt. Mellie goes on to say that shes used to him being a cad. After all, this was what defined the last six years of her life, and given the fact that Olivia used to be that girl in the robe, the last thing that Mellie needs is Fitzs endorsement.

Mellie just casually slid that bit of shade in there, didnt she? Olivia couldnt even bother to care for her thoughts were far beyond what Mellie was presently going on about.

Returning to OPA, Olivia calls for her people and then all gather in the conference room. She now wants to know more about this dead prostitute. She tells Marcus to see if he can get more proof to prove that her death wasnt an accident. This about face has Quinn asking about what happened to their rule about being loyal to their client, and Olivia says to her to just do as she is asked.

Later (that same day?) at the Residence, Fitz is in bed with one of his randoms and they are breathing harder than two bulls in heat. (Was all this forced exhalation necessary, Scandal?) They had just completed a quick and dirty, straight to the point romp and the two of them are trying to recover. The woman suddenly chuckles to herself, which prompts Fitz to ask what it is that she finds amusing. She at first says that it is nothing, but then shares that she was just thinking about how one minute she was writing some fluff piece about the White House pastry chef and the next she was in bed with the President of the United States.

Yeah, that killed the moment. Fitz says to her that he should probably get back to work and the redhead is completely understanding. They both must get back to their respective duties.

While they are redressing, she asks Fitz if he cares to comment on the rumors that Olivia is secretly running Mellies presidential campaign. Fitz is stunned to hear that bit of news as the woman goes on to say that a courier reached out to her editor and told them that he picked up a copy of Mellies book from Olivias apartment the month before and found the two of them chilling on her sofa like old buddies. Fitzgerald definitely didnt have a comment on that.

Id have pasted the Michael Jordan cry face on him at that moment if I could, but that wouldve just been cruel.

That evening, Olivia is sleeping in her apartment when she stirs a bit and then bolts upright when she catches a reflection of Jake in her closet mirrors. She demands to know what he is doing in her home, sitting at the end of her bed in the dark being all creepy n shit. He says that hes there to give her what she wants, but Olivia isnt following him. He lets her know that hes aware of her tailing him, and that as head of the NSA, no one is allowed to keep tabs on him unless he allows it to happen.

Sigh. Is it just me or does all this sound like some B613 mess all over again?

After a pause, Olivia says to him that before she calls the cops, she wants to know what it is that he is doing there, and his answer is that his presence there is for the same reason that he has been tailing him. Again, Olivia doesnt follow and she says that shes not going to play whatever games it is that Jake and Rowan are intent on playing this time around.

Jake then shifts the conversation over to Vanessa, asking Olivia what she thinks of her. At first, Olivia plays dumb and then she says to Jake that she just hopes that he is happy. Jake then decides to offer Olivia details about his girlfriend, going on about how shes smart, independent, has a ridiculous pedigree that goes all the way back to one of the founding fathers. He concludes that she is perfect, but she isnt Olivia. Then he segues into how it is that nobody can do for Olivia what he does for her.













[redacts the entire rest of this scene from my minds eye]

I cant.

For a moment there, it appeared as if Jakes stubby fingers were going to succeed at seducing Olivia back into insensibility, but she surprises him by snapping shut the Venus fly trap and telling him to stop. Jake certainly didnt think that she had it in her to actually tell him to stop and frankly, Id lost all hope that she did, too. Im tired of having to rinse my eyes out with acid every time that I am subjected to this foolishness.

While Jake is shaking off the shock that shes rejected his play, Olivia asks him what it is that he is up to, but he doesnt respond. Instead he bids her farewell and then leaves her apartment.

These scenes between Olivia and Jake have escalated beyond the point of no return and I have quite honestly had enough of them. What exactly was this particular scene about? This mess reeks of Rowan circa season 2. Ive seen some refer to the moment as hot, but all I saw were attempts at emotional and sexual manipulation. None of this shit is cute. The five fans of this ship are more than welcome to disagree with me on this point, but yall better be prepared to get sunk.





The next day, we flash over to Quinn at her apartment with Marcus. She opens her door to welcome in the prostitute Erin, who thinks that she was called over to offer her services to both of them. They disabuse her of that assumption when they tell her that they want to know what really happened with those agents in the hotel suite. She is at first hesitant but is convinced to spill when she is told that Erin was still alive when she hit her head on the table and could have been saved had the agents called for the medics.

Flashing over the White House later that evening, Olivia is pacing in Abbys office and shes relaying to her what it is that her team learned about what really happened to Megan. She is really bothered by the fact that the agents chose to instead cover up their bad behavior by pumping Megans body full of drugs and leaving her there to die. These men are a part of the United States Secret Service! The same people who protect the President. Olivia then goes on to say that maybe because the President is using them to facilitate his sexual escapades that these agents have lost all sense of what is right and what is wrong.

Hmm. Sounds to me as if somebodys got her white hat back on, even if for a short moment. For the second time in this episode (the first being when she went to the hotel suite), she is wearing white. Not white by its lonesome, but a significant amount of it. In the three episodes before this, white has been nearly absent from her clothes so its presence now is notable.

Olivia says to Abby that they need to talk to David, but Abby reminds her that those agents are Olivias clients, and from what she recalls from her days at OPA, their job was to fix their clients problems, not create them. This causes Olivia to pull back her indignation and she collapses into one of the seats in front of Abbys desk.

After a short moment of thought, Olivia says to Abby that those agents arent her clients. Abby is, so she is therefore under no obligation to protect those agents. What is to be done with the information that she has on those agents is now in Abbys hands.

It is obvious what Abbys decision is by the next scene when we see Charlotte letting Olivia into the Oval and informing her that the President will be in in just a moment. Ah suki suki now. Those two havent been in the same room together in 7 months and Olivia hasnt been in the Oval for a tad longer than that.

Chile, let me just tell you how I rubbed my hands in anticipation for this here scene.





In the few moments that Olivia has alone in the Oval, she slowly makes her way deeper into the room, taking her time to absorb the space like one would a long lost love. She briefly touches a battleship replica and then proceeds to caress the edge of the Resolute Desk. She is clearly nostalgic for a time since passed.

When Fitz comes into the room from one of the side doors, Olivia turns around to face him. Fitz speaks first, telling her that it is good to see her and she says the same to him. They are awkward in this dance of pleasantries, seemingly unsure of how to navigate the new terrain on which they now find themselves.

Following a long pause that is filled with the unsaid, Olivia breaks the standoff by making light of his opening line and Fitz chuckles and asks her what it is that she would have preferred him to say, and she tells him that she doesnt know. He then asks if he should have just gone with hi and she responds with a hi back after a brief hesitation.









Sigh. These two.

With that business out of the way and the ice officially broken, Fitz steers the conversation over to why she has come to see him. Olivia hands him a file and then proceeds to claim a seat on the sofa opposite him while relaying the situation involving some of his Secret Service agents. Fitz is horrified by the details that hes looking at and he asks her why it is that nobody informed him of what was going on. When he asks why it is that Abby didnt tell him, Olivia tells him that Abby has been busy handling other things, and this causes Fitz to look up at her.

Ut oh. Fitzgerald heard the judgement and he isnt at all here for any of it. He tells her not to go there and she in turn tells him to not blame Abby for doing what he asked her to do, which was to keep a lid on his transgressions.

Lawd Jesus. Olivia, whatchu doing? What do his transgressions have to do with the fact that Abby didnt tell him about his agents and the dead girl?





Olivia snidely adds that from what she hears, handling Fitzs sexcapades isnt an easy task and then she chuckles to herself. At this point, Fitz throws the file that he was given onto the table and sits back in his seat. He says to Olivia that the reason for her visit is related to her discovery of his transgressions and he asks if this term is what she and Mellie are calling what hes been up to. He lets her know that hes aware that she and Mellie have been hanging together, and wants to know if she is working for her. When Olivia tells him that the answer isnt any of his business, he points out that she somehow thinks that what going on in his bedroom is hers.

Olivia denies that this is the case, but come on, man. Who brought up the bedroom mambos in the conversation?

She then goes on to say that this aka their personal business isnt the reason why she came to see him. Fitz doesnt buy it but plays along anyway. Olivia came there to tell him about the Secret Service. Well, hes been informed and shes free to go now. But she doesnt leave. Instead, she says to him that she can make the whole thing go away, but Fitz will have to...yeah. She doesnt get to finish what she was going to say because Fitz cuts her off to tell her that she is no longer allowed to tell him what to do.





Olivia watches him in silence for a moment. His response has her stunned and looking more than a little hurt. She finally gets up from the sofa and is heading for the exit when she turns around to say to him that the fish rots from the head. She says to him that his boys in the Secret Service are taking their cues from him and acting in reckless, negligent and selfish. He is letting things get out of hand and his underlings are doing as hes doing.

She then goes on to ask him about what kind of example for the people who work for him, for the country, for little Teddy. Teddy saw some woman he didnt know in a bathrobe with his father, she says to Fitz and then asks him what that is all about. Is it some kind of Grant Family tradition? Is this Fitz emulating what he saw Big Jerry do? Is this Fitz turning into his father?

As shes peppering him with questions, Fitz is standing there looking like a rejected puppy, tear-filled eyes and all.

Olivia finishes off by telling him that she doesnt give a damn about what he does with his spare time, but he ought to ask himself if this person that he is right now, if it is who he truly wants to be. Then she tells him that it was nice to see him and then departs from the Oval.

Now before moving on, lets go back over this scene right quick. Olivia says that she doesnt care about what Fitz is doing in his bedroom and yet she (1) was the one who brought it up in the first place and (2) just berated him for having hoes in every Washington, D.C. area code.

But shes totes indifferent. So indifferent that her intention to not do more for her case gets flipped on its head after Mellie informs her of Fitzs manwhoring. When Abby mentioned Fitz spinning out of control, she didnt bat an eye, but the second she got real details about how he was spinning, shes white hat gladiator again.





The interesting thing about Olivias vexation and all that she says to Fitz about turning into his father is that the two of them have been behaving like two sides of the same coin post-breakup. Olivia rightfully points out how Fitz has embraced the very worst aspects of Big Jerry and how doing so was having a negative effect on those around him, and she has been behaving similarly by returning to the dysfunction that she is familiar with and embracing Rowan.

Was Olivia pointing out to Fitz something that she has recognized (maybe even subconsciously) about herself? Are they both not results of rotting heads themselves, given the terrible fathers that they both had as life examples?

Cyrus Beene

In yet another part of Washington, Cyrus is set to meet up with Governor Francisco Frankie Vargas. We see him in the back of a limo and Tom is adjusting Cyruss tie. (The coziness has bed buddies written all over it...as if last weeks episode wasnt enough of a tell.) Tom asks if Cyrus is ready to execute the next phase of his plan, which is to get Vargas to agree to do appear on television, and Cyrus responds why saying that this should be a piece of cake. Tom isnt so sure and wonders aloud about the possibility of Vargas not biting, and Cyrus looks at him as if hes lost his mind. Who wouldnt want to be on TV? To Cyrus, there isnt anyone who would turn down the opportunity to be beamed out across millions of people.

Inside the restaurant, we see Cyrus sitting across from Vargas who asks him if he is worried about being seen out in public with the Democrat. Cyrus waves that off as inconsequential and says to Vargas that he isnt a Democrat, that he is actually an American hero who transcends politics.

Vargas is plainly suspicious of the reason for their meetup. Just as he is questioning Cyrus, Sally Langston calls out to him, prompting Vargas to slide out of his chair to greet the former vice president. Sally tells him to refer to her as his biggest fan and then asks him when he intends to come onto The Liberty Report, telling him that the Lovers of Liberty want to hear from him. Vargas is unsure of what to say when Cyrus jumps in to point out that the man who shot Vargas was one of Sallys fans. This prompts Sally turn to towards him and remark, Well, I didnt see you there, Little Cyrus Beene.

Christ.









Sally coming through with the requisite Cyrus shade. Im typing the rest of this from the grave.

She turns back to Vargas and says that she hopes to see him on his show soon and he noncommittally says that hell come on her show if he can . Once she is on her way and he reclaims his seat, he says outright to Cyrus that he wont be going on Sallys show because she and her 15 million fans are crazy nutjobs who vote against people like him. Cyrus agrees with his assessment, but tells Vargas that he should seriously consider going on Sallys show. Vargas, however, does not intend to do any media, which leaves Cyrus stunned. Vargas would like to return home to Pennsylvania where he has work to do. He has an education bill that he would like to pass before the end of his term and remaining in Washington is keeping him from doing this.

Cyrus says to him that he can go on Sallys show and talk about his education bill, that he should use the platform that he has now to draw attention to what hes trying to do in his home state, but Vargas isnt interested in exploiting a tragic situation for personal gain. People died that day and he was shot at. Using that to his advantage is wrong, unseemly.

Ah, Vargas. You green behind the ears politician, you. All that integrity and idealism. Its cute. It truly is, but it sadly wont get you very far. Just ask Fitzgerald.

Cyrus says to him that it is all politics and Vargas cuts him off with a demand to know why they were at that restaurant together and what it is that Cyrus wants from him. Being the puppet master that he is, Cyrus speaks to Vargas in a manner that he knows will resonate, telling Vargas that he has an opportunity to rise above what happened in Harrisburg and say something. He positions himself as a mere public servant who is trying to get Vargas to utilize the attention that he has for good. Cyrus tells him that it doesnt matter if he may not agree with whatever it is that Vargas has to say, only that he helps Vargas say it.

Ha! Cyrus comes off as very sincere in his statement, but then you remember that Cyrus is an expert at manipulating people into doing what he wishes them to do by either appealing to their values or by using reverse psychology. Hes had plenty of practice on handling idealists (i.e. his deceased husband James and Fitzgerald), so he is more than capable of steering Frankie Vargas in the direction of his choosing.

Now that he has Vargass attention, Cyrus tells him that the least Vargas can do is come back to the White House and speak to the President about his education bill, adding that it cant hurt to have an ally in Washington. So very true, but beware, Vargas.

The next day at the White House, we see Cyrus walking down the hall with Fitz and hes telling him that he has to set aside five minutes in his schedule prior to lunch to meet with Vargas. Fitz questions if it is the same Vargas who took down the gunman in Harrisburg and is confused as to why Vargas is back in town. Cyrus answers Fitzs questions by dismissing Vargas as a flavor of the month who is obviously has someone in his ear telling him to exploit his act of heroism for all the political capital he can muster.

Really, Cyrus?!

Fitz cant figure what else it is that Vargas could want from him since he has already provided Vargas with a photo op, and Cyrus sighs resignedly in response as he says that Vargas is back to pitch his education plan. To this, Fitz says that he already has an education plan and Cyrus obsequiously nods while saying that the Presidents plan is very rational and prudent.

Once at the door to the Oval, Fitz turns around to inquire why this isnt something that Cyrus can handle himself, and Cyrus says that it has to be Fitz because hes the only one who can offer Vargas the stiff shot of political reality that he needs right now. Fitz is to tell Vargas that his focus is on only one education plan and that plan is his own.

You guys have already figured out what Cyrus was doing here, right? Knowing what he does about Fitz and using what he has learned about Vargas, Cyrus brews up a perfect storm that will result in him getting his way as always. By painting Vargas as an opportunist who is out to exploit the President for his own personal gain, Cyrus has conditioned Fitz to respond negatively to whatever it is that Vargas has to say, which in turn will anger Vargas who had come to the Oval (on the advice of Cyrus) in the hopes of gaining a valuable ally in his quest to bring about free college education in his state. This fomented anger will then compel Vargas to agree to appear on The Liberty Report as Cyrus wanted to him to in the first place.

And it plays out in this exact manner, with Fitz being curt and hostile towards Vargas. The President refers to Vargass proposed education plan as an entitlement program, which catches Vargas unawares because this wasnt the kind of conversation that he was expecting to have. Vargas leaves the Oval disappointed and with the opinion that the President is an asshole. Cyrus equivocates and tells Vargas that the man he just met isnt the one that Cyrus has voted for; that the Office has changed him.

After brief contemplation, Vargas turns to Cyrus and affirms his belief in the quality of his bill. He knows that it is good and is something that the people want. He now wants to get onto Sallys show and Cyrus tells him that he can make that happen. The two men then part ways and I am left staring at my screen like...









Bruising the egos of these two men was all Cyrus had to do to move them from one place to the other and to do so without either knowing that they were being handled. Its brilliant really.

Later that day, we see Vargas on The Liberty Report. His segment opens up with a clip of him taking down that gunman despite having been shot. Vargas nicely pivots away from the mayhem from some weeks back to speak about the issues that matter to him. Cyrus is watching the program at home. Michael is present on the bed and is occupied with braiding the hair of a black baby doll. He is intensely concentrating on the task, too.

Cyrus turns back towards Michael to remark on how good Vargas is and Michael distractedly nods in response, his attention more on the doll than it is on the television. Cyrus gives him and the doll an odd look turning back to the program in time to catch Vargass dig at the President who he says had it easy with a father who was able to grease the wheels for him to be able to get into all of the best schools.

Yikes!! That was a burn.

Sally is in pleasant agreement with Vargas and says to him that he sounds like a potential candidate. Vargas waves that off and says that running for president isnt what he is after. This prompts Cyrus to sit up from his semi-prone position to say to Vargas through the television that a candidacy is indeed what Vargas wants. Meanwhile, Sally is saying to Vargas that he would be a fool not to at least test the waters and he shrugs that off and says that there is no chance that he will run because he has too much work to do back home in Pennsylvania.

Cyrus is now in a panic and he gets up to retrieve his phone.This is not how this was supposed to unfold. It is at this moment that Michael pipes up to say that he likes this Vargas guy and Cyrus tells him to shut up. Now was not the time for Michael to finally decide to engage in conversation. (Haha!)

Cyrus calls up Tom and instructs him to find out why it is that Vargas doesnt want to run for president and to find out posthaste. Once he is off the phone, Michael casually asks him who Tom is and Cyrus looks at him to find him still fiddling with the dolls hair. He finally asks him what it is that he is doing and Michael tells him that hes practicing Ellas braids. When he asks Cyrus if hed like to try his hand at it, Cyrus gives him this look at says that he may be of the belief that Michael has at some point lost his mind.

Can I celebrate the fact that white guy is practicing his braiding skills on a black doll so that hed be able to adequately braid his black daughters hair? Can I?





Alright. Im good.

And dear sweet Michael, you really dont want to know who Tom is. Just pretend like youve never heard the name before, okay? Your feelings will be better off for it. Maybe even your life.

Back at work, Cyrus is walking past Elizabeth in Susans office when he decides to stop on in. He asks her if she has seen Vargass appearance on The Liberty Report and the swipes that he took at Presidents education bill. Not giving him much of any attention, Elizabeth carries on with what she is doing as she tells him that everyone say the show. Cyrus then yanks at the string of yet another unsuspecting puppet as he remarks about how Susan must be sharpening her teeth for attack now that there is blood in the water.

Elizabeth finally turns to give him her full attention and asks what it is that he is going on about. Her lack of a reaction to what he had just said led him to figure that Susan wasnt planning to ask Fitz for his endorsement at all. He calls the move smart and well-played. Better yet, he refers to it as them opting to go the hairy armpit feminist route.

And this was the moment when I rolled back into my grave.





Elizabeth plays along and only smiles at Cyrus before she exits from the room. I suspect that Cyrus (knowing the people around him as well as he does) already knew that Susan wouldnt ask for Fitzs endorsement but also knew that Elizabeth was savvy enough to understand that the Presidents endorsement was pivotal. He managed to get Elizabeth to move, so mission accomplished.

Later that evening, Cyrus meets up with Tom who has information on Vargas. The reason why Vargas isnt interested in running for the presidency is because of his sick daughter. She has cancer and he doesnt want anyone to know about it. He goes to see her in the hospital as often as he can, and Tom concludes that Vargas is not going to run when his daughter is dying. Damn.

Back at Cyruss place, Vargas is present and hes saying to Cyrus that he wants to go back on Sallys show by Cyrus is telling him that that isnt a good idea. Vargas is now confused since it was Cyrus who was encouraging him to speak to the media and now he was against it. Cyrus says to him that he made a mistake with that suggestion and says to Vargas that he is better off doing what he can do locally and taking care of his family. Its the life that Cyrus believes Vargas wants and he says to him that it is a noble life.

Vargas points out that it isnt a life that Cyrus chose for himself and Cyrus replies that the life he has now wasnt really his choice. He then launches into some story about his little brother Oliver who was hit by a drunk driver on his way home from school. Oliver ended up being paralyzed from the neck down. This all happened when Cyrus was 17. He says that he was accepted into Harvard, but made the decision to enroll in a local community college instead because it would allow him to remain at home and help his mother take care of his brother. His family, after all, came first.

Long story short, Cyrus says that his brother declined the admission the community college on Cyruss behalf and accepted the offer at Harvard. Oliver would not allow him to sacrifice his future for his sake, that Cyrus had too much to offer to the world; that Cyrus could one day be president. He says that he has committed his life to what he does as a way to honor Oliver, as a way to honor his family.

Cyrus is hitting all of the emotional high notes and Vargas is entranced. Hell, Im entranced!

Coupled with the music playing over the scene, this man had me clutching at my bosom even though I knew that HIS ASS WAS LYING! What was crazy was that there was a small part of me that did wonder if there was any part to this story that could have been remotely true. Got me out here feeling like Olivia when shes looking at Rowan and trying to figure out if her instincts are lying to her about Rowan possibly lying to her.

Poor Vargas has no idea that Cyruss waterworks are all fake. The man is good at this shit.

On another evening, Vargas is back at Cyruss. He has come to bid his farewells for he is returning to Harrisburg. Cyrus tells him that it was a pleasure to get to know him and offers an apology for talking so much about his personal life. Vargas tells him than an apology is unnecessary, to which Cyrus then says that Vargas is to let him know should there be anything that he needs him to do for him. Vargas says that Cyrus could start off by pouring him a drink. As Cyrus goes over to do just that, Vargas tells Cyrus that he could also run his presidential campaign.

Oh, yeah. Cyrus has finally done it but he doesnt seem to believe it at first. He pauses what he is doing as if trying to figure out if he had misheard, but he knew that he hadnt. That smile on his face said as much.

When Cyrus turns back to Vargas, the governor starts to relay to him the situation about his daughter. He says that he doesnt talk about Anas cancer with anybody, but that he is sharing it with Cyrus. His daughter has lived longer than any of the doctors predicted and Vargas says that he believes that she is going to live long enough to go to college and that her college will be free. He then reiterates his intention to run for the highest office in the land.

Michael interrupts the conversation with a knock on the door to ask Cyrus if he wants to tuck Ella in. Cyrus said that he would, before thats done, he invites Michael into the room to introduce him to Vargas. After the handshake, Vargas says that he ought to be going, but before he does, hed like to propose a toast, and he toasts to Ella, Ana and to Oliver. They all drink and then Vargas departs.

Once Vargas is out of earshot, Michael asks Cyrus who Oliver is and Cyrus tells him that Oliver is his brother. I thought you were an only child, Michael remarks. Ha! You are so very correct, Michael. Cyrus is an only child.

The lies that he told Vargas leaves me in admiration while also wanting me to nail Cyrus and Rowan into one coffin and tossing it into the Potomac. The deception with these two has reached toxic levels, for real.

The Triangle of Snore

We join Susan and David in bed where they are in mid conversation about endorsements. David says to her that the party endorsement is great but that what she really needs is the Presidents support. Susan is hesitant and says that she wasnt intending to ask Fitz for anything. David further stresses the importance of the endorsement, telling her that her not getting it would be equivalent to the President saying that he doesnt believe that Susan can do the job, which would then lead to the public believing the same.

Susan responds by saying that when she made the decision to run for president, she made a promise to herself that she wasnt going to compromise her values to get ahead. (Suze, you and Vargas are riding in the same boat, huh?) David says to her that she doesnt have to compromise anything. The only thing that she has to do is stand there and shake the Presidents hand.

But Susans hesitation is a bit more complicated than she is letting on. The women that Abby has been sneaking into the White House could pose a problem for Susan should Fitz endorse her and then that situation goes bomb in public. (David says to Susan that Fitz is going through a phase. LOL! Id say!) Susan tells David that she cant afford to be anywhere near that disaster and then remarks, Once a cheater, always a cheater, right?

Girl, listen. I do love you like a sister and I do understand where youre coming from, but youre about to learn a valuable lesson about the world that you are in. You see that self-righteous attitude of yours that creeps up whenever it comes to Fitzgerald and his extracurricular activities? Its about to be blown all the way up. Im sorry, boo, but it was bound to happen. You can blame this on David and Elizabeth.

We later see David entering his office with Elizabeth following, and she is not at all happy. David had just given her word that Susan doesnt intend to seek Fitzs endorsement. Elizabeth is a snit over this, saying that without that endorsement, they may as well be dead in the water. David offers to talk to Susan again about it, but Elizabeth tells him that shell figure out the matter herself. She then checks her watch and announces that she has 26 minutes before instructing David to take off his pants. A confused David says to her that he thought that he was in trouble and she tells him that he is, which is the reason why she has told him to drop the pants.

Alrighty. Moving on.

The next day, following a brief run in with Cyrus (see above) in Susans office, we see Elizabeth track down Fitz in the hallway. She tells him that Vargas has to be stopped, and Fitz is like Frankie Vargas? Were still talking about this dude? Elizabeth says to him that she knows that Vargas is a hero and all of that yarn, but they need to do something to stop Vargass momentum with the education bill business or itll make the Administration look like they are cruel and out of touch. She proposes having Susan go onto Sallys show and dismantle Vargass plan in order to put this all to bed. Fitz agrees to this plan and then continues on into the Oval office.

Elizabeth is happy because now she has a way to have Susan to do something that will get her the endorsement that she needs from the President.

Later we see Susan in her office with Elizabeth and she is upset that Elizabeth made a promise to the President about her going on Sallys show without first speaking with her. Right at that moment, David arrives with flowers for Susan. She is happy to see him and says that he is just in time to settle a quarrel between her and Elizabeth.

Eek! Talk about awkward tensions. Poor Susan hasnt any idea that these two are an item, let alone working in tandem to manipulate her into doing Elizabeths bidding.

Once David takes a seat, Susan explains to him that the quarrel is that Elizabeth booked Susan on The Liberty Report without her permission. Elizabeth says that Vargas is out there making a mockery of the Presidents education bill and he needs someone out there defending it. Susan in response says that the Presidents bill sucks and Elizabeth counters by saying that the quality of the bill is not what matters. What does matter is that Susan is running for president and is in need of the current presidents support. The two of them go back and forth a bit before Elizabeth drags David into the mix and tells him to back her up.

David tries to wiggle his way out of giving an opinion, but Elizabeth orders him to sit back down and Susan asks him to give his honest opinion. Unfortunately, the opinion he gives is the one that Elizabeth was hoping that he would.

We next see Susan perched in a chair on the stage of The Liberty Report and she gives the opinion that Vargass education bill is a dud. David, who is watching the segment from outside of the Oval with the President appears to be disappointed that Susan is being made to say things that she doesnt mean. Shes going against the promise that she made to herself not to compromise her integrity because David gave her an opinion that she believed was in her best interest.

Sigh. David, I need you to find your balls and quickly because this submissiveness mess you have got going on with Elizabeth is shameful.

The convergence

Abby and SSA Sam are standing by the service elevator in wait for who the Presidents plaything shall be but is surprised to find that the person in the elevator is Susan. She tells Abby that she had been summoned by the President, and Abby gladly escorts her in to see Fitz.

Once they are in his presence, Fitz instructs Susan to take a seat and then proceeds to tell her that he caught her on Sallys show and thought that she did an amazing job. He then asks for her real opinion about Vargass education plan and if she thinks state college should be free to anyone who wants it. Susan hedges and then starts to give him the answer that she thinks he wants to hear, but he cuts her off to tell her that he wants her honest opinion. There are no television cameras around.

Susan finally admits that she does like Vargass plan and wants to see it implemented around the country, and this leads Fitz to ask her why she publicly torpedoed the plan if she actually likes it. Susan replied that she was doing what people were telling her that she should do, but that doing that made her feel dirty. To this Fitz says that its a good thing that she felt some kind of way about it because it means that she is still who she is as her core. He then asks her to do him the favor of never lying to the American public again, and she agrees to honor this.

Fitz moves on to say that he presumes that Susan did all of this so that she could get his endorsement and he tells her that she already has it. The problem though? Susan doesnt want it and she tells him. She tries to explain the why, but he already knows the reason and she doesnt need to explain. He knew that his trailer load of girls was her issue. He tells her that he understands, and then proceeds to tell her that she does want his endorsement and that he is going to do everything that he can to earn her trust and be someone worthy enough for her to accept his endorsement when the time comes.

Fitz and these promises to be a better man. Lord knows that he tries, but the man always stumbles. Well see how far hes able to go this time before he finds himself back in a ditch on the side of the road.

Once Susan leaves, Abby says to Fitz that what he said to her was very good. She is so obviously proud of his pledge to do and be better. On the inside, Abby must have been doing somersaults because her days of regulating the Presidents insatiable sex life were over.

Fitz tells Abby that he is going to need the briefing room and she goes off to handle that for him. We next see Fitz at the podium addressing the Secret Service situation. The agents have been relieved for their duties and the jazzy snaps show us that they had been taken into custody by the FBI.

Olivia is seen watching the briefing at home, and she struggles the hide the smile that threatens to break out on her face over her victory. She got through to him and she feels good about that. Wearing the white hat wasnt out of vogue and her sway over Fitz wasnt completely dead.

Over at OPA, we see the gladiators also watching the presser just as Fitz steps aside to allow David to take to the podium. Huck congratulates Marcus on a job well done, and Marcus remarks to Quinn specifically about how doing this makes one feels good. Quinn doesnt give him a response, but Marcus is happy nonetheless.

The last scene of the episode is of Olivia showing up unexpectedly at her fathers house. He is surprised to see her and shes taken aback by his response. He says to her that her appearance is a surprise and she reminds him that its Sunday night. Rowan tells her that she hadnt before wanted to come to the house and she says to him that tonight she does. He seems to be in a dilemma as to what to do when they both hear the popping of a cork. At that point, Rowan cant keep her standing outside of the house. She already knows that he isnt alone.

Once she steps inside, she sees that Jake and Vanessa are present and the latter is cleaning off his coat of what I presume was some of the spilled bubbly. Its now Jakes turn to be surprised by Olivias sudden appearance and Rowan explains to them both that Olivia decided to show up for dinner. He proceeds to introduce the two women and they shake hands. Olivia then asks what it is that they are celebrating and Jake tells her that he and Vanessa are getting married.

Olivias face at that pronouncement was like WTF. She then forced a smile on her face and then joined in on the toast of new beginnings.

Olivia, you need to figure whatever it is that these people have got going on like NOW because they have just upped the ante on you.

And Vanessa, I suppose I should start planning your funeral now because you fitna die soon, which is too bad since you seem like a nice girl. But then again, I dont even know you. For all I know, youre in on whatever it is that Rowan and Jake are cooking up and you may not really be a descendant of George Washington.





So what do you all think is going to happen next? What were your feelings on this episode? Good, bad, in between? Share your thoughts on this episode and your predictions below.





Thanks for reading this recap/review of Scandal episode 513!! I will see you all next week.
If Connecticut generated headlines coast to coast the past week with the ongoing bankruptcy saga of the rapper 50 Cent, lost in the limelight has been an encouraging development  the resumed downward march of local bankruptcy filings.

After bankruptcy filings in southwestern Connecticut rose in 2014  an anomaly that was in the opposite direction of statewide and national figures  the number of local bankruptcies fell in 2015 amid improving employment and as banks had fewer bad loans on the books.

More than 1,450 individuals and businesses in Fairfield County filed for protection from creditors, about 130 fewer than a year earlier for an 8 percent decline, according to U.S. courts.

That has occurred even as U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Alan Shiff retired, with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit assigning Shiffs caseload to a pair of New York judges on a temporary basis while it goes through the process of appointing a permanent replacement. With Shiff having heard the majority of cases in southwest Connecticut, the prospect of a replacement is no light one for attorneys and others who deal with the court regularly.

Probably the most significant thing that has occurred is the transition to ... new judges, said Matthew Beatman, a partner in the Bridgeport office of Zeisler & Zeisler who clerked for Shiff as a young attorney. (Shiff) was a fantastic jurist.

In all of Connecticut, bankruptcies dropped 10 percent last year to about 6,300 new cases, a fifth straight year of decline while still remaining well above some 5,000 filings in 2005 that was the lowest on record since 1998.

That years number may have been artificially low. With the Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act of 2005, Congress made it more difficult for individuals to file for Chapter 7 protection allowing debts to be discharged, with Connecticuts then-senators Chris Dodd and Joe Lieberman voting against the bill.

With more than 15,000 cases filed the previous year, it is possible those in dire financial straits got their bankruptcy filings ahead of the enactment of the new law, which among other measures applies a means test gauging income versus debt. In some cases debtors are forced into a Chapter 13 process requiring them to repay a portion of loans that would have been wiped clean under Chapter 7 proceedings.

Connecticut may have reached a new normal on bankruptcy filings, but helping matters has been the renewed decline of filings in Fairfield County.

Its working for the time being, said Scott Harrington, a partner in the Stamford office of Diserio Martin O'Connor & Castiglioni who sits on the Connecticut Bar Associations bankruptcy law committee. I dont think they have a huge backlog.

Alex.Soule@scni.com; 203-964-2236; www.twitter.com/casoulman
Round 1 went to gun owners.

Circled on the calendars of domestic-violence prevention groups for a year, Round 2 is here.

A revamped proposal to confiscate the firearms of people served with a temporary restraining order is set to rekindle an emotional debate Monday at the Capitol. It pits two immovable objects against each other. A hearing on the legislation is scheduled for 10:30 a.m.

Victims advocates  backed by Gov. Dannel P. Malloy and a number of police chiefs  say it should be a no-brainer to take weapons out of the hands of those deemed to be a potential threat.

Access to a firearm in a domestic-violence relationship makes it five times more likely the victim will lose their life, said Karen Jarmoc, CEO of the Connecticut Coalition Against Domestic Violence.

But gun owners claim the measure, which would require the surrender of firearms within 24 hours of being served with a temporary restraining order, violates their due-process rights. They say that nearly half of all temporary restraining orders dont reach permanent status.

We still oppose it, based on that theres no due process to step in front of (a) judge, said Scott Wilson, president of the 22,000-member Connecticut Citizens Defense League. Its a one-sided order where someone may simply have some sort of ax to grind.

Questions of necessity

The current law allows gun owners under temporary restraining orders to keep their weapons and ammunition until they appear before a judge, which can take up to 14 days. The bill's supporters, influenced by the 2014 death of Oxford mother of two Lori Jackson  whose estranged husband shot her to death after she got a temporary restraining order against him  say that's far too long.

What were talking about is protecting women, children and families from violence in all forms, and this is one piece of that, said Rep. William Tong, D-Stamford, co-chairman of the Judiciary Committee.

Last spring, a similar measure stalled at the 11th hour in the state Senate, with lawmakers consumed by a budget showdown and Democrats tabling the legislation before Republicans could introduce a motion killing it.

State Rep. J.P. Sredzinski, R-Monroe, a Public Safety and Security Committee member, said police responding to domestic-violence incidents already have the authority to execute an ex parte warrant and seize weapons.

Last year, I had some concerns with it, because the bill didnt really do anything more than what we have now, Sredzinski said.

Sredzinski said he would have to review this years version of the bill before taking a position on the proposal.

In contrast to last years bill, the current version includes a provision for pistol permits and firearms to be returned immediately to an individual if a temporary restraining order is vacated or withdrawn.

So we want to make it very clear that if the restraining order is not entered, you get your gun back and your permit, Tong said.

Another major change to the proposal affects law enforcement officers, who would be able to appear before a judge on an expedited basis if served with a temporary restraining order.

The governors support

Both this years and last years bills were introduced by the governor, who has championed gun control reform since the 2012 mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School.

This is just common sense  we should be able to work across party lines on these issues, Malloy said last month. We should be able to agree that a person with a temporary restraining order should not have a deadly weapon. We are either for protecting victims of domestic violence, or against it.

The bills opponents say that it does not make accommodations for assault weapons and high-capacity magazines  grandfathered-in under the states ban  to be returned. They also raised concerns about the waiting period to have weapons returned if a restraining order is lifted, as well as the discretion of state police to seize weapons of individuals that they determine to be a risk.

So why would we suspend somebodys rights for 14 days and basically assume theyre guilty? said state Rep. Alfred Camillo, R-Greenwich. I dont see the purpose for this bill.

Sen. Michael McLachlan, R-Danbury, said he wants to hear both sides, but that he has underlying concerns about the legislation.

In the past, my point has been, we have a process in place currently to remove guns from anyone for that matter, but youve got to get a judge to order it, McLachlan said. If we can get a judge to issue an arrest warrant, then we can get a judge to take someones guns away. Due process is very important in my book, and thats what Im concerned about.

neil.vigdor@scni.com; 203-625-4436; http://twitter.com/gettinviggy
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MILFORD - State Police scored a major drug bust on I-95 on Saturday when inside the car of a speeding driver was nearly nine pounds of cocaine worth more than $250,000.

Shortly before 9 a.m., state police from Troop G in Bridgeport - with the help of a Fairfield police officer and K-9 - conducted a motor-vehicle stop of a speeding vehicle with New York plates on I-95 northbound at exit 35 in Milford.
A convicted terrorist who was imprisoned in the United States for supporting the Taliban online has told young Muslims not to be bullied into joining Islamic State.

Babar Ahmad, 41, from Tooting, south London, was jailed after pleading guilty to conspiracy and providing material to support terrorism after his websites encouraged readers to raise money, recruit fighters and get supplies for the Taliban.

In an interview with the BBC the former computer expert said his support for the Taliban had been "naive".

He said: "I did it in good faith but, in hindsight, I regret doing that and it was naive of me to do that, because it was a complicated situation. And whatever was going on then, I didn't have to advocate support for them."

In July last year, Mr Ahmad returned to the UK having been extradited to the US on October 5, 2012.

He had fought extradition for eight years and was sentenced to 12-and-a-half years in prison by a US judge, taking into account the time he served in the UK.

Mr Ahmad called the actions of Islamic State "alien" and said that it was not "jihad" which he described as being designed to protect innocent people from terror.

He urged young Muslims not to become pawns and said: "Don't let anyone bully you, that the only way to paradise is by bringing misery upon innocent people who have done nothing to you."

In March 2009, Scotland Yard admitted that Mr Ahmad was subjected to violent assaults and religious abuse when he was first arrested in 2003 and agreed to pay him 60,000 in damages after he brought a personal injury case at the High Court.

But the four policemen who were charged with beating him up were cleared by a jury in 2011 after a month-long trial.

Additional reporting PA.
D ozens of firefighters tackled a blaze at a north London home in the early hours of this morning.

Thick smoke was seen pouring from a building in Belsize Park from about 2.50am.

More than 70 firefighters were called to the three-storey semi-detached house in Antrim Grove.

Flames spread from the basement, to the ground and first floor of the property before reaching the stairwell, ground and first floor of the house next door.

London Fire Brigade confirmed it sent 10 fire engines and 72 firefighters and officers to tackle the blaze.

Neighbours safely evacuated the second property when the brigade arrived.

Station manager Winston Douglas who was at the scene said: Fire crews have worked really hard to stop fire spreading even further into adjacent properties.

Firefighters tackling the blaze at a house in Belsize Park London Fire Brigade / London Fire Brigade

"Crews installed a fire curtain in the adjoining property. This is a unique situation as they are usually used in theatres and shopping centres to stop fire spreading.

Crews will be here for most of the morning. Roads are closed in the area and motorists are advised to avoid Haverstock Hill, which is closed between Park Hill Road and Belsize Grove.

"Access to Englands Lane is also restricted.

Fire crews from Edmonton, Kentish Town, West Hampstead, Soho, Euston, Hornsey, Hendon and Paddington fire stations attended.

Nobody was found inside the property.

The cause of the fire is not known at this stage.
T his is the huge dent left in the nose of a passenger jet after a bird struck the plane as it landed at Heathrow Airport.

The EgyptAir Boeing 737-800 was approaching the runway following a flight from Cairo when it collided with the bird, leaving behind blood stains and feathers.

The aircraft, registration SU-GDZ, which had 71 passengers on board managed to land safely at the airport at around 4pm on Friday.

Senior Procurement Specialist at EgyptAir Amir Harshim posted pictures of the damage on Facebook.

He wrote: SU-GDZ operating yesterday evening's MS779 arrival suffered a bird strike on approach.

The EgyptAir passenger jet / Amir Harshim / Facebook

The damage caused is clearly evident and SU-GDZ will be grounded until a new radome is fitted. Now, who has a spare?

The aircraft returned to Cairo on Saturday.

An EgyptAir spokesperson told the Standard: "During the landing of EgyptAir flight number MS779, which took off from Cairo International Airport on Friday afternoon heading to London, a bird strike caused a slight deformation to the front part of the aircraft.

"Nothing serious took place or affected the safety of both passengers and crew, the jet landed safely at the airport."

The aircraft was unable to depart for its return flight MS780 and was grounded for 21 hours while it was repaired.

Passengers who were supposed to return on this flight on Friday were offered accommodation in a nearby hotel until the aircraft was fixed, the airline said.
G eorge Osborne has scolded Top Gear's Chris Evans for making a racket near Downing Street and distracting him while he was writing the Budget.

The Chancellor said a "noisy episode" of the BBC Two show was being filmed in central London today.

He tweeted: "Trying to write my Budget,despite noisy episode of @BBC-TopGear being filmed outside on Horseguards Parade. Keep it down please @achrisevans."

The Budget is due to be delivered on Wednesday.

On Saturday Top Gear host Matt LeBlanc and professional rally driver Ken Block surprised a bride and groom and their wedding guests at St Paul's Cathedral as they motored past, with the former Friends star sticking his arm out of the car window to wave.

Matt Le Blanc crashes wedding day during Top Gear filming

Filming for the Top Gear reboot is well under way, as the new series of the BBC Two show is due to start in May.

A seven-strong line-up includes LeBlanc, radio DJ and presenter Chris Evans, and Top Gear stalwart The Stig.

Also on board are Formula 1 commentator Eddie Jordan, German racing driver Sabine Schmitz, motoring journalist Chris Harris and car reviewer Rory Reid.
T housands of people marched through central London today to oppose the Governments Housing Bill.

Demonstrators descended on Parliament Square to oppose the proposed bill which they claim is an attack on council house tenants.

The bill requires councils to change how they charge tenants with a combined income of more than 30,000 outside of London and 40,000 in the capital.

Under the so-called "pay to stay" measures, tenants will be charged the same level as the private rent sector, which protesters say could force thousands of people from their homes.

The Government claim the bill is designed to turn generation rent into generation buy but critics say it will mean rent and house prices will become unaffordable.

Demonstration: Protesters waved placards and banners against the Government's Housing Bill / PA

Protesters carried banners and placards reading Anti-social housing policy from the House of Ill Repute", "Kill the Housing Bill" and "You're heartless, We're Homeless" as they passed the Houses of Parliament.

Labour MP Diane Abbott, who joined protesters, said: It is very important to fight this bill because this bill will kill communities and council estates all over the country.

This bill is a particular threat to London. The stipulation that if you earn over 40,000 a year your rent will go up is a big threat to families where more than one person works.

The MP previously tweeted: Tories determined to smash social housing & socially cleanse big cities like London."



Among the demonstrators taking part in today protest were Focus E15, a housing campaign of mothers from Newham and Sisters Uncut.

A Focus E15 spokeswoman said: We will be demonstrating against the Housing Bill this Sunday because this Bill is the worst attack on social housing weve seen.

It will result in the private sale of up to 100% of council houses, and raise rents through pay to stay, forcing thousands from their homes and out of London.

A spokesman for the Department for Communities and Local Government said: "More council housing has been built since 2010 than in the previous 13 years.

"The Housing Bill makes sure we make the best use of social housing based on need and income, while reinvesting in building new homes.

"Furthermore we have set out the biggest, boldest and most ambitious plan for housing in a generation, including 8 billion to deliver over 400,000 affordable homes."
H undreds of places to eat in London have been given a zero star rating by local authorities for food hygiene, the Standard can reveal today.

Across the capital, 444 eateries failed to meet hygiene standards and were awarded zero, which means urgent improvement is needed.

Newham, Ealing and Westminster were the London boroughs with the most zero-rated food outlets, with 42, 38 and 34 respectively.

For restaurants, Westminster is the worst rated London borough  with 28 being given a zero star rating, followed by Tower Hamlets with 21 and Ealing with 20.

Croydon and Newham fared the worst for takeaways with 11 outlets receiving no stars.

London boroughs with the most zero-rated food outlets 1. Newham: 42 2. Ealing: 38 3. Westminster: 34 4. Camden: 27 5. Croydon: 26 = Tower Hamlets: 26 6. Barnet: 20 7. Brent: 19 = Enfield: 19 8. Wandsworth: 18 = Harrow: 18 9. Islington: 17 10. Lewisham: 15

Havering appears to be the cleanest place to eat in London with just 2 establishments scoring zero, closely followed by Kensington and Chelsea with 3.

All the ratings are publicly available on the Food Standards Agency website, which includes scores for restaurants, takeaways, bars, cafes, nightclubs, pubs and even hospitals.

Businesses given ratings of zero must make urgent improvements to hygiene standards.

The local authoritys food safety officer will tell the business how quickly the improvements must be made.

If an officer finds that a businesss hygiene standards are very poor and there is an imminent risk to health, meaning the food is not safe to eat, the outlet could be shut down.

Newham Council said the area has a high turn over of small businesses compared to other local authorities in London.

Its inspectors shut down The Golden Dragon takeaway in Plaistow in 2014 in what a health officer described as "one of the worst cases I've seen in 12 years".

Ian Corbett, mayoral advisor for environment and leisure, said: "Food hygiene inspections are a vital service we provide to ensure that food being served is safe for customers to eat. We carry out frequent inspections that are unannounced and thorough.

"If any premises poses an imminent threat to public health we will close it down and it will not be able to reopen until this threat has been eliminated. Businesses which need urgent and immediate improvement face close monitoring until these problems are rectified.

Unfortunately legislation is weak. Councils should have the power to force businesses to drive up their standards. If the government was to introduce licensing then we would be able to set high standards for local businesses and take tougher action against those that fail to meet them.
T wo cargo planes carrying biscuits were flown into the country in an apparent response to a shortage in the UK.

The Boeing 777 planes landed at Robin Hood airport in South Yorkshire in the past two weeks, the Doncaster Free Press reported.

It comes after United Biscuits, which manufactures McVities, Jacobs and Crawfords foods, was forced to close its Carlisle factory due to flooding in December.

Dayle Hauxwell, the airport's cargo manager, told the Doncaster Free Press: "There has been a lot of press coverage about Britains biscuit shortage following the floods in December and we are pleased to hear that the factories hope to be up and running again this month.

"In the mean time weve been delighted to welcome two flights from Emirates full of the nations favourite biscuits.

United Biscuits have been contacted for comment, but has previously said the factory is "well on its way to the full resumption of baking.

Mike Heaney, United Biscuits' Factory General Manager said: Encouragement from our loyal biscuit fans has kept our teams going and we thank everyone for their support. We also appreciate the collaboration from our retail and trade customers.

Its been awful not to be baking biscuits, so we thank everyone that has helped us along the way to get production back up and running.
B roadcaster Joan Bakewell has apologised after she suggested growing rates of eating disorders among teenagers is a sign of narcissism.

Baroness Bakewell, 82, said she was alarmed by the condition in young people.

In an interview with The Sunday Times, she said eating disorders do not occur in poverty-stricken countries and suggested it was a sign of the "overindulgence of our society".

On Twitter, the 82-year-old said she is deeply sorry.

In a series of tweets, she wrote: "I have spent 6 hours answering tweets I did not expect the ST to quote my views on anorexia and am full of regret that my reported views have caused distress.

"I am deeply sorry."

She added: "I am tired now and taking a break from Twitter. Goodnight everyone."

Baroness Bakewell told the newspaper: I am alarmed by anorexia among young people, which arises presumably because they are preoccupied with being beautiful and healthy and thin.

"No-one has anorexia in societies where there is not enough food. They do not have anorexia in the camps in Syria. I think it's possible anorexia could be about narcissism."

She added: "To be unhappy because you are the wrong weight is a sign of the overindulgence of our society, over-introspection, narcissism, really."

Earlier this year, David Cameron pledged that teenagers with eating disorders will receive treatment more quickly.

From 2017/18 a new waiting time measure will track the proportion of patients being seen within a month of referral, or within a week for urgent cases.
T he parents of a 14-year-old boy who was murdered by another teenager after he was groomed online have settled a legal claim with police.

Barry Bednar and Lorin LaFave sought damages against Surrey Police for failing to protect their son when the force did not respond properly to a call Ms LaFave made about her concerns.

Last year, computer engineer Lewis Daynes was jailed for life with a minimum of 25 years for the murder of Breck, from Caterham, Surrey, who was found with a fatal neck wound at a flat in Grays, Essex, in February 2014.

Daynes, 19, lured the 14-year-old to his home after he groomed him through an online gaming group he ran despite a worried call to police by Ms LaFave.

Today, in a joint statement from Surrey Police, Mr Bednar and Ms LaFave it was revealed an outstanding legal claim had been settled.

They said: The parties have now reached a settlement of the claim.

"Surrey Police accept that mistakes were made in how Ms LaFave's telephone call to them was handled and responded to; and unreservedly apologises for them."

"As part of the settlement, Surrey Police have agreed to implement recommended changes to their procedures to ensure that other children like Breck are protected.

Mr Bednar and Ms LaFave hope to work with Surrey Police in order to enhance awareness of the dangers that young people face online and to ensure that appropriate training is given to staff to assist in the prevention of similar crimes against children."

Last year, the Independent Police Complaints Commission called for better training for call handlers after finding Ms LaFave did not receive the support she needed when she rang to raise concerns her son was being groomed online.

The investigation found failings on behalf of the call handler that took Mrs LaFave's call, and their supervisor.

The police watchdog said that had both parties not left the force, they would have had a case to answer for misconduct.
A t least 34 people are believed to have been killed after an explosion in the Turkish capital Ankara.

Turkey's health minister Mehmet Muezzinoglu confirmed the death toll had risen to 34 and added 125 people were wounded, 19 of them in serious condition.

The blast was also confimed by the country's interior minister Efkan Ala as a car bomb targeted at civilians waiting at a bus stop.

A destroyed bus is seen in the street after an explosion / Reuters

The explosion took place close to Government buildings and left some vehicles reportedly on fire.

Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu convened an emergency security meeting after the explosion.

Dogan Asik, 28, said he was on a packed bus when the blast occurred.

He said: "There were about 40 people. It (the bus) slowed down. A car went by us, and `boom' it exploded."

An area around the Guvenpark in the Kizilay neighbourhood was cordoned off

Police cars and ambulances were sent to the scene.

It is the third explosion in the Turkish capital since October.

Last month, 28 people died in Ankara after a bomb attack on a military convoy.

A Turkey-based Kurdish militant group claimed responsibility on that occasion.

In October, more than 100 people were killed in a double-suicide bombing at a peace rally in Ankara.
I nvestigators probing the Germanwings air crash have called for new world rules requiring medical professionals to warn authorities when a pilot's mental health could threaten public safety.

Flight 9525 from Barcelona to Dusseldorf crashed in the French Alps on March 24 last year, killing 150 people including three Britons.

An earlier report found evidence suggesting co-pilot Andreas Lubitz, who had previously been treated for depression, deliberately downed the plane after locking the pilot out of the cockpit.

French air accident bureau BEA has now published its final report on the crash, urging new rules on medical reporting about pilots.

The Britons killed were Paul Bramley, a 28-year-old from Hull who was studying hospitality and hotel management at Cesar Ritz College in Lucerne and was about to start an internship, Martyn Matthews, a 50-year-old father-of-two from Wolverhampton who worked as a senior quality manager, and seven-month-old Julian Pracz-Bandres, from Manchester who had been travelling with his mother, Spanish-born Marina Bandres Lopez-Belio, 37.

The report, delivered by experts on Sunday almost one year after the crash, also found that a doctor had referred Lubitz to a psychiatric clinic a fortnight before the crash.

It said a number of doctors who treated the 27-year-old in the weeks before the crash did not inform authorities about concerns around his mental health.

Families of the victims had previously been told Lubitz had seen 41 doctors in recent years but under German law none was able to alert his employers to his state of mind.

The BEA said because Lubitz had not informed anyone about the doctors' warnings, "no action could have been taken by the authorities or his employer to prevent him from flying."

Arnaud Desjardin, who led the investigation, said at a press briefing as the report was delivered, experts found the co-pilot's symptoms at that time "could be compatible with a psychotic episode", but this information had not been communicated to Germanwings.

An interim report last year showed that in 2009, six years before the crash, Lubitz's Class 1 medical certificate was not revalidated due to depression and the fact he was taking medication to treat it.

That same year he got a new certificate, but it came with a notice of special conditions and restrictions. All his medical certificates between then and the crash came with these restrictions, with the final one valid until August 2015.
A t least 16 people are feared dead after six gunmen stormed a beach resort in the Ivory Coast.

French media reported men armed with guns opened fire at a hotel popular with Western tourists in the Grand-Bassam resort, about 40km east of the capital Abidjan.

Some reports said the gunmen had entered the Hotel Etoile Du Sud and took guests and staff hostage while eyewitnesses were quoted as saying the shooting began in a hotel.

Shooting: Security forces drive towards Grand-Bassam in Ivory Coast / Reuters

The country's President Alassane Ouattara said: Six attackers came onto the beach in Bassam this afternoon. We have 14 civilians and two special forces soldiers who were unfortunately killed."

Pictures from the scene show bloodied bodies on the beach.

Video shows people fleeing Ivory Coast attack

Earlier reports indicated that four Europeans were among the dead.

A video, reportedly shot at the scene, shows people running from the beach near a hotel.

Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), has claimed responsibility for the attack, according to the US based SITE intelligence monitoring group.

The beach near where the shooting broke out has been evacuated as special forces were deployed to the scene.

The shooting comes nearly two months after Islamist extremists killed dozens of people in a hotel and cafe in neighbouring Burkina Faso.

The Ivory Coast Government said security forces had "neutralised" six armed men after the attacks.

The travel advice for Ivory Coast on the Foreign Office website warns against all but essential travel to certain parts of the country.

It says: "There is a high threat from terrorism. You should be vigilant after recent attacks in Mali and Burkina Faso. Attacks could be indiscriminate, including in places visited by foreigners."
H unters in South Africa have been banned from targeting leopards, it has emerged.

The South African Government has imposed a temporary ban on leopard hunts for the 2016 season because numbers of the species cannot be firmly established.

The move is the first of its kind in decades and comes in the wake of a global uproar last year over the killing of Cecil the Lion in Zimbabwe by a US dentist.

The South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI), a Government research organisation, recommended a temporary ban to be put in place.

John Donaldson, SANBI's director of research, said: "There is uncertainty about the numbers and this is not a permanent ban, but we need more information to guide quotas.

Leopard numbers have been difficult to count given their secretive and nocturnal nature.

Mr Donaldson said most were from protected areas and national parks, not private lands based on studies and data.

But the Professional Hunters Association of South Africa (PHASA) said this gave an incomplete picture.

"There are lots of leopards on private land," said PHASA chief executive Tharia Unwin.

South Africa has also been scorched by its worst drought on record and Unwin said this was good for leopard numbers as predators typically thrive when the rains are poor, leaving their prey in a weakened and easy-to-kill state.

Unwin said it cost up to $20,000 to shoot a leopard and several of PHASA's members had to refund clients who had put down deposits for leopard hunts.

Most of the foreign hunters who come to South Africa for such game are American.
March 15th is National Ag Day, a time when producers, agricultural associations, corporations, universities, government agencies and countless others across America gather to recognize and celebrate the abundance provided by American agriculture.

As the world population soars, there is even greater demand for the food, fiber and renewable resources produced in the United States.

The National Ag Day program believes that every American should:

1 -- understand how food, fiber and renewable resource products are produced.

2 -- value the essential role of agriculture in maintaining a strong

economy.

3 -- appreciate the role agriculture plays in providing safe, abundant and affordable products.

4 -- acknowledge and consider career opportunities in the

agriculture, food, fiber and renewable resource industries.

Agriculture provides almost everything we eat, use and wear on a daily basis, and is increasingly contributing to fuel and other bio-products. Each year, members of the agricultural industry gather together to promote American agriculture. This effort helps educate millions of consumers.

By far, the most effective part of this program is the role you play in helping spread the word. A few generations ago, most Americans were directly involved inor had relatives or friends involved inagricultural-related endeavors. Today, that is no longer the case. That is why it is so important that we join together at the community level...our voices, in concert, become a shout that carries our message a great deal further than any one of us can do alone! We are pleased that you have joined this effort to promote American agriculture.

Americans need to understand the value of agriculture in their daily lives. Here are just some of the key reasons why its important to recognizeand celebrateAg Day each year:

* Increased knowledge of agriculture and nutrition allows individuals to make informed personal choices about diet and health.

* Informed citizens will be able to participate in establishing the policies that will support a competitive agricultural industry in this country and abroad.

* Employment opportunities exist across the board in agriculture. Career choices include: farm production, agribusiness management and marketing, agricultural research and engineering, food science, processing and retailing, banking, education, landscape architecture, urban planning, energy, and other fields.

* Beginning in kindergarten and continuing through 12th grade, all students should receive some systematic instruction about agriculture.

* Agriculture is too important a topic to be taught only to the small percentage of students considering careers in agriculture and pursuing vocational agricultural studies.

* Agricultural literacy includes an understanding of agricultures history and current economic, social and environmental significance to all Americans.

This understanding includes some knowledge of food, fiber and renewable resource production, processing and domestic and international marketing.
CHEYENNE, Wyoming -- Wyoming agriculture is strong. Wyoming is one of the few states in the last Census of Agriculture to add agricultural lands, and ranked first in average size of farm and ranch in the country. Not only does ag in Wyoming contribute more than a billion dollars annually to the state economy, it also preserves the open spaces we all love as well as the culture and heritage that make Wyoming great. Simply put, agriculture is imperative to the State of Wyoming economically, culturally and historically.

While this is widely known in the state of Wyoming, the agriculture industry sometimes falls to the back of peoples minds as generations move further from the farm or ranch. Its important to take this opportunity to talk about the positive impacts this industry has not only on the state of Wyoming but the United States and world. Its also important to recognize the challenges our industry faces so citizens can understand the issues this vital industry faces to provide food and fiber.

Wyoming agriculture continues to move in a positive direction. Along with the money agriculture brings to the economy in Wyoming, agriculture brings great value to the state of Wyoming. Agriculture provides the open spaces we love and stewards of the land who care for it by protecting the land in ways that are beneficial to everyone in the state. Not only do our producers work the land, they sustain and preserve it for future generations while providing habitat for wildlife and other uses.

While the agriculture industry provides these significant values to our state, arguably the most important are the people. Hard working, honest, and value driven, these citizens provide quality products for their family, community, state, nation and people around the world. The people from the agriculture industry are great citizens who can be, and are, ambassadors for this way of life.

While I hope younger generations that want to return to the ranch or farm will have the opportunity if they choose, their agricultural backgrounds will still serve them well moving forward if they have other interests. Our industry and others benefit from more Wyoming ranch kids occupying important positions regardless of what career they chose. The connection they have to agriculture can be shared with a multitude of people outside the industry. While there are many worthwhile professions within agriculture that can be explored, there are other opportunities to spread the positives of agriculture around the state and country. Along with this, there is room in the agriculture industry for those with no agricultural background. They can provide fresh perspectives and ideas to help move the industry forward. We all depend on a thriving agricultural system in our state and country.

Even with all the positives farming and ranching provide, there are always challenges to our industry. From a lack of knowledge about agriculture in the general population to policies that make agriculture difficult like the Endangered Species Act and Waters of the U.S., there are plenty of issues our industry faces. While those issues remain, we will work hard as a department and an industry to face those challenges and continue to provide the positive benefits of agriculture. Like always, the resilience and toughness of Wyomings producers ensure the agriculture industry in Wyoming will prosper in spite of the challenges the agriculture industry faces.
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David Nicklaus David Nicklaus is a business columnist for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Follow David Nicklaus 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

If you get financial advice from a broker, check his or her record.

Thats always been a good idea, but a new study on broker misconduct reinforces the importance of being a well-informed client. The study, by professors from the University of Chicago and University of Minnesota, contains some shocking data about how many brokers have a checkered past.

The financial industry says the numbers are misleading, and well get to that argument in a moment. For the average investor, the important takeaway is that you can learn a lot about the person youre dealing with by visiting BrokerCheck, a site operated by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority.

The professors downloaded 1.2 million BrokerCheck profiles and looked for disciplinary events, customer disputes and other serious financial matters. They found that 7 percent of all brokers had a record of misconduct, and the number was as high as 20 percent at one firm, Oppenheimer.

The authors dont list numbers for every firm, but their top 10 list includes two firms based in St. Louis: 13.3 percent of Stifel Nicolaus brokers had a misconduct record, as did 15.3 percent of brokers at Wells Fargo Advisors Financial Network. (The latter is a division that clears trades for independent advisers and doesnt reflect the record of the larger Wells Fargo Advisors.)

The blemish rate is far lower at some of the nations biggest financial firms  just 0.8 percent at Morgan Stanley and 0.9 percent at Goldman Sachs, for example.

Half of advisers who engage in misconduct lose their jobs, but 44 percent of those who are fired end up re-employed in the industry. Firms that are most likely to hire brokers with blemished records are also least likely to fire their own people, leading the authors to conclude that some firms specialize in misconduct.

Firms seem to be very good at firing people for misconduct, explains Gregor Matvos, an associate professor of finance at the University of Chicago and one of the authors. But the industry seems to be good at hiring them, too.

Stifel declined to comment on the study. Wells Fargo Advisors issued a statement saying it was examining the findings and has always been highly selective in its adviser recruiting.

SIFMA, an industry group, issued a stronger rebuttal of the study. It said the report overstates the level of relevant misconduct, and fails to properly explain the process for broker discipline.

An article on SIFMAs website notes that 60 percent of customer complaints end in settlements, often because its cheaper for a firm to settle a complaint than to fight it. Settlements show up on a brokers record even if there was no finding of fault.

I showed the study to two local lawyers, both former Missouri securities commissioners and strong advocates for protecting investors. Matt Kitzi of Armstrong Teasdale and David Cosgrove of Cosgrove Law Group agreed with SIFMAs critique.

The disclosure requirements for the industry are pretty broad and capture a lot of activity, Kitzi said. I cant imagine that any firm would specialize in misconduct.

I think youll find that some of the specific instances theyre lumping under misconduct are not misconduct at all, Cosgrove said. Most firms do not take lightly hiring anyone with any sort of scar on their record.

Still, he adds, every investor should search BrokerCheck once in a while. If you see anything you dont understand, call your broker and start asking questions.
Just a few weeks after she turned 17, Danielle Burgess was diagnosed with colon cancer.

Burgess had been noticing blood in her stool for several years, but she shrugged it off after consulting Dr. Google and self-diagnosing hemorrhoids.

By the time she went to the doctor to have a colonoscopy, she was diagnosed with Stage 3 colon cancer.

It wasnt great, but they gave me a lot of treatment options, said Burgess, of Kansas City.

Six months later she was cancer-free. Doctors continued to monitor her colon (large intestine) every three years. In 2009, when she was 25, a growth on her colon once again tested positive for cancer.

Luckily, they caught it early, said Burgess, now 32.

Colorectal cancer, a malignancy that occurs in the colon or rectum, is a leading cause of cancer deaths. This year, its expected to claim the lives of nearly 50,000 people in the United States.

Its also largely preventable. Screening tests can detect and remove abnormalities before they have a chance to turn cancerous  or spot problems in the early stages, when the disease is more responsive to treatment.

The American Cancer Society and other groups say that screening for most men and women should begin at age 50. Even so, many choose to ignore this advice. Roughly one-third of the countrys eligible adults havent been screened for colorectal cancer as recommended by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The CDC estimates that if everyone age 50 and up had regular testing, at least 60 percent of deaths from this cancer could be avoided.

In nearly every case, colon cancer begins with a small growth called a polyp, which over time turns into a large polyp, and eventually turns into cancer, said Dr. David Greenwald, director of clinical gastroenterology and endoscopy at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York. This process takes many years to occur; if polyps are removed when they are small or even when they are big, but before they turn into cancer, colon cancer is prevented.

If found in its earliest stages and if the cancer hasnt spread, the survival rate beyond 5 years is 90 percent, said Durado Brooks, managing director of cancer control intervention for the American Cancer Society. If it has already spread, the survival rate drops to 12 percent beyond 5 years.

Our treatments are much, much more effective at the early stage, Brooks said.

There are numerous ways to screen for colorectal cancer, and several organizations have issued their own guidelines.

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends screening using high-sensitivity fecal occult blood testing, sigmoidoscopy or colonoscopy beginning at age 50 and continuing until age 75, at which point the decision to continue screening should be made on an individual basis depending on the persons health and history.

The tests the task force recommends:

 High-sensitivity fecal occult blood test (FOBT) or fecal immunochemical test (FIT) to detect blood in the stool, a possible sign of cancer. People get a kit and collect small samples of stool that are sent to a lab. This test should be done annually.

 Flexible sigmoidoscopy, where doctors use a thin, flexible, lighted tube called a sigmoidoscope to examine the interior walls of the rectum and the lower third of the colon. Should be done every five years.

 Colonoscopy, similar to a sigmoidoscopy but uses a longer colonoscope tube to look at the inside walls of the rectum and the entire colon. Should be done every 10 years. During the procedure, tissue samples may be collected for further testing or polyps may be removed. Colonoscopies are often performed as a follow-up.

While most adults can wait until 50 to start routine screening, tests should begin earlier and be done more frequently for those at higher risk.

People also need to be vigilant about symptoms  no matter what their age.

Just before Susan Cohans 40th birthday in 2002, Cohan experienced stomach pain and rectal bleeding. She saw several doctors who prescribed laxatives rather than referring her to a gastroenterologist.

She was later diagnosed with advanced stage colon cancer and told she had a couple of months to live, said her father, David Cohan, president of the Baltimore-based Susan Cohan Colon Cancer Foundation.

Susan died two years later after a heroic battle, her father said. We urge anyone regardless of age with symptoms such as abdominal pain, bleeding or continuous constipation to get screened for colon cancer.
SOUTH ST. LOUIS COUNTY  Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders told a roaring crowd of supporters packed into a St. Louis-area high school gymnasium on Sunday to expect a repeat of his Michigan surprise when Missouri, Illinois and other states vote Tuesday.

I think were going to win a lot of states on Tuesday, Sanders told an audience of more than 2,000 crammed into a gymnasium at Affton High School and an overflow room nearby. When the voter turnout is high, when working people and young people and older people come out and are determined to end establishment politics and establishment economics ... we win.

Poking fun at his own New York accent, he said the urgent factor will be getting a yuuuge! turnout.

Sanders, the Vermont senator who is battling former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton for the Democratic presidential nomination, issued his now-familiar calls for a progressive political revolution against a rigged economy that rewards the rich over everyone else.

In the hour-long speech, he painted Clinton as the candidate of Wall Street, touting his own small-dollar donations from more than five million donors.

Democracy is really not that complicated: it means youve got a vote, and youve got a vote and youve got a vote, said Sanders, who has promised campaign finance reform to limit spending by wealthy donors. What democracy is not about is billionaires buying elections.

He again called on Clinton to release the text of her speeches to Wall Street audiences, and criticized her for her early support of the Iraq War. He promised free college tuition, a national minimum wage hike to $15 an hour, and legislation to guarantee three months of family leave to American workers. He said, as he has before, that he would pay for it with a tax on Wall Street speculation.

Now is the time for Wall Street to help the middle class of this country, he said.

He jabbed at Republican claims to represent family values, saying their real message is that no woman in this room, in this state or in this country should have the right to control her own body.

What they mean when they talk about family values is that our gay brothers and sisters should not have the right to be married, he said, to thunderous response from the crowd.

Sanders still trails Clinton in the delegate race, but he touted his primary wins in nine states so far  including his recent upset victory in Michigan, where polls had shown him behind by double digits.

He also pointed out that he has done better than Clinton does against GOP front-runner Donald Trump in many polls.

The American people do not want a president who insults Mexicans, they do not want a president who insults Muslims ... who insults women ...who insults African-Americans with his previous involvement in the birther movement, said Sanders.

The American people will defeat Donald Trump because they understand that bringing our people together today ... trumps dividing us up, he said. At the end of the day, love trumps hatred.

But Sanders took a few pages from the Trump playbook as well, savaging our disastrous trade policies and punctuating it with a kick at the media. The more important the issue is, the less the media will talk about it, he said.

It was Sanders second appearance in the St. Louis region recently, with a rally of about 4,000 people in the Metro East a week ago and a third appearance scheduled for Monday.

Missouri and Illinois are among five states that conduct presidential primaries Tuesday. A recent Post-Dispatch poll showing tight Missouri races in both parties may have contributed to several added last-minute events here by the campaigns of Sanders, Clinton and GOP candidate Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas.

Trump addressed a rally of about 3,000 in downtown St. Louis Friday in which more than 30 protesters were arrested. Later that night, he cancelled a Chicago rally because of pre-rally violence by protesters.

A string of speakers whipping up the crowd before Sanders speech Sunday was notably weighted with female and African-American officials, an apparent nod to two groups in which polls have shown Sanders facing a potential disadvantage against Clinton.

Some of them lauded the positive enthusiasm of the crowd and contrasted that to the anger that has been seen on both sides of conflicts at Trumps rallies in St. Louis, Chicago and elsewhere.

I would like to say to Donald Trump: this is what a rally looks like, said former NAACP President Ben Jealous, sparking a roar of approval from the crowd. We need to teach Donald Trump a lesson, that you can bring people together without fear and violence and hatred.

Sanders was introduced by actor Danny DeVito, who got a laugh from the crowd by dragging a booster platform to the lectern so he could reach the microphone. He led the crowd in a round of the campaign slogan Feel the Bern!

On Monday, Sanders will lead a rally at 7:30 p.m. in St. Charles, at the Family Arena, 2002 Arena Parkway. It is free and open to the public, but RSVPs are recommended. Doors open at 4:30 p.m.

Also on Monday, former first daughter Chelsea Clinton will attend several events in the area in support of her mothers campaign. She will appear at a Women for Hillary organizing event at 11 a.m. at 8127 Maryland Avenue in Clayton; a Working Moms Roundtable at 1:15 p.m. at Urban Sprouts Child Development Center, 9120 Olive Blvd, Olivette;* and a Hillary for Missouri office visit at 3 p.m. at 301 South Ewing Avenue in St. Louis.

* This post has been updated. An earlier version contained an incorrect address for the Urban Sprouts event.
KANKAKEE, Ill.  Sometimes, it might be only a matter of months between bouts of self-doubt to the cusp of national attention. And Brandon Pralle of Ashkum will be happy to fill you in on that journey.

This sophomore at Clifton Central High School in Clifton, Ill., will admit he felt a little overwhelmed in May when he was getting his first taste of racing in the powerful Sportsman Division at the Fairbury American Legion Speedway.

I drove a front-wheel-drive Sport Compact (division, four-cylinder car) the year before, so a rear-wheel-drive car (with a more powerful V-8) was so different, he said. At first, I didnt feel like I had what it took.

But he stayed with it.

I think by the time he noticed he was fifth in the point standings for the Western States Division, he realized: He could do this, his father, Michael, said. By the end of the year, he wound up in seventh place in the Fairbury standings and earned rookie of the year status.

And with those credentials, he decided to enter the Champion Auto Parts 2016 Search for a Champion competition. At his level, there was a $10,000 sponsorship package waiting for the winner, and the Pralles know where they could invest those dollars.

This gets expensive, Michael said. So the money could come in handy. But we need the (online) votes. We have to go out there and hound people worse than folks do for those Girl Scout cookies. We have to have folks voting every day (until March 23).

Of course, in any campaign, its important to know the candidate.

Well, Im in FFA and 4H, and Im on the honor roll, Brandon said.

Thats his moms deal (Jennifer), Michael said. She insists on that honor roll thing.

Maybe knowing the educational benefit was all that got her through her first nervous nights at the track.

You dont want to stand in her way when hes on the track. She can be pretty fierce about that, Michael added.

And there was reason for some concern. With 650 horsepower at his disposal, Brandon was turning quarter-mile laps in about 15 seconds. Thats a lot faster than he moved in his four cylinder and just a few seconds slower than the cars in the fastest division, the Super Late Models.

We have just been lucky that all of the competitors down there have been so helpful, Brandon said. There is a lot to learn about the tires and the springs and the shocks, stuff you couldnt figure out on your own.

So, the Pralle team is preparing to come back in the same car, but with some critical improvements to the chassis and a fresh engine.

We dont want to talk about when we might move up to another division. Not yet, said Michael, noting that he used to race in the 1980s and 90s. This whole thing can get pretty expensive and were just grateful to have the sponsors who are helping us now.

Adding champion would be huge, but first we need those votes.

The team now is helped by businesses from Big Daddys Kuston Fabrication in Monee, Ill., to nearby ProHarvest Seeds, where Jennifer works. Support also is provided by area businesses Friedman Racing Engines, the Maryberry Junction Restaurant, Buffs Auto Clinic and a host of others.

Theres a lot that goes into this, Brandon said. I know my classmates (at Central) dont really understand how deep this goes.

The one teacher who might understand is Brandons drivers education instructor.

I just got my license last September, he said. I drove most of two seasons on the track, where you dont need a license.
If the execution is carried out, it too will leave a grieving family, in addition to having lost a little boy who might have survived if he could have gotten to the hospital in time.
The UN has concluded, after a four month investigation, that the South Sudan government (especially president Salva Kiir) was guilty of war crimes. This took the form of pro-government militias being told that as payment (and encouragement) for taking up arms to fight the rebels they could rape, loot and kill without restraint, at least when it came to civilians designated as pro-rebel. South Sudan soldiers were allowed to misbehave as well and during most of 2015 this led to thousands of rapes and murders plus widespread looting and property destruction. While the government and the rebels discouraged visits by outsiders (especially journalists or UN personnel) the UN investigators were able to interview hundreds of survivors in areas that had been fought over but were now quiet as well as many refugees from the fighting who were still too afraid to go home but were willing to relate their experiences. Senior UN officials are calling for formal war crimes charges against the president of South Sudan and other senior officials.

The government responded by accusing the UN of being biased and ignoring similar bad behavior by rebel forces. Nevertheless the investigators documented how the worst atrocities were committed by government forces and there is much evidence that this was because of government assurances that this sort of behavior was OK because the rebels were trying to destroy South Sudan and the government didnt have the cash to pay the militias. Left unsaid was the fact that this sort of behavior has been common in the region for thousands of years. There is also the tribal rivalry angle, which still counts. The government forces are mainly Dinka while rebels are largely from smaller Zande, Jur and Moru tribes. The rebellion began in 2013 as disputes between armed tribesmen (some of them on the government payroll) that spiraled out of control. This came after South Sudan achieved independence from Sudan in 2005 after decades of ethnic and religious fighting between the largely Arab government and the black, and often Christian tribesmen in the south. The united many South Sudan tribes that normally fight each other. It was hoped that the experience of working together to drive out the Sudan government forces would last. It didnt.

This is not the first time the UN has accused Sudanese leaders of war crimes. In 2009 the International Criminal Court (ICC) ordered the arrest of Sudan president al Bashir for atrocities and war crimes in Darfur. The actual warrant did not accuse him of genocide but the prosecution request for a warrant accused Bashir of leading a genocidal campaign against the Zaghawa, Fur, and Masalit tribes. Bashir was also accused of encouraging or tolerating the murder, rape, torture, and forced displacement of civilians. When forcibly displaced civilians flee janjaweed militias en masse they die from exposure, hunger, and disease. This amounts to slow ethnic cleansing. Bashir responded with defiance and accusations that the warrant is colonialism. The government, responding to the ICC warrant, began kicking various non-governmental aid and relief organizations out of the country. Meanwhile, the Arab world was initially unsure of how to deal with the arrest warrant. Many Arabs simply saw it as another example of European colonialism and an attack on Islam. But this sort of rationalizing is getting old, even in the Arab world, where there are growing efforts to get Sudan to stop attacking its own people. In the end Arab nations simply ignored the war crimes charges and allowed Bashir to visit them freely. Bashir is still wanted for prosecution and some Arab states quietly pressure the UN to withdraw the charges. After all what Bashir did, and is still doing, is a common practice in the Middle East and is still going on in places like Syria and Iraq.

Other African nations are not as forgiving and in September 2015, just before the UN investigators got to work the AU (African Union) announced the formation of a war crimes court to deal with the many atrocities that were occurring in the South Sudan civil war. This court is part of the mid-2015 peace deal in South Sudan. At the same time the Sudan government reported that its own investigation of reported crimes and abuses by its Rapid Support Forces (RSF) militia had cleared the militia of charges. Yes, you read that correctly. The Sudan governments report cleared the RSF, a militia force that supplements other Sudanese military forces in combat and counter-insurgency operations. It operates like the old janjaweed militias did in the worst days in Darfur. The RSF is brutal. There is simply too much evidence out there that its militiamen commit war crimes on a regular basis.

Meanwhile the growing number of refugees from the areas recently fought over in South Sudan increases as do the number of people throughout the country who have seen crops destroyed and access to outside aid cut. The UN is unable to raise as much money needed to supply aid because of the corruption and widespread lawlessness in South Sudan. Why pay for aid when so much is stolen and there are other parts of the world in need and less chaotic?

March 10, 2016: South Sudan announced that oil production will resume in two new states: Northern Liech state and Ruweng state. These two new states were once part of Unity state and are located just east and southeast of the disputed Abyei region. Southern Liech is the third new state carved from Unity state. Unity state has some of South Sudans largest oil fields. The civil war curtailed oil production throughout the country. The government desperately needs oil royalty revenue. Oil royalties fund at least 95 percent of South Sudans annual budget.

March 9, 2016: In Sudan (North Darfur) unknown gunmen fired on a peacekeeper patrol killing one peacekeeper and wounding another.

March 7, 2016: An advance force of 1,370 South Sudan rebel security personnel and government members are awaiting transportation to the capital, Juba. The August 2015 peace agreement stipulates that the deployment take place. However, in South Sudan distrust runs rampant. On March 6 a senior rebel leader accused the government of preparing to launch a new offensive in Eastern Equatoria state. The rebels claimed that the government had moved a heavily armed unit into the state and is in the process of building up food supplies and other supplies in the state.

March 5, 2016: Gunmen in Sudans North Darfur state attacked a three-vehicle convoy headed for the state capital. At least one person was killed; several were wounded. The governor of North Darfur called the perpetrators outlaws and said that criminals have no tribe. The attack followed several cattle raids (ie, mass thefts) in the vicinity of Tawilla.

Sudan opposition leader Hassan al Turabi, died in Khartoum. Turabi had been an ally of current president (dictator) Omar al-Bashir when Bashir launched a coup and took power in 1989. However, since 1999, Turabi and Bashir have vacillated between being opponents and enemies. Turabi was not a modernizer. In fact, he was regarded as a radical Islamist and a member of Sudans Muslim Brotherhood. However, he became an advocate of womens rights and democracy in an Islamic context.

March 4, 2016: UN investigators now believe that at least 25 people were murdered and over 120 wounded when gunmen attacked a civilian refugee shelter in the city of Malakal (South Sudan -- new state of Eastern Upper Nile, formerly Upper Nile state). Attacks on the compound occurred over a two day period (February 17-18). Around 47,000 civilians were in the protected area. The attackers also damaged medical clinics, education facilities and water tankers. Over 3,700 family shelters (tent-type structures) were destroyed. Most of the fighting involved members of the Dinka and Shilluk tribes but several Nuer were also killed, allegedly by a group of Dinka youth.

March 3, 2016: New fighting has broken out in South Sudans Yambio region. In mid-February a series of attacks by gunmen drove 300 villagers from their homes and to a temporary camp in the town of Bitima (Congo border). Several hundred more have fled into Congo and are now near the Congolese town of Dungu (northeastern Congo).

March 2, 2016: East African Community (EAC) has invited South Sudan to join. Observers noted that the EAC failed to invite Burundis current president, Pierre Nkurunziza, to the EAC meeting where the announcement was made. Nkurunziza is a persona non grata for threatening to fight African Union peacekeepers if they deployed in his country. Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda and now South Sudan comprise the EAC. Burundi is now a maybe member.

March 1, 2016: The Sudanese Army claimed that its soldiers have secured control of the northern sector of the Jebel Marra (Darfur region). Sudanese troops have been fighting in the area with elements of the Sudan Liberation Movement -Abdel Wahid al-Nur (SLM-AW). The Jebel Marra is a region of hills and rugged ridges located in the middle of the Darfur region. It straddles North, South and Central Darfur states and provides rebels with a base area.

February 29, 2016: In Sudan SPLM-N rebels claimed that the army is deploying units near Talodi (South Kordofan state). Though reports are fragmentary (and there are no neutral observers), it is clear that there has been a lot of fighting in South Kordofan in the last week. SPLM-N rebels claimed they seized the town of Dilling (near the capital, Kadugli) on February 25. The SPLM-N used some two dozen technical vehicles (wheeled vehicles with heavy machine guns and perhaps recoilless weapons) in the attack. There was another firefight on February 27. Overall the SPLM-N claims it killed some 80 Sudanese soldiers and destroyed four Sudanese tanks.

February 28, 2016: South Sudan rebel leaders are demanding that the transitional government review governmental salaries. The opposition leaders say that current employees are not paid enough to survive.

February 27, 2016: Sudan and Russia have agreed to develop closer economic ties. The announcement followed four days of meetings in Khartoum that included senior Russian foreign ministry officials. Russia received an oil concession in Sudan. The agreement includes cooperation in banking and developing other mineral interests.

February 26, 2016: Angola proposed that the UN place an arms embargo on South Sudan until both warring parties in the civil war make peace. The Angolan government said that at least 10,000 people have died in the civil war and that the leaders of the South Sudan government and the rebels are not sincerely seeking peace.

February 24, 2016: UN administrators in South Sudan apologized for the failure of UN peacekeepers to protect civilians during the February 17 attack at Malakal. The administrators said that an on-going investigation has already concluded that UN Mission in South Sudan [UNMISS] peacekeepers responded belatedly to the attack on a refugee camp.

February 22, 2016: It is believed that Sudan is spending well over 25 percent of its total 2016 budget on military and security-related operations. Some analysts think the figure exceeds 60 percent. The 25 percent figure is based on published reports that Sudan will spend 17 billion Sudanese pounds (approximately $2.8 billion US) on security. But regional experts say that figure is phony. The actual figure is around $6 billion US.
In early 2016 an Israeli firm introduced the Skylark 3, a 45 kg (99 pound) UAV with 10 kg (22 pound) payload, an electric motor and an endurance of six hours. It is launched via a vehicle mounted catapult and can operate up to a hundred kilometers from the ground station.

Skylark 3 is an improved Skylark 2, which entered service in 2007 and was a little smaller and had less range (60 kilometers from the base station). Like Skylark 2, Skylark 3 is intended for use by brigades and divisions.

Skylark has served the Israeli military well, which makes it easier to get export sales. In 2008, after four years of evaluation and further development, the Israeli Army adopted the Skylark 1 LE UAV as standard equipment for its combat battalions. While Skylark began as a slightly larger rival for the popular U.S. Raven (a 2 kg/4.3 pound aircraft with one hour endurance), the Israelis found that a slightly larger UAV (6.8 kg/15 pounds, three hours endurance) fit the needs of battalion and company commanders better. Each Skylark 1 system consists of three aircraft, three vidcams (two day, one night) and a ground control unit (a laptop and some radio gear). The Skylark 1 can fly as high as 450 meters (1,500 feet) and operate up to 30 kilometers from the operator.

Like the Raven, Skylark 1 is battery operated, and very quiet. It is launched with an elastic cord (a bungee cord will do), and lands with the help of a reusable airbag. The army bought several hundred systems, with each battalion getting two or more systems. Skylark had already been exported to countries that have used the UAV in Iraq and Afghanistan. Several Israeli police and paramilitary organizations have also been using Skylark over the past four years, and the system has proved very useful for counter-terror operations.

The success of Skylark 1 led to Skylark 2 and Skylark 3.
Saudi Arabia recently ordered another 22 Hawk 128 AJT (Advanced Jet Trainers). This is in addition to 22 ordered in 2012. The Saudis already have 45 Hawk 65 trainers delivered in the 1980s and 90s. The Mk 128 models have proved worth the expense (about $30 million each) because they contain advanced cockpit controls and instruments, making it very similar to the jet fighters trainees will soon be expected to master. Saudi Arabia also ordered 80 new basic (prop driven) trainers.

The Saudis are increasing the number of jet pilots not just because they are increasing their fighter force 50 percent (to 450 aircraft) but because Saudi warplanes have seen a lot of action since 2014 and it was noted that more pilots mean they can fly more combat missions per aircraft. If there is a war with Iran the Saudis will need all the pilots they can get. The older Hawk 65s will also be retiring soon and that means even more Hawk 128s will probably be ordered.

The Hawk advanced jet trainers are the most successful Western aircraft of this type, at least in terms of sales (over a thousand so far). The U.S. Navy uses the Hawk, along with sixteen other nations. The nine ton, single engine aircraft are used to train pilots who will eventually fly jet fighters. The Hawk can also be armed and used for ground attack. In this mode they can carry up to three tons of weapons, including a pod with a 30mm autocannon.
India is defeating its communist rebels by installing 2,200 new mobile cell phone towers in the nine eastern Indian states most afflicted by communist (Maoist) rebels. Most of these are already in service. This is in response to a 2008 Maoist decision to destroy cell phone towers in these states. Communications are vital for the police, and enable the growing number of civilians to use their cell phones to call in information about the Maoists. The growing availability of cell phone service in rural eastern India was very popular with the civilians and the security forces also found cell phones were a good (sometimes superior) substitute for the usual military and police radios. While the Maoists also used cell phones they found that, on balance, the cell phones hurt more than helped. So the Maoists went after the cell phone towers.

In 2010 the government realized that if they installed a lot of mobile cell phone towers (powered by solar panels) in police stations, military bases and villages guarded by local defense militias, widespread sell phone service could be maintained despite the Maoist campaign against cell phones. In 2013 the government allocated over $400 million to buy over 2,000 portable cell phone towers and distribute them to protected locations. When the Maoists are cleared from an area communications firms could install their own towers safely and the mobile towers could be moved to new areas. This proved very effective and very popular with civilians who noted the government was protecting something (cell phone service) that was very popular in these rural areas that earlier had little or no phone service at all. And what was available was a lot more expensive than cell phones.

The Maoist terrorists in eastern India regularly attack transportation and communications, road building operations, large businesses (like mines), police stations (to steal weapons, ammo and other equipment, like radios) and wealthy people (especially landlords, as the economy in the area is somewhat feudal). The communists also finance their operations by extorting money from local businesses, and even some landlords (who they have vowed to drive out of the area.) But their war on cell phone service proved to be a major mistake, in large part because cell phones were so popular.

The Maoists want to establish communist police state, and create a worker's paradise. That is not working out so well. Currently India is winning its four decade war with leftist rebels. But like everything else the government does the crush the Maoists project is behind schedule, over budget and not nearly as efficient as politicians said it would be. Nevertheless, eliminating the Maoists is the most important defense related problem India has that most people outside India have never heard of.

While these Maoist rebels get a lot of headlines inside India, the communist rebels have not gotten much attention outside of India. Even for a country as big (over a billion people) as India, the Maoists are a noticeable source of violence and other criminal behavior. Since its peak in 2010 leftist (mostly Maoist) terrorism related deaths have gone from 1,180 down to 314 in 2014. The decline was most precipitous (49 percent) in 2011, but continued over the next three years. That meant a 39 percent decline in deaths in 2012, an unexpected 15 percent increase in 2013 followed by a 25 percent decline in 2014. The decline is expected to continue and more Maoists are deserting, surrendering or, if they are leaders, warming to the calls for peace talks.

The trend that began in 2010 was the result a major paramilitary police operation against the main concentrations of Maoists in eastern India. What's amazing is that communist rebels and terrorists are still active after the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 and the end of the Cold War. Worldwide this appeared to be the end of the communist movement. But there is still an energetic communist terrorist operation in eastern India. These terrorists belong to the Maoists, an organization trying to establish a communist dictatorship similar to the radical communist movement of the 1960s, when Chinese ruler Mao Zse Dong sought to "purify" the country with a lot of chaos and millions of dead. By the 1970s China had officially renounced the Maoist movement. Yet the concept remained alive. The Cambodian Khmer Rouge were the first copy-cat Maoists, and they killed over a million of their countrymen in the 1970s. Despite all that there are still those who believe that the Maoist dream could work if it were done right. In India there are many leftists who are willing to fight for that dream.
In neighboring Venezuela the low oil price is having more catastrophic impact than in fellow oil producer Colombia. That has a lot to do with the fact that Venezuela has a lot more oil. This used to be a big deal. Many older Venezuelans who remember the 1970s, when Venezuela was the fourth richest country in the world (in terms of GDP per person) are trying to figure out how it all went so wrong. Before the oil prices collapsed in 2013 oil income was 23.8 percent of GDP in Venezuela while in Colombia it was 7.8 percent. A more critical difference between the two countries was that Colombia still has a diversified and growing economy while Venezuela does not. That is typical of many countries with a lot of oil income and it often turns out to be a curse. Like now, where the low oil prices are a minor problem for Colombia which still has the most dynamic economy in South America. Colombian GDP is still growing (3 percent a year) while Venezuelas is declining at nearly 10 percent a year (and getting worse). Now (2016) year oil accounts for over 90 percent of Venezuelan exports. In 1999 oil only accounted for half of exports but since then a new socialist government took over in the late 1990s and wrecked the economy in an attempt to keep the majority of voters happy. That effort has failed in a spectacular fashion and that worries Colombia. Recent parliamentary elections in Venezuela gave an opposition coalition a majority but the socialists who wrecked the economy still control the presidency, the courts and the military. That has created a stalemate that is being slowly broken by the continued decline of the economy. The non-socialist opposition got control of parliament on the promise of improving the economy. The socialists so far refuse to curb the practices that caused the economic collapse and imply that they will use force if anyone tries to oust them from power. So for the moment Colombians can only wait and hope that the situation in Venezuela resolves itself peacefully and soon.

Colombia has much less threatening political problems. While FARC is, in compliance with its peace agreement and much less violent of late the smaller ELN is not. Not only does ELN continue to stage attacks against economic targets and companies that will not pay revolutionary taxes (protection money) it also believes its own press releases, which usually ends badly. For example in early February the ELN threatened widespread violence if businesses nationwide did not shut down for three days. This economic curfew was supposed to intimidate the government into making concessions and offering ELN a better peace deal than FARC got. The curfew effort was a flop and had lots of costly side effects. Not only was ELN exposed as less powerful than claimed but the curfew stunt got ELN kicked off Twitter. That was a major blow as ELN had been using social media to build an illusion of power the leftist rebels did not have. The one real growth area for ELN, which they dont brag about, is the ability to take over areas (and drug operations) long controlled by FARC because the larger (by two or three times) leftist rebel group is making peace. Many hardcore (or outlaws at heart) FARC personnel are joining ELN and that is making it possible for ELN to take over FARC operations without a fight. This is a known problem but the government is not going after it in a big way until the FARC peace deal is finalized and there is a better sense of how many FARC members have gone rogue.

March 11, 2016: FARC and the government openly admitted that they will not be able to sign the final peace deal by March 23rd, a date agreed to in 2015. Meanwhile the government has been working with FARC to determine what areas will be used for FARC rebels to assemble and disarm. The disarmament is the beginning of the process of implementing the peace deal. Disarmament is supposed to begin after the final deal is signed. FARC now wants more concessions on amnesty and the referendum. That will be difficult as there is still popular opposition to the peace terms, which many Colombians consider too lenient. The government also wants to hold a referendum on the peace deal. FARC opposes having all Colombians vote on the peace deal, in part because FARC understands the degree of hatred many, if not most, Colombians feel towards the leftist rebels and their half century of violence that has left nearly a quarter of a million dead.

March 5, 2016: In the north (Antioquia province) police raided a remote ranch where it was believed the leader of the Clan Usaga drug cartel was hiding. That proved to be true and the cartel leader (Ruben Dario Avila) tried to shoot his way out and was killed.

March 3, 2016: After a two week suspension the government has restored the safe passage guarantees for FARC leaders. This was essential for these FARC leaders who wanted to fly (via Venezuela) to and from Cuba (where the peace negotiations are held). Two weeks ago the safe passage deal was suspended because some FARC leaders were using the safe passage to visit areas other than the remote bases they were supposed to return to. These FARC leaders were giving public speeches in other areas and doing media interviews. After the suspension FARC leaders soon agreed to follow the rules of the safe passage agreement.

February 19, 2016: In the east (Arauca province) a joint military-police operation along the Venezuelan border found and attacked a group of ELN rebels, killing seven and capturing two.

February 13, 2016: In the north (Cesar and Bolivar province) ELN blew down an electricity transmission line leaving three cities in the dark for over a day until repairs could be made.
NEW YORK, March 12, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Gloria Steinem, internationally renowned women's rights advocate, will introduce a group of women activists from the Middle East at a press conference in the press briefing room at United Nations Headquarters in New York on Tuesday 15 March 2016 at 11am.

The women - from Libya, Syria and Yemen - are very critical of the current lack of political will to include women in peace and security efforts in their countries.

They are: Zahra' Langhi from Libya, Sahar Ghanem from Yemen and Mouna Ghanem from Syria. Ms. Langhi is the co-founder of the Libyan Women's Platform for Peace. Ms. Sahar Ghanem, a former community organizer, is currently an advisor to the Yemeni Prime Minister's Office. Dr. Mouna Ghanem is the founder of the Syrian Women's Forum for Peace. She will join the press conference by telephone.

Hibaaq Osman, founder and CEO of Karama, a Middle East organization that aims to advance women's participation, security and rights in the Arab world, will moderate the press conference. Karama is based in Egypt. Ms. Osman is from Somalia.

The women will be available for interviews afterwards in New York on 15 and 16 March. They speak English and Arabic.

They are part of a Karama delegation of women from 8 countries in the North Africa-Middle East region, including Egypt, Jordan, Libya, Morocco, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen. All members of the delegation are available for media interviews. Biographical details can be made available. Languages spoken: English, Arabic and French.

The press conference will be live streamed at http://webtv.un.org and archived at the same site.

Press conference sponsored by:Donor Direct Action - linking front line women's rights activists around the world to money, visibility and popular support www.donordirectaction.org Karama - forging a Middle East regional movement to fight for women's rights www.el-karama.org The Permanent Mission of Ireland to the United Nations www.irelandunnewyork.org

To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/women-activists-from-middle-east-critical-of-current-peace-efforts-to-hold-press-conference-in-new-york-300235138.html

SOURCE Donor Direct Action
By Tom Perry

BEIRUT (Reuters) - Syria's government on Saturday ruled out any discussion of the fate of the presidency at peace talks this week, just as the lead opposition negotiator said a political transition could not even start unless Bashar al-Assad was no longer president.

The statements reflected the huge challenges facing diplomats as they prepare for talks to resume in Geneva on Monday, trying to build on a ceasefire deal that has reduced violence sharply since Feb. 27.

Foreign Minister Walid al-Moualem confirmed his government's participation but said the talks would fail if the opposition had "delusions that they will take power in Geneva that they failed to take in battle".

He also heaped criticism on U.N. envoy Staffan de Mistura for already presenting an agenda for the talks and for saying that a presidential election would take place in 18 months.

"The government delegation will reject any attempt to put this on the agenda," Moualem told a televised news conference.

"We will not talk to anyone who talks about the position of the presidency ... I advise them that if this is their thinking, they shouldn't come to the talks."

Within hours, opposition negotiator Mohamad Alloush, already in Geneva, had described Moualem's comments as worthless.

"We consider that the transitional period starts with the fall of Bashar al-Assad or his death," he told reporters. "There's no possibility to start this period with the presence of this regime or the head of this regime in the power."

Another negotiator, Monzer Makhous, said Moualem was "putting the nails in the coffin of Geneva".

The talks will coincide with next week's fifth anniversary of a war that has killed more than 250,000 people, created the world's worst refugee crisis, and allowed for the expansion of the Islamic State militant group.

They are part of the first diplomatic push since the Russian air force intervened in September to support Assad, tilting the war his way and helping Damascus reclaim significant areas in the west.

The ceasefire agreement, brokered by the United States and Russia, has been more widely respected than many expected, though fighting has continued on some important fronts, including near the Turkish border.

TRANSITIONAL BODY

Alloush's High Negotiations Committee (HNC) has praised the agenda outlined by de Mistura focused on governance, a new constitution and elections.

The HNC wants to focus on a transitional governing body with full executive powers as outlined in a 2012 Geneva communique in an early bid to end the conflict.

A U.N. Security Council resolution approved in December called for the establishment of "credible, inclusive, and non-sectarian governance", a new constitution, and free and fair elections within 18 months.

Moualem indicated that a "national unity government" with opposition participation was the most on offer, an idea ruled out by the HNC.

He said the government delegation would be willing to discuss de Mistura's agenda and would travel to Geneva on Sunday, but would return to Damascus within 24 hours if the other side did not show up.

As far as the government was concerned, "political transition" meant a transition from the existing constitution to a new one, and from the existing government to a new one with participation from the other side, he added.

KURDS

The diplomacy has been complicated by disputes over who should be invited to negotiate with the government.

The Kurdish PYD party, which holds sway over wide areas of northern Syria, has so far been excluded from the talks in line with the wishes of Turkey - which sees the PYD as an extension of the PKK rebels fighting for Kurdish autonomy inside its territory.

Moualem said the Syrian army and the Kurds were in "one trench" fighting Islamic State, apparently in reference to the YPG militia, the PYD's armed wing, which has been battling the jihadist group in northern Syria with support from U.S.-led air strikes.

But Moualem ruled out the idea of federalism, one of the ideas backed by the PYD and mentioned by a Russian minister as a possible model for Syria.

The Russian Defence Ministry said it had registered 10 ceasefire violations in the previous 24 hours, but the truce was largely being respected.

Rebels did, however, shoot down a Syrian government warplane over western Syria on Saturday, rebels and a military source said, although there were conflicting accounts on whether it had been brought down by a missile or anti-aircraft guns.

Rebels have previously shot down Syrian warplanes with anti-aircraft guns.

They have asked foreign backers to supply them with anti-aircraft missiles but say they have not received any, reflecting fears that they could fall into the hands of Islamic State.

(Additional reporting by Omar Fahmy in Cairo and Marina Depetris, Firas Makdesi, Yara Abi Nader and Tom Miles in Geneva; Writing by Tom Perry and Kevin Liffey; Editing by Alistair Bell)
Andrzej Rzeplinski (C), head of Poland's Constitutional Court, and judges attend a session at the Constitutional Tribunal in Warsaw, Poland March 8, 2016. Picture taken on March 8, 2016. REUTERS/Kacper Pempel

By Wiktor Szary

WARSAW (Reuters) - Tens of thousands of Poles marched through Warsaw on Saturday demanding their government respect the constitution, in an escalation of a confrontation pitting the opposition, the country's top court and the EU against the ruling conservatives.

Waving Polish and EU flags and chanting "constitution", the crowds on the opposition rally called on the government to recognize a court ruling against divisive legal reforms.

The eurosceptic Law and Justice (PiS) party has faced growing criticism from the European Union, the United States and rights groups since it swept to power in October and increased controls on media and other institutions.

Poland's constitutional court said on Wednesday that the government's decision to increase the number of its judges needed to make rulings was illegal, deepening a crisis that has stirred concerns about democracy and the rule of law in the EU's largest eastern member.

Critics say the reforms, which also change the order in which cases are heard at the top court, have made it difficult for judges to review, let alone challenge, the government's legislation.

But the government on Saturday repeated its refusal to publish the constitutional court's ruling in an official journal, saying the ruling itself was illegal and effectively leaving the court order in legal limbo.

It has argued the constitutional court is too powerful, allied to the last administration and determined to block reforms the party was elected to push through - charges dismissed by the court and rights groups.

RULING "NOT BASED ON LAW"

Large crowds gathered in front of a large banner reading "bring back the constitutional order" at the top court building, then marched toward the presidential palace in Warsaw's old town, filling a large part of the 3-km (2-mile) route.

In a Twitter entry, a city official put the number of protesters at more than 50,000, though that figure could not be confirmed independently.

"Years ago, Poles protested to change the political system," former World Bank economist Ryszard Petru, leader of the liberal opposition Modern party, told the crowds, referring to Poland's anti-communist Solidarity movement.

"Now we're protesting to make sure they don't suddenly change it."

Government spokesman Rafal Bochenek told a news conference earlier on Saturday it would not recognize the top court's verdict, saying the judges had broken the very regulations that they were ruling on when they made their statement.

"We uphold the position that Poland's government cannot publish the statement of some of the constitutional court judges, which is not based on law," Bochenek said.

He added that parliament would debate a separate statement by the Venice Commission, the rights body the Council of Europe's advisory panel, which called on the government to recognize the top court's verdict on the reforms.

The Venice Commission on Friday had said Poland's overhaul of the court would endanger "not only the rule of law but also the functioning of the democratic system."

(Reporting by Wiktor Szary; Editing by Andrew Heavens)
Murdoch Stephens, founder of the Doing Our Bit Campaign, which is calling for NZ to double its refugee quota.

OPINION: For three years I have been working towards a moment that will occur in the next few months: the 2016 announcement of New Zealand's refugee resettlement quota.

Our refugee quota has not grown in almost three decades. Australia is taking more than three times as many refugees per capita as us, and if we don't increase our intake, that will grow to four times by 2019.

Per capita, we're 90th in the world at hosting refugees, and 50th in the world with the more robust measure of recognising and resettling over the last decade. Both statistics are adjusted per capita, so our relative size plays no role.

The campaign did well during the 2014 election, meeting one-on-one with a dozen MPs. One year ago we were joined in the call to double the refugee quota by Amnesty International and ActionStation. The Dominion Post, NZ Herald and other major news organisations have published editorials backing a doubling of the quota.

But in September everything changed when Aylan Kurdi's lifeless body washed up on the shores of Turkey. A once-in-a-generation phenomenon occurred: the world paid attention to the struggle of refugees and people rallied to demand that our politicians help.

The crisis added urgency to our calls to double New Zealand's tiny refugee quota of just 750 places - some 200 families. At first Prime Minister John Key said that whatever New Zealand did would be tiny and would not stop the war or solve the crisis so he wasn't too concerned about the quota. This might have held some weight if he had committed to a generous aid package.

But fundamentally Key has misunderstood the purpose of the quota. The refugee quota system is not designed to move every refugee from conflict zones to the West. Most don't want to go - over 80 per cent of Syria's refugees remain in the surrounding countries - and want to return and build a free and peaceful Syria, when possible.

The quota is supposed to offer protection to those least likely to be able to survive prolonged displacement. That is why, in the last two years, one-fifth of our quota intake has been women at risk. We also have a much smaller, albeit important, category for people with specific medical needs. Last year we took five people in this category, which includes the healthy and able family members of those resettled. In the previous year we took 12.

The campaign to double our refugee quota started before the current refugee crisis and has, occasionally, been mistaken as our best response to the crisis. There are however, two other things that we should be doing for refugees in this time of crisis, as well as doubling our quota.

First, we need to use our international clout on the UN Security Council to push for peace. When I write 'peace' I don't mean it as an abstract concept like Yoko Ono and John Lennon asking the world to 'give peace a chance'. I mean concrete actions: enforcing a no-fly zone over Syria so those who remain don't fear Bashar Al-Assad's barrel bombs or the Russian missiles.

I also mean, in the mid-term, creating and sustaining a Muslim-led peacekeeping force that can't be criticised for being crusaders with an imperial agenda or with a lust for oil. If we genuinely want to solve the crisis we need to explore the space between 'doing nothing' and a 'doing something' that equates to another misguided war.

Second, if we genuinely want to stop people drowning in the Mediterranean and streaming into Europe, as is their right under international law, we need to stop the factors that push people to make this dangerous choice. The main 'push' factors are the completely austere and faltering administration of refugee camps.

For years Syrians made do in Turkey, Jordan, Lebanon, Egypt and Iraq because they could eke out a living, and had the hope to get home. But none of those countries give genuine protection to Syrians: adults can't work and risk arbitrary arrest just for being in those countries; kids can't go to school with local populations, nor with proper resources.

Cabinet now has all of Immigration NZ's recommendations for the refugee quota for the next three years. There is no reason for them to delay a process that has already taken too long. Doubling the quota is a modest and reasonable response to the very specific task of helping those least able to survive years of displacement.

But if we really want to do our bit as a humanitarian nation we need to we have to fund and guarantee basic protections in countries surrounding Syria. Anything else and refugees will continue to put their lives at risk making the dangerous trek to Greece and onwards into the West.

Murdoch Stephens leads the Doing Our Bit campaign to double New Zealand's refugee quota. On March 15 he will be speaking about the campaign and how people can help at St Andrews on the Terrace, Wellington, along with MC Raybon Kan and Rachel O'Connor from Red Cross.
Sick of the secrecy, socialite and mother-of-two Sophia Nash speaks openly about her alcoholism

An Auckland socialite wanted by police says she has skipped to Australia with her two young daughters to escape an unhappy marriage.

Sophia Nash, 27, was due to appear in the Auckland District Court on Wednesday to face charges of theft, driving while disqualified and breaching a community-work order.

A warrant was issued for her arrest after she failed to show, but the mum-of-two said she did not flee the country, instead she said she left to escape what she described as a dysfunctional relationship with her estranged shock-jock husband, Thane Kirby.

ELLA BROCKELSBY/FAIRFAX NZ Thane Kirby and Sophia Nash have had an on again-off again marriage.

"The reason I've left the country has got nothing to do with the court date," the model said.

READ MORE:

* Police seeking Auckland model Sophia Nash after court no-show

* Model Sophia Nash reportedly leaves country while wanted by police

* Sophia Nash, a beautiful car crash - and how she escaped alive

Nash said allegations she had stolen a $20 pink and yellow Christian Dior handbag from the Salvation Army store in Mt Eden in February were incorrect. She said the handbag in question had been hers, and she had been volunteering at the store as part of her community service after a drink driving conviction.

CHRIS MCKEEN / FAIRFAX NZ Sophia Nash became the face of a social media drug and alcohol campaign after being motivated to get sober for her two young daughters.

She said she planned to create a new life there with daughters Honey, 5, and Lola, 4.

She was making arrangements for Honey to start school in the area, she said, and had childhood friends nearby for support.

"We've been away for about a week so it hasn't been too long for her to be out of school - we're having a wee holiday."

Nash said she would be approaching the New Zealand courts in order to resolve the charges laid against her.

She disputed reports that suggested Kirby wasn't aware of her travel plans.

According to Nash, she had discussed her plans with the George FM DJ and she said he had planned to visit her and their children last week.

However, Nash said he did not fly out after she made it clear she didn't want to be with him.

"Once I said I wasn't going to stay with him, he said he wasn't coming."

Kirby wrote a post - which he has since deleted - on Facebook on Saturday alleging Nash had "left the country and has taken [their] children with her".

His employer, Mediaworks, said he would not be commenting on the situation.

In Kirby's post, he wrote: "I'm devastated but kinda powerless to do anything other than put this matter in the hands of my lawyer."

He said he was "wishing for my girls to come home as quickly as possible so we can put this terrible period behind us once and for all".

An acquaintance of Nash's, who did not want to be named, said they had been in touch with her after hearing she missed her court appearance.

Nash had responded, they said, saying she was fine. She had not mentioned any plans to skip the country.

"It's a bad decision, you know, I don't think she has made a healthy choice at all in leaving the country," they said.

"It's only going to exacerbate the problem - as now she has a whole lot of legal issues going on too."

The acquaintance could not comment on the nature of Nash's relationship with Kirby, with whom she had been with on-and-off since she was 19.

In a wide-ranging interview in January, Nash revealed her battle with alcoholism and described how she hit "rock bottom" when she was put in Wiri Women's Prison for two weeks for breach of bail while defending a drink-drive charge.

She was motivated to get sober for her two young daughters, and became the face of a social media drug and alcohol campaign.
The family of a 12-year-old girl who died in a suspected suicide have spoken out about the dangers of online bullying.



Kyana Vergara died suddenly at her Palmerston North home on January 11. Her death is the subject of a coroner's inquiry.



Sister Aundrea Denoon described Kyana as having a "heart of gold".

"She had so much to live for, she wanted to be a social worker and had an amazing voice once she got over her shyness, we were meant to be at her graduation and dance and give her away at her wedding and most of all she was meant to have a family of her own.

READ MORE:

* Bullying may be worse than child abuse

* Teen tackles cyber bullying head-on

* Tragic death of girl, 9, to be investigated by coroner

Palmerston North intermediate student Kyana Vergara and her sister Aundrea Denoon Gutierrez. Vergara died suddenly in February.

"She was into shopping and shoes, she loved her Converse, and played netball."

After Kyana died, the family discovered evidence of troubling social media postings that she had received.

"I just think it was typical bullying. The hurtful words that young kids say they don't realise. You call them ugly, you call them fat and it does damage and they don't realise that.

"She had a lot of friends, so we never thought it was happening. She was always happy, she always had friends at the house. She didn't look like somebody who was being bullied."

For Kyana's parents, who emigrated from Chile, losing their baby daughter had been the worst experience imaginable, Aundrea says.

Aundrea said she herself had been bullied at school, but the constant pressure of social media amplified the dangers.

"It started at school and it finished at school. Afterwards, it was my time to relax. Now, children don't have that space away from social media."

Ross Intermediate principal Wayne Jenkins said Kyana was a "wonderful student" who was involved in a wide range of school activities, had many friends and was well respected in her class.

"Our thoughts and wishes continue to be with Kyana's family and friends as they come to terms with this tragic loss."

According to a 2014 study, two out of five New Zealand kids had been exposed to online bullying.

Last year's statistics show 564 people committed suicide in New Zealand, the highest figure since records began. Ten children between the ages of 10-14 died, up from six the previous year.

The death of a nine-year-old girl Palmerston North student who was critically injured at school, and later died in hospital, is the subject of a separate coronial enquiry.

Under the Harmful Digital Communications Act, it is an offence to send or publish threatening or offensive material and messages. Spreading damaging or degrading rumours, invasive or distressing photographs, and harassing and intimidating people can also be punishable by up to two years imprisonment or a maximum fine of $50,000 for individuals.

Since it was passed last year, eight people have been charged by police. One person was jailed for four months, and another was sentenced to three months community detention and 200 hours community work. One person will be sentenced in January, while another applied for discharge without conviction and will appear in court next month. The other alleged offenders are still before the courts.

A police spokeswoman said Kyana's death was not being investigated under the act, and her death had been referred to the Coroner.

BEATING THE BULLIES

Children: Netsafe's cyberbullying advice tells young people to tell someone they trust, a friend, a parent or a teacher. Don't reply to bullies, but try to save the messages with screenshots.

Parents: If the bullying online or on a mobile phone involves physical threats, contact the police. Making threats of harm is criminal behaviour in New Zealand.

Teachers: Develop a "class contract" with your students that includes appropriate behaviour online/on mobile both inside and outside of school time.

For more information, go to www.cyberbullying.org.nz

WHERE TO GET HELP
Three West Coast officers were paid out half a million dollars by police after taking legal action against their district commander.

Area commander Inspector John Canning, Senior Sergeant Allyson Ealam and Senior Sergeant Phillip Barker claimed last year they were the victims of a "witch hunt" by Tasman district commander Superintendent Karyn Malthus.

They filed papers seeking $1.5 million in damages in July 2015, but withdrew the case less than a month later.

DAVID WHITE/FAIRFAX NZ Tasman area commander Superintendent Karyn Matlhus was appointed to the role permanently in December 2014.

The group reached a "significant" pay out, understood to be about $500,000 in total, according to a source, who did not want to be named. It is understood part of the sum went on legal fees.

READ MORE:

* Top West Coast police officer retires

* West Coast cops defamation claim withdrawn

* Top cops to sue boss over 'witch hunt'

* Internal investigation drags on

* Roastbusters case: No charges to be laid

The officers were not forced to resign, but it is understood the trio chose to leave because they no longer wanted to work for Malthus.

Earlier in 2015, Canning, Ealam and Barker were put on paid leave after a dispute with police over proposed staffing changes in the region.

They were also subjected to a survey conducted by an in-house police psychologist who evaluated their performance.

The defamation claim arose after the officers claimed Malthus made a series of comments to local media that portrayed them as incompetent and having failed in their duties.

At the time, police denied the comments were slanderous, and they declined to issue an apology or retraction of the comments and said they would "strongly defend any such claim proceeding".

The source said if Malthus had apologised at the time, the officers would have dropped the defamation claim.

Canning announced his retirement after 40 years of service in December.

Malthus, who was appointed district commander of the Tasman region in December 2014, has been in charge of several high-profile investigations.

In 2013, she headed the Roastbusters investigation in which three Auckland men were investigated for plying underage girls with alcohol and bragging about having sex with them on social media.

No charges were ever laid.

Malthus was also in charge of the handling of the investigation of former Northland top cop Mike Blowers who was jailed for four years and nine months after pleading guilty to one charge of theft of a controlled drugs and one of supplying methamphetamine during his 2014 trial.

The investigation also included a review of the treatment of another police officer, Detective Andrew Glendinning, who raised concerns about Blowers but was investigated himself.

It is understood that Glendinning had attempted to raise a personal grievance as a result of his treatment, but told he was "out of time". Glendinning did not respond to a request for comment.

An internal police review into the handling of the case was launched in December 2015, but police have remained tight-lipped on its findings, but it is understood that recommendations would be put in place at both a district and national level.

Last week, 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.
A former male stripper has set up an ambulance service, prompting a warning from St John about "undesirables" entering the industry.

Shane Casbolt, 25, launched the Lifecare Event Ambulance Service Christchurch, which offers patient transport and trained medics for events.

Casbolt's colourful work history includes emergency service roles as a volunteer firefighter, surf lifesaver and first aider, and he once claimed to have been a "ghost buster".

MARTIN DE RUYTER / FAIRFAX NZ Shane Casbolt pictured in 2013 after starting an animal rescue in Nelson.

READ MORE:

* Ambulance service short of millions

* Ambulance patients to benefit from new initiative

According to his company's Facebook page, he charges $100 for patient transport, and employs medical crew who can provide advanced first aid at events for $230 a day.

St John general manager David Thomas has raised questions about Casbolt's past.

"I'm particularly concerned about some operators that have backgrounds that are undesirable."

Thomas is troubled that private ambulance operators like Casbolt may be misrepresenting themselves as event medics and ambulance services.

"We are concerned about the safety of the public and ensuring that they achieve proper clinical care."

Casbolt defended his new venture, saying the company met the required industry standards to provide first aid.

He said he had qualifications in advanced first aid and basic life support, and that he had worked for St John and other ambulance companies throughout New Zealand for "a number of years".

St John has confirmed Casbolt was a volunteer youth cadet in Motueka, but said he was never an employee.

In 2011, Casbolt's role at a crash scene in Nelson was questioned after he told a reporter he was a paramedic but he later acknowledged that he was a first-aider not a paramedic.

In the same year, Casbolt was also convicted of impersonating an officer and sentenced to community work but the penalty was later replaced with a $1300 fine.

He also has an interest in the paranormal after being arrested in a former psychiatric hospital in 2013.

When asked this week about the charges, Casbolt claimed to have been wrongfully convicted.

"That was false, still to this day I don't know where that actually came from."

However, Casbolt is still marketing his ambulance business - although he said he was yet to attend any incidents in his sign-written vehicle.

Lifecare says it has four staff members, and offers a "text a medic" service.

Online, Casbolt said the point of the service was for those who weren't sure whether to see a doctor or call an ambulance.

"This service however should only be used for minor injuries and advice . . . in the event of an emergency when you are unsure about something or a life is in danger please ring 111 immediately."

The post was deleted after media inquiries.

The number used to "text a medic" was the same number used for another of Casbolt's businesses, Dominate Christchurch Male Strippers.

The company's Facebook page showed several photos of Casbolt, one shows him taking a selfie while wearing a firefighter's outfit.

"Let's face it women love a man in uniform especially a firefighter," one of the posts said.

"Why not surprise your friend with a firefighter Stripper for their hens night. our firefighter will turn up the heat and make sure everyone has a good time as well as arriving in a first response vehicle fully equipped with lights and siren." (sic).

Casbolt later deleted the Facebook page.

He said he did not run the stripper business anymore as it got "too busy" and he did not have enough staff.

Casbolt's Nelson Animal Rescue pet ambulance service has also come to an end.

He set up the charity in 2013 to provide a pet ambulance and transport service for strays or animals in need of medical care.

When asked at the time about his qualifications, he said he had done a basic animal first aid course one evening at the Stoke Vet Clinic.

On Thursday, he said the service had been "really successful", with around 15 staff  including vet nurses.

"We were actually busier than the SPCA at that stage."

Comments on this story have been closed. Thanks to all who participated in the discussion.
Police and search and rescue teams are looking for two men missing on Mt Taranaki.

Two trampers reported missing on Mt Taranaki in separate incidents have both been found safe and well.

One man lost his way on the Waiwhakaiho track on Sunday, but had used the number on a stoat trap to lead police to his location, Senior Constable Vaughan Smith.

He was walked out by police on Sunday night.

The second man was a German tourist who had climbed to the summit with a friend, but became exhausted on the way down and wandered off the track.

The man told his friend he would meet him at Tahurangi lodge, then called his friend an hour later, about 7pm, to say he was near the "Lizard" and couldn't move.

His cellphone then died, but police had been able to trace his location from the call.

The man was found by the Taranaki Alpine Cliff Rescue team late on Sunday night, about 2000 metres up the mountain.

Smith said the tourist was found "well off the track" and was "rather tired, but safe and well".

Searchers were walking him down off the mountain about 12.30am on Monday.
When botanist Joseph Banks visited New Zealand in 1769-70, he recorded in his diary that he was awakened by birdsong.

"The numbers of them were certainly very great . . . their voices were certainly the most melodious wild musick I have ever heard".

Now a flock of tech folks want to return the dawn chorus to its rightful volumes.



They call the project Cacophony.



The idea is to stick improved smartphones into the bush. They will record birdsong and send the noise, GPS location and time to computers in the cloud. They will "turn birdsong into data".



READ MORE

* Ten things you never knew about New Zealand's birds

* Plant natives to entice tui closer to Chch

* Potential rat plague threatens native birds

* Botulism-like disease kills Auckland birds



"By capturing the sound of our ecosystems, we're going to build up a dataset that tracks exactly what the birds are telling us, over time and over the whole of New Zealand," the Cacophony website says.



The idea is: "the louder the local dawn chorus ... the healthier the local ecosystem".



Grant Ryan, perhaps best known for developing the Yike Bike, initiated the project. He moved to Akaroa after the earthquakes and heard more birdsong once he'd eliminated pests from his property.

DEAN KOZANIC/FAIRFAX NZ Dave Lane, left, and Cameron Ryan-Pears with a "cacophonometer" they use to record birdsong as a Riccarton Bush wood pigeon flies overhead.

He has since been joined by Open Source computing guru Dave Lane, Cameron Ryan-Pears, the main engineer, and a small team of volunteer tech types.

The smartphone  dubbed a "cacophonometer"  is improved with a waterproof box, a solar panel for power, a microphone, camera and speaker.

"Five years ago, this would have been science fiction," Ryan told a recent Ministry of Awesome event.

Still to be perfected is sound recognition software that can analyse the data and breakout which types of birds are singing, Ryan said.

The project is now researching whether the cacophonometers can be used to lure pests with noises (hence the speaker). Possums may respond better to noise than smell, especially if the noise promises a mating opportunity. Ryan is becoming conversant with "possum erotica".

Cacophony's software filters out noise created by humans, Lane said. They worked hard on privacy issues from the start, he said.

It is hoped once the prototype cacophonometer is improved, New Zealanders will buy them and place them in likely bush areas. More assistance with the technical aspects of the project is also sought.

Learn more and sign-up at cacophony.org.nz
Restarting a new life has been hard for Ralph Simpson and his family, but they don't miss their old life.

Just reading the witness statement you could feel the boy's fear. He was under 15 and living on Thailand's streets when he was brought back to an apartment where two Western men were waiting. There he became their plaything.

In those moments, reading those documents, Ralph Simpson felt angry.

"Those images do haunt you. You feel that nobody gives a damn. That this kid is utterly alone."

IAIN MCGREGOR / FAIRFAX NZ An estimated US$100 billion in trafficking money comes from the sex trade, according to the International Labour Office.

Eight years ago, Simpson was a partner at Bell Gully, one of the country's biggest corporate law firms. He was successful, earning a large pay packet. He admits he was "cushy" when he first came across the term "sex trafficking".

READ MORE: Bodies for Profit - A multimedia investigation into Bangkok's sex trafficking scene

He had a young daughter and the more he learned about the 4.5 million people forced into sexual exploitation through deception or coercion, the more he was appalled by it. While internationally sex-trafficking forms only a small percentage of overall trafficking in labour and industrial work, most of trafficking money does come from the sex trade - an estimated $147 billion according to the International Labour Office. But fewer than 1 per cent of victims are ever rescued or participate in any judicial process.

IAIN MCGREGOR / FAIRFAX NZ Many of the sex workers who are trafficked are sent to work in tourist areas, such as Pattaya, Phuket, Bangkok and also in Chiang Mai.

"There are other problems where I have nothing to contribute but with this the people who can help the most are police, social workers and lawyers."

Simpson started talking with a large American organisation that worked in the field when he saw Daniel Walker speak. Walker, not his real name, is an ex-Christchurch police officer, who after leaving the force worked investigating sex trafficking for years. Then he decided to branch out and start his own organisation - Nvader. Walker wants it to become one of the most influential NGOs of its kind and has grand ambitions for it.

Simpson had reached a point in his career where he wondered what was next. Would he become a judge? Would he become a Queen's Counsel?

IAIN MCGREGOR / FAIRFAX NZ Nvader helps set trafficked sex workers up with opportunities for a new life - if they want it.

"Or was I going to do something that would make a bit more difference?"

He went through a grieving process, he says. He was not going to be a judge. He was not going to earn as much money as his peers. But it was now or never and if it was not now then he was all talk. He imagined himself at the end of his life looking back to these two pathways.

"Which one was going to make me most satisfied? Or which one is going to make me feel like I've sold out?"

He picked the former. So he and his wife Joy packed up and last year left Auckland to live in Chiang Mai, in the north of Thailand, where Nvader is based. Simpson is now Nvader's company director. Joy also started work with an organisation offering counselling and after care for sex trafficking victims.

Trafficking happens all over Thailand. A lot of it starts in the border areas such as Issan in the east and Mysore in the west. They come from Myanmar, Laos and Vietnam. Those who have been trafficked are generally sent to the tourist areas such at Pattaya, Phuket, Bangkok and also in Chiang Mai.

It has been difficult adjusting to life in Thailand, Simpson says. It has been an opportunity to get away from the chase for money, personal ambition and prestige. But everything happens slower in Thailand, he says. He was used to going in to meetings and coming away with timeframes and actionable goals.

But five months into the job he found himself frustrated at the lack of progress on a particular case. It involved that 15-year-old street boy and one of those Western men. He was with the police and the FBI. Simpson's tendency to put timeframes on things did not go over well.

Eventually the sex tourist was arrested. He was sentenced to 10-and-a-half years in prison. A lawyer working for Nvader worked with the Crown to stack up irrefutable evidence suggesting the Westerner had no doubt that the boy was under the age of 15. On the back of this, the victim was able to successfully bring a claim of compensation. But Simpson says there is so much variance in prison sentences for sex trafficking it is hard to predict an outcome. This, however, was a good one.

Much of his work is focussed on what Nvader should throw its resources behind. The organisation has investigators that work on "rescuing" victims and also an arm looking at the larger organised crime framework behind the industry. However, both aspects to Nvader are bound by law. For example, they are unable to wiretap but they are able to conduct investigations and then hand the evidence gathered over to police. Then they try to represent the victims through their own lawyers and social workers. But more often than not they appear in court as witnesses. Nvader has had a 100 per cent success rate in prosecuting sex traffickers.

Simpson tries to get back to Bangkok once a month where he meets with other NGOs to build relationships.

"There has been shocking behaviour by some agencies so you start behind the eight ball. There have been those with a hero mentality who are unprofessional and dangerous."

Some have been kicked out of Thailand for the way they operate so Simpson is conscious of making sure Nvader is not lumped into the same category. He does not want to be seen as just another Westerner trying to solve another problem in the third world.

He is also conscious of the murky area that anti-sex trafficking organisations occupy - combating a crime that sometimes struggles to have easy definitions or solutions. For many women who are trafficked the motivation is economic. In many cultures in Southeast Asia it is up to the eldest daughter to provide for the family. But there are few options to make any money. So it is the family that often offers up their own flesh and blood to traffickers. And then even if these women are "rescued" they can end up back in their village and at risk of the exact same thing.

The court process is lengthy and can be traumatic. But the story does not end with a successful prosecution. It ends with a woman or child, as they are overwhelmingly represented in sex trafficking statistics, safe and set up with opportunities for a new life - if they want it.

As Simpson says that once rescued and repatriated they will hop straight back on a bus to Thailand.

"What we are doing is constantly under review. We are always asking what benefits we create. We need to make sure that we aren't creating net harm ... we have to keep making sure we are doing good."

But others want another life.

He tells the story of Mai who was trafficked five years ago when when was 16. She was living in a rural village and told she could earn money in the city working as a waitress. When she arrived there was no waitressing job and she was forced into sex work.

"She suffered really bad trauma ... She wouldn't want to sleep, she became violent and hostile."

One of the traffickers was tracked down. They got eight years in prison. Two others were on the run but that went to court two weeks ago. Mai had a breakdown during the trial but by the end of it Simpson says she was glad that she went through helping with it. It incorporated various agencies, including the one his wife works for, to bring the case to light. Simpson says it was a model for how this work can operate.

She also came away with about $10,000 in compensation.

"That is a chance to restart her life," Simpson says.

As for his and his wife's, Simpson has at least another four years in Thailand. They miss their family and say it has been hard restarting their lives but they don't miss their old one.

Besides, there is work to be done.
Airtel-Dialog deal likely to see light of day By Duruthu Edirimuni Chandrasekera View(s): View(s):

The much-discussed (and denied) merger deal between Bharti Airtels wholly-owned Sri Lanka unit and Dialog Axiata, the Malaysia-based Axiata groups telecom arm, is likely to go through this year, Datuk Azzat Kamaludin, Dialog Axiata Chairman told the Business Times.

On the sidelines of the inauguration of the Sri Lanka Investment and Business Conclave 2016 organised by the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce, where he delivered the keynote address, Mr. Kamaludin said that Dialog was in discussion with Airtel in this regard. He added that Dialog was keen to expand its spectrum and in this respect Airtel fitted the bill.

Asked to respond to this news, an Airtel spokesperson declined to comment. Mr. Kamaludin also said that Dialog is always eyeing opportunities to expand in all areas. Reminiscing the trials confronted by Dialog Axiata when it started in 1995, he told the business forum that the milestones for the company happened during the worst of times for the country.

He said that during what was called the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th Eelam wars, Dialogs major investments happened. Mr. Kamaludin was appreciative of Sri Lankas human resources, saying that there was a wealth of human resource here and abroad and a company that harnesses such human resource well is bound to do well. The company provides employment to 300 people and indirectly supports 100,000 families in the value chains. So what you may ask is our experience investing in a foreign country. First, I believe while one must be concerned of the policies and stability of the country, the business opportunities as reflected in the size, growth potential of the market, the investment climate, and incentives provided to invest, the investor has to accept conditions cannot be exactly as he wants it to be.

He added that Dialog paid Rs. 11.1 billion as taxes to the government in 2014. Having come to Sri Lanka in the worst of times and survived and thrived, we look forward to the best of times, to work with the Government of National Unity, to realise its promise of peace and prosperity for Sri Lanka. For those who are waiting, watching or wanting to invest in Sri Lanka, I say wait not, I suggest you float with Sri Lanka.

In his address, Special Assignments Minister Dr. Sarath Amunugama noted that the location, human capital and natural resources at the disposal of investors was an incentive to invest in Sri Lanka. The Middle East, which once had huge assets, has today become an unstable area. They were the best of Sri Lankas friends. Many of our people found employment in the Middle East. We look forward to resuming those links but today it is in turmoil. The economies of India and China have had to be changed, their growth target downgraded.
Dian Gomes wants to share Hela wealth View(s):

Hela Clothing, a clothing group which recently came under apparel expert Dian Gomes, plans to go public while also investing in Kenya, a source market for the US. The company plans to go public in about four years once it becomes a US$400 million organization, company Chairman Dian Gomes told the Business Times.

He said that in doing so they would be sharing the wealth with the people.

The company also plans to establish itself by buying more small local factories.

Commenting on his own work systems he said People think Im a radical, but Im a socialist.

He noted that Kenya is a market which has duty free access to the US for its products as a result of which they moved in with one plant.

The company has acquired six plants from Jinadasa company and plans more mergers with smaller companies, he explained. Currently, it has plants in Hambantota, Matale and Kurunegala and were marketing to clients like Calvin Klein, Marks and Spencer, Levis, Decathlon and Soma Intimates, a US brand.

When Mr. Gomes moved into Hela Clothing, it was a $80 million company with about 6,000 people and about six plants but has now grown to a $130 million company with 10,000 people. Retiring in December 2015 from MAS, Mr. Gomes joined Hela Clothing bringing in British national and former Merrill Lynch Chairman Robert Wigley as an investor in February this year. Marketing lingerie, casual wear and kids-wear, Hela joined Foundation Garments which has a history of about 25 years, it was noted.

Mr. Gomes explained that they were looking at making this industry much more productive through lean innovation and speed to the market with timely delivery. The ex-MAS Director has been able to attract a number of staffers from his previous workplace to join the new establishment having picked about two senior persons in this regard and a few others joining the new clothing line.
Fishermen and other affected groups mull protests against port city View(s):

The governments intention to review the Colombo Port City project is causing a hornets nest along the sea coast from Ma Oya (Waikkala, Kochchikade) to around Moratuwa with fishermen along these areas flexing their muscles for a gigantic protest campaign island wide as this disaster not only affects the fishing industry, but is also a national disaster destabilizing the countrys eco system.

On Wednesday, Minister of Development Strategies and International Trade Malik Samarawickrema told an investment conference in Colombo that the port city project had been cleared by Chinese authorities, after the former had extensive meetings in Beijing last week. Its all systems go from the Chinese side for this project while we expect the EIA report soon in the next few days, he said.

Meanwhile, a meeting was held in Negombo this week to sketch the protest, and the campaign is supported by Kandalama Rev Fr Sarath Iddamalgoda and organized by the United Front representing those who would be affected by the new development.

Present at the meeting were representatives from fishermens organizations, social and community service organizations and Catholic priests and nuns.

Hemantha Vithanage, Executive Director, Centre for Environmental Justice (CEJ) alerting about the hidden dangers of this project, said that in the first instance the Chinese company  China Communication Construction (Pvt) Co is one of the most corrupt companies in that country and blacklisted by the World Bank.

The project was first envisaged in 2002 when Ranil Wickremesinghe was Prime Minister under the Reawaken Sri Lanka Programme and then on 17 September 2014 by former President Mahinda Rajapakse and the budget for the project is US$1.4 billion, he revealed.

The main reasons to protest against this project, he pointed, are that the project was started under an unlawful agreement and violated the Sri Lankan law. He indicated that the original area of 120 hectares was changed to 269 and the extents are changed constantly. Another major reason he said is that it affects the sovereignty of the country. He went on to indicate how the laws are violated quoting relevant sections of the laws.

He pointed out that during the election campaign as an election promise Mr. Wickremesinghe said that this project would be suspended forthwith as it harms the environment in a big way.

With all these promises and assurances, Mr. Vithanage indicated that while a fundamental rights appeal in courts was pending against the Port City, the Prime Minister in Switzerland has declared that the Port City Project would resume.

He said that sand for the project would be obtained from the shallow seas from Uswetakiyawa to Negombo. The sand obtained from these shallow seas earlier was 200 million cubic metres (cm) and a further 60 million cm is expected to be dredged.

The sea bed would be seriously damaged by dredging sand from shallow seas and as a result the silt in the sea bed would be heavily disturbed, resulting in the deterioration of fish breeding. Further, he pointed out that due to the sand dredging the coast along Galle Face, Dehiwela, Mount Lavinia, Ratmalana and Moratuwa are already under heavy sea erosion and further dredging would cause further erosion.

He said that 3.43 cm of boulders are needed for the project and afterwards for building construction further quantities of boulders would be needed. With the blasting of rock those living near rubble quarries would face landslides, and floods, etc, he pointed out.

As in the cases of Kandalama, Iranawila Kerawalapitiya and Wattala protests in Kerawalapitiya and Iranawila several people were killed by the repressive action of the government, where these projects were established.

One participant who did not want to be identified told the Business Times (BT) that the protesters would be treading on very dangerous grounds and, as the government has decided to go on with the project there would be likelihood of protesters being attacked and there could be lives lost.

The organisers were also trying to ascertain whether they would be able to engage the United Nations Environmental Agency in the protest campaign.
Govt. not involved in SL investment summit in Singapore View(s):

Questions have been raised about in-the-news Perpetual Treasuries Ltd (PTL) being one of the lead sponsors of the Sri Lanka Investment Summit being held in Singapore on March 15. A newspaper advertisement recently promoting the event also revealed PTLs big-time involvement. PTL is linked to Central Bank Governor Arjuna Mahendrans son-in-law, Arjun Aloysius.

However a spokesperson from the Prime Ministers Office, asked for a response, said the government was not involved in the event which was a private one. The money markets and the stock market expressed surprise over PTLs involvement as a lead sponsor given that a fresh probe is being initiated by a parliamentary committee on the February 2015 tainted Treasury bond issue where PTL won most of the bids. Why were there unsolicited bids for this event? All primary dealers should have been asked for sponsorship proposals, one dealer said.

The Singapore event summit presented by FinanceAsia will feature a keynote address by Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake and Mr. Mahendran among other speakers.
Sri Lanka and Thailand to improve business and trade relations By Jayampathy Jayasinghe View(s): View(s):

A high powered business delegation from Thailand led by the Deputy Prime Minister of Thailand Dr. Somkid Jatusripitak arrived in Sri Lanka last week sequel to the visit by President Maithripala Sirisena to Thailand, to promote business investment in both countries.

State Minister of International Trade Sujeewa Senasinghe, speaking at a business forum in Colombo with the visiting delegation, said that a conducive business climate has been created in Sri Lanka for investors to come to Sri Lanka after the new government assumed office in January 2015. The government has signed several trade agreements with neighboring countries and as a result now has access to markets in India, Pakistan, Malaysia and Thailand. Our target is to achieve US$1.5 billion trade with Thailand following the setting up of a one stop shop with the Board of Investment of Sri Lanka, he said.

Deputy Prime Minister of Thailand Dr. Somkid Jatusripitak said that Thailand and Sri Lanka share many similarities in cultural heritage, religious and people-to-people to partnership. He said Thailand views Sri Lanka as an important trading partner where several cargo ships pass through the Indian Ocean to the Middle Eastern and the European Union.

Minister of Primary Industries Daya Gamage said that his Ministry and the Export Development Board and other agencies are working together to promote exports and to bring in investors to create new enterprises in Sri Lanka. Trade between Sri Lanka and Thailand is estimated to be around US$ 550 million. He said the trade between the two countries was not a healthy balance as exports from Sri Lanka was valued at US$14 million.

He said around 60 per cent of Sri Lankas outbound travellers visited Thailand while Thai tourists arriving in Sri Lanka was just around 3 per cent. Thailand exports to Sri Lanka used cars, sugars, textiles and chemical products while Sri Lanka exports were gems, jewellery, tea and spices. It is worthwhile for Thai businessmen to engage in value addition of export goods to India and Pakistan from Sri Lanka, he added.

Thailand Minister of Industries Atchaka Sibunruang and the Deputy Director General, Chokdee Kaewsang were also present.
Sri Lanka devises reform plan ahead of IMF support facility negotiations By Bandula Sirimanna IMF team here during March 20-24 View(s): View(s):

Sri Lanka is putting together an economic reforms plan with government spending cuts and tax rises which is close to what was suggested by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) during the end of its country surveillance process.

The government is likely to receive IMF assistance this year to enhance dwindling foreign reserves and tackle the current balance of payment (BOP) and trade deficit problem, official sources disclosed.

A team of IMF economists (Article IV end negotiating team) will visit Sri Lanka next from March 20 -24 for a financial review on 2016 fiscal accounts in determining the status of unpaid claims, contingent liabilities and other information related to appropriation and spending in that year.

They will assess economic and financial developments and discuss the countrys economic and financial policies with government and central bank officials, sources said. However, according to Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, instead of taking loans like previous governments and trying to get out of this crisis, his government was looking at increasing income from within the country.

The IMF mission also plans to meet with parliamentarians and representatives of business, labour unions, and civil society before reporting its findings to IMF management and then present them for discussion to the Executive Board.

The Finance Ministry will present the economic reforms plan to the IMF negotiating team for their observations to start the programme of financial or technical assistance following the consent of the IMF Executive Board.

The sources said the IMF Article IV end negotiating team will not be involved in a forensic audit, as earlier thought, on Sri Lankas fiscal accounts during their stay in the island. The mission had earlier advised the government to urgently make a stronger effort to narrow the fiscal deficit and put the public finances on a sustainable path.

The bulk of fiscal consolidation would be primarily through (1) raising revenue by broadening the tax base, (2) simplified tax structure, (3) bolster efficiency and fairness of tax administration, increase the VAT rate to 15 per cent including retail and wholesale, keeping NBT rate at 2 per cent, which was exclusively reported by the Business Times on February 21 in an article headlined IMF urges 15 per cent VAT to retain NBT at 2 per cent, consolidate debt reduction.

The PM announced proposed tax amendments in Parliament this week, as his government looked at new ways to generate income amidst economic instability. A mini budget presentation is also on the cards. Sri Lanka will hold discussions with the IMF this month on a support facility after the announcement of these policy decisions by the Prime Minister this week.

It will be in the form of Stand-By Arrangements (SBA), Flexible Credit Line (FCL), Precautionary Credit Line (PCL) or technical support facility. Based on the budget framework for 2016, IMF staff estimates suggest the fiscal deficit could widen further. Meanwhile, Sri Lankas public debt has risen to over 74 per cent of GDP by end-2015.

Despite the narrowing of the current account, capital outflows have intensified and the overall balance of payments deteriorated, the sources said. These outflows were accompanied by downward pressure on the rupee and a decline in central bank gross foreign exchange reserves.
Sri Lanka overwhelmed by Chinese tourists View(s):

Careful! You just might bump into a Chinese on the street dont be surprised  they are taking Sri Lanka by storm from its workers in a state-run projects and now its travellers spilling over to this far-flung island to taste the tropics.

China is set to become the next biggest source market for Sri Lanka tourism in the future as it heads towards overtaking India as evidenced from February arrivals this year.

Chinese are at present the biggest travelling nation, and they have surpassed most of the other countries internationally so countries like Sri Lanka will get their fair share of outbound Chinese, veteran hotelier former Aitken Spence Hotels MD and Executive Consultant for RIU Resorts in Sri Lanka and Maldives Malin Hapugoda told the Business Times.

More than 120 million Chinese went abroad in 2015, spending US$104.5 billion, according to official data from there.

Mr. Hapugoda also explained that more Chinese would visit Sri Lanka as they were attracted to China-friendly nations.

However, with the economic slowdown lately observed in Chinas GDP it could have an impact on the growth trends, Mr. Hapugoda said.

The slowdown in its economic growth could result in a dip in their spending in future, whereas today the Chinese are considered the highest tourist spenders internationally. The World Tourism Organisation has predicted that Chinese tourists will make up to 250 million outbound trips including mainland residents entering Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan.
Sri Lankas credit- card economy View(s):

At a local pub, Citizen Perera told Eternal Grumbler Silva that he was amused by a recent media report where well-known Minister Sarath Amunugama had spoken on the topic Whats so special about Sri Lanka at an investment conference. Why? asked Silva. Well  whats so special is that we keep changing the goalposts on taxes every 3-6 months!

Jokes aside the recent revised tax rates is another example of inconsistent policies, a bane of Sri Lankas political economy for many years. Because the economy is linked to political happenings, taxes have had no consistent policy structure or reforms. In recent times, its a case of one proposes and the other deposes!

That the economy is in dire straits is no secret anymore; that the country is on an economic downturn is also evident and cannot be hidden from public glare. The Government is finally admitting it, better late than never one would say. Economists argue that the signs were all there for the past three years but were ignored. The new administration, though it rode to power on a platform of ending corruption and excessive spending, and restoring proper fiscal management, has fulfilled only one (corruption) of the three promises.

Timing, it seems, isnt the governments best virtue. On the same day an investment conference opened in Colombo (on Tuesday morning) with a ringing call for foreign investment with no roadblocks, the government that evening announces a series of significant tax changes, changing tax rates (and reintroducing older ones) just three months after it was first announced! With a plethora of advisers, the Prime Minister, who has a good vision, should have been advised that the timing was poor in making such an announcement.

Over and over, foreign investors have identified the lack of consistent polices as one of the biggest deterrents to investment. The recent Harvard-led economic summit in Colombo drove that point home strongly, reinforcing what others in Colombo have been saying ad nauseam for many years. What would have gone through the minds of investors at the Colombo forum when they were informed of policy changes in taxes, as they toyed with the idea of investing? With the Prime Minister taking the reins whenever a financial crisis emerges, the credibility of the Finance Minister and his pronouncements are under question, not a good omen for investments.

The economic crisis is two fold: A spending spree by the previous regime and its debt spilling over in 2015-16, coupled with high spending by the present administration too (largely also due to a bloated public sector workforce, duty free vehicles, and poorly-targetted welfare measures). Debt piling up and a US$4 billion bill of loan repayments and bond outflows in the next 12 months is what the government is up against; hence the harsh tax measures impacting severely on the private sector because tax revenue is the only way out.

Another question being raised is whether a Finance Ministry announcement on Monday March 7 about the discovery of an unseen Rs.1 trillion loan owed by the previous regime which puts the economy further out of gear, was coincidentally made on the same day Fitch Ratings downgraded the Sri Lanka country rating. The ministry announcement was made on the evening of the morning of the Fitch announcement. Furthermore its puzzling how such an amount, which has to be in some Treasury book, wasnt found by old and new mandarins of the Treasury in the past 14 months.

In defence, government economists argue that if the government was trying to deflect attention from the Fitch downgrade, it cannot be because the extra Rs.1 trillion burden is itself further negative to the ratings. On Thursday, Standard & Poors also downgraded the country rating with analysts saying such downgrades was not unexpected given Sri Lankas high risk owing to piled-up debt, payment dues and eroding revenue.

Economists like Colombo Universitys Prof. Sirimal Abeyratne say that the present crisis is no surprise and was evident for many years. He says the usual practice of mixing politics and economics is still on and that there is no middle path. The country needs serious reforms or it could perish (economically), he argues. The government came on a platform of corruption and lack of governance. But rather than admit these problems and take the public into their confidence, they proceeded as if there were no serious economic issues, he said.

The government says the latest tax swings will not impact a large segment of the population. Thats easier said than done.

For instance, one is yet to see what items VAT will be increased while the rise in corporate taxes would be passed to consumers with indirect taxes rising. Capital Gains is another new headache for corporates. All what the average consumer sees are the macro changes in taxation while at a micro level, people are clueless about the impact.

Macro-economic issues however are the result of micro level problems (subsidies, handouts, excessing state spending, loans, etc). The reality is that the people need more jobs and better incomes. Taxes affect the peoples spending capacity, reduces demand in the economy which then lowers production, leads to less income and as a result less jobs. In such a situation, the policy of higher taxes amidst a proposed one million jobs plan is an inconsistent formula, Prof. Abeyratne believes. At the moment Sri Lanka is dabbling with a credit-card economy; the country is living on borrowed cash while the people are spending money they hope to earn in the future.

Foreign investment is needed to increase jobs as local investment is insufficient to meet that demand. More jobs means more money in the hands of people, more income means more spending power which leads to demand for goods and services and results in increased output/production. That growth unfortunately is not taking place right now. While foreign investment is still happening amidst changes in tax policy and the absence or delay in much-needed public sector reforms (particularly an urgent decision on the future of inefficient and highly indebted public companies), the kind of high-end investment Sri Lanka is trying to attract may take longer than anticipated.

While prescriptions are easy and implementation is the hard part, the government seriously needs to dig into its basket of formulas and avoid poor timing announcements. It must go back to the drawing board and prepare a tax policy where occasional tinkering wont impact investment decisions not only by foreigners but also local companies. The need for more tax revenue is inevitable as long as its properly done and minimises the damage that one sees today.
Sri Lankas farming goes hi tech with a Russian firms assistance By Bandula Sirimanna View(s): View(s):

Sri Lanka enters into exact farming technology exploring the potential between space and agriculture to ensure local farmers get maximum possible benefits utilising modern space technology for the first time in the agri industry, Agriculture Ministry officials revealed.

Exact Farming is a platform jointly developed by SupremeSAT and Silicon Valleys Exact Farming Inc (a Russian firm) to offer high quality, most frequent processes of satellite imagery to the farmer community of Sri Lanka through the Ministry of Agriculture.

The Ministry has introduced the exact farming techniques in Sri Lanka under the Wasa Visa Nethi Ratak a mission to make Sri Lanka free of poisonous agro-chemicals and thereby free of poisoned or polluted food including rice, vegetables and fruits.

President Maithripala Sirisena launched the exact farming technology at a three-day exhibition and sale held at the BMICH in Colombo this week

The ministry will be able to receive exact information of agrarian lands in the country and will also be directly linked with every farmer in Sri Lanka, Minister Duminda Dissanayake told the gathering at the opening ceremony of the exhibition.

This will take the Sri Lankan agriculture to greater heights since globally accepted advanced benefits such as mapping, crop insurance, weather forecasting, harvest monitoring, seed/fertiliser/pesticide usage monitoring/distribution, harvest related warehousing/export/import planning, farmer pension portal, etc can now be made available to Sri Lanka, he added.

An image from space allows farmers to analyze soil layers up to several metres deep and when machines put fertilizer in the soil, agricultural technology works according to an image from space and ruts are opened where they need to be opened.

Exact Farming will strive to make every Sri Lankan farmer to be fully equipped with all information relating to his crop cultivation starting from knowing where his land is to the weather, soil, cultivation, harvest data of that land at his fingertips.

All the crop cultivation information will be provided through a mobile application using satellite technology, he revealed.

The Minister took personal interest to ensure the implementation of this project is fast tracked so that the Sri Lankan farmers too enjoy the greater assistance of space technology without any further delay, a senior official of the ministry told the Business Times.

This platform will create new value for farmers by supporting day-to-day agriculture decision with information from sensors, satellites and weather models. Sri Lanka will become a gateway of introducing the services of Exact Farming Inc a Russian firm whose founder is Mikhail Kokorich, a Russian millionaire who also owns Russias only private satellite manufacturing company.

The Ministry of Agriculture also launched Astrocrop global farming platform in Sri Lanka with the President being the first user.

The platform connects millions of farmers in Sri Lanka under one platform which will be managed by the ministry.

For the first time in Sri Lanka, The ministry has now taken the steps to create precise mapping of all the farm land in Sri Lanka and to have a platform which include all the necessary data with regard to the farmers and their respective lands owned by them.
Taxes: Grand art of levying so as not to oppress View(s):

The Prime Minister made a special statement in the Parliament on March 8 to specify certain amendments to the budget proposals 2016, to clear the mist prevailing in the arena of taxation. This seems to reconcile the tax changes to be implemented and are in line with the tax policies stipulated in the Prime Ministers Economic Policy Statement on November 5, 2015. There is a thrust towards the collection of more direct taxes towards the journey of achieving 60:40 per cent indirect to direct tax ratio by 2020 and also to heal the low Tax to GDP ratio by boosting overall tax revenue.

The corporate and non-corporate income tax proposals presented in the November 20 Budget would be on hold for a period of one year and status quo will remain subject to the changes announced. However, all these announcements including the previous variation are pending legislation.

Corporate Income Tax

As per the present Inland Revenue Act, there is a 5-band income tax rate that would be applicable on corporates depending on the nature of the business activity. The standard rate of 28 per cent is applicable on most of the companies whereas the concessionary rate of 12 per cent applies on selected industries such as agriculture, exports, tourism, healthcare, small and medium enterprises (SMEs), construction, etc. Few sectors including education, warehouse, poultry, Unit trusts enjoy the low rate of 10 per cent. Trustees, Executors, Receivers are taxed at 24 per cent. Companies engaged in Liquor and Tobacco contribute to the state coffers at the rate of 40 per cent.

The currently applicable spread of the income tax rates reflects the policy of Re-pricing (one of the 4 Rs of taxation) i.e incentivise and discourage certain business sectors by using high/concessionary rates. The 2016 Budget Proposals was focused at projecting Sri Lanka as a low income tax jurisdiction in terms of both corporate and individual income tax.

The proposal was to apply a 15 per cent standard corporate tax rate on all corporates except subjecting few selected industries (liquor, tobacco, betting and gaming, trading, banks and financial institutions) to a higher rate of 30 per cent. The 15 per cent standard corporate tax rate proposed was way below both the global average corporate tax rate of 23.64 per cent as well as the Asian average 22.49 per cent.

However pursuant to the PMs statement, Sri Lanka would apply a 3-band income tax rate on its companies depending on the nature of the business activities. The currently applicable standard corporate tax of 28 per cent and the higher rate of 40 per cent would continue to be applicable as legislated in the current Inland Revenue Act (IRA) sans any change. The companies enjoying concessionary and the low rate of 12 per cent and 10 per cent, respectively would be called upon to contribute to the state coffers at the rate of 17.5 per cent once the IRA is amended. The fate of income tax rate applicable on trustees, executors, receivers is yet to be seen.

The strategy of attracting foreign investors by projecting Sri Lanka as a low income tax jurisdiction with a standard corporate and individual tax rate of 15 per cent is a challenging task in the context of Sri Lankas low tax to GDP ratio.

The effect of the PMs proposal is to hold over the said strategy of the low income tax regime and to collect more corporate and individual income taxes in aggregate. However, the additional corporate taxes that may result in is at the expense of the corporates that were enjoying concessionary and low tax rates such as exports, health care, agriculture, SMEs, tourism, construction, etc. Perhaps this is an unintended result that failed to capture the attention of the policy maker.

These preferential categories would experience additional rate hike of 5.5 per cent and 7.5 per cent on top of the currently applicable rate of 12 per cent and 10 per cent. There is neither a corporate tax rate increase nor a decrease for companies currently paying income tax at the rate of 28 per cent and 40 per cent. However, overall corporate income tax (direct tax) collection in absolute terms should rise compared with the previous years provided that the number of corporates and their profit levels do not dip in the future.

This move, reverses the Rs. 6 billion loss of corporate income tax collection budgeted for the downward revision of corporate tax rate in Budget 2016 proposals to project country as a low income tax regime.

Tax on individuals

Under the present IRA, the computation of the income tax liability of the white and blue collar worker, professionals in practice or self-employed earners have subtle differences. The budget proposed a three time hike of the personal income tax free allowance for the white and blue collar workers and a five time hike for the professionals in practice and self-employed earners with a flat 15 per cent tax rate in lieu of the progressive tax rates for additional income above the tax free allowance.

As per the new announcement the above budget proposals will not go through and the currently applicable progressive income tax rates, tax free allowance and the tax deductions would continue. All individuals enjoy Rs. 500,000 personal tax free allowance. White and blue collar employees are permitted an additional Rs 250,000 as a qualifying payment deduction taking up the total tax free earnings to Rs 750,000.

The decision to maintain the statusquo would also eliminate the budgeted Rs. 4 billion loss in the budget proposals.

This ensures the personal income taxation in the country would not be converted to a regressive system as pointed out by some critics earlier. For those who are not savvy with the technical term, investopedia (online dictionary) defines regressive tax as a tax that takes a larger percentage from low-income people than from high-income people. A regressive tax is generally a tax that is applied uniformly. This means that it hits lower-income individuals harder. The policy to maintain the statusquo with regard to the personal income taxation is in harmony with the canon of equity in taxation i.e broader shoulders should bear more weight.

Nation Building Tax

The PM pointed out that Nation Building Tax (NBT) is a tax on turnover and that the proposed rate increase in the budget of 2 to 4 per cent could affect all sectors of the economy. This is because a tax on turnover is cursed with the evil cascading effect.

In order to collect indirect taxes, the comparison is between an incremental cascading 2 per cent on turnover under the aegis of NBT as opposed to incremental 4 per cent on value addition (difference between the VAT rate of 15 per cent and 11 per cent). The Government has done well by opting not to increase the rate of NBT but to increase VAT for the collection of indirect taxes. VAT is the global indirect tax collection tool opted by over 160 countries for gathering indirect taxes.

All hikes of tax rates are bitter for the taxpayer however an exercise of better discretion could reduce the bitterness.

NBT was introduced in 2009 as a temporary measure only for two years in budget 2009. Sri Lanka at present levies indirect tax not only on value addition but on turnover, making a hybrid tax system. NBT should be eliminated in the tax reform process of Sri Lanka in the medium term with the gradual stabilisation of the tax system.

As per the November budget and confirmed in the PMs statement, NBT has been extended to hitherto exempt electricity, lubricants and telecommunication services.

Telecom industry

Telecommunication industry has been imposed with VAT in addition to the NBT. The reintroduction of these two indirect taxes warrants tracing the history of the industry. At the beginning of 2011, by way of Telecommunication Levy Act No 21 of 2011, Telecommunication Levy was introduced as composite tax to substitute VAT and NBT that were applicable on the industry prior to 2011. Perhaps, what prompted the policy makers of the day for the switch was that there were disputes between telecommunication companies and tax authorities in relation to the application of VAT on distribution of telecom cards via distributors and dealers.

A study of VAT on distribution of telecom card sales in foreign VAT jurisdiction reveal that the VAT statutes contain specific technical VAT rules as to the manner of application of VAT on telecom card sales whereas there is a lacuna in the Sri Lankan VAT statute addressing the industry. The policymaker of the day instead of including telecom industry specific rules to the VAT Act to address the issue, opted to eliminate telecom services from the VAT base and introduced a simple, composite levy, currently at the rate of 25 per cent while exempting both VAT and NBT in 2011. Hence the re-introduction of VAT and NBT on top of the telecommunication levy is placing the industry players in double jeopardy, whilst inclusion of the telecom services within the VAT base is the right move from overall tax policy perspective. However, the double jeopardy should be avoided by freeing the telecommunication industry from the telecommunication levy. It goes without saying telecom specific VAT rules must be embedded in the VAT statute in order to avoid a repetition of the past.

Value Added Tax

Commendable is the fact that the Government took cognisance of the complexity both the taxpayers and the administrators would have been exposed to with multiple rates and that too one for goods (at 8 per cent) and one for services (12.5 per cent) by introducing the single rate of 15 per cent. The country that is hailed as a role model among the GST/VAT jurisdictions, New Zealand is also using a rate of 15 per cent. The World Banks Systematic Country Diagnostic Report (at paragraph 86) points out that a decline in VAT collection is the main driver of tax to GDP reduction in recent years.

Contrary to the popular belief, for a person VAT exempt status is not the preferred status as it prevents the person from claiming input VAT paid to his suppliers. Coming out of the VAT exempt status and being liable for VAT, enables person to recoup all the VAT paid to the suppliers. This, reduces the cost of sales which in turn enables to reduce the price to the end customer though the VAT should be charged on the customers. Hence, the removal of exemption leads to an increase in price by the quantum of VAT rate is a misnomer. All consumers must be aware of this when entangled with price bargaining with the traders. There seems to be a move to reduce the multitude of exemptions which is the bane of the Sri Lankan VAT system as reflected in the removal of existing VAT exemption on private education and private healthcare.

In order to provide relief it was proposed by the PM to keep essentials goods out of the VAT on wholesale and retail trade. However, even at present some of essential goods are free from VAT due to being subject to Special Commodity Levy.

Capital Gains Tax

Perhaps the high watermark of the PMs statement which has caught the attention of many is the re-introduction of Capital Gains Tax (CGT). The reason of the policymakers for the decision may be traced to the recent revelation in the World Bank Systematic Country Diagnostic Report that there is great disparity with regard to the spread of capital among the citizens in Sri Lanka. Twenty per cent of the population is in possession of 80 per cent of the capital of the country. This fact, coupled with the requirement to gather more direct taxes to the Government coffers both to rectify the very low tax to GDP ratio and anomaly seen in the direct and indirect tax ratio may have compelled the Government to resort to the move.

An amendment to the late 1950s to Income Tax Ordinance 1932 introduced the CGT to the Sri Lankan web of taxes. Since the inception, the CGT witnessed many changes. From the Y/A 2002/2003 by virtue of the Amending Act No 10 of 2002, levying income tax on capital gains as a source of income was abolished. Sri Lanka has not been levying a tax on capital appreciation from 2002/2003. Tax on Capital Gains provides a common source of tax revenue to many Governments globally. In the Asian region, though Singapore does not levy tax on capital gains, countries such as India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Cambodia, Afghanistan, Malaysia, Taiwan, and Thailand charge tax on capital gains.

The famous 4 Rs of Taxation sets out the reasons for levying tax, and the 4 Rs are Revenue for the State, Re-distribution of wealth (one of the significant purposes of taxation), Re- pricing (to incentivise and discourage certain industries) and Representation (accountability of the representatives).

Reintroduction of the concept into the Sri Lankan web of taxes should be carried out with great caution, being alert to various dimensions. The policymakers must appreciate that levying a tax is an art, like the bee extracting honey without harming the flower.

King Fredrick the Great (in 1712) said No government can exist without taxation. This money must necessarily be levied on the people, and the grand art consists of levying so as not to oppress.

In conclusion, taxpayers deserve more certainty with regard to the tax system and a long term vision taking into consideration Sri Lankas social environment. Policymakers should unleash the Sri Lankas economic growth potential while short and medium term measures are being implemented to heal the immediate wounds. Tax reforms is an unending journey. Sri Lankas tax policy and tax administration requires more care and attention.
WorkInSriLanka Quarterly Meet-up on March 15 View(s):

WorkInSriLanka (WISL) will be holding a Quarterly Meet-Up on March 15 as its first event of the year, the organisers said in a media release. This is a networking event, exclusively for professionals who have recently moved to Sri Lanka or those who are thinking of moving in the near future. It will be an ideal place to discuss the opportunities and challenges of living in Sri Lanka, while connecting with industry representatives, it said.

WISL has conducted three successful annual conferences along with several Quarterly Meetups since its launch in May 2013. Established as a volunteer-run brain-gain initiative, WISL offers comprehensive information on careers, living, education, housing and visa requirements for the Sri Lankan expat community as well as non-Sri Lankans through its website and actively engages with them through informal forums such as the quarterly meetups.

The WISL conference in December 2015, held under the theme of Breaking Barriers, Building Bridges brought together recent returnees, expats living in Sri Lanka, investors, and industry experts to discuss the opportunities and challenges in making Sri Lanka the worlds preferred work destination. The conference saw the participation of officials from the Government and private sectors strategising to build a stronger brain gain platform for the country. The event proved to be a great networking opportunity for companies and prospective candidates, the release said.
At what cost poetic justice? View(s):

My Dear Akila Viraj,

I thought of writing to you because you seem to be the man mostly in the news these days, much more than Yoshitha, Champika or even Mahinda maama and that too without even being remanded or summoned before a commission of inquiry, so you are a lucky, lucky man!

Akila, many people say that you are too young for the extremely responsible job you hold, but I dont agree. You may not remember this but your boss, the Green Man, was appointed as Minister of Education soon after you started schooling  and he was just over thirty year of age at the time!

You were a good ten years older when you took on the job, so I dont think anyone can say you are inexperienced. If I were you, I would be more worried about the fact that apart from the Green Man and good old CWW, no one who was Minister of Education made a lasting contribution to the nation.

Whats more, we have had a few mavericks who are remembered more for what they said than what they did. There was Vi Ja Moo from the Green side and just when we thought no one could beat him at being silly, Mahinda maama appointed Bandula for the job and he took on that role effortlessly!

What I am worried about is that because of what happened in the last few weeks, you too may be remembered in a similar way. In fact, thinking about certain events that have happened recently, I am wondering whether some of our Ministers have been given the jobs they have for a special reason.

Why, we had a Minister in charge of Law and Order who, despite being a leading lawyer apparently didnt know that the courts, and not the Parliament, was the place to defend his clients. As a result he had to forfeit his job although we still have a Justice Minister who did the same but kept his job.

Then we have a Health Minister who speaks on anything and everything and predicts what happens next. Unfortunately though he hadnt looked after his own health very well and had to be rushed overseas for treatment. Thankfully, he has made a good recovery and will be in back in action soon.

Now we have you showing the world how educated you are. First you claim that someone has a deadly disease. Then you say that you would be obtaining a court order to separate that person from the persons child. Frankly, that beats even Bandulas one family can live with 2,500 rupees a month!

Are we to assume, Akila, that under yahapaalanaya, everyone gets to know what diseases everyone else has? And are we also to assume that you have discovered a new method in which this deadly disease is transmitted? Maybe we should be nominating you for the Nobel Prize for Medicine, then?

I know, Akila, that since all this, you have done your best to settle the matter. You have acted in good faith and even found the best school of all for that child. Some people though are suggesting that while you are searching for schools for this child, you should also look for a school for yourself.

Now, dont get me wrong. We know that you were educated at possibly the best school in the country but judging by what you have said, it seems as if you took that schools motto quite seriously and departed before you learnt anything. So, many people think it is high time you went back to school.

I suppose a little bit of health education about how deadly diseases are transmitted could have done the trick and saved you from all this embarrassment but you shouldnt expect the doctors in the GMOA to teach you anything  the Green Man, in his own way, has ensured that they wont help you!

Some say that the people of Kuliyapitiya who protested against that child being in the same school with their children are foolish. I, for one, am not surprised because if you, being the minister, say that the parent and the child should be separated, why shouldnt they separate their children too?

Akila, now that a school has been found for that child, I hope you were able to forget all these worries and enjoy the Royal-Thomian. You still have hope. After all, I dont think anyone took much notice of JRs Education Minister  and look where he is now, although he himself says he is only a spare tyre!

Yours truly,

Punchi Putha

PS: Come to think of it, I am not so surprised about people in Kuliyapitiya behaving in the way they did. They are from the Kurunegala district where voters allowed you to top the Green preference vote list and Mahinda maama topped the Blue list. Not content with that, they sent people like Dayasiri and Johnston to Parliament too. Need I say more about their level of intelligence?
Foreign Ministry: Up, up and away View(s):

Records are tumbling at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Minister Mangala Samaraweera who was away from Sri Lanka for 20 days returned to Colombo for only one day.

The next day he went to South Korea. This time he was accompanying Foreign Employment Minister Thalatha Athukorale who was in Seoul to find more employment opportunities for Sri Lankan youth. There was a time when Sri Lanka gave up its bid for a UN Security Council seat to South Korea in return for jobs.

The customary media statement on the Samaraweera visit, a practice that has been adopted from his predecessor G.L. Peiris, was not there. The only difference in those statements is that they are sent simultaneously to the media through three different units in the Ministry. Perhaps the idea was to ensure that if one failed, the other would draw media attention. Instead, a note to the media referred them to a short news item in Yonhap news agency. South Koreas national news agency said Samaraweera had met his counterpart.

The latest foreign jaunt comes as the much anticipated conference of Heads of Sri Lankas overseas missions has been postponed indefinitely. Insiders say that both President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe were not too pleased with the preparations made by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The Ministry had called for quotations for air tickets. It was for 54 Business Class tickets for Ambassadors and 14 consuls. Initial estimates came to a total of Rs. 30 million. Factoring the hotel accommodation, transport and meals for five days would add another estimated Rs. 12 million or a total of more than Rs. 42 million.

A conference of envoys based in Europe could have been held when Minister Samaraweera was there as a member of President Sirisenas official entourage. On the other hand, like other western missions, they could have even thought of video conferencing with the important posts.

Briefing notes to overseas envoys are few and far between since the Government was voted to office. Meanwhile, Karunatilleke Amunugama, Sri Lankas Ambassador in Germany and accredited to Switzerland, was not included in Samaraweeras delegation to Bern. Instead, violating accepted norms, Sri Lankas UN envoy in Geneva, Ravinatha Ariyasinha, who merely functions as a Consul in Switzerland, was included.

In a minor shake up at the Ministry in Colombo, new appointments have been made after a committee went into reorganising the work. New units are being set up in the Ministry. That includes Ocean Affairs, Strategic Studies and Climate Change. There is a unit for Overseas Sri Lankans as well, a much deserved place to which Sri Lankans overseas can communicate, especially on dual citizenship, and hopefully, investment proposals. These changes come after the Economic Affairs Division was brought under the purview of Minister Malik Samarawickrema.

Sexploits of lusty politicos

With at least two lassies who have won his heart in a state outfit which he oversees, the Romeo thought, it was better to shift one out, lest there be internal squabbles.

The man persuaded a like-minded colleague, much his elder, to name one of them to head a promotional body under his colleague. But the chairman in charge of the outfit simply refused to place his signature on the letter of appointment. He said she did not possess the necessary vital statistics  read qualifications  for the job. Who cares when she has the requisite political clout?

That is all what is necessary thought the two top buddies. When one is in an assailable position, there are many fun loving types who are willing to help. So the signature issue was overcome. And now, the bird has flown to Europe to represent wonderful Sri Lanka  a land like no other.

Home Ministry not doing homework

It was an official news release from the Ministry of Home Affairs and signed by its Secretary J.J. Ratnasiri.

The first paragraph spoke of today cremation of the Most Venerable Galagama Sri Aththadassi Thera, the Mahanayake of the Asgiriya Chapter.

However, in the second paragraph, instead of referring to the late Mahanayake, the news release referred to the late Ven. Maduluwawe Sobhita Thera.

The Home Ministry needs to do its homework better.

Marikkar silent on questions about KP

Colombo District UNP Parliamentarian S.M. Marikkar raised eyebrows among his colleagues as he remained silent when a question in his name in the Order Book came up for answer.

The question was neither raised nor answered. Listed in the order book for answer by Minister of Law and Order and Southern Development, it related to Kumaran Pathmanathan, the man who headed the LTTE procurement wing. He asked:

(a) Will he inform this House -

(i) the present whereabouts of Kumaran Pathmanathan alias K.P. who had been a leader of the LTTE and was subsequently arrested ;

(ii) the charges against him;

(iii) the current status of the investigations carried out in regard to the aforesaid charges;

(iv) the period of time that will be taken to complete the aforesaid investigations; and

(v) whether action will be taken against him according to the law after the investigations are completed?

(b) If not, why?

However, Mr. Marikkar acknowledged a question he raised immediately thereafter on the Lankaputhra Bank. It was answered by Minister Sagala Ratnayake.

Slip of the tongue or man in the mind?

Agriculture Minister Duminda Dissanayake refused to accept a letter of resignation handed over to him by Ministry Secretary B. Wijeratne. The move to resign came after Mr. Wijeratne, during a national ceremony at the BMICH referred to President Mahinda Rajapaksa instead of President Maithripala Sirisena. He later said sorry and corrected himself.

The occasion was a national campaign to promote organic food and fertilizer instead of those with chemicals. Such seems to be the over-powering influence the former President had on public servants; or is it that HE still lives in their minds  and hearts?
Recognising many months of darkness in Sri Lanka View(s):

A bold initiative took place this week when a collective of Sri Lankan women from the north, east, south and up-country areas publicly announced their decision to boycott International Womens Day.

Putting specific demands forward

Declaring March 2016 as a month of darkness, specific demands were outlined by the Womens Action Network to Sri Lankas political leaders. Calling upon State recognition of violence against women and children as amounting to a national crisis, legal and policy reforms to ensure speedy trial were named as a priority.

Special teams with the requisite competence and skills were requested to be established to expedite long pending cases in the Attorney Generals Department together with sufficient resources allocated for preventative measures. It was observed that the National Task Force on Violence against Women established last year as a yahapalanaya (good governance) move should be strengthened and provided with necessary supervisory powers to oversee the process. This recommendation has particular import given the plethora of bodies in this country that have overlapping mandates and sweeping objectives but very little political or financial muscle to back those grandiose plans up.

A guiding standard of victim centeredness to be adhered to by judicial, law enforcement and service providing officers (including Judicial Medical Officers) to secure the safety, protection and dignity of women and ensure equal access to available services was also stressed.

Political will continues to be absent

At first glance, the boycott call is something out of the ordinary. Marking March 8th each year has deteriorated to a woefully mundane affair, attended by the fulsome speeches of politicians in the full glare of television cameras. This is accompanied by the wastage of public funds not only on the pomp and ceremony of useless events but on promotional advertisements announcing the commencement of yet another womens national policy drive or some such equally deplorable asininity.

In the meantime, there is no political will to reform the investigative, prosecutorial and judicial branches of government. Indeed, given the extremity of the crisis of sexual violence that confronts us, it may well have been appropriate to extend the mourning of a dark March to a longer time period.

As the Womens Action Network correctly points out, thousands of women and their families have lost faith in the justice system. Even the limited compass of cases in which this group has been advocating on reads like a typical list of horrors. Among the cases detailed are the 18 year old school girl raped and murdered in 2015 in Punkudutheevu, the rape and murder of a woman in Batticaloa as well as in Gampaha respectively in 2009 and 2016 and the rape and murder of children in Kayts, Hatton and Vavuniya. Some of these cases occurred last year, indicating that there has not been a noticeable decrease in the wave of sexual violence. In each of these cases, initial protests by villagers in the relevant areas, though strong and agitated at first, peter out gradually.

In some instances, though the legal process was set in motion, results were conspicuously absent. Routinely, proper legal procedures were not followed, forensic procedures were bypassed and the chain of custody was compromised. Even if alleged perpetrators were arrested, they were almost immediately released on bail. Meanwhile, the trial is extended for years with the witnesses being threatened. Faced with this most daunting environment, the family members of the victim most often drop the case. Last years enactment of a Witness Protection law has not seen a noticeable change in this negative environment.

What should we celebrate?

So it is opportune on March 8th this year, to ask as to what precise individual and collective freedoms are being celebrated. Hence the aptness of the boycott call is undoubted. Post-yahapalanaya Sri Lanka proves the point that not all the problems besetting the country can be attributed to a particular regime, however brutal and despotic that may have been.

Rather, systemic Rule of Law failures are the reason why there can be no individual security of women or indeed also men, until effective political will is demonstrated to address this problem. The criminalisation of law and order, breakdown of trust in the legal process and constitutional institutions as well as a general lack of basic security is manifest. This month saw an unprecedented increase in underworld killings even as a front ranking Cabinet Minister was allegedly implicated in a hit and run incident where the victim remains in dire risk of losing his life.

At what point would we begin to recover the confidence that disputes would be determined at the highest levels without political bias, the rule of law would be implemented to its fullest and the prosecution of the guilty would take place without fear or favour? When would citizens be treated equally by State institutions despite differing political views, notwithstanding whichever government happens to be in power? What would it take for an ordinary woman (or man) to be able to enter a police station without fear or for a litigant to enter a courtroom without trepidation?

The powerful and the powerless

And at what point would the profligate spending of those in political life cease? The Governments announcement this month of varied tax increases bound to adversely impact on struggling families are in abrupt contrast to increasing perks that parliamentarians of all political parties are conspiring to grant themselves. Is this why a so-called National Government was voted into power? The Ministry of Agriculture is reported to be expending an astounding sum of twenty one million as monthly rental even as farmers are out on the streets in fury over the cut in fertilizer subsidies. These are obscenities that cannot be tolerated.

Unfortunately, the Sirisena-Wickremesinghe combine elected to office on an exuberant wave of peoples expectations has failed in several respects to justify the public trust placed in them. The dilemma that Sri Lankans are placed in when deciding their vote in future elections is harsh. Ineptitude and inefficiency coupled with degrees of political greed in the yahapalanaya regime face off in one corner against rank racism and communalism with even worse greed of the Rajapaksa brand in the other corner.

These are unenviable choices indeed.
Will they clean up the mess from our diplomessy? View(s):

So it was another mess-up by that once-sacred institution that houses the brains that oil our diplomatic machine. Last Sunday this newspaper referred to the embarrassing episode when the New Zealand Prime Minister John Key and his aides on an official visit to Colombo were almost stopped from leaving the hotel they stayed-in for non-payment of their final bill.

Fortunately the communications network in this country worked better than the internal communications system at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs which has undergone name change under the yahapalanaya style of government but certainly not altered the lazy insouciance and bloated image of itself that has characterized the approach to diplomatic affairs and practice in recent years.

Whats in a name asked the Bard. What indeed! Had the return to an earlier name spelt an improvement in performance in the service provided by this ministry that had in the golden years earned the respect of many capitals around the world for the professionalism of its diplomats and the resolute manner in which they conducted affairs of state, one might be excused for glossing over recent errors as the aberrations of ill-trained mediocrities thrust into positions that are hardly their metier.

With the man in charge of minding the store scouring the world for new friendships or capitals to explore, the ministry founders from one faux pas to another while foreign diplomats scratch their heads but publicly pay pro-forma tributes to the new government.

But as the Sunday Times has pinpointed time and again, it is not a single faux pas that has brought embarrassment to this country but several which inevitably leads to questions of the quality of those entrusted with the tasks of conducting national diplomacy locally and abroad.

The embarrassment to this government by the sorry mess the Foreign Ministry made at the tail end of New Zealand Prime Minister Keys stay is symptomatic of the malaise that has eaten into the very bowels of this institution. Months before the Key fiasco, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe on a visit to Japan, fired several salvoes in the hope of rescuing a floundering diplomatic ship.

What happened to the New Zealanders must surely rest at the doorstep of the Protocol Division which is responsible at this end for coordinating visits of delegations from abroad. Yet more recently it has shown that those tasked to shoulder these duties are not only incapable of handling the simplest of them but have also cultivated an oversized ego.

It seems that those who have been thrust into positions they are ill-equipped to handle appear to take their jobs so lightly and lackadaisically without regard to what is expected of them. Here is an example of the attitude that seems to prevail among some of our so-called diplomats. Last month the Sunday Times raised the question of President Sirisenas visit to Germany. It was a legitimate issue because while it was described as a State Visit there were doubts expressed in some diplomatic quarters whether it was in fact so.

Since I had my own views about what constitutes a state visit I wrote to the spokesperson of the ministry asking for a clarification. That official, Mahishini Colonne replied promptly saying that as it was a matter for the Protocol Division she had passed it on to the relevant division for a response.

That was on February 22. Some days later I sent a reminder inquiring whether Protocol had responded which obviously it had not. In the meantime I emailed several serving officials both in Colombo and at our missions overseas asking whether my interpretation was correct. They all gave their views which corresponded with my own some replying you are quite correct.

At this writing on March 10, nearly three weeks later, I am yet to hear from the panjandrums at Protocol. If one of the key divisions in our ministry is unable to answer a straightforward question it means sheer apathy, a lack of regard for public queries or an inflated self-image which precludes them from providing basic information not only to the public but to their own colleagues whose task it is to feed the public and media with information.

Surely the raison detre for this government to create the post of a ministry spokesperson was to provide information and answer questions. While that should be appreciated the position becomes non-functional and the spokesperson incapacitated if senior officials in the other divisions of the ministry fail to respond by providing the required information.

The reasons for this range over an area from deliberate obstruction, nonchalance, jealousy and throat-cutting that prevails among some of the present crop of so-called diplomats. Several years ago when I referred to some as diplomutts in a column, friends in the career service thought I was being unfair. Naturally it was not a reference to all career officers. There are very competent, well-read, serious-minded individuals who understand and perform their tasks as career diplomats in the foreign services of other nations do.

But the quality of recruits has deteriorated in the last two decades or more, one reason being the politicization of the foreign ministry with inbuilt factionalism and ill-trained or untrained career officers not mentally equipped for the task of diplomacy, jumping over qualified seniors because of their political affiliations.

A case in point is what is happening in the Protocol Division. The kind of purblindedness and arrogance that prevailed when some served in Public Communications with one officer telling me how to write a press release when I was serving at our Bangkok Embassy. It caused then foreign minister Bogollagama to label him a fool. This habit seems to have been carried over to Protocol.

The same kind of arrogance and lack of perspicacity had prevailed in some of our other outposts including Sri Lankas first and biggest diplomatic mission where dog- eats-dog policies had reduced the effectiveness of our diplomacy.

Luckily for me when I went into journalism straight out of Peradeniya University I came in touch with many career diplomats who later became friends with whom I had close relations and had the opportunity of spending days with them, watching them at work at their overseas posts and their interaction with their counterparts from other diplomatic missions.

Those I came to know included some of those from the very first batch to enter our foreign service such as Vernon Mendis, Arthur Basnayake (who passed away recently), Glennie Peiris, Ben Fonseka and H.O.Wijegoonewardena, my house master at S.Thomas College.

Later there were others such as Manel Abeysekera, Elmo Joseph, Bandu de Silva, Susantha de Alwis, Chandra Monerawala, Jayantha Dhanapala, Wilhelm Woutersz, Nihal Rodrigo and a few who are still in the service I rather not mention for good reason. I had a long experience with Shirley Amerasinghe during the days spent in the Middle East on a UN mission and with Neville Kanakaratne in Washington.

There were others like Esmond Wickremesinghe an adviser to President Jayewardene who would have taught the present lot a thing or two about diplomacy and negotiating skills. Unfortunately the frailties of the current foreign ministry and several of its denizens, let alone a discussion on what is inherently wrong and how some of it can be put right, will take more than a single Sunday Column to air. This discussion must be carried further because structural alterations to the ministry as envisaged in the arrangement with the Singapore foreign ministry is not enough to put this right.

The refusal of the ministry to clarify the innocuous query about what defines a state visit is a classic example of responsible career persons either not being aware of government policy or being imbued in their own importance not to take media queries seriously.

The government has said it believes in open administration and is now ready to debate the freedom of information draft bill. While the government is promising openness, minions in the foreign ministry appear to think disclosing what constitutes a state visit is tantamount to leaking state secrets.

Such people have no place in a freshly-oriented foreign ministry. Either they should seek another career or fall in line with state policy. With heads of missions being called to Colombo later this month for a briefing on what is expected of their missions and their tasks ahead, it would be useful to put down some issues that Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and his team and the Singapore advisers would need to take up at some stage.
Parity for women, take practical steps View(s):

International Womens Day has come and gone marked locally by the Prime Minister announcing that there should 25 percent womens representation in local government bodies. Not to be outdone, a former President, the first woman Head of State of Sri Lanka, said it should be 50 percent. Fortunately, the incumbent President didnt enter the bidding fray with a higher offer.

In Canada, newly elected Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, son of the dashing premier of yesteryear Pierre Elliot Trudeau, won even more female hearts by having half his Cabinet comprise women though the proof of their success lies in their work ahead. In Sweden, they like to call themselves a feminist Government, but of the 30 topmost blue chip companies in the country none of the CEOs is a woman. In the US, theres every chance that the Americans would see their first woman President by next year.

And so the struggle for the emancipation of women goes on. But how much of the issues confronting women hinge on their participation in politics? In Sri Lanka, most of the women in politics have had some kind of dynastic element. They are either widows of assassinated husbands who were in politics, or their sisters. Few have made it without these credentials. For a country that produced the worlds first woman Prime Minister and woman Head of Government one would think that Sri Lanka by now should be up on the ladder of women breaking the so-called glass ceiling and giving political leadership without having to enter on some quota basis.

And yet, a research paper by manthri.lk published in this newspaper last year pointed out that while women MPs constituted a mere 5.8 percent of the last Parliament their contribution to all debates in the House was a pathetic 2.6 per cent.

The harsh reality of it all is that a large number of Sri Lanka women are breaking their backs in inhospitable West Asian countries doing menial jobs. They have left their families and a string of social problems back home. In the Eastern Province, ask the police and they will tell you that child abuse issues are on the rise and this is directly linked to absentee mothers working in West Asia. In the plantations, where women traditionally worked in the fields in equally harsh conditions, the new generation of young adults does not want to follow in their mothers footsteps. Armed with a basic education, they have abandoned the line rooms for employment in the air-conditioned comfort of beauty salons, supermarkets, restaurants and foot-massage parlours of the cities leaving a gaping hole in the work force on the plantations.

Most other women are in the garment factories behind juki machines or work as nurses, or are in government service doing clerical work, or as teachers. The countrys vastly networked health care system that exists today, much admired by many countries, has been largely attributed to Universal Adult Franchise that the people of Sri Lanka obtained way back in 1931. Sri Lankan women were early recipients of this privilege, even before the women of France, for instance. Elected representatives at the time were not necessarily women, but the voice of women voters resonated, and their demands for better health services, especially in child care needed to be heeded. What is therefore required now is not so much womens representation in elected legislative bodies, but the voice of women as pressure groups.

It is not that the voice of women is unheard. Several NGOs plead their cause. There is, however, a deficiency in them being in a position to mount a sustained campaign such as equal pay for equal work. Even the nurses union, arguably among the more vocal, is headed not by a woman but by a Buddhist monk.

Sri Lanka is well placed in the United Nations Millennium Goals relating to gender parity in the health care system and in education compared to several countries, especially in South Asia, but that ought not be the standard. Further efforts are required to raise the share of females in wage employment in the non-agricultural sector.

To mark International Womens Day with a simplistic proposal to increase women representation in elected bodies is not the answer. There are many things that need be done and can be to improve the lot of the marginalised women. Take for example, the situation with Sri Lankan women in West Asia numbering more than half a million. We have said ad nauseam that the number of women diplomatic officers and counsel in our missions in West Asia needs to be increased to cater to the multifaceted needs and issues of those women workers. This call has fallen on deaf ears  for years, at Government level.

If the Foreign Ministry cannot send its women career officers there for reasons best known to it, the Prime Ministers Global Affairs Committee at least must take the lead and look at this discrepancy. There are so many practical steps that the Government must take  and can take, and that are not being taken, purely on the widely held belief that greater representation of women in elected bodies will be the panacea for all issues facing the women of Sri Lanka. That will be the furthest from reality.

HIV: The home truth

The recent incident involving a six-year-old boy being deprived of a school because of a rumour that his parents had HIV has been an eye-opener in more ways than one.

It showed that awareness of the facts of HIV has not reached, or seeped into areas like Kuliyapitiya where the boy is from, even though that part of the country is no longer the backwoods. The incident itself became world news and displayed the weakness in the social fabric of a country that once boasted a close-knit, caring, compassionate society and how modern day prejudices have taken over.

Sections of the media have come in for criticism for identifying the boy. This is always a difficult test for the media to differentiate between sensationalism and public interest. To the schools that came forward as Good Samaritans must go the credit for their enlightened approach. One hopes the boy will turn out to be a fine all-round student.

Meanwhile, the Joint UN Programme on HIV and AIDS reports an alarming statistic; that three individuals in Sri Lanka are diagnosed as HIV positive each week. Cumulative deaths due to AIDS is 380. In 2014, as many as 900,000 potential HIV carriers were tested.

Amidst all the brouhaha, what needs to be stressed is that those living with HIV have equal rights in Sri Lanka regardless of gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity, religion  or HIV status. The Ministry of Education will do well to send out a circular to educate the educators on this subject. The case from Kuliyapitiya, the Ministers own constituency has been a blot on Sri Lankas age-old prestige as a caring nation.
Bonjour Cinema for 11th time By Susitha R. Fernando Francophone Film Festival View(s): View(s):

The 11th edition of the Bonjour Cinema!, Film Festival from French Speaking Countries will be held from the March 17 to 20 in Colombo and from March 19 to 20 in Kandy.

The Festival will present a collection of diversified movies produced in member countries of the International Organisation of La Francophonie (OIF), reflecting the diversity of the francophone world.

Each year in March the  mois de la Francophonie  is celebrated all over the world. In Sri Lanka,the High Commission of Canada, the Embassies of France, Vietnam, Switzerland, Romania, the Consulate of Tunisia, Wallonie-Bruxelles International, represented by the Consulate of Belgium,and the Alliance Francaise de Kotte in association with the National Film Corporation and Agenda 14 have come together to present the Festival Bonjour Cinema!

All the films will be presented with English subtitles, enabling the audience to experience different aspects of the Francophone world through cinema.

Aiming at bringing free cultural activities that entertain, educate and improve cross-cultural understanding, to both Sri Lanka and the international community, the festival will also present short films made by Sri Lankan filmmakers before each film.

This years festival takes place under the patronage of internationally-renowned film maker Vimukhti Jayasundara.

The festival includes films Timbuktu by Abderrahmne Sissako, Swiss film A Bell for Ursli by Xavier Koller (a film for the young public), Belgium film Scouting for Zebras by Benoit Mariage, the Vietnamese film The Floating Lives.

Swiss drama film Vanity by Lionel Baier, Canadian film Laurence Anyways by Xavier Dolan, Tunisian documentary fiction Challat of Tunis, Romanian comedy drama I am an old Communist hag and the festival will end with Vimukthi Jayasundaras Cannes awarded film The Forsaken Land.

The festival will also have a collection of short films including On the way by Kamal Nethmini, God must be deaf by Kaushalya Pathirana, Let her fly by Fathima Nafia, A Dream by Suminda and The Rope by Anthonipillai Nishanthan.
Celebrating Bergmans life and work View(s):

Screening of the documentary, Bergmans Island and the launching of the Sinhala translation of Ingmar Bergmans auto biography The Magic Lantern will be held at 4 pm on on March 23 at Tharangani Theatre at the National Film Corporation.

The introduction for the film is done by renowned filmmaker Prasanna Vithanage.

Just four years before his death, legendary filmmaker Ingmar Bergman sat down with Swedish documentarian Marie Nyrerod at his home on Faro Island to discuss his work, his fears, his regrets, and his ongoing artistic passion.

This resulted in the most breathtakingly candid series of interviews that the famously reclusive director ever took part in, later edited into the feature-length film Bergman Island.

In-depth, revealing, and packed with choice anecdotes about Bergmans oeuvre, as well as his personal life, Nyrerods film is an unforgettable final glimpse of a man who transformed cinema.

The documentary is mainly shot in the home of Ingmar Bergman. This is the first time ever that a film maker has access to Ingmar Bergman in his home at the small island Faro in the Baltic Sea.

Bergman and the cinema starts with Frenzy from 1944 and ends with Saraband in 2003. It contains unique behind-the-scenes material from Bergmans private archive.

Bergman and the theatre is about some of Bergmans 125 theatrical stagings and about his delight with the TV medium with successes as Scenes from a marriage.

In Bergman and Faro Island he talks about the childhood that shaped him. He shows where he shot his film Persona and fell in love  and he lists his worst demons!
Wagon Park takes on 2016 with hard rock treat View(s):

Rock fans can agitatedly wait for the launch of the new hard rock album of their favourite band Wagon Park early next year to celebrate their tenth rocking year in the Sri Lankan music scene.

Wagon Park has been around since 2007 organising and performing at various events. They have already released an EP and a full length album titled Stoned.

After winning the YES FM Homegrown Award for the Best Band / Duo or Group last year, with their original song Don, which is a mix of Sinhalese and Dhivehi (Maldivian) lyrics, Wagon Park is fully geared up for 2016 with the recordings for their second full length album already kicked off with award winning producer Pasan Liyanage of Redfox World.

Rock music fans of Sri Lanka can look forward to a groundbreaking album planned for 2017 to celebrate the bands 10th year anniversary.

The founding members of the band are Buddhi de Mel (Vocalist) and Freedom Fira (bassist) from Maldivian origin. On lead guitar, Milinda Batuvanthudave, Maduwan Rangika on guitar, Mahesh Aponsu on Drums and Nuwan Tharanga features on keyboards.

From the dawn period of the band, Wagon Park have continuously created music that not only encapsulates its audience with awe and splendour but also leave a significant imprint on the audiences psyche with compositions and a stage presence that is uniquely different and uncompromised when voicing the bands ideals and beliefs. Songs composed by the band can be found online through their Soundcloud / Reverbnation pages. Clips of their live performances can also be found on YouTube.

The Wagon Park journey has not been for the faint hearted, but it has also not been without its own rewards.

They were Finalists at TNL Onstage 2007, became 3rd Place at Indigo Music Awards 2011 in the Best Rock Group category, nominated for best music video at BITE-MY-MUSIC Global Award 2012, Performed at the Fete De La Musique (French International Music Day Festival in Colombo) in 2014 and 2015, performed at the Inaugural YES FM Homegrown Awards 2013 and nominated in the category Best band, Duo/Group and emerged Winner in the category of Best Band, Duo/Group for their original song DON in 2015.

To witness them live in the near future, Wagon Park will take the stage at Downtown Pulse on the 13th of March 2016.

This has been a unique event which has taken place over the past few years where Sinhala underground artistes join hands to showcase their true skills. The festival will take place in Pannipitiya.

The Wagon Park fan page on Facebook is the place to find all activities and chaos created by the band and surely they deserve a Like for the music they have produced under the proud identity of Sri Lankan Rock N Roll. -(SW)
When books inspired movies View(s):

Was the book better than the movie? The only way to know for sure is to read before/after you watch and thats what were helping you do this week.

Consider yourself forewarned  from Martin Scorceses 23-year-project to Jennifer Lawrences next role, here are a few upcoming films that owe their existence to a book.

The Lost City of Z by David Grann: That fact can be stranger than fiction is illustrated by Granns book about the British explorer Percy Fawcett.

Fawcett who disappeared in 1925 in the Amazon was obsessed with finding an ancient lost city his fate is unknown. His search fascinated the world  as many as 100 people perished or disappeared searching for Fawcett over the years.

To write this book, Grann made his own journey into the Amazon, journeying into that green hell to reveal that the fabled City of Z may have actually existed.

Optioned by Brad Pitts Plan B production company and Paramount Pictures, the book is to be adapted into a film starring Charlie Hunnam as Percy Fawcett, Sienna Miller as Fawcetts wife, and Robert Pattinson as Henry Costin.

Silence by Shusaku Endo: Martin Scorcese returns to the directors chair with this film, based on a book described as one of the finest of the 20th century.

The book tells the story of a Jesuit missionary sent to Japan in the 17th century. The missionaries must face persecution in the time of KakureKirishitan (Hidden Christians) that followed the defeat of the Shimabara Rebellion.

The book is written mostly in the form of a letter, and its going to be interesting to see how screenwriter Jay Cocks will adapt it for film.

In April 2013, Scorsese stated he would begin production on Silence in 2014, after a reputed 23-year wait (he began developing it in 1991). The movie stars Andrew Garfield, Adam Driver, Liam Neeson, Tadanobu Asano, and Ciaran Hinds and was shot in Taiwan.

Its What I Do by LynseyAddario: Jennifer Lawrence is set to play LynseyAddario, one of the most extraordinary female photojournalists of her generation.

In the book, Addariowrites about photographing the Afghan people before and after the Taliban reign, the civilian casualties and misunderstood insurgents of the Iraq War, as well as the burned villages and countless dead in Darfur.

She exposes a culture of violence against women in the Congo and tells the riveting story of her headline-making kidnapping by pro-Qaddafi forces in the Libyan civil war. The book inspired a bidding war for the film rights, but Steven Spielberg walked away triumphant.

The Billionaires Vinegar by Benjamin Wallace:This New York Times bestseller tells the true story of a 1787 Chateau Lafite Bordeaux  supposedly owned by Thomas Jefferson  that sold for $156,000 at auction.

Did it come from a secret Nazi bunker? Or from the mouldy basement of a devilishly brilliant con artist? Wallace sets out to solve the mystery of one of the most elaborate cons in recent history.

The rights for the book were sold even before it was published. Michael Brandt and Derek Haas, known for writing 3.10 to Yuma and Wanted, are tackling the screenplay and Matthew McConaughey is set to star.
Container kills girl (23) riding pillion on boyfriends motorbike View(s):

A young girl riding pillion on a motorcycle with her boyfriend, died after being thrown off her seat when a container hit them from the rear in Weligampitiya, on the Negombo Road, the coroners court was told this week.

R. Dilushika, 23, was identified as the victim.Lakshitha Madumal, 25, giving evidence before the Ragama Coronerss Court, said they were heading home on his bike after work when he had to reduce speed for a SLTB bus ahead of them which slowed suddenly and a container approaching from behind hit his bike.

My motorcycle was thrown in front and hit the bus. My girlfriend was found bleeding from the head and was rushed to Ragama Hospital and admitted to the ICU, where she passed away on Wednesday, he said. Drivers of the SLTB bus and the Container were remanded and will be produced before the Coroners Courts on March 26.
Isolated Story and pix by Nayanajeewa Bandara View(s): View(s):

Located in the salubrious climes of the Ella Divisional Secretariat, the village of Udawadiya is steeped in history; with the village itself being the site of some famous battles against the Portugese when they attempted to ravage their country.

Unfortunately even today, residents of this small village snuggled in a corner of the Badulla district are still forced to use ox-drawn carts and cattle as their means of transport as there are no roads which could facilitate vehicular traffic.

Though the village is blessed with natural resources, a plentiful supply of water from the Menik Ganga and is agriculturally productive, many of the families have begun to leave the area due to a lack of basic facilities as well as the fact that they are completely isolated from the rest of society. School children are forced to walk around seven to nine km to reach the nearest school!

All 142 families in the village share a common surname Ranbanda Devalage- indicating they hail from one or few of the families who originally inhabited the area.

The people of Udawadiya hope, that with so many development projects planned around the country, the authorities will notice their plight and help develop their village too.
Joint plan to revive China Bay oil farm View(s):

Some 85 huge oil tanks  currently left unused  at China Bay oil farm in Trincomalee are to be revived if Cabinet approval is given for a request made by the Petroleum Resources Development Ministry.

Ceylon Petroleum Corporation Chairman T.C. Jayasinghe said yesterday that the Ministry hoped to use 15 of the tanks for bunkering and storage facilities while the remaining 70 would be hired out to a joint venture involving the CPC, the Ceylon petroleum Storage Terminal Ltd and the Lanka Indian Oil Corporation.

He said initial studies had been conducted by CPC experts to assess the condition of the tanks, the infrastructure, piping systems and a business model for their revival. The CPC experts have proposed two options  one with 18-inch pipelines and the other with 12-inch pipelines. But the ministry appears to prefer the 18-inch pipeline for the project which was estimated to cost US$ 12 million.

Mr. Jayasinghe said 15 tanks to be run by the CPC had a storage capacity of 150,000 MT. This would enable the CPC to import oil when prices were low and store them at the Trinco tanks for future usage.

Petroleum Minister Chandima Weerakkody said discussions were taking place with the LIOC relating to the use of the other 70 tanks for business purposes. Mr. Weerakkody said they had secured the clearance from the Attorney Generals Department for the deals.

In 2002, the Sri Lankan Government permitted the use the tank farm for the LIOC. Since then the LIOC has operated some of the lower tanks in the farm along with eight newly constructed tanks used for base oil storage and another two new tanks for the storage of gasoline.
Killing-spree in Lanka, Dankotuwa bodies burnt beyond recognition hamper police investigations By Sandun Jayawardana and Damith Wickramasekara Latest incident in an alarming rise in underworld related violence View(s): View(s):

Criminal Investigation Department (CID) detectives probing Fridays discovery of five charred bodies inside a burnt-out van in Buthgampala, Dankotuwa, were yesterday trying to identify the victims and what exactly happened to them.

The vans licence plate led police to a finance company. They found that, the vehicles driver, Kapila Senarath Bandara from Pannala, had been reported missing by his wife. On Friday, police took her to the location of the van, but she failed to identify her husband, as all the bodies were burnt beyond recognition.

According to Bandaras wife, Bandara had allegedly phoned his daughter on Thursday night and told her he was going out with several friends. He has not been heard from since.

Police were also looking out for any other instances of missing persons since Thursday.

Police Spokesman ASP Ruwan Gunasekara said while investigations were continuing, detectives would not have much to go on until at least the victims identities and how they died, are established at the postmortem. The gutted van was discovered along a secluded section of a byroad surrounded on both sides by coconut estates. The road is used by area residents to commute between Irabadagama and Buthgampala. Police officers made the gristly discovery on responding to a 119 call.

When the van was found, its rear door was open, while the drivers and the passenger seats were vacant, the five bodies were found in a heap at the back of the van. Bloodstains were also found some 500 meters away from the van.

The number of victims and the manner of their deaths points to underworld gang rivalry.

The incident occurred less than a week into new police operations to control the alarming rise in underworld related violence.

Last Sunday, President Maithripala Sirisena instructed both the Inspector General of Police (IGP) and the Army Commander to take all necessary measures under a joint plan to eradicate underworld activities.

According to the new measures initiated by the police, a Divisional Enforcement Team (DET) was set up for each of the 10 police Divisions in the Western Province (WP). They have also been assured assistance by the Police Special Task Force (STF) should they be required. A Special Snap Roadblock System has also been initiated by all 102 police stations in the WP.

Senior Deputy Inspector General of Police (SDIG) WP, Pujith Jayasundara is in overall charge of these operations.

When contacted, STF Commandant, SDIG Ranjith Perera confirmed STF personnel were now actively engaged in anti-underworld operations. We have already started conducting mobile patrols in several police divisions in the WP as part of the preventative measures, he told the Sunday Times.

Military Spokesman Brig Jayanath Jayaweera meanwhile said, The armed forces are available, if an official request is made by police to the Army Commander.

However, as of last evening, police still had only one suspect in custody over the recent spate of violent crimes.

That suspect, a 26-year-old resident of Weligama, with underworld ties, was arrested by a Colombo Crime Division (CCD) team on March 7, for possession of a live hand grenade. Five mobile phones were also recovered from his possession. Detectives were subsequently able to identify him as one of two gunmen who shot and seriously wounded a 23-year-old pregnant woman opposite the Welikada Prison in Borella on the evening of March 5.

Police believe the Welikada shooting to be a case of mistaken identity. The gunmen were in fact looking for the wife of a notorious underworld figure known as Samayan, who is serving a prison sentence. Samayan is believed to have had a hand in the killing of 32-year-old Danushka Harsha alias Harsha, shot dead by two unidentified men who burst into a house at Arunodaya Mawatha, Welikada on March 3. The deceased, an alleged underworld figure from Matara, was also the chief suspect of the 2006 murder of former Southern Province Minister and former Southern Lanka Development Authority (SLDA) Chairman Danny Hittetiya.

Meanwhile, suspects involved in the attack on a prison bus in Dematagoda on March 2, are still at large. Underworld kingpin Dematagoda Chaminda was seriously wounded in that attack, believed to have been organised by his rival, Bloemendhal Sanka.

No arrests have also been made related to the attack on individuals traveling in a van at Weeraketiya, which left one person dead and two others wounded, or the shootings of two motorcyclists in Baddegama and Kochchikade, all of which occurred within the past two weeks, and are thought to be underworld related.

The apparent ease with which people are able to commit these crimes, sometimes in broad daylight, has left police scrambling to keep in step with these underworld elements.

Former DIG I.M. Karunaratne stated that police could no longer rely on the public to regularly come forward with information, as the bond that existed between the two, before the end of the war, was no longer present.

During the war, people were far more vigilant regarding what went on in their neighborhoods. Any suspicious activity, person or vehicle was quickly reported. However, following the end of the war, this vigilance started to relax, while the relationship between the police and the public deteriorated to the point where not much is available in terms of effective intelligence on underworld activities, he observed.

He also lamented that the police department was faced with many obstacles such as lack of manpower and vehicles.

However, the biggest obstacle, he felt, was a feeling within the ranks of junior officers and constables that no one was protecting them from being pressurised when handling difficult cases, which inevitably resulted in low morale.

In a bid to control the situation, the police urgently needed to look for short term solutions, while working on long term strategies at the same time, he stressed. A major necessity is for new officers to be trained in intelligence gathering, so that, a strong police intelligence network is built up, he further said.

SDIG WP, Pujith Jayasundara however, insisted to the Sunday Times that the operations were yielding successes, though details could not be divulged to the media as investigations were ongoing. Noting that the roadblock system is operational round the clock, he said the STF was also assisting and is present at selected roadblocks. In addition, the STF was coordinating with the police to conduct mobile patrols in vulnerable areas that have been identified by police regarding underworld activities.

Pointing to the discovery of the bodies in Dankotuwa, SDIG Jayasundara said he strongly believes that whoever killed these individuals would have been looking to dump the bodies somewhere in the WP. However, due to the strong police presence, the killers may have been forced to dump them in Dankotuwa.

The SDIG said they were holding a progress review of operations every five days. The first review was held on March 8. The second progress review originally scheduled for today (13), had to be brought forward due to the funeral of the Ven. Asgiri Mahanayake Thera in Kandy. Accordingly, senior officers and others involved in the operation held this review yesterday.
Maldivians here nabbed for multimillion cybersex crimes View(s):

Two Maldivians based in Colombo are alleged to have blackmailed their countrys politicians, private sector executives and businessmen and extorted millions of Rufiyaas, CID detectives said yesterday.

They said the probe was launched after a Maldivian private sector executive complained to the CID that the racketeers had allegedly demanded Maldivian currency equivalent to Rs. 9.8 million as protection money to stop posting a nude video clip of him on the Internet.

The alleged racketeers were arrested from a Dehiwela hotel where the CID found two laptops which contained similar video clips of more than 100 persons including five active politicians in the Maldives.

A Cyber Crimes Division detective said the nude pictures and videos of high profiled persons were obtained through a Facebook friendship which started with a Friend request from a woman.

Soon after a response is received the female exchanges pictures and subsequently proposes that they communicate via skype and use the webcam.

As soon as the prospective victim switches on the webcam from the females side a pre-recorded video with nude pictures is played. In response the male on the other end too poses for a nude video which is then recorded and used for the blackmailing purpose, the detective said.

Investigations revealed that their bank accounts had received more than 6.5 million Rufiyaas (more than Rs. 60 million).

The racket has been in operation for more than two years during which they have been collecting money.

The two suspects are in custody as investigations continue regarding other persons involved in the racket.
Nation mourns for an elder prelate View(s):

Sri Lanka will observe a national day of mourning today to mark the cremation with full state honours of the Most Venerable Galagama Sri Aththadassi Thera, Mahanayake of the Asgiriya Chapter. Thousands of people have paid their last respects to him after he passed away suddenly last Sunday. Our picture captures the reverence for the prelate as two Samaneras fall prostrate before his body at the Asgiriya Viharaya. Pic by Nilan Maligaspe
President Sirisena hands back 700 acres from HSZ to original owners By Chris Kamalendran View(s): View(s):

More than 700 acres of land, earlier demarcated as areas of High Security Zones (HSZ) in Walikamam North in Jaffna, was returned to the owners by President Maithripala Sirisena, a senior official said.

The residents were allowed to resettle and cultivate their lands after a lapse of more than 25 years.

Additional District Secretary- Lands, in Jaffna, A.S. Muralitharan told the Sunday Times that the families were issued with certificates to re-enter their lands and cultivate, while their disputes over the ownership of the lands would be resolved subsequently.

The certificate will serve as an authorization to return to their lands and rebuild their houses, cultivate lands and settle down. They can clear disputes over ownership subsequently, he said.

Earlier, the Government released more than 2,000 acres demarcated as HSZs, of a total of 6,400 acres.

The Government has promised to release lands previously owned by civilians without compromising the security.

Minister of Resettlement and Prison Reforms, D.M. Swaminathan, Chief Minister C.V. Wigneshwaran and State Minister of Womens Affairs Vijayakala Maheshwaran were among those present.
Private buyers swoop on paddy at low prices By Kasun Warakapitiya Farmers fear prices will drop further as PMB delays View(s): View(s):

Farmers expressed fears this week of a further drop in paddy prices as the harvest season reaches its peak.

Harvesting in the main cultivating areas such as Polonnaruwa, Ampara and Kurunegala are expected to be completed in the next two weeks and farmers say their paddy is having to be sold to private millers for a record low of Rs. 14-20 because the Paddy Marketing Board (PMB) is delaying purchases at a higher, fixed rate.

They (the PMB) still have the earlier ha

rvest in their stores so they cant buy the new harvest in time. Our farmers are left with the new harvest and they need to dispose of it, All-Island Farmers Federation (AIFF) Secretary T.B Sarath said.

He said most of the paddy was being sold cheap to private millers.

He said farmers are planning to file a case against the PMB.

The head of the Parabowa Farmers Association (Puttalam), M.A. Rasika Premasiri, also castigated the PMB.

It is only now preparing to buy our paddy. The desperate and the poor farmers need to pay back loans and are forced to sell to private dealers who come for their stocks, he said.

Mr. Premasiri said that government had not even started to collect paddy from Puttalam farmers.

He claimed that that the government said it would pay high prices for paddy grown using organic fertiliser but such thing is not happening.

The president of Anuradhapura Mahakandura Farmers Association, Susantha Kumara Nawaratna said the government had not purchased paddy from that area.

Mr. Nawaratna said farmers spent around Rs. 45 to grow a kilo of samba paddy and yet the government was buying it only for Rs. 41. The government was buying nadu paddy for Rs. 38 and keeri samba for Rs. 50 but it cost the farmer Rs. 45 to grow those.

He said farmers wanted a market price of more than Rs. 50 for a kilo of paddy.

PBM Chairman M.B. Dissanayake said the government had started buying paddy from eight districts, including Polonnaruwa, Ampara, Jaffna, Mullaitivu, Kilinochchi, Vavuniya ,Mannar and Matale.

He admitted the PMB had not yet been able to clear all the previous harvest from its stores and there was about 126,000 metric tonnes (Mt) remaining.

Privately-owned sites will be hired to store the new harvest, Mr. Dissanayake said.

Our plan is to buy 160,000 Mt of paddy from the farmers while each farmer can provide paddy up to 2,000 Mt, he said.
Sushma shifts dates for fishing talks View(s):

India has rescheduled Fisheries Minister Mahinda Amaraweeras visit this month to New Delhi for talks on the thorny issue of Indian fishermen poaching in Sri Lankas waters, but Sri Lanka is yet to be informed of the change of date.

Mr. Amarawera was due to visit New Delhi this month following an official invitation from Indias External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj when she was in Sri Lanka in February for the India-Lanka Joint Commission meeting. But Ms. Swaraj this week told Indias Rajya Sabha that the high level meeting between the fisheries ministers of the two countries would be held in May.

A Fisheries Ministry official in Colombo said Indias decision to postpone the talks had not been officially conveyed to Sri Lanka yet.

Minister Amaraweera told the Sunday Times earlier that in view of the Tamil Nadu State Assembly elections in May, he would only take up the use of illegal fishing methods by Indian fishermen in Sri Lankas waters and defer the call for a total ban on Indian fishermen to a later date.
A party for two or 2,500 By Kaveesha Fernando With 16 separate venues, the BMICH is now looking to host diverse events View(s): View(s):

We know it as the ideal venue for international conferences, conventions, graduation ceremonies, grand concerts and other similarly large-scale events. The Bandaranaike Memorial International Conference Hall, widely known as the BMICH has earned its reputation as a star class venue over the years and not many realise that it has everything a five star hotel offers  save accommodation.

Although initially built as a conference hall, the BMICH is now looking to invite in a different clientele. Modified to accommodate functions big and small  anyone can book the BMICH now for a party of just two people or 2,500 people. It has as many as 16 different venues that can be used for different functions. The BMICH is now focused on getting this message across to the public to change their view that the BMICH is purely a conference venue alone.

The BMICH was gifted to the Sri Lankan people following a state visit to China in 1970 by Prime Minister Mrs. Sirimavo Bandaranaike where she met Chinese Prime Minister Zhu Enlai. When Prime Minister Zhu had asked Mrs. Bandaranaike what he could do for Sri Lanka, and she had replied that she needed a conference hall to host the Non Aligned conference of 1976, the Chinese PM graciously offered to build a conference hall in order to strengthen the diplomatic ties between the two nations. The conference hall was a gift to Sri Lanka by the Chinese government.

Construction began in 1971 and ended in 1973  well in time for the Non Aligned conference. To this date the Chinese government helps with the maintenance of the conference hall  theres a team of 17 Chinese technicians residing permanently in Sri Lanka and the Chinese government meets the cost of many of the spare parts need for the upkeep of the BMICH.

The main conference hall is without a doubt the most important part of the venue.

However, there are smaller and more interesting places for many other functions. Sixteen venues are spread over the 42 acre complex and one of the most interesting is probably the Mihilaka Medura. With a beautiful fish pond which snakes across the entire venue, the Mihilaka Medura has an eco-friendly setting, with greenery and mud caked walls giving the space an earthen and natural look. Dont let the rustic look fool you though  the Mihilaka Medura is air-conditioned inside  while the outer areas give visitors the ability to gaze at the ample greenery present.

A beautiful cocktail lawn which is available as another venue of the BMICH hints at grandeur and elegance. The cinema hall, which seats 200 can be used by conference organisers to add depth and diversity to their conference by incorporating educational films and videos to the agenda.

Whats even more interesting is that the BMICH can also host weddings and birthday parties  catering services are offered by the Mount Lavinia Hotel.

An added advantage is the parking for up to 2,500 vehicles  something rarely seen in Colombo. The BMICH hopes to reach out to foreigners looking to organise conferences in Sri Lanka without them having to depend on Sri Lankan agents in the future. The management feels that this would be a great source of revenue for the country and will also promote tourism.

So maybe the next time you think of the stately octagonal conference hall, you could also picture the many venues which add attraction and diversity to the BMICH.
Letters View(s):

Some tips to rectify new traffic plan in Kandy

I refer to the report under the title Kandys new traffic plan working but pylons must go published in the Sunday Times of February 21.It is reported that traffic congestion on Sirimavo Bandaranaike Mawatha formerly Peradeniya Road and Gopallawa Mawatha had disappeared after the recent traffic plan trial was introduced.Yet as I experienced at 1.30 p.m. on Wednesday, March 2, the traffic congestion on Sirimavo Bandaranaike Mawatha does not appear to have disappeared.

The proposal to adjust traffic on Sirimavo Bandaranaike Mawatha and Gopallawa Mawatha for one way traffic for three hours in the morning and three hours in the evening has been tried out with effect from March 1 in the evening only from 3.30 p.m. to 7.30 p.m. This change did not appear to be a success as it took me 25 minutes to drive from Girls High School to the Kandy roundabout at 6.30 p.m. on March 1 the first day of the change.

There is forever a traffic crawl on Peradeniya-Kandy road from the Gatambe roundabout up to the Kandy police station junction, the cause for which can be attributed to the intersections at the Heerrassagala junction and the Police station junction where free flow of traffic on the Peradeniya-Kandy road is obstructed to permit traffic to fall on to Peradeniya-KandyRoad or for traffic to get out of Peradeniya Kandy Road

The simplest straightforward way to avoid the obstructions is by the construction of flyovers at the two points, which may be rather complicated owing to the lack of sufficient land space, but perhaps possible if handled by an expert highways designer. An interim traffic flow may be possibly arranged for the intersection at the police station where sufficient land space could be obtained for any widening to avoid the obstructions caused by the following:

Traffic falling on to Peradeniya- Kandy Road from the road by Pushpadana College

There should be no right turn.Traffic may turn left only, towards the clock tower for which a traffic lane has to be provided by widening the bend so as not to obstruct the traffic already on the main road.

Traffic wanting to turn right to proceed towards Peradeniya, should not cross the main road but turn left and reverse the direction towards Peradeniya at the Roundabout.

Traffic falling on to Peradeniya Kandy Road through the Rail gate

(Lama Gara Road)

Traffic turning towards Peradeniya should be given sufficient space to turn left by widening the bend, and not obstruct traffic coming from the clock tower towards Peradeniya. Since it is not possible to prevent traffic entering Pushpadana Road and also turning towards Kandy, this should be the only obstruction on this road, limiting traffic to a minimum keeping out buses and lorries if possible.If this obstruction can be avoided there should be no obstruction at this junction.

Traffic getting out of Peradeniya- Kandy Road to enter the road by Pushpadana College

Traffic from Peradeniya side to enter the road by Pushpadana College should be able to enter unobstructed by widening the bend to turn left.

Traffic from Kandy side should not be allowed to enter this road direct from Peradeniya-Kandy Road, but take Yatinuwara Veediya and through the railgate at the mosque proceed to Pushpadana Road, Asgiriya or Mahiyawa.



Keerthi Bhareti

Kandy

Lets give lensuwa to a doctor at Pera

When Peter the Great of Russia was raising his army he found, to his dismay, that the poor serfs he conscripted were grossly illiterate. They did not know left from right and could not march when ordered as they never knew what their feet were called. He then had a simply brilliant idea.Strands of hay were tied to the left foot of each recruit and straw tied to his right foot . The Sergeants no longer bawled Left!Right but Hay Foot ! Straw Foot! Many victories were won by this army.

As a kid, long, long ago, I heard an old village yarn about goday recruits who also knew not left from right. A sergeant had the bright idea of ordering every man to tie a handkerchief [lensuwa] on his left foot. The right foot was bare [nikan]. They were now drilled, no longer to the incomprehensible Vam! Dhak! , but to the Sergeants yell of Lensu Kakula ! Nikan Kakula!

My humble suggestion is that we donate lensuwas to the surgeon at Peradeniya Hospital.

Tissa Devendra

Via email

The hotel enjoys great patronage from Lankans

I wish to bring to your notice the unreasonable and unsubstantiated allegations made against an organisation, in a letter to the editor by Champa Fernando from Kandy, titled Shabby treatment at a grand hotel on 28.02.2016.

The reference to the hotel is made in such a way, so that any reader will perceive it to be the Grand Hotel Nuwara Eliya.

Please see some points stated by Mrs. Fernando in her letter to the editor.

1. The writer says that the waiter said that the foreign guests at another table had complained that they were loud.

2. Mrs. Fernando implies that the Grand Hotel practises segregationist tactics aimed at discouraging Lankans from patronising the place.

Firstly during the period Mrs. Fernando and party were in the restaurant (1.30 to 3.15pm on 19.02.2016), there were only five other guests, and all of them were Sri Lankans and are known to us by name, as they are regular patrons. The three Lankan guests who complained were regulars who were non-residents of the hotel, while the other two guests were residents of the hotel. We are in a position to produce documentary evidence to prove the nationality of these five guests.

Secondly, the Grand Hotel today enjoys great patronage from many Sri Lankans, some of whom have been regular residents, while others have been regular diners at our eight food and beverage outlets. As such I wish to state that the Grand Hotel does not practise nor does it condone any form of discrimination of its patrons, employees or other stakeholders. Furthermore, we recognise and value the patronage given by Sri Lankans during the pre-2009 period which kept this organisation afloat.

I am sure you would see that the writer of the letter was factually incorrect and has written the article with the intent of causing damage to a well-established organization.

Tyrone David

Resident Manager

The Nuwara Eliya Hotels PLC

Letters to the Editor Letters to the Editor should be brief and to the point.

Send them to: Letters to the Editor

The Sunday Times,

P.O. Box 1136, Colombo. or editor@sundaytimes.wnl.lk. Please note that letters cannot be acknowledged or returned
Slaving in West Asia View(s):

Mothers, sisters and daughters of Sri Lanka as household employees in the petro-dollar world  do we care for them?

The mother is the most venerated person, may be the world over. In Sri Lanka too the mother is the most respected person in society; it is our culture seeped in Buddism that has made it so.

In the Maha Mangala Sutta, Matha Pithu Upatthanam, looking after the mother and father is considered a blessed act. In many of the teachings of the blessed one, protection and veneration of the mother is equal to veneration of the blessed one himself; it was the mother of the Bodhi Sathva who gave the first Vivarana, the boon and blessings for him to become the future Buddha. We call ourselves the proud inheritors of that doctrine of the Buddha but as a country which boasts of being Buddhist, it is sad to see the economic circumstances in the country that forces mothers to leave for work abroad, to feed the children where they undergo untold harassment.

The Buddha held mothers, sisters and daughters, females in general, in esteem, of that there is ample evidence in the theri gatha of the services he rendered to ameliorate their conditions. The famous biographies of Kisagothami, Patachara, and Rajjumala are only some examples. The blessed one was the first benefactor to females, who initiated for them emancipation from worldly chores and cleared the way for the establishment of the bhikkuni sasana. We call ourselves the followers of this Buddhist doctrine and the traditions that came with the teachings. We should speak to our conscience and honestly ask if we treat our mothers, sisters and daughters with the respect that they richly deserve. One glaring instance of our non-concern, is the export of this most precious segment of the society to earn our living, in the form of petro-dollars.

The other religions followed in Sri Lanka, namely, Hinduism, Christianity and Islam too teach respect of the mother, the sister and daughter in society. Hinduism has goddesses in the Pantheon. The respect that Christianity showers on mother Mary and the exhortation of Jesus Christ that if there are no-sinners let the first stone be pelted at a female who was to be stoned to death, charged with a so-called sin, demonstrates the protection accorded to females by Jesus Christ. Prophet Mohammed has sermonised that women should be protected and looked after.

The country which professes all these great religions, exports mothers, sisters and daughters to Middle East countries, predominantly Islamic, to earn much needed foreign exchange. Females in most poverty-stricken families of Sri Lanka are the ones who toil in these Middle-East households of the wealthy; they slave for the sake of their loved-ones in Sri Lanka. The tragedies they undergo are of no concern to the persons who rule our thrice blessed land. I myself feel ashamed to have seen these with my own eyes; I reported what I felt, but the powers that ruled Sri Lanka have done precious nothing, either to lessen their woes, or to stop their exodus to these countries. Our recommendations have been gathering dust may be in some archives, or destroyed.

For once the late G.M. Premachandra, the Labour Minister of the Ranasinghe Premdasa Government banned the sending of women to the Middle-East just before the first Kuwait war of 1990s. When he visited Kuwait in late 1980s he was sent to the Labour Agencies by the Sri Lanka Embassy to see for himself the neo -form of slavery, perpetrated on our female folk to prove that it was definitely a neo-form of slave trade, per-se. He visited the unscrupulous agencies located in a building called Glass-House, in Kuwait City. He posed as an employer and asked agencies to provide a housemaid for his residence.

The agents had prices tagged on to the females there and offered him anyone whom he likes; the Minister felt that the prices pegged on them was based on their looks or the youthfulness they exhibited. He returned to the embassy agitated and emotional after what he saw there. He told us that he will ban this slavery, no sooner he returns to Sri Lanka. He kept to his word much to the chagrin of the perpetrators of the trade in Sri Lanka. This was in late 1980s but it started once again, after the first Gulf war, going-up to unthinkable proportions. The ambassador and I were summoned to the Foreign Ministry of Kuwait and we had to explain to the Kuwait Under Secretary of Foreign Affairs why our Minister visited a labour agency. We were not made persona non-grata, by sheer circumstances.

The much respected Indian Prime Minister the late Indira Gandhi in the 1980s banned Indian females from going to the Middle East for these menial jobs. Bangladesh did the same, and Pakistan does not send females as domestic workers. Bhutan does not send their females and Nepal has curtailed it. Maldives does the same. We are the proud sons from South Asia who send our females to bring us dinars and dirhams and riyals from these petro dollar havens.

This slavery has a long history. History records slaves of under-world civilizations, Greek, Roman, Arab, and Western, and more recently under the Colonial regimes. In order to make this essay short we will look at only the last, as it has relevance to this article. The British, French, Spanish, Portuguese and Dutch traded in human beings from their colonies to work in their economic enterprises, both at home and abroad. The present Afro-Americans, and Native Indians in the US, the Asian Ghettos in Europe, and Indian up country population in our own country, are the remnants of these colonial inhumane acts. To make a long story short and relevant, we could say that this trade ended with the end of colonialism in the mid 1950s, but left its gory dark patches in West Africa especially in countries like Senegal and Gambia, where there are memorials. During the first half of the last century, oil was found in the Arab world and was exploited by western colonialists, till they left the region in the 1960s and 1970s. The products were exported to the Industrial west while the Arabs were herdsmen and the male workers were from Africa and India. When the oil-wealth was nationalised, as colonialists left, the Arabs became rich with oil-money. Those who drove the camel then, now could drive a Cadillac. It became thus, a story of camel to Cadillac.

It was here that the neo-form of slavery came to roost, in the Middle-East. In fact the Arabs were used to having slaves in the past and it was near normal for the slaves to be inhumanely treated. Even with the newly found wealth the structure their social norms did not change much. With the new wealth, the Arab female did not want to do household work; they employed women either locally from among Bedouins, or from cash-strapped countries in Asia. We very willingly became the scapegoats in this conundrum since the 1970s. Under the 1970 Sri Lankan Government a few male Sri Lankans were employed in the oil companies as professionals. With the liberal open economy of 1978 even non-professionals in labour categories left for employment in the Middle-East. The female exodus came as a corollary to fill the vacancy created by the non working Arab mama. Our Buddhist value systems broke asunder in the face of individual poverty.

Our expatriate workers got caught even in the cycle of political conflicts prevalent in the Middle East since the 1970s, and the worst-suffering was inflicted on the female segment. I may have to cite my personal experiences during some of these conflicts that the reader may have to bear with me for relating. It is only to elucidate the nature of the suffering of these poor souls.

I was in our Mission in London and in June 1982 the Israelis attacked Lebanon, especially the Palestinian positions. Our people were employed in Lebanon, but there was no Sri Lankan Embassy in Beirut and the peoples welfare was looked after by the British Embassy. I was sent to Lebanon with Mr. A.H. Seneviratne serving in Rome, by the Foreign Minister the late A.C.S. Hameed, to evacuate these people. We had to live in that war-torn country for six long months, looking into the welfare of Sri Lankans. It was in 1982 that the infamous massacres of Palestinians numbering 1500, in Shabra and Shatila and Bourj Barajni camps was carried out by the Israelis. It was then that young President Bashir Gemayel was killed while we were watching the shelling. It was a very hard time but we endured and evacuated all those Sri Lankans via Cyprus and Damascus in Syria. We were nearly victims of a bomb one afternoon when returning to our accommodation. Our compatriots were in jails, hospitals, make-shift camps, and left in the lurch in apartments by employers. There were a few with babies born due to forced relations with employers. Although we could not find solutions to all these we managed to rescue them with the good offices of the British Ambassador and his helpful staff.

We finished our assignment in January 1983 and submitted a report with recommendations. Some have been implemented but not the major one where we recommended a ban to be imposed on females leaving for war-torn countries. The ones implemented are sending off trained labour officers to our Missions, opening Missions in all Middle-East countries, and persuading labour-receiving countries to abide by International Labour Organisation (ILO) and United Nations (UN) Conventions. Some countries have not honoured all conventions and we are free to stop our female employees working in those countries. The trade continues unabated.

More recently, in 2007, I gave an interview to Al Jazeera and I titled it the Story of sweat, blood and tears, referring to the slave trade while I was Ambassador in Qatar. Most of my Ambassador colleagues called me seeing this programme, and jokingly advised me to pack my bags as I had spoken critically of the regimes in the Middle East. However the Emir of Qatar had asked his Labour Minister to have a chat with me to find solutions to the issues raised. I was called and we discussed matters with the Qatari Human Rights Committee. Some issues like non-payment of salaries, ill-treatment, sexual abuse and over-work were looked into and we were allowed to file cases against perpetrators, both employers and recruiting agents.

Recent reports on abuse from all Middle-East countries reflect that the same kind of slave-master relationship continues which commenced in the 1970s. One may ask what the solution to this human-trafficking is. The most respectable solution is to stop/ ban export of ladies as house maids especially to the Middle-East countries. This will not be a palatable solution to the Government, as it will close the doors to a substantial foreign-exchange earner, to a country which is cash-strapped. However, that is the most dignified solution which should come from a country with superlative ethics and religious values, which respects rights of women.

Certain social problems which have raised their heads like broken families, children becoming school-drop-outs, their vulnerability to other social ills, and the empirical effect it has on the generations to come should open our eyes to this mode of earning petro-dollars.

The long term solution is to create employment in the country and educate young females in respectable professions, like nursing, (not washing dishes in an unfriendly households,) employing them in scientific agricultural, commercial pursuits, expanding the private-sector to absorb them, taking new IT technology to under-privileged regions to educate the unemployed and creating an overall environment for young females to be part and parcel of the development of the country.

If however, they are sent abroad the employment should be in these prestigious segments. This issue needs debate in the country among economists, intellectuals, educators, the private sector, opinion makers, womens organisations and officials of the Employment Ministry and Foreign Ministry and of course, religious dignitaries to formulate a dignified action plan.

(The writer was an ambassador.)
A 23-year-old man is in a critical condition after his car rolled near Reporoa on Saturday evening.

Senior sergeant Steven Shaw says the injured male suffered multiple serious injuries after the single crash on Broadlands Road at about 7.35pm.
State-owned farmer Landcorps decision to embrace less polluting types of farming at Wairakei Estate near Taupo is being welcomed by Labour and the Greens.

Labours Primary Industries spokesperson Damien OConnor says Landcorp had no choice but to dump its plan to convert forestry land for 30,000 cows because of the poor short and medium term outlook for the dairy price.

The decision not to convert 14500ha of former forestry land north of Taupo is a no brainer. With the global milk glut, New Zealand doesnt need a significant increase in the supply of diary.

The question now is what Landcorp does with the land at Wairakei Estate. The Government is out of ideas. It has failed to diversify the economy and put all its milk in one bucket.

National has refused to take action over dry stock issues or undertaken the reform of the red meat sector which is so desperately needed. This Government has provided no leadership for farming.

The only light at the end of this tunnel is todays sensible decision by Landcorp, says Damien OConnor.

Green Party water spokesperson Catherine Delahunty says Landcorps brave decision to scale back its dairy intensification programme in the North Island is a victory for the environment and those who have fought to protect the Waikato Rive.

Landcorps decision to not proceed with its intensification programme, in part because of environmental concerns, is a huge victory for the farmers, iwi, fisher people and all those worried about the impact of increasing dairying on the Waikato River.

The Green Party presented a petition to Parliament last year with more than 8000 signatures calling on Landcorp to abandon its plans to convert thousands of hectares of the Waikato to dairying.

We congratulate Landcorp for listening, and the next step is for the Government to listen to those who want our rivers protected. Stop pushing for more cows over the environment, and commit to swimmable rivers, rather than merely water that you can dip your toe in.

More than two thirds of our rivers arent clean enough to swim in, and a big part of the problem is large scale dairy farming. By scaling back its plans to put more cows on Waikato land, Landcorp has given our precious waterways a better chance of survival.

The next step would be to abandon all plans to increase dairying on the Wairakei estate.

Were sure that the price of dairy solids slumping also contributed to Landcorps decision. But the Crown entitys decision does point to the ability of Government owned organisations to put the environment first, a decision that would be more difficult if Landcorp had been privatised.

It is to Landcorps credit that they have woken up to what we really need in this country, which is sensible land use management that protects waterways. It can be done, but massive conversions in the volcanic country was never going to be an environmentally sustainable solution, she says.
UPDATED: For the second year in a row Welcome Bays Selwyn Ridge Primary has taken first place overall in the annual Top Tauranga School competition.

More than 240 primary school children, yelled on by up to 500 spectators, gave everything they had to give during the annual competition which is run and hosted by Gate Pa School.



Matua Primarys Grayson Numa (running) in action at the Top Tauranga School 20169 competition taking place at Gate Pa School today. Photos: Cameron Avery



Coming in at second overall was Maungatapu School, followed by Greertons Greenpark School in third.

Gate Pa associate principal Terry Furmage says all in all it was an excellent day of competition that went extremely well.

All the children who took part really got into the spirit of the day and there was a ton of enthusiasm and healthy competition, he says.

Probably the highlight event was the leaky bucket race where the kids slid down the hill on a slip and slide. In fact, we had a lot parents who said they wanted to have a go on it too.

Running concurrently was a cheerleading competition which this year was taken out by Omanu School, with Selwyn Ridge taking second place and Greenpark coming in at third.

The judges from the Cool Bananas Youthwork trust said it was a very tight competition, they had a difficult time selecting between Omanu and Selwyn, but Omanu just had the edge of them.

On behalf of Gate Pa School, Terry would like to thank all of the 24 schools from around Tauranga and as far abroad as Whakatane and Katikati who turned out for this years competition.

This includes Allandale (Whakatane), Arataki, Bethlehem Primary, Greenpark, Greerton, Katikati, Matua, Maungatapu, Merivale, Mount Primary, Omanu, Oropi, Otumoetai, Pahoia, Pillans Point, Pyes Pa, Selwyn Ridge, St Thomas More, Tauranga Primary, Te Puna and Welcome Bay schools.

Were also hugely thankful to each and every one of our sponsors, particularly Trustpower and Gate Pa New World who are the major sponsors. Without them we simply couldnt run the event, says Terry.

Meanwhile, Papamoa Primary school was crowned champions of Year 5 and 6 Top Schools 2016 at Paengaroa School on Sunday.

The team consisted of Kerry OReilly, Billy Syme, Micah Hill, Rico Kelly, Aaron Gibbs, Jonty Collier, Shara Murray, Breanne Roper, Talitha McEwan, Jazmin Spice, Mia Raeburn, and Niamh Pierce.

"Our team could not have prepared any better then they did, and their collective performance on Sunday reflected these preparations," says teacher Hamish Avery.

"Early morning practises before school working on teamwork and skills specific to the games, communication, and mental and physical toughness by all 12 athletes in the tough 4-game stretch after lunch earned them the victory."

EARLIER:

Twenty-four schools from around the city are duking it out at Gate Pa School today to be crowned the Top Tauranga School of 2016.

The annual event attracts hundreds of children wholl go head-to-head in a range of challenges like the magic carpet ride, thread the needle, leaky bucket and horizontal bungy.

The Top Tauranga School Competition pits teams of six boys and six girls against one and other over eight rounds, with each activity running for 10 minutes in total.

Theyll also be supported by teams of cheerleaders wholl be bringing the noise and lots of colour as they follow their schools teams around the course.

Along with the glory, the top three will each walk away with a trophy, while the winner will also win for their school $150, with second place receive $75 and third receiving $50.

Theres also prizes for the top three cheerleading teams wholl be judged on their enthusiasm, originality, dress and teamwork. First place will receive a trophy and $100 for their school, while second place receives $75 and third place being award $50.

The annual Top Tauranga School competition is being sponsored by Trustpower and New World Gate Pa.

The competition is now underway and will wrap up with a prize giving at 2pm.



Merivale Primary School



Tauranga Primary School



Pyes Pa Primary School
Retail spending using electronic cards was $4.6 billion in February 2016, up $393 million (9.3 percent) from February 2015, says Statistics New Zealand on Wednesday.

The largest increases were from the consumables and hospitality industries.

"As 2016 is a leap year, February had one more day than last year, so this needs to be taken into account when making comparisons," says business indicators senior manager Neil Kelly.

When adjusted for seasonal effects, retail spending was up 0.7 percent in February 2016, following a 0.4 percent rise in January 2016.

Spending rose in four of the six retail industries. The largest movements in February 2016 were:

consumables, up $32 million (1.8 percent)

hospitality, up $13 million (1.6 percent)

fuel, down $12 million (2.1 percent).

Core retail spending which excludes the vehicle-related industries rose 1.2 percent in February 2016, with increases for all four core retail industries.

The total value of electronic card spending, including the two non-retail industries; services, and other non-retail, was down 0.1 percent in February. This follows a rise of 0.6 percent in January 2016.

Trends for the total, retail, and core retail series have generally been rising since these series began in October 2002. The values are only available at the national level, and are not adjusted for price changes.

Trends for the total, retail, and core retail series have generally been rising since these series began in October 2002.

In actual terms, card-holders made 123 million transactions across all industries in February 2016, with an average value of $51. The total amount spent across all transactions was $6.3 billion.

Electronic Card Transactions (ECT) is a monthly series that covers all debit, credit, and charge card transactions with New Zealand-based merchants. This information can be used as an indicator of the change in the level of consumption expenditure and economic activity in general.
New Statistics NZ figures show the Bay of Plenty is New Zealands fifth biggest regional economy, worth $12.3 billion dollars.

The regions GDP rose by 2.3 per cent in 2015 thanks in part to increases in transport, postal, warehousing and several other industries which helped offset a decline in the agriculture sector.
After a damning review and years of warnings about inequities in NCEA exam support, the Education Minister must ensure there is funding in this years Budget to fix the problems, Labours Education spokesperson Chris Hipkins says.

New figures published today show more than 100 high schools didnt make any applications for their students for special help for NCEA exams through the Special Assessment Conditions (SAC) programme.

This follows data obtained by Labour last year finding decile 10 school students are seven times more likely to gain support over decile 1 students.

The Education Ministry estimates 5 per cent of students may have a learning difficulty that entitles them to support but last year just 2 to 4 per cent of students from deciles 1 to 5 schools accessed support. However, 8 per cent of students at decile 10 schools and up to 20 per cent of students at some private schools have got exam assistance.

Three years ago a review found inequities in SAC were putting the integrity of NCEA at risk.

Despite this, Hekia Parata has refused extra funding to address these issues. Requests from the Education Ministry for more money for low decile schools have been rejected by Cabinet for two years in a row due to higher priorities.

In fact, when advised by the Ministry early last year that these inequities remained, Hekia Paratas office intervened to scrub that from official advice.

The Government must front up this year with proper funding to ensure every child is getting support, Chris Hipkins says.

Source: Office of Chris Hipkins.
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Get our ultimate guide on things to do in Surrey with our twice-weekly What's On email - including the best food, drink, and entertainment

Every day about 1.5 million people tune in to watch one Reigate family.

Since Jonathan Joly, 35, and Anna Saccone, 28, started their YouTube channel in 2009 the family has become an internet sensation, attracting an average of 19 million viewers a month.

The Reigate couple have shared videos of their engagement, wedding, the arrival of their children, Emelia, 3, and Eduardo, 1, and footage of their six Maltese dogs with the world.

Such is the Saccone-Joly vlog's success the couple have been able to quit their jobs and dedicate their time to uploading daily snapshots of their lives.

Mr Joly, who has a degree in interactive media and spends hours editing the videos every day, told the Mirror: "This is the greatest gift that our viewers have given us. I give up my privacy but I get to spend my time with my family so it is all worth it."

He added: "I don't want to live for the videos. If we spend all our time on work we miss out on this amazing gift: I get to spend everyday with my children and I get to watch my children grow up every day."

With their children growing up on camera, Mr Joly told the Mirror how he wants to make sure his children have a normal life.

Mr Joly added: "People come up to my children and they just think that it's normal. People also send us presents.

"I grew up with nothing and I don't want them to grow up spoilt  I don't want them to become second generation brats. We donate most of the things we get."

He said: "I am a father before I am an entertainer or a YouTuber. My children are the most important to me."

Such is their popularity, the couple have three gates to their home and have installed CCTV to ensure their security.

When they lived in Ireland, police were called when a fan tracked them down.

Mr Joly said: "Some people spend their lives trying to ruin my life  they take the fun out it. But we get loads of letters every single day from people with emotional problems who are finding life hard but our videos gives them a sense of hope and belonging. It's the motivation to keep going. These videos have become bigger than just me."

Since moving to Reigate two years ago, Mr Joly added: "So far I've never had an issue here since most people in our town do know who we are and don't make a fuss."

Daily videos of the Saccone-Joly family are posted everyday at 6pm here.
Art Wenzel, 58, is well know throughout the Central New York music scene. For more than 30 years he has organized fundraisers and benefits for those in need.

On Saturday thousands showed up in Auburn to attend A.I.M. (Art's Inhale Music) Festival - a benefit fundraiser to help Wenzel with medical costs.

Profile: Art Wenzel raised $1,000s for sick kids, others



Wenzel has stage 4 terminal cancer in his lungs, kidney and bones. Doctors gave him six months to live. Saturday marked his six-month anniversary.

Thousand turned out for the festival concert which ran from 1 p.m. to 11 p.m. Twenty-one bands and musicians from across Central New York donated their time to perform at three different venues - Prison City Brew Pub, Moondog's Lounge and the main stage under the A.T. Walley tent on the Mall.

Funds were raised from admission to the event, the sale of BBQ chicken dinners, raffles, silent auctions and private donations.

Donation are stills being accepted at:

Art's Lung Fund

PO Box 2204

Auburn, NY 13021
Will the tropics remain quiet for the rest of the season?
March 13, 2016

SHARE March 13, 2016

By Staff Report

ADVISORIES

11:13 a.m.: A band of higher moisture is forecast to reach the Treasure Coast by late afternoon, leading to showers and isolated lightning storms, especially from Daytona Beach to Cape Canaveral and Orlando.

4:46 a.m.: A cold front will move across Central Florida today. Ahead of the front, showers will increase in coverage north to south this evening. Storms should impact the east side of Central Florida from I-95 east from late afternoon to early evening. Storms should move to the northeast at 15 mph. Primary weather hazards will be a few cloud to ground lightning strikes and an occasional wind gust to 40 mph.

TODAY'S FORECAST

Showers are likely and we may see a thunderstorm, mainly after 2 p.m. today It'll be mostly cloudy, with a high near 85. Winds will be out of the south wind at 5 to 15 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70 percent.

Tonight, showers are likely and with a possible thunderstorm before 8 p.m., then a chance of showers. It'll be mostly cloudy, with a low around 67. South wind 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60 percent.

Keep an eye on conditions with our live weather radar.

Sunrise will be at 7:34 a.m. Sunset will be at 7:30 p.m.

EXTENDED FORECAST

Source: National Weather Service

Monday: A 30 percent chance of showers. Partly sunny, with a high near 84. Southwest wind 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.

Monday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 61. West southwest wind 5 to 10 mph.

Tuesday: Sunny, with a high near 85. West wind 5 to 10 mph.

Tuesday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 59. South wind 5 to 10 mph becoming west northwest after midnight.

Wednesday: Sunny, with a high near 81. Northwest wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the morning.

Wednesday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 66. Southeast wind around 5 mph becoming south southwest after midnight.

Thursday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 83. South wind 5 to 10 mph.

Thursday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 67. South southeast wind 5 to 10 mph becoming southwest after midnight.

Friday: A 20 percent chance of showers. Partly sunny, with a high near 81. Southeast wind around 5 mph.

Friday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 67. Southeast wind around 5 mph.

Saturday: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 80. South southeast wind 5 to 10 mph.

TODAY'S TIDE FORECAST

Source: National Weather Service

Sebastian Inlet Bridge

High tides: 12:08 p.m. Sunday and 12:48 am. Monday

Low tides: 6:01 a.m. and 6:27 p.m.

Fort Pierce Inlet, South Jetty

High tides: 12:25 p.m. Sunday and 1:05 a.m. Monday

Low tides: 6:07 a.m. and 6:33 p.m.

MARINE FORECAST

Source: National Weather Service

4:46 a.m.: Thunderstorms moving northeast at 15 mph will be capable of producing an occasional wind gust to 40 mph as they near the coast from I-95 east into the nearshore waters late this afternoon and early evening. South to southwest winds should reach 15 to 20 knots beyond 20 miles of shore between Saint Lucie and Jupiter inlets.

Today: South winds 10 to 15 knots. Seas 2 to 3 feet with a dominant period 5 seconds. A moderate chop on the intracoastal waters. Slight chance of showers in the morning...then showers likely and slight chance of thunderstorms in the afternoon.

Tonight: Southwest winds 10 to 15 knots. Seas 2 to 3 feet with a dominant period 5 seconds. A light chop on the intracoastal waters. Chance of showers.

Monday: Southwest winds 10 to 15 knots. Seas 2 to 3 feet with a dominant period 5 seconds. A moderate chop on the intracoastal waters. Chance of showers.

Monday Night: West winds 10 to 15 knots. Seas 2 to 3 feet. A light chop on the intracoastal waters.

Tuesday: West winds 5 to 10 knots becoming south in the afternoon. Seas 2 to 3 feet. A light chop on the intracoastal waters.

Tuesday Night: South winds 5 to 10 knots becoming northwest after midnight. Seas 1 to 2 feet.

Wednesday: North winds 5 to 10 knots becoming east in the afternoon. Seas 1 to 2 feet.

Wednesday Night: South winds 10 knots becoming southwest 5 to 10 knots after midnight. Seas 1 to 2 feet.

Thursday: South winds 5 to 10 knots. Seas 2 feet.
hkollar BHPian

Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Bangalore Posts: 261 Thanked: 415 Times

re: 1st-gen Toyota Innova production comes to an end Quote: Rajeevraj Originally Posted by

They also told that the Crysta would start at 20L + OTR Bangalore and go up to 27-27L for the Top End.



To price that product at 25L+ OTR will be suicidal for Toyota.



Unless of course - They have different products planned for Sub 20L and Sub 10L space. High time Toyota took India seriously. It is the third largest auto market in the world as on 2016, and Toyota is lethargic in India.



Maruti Suzuki on the other hand has only extended its leadership in India, with aggressive products. Toyota has so much scope to be one of top 3 players in India, if only it cared. Currently it is only an - also ran. Innova was Toyota's cash cow in India. If this news is true, then it'll seriously dent the volume for Toyota. Toyota doesn't have a competent offering in Sub 20L space. Corolla or Etios are not appreciated by people. And Innova/crysta anyway have bad mileage especially in Petrol segment.To price that product at 25L+ OTR will be suicidal for Toyota.Unless of course - They have different products planned for Sub 20L and Sub 10L space. High time Toyota took India seriously. It is the third largest auto market in the world as on 2016, and Toyota is lethargic in India.Maruti Suzuki on the other hand has only extended its leadership in India, with aggressive products. Toyota has so much scope to be one of top 3 players in India, if only it cared. Currently it is only an - also ran. Last edited by GTO : 12th March 2016 at 13:26 . Reason: Typos
A 4-year-old girl from Houston named Nevaeh Hall suffered from brain damage after an unfortunate dental appointment that involved a controversial restraint device.

The family is now considering to file a lawsuit against the dentist after the child was rushed to the Texas Children's Hospital, where tests revealed that the patient sustained brain damage.

"In essence what happened is this child was chemically and physically suffocated," says the family attorney Jim Moriarty.

The said appointment was already Nevaeh's third visit to the Diamond Dental clinic. Her mother Courissa Clark said she expected to have some of her daughter's teeth be capped or removed due to decay.

Throughout the appointment, she and her husband stayed in the waiting room. They were told that everything was OK. The next time they were permitted to enter the procedure room was when the paramedics were already arriving.

The Controversial Dental Restraint Device Called Papoose

Nevaeh was said to have been placed in a dental restraint device called papoose. This device constrains the arms and legs of a patient so that it would not disrupt the procedures.

While some dentists show support to the use of papoose in specific, cautiously monitored cases, Nevaeh's family speaks out and warns the public against this dental restraint device.

In a news conference held on Thursday, Nevaeh's family was accompanied by a dentist from Children First Dental named Craig Jacobs, who said that if parents are being asked to authorize the use of papoose on their child, they likely have to run.

Excessive Sedation

Nevaeh's attorneys said that the child experienced seizures due to the use of numerous sedatives during the appointment.

In the child's medical record, it was shown that Nevaeh was sedated for more than seven hours. She was also given five sedatives for what is considered to be a routine dental procedure.

Essentially Tortured

Moriarty says Nevaeh's records show that she was essentially tortured. Her heart beat reach a whopping 196 beats per minute, which is a compensatory mechanism for her difficulty of breathing. Her oxygen saturation also reached an alarming low of 49 percent. For comparison, oxygen saturation of lower than 86 percent is already categorized as severe loss of oxygen in the cells, which is known to lead to brain damage.

Previous Complaints

The dentist behind this tragic case is Dr. Bethaniel Jefferson, who has been reprimanded and fined by the Texas State Board of Dental Examiners twice before already.

At present, her license has been temporarily suspended following Nevaeh's case.

 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Experiencing unfair treatment or racial discrimination in the workplace contributes to poor health and high stress levels, a new study by the American Psychological Association (APA) revealed.

Almost half of adults in the United States reported that they have indeed gone through major forms of discrimination or unfair treatment. This includes being threatened or unfairly questioned by the police, being passed over for promotion, getting fired from their jobs, or being treated unfairly when it comes to health care.

The online survey was conducted by Harris Poll on behalf of APA in August 2015. Of the 3,361 adults involved in the survey, seven out of 10 adults reported that they have experienced discrimination. About 61 percent said they experience discrimination daily, such as being treated with less respect or courtesy, getting poorer service than others, or being harassed or threatened.

"What we found was there clearly was a link between discrimination and stress," said Jaime Diaz-Granados, the association's executive director for education. "We found that those folks who reported discrimination reported a higher level of stress as well as poor health as compared to cohorts in the same group that reported not experiencing discrimination."

Discrimination went across all groups, and focused ethnicity and race, gender differences and disabilities, said Diaz-Granados. But reports of discrimination were most widespread among black Americans.

More than 75 percent of black people who participated in the study said they experience day-to-day discrimination. About 40 percent of black men said they have experienced being unfairly searched, abused or threatened by the police.

For many of the participants, the anticipation of getting unfair treatment contributes to stress. Thirty percent black and Hispanic adults said they were hypervigilant about their appearance in order to be treated well, avoid harassment or get good service. The APA said this hypervigilance may be contributing to added stress.

In fact, almost one-fourth of the adults who described their health as fair or poor also reported they have higher stress levels than average, the APA said.

"It's clear that discrimination is widespread and impacts many people," said Diaz-Granados. "[W]hen people frequently experience unfair treatment, it can contribute to increased stress and poorer health."

APA's interim CEO Cynthia Belar said one-quarter of the adults in the survey said they do not always have access to the health care they need.

Hispanics, in particular, were more likely to report that they cannot access a non-emergency doctor when they need one. Hispanics also reported the highest stress levels among the participants.

On the other hand, the APA study found some positivity from the participants when it comes to stress management related to discrimination.

Despite the high stress levels, about 59 percent said they have dealt quite well in the face of discrimination.

Many participants also said they have a positive outlook, and the survey points to the strong impact of emotional support.

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For the first time in 200 years or since the Revolutionary War, wild Atlantic salmons are spawning in New England's Connecticut River again.

The trio of nests containing the species' eggs in the river system was nothing short of miraculous for biologists, as wild salmon have long been thought to be extinct from the watershed.

Connecticut Fish and Wildlife dubbed the redds  or nests in the streambed for trout or salmon to lay their eggs  "an incredible discovery" made last November by Inland Fisheries researchers.

"This marks the first documented wild spawning of Atlantic salmon in Connecticut since 1991 (in the Salmon River) and before that around the time of the Revolutionary War," the office reports in a Facebook post.

It was reported that salmon eggs were found on the Salmon River, which flows into the Connecticut River, in 1991. The conditions, however, gave the eggs "almost no chance" at survival, as the Hartford Courant pointed out.

Wild Atlantic salmon once swam plentifully in the river that runs 407 miles, with researchers even estimating that up to 50,000 fishes made the yearly runs upstream prior to colonization. The species, however, died off quickly after dams blocked the migration paths and when the river suffered increasing pollution.

Connecticut undertook restoration efforts, including a federal or multi-state program from 1967 to 2013. The state has since moved to a "legacy" plan where it stocked relatively few dry in select sections of Salmon and Farmington Rivers, continually aiming to keep the native species part of the natural habitat.

The restocking program ended likely due to factors such as skyrocketing costs from the low rate of spawning salmon and the 2011 hurricane damage. For Bill Hyatt, DEEP's natural resources bureau chief, salmon and other fish populations also faced massive declines in the 1990s with dwindling food supply, and shifting ocean currents in 2000s worsened the blow.

In the winter, experts found five adult Atlantic salmons on the Lower Farmington River  swimming upstream of the Rainbow Dam  and the three nests. The eggs are expected to hatch in the spring, becoming the first in the species to spawn in the area in over two centuries.

Unlike the nest back in 1991, these current nests are considered to have a good chance of hatching.

The location remains confidential to protect the fishes and their eggs.

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Teen pregnancy rates in England and Wales have dipped to almost half since the global emergence of social media, data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) revealed. Among girls under 18 years old, the rate of pregnancies now stands at its lowest as it has dropped by 45 percent since 2007.

The ONS figures revealed that a total of 22,653 teenage girls under 18 got pregnant in Wales and England in 2014, a drop of 7 percent in a course of a year. Among teens under 16, the rate plummeted by 10 percent. Among teenagers under 18, the rate of pregnancy went from 41.6 per 1,000 girls in 2007 to 22.9 per 1,000 girls in 2014.

The shocking decrease has prompted experts to pinpoint the cause. Theories include sex education classes paying off, shifting attitudes toward young motherhood, and the impact of immigration.

The most timely speculation, however, is that young people are simply spending less time physically because of social media, which went global around 2007, one year after Facebook expanded its reach beyond university campuses.

Some experts and children's charities have warned that the "explosion of social media" is exposing the youth to new dangers online, such as bullying and sexual exploitation.

But the ONS figures suggest that the changes in teenagers' lifestyles could also be helping them safer from unwanted pregnancies.

The drop in teen pregnancy rates was also accompanied by evidence of decreases in traditional risky behaviors such as drug-taking and alcohol-drinking, authorities said.

Economist David Paton from Nottingham University Business School said it was striking that a similar pattern in teen pregnancy rates is emerging in other countries such as New Zealand. Paton, who is also a professor, was among the first to theorize the effect of social media on teen pregnancies.

"People [appear to be] spending time at home - rather than sitting at bus stops with a bottle of vodka they are doing it remotely with their friends," said Paton. "It does potentially fit in terms of timing."

Paton argued that access to safe sex methods such as contraception could not explain the reduction, as the dropping rates coincide with cuts to sexual health services in many areas.

Another possibility is that improvements in school that happened about the same time of dropping rates might have also played a part, Paton added.

Photo: Pabak Sarkar | Flickr

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Up to 57 different pesticides are poisoning European honeybees and exacerbating the decline of bee populations worldwide.

This was a warning from researchers out of the National Veterinary Research Institute in Poland, who also highlighted a new method that can detect a huge array of pesticides in bees and help scientists get to the bottom of the problem of global honeybee decline.

Honeybees are falling in numbers worldwide, including in the United States, partly due to colony collapse disorder. It is unclear what directly causes CCD and how it works, but scientists implicate several factors that include pesticide use. For instance, the European Union has banned the use of neonicotinoid pesticides given the pesticide-bee decline link.

The insects play a crucial role in agriculture and the environment by pollinating more than 80 percent of crops and wild plant species in Europe alone, said lead study author Tomasz Kiljanek.

The Polish researchers reported that they developed a method that detects and analyzes 200 pesticides and metabolites in honeybees.

"We wanted to develop a test for a large number of pesticides currently approved for use in the European Union to see what is poisoning the bees," Kiljanek says.

Because of their sheer numbers, it is difficult to work out which pesticides are harming the bees, and combined effects and accumulation over time could pose greater dangers. Even at low amounts, pesticides can weaken the immunity of bees and allow parasites or viruses to crush the colony, warned Kiljanek.

The team used QuEChERS, a method currently used for detecting pesticides present in food, to probe more than 70 honeybee poisoning cases. In this analysis, they tested for 200 different pesticides simultaneously, along with compounds produced by pesticide breakdown.

A staggering 98 percent of the tested pesticides are approved to be used in the European Union.

According to the results, there were 57 pesticides present in the poisoned bees - a piece of the toxicity puzzle that science is currently trying to solve.

For the authors, this is just the start of the investigation on pesticide effects on honeybee health, with their findings expanding knowledge on the matter and helping other scientists better study the risk of currently used and approved pesticides.

The findings were published in the Journal of Chromatography.

Previous research focuses on other reasons for the significant decline of pollinators worldwide, including climate change and disease. Diesel exhaust, for instance, changes half of floral scents that honeybees employ in their search for flowers - something suggested as a contributor to bee population decline.

A United Nations report released in February warned that hundreds of billions of dollars' worth of food crops will suffer from this decline, threatening global food supply if nothing will be done.

Two of five bee, butterfly, and pollinating critter species are becoming extinct, while their vertebrate peers are only slightly better off with one of six facing extinction.

Photo: Mike DelGaudio | Flickr

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Pregnant women and their unborn babies are not the only ones at risk of complications linked to Zika virus. The virus poses a threat to adults in the form of meningoencephalitis, a dangerous condition wherein the brain is inflamed.

A team of researchers from France has released a new report that reveals another reason for people to fear the potentially-dangerous virus. They found an 81-year-old man who acquired a Zika virus infection while he was on a cruise in the South Pacific. He developed a form of brain inflammation after returning to France.

The result was published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

In the previous months, Zika has already been linked to serious birth defects in infants born to infected mothers and paralysis. Now, this new study is linking the infection to another serious complication, brain inflammation, which is potentially fatal.

The patient had been in perfect health before becoming ill, but after returning from the cruise, he developed fever and suddenly slipped into a coma. He also had rashes and upon waking up from coma, experienced hallucinations.

However, after 17 days in the intensive care, the man recovered with just a weak left arm. He was not given any specific treatment.

Amesh Adalja, a senior associate at the Center for Health Security at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center said that Zika being linked to meningoencephalitis is a "serious condition" since it infects the brain, spinal cord and its linings.

"That Zika is being linked to this condition is a very serious matter and adds to the growing evidence of the full-spectrum of disease this virus can cause," she said.

In the past, Zika was only considered to cause mild illness with flu-like symptoms. In the latest outbreak, however, it has been linked to multiple neurological disorders. The cases of microcephaly among infants also increased.

In the United States, a total of 193 travel-associated Zika cases were reported, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In U.S. territories, however, 173 cases were locally-acquired while one case was travel-associated.

Still, health experts are advising all travelers to take precaution when travelling to places with known Zika virus infections. Pregnant women are advised to postpone travel to these places and if the travel cannot be cancelled, they are urged to take mosquito protection precautions.

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Jessica Alba, actress and co-founder of Honest Company, denies reports that the detergent produced by her company contains chemical that causes skin irritation.

Some products of Honest Company are challenging other items from big companies such as Clorox and Procter & Gamble. Honest Company guarantees that its offerings do not contain harsh chemicals that are found in several mainstream products. The company also suggests that consumers should avoid sodium lauryl sulfate, or SLS, which is a cleaning agent and found in many household items such as Tide detergent and Colgate toothpaste.

Honest Company suggests that SLS can cause skin irritation and Alba's company claims that they do not use SLS in any of their products. The company also labels their products as "Honestly free of" and the first item in the list is SLS.

The Wall Street Journal commissioned two independent labs for testing if Honest Company's liquid laundry detergent contains SLS or not.

"Our findings support that there is a significant amount of sodium lauryl sulfate [in Honest's detergent]," says Barbara Pavan, a chemist at one of the labs.

The lab also claims that the level of SLS found in Honest Company's detergent was the same as that found in Tide detergent.

Alba disputes the test results and expressed her disappointment over The Wall Street Journal's claim.

"I am extremely disappointed by the recent Wall Street Journal article full of misrepresentations about The Honest Company," says Alba in a blog. "We created our Honestly Free Guarantee so our customers can rest easy knowing our products are made without health-compromising chemicals or compounds."

Alba confirmed that the company uses Sodium Coco Sulfate (SCS) in its detergent as it is gentler as well as less irritating in comparison to the chemicals used in other detergents. Honest Company also highlighted that it has received assurance from suppliers and manufacturing partners that the company's detergent does not contain SLS.

Honest Company is based in Los Angeles and it sells products online and from discount retailers like Target, grocery chain Whole Foods and some other major stores across the U.S.

On Friday, Target said that it had no plans of removing the detergent from its store shelves. However, Whole Foods Market suggests that it is working with Alba's company to understand the test results revealed by The Wall Street Journal.

The latest SLS issue in Honest Company's product is a result of a lawsuit filed in February, which accused the company of fraudulently labeling dozens of its products chemical free, as natural or plant-based.

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Huawei now has a 24.3 percent market share in China and may soon become the dominant player in a market where iOS devices made up for about 25 percent of urban sales.

In the latest data on smartphone sales from Kantar Worldpanel ComTech, Apple's market share continued to grow in urban China although the growth rate is seen as the slowest that the company had since late 2014.

"Looking at the three months individually, January was the weakest month for Apple in China as more price-sensitive consumers might have been waiting to see what promotions Chinese New Year would bring in early February," says Carolina Milanesi, research chief at Kantar Worldpanel ComTech.

In February, we reported that Huawei, along with other Chinese smartphone makers that include Xiaomi and Lenovo, continue to make up the bigger proportion of the smartphone pie. Huawei ended the final quarter of 2015 with a 15.2 percent market share, which placed the company at the top, beating both Xiaomi (14.8 percent) and Apple (13.1 percent).

Rounding up the top five are two other OEMs from China that include Vivo and Oppo, which had 10 percent and 9.2 percent of the market shares respectively.

Huawei is also making waves in the EU5, where it continues to be the second strongest brand as far as the Android ecosystem is concerned. From a 5 percent market share in 2014, the number almost tripled and reached 14 percent during the same three-month period that ended in January 2016.

"In Great Britain and France, Huawei doubled its share over the past year, and climbed to number four in the brand ranking, while remaining number two in Italy, Spain and Germany," said Dominic Sunnebo, business unit director at Kantar Worldpanel ComTech Europe.

EU5 is made up of the big five markets in Europe that include Great Britain, France, Italy, Spain and Germany.

Apple devices that include the iPhone 6, iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus are so far the best-selling handsets in urban China. While iOS share continued to increase year-over-year, the growth pace seemed to have become slower in the region.

It remains to be seen just how much longer will Apple hold its top spot if Huawei continues the momentum in the race. With the gap being at less than one percentage point, Huawei could win the race in no time.

Photo: Karlis Dambrans I Flickr

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A new Sony Xperia Marshmallow beta is now bringing select Xperia Z3, Z3 Compact and Z2 devices to a pre-release version of Android 6.0.1.

Sony first announced its Xperia Beta program last month, allowing select users to try out a beta version of Android 6.0. At the time, interested users had to register their interest to take part in the beta, but some limitations were in place. Only Xperia Z3, Z3 Compact and Z2 owners in Italy, Spain and the Netherlands were eligible for the program.

One month later, Sony Mobile is now releasing the first firmware update for those in the Xperia Beta program. More specifically, eligible handsets are now getting Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow, reaching build number 23.5.A.0.486.

It's worth pointing out that this Xperia Marshmallow Beta is not the same thing as the Concept for Marshmallow that Sony rolled out back in October 2015. While this beta is a pre-release version that will eventually reach all handsets once it's polished, the Concept for Marshmallow is an experimental type of software that simply aims to test new features. The latter may never see the light of day.

Aside from the experiments and betas, Sony recently released Android 6.0 Marshmallow to its Xperia Z5 line, Xperia Z3+ and Z4 Tablet. However, this Xperia Beta will likely serve as a more direct channel for Sony developers to communicate with testers in order to smooth over any potential bugs in the Android 6.0.1 software.

At the same time, while the beta offers Android 6.0.1 as opposed to the Android 6.0 version that rolled out recently, it comes with the December 2015 security patch and not the February one as the update for the Z5, Z3+ and Z4 Tablet.

Nevertheless, the new Marshmallow beta is set to bring some neat new features to the table. Among the highlights, Xperia Z3 and Z2 owners will finally be able to enjoy the new Camera 2.0.0 interface, which proved to be quite popular on the Xperia Z5 smartphones. The new Camera version allows users to swipe to easily switch between different modes such as manual or video, and it also brings some other features such as real-time brightness adjustment.

The beta firmware will also bring the new launcher and the search option in the app drawer, and will remove the STAMINA mode.

If everything goes well with the beta testing, Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow should soon roll out to all Xperia Z3, Z3 Compact and Z2.

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Wildfires result in greater emissions in polluted areas than in pristine regions, a new study shows. Biomass grown in locations that experience greater concentrations of air pollution release a greater amount of pollutants when burned, researchers determined.

All plant matter release gases and aerosols into the air when burned. This new study suggests that when wildfire rages in areas such as Los Angeles, where air pollution is prevalent, the burning of the biomass releases a greater-than-normal level of pollutants into the air.

Factories, automobiles and power plants produce nitrogen as a waste product. This gas is the most common component of the atmosphere. A certain amount of the gas is essential for the healthy functioning of plants. However, too much of the gas can result in a condition known as nitrogen saturation, which can lead to a reduction in biodiversity, water contamination, acidification of the surrounding soil and other environmental challenges.

University of California, Riverside researchers examined samples from the San Bernardino Mountains east of Los Angeles. Locations 55 miles apart were examined, revealing how pollutants alter the chemistry of plants.

"This study, and specifically the concern that biomass grown and burned in polluted areas is potentially more toxic to human health, is additional evidence that human activities have consequences not yet explored and therefore not understood," Akua Asa-Awuku from the Bourns College of Engineering at UC Riverside said.

Material from the forest floor, called litter, was studied. Researchers found material collected closer to the city contained a greater concentration of pollutants than samples found further east. When burned, this litter released higher levels of nitrogen oxides and small particles than cleaner samples.

When forest service personnel carry out controlled burns, they try to predict the quantity of pollutants that will be released in the process. However, these estimates are based on burning clean biomass. This new study suggests the degree of pollution in locations where fires are planned will need to be accounted for in future prescribed burns. Researchers have stated this is another example of human beings having a poorly understood impact on the environment.

Research into how air pollution may affect emissions into the atmosphere was published in the journal Environmental Research Letters.

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Daylight saving time is now in effect over much of the United States, and anyone who had to work on Sunday, March 13 lost an hour of sleep the night before. Changing clocks back an hour makes it seem like the sun is out significantly longer than before, but is this a tradition whose time is passed?

Every spring, millions of Americans ask themselves - and each other - whether or not it is still worthwhile to set clocks an hour ahead for the warmer months. Two states, Arizona and Hawaii, have already "opted out" of using daylight saving time (DST). The tradition takes place in 70 countries around the world, as well as in most places in the United States.

"This change helps keep the hours of daylight coordinated with the time that most people are active. Proponents feel that this saves energy because in the spring and summer months more people may be outside in the evening and not using energy at home. There are, however, ongoing debates about how much energy is saved," the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) states.

Contrary to popular opinion, the custom of setting clocks forward an hour in the spring was not created for the benefit of farmers. The practice was first utilized in Germany during World War I as a means of saving energy for the war effort. Before long, the United States, France and the United Kingdom all soon adopted the practice. In America, the first period of daylight saving lasted just seven months before being repealed. The idea was reborn in 1942, during the next great war.

The Uniform Time Act of 1966 set the period of daylight saving time between April and October each year. Nine years later, that period was extended to eight months each year, in an effort to save fuel during the oil crisis. That change was later amended by Congress in 2005, as part of the Energy Policy Act, which declared that DST would last from March to November.

Several health officials are concerned about the effect DST may have on the human body. This includes a new study out of Germany that suggests that people never fully adapt to the altered time. Heart attacks increase 10 percent in the days following the weekend where clocks spring ahead, although doctors are uncertain why this occurs.

In addition to health problems, Americans do not seem to be fond of daylight saving time, either. In March 2013, polling company Rasmussen asked people if DST was worth the trouble. Just 37 percent said yes, while 45 percent spoke out against the practice.

"The whole proposition that you can gain or lose an hour is at best theoretical. So I think from the start people had no clear idea what we were doing or why we were doing it. It just generates confusion, and confusion generates bad will," Michael Downing, author of "Spring Forward: The Annual Madness of Daylight Saving Time," said.

Even the ultimate purpose of daylight saving time, saving energy, is questionable. Several studies show that although use of artificial lights in evenings is reduced, energy demands during darker mornings negates any savings from the practice. As Americans head out the door for activities during the lighted evenings, cars also push more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, increasing the dangers of global warming.

Daylight saving time is not likely to go away soon, but neither will controversies surrounding the practice.

Photo: Iraia Martinez | Flickr

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The U.S. Department of Transportation has settled on the seven finalists in its search to find the city with the most compelling proposition for developing a "Smart City."

Last December, the USDOT, in partnership with Paul G. Allen's Vulcan Inc., issued a challenge to cities around the U.S. with the hopes of better defining what it means to be a smart city. It's looking for plans to integrate autonomous vehicles, connected transit, smart sensors and other smart tech to modernize urban travel.

The city that seems to have the best plan of the bunch will be awarded a $40 million grant to move its winning idea forward.

While it's still searching out the city with the smartest game plan, the USDOT has narrowed a field of 78 applicants down to just seven. And apparently there are a lot of compelling ideas being put forth, as the USDOT originally planned to name five finalists this month.

"The level of excitement and energy the Smart City Challenge has created around the country far exceeded our expectations," said U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx.

The finalists are as follows:

 Austin, Texas

 Columbus, Ohio

 Denver, Colo.

 Kansas City, Mo.

 Pittsburgh, Pa.

 Portland, Ore

 San Francisco, Calif.

From here, the finalists will each be awarded $100,000 grant to flesh out their proposals. The USDOT will announce the winner of challenge during the C3 Connected Mobility Showcase at SXSW this June.

In announcing the finalists, the USDOT revealed that Amazon, the front runner in the cloud race, is joining the challenge to help the remaining seven refine their proposals. Other companies offering advice to the competing cities include NXP, Autodesk and Mobileye.

The applicants' visions of a "greener future represents the best of American ingenuity," said Barbara Bennett, president and COO, of Paul G. Allen's Vulcan Inc.

"As the Smart City Challenge's philanthropic partner, we hope to catalyze a transportation transformation across the country that will dramatically drive down emissions from this leading source of carbon pollution," Bennett said.

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The last few years has seen hackers taken a liking for Hollywood with them appearing in almost every robbery or mystery movie.

It is not easier to depict a hack going on in a movie. Most of the time an actor or actress is just shown typing something in the command prompt tab or UI of any software to show hacking which has nothing to do with real-world hacking.

Very few movies have shown the actual depiction of hacking correctly. We have tried our level best to bring out the list of these best movies showing hackers.

Lets take a look at the 15 best hacking movies list of all time.

Top 15 Hacking Movies Of All Time

Algorithm

War Games

Hackers

The Matrix

Takedown aka Track down

The Italian Job

Live free or die hard

Blackhat

Untraceable

Eagle Eye

Fifth Estate

Snowden

The Net

23

Who am I

1. Algorithm (2014)

Algorithm tracks the travails of Will, who is a freelance computer hacker who breaks into a top-secret government contractor and downloads all their recently developed programs.

This is one of the best hacker movies of all time.

This Hollywood hacker movie features David Lightman (Broderick), a young high school student hacker who accidentally hacks into a military supercomputer and starts the countdown to World War III.

Third on the list of the best hacking movies is this cult classic. The hacker movie got a lot of things right, especially the way they showed kids using technology to create their own community.

In Hackers, Angelina Jolie and Jonny Lee Miller portray two youthful and hip hackers.

Miller portrays a hacker who got caught as a very young child (11) after crashing thousands of computers and has been sentenced to zero computer access until his 18th birthday.

If you want to know how hackers use their social engineering skills to get sensitive details related to your hardware, this movie will not disappoint you.

This is one of the greatest science fiction movies of all time.

The movie depicts a dystopian future in which reality, as perceived by most humans, is actually a simulated reality called the Matrix, created by sentient machines to subdue the human population, while their bodies heat and electrical activity are used as an energy source.

A character named Neo, who is a computer Hacker, learns this truth and is drawn into a rebellion against the machines, which involves other people who have been freed from the dream world.

The Matrix franchise is a trilogy movie series.

This hacker movie is based on famous computer U.S. hacker Kevin David Mitnick. Based on the book and written by his nemesis, Tsutomu Shimomura, the story tends to glorify Shimomura.

Mitnick operated in the 1980s and 90s and eventually went to prison for a couple of years. Now, he is a highly paid IT security consultant, speaker, and writer and is considered to be among the worlds top 10 hackers of all time.

Although the MINI Coopers are really the stars of The Italian Job (a remake of the 1969 film of the same name), Seth Green plays Lyle, a hacker among a group of elite thieves, who is able to manipulate traffic signals, among other devices, that make this grand theft possible.

Live Free or Die Hard (also known as Die Hard 4 and released as Die Hard 4.0 outside North America) is a 2007 American action hacking film, and the fourth installment in the Die Hard .

The film series depicts a scenario where a hacker played by Timothy Olyphant (of Justified fame) takes down nearly the entire U.S. infrastructure in an attempt to transfer trillions of dollars from the Federal Reserve to his account.

This movie shows how a blackhat hackers operate.

Blackhat features Chris Hemsworth. In this Hollywood movie, hackers hack the Chinese nuclear power plant to start a nuclear reaction.

Simultaneously, they also hack the stock exchange and steal millions of dollars from the bank.

This movie shows how a black hat hackers threaten governments.

This hacker movie involves a serial killer who rigs contraptions that kill his victims based on the number of hits received by a website KillWithMe.com that features a live streaming video of the victim.

Millions of people log on, hastening the victims deaths.

In this hacking movie, two people get a call from an unknown number by a woman. They get a task on a phone that if they dont follow the phone call they would die.

This movie displays supercomputer hack on all networks and military networks.

This is just an amazing movie on how artificial intelligence computer hack our real life for bad motives.

The Fifth Estate is a hacking movie, which is an unauthorized account of Julian Assange and WikiLeaks. Cumberbatch plays a believable Assange as an egotistical, idealist that is out to change the world.

Few Americans know that Assange is a famous (or infamous) hacker in his native country of Australia. He broke into the Pentagon, Citibank, NASA, and Stanford University, among other facilities, before being caught.

The movie is based on the book, The Snowden Files: The Inside Story of the Worlds Most Wanted Man.

The storyline depicts NSAs illegal surveillance techniques on US and world citizens. Snowden leaked these techniques to the public in the form of thousands of classified documents causing a huge public outcry.

Angela Benett, played by Sandra Bullock, is a system analyst who works for Cathedral software as a telecommuter. She leaves for a regular work assignment to de-bug in a program.

Dale Hessman, who assigned her the task last, is killed in a plane crash. Benetts life turns upside down as she discovers a piece of secret information. Life has a nightmare in store for her as life is erased from existence and handed a new identity with a police record.

This hacking movie revolves around a hacker, Karl Koch, who is a teenager in Germany during the peak of the Cold war of the 80s. The film title is based on the protagonists obsession with the number.

Koch meets David at the Chaos Computer Club, where they conspire to hack into the global data network. The KGB directs them to hack into different worldwide networks to have the upper hand in the war.

Things take a turn for the worst when David reveals espionage activity, but only Karl is left to face the consequences.

The film starts with Benjamin Engel sitting in an interrogation room. He is the one who has come in voluntarily to share some information regarding a notorious Russian hacker group that goes by the name of FR13NDS.

In exchange for the information, Benjamin demands witness protection. After that, he starts narrating the story of an orphan who worked as pizza delivery to make ends meet.

A nobody who none would notice until he contacted Max, a fellow hacker, who in turn introduced him to several other hackers.

They decide to form a hackers collective CLAY, Clowns Laughing At You, using Benjamins house as the base of operations.

BONUS, Honorable Mention:

Mr, Robot is a Tv series showing Elliot Alderson, a brilliant cyber-security engineer, and hacker with clinical depression and social anxiety.

Elliot is recruited by Mr. Robot, played by Christian Slater, to join a hacking group fsociety to destroy and take down the corrupt corporation he is working for.

Conclusion

So these were a few of the best hacking movies depicting hackers. You can binge-watch them right now and let us know how your experience was.
US Government Says That WhatsApp Encryption Is Impeding Wiretap Order

Looks like we are going to have a battle similar to FBI vs Apple soon, but this time between Facebook and Department of Justice. The United States Department of Justice has serious issues with the end-to-end encryption in popular cross platform messaging App, WhatsApp.

According to The New York Times, the recent DoJ order to wire-tap communications is being thwarted by WhatsApps encryption. The New York Times on Saturday reported that, DoJ prosecutors are readying for a new court battle with WhatsApp, the messaging app owned by Facebook. Citing anonymous sources, the Times reported that as recently as this past week, federal officials have been discussing how to proceed in a continuing criminal investigation in which a federal judge had approved a wiretap, but investigators were stymied by WhatsApps encryption.

WhatsApp allows smartphone users to send messages and make phone calls over the Internet. Since last year, WhatsApp added encryption to those conversations, making it impossible for the Justice Department to read or eavesdrop on the users communications, even with a judges wiretap order.

The current issue emerged after the Justice Department was discussing how to proceed in a continuing criminal investigation in which a federal judge had approved a wiretap, but the encryption in WhatsApp prohibited the department from proceeding further.

The Justice Department and WhatsApp declined to comment. NYT notes that though the dispute has been reported by anonymous sources, the nature of the case was not clear, except that officials said it was not a terrorism investigation. The location of the investigation was also unclear.

The US government efforts to bake in backdoors into every product had suffered a major PR blow when most of the tech companies sided with Apple in San Bernardino shooters iPhone. It was further harmed by a court verdict in a totally unrelated case, where the judge ruled in Apples favour. As encrypted communications gain ground, we may see many more such cases emerging, not just in United States but in rest of the world as well.
BitcoinWisdom Ads Remover extension for Chrome is reportedly stealing bitcoins from users

Bitstamp, a bitcoin exchange portal based in Slovenia, has issued a warning to users of a Google Chrome extension which steals bitcoin while making a transfer.

Be careful! We have uncovered a Chrome extension called BitcoinWisdom Ads Remover that will try to steal your #bitcoin.  Bitstamp (@Bitstamp) March 11, 2016

BitcoinWisdom Ads Remover Chrome extension available Chome webstore, flaunts itself as ad removerfrom the BitcoinWisdom.com, a website for consulting all kinds of Bitcoin-related statistics, all presented in easy-to-understand charts.

According to Bitstamp, this extension contains malicious code that is redirecting payments to its own Bitcoin address, instead of the one intended by the user making the transaction. Bitcoin Web app developer Devon Weller confirmed Bitstamps findings.

@bitstamp Confirmed. I looked at the source code. It replaces QR code images on bitcoin exchanges with its own addresses.  Devon Weller (@wellerco) March 11, 2016

The Nashville, Tennessee-based developer said that the extension was secretly replacing QR codes with its own.

For the initiated, Bitcoin users use mostly QR codes as one of the methods to make payments or transfer Bitcoin from one account to the other. This is done because Bitcoin wallets addresses are extremely long strings of random characters which are difficult to memorize. Therefore many Bitcoin exchanges provide the option of taking the whole string and rendering as a QR code. Users can then scan the QR code with their phone (running a Bitcoin payments app) and approve the payment/transfer.

The BitcoinWisdom Ads Remover Chrome extension manipulates a webpages source code and replaces the QR code of a payments destination with one of its own.

The Chrome extension was still available through Googles Chrome Web Store. In July 2015, many users reported having similar issues with the same extension.
Florida Sheriff says Ill lock the rascal up if Apple doesnt help authorities in crypto battle

The Apple vs FBI court battle is growing more and more acrimonious with a Florida sheriff promising to arrest Apple CEO, Tim Cook, if Apple resisted governments efforts to create backdoor in iPhone. Polk County Sheriff, Grady Judd said he wouldnt hesitate to throw Cook behind bars if a case similar to San Bernardino shooting happens in his jurisdiction.

The Apple vs FBI fight came to fore when an US court ordered Apple to unlock the San Bernardino shooters iPhone 5c under the All Writs Act, an obscure 18th-century statute. The court ordered Apple to develop ways for the FBI to access the shooters iPhone. Apple has contested the order saying that such hack or backdoor could create an unhealthy precedence and authorities could force Apple to bake in backdoors in all its products and snoop on its users.

Speaking at a press conference Wednesday that was published by FOX 13, Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd described a recent murder case that his office had worked on. Judd said that the murder suspects took photos of their victim on their smartphones, but then later gave detectives the passcodes to unlock their phones.

However, when Judd was asked about Apples refusal to help create a custom-firmware that would allow the FBI to brute-force the seized iPhone 5C from San Bernardino, the sheriff did not mince words.

You cannot create a business model to go, Were not paying attention to the federal judge or the state judge. You see, were above the law,' Judd said. The CEO of Apple needs to know hes not above the law, and neither is anybody else in the United States.

He made it clear that if a similar case happened in his jurisdiction in future where Apple resisted courts orders, it may result in Cook being put behind bars, presumably under a contempt of court order.

But believe you me, if I get a toehold in this county and I can get the state attorneys office to prosecute, and a judge to back us up with it, Ill lock the rascal up, Judd concluded.
Your 3G and 4G modems can be exploited by hackers using a 0-day flaw to spy on you

The 3G or 4G modem you use to connect to the Internet can be used by hackers to intercept your HTTP and SMS traffic. Russian security tester Timur Yunusov has found critical vulnerabilities in routers and 3G and 4G modems from Huawei, ZTE, Gemtek, and Quanta.

The zero-day was first noticed in December 2015 but demonstrated by Yunusov yesterday at the Nullcon conference in Goa. Yunusov proceeded to reveal flaws in eight 3G and 4G modems.

A query on the Internet of Things vulnerability testing search engine, Shodan allowed him to find more than 42,000 vulnerable devices exposed on the web. Yunusov said that he could find as many as 2800 Gemtek modems and routers and 1250 from Quanta and ZTE with the unpatched flaw.

All the modem models investigated had critical vulnerabilities leading to complete system compromise, Yunusov told The Register. Virtually all the vulnerabilities could be exploited remotely.

Not all the modems had vulnerabilities in their factory settings; some of them appeared after the firmware was customised by the service provider, he added.

Yunusov also added that all the devices he tested, lacked cross-site request forgery protection that combined with a lack of filters meant 60 percent were exposed to remote code execution.
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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
TS Govt to consider Sub-Plan for Minorities: Dy CM

Hyderabad, March 13 (INN): Deputy Chief Minister Mohammed Mahmood Ali said that the Telangana Government was seriously considering the proposal to introduce Sub-Plan for Minorities on the lines of SC, ST Sub-Plan.



Replying to a question raised by TRS MLC M.S. Prabhakar during Question Hour in Legislative Council on Sunday, the Deputy Chief Minister admitted that of Rs. 1100 Crore allocated for Minorities Welfare in the budget 2015-16, only Rs. 539 crore have been released. He said by taking the unutilised funds and adding Rs. 600 crore, nearly 70 residential schools would be established for minorities at a cost of Rs. 1400 crore.



Mahmood Ali said Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao was quite serious for the development of minorities in the State. He said that the Chief Minister has sanctioned 70 residential schools, allocated funds for Overseas Education Scheme and gave Rs. 14 crore for construction of auditorium at Jamia Nizamia. Similarly, he said that the Sub-Plan for Minorities would also be implemented.



MIM MLC Syed Ameenul Hassan Jafferi said that the Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen has been demanded Minorities Sub-Plan for the last 5-6 years. He said that Sub-Plan would ensure that the unutilised funds do not get lapsed.



Leader of Opposition Mohammed Ali Shabbir strongly criticised the TRS Government for not accepting the demand for Minorities' Sub-Plan. He alleged that the government was misleading the minorities by making mere allocations and not releasing the funds. He pointed out that of Rs. 1030 Crore sanctioned in 2014-15, only Rs. 438 crore were released. Similarly, in 2015-16, of Rs. 1100 crore sanctioned amount, only Rs. 438 crore have been released so far.









News Posted: 13 March, 2016








Metro Rail operations will begin in 3 months: KTR

Hyderabad, March 13 (INN): Municipal Administration & Urban Development Minister K. Tarakarama Rao on Sunday claimed that nearly 75% of Metro Rail works have been completed and the operations would begin within two-three months.



Replying to a question raised by Congress MLA Mallu Bhatti Vikarmarka and other MLAs during Question Hour in Legislative Assembly, the minister denied reports of State Government making several changes in the alignments in the construction of the Metro Rail and against continuing with the old design and alignment. He said dismissed the reports of delay causing additional burden on the government. He said that the Metro Rail project was progressing as per the original agreement that was made in 2010 and financial closure was at Rs. 14,132 Crore.



The minister said although the original agreement was signed in 2010, actual works began after formation of Telangana in June 2014. He said the works on Miyapur, Uppal and LB Nagar Depots have been completed. He said of 2800 pillars, nearly 2,000 have been erected. He informed the House nearly 2,000 legal cases were fought for acquisition of land and other reasons. He said that Hyderabad Metro Rail was bigger in size compared to Mumbai and Bengaluru. He also informed that the Chief Secretary was reviewing the progress of Metro Rail works at least once in 15 days to ensure its timely completion.



KCR said of 269 acres land acquired for the project, 212 acres were government land. He said as per original agreement, the ticket price was proposed at Rs. 9 to Rs. 18. However, now the cost is likely to be around Rs. 13 to Rs. 25. He assured to convene a meeting with all legislators of Hyderabad to discuss the issues like alignment in Old City and other related issues. He said that the State Government would complete the project at any cost.



Raising supplementary questions, Bhatti accused the TRS Government of deliberately delaying the project. He said works near Assembly and Sultan Bazar could not be initiated for almost eight months due to objections raised by TRS Government. He said that the TRS Government was trying to take entire credit for project. He demanded an all-party meeting for a detailed discussion on the project.



MIM floor leader Akbaruddin Owaisi alleged that the L&T authorities were trying to give a wrong impression that Hyderabad Metro Rail project was not profitable. Giving a breaking-up of estimated revenue, he said that claimed that the L&T would make a profit of over Rs. 50,000 crore during the lease period. Stating that there was a huge scam in the Metro Rail project, he demanded a thorough probe.









News Posted: 13 March, 2016








Goi ca trich (sardinella salad)

At first look, it is like Japanese sashimi with thinly cut pieces of a little oily fish known as ca trich in Vietnamese. But it is served with rice papers and raw vegetables, so you can put everything into a big roll before eating with a dipping peanut sauce. The salad gets the most recommendations from travel writers who claim the best version can only be found in Phu Quoc, home of the fish.

Nam tram (bitter bolete mushroom)

Native to Phu Quoc, the famous resort island of Kien Giang, the mushroom is a favorite among islanders who add it to a variety of foods, from porridge to boiled chicken and even deep-fried fish cake. Everyone loves it for its slight bitterness and crunchiness when cooked.

Banh canh ghe cha (tapioca noodle soup with flower crab and fish cake)

By its look, flower crab is deceptively the noodle dish's main ingredient. But, it is mackerel that is the star here. Local sellers add fish heads to cook the soup along with dried shrimps and pork bones. They then make a special fish cake that can be either steamed or deep-fried before being cut into strips.

Bun ca (rice vermicelli soup with fish)

is popular in many Mekong Delta provinces where locals would make a few changes to the original recipe to give the dish their own signatures. In Kien Giang, people top their dish with shrimps besides pieces of snakehead fish meat. The best-selling bun ca can be found along Ham Nghi and Mac Cuu streets in Rach Gia Town. is popular in many Mekong Delta provinces where locals would make a few changes to the original recipe to give the dish their own signatures. In Kien Giang, people top their dish with shrimps besides pieces of snakehead fish meat. The best-selling bun ca can be found along Ham Nghi and Mac Cuu streets in Rach Gia Town.

Bun ken ("ken" rice vermicelli)

coconut milk. This special rice vermicelli topped with fish flosses can only be found in Ha Tien Town, where it is often sold in the morning only. It tastes milky, as its soup is cooked with fish bones, coconut milk and a five-spice powder. The name "ken" is often used in dishes that has

Com ghe (fried rice with flower crab)

Its recipes may sound plain: rice stir-fried with crab meat and tomato sauce, but its rich flavors will surely make an impression on tourists.

Goi so long hoa chuoi (ark clams and banana blossom salad)

One of the best options for an appetizer when dining in Kien Giang, the salad consists of boiled ark clams, shredded banana blossoms, Vietnamese coriander and pork. The mixed fish sauce tastes sweet yet slightly sour.

Ca xiu

is a kind of clam that lives in sand and can be found in Ha Tien only. Although it may look intimidating with two long arms, the clam has gained popularity among tourists in recent years. Not only it makes one of the best salads in town -- being salted and then stir-fried with with and Vietnamese coriander, many claim that it is a natural Viagra for men. is a kind of clam that lives in sand and can be found in Ha Tien only. Although it may look intimidating with two long arms, the clam has gained popularity among tourists in recent years. Not only it makes one of the best salads in town -- being salted and then stir-fried with with and Vietnamese coriander, many claim that it is a natural Viagra for men.

Xoi xiem (Thai sticky rice)

Although this Thai-style dessert is popular in Ho Chi Minh City, visitors should not miss it when in Kien Giang, which many foodies claim to have one of the best xoi xiem. Local sellers use sticky rice produced by Thailand and brought in from Cambodia. The rice is topped with egg custard and coconut milk.

Banh ong la dua (pandan roll cake)

Originally invented by Khmer people, the green roll cake is a popular street snack in Ha Tien. It is made from rice flour with the green color coming from pandan leaves. The use of sesame seeds and coconut flakes gives a strong boost to its milkiness.

Banh thot not (suger palm cake)

Another popular snack created by Khmer people, this rice cake's essence comes from toddy palm or sugar palm. Locals make the flour with palm juice and palm flakes which give the cake the yellow color and jackfruit-like fragrance, after it is steamed, wrapped in banana leaves.

Special mention: Nuoc mam (fish sauce) Visitors to Kien Giang are specifically recommended to check out the salty and strong-flavored sauce which is a key ingredient in Vietnamese cuisine. The province is home to a brand of fish sauce that is one of the oldest and the most famous in the country: Nuoc mam Phu Quoc. While it is possible to make the sauce with any fish, people on the famous resort town 40 miles off the coast produce it by fermenting anchovies in one year. Phu Quoc's fish sauce has a much easier smell compared other brands, but it is still rich in protein.
REST Industry Super chief executive Damian Hill wants compulsory superannuation contributions raised to 15 per cent to force low-income earners, particularly women, to save more for retirement.

"Keeping to the current schedule to get the super guarantee to 12 per cent by 2025 and then lifting it to 15 per cent by 2027 would help nearly half a million women currently in the system achieve a comfortable retirement," Mr Hill said.

REST Industry Super member Jacqui Foley, pictured with daughter Abbey-Mae, 10, backs the fund's call to lift the superannuation guarantee to 15 per cent. Credit:Philip Gostelow

Lifting the super guarantee, currently at 9.5 per cent, to 15 per cent by 2027 would give about 50,000 of his fund's members the chance to achieve a "comfortable" standard of living in retirement, he said.

That assumes the Association of Superannuation Funds of Australia benchmark for a "comfortable" retirement standard as an annual income of $43,184 for a single person who retires at 65 owning their own residence.
Elderton wants survivors to know of the healing that justice can bring. As a child, Di was terrified of her father. She lived in fear of what would happen to her or her mother if she told. For a long time she held the secret close. The oral sex. The shame. The rat-a-tat-tat. Finally, years later, after her parents had separated, she told her mother. Her mother's face showed disbelief. She told her not to tell anyone. Today, her mother struggles to look her in the eyes. And so it went. Her teenage friends wept but did not know what to do. Later, when she was an adult, lawyer friends warned against going to court. But most hurtfully, almost all of her Maltese family  on both sides  watched as she broke down in tears, then carried on as though the conversation had never happened. Her father's side wasn't even surprised at the news; they had guessed it, but they continued to support him. "The reaction was always shock," Elderton says. "It was 'Oh my god' but then it was just nothing.

"It was like, 'don't discuss it again. It wasn't that big of a deal.' There was no checking in to see if I was OK. They never asked me about it again." Their reactions only compounded the fear she had carried as a child. "When you're a kid ... you go, if I tell anyone, no one will believe me," she explains, "but you work up the courage to tell someone ... It's really hard when people absolutely don't mention it again. I would just go, 'I shouldn't have said anything, because now I feel just awful.'" There were years of suffering. Anxiety, bulimia and nightmares. Abusive relationships. She didn't know who or even how to trust. Then she met Robert. About four months into their relationship, which began a decade ago, she walked into the lounge room on a Saturday afternoon and told him what had happened to her.

Open, supportive, trusting. He wasn't like the others. "We have to resolve this," he said. Robert's victim impact statement says he wasn't shocked at the news. Her behaviour gave away that some kind of serious abuse had occurred in her life. "I was now faced with a simple choice," the statement says. "I could either help Di to face her past, and do so quickly, or choose a collective life embroiled in a daily battle of anxiety, trust issues and post-traumatic stress." The couple went on to have children. Two daughters. And it was her girls, Elderton says, who finally inspired her to act. "Having kids  and having two girls especially  was the catalyst." Three years ago, at 43, she nervously picked up the phone and called the police: "I'd like to report that I've been sexually abused." And so began her recovery.

Wearing neat, smart clothing, her black hair tied back, Elderton details her abuse for this story matter-of-factly, but its enormous weight is palpable in her voice. Her victim impact statement makes sobering reading. One line stands out: "I constantly feel either judged or pitied for what was done to me." This is what Elderton wants to stop. "For society to change, I can't not come out and say this needs to be addressed and people need to support people ... That's what's allowed this whole culture to exist. It's no different than what's happening in the church. If we want to change it, we have to all stand together and make this thing spoken about." What Elderton does not want is your pity. She doesn't need it. For she has taken her power back.

From the moment she walked into Fawkner police station on an autumn afternoon with Robert by her side, she says, the police listened to her and took her story seriously. First the gentle older male officer. Then, the young female detective, Louise Serrao, whose support and compassion helped get her get through the "hideous" process of making a statement  and the three years of waiting between then and the final outcome. "When I first met Di, she was nervous, but she wasn't reluctant," Senior Constable Serrao says. "She was ready." The detective says reporting can be daunting for survivors of sexual assault, but that Victoria Police's response has dramatically changed in the past decade. Officers now listen without judgment and, most of all, believe them. "The change came when [Elderton] was making her statement, when someone, being me, sat down and listened ... and believed her. It was like a weight had come off her shoulders." Elderton only became stronger each time she told it.

"Telling your story over and over again allows you to come to grips with it and process it," she says. "It's still awful and it's still frightening, but it becomes less shameful." The days in court were not easy. The defence lawyer "aggressively" grilled her for up to seven hours at a time and told her she had made it all up to punish her father for leaving her mother. Her father, whom she describes as "rotten to the core", denied the abuse throughout, and pleaded not guilty. Elderton slept little. Her fear her father would come and hurt her and her family was sometimes overwhelming But when the judge summed up the case in front of a jury and a handful of friends, she felt she had finally been heard.

Alfred Zammit, now 69, was found guilty of multiple sexual offences, including carnal knowledge of a girl under 10, incest by parent, unlawfully indecently assaulting a girl and gross indecency in the presence of a girl under 16. The judge found he had shown no remorse. "You've not only done this to your only daughter, but ... you've been more than happy to watch her go through this all again," Elderton remembers him saying. In November, Zammit was jailed for 11 years, 7 of which were non-parole. These days, the nightmares have stopped. Elderton describes feeling lighter. Unburdened. Safe. "This whole lifetime of being dismissed," she says, "then ... the judge stands up there and apologises to you on behalf of the state. And that just heals so much."
A group of youths who rioted in Melbourne's CBD have been described as some of the city's dumbest criminals - and police fear they could do it all over again.

More than 100 youths sent terrified bystanders fleeing from Federation Square and nearby restaurants on Saturday night as the group taunted police, threw chairs, and rushed at bystanders.

Four people were arrested but police stressed how the rest of the "stupid and violent" group would be caught soon.

"We are going through all the CCTV footage that is available to us and we will identify those responsible," Deputy Commissioner Andrew Crisp said.
Apex gang members rioting outside Flinders Street station last March Credit:@russmulry, via Twitter Members of the Apex street gang, who are predominantly young people of South Sudanese and Islander descent, ran riot in Federation Square and along Swanston Street, where families were celebrating Melbourne's Moomba festival. The rolling brawl sent terrified bystanders running for cover and forced others to hide inside restaurants. Rival teenage street gangs brawled in Melbourne CBD marring Moomba celebrations. It is believed the gang, linked to recent violent car thefts and threats of violence, later clashed with rival gang Islander 23, who are mainly of Polynesian descent.

Mr Crisp said officers on the ground told him two street gangs were not fighting each other, rather, it was one large group of mainly young men trying to provoke bystanders and police. Police out in force on Sunday night, after Saturday's riot. Credit:Chris Hopkins "That's not to say there wasn't some sort of skirmish between different young men, but it wasn't one group against the other," Mr Crisp said. But police have harboured specific concerns about South Sudanese youths for some time. The fight was reportedly planned via social media app Snapchat. Credit:Courtesy of Seven News

Just weeks before the riot, senior officers met with community leaders and representatives of the Andrews Government. On Monday, force command held a high-level meeting to address how to secure major events in the future. There have been similar, albeit to a much lesser scale, styles of attack at other CBD events including White Night and New Years Eve. Police sources said every available member from the Operational Response Unit was called to control the unfolding situation on Saturday, but crews of officers were unavailable after being sent to a music festival in Charlton and to help with a operation targeting the road toll. Mr Crisp would not discuss the number of police who attended initially and were subsequently called-in, citing security reasons. He said officers exercised "great restraint" in the face of extreme provocation, which included getting "up in" officers' faces and filming "whatever" members were saying to them.

Only four rioters were arrested - two for drunkenness, one for carrying a stun gun, and another for allegedly knocking an officer's radio or phone into their face. Mr Crisp said more were expected given the "clear footage" they have of them from CCTV cameras. A bystander who admitted himself to The Alfred hospital after suffering a head injury on the corner of Flinders Lane and Swanston has since been discharged.

Police first used capsicum spray to disperse the crowd at Federation Square about 8pm as onlookers fled for cover. "We were absolutely terrified," said Troy West, from Bendigo, who spent 45 minutes locked inside a Federation Square restaurant as police tried to contain the wild group outside. The group then ran to City Square and threw metal chairs from outdoor cafes. One nearby retail worker saw scores of people arguing. Some were hitting and pulling at each other, she said. "The whole street was blocked by those people," she said.

Plaza Ballroom chef Rachael Honeycomb said she left work at 11pm and saw men yelling into a megaphone. Everyone was confused. "I think a lot of people were trying to figure out what was going on," she said. Mr Crisp said the big question of why these young people rioted remained unanswered. "How did they get to be in this position in the first place and where have they been failed in the system along the way?" he told 3AW.

Mr Crisp told Fairfax Media senior members in multi-cultural communities in the south-east expressed their frustrations to him on Monday. "There is extreme frustration in the children, the young boys, that they aren't listening to their parents, they're not listening to the community and they're engaging in this behaviour that is criminal," he said. "These young people would have known what they were doing was wrong, it matters not what their cultural background is." The issue of gang violence involving South Sudanese teenagers was discussed at two meetings on February 19 and a week later on February 26. "Victoria Police has recently been engaging with senior members of the South Sudanese community, including the leadership of the South Sudanese Community Association in Victoria. A range of issues have been raised," the meeting invite stated.

Both meetings were staged at the Victoria Police Centre on Flinders Street. Chief Commissioner Graham Ashton also announced an increase in resources for Operation Tense, a taskforce set up in November last year to monitor and crack down on the Apex gang. The taskforce has so far arrested 33 gang members. "Of those 33, we've had 20 who have been remanded in custody in relation to aggravated burglaries, robberies, assaults and theft of and theft from motor cars," he said. Mr Ashton revealed the Apex gang had attended New Year's Eve and last month's White Night celebrations in the CBD.
"I was laughing as he was hugging me because he wasn't used to that. He hugged me and he held me for like 10 seconds. Then I saw him get into the car where Bruce was driving." Bruce Scholz Macedo has been found living in Brazil. It was the last contact the two brothers would ever have. The next day, De Souza received the tragic news: less than half an hour after their embrace, his brother has been killed in a car accident, when Macedo allegedly lost control of the vehicle and slammed into a tree. Da Silva was also dead, and his girlfriend, Maria Nunes, who was in the back seat, was seriously injured in the crash. Rodrigo De Souza.

Macedo had a blood test after the accident and was found to be affected by alcohol. The Florida State Attorney charged him with two counts of DUI (driving under the influence) manslaughter, and one count of DUI causing or contributing to serious bodily injury. Macedo, however, claims he wasn't behind the wheel that day and that he fled the United States to avoid paying for a crime he did not commit.Though he survived the fatal accident, Macedo never contacted his employer, Rodrigo, or the family of his now-deceased friend ever again, never expressed any sorrow or remorse, De Souza says. The FBI has been chasing Bruce Sholtz Macedo since 2008 when he fled dual manslaughter charges. He also never faced the charges, fleeing the US for Brazil, where his citizenship protects him from extradition. In a painful and strange twist, the city Macedo lives in, Governador Valadares, is the same place De Souza's grief-stricken mother and sister also live.

"[His death] ruined my mother's life, because she cannot cope with this, she never overcame it," De Souza told Fairfax Media via phone from Florida this week. "She still suffering today as she was on day one. To know that he is right there and nothing can be done is frustrating." Claudio Da Silva's mother, who also lives in Brazil, was similarly shattered, he says. Her other son also went on to die in a separate car accident, and she later lost her husband. "She's very poor, she's old, she can't work. [Claudio] was helping her financially ... it was devastating as it could be for her as well." The best friends, he said, were hard-working, nice men, who had shared a special bond since childhood.
Warsaw: Poland's ruling conservatives said on Saturday they would disregard a ruling by the country's top court that outlawed some of their legal reforms, putting them on a collision course with the European Union which also criticised the changes.

Poland's eurosceptic Law and Justice party had faced growing pressure from the EU, the United States and other bodies since it swept to power in the bloc's largest eastern member in October and increased controls on media and other institutions.

People hold placards with letters forming the word "Tribunal" as thousands gather in front of the Constitutional Tribunal in Warsaw to protest against moves that have paralysed the nation's highest court. Credit:AP

The constitutional court said on Wednesday that the government's decision to increase the number of its judges needed to make rulings was illegal, deepening a crisis that had stirred concerns about democracy and the rule of law.

Reuters
Dayton, Ohio: Secret Service agents rushed on stage to protect US Republican presidential front runner Donald Trump during a disturbance at a rally on Saturday, a day after rowdy protests shut down his event in Chicago.

Mr Trump briefly ducked at the podium and four Secret Service agents scrambled to surround him after a man charged the stage at Dayton International Airport in Ohio.

US Republican presidential front runner Donald Trump addresses a rally in Ohio. Credit:AP

Agents then grabbed the man, dressed in a black T-shirt and jeans, and hauled him away.
Ronald Reagan: Tear down this wall. Individually, they can seem like a valid response to shutting out a particular perceived or real risk or threat. The US wants to keep at bay illegal immigrants spilling out from northern Mexico, as well as that nation's vociferous drug trade. Donald Trump: Build that wall. Israel is constructing a 700 km wall to encircle the Palestinian West Bank and insulate itself from what it sees as a deeply alien culture.

India  the world's largest democratic nation  is busily throwing up a 3800 km barrier to surround Bangladesh and segregate itself from what it regards as a growing source of terrorism and smuggling. The Berlin wall comes down in November 1989. In nearly every so-called 'advanced' democracy around the globe we are seeing the erection of ever-more elaborate legal walls aimed at comprehensively rooting out perceived enemies and isolating 'them' from 'us'. Walls and fences are now snaking their way around the borders of European Union democracies. These include those built by Greece and Bulgaria to cut off crossing points from Turkey, as well as a four-metre high razor-wire fence constructed by Hungary along its border with Serbia. In short, these walls are not one-offs, but a defining phenomenon of our times.

British historian Timothy Garton Ash recently highlighted the irony of Europe building walls less than 30 years after celebrating the end of Communism's fortress mindset. He pointed out how some of today's walls are being constructed in symbolic terms via the populist, fear-laden rhetoric of European leaders calling for extreme immigration barriers to "keep Europe Christian". But the foundations of barricade democracy are being dug much deeper and being excavated on a much bigger stage than just Europe. In nearly every so-called "advanced" democracy around the globe we are seeing the erection of ever-more elaborate legal walls aimed at comprehensively rooting out perceived enemies and isolating "them" from "us". At the softer end, there are stricter visa requirements and multiple security checks by the growing legions of border protection forces. At the sharp end, barricade democracy is defined  as in the case of Australia  by draconian laws to keep asylum seekers "out" by withholding basic legal rights and forcing them into offshore detention camps. Then there are the burgeoning cultural walls of intolerance  the spread of values that consider "outsiders" such as refugees as being less than human and therefore unworthy of Western freedoms and rights.

The most profoundly disturbing aspect of this new era is that democracies are increasingly turning this fortress mentality against their own citizens. Today's world of internet technology and unprecedented people movement makes all walls potentially porous. This in turn renders everyone "inside" the barricade a potential threat. So our governments feel compelled to unleash extraordinary levels of citizen surveillance and internet spying on us. Security agencies and local police forces are increasingly hardwired to see community protest and debate  vital to a full and properly functioning democracy  as potential national security risks. The biggest irony, however, of our rapid transition to barricade democracy is that it is being driven by forces that we in the West have set in motion. The globalisation of Western culture and market economies over the past two decades continues to be the biggest "pull factor" for much of the surge of people movement  legal and illegal  into the West. It has also spawned the anti-West terrorist blowback that feeds the ever-growing paranoia now dominating democratic politics, as well as supplying the immediate pretext to erect walls.
I have been asked one question over and over again during my research with Muslim communities living in the West: why is it that Muslims are negatively portrayed by some parts of the media? Given that such a tiny proportion of Muslims choose to take the path of violence, one wonders why is it that the larger Muslim community gets labelled as part of the problem.

A typical answer from Islamic leaders is that the "West" hates Islam because it is a threat to their evil ways and that the faith of Muslims terrifies the "unbelievers" due to the rise of Islam that is coming.

Imagine how the perception of Muslims would change if they won headlines for scientific discoveries rather than acts of terrorism. Credit:Peter Braig

But the reason we, as Muslims, are labelled in a particular way might have more to do with the inaction and apathy of Muslims to provide a counter narrative.

The terrorists are evil, without any doubt, but they are committed to their cause and have through their actions, not just their words, shaken up and monopolised the discussion about Islam.
One of the mistakes of our federation is that North Queensland is not a separate state. Politicians from north of Capricorn have long complained about the neglect of tropical Queensland by Brisbane-based governments.

Last week former Labor MP now independent Member for Cairns Rob Pyne complained that: "Far north Queensland has been the victim of historic neglect over recent years...We have double digit unemployment and youth unemployment of over 20 per cent, and we are badly in need of state funding for important infrastructure, like our local schools."

Nothing new here. In 1948 the redoubtable Tommy Aikens, the Independent member for Mundingburra (1944-1977), complained that "in North Queensland working-class families of long standing are preparing to leave the North and its long slack period unemployment, and migrate to Brisbane with its near-permanence of employment and abundant and varied recreation during the long week-ends".

Indeed, how can the leaders of the Queensland government, ensconced in the outer urban Struggle Street seat of Inala, and the inner urban Uber-connected seat South Brisbane, understand the needs of provincial city electorates in the tropics, "a thousand miles away"?
If Romeo and Juliet had lived in modern Sydney, Romeo would be a registered sex offender. He would be condemned to years of reporting to police the minutiae of his life; his address, his Instagram handle, his brother's birthday, his school trip to Canberra.

Long after serving his sentence, he could be refused a job requiring a working with children check, from teacher to plumber laying pipes at a high school.

It is hardly unknown for teens to have sex before adults think the time is right.

For a passionate act of young consensual love, the law could ruin his life before suicide had a chance.

Shakespeare's Romeo was 16 and his lover Juliet just 13 when they consummated their relationship. She was far too young, even in Elizabethan times, but it is hardly unknown for teens to have sex before adults think the time is right.
One conclusion is that voters are starting to see Mr Turnbull as just another politician, albeit one far more popular than Bill Shorten and in charge of a coalition more trusted than Labor when it comes to economic management.

Analysis of the four Fairfax-Ipsos polls under Mr Turnbull shows the Coalition has held its ground, even as the Prime Minister's personal ratings have fallen from saintly heights.

For all the disappointment at Malcolm Turnbull's performance of late, and the reminders of rifts with the Abbott camp, the Prime Minister has sustained his buffer against the Labor Party since he assumed the top job in September.

The Fairfax-Ipsos poll for March shows two-party preferred support running the government's way 53-47  little changed since February and the same as at the first survey after Mr Turnbull's rise. The Coalition's primary vote is now 45 per cent  also the same as in October. The government leads Labor 43-25 on economic management.

While other opinion polls show two-party preferred support closer, this survey might be enough to encourage the Prime Minister to bring forward the budget to May 3 and call the election by May 11.

Whether the Coalition could sustain its lead through the subsequent eight-week campaign, and whether a full Senate election would deliver Mr Turnbull the mandate he seeks, is less certain. But that is hardly a factor to consider for anyone other than Mr Turnbull.

What matters is democracy and governance. The Herald supports a double-dissolution election because the new Senate voting rules will help stop the rorting of preferences by micro-parties. We also believe Mr Turnbull needs a chance to prove he can break free from the Abbott legacy and try to earn his own mandate, especially on economics, tax reform and social issues. If he cannot do that, he does not deserve to remain in power. Labor, too, needs the opportunity to expand on its well-founded policies to wind back negative gearing and superannuation tax breaks, while defending its links to unions and opposition to Senate voting reform. If Mr Shorten cannot do that, he does not deserve the top job either.

To fix the awkward logistics of an early double-dissolution poll, Mr Turnbull might have to show his hand this week. There are dangers. The recent policy vacuum from the government could continue until April  when a tax package might emerge  or even the May budget. By then, voter patience could have worn very thin. Should the Coalition's two big events fail to win public support, the government would struggle at any election. Remember, voters have been disappointed by two Coalition budgets and Treasurer Scott Morrison has yet to find a coherent economic narrative.
I can accept that, despite differences of recollection between me and some of them, there is already enough evidence before the commission that many tried to tell me from the time I was a junior priest in Ballarat and that I seemed to them to be dismissive or lacked compassion or took no action. For that, I apologise to them profusely: I did not do enough and more people were abused by the same priests and brothers complained about.

I have no wish to put people who say they told me about sexual abuse into a position where their recollections need to be tested in minute detail against mine. They have gone long enough with their voices not being heard by powerful figures in the Catholic Church and in society generally.

Please could I start by making a statement that I hope will help the royal commission and that I pray will give some solace to so many people I now know to have been traumatised by abuse suffered on an horrendous scale.

Cardinal George Pell giving evidence to the royal commission via video link from Rome.

I must, also, accept my share of the responsibility for the systematic cover-up that occurred when I was a consultor in the diocese of Ballarat. Bishop Ronald Mulkearns acted shamefully, and we were complicit in it. I am not sure why exactly, perhaps it was a misguided wish to protect the church as an institution, or a desire for advancement and the clerical culture that made us loyal to the bishop and to our fellow priests in such a dysfunctional way.

My colleagues and I may have been deceived or kept in the dark, but nonetheless, we lacked the compassion or the courage to ask more questions about things that should have focused our attention acutely. When we knew of crimes committed against children, as loyal advisors we should have demanded that he act. When he did not listen to us, we should have resigned and gone to the police ourselves. I am so sorry for the hurt and damage that not doing so has caused.

By the time I came to Melbourne as an auxiliary bishop, I had no excuses for any continuing ignorance or lack of understanding. In that context, accompanying Gerald Ridsdale to court was one of the most harmful errors of judgment I have ever made.

And, there is now copious evidence available to the commission to make it transparent that Archbishop Frank Little and his leadership group, of which I was a senior part, failed abjectly to deal properly with abusing priests.
FESTIVAL OF LIVE ART

Genius 

Amelia Ducker,

Festival of Live Art,

St Martins & Theatre Works, St Kilda City Hall, Until March 13

Most of us have half-formed, amorphous ideas about autism spectrum and related disorders. That is no surprise when you consider the mystery they pose to medical experts, who still can't account for their cause, nor their highly variable presentation.

Performer Will Hager in Genius Aaron Bradbrook, Credit:Kylie Northover

Culturally, we tend either to generalise (everyone we think eccentric suddenly has Asperger's) or focus on the most extreme examples, such as the autistic savant Dustin Hoffman played in Rain Man.



Genius is a brilliant corrective. This piece of live art embraces "neurodiversity"  the concept that these conditions might best be seen as natural human variation, rather than through the prism of deficit and disorder  to create an intimate hour with six young performers from a neurological minority, encountered on their own terms.

Each meeting takes place one-on-one in an enclosed space, as if we were stepping into the performers' minds. And what beautiful minds they have.
Australians are sticking with the Coalition, despite many cooling on Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull's performance, as Labor's plans to lift taxes on superannuation and investment properties cause concerns with voters.

The latest Fairfax-Ipsos poll, conducted over the weekend, has found support for the Coalition is stronger in March than it was in February, when talk of a hike in the GST and ministerial resignations forced a reshuffle, hammering the government's standing.

At 53 per cent after preferences - as allocated by voters at the last election - support for the Turnbull government is now hovering around the same level achieved by Tony Abbott at the September 2013 election, where he secured 53.5 per cent, compared with Labor on 46.5.
Malcolm Turnbull remains far and away the Coalition's biggest asset and voters desperately want him to succeed  that's the take-out from the March Fairfax Ipsos poll.

Why else would the Coalition retain its ascendancy after a month dominated by its own indecision, mixed messages, ill-discipline and internal divisions?

Bill Shorten has enjoyed his best period as Labor leader, having led the national policy debate, convinced Indigenous leader Patrick Dodson to join him, and been backed by solid performances by Chris Bowen and Anthony Albanese, in particular.
London: David Beckham has reportedly bailed out his wife Victoria Beckham's fashion empire after her high-end designer brand lost 3.8 million ($7.29 million) in just one year.

Victoria opened her new 3 million shop in London's posh Mayfair in 2014, with the luxurious high-end store including a VIP area and artwork by British designer Damien Hirst adorning the walls.

However, after an apparently disappointing few months for the ex-Spice Girl, her husband David is said to have stepped in to help, giving her 5.2 million ($A9.98 million) to push through the difficult time.

Chartered accountant Robert Leach told Britain's The Sun newspaper: "The accounts suggest it is a transfer of operations between companies owned by Victoria and David. In effect the couple are simply moving the profits between themselves."
A man was stabbed and another injured after fight broke out at Fortitude Valley early on Sunday morning.

Police were called to Brunswick Street just after 5am following reports a group of men were fighting in the street.

Police are searching for two men believed to have been involved in the fight that left two men injured on Sunday morning. Credit:Queensland Police Service

A 22-year-old man was stabbed in the left arm while a 35-year-old man sustained a fractured leg. Both were transported to Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital in a stable condition.

Police are searching for two men, described as African in appearance, both with short black hair. One was wearing a blue shirt with a blue and grey singlet, cream trousers and black and white shoes while the other was in black trousers with cream coloured boots and a black shirt with writing on the front.
Fingers were pointed after Labor political campaigners were caught parked illegally in Toowong.

While Labor's lord mayoral candidate Rod Harding was busy outlining his "Kick Starting Conservation" policy on Saturday morning, two of his campaigners had parked illegally while promoting a Labor candidate.

Rod Harding campaigners refused to move their van, which was parked illegally.

A white van with campaign signs relating to Rod Harding was parked on a grassy patch on the corner of Benson and MacDonnell Street at Toowong on Saturday morning while two campaigners stood nearby.

It is understood the two campaigners, both sporting red hats, were informed by members of the public they had parked their van illegally and allegedly refused to move it.
A Queensland man has been charged after his young stepson was accidentally shot in the eye with an air rifle.

The man and the nine-year-old boy were target shooting in the yard of their home at Mount Surprise, south-west of Cairns, on Sunday when a pellet ricocheted and hit the child in the eye.

A Cairns boy may lose his eye after a shooting accident. Credit:Adam McLean

He's been flown to Cairns in a stable condition but it's not known if his eye can be saved.

The man is facing weapon licensing offences and will front court next month, but police say the incident was an accident.
In just three seconds your business meeting could already be over with the decision already made. That's right, it takes just three seconds for someone to make a decision upon meeting a prospective new client and most of it will be made by non-verbal behaviours such as body language, hair colour, body shape and clothing.

"When meeting a potential supplier for the first time, a first impression really matters," Natalie McKenna, director of Regeneration Unlimited Communications and a researcher at RMIT University in public relations, says.

Natalie McKenna, director of Regeneration Unlimited Communications and a researcher at RMIT University in public relations, says first impressions are crucial.

"Personally I make a judgment within the first few seconds. My own research and that of others backs this up. We often spend the next 10 to 30 minutes assessing our own first impression. If there is a negative impression such as poor handshake, rudeness, trying too hard to 'sell' something, I may walk away without transacting."

The three second rule
Now Fairfax Media can reveal that some slumlords are finding a new profit stream - selling their illegal rooming houses to other slumlords, and charging around $2000 for existing furniture, in addition to the cost of one month's rent and tenants' bonds. Fairfax Media has also obtained an internal City of Melbourne report which says some real estate managers are not enforcing their powers to inspect apartments every six months. The council fears the widespread advertising of overcrowded units could damage "Melbourne's reputation as an education city and liveable city". This month an advertisement on a Korean-language website sought a new slumlord to "take over" a two-bedroom apartment on La Trobe Street, with photos that show that at least one of the tenants was sleeping in an area of the living room sectioned off with a bed sheet. "The current setting allows for six to live," the advertisement says.

The living room of a two-bedroom apartment on La Trobe Street advertised for take over. Another listing for an illegal rooming house takeover posted a week ago said that the apartment shared by six people was "rather easier to manage because there have been no real estate inspections". "The house is $675 per week, and the bond fee is $3900. Although I am considering $1500 for the furniture costs, this is open to negotiation," it said. John Larner, a resident building manager in the CBD, believes "most" real estate agents did not regularly inspect the apartments in his building. Mr Larner said one unit was used for backpacker accommodation, until the operation was shut down in January last year. "They had two couples in the lounge room and milk crates set up with a mattress on top of it," he said.

It is illegal for apartments to be separately rented to four or more people without being a registered rooming house, and real estate agents are also required by law to report suspected illegal rooming houses to their local council. Though there is no legal requirement for property managers to regularly inspect rented apartments, Real Estate Institute of Australia president Neville Sanders said he would expect the majority to follow industry best practice by visiting once every six months. "If you are not being pro-active on behalf of the client, you don't pick up on maintenance, excessive wear, things of that nature," he said. "If you have let it to a couple with two children and go in and find that there's 10 beds there, clearly that is a signal [that] what has been represented to you is not true." A bunk bed set up in the living room of a Bourke Street apartment advertised on a Korean-language website for $120 a week with a $300 deposit.

While living in his overcrowded apartment, Marco said he has seen a real estate agent take photos for his records, but only after the slumlord removed all evidence of the overcrowding. "The living room was disassembled. They took away the curtains, mattresses, everything that comprised the partitions," he said "But it was still obvious someone was living there when they were taking the photos. Part of the partition and the mattress was against the wall." He said the slumlord "randomly" sent texts telling the tenants when he will come to pick up rent, which was paid in cash. Marco suspects that the slumlord runs up to another 10 overcrowded units and The Age has linked his mobile number to six properties advertised online, including a shared space in a living room at 151 La Trobe Street for $100 a week.

There is tension between the state government and City of Melbourne about who should be taking more action, with the council complaining it has limited powers to fulfil its responsibility to investigate and shut down illegal slum operations. Minister for Consumer Affairs Jane Garrett said a series of education sessions would be held in coming months to "help councils better understand their roles and responsibilities when it comes to rooming houses". The City of Melbourne received 85 complaints about rooming house in the past year - 62 of these properties were found not to be illegal or could not be proven as illegal. Marco said he knew he was being exploited by paying $140 a week to live in cramped, illegal accommodation with nine others, but said more needed to be done by authorities to enforce the regulations meant to protect the quality and standards of the city.
Penalty rates should be preserved to protect Victoria's "most vulnerable" workers, the state government has told the national workplace tribunal.

The Fair Work Commission is holding a review into penalty rates in the hospitality and retail sectors.

Industrial Relations Minister Natalie Hutchins said many Victorians relied on penalty rates to "make ends meet".

A broad range of groups have made submissions to the review, ranging from churches and unions to industry associations and politicians.

The Victorian government's submission argues penalty rates have been a long-standing feature of Australia's industrial relations system.
The Kelly gang was rumoured to have come through Emerald and held up a couple of hayseeds. It probably didn't happen. The town  which has a few bins knocked over a couple of times a year  is short of hooliganism in its history. That is, until two weeks ago.

A range war has broken out between the local council and community leaders of the hill town over a bus shelter  a pretty little structure decorated with mosaics, painted in cheery circus colours and otherwise reeking of quaint village charm that has taken on emotional and somewhat violent symbolism.

The local battle over an Emerald bus stop which has become a public noticeboard has entered its third week. Credit:Joe Armao

"This is our Alamo," says Mary Farrow, of the Emerald Community House, which sits behind the shelter.

The siege of the Alamo lasted 13 days. The battle for the bus shelter has entered its third week. On five occasions, a council truck has turned up in the dark, and let loose with power hoses. Community notices, including CFA advice, and personal letters and posters of support for asylum seekers, were washed into the storm water drain. The mosaics were damaged, paint chipped and supporting woodwork caused to warp.
Monday is predicted to be the hottest March day in Perth in four years with temperatures expected to hit 40 degrees.

The hot weather, however, will be short-lived ... thunderstorms are expected for the rest of the week, with temperatures mostly in the mid-20s.

Weatherzone forecasters predict a storm will likely roll in on Monday night and continue on Tuesday, with temperatures reaching 32 degrees before a mostly sunny day on Wednesday and a maximum of 28.

Possible thunderstorms will then return from Thursday for the remainder of the week to Saturday, with temperatures in the mid-20s.
Beijing: China is exploring a new way to grapple with its mounting pile of bad corporate debt, though its top central banker has sought to dispel worries the plan will simply shift the burden to other parts of the country's vast economy.

Under the tentative proposal, Chinese officials would allow banks saddled with growing quantities of bad loans to sell that debt to investors, the governor of the People's Bank of China, Zhou Xiaochuan, said on Saturday.

People's Bank of China governor Zhou Xiaochuan has outlined a proposal that may allow banks saddled with bad loans to sell that debt to investors. Credit:Bloomberg

The goal is to help alleviate one of the major drags on China's economy, the world's second largest after the US and a major driver of global growth.

However, Mr Zhou and a deputy central bank governor, Pan Gongsheng, said they would take steps to ensure the effort did not create the risk-laden financial products that played a major role in the 2008 global financial crisis.
If you love American roots music and off-color nostalgia, y'all better head over to the Laura Pels Theatre, where Roundabout Theatre Company is reviving Alfred Uhry and Robert Waldman's The Robber Bridegroom. Based on Eudora Welty's eponymous novella, it hasn't has a major New York production since its second Broadway run in 1977 (the first, in 1975, was only two weeks long). Despite an enjoyable production from director Alex Timbers, we can understand why this Mississippi fairy tale isn't often rehashed.

The show begins with a bunch of smiling, hooting Southern stereotypes invading the aisles and promising to tell a true story, which is quite clearly a tall tale: Jamie Lockhart (Steven Pasquale) is the gentleman bandit of the Natchez Trace. He saves wealthy planter Clement Musgrove (Lance Roberts) from being plundered by brothers Little Harp (Andrew Durand) and Big Harp (Evan Harrington) only so he can rob him later. That is, until Musgrove invites Lockhart to dinner and suggests he marry his daughter, Rosamund (Ahna O'Reilly). What no one realizes is that Lockhart, disguised as "The Bandit of the Woods," has already been carrying on a passionate affair with Rosamund (a berry smudge on his right cheek apparently renders him completely unrecognizable to her). Meanwhile, Musgrove's second wife, Salome (Leslie Kritzer), wants Jamie for herself. She hires Goat (the hilarious Greg Hildreth) to push Rosamund into the ravine, promising him a suckling pig as a reward. Wild trickery and implausible mistaken identity ensue.

Ahna O'Reilly plays Rosamund and Steven Pasquale plays Jamie Lockhart in The Robber Bridegroom.

( Joan Marcus)

While levity reigns, it is difficult to ignore some of the more questionable passages in Uhry's libretto. "Oh yes she's bound and gagged / And drugged and bagged / That pitiful dear / Is comin' here," Goat and Little Harp sing in radiant harmony about the delights of a captive woman during the song "Poor Tied Up Darlin'." Of course, they're villains, but the hero of our story isn't much better with his insistence, during the tunefully disturbing "Love Stolen," that consent is a turnoff. Timbers wisely mitigates this ick factor by keeping everything light and irreverent, tongue firmly planted in cheek. He's also done some liberal editing, shaving the show down to 90 minutes (it often runs over 2 hours). The result is a snappy, concertlike revival that feels like a particularly good night at Encores!

A lot of this feeling can be attributed to Leslie Kritzer, who runs away with the show. Gesticulating with a bedazzled folding fan, she mugs her way to a standing ovation. "Yaaaasss," she exhales when she first lays eyes on Jamie, later whispering sweet nothings to his crotch. She's one of those villains you root for simply because she's the most entertaining one up there. It seems appropriate that the cast reprises "Goodbye Salome" at the curtain call: After Kritzer leaves the stage the show might as well be over.

That's not to say there aren't other fine performances: The smolderingly handsome Pasquale is in excellent voice, effortlessly soaring through numbers like "Steal With Style." Delivering her songs with utter vocal perfection, O'Reilly sounds straight off a vintage '70s folk album. But neither of our young lovers is as immediately memorable as our villain. The best they can do is wow us with their musicality.

In fairness, that seems to be the focus of this revival. A hipster bluegrass band (led by Cody Owen Stine) occupies a platform stage right, seamlessly meshing with the cast. Under the direction of Justin Levine, they perform Waldman's music with energetic tempo and near-perfect dynamics. You won't be able to resist the urge to tap your toes along to this country bear jamboree.

Leslie Kritzer (center) plays Salome in The Robber Bridegroom.

( Joan Marcus)

Keeping with that general aesthetic, Donyale Werle's set is reminiscent of his work on Timbers' Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson: It's American folk baroque, an overstuffed Cracker Barrel of down-home delights. Props emerge from every corner and orifice throughout Timber's unapologetically theatrical staging, which is just as inventive as his work on Peter and the Starcatcher. Chandeliers and taxidermy compete for space on Jake DeGroot and Jeff Croiter's maxed-out lighting plot, which creates a surprising number of looks for the limited playing space. In a particularly nice touch, flickering candles in jars hang from the rafters like a country version of the chandeliers at the Metropolitan Opera. Fashioning a vest for every man, costume designer Emily Rebholz (who also designed Bloody Bloody) places this late-18th-century tale vaguely in the early 20th century, helping to solidify the framing of the musical as a fairy tale told by nostalgic and unreliable narrators.

Even if The Robber Bridegroom causes you to cringe at certain moments, it's saved by a cast of talented musicians and the incomparable Kritzer. The less you think about the wider implications of the story, the better.
Barely a day went by when Franklin Roosevelt didnt talk about the world of birds.

At ten years old he started dabbling in oology, the collecting of eggs and nests. There is a wellcirculated story about young Franklin racing into a family Easter party holding a bluespeckled robins egg in his hand as if it were a Tiffany jewel. James Roosevelt eventually discovered drawers full of nests and eggs hidden in his sons bedroom. Displeased, he ordered Franklin never to rob a nest of more than one egg. That wildlife conservation lesson stuck. So did Franklins love of birds. As a boy, he began a very grownup course of study, reading copiously, making field notes, and demonstrating to others his ability to organize in his own mind all that he was learning. Soon the boy gained his own reputation, independent of his family, as a local authority on birds.

On occasion, Franklin gave impromptu lectures at Springwood and Campobello for family members, neighbors, and household servants on subjects such as the Atlantic Flyway (although this term for the bird migration route stretching from Canada to the Caribbean wasnt officially used until 1947). Many people do not know what a great variety of birds we have, he wrote in his first ornithological essay. They can always point out a robin but probably could not tell the difference between a Fox Sparrow and a Song Sparrow and think that a nuthatch is a woodpecker.

When Warren Delano of Newburgh heard his grandson hold forth on The Shore Birds of Maine, he gifted Franklin a lifetime membership in the American Museum of Natural History (AMNH) on Manhattans Upper West Side. And he introduced Franklin to the organizations esteemed president, vertebrate paleontologist Dr. Henry Fairfield Osborn. Not only was Osborn a great advocate for Hudson River and Jamaica Bay (between the boroughs of Brooklyn and Queens) ecological preservation, he also headed the SavetheRedwoods League in California.

The Roosevelts had other connections to important conservationists. Their close friend George Bird Grinnell, editor of Forest and Stream, had established the first Audubon Society in 1886, just four years after Franklins birth. The Audubon Societys declared mission was to outlaw the mass slaughter of wild birds that werent fit for human consumption; the vandalizing of nests and stealing of eggs; and the use of feathers in fashion or as ornaments. Womens fashion of the period dictated that sophisticates wear hats adorned with exotic plumage from herons and egrets. Whole flocks of migratory waterfowl were being shot in Florida, Georgia, and Louisiana by hunters eager to supply New York milliners with feathers.

On Franklins eleventh birthday, James Roosevelt gave his boy a handsome pellet gun for the purpose of collecting bird trophies. It wasnt long before his mother was able to record that his first shot struck a crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos). The hobby stuck. Wandering around his familys woodlands, he learned that different species of birds had their own favorite kinds of trees. The cedar waxwing (Bombycilla cedrorum), for example, gravitated toward hawthorns, while the redcockaded woodpecker (Picoides borealis) claimed longleaf and slash pines. One day near the hamlet of Staatsburg, Franklin studied a Coopers hawk (Accipiter cooperii) that flew right up to him and appeared to be tame; the unafraid raptor had probably migrated from Canada and never before encountered humans.

Obsessed with bird checklists, Franklin shot and classified three hundred species native to Dutchess County. Most of the bodies were carefully preserved. Family membersRoosevelts and Delanos alikejoked that Franklin was himself a magpie, a collector of ev- erything related to ornithology. Learning the complete taxonomy of species, he painstakingly wrote Latin labels for each specimen to place near its claws. It was not long before the big mahogany cabinet in the library acquired a collection of brand new inhabitants, Sara Roosevelt recalled in her memoir, My Boy Franklin. There was an oriole, a heron, a robin, a woodpecker, and even a hawk, but the winter wren was missing.

Whether Franklin Roosevelt would ever snag a winter wren (Troglodytes hiemalis) became a popular dinnertable topic at Springwood. It was a challenge that the selfstyled ornithologist took up with gleeful determination. One afternoon he nonchalantly walked into the main house looking for his fowling piece. Theres a winter wren way up in one of the big trees down there, he said confidently. I want to get him. His mother chuckled at his boyish naivete. And do you think that wren is going to oblige you by staying there while you come in and get your gun to go back out and shoot him? Franklin was undaunted. Oh yes, he replied, hell wait.

An amused Sara Roosevelt watched her son race across the lawn, prepared to tease him for coming home emptyhanded. But to her imperishable surprise Franklin returned to the house a single shot later with the dead winter wren in hand.

The majority of Roosevelts specimens were from Springwood and Crumworld Forest, the neighboring estate belonging to Colonel Archibald Rogers, which may have been the best natural environment in the Hyde Park area for birdwatching. Rogers had worked with the department of forestry at Cornell University to turn his Hyde Park property into an outdoor aviary consisting of a combination of shady tree groves, thick underbrush, and specialized plantings.

It was Rogers who encouraged the Cornell Agriculture Experiment Station to help him gather data for a series of Dutchess County residential reforestation projects. Rogers had completed his house in 1889 after buying five smaller estates to form his impressive grounds, and every spring he had trees planted by the thousands. He encouraged the Roosevelts to develop a scientific forestry plan for Springwood. Even after automobiles became ubiquitous, the colonel preferred to travel on horseback to avoid scaring birds. His primary ambition in life was to be the kind of land steward George Washington would have warmly embraced as a neighbor in Mount Vernon, Virginia.

Owing to Franklins enthusiasm, ornithological pursuits were built into the Roosevelts European itineraries. While in London one year, Franklin wanted to make an excursion to Osberton, the Nottinghamshire seat of Cecil Foljambe (earl of Liverpool, a friend of the Roosevelts), to study his famous collection. When James canceled the Nottinghamshire trip for business reasons, Franklin was inconsolable.

Mummy, cant I go without you? he pleaded.

You mean youd visit people youd never met? she asked, astounded.

Id go anywhere to see those birds! he answered.

Tired of Franklins pestering, James and Sara agreed to let their son take the twohour train ride alone. Foljambe embraced Franklin as if he were kin. Bursting with sophisticated enthusiasm, he showed the young American his worldclass collection of birds from the faraway Amazon and Arctic. Franklin considered the experience a highwater mark in his European education.

Over time, Franklin grew into a decent taxidermist. But, as Sara noted, cutting out the insides of an owl or bluebird often turned him green. More and more, warnings about the lethal effects of arsenica chemical commonly used in taxidermygave her pause. A public health campaign was under way to outlaw arsenic. Under parental sway, Franklin eventually farmed his specimens out to pro fessionals in Poughkeepsie and New York City. A number of Franklins preserved birds were accepted by the American Museum of Natural Historythe first serious accomplishment in the future presidents storied career.

On March 3, 1895, Sara brought Franklin to Manhattan for a meeting of the Linnaean Society of New York. Named after naturalist Carl Linnaeus, the eighteenthcentury Swedish naturalist who laid down a lasting foundation for the categorization and naming of species, the organization provided a lively outlet for the study of natural history and ornithology. Among its founding members were nature essayist John Burroughs, editor George Bird Grinnell, and botanist Eugene Bicknell, after whom Bicknells thrush (Catharus bicknelli) was named. Theodore Roosevelt had been a duespaying member of the Linnaean Society since 1878. As part of Franklins education, Sara took her son to hear Dr. William Libbey III, a professor of physical geography at Princeton University and director of its esteemed Elizabeth Marsh Museum, deliver a lecture about Hawaii at AMNH. Franklin, fascinated, took careful notes.

Once back at Springwood, Sara helped her son polish his jottings into a full fledged essay worthy of submission to the Linnaean Society; his piece was ambitious for a boy his age. Franklin wrote an able description of Mauis Iao Valley, indigenous plant life, and the kukui nut tree (Aleurites moluccana), which yielded great quantities of oil for lamps. But it was Hawaiis active volcanoesin an area that President Woodrow Wilson would preserve as Hawaii Volcanoes National Park in 1915that set his imagination aflame. The volcano of Kilauea is the highest in the world, being over 14,000 feet high, as high as Mt. Blanc, Roosevelt wrote in careful cursive. Near the volcano are many cracks in the soil from which sulphurous steam comes out. At one end of the crater is the Burning Lake or Lake of Fire, in which Prof. Libbey threw a log of wood and proceeded to run for his life, as the log of wood with a quantity of molten lava was thrown high into the air. The whole surface of the lake was bubbling up and quantities of steam rose from it. Around the crater are several underground passages, in which are huge lava stalactites which sometimes fall around and break with a fearful crash.

Inclement weather never curtailed Roosevelts ornithological pursuits around Dutchess County. Combating the whistling winter winds, he started keeping Bird Diaries, written in his elegant penmanship, early in 1896. He marked the date a bird was seen, the weather and temperature at the time of the sighting, the number of specimens he counted, and any other notable traits and characteristics he deemed relevant. Birds were by nature difficult to count, but Franklin tried his hardest. Heres a sample entry from the first Bird Diary:

Wea. Fine Mon. Feb. 10, 1896 Ther. 30

shot

1 fine red male Pine Grosbeak & saw 1 other. Also, 1 Blue Jay. saw 1 flock of about 50 Pine Grosbeaks.

Also, another flock of about 25 individuals. Also, 14 single Grosbeaks at other times. Chickadees, Nuthatches, Juncos, Jays, Crows, and Downy Woodpeckers. Sent Grosbeak to W. W. Harts & Co. New York.

Just a few days after Franklin Roosevelt entered those observations in his field diary, he returned to New York City for a tour of the American Museum of Natural History with the head ornithologist, Dr. Frank M. Chapman, a dear friend of Theodore Roosevelt. Always eager to talk about birding, Chapman was an expert guide. Charged with educational outreach for the museum, he viewed Franklin as a promising protege.

In 1894 Chapman had become the associate editor of the Auk, an organ of the American Ornithologists Union (AOU). Modeled on the British Ornithological Union, the AOU was created with a primary mission similar to that of the National Audubon Society: preventing bird extinction in North America. Two friends of the Roosevelt familyDr. Elliott Coues of Washington, D.C.; and ornithologist Dr. C. Hart Merriam of Locust Grove, New Yorkwere among its founders in 1883. The chairman of the AOU was William Brewster, who became the curator of the Museum of Comparative Zoology at Harvard University in 1885. The AOU led in the creation of waterfowl sanctuaries throughout Florida, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas. In 1886, the AOUs Committee on the Protection of Birds drafted a model law, which was adopted later that year by the government in New York. Making nongame birds safe from hunting, while defining what species would be considered game birds, the new law was the opening salvo in the modern wildlifeprotection movement.

But even more significantly, the AOU, in conjunction with the Smithsonian Institution, persuaded the U.S. Department of Agriculture to establish the Division of Economic Ornithology and Mammalogy under the leadership of Dr. Merriam in 1886. While ostensibly this division was funded to help farmers deal with pests, like the English sparrow (Passer domesticus), Merriam used his connection to the AOU to begin conducting field surveys and distributing studies of birds, mammals, and other biotic communities.

By the first decade of the 20th century the Division of Economic Ornithology and Mammalogy had evolved into the Bureau of Biological Survey (the precursor of todays U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service).

Young Franklin was enthralled by the naturalists he was able to meetand they were impressed by him. In addition to leading the American Museum of Natural History and helping to edit the Auk, Dr. Chapman would travel as the British West Indies and Mexico in search of rare species. However, it was his homespun expertise on the common birds of the Hudson River Valleylike the robinthat brought him the most acclaim. In the process, as the New York Times observed, Dr. Chapman became the most influential man since John James Audubon in getting Americans interested in birds.

Roosevelt was a willing follower and Dr. Chapman offered the boy an associate membership in the AOU. Poring over Chapmans Birds of Eastern North America (first published in 1895) became a ritual for FDR. His bird list grew rapidly throughout late 1896 and 1897, filled with tallies of specimens shot & stuffed or skinned by F. D. Roosevelt. One banner day Franklin acquired both a scarlet tanager (Piranga olivacea) and an indigo bunting (Passerina cyanea)an admirable ornithological feat.

Joining Franklin in his devotion to birding was a fellow River Family boy, Maunsell Crosby. Five years younger than FDR and raised at Grasmere, an estate just outside the village of Rhinebeck, the boy was the scion of the Livingston family, which had played an important role in the founding of the United States. Philip Livingston had signed the Declaration of Independence, William Livingston had helped draft the Constitution, and Robert Livingston had administered the oath of office to George Washington. Inspired by Dr. Chapman, Maunsell decided early on to become an ornithologist, and he, too, had been granted associate membership in the AOU. Like FDR, he attended Linnaean Society meetings in New York City. In coming years Crosby would conduct the rst Audubon Christmas count in Dutchess County.

For use in ornithological study by others, Franklins birds needed to be tagged for identification. In May 1896, soon after he started his Bird Diaries, Franklin noted, I am to send about 1 dozen Grosbeaks to Museum of Natural History for local collections. It was in fact ten Dutchess County pine grosbeaks (Pinicola enucleator) that Franklin eventually donated to the museum. These robinsized birds, cute like finches and with a slightly forked tail, usually foraged for food in the trees at Springwood. Permanent residents of the Hudson Valley, they made a mellow teu-teu-teu sound that Franklin found soothing. Because of their wide distribution, the pine grosbeaks werent considered rare. Nevertheless, Franklin amassed a good mixture of regional specimensmale and femalefor Chapmans shop to study, considering ornithology one of my chief avocations. That year he also wrote a short article on birds for a childrens magazine, the Foursome (unfortunately much of his piece had been plagiarized).

Roosevelt often romped around Hyde Park with his half brother, Rosey. Twentyeight years older than Franklin, Rosey lived only a mile down the Post Road from Springwood. Close despite their age difference, he and Franklin both eagerly anticipated the migration of bird flocks, which occurred every winter and spring. Shot a Pine Finch, FDR wrote on an outing with his half brother. The bird was alone in a small pine tree and he appeared very shy. I had trouble shooting him.

While tutors supervised Franklins early education, James Roosevelt remained a strong influence on him, especially when it came to land stewardship and forest conservation. Cardiac problems, however, kept James from engaging in strenuous planting or pruning at Springwood [the familys Hyde Park estate]. Even though the actual upkeep of Springwood took a backseat to his New York City investment interests in coal and railroads, James continued to instill in Franklin his conviction that proper land management was the best way to protect nature and have a fulfilled life. FDR embraced this belief as his own.

A highwater mark in James Roosevelts public life came in 1892, when he was chosen as an alternate commissioner to the Worlds Columbian Exposition in Chicago, organized to celebrate the fourhundredth anniversary of Christopher Columbuss voyage to the New World. The exposition grounds were designed by Frederick Law Olmsted and planner Daniel Burnham on a 600acre site; it included a wooded island park and the Midway Plaisance, a milelong amusement park. The fair, sometimes referred to as the White City because of its classicalstyle architecture, opened in May 1893 and drew an astounding 26 million visitors before it closed late that October.

The highlight of the Exposition for FDRwho attended with his Hyde Park friend Edmund Rogers, the colonels son, arriving via Jamess private railcarwas watching Native Americans pick up pennies using long whips and studying the taxidermy displayed in dioramas. With wideeyed wonder, Franklin could see more than fifty thousand specimens of flora and fauna displayed at the Exposition (these became the nucleus of Chicagos Field Museum of Natural History).

An exhibit of trees native to New York State was Franklins favorite attraction at the fair. The caption under an elegant photograph of a stand of sweet gums explained how, in 1802, Alexander Hamilton had brought Liquidambar styraciflua saplings from Mount Vernon in Virginia to the upper end of Manhattan Island to plant himself. The plot in Manhattan where Americas first secretary of the Treasury planted the sweet gums became known as Hamilton Grange. This display made Roosevelt keenly aware of the symbolism behind planting historical seeds at Springwood in the coming years.

Studying natural historynot just ornithologywas Franklins pastime when his parents took him on another European trip in 1896. That summer, the Roosevelts visited half a dozen citiesand Franklin dashed off to as many natural history museums as he could. In London, when he learned that the Prince of Wales (later, King Edward VII) was presiding over the opening of a new ornithology exhibit at the South Kensington Museum, he was especially excited. Admission to the event, however, was by invitation only. Undeterred, Franklin and his private tutor, Arthur Dumper, artfully crashed the soiree. Roosevelt slipped his American Museum of Natural History membership card to Dumper, who, in turn, presented it to security in lieu of a proper invitation. The guard carefully studied the document, deeming it a valid credential. As Roosevelt later wrote, he and Dumper were thereafter accorded the courtesies due true scientists.

Once the family returned from abroad, Franklin prepared to enter Groton School in Massachusetts. Reverend Dr. Endicott Peabody, the boarding schools headmaster, was an Anglican minister who had been educated at the prestigious British schools Cheltenham and Cambridge. Founded in 1884, Groton was situated along the Nashua River not far from Boston. Peabodys aim was to make Groton a preparatory school on par with British public schools and prepare the sons of the wealthy and prominent for an Ivy League education. Every night following evening prayers, Peabody shook the hand of each boy in a ritual that became known as the goby as they wandered off to bed.

Because Franklin was only 14 when he started at Groton, there is a mistaken tendency to see him as a blank slate, overparented but well tutored in foreign languages and history. But Franklincarrying 140 pounds on his nearly sixfoot frame wasnt an enigma or clay to be easily molded. Quite simply, Roosevelt was already what novelist Wallace Stegner called a placed person, fully belonging to the Dutchess County countryside. As historian David Schuyler noted, Roosevelt, like others from the region, saw the Hudson River Valley as a sanctified landscape that represented a place of transcendent importance to a regional and national cultural identity. No matter what longitude or latitude Roosevelt happened to be in, his inner compass was always pointed toward the Hudson. Over the years he developed the philosophy that Hyde Park, with its strong cultural identity, was a model for other American villages to emulate. Cardinals never seemed so red to Roosevelt, or trees so elegant and fullbodied as on the Springwood grounds. All that is in me, FDR said, goes back to the Hudson.

Excerpted from Rightful Heritage: Franklin D. Roosevelt and the Land of America by Douglas Brinkley, published by Harper, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers, and reprinted here with the permission of the publisher and the author, who retain all rights.

Douglas Brinkley is a professor of history at Rice University, the CNN presidential historian and a contributing editor at Vanity Fair and Audubon. IN addition to Rightful Heritage: Franklin D. Roosevelt and the Land of America, his books include The Great Deluge: Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans, and the Mississippi Gulf Coast and The Wilderness Warrior: Theodore Roosevelt and the Crusade for America.
Daniel Rigmaiden was arrested in August 2008 for using the identities of deceased individuals and automated software to commit tax fraud. But it was in jail working on his legal defense where he found a document containing a word that would change his life: StingRay.

Rigmaiden knew the reason he was caught by federal agents was a Verizon air card he was using to connect to the Internet while disguising his identity, but until that moment he didnt know how the card had given him away. His discovery was the first time the StingRaya device used by law enforcement to simulate a cell phone tower and, by extension, trick your phone or wireless card into turning over much of its datawould reach the attention of the wider public.

Much has been said in the last few years about the militarization of Main Street, or how military gear developed for warfare has fallen into the hands of local law enforcement. But most of that attention has been focused on the big military weapons, bearcats and assault rifles, and not on surveillance devices that operate in secret. These surveillance devices are often used without real oversight or training and, in the end, they can be more powerful over society as a whole than a big gun.

For a StingRay to work, it must collect information from many surrounding cell phones in order to find its target. To use it, law enforcement must first get a warrant from a judge, but because of the secrecy surrounding the devices, most judges have no clue what they are allowing police to do. Police have signed non-disclosure agreements from the StingRays creators, the Harris Corporation, preventing them from discussing how the device works with judges. Often the device is called a confidential source, a common term for a human informant, misleading both judges and the public. Many judges dont understand that hundreds or even thousands of innocent people are also being surveilled in order to find a needle in a haystack. Ordinary citizens not suspected of a crime are protected from warrantless searches by the U.S. Constitutions fourth amendment. But judges are granting warrants anyway, based on incomplete information.

These digital surveillance tools get even weirder when you consider the use of malware customized for law enforcement. Amid the massive data breaches of the last yearburied a few months after the OPM hack and about a week before the headline-grabbing Ashley Madison hackspyware contractor Hacking Teams internal data was released. Hacking Team creates a form of malware that can control your computer, turn on its camera or microphone, log your keystrokes, and even send or receive files. It is a massively powerful spy tool that can arrive with almost any Internet traffic. Security researcher Morgan Marquis-Boire even proved in 2014 that malware from companies like Hacking Team can infect your computer via a YouTube video of cats (YouTube addressed this problem by switching to an encrypted HTTPS connection for their users).

Hacking Team has sold this software to some of the worst regimes in the world. Their customers have used it to spy on activists, dissidents and even journalists. Reporters Without Borders called the company an enemy of the Internet and in 2011, then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton warned private surveillance companies against doing business with repressive regimes. Here is the rub though: among Hacking Teams internal data, released in that 400 GB hack last year, were internal communications and invoices showing that one of their biggest customers was law enforcement inside the United States.

Democratic society requires trustworthy law enforcement. Judges and law makers need to understand the weapons being used and make fair determinations on how to protect average citizens and civil liberties. They cant do it if they dont understand how these technologies work or how they are being used.

We need transparency in the tools of modern law enforcement.

Daniel Rigmaiden left prison and now helps write laws that protect Americans from warrantless searches from devices like the StingRay. He has contributed to surveillance laws in many states. Meanwhile, law enforcement marches on collecting data and using new invasive tools, all too often in the shadows. It is time to bring those tools into the light of day so we can collectively decide if this is the future we want.
Im a Democrat who believes that we need a healthy Republican Partya party thats strong in the places ours is weak.

Democrats need Republicans to point out where tax dollars are being wasted, programs are being abused, and regulations arent worth the cost. We need them pushing us to reform education, and rein in the cost of government-funded health care and retirement benefits. We need them to fight with us over the right amount of immigration and gun control; over the right level to set the minimum wage; over the right price to put on carbon pollution.

Democrats need Republicans to argue that military action is sometimes necessary and even just, and that our right to privacy must be balanced with our desire for security. We need them to remind us about the importance of faith, family, and personal responsibility. We need them to call us out when were acting smug, self-righteous, and morally superior (oh, you didnt think people noticed?)

Democrats have plenty of other problems, too. Our politicians can be overly cautious, packaged, and calculating; a little too close to Wall Street and too tied to Washington. Our presidential candidates hover around the age of 70, our bench of talent is too shallow, and the dropoff in young voters since 2008 is one of the reasons we got our asses handed to us in the off-year elections of 2010 and 2014, costing us control of Congress as well as dozens of governorships and state legislatures.

Still, for all of our faults and challenges, the Democratic Party is a functioning institution. Our leaders in Congress command a high degree of respect and loyalty among Democrats in the House and Senate. Our primary is a contest between a candidate of the center-left and the far-left who have both showered praise on the leader theyre vying to succeed. And though Barack Obama has had his share of mistakes and disappointments, he has also quietly and steadily become one of the partys most beloved and consequential presidents of all time. If Obama could run for a third term against any candidate weve seen, he would easily win.

The Republican Party, on the other hand, is no longer a functioning institution. It is a failed state, overrun by a nihilistic insurgency that is about to depose the establishment conservatives who let them in through the front door. It is a party that cannot govern itself, let alone the rest of the country.

In Washington, there is much pearl-clutching and think-piecing about how the storied party of Lincoln and Reagan could have possibly been hijacked by the likes of Donald Trump and former Zodiac Killer Ted Cruzas if, until this campaign, the Republican Party had been humming along smoothly as a big tent full of cheery capitalists enthused about freedom; as if we didnt know about the crazies they hide in the attic between elections.

But of course, we did know. Many of us have seen this chaos coming for quite some time.

I first saw it in 2008, when the Republican Partys original grifter, Sarah Palin, told an angry mob that Barack Hussein Obama didnt see America like they did; that he was palling around with terrorists, plural. I saw it when she stood by and said nothing as the mob shouted treason! and terrorist! I saw it in the look on John McCains face when he was booed at a town hall meeting after telling a woman that Obama was a decent family man, and not an untrustworthy Arab, like she believeda look that said, What have I done?

I saw the chaos coming in the early years of the Obama administration, when the opposition was less guttural but just as strident; when the Republican leadership ordered its members to oppose every part of the presidents agenda; when they openly strategized that the path back to power required denying Obama a single moment of bipartisan cooperationeven during a national crisis; even before he announced what was in a proposal; even when he offered a health-care plan that looked just like the Republican alternative to Hillarycare in 1993; a plan that was nearly identical to the reform that had just been passed by the Republican governor of Massachusetts, Mitt Romney.

I saw the insurgency take shape in the apocalyptic response to a piece of legislation so radical that it maintained Americas system of private health insurance. But this time, it wasnt enough for Republican politicians to simply oppose Obamacareto say, I think it costs too much because of X or I dont think it will work because of Y. Instead, they were advised by party strategists to tell their constituents that Obamacare was a government takeover because takeovers are like coupsthey both lead to dictators and a loss of freedom.

What followed were the absurdist claims that Obamacare included death panels. We heard perpetually confused brain surgeon Ben Carson say that the bill was the worst thing that happened in this nation since slavery. We watched a congressman interrupt the President of the United States during a live national address to call him a liar for claiming that Obamacare wouldnt insure illegal immigrantswhich, by every account, was 100 percent true.

Is it any wonder, then, that Tea Partiers took to the streets? Is it really so shocking that one of them waved a sign outside the Capitol which threatened gun violence if Republicans failed to stop the Affordable Care Act? And when the bill still passed with a majority of votes in both houses of Congressa radical strategy that Obama learned about from the Constitutionis it terribly surprising that Tea Partiers were swept into power on a wave of anti-government rage that was stoked by Fox and Rush and millions of dollars in bullshit ads?

We saw what came next. Over and over, President Obama would try to negotiate with Speaker Boehner on taxes and spending. The negotiations would fail. And Official Washington would blame the two men for not re-creating its favorite wet dream: Ronald Reagan and Tip ONeill, solving the worlds problems with a glass of whiskey and a handshake after a hard days work.

Obama liked Boehner. Hed say the Speaker reminded him of the Republicans with whom he used to play cards and cut deals in the Illinois state Senate. Obama also knew the truth about Boehner: He was a man who wanted to compromise, but couldnt. The Tea Partiers wouldnt let him. The only Obama plan theyd ever pass would have to give Republicans 100 percent of what they wantedall spending cuts, no taxes, full repeal of Obamacare, defunding Planned Parenthood, and on and on. If these demands werent met, they would shut down the government, or force a default on our debt that would cause an even bigger crisis than the Great Recession. And if Boehner chose to go around the Tea Partyif he decided to pass anything with the help of Democratic votesthe Tea Party would choose a new Speaker.

For a long time, Boehner decided to keep his job. He thought he could appease the hostage-takers, even though he was one of the hostages. And most establishment Republicans followed the same strategywink, nod, give the crazies just a little bit of what they want.

In the 2012 election, I watched Mitt Romney, the man who was once my moderate governor, say that 47 percent of Americans believe that they are victims and that he could never convince them that they should take personal responsibility and care for their lives. I watched him publicly embrace the endorsement of a man who funded an investigation to prove that the President of the United States was a Kenyan-born impostera decision that helped legitimize Donald J. Trump, the monster who now haunts Americas waking nightmare.

I saw Jeb Bush, who once called it an act of love to accept undocumented immigrants, say that America should only accept terrorized refugees who are Christian. I saw Marco Rubio, who once had the courage to work with President Obama to reform immigration, say that President Obama has hurt and weakened Americadeliberately. And even now, as the party now faces the prospect of nominating a xenophobic demagogue who was, of all things, a Clinton donor, elected Republicans stand quietly by and repeat their hostage statements:

I intend to support the nominee, says Paul Ryan, moments after he called out Trumps flirtation with the KKK. I intend to support the nominee, says Mitch McConnell, as he rallies the Senate to block hearings for Obamas Supreme Court choice before even knowing who it isone final attempt to delegitimize this President on his way out the door. I intend to support the nominee, say the presidential candidates, who, at the last debate, couldnt even bring themselves to condemn Trump for the hate and violence hes incited at his rallies. And now, finally, after scenes of chaos at a rally that had to be canceled in Chicago, Rubio and Kasich are wavering on that pledge with that same mixture of shock and sadness we saw from John McCain at that Town Hall in 2008: What have I done?

Its a funny thing about appeasement. The conservative hawks are rightit doesnt work. At the end of the day, the Tea Party did force John Boehner out of office. No one clapped for Jeb. No one cared about Mitts speech. Little Marco is on life support. John Kasich is 0-20. And the party is left to choose between Ted Cruz and Donald Trump: the crazy insider vs. the crazy outsider; one of the most hated men in Washington vs. one of the most hateful men in America. And even if Hillary beats them in November, which I believe she will, the forces that have been unleashed will not go quietly into the night. You can already hear what theyll say in order to rob her of the same legitimacy they tried to steal from Obama: Shed be in jail if his Justice Department didnt protect her.

In the last few months, Ive become frustrated, and at times scared, by this stark realitywhich, I can tell you, doesnt happen easily to an Obama Kool-Aid drinker like me. Whats worse is that I cant seem to tear myself away from it allthe Nazi-like oaths, the dick-measuring debates, the Twitter taunting. You start to understand why the crazy is so addictive.

I was asked to offer some commentary one of these debates recently, and before I left for the studio, I started scrolling through the news to make sure that I was up to date on Donald Trumps latest reaction to Donald Trumps latest performance. But when I arrived at the studio, the guest before me was a man named Brent Brown, a lifelong Republican who had voted against Obama twice, and was particularly vocal in his opposition to Obamacare. Brown also had a serious autoimmune disease that nearly killed him because he couldnt afford treatment. And the Affordable Care Act saved his life. And he wrote this beautiful letter to Obama that ends with, Thank you for serving me when I didnt vote you. Thank you for being my President.

I sat there and watched the clip of Brent introducing Obama at a rally in Milwaukee that day, and then being interviewed by Chris Hayes. His voice was halting, a little unsure, like it was the first time he had ever spoken in public. And I thought about what it took for him to get thereto beat his illness, to write that letter, to go to that rally, to sit in front that television camera, to say, You know what? I changed my mind. Its the kind of courage and grace you rarely see in public life, but it probably exists in more places than we imagine.

The President often says, We are not as divided as our politics suggests.

Now, more than ever, I hope that hes right.
ERBIL, Iraqi Kurdistan  Martin Banni is the last of his family in Iraq. The 25-year-old Christian fled his village of Keremles when the so-called Islamic State invaded the Nineveh Plains in the summer of 2014. Today he lives in a camp in Erbil, the capital of Iraq's Kurdistan Region, while the rest of his family lives in San Diego.

The thought of one day working to preserve his ancient community is what keeps him here. Abroad we might have safety, he says. But we will disappear.

It takes a lot these days to convince Iraqi Christians they have a future in their homeland. Of the estimated 125,000 who recently sought refuge in Iraqi Kurdistanan autonomous region in northern Iraqtens of thousands have already emigrated.

While many predict the elimination altogether of Christianity in Iraq, Church leaders are doing their best to push back. Beyond managing the humanitarian need for their congregations, church groups are investing in longer-term projects as concrete symbols of hope, aiming to give those torn between their faith and their homeland reason to stay.

The Catholic University of Erbilthe first such Catholic institution of higher learning in Iraqtaught its first courses this year, even as builders continued work on the new campus on the outskirts of Ankawa, Erbil's Christian neighbourhood.

Banni is among the first students, taking a 10-week English language proficiency course. On weekday afternoons he and eight other students, five of whom were also displaced from their homes, study toward the IELTS exama prerequisite for tertiary study at many overseas institutions. Banni himself dreams of studying abroad, perhaps philosophy. But unlike many of his classmates, he is also determined to return. I will come back to rebuild my country, he says.

Initially the university will have facilities for 1,500 students, although it hopes to accommodate up to 7,000 within five years. Vice-Chancellor Salahaddin Abdul Messiah says the courses offered will equip participants with skills to find jobs or advance in their current profession. Beyond English, the initial courses offered will include business administration, accounting, economics, Oriental studies, network engineering, and computer sciences.

The university alone wont keep Christians in Iraq. It's a statement of hope though, says the Archbishop of the Chaldean Catholic Church in Erbil, Bashar Matti Warda. That no matter what happenedin Mosul and the Nineveh plainsthat it will not take from us our faith.

As we talked in a formal meeting room at the Saint Joseph Cathedral in Ankawa, Warda said the university is part of a larger project in which the church is trying to do more than just provide basic needs for its congregation.

I hope that building schools, building clinics, building a university, building a hospital would be a reason to convince them to stay, to tell them that we could make our lives better together here, he said.

The 46-year-old is familiar with displacement, having fled his hometown of Baghdad in 2007. Before the U.S. invasion in 2003, there were about 1.5 million Christians in Iraq. Over the decade which followed the overthrow of President Saddam Hussein, over a million Iraqi Christians left. Having experienced the worst of Iraqs sectarian violence, Warda says he remains optimistic that the Kurdistan Region will remain a safe haven: The past in Baghdad was worse by all means.

But so far theres no sign that the exodus of Christians has slowed. Warda estimates that of the 20,000 families displaced from the Nineveh Plains, some 6,000 have already left the country.

A few hundred meters from the new Catholic university, the Ashty 2 Camp houses 1,150 Christian families. In January, 20 families left for overseas, says assistant camp manager Ibrahim Shaba Lallo. He expects the numbers leaving to rise as the weather improves. While some families are registering for resettlement with the United Nations Refugee Agency in Jordan and Lebanon, many more are relying on smugglers to ferry them across the Mediterranean. We expect that by April hundreds of families will be leaving every month, says Lallo.

In effect the camps have become a clearinghouse for those attempting to get to Europe and a place of last resort for the financially exhausted. Down a muddy lane from Lallos office, Bews Shaba Rafu, his wife and six children recently moved into a cabin after its previous occupants moved to Lebanon. The 64-year-old used to work as a government security guard at a church in Qaraqosh, known as Iraqs Christian capital, but fled with his family in August 2014 when ISIS occupied the town. We had a house, food, stability, we were happy, he remembers. We were lower middle class, by the grace of god.

Their savings didnt last and they moved to the camp after running out of money for paying $500 a month rent for a house in Ankawa. Church organizations have funded camps with prefabricated cabins rather than tents, but crowding is still a challenge, says Rafu. The cabin is too small for eight people and we dont have a refrigerator or a television anymore.

His wife, Junbad, has relatives in Germany but she says they are unlikely to go there. Everyone else is leaving, but we cant, she says. Her 24-year-old severely disabled daughter is unable travel. Options are few. We don't have a future here, said Junbad.

Across Ankawa, Archbishop Yohanna Petros Mouche of the Syriac Catholic Church agrees that the future will be dim for families like the Rafus unless more is done. Nearly half his parish has already left, with just 26,000 remaining in Iraqi Kurdistan, despite his best efforts.

The snowy-haired 65-year-old says his church has opened 12 schools, several clinics and hospitals, and job training programs for barbers and bakers. All this is to convince them that there is someone thinking of them, he says.

Nearly all of the 9,000 school-aged children of his congregation are receiving an education. In contrast, last year the World Bank estimated that 70 percent of displaced Iraqi children are not enrolled in any school.

But these are all stop-gap measures, says Mouche. The real issue is the need to liberate Christian villages from ISIS control. The longer it takes to liberate these areas, the more people will migrate, and their hope of returning will become weaker, he says. If our people fail to free our territory our hope will fade and it will be impossible to think about going back.

Two-and-a-half hours drive northwest of Erbil, men in fatigues are practicing drills at a newly constructed military base. The eldest marching on the unpaved parade ground are in their sixties, the youngest in their teens. None carry a weaponnot yet. All are determined to return to their homes.

Unlike other Christian towns, Al Qosh never fell to the Islamic extremists, but from here the Nineveh Plains open out in a green swathe towards occupied Christian villages.The ISIS stronghold of Mosul lies 25 miles to the south.

Finishing his lunch inside a cabin on the base is Behnam Abed al Maseh, the commander of the Nineveh Protection Units, one of several recently formed Christian militias. His 300 men have uniforms but only a handful of weapons, says the 65-year-old grandfather. They are hoping for international support and for the chance to liberate their homes. The frustration is always present, but we insist on going back to our areas, he says.

One of the few men with a rifle stands watch as gray clouds form over the camp. Athro Kado was a Syriac language teacher at a primary school in Al Qosh. He learned English, he says, from listening to Celine Dion songs.

With rain threatening to fall, Kado explains why he took up arms. We are bleeding now, he says. But if we free our lands, fewer people will leave.
Amid all the turmoil of the Israeli-Palestinian conflictmost recently, last weeks horrific stabbing of 10 civilians, including one American citizenthe Knesset, Israels parliament, has found time to introduce a strange anti-cult law meant to combat New Age sects in the Jewish state, but which could also impact yoga ashrams, controversial rabbis, and meditation groups.

Contrary to appearances, the conflict and the cults are closely related to one another.

The bill, proposed by Israels nationalist Yisrael Beytenu party and supported by the conservative governing coalition, would provide an additional charge for any spiritual leader charged with other crimes: leading a harmful cult.

A harmful cult is defined elliptically in the bill as any group that rallies around a person or an idea, in a way that there is exploitation, dependency, authority, or emotional distress experienced by one or more members, uses methods of mind control or controlling patterns of behavior, and operates in an organized, systematic, and sustained fashion, while committing crimes under Israeli law that are felonies or sexual offenses or serious violence.

If a spiritual leader is charged with another crimekidnapping, say, or embezzlement, or fraudthis additional crime could be added onto it.

The consequences are severe, not just for the cult leader, but for followers as well. Once a harmful cult has been established, the state could appoint custodians to make decisions on the members behalf, even if they are adults who have have freely consented to take part. Such a custodian could implement forced deprogramming sessions, take control over finances, and actions that would otherwise constitute kidnapping, like holding or institutionalizing members for re-education.

Now, if any of this sounds like a throwback to the Satanic Panics of 1970s and 1980s America, thats no coincidence. Several groups of Israeli and European religion scholars have sharply criticized the bill for being outdated and vague. Tomer Persico, a researcher at Jerusalems Shalom Hartman Institute and co-author of a letter opposing the bill, told The Daily Beast that thought control simply does not exist. Said Persico, Theories of brainwashing have abounded in since the 1950s, but any attempt base a criminal case using them, or even simply to verify them, have so far failed. Such theories have been rejected by experts worldwide, and in 1987 by the American Psychological Association. To put them in the Israeli law book would be an act of foolishness.

Even the word cult has been discarded in academic circles as being, essentially, a slur. The term scholars have used for decades now is new religious movements.

Ironically, the anti-cult bill defines harmful cult so broadly that it could easily include several Hasidic sects. Consider the messianic Chabad-Lubavitch sect, which rallies around their dead rebbe as messiah, demands significant temporal and financial contributions from members, uses methods of behavior control (including specific interpretations of Jewish law), and operates in an organized, systemic, and sustained fashion.

All it would take is one Lubavitch rabbi to be charged with sexual abuse, or fraud, or any other crime, and the largest Hasidic sect in the world could, legally, qualify as a harmful cult. Of course, thats not going to happen, but it shows how overly broad the language of the bill is.

Criticisms aside, though, why is this law being proposed in the first place?

Well, for one thing, Israel really does have a lot of new religious movements and sects. The Israeli Center for Cult Victims, which actually exists, estimates over 100 such sects active in Israel today, with up to 20,000 adults participating in them.

Thats equivalent to over 900,000 Americans, proportionally speaking.

There are many reasons why are cults so popular in Israel.

First, only strict Orthodox Judaism is recognized by the state of Israel (the Orthodox rabbinate has a monopoly on weddings, funerals, conversions, and other such events), so that leaves a huge gap where progressive religion would normally reside, driving many spiritual seekers to more fringe alternatives. Thats especially true because Israelis have a love affair with India and the Far East, trekking there on their gap years between the army and college, and sometimes never returning. Among Sephardic Jews, belief in magic, spiritual healing, amulets, and mysticism are far more common than among Ashenazim. Thats why Israel produces a steady stream of Kabbalists imbued with magical powers and rabbis venerated as saints.

Second, theres the intense spiritual activity in the Holy Land: Christian pilgrims, Christian missionaries, Christian Arabs, Muslim calls to prayer five times a day, American Jews rediscovering themselves. Theres even a documented pathology called Jerusalem Syndrome, in which visitors to the city believe themselves to be the messiah, and wander about muttering prophecies.

But its not just the number of cults thats inspiring the new billits what they represent.

First, many cults are, indeed, extreme. In 2010, for example, Israeli authorities arrested Goel Ratzon, a sect leader with 21 wives and 49 children, on charges of rape, sodomy, and incest. His wives were kept in a closed compound, tattooed his name and image on their bodies, and surrendered total financial and material control to the leader, whose name means, roughly, Messiah of Sex. (Ratzon, which means will, is a euphemism for the sex drive. Goel means redeemer.) In 2014, Ratzon was sentenced to 30 years in prison.

And just last month, the Times of Israel published an account of a devotee of a Hare Krishna community near Haifa. She described the typical blend of paranoia, isolation, and shady conduct on the part of sect leaders.

Jewish groups are not immune. In 2006, for example, the New Age group Bayit Chadash (New Home) folded when it was revealed that its leader, a rabbi who goes by the names Marc Winiarz, Mordechai Winiarz, Mordechai Gafni, and Marc Gafni, was sleeping with multiple community members. (Gafni has since resurfaced and is now the guru of Whole Foods CEO John Mackey.)

Other Jewish offenders include the Kabbalah Centre (busted for defrauding a woman dying of cancer into giving them all her money) and Rabbi Aharon Ramati, whose ultra-orthodox girls seminary has been busted by religious and state authorities for cult-like activities including isolating girls from their families and treating the rabbis every command as holybut which has resurfaced yet again, and is one of the direct inspirations for the current bill.

But there is a second reason why this bill is coming forward at this time: Jewish identity politics.

One of the leading anti-cult groups in Israel, for example, is called Yad LAchim (A Hand to Brothers) and is run by Orthodox rabbis. (Tagline: We dont give up on a single Jew!) Yad LAchims mission includes fighting not only cults but also Christian missionaries, intermarriage, and assimilation.

In America, anti-cult activity is about preserving individual autonomy against predators like the Church of Scientology. But in Israel, its about preventing Jews from leaving the fold.

Notice that the anti-cult law, as currently proposed, actually decreases rather than increases personal autonomy. If someone is involved in a harmful cult, the state, not the individual, makes the judgment as to whether ones personal and spiritual choices are good and bad. Persico, from the Hartman Institute, said that the law will have fully functioning and happy adults considered controlled by their spiritual teachers simply because their parents or neighbors think they are doing something too weird for comfort, and then sent under legal guardianship by the state.

That makes no sense if the problem of cults is taking away personal autonomy. But it makes plenty of sense if the problem is that they entice Jews away from Judaism.

And remember, that state has an official religion and an official, strictly Orthodox hierarchy in charge of administering it. Its easy to foresee the law being used against benign meditation groups, hippie festivals, and other non-Jewish spiritual groups of which the rabbis and the state may not approve. (And, to be fair, fringe Jewish organizations like Ramatis). The anti-cult law is not neutral; its about Jewish identity.

And that, finally, is how the Israel/Palestine conflict is related to the anti-cult law. Israels right-wing government has proposed a rash of anti-democratic, identity-oriented laws in the past few years: loyalty oaths to the Jewish state, penalties for speaking in favor of boycotting Israel (i.e. exercising free speech), observing Israeli independence day by mourning (i.e. exercising free assembly), and now this. It has also proposed laws limiting the activities of NGOs, making the Supreme Court accountable to the legislature, and a host of other anti-democratic acts. The government includes parties that believe the West Bank is divinely promised to Jews, and that only strong Jewish nationalism can prevail against intractable Arab enemies.

This is the most Jewishly nationalistic government in Israels history, and both its policies toward the Palestinians and its embrace of the anti-cult law are part of that overall ideology. The anti-cult law may seem like some random, weird throwback, but in fact it is one more way in which the avowed Jewish and democratic state is becoming more Jewish, and less democratic.
This is part of our weekly series, Lost Masterpieces, about the greatest buildings and works of art that were destroyed or never completed.

PARIS  There is an enormous void in the heart of Paris.

The millions of visitors who walk over, around, and through the empty space every year take little notice, and most are only dimly aware they tread where a grand palace, home to kings and emperors, once stood. It is just not there after all.

But when the great Chinese-American architect I.M. Pei was commissioned to rethink, restore, rebuild, and, one might almost say, resurrect the Louvre Museum in the 1980s, that nothingness became something of an obsession.

Whats missing is the Tuileries Palace, the royal residence that once formed the western side of the Louvre complex. Without it, the symmetry of the city, the harmony, the feng shui, if you will, is seriously askew.

Imagine, for a moment, that this is 1870. If you stood at the front door of the Tuileries and looked in the general direction of the setting sun your eye traveled straight down the main promenade through the Tuileries Gardens, through the Place de la Concorde, where an obelisk stands like the needle in a gun sight, and on upward along the Avenue des Champs Elysees to the Arc de Triomphe.

Such was the Grand Axis of Paris, the spine of a city that dearly loves its classical proportions, grand perspectives, and carefully calculated geometry.

Goethe, alluding to the Pythagorean roots of harmony, both aural and visual, said, Architecture is frozen music. Part of the wonder of walking through Paris is its architectural harmony, like a frozen classical symphony.

But in this part of the city, once you took away the Tuileries Palace, things didnt quite line up anymore. The rest of the Louvre complex, developed on much older foundations, is not square with the axis.

The history of what came to be called The Grand Design for the Louvre and Tuileries palaces is long and, really, very bloody.

The Louvre itself was first built as a forbidding fortress able to block passage up the Seine River in the 12th and 13th centuries, when French kings were off fighting the Crusades.

It did not become a royal residence until the reign of the great French Renaissance king, Francis I, in the 16th century, and even then it was a dreary shadow of his magnificent palaces at Blois, Chambord, and Fontainebleau.

In 1564, Catherine de Medici, the powerful mother of three kings, decided to build a new palace directly to the west of the Louvre, perpendicular to the Seine, looking across open gardens and marsh that came to be called, after the heaven of heroes in Greek mythology, the Elysian Fields.

Built on a site where roofing tiles, tuiles, had once been made, it was called Les Tuileries.

But, as happened so often in the buildings history, this grandiose work was interrupted by war.

The ferocious religious conflicts between Catholics and Protestants raged after the 1572 St. Bartholomews Day massacre which was inspired, in part, by Catherines machinations.

The slaughter began in and around the Louvre with calculated assassinations, but it spread as mobs took to the street with gruesome enthusiasm.

I do not know if it is the smell of gunpowder, or the sight of blood which excites me, but, mordi! I have a taste for slaughter, says one of the characters hunting around the Louvre in the Alexandre Dumas novel about those times, La Reine Margot.

Henry IV, Catherines ex-Protestant ex-son-in-law, eventually emerged as king and tried to pacify Paris with building projects. He also married Marie de Medici, another scion of the great Florentine family.

In 1610 when a Catholic fanatic murdered Henry, his son was not quite 9 years old and Marie became regent. Among her projects, a tree-lined path extending from the Tuileries gardens out through the fields.

The axis of western Paris began to take shape.

Maries grandson, Louis XIV, was a restless young monarch, and his ministers hoped that they could keep him in Paris, the nations capital, by turning the Louvre and the Tuileries into a truly grand residence, a royal city within the city.

The man they hired to do the job was the Italian Gian Lorenzo Bernini, a painter, sculptor, architectthe designer of the beautiful colonnades around St. Peters Square in the Vaticanand arguably the most famous artist of his day. But in the end, Berninis designs for the Louvre were rejected.

They were very Italian, without visible roofs, and the interiors were rather inconvenient, with badly placed latrines among other problems.

Another architect, meanwhile, took on the job of completing the Tuileries Palace. As Alexandre Gady writes in Le Louvre et Les Tuileries: La fabrique dun chef doeuvre, the building was now truly worthy of a king, and had sumptuous, richly decorated apartments.

It blocked completely the western view of the Louvre, which was angled slightly behind. Its central element was a high dome above a grand suspended staircase, and from its terrace one looked out on the Tuileries Gardens completely redesigned by the great landscape architect Andre Le Notre, who also planned a grand promenade extending from the center of the gardens through stands of trees, to the base of a low hill in the middle distance.

But Louis XIV was losing interest in the Tuileries. He had turned his attention to a hunting lodge he decided to make the center of his court and of France  the Palace of Versailles  and he ruled from there for the next 44 years after spending his last night at the Tuileries, which was also his last night in Paris, in February 1671.

Bernini, back in Rome, sculpted a monumental statue of the Sun King on horseback. But when it finally was delivered to Louis, after the artists death, the monarch hated it. In 1685 he had it relegated it to an obscure corner of the gardens at Versailles. Only 300 years later, and almost in secret, would it suddenly be given new prominence.

By the latter half of the 18th century, the idea that the old Louvre should be turned into a royal museum had been floating around for several decades. The building served as a workspace and home to several artists favored by the court, and also several royal academies. It hosted more or less public expositions of art, and the great figures of the Enlightenment paid frequent visits.

The Tuileries, meanwhile, had become again the royal residence. In 1715 Louis XV had been moved there from Versailles when he was just five years old. One can only imagine the little boy-king in the enormous spaces of that elaborately decorated palace.

During the nearly 60 years of Louis XVs rule, the main promenade through the Tuileries gardens had become a broad avenue reaching all the way to the top of the hill nearly three kilometers away from the palace. By then, it was known as the Champs Elysees.

The ill-fated Louis XVI and his wife, Marie Antoinette, became king and queen in 1774, and Louis, hoping to show that he was a man of his enlightened times, moved to make the Louvre a true royal museum.

Then came the Revolution.

After the storming of the Bastille in July 1789 and riots in October, Louis brought his family from Versailles back to Paristo the Tuileriesthinking this would put him closer to the people whom he still hoped were his people. But for the next three years, his presence became the object of revolutionary fury and the Tuileries Palace was denounced as a refuge for tyrants.

After the royal familys failed attempt to escape in June 1791, they were effectively under arrest in the Tuileries, until the palace was attacked and invaded in August 1792, the king imprisoned, and the monarchy abolished.

A few days later, the newly invented guillotine was set up in the Place du Carrousel between the Tuileries and the Louvre, and a royal agent named Danglemont beheaded.

The killing machine stayed there, its blade hissing down again and again, until the show moved out to whats now Place de la Concorde, where more than 1,000 people, including Louis, Marie Antoinette, aristocrats and finally revolutionaries lost their heads on that same straight line leading out from the western entrance of the Tuileries Palace to the top of the Champs Elysees.

Even during The Terror, classical symmetry played its role in the Parisian political theater.

When Napoleon Bonaparte consolidated his power after the Revolution, the Tuileries became his imperial palace, and the Louvre Museum the great repository of the treasures he brought back to France (one might say looted) during his conquests.

The fabulous collection of ancient Egyptian art and artifacts, the bronze horses from Saint Marks in Venice, and what seemed countless priceless objects were added to the already stunning collection of paintings and antiquities housed in what was quickly becoming the most magnificent collection of art in the world.

In the Place du Carrousel, more or less where the guillotine had been, Napoleon erected a victory arch in marble reminiscent of those in Rome, and, once again, placed it along the magical line that ran through the center of the Tuileries. At the other end of the the axis, he began work on a much bigger arch, the Arc de Triomphe, which would not be completed until 1836.

But the man who made Paris what it is today, this city of so many wide boulevards and grand perspectives, was not Napoleon I at the beginning of the 19th century, it was his nephew, Louis-Napoleon, who managed to get himself elected president in 1848, then staged a coup detat in 1851 and in 1852 declared himself Napoleon III, the new emperor of France.

Under the Second Empire, the whole of Paris became a construction site, as buildings were demolished and wide roads cut through the city, not least, so troops could move more easily to suppress unrest.

One of those thoroughfares was the avenue linking the Opera Garnier, the center of music and dance begun under Napoleon III, with the Louvre, now recognized in all of Europe and the world for its extraordinary collection of art.

In the Tuileries Palace, Napoleon III and his beautiful empress, Eugenie, would hold court side by side in the throne room beneath a violet canopy made of velvet emblazoned with the gold seal of the empire. But even in the imperial abodes, construction was under way, as the emperors architects worked to join the museum more closely to the palace.

The imperial small apartments, some of which are reproduced in the modern Louvre, were decorated in an over-the-top opulent style known as neo-Louis XV, with carved wood, and masses of gilt. Paintings were everywhere, including the ceilings, and enormous chandeliers showered the rooms with candlelight flickering through cut crystal.

Napoleon III was, for a time, the most powerful man in Europe, but, like many a dictator, he misjudged his own strength. In the 1860s (with the United States weakened by its Civil War) he launched an invasion of Mexico and tried to create a subsidiary empire there under a hapless Hapsburg prince. In Europe, he waded into the wars of Italy, and fatally misjudged the rising power of the Prussians.

The Germans defeated Napoleon III on the battlefield, imprisoned him, and eventually sent him into exile in England. They laid siege to Paris, shelling the city until it surrendered and stationing a garrison there. The empire had collapsed, a new republic was declared.

The workers of Paris rose up to form their own government, The Commune, until the remnants of the national army regrouped at Versailles, and marched into the city on May 21, 1871, routing, and in many cases summarily executing, the communards in what became known as The Bloody Week.

On the night of May 23, a typesetter and former soldier who had risen to lead some of the Communes forces, Jules Bergeret, went room to room in the Tuileries with a pair of accomplices drenching the rich furnishings with kerosene, systematically setting the building alight.

Soon the blaze turned the Paris sky red and the 200-year-old building looked like an enormous grate full of burning embers. The dome over the center collapsed into the monumental stairway, and the flames began to spread toward the Louvre.

Today, if you walk down from the iconic Winged Victory through the Louvres Daru Gallery, you will pass two marble plaques, poorly lit, that attract virtually no attention.

One is devoted to Henri Barbet de Jouy, the curator of the Louvre in 1871, and members of his staff, who stayed in the building throughout the shelling of Paris by the Prussians and the revolutionary chaos of the Commune, doing their best to protect its treasures from thieves and from the mob, and largely succeeding.

But on that morning of May 24, as the Tuileries fire roared toward the grand galleries of the Louvre and a battle raged outside, where communards had blocked the quay along the Seine, Barbet de Jouy despaired.

There was only one source of water near the wooden bridge that linked the Louvre to the Tuileries inferno, and there was no way to stop the flames, he thought.

The second plaque in the museum, next to Barbet de Jouys, is dedicated to Martian de Bernardy de Sigoyer, commander of the 26th light infantry battalion of the regular French army. When his troops had deployed in the Tuileries Gardens, the palace already was in flames.

He saw the danger to the national heritage, and indeed to the world heritage, if the fire spread.

Going against standing orders, he had his men attack the first communard barricade with bayonets and broke through. While some of his troops took positions in the museum windows, covering the quay down below, others mounted to the roof, hacking away at the wooden bridge that joined the museum and the burning palace, and forming a bucket brigade to douse such flames as broke through.

Thus, as the plaque reads, by Bernady de Sigoyers energetic initiative were saved the palace and the national collections of the Louvre.

Two days later, the heroic officers bullet-riddled body, stripped of weapons and boots, was found about four kilometers from the museum, near the Place des Vosges in the Marais. The circumstances of his death never were elucidated. As for Jules Bergeret, the man who torched the Tuileries, he fled to England, then to New York City, where he was naturalized an American citizen, worked as a house painter, and died in 1905, apparently of natural causes.

The ruins of the Tuileries, charred and crumbling stone, remained in place for more than 20 years before, finally, in 1883 they were torn down.

A century later, the architect I.M. Pei and his associates were well aware of all this dramatic history, and also of the fact that then-President Francois Mitterrand had made their work the centerpiece of an even bigger project that would extend the Grand Axis far beyond its old limit to reach an enormous square-shaped Grande Arche in the architectural ghetto to which the city relegated most of its skyscrapers, La Defense.

When the main courtyard of the Louvre, the Cour Napoleon, was a parking lot for bureaucrats in the finance ministry, which used to occupy the north wing, the discordant angle of the old building was not so striking.

But Peis solution for a spectacular entrance to receive millions of visitors was a glass pyramid squarely placed in the middle of the courtyard.

And, inevitably, ones eye, ones sense of symmetry, ones innate feng shui, wanted that pyramid to be the end point of the immortal axis. But there was no way to make that happen.

The Tuileries had been the end point, said Yann Weymouth, who was the supervising architect for the project at the time.

So there was no anchor, no closure, if you will, and that bothered us, he told me over the phone from St. Petersburg, Florida, where he is designing new museums. As you came down into the Cour Napoleon through the small Carrousel Arch, it didnt focus on anything.

As Weymouth recalls, I.M. Pei and Michel Laclotte, the director of the Louvre at the time, talked a lot about what we could put there.

Laclotte thought of the Bernini statue of Louis XIV out at Versailles, and a sort of jest, indeed, a beau geste, started to take shape.

Pei had been worried all along that his plans for the Grand Design might meet the same fate as Berninis did more than 300 years before: a summary rejection after a huge amount of work. (One notes there are many bathrooms in Peis Louvre.) And French critics had been quick to excoriate the proposal for the glass pyramid.

So, with very little fanfare, the equestrian statue was reproduced in cast lead around what Weymouth describes as a gorgeous stainless steel armature and put in place in the southwest quadrant of the courtyard.

Today it is hard to imagine the Louvre without Peis gorgeous pyramid.

But many of the tourists who sit on the oddly angled base of the Bernini statue to pull sandwiches out of their backpacks, or just catch their breaths, never bother to look up.

I go there every chance I get. It offers, I think, one of the most spectacular and historically fraught perspectives in the world. One sees, as if through a surveyors transit, the monuments and boulevards along the axis all the way to La Defense.

One also sees what is no longer there: the courtiers trysting in the gardens; the guillotines of The Terror; and the Tuileries Palace.
The most important American band of the last 35 years is Bad Brains.

Nirvana may have reshaped popular music by bringing the ethos and aesthetics of hardcore punk to the mainstream charts, but that ethos and aesthetic largely came courtesy of Bad Brains a generation earlier; a band that solidified punks second wave by stripping away much of the nihilism and trendiness that had been associated with the genre under the reign of British bands like the Sex Pistols and the Damned.

When it was revealed this past November that Brains guitarist Dr. Know was fighting for his life after suffering cardiac arrest and was on life support following massive organ failure, fans were braced for the worst. Doc, born Gary Miller, managed to pull through, thankfully; the band and Millers family kept fans updated on his condition as he steadily improved.

The Family of Gary (Dr. Know) Miller and the entire Bad Brains family would like to thank everyone for their well wishes. We are happy to say that Dr. Knows condition is no longer considered critical.

He still remains under the close care and watch of doctors at this time so please continue to keep him in your thoughts and prayers. We continue to ask that you honor our privacy during this time. Positive vibes and PMA!

Dr. Know is expected to make a full recovery, but not without months of rehabilitation. It was announced this week that a GoFundMe has been set up to help him and his family address his medical expenses, as he had no insurance to cover the steep medical costs.

As many of you know, Gary Miller (a.k.a. Dr. Know or Doc), guitarist of the Legendary Washington D.C. punk band Bad Brains, suffered cardiac arrest in early November last year, read a message posted on the Bad Brains Facebook page. His condition quickly progressed to multiple organ failure, and he was on life support for almost 2 weeks. At the time, his doctors gave him a 5 percent chance of survival. But by the power of PMA, LOVE and FAMILY, he was able to pull through and survive.

We started this campaign in an effort to raise money for Docs medical expenses and additional care that will be needed once he returns home.

The group has received overwhelming support from fans and followers, whove donated and tweeted their support. The fact that Dr. Know is out of the proverbial woods is encouraging and wonderful news because the magnitude of losing him would be devastating for so many fans of punk and hardcore. This is Bad Brains. Dr. Knows guitar is an indispensable part of what makes that band go. And Bad Brains is a cornerstone of American punk and the godfathers of hardcore.

When they emerged in the late 70s as a phenomenon born in Washington, D.C., that was making waves in New York Citys punk scene, there was no other band like Bad Brains. The speed, the virtuosity, the sense of purpose and camaraderie with the audienceit all stood in stark contrast to what many people had believed punk meant. You were not supposed to care about playing well. You were not supposed to give a fuck about anything. You certainly werent supposed to champion a Positive Mental Attitude, as Brains frontman H.R. decreed. And you certainly werent supposed to have ever cared about jazz.

Dr. Knows jazz chops, born of an early fascination with fusion players like John McLaughlin and Chick Correa, was transposed to a punk sonic approach after the young guitarist discovered The Damned. A lot of different people, he told guitar.com. Whoever was out there, everything from jazz fusion to rock n roll to [Led] Zeppelin to [R&B group] Rare Earthwhich was one of my first records and concerts. I was always keepin an open mind and checkin out the music. The early 70s was a very fortunate time. There was a lot of different kinds of good music. I would see whoever I could.

As a result of his disparate influences, he gave hardcore bandsand all bands influenced by hardcorea musical template for combining virtuosity with raw emotion. Youre very aware that this guy can play; and he doesnt sacrifice an ounce of energy or power in his playing. Everyone from John Frusciante to J. Mascis owes a debt to Dr. Know. He can channel Steve Jones of the Sex Pistols one second and deftly incorporate the rhythms of Peter Tosh the next. The earliest Bad Brains recordings highlight his intense virtuosity, even on the most frenetic recordings, like Black Dots and How Low Can A Punk Get? from the bands 1979 Black Dots cassette demo. Over the years, Bad Brains would incorporate metal and funk into their established sound and Dr. Knows playing is the backbone of it all. How many L.A. bands were influenced by his metallic crunch on I Against I songs like Shes Calling You? How easily did he channel the shredding tendencies of late 80s hard rock guitar? Listen to the guitar solo from Soul Craft on 1989s Quickness. And you can hear him shift seamlessly between punk, reggae and metal on The Messengers from the same album.

Bad Brains legacy is well-established among those in the know, but theyve still remained a big cult band; which is what happens when artists refuse to be boxed in stylistically or when acts dont opt for the big, glossy crossover album. There has also always been criticism for homophobia in some of the bands early lyrics; and the drama of unpredictable on-again, off-again frontman H.R. would tend to undermine high-profile moments; such as signing to Maverick and touring with the Beasties in the mid-1990s. But none of it obscured Bad Brains in reputation or importance. Ultimately, they were beloved for being open while also staying Bad Brains.

You got to be true to yourself. We purposefully went out of our way to be different. And we just let the spirit lead us, Doc once explained. We weren't like, Well, we gotta write a part like this, because this is what's playing on the radio now. We tried to grab from all of our influences and just put it in the pie.

Husker Du opened for Bad Brains. Henry Rollins got early exposure performing onstage with Bad Brains.Fugazi, the Chili Peppers, Living Colour, the Beastie Boys, Minor Threat, Faith No More, Public Enemy, Rage Against the Machine, Nirvana; theyre all directly descended from Bad Brains. While U.K. punk godfather Don Letts once said Bad Brains was to America what the Sex Pistols were to England, it could be argued that the band meant even more to America. The Sex Pistols aesthetic and philosophy was somewhat muted by the emergence of acts like New Wave and 2-Tone, but Bad Brains influence was still evident 15 years after their 1982 single Pay To Cum.

So we should all be ecstatic that Dr. Know is pulling through. Weve lost too many legends already in 2016. Since he has the opportunity to continue performing and recording, if you have the chance to catch a show or hear a recorddo it. Because you should relish any chance to hear one of the greatest guitarists of his generation.

And the most influential American band of the last 35 years.
What is the future of American retail? The keys might be found not only in the highly contested affluent urban areas but also in the countryside, which is often looked down upon and ignored in discussion of retail trends.

Yet these small towns, as well as middle- and working-class suburbs, have produced many of the dominant trends in American retail, from discount chains to super-stores. So, too, could these communities create a new trend, as some of the former innovators, such as Walmart, have begun to close stores, leaving some towns and villages bereft of convenient, affordable retail.

This year the worlds largest retail chain announced it was closing 154 stores, most of them express centers and other smaller stores that serve primarily small-town and urban markets, such as Oakland, California. The effect has been worst in poorer towns, notably in the Southeast and Appalachia, where there is little alternative retail in place.

Walmarts move, driven by flagging sales and profits, represents a shift away from the very working-class and small-town customers who drove its rise. It also reflects a growing disinterest among retailers in serving the nations beleaguered middle and working classes. One in six Walmart customers, notes one University of Michigan study, received food stamps in 2013, with an estimated average household income of $40,000 or less.

In contrast, online shoppers, now a primary focus for Walmart, tend to be more affluent, with 55 percent of e-commerce shoppers living in households with incomes greater than $75,000. As Walmart and many other traditional brick and mortar stores have struggled with declining sales, online merchants have enjoyed an average growth of more than 11 percent annually since 2011. In this game, Walmart is clearly playing catch up.

The other big Walmart bet seems to be superstores, which compete directly with ascendant retailers such as Costco. Yet these moves are crushing for smaller towns, who are generally too small to accommodate large centers. Say what you will about Walmarthistorically low wages, mediocre selection, less than attractive storesthe Arkansas-based juggernaut brought affordable products from around the world to thousands of small communities and suburbs. Before then, smaller communities often were forced to either travel great distances to more urban locations or shop at small, often overpriced local stores.

Back to the Futuremand the Past?

Now once again small towns are threatened with becoming desiccated islands cut off from the high-precision magnificence of American retail. In some cases, they might even become food deserts, cut off even from reasonably priced grocery items. This includes not only small towns but some hard-luck suburbs near major cities.

No surprise then that some communities now resent Walmart for having essentially invaded Main Street, laid it to waste, and then abandoning it. Some places where Walmart have come in, such as Whitewright, Texas, a town of 1,600 in the northern reaches of the state, saw the retailer come in just last year, drive out of business some long-standing local stores, notably the longtime local grocery, and now, as part of its strategic change, leaving the town with little in the way of retail options.

Tales of the Walmart effect on small towns, of course, are legion. In exchange for access to more affordable goods, communities sacrificed much that was uniquethe local haberdasher, the mom-and-pop mini-department stores, the one-of-a-kind hamburger joint. In the 40 years after the first Walmart opened in Rogers, Arkansas, in 1962, the number of specialty retailers declined by 55 percent nationwide. In the same time period, the number of retail chain store locations , including Walmart, nearly doubled. Research conducted at Iowa State University in the 90s found that, after a Walmart opened in a town, sales at specialty storessporting goods, jewelry, and gift shopsdropped by 17 percent within 10 years.

Yet, fortunately, this may not prove to be the disaster that many predict. The new realities of retail, notably the inexorable shift toward online retail, suggests that rural communities and small towns are not as cut off as one might have expected. The ability to access Amazon in a small, remote Central Valley town in California is not much different from accessing Amazon in Los Angeles. For anyone even marginally computer literate, the retail world is more accessible than ever, but this time through a finger click than a stroll down the aisle.

The Proliferation of Channels

None of this suggests that the retreat of big boxes from smaller towns and some urban areas will be painless. Yet those who see this trend as the harbinger of the end of malls or Main Streets may be in for a surprise. Rather than die off, bricks-and-mortar shopping will change, adding new elements and moving from ever greater uniformity to more variety and differentiation, which are critical to independent businesss survival. Much of this change will take place in small towns, but also in suburban areas, which have long been the happy hunting ground of big boxes.

Why not in the big cities? One of the chief ironies of our times is that chains and their attendant sameness now define much of our most sophisticated urban coreStarbucks on every corner, global brands and restaurants serving the same trendy cuisine. The recovery of large cities, suggests New York researcher Sharon Zukin, has also made them more alike by bringing in the same development ideasand the same conspicuous textual allusions and iconic corporate logos inevitably affixed to downtown architectural trophiesto cities across the globe. Efforts to make the city safer and less strange to outsiders eyestourists, expatriates, media producers, and affluent consumersare making one global city barely indistinguishable from another.

At the same time suburbs and even smaller towns are becoming more diverse, and one of the chief causes of this diversity is the spread of millennials, with their own specific needs, into the peripheral areas surrounding core cities. This movement, once dismissed as inconceivable by some urbanists, is becoming more evident as census data show. And with more millennials entering their family-forming years, suggests economist Ned Kolko, this trend to suburbs and possibly smaller towns will only accelerate.

The other great game-changer has been the rapid movement of ethnic minorities, particularly immigrants and their descendants, to suburbia. Roughly 60 percent of Hispanics and Asians already live in suburbs; more than 40 percent of non-citizen immigrants now move directly to suburbs. Between 2000 and 2012, the Asian population in suburban areas of the nations 52 biggest metro areas grew 66.2 percent, while in the core cities the Asian population expanded by 34.9 percent. Of the top 20 cities with an Asian population of more than 50,000, all but two are suburbs.

As ethnics and millennials gather in suburbs and even small towns, we are starting to see the emergence of new retail forms in suburban areas. Orange County, California, for example, has long been seen as an area dominated by chains, and the largely suburban county is indeed sprinkled with scores of shopping centers, some of them massive, ranging from more working-class shopping centers in such cities as Orange or Santa Ana to more elite retail centers such as South Coast Plaza and Newports Fashion Island.

Yet at the same time, the area is seeing the growth of new, unique retail districts that appeal to millennials, ethnics, and their descendants. Anaheim, for example, heretofore known for Disneyesque blandness, now features a thriving Packing District, a converted fruit-packaging structure now filled with numerous vendors, most of them local products such as confectionary, ethnic food and locally brewed beer. Several other projects, many in former office parks, have opened in places like Costa Mesa, drawing large numbers of suburbanites to unique agglomerations of smaller stores.

Ethnic change is also transforming the retail environment in both suburbs and smaller towns. Throughout Southern California, Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, and Mexican markets now proliferate. New developments in places like Irvinenow roughly 40 percent Asianare filled with ethnic restaurants, shops, and boutiques. Similar trends can be seen in the emerging immigrant hubs, notably in Dallas-Fort Worth and Houston, but also in parts of New Jersey, Westchester, Northern Virginia, suburban Chicago, and in Seattle suburbs like Bellevue and Federal Way. Even the main street in Grand Island, Nebraska, home to meatpacking plants, is lined with, of all things, Honduran, Salvadoran, Mexican, and Haitian restaurants.

At the same time, numerous suburban communities, particularly those with old downtowns dating from their agricultural pasts, have revived their own Main Streets. These areas may have a Walmart or Target nearby, or even adjacent, but now they also sport shopping, restaurant, and other cultural options, as well as an opportunity for promenading, once an important small-town activity. The list of communities doing this extends from places in Southern Californiasuch as the old towns of Orange, Fullerton, and Laguna Beachto older eastern towns like Montclair, New Jersey; Rockville Centre on Long Island; Naperville outside Chicago; as well as Carmel, Indiana. We may not be returning to Bedford Falls before the onslaughts of banker Henry Potter in Its a Wonderful Life (1946), but smaller towns and suburban shopping area may prove far better able to adjust to the digital age than many suspect.

Retails Increasingly Diverse Future

Despite the erosion from online sales, the countrys retail structure is not about to go away. Even though overall department stores are doing poorly, as are some malls, many are also doing well, particularly in ethnic areas and more affluent suburbs. The importance of brick-and-mortar retail is still compelling enough that even Amazon may soon build its own physical bookstores; several other online sites have already done so.

Of course, not all communities or Main Streets will thrive as the Walmarts and other large chains begin to cut back. There will indeed be many communities that continue to depopulate as younger people move away, and there is little hope that large retailers will come back to such places as markets dwindle and as more shoppers order online.

Yet not all small towns, much less suburbs, face such a difficult future. Many smaller communities, particularly in attractive parts of the country, are beginning to see a wave of migration from aging boomers, who arrive with both significant cash and also often well-developed consumer tastes. Far more seniors, for example, retire to rural or semi-rural communities (PDF) than to urban districts. In certain areasfor example, Rocky Mountains towns, parts of inland California, and the hill country of Texasmay find their retail base growing, even if this means very different kinds of stores and services.

Some small townsand suburbs even more sowill be transformed by immigrants and millennials, who may want to set up their own unique shops along the very Main Streets once targeted by firms like Walmart. In wealthier communities, this may mean more boutiques and high-end restaurants. But among less affluent areas, other institutions, such as cooperatives300 already nationwide and another 250 on the way, as well as farmers marketscould provide some of the products that many once found at Walmart.

These changes may prove far more positive in the long run than many anticipate. A future with a slightly lower Walmart or other big-box footprint poses not just a challenge to communities once seen as unable to resist mass retailing but also a once in a lifetime opportunity. As the retail world become more digitally focused, and less big-box-dominated, there is a golden opportunity to restore the geographic and local diversity that has seemed doomed for nearly a half-century, but now may enjoy a new burst of life.
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Compiled By Laura Osterfeld, Public Service Librarian for HCPL

Here are details about some of the new books at the Henderson County Public Library.

Fiction

"Be Frank With Me," a novel by Julia Claiborne Johnson (humor)  Reclusive literary legend M. M. "Mimi" Banning has been holed up in her Bel Air mansion for years, but now she's writing her first book in decades. And to ensure timely completion, her publisher sends an assistant to monitor her progress.

When Alice Whitley arrives at the Banning mansion, she's put to work right away as a full-time companion to Frank, the writer's eccentric nine-year-old son, a boy with the wit of Noel Coward, the wardrobe of a 1930s movie star and very little in common with his fellow fourth graders.

As she gets to know Frank, Alice becomes consumed with finding out who his father is, how his gorgeous "piano teacher and itinerant male role model" Xander fits into the Banning family equation and whether Mimi will ever finish that book.

"The Lightkeepers," a novel by Abby Geni (mystery)  In this book, we follow Miranda, a nature photographer who travels to the Farallon Islands, an exotic and dangerous archipelago off the coast of California, for a one-year residency capturing the landscape.

Shortly after her arrival, Miranda is assaulted by one of the inhabitants of the islands. A few days later, her assailant is found dead, perhaps the result of an accident.

As the novel unfolds, Miranda gives witness to the natural wonders of this special place as she grapples with what has happened to her.

She deepens her connection (and her suspicions) to her companions while falling under the thrall of the legends of the place nicknamed "the Islands of the Dead."

And when more violence occurs, each member of this strange community falls under suspicion.

"Hannah's Choice," a novel by Jan Drexler (Christian)  Hannah Yoder loves her quiet life on the banks of the Conestoga Creek.

In 1842, this corner of Lancaster County is settled and peaceful, yet problems lurk beneath the placid facade.

Hannah's father worries about the spread of liberal ideas from their Mennonite and Brethren neighbors.

She strives to be the one person who can bind the threads of her family together despite her mother's ongoing depression and her sister's rejection of their family.

But her world is threatening to unravel. When two young men seek her hand in marriage  one offering the home she craves and the other promising the adventure of following God's call west  Hannah must make a choice: faithfully perform her duties to her family or defy her father and abandon her community?

Nonfiction

"Retire Inspired: It's Not an Age, It's a Financial Number" by Chris Hogan  Chris Hogan teaches that retirement isn't an age; it's a financial number  an amount you need to live the life in retirement that you've always dreamed of.

With clear investing concepts and strategies, Chris will educate and empower you to make your own investing decisions, set reasonable expectations for your spouse and family and build a dream team of experts to get you there.

You don't have to retire broke, stressed and working long after you want to. You can retire inspired!

"First Bite: How We Learn to Eat" by Bee Wilson  Award-winning food writer Bee Wilson draws on the latest research from food psychologists, neuroscientists and nutritionists to reveal that our food habits are shaped by a whole host of factors: family and culture, memory and gender, hunger and love.

The way we learn to eat holds the key to why food has gone so disastrously wrong for so many people.

But Wilson also shows that both adults and children have immense potential for learning new, healthy eating habits.

An exploration of the extraordinary and surprising origins of our tastes and eating habits, First Bite also shows us how we can change our palates to lead healthier, happier lives.

Hours, bookmobile

The Henderson County Public Library's hours are 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 1:30-5 p.m. Sunday.

Patrons can access their library account at hcpl.org.

This week's bookmobile schedule:

Monday: Aislynn Village, 1:45-2:15 p.m.; Independent Living Apartments, 2:30-3 p.m.; Fair Acres, 3:15-3:45 p.m.

Tuesday: Colonial Assisted Living, 1-2:30 p.m.; The Olive Branch, 2:45-3:15 p.m.; Dixon Street Apartments, 4:15-5 p.m.

Wednesday: Redbanks Towers, 1-2:30 p.m.; 840 N. Adams St. Apartments, 3:30-4 p.m.; Niagara, 4:15-5 p.m.

Thursday: Pleasant Pointe Apartments, 1-2 p.m.; Henderson Manor, 3:15-4 p.m.; Fagan Square, 4:15-4:45 p.m.
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By Gleaner Staff

Food trucks, an employee health clinic and pavement management are the topics of discussion for the Henderson City Commission's next work session.

The Board of Commissioners will meet at 5 p.m. Tuesday in the third floor assembly room at the Municipal Center, 222 First St.

Food trucks: Code Enforcement and City Attorney Dawn Kelsey have researched regulations related to food trucks and have completed a review of the city's ordinances. They will give a PowerPoint presentation on those findings Tuesday.

Employee health clinic: Benefit Insurance Marketing, the city's health benefit broker, is recommending a final contract for Near-Site Clinical Services.

Clinic services would provide employees, spouses and dependents covered by the city of Henderson health insurance program a low- or no-cost option for high-quality primary or basic acute care needs with a clinician who is also trained in wellness techniques and promoting healthy lifestyles. Clinic services will not replace a primary care physician.

Pavement management: The Evansville Metropolitan Planning Organization contracted with the Transmap Corp. to gather data relating to the area roadway network to be entered into an overall Network Pavement Management System. An overview of this project will be presented at the work session.
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The following information is based on public records from local and area law enforcement agencies and/or court systems:

KENTUCKY STATE POLICE

Beverly Harris, 39, Providence, was arrested Friday night and charged with careless driving, first-degree possession of a controlled substance, driving under the influence, possession of drug paraphernalia and rear license not illuminated.

HENDERSON POLICE DEPARTMENT

Michael Miller, 28, 2700 block of Zion Road, was arrested Tuesday on a charge of theft over $500, but under $10,000.

Miller is charged with stealing two cellphones from Walmart while employed there. After an investigation, Miller gave the phones to police, a news release said. He was taken into custody and lodged at the Henderson County Detention Center.

David W. Batts, 38, 1000 block of Clay Street, was arrested Tuesday and charged with third-degree assault, third-degree criminal trespassing, resisting arrest and disorderly conduct.

Charges stem from a disturbance at Second and North Green streets. Batts was told to leave the property and not return, according to city police. Police said he refused to leave and started swinging at officers while being placed under arrest. Batts is accused of spitting on an officer, head-butting and using racial obscenities toward the officer, Henderson police officials said.

Batts was subdued and taken into custody. He was lodged at the Henderson County Detention Center.
Barilla, 'Italy's No. 1 brand of pasta,' sued for not making products in Italy
ABIDJAN, Ivory Coast (AP) -- Assailants opened fire on beachgoers Sunday in Grand-Bassam, a historic resort town near the capital, sending tourists fleeing through hotels. Photos posted to social media apparently taken at the scene showed bodies sprawled on the beach.

Officials did not say immediately how many were killed. Security forces responded as the area evacuated and residents hid in their homes.

The bursts of gunfire were heard in the southeastern Ivory Coast beach town about 40 kilometers (25 miles) east of Abidjan, said a witness, in what is the third major attack on a tourism center in a West African country since November.

Shots rang out in Grand-Bassam, a popular weekend destination for Ivorians and foreigners, said 25-year-old Josiane Sekongo, who lives across from one of the town's many beachfront hotels. People ran from the beach amid the gunfire, she said.

Security forces responded as residents hid in their homes, she said.

A receptionist at the Etoile de Sud hotel in Grand-Bassam said the attacks happened on the beach.

"We don't know where they came from, and we don't know where they've gone," he said of the gunmen. Everyone in the hotel was safe, and gendarmerie were present, he said. He would not give his name.

An American embassy delegation was in Grand-Bassam on Sunday but the U.S. Embassy in Abidjan said it is monitoring the situation in Grand-Bassam and it has no evidence that U.S. citizens were targeted nor confirmed reports of any U.S citizens harmed.

It was unclear how many assailants were involved. Casualty information was not immediately available.

Attacks by extremists on hotels frequented by foreigners in two other West African countries, Mali in November and Burkina Faso in January, killed dozens of people and indicated that extremist attacks are spreading from North Africa.

The historic town of Grand-Bassam is a UNESCO World Heritage site.

___

AP writer Carley Petesch in Dakar, Senegal contributed to this report.
Some Wilton roads to be closed on Monday

WILTON  On Monday, March 14, Old Highway Road will be closed to through traffic between Powder Horn Hill Road and Sharp Hill Road due to utility work in the area. The road closure will begin at approximately 8:30 a.m. The road closure will not affect the morning school bus commute. At approximately 2 p.m. Old Highway Road will re-open to facilitate the afternoon school bus drop-offs. However, at 4 p.m. the road will be closed again until job completion, which is anticipated at approximately 6 p.m.

Courage to Speak to be held Monday

All are invited to the 12th Annual Courage To Speak Empowering Youth to Be Drug-Free Family Night on Monday, March 14 at West Rocks Middle School in Norwalk at 5:45 p.m. The event will bring students, parents, educators, school administrators, government officials, business and community leaders together to affirm their commitment to keep children safe from drugs and other risky behaviors. This exciting media event will spotlight the outstanding work and words of students who participate in the Courage to Speak Foundations curricula taught by their health class teachers in Nathan Hale, Ponus Ridge, Roton and West Rocks Middle School, as well as Brookside Elementary School and Side by Side Charter School. State Sen. Bob Duff will serve as Master of Ceremonies. Norwalks Mayor Harry Rilling, Ms. Lucia Rilling, Chief of Police Thomas Kulhawik and Superintendent of Schools Dr. Steven Adamowski will also be attending this special event and introducing the student speakers. Ginger Katz, founder of the Courage to Speak Foundation will deliver the Courage to Speak Presentation. Cablevision of CT will be filming the event. The Courage to Speak Foundation trains classroom teachers and professional facilitators to teach the drug prevention programs and coordinates community events fostering commitment to drug prevention education, thereby saving lives. Complimentary dinner will be served. Program begins at 6:30 p.m. www.couragetospeak.org

Mary Poppins takes flight in CMS musical

WESTPORT  Join Mary Poppins, chimney sweep Bert and the Banks family on an enchanting and magical adventure set in London in 1910. After the precocious Banks children send yet another nanny packing, Mary arrives at their door just in time to bring the family closer together. Mary teaches them that despite obstacles and appearances, anything can happen if you let it. With beloved and irresistible songs, such as A Spoonful of Sugar and Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious, a moving storyline, captivating dance numbers, Broadway-quality special effects and flying, Mary Poppins is sure to dazzle audiences. Benjamin Frimmer (Artistic Director of Co! leytown Company) brings a finely tuned creative vision to this multifaceted production, having directed the show at Curtain Call in Stamford in the fall. He is overseeing a cast and crew of nearly 100 middle school students and a production team that includes seasoned theater professionals. Additionally, the world-renowned flying company ZFX is being brought in to oversee the shows flying and special effects. Based on the books by P.L Travers and the classic Walt Disney film, Disney and Cameron Mackintoshs Mary Poppins delighted Broadway audiences for over 2,500 performances and received nominations for nine Oliver and seven Tony Awards, including Best Musical. Performance Schedule: Thursday, April 7 at 7 p.m.; Friday, April 8 at 7 p.m.; Saturday, April 9 at 1 p.m. and 7 p.m. Performance Location: Coleytown Middle School Auditorium, 255 North Avenue, Westport, CT 06880. Tickets available online starting Friday, March 18 at: showtix4u.com (search term "Coleytown"). Tickets are $12 plus processing fee.

Lockwood-Mathews seeks volunteers

NORWALK  The Lockwood-Mathews Mansion Museum is seeking volunteers for its upcoming season. Built between 1864-1868, this National Historic Landmark offers educational programs, exhibits, and an array of special events to children and adults. As a non-profit organization, the Museum relies on its dedicated volunteers for a variety of tasks: guided tours, sales, monitoring, clerical, curatorial, marketing, and much more. If you are an enthusiastic and outgoing person looking to help your community, e-mail Brian Fischer, Facilities & Volunteer Coordinator at bfischer@lockwoodmathewsmansion.com or call him at (203) 838-9799 ext. 117. Training for the 2016 season begins March 19.

NCC chapter collecting water for Flint

NORWALK  In response to the tainting of the water system in Flint, Michigan, the Norwalk Community College chapter of the Student World Assembly will be collecting bottled water and water filters on the NCC campus from now through March 17, for delivery to Flint residents. The Student World Assembly (SWA) is a non-governmental, non-partisan organization created to represent students globally for the exchange of views, voting on global issues and translating ideas into meaningful actions. SWA will have boxes in both East and West Campus atria where bottled water and water filters can be donated. Donations are welcome from all members of the community and can also be brought to the ESL Office (E206). Bottled water must be in sealed packages or cases (no loose bottles). Gallon containers with unbroken seals are also accepted. The NCC chapter of SWA will be delivering the water to Flint during NCCs spring break. For more information, contact SWA President Senan Agblonon at agblononastrid@gmail.com or Robert Emigh at remigh@norwalk.edu.

Astronomical Society to hold lecutre

WESTPORT  The Westport Astronomical Societys free monthly lecture series welcomes Dr. Tabetha Boyajian, postdoctoral Fellow at Yale, at 8 p.m. on Tuesday, March 15, at the Rolnick Observatory at 182 Bayberry Lane in Westport. Boyajian will present The PlanetHunters and the case for the Most Mysterious Star in Our Galaxy. Her research interests involve determining the fundamental properties of stars and characterization of exoplanet host stars. She recently made headlines across the world with the announcement of a very peculiar star imaged by the Kepler space telescope.
Co-President Jean McMindes welcomed the attendees and then introduced William Behrens, his daughter Carol (Behrens) Bell, her husband Orlyn, and their friend Kate Sharp. Behrens was in the United States Army during World War II and served in France. Many years passed before William began talking about his experiences in the Army. When he did, his wife Pixie and daughter Carol urged him to write down his memories. Later Carol compiled his memories into a book called Soldier #374834425 Memories of World War II, which is a record of Behrens experiences during those difficult days in the early 1940s.
Alice (Isaacson) Clark, 98, formerly of Grand Island, died Sunday, Feb. 21, 2016.

Celebration of life service will be 11 a.m. Saturday in Gollaher Chapel of Trinity United Methodist Church. Burial of her ashes will be in the Grand Island Cemetery.

All Faiths Funeral Home is serving the family.

Mrs. Clark was born Aug. 5, 1917, to A. Emil and Mae R. (Johnson) Isaacson on the family farm east of Scandia, Kan. At age 8, she moved with her family to Scandia and received her education there, graduating from high school in 1935.

While still in high school, Alice worked at the Scandia Journal, where she was employed until she moved to Beatrice, Neb., where she worked for Pease Grain and Seed Co.

She married Ralph A. Clark at Beatrice on Dec. 24 1937. They began their married life in Augusta, Kan., and later lived in Larned, Kan., Columbus, Neb. and Falls City, Neb., before moving to Grand Island in 1943, when Ralph began working at the Grand Island Daily Independent. They had one daughter, Judith Maye.

Alice was an active member of Trinity United Methodist Church. She taught Sunday school, served as circle chairman numerous times and was president of the Womens Society of Christian Service (now United Methodist Women). She also served as district secretary for the regional organization.

For many years, she served the church as financial secretary and membership secretary, as well as heading a committee that provided meals for bereaved families on the day of the funeral. She was a member of a Christ Care Group.

Alice was also active in the community, serving as a Girl Scout leader with responsibility for recruiting leaders in the Wasmer School district. She was secretary of the Girl Scout Board during the time the first regional Girl Scout Council, Cross Counties Council, was being formed. She led the same troop from Brownies through senior scouting.

In 1957, with the help of their families, troop members started earning money to visit the Girl Scout Chalet in Adelboden, Switzerland. Their main project was selling popcorn downtown on Third Street on Wednesday nights and Saturdays. They realized their goal the summer of 1959 when, with Alice and her husband as sponsors, eight girls left for a two-month tour of Europe that included a visit to the Girl Scout Chalet.

Alice also delivered Meals on Wheels, served on the Community Development and Urban Renewal Advisory Board and the board of the Hall County Historical Society. She was a docent at Stuhr Museum, a mentor at Howard School, a volunteer at the Third City Community Clinic, and president and treasurer of the League of Women Voters.

She enjoyed bridge, reading, crossword puzzles, sewing, counted cross stitch and quilting.

Alice and her husband traveled extensively and had visited all of the 48 continental states as well as a number of foreign countries. She celebrated her 80th birthday along with her daughter and granddaughters touring the areas in Sweden, from which all four of her grandparents immigrated to America.

She is survived by her daughter, Dr. Judith Schaneman of Fulton, Mo.; two granddaughters, Deirdre Schaneman of St. Louis, Mo., and Emily Schaneman of St. Charles, Mo.; two nieces, Sandra (Mark) Sells Corica of Powell, Ohio, and Christina (Bill) Perrin Moorcroft of Ft. Collins, Colo.; three nephews, Alan (Sally) Popiel of Denver, Colo., David (Georgia) Staver of Amarillo, Texas, and Charles (Kathleen) Isaacson, Shawnee, Kan., who made her home with them for a year. She is also survived by numerous great-nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Ralph; her parents; two sisters and a brother; two brothers who died in infancy; and her son-in-law, William Schaneman.

Memorials are suggested either to Trinity United Methodist Church or Stuhr Museum.

Online condolences may be sent to www.giallfaiths.com
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Linkedin The Jakarta Post  Sun, March 13, 2016

The delicious local dishes I've tasted across Indonesia are attributable to many factors ' from seasonings, rich blends of spices and other flavor enhancers to oil ' and time-consuming cooking methods like deep-frying or simmering over a low flame for hours.



'Even without meat, rice and seasonings alone are already delicious,' a Manadonese friend, Johanis Untung, once said of the food from his hometown in Minahasa, North Sulawesi.



The world-famous beef rendang of Padang, West Sumatra, for instance, is cooked for hours in coconut milk and a paste of over 10 ground spices seasoned with salt and sugar until it caramelizes.



'The peculiarity of a coconut milk-based Javanese vegetable soup called lodeh is that it gets more savory and tastier when reheated,' observed chef Lambon of Warung Pulau Kelapa, an Indonesian restaurant in Ubud, Bali.



For me, Johanis and Lambon's statements are common knowledge that I, as an Indonesian, am completely used to and take for granted. However, they were alarming in the eyes of a Belgian businessman with whom I recently had lunch.



He pointed out that Indonesians' preferences for eating richly seasoned food, employing flavor-enhancing cooking methods like frying and marinating, as well as reheating food repeatedly, suggested their ignorance of the food's real taste and a loss of nutritional value upon reheating.



Compromised hygiene is another issue, he added, especially with regard to local street food, which is often exposed to flies, dust, vehicle exhaust fumes and the unclean hands of sellers who double as cashiers.



His concern appeared genuine but he had a reason for it. He runs food stalls selling roast chicken lightly seasoned with European herbs and served with rice, and wants to outdo his street food competitors.



He wondered why people still opted for heavily seasoned, unhygienic street food rather than spending a few thousand rupiah more to buy his roast chicken.



Well, I guess he knows the answer because he told me his chocolate mousse sells very well. He must have noticed that Indonesians love not only richly seasoned and spicy food but also sweet and savory food.



His European gourmet ideals had two sides. One side prizes a minimalist approach to original, natural tastes and is thus rather at odds with prevailing local preferences.



The other flaunts decadent sweetness, usually with savory undertones, and thus perfectly fits the local palate.



On the other hand, people who eat traditional, cheaper street food are normally those on a tight budget or those who have grown accustomed to it, who come from where the food originates or share a similar culinary culture and ideals. Thus they regard it as part of their culinary comfort zone and are ignorant of or unbothered by new, foreign tastes and foods no matter how healthy or hygienic.



Then he brought up another issue. The chocolate used to make the mousse, he said, was Belgian-made using ingredients of Indonesian origin. 'Indonesia has no know-how on to make top-quality chocolate from the cacao trees grown in its own backyard. All your country's best beverage crops, be it cacao, coffee or tea, are exported. The ones left for your domestic markets are of lesser quality,' he said.



For him, the industrial, mass-produced, well-known local coffee he served me, for instance, was just 'brown-colored water smelling like coffee with no real [coffee] character', which needed to be covered up by adding flavor-enhancing ingredients, such as sugar and creamer.



However, the heavy seasonings and time-consuming cooking of some foods, such as rendang and dry gudeg (young jackfruit stew), were initially meant to keep them edible for longer in the absence of refrigeration.



Eating goes beyond the need to be full, even among the poor who, in my hometown in Central Java, for instance, eat rice with sweet soy sauce in the absence of other foods.



Other examples are rice with lard and sweet soy sauce, which one of my ethnic Chinese friends often ate as a child, and rice with MSG, which one of my grandmother's friends ate as part of fasting during Lent.



People's attempts to make their food taste better are a universal endeavor to maximize enjoyment, which corresponds to their budget, taste, habits, idiosyncrasies, ideals, comfort zones and levels of culinary and nutritional knowledge.



Some like their food as close as possible to its naked state. Some like to dress it as richly as they see fit. Either way, they are actualizing their own version of deliciousness.



' Arif Suryobuwono
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Linkedin Anton Hermansyah (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Mon, March 21, 2016

A call for the banning of Israeli products produced in the occupied territories conveyed during the 5th Extraordinary Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Summit on Palestine and Al-Quds Al-Sharif in Jakarta last week has raised a question about whether OIC member countries, especially Indonesia, can really implement the recommendation.

The Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin) deputy chairmen for trade, Benny Soetrisno, said banning Israeli products was technically possible because the state of origin of imports must be reported in the imported goods documents.

The country of origin is determined by looking at the percentage of local contents of products imported from a country. A country of origin status is declared by the World Trade Organization [WTO], Benny told thejakartatapost.com.

Technically, the mandatory declaration of the country of origin in every imported goods document has made it is possible for Indonesia to ban Israeli products. However, it is also possible for Israel to do the same thing to Indonesian products, he said.

Trade Ministry data reveals that Indonesia and Israel have trade relations despite an absence of diplomatic ties. The total value of trade between Indonesia and Israel, mostly in the non-oil and gas sectors, reached US$194.43 million in 2015, or only 0.44 percent of Indonesias trade with China, which reached $44.45 billion in the same period, according to the ministry.

The Trade Ministry added that Indonesia has maintained a surplus in its balance of trade with Israel; however, the surplus is getting lower. In 2015, Indonesia exported $116.71 million worth of commodities to Israel, consisting of $8,200 for oil and gas and $116.7 million in non-oil and gas. Meanwhile, the value of Indonesias imports from Israel was worth $77.71 million in 2015 -- all non-oil and gas products.

Banning Israeli products is reportedly getting more difficult if it is related to technological products. It has been reported that several operators in Indonesia are now using some programs procured from Israeli vendors. Their choice is simply based on economic calculations, in which they deemed that the telecommunications programs offered by the Israeli vendors were the best in the market.

Still, that does not mean there are no substitutes for the Israeli products. There are vendors from other countries producing similar products, Indosat Ooreedoo president director Alexander Rusli told thejakartapost.com on Friday.

In consumer products, it seems that it is also difficult for Indonesia to avoid products made or produced in and by Israel. One of the most famous Israeli products is Waze, a traffic-information-sharing application.

The application began as a 2006 community project called "FreeMap Israel", founded by Ehud Shabtai. It was acquired by Google in 2013 for $1.1 billion and now the traffic information in Google Maps is using the engine from Waze, although the application still exists along with Google Maps. In November 2013, the number of Waze users in Indonesia reached 750,000.

Another product is the USB flash drive, a technology that was developed by Israeli M-Systems in collaboration with IBM. US patent 6148354 was granted for the product in April 1999 and the first flash drive was sold in the US under the brand name IBM DiskOnKey in September 2000. The patent was challenged by companies and inventors from China, Malaysia and Singapore, but IBM DiskOnKey is still regarded as the first commercial flash drive in the world.

Shortly after announcing the call to ban Israeli products, President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo clarified his own statements. Presidential spokesman Johan Budi Sapto Pribowo said President Jokowi stated that the boycott was against Israeli policies toward Palestine, not of its goods.

"The boycott is not directed at products like food and beverages, but more at the Israeli policies in Palestine," Johan said on Tuesday, one day after Jokowi spoke about boycotting Israeli products in the OIC Summit, which ended on Monday. (ebf)
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Linkedin Didi Tang (The Jakarta Post) Beijing  Sun, March 13, 2016

Thousands of Chinese miners who say they have not been paid for months staged a rare protest in a northeastern city, days after the provincial governor made the apparently false claim that no miner working for the province's largest publicly-owned mining company was owed any back wages.

Angry miners from the Longmay Mining Holding Group Co., Ltd. and their family members marched through the city of Shuangyashan on Saturday and gathered in front of the company's local offices.

In response, the government of Heilongjiang province issued a statement Saturday night acknowledging that many Longmay employees are owed wages and benefits, backtracking from Governor Lu Hao's assertions earlier this month.

The protest and the change in the government's stance underline the sensitivity of the employment issue, as Chinese miners and others in state industries are losing their jobs or seeing their pay drastically cut. China's massive state-owned mining companies are struggling to boost efficiency and reduce their payrolls amid a severe a slump in coal demand brought on by sharply slowing economic growth.

The pain is particularly acute in China's northeastern rustbelt, where Heilongjiang is located. Its biggest state-owned mining company, Longmay, is tasked with reducing its workforce by 22,500 people in the immediate future, according to state media reports.

Longmay reportedly owed 800 million yuan ($123 million) in back pay for 2014. A lengthy investigative report by China's leading financial news group Caijing reported in January that pay for Longmay workers has been continually cut, and even those reduced wages had not been paid for three to four months.

Then on March 6 Lu, considered a rising political star, said at the national legislature's annual session that Longmay's 80,000 miners hadn't received a single cut in wages and all were paid on time. The remarks seemed aimed at showing that Longmay and the province were meeting the leadership's expectations for competently handling economic challenges.

Calls to local police, government offices and Longmay rang unanswered on Sunday, but witnesses told The Associated Press that thousands of workers took part in the demonstration. A local resident who gave just his last name, Li, said the protesters were holding banners demanding back pay. Li said he knew of Longmay workers who had not been paid for six months.

Another eyewitness, who gave her last name as Wang said she has family members working for the mines. She said their wages were cut to less than 1,000 yuan ($154) per month, and the workers either did not receive their full wages or were not paid at all for months.

She said the protesters displayed a banner reading: "We need to eat. We need to live."

Both Li and Wang said the protest was peaceful and that a large number of riot police had been dispatched to the scene. They said the demonstrations ended around 4 p.m.

The provincial statement came out after 9 p.m. Saturday, saying Lu had held a special meeting on Longmay in Beijing that afternoon.

The statement made no mention of the protest in Shuangyashan but said Longmay had failed to pay wages, taxes and insurance contributions. It said the provincial government would work with Longmay to raise money and to make every effort to pay the workers in time.

The statement did not mention Lu's earlier remarks, but hinted he had been fed false information.

"Should important information be reported inaccurately again, it will be dealt with seriously," the statement said. (**)
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Linkedin Liza Yosephine (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Sun, March 13, 2016

New research on digital dividends has found that the aggregate impact of digital technologies in Indonesia lags behind global expectations and has not yet been evenly distributed, resulting in a disparity in technology among the population.

According to the 2016 World Development Report, Digital Dividends research conducted by the World Bank (WB) Group reveals a significant gender divide in digital usage within Indonesia, in which an average of 78 women to every 100 men in the country use technology, a significantly higher rate compared to Singapore, Thailand or Cambodia.

"Although the internet and digital transformation has made the world a more inclusive, efficient and democratic world, the potential and aggregate impact of the internet is significantly less than what was expected with benefits so far that are unevenly distributed," Research co-director Deepak Mishra said of the overall results.

"So, clearly we're not seeing the big impact in terms of growth, jobs, and service delivery," Mishra told reporters during the report launch event hosted by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) on Friday.

The report further indicated that almost 60 percent of the world's population was still not connected, with the benefits of digital technologies mostly seen by those who are educated, well-connected and influential, subsequently causing greater disparity.

Mishra said it was necessary to make the internet universally accessible, affordable, open and safe so that people worldwide could participate and, in turn, maximize digital dividends.

Mishra further said it was important to strengthen "analog complements", a set of supporting elements, which included the need to provide workers with the right skills for the digital economy and to highlight the importance of accountable institutions, adding that this was necessary as a need to close the disparity gap had been found across groups of all ages, incomes as well as gender.

Research co-director Uwe Deichman said the education system implemented today might not benefit Indonesian students in tackling the future of digital economy.

Referring to a case study conducted in Malaysia as an example, Uwe compared to the situation in Indonesia, saying that education needed to adapt as it was one of the most important analog components in the preparation of necessary skills in an economy that had heavily relied on manufacturing and agriculture in the past.

He further said that Malaysia was good at maintaining an interest in education among students. Apart from getting kids into school, it was also necessary to monitor valuable teaching materials, he went on.

To adapt, Uwe said that, as part of updating school systems, teachers should be provided with training. He also suggested implementing new systems in early childhood education as a viable option.

Communications and Information Minister Rudiantara, who provided an opening statement at the launch, pointed out the government's project Palapa Ring, which he said was to provide accessible internet across the archipelago by 2019.

The ambitious project, which will involve laying 11,000 kilometers of undersea fiber-optic cable, has been divided into three sections comprising of West, Central and East packages.

Rudiantara said both the West and Central packages had been confirmed while the East Package was still in a pre-qualification stage.

Currently only five cities in Indonesia have access to high-speed internet: Bandung, Bekasi, Jakarta, Surabaya and Tangerang. Outside of Java, broadband distribution is still relatively poor, with most areas left either without access to Internet or access that comes with a hefty price tag.

Rudiantara said that with better nation-wide access to Internet, he hoped Indonesia could raise its competitiveness in regard to innovation and developing digital content, especially in the South East Asian region.

"Indonesia should be a player, not merely a market," he said. (ebf)
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Linkedin Ina Parlina (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Sun, March 13, 2016

President Joko 'Jokowi' Widodo has stepped up efforts to develop Papua and is asking the military and the police to adopt a soft approach there. However, doubts still linger over whether the President can ensure central and local bureaucrats will implement his commitments to the easternmost region, which remains one of the poorest despite its abundant natural resources and is often marred by violent incidents.



Father John Jonga from Wamena, who once received a Yap Thiam Hien human rights award, said that although Jokowi had three times visited Papua, he did not really listen to Papuan voices as his administration and local authorities were still unable to follow up on the President's calls.



'It needs extra serious efforts; the state has been absent too long from Papua,' John said on Saturday. 'The government must also address social injustice there.'



Last month, Coordinating Political, Legal and Security Affairs Minister Luhut Panjaitan admitted that about 60 percent of Papuan leaders failed to implement the development agenda in Papua since they were often busy running their own errands elsewhere outside the region.



Jokowi has pledged to bring more inclusive development to Papua and has even considered a railway construction project to be started in Sorong, West Papua, sometime this year.



Since he took office, Jokowi has visited the easternmost region three times to ensure development projects, like airports and rice estates, were being properly implemented. Long before Jokowi took office, the central government had been accused of being solely interested in Papua's rich natural resources, with little regard for its people.



Researcher Budi Hernawan said Jokowi should not only establish more effective dialogue with native communities, local administrations and civil society groups, but should also involve them in policy-making and implement better monitoring of development programs in Papua, which could also prevent budget misuse.



'Make them implement their tasks well,' Budi added. He later also questioned whether a railway project in West Papua would benefit local people since there are only about 800,000 residents in the area.



John revealed a plan to meet with officials at the presidential office on Monday to voice Papuan aspirations, including social economy development in Papua.



Presidential chief of staff Teten Masduki and National Development Planning Board (Bappenas) chief Sofyan Djalil recently signed a commitment to ensure that Jokowi's priority development programs, including the Papuan development agenda, would be free from unnecessary intervention.



A number of Cabinet meetings have also been held to discuss Papuan issues ' for instance, one in January during which Jokowi called on his officials to use a soft approach in handling the separatism issues in Papua and Aceh, including by opening up the possibility of granting amnesty.



But mutual trust and freedom of speech remain elusive in Papua since the authorities appear to be still using repressive approaches, with the latest incident being the police summoning John for questioning following a sermon he gave last month suggesting people in Wamena use a customary meeting center as a place to discuss social, economic and political matters. The police wanted to question him as a witness concerning alleged treason.



During his second visit to Papua in May last year, Jokowi opened up access for foreign journalists and international organizations to Papua and West Papua and granted clemency to five political prisoners detained in Jayapura. Jokowi has also called on security personnel to promote dialogue with the Papuan people in order to build mutual trust and said he wanted to see them changing the repressive security approach they have been using all this time into a development-and-welfare approach.



However, the government has also mulled over a plan to establish a new military command in Manokwari, the provincial capital of West Papua, a move many fear may lead to a more repressive security approach by the military, which could further fan separatist sentiment.



'We need a friendlier approach,' said Phil Erari from the Indonesian Communion of Churches (PGI).



Numerous cases of violence have repeatedly occurred in Papua. Previous reports said at least 69 Papuans had been imprisoned for peaceful advocacy of independence as of October 2014. The police had also arrested two French journalists, Valentine Bourrat and Thomas Dandois, on charges of 'working illegally' on Aug. 6, 2014. They were released on Oct. 24, after a Jayapura court sentenced them to two-and-a-half months in jail.



A recent study by the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI) has also predicted that violence may still occur in Papua unless the government takes immediate steps to better coordinate its security forces in the region and to involve native communities in policy-making.

_____________________________________

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Linkedin Dewanti A. Wardhani (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Sun, March 13, 2016

A chicken-eating contest offering mouthwatering total prize money of Rp 5 billion (US$384,117) turned sour on Friday when a contestant died after choking on a chicken wing.



Forty-five-year-old Fredy Jayadi died during the contest, which challenged participants to eat three chicken wings in under five minutes. The event was organized by O2 Accion in conjunction with major fast-food chain Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC).



Despite the incident, the competition had not been cancelled as of Saturday. The official Twitter account of @Menang5Miliar, which provides information for the event, stated that it would give updated news later.



Officers from the West Jakarta Police's criminal unit carried out a crime-scene investigation on Saturday.



'One of our findings is that the organizers failed to provide medical personnel,' criminal unit chief Adj. Comr. Didik Sugiarto said as quoted by tribunnews.com.



Separately, Cengkareng Police criminal unit chief Adj. Comr. Taufik Iksan said the force was currently questioning all witnesses, including spectators and employees, as well as officials from O2 Accion and KFC.



'We are currently questioning all witnesses, as well as those responsible for the event. We are also waiting for autopsy results,' Taufik said over the phone on Saturday.



He explained that the incident had taken place on Friday afternoon at a KFC outlet in Taman Semanan, West Jakarta. As he finished his third chicken wing, Fredy reportedly began choking. When drinking a glass of water failed to dislodge the fateful morsel, employees of the restaurant rushed him to a nearby clinic.



However, by the time Fredy arrived at the clinic, he was already dead, according to doctors. The dead man was taken to Kramat Jati Police Hospital in East Jakarta for an autopsy; once the autopsy was completed, Fredy was interred.



In an official statement, O2 Accion chief programming officer Budi Raharja Sulaiman acknowledged the organizer was responsible for the event and had approached KFC to propose the contest.



Fredy's death, Budi said, was a 'pure accident', with no suggestion of foul play.



Before the contest began, participants signed a letter declaring they were healthy, he added. Insurance was also provided by private insurance company PT Asuransi Central Asia Raya.



'We will hand this case to the authorities for investigation,' Budi said.



According to the eating contest's official website menang5miliar.com, contests were held simultaneously in 239 KFC outlets across Java and Bali. The event takes the form of an elimination model, with a grand final in July to determine the winner of the Rp 5 billion grand prize.



Representatives of KFC declined to comment, but said an official statement would be released on Sunday.



Separately, Indonesian Consumer Foundation (YLKI) chairman Tulus Abadi said in a statement that KFC had violated 1999 Law on consumer protection, which states that consumers have a right to comfort, security and safety while using goods and services.



The eating contest, Tulus argued, was clearly dangerous to consumers and posed a threat to their lives.



'This eating contest serves no other purpose than to promote KFC and its products. The contest must be discontinued,' Tulus said.

____________________________________________

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Linkedin Abdul Muati (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Sun, March 13, 2016

Indonesia created a historic moment at the fifth extraordinary summit of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC). The summit concluded with a cornerstone on the peace process and independence of the Palestine state. After two years of nearly no signs of progress, the world now has new hope in solving the Israel-Palestine conflict. As the host of the latest OIC summit, Indonesia could push forward Palestine issues to the wider international arena and play a bigger role in the OIC from merely participant to key actor.



First, the appointment of Indonesia as the host country for the summit indicated the Palestinian leadership's trust in Indonesia. Indonesia and its people indeed have a strong political commitment to and solidarity with the Palestinian people. Two major factions of Palestine, Hamas and Fatah, acknowledge and respect Indonesia.



Second, Indonesia has good bilateral relations with almost all OIC members. Religious, political, historical, social and economic bonds between Indonesia and OIC countries, especially among Middle East nations, were established in the mid-20th century. Several of the countries were inspired by Indonesia's independence in 1945 and initiatives to build organizations of developing nations. Interaction between Indonesia and Middle East countries has occurred since the early development of Islam in the archipelago as early as the ninth century. Being a good friend of both Iran and Saudi Arabia opens opportunities for Indonesia to play the role of mediator for two conflicting countries and their coalitions. Turkey as the former chairman of the OIC seems favorable to Indonesia playing a more active role in the Palestine peace process.

_______________________________________



The challenges of Indonesia's potential role regarding Palestine lie with the leadership of President Joko 'Jokowi' Widodo.



Third, Indonesia is the largest democratic Muslim-dominated country in the world. Despite small and manageable scales of religious violence, Indonesia has considerable religious freedoms and notable achievement in human rights, women's empowerment, freedom of the press and religious harmony. Supported with relative political and economic stability, Indonesia might capitalize on these potentials to heighten its contribution to the OIC.



Furthermore, Indonesia is home to religions of the world. Although Indonesia is a Muslim-majority country, it is not an Islamic state. Under the Pancasila state ideology, people of different faiths celebrate religious plurality within a largely open environment. This religious factor is one of the key aspects making Indonesia acceptable to other Muslim countries. Indonesian religious communities have strong networks with those in other countries. This people-to-people engagement, referred to as second-track diplomacy, could increase the bargaining position of Indonesia to take a certain leadership at the OIC.



Finally, Indonesia has adequate worldly human resources and organizations. Prominent figures such as Din Syamsuddin, the former chairman of Muhammadiyah, former foreign minister Alwi Shihab and Hasyim Muzadi, the leader of the Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) organization, have international reputations. It is fortunate that Indonesia has solid Islamic civil society organizations like Muhammadiyah and the NU, the country's largest Islamic organizations, which would strengthen Indonesia's leverage at the OIC.



Despite all these potentials, however, the challenges of Indonesia's potential role regarding Palestine lie with the leadership of President Joko 'Jokowi' Widodo. In the country there are hopes among minorities that Indonesia should play a marginal role in the OIC as Indonesia is not an Islamic state. There is also a degree of inferiority regarding Indonesia's economy compared to the rich states of the Middle East.



If Indonesia is able to overcome these hindrances to play a more visible role to overcome the protracted issue of Palestine, and advance the struggle to Palestinian people's sovereignty under a two-state solution, the country could play more a significant role at the OIC and in the global arena.

____________________________________



The writer is the secretary-general of Muhammadiyah and lecturer at the State Islamic University (UIN) Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta.
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Linkedin Yuliasri Perdani (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Sun, March 13, 2016

Although exploration in batik patterns has already been going on, especially during the past decade, there is no limitation when it comes to creativity. A number of designers proved just that on the runways of Indonesia Fashion Week (IFW) on Saturday.



Held at the Jakarta Convention Center in Senayan, South Jakarta, the third day of the IFW saw designer Michelle Tjokrosaputro of Bateeq presenting a dazzling casual clothing collection embellished with patterns.



At first glance, there was no sight of the traditional, commonly complicated batik motifs in the designs. They boasted simple shapes like orange triangles and wavy lines, as well as bold bright colors that at some point resembled African patterns.



Only after we looked closer could we see the intricate patterns that drew inspiration from Bali's wavy rang-rang pattern, Java's truntum (jasmine bud) pattern, which symbolized unconditional love, and other traditional batik motifs.



'Our patterns for the collection are inspired by batik motifs. We mainly printed the motifs,' said Michelle, who manages Bateeq stores in 20 cities in Indonesia.



The refreshing creations could also be found in Linda Sudarsono's collection of elegant print dresses. Some V-neck dresses beautifully highlighted birds flying among the blue and white clouds of the mega mendung pattern.



Linda delicately fused Western and traditional styles by constructing a dress with an elegant high-low skirt with an inner skirt of brown batik wrap ' reminding us of the traditional way of using a batik cloth.



Novita Yunus, under the flag of Batik Chic, took a minimalistic approach by using batik patterns on the crop tops, obi belts and bags of her ready-to-wear collection.



The IFW exhibition area proved to be a great place for batik lovers. Visitors could easily find batik dresses and clothing at every turn in the spacious area. Galeri Batik Jawa, for example, offered blue batik shirts naturally dyed using Indigofera tinctoria from indigo leaves, priced at about Rp 1 million (US$77). Those with limited budgets could still find a number of other booths that offered more affordable pieces.

Also on Saturday, the IFW presented a unique Bali-inspired fashion show called 'Gianyar Cultural Wonders', which was participated in by bintang mirA, Tjok Abi and Tude Togok. Designer Anniesa Hasibuan, who presented her work at the Couture Fashion Week New York last month, presented her Muslim bridal collection later in the evening.



The fifth IFW will be concluded on Sunday with 10 fashion shows, including a show called 'Metamorfosis Tanimbar', in which renowned designers Itang Yunasz, Samuel Wattimena, Chossy Latu, Danjyo Hiyoji and Poppy Dharsono are to give their fashionable interpretations of the cultural heritage of Tanimbar, a little island in Maluku.



The Sunday show is to wrap up with 'Co[L]ordination', a collaboration of new makeup series by Wardah and the fashion collections of Barli Asmara, Mel Ahyar and Indonesia's popular Muslim-wear designer, Dian Pelangi.



' Photos by Jerry Adiguna
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Linkedin Apriadi Gunawan (The Jakarta Post) Medan, North Sumatra  Sun, March 13, 2016

Customs and Excise officials have arrested a Malaysian citizen, Mohd. Faiz bin Rahman, 29, who was found to be in possession of 7,000 nimetazepam pills, popularly known as 'Happy Five', shortly after arriving at Kualanamu International Airport in Deli Serdang regency, North Sumatra, on Thursday.

Ahmad Fathoni, the Customs and Excise Office's head of investigation and law enforcement at the airport, said the office had handed over both the suspect and evidence to the North Sumatra Police for further investigation.

'The suspect is undergoing questioning by the North Sumatra Police to reveal the possible involvement of other suspects in the case,' Ahmad said.

Mohd Faiz, a Kuala Lumpur resident, was arrested by the Kualanamu Airport's Customs and Excise officials who became suspicious there were drugs hidden in his luggage during an X-ray. The officers later discovered 7,000 nimetazepam pills in the suitcase. (ebf)
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Linkedin Arya Dipa (The Jakarta Post) Bandung, West Java  Sun, March 13, 2016

Noted Indonesian language expert Jusuf Sjarif (JS) Badudu has passed away at the age of 89. JS Badudu, who was born on March 19, 1926, had been treated at Hasan Sadikin Hospital in Bandung, West Java, for two days following a stroke, before passing away at 10:10 p.m. local time on Saturday, his seventh grandchild, Ananda Badudu, said on Sunday.

'He had suffered several strokes, from mild to heavy, which caused his physical condition to decline continuously. He was in a poor state of health the last 10 years,' Ananda told journalists in Bandung on Sunday.

JS Badudu is survived by nine children, 23 grandchildren and two great grandchildren. His wife, Eva Henrietta Alma Koroh, passed away at the age of 85 on Jan. 16, ending a marriage of 62 years. The Indonesian language professor from the University of Padjadjaran (Unpad) was buried in a military procession at the Cikutra Hero Cemetery in Bandung.

Ananda said the body was first handed over to Unpad for final respects from university students and faculty before being passed on to the Indonesian Military, which took the lead in the overall burial procession.

JS Badudu worked as a teacher since the age of 15 and ended his career in the field of education at the age of 80. 'This was because of his physical condition, which continued to decline as he got older,' said Ananda.

JS Badudu became well-known when he hosted the Indonesian Language Learning Program aired by state television station TVRI during the periods of 1977-1979 and 1985-1986. At that time, TVRI was Indonesia's one and only television station.

His great published works include Kamus Umum Bahasa Indonesia (1994), Kamus Kata-kata Serapan Asing (2003), Pelik-pelik Bahasa Indonesia (1971), Inilah Bahasa Indonesia yang Benar (1993), Kamus Peribahasa (2008) and Membina Bahasa Indonesia Baku (1980).

The linguist himself enjoyed education in the Indonesian language at the Indonesian Language B1 course (1951), Unpad's School of Literature (1963) and Linguistic Graduate Study at Rijksuniversiteit's School of Literature and Philosophy in Leiden, the Netherlands (1971-1973). He obtained his doctoral degree from the University of Indonesia's School of Literature in 1975 with a dissertation entitled 'The Morphology of Verbs in Gorontalo Language'.

'He was the first person to get the academic title of professor from Unpad's School of Literature. He was installed as a professor in 1985, when he was 59 years old,' said Ananda. (ebf)
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Linkedin Wahyoe Boediwardhana (The Jakarta Post) Surabaya, East Java  Sun, March 13, 2016

State-owned port operator Pelabuhan Indonesia (Pelindo) III has announced that it is developing a full information and communications technology (ICT) system with a total investment of Rp 1 trillion (US$77 million). With the new system, it says, the ICT systems in 14 ports in seven provinces will be connected in real time.

Pelindo III president director Djarwo Surjanto said the system would be divided into two main sections, namely front end and back end systems. The front end system will include container, non-container and vessel service applications, among others. Meanwhile, the back end system will comprise applications related to administrative matters, such as human capital and financial management. The front end applications are targeted to be completed in September 2016.

'With container applications in the front end system, all service users will be able to monitor the position of their containers in real time. It can be estimated when their containers will arrive at the destination ports. It can all be traced online,' said Djarwo in Surabaya, East Java, last week.

The ports that will be connected with the system are Tanjung Perak (East Java), Tanjung Emas (Central Java), Lembar and Benoa (Bali), Kumai, Bumiharjo and Sampit (Central Kalimantan), Bima and Badas (West Nusa Tenggara), Maumere, Ende, Waingapu and Kalabahi (East Nusa Tenggara) and Batulicin (South Kalimantan).

Pelindo III's move will be followed by Pelindo I, II and IV, so that 24 ports from Sumatra to Papua will be connected under a single system and form the backbone of the government's sea toll program.

Djarwo said the development of the ICT based system was predicted to be completed within the next two years. He expressed hopes that the ICT systems in all 14 ports would be connected each other by January 2018.

With the connected system, Djarwo said, it would be easier for Pelindo III to evaluate the performance of the 14 ports under its authority, and hopefully reduce both waiting time and dwelling time.

For the first stage, Pelindo III has prepared around Rp 250 billion of the total Rp 1 trillion of investment it will use to pay consultants, buy hardware and prepare a data center. The figure does not yet include funds for building developments.

To build the ICT system, Pelindo III has conducted a comparison study with several modern ports abroad, such as the Hamburg port and Bremen port in Germany and the Rotterdam port in the Netherlands.

Megawaty Khie, the vice president and managing director of SAP Indonesia, a partner company in the development of all applications of the ICT system, said Pelindo III had taken a brave move.

'Pelindo III has created an IT revolution in Indonesia's port industry, which is really competitive. The built applications, which will allow real time connection, will help the company expand its businesses and win the competition,' she said. (ebf)
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Linkedin The Jakarta Post Cleveland  Sun, March 13, 2016

Angry confrontations at Donald Trump's campaign rallies have further roiled a raucous primary campaign just ahead of Tuesday's make-or-break contests in five states that offer perhaps the last chance to derail the billionaire's march toward securing the Republican presidential nomination.

In a Republican presidential primary filled with extraordinary moments, a 24-hour stretch that began Friday night stands above them all.

Protesters were so committed to keeping Trump from speaking in Chicago that they clashed with supporters, forcing the Republican front-runner to abruptly cancel his rally before it even began.

The next morning, two of the candidates still fighting to defeat Trump, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio and Ohio Gov. John Kasich, said they were so disgusted by the chaos that they may not support the billionaire businessman if he clinches their party's nomination.

And when Trump appeared at another rally Saturday morning in Ohio, he was suddenly pulled midspeech into a protective ring of U.S. Secret Service agents charged with guarding his life after a man leapt over a barrier and rushed the stage.

"Thank you for the warning," Trump told the crowd after he resumed his speech. "I was ready for 'em, but it's much better if the cops do it, don't we agree?"

Each moment has virtually no precedent in modern presidential politics. Taken together, they exposed anew the remarkable anxiety ripping through a country dealing with profound economic and demographic changes, as well as the anger roiling inside one of America's great political parties.

For those cringing at the discord and Trump's unanticipated political rise, there were no easy answers Saturday.

Republican traditionalists kept whispering in private conversations about long-shot options for stopping Trump, either at a contested convention or by rallying around a potential third-party option. Trump, meanwhile, could put the Republican nomination out of reach to others in Tuesday's slate of primaries in five states, including Florida and Ohio, which offer a rich cache of delegates to the party's national nominating convention.

Trump's rivals have spent months tiptoeing around his provocative comments for fear of alienating his impassioned supporters. Even in Thursday night's debate, all three of his remaining rivals ' Rubio, Kasich and Texas Sen. Ted Cruz ' sidestepped a question about whether outbursts of violence at Trump's rallies and his statements encouraging supporters to aggressively take on protesters concerned them.

But the images spilling out of Chicago, with young people angrily confronting each other, often divided along racial lines, appeared to be too much.

In an interview with The Associated Press, Rubio said he may not be able to support Trump if he's the Republican nominee, citing the way he's "dividing both the party and the country so bitterly."

The Florida senator wouldn't say whether he'd look for a third-party candidate to support if Trump does become the Republican standard-bearer, but added, "The fact that you even have to ask me the question shows why (Trump) is a problem."

Kasich, who has largely avoided tangling with Trump until now, said the real estate mogul has created a "toxic environment" that makes it "extremely difficult" to envision supporting him as the Republican nominee.

"To see Americans slugging themselves at a political rally deeply disturbed me," Kasich said while campaigning in Cincinnati. "We're better than that."

Only Cruz, who is closest to Trump in the delegate count, said he would unequivocally support the businessman if he emerges from the primary victorious. Still, Cruz ' eager for Rubio and Kasich to get out of the race after their home-state primaries on Tuesday so he can take Trump on in a head-to-head contest ' blamed his rival for encouraging the kind of "nasty violence" that occurred in Chicago.

President Barack Obama, speaking at a Democratic fundraiser in Dallas, said those who aspire to lead the country "should be trying to bring us together and not turning us against one another," and he urged leaders to "speak out against violence."

"If they refuse to do that, they don't deserve our support," he said.

With his delegate lead mounting, there's little evidence that Trump sees any reason to alter an approach that includes encouraging his supporters to aggressively ' and sometimes physically ' stop protesters from interrupting his raucous rallies.

Instead, Trump said at a rally Saturday afternoon in Cleveland, which was also interrupted several times by dozens of protesters, that he thought all the disruptions would help him.

"It just makes all of our friends and supporters more angry. We're going to go to the polls on Tuesday," he said, predicting a "resounding victory."

Trump appeared eager to paint himself as the victim of the extraordinary events. He complained the well-organized protesters in Chicago intent on keeping him from speaking had violated his constitutional right to freedom of speech, and questioned why no one was asking Bernie Sanders to defend the actions of his backers.

Several of the protesters in Chicago said they are supporters of the Democratic candidate.

"They're Bernie fans!" Trump said in Cleveland. "Hey, Bernie, get your people in line, Bernie!"

Sanders responded with a statement denouncing Trump as a "pathological liar" and said his campaign did not organize the protest at the canceled Chicago rally.

Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton, campaigning in Missouri, said she found the unrest at Trump's Chicago rally "deeply disturbing."

Speaking to a largely African-American group of campaign volunteers in St. Louis, Clinton called on voters to stand up to "this tide of bullying and bigotry and blustering that is going on in our political strategy."

"If you play with matches, you're going to start a fire you can't control," she said. (**)
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Linkedin Ruslan Sangadji (The Jakarta Post) Palu, Central Sulawesi  Sun, March 13, 2016

Following the death of two couriers of the East Indonesia Mujahiddin (MIT), Farhan and Sukardin, on Feb. 9, the terrorist group has reportedly become more desperate in its attempts to support itself. Apart from running out of equipment, the Santoso-led group is also rumored to have been cornered by the joint police-military Operation Tinombala.

Santoso terrorists reportedly robbed a kiosk belonging to Sartin Balea, 40, a resident of Rompo village in Central Lore district, Poso regency, Central Sulawesi, on Saturday. According to a security report obtained by journalists, group members openly entered the kiosk and took basic food items such as instant noodles, eggs, sugar, tea and coffee.

The report said that no one who witnessed the incident dared to try to stop the armed group. A Rompo resident told security officers that one of the robbers looked like Santoso, aka Abu Wardah, the MIT terrorist group leader.

On Feb.26, 21 MIT members were reported to have entered settlements in Watutau village in Lore Peore district and Torire village in Central Lore, Poso, to purchase staple foods. They reportedly took several residents hostage to guarantee the security of MIT members who were shopping in the villages.

Operation Tinombala commander, Sr. Comr.Leo Bona Lubis, said although the joint security team had not yet been able to arrest Santoso and his men, the police and military personnel had cornered the group in Gunung Biru and Poso Pesisir Bersaudara in Central Lore.

Leo further said one MIT member had been killed, forcing other members of the group to escape to the two areas. Reports suggest that the group now has only 15 to 30 supporters.

The police earlier said the MIT group had around 45 members, two of who were Uighur citizens and three others who were women from Bima, West Nusa Tenggara.

'Hopefully, we can arrest them in the near future but it will be better if Santoso and his men surrender,' Leo said.

The operation commander said that evidence confiscated by the Operation Tinombala joint security team suggested that the group did not only require food supplies but also equipment, such as weapons, ammunition and bombs. The confiscated equipment reportedly includes two long guns, one revolver, one USK Caribbean Jungle and two handmade rifles, he said.

Leo said other evidence confiscated during the operation in Central Lore included ammunition for firearms with various calibers. The largest ammunition confiscated was for 12.7-milimeter caliber firearms. This type of ammunition is usually used for M60 rifles, a type of belt-fed machine gun.

'We suspect that they obtained the ammunition for the M60 rifles from overseas,' said Leo.

M60 rifles are popular in NATO and non-NATO countries. Indonesia security authorities also use M60 rifles. Many Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) members reportedly used M60 rifles.

'It is suspected that they [MIT members] got the M60 rifles and ammunition from Moro militants in the Philippines,' said Leo.

Around 3,000 members of military and policy elite groups, such as the police's counterterrorism squad Densus 88, the Army's Special Forces (Kopassus), the Banteng Raider battalion and the Navy's elite force Yontaifib, are currently involved in the operation to capture Santoso. (ebf)
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Linkedin Albert Aji and Bassem Mroue (The Jakarta Post) Damascus, Syria  Sun, March 13, 2016

The Syrian government will send a delegation to Geneva to take part in UN-sponsored indirect peace talks with the opposition but has rejected the UN envoy's call for presidential elections to be held in the next 18 months.

Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moallem told reporters that the government team will head to Geneva on Sunday but will not stay more than 24 hours if the opposition does not show up. The talks are scheduled to begin Monday.

The last round of indirect talks collapsed on Feb. 3 over a Russian-backed government offensive in Aleppo. The new round of negotiations comes amid a two-week partial cease-fire that has mostly held.

Al-Moallem's comments came as militants shot down a Syrian warplane over the northern village of Kfar Nabboudeh, according to the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights and Syria-based activist Muayad Zurayk. The Observatory said the pilot ejected and landed in a government-held area in the central province of Hama.

There was no immediate word from the government about the shooting down of the plane, which the Observatory said was hit with a missile.

The High Negotiations Committee, a Saudi-backed umbrella opposition group, said it will attend the talks and press for a transitional governing body with full executive powers in which President Bashar Assad and his associates would have no role. It also wants the restructuring of Syrian security forces.

The dispute over the fate of Assad has been the main obstacle in previous rounds of talks. UN envoy Staffan de Mistura has called for presidential elections in the next 18 months, but al-Moallem dismissed the idea.

"Neither he nor anyone else has the right to talk about presidential elections. This is an exclusive right of the Syrian people," the foreign minister said.

When asked about the opposition's demands for a transitional body with full executive powers, al-Moallem said, "If this is what they think, I advise them not to come to the negotiations so that they don't make us tired and we don't make them tired."

Al-Moallem then turned to the head of the delegation, Syria's U.N. Ambassador Bashar Ja'afari, and said: "Bashar. This is a red line."

He said those in the opposition who have "illusions about seizing power in Geneva after they failed on the battlefield will fail."

He reasserted that the Syrian people are "optimistic" about peace talks in Geneva, adding: "We are going to Geneva to make the dialogue a success but this doesn't depend on us but also on the other parties."

Assad, whose family has ruled Syria for more than four decades, was elected to a new seven-year term in 2014 in an election boycotted by the armed opposition, which controls large parts of the country. Syria is set to hold parliamentary elections next month.

Syria's conflict began five years ago with mostly peaceful protests calling for political reform. A brutal government crackdown led to the rise of an insurgency and a full-blown civil war that has killed more than 250,000 people and displaced half the country's population.

"We are optimistic that we have begun to come out of the crisis," al-Moallem said, referring to recent battlefield advances by government forces with the support of Russia, Iran and Lebanon's Hezbollah militant group. He also cited local amnesty deals reached with some rebels.

Al-Moallem blasted the 22-member Arab League that on Friday formally branded Hezbollah group a terrorist organization saying, "It is shameful to undermine the resistance for Israel's sake. It is shameful for those who claim they are Arabs. They should stop that."

He praised the main Kurdish militia known as the YPG that has been the most effective force in fighting the Islamic State group saying Kurds, "are Syrians and stand alongside with us in the same trench against" IS.

US Secretary of State John Kerry meanwhile said the UN-sponsored peace talks should go ahead Monday as planned, but that Russian and U.S. monitors are meeting first to discuss alleged cease-fire violations.

Kerry, speaking in Saudi Arabia, said he hoped for a telephone conversation Saturday with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov about accusations that Assad's government is violating the cease-fire. He said Russian and US officials are also meeting Saturday in Geneva and Amman.

Asked whether the peace conference could go ahead Monday, Kerry said, "Yes it can."

Kerry is due in Paris for talks on Sunday with European diplomats about Libya, Syria, Yemen and Ukraine.

___

Mroue reported from Beirut. (**)
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Linkedin The Jakarta Post  Sun, March 13, 2016

Michelin to publish Seoul edition



The Michelin Guide, an international benchmark of good food, said it will publish a guide of restaurants and hotels in Seoul later this year.



The guidebook for Seoul 2017 will be Michelin's 27th edition globally and the fourth in Asia, following Japan, Singapore and Hong Kong.



Michelin officials said the guide would highlight the dynamic culinary scene in the bustling capital city and boost food tourism in search of new culinary experiences.



'Michelin will soon visit the country to evaluate restaurants in Seoul,' Kim Bo-hyung, the country manager of Michelin Korea, said in a briefing. 'Korea has a vibrant food culture that has much growth potential. The world has been paying attention to the traditional, unique Korean food.'



Bernard Delmas, representative of Michelin Travel Partner for Asia-Pacific, said the latest addition reflects the gastronomic boom in the nation, hoping France's famed restaurant bible could highlight quality Korean restaurants and emerging chefs to the global audience.



'Michelin leaders will discover the best hotels and restaurants in Seoul. The guide will reveal the new culinary trend and emerging chefs here,' Delmas said. ' ANN/Korea Herald

Boutique wine deliveries in singapore



Together with the new food delivery services that have popped up in the past year, there is now a new app that promises to deliver wine in under an hour. The delivery man, armed with a corkscrew and plastic wine cups, will even open the bottle for you.



The app, called BottlesXO, is available on both iOS and Android devices. It has GPS technology that allows customers to track how far the delivery driver is from a location. The service allows for cash on delivery or payment via credit card. To sweeten the deal, there is no minimum order or delivery fee.



The service began nine months ago in Shanghai, moved to Suzhou and Hong Kong within six months, and has since expanded to Singapore. There are plans to offer the service in other Asia-Pacific cities.



On weekdays, the service is available from 3:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m., while on weekends, operations run from noon to 10:30 p.m. The cut-off is in accordance with Singapore's drinking regulations.



Along with tasting notes, the app tells users what food can be paired with the wines, which are all sourced from Europe. There is also background information on the wine makers. ' ANN/Straits Times



Flying into a future of clean toilets



Boeing is preparing a solution: a self-cleaning toilet. The US plane-maker says it has found a way to use ultraviolet light to kill 99.99 per cent of germs in jetliner toilets, disinfect all surfaces after every use in three seconds and keep the restroom from becoming a petri dish.



Boeing's lavatory prototype uses a type of ultraviolet light, different from the rays in tanning beds, that does not harm humans. Activated only when the toilet is not in use, the lights flood touch surfaces such as the toilet seat, sink and counter top.



Boeing has filed a patent for the concept, which it says can minimise the growth and potential transmission of micro-organisms. The sanitizing even helps rid a toilet of odors.



It also operates without being touched. The cleaning system would lift and close the toilet seat by itself so that all surfaces are exposed during the cleaning cycle, according to Boeing.



Other perks for those worried about germs: a hands-free faucet, soap dispenser, trash flap, toilet lid and hand dryer. The plane-maker is also studying a hands-free door latch and vacuum vent system for floor spillage. - Bloomberg
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Linkedin Ati Nurbaiti (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Sun, March 13, 2016

Inhabitants of the capital are entering election mode in full swing, debating likely candidates and mercilessly mocking those considered far from credible to stand in next year's gubernatorial race. Supporters of incumbent Governor Basuki 'Ahok' Tjahaja Purnama are throwing around allegations of attempted sabotage, with his campaign team having to start over collecting evidence of support ' as many may have overlooked the small print on prerequisites for independent candidates like Ahok.



Outside Jakarta, others are sighing, saying 'we need an Ahok for our own city'. Critics of the former East Bangka regent claim he is insensitive toward the poor and marginalized, as evident from the recent bulldozing of Kalijodo, Jakarta's biggest red-light district. But for citizens outside the metropolitan area, Ahok is more importantly a much more annoying version for his enemies than his predecessor, President Joko 'Jokowi' Widodo. Both are seen to be enemies of the old guard infesting the bureaucracy with entrenched systematic corruption under their cloak of politeness, which is great news for people yearning for more livable places with cleaner officials and better services.



The battle between Governor Ahok and the city council over the draft city budget last year raised feelings of 'wish we had something like that' outside Jakarta. The coverage exposed the possible methods employed in likely collaborative efforts between councilors and city officials in manipulating budget drafts. The reports confirmed decades-long suspicions over budgets in other provinces.



The heating up of Jakarta's election is just one momentum of several in post-authoritarian Indonesia that have led to healthy competition for popular leadership. Witness the unofficial race for free education and free health services across cities, regencies and provinces well before former president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono introduced universal health coverage.



Women in Aceh enjoyed free delivery before those in Jakarta. In Aceh's run-up to the next gubernatorial elections, campaign teams cannot rely on candidates' heroic tales in the former war-torn province ' as residents say they're measuring the bickering contestants against services like health benefits under first elected governor Irwandi Yusuf.



Envy at what other people in other areas are getting, combined with the contest for better performance among local leaders, has led to more demands for better public services and governance. Which leaders genuinely care for the poor and which ones merely need votes becomes less relevant. What counts is the end result of policy, delivery ' and communication between leaders and their people, or at least the perception that leaders are trying their best to communicate better.



Even while people are eying neighbors with more goodies, inhabitants of those areas naturally have higher expectations.



In Tangerang, Banten province, we thirst for more parks, while many are propping up in nearby Bandung. What neighbors have and you don't have is acutely felt. But now urbanites of West Java's capital are demanding better development from Mayor Ridwan Kamil, following extra congestion from crowds descending on the parks.



Healthy competition should notch up standards for national and local prizes. The Adipura award for clean cities lost much of its credibility when mounds of smelly garbage greeted passers-by along streets in Central Jakarta, a frequent recipient of the award since the Soeharto-era. Was the jury only looking around the Palace? Such littered scenes across Greater Jakarta make us jealous of residents in far-off Bantaeng, South Sulawesi, among other cleaner areas, where visitors post their pictures of spotless beaches.



When popular regional leaders visit the capital and share their experience, it becomes embarrassingly evident that their populace is more cooperative in, for instance, picking up trash, than apathetic metropolitan dwellers ' who tend to look down on orang daerah (non-capital residents) and who assume lots of people gladly pick up the city's litter for meager payment.



Human rights watchdogs point to hundreds of bylaws they say should be annulled due to their discriminative content against minorities. The government is slow and has revoked only a few of them. The courts are chock-full of corruption cases while hundreds of local and national politicians and high-to-low-ranking officials have been jailed for graft.



So much is going wrong with the early idealism of regional autonomy that some yearn for the good old simple days, when little thinking and creativity was required. Just orders from the top.



But as surveys show large numbers of respondents basically favoring democracy, there's no going back. Political parties are still trying to run the show, and they're still needed ' though Ahok supporters are gleefully dismissing the ruling party of Megawati Soekarnoputri as Ahok has decided to run independently. But parties aren't the only sources of power, let alone change.



Maybe a better source of change is huge pockets of collective ripe green envy at what neighbors have that we don't: Leaders showing more visible efforts at being accessible and transparent. Nice airports with clean toilets. Several years into the Reform Era, when activists were still decrying so-called sharia-inspired bylaws, one study showed the trend of such rules had declined. Moral issues were no longer the vote-getters as before, compared to benefits like free health care and education.



It's been a long wait to have more sensible leaders and voters across the vast nation. But the need for popularity and credibility among leaders and contenders might eventually lead to better policies, especially with voters looking at the greener grass of neighboring pastures.

_____________________________



The author is a staff writer at The Jakarta Post.
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Kids Mania opens at Royal Phuket Marina

Royal Phuket Marina has officially opened Kids Mania at RPM, a multi-purpose childrens play zone comprising indoor and outdoor areas that targets the growing number of resident and visiting families to Phuket.



By The Phuket News

Sunday 13 March 2016, 06:26AM

Kids Mania is catered towards expat as well as tourist families.

Conveniently located in the centre of the island, Kids Mania at RPM offers a safe and fun environment with professional, trained staff for toddlers and children up to eight years old.

Whos in?

Kids Mania at RPM is something new for Phuket  a fun play area for children that is designed and managed by professionals. A stand alone facility that is open to the public, Kids Mania at RPM will cater to the growing number of families that live in and visit Phuket, and complements our expanding facilities and destination status, said Mr Michael Ayling, Managing Director, Royal Phuket Marina.

The islands number one choice for families and children, Kids Mania at RPM is a kids paradise with its air-conditioned indoor soft play area full of toys and ball pools, a large adjacent outdoor shaded play ground with climbing frames, play apparatus, swings and more, and three private indoor activity rooms.

We have worked with specialists from overseas to design and develop the best kids zone on the island and with professional, trained staff, parents can be safe in the knowledge their children will receive the best care and attention while having a lot of fun,added Mr Ayling.

Kids Mania at RPM offers day rates and monthly memberships, caters for private parties, and is open 9am  6pm on weekdays and 9am  7pm on weekends.

For more information, visit www.phuketkidsclub.com or www.royalphuketmarina.com. #DestinationRPM
Phuket student designing a human-powered fitness gym

DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY: British International School, Phuket (BISP) Year 12 student Cynthia Richardin, 17, is a budding engineer working on a self-sustaining, self-powering fitness gym as part of her ongoing IB (International Baccalaureate) studies at the school.

natural-resourcesenvironment

By Steven Layne

Sunday 13 March 2016, 06:53AM

Mr Craigen has drawn the line on making ordinary boxes. Here, he explains how one of his students solar water boiler will work.

The sun is a powerful source of energy, as Mr Craigen and BISP Marketing Manager Simon Ostheimer (left) demonstrate.

Cynthia and Mr Craigen have made an effective team, with the departments technicians, in getting the generator to function.

Inspired from an early age by her father, a mechanical and software engineer, Cynthia learned the value of getting hands on by helping him with various projects around the family home  building dog houses, plant stands and fixing water systems, to name a few.

A personal love for cars led her to the idea of re-purposing an alternator.

Ive always been interested in cars and how they work. Fortunately [BISP Design and Technology Teacher] Mr Craigen had an alternator, which I decided to put to use for my project. Since I like physics and electricity, it all just clicked together, says Cynthia.

Spun by a car engine belt, an alternator is what supplies electricity to charge a cars battery, and in turn powers the vehicles lights, the stereo and other electrical systems. But in order to have output, the alternator needs input.

We were talking about gyms, and the amount of sweating people at the gym. We call it sandwich to pie power, laughs Mr Craigen.

Cynthia explains: A sandwich goes in one end, but nothing comes out the other end. People are getting fit, but think of all that energy theyre putting into the machine that we could actually be using as a resource... certainly for lighting the gym.

The theory was a no-brainer: recover the otherwise wasted energy from a typical work-out, and use it to generate electricity using a car alternator, which are abundant in Phuket.

However, Cynthias first pilot bicycle generator was unsuccessful, and she had to face and overcome the most important step in the design and technology process: failure.

I could barely get any charge out of it, no matter how hard I peddled. Something wasnt right, she says.

Reviewing the mechanics of an alternator, Cynthia and Mr Craigen realised that the reason why the alternator wasnt producing any useful current was due its electro-magnetic nature, which requires an initial trickle current to start spinning the alternator to a certain speed.

The simple solution, therefore, was to add a second starting battery to the circuit.

Voila, the final output of Cynthias new-and-improved bicycle generator proved to be productive enough to justify the additional battery, and with the clever welding and electrical circuitry work of BISPs two design technology technicians, Jaroon Boriboon and Teerasak Yaodum, the bicycle generator proved to not only be able to keep the two batteries topped up, but power lights and an inverter for real time mains power.

The next step for Cynthia is calculating exactly how much power her generator can generate, and converting this data into laymens terms, perhaps the second most important step in the design and technology process  defining your product and justifying it commercially.

Mr Craigen has been at BISP since 2009, joining from Dubai where he had set up design technology in a new build school on the outskirts of the emirate. In the seven years since, he has  working in the last year closely with Design Technology Coordinator Malcolm Perry  developed a new way of looking at the subject in a school environment.

What weve done is taken the old, traditional shop class concept, and made it more practical and integrated with the other core subjects, says Mr Craigen.

We apply the knowledge from all the students other courses, while also adding electronics, technical drawing, metal, wood and plastics work.

Before, kids in shop or woodwork class were just taught to make boxes, pretty much to the point that it was all a pointless exercise.

Now the focus is all moving towards sustainability, and our goal is to combine all these disciplines and skills to create something useful in the end. Here, Ive drawn the line  we dont make boxes, we produce products, useful products.

Indeed, Mr Craigen and his colleague Mr Perry are currently leading BISP students in developing a range of useful products and sustainability solutions, including passive solar stills, bio-filters, solar water boilers, and condo-friendly hydroponics pods.

The next great innovation may just be a bike ride away.

For more information about the Design and Technology programme at British International School, Phuket (BISP), please visit www.bisphuket.ac.th or contact Malcolm Perry (mperry@ bisphuket.ac.th) or Jeff Craigen (jcraigen@bisphuket.ac.th).
Swiss entrepreneur showcases Thai transgender beauty in Phuket fashion shoot

PHUKET FASHION: Ladyboys are the nicest women, says Swiss star coiffeur Valentino, who recently produced an elaborate beauty campaign showcasing the beauty of Thai transgenders, or as they are commonly known here in Thailand, kathoeys.



By The Phuket News

Sunday 13 March 2016, 01:45PM

Cherry, Ant, Icecy and many more belong to a new generation of ladyboys who come from the upper echelons of society.

A famous beauty entrepreneur in Switzerland and Europe, Valentino has been behind a number of fashion and beauty photoshoots, and in his latest shoot of kathoeys in Phuket, was producer and art director, working with a team of European stylists and local photographer, Ming Ming Zaw Tun.

Valentino spent three years dreaming of this photo shoot. He developed a network in the world of the ladyboys and waited for the right moment to embark on the project. In the end, fourteen of these beautiful surgical miracles, in whom any woman would find something to envy, were photographed at various exotic locations in Phuket.

It was a production just like what one might expect in Miami, London or Paris. Photographer Ming Ming Zaw Tun, stylists, video crews, assistants and many more were kept very busy for three weeks, in order to realise a very special production starring these unknown beauties. The producers and the ladyboys were totally fascinated with each other.

Kati, Ant, Belle, Cherry and the other girls posed for the camera like true professionals, and enjoyed it. They not only enjoyed being women  they also relished the attention and being pampered and directed by Valentino and his crew as models in a beauty campaign.

Like Angels from Victorias Secret, they flaunted their immaculate bodies, gorgeous hair and sparkling eyes, wearing the outfits of well-known Asian fashion designers. They looked so perfect that no macho heterosexual man on the production team doubted for a second that they were really women.

Their perfume was intoxicating, their movements were graceful  and their breasts and lovely long legs were very sexy. Designers of women is what Valentino would call the beauty surgeons who model these perfect transgender creations.

Here, The Phuket News had a chance to speak with Valentino about the project.

Who is your primary audience with this project, and what is the key message?

The main audience are people working in beauty. The key message is to showcase the fascination and unbelievable fact that these beautiful models, beautiful women, were born as men. I was not influenced by the stories behind these people, it was mainly the aesthetic way that impressed me.

How many models were involved, and where are they all from?

We realised the shoot with more than 14 models, coming from all over Thailand. None were from Phuket originally. After an initial casting in Phuket, the networking took off naturally, through the girls themselves, because they saw from the casting that we were preparing something big and professional, and putting them in the right and respectful light.

What separates Thai transgenders from others?

The main difference is for sure the genetics. The Thais are different in that they are generally more smooth and more feminine. And of course the social acceptance in Thailand, which is much larger and goes back a lot longer when compared to other countries.

Was there any aspect that you found challenging to work with ladyboys compared to a real woman?

No. this is the exact reason why we were really impressed, because there was no difference between working with them or real women. From one of our last shootings in London, I would say it was even more professional to work with transgenders; they are very professional, very on time, very motivated to bring a great result. I would say that they have a bigger motivation with a project like this, as it must be for them a great recognition to be presented as beautiful women on a campaign for an international cosmetic company.
Yishi Liang, Editor-in-Chief & Nora Coghlan, News Editor

liangyis@grinnell.edu & coghlann17@grinnell.edu

Since Feb. 24, five Clery reports have been issued to the Grinnell community, detailing two instances of indecent exposure, two of students being filmed in the shower and one of assault and intimidation of a student outside Bucksbaum. A forum was held on Thursday, March 10, in response to these events to inform students about safety measures being taken and take suggestions for further action.

Obviously this is an issue thats of great concern to the community and the goal is for all the people who are deeply involved in our response as a community to give you information about whats happening and how were responding and what you can do as well, said President Raynard Kington during the forum.

Since these incidents, several measures have been taken to increase security on campus. Grinnell police will be patrolling the campus and additional security forces from an independent company have been hired to patrol campus loggias from 8:30 a.m. until 7 p.m. each day. Grinnell Police Chief Dennis Reilly stressed that students need to be aware of their environment, and if they suspect suspicious activity they should immediately contact the Grinnell Police Department (GPD).

Be aware of your surroundings. If you see something that makes the hair on the back of your neck stand up at the very least its a phone call to security.  I would prefer that you call 911 if you think its a true emergency, Reilly said during the forum.

GPD is currently investigating all incidents and has one person of interest in mind that they believe to be involved in the indecent exposure incidents in the South Campus loggia. The suspect is not a member of the Grinnell College community.

That person was issued a no trespassing order, so if they are found on campus, they would be arrested for trespass[ing] and were trying to build the case to be able to charge them, Reilly said.

Although this person of interest is forbidden from Grinnells campus, the GPD is unable to release any information about the identity of the suspect, including photos.

I think its difficult because a lot of you wont know who that person is because theyre not associated with the Grinnell community, Reilly said in interview after the forum. For that particular guy [an image cannot be released] because that is still an active ongoing investigation and he is only what I will describe as a person of interest. He has not been charged with anything, so hes an innocent person at this point, so to speak.

There are no suspects in the instances of students being filmed in showers or in the assault of the student outside of Bucksbaum. GPD has yet to announce if they believe the assailant is a part of the campus or greater Grinnell community.

The police department is not going to focus their attention solely on the Grinnell College community. I think that would be shortsighted on our part. Our minds are open and were going to take the investigation wherever it points us, Reilly said during the forum.

Additionally, according to Jim Reische, Vice President of Communications, the race of any perpetuators would not be included in Clery reports as this could potentially be a vehicle for profiling and is not as helpful for identifying suspects.

While many measures have been taken to increase safety, students at the forum felt that even more steps could be taken to ensure that all members of the community feel safe. Suggestions from the audience included increasing security outside of Main Hall during public events, hiring added security past 7 p.m., adding more blue lights on campus, offering self defense classes for students and even providing students with pepper spray.

Perhaps the most debated potential safety measure was the suggestion to place cameras in and around campus loggias. According to Kington and SGA President Dan Davis, several students have already requested placing cameras around campus.

We have talked about possibly getting temporary cameras for the loggias at least, but we did not want to act upon that before seeing what the student body felt, Davis said during the forum.

Those leading the discussion stressed that the cameras would only be a temporary measure, but the administration would decide when to put up cameras and when to take them down.

It would be a college policy, and we havent started, [but] there have been a number of people who have suggested it already. We didnt do it because we felt that was a pretty significant step, Kington said. If we were to do it wed have a discussion about when to stop it but ultimately the administration would have to chose when to stop it just as we would have to chose when to start it, but we wouldnt do it arbitrarily.

Several students expressed concern that these cameras would be used to monitor student behavior and would infringe on student privacy. Still, Davis and Dean of Students Sarah Moschenross insisted that camera footage would only be used if Clery incidents occurred. However, if other illegal activity is caught on tape, administrators are required to take action.

If there happens to be a Clery incident outside of Cleveland and we are accessing footage and there happens to be a kid smoking a bong in the middle of the loggia, then that will be addressed, as we have become aware of it, but we will not be accessing that footage just willy-nilly because we feel like it might be a safety precaution, Davis said in interview after the forum.

If in the course that a crime was happening and we access that footage to review the crime footage,  we see other crimes happening we have to, we would have to consult with other administration how to handle that but we cant in good faith ignore illegal behavior, Moschenross added.

Despite all the instances of violence on campus, Reilly wanted to stress that Grinnell is a safe community.

One thing I highlight in that report is crimes against persons in Grinnell [are] extremely low. Our biggest issue in Grinnell are property crimes, Reilly said. Grinnell is a safe community, but just like every other community in this country there are blips on the radar that come up every once in a while that we need to address, we need to be aware of.  What Im here to reinforce is that were serious about it, were concerned about it, were looking into it, but lets try and keep some level heads here.
Macys, Inc. FedEx Corp. Amazon.com, Inc.

In the current proxy season its rare for a day to pass without a mighty American company announcing that it has adopted proxy access rules allowing for greater shareholder say in the composition of corporate boards of directors.

Little wonder that Institutional Shareholder Services, the U.S. firm that has for years been at the forefront of corporate governance, uses the term light speed to describe the uptake of proxy access in the U.S.  virtually unprecedented, ISS says.

Just three years ago, fewer than one half of one per cent of companies in the S&P 500 index had adopted proxy access provisions. By the end of last year, more than 20 per cent had done so. Last month, the California Public Employees' Retirement System placed proxy access at the top-of its to-do list for shareholder engagement for 2016. Proxy Access helps to ensure that corporate boards are independent, competent, diverse, and accountable by allowing shareowners to nominate candidates for the board, Calpers said in a release.

Canadian shareholders should look upon this state of affairs and weep.

If [Canadian] shareholders are really serious about effecting or using their influence to be more effective with respect to their positions then they need proxy access first.

Thats Gar Emerson speaking  Toronto lawyer, company director in his own right (he spent 13 years as chairman of the board at Rogers, bless him) and all round corporate governance expert. Emerson has been studying the ways in which Canadian regulators have lost ground vis-a-vis other jurisdictions when it comes to shareholder engagement. We used to be a leader. Now? Canada has been left in a backwater.

Take a look at say on pay. Since October, 2013, listed companies in the U.K. have been compelled to hold binding shareholder votes on the remuneration of executive and non executive directors. In Canada, say on pay votes are still voluntary and remain non-binding. The Ontario Securities Commission has taken a backstage position on the contrary to what the U.K. has done, where its in legislation, Emerson says. Were not keeping up with some of the investor protections that are being adopted in other countries. (Say on pay votes in the U.S. were enacted under the Dodd-Frank legislation in 2011.)

Perhaps even more germane, proxy access strikes right at the heart of shareholder democracy. In the absence of that, says Emerson, its really the board nominating the board.

Or listen to the Canadian Coalition for Good Governance: A key underpinning of our corporate laws and our capital markets is the concept that shareholders elect directors, but CCGG believes this principle of shareholder democracy needs to have substance if it is to be meaningful, the coalition wrote in a paper last spring. A slate of nominee directors in non-contested director elections, where the number of nominees is equal to the number of director openings and all such nominees have been selected by the existing board, often with the input of the CEO, is not true shareholder democracy.

It is true, as Emerson points out, that Canadian shareholders arent completely neutered in this regard. All they have to do is a start a proxy contest and fight the good fight. Practically speaking, the chances of that happening are wafer thin.

It should be stated that the current law does provide some out-of-reach access. Shareholders with five per cent of a companys outstanding shares can submit a nomination proposal to be including in the proxy circular. But the restrictions and hurdles built in to the process are all but insurmountable.

There has been a modest cultural shift in Canadian governance. As Emerson points out, board nominees were commonly chosen from a narrow group of friends and acquaintances, with the influence, participation and approval of the CEO being paramount. The process is a little more democratic and meritorious today.

Contrast that with General Motors. Earlier this month, the car company disclosed in a securities filing that it will allow shareholders to nominate up to two directors, provided that those shareholders hold at least three per cent of GMs shares, and have held the shares for a minimum of three years. A Reuters story pointed out that GMs move was similar to that taken recently by Time Warner, and Microsoft and General Electric.

Canadian shareholders tend to be a somnolent bunch. Maybe its time to make some noise.

jenwells@thestar.ca

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In the 1960s, Casa Susanna was a haven for cross-dressers, away from a world that didnt understand the peace that came from trading in masculine clothing for bouffant hairdos and simple day dresses.

Many guests were heterosexual men who identified as transvestites, a term often considered derogatory today. Later in life, some would identify as trans women.

Photos taken at the Catskills resort will be on display at the Art Gallery of Ontario as part of an exhibition, Outsiders: American Photography and Film 1950s-1980s, which opens March 12 and features snapshots of people on the perceived margins of society, from musicians and bike gangs to cross-dressers.

In 2003, collectors Robert Swope and Michel Hurst found a box of photo albums and loose snapshots of 1960s cross-dressers, taken in a bucolic country setting, in a cardboard box at a New York City flea market. I was electrified. I realized instantly that these photographs were extraordinary and something that no one, outside of the group, was ever meant to see, Swope says. A business card was attached: Susanna Valenti. Spanish Dancing and Female Impersonation.

Swope and Hurst published the photos in a book in 2005, and the AGO acquired the collection last year. The photos mostly showed life at two resorts in upstate New York that catered to the cross-dressing community back in the 1960s: Chevalier dEon and Casa Susanna, both run by Susanna Valenti and wife Marie. Some pictures had notes scrawled on the back  Do you like my hair like this or like that?

That the photos escaped the dustbin of history is wonderful to think about, says Sophie Hackett, the AGOs associate curator of photography. They are an amazing record of trans community in the becoming, she says. They are typical snapshots on the one hand  there they are on the front porch, there they are at a picnic, or at the diving board. But then you kind of realize how exceptional they are as well, just for the subject matter alone.

Virginia Prince, far left in the above photo, was a pioneer in the trans movement. A guest at Chevalier dEon for the first time in 1961, she wrote about it in Transvestia magazine, hoping to reach out to the fearful: Here we were, 15 otherwise normal active men living and dressing like women, and very happy and comfortable we were too. It wasnt a show, a special situation or even a Party. We were like any bunch of women who had gone on a weekend trip to some resort.

Swope, one of the collectors who found the photos, was touched by the courage of the people they portrayed, who risked their families and livelihoods if anyone found out. These photos are not pictures of drag queens exaggerating femininity but men who longed to experience what it would be like to be a woman, he says. The resort was not just for the Zsa Zsa Gabors and Marilyn Monroes, Prince wrote in her 1961 article. The cost is nominal; the value in acceptance, sociability, freedom of expression, conviviality and satisfaction is tremendous.

Many of the photos in the AGOs collection are attributed to Unknown American. There are several linked to Andrea Susan. Michael Gilbert, a York University professor who researches gender theory, says his late friend, who cross-dressed as Andrea Susan, took photos at the resort and developed them on site in a darkroom, because of the paranoia and fear that would come from handing them over to a stranger.

You can almost feel their pleasure at being who they are, says Gilbert, 70, noting how it felt the first time he went to a gender diversity conference, dressed in a skirt and top, and walked outside in 1995. I had to sit down on the bench and breathe deeply to keep from bursting into tears. Then of course, the next question is why cant I do this whenever I want to? Who does it hurt? It doesnt hurt anybody, and thats the sadness.

Susanna and her guests

Susanna

Susanna Valenti, the co-owner of the resort, wrote an advice column for Transvestia magazine. In 1969, she wrote that she had lost the fabulous thrill of the two identities and was going to live as Susanna full-time. It was one of her final columns, after which we lose track of Susanna altogether, curator Sophie Hackett says. The AGO suspects this collection was hers  perhaps something she tossed out or, if she died, something that was taken to a flea market.

Virginia

Virginia Prince founded Transvestia magazine in 1960, and was prosecuted in 1961 for distributing obscene materials in the mail. In the late 1960s, she began living as a woman full-time. Michael Gilbert, the York professor and a lifelong cross-dresser who has the alter ego of Miqqi Alicia, calls her the grandmother of us all. Prince was very encouraging to others, but as she got older, she became very opinionated and alienated some people, he says. In those days she was the only game in town. Prince died in 2009.

Darrell

In 1966, Darrell Raynor published A Year Among the Girls, which describes Raynors time at the inn. If there was a place where transvestite friendships were made and sealed it was at this resort, Raynor wrote in the book, which the AGO used, along with several other books and academic papers, to help create the exhibit.

Audrey

He shared an apartment with two other men, neither of whom has any suspicion of his transvestism, Raynor wrote. I was curious how he could share an apartment and get away with it. He explained that he kept his feminine clothing in a locked bureau. He slept in satin nightgowns, kept his bedroom locked, and managed to attend to his special laundering without anyone ever spotting it.

Katherine

Katherine Cummings is a transgender rights advocate from Australia. She visited Casa Susanna as a 28-year-old student, then living in Toronto. Like several of the cross-dressing community who went to the resort, she later had gender-confirming surgery. In an article for Polare magazine, she called it the first place where I could walk around openly in daylight, confident that anyone I met could be engaged in conversation without the need for subterfuge about my underlying sex 

Gloria

Gloria was a Midwestern steel magnate who owned a Polaroid camera, a prized possession because the results are instantaneous and transvestites cannot wait one minute longer than necessary to be shown just how beautiful they are, Cummings writes in Katherines Diary. The other reason for their popularity is the need to hide ones oddness from the world.

Outsiders: American Photography and Film, 1950s-1980s runs until May 29 at the Art Gallery of Ontario.

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DIAVATA MIGRANT CAMP, GREECEAs Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras puts it, Greece is now a warehouse of souls.

In the freshly shovelled earth, lines of white tents stand in rows, the bunks inside filling up as fast as the army can build them. This camp in the north  one of more than a dozen being rapidly deployed to house a logjam of stranded migrants  is only days old. But flies already buzz around trash heaps. Food lines  for sandwiches on mouldy bread  stretch around corners. Breezes bring stenches of sweat and sewage. Babies cry, their mothers soothing them in Farsi, Dari and Arabic.

Sir, please, can you help me? a soft-spoken 29-year-old named Mohammad Yousof asks a foreign journalist in excellent English, his voice breaking. An Afghan economics professor, he is running, he says, from the Taliban. I should not be in this camp. I dont belong here. I was important. A VIP. I need help. Please. Can you please ask someone to let me cross?

But in migrant-inundated Europe, the door to sanctuary is closing.

After a year and a half of massive human waves entering Europe from the war-torn Middle East and beyond, the nations lining a 1,600-kilometre road to hope  Austria, Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia and Macedonia  have stopped waving through the migrants aiming for the continents core. Some Syrians and Iraqis are still slowly crossing. But nearly everyone else  including thousands of Afghans and the many Syrians without rock-solid paperwork  is stuck in bankrupt Greece, a country that can barely afford to feed itself.

This week, European Union leaders reached a preliminary agreement with Turkey to halt irregular migration through the Balkans. Slovenia, Serbia, Croatia and Macedonia started demanding EU visas at their borders, effectively stopping migrants from moving north toward western Europe.

Under the deal with Turkey, all new migrants  including Syrian and Iraqis  found at sea or who reach Greece by boat would be sent back to Turkey. The EU also promised hundreds of millions of euros to Greece, to effectively turn the blocs weakest member into the continents refugee camp.

To get out of Greece, desperate migrants are again turning to criminal smugglers. And tensions are rising at bottleneck points in the north.

But many other stranded migrants are suddenly confronting a different kind of journey  navigating four stages of grief for new lives that may never be lived: Shock. Denial. Anger. Acceptance.

The worst, Nasrin Wahdat recalls thinking, was over. A 30-year-old former gender-fairness adviser to the Afghan mining and agriculture ministries, she trekked for hours through wild forests on the Iranian border holding Aruin, her crying, 18-month-old son. Along with other family members  14 of them  she crossed the Aegean Sea last week. She remembered a rush of fear as their raft took on water.

But she says she was finally feeling safe on the ferry from Lesbos to Athens, where her family had planned to quickly head north to Germany by car, bus and train. Then she caught something in English on a news broadcast in the ships lounge.

It said they were no longer letting Afghans through, she said in nearly flawless English. I tugged at my brothers shirt. Did you hear that? I said. We were all in a state of shock.

Stunned, they travelled from the port near Athens to the citys now fetid Victoria Square, an impromptu squat for stranded migrants. There, smugglers in sunglasses coyly roamed the unwashed crowds. Elderly Greek women generously handed out toilet paper and candy. The family spotted aid workers distributing free food, and little Aruin mimicked the other migrants by getting in line and holding out his hand.

Wahdat didnt know whether to laugh or cry.

He is learning how to beg, she said.

More than 30,000 migrants are stuck in Greece even as an average of 1,800 more land each day. Wahdat, like many, is in limbo and facing bad choices. She and her family have 20 days left on their entry visa. With the way ahead blocked, their only options are hiring smugglers (too dangerous, she says), applying for asylum in impoverished Greece (a crapshoot, with no financial support) or going back home.

The International Organization for Migration has started encouraging Afghans stuck in Greece to consider returning home. They are offering 400 ($600 Canadian) and a plane ticket. But Wahdat says she wont return to a nation slipping back into violence and chaos, where her life, as a highly educated woman who fiercely defended equal rights, was threatened. To get this far, she sold her wedding jewelry. She gave up the family apartment. Sold the furniture and the family car. Even if we could go back, we have nothing left to go back to, she said.

Back in the Diavata migrant camp on the outskirts of Thessaloniki, Greeces second-largest city, Yousof, the Afghan professor, is sure there has been a big mistake.

In a sea of well-worn T-shirts and bodies caked with sweat on a warm afternoon, he is pristine. The blue stitching on his Oxford shirt pokes through the collar of a black-and-blue checkered sweater. He smells freshly laundered.

I dont belong here, he says, without a hint of arrogance. Rather, its confusion in his voice. He scrolls on his iPhone, showing a foreign journalist his recent invitation to a major business conference in Paris. He produces his ID card as a professor at Maiwand, an Afghan university. I know they say we cannot cross. But they need to listen to my story. Please listen to my story. No one will listen.

I was a candidate for parliament, he said. The Taliban, they threatened me. They say I am an agent of the Americans. I had to leave. I need protection. I need to go to Germany.

Afghans like Yousof are in a particular jam. They account for a third of all migrant flows. But their acceptance rate as refugees in Europe stands at roughly 70 per cent. Late last month, that number was deemed sufficiently low enough by Balkan nations to bar their transit.

Yousof is sure the closure is temporary. An aid worker standing nearby is not so optimistic. They will be here for weeks, months, the aid worker said, speaking on the condition of anonymity. But I dont think they will get across. I dont think the border will reopen for most of these people.

Toward the front of the camp, a group of chain-smoking Afghan males by a food truck debated their dwindling options. Ziaolhag Qamarzadah, a slight 16-year-old with a big dream of a new life as a professional in Germany, cut through the quarrelling with a rant in the English he studied so hard to learn in his home city of Herat.

Why? I do not understand. Why Syrians and Iraqis are only allowed to cross? Afghanistan has been at war for as long as I have been alive! Longer! You think people are not dying there? They are! Why not us? he said. We need protection also.

There is no way, he says, he is going to let his German dream die because a few Balkan politicians decided to close the border. Not now that he is so close. His parents, he said, were farmers. That wont be his fate. I do not want a trade. I want to be professional. A doctor. A lawyer. I know that Germany will help me.

But how will he get there?

He has run out of money. In phone texts, he is begging his parents in Afghanistan to wire cash so he can pay a smuggler. He needs $2,500. Thats the only way he thinks he can get through now.

Did he hear about the smuggled migrants found dead in Austria last year in the back of a refrigerated truck?

Yes, yes, he said. My parents dont want me to do it. They are afraid for me if I hire the smugglers. I am only 16, they say. But I have been through worse than Macedonia. I am going to go. I will not stay here. There is nothing for me in Greece. Its better I die on the road.

Mr. Mehdi? calls a clerk at the busy headquarters of the International Organization for Migration in Athens. This is the place of last resort. Its where a migrant comes when he is ready to give up the European dream and go home.

A handsome young man in an electric-blue-and-orange New York Mets shirt stands up. He signs his name on a dotted line. The clerk hands him a laminated boarding pass. A one-way ticket back to Tehran.

There was a time when Iranians like Mehdi Mohammadi, a 28-year-old construction worker, were making it to Europe. Last year, he said, German Chancellor Angela Merkels famous promise to keep Germanys doors open to refugees was viewed as a golden opportunity for people like him. The economic migrants came in droves. Although untold thousands of them now face deportation procedures in nations across Europe, many others got in and are fighting to stay.

Mehdi sold his prize possession  a green, Iranian-made car  to pay the smuggler fees. And he freely admits his primary motive.

I came to find a job, he said. I wanted a better life.

Although the land route through the Balkans closed to Iranians last November, he had a plan. He would pretend to be an Afghan. His language  Farsi  was close enough to pass. He paid forgers to cross out Iran on his Greek police papers and write in Afghanistan.

But when he made it to the border last week, he heard that even Afghans were being barred. He had already spent 30 days in Greece when he decided enough was enough. Other Iranians who have been there even longer, he said, told him the harsh reality of trying to stay.

You sleep in the parks, you go to the soup kitchen for meals, he said through an interpreter. I even tried to get a job. I offered to work a full day for 10. But there isnt any work. This is a destroyed place. The Greeks dont even have jobs.

If I have to starve, he said. Ill starve at home.

With files from The Associated Press

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GAZIANTEP, TURKEYTo get rid of one bad man, you open the door to many.

That is a rough translation of the slogan Wael Ibrahim had written on the banner he was preparing for the next anti-government demonstration he and his fellow democracy activists were planning in the Syrian city of Aleppo.

It was February 2013, and Ibrahim, a truck driver who had become a leader in the protests against President Bashar al Assad, was trying, as diplomatically as possible, to sustain the spirit of the original revolt without offending the newly ascendant and increasingly extremist Islamists.

He failed. A man who had thrown himself into a struggle against a dictatorial government was threatened, harassed and eventually detained six months later by Daesh, also known as ISIS and ISIL He has not been seen or heard of since.

Ibrahim  who had won renown in Aleppo under his nom de guerre, Abu Mariam  had become yet another victim of the ill-fated attempt to bring democracy to the Middle East that was christened, so prematurely, the Arab Spring.

From Egypt to Yemen, Libya to Bahrain, the brief flowering of freedom and hope that surged across the Middle East five years ago has failed more spectacularly than could have been imagined back when people chanting for freedom thronged the streets of towns and cities across the region.

Syria marks the fifth anniversary of its first peaceful protest Tuesday in the shadow of a brutal war that has sucked in global powers and fuelled the rise of radical groups such as Daesh. Libya and Yemen are likewise locked in savage conflicts.

In other countries, such as Egypt, autocratic regimes have reasserted their control with a vengeance, clamping down on liberties even more fiercely than had been the case before the demonstrations were held.

In all of them, except Tunisia, the moderates who dominated the early days of the revolts have been silenced, imprisoned, hunted down or driven into exile, either by the governments who sought to repress them or the extremists who moved into the vacuum that was created when state authority collapsed.

Whether those early protesters were ever truly representative is in question, said Rami Nakhla, one of the most prominent leaders of the early Syrian protests, directing the Local Co-ordination Committees from exile in Beirut. He now lives in the southern Turkish city of Gaziantep near Syrias border, a hub for many of the activists who have been forced to flee.

But he also wonders if they ever stood a chance. We are hostage to two choices: either the authoritarians or the extremist Islamists, he said. Should we accept this equation? That we endorse either dictatorship or Islamic extremism?

It is a false choice, but it has served to sustain the twin tyrannies that proved the undoing of the Arab Spring, said Shadi Hamid of the Washington-based Brookings Institution. Since well before the revolts, the regions dictators have raised the spectre of Islamist extremism to scare ordinary citizens into submission and justify their harsh oppression to foreign powers. And extremists exploit the climate of fear to win recruits and justify their own brutal tactics.

Authoritarian regimes and groups like ISIS both rely on violence and oppression to promote their political objectives, he said.

For regimes, its actually a successful strategy, at least in the case of Egypt and Syria. The Assad regime has been able to promote its own narrative very successfully, and many members of the international community say the armed opposition is primarily a radical opposition, that there are no moderate rebels.

Nowhere have the consequences of the failure been so profound or the costs so high as in Syria. More than a quarter-million people have died. Half the population has been driven from their homes. The worlds worst refugee crisis has overwhelmed neighbouring countries and fuelled an unprecedented influx of migrants to Europe.

Assad remains in power in Damascus, but the country is in ruins. Daesh has overrun a big chunk of it, and now is the primary focus of the foreign powers battling to contain the disaster. Moderate rebels still control territory, but their space is dwindling and also populated by more radical groups.

A wobbly truce has brought some respite, and since the guns fell silent, small crowds of protesters have taken to the streets again, reviving the calls for freedom and democracy that seemed to have been vanquished.

But their numbers are small, and in a reminder of the challenges they face, at least one protest in the city of Idlib last week was forcibly shut down by Islamist fighters, including the Al Qaeda-linked Jabhat al-Nusra.

We are targeted by everyone. There is Daesh. There are Russian airstrikes from the sky. Nusra is among us, said Barry Abdullatif, who was one of the first protest organizers in his hometown of al-Bab, east of Aleppo, now controlled by Daesh.

It is a miracle there are any moderates left at all.

Abdullatif remembers when Islamists first began to intrude on the democracy demonstrations he and his colleagues were organizing in the spring of 2011.

The protests still were peaceful and growing in number, but now there were some new arrivals. A group of 25 or so residents imprisoned for Islamist activism before the uprising, among thousands released in 2011, had been let go under an amnesty issued by Assad. Most secular detainees, such as a 15-year-old blogger who had been held on the eve of the protests, were not.

Many Syrians and observers have long suspected that the releases were deliberately intended to radicalize the revolt and convince the international community that Assad was the lesser of two evils.

It is a matter of record now that Assad released many Islamist prisoners in 2011, said Robert Ford, the U.S. ambassador to Syria at the time and now with the Middle East Institute.

The government certainly understood they would join rebel groups, and likely the regime hoped they would commit violent acts that the regime could use to justify its own violence, he said. I do not think the Syrian government expected Nusra and the Islamic State to grow so potent, however.

The Islamists started showing up at the demonstrations, waving banners. We told them, If you want to raise a black flag, go do it on your own, and they did, Abdullatif recalled. More people attended ours.

The balance shifted, however, after the protesters took up arms, first to defend the demonstrations that were fired on and then to wage outright war. Money for weapons began to pour in from Turkey and the Gulf. At first, most went to the Muslim Brotherhood, the activists say, but other groups quickly emerged that were more extremist.

The rebels played into the governments hands by tolerating the rise of the radicals and facilitating the emergence of Daesh, Ford said. Not until 2014 did they realize their error with the Islamic State, and they are still co-ordinating with Nusra, he said.

Many activists said at the time they had no choice. The United States was lagging on its promises of support and they felt they needed all the help they could get to confront the governments use of military force, which began with bullets and then escalated to airstrikes, ballistic missiles and chemical weapons.

But looking back, that was when it all went wrong, Abdullatif said: The mistake was accepting Islamists at all, and the second was carrying weapons.

Bringing arms into the equation also opened the door to the proxy war Syria has become. Iran sent money and militias to prop up the government. Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Turkey funnelled money to the rebels without much regard as to who they were. The United States sought to counter the influence of extremists by backing moderate rebel groups, though it never matched the support that was reaching extremists. Then Russia intervened, too, launching airstrikes on behalf of the government that U.S. officials say disproportionately targeted moderate rebels.

Syrias revolt stopped being a revolution, said Rami Jarrah, another of the activists in Gaziantep who escaped Damascus in 2011 under threat of arrest by the government. Its become a football pitch for regional powers to settle scores and gain benefits at the expense of others.

Meanwhile, the democracy activists were languishing in prison. The Syrian Network for Human Rights estimates that 117,000 people have been detained overall since 2011, and 65,000 of them are still in custody. Thousands have died under torture, and the whereabouts of many others are unknown.

Among them are many who were hauled off the streets in the early, peaceful days of protest, as Karam al-Hamad discovered when he was detained in late 2013.

An activist who had helped organize protests in his home city of Deir al-Zour, Hamad was accused of spying, tortured into confessing and dispatched for trial to Damascus, to the Military Intelligences notorious Branch 235, also known as the Palestine Branch.

There, he was incarcerated in a basement cell filled with 120 other men, a number that was replenished as prisoners died  73 in all during his 10-month stay. Some were taken away to be tortured and never returned. Others came back broken and bleeding and died in the night. A bigger number succumbed to the intestinal and skin infections that were rife.

Hamad was released in late 2014, after a judge accepted his claim that his confession had been extracted under torture. Had he been accused of being an activist, he said, they never would have released me.

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ABIDJAN, COTE DIVOIREMilitants linked to Al Qaeda said they led an attack that killed at least 16 people at the beach and hotels in Grand-Bassam, Ivory Coast, the third assault on a West African hotel since November.

Al Qaeda in the Maghreb and al-Mourabitoune claimed responsibility, Mauritanian newspaper al-Akhbar said, citing sources close to the Islamist fighters. The groups use the paper to publish claims of responsibility. At least 14 civilians and two soldiers were killed, Agence-France Presse reported, citing President Alassane Ouattara. At least six militants were killed, the government said in an emailed statement.

Officials did not say immediately how many were killed. Security forces responded as the area evacuated and residents hid in their homes.

The bursts of gunfire were heard in the southeastern Ivory Coast beach town about 40 kilometres east of Abidjan, Ivory Coasts commercial centre, said a witness, in what is the third major attack on a tourism centre in a West African country since November.

Shots rang out in Grand-Bassam, a popular weekend destination for Ivorians and foreigners, said 25-year-old Josiane Sekongo, who lives across from one of the towns many beachfront hotels. People ran from the beach amid the gunfire, she said.

Security forces responded as residents hid in their homes, she said.

A receptionist at the Etoile de Sud hotel in Grand-Bassam said the attacks happened on the beach.

We dont know where they came from, and we dont know where theyve gone, he said of the gunmen. Everyone in the hotel was safe, and gendarmerie were present, he said. He would not give his name.

An American embassy delegation was in Grand-Bassam on Sunday but the U.S. Embassy in Abidjan said it is monitoring the situation in Grand-Bassam and it has no evidence that U.S. citizens were targeted nor confirmed reports of any U.S citizens harmed.

It was unclear how many assailants were involved. Casualty information was not immediately available.

The historic town of Grand-Bassam is a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Attacks by extremists on hotels frequented by foreigners in two other West African countries, Mali in November and Burkina Faso in January, killed dozens of people and indicated that extremist attacks are spreading from North Africa.

I have always said that Abidjan (Ivory Coast) and Dakar (Senegal) are the next targets for jihadist groups because these two countries represent windows of France in Africa, said Lemine Ould M. Salem, an expert on Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb and author of a book The Bin Laden of the Sahara. He said the attackers could be from Moktar Belmoktars al-Mourabitoun, but that Boko Haram should not be ruled out. The Nigeria-based Boko Haram pledged to Daesh last year.

With files from the Washington Post

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A day after violent protests prompted Donald Trump to cancel a rally, the Republican presidential front-runner blamed the activist group MoveOn.Org and supporters of Senator Bernie Sanders for the chaos, while defending his own harassed supporters.

When they have organized, professionally staged wise-guysweve got to fight back. Weve got to fight back, Trump said at an event in Dayton, Ohio, adding that its Sanders, vying for the Democratic nomination, who should urge supporters to stop protesting. With Bernie, he should really get up and say to his people, Stop. Stop. Not me.

As is the case virtually every day, Donald Trump is showing the American people that he is a pathological liar, Sanders said in an e-mailed response. Obviously, while I appreciate that we had supporters at Trumps rally in Chicago, our campaign did not organize the protests.

MoveOn.org said Trumps hate-filled rhetoric was the catalyst. These protests are a direct result of the violence that has occurred at Trump rallies and that has been encouraged by Trump himself from the stage, Ilya Sheyman, executive director of MoveOn.Org Political Action, said in a statement on the groups Facebook page.

Chicago Chaos

Hundreds of protesters were on hand at Fridays fractious event at the University of Illinois at Chicago. The ensuing melee followed weeks of escalating tensions between protesters and some attendees at Trumps rallies, scuffles that have gone viral on social media. On Friday in St. Louis, a bloody-faced demonstrator was led from a Trump event.

The chaos has revealed cracks in a pledge by other Republican candidates to support Trump if he clinches the partys nomination. Senator Marco Rubio of Florida and Ohio Governor John Kasich, in separate appearances on Saturday, accused the billionaire real-estate developer of stoking divisions to gain votes, and said the rhetoric is disastrous for their party and the nation. The pair, along with Senator Ted Cruz of Texas, both pledged in a debate earlier this month to support the nominee.

Rubio, speaking to reporters before an event in Largo, Florida, said the violence and divisiveness at Trumps rallies has become a pattern. He wavered on an earlier vow to support the eventual Republican nominee even if its Trump.

Getting Harder

I still at this moment intend to support the Republican nominee, but its getting harder every day, said Rubio, whose campaign hopes hinge largely on winning the Florida primary on March 15. This is a man who, at rallies, has told supporters to basically beat up people in the crowd and hell pay their legal fees.

Last night in Chicago we saw images that made America look like a Third World country, Rubio told several hundred supporters at a rally. Like Trump, though, he also slammed the American left for disruptive actions.

Trump has created a toxic environment thats allowed for violence at his rallies, Kasich said at a breakfast appearance in suburban Cincinnati, Ohio. Its right to acknowledge the frustration and anger that many voters have about politics, yet there is no place for a national leader to prey on the fears of people.

Kasich, who faces his own home-state primary test this week, said he was deeply disturbed by the tenor of the race. You dont get down in the mud and wrestle, he said. If our rhetoric is negative, our rhetoric is divisive, we will not solve these problems that the American people expect us to fix.

Homestate Springboard

Kasich said recent events were making it extremely difficult to stand by his pledge to support Trump if the billionaire is the partys nominee.

Trump and Kasich are running neck-and-neck in Ohio, according to a summary of recent opinion polls by Real Clear Politics. Kasich vowed that he will be the Republican nominee, winning Ohio on Tuesday as a springboard to success in other states. Kasich has vowed to drop out if he fails to win his home state.

While Kasich is a distant fourth in delegates after finishing no higher than second in any state contest so far, he said there are more than 1,000 delegates to be awarded, and that he could still go into the partys convention in Cleveland in July with the largest number.

I will not seek the low road to the highest office in America, Kasich said at the breakfast, drawing a standing ovation.

Breaking Point

Trump abruptly canceled Fridays rally at the University of Illinois at Chicago in the face of furious protests, which set off a melee of shoving and taunting between supporters and opponents.

At other Trump rallies, the Republican front-runner has often called for protesters to be ejected and has mused about whether they deserve physical abuse, even as he says he doesnt condone it.

Not all saw the clashes as a problem. Richard Talaga, 51, a Trump supporter who attended Fridays canceled rally in Chicago, said the passions on display were evidence of a revived democracy.

At least people are not sitting in the shadows and saying nothing and not going to the polls, Talaga said. This is generating and putting light not only on the politicians but on all the issues at hand. And maybe things will get changed no matter who gets into office.

Trump said he stopped the Chicago rally on the advice of law enforcement, though the Chicago Police Department was not contacted or involved in the decision, said spokesman Anthony Guglielmi. Trump is scheduled to hold a rally later on Saturday in Cleveland.

With files from John McCormick, Megan Durisin, Tim Jones, and Terrence Dopp.

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News / Africa

by Staff Reporter

Nigerian authorities should immediately release magazine publisher Yomi Olomofe on bail, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.Police detained Olomofe early this evening in Lagos, after men he had accused of severely beating him in June 2015 alleged the publisher had assaulted and attempted to extort money from them, Olomofe and his lawyer told CPJ by telephone.On June 25, 2015, Olomofe, who publishes the monthly community magazine Prime Magazine, and McDominic Nkpemenyie, a correspondent with the state-funded Tide Newspaper, were investigatingallegations that customs officers at Seme, on Nigeria's border with Benin, were complicit in smuggling, when more than 15 men attacked the two journalists, Olomofe told CPJ. The men hit Olomofe on his face and body with their fists and sticks until he lost consciousness, the publisher and witnesses told CPJ days later, after Olomofe regained consciousness.In a June 30, 2015, complaint to the Lagos state police commissioner, and a July 1, 2015, complaint to the inspector general of police, Olomofe identified his attackers and customs officers who had not intervened to stop the attack. Police have not charged anyone for assaulting the journalists, Olomofe and his lawyer, Akin Osunsusi, told CPJ.In an October 2015 complaint to the police, the men Olomofe had accused of beating him themselves alleged that he had assaulted them and had attempted to extort money from them, the publisher told CPJ. He denied the accusations, and he and his lawyer said the first they had heard of them was today, after his arrest. It was unclear whether the publisher was formally charged with a crime."Arresting magazine publisher Yomi Olomofe for beating the men he says beat him to a pulp is nothing short of obscene," Peter Nkanga, CPJ's West Africa representative, said. "Rather than blaming the messenger, police should energetically pursue those responsible for the crime."A police officer at the Lagos State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), who gave his name only as Aminu, contacted by CPJ on March 8 in the course of follow-up research into the initial incident, said that he had repeatedly invited the customs officers for questioning about the June 2015 beating, but that they had not come, despite his having copied the head office of the customs service in Abuja. "Being service officers," he said, "I cannot just arrest them."One of the customs officers who Olomofe said had not intervened to stop the 2015 attack told CPJ at the time that there was nothing he could do: The assailants were too "rowdy."Police at the SCID today told CPJ that they had been instructed to pass Olomofe's file to the Force Criminal Investigation Department (FCID) in Alagbon, in Lagos state, where Olomofe is held. Dolapo Badmus, the Lagos State police spokeswoman told CPJ that police authorities in Abuja have jurisdiction over FCID and not the Lagos State Police Command. CPJ could not immediately reach the FCID spokesman for comment.Deji Elumoye, the chairman of the Lagos state chapter of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, told CPJ that police in Alagbon had refused to grant Olomofe bail today, and that representatives of the union had not been allowed to see him in custody.Olomofe and the Lagos state chapter of the Nigeria Union of Journalists in January 2016 filed a civil lawsuit against the attackers and the customs service seeking compensation for the attack, according to press reports.
Viacom (VIAB) shareholders may send a message of no confidence over compensation issues when the company holds its annual meeting in Miami on Monday, even if they won't be able to force immediate change at the beleaguered media giant.

Two shareholder advisory groups recommended that investors withhold votes from the five members of Viacom's compensation committee for their role in increasing chief executive Philippe Dauman's 2015 salary by 22% in a year that the company's shares fell by 44%.

Dauman, a trustee of ailing 92-year-old chairman emeritus Sumner Redstone's trust, was installed as chairman over the objections of Redstone's daughter, who wanted a professional manager with no connections to the family to be named.

A Catholic missionary and a shareholder in Washington, D.C. submitted a proposal that shareholders vote to strike down the company's dual class voting share structure that gives Redstone unshakable control of the company.

Viacom's board opposed the missionary's proposal because it said it "believes that our dual-class capital structure has contributed, and continues to contribute, to our stability and long-term shareholder returns." Viacom's spokesman did not return an email seeking further comment.

Redstone owns 79.8 percent of Viacom's voting "A" shares through Redstone's family-owned National Amusements theater chain. The company signaled it backs Viacom's board candidates and opposes the shareholder proposal, making it impossible for Viacom to lose.

But a vote by a large percentage of shares not affiliated with Redstone would force its management to take action, say some governance experts.



"It's called 'sending a message to management' even if it can't succeed," says Charles Elson, director of the University of Delaware's John L Weinberg Center for Corporate Governance. "You just hope that management is listening."

In late February leading shareholder advisory groups Institutional Shareholder Services and Glass Lewis, were harshly critical of Viacom's board, advising its shareholders to withhold votes from the five members of the compensation committee.

In a Jan. 22 filing, Viacom said it paid Dauman $54.2 million in cash, stock and options for the company's fiscal year ending Sept. 30, up from $44.3 million the prior year.

ISS also urged votes be withheld from World Economic Forum adviser Christiana Falcone Sorrell, a member of the Audit Committee.

The advisory firm said it was concerned as well by a provision in Dauman's new contract, which took effect in January 2015, that allowed the CEO to resign for "good reason" -- and collect three years of salary and bonus -- in the event the board appointed someone other than him or Redstone as executive chairman.

On February 4, Redstone was named chairman emeritus and the board appointed Dauman to take his role as the company's chairman, despite reports that Redstone's daughter Sheri, the company's vice-chairman, opposed Dauman's elevation.

Shareholders voting against the Viacom-backed position could be significant, if not enough to force changes. The California State Teachers' Retirement System, the nation's second largest public pension fund, told Reuters in December it supported doing away with Viacom's duel voting class stock. CalSTRs owns 1.1 million non-voting shares.

A senior officer at the Florida State Board of Administration, which controls $144 billion in pension assets and owns 763,303 non-voting Viacom shares, also told Reuters he supports adopting a one share, one vote stock structure.

Viacom, facing restive shareholders as performance from its cable channels like MTV and Comedy Central have suffered from ratings declines, has bowed before to investor pressure. On Feb 23, Dauman told an investor conference that the company was pursuing discussions with "a select group of potential investors" for Viacom's Paramount studio.

The announcement came just weeks after money manager Mario Gabelli, whose funds own a 10.2 percent Viacom stake, told Bloomberg that the company should sell a stake to Chinese internet company Alibaba (BABA) .

This article is commentary by an independent contributor. At the time of publication, the author held a position in Viacom.
News / Africa

by Vusumuzi Dube

THE South African government is reportedly not renewing contracts of Zimbabwean teachers working in the neighbouring country, leaving a significant number stranded.Thousands of Zimbabwean teachers left the country for South Africa and other neighbouring countries around 2008 in search of greener pastures. However, in 2014 the South African government did not include teaching as part of the critical skills list.The list was published in June 2014. In the latest development it is reported that some provinces in the neighbouring country are not renewing contracts of Zimbabwean teachers in their system to open up employment opportunities for suitably qualified South Africans.Confirming these developments, Zimbabwe Teachers Association chief executive officer Mr Sifiso Ndlovu said they had received reports that some Zimbabwean teachers were not retained after their contracts expired.He said while this was unfortunate, there was a need for the affected teachers to realise that they were best needed back in the country to help revive the education sector. "According to reports which we are receiving, we are told that one province where our colleagues have been most affected, is KwaZulu-Natal where the government did not renew the contracts of these teachers."I cannot give you the estimated figures of the affected teachers but we will surely investigate and liaise with them to find out how many have been affected and what we can do to support them," said Mr Ndlovu.He further called on the Government to create a conducive environment in terms of welcoming back these teachers and encouraging them to return to the country. "Our affected colleagues should simply accept their fate and come back to the country because their skills are surely needed this side."The Government on their part should be encouraged to accept these teachers back into the system as their skills are gravely required noting the shortages which we have especially in Maths and Sciences," said Mr Ndlovu.
Last week, YWN reported that two Brooklyn precincts that have heavily populated Orthodox Jewish neighborhoods received new Commanding Officers. Now, another precinct has received a new Commander.

The 70 Precinct which covers the Flatbush / Midwood Jewish community will be getting Captain James Palumbo as their new commander.

Palumbo has been the Commanding Officer at Housing Bureaus Police Service 1.

Previously, Palumbo worked as the Captain at the 71 Precinct (Crown Heights), the Commanding Officer of Brooklyn South Task Force, and the Captain at the 70 Precinct  where he is now returning.

He will be replacing Deputy Inspector Richard G. DiBlasio who has been at the 70 Precinct for the past two years.

Community activists in Flatbush who spoke with YWN are excited to have Palumbo back, as he is a welcome and familiar face in the community.

They also wish DiBlasio the best of luck as he continues on his career. He worked closely with all the different communities over the past two years, and had become a welcome and familiar face at community events and functions. He will be missed.

(Charles Gross  YWN)
Riders were expressing their thanks and relief Saturday after learning that New Jersey Transit and its rail workers had reached a tentative deal to avert a strike that was due to start Sunday morning.

They also were thrilled to hear Gov. Chris Christie say that they wont have to worry about fare hikes for a while to cover the cost of the settlement.

The deal, announced Friday between the transit agency and its rail workers, averted a strike that would have thrown Mondays commute into New York into chaos. It put to rest a dispute that has been percolating for nearly five years, when the last contract expired.

Theres no way I would have even tried to get to work on Monday. It would have been a zoo, Ron Simmons, a Hamilton Township resident who works for a financial firm in New York City, said Saturday while waiting for a train on the Trenton transit center. I didnt think a strike would happen, but in this day and age you cant be 100 percent sure of anything. Im just glad they found common ground.

Rail workers had threatened to walk off the job Sunday morning.

Im pleased. I think we came to a fair, reasonable accommodation to the interests of the union and the interests of the taxpayers of the state, Christie said.

Christie said the deal wont lead to the need for a fare hike or service cuts, at least through June 2017.

Those words were music to the ears of many train riders on Saturday.

Im thrilled to hear that fares will likely stay steady, at least for the near future Mary Watkins said shortly after her train arrived in Trenton on Saturday. She uses the train five days a week to get from her Philadelphia area home to her job in Trenton.

I understand the positions both sides were taking, and both made sense. But I figured for sure that any deal meant higher fares, she said.

The approximately 105,000 people who commute into New York via NJ Transit, the nations third-largest commuter railroad, have endured fare increases in the last six years that have raised prices more than 30 percent.

In early 2010, for example, a commuter from Princeton to New York paid $366 for a monthly pass that now costs $499. The round-trip off-peak discount, $22.50 six years ago, was eliminated and a roundtrip ticket now costs $35.

Christie and union spokesman Stephen Burkert both declined to release details of the deal, which still needs to be ratified by the unions 4,000 members.

Thankfully for the commuters of New Jersey Transit the crisis is averted, Burkert said. We are going home to our families.

NJ Transit had warned that only about 4 in 10 of the New York train commuters would have been able to get to New York on the extra buses the transit agency said it would provide as a contingency plan.

The unions had been seeking 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 initially offered average 1.4 percent wage increases and proposed workers pay between 10 percent and 20 percent of their health care premium costs.

Two emergency labor boards convened by President Barack Obama over the last eight months had favored the unions numbers and recommended pay raises of about 2.6 percent and health payment increases of 2.5 percent.

They disagreed with NJ Transits 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.

Christie said the contract agreement is for longer than what the board had recommended.

The uncertainty over the contract talks had left commuters worrying this week about how they were going to get back to work Monday. Christie said that he wasnt concerned with the amount of time that the negotiations took and blamed the media for creating hysteria.

I dont believe the members of the union wanted to strike, Christie said. They dont want to hurt the customers and inconvenience them. You can tell when people are spoiling for a fight. Neither side was spoiling for a fight.

The last NJ Transit strike was in March 1983, and it lasted 34 days.

(AP)
Donald Trump said on Saturday that his supporters caused no problem at his rally in Chicago on Friday night that was canceled because of security concerns, instead saying supporters of Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders are to blame.

My people are nice, Trump said at a Saturday morning rally in Dayton, Ohio. Thousands and thousands of people, they caused no problem. They were taunted, they were harassed by these other people. These other people, by the way, some represent Bernie, our communist.  He should really get up and say to his people: Stop. Stop.

Trump called the protesters organized, professionally staged wise guys who launched a planned attack. Trump said Sanders should call for an end to the protests that have erupted at Trumps rallies in recent weeks, not him.

My people are nice, folks, Trump said to cheers in Ohio. My people are great.

Trump brought up the canceled rally within minutes of taking the stage in an airplane hangar. He said that the protests in Chicago were professionally organized by groups like MoveOn.org. He explained the huge number of protesters in Chicago, as compared to his supporters, by saying that he had warned his people to not go. Trump described the canceled rally as limiting the free speech rights of him and his supporters, even though his campaign was the one to decide to cancel the rally, in consultation with the Secret Service and private security.

Bad groups  these are bad people, Trump said, as the crowd booed the liberal organizers. These are people that truly dont want to see our country be great again. Im telling you, Im telling you. And we want to get along with everybody, and we can get along with people. Were going to unify the country. Our president has divided this country so badly.

Trump later elaborated: We have a divided country. We have black and white and every other thing, income groups. Everybody hates everybody, even in Congress.  The politicians hate each other. The Democrats hate the Republicans. The liberals hate the conservatives. We have got to change.

Trump then cut off mid-thought because he was interrupted by a group of protesters. As he waited for the commotion to die down, the crowd shouted: Trump! Trump! Trump!

(c) 2016, The Washington Post  Jose A. DelReal, Jenna Johnson
Hillary Clintons statement in response to an outbreak of violence at Republican Party front-runner Donald Trumps Chicago rally was aimed at encouraging political unity. But instead, many reacted to her statement with disappointment.

The divisive rhetoric we are seeing should be of grave concern to us all, Clinton said in the statement issued after midnight on Saturday morning. We all have our differences, and we know many people across the country feel angry.

We need to address that anger together, she added.

Clinton then evoked the massacre in Charleston, South Carolina, which left nine African American churchgoers dead. She pointed to it as an example of how the country can overcome its divisions.

The families of those victims came together and melted hearts in the statehouse and the Confederate flag came down, Clinton said. That should be the model we strive for to overcome painful divisions in our country.

Trump was never mentioned in the statement itself. And unlike some of Trumps Republican presidential rivals, who laid the blame for inciting violence squarely on his shoulders, Clinton avoided addressing Trumps role at all.

The decision left some puzzled.

Problematic use of Charleston. Why is racial healing always dependent on black forgiveness? noted Chad Williams, chair of African and Afro-American Studies at Brandeis University.

Goldie Taylor, Editor-At-Large, at the Daily Beast, also took issue with the statement.

Refusing to directly call out Trump is a problem, she noted.

Clintons response seems more concerned about the fact that protesters fought back than with the racism and nativism of Trumps rallies, added Eddie S. Glaude Jr., a professor of African American Studies at Princeton University.

Clintons response seems more concerned about the fact that protesters fought back than with the racism and nativism of Trumps rallies.

Clinton has in the past called out Trump directly  from the stump and online  for campaigning on what she has called bluster and bigotry.

In recent weeks, she has used Trump as a foil for her own message, adding a line to her stump speech that plays off of Trumps slogan Make America Great Again.

We dont need to make America great again, we need to make America whole, Clinton said.

As recently as this week, Clinton tweeted at Donald Trump blaming him for failing to denounce violence at his rallies.

Condoning violence against protesters and press at your rallies is the real disgrace, she tweeted.

[email protected]: condoning violence against protesters and press at your rallies is the real disgrace. #GOPdebate

But while Friday nights melee in Chicago prompted some conservatives, including Trumps rival, Ohio Gov. John Kasich, to note the well-documented history of violence at Trumps events, Clinton stayed silent on the issue.

Tonight the seeds of division that Donald Trump has been sowing this whole campaign finally bore fruit, and it was ugly, Kasich said in a statement.

(c) 2016, The Washington Post  Abby Phillip
The most recent Republican presidential nominee, Mitt Romney, says he doesnt think GOP front-runner Donald Trump will ever release his tax returns and believes that the billionaire businessman is hiding something significant.

In an interview with the Boston Globe, Romney also cites the main reasons he decided to give a blistering anti-Trump speech earlier this month. One was Trumps call for not allowing Muslims into the U.S. But it was the interview on CNN in which Trump wouldnt disavow David Duke and the Ku Klux Klan that Romney says spurred him to action.

Romney tells the Boston Globe that Trumps recent remarks that Islam hates America are highly offensive and bigoted. He also says Trump represents a threat to both the GOP and the country.

Romney admits he has been wrong before about the 2016 presidential campaign. He says he didnt think Trump would join the race and would quickly disappear if he did. He thought Trumps disparaging comments about Sen. John McCain would cost him supporters. And Romney says he thought Jeb Bush would be the Republican nominee.

(AP)
News / Africa

by Staff Reporter

THE Matero Local Court heard how a 24-year-old married woman of Chibombo was caught red-handed making love to her husband's best friend in a bush.This is in a case in which Annanias Sishekano, 32, of Chibombo area sued his best friend Sankhani Nkoswe, 33, also of the same area for compensation after he was caught engaging in sex with his wife, Aliness Tembo, 24.Zambia Daily Mail reported that Sishekano told senior court magistrates Pauline Newa and Lewis Mumba that Nkoswe was his close friend whom he considered as a brother."Hence, I was very surprised when I was informed that Nkoswe was having an affair with my wife. When I was alerted about the affair, I configured my wife's phone in such a manner that it recorded all her conversations. I listened to all her romantic conversations with my best friend," he said.Sishekano informed the court that when Nkoswe was caught engaging in sex with his wife in a bush, the matter was reported to the village headman."My wife confessed to the ordeal when I confronted her. I have dragged Nkoswe to court seeking compensation for the damage he has caused in my marriage," he said.Nkoswe, however, in his statement denied knowing Sishekano or having an affair with Tembo."I only knew Sishekano when he came to my house accusing me of having an affair with his wife. He told my wife about his suspicions that I was dating his wife," he said.But Tembo told the court that Nkoswe was her boyfriend.She narrated that Nkoswe proposed love to her when she went to his shop to buy groceries."We have been communicating and seeing each other after he asked me to date him. On January 10, this year, Nkoswe and I were engaging in sex in the bush when we were caught by some members of the community," she said.Nkoswe later admitted to the affair adding that he used condoms during his sexual encounters with Tembo.The court upheld the claim and ordered Nkoswe to compensate Sishekano with K15,000 with an initial instalment of K1,500 followed by K500 monthly instalments effective this monthend.
Florida Sen. Marco Rubio edged out Ohio Gov. John Kasich Saturday in the Districts Republican primary, in which voters waited in line as much as two hours to vote.

Many of them called it one of the most significant GOP primaries here in years.

The allocation of the 19 delegates at stake was not clear as of late Saturday night. However, Jose Cunningham, chairman of the citys Republican party, said the allocation would be in proportion to the votes received.

Announced results gave Rubio 37.30 per cent of the 2,839 votes cast. Kasich came close behind with 35.54 per cent, a difference of less than two per centage points, which suggested that they might each get a similar share of delegates, perhaps seven or eight.

Donald Trump and Sen. Ted Cruz (Texas) trailed by substantial margins. Trump got 13.77 per cent of the votes and Cruz 12.36 per cent. By rough estimate each might get at least one delegate.

Others on the ballot received less than one per cent each.

Those waiting to vote formed a long line. Some waited for two or three hours.

Its exciting to see this many Republicans in D.C., Erika Walter, 27, said as she waited her turn in a line that snaked out of the polling place in the Loews Madison Hotel and down 15th Street NW for a block before wrapping around L Street NW.

As of 3:30 p.m., there were more than a thousand people in line, many of whom stood under drizzling skies and said they had been waiting for more than three hours. At one point, the line stretched around three sides of a square block.

Two weeks ago, billionaire businessman and Republican front-runner Trump won a straw poll conducted by the party, followed by Rubio, Cruz, Kasich and retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson, who has since dropped out of the race. The ballot in the District still carried Carsons name as well as the names of two other candidates who have withdrawn: former Florida governor Jeb Bush and Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky.

With 19 delegates at stake  as many as Hawaii and more than Vermont and Delaware  D.C. Republicans say they pull more weight than many people might think. Moreover, party officials said, holding their primary earlier than usual allows them to have a say while the nomination contest is still competitive.

In the overwhelmingly Democratic city, Republicans make up 6 percent of registered voters. Many said they were heartened by the turnout.

Nevertheless, the 2839 voters who actually cast ballots was only about half the approximately 6,000 who, according to party leaders, cast ballots four years ago when voting was spread throughout the citys precincts, and not held at one spot.,

DC party executive director Patrick Mara ascribed the long lines to a combination of voter enthusiasm and the single voting location. Delays occurred because officials could rent only 15 voting machines that would accommodate the large ballot for delegates, he said.

Its a completely different animal when you have everyone coming to one central location downtown, Mara said. We did the best we could under the circumstances.

The polling place opened at 10 a.m. and was to close at 4 p.m., but Mara said that anyone in line by 4 p.m. would be able to cast a ballot. The party rented a smaller hotel room until 9 p.m. to allow those of the Jewish faith to vote after sundown on the Sabbath.

In other contests Saturday, Republicans in Wyoming held caucuses to select 12 of the states 29 delegates. Hillary Clinton won the Democratic caucus on the Northern Mariana Islands and earned four delegates, while Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont picked up two.

The day had its share of Republican star power.

Ben Ginsberg, the Republican lawyer who had helped draw up the working rules of the Republican National Convention, stood in the long line with a plan to vote for his friends  activists who were running as uncommitted delegates.

This turnout is impressive, Ginsberg said. This is not the tasseled lobbyist class. These are real people coming out to vote. I dont recognize most of them.

C. Boyden Gray, who served as White House counsel under President George H.W. Bush and was running as a delegate supporting Cruz, mingled with voters. Nearby, Joshua Bolten, who served as White House chief of staff to President George W. Bush, manned the #NeverTrump table.

Who wouldve thunk in Washington, D.C., youd see Republicans get excited about something, Gray said. Normally, were such a minority that we dont matter, but this race is obviously attracting enormous attention.

Bolten declined to say whom he supports but said he was urging people to vote for delegates who will oppose Donald Trump at all stages of the convention, assuming its contested. He said he believed there was anti-Trump sentiment behind the turnout.

A substantial part of the party is steadfastly opposed to the front-runner, Bolten said.

Tim Schnabel, a 35-year-old State Department employee, had hoped to support Bush or Paul. Leaving the polls, and wearing a #NeverTrump sticker, he said that he had reluctantly supported Cruz.

My sense is that at this point in the race, Cruz is the only one nationally who has a chance to deny Trump those 1,237 delegates, he said.

Rita Ferrall, 60, a small-business owner running as a Trump delegate, attributed anti-Trump sentiment to the fact that the District is a government town.

I think theres a percentage of people who are against Trump because when he comes in, hell make some visible changes, said Ferrall. These people are used to business-as-usual in Washington.

None of the voters interviewed said that recent violence at Trump rallies was a factor in their decision. Most said they had made up their mind before the skirmishes, while some said the violence reinforced their feelings about Trump.

For me, it reconfirmed that we need to nominate a candidate who doesnt foment violence, said Hudson Hollister, 34, who lives on Capitol Hill and said he was voting for Rubio.

It didnt surprise me, said Walter, who said she planned to vote for Rubio because of his values and integrity, adding that Trump is a volatile character, so you can expect his supporters to be the same.

Gray said he wanted to know more about what sparked the violence but said he worried about the message it sent.

The question thats raised is that it appears to be a pattern of Trump supporters maybe egging people on to generate excitement, Gray said. I hope thats not true.  That kind of disruption is not good  not good for the political process, and not good for how people look at us in the rest of the world. Its just not good.

(c) 2016, The Washington Post  Katherine Shaver, Clarence Williams
[By Rabbi Yair Hoffman for the Five Towns Jewish Times]

It is a remarkably program called Talmudo bYado. And on this past Moztei Shabbos, hundreds of Lakewood Talmidim, their parents and in-laws gathered in the BMG building to celebrate the fact that these Talmidim had each published a sefer made up of deep analytical pieces on various subjects in Shas.

The four Lakewood Roshei Yeshiva were in attendance, and the olam was addressed by Rabbi Lipa Geldwirth, also a parent of one of the authors.

It is a remarkably innovative program that teaches Talmidei Chachomim how to write chiddushei Torah. The program is run by Rabbi Dovid Becker, who also addressed the participants. Rav Aryeh Malkiel Kotler was the first to address the participants of the event. Rav Londinsky, author of the remarkable seforim series entitled, Sukkas Chaim also addressed the attendees.

All four speakers highlighted the tremendous role that the wives and mothers had played in this remarkable event. They encouraged and supported their sons and husbands toward this achievement.

One grandparent who was in attendance remarkably had six grandchildren there that night who had published a sefer.

This author counted how many residents of Far Rockaway were among the 120 authors who had published. I had counted six, but admittedly, I could have missed one or two. They had attended Yeshiva of Far Rockaway and Yeshiva Darchei Torah. Two staff members of Yeshiva Darchei Torah each had a child who had published a sefer. There were people that came from Detroit, Cleveland, Cincinnati, Chicago, Los Angeles, Canada, and Brooklyn and Far Rockaway.

This was the sixth such Melaveh Malka.

The program is in its eighth year. The Kollel Yungeleit write their chiddushei Torah over a three year period. The pieces are professionally reviewed by a team of highly skilled editors. The editors return a draft with notes and suggested revisions and focused explanatory comments. The Yungeleit then meet to review each submission with a Rosh Chaburah. The Roshei Chaburah provide focused hadracha and feedback, enabling the Yungeleit to incrementally hone their writing skills. After two and a half years in the program, talmidim spend a zman preparing and polishing all of their articles for publication, culminating in the printing of beautiful, color-bound individual Seforim.

Rabbi Aaron Kotler, CEO of BMG, was particularly proud of the program.

To date 20% of the Talmidim in BMG are either current or past participants in Mifal and some 150 additional Talmidim join each zman.

To date over 1,100 Seforim have been published.

It is a highly innovative program, that, in this authors view, should be replicated by Yeshivos, colleges and universities across the country. Why shouldnt universities help teach their scholars how best to present their research and host a banquet honoring the parents and spouses of the scholars who have reached such scholarly achievements?

The program costs the Yeshiva over a quarter million dollars a year.

The author can be reached at [email protected]


President of Israel, Reuven Rivlin will pay an official visit to Russia on Wednesday and Thursday, 6 and 7 Adar-II.

During the visit President Rivlin will meet President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin, Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, and hold meetings with other high level officials, and with leaders and members of the Jewish community.

During their talks President Putin and President Rivlin will exchange opinions on current and perspective bilateral issues including trade, economic, science, technology, and humanitarian matters, as well as the up-coming 25th anniversary of the re-establishment of diplomatic relations between Russia and Israel, which will be marked in October 2016. The Presidents are expected to exchange opinions on current international issues as well.

In addition, during his visit President Rivlin will visit places of Jewish and Russian cultural heritage.

(YWN  Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
Former President Moshe Katsav, who is serving a prison term after being convicted on charges of assaults against women, is likely to be released this month, Channel 10 News reported.

Katsav, Israels eighth president, is hopeful the parole board will reduce his sentence by one-third as is customary. Having served five years of his seven-year sentence parole board approval would likely lead to his immediate release.

The report quotes Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked telling colleagues there is no reason the parole board would not clear a third from his sentence for good behavior since he meets the criteria for such a decision. Shaked is quoted saying in the event the parole board does not release him, she would back presidential pardon for Katsav.

Correspondent Ayelet Hasson adds that contrary to the clemency process, a parole board decision does not require a confession or repentance so early release by the parole board would be far simpler for Mr. Katsav since to date he has maintained his innocence.

MK (Machane Tzioni) Merav Michaeli warns that the nation should be cognizant of the fact that the former president has never accepted responsibility for his actions for he maintains his innocence. Hence, there has been no expression of remorse and therefore, the president cannot pardon him.

(YWN  Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
Speaking with Kol Chai Radio on Sunday morning 3 Adar-II, Health Minister Yaakov Minister explained the matter of the government decision to permit an egalitarian prayer area near the Kosel must be addressed by Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu.

He must decide that he loves the Reform in the Diaspora or the chareidim in Israel stated Litzman, who added He must decide for he cannot have both in Israel. The minister clarified, stating if the coalition officially recognizes Reform Jewry his party will leave the coalition for it cannot be a part of such a government.

Litzman insists that all the chareidim are asking for is maintain the religious status quo, and this demand was agreed to in coalition agreements. Regarding the Supreme Court decision to compel the Beersheva Religious Council to permit a Reform convert toivel in a public mikve, he blames the High Court for constantly working to destroy Yiddishkheit, adding the bill being advanced by Moshe Gafne addresses the courts decision.

Litzman insists that the bill, which is backed by Bayit Yehudi too, is nothing more than an effort to maintain the religious status quo and nothing more.

(YWN  Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
Insurance agent Yosef Refaeli explains that when a person with serious illness wishes to fly, often, an airline will insist on seeing an insurance policy due to the possibility of incurring significant expense. This case explains Refaeli to Kol Chai Radio host Mordechai Lavi deals with a child who the doctors list as terminally ill, and the boy has one request, to visit the tziyun of Rav Nachman in the Ukraine. He explains the family was unable to find an insurance company will to give him a policy that would permit him to travel.

Rabbi Hillel Cohen of Ukraine Hatzalah contacted Refaeli and asked him to see if he can assist. Refaeli not only found an insurance company willing to give a policy which costs $600 a day for the 48 journey, the company picked up the tab for the policy and the expenses of the trip, including the airfare. The boy, Nachman ben Nitza Sagit will be accompanied by his nurse who is quite familiar with his case and medical needs.

As a result of the chessed of the insurance company, Nachman left for the Ukraine on Sunday 3 Adar-II and he will be returning on Monday, after being given the opportunity to be mispallel at the tziyun.

(YWN  Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
North Korea claimed Sunday that it could wipe out Manhattan by sending a hydrogen bomb on a ballistic missile to the heart of New York, the latest in a string of brazen threats.

Although there are many reasons to believe that Kim Jong Uns regime is exaggerating its technical capabilities, the near-daily drumbeat of boasts and warnings from Pyongyang underlines the regimes anger at efforts to thwart its ambitions.

Our hydrogen bomb is much bigger than the one developed by the Soviet Union, DPRK Today, a state-run outlet that uses the official acronym for North Korea, reported Sunday.

If this H-bomb were to be mounted on an inter-continental ballistic missile and fall on Manhattan in New York City, all the people there would be killed immediately and the city would burn down to ashes, the report said, citing a nuclear scientist named Cho Hyong Il.

The website is a strange choice for issuing such a proclamation, given that it also carried reports about rabbit farming and domestically made school backpacks.

North Koreas newly developed hydrogen bomb surpasses our imagination, Cho is quoted as saying, because it is many times as powerful as anything the Soviet Union had.

The H-bomb developed by the Soviet Union in the past was able to smash windows of buildings 1,000 kms away and the heat was strong enough to cause third-degree burns 100 kms away, the report continued.

Kim in January ordered North Koreas fourth nuclear test and claimed that it was a hydrogen bomb, not a simple atomic one. But most experts are skeptical of the claim, saying the seismic waves caused by the blast were similar to those caused by the Norths three previous tests.

Then in February, Kim oversaw the launch of what North Korea said was a rocket that put a satellite into orbit but that is widely considered part of a long-range ballistic missile program.

North Korea has made advances in its inter-continental ballistic missile program, and experts generally conclude that the United States West Coast might now be in reach but that there has been no suggestion that the North would be able to hit the East Coast.

Many experts are also skeptical of the miniaturized warhead that Kim showed off last week during a visit to a nuclear weapons plant, saying it doesnt look right.

But Jeffrey Lewis, director of the East Asia nonproliferation program at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey, warned against dismissing it too soon.

It does not look like US devices, to be sure, but it is hard to know if aspects of the model are truly implausible or simply that North Korean nuclear weapons look different than their Soviet and American cousins, Lewis wrote in an analysis for 38 North, a website devoted to North Korea. The size, however, is consistent with my expectations for North Korea.

As international condemnation of the Norths acts mounted, culminating in the toughest U.N. sanctions against Pyongyang yet, Kims regime has become increasingly belligerent, firing missiles into the Sea of Japan, also known as the East Sea, and issuing a new threat or denunciation almost every day.

The sanctions coincide with annual spring drills between the U.S. and South Korean militaries, which Pyongyang considers a rehearsal for an invasion. The current exercises are particularly antagonistic because special forces are practicing decapitation strikes on regime leaders and taking out nuclear and missile sites.

On Friday, North Koreas state media reported that Kim had ordered more nuclear tests, while the Norths Korean Peoples Army warned in a statement Saturday that it would counter the drills by liberat[ing] the whole of south Korea including Seoul . . . with an ultra-precision blitzkrieg strike of the Korean style.

South Koreas Defense Ministry urged Pyongyang to stop its threats and provocations.

If the North continues to make provocations despite the stern warnings made by our military, it is inevitable for us to roll out a strict response that may lead to the destruction of the Pyongyang regime, South Koreas Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement, according to the Yonhap News Agency.

Yoonjung Seo contributed to this report.



(c) 2016, The Washington Post  Anna Fifield
It was never going to be easy for House Speaker Paul Ryan to cut through the noise of a presidential campaign and chart out a course of conservative policies for the Republican Party.

But the bombast and divisiveness of the presidential campaign has left Ryan struggling to do the most basic duties of Congress.

With the two Republican front-runners  Donald Trump and Sen. Ted Cruz  effectively running against Congress and the rest of the Republican establishment, Ryan more than ever needs to deliver on some kind of agenda in his first full year as speaker. Otherwise, he could help cement Congress as a distinctly junior partner in a Trump or Cruz presidency.

His biggest problem is that the policies and rhetoric of his partys presidential front-runners have become unusually out of step with a large portion of Republicans in Congress, notes Joshua Huder, a senior fellow at Georgetown Universitys Government Affairs Institute.

Ryan has to navigate whats best for his conference amidst one of the more major upheavals of his party, Huder said. Hell either need to lay low and let the fight play out in the presidential race, or hell need to outline priorities that protect his conference at the expense of his partys nominee.

This means that actions many took for granted this year  a budget resolution and spending bills  have suddenly become part of a high-stakes test of whether Ryan and the Republican-led Congress can take care of their own business and not get drowned out by an increasingly fractious presidential campaign.

Its hard to imagine a worse time to try and carve out a conservative vision from the speakership, Huder said.

The tone of the campaign is also posing challenges for Republican incumbents facing reelection, who will have to straddle the gaps between the agenda in Congress and the rhetoric of the campaigns.

Ryan is trying to project a sense that nothing has changed.

Look, were going to speak out for who we are and what we believe; were going to run on our beliefs, were going to run on our ideas, he told reporters last week. Ill just leave it at that.

The question becomes, then, whose ideas and beliefs?

Take federal spending priorities, for instance.

Less than five months after calls for Republican Party healing and regular order were all in vogue with Ryans ascension, the speaker is struggling to get House Republicans to agree on a budget blueprint, let alone a dozen separate spending bills.

While Ryan is trying to forge a deal that will allow serious debate in both chambers on spending bills, House conservatives want to cut spending levels below the $1.07 trillion spending cap set in a bipartisan deal last October by Ryans predecessor as speaker, John Boehner.

House conservatives are sticking to their demands to cut an additional $30 billion to demonstrate the partys commitment to fiscal restraint, so Ryan and his team are continuing to pursue tweaks. The speaker has long championed the budget resolution as a prime vehicle to outline a conservative policy agenda. The deadline for a budget plan is April 14, and Ryan insists lawmakers remain on schedule, although he declines to give a specific timeline for a potential House budget vote.

The odds are increasing that either the House or the Senate, or both, will skip a budget this year. The Senate Budget Committee said Monday it would postpone action indefinitely on a fiscal 2017 budget resolution, and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said Tuesday that he would move ahead on spending bills without waiting for a budget plan.

These are the same old Republican divisions and challenges that plagued Boehner, points out Sarah Binder, a congressional expert at the Brookings Institution in Washington. But she adds there are broad repercussions for Ryan, nonetheless.

Its hard to lay claim to an ideas-motivated agenda when the key document for stating party priorities  the budget resolution  is mired in deadlock, she said.

Paul Ryan had promised a fresh brand of speakership that would change the way Republicans have been operating in the House majority  less internal infighting, more rank-and-file say-so, and no more lurching from fiscal crisis to fiscal crisis, he said. He has also been promising to rally Republicans in a campaign year behind a batch of bold conservative ideas.

The lack of cohesion over the 2017 federal budget could undercut Ryan as someone within the Republican Party establishment who can stand up and respond authoritatively to controversies or unorthodoxies dished out by leading candidate Trump.

Ryan has a doubly hard job because the House seems to be in an especially recalcitrant mood, Trumps strongman rhetoric has been popular, and the public seems disinclined to approve of actions by representative government, said Paul Brace, a political scientist at Rice University in Houston.

Ryan, for his part, explained last week during a Capitol news conference that his self-described bold agenda will produce House Republican positions  though not necessarily floor votes  on such areas as tax reform, poverty, trade and immigration. The aim, he said, is to provide a keel and a rudder by summer to give unifying direction to the Republican Party in a presidential election year.

Yet, at that same news conference, Ryan was peppered with questions about Trumps deviations from party policy on issues including trade, Planned Parenthood funding and immigration reform.

Ryan told reporters he laughed out loud when Trump warned on national TV that Ryan would have to get along with him or pay a big price. Ryan has within the past few days held phone calls with both Trump and Cruz to discuss the House Republicans agenda, according to his spokeswoman, Ashlee Strong.

There are a few members of the House Republican conference who are gravitating to Trump, including Rep. Tom Marino of Pennsylvania. Marino argues that for four decades the White House has become inhabited by governors, senators or vice presidents  Washington and political insiders.

How is that working for us? Marino asks, noting the nation is now $19 trillion in debt.

To the extent that Ryan wants to carve out his own vision, Huder suggests he can still do so by having votes on bills that may not become law but which highlight the message he wants to send  creating distance from the Republican nominee.

But New York-based political pollster John Zogby said that carries risks, and Ryans credibility is on the line no matter what he does.

Paul Ryan is learning that being a speaker who represents the heart and soul of the party is impossible, because the heart and soul of the party is turning out to be real elusive, says Zogby.

(c) 2016, Bloomberg  Billy House / Photo by: Andrew Harrer  Bloomberg
When Belgian police searched the home of a suspected member of the Islamic State after the Paris terror attacks in November, they found in the suspects apartment a curious video. It appeared to be a surveillance recording, made by the suspect, of a senior researcher at a Belgian nuclear center. The authorities speculate that it might have been part of a terrorist plot to capture nuclear materials from the center, perhaps by kidnapping the researcher. The episode has prompted Belgian authorities to deploy armed troops to protect nuclear sites, replacing a private security force.

The potential threat is clear. Much has been done to reduce nuclear weapons stockpiles and materials over the past 25 years, but hazards remain from highly enriched uranium and plutonium spread around the globe. Some 1,800 metric tons of weapons-useable material is stored in hundreds of facilities, including civilian research reactors and military stocks.

Starting in 2010, President Barack Obama cast a spotlight on the problem with international summits at which leaders were pressed to act, including the cleanup of materials that could be used for building a so-called dirty bomb, a conventional explosive combined with nuclear materials that, while not a nuclear blast, would nonetheless cause considerable mayhem and disruption. In 2010, when the summits began in Washington, 35 nations had weapons-usable materials; three summits and six years later, it is down to 24.

But now comes the difficult part. Leaders of more than 50 nations will gather in Washington at the end of this month for the fourth and final nuclear security summit. Then what? The summit process has not given rise to an effective global system for securing these nuclear materials. It will take some real imagination and determination to keep up the pressure. We hear the coming summit will produce action plans, pledges from the leaders to pursue nuclear security in existing international organizations. It may also set up some kind of smaller, ongoing contact group. But will these be sufficient to sustain the sense of urgency and political drive that the summits generated?

A detailed index published by the Nuclear Threat Initiative shows tangible progress was achieved between 2012 and 2014, but since then efforts have stalled, due to political issues that have diverted attention, bureaucratic inertia, lack of resources and cultural factors. None of these are going away any time soon.

The rapid deterioration of U.S. relations with Moscow has taken a toll, too. Russia has declared it will not attend the summit. Cooperation on nuclear security has all but collapsed under the weight of President Vladimir Putins ill-fated adventure in Ukraine. Former senator Sam Nunn, D-Ga., who pioneered that cooperation, said recently there is a corrosive lack of trust between Washington and Moscow, and channels of communication are few and far between. Without in any way easing the pressure on Putin over Ukraine or Syria, the United States and Russia ought to realize that Islamic State terrorists interested in nuclear materials in Belgium are a threat to all countries, and one worth talking about.

The Washington Post  Editorial Board
There was a bit of drama in the Jerusalem District Court on Sunday, 3 Adar-II during the sentencing hearing for Balal Abu Ganam, 21, one of the terrorists responsible for the shooting/stabbing attack on an Egged bus in the Armon HaNatziv neighborhood of the capital a few months ago. The terrorist refused to stand when sentenced, explaining to the court he has no remorse for his actions. This led to a postponement in the hearing.

He had agreed to accept the three life sentences for the murder of three and attempted murder of seven others but his refusal to stand is tantamount to not admitting to his actions, court officials explain. Family members of the victims shouted Force him to stand and Thrown him in a hole (solitary) but the hearing was postponed as a result of the defendants actions.

The fatal terror attack on board an Egged number 78 bus took place in the Armon HaNatziv neighborhood of the capital in October 2015. Passengers were fired upon as well as slashed with a knife. The terrorists murdered three people and left others wounded, some in serious condition.

(YWN  Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
News / Africa

by Staff Reporter

THE Matero Local Court was stunned by the revelation of a Chisamba wife who said her husband inserted a cooking stick in her private parts.Serah Malitino, 47, said her husband, Webster Nyendwa, 49, found his wife talking to a male neighbour and dragged her into the house and started beating her after suspecting that they were in a relationship."After a severe beating, I saw him getting a cooking stick which he inserted in my private parts. It felt very painful and I fainted. When I regained my consciousness, I removed it and reported him to my relatives," she said.She narrated that her husband had been beating her to an extent where she decided to fall in love with another man who was now promising to marry her, hence the reason for seeking the court's intervention so that she could be divorced.Times of Zambia reported that Malitino said her boyfriend loves her and makes her feel appreciated, adding that she could no longer live with a man who inserted a cooking stick in her private parts.The duo got married in 1995 and have three children. Dowry was partially paid.Ms Malitino said her husband on one occasion beat her in the presence of their children while she was undressed.She further testified that she was no longer interested in Nyendwa because he used to leave her without food on many occasions.Nyendwa, in his defence, said his wife "concocted" the story in court because she had a boyfriend.He said Ms Malitino's account was meant to compel the court to grant her divorce.Nyendwa said his spouse had deserted the matrimonial home and joined her boyfriend for two weeks.He said he once found condoms in Ms Malitino's bag and when he asked her she failed to offer a convincing explanation and instead started crying.Nyendwa said he was surprised that his wife sued for divorce yet he was the one who was hurt by her infidelity.Magistrate Pauline Newa granted the couple divorce and ordered them to share their property equally.
A 'cushy' set-up that favours the fortunes of major energy suppliers by allowing householders to overpay gas and electricity bills by up to 2.5 billion a year is to be tackled under new rules laid out last week.

The Competition & Markets Authority has undertaken a major probe of the energy market and found that customers have typically overpaid by 1.7 billion a year since 2012, but this increased dramatically in the year to the second quarter of 2015.

The authority's raft of measures to fix longstanding problems largely concentrates on 'disengaged' customers of the 'Big Six' suppliers  British Gas, Eon, EDF, Npower, SSE and ScottishPower.

Bright idea: Switching energy supplier has never been simpler and could mean saving hundreds of pounds a year

Many of these people have never changed supplier, never considered doing so or do not know it is possible.

These customers could save themselves up to 360 a year by taking out a new deal. Joe Malinowski, of switching website TheEnergyShop, says: 'The big suppliers are used to a cushy environment where customers do not leave.

'Those on a standard variable tariff are faring worse now than they have in a long time. Their bills have not fallen and they probably won't now that big suppliers' profits are under pressure. People have to be prepared to take action.'

REFORMS



The Competition & Markets Authority started an investigation in June 2014 after a referral by energy regulator Ofgem.

Last year it revealed that:

DON'T BE FOOLED BY BOGUS CLAIMS Customers must switch to save money  and those who have never done so before stand to save the most. But TheEnergyShop is warning those familiar with switching that they risk being misled by grossly inflated savings of up to 8,000 per cent on price comparison websites. A rule enforced by Ofgem means websites must calculate what a customer would pay in future if they took no action and were shunted on to a standard tariff from their current deal. A personal saving quoted by most websites for a new deal will be based on this, rather than what a customer will actually pay when they switch from their existing deal to a new one. It means people could be quoted savings that are between 100 and 200 greater than they are likely to achieve. TheEnergyShop says it stumbled on this when testing different approaches and found a quote for a 520 saving on an electricity bill that only costs 438. The real discount is 6.35. A spokesman for Ofgem says: The personal projection is an important innovation in our reform of the market  it puts into the customers hands a single measure that provides a baseline for comparing offers. Our view is that it best protects the 60 to 70 per cent of customers who are most likely to default on to a standard variable tariff.

More than half of customers had never switched supplier.

A third of customers had never considered doing so.

Dual-fuel customers of the major suppliers could save 160 a year if they switched.

Some 70 per cent of the Big Six customers are on a 'default' standard variable tariff, despite far cheaper deals being available.

Reforms suggested last week include listing the details of customers who have been on their supplier's standard variable tariff for more than three years on a database controlled by Ofgem.

This list could then be accessed by companies to target rivals' customers with new deals. Householders can opt out of the list if they wish.

Temporary price controls will also be introduced for four million households with prepayment meters, who cannot compete for better deals in the same way that customers with standard meters can.

This is expected to generate total household savings of 300 million a year and will be in place until 2020, when prepayment customers can potentially benefit from other measures such as the roll-out of 'smart meters'. A 'four-tariff' rule introduced by Ofgem to simplify the market is being scrapped. Originally it was thought too much choice could dampen enthusiasm for switching. But the authority favours more choice.

Price comparison websites will also be permitted to negotiate exclusive deals with suppliers and offer extra discounts from commission they receive for signing up new customers. Pressure on price comparison websites to show deals across the 'whole of market', including from little-known suppliers that do not pay them a commission, will also be dropped.

Feedback from suppliers, customers and consumer groups will be taken into consideration before a final report comes out in June.

EXPERT RESPONSES

Hannah Maundrell, editor of comparison website money.co.uk, says: 'No doubt the Competition & Markets Authority found scrapping the four tariff rule something of a no-brainer  this bizarre rule did little to encourage people to switch.'

But there is much scepticism over the database of disengaged customers. Will Hodson is co-founder of TheBigDeal which signs up thousands of customers and then uses their collective bargaining power to get better deals from suppliers.

He says: 'The proposal would take exploited customers out of the pan and into the fire of a thousand cynical sales pitches. People instead need independent advice from organisations they can trust.'

'I DITCHED THE BIG SIX AND WENT 'GREEN' INSTEAD Racing car driver Alex Sims welcomes changes that should help straighten out the energy market  declaring that for too long too little has been done. The 27-year-old lives in a three-bedroom detached home near Cambridge with his wife, PE teacher Rachel, 26, and their 14-month-old son Rupert. At his last address and after moving into his current home, Alex ditched the Big Six supplier he inherited from previous occupants and signed up with renewable energy provider Good Energy. Track record: Racing car driver Alex Sims has gone green and signed up with Good Energy He now has an electricity only tariff and pays around 100 a month. Despite originally picking the company for its green credentials, he has come to appreciate it just as much for a focus on customer service  for which it has been commended by consumer groups. He says: It was a pain to call up the old suppliers and be told to press one, then press four before getting through to someone. Now someone answers the phone quickly. There may still be a reason for me to call  for example, I had an issue with a feed-in-tariff registration for my solar panels  but Good Energy was helpful and it was sorted easily.

Stephen Murray, energy expert at MoneySupermarket, agrees that householders who end up on the database should not be hounded.

He adds: 'While we wait for these changes to take effect, switching from a standard to a fixed-rate tariff still remains the quickest and best way to save money on your energy bills.'

Meanwhile, British Gas owner Centrica disputes the authority's figures showing the extent to which customers have overpaid.

TAKE ACTION

Recent gas price cuts announced by suppliers in response to falling wholesale costs will only reduce average annual bills by around 32.

Real savings come from moving to a cheaper tariff. The gap between the annual cost of standard tariffs from the Big Six and cheaper alternatives has widened dramatically over the past two years, from 198 to 360. Malinowski adds: 'Now is the best money-saving opportunity for customers we have seen in the past decade.'

To make a switch successful, dig out a recent energy bill so you have the name of your current tariff and can accurately compare prices. Annual energy statements allow for the most precise comparisons as they show your household's total energy consumption over one year. If you do not have one, contact your supplier for these figures.

Use this information to compare offers via a price comparison website, such as TheEnergyShop, uSwitch or MyUtilityGenius.

Alternatively, consider signing up to a collective switching company such as TheBigDeal which will find a competitive deal for you.
The Chancellor is facing the usual litany of demands from business ahead of this week's Budget, but there is one issue which is probably of greater significance for the future of the British economy that any other  energy.

This country's energy policy is a shambles.

The cases of Hinkley Point nuclear power plant and the Drax coal and wood burning plant between them demonstrate the extraordinary mess we are in.

Dirty business: The cases of Hinkley Point nuclear power plant and the Drax coal and wood burning plant (pictured) between them demonstrate the extraordinary mess we are in

It is not a mess uniquely created by our current Government, nor the Coalition which preceded it. Instead, it is the result of several decades of short-term politically driven policies and often public posturing by politicians of all stripes.

Industrial battles over our coal industry; controversy over the safety of nuclear energy; and, in more recent years, the injection of environmental gesture politics have created a chaotic situation.

I blame accounting  both of the financial and the environmental variety.

And these are not side issues: Drax provides about 8 per cent of the UK's electricity. Hinkley Point is planned to produce a similar proportion.

The Drax case shows starkly how the system of 'carbon accounting' is a nonsense  or, at the very least, open to the kind of subjective accounting methods we usually associate with advanced tax avoidance.

It is the result of a futile attempt to reduce the question of carbon emissions to a kind of book-keeping. Then there is Hinkley Point. The deal with the French group EDF, backed by China, to build two reactors in Somerset was negotiated at a hugely expensive price.

Under the deal, Britain is guaranteeing to buy electricity from Hinkley at twice the current market rate.

Defenders, such as former Energy Secretary Sir Ed Davey, insist that this is a sound deal not least because it includes the full costs of cleaning up and decommissioning the plants in the future.

That may be true. But it has now emerged that EDF itself has doubts about whether it can afford the risk involved in building the plant.

Last week, its finance director quit  citing Hinkley as a danger to the largely French state-owned group.

Now the boss of Hinkley has gone cap in hand to the French government asking for financial support to go ahead with the scheme.
A.T. writes: I read with interest your report on February 28 about a reader who had 13,500 points taken from their Nectar card. We had 40,000 points  worth 200  taken from our account, and like the reader whose letter you printed, they were also spent at Argos. Is this a coincidence?

Nectar accepted that someone had stolen your 40,000 points, and it replaced them. But the company offered no explanation as to how the theft occurred.

To answer your question, it is not a coincidence that stolen Nectar points were spent at Argos. Other readers have told me exactly the same thing.

Cathy lives in Reading and her Nectar account has been raided three times. She told me: Each time, I had points redeemed at Argos. Twice, her points were spent at an Argos branch more than 100 miles away in Nottingham.

Mystery: several readers have had their carefully collected Nectar points stolen at Argos

Emma, from Cambridge, lost 43,000 points which were spent at an Argos branch 60 miles away at Swiss Cottage in London.

Her husband told me: Nectar has refunded the points, but I fail to understand how points can be redeemed in a store without the card  unless fake cards are being used.

Jane found that 51,500 points vanished from her Nectar account. She told me: I always had my card in my possession.

When she protested, Nectar replaced the missing points but refused to tell her at which Argos branch they had been spent.

Clearly, there is a security flaw somewhere between Nectar and Argos. It even seems that one person can spend points from multiple cards.

An Argos spokeswoman admitted: We are aware of an issue involving Nectar cards. Our stores have been briefed to ensure customers are only able to redeem points from one card in a single transaction, and we are in discussions with Nectar to ensure this is dealt with.

Nectar told me: We and our partner are aware of low levels of fraud, and we are working together and with the police to try to limit these incidents of criminal behaviour.

It does leave me wondering, though, exactly how the crooks know how many points there are on anyones account, and how they can spend them without producing a genuine Nectar card.

'I am sure Nectar will be considering whether its database is vulnerable to hacking, and if not, whether its internal security needs beefing up.

British Gas Mk 2: the bills will start now (after a free 21 years)

G.H. writes: My wife and I read your article about the couple who had never received any gas bills, and we are in the same position.

We moved into our new-build home in 1995 and rang British Gas and followed up with letters, but we heard nothing more. I will be 65 next November and we need help to rectify this situation.

Just like you, the couple whose letter we published recently moved into a newly built house in the mid-1990s, and just like you they asked British Gas for bills but received none.

But there is one difference in your case, which is that you succeeded in getting British Gas to supply your electricity, and you have been paying for this normally.

No matter how hard you tried, though, you could not get bills for gas. In 2006 you even received a letter thanking you for choosing British Gas to supply your gas  but still you were not billed.

I am sure many people would regard 21 years of free gas as a dream come true. The nightmare would be if you suddenly received bills for even a fraction of the cost, particularly after you retire.

There is a central database that records properties and meter numbers, but I found that when your house was built no gas supply was ever registered. The result is that no supplier was responsible for issuing bills.

Now for the good news. With your consent, I approached British Gas and staff moved into action quickly. From last Monday, you became a British Gas customer with a new gas meter. You will now be billed like everyone else.

The company told me: Mr and Mrs H wont be charged for any gas used before this date.

You will not be charged a penny for all the gas you have used from 1995, right up to cooking last weekends Sunday joint.

A nuisance call...to block calls

Mrs J.L.F. writes: My husband answered a call that he thought was from BT. The caller talked about nuisance calls and how they could be blocked, and he read out some digits from our Nationwide Building Society card.

We later became uneasy and cancelled our card, but found that 84 had been charged to it. Visa has credited this back, but says an investigation could take up to 120 days.

The call actually came from a company called IT Protect Limited, based in Bognor Regis, West Sussex. It has no links to BT.

It had tried to sell you a so-called call blocker in 2014. You returned the gadget at the time, but this explains how IT Protect had your card details.

Soon after the phone call, you received a letter from IT Protect, suggesting that the 84 was some sort of renewal fee to stop nuisance calls. It explained: We have upgraded you to the latest opt-out register in the UK and also to the Telephone Preference Service.

The TPS is the official free service that aims to stop or minimise incoming nuisance calls, but in this case, what is the other opt-out register that is supposedly an upgrade?
News / Africa

by Staff Reporter

A Man in Lusaka's Kanyama Township has sued his wife for divorce because she went home with her private parts shaved.Times of Zambia reported that Emmanuel Daka, 44, sued Melenia Tembo, 37, of Kanyama West Township for divorce because he found her private parts shaved upon her return from a funeral."The day she returned from a funeral I wanted to have sex with her but discovered that she was shaved."Since I am the one who shaved her, I wondered who had done that," he said.He said he suspected Tembo had a lover because she always complained whenever he went home carrying vegetables.Daka said he had also noticed that Tembo had lately been buying good clothes and eating delicious meals."My wife probably has a lover since she always complains when I buy vegetables that she wants meat or chicken but I don't work and I can't manage to buy her what she wants," he said.Daka said he could not afford to buy expensive clothes or food for Tembo, and advised her to find a rich man to satisfy her desires.In defence, Tembo denied having a lover and said she shaved herself so that she could look clean.She said her husband did not support the family, adding that through her business she managed to take her children to school.Tembo said she was comfortable with the divorce since Daka did not love her and did not care for the family.Magistrate Ackim Phiri did not grant the couple divorce, but asked Daka and Tembo to find time to resolve their differences before returning to court on March 16, 2016.
Geoff Wilding is a man on a mission  to take shares in carpet maker Victoria up to 25 and sell the business to a large US company.

Today, the stock is priced at 1377p so there is some way to go. However, Wilding has already shown his mettle and if he continues to deliver on his promises, the gains will be considerable.

Wilding is a down-to-earth New Zealander who has been turning round underperforming companies for almost 20 years.

He became chairman of Victoria in 2013 following an acrimonious boardroom coup. At the time, the shares were less than 100p and the company was at rock bottom.

Royal approval: Victoria made the carpet for the wedding of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge in 2011

Far-sighted shareholders who bought back then have already been handsomely rewarded. But even today there is significant potential.

Victoria is the largest carpet maker in the UK and the second largest in Australia. Founded in Scotland in 1895, the company is based in Kidderminster, Worcestershire, home to the traditional carpet industry.

It has been carpeting Royal households since 2006 and in 2013 received a Royal Warrant from the Queen. It even provided the red carpet for the wedding of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge in 2011.

When Wilding joined in 2012, costs were high and pre-tax profits had fallen by almost 20 per cent to 1.55 million. He set about cutting costs, selling non-essential sites in Australia, raising prices to more commercial levels and invigorating the sales team.

He also worked out that Victoria needed to grow so it could strike better deals with suppliers, offer a greater variety of goods to retailers and drive down the cost of transporting carpets round the country.

Along the way, he regained the support of Victorias banks so the company could make acquisitions. Since then, five transactions have been completed, including Westex, one of the countrys highest-quality carpet firms, which supplied carpets to the Shangri-La hotel at The Shard in London.

Most carpet makers are private family businesses run by owners approaching retirement. Wilding offers them a way out, buying their companies and keeping them on until they retire. Obviously, some are in better shape than others and Wilding is selective, looking at dozens of businesses before homing in on one or two.

He has chosen well so far. Brokers expect revenues will almost double to 254 million in the year to March 31, with profits up from 7 million to at least 15 million. Further strong growth is expected next year, too.

To date, Wilding has used the companys greater scale primarily to achieve better terms with suppliers. Over the next financial year, the aim is to reduce distribution costs.

Victorias biggest single customer is store chain Carpetright and even that firm accounts for just 4 per cent of sales. Retailer John Lewis is a customer too, but most of the rest are small, independent firms scattered around the country.

Victorias biggest single customer is store chain Carpetright and even that firm accounts for just 4 per cent of sales

Transporting carpets to them can be expensive if a lorry is only taking one or two orders at a time. But the larger Victoria gets, the more orders it receives, so lorries become more full and the delivery cost per carpet falls.

Victorias acquisitions have all been in the UK so far, but a sixth deal is expected in the next few weeks  Belgian firm Lano. Around the world, the dominant carpet markets are North America, the UK, Australia, New Zealand and mainland Europe (though about half of the carpet sold in the UK is manufactured in Europe).

Wildings medium-term aim is to become the largest carpet maker everywhere bar North America. At that point, the logic goes, the business will be an appetising morsel for a US giant to swallow up.

Mindful of debt and the risks of overexpansion, Victoria is likely to limit acquisitions to a couple a year, but even that should make a material difference to sales and profits by 2018.

Reassuringly too, Wilding is the single largest shareholder, with 33 per cent of the shares, so he is incentivised to make this business work, particularly as he takes home a salary of just 65,000 with no bonuses or options  extremely modest by comparison with his peers.

The Victoria board is compact, comprising Wilding as chairman, a finance director and three non-executives, including a member of the Anton family, which founded the firm.

Some concerns have been expressed that too much power is vested in Wilding, but in time a chief executive may well be added to the board.
Pouring in: Charlie Mullins has seen profits soar

He's not short of a bob or two, so millionaire plumber Charlie Mullins will be more than able to deal with a pay cut.

Accounts just filed for Pimlico Plumbers, the UK's largest independent plumbers, which Mullins founded in 1979, show that he paid himself 576,000 in the last financial year, down from 628,000 previously, and chose to go without a dividend, having picked up 3 million last time.

Mullins, 63, who recently made his son Scott, 43, a director, said it was a record year for the firm, with sales up 26 per cent to 25.6 million and profits up from 1.9 million to 3.3 million.

The upward trend has continued into this year, with 2.9 million of sales during January.

Mullins said: 'Even I would be questioning the figures if I wasn't aware of the leaps and bounds we've made as a company.'
Challenge: Kate Bostock is launching a campaign to help women in retail

It's high time a woman ran Marks & Spencer.

So declares Kate Bostock, the group's one-time fashion boss and herself once thought to be a candidate for the top job at Britain's best-known stores group.

'I thought it might have happened this time round,' she says regretfully. It didn't of course. When current chief Marc Bolland steps down next month he will be replaced by another man  Steve Rowe.

Bostock drives on. 'It's a very female-dominated business in terms of its customer base and, at the end of the day, that's what the business is all about  the customers that you're selling to. Hopefully, it will happen soon.'

At M&S, 15 of its 21 operational directors are men. But Bostock says: 'It's a fact that boards with women on them are better companies and more successful.'

Of course, M&S is not alone. As Bostock points out, women do the vast majority of shopping in many households, often even buying their male partner's clothes and yet just one of the retailers in the FTSE 100  as well as the major fashion names, Next, Debenhams, House of Fraser and New Look  is run by a woman.

And according to a report by executive search firm Korn Ferry, only 15 per cent of the 45 newly appointed retail chief executives last year were women, even less than the previous year.

'It's disappointing. In those big corporate firms the men still dominate even though there are a lot of women in the business. Whereas in the smaller and medium-sized firms women often dominate,' she says. Bostock herself is now a consultant at fashion chain Coast and is building her own kids fashion brand Angel & Rocket with her own money.

It is not that women are unrepresented overall in retailing: one step down from the boardroom there are plenty of women.

'Getting girls from manager level, to senior manager to director level  taking that step  is still a challenge.

'We're not quite there yet are we?' she states as a fact, rather than a question. 'You've got to have that ambition. You've got to really want to do it and you've got to set yourself up with support so you're not at work worrying about your children or catching the train,' she says.

'But the biggest issue is that too many women are unsure whether they can actually make that step and whether they will be supported.'

Bostock was a director of a fashion supplier in her mid-20s and held senior roles at Next and George at Asda before joining M&S in 2004. By 2007 she was in the boardroom as a director  one of six women out of 28 executives.

But while Bostock clearly feels it is time for a change in retailing, she is not bitter. 'I'm really happy with everything I've done and where I've got to,' says Bostock, who lives in Buckinghamshire and has many of the trappings of success, including those typically usually associated with a rather more blokey style.

Fraternity: Just one of the retailers in the FTSE 100  as well as the major fashion names, Next, Debenhams, House of Fraser and New Look  is run by a woman

She admits to recently buying a matt charcoal grey Porsche Targa with the licence plate BO55 TOK, under advice from her two sons. At the same time there are hints of some regrets over what being ambitious as a woman used to mean, in the less enlightened past.

'I am conscious that I've worked really hard and I compromised a lot of things to get there. Actually, I think it probably should be a little bit easier than it was for me,' says Bostock.

'I compromised the time I spent with my family. I wasn't there at the school gate and I didn't always make the Christmas Carol concert. Sometimes that can be hard  you question yourself,' she says.

The speed at which she returned to work after her maternity leave, for example. 'I had a very short maternity break.

I was off for a month when I had my eldest boy and I was off for just a week when I had my second. Two weeks later I made a trip to the Far East. For years I was proud of it, but it's a bit embarrassing now really,' she says.

'I was very fortunate. I had a lot of help  great nannies and a lot of support from my family. But it was hard going in the 1980s for professional girls because employers couldn't keep your job open or find people to do it on a temporary basis.

Things are 100 per cent different now,' she suggests. And she even has good words for one corporate group, Next, which she says pioneered employment terms that allowed women to take a maternity break more easily and then pick up their career where they left off.

Her sons Lewis and Joel are now 32 and 25 respectively and were therefore grown up when she arrived in the M&S boardroom.

Bostock admits to recently buying a matt charcoal grey Porsche Targa with the licence plate BO55 TOK, under advice from her two sons

So that top job at M&S  could it ever have been hers? 'If I'd have pushed I could probably have made it happen,' she says. 'But I had eight great years there and I was ready to do something different.'

Due to celebrate her 60th birthday in September, Bostock, who cites Mary Quant, Betty Jackson and Vivienne Westwood as her role models, is enjoying being at the ground floor of her own new company.

'It's an achievement to start up your own business. And it's a bit of a white-knuckle ride when you are investing your second or third lump of money,' she says of Angel & Rocket, which was set up two years ago.

In June last year she stepped down as chief executive at Coast to focus on her new firm, though she continues to advise there.

Angel & Rocket is, she hopes, about to take off. The brand is sold in 25 concessions in the Middle East, is being trialled online at Amazon and House of Fraser and will be on sale in John Lewis stores from the autumn.

This week Bostock is helping to launch a campaign to encourage female talent in retailing.

The campaign 'Be Inspired' launches on Thursday at Retail Week Live, the industry's biggest annual conference and, as well as Bostock, is supported by Angela Spindler, chief executive of N Brown; Dixons Carphone UK and Ireland chief executive Katie Bickerstaffe; Debenhams group trading director and board member Suzanne Harlow; and Ann Summers chief executive Jacqueline Gold.

'We want to see things change and do whatever we can to influence girls to push the boundaries and to go for these big jobs,' says Bostock, who has discussed a number of non-executive roles.

So when might a woman be running one of the bigger firms? 'I don't know the answer to that, but I will do everything I can to make sure that happens soon,' she says.
John Longworth was suspended from his position last weekend after revealing his pro-Brexit views

John Longworth, the former director-general of the British Chambers of Commerce, has warned that Britain's five million small businesses are the 'silent majority' in the EU referendum debate and the vote is far more evenly split than research from business groups including the BCC  suggests.

Longworth, who was this weekend named as a committee member of Vote Leave, was controversially suspended from his position last weekend after revealing his pro-Brexit views at the BCC's annual conference and has now resigned.

He told The Mail on Sunday that the organisation had got itself into a 'muddle' after it emerged last week that individual chambers will be allowed to express a stance. The BCC as a whole is staying neutral.

The business group, which is 156 years old and has 52 chambers nationally, was tweeting links with 'further clarification of the BCC's position of neutrality' last week. It has said: 'Some local chamber board members and chairs have taken their own stance and that is their prerogative.'

Longworth said: 'It's very interesting they've allowed the chambers to have their own stance but not the director-general. So they're going to have chairmen and chief executives of chambers pronouncing their views? They've got themselves into a bit of a muddle really.

'It's such an important issue it's important that we get as many views out as possible, as long as they're fact based.'

And he explained that most companies are not being represented in the debate because they are not members of business groups. BCC members range from start-ups to subsidiaries of multinationals.

He said: 'If you put all the groups together, they represent about a fifth of UK business. Four-fifths are the silent majority. By and large, those are small companies operating domestically.

'If you look at all the business groups' surveys and you look at the bit of the survey that represents small businesses, you'll find it's pretty nearly 50:50.'

Exclusive: Our interview last week with BCC boss following his suspension

He added: 'As that's the biggest part of the economy, if you extrapolate that and take business as a whole, it's pretty evenly split. Much more split than people think. It's just that the bit that's represented tends to be big business.

'You've also got to look at who's speaking out. They tend to be foreign multinationals who deal in goods, and the single market in Europe is one for goods.

'The majority of the UK economy is services and there is no single market in services. It's designed for German goods and French agriculture. So that vast part of the UK economy is not represented.'
News / Local

by Vusumuzi Dube

THE Bulawayo City Council is considering suing the Affirmative Action Group (AAG) after an internal audit revealed that allegations of corruption which the pressure group had levelled against the local authority were false. The two organisations have since late last year been at each other's throats with AAG even approaching the High(image) Court of Zimbabwe and imploring Local Government, Public Works and National Housing Minister Saviour Kasukuwere to dissolve the local authority.In the pressure group's founding affidavit they alleged the local authority had tenders worth more than $8 million that had serious irregularities due to massive corruption, nepotism, negligence and collusion of senior council officials. This led to the council instigating an internal audit.A council confidential report seen by Sunday News, detailing the results of the audit showed that the council concluded that all the allegations were false hence the need to sue AAG."From the foregoing it is clear that the allegation by AAG is malicious, without foundation and will have the net effect of tarnishing the reputation of council officials and council as a whole. Audit investigations have revealed quite clearly that all allegations by AAG are a complete fabrication and are without basis or foundation whatsoever."Audit is of the view that if there are no consequences for such spurious, unjustified, malicious and reckless allegations, council will continuously find itself in a state of flux that is clearly not in the interest of council and residents of Bulawayo. Consequently, audit recommends that council's legal section explore what recourse is open to council in the light of such relentless attacks from groups such as AAG," reads the report.However, AAG dismissed the purported audit by the local authority, daring the council to instigate an external audit rather than an internal audit. AAG Matabeleland regional president Mr Reginald Shoko said the internal audit findings were null and void as it was impossible for the "junior" audit officials to investigate seniors who were implicated in the alleged corruption cases."This is just window dressing, a smoke screen which won't fool us at all because for starters how can you expect these junior officials to come up with a ruling against their seniors. If these people are as clean as they claim then why don't they have the guts of calling for an external audit? As AAG we won't rest until they have put their house in order and further regard this internal audit as null and void," said Mr Shoko.AAG also issued the city's Mayor Councillor Martin Moyo an ultimatum to explain a number of tender allegations levelled against the local authority, including the acquisition of a 3,5 hectares piece of land by the city's Deputy Mayor, Clr Gift Banda, for $130 000 for the construction of town houses for middle and high income earners.According to the council report, areas which the investigating team focused on included allegations that the local authority had expended $5 million in purchasing plant and equipment that it had itself decommissioned on account that that it was obsolete.AAG further alleged that not all the items that had been ordered had been delivered."Also without giving a specific example, the group alleged that council was operating without a system of internal checks and balances. Their fourth allegation was that council had refused to connect Mbundane Township with water citing lack of capacity."On the fifth and last allegations, the group claimed that, after declining to connect Mbundane suburb, council officials, who operated unlimited beverage accounts in Delta Corporation, had proceeded to connect the Delta Beverages plant at Fairbridge," reads part of the report.In the first allegation of purchasing obsolete equipment the investigating team came up with a list of all plant and equipment auctioned since 2009, compared with the newly acquired plant to ascertain whether it was the same that had been bought off council, refurbished and sold back to council."The description of the plant and machinery and chassis numbers of the auctioned and newly acquired plant and machinery were matched and found to be totally different from each other. A physical inspection of new plant and machinery discounted the possibility that the new plant could remotely let alone be the same equipment that council had auctioned since 2009."AAG was presented with an opportunity to buttress their allegations and provide irrefutable evidence proving their allegations to be true but regrettably failed dismally to do, stating that the information could be relayed to their major suspects. From the investigations it is clear that the allegations by AAG are malicious, unfounded and a complete fabrication," reads the report.On the third allegations where AAG suggested that Habek Enterprises had applied to council to have Mbundane Township connected to BCC's water reticulation system, an application which BCC had allegedly turned down, it was noted that this was a move by either the developer or AAG to circumvent council procedures."Council should vigorously resist any attempt by the developer or AAG to circumvent council procedure in relation to the connection of Mbundane to council water reticulation system and insist that this or any other developer comply with BCC requirements. Also council should punish any developer or individual who tempers with its infrastructure to effect any connection to council or for any reason at all," reads the report.It was further noted that the developer failed or simply refused to comply with council's requirements and further, after being given a window by BCC, the developer went on to illegally connect the suburb to the city's water mains.On the allegations that some council officials, who operated unlimited beverage accounts in Delta Corporation, had influenced the company's Fairbridge plant being connected to the city's sewer system, the investigation discovered that no senior official had liquor accounts with Delta Beverages as alleged by AAG.It was further noted that while the cost of the project was borne on Delta, the outfall sewer would provide easy link to Killarney East which is earmarked for densification with 450 stands and further the unlocking of development of 650 stands at the envisaged Mahatshula East project.
News / Local

by Stephen Jakes

A 39-year-old Zimbabwean national was recently fined P500 for possessing an illegally obtained Botswana identity card that enabled him to stay for close to two decades and find employment as a groundsman.Gadzanani Mogweu from the border town of Plumtree in the neighboring country was convicted on his own plea of guilty on a single count of giving false information to a person employed in the public service.His crime came to light when he went to renew his ID in 2014 but failed to produce all the required documents.Mogweu was initially sentenced to a three-year jail term wholly suspended for three years on condition that he does not commit any offense in the country.Appearing before Francistown senior magistrate Dumisani Basupi recently, remorseful Mogweu did not waste the court's time by denying the charges leveled against him.He admitted that he fraudulently obtained the ID through illegal means sometime in September 1999.While at the Department of Civil and National Registration offices where he was being interrogated, Mogweu confessed that he gave false information to the effect that he was born in Francistown when he was in fact born and bred in Plumtree.Sentencing Mogweu, Basupi expressed displeasure at the rate at which foreigners are obtaining national documents through fraudulent means.
News / Local

by Staff Reporter

The former head of Nandi Primary School in Chiredzi, Christopher Magwendere (53) who touched a pupil's breasts has been ordered to pay a fine of $300 by Magistrate Geraldine Mutsoto.Masvingo Mirror reported that Mangwendere resigned from the Ministry of Education immediately after the matter was reported to his superiors last year.He touched the girl as she was cleaning one of the rooms at his offices.Mangwendere could not be convicted on a charge against second minor after it was ruled out that the evidence was inadequate.It is the State case that the complainant and her colleagues were ordered by the head to come early to school to sweep some rooms. While they were doing so the complainant was given her own room to sweep.Mangwendere then entered the room and closed the door behind him as the girl was removing some spider webs from the walls.Mangwendere walked close to the minor and started rubbing her head going down to the shoulders until his hands reached the breasts which he then touched.He was asking the girl about her family and siblings as he did so but the child bolted out as soon as he started touching her breasts.The minor reported the matter to her colleagues and then to her mother after senior teachers in the school had planned to resolve the matter internally. The mother came to the school and Mangwendere resigned soon afterwards.On the second charge Mangwendere was accused of touching a 13 year old girl.In her ruling, Mutsoto considered the humiliation that Mangwendere suffered, his age and that he was a first offender.Mangwendere who was represented by Tatenda Kabasa of Pundu Legal Practitioners pleaded not guilty to the charges and cited hatred from fellow teachers as the reason for his persecution.Magwendere's lawyer prayed for the court to exercise leniency with his client saying he was an elderly man who had served as a teacher for over 30 years."The accused only touched breasts of the complainant and also that the complainant had served more than 30 years teaching and that he is elderly, the court should be lenient in passing out the sentence." said Kabasa.David Tafangenyasha prosecuted.
By William Lewis

The New York Conservative Party was first formed in 1962 and since that time has played an important role in our state election process.

State Conservative Party Chairman Michael Long has guided the party for over 25 years. Most of that time, candidates received the endorsements of the Conservative Party and it increased their chances of being elected.

In a recent interview with Long, he gave his views on various aspects of the 2016 presidential race. He indicated that he, as chairman of the Conservative Party, as well as the Conservative Party itself, will not endorse a candidate for president at this time, but may do so in the future.

If Donald Trump is the Republican candidate, Long wants to see who his vice presidential candidate will be. He noted that there seems to be more enthusiasm this year among the Republican electorate than there has been in previous presidential elections. He said that on the Democratic side, he believes that Bernie Sanders has a lot of enthusiasm due to opposition to Hillary Clinton. Long believes this years presidential race is different from the standpoint that the policies of President Obama have resulted in the country having less national prestige that it had before, which has affected the electorate.

Long sees a Republican-Conservative alliance in the fall election. He mentions that the two most important issues in this election are national leadership and the economy, especially jobs. The amount of anger that has affected the electorate has been directed towards our present government.

However, Long thinks that anger should not be the reason for political decisions. He is hopeful that conservative values will strongly influence the 2016 presidential election. The Conservative Party has helped many Republicans and some Democrats in various elections, both federal and state.

As indicated, Michael Long intends for the Conservative Party to play an important role in this years elections. As we look back at Super Tuesday, Donald Trump won seven primaries. Some political observers believe that this probably gives the nomination to Trump. However, Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz say that they will continue battling for the nomination. So the Republican campaign can go all the way to the convention and we could have a brokered convention. It is interesting that we started out with 17 candidates in the Republican primaries, and now we are down to four. This is certainly unusual, to say the least.

Looking at the overall situation. Trump seems to have a strong following but he does not yet have a full majority. It is beginning to look more and more like the presidential race will be between two New York candidates, Trump and Clinton. In terms of the two candidates, we will see one of the biggest political fights in American presidential history.

Many young people are getting involved in politics this year. That is especially true in the case of Trump and Sanders.

Thus, 2016 promises to be a critical year in American history as it progresses towards Election Day. When the results are in, it will be interesting to see who is finally victorious.
Airport development adding to economy, jobs in the region

Pittsburgh may always be known as the Steel City, but a wave of new industries are popping up near its airport to redefine business in the region.
PHOTOS BY Patrick Johnston/Times Record News Members of Shannon Folk perform at the St. Patrick's Day Downtown Street Festival Saturday afternoon.

SHARE Magician Chris Fowler performs a trick for a crowd gathered at the St. Patrick's Day Downtown Street Festival Saturday afternoon. Patrick Johnston/Times Record News Members of the Dirty River Boys perform at the St. Patrick's Day Downtown Street Festival Saturday afternoon. Patrick Johnston/Times Record News A group of children work to complete a colorful cereal necklace or bracelet craft at the St. Patrick's Day Downtown Street Festival Saturday afternoon. The crafts were one of several new free offerings in the kids area of the festival. Patrick Johnston/Times Record News A pair work on a chalk drawing on the sidewalk at the St. Patrick's Day Downtown Street Festival Saturday afternoon. The chalk was one of several new free offerings in the kids area of the festival.

By Patrick Johnston, patrick.johnston@timesrecordnews.com

The annual St. Patrick's Day Downtown Street Festival had a bit more Irish culture and cheer Saturday evening with the return of a festival staple.

Shannon Folk, the one band performing on both the outdoor and indoor stages, returned to the annual event after missing the festival for a few years. They first performed at the event in 2003.

The band members are friends of Iron Horse Pub co-owner and Tipperary, Ireland, native Daniel Ahern. The band hails from Killaloe in County Clare, right across the River Shannon from Tipperary.

"We love coming to Texas, particularly Wichita Falls, to help celebrate St. Patrick's Day and to help with the downtown regeneration work here, which is fantastic," said Shannon Folk's John Grimes.

The proceeds from the event, which is put on by Downtown Wichita Falls Development Inc., go toward the development of downtown, including the Zales Building. The organization hopes the building will be completed in April and ready to reveal.

The holiday, celebrated on the traditional death date of Saint Patrick, commemorates the arrival of Christianity to Ireland and celebrates Irish heritage and culture. In the United States, it has become a reason to don green clothing and enjoy several pints with friends and family.

"There's still a fair bit of drinking," Grimes said of celebrations back home. "It's a religious holiday. It's our national day for our national saint, so everybody goes to Mass then they go to the pubs. It's a good day and good fun."

This year's event also included several changes to the kids area. Event organizers included several free activities for children, including sidewalk chalk, a few crafts and a bubble area.

The St. Patrick's Day Downtown Street Festival, an Iron Horse Pub event that was adopted by DWFD in 2006, is probably the largest fundraiser for the organization, DWFD Assistant Director Jeanette VanDonge said in a March 11 Times Record News article.
News / Local

by Thobekile Zhou

Dear Colleagues



Following the district rallies held by the party on Sunday the 6th of March 2016 in Byo, the members of the Presidential Guard stationed at the Byo State House have taken upon themselves to go around Saurcetown suburb fishing out all those individuals who attended the party meeting at Hide Out Hall and beating them.



Two women were tortured and had their dresses torn up by the soldiers. They were insulted for turning byo central constituency into a PDP territory.



Three men were forced to admit that they attended a meeting that was addressed by Biti, Sipepa, Matibenga and Gorden where Mugabe was insulted. These men were forced to do some press ups before they were kicked on their bumbs.



All these victims of the soldiers narrated their ordeal to their councilor Mrs Mataka-Moyo. They also reported to their district leaders.



PDP would like to condemns in no uncertain terms these barbaric acts of violence and intimidation by the military establishment.



PDP is seriously considering taking a legal route against Minister of Defence Sydney Sekaramayi, General Chiwenga and the Commander of the Presidential Guard based in Byo State House in line with the provisions of the constitution which prohibit the members of the security forces from participating in partisan politics.



Dr Gorden Moyo



PDP SG

BULAWAYO State House in Saurcetown suburb which has become a white elephant has been turned into a no passing zone by members of the Presidential Guard.Residents passing through the house have been subjected to massive abuse by the soldiers.A resident, Mpilwenhle Sibanda and her friend identified as Philip where last week on Wednesday allegedly tortured by the soldiers.The pair was punished for not having a Zanu PF card and attending People's Democratic Party meeting last Sunday.Sibanda recounted her ordeal "We were walking past State House from North End on Wednesday evening around 8pm when soldiers asked us to go inside but we refused, they forced us inside".We were told to run. They made us sit on some stones and asked for our national identity cards but we told them that we had left them at home."They asked for Zanu PF cards and I told them I didn't have one, Philip told them he had left his at home.She said she was slapped three times and accused of attending PDP meeting that was addressed by party leader, Tendai Biti.She said she was later freed but "Philip remained behind".PDP secretary general, Gorden Moyo issued a statement exposing the abuse.
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Hoosick Falls

A banner plastered on the back of one St. Patrick's Day float read "We Heart Hoosick." For several hours in the small Rensselaer County village, the streets filled with people  U.S. Rep. Chris Gibson, a local Girl Scout troop, dance groups and bands  who walked down several blocks on an uncharacteristically warm March day.

Hoosick Falls held its 25th annual St. Patrick's Day parade on Saturday, registering 51 groups to loop around a longer-than-usual route. Residents said the festivities brought a welcome chance to celebrate the community of the village whose water system has high levels of perfluorooctanoic acid, or PFOA. Exposure to PFOA has been linked to several diseases, including cancer, and the last several months in Hoosick Falls have been marked by information meetings and blood tests.

But on Saturday, people chatted on church lawns, grabbed candy that was tossed into the street from floats and danced to "Celebration" and "All Shook Up." Many people wore white "I heart Hoosick" buttons.

"Especially this year, it's great to have this support," said Sue Hyde, 55. She moved to Hoosick Falls from Albany in 1991.

She and her husband, John Hyde, 58, stood on the grass outside the brick St. Mark's Episcopal Church on Saturday. "It's a very tight community," she said.

Julie Colvin, 57, said residents are trying to stay positive, adding that she will not try to move out of the village.

"When something is wrong, everyone rallies around you," said Colvin, the assistant director of an area senior center. "I can't imagine starting over anywhere else."

Jerry Tate, 78, has been living in his Hoosick Street home for the last 40 years with his wife, Janice Tate, 77.

"Everyone's coming out today," Jerry Tate said, noting that the long line of floats was a "wonderful" break in a difficult time for the village.

Steps away from an indoor lunch at the Immaculate Conception Church, the state Health Department tested blood for PFOA levels in the Hoosick Falls HAYC3 Armory on Church Street.

Greg Restino, 60, said he wishes Gov. Andrew Cuomo had visited Hoosick Falls as a sign of support.

Gibson's visit, however, "means a lot," said Restino, a service manager for a car dealership who was born and raised in Hoosick Falls.

After living in Vermont, Restino and his girlfriend, Kathleen Reece, have lived in Hoosick Falls for the last 15 years, but they want to leave, she said.

Friends of Restino and Reece have waited on the results of blood tests for the last several weeks. Reece, 62, has had cancer in her thyroid, her uterus and her breast.

"It's like waiting for the guillotine to fall," she said. "But we're still here, we're still alive."

lellis@timesunion.com  518-454-5018  @lindsayaellis
News / National

by Tendai Gukutikwa

FOR murdering his ex-girlfriend's new lover after finding them sleeping together, a Chipinge man was slapped with a 19-year jail term. Unity Kaziko pleaded not guilty to the murder charges he was facing when he appeared before High Court judge, Justice Charles Hungwe last week.Law officer, Ms Jane-Rose Matsikidze appeared for the State, while Mutare lawyer, Mr Tendai Nenzou appeared for Kaziko. The court heard Sithole visited his girlfriend, Tamia Mlambo at her workplace, Bhobho Fast Foods and later retired to her quarters behind the shop. The accused is alleged to have proceeded to Mlambo's quarters at around midnight that same day and discovered that she had Sithole in her room."Kaziko asked Mlambo to open the door, but she refused. He offered her a cellphone, but she kept refusing to open the door. Mlambo then tried to have Sithole leave by her room, but before he left, Kaziko gained entry, drew an Okapi knife from his pockets and charged towards him (Sithole). He stabbed him on the neck once inflicting a deep cut before disappearing into the night," said Ms Matsikidze.Sithole was rushed to a clinic at Tanganda, but died on the way to Chipinge District Hospital where he had been transferred to. Post mortem results by Dr Mushuwokufa of Chipinge District Hospital presented in court concluded that Sithole's death was due to a damaged windpipe secondary to a stab wound. Testifying in court, Mlambo told the court that Kaziko was her ex-boyfriend who, however, would not accept the termination of their relationship."Kaziko came to my place at around midnight and tried to force his way inside my room, but I refused to open the door. However, some minutes later when we thought he had gone, I entered my workmate's room, leaving Sithole at the connecting door with the intention of letting him leave using my friend's room," testified Mlambo.Unknown to the pair, Kaziko heard and went to enter the workmate's room and suddenly went straight for Sithole who was in Mlambo's room.In sentencing Kazito, Justice Hungwe said he had acted in an inhuman manner and deserved a stiff penalty."It was a mindless murder you committed out of a jealous rage. I do not find it in anyway provocative that the deceased person wanted to defend himself. Since it was a senseless killing, I sentence you to 19 years imprisonment for murder with actual intent," said Justice Hungwe.
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Halfmoon

The massive water main break in Troy this past January was a wake-up call for city officials, who scrambled to find the money to fix it.

It also left businesses in the neighboring communities that depend on Troy water in a lurch.

And it drove home how important dependable infrastructure is to the economy.

"It's a big factor for any size business looking to start up or expand in New York," said Mike Durant, state director of the National Federation of Independent Business in Albany. "You're not going to go somewhere where the roads are in disrepair, bridges wash out, and the lights go out at the first crack of thunder."

"If you have poor infrastructure," said Michael Elmendorf, president and CEO of Associated General Contractors of New York State, "it increases your cost of doing business."

The term infrastructure includes everything from utilities and telecommunications networks to roads, bridges, railroads and airports.

The Capital Region, like much of the country, has fallen behind in maintaining what it has.

But there are exceptions.

When SUNY Polytechnic Institute needed road improvements, local and state governments came through with money to relocate Washington Avenue Extension and build new traffic circles, while National Grid provided the electricity the school and its dozens of technology partners needed as they develop more advanced semiconductors.

And National Grid spokesman Patrick Stella said that the Luther Forest Technology Campus in Saratoga County was another priority.

"There's an area that didn't have that kind of infrastructure to begin with," he said.

Now, GlobalFoundries' massive semiconductor plant employs 3,000 people. Gas, water and electricity sufficient to drive the manufacturing process was brought to the site.

But too often, these are the exceptions.

When Regeneron Pharmaceuticals sought to expand in Rensselaer County, a lack of adequate sewer capacity almost derailed the project.

And nearly $300 million in Capital Region passenger rail improvement projects have progressed slowly since federal funding was first provided back in 2011. The last of the work isn't expected to be completed until next year.

As more infrastructure failures occur, organizations are demanding more response from government officials.

"You're seeing water main breaks and other issues," said Zack Hutchins of the Business Council of New York State. "There's a real broad push for infrastructure" improvements.

In Troy's case, previous city administrations had spent down the money put aside for water repairs in an effort to avoid tax increases. That despite the fact that water sales to surrounding communities bring the city $7.4 million a year.

The break led affected communities in Saratoga County to explore alternate water sources, potentially threatening Troy's water income.

National Grid, meanwhile, has invested $3 billion since 2013 on its upstate gas and electric infrastructure, Stella said.

A pending rate proposal before state regulators would redirect $1.4 billion that was to be returned to ratepayers over the next two years into further infrastructure improvements. The Public Service Commission hasn't yet made a decision.

And at least some of the billions of dollars received by the state as its share in the $110 billion nationwide settlement by banks for their role in the mortgage crisis will go toward such infrastructure projects as the replacement for the Tappan Zee Bridge, improvements at the Port of Albany and expansion of high-speed Internet services to rural areas, The Wall Street Journal reported Thursday.

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Advocates for infrastructure improvements argue that now is the time to act, given the increasing number of failures, the low cost of financing, and the stimulus the projects would provide to the economy.

Every $1 billion in infrastructure spending creates 28,000 direct and indirect jobs, said Elmendorf.

Steven Rattner, a Wall Street executive writing last Thursday in the New York Times, said that federal spending outlays in such areas as research and development and infrastructure had fallen 20 percent in real terms in the past five years.

And a report the same day by the Environmental Advocates of New York called for a quadrupling of spending on sewage infrastructure in New York state, pointing out that sewage had poured into New York's waterways in more than 3,000 instances since a new reporting requirement took effect in early 2013.

Plentiful fresh water has been an asset for the state's economic development officials to tout, but as instances of tainted supplies and broken mains grow, it puts that resource at risk.

A coalition of environmental groups, local government officials and construction trades estimated last December that New York's water and sewer systems will need $60 billion in upgrades over the next two decades.

In the Capital Region, the rail and highway systems have also played a critical role in economic development, luring distribution centers and creating thousands of new jobs.

But those networks also are showing stress, with rail freight shipments delayed and heavy trucks detoured around bridges that can no longer support their weight.

Dairy trucks serving the state's growing yogurt industry have encountered bridges and roads that "can't support the increased volume of traffic," said Elmendorf.

"You've got to fix this stuff," he added. "This is not an optional need."

eanderson@timesunion.com  518-454-5323
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Albany

It's a burning issue. Nearby states are going to pot. They're planting the seeds of a new industry.

When the issue is the legalization of marijuana, it's hard to choose just the right pun. I'll stop blowing smoke and get to the point: Vermont lawmakers are expected to legalize marijuana for recreational use this year, and voters in Massachusetts will probably do the same.

Then, there's New York.

More Information Contact Chris Churchill at 518-454-5442 or email cchurchill@timesunion.com See More Collapse

We're the square, uptight state in the neighborhood. While other states are joining the party, we're still, er, rolling out our overly restrictive and all-too limited experiment with medical marijuana.

Here's the question: How will New York handle the peer pressure?

C'mon, you know you want to try it. Think of what you could do with all that tax revenue. Really, you'll love it if you just try it.

The Vermont legalization push comes straight from Gov. Peter Shumlin, a Democrat who called for an "end to the era of prohibition" in his State of the State speech in January. A legalization bill has already passed in the state Senate, and the House is expected to do the same.

The law, which could take effect early next year, would allow adults older than 20 to possess up to an ounce of marijuana and would create licenses for retailers and growers.

Meanwhile, in Massachusetts, legalization advocates are working feverishly to put a referendum question before voters in November. Polls suggest the measure would pass.

New York isn't likely to be swayed by the ... sorry, I just can't help it ... joint venture. Legalization bills burn out in the Legislature, and Gov. Andrew Cuomo, a reluctant backer even of medical marijuana, remains an opponent.

Still, the easy availability of legal recreational marijuana in nearby states could force New York into difficult decisions.

Would New York follow the path of Nebraska, which is attempting to sue neighboring Colorado over its marijuana laws, citing increased enforcement costs and federal anti-drug laws? (Nebraska, like New York, has decriminalized possession of small amounts of marijuana.)

Or would New York go with a more mellow approach?

And what impact would legal recreational marijuana in Vermont and Massachusetts have on New York's fledgling medical marijuana effort? Would it compel the state to loosen the program's restrictions?

These aren't easy questions to answer, given that we don't yet know details of what Vermont and Massachusetts may approve. The best we can do, for now, is hazy speculation.

With that caveat, Steve Stallmer, a spokesman for Etain, a Warren County medical cannabis producer with a dispensary in Albany, said he expects some medical marijuana patients would cross the border to buy in neighboring states, particularly with the burdensome restrictions in New York.

"I would hope that would be a wake-up call for New York," Stallmer said.

Maybe. But probably not. State government can be a bit obtuse, don't you know.

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Likewise, nobody should be surprised that the state's medical marijuana program is riddled with half-baked regulations that make it largely unworkable. That's the New York Way.

Polls on whether New Yorkers support legalization for recreational use show mixed results. Fifty-seven percent of respondents to a 2014 Quinnipiac poll supported it, but a Siena poll released that same year found that 53 percent of New Yorkers oppose it.

The Siena result would seem to belie New York's liberal reputation. But this is also the state that has most aggressively targeted cigarette smoking, and our largest city even tried to ban big sodas  so maybe the anti-libertarian reluctance to loosen pot laws shouldn't surprise us.

Still, acceptance of marijuana legalization is growing nationally.

It's now legal to purchase marijuana in four states  Alaska, Colorado, Oregon and Washington  and a handful of states are expected to follow suit this year. Meanwhile, a Gallup poll released last fall found that 58 percent of Americans support legalization, up from 36 percent a decade ago.

That's a sea of change, and it reminds me of how attitudes toward gay marriage changed after it became legal in several states. The early adopters proved that the sky-will-fall predictions of opponents were ridiculous, and that the benefits of expanded freedom far exceeded the negatives.

The analogy isn't perfect, because it was often courts that forced the legalization of gay marriage. And, obviously, the freedom to marry is far more essential than the freedom to get stoned  or at least it should be.

But you'll remember that Vermont and Massachusetts led the way on expanded marriage rights, convincing New York to eventually follow. Expect a similar pattern with marijuana legalization.

It's a budding development worth following. We're getting into the weeds. The old restrictions are going up in smoke.

cchurchill@timesunion.com  518-454-5442  @chris_churchill
News / National

by Tendai Gukutikwa

Assault is a crime and a Mutare man risks spending the next four months in prison if he fails to pay $200 fine after being convicted of assaulting a police officer.George Chipunza (34) pleaded guilty to the charges of assault when he appeared before Mutare magistrate, Mr Langton Mukwengi.Mr Fletcher Karombe prosecuted.Chipunza was sentenced to four months imprisonment. He was, however, asked to pay a $200 optional fine.It was the State's case that Chipunza assaulted Constable David Makunya at ZRP Sakubva Charge Office when he has assaulted his wife."Chipunza and wife had come to settle a domestic dispute at the police station where Chipunza had been the instigator of the violence towards his wife."Asked to answer questions regarding the assault by Constable Makunya, Chipunza turned violent and assaulted the police officer," said Karombe.Responding to the allegations, Chipunza told the court that he had retaliated after the police officer had assaulted him first."Your Worship, Constable Makunya assaulted me first. I even have injuries all over my body and I request medical treatment since I am in pain," he begged the court.
What you need to know about Powerball and the $580 million jackpot
News / National

by Collette Mukome

THERE was drama at the Mutare Civil Court last Thursday after the senior wife attacked her husband's small house, accusing her of snatching her man.So intriguing was the drama which spilled into the courtroom where the enraged senior wife traded harsh words with the small house. Even a binding peace order issued by presiding magistrate, Mrs Yeukai Chigodora could not stop the feuding parties from trading insults. It had to take the intervention of police officers who detaiedn them in a room to cool down their tampers. They were released when they had calmed down.Things came to a boil when Mrs Chigodora granted a binding peace order to both Mildred Matimba and Fortunate Tsarai who are in a polygamous relationship with their mechanic husband whose name was not supplied.The ruling was made after Matimba failed to provide the court with proof of the messages which were allegedly sent by her husband's girlfriend, Tsarai, saying the husband had deleted them. Matimba was praying for a peace order against Tsarai whom she said was her husband's girlfriend who was trying to snatch him from her.Matimba said: "Your Worship, I pray that this woman should be barred from sending me insulting messages. She is not married to my husband and no relative knows about her. She is just cohabiting with my husband. As for now I consider her as a girlfriend because she has not been formally introduced to the family. She sent me vulgar messages and I cannot withstand this anymore."However, Tsarai disputed everything and told the court that it was Matimba who always starts the fights between them. Tsarai told the court that at one point she was arrested after Matimba made a false report against her to the police.Tsarai said: "In August 2015, I was arrested and detained in cells after Matimba made a false report. After failing to produce ample evidence before the courts the matter was withdrawn. She is the one who would start sending vulgar messages and if I respond, she will report the matter to the police. My husband is sorting out everything for my formal introductions to the whole family since some of the relatives already know me."I have a two-year-old child with her husband. The man is also mine," she claimed.Matimba denied ever starting fights with Tsarai."I think Matimba is angry because our husband promised to buy me some groceries. I don't harass her in any way because I stay in Nhedziwa. Our husband visits me during weekends and she is the one stays with him longer. I don't know why she is in the habit of following me at my rural home," charged Tsarai.Matimba disputed that Tsarai was the second wife since she was still staying at her mother's place in Nhedziwa."If she is married to my husband, why is he not leaving her parent's home? She is not married to my husband and I will not rest until she leaves my husband," said Matimba.Mrs Chigodora advised them to maintain peace with each other since they were sharing the same husband.She said: "Each one of you should not disturb each other in any way. Sending messages to each other will attract a criminal offence. You are both sharing the same man, therefore you should respect each other."
News / National

by Abel Zhakata

A NYANGA man who raped a neighbour's wife in the full glare of her helpless three children at knife point and went on to rob the family of $96 has been sentenced to 28 years in jail. Nelson Mamhizha (25) pleaded guilty to the two counts of rape and robbery respectively when he appeared before Rusape regional magistrate, Mr Livingstone Chipadza.District public prosecutor, Mr Tirivanhu Mutyasira, told the court that a lengthy jail term was appropriate for Mamhiza. He said the way the crime was perpetrated was a humiliating experience which traumatised both the complainant and her children."Her children will grow up with that humiliating experience in their minds because their mother was raped with them watching helplessly. A lengthy jail term is appropriate," he said in aggravation.The court heard that on February 17 at around 11pm, the complainant was sleeping in her house with her children when she was awakened by a knock on the door."She asked the person who was knocking to identify himself or herself, but there was no reply. After a few minutes the intruder pushed the door and got inside. He rushed to where the complainant was sleeping and grabbed her by the neck to stop her from screaming."The complainant tried to rescue herself, but she was overpowered. The suspect pulled a knife and threatened to kill her if ever she screamed. By that time her children who were also in the room had awakened," said Mr Mutyasira.Mamhiza then raped the complainant in the full glare of her three children who could do nothing about it since they were minors."After raping her, he asked for money and was given $96 which was hidden in a pillow. The children started crying, but the suspect told them to shut up, pointing the knife at them saying he would kill them all. Fearing for her children's lives, she told them to comply and stop crying," he said.After committing the crimes he disappeared into the darkness and sought refuge at a nearby school. A report was made to the police leading to his arrest. Mr Chipadza suspended four years of the sentence on condition of good behaviour.In an unrelated rape case which happened in Nyazura, a 42-year-old man was slapped with an 18-year jail term after he was found guilty of raping his 14-year-old niece.Although he denied the charges when he appeared before Mr Chipadza, Samuel Nyaungwa Munodaani was found guilty after a full trial. Mr Mutyasira told the court that the crime was perpetrated on October 4 last year."On that day at around 8pm, the accused person was at home with the complainant and other children after his wife had gone to Harare leaving him in the custody of the minors."He ordered the complainant to take a radio they were listening to his bedroom. While the complainant was inside, he followed her and turned up the volume of the radio. He asked the girl to touch his manhood, but she refused. He threatened to assault her and she subsequently complied. After a while he raped her. The following day the teenager revealed the case to her friend while they were going to school. The case was reported to the police," said Mr Mutyasira.Munodaani denied the charges saying his niece was cooking up facts to nail him just because he was critical of her promiscuous behaviour. Mr Chipadza did not buy his story. Three years of the sentence were suspended on condition he does not commit a similar offence in the next five years.








A hotspot for Kansas City crime in affluent Brookside was taken down YET AGAIN and neither added security nor more police protection seem to be able to keep the location safe.In the heart of Brookside, this money exchange simply can't seems to be able to do business safely for any extended period of time.Local newswatchers can count on hearing about a bank robbery at this location no less than twice a year and today, in the midst of a parade and plenty of activity. Crooks took down the location yet again.Check the roundup:We've been through this routine before . . . Despite increased security this place is simply a target that endangers the community it surrounds. The horrible track record of this place needs to be addressed if only because it's significant that repeated robberies not threaten a spot in an otherwise pleasant Kansas City middle-class enclave. And now locals in a so-called "nice" neighborhood could face the same lack of resources endured by denizens of the urban core.Additionally, this repeated robbery streak is probably another reason that online banking is the future.Developing . . .
News / National

by Morris Mkwate

President Mugabe returned home from Singapore yesterday, as Zimbabwe prepared to receive tractors worth US$300 000 from India under a deal sealed during the Head of State and Government's October 2015 visit to the Asian subcontinent.He was received at Harare International Airport by Vice-Presidents Emmerson Mnangagwa and Phelekezela Mphoko, Cabinet ministers, other senior Government officials and service chiefs.Anonymous characters e-mailed the airport manager, threatening to bomb the establishment within 24 hours.Reports from India indicate several other places were also targeted.Indian authorities have been on high alert since, with cybercrime experts checking the veracity of the e-mail contents.Though the festival proceeded, President Mugabe  the Guest of Honour  and other Heads of State, including host President Shri Pranas Mukherjee, pulled out on security grounds.President Mugabe thus did not proceed to India, with his whereabouts between destinations remaining guarded in keeping with security norms.The World Culture Festival celebrates multi-culturalism and highlights unity.It is organised yearly by The Art of Living, an educational and humanitarian organisation that promotes peace via conflict resolution, disaster relief, education for all, sustainable rural development, women empowerment, environmental sustainability and prisoner rehabilitation.Philanthropist and spiritual leader Sri Sri Ravi Shankar of India founded the organisation in 1981, and has helped 370 million-plus people in 155 countries. Foreign Affairs Minister Simbarashe Mumbengegwi told Zimbabwean journalists that the President wanted to take advantage of the festival to explore further bilateral economic co-operation, focusing on deals initiated at the Africa-India Summit in October 2015.Among the deals are Bulawayo Thermal Power Station's US$87 million upgrade, construction of a US$30 million bottling plant in Zimbabwe, nephrology training, climate change mitigation, water infrastructure expansion and textbook publishing.Minister Mumbengegwi also spoke of President Mugabe's itinerary, "The travels of the Head of State are never secret. When we left, the nation was so advised  A number of Heads of State had been invited and were going to attend this festival. However, after our departure from home, it then turned out that the security situation in (the Indian capital) New Delhi deteriorated."There had been some attacks at Kolkata Airport. It was also believed similar attacks could occur during the festival.''It was at that time that even the host President decided not to attend the function, and the other Heads of State and Government, including our own President, were also advised that there were security concerns relating to the visit."Of course, once the hosts express security concerns, naturally, it would not have been appropriate for Heads of State and Government to visit when the Indian capital was on security high alert. And so under those circumstances, it was not just our President, but other Heads of State and Government, including the host President, (who) decided not to attend." Presidential spokesperson Mr George Charamba added: "For obvious reasons, we are not in the habit of locating the President's whereabouts between destinations.''In any case, it was journalistic curiosity not a requirement of public information and my obligation is to give such information."Minister Mumbengegwi said President Mugabe was Guest of Honour "because of his global stature", adding that his visit would have explored further bilateral co-operation.He pointed out that as the face of Zimbabwe, the President was mandated to foster good relations with other countries."The invitation to the President was confirmed and the fact that this World Cultural Festival was going to be held was confirmed. It was a festival covering the whole world; there were leaders from all over the world."What we must appreciate is that our President was invited as the Guest of Honour among all the other Heads of State and Government. He was invited and was going to attend this festival.''He was going to be the most important personality there because of his global stature which is appreciated not only in Zimbabwe and Africa, but throughout the world, especially in the developing world."The second point is that our bilateral relations with India are growing. We are undertaking a number of projects with the assistance of India, and there are many others in the pipeline."The minister went on: "Not so long ago, Africa and India held a Summit in New Delhi and at that time, as one would recall, the President was the African Union Chair and, therefore, leader of the African states that attended. He played a key role together with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi."So, this invitation became important in that the Prime Minister of India was going to open the festival and the President of India was going to close it, which meant our President would have had a very good opportunity to follow up on a number of projects which were initiated during the Africa-India Summit."It was not just the festival; it was also an opportunity for our two leaders to be able to interact again in a much more informal environment and it would have provided much more time to follow up on a number of bilateral projects and, of course, on various international issues that they were going to raise with each other.So, the visit was important in terms of the stature of our President as well as the bilateral relations between ourselves and India."He went on, "The Head of State is the Chief Diplomat of any country. He is the one who gives substance to our relations. Apart from being the head of the country, he is also the head and source of our diplomatic activities. Therefore, the interactions between Heads of State and Government are extremely important in boosting relations among countries."You know how important the visit by President Mugabe to China 18 months ago and the visit by President Xi Jinping to Zimbabwe have boosted relations between our two countries. Similarly, after the Africa-India Summit, where our two leaders had an opportunity to meet and discuss, this would have been an important occasion to follow up on the bilateral relations between our two countries."Zimbabwe's Ambassador to India, Mr Maxwell Ranga, revealed that as part of Indo-Zimbabwe co-operation, tractors worth US$300 000 would soon be delivered to Harare. He said Sonalika Tractors of India and Glenwood Agriculture  a Harare-based farming implement supplier  were jointly working on a massive agro-equipment supply model."Sonalika Tractors, which manufactures tractors and other farm implements, met His Excellency, the President RG Mugabe, during the (India-Africa Summit) in October 2015 and they have agreed to establish a tractor assembly plant and production of agriculture equipment in Zimbabwe. The tractor company has since partnered with a Zimbabwean company called Glenwood which has since procured tractors worth US$300 000 and are now at Beira Port, ready for picking to Zimbabwe. The two companies are now working towards a bigger project through a buyers' credit of about USD40 million."Since President Mugabe's October 2015 visit to India, the following have been achieved: an US$87 million line of credit for Bulawayo Thermal Power Station's upgrade was signed;a buyer's credit of US$113 million for Munyati Power Station was approved in November 2015;Indian firm Varun Pepsi Beverages Limited has indicated readiness to build a US$30 million bottling plant. A groundbreaking ceremony in Harare followed on November 13, 2015, and the plant is now under construction and will create 5 000 jobs by 2018. Varun Pepsi is also set to go into agro-industry, solar energy and healthcare, increasing its investment to about US$250 million. Modalities to install solar power grid are being determined, while the same investor, through Medenta Hospital, is working on setting up a diagnosis centre in Zimbabwe;doctors and nurses from Chitungwiza General Hospital are being trained in nephrology by Apollo Group of Hospitals and will thereafter be able to conduct kidney transplants back home. Apollo also agreed to set up health institutions in Zimbabwe, something expected to reduce medical tourism to India in the long run;Kirloskar Pvt Ltd secured two buyers' credit loans (US$29 million for irrigation and US$38 million for water supply services covering seven catchment areas) from Exim Bank of India;a joint venture between Zimbabwe's Kingston's Publishers and India's S Chand Group is being finalised. S Chand Group prints over 50 million books yearly;the Indian Government has indicated interest in contract farming in Zimbabwe;ASG Eye Hospital agreed to bring state-of-the-art equipment to Zimbabwe and open an eye clinic;India now recognises Zimbabwe School Examinations Council qualifications as entry requirements into its universities;Sonalika Tractors, partnering Glenwood, agreed to establish a tractor assembly plant in Zimbabwe; andThe Rotary Club of Delhi has offered free cardiac surgery to 10 Zimbabwean children.
Greece submitted a counterproposal to the creditors request to lower the indirect tax-free threshold from 9,545 euros to 7,000 euros, which is being examined by technical teams

It is possible to achieve an agreement with Greeces creditors on the countrys first program review by March 25, a finance ministry official said on Sunday, following a meeting between the governments economic team and the heads of the institutions, ANA-MPA reports.

According to the official, the two sides have the same target on the revenues expected from reforms in taxation, but disagree on the details. Greece submitted a counterproposal to the creditors request to lower the indirect tax-free threshold from 9,545 euros to 7,000 euros, which is being examined by technical teams. We dont want to lower the tax-free threshold, but if it is lowered by 100-200 euros it will be a success, the official said.

At the same time, the government wants to increase taxes for incomes of around 30,000 euros, while the institutions want to lower it, while the self-employed will be included in the tax scales of the employees and pensioners, but without a tax-free threshold. The government is hoping to avoid taxing farmers with 20 pct tax rates for 2016 and 26 pct for 2017.

Incomes from rents will be taxed according to the agreement signed in August which foresees an increase to 15 pct from 11 pct for incomes up to 12,000 and to 35 pct from 33 pct for over 12,000 euros. The government has proposed a tax rate of 40 pct for incomes over 45,000euros. There will also be a separate tax rate for the solidarity tax which will reach a maximum of 10 pct.

Concerning the fiscal gap, the European Commission and the IMF have set an indicative target, although they still disagree on the issue. Greece believes that, apart from the social security and tax reforms, the undecided measures for the period up to 2018 total less than 1 pct of GDP. The two sides also disagree on the macroeconomic scenario, the official said.

RELATED TOPICS: Greece, Greek tourism news, Tourism in Greece, Greek islands, Hotels in Greece, Travel to Greece, Greek destinations , Greek travel market, Greek tourism statistics, Greek tourism report
Documenta is considered the worlds largest and most prestigious exhibition of contemporary art and is organized every five years for 100 days

Documenta 14 will take place for the first time in two places, its original venue Kassel between June 10-September 17, 2017 and Athens, Greece between April 8-July 16, 2017.

The art event that has been based in the German city of Kassel since 1955 and the announcement was made by Athens Mayor Giorgos Kaminis, Kassel Mayor Bertram Hilgen and Documenta CEO Annette Kulenkampff.

In the next two years, Athens will be in the spotlight of the international art scene, causing global interest, Kaminis said.

Documenta is considered the worlds largest and most prestigious exhibition of contemporary art and is organized every five years for 100 days.

Over the past thirteen editions, it has hosted many artists and cultural practitioners from around the globe and each edition is considered a unique global cultural event highlighting an innovative idea of the artistic director leading the project.

During a press conference held in the context of the ITB, the largest international tourism exhibition taking place in Berlin, Documenta announced its official partners who will support the event in Athens and Kassel: Aegean Airlines, the Greek National Tourism Organisation, the Municipality of Athens, the Athens Tourism Promotion Development Company, Athens City Convention and Visitors Bureau City of Athens and Kassel Airport.

Aegean Airlines , which is the first airline to become an official partner in the history of documenta, announced its intention to launch two direct flights a week between Athens and Kassel from April 2017 to facilitate visitors of Documenta 14. More details will be announced in the summer of 2016.

RELATED TOPICS: Greece, Greek tourism news, Tourism in Greece, Greek islands, Hotels in Greece, Travel to Greece, Greek destinations , Greek travel market, Greek tourism statistics, Greek tourism report
Alternate Tourism Minister Elena Kountoura (center) with Greek National Tourism Organization (EOT) Secretary General Dimitris Tryfonopoulos (far right) and UNWTO Secretary General Taleb Rifai (second from left) at ITB Berlin 2016

Alternate Tourism and Development Minister Elena Kountoura and Greek National Tourism Organization (EOT) Secretary General Dimitris Tryfonopoulos met at ITB Berlin 2016 EOT pavilion with Berlin Mayor Michael Muller, German Federal Deputy Minister of Economy and Energy Iris Gleicke, Messe Berlin GmbH CEO Christian Goke and World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) Secretary General Taleb Rifai who also expressed their support for Greek tourism.

Ms. Kountoura gave Mr Rifai a tour of the North and South Aegean islands and informed the UNWTO Secretary General on the positive messages she received from leading tour operators in Germany and the German Travel Association (DRV). The messages referred to an upward trend in bookings to Greece this year.

She also presented Greeces new tourism action plan, which is based on the cooperation of the Tourism Ministry, the GNTO, the regions and the private sector and includes promotional activities for the Greek destinations in international markets.

The most human face of Europe

On his part, Mr. Rifai stressed that the efforts of the Greek people (in relation to the refugee crisis) have been recognized.

These are efforts that showed the most human face of Europe and sent a strong message of culture and solidarity to the international community, UNWTO Secretary General said.

He also expressed his confidence in Greek tourism and described Greece as one of the most popular and attractive global destinations, which enhances its international appeal and continues to record new performance.

The ITB Berlin exhibition will run until March 13.

RELATED TOPICS: Greece, Greek tourism news, Tourism in Greece, Greek islands, Hotels in Greece, Travel to Greece, Greek destinations , Greek travel market, Greek tourism statistics, Greek tourism report
Singapore-based Hyflux has been given a letter of intent for an engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract worth $500 million to construct the Ain Sokhna Integrated Water and Power Project in Egypt.



This letter of intent, given by the General Authority for the Suez Canal Economic Zone (SCZone), will be followed by signing of relevant contracts, the company said in a statement.



An on-site 457 MW combined cycle gas turbine power plant will be constructed to generate power and supply electricity to the desalination plant. Excess power will be dispatched to the grid and go towards supplying the Egyptians governorates needs.



A 25-year operation and maintenance contract will be awarded to Hyflux for this plant, the statement said.



The entry into the Egyptian market presents exciting opportunities for Hyflux. We are delighted to be awarded the project and honoured to be given this opportunity to work with SCZone. This project is significant to us because it is our first integrated water and power project abroad and demonstrates our ability to put together an innovative solution that is recognised internationally, said Olivia Lum, executive chairman and group CEO of Hyflux.



This project is expected to have a material financial impact on Hyflux for the financial year ending December 31 subject to the signing of the relevant contracts, the statement said.  TradeArabia News Service
First Bahrain, an innovative real estate developer, will be launching a new neighbourhood retail centre El Mercado Janabiya at the upcoming Gulf Property Show, a boutique showcase for real estate and property development in the Northern Gulf.



A key regional event being organised by Bahrain-based Hilal Conferences and Exhibitions (HCE), the Gulf Property Show will be held from April 26 to 28 under the patronage of HRH Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa, Prime Minister of Bahrain at the Bahrain International Exhibition and Convention Centre.



Due for opening shortly after the exhibition, El Mercado Janabiya will deliver a broad array of services and food and beverage options to southern Saar and Janabiya, said a top official.



"We are very proud to exhibit our latest development, El Mercado  Janabiya, at the Gulf Property Show," remarked Amin Al Arrayed, the chief executive of First Bahrain.

"The feedback that we have received from the neighbouring residents of Janabiya and Saar as well as prospective tenants has been overwhelmingly positive which encourages and reassures our belief in our new project debuting at the show," he noted.

According to him, the construction and landscaping are in their final stages of completion with a soft opening scheduled for May 2016.



"Already 80 per cent leased, the open-air marketplace is sure to become a favourite place to shop and eat with family and friends," he stated.



Along with the newest and largest Al Osra Supermarket in Bahrain, the market will feature an elegant ladies salon, a classic barber for men, and an educational toy shop.



El Mercado Janabiya is actively seeking services to complement the existing offerings including a bank, laundry, and optician shop, it stated.



Lauding the project, Jubran Abdulrahman, the managing director of HCE, said: "El Mercado provides a high-class development from a reputable institution for visitors at Gulf Property Show. The state-of-the-art development demonstrates the quality First Bahrain delivers in all its projects, creating a memorable lifestyle experience that meets real market needs."



Gulf Property Shows strategic sponsors are Diyar Al Muharraq and Manara Developments in association with the Bahrain Property Developers Association (Bapda).



First Bahrain, which was established in Kuwait in 2004, has a paid-up capital of KD23.3 million ($78 million) and owns or holds rights to over 1 million sq ft of strategically located lands in Bahrain.



Dedicated to achieving sustainable returns through collaborative relationships, First Bahrain creates enduring value for all stakeholders with a demand-driven investment approach.

Operating out of Bahrain and Kuwait, the company is well known for Majaal, an SME (small and medium enterprises)-focused industrial facilities development at the Bahrain Investment Wharf in Hidd.

The $40-million complex includes seven buildings which are fully leased to a diverse portfolio of tenants, generating stable cash flow for the company.



Building on its success in industrial property, First Bahrain now expands into commercial development with El Mercado Janabiya, a neighbourhood market built on an open-air elevated platform, which is due to open to the public in Spring 2016.-TradeArabia News Service
US-based ITC Defense Corp has won a $7.7 million worth foreign military sales contract to develop, test, install, train and support a vehicle management system (VMS) for the Kuwait Ministry of Defense (KMOD).



ITC Defense is a dynamic, technology-based historically underutilised business zones (HUBZone) firm with core capabilities in systems engineering and cybersecurity.



Managed by the Armys Communications-Electronics Command (CECOM), contract performance will establish centralised tracking and secure transmission of GPS data, said a statement from the company.



ITC will develop and test a customised, state-of-the-art vehicle management and tracking software, manage the installation of GPS units, and integrate communications for a total vehicle management solution, it added.



Additionally, the company will provide system specific operator and maintenance training and user support through the lifecycle of the contract, February 28, 2018.



ITC brings agile methodologies, tools, and robust industry talent together to design this innovative software package which will allow for enhanced vehicle management and longer asset lifecycles, added a statement.



The KVMS programme represents the latest collaboration between ITC and KMOD, leveraging a longstanding and trusted relationship between the two parties, it said.



Michael Cast, president, ITC, said: Our company is honoured to be entrusted by the US Army and KMOD to engineer and integrate a highly secure VMS.



We look forward to further supporting of one of Americas strongest allies in the region, he added.  TradeArabia News Service
The cargo division of Etihad Airways generates over $1 billion in annual revenues and is one of the worlds most successful air cargo operations, said James Hogan, president and chief executive officer of Etihad Airways at an event recently.



In his opening address at the World Cargo Alliance (WCA) Conference which took place in Abu Dhabi, UAE, Hogan said that Etihad Cargo has developed into a billion dollar business and continues to improve its services and innovative products to meet its customers requirements.



He added that by working with its partners through the Etihad Airways Partner alliance, it manages to maximise the profitability of each carrier by combining resources, networks and capabilities for the benefit of all of its customers.



By combining aircraft fleets and networks, Etihad Cargo is recognised as the fifth largest cargo operator in the world by working in close harmony with Jet Airways Cargo, airberlin Cargo, Air Serbia, Alitalia and Air Seychelles Cargo, he said.



Hogan said that Etihad Cargo accounted for 88 per cent of cargo imports, exports and transfers at Abu Dhabi International Airport in 2015, a year in which it carried 592,090 tonnes of freight and mail, up four per cent on 2014, said a statement.



He noted that it currently operates a freighter fleet of four Boeing 777F, three Boeing 747s, and four Airbus A330s. An additional Boeing 777 freighter is due to arrive this month with a further Airbus A330 freighter scheduled to arrive in 2017.



Hogan spoke about how the Middle East region continues to outperform global growth rates for cargo and plays an increasingly important role in the flow of world trade and goods, with its geographical importance enhanced as traffic shifts from traditional and established markets to emerging commercial centres in the Middle East, Asia, South America and Africa.



He said: Our hub of, Abu Dhabi is at the crossroads of the world, and as a combination carrier, Etihad Airways is perfectly positioned to capitalise on the growing passenger traffic, and the increasing volumes of cargo and goods transported between expanding and emerging markets.



Etihad Cargo offers maindeck and bellyhold services and an extended reach across a network of passenger and cargo-only destinations.



Partnerships with other freighter operators, including Atlas Air and Avianca, provide strong support to the main operation, and the division is continuing to explore opportunities for co-operation with like-minded cargo operators.



The airline currently operates to 14 freighter-only destinations that include Bogota, Brazzaville, Chittagong, Djibouti, Dubai World Central, Eldoret, Guangzhou, Hanoi, Houston, Sharjah and Tbilisi, it added.  TradeArabia News Service
News / National

by Staff reporter

Four people were reportedly injured when violence broke out at a Zimbabwe People First rally in Glen View, Harare yesterday after a group of unidentified youths started throwing stones.A party functionary immediately claimed it was the work of Zanu-PF.ZPF youths led by former Zanu-PF youth official Mr Jim Kunaka led the counter charge against the attackers.Although efforts to get a comment from police spokesperson Chief Superintendent Paul Nyathi failed, indications are that several people were injured while some vehicles were damaged.ZPF secretary for information for Harare province Mr Jealousy Mawarire said, "Four of our supporters were injured after they were attacked by Zanu-PF youths from Mbare. One of our members Jim Kunaka identified some of the attackers. Among the injured were Garayi Mucheke (45) and Moses Tom (44) both of Glen View 1."Anti-riot police had to restore order as the skirmished escalated, resulting in the area being cordoned off and the meeting being abandoned.The incident occurred while the ZPF provincial leadership led by former MDC-T Harare deputy mayor Mr Emmanuel Chiroto was about to address the poorly attended rally.
Saudi Arabia has declared North Thunder, one of the largest military exercises in the region which united 20 Arab and Islamic nations in a display of unity against terrorism and extremism, as a big success.



The military exercise held in the north of the kingdom, was aimed at unifying the region's military forces to promote peace and stability, said a statement from Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia.



"We are proud of our solidarity in North Thunder; showing the world our joint resolve in deterring evil and fighting extremism and terrorism," tweeted Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz.



North Thunder provided the region's top military forces a chance to co-ordinate at the highest levels against threats to peace and stability in the region.



The military training included exercises on how to combat guerilla warfare.



Participating countries included Jordan, UAE, Pakistan, Bahrain, Turkey, Chad, Tunisia, Djibouti, Senegal, Sudan, Oman, Qatar, Comoros, Kuwait, Maldives, Malaysia, Egypt, Morocco and Mauritania in addition to Saudi Arabia and the joint Peninsula Shield Force.-TradeArabia News Service
Enel Green Power (EGP), a leader in renewable energy sources, in consortium with Nareva Holding and Siemens Wind Power, has been awarded the preferred bidder status for 850MW of wind power capacity in Morocco.



The award was conferred at the 2nd phase of the wind integrated project tender held by the Moroccan utility ONEE (Office National de l'Electricite et de l'Eau Potable). The consortium has been pre-awarded the right to develop, design, finance, construct, operate and maintain five wind projects in Morocco with a total capacity of 850 MW.



Out of the five projects, Midelt (150 MW), Tanger (100 MW) and Jbel Lahdid (200 MW) are located in northern Morocco while Tiskrad (300 MW) and Boujdour (100 MW) are located in the countrys south.



This accomplishment demonstrates that our strategy to expand our footprint in Africa is paying off said Francesco Venturini CEO of EGP. We are leveraging on our knowledge and expertise, in collaboration with our partners, to contribute to Moroccos ambitious energy plan that has renewables at its core. The country is an example in North Africa of reliability and transparency in supporting the development of renewable technologies.



EGP and Nareva will establish and own five special purpose vehicles (SPV) holding the projects. Siemens Wind Power will provide the wind turbines, with several components manufactured locally.



The construction of the five plants will require a total investment of approximately 1 billion Euros. EGP will fund the cost of the project corresponding to its 50 per cent shareholding by a mix of equity and debt, the latter through project finance facilities provided by international financial institutions.



The wind farms are expected to be completed and enter operation between 2017 and 2020. In line with the tender rules, the energy generated by the five wind farms will be sold to ONEE under 20 year-power purchase agreements.



Once completed, the five facilities will contribute to meeting Moroccos growing energy demand and the countrys objective to increase power produced from renewable sources. Renewables currently account for about 32 per cent of Moroccos generation mix and the country aims to increase this share to 42 per cent by 2020 and 52 per cent by 2030.  TradeArabia News Service
Oman Air has signed a global co-operation agreement with Sixt, a leading international mobility service provider.



The agreement was signed by Oman Airs chief executive officer Paul Gregorowitsch and senior executive vice president Sixt International, Regine Sixt, at a ceremony held at ITB Berlin.



It builds on Sixts partnership with Oman Airs Sindbad loyalty programme, which began in 2009, and the cooperation has now been extended to include the airlines entire service portfolio.



The agreement offers significant benefits to customers of both companies. For example, customers can book their Sixt rental cars directly through www.omanair.com. Sindbad members will receive 500 bonus miles when they rent a car from Sixt, and booking the Sixt Limousine Service gives customers 1,000 bonus miles.



In addition, customers who rent their desired Sixt vehicle via Oman Air benefit from a best price guarantee and, depending on their Sindbad membership level, can receive up to 15 per cent discount on every rental. Alternatively, they can opt for a free upgrade to the next higher class of vehicle.



Furthermore, Oman Airs First and Business Class passengers can use the award-winning Sixt Limousine Service when travelling to or from Germany, Singapore, Switzerland and Thailand, as the price is already included in the ticket.



Paul Gregorowitsch welcomed the new agreement, saying: The agreement that Oman Air has just signed with Sixt offers excellent benefits for customers throughout our network. Car or limousine hire is an essential element of many peoples travel plans and we are delighted to be partnering with a company that shares Oman Airs commitment to quality, convenience and customer care.



Signing this agreement at ITB, the worlds largest travel fair, underlines the importance of this event for Oman Air. ITB offers ideal opportunities for creating new business relationships, strengthening new ones and confirming partnerships that deliver even greater value for our customers. This latest agreement with Sixt will be welcomed by First Class, Business Class and Economy Class travelers throughout our network.



Regine Sixt added: Sixt and Oman Air have collaborated in a successful partnership for years. I am very pleased that we can now significantly expand this cooperation and thus offer our customers even greater added value in terms of comfort and flexibility. Together we will make our customers trips a special experience. - TradeArabia News Service
News / National

by Staff reporter

ACTING President Emmerson Mnangagwa has reportedly distanced himself from three youths fired from the party recently, saying the trio have gone rogue and no longer represent his interests, close allies of the embattled Zanu-PF leader revealed.Mnangagwa's allies said the three expelled Zanu-PF youths - Godfrey Tsenengamu (Mashonaland Central), Vengai Musengi (Mashonaland West), and Godwin Gomwe (Harare), who last week authored a 12-paged dossier purporting to be defenders of Mnangagwa - had gone wayward."They do not represent the interests of Vice-President Emmerson Mnangagwa and, in fact, we think they are being funded to behave as if they are acting on his behalf, so that his name is associated with rebellion," one of the Vice-President's top allies said.In a document addressed to President Robert Mugabe, the youths, operating under the Save Zanu-PF Campaign banner, "revealed" how the Zanu-PF leader used them to hound former Vice-President Joice Mujuru out of the party in 2014, on trumped-up charges of witchcraft and assassination plots.They also claimed the 92-year-old party leader recently attempted, but failed, to use them as "dogs of war" to blackmail Mnangagwa and rule him out of the succession race.Zanu-PF spokesperson, Simon Khaya Moyo yesterday said he was unaware of the allegations that the youths were backing Mnangagwa or anybody in the party."I am unaware of those allegations. If there is any truth in them. I will not comment on how it affects the image of the Vice-President," he said.Moyo said while he had not read the document, if it was presented to the party, they would look into it and see if it was authentic despite that it was authored by expelled people.Tsenengamu, who appears to be the spokesperson of the group, refused to comment on allegations that they were not part of Team Lacoste, as Mnangagwa's faction in Zanu-PF is popularly known, and instead, demanded to know NewsDay Weeekender sources."Write what you have been told, plus that which you know and what you have seenI don't chase shadows. So unless you tell me who is your source in Team Lacoste who said that, then I can't respond to unidentified sources," he said.Sources said the succession issue had sucked in the State security apparatus with a section backing First Lady Grace Mugabe and the G40 faction.Midlands provincial spokesperson, Cornelius Mupereri, who has been linked to Lacoste, said attempts to link the Midlands political kingpin to a faction were myopic."We have seen attempts to drag Midlands province and the Vice-President to a Lacoste faction. Yet it is of public record who coined the term Lacoste, and G40, it was not him (Mnangagwa) and neither was it this province," he said."We stand guided by the party. Those who were expelled from Zanu-PF cannot purport to speak for anyone inside the party and from what I know about the VP, he is a loyal party cadre who can never support those denigrating the person of President Mugabe."However, the source said Mnangagwa remained close to others who were expelled, including Midlands youth chairman, Edmore Samambwa and fired War Veterans minister Christopher Mutsvangwa, among others.
News / National

by Staff reporter

POLICE in Chiredzi arrested freelance photojournalist, Dumisani Zvandasara for allegedly taking pictures of them transacting private business at a roadblock.Zvandasara, who is accredited by the Zimbabwe Media Commission, was forced to delete the pictures of three policeman caught on camera buying legal aid insurance from a Golden Knot salesperson at a roadblock.A Constable M Matshiya then charged Zvandasara with contravening Section 46 of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act and listed the offence as taking a picture at a police checkpoint."Charged with contravening Section 46 as read with subsection 2(4) of the Third Schedule Chapter 9:23, accused was taking photos at a police spot check," part of the charge sheet reads.The police spot check was at GMB turnoff last week Wednesday when, Zvandasara, who was travelling to Chiredzi, saw the police officers transacting private business at the spot, while they had abandoned motorists, whom they had stopped."The saleslady from Golden Knot Legal Aid came out of her car and, right in the middle of the road, started issuing receipts to the police officers. I saw a picture opportunity to tell a national story about abuse of office and I was arrested," Zvandasara said.Golden Knot group chief operating officer, Sifiso Mahlangu criticised the unnamed saleslady, saying such levels of aggressive marketing were not supported by company policy."We encourage the salespeople to make appointments and then visit clients in safe areas and not at a roadblock," he said.Police officers forced Zvandasara to pay a fine and to delete his pictures or face a night in custody after holding him for nearly four hours.His lawyer, Ross Chavi, said he encouraged Zvandasara to pay the $20 fine to avoid sleeping in police cells, but he had since challenged the admission of guilt fine."We are talking of an accredited journalist doing his job of exposing what appears to be corrupt tendencies and people who appear to be on the wrong," he explained."Zvandasara was accused of being a nuisance, but we are sure he did not commit any crime. So we have written to the court demanding our day before real justice."Zvandasara said: "I paid the fine just to avoid sleeping in the cells and agreed to delete the pictures, which I, however, later recovered from my cloud (storage software)."Media Institute of Southern Africa-Zimbabwe chapter had to dispatch a lawyer to assist the photojournalist after it appeared he was going to spend the night in cells.National police spokesperson, Senior Assistant Charity Charamba said she was yet to see the pictures of the incident.
News / National

by Staff reporter

FARAI (not real name) migrated to South Africa in 2007 when he had just finished his printing course at a local technical college in Zimbabwe.A 35-year-old breadwinner in a family of 11, said he had no option, but to take the bold decision to cross the crocodile-infested Limpopo River in search of "gold" in eGoli, as South Africa's commercial hub, Johannesburg is known.Eight years later, returning to Zimbabwe is far from his mind."I don't want to go back home. My papers are not in order, but here, I'm living a better life," he said.Living in one of the flats in central Johannesburg, Farai has seen it all and, according to him, South Africa is a jungle where only the fit survive."When I came here, it was tough. It took me years to adjust and know most places. I had a friend from the same neighbourhood in Zimbabwe, who had invited me to stay with him for a while as I was looking for employment," he recalls.While having drinks in one of Johannesburg's restaurants, Farai opened up to this reporter about the life of an illegal immigrant in South Africa.That was after this reporter had lost all his belongings - including R5 300 and a cellphone - at knife-point along Bree Street in the city in full view of people at the nearby Park Station long-distance commuter terminus soon after disembarking a bus from Zimbabwe.Farai had seen all the drama from a distance and had followed this reporter trying to help, certain that the victim was a compatriot.Reporting such incidents to the police, Farai said, would not help, as the police may also try to extort money from the victim."These guys can kill you any minute. You did right by not fighting back when those thieves pounced on you because they could even stab or shoot you to death," he said."The moment one crosses that border, he or she completely changes. Our sisters are involved in prostitution and drug-peddling here, particularly those who came here without all the necessary papers or education."Another Zimbabwean scribe, Tanya, was last month robbed of all his valuables and a cellphone along the same street, Bree.Colleagues in the City of Gold said fellow Zimbabweans followed Tanya from Newtown thinking he was a Nigerian.According to Gilbert, a South African, who stays in Soweto, crime is rampant.He claimed most robbers in Johannesburg, especially those operating close to long-distance bus terminuses, were Zimbabweans fluent in both Shona and Ndebele."Don't hate South Africans," he said. "Hate your fellow Zimbabweans. South African criminals steal big things like cars and rob banks, not poor travellers from Zimbabwe," he said."Of course, they work in cahoots with local criminals, but they are tipped off by Zimbabweans, since it's easy to identify you when one is a foreigner."Most Zimbabwean robbers in the country know their fellow countrymen carry huge amounts of money, since most of them would be buying items for resale back home.The two men took this reporter on a tour of the MTN taxi rank and some few places around Park Station and Powerhouse bus terminus, pointing out suspected Zimbabwean criminals  sometimes exchanging greetings in Shona.Listin, a Zimbabwean who stays in the notorious Hillbrow suburb and operates at the MTN taxi rank, gave a chilling account of how killings were daily servings in Johannesburg."You are lucky my friend to be alive. Most Zimbabweans are partnering with South Africans to rob you guys," he said."Most Zimbabweans who came here long back, have adjusted and can even now speak local languages, but most Shona people are easily identifiable because they are not fluent in South African languages."According to Gamu, a Zimbabwean engineer who has been in South Africa for 35 years, it was a shame that many of his countrymen had resorted to crime in the foreign land."We sacrificed a lot when we came here in order to survive. I won't encourage anyone to come here, especially when one does not have the proper documents and education," he said.Newspapers have been awash with incidents where passengers, who hitch-hike to Johannesburg have been robbed, raped and killed, mostly by Zimbabwean criminals.
News / National

by Moses Chamboko

Moses Chamboko is a pro-democracy activist and interim Secretary General for ZUNDE. You may contact him at chambokom@gmail.com or info@zunde.org

One of those things that linger in our minds even if we happen to be thousands of miles away from home, is the exquisite beauty of blooming Jacaranda trees especially in September and October, when our temperatures usually go north. The purple-blue blossoms on the trees and on the ground, just make us wonder how else natural beauty could be possibly presented or described.Driving through or walking past interlocked branches that form a perfect canopy of these species reportedly imported many years ago from South America, one gets the feeling that indeed, there is no place better than home. The temptation to pick a blossom and give it a gentle sniff, is irresistible. For a moment, one can forget about the political wilderness that Zimbabwe, under ZANU PF's legendary misgovernance, has become and getting worse by the day.Admittedly, it does not seem to make much sense for one to dwell on the subject of trees and blossoms when our country is virtually burning and the media is awash with depressing news including that of the emperor flying several miles away with a coterie of hangers on only to make an expensive about turn before the intended destination. Contextually, the Jacaranda has a very special meaning to our democratic struggle.Over the years, Mugabe and ZANU PF have destroyed almost everything in Zimbabwe as we once knew it, including even cattle dip tanks. They have destroyed our national aspirations and dreams. They destroyed our infrastructure, our industries, our farms, our hospitals, our schools. They destroyed our currency, our national pride, our identity and our families. They destroyed us.Nonetheless, one thing that has survived the brutal force of state propelled destruction is our beautiful Jacaranda tree. Every summer, with or without the rains, we know that our cities, especially Harare and Bulawayo, will come to life with purple magnificence. In fact, the blooming season is a reminder that the rains aren't too far. Inspired by the Jacaranda, our determination for a free, prosperous, democratic and peaceful Zimbabwe where everyone is equal before the law, has not withered nor diminished. The more they suppress us, the more determined we become to free ourselves. We are like the mustard seed that shoots to life when it is buried.For years, we were trampled upon by leaders who think that the only business of being in politics is to acquire power and personal wealth. They did everything to ensure they achieved their goal. In the early to mid-80s, the call for a One Party State system was deafening. Arsel Nyakunhuwa, a district commissar in the Lowveld those days, would never spend a day without shouting "Pamberi ne One Party State".At times I wonder if he really knew what it meant. This was before the time when Titus Maluleke, an ordinary primary school teacher who surprisingly became provincial governor in later years, had been recruited into active politics as a Shangaan-English interpreter by the late Henry Pote (rest in peace uncelebrated hero). The rest is history.In no time, One Party State became a mantra and those who were opposed to it were branded sell-outs. Some of us who grew up in politically heterogeneous families where some were ZAPU and others were ZANU, were caught up in the "moment of madness" that followed. In the process, "Pasi neMachuwachuwa" was invented and several families were abused, tortured, displaced or killed. But we did not give up.Years before, we had heard about Eddison Sithole who went missing in the streets of Harare, like Itai Dzamara, without trace. Rhodesian operatives were fingered and the truth may never be known. That disappearance did not frighten us to the extent of abandoning the struggle. Later, it was Chitepo who was assassinated; again, we did not lose our resolve. Just before independence, on 26 January 1979, our revered hero, Josiah Tongogara, lost his life in very suspicious circumstances but our fighters defied fear and kept marching on until we attained our independence. Unfortunately, the struggle brought independence but not freedom, as experiences of the past three and half decades have shown.During the protracted democratic struggle, our new heroes were battered, tortured, raped maimed, killed or forced into exile. The story of Basildon Peta, Ray Choto, Lovemore Madhuku, Grace Kwinjeh, Sekai Holland, Morgan Tsvangirai, Nelson Chamisa, Talent Mabika, Tendai Chiminya, Nabanyama and lately Itai Dzamara plus many more, is known. Like the Jacaranda, despite challenges and dangers posed by these political temperatures and pressures, we have blossomed as a people yearning for democracy and genuine freedom. We did not give up, we must not give up and we shall not give up until sanity returns to what was once known as the Jewel of Africa.That said, it does not escape our minds that the Jacaranda tree, in isolation, doesn't look as beautiful and attractive as when they merge to form a natural canopy. It is more captivating when it forms that room with other Jacarandas, when they jointly shower the streets of Harare and Bulawayo with beautiful blossoms thereby turning our cities into a sea of purple, a real marvel to watch.As we count down to 2018, let our resilient Jacarandas form that beautiful summer roof, jointly blossom, beautify and give new hope to our potentially great nation. Those who genuinely care for our nation should actively reach out to each other and co-author a new narrative for the Zimbabwe we want. Past failures must not stand in our way, they are not predictors of what the future holds. Let us remember that there is never a wrong time to do the right thing. If we fail this time, we only have ourselves to blame. Let us introspect, listen to our conscience and allow ourselves to be guided by our collective wisdom and aspirations. Yes, Zimbabwe is our motherland, united we can do it.
Opinion / Interviews

Over the past two editions, Zambian veteran politician Dr Vernon Mwaanga has been narrating Zimbabwe's liberation struggle from a Zambian point of view.This week, Dr Mwaanga concludes his narration, revealing why the Zambian government rounded up some Zanu leaders in Lusaka after the assassination of chairman Herbert Chitepo in 1975.He reveals that the leaders were put under interrogation adding that one of chairman Chitepo's bodyguards, Saddat had to be interrogated more because information pertaining to the assassination was pointing towards him.After giving so much support to the liberation movements, not only in Zimbabwe but other African countries, does Zambia feel it has been thanked enough? Read onMH: In 1974, towards the end, we see Zanu moving its operations out of Zambia to Mozambique. Some Zanla commanders have spoken to say the decision to relocate to Mozambique was taken following frustrations dealing with the Zambian government which seemed to favour Zapu. What is your comment?Dr Mwaanga: Well, I don't remember any particular incident when they complained that we are being frustrated by the Zambian government. We opened our borders for them and we gave them all the assistance that they needed.I am sure that you will agree that between Zambia and Zimbabwe there were logistical problems in the sense that our boundaries are divided by a river as opposed to Mozambique. The logistics in terms of Mozambique were much easier. The risks from here were a lot higher than the risks from Mozambique.So whatever reasons they may have had, they moved there with our blessings and we continued to support them. They continued to have an office here.MH: But when Zanu moved to Mozambique did you as Zambian government feel relieved?Dr Mwaanga: No, no. Not really. We just felt that there was now burden sharing in the region and that one of the countries (Mozambique) we had helped liberate was able to assume part of the responsibility.It was not a sense of relief but a sense of consolidation. We were happy that we had now opened other fronts and it would be easy now to carry out the struggle from another base. The enemy had Mozambique to worry about now. The geography between the border area between Zimbabwe and Mozambique was a lot more favourable for guerrilla activity. So there was no sense of relief but there was burden sharing now.The pressure against the Smith regime increased and we were happy because of that.MH: Also during the same time before Zanu moved to Mozambique, there was the Nhari rebellion in Zanu. Newspaper reports from that time show that as Minister of Foreign Affairs, you were very angry with the way this rebellion was handled.The reports say you actually got angry and called for the arrest of Chitepo. Tell us exactly what happened from your point of view?Dr Mwaanga: Without going into specifics, there were problems during that Nhari rebellion. There were fights within Zanu, among the cadres. The Zambian government felt this was not necessary. There was no need for cadres to start fighting each other. Our people, the Zambian people, were beginning to question our ability to deal with the situation. They were saying we had lost control of handling the situation. We had to take action to stop it. Some of the measures we took were not pleasant but it was the only way we could deal with the situation.MH: What were these measures?Dr Mwaanga: Well, we had to disarm some of the combatants and place some of them under detention for a temporary period just to cool down things. The measures were not pleasant. It was not pleasant to do that but the situation demanded that we act.We had to act otherwise our people would have lost faith in us. As a government we had to appear to be in control of the situation. All along we had been in control so when these conflicts started to affect peace and security in our country, our people began to grumble. They began to complain and as a government we had to take action.And I think we dealt with the situation in the best way possible without exaggerating the situation and without letting it get out of the situation. We had to take very strong measures.MH: Who are some of these Zanu comrades you had to arrest?Dr Mwaanga: Well, in keeping with the commitment we made at the time, we decided that these people would not be named. We kept the names internally.MH: But Dr Mwaanga after so many years you still can't lift the confidentiality?Dr Mwaanga: We made the commitment that we would keep all this confidential. We didn't want to get involved in your local issues.MH: So you are going to your grave with those names?Dr Mwaanga: Ohh, yes, definitely. (Laughs) I am sure even if you talk to some of my other colleagues, the response will be the same. They won't give you those names.MH: Did you actually sit down and agreed that you will go to your graves without revealing the names?Dr Mwaanga: Yes, we sat down. We sat down and said now and in future, we won't reveal the names and forever thereafter. (Laughs) We didn't think it would be in the best interest of the people of Zimbabwe to mention names. These people still have families.MH: Ok, now back to my issue. Did you actually call for the arrest of Chitepo?Dr Mwaanga: We threatened to. He had to show leadership. He was one of the most senior here. He had to show leadership.Fortunately he did respond. If he had not responded, we would have arrested him for the sake of restoring peace. We would have arrested him even for a temporary period in order to resolve the bigger picture. We were more concerned about the bigger picture not so much the individuals. As the national chairman, he had a duty to stop the conflicts. The problems hinged on internal discipline.MH: Did you face the same problems from Zapu or Zipra?Dr Mwaanga: We didn't face such disciplinary problems with Zapu or Zipra. Zapu had strong leadership and because of that we didn't have too many internal problems. We only had social issues which we were able to handle at another level.The other political party which was very strong here was Swapo from Namibia. Sam Nujoma was a very strong character. We didn't have internal problems with Swapo just like we didn't have problems within the African National Congress. Oliver Tambo was here and he exercised very strong leadership.MH: So are you saying the Zanu leadership was weak?Dr Mwaanga: The leadership in Zanu which was based in Zambia was weak. That is what led to all these internal issues. If the leadership had been strong, I don't think we would have had the kind of problems that we faced.Discipline in political parties is very important. We wanted the Zanu leadership that was based here to discipline its people so that we would not get involved.We had taken a decision never to get involved unless the issues of security and law and order were under threat.It wasn't our responsibility to maintain order in the different political parties. It was up to the leadership. All we wanted was that our laws should be obeyed.One of the decisions we made was that we exempted all liberation movements from paying duty for any equipment that they got. We actually passed a law in Parliament amending the Customs and Exercise Act to exempt them from paying duty. We passed this Act in 1966.Anything that came into the country for the freedom fighters was to be exempted. You will also be interest to know for example that at the time when we became independent, we still had white officers in the army, in the police and in the security agents.There were times when cadres from Zanu or Zapu would be arrested carrying arms by our police, the army or the intelligence. They would tell us that we have arrested some terrorists. They would be put in jail. In such cases we would come up with imaginative ways of having them released. Sometimes we even exchanged them for common criminals and we made sure this was never published. We found ways to drop their charges.We had several of such cases. There were lots of crossings that were taking place. Comrades coming in from Tanzania with arms. Some truckloads of arms would be found. This happened until we decided to set up our own private ways. We came up with a system that was controlled by the Zambian security.MH: Yeah, I was coming to that. This crisis crossing of so many freedom fighters in your country must have posed quite some security threats. How did you handle this?Dr Mwaanga: Ohh yes, very serious security threats. We devised ways to make sure these guns were at one place with the exception of a few they would use just in case they were invaded by suspected Smith rebels. These rebels indeed came from time to time.When they were ready, we then made arrangements for these arms to be handed back once the routes had been identified. The comrades would be given the arms just before crossing into Rhodesia.It was quite a serious issue to have so many arms circulating around but we found a way of dealing with that making sure that we found safe places where we could store the arms. They were only released when it was time to cross into Rhodesia, Namibia, South Africa, Botswana and so on. We made the determination of the time to give them the arms.MH: On 18 March 1975, Herbert Chitepo was assassinated in a car bomb. Earlier on you spoke about the incident he came and informed you that his life was in danger. As he spoke to you a few hours before his death, did he show genuine fear?Dr Mwaanga: Yes, yes. He showed genuine fear. He appeared very afraid. Some of the people who had escorted him to my office, one of them at least, must have been someone who he didn't view in very favourable terms. So to avoid all two of them, I told him to come and see me in my office alone. That was how high the levels of tension and suspicion were. He appeared genuinely afraid. When I looked into his eyes I could see that he was really concerned and I said to him are you sure you don't want us to give you security right now? I can phone the Inspector General of Police to give you security. He said, no, no let me see how the situation goes.He said tomorrow I will come back and tell you if I need security.MH: How did he leave your office?Dr Mwaanga: He left with these two guys he came with. They drove to Chilenje South where he was staying.MH: On hearing that Chitepo had been assassinatedDr Mwaanga: It was a VW Wagon I remember that very well.MH: Now, looking back today and with what he told you before he was assassinated, who would you say killed Chitepo?Dr Mwaanga: Well, it's a combination of factors. Either the internal wrangle in Zanu got out of hand because he seemed to be afraid of the internal differences, that there were people from within Zanu who were threatening his life. Or it could have been the work of the Smith regime.This was a bomb which was planted under his car at his house which exploded and killed him. A number of investigations have been conducted and I think you have seen some of the theories that have been suggested.MH: And which theory do you think is true or is closer to the truth?Dr Mwaanga: I don't really know myself. I wouldn't say. (Laughs) I have always been reluctant in my life and even in my political life to apportion blame.MH: But it's very possible that due to the internal fights, the enemy could have taken advantage of that?Dr Mwaanga: Yes, that is possible. Very possible and that was the danger when you had internal problems. I told you earlier that Smith agents had infiltrated the party Zanu to some degree. You leave yourself open to infiltration by outsiders. The danger of that happening was always present.MH: How did the death of Chitepo affect the relations between the Zanu and the Zambian government?Dr Mwaanga: Well, I don't think it affected the relations that much because really, what could we have done? We offered everything that we could.MH: At his house, the house of such an important and senior Zanu official, wasn't there security provided by the Zambian government?Dr Mwaanga: What normally happened was that he had some Zanu security working with our security services to protect him. As much as possible, the Zanu security was responsible but if they needed assistance from the Zambian security, that would also be made available.MH: I am asking this because when I spoke to some Zanla commanders they said a few metres away from Chitepo's house there was a Zambian police post?Dr Mwaanga: There was a police post in the township. In every township there were police posts. Indeed he was not leaving very far from this police post.It was a police post which was set up there essentially just to deal with the interests of the population in that township.MH: After the death of Chitepo, the Zambian government went on to round up some Zanu leaders in Zambia.Dr Mwaanga: Suspects at that time and those who were involved in this conflict. It was a way of trying to find out exactly what was going on. They were not just rounded up and put away. They were interrogated to find out what was going on.Why levels of indiscipline within Zanu had deteriorated to that extent. That was the whole purpose of rounding up the leaders.MH: Some people, especially from Zanu say the Zambian government overreacted?Dr Mwaanga: Well, they are entitled to their opinions but we had a duty as Zambian government which they didn't have. We had a duty to maintain law and order in our country. We were elected by the people of this country to maintain law and order. And we could not be seen to be sacrificing law and order at the expense of supporting the liberation struggle.While supporting the liberation struggle, we had made it clear that they had to obey the laws of the country.MH: Don't you think by rounding these Zanu leaders, you were already apportioning blame?Dr Mwaanga: The problems were going on within Zanu. What could we have done? Could we have gone to round up Zapu leaders who were not involved in the Zanu wrangles? That would not have been appropriate.These wrangles were confined to Zanu.MH: If this death had been caused by the Rhodesian agents, why would you round up the Zanu leaders?Dr Mwaanga: When a crime occurs which involve death, you have to investigate every possible angle. Every government does that. You are not sure what has happened. The only way you can establish the facts is by talking to people who may have information leading up to that death.You see, that death shocked up. We didn't think we could have a senior person from Zanu being assassinated in our country. That brought a lot of pain to us.MH: As these comrades were rounded up and interrogated, was there another parallel process to investigate whether this could have been caused by the Smith regime?Dr Mwaanga: Ooohh yes, every angle was investigated. The military, the intelligence, the police, and the criminal investigations department  we mobilised all the resources at our disposal to carry out the investigation into this matter.MH: When the Zanu leaders were detained, the liberation struggle according to some Zanla commanders was put on hold.Dr Mwaanga: No, it didn't. The people who were detained, it's not as if it was hundreds of people, it was just a few people.MH: Few but very crucial in the execution of the liberation struggle. I have spoken with one of the comrades, Saddat who was one of chairman Chitepo's bodyguards who survived that bomb blast. He complains bitterly against the Zambian government. He says he was tortured in excruciating ways. He has no kind words for your government.Dr Mwaanga: Well, he was regarded as a suspect. Information was leading up to him and because of that they wanted him to agree to certain things which had occurred. The police use these methods in many countries including Zimbabwe.MH: He actually used the words you are using now saying "they wanted me to agree to things that I hadn't done."Dr Mwaanga: Well, we also know that a lot of these people who are trained, they are trained never to disclose anything. Even if they are tortured and even if they undergo rough interrogation, they don't admit to anything. Our police and intelligence system knew that.We have a very professional force and they know exactly what kind of trained these people had been through.MH: When you say information was leading to Saddat, what exactly do you mean?Dr Mwaanga: The information was that he knew something about it which he was not telling the authorities. It's very important to investigate all the facts even if it meant few people had to be inconvenienced otherwise the investigation would not have been completed.MH: The word inconvenienced in the context you are using it, what exactly does it mean? Does it mean torture?Dr Mwaanga: No, no. It means being inconvenienced. Security forces use different methods even in Zimbabwe to extract information from suspects.Especially suspects they believe know something and not saying anything.MH: But even some of the leaders who were arrested, they say they were also tortured?Dr Mwaanga: That's possible. I don't know the details how they were treated because the police was handling that. I don't know of anyone, a murder suspect who has been treated well anywhere in the world.MH: When you look back now, would you say the Zambian government handled that situation well?Dr Mwaanga: Yes. When I look back now, we had no alternative but to do what we did. We had to be seen to be getting to the bottom of exactly what happened.We also had a responsibility not only to Zanu and the people of Zimbabwe, but to Africa as well. The whole of Africa was looking at us to see what we were going to do. We had no alternative but to do what we did. There are always casualties somewhere along the line. In every struggle there are casualties. I don't want to tell you what some of the parties, including Zanla and Zipra forces did to some of their own comrades. I wouldn't want to tell you that because what they did is far worse than anything you can ever imagine.There are bound to be casualties in any struggle. It's the price that organisations pay.MH: This information which you are saying was pointing to Saddat, where was it coming from?Dr Mwaanga: It was coming from within Zanu.MH: Then there was the Commission of Inquiry that was set up to investigate the death.Dr Mwaanga: Its report was made public as you know.MH: I know. Do you stand by the contents of that report up to this day?Dr Mwaanga: Well, I was not involved in the investigations and by then I had moved on to other issues so I cannot vouch for the report.MH: From your point of view, how did the death of Chitepo affect Zanu?Dr Mwaanga: I don't know to what extent it affected the party in Zambia. I wouldn't think it affected the struggle in any significant way because freedom fighters kept crossing into Rhodesia. Even the crossing from Mozambique continued.So I wouldn't say it affected the internal operations of Zanu in any significant way. Our statistics show that nothing really stopped.MH: Did you at some point as the Zambian government support Zapu and Zanu financially?Dr Mwaanga: We gave them money. The budget of the director of intelligence catered for that. We used part of this money to finance the liberation movements. Even buying houses for the leaders of the liberation movements and paying rentals for some houses. This was coming from the Zambian tax payers. This was our commitment to the struggle. The Liberation Committee gave them a budget but it was never adequate.MH: We understand that before the Zanu and Zapu leaders who were in detention in Rhodesia were released in 1975, the Zambian government had organised a secret meeting which involved the Rhodesian and South African leaders. Tell us more about this meeting.Dr Mwaanga: Yes, we sent our officials to Rhodesia to bring the Zanu and Zapu leaders. We brought the leaders and when they got to Lusaka, they were flown to State House by helicopter. Some of the leaders of Zapu and Zanu in Zambia at that time didn't even know that their leaders were in Zambia. They only got to know about it when they walked into the venue of the meeting. At that same meeting we had the leaders of Rhodesia and South Africa.MH: Why the secrecy?Dr Mwaanga: Its state craft. It would not have been helpful to let the leaders know. The information would have leaked. We knew that some of them had been infiltrated and we didn't want them to leak the information.We had given an undertaking to both the Rhodesians and the South Africans that we would not leak the information. We kept our word.The art of state craft is complicated. We had to honour what we had promised. Most Zanu and Zapu leaders in Zambia only saw the leaders when they were leaving going back to their respective prisons.After about two weeks, that's when Smith announced officially that the leaders were being released. But they already had been here to discuss the details about their release.MH: You really had to play a delicate balancing act?Dr Mwaanga: Very, very. We didn't want these missions to fail and for the missions to be a success, we had to have certain discipline. Even within the Zambian government, this information is highly guarded. Many of our senior ministers didn't know. That is how to conduct state craft. This was in the best interest of everyone concerned.MH: In 1978, the Rhodesian forces crossed into Zambia attacking some Zapu bases near Lusaka. Why didn't you as a government fight back?Dr Mwaanga: If you talk to our military, they will give you their story, but from a political point of view, we didn't want an escalation of the war situation. I remember when they attacked a number of these camps they were so daring that we had to evacuate people from these camps to bring them to the Rhodesian university. We used all means of transport to carry even villagers to bring them to Lusaka. We had to mobilise doctors from all over the country to treat the wounded people.We went on radio asking our people to donate blood and I am happy to tell you that hundreds of Zambians queued to donate blood. That was how far our people were prepared to assist the armed struggle. Our people supported the struggle because we explained to them.Without the support of the Zambian people we would not have been able to achieve what we achieved. I see many people thanking the Zambian government but the people who really deserve to be thanked are the Zambian people. They are the ones who sacrificed the most. There has to be a special place in history for them with regards to their contribution to the liberation struggle.MH: From the way you are talking, it's clear that the people of Zambia sacrificed a lot. Many Zambians died while others were injured. On its part, the Zambian government also made lots of sacrifices. This entire sacrifice do you sometimes regret?Dr Mwaanga: Not at all. At no time did we ever regret that decision. Even when our power installations were blown up, bridges were blown up, our people injured and killed, we said this is part of the price we had to pay to liberate our neighbours.You see, each time the Rhodesians bombed a bridge and killed our people, they renewed our determination to do even do more to get rid of them. No price was too high for us.MH: When elections were later held in Zimbabwe, some reports say the Zambian government was not happy with the outcome as they thought Zapu would win. What is your comment?Dr Mwaanga: I don't think that's true. The Zambian government took a realistic position because we had made our own assessment. You probably know that we had observers before, during and after the elections. They made assessments and told us what was going on. These observers had warned the Zambian government that the elections would be won by Zanu. That victory of Zanu came as no surprise to us. We were expecting it but we also felt that within that victory, there had to be room where the two parties could find a way of working together.MH: If you were fine with the results, why did it take President Kaunda almost two years to visit a free Zimbabwe after so much sacrifice?Dr Mwaanga: Well, to visit Zimbabwe, you had to be invited. Leaders don't just get up and say I am going to visit this or that country. They have to be invited.You can't just wake up and say I am coming to visit. We also realised that the leaders in Zimbabwe needed time to settle down and get organised. There was no ill-feeling from the Zambian government. No.MH: Do you think Zambia has been thanked enough for the role it played in the liberation of not only Zimbabwe but many other African countries?Dr Mwaanga: Let me put it this way, in many parts of Zambia I have been to. I have been asked that same question. Even at some Zambian universities. They ask me  why did we support the liberation struggle of these many African countries? They ask me, have we been thanked enough? My explanation has been that we did not do it because we wanted to be thanked. We did it out of principle because we were committed to the liberation of Africa. The issue of being thanked, the issue of benefits does not even arise at all.We were supporting the liberation struggle so that when the countries are free they would thank us. We did it because we wanted to see them free.Now that the veteran Zambian politician, Dr Mwaanga has put so many controversial issues into perspective, next week we bring you the interview we had with one of Zambia's highly decorated military strategists who was in the thick of things during the liberation struggle working with commanders from Zanu and Zapu. Don't miss your copy of The Sunday Mail as Zambia narrates Zimbabwe's liberation struggle from a military point of view.
Peter Dinklage To Host SNL On April 2

Trending News: Your Favorite Game Of Thrones Actor Is Going To Host SNL For The First Time

Why Is This Important?

Because Tyrion is hilarious on Game of Thrones as it is, how good will he be on SNL?

Long Story Short

Game of Thrones actor Peter Dinklage will get his first crack at hosting Saturday Night Live on April 2 and is expected to re-enact his character Peter Drunklage.

Long Story

The wine-drinking, strategic, hilarious dwarf from Game of Thrones brings much-needed humor to the show, now the actor who plays Tyrion Lannister will bring that humor to the Saturday Night Live stage. On this Saturday's show, SNL announced that Peter Dinklage will host the show on April 2, with Gwen Stefani as musical guest.

The appearance will be just 22 days before Season 6 of the show and we'll be watching closely to see if Dinklage drops any teency weency hints about the show (Jon Snow news?)  or if he just takes the piss out of it altogether.

Dinklage has appeared on SNL before, his cameo as Peter Drunklage is hard to forget, but he's never hosted before.

For its part, Saturday's SNL offered some great riffs on the election with Hillary Clinton's plea to millennials and Larry David reprising his incredible impression of Bernie Sanders, so we can expect the next show to keep up the election jokes with Dinklage as host. Can't wait!

Own The Conversation

Ask The Big Question

What will Donald Trump do next that SNL will be able to make fun of by the April 2 show?

Disrupt Your Feed

Dinklage is far and away the funniest part of Game of Thrones and he'll be the funniest part of SNL (unless Larry David returns).

Drop This Fact

You may have heard Peter Dinklage on TV well before Game of Thrones  he was the voice at the other end of the phone as Elaine's wake-up guy on Seinfeld.
New Delhi, March 12

The Central government and the Reserve Bank of India cautioned against overstating the bad loan crisis in the countrys public sector banks, but warned of action for defaulting in loan repayment.

Speaking to the press after RBIs board meeting on Saturday, Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and RBI Governor Raghuram Rajan said the crisis should not be made to affect lending institutions.

"We don't want to create a situation where we overstate the crisis and in the process, the whole activity of lending for growth itself starts suffering because people become extraordinarily defensive. We don't want to reach that situation.

"So its that limited category where there is some kind of a prima facie misconduct or misdemeanor, which has taken place by the individual. Its those areas which will be looked into differently," Jaitley said.

Rajan also echoed the finance ministers views saying there was no "broad fishing expedition that then becomes a reason for banks to get worried about making loans which then hamper the recovery and hamper the absolutely important infrastructure investment that have to take place", although action should be taken.

"So as a country, as a system, we have to draw that balance very carefully and we are hopeful that we can manage that," he said.

Public sector banks gross Non Performing Assets (NPAs) went up from 5.43 per cent from March 2015 to 7.30 per cent up to December 2015. The total NPA of PSBs stood at Rs 3,61,731 lakh crore until December.

Jaitley also attended the meeting.

SEBI clamps down on wilful defaulters

The Securities and Exchange Board of India decided on Saturday to bar wilful defaulters from raising public money and holding board positions in listed companies, a move that would cost liquor baron Vijay Mallya  who is current facing charges of defaulting in loan payment of more than Rs 9,000 crore  board positions in various companies. .

The board also made it mandatory for listed firms to disclose impact of audit qualifications in a separate document.

The regulator will boost surveillance mechanism and enhance the supervision of brokers and other intermediaries, a measure aimed at curbing malpractices in the securities and commodities markets.

Issues pertaining to control at the time of acquisition of listed entities and mutual funds' exposure to distressed debt securities were also discussed at the board meeting that lasted for more than an hour here.

The board approved the regulator's budget for 2016-17 and also discussed the plan for action for the same period.

Meanwhile, SEBI has also given its in-principle approval for the listing of BSE.

In addition, such defaulters will not be allowed to set up market intermediaries such as mutual funds and brokerage firms and will be restrained from taking control of any other listed company.

"If somebody is proved by RBI or orders that he is a wilful defaulter, then it is very risky to allow that person, or company to raise money from retail persons in the market," Sebi Chairman UK Sinha told reporters after the board meeting.

"They will not be allowed to raise money from the market. They will also be debarred from taking any position in a listed company. Such persons will also be declared not fit and proper under various intermediary regulations."

The new rules on restraining wilful defaulters will come into effect after they get notified. "After the notification, all the persons would stand disqualified from all positions at listed companies," he noted.

For more clarity on change of control in mergers and acquisitions, the regulator will launch a public consultation for defining 'control' and proposed fixing 25 per cent voting rights as a threshold.

Addressing the board, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley asked the regulator to be alert on market supervision and take measures to expand investor base and deepen the commodity derivatives segment.

This was the first time SEBIs board met after Sinha was given an extension.  PTISebi Chairman Sinha said the new rules are likely to be notified within a few weeks.

"If somebody is declared by RBI, or by other orders, that he is a wilful defaulter, then it is very risky to allow that person, or company to raise money from retail persons in the market," Sinha said.

"They will not be allowed to raise money from the market. They will also be debarred from taking any position in a listed company. Such persons will also be declared not fit and proper under various intermediary regulations," he said.

An individual or a company is a 'wilful defaulter' for deliberately not paying dues despite adequate cash flow and good net worth and for siphoning off funds to the detriment of the defaulting unit, among other factors.

RBI had asked SEBI to control fund-raising activities of wilful defaulters, after which the capital markets regulator also started a public consultation process.

Until last month, Mallya was chairman and director of United Spirits Ltd, a unit of UK- based Diageo. Mallyas exit from the board of United Spirits ends a long-drawn tussle between him and Diageo following allegations of irregularities on loans given to UB Group companies. In return, Diageo offered to pay the liquor baron USD 75 million (Rs 515 crore). On March 7, Debt Recovery Tribunal (DRT) stayed the deal after SBI approached it. SBI, which leads some 20 banks that lent money to Mallyas now defunct Kingfisher airlines, had an exposure of over Rs 1,600 crore to carrier.

The deal is current being investigated by SEBI.

Mallya continues to hold positions in boards of various other companies, including his own UB Group.

Liquor baron Vijay Mallya left the country on March 2 as he faced pressure to repay some 17 banks more than Rs 9,000 crore in loans after his airline collapsed.

The loans were sanctioned between 2004 and 2007 to companies he promoted. Banks converted the loans into non-performing assets in 2009. The NPAs were restructured in 2010.

Kingfisher Airlines folded up in 2012.

The CBI registered FIRs against the liquor baron, his now defunct Kingfisher Airlines and some others in October 2015.  PTI
New Delhi, March 13

HDFC Bank has got no love and respect for India as it put the countrys reputation at stake by not activating a debit card of a couple trapped in a foreign country, the apex consumer court has said.

The National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (NCDRC) made the observations while asking the bank to pay a compensation of Rs 5 lakh to a Chandigarh-based couple, who was stuck in Thailand and Singapore as the bank did not activate their debit card for 10 days in 2008.

The bank has got no love and respect for India. The reputation of India was at stake. Knowing fully well that Indians were trapped in a foreign country, it was the bounden duty of the manager to swing into action immediately.

He committed an egregious mistake for taking no action for 10 days. It exposes the sloth and callousness on part of the manager. This shows negligence, inaction and passivity on part of the bank.

Foreigners always complain that due to procedural delays, they do not want to have business relations with this country. The lackadaisical approach by the bank is surprising.

The bank manager did not make any effort to straighten out the problem, the Bench headed by Justice J.M. Malik said.

The apex commission enhanced the compensation from Rs 50,000 to Rs 5 lakh to Chandigarh residents, senior advocate Mohinderjit Singh Sethi and his wife Rajmohini Sethi.

The couple had approached NCDRC against an order of a state consumer commission which had refused to enhance Rs 50,000 compensation awarded by a district consumer form.

In its order, the apex consumer commission said the bank was at liberty to take action against branch manager Rajinder Patheja and at least Rs 50,000 may be deducted from his salary, out of the said compensation.

According to the complaint filed by the couple, Raj Mohini opened a joint account after depositing Rs 1.5 lakh and the bank issued a debit card with an assurance that they would face no difficulty in foreign countries.

However, in Bangkok, the couple was told the card was not operational. Thereafter, they contacted Patheja who informed that there was some minor discrepancy in the date of birth of the woman, which was to be rectified.

The couple was again stuck in Singapore as the card was not functional even then and they faced a lot of difficulties due to lack of money till they returned home.

The bank and the branch manager, however, had denied the allegations and claimed the papers submitted by the couple were not complete.

The couple had approached a district forum in Chandigarh seeking Rs 30 lakh as compensation from the bank. The forum, however, granted Rs 50,000. Thereafter, they moved the state consumer commission which rejected their demand to enhance the compensation amount.

They challenged the order before the apex consumer commission.

While enhancing the compensation, the NCDRC said that keeping in view the harassment and mental agony caused to complainant number one (Mohinderjit) and his wife, we are of considered view that the amount of Rs 50,000 awarded by the district forum is just peanuts. A wearer knows where the shoe pinches.  PTI
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.

.

..Commentary magazine..11 March '16..I have written here before about the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement in South Africa. This week was supposed to be a good week for its supporters. Israeli Apartheid Week ran from March 1st through the 10th (because in South Africa just one week isnt enough to unburden oneself of ones loathing of Israel). The ruling African National Congress had, as it has in prior years, heartily endorsed Israeli Apartheid Week and made members of its executive committee available for various events associated with it. Things were looking up.But a funny thing happened on the way to the celebration of anti-Israel bias. BDS-South Africa proved that it does not know how to play a winning hand.The Daily Vox, a South African paper written by and for young people, has been running a series called Apartheid 2.0. The Vox, though it is affiliated with no political party, is no lover of Israel. Indeed, Apartheid 2.0 is about Palestine, Israels settler-colonial project, and apartheid policies over the Palestinian people. But the editors made the error of running two pieces critical of the BDS movement.Neither piece was pro-Israel. One ended Israel must fall. The other complained that Zionist influence has strengthened as a result of the incompetence of the BDS movement.As if to prove the latter point, BDS-South Africa responded by attacking the paper. When the editors offered Muhammad Desai, a BDS leader (and himself a nasty piece of work ) a chance to respond, he consulted his board. Farid Esack, a professor at the University of Johannesburg wrote back to Desai, but copying the Vox: This is fuckin malicious! Couldnt these guys have waited a week or two until after IAW to run these piece. Where the hell do they expect us to get the time to do replies in the middle of this week. Just what is their agenda? BDS-South Africa promptly canceled a previously scheduled online discussion hosted by the Daily Vox.BDS is known, of course, for not wanting to talk to Zionists, but it turns out, as Azad Essa, executive editor of the Vox, notes, that BDS-South Africa is not interested in anything that challenges their methods, or logic.I wonder then, how they will respond to Israeli Foreign Ministry Director General Dore Golds visit to South Africa. Gold met Thursday with his South African counterpart, Jerry Matthews Matijila. According to the Times of Israel, they agreed to improve cooperation on such issues as water, agriculture, trade, and science and technology. Was it only last month that BDS-South Africa was celebrating the cancellation of a conference on water issues to which Israeli ambassador Arthur Lenk had been invited?And to think, the week started out with so much promise.
Jalandhar, March 12

Under an Indo-Euro synchronisation initiative, five students from the School of Mechanical Engineering of Lovely Professional University attended Automation and Automotive Training Programme 'AutoSol-2016' held in Germany.

Only 14 students were selected from across the country for this prestigious training. Trainee LPU students obtained cutting-edge experience in industrial and business sectors of automation and automotive domain. During 12-day hectic schedule, students also interacted with leading personalities of industries like Mercedes Benz, Volkswagen, Bosch, Siemens and more. On getting exposed to advance-technologies; LPU-students also availed unique opportunity to work with live European projects.

Steinbeis University in Berlin and APS (European Centre for Mechatronics) recognised the training of LPU students. Steinbeis University is slated to provide six Credit Points Certificates to LPU trainees. Now, trainees can further be participants at 'European Labs for Mechatronics' for six months internship/project. LPU Chancellor Ashok Mittal motivated the awakened students to utilise the special training for their bright career ahead.

Participating LPU students Mohammad Asadullah Maqdoom (from Telangana), Tiruvarangam Srinivas (from Andhra Pradesh), Harssh Arun Sharma (from Maharashtra), Navjot Singh and Maeru Jain (both from Punjab) shared unanimously, "The India and Europe connecting programme proved to form a technological transfer bridge. Gaining a comprehensive insight into the auto-industry situation in Germany, we also enhanced our professional skills and career prospects."

Mechanical Engineering student Harsh who hails from a small village of Thane in Maharashtra informed: "At Stuttgart in Germany, we all imbibed Mercedes-Benz's great slogan- "Das Beste oder nichts" which means "the best or nothing". Here, our tour to world's largest car production plant of Mercedes Benz offered us a detailed and amazing insight into the fascinating world of vehicle manufacture. We saw the press shop- where the first parts are shaped; robots working fast at the body shop; and, the assembly areas. We were amazed to see how vehicle parts are lined up, and further ready to be transported to the assembly lines." TNS
Abhinav Vashisht

Kullu, March 13

After three days of extensive search, all eight trekkers who were reported missing in the higher reaches of the district were found in a cave today. Six of them were later airlifted to Rumsu village.

Seven BTech students of Sant Longowal Institute of Engineering and Technology (SLIET) and a former student of the institute from Kullu had lost their way during a trekking expedition to Chanderkhani peak on March 10.

An aerial team spotted them in the cave, where they had taken shelter after losing their way in bad weather, in the Chanderkhani region this afternoon.

Superintendent of Police Padam Chand said six trekkers had been airlifted, while poor weather prevented evacuation of the remaining two.

Those evacuated are: Chetan Chori and Saurav Sharma (both from Ambala); Ankush Kumar (Gurdaspur); Rohit Kumar (Bhagpat, UP); Akshay Bura (Chamba); and Bharat Prakash (Gadori village, Kullu).

The remaining two  Hitender Sharma (Shimla) and Anil Kumar (Hamirpur)  were safe and would be evacuated on Monday, he said adding food packets and water had been provided to the stranded students. Rohit Kumar, a rescued student, however, said: We had not lost our way. We just could not move further due to heavy rain.

Kullu SDM Rohit Rathore said Saurav was given medical aid. District Health Officer Sushil Chander and ambulances were present at Rumsu village.

The aerial survey of the region was conducted twice today and the group was traced during the second sortie. The SDM said three rescue teams, comprising 21 personnel of the ITBP along with police personnel, were sent from Jana, Jari valley and Bijli Mahadev region this morning. They were accompanied by experts from Manalis mountaineering. Another 14-member ITBP team conducted search in Pinsu and Pini region today.

Parents of the two stranded students and administrative officials from Sangrur district had arrived in Kullu. Jatinder Singh, father of Ankush Kumar, heaved a sigh of relief after learning about the rescue of students. He said they had been praying for their safe return.

In Sangrur, SLIETs public relations officer SS Punia said the seven had left the campus on March 8 and did not inform the college authorities before embarking on the trip.

(Inputs: Sushil Goyal in Sangrur)
Arteev Sharma & Azhar Qadri

Tribune News Service

Jammu/Srinagar, March 13

After frequent Chinese incursions in the Ladakh region, the Army is learnt to have spotted Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) troops at forward posts along the Line of Control (LoC) on the Pakistan side of north Kashmir, sending alarm bells ringing among security agencies.

Intelligence agencies say intercepts of some Pakistan Army officers suggested that the Chinese troops were in the area to create some infrastructure along the LoC.

The Army authorities are tightlipped, but sources say higher-ups are constantly being updated about the presence of Chinese troops opposite Indian forward posts along the LoC in the Nowgam sector.

SD Goswami, defence spokesperson, Northern Command, said he was not fully aware of the development, while Col NN Joshi, defence spokesperson, 15 Corps, said there was no information about the presence of PLA troops.

Fresh inputs on Chinese troops have corroborated reports of a leading US newspaper that Pakistan had handed over de-facto control of the strategic Gilgit-Baltistan region in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) to China, where it had been witnessing simmering rebellion against Islamabad.

In August 2010, The New York Times had reported that there were two important developments in Gilgit-Baltistan: A simmering rebellion against the Pakistan rule and the influx of an estimated 7,000 to 11,000 soldiers of the PLA in the area, which is closed to the world.

China wants a grip on the strategic area to assure unfettered road and rail access to the Gulf through Pakistan... It is building high-speed rail and road links, the newspaper had said. On March 27, 2011, former Northern Command Chief Lt General KT Parnaik had said Chinese troops were present in the PoK, posing a military challenge to India.

China has gained considerable foothold in Gilgit and Baltistan by way of infrastructure development and helped Pakistan in exploiting the resources in the region. It has made numerous roads, bridges and power projects in Gilgit and Baltisan. It (Chinese presence) poses military challenges to India and not only along the Sino-Indian border but also along the Line of Control, he had said.

The PLA troops were first spotted in the latter part of last year. They have since been seen opposite the Tangdhar sector as well. In this area, Chinese government-owned China Gezhouba Group Company Ltd has been building a Jhelum-Neelum 970 MW Hydel power project in response to Indias Kishanganga power project in Bandipore of north Kashmir.

Intercepts also suggest the PLA is planning to dig tunnels in Leepa Valley in the PoK to build an all-weather road that will serve as an alternative route to reach Karakoram Highway.

In recent years, Chinese troops have occasionally transgressed into the Indian side of the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the Ladakh region where the boundary between the two countries is not properly demarcated.

(With agency inputs)
New Delhi, March 13

Ministers in the Union and state Cabinets are public authorities liable to answer public questions addressed to them under the Right to Information Act, the Central Information Commission has ruled.

This directive will mean that people can directly send questions to a minister by filing an RTI application, which will be answered by a public information officer in his office.

The commission strongly recommends the Centre and states to provide necessary support to each minister, including designating officers, or appointing public information officers and first appellate authorities, Information Commissioner Sridhar Acharyulu held.

The probable claim that a Cabinet minister does not have the necessary infrastructure to support the applicability of the RTI Act inasmuch as the minister is a singular person office... hence cannot be held as public authority is not tenable, he held.

The Information Commissioner directed that the oath of secrecy be replaced with an oath of transparency so the minister respects the right to information of the citizen, which was passed by Parliament and considered as fundamental right intrinsic in Article 19(1)(a) of the Constitution.

Acharyulu was adjudicating the case of Hemant Dhage of Ahmednagar, who sought to know from the staff of the then Union Minister for Law and Justice the scheduled time for people to meet the Cabinet minister and minister of state. He was directed to seek time from the minister himself.

Acharyulu said, It is pitiful that a citizen has to file an RTI request to know the timings and process of meeting their chosen minister, which should have been ordinarily provided on their own. He said if there was no such facility, the ministers office should declare that there is no such facility.  PTI
Allahabad, March 13

Judiciary as an institution is facing crisis of credibility which is a challenge from within, Chief Justice of India TS Thakur said here today as he asked judges to be conscientious of their duties.

With concern being raised over huge pendency of cases, Justice Thakur did not mince any words as he said that Bar has "not been very very cooperative" in disposal of cases even if judges are ready to put extra hours.

"At times judges feel that the delay in the disposal of cases is only because the Bar does not, at times, cooperate," he said at the function to inaugurate 150th anniversary of the Allahabad High Court.

The CJI said he can assure the lawyers that if Bar cooperates, judges will be ready to sit even on Saturdays to finish old matters, especially related to people languishing in jail for years.

Underlining the glorious history of Allahabad High Court, he said it is a matter of great pride for him that Pandit Motilal Nehru, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, Tej Bahadur Sapru, Kailash Nath Katju, who have left indelible marks in history, belong to his home state Jammu and Kashmir.

"Difficult times have been seen by this court. Difficult challenges have also been seen by this court but judges have risen to the occasion. They have discharged their duties fearlessly...but we cannot sleep or rejoice over the laurels of the past only.

"We have great challenges in future and we need to get ready to meet those challenges. Judiciary as an institution, as we all know, is always under public gaze and has challenges not only from within but from outside also. Challenges from outside do not disturb us so much. We all face them well but we need to look after and what need to be aware of are challenges from within," he said.

The Chief Justice of India said, "...and when I speak about challenges from within I am referring to the crisis of credibility that we face in the country today. Judges need to be conscientious of in their discharge of duties, punctuality, judicial retribute and effort to do the best is what is the need of the hour".

Seeking cooperation from the Bar in reducing pendency of cases, Justice Thakur said while judges are doing their best and have, to the satisfaction of the entire nation, upheld the Constitution, protected the rights of the people and ensured that access to justice is a reality, he would also like to also address the need for a similar commitment from Bar members.

He said without the Bar, administration of the justice is not possible terming it as the mother of the Bench.

"If you have good judges it is because of the Bar that you have.... Over the period of the time we have seen that the Bar is not very very co-operative in the matter of disposal of cases," he said underlining that there are 10 lakh cases pending in Allahabad High Court.

Justice Thakur said the cases of people who are languishing in jail can be taken on priority and disposed of but it is not possible without the cooperation of the Bar.

He said he can assure the lawyers that if Bar cooperates, judges will be ready to sit even on Saturdays to finish these old matters.

Judiciary yet to meet aspirations for speedy, affordable justice: Prez

Underlining the issue of pendency of cases in courts, President Pranab Mukherjee said the judiciary is yet to fully meet people's aspirations for "speedy and affordable" justice.

Inaugurating the 150th anniversary celebration of Allahabad High Court, he said justice must be "accessible, affordable and quick" for people to understand the meaning of justice.

The President said as an upholder of the Rule of Law and enforcer of the right to liberty, the role of the judiciary was sacrosanct and the faith and confidence people have in it must be always maintained.

"Though the Indian judiciary has many strengths, it is yet to fully meet the aspirations of our people for speedy and affordable justice," he said at the sesquicentennial celebration.

Mukherjee noted that the judiciary has played an important role since independence in strengthening the democratic framework of the country and maintaining rule of law.

"High Courts in particular have a unique position under the Constitution of India. They are not only guardians of people's rights and liberty, they also have the onerous responsibility of ensuring that access to justice is not denied to any citizen on account of economic or any other disability," the President said.

He said judiciary which is one of the three important pillars of our democracy, is the final interpreter of the Constitution and it must help maintain social order by swiftly and effectively dealing with those on the wrong side of the law.

"Our courts are today overburdened on account of number of cases pending before them. There are over three crore cases pending in various courts throughout the country.

"Out of these, about 38.5 lakh cases are pending in 24 High Courts. The pendency of cases in the High Courts has slightly declined from 41.5 lakh in 2014 to 38.5 lakh in 2015, but still have a long way to go," he said.

His remarks come in the wake of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's statement on the issue during the centenary celebrations of Patna High Court yesterday. Modi had mooted a novel idea of courts coming out with an annual bulletin to highlight the oldest cases being tried by them to help create sensitivity on pendency of cases in the country.  PTI
Ajay Banerjee

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, March 12

Indian security establishment has warned the government on how Pakistan has raised three additional brigades of its Army complete with artillery and helicopter support and allowed Chinese troops on its soil under the garb of protecting the China-funded $46-billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

The Pakistan Army Brigades are under a Special Security Division (SSD) commanded by a Major General-level officer and translate into some 15,000 men, of which 5,000 belong to the special services group (SSG) trained in counter-terrorism operations.

This is backed by permission granted by Pakistan to the Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) of China to patrol Beijings economic interests under the CPEC, the Indian security establishment has told the government.

The number of PLA troops stationed or visiting Pakistan or Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) was still ambiguous as both countries have open road route. The PLA can just motor down the existing Karokaram highway.

In April last year, Chinese President Xi Jinping launched the CPEC in Islamabad with agreements on pipelines, power plants and other projects.

Xi had then sought security for the CPEC and it was promised by Pakistan. Now, the brigades has been raised and deployed to protect Chinese engineers and also the route between Gwadar and Xinjiang. These have rapid movability like helicopters. The troops carry small arms besides medium guns and artillery weapons.

In New Delhi, the fear is that PLA could use Pakistan soil to stage an offensive against India.

The CPEC includes a high-speed rail and road connection between Chinas Xinjiang province with Pakistan port city of Gwadar (west of Karachi). This will be backed by a string of oil and gas pipelines that will allow China to unload its energy requirement at the Arabian Sea port of Gwadar and take them directly through the pipelines circumventing the longer route via the Straits of Mallaca (dominated by India) and the contentious South China Sea.

Pakistan is facing some problem PoK and also in Gilgit-Baltistan where local population have protested against the CPEC in Muzaffarbad and also in Gilgit. The local police had quelled these voices.
New Delhi, March 13

Political parties should not politicise events that have the potential to affect the country's reputation, Art of Living founder Sri Sri Ravi Shankar said on Sunday as curtains come down on the foundations controversial World Cultural Festival.

"We need a certain maturity. I request all political parties. Whenever such a grand event is being organised, party politics should be kept aside. You should come together so that India's prestige on the world stage rises. It is not easy to organise an event of this magnitude.... It is a major thing... so that people from across the world can feel connected," the spiritual guru said.

"People from across the world are amazed. We got a letter from the Australian prime minister asking us to hold the event there. They are ready to give us all the help we need. The countries are keen to host this event.

He also criticised the Indian media for being harsh in reporting the events before the festival.

The international media is asking why the Indian press was so harsh towards this festival. I smiled and said that I don't know," he said.

He claimed that his Foundation has already received invitation from Australia, Mexico and other nations for holding the next edition of the event. made it clear that it was not a fine but compensation to rejuvenate the area.

The AOL founder said his organisation would come with up a concrete plan for conservation of the Yamuna.

"We had consulted a couple of environmentalists before the event and they had said there would be no damage to the flood plains if this event was held. Further, we will also consult some environmentalists and work on rejuvenation of Yamuna with a concrete plan of action for Yamuna," he said.

"No stadium would not have been able to accommodate these many artists and people," Ravi Shankar.

The Central Government has drawn criticism for having used the army for festival preparations. The event caused huge traffic snarls.

After environmentalists opposed the event, the National Green Tribunal ordered the foundation to pay Rs 5 crore last week, but did not stop the event.

Soon after, Ravishankar refused to pay saying he would rather go to jail than pay a fine. The tribunal later clarified that the sum it had ordered the foundation to pay was not a fine but a compensation for damage to the environment.

It also allowed the foundation to pay the sum in two installments: Rs 25 lakh it had to pay immediately and the rest in three weeks time.  Agencies


Washington, March 13

A great-great-granddaughter of Sir Ganga Ram, an Indian civil engineer known for building a network of health infrastructure in both India and Pakistan before Partition, is running for a top elected position in the US state of Vermont.

Seeking inspiration from her great-great-grandfather, Indian-Jewish-American Kesha Ram, 29, promises to make accessible healthcare and education as one of her prime focus if elected as the Lt Governor of Vermont later this fall.

Vermont has been in the news lately as its Senator, Bernie Sanders, is a Democratic presidential candidate and is giving a run for her money to the partys frontrunner, Hillary Clinton.

I was there (in India) last year. Unfortunately, I had to take my fathers ashes to the holy river. But during the course of the trip, we were able to visit Sir Ganga Ram hospital, where my relatives lead the board of directors, she told PTI in an interview.

Her father was born in Lahore, but after Partition the family moved to India and grew in Punjab. He went for studies to Los Angeles, where he met her mother, a Jewish-American.

Together they opened an Irish pub in Los Angeles, she said, adding that here she helped her father.

For her studies, Ram moved to the University of Vermont. She was elected to the state House of Representatives at the age of 22 to represent the University District and Hill Section of Burlington. She has represented the district since 2009.

It (Indian and Jewish heritage) really gave me an important foundation in terms of tolerance and being versatile, hoping to bridge different worlds, she said.

Ram said Sanders gave her the first big break in politics. He invited me to introduce him and then Senator Barack Obama on stage when I was a student, when Bernie was running for the Senate seat for the first time. Since then, I have been very grateful to his leadership and his role in shaping, change and advocating for economic equality, Kesha said, adding that for now she was very supportive of the message and energy coming from the Sanders campaign.

Asked if the US is ready for the first woman President, she said yes.  PTI
BD Kasniyal

Pithoragarh, March 13

BSNL will withdraw over 22,000 wireless local loop (WLL) mobile connections available in villages along the Nepal border from next month, rendering the area without communication facility. People residing in these villages have demanded an alternate communication network as soon as possible by installing more telecommunication towers.

Villages along the Nepal and China borders will have to depend on the Nepalese communication network if an alternate network is not made available, said Sher Singh Mahar, a social worker in the Talladesh region of Champawat district.

BSNL sources said the WLL service was being discontinued as it had failed to generate the required revenue and had become uneconomical.

Due to the orders from the higher authorities, we are scrapping the WLL mobile service prevalent in some parts of the state. But we are giving an alternative to the people, said Suryakant, Chief General Manager of BSNL, Uttarakhand region.

He said over 60 villages, 20 police and SSB border posts at the Nepal border in Pithoragarh and Champawat districts would be without communication from April 1 and no other communication alternative would be available.

They said the service was being scrapped as telecom towers of BSNL had a limited capacity and private companies were not allowed to install their towers in these border areas.

Some of the villages will be without communication facility as they are dependent only on WLL till date, said Laxman Chand, a resident of Kanri village at the Nepal border in Pithoragarh district.

The villagers residing in the border region, especially along the Nepal and China borders, will face the maximum difficulties in getting proper communication facilities.

The government should ban Nepalese telecommunication companies. If it fails to do so, people would get lured to use their networks. Residents of upper valleys of the Dharchula border region are already availing such facilities, said Kailash Bhatt, a resident of Seem village at the Jhoolaghat border with Nepal in Pithoragarh district.
Washington, March 13

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, known for his witty repartees, told an American audience here that he has more Sikhs in his Cabinet than his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi.

The quip came when Trudeau was taking 10 questions from students at American University in northwest Washington during his state visit to the US.

During the half-an-hour session at the university on Friday, a student named Jahan from the Punjab province of Pakistan told Trudeau that it was really great to see so many Punjabis in his Cabinet.

I have more Sikhs in my Cabinet than Modi does, Trudeau was quoted as saying by the Canadian daily The Star.

The 44-year-old Trudeau, who assumed office in November last year, surprised one and all by including four Sikh-Canadians in his Cabinet.

The four Sikh-Canadians inducted into Trudeaus Cabinet include Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan, a combat veteran who did three tours in Afghanistan as a member of the Canadian Armed Forces.

Apart from Sajjan, the other three Sikh ministers are: Infrastructure Minister Amarjeet Sohi, Small Business Minister Bardish Chagger and Innovation Minister Navdeep Singh Bains, Canadian daily The Globe and Mail had reported at the time.

There were also 17 Sikh MPs elected in the election in Canada in October last year  16 from the Liberal Party of Canada and one Conservative  the highest number of Sikhs ever elected.

In contrast, there are two Sikh Cabinet ministers in the Modi government  Maneka Gandhi, who is a Sikh by birth, and Harsimrat Kaur Badal who is the Food Processing Minister.

Trudeau, in the past, has been spotted doing bhangra moves and visiting gurdwaras several times. He has also participated in Diwali celebrations apart from a Gurbani recital. He has even helped out women in preparing meals in a langar.

Asked why he sought female-male parity in Cabinet appointments, Trudeau said, Its 2016, guys. Trudeaus three-day visit to America that concluded on Friday was aimed at rejuvenating the Canada-US ties.

Trudeau carries one of the most famous names in Canadian political history. His late father was Prime Minister for the better part of 16 years, between 1968 and 1984, and remains the rare Canadian politician who is recognised in America.

During his interaction at American University, the students did not let Trudeau get away with his now-standard poker-faced line on Republican Presidential front-runner Donald Trump.

Trudeau declared for a second straight day that he has confidence in the American electorate, a remark that evoked laughter from the audience.  PTI
Lahore, March 13

Jamaat-ud-Dawah chief Hafiz Mohammad Saeed  the suspected mastermind of the 2008 Mumbai attack criticised the Pakistan Government on Sunday for a ban on covering his outfit and dubbed it a move orchestrated by the US.

"The order to ban the JuD (on media) has not come from Islamabad but from Washington," he said in a statement issued here.

On November 2, the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority forbade all Pakistani television channels from giving the JuD, its front Falah-e- Insaniat Foundation and about 60 other proscribed organisations and their leaders any kind of coevrage.

The 66-year-old  who continues to roam the country freely  also questioned Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharifs liberal agenda that the West appreciated, referring to a recent article in the Washington Post.

The daily had praised Shariafs agenda and said: "The shift in tone can be traced to Sharif's ambitious economic agenda, the influence his 42-year-old daughter (Maryam Nawaz) has over him, and his awareness that Pakistan remains the butt of jokes, according to his friends, senior government officials and analysts.

The attacks of 2008 in Indias financial capital killed 166 people.  PTI
Dear Friends,

I came across this very interesting article about this powerful red goddess from a huge volcano in Hawaii. Her name is Pele  Goddess of Fire. Her poetic name is Ka wahine `ai honua, the woman who devours the land, and she is both creator and destroyer. She is very active. She throws molten fountains into the air, governs the great flows of lava, and has been known to reveal herself throughout the island of Hawaii. I share this with all of you in respects to Pele.

It is said that whenever tourists take things (stones, dirt, etc.) from that area, she will cause them to have bad dreams or some disasters in their life until they return the items back. The tourism board in that area get hundreds of parcels a year from tourists mailing things they have taken and requesting them to place it back in the area. The Hawaiians have special rituals to her and pray to her as she is known to be very quick and effective. Of course we do not need to pray to her as she is not an enlightened being as far as we know, but it is nice to know about her and such myths and legends to expand our knowledge. We also now know not to simply take things from Mount Kilauea. Its important to respect special divinities, land gods, elemental spirits. This post is to introduce you to the beautiful and rich culture of Hawaii. You can do more research on your own on this. Do enjoy.

If youve been to Hawaii and have some personal stories on the Goddess Pele, do share at the comment section as I would love to read more about it.

Tsem Rinpoche

The Legend Behind Hawaiis Goddess of Fire

Lighting up ancient Hawaiian legends, Pele (pronounced peh-leh) the goddess of fire, lightning, wind, dance and volcanoes is a well-known character. Otherwise known as ka wahine ai honua, the woman who devours the land, Peles home is believed to be Halemaumau crater at the summit of Kilauea, one of the worlds most active volcanoes. However, all of Hawaii lays the setting for her stories, so that to this day, any volcanic eruption in Hawaii is attributed to Peles longing to be with her true love.

Pele is renowned for her passionate and fiery temperament and many people who visit the islands will hear stories of her power and destruction. One of six daughters and seven sons born to Haumea (an ancient Earth goddess) and Kane Milohai (the creator of the sky, earth and upper heavens), Peles siblings include Kane Milohai, Kamohoalii, Namaka as well as 13 sisters with the same name  Hiiaka.

Behind the Legend of Pele

There are as many versions of how Madame Pele came to Hawaii as there are lava rocks on Hawaii Island. One common legend says that Pele  who was born in Honua-Mea in Tahiti  was sent away by her father because of her difficult temper and for seducing her sister, Namakaokahais, husband. She found her way to the Hawaiian Islands where legend after legend bubbled up around her countless lovers, infidelities and feuds and heated outbursts.

Another well-known story spins a web that Peles older brother Kamohoalii (the king of sharks) provided Pele with a large canoe which she and her brothers took and sailed away with  eventually coming to Hawaii. When she made landfall in the islands it was on Kauai, where she was attacked by her sister Namakaokahai and left for dead. According to legend she was able to recover and escaped to Oahu where she dug fire pits, including the crater today called Diamond Head. She traveled through the island chain to Molokai and on to Maui where she is said to have made Haleakala volcano.

Upon discovering Pele had survived, Namakaokahai traveled to Maui and the two engaged in an epic battle near Hana, where Pele was torn apart by her sister and became a god, finding a home on Mauna Kea on Hawaii Island. There she dug her final fire pit, the Halemaumau Crater at the summit of Kilauea, where many believe she resides to this day.

And yet another tale tells that Pele was married for a short  and violent  time to Kamapuaa, the god of water. This story says that Pele rerouted Kamapuaa from their home in Helemaumau and angrily chased him, with rivers of lava, into the Pacific Ocean. This story is meant to symbolize the violent and explosive experience of a hydrovolcanic eruption, though Hawaiian eruptions are much more peaceful. Peles loyal followers believe that the frequent eruptions of lava on Kilauea is a reminder that Pele is alive and still at home here.

Pele Parables

Pele is often portrayed as a wanderer and sightings of the familiar and popular goddess have been reported throughout the island chain for hundreds of years, but especially near volcanic craters and near her home of Kilauea, one of the most active volcanoes in the world.

In these sightings or visions she appears as either a very tall, beautiful young woman or an unattractive and frail elderly woman usually accompanies by a white dog. Those well-versed in the legend, say that Pele takes this form of an elderly beggar woman to test people  asking them if they have food or drink to share. Those who are generous and share with her are rewarded while anyone who is greedy or unkind are punished with their homes or other valuables destroyed.

The Goddess of Volcanoes

If you visit Hawaii only once, the one myth of Pele that you will likely hear and should take heed of is one surrounding the curses she inflicts on those who remove lava rocks from her island home. While many  including some kamaaina (local residents) believe that it is only legend, to this day thousands of pieces of lava rock are mailed back to the island from travelers over the world who insists theyve suffered bad luck and misfortunes as a result.

For more interesting information:



Copyright Disclaimer: Under Section 13 of the Malaysian Copyright Act 1987, allowance is made for fair dealing for purposes such as non-profit research, private study, criticism, review or the reporting of current events. The Operator and author(s) of TsemRinpoche.com, a not-for-profit blog, do not claim ownership on the intellectual property rights of the contents, images and/or videos reproduced in this article. Any subsisting intellectual property rights shall belong to the legal owner of the contents, images and/or videos.
ETE announces plan to help fund Williams merger

Energy Transfer Equity filed a plan with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on Wednesday afternoon that the company says is part of a strategy to enhance its liquidity position, including the financial part of the deal payable to Williams Cos. stockholders under the proposed merger agreement with the Tulsa-based pipeline company.

According to the filing, ETE completed a private offering of Series A Convertible Preferred Units on March 8 that represent limited partner interests to certain common unitholders defined as accredited investors under financial law.

The convertible units were issued to offerees who elected to participate in the plan. Unitholders would forgo a portion of their future potential cash distributions on common units for a period of up to nine fiscal quarters beginning when distributions for the fiscal quarter ending March 31, 2016, were declared.

Those who elected to participate in the plan received one convertible unit for each common unit.

ETE, the Dallas-based MLP that entered into a proposed merger agreement with Williams on Sept. 28, says that the plan is part of a broader strategy to be proactive in maintaining its credit rating and enhancing its liquidity position.

ETE said that it expects to use the net proceeds for general partnership purposes, which could include repayment of debt proposed to be incurred in connection with the acquisition of Williams Cos., the acquisition of equity securities of Energy Transfer Partners or other transactions to provide financial support to ETP.

 CASEY SMITH, World Business Writer

Santa Fe Square changing perception of downtown

Santa Fe Square, a proposed mixed-use project announced last year, will really shift the needle on how downtown is perceived, a commercial real estate analyst said Wednesday.

Cody Brandt, a senior research analyst for CBRE, was a featured speaker at the the 14th annual Greater Tulsa Commercial Market Update, presented by the Commercial Real Estate Specialists of the Greater Tulsa Association of Realtors.

This is actually a true, mixed-use project that has ground-floor retail, and parking is incorporated above, Brandt said before an audience of about 200 people. You have mixed office, hotel and apartments.

Brandt said the project is really going to shift the needle and perspective of downtown, in terms of livability and walkability and desirability of the market.

Santa Fe Square is planned on two city blocks bordered by First and Second streets and Elgin and Greenwood avenues. It will feature retail space, office space, 291 apartments and a 105-room hotel.

Restaurateur Elliot Nelson, half of Nelson Stowe along with Casey Stowe, is partnering with American Residential Group and undisclosed office and hotel developers for the project.

Other projects Brandt singled out Wednesday included one by the George Kaiser Family Foundation to transform a warehouse on the north side of Archer Street between Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and Detroit Avenue. This will create 14 artist apartments, 35 artist work spaces and eight to 10 retail spaces on the first floor.

 RHETT MORGAN, World Business Writer

Court rules against Sierra Club on OG&E plant

A split federal appeals court on Tuesday blocked an environmental groups action against Oklahoma Gas & Electric Co. for making a change that allegedly increased pollutants from a Muskogee power plant.

The 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals decided 2-1 that the Sierra Club waited too long before suing the utility under the Clean Air Act.

The Denver-based courts decision involves a change OG&E made in 2008 to a boiler at the coal-fired power plant without obtaining a permit from the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality.

The decision states that the plant was subject to the acts requirement to obtain a permit. The requirement is part of a program to protect air quality from significant deterioration caused by new emissions of pollutants.

The judges in the majority decided, however, that the Sierra Club missed a five-year deadline under a statue of limitations to sue. The decision affirmed an earlier decision by U.S. District Judge James Payne in Muskogee.

The Sierra Clubs suit alleged that a major change to the boiler caused an increase in the emission of pollutants. The lawsuit sought civil monetary penalties from OG&E and a court order to upgrade its controls.

Randy A. Swanson, director of public affairs for OGE Energy Corp., praised the decision.

OGE has always believed that it followed the applicable laws and regulations related to the Clean Air Act issues involved in this case, Swanson said. We are glad that both the district court and now the appellate court agrees that this case should be dismissed.

 ROBERT BOCZKIEWICZ World correspondent

Wal-Mart employees just got a raise

Three weeks ago, Donna Payan and Kayla Thompson made $9 an hour at the recently reopened Wal-Mart Supercenter on Admiral Place. They now make $10 and are among the 12,000 workers in the Tulsa area who will benefit from the worlds largest retailers nationwide pay hike.

The raise is a significant boost for mostly stagnant wages in the largest part of the workforce: the retail sales clerk  or about 50,000 people in Oklahoma, according to the states employment security commission.

About 70 percent, or 31,164, of those people work at one of the 131 Wal-Mart stores that cover the state. A wage increase at Wal-Mart means a significant boost for the lower middle-class.

This type of pay increase would be an important part of perhaps reversing the slowing earnings growth, said Lynn Gray, an economist at the Oklahoma Employment Security Commission.

Before the store on Admiral suddenly closed to fix plumbing issues last April, Thompson made $7.70 an hour during what she described as hectic, busy days at an understaffed store.

People arent so stressed out now, she said. I did four departments by myself.

 SAMUEL HARDIMAN, World Business Writer
Even in the Internet age, you may be asked to produce a hard copy of a birth or marriage certificate. If your critical documents currently reside in a drawer, move them to a fireproof home safe or safe-deposit box and give an attorney or trusted family member copies, along with instructions on where the originals are located. If any have been misplaced, stolen or destroyed, heres how to replace them.

Birth certificate: You may need your birth certificate to enroll in school, apply for a passport, qualify for government benefits, join the military and claim pension and insurance payouts. Some states require you to show a birth certificate to obtain a drivers license.

If you cant put your hands on your birth certificate and you were born in the U.S., contact the vital records office in the state where you were born. You can find the website, address and contact for your states vital records office at bit.ly/findyourbirthcertificate. Youll also find a list of fees and an estimate of how long it will take to process your request. (In California, for example, you can get a copy of your birth certificate in about 10 business days.) Youll be asked to provide your full name, your parents names (including your mothers maiden name), your date of birth, and the city or county in which you were born. If you know the name of the hospital, include that, too. Fees range from $9 to $30.

Were your parents living outside the U.S. when you were born? They should have registered your birth with the U.S. embassy or consulate and received a Consular Report of Birth Abroad. You can get a copy of the report through the U.S. State Department. Go to travel.state.gov and search for CRBA. If you were born abroad and adopted by a U.S. citizen, youll need a birth certificate from the country of your birth.

Marriage certificate: A marriage license is the document that authorizes you to get married. A marriage certificate is the document that proves you followed through. Its typically filed with the appropriate county office by the officiant at your wedding. You should have received a copy a few weeks after your wedding. If youve lost it, contact your states vital records office. Fees range from $10 to $30. Y

Kaitlin Pitsker is a staff writer at Kiplingers Personal Finance magazine. Send your questions and comments to moneypower@kiplinger.com. For more on this and similar money topics, visit kiplinger.com.
At the Capitol: This is expected to be a slow week, with many lawmakers trying to get away for a few days of spring break with their kids.

What work does occur will be happening behind the scenes, as bills recently passed by the House of Representatives are assigned to Senate committees, and vice versa.

Two pieces of legislation that could get votes this week are the Senate bills authorizing supplemental funding of $51 million for common education and $27.5 million for corrections.

Bills, bills and more bills: Among the hundreds of bills passed by the Oklahoma House and Senate over the past several weeks were:

House Bill 2864, by Rep. Mike Christian, R-Oklahoma City, combining the Department of Public Safety, the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation and the Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drug Control.

HB 2585, Rep. Mark Lepak, R-Claremore, providing that no person shall be disqualified from occupations requiring a license solely because of a prior conviction, unless a conviction directly relates to the occupation for which the license is sought.

Senate Joint Resolution 65, by Sen. Greg Treat, R-Oklahoma City, a proposed constitutional amendment making the office of labor commissioner appointive rather than elected. Another measure passed by the Senate would extend term limits for labor commissioner to 12 years.

Senate Bill 1326, by Treat, requiring compacts with Indian tribes be approved by two-thirds of the Senate. Compacts currently require only the governors signature.

SB 1362, by Sen. David Holt, R-Oklahoma City, authorizing Oklahoma to fully comply with the Real ID Act while allowing individuals to opt out.

Bills not heard in the chamber of origin by last week are dead this session. Those included all school consolidation measures, all of those dealing with business incentives, and those considered discriminatory toward non-heterosexuals.

Water works: The Tulsa Metropolitan Utility Authority finds itself in the middle of the dispute over State Question 777, known as the Right to Farm Amendment.

TMUA is concerned the proposed state constitutional amendment could undermine water quality enforcement in northeastern Oklahoma.

As a result, it supported a bill that narrowly passed the House last week that designates protection of water resources a compelling state interest.

Right to Farm limits state and local governments ability to enact new regulations affecting agriculture, with the same phrase  compelling state interest  describing the exception.

Ag interests, including the Farm Bureau, are not crazy about the TMUA bill, while opponents of Right to Farm have accused the utility authority of selling out.

TMUA says its just trying to look out the for the best interests of the people it serves.

One-liners: State Rep. Jason Murphey, R-Guthrie, made his annual plea for Oklahoma legislators to cut their own pay and contributed $8,241.92 to an organization that counsels pregnant women against abortion. ... Tulsa County Republican Party Chairman Mike Ford blasted the Tulsa County Democratic Partys questioning of contributions to GOP Sheriff nominee Vic Regalado. Democrats have asked the state Ethics Committee to look into a series of contributions they say appear to have been made through straw donors  that is, people whose names are used for contributions in excess of the legal limit. ... Gov. Mary Fallin reappointed former state Sen. Charles Ford to the Oklahoma State University-Tulsa board of trustees.

Meetings and events: State Rep. Jeannie McDaniel, D-Tulsa, will speak to the Creek County Democratic Party at 6 p.m. Thursday at Cup of Memories, 102 N. Main St., Bristow.

This months Tulsa Republican Club meeting has been postponed until March 25.
BIXBY  After implementing a hiring freeze, cutting expenditures on materials, supplies and equipment and reducing travel for teachers and students, Bixby Public Schools has found another way to save money: ending the school year early.

Rather than holding the last day of school on May 20, the final day of classes in the district will be six school days earlier on May 12.

The measure will save the district an estimated $100,000. As a result of two declared revenue failures in the state, Bixby Public Schools is looking at a $630,000 funding shortfall, Superintendent Kyle Wood said.

As about as close as we can figure, it will cover our losses, he said of the cost-cutting moves the district has made. Of course, its not a perfect science.

Earlier this month, state officials announced that the revenue failure for the current fiscal year had worsened. A 4 percent, across-the-board cut was added to a previously announced 3 percent cut for all state-appropriated agencies.

Common education was cut $46.7 million in December, with an additional $62.3 million slashed this month.

As a result, school districts across the state have been scrambling.

Bixby found itself in a unique position after having a school year with no days canceled because of inclement weather. Wood says the districts approach is a little different from that of other districts  it plans for about six snow days, as opposed to three, which is the average for most school districts in the state.

Five years ago, Bixby Public Schools switched to an hours-based schedule and lengthened the school day by 30 minutes. The state minimum requirement is 1,080 hours, but Bixby schedules hours above the state minimum.

Typically, if the district doesnt use all six days for inclement weather  which it rarely does  the planned last day of school remains the same. It allows for more instructional time, Wood said.

Thats what we like, he said. Thats what we want, and thats what was valued.

However, times have changed, and school districts now have to save as much money as they can. Bixby is no different.

This financial situation is the first time we find ourselves in such a crisis, Wood said. In an effort to reduce our expenditures, based on our losses, this made a lot of sense.

Shortening the school year because of unused snow days is common practice for many districts. In a far more uncommon approach, several districts have shortened the school week to four days.

At least 35 districts began the school year with a four-day week by lengthening the number of minutes in a school day, according to the Oklahoma State Department of Education.

More districts are looking at that option. Wagoner Public Schools will switch to a four-day week this fall. Oktaha made the change earlier this month.

Despite the adjustments, Bixby Public Schools will still be about a half-day above the minimum requirement of hours, Wood said.

We feel fortunate to be in this situation, he said.

If there is an unexpected freeze in late March or early April, school administrators will add time as needed. However, climatologists project that the potential for frozen weather has passed for northeast Oklahoma.

As for the future, everything is still in the discussion phase for Bixby Public Schools. Next year will be very much a different story because of the state revenue shortfall, Wood said.

I find it very unfortunate, like everyone, that the state is in the situation it is, he said. I certainly understand the impact of lower prices in oil and gas and the effect that has on tax revenue in the state.

However, it remains our sincere desire the the Legislature recognize these issues and recognize the priority of education in our state and find a way before the end of this legislative session to lessen the impact on the education of the children of this state, Wood said.

The students seem to be OK with getting a head start on summer vacation.

(They) are nothing but pleased about it, Wood said. Of course, thats the reaction we would expect. But, it is nice to see smiles on their faces.
It's Divali time so at TV6 over the next few days, we bring you some of the interesting aspe
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Published March 12, 2016

MONROE, La.  After consulting with law enforcement, the ULM administration has decided to extend the University closure through Tuesday, March 15.

Hazardous road conditions continue to affect travel off campus, so motorists are strongly discouraged from driving during this time.

To all employees: If you have experienced issues due to rains and flooding, please contact your direct supervisor if you feel conditions will prevent you from returning to work on Wednesday, March 16th.

To all students: If you have experienced issues due to rains and flooding, please contact your professors if you feel conditions will prevent you from returning to campus on Wednesday, March 16th. They will work with you to make necessary accommodations.

Please note the following information:

Activity Center will be opened 10 a.m.  6 p.m. on Monday and Tuesday.

Library hours will be Sunday, 12  5 p.m.; Monday and Tuesday, 8 a.m.  5 p.m.; Wednesday, regular hours.

Schulze Cafeteria will be open 10 a.m.  7 p.m. on Monday and Tuesday.

SUB and Starbucks closed Monday and Tuesday.

Campus mail services will be available from 10 a.m.  12 p.m. Monday and Tuesday.

Final examinations for courses in the first 8-weeks of the semester will be given on Wednesday, March 16. Final grades for that part-of-term will be due at 3 p.m. on Monday, March 21.

Classes for the second 8-weeks of the semester will begin on Thursday, March 17. The last date for adding courses in that part-of-term will be Friday, March 18.

For campus emergencies and reports of flooding, please contact the University Police at 318-342-5350.

Today, the ULM mens basketball team took on UT Arlington in the semifinals of the SBC Championship. The team wore gold ribbons in support of those who have been affected by the flood.

Please know that the safety of students and employees is the Universitys number one priority. Therefore, we are taking every possible precaution necessary in order to ensure that our community remains safe during this time. Please stay safe and continue to check your e-mail and the ULM homepage for time sensitive information.
| By Chris Zang

Jay A. Perman, MD, president of the University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB), asked an overflow crowd at a UMB town hall on March 11 for input on Senate Bill 1052: University of Maryland Strategic Partnership Act.

Perman got more than he asked for in an enthusiastic, and sometimes emotional, hour of give and take. And he got an ovation, too.

The Senate bill seeks to expand a collaborative partnership between UMB and the University of Maryland, College Park (UMCP) known as MPowering the State, a structured alliance of the two universities that was launched in 2012. Under the MPower partnership, UMB and UMCP have grown joint research dollars from practically zero to nearly $71 million and joint faculty appointments from one to 70-plus. A unified technology transfer office has aggressively developed and marketed university innovations, disclosing 1,407 inventions, licensing 209 technologies, and launching 41 startup companies.

The bill has been amended since it was introduced in the State Senate on Feb. 18, addressing many of the concerns Perman raised in his testimony the next day. Perman made it clear at the town hall he supported the principle of strategic partnerships in general. Then he turned the program over to the 340 in attendance at the Southern Management Corporation Campus Center who made their feelings known in no uncertain terms.

I wonder if a merger of our campus and College Park would devalue our brand and take away our uniqueness as a University, said Aphrodite Bodycomb of the Health Sciences and Human Services Library. We can already do programs and classes in collaboration without this bill. Im struggling to find in this bill more than calculating research numbers. I also want to speak for some of the staff who have been working really hard in procurement, in IT, in HR who have scaled back and really operated very efficiently. Unless College Park has a lot of give in efficiencies  you cant get water from a stone. So the notion were going to save a lot of money if we brought this merger in, I think its just not true. Just say no!

There is an enormous cost to this reorganization, said Larry Magder, of the School of Medicines Department of Epidemiology. My department has experienced some of that trying to develop a collaborative School of Public Health with College Park. After two years of many documents and MOUs and many, many meetings, the whole process was abandoned to a great expense. The cultures are so different. It takes a tremendous amount of work to merge them.

This was echoed by Andrew Horn, a College Park student who works in the School of Medicines Department of Physical Therapy at UMB.

I can tell you when I went to Dr. [Wallace] Lohs meeting in College Park about the bill there were maybe 30 people in the room, he said. It really was empty and there were hardly any students. It just wasnt something that the students really cared about down there. Obviously from working here it definitely is a completely different culture in Baltimore than it is in College Park."

Patricia Hoffman, staff member with Human Resource Services, and student at the School of Law

UMB has heart, said Patti Hoffmann, who works in human resources at UMB and attends College Park as a Master of Law student, one of the joint programs that grew out of the MPowering initiative. You feel it every day, you see it everywhere we go, and I hope we dont lose the heart we have.

Sarah Michel, president of the Faculty Senate, said the devil is in the details of the proposed bill. The faculty are worried about how this will affect their faculty positions. [The universities] have different rules for tenure, different compensation, the way our jobs are defined.

Colette Beaulieu, UMBs Staff Senate president, recalled participating in the merger study 4  years ago before MPower was formed.

A lot of the staff concerns now are what I reported 4  years ago. Whenever you talk about a merger, people are concerned about their jobs. I think a lot of the staff see the broad picture  whats best for the students, the staff, the faculty. But when a merger happens we worry whats going to happen to us? I think its important the staff stay on top of this bill and contact your legislators.

Anthony Consoli, campus architect, asked if MPower has been such a huge success, why add all this money to now do this great merging?"

"Our campus is so critical to the community and to Baltimore. And we have 130 or so programs right now that reach out to the community. What will happen to that? I really urge you to fight back against this.

Perman, who heads the Downtown Partnership and co-chairs the UniverCity Partnership with the mayor in trying to revitalize West Baltimore, restated UMBs commitment to Baltimore. He said thats one of the reasons the original bill, that mentioned the possibility of one president for the two campuses, concerned him so. Its only human nature to care about something that you see right outside your window more than something you may not see or interact with every day. After the town hall, he was off to the Community Engagement Center UMB opened last fall to support its West Baltimore neighbors.

Many who spoke at the town hall asked why only UMB and UMCP were involved in this discussion when the University System of Maryland represents 12 institutions.

Geoffrey Heinzl, president of the University Student Government Association, reminded the crowd that 70 percent of the students in the system are not at UMB or College Park.

That point was poignant when I attended the student council meeting for the system where students from all 12 institutions discussed this bill. I was really afraid I was going to have to go to war for UMB. But every other institution was willing to stand on our side and say they dont think this merger is a good idea. Honestly they felt they were going to be affected a whole lot more by this bill than we were. That our system is already imbalanced, there are a ton of institutions struggling with retention, struggling with graduation rates, and a lot of the funding that is being proposed in this bill that is empowering two already great institutions could be a lot better utilized in fulfilling the functions of the other universities and better serve those other 70 percent of the students in the system.

Ken Fahnestock of the School of Medicine was the last speaker and he applauded the turnout. I think youve got enough information to go back and represent the University, he told Perman. And I speak for myself and maybe the others in this room and around the University by saying I am proud to have you as president, setting off a long ovation.
Bill Husted

With rare and wonderful exceptions, customer service today is dead as a roadkill frog.

That's especially true when it comes to getting help for your computer, software or HDTV. The odds are against you when you try. I get outraged emails from people with a product problem who can't find an intelligent way to even contact the company, much less get help. Often there's no easy way to find a phone number to call. Instead there may be a form to fill out on the Web, perhaps an email address. Companies like that, once they have your money in their pockets, run for the hills like cheap con men.

Even when there is an easy way to contact a company, it often feels as if you know more about  and care more about  the problem than the customer service person.

Again with a few exceptions, the best tech support is barely acceptable. It's like running on a treadmill  good exercise but you're going nowhere. That wasn't always the case. Here's what happened. Profit margins narrowed, and companies eliminated or crippled domestic call centers. The mission of tech support went to overseas call centers, or to email and online support.

If you've tried to get help during the past few years, you know what I'm talking about. If there is a telephone number to call  and that's sure not a given  you listen to canned music for a while and then explain your problem. The tech support person follows a carefully prepared script that forces him or her to assume you're a complete idiot and not pay much attention to your thoughts.

I just described the scenario for those lucky enough to find a company that at least answers the phone, at least offers phone support. If you grade on the curve, that's a good customer service program. You never hear from the bad guys at all, or you'll receive an email that acknowledges your email and asks you to wait 24 hours. You'll wait for an eternity.

This sad state of affairs has created a boom in businesses that come to your home to perform computer repairs. I've spent time visiting some of these companies  and I've found the service is often good and the level of competence is often high. So is the bill. You can pay $300 or more to get even a simple computer problem fixed. That's just too much money.

Don't get me wrong. I've recommended these firms before. My wife uses one of these on-site firms for her business. The way things are now, they can be a good choice. But, like I said, you do pay a price.

So we'll look at ways to make an awful experience a little less awful. I don't promise excellent or even very good. But you can change the odds in your favor.

Before you call

Gather all the information you need and put it in writing so you can quickly answer the expected questions. Include the model of your computer or other gadget, the serial number, and  with computers  the amount of RAM memory and the kind of operating system you are using. In the case of a computer  if it's working at all  you can get much of the information you need by clicking on the Start button and selecting Run. Then type MSINFO. Or you can use an excellent free program from Belarc Advisor: http://www.belarc.com/free_download.html. It provides a quick answer to any question you may have about your computer.

Define the problem

Obviously you also need a quick and precise description of the problem, including any error messages you're seeing. Write all that out so you can make sure you are doing a good job of quickly and directly explaining the problem. It'll save time and also give the tech the best chance of solving the problem. Do that as soon as possible after the glitch  while it's still fresh in your mind.

When you call

Make sure you are sitting at the ailing computer or near the gadget that needs help. If you don't do that, you may be told to call back when you're at the computer  putting you at the rear of a long queue of callers. At the very least you'll need to spend the time to move to the computer while on the phone.

How to act

Be polite and obliging. Like I said, you may be asked to check some things that seem obvious. The tech support person has to gear his spiel to the lowest common denominator. Complaining and offering rude comments may make you feel better for a moment, but it's a surefire way to get even worse service. And keep it clean. Most tech support people are allowed to hang up on profane callers. And, being human, they usually go the extra mile for those who seem nice.

It doesn't work

If you've patiently tried everything tech support suggested and still have a problem, politely ask to speak to a supervisor. Tech support centers often organize support groups in what they call tiers. Routine calls sometimes get tech support people with the least amount of training. Tier one experts are called in when lower-level support can't help.

When it works

Write a note to the company praising the tech support person by name. It's in your interest to make sure courtesy and expertise are rewarded.

I've saved my most important tip for last. Don't give up, even when the experience has been frustrating and nonproductive. For instance, in my own case I've been told that a defective product can't be replaced, or that a problem wasn't the fault of the manufacturer. In almost every instance, I've continued up the ladder politely asking for that decision to be overruled. Most times I win.

In one case my wife ended up calling the president's office of a huge worldwide corporation. She explained the problem and shared the answers she got at lower levels. She got the help she needed.

OK, that's my best shot at helping turn a disastrous situation into a semi-bad one. Unfortunately, you should save this column. You're going to need it.

Bill Husted writes about technology. Contact him at tecbud@bellsouth.net.
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CAMARILLO

Training to prevent harassment set

Employment law firm LightGabler will present a seminar titled "Sexual Harassment Prevention Training for Supervisors."

The seminar will be 7:30-9:30 a.m. March 22 at the firm at 760 Paseo Camarillo, Suite 300.

California law requires companies with 50 or more employees to provide their supervisors with at least two hours of interactive sexual harassment prevention training every two years. New supervisors must be trained within six months of starting their supervisory position.

Attorney Ryan Haws will provide training, and attendees will receive a form to sign and return to their employers acknowledging program completion. Supervisors from companies with fewer than 50 employees are also welcome to attend.

Cost is $50 per person and limited to four attendees per company. For larger groups, contact Jody Kirschbrown at 248-7033 to schedule an in-house session.

Reservations are required and can be made by contacting Kristine Chatari at 248-7089.

Seminar offered in human resources

Professionals In Human Resources Association will hold a legal seminar titled "Paper is the Employer's Friend! Creating the Right Employment Documentation to Protect Your Company."

The seminar will be 7:30-11:30 a.m. at Spanish Hills Country Club, 999 Crestview Ave.

Presented by employment law attorneys Jonathan Light, Karen L. Gabler and Ryan M. Haws of LightGabler, the seminar will focus on the best documentation strategies for dealing with the most common and problematic areas of employer-employee relationships.

HR practitioners will receive HRCI and SHRM credits.

For more information and to RSVP go to http://PIHRA.org. For any questions, call Jeanne Mays at 497-8696.

OXNARD

Business buzz topic at lunchtime event

The Oxnard Chamber of Commerce Professional Business Alliance is hosting the first Lunch & Learn panel presentation in the new series titled "Knowledge is Power: Industry Experts Share Their Secrets."

The event will be 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. March 23 at the Oxnard Chamber of Commerce, 400 E. Esplanade Drive, No. 302.

Panelists will discuss the current business climates and best practices. They will also talk about employment law, group health benefits, accounting and tax insights and payroll solutions.

The chamber encourages business owners, managers and employers to attend. Lunch will be provided. Registration is required and may be done on the chamber website at http://www.OxnardChamber.org or call 983-6118 for more information.

To share news about your company or business-related organization, email business@vcstar.com. If there is an event involved, please email the information at least three weeks in advance of the event.
DAVID YAMAMOTO/SPECIAL TO THE STAR Presenter Laura Nary shows fifth-grader Leo Swartzburg a tube of strawberry protein and DNA during the Brighter Horizons Math, Science and Technology Conference at California Lutheran University in Thousand Oaks. More than 600 students attended the conference Saturday.

SHARE DAVID YAMAMOTO/SPECIAL TO THE STAR Fifth-grader Leo Swartzburg (left), 10, and sixth-grader Adrian Parraga, 12, carefully watch as strawberry protein and DNA material are extracted through a filter into a tube at the Brighter Horizons Math, Science and Technology Conference in Thousand Oaks. More than 600 students attended the conference. DAVID YAMAMOTO/SPECIAL TO THE STAR Sixth-grader Atticus Seveney, 12, squishes strawberries in a bag before beginning an experiment to extract DNA on Saturday during the Brighter Horizons Math, Science and Technology Conference in Thousand Oaks. DAVID YAMAMOTO/SPECIAL TO THE STAR Moorpark student volunteer Amber Lampman helps fifth-grader Jacob Kyeyune, 10, pour oil into a tube to make a lava lamp Saturday during the Brighter Horizons Math, Science and Technology Conference in Thousand Oaks. DAVID YAMAMOTO/SPECIAL TO THE STAR Eighth-grader Katie Young (center), 13, and fifth-grader Alivia Russell, 10, play with a "worm" synthesized from chemical solutions. At right is fifth-grader Paul Barros, 11. The three attended the Brighter Horizons Math, Science and Technology Conference in Thousand Oaks.

By Robyn Flans, Special to The Star

About 600 students from Thousand Oaks, Simi Valley and Camarillo explored careers in math, science and technology during a conference at California Lutheran University on Saturday.

The students, in fifth to ninth grades, were allowed to attend three workshops from 35 offered at the Brighter Horizons Math, Science and Technology Conference. The event was presented by AAUW chapters, the city of Thousand Oaks, CLU and the Amgen Foundation.

The overwhelming response from students was enthusiastic during such experiments as extracting DNA from a strawberry and making cosmetics.

Scientist Laura Nary led the strawberry DNA workshop.

Nary gave students a paper explaining that the strawberry cell has eight copies of the genome, giving them a lot of DNA per cell. Most organisms have only one genome copy per cell.

The students squished a baggie that contained a few strawberries. Then they added a solution of soap, salt and water and squished the bag again. That solution was filtered into a test tube and alcohol was added. The DNA became evident and students were able to separate it out.

Jordon Iwuajoku, 14, from Camarillo, goes to Oaks Christian School in Westlake Village and wants to be a doctor.

"This is a great place to learn all about new things," Jordan said. "This has been very beneficial."

Leo Swartzburg, 10, had never seen DNA. He said he's interested in everything science.

"I love science," he said. "This is really neat."

Tiffany Pawluk, a chemistry professor at Moorpark College, led the Molecular Gastronomy and Food Science workshop.

"We're doing some really fun, safe, hands-on experiments that the kids can participate in," Pawluk said. "That way they can have the experience of really doing science instead of just hearing people talk about it."

Making a rocket was cool for Lucas Medina, 11, a student at Hollow Hills Elementary in Simi Valley.

"It's amazing how you learn and it's fun at the same time," Lucas said. "I learned that a little vinegar and some baking soda can make a rocket."

At another station, students created little lava lamps in test tubes with canola oil, Alka-Seltzer and food coloring.

It made 12-year-old Oxnard student Cecilia Garcia smile.

"It reminds me of hot water when it's boiling," Cecilia said.

At the Cosmetic Chemistry workshop, Hope Gonzalez, a 10-year-old Hollow Hills student from Simi Valley, was applying the chapstick she had made with beeswax.

"It's so cool that you get to learn how to do this," she said. "And that there are actually people who work at this."

Brittany Bagdanov, a scientist at JAFRA Cosmetics in Westlake Village, specializes in fragrance and taught students how to make a perfume.

She gave them a formula that included ethanol, essential oil/fragrance oil and deionized water. She used sandalwood in the vials she helped them make.

"Ethanol is used because it dries faster on the skin," Bagdanov said.

"I'm really having fun," Hope said. "I also attended the A Day in the Life of a Park Ranger workshop, and it was really cool. This is about seeing what you want to do when you get older."
ROB VARELA/THE STAR Defense attorney Ron Bamieh describes how Jane Laut struggled with husband Dave Laut for control of a gun as he recounts her report of what happened the 2009 night he was killed.

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By Marjorie Hernandez of the Ventura County Star

The murder trial of Jane Laut, accused of shooting her husband Dave Laut on Aug. 27, 2009, at their Oxnard home, continued in its seventh week in Ventura County Superior Court. The Star will be providing weekly recaps of the trial, as well as live updates at www.vcstar.com/laut-trial.

MONDAY

Jennifer Groce, an attorney who worked for defense attorney Ron Bamieh on Aug. 28, 2009, took the stand. She took photos of Jane Laut at her office. One of the pictures shows a large, splotchy red and black bruise on her upper inner left arm.

Mark Volpe, a former district attorney investigator who is now a private investigator, took the stand. Volpe said he went to the Raft Lane house in 2014 and used aggregates on the concrete to measure where and how Dave Laut's body was positioned at the scene. Volpe said some of the measurements taken by police at the north side yard "didn't match up." Asked during cross-examination by Prosecutor Rameen Minoui if he tracked down and spoke to the person who prepared the diagram measurements, Volpe said he did not.

Richard Rothschild, a cardiologist who treated Dave Laut in 2008 and 2009 took the stand. Dr. Rothschild said Dave Laut told him he would drink two doubles of hard liquor every night. Dr. Rothschild said he diagnosed Laut with problems with the rhythm and the electrical system of the heart.

Dr. John Pang, a cardiologist who was hired by Bamieh's firm as an expert witness, testified he reviewed Dave Laut's autopsy report and various medical records. Dr. Pang said Dave Laut was taking a relatively high dosage of beta blockers.

Bamieh called Michael Laubacher on the stand. Michael, now 17, was adopted by Dave and Jane Laut in 1999. He was 10-years old when the shooting occurred. Michael said he recalls a time when he was in school and he tried to jump out of the classroom window. Michael said "Dave Laut wasn't in a good mood" and he was "very worried" Dave would "take it out on her, or anyone else, for that matter," referring to Jane. During his testimony, Michael doesn't refer to Dave Laut as "dad," but calls Jane "mom." Asked by Minoui if he remembers if he or his mom were hit by Dave Laut, Michael said no.

Bamieh called defense investigator Gene Thayer to the stand. Thayer said he went to the Raft Lane house on Aug. 28, 2009 and found a shotgun. Thayer said he also looked at pictures taken at the north side yard. He said he noticed a bend on a shovel in one of the pictures. "It appears to be consistent with the size of a .22-caliber round."

TUESDAY

Thayer continued his testimony. He said he found bills in several boxes of unopened mail at the Lauts' house. Thayer said he found purchases made to several online international pharmacies, including one from Mexico and another in Thailand. The purchases were made in 2007 to 2009 and were medication for high blood pressure. Thayer testified he constructed a timeline noting the arrival of various officers who responded to the Lauts' home starting around midnight on Aug. 27, 2008. Thayer used audio recording of the officers and records from the police station's dispatch system. On cross-examination, Thayer said he had to make some assumptions when he constructed the timeline. Thayer said he believed Dave Laut's body was moved by officers who responded to the scene.

Gail Pincus, the executive director of the Domestic Abuse Center in Los Angeles, testified. She is also on the executive board of the Los Angeles County Domestic Violence Council and also trains Los Angeles Police Department officers. Pincus said she has also served as an expert witness for both the prosecution and defense on criminal cases in Los Angeles and Ventura counties.

Pincus explained the characteristics of battered women in a domestic violence situation.

WEDNESDAY

Pincus continued her testimony and said she was hired by Bamieh's firm to meet with Jane Laut. After meeting with Laut three times and speaking to her on the phone, Pincus said Laut had post-traumatic stress disorder and intimate partner battering.

Pincus said there were gaps in Laut's memory, which was consistent with battered women she has seen professionally. Pincus said, in July 2007, Dave threw Jane against the car and said, "I could slice you in a million pieces and no one would ever find you."

In 2009, Dave told Jane, "I could slice you in a million pieces" while he was holding a knife. Pincus said Dave coerced Jane into having sex with him. Pincus said Jane felt she could not refuse him because he would laugh at her if she tried to resist.

Dave also intimidated Jane and forced her to play Russian roulette.

Pincus also detailed factors of life threatening violence in the relationship. From 1986 to 2003-04, there were isolated incidents of beatings, Pincus said. Dave also threatened Jane a knife and forced her to play Russian roulette. Jane said Dave threatened her with a gun over 12 times, Pincus said.

Pincus said she did meet with Jane Laut's brother and spoke to Michael, but said she made the conclusion of intimate partner battering only through her interviews with Jane.

Minoui also asked Pincus if she knew Jane Laut had in her possession a Law Review article titled "Self-defense" when she was arrested in 2010. Minoui said the article includes information of what factual evidence must be presented in a case claiming a battered woman defense in a homicide.

Pincus said no.

THURSDAY

The Laut courtroom was closed.

FRIDAY

The Laut courtroom was closed. The trial will resume at 9:30 a.m. Monday.
STAR FILE PHOTO

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By Cheri Carlson of the Ventura County Star

Crews responded to a fire burning in the attic of an Oxnard duplex Saturday afternoon, authorities said.

About 1 p.m., a 911 call came in reporting a house fire in the 3200 block of Olds Road, said Battalion Chief Gary Sugich of the Oxnard Fire Department.

Crews arrived and found the fire burning in the attic on one side of a duplex. They were able to contain the fire to the attic and had it extinguished in about 10 minutes, Sugich said.

Authorities were assessing whether the Red Cross would be needed to assist residents with a place to stay, he said.

No injuries were reported.

Sugich said the fire was just a few blocks from Oxnard's new fire station, which allowed crews to arrive quickly.
Photos: Chicago Indulges In All Its St. Patrick's Day Parade Traditions

By Chicagoist_Guest in Arts & Entertainment on Mar 13, 2016 6:00AM

By Tyler LaRiviere/Chicagoist

Chicagoans indulged in at least three time-honored traditions this weekend: Dyeing the Chicago River green, parading at noon, and getting drunk before 10 in the morning. The St. Patrick's Day festivities (though St. Patrick's Day is not actually until the 17th) kicked off with the River dyeing ceremony at 9 a.m. Saturday. Thousands turned out to watch members of the Chicago's Plumbers Union pour an orange chemical in the Chicago River that turned it green.

After the ceremony, the masses wandered around the Loop, buying green merchandise or enjoying a round or two at local bars before wandering to Columbus Drive to see the St. Patricks Day Parade kick off. The parade featured Irish groups, local school bands, and elected officials including Mayor Rahm Emanuel, Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner and Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan.

Have a look at some photos we snapped of all the festivities and fun Saturday.


CARMEN SMYTH/ SPECIAL TO THE STAR Julia Chambers (left) and Eileen Huber set up items for a moving sale at the Gull Wings Children's Museum in Oxnard on Saturday. The museum closed in January and hopes to reopen at a new location in the future.

SHARE CARMEN SMYTH/ SPECIAL TO THE STAR JR Burningham and his son, Tristan, 11 months, look at toys at the Gull Wings Children's Museum moving sale Saturday morning. The museum is closing after 28 years and hopes to re-open at a new location in the future. CARMEN SMYTH/ SPECIAL TO THE STAR Tess Burningham stocks up on craft supplies at the Gull Wings Children's Museum moving sale Saturday morning in Oxnard. The museum is closing after 28 years and hopes to re-open at a new location in the future.

By Jeremy Foster, Special to The Star

Two-year-old Matthew Wurts raced past his parents Saturday morning toward a large model train exhibit at Gull Wings Children's Museum in Oxnard.

His parents, Andrew and Lindsey Wurts of Ventura, had never stepped foot inside the museum on Fourth Street. But Matthew's grandparents had taken him there a few times last year, and he was excited to give his parents their first tour.

But things on Saturday looked starkly different.

Museum board members and volunteers were busily overseeing a moving sale to help raise money for a new location in Ventura County, one 20,000 square feet in size that would accommodate bigger and better exhibits and activities.

The Oxnard museum, which had been open for 28 years at the site, closed its doors for good in January.

Surveying the back of the museum, Matthew momentarily looked confused.

Gone was the space exhibit, where now only stood large pieces of wood, an unhinged door and a ladder. Gone were the firefighter uniforms that had lined a fire station exhibit. And gone was the presence of other kids who might have left him waiting to climb a small platform toward his destination.

Matthew pushed a red button that gets the model train moving along the tracks.

Nothing happened.

"Why?" he asked his father.

"Because they might move it," his dad replied.

The 6,000-square-foot building, owned by the city, has been provided virtually rent-free since the museum opened. But an aging structure, a drop in revenue, low attendance and limited parking had made it difficult for the museum to stay open.

The surrounding neighborhood on Fourth Street has been in decline, and the nonprofit hopes to settle in an area that is more visible, more accessible and has a dedicated parking lot, said board President Julia Chambers.

Before it closed, the nonprofit counted more than 200 members, who paid $89 a year for visiting privileges. With a new and improved facility, the children's museum could attract thousands, Chambers said.

On Saturday, board members were selling everything from toys and books to aquariums to a replica of the outer coffin of King Tut, which was the focus of an exhibit called Ancient Egypt Sands of Time.

The King Tut display was at first off the list of things to sell.

"We had to really think about what we wanted to keep and what we could part with," Chambers said. "But we're so dedicated to forming the museum with a solid structure that we decided we could sell King Tut."

Chambers said the board hoped to raise more than $2,000 on Saturday. Many of the exhibits are being saved, including one where kids can dress up as firefighters and one where they can dig for and learn about fossils.

It's still unclear when the museum will find a new home, but Chambers said the board is talking with officials to see about relocating to a new space in Oxnard, Ventura, or Camarillo. Board members, she said, are also in discussion to align with the Ventura County STEM Regional Network.

"The museum has been here for 28 years, but it has never soared," Chambers said. "We're not sure where we're going to land but, with the help of resources from the whole community, we will find a great spot."

Yvette Bocz bought the museum's kitchen cabana, which is now used at a preschool in Camarillo, as well as a boat and a small boardwalk that was had been used in the "Gone Fishing" interactive exhibit.

Bocz has been spreading the word among 10 "mom Facebook groups." Virtually everyone, she said, wants a new museum that provides more hands-on exhibits with a focus on science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

For Carlos Lopez, buying items from the museum also meant buying memories.

He bought a model train, an apron with the museum's name and logo as well as a framed American flag that was formerly in the U.S. Capitol.

Lopez took his now grown-daughters to the museum when they were in elementary school.

"We would love to see a bigger and better museum," he said. "But for my daughters and other kids, it was never about how pretty the museum was. It was about having fun."
PHOTO: VENTURA COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE GRAPHIC: YAZMIN CRUZ/THE STAR

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By Megan Diskin of the Ventura County Star

In a warehouse at an undisclosed location somewhere in Ventura County sit just over 50 vehicles linked to cases involving the county's most violent criminals.

Its exact location is known only to some in the Ventura County Sheriff's Office, which stores all of the county's evidence property. The warehouse is not regularly patrolled by deputies. Instead, officials rely on security cameras and alarm systems to keep the evidence out of the wrong hands.

But soon, hopefully in August, the vehicles will be stored in a 20,000-square-foot steel building on the sheriff's Todd Road Jail property near Santa Paula, said Sheriff's Cmdr. Ron Nelson, who oversees the jail.

The $2.5-million project developed from a need for more space after the warehouse reached capacity three years ago, Nelson said.

According to California penal code 1417.9, law enforcement agencies must retain and preserve all biological evidence linked to felony criminal cases as long as the person convicted of the crime is incarcerated.

Nelson said this time period translates into about 99 years and the incidents these vehicles are associated with are capital crimes or other cases with lengthy appeals processes.

Another section of the state penal code, 1054.9, states that the evidence must be retained so that a convicted criminal sentenced to death or life in prison without the possibility of parole may have access to the materials if he or she wishes to challenge the judgment.

The county financed about $1.5 million of the project with another $1 million coming out of the sheriff's general fund, Nelson said.

A big push to build the facility on jail property was better security since the jail is patrolled by deputies 24 hours a day, Nelson said.

"It provides overall better control of our evidence," he said.

It would also save the department money in the long run. When the warehouse was leased in 2004 the agency paid $5,942 a month for the space but the price went up as the market rate changed. The current price is $6,985 a month, Nelson said.

Once completed, the building on the southwest side of the jail between a housing unit and a solar panel field will have a simple ventilation system comprised of fans to maintain a temperature necessary to preserve the evidence and an air conditioning unit for times of extreme heat, Nelson said. A hydraulic lift will be used to stack the vehicles to fully use the space, which will hold about 120 vehicles, he said.

The Sheriff's Office presented the project to the county in 2013, said Frank Chow, a public safety analyst in the County Executive's Office.

But the project was not approved right away. Chow and others in the real estate services division of the county's Public Works Agency proposed other rental sites to sheriff's officials in lieu of building a facility, Chow said.

"We looked for a long time. It may have been a year to try and find another site," Chow said.

It didn't work out, largely because of the sheriff's interest in a secure location for the vehicles, so the county decided to move ahead with the project in 2014, Chow said.

However, months after the Board of Supervisors approved the building plans and awarded the construction contract to Glendale-based Monet Construction in June 2015, the site consists of a flat layer of dirt. Permit engineers require more mathematical data on the structural integrity of the building before giving approval, Nelson said.

"Of all the projects I've ever been on this is one of the slowest," Chow said.

The Sheriff's Office had to renew the lease on the warehouse while the project slowly moves along, Chow said.

Nelson explained that it took time to get the design plans right, partly because of the necessary ventilation systems.

Despite the construction delay, Nelson still has hope the storage unit will be finished in August.

"I'm going to keep my fingers crossed and if it doesn't get done we'll have to up the lease again," he said.
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As Apple tries to fend off government demands for access to iPhone content, the company is leaning on free speech arguments as a key part of its defense in a California courtroom.

On the other end of the country, 10 separate lawsuits have piled up this year against net neutrality rules, with both sides claiming First Amendment rights in this long-running dispute over Internet service.

This is Sunshine Week, when news organizations highlight the public's right to know and size up the state of government openness and access to public records.

This year, we should add a more sweeping question to the list: How will the First Amendment survive the dramatic changes in information technology? Complicated disputes are popping up everywhere.

Cases moving through the courts range from whether Facebook "likes" and Twitter posts are protected speech (both currently are) to what speech rights businesses should have (they're expanding).

The mere definition of free speech is getting clouded: Are video games a kind of speech? And what about computer-driven content like searches and automated stories? Put another way, can iPhone's Siri claim First Amendment rights if she somehow libels you?

First Amendment laws shaped over decades are colliding with modern privacy concerns. On some campuses, protesters are objecting to free speech. There's growing support for "right to be forgotten" laws that allow people to erase pieces of their past they don't want found.

The First Amendment has survived much change in 225 years, adapting to telegraph, print, radio and television. But those who follow the topic most closely say the information age is a whole new era.

Here are five questions likely to shape the future of the First Amendment:

How will the Internet alter free speech practices? There's a lot of unsettled law about how speech and expression play out in a Facebook world. Scholars say rules taking shape generally extend existing standards to the Internet. The challenge will be figuring out when speech is altered by the Internet's speed and reach.

"The Internet amplifies everything," said Thomas Healy, a Seton Hall law professor. "It amplifies expression. It makes it more powerful, more dangerous, more offensive."

Early court decisions hold that data-driven content, such as computer-assembled news and Google searches, is protected speech. So is code itself, the basis of the First Amendment argument Apple is making for refusing to crack open the iPhone of one of the San Bernardino mass shooters.

Who's advocating for the public's interest? We should watch which players step up as a changing of the media guard takes place. The newspaper and broadcast companies that championed speech rulings of the 20th century don't have the power and financial strength they once did. The five dominant companies  Google, Apple, Amazon, Facebook and Microsoft  have yet to show much interest in the First Amendment.

"I worry,'" said John E. Finn, the Wesleyan government professor who taught the Great Courses series on the First Amendment, "about the lack of well-funded institutions advocating for openness."

Who controls how information moves? Just as important as who creates content will be who distributes it, which is why net neutrality rules approved by the Federal Communications Commission last year are under withering attack.

The current rules say service levels and rates should be the same for all. Internet providers say that curbs business options, while content creators say reversing this would give the Internet's utilities too much power over the marketplace that would lead, for instance, to download speeds based on your willingness to pay.

What will expanding business rights mean? Corporations have turned to the First Amendment to free themselves from advertising limits, ingredient listings and political contributions. Some say the expansion of any speech rights serves all comers. Others say it goes against the intent to protect the rights of citizens against powerful government and corporate interests.

Finally, where do you stand? Here the news is encouraging: The simple 45 words covering religion, speech, press, petition and assembly are woven deep into our civil fabric. Polls consistently find overwhelming support for the First Amendment from a vast majority. Unlike other topics in public life, those sentiments cut across political, ethnic, age and economic lines.

Two-thirds of the world lives without religion and press freedom, and many countries are using technology to suppress freedoms. This makes the American model an even greater beacon if we succeed in using technology to broaden rights.

"We have the gold standard," said Alberto Ibarguen, director of the Knight Foundation, which funds media innovation around the world. "It's our responsibility to make sure we maintain that."

The First Amendment did not find its place at the core of our rights without many struggles over two centuries. Sunshine Week is a good time to remember there are fresh battles ahead.

Anders Gyllenhaal is vice president for news at McClatchy and can be reached at Agyllenhaal@McClatchy.com.
This is the blog of China defense, where professional analysts and serious defense enthusiasts share findings on a rising military power.
An insurgent group fighting alongside Afghanistans Taliban has said it is ready to join political reconciliation talks with the Kabul government, despite being deeply skeptical about peace intentions of the other side.

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani last week renewed his offer of negotiations to all insurgent groups in his bid to seek an end to the devastating war, now in its 15th year.

The United States, China and neighboring Pakistan have all welcomed and backed Ghanis move, though the mainstream Taliban faction has rejected the offer.

'Prepared to participate'

But in a statement released to media on Sunday, the Hezb-e-Islami (HIG) faction led by fugitive Afghan warlord Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, said it has accepted the governments offer and is prepared to participate in the talks to show to the [Afghan] nation it wants peace."

An Afghan national unity government spokesman, Javed Faisal, welcomed the announcement.

"It is an important and good news because Hezb-e-Islami has for years been fighting the Afghan government," Faisal told VOA. He urged other armed opposition groups to join the talks to help end the war.

A senior HIG official also told VOA on condition of anonymity that a two-member team has also been formed for the negotiations. It includes the groups central council chief, Qazi Hakim Hakim, and head of its political affairs, Ghairat Baheer, a son-in-law of Hekmatyar.

The insurgent group has accused the United States of trying to sabotage Afghan peace efforts. It cited last weeks U.S. State Department announcement in which two senior HIG members were designated as global terrorists for their roles in deadly attacks in Kabul, including a bomb blast that killed six Americans.

The Obama administration has identified the two men, Abdullah Nowbahar and Abdul Saboor, as explosive experts for the militant Hezb-e-Islami.

It also offered rewards of up to $2 million for Nowbahar and up to $3 million for Saboor for information leading to their whereabouts.

The designation of two Hezb-e-Islami members as terrorists and offering millions of dollars reward for their arrest at a time when President Ghani has invited the group for peace talks show that Washington is not willing to end its war in Afghanistan, the Afghan insurgent group alleged in Sunday's statement.

It also blamed certain elements within the Afghan government for opposing peace efforts, but did not elaborate.
At any moment, President Barack Obama could name his pick to fill the Supreme Court vacancy created by the death of Justice Antonin Scalia last month.

Reports from the White House say the president has narrowed his list of potential nominees as the vetting process enters a final phase  even as Senate Republicans insist they will not consider any jurist Obama chooses.

For weeks, rumors have swirled over who is and isnt on the presidents list of candidates. When asked, Obama has offered few clues as to who he intends to pick.

I want somebody who is an outstanding jurist, who has impeccable legal credentials, who by historical standards would not even be questioned as qualified for the court, he said last week.

Senate Democrats are eager to end the suspense.

As far as timing, we would like someone as soon as possible, but the vetting process has to be thorough, said Senator Chuck Schumer.

Republicans want the president to forgo a nomination entirely.

We know what kind of judicial activist this president puts on the Supreme Court, said the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Chuck Grassley.

With Obama in the last year of his presidency, Republicans want his successor to fill the vacancy.

My constituents back in Texas and, I think, people at large do not want this lame-duck president tilting the ideological balance of the Supreme Court for a generation, said Senator John Cornyn. We are not going to take up the nominee. We will leave that to the next president, whoever he or she may be.

Democrats are betting that blanket, pre-emptive Republican opposition to a Supreme Court pick will soften once a nominee emerges.

It is going to get a lot harder for our Republican colleagues to keep up this obstruction when a nominee is chosen, Schumer said. When we have a real flesh-and-blood nominee, and we believe that nominee will be somebody the American people will feel will be a great addition to the Supreme Court, its going to be a lot harder for them to say no.

Some are warning the partisan battle will have long term consequences for Americas judiciary.

I regret it most because of the damage it does to the Supreme Court as an institution, by dragging it down into the muck and mire of partisan politics and the gridlock that the American people despise said Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal.

And one Republican predicts his party will get a nominee even less to their liking if Democrat Hillary Clinton is elected president.

She is going to pick somebody probably more liberal than President Obama is going to send over in a few days, said Senator Lindsey Graham.

For now, Obama is promising only one thing: there will be a nominee.

I am confident that whoever I select, among fair-minded people, will be viewed as an eminently qualified person, and it will then be up to Senate Republicans to decide whether they want to follow the Constitution, the president said.

An arch-conservative, Scalias judicial philosophy was at odds with that of Obamas. His replacement could determine the Supreme Courts ideological tilt for a generation.
Al-Qaida's North African affiliate has claimed an attack by six heavily-armed assailants on an Ivory Coast resort that killed 14 civilians and two soldiers on Sunday. Twenty-two people were wounded.

SITE Intelligence, a for-profit group which monitors jihadist websites said al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb claimed the attack in a post to its Telegram channels, calling three of the attackers "heroes'' for the assault on three hotels in the beach resort of Grand-Bassam.

Ivorian President Alassane Ouattara visited the shooting site later Sunday afternoon.

He says "I would like to say that these coward terrorist attacks will not be tolerated in Ivory Coast." He also says the situation is now under control and calm has been restored.

Ouattara said the six terrorists were killed. The death toll is 14 civilians, as well as two members of the security forces, while 22 people were wounded.

Witness Jean-Baptiste Beugre works at a hotel next to where the shooting took place. He says he saw one of the gunmen arrive.

They heard gunshots, he says, and first thought it was firecrackers. When they got closer to see what was happening, they saw a man wearing fatigues, a flak jacket and carrying an AK47. He shouted "down!" and then started to shoot at people. Children, women, everybody.

Witnesses said the gunman looked very young and was heavily armed.

Survivor Marcel Guei describes how one of the terrorists asked one man if he was praying (going to the mosque). He said yes and survived. Then the terrorist asked the man next to him. He said he didn't pray, and the gunman shot him dead.

Witnesses said the assailants wore hooded face masks and arrived on foot on the beach at one of the hotels, the Southern Star, which was full of foreign expatriates during a heatwave in the city of about 80,000 people.

As the shooting rampage was unfolding, a hotel receptionist said, We do not know where they came from, and we do not know where they have gone. Everyone in the hotel was safe, he said, and police were on the scene.

The United States condemned the "heinous attack," and praised "Ivoirian and French" forces for preventing more people from dying.

National Security Council spokesman Ned Price said the U.S. is prepared to assist Ivory Coast in its investigation. He also reiterated U.S. commitment to working with others in West Africa to fight terrorists who want to undermine efforts to "build tolerant and inclusive societies."

Grand-Bassam is a former French colonial capital, about 40 kilometers east of the commercial hub of Abidjan, and is designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site because of the elegant colonial-era facades of buildings in the city.

It is the third such deadly attack in the past few months in West Africa. In November, gunman stormed a hotel in Bamako, in neighboring Mali, and in January, armed men stormed a hotel and a restaurant in Burkina Faso. The same al-Qaida group claimed responsibility for those attacks as well.

Ivorian authorities had increased security around hotels and all around Abidjan, as it was feared that Ivory Coast could be the next target.
A large explosion ripped through the main square in Turkey's capital, Ankara, Sunday, killing at least 34 people.

Turkish Health Minister Mehmet Muezzinoglu said 125 people were being treated at various hospitals in Ankara. Nineteen of them were in a critical condition.

"Thirty people were killed on the spot and four others died in hospital," Muezzinoglu said.

Emergency services were quickly on the scene to help the dozens of wounded. The area was reportedly very crowded, with the numbers swelled by teenagers who had taken part in the national university entrance exam.

Turkey's Interior Minister Efkan Ala says the bomber detonated his explosive between buses to cause the maximum number of deaths. He says they are investigating who is behind this terrorist attack and might be able to give details Monday.

The blast occurred near Kizilay square, a key shopping and transportation hub near foreign embassies and government buildings.

Ala said the blast was caused by a car bomb that targeted civilians at a bus stop. Cars nearby caught fire and television footage showed several gutted vehicles.

The attack comes two days after the U.S. Embassy issued a security warning about a potential plot to attack central Ankara and asked its citizens to avoid the area.

The United States quickly condemned the attack and reaffirmed its "strong partnership with our NATO ally Turkey in combating the shared threat of terrorism."

Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu convened an emergency security meeting after the bombing Sunday.

Dogan Asik, a bus passenger when the explosion occurred, said, We were thrown further back into the bus from the force of the explosion. Asik sustained injuries on his face and arm.

No one has claimed responsibility for the attack, the third to strike the capital in six months. Ankara says that attack is carried out by a Syrian man with links to Kurdish militia groups.

Security officials at the scene have been quoted as saying the attack shared similarities with last month's car bombing of a military bus in Ankara. Responsibility for that attack, which killed 29, was claimed by TAK, a splinter Kurdish rebel group. Turkish authorities claim the group is linked to the PKK, which security forces are currently fighting, but is a claim the group denies.

The leader of the main pro-Kurdish political party, the Peoples Democratic Party, Selahattin Demirtas, strongly condemned Sundays bombing.

Ankara has been battling the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party, or PKK, which has been fighting a 30-year guerrilla war for more Kurdish autonomy in southeastern Turkey.

Turkey also has been targeted by Islamic State group, which was blamed for last October's suicide bombing at a peace rally in Ankara that killed more than 100 people  the bloodiest single terrorist attack since Turkey became a modern state in 1923.

Dorian Jones contributed to this report from Istanbul
A nationalist, anti-immigrant party has won seats in three German regional elections, a result seen as a major rebuke to Chancellor Angela Merkel's open immigration policy.

The 3-year-old Alternative for Deutschland party, or AfD, won representation in the states of Baden-Wuerttemberg and Rhineland-Palatinate in prosperous southwestern Germany, and in Saxony-Anhalt, an economically disadvantaged area in the eastern part of the country, according to results and exit polls broadcast on German state TV.

The elections were the first major political test since Germany registered nearly 1.1 million people as asylum seekers last year.

The AfD won 15 percent of the vote in Baden-Wuerttemberg and almost 13 percent in Rhineland-Palatinate, according to official results. The party finished second in Saxony-Anhalt with 24 percent, according to projections by ARD and ZDF television, with most districts counted.

"There is only one path, a Merkel unity path, and people want an alternative, they want a real opposition and we want to take on that task," Andre Poggenburg, AfD leader in Saxony-Anhalt in the former East Germany, told Reuters news agency after voting.

'Litmus test'

Duesseldorf University political scientist Jens Walther told the French news agency AFP, "These elections are very important ... as they will serve as a litmus test for the government's disputed policy" on refugees.

The loss is seen as a major blow for the chancellor, as she tries to use her status as Europe's most powerful leader to reach an agreement between the European Union and Turkey to stem the flow of migrants.

Merkel has been under growing pressure to close Germany to migrants -- many of them Syrians, and others, fleeing war -- but she has refused to impose a cap on the number of arrivals. She is pushing, through the EU, a European-wide action that calls for distributing refugees among the EU's 28-member bloc on a proportional basis.
Cameroon said raids on Boko Haram strongholds along the country's northern border with Nigeria are taking a huge toll, with hospitals in the area overwhelmed by victims wounded during insurgency efforts, officials said.

Regional forces from Cameroon, Nigeria, Chad, Niger and Benin have been launching raids on the militants since last December.

The troops' raids, as well as suicide bombings and landmines used by the insurgents have increased the number of victims.

The hospitals are suffering acute shortages of staff, medical equipment and infrastructure.

Hannah Lechantre, a French-born volunteer with the Cameroon medical council, said the Mora district hospital, with a capacity of 50 beds, now has 350 victims from Cameroon and Nigeria.

'Very worrying'

"Actually, their health status and their mental status is very worrying. All these people, families, women, children have been hiding so long in the bush, eating nothing and drinking dirty water, so they arrive in Cameroon in very very bad situation in terms of health," Lechantre said.

Cameroon Health Minister Andre Mama Fouda said five hospitals, with a capacity of about 350, on the border with Nigeria are overcrowded with more than 1,700 victims being taken care of by about 400 staff members.

Fouda said the hospitals lack equipment and infrastructure to cope with the growing numbers and the hospitals are running short of supplies despite international efforts to assist.

Cameroon said more than 1,500 victims of Boko Haram atrocities died in hospitals on its northern border with Nigeria between January 2015 and March of this year.
French aviation investigators said the co-pilot of the Germanwings jetliner who crashed the plane in the French Alps last year had been referred to a psychiatric clinic just two weeks before deliberately killing all 150 people on board.

The findings by BEA (Bureau d'Enquetes et d'Analyses), the French authority responsible for safety investigations into accidents or incidents in civil aviation, were included in a report issued Sunday, more than a week before the first anniversary of the March 24, 2015 tragedy.

The agency found that 27-year-old Andreas Lubitz had consulted several doctors about ongoing psychological issues in the months before the crash -- none of whom reported Lubitz's condition to either aviation authorities or officials at Germanwings.

Preliminary findings show that Lubitz had told the flight school for Lufthansa, the corporate parent for its budget carrier Germanwings, in 2009 that he had a "serious depressive episode," but Lufthansa certified him as fit to fly.

The BEA report cited a "lack of clear guidelines" in Germany's regulations over when a threat to public safety outweighs patient confidentiality.

Investigators are urging aviation bodies to mandate that all pilots undergo regular mental health checkups to detect any problems.

Lubitz crashed the Airbus A320 plane into a mountainside near the French village of Le Vernet during a flight from Barcelona, Spain to Dusseldorf, Germany. He was alone in the cockpit, having locked out Captain Patrick Sondheimer when the senior pilot when to the restroom.

Sondheimer could be heard on the plane's "black box" recorders frantically demanding Lubitz to open the door as it was making its final descent.
North Korea is denying recent accusations made by South Korea that it launched cyberattacks on the smartphones of several South Korean government officials last month.

An editorial in the North's state-run Rodong Sinmun newspaper Sunday said claims made by the South's National Intelligence Service last week were "fabrications" aimed at rallying support for a controversial proposed new anti-terrorism law.

The NIS said Pyongyang conducted the attacks on the smartphones of dozens of South Korean officials between late February and early March.

The spy agency also claimed the North made an unsuccessful attempt to hack into the email accounts of South Korean railway officials earlier this year as preparation for a cyberattack on the South's railway transport control system.

South Korea has blamed Pyongyang for previous cyberattacks on banks, military installations, government agencies, media outlets and a nuclear power plant.

The United States has also accused the communist government of launching a cyberattack in 2014 on Sony Pictures in retaliation for The Interview, a satirical film that depicted the assassination of leader Kim Jong Un.

Pyongyang has denied all the accusations.
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry on Sunday accused Syria of clearly trying to disrupt" the U.N.-sponsored peace talks aimed at ending the bloody five-year civil war in the country by demanding that there be no discussion of removing President Bashar al-Assad from power.

The top U.S. diplomat said that violence in the war-wracked country has been "hugely reduced" -- by 80 to 90 percent -- since a cessation of hostilities was declared two weeks ago. But he said the "single biggest violator" of the truce has been the Assad regime, and he described Assad as a "spoiler."

Aerial bombardments ... must stop, Kerry said. Look hard at who is committing these violations.

He said incremental violations threaten to undermine efforts to permanently end the fighting and any effort to eventually hold elections in Syria.

Kerry spoke after meeting with his British, French, German and Italian counterparts Sunday in Paris about the Syrian crisis, a day before the U.N. talks are set to begin in Geneva.

Ahead of Monday's discussions, Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Muallem warned negotiators that any talk about the fate of Syria's president is off the table. "We will not talk with anyone who wants to discuss the presidency . . . Bashar al-Assad is a red line," Muallem said.

Assad has to go

Mohammad Alloush, the chief negotiator for Syria's main opposition group, said the president has to go, a demand the U.S. also has long made.

Alloush told the French news agency AFP, "We believe that the transitional period should start with the fall or death of Bashar al-Assad."

Kerry has urged both sides in Syria to proceed with the peace talks despite their conflict over the presidency.

Muallem said the Syrian government remains committed to the cease-fire agreement, but its delegation to the peace talks will only wait 24 hours for the opposition delegation to arrive for the talks. Muallem said Saturday in Damascus the diplomats will leave for Geneva Sunday.

A Syrian opposition official said the foreign minister is "halting Geneva talks before they start."

U.N. peace envoy Staffan de Mistura has said the Geneva meetings, which are scheduled to open on the eve of the fifth anniversary of the start of the conflict in March 2011, would not last more than 10 days.

Aid deliveries

U.N. officials said the cessation of hostilities agreement has made it possible for U.N. and partner agencies to deliver food, medicine and other aid to 115,000 Syrian civilians living in areas under siege by government or opposition forces. They said last year, aid agencies were unable to access any of these areas.

But Kerry said he continues to be deeply concerned about the Syrian governments efforts to deter the delivery of medical and surgical supplies.

He accused the Syrian government of siphoning off vital medical aid to war-hit communities.

Syria's five-year conflict has killed more than 270,000 people and forced millions from their homes.
Tanzania President John Magufuli has ordered the head of the Bank of Tanzania to weed out ghost workers after demanding an audit of the 1,391 employee workforce and terminate those the bank deems redundant.

Magufuli's remarks came after he paid a surprise working visit to the bank headquarters in the commercial capital, Dar es Salaam.

He is also demanding an inquiry into suspected corruption in an estimated $424,565,107 the state owed to companies for various work done for the government.

Magufuli's says the payments should be suspended until the ministry of finance completes its investigations. Officials say the president wants to ensure corrupt people are not hiding behind ghost companies to steal public funds.

Local media quoted a statement released by the presidents office following Magufuli's unannounced visit to the central bank.

"The president ordered [Bank of Tanzania] to immediately halt payments approved from the exchequer accounts, and instead these claims should be returned to the Ministry of Finance and Planning for verification ... As President Magufuli gave the directive, the Bank of Tanzania was in the process of making payments amounting to [$425 million] that had been approved by the finance ministry.

Asahi Mwambene, the Tanzanian government spokesman, says President Magufuli is serious and committed to his promise to weed out corruption in the country. He also says there have been suspicions that the Bank of Tanzania has employees who might have gotten jobs there because of their connections to senior government officials.

This, he says is what the president wants to ensure is discontinued, in order to allow what he says are competent people to work in a bid to improve the lives of citizens in all public institutions.

Mwambene says Tanzanians have been making fun of those who are alleged to have gotten their jobs there because of their connections.

The president has a list of workers and he had the knowledge that there are workers who appear on the list who happen not to be working in the bank. So he actually ordered the governor of the bank to ensure that he cleans up the ghost workers that appear on the list of those that work at the central bank  When the governor of the bank tried to [explain] the president because angry saying he knows everything and all the governor has to do is to take precaution and make sure he implements [investigation] to remove the ghost workers within the central bank, said Mwambene.

The good thing is the president did not give them an ultimatum, [but] all he said was you have to do it and for sure there is no option for the central bank governor. He will certainly have to do [the investigation]. As the president rightly said there are some workers who are found not to be working at the central bank, but they still get their salaries.

Critics say Magufuli's actions are just populist posturing to gain support from a majority of the population. They said his commitment to weed our graft is yet to have any impact, despite repeated promises.

Mwambene disagrees. He says since his election the president's actions are beginning to instill accountability in all government institutions.
Leading U.S. Republican presidential contender Donald Trump is denying any responsibility for the violence that has erupted at his political rallies, and is defending his supporters who have been charged with assaulting protesters.

"We're not provoking. We want peace. ... We don't want trouble,'' he told a large crowd in Bloomington, Illinois, the first of two comparatively docile events on Sunday.

His denials came even as political rivals continued to blame him for sowing the seeds of anger that have led to the violent confrontations.

Fights and pushing and shoving have broken out between his supporters and protesters opposing his candidacy at rallies in several states where key Republican nominating primary contests are set for Tuesday.

Authorities have arrested a small number of protesters, some inside his rallies in Illinois, Missouri, North Carolina and Ohio, and others outside on nearby streets.

WATCH: Campaign supporters, protesters clash at weekend events

In Illinois Sunday, Trump assured his backers that their frustration is righteous rage against a corrupt political and economic system. He cast his naysayers as "bad people'' who "do harm to the country.''

The billionaire real estate mogul instead cast blame on Democratic candidate Bernie Sanders for the increasingly frequent disruptions and threatened to retaliate by sending his supporters to Sanders' rallies.

No organized protest

Sanders said some of his supporters had disrupted the Trump event, but that his campaign played no role in organizing the anti-Trump protest.

At one Trump rally outside Dayton, Ohio on Saturday, a protester charged toward the stage where Trump was speaking in an airport hangar. But Secret Service agents guarding Trump intercepted the demonstrator before he reached the candidate.

At another Trump rally last week in the mid-Atlantic state of North Carolina, a 78-year-old Trump supporter sucker-punched a protester as security guards escorted the demonstrator out of the gathering.

The Trump supporter was charged with assault, with Trump telling NBCs Meet the Press on Sunday that the man got carried away. Trump said he had instructed his aides to look into paying the mans legal fees to handle his court case.

Fellow Republicans

Trumps Republican challengers, Texas Senator Ted Cruz, Florida Senator Marco Rubio and Ohio Governor John Kasich, as well as Democratic presidential candidate former secretary of state Hillary Clinton, all blamed Trump for the marked turn toward physical confrontations at his political rallies.

All of Trumps Republican challengers have pledged to support him if he wins the partys presidential nomination at the Republican national convention in July, after the end of the state-by-state nominating contests.

Wavering on commitment

But both Rubio and Kasich say they are wavering in their commitment should Trump get the nomination.

I think a significant number of Republicans will not vote for Trump, Rubio said, if the New York developer is the party nominee in the November national election, quite possibly against Clinton, the leading Democratic candidate.

Rubio said, Its getting harder every day to justify his pledge to support Trump if he wins the Republican presidential nomination.

US Presidential Candidate Delegate Count Delegate Count Here is an estimated delegate count for each candidate: Republicans Donald Trump: 621

Ted Cruz: 396

John Kasich: 138 Democrats Hillary Clinton: 1,561

Bernie Sanders: 800 Total delegates needed for party nomination: Democrats: 2,383 Republicans: 1,237 * As of March 16, 2016

Cruz, a conservative agitator in the halls of Congress against both Republican and Democratic leaders, said Trump would be a disaster in a general election matchup against Clinton.

The party primary elections and caucuses are apportioning delegates to the Republican and Democratic national conventions in July, where the presidential nominees will be formally selected. Trump and Clinton both are leading the races for their party nominations, but neither is close to the majority of convention delegates needed to claim victory.

Until now, all the state nominating contests in both parties have split the awarding of delegates roughly along the lines of the vote counts in each state.

But on Tuesday, in both Florida and Ohio, the winning Republican contenders will collect all the delegates, 99 in Florida and 66 in Ohio, in winner-take-all primaries.

Trump has been leading Rubio in Florida, but is locked in a close race in Ohio with Kasich, who governs the Midwestern state.

Clinton and Sanders will continue to collect pledged convention delegates roughly based on their vote totals in each state, not winner-take-all.

In Ohio's capital Sunday, Democrats got to compare the party's top presidential contenders up close ahead of Tuesday's primary. About 3,200 people gathered for the party's annual dinner at the Columbus convention center to hear from Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton.

Correction: Due to an erroneous Associated Press report, an early version of this story indicated that Bernie Sanders responded to Donald Trump's suggestion that he would send his supporters to Sanders campaign events by saying "Send them. They deserve to see what a real honest politician sounds like.'' Sen. Sanders did not say or Tweet that statement.
A Chadian peacekeeper shot and killed two colleagues and wounded a third in an attack in northern Mali, the U.N. mission said Sunday.

A soldier was arrested in the shooting Saturday in Tassalit, in the Kidal region, U.N. spokeswoman Radhia Achouri said. She said there was no known motive to the shooting.

Achouri said an investigation is underway.

It is the second shooting incident in less than three weeks. On February 25 in Kidal, a soldier among the Chadian troops killed a commander and a doctor with the U.N. mission after weeks of tensions over living conditions and pay.

The U.N. mission in Mali was deployed in July 2013 to the country in an effort to oust Islamist militants who had taken over vast stretches of northern Mali. The mission has been one of the international group's deadliest peacekeeping missions.

The U.N. forces in northern Mali have come under frequent attack from militants.

In early February, militants struck a U.N. peacekeeping camp in Kidal, killing at least six peacekeepers and wounding 30 others. And in November 2015, militants struck a luxury hotel in the capital Bamako, which left 20 people dead.

About 2,000 Chadian soldiers have taken part in peacekeeping missiong. But in recent years, dozens of the Chadian troops have deserted over pay and living conditions.
As the Leaf River rose north of Hattiesburg, Mississippi, 26-year-old Rebecca Bruce and her fiance grabbed what they could and left the shed where they live. The water was more than 2 feet deep indoors when they left, she said.

"We lost everything,'' Bruce said Saturday. "I've got a book bag full of dirty clothes, and I was lucky to get that.''

Bruce was among about 20 people in a Red Cross shelter in the Forrest County Community Center on Saturday, as creeks and rivers continued to rise after torrential rains pounded the Deep South. It was one of nine shelters open in Mississippi and 24 in Louisiana.

Downpours  part of a system affecting Louisiana, Mississippi, Arkansas, Tennessee and Alabama  submerged roads and cars, washed out bridges and forced residents to flee homes.

At least three people have died in Louisiana alone. Mississippi officials were still looking for two missing fishermen, but had no reports of injuries or deaths, said Lee Smithson, head of the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency, or MEMA. A Hancock County sheriff's deputy was hospitalized after his patrol car skidded into a ditch Friday night, but is now recovering at home, Chief Deputy Don Bass told the Sun Herald.

MEMA reported major damage to 95 homes, minor damage to 277 others, with reports still coming in from 41 of the state's 82 counties.

Smithson said Mississippi is dealing with the most widespread flooding since Hurricane Isaac dumped more than two feet of rain throughout the state.

However, he said, "It has not been quite as rough a day as we thought it was going to be today. ... It looks as if the significant rainstorms for the Mississippi Gulf Coast have not materialized.''

Officials had been afraid that as many as 1,000 homes might flood in Forrest County, where the Leaf River is expected to crest Sunday at 29.5 feet. But on Saturday, Smithson said, the number likely to be affected was looking more like 100 to 150. About 75 raised fishing camps in Pearl River County, across from Slidell, were likely to be surrounded by water, he said.

It's the most widespread non-hurricane flooding the Louisiana National Guard has ever dealt with, said Col. Pete Schneider, a guard spokesman. He said about 1,000 soldiers and air crews were at work in 25 of Louisiana's 64 parishes.

By Saturday morning, he said, National Guard crews in 160 high-water vehicles and 44 boats had rescued more than 2,100 people and nearly 190 pets. Others had given out 582,000 sandbags. Floods closed highways across north Louisiana, along its western edge and across the southeast, according to a map on the state Department of Transportation and Development website.

"We have seen flood events in this state but never from one tip of the state to the next,'' Lt. Gov. Billy Nungesser told WDSU-TV.
Zambias Episcopal Conference plans to meet with all political parties and their presidential candidates in a move to help curb politically motivated violence before the August 11 general election, according to Father Winfield Kunda, Communication director for the Catholic Media Services.

Zambians have expressed concern about clashes between supporters of political parties as the groups ready to begin official campaigning for the elections.

Local media organizations have often reported incidents of inter-party clashes often between the governing Patriotic Front (PF) and opposition parties including the United Party for National Development (UPND) and the Movement for Multi-party Democracy (MMD).

Meeting with bishops

Incumbent President Edgar Lungu, and main opposition leaders Hakainde Hichilema from the UPND and Nevers Mumba from the MMD have agreed to be part of the meeting with the Roman Catholic bishops.

Zambia is officially a Christian nation with a majority Christian population.

Usually when the church being the moral voice calls for [these meetings] almost everyone comes on board. ... The three major presidential candidates are on board because in Zambia still the church commands a moral voice, said Father Kunda.

He says the Catholic priests want to ensure the elections are not marred by violence that could threaten the countrys peace and stability.

Really its this worry that the church has with regards to the forthcoming elections that we are witnessing spots of violence. And its all about reconciliation, unity, so that the electorate and different political groupings may tolerate each other as we edge towards the elections. So, its really talking to the leaders so that the leaders can inculcate in their cadres, the spirt of tolerance, said Kunda.

Zambians say pronouncements of some politicians appear to be stoking the tension that they say is to blame for the inter-party clashes. They called on the political parties to take action against the politicians in order to prevent any election-related violence.

Tone down rhetoric

In an episcopal letter early this year about the state of the nation, the Catholic bishops urged the political party leaders to tone down their rhetoric before the elections. The bishops urged the politicians to ensure their supporters dont engage in violence.

Opposition and civil society groups have often accused the Zambian police of bias and violating the constitution after clamping on their rights to free speech and assembly as stipulated in the bill of rights. The groups said the police often use the controversial Public Order Act to suppress their meetings and their planned demonstrations against unfavorable government policies. They also said the police are to blame for the ongoing inter-party violence because of the preferential treatment they give governing PF supporters.

But the Zambia police say the Public Order Act underscores the importance of groups and political parties coordinating their planned activities with the police to ensure there is peace and stability. The law, police also say, regulates the holding of public processions or demonstrations.

People dont really understand the provisions of the Public Order Act. This law is actually very good when well followed and observed ... You will find that there are some political parties that would not give the necessary notification period  You find that at times they will notify you two days before the day, said Chanda, adding that the intent of the act is to forestall violent protests.

As Zambia police, we are also ready to apprehend and take to court all the perpetrators of violence. We are not just concentrating on political violence but also any forms of violence, she said.
Photo: Ursula Coyote/Sony Pictures Television/AMC

The writers of Better Call Saul face the interesting challenge of writing an intricate compelling drama that has to simultaneously act as a prequel and also exist as its own entity. The prequel part means Breaking Bad characters will appear in cameos from time to time, but the original entity part means these characters are tethered to already-established lore. Its so difficult to maintain this balance that Bob Odenkirk, who stars in the show as the title character, sometimes forgets the story himself. In this weeks episode, an old frenemy from Breaking Bad pops up in a brief but pivotal scene. Spoiler ahead.

At this weekends PaleyFest, series co-creator Peter Gould said, Right as we were breaking down this episode, we thought, Tucos in trouble. Whos he going to call? Uncle Tio, aka Hector Salamanca, the invalid drug dealer played by Mark Margolis who communicates using a bell. It made sense for this guy to show up. It had to be organic.

Of Tios appearance, Odenkirk quipped, I lose track of how the story plays out. That blew my mind  like, I didnt even know. It reminds me, Remember that show you were in?

When asked about the temptation to do a bunch of cameos, Vince Gilligan said, Its difficult not to overdo it. We love all these characters and actors from the Breaking Bad universe. The difficulty is maintaining a level of self discipline to stop yourself from saying, Lets have this person walk through the background, or, Lets have this person get splashed by mud as Jimmy drives by.

So dont expect Walt Jr./Flynn to stop by and eat breakfast with Jimmy anytime soon.
In case you forget what Freddy called Frank last episode, the opening music in Chapter 51 is a helpful reminder: Hey motherfucker, hey, hey! Aiden is rocking out and digging into all that Conway data, as you do.

Meanwhile, Claire, Frank, Conway, and Brockhart are engaged in the first debate of presidential candidates and their running mates  which is a really cool idea I wish someone had thought of sooner! Imagine Sarah Palin having to debate with Obama. Imagine the SNL sketches that could have been. Conway relies on his standard-issue talking points, and Claire rips him apart for using buzzwords as a shield against a complicated, nuanced reality. Conway and Brockhart, unsurprisingly, are like, Hey, we were in the shit while you were a debutante in Dallas or whatever, and Frank reminds his opponents that ICOs leaders are locked up.

Aiden analyzes all of this in real time  is this sci-fi or is this reality? Should I move into a tinfoil bunker?  and learns that all the beyond and become stuff is working really well for the Underwoods.

And then the kill shot: Frank calls out Brockhart on conspiring with members of Congress to block Russias involvement in the ICO thing. With no other choice (I mean I guess the truth is always a choice? But thats not how we do things here) Conway and Brockhart lie on TV. (Meanwhile, Doug is calling in a favor from some Purple Hearthaver who probably shouldnt hold that honor.) Then some important-looking military folk whoosh into the debate and whisk Frank away, a scene that makes Conway look powerless and irrelevant.

The news: ICO has kidnapped three American hostages. The kidnappers say, on video, Our country is guilty of illegal aggression and mass murder against Muslims. They want cessation of all U.S. military activity in Syria, $10 billion in reparations to ICO, and to free Yusuf, the ICO leader Frank literally just imprisoned. We will not communicate with the criminal Frank Underwood; we will only communicate with his successor, William Conway. They will kill three hostages in 24 hours.

There was a brief moment in which I thought: Holy shit, what if Conway coordinated this entire thing? What if these terrorists are actually on the Conway for President payroll?

But it turns out HoC has made my imagination into a place even darker and more ruthless than, well, HoC. These are real terrorists and real hostages! Conway is as surprised as we are. The hostages are Melissa, Caroline, and James Miller, a family just trying to grab a bite at Dennys when they were grabbed in the parking lot.

Conway  who is undergoing a transition like that prince from Frozen, starting off tall, blonde, and charming but turning out to be a monster  sees this as a great opportunity for a little phone video. Brockhart, as you might expect, does not. It implies that were willing to negotiate with terrorists. We should keep out mouths shut and let the authorities do their jobs. But, as Conway explains, media coverage. Brockhart is so clearly wishing that hed never aligned himself with this G.I. Joe but, as they say in the big leagues, no backsies. Brockhart bounces, but Conway makes his man hit record, and shoots a video saying he will be on hand to help the president.

Frank takes a break from the Situation Room to talk to Viewers Like Us: Why did they want Conway? Thats the real question. Going around Frank undermines my authority, he says, as I type Frank that is NOT the issue here. No president would compromise, Frank realizes. A would-be president like Conway, he might.

Why? Because Conway has a flaw: He aches for the spotlight. He feels almost invisible without it. Conway will risk being booed because he is so hungry for applause. And now that he has made his entire campaign about showing up for duty, he has no choice but to follow through. The entire Conway family arrives at the White House, where baby Charlie wont shake Franks hand because his daddy told him Frank was a vampire.

So Conway is in the room, but Frank tells him that hes just the bait. Conway is leaning on Franks desk in the Oval. This is a recurring thing in HoC that I find very distracting: No one really treats Frank like hes the president. Everyone is so flippant and cavalier around him. Tom and Freddy call him by his first name like its nothing; guests just perch on the edge of his desk. Can you imagine showing up to the White House, then kicking your feet up on the Resolute desk like, Oh hey, Barack, didnt even see you there?

Conway demands to be more involved, as Frank assumed he would. He speaks at the press conference and we cut to a Muslim spokesperson reminding the American people that ICO does not represent Islam. But there are those who would use this incident to justify draconian measures, like travel restrictions  hmm, where have I heard that before?  The moment bigotry becomes a form of patriotism, America is no longer America. I like this guy a lot. Maybe he should run for president?

In semi-related news, our kidnappers are two disaffected young white guys, Josh and Zach. But something tells me the HoC universe will not see any draconian travel restrictions placed on white men in their twenties.

I think some of HoCs strongest scenes have been those between women when our central male characters are elsewhere. Claire and Cathy playing beer pong, as you all know, is one of my hall-of-fame moments; I feel the same way about Claires conversation with Hannah. I would have watched so much more of this. Its almost like Hannah and Claire are bonding, as Hannah reveals that she thinks Americas gun obsession is madness. Will does, too, but he cant admit it. She also tells Claire that youre actually a role model of mine, and I think its genuine? Hard to say, but I believe Hannah means what she says more than her husband does. Claire refers to Hannahs son as very cute like cute is a word in a foreign language she is just beginning to master. Hannah asks if Claire ever regrets not having children and Claire  our lord and savior  responds, Do you ever regret having them? YES CLAIRE. Why are you always allowed to ask if women regret missing out on things  husbands, kids, what have you  but never the reverse? But, because the fates are cruel, we dont see the rest of that conversation, aside from Hannahs stunned face.

The Situation Room is packed. Frank and Conway get on the line with the terrorists. As Conway is getting trolled by these very angry Millennials  How sorry did you feel when you dropped bombs on innocent Muslims?  Frank steps in to say, If you want anything to happen, Im the one who can make it so. Proof of life or no dice, kids! The terrorists respond by threatening to slice out Melissas tongue. Conway leaps back onto the call and goes off-script. He admits that he has nightmares from his time in the service (but does he really mean any of it?) and, ooh boy, I am ashamed of what Ive done.

Conway suggests that, as youths who have never killed anyone before, You owe yourselves more time before you can do something you can never take back.

George, that Purple Heart guy Doug visited earlier, does not want to be the voice of Conway and Brockhart lied on national TV about the Russia thing. But Frank pulls up a little something from the archives: Georges magnet from the vote-count board when Frank was whip. Behind each magnet, Frank says, is at least one dishonorable thing. Georges is more dishonorable than most.

Oh great, now its time for a detour into Mistress Tom territory. He uses this moment of unimaginably horror to speak in beat poetry: Their eyes were glued to their phones, and no children out, anywhere.

Conway just helps himself to a beer from the Underwoods fridge  again, I know youre a narcissist, but could you at least show some respect for the office?  and engages in some very cocky trash talk. I feel sorry for you, he says. Two years. Thats all youre going to get in here. Frank will be forgotten, Conway says. But Frank still feels superior: Ninety-nine percent of this job is in the dark. You have to make a thousand decisions no one will ever hear about or appreciate. Frank leans in. Youre a pretender, Will. And if you win, youll go from pretender to fraud.

Claire suggests sending the Conways home, but Frank has more plans. Charlie scoops up some of Franks tiny model soldiers, and at first Frank wants them back. But then, in maybe my favorite line of the episode, he sneers, You should keep them because you should get everything you want in this life.

In news news: Herald Tom pays a visit to ex-POTUS, Garrett Walker, who is living in that Vermont jam-mansion Olivia and Fitz dream about on Scandal. (I dont actually think its in Vermont, you guys; just describing a vibe here.) Walker has settled into that postWhite House life, wearing turtlenecks and gazing at nature a lot. Walker is reluctant to betray the party  thats some top-notch loyalty, considering the guy got forced out of the White House by his own people; good to know theres at least one Gryffindor in this show full of Slytherins  until Tom asks the money question: You want a Republican or a criminal? The truth is coming out. Be part of the truth.

Remy and Jackie also meet up  Jackies coat is fantastic, more of this please  and agree to go on the record. Shes revealed her affair to her husband, who seems like too gentle a soul for this vicious world, and he says they can quietly divorce after this chaos is over. (HoC men are so chill about affairs. One more makes a trend!) Remy was only keeping quiet to protect Jackie, and now that shes in, hes in.

One last thing: Whats more horrifying than a hostage crisis? Laura is coming over to Dougs house to cook him dinner with the scraps of sorrow he keeps in the crisper drawer.
A Hong Kong entrepreneur has told China.org.cn he has submitted a proposal to China's top political advisory body, hoping to gain government support to launch the first museum of Chinese cultural relics in Hong Kong.

Eddy Li Sau-hung, a member of the 12th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), Chairman of Campell Group (Holdings) Limited and President of the Chinese Manufacturers' Association of Hong Kong, speaks to China.org.cn during the ongoing annual session of the top political advisory body on March 10, 2016 in Beijing. [Photo by Zhang Rui / China.org.cn]

Eddy Li Sau-hung, a member of the 12th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) and Chairman of Campell Group (Holdings) Limited and President of the Chinese Manufacturers' Association of Hong Kong, is in Beijing attending the annual session of CPPCC which runs until March 14.

"When I traveled to Beijing, Taipei and many other international metropolises such as London, New York, and Paris, I saw they have their own museums to house historic treasures. The foreign museums even have a Chinese room for the cultural heritage from ancient times."

However, Hong Kong, as one of the most famous financial centers of the world, doesn't have such a museum at present. "Hong Kong has come back to China for so many years now, and we are so close to the mainland, but we still don't have a museum, which disappoints me. I hope the central government can support Hong Kong to create such a museum, housing our cultural treasures."

He added that there are many cultural relics collectors in Hong Kong, who bought back many lost treasures from auction houses in many places, but all the treasures are now hidden inside their homes.

"I want this to be organized. Hong Kong entrepreneur collectors should also unite on this cause. I want the world to know that besides Hong Kong's contribution to our country's finance and legal development, we can also contribute to cultural relics protection."
The Academy for Leader Development at Baylor University is hosting a talk by the Rev. C.T. Vivian, a leading figure in the civil rights movement, at 6 p.m. Tuesday at Waco Hall, 624 Speight Ave.

Vivian, a recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, served on the executive staff of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference at the request of Martin Luther King Jr. and worked in Birmingham and Selma to help pass the Civil Rights Bill and Voting Rights Act.

Admission is free but requires a ticket. Tickets are available from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. weekdays at the Bill Daniel Student Center Ticket Office.

Any remaining tickets will be available at the Waco Hall ticket office at 5 p.m. Tuesday.

For more information, call Amy Kellner at 710-4187 or email amy_kellner@baylor.edu.

Bullock Museum trip

Meals and Wheels of Waco is organizing a bus trip to Austin on April 7.

The bus will depart at 8 a.m. from the parking lot of First Baptist Church of Waco, 500 Webster Ave., and will return about 5:30 p.m.

Participants will visit the Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum and the governors mansion.

Cost is $100, which includes bus fare, admission to the Bullock Museum and IMAX Theater and lunch at the museum cafe.

A light breakfast will be served on the bus ride to Austin, and refreshments will be served on the return trip to Waco.

To reserve a spot or for more information, call Janet Nors at 752-0316.

Boots on the Brazos

The Arc of McLennan County is having its annual Boots on the Brazos fundraiser from 7 to 11 p.m. April 2 in the Brazos Room at the Waco Convention Center, 100 Washington Ave.

The event will include a barbecue dinner catered by Eddie Rays Smokehouse and live country music from Billy Roy and Heart of the Night.

Table sponsorships cost $600, and individual tickets cost $90.

For more information, call 756-7491 or visit www.WacoArc.org.

Vietnam veteran info

The Henry Downs Chapter of the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution is gathering information for a program to honor Vietnam-era military veterans.

Vietnam-era veterans who would like to attend and be recognized can call Peggy Duty by Tuesday at 754-5119 or email her at pasd@mindspring.com.

The program will be presented at 1:30 p.m. April 1 in the Fellowship Hall at Columbus Avenue Baptist Church, 1300 Columbus Ave.
What About Cupcakes, the popular sweet shop now located at 108 N. 25th St., is joining the movement to downtown Waco.

Proprietor Holly Hefelfinger confirmed Friday the cupcake bakery is relocating to a much larger location being renovated in the 900 block of Franklin Avenue. It should open on or about May 1 to offer mini, regular-sized and jumbo cupcakes in a variety of flavors priced from $1 to $5 apiece.

Hefelfinger said What About Cupcakes has outgrown its home since it opened in 2008 and needs more parking.

Our lease is up, and we decided now is the time to go, Hefelfinger said.

The new site is not far from the Waco Tribune-Herald office at Ninth Street and Franklin Avenue, prompting Hefelfinger to comment during a phone conversation that you can see it if you look outside your window. It also is near the offices of the architectural firm Dudley Bailey Jezek & Rose.

Student housing

American Campus Communities, an Austin-based developer of student housing, is preparing to make an investment in the Waco market.

It has secured a building permit to place a 180-unit complex at 1101 Speight Ave., where a former H-E-B building was demolished when the grocery giant built its 121,000-square-foot H-E-B Plus! at South Valley Mills Drive and the Interstate 35 frontage road.

The estimated cost of the student housing is $34.5 million, according to the permit.

American Campus Communities reportedly has $6.8 billion in assets and has developed, owns or manages 196 apartment communities.

Meanwhile, Waco real estate agent Jim Peevey said the retail strip adjacent to the new H-E-B Plus! is now full. He has brokered leases there with FedEx Kinkos and Copeland Insurance that took the remaining 6,000 square feet. He added that another building on the edge of the grocery parking lot is attracting attention from several would-be lessees.

New Pizza Patron location

Pizza Patron, known for its Pizza Por Pesos program, has opened a free-standing location at 1727 S. Valley Mills Drive. The store will be operated by veteran multi-unit franchisee Bellavista Restaurants Inc. and will be open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 11 a.m. to midnight Fridays and Saturdays.

According to a company news release, Pizza Patron makes its signature dough from scratch in every store daily. The pizza sauce starts with fresh-packed, crushed Roma tomatoes and marinates for at least 24 hours with the companys secret blend of spices and herbs.

Guests can choose from traditional pizzas and sides as well as signature pies like La Choriquezo, which is a large pizza made with spicy ranch sauce and loaded with mozzarella cheese, fresh-sliced red onions and chorizo sausage.

According to the latest U.S. Census, Waco is more than 30 percent Hispanic, with Hispanics accounting for 81 percent of McLennan Countys growth during the past decade. We feel privileged to add another restaurant in the growing community of Waco, said Andrew Gramm, executive vice president of Pizza Patron.

Heritage Creamery

Heritage Creamery, which will serve ice cream made from ingredients produced locally, will hold its grand opening March 19 next door to the Common Grounds coffee shop at 1123 S. Eighth St. near Baylor University. It will be owned and operated by Blake and Kimberly Batson, the proprietors of Common Grounds.

Customers are invited to attend the unveiling at 11 a.m. on opening day, and the first 50 people in line will win free ice cream for a year.

The Batsons created Heritage Creamery from an old house they have remodeled, Common Grounds catering manager Trey Lumley said.

The popular coffeehouse has been serving Baylor students and other customers since 1994.
Greater Waco is just months away from getting its second privately operated medical emergency facility, with work progressing on a Premier ER Plus location on Interstate 35 near University Parks Drive and the new Twisted Root Burger Co. location at 801 S. Second St.

The areas first private, full-service emergency center at 9110 Jordan Lane in Woodway reportedly is doing well, and some of the members of an investment group that provided financial backing for it decided to place another near downtown Waco and Baylor University, both of which are booming with development.

Were in the middle of construction, with the foundation poured and framing underway, said Paul Hamilton, a Waco businessman involved in both ventures.

His father, Dr. John Hamilton, serves as medical director for Premier ER, having left Providence Health Center to take the post.

Barring any major delays, the new emergency room, which can accommodate such medical emergencies as stroke, heart attack, pneumonia and life-threatening injury, should open by late summer, Paul Hamilton said. It will have a staff of about 60 people, including doctors, nurses, physician assistants and support staffers.

Premier ER has hired 10 doctors to serve the two locations, some recruited locally and others brought in from outside the community, Paul Hamilton said. Another Premier ER location is planned for patients in the Temple and Belton area and will go up at West Adams Avenue and Hilliard Road in Temple, he said.

Each facility represents an investment of between $6 million and $8 million, including the structures that must be built to higher standards because they are devoted to health care, as well as equipment and diagnostic devices to perform CT scans, X-rays, ultrasounds and laboratory work-ups.

Urgent care

The facility on I-35, like the one in Woodway, will include a Premier Urgent Care clinic for treatment of minor illnesses and injuries.

We are finding that 65 to 70 percent of those visiting our Woodway location leave with an Urgent Care bill, meaning they do not need ER services, Paul Hamilton said.

Dr. John Hamilton said investors felt North Waco, downtown and the Baylor University area were being underserved for medical care. Loft apartments and new housing developments are bringing residents to the inner city, while Greater Wacos two hospitals, Providence Health Center and Baylor Scott & White Hillcrest Medical Center, are located in West Waco, along West Loop 340.

Paul Hamilton said the group has not made a decision on placing yet another Premier ER facility in the Waco area.

We did not even have in mind building a second one until demanded dictated, he said. For now, all we have in mind is what you see.

Premier ER refers patients needing surgery to Providence and to Baylor Scott & White facilities. It accepts all commercial insurance but cant legally accept Medicare, Medicaid or Tricare insurance because it is not operated under the license or auspices of a hospital, Dr. John Hamilton said.

He said the emergency facilities have a cash option that provides a significant discount to those who do not have insurance.

Because Premier ER does not accept all manners of payment, the wait time at its facility in Woodway is typically shorter than at hospital emergency rooms.

Premier ER likely will be treating less affluent patients at its new facility near downtown Waco, Dr. Hamilton said.

But a large percentage of the population does have jobs and insurance, he said. Its not a matter of annual income.

He said Premier eases the burden of overcrowding at emergency rooms operated by the two area hospitals.

Paul Hamilton said most of the investors involved in funding construction of both Premier facilities are from Central Texas, but he declined to name them. He said the group putting up money for the second location includes a mix of original investors and new investors.

Last summer, the trade magazine Modern Healthcare reported on the explosive growth of private, free-standing emergency rooms, and noted that they have become a source of controversy in some areas. It reported that the biggest operator is Lewisville-based Adeptus Health, which owns the First Choice chain of free-standing emergency facilities.

The company opened seven new ERs in the first quarter of last year, bringing its total to 63. Most are in Texas, which in 2010 became the first state to allow ERs to operate without a hospital affiliation. Many states only allow free-standing emergency rooms that are hospital-run, while others, including California, do not allow them at all.

According to Modern Healthcare, some experts think free-standing ERs can help solve the growing problem of health care access as hospitals in rural and underserved areas close. But the magazine reported that the recent surge in such ERs is not occurring in rural or low-income communities.

Critics cited in the article say private operators have a business strategy of cherry-picking privately insured patients in more affluent suburbs and in inner-city areas that are making economic comebacks with the infusion of young professionals who want emergency room access closer to their residences.

These same critics claim that such facilities steer sicker and lower-income patients to traditional hospital facilities.

New association

The newly formed National Association of Freestanding Emergency Centers held its first meeting last June in Dallas. Attendees discussed methods of lobbying state and federal policymakers, public perception of private ERs and compliance with federal laws that require emergency providers to stabilize or treat all patients.

Recognizing the controversy now surrounding the industry, one session was titled, Free-standing emergency Centers: Boon or Bane of Emergency Medicine.

Locally, Providence Health Center is making moves to increase its presence in North Waco and its suburbs, having broken ground this month on a new $12 million Lacy Lakeview Medical Plaza on East Loop 340 that will provide outpatient and physician services.

It reportedly also is considering placing an Express Care clinic in the Franklin Place apartment and retail complex at 600 Franklin Ave.
By Saturday afternoon, the third Heart of Texas Comic Con was on track to rival the first event two years ago for attendance, spokesman Clayton Afinowicz said.

The first HOT Comic Con in March 2014 drew about 9,000 science fiction and fantasy fans from around Central Texas. Attendance at the second, in September of last year, dropped to about 3,000. Organizers said that one, dubbed Con of the Living Dead, showed them there was scant market in this area for a horror-themed convention, and vendors and artists at that convention were offered reduced fees if they wanted to try again this spring.

The HOT Comic Con is one of many across the country in major venues such as San Diego and Salt Lake City and in smaller population centers. Many have special themes such as horror or anime. Others, including the Waco event, invite expression of the whole spectrum of imaginative art and literature.

Afinowiczs advance announcements said more than 100 artists and vendors planned to set up this weekend in the Extraco Events Center, which was full of booths with back issues of comics, original art, T-shirts, other clothing and much more.

Following the nationwide tradition, most attendees were in costumes depicting favorite comic book and movie characters. Most were adolescents and young adults, but many were children and adults of all ages. No one seemed out of place with or without a costume, face paint or props.

Friday afternoon was fairly quiet because of the rain, but the crowds today have more than made up for it, Afinowicz said about 1 p.m. Saturday.

The event continues from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday.

We tried to respond to what patrons have said they wanted, so we have more artists and guests and more interactive attractions, he said.

Celebrity Row

While mock swordfights were going on outdoors, more than a dozen screen actors, writers and illustrators on Celebrity Row signed autographs and posed for professional photos, as well as selfies, with local admirers.

Among the most illustrious is 91-year-old Allen Bellman, a Manhattan native who began his career as a newspaper copy boy and progressed into comic book artistry in the 1940s and 1950s.

A veteran of Marvel Comics and other historic brands, Bellman was among the first artists to work on Captain America, the Patriot, the Destroyer and the Human Torch, dating from the time the stories boosted American spirits for World War II.

He was one of the few artists listed at the Comic Con as charging no fees for photos or autographs.

I just want to spread happiness wherever I go, Bellman said. I just hate to see all the violence and crime victimizing us all. I want us all to live happy lives, and thats why Im still out in the public, to try to spread cheer. I feel blessed, and I do the best I can.

Other artists include Dale Carroll, of Cedar Park, who makes his living selling fantasy-themed original drawings at 18 or 20 shows and events a year.

I started with a comic book, which wasnt very good. Then I did some charcoal drawings, and my friends said thats what I should be doing all the time, so I believed them, Carroll said. Ive just recently started working with pastels, too. I focus on subjects all generations can appreciate.

Among his works Saturday were a portrait of Edgar Allan Poe and a tongue-in-cheek rendering of the movie monster shark from Jaws about to overtake Spider-Man.

The shows attempts to foster a family atmosphere seemed to be working. Michael and Kristin Morris came all the way from Round Rock to attend with their daughter, Britten, 12, and son, Sawyer, 5. They were returning after skipping the 2015 event.

We just want a good way to spend a weekend as a family, and this is appealing, Michael Morris said.

The Comic Con continues from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday at the Extraco Events Center, 4601 Bosque Blvd. Attendees who have not already purchased tickets pay $20 at the door, with children ages 10 and younger admitted free. Teachers, students and military personnel are offered discounts.
Except for four years spent in the military, Greg Brenner has lived in Waco all his life. A graduate of Richfield High School, he decided he wasnt ready for college so, with a brother already serving in the U.S. Navy, he took that option. His hitch may have been brief, but it certainly wasnt dull.

Brenner, 69, went straight from high school to boot camp in San Diego in 1964, where he qualified for radio school. After training, he was assigned to sea duty as a radioman on the USS Yorktown, an aircraft carrier that was in service during World War II and today serves as a maritime museum in South Carolina.

But there was an issue: Brenner had to wait for the Yorktown to return from sea. He was assigned temporary duty in Long Beach, California, the Yorktowns home port. He found the work boring, so when a friend spotted a notice for volunteer positions for river boat duty, he talked Brenner into signing up, even though it would mean going to Vietnam.

Meanwhile, the Yorktown returned home, and from March 1965 to December 66, Brenner went on two Western Pacific voyages and forgot about river boats.

His time aboard the Yorktown was pleasant. His first three main stops were Hawaii, Japan and the Philippines. I enjoyed being on the carrier, Brenner said. I had good shipmates. I was young and having fun.

On both deployments, they went to the Tonkin Gulf, where Yorktown aircraft were flying search-and-rescue missions. The Yorktown also went to the naval station at Subic Bay and to Cebu Island, where she was the first U.S. Navy ship to visit since WWII. Islanders came out to greet them in outrigger canoes complete with flowers. It was quite an experience for a young sailor.

River boat lark comes calling

Brenner came home for Thanksgiving  and received his transfer orders for river boat duty. Since training didnt begin until January 1967, he was in Waco for Christmas when he met his future wife, Becka Jameson.

In January, he went to naval in-shore training

station operations in California. He also went to Whidbey Island for survival, escape, resistance and evasion training. Then came training on the actual boats, learning to navigate rivers and streams and how to operate engines, radios and much more.

In March 1967, Brenner was assigned to the river assault force, which was in charge of all river operations in Vietnam. As part of the newly formed Mobile Riverine Force, it was a joint operation with the 9th Infantry and naval squadrons. In River Squadron 9, River Division 91, Brenner served on the My Tho River on an assault support patrol boat, the only vessel ever designed specifically for river warfare, he said.

We were the first ones in and the last ones out, Brenner said. Typically, two ASPBs  the alpha

boats  led a convoy that included monitors, a command and communications boat, armored personnel

carriers and, bringing up the rear, two more ASPBs.

When youre young you dont get scared as much, but it was dangerous, Brenner said. Some of the rivers we were on were so small that we brushed against foliage on both sides.

His boat was 53 feet long, weighed 7 tons and was loaded with firepower. Duties ranged from searching local boats in an effort to control the Mekong Delta, the rice bowl of Vietnam (crucial to the Viet Cong), and suppressing enemy fire while APCs offloaded troops.

Cruising on uncertain waters

Often, the enemy would set up ambushes, targeting the APCs and interrupting the movement of the flotilla. Brenner has never forgotten a 19-year-old who was killed in a firefight.

Brenner, who had an appendectomy and was out of commission a short time, never got a scratch  until his last day in-country. His tour was to conclude on Feb. 18, 1968, just days after the Tet Offensive began. On the morning of the 18th, as he waited in the terminal at Tan Son Nhut Air Base, a 122 mm rocket struck the roof

directly above him. It broke his right femur and showered him with shrapnel on an elbow, his legs and head. One wound was the size of a coffee cup.

He was sent to Japan, then San Francisco, but didnt undergo corrective surgery until he got to the Corpus Christi Naval Station. He spent five months recovering. He was awarded a Purple Heart.

Brenner went to college, married Becka (theyve been together 47 years) and did carpentry work in commercial construction. He transferred to the VAs carpentry shop and then to AC/heating repair at the post office before retiring in 2001.

I enjoyed all my time, even the scary part, Brenner said. Every generation has its opportunity. Im glad I got that opportunity. To me, its important that people give back to their community and country.

Voices of Valor, which features stories about Central Texas veterans, runs on Sundays. To suggest a story about a Central Texas veteran, please email voicesofvalor@wacotrib.com.
Conventional wisdom in the United States holds that Saudi Arabia and Turkey are right to enter the chaos defining Syrias civil war. After all, this is their region of the world, not ours. Yet the fallout could have dangerous implications for NATO, of which the United States is the dominant member.

Saudi Arabia has already sent troops and weapons, including fighter jets, to NATO member Turkeys Incirlik Air Base. While the move highlights the Saudis anxiety over whats taking place on the ground in Syria, the desert kingdoms military leaders fail to grasp the perils ahead. Saudi Arabia and Turkey could easily provoke Russian military resistance, given Russias own extensive military involvement in war-torn Syria.

Im convinced Russia would escalate tensions if and when its fighter jets come under attack from advanced weapons purchased by Saudis from the United States, including surface-to-air missiles. Worse, if Turkey is supplying weapons and sanctuary for Saudi fighters, it could spark a full-scale NATO-Russia confrontation, embroiling yet other nations.

Such provocation by Saudi Arabia and Turkey  both Sunni-led nations  provides Russia some justification for deploying, if it hasnt already, far more sophisticated weapons, including its fighter jets and advanced S-500 missile-defense systems. Result: Syria becomes the battleground of a war pitting NATO powers against Russia. Imagine to toll in this horrifying scenario.

And lets look deeper at Russias geopolitical motives. Involvement in Syria goes beyond supporting Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad or fighting ISIS terrorists. Rather, it aims at dividing NATO and destroying Syrian rebels supported not only by the United States but also by Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Qatar. And dont discount the role Iran, a Shiite power, plays in all this. It provides fighters and military leaders on the ground in Syria to plan attacks against the rag-tag rebels seeking Assads overthrow.

With Turkey and Saudi Arabia expressing their intention of getting involved in this bloodbath, Russia and Iran will seize the opportunity to cement their alliance and further their own objectives, despite opposite trajectories. Are the Saudis and Turks biting off more than they can chew? Are they foolishly betting that Russia will suffer the same fate it had in Afghanistan in the 1980s?

Or are the Saudis and Turks being drawn into a trap with no way out? The answer to these questions depends on who you ask from both sides of the Atlantic.

Conversations swirling in Brussels and other Western capitals pivot on whether Turkey is actually pursuing yet another agenda  targeting the neighboring Kurds  rather than bolstering NATO interests such as limiting Russias expansion and fighting ISIS terrorism. NATO leadership fears that whatever Turkeys motives are, it could trigger a major confrontation with Russia. Meanwhile, Russia is moving forward with its own plans targeting Syrian rebels.

One thing you can bet on: Russia will not withdraw from Syria till a political settlement regarding the future of Syria is achieved to its own satisfaction.

One must wonder what truly motivates Saudi Arabia and Turkey to embark on such a risky military venture that could (and would) soon turn into a bloody war without easy end. The Saudis and Turks want to ensure that Sunni rebels prevail (which I do not foresee) while at the same time sending a message to Iran that they will challenge Tehrans geopolitical aspirations.

In any case, this alliance between Turkey and Saudi Arabia will probably be short-lived. If history is any guide, Arab leaders talk more and act less; their sabre-rattling summits and conferences seldom amount to much. But all are mistaken if they think Russia will stand by and watch as Saudi and Turk ground troops march toward Damascus.

Washington needs to have a very straightforward talk with its allies, the Saudis and the Turks, about the long-term consequences to all. This is certainly no time for Sunni adventurism, especially if it counts on NATO involvement. The complete destabilization resulting could make what happened after the disastrous invasion of Iraq look like a geopolitical picnic by comparison.

David Oualaalou is a global affairs analyst, blogger, author and professor. A former international security analyst in Washington, D.C., he is a part-time instructor at McLennan Community College.
It has been some time since we have reported on the progress Dynamic Aviation is making with their efforts to resurrect one of President Eisenhowers personal transport aircraft from his time in the White House: Lockheed VC-121A Constellation 48-0610 Columbine II. Their team of employees and volunteers has been hard at work in Marana, Arizona working on the venerable Connie over the past year or so, bring her airframe, systems and engines up to operational condition for a flight to their main base in Bridgewater, Virginia. Well, we have excellent news to report. We have just heard from Ken Stoltzfus at Dynamic Aviation that they have progressed exceedingly well with their efforts, and are hoping to have Columbine II flying again sometime soon, perhaps even within the next month!

Furthermore, while Dynamic Aviation had originally intended to bring Columbine II up to ferry-condition in Marana, before flying her across the country to Virginia for a more thorough restoration, we now learn that they decided to proceed with a more in-depth level of maintenance in situ. Therefore, when the aircraft arrives at her new home in Virginia she will actually be fully certified for flight. Dynamic Aviation will then go through the aircraft in Bridgewater to restore her back into display condition where she can tell the story of the presidential aviation fleet on the air show circuit in the years to come. Quite how long that will take is unknown at present, but Columbine II is bound to become an instant favorite at any venue she visits.

Karl Stoltzfus Sr., Dynamic Aviations founder, wanted to stress how much this entire project has depended upon the on-site leadership of Dynamics Brian Miklos and the generous contribution of others, in particular Scott Glover and his Mid-America Flight Museum, of Mt. Pleasant, TX.

WarbirdsNews shall endeavor to report on progress as and when new information becomes available, but we thought our readers would want to know of this exciting update. Watch this space!
Right now the inside of a closet is probably looking rather inviting for Ian Thorpe, who over the past week has endured what would have to rank as one of the more insidious campaigns of recent memory when it comes to dealing with high-profile gay people in mainstream media.

Indeed, one could be forgiven for thinking it was 1956 rather than 2016 following the bizarre placement of stories dripping in innuendo and cliches while reinforcing ignorant stereotypes about gay people.

Apparently, Thorpe refusing the offer of a "breath mint" during last weekend's Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras constitutes front-page news, with lashings of mock outrage on the side.

The story was splashed over the front page of Rupert Murdoch's The Daily Telegraph, then duly regurgitated by click-bait specialists the Daily Mail, with a series of photographs including one greatly magnified to show the offending "white pill" being offered to Thorpe and questioning what sort of substance it actually was, without a skerrick of evidence to suggest it was anything more than a Tic Tac.
A national system of road-pricing - charging motorists according to how far they drive in exchange for cheaper petrol prices and registration fees - is likely to be explored in a study commissioned by the federal government.

The interest in a potential road pricing system comes amid business calls for new methods of curbing chronic traffic congestion in Sydney.

In an interview, the Federal Minister for Major Projects, Paul Fletcher, said the government would respond to a recommendation from advisory body Infrastructure Australia that it commission a study into how a road pricing scheme would work.

"We don't think this is happening overnight but the policy advice has been fairly consistent on it, so the immediate question that we need to look at is whether it makes sense to take the next steps that Infrastructure Australia has recommended which is doing a detailed study on the design," Mr Fletcher said.
"Significant findings have been made, but the organisation behind this will be announced once the investigation has been finalised," he said. Emergency workers work at the scene of the explosion that killed at least 27 people. Credit:Erhan Ortac NATO member Turkey faces multiple security threats. As part of a US-led coalition, it is fighting Islamic State in neighbouring Syria and Iraq. It is also battling PKK militants in its southeast, where a 2-1/2-year ceasefire collapsed last July, triggering the worst violence since the 1990s. The bombing came two days after the US Embassy issued a warning that there was information regarding a potential attack on government buildings in the Bahcelievler area of Ankara, just a few km away from the blast site. The United States condemned the attack, saying in a White House National Security Council statement: "This horrific act is only the most recent of many terrorist attacks perpetrated against the Turkish people. The United States stands together with Turkey, a NATO ally and valued partner, as we confront the scourge of terrorism."

Health Minister Mehmet Muezzinoglu said 30 of those killed had died at the scene, while the four others died in hospital. At least one or two of the dead were attackers, he said, and 19 of the 125 wounded were in critical condition. Pellets and nails One of the security officials said the car used in the attack was a BMW driven from Viransehir, a town in the largely Kurdish southeast, and that the PKK and the affiliated Kurdistan Freedom Hawks (TAK) appeared to be responsible. TAK claimed responsibility for the previous car bombing, just a few blocks away, on February 17. That attack targeted a military bus as it waited at traffic lights, and killed 29 people, most of them soldiers, near the military headquarters, parliament and other key government institutions. A police source said there appeared to have been two attackers, one a man and the other a woman, whose severed hand was found 300 metres from the blast site.

The explosives were the same kind as those used on February 17 and the bomb had been reinforced with pellets and nails to cause maximum damage, the source told Reuters. The pro-Kurdish opposition HDP, parliament's third largest party, which Erdogan accuses of being an extension of the PKK, condemned what it described as a "savage attack". State broadcaster TRT said the car had exploded at a major transport hub, hitting a bus carrying some 20 people near the central Guven Park and Kizilay Square at 6:43 p.m. (1643 GMT). An Ankara court ordered a ban on access to Facebook, Twitter and other sites in Turkey after images from the bombing were shared on social media, broadcasters CNN Turk and NTV reported. Security threats

World leaders joined in condemning the bombing. British Prime Minister David Cameron said he was "appalled," while French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault described it as a "cowardly attack". Russian President Vladimir Putin described it as "inhuman," his spokesman Dmitry Peskov told Russian news agencies. "There can be no justification for such heinous acts of violence. All NATO allies stand in solidarity with Turkey, resolute in our determination to fight terrorism in all its forms," NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said. Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop said the country's ambassador to Turkey, James Larsen, was in a car at an intersection 20 metres from where the bomb was detonated. "It really does bring it home to us that a terrorist attack can take place at any time, anywhere," Bishop told Nine Network television while on a diplomatic trip to Fiji. "We utterly condemn these barbaric attacks on civilian populations." "It was an appalling thing for him to witness, being so close, but he's fine," she added of the ambassador.
Washington: US Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump on Sunday threatened to send his supporters to the campaign rallies of Democrat Bernie Sanders, showing no sign of toning down his rhetoric after clashes erupted at his own events over the weekend.

Mr Trump, front-runner for the Republican nomination, appeared unchastened after simmering discord between his supporters and protesters angry over his positions on immigration and Muslims turned into a palpable threat on Friday, forcing him to cancel a Chicago rally and shadowing his campaign appearances on Saturday.

Mr Trump blamed supporters of Democratic candidate Mr Sanders for the incidents in Chicago, where scuffles broke out between protesters and backers of the real estate magnate.

He also called the US senator from Vermont "our communist friend".
The Qatar Museum's Gallery Al Riwaq is currently on the final stages of its preparations to host the works of 15 contemporary Chinese artists - curated by Chinese artist Cai Guo-Qiang - for the "What About the Art? Contemporary Art from China".

The exhibition is part of the Qatar-China 2016 Year of Culture, which would start from March 14 to July 16. The works that will be featured would display each artist's artistic language and technique, displayed in individual galleries. The artworks vary in medium and it is said that the curatorial approach would allow an intimate understanding of each work displayed in the exhibition.

Guo-Qiang is well-known as one of China's best artists, working with various mediums from drawing to performance art. He has won several awards throughout his career, some including the 1999 Golden Lion at the 48th Venice Biennale, the 2007 7th Hiroshima Art Prize and the 2009 20th Fukuoka Asian Culture Prize. He also headed the Visual and Special Effects group for the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics. He is currently based in New York.
The recent spat about beach access by vendors on Paradise Island is an all-too-important reminder of the right to private property.

In my view, the Opposition parties, the FNM and DNA, were wrong to encourage a protest at the sight where the beneficial owner had their property fenced in, which then incited the crowd to pull the fence down that blocked an access point point to Cabbage Beach.

Understanding the vendors frustration as they have been allowed to ply their wares there, apparently uninvited, and more than likely unlicensed, for several years now, they began to feel like it was their right to do so. A dangerous precedent to begin with.

The people that damaged the fence were correctly charged before the courts and their trial is pending.

Now to add insult to injury, Dr. Hubert Minnis, leader of the FNM, has stated if his party wins the next election they will expunge the records of the accused men if necessary, something he would not even have the power to do.

Maybe there is a way to voluntarily work something out with the property owner, but that is between the two parties (owner and vendors). But using force the way the vendors did, is not only controversial, it is against the law. In this case a reasonable law, ones right to private, legally acquired property.

Dr. Minnis, is setting a dangerous precedent for his party and the country.

One can argue that The Bahamas made a mistake over the past 40 to 50 years of selling beach access to property owners, preventing access by Bahamians, but this lack of foresight is not corrected using brute strength and government force.

If Dr. Minnis' concern is truly finding ways to allow beach access for Bahamians it may be in everyones best interest to consider ways to purchase back some of the beaches on New Providence (and the islands) at a fair market value and develop parks all over the island. However, this should be with voluntary donationsnot by increasing our National Debt.

It will be another sad day when owners are coerced off their legally acquired private property by protesters and the government.

Where Dr. Minnis has a point, is his allegations of Police brutality. But when protesters block the general public's access to the roadways in a private dispute, this cannot be allowed to stand. Pursue an investigation into the actions of the Police by all means, but this is a different argument than a private land owner fencing their legally acquired property off from use by the general public.
State Supreme Court candidates Rebecca Bradley and JoAnne Kloppenburg clashed Wednesday over who would let their personal political beliefs or connections cloud their ability to fairly interpret the law.

The two met at a Milwaukee Bar Association forum  their first meeting after revelations this week of Bradleys controversial college-era writings, including a new one Wednesday in which she supported a scholars suggestion that women could be partially responsible for date rape.

For the third day in a row, Bradley apologized for making anti-gay comments in opinions written in 1992 and published in the Marquette University student newspaper. She said her worldview had changed in 24 years after listening to people who have experienced terrible prejudices and unfairness in their lives.

You realize how wrong you might have been when you thought you knew everything at the age of 20, Bradley said at the forum.

But Kloppenburg rejected Bradleys claim that she had changed her views.

Justice Bradley talks about change and talks about this being, now is now, then was then, but her career does not show much evidence of changes, Kloppenburg said, citing Bradleys involvement in the conservative Federalist Society for Law and Public Policy Studies and the Republican National Lawyers Association.

Bradley shot back saying she upholds the law regardless of her personal views, and said Kloppenburg espouses a judicial philosophy that aims to inject her personal preferences on public policy into her decision-making as a judge.

She has explained this by saying she thinks it is our job as judges to promote a more equal society, said Bradley. Thats a very nice sentiment but Im not sure what that means because somebodys idea  one judges idea  of what is promoting an equal society can vary greatly from the next judges idea.

The forum took place after the unearthing of controversial opinion pieces Bradley wrote while in college. Most of the examples were released this week by liberal advocacy group One Wisconsin Now. The Wisconsin State Journal uncovered other controversial writings in a review of the Marquette Tribune, a student newspaper.

Bradley apologized in an interview with the State Journal for anti-gay letters and a column that One Wisconsin Now released Monday. She said those opinions no longer reflect her current views.

Bradley, a current justice appointed to the high court last fall by Gov. Scott Walker, and Kloppenburg, an appeals court judge, are facing off in the April 5 election. The position is nonpartisan, but Bradley is backed by conservatives while Kloppenburg is supported by liberals.

Role in date rape

The new Bradley column that OWN revealed Wednesday denounced the rise of feminism. In it Bradley wrote that scholar Camille Paglia legitimately suggested that women play a role in date rape.

Bradley wrote the column, Awaiting feminisms demise, in 1992 for the Marquette Journal, a student-run magazine. In it, she argued that the feminist movement had gone too far and was largely composed of angry, militant, man-hating lesbians who abhor the traditional family.

In the column on feminism, first reported by The Capital Times, Bradley wrote that Paglia had been banned from speaking at several colleges after legitimately suggesting women play a role in date rape.

In a 1991 column in Newsday, Paglia argued society had stopped punishing rape properly and feminism had erroneously taught women they could do anything, go anywhere, say anything, wear anything. She said women will always be in sexual danger and should avoid getting drunk and being alone with men to prevent being raped.

A woman going to a fraternity party is walking into Testosterone Flats, full of prickly cacti and blazing guns, Paglia wrote. If she goes, she should be armed with resolute alertness. She should arrive with girlfriends and leave with them. A girl who lets herself get dead drunk at a fraternity party is a fool. A girl who goes upstairs alone with a brother at a fraternity party is an idiot. Feminists call this blaming the victim. I call it common sense.

The only solution to date rape is female self-awareness and self-control. A womans No. 1 line of defense against rape is herself.

A spokesman for Bradleys campaign did not respond to a request for an interview or comment. Bradley was not asked about the magazine column at the forum.

One Wisconsin Now research director Jenni Dye said in a statement that Bradleys 1992 comments disqualify her from being a Supreme Court justice.

It is abhorrent to blame the victim of a sexual assault, whatever the circumstances, Dye said.

At the forum, Bradley and Kloppenburg agreed on a number of issues, including the fact that there are certain situations that make it appropriate for a justice to not reveal reasons for which they recuse themselves from cases. If the justice had previously been involved in a case before the Supreme Court as a trial attorney, for example, it would make sense to recuse but not reveal why because of attorney-client privilege.

The two disagreed on whether a justice should leave the bench during the oral arguments of a case, however.

On Feb. 24, Bradley left oral arguments to speak at an event hosted by business lobby Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce. The WMC has spent millions on Supreme Court races, typically on conservatives.

Bradley said its common for justices to leave due to scheduling conflicts and said she didnt leave until her questions were answered and that she watched video of what she missed.

But Kloppenburg said it is inappropriate for a justice to leave to attend an event that could benefit his or her campaign.
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By West Kentucky Star Staff

Mar. 12, 2016 | MADISONVILLE, KY

By West Kentucky Star Staff Mar. 12, 2016 | 11:17 PM | MADISONVILLE, KY

A Texas woman has been arrested on identity theft charges related to a western Kentucky man.



Kentucky State Police were notified on Friday morning that 39-year-old Nicole M. Banks of Converse, Texas, had been found and arrested at her home. She had been the subject of an identity theft investigation related to a Madisonville man who also has ties to Cadiz.



The 16-week long investigation led to local theft charges and fugitive charges for Banks, and she is currently in custody in Texas. After those charges are dealt with, Banks will be extradited to Kentucky, where she will face five felony counts of theft of identity, five felony counts of making a false statement of identity or financial condition, one felony count of fraudulent use of a credit card between $500 and $10,000, theft by unlawful taking under $500, and attempted theft by unlawful taking between $500 and $10,000.



The Converse, Texas Police Department helped Kentucky State Police in the investigation.
By The Associated Press Mar. 13, 2016 | 11:48 AM | LEXINGTON, KY

They want politically divided state government for at least the remainder of this year, which includes the critical final weeks of the current General Assembly's budget session.

With Democrats winning three of four seats in Tuesday's special elections, the party of President Barack Obama and House Speaker Greg Stumbo scored a small net increase over the political control it held before November's election.

Democrat Jeff Taylor's 18-point victory over Republican Roller Dome Fun Plex owner Walker Thomas in the 8th District race to replace Democrat John Tilley, whom Gov. Matt Bevin chose to head the justice cabinet, is one of the reasons Tuesday for the most part belonged to Dems.

Taylor got help from the White House in the form of robo-calls. Good for him! How many state lawmakers can lay claim to getting help from the President in their campaigns? A more important question is: what now? Will House Democratic leaders finally meet the supersized multitasking demands incumbent upon them  of working with a Republican Senate and governor to pass a responsible two-year $22 billion budget while also addressing the nation's worst state public-pension crisis without raising taxes, cutting spending, raiding the commonwealth's "Rainy Day" fund  which Bevin proposed increasing  or plunging the commonwealth deeper in debt?

"Just Say No," the well-known mantra created by the former First Lady Nancy Reagan, who recently died, might work in campaigns for political office and against some illegal drugs, but it's an intolerable substitute for the tough slog of governing. It certainly does nothing to persuade state workers and retirees that meaningful action is planned to ensure the continued solvency of the Kentucky Employees Retirement System, which now is barely 17-percent funded.

If Stumbo hinders the budget process from moving forward simply because he wants to deny Bevin some kind of political victory, Democrats will only be able to testify on the campaign trail: "We opposed Bevin and his ideas. We stood in the way of badly needed reforms to our education, health care and pension systems because we didn't want the Republican governor to notch a win. We opposed Bevin. We have no earthly idea how we're going to pay for the commonwealth's huge Medicaid expansion, but we protected the status quo  and we opposed Bevin."

Such an approach is downright unacceptable to reasonable Kentuckians who tolerate a certain amount of political shenanigans on the campaign trail but firmly reject governing platforms built around obstructionism.

I wonder if the President might be willing to make another round of robo-calls to remind Stumbo and the Democrats: it's not enough to simply oppose the governor's approach on the budget; they have a constitutional duty to present their own ideas. But if these House leaders attempt to take the easy way out by proposing a plan that taxes, spends or borrows more to fix Kentucky's budget situation, the governor should keep the promise he firmly laid down in his budget speech by finding the fattest, inkiest veto pen available and using it.

The temptation for House Republicans, meanwhile, will be to alternatively wring  and then sit on  their hands, claiming: "there's little we can do since we aren't the majority party." Instead, this is the time for GOP House leaders to pump up the volume of their bully pulpit's boom box and constantly  and very loudly and publicly  push and prod the majority party by forcing, demanding and remaining unyielding in their insistence that the entire House get serious about doing the people's work.

Divided government  currently the political makeup of 19 states' governments  can work when both parties commit to creating an environment in which all participants feel the burden of governing responsibly and have a stake in getting things  primarily passage of a responsible budget  done.

Jim Waters is president of the Bluegrass Institute, Kentucky's free-market think tank. Reach him at jwaters@freedomkentucky.com. Read previously published columns at www.bipps.org .
Once more unto the director's graveyard, dear friends, and this time I urge you to follow me. Of course, Don Giovanni is only a burial ground for those who build their own mausoleums, follies adorned in recent efforts with dreariness (Francesca Zambello), ugliness (Rufus Norris), contemporary chic (Daniel Slater) and gizmo-porn (Kasper Holten).

Lloyd Wood, who two years ago directed a tight revival of Jonathan Kent's Glyndebourne staging, dances on the graves of his distinguished colleagues with this richly mounted new production for English Touring Opera. It is immensely satisfying. Beyond setting Mozart's opera in subterranean Vienna, c.1900, an idea that creates a suitably threatening environment without ever dislocating the drama, Wood imposes no charades upon it. Instead he trusts the work's greatness to shine through and only intervenes for sound dramaturgical reasons.

Anna Fleischle's catacomb set is one of the company's most ambitious to date, tall and imposing with a sturdy metal staircase that soars to the flies. Four tunnels converge on the stage like pipes into a cistern, and at any one time Guy Hoare's artful lighting conceals as much as it reveals. During the overture, which ETO's music director Michael Rosewell shapes with a gripping elan that never once slackens thereafter, the eye is drawn first here, then there, but never everywhere at once. So it continues for the entire evening, fittingly in an opera where secrets mean power.

'From feckless to reckless'

The last time I saw George von Bergen he was rutting like a stag in Jonathan Dove's Flight for Opera Holland Park. Now here he is again in priapic mode as a plausibly dissolute Don. Clad urbanely in black and armed with a darker, less lyrical voice than one is used to in this role, he embodies the heartless aristocrat with his seamy sense of entitlement. Matthew Stiff is a charismatic Leporello, sweeter on the ear than his master and somehow retaining our sympathy as his own behaviour lurches from feckless to reckless.

Soprano Ania Jeruc, who gives the impression she'd rather be singing in Italian, lends Donna Elvira some creamy mezzo tones, while Susanna Fairbairn as Donna Anna proved herself a worthy, confident understudy for the indisposed Gilliam Ramm.

The sweetest and perhaps most Mozartean singing of all comes from Bradley Travis and Lucy Hall as Masetto and Zerlina. Youthful, carnal and unreliable, they make a fascinating pair. You'll be glad they're getting married but you won't give much for their chances.

Robyn Lyn Evans is a fine Don Ottavio: although he's deprived in this production of one great tenor aria, "Dalla sua pace", he delivers the other, "Il mio tesoro", with honeyed fervour. As for Piotr Lempa's vocally insinuating Commendatore, he emerges from his own memorial shrine like a vision from hell. Which of course he is.

Search for flaws if you must, but they are few and far between. Personally I'm not enamoured with Jeremy Sams's vulgar translation (his work on The Marriage of Figaro was better gauged to its material), but if ETO must go for the vernacular rather than Da Ponte's gloriously sardonic original then it'll do. Anyway, such things are a matter of taste, and it's my only gripe about a night at the opera that gets practically everything right.

Don Giovanni tours to Truro, Poole, Norwich, Sheffield, Snape, Cheltenham, Buxton, Cambridge, Crawley, Canterbury, Wolverhampton, Blackpool, Durham, Perth, Exeter, Leicester, York, Stoke-on-Trent, Ulverston and Carlisle until 10 June 2016. Click here for further information.
MADISON  Among the many remarkable things about the defeat of the proposed overhaul of the Wisconsin Public Records Law over the July 4 weekend last summer was the way the media, open government groups, advocacy organizations on the left and right, and the public coalesced to point out how ill-conceived the idea was.

The reaction to this sneak attack on open government was immediate, overwhelming and decisive. No other issue in state government in recent years has generated such a uniform  and effective  response. Gov. Scott Walker and the legislature leaders backed down within 48 hours.

Lawmakers seemed chastened, but advocates of open government must remain vigilant. In fact, the efforts to restrict the publics access to information have not stopped.

Its not a stretch to suggest that open government in Wisconsin is threatened; some might say its under attack. Thats because the attempt to gut the records law is just one of several examples from the past year suggesting lawmakers disregard for the publics right to know.

In response, the Wisconsin Freedom of Information Council and the Madison chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists are joining with open government advocates from both sides of the political aisle and media groups to bring what were calling the Open Government Traveling Show to communities across the state.

For three days in mid-March, during the nationwide celebration of open government known as Sunshine Week, well be offering a 90-minute tutorial and presentation on the states open records law in eight Wisconsin cities. The goal is to help Wisconsin residents understand how the law can be used and why it is important.

In addition to WFOIC, SPJ-Madison and lawyer April Barker of Schott, Bublitz and Engel S.C., the conservative groups the MacIver Institute for Public Policy, the Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty and the liberal groups the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign and the Center for Media and Democracy will take part in the Open Government Traveling Show.

Despite their differences on many policy issues, these groups agree on the importance of open government.

And in fact, representatives of the MacIver Institute and WILL, along with Republican Attorney General Brad Schimel, were among the most influential voices last year opposing the records changes at the Capitol.

Also supporting the Traveling Show is the Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism.

From March 15-17, the tour will visit eight Wisconsin cities, including in the Chippewa Valley this week. One session will be at 7 p.m. Tuesday in Room 1614 of Centennial Hall at UW-Eau Claire. If its successful, well consider another tour in the future.

Wisconsins open records law is a vital component of our representative democracy. It should be strengthened, not weakened.

And we must fight to protect it.
Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 12/03/2016 (2415 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Born in Spain to Quebecois parents, Yann Martel has lived in Iran, Turkey and India, but now calls Saskatoon home.

His published works include a collection of short stories, another of letters to former prime minister Stephen Harper, and four novels, including Life of Pi, which won the Man Booker Prize for Fiction and was adapted for the screen by director Ang Lee.

Martel will be in Winnipeg March 14, launching his latest book, The High Mountains of Portugal, at McNally Robinson Booksellers. He took the time to speak to Ariel Gordon.

Emma Love photo Writer Yann Martel will be in Winnipeg on Monday launching his latest book, The High Mountains of Portugal. He is taking a few months off before putting on the book-writing yoke again.

Free Press: What do you want people to know about this book?

Yann Martel: That its a novel, that it features animals and cars and dead bodies and magical mountains.

FP: As a writer (i.e. someone whose artistic practice is predicated on time spent alone) how do you approach readings? What do you get out of them?

YM: As much as I love the illuminated solitude of creation, I also love going on tour to talk about my books. Art is a gift, a social act. I find connecting with readers (and journalists) very stimulating, whether they like my books or not. Thats important to note: its not about being patted on the back, its about dialogue.

I dont actually do readings very often, I prefer just to talk about my book. People can read the book for themselves if they want to. What they cant get so easily is the author talking about his book. So I approach my events in no special way, I just let things happen, the way we dont prepare when we are going to meet a friend. Discourse will find its natural course.

As for what I get out of it, I get what one gets out of dialoguing: a sense of connection, of binding myself with others into a community.

FP: The High Mountains of Portugal is your sixth book since The Facts Behind the Helsinki Roccamatios was published in 1993. What are your goals for your writing now, as compared to your first books? As compared to the international acclaim of Life of Pi?

YM: With each book that I write, Im trying to understand something, some aspect of the human condition. So with Helsinki, I was trying to understand the nature of stories, how we build them, why we tell them.

With Self, in which a character spontaneously changes sex twice, boy to girl to boy, I was looking into the nature of gender and sexual orientation.

With Life of Pi, I was curious about faith. What is it? How does it work? What does it mean to have faith?

With Beatrice & Virgil, I wanted to apply the tools of fiction on an event that has resisted fictionalization, unlike every other historical event, including war, slavery, disease that even being the Holocaust.

And now, with The High Mountains of Portugal, I wanted to look at the tools we have at our disposal to deal with suffering. That use of curiosity as my guiding light will not change, I dont think. Already I have another novel in mind. The idea popped into my head barely a week ago, while I was in Amsterdam. Anger  what is it? Why are we prone to anger, the way animals are not? What are the workings of anger, its consequences, etcetera? Those questions are already leading me on a narrative chase.

FP: How has having a young family changed your life, and, by extension, your process?

YM: Im a busier, more sleep-deprived writer, constantly side-swiped by noisy intrusions of joy. Its a good life. My writing process, in all that, is conducted much the same way as before when I manage to close the door on my gaggle of children. The quiet joy of creation is just more obviously hemmed in by the shrieking joy of the created.

FP: What influence have your Quebecois parents  a literary translator and a diplomat-poet  had on your writing?

YM: Their influence was foundational. If I started reading, its because they read. If I started writing, its because my father wrote. (Emile Martel won the Governor Generals Award for French-language poetry in 1995.) If I continued writing, its because my parents encouraged and validated what I did. Being diplomats, they also showed me the world, which is another book.

As for writing in French, I do so privately, to my parents mostly. I went to school in English. English is the language in which I assert myself with the greatest clarity.

FP: What are you reading right now? What are you writing right now?

YM: Im reading The Iliad, speaking of anger and its consequences. Im writing nothing, nothing at all. Each time I finish a book, Im spent. I may think about writing another book, but the idea of actually sitting down and doing so exhausts me. Ill take a few months off before I actually put on that yoke again.

FP: For four years, you sent former prime minister Stephen Harper a book every two weeks. Have you sent Justin Trudeau anything yet or is that a wait-and-see proposition?

YM: Justin Trudeau obtained a Bachelors degree in English literature. And he taught drama at a school. He has read books, understands what the artful word can bring to the soul. I see in him a man more opened up by literature than Stephen Harper ever was. And perhaps by nature he is more open-minded to start with, hence his openness to literature.

Now, how he will fare in office is another question. I believe that leaders must read artful books. How else can they understand the human condition? How else can they reach out to the Other.

But that doesnt guarantee in itself political success. Look at Michael Ignatieff and his disastrous turn as leader of the Liberal Party. The wealth of literature is a necessary condition, I think, but certainly not the only one.

FP: This novel is about loving and losing love, about leaving home and what it means to be human, but it hinges on the particular sorrow of losing children. Was that particularly difficult to write, as the father of four children?

YM: Not really. The death of a child is the foundational myth of Western civilization, God so loved us that he gave up his son. Clearly, no death goes deeper in its impact than that of a child. Being the father of four, I can see that. But I wasnt projecting any personal fear of that. Im not a fearful father (or man, for that matter). At most, I placed my potential sorrow within that inscribed at the heart of the Jesus event.

Ariel Gordon is a Winnipeg writer.
Opinion

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 12/03/2016 (2415 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The headlines from the past three months have made one thing clear: Winnipeg women  and in particular, indigenous women  dont feel safe taking taxis, reporting sexual harassment, discrimination and racial profiling.

In December, a Duffys driver was suspended after 18-year-old Hailey McKay says she was sexually harassed and taken on a terrifying detour. In a post on Facebook, she recounted how the driver told her she was beautiful and tried to get her to add him on Facebook. He asked her personal questions, including her age, name and boyfriend. He also asked about sex, and what I do with my clothes off. McKay called a friend and stayed on the line until the driver corrected course and took her home. She immediately called the police.

In late January, another Facebook post detailing troubling cab driver behaviour made the rounds. This one was written by Rosanna Deerchild, an indigenous woman and the host of CBC Radios Unreserved. She says the driver threatened her and drove her to the Main Street Project and tried to kick her out of his cab when she took a photo of his cab number. Like mentally planning an escape route in a parking garage or sliding a car key through your fingers, photographing the cab number or sitting directly behind the driver are safety precautions many women take.

PHIL HOSSACK / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Columnist Jen Zoratti recently spent a night criss-crossing the city in a bit of a sociological experiment to compare taxi service.

And in late February, another headline: a 13-year-old girl was allegedly lured by a cab driver in the West End.

Then theres the troubling recent history of sexual assault. In the summer of 2015, a 17-year-old girl was reportedly sexually assaulted after being offered a free ride home. In July 2014, a woman was allegedly sexually assaulted by a driver in a cab in Transcona after being picked up from a bar in Windsor Park. And there are more cases. According to a 2010 CBC story about a 21-year-old woman who was allegedly sexually assaulted twice by a driver in River Heights nine taxi drivers in Manitoba were found guilty of sexual harassment between 2007 and 2010 and three were charged with sexual assault.

But its not only passengers who feel unsafe in our citys taxis. Its drivers, too. They are subjected to racial profiling and harassment. They have been beaten, robbed and stabbed. More than a few have been murdered. Such as 42-year-old Gurnam Singh Dhaliwal, who was stabbed 40 times in his cab in 1986. Or Paramjit Singh, 28, whose bloody cab was discovered on Panet Road and whose body was left in a ditch near Birds Hill Park in 1989. Or Pritnam Deol, 52, who was stabbed five times in his cab in 2001. Or Antonio Lanzellotti, who was struck and killed by joyriding teens on Portage Avenue in 2008.

According to a Statistics Canada study, driving a cab is the most dangerous profession in the country. Between 1997 and 2011, 23 drivers were murdered on the job. Thats more, per capita, than police officers.

Whats going on in our citys taxis?

  

Most of my girlfriends have a story about a cab. Cautionary tales are shared and disseminated.

One friend recently told me about an incident that happened when she was a teenager. She was in the passenger seat  she thought it was rude to sit in the back  and she was upset about a boy or something. She says the driver began rubbing her thigh and telling her she was beautiful, then got out of the car and gave her a gropey, too-long hug when they arrived at her home. Her mom flipped out and called both Unicity and Duffys. My friend couldnt remember the company.

The stories arent always sexual. A cousin says she and her boyfriend were subjected to a racist tirade about Syrian refugees on the way to her work Christmas party.

Sonya Ballantyne, a young indigenous filmmaker who grew up in Grand Rapids, says she used to take cabs a lot when her family was in Winnipeg. We would get cab vouchers to get us to the places we were going to stay, she says. However, once the bus depot moved to the airport, cabbies would see our vouchers and either pretend they couldnt speak English or tell us they werent good for their cab or even say we wouldnt tip them, so why take us?

Once Ballantyne moved to Winnipeg, she started renting cars to pick up her mom from the bus depot.

But not every story I heard this week was a bad one. Lynne Skromeda, the executive director of the Winnipeg Folk Festival, sent me a private message on Facebook to share her perspective. Shes had positive experiences with young drivers, newcomers to Canada, who have been helpful and friendly, who love Winnipeg and see it as a good place to raise their families and prosper.

Theyve told me bad stories about people who havent treated them well, that there are people who youd least expect to treat them badly who have done just that  stolen from them, disrespected them. Theyre worried because there has been bad press around their profession, and they are embarrassed. But they are proud of what they do and where it will take them and their families.

I have had nothing but positive experiences. Theyve carried my luggage and wished me well on trips theyll likely never take, and Im a better person for having them as part of my journey.

  

A confession: I dont drive. Not for lack of trying. Im hoping that, when it comes to passing a drivers test, the sixth time will be the charm.

Even still, I go to great lengths to avoid taking cabs. Nothing bad has happened to me. My cab experiences in the city have been overwhelmingly mundane. My fears have been shaped by the stories Ive heard  in the news and from my friends  as well as the culture in which I live. The culture that says its my fault if something happens to me.

But if I did everything a woman is expected to do to not get sexually assaulted, Id never leave my house. And so, I recently spent a Friday night out with a friend of mine, cabbing around to various establishments around the city, beginning in West Broadway and travelling around the North End, before ending up in Osborne Village and then home, which for me is River Heights. It was a bit of a sociological experiment. Would we be treated differently in the North End, the West End and the South End?

We took Unicity and Duffys.

We had courteous and prompt service all evening. But then, thats what we should expect. Cab drivers are professionals, after all, providing a service.

During our first trip  from West Broadway to Boogies Diner on Main Street  my friend had to make a stop at a 7-Eleven, and the Duffys driver made sure to take us to a safer 7-Eleven, closer to our destination on North Main. On what criteria, he didnt elaborate.

Hes been a driver in the city for 15 years. We asked him where he considered safe in Winnipeg.

He laughed. Nowhere.

I fully appreciate that its difficult to come forward, and were looking at improving the process  Manitoba Taxicab Board chairman David Sanders

  

Gurmail Mangat, 65, has been driving cabs for more than three decades. Hes heard it all.

Hey Paki, go home  go back to where you came from. We hear everything, he said.

We feel it every day. Most (drivers) are new immigrants. They have problems with communication, and they are doing their job as best they can. I dont say all drivers are good, but most are respectful and reasonable. A happy customer means more customers.

Mangat figures hes stiffed on fares once a week, and it happens in all areas of the city. He recalls an incident from a month ago in which a man who he picked up from a Superstore in the south end of the city ran away without paying a $30 fare. It was his first customer of the day.

I ask him if he called the police, and he gently waves his hand. Its not worth it, he says. Hed lose too many hours of his work day. Its part of the job. Its normal, he said, as though being robbed is like taking a trip to the copy machine.

He says the addition of mandatory cameras and shields in the early 2000s, largely as a response to Deols murder, made things safer. But ultimately, Mangat says his profession isnt respected.

Its the most dangerous job; its the most stressful job. He says doesnt know if his next fare will have a gun or knife. But I do it.

  

David Sanders is chairman of the Manitoba Taxicab Board, which investigates all allegations against taxi drivers. He says the board needs to ensure people arent afraid to file complaints.

You hear concerns in the community  but they dont always find their way to the board, he said. I fully appreciate that its difficult to come forward, and were looking at improving the process.

New decals, which bear a phone number and email address, have been added in cars. As well, stickers have been added that inform passengers payment may be asked for up front.

As well, the taxicab board is planning to conduct a large-scale public consultation after Aprils provincial election.

Meanwhile, the Winnipeg Taxi Alliance  formed largely to combat Uber and other ride-sharing companies  has rolled out a new website, winnipegtaxis.ca, where passengers can give feedback.

But even if formal ride-sharing companies such as Uber have yet to arrive in Winnipeg, informal ride-sharing groups are already here.

Jackie Traverse, an indigenous artist, started Ikwe (Helping Women Ride Safe) on Facebook as a result of what happened to Deerchild. The Facebook group has more than 7,000 members, and 63 female volunteer drivers are taking women where they need to go.

Neechi Rides, meanwhile, is a one-man service founded and operated by Pernell Flett. Since launching in December, hes helped more than 1,000 people get around.

It seems like everyone I pick up, its the same story: Ill never take a cab again, he told the CBC in January.

And that could become a big problem for the local taxi industry. When it comes to the tense relationship between indigenous people and cab drivers in this city, there are complex layers of discrimination and racism that must be teased apart. The addition of Leah Gazan, a University of Winnipeg professor and Idle No More activist, to the Manitoba Taxicab Board is a start.

Feeling safe  for passengers and drivers both  is paramount in an industry built on trust.

As Sanders says, the future of the industry depends on it.

jen.zoratti@freepress.mb.caTwitter: @JenZoratti
Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 13/03/2016 (2414 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

OTTAWA  A major independent study of federal government contract pricing and policies has warned that the current system provides perverse incentives for industry doing business with Ottawa to hike their costs, particularly in military equipment deals.

The report written by the research firm PricewaterhouseCoopers  a copy of which was leaked to The Canadian Press  also says that both Public Services and Procurement and National Defence dont have the in-house staff and expertise to understand technical matters that contribute to higher project costs.

The 32-page draft study, dated Nov. 17, 2015, was ordered by the former Conservative government, but delivered to the Trudeau Liberals, who promised in last falls election to fix the broken procurement system to ensure the military gets the equipment it needs.

An F-35 jet sits on the tarmac at its new operational base Wednesday, Sept. 2, 2015, at Hill Air Force Base, in northern Utah. A major independent study of federal government contract pricing and policies has warned that the current system provides "perverse incentives" for industry doing business with Ottawa to hike their costs, particularly in military equipment deals. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP/Rick Bowmer

The eye-popping cost of ships, planes, and tanks has been the subject of a political debate, notably over the F-35 stealth fighter, but also more recently with the navys planned frigate replacements.

Researchers at the multi-national audit firm were asked to examine how government policies, procedures and legislation contributed to the enormous price tags.

One of the key findings was that the structure of the contracting regime provides perverse incentives for industry to increase costs  particularly in sole-source deals  and there is limited expertise in government to review industrial processes and validate the increases.

Neither (procurement services) nor DND has a sufficient knowledge base of subject matter experts that understand the Should-Cost of a project, nor does either have the ability to understand the production process or other technical matters which are important drivers of cost and risk, said the study, which compared Canadas system with Britain, Australia and the U.S.

The report notes that there is a particular shortage of military industrial specialists and this constrains Canadas ability to validate the reasonableness of the costs claimed by contractors.

It warns that the countrys global competitiveness in the defence sector is at risk, and that companies actually benefit by jacking up their prices.

Profit is proportionate to cost under most of the basis of payment options  if the profit percentage is fixed, increased costs result increased profits, said the report, which added the government does not have mechanism to counteract these perverse incentives.

The findings are significant because billions of dollars are about to be spent on the national shipbuilding program. The previous Conservative government set up a special relationship with two of the countrys shipyards  Seaspan in Vancouver and Halifax-based Irving Shipbuilding Inc.

In exchange for directing federal contracts exclusively to both companies, procurement services pledged there would be strict oversight to ensure that taxpayers were not being overcharged.

Public Services and Procurement Canada did not respond to a request for comment.

Dave Perry, an analyst from the Canadian Global Affairs Institute, has studied military procurement woes from the defence departments perspective and found much the same.

He says the new report further highlights the human capacity shortfall of a system that was gutted during program review in the 1990s and never recovered.

Perry and fellow defence analyst George Petrolekas, a retired colonel, wrote a groundbreaking report for the Conference of Defence Association Institute and the MacDonald-Laurier Institute in January 2015 that concluded, among other things, that brain drain and red-tape were responsible for the dysfunctional procurement system at National Defence.

Whereas the PricewaterhouseCoopers report looks at projects looks after theyre launched, Perry and Petrolekas focused on the front-end planning at defence thats required on complex military equipment deals.

They assigned much of the blame to staffing cuts by both Liberal and Conservative governments in the acquisitions branch at National Defence.

In the early 1990s, there were 9,000 staff dedicated to buying military equipment. There were just over 4,300 by 2009 and those people were responsible for pushing through double the number of projects.

Set against this significantly increased workload, there is simply not enough capacity in the acquisition workforce to manage it, said assessment by Perry and Petrolekas.

The Liberals, with both reports in hand, have an opportunity to start fresh, said Perry.

We should move to treat defence procurement as its own specialty within government, and staff it accordingly, he said.
Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 12/03/2016 (2415 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

John Johnson received one of Frances highest honours Saturday for his service in the Second World War, but more than seven decades ago, his parents werent happy when he enlisted.

Thats because Johnson  who received a medal granting him the rank of Knight of the National Order of the Legion of Honour, an award created by Napoleon Bonaparte in 1802  was still two years too young to enlist when he signed up with the Cameron Highlanders of Canada Regiment in 1940.

My mom and dad said Yes, you can join the army, but they said its your decision, the 92-year-old Johnson recalled Saturday in his room at Deer Lodge Centre.

RUTH BONNEVILLE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Second World War veteran John Johnson holds the Legion of Honour Medal at Deer Lodge Centre Saturday.

They said dont come begging to get you out. And I didnt. I went through it until April 1946, when I was honourably discharged.

Johnson said even though he was barely 17, he wanted to join up because most of the rest of his friends, who were a bit older, had already signed up and shipped off.

I tried the PPCLI (Princess Patricias Canadian Light Infantry), and they turned me away, he said. So I went to the Queens Own Camerons, and I had no trouble at all.

Two years later, Johnson and his fellow troops were storming the beaches of Dieppe under heavy enemy fire Aug. 19, 1942, after a planned early-morning surprise attack became known.

It was supposed to be a secret raid, but it was a moonlit night, he said. We also were spotted by a German convoy, which came upon us and notified the shore.

We didnt get a great welcome.

Johnson said he was on the shore for nine hours before he was able to retreat with the surviving soldiers. About 3,300 of more than 6,000 troops were either killed, wounded or captured by the enemy.

We left with what was left of us, he said. An awful lot were either killed or wounded. I still remember that moon. It was so bright that night.

Two years later, Johnson was back battling the German army, this time as part of a unit fighting in Normandy as part of the D-Day operations. He was wounded in the leg and taken back to England to recover in hospital.

It took a long time to walk again, he said. I never saw action again.

After the war, Johnson got married, returned to Canada with his wife and had two sons.

We didnt get a great welcome John Johnson on the Dieppe Raid

Johnsons son, Robert, called the honour bestowed on his dad pretty amazing.

Its nice he is getting this recognition. For many years he never told me about the war  we heard nothing. But in recent years, he has been telling us some things.

Bruno Burnichonat, Winnipegs French consul, said the honour can only be bestowed on a veteran who is still alive and who served in the D-Day campaign. He said the French government received the names of veterans who served in France from Canadas Veterans Affairs Department.

It is a great honour to be able to give these veterans the highest distinction of France, he said. The people in France do talk about the Canadians constantly. It doesnt matter whether you are in Normandy or the south of France.

Johnson said while his parents were unhappy about him enlisting, they were, of course, pleased when he returned.

But my dog was even more pleased to see me, he said about the Pomeranian cross. He didnt recognize me with my pack on, but as soon as I took it off, the dog was all over me.

kevin.rollasan@freepress.mb.ca
DULUTH, Minn.  The scar on Zac Zimmermans left arm is still visible. Its a daily reminder of his suicide attempt, which led to a string of events that landed him in jail. He said he was paranoid and felt like hospital staff were out to get him.

Zimmerman tried to choke a nurse. The 22-year-old was charged with second- and third-degree assault in the 2013 incident. After two weeks in the psychiatric unit, he went to jail for three months.

He wasnt sentenced to three months; that was how long it took for the court process to play out.

My anxiety was to the point that I couldnt move my hand, had no feeling in it, he said. When I get nervous I chew my nails. I bit my fingernails all the way out. It was that bad.

Zimmerman is one of thousands of Minnesotans in jail who suffer from mental illness. While in jail, some stop taking their medication. Their stays behind bars may last for weeks, even months.

Public safety officials have complained for years that jails are de facto holding facilities for the mentally ill. Legislation in 2013 that aimed to reduce the length of time those inmates spend behind bars has made some progress, but hasnt solved the problem.

The so-called 48-hour rule requires that certain inmates committed to the state Department of Human Services receive treatment within two days of a judges order. Judges can issue commitment orders when patients appear to be a danger to themselves or others.

According to Minnesota Department of Human Services data, 25 percent of those subject to the 48-hour rule missed the window, which means they were in jail longer than the law allowed.

Issues with the mental health system have prompted the state legislative auditors office to look into how people with mental illness fare in the criminal justice system. The office plans to release a report Thursday at a Senate committee hearing.

The report is expected to detail whether jails provide mental health services consistent with state laws and whether the state provides adequate treatment in the community to reduce repeated offenses. It is expected to raise questions of whether the Department of Human Services has complied with the 48-hour rule.

Since July 2013, when the law took effect, through January of this year, DHS admitted 573 jail inmates to state-operated mental health treatment facilities. Of those, 323 were subject to the 48-hour rule. The state found beds for 243 of them, while 80 missed the window, according to DHS.

Hennepin County Sheriff Rich Stanek argues that jails arent medical facilities appropriate for treating mentally ill inmates. He said DHS officials need to secure funding to open up more beds for people with mental illness.

They know perfectly well that in some cases they are skirting the law, or just outright not complying, Stanek said.

DHS officials blame most failures to get people into treatment quickly enough on law enforcements slow transfer of inmates.

According to DHS, slow transfers by law enforcement were responsible for 61 inmates detention beyond the two-day limit. In 10 cases, the cause was a lack of available beds. The remaining nine cases were ascribed to staff errors or are still being reviewed.

Department of Human Services Commissioner Emily Johnson Piper declined an interview request for this story, but she sent a statement.

We all share deep respect for our states mental health professionals, law enforcement partners and other stakeholders, Piper said. And we are hopeful there will be broad support for the significant investments needed for our Direct Care and Treatment facilities and programs.

While sheriffs and county attorneys say mentally ill patients languish in jail longer than they should, staff at the Anoka-Metro Regional Treatment Center say their facility has been flooded with violent patients coming from jail since the 48-hour rule became law.

In April, the state began to decrease the capacity at the states second-largest psychiatric hospital from 110 to 95 beds because of staffing and patient safety issues.

The hospital is at capacity. But the legislative auditor found 30 to 40 percent of the patients there no longer needed that hospital level of care. For reasons that were not made clear, they need to be detained in a secure facility.

People have different problems at different times and need to be treated specific to what they need at that point in their lives, Legislative Auditor Jim Nobles said. And that is particularly challenging.

Even with the 48-hour rule, state law doesnt limit the length of time mentally ill inmates stay in jail after theyre booked and before a commitment order is issued. The 48-hour rule kicks in after a judge issues a commitment order.

It takes time to get inmates evaluated and diagnosed with a mental illness.

Thats not going to happen in 48 hours, said St. Louis County Judge Sally Tarnowski.

Hennepin County District Judge Jay Quam estimated that half of those who get evaluated and are found incompetent dont fit the commitment order criteria, and therefore arent subject to the 48-hour rule.

Theyre so mentally ill that theyre not able to be handled in the criminal justice system, theyre incompetent, he said. But because there is a different standard for commitment they may not satisfy that and they end up just being sent out in the street to begin the process again.

The legislative auditors report will focus on people with mental illness who are taken into custody by law enforcement. Its expected to look at existing community-based facilities and address whether theyre fit to serve that population.

Zimmerman, the 22-year-old who attacked a hospital nurse, wasnt subject to the 48-hour rule. He accepted a plea deal that called for three months in a mental health treatment facility, five years probation and participation in a mental health court that helps him navigate the system.

Hed like to travel again. Before his suicide attempt, he would jump on trains, hitchhike and sleep in farm fields.

There is a right way to do it and a wrong way to do it, Zimmerman said. I know what happens or what can happen if I stop taking medication. I just feel that it keeps me stable.
Is there something wrong with humanity?

There sure seems to be. Just read the headlines of any newspaper; listen to the news; watch just about any TV program.

You will see displayed a plethora of wrong-doings committed by all ages of people. In the wake of these, there are left a tide of victims who suffer innocently. Our compassion goes out to them while our anger goes out to perpetrators of wrong. How are we to understand this? How are we to remedy this?

During this season of Lent (seven weeks before Easter), the Christian community is focused once again on its understanding of all this and the remedy that is believed to be provided by none other than God. First-century Christian missionary Paul writes in one of his letters: All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). He identifies the root cause of the worlds problems as residing in the individual  a sinner who willfully rebels against the will of God. This fault creates a fault between heaven and earth that can only be overcome by Gods initiative to create a bridge, if you will, with the wood of a cross on which Jesus died for the sins of the world. This is the remedy from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself (2 Corinthians 5:18). Faithbelieftrust in this narrative (in God through Christ) provides salvation for the soul and peace of mind and heart.

Islam, coming six centuries later, tweaks this a bit. Still, the individual is responsible for the choices that are made in life. But, there is no state of sin (original sin) that is a condition from which humanity must be freed. Each person is clearly responsible for his or her own response to the goodness of Allah. When one chooses wrongly (sins), then there is still the possibility of returning to Allah, who is oft-forgiving, most merciful (Surah 4:110), two of the most visible, recurring adjectival names of God in the Quran. In Islam, there is no need for a third-party savior who provides a substitutionary, sacrificial death to atone for humanitys sin and sins. Each individual carries his or her own cross and has immediate access to Allah, who will respond to each directly.

Different from these, Hinduism, perhaps the oldest extant religion in the world, origins going back 4,000 years, developed the concept of samsara, the transmigration of the soul, rebirthing into new life over and over again in an ongoing cycle of suffering, death and rebirth. The hope of sentient life within this natural cycle is the goal of moksha, unconditional liberation. The four ways (yogas) to this are through knowledge, love, work and discipline. Ultimately, the atman of ones self will find repose in the beyond that is within, Brahman itself.

Siddhartha Gautama, the Buddha (the awakened one), grew out of Hinduism to discover his remedy to the trials of life through meditation. Having been awakened to the illusions of this world (youth, health and life itself) and renouncing them, he achieved a second awakening, his goal of the supreme state of sublime peace. He experienced this while sitting under a large peepul tree, colloquially called a Bodhi tree. This was self-generated (like the four Hindu yogas are). He found peace through accepting the insight that the nature of existence is impermanence, insubstantiality and insatiability. By detaching himself from these, he was free to be and not be. The enlightened mind was the way to clean up ones act, as it were, for there is now no attachment to possessions of money or things, to transitory goals of fame or success, or even to any notion of an immortal soul  a self which has substance and survivability.

It is clear that throughout the history of religions there have been different understandings of and remedies for whats wrong with humanity. Obviously, for different people there have been different acceptable answers. Are some more right than others? Is only one correct and we all better get on board? Is there something fundamentally short-changed in all of them that begs greater humility and deeper probing? Are there common, ethical principles that can unite us for the sake of the common good regardless of the religious, philosophical, or metaphysical ground on which we stand?

At least for the last two questions, the answer is YES. For most of us, this will take our continued lifetimes to ferret out. This is a task worth pursuing not just during this current Christian season of reflection and repentance, but during all the seasons of our lives, regardless of our religious proclivities.

(Mark J. Molldrem is a writer, community volunteer, and daily host of Joy in the Morning on WBEV. He lives in Beaver Dam with his wife, Shirley. WordPowerSolutions@gmail.com)




















Hey everyone! Sorry for posting so late, but I don't have internet in my dorm, plus this Friday I had an exam and I was studying this week. I am really happy I decided to split up my Georgian trip, because I have footage to show you guys! So let's talk about my second day in Georgia. We decided to leave the city centre and just visit some touristic places nearby. We already knew about them before arriving, but we didn't know how we could possibly visit them. Luckily, the owner of our hostel was so friendly, he suggested us to grab a taxi and visit all of the places. At first, we were skeptical about it. What if the taxi driver leaves us in the middle of nowhere? How will he understand what we want? But we are young and wild and free, so we just went with the flow. Found a taxi driver who didn't speak any English, showed him our map with the places written on the corner and just left. We didn't give him the money, so he wouldn't leave us. He stayed with us from 9 o'clock in the morning til at least 4 in the afternoon. And we payed him 70 GEL (the 4 of us). Which is really cheap considering he spent his whole day with us. So if you ever want to visit Georgia, just take a day off and enjoy the countryside!

The first thing on our list was Jvari Monastery, a UNESCO World Heritage site. From there, you can see the beautiful town of Mtskheta, one of the oldest cities in Georgia, also a UNESCO World Heritage site. After looking around the monastery, we visited the city, where we made a new friend (a dog was following us), I bought a lovely rug and visited one of the most beautiful churches I've seen in a while. Our next and final destination was Uplistsikhe, the city in a cave. No picture or video can show the beauty of this place. It's a place everyone should visit once in their life. I hope I can visit it sometime with my family as well! We headed back to the city centre after our little escape. We were really tired, so we just found a nice place to eat and spent most of our afternoon there. By the time it got dark, we visited Funicular, where we could see the whole city from. It was breathtaking. Also, that day, we just popped into a travel agency office, and decided to visit Armenia the next day. Bur that will be another story, and another vlog for you guys!!








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Daniel Rensvold

By: Feng Qian

(Scroll down for video) A man of Wisconsin, was arrested after being caught molesting a dog.

44-year-old Daniel Rensvold of West Salem, faces charges of intentional mistreatment of an animal, trespassing and disorderly conduct.

According to the criminal complaint, Reinsvold broke into his coworkeras home and went down to the basement, where he molested the familyas dog.

The victimas 16-year-old daughter came home early and found the coworker in the basement, where he was straddling their dog named Cooper.

The complaint indicates that Reinsvold had his pants and underwear down and had his pelvic area pressed against the dog.

The girl called her father, and he called police. During questioning, Reinsvold told police that he was at the house to pick up something that he left behind while doing work for the family.

The dogas owner told police that Reinsvold had done some house work for them and he knew where they kept a spare key.

They also told police that on another occasion, Reinsvold went into their home without their knowledge to fix a television. At the point, they thought he was a good friend who wanted to surprise them.

However, they now suspect that he was after their dog. The dog was taken to a veterinarian for treatment.
A year ago, I was going to Jamaica for the first time, and soon after, I was sitting on the beach eating Jamaican Jerk Chicken with a cocktail nearby.

How I wish I could be back there now! It was my first time in the Caribbean, as it was for my husband. We were there because Id won an all-inclusive trip to Sunset at the Palms resort in Negril by entering a BevMo! Facebook contest. Yes, its true: people actually do win these contests!

I had planned to write this follow up post last year, after sharing Executive Chef Dwight Morris recipe for authentic Jerk Chicken, but time got away from me and before I knew it, I was off on my Culinary Tour of Europe.

I wanted to write another post because I learned some things which I wanted to share about traveling to Jamaica for the first time (some will apply to other islands in the Caribbean). Some I knew about, and others I didnt know until I got to Jamaica, however, all of them are truly great to know beforehand. Here is the list, in no particular order.

7 Great Things to Know Before

Traveling to Jamaica For the First Time

1 ~ CLUB MOBAY ~The first thing I want to tell you about is a service I never thought would be something Id use or enjoy, but am completely sold on, now. Upon our arrival at the airport in Montego Bay, we were met by a Club Mobay representative who whisked us past the long lines at immigration and customs. We were then taken to a VIP lounge for arrivals, and served a superb rum punch by friendly staff, and told to relax, freshen up and help ourselves to the sandwiches, finger foods and snacks! What a welcome, and the prices are truly reasonable (see the link below for more info.) The following is a detailed explanation of the Club Mobay (or Club Kingston) program:

With our VIP Arrival Meet and Greet Service you will be:

-Greeted upon disembarking the plane by a dedicated representative with a personalized paddle

-Escorted and expedited through immigration and customs

-Accompanied to our arrival VIP Lounge that provides amenities such as unlimited complimentary Wi-fi, snacks & beverages, private restrooms, newspapers and magazines all while you wait for your ground transportation.

2 ~ 3 RUM PUNCHES + 1 LONG TAXI RIDE = YIKES! If you do take my advice and sign up for Club Mobay, dont drink too many rum punches before the long, and sometimes bumpy (but beautiful) taxi ride to Negril (your bladder will not be happy!)

3 ~ USD ARE FINE ~You DO NOT NEED TO CHANGE US CURRENCY to visit Jamaica. I was worried about not having local currency a few days before our departure, until I spoke to someone who often travels to Jamaica. She informed me that American dollars are used at all the resorts and shops. Who knew?

4 ~ MOSQUITOES ~ Prepare yourself in advance for the mosquito problem in the evenings. I had read about the mosquitoes and had even purchased DEET wipes (which had such a noxious odor and almost made my husband and me pass out when we used them, despite them not even being effective!) The resorts spray each evening around dusk, but I would rather they didnt as it didnt seem to have any effect. We always planned to be at the beach when they sprayed the property. That said, the mosquito problem wasnt as bad as say, Michigan, but there are certain mosquito-borne illnesses which can be passed onto humans in the Caribbean. Wearing long sleeves and pants may be your best bet.

5 ~ DO TAKE A TOUR ~ I had no idea there were alligators and mangrove trees in Jamaica! We went to a beautiful waterfall and our guide made sure we were there in the morning before anyone else arrivedit was brilliant! Another of my favorite activities in Jamaica was snorkeling. If youve never done it, dont miss it! Ive snorkeled in Hawaii and Mexico, too, but each experience is different.

6 ~ RICKS CAFE IS JUST OKAY ~ We went with some friends we met at the resort, and honestly, its in a beautiful location, but is probably the biggest tourist trap Ive ever visited. Go if you feel you want to say youve been, but unless youre in your 20s, if you choose not to visit, you truly havent missed much.

P.S. If you dont like crowds, youre really better off skipping it.

7 ~ CLUB MOBAY VIP DEPARTURE LOUNGE ~ Yes, Im listing it twice because thats how strongly I feel about it! Heres the thing: my husband and I were thrilled with the service at arrivals, but you absolutely cannot miss the VIP lounge, food and drinks upon your departure (it is a different location from the arrivals.) If you have to choose between arrival or departure service, definitely go with the departure. Ill add a few photos below which will help you to understand why Im so smitten with Club Mobay!

You know me and food, and I couldnt believe how delicious all of it was, especially the pumpkin soup! I asked what sort of pumpkin was typical in Jamaica and chef brought one out to give to me! I had to decline as I knew it would have been taken away at customs, but he was very sweet to offer.

You may just want to get to the airport very early to take advantage of the Club Mobay VIP departure lounge. Theres nothing like having a relaxing time before boarding a flight, versus running to catch one that you might possibly miss! Unfortunately, Ive had too many of the latter experiences! This is what you want to look for when you go to the lounge.

Dont miss another recipe or travel post; sign up for my free subscription below.

(I promise not to sell or share your info, ever!)

I won this trip from BevMo! and the Jamaican Tourist Board and am under no obligations whatsoever to post about Club Mobay or make any disclosures. I am so pleased with the service I received that I have chosen to write about it and share with my readers. I know youll feel the same way and enjoy traveling to Jamaica for the first time!
Vehicle Destroyed in Early Morning Arson Attack

This article is old - Published: Sunday, Mar 13th, 2016

A car has been completely destroyed after it was set alight by arsonists in the early hours of this morning.

Earlier today several people contacted Wrexham.com regarding a vehicle fire in Brynteg which took place shortly after 5am.

North Wales Fire and Rescue Service have confirmed there were called to blaze on Victoria Road, Brynteg at 5:20am.

One vehicle was set alight, however the fire spread to a second vehicle parked nearby.

Two hose reel jets, a foam main jet and small tools were used to extinguish the blaze. One crew attended the blaze.

The first vehicle was destroyed in the blaze, with the second vehicle sustaining %5 fire damage.

A spokesperson for North Wales Fire and Rescue Service has confirmed that the cause of the fire is believed to be deliberate ignition.

*Top image sent to Wrexham.com by Liam
6 years, 7 months ago by QPD

Christopher Robinson (26) of 219 No. 10th Apt. B was arrested for no valid driver's license at 8th and College on 3/11/16. -

Jessica Robertson 25, 1103 Vermont for Driving while suspended and for FTA suspended, no valid registration and no insurance.

April Sprague 30, 1301 Maple for FTA no insurance.

Kellie Willing of Florence SC reports the theft of 4 20" Boss chrome rims and tires from her garage at 622 Vanburen on 2/27/16. -

Courtney Rohn of Mt. Sterling IL reports that her 2008 Pontiac G6 was hit and run at the intersection of Highway 172 and Broadway on 2/12/16. -

Travis Ruddick reports his residence at 1012 Maine Apt 2B was entered between 0900 and 2030 on 2-23-16 and electronics were stolen.

Kenneth Grawe of 628 Ohio reports the theft of numerous items from his residence on 2/12/16. -

Kenneth Miller of 1605 Chestnut reports the theft of a 16 foot utility trailer from 918 State on 2/24/16. 

Jason L. Mooneyham, (38) 1110 State St. Quincy for operating an uninsured vehicle.

Aaron G. Brandon (41) 4871 Laurier Dr, Mealville, MO for Expired registration. NTA

Jason S. Voepel (28) 1422 Elm, Quincy for operating an uninsured vehicle.

Abby J. Milks (22) 833 Shirlen Dr., Quincy for illegal transportation of alcohol. NTA

Stephanie M Seidelman 30, of Barry for McDonough County warrant for failure to comply with payment agreement. Cash bond .

Robert M. Wade Jr. (22) 1043 Hornsby, St. Louis MO for FTA - seatbelt, obstructing justice and driving while license revoked. Lodged

Derrick W. Morrison (28) 600 1/2 Elm, Quincy for possession of a controlled substance. Lodged

Kerry D.F. Talburt II (19) 1005 1/2 Jersey, Quincy for Unlawful possession with intent to deliver cannabis. Lodged (

Tayler J. Murry (26) 1119 S. 18th, Quincy for FTA- possession of drug paraphernalia. Lodged

Nykimmie J. Wortham (21) 104 S. 4th Apt. 234 for FTA - possession of drug paraphernalia. Lodged (
Find voter resources and full coverage of the Nov. 8 election at the YHR Election Center.
Plaintiff Stephanie McCleary, center, stands with her children Kelsey, 20, left, and Carter, 15, outside following a hearing before the state Supreme Court Wednesday, Sept. 3, 2014, in Olympia, Wash. The court ordered lawmakers to explain why they haven't followed its orders to fix the way Washington pays for public education. Lawmakers, the governor and others say the court needs to be patient and give the Legislature more time to fulfill the orders from the 2012 McCleary decision. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)
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They say that lone wolf attacks is not an intifada, it is a wave of terror attacks. Okay, whatever, let's call it a wave. There are two ways to deal with a wave at sea: either to raise you head above the wave or duck underneath. Those who choose the third way, to turn their backs to the wave  suffer one blow after another.

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The accumulation of the attacks on Tuesday - in Jaffa, Jerusalem and Petach Tikva - is the exception that proves the rule. It proves one thing - that the willingness of young Palestinians to carry out suicide missions has not subsided. For over five months, this willingness has been accompanying us in daily attacks in cities, at intersections in the West Bank, at the gates of the Old City of Jerusalem, and in the settlements. The IDF, Shin Bet and the police were able to foil terror attacks here and there, but have failed to neutralize the threat.

Terror attack in the Damascus Gate in Jerusalem. (Photo: Ohad Zwigenberg)

Decision-makers are secretly hoping that this threat will fade away on its own. That the Palestinian street grows weary of applauding suicides; that parents intervene; that the youth will catch on to another trend that is less deadly. More than five months have passed, and there is no sign that this hope will indeed come true. On the contrary, young people continue to take to the streets like clockwork, every day has its attacker, who are armed with a knife or an improvised rifle and a desire for revenge that cannot be quenched.

The terrorist Bashar Masalha from Qalqiliya who did the attack in Jaffa (Photo: AFP)

These aren't the suicide bombers who carried out bus bombings in the 90s and during the second intifada. That generation of terrorists lived under the illusion that Allah is waiting for them in paradise, surrounded by 72 virgins. Behind every suicide attack was a campaign of convincing led by a terror organization. The current generation of attackers, however, is disillusioned and aimless. The fight for control over the Temple Mount, which put a religious spin on the first few weeks of terror attacks, was pushed to the side. Despair - that is the motive, the urge, the explanation. Private despair - sometimes over strife in the family, national despair, generational despair - each manifesting itself separately and all together.

There is no justification for terrorism, no moral or practical justification. But if we wish to deal with this wave of terror attacks, stop it or mitigate it, we cant settle for oratory. It's important to understand that there is no magic military solution that would return the knives into the kitchen drawers. It's important to understand that draconian punishments for uninvolved people, such as Minister Katz's proposal du jour to expel relatives of terrorists to Gaza, will not prevent the next attack, they will only get Israel in trouble with the international justice system. The applauses at the Likud's central committee are not worth it.

We need to find ways to wear down the despair, to confuse it. Providing the Palestinians with a better livelihood is a good way: Palestinians who work will steer clear of terrorism like the plague. Cabinet ministers are fighting against any attempt to increase the number of work permits. This is folly. On the other hand, we need to do much more to reduce the number of illegal aliens, including imposing severe penalties on Jewish employers.

The Palestinian Authority's security services cooperate with Israel: it's in their best interest. But we have failed to create a similar interest in other PA institutions, primarily in the education system. Incitement at schools and in textbooks has an effect. One can try and curb it.

Palestinian incitement on social media

Unfortunately, we can't do much to prevent incitement on social networks or on TV channels: Israel has no influence on their operators and blocking them creates legal issues (the most influential channel in the territories is Hamas Al-Aqsa channel. It is broadcast from Gaza, but goes through Paris and from there via satellite. Israel cant touch it.)

In light of the continued terror attacks, the government entrenches itself behind its own righteousness, exhortations, self-pity, and victimhood. Had a centrist government been in power in Israel today, the right wing would have been rejoicing in its failure to stop the bloody attacks. It's not a reason to rejoice a right-wing government's failures. The government should take its head out of the sand, stop looking for someone to blame and start working. It is difficult, but not impossible.
Transportation Minister Yisrael Katz ordered the National Public Transport Authority to investigate the placing of flags identifying with an extremist Salafi movement on public buses in East Jerusalem.

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Katz called for the investigation after pictures of the flags were posted on Palestinian social media. The Transportation Ministry said Minister Katz has "taken necessary actions against those involved."

The flags belong to Hizb al-Tahrir, a radical Salafist movement, and one of its flags was found on a car the terrorists, who carried out an attack in Jerusalem last week.

Hizb al-Tahrir flags placed on East Jerusalem bus

Hizb al-Tahrir is active in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, calls for the return to the fundamentals of Islam, and does not recognize the Palestinian Authority. Most of its work entails preaching and social welfare without the use of violence.

Israel captured a cell of three Salafists militants from Yatta in 2013, who conspired to carry out attacks against Israelis.

Maor Tzemah, director of "Go, Jerusalem," an organization advocating for the full application of Israeli sovereignty over Jerusalem, said that there is no place for an extremist organization's symbols in public spaces. He added, "Displaying symbols of Islamist and Salafist organizations in Jerusalem public spaces constitutes incitement and support for terror."

Tzemah commented further, "It should not be possible for a company funded by the Israeli government for the benefit of local residents to display a terrorist flag of an extremist Islamic movement like 'Hizb Al-Tahrir,' which called for Arab armies to unite immediately to free Palestine from the 'Zionist occupation' in a flyer distributed in Toronto last year."

Bayit Yehudi MK Nissan Slomiansky issued a formal response to the affair, inquiring why bus fares in East Jerusalem are less than the rest of the city. According to Slomiansky, fares on East Jerusalem buses are NIS 5.5 for a single ride, while they are NIS 6.90 on West Jerusalem buses.

The Transportation Ministry said in response to Slomiansky's inquiry: "Bus fares are low in East Jerusalem, but they do not include transfer to other means of transportation including the light rail. The transportation rates in West Jerusalem are higher, but they do include a 90-minute option to transfer to other buses or the light rail."
Israeli Arab parties Balad and Hadash have once again caused outcry after condemning a decision by the Arab League to label Hezbollah a terrorist organization, following in the footsteps of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC).

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Balad and Hadash caused a storm of criticism within Israel by refusing to call Hezbollah a terrorist organization following the GCC's decision.

Raja Zaatreh, a member of the Hadash Political Bureau, said on Friday night that the Arab League is a pawn in the hands of the Gulf governments, who themselves serve the policy interests of the United States.

Hezbollah isnt a terrorist organization; its an opposition movement that succeeded in removing the Israeli occupation in Lebanon. Its an organization that fulfils the important task of fighting the terror of al-Qaeda in Syria, and fighting against Israel when it assists Jabhat al-Nusra in the Golan, Zaatreh continued.

Hassan Nasrallah in a Speech on al-Manar (Photo: AFP)

Hezbollahs role in Syria is contrary to Gulf and American wishes," Zaatreh said. The decision by the Arab League was designed to single Hezbollah out on the Lebanese and Arab stage, yet the majority of the Arab nations know that the Arab League only serves the imperialist interests of the United States, and not of the Arab nations.

A high-ranking official from Balad told Ynet that the party position on the subject will not change.

Despite our disagreements, we do not agree that Hezbollah is a terrorist organization, even if the Arab League describes it as such," he said.



Raja Agbaria of the village sons movement said Saturday evening that there is no difference between the GCC's decision and the Arab League's.

There are countries that just pay lip service and vote for these decisions in order to continue to receive funding from Saudi Arabia," he said. "Hezbollah is a political party and not a country  therefore, the decision is not worth the paper it's written on.

"Hezbollah is always popular," he continued. "If one were to do a survey in Palestine, amongst the so-called Arab citizens of Israel, they would see that Hezbollah and Nasrallah elicit a lot of sympathy. This reflects the feeling (towards the group) in the wider Arab world.

What are the possible sanctions against Hezbollah?

The Arab League's foreign ministers decided to list Hezbollah as a terrorist organization at a time when the Arab and Islamic world is divided and in conflict like never before - especially in light of the civil wars in Syria and Yemen - and the political turmoil left in the wake of the Arab Spring.

On one side of the conflict are the Sunni countries led by Saudi Arabia, and on the other side are the Shi'ite countries, led by Iran  which is the patron of the Allawite regime in Syria and the Shi'ite Hezbollah organization in Lebanon.

Arab League delegates meet in Cairo, (Photo: AFP)

The discussion of whether to recognize Hezbollah as a terrorist organization caused heated debate amongst the League members. The Saudi delegation stormed out in protest when Iraqi Foreign Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari defended Hezbollah and its leader Nasrallah during his speech, calling Nasrallah an Arab hero who defends values and principles, and claimed that Hezbollah and its Shi'ite militias in Iraq are a source of pride and honor among Arabs.

Nasrallah is an Arab hero according to al-Manar

Hezbollah has yet to officially respond to the Arab League classification, but earlier in the week Hassan Nasrallah lashed out at Saudi Arabia because it stopped its massive aid package to the Lebanese Armed Forces over Hezbollahs actions in Lebanon.

He repeated accusations that Saudi Arabia is responsible for several bombings in Lebanon, Syria, and Iraq over the past few years, and condemned Saudis massacres in Yemen.

The Arab League decision was accepted despite opposition by Lebanon and Iraq, and with reservation posed by Algeria. The rest of the Arab League delegations - 22 countries - supported the motion.

Arab League meeting in Cairo (Photo: AFP)

In doing this, the Arab League smoothed things over with the United States, which is the close ally of the Gulf Arab states, and who also views Hezbollah as a terror organization. The European Union, it should be noted, only recognizes the military wing of Hezbollah as a terrorist organization, as Hezbollah is also a political organization which does a lot of social work in Lebanon.

The Arab League's decision delivers a harsh blow to Hezbollah, and could exacerbate the divisions between the ethnic factions and groups in Lebanon. As with the GCCs decision last week, this decision highlights the high price Hezbollah is paying for its participation in the Syrian Civil War and its assistance to the Assad regime in repressing Sunni and Jihadist rebels.

Just five years ago, Hezbollah was seen by many in the Muslim world as a heroic resistance movement due to its fight against Israel. However, over the last several years, it has seen a steep drop in popularity due to its fight against Sunnis in the Middle East and its assistance to the Assad regime - a regime it is now fighting to keep from toppling.
Sephardi Chief Rabbi of Israel Yitzhak Yosef has called for religious Jews to distance their children from secular or merely traditionally Jewish family members, and even to prevent their children from meeting them.

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The chief rabbi's pronouncement is based on the fear that the nonreligious relatives will adversely affect the children spiritually. According to Yosef, observant Jewish children must not be exposed at all to a lifestyle that includes "profanity and television", lest they become "corrupted" and grow up to be "shebabnikim" (a slang word for youth on the fringes of ultra-Orthodox society).

In one of the chief rabbi's weekly Saturday night lessons held in Jerusalem, he said, "There are ba'alei tshuva (once-secular Jews who have become observant) with nonreligious families who take their small, 7-year-old, 8-year-old children to visit, and this influences the children.

Sephardi Chief Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef (Photo: Alex Kolomoisky)

Yosef further recounted a story: "When our teacher (his father) was elected chief rabbi, a man in military uniforman Air Force pilotknocked on his door. He had brought us flowers. I thought that he was the delivery man from the store. I wondered, 'What's this, a ranking delivery man?' I was about to close the door so that he would leave, as I had taken the flowers. He looked at me: 'Don't you recognize me?' I said, 'no.' (He said,) 'Cousin.' (I said,) 'Cousin? Okay, please, come in and see the rabbi.' We didn't recognize him."

Rabbi Refael "Rafi" Feuerstein, the cochairman of the rabbinical organization Tzohar, criticized the chief rabbi's approach and said, "The fruits of a disconnected and anxious education are that we treat the secular public with arrogance and contempt, which only keeps the values of tradition and Judaism further away and only increases polarization and hatred in people."

According to Feuerstein, "the connection to family and to the people is one of the fundamental values of Judaism. Therefore, educating children in Torah and piety passes through their ability to feel connected with their family, however they are, and to maintain their educational identity."

He added, "Judaism is not transmitted through disconnects and disagreements, and also not through fear and anxiety. Jewish education is focused on creating a spiritual backbone, which allows one to love secular family members and simultaneously preserve one's ideological and practical identity."
Thirty Palestinian civil society organizations will receive grants from the European Union in exchange for spreading electoral and democratic awareness among the Palestinian public.

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Strong political institutions are institutions empowered by the people and accountable to the people, EU's Palestinian Representative Ralph Tarraf said. This is why the democratic processes are important, leading to representative and accountable governments.

The EU encouraged the Palestinians a number of years ago to engage in free and fair democratic elections. However, they imposed a temporary halt of financial support to the Palestinian Authority after the Palestinians elected the Hamas terror group in the parliamentary elections of 2006.

The EU, along with the US renewed full support for the Palestinian Authority when Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas unilaterally removed Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh in 2007 and appointed Salam Fayyad instead.

Palestinian elections in 2006 (Photo: Yaron Brener)

EU Representative Tarraf remains hopeful despite prior disappointments with attempts to implement an accountable and authentic democratic process in the Palestinian Authority.

We want to ensure through this project that Palestinians are confident that their voices are important, that they will be heard, and that they can make a difference, explained Tarraf. We believe that it will contribute to preparing a generation of Palestinians who truly believe in the values of participation and democracy.

The chairman of the Palestinian Central Elections Commission, Dr. Hanna Nasir, believes that support for such civil society organizations is critical in creating a democratic environment.

This project aims to activate the role of civil society institutions in enhancing political participation among the Palestinian public and strengthening relations with them since they are one of the main partners of the commission, responded Dr. Nasir.

The project is to be implemented in two phases with each phase lasting approximately six months. The first phase is scheduled to start this month and the second is scheduled to begin in May.
Sephardi Chief Rabbi, Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef said Saturday night, during his weekly lesson, that it is a commandment to kill a terrorist who comes to carry out an attack with a knife.

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Rabbi Yosef added, "that there is nothing to fear - not from the IDF's chief of staff or the High Court. These words were directed at Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot's statement during a meeting with high school students last month that "he doesn't want a soldier to empty a magazine on a girl with scissors."

Chief Sephardic Rabbi Yizhak Yosef (Photo: Motti Kimchi)

Despite the harsh words of the chief rabbi, he also had reservations: "If he no longer has a knife, then you have to imprison him for life until the arrival of the messiah, who will tell us who the Amalekites (Biblical enemy of the people of Israel) are and then we will be able to kill them.

Last February, at a meeting with students in Bat Yam, Eisenkot was asked about the apparently soft rules of engagement in the West Bank, and he responded by saying that a "soldier receives a rifle or a rocket to take a human life, and the rules of engagement are derived from the task the force receives. We do not act according to slogans such as whoever comes to kill you, kill him first. A soldier can remove the safety and shoot if there is a danger to him or his comrades.

Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot (Photo: Motti Kimchi)

"The West Bank has thousands of troops operating amongst two million Palestinians and hundreds of thousands of Israeli citizens. We educate our soldiers to act according to the IDF's ethics and spirit, and it is much easier to work with Syria or Lebanon in this matter. If we were to act in an unethical manner in our rules of engagement, it would pose a threat to the IDF. There were 170 terrorist incidents in recent months, and more than 100 terrorists were killed in situations in which the troops had split-second decisions to make. I would not want a soldier to unload an entire clip into a girl who is holding scissors. Our troops are moral and we know how to preserve this quality."

The chief of staff's remarks sparked a political storm and received belated support from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu who stated that "it was futile argument. The chief of staff said the obvious. In any case the IDF and the security forces act as he said they do. What was said afterwards was a result of misunderstanding or for political gain."
With tensions at a new high between US President Barack Obama and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel's Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon flew on Saturday night for a working visit in the United States.

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There, Ya'alon is to meet with US Defense Secretary Ashton Carter, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and senior officials in the American defense establishment and administration.

During their meeting, Ya'alon and Carter are expected to discuss the latest developments in the Middle East, deepening security cooperation between the two countries, and ways to advance the talks on the scope of American aid to Israel.

Officials in the Israeli defense establishment are trying to reach an agreement for a significant budget increase against the background of the nuclear deal with Iran and recent developments in Syria and the Middle East in general.

Ya'alon and Defense Secretary Carter in Israel in July (Photo: AFP

Ya'alon will be the guest of honor at the annual fundraising gala of the Friends of the IDF in the US, where he will speak on behalf of the defense establishment. Joining him will be Lt. Col. Shai Siman Tov, commander of Golani's 12th Battalion, who was critically wounded during Operation Protective Edge and has since recovered. Siman Tov will give a speech at the fundraiser on behalf of wounded soldiers of the IDF.

Prior to his departure, Ya'alon said at a tribute ceremony for wounded Armored Corps soldiers, "We will not tolerate attempts to breach the peace in the south of Israel. This is why we have responded forcefully and with a firm hand against Hamas assets, and we are prepared to strike more forcefully if these attempts continue. Hamas is sovereign in the Gaza Strip; as far as we are concerned, it is responsible for everything that happens there."
Joint Arab List MK Ahmed Tibi expressed unusually harsh criticism of Israel in an op-ed he wrote on Friday for the Chilean online paper El Dinamo.

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Tibi is known for lashing out at Israel from the Knesset podium but this time he chose the Chilean media as a forum, and he went so far as making a comparison between the rule of ex-Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet, who murdered thousands of his own citizens, and the Israeli democracy.

In his op-ed, Tibi denounced the President of the Chilean chamber of deputies Marco Antonio Nunez who, during a visit to Israel, praised the Jewish state for being a democratic country. "For the honorable Mr. Nunez it does not matter that the same democracy is occupying the land of an entire population and systematically discriminates against non-Jews," wrote Tibi. "Consciously or unconsciously, he sent a message of support for the most extreme government in Israel's history."

MK Ahmed Tibi (Photo: AFP)

Tibi also decried Nunez's meeting with Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein, who in Tibi's words "lives in the settlement of Neve Daniel, on land that was stolen from Bethlehem, and who has recently encouraged a law designed to expel Arab MKs if a three-fourths majority (90 Knesset members) is reached. Is this the democracy Nunez is talking about?"

Tibi labled former foreign minister Avigdor Lieberman, who lives in Gush Etzion in the West Bank, an "illegal settler born in Moldavia."

Israel's ambassador to Chile, Rafi Eldad, reported to the Foreign Ministry that the article caused great damage to the Israel, whose standing in Chile is delicate as it is. "I hope it does not harm other visits, such as the planned visit of six members of the Chilean parliament planned for the end of next month."
PARIS - US Secretary of State John Kerry will be meeting with new French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault and Europe's top diplomats on Sunday to discuss major international issues including the Syria peace talks.

The British, German and Italian foreign ministers and the EU foreign policy chief were also joining the meeting in Paris.

The meeting comes ahead of UN-sponsored indirect peace talks on Syria, which are scheduled to start Monday in Geneva amid a two-week partial cease-fire that has mostly held.

Diplomats were to also discuss a possible initiative to restart the Palestinian-Israeli peace process, as France hopes to hosts an international conference on the issue in the coming months.

The chaotic situation in Libya, Yemen's civil war and the Ukraine peace process are also on the agenda in Paris.
Yisrael Kristal was born in 1903, lost his wife and children in the Holocaust, and successfully made a new family in Israeland on top of all that, he was recognized this week as the oldest man in the world.

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The 112-year-old resident of Haifa received with restraint the official notice from the Guinness Book of Records for winning the title.

"He's a man who knows what it means to be on top and what it means to barely exist," explained his daughter, Shulamit Kuperstoch. "For a man who lost his entire family in the Holocaust, his proportions are different."

Yisrael Kristal at home in Haifa (Photo: EPA)

Kristal was born in Poland, and when World War II broke out, he was married and a father to two children. His children died of illness in the Lodz ghetto, and his wife died in an Auschwitz death march. Kristal managed to survive the inferno thanks to his talent for preparing sweets, as the Nazis had him make them candies and chocolates.

After the war, he met Bat-Sheva, who had also lost her family in the Holocaust, and the two married, immigrating to Israel in 1950. They settled in Haifa, where they had three children, one of whom died in infancy. Today, Kristal has two children, nine grandchildren and many great-grandchildren.

When asked what the secret to his longevity is, the supercentenarian points to Heaven.

"My father is a religious man who observes the commandments and prays every morning," said his daughter. "In my opinion, what has kept him going all these years is optimism. When something bad happens, he always says, 'It could have been worse.'"

Kristal, who will celebrate his 113th birthday in September, was recognized as the oldest man in the world after a Japanese man of the same age died in the beginning of the year. For the past two months, his family was gathering the documentation to prove his age.

If he manages to reach 116, Kristal will enter the history books as the oldest man in history.
Former Israeli president Moshe Katsav has asked to be released for good behavior after having served two-thirds of his prison sentence, but the State Attorney is expected to raise an objection to the parole request.

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Katsav, who was convicted of two counts of rape, obstruction of justice, and other charges, was sentenced to seven years in prison. He started serving his time on December 7, 2011.

The Israel Prisons Service's (IPS) Parole Commission is expected to discuss Katsav's request at the end of this month.

The State Attorney's objection stems from the fact Katsav has never admitted culpability nor has he expressed remorse for his actions. Additionally, the former president did not undergo rehabilitative treatment for sex offenders in prison.

Former president Katsav going on furlough (Photo: Shahar Hai)

However, Katsav apparently meets other criteria for early release. Yedioth Ahronoth has learned that the IPS health center had determined that Katsav does not pose a danger to the public. Other factors in his favor are the fact he displayed good behavior in prison, his advanced age, and the fact he was publicly denounced and went from the highest position in the country to that of a sex offender behind bars.

Katsav's victims will be able to express their position on the issue in writing to the Parole Commission.

On Friday, Channel 10 reported that if the Parole Commission decides to reject Katsav's request for early release, Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked and President Reuven Rivlin are expected to support granting Katsav a pardon.

According to the Channel 10 report, Shaked said in private conversations that "there is no reason for the Parole Commission not to release former president Katsav, he meets the criteria."

However, both Shaked's office and the President's Residence issued statements denying that they are deliberating granting Katsav a pardon.

"President Reuven Rivlin did not express support to pardoning Moshe Katsav. The president will deliberate on the issue and formulate his opinion if and when he is required to do so," Rivlin's office said.

Shaked's office said that "the justice minister did not receive a request for pardon on behalf of Katsav, and does not deliberate pardon requests while a prisoner is about to come before the Parole Commission."

So far, all justice ministers have rejected pardon requests submitted by the Katsav family because the former president did not express remorse for his actions.
Starting from the upcoming August draft, female soldiers will no longer be trained for the infantry level of combat-readiness, Rifleman 07, the weekly magazine Bamahane revealed in its latest edition. Instead, the female soldiers and the male counterparts who serve alongside them in the affected mixed-gender units (Caracal, Lions of Jordan, and Cheetah) will only reach Rifleman 05.

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A female soldier in Caracal said on Thursday, "It doesn't damage me personally, but it's outrageous and irritating. Our training today is exactly like any regular combat soldier in the IDF. This isn't something that is impossible for woman, because women are already doing it. There are girls who wouldn't give any man the time of day. It's frustrating if this is really going to happen."

The proposed measure would bring to a shortening by half of the length of basic training, bringing it to only 15 weeks. Following a change in basic training and rifleman level, further changes are expected for the advanced training of soldiers in the mixed-gender brigades.

Female IDF soldiers (provided by the IDF archive; photo: Abir Sultan)

In 2015, the second mixed-gender battalion, Lions of Jordan, was established, responsible for maintaining ongoing security in the Jordan Valley. The third mixed-gender battalion is Cheetah ("Bardelas" in Hebrew), whose soldiers defend the border with Jordan in the Arava.

In these three battalions, the entire military service, from induction to training to discharge, is co-ed (with the exception of the barracks).

IDF sources explain that the reason for the change lies in the fact that a substantial part of training does not correlate with the operational activities of the mixed-gender battalions. Thus, while the purpose of the battalions is to defend the borders, the soldiers are trained in maneuvers behind enemy lines, training that they are not required to implement in practice.

IDF soldiers in Gaza (Photo: Gadil Kabalo, Yedioth Aharonoth)

According to the sources, organizational considerations lie behind the dramatic step. Foremost among them is removing the battalions from the infantry and turning them into a border-defense system currently being set up. An additional consideration is the shortening of service from three years to 32 months. Furthermore, this coming November, a new, fourth mixed-gender battalion is expected to be created.

According to the recently revealed information, it seems that a preponderance of the female soldiers in the IDFabout 23 percent serves in the infantry units. Following in percentage is Home Front Command with 17 percent, the Border Police with 16 percent, the air defense and military police with 14 percent each, eight percent in the Combat Intelligence Collection Corps and three percent in the Navy.

According to sources in the Israeli Ground Forces, it seems that candidates' motivation for induction into the mixed-gender battalions for their defense service is high and that in recent drafts, demand was greater than the spots available, including the desire to serve in the newest battalions.
MOSCOW - Russia has evidence that Turkish armed forces are on Syrian territory, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said in comments to Ren-TV, which were broadcast on Sunday and quoted by Russian news agencies.

Lavrov also called Turkey's actions on the Turkish-Syrian border "creeping expansion" and said Russia would insist the United Nations invites Kurds to peace talks on the Syrian conflict despite Turkey's opposition.

He added Russia was willing to coordinate its actions in Syria with the United States so that the city of Raqqa could be taken back.
Abidjan - At least 12 people including four Europeans were killed on Sunday when gunmen opened fire on beachgoers at a resort town of Grand-Bassam in Ivory Coast, witnesses said.

An American embassy delegation was in Grand-Bassam on Sunday but the U.S. Embassy in Abidjan said it is monitoring the situation in Grand-Bassam and it has no evidence that U.S. citizens were targeted nor confirmed reports of any U.S citizens harmed.

There are no reports of Israelis amongst the casualties, and all Israeli diplomatic personnel are confirmed safe.
Israel refused to allow the Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi to enter the Palestinian Territories after she expressed opposition to meeting with Israeli officials in Jerusalem. Marsudi was supposed to travel to Ramallah to dedicate an honorary Indonesian consulate.

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Indonesia had planned to dedicate the consulate to fulfill pledges to improve relations with Palestinian Authority and express support for the Palestinian struggle for independence. The Indonesian FMs spokesperson said that the minister was supposed to meet Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah. Israel also denied the entry of former Indonesian foreign minister Marty Natalegawa and ministers from Malaysia, Cuba, and Bangladesh.

FM Rento Marsudi, Photo: AFP

Indonesian President Joko Widodo focused heavily on the Palestinian issue in his 2014 presidential campaign and promised to open a diplomatic office in Ramallah to express support for Palestinian independence. Widodo also told a meeting of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation in Jakarta last week that he appointed a Palestinian, Maia Abu Shusha, to serve as Indonesias honorary representative to the Palestinian Authority.

He added that Abu Shusha will be responsible for strengthening economic, social, and cultural ties and encouraging tourism and business exchanges. He will also be tasked with aiding Indonesian tourists traveling in the Palestinian Territories.

Indonesia does not have official diplomatic ties with Israel, but the two states communicate quietly and maintain economic and tourism ties. Indonesia asked Israel through diplomatic channels to allow its foreign minister to visit Ramallah, but the Prime Ministers Office instructed authorities to bar her entry. Following the incident, Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad Al-Maliki announced his intention to go to Jordan for a meeting with his counterpart.

Israel and Indonesia have increased cooperation in terms of tourism in recent years. According to the Population, Immigration, and Border Authority, 300,000 Indonesian tourists arrived in Israel in 2013, while only 9,442 landed in Israel in 2009. Additionally, Former Economy Minister Naftali Benett participated in an international commerce conference on the Indonesian island of Bali.
Ankara - An explosion rocked the Turkish capital of Ankara on Sunday, killing and wounding an unknown number of people, a senior security official said.

Gunfire was also heard after explosion, while ambulances rushed to the area, officials said. Smoke could be seen rising above the area from a distance 2.5 km away, a Reuters witness said. The blast occurred near the central Guven Park, which adjoins a major transportation hub.

Meanwhile the US State Department is warning people to remain vigilant in light of information regarding a massive terrorist plot on Turkish government buildings in the Bahceliever area of Ankara.

All Israeli diplomatic staff in Ankara are safe and accounted for.
A 28-year-old Arab from Umm al-Fahm was killed while fighting for ISIS, his family was informed on Sunday. Khalil Saleh was evidently killed in Syria during an American bombing raid on ISIS targets.

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Saleh entered Syria through Turkey three years ago. The family lost all contact with their son, said a family friend. All they know is that he was killed and they have no further details. Its a shame when anyone thinks about joining such groups, as their end is known. Up to now, it was hard for me to understand who was behind brainwashing the young people and convincing them to join ISIS. This is a very serious thing.

Saleh in ISIS clothing

Seven Arab-Israelis have been killed fighting in Syria in the last few years  residents of Taybeh, Iksal, Nazareth, Hura, and Umm al-Fahm. So far, 50 Israeli-Arabs are known to have participated or continue to participate in the battles.

Khalil Saleh

In Nazareth, also on Sunday, Mahmoud Faiz Sadi was accused of transferring $1,500 to his brother Mustafa, who is fighting alongside ISIS in Syria.

According to the indictment filed against Sadi, the accused sent $500 on three occasions to his brother, who left for Syria in June 2014.
At least 34 people were killed and 75 injured in what appeared to be a suicide car bombing in the Turkish capital Ankara on Sunday.

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NTV television said the bomb exploded close to bus stops near a park at Ankara's main square, Kizilay. The news channel said the explosion occurred as a car slammed into a bus, suggesting that the blast may have been caused by a car bomb. Several vehicles caught fire, it said.

Terror in Turkey

Meanwhile, CNN is reporting that Twitter and Facebook have been suspeneded by the Turkish courts.

Terror in Turkey

Destroyed bus in Turkey

The explosion came just three weeks after a suicide car bombing in the capital targeted buses carrying military personnel, killing 28 people. A Kurdish militant group which is an offshoot of the outlawed Kurdish rebel group, the Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK, claimed responsibility for that attack.

Several ambulances and police cars were sent to the scene of Sunday's explosion. Police sealed off the area and pushed onlookers and journalists back, warning there could be a second bomb.

Terror in Turkey

Ivory Coast Attacks

Meanwhile, 20 people - including 6 attackers - were killed in Grand-Bassam, a southeastern Ivory Coast beach town Sunday, in what is the third major attack on a tourism center in a West African country since November.

Three hotels were attacked in Grand-Bassam, which is a popular weekend destination for Ivorians and foreigners.

People ran from the beach amid the gunfire, as security forces responded and residents hid in their homes, a witness said.

An American embassy delegation was in Grand-Bassam on Sunday but the U.S. Embassy in Abidjan said it is monitoring the situation in Grand-Bassam and it has no evidence that U.S. citizens were targeted nor confirmed reports of any U.S citizens harmed.

Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, the North African branch of al-Qaida, claimed responsibility for the attack.

Meanwhile, French President Francois Hollande denounced the "cowardly attack."

"France will bring its logistical support and intelligence to Ivory Coast to find the attackers. It will pursue and intensify its cooperation with its partners in the fight against terrorism," Hollande said in a statement.

Attacks by extremists on hotels frequented by foreigners in two other West African countries, Mali in November and Burkina Faso in January, killed dozens of people and indicated that extremist attacks are spreading from North Africa.

The historic town of Grand-Bassam is a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday called on world powers to punish Iran after the country test-fired two ballistic missiles emblazoned with the phrase "Israel must be wiped out" in Hebrew.

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Netanyahu said he instructed Israel's Foreign Ministry to direct the demand to the United States, Russia, China, Britain, France and Germany  the countries that signed the deal lifting sanctions on Iran in exchange for Tehran curbing its nuclear program.

Iranian ballistic missile test this month

Iran's Revolutionary Guard test-launched the ballistic missiles last week, the latest in a series of recent tests aimed at demonstrating Iran's intentions to push ahead with its missile program after scaling back its nuclear program under the deal reached last year.

Following last week's missile launches, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called on Iran to "act with moderation," and the UN ambassador to the United Nations said the launches were "provocative and destabilizing."

Iran's Foreign Ministry said the missile tests do not violate Iran's nuclear deal with world powers or UN Security Council resolutions. A Security Council resolution last year removing sanctions called on Iran not to undertake any activity related to ballistic missiles designed to deliver a nuclear weapon.

The Israeli leader said world powers had pledged to prevent Iran from such violations. Speaking ahead of his weekly Cabinet meeting, Netanyahu said his demand for punitive action against Iran was "important as a test of the major powers' determination to enforce the nuclear agreement with Iran and, of course, we expect their answers."

France's foreign minister later raised the possibility of European sanctions against Iran over the missile tests.

Jean-Marc Ayrault said that "if necessary, sanctions will be taken." He spoke during a news conference after a meeting in Paris with US Secretary of State John Kerry and several European counterparts.

Kerry said the Iranian missile launches are a violation of UN resolutions and "could invite additional sanctions as we put them in place ... as a result of the prior tests."

Also Sunday, France's foreign minister said that the European Union could impose sanctions on Iran over its recent ballistic missile tests.

The United States, France and other countries have already said that, if the missiles are confirmed as nuclear-capable, the tests, conducted

last week by Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps, would violate UN Security Council resolution 2231. Asked whether this could trigger sanctions from the European Union, French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault said: "We condemn ballistic missile tests and, if necessary, sanctions will be enacted." The tests are due to be discussed by EU foreign ministers at a meeting on Monday.
Foreign Minister Margot Wallstrom in Stockholm has agreed to publicly denounce the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement after a Saturday night meeting with Tzipi Livni. Wallstrom has previously made controversial statements against the Jewish state, including accusing Israel the extrajudicial executions.

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Livni emphasized to Wallstrom the importance of her publicly and clearly support Israel's need to defend itself, as well as her opposition to boycotts against Israel and the BDS movement  especially during the recent wave of terror.

At the end of the meeting, Wollstrom finally agrred to publicly support Israel's right to protect itself and oppose BDS. Wallstrom also supported the principle of a two-state solution and expressed hope that relations with Israel will return to what they once were.

Swedish Foreign Minister Margot Wallstrom (Photo: Gettyimages)

Livni was in Stockholm to give a speech for "Israel Day," an anti-BDS conference organized by the Jewish community in Sweden. In her speech and in meetings with members of Swedish parliament, Livni talked about ways to effectively solate the movement  with a sharp distinction between "the small organization which denies the legitimacy of Israel, and which hopes to flood it with refugees, and those who get swept up in the movements through a misunderstanding of their goals."

In addition, Livni set up a meeting with pro-Israel social media activists in Europe and gave them advice on public diplomacy.

Livni continued to Berlin on Sunday, where she gave a speech at a German government conference against anti-Semitism.
The Jewish population in Israel tends to think that the majority of the Arab population in Israel, and of course the extremists among them, automatically and unquestioningly support Hezbollah. On Thursday, however, Sheikh Kammal Hativ of the Northern Branch of the Islamic Movement expressed a different opinion.

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While speaking about the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) decision to label Hezbollah a terrorist group and about the group's its involvement in the Syrian Civil War, Katib said that "in the past we of course supported Hezbollah and its fight for Lebanon. We saw in it an organization that managed to take Israel off of its high horse. But when its positions became clear to us, especially following the 'Arab Spring,' we decided that Hezbollah is a criminal organization. It supports murderous organizations in Syria and Iraq, and participates with the Syrian regime in the slaughter of the Syrian people."

Members of the Joint List (Photo: Eli Mendelbloom)

Lest anyone think Katib has become a Zionist, he was quick to add that "Netanyahu is pleased with the decision of the GCC, but he commits crimes no less than Hezbollah. He is the last person who should talk about terror or terrorists."

Sheikh Kamal Katib

Sheikh Katib and the Northern Branch are not alone on this issue. Many people in the Arab sector have criticized the Balad and Hadash parties for their opposition to the labeling of Hezbollah in the last few days.

Meanwhile, the Knesset members themselves insist on lowering their profile, and refuse to touch on the subject in the Arabic media. However, there is fierce and stormy debate in the Arab sector about their actions.





Hezbollah fighters on the boder between Lebanon and Syria (Photo: AP)

Naal Zoabi, Principal of the Tamra Valley elementary school, and who is a social activist for the maintenance of joint and active citizenship, claims that the conduct of the Arab Knesset members on the subject is mere provocation for the sake of political survival.

"There are people whose only purpose is provocation," Zoabi said. "Inside, they know the truth, but in order to try and survive they try to star in the headlines. This is very dangerous. It's terrible that we are seeing people who support terror. I'm sorry to say that there are people who want to burn down the house so they can be warm."

Zoabi is of the opinion that parts of the current Arab leadership doesn't reward the people they represent. "They have nothing to offer," he said. "They don't bother to deal with our problems, like internal terrorism, internal violence, and educational problems. This behavior endangers the public. They are responsible for the negative stigma of Arabs in Israel. Their behavior is turning us into suspects. I'm embarrassed by their behavior."

Naal Zoabi

It's not clear how popular Zoabi's opinion is amongst the wider Israeli-Arab population. According to the last index compiled by Professor Sami Samuha of the Department of Sociology and Anthropology at the University of Haifa, in 2015, approximately 49.5 percent of Israeli Arabs strongly agreed that they would "stand up to Israel and attack it if necessary." In 2012, 53.7 percent of Israeli Arabs supported the strengthening of Hezbollah, and 52.9 percent supported Hamas in Gaza.

Doctor Tabat abu Ras, co-director of the Abraham Fund Initiative and lecturer at Ben Gurion University, explained, "without any connection to Israel, the Arab citizens of the country are part of the Arab and Islamic world, and they have these various opinions. Most of them see that Hezbollah is on the correct side regarding Syria.

"Gulf countries like Saudi Arabia," he continued, "which are sources of radicalism and conflict, and give support to fundamentalist organizations  these are countries that Netanyahu sees as moderate."

Can you imagine how support for Hezbollah is seen in the Jewish sector?

"Undoubtedly the declarations of the Balad and Hadash ministers hurt the relations between Jews and Arabs. We are Arab citizens and part of the Israeli community, and if we want to have influence here, we have to be more sensitive in our statements."

The steps taken by Saudi Arabia and the Gulf countries are another diplomatic-political battle on the margins of the Syrian Civil War. Raja Zaatreh, a member of the Hadash political bureau, claims that this is a chance for Riyadh to create facts on the ground during the ceasefire. Their goal, according to him, is to obtain recognition of Jabhat al-Nusra, the al-Qaida affiliate in Syria, as a legitimate player in the negotiations for after the war."

Rejah Zaatreh

"This is another one of the death throes in the era of Saudi domination of the region, especially in light of the developments in Syria, the removal of the sanctions on Iran, and the Saudi failure in Yemen," Zaatreh continued.

"Saudi Arabia is ideological creator of fundamentalist terror in the region. It gives this terror funding and sponsorship."

Zaatreh further claims that "it was expected that Netanyahu, who entered into a dangerous blood covenant with the most evil governments in the Gulf, wouldn't like Hadash's position. The government of Israel cooperates with Jabhat al-Nusra in the Golan."

Wasil Taha

Balad Chairperson and former Knesset member Wasil Taha added that the support of Hezbollah comes because of the "Israeli occupation," as he describes it, of parts of Lebanon and Syria.

"We have a principled stance," Taha said. "We are against the occupation. All of the international artists justify the struggle against those who suffer underneath occupation. All opposition to the occupation, in our opinion, is legitimate. Hezbollah is part of the Lebanese government. To describe the organization as a terrorist organization is to say that Lebanon and the Lebanese nation live under the control of terrorists."
A Palestinian primary school teacher who grew up in a refugee camp won a $1 million prize for teaching excellence on Sunday, beating out 8,000 other applicants from around the world.

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Hanan al-Hroub, who teaches in the West Bank city of al-Bireh just outside Ramallah, was awarded the second annual Global Teacher Prize during a ceremony in the city of Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

Palestinian primary school teacher Hanan al-Hroub speaks after she won the second annual Global Teacher Prize, in Dubai (Photo: AP)

Dubai ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum was on-hand to present the prize to al-Hroub, however her name was announced by Pope Francis in a video message after he talked about the importance of education and teachers, especially for children who grow up amid war.

"I feel amazing and I still can't believe that the Pope said my name," al-Hroub told The Associated Press. "For an Arab, Palestinian teacher to talk to the world today and to reach the highest peak in teaching could be an example for teachers around the world."

She said she will use the million-dollar prize money to create scholarships for students who want to go into teaching.

As al-Hroub accepted her award, Palestinians in the audience waved their country's flag and some chanted, fists pumping in the air, "With our souls, our blood, we sacrifice for you Palestine."

In her acceptance speech, she reiterated her mantra of "No to violence" and stressed the importance of dialogue.

"The Palestinian teacher can talk to the world now. Hand in hand we can affect change and provide a safe education to provide peace," she told the AP.

Al-Hroub was among 10 finalists flown to Dubai to attend the ceremony. The nine other finalists hail from Australia, Finland, India, Japan, Kenya, Pakistan, Britain and two from the United States. Al-Hroub had them stand on stage with her to roaring applause after her speech.

The Global Teacher Prize was established two years ago to recognize one exceptional teacher who has made an outstanding contribution to the profession, employs innovative classroom practices and encourages others to join the teaching profession.

Al-Hroub's official biography says she grew up in a Palestinian refugee camp in Bethlehem, where violence was a regular occurrence. Her biography says she went into teaching after her children witnessed a shooting on their way home from school. That experience pushed her to think more about traumatized children and how classrooms can help. She developed a book called "We Play and Learn" focusing on the importance of playing, trust, respect, honesty and literacy.

The inaugural prize last year went to Nancie Atwell, an English teacher from rural Maine.
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About ZVTS

Even with the Biden Administration adults in charge and Democrats in control on Congress (barely), there remains an increasingly crumbling global economy imperiling the world, rising nationalism and deadly racism across Europe and Asia, a seemingly endless war against terror, a federal government nobody trusts or believes in, global climate change putting us on the brink of destruction and a Village media that barely does its job on even the best day.



Needless to say there's a lot of Stupid out there when we need solutions . Dangerous levels of Stupid.



Into the fray, dear Reader. Tray tables, crash helmets, arms inside blog at all times.
LIVE-2 Inning |22-26

ENGLAND VS AFGHANISTAN

ENG 27/0 VS 112 AFG

England need 86 runs in 96 balls at 5.37 rpo
Raipur: Social activist Kunal Shukla on Sunday condemned the police and the forest department officials for shooting dead a bear, which mauled three people to death in Mahasamund district of Chhattisgarh yesterday.

He dubbed the act as 'cruel' and threatened to file a complaint unless administration takes firm action in this regard.

"We condemn the cruel act of Chhattisgarh police and forest police. If the administration doesn't take any action against it then we are going to register a complaint against it in forest department," Shukla said.

"They could have filed tranquilizers. There was no need of firing so many bullets on it. They used automatic guns and fired around 60-100 bullets on it. 10-15 police personnel kept firing at it," he added.

Shatrughan and Dhansingh, both residents of Navgaon village, had gone to the forest during the wee hours to collect Mahua, when they were attacked and eventually killed by a wild bear.

Later, when the forest officials reached the spot looking for the bear, it attacked them and deputy ranger of forests, D Sahil, was killed.

According to reports, when the villagers threw stones in the hope of scaring the animal away, it charged them, scaring them away.

Finally, a joint team of police and forest officials shot the animal dead.
New Delhi: Disciplinary action will be taken against teaching and non-teaching staff of Delhi University's Deen Dayal Upadhyay College if they post any official matter on social media, a resolution passed by college's governing body (GB) said, drawing criticism from some faculty.

The correspondence between authorities and teachers should not go in public domain as it not only lowers the prestige of the college but is also against the official procedures and rules, it said.

"It is advised the entire teaching and non-teaching fraternity to refrain completely from putting such comments in public domain and it will be seriously viewed as subversive of discipline," the resolution said.

The order has drawn sharp criticism from teachers of the Delhi government-funded college.

"This indicates the attitude of college towards transparency. Ironically, not only the communication college GB even has problems with Staff Association (basically teaching union of the college) notices to be placed on social media," a college professor said on condition of anonymity.

Echoing the concerns another professor asked, "Can the GB inform which official procedure and the rule is violated by bringing out the communications to public forum?".
Patna: The high level of arsenic in ground water is causing and spreading cancer on either side of the Ganga in Bihar, according to experts.

The most affected are the poorest of the poor. A.K. Ghosh, a Patna- based arsenic expert, said a large number of cases had been reported from the districts along the river.

"It's a matter of serious concern," Ghosh, professor at the department of environment and water management at AN College, Patna, told IANS. He has conducted several arsenic field surveys in the last ten years.

According to a 2014 study by Ghosh, 18 of the 38 districts of Bihar were affected by ground water arsenic. The worst affected districts were Bhojpur, Buxar, Vaishali, Bhagalpur and Samastipur.

Scientists at the Patna-based Mahavir Cancer Sansthan (MCS) said in their latest research study that arsenic had been found in tissues of patients suffering from cancer. The source of the offending chemical element was drinking water, they stated.

The scientists concluded that the probability of two types of cancer (skin and gall bladder) was due to ingestion of drinking water in which arsenic presence was more than 300 parts per billion (ppb).

Their research also said arsenic increases the possibility of DNA damage. The MCS study was based on 200 cancer patients from Bhojpur, Vaishali and Buxar.

The study headed by Dr Arun Kumar observed that arsenic might not be the single factor in causing cancer, but its effect gets multiplied when combined with other carcinogens.

According to an official report of the state health department, around 75,000 new cancer cases are detected annually in Bihar.

Of these, the highest number of cases are reported from districts affected by arsenic.

Ghosh said that several patients often moved out of Bihar for treatment, making it difficult to identify the exact number of cases in the state.

A cancer specialist, Dr A.J.K Singh said arsenic poisoning was one of the main factors for cancer of prostrate, liver and gall bladder in the state, adding that the poorest were hit hard by it.

Singh said the government should join hands with different organisations to get rid of arsenic from drinking water.

Water samples collected at random from 44,000 tubewells by officials in affected districts found that arsenic concentration was above the World Health Organisation's permissible limit of 10 parts per billion (ppb) in most of them. The India government's guidelines peg the permissible limit at 50 ppb.

The highest level of concentration was found in Bhojpur at 1861 ppb, followed by Buxar at 1230 ppb and Bhagalpur at 915 ppb. Even Patna district had a very high incidence of 760 ppb.

Last year, a state government report based on a survey of water samples collected from 19,961 tubewells in 398 villages, found that arsenic concentration was above 10 ppb in 310 villages and above 50 ppb in 235 villages.

Bihar's Minister for Public Health Department Krishnanandan Prasad Verma told the State Assembly last week that 13 districts in the Gangetic plain had more arsenic content than the permissible limit of 50 ppb.

Experts say a large number of hand pumps in Bihar need to be painted red -- warning against use -- and sealed.

Arsenic was also finding its way into agricultural products like rice, tomato, maize, wheat and spinach. Often, over-extraction of water through hand pumps worsened the situation by raising the concentration levels.

The source of arsenic, according to experts, was siltation from the Himalayas which gets deposited downstream through the Ganga. In its natural form of arsenopyrite (iron arsenic sulfide), it is insoluble in water.

Arsenic, an odourless and tasteless semi-metal element, occurs naturally in the environment and is sometimes deposited as a by-product of agriculture processing and industrial use.
Zee Media Bureau

New Delhi: According to a study conducted by AIIMS, over 13 percent schoolgoing children in India are afflicted with myopia or short-sightedness. To make it worse, the number has almost doubled since the last decade due to excessive use of electronic gadgets.

The study was conducted by the Rajendra Prasad Center for Opthalmic Sciences at AIIMS.

China, Singapore and Thailand are the other Asian countries battling with the same problem.

Atul Kumar, head of the RP center, the apex eye center of India told news agency IANS, Very less studies have been done in India on the eye related problems and the myopia one is one of them. We are also conducting a national survey to find out the other eye related problems among the children.
Dharamsala: Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama on Sunday returned to his official residence here after a month-long treatment at Mayo Clinic in US, a statement said.

Hundreds of Tibetan and non-Tibetan devotees offered warm welcome to the Dalai Lama with flowers and traditional Tibetan scarves.

On his arrival at the Gaggal airport, he was received by Tibetan prime minister-in-exile Lobsang Sangay, Tibetan parliament speaker Penpa Tsering and officials and representatives of the Tibetan administration, a statement by the Central Tibetan Administration said.

On completing his treatment at Mayo clinic, the Dalai Lama conducted a series of teachings and public talks, including a public teaching in Minnesota in the US.

The statement said the Dalai Lama`s upcoming schedule includes a public talk in Salt Lake City in the US on June 21.

The Dalai Lama has lived in India since fleeing his homeland Tibet in 1959. The Tibetan administration-in-exile is based here.


New Delhi: A Hyderabad Court has issued non-bailable warrants against Vijay Mallya and Chief Financial Officer of Kingfisher Airlines A Raghunath . In the warrants, issued on March 10, the 14th Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate GS Ramesh Kumar ordered police to produce them before the court on April 13 while issuing warrants.

Meanwhile, liquor baron Vijay Mallya, who is currently in the United Kingdom and is being sought out in India over charges of money laundering, asserted on Sunday that all the efforts by the media trying who were to hunt him down were useless as he was not going to speak to them in any case.

"I am being hunted down by media in UK. Sadly they did not look in the obvious place. I will not speak to media so don`t waste your efforts," Mallya tweeted.

Meanwhile, after writing to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking his intervention in safeguarding their interest, employees of Vijay Mallya`s now defunct Kingfisher Airlines are set to file a case in the Supreme Court in order to get their dues from the company.

The employees are in touch with senior lawyer MV Kini to put their case before the apex court and they have been assured by him that their case will be fought pro bono (for free), given their financial condition.

The government had earlier told the Supreme Court that Mallya had left India on March 2 following which the bench issued notice to him and sought his response within two weeks on pleas filed by a consortium of banks seeking direction for freezing his passport and his presence before the apex court.

In a series of tweets on Friday, Mallya said that he was not an absconder and was not fleeing from India adding that he firmly believes the law of the land.

"I am an international businessman. I travel to and from India frequently. I did not flee from India and neither am I an absconder. Rubbish. As an Indian MP I fully respect and will comply with the law of the land. Our judicial system is sound and respected. But no trial by media," Mallya said on twitter.

"News reports that I must declare my assets. Does that mean that Banks did not know my assets or look at my Parliamentary disclosures?" he asked.Mallya further said that `once a media witch hunt starts, it escalates into a raging fire where truth and facts are burnt to ashes`. (With inputs from agencies)
New Delhi: Amid ongoing row over the anti-national sloganeering at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), the Art of Living founder Sri Sri Ravi Shankar on Saturday said that "Jai Hind and Pakistan Zindabad" should go together for peace and development in the region.

Sri Sri's remarks came at the ongoing three-day World Culture Festival at the Yamuna floodplains soon after Pakistans Mufti Muhammad Saeed Khan finished his speech.

According to a report in the Hindu, the Art of Living founder said, Jai Hind and Pakistan Zindabad should go together. It will be should be a win-win situation for both sides. We should focus on winning and making the other also win."

Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Delhis Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia were among the prominent political figures who attended the event on Saturday.

"This is the biggest cultural event happened anywhere in the world ever... Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar has made us all proud as he has conveyed the message of Indian heritage and traditions to all over the world," Rajnath Singh said.

Sushma Swaraj said: "India is lucky as Sri Sri was born here."

"The dais of Sri Sri Ravi Shankar is a perfect stage of secularism. Spiritual leaders from all the faiths are here. Sri Sri can have such a spiritual conclave anywhere in the world," she said.

Chief Ministers of Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Maharashtra Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Raman Singh, and Devendra Fadnavis respectively also shared the dais with the spiritual guru.

On the second day, musical troupes and dance groups from several countries including Ghana, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, South Africa, and the Netherlands performed before a huge gathering at the huge seven-acre stage.

Indian folk and classical dances also enthralled the audience.

The entertainment was coupled with religious teachings from spiritual leaders.
New Delhi: The Kanyakumari to Kashmir run, being undertaken by Australian ultra-marathon legend Pat Farmer, aimed at raising funds for education of Indian girls and strengthening ties between the two countries, reached the national capital on Sunday.

Farmer, a former member of Australian Parliament, entered Delhi through Badarpur-Delhi border around 9:30 am where he was welcomed by Delhi Tourism Minister Kapil Mishra, Keshav Chandra, Secretary Delhi Tourism and Chairman of Delhi Tourism and Transportation Development Corporation (DTTDC) along with students from Delhi Institute of Hotel Management and Catering Technology (DIHM) and Amity University.

"The 'Spirit of India Run' will not only help to project Delhi as a tourist destination in Australia but it will brand Delhi globally. We are very fortunate to have Mr Pat in Delhi," Delhi Tourism Minister said in a statement.

The statement issued by Delhi Tourism, said the 'Spirit of India Run' is aimed at cementing relations between India and Australia, encourage tourism and personal relationships with a view to creating awareness of India as a 'Must Experience' destination for travellers from Australia and support causes and charity which in the current endeavour is to raise funds for education of girl child.

The run flagged off in Kanyakumari on January 26 on the occasion of India's Republic Day and Australia Day and will end in Srinagar on March 30. Farmer has so far covered more than 3,000 km.

The 'Spirit of India Run' is being supported by India Tourism, Delhi and the Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India along with state governments of Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, Goa, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Haryana, Punjab, Jammu and Kashmir and Union Territory of Chandigarh.
Delhi: Syria's Grand Mufti Dr Ahmad Badreddin Hassoun has said the ISIS or Daesh, were killing people for money at the behest of Saudi Arabia and Turkey.

He also said that Syria was being targeted as it was "much like the Indian republic"

He pointed out that Syria was the only country in the Arab region which had 25 different sects and called it the first secular country in the Middle East.

Hassoun said in an interview with India Today,"We are fighting against 100 different countries. I would like you to know where the Daesh is. It is in Torabora and Pakistan. They have trained them and were supporting them and gave them all facilities. And they have set them free."

"They are manufactured by the USA in Afghanistan and the Taliban is one part of them. There is the Saudi school of thinking, which is spreading throughout the world in the name of Islam, which is the main power that directs them where to go and how to move," he added.

"Syria always refused to be with one side engaged with the other. The PM of Turkey has visited Syria five times just to convince Syrian leadership to allow parties to be based on religious thinking to exist in Syria, but our leadership has always refused this. The prince of Qatar came and he told us 'You have to find the way, you have to go to the American interests; you have to do the American interests'. We have always refused. We were always with Jawaharlal Nehru's way and that of Indira Gandhi, to be with the non-aligned movement; to make peace in the Middle East region as India is doing now," the Grand Mufti further said.

At the same time, hailing Indians, Hassoun said, "I came to India to tell the Indian people that you are a wonderful people. The Indian people in Europe, in USA are proving themselves to be a very intellectual and intelligent people. Don't let the West misuse India to make it a poorer country. Take care of your own country."

Hassoun's son was among those killed by the ISIS.
Bhopal: A 24-year-old man was buried alive by cement after construction workers mistakenly poured it over him while he slept.

While Jai Ram was sleeping inside a duct at the Pench River Dam Project, workers accidentally poured cement over him in order to fill up the duct, without realising there may be someone inside.

They then flattened the concrete using a steam roller to level the gravel.

The incident took place at 4 am on Thursday, the mirror.co.uk reported.

The workers later noticed a hand sticking out of the gravel and dug up the cement to recover the body.

Ram's family had raised the alarm when he went missing.

The workers are now on the run from police.

The were booked on charges of culpable homicide not amounting to murder.

"We are investigating the matter and the search is on to find the accused.

"It has been confirmed that Jai Ram was sleeping and this is a case of utter negligence. The person in the driving seat of the roller will be the prime accused in this case, the report quoted SP Girijia Kishore Pathak as saying.

He said that the police have recorded the statements of people present in the area at the time of the incident.
Accra: At least 12 people, including some foreign nationals, have been reported dead after an armed group attacked a popular restaurant on a beach close to the L`Etoile Sud Hotel at Grand Bassam resort outside the Ivorian capital Abidjan.

The Indian embassy in Abidjan could not confirm whether any Indian national was in the area where the attack took place.

There were, however, conflicting reports on the terror attack. A local resident, Etienne Konan, told IANS on phone that between two and 15 armed individuals attacked a popular restaurant on a beach at Grand Bassam which is popular with Westerners and Lebanese.

Konan said some of the media reports claimed that over 50 people were killed in the attack but the official casualty figure is still not out.

According to some reports, the situation has been brought under control after state security forces arrived at the scene.

"It is a worrying situation making the West African region a very dangerous place. It started in Mali where a hotel was attacked on November 20 last year. Then another attack took place at a hotel in Burkina Faso on January 15," Konan said.

French security sources earlier this year had warned the authorities in Ivory Coast and Senegal of possible terror attacks in public areas.

Soon after Sunday`s attack, the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office issued a travel alert to its citizens.

"On 13 March, there have been reports of an armed attack at Grand Bassam resort near Abidjan. You should avoid the area if possible. If you are in the vicinity follow the instructions of the security authorities," it said.

"There is a high threat from terrorism. Attacks could be indiscriminate, including in places visited by foreigners," it added.

"As seen in Mali and Burkina Faso, terrorist groups continue to mount attacks on hotels frequented by foreigners. Be especially vigilant in these locations and avoid crowded places," the advisory said.
Ankara:A suicide car bomb ripped through a busy square in central Ankara Sunday, killing at least 34 people and wounding 125, Turkey`s health minister Mehmet Muezzinoglu said, the latest in a spate of deadly attacks to hit Turkey.

The blast in Kizilay square is the second major attack in the heart of the Turkish capital in less than a month, after a suicide car bombing on February 17 targeting the military that killed 29 people, claimed by a dissident faction of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers` Party (PKK).

The fact that militants were able to strike again so soon in an area close to the prime minister`s office, parliament building and foreign embassies will raise fresh questions about Turkey`s ability to manage the twin security threat posed by the Islamic State group (IS) and Kurdish rebels.

Ambulances ferried the wounded from the square, a bustling commercial area and local transport hub, to 10 different city hospitals.

The bomber struck at around 6:45 pm (1645 GMT) and the force of the explosion -- which the CNN-Turk news channel said killed 23 people instantly -- reduced several vehicles to charred husks and damaged nearby shops.

The provincial governor`s office said the death toll stood at 34, with 125 wounded.

"The blast was caused by a vehicle packed with explosives close to Kizilay square," an official statement said.

A security official told AFP that initial findings showed the blast was a suicide attack.

Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu chaired an emergency meeting of security chiefs in the wake of the blast, Dogan news agency reported.Turkey has been on high alert following a string of deadly attacks since the middle of last year, most of them blamed on the IS group, including a double suicide bombing in Ankara in October that left 103 people dead.

As recently as Friday, the US embassy issued a warning about a possible plot to attack part of central Ankara, advising American citizens they should avoid the area.

Sunday`s blast comes at a delicate moment for Turkey, as it seeks to persuade the European Union to speed up its path to membership of the bloc in return for help with the migrant crisis.

The Kurdistan Freedom Falcons (TAK), linked to the PKK, said it carried out the February bombing in Ankara as revenge for operations by the Turkish military in the southeast of the country and warned foreign tourists not to visit.

A two-year ceasefire between the government and Kurdish rebels collapsed in the middle of last year and since December security forces have been waging a major campaign against the PKK in the southeast of the country.

Strict 24-hour curfews were imposed in a number of Kurdish-dominated towns and cities to allow the military and police to pursue the battle against fighters who had dug trenches and put up barricades.

Sunday`s attack came hours before curfews were due to take effect in two more towns in the southeast as a prelude to fresh military operations.

Authorities said restrictions would be slapped on Yuksekova, near the Iranian border, and Nusaybin, on the frontier with Syria, to "restore order and security" following an increase in "terrorist activity".

Ankara has vowed to wipe out the PKK, classed as a terrorist organisation by Turkey and its Western allies, and has said "clean-up" operations in Yuksekova, Nusaybin and Sirnak, a third Kurdish city, are imminent.
Washington: A protester tried to storm the stage while Donald Trump was speaking at a rally in the US state of Ohio but the Republican presidential front-runner brushed aside the latest incident of chaos at his events saying the man was "probably" an ISIS supporter.

The incident that took place yesterday in Dayton city of Ohio came a day after Trump cancelled his campaign rally in Chicago citing security concerns after hundreds of people gathered at the arena to protest against his "politics of hatred" and scuffled with his supporters in the largest-ever demonstration against the real estate tycoon.

"He (the protestor) should be in jail. This guy is probably an Islamic State (ISIS) supporter. They (the court) let him go. Our court has to get tougher and smarter," Trump told his supporters in the Kansas City of Missouri last night.

Trump was referring to the incident in the morning when an individual tried to jump on to the stage and probably rush towards him to harm, before a battery of secret service agents got hold of him and cordoned off Trump.

A few minutes later the Republican presidential front-runner continued with his speech. Protestors have been following Trump's rallies like a shadow, which is unprecedented in the American political election campaigns history.

Yesterday at Kansas -- his last of the three rallies of the day where the protests continued -- he warned that he would start charging the protestors.

"These people should be in jail. Then their lives is going to be ruined," he said.

"Arrest her," Trump asked the police when a woman started protested against him in the middle of his speech in Kansas.

The billionaire said the protestors in Dayton who tried to harm him was either a ISIS supporter or was part of it.

Referring to the information available on the internet, searched by his team, Trump alleged that there are enough evidence in this regard like burning American flags.

The protestor who was produced before a local court was let off.

Trump opposed the protester being let off and claimed that such a dangerous person should be in jail.

"He is not in love of the country," Trump said.

While reiterating that he would follow the law, Trump, at a rally, said that he is in favour of water boarding.

"It works," he said.

"I am a non-violent person," Trump said as he explained to the cheering crowd as to why he was for strong stand against terrorist groups.

A significantly large part of his Kansas meeting was devoted on the protestors, as one after another a series of people popped up chanting slogans against him.
Washington: A protester tried to storm the stage while Donald Trump was speaking at a rally in the US state of Ohio but the Republican presidential front-runner brushed aside the latest incident of chaos at his events saying the man was "probably" an ISIS supporter.

The incident that took place yesterday in Dayton city of Ohio came a day after Trump cancelled his campaign rally in Chicago citing security concerns after hundreds of people gathered at the arena to protest against his "politics of hatred" and scuffled with his supporters in the largest-ever demonstration against the real estate tycoon.

"He (the protester) should be in jail. This guy is probably an Islamic State (ISIS) supporter. They (the court) let him go. Our court has to get tougher and smarter," Trump told his supporters in the Kansas City of Missouri last night.

Trump was referring to the incident in the morning when an individual tried to jump on to the stage and probably rush towards him to harm, before a battery of secret service agents got hold of him and cordoned off Trump.

A few minutes later the 69-year-old Republican presidential front-runner continued with his speech. Protesters have been following Trump's rallies like a shadow, which is unprecedented in the American political election campaign history.

Authorities in Ohio identified the man arrested and charged him with rushing to the stage. Montgomery County Sheriff Phil Plummer was quoted as saying that Thomas Dimassimo of Fairborn, Ohio, has been charged with inducing panic and disorderly conduct.

Yesterday at Kansas -- his last of the three rallies of the day where the protests continued -- he warned that he would start charging the protesters.

"These people should be in jail. Then their lives is going to be ruined," he said.

"Arrest her," Trump asked the police when a woman started protesting against him in the middle of his speech in Kansas.

The billionaire said the protester in Dayton who tried to harm him was either an ISIS supporter or was part of it.

Referring to the information available on the internet, searched by his team, Trump alleged that there are enough evidence in this regard like burning American flags.

The protester who was produced before a local court was let off.

Trump opposed the protester being let off and claimed that such a dangerous person should be in jail.

"He is not in love with the country," Trump said.

While reiterating that he would follow the law, Trump, at a rally, said that he is in favour of water boarding.

"It works," he said.

"I am a non-violent person," Trump said as he explained to the cheering crowd as to why he was for strong stand against terror groups.

A significantly large part of his Kansas meeting was devoted on the protesters, as one after another a series of people popped up chanting slogans against him.
Ankara:A suicide car bomb ripped through a busy square in central Ankara Sunday, killing at least 34 people and wounding 125, Turkey`s health minister Mehmet Muezzinoglu said, the latest in a spate of deadly attacks to hit Turkey.

The blast in Kizilay square is the second major attack in the heart of the Turkish capital in less than a month, after a suicide car bombing on February 17 targeting the military that killed 29 people, claimed by a dissident faction of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers` Party (PKK).

The fact that militants were able to strike again so soon in an area close to the prime minister`s office, parliament building and foreign embassies will raise fresh questions about Turkey`s ability to manage the twin security threat posed by the Islamic State group (IS) and Kurdish rebels.

Ambulances ferried the wounded from the square, a bustling commercial area and local transport hub, to 10 different city hospitals.

The bomber struck at around 6:45 pm (1645 GMT) and the force of the explosion -- which the CNN-Turk news channel said killed 23 people instantly -- reduced several vehicles to charred husks and damaged nearby shops.

The provincial governor`s office said the death toll stood at 34, with 125 wounded.

"The blast was caused by a vehicle packed with explosives close to Kizilay square," an official statement said.

A security official told AFP that initial findings showed the blast was a suicide attack.

Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu chaired an emergency meeting of security chiefs in the wake of the blast, Dogan news agency reported.Turkey has been on high alert following a string of deadly attacks since the middle of last year, most of them blamed on the IS group, including a double suicide bombing in Ankara in October that left 103 people dead.

As recently as Friday, the US embassy issued a warning about a possible plot to attack part of central Ankara, advising American citizens they should avoid the area.

Sunday`s blast comes at a delicate moment for Turkey, as it seeks to persuade the European Union to speed up its path to membership of the bloc in return for help with the migrant crisis.

The Kurdistan Freedom Falcons (TAK), linked to the PKK, said it carried out the February bombing in Ankara as revenge for operations by the Turkish military in the southeast of the country and warned foreign tourists not to visit.

A two-year ceasefire between the government and Kurdish rebels collapsed in the middle of last year and since December security forces have been waging a major campaign against the PKK in the southeast of the country.

Strict 24-hour curfews were imposed in a number of Kurdish-dominated towns and cities to allow the military and police to pursue the battle against fighters who had dug trenches and put up barricades.

Sunday`s attack came hours before curfews were due to take effect in two more towns in the southeast as a prelude to fresh military operations.

Authorities said restrictions would be slapped on Yuksekova, near the Iranian border, and Nusaybin, on the frontier with Syria, to "restore order and security" following an increase in "terrorist activity".

Ankara has vowed to wipe out the PKK, classed as a terrorist organisation by Turkey and its Western allies, and has said "clean-up" operations in Yuksekova, Nusaybin and Sirnak, a third Kurdish city, are imminent.




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.
By Hamid Ould Ahmed ALGIERS (Reuters) - Algeria is in talks with China to exploit one of the North African country's largest mining deposits as the OPEC member tries to diversify its economy away from oil and gas, an industry and mines ministry official said on Thursday. Negotiations started last month in Algiers with officials from China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC) for a partnership in the Gara Djebilet iron deposit in the southwestern province of Tindouf, the official told Reuters. Algeria relies heavily on oil and gas to finance its budget and pay for a growing imports bill. The drop in global crude oil prices almost halved its energy earnings for 2015, forcing the government to cut spending and look to diversify its economy. The government has delayed the Gara Djebilet project several times, citing "technical difficulties". "This is the first time we talk with a foreign partner about the project," the official said. "Economic feasibility and technical studies were successful." Officials have estimated reserves in the Gara Djebilet deposit at around 2.5 billion tonnes of iron ore. Talks with China also includes the construction of a 950-km railway line linking Tindouf to the Bechar province to help transport extracted iron to steel plants. Steel imports cost Algeria around $10 billion a year due to growing domestic demand from a drive to modernise infrastructures and build thousands of subsidized housing units as part of the government's social spending. Algeria imports most of the goods it needs due to insufficient domestic production caused by a lack of investment in its non-energy industries, including mining. The industry and mines ministry official gave no details on how the Gara Djebilet project would be financed. Officials have said Algeria would turn to China to fund several projects including a $3.2 billion port, the first time it has sought external financing in more than a decade as it looks for alternative funding because of the oil price drop. (Reporting by Hamid Ould Ahmed; Editing by Mark Potter)
PARIS (Reuters) - European Parliament President Martin Schulz said on Saturday that neither Europe nor the United States was prepared for a Donald Trump presidency as the likely Republican candidate had no international experience and was a populist. "Trump belongs to these people that we also have here in Europe, who have a scapegoat for all issues but never have a concrete solution," Schulz told French television i-Tele. "Honestly, I prefer another candidate," he said, referring to Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton, a former U.S. Secretary of State. Schulz, a German Social Democrat, is president -- or speaker -- of the European Union's directly elected parliament, whose 751 members have the power to approve, amend or reject legislation affecting the whole 28-country bloc. Billionaire Trump has a significant lead in primary contests for the Republican nomination for November's election to the White House. He has drawn fervent support as well as harsh criticism for his calls to build a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border and to impose a temporary ban on Muslims entering the United States. A Trump rally scheduled for Friday night in Chicago was canceled after the event turned into a chaotic scene, with thousands of attendees split into opposing camps of his supporters and protesters inflamed by his candidacy. (Reporting by Dominique Vidalon; Editing by Catherine Evans)
By Joseph Nasr MAGDEBURG, Germany (Reuters) - Supporters of Germany's new anti-immigration party erupted into raucous celebrations in this eastern city on Sunday after the Alternative for Germany (AfD) surged into three state assemblies with scores that would have been unthinkable only a year ago. "What an amazing evening," Andre Poggenburg, the AfD leader in the eastern state of Saxony-Anhalt, said in a fiery speech in the state capital Magdeburg, calling the result "brilliant". "We fought like lions for your land," he said, dismissing Angela Merkel as "the worst chancellor in the history of Germany." Formed three years ago in opposition to euro zone bailouts, the AfD has morphed into an anti-immigration party over the past year, kicking out its founder and seizing on a record influx of migrants to lure new voters and steal disaffected members of Merkel's conservatives. On Sunday they had their best day ever, winning a shocking 24 percent of the vote in Saxony-Anhalt, to become the second-biggest party in the state parliament. The AfD also performed better than polls predicted in two other states, winning nearly 15 percent in the prosperous southern region of Baden-Wuerttemberg and over 12 percent in Rhineland Palatinate, a western wine-making state. Exit polls showed that the AfD drew most of their support from people who previously hadn't voted for a party, but they also drew thousands of voters from Merkel's conservatives, particularly in Baden-Wuerttemberg. While populist, anti-immigrant parties have thrived for years in other European countries, Germany has been an exception, in part because opposition to far-right ideologies runs deep because of the country's Nazi past. The refugee crisis has changed all that. More than a million migrants entered Germany last year, unsettling many Germans and turning the AfD into a force on the national stage almost overnight. "MERKEL MUST GO!" In Magdeburg, about 250 mainly middle-aged supporters whistled, clapped and cheered as results were projected onto a large screen. In Berlin, supporters chanted "Merkel must go!" "This is democracy. I am very, very happy," said Gerlach Holm, 67, who traveled to Magdeburg from Hamburg to celebrate with party friends. He wore a shirt that read: "My heart beats for Germany" The AfD narrowly missed the five percent hurdle needed to enter the federal parliament in 2013 but is now represented in the state assemblies of half of Germany's 16 states. Since outmaneuvering party founder Bernd Lucke last year to seize control of the AfD, 40-year-old chemist Frauke Petry has refocused the party on immigration, delivering fiery speeches attacking Merkel and causing an uproar by saying German police should be given a green light to shoot migrants at the border as a last resort. "Mrs. Petry went far with those remarks but we are not against foreigners," said Holm. "We need foreigners because we have low birth rates and we are aging. But we need foreigners who integrate." Despite its success, the party will not get a taste of power after the state elections. All of Germany's other parties have ruled out forming coalitions with the AfD. "I did not vote AfD because I expect them to govern," said Thorsten, a 48-year-old sales manager who declined to give his family name saying he fears his employer could fire him. "I voted AfD to protest the federal government's policies." "I did not ask Mrs. Merkel to open Germany's borders to everybody. It is fine to let in people fleeing conflicts, but not everyone," he said as he sipped a beer with his wife. But not everyone was happy. At a snack bar across the street, a 41-year-old German man named Nico Braun walked in and said to the Turkish owner: "Are the AfD gone or do I have to say Heil Hitler?" (Reporting by Joseph Nasr; Editing by Noah Barkin)
By Madeline Chambers and Tina Bellon BERLIN (Reuters) - Voters punished Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservatives in three German regional elections on Sunday, giving a thumbs-down to her open-door refugee policy and turning in droves to the anti-immigrant Alternative for Germany (AfD). The result is a big setback for Merkel, who has led Europe's biggest economy for a decade, and could narrow her room for manoeuvre as she tries to convince her European Union partners to seal a deal with Turkey to stem the tide of migrants. Merkel's Christian Democrats (CDU) lost ground in all three states - Baden-Wuerttemberg and Rhineland-Palatinate in the west and Saxony-Anhalt in the east - which were together widely seen as offering a verdict on Merkel's liberal migrant policy. "These results are a serious rebuke for Merkel and the most pronounced protest vote we've seen so far," said Holger Schmieding, an analyst at Berenberg Bank. The result in the two western states was the worst-case scenario for Merkel, who has staked her legacy on her decision to open Germany's doors to over 1 million migrants last year. But she still looks set to run for a fourth successive term as chancellor, with no real challenger for the right to lead her party into next year's federal election. "The result will increase the noise within the CDU and constrain the government's options on migrants and Greece, but Merkel's chancellorship is not at risk," said Carsten Nickel at Teneo Intelligence. Responding to voters' fears, she has promised to stem the flow of migrants to Germany, and is trying to convince Turkey to help - and other EU partners to share the burden. In the last few weeks, the numbers of migrants entering Germany have fallen. AFD RIDES HIGH With a high turnout in all the votes, the AfD, already represented in five of Germany's 16 regional assemblies, succeeded in entering three more. Its support was strongest in Saxony-Anhalt, where it grabbed 24.2 percent of the vote behind a diminished CDU showing, surpassing even the Social Democrats (SPD), Merkel's coalition partner in Berlin, ZDF television projections indicated. With campaign slogans such as "Secure the borders" and "Stop the asylum chaos", it was the first time the AfD had come as high as second in any state. "We have fundamental problems in Germany that led to this election result," said AfD chief Frauke Petry. The AfD's rise, which has coincided with strong gains by other European anti-immigrant parties including the National Front in France, punctures the centrist consensus around which the mainstream parties have formed alliances in Germany, and may embolden more European leaders to challenge Merkel on the migrant issue. The CDU's leader in Saxony-Anhalt pointed the finger squarely at Merkel for his party's losses. "The issue that has brought the AfD into parliaments across Germany can't be ignored on a federal level any more. We need solutions," Reiner Haseloff told ARD television. Charlotte Knobloch, former head of Germany's Central Council of Jews, bemoaned a "massive shift to the right". "If voters follow the call of right-wing populists and extremists to such an extent, it is a failure of the democratic parties," she said. SPD SUFFERS In Baden-Wuerttemberg in the southwest, the Greens for the first time became the strongest party in a state, with 31.1 percent of the vote, ZDF television projections indicated. The state was a CDU stronghold for more than 50 years before turning to a Green-led coalition with the SPD in 2011 after the Fukushima nuclear disaster in Japan, and CDU support fell by another 12 percentage points on Sunday. Also damaging for the CDU was the result in Rhineland-Palatinate, the home of former chancellor Helmut Kohl. There, the CDU's Julia Kloeckner, who had positioned herself as a future candidate to succeed Merkel, failed to unseat SPD state premier Malu Dreyer. It was the only bright spot for the SPD, the biggest loser overall. In Saxony-Anhalt, its support almost halved and in Baden-Wuerttemberg it sank by more than 10 percentage points. Asked if the SPD's weak showing in those two states would trigger questions about SPD leader Sigmar Gabriel's future, deputy party chairman Ralf Stegner said: "No, not at all." It is still unclear which coalitions will take power in each state, but the splintered vote opens the prospect of deep changes to the political landscape. (Additional reporting by Paul Carrel and Joseph Nasr in Magdeburg; Writing by Madeline Chambers; Editing by Kevin Liffey; Editing by Kevin Liffey)
By Ori Lewis JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday called for world powers to take "immediate punitive steps" against Iran, following its ballistic missile tests last week. A series of tests conducted by Iran's Revolutionary Guards caused international concern, with the United States, France and other countries saying that, if confirmed, the launch of nuclear-capable ballistic missiles would violate U.N. Security Council resolution 2231. Netanyahu has been vehemently opposed to the international deal with Iran which led to the lifting of economic sanctions in January, and his position has put him at odds with U.S. President Barack Obama. A statement from Netanyahu's office said he had instructed the Foreign Ministry to appeal to the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council and Germany, the powers who negotiated the nuclear deal with Iran, to act. "(The powers) must take immediate punitive steps following the repeated gross transgressions by Iran in the matter of the rockets," the statement said, adding that it would be "a test for the powers' ability to enforce the nuclear agreement." The United States said it would raise the issue during closed door U.N. Security Council consultations next week and is urging countries to cooperate on undermining Tehran's missile program, Samantha Power, the U.S. envoy to the United Nations, said on Friday. The United States has said Iran's missile tests do not violate the terms of a historic nuclear deal between Tehran and six major powers, which resolution 2231 - adopted in July 2015 - endorsed. The U.N. missile restrictions and an arms embargo on Iran are not technically part of the nuclear agreement. Council diplomats say they will first await confirmation from national intelligence agencies on whether the missiles Iran fired were nuclear-capable. They also say that Russia and China, which had opposed continuing U.N. restrictions on Iran's missile program, would probably block council action. Iran's Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday that the tests were not in violation of the nuclear agreement. A senior Iranian Revolutionary Guards commander was quoted last week as saying that Iran's medium-range ballistic missiles were designed to be able to hit Israel. "The reason we designed our missiles with a range of 2,000 km (1,200 miles) is to be able to hit our enemy the Zionist regime from a safe distance," Brigadier-General Amir Ali Hajizadeh was quoted as saying by Iran's ISNA news agency. (Writing by Ori Lewis; Editing by Andrew Bolton)
By Aidan Lewis TUNIS (Reuters) - Libya's U.N.-backed Presidential Council called on Saturday on the country's institutions to begin a transfer of authority to a unity government, and appealed to the international community to stop dealing with any rival powers. The Presidential Council is tasked with guiding through a transition to end the political chaos and armed conflict that has plagued Libya since the fall of leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011. Its statement suggests it will seek to take power despite continuing opposition from hardliners in both of Libya's competing parliaments - the eastern House of Representatives (HOR) and the rival General National Congress (GNC) in Tripoli. Western nations hope a unity government can help tackle a growing threat from Islamic State, which has used a security vacuum and political divisions in Libya to establish a foothold in the north African country. The Tunis-based Presidential Council nominated a unity government last month, but recognition of the proposed cabinet has been held up by the failure of the HOR to vote to approve it. It is also unclear when a unity government could move to Tripoli, where the security situation is still volatile and some armed factions may try to prevent it from operating. However, the council said in a statement on Saturday that a document signed by a majority of HOR members backing the new government, as well as the endorsement by other political figures, represented a "green light to start work". The council's statement called on "all Libyan sovereign and public institutions and the heads of financial bodies to start communicating immediately with the Government of National Accord so as to hand over power in a peaceful and orderly manner". "The Presidential Council also calls on the international community and international and regional organisations ... to stop dealing with any executive power that does not follow the Government of National Accord," it said. The deal to create the unity government was signed with limited Libyan support in Morocco in December. Efforts to move the transition forward have been hampered by arguments over the structure of the new government, the balance of power between Libya's different regions, and the future leadership of the armed forces. The Presidential Council has itself been divided, with two of its nine members suspending their participation and twice refusing to put their names to proposed lists of ministers. Under the plan, the Presidential Council would form the highest state body. The HOR would be the main legislature, with a second chamber formed from the GNC. After the latest failure of the HOR to vote on the unity government last week, U.N. Libya envoy Martin Kobler reconvened the group that signed the December deal. On Thursday, they urged the Presidential Council "to take all necessary measures to rapidly start working from the capital, Tripoli", though they also appeared to call on the HOR to take further steps to endorse the unity government. (Writing by Aidan Lewis; Editing by Alistair Bell)
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Louisiana black bear, inspiration for the teddy bear, will be taken off the U.S. list of threatened species, the Interior Department said on Thursday. The bear's population has rebounded from as few as 150 in part of Louisiana in 1992 when it was put on the list of endangered and threatened species, to an estimated 500 to 750 across their current range, the department said in a statement. The resurgence means the bear is unlikely to be in danger of extinction in the foreseeable future. "As I said last spring when the delisting proposal was announced, the Louisiana black bear is another success story for the Endangered Species Act, Interior Secretary Sally Jewell said. The revival of the Louisiana black bear was spurred by the protection or restoration of more than 750,000 acres (304,000 hectares) of bottomland hardwood forests, much of it through private landowners' efforts. At the time of the listing, the three known breeding populations were limited to the Tensas and Upper and Lower Atchafalaya river basins in Louisiana. Those groups have stabilized, and more breeding populations are forming in Mississippi and elsewhere in Louisiana. The bear entered American popular culture in 1902, when President Theodore Roosevelt refused to shoot a bear that was trapped and tied to a tree by his hunting party. The incident was featured in a cartoon in the Washington Post, sparking the idea for a Brooklyn candy-store owner to create the Teddy bear. The bear is one of 16 subspecies of the American black bear and is the Louisiana state mammal. (Reporting by Ian Simpson; Editing by Bernadette Baum)
Germany votes in three crucial regional elections today with the debate over the nation's response to Europe's migration crisis set to dominate voters' concerns.

Angela Merkel's Christian Democrats (CDU) need to win two of the three state polls to secure her position ahead of a key European summit later this month.

The Chancellor is seeking to seal a controversial deal with Turkey to stop the migrant flow when European leaders gather on 17-18 March.

If the CDU fails to perform in today's elections, Mrs Merkel will go into the meeting significantly weakened.

Mrs Merkel's party has been losing ground to the anti-immigration Alternative for Germany (AfD), which has capitalised on growing unease about how the country will cope with the migrant influx.

More than one million migrants and refugees crossed Germany's border last year alone.

Polls suggest the CDU will continue to be the biggest party in Saxony-Anhalt following today's election.

But it may face defeat to the Greens in Baden-Wuerttemberg, while the race is too close to call in Rhineland-Palatinate.

Asked how she was preparing for the results of Sunday's elections, Mrs Merkel said: "I'm crossing my fingers."

The AfD already has representation in five of Germany's 16 regional parliaments and the party looks set for a strong performance in Sunday's polls.

It has been campaigning with slogans including "Secure the borders" and "Stop the asylum chaos".
GLASGOW, Scotland (Reuters) - The Scottish National Party (SNP) will start building a new case for independence from the United Kingdom this summer, party leader and Scottish government head Nicola Sturgeon said on Saturday, without committing herself to a timeframe for a new referendum. Scots voted 55 to 45 percent against independence in 2014, but the collapse of the Labour and Conservative parties vaulted the SNP to unprecedented gains in the subsequent British national election in 2015, where it won almost all the seats assigned to Scotland in the parliament at Westminster. "We want to be in the driving seat of our own destiny," Sturgeon told 3,000 delegates at the SNP's spring conference. "This summer the SNP will embark on a new initiative to build support for independence," Sturgeon said, to a standing ovation. "We will not achieve our dream of independence just by wishing that the outcome of the referendum had been different. Or wishing we could do it all again next week." Senior British politicians, including Sturgeon, have said that if Britain votes to leave the European Union in the June referendum on that issue, but Scots show they want to stay, this could provide a trigger for a second Scottish secessionist drive. The SNP will be campaigning for a vote to remain within the EU and polls shows Scots broadly support that view. But there is division within the party about whether that is a coherent stance, as well as about how a British vote to leave the EU, or a Brexit, would affect Scotland. Success would depend on the SNP's ability to present more compelling arguments for independence this time around, Sturgeon said -- a nod to the fact that some SNP insiders have criticized the last breakaway drive for being too dependent on the value of North Sea oil. Many believe that much of the SNP's success is due to the popularity of Sturgeon herself, who took over the party leadership from Alex Salmond in 2014. "Her positivity and confidence that we will get what we want eventually is just great," said Lorraine Alexander, a 57-year-old SNP campaigner, decked out in the party's yellow T-shirt. Polls show that the SNP is favorite to win May's election for the Scottish parliament by a long chalk. "I won't always get everything right," said Sturgeon. "Even if you don't always agree with me, I'll strive to be a First Minister you have confidence in." One of the party's Westminster lawmakers said her popularity rests on a public understanding that she is genuine. "Nicola's personal qualities are a big bonus and her very obvious personal belief is something that connects with people," said Peter Grant, an SNP lawmaker in Westminster, who was at the conference. He estimated that it could take five to 10 years for another Scottish independence referendum to take place, depending on what level of support for independence is seen in polls. (Reporting By Elisabeth O'Leary; Editing by Andrew Bolton)
By Emily Flitter and James Oliphant CHICAGO/PALM BEACH, Fla. (Reuters) - U.S. presidential candidate Donald Trump canceled a campaign rally Friday night amid security concerns just hours after the Republican front-runner earned the endorsement of a former rival who said the billionaire's pugnacious campaign style is belied by a more thoughtful, private side. "There are two different Donald Trumps: there's the one you see on the stage and there's the one who's very cerebral, sits there and considers things very carefully," Ben Carson said Friday as he became the second former Republican candidate to back Trump in the White House race. The soft-spoken retired neurosurgeon, who dropped out of the race last week, said the American people would be "comforted" when they discover Trump's gentler side. The thousands of protesters who showed up for Trump's rally Friday evening at the University of Illinois at Chicago - along with thousands of supporters - showed little indication they had noticed anything but the candidate's combative campaign style. The university arena turned into a chaotic scene as the two warring sides amped up their positions. A half hour after the rally was slated to begin, a Trump campaign staffer announced it was being postponed for safety reasons, unleashing competing chants of "We dumped Trump!" and "We want Trump!" throughout the packed venue. "We made a great decision not to have the rally," Trump told CNN after meeting with law enforcement and making the call. "I am not a person that wants to see violence," he added. Trump blamed protesters for creating disturbances at his campaign events and said it is a "love fest" among his supporters. Friday's event in Chicago stood out because the huge number of protesters virtually matched the number of Trump supporters, as opposed to other Trump campaign events where protesters have been a very small, albeit vocal, minority. Earlier in the day, speaking at a public event in St. Louis, Missouri, Trump was interrupted repeatedly by protesters who were led out of the event by police and security, an increasingly common occurrence at his raucous rallies. "He's all mouth, get him out," Trump shouted as one of the protesters was led out. "Go back to mommy," he said as another protester was led away. The latest endorsement for Trump followed a Republican debate in Miami on Thursday night at which Trump and the remaining three candidates in the Republican race struck a markedly more civil tone. Carson shot to the top of the Republican pack last year but faltered in the early nominating contests. His endorsement is unlikely to dramatically shift the Republican race, but it gives Trump a boost as the Republican establishment cranks up attacks, and comes just days before crucial nominating contests in the battle to be the party's presidential candidate for the Nov. 8 election. The Republican primaries to be held on Tuesday in five states will be critical for Trump to cement his lead, and to determine whether U.S. Senator Marco Rubio of Florida and Ohio Governor John Kasich, whose home states are among those holding contests on Tuesday, will be able to continue with their increasingly long-shot candidacies. Trump's nearest rival in the race is U.S. Senator Ted Cruz of Texas. Carson's comments on Friday aimed to soften Trump's public image after a campaign marked by his demeaning personal attacks on opponents, harsh comments about Mexican immigrants and calls to temporarily bar all Muslims from entering the country. "I'M A THINKER" Trump's controversial campaign has led many Republican establishment figures to call for an all-out effort to prevent him from winning the nomination - an effort that Carson said would fracture the Republican Party and ensure a Democratic win in November. Asked about Carson's comments, Trump said he did not want to "overanalyze" himself but there was only "one Donald Trump." "Certainly you have all of this, and you have somebody else that sits, and reads and thinks. And I'm a thinker," said Trump, 69. "Perhaps people don't think of me in that way because you don't see me in that form." Trump also raised the possibility that he will not attend the next Republican debate, scheduled for later this month in Salt Lake City. "We've had enough debates, in my opinion," he said. In St. Louis, Trump's speech was interrupted more than a half-dozen times by protesters. Scuffles between Trump supporters and protesters have become more frequent, and a protester was punched in North Carolina on Wednesday by a Trump supporter who has been charged with assault. "The officers are being very gentle," Trump advised, telling the crowd later, "It adds to the flavor, makes it more exciting, isn't this better than listening to a long boring speech?" Carson's endorsement of Trump followed that of another former candidate, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, who announced his backing last month. Next Tuesday's voting will be a pivotal point as candidates chase the 1,237 delegates from primary contests and caucuses needed to win the Republican nomination. Trump has 459 delegates, followed by Cruz at 360, Rubio at 152 and Kasich at 54, according to the Associated Press. The primaries in Florida and Ohio on Tuesday have the potential to be game-changers because both states award Republican delegates on a winner-take-all basis, meaning that he winner of the popular vote in each state will be awarded the state's entire slate of delegates. Many states award delegates proportionate to the popular vote. For his part, Rubio said in a round of television interviews on Friday he was still in position to win Florida next week. Voters in his home state who do not want Trump as the Republican nominee should support him, he said. "If they don't want Donald Trump to be our nominee, then voting for John Kasich or Ted Cruz in Florida is a vote for Donald Trump," Rubio said on ABC's "Good Morning America." Rubio said later that his supporters in Ohio should vote for Kasich next Tuesday if that looked like the best anti-Trump tactic. Clearly John Kasich has a better chance of winning Ohio than I do, and if a voter in Ohio concludes that voting for John Kasich gives us the best chance to stop Donald Trump there, I anticipate that is what they will do, Rubio told reporters at an event in West Palm Beach, Florida. (Additional reporting by Clarece Polke, Eric Beech, Amanda Becker and Susan Heavey in Washington and Jon Herskovitz in Texas; Writing by John Whitesides and Amanda Becker; Editing by Frances Kerry and Leslie Adler)
By Doina Chiacu and Bob Chiarito WASHINGTON/BLOOMINGTON, Ill. (Reuters) - Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump refused to take responsibility on Sunday for clashes at his campaign events and criticized protesters who have dogged his rallies and forced him to cancel one in Chicago last week. When a protester interrupted his speech on Sunday at an airport hangar in Bloomington, Illinois, minutes after it began, Trump derided him as a "disrupter" and told the cheering crowd: "Don't worry about it - I don't hear their voice." "Our rallies are so big and we have so many people, I never hear their voices. I only hear our people's voices saying: 'There they are, there they are,'" the billionaire businessman said as the audience roared approval and some 2,000 protesters waited outside. Trump is trying to cement his lead over his remaining rivals - U.S. Senators Ted Cruz of Texas and Marco Rubio of Florida and Ohio Governor John Kasich - in five states that hold presidential nominating contests on Tuesday for Republicans and Democrats: Florida, Ohio, Illinois, North Carolina and Missouri. The four Republicans and Democrats Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders are vying to run in the Nov. 8 election to succeed Democratic President Barack Obama. Trump used a round of Sunday morning television appearances to beat back strong criticism from Republican rivals and Democrats that he was encouraging discord with divisive language disparaging Muslims and illegal immigrants. "I don't accept responsibility. I do not condone violence in any shape," Trump said on NBC's "Meet the Press." The 69-year-old New York real estate mogul defended his supporters and said he was considering helping pay the legal fees of a 78-year-old white man who punched a young black man at a Trump rally in North Carolina last week. The man, Trump said, "got carried away." "I've actually instructed my people to look into it," he said. The man, John McGraw, was charged with assault and later with communicating a threat after he said he enjoyed hitting "that loudmouth" and threatened next time "to kill him." Trump had earlier promised to help cover the legal fees of supporters involved in clashes at his rallies. SIMMERING TENSIONS On Friday night, thousands of protesters, many of them telling journalists they were Sanders or Clinton supporters, showed up at the Chicago rally, forcing Trump to cancel the event and casting a shadow over his weekend rallies. The Chicago clashes followed several weeks of violence at Trump events, in which protesters and journalists have been punched, tackled or hustled out of venues, raising concerns about security. Trump drew condemnation from his rivals. "We are now seeing images on television that we haven't seen in this country since the 1960s, images that make us look like a Third World country," Rubio, 44, said at a campaign event in The Villages, a retirement community in Florida. "Do we really want to live in a country where Americans hate each other?" Sanders, 74, a U.S. senator from Vermont, said in a statement that Trump "should not be condoning violence by paying the legal fees of a supporter who viciously attacked a protester at one of his rallies." Trump said tension at his rallies came from people being "sick and tired" of American leadership that has cost them jobs through trade deals, failed to defeat Islamic State militants in Iraq and Syria, and treated military veterans poorly. "The people are angry at that - they're not angry about something I'm saying," he said. "I'm just the messenger." Trump has harnessed the discontent of white, working-class voters who blame trade deals for costing them jobs. He has proposed building a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border, disparaged some Mexican immigrants as criminals and advocated a temporary ban on Muslims entering the United States. A few dozen protesters, mostly young, stood in the rain outside a later Trump rally on Sunday in West Chester, Ohio, near Cincinnati. Alexander Shelton, a 26-year-old student and activist, wore a white Muslim prayer robe with a picture of the civil rights leader Malcolm X painted on front. "We have to stand up against white supremacy," he said. "Trump stands for that." Michael McKinney, 47, a self-employed credit-card processor from Ohio's Claremont County, came to the rally with his wife and young daughter, and blamed the protesters for the violence. "If the protesters don't act civilly, people on the edge are going to snap," he said. "We are not a Third World nation. We don't stand for killing each other because we disagree or even harm each other," he said. "This isn't the United States I grew up in." (Additional reporting by Lucia Mutikana and Patrick Rucker in Washington, Steve Holland in The Villages, Fla., and Joe Wessels in West Chester, Ohio; Writing by Doina Chiacu and Jonathan Allen; Editing by Jonathan Oatis and Peter Cooney)
occupy protestor financial crisis

The last recession cut deep.

From stocks crashing to the housing market blowing up to unemployment skyrocketing, there's a reason it was called the Great Recession.

According to Liz Ann Sonders, chief investment strategist at Charles Schwab, this experience has scarred the way Americans see the economy and will continue to do so.

"When you look at how people are acting towards the economy, you can see how big the effect was from the recession," Sonders told Business Insider.

"It really kind of changed the psyche of a generation."

And the signs are everywhere, according to Sonders. Some of the biggest and clearest are the decisions Americans make on whether to spend their money or save it. Sonders cited studies down by credit-card giants MasterCard and Visa that has showed consumers are now using 0ne-third of their income apiece on spending, saving, and paying down debt.

This is much more equitable than in the past.

Additionally, this effect has become more pronounced since oil prices have dropped. Typically, lower prices at the gas pump have inspired people to reallocate those funds toward consumption, but that hasn't happened this time around.

And this change in attitude also shows up in the way Americans treat debt, according to Sonders.

"Everyone used to love leverage, and now that's no longer the case," said Sonders. "People have an unwillingness to take on debt since the recession. There really is something to be said for the muscle memory of 2008."

Instead of going through a normal cycle of deleveraging coming out of a recession and then resuming taking on debt, Americans have continued to pay down bills and eschew additional debt-powered consumption.

The personal-savings rate indicates that Americans are allocating more of their income toward savings. Additionally, Americans have a lower debt obligation compared to their income, according to the Federal Reserve.

Story continues

fredgraph

Another area this shift is showing up in is how the average American is treating the stock market.

"Since the financial crisis people have had very little interest in the stock market," said Sonders.

In fact, according to Sonders, based on net demand for stocks, there has not been a single dollar put into the stock market by pension funds and individual investors since the end of the crisis.

And in Sonders' view this seismic attitude shift toward stocks, the economy, and personal finances may not change for a long time to come.

NOW WATCH: Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is becoming a cult hero in the US  here's why





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Stuttgart (Germany) (AFP) - Chancellor Angela Merkel's party braced for a backlash in key state polls Sunday over the German leader's liberal refugee policy, while the right-wing populist AfD prepared to scoop up the protest vote from angry voters.

More than 12 million voters were heading to the ballot box to elect three new regional parliaments in the southwestern states of Baden-Wuerttemberg and Rhineland-Palatinate, as well as eastern Saxony-Anhalt in the so-called Super Sunday polls.

The elections are the biggest since Germany registered a record influx of refugees, and are largely regarded as a referendum on Merkel's decision to open the country's doors to people fleeing war.

"These elections are very important... as they will serve as a litmus test for the government's disputed policy" on refugees, Duesseldorf University political scientist Jens Walther told AFP.

Surveys in the run-up to the vote showed falling support for Merkel's Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and its junior coalition partner Social Democratic Party (SPD) while the populist Alternative for Germany (AfD) was steadily gaining momentum and expected to record a surge in backing in all three states.

"I am voting to teach the chancellor a lesson because of her politics towards refugees," Ulrich, 78, told AFP in the Saxony-Anhalt capital Magdeburg, declining to give his surname.

Interest was particularly high, with turnout surpassing previous polls in all three states.

At 1300 GMT, 35.5 percent of voters in Baden-Wuerttemberg had cast their ballot compared to 30.7 percent in the previous polls in 2011. In Saxony-Anhalt, turnout was at 35.4 percent against 28.5 percent previously, while in Rhineland-Palatinate, it was 56 percent, up 13 percentage points from the last round.

The CDU was bracing for one of its poorest showings in years, particularly in its traditional stronghold of Baden-Wuerttemberg.

A poll published Thursday by ZDF public television showed support for the CDU in the south-western state plummeting by 10 percentage points to 29 percent -- putting it for the first time behind the Greens.

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Guido Wolf, the CDU's leading candidate in the southwest, has described it as the "most difficult election campaign" the party has had to run.

- 'A lot to lose' -

Merkel has been under intense pressure to change course and shut Germany's doors after 1.1 million refugees -- many of them Syrians -- arrived in Europe's biggest economy last year alone.

But she has resolutely refused to impose a cap on arrivals, insisting instead on common European action that includes distributing refugees among the EU's 28 member states.

She reiterated her point on Thursday, insisting that imposing a limit on refugee numbers was merely a "short-term pseudo-solution", and that the only measure that would sustainably bring numbers down was a "concerted European approach".

As dissent has grown over her stance, AfD has capitalised on the darkening mood and the ZDF survey has it commanding 18 percent of support in Saxony-Anhalt.

Founded in 2013 as an anti-euro party, AfD has since morphed into one that sparked a storm in January after suggesting police may have to shoot at migrants at the borders.

Although the upstart party has seats in five regional parliaments and is represented in the European Parliament, it has so far made its biggest gains in former communist eastern states that still lag behind western Germany in jobs and prosperity.

But its inroads into western states have sparked alarm in a Germany mindful of its Nazi past.

Ingeborg Klumpp, a 74-year-old pensioner, went to vote in Stuttgart in the hope that "with my little cross on the ballot paper, I will contribute to the fact that people won't vote for the AfD".

"The campaign of hatred they ran these last weeks was horrible," she said.

On the eve of the vote, Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere joined calls from both the political mainstream as well as civic and religious groups, urging the electorate to shun AfD.

"AfD has no political programme and no capacity to resolve problems," he told Die Welt daily on Saturday. "We must make it clear -- this party hurts our country."

Merkel herself described AfD as a "party that does not bring cohesion in society and offers no appropriate solutions to problems, but only stokes prejudices and divisions".

She has also shrugged them off as a temporary diversion saying that once her government's policies show results on reducing migrant numbers, "I'm convinced that from there, the support that AfD is enjoying right now will drop off."
Zikahealthminister

With the Zika virus outbreak sweeping across Central and South America and knocking on America's door, the race is on to find a vaccine.

Recently, officials at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) announced that a potential Zika vaccine could make it to human trials by the end of the summer, one of the fastest timelines proposed for such a vaccine yet.

Meanwhile, the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that more than a dozen other research groups around the world are also working on developing a vaccine  a cause thats grown more urgent as concerns about the viruss health effects, such as microcephaly and a separate nerve disorder, continue to increase.

Who will be successful first  and how long it will take  remains to be seen. But researchers say they have a jump start on the Zika vaccine that could pave the road for faster results when compared to other vaccine efforts that have taken many years.

How the past informs the present

Scientists are quick to admit that we still have much to learn about the ways Zika affects the human body, and it may seem as though our uncertainty on this front would inhibit our ability to develop an effective vaccine.

But thats actually not the case, according to Anthony Fauci, director of the NIHs National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID).

One is understanding the disease  one is preventing the disease, he said, in an interview with Mashable.

Its possible to come up with an effective vaccine for a virus whose effects we dont fully understand, as long as know what kind of virus it is and how the virus is physically structured and goes about infecting its host.

And when it comes to Zika, we already have a leg up in the form of previous vaccine research on related viruses.

Zika is whats known as a flavivirus. This is a family of viruses primarily found in ticks and mosquitoes, but that are frequently able to infect humans as well.

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Well-known examples include dengue fever, yellow fever, West Nile virus and Chikungunya  all of which, incidentally, can be carried by the same Aedes aegypti mosquito that helps to transmit Zika.

All flaviviruses have similar physical structures  they consist of single-stranded RNA surrounded by a kind of protein shell.

Flavivirus outbreaks have been common in recent decades, so theres already been plenty of work done on developing vaccines.

Weve been successful in the development of vaccines for certain of the flaviviruses, such as yellow fever, such as dengue, Fauci said.

Most recently, an NIH-developed dengue vaccine was approved to enter phase three trials in Brazil, which involves testing among large groups of hundreds or thousands of humans.

Image: Georg Ismar/picture-alliance/dpa/AP Images

Previous work on these flavivirus vaccines is now being used as a kind of background for Zika vaccine research, Fauci said. Researchers are now applying some of the same techniques used in the previous vaccine development to the Zika research.

Multiple approaches, one goal

The NIHs current front-runner for a Zika vaccine candidate builds on an approach previously used for West Nile.

With the West Nile vaccine, we used whats called the DNA approach, Fauci said. This technique involves inserting genetic material from the West Nile virus into a plasmid, which is a kind of small, ring-shaped strand of DNA.

When injected into humans, these plasmids can replicate and produce virus-like particles, which dont actually produce the effects of the real virus, but nonetheless trigger an immune response in the host.

The NIHs West Nile vaccine was shown to be effective, but did not move forward commercially when the NIH was unable to find a pharmaceutical company to partner with on advanced development.

Nevertheless, the technique is now proving fruitful with the NIHs Zika work, Fauci says.

Were taking that same platform...and instead of sticking a gene for West Nile in there, were sticking a gene for Zika, he said.

The researchers are hoping to be able to begin conducting phase one human trials around the end of August or beginning of September.

In the meantime, the researchers are looking into other approaches as well. Their second technique builds on the dengue vaccine, which is whats known as a live attenuated virus vaccine.

Image: CDC

The more traditional live attenuated vaccines contain a weakened version of the actual virus. So while they dont cause harmful effects in the body, they typically induce a strong immune response.

Were going to make a hybrid of the already existing dengue live attenuated virus vaccine, and were gonna add onto it a component of Zika, Fauci said of his teams research on that front.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the world, researchers at Indian biotechnology company Bharat Biotech are working on their own Zika vaccines using different techniques. The most advanced of their developments is whats known as an inactivated vaccine. This approach essentially introduces a dead virus to the host  its unable to replicate itself or cause any harm, but the body still recognizes it and launches an immune response.

At a press conference on Thursday, the NIH's Fauci said that it would be ideal to ultimately produce several types of vaccines, both using the live virus and the inactive virus, for use on different populations.

A live attenuated vaccine could be risky for use in pregnant women, for example, so using a "dead" or inactivated vaccine would be best for at-risk women who are already pregnant.

But live attenuated vaccines have generally been shown to be so effective that it would be ideal to produce one to use for people who are not pregnant  especially if they may become pregnant in the future, he said.

Growing fears over Zika's effects

Increasing confidence in Zikas ties to serious health consequences are largely driving the vaccine fervor. While the viruss immediate effects are fairly mild  the most common symptoms include fever, rash and joint pain, all of which usually dissipate within days  its feared to be associated with two rare and potentially devastating health conditions.

The first of these is microcephaly, a condition in which the babies of infected mothers-to-be are born with undersized heads and underdeveloped brains. The condition has been linked with lifelong neurological impairment and developmental delays, as well as death.

Image: saul loeb/AFP/Getty Images

While the link between Zika and microcephaly has not been definitively established, scientists have a high degree of confidence that it exists.

In fact, a study just published March 4 in the journal Cell Stem Cell further strengthened the case for the microcephaly connection by demonstrating that the Zika virus can infect and stunt the growth of certain cells required for a fetuss brain development.

The other condition now feared to be associated with Zika is Guillain-Barre syndrome, or GBS, an illness that causes a persons own immune system to attack their nerve cells, resulting in muscle weakness or even paralysis.

Its causes are not fully understood, but the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention points out that many people with GBS reported a bacterial or viral infection before they were diagnosed with the condition. Now, health officials are saying that an increasing number of people infected with Zika are also coming down with GBS, suggesting that there may be a link between the two.

A recent paper, published last week in The Lancet, also lends support for this connection, describing a 2013-2014 Zika outbreak in French Polynesia. Doctors in that case examined patients who were diagnosed with Guillain-Barre syndrome and found that more than 90 percent of them had Zika antibodies in their blood.

An uncertain outlook

At a Feb. 12, press conference, the WHOs assistant director general for health systems and innovation, Marie-Paule Kieny, said that at least 15 companies or groups around the world are currently engaged in the quest for a Zika vaccine.

But for the time being, she said the two front-runners are the NIHs DNA vaccine and Bharat Biotechs inactivated vaccine.

She added, In spite of this encouraging landscape, vaccines are at least 18 months away from large-scale trials. This was just an estimate, and the NIH is optimistically shooting for human trials by the end of the summer  but when a vaccine might actually become commercially available is another story and depends on a variety of factors.

For its part, Bharat Biotech has reportedly cautioned that its vaccine could take 10 years to hit the market, depending on the types of regulatory hurdles it runs into while conducting trials and filing for approval.

Image: Martial Trezzini/Keystone via AP.

The NIHs Fauci was more optimistic, saying three to five years might be a more realistic timeline for a vaccine that has all of the is dotted and the ts crossed, approved by the FDA.

However, he noted that the success of clinical trials on a Zika vaccine will likely depend on the way the current disease outbreak progresses in the near future.

When youre dealing with an emergent situation and youre in the middle of an outbreak, it becomes much more easy to test whether or not [a vaccine] works, he said. With so many infected people potentially able to participate in a large-scale trial, tests that might normally take up to five years could proceed faster.

He said his research team is hoping to start a phase one trial by September and finish by January of 2017, although this is just a hypothetical scenario for now.

If this plan were to succeed, and the outbreak were still in full swing at that time, a phase two trial may be able to show efficacy as early as eight to 10 months after you start, he said.

A warning on funding

The White House has requested $1.9 billion in new spending for Zika-related research, which would help pay for vaccine research, but Congress has not approved it yet.

In a press conference on Thursday, Fauci said if the funding is not approved, it could spell problems for the ongoing vaccine research.

"Weve already started down the road of making the product for this first vaccine candidate by moving money out of other important areas into this area," Fauci said, adding that this is not a viable long-term solution to the funding problem.

"If we dont get that money, we may find ourselves halfway through a phase one trial and not being able to finish it and take that next immediate step into the larger trial," he said.

The WHOs Kieny also expressed uncertainty about the vaccine timeline uncertainty during the February press briefing.

For Zika...it is not impossible that you will have a large epidemic wave, and behind that for a few years much less disease, she noted.

So we have to see how this develops and how easy it will be to test for efficacy. It depends on how much disease will be prevalent at that moment.

In other words, it's possible the Zika outbreak will end before a vaccine is developed.
By Do-gyun Kim POHANG, South Korea (Reuters) - U.S. and South Korean troops staged a big amphibious landing exercise on Saturday, storming simulated North Korean beach defenses amid heightened tension and threats by the North to annihilate its enemies. The landing and assault drills on South Korea's east coast were part of eight weeks of joint exercises between the allies which the South has said are the largest ever. The North has denounced the exercises as "nuclear war moves" and threatened to respond with an all-out offensive. Tension on the Korean peninsula has been high since the North conducted its fourth nuclear test in January and followed that with a long-range rocket launch last month, triggering new U.N. sanctions. About 55 U.S. marine aircraft and 30 U.S. and South Korean ships, including the USS Bonhomme Richard and USS Boxer, which carry AV-8B Harrier attack jets and V-22 Osprey aircrafts, took part in the assault on beaches near Pohang city, the U.S. navy said. "They will penetrate notional enemy beach defenses, establish a beach head, and rapidly transition forces and sustainment ashore," the U.S. military based in South Korea said in a statement before the exercise. The North's military said it was prepared to counter the U.S. and South Korean forces "with an ultra-precision blitzkrieg strike of the Korean style". "The revolutionary armed forces of the DPRK holding tightly the arms to annihilate the enemies with towering hatred for them are waiting for the dignified Supreme Command to issue an order to launch a preemptive strike of justice," it said in comments carried by the state KCNA news agency. DPRK stands for the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. CNN reported on Saturday that North Korea has been searching for one of its submarines that has been missing for days off its east coast. The submarine may be adrift under the sea or have sunk, perhaps after a technical problem during an exercise, CNN quoted U.S. officials with intelligence of secret U.S. monitoring of the North's activities as saying. North Korea has said it is developing submarine-launched ballistic missiles although doubts about that were raised after Western experts said publicly released footage of tests appeared to be fake. On Thursday, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un watched as his forces fired two short-range ballistic missiles into the sea. This month the North conducted drills with what it said were newly developed large caliber rocket launchers. Kim has ordered the country to improve its nuclear attack capability by conducting more tests, in defiance of a U.N. Security Council resolution adopted last week in response to the isolated state's latest nuclear test. Kim also said his country had miniaturized nuclear warheads to mount on ballistic missiles, although the U.S. and South Korean governments have expressed doubts about that too. The South Korean and U.S. militaries have said they had notified the North of "the non-provocative nature" of the exercises involving about 17,000 American troops and more than 300,000 South Koreans. The United States has about 28,500 troops stationed in South Korea. (Writing by Jack Kim; Editing by Robert Birsel)
Aden (AFP) - At least 12 Al-Qaeda fighters and two policemen were killed late Saturday in fighting on the ground and coalition air strikes on second city Aden, security sources said.

Fighter jets and Apache helicopters from the Saudi-led coalition carried out four air strikes in support of the security forces, they said.

Clashes in the port city's Mansura residential district continued late Saturday after breaking out in the late afternoon after security forces set up new checkpoints, they added.

Dozens of gunmen in balaclavas carrying the Al-Qaeda flag deployed to push back police trying to enter the neighbourhood, witnesses said.

The police said in a statement that fighting against the "armed terrorist gangs in Mansura will continue to ensure the safety of residents" in the internationally recognised government's temporary capital.

The air strikes -- which started after jihadists shot at an Apache helicopter -- hit a municipal office and a jihadist arms depot, witnesses said.

Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group have taken advantage of the conflict between the Huthi insurgents and pro-government forces to reinforce their presence in the south, including in Aden.

- Fighting in Taez -

Meanwhile, pro-government forces on Saturday pressed their offensive aimed at breaking the rebels' months-long siege of the southwestern city of Taez, military sources said.

Fighting raged north and east of the city, they said, a day after loyalists pushed the Iran-backed Huthis out of its western and southern suburbs.

Forces loyal to President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi managed to "retake important positions" in a northern suburb where heavy clashes continued, one source said.

But retaking the eastern part will be more difficult, the source said, as this is held by the Republican Guard, an elite army unit loyal to former president and Huthi ally Ali Abdullah Saleh.

The rebels and their allies have been attacking residential neighbourhoods of Taez from this area, which includes an airport, an industrial zone and the headquarters of the special forces, the source added, without giving a death toll.

Story continues

Loyalists on Saturday morning pushed back rebels trying to retake the headquarters of the army's 35th brigade in the western suburbs, sources said.

Loyalists last summer retook five southern provinces including Aden and have for months been fighting to win back Taez.

- US-Saudi talks -

Breaking the siege should allow for humanitarian and medical aid to reach about 200,000 besieged residents, Taez governor Ali al-Maamari said on Friday from exile in Saudi Arabia.

The capital Sanaa further north has been under rebel control since September 2014.

US Secretary of State John Kerry on Saturday said that he and Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir had agreed to work towards a ceasefire in Yemen.

"We discussed Yemen, where we have agreed to work even more closely together in the next days to explore the possibilities of a political solution and we both agreed that it would be desirable to see if we can find a similar process that we did in Syria in Yemen to try to get a ceasefire," Kerry said.

The United Nations has been pursuing efforts for peace talks, but UN envoy for Yemen Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed said last month that "deep divisions" were preventing progress.

Saudi Arabia's ambassador to the United Nations, Abdallah al-Mouallimi, said this week that he hoped talks could resume by March 15.

More than 6,100 people have died -- half of them civilians -- since the coalition launched air strikes against the rebels and their allies in March 2015, according to the UN.
With a huge global steel glut and slowing demand in China, an enormous recent spike in the price of iron ore has left analysts scratching their heads, with some even claiming a flower show might be to blame.

But observers say the extraordinary movements for one of the world's basic bulk commodities have been fuelled by something far more prosaic than daisies and daffodils -- simple speculation.

The spot price for iron ore -- the key material for steel -- jumped 20 percent on the Dalian Commodity Exchange on Monday.

It closed at $57.35 per tonne on Friday, up nearly 33 percent so far this year.

But the vast majority of trades on the exchange do not reflect real-world transactions: the iron ore futures volume on Wednesday alone represented an underlying 978 million tonnes of the commodity -- more than China's entire imports last year.

"Steel prices are in a crazy phase now. Everyone's emotions are high and pushing up prices is the norm," Chen Bingkun, an analyst at Minmetals and Jingyi Futures, told AFP. "The price rise is also caused by speculation."

Only part of the real global iron ore trade passes through exchanges such as Dalian or Singapore, the other main hub for derivatives based on the commodity.

Instead, the business is dominated by a small group of producers, including Anglo-Australian giants Rio Tinto and BHP Billiton, Brazil's Vale and Fortescue Metals of Australia.

They all compete to sell to steelmakers in China and elsewhere on longer-term contracts, often priced according to indices calculated by specialist trade publications, leaving limited liquidity for the spot market and heightening its volatility.

Chinese analysts and industry officials have cited a mix of factors driving the speculation that fuelled the price surge, including hopes for higher government spending on steel-hungry infrastructure after the economy grew at its slowest pace in a quarter of a century last year.

The beginning of warmer weather and the end of the Lunar New Year holiday have restarted construction projects and steel production.

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Even an upcoming flower show in the Chinese steel hub of Tangshan has been named as a factor, with local steel companies expected to suspend output to ensure blue skies for the event -- which could prompt them to step up production before the halt.

China produces more steel than the rest of the world combined, and in the long term, cuts of up to 150 million tonnes in its capacity over five years could ultimately support steel prices, although their impact on iron ore costs is less clear.

- 'Hidden risk' -

There are signs regulators are taking notice of the market's new-found popularity with China's notoriously short-term investors, who have few choices on where to put their money.

A stock market slump has made equities unattractive while government bond yields are relatively low, strict capital controls limit buying of foreign exchange, and housing prices are expensive.

The Dalian exchange will on Monday raise transaction fees and hike minimum deposits for trading the contracts.

The move aimed to "guard against overheated trading and prevent hidden market risk," it said in a statement.

But small investors are not the only actors in the market, said Chen of Minmetals and Jingyi Futures, with producers also seeking to cash in.

"Some steel makers, who rarely engage in arbitrage... started to participate in hedging steel futures because they saw some companies who did it have made money," he said.

- 'Seeking logic' -

Analysts wonder if the price surges are sustainable, with Shanghai Securities analyst Zhu Limin telling AFP their future direction was "unclear".

"This is the first year of the new five-year plan, so people have more confidence about investment in infrastructure," he said, referring to a development blueprint for 2016-2020 to be approved at the National People's Congress in Beijing, where Premier Li Keqiang announced a lowered growth target of 6.5-7 percent for this year.

But Zhu added: "We are not sure how many of the projects announced by the government will be implemented and whether there will be real money thrown in."

Global iron ore prices bottomed out at around $37 in December before the rebound began.

In Singapore, Kelly Teoh, an iron ore derivatives broker at Clarksons Platou Futures, told AFP that the market was trying to find "a sweet spot where everyone will have a sustainable business".

"People are trying to find a logic to a market that had become so bearish," she added.

bxs/slb/eb/hg
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Police are investigating whether former Russian Press Minister Mikhail Lesin, who was found dead in a Washington hotel in November, was brutally assaulted before returning to the hotel, a U.S. law enforcement source said on Friday. The source familiar with the investigation said authorities were trying to determine a possible motive for the apparent attack and do not have any suspects. U.S. authorities said on Thursday that Lesin died of blunt force injuries to the head. [nL1N16I2O0] At the time of his death, Russia's RT television quoted family members as saying Lesin had died of a heart attack. He was 57. State Department spokesman John Kirby said on Friday that U.S. officials had facilitated contact between Washington police and the Russian government. "There is an avenue of direct communication between the police department and the Russian government," he told reporters. Rumours have swirled around the death of the former Putin adviser since he was found dead in his room in the Doyle Washington Hotel, which is also known as the Dupont Circle Hotel, last Nov. 5. Lesin served as President Vladimir Putin's press minister from 1999 to 2004. He was named head of state-controlled Gazprom-Media in 2013 but resigned the following year and moved to Los Angeles. In 2014, U.S. Senator Roger F. Wicker asked the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate Lesin for violating the Foreign Corrupt Practices act. The Senator, a Republican from Mississippi, questioned how Lesin was able to purchase $28 million worth of properties in Los Angeles after leaving the Russian government. The Justice Department has no open investigation of Lesin, a U.S. Law enforcement official said on Friday. The official declined to comment on the investigation into Lesin's death. On the night he died, Lesin was scheduled to attend a gala at Washington's Ritz-Carlton hotel honouring Russian billionaire and philanthropist Pyotr Aven, Radio Free Europe reported. But Lesin never arrived at the dinner. As of 2013, Lesin and his wife Valentina lived in a lavish Beverly Hills home about 10 miles from the home of Mikhails son, Anton Lessine, a Hollywood producer, according to court records. The son's recent film credits include Fury, a World War II movie starring Brad Pitt and Shia LaBeouf, and Rock the Kasbah, a feature starring Bill Murray. The home owned by the former Putin adviser is 5,500-square-foot, has five bedrooms and six bathrooms, has an assessed value of $4.3 million, according to property records. In 2013, a housekeeper who worked for both Lesin and his son filed suit against both men and their wives for various violations of labour law. Lesin and his son ran their business interests partly through a company called the Dastel Corporation, with both men serving as corporate officers, according to court filings. A man who answered the phone at a number listed for Dastel said he had no comment on the companys business or Lesins involvement in it. The home where Lesin and his wife lived in Beverly Hills is owned by a holding company, Java Drive Inc. The registered agent for the holding company, a Los Angeles CPA named Stephen Rousso, said in a phone interview that he had not heard of Mikhail Lesin. (Reporting by Mark Hosenball, Peter Eisler and Jonathan Landay; Editing by Tim Ahmann, David Rohde and Grant McCool)
By William Philpott DAYTON, Ohio (Reuters) - Secret Service officers rushed on stage to protect U.S. Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump during a disturbance at a rally on Saturday, a day after rowdy protests shut down his event in Chicago. Trump briefly ducked at the podium and four Secret Service members scrambled to surround him after a man charged the stage at Dayton International Airport in Ohio. Officers then grabbed the man, dressed in a black T-shirt and jeans, before he was able to reach the stage and hauled him away. "I was ready. I don't know if I would have done well but I would have been out there fighting, folks," Trump told a rally later in the day. He said the man "was looking to do harm." The incident further increased tension after Trump's Chicago rally was scrapped amid chaotic scenes on Friday. Trump's Republican rivals hurled scorn at the New York billionaire, saying he helped create the nervous atmosphere that is now sweeping the race for the White House with his fiery rhetoric. Trump blamed supporters of Democratic candidate Bernie Sanders for the incidents in Chicago, where scuffles broke out between protesters and backers of the real estate magnate. He called the U.S. senator from Vermont "our communist friend." The scenes in Chicago followed a series of recent incidents of violence at Trump rallies, in which protesters and journalists have been punched, tackled and hustled out of venues, raising concerns about degrading security leading into the Nov. 8 election. "All of a sudden a planned attack just came out of nowhere," Trump said in Dayton, describing the events in Chicago. He called the protest leaders there "professional people". Sanders, a U.S. Senator from Vermont, hit back. "As is the case virtually every day, Donald Trump is showing the American people that he is a pathological liar. Obviously, while I appreciate that we had supporters at Trump's rally in Chicago, our campaign did not organize the protests." President Barack Obama told a fundraising event in Dallas that political leaders "should be trying to bring us together and not turning us against one another." Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton drew criticism for releasing an initial statement that did not mention Trump by name and tied violent campaign events to a shooting in a South Carolina black church last year that left 9 people dead. While campaigning in St. Louis, Missouri, on Saturday, Clinton criticized Trump directly for "ugly, divisive rhetoric" that encourages aggression and violence. CRUCIAL PRIMARIES The months-long Republican race may be coming to a head at nominating contests on Tuesday where Trump is seeking victories that might give him an almost insurmountable lead for the nomination. Primaries in Florida and Ohio will be particularly important since they are winner-take-all states, where all Republican delegates are given to the winner of the popular vote instead of being awarded proportionally. It will be a make-or-break day for Republican candidates John Kasich, the governor of Ohio, and U.S. Senator Marco Rubio of Florida, who both must win their home states to forge a credible path forward. Trump has drawn fervent support as well as criticism for his calls to build a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border and to impose a temporary ban on Muslims entering the country. His rallies often attract small groups of protesters, but Friday's was the first at which there may have been as many protesters as supporters. At an event in Kansas City on Saturday, Trump urged police to arrest people who disrupt his events. "They'll have to explain to Mom and Dad why they have a police record and why they can't get a job. And you know what? I'm going to start pressing charges against all these people and then we won't have a problem," he said to cheers. Outside the rally, police broke up confrontations between Trump supporters and protesters who shouted, "Shut it down!" Police on horseback and riot gear briefly moved into a crowd of protesters and officers used what appeared to be pepper spray against demonstrators for a few seconds. Rubio, who according to the New York Times slightly edged out Kasich on Saturday to win the Washington D.C. primary with 37 percent of the vote, bemoaned the state of the presidential race during an event in Florida, saying it had "become reality television." "Last night in Chicago, we saw images that make America look like a Third World country," Rubio said, reminding supporters the stakes on Tuesday are high. Kasich told journalists before a campaign event in Cincinnati, Ohio, that Trump had created a "toxic environment." Republican candidate U.S. Senator Ted Cruz of Texas called the Chicago incidents "sad." Vanderbilt University political scientist John Geer said that the tension on display at Trump's events are a proxy for what is going on in the electorate writ large. "People have strong reactions to Donald Trump," Geer said. "They are playing out in the voting booth and they are also playing out at these events." Geer said the Chicago cancellation would likely embolden Trump's supporters - an idea floated by Trump in several television interviews. Clinton picked up four delegates in the Northern Mariana Islands' Democratic primary on Saturday, to Sanders' two. On the Republican side, Cruz won around two-thirds of the votes in Wyoming's Republican nominating contest but because of the state's unusual rules it is not clear how many Wyoming delegates will go his way at the Republican Convention in July. (Additional reporting by Alex Dobuzinskis in Los Angeles, Kevin Murphy in Kansas City, Idrees Ali and Amanda Becker in Washington.; Editing by Alistair Bell and Sandra Maler)
More than three million Brazilians, according to police, demonstrated across Latin America's biggest nation to demand the ouster of embattled President Dilma Rousseff. Chanting "Dilma out!" and draped in the bright yellow and green national flag, protesters across Brazil sought to pressure Congress into accelerating impeachment proceedings against the leftist leader, blamed for a massive corruption scandal and the worst economic recession in a quarter century. "We are at a decisive moment for our country. We are going to start the change now," said Rogerio Chequer, leader of Vem Pra Rua, one of the main organizers of the demonstrations, at the Sao Paulo protest. Helio Bicudo, a prominent lawyer who once supported the government but helped initiate the push for impeachment told the Sao Paulo protesters: "Brazil can't take being looted and robbed anymore, it can't take more incompetence and corruption." A big turnout was likely to spur deputies in Congress who had been wavering over whether or not to drop support for the increasingly isolated president. "This has been a very bad weekend for the government," said analyst Sergio Praca at the Getulio Vargas Foundation in Rio. "The demonstrations were very powerful... It's the worst scenario possible for the government." - Numbers games - However, as after every large demonstration in this highly polarized country, there were sharply varying estimates of the numbers. In Sao Paulo, the most populous city and an opposition stronghold, a sea of people filled the central avenue for a protest that state military police said drew a "historic" 1.4 million demonstrators. On previous occasions, the military police have been accused of inflating numbers at anti-government protests. Respected research center Datafolha calculated that the total in Sao Paulo was only 500,000, although it said that even this would be a record number. A national police count compiled by news site G1 found that some 1.3 million more protesters attended rallies at some 400 cities around Brazil, not counting Sao Paulo or a large demonstration in Rio de Janeiro. Added together, the figures pointed to an overall turnout of around 3.5 million. Opposition organizers came up with a national figure about double that. In Rio de Janeiro, which will host the Summer Olympics in August, protesters singing and dancing to samba songs swarmed along the beachfront avenue in Copacabana. The turnout was impressive, but the organizers' claim that one million attended there appeared far-fetched. There was no police estimate for Rio. - Lula in trouble - Rousseff and her Workers' Party are struggling to hold on to power in the face of a probe into a massive bribes and embezzlement scandal at state oil company Petrobras. Prosecutors' highest-profile target is Rousseff's key mentor in the Workers' Party, ex-president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. Prosecutors have filed money laundering charges and requested he be put into preventative detention. Lula vigorously denies the allegations. Rousseff is also presiding over a stinging recession, with the economy shrinking 3.8 percent last year and the country losing its investment grade credit ratings. With divisions intensifying across the country, there had been fears of violence. But in Sao Paulo, many protesters brought their children, as if on a family outing, while in Rio demonstrators paused between singing samba tunes to buy coconut water from street hawkers. Still, there was no disguising the anger. "We need to get rid of Dilma, the Workers' Party, the whole lot," said Rio resident Maria do Carmo, 73, who was carrying a Brazilian flag. "It's not their time anymore." Many protesters held placards depicting Rousseff and Lula as prisoners, while others praised the chief investigating judge in the Petrobras scandal, Sergio Moro, as "Our national pride." "I want Dilma's impeachment now," said Gaudino Inacio, 70, at the Sao Paulo demonstration. "She's useless because she is unable to govern the country. After, we can have new elections." - Congressional allies defecting? - A bid was launched in Congress late last year to impeach Rousseff over allegations that her government illegally manipulated accounts to boost public spending during her 2014 re-election campaign. The impeachment procedure has stalled, but looks set to pick up again. And analysts said deputies will have watched turnout on Sunday closely before deciding which way they should vote. Judging by the police figures, that turnout exceeded anything seen in the past -- amounting to a humiliating vote of no-confidence in Rousseff's administration. The biggest anti-government protest last year, in March, included an estimated 1.7 million people across Brazil, with a million in Sao Paulo alone. Some 1.2 million people attended another six months later. In any case, Rousseff's problems are rapidly piling up. With Lula fighting for his political life, Rousseff is at risk of losing a vital ally, while a leaked report in a Brazilian magazine suggests that she too may be accused in the Petrobras probe. Now a new threat is looming over Rousseff -- the potential exit of the PMDB party from a shaky coalition with her Workers' Party. Party members agreed on Saturday to decide in 30 days.
LISBON (Reuters) - Portugal's divided parliament may refuse to approve Lisbon's contribution to new bailout loans for Greece and a European Union aid package to help Turkey deal with the migrant crisis, Prime Minister Antonio Costa said on Saturday. Costa told journalists the two far-left parties that back his minority Socialist government - the Left Bloc and the Communists - had long opposed the payments and could vote against them. The main opposition Social Democrats had also said they would reject the aid, Costa said, a stance he called an "irresponsible" change in their past support for the package. The EU agreed to a 3-billion-euro ($3.35 billion) aid package for Turkey in November, made up partly of money from the EU budget and partly of contributions from member states. If one country were unable to contribute, the package would not necessarily collapse, but there would be less money in it unless another EU state picked up the slack. The money for the Greek bailout comes from the European Stability Mechanism, which borrows it on the markets with small national contributions to the fund's capital. The Portuguese funding for both is part of this year's budget, which is still making its way through parliament due to delays following months of political uncertainty and last year's inconclusive election that ultimately led Costa to power. "They (the opposition) will say, ah, but the other parties could have a different stance. They could. But they are consistent with what they've always been saying and they'd have to change their position," Costa said in televised remarks answering questions from reporters. "But the Social Democrats who assumed these responsibilities for the Portuguese state, and who have always supported them, now refuse to approve them ... That is absolutely irresponsible," he said in Paris after a European Socialist summit. Portugal, Western Europe's poorest nation, was supposed to transfer 24 million euros to Turkey under the EU November deal. Portugal's scheduled contribution to the Greek loan package totals 107 million euros this year. ($1 = 0.8968 euros) (Reporting By Andrei Khalip; Additional reporting by Paul Taylor in Brussels; Editing by Andrew Heavens)
The president of Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. (RCBC) is expected to attend a Senate hearing on Tuesday on an $81-million money laundering transaction involving the bank.

In the hearing called by the Senate Blue Ribbon committee, RCBC president and chief executive officer Lorenzo Tan is expected to shed light on the alleged involvement of the bank owned by taipan Alfonso Yuchengco.

Tan will also face RCBC Jupiter branch manager Maia Santos-Deguito who, he said, was in charge when the alleged embezzled money from Bang-ladesh Bank was deposited in her branch.

Sen. Teofisto Guingona III chairs the committee.

RCBCs spokesman denied Tan had gone on leave. Not true. He will be there, the spokesman said.

Tan had offered to go on leave to give the bank a free hand in investigating the alleged money laundering issue.

However, Francis Lim of ACCRA Law said the banks owners and management have vouched for the integrity of Tan.

The banks board thanked him for his gentlemanly and decent gesture but said their trust in him is intact and unshaken, Lim said.

Tan has vehemently denied involvement in the alleged multimillion-dollar money-laundering scheme that is now subject of an investigation by the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC).

I condemn as malicious and actionable insinuations that the top management of the bank knew of and tolerated alleged money laundering activities in one branch, he said.

I will fully cooperate with all ongoing inquiries and believe that I and consequently the banks management will be fully vindicated, he added.

Lim said Deguito had already admitted in a radio interview that she had assumed Tan knew about the $81-million transaction at the RCBC Jupiter branch.

He also told lawyer Ferdinand Topacio, counsel of Deguito, to stop dragging other bank officials into the alleged laundering of dirty money via RCBC.

So instead of asking RCBC to sanction Mr. Tan, Topacio should instead assist his client to explain the accusation of William Go that she opened an account in her branch without his knowledge, used this account for deposit and withdrawal without his knowledge, and identify who forged Gos signature to withdraw money, he added.

Story continues

Likewise, Lim said Topacio should explain why Deguito attempted to fly to Japan last Friday.

Topacio earlier said in a television interview that he would file charges against officials of the Bureau of Immigration and other agencies for not allowing his client to fly to Japan last Friday despite the absence of a hold departure order.

Aside from Tan and Deguito, others invited to the hearing are Philippine National Bank president Reynaldo Maclang, BDO Unibank president Nestor Tan and EastWest Banking Corp. president Antonio Moncupa Jr.

A Malacanang official, meanwhile, said no stone should be left unturned in the investigation by authorities into the money laundering issue.

But as it is, Presidential Communications Development and Strategic Planning Office Undersecretary Manuel Quezon III said the discovery of this and its investigation is proof positive that we are a responsible member of the global banking community and not a safe haven for dirty money.

It should be a cause of reassurance for us that even when there are alleged situations of this nature, it was detected first and foremost; secondly, it was investigated; thirdly, it was reported in the media so nothing was kept secret, Quezon said over radio dzRB.

We are confident that their investigations will leave no stone unturned because the integrity of the countrys banking system is at stake.

Meanwhile, former senator Panfilo Lacson promised to work for strengthening the Anti-Money Laundering Act (AMLA) if he gets elected again to the Senate. Lacson, one of the authors of AMLA, said the country should be fully compliant with the standards of the Financial Action Task Force.  With Aurea Calica, Cecille Suerte Felipe
The human gut is a complex and amazing system, and the more we learn about it, the more amazed we are. It turns out
- Despite heavy losses from drone and ground attacks, some experts are stating that the radical militant group al-Shabaab is being 're-energized'

- The new indications come from a US military official who claims that the militant group is still a serious regional threat

A new report indicates that the al-Shabaab still poses a serious threat to the region and may be being 're-energized' despite heavy losses from drone and ground strikes against it's members.

What could be behind the group not being defeated?

READ ALSO: Al-Shabaab car bombing in Mogadishu leaves at least 3 dead

The same official claims that a weak Somali army is offsetting efforts from AMISOM troops to move against terrorist organization in Somalia.

READ ALSO: Al-Shabaab kill five soldiers in Mogadishu bombing

The US has poured an estimated KSh 60 billion into fighting against the al-Shabaab.

The group claimed responsibility for a car bombing in Mogadishu, Somalia on Wednesday, March 9. The bombing took place at a police station and left at least three officers dead and at least two others wounded.

The militant group has been particularly active in Somalia within recent weeks.

A US military drone strike against the group on Monday, March 7 allegedly killed over 150 members of the group, although the al-Shabaab disputes the number.

Members of the al-Shabaab were behind a roadside bomb that went off on Tuesday, March 1, near the Somali capital of Mogadishu. The bombing killed at least five Somali soldiers and injured another eight. The incident took place in the village of Almada, about 20 kilometers Northwest of Mogadishu.

Kenya has recently proposed to increase funding to fight the al-Shabaab within Somali territory.

READ ALSO: Man behind Bella Vista club grenade attack to be hanged

Image: The Telegraph

Source: TUKO.co.ke
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>
BEIRUT (Reuters) - The Syrian government on Saturday ruled out discussion of presidential elections or the position of the presidency at peace talks due to begin on Monday, saying the opposition was deluded if thought it could take power in Geneva. Foreign Minister Walid al-Moualem confirmed his government's participation in U.N.-led talks but said they would fail if the opposition had "delusions that they will take power in Geneva that they failed to take in battle". The government delegation would reject any attempt to include presidential elections on the agenda, he said. "We will not talk to anyone who talks about the position of the presidency," Moualem said during a televised news conference in Damascus. "I advise them that if this is their thinking, they shouldn't come to the talks." "They must abandon these delusions." Moualem said the government delegation would travel to Geneva on Sunday but would return to Damascus within 24 hours if the other side did not show up. The Syrian government's understanding of "political transition" was from the existing constitution to a new one, and from the existing government to a new one with participation from the other side, he said. The Syrian opposition wants the talks to focus on the establishment of a transitional governing body with full executive powers, and has rejected the idea of joining an expanded Syrian government. In response to Moualem's comments, the main opposition council accused Damascus of halting the talks before they had started. "I believe he is putting the nails in the coffin of Geneva, this is clear," Monzer Makhous, a member of the opposition High Negotiations Committee, told Al Arabiya Al Hadath TV. "Moualem is stopping Geneva before it starts." The foreign minister also said the government was committed to a "cessation of hostilities" agreement brokered by the United States and Russia that has reduced the violence in western Syria since it came into effect two weeks ago. He criticised U.N. envoy Staffan de Mistura, saying neither he or anyone else had the right to talk about presidential elections in Syria and demanding "neutrality and objectivity" on his part. He also rejected the idea of a federal solution to the war. (This corrected version of the story removes reference to Assad being a "red line" after a Syrian official clarified that Moualem was addressing Syrian ambassador to the United Nations Bashar al-Jaafari in the audience when he said the matter of the presidency was a "red line"). (Writing by Tom Perry; Editing by Angus MacSwan)
CAIRO (Reuters) - Egypt's prime minister sacked Justice Minister Ahmed al-Zend on Sunday after he was criticised for saying he would jail Islam's Prophet Mohammad himself if he broke the law. Zend's comments came in a televised interview on Friday. He immediately said "God forgive me", and on Saturday issued an apology in another interview. It was not immediately clear who would replace Zend, a hardliner and outspoken critic of the Muslim Brotherhood. "Prime Minister Sherif Ismail issued a decree today to relieve Ahmed al-Zend ... of his position," a government statement said, giving no more details. Zend, a former appeals court judge, had been publicly outspoken in his criticism of the Islamist movement removed from power by the army in mid-2013 and banned as a terrorist group. He has in the past denounced the 2011 revolt that ended Hosni Mubarak's 30-year rule and ushered in the election that brought the Muslim Brotherhood to power. He has also been a strong defender of the judiciary and its powerful position. Egyptian judges issued a statement opposing Zend's removal over what the head of the Judges Club told Reuters was a slip of the tongue that could have happened to anyone. "Egypt's judges are sorry that someone who defended Egypt and its people, judiciary and nation in the face of the terrorist organisation that wanted to bring it down should be punished in this way," said Abdallah Fathi. Egyptian courts have been absolving Mubarak-era officials, while imposing long sentences on liberal and Islamist activists. Egypt's judiciary has faced criticism from rights groups in the past two years after judges issued mass death sentences against Muslim Brotherhood supporters, locking up youth activists and sentencing writers and journalists. Zend's predecessor was also forced to resign last May after saying the son of a garbage collector was ineligible to serve as a judge. (Reporting Mostafa Hashem and Haithem Ahmed; Writing by Ahmed Aboulenein and Lin Noueihed; Editing by Kevin Liffey and Stephen Powell)
BEIRUT (Reuters) - Lebanon's Interior Minister Nohad Machnouk said on Friday the country's rubbish crisis had been "99 percent solved" at a government committee meeting on the issue. The Lebanese National News Agency quoted Machnouk and reported there would be a cabinet meeting on Saturday to finalise the agreement. It gave no further details. Politicians' failure to agree on a solution for garbage disposal has left mountains of trash piling up in and around Beirut for months and prompted warnings over the potential spread of diseases. Lebanon cancelled a plan to export its rubbish to Russia last month, a government agency said. The problem is symptomatic of political deadlock that has left the country without a president for almost two years and prevented the government from taking even basic decisions. Opposing factions include parties backed by regional rivals Saudi Arabia and Iran. Conflict across the Middle East, including the war in neighbouring Syria, where Iran and Saudi Arabia support warring sides, has strained Lebanon's sectarian political system. Saudi Arabia recently halted $3 billion of aid to Lebanon's armed forces, blaming the government's failure to condemn attacks on its diplomatic missions in Iran after Riyadh executed a Shi'ite cleric. Arab states have also labelled Shi'ite Hezbollah, a powerful political and military force in Lebanon, a terrorist organisation. (Reporting by John Davison; editing by Andrew Roche)
By Orhan Coskun and Ercan Gurses ANKARA (Reuters) - Turkey is working on measures to fulfil its part in a potential 6 billion euro (4.6 billion) deal to take back illegal migrants from Europe and will involve the U.N. to ensure it complies with international law, senior Turkish officials said on Friday. Ankara struck a draft deal with the European Union on Monday in which it agreed to take back irregular migrants in exchange for more funding, the quick introduction of visa-free travel for Turks, and a speeding up of long-stalled EU membership talks. European and Turkish leaders hope the deal will discourage illegal migrants and kill off the business of human smugglers. But legal details are still being worked out ahead of an EU summit next week and many governments remain sceptical. The top U.N. human rights official said on Thursday it could mean illegal "collective and arbitrary expulsions". A senior Turkish government official involved in the negotiations said Turkey would comply with international law and that the United Nations refugee agency UNHCR would be involved. "UNHCR will certainly not be excluded on any work conducted between Turkey and the EU. UNHCR will take part in the execution and the implementation," he said, declining to be identified because the agreement has not yet been finalised. A particular difficulty for EU lawyers trying to tie up the package by the March 17-18 summit is the question of whether Turkey constitutes a "safe" country for the return of illegal migrants. An EU definition of such a state refers to the Geneva Convention on refugees, with which Turkey does not fully comply. "Many say that Turkey is not a safe third country. That subject is one that needs more work and discussion," said Metin Corabatir, a former UNHCR spokesman who now heads the Research Centre on Asylum and Migration, a Turkish think-tank. Turkey is nonetheless planning rapid legislation to try to ensure the deal can be implemented. It has already offered to sign readmission agreements with 14 countries including Afghanistan, a move which would enable it to more quickly take back migrants rejected by the EU. It is also working on the conditions set by EU leaders for the granting of visa-free travel by June, seen by many Turks as the most tangible benefit they will get from the deal. Turkey aims to complete nine steps by May 1 including a new personal data security law, a framework for the introduction of biometric passports and tighter regulation of its border security agency, the senior official said. (Additional reporting by Tulay Karadeniz; Writing by Nick Tattersall)
Fight Donald Trump violence Super Tuesday at Trump's 555 California

Date:

Tuesday, March 15, 2016

Time:

12:15 PM - 1:00 PM

Event Type:

Protest

Organizer/Author:

Michael Petrelis

Location Details:

555 California Bank of America Building Trump brags about owning (30% of)

San Francisco to Protest Trump Rally Violence



San Francisco  Activists and community will join together outside Trump Luxury Towers, in San Francisco, at noon on Tuesday March 15, to protest the violence, the corporate greed, the racism, the homophobia, Islamophobia and the anti-immigrant sentiment that Donald Trump has been promoting at his Presidential campaign rallies, all across the United States.



Activists assert that Republican presidential candidate, Donald Trump, has been directly inciting violence at his rallies, using the power of the Presidential election campaign process as his stage.

Trump quotes which are inciting violence against rally attendees of color and against those who are peacefully protesting his policies, include: Knock the crap out of him; Get him out Bye-Bye; You know what we used to do, carry them out on a stretcher; I would like to punch them in the face, I tell ya. And much more.



This incitement has led directly to actual violence at Trump rallies. One incident that stands out is where a white man, unprovoked, lashed out and punched an African American, hitting him in the face, while the man was being led out in the supposed safe custody of security.



After the event the man said: Next time we see him we may have to kill him. There have now been several assaults and injuries sustained at Trump rallies. These tend to be racially motivated. When asked to denounce the violence, Trump doubles down and says its well deserved.



Trumps behavior, in the name of seeking the US presidency, is so outrageous that we must speak out, now!





PLEASE JOIN US TO EXPRESS YOUR OUTRAGE:



WHERE: Trump Tower San Francisco, 555 California Street, San Francisco, CA



WHEN: March 15, 12:15  1:00 PM


This article summaries how the city council voted 5 to 2 to maintain a sleeping ban in Santa Cruz County, which unjustly punishes the homeless for their condition.

On March 8th, 2015 the Santa Cruz City Council held a hearing on an amendment to the current anti-camping law that Council Member Don Lane proposed. Lane's amendment would keep police from using the camping law to fine homeless individuals for sleeping in public.There are about 2,000 homeless individuals in Santa Cruz, and about 100 shelter beds are available to them by the city of Santa Cruz during the winter season. Additional shelter beds are available from various non-profit groups, such as ones helping women who are victims of sexual violence, but not enough to shelter the entire homeless population.In 2015 alone, 1,551 citations were issued against hundreds of residents and a few non-residents of Santa Cruz City. There were about a thousand citations issued by police officers and about 500 by park rangers. Out of all of the citations, 97 percent of them were unpaid, which demonstrated that the anti-camping law has been used, by law enforcement and park rangers, to target the homeless population that resides in Santa Cruz City.In Council Member Lane's presentation, he argued that to not change the camping ordinance is akin to voting for a motion that states: The act of sleeping outside at night is so harmful to the community that it needs to be illegal. People who are found sleeping outside at night should be penalized for that act even if they do not have a place to sleep legally. It is okay for a person to sit on a bench on Pacific Avenue at 2AM as long as that person stays awake. The harm comes when that person falls asleep.In these statements, Lane emphasized the absurdity of making it illegal for the homeless to sleep in public places, especially considering the fact there are not enough rooms in shelters for all of the homeless and since there are no legal encampments in place for the homeless to go to.Certain council members, such as council member Comstock, claimed that if the city is more lenient on the homeless, by invoking a sleeping ban reversal, the change may encourage more homeless to come into the county.Applied Survey Research did a homeless survey census and discovered these following changes from 2013 to 2015: Veteran homelessness decreased from 395 persons in 2013 to 155 in 2015 Chronic homelessness decreased from 989 persons in 2013 to 512 in 2015 Unaccompanied homeless children and young adults (<25) decreased from 947 in 2013 to 272 in 2015 69% are unsheltered 21% live in vehicles 24% have a foster care experience 84% were housed in Santa Cruz when they became homeless 53% have a disabling condition 86% said yes to wanting safe, affordable and permanent housingOverall, the homeless census determined that the homeless population decreased by 44 percent from 2013 to 2015. The council members concerns of an increasing homeless population, when the population has actually almost been cut in half is unmerited, since the sleeping ban itself is not a factor that causes a decrease in the homeless population, since fining people for being homeless will not deter them from being homeless if they cannot afford their own home. Council member Lane stated that the homeless can be charged with various other fines, such as obstructing a sidewalk or trespass, even when the sleeping ban is revoked. Therefore those other local ordinances will remain as a deterrent for the homeless to sleep in certain public locations.During public testimony, Representatives of non-profits, such as the United Way, claimed that the unpaid fines adversely affected the credit scores of the homeless. Therefore the fines not only lack a deterrent effect, but their existence makes it harder for the homeless to obtain rental properties.Council members brought up a federal case in which bans on sleeping in public were deemed as a violation of the 8th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. In addition the city could face a decline in HUDD funding for maintaining the status quo. However, despite the fact some of the council members were concerned about losing HUDD funding they still voted 5 to 2 (with Council Members Micah Posner and Don Lane supporting) to strike down the amendment.The council members who voted to strike the amendment claimed they wanted to help the homeless by increasing mental health services. Hypocritical of those Council members to want to help the homeless with mental illness when they support a law that leads to sleep deprivation and to individuals falling asleep in less safe locations that are not as visible to the public. Shame on the mayor and the four council members for their lack of compassion for the homeless.For more information on the Homeless Census go see the article, Census Results Show Major Decline in Homelessness in Santa Cruz County
On the rain-swept evening of March 8, the Santa Cruz City Council voted 5-2 to re-affirm the city's camping ban, which outlaws sleeping in public with or without bedding, and prohibits sleeping in cars, between the hours of 11pm and 8:30am. Supporters of the "Right to Rest" had hoped the city council would remove references to the word "sleep" from the ordinance, but the majority of council members voted to keep the law exactly as it is presently written. Shortly after the vote concluded, it was business as usual for the Santa Cruz Police Department, whose officers spent the evening issuing citations and targeting homeless people sleeping downtown. [Top photo: SCPD officer Nicholas Kramer issues a camping citation to a man sleeping along Walnut Avenue at 6:45am on March 9, following the city council's vote to re-affirm the camping ban about eight hours earlier.]

A large group of community members spoke to the city council in favor of amending the camping ban (section 6.36.010 of the municipal code). The meeting was adjourned immediately after the conclusion of the camping ban vote, at about 10:30pm.At about 11:45pm, SCPD officer Dominique Hohmann and another officer with the department cleared the downtown post office of the homeless people who were sleeping there, citing two individuals. One of the individuals was told by police she was being cited for trespassing. At no time did either of the two officers offer the people they cited at the post office any information on where to find an emergency shelter or how to receive social services.At about 12:15am, one of the same officers who was citing people at the post office was at the Boys & Girls Club, citing two individuals for sleeping near the club's front entrance. The officer informed the men they had a certain number of minutes to gather their belongings and leave the area.Shortly after 3am, SCPD Sergeant Bill Azua and officer David Gunter arrived at Santa Cruz City Hall after they were called by a First Alarm security guard to eject a single woman who was sleeping under the building's eaves on the brick walkway that leads up to the city's main offices. The security guard had begun to clear the walkway of three other sleepers seeking shelter from the rain, but was unsuccessful in his attempts to get the woman to leave. She did leave, however, after Azua spoke with her.At no time did Azua or Gunter ever offer any of the people they moved along at City Hall information on how to receive social services or any shelter services. The woman had been asleep using a single blanket.At 6:45 am, SCPD officer Nicholas Kramer cited multiple homeless people who were sleeping along the edge of the Cedar parking garage.One man sleeping next to the sidewalk on the Walnut Avenue side of the garage was issued a camping citation. He was asleep when officer Kramer approached him. The space he occupied was small, and the only equipment the man was using was a thin sleeping pad and a sleeping bag.At no time did officer Kramer offer the man cited near Walnut Avenue any information on how to receive shelter services or any other social services.The homeless woman who was displaced by police at City Hall eventually joined the Freedom Sleepers, who were participating in their 35th community sleepout a few feet away.Since July 4, the Freedom Sleepers have been sleeping at City Hall one night a week to protest local laws that criminalize homelessness.Before she was moved by police, the woman was sleeping under the eaves of City Hall, a location that was dry and sheltered from the wind and rain. When sleeping with the Freedom Sleepers on the open sidewalk, she was directly exposed to the elements, where she was rained on for two to three hours.The Freedom Sleepers choose to sleep on the sidewalk in front of City Hall, because it is a location which leaves them largely safe from the police. During rain storms, however, some Freedom Sleepers without tents migrate to the dry areas of City Hall, which is closed to the public at night. Sleeping there places them at a higher risk of interacting with police.One of the homeless men moved along from City Hall at 3am by First Alarm and the Santa Cruz police eventually made his way about a half a block away to the front entrance of the Prophet Elias Greek Orthodox Church, where he slept until daybreak.There was some irony in this, considering a member of the church's parish council spoke before the city council only five hours earlier in favor of maintaining the camping ban as it is.Sophie Polychronakis, the vice-president of the parish council, told city council members the proposed changes to the camping ordinance wouldn't affect the church directly because they are a "private entity" and they can call police to have people removed from their property, which is marked with several no trespassing signs.Changing the ordinance, Polychronakis stated to the city council, "may even create even bigger problems."It is unclear if the parish council of Prophet Elias knows how many people are pushed towards their property by the move-along laws the church supports.Alex Darocy
This Week in Palestine, March 11th, 2015 by IMEMC

Welcome to this Week in Palestine, a service of the International Middle East Media Center, http://www.imemc.org , for March 5, to the 11, 2016.

Listen now: Copy the code below to embed this audio into a web page: <audio preload="none" src="https://www.indybay.org/uploads/2016/03/12/thisweekinpalestine_10_2016.mp3" controls="controls"></audio>

Israeli troops kill seven Palestinians during separate attacks this week, meanwhile France retreats the importance of a peace deal. These stories, and more, coming up, stay tuned.





The Nonviolence Report



Lets begin our weekly report as usual with the nonviolent activities organized in the West Bank. two children were injured by Israeli troops gunfire, scores others suffered effects of tear gas inhalation on Friday when Israeli forces attacked nonviolent protests organized in West Bank villages. IMEMCs Majd Batjali with the details :



This week protests were organized in the villages of Bilin, Nilin and al Nabi Saleh in central West Bank, and in the northern West Bank village of Kufer Kadum.



Two children were injured after being shot by Israeli soldiers as they attacked protesters in al Nabi Saleh village. Medical sources said the soldiers shot Mohammad Tamimi, 9, with a gas bomb in his abdomen. Another child was shot with a rubber-coated steel bullet in his cheek. Also in central West Bank, at the villages of Bilin and Nilin, Israeli soldiers attacked the protesters as soon as they reached the gate in the wall that separates local farmers from their lands. Many protesters suffered the effects of tear gas inhalation and were treated by field medics at both locations.



Meanwhile Israeli troops attacked the weekly protest organized by the villagers of Kufer Kadum. Troops fired live rounds, mushroom bullets and tear gas at protesters and their supporters at the village entrance. Many residents suffered the effects of tea gas inhalation.



For IMEMC News this Majd Batjali.





The Political Report



This week, Both Egypt and France agrees on the significance of a peaceful settlement for the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. IMEMCs Rami Al Meghari has more:



Egyptian and French ministers of foreign affairs met in Cairo this week. Both high-ranking officials agreed that is rather imperative to reach a peaceful settlement in the Middle East that would in turn end the Israeli-Arab conflict from one part and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, from the other part.



Sameh Shukry, Egyptian foreign minister, emphasized on the Palestinian people's right to a Palestinian state on the 1967 borders, especially key world countries support a two-state solution.



Jean-Marc Ayrault, French foreign minister, from his part, reaffirmed his country's initiative for peace between Palestinians and Israelis. Yet, he made clear that in case Israel would not accept that initiative, France would not likely go ahead in efforts.



Palestinian-Israeli peace process has been halted due to Israeli settlements building on occupied West Bank and Arab East Jerusalem. Palestinians demand halt of that building, while Israel insists on going back to negotiations table, non-conditionally.



Palestinian Authority had earlier secured an international recognition of a non-member state at the United Nations.



Recently, the PA has been garnering support for holding an international peace process that would solve the issue, on basis of relevant international legitimacy resolutions and the two-state vision, backed by Washington, years ago.



In the meantime, former Egyptian foreign minister, Ahmad Abuelgheit, officially became Secretary of Arab States league, in succession of Nabil Alaraby. Abuelgheit stated that he would start dealing with various problems in the region, including the Palestinian one.



For IMEMC News, I am Rami Almeghari in Gaza.





The West Bank and Gaza Report



This week, Israeli troops killed seven Palestinians in shooting incidents and kidnaped more than 80 other during invasions targeting West Bank communities. In Gaza troops continued to attack farmers. IMEMCs Ghassan Bannoura Report:



Five Palestinians were shot dead by Israeli troops on Tuesday allegedly carrying out separate attacks in Israel and occupied East Jerusalem, killing one American tourist and wounding at least 12 Israelis, on Tuesday afternoon and evening.



In the first deadly encounter, shortly before 5 p.m., an Israeli police spokesperson said that a Palestinian man was shot dead after he allegedly stabbed and wounded an Israeli man near Petah Tikva, about seven miles east of Tel Aviv. Minutes later, another Palestinian was shot dead after allegedly firing gunshots at Israeli police forces near Salah al-Din Street. in occupied East Jerusalem, injuring two Israeli officers, one critically.



Shortly after 6 p.m., Israeli police reported a third attack near the port in the Israeli city of Jaffa, with a young Palestinian man shot dead after he stabbed an American tourist to death and wounded at least nine Israelis.



On Tuesday morning, Israeli soldiers killed a Palestinian woman in Jerusalems Old City after the army claimed that she tried to stab soldiers. Troops prevented Palestinian medics from approaching the seriously injured woman, who died of her wounds. On Tuesday midday a Palestinian man was also shot dead by Israeli troops near the old city after he allegedly tried to stab soldiers.



Later in the week, Israeli soldiers killed, on Wednesday morning, two Palestinians in Jerusalem, one Israeli was injured, in two separate attacks in the city. Israeli sources said that the two Palestinians reportedly rammed an Israeli with their car, near Bab al-Amoud area, in Jerusalem, seriously wounding him.



The sources added that the two Palestinians were also behind a shooting attack, carried out earlier on Wednesday, near the illegal Israeli settlement of Ramat Shlomo northwest of Jerusalem.



Also this week, Israeli forces conducted more than 85 military invasions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank. During these invasions Israeli troops kidnapped 80 Palestinian civilians, including 52 children.



In the Gaza Strip, medical sources said the soldiers shot, and seriously injured, a Palestinian in his land, close to the border fence, east of the al-Boreij refugee camp, in Central Gaza. The sources said the wounded Palestinian was instantly moved to the al-Aqsa hospital, in Deir al-Balah, in Central Gaza suffering serious wounds to the upper part of his body.



Later in the week, The Al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of the Hamas movement, has reported Wednesday that one of its fighters was killed in what it called training and preparation accident, in central Gaza.



For IMEMC News this is Ghassan Bannoura.





Conclusion



And thats all for today from This Week in Palestine. This was the Weekly report for March 5, to the 11, 2016. From the Occupied Palestinian Territories. For more news and updates please visit our website at www-dot-imemc-dot-org, This weeks report has been brought to you by George Rishmawi and me Eman Abedraboo- Bannoura.
Starved by the banks

by Firestarter Sun, Mar 13, 2016 5:47AM
Many things have been said since the demise of Barrister James Ocholi, Nigeria's minister of state for labour on Sunday, March 6.

The late minister, his wife and son reportedly died on his way from church, as well as his driver.

His death has immediately sparked a lot of reactions from Nigerians who knew him closely and those who had only know him during the ministerial screening where he was adjudged one of the best nominees at the time.

Legit.ng's Wuraola Zainab has compiled top 10 things that prominent Nigerians said about the late minister.

The national women leader of the APC, Dr Ramatu Tijjani Aliyu, said: "You were right up till your death, a consummate gentleman, a source legal luminary and a quintessential family man."

Ex-vice president, Abubakar Atiku, in his message, said: "The nation had lost a committed professional whose place in his profession, political party and the budding administration in place today, would be hard to fill."

Senator Chris Ngige who worked closely with Ocholi in the ministry of Labour, said: "He died in active service and described him as an amiable and responsible family man."

Umar Duhu, the immediate past interim national vice chairman of the APC in the north east, said: He was indeed a leader per excellence and a change agent.

Mai Mala Buni, the national secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), said: "he would be remembered for his selfless service to the country as minister, party, legal profession, and his home state Kogi."

Governor Nasir El-Rufai, who spoke through his spokesperson, Samuel Aruwan, stated as well, that "the minister died at a critical time when his contributions in the on-going national rebirth and realisation of the change mantra were needed."

Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi state said: "Ocholi was a complete gentleman and was irrevocably committed to the advancement of Nigeria."

Governor Dave Umahi of Ebonyi state described Ocholi as "A nice and responsible man who was conscious of his responsibility. It is a sad and national calamity."

President Muhammadu Buhari said: "Barrister Ocholi was an accomplished and patriotic Nigerian, who was keen to accept the call to service at a time his country needed him and concluded that it is a tragedy of monumental proportion. Ocholi was a key component of the change agenda."

Ocholi's uncle, Abdallah Aliu in grief, said: "While I was in his house, I already knew because those who conspired and plotted it (the death) became jittery because I have never been to that house and they dont know me. But somehow, they became jittery, scared and worried."

The late minister will be buried later this week as reported by the family members.

Source: Legit.ng
Scientists from the U.S. Department of Energy's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) have shown for the first time that an enzyme can be tweaked to reduce lignin in plants. Their technique could help lower the cost of converting biomass into carbon-neutral fuels to power your car and other sustainably developed bio-products.

Lignin is a polymer that's important to a plant's health and structure. But lignin also permeates plant cell walls and surrounds the sugars trapped inside. This poses a major challenge in efforts to use microbes to ferment the sugar into useful chemicals and fuels. That's because lignin must be chemically broken down in a costly pretreatment step before the sugar is fermented. The less lignin there is in a plant, the cheaper this pretreatment step becomes, which is a major goal of the bioenergy industry.

Now, as reported in the journal Plant & Cell Physiology, Berkeley Lab scientists are taking on this challenge in an entirely new way.

They focused on an enzyme called HCT that plays a key role synthesizing lignin in plants. Ordinarily, the enzyme binds with a particular molecule as part of the lignin-production process. The scientists explored whether HCT binds with several other molecules that have similar structures to the original molecule, and they found HCT is pretty indiscriminate with what it accepts.

With this in mind, the researchers introduced another molecule to the enzyme that occupies the binding site usually occupied by the lignin-producing molecule. This swap inhibits the enzyme's ability to support lignin production.

Initial tests in a model plant show this approach decreases lignin content by 30 percent while upping sugar production. What's more, the technique promises to be much more "tunable" than the current way of reducing plant lignin, in which lignin-producing genes are silenced. This decreases lignin everywhere in a plant and throughout its lifespan, resulting in a weakened plant and a lower sugar yield.

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"Our goal is to tune the process so that lignin is reduced in a plant where we want it reduced, such as in tissues that produce thick cell walls, and when we want it reduced, such as later in a plant's development," says Dominique Loque, a plant biologist with the Joint BioEnergy Institute (JBEI), a DOE Bioenergy Research Center led by Berkeley Lab, which pursues breakthroughs in the production of cellulosic biofuels.

"This would result in robust bioenergy crops with more sugar and less lignin, and dramatically cheaper pretreatment costs," Loque said.

Loque conducted the research with Aymerick Eudes and several other JBEI scientists across three divisions: Feedstocks, Fuels Synthesis, and Technology. Many of the scientists are also in Berkeley Lab's Biological Systems and Engineering Division.

The scientists started their research knowing that HCT is key to lignin production in plants, and that it is potentially "promiscuous," meaning it binds with a variety of molecules. But they didn't know how promiscuous HCT is, and the extent to which HCT's promiscuity is found throughout plant life.

To find out, they isolated HCT enzymes from five plants that represent 450 million years of evolution, from ancient moss to poplar, switchgrass, pine, and a plant called Arabidopsis. They placed the enzymes in yeast and supplied the yeast with a set of new molecules suspected to bind with the enzyme instead of a lignin-producing molecule. In each case, the enzyme yielded a product that isn't an intermediate to lignin.

"This means our lignin-reduction strategy is likely applicable to most bioenergy crops," says Eudes.

Next, the scientists analyzed the enzyme's molecular structure at the Advanced Light Source, a DOE Office of Science User Facility hosted at Berkeley Lab. Protein crystallography studies of HCT from switchgrass showed one of the new molecules attaching to the enzyme at the site normally occupied by the lignin-producing molecule. In fact, the new molecule has a similar affinity to the binding site as the lignin-producing molecule.

"This is proof the enzyme accepts the new substrate, and it shows there's stiff competition between the two molecules," says Eudes. In a final test of their approach, the scientists genetically modified several Arabidopsis plants so they had 25 times more of one of the new molecules than normal. These plants had 30 percent less lignin than unmodified plants, and a higher concentration of sugars.

The scientists next want to learn how to adjust the temporal and spatial specificity of the enzyme's lignin-reduction abilities in plants. They also want to further study the Advanced Light Source-derived enzyme structures to see if HCT can be modified to be even more attractive to the new molecules.
Russia is developing and testing military grade Cyber War weapons on real targets, and finding out what works and what needs improvement. The problems with this is that most of the testing is conducted on weaker neighbors Russia is not getting along with. For example in late 2015 a large part of western Ukraine suffered a power blackout. Some 1.4 million homes and businesses went dark for several hours because of a computer virus (BlackEnergy) believed to be Russian and deliberately deployed against Ukraine to disrupt a power plants and the electrical distribution system. From the beginning Ukraine suspected that this was a Cyber War attack that was carried out by Russia as it was the kind of attack that had no monetary reward but was the sort of thing one nation would use on an enemy in wartime. Russia denied any involvement but the Russians always say that even when there is a pile of evidence proving otherwise.

NATO Cyber War advisers immediately went to work helping Ukraine sort out how the attack was carried out and how to protect against future attacks. The investigation concluded that the attacker had first got access to the networks of three small energy companies using spear-fishing attacks (official looking emails that had an attachment which, when opened, secretly installed software that gave the attackers access to the company network.) After that several other specialized bits of malware (hacker software) were used to map the compromised networks and then carry out crippling attacks. NATO Cyber War investigators found clear evidence of a professional style attack on the energy company networks including careful reconnaissance of the target network to see what items had to be disabled to cause the most damage. The NATO experts gave Ukraine a long list of changes that would have to be made to government and corporate networks associated with all utility (power, water, and so on) and industrial networks.

The forerunner of this Ukraine attacks hit tiny Estonia (population 1.3 million) as early as 2007. In response Estonia, a member of NATO, made a lot of changes and in 2015 formed a Cyber War militia. All this because Russia keeps threatening another major Cyber War offensive. Despite its small size Estonia is the most technically advanced (on a per-capita basis) nation in East Europe and was able to recruit several hundred skilled volunteers who are hard at work pooling their knowledge and skills to better handle more Cyber War aggression from Russia. Ukraine, despite being the largest East European nation is much less well prepared form another Russian Cyber War attack.

Estonia borders Russia and is a member of NATO. That last bit makes Russia reluctant to come in with tanks to take over like they did twice in the 1940s. Instead Russia made a major effort to crush Estonia via major Internet based attacks in 2007. Estonia survived that invasion but admitted that this sort of Russian aggression caused great financial damage. In the wake of these Russian Cyber War attacks Estonia demanded that the UN and NATO declare this sort of thing terrorism and dealt with accordingly. NATO tried to be helpful, but that wasnt enough. The UN was even less helpful as the UN has a hard time getting anything done when Russia is involved because Russia is one of the handful of founding members that has a veto over such decisions.

NATO did make an effort and in 2008 established a Cyber Defense Center in Estonia. This was the most tangible NATO response to Estonian calls for NATO to declare Cyber War on Russia. NATO agreed to discuss the issue but never took any action against Russia. The Cyber Defense Center was a consolation prize and studies Cyber War techniques and incidents and attempts to coordinate efforts by other NATO members to create Cyber War defenses and offensive weapons. NATO say that this appears to have deterred Russia from making another Cyber War attack. The Estonians are not so sure as Russia went ahead and invaded Georgia (a nation of four million in the Caucasus) in 2008 and Ukraine in 2014 and still makes very public threats against Estonia. But the Cyber Defense Center in Estonia has proved to be a valuable resource for other nations looking to improve their Cyber War defenses, especially against Russia.

Cyber Wars have actually been going on since the late 1990s and they are getting worse. It started in the 1990s as individuals attacked the web sites in other nations because of diplomatic disputes. This was usually stirred up by some international incident. India and Pakistan went at it several times, and Arabs and Israelis have been trashing each others web sites for years. The Arabs backed off at first, mainly because the Israeli hackers are much more effective. But in the last few years the Arabs have acquired more skills and are back at it. Chinese and Taiwanese hackers go at each other periodically, and in 2001, Chinese and American hackers clashed because of a collision off the Chinese coast between an American reconnaissance aircraft and a Chinese fighter. That was just the beginning for China, which now regularly makes major hacking attacks on the U.S. and other NATO members.

Since 2005 these Cyber Wars have escalated from web site defacing and shutting down sites with massive amounts of junk traffic (DDOS attacks), to elaborate espionage efforts against American military networks. The attackers are believed to be Chinese, and some American military commanders are calling for a more active defense (namely, a counterattack) to deal with the matter.

The Russian attacks against Estonia were the result of Estonia moving a statue, honoring Russian World War II soldiers, from the center of the capital, to a military cemetery in the countryside. The Estonians always saw the statue as a reminder of half a century of Russian occupation and oppression. Russia saw the statue move as an insult to the efforts of Russian soldiers to liberate Estonia and enable the Russians to occupy the place for half a century. The basic problem here is that most Russians don't see their Soviet era ancestors as evil people, despite the millions of Russians and non-Russians killed by the Soviet secret police. The Russians are very proud of their defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II, ignoring the fact that the Soviet government was just biding its time before it launched its own invasion of Germany and Europe in general. All this means little to anyone from outside East Europe, but for any nations neighboring Russia these Russian resentments have to be carefully monitored.

While many Russians would have backed a military attack on Estonia to retaliate for the insult by an ungrateful neighbor, this approach was seen as imprudent. Estonia is part of NATO and an attack on one NATO member is considered an attack on all. It's because of this Russian threat that Estonia was so eager to get into NATO. The Russians, however, believe that massive Cyber War attacks will not trigger a NATO response. They were so sure of this that some of the early DDOS attacks were easily traced back to computers owned by the Russian government. When that got out, the attacks stopped for a few days, and then resumed from what appear to be illegal botnets. Maybe some legal botnets as well. Russian language message boards were full of useful information on how to join the holy war against evil Estonia. There's no indication that any Russians are afraid of a visit from the Russian cyber-police for any damage they might do to Estonia. And the damage has been significant, amounting to millions of dollars. While no one has been injured, Estonia is insisting that this attack, by Russia, should trigger the mutual defense provisions of the NATO treaty. It didn't, but it was a reminder to all that Cyber War is very real except when it comes time to fight back.
When Army Private Hannah Foraker left for basic training last November, it was the first time in 13 years her dog Buddy had to spend time apart from her best friend. As hard as separating was, however, it led to a joyous scene caught on camera when Hannah finally came home for Christmas.

This browser does not support the video tag. YouTube/Hannah Foraker

At her advanced age, Buddy is now mostly deaf and has arthritis according to Foraker, but upon reuniting with her best friend, the dog seemed to turn into the happy puppy Hannah first met over a decade ago. "We opened the front door and she came running out and greeted me and my family," Foraker told Buzzfeed News. "She was completely overwhelmed and she couldn't even stand up."

Dodo Shows Pittie Nation The Sweetest Pittie Was Living Under A Jeep

This browser does not support the video tag. YouTube/Hannah Foraker

Foraker says even her family was surprised by the newfound energy Buddy suddenly discovered. "My parents were so astonished by how happy she was," said Foraker. "She normally has trouble going up and down the stairs and takes shorter walks, but now that I was home she was so happy and active. She would get up and do her happy dance."

This browser does not support the video tag. YouTube/Hannah Foraker
A Herndon woman visiting an acquaintance in Prince William County was abducted and raped late Thursday, and police are continuing to look for her attacker, according to a Prince William police department news release.

A 31-year-old woman was walking in the area of Maplewood Drive and Peakwood Court in Manassas when an unknown man approached her, displayed a handgun, and forced her into the woods in a secluded area behind a townhome on nearby Vermont Place, police say. He then raped her, police say.

Police are looking for a black, 5-foot-9 man, of medium build, last seen wearing a black puffy winter jacket, dark gray jeans, and a black and white bandana.

Anyone with information on the case can call Crime Solvers anonymously at 703-670-3700 or 1-866-411-TIPS, and tips could earn up to $1,000.
The big idea: Emerson Process Management sought to expand into Russia, a vital emerging market with one of the largest oil and gas reserves in the world. This was an opportunity for the St. Louis-based company to build its process automation and control systems business, which aimed to improve productivity.

In the past, the company had boosted revenue by following big multinational oil companies abroad and providing them with intelligent control systems, software, measuring devices and valves. After the fall of the Soviet Union, Russia didnt want foreign companies controlling its energy sector. So it turned over parts the state-run oil and energy industry to private Russian enterprises like Metran. Founded in 1992, Metran was a manufacturer of process automation equipment, too, though it mainly built pressure transmitters.

Emerson would set out to acquire Metran to gain access to the Russian market  a risky way to do so.

The scenario: In 2004, Russia ranked second behind Saudi Arabia in the production and export of crude oil. The country also held the worlds largest natural gas reserves and the second-largest coal reserves. Until 1996, Russia had prohibited non-Russian firms from owning manufacturing facilities in the energy sector.

In 2004, Emerson looked hard at acquiring Metran. Concerns loomed. Metrans unit margins were low and its product quality variable. Emerson questioned Metrans relationship with Pribor  a state-owned mechanical and electronic equipment manufacturer. Most employees had limited English skills, including top managers, and Metrans headquarters was in Siberia, far from the power brokers in Moscow. One other question kept cropping up: What if Russia walked away from market reforms and slipped back to a centrally planned economy and state-run companies?

The resolution: Emerson took the plunge. It brought in a Western manager experienced with Eastern European languages and culture. It set out to control operations, build local management skills and invest in local leadership. The plan was that Metran would be a wholly owned Emerson subsidiary within five years. Emerson funded a local college to teach engineering, English and other pertinent skills to students who could then be hired by Metran.

Then unforeseen political events arose. Russias invasion of Ukraine in February 2014 resulted in U.S. trade sanctions against Russia. Nonetheless  and despite the slowdown in the exploration and expansion of the oil industry because of a world oil glut  Emerson gained market share because the American-owned company was perceived as Russian.

The lesson: Companies bent on expanding abroad must be attuned to the culture of a country and enmeshed in its life to truly succeed. Firms should learn to become local to help weather political turmoil and to win over the populace and political leaders. As one company executive said: Culture eats strategy for lunch.

 Gregory B. Fairchild

Fairchild is an associate professor at the University of Virginia Darden School of Business.

Shahir Kassam-Adams, a Darden Ph.D. candidate, contributed to the original case study.
Marriott International is set to become the worlds largest hotel company  and nobody is more surprised than its chairman.

Its something I never, ever even imagined, John Willard Bill Marriott Jr. said last week on a private flight to tour textile mills in Thomaston, Ga., and Union, S.C., where the company purchases towels. Ive always said weve built the business one hotel at a time. I cant imagine that we [will] have more than 5,500, almost 6,000, hotels.

The hotel operators proposed takeover of Starwood Hotels and Resorts, slated to be completed this summer, would create a behemoth, with nearly $20 billion in annual revenue and 1.1 million rooms around the world.

Executives at Bethesda-based Marriott say they are looking for ways to combine the two companies computer systems, sales teams and rewards programs. The deal is projected to save the combined company $200 million in annual costs by eliminating redundancies and finding other efficiencies.

Were working on a total organization plan, said Marriott, whose father founded the company in 1927. So far, as we know, its been really well received by shareholders on both sides.

Marriott International is set to become the worlds largest hotel company with a proposed takeover of Starwood Hotels and Resorts. Here is signage for the New York Marriott Marquis is seen in Manhattan, NY. (Andrew Kelly/Reuters)

Shareholders of the two companies are scheduled to vote this month on the $12.2 billion deal, which is awaiting approval from regulators.

Marriott has purchased a number of smaller brands in recent years, including South Africa-based Protea Hotels and Delta Hotels, located primarily in Canada. But combining forces hasnt always been easy. The companys 2012 takeover of four Gaylord resorts was particularly rocky as Marriott struggled to combine its sales team with Gaylords.

I think we are hopefully learning from the experiences weve had in the past few years, Arne M. Sorenson, president and chief executive of Marriott, said in a February call with Wall Street analysts. You can, to some extent, look at the Gaylord acquisition and the Protea and Delta acquisitions as warm-up acts for this. And hopefully, were getting better at it.

Generally, he added, our plan is, as quickly as feasible, to move to one system, not two.

One area where that may be tricky is in combining the companies corporate headquarters.

Marriott is planning to move its headquarters from a sprawling suburban complex in coming years. Starwood, meanwhile, still has a lease on its headquarters in Stamford, Conn., which has about 2,000 employees.

Marriott has more than 900,000 square feet at its headquarters, on Fernwood Road. Sorenson said last year that the company planned to move when its lease expires in 2022. The hospitality giant is focusing on sites near Metrorail stations and would prefer to stay in the Washington area, where Hilton Worldwide, Choice Hotels and other large hotel firms are based.

Marriott has hired real estate consultant JLL to locate and review the companys options. Meanwhile, officials in the District, Maryland and Virginia have begun considering which properties near Metro stations might best interest the company. And it is not just state, city and suburban officials who are competing for the new headquarters.

In Montgomery County, a group of business leaders and residents, the Friends of White Flint, has begun publicly jockeying for the company to relocate to a redeveloping section of Rockville Pike, being branded as the Pike District.

The group purchased a bus advertisement in front of the companys headquarters, saying If Marriott picks the PIKE DISTRICT, youd be eating dinner by now.

On Thursday, Bill Marriott said the company is considering a number of locations but has not decided whether to remain in Maryland.

He also said it is too soon to tell when  and how  Starwoods corporate employees would be brought into the fold.

We dont know yet, he said. Weve got a bunch of sites were looking at, but we have no idea where were going yet.

Bill Marriott did not say specifically where the company was looking. But, he added, executives are searching for a site large enough to accommodate its 2,000-plus employees, as well as including a 275-child day-care center and gym.

Would it also include a pilates studio? Marriott, who turns 84 this month, is known to be a practitioner.

I sure hope so, he said.

Jonathan OConnell contributed to this report.
Bernie Gunther is a changed man in this, Philip Kerrs 11th novel to feature him. A Berlin cop and later private eye who hated the Nazis, subverted their policies when possible but compromised enough to survive, Bernie is pushing 60, living under an assumed name and working as a hotel concierge.

Even more altered are his surroundings. More than a decade has gone by since Bernies last adventure in bleak Central Europe: Its 1956, and he is doing whatever it is that a concierge does (that is, pretty much anything the guests ask him to do) on the French Riviera.

If you have trouble picturing cold-eyed, world-weary Bernie frolicking on a sun-soaked beach, not to worry. Yesterday I tried to kill myself, he confesses in the books opening line. Nor do surf and sand figure much in this fine thriller. Most of the action in The Other Side of Silence takes place in hotels or private apartments, in wartime Germany (during a long flashback), or in the Villa Mauresque, the extravagant, art-filled Riviera residence of novelist W. Somerset Maugham.

[Best mystery books and thrillers of 2015]

As students of spy fiction know, Maugham not only managed British spies early in the 20th century; he also wrote Ashenden, one of the best collections of spy stories. In his 80s when he and Bernie get to know each other, Maugham continues to dabble in espionage; in fact, he might not be free to quit even if he wanted to. As a not-very-discreet gay man, he is susceptible to blackmail in a world where homosexual acts are widely outlawed. Im a rich old queer, Maugham says. I have more skeletons in my closets than the Roman catacombs.

Blackmail is what brings Maugham and Bernie together. A figure from Bernies past has ended up on the Riviera under a new name: Harold Heinz Hebel. Bernie knew him as Harold Hennig, a loathsome Gestapo officer for whom blackmail is a way of life. During the war, he forced Bernie to go along with a scheme that culminated in the sinking of the military transport ship Wilhelm Gustloff  the greatest maritime disaster in history, we learn from an authors note. The 9,400 victims included the woman who was the love of Bernies life.

Hebel has obtained a compromising photo of Maugham and wants a tidy sum for relinquishing the print and its negative. Having sniffed out Bernies law-enforcement past, Maugham offers him $5,000 to make sure the transaction comes off as promised: i.e., that the blackmail money is safely delivered and the quid pro quo is surrendered. For Bernie the combination of that hefty fee and a chance to avenge his lovers death proves irresistible: He takes the job.

Other real people flit through the novel, including Maughams nephew Robin, also a novelist, and the traitors Guy Burgess, Anthony Blunt and Kim Philby. (There is a suspenseful moment when the German Bernie has to guess whether the English surname Philby starts with F or Ph.) But its Willy Maugham who fascinates Bernie the most: an elderly man . . . with a face like a Komodo dragon lizard. Although off-putting at first, the renowned writer ingratiates himself with his bawdy candor and sharp wit. Bernie himself is capable of sardonic witticisms, as when he gives his opinion of the English: Id never cared much for [them]. In two wars against Germany Id seen how they were capable of fighting to the last American.

The cast includes the obligatory femme fatale, and the plot is intricate enough to satisfy puzzle-minded readers. Occasionally, Kerr takes the easy way out. Bernie is directed to a spot on the roof of Villa Mauresque where an eavesdropper can overhear every word in the room below. And the unraveling of the central mystery in a room containing most of the principals is right out of the Agatha Christie playbook.

But the novels pivotal conceit  that in the absurdist world of espionage, the best way to accomplish something might be to purposely botch an attempt to do the opposite  is so well handled that Kerrs shortcuts hardly matter.

Whether Kerr will go back to chronicling Bernies World War II career is unclear, although the title of the next novel in the series, Prussian Blue, suggests that he might. Regardless, The Other Side of Silence makes for a welcome break from the relentlessly grim atmosphere in which Bernie is accustomed to working.

Dennis Drabelle is a former mysteries editor of Book World.

On Saturday, April 9 at 3:30 p.m. Philip Kerr will be at Politics and Prose Bookstore, 5015 Connecticut Ave. NW.
Dear Amy: Im an older man, married for a number of years. Not a terrific marriage, but Ive lived it so long Im just used to it. But thats another story.

A few years ago I met a single woman. We started talking; one thing led to another and we spent the night together.

It had been well over four years since my wife and I had relations. Ive carried on a sort of relationship with this woman and have seen her a few times.

Shes now demanding I come to be with her. I know its just my money she wants from things she has said.

I know shes sleeping with other men. I want to get her out of my life, but she has threatened to tell my wife everything if I dont get my act together.

Ive tried all I can think of without making her mad enough to do it. I honestly dont know if she would or not. I cant come clean; it would kill my wife. Her health is poor.

I know Im a stupid jerk for getting into this; Ive never done this before and feel so guilty about it.

I need help.

Stupid in Texas

Stupid in Texas: Do not let this person blackmail you. You need to own this and find a way to tell your wife and deal with the fallout in your marriage in a way that is respectful and loving. If you dont tell your wife, the blackmailers threat will keep you off-kilter and your lie and the secrecy will continue to affect your marriage  and your well-being. Do not negotiate or discuss this further with the person who is threatening you. To do so will only compound your mistake.

Dear Amy: I almost had a fight with my neighbor.

I have been getting her mail by mistake and opening it before I realized it wasnt mine. As soon as I realize my mistake, I have taken the mail to my neighbor.

Today she was downright snotty with me. She asked me why I was opening her mail. Just for the record, I have no interest in her affairs and am tired of receiving mail that isnt mine. I considered sending this person an email telling her I dont want her stupid mail and that maybe she should talk to the letter carrier, but I decided to write to you instead. Am I being oversensitive?

Trying to Be a Good Neighbor

Trying to Be a Good Neighbor: This mail-opening incident should not have happened more than once. From your note, it sounds as if this has happened more than once.

There is no excuse for your neighbor to be rude to you, but think about it  wouldnt it bother you if you repeatedly received mail addressed to you that had already been opened? Our mail contains much vital, personal and private information, such as medical information concerning test results, as well as private financial information such as account numbers and balances.

It is illegal to knowingly or intentionally open mail addressed to someone else. Keep that in mind as you receive and rip open mail without first checking to make sure it is addressed to you.

Yes  you should suggest to your neighbor that she speak with the letter carrier. And you should take any mail delivered to you by mistake, write delivered to wrong address on the envelope, and leave it  unopened  for your letter carrier to redeliver to the correct address.

Dear Amy: You run lots of letters about grief. Everyone grieves differently. Some of us grieve long after the actual loss. My own mother died in August. To my friends, I seemed so strong they wondered if I had no feelings toward my mother. Months later, my friends asked me if something was wrong in my life; I was not myself. I told them I was grieving my mothers death. Fortunately, my friends understood. I think they were actually relieved.

When my uncle died, my sister could not seem to stop crying. I told her to go ahead and cry. I told her I was confident she would work it out, but what was the hurry to stop crying? He was an important part of our lives.

As a health-care professional, I have helped several families navigate through the final days of a loved ones life. I have yet to see two reactions be the same. Lets give ourselves a break and allow ourselves to grieve as we grieve.

Celia RN, Miss.

Celia RN: Very wise. Thank you.

Write to Amy Dickinson at askamy@tribune.com or Ask Amy, Chicago Tribune, TT500, 435 N. Michigan Ave., Chicago, Ill. 60611.


Wayne White of American Pest scouts the Washington Post newsroom for signs of mice. (Jahi Chikwendiu/The Washington Post)

Wayne White walked into an office building in downtown Washington, trying to think like a mouse.

His expert eye took in the things that make a rodent feel at home amid the cubicles: the half-finished salad on one desk, the communal box of cinnamon buns on another, the piles of paper, the utility conduits that are subway tunnels to the tiny. And in the surrounding ergonomic chairs, the biggest vermin enablers of all: Us.

Mice arent just eeking (sorry) out a living in Washington offices, theyre thriving. Along with roaches, rats and other creepy crawlies, they are as common in the fluorescent habitat as lawyers and lobbyists. The little opportunists share space with the big opportunists in congressional suites, intelligence bunkers and newsrooms (more on that later).

President Andrew Johnson was known to feed mice at his desk. Barbara Bush once swam with a rat she described as enormous in the White House pool. (She credited her springer spaniel Millie and the countrys commander-in-chief with drowning it.) Jimmy Carter grew furious when the General Services Administration and the Interior Department argued over which agency was responsible for the dead mouse he smelled in the walls of the Oval Office.

I doubt theres an office building in Washington that doesnt have them, said White, director of technical services for American Pest, which treats millions of square feet of office and commercial space around the region.



A partially eaten apple danish and sunflower seed shells are spotted near the loading dock of the building that houses The Washington Post. (Jahi Chikwendiu/The Washington Post)

What makes the office mouse different from his house and church cousins is the human ecosystem of the workplace. In the mixing bowl of an office, there are widely different views on food handling and cleanliness, and then a lot of finger pointing when the rodents come sniffing for crumbs. Further, staffers who are terrified of mice often clash with those who want to protect them.

Mice in offices are a different situation, White said. Sometimes a person will say I hope youre not going to hurt them. And the person next to them will say, I hope youre going to nuke them! 

[For Metrorail, its one man vs. mouse (and rat)]

White has known animal-loving office workers to spring the traps he has left behind, turning mouse bait into mouse hors doeuvres.

Those tensions may be particularly high in Washington, where eating-at-your-desk is a daily ritual for many, and animal welfare is a local industry.

Even at the Dupont Circle headquarters of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, there are mixed feelings about pest control.

 Pests, I dont like that word, said PETA founder Ingrid Newkirk.

When Newkirk found mice in her office a few years ago, her instinct was to applaud. But one of her animal-rights activists was so unnerved by the sight of a mouse dropping, she wanted to work from home. Newkirk  who considers mice unobtrusive role models  told the woman to man up.

They are one 200th your size and they are harmless, she said. Live and let live, for Gods sake.

Eventually, they released the mice outside and sealed all the cracks they could find. More recently, Newkirk used nail-polish remover to free a beetle she found stuck to a strip of tape on a FedEx package. Two people objected to bugs in the office kitchen.

I told them They only come out at night,  she said.  If youre nervous, send someone in to turn the light on for you. 

Mice in the workplace Voting is closed on this poll User Poll Results: Which side are you on when it comes to mice in the workplace? Live and let live. Nuke them! Pardon the interruption! We need to verify that you are an actual person. Live and let live. Nuke them! View Results This is a non-scientific user poll. Results are not statistically valid and cannot be assumed to reflect the views of Washington Post users as a group or the general population.

When it comes to rats, however, White said office workers tend to be more unanimously anti-rodent. Most people are willing to pull out all the stops with rats, he said.

This being Washington, few office building managers or bureaucrats were willing to discuss their mouse sightings on or even off the record. Spokespeople for the National Security Administration, the Architect of the Capitol and National Geographic all declined to confirm reports of office vermin.

One example of a more robust reaction: Blood-curdling screams arent common in The Posts newsroom (even during a political season like this one). But just such a shriek recently shook the cubicles of our brand-new downtown offices. The first thing I thought was active shooter,  said one shocked reporter. But word quickly spread: Mouse.

[Goodbye, old Washington Post, home of the newspaper the Grahams built]

Mouse sightings were common in The Posts previous home, a decrepit 50-year-old building with many a cluttered desk and decades worth of sandwich scraps. Had the little guys followed the staff to the shiny new high-tech space a few blocks away?

Maybe, according to Jay Nixon, a former president of the National Pest Control Association, who counts the State Department among his one-time clients. (He was once sent overseas to deal with rodents in an embassy.) Mice have been known to stow away in packing crates or office furniture. But its just as likely that the animals came in during the renovation of the new offices, when there was lots of access to outdoors and lots of construction worker lunch scraps to be had.

Office buildings are inhospitable places for mice, until you introduce food, Nixon said. But once you do, it becomes Shangri-La. [Offices] are warm, with lots of passages through the walls and ceilings, and they are empty at night.

And in a snacking culture, the food always shows up. (White still has the half-eaten, foil-wrapped chocolate truffle he once found on the desk belonging to an office dweller he would only describe as a former secretary of state who is now running for president.)

Nixon has inspected hundreds of infested office buildings and always looks first for what he calls the office 7-Eleven. Someone always keeps cache of cookies and crackers, and not everyone keeps them properly sealed.

Nixon remembers a frustrating mouse problem at a local military facility. Technicians looked in vain for a source of food. Except for one secret place.

There was a restricted area on the fourth floor, Nixon said. When they finally let us up there, we found it. Wrappers everywhere.

At the office of an environmental group, it was easier to track down the source of a fruit-fly outbreak: A five-gallon bucket of food waste one staffer was keeping at his desk. It took a supervisor to say, No, you cannot compost at work. 

White agreed to come evaluate The Post newsroom. (But not to treat it; the building owners have already dispatched a pest-control team, and no mice have been spotted lately.) Rooms filled with journalists are often rich habitats for rodents because piles of old papers and stacks of notebooks make good nesting material, not to mention their crumb-dribbling ways.

But he deemed the new office, which The Post occupied in December, remarkably clutter free and clean. (Give us time.)

Even the spaces under the office refrigerators and microwave were still pristine. White did find plenty of snacks, half-eaten lunches and a table full of candy for sale. But most of the treats were properly sealed, and the food scraps wouldnt feed the mouse as long the trash was emptied each night.

It would be unusual to have a significant infestation in an office like this, he said. Sometimes its hard to know if youre seeing three mice, or seeing one mouse three times.

For some employees, a single sighting is enough to trigger what psychology texts call musophobia, an extreme fear of mice. In an office, a person who keeps mice as pets may share a desk with someone who breaks into a sweat at the words Stuart Little.

It is a very real phobia, said Sally Greer, a clinical psychologist in Alexandria, Va. The fear usually stems from some kind of traumatic exposure early in childhood, maybe a movie, maybe being startled by a mouse in a hallway, maybe seeing a parent react to a rodent with terror. Somehow you got the message, this object is to be feared.

White quickly found a few of the defensive perimeters that some newsroom residents have thrown up since that musophobic scream was heard. An ultrasonic rodent repeller was plugged into one wall. Two people said they had taken to wearing boots and one said she spent much of the day holding her feet off the floor.

One staffer in the Metro section was packing her lunch trash into a zip-top bag. She had been surrounding her desk with cotton balls soaked in peppermint oil as a deterrent  per Google  but the cleaners swept them away every night. Now I just spray the oil on the carpet.

White nodded. The best sign is that they clean that well here, he said. Of the efficacy of peppermint oil, he would only say There just isnt any science behind it.

To which a Washington mouse-o-phobe can only say: Rats.


A cross hangs from a filing cabinet in Victoria Tomasheski's classroom at a middle school in suburban Cleveland, where she teaches computer classes. Tomasheski, who belongs to the Christian Educators Association International, has attended and helped lead training sessions aimed at helping Christian educators legally live out their faith in public schools. (Dustin Franz/For The Washington Post)

Finn Laursen believes millions of American children are no longer learning right from wrong, in part because public schools have been stripped of religion. To repair that frayed moral fabric, Laursen and his colleagues want to bring the light of Jesus Christ into public school classrooms across the country  and they are training teachers to do just that.

The Christian Educators Association International, an organization that sees the nations public schools as the largest single mission field in America, aims to show Christian teachers how to live their faith  and evangelize in public schools  without running afoul of the Constitutions prohibition on the government establishing or promoting any particular religion.

Were not talking about proselytizing. That would be illegal, said Laursen, the groups executive director. But were saying you can do a lot of things. . . . Its a mission field that you fish in differently.

Not everyone agrees that its acceptable for teachers to fish in public schools, where government officials are not allowed to promote or endorse any particular faith.

The nation has been fighting over the role of religion in public education for more than a century, and in helping public school teachers understand  and push toward  the legal boundaries of expression, Laursen and his colleagues are wading into one of the most fraught issues in American life.

[This Marine vet was banned from his kids school after objecting to Islam lessons]

Some advocates say the organization urges teachers to invite Christianity into the classroom in ways that might be unconstitutional and that are bound to make some children  and their parents  uncomfortable.

They appear to be encouraging teachers to cross the line, said Daniel Mach of the American Civil Liberties Union, which fought the Christian Educators Association in a 2009 court case over Florida teachers religious expression at school. Decisions about the religious upbringing of children should be left in the hands of parents and families, not public school officials.

Others say that there would be outrage if teachers of any other faith were being encouraged to express their beliefs in the classroom, legally or otherwise  particularly at a time when anti-

Muslim sentiment is on the rise and some parents have complained that academic lessons about Islam can amount to religious indoctrination.

[Schoolwork about Islam triggers backlash in Virginia county]

What this really amounts to is a privileging of the majority, said Katherine Stewart, a journalist whose questions about Christianity in her childrens public school led her to write a 2012 book, The Good News Club, about evangelical Christians efforts to reach students in school. If a Wiccan, Muslim or Satanist public school teacher were to try to put their sacred texts on their desk . . . they would likely be shut down.

Laursen said he believes teachers of every faith have  and deserve  the same constitutional protections as Christian teachers when it comes to expressing religion at school.

He and some other Christian educators say the culture in many public schools feels particularly hostile to Christianity compared with other religions, making it intimidating to admit a relationship with Jesus. And they say that by explaining the law in concrete terms, the Christian Educators Association has empowered them to express their faith with new boldness.

[Opinion: Teaching about religion in public schools can be risky, but its worth it]

The organization is a nonprofit with broad goals that include supporting Christian teachers and transforming public schools through Gods love and truth. It is a professional association that serves as an alternative to traditional teachers unions, offering its approximately 6,000 members liability insurance and other benefits.

Although the Christian Educators Association is small, it is at the center of a pending Supreme Court case that has the potential to substantially weaken public sector unions in more than two dozen states. The association is a plaintiff in the case, Friedrichs v. California Teachers Association, which challenges the right of teachers unions to collect dues from nonmembers.

The other plaintiffs are 10 individual teachers, eight of whom are members of the association; they argue that they should not be forced to support a union that uses their dues to promote policies  and politicians  with which they fundamentally disagree.

The association, founded in 1953, also publishes a journal, produces a podcast and organizes prayer groups. It began its training program six years ago, and since then hundreds of teachers across the country have participated.

During weekend-long seminars in hotel conference rooms, the group teaches teachers that they have a right to pray with colleagues during breaks or at lunchtime. They may lead before- and after-school religious clubs for students. They can honestly answer students questions about their beliefs, and they may even pray with students outside work hours.

Teachers are told its okay to keep a Bible on their desk and teach about it in class, so long as it fits within the curriculum. And they are urged to witness for Jesus by acting in a godly manner, in part so that others might be provoked to wonder  and ask  why they have so much kindness and compassion.

If bringing nonbelievers to Jesus can be compared to growing crops, then the part that a teacher in public school can do is till the soil and plant the seed, said Laursen, a former teacher, principal and superintendent. Very often, theyre not personally involved in the harvest.



Two booklets that the Christian Educators Association International uses to assist teachers in explaining their faith to students in U.S. classrooms. The Daniel Weekend handbook guides a training weekend for teachers and the Shine Like Stars book is a Bible Study to equip educators in their role as missionaries in Americas Schools. (Ricky Carioti/The Washington Post)

Daniel Weekends

California high school math teacher Harlan Elrich said he was inspired by the training he attended several years ago. He sends out prayers and inspirational verses to an email list of like-minded colleagues, and sometimes they pray together in person.

He plays Christian music in his classroom before and after school and sometimes during tests, if students request it. He keeps a Bible on his desk.

When a student asked him recently about the meaning of life, Elrich felt free to answer, saying that in my view, the meaning of life is a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

Elrich said he would be thrilled to lead a student to Jesus, but he is careful to stay within the bounds of the law and does not proselytize at school.

As he put it: Im not going to ask a student, Do you want to become a Christian? unless we have had a full conversation about it and they have expressed it as a possibility.

An elementary school teacher in rural Kentucky, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to avoid drawing attention to his community, said that after attending a weekend training session, he started scheduling weekly meetings of a Fellowship of Christian Athletes club. Students gather in the school gym just before class begins  a time when they are normally socializing and eating breakfast.

Most weeks, at least 75 percent of the schools students participate, listening and praying as guest speakers and other students offer prayer and testimony. I feel overly blessed with how much Im able to do with students as far as faith, the teacher said.

The trainings are dubbed Daniel Weekends for the Old Testament figure who was saved by God after he was thrown into a lions den. Daniel was said never to have lost his faith despite decades of exile in Babylon, where he lived among nonbelievers.

As the Christian Educators Association sees it, Christian teachers in public schools are modern-day Daniels, working in schools that are hostile to their faith.

God sent Daniel, He sent Jesus, Hes sending you and me to be the light of the world, a presenter told about two dozen teachers last month at a Daniel Weekend in Louisville. God has a plan, a good plan, for why he has planted you where you are.

The association allowed a Washington Post reporter to observe the final half-day of the Louisville training, declining a request to attend the entire session amid concerns that a reporters presence would make teachers uncomfortable and less open. The Post also interviewed 10 teachers who have participated in Daniel Weekends; most spoke on the condition of anonymity, some out of fear of provoking backlash against their schools and others because they didnt have supervisors permission to speak publicly.

Teachers are nominated to participate in Daniel Weekends by former participants, pastors and principals. They attend for free, with the association covering meals and lodging.

From Friday evening until Sunday afternoon, they discuss not only the ins and outs of the First Amendment, but also how to confront the challenges they face as Christian teachers. They talk about how to communicate more openly and how to build relationships with colleagues and students. They sing together, and they pray.

Victoria Tomasheski, a middle school teacher in suburban Cleveland who first attended a training in 2012, said the weekend was both personally and professionally rejuvenating. She said that she was grateful to learn about the First Amendment and that she follows the law earnestly.

She also hopes that living according to biblical principles creates a nurturing environment and sparks those around her to ask questions. When they ask: Why are you so positive? Why do you always find a silver lining? Its, To be honest with you, its because of my faith,  she said.



Victoria Tomasheski helps one of her 7th grade students during a keyboarding lesson last month at her middle school in suburban Cleveland. (Dustin Franz/For The Washington Post)

Victoria Tomasheski explains instructions for a keyboarding lesson to her 7th grade computer class at her middle school in suburban Cleveland. (Dustin Franz/For The Washington Post)

A teacher in a suburban Kentucky school said the Daniel Weekend he attended several years ago helped him shed his grouchy disposition and recommit to treating his students with patience and love. That weekend sort of took me back, made me think about why I got into teaching to begin with. I wanted to be a role model for kids, he said.

As the weekend draws to a close, teachers create plans to transform their schools  and their students  with what they characterize as Gods love and truth.

In Louisville last month, teachers were at times emotional and tearful as they explained the weekends impact.

Some said they were newly committed to seeing their students as children made in the image of God, deserving of love and capable of greatness. Some said they took to heart the message to be positive  to stop whining and start shining for Jesus. Others said they were grateful to realize that they were not the only Christians wrestling with how to be true to their faith while working in a public school.

A music teacher said that she had realized how often she stopped herself from sharing her faith  unnecessarily. Im really limiting the way that the Lord can use me and my school, she said. Im really excited to see what He is going to do now.

Not religion-free zones

Charles C. Haynes, a First Amendment expert at the Newseum Institutes Religious Freedom Center, gives the Christian Educators Association high marks for its efforts to help teachers understand the law and how it applies to their lives in the classroom.

Many people believe that public schools should be religion-free zones, but thats simply not the case, Haynes said. While the Constitution says that government cannot establish religion, it also says that the government cannot inhibit religious freedom  a provision that allows students  and to a lesser degree, teachers  to express their faith in school.

The First Amendment does not exclude religion from public schools, said Haynes, who co-

authored guidelines on religious expression in schools that have been endorsed by dozens of groups from across the political and spiritual spectrum, including the Christian Educators Association. It gives us the ground rules for how religion comes into public schools.

As agents of the government, teachers cannot inculcate religion at school, so they cannot lead students in prayer during class. But they also are private citizens with rights to free speech  so they can, for example, pray with students at church on Sunday.

[Read federal guidelines on prayer in school]

Mindy Heine, a Christian parent of three who co-founded a ministry for public school parents and teachers in a Minneapolis suburb, said she appreciates teachers who legally express their faith in school.

Its empowering because its helping kids understand the Constitution and our rights, she said. And teachers are modeling authenticity, she said, sending students a loud message that they, too, can be confident about what they believe.

But parents sometimes feel differently, especially when they are in the minority.

Erika Estrada, a Catholic mother of two, said that evangelical Christianity seemed to permeate her sons elementary school in Dallas. Many teachers and students attended the same local church, Estrada said, and it felt difficult to distinguish the church from the school, White Rock Elementary.

Theres this very prevalent message that this is our school, and youre simply a guest, she said. She said her son  who attended White Rock from 2005 to 2012  felt bullied because of his Catholicism, ostracized by classmates on the playground and sometimes by teachers in the classroom.

Estrada, whose daughter still attends White Rock, said she reported her concerns about her sons experience at the time. The current principal has not received any complaints about religious expression since she arrived at the school in 2012, according to Tim Clark, a spokesman for the Richardson Independent School District.

RISD is confident that the school is in compliance with laws and guidelines related to religious expression in a school setting, Clark said.

Sharif El-Mekki, a Muslim principal of a Philadelphia charter school, said he believes that children can learn powerful lessons when they see that teachers of different faiths are able to treat all of their students with equity.

But he said that teachers who are open about their faith also must be ultra-sensitive to ensuring that all students feel included. El-Mekki, who goes to the same place of worship as some of his students, said he thinks often about how to make sure that other students dont feel slighted.

How do I make sure that my Christian student, my atheist student, feels respected and honored? he said. At the end of the day, thats my North Star.

Laursen said he believes the nations morality began crumbling in the 1960s, when the Supreme Court found school-led prayer unconstitutional.

Laursen said he has faith that there will be a national revival, a return to Christianity. But in the meantime, he believes it is critical for Christian teachers to remember that they need not check their faith at the schoolhouse door.

Most people are school-aged when they come to faith, he wrote in the associations magazine in 2014. And most students in public schools do not consider themselves Christians. The fishing pond,  he wrote, is well stocked for those open to sharing the faith.





Harlan Elrich is a California math teacher and member of Christian Educators Association International. (Jill Ellingson)

Finn Laursen is executive director of Christian Educators Association International. (Courtesy of Finn Laursen)

Brown reported from Louisville and Washington.
Two men suffered non-life-threatening injuries after being shot early Sunday in Northeast Washington, D.C. police said.

Police responded to reports of shots being fired in the 1300 block of Brentwood Road NE, just before 1:30 a.m., according to Hugh Carew, a police spokesman. The shooting occurred less than a block away from a fire and EMS station on Rhode Island Avenue NE.

Police declined to say how many times each man had been shot.

Police had no motive or suspects, and the investigation is ongoing, they said.
Speaker William J. Howell (R-Stafford), 2nd from left, confers with, from left, Del. Terry G. Kilgore (R-Scott), House Majority Leader M. Kirkland Cox (R-Colonial Heights), Del. David B. Albo (R-Fairfax) and House Clerk G. Paul Nardo on March 2, 2016 in Richmond. (Bob Brown/Richmond Times-Dispatch via AP)

Virginia lawmakers finished their work late Friday one day ahead of schedule and sent Gov. Terry McAuliffe (D) a budget that would give teachers raises and increase spending for education and economic development.

The Republican-controlled General Assemblys passage of a two-year, $105 billion spending plan caps a frenzied legislative session marked by extremes. McAuliffe and lawmakers struck a compromise on gun laws but feuded bitterly over the next state Supreme Court justice.

While I am pleased at the balance of our work, I must express my deep remorse at the opportunities lost this year to disorder and acrimony, McAuliffe wrote in a letter to lawmakers.

But Republican House leadership praised what they called a productive and successful session in which conservative values prevailed.

Washington and Richmond are only 90 miles apart on the map, but we are worlds apart when it comes to governing, Speaker William J. Howell (R-Stafford), Majority Leader M. Kirkland Cox (R-Colonial Heights) and others said in a statement.

Its now McAuliffes turn to review the budget as well as controversial bills that would block the state from punishing people who discriminate against same-sex couples and would let parents prevent their children from reading books with sexually explicit content in schools. The General Assembly also sent a bill that would allow Virginia to use the electric chair on death-row inmates when lethal-injection drugs are not available.

For the third straight year, the Republican-controlled General Assembly denied McAuliffe and Democrats expansion of Medicaid and rejected the governors plan to tax hospitals and use the revenue to fund the states share of the federal health-care program.

We dont have any answer for the 400,000 Virginians who dont have any health-care coverage, Del. Marcus B. Simon (D-Fairfax) said. He was the only House Democrat to join seven Republicans in voting against the spending plan.

While enmity over health care is likely to linger, lawmakers and McAuliffe sprang a fragile compromise regarding gun laws on the legislature early in the session and clinched the deal with a bill-signing at the executive mansion, the first time he used the historic home for that purpose.

McAuliffe spent political capital on a deal that expands the rights of concealed-carry handgun permit holders in Virginia and around the country in exchange for tighter restrictions on domestic abusers and voluntary background checks at gun shows. The legislatures budget plan includes $400,000 to pay for the checks.

When it comes to education dollars, lawmakers sought to restore funding that was cut during the recession, and they gave teachers a 2 percent pay raise in the first year of the budget. State employees and college faculty would get a 3 percent raise.

McAuliffe wanted to increase funds for struggling schools and hire 2,500 teachers  one additional teacher for every public school in Virginia. But lawmakers preferred to increase funding that they said has fewer strings attached.

When it comes to additional funding to balance the high cost of living for Northern Virginia schools, the House and Senate compromised on $36 million, more than the Senate wanted to spend and less than the House proposal.

The legislatures economic development plan devotes $35 million to Go Virginia, a regional grant program that shifts power from the administration to business people and creates a framework to promote research, development and commercialization.

One beneficiary of that program would be the Inova Center for Personalized Health, the newest campus of Northern Virginias largest hospital system.

Lawmakers also directed their research arm, the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission, to oversee economic-development spending and tax preferences, a measure that circumvents the governor, who is limited to one four-year term.

The plan calls for a $2.1 billion bond package, which falls about $300,000 shy of McAuliffes proposal.

Lawmakers included a provision that says all the projects are contingent on McAuliffes releasing the funding for a long-delayed overhaul of the Capitol Square office building where lawmakers conduct their business during session. The governor has withheld funding in the past in a pointed dig at his GOP rivals.

Lawmakers gave themselves a pay raise in the form of an increase in the stipends they earn for attending meetings around the state while the General Assembly is not in session. Instead of $200, theyll receive $300.

The budget plan did not include as much money as Senate Majority Leader Thomas K. Norment Jr. (R-James City) wanted for more staff for Senate leadership. Instead, the House agreed to about $187,000 each year for salaries, but the Senate clerk will decide how to distribute it.

The unseasonably warm weather in the final days of the session created a spring-fever-like mood among delegates who cheered Sine Die, while on the other side of Mr. Jeffersons Capitol, senators rose one by one to air their grievances.

On the court fight, Republicans ultimately outmaneuvered McAuliffe with a threat to install the polarizing former attorney general, Ken Cuccinelli II, in place of former Fairfax Circuit Court judge Jane Marum Roush. Lawmakers ultimately selected Stephen R. McCullough, a state court of appeals judge.

[GOP wins long Virginia Supreme Court fight with McAuliffe]

The firing of a highly qualified Supreme Court Justice and the haphazard process for replacing her was an unprecedented political affront to the independence of our judiciary, McAuliffe said.

Just when the drama appeared over Friday, Sen. Charles W. Carrico Sr. (R-Grayson) revealed a final twist. He rose on the Senate floor and said McAuliffe offered to trade a coal tax credit important to Southwest Virginia Republicans for their support of Roush. Lawmakers balked, and each side ended the session lacking something it had wanted.
The water emergency in Flint, Michigan is two years in the making. Meet the people whove played a key role in the crisis. (Claritza Jimenez/The Washington Post)

The water emergency in Flint, Michigan is two years in the making. Meet the people whove played a key role in the crisis. (Claritza Jimenez/The Washington Post)

Republican Rick Snyder called himself #onetoughnerd when he swept into the Michigan governors office in 2010, winning election easily after pledging to run the state more like the businesses that generated his substantial wealth.

Although he was a first-time elected official, by 2012 he was considered a possible running mate for the Republican presidential nominee, former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney. A few years later, he was actively exploring his own bid for president.

Yet now, as he prepares for congressional hearings on the water-contamination debacle in Flint, Mich., a new Twitter hashtag to describe Snyder might be#onedonedude.

No fewer than three efforts to recall him are formally underway, and a special prosecutor is investigating whether the governor or others in his administration should face criminal charges. Some people want him jailed. In Ann Arbor, where he bought a $2 million loft when times were better, his home is picketed, and chalk drawings on the sidewalk taunt him.

This is the one thing that people know about him. . . . Hes the face of Flint, fair or not, said Arthur Lupia, a professor of political science at the University of Michigan and an expert in political communication. He has no political future.

As the national spotlight falls on Snyder during his testimony Thursday, his predicament is more than just another political fall from grace. Nine people are dead from Legionnaires disease that may be linked to Flints tainted water and thousands of children may have been poisoned for life by lead. Many in the city of about 100,000 are still drinking bottled water. No one knows how long it will be before they can trust what comes out of their taps.

All of it is being laid at the feet of a man who promised to manage the state more competently than traditional politicians.

[Hope and clean water remain elusive for the people of Flint]

We were an experiment in their philosophy of government, said Jim Ananich (D), the state Senate minority leader, who lives in Flint and is a harsh critic of Snyder. But unfortunately, it failed.

Some who know Snyder well maintain a surprising optimism about him and the future, confident that he will not rest until he makes things right. Fred Davis, the GOP media strategist who said he created the nerd campaign theme, contends that the 57-year-old Snyder sees governing as a series of problems to be dissected and surmounted.

Hes what you want to hire in an employee, but hes not the politician you want slapping your back, shaking your hands and kissing your baby, said Davis, who has no formal ties to Snyder. Hes just focused on fixing that water problem. And he will fix it. And Flint, Michigan, come hell or high water, will end up with the best water system in the world. Thats Rick.

Snyder declined to be interviewed, but Jarrod Agen, Snyders chief of staff, said that when the governor appears before the U.S. House Oversight Committee, he will echo his State of the State address in January by apologizing to the people of Flint and accepting responsibility for the catastrophe. He also will cite the warning signs that various levels of government overlooked, talk about the current conditions in Flint and discuss how other cities with lead pipes can avoid similar crises. The latter will include possible changes to the Environmental Protection Agency rule that governs water testing.

1 of 37 Full Screen Autoplay Close Skip Ad  The controversial case over dangerous lead in water in a Michigan city View Photos Anger over the levels of lead in the water in Flint has led the mayor to declare a state of emergency. Caption Anger over high levels of lead in the water in Flint has led the mayor to declare a state of emergency. Jan. 25, 2016 Flint resident Angela Hickmon, 56, chants during a protest outside City Hall in downtown Flint. Jake May/The Flint Journal-MLive.com via AP Wait 1 second to continue.

No matter how sincere he seems, Snyder is likely to face harsh questioning. Congressional officials say Snyders office has made little effort to cooperate with their investigation, despite public vows to be transparent about his administrations response to the disaster.

As of Friday, he had not provided investigators with emails or documents beyond the material he previously released on his website. Lawmakers from both parties have been prodding his office for weeks to turn over the additional records detailing the decisions that caused lead levels to spike in hundreds of Flint homes.

[Flint water crisis reveals government failures at all levels]

Congressional staffers also have had difficulty securing testimony from former Snyder aides and appointees behind those decisions  and they have struggled to even locate some of them, according to officials familiar with the investigation.

Rep. Elijah Cummings of Maryland, the committees ranking Democrat, has repeatedly criticized Snyders response, accusing the governor of obstructing the probe and seeking to avoid any public testimony.

Contrary to Gov. Snyders recent claim that he requested this opportunity to testify, the reality is that he is finally bowing to mounting public pressure to answer questions before Congress about the central and critical role his administration played in this man-made disaster, Cummings said in a statement.

Sen. David Vitter (R-La.) complained of similar difficulties with EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy, who is to testify Thursday alongside Snyder. Vitter and two other senators have demanded information about the EPAs role in the Flint crisis but have not received any response, a spokesman for Vitter said.

Two days before Snyder and McCarthy appear, former EPA regional administrator Susan Hedman and former Flint emergency manager Darnell Earley are scheduled to testify before the committee. The EPA regional office has been faulted for not warning the public and has been accused of muzzling a staff scientist who was alarmed about the tainted water.

Flints tap water was contaminated by lead when the city temporarily switched to the Flint River for its supply in April 2014. The state failed to ensure that anti-corrosive chemicals were added to the water, which leached lead from the citys aging underground pipes. Nearly 9,000 children younger than 6, the most vulnerable population, were exposed. Lead can cause permanent learning disabilities, behavior problems and, at higher levels, a number of physical diseases.

Flint switched back to water from Lake Huron in October, but residents still cannot safely drink unfiltered tap water. Children, pregnant women and people with certain health problems have been told to consume only bottled water, and many others are following that advice.

[Flint water crisis victims face big obstacles in court]

Aside from the responsibility that comes with leading the state bureaucracy that allowed the water contamination to occur, Snyders culpability stems from his appointment of emergency managers for Flint and several other troubled cities. With authority that superseded the power of elected city officials, the managers made controversial decisions in the name of cutting costs. Earley, who approved the switch to the river water, resigned his position in early 2015.

Before the Flint crisis, Snyders career was marked mostly by achievement. He earned undergraduate, business and law degrees from the University of Michigan by age 23. He presided over huge growth at the Gateway computer company before becoming a successful venture capitalist. In 2010, as the tea party movement flourished and political rhetoric became increasingly partisan, Snyder ran as a centrist outsider, talking about issues such as smart growth. He was the first Republican gubernatorial candidate to win an endorsement from the Michigan League of Conservation Voters.

His allies complain that Flint is obscuring his role in Michigans economic turnaround. The state has added 440,000 jobs during Snyders tenure, said Agen, Snyders chief of staff, and its unemployment rate has dropped from 11.2 percent when he took over as governor to 4.9 percent today.

I cant think of anybody better suited to bring Flint back to where they need to be, said Ronna Romney McDaniel, the state Republican Party chair.

Unless he is recalled  and Michigan makes it extremely difficult to qualify a recall for the ballot  Snyder will have nearly three years to reverse the perception of his performance. The question is whether anything, even an upgraded water system for Flint, can soften the memory of what has happened in the city.

Flint is such a distinctive story, in that you dont have to explain to people what lead in your water is. People feel it viscerally, said Lupia, the University of Michigan political scientist. I think it doesnt destroy [Snyders] narrative as much as it just takes it off the table.
Alabama Department of Corrections spokesman Bob Horton said three emergency response teams were deployed to bring the prison dorm under control. (Sharon Steinmann/AP)

ALABAMA

2 ofcials stabbed in prison uprising

Inmates set a fire, seized control of a dormitory and stabbed two corrections officials during an uprising at a prison in southern Alabama, authorities said Saturday.

The William C. Holman Correctional Facility was on lockdown hours after a riot erupted late Friday. Alabama Department of Corrections spokesman Bob Horton said the prison warden and a corrections officer were stabbed at one of the prison dormitories. Horton said their injuries were not life-threatening.

About 100 inmates were involved, Horton said, and emergency response teams were called to bring the dorm under control. He said the facility is now calm on lockdown.

The violence started Friday night when an inmate stabbed an officer as the officer tried to break up a fight between two inmates, Horton said.

Video apparently shot by an inmate with a contraband phone shows inmates starting a fire at the end of the dorm.

 Associated Press

NEW MEXICO

Manhunt ends after escaped inmate caught

The second of two New Mexico convicts was taken into custody in Albuquerque on Saturday, less than a day after the other ones capture.

Lionel Clah, 29, was arrested in a northeastern part of the city, a police spokesman said. He will be transferred to the custody of New Mexico State Police. His capture ends a three-day manhunt that started in southern New Mexico.

Undeterred by shackles, Joseph Cruz, a convicted murderer, and Clah, who also had a violent history, escaped the fortified prison van that was transporting them from the state penitentiary in Santa Fe to the southern region of the state. They slipped away in white prison jumpsuits with no one noticing, possibly for hours.

They hitched a ride and made it to Albuquerque as authorities notified the public of the escape.

Cruz, 32, was taken into custody in Albuquerque after a brief foot chase Friday evening, a deputy federal marshal said.

 Associated Press

CALIFORNIA

4 hurt when gunmen shoot at party bus

Gunmen in Northern California fired shots into a moving party bus early Saturday, wounding four and leaving authorities stumped, because passengers refused to cooperate with the investigation.

The chartered executive limo bus was leaving San Francisco and had exited the Bay Bridge about 2:25 a.m., when two gunmen in a red SUV drove alongside and opened fire, California Highway Patrol Officer Daniel Hill said.

One passenger was injured critically but is expected to survive. Three others had minor injuries. Interstate 880 was closed for about five hours as officers investigated.

Passengers refused to give witness statements or provide descriptions of the shooters, authorities said.

In fact, they didnt cooperate so much that one of our officers got assaulted and kicked by one of the victims, Hill said.

One victim got into an altercation with emergency medical personnel and forced her way out of an ambulance, authorities said.

Hill would not say how many people were on the bus and didnt release names of the wounded.

 Associated Press

1 dead in N.Y. tugboat crash: A tugboat crashed into a barge on the Hudson River north of New York City early Saturday, killing one crew member and leaving two missing and presumed dead. The 90-foot tugboat Specialist hit a barge a stationary barge that was part of the Tappan Zee Bridge construction project at about 5:20 a.m., police said, and the tugboat sank, spilling about 5,000 gallons of fuel into the water. The Coast Guard called off its search for the missing men at sunset. A Westchester County official identified the dead crewman as Paul Amon, 62, of Bayville, N.J.

 Associated Press
Mountain rescue team ends the operations after an avalanche close to Riva di Tures. Six climbers were killed in an Alpine avalanche Saturday that struck a group of a dozen people in the area of Monte Nevoso, close to Italy's border with Austria, rescuers said. (Pierre Teyssot/AFP/Getty Images)

LIBYA

U.N.-backed council calls for unity rule

Libyas U.N.-backed Presidential Council on Saturday called on the countrys institutions to begin a transfer of authority to a unity government and appealed to the international community to stop dealing with any rival powers.

The Presidential Council is tasked with guiding a transition to end the political chaos and armed conflict that has plagued Libya since the fall of leader Moammar Gaddafi in 2011. The council nominated a unity government last month, but recognition of the proposed cabinet has been held up by the failure of Libyas eastern parliament to vote to approve it.

The Tunis-based council has faced stiff opposition from hard-liners in both the eastern House of Representatives, which has received international recognition, and a rival parliament in the capital, Tripoli. It is also unclear when a unity government could move to Tripoli, where the security situation remains volatile.

 Reuters

POLAND

Conservatives ignore top court ruling

Polands ruling conservatives said Saturday that they would disregard a ruling by the countrys top court that outlawed some of their legal reforms, putting them on a collision course with the European Union, which has also criticized the changes.

Polands Law and Justice party has faced growing pressure from the E.U., the United States and others since the Euroskeptic grouping swept to power in October and increased controls on the media and other institutions.

The constitutional court said Wednesday that the governments decision to increase the number of judges needed to make rulings was illegal, deepening a crisis that has stirred concerns about democracy and the rule of law.

Critics say the reforms, which also change the order in which cases are heard at the top court, have made it difficult for judges to review, let alone challenge, the governments legislation.

 Reuters

Yemeni loyalists break Houthis siege on Taiz: Forces loyal to Yemens president, Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi, have broken a siege by the Iran-allied Houthi rebels around the strategic Yemeni city of Taiz, local fighters and residents said Saturday. The loyalists, backed by a Saudi-led Arab coalition, have been trying for months to lift the siege of the southwestern city and open up supply routes.

Netanyahu wants world powers to punish Iran: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday called for world powers to take immediate punitive steps against Iran, following its ballistic missile tests last week. The tests, conducted by Irans Revolutionary Guard Corps, caused international concern and threaten an international deal with Iran that led to the lifting of economic sanctions in January.

Shiite cleric calls for Baghdad sit-in: Iraqs powerful Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr called for a sit-at the gates of Baghdads heavily fortified government district, stepping up pressure on Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi to deliver on promised anti-corruption reforms. The protest, which Sadr said would start Friday, threatens to escalate tensions over a long-awaited economic overhaul in the strife-torn oil producer.

Avalanche kills 6 in Italian Alps: An avalanche struck high in the Italian Alps on Saturday, killing six backcountry skiers and injuring another as a swath of snow hundreds of yards wide cascaded down. The avalanche site is located not far below the 11,017-foot peak of Monte Nevoso, close to the Austrian border in Italys Alto Adige region.

Scotland may push for independence again: The Scottish National Party will start building a new case for independence this summer, party leader and Scottish government head Nicola Sturgeon said Saturday, without committing herself to a time frame for a fresh referendum. Scots voted 55 percent to 45 percent against independence in 2014, but the collapse of the Labour and Conservative parties vaulted the SNP to unprecedented gains in the subsequent British national election in 2015, where it won almost all of the seats assigned to Scotland in the Parliament at Westminster.

U.N. human rights office in Moscow to close: Russian officials say the U.N. human rights office in Moscow is closing, an outcome the U.N.s top human rights official had feared amid concerns about a government crackdown on public debate in Russia. In January, the watchdog group Human Rights Watch lamented a sinister turn last year in Russian official attempts to stifle public dissent.

 From news services
IVORY COAST

Al-Qaeda militants kill 16 in beach attack

Gunmen killed 16 people at a popular beach resort in the West African country of Ivory Coast on Sunday, according to the nations president.

Witnesses said the six assailants wore all black and targeted civilians at the Grand Bassam beach. The attackers were killed during clashes with Ivorian forces.

At a briefing, officials said four of those killed by the gunmen were European, according to the news agency Reuters.

Six attackers came onto the beach in Bassam this afternoon, President Alassane Ouattara told reporters during a visit to the site. We have 14 civilians and two special forces soldiers who were unfortunately killed.

The attack is the latest in a string of high-profile assaults regionwide in recent months, with upscale hotels targeted in the capitals of Mali and Burkina Faso, leaving dozens dead.

Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) asserted responsibility for the attack on Sunday, according to the SITE intelligence group, as it did with the other two incidents.

At least one of the victims was French, according to the French Foreign Ministry.

Ivory Coast, a former French colony, has been praised for its vibrant democracy and growing economy. It is hardly at the center of AQIMs traditional sphere of influence, but the recent attacks seem to suggest a shift in the militant groups strategy.

 Kevin Sieff

FRANCE

Germanwings pilot had unreported issues

French investigators have recommended tougher medical checks for pilots after uncovering fresh evidence of unreported concerns about the mental state of a German pilot who crashed his jet into the Alps last year, killing all 150 people on board.

Frances BEA air accident investigation agency said a doctor consulted by Germanwings co-pilot Andreas Lubitz had recommended two weeks before the disaster that he be treated in a psychiatric hospital.

The unidentified private physician was one of a number of doctors seen by the 27-year-old as he wrestled with symptoms of a psychotic depressive episode that started in December 2014 and may have lasted until the day of the crash, BEA said.

Investigators think Lubitz, who had a history of depression, barricaded himself into the cockpit and deliberately propelled his Airbus jet into a mountainside on March 24, 2015.

The BEA said Sunday that neither Lubitz nor any of his doctors had alerted aviation authorities or his airline about his illness, for which he was being treated with anti-depressants.

It urged the World Health Organization and the European Commission to draw up rules that oblige doctors to inform authorities when a patients health is likely to affect public safety  if necessary against the patients wishes.

It also called for tougher inspections when pilots with a history of psychiatric problems are declared fit to fly.

Prosecutors have found evidence that Lubitz, who also had eyesight problems and may have feared losing his job, had researched suicide methods and concealed his illness.

 Reuters

MOROCCO

U.N. chiefs remarks spur massive protest

Up to 1 million Moroccans marched through their capital on Sunday to protest the U.N. secretary-generals remarks about the contested territory of Western Sahara.

It was an unusually massive show of public anger in Morocco and was encouraged by leading political parties.

Morocco considers the vast mineral-rich Western Sahara its southern provinces and took offense when U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon used the word occupation after a visit this month to refugee camps for the regions native Sahrawis in southern Algeria.

Protesters on Sunday packed the streets of Rabat after political parties, unions and nongovernmental groups called for a large demonstration.

The Sahara is ours, some chanted. Marchers waved Moroccan flags and a banner showing King Mohammed VI.

The United Nations has been trying for years to hold a referendum on independence for the territory, which was annexed by Morocco when Spain withdrew in 1975. Morocco proposes increased autonomy instead.

 Associated Press

Iran sanctions possible over missile tests, France says: Frances foreign minister has raised the possibility of European sanctions against Iran after the country test-fired two ballistic missiles last week. Jean-Marc Ayrault said that if necessary, sanctions will be taken. He spoke after a meeting with U.S. Secretary of State John F. Kerry and several European counterparts. Kerry said the Iranian missile launches are a violation of U.N. resolutions and could invite additional sanctions.

8 killed, 4 missing in coal mine collapse in Pakistan: An official in Pakistan said heavy rain has caused the collapse of a coal mine in the countrys northwest, killing at least eight miners and leaving four missing and feared dead. The official said military rescuers saved 29 workers at the mine, in the Orakzai tribal region, despite being hampered by the rain. Another official said heavy rains elsewhere in the northwest have killed seven people in two days.

U.N. peacekeeper kills 2 colleagues in Mali: The United Nations said a Chadian peacekeeper in northern Mali fatally shot two colleagues and injured another. A spokeswoman for the U.N. mission in Mali said authorities have arrested the soldier. She said the motive for the attack is not known. This is not the first time a Chadian soldier has opened fire on colleagues. On Feb. 25, a Chadian peacekeeper killed a commander and a doctor with the U.N. mission in Mali.

 From news services
In the contest for the Republican presidential nomination, Ohio Gov. John Kasich is 0 for everything  a string of losses that has left him trailing front-runner Donald Trump and far back in fourth place in the delegate count. Can a victory in his home state on Tuesday change all that?

The irrepressible Kasich believes it can. I just had to be patient, he said aboard his campaign bus en route to Cleveland on Saturday evening. He added, I think [if] we win Tuesday, its a whole new ballgame. Victory over Trump, he said, would show that the emperor has no clothes.

When we beat him, Kasich said, the shield is broken.

Late polls suggest that victory is far from assured. Kasich and Trump are in a close race here and a defeat would immediately end Kasichs candidacy. But the fact that he is still standing in the GOP race is something of a surprise to many, including perhaps Kasich. Nine out of 10 of the pundits never thought Id even get to New Hampshire, let alone be competing in Ohio. Come on! he exclaimed.

He has survived this long because of the desire of many Republicans to find an alternative to Trump and Kasichs ability to say wait for Ohio. A Kasich victory on Tuesday, coupled with a loss by Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida in his home state, would leave the Ohio governor as the lone mainstream conservative in the race.

Ohio Gov. John Kasich speaks during a campaign stop Saturday in Heath, Ohio. (Matt Rourke/AP)

But even under the best of circumstances, his path to the nomination remains highly problematic. The road remains blocked not only by Trump but by Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas, who is currently running second in delegates. No one has won the nomination in the modern era following the path that Kasich is on.

[The fire Trump lit. Can it be contained?]

Victory in Ohio is only the minimum down payment. Even if Kasich wins all 66 of Ohios delegates plus more from the four other states with contests that day, the numbers are daunting. After Tuesday, 1,463 of the 2,472 Republican delegates will have been chosen.

If Kasich were to win every one of the remaining delegates, improbable as that is, he would still be short of the 1,237 needed for nomination. His hope likely depends on winning a brutal floor fight with Trump and Cruz at the convention in July in Cleveland.

If things go the way theyre expected to go on Tuesday, I think everybodys going to be short, he said. Then we see what happens. And at that point, I think they start looking at who can do the job, who can win in the fall.

Kasich and Trump have rarely tangled through the course of the campaign. Kasich has deliberately adopted an upbeat approach, emphasizing his willingness to work with Democrats and the need for finding ways to unite the country.

But in the aftermath of the violence that broke out in Chicago Friday night between Trump supporters and a group of protesters who sought to disrupt the New York billionaires rally, Kasich issued his toughest criticism to date of the GOP front-runner. He said the seeds of division planted by Trump finally bore fruit and it was ugly.

Governor Kasich campaigns in Heath, Ohio, in advance of the cruc ial primary on Tuesday. (Matt Rourke/AP)

I get to the point where I said Ive kind of had enough, Im going to have to talk, going to have to say some things, he said in the interview. Well I watched that and I didnt like it, and this has been boiling in me for a while. . . . Right now Im comfortable in what Ive said. Im comfortable in what Ive said. But well see.

[Kasich depends on a Coalition of the Formers]

Trump, who held two events in Ohio on Saturday and one on Sunday, plans to return Monday night for a rally in Youngstown, a sign that he would like to put away Kasich just as he hopes to end Rubios campaign with a victory in Florida.

At his Ohio rallies, Trump painted a far more dire picture of Ohios economy than the governors upbeat message of economic revival. Trump tore into Kasich for his support for free trade and argued that the state got lucky on his watch through oil development but is on the precipice of economic calamity.

Heres the story: You got lucky. You struck oil, Trump told a crowd of several thousand Saturday in Cleveland. If you didnt have oil, boy would you have problems right now. . . . Wait till you see what happens to Ohio in a little while. Its going to be a big problem.

Trump noted Kasichs support for NAFTA and the Trans-Pacific Partnership and said, It is a disaster. Its going to ruin your car industry  totally ruin it. Trump noted that a Ford facility close to the rally site was shutting down and moving its operations to Mexico.

He accused Kasich of being an absentee governor while running for president. Hes abandoned the state, Trump said. He lived in New Hampshire. He moved there. . . . He said he was going to win. I won in a landslide.

Trump added, Now he says hes going to win Ohio. I dont think so. I really dont think so.

Kasich brushed off Trumps rhetoric as smears . . . all politics, name-calling. The facts, he said, are undeniable: Ohios economy and the states financial situation are far better today than when he was elected governor in 2010.

Are we out of the woods? No, were not out of the woods, he said. But if you even go to Youngstown, Ohio, you will find were seeing good things happen in some of the toughest areas.

[Is the Ohio economy Kasichs secret weapon?]

Still, even in a rising economy, there are people who have been left behind. Many of those citizens are part of the Trump constituency. There are also Ohioans who simply see Trump as better equipped to change the political status quo.

Doug Boyle, 46, who owns a construction and landscaping company, attended Trumps rally in Cleveland on Saturday. Despite being a Republican and supporting Kasich in past elections, Boyle said he would vote for Trump in Tuesdays primary because Trump would be the greater change agent.

Kasichs a good guy, Boyle said. Hes done well for Ohio. I like what he says. But Im voting for Mr. Trump. Mr. Trumps run several businesses. Hes a highly successful man. I dont think hes Republican or Democrat. Hes Trump-ublican? I dont know. We should come up with a term for it.

Kasich sees himself as better equipped to deliver change than Trump  a politician with governing experience at the national and state level, but one who, in his own view, has never been loved by the political establishment. I am not establishment  never have been establishment, he said. And I think that that is one of the keys to the ability to attract Trump voters . . . . I dont believe that you take his people away by pounding on him. I think the only way you take them away is to offer a better vision and the reality that you can fix the things that theyre worked up about.

Kasich said hes determined to run the campaign to his own rhythm. You know when things are really difficult, the greatest performers in the world slow everything down, he said. Were not going to move to the drumbeat of what the pundits want to say because they havent been right about anything.

As the bus rumbled toward Cleveland, Kasich asked his wife, Karen, how he was doing. Fabulous, she said. That got him thinking about life in the White House and whether their daughters would be okay leaving their friends behind to move to Washington.

One step at a time, Karen told him.

Yeah, the governor said. One step at a time.
The senator from Vermont is Hillary Clintons rival in the contest for the Democratic presidential nomination.

The senator from Vermont has become Hillary Clintons chief rival in the contest for the Democratic presidential nomination.

The senator from Vermont has become Hillary Clintons chief rival in the contest for the Democratic presidential nomination.

When Bernie Sanders launched his long-shot bid for the presidency 10 months ago, there were two words that rarely crossed his lips: Hillary Clinton.

Now he cant seem to stop talking about her  and not much of what he has to say is very nice.

During a boisterous rally here, the senator from Vermont dinged Clinton for supporting a series of disastrous trade deals. He mocked her for refusing to release transcripts of paid speeches she gave to Wall Street firms. He said she was wrong to vote for the Iraq War in 2002.

The transformation has been stark. Whats less clear is whether Sanderss rhetoric helps explain his lasting power in a nominating contest that appears likely to drag on for weeks, considering the mounting number of victories he has scored in key states.

So far, the evidence is mixed. In Michigan last week, Sanders won a surprising though narrow victory after closing a gap of more than 20 percentage points in the polls. He was relentless in the days before the election in criticizing Clinton on trade. But Sanders also got trounced the same day in Mississippi  albeit a state where he didnt mount much of a campaign.

Tuesday  a day when five states hold primaries  should give a better indication of whether Sanderss tough talk is paying off.

One of those contests is in Illinois, and Sanders isnt holding back as he campaigns here. In Chicago on Friday, Sanders even took aim at Clinton for her close association with Mayor Rahm Emanuel (D), whose approval ratings are in the tank, particularly among black Chicagoans.

I want to thank Rahm Emanuel for not endorsing me. I dont want his endorsement! Sanders screamed, to the delight of a crowd estimated at 9,000 people. I dont want the endorsement of a mayor who is shutting down school after school and firing teachers.

To drive home his point, Sanders held a news conference the next day devoted entirely to Emanuel. He told reporters that if he were Clinton, he would have refused the mayors support.

Compared with the Republican presidential race and other elections in past years, the Democratic contest remains relatively tame. But the Bernie Sanders who is fighting to remain relevant in the delegate chase against Clinton sounds quite different from the Sanders whose chief antagonist was the billionaire class when he debuted on the campaign trail last spring.

[Be careful, Bernie: Trump threatens to send supporters to Sanders rallies]

Analysts say Sanderss decision to attack Clinton more aggressively is understandable: Its what candidates who are behind tend to do. But in Sanderss case, he risks damaging his brand as an anti-establishment politician who has boasted about never running negative television ads and pledged to stay positive in his bid for the Democratic nomination.

Presidential candidate Bernie Sanders speaks during a rally Sunday on the campus of The Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio. (Ricky Carioti/The Washington Post)

When youre promising to run a different kind of campaign, its never good to look like youre running the same kind of campaign that other politicians do, said Mo Elleithee, executive director of the Institute of Politics and Public Service at Georgetown University. Its a risk, but its a calculated risk, and one they seem willing to take.

In an interview, Sanders acknowledged that hes adopted a tougher tone but said he has tried to stick to the issues and not engage in character attacks. To the extent that the race has turned more negative, Sanders said, Clinton is to blame.

Were responding, Sanders said. I find it disappointing when the secretary mischaracterizes my record.

Sanders was particularly galled, he said, by Clintons assertion during their recent debate in Flint, Mich., that he had opposed releasing funds to bail out the automobile industry  an issue of keen interest to voters in Michigan, given Detroits long history as the capital of the auto industry.

Most fact checkers who looked into Clintons statement concluded she wasnt telling the whole story.

In 2008, Sanders voted for an unsuccessful stand-alone bill to provide aid to the auto industry. The bill Clinton referenced came later, and its primary purpose was to bail out Wall Street, something Sanders staunchly opposed. Some money authorized in the bill wound up flowing to major U.S. automakers, though.

To say that Bernie Sanders, who has perhaps the strongest pro-worker voting record in the United States Congress, does not support automobile workers in their time of need . . . is totally absurd, Sanders said. Its unfortunate that she made that statement.

Sanders and his aides have tried to argue that none of his TV ads mention Clinton by name. But some leave little to the imagination.

On Friday, Sanders debuted a pair of ads in Illinois and North Carolina, another state that votes Tuesday, that say that while his opponent has flip-flopped on trade deals, Bernie has fought them and stood with American workers.

Clintons positions on some trade deals, including the pending Trans-Pacific Partnership, have, in fact, evolved. As secretary of state, she called the TPP the gold standard of trade deals. Last fall, she announced her opposition, which she stated even more strongly over the weekend. She has said she now has a fuller picture of whats being proposed.

In the interview, Sanders said voters have a right to know where he and his opponent diverge.

The differences are becoming fairly clear to the American people, and the more the differences between her views and my views get out there, the better well be, he said.

Clinton doesnt see it that way. During an appearance Saturday in St. Louis, she said Sanders has decided to close this election by attacking me and misrepresenting my record and his.

Clinton spokesman Jesse Ferguson said Clintons campaign thinks Sanders has broken his word about running a positive race.

During a rally Saturday in Springfield, Mo., Sanders continued to hammer Clinton on trade, saying their views diverged on the North American Free Trade Agreement, which was approved when her husband was in the White House in the 1990s.

I understood at the end of about three seconds that what this trade deal was about was forcing American workers to compete against very, very poor people in Mexico, Sanders told his audience.

I have voted against every one of these disastrous trade agreements, he said. Secretary Clintons position has been different. She has supported virtually every one of these trade agreements.

Boos filled the arena at the mention of Clintons position.

Sanders has also raised questions about Clintons judgment, zeroing in on her decision to deliver a series of paid speeches to corporate interests in the run-up to her presidential bid. That included some addresses to the Wall Street firm Goldman Sachs, which paid her $225,000 for one speech.

On that subject, Sanders hasnt hesitated to take a snide tone.

The way I see it, if youre going to give a speech and get $225,000, it must be a really brilliant speech, Sanders told a crowd at the University of Illinois on Saturday. It must be opening new vistas of human thought.

He also knocked Clinton for refusing to release transcripts of those speeches to the public. She has said she would do so when other candidates are held to the same standard.

Let me make a dramatic announcement to all of you here today, Sanders sarcastically told his crowd. Saying he was ready to release transcripts of his Wall Street speeches, he swung open his arms to reveal nothing. Here they are! he said.

The danger for Sanders, Elleithee said, is not that he will lose die-hard supporters with his tougher tone but that it could be harder to attract new ones  including some who like Clinton and are still weighing whether to vote for her.

Some Sanders fans, including Samuel Nebinger, who turned out Saturday night to see the candidate in Springfield, say theyre not bothered by the more pointed rhetoric. Nebinger said he welcomes it.

Nebinger, 21, recently dropped out of Missouri State University, he said, because it was too expensive, and he now works at a local call center. He was wearing a shirt that said Help Us, Bernie, Youre Our Only Hope.

He wanted to run it clean at first, Nebinger said. But he needed to go on the offensive, because shes been doing so many corrupt things. She did that to herself.
Donald Trumps line of clothing and accessories is made in Bangladesh, China, Honduras and other low-wage countries. (Marvin Joseph/The Washington Post)

Donald Trump wanted to market a line of mens clothing that would bear his name.

He told people working with him to help find a company known for producing quality merchandise on a mass scale. In the end, Trump signed on with Phillips-Van Heusen, a manufacturer of affordable shirts produced in factories in 85 countries.

The 2004 deal  one of the first of many merchandise-licensing arrangements in which Trump attached his name to products made by foreign workers and sold in the United States  is relevant today as the billionaire businessman wages a populist presidential campaign in which he accuses companies of killing U.S. jobs by moving manufacturing overseas to take advantage of cheap labor and lax workplace regulations.

Documents and interviews reveal the personal role Trump played in negotiating the deal. Participants said they could not recall him expressing a preference that products be made in the United States.

Finding the biggest company with the best practices is what was important to him, said Jeff Danzer, who was vice president of the company hired by Trump to broker the deal. Finding a company that made in America was never something that was specified.

1 of 45 Full Screen Autoplay Close Skip Ad  Trump captures the nations attention on the campaign trail View Photos The Republican candidate continues to dominate the presidential contest. 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.

Today, Donald J. Trump Collection shirts  as well as eyeglasses, perfume, cuff links and suits  are made in Bangladesh, China, Honduras and other low-wage countries.

Trumps daughter Ivanka, a vice president at his company and frequent campaign surrogate, markets hundreds of additional products under her own line of jewelry and clothing. Many are made in China.

The contradiction between Trumps business decisions and his political agenda illustrates the sometimes-awkward transformation of an aggressive, profit-oriented marketer and real estate mogul into a firebrand champion of the struggling working class.

When Trump began cutting licensing deals more than a decade ago, many business executives and politicians in both parties argued that free trade and overseas production were beneficial to everyone  a needed boost for poor, developing economies abroad and a path to cheap goods for middle-class consumers in the United States.

Trump, though, has emerged as the Republican presidential front-runner largely by tapping into growing anger among voters who think free-trade policies  such as the ones that have added to Trumps fortune  have devastated U.S. communities that have lost manufacturing jobs to Mexico, China and elsewhere.

Trumps rivals and critics say he is a hypocrite, enriching himself with overseas labor while blasting the practice for political gain.

Representatives for the Trump Organization did not respond to requests for comment, and a spokesman for Ivanka Trumps product line declined to comment.

On the campaign trail, Trump has blasted Ford Motor Co. for opening factories in Mexico, criticized a U.S. drug company that moved its headquarters offshore and said he will eat no more Oreo cookies because its maker, Nabisco, moved part of its production to Mexico.

When news broke three weeks ago that the air-conditioner maker Carrier was moving 1,400 jobs from a plant in Indianapolis to Monterrey, Mexico, Trump wrote on Facebook: We cannot allow this to keep happening. It will NOT happen under my watch.

Moreover, Trump has mentioned labor conditions overseas in support of his position that goods should be made in the United States, telling CNN last year that Chinese laborers are paid a lot less and the standards are worse when it comes to the environment and health care and worker safety.

During Thursday nights Republican candidates debate, Trump said he knows how to fix the policies that encourage outsourcing because he spent so many years taking advantage of them.

Nobody knows it better than me, he said. Im a businessman. These are laws. These are regulations. These are rules. Were allowed to do it. . . . But Im the one that knows how to change it.

Trumps rivals for the Republican presidential nomination have tried  so far to no avail  to undercut his popularity among working-class voters by portraying him as someone who rampantly outsources jobs. A similar line of attack proved effective four years ago against then-GOP nominee Mitt Romney.

Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) called on Trump during a March 3 debate to announce that all the Donald Trump clothing will no longer be made in China and in Mexico but will be made here in the United States. Trump dismissed the notion, arguing that Chinas currency policies make it impossible for clothing makers in this country to do clothing in this country.

Critics say Trump is being disingenuous.

Robert Lawrence, a professor of trade and investment at Harvards John F. Kennedy School of Government, has reviewed Trump-brand products for sale online and found that a large percentage are imported.

For example, the website selling Ivanka Trumps merchandise line links to 838 products  628 of them imported. Of those, 354 are from China, a country that Donald Trump often says takes advantage of the large U.S. trade deficit.

Ivanka Trumps products also were marketed alongside her fathers on the Trump Organization website. But amid criticism last week of the familys outsourcing practices, his daughters page was removed.

I dont decry what he and his daughter do, said Lawrence, who served on the Council of Economic Advisers under President Bill Clinton. But at the same time, for him to claim that this is somehow immoral and go after companies that have relocated manufacturing when he has done the same puts him in conflict with his own rhetoric.

Lawrence said that some of Trumps proposals could hurt his own businesses. His proposed 15 percent tax on companies that outsource jobs, or a proposed 20 percent tax for importing goods, could result in higher prices for consumers buying Trump-brand products. Recently, he has discussed placing a 45 percent tariff on Chinese imports.

Lawrence estimated that Trumps $250 suits made in China would suddenly be priced in the United States at $350 or more. The impact would be staggering and widespread, he said.

Michael Strain, deputy director of economic policy studies at the conservative American Enterprise Institute, said that Trumps trade rhetoric is deeply irresponsible because isolating the U.S. economy could devastate businesses and hurt consumers.

Trump struck the 2004 deal with Phillips-Van Heusen, which owns Tommy Hilfiger and Calvin Klein, at a critical moment for his brand  the same year his hit show The Apprentice premiered.

Several people engaged in the negotiations said that Trump was personally involved. None could remember him specifically mentioning the U.S.-worker issue.

If hes concerned about jobs in the United States, it should have been a question he asked, said one person involved in the deal, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to avoid offending Trump. And I can tell you that in none of the meetings did it come up.

The shirtmaker used factories in some countries, including Bangladesh, China and Honduras, where labor violations such as forced overtime are common, according to Scott Nova, executive director of the Worker Rights Consortium, a group that monitors factory conditions.

The agreement signed by Trump and Phillips-Van Heusen placed no restrictions on where Trump dress shirts, tuxedo shirts and neckwear could be manufactured.

Phillips-Van Heusen agreed that any products manufactured by it or for it anywhere in the world would not be made using child labor as defined in the relevant jurisdiction of production, according to the contract, which was filed in a later lawsuit in New York between the broker company and Trump.

Mark Weber, who was chief executive of Phillips-Van Heusen at the time, said the company employed a global sourcing network to produce clothes for Trumps line and other brands.

Weber described Trump as a master negotiator who correctly predicted the brand would be a smashing success and persuaded a wary Phillips-Van Heusen to sign on.

In a deposition filed in the New York lawsuit, Trump recalled that the massive clothier had been eager for the deal. They were very hot to make a deal with us, Trump said, according to a deposition transcript provided to The Washington Post by Jay Itkowitz, an attorney for the broker company that unsuccessfully sued Trump.

Weber, who is supporting Trump for president, said he concluded at the time that Trump was a patriot.

He had a clear preference to support American values and what was good for America, Weber said.

Asked whether Trump ever specifically expressed a preference for items bearing his name to be made in America, Weber said, Youre asking me for specifics that are very hard to recollect.

Weber said that at the time, the industrys widely shared goals  promoted through overseas production  were to improve standards of living for workers in the Third World and to offer U.S. consumers lower prices.

That was a time when America was very much in favor of building a better life for the people of our hemisphere, he said, referring to factories in Central America.

While we care about Americans, we care about people all over the world, too, Weber said.

He also said that Trump never attempted to require that products be made in the United States as part of the contract between the two companies.

No one can tell us where to make our products, said Weber, who left the company in 2006. I have never signed a contract in my 40 years of experience where someone could tell me where to make my goods.

After Trump drew scrutiny over the summer for disparaging comments about Mexican immigrants, Macys, which sold his clothing line, announced it was ending its relationship with him. Phillips-Van Heusen, now called PVH Corp., quickly followed suit, saying that its licensing deal with Trump would be unwound.

Dana Perlman, a spokeswoman for the company, said last week that it no longer manufactures Trump clothing. She declined to comment further.

Alice Crites contributed to this report.
In this image from the television network pool, a Secret Service agent rushes onto the stage to protect Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump after a man attempted to get beyond the barricades to the dais where Trump was standing during a speech at Dayton International Airport in Vandalia, Ohio.

March 12, 2016 In this image from the television network pool, a Secret Service agent rushes onto the stage to protect Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump after a man attempted to get beyond the barricades to the dais where Trump was standing during a speech at Dayton International Airport in Vandalia, Ohio. TV network pool via AP

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump was speaking in Dayton, Ohio, when he was briefly surrounded by Secret Service agents after a man tried to breach the security buffer.

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump was speaking in Dayton, Ohio when he was briefly surrounded by Secret Service agents after a man tried to breach the security buffer.

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump was speaking in Dayton, Ohio when he was briefly surrounded by Secret Service agents after a man tried to breach the security buffer.

An already ugly presidential campaign has descended to a new level  one where the question is no longer whether Donald Trump can be stopped on his march to the Republican presidential nomination, but whether it is possible to contain what he has unleashed across the country.

Violence at Trumps rallies has escalated sharply, and the reality-show quality of his campaign has taken a more ominous turn in the past few days. On Saturday, a man charged the stage in Dayton, Ohio, and a swarm of Secret Service agents surrounded the GOP front-runner.

Later Saturday at a Trump rally in Kansas City, the candidate was repeatedly interrupted by protesters, who were then removed from the venue. Outside the rally, police said they used pepper spray to control crowds. Kansas City police said that two protesters were arrested.

The racially tinged anger that has both fueled Trumps political rise and stoked the opposition to it has turned into a force unto itself. It has also brought a reckoning from his three remaining rivals for the Republican nomination, who are shedding their fear of provoking Trump and of alienating the raging slice of their partys base that has claimed him as its leader.

But Trump should not be viewed in isolation or as the product of a single election, President Obama said Saturday at a fundraiser in Dallas.

Social video captured a man charging through a security barricade at a rally in Dayton, Ohio, for Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump. (Joel Menken)

Obama said those who feed suspicion about immigrants and Muslims and poor people, and people who arent like us, and say that the reason that America is in decline is because of those people. That didnt just happen last week. That narrative has been promoted now for years.

This years presidential campaign, however, seems to have fallen into a bottomless spiral.

A low point came Friday night. Where Trump has delighted in mocking hecklers  and condoning attacks on them by his supporters  he was forced to cancel a rally at the last minute after protesters turned up by the thousands. That set off a chaotic scene in the arena at the University of Illinois at Chicago that left a handful injured and thousands agitated.

[Campaign 2016 is on a dangerous descent]

Trumps continued domination of the GOP race suggests that there are no guardrails left in politics. Party elders and his opponents assumed that at some point, he would self-destruct. But he has defied just about every norm, and it has redounded to his benefit.

His candidacy and the sentiment it provokes have also stirred disturbing historical comparisons.

GOP political consultant Stuart Stevens, who was a top strategist for 2012 nominee Mitt Romney, said Trumps rhetoric is almost verbatim what segregationist George Wallace was saying in his third-party 1968 presidential campaign.

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump's key political inner circle consists of campaign veterans and some more inexperienced characters. Here's what you need to know about them. (Deirdra O'Regan/The Washington Post)

I dont know whats in Trumps heart, but I dont care. What hes saying is really hateful, Stevens said. What did the Democratic Party do with Wallace? They rejected him.

Some on the right accused the anti-Trump forces who shut down the rally in Chicago of being the true culprits, who denied the GOP front-runner an opportunity to exercise his constitutional right to free speech.

Its sad, number one, that you have protesters that resort to violence, that resort to threats of violence that resort to yelling and screaming and disruption to silence speech that they dont like, said Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas, who is running a distant second to Trump in the GOP primaries.

But Trumps Republican opponents  all of whom have pledged to support Trump if he gets the nomination  said that the New York billionaire cannot be held blameless.

I think it is also true that any campaign, responsibility begins and ends at the top, Cruz said.

Look at the rhetoric of the front-runner in the presidential campaign, Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida said Saturday. This is a man who at rallies has told his supporters to basically beat up the people who are in the crowd and hell pay their legal fees. Someone whos basically encouraged the people in the audience to rough up anyone who stands up and says something he doesnt like.

I still at this moment continue to intend to support the Republican nominee, but its getting harder every day.

Ohio Gov. John Kasich condemned Trump for creating a toxic environment that has led supporters and protesters to come together in violence, but he, too, stopped short of saying he would not support his Republican rival if Trump secures the partys presidential nomination.

Their increasingly pointed criticism of Trump comes at a crucial moment in the GOP race, with primaries being held Tuesday in five states that could either propel Trump to the nomination or give life to the effort to stop him.

Most closely watched will be Florida and Ohio, which are considered must-wins for home-state candidates Rubio and Kasich. And for the first time in this electoral season, delegates will be awarded on a winner-take-all basis, which means that victories by Trump would accelerate his efforts to secure the nomination.

Trump has won GOP contests in 15 states, accumulating an estimated 458 Republican delegates of the 1,237 he needs.

On Thursday, the candidates held their final debate before the next round of primaries, and they managed to remain civil to one another and focused on their substantive differences.

During the debate, Trump was asked about an incident in which a supporter at a rally in Fayetteville, N.C., punched a protester.

There is some anger. Theres also great love for the country. Its a beautiful thing in many respects. But I certainly do not condone that at all, Trump said.

Now, the outbreak of violence in Chicago had again drawn focus to Trumps temperament and character, as well as whether he has played a role in inciting his supporters.

[After months of playing protesters to his advantage, Donald Trump is overpowered in Chicago]

For months, Trump has been able to control  and even employ as foils  the hundreds of protesters who show up to his rallies to oppose what they consider divisive and racist.

Trump often says that he loves having protesters at his rallies, that they make his rallies fun. Plus, the interruptions are an opportunity to show him bossing around and mocking liberals, often bellowing, Get em out!

In the past two weeks, however, these interruptions have increasingly eaten into Trumps speaking time and become more violent. The Trump supporter who punched the protester in North Carolina was charged with assault.

Asked about the criticism from other Republican candidates following the Chicago cancellation, Trump campaign manager Corey Lewandowski mocked them: Do they have protesters at their events? Do they have any people at their events?

Lewandowski  who has been accused of and denies manhandling a female reporter at a Trump event  also said his candidate does not plan to do anything to calm his supporters.

The American people are angry, Lewandowski said. Theyre upset at the way this country has been run. Theyre upset that this country is being taken advantage of by every other country in the world. And theyre tired of not being proud to be Americans.

As for Trump, he insisted that his supporters had been blameless in Chicago. He accused backers of Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders, a Vermont senator and democratic socialist, of inciting the violence.

My people are nice, Trump said at his rally in Dayton. Thousands and thousands of people, they caused no problem. They were taunted, they were harassed by these other people. These other people, by the way, some represent Bernie, our communist. . . . He should really get up and say to his people: Stop. Stop. 

Sanders retorted in a statement issued by his campaign: As is the case virtually every day, Donald Trump is showing the American people that he is a pathological liar. Obviously, while I appreciate that we had supporters at Trumps rally in Chicago, our campaign did not organize the protests.

What caused the protests at Trumps rally is a candidate that has promoted hatred and division against Latinos, Muslims, women, and people with disabilities, and his birther attacks against the legitimacy of President Obama, Sanders added, referring to Trumps false assertions that Obama was born in Africa and was therefore disqualified to be president.

Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton also jumped into the fray.

The ugly, divisive rhetoric we are hearing from Donald Trump and the encouragement of violence and aggression is wrong, and its dangerous, she said at an appearance in St. Louis. If you play with matches, youre going to start a fire you cant control.

The decision to cancel the rally on Friday was made by the Trump campaign, not the agencies charged with keeping him safe.

Trump requested Secret Service protection in October and was granted a detail of agents in early November.

Government officials have said their role is only to protect Trump and that any decisions to throw out the hecklers and protesters at Trump rallies are made by the campaign or groups hosting the events. Secret Service agents intervene only, officials have said, if someone verbally or physically threatens the candidate.

After the man tried to breach the barricades around Trump on Saturday, he was charged with disorderly conduct and inciting panic by the Dayton police, according to an official familiar with the matter. Montgomery County Sheriff Phil Plummer identified the man as Thomas Dimassimo of Fairborn, Ohio, the Associated Press reported.

I was ready for him, but its much easier if the cops do it, dont we agree? Trump said after the man was hauled away. And to think I had such an easy life! What do I need this for, right?

Tumulty reported from Washington. Johnson reported from Chicago and DelReal from Dayton. Also contributing to this story were Ed OKeefe in Largo, Fla.; Abby Phillip in St. Louis; Philip Rucker in Cleveland; Jim Tankersley in Sharonville, Ohio; Juliet Eilperin and David Weigel in Washington; and Katie Zezima in Ballwin, Mo.
Six days ago, Bernie Sanders pulled off one of the great upsets in modern politics  surging from more than 20 points behind in the polls to edge out Hillary Clinton and win Michigans Democratic presidential primary.

It was remarkable! It was historic! And it netted him four more delegates than Clinton in the state. Meanwhile, in Mississippi, Clinton won with more than 80 percent of the vote  and gained 28 more delegates than Sanders.

On the best night of the Sanders campaign to date, he fell 24 more delegates behind Clinton in the race for the Democratic nomination.

That increasingly challenging math is what Sanders must confront Tuesday as voters in several large states  including Florida, Illinois and Ohio  go to the polls.

[Clinton leads Sanders by more than 2 to 1 in Florida, Post-Univision poll finds]

Bernie Sanders won Michigan on March 8 by getting votes from several key groups. (Peter Stevenson/The Washington Post)

As of today, Clinton has 1,231 delegates to Sanderss 576  a lead of 655. That means that Clinton has 51.7 percent of the 2,383 delegates she needs to become the Democratic Partys nominee.

Subtract superdelegates  Clinton is dominating even among this group of elected officials and party luminaries  and she has 766 delegates to Sanderss 551, a margin of 215. (Worth noting: That is a wider lead than the margin by which Clinton ever trailed then-Sen. Barack Obama in the long slog of the 2008 primary race.)

That lead may not seem momentous. After all, almost 3,000 delegates are yet to be allocated in the primaries and caucuses to come. The problem for Sanders is that Democrats allocate their delegates proportionally in every state  meaning that between now and when the process ends June 7, there is no state where Clinton will be shut out.

Winning, then, is not enough for Sanders. He has to win by a lot to make up any real ground.

Clinton has already done that. Take, for example, Alabama. She won there March 1 by 59 points and gained 38 more delegates than Sanders. Or Georgia on that same day, beating Sanders by 43 points and netting 55 delegates. Or the aforementioned Mississippi, where Clintons 66-point win translated to a net gain of 28 delegates.

[Southern states help Clinton extend her lead over Sanders]

Sanderss one big win came in New Hampshires primary. But his 22-point margin translated to a net delegate gain of zero because six superdelegates pledged to Clinton, bringing her delegate gain up to match his. Similarly, in the Colorado caucuses, Sanders won by 19 points but the superdelegate math meant the candidates each took 38 delegates.

Look at the next set of big contests, to be held Tuesday. Four states have more than 100 delegates to give out: Florida (246), Illinois (182), Ohio (160) and North Carolina (121).

Polling released Sunday morning suggests that Sanders has a big hill to climb. Clinton leads the senator 61 percent to 34 percent in Florida and has an edge of 58 percent to 38 percent in Ohio, according to NBC- Marist surveys. The race in Illinois, according to NBC-Marist, is closer, with Clinton at 51 percent and Sanders at 45 percent.

But wait, you say. Polling in Michigan had Sanders down 20 points and he won there. So this polling could be wrong, too.

Sure. It could. The problem for Sanders is this: Lets say each of the NBC-Marist surveys is off by 20 points in Clintons favor. (Note that this is a thought experiment. I very much doubt a credible pollster such as this one would be off by even close to that amount.) That would mean Sanders loses Florida by single digits, essentially ties Clinton in Ohio and wins Illinois by 15 points. The delegate allocation from that trio of results? It would almost certainly favor Clinton.

Sanders is in a position where winning states is not close to enough if he wants to be the partys nominee. He needs to start winning big states by big margins. As in winning Illinois or Florida by 30 or 40 points.

That seems very unlikely either Tuesday or beyond. If past votes are any guide, it will be a tough road for Sanders. There have been seven election nights in the race so far; Clinton has netted delegates in six of them, while the two candidates fought to a draw in the seventh (New Hampshire).

None of this means that Sanders cant  and wont  keep running. Winning states matters in terms of perception and keeps the wolves from his door. But winning states and emboldening your supporters arent the same as taking concrete steps to reduce or eliminate Clintons delegate lead.

That looks to be a near-impossible task for Sanders unless the numbers in the states to come start changing quickly.
Analysts think the regime of Kim Jong Un, in North Korea, is exaggerating its technical capabilities regarding a hydrogen bomb. (KOREAN CENTRAL NEWS AGENCY/REUTERS)

North Korea claimed Sunday that it could wipe out Manhattan by sending a hydrogen bomb on a ballistic missile to the heart of New York City, the latest in a string of brazen threats.

Although there are many reasons to believe that Kim Jong Uns regime is exaggerating its technical capabilities, the near-daily drumbeat of boasts and warnings from North Korea underlines its anger at efforts to thwart its ambitions.

[North Koreas making a lot of threats these days. How worried should we be?]

Our hydrogen bomb is much bigger than the one developed by the Soviet Union, DPRK Today, a state-run outlet, reported Sunday. DPRK stands for the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea, North Koreas official name.

If this H-bomb were to be mounted on an intercontinental ballistic missile and fall on Manhattan in New York City, all the people there would be killed immediately and the city would burn down to ashes, the report said, citing a nuclear scientist named Cho Hyong Il.

On Jan. 6, North Korea announced that it successfully tested a hydrogen bomb. Experts say it appeared to be a less powerful atomic device. However, a hydrogen bomb detonation would mean North Korea has taken a huge step forward in their nuclear capability. (Daron Taylor/The Washington Post)

The website is a strange choice for making such a claim, given that it also carries reports about such topics as rabbit farming and domestically made school backpacks.

North Koreas newly developed hydrogen bomb surpasses our imagination, Cho is quoted as saying.

The H-bomb developed by the Soviet Union in the past was able to smash windows of buildings 1,000 kms away and the heat was strong enough to cause third-degree burns 100 kms away, the report continued. (A thousand kilometers is about 625 miles; 100 kilometers, about 62.5 miles.)

[Punishing North Korea: A rundown on current sanctions]

Kim in January ordered North Koreas fourth nuclear test and claimed that it was a hydrogen bomb, not a simple atomic one. But most experts are skeptical of the claim, saying the seismic waves caused by the blast were similar to those produced by the Norths three previous tests.

Then in February, Kim oversaw the launch of what North Korea said was a rocket that put a satellite into orbit, a move widely considered part of a long-range-ballistic-missile program.

North Korea has made advances in its intercontinental-ballistic-missile program, and though experts generally conclude that the United States West Coast could be within reach, there has been no suggestion that the North would be able to hit the East Coast.

1 of 50 Full Screen Autoplay Close Skip Ad  What life looks like inside North Korea View Photos Scenes from inside the hermit kingdom. Caption Scenes from the hermit kingdom. April 14, 2016 A girl dances ballet at the Mangyongdae Childrens Palace in the Pyongyang suburbs. The large facility, opened in 1989, has hundreds of rooms for various activities, including mathematics, chemistry, computer science, sports, music and dance practice. Franck Robichon/European Pressphoto Agency Wait 1 second to continue.

Many experts are also skeptical of the miniaturized warhead that Kim showed off last week during a visit to a nuclear weapons plant.

But Jeffrey Lewis, director of the East Asia nonproliferation program at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey, warned against dismissing the claim too soon.

It does not look like U.S. devices, to be sure, but it is hard to know if aspects of the model are truly implausible or simply that North Korean nuclear weapons look different than their Soviet and American cousins, Lewis wrote in an analysis for 38 North, a website devoted to North Korea. The size, however, is consistent with my expectations for North Korea.

As international condemnation of the Norths acts mounted, culminating this month in the United Nations toughest sanctions yet against Pyongyang, Kims regime has become increasingly belligerent, firing missiles into the Sea of Japan  also known as the East Sea  and issuing a new threat or denunciation almost every day.

The sanctions coincide with annual spring drills between the U.S. and South Korean militaries, which Pyongyang considers a rehearsal for an invasion. The ongoing exercises are viewed as particularly antagonistic because special forces are practicing decapitation strikes that target Northern leaders and the destruction of Pyongyangs nuclear and missile sites.

[In drills, U.S., South Korea practice striking Norths nuclear plants, leaders]

On Friday, North Koreas state media reported that Kim ordered more nuclear tests, while the Norths Korean Peoples Army warned in a statement Saturday that it would counter the drills by liberat[ing] the whole of South Korea including Seoul . . . with an ultra-precision blitzkrieg strike of the Korean style.

South Koreas Defense Ministry urged Pyongyang to stop its threats and provocations.

If the North continues to make provocations despite the stern warnings made by our military, it is inevitable for us to roll out a strict response that may lead to the destruction of the Pyongyang regime, South Koreas Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement, according to the Yonhap News Agency.

Yoonjung Seo contributed to this report.

Read more:

North Koreas possible nuclear warhead looks silly  but its still concerning

North Korea launches satellite, sparks fears about long-range missile program

In latest outburst, North Koreas Kim orders nuclear weapons at the ready

Today's coverage from Post correspondents around the world
Afghan warlord Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, shown in this 2003 photo taken from a video, has announced that he is willing to join peace talks with the government in Kabul. (Video via AP)

An Afghan insurgent leader blacklisted by the United Nations will join peace talks with the Kabul government, in a potential boost to flagging U.S. efforts to broker an end to Afghanistans years-long war.

In a statement Sunday, the notorious warlord and radical Islamist commander, Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, said he is ready to participate in negotiations to show Afghans that we want peace.

We see that the Americans want to fight, and most of the Kabul officials see peace as a threat to the power, said the statement, which was posted online. In spite of this, we are ready to participate in the talks.

The announcement from Hekmatyar  who leads the group Hezb-i-Islami  comes one week after the Taliban leadership rejected talks with the government, refusing face-to-face meetings and postponing the peace process indefinitely. Negotiations had been scheduled to start earlier this month in Islamabad, Pakistans capital.

Unless the occupation of Afghanistan is ended . . . such futile, misleading negotiations will not bear any fruit, the Taliban said in a statement, blaming U.S. airstrikes and night raids for the ongoing fighting in places such as Helmand province.

The talks have been backed by the United States, China and Pakistan, whose ties to the Taliban leadership are an open secret.

Hekmatyar, too, is said to have links to Pakistans shadowy intelligence service. The U.S. State Department designated him a global terrorist in 2003 and just last week slapped sanctions on two of his groups top explosives experts.

Hezb-i-Islami has attacked government targets and courted relations with the Afghan leadership in Kabul. It also has allied with the Taliban and squared off against Taliban insurgents on the battlefield.

It is unclear whether Hekmatyars participation will persuade the Taliban to join the process. Hekmatyar, 68, served briefly as prime minister in Kabul during the civil war in the 1990s, and became infamous for launching rocket attacks on his city.

A delegation dispatched by Hekmatyar was in Kabul on Sunday to confirm the insurgent leaders cooperation with the government, one Afghan official said. He spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue.

Peace talks between the Taliban and the Afghan government fell apart last year after it was revealed that Taliban leader Mohammad Omar had died in 2013. The news of his death fractured the movement as the leadership sought to choose a successor.

Still, the insurgency has made steady gains in areas across Afghanistan in recent years. According to the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction, a U.S. government watchdog, the Taliban controls more territory than it has since the U.S. invasion toppled its government in 2001.
A car bomb in the heart of the Turkish capital, Ankara, killed at least 37 people Sunday, heightening anxieties that violence from the war against Kurdish militants in the southeast is spilling into Turkish cities.

The early-evening explosion struck near a busy square along Ataturk Boulevard, an area of malls and restaurants that is typically packed with shoppers and commuters.

It was the second such bombing in Ankara in less than four weeks and occurred less than a mile from the earlier one. The previous attack, on Feb. 17, targeted a bus full of Turkish soldiers, killing 28 of them, and was claimed by an offshoot of the Kurdistan Workers Party, or PKK.

There was no immediate assertion of responsibility for Sundays blast, but the pro-government Daily Sabah quoted a Turkish government official as saying the PKK or one of its affiliates is the main suspect.

The exact target wasnt clear, and some Turkish media reports suggested it may have been a group of riot police, a common sight on the streets of Turkish cities, that had gathered nearby. CCTV footage showed a car parked on the busy boulevard exploding in a ball of flame as traffic whizzed past.





But initial reports suggested at least some of the casualties were civilians waiting at nearby bus stops, which would mark another worrying twist in the escalating violence between the Turkish government and the PKK.

The Health Ministry said 37 people were killed and at least 128 were injured in Sundays bombing.

Smaller-scale attacks have been commonplace against Turkish military targets in the largely Kurdish southeast since a cease-fire broke down last summer and engulfed cities there in full-scale war. The two recent attacks suggest that the militants are seeking to escalate the fight by taking it into the heart of the country and hitting civilians, too.

The U.S. Embassy warned Friday in a message to American citizens that a terrorist attack might be imminent in Ankara, but it did not identify any group.

The Islamic State has also carried out attacks in Turkey in recent months, but those were suicide bombings, not car bombs. The worst killed more than 100 people in Ankara at a Kurdish peace rally last October. In Istanbul, 11 people, most of them German tourists, died in January when a suicide bomber struck the historic Sultanahmet district.

The violence has unnerved Turkey, which finds itself entangled in fights on two fronts, against the Kurds in southeastern Turkey and against the Islamic State in Syria. The two wars are becoming ever more closely intertwined, with Turkey firing artillery into Syria to halt advances there by the Syrian Kurdish Peoples Protection Units, or YPG, which is allied with the PKK, against the Islamic State and Syrian rebels.

The fighting between Turkey and the YPG has caused friction with the United States, too, which is allied with both of them in the war against the Islamic State.

The U.S government, like Turkey, has designated the PKK a terrorist organization. But it has refused Turkeys demands to designate the YPG as terrorist, saying it regards the YPG as a vital ally in the fight against the Islamic State.

Blast strikes military convoy in Turkish capital; at least 28 killed

Turkeys increasingly desperate predicament poses real dangers

The Middle Easts alphabet soup of Kurds, explained
Brazilian President Dilma Rousseffs main coalition partner served notice Saturday that it could break from her embattled Workers Party government in 30 days and join opposition efforts to unseat the leftist leader.

At a rowdy convention of the fractious Brazilian Democratic Movement Party (PMDB), leaders quashed a motion by irate delegates who wanted to quit Rousseffs government immediately, before it goes down in a political storm over corruption and economic recession.

Instead, Brazils largest party agreed to leave it to the PMDBs executive committee, ensuring unity behind party leader Michel Temer, who is Rousseffs vice president.

Party insiders said this gives the PMDB time to gauge the level of support in the country for the impeachment of Rousseff sought by opposition parties in Congress, a move that could put Temer in the presidential seat. Rousseffs opponents have called nationwide demonstrations against her on Sunday.

The widening corruption probe surrounding state-run oil company Petrobras has turned many PMDB lawmakers against Rousseff. Plea-bargain testimony by defendants in the bribery and political kickback scandal have led prosecutors closer to members of the presidents inner circle, including Workers Party founder and former president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who is being investigated for allegedly benefiting from graft money.

The anti-Rousseff faction of the PMDB rallied the convention with chants of Out with Dilma and Out with the Workers Party and Temer for president.

In his convention speech, Temer said the PMDB has a blueprint to stimulate business, reduce the size of government, create jobs and restore growth to an economy that shrank 3.8 percent last year, its worst performance in 25 years.

PMDB members are increasingly impatient to distance themselves from the unpopular Rousseff and her governing Workers Party, which has been in office since 2003.

This government will fall; it cannot survive, said Carlos Marun, a lawmaker from the agricultural state of Mato Grosso do Sul. Either we abandon ship now or go down with it.

If Rousseff is not impeached, Marun warned, Brazils top electoral court could annul the Rousseff-Temer election win in 2014 in an investigation of graft money allegedly used to fund their campaign.

The PMDB is not totally insulated from the corruption scandal. Six party members hold positions in Rousseffs cabinet, and several of the PMDB leaders who stood next to Temer at the convention are targets in corruption probes. Among them are the speaker of the lower house of Congress, Eduardo Cunha, who has been indicted for allegedly laundering money in the Petrobras kickback scandal.

The PMDB, which has no fixed ideology, has been in power since Brazil restored democracy in 1985 after two decades of military rule, either in the government or controlling one of the two houses of Congress.

The PMDB plans to field its own presidential candidate in the next election in 2018, but if it decided to break with Rousseff sooner, as many of its members want, her impeachment would be all but certain, and Temer would finish her term.
Chancellor Angela Merkel speaks during a local election campaign rally for the Christian Democratic Party Saturday in Haigerloch, Germany. (Krisztian Bocsi/Bloomberg News)

Chancellor Angela Merkel cited a gratifying drop in the number of refugees entering Germany and defended her efforts to reach a deal with Turkey on migration as she made a final effort Saturday to win votes on the eve of three state elections. More than one-fifth of the German population lives in the three regions, making the contest the biggest of Merkels third term.

With polls indicating support for Merkels Christian Democratic Union slipping, the chancellor placed her open-border refugee policy front and center as voters in Baden-Wurttemberg, Rhineland-Palatinate and Saxony-Anhalt prepared to go to the polls.

Even if its gratifying that far fewer refugees are coming at the moment, there are still many here, so we still need to ask ourselves how well confront this challenge, Merkel told a crowd in the southern German town of Haigerloch.

Sundays is the first electoral test for Merkels refugee policy. The German leader is trying to blunt public discontent over the influx of asylum seekers from the Middle East, which has triggered the defection of many CDU voters to the right-wing populist Alternative for Germany party, or AfD.

Surveys show the refugee crisis at the top of the list of the German publics concerns after more than 1 million asylum seekers arrived last year.





At Saturdays rally, Merkel reiterated her plan to seek a sustained reduction in the number of migrants. The current drop reflects multiple border closures from Austria south through the Balkan region in the past few weeks, measures that have caused a bottleneck on Greeces border with Macedonia. Merkel has said the unilateral measures endanger Europes system of open borders.

In Baden-Wurttemberg, where the CDU was ousted five years ago by a government led by the Green Party, Merkels party in opinion surveys has lost even more ground to the environmental party. Making her last campaign appearance in the state, Merkel blamed the Greens and the Social Democrats for slowing decisions aimed at stemming the refugee influx.

Whoever wants faster decisions must vote CDU, Merkel told the crowd.

The chancellor also defended her effort for a deal with Turkey as European Union leaders prepare for their second meeting in two weeks on Thursday. The total of 6 billion euros ($6.7 billion) requested by the government in Ankara is worth the price to help prevent refugees from crossing into the E.U., Merkel said.

Merkel, who grew up in communist-ruled East Germany, compared the response to the refugee crisis to Germanys rebuilding after World War II and her CDUs push to reunify the country.

I stand here as a product of German unity, otherwise I wouldnt be here, Merkel said.
Still looking far from ready to compromise, representatives from Syrias government and opposition arrived here Sunday ahead of another round of U.N.-backed negotiations to end their catastrophic civil war.

The talks that are scheduled to begin Monday come barely more than a month after a previous round of negotiations here in Geneva collapsed because of fighting that continued to rage back in Syria. But even as expectations of a diplomatic breakthrough remain low, glimmers of hope have emerged because of a drop in violence from a partial truce that came into effect more than two weeks ago.

With government and rebel forces verging on exhaustion after more than four years of civil war, their rival great power sponsors  Russia and the United States  appear to have taken greater interest in forging a diplomatic solution. Moscow backs Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and Washington supports his opposition, but they nevertheless brokered the shaky cease-fire that took hold on Feb. 27 and have cajoled their allies into returning to Geneva.

[U.N. envoy for Syria expects peace talks to start Monday]

This truce was negotiated between Russia and the U.S., not between the various Syrian actors, said Joshua Landis, a Syria expert and director of the University of Oklahomas Center for Middle East Studies. Its success demonstrates how exhausted all sides are.

But while Secretary of State John F. Kerry said that violence has been reduced by 80 to 90 percent under the cease-fire, U.S. officials have grown increasingly concerned that most of the violations have been perpetrated by Syrian government forces and their Iranian and Hezbollah allies on the ground. Militiamen from Iran and the Lebanese militant group have participated in pro-government ground attacks that have been backed by airstrikes from Russia, which intervened militarily in the conflict in late September. Moscows support has helped Assad regain momentum in a war that has killed more than 250,000 people, uprooted millions and empowered the Islamic State and other extremists.

Frustration over Russias inability or unwillingness to rein in Assads forces led Kerry on Sunday to publicly remind Russia and Iran that they accepted responsibility for the forces that they control or influence. . . . So President Putin, who is invested in supporting Assad . . . should be somewhat concerned.

This is a moment of truth, Kerry said during a visit to Paris, a moment where all of us have agreed to be responsible.

[How the Syrian revolt went so horribly, tragically wrong]

Although Washington and Moscow agreed not to litigate cease-fire violations publicly, he said, its important now for those who support President Assad to make sure that he is living up to this agreement. And therefore, as a result, that they are living up to this agreement, too.

Statements on Saturday by Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moualem added to U.S. irritation. Moualem confirmed the governments participation in the talks, but said any opposition attempt to discuss Assads future was a red line for Damascus. The government delegation will reject any attempt to put this on the agenda, he said at a news conference in the Syrian capital.

We will not talk to anyone who talks about the position of the presidency. . . . I advise them that if this is their thinking, they shouldnt come to the talks, he said. The opposition, Moualem said, is operating under delusions that they will take power in Geneva that they failed to take in battle.

While the international agreement under which the negotiations are being held does not specifically mention Assad, it outlines the establishment of a transitional government with full executive powers to take control of Syria while a new constitution is being written and preparations are being made for elections. The opposition has repeatedly said its interpretation of that agreement is that there is no place for Assad in the transition.

The Obama administration, while continuing to say that peace is impossible as long as Assad remains in office, has avoided saying that the talks should be specifically about his future. But Kerry seemed Sunday to move closer to the opposition position, saying that Assad sent his foreign minister out . . . to try and act as a spoiler, to take off the table something that President Putin and Iran had committed to in signing the agreement.

[Syria truce wobbles amid claims of government attacks, aid-delivery snags]

Kerry said that he was in contact with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, and that U.S. and Russian task force representatives were meeting this weekend in both Geneva and Amman, where the United States operates a center to monitor cease-fire violations.

Russia has significantly decreased its airstrikes against opposition fighters and civilians in recent weeks, according to administration officials, and has increased its strikes against the Islamic State. Opposition groups that signed up for the cease-fire have largely complied with it.

But Syrian government forces, in addition to continued use of air-dropped barrel bombs, have conducted ground operations against opposition-held areas around Damascus and the Mediterranean province of Latakia in an apparent effort to retake ground.

While the government has lifted sieges to allow humanitarian access in some areas, Kerry confirmed reports that Syrian forces have removed medical supplies from the relief convoys operated by the United Nations and non-governmental aid organizations.

By continuing military operations on the ground, administration officials said, Assad may also be trying to goad opposition forces into violating the truce. Two of the largest armed groups  Jaish al-Islam and Ahrar al-Sham  have come under attack near the cities of Homs and Hama. The two Islamist organizations have so far been observing the cease-fire, but have kept the opposition negotiating team at arms length.

The talks beginning Monday are expected to last for 10 days, during which the United Nations expects no face-to-face contact between the government and opposition delegations. The plan is then to adjourn them for further consultations on all sides before resuming around April 5.

DeYoung reported from Washington.
morguefile.com

Don't you love this time of year? You know, award season? Me too, and so do the local comedians of the Albuquerque area. The First Annual Comedy Celebration will be hosted by the local (and brilliant) comedians Kaatje Gotcha and Royal Wood III at Duel Brewing. The awards will be given to the best server, open mic/venue, host, newcomer, comedy advocate/mentor and two surprise categories.

This free event will have DJ Leftover Soul mixing live and goodies from L'Amour Bakery will be available for all to enjoy. To participate in the voting you can find the poll sheets at the open mic venues (like Back Alley, Boese Brothers, Adieux). Afterward there will be an open mic at Adieux. Be sure to head out in time to celebrate the comedic wins and losses of the night! Duel Brewing  Tue Mar 15  5-7pm  FREE (donations accepted)  ALL-AGES!  View on Alibi calendar
COLUMBUS  The well-being of area residents is summed up in a needs assessment conducted by the two biggest health care providers in Columbus.

The 241-page report filled with facts and figures takes a detailed look at the health conditions of people in Platte and three surrounding counties. This data helps uncover the top problems and health concerns people are facing.

Rebecca Rayman cant get enough of the data.

The director of East Central District Health Department uses the numbers as a tool to fulfill a main responsibility of the department.

One of the primary functions of a public health department is to monitor the health status of a community, she said.

The report helps by showing in black and white how people in the community are doing compared to past years and others living across the state and nation. The latest assessment was released in January 2015.

The health department, which has continuously gathered information for the assessment for years, paired with Columbus Community Hospital to produce the latest report. The two entities will continue to work together to generate assessments every three years.

Both ECDHD and CCH use the assessment to create programs and methods to address the most pressing health concerns in the county. Hopes are that education and promoting preventative care will reduce the number of people suffering from some of the top health concerns, like obesity and cancer. Doing so will have a direct impact on peoples pocketbooks in the long run.

We know if we can do those basic things and motivate people to make healthier lifestyle choices, ultimately it is going to save us all money because less people will have chronic and acute conditions and have to use the most expensive place, which is the hospital, said Mike Hansen, president and CEO of CCH.

Addressing those issues is being done in small and large ways.

The hospital started a communitywide initiative called 100 Miles in 100 Days. The walking program started Oct. 1 and invited people to participate by logging as many miles as they could over the next 100 days.

Overall, the program had 1,503 participants who accumulated 119,142 miles.

Danielle Frewing, director of occupational health services at the hospital, led the program. She saw it as a success despite the number of people taking part falling short of the goal of 5,000.

We feel that if we made a difference in one persons life, it was worth it, Frewing said.

Participants were given pedometers, a walking log to track miles and educational information throughout the program. Though baseline data wasnt collected at the start of the 100 days, Frewing said people did report positive health benefits like weight loss and lower blood pressure.

On a larger scale, the hospital created the Columbus Wellness Center, a vision that started after results from the 2012 health needs assessment were released. Some of the prevalent health issues that surfaced from that report were obesity, diabetes and cardiac disease.

The wellness center was built to address those issues by offering both general wellness and medical programs at a single location. Knowing the Columbus Family YMCA was in need of a new facility, that organization was brought on board to rent space in the building and offer the general wellness program, while the hospital covers the medical side with outpatient rehabilitation services.

The $22 million facility opened at 3912 38th St. last fall. So far, the wellness center has been a success.

Im really pleased. It has really exceeded my expectations. It is great to see people in the community using the facility. I know the YMCA has had a tremendous increase in membership. Even on our side with the medical wellness, our business increased 30-40 percent just because of the facilities and what we have to offer, Hansen said.

CCH is also developing a child care facility for its staff. The project has been in the works for a while and preliminary concepts are being developed, but finding a provider for the program has been an issue. So the decision was made for the hospital to be its own provider by hiring a director and staff.

The center, which will be built near the hospital, will help address the need for more child care in the community.

Obviously it is a big thing for our staff. Our staff are like anyone else, they need good child care. Child care is a big issue in Columbus. There is a lack of providers in Columbus and Ive been part of the child care task force, not only for the hospital but for the community, Hansen said.

It will take about a year to build the center after ground is broken, which could happen as soon as this spring. The child care center will be used by staff at the hospital. If it's not at capacity, it will be opened to the community.

At the health department, Rayman said services offered there are directly linked to what is needed by the people it serves in Platte, Boone, Colfax and Nance counties.

Everything that we have ever done has been based on community need and moving forward, she said.

That's been true since the beginning. In 1992, a group of people in the health field in Columbus applied for a grant to get state funding for a study to determine if a public health department was needed in the area.

There was a need, said Theresa Hilton, a member of the group spearheading the effort. The hospital, she said, was trying to fill community health roles that surpassed its regular scope of duties. That's when the idea of a health department came up.

About 65 percent of respondents to the study were in favor of a health department, so the group moved forward by setting up an interlocal agreement with Platte and Colfax counties. The startup health department was the first to be established in the state in several decades.

First named the Platte/Colfax County District Health Department when it opened in 1998, the department later added Boone and Nance to cover a four-county area.

Rayman came aboard in 1999 after working in public health in Texas and labor and delivery at CCH when she and her husband moved back to their hometown of Columbus.

Immunizations and basic health care were offered at the department in its early days through a free health clinic offered twice a month. The department grew quickly to meet the needs of the community, moving into three different locations in its first five years before settling in at 2282 E. 32nd Ave. in 2003. That was the department's home until early 2015 when a $7 million building was constructed at 4321 41st Ave.

The 29,400-square-foot facility is about twice the size of the previous location and provides enough space to serve about 1,000 more clients per year. Last year, the clinic saw 7,100 people through services that include immunizations, medical, dental and mental health care.

A staff of about 110 also provides care in Schuyler and Fremont, as well as satellite clinics in St. Edward, Albion and Fullerton.

The hospital has also been located at different addresses in the community. CCH was officially formed when St. Marys and Behlen Memorial hospitals merged. In 1975, the name of the facility officially changed to Columbus Community Hospital.

It moved from 3020 18th St. to a newly constructed building in 2002. Located at 4600 38th St., the 51-bed, not-for-profit hospital employs about 650 people and has 300 volunteers. It is a full acute care hospital that offers inpatient and outpatient services.

In 2015, there were more than 2,800 inpatient admissions, 11,700 emergency visits and 646 births at the hospital.

Hansen said a mission of CCH is to provide safety-net care for people who dont have insurance or cant afford to pay. About half of the people served are covered through Medicare or Medicaid. Its primary service area is Platte County, but a secondary service area covers Pender, Neligh, David City, Schuyler, Genoa and Albion. That area is serviced through clinics.

The scope of CCH has expanded by being a founding member of the Enhance Health Network. The hospital joined eight others to form the network to enhance health in communities. By being involved with that network, Hansen said CCH is able to leverage purchasing power, combine knowledge for clinical protocols and provide high-quality care at a reasonable cost.

Hansen has spent 33 years in the health care field, joining CCH in 2009. He said over the years, hospitals have been under growing pressure to figure out how to continue to provide good care in a way that's affordable for patients.

That will continue, so controlling expenses and looking at different revenue streams will be important. Bad debt is also becoming more of an issue. Hansen said many of the health insurance plans on the market place developed under the Affordable Care Act are high-deductible, high-co-pay plans.

What happens is the people who get those plans, they think they are great because they are paying virtually the same premium and maybe a bit more, but they dont realize they will have a $5,000 deductible until they get sick. A lot of people dont have $5,000 laying around to pay a hospital bill, he said.

Even with the challenges facing health care, Hansen said the hospital will continue to be a leader in the Columbus area and work toward meeting the needs of the people it serves.

Our vision is to improve the health of the community that we serve. That is really our role. We are the safety-net hospital for people who need us and cant afford to pay. We have to support that as part of our mission, as well. We dont turn anybody away because of the inability to pay, he said.




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.
The adventures of an English country girl exploring life, the universe and everything, notebook in hand. At home on horseback, at the tiller or behind the wheel. Founder of Gateway to England, a collection of the finest companies offering luxury riding holidays, art talks, country-house visits, railway tours and sporting adventures
Via the Daily Trust: AUC okays Nigeria to host Africa Center for Disease Control. The full report and then a comment:

Nigeria has been certified by the Africa Union Commission (AUC) to host the Africa Center for Disease Control (CDC) and Regional Collaborating Centre.

The head of delegation of the AUC team Olawale Maiyegun said at a press conference in Abuja at the weekend that Nigeria has been able to fulfill the criteria for hosting such centre.

Maiyegun who is the AUC's Director of Social Affairs maintained that the Ebola outbreak last year gave the impetus for the establishment of Africa CDC with a regional and coordinating centre in each of the regions.

"Our responsibility is to visit to see whether the infrastructure put up by these countries are up to standard," said Maiyegun, alongside government commitment, available human resources, infrastructure and funding.

"We are satisfied and we believe that Nigeria can take up the responsibility as the Nigeria CDC, West Africa CDC and a Collaborating Center for Africa.

"But we hope that all these commitments [by government] can translate to proper funding."

Maiyegun was however, fast to add that the Africa Union will cover the cost of additional responsibilities being bestowed on Nigeria.

He said the United States of America and China will assist in ensuring the smooth take off of the centres by providing capacity building and infrastructure.

The foundation of the ACDC is a consequence of the Ebola outbreak, and has been in the works for at least a year. Here's a Declan Butler article about it in Nature News & Comment from last April.
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India to supply 18 meter-gauge diesel-electric locomotives to Myanmar

Published: March 12, 2016

India will supply 18 metre-gauge 1350 HP Diesel Electric Locomotives to Myanmar to help the country bolster its railway transportation system.

In this regard, RITES (Public Sector Enterprise under Union Ministry of Railways) has signed a contract with Myanmar Railways.

The supply contract is a vital project being funded under an existing line of credit (LOC) extended by India to Myanmar.

These locomotives will be manufactured by Varanasi based Diesel Locomotive Works. They will have several modern features like, fuel-efficient engine, microprocessor controls and ergonomic cab design. This supply will help Myanmar to meet increasing demand for passenger and freight traffic.

RITES is also planning to augment its export of rolling stock manufactured at Railway Production Units especially in South East Asian markets.

Month: Current Affairs - March, 2016

Topics: Current Affairs 2016  India-Myanmar  Indian Railways  RITES

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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.
The move is part of a big bet for GM in the driverless car industry as several company's like Google are now racing to implement the technology (Photo: AP)

Michigan: American multinational corporation General Motors (GM) has announced its plans to make self-driving cars.

The company would be purchasing Cruise Automation, a San Francisco-based startup making sensors that turn regular vehicles into driverless cars.

The move is part of a big bet for GM in the driverless car industry as several company's like Google are now racing to implement this type of technology, Techcrunch reported.

"The next step is to make sure we bring the full resources to the table to accelerate what Cruise is doing and integrate into the GM vehicle system," GM president Dan Ammann said.

Headquartered in Detroit, Michigan, General Motors designs, manufactures, markets and distributes vehicles and vehicle parts and sells financial services. The company produces vehicles in 37 countries under thirteen brands: Alpheon, Chevrolet, Buick, GMC, Cadillac, Holden, HSV, Opel, Vauxhall, Wuling, Baojun, Jie Fang, UzDaewoo.
The concept of a 'zero site' is that it can be used as a wi-fi hotspot, street light and camera and the radio units can be hidden inside the pole or underneath.

New Delhi: To demonstrate that communication can be delivered with good aesthetics, state-run BSNL plans to install 50 'zero base' mobile towers, which are better looking and multi-functional. The concept of a 'zero site' is that it can be used as a wi-fi hotspot, street light and camera and the radio units can be hidden inside the pole or underneath.

"We are focusing on zero base towers as if you see in India, the skyline is scattered with so many towers and it sometimes become an eyesore. We are also looking for a tower which could have multi functionalities like it can work as an wi-fi hotspot, it can work as a light emission tower, it can work as a camera plus tower," BSNL Chairman and Managing Director Anupam Shrivastava told PTI.

He said during his recent visit to Mobile World Congress, he witnessed solutions provided by equipment makers Nokia, Ericsson, Huawei and ZTE regarding the zero base towers.

"We will ask for quotes from all these players for zero base towers...initially we will begin with 50 towers to demonstrate that how communication can be delivered with good aesthetics and good looking features," Shrivastava said.

He added the cost will be a little higher than normal towers but as active infrastructure is allowed to be shared, the cost can also be shared among the operators and the city can look much cleaner.

"Slowly we can replace all ugly looking towers which are spoiling the skyline to a very good camouflaged eye soothing towers," he added.

The companies are expected to submit their quotes in March and in next six months, BSNL will come out with some kind of concept for the same. The average cost to set up a mobile tower is anywhere between Rs 8-10 lakh.
In 2014, India set up a committee to review more than 6,000 combinations that had entered the market

New Delhi: India has banned the manufacture and sale of more than 300 combination medicines, including two widely used cough syrups, being sold without government approval, a senior health ministry official said on Saturday.

The move is aimed at curbing the misuse of such medicines in India, where nearly half the drugs sold in 2014 were so called "fixed dose combinations."

Also Read: Abbott India's antibiotic combination on list of banned drugs

Combination drugs are used worldwide to improve patients' compliance, as it is easier to get patients to take one drug rather than several. But inconsistent enforcement of drug laws in India has led to the proliferation of hundreds of such medicines entering the market based on approval from regulators of individual states, rather than the central government.

In 2014, India set up a committee to review more than 6,000 combinations that had entered the market based only on state regulators' approval. Policymakers gave pharmaceutical companies a chance to retroactively prove the safety and efficacy of these drugs by submitting data on their drugs.

Also Read: Pfizer stops selling popular Corex cough syrup in India after ban

The committee was tasked with classifying the drugs into rational, irrational, and those that need further studies, said KL Sharma, a joint secretary at the health ministry.

"Now based on responses (and) assessment of products, more than 300 drugs have been prohibited," he told Reuters.

He did not name the medicines, but said an official notice announcing the ban would be issued "in a few days." The Drug Controller General of India was not immediately available to comment.

The banned medicines include the codeine-based cough syrups Phensedyl and Corex, the Times of India said in a report earlier on Saturday, citing unnamed sources.

Phensedyl, made by US drugmaker Abbott Laboratories, accounts for about a third of the Indian cough syrup market, and its sales are estimated to make up more than 3 percent of Abbott's $1 billion India revenue. Corex is sold by Pfizer Inc.

Reuters reported last October that Indian regulators were privately pressuring drug firms to better police the selling of popular codeine-based cough syrups to tackle smuggling and addiction.

Neither company responded to requests for comment on Saturday.

Doctors and public health experts in India and abroad have warned that increasing use of antibiotic combinations in India may be contributing to antibiotic resistance. India is a particular concern as the market share of combination drugs versus single drugs is bigger than anywhere in the world.

Reuters reported in December how a powerful antibiotic cocktail being marketed in India by a unit of Abbott and many other local companies did not carry approval from the central government.

The combination was not approved for sale in major markets such as the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Japan and Australia.

Several medical experts said it did not make sense to prescribe the cocktail for cold symptoms. However, Abbott's former and current medical representatives said the combination was being promoted and administered as a treatment for a wide variety of illnesses, including colds and fevers.
New Delhi: India Post has selected Deloitte to advise it on setting up a payments bank and an agreement between the two will be signed on March 14. The Public Investment Board has already approved the Rs 800-crore proposal of India Post and in 15 days, it will go to the Cabinet for final approval.

"We have selected Deloitte as the consultant for payments bank. The agreement will be signed on March 14," an official in the Department of Post (DoP) told PTI. India Post payments bank will primarily target unbanked and under-banked customers in rural, semi-rural and remote areas, with a focus on providing simple deposit products and money remittance services.

The pilot for the payments bank is set to start from January and the full-fledged operations will start by March. As many as 40 international financial conglomerates including World Bank and Barclays have shown interest to partner the postal department for setting up the bank. Reserve Bank had granted payments bank permit to the department, which is already into providing financial services and has 1.55 lakh branches across the country.
The Bill proposes setting up state-level real-estate regulatory authorities, where builders will be mandated to register all projects above 500 sq mts (earlier 4000).

New Delhi: The Real Estate Bill can bring greater credibility to the sector through more transparency as well as accountability and could encourage flow of FDI funds into the market, a Nomura report says. The Upper House on March 10 passed the Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Bill, 2016, aimed at protecting the interests of home buyers, bringing in more transparency and accountability into the real-estate sector.

According to the global financial services firm, the Bill could go a long way towards protecting the interests of home buyers by facilitating more timely completion of projects and ensuring greater transparency. This bill was touted as a major reform measure to regulate the vast real estate sector and bring order in it.

"Mandatory disclosures and registration may reduce black money transactions in this sector; and greater credibility of the real-estate sector (through greater transparency and accountability) could encourage flow of FDI funds into the sector," Nomura said in a research note.

"The Bill is yet to be passed in the Lower House, though that should be easier, as the government has an absolute majority in the Lower House," Nomura added. The key features of the bill include, timely execution, accountability and transparency. The Bill proposes setting up state-level real-estate regulatory authorities, where builders will be mandated to register all projects above 500 sq mts (earlier 4000).

This would apply to both residential and commercial real estate projects, including those currently under construction. State-level appellate tribunals will be set up for addressing complaints. A timeline of a maximum 60 days has been set for resolution of disputes.

Failure to register a project could result in imprisonment of up to three years for developers or 10 per cent of the project cost or both. Home buyers and real-estate agents could also face up to one year of imprisonment, if found in any violation of the tribunals or regulatory authority.
Mumbai: Actor Varun Dhawan has dismissed reports of him not working with director Rohit Shetty again in the wake of their latest film 'Dilwale' failing to evoke the desired response. Dhawan has played a lead role alongside Shah Rukh Khan in the film.

"It is not true. I enjoyed working with him (Shetty). He is one of my favourite directors. I loved him as a director and I still love him. I think he is working on his next," Dhawan told reporters here at Colors annual party, when asked about not working with Shetty again.

The 'Badlapur' actor has reportedly rejected Shetty's offer to work with him on the remake version of 'Ram Lakhan'.

The 28-year-old will be seen next in his brother Rohit's directorial venture 'Dishoom' alongside John Abraham.

"I got injured while doing 'Dishoom'. I was working with John Abraham on this film and it was a great experience as he is a proper action hero. He helped me a lot. There are some daredevil stunts in the film," Dhawan said.

The actor is exited about his mentor filmmaker Karan Johar's next film 'Kapoor and Sons'.

"I liked the trailer and since it's a Karan Johar film, I am sure it will be good. I am looking forward to it. I wish all the best," he said.

Karan had launched Dhawan in Bollywood as an actor with 'Student of the Year'.

Reacting to Johar's plans to make second instalment of 'SOTY', Dhawan said, "I have heard about it. I am doing something else with Dharma Production. I hope Karan will launch new faces".
1 Although, Im not very well travelled, from the places that Ive been to, my two favourites across the world are New York and Istanbul. I can go to both these cities countless times and still never get tired as theres always so much there to see and experience.

2 Ive travelled to both places on work as well as on a holiday. One can never get bored in New York and Istanbul is so rich in history and culture. I go on a charity tour to the United States of America every year, so we travel across the US to 15 cities, but NYC tops the list.

3 It would take one 10 years to eat at every restaurant that New York has. Thats how much time you need to discover every eatery in NYC. Its always so buzzing and for a foodie like me, its like a paradise.

4 Istanbul is full of beauty and grandeur. The Hagia Sofia, Blue Mosque, Topkapi Palace and the Bosphorus are my all-time favourites.

 as told to Namita Gupta
It looks like Bharatha Naidu from Tollywood, will soon become one of the most sought-after girls in Ktown. Even as she is all set to make her Tamil debut in Thaen Mittai, six more movies await her! With Telugu releases like Happy Married Life and Relationships in her kitty, Bharatha says, I am quite fluent in Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and English. I think that has worked to my advantage!

She also considers herself lucky after having signed a horror comedy titled Niranjana, which would be on the lines of Aranamanai 2 and Kanchana. Despite the fact that my debut film in Tamil is yet to hit the theatres, I was offered a heroine-centric movie Niranjana. I thank director Muthupandian, former assistant of Raghava Lawrence, for having faith in me and giving me this meaty role, she adds. The actress, whos also trained in Bharathanatyam and Kuchipudi says she has no qualms acting in glamorous roles. I am game even for lip-lock scenes if the script demands! she chuckles. Currently, shes a part of movies like Adra Machchan Whistle-u with Mirchi Shiva, Manjal Aaru in Rashids direction, and Rendu Kedi Moonu Kodi among others.
There is no specific time; you just know you are in love, says Mahesh Babu

Mahesh and Namrata met for the first time in the summer of 2000, during the mahurat of the film Vamshi. But it wasnt until the end of the film that they fell in love. The mahurat meet was very brief. We started dating towards the end of the movie, says Namrata.

The couple got married in 2005. I was shooting the whole night before for the film Athadu. I finished the shoot and flew down to get married, says Mahesh.

Adds Namrata, I was busy till the week before the marriage, as I was trying to finish all my assignments. I really had no time. But then all the arrangements were done by my sister and brother-in-law and my parents.

Mahesh says, I was not at all nervous. My only concern was, since it was not a publicised affair, how would the outside people react?

It was a simple ceremony and at the same time it was a private affair. That is something which I cherish, because here principally when you go for a wedding, people known to the family turn up in such a huge scale that you lose those moments in the crowds, recalls Namrata.

Looking back at the favourite memory of the wedding, she says, Saat pheras. Even though it was a Telugu wedding and the pundits from Tirupati were chanting mantras in Telugu, they took out time to explain each phera to me and my family in Hindi. I felt that was really sweet.

When both people in the relationship are famous, it can be difficult to fit two egos and careers inside one house, but Mahesh and Namrata are great examples of making it work.

Mahesh credits Namrata for keeping him grounded and believes their relationship is strong enough as it is. He says, Namrata is a real person, what she feels is what you get, no frills attached. She keeps me grounded.

And Namrata adds, His ability to leave all his work outside the house. You dont see these qualities in most actors. When he is at home, he is a father and husband. Its a great personality. His sense of humour is what attracted me towards him in the first place.

Successful couples have the ability to solve problems and let it go. So, how do they overcome disagreements? We dont have many disagreements thankfully. Even if we do, we talk it out and find solutions that are agreeable to both of us, says Mahesh.

Namrata adds, We find a practical and logical solution if there is something that has gone wrong. Usually disagreements are few, more about kids. Its trivial to be honest.

Despite their busy schedules, how have they kept the spark ignited? Mahesh laughs and Namrata responds, Love is very subjective. It grows in that space more and more. I dont think there is any strategy. Its pretty much unconditional. We take off sometimes for impromptu vacations, the moment Mahesh is free, and I join him even if I have work.

Coming into paradise

The couple, who has been married since 2005, has two children  Gautham and Sitara. Says the actor, You come home to a houseful of love and happiness.

The best part of being married is to be a family. I think marriage when we were without kids was a fabulous experience, just being together. The next phase is when we have kids who are phenomenal. It completes everybody. I dont think there is anything beyond this. It completes your life, reveals Namrata.

Marriage is not without conflict, but at the same time its about keeping everything running smoothly. She explains, It requires a lot of effort. When Mahesh is not around for weeks together, I have to take care of everything, kids, home. But the fact that I am able to survive and not feel alone is very challenging. Its about a healthy companionship and being true to each other.
Nagarjuna posted few pictures and wrote, "Diving in the turquoise blue waters of Maldives this morning, so beautiful under the water."

Telugu superstar Akkineni Nagarjuna took some time off his busy schedule to bond with his sons Naga Chaitanya and Akhil.

While Nagarjuna left for Maldives few days earlier, his sons joined him on Saturday, after the trailer of their father's upcoming Telugu-Tamil bilingual 'Oopiri' was unveiled.

The actor posted few pictures and wrote, "Diving in the turquoise blue waters of Maldives this morning, so beautiful under the water."

Nagarjuna's 'Oopiri' is a remake of the French film 'The Intouchables' in which he plays a quadriplegic millionaire. The film is slated for worldwide release on March 25 along with its Tamil version Thozha. Watch the trailer here.
Coimbatore: Two days after the suicide of a student of Kathir College of Engineering run by former AIADMK Minister K.A.Sengottaiyans son, the Coimbatore rural police have launched a search for the principal and four other officials of the college.

The Coimbatore Superintendent of Police, R.V. Ramya Bharathi told the DC, Our priority is to find out whether its a suicide or if there was any foul play. We need to interrogate the college CEO, Principal, cashier and two wardens who are absconding. Until we arrest them, we cannot say whether it was a suicide or if there was a foul play. 

If any person commits suicide, whoever abets the commission of such suicide, shall be punished with imprisonment, the SP added. The Sulur police have booked the college CEO Duraisamy, principal Moorthy, cashier Vellayutham, hostel wardens Prakash and Yeshotharan under IPC section 306 (abetment of suicide).

Search is on to nab the five absconding college officials. The Kathir College of Engineering is run by former AIADMK minister and present Gobichettipalayam MLA, K.A.Sengottaiyan, E.S.Kathir and his wife, Lavanya Kathir.

The suicide of 22-year-old Vignesh, a third year civil engineering student of the Kathir College of Engineering, triggered violent protests by the college students who damaged the tables and chairs in the college canteen and staged demonstrations in front of the Collectorate, Government hospital and on the arterial Avinashi road. The police pacified the protesting students, promising a fair probe and swift action in the case.

The alleged suicide note left behind Vignesh, son of a CRPF woman constable and a native of Kallakuruchi in Villupuram district, put the college management in trouble.

According to the note, Vignesh was forced to give in writing by the college officials that he had come drunk to the college hostel and indulged in a fight with college mates. In the suicide note, Vignesh said that he had been actually targetted for raising queries about the lack of facilities in the hostel.
Gangs based in Malda either use their own agents or local agents from Telangana to pump in fake currency.(Representational image)

Hyderabad: A NIA report says that 90 per cent of fake currency enters India through Malda, the West Bengal district which has a porous border with Bangladesh. Agents from Telangana are handed over the fake notes at public places in Malda district, police said.

Following a preliminary investigation after arresting two agents at Mominpet last week, Ranga Reddy SP Rema Rajeshwari said they had an easy transaction with a Malda gang at a railway station.

They were in touch with the gang in Malda over phone. They reached there, paid them cash, took the bags containing fake currency and returned to Secunderabad by train, she said.

The Malda racketeers build connections with Telangana agents in prison. When some people were jailed in an immoral trafficking case from Warangal, they met the Malda gang, who were in prison in connection with a counterfeit case, said Korutla CI K. Rajashekhar Rao.

S. Rajita in the Matwada fake currency case, T. Kishan in Korutla and Metpally cases, and others secured contacts with the Malda gangs through these people.

Malda racketeers are usually careful about police tracking their agents from other states. One agent from Telangana usually go thrice a year, because their Malda sources tell them not to come frequently. The gangs also ask them

to send new people to Malda to collect the fake currency to escape the police, said a senior TS police official.

A problem TS police face while investigating the Malda counterfeit cases is the non-cooperation of WB police. After we arrested the Malda gang, we sought help from Malda SP. But he was not ready to cooperate, said an IPS official. who had earlier supervised an investigation.
New Delhi: Fifty-three people were executed by Maoists after 'kangaroo courts' found them 'guilty' in the five worst Naxal-hit states of the country in the last three years.

According to Home Ministry statistics, 18 people were killed following the directives of 'kangaroo courts' or 'Jan Adalats' in 2015 for being alleged police informers or "for not believing in Maoist ideology".

During 2015, 41 'Jan Adalats' were held by Naxal cadres in five Left Wing Extremism affected states  Andhra Pradesh (1), Bihar (6), Chhattisgarh (14), Jharkhand (14) and Odisha (6).

Altogether 15 people were executed in 2014 following orders of 54 'Jan Adalats' and 20 people were killed in 2013 under the directives of 63 'Jan Adalats'.

"To create terror among civilians in the LWE affected areas, the Maoist cadres, in their 'Kangaroo Courts', also called 'Jan Adalat', or 'Praja Courts', execute sentence against the civilians, who do not subscribe to their ideology in the areas under their domain or labelling them as police informers," a Home Ministry official said.

In 2016, till February 15, two 'Jan Adalats' have been held in Chhattisgarh.

While nearly one lakh paramilitary personnel continued to be deployed in Left Wing extremism-affected areas, the 10 Naxal-hit states -- Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Telangana, West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh -- saw 226 deaths in 1,088 incidents of violence perpetrated by Maoists in 2015.

In 2015, of the 226 deaths, 168 were civilians and 58 were security forces personnel.

As many as 89 Maoists were also killed and 1,668 were arrested and 570 cadres surrendered before authorities during the year.
Hyderabad: AP government has decided to make maximum benefit of the Central governments Sagarmala project. The state is ahead in proposing a number of projects to be taken up under Sagarmala. High level meetings were held on Friday at AP secretariat on Sagarmala programme and the national Perspective Plan (NPP) for comprehensive development of coast line and the maritime sector.

The meetings were attended by about 60 top officials from the Centre and state governments including AP Chief Secretary S.P. Tucker and several industrialists. The meetings were held on the directions of the Centre to get inputs relevant to the AP state. It is learnt that the AP government has proposed as many as 36 projects to be taken up under Sagarmala project. The concept of Coastal Economic Regions (CER) is being introduced under Sagarmala and it will be the focal point for the economic development of Indias coastline.

AP, with Indias second longest coastline of 974 km comprising 1 major and 4 operational non-major ports, has the opportunity to create international gateways with the rest of the world. It has abundant natural resources of limestone, bauxite, marine products, etc. and is strategically located with respect to other ASEAN economies. However, the current contribution of APs manufacturing sector in the GSDP (Gross State Domestic Product) is 10% as compared to the national average of 15% signaling untapped potential. Along with this, there is skewness in the industrialisation in different districts.Visakhapatnams industrial sector contributes 20% to the GSDP; Anantapur contributes 12%while Srikakulam and Vijayanagaram contribute a mere 3%. AP has proposed several projects covering 9 coastal districts.
Chennai: A 17-year-old boy suspected to have been involved in a mobile phone snatching case was beaten black and blue by policemen in plain clothes on Friday night.

He was later dropped off with Rs 10 in a desolate area in the small hours on Saturday. The victim, a class VII dropout, youngest of three children, who was assisting his father, a casual labourer with a scrap iron dealer at Pudupet, sat for dinner, when policemen in plain-clothes trooped into his house around 11 pm, on Thursday.

The men claimed they were from a special party formed to crack mobile snatching cases and bundled him into a police vehicle. Neighbours confronted the police who were allegedly reeking of liquor.

The family that went looking for the boy could not locate him. It received a call from their elder son around they 1.30 am that the boy had returned home with injuries. We moved him to the Government Royapettah Hospital where he narrated the whole episode to the duty doctor who refused to record it in the memo, charged the victims mother who knocked on the doors of the city police Commissioner T.K, Rajendran. The boy told the media he was blindfolded and thrashed near the railway tracks at Velachery.

A call came on their mobile suggesting that I had been picked up on mistaken identity. It was only after this they dropped me near SRP tools which was deserted around 1 am. I took a share auto ride home, said the victim.

Sources said the boy was, in fact, picked up by a team from Thuraipakkam police crime wing, and was accused of snatching a mobile near Pallavan House. He was also arraigned in another petty case. However, the police commissioner has ordered an inquiry into the incident by additional commissioner (South) K. Shankar. It appears to be an exaggeration. A report had been called for into the incident by Sunday morning , said a senior police officer.
In Lok Sabha, the business in remaining three days will include discussion and voting on Supplementary Demands for Grants (General) for 2015-16 and introduction, consideration and passing of related Appropriation Bill (Photo: PTI)

New Delhi: With just three working days left in the first part of Budget session, the government plans to press for the passage of some key bills, including the Whistle Blower Protection (Amendment) Bill, 2015 and Enemy Property (Amendment and Validation) Bill, 2016.

The passing of the Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Bill and the Aadhar Bill were highlights for the government in the third week of Budget session which had begun on a stormy note last month.

In the remaining days, the government would be keen to see that the real estate bill passed by the Rajya Sabha on March 16 gets the nod of Lok Sabha and Aadhar bill passed by the Lok Sabha gets passed in Rajya Sabha besides transaction of the scheduled financial business.

In Lok Sabha, the business in remaining three days will include discussion and voting on Supplementary Demands for Grants (General) for 2015-16 and introduction, consideration and passing of related Appropriation Bill.

The legislative items proposed to be taken up in the Lower House are the consideration and passing of the Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Bill, 2015 as passed by Rajya Sabha, the Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Orders (Amendment) Bill, 2016 and the consideration of amendments made by Rajya Sabha in the Bureau of Indian Standards Bill 2015, as passed by Lok Sabha.

Besides the House could also take up the consideration of amendments made by Rajya Sabha in the National Waterways Bill, 2015, as passed by Lok Sabha and the introduction of the Regional Centre for Biotechnology Bill, 2016.

Besides the general discussion on Railway Budget in Rajya Sabha, the government plans to take up the Whistle Blower Protection (Amendment) Bill, the Enemy Property (Amendment and Validation) Bill, 2016, the Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Orders (Amendment) Bill 2016 and the Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2012.

The Lok Sabha will also take up scheduled financial business, including the Appropriation (Railways) Bill, 2016, besides a general discussion on the Budget.
Liquor baron Vijay Mallya stated in an emailed interview that it was not the right time for him to return to India. (Photo: PTI)

New Delhi: Liquor baron Vijay Mallya, who is currently in the United Kingdom and is being sought out in India over charges of money laundering, on Sunday claimed that the banks gave him loans after evaluating all aspects, adding that he is not trying to run to evade law enforcement agencies but is on a personal visit.

In an email interview with an English weekly, the business tycoon said that he feels that he already been branded as criminal in the country and therefore, it was not the right time for him to return.

Read: Vijay Mallya has regulators on their feet

"There was a lookout notice issued against me last year. But I didn't 'escape'. Why am I being portrayed as a criminal now? Loan defaults are a business matter. When the banks give out loans, they know the risk involved. They decide we don't. Our own business was flourishing, but plummeted suddenly. Don't make me the villain. I have the best intentions. I'm quiet because I fear my words will be twisted like of others," he said.

Read: Sebi to rein in wilful defaulters; no raising of public funds by debt dodger

Asserting that he was being victimised, Mallya alleged that there was a big agenda that some people were pushing against him.

In the interview, he also said that he wanted to return but feared that he might not get to fair chance to present his side as he was already branded as a criminal.

Read: Sparks fly in Parliament as Mallya flees to London

When asked about the current location at which he was residing presently, he said that it was not wise for him to reveal his whereabouts, asserting that all he wanted was to feel safe.

Earlier today, Mallya had said that all the efforts by the media, who were trying to hunt him down, were useless as he was not going to speak to them in any case.

"I am being hunted down by media in UK. Sadly they did not look in the obvious place. I will not speak to media so don't waste your efforts," Mallya tweeted.

I am being hunted down by media in UK. Sadly they did not look in the obvious place. I will not speak to media so don't waste your efforts.  Vijay Mallya (@TheVijayMallya) March 13, 2016

Meanwhile, after writing to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking his intervention in safeguarding their interest, employees of Vijay Mallya's now defunct Kingfisher Airlines are set to file a case in the Supreme Court in order to get their dues from the company.

Read: Won't talk to media, don't waste efforts: Vijay Mallya

The employees are in touch with senior lawyer MV Kini to put their case before the apex court and they have been assured by him that their case will be fought pro bono (for free), given their financial condition.

Read: 'Powerful' people will be in trouble if Vijay Mallya opens his mouth: Congress

The government had earlier told the Supreme Court that Mallya had left India on March 2 following which the bench issued notice to him and sought his response within two weeks on pleas filed by a consortium of banks seeking direction for freezing his passport and his presence before the apex court.

Read: Non-bailable warrant issued against Vijay Mallya

In a series of tweets on Friday, Mallya said that he was not an absconder and was not fleeing from India adding that he firmly believes the law of the land.

As an Indian MP I fully respect and will comply with the law of the land. Our judicial system is sound and respected. But no trial by media.  Vijay Mallya (@TheVijayMallya) March 10, 2016

"I am an international businessman. I travel to and from India frequently. I did not flee from India and neither am I an absconder. Rubbish. As an Indian MP I fully respect and will comply with the law of the land. Our judicial system is sound and respected. But no trial by media," Mallya said on twitter.

I am an international businessman. I travel to and from India frequently. I did not flee from India and neither am I an absconder. Rubbish.  Vijay Mallya (@TheVijayMallya) March 10, 2016

"News reports that I must declare my assets. Does that mean that Banks did not know my assets or look at my Parliamentary disclosures?" he asked.

News reports that I must declare my assets. Does that mean that Banks did not know my assets or look at my Parliamentary disclosures ?  Vijay Mallya (@TheVijayMallya) March 11, 2016

Mallya further said that 'once a media witch hunt starts, it escalates into a raging fire where truth and facts are burnt to ashes'.
New Delhi: The government is looking to harness country's 50,000 km of sea and river fronts as waterways and mulling innovative ways of financing to raise around Rs 70,000 crore to develop these stretches in the first phase, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari said on Sunday.

Parliament by passing the crucial bill to declare 111 rivers across the country into National Waterways last week has paved way for development of these stretches as transport carriers. So far, only five of the river stretches were declared as National Waterways.

"India has its unique advantage. Its 14 of the states are bestowed with 7,500 km of coastline with 14,500-km of potentially navigable waterways. In addition, 116 rivers across the country provide 35,000 km of navigable stretches.

In total we have about 50,000 km of waterways which on development will change the face of India," Gadkari said.

Now that Parliament has given its nod to declare 111 additional rivers as waterways, the government is committed to aggressively work to develop these as the environment friendly mode of transport which is bound to decrease significantly the huge 18 per cent logistics cost in India.

"At the same time, we are looking at innovative ways of financing as we would be requiring an initial about Rs 70,000 crore to develop these river stretches into navigable transport ways," Gadkari said.

Besides budgetary support, multilateral funds, public-private-partnership and market borrowing would be explored. Access to funds like National Clean Energy Fund (NCEF) and Central Road Fund (CRF) will also be required because of environment benefit of IWT, he said.

"We would not have any dearth of funds. In this year's budgetary allocation, Rs 800 crore have been provided for development of waterways while we can raise another Rs 800 crore through issuing tax free bonds.

"Our ports will have profit to the tune of Rs 6,000 crore this fiscal which will gradually increase. Besides, they have fixed deposits worth Rs 8,000 crore. A bank is ready to provide Rs 50,000 crore loan in dollar terms at a very low rate of interest of 2 per cent," Gadkari said.

"With all these measures, we will generate enough funds to revolutionise India's waterways," the Minister said.

Gadkari said by promoting water transport, logistic cost, which is 18 per cent in India as compared to barely 8-10 per cent in China and 10-12 per cent in European countries, will come down significantly.

The reforms in the sector would be visible in a few years, he said adding water transport was not only environment-friendly but also much cheaper as it costs Rs 1.5 a km to carry the cargo from road while the same stands at Re 1 from rail whereas through waterways it reduces to only 25 paise per km.
Chandigarh: A traders' body on Sunday claimed the Haryana government has assured it of providing full compensation within one month to owners of shops and commercial establishments whose properties were damaged by arsonists during pro quota Jat agitation.

A delegation of traders under the banner of Haryana Pradesh Beopar Mandal on Sunday held a meeting with Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar to discuss their demands, they said.

"Haryana CM has assured us to give 100 per cent compensation within 30 days to affected traders and shopkeepers whose properties were damaged during Jat agitation," HPBM state president Bajrang Das Garg said here on Sunday.

Businessmen who had suffered massive financial loss during pro quota Jat agitation were upset with Khattar government for initial compensation which they had described as "insufficient".

Traders had threatened to observe a state wide bandh on March 17.

Garg further said the state government has also agreed to waive off bank interest on loan availed by affected traders for three months.

Mandal's general secretary Gulshan Dang who was also part of the delegation said Khattar has assured the delegation the affected traders will be provided bank loans at 4 per cent interest.

Dang said the state government has also assured them that arms licenses will be given to traders on priority for self defence.

"A 7-member committee comprising traders will also be set up for monitoring the distribution of compensation," Dang said.

He said Khattar appealed to the delegation not to go ahead with proposed statewide bandh on March 17.

"We will discuss the assurances given by Khattar in our core committee meeting on March 15 in Bhiwani and then take a call on the proposed bandh," said Dang.

Rohtak, which was the epicentre of the Jat stir, saw massive damage to private and public property including shops, schools, colleges, hospitals, belonging to non-Jat people by violent protesters.
Allahabad: Underlining the issue of pendency of cases in courts, President Pranab Mukherjee on Sunday said the judiciary is yet to fully meet people's aspirations for "speedy and affordable" justice.

Inaugurating the 150th anniversary celebration of Allahabad High Court, he said justice must be "accessible, affordable and quick" for people to understand the meaning of justice.

The President said as an upholder of the Rule of Law and enforcer of the right to liberty, the role of the judiciary was sacrosanct and the faith and confidence people have in it must be always maintained. "Though the Indian judiciary has many strengths, it is yet to fully meet the aspirations of our people for speedy and affordable justice," he said at the sesquicentennial celebration.

Mukherjee noted that the judiciary has played an important role since independence in strengthening the democratic framework of the country and maintaining rule of law. "High Courts in particular have a unique position under the Constitution of India. They are not only guardians of people's rights and liberty, they also have the onerous responsibility of ensuring that access to justice is not denied to any citizen on account of economic or any other disability," the President said.

He said judiciary which is one of the three important pillars of our democracy, is the final interpreter of the Constitution and it must help maintain social order by swiftly and effectively dealing with those on the wrong side of the law.

"Our courts are today overburdened on account of number of cases pending before them. There are over three crore cases pending in various courts throughout the country. Out of these, about 38.5 lakh cases are pending in 24 High Courts. The pendency of cases in the High Courts has slightly declined from 41.5 lakh in 2014 to 38.5 lakh in 2015, but still have a long way to go," he said.

His remarks come in the wake of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's statement on the issue during the centenary celebrations of Patna High Court on Saturday. Modi had mooted a novel idea of courts coming out with an annual bulletin to highlight the oldest cases being tried by them to help create sensitivity on pendency of cases in the country.

Expressing concern over vacancy of judges in High Courts, the President said out of a sanctioned strength of 1,056 judges in all the High Courts, the working strength of High Court judges through out the country was only 591, as on March 1, 2016.

"The High Court at Allahabad has only 71 judges, including the Chief Justice, against the sanctioned strength of 160 judges. Approximately, 9.11 lakh cases are pending in this court as of February 2016,?a decline from 10.1 lakh cases in 2014," he said.

The President said the governments, judges and lawyers must work hand in hand to make justice a living reality. "Justice delayed is justice denied. I am sure that the central and state governments will extend all support to the Allahabad High Court in its endeavour to reduce pendencies," he said.

Chief Justice of India (CJI), Justice T S Thakur said judiciary as an institution was facing challenges from outside and within. "I am referring to crisis of credibility that we face today. Judges need to be conscientious of discharge of their duties, punctuality, judicial retribute and efforts to do their best is the need of the hour," he said.
New Delhi: The National Green Tribunal has sought response from the Centre on a plea seeking ban on use of micro-plastics in cosmetic and bodycare products in India alleging their use is extremely dangerous for aquatic life and environment.

A bench headed by NGT Chairperson Swatanter Kumar issued notice to Ministry of Environment and Forests and Ministry for Water Resource and sought their reply on next date of hearing on April 18.

During the hearing of the plea, the bench asked advocate Sumeer Sodhi whether the matter is covered under Drugs and Cosmetics Act and how does the issue come under the jurisdiction of the tribunal.

To this the counsel replied that these microplastics are plastic pieces or fibres which are very small and according to recent United Nations reports these are dangerous for the aquatic life and environment.

Microplastics are plastic pieces or fibres measuring less than five microns. The microplastics or microbeads found in personal care products are always smaller than one milimetre.

"Due to the unregulated production and usage of plastics in microbeads in various cosmetic products available in the market and the excessive usage of such products by the end users is leading to water pollution across the globe. It is, perhaps, due to these life-threatening dangers of release of microbeads into our eco-system, that there is an international campaign for ban of usage of plastic microbeads," the plea filed by Ashwini Kumar said.

It said there is a global demand for cosmetic products. "These products are washed down the drain after use, microbeads flow through sewer systems around the world before making their way into rivers and canals and ultimately, straight into the seas and oceans, where they contribute to the huge chunk of plastic soup in the environment," the plea said.

It sought ban on the usage of microbeads or microplastics in the manufacture, import, sale of various cosmetic or personal care products and imposition of fines on the defaulting companies causing environmental pollution.
"Discussions are going on in this regard. If change will come through, it will be announced tomorrow," said Aniruddh Deshpande, Akhila Bharathiya Sah Sampark Pramukh of the RSS. (Photo: PTI)

Nagaur, Rajasthan: A change in uniform from the trademark khaki shorts to pants was announced by the RSS on Sunday.

"We are not rigid, so changing with time," RSS General secretary Bhaiyyaji Joshi said as he made the official declaration on the final day of Sangh's three-day meet in Rajasthan's Nagaur.

Describing it as a "major change", Joshi said, "Pants are a regular feature in today's social life, so we took our decision accordingly."

Replying to questions, the RSS leader said, "We decided on brown colour though there is no specific reason for it but is commonly available and looks good."

When asked whether it will have any impact on the identification of the RSS volunteers, he said it will not have any adverse impact and will be a routine thing in next 4-6 months.

The colour of the trousers has been changed to brown, he further added. The members of the Sangh at the moment sport khaki shorts paired with a white shirt, along with a black cap as their official uniform.

The Akhil Bharathiya Pratinidhi Sabha (ABPS), which is considered the highest decision-making body of the RSS claims that a proposal for changing the uniform has been in discussion since the last year. The issue was first addressed in an ABPS meeting in 2010, but due to lack of consensus was deferred till 2015.

Initially till 1940, the uniform of RSS was khaki shirt and shorts before white shirts were introduced. Leather shoes replaced long boots in 1973 and later rexine shoes were allowed.
Visakhapatnam: The formation of a Special Purpose Vehicle to oversee the Vizag Smart City project has hastened the pace of groundwork. Under the "India: Technical Assistance: Smart City Infrastructure Project Plans for Visakhapatnam" programme, the representatives of the consortium appointed by the state government - KPMG, AECOM, and IBM - held a kick-off meeting with the officials and discussed various issues involved in the master plan for Vizag Smart city.

After conducting a field-level basic analysis for about five months, they go for an integrated master plan followed by an implementation plan for about 10 months, totalling to at least 15 months. The consortium would prepare a sector-wise specific DPR, including disaster management, water supply management, sanitation, sewage treatment, safety and security, non-motorised transport system and other important aspects as per the citys requirements.

Speaking at the meeting, GVMC commissioner Pravin Kumar explained the key components of the development proposals as well as strategies outlined to achieve the goals. Associate vice-president, AECOM Technical Services Inc., John K. Bachmann explained the timeline of their project planning to the officials.

As per the MoU executed recently between the US Trade and Development Agency and Department of Municipal Administra-tion, the AECOM, IBM and KPMG will provide Vizag with a planning framework and development strategy. The 35-member team would prepare six DPRs for development of Vizag city in a

span of 15 months.

Taking the Smart City project a step further, the state government has recently issued a GO, incorporating the Special Purpose Vehicle in the name of "Greater Visakhapatnam Smart City Corporation Limited". While the principal secretary of MAUD serves as the chairman, district collector and GVMC commissioner would act as directors on the board of GVSCCL.

The state government also allocated an initial capital of Rs 5 lakh for the SPV. The USTDA would provide a funding of $5 million (about Rs 30 crore) for the plan. The USTDA would also contribute project planning, infrastructure development, feasibility studies and capacity building in the process.
Koppal (Karnataka): In a shocking incident, JDS member Channabasappa Kotihal was caught on camera slapping a woman member at a local party gathering in Karnataka.

The police, which has filed an FIR against Kotihal, is likely to arrest him but he is believed to be absconding. According to reports, the party is likely to suspend him.

The woman member of the Koppal city municipal council, Vijaya Hiremanth, had earlier filed a police complaint against Kotihal for allegedly assaulting her during the election of its president and vice president.

WATCH: A JDS worker slaps a woman party worker during JD(S) meet in Koppal (Karnataka) (Mar 11) (Source: unverified)https://t.co/QVE3nB5TyP  ANI (@ANI_news) March 12, 2016

The JDS member allegedly rushed towards Ms Hiremath and slapped her after she raised her hand in support of the Congress backed corporator Mahendra Chopra, who was elected president with 17 votes, beating a joint candidate of the BJP and JDS, Gavisiddappa Chinnur.

Congress members rushed to the woman corporator's help and dragged Mr Koihal out of the meeting hall. A ruckus followed with Congress, BJP and JDS workers getting into a physical fight outside the council hall, forcing police to resort to a mild lathicharge to contain the situation. An independent member of the city council, Ms Hiremath said later that she was free to support any candidate of her choice and complained that none of the BJP councillors or even Koppal BJP MP Sanganna Karadi, tried to stop Mr Kotihal when he was assaulting her.

"Only Congress members and Koppal Congress MLA, Raghavendra Hitnal came to my rescue," she said.
New Delhi: Though the NDA government on March 11, got the Aadhaar Bill 2016 passed in Lok Sabha after converting it into a money bill, which in other words does not make it mandatory to seek Rajya Sabhas consent, sources aware of the development said that it refused to heed to the request of the Opposition parties  who during the meeting of the Business Advisory Committee (BAC) of the upper house on the same day  sought an extension of the ongoing Budget session to discuss the legislation, fearing that it may face embarrassment in the upper house owing to poor bench strength there.

Sources said that several BAC members from the Opposition, sought a two day extension of the current session to discuss the Aadhaar Bill  also known as Aadhaar Bill 2016.

However the request was not accepted owing to NDA being in minority in Rajya Sabha. Meanwhile the bill itself is being closely scrutinised in political as well as social circles.
Hyderabad: Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao on Sunday dismissed allegations levelled by the Opposition that the TRS government had compromised the states interests while inking the recent MoU with Maha-rashtra for irrigation projects on Godavari.

He said the height of the barrages to be built on the Godavari River had not been finalised and the apex committee of both states would meet by this month-end to finalise these modalities.

Pointing out that the TRS had fulfilled 99 per cent of its poll promises, except the KG to PG free education scheme, during its 21-month rule, Mr Rao lashed out at Congress for terming the MoU with Maharashtra as a black day for Telangana in the Legislative Assembly .

These days some Opposition leaders are talking about black day, red day without any knowledge on irrigation projects. They say we have agreed to bringing down of the height of the reservoir from 152 metres to 148 metres. Who told you that? No height has been finalised as yet. Three rounds of talks at three levels, from engineers level to ministers level to the CMs level, will be held before finalising such modalities. The state-level apex committee with the CMs of both the states will take a final decision. The meeting is expected to happen by this month-end. I have invited the Maharashtra CM to Hyderabad for talks and he has agreed. Its you who are damaging the interests of Telangana for your narrow political gains," Mr Rao said.

Stating that he would never compromise on TS interests, the CM said, I achieved Telangana state after 14 years of struggle. Though there were conspiracies to scuttle the Telangana movement, I withstood all with the complete support of Telangana people. Do you think I achieved Telangana state to compromise on its interests?
There are problems of pipeline bursts and leakages, adding to the crisis. (Representational Image)

Hyderabad: At the start of the summer, the city's bustling IT corridor is faced with a serious drinking water problem. The corridor is home to IT companies as also residential colonies hosting software professionals, central government employees, government offices, UoH, Urdu University, the 8th Battalion Telangana Special Police campus and many other institutions.

The water currently supplied by Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Works and Sewerage Board (HMWS&SB) is not enough to meet the daily requirements.

All the 10 GHMC divisions along with three major gram panchayats are experiencing water shortage. There are problems of pipeline bursts and leakages, adding to the crisis.

Citizens from colonies in Kondapur division including Prashanth Nagar, Sriram Nagar colony, Satthaiah Nagar, Kothaguda village, Police battalion and Kondapur village experience low water pressure-problem.

M Venkata Ramana from Prashanth Nagar told this newspaper that the water board used to supply Manjeera water once in four days. After the arrival of Godavari water, it was providing water once in three days.

"However, due to summer shorgage, water is being supplied for very little time. Sometimes the supply is only for half an hour. Locations near Kattamaisamma temple and Saibaba temple area are facing low-pressure problem. Now all the bore-wells here have dried up and people are depending on public water for their day-to-day requirements, he said.

A similar problem is being faced at Serilingampally, Chandanagar, Miyapur, Gachibowli, Madhapur, Allwyin Colony and Hydernagar divisions.

Kondapur corporator Hameed Patel told DC that all the corporators from IT corridor met the GHMC Mayor on Wednesday and apprised him of the seriousness of the situation.

We have spoken to water works officials. Water tankers will be sent to all the slums. We are seeking funds from the corporation for improving the water supply, he said.

Steady population rise major cause for worry

Within the IT corridor, water shortage is severe in three major gram panchayats which, of late, saw a steady rise in the number of residents. Manikonda, Puppalaguda and Kokapet should in normal course get water from the panchayat raj department.

However, due rise in population, the rural water supply scheme has failed in meeting the demand. Manikonda panchayat ward member B Mallesh told DC that bore wells have dried up.

Despite digging bore wells to about 1,500 feet, we are unable to get a single drop. We are purchasing water from private tanker operators from Kokapet and Neknampur villages for Rs 600 to Rs 1,000 per 5,000 litres of water," he said.

Rangareddy district panchayat raj officer L. Rama Devi said the department was trying to get water from the Hyderabad water works. Water works DGM for IT corridor Rajashekar said the government has already given directions to expand HMWWSB services to all the 164 villages under Outer Ring Road.
JNU student Sahala Rashid (right) and others from Delhi talk to the media on Sunday.

Hyderabad: Jawaharlal Nehru University students are planning to meet President Pranab Mukherjee and Union home minister Rajnath Singh to seek justice and to discuss the political issues that they have been highlighting.

JNU Students Union vice-president Ms Shehla Rashid Shora told the media here on Sunday that they were planning a nation-wide protest on March 15 with students from other universities, demanding the Rohith Act and release of JNU students Umer Khalid, Anirban Bhattacharya, and DU professor S.A.R. Geelani, who were arrested on charges of sedition.

The students will also demand repeal of the sedition law. JNUSU students said the countrywide protests would continue till their demands were met.

The JNU students said that there are striking similarities between the incidents at UoH and JNU, which were fuelled by the unnecessary intervention of BJP-RSS leaders.

Just like Union minister Bandaru Dattatreya intervened and got Dalit students suspended at UoH, BJP legislator Mahesh Giri intervened in the JNU matter and filed an FIR against JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar and others instead of leaving the matter to the administration.

Talking about the Afzal Guru-related event, Ms Rashid said questioning the death penalty was not supporting Afzal Guru.

A Delhi University study said death penalty in India has been used to selectively target minorities, adivasis and Dalits. Prominent people including Markandeya Katju and others have spoken against the death penalty of Guru. BJPs ally, PDP is also against it. We are against death penalty for anybody, be it Guru or the people who killed Rajiv Gandhi," she said.

Asked about Union minister M. Venkaiah Naidus comment on JNU students and politics. Ms Rashid asked why the minister wanted students to quit studies to join politics.

"Does he want future politicians to be uneducated, illiterate? She spoke at University of Hyderabad, where the Rohith Vemula suicide had sparked protests.
The order, on Friday by Central Information Commissioner M. Sridhar Acharyulu, brought all ministers under Section 2(h) of the RTI Act, 2005.

Hyderabad: The Central Information Commission has ruled that all Union and state ministers are public authorities under the provisions of the Right to Information Act, 2005, and have a statutory obligation to answer queries seeking information.

The order, on Friday by Central Information Commissioner M. Sridhar Acharyulu, brought all ministers under Section 2(h) of the RTI Act, 2005. Disposing of a case related to an appeal petition filed by Mr Hemant Dhage of Ahmednagar against the Union department of legal affairs, the CIC recommended the Union Cabinet secretary as well as chief secretaries of all states to provide necessary support to each minister, including designating officers or appointing public information officers and first appellate authorities to provide information to the public under the RTI Act.

CIC: Put details on Net

While stating that ministers come under the RTI, the Information Commissioner M. Sridhar Acharyulu disposed of a case related to an appeal petition filed by Mr Hemant Dhage of Ahmednagar.

Mr Dhage had sought to know from the staff of the then Union minister for law the scheduled time for people to meet the Cabinet minister and minister of state. He was directed to seek time from the minister himself.

Mr Acharyulu recommended an official website for the suo motu disclosure of information with periodical updating as prescribed under Section 4 including the facility of meeting people since the ministers needed necessary assistance to receive, acknowledge and provide respond to the representations given by the people.

As Constitutional functionaries, ministers have the duty to inform people about their efforts to fulfill the promises they have made through Section 4(1)(b) of RTI Act and also to furnish the information as sought by their voters under other provisions of RTI Act, the CIC said.

The commission has asked the cabinet secretary and all chief secretaries to take the necessary steps to comply with the order in three months.
Sources said that once all the 11 BJP members of the JPC on August 3, 2015, agreed on bringing back the key provisions of the UPAs 2013 land legislation  like the consent clause and social impact assessment  , the committee ceased to hold any significance. (Representational Image)

New Delhi: The JPC on the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement (Second Amendment) Bill 2015, is scheduled to meet on Monday to complete the formalities on winding up the deliberations on the NDAs 2015 ordinance, which had been promulgated in December 2014 to enforce its own land legislation.

Sources said that once all the 11 BJP members of the JPC on August 3, 2015, agreed on bringing back the key provisions of the UPAs 2013 land legislation  like the consent clause and social impact assessment  , the committee ceased to hold any significance.

Panel to fine tune clauses of Land acquisition Bill

The JPC on the Land Acquisition Bill 2015 is scheduled to complete the formalities on winding up the deliberations on the NDAs 2015 ordinance. Mr Modi himself announced that the ordinance would not be repromulgated.

Therefore, during the March 14 meeting, sources added, the joint Parliamentary panel headed by BJP MP S.S. Ahluwalia is likely to fine tune some of the clauses on which earlier there was no consensus between the Opposition and ruling party members.

In November last year, finance minister Arun Jaitley had hoped for some consensus on the legislation. These clauses include the one on return of unutilised land to its owners after five years.

If the consensus emergers on these remaining clauses, then this well could be the last meeting of the panel, which has already been given five extensions to submit its report on the key legislation.

At the panels meeting on August 3 last year, the Bhartiya Janta Party had agreed to bring back the key provisions of UPAs land law including the ones on consent clause and social impact assessment.
Ballari: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah will take a final call on global steel giant ArcelorMittal's proposal to change the use of land allotted to the company here to set up a solar power plant instead of the steel plant, said Congress MLC K.C. Kondaiah.

State government is likely to constitute an experts committee to decide on ArcelorMittal's proposal and then, the CM will take a final decision, Mr Kondaiah said, while addressing a press conference here on Sunday.

He said that representatives of ArcelorMittal have conveyed to him that they are not able to set up a steel plant here unless they are provided captive mines as they were assured while entering a MoU with the state government at the global investors meet held in 2010.

When asked if it was not a violation of the MoU if they set up a solar plant instead of a steel plant, he said It is up to the CM to decide.

Further, he said, not only ArcelorMittal, even the proposed steel plants by the union steel ministry owned NMDC and Uttam Galva Ferrous Ltd will not come up in the Ballari region as the current domestic iron ore and steel market is not encouraging for new investments in the steel sector.

It may recalled that land losers of the ArcelorMittal project and the mining community are opposing the company's proposal to set up a solar plant in the prime land claiming that it would not generate more jobs or boost economic activity in the steel hub.

ArcelorMittal group Chief Executive Officer Sanjay Sharma and his team met Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in Bengaluru in the last week of January seeking permission to change the use of 2,800 acres of land to set up a 600 megawatt solar power plant citing the bad patch the steel sector is passing through.
Filmy power to the air force

It seems lingering memories of Bollywood films have left a deep impact even on the armed forces. Ahead of a massive firepower demonstration of the Indian Air Force at Pokhran on March 18, vice-chief Air Marshal B.S. Dhanoa was speaking about the modern firepower and night-flying capabilities of the IAF aircraft at a recent press conference when he suddenly recalled a scene from the 1997 Bollywood blockbuster, Border.

In the nearly two decades-old film, there is a scene in which Jackie Shroff  who plays the role of an Air Force pilot  laments that the aircraft he is flying cannot fly at night. The movie showed how in the 1971 Indo-Pak war, IAF fighter aircraft could only strike the Pakistani battle-tanks after dawn since the aircraft then did not have night-flying capabilities.

Air Marshal Dhanoa got all filmy when he narrated Jackie Shroffs dialogue to highlight how things have changed since then and that IAF aircraft could now deliver lethal strikes even at night. This was a classic example of using Bollywoods soft power to showcase the abilities of the Indian militarys combat power.

Meal for a byte

What do you do when your ministry gets crucial policies approved from the Cabinet, but you dont get enough limelight? Hold another press conference the next day. Oil minister Dharmendra Pradhan did the same, holding a second press conference after his ministry got approval from Cabinet for many initiatives including a new exploration and production policy. However, there was nothing new at the press conference except a lunch at the National Media Centre. If not a good byte, mediapersons surely enjoyed a sumptuous meal.

Aaps self-publicity

Aaps self-publicity

After being spoofed on social media as the mufflerman for wearing his trademark muffler during winters, Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal has used it to his advantage.

To reach out to the masses on completing one year in power, the Aam Aadmi Party-led Delhi government has released another round of advertisements.

To comply with the Supreme Court order that bans chief ministers from being featured in ad campaigns, these ads have a voice over by Mr Kejriwal while his face has not been shown.

In one of these advertisements, a man wearing a muffler has been shown from behind. While it isnt known whether Delhiites are impressed by this barrage of self-publicity, they can certainly identify the mufflerman in the Delhi governments advertisements.

Top cops pep talk

Former Tihar Jail director-general Alok Kumar Verma got several firsts to his credit after he took over as the commissioner of the Delhi Police on February 29.

He became the first officer to take charge of the Delhi Police on February 29, a day that comes after every four years. He also became the first police chief to have taken over on the day when the Union Budget was presented in Parliament.

Unlike his predecessors, Mr Verma did not have any interaction with any mediaperson after taking charge. Not only this, the 1979-batch Indian Police Service officer, on day one sent out a clear signal to his men that he means only business.

Thats precisely why he gave a pep talk to his force through wireless set, where he made it clear that each person would be allowed to take adequate rest to improve upon their day-to-day performance.

Chatterbox MPs

Chatterbox MPs

While MPs in Parliament have to take their job seriously by raising issues on their respective constituencies and listening attentively to the proceedings of the House  some of them utilise Parliament sessions as an opportunity to catch up with each other and chat away endlessly.

There is this motley group of MPs from a prominent Hindi-belt state, who are always seen talking with each other, blissfully unaware of what is happening around them.

What helps them is the fact that they are all backbenchers and, therefore, are hardly noticed by anybody else.

On day one, he also gave additional charge of police spokesperson to special commissioner (crime) Taj Hassan, who replaced Rajan Bhagat, who had been handling this assignment for nine long years.

Friends or foes?

Though they are sworn enemies politically, when they come face to face, it is tough to decide if they are friends or foes.

Samajwadi Party minister Azam Khan and Bharatiya Janata Party MLA Sangeet Som happily indulge in a dogfight  which, at times, is worse than any catfight  when they confront each other in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly.

The party leaders of their respective parties do not interfere when these two fight it out. Mr Khan has coined a new name for Mr Som and it is beef master.

He insists that Mr Som owns a few slaughterhouses in western Uttar Pradesh and hence the name fits him well.

Mr Som retorts by calling Mr Khan a factory for terrorists and this slugfest continues in the state Assembly while members of both the SP and BJP have a hearty laugh.

Once the storm blows over and Mr Khan and Mr Som take their seats, one cannot miss the meaningful smiles exchanged between them.

A silly matter?

The controversy over the arrest of a goat for allegedly trespassing the lawn of a magistrates home in Chhattisgarhs Koriya district last month is giving the police a headache. Having been pulled up by the higher authorities for making a mess of the trivial incident, the police is mad at the negative publicity it has received in the media.

The local police administration realised the folly of detaining the animal along with its master Abdul Hassan when the issue snowballed into a major controversy even incurring anger from chief minister Raman Singh.

This is a silly matter which has been blown out of proportion, a local police officer remarked in an irritated tone when his reaction was sought by this newspaper.

We will arrest goats, bulls and even snakes if they violate the law of the land, he retorted angrily and before snapping the telephone he added, Please do not forget to quote me. A quotable quote?
Last year, the government had relaxed the foreign direct investment (FDI) policy for single-brand retailing

New Delhi: iPhone and iPad maker Apple has resubmitted its application for opening single-brand retail stores in the country as there were certain gaps in its earlier proposal.

"The proposal is being processed by the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP). Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi too has submitted an application," an official said.

In January, Apple had filed proposal seeking permission for single-brand retailing and sell products online but due to certain gaps in the application, DIPP had sought more information from the US-based technology giant.

According to sources, the government could exempt the Cupertino-based company from the mandatory local sourcing norm of 30 per cent as it makes 'state-of-the-art' and 'cutting edge' technology products.

Last year, the government had relaxed the foreign direct investment (FDI) policy for single-brand retailing. The government had said it may also relax the sourcing norms for entities undertaking single-brand retailing of products having 'state-of-the-art' and 'cutting edge' technology and where local sourcing is not possible.

Further, sources said Xiaomi too has submitted an application with the DIPP to open single-brand retail stores in the country. Currently, they sells their products through ecommerce and offline platforms.

Single-brand retailers are also allowed to take ecommerce route for such trading. At present, 100 per cent FDI is permitted in the sector but the companies are required to take FIPB permission if the limit exceeds 49 per cent.

The company sells its products through Apple-owned retail stores in countries including China, Germany, the US, the UK and France. Apple has no wholly-owned store in India and sells products through distributors such as Redington and Ingram Micro.

Click on Deccan Chronicle Technology and Science for the latest news and reviews. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter.
Iran's Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday that the tests were not in violation of the nuclear agreement, which led to lifting of sanctions in January. (Photo: AP)

United Nations: The United States will raise during UN Security Council consultations next week the issue of Iran's recent ballistic missile launches and is urging countries to cooperate on undermining Tehran's missile program, the US envoy to the United Nations said on Friday.

"We will raise these dangerous launches directly at Council consultations, which we have called for, on Monday," US Ambassador Samantha Power said in a statement. "These launches underscore the need to work with partners around the world to slow and degrade Iran's missile program."

A series of ballistic missile tests this week conducted by Iran's Revolutionary Guard units drew international concern. The United States, France and other countries said that if confirmed, the new launches of nuclear-capable ballistic missiles would violate UN Security Council resolution 2231.

Power said Iran's missile launches were "provocative and destabilising."

"Moreover, Iranian military leaders have reportedly claimed these missiles are designed to be a direct threat to Israel," she said. "We condemn such threats against another UN member state and one of our closest allies."

Power added that Washington would continue to demand "full implementation of resolution 2231, which expressly prohibits third-party support to Iran's ballistic missile program, as we also consider our appropriate national response."

The closed-door consultations on Iran will take place Monday morning. The 15-nation Security Council is scheduled to hold separate consultations on Syria at 10 a.m. ET (1500 GMT).

The United States has said Iran's missile tests do not violate the terms of an historic nuclear deal between Tehran and six major powers, which resolution 2231, adopted in July 2015, endorsed. The UN missile restrictions and an arms embargo on Iran are not technically part of the nuclear agreement.

Council diplomats say they will first await confirmation from national intelligence agencies about whether the missiles Iran has fired were nuclear-capable. They also say that Russia and China, which had opposed continuing UN restrictions on Iran's missile program, would likely block council action.

Iran's Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday that the tests were not in violation of the nuclear agreement, which led to lifting of sanctions in January.

Western diplomats say resolution 2231, which "calls upon" Iran to refrain from certain ballistic missile activity, offers no green light for nuclear-capable missile launches by Tehran and is therefore a clear ban.

However, they acknowledge that Russia, China and Iran likely interpret that language as an appeal to Iran to voluntarily refrain from missile activity. Tehran has also said that none of its missiles are designed to carry nuclear weapons.

While no new UN sanctions may be imminent, Western diplomats say that the United States and some of its allies could take additional punitive action in the form of unilateral national sanctions against Iran over the latest missile launches, something Washington has done previously.

When UN sanctions on Iran were lifted in January, the Security Council's Iran sanctions committee was shut down. But council diplomats said they expect the former chair of that now-defunct committee, Spain, will take on the task of overseeing the monitoring of Tehran's compliance with resolution 2231.
Deb alleged that he was thrown to the ground and handcuffed without notice or warning, the CBS news reported. (Photo: Facebook)

Washington: An Indian-origin journalist with a major US television network was heckled by Donald Trump's supporters and briefly detained by police during a protest at the Republican presidential frontrunner's campaign rally, media reports said.

CBS News reporter Sopan Deb was detained by police while covering the protest that broke out last night following the cancellation of Trump's rally in Chicago. Deb was covering the clash between protesters and the Republican front-runner's supporters when he was detained, the news organisation said. "Deb was filming video of a man whose face was bloody and laying on the ground near police at the time of his arrest," according to a 'CBS This Morning' report.

Deb alleged that he was thrown to the ground and handcuffed without notice or warning, the CBS news reported. Illinois State Police charged Deb with resisting arrest though the network reported that neither his video, nor that of a nearby film crew, showed any sign of resistance. "I have never seen anything like what I am witnessing in my life," Deb tweeted after the incident.

I've never seen anything like what I'm witnessing in my life.  Sopan Deb (@SopanDeb) March 12, 2016

'Taking pictures for ISIS?'

Deb, who has been covering Trump's campaign ever since he announced his presidential run last June, said "A Trump supporter just asked me at Reno event if I was taking pictures for ISIS. When I looked shocked, he said, 'yeah, I am talking to you'." The Trump campaign did not immediately respond to questions.

Trump cancelled his campaign rally here citing security concerns after hundreds of people gathered at the arena to protest against his 'politics of hatred' and scuffled with his supporters in the largest-ever demonstration against the Republican presidential front-runner. Of late journalists have been at receiving end at the Trump campaign.

Demonstrators celebrate after learning a rally for Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump at the University of Illinois at Chicago would be postponed in Chicago, Illinois (Photo: AFP)

Journalists association condemns

Foreign journalists have been made totally out of bound while the domestic media are put inside an enclosure at all his rallies and are not allowed to move out of that. In the last few weeks, several journalists have been scuffled by security agents and Trump's supporters. The developments forced the White House Correspondents Association (WHCA) to issue a rare statement.

"Broadly speaking, the WHCA unequivocally condemns any act of violence or intimidation against any journalist covering the 2016 campaign, whether perpetrated by a candidate's supporters, staff or security officers. We expect that all contenders for the nation's highest office agree that this would be unacceptable," WHCA president Carol Lee said in a statement early this week.

"We have been increasingly concerned with some of the rhetoric aimed at reporters covering the presidential race and urge all candidates seeking the White House to conduct their campaigns in a manner that respects the robust back-and-forth between politicians and the press that is critical to a thriving democracy," said Lee, White House correspondent of The Wall Street Journal.
Washington: Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump dons made-in-China shirts and ties, the US media reported on the controversial real estate tycoon who has blamed the Communist country and India for taking away American jobs.

Trump's signature line of men's suits, dress shirts and ties are made in China and the bulk of his eldest daughter Ivanka Trump's fashion line is also manufactured overseas. Harvard professor and trade expert Robert Lawrence told CNN that it's not just Trump's products but over 800 items in the Ivanka's fashion line, including shoes, dresses, purses and scarves were also all "imported."

"In a recent debate Marco Rubio mentioned ties. But the ties made in China are just the tip of the iceberg," said Lawrence, who served on President Bill Clinton's Council of Economic Advisers. He said none of Ivanka's clothing line appears to be made exclusively in the US and 354 items are listed as made in China. "I talk about my ties in speeches. I'm open. I say my ties many times are made in China. It's very hard to have apparel made in this country," Trump, 69, had told the US network in an interview earlier.

The issue is getting renewed scrutiny as Trump wants to put a tax on Chinese and Mexican goods like clothing coming into the US to level the playing field and bring back middle class jobs. He said the tax could be as high as 35 or 45 per cent. Economists warn this would ignite a trade war and could cause a recession.

Trump has repeatedly blamed China and India among other countries for taking away jobs from Americans and vowed to bring them back if elected as the US President. "They are taking our jobs. China is taking our jobs. Japan is taking our jobs. India is taking our jobs. It is not going to happen anymore, folks!" Trump told his supporters last month. The top five countries that America imports clothing from are China, India, Vietnam, Pakistan and Mexico.
Gupta started out his prison term in 2014 at FMC DEVENS, an administrative security federal medical centre with an adjacent minimum security satellite camp in Ayer, Massachusetts. (Photo: AP)

New York: India-born former Goldman Sachs Director Rajat Gupta has been released after completing his two-year prison term, weeks after a US court agreed to rehear his appeal to throw out his 2012 insider-trading conviction.

Gupta, 67, was "released" on March 11, according to his record at the Federal Bureau of Prisons. While Gupta's prison term was to end on March 13, but since the date fell on a Sunday, he was released on Friday, four years after he lost his insider trading trial and suffered multiple legal setbacks to overturn his conviction.

The Harvard-educated was convicted in his 2012 trial of passing confidential boardroom information to his one-time friend and business associate Raj Rajaratnam.

Apart from the two-year prison term, he was fined USD 5 million and the Securities and Exchange Commission also slapped a USD 13.9 million penalty against him.

Gupta started out his prison term in 2014 at FMC DEVENS, an administrative security federal medical centre with an adjacent minimum security satellite camp in Ayer, Massachusetts.

Rajaratnam is serving an 11-year sentence for insider trading in the main prison adjacent to where Gupta was assigned.

His attorneys did not immediately respond to emails on whether Gupta would make a statement following his release. Ever since his conviction in June 2012, Gupta filed several appeals, including to the US Supreme Court, to overturn his conviction and prison term but the courts rejected his arguments and affirmed his sentence.

However, it was only early last month, just weeks before his prison term was to end, that he had some legal respite when the US Second Circuit Court of Appeals agreed to rehear an appeal to throw out his insider-trading conviction.

Gupta completed the last two months of his prison term at his home in Manhattan, after being released on January 5 from the Devens correctional facility.

Even though he was not in the prison centre, he remained a federal inmate until his release on March 11. He was confined to his apartment and was required to wear an ankle bracelet that monitored his movements.

A January report in the New York Times had said that Gupta "appears to be eager to get back to the world he once inhabited".

"Since returning to his Manhattan apartment, Gupta has been fielding calls from former associates who say he is in good spirits and looks back on his spell in prison philosophically," the report had said.

The report had said Gupta had applied last year to corrections officers for an early discharge from Devens.

An inmate can be given credit for good behaviour and becomes eligible for home confinement for 10 per cent of a sentence, up to six months.
A man carries a Yazidi girl released by Islamic State group militants as she arrives in Kirkuk, 180 miles (290 kilometers) north of Baghdad, Iraq. (Photo: Twitter)

Geneva: One eight-year-old was repeatedly sold and raped, while another girl set herself on fire to make herself less attractive to her terrorist captors.

These are only two of the more than 1,400 horror stories German doctor Jan Ilhan Kizilhan has heard first-hand from Yazidi women and girls once enslaved by ISIS extremists in Iraq.

"They have been through hell," he said in an interview in Geneva.

Kizilhan heads a project that has brought 1,100 women and girls to Germany to help heal their deep physical and psychological wounds.

The project, run by German state Baden-Wurttemberg, first began flying in the traumatised victims from northern Iraq last April, and brought the last group over earlier this month.

It was in 2014 that authorities in Baden-Wurttemberg decided to act.

At the time, ISIS terrorists were making a lightning advance in northern Iraq, massacring Yazidis in their villages, forcing tens of thousands to flee and kidnapping thousands of girls and women to force them into sexual slavery.

'Genocide'

The United Nations has described the ISIS attack on the Yazidi minority as a possible genocide.

"It is really an urgent situation," Kizilhan said, calling on other countries and states to follow Baden-Wurttemberg's example.

The southwest German state budgeted 95 million euros ($104 million) to the project and asked Kizilhan and his team to decide which of the victims could benefit most from the move.

The doctor said another 1,200 Yazidi women and girls once held by ISIS would also benefit from similar programmes elsewhere as would the estimated 3,800 believed to remain in captivity, if they make it out.

He explained that the women who managed to escape from ISIS found themselves back in their deeply conservative communities in northern Iraq with little to no access to psychological help to work through the unspeakable horrors they had experienced.

"These women really need specialised treatment. If we don't help them, who will?" he asked, speaking on the sidelines of an international conference of human rights defenders in Geneva.

As Yazidis, who follow a unique faith despised by ISIS, the women raped and sometimes left pregnant by the terrorists are seen by many in their community as a source of dishonour.

Those who are shunned become impoverished and risk falling into prostitution to support themselves, and a large number commit suicide, Kizilhan said.

"Over the last year, I have documented more than 20 cases of suicide, but this is surely just the tip of the iceberg," he said, adding the actual number was likely closer to 150.

Kizilhan shuddered as he recalled the case of one girl he had met in a refugee camp last August, who suffered burns to over 80 per cent of her body.

"She had no nose, no ears left," he said, adding that he was even more shocked when he learned what had happened to her.

ISIS fighters had held the girl and her sisters for weeks, raping and torturing them, before they escaped.

Then one night sleeping in her tent in the refugee camp, the girl dreamt ISIS fighters were outside. In a panic she poured gasoline over herself and lit a match, hoping it would make her so ugly they would not rape her again.

Kizilhan had that girl chartered out immediately for fear she might not survive. She remains in hospital in Germany after more than a dozen operations, and will still need 30 more types of skin and bone surgery.

Raped hundreds of times

Most of the girls and women in the programme were between 16 and 20, he said, adding that the oldest was in her 40s. The youngest was eight.

"IS sold her eight times during the 10 months she was held hostage, and raped her hundreds of times," Kizilhan said, shaking his head in disgust.

"This is one of the cases I always have in my mind."

Due to her young age, the girl would likely benefit greatly from treatment and a new environment, he said, voicing hope that "she could still make something of her future."

It will take time though, for all of the victims now settling in Baden-Wurttemberg.

Kizilhan said psychotherapy would not start for another three to six months, for fear of retraumatising the women and girls who have been through hell.

"They need the feeling of security. That is not easy after what they have experienced."
A number of Yazidi women who escaped from the clutches of ISIS described how the terror group used different methods to keep them away from pregnancy. (Representational image, Photo: AP)

Dohuk, Iraq: A number of Yazidi women, who escaped from the clutches of ISIS, described how the terror group used different methods to keep them away from pregnancy including oral sex and injectable contraception. According to a report in The Daily Mail, a rescued sex slave stated that the rapists forced women to take contraceptive pills.

The 16-year-old, who was rescued and sent to Germany for a resettlement programme, described her everyday torment that started with sitting in an empty room that had a bed as the only furniture and how her fear would begin to deepen with the sunset as it was the time for her to get raped  again.

Read: ISIS sex slaves forced to undergo two-finger virginity test: HRW

In her testimony, she revealed how she spent her days in an empty room with no access to the outside world. The only thing she could remember is the dreadful smell of her rapist's breath and the nauseating sounds he made while raping her.

As the rape went on, she lived under the fear of getting pregnant with the militant's child. Little did she know that her fear would be suppressed by Islamic State group by asking all its fighters to ensure that their sex slaves do not get pregnant  the reason being that pregnancy would not allow them to rape the woman after a certain period of time until she delivers the child.

Read: IS decides when owners can have sex with their female slaves

In order to facilitate the supply of sex slaves forever, ISIS militants were ordered not to let the women conceive.

The woman who was rescued from ISIS, in her testimony, also revealed how she was often sold to various fighters and every time she was sold to a new fighter, she came with a box of contraceptive pills.

Read: Girl burns herself to be less attractive for IS: Ghastly tale of Yazidi woman

She added that her owner forced her to consume one pill everyday in front of him. Once she had consumed the pill, he would force himself on her.

It was only after being sold a few times with the box that she understood that she was being fed birth control pills. Whenever she ran out pills, her owner would replace it with a new box.

She said that she was sold seven times before being rescued, adding that after being to sold to a militant, in order to ensure that she was not pregnant, he inquired about her last menstrual date.

Yazidi Kurdish women chant slogans against the Islamic State group's invasion of Sinjar city one year ago, in Dohuk, northern Iraq. (Photo: AP)

Another woman who was held as sex slave, revealed how she was already pregnant when she was captured by an ISIS militant from a refugee camp. When the militant learned that she was pregnant, he took her to an abortion clinic. Upon refusing for the surgery, she was punched on the stomach by the militant. She later escaped by jumping over the propertys wall where she was held captive. Bleeding profusely, she waited for help. Weeks later, she was rescued by her family.
In Tweets posted Sunday morning, Division 13 said it had failed to push back an attack by Al-Qaeda's Syrian affiliate, Al-Nusra Front, and allied faction Jund al-Aqsa. (Photo: AP)

Beirut: Al-Qaeda fighters and allied jihadists clashed with a rebel faction overnight in northwestern Syria after storming its weapons depot, the group and a monitor said on Sunday.

In Tweets posted Sunday morning, Division 13 said it had failed to push back an attack by Al-Qaeda's Syrian affiliate, Al-Nusra Front, and allied faction Jund al-Aqsa.

Division 13 said the jihadists "raided all our bases and looted our weapons and equipment" in the town of Maarat al-Numan in Idlib province.

"We congratulate (Al-Nusra chief Mohammad) al-Jolani on this conquest!" the group posted sarcastically on Twitter.

According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group, the clashes left at least six combatants dead, four of them identified as Division 13 fighters.

"Al-Nusra and Jund al-Aqsa kidnapped at least 40 members of Division 13, whose commander has gone missing," Observatory head Rami Abdel Rahman said.

He said the jihadists had cleared out Division 13's depots in Maarat al-Numan and three nearby towns, seizing US-made anti-tank TOW missiles.

A rebel alliance headed by Al-Nusra and Islamist faction Ahrar al-Sham captured full control of Idlib province last year.

Al-Nusra has previously attacked other factions who have received support from the United States. In the summer of 2015, it kidnapped several members of US-trained rebel group Division 30.

In recent weeks, tensions between Al-Nusra on one side and non-jihadist groups and activists on the other have boiled over.

On Friday in Maaret al-Numan, motorcyclists waving Al-Nusra's black flag tried to take over a peaceful protest in the town square, shouting "Allahu akbar" or "God is greatest".

Four days earlier, the group threatened to fire on anti-government demonstrators in Idlib city.
Shahbaz Taseer had been kidnapped by Islamist gunmen, reportedly the Taliban, from the city of Lahore in August 2011, months after his father Salmaan was killed for opposing the countrys controversial blasphemy laws. (Photo: Twitter )

Islamabad: The kidnapped son of slain Pakistani governor Salman Taseer was not released after a rescue operation by security forces and it remains unclear as to why he was freed by militants after nearly five years of captivity, a probe said on Saturday.

Shahbaz Taseer, 33, was flown to Lahore from Quetta in a special aircraft from the restive Balochistan province on Tuesday.

Interior minister Nisar Ali Khan had set up a committee to probe the circumstances surrounding the freedom of Shahbaz, who was set free this week and several security agencies claimed their involvement in a successful operation to release him from kidnappers.

The facts and evidence show that Shahbaz Taseer was not released through an operation by security forces but set free by the captors, interior ministry said in a statement after the conclusion of the probe.

The report said it was not clear why the kidnappers set him free or if they were paid ransom. It said no one is allowed to use the issue to link it with their performance.

Those involved in using it for personal advancement will be sternly warned, it said.

But the spokesman for the Baluchistan government, Anwar ul Haq Kakar said that Shahbaz was recovered after an operation by security forces in the Kuchluk area on basis of intelligence reports.

We dont know why the interior ministry is saying he was released by the kidnappers. We stand by our official statement that an operation was carried out by security forces and when they raided a safe house in Kuchlak Shahbaz Taseer identified himself to the forces, Kakar said.

He said it was a successful operation since Kuchlak is a heavily Taliban influenced area.

Nisar had ordered an inquiry into the whole incident soon after Shahbaz was recovered.

Shahbaz was kidnapped from the Gulberg area of Lahore from near his office on August 26, 2011 and since than it was feared he was held captive by different militant groups.

He was kidnapped soon after his liberal politician father was assassinated by radical Mumtaz Qadri in January, 2011, due to his stance on the controversial blasphemy law.
You know that saying the Supreme Court (or any of the dozens of inferior courts) are wrong is not an argument either.



The arguments were made, in court before judges and YOUR SIDE LOST.



That is all that needs to be said. If you think the courts were wrong then carry your happy *** into said court and tell them why they were wrong.



But until that happens and until the courts agree with you the fact of the matter is that your arguments FAILED. Same sex marriage is legal in all 50 states and all your crapping on the chessboard and strutting around like you won isn't going to do squat.



You can claim that the gravity does not exist, you can give whatever reasons and arguments you want that gravity is a lie but when you drop a hammer it is still going to hit the floor.



You can claim that the courts are wrong, you can give whatever reasons and arguments you want that prohibitions on same sex marriage are Constitutional but when Sam and Dave (or Brenda and Linda) go to the City Hall and request a marriage license in any of the 50 states they are going to get one.
Yesterday I wrote a post about my favorite albums besides my Beatles collection. That started a few memories from some of my Facebook friends about who taught whom to appreciate what. That in turn made me think of a few more musical memories, thus the continued post. Besides, I think some thank-yous are in order.

Thanks first to my dad, who is very good at music trivia and passed along the fun of that to me. He taught me to love all the '50s artists of his day: Buddy Holly, Elvis, the Del Vikings, Dion and the Belmonts; pretty much anyone you'd hear on the "Stand By Me" or "American Graffiti" soundtracks. He would often wander around the house singing "Sh-Boom." Most people, if they know it at all, know only the version popularized by the Crew Cuts, but he preferred in its original form, by the Chords. When Little Princess turned 1, I had people contribute various favorite songs for a first-birthday CD for her, and the Chords' "Sh-Boom" is the one from him.

Also thanks to dad for Crosby, Stills and Nash, the Kingston Trio and for Peter, Paul and Mary. That last was actually a record album that belonged to his sister, my Aunt Carol, that somehow wound up at our house and never went home. So thanks to Aunt Carol, too. I love their stuff. (Oh, and to my other Aunt Carol, for Joan Baez and George Winston and various Windham Hill albums.)

Yet another thank-you to Dad for my appreciation for novelty songs. He taught me about Allan Sherman ("Hello Muddah, Hello Faddah") and introduced me to the zaniness of Spike Jones and the City Slickers, which eventually led me to Dr. Demento, Weird Al and various other comedy artists. Slightly Older Princess thought our Spike Jones Christmas album was the funniest thing she'd ever heard when she was little. That's Papa's influence, right there.

Thanks to Mom for some of the easier-listening fare I enjoy. I associate her more with the John Denver albums, although both my parents liked them, and also Roger Whittaker, and later, Lionel Richie. She also just liked to turn on the easy listening station on the radio when I was a kid, just for background music, so I learned a lot of those songs that way. And she liked show tunes from musicals such as "Oklahoma!" and "The Music Man" and "The Sound of Music" and "The King and I." (Slightly Older Princess, the show tune fan, probably owes her a thank-you, too.)

I don't know whose it was, but my maternal grandparents had a copy of the "Fiddler on the Roof" soundtrack at their house. It's my favorite musical because of them. I also owe my grandfather big time for any scrap of knowledge I might have about opera and about Italian folk songs, which I absolutely loved to hear him play on the piano: "Torna a Surriento," "Santa Lucia" and "O Sole Mio," of course. One of the possessions I will run for when the house is burning down is a wooden music box I bought in Italy that plays the Sorrento song, which contains very deep memories for me.

As I said in my previous post, I owe my older cousins a debt for being the conduit for the good stuff from the '70s, and yes, it was there, quit laughing. I'm talking about Boston, the Doobie Brothers, America, Fleetwood Mac, the Eagles, Elton John, Earth, Wind & Fire, bands like that. I can remember my cousin Steve playing "Stairway to Heaven" for me, and my cousin Mike was into "Baker Street." They had good taste, sez I.

My brother, four years younger, was (and probably still is) the only person in my family with any appreciation for rap, but I remember him playing some Grandmaster Flash and Run-D.M.C. back in the day that I could get behind. In later years, he'd tip me off to the occasional song he thought I'd appreciate. Too Much Joy's "In Perpetuity" takes that gold medal. Thanks, Jeff!

I took a music appreciation class in college that made me a lifelong fan of both Bach and the blues. Did you know most classic blues is done in iambic pentameter? I also learned the term "imitative polyphony," which I like to trot out whenever anyone starts singing in a round. Makes 'em think I'm smart for a minute.

I haven't dated all that many people in my life, but I learned some good music from them, too. One was a huge Cars fan; all those songs still make me smile. Another was more of an '80s headbanger, so there I picked up Judas Priest, Dokken, Queensryche, Iron Maiden and Motley Crue. The third liked Janis Joplin, someone I'd never given a chance before. The fourth introduced me to the song "Wuthering Heights," although he preferred Pat Benetar's cover to the original, which is by Kate Bush.

Husband and I share a lot of the same music tastes, but he was my link to Bob Marley  and also to a little bit of country, although most of the time that's not my style. I am, however, particularly indebted to him for David Allan Coe's "You Never Even Call Me By My Name." Best Country Song Ever.

(He also owned a copy of C.W. McCall's Greatest Hits, and yes, there were some beyond "Convoy." I particularly recommend "Wolf Creek Pass.")

I've learned from my kids, too. Slightly Older Princess is even more into show tunes than her grandmother, and through her I've come to love the music from "Rent," "Hairspray" and "A Very Potter Musical."

Little Princess is teaching me the ins and outs of Panic! at the Disco. We both love the new album, and we're seeing them in Washington this summer. And both of them really like Fall Out Boy, so those albums are on heavy rotation on the car speakers during road trips.

I won't pretend all the stuff I love is good. I'm a child of the '80s, and I like that stuff. If you go on Google and type in, "Bad Songs Of," the next words, "the '80s," come up without any prompting. That should probably tell you something, but I looked at a few of those sites and, um, I like those songs. OK, "We Built This City on Rock & Roll" stinks, but I am just fine with "Tarzan Boy" and "Safety Dance." (In fact, the guy who introduced me to "Wuthering Heights" particularly liked the line in "Safety Dance" where he sings, "We'll dress real neat from our hats to our feet and surprise 'em with a victory cry." I have to agree it's a wonderful visual  "AHA!") So don't judge me.

Or if you're going to judge me, put in the fact that I also like "It's a Small World." That may render the rest of this list null and void, but I own my poor choices in life.

And really, maybe it's just that I'm open to a lot of different styles. Do you have one to share?

Music, as you can tell, plays (heh) a big role in my life. But: New topics next week, promise.
About Me Dizzy-Dick Worked from home most of my life. Gave up the paycheck to stay at home. Love to tow the Jeep behind the Motor-home and go off somewhere else. Am a member of the GPAA and like to end up on one of their prospecting claims or a fishing spot. Love the out-of-doors. View my complete profile

Blog Archive
This blog belongs to a woman with lots to say on everything under the sun.




-by Tracy B Ann





Some people have no sense of place, nowhere that they feel strong ties to, nowhere they can call home. I have a couple. Michigan is where I was born and grew up and it will always be home to me. I live in Tennessee and its all right. There are a lot of things that I like about it here. Its a lot warmer than Michigan, there are nice hills, and, um, its warmer than Michigan.





I think Ive been to most states in the country, except Texas. Sorry, but Texas just freaks me out. I was on a tour bus close to getting there once when I had to stop, get off and fly home. This was before Austin was cool, but really, the place scares the shit out of me. No disrespect intended.





One very special place where I felt at home immediately is New York. Five minutes after I got there the first time, I felt like I had lived there all my life. I might live there too, except its very expensive to do so, and, um, it's just as cold as Michigan.





Unlike here in Tennessee though, New Yorkers have choices of Democrats to vote for in their elections. What a luxury. We dont have that here in Tennessee. Though we do have warm weather, I am often reminded of what my dad used to say about cold, frigid weather, he said "it stimulates brain activity." A quick trip to a mall here will lead anyone to conclude there must be some truth to that.





Democrats to choose from in New York, yep, I like that. In New Yorks 24th Congressional District there are a few Dems to choose from . There is Colleen Deacon; she spent 6 years working for the Mayor and the city of Syracuse, then moved on to Senator Kirsten Gillibrand's office for the next 6 years, working as the Regional Director for Central New York.





After Colleen graduated from college she waited tables for less than minimum wage, with no insurance and of course no benefits. She became pregnant, worked up until 2 days before she gave birth and, as a single mom, used Medicaid and the WIC program to survive. As a congresswoman she would certainly know about the programs she was voting on.





Some of the issues shes wants to focus on are jobs and manufacturing. The district has lost a lot of jobs and there is a threat of the nuclear plant closing. 60% of school funding comes from the nuclear plant. Infrastructure is also big on her agenda. Colleen believes improving infrastructure creates jobs in both the short term and long term by bringing in new business. A modern, well maintained infrastructure is a good selling point for any area.





This district has over 300 bridges that are damaged and need repair. (Ive always been baffled by why Republicans dont want to invest in infrastructure. They drive over bridges too dont they?)





Colleen has experience working with diverse groups of people and believes in getting more people at the table, in bringing all stakeholders together. She helped connect community colleges with apprenticeship programs this way. Having worked in government she feels she would be effective the moment she walks into the office, she knows the ins and outs of the system and "how to get things done that don't involve floor votes." Colleen has the endorsement of many establishment Democrats.





As a woman, Colleen Deacon is part of the Off the Sidelines Initiative . While women make up over 50% of the population in the US, they make up only 19% of the US Congress. Hmm





Eric Kingson is another Dem to choose from in the 24th Congressional district. Eric is a Professor of Social Work at Syracuse University, teaching courses in community organization and public policy & advocacy, among other courses.





He is driven by core values that developed from his work in the civil rights movement in his college days, spending summers in the South registering voters. He is a founding co-director of Social Security Works , and co-chairs the Strengthen Social Security Campaign , a coalition of over 300 national and state organizations. His work is credited with stopping SS cuts and keeping the retirement age from being raised.





Working with these organizations and others has given him lots of experience in public policy. He could make an impact in Congress just by continuing the work hes already doing. Hes made and continues to make a positive impact.





He is an unambiguous progressive who wants to invest heavily in infrastructure and has a financial plan to do it. A financial transaction tax. Mr. Kingson believes that "giving away the highest tax cuts to those with the highest income has undermined our infrastructure and our society," that "money has been used to capture seats in the Senate and House."





Eric is focused on protecting social security for all, providing college students relief from predatory loans and getting them involved, in fact he sends time in high schools to show students their role in Democracy. He has vowed not to ever take corporate money as he believes campaign finance is undermining democracy, that the golden age of the American dream has been lost due to income inequality.





Eric Kingson is highly respected as an expert and academic of 30 years and as an activist working with Congress. The author of many books and the recipient of awards including the 2010 Martin Luther King, Jr. Unsung Hero Award.





In New Yorks 3rd Congressional district, where Steve Israel is retiring, Jonathan Clarke is running . He became an attorney to help people and realized that as a progressive politician he could help even more people. There are several other candidates in this primary but one thing that separates Jonathan is that when he goes to the Grand Jury he sits outside in the hall because he's there representing a client.





He heads the pro bono division of the law firm Clarke & Fellows where he is a managing partner. He represents clients whose homes are being foreclosed on and is an animal advocate, providing free legal work for local animal rights groups.





His major focus is on campaign finance reform, not, as he says "that there aren't more pressing issues; like over reaching drug laws, income inequality and our whole prison system." It's just that Jonathan believes that campaign reform needs to be addressed first in order to fix the other problems.





I love that part. It fits in so well with my "first things first" philosophy, which is why I believe that the way to elect more and better Democrats is to register more voters. That is the thing all 3 of these candidates have in common, they all support 90for90 , a voter registration advocacy movement.





As does the New York State Democratic Party Chairwoman Sheila Comar . Her passion is registering voters and she is dismayed by the lack of early voting, weekend voting or a national holiday for voting. She is saddened that we "don't value Election Day."





90for90 is working hard to raise the value of Election Day and honor those who fought so hard to gain the right to vote for all. There are many ways to join this voter registration movement, one is by going to their Facebook page and "liking" them. Show support for voter registration and the NY Democratic who prioritize voting for all.





[Kingson and Clarke have both endorsed Bernie and are on Blue America's Bernie Congress page. You can contribute to their campaigns here.]








Climate champion P.G. Sittenfeld is the one choice for the U.S. Senate from Ohio

On November 8, 2007, Portman joined the law firm of Squire Sanders as part of the firms transactional and international trade practice in Cincinnati, Ohio. His longtime chief of staff, Rob Lehman, also joined the firm as a lobbyist in their Washington, D.C. office.[73][74]

Stricklands coal policies dust up possible Senate bid



Ted Strickland, Democrats top prospect to take on Ohio Sen. Rob Portman (R), is facing a litany of questions about his ties to the clean-energy industry that could weigh heavily on coal-country voters.



To prepare for a possible Senate bid, the former Ohio governor quietly stepped down last week from a senior role with the Center for American Progress, a liberal think tank and advocacy group that has promoted a shift away from coal.



Critics are tying him to the groups environmental policies and to Carol Browner, the former architect of President Obamas climate policies, who is a distinguished senior fellow at CAP. CAP has people like Carol Browner right down the hall from him in the office, and we cant in the industry trust someone whose ties to the war on coal go that deep, said Christian Palich, interim president of the Ohio Coal Association, a GOP-leaning group.



Strickland tried to inoculate himself from attacks shortly before leaving by touting the think tanks new report calling for reform of coal subsidies to help Appalachian coal compete with cheaper Western coal. He argues that Western coal producers enjoy an unfair advantage because their royalty rates have not increased in 40 years.



The apparent move to rebuff the possible damage is a sign that coal politics could figure prominently in the Ohio Senate race next year. Strickland, however, said 2016 was not a motivating factor.



I care about Ohio. I care about coal communities, he said, according to The Associated Press, long before there was any talk of me entering a political race of any kind.

HR 2520, House Vote 337, 7/15/93  An amendment to cut $50 million in funding for coal research and development, and to then transfer $25 million to energy conservation research and development and the other $25 million to deficit reduction.



HR 4602, House Vote 271, 6/23/94  An amendment that called for cutting $27 million from funds earmarked from coal R&D.



HR 4, House Vote 311, 8/1/01  An amendment to increase fuel economy standards by closing the light-truck loophole for fuel economy standards.



HR 6, House Vote 132, 4/10/03  An amendment that would reduce the amount of oil consumed by U.S. automobiles by five percent by 2010.

I have endeavored to be a leader wherever and whenever possible on climate change, including my early and unwavering opposition to the Keystone XL tar sands pipeline. I firmly believe we can and should do what it takes to entirely decarbonize the U.S. economy as soon as possible.

I've been watching the Ohio Senate primary contest between former governor Ted Strickland and progressive P.G. Sittenfeld with interest. I keep having to remind myself that Strickland is actually a Democrat and that the race is still in the primary phase. The first is a lie (Strickland is a "Democrat" only, not a real one), and the second is an opportunity (we can replace him on the Democratic ticket).For those keeping count, pretend-anti-TPP Sen. Rob Portman is the incumbent Senator and a Republican. You may not know , even if you live in Ohio, that Portman was a Bush-appointed U.S. Trade Representative:That's a lot of countries to screw over American workers with. Portman was busy. After that, he went into lawyering:Another self-serving "public" servant who make money negotiating rotten trade agreements, then made money representing corporations that benefit from them.Portman is considered a vulnerable Republican senator this year, which is why it's so important to defeat him. Portman is also one of the reasons that neither Obama nor McConnell will bring TPP to Congress until the lame duck. If it comes up before the election, Portman, to save his seat, will have to pretend to care about Ohio and vote No. After the election, win or lose, he can vote his wallet, his history, and aggrandize his possible future as a lobbyist.The candidate Ohioans choose to replace Portman is the question, since the seat is winnable  thus the importance of the Democratic primary between Sittenfeld and Strickland.The virtues of these candidates on a number of issues have been discussed in these pages  corruption, gun violence, and so on. Each comparison shows Sittenfeld the clear winner. (If you like, you can help him here .) But a comparison that has not been well covered is coal, the environment, and the climate.Put simply, a vote for Strickland is a vote for coal in Ohio (and frankly, for a neo-Stone Age life for your great grandchildren, not that Strickland cares). A vote for Sittenfeld, on the other hand, is a vote for a carbon-free future.The following piece from The Hill illustrates the first point well. As you read, note the main idea  that candidate Strickland is distancing himself from Obama's "Clean Power Plan," and instead, returning to his first love, coal (my emphasis):If you read this too quickly, you'd think that the Strickland deception was to pretend to distance himself from Obama's plan. But that deception hides this  that Strickland has a genuine and longstanding love of the carbon extraction industry, including coal mining and fracking for oil and methane ("America's natural gas").For example, in Congress Strickland was a strong supporter of coal subsidies, and also voted multiple times to prevent increases in fuel economy standards. He voted No on amendments like these:And many others like them. Strickland was quite consistent. Do Ohioans want to replace Rob Portman with Ted Strickland, a reliable coal, oil and gas industry representative? Ohio can do much better.Sittenfeld is more than just an up-and-coming face in the strong, progressive Bernie Sanders mold. He understands that the future of America, and the future of the world, does not lie with the carbon industry. If you believe that a carbon-free future is essential for your children and grandchildren, P.G. Sittenfeld is your candidate and Ted Strickland is the opposite  your enemy.I've reached out to the Sittenfeld campaign on this issue. Here's Sittenfeld on carbon and the climate (emphasis mine):You can't get much clearer than that.If you believe in a carbon-free future, here are two things you can do now. First, please help P.G. Sittenfeld in his fight for the U.S. Senate. Second, if you're a voter in Ohio, by all means, vote in the coming primary.Do it for the children.GP

Labels: Bernie Sanders, climate, climate change, Coal, Gaius Publius, Ohio, PG Sittenfeld, progressive, Rob Portman, Senate 2016, Strickland
Rahm and Hillary-- bad for Chicago working families



"I want to thank Rahm Emanuel for not endorsing me; I don't want his endorsement."



Bernie's campaign manager, Jeff Weaver, explained the situation on the ground today: "You have this horrendous, horrendous problem with police violence and the whole Laquan McDonald situation. These are very important issues to the people of Chicago. Bernie Sanders has been very strong in condemning the Emanuel administration; Secretary Clinton has stood by him over the interest of the people of Chicago." An ad that Bernie is running features Chicago Public Schools principal Tony LaRaviere, who says "In Chicago, we have endured a corrupt political system, and the chief politician standing in the way of us getting good schools is our mayor. If you have a presidential candidate who supports someone like our mayor, you have a candidate whos not willing to take on the establishment."







Chicago Tribune Chicago Tribune poll has found." Emanuel had the support of less than 20% of Chicagoans on matters pertaining to education. Last month, the reported that "three times as many Chicagoans side with the teachers union as with Mayor Rahm Emanuel on how to improve public schools at a time when the two sides remain locked in contentious contract negotiations, apoll has found." Emanuel had the support of less than 20% of Chicagoans on matters pertaining to education.

Hillary is counting on several factors to win in Illinois Tuesday. Born in Chicago and raised in the all-white suburb of Park Ridge, it's where she started her political career, canvassing first for Richard Nixon and then for her hero, Barry Goldwater. Her first-ever political cause was to accuse the Democrats of stealing the election from Nixon and trying to prove the Chicago Machine delivered the state illegally for JFK. More important to her on Tuesday, though, is that same political machine is now controlled by Clinton power-broker Rahm Emanuel, Chicago's corrupt and much-hated mayor. Under him the Machine is somewhat tattered and blacks and Hispanics, especially, are far less trustful of it than they have been previously. During his rally in Summit Friday, Bernie said

During his four-plus years as mayor, Emanuel has made a number of controversial decisions on education, from opening more charter schools and closing about 50 neighborhood schools to his standoff with teachers that led to the strike.



But at no point since the Tribune began polling on Emanuel has his approval rating on education been lower than it is now. Just 18 percent of Chicago voters approved of Emanuel's handling of education while 70 percent disapproved, both record marks. That's lower than the mayor's overall job approval rating of 27 percent that the Tribune reported Monday.



The poll found the mayor's education approval numbers were even lower among those who want to see him resign-- 93 percent said they disapproved of his handling of CPS. Emanuel fared better among voters who thought the mayor should stay in office, although 52 percent still disapproved of his job performance on education while 32 percent approved.



Emanuel also fared worse among households with union members or a CPS student. Nearly 80 percent of voters with CPS students and 76 percent of voters in union households disapproved of the mayor's handling of schools. In nonunion households, 66 percent of voters disapproved of Emanuel's performance on education.



As was the case with the mayor's overall approval rating, white voters viewed Emanuel more favorably than minority voters.





The poll found that 79 percent of African-Americans disapproved of Emanuel's performance on schools while just 11 percent approved.

African-American voters put Emanuel over the top in his recent reelection campaign and feel especially burned and betrayed by him now. Many consider it very risky for Hillary to have so fully embraced him and tied her campaign to his (non-existent) popularity. If Bernie wins Chicago Tuesday, it will be largely attributable to Hillary's utter tone-deafness about Emanuel's role in education and justice. Bernie gets it; Hillary missed on this even worse than she missed when she praised Nancy Reagan for being a champion of the battle against AIDs, which she never was and which infuriated non-establishment gays. [The LGBT establishment types who are part of Hillary world not only don't care; they probably gave her the bad advice!]









I wonder if his stench will rub off on his presidential candidate next Tuesday when Illinois' 182 delegates will be voted on, the second biggest prize of the day (after Florida's 246 delegates) and more than Ohio's 159 or North Carolina's 121. In many ways, Hillary and Rahm are cut from the same cloth policy-wise. They're both Wall Street Democrats with strong financial (and social) ties with the people who want to privatize education and bring the teachers' unions to heel. Chicago is headed for a one day teachers' strike and Bernie is unequivocally on the teachers' side. He tweeted "I stand with Chicago teachers. We shouldn't close schools and lay off teachers to reward Wall Street." Just above is the flyer from the teachers' union website featuring pictures of the 3 villains: Governor and Emanuel-ally Bruce Rauner, Emanuel and Emanuel-ally and billionaire Ken Griffin and touching on four main points: corporate welfare, tax injustice, growing poverty and racial justice, made for Bernie (and very much not for Hillary). She's way ahead of him in Illinois polling, as she was in Michigan until people started focusing on the issues and on her negativity and inability to tell the truth.







You can contribute to Bernie's campaign-- and, if you choose, to the campaigns of the congressional candidates running on his issues (including the just-added Ohio congresswoman who endorsed Bernie Friday, Marcy Kaptur)-- on the Bernie Congress ActBlue page by tapping on the thermometer below.







UPDATE: Bernie Pulls Ahead In Illinois!

This morning CBS News released the latest polling data for Illinois, which shows Bernie inching ahead of the better-known but much-distrusted Clinton.
"We are of opinion that instead of letting books grow moldy behind an iron grating, far from the vulgar gaze, it is better to let them wear out by being read." - Jules Verne


Dyckia sp, what does this mean? ...and what else?

Dyckia sp is the very same as Dyckia species, in fact short for Dyckia species. It refers to an unnamed Dyckia species.



A Dyckia sp can not be a hybrid Dyckia and never a Dyckia you do not know the name but a nameless Dyckia species. The fact that you do not know the plant it does not mean a nameless one.



A new Dyckia species must be published in order to have its name valid. This obligation doesnt counted on Iternet publications as The World Wide Web didnt exist and publication meant : journals, books, magazine, scientific report magazines.



Nowadays nothing is better published than in the WWW.

Publishing means getting public and there is nothing equal nor close to the WWW.



Public means everybody not just a bunch of selected guys.

These are mates, collegues, fellows not public. Here people publish new Plant species on very restricted magazine or very specialized magazines and assume as published. Publishing means everybody who is willing to know of it. Also the world doesnspeaks Portuguese, nor spanish and less than this doesnt understand old Latim ( Not even those who publishes a new species. They rely on claves and many mistakes are made.) Today publishing means WWW!!! Today it means English!! If a new species is published here in Brazil it must be in Latim as in any other place on the Earth, Portuguese and for Gods sake also in English and entirely not a sinopsis only. Publications with a very restrictec and exclusive public is out of question. Publications with on purposal omitted data is also out of question and not valid. A bunch of readers is not public. A group of readers are collegues never public!!!Public is WWW and your reader may be in Reykjavick or Auckland, Rio or Tokyo and everywhere in between. Portuguese is a lovely sounding language. It makes feel home...but who is going to undertand me in ...in...everywhere else besides people which countries speak Camoes language? English, English for Godssake.

Also there is no sense publising without precise data.

Preservation means showing, educating not hidding an less yet iluding.

What Light is for if it doesnt Brighten up high above everything? Light is to iluminate or it is not Light and if it isnt Light it isnt Science!


I wish to present a view of Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taiwan that is different from what I have seen from others. Most commentary I have ...
This blog may be a labor of love for me, but it takes a lot of effort, time and money. For over 18 years and 38,000 articles I have been providing accurate, original news that would have remained unnoticed. I've written hundreds of scoops and sometimes my reporting ends up making a real difference. I appreciate any donations you can give to keep this blog going.
ELKO  On one of their last days in town, the Russian delegates hosted by the Rotary clubs of Elko got a firsthand experience of the Old West.

The Russian delegates were hosted by the Rotary clubs of Elko and Elko Desert Sunrise as part of the Open World program. The six Russian businesswomen have been in Elko for about a week and will soon return home.

Before they took their trip back to Kamchata, Russia the delegates stopped by the California Trail Interpretive Center to try some traditionally cooked pioneer food, get an oral history of Western migration and even try on some of the clothing of the time.

Lisa Dittman gave a half hour tour of the center to the delegates, said she thought the Russian guests were very engaged and interested to learn about the significance of Western migration in the United States.

Its an interesting experience to share this history with people. I find it interesting that more Europeans know about this history than Americans, she said. They were engaged and they had some very good questions at the end. I think they really enjoyed it.

At the conclusion of the tour, the delegates were able to eat as the pioneers would have with food cooked in a traditional Dutch oven.

Duane Jones of Elko picked up the traditional cooking style as a hobby from his days in the Boy Scouts. He came by the California Trail Center to help the Russian delegates Old West experience feel more authentic.

The Dutch that immigrated to this country brought with them this cast iron, he said. The Lewis and Clark expedition that came through here had one. Its just kind of a throwback to the Old West because this is how everybody cooked.

Svetlana Devyanina, who was translating on behalf of the other delegates, said the group had a lot of fun at the California Trail Center.

The museum has wonderful atmosphere, she said on behalf of the group. It was very interactive. The idea that we had lunch here, with a guided tour with the ladies wearing pioneer clothes, we could not just see, but also feel what it was like.

In addition to getting to know a culture other than their own, the delegates were also here to absorb some of the business and marketing practices of our area. When the delegates toured a business they were also given a presentation to learn about how they market themselves.

They learned some new information about the systems and programs that business here use for promotion, she said. There are some internet programs and software that are new to us.

The various presentations that the businesswomen sat through were very informative according to Lucy Tomera-Miller, president of the Rotary Club of Elko. Tomera-Miller was pleased that the Russian delegates were able to meet with other American businesswomen on this trip.

I believe that they have had a great experience because theyve had an opportunity to work with our entrepreneur businesswomen in the community, she said. Theyve had an opportunity to talk with them and interact about the different ways that have marketed and grown their own businesses.

The Russian delegates will be returning home on Saturday but Devyanina said the group was impressed with their American experience.

The people here are very open-hearted, she said. That is the number one thing I will take from my memories of the United States.
A.J. Liese, English professor at San Juan College in Farmington, will be at Page One Books 3pm Sunday, March 20, to talk about and sign her memoir, Three Promises for Jane: A True Story of Madness and Redemption.

The book is described as such: "Years ago, I wrote how truth is anything but beautiful and how the deep well of an innocent childs broken, bruised and neglected heart is seldom untruthful. Im not penning victimhood. I take full responsibility for the choices I made after I was released from under my parents broken wings. But I do hold them accountable for my early years: the foundational part of my life that influenced and shaped my young mind. I wish they would have given me something more than a shattered compass and ring of useless keys for life. As a small child, I felt lostfreakish, as if an indelible, scarlet-red mark had been placed on me, and I was walking aimlessly throughout life without any sense of direction. Like the only rule was: there are no rules. You just survive."

Liese is an English professor at San Juan College in Farmington, NM. She is a columnist for The Farmington Daily Times and has written four developmental childrens books for parents and educators. Liese is an education doctoral student, specializing in rare childhood syndromes and mental disorders. She and her husband enjoy hiking together in Colorado.
At the conference (Photo: nhandan.com.vn)

In his opening remark, Director of the Foundation Michel Maso highlighted that French scholars have considerable faith about Vietnam thanks to its proactive strong economic growth, deep international integration and many positive factors after the 12th National Congress.



The conference is billed as a significant event to foster Vietnam-France relations while helping international scholars and friends further their understanding of the Southeast Asian country, he said.



Deputy Head of the CPV Central Committees Commission for External Relations Pham Xuan Son, who led the Vietnamese delegation, hailed the Gabriel Peri Foundations initiative to organise such a conference.



He briefed participants about Vietnams contemporary history, political features, as well as guidelines and policies adopted at the 12th National Party Congress.



As many as 12 reports were delivered at the conference, including a review of the countrys strategies for its continued development, and achievements of the Doi Moi (reform) process over the past 30 years.



Participants raised complex regional and global issues, including the East Sea tension. They supported Vietnam in addressing the issue through peaceful means in line with international law, especially the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.



They expressed their hope that Vietnam will overcome challenges to gain further achievements during its innovation and development process. They believed that the relationship between Vietnam and foreign partners, including France and the EU, will be consolidated.



During their stay in France, the Vietnamese delegation met with leaders of some parties in France, and officials from the French Senate and National Assembly, discussing measures to enhance relations between the two countries./.
At the ceremony (Source: VNA)



Nguyen Huy Mao, Chairman of the Association of Vietnamese Cambodian People in Battambang, expressed his gratitude for heroes who laid down their lives to national independence and sea-island sovereignty, as well as Vietnamese voluntary soldiers who saved Cambodia from the Khmer Rouge genocidal regime.



Director of the provincial Department of Religious Rituals Sambath Muniroth took the occasion to urge Vietnamese nationals and Cambodians to stay united and build a happy and prosperous life together.



Before the closing ceremony, representatives of the association presented gifts to OVs living in need in Cambodia.



Over 100 OVs and Cambodians in Battambang and adjacent localities attended the event./.
According to a statement from the Cambodian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, PM Hun Sen will hold talks with his Lao counterpart Thongsing Thammavong .





The visit will focus on forging bilateral ties for the benefits of the two peoples, the PM said on his facebook site.





Accompanying PM Hun Sen during the visit are Senate President Say Chhum, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Hor Namhong, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Cabinet Sok An, and Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence Tea Banh./.
Merkel's answer to right-wing surge: Forge a new centre

Winfried Kretschmann's success in turning his Green Party for the first time into the biggest party in a German parliament could help Chancellor Angela Merkel reshape the country's political landscape.

GALLERY

With his trademark grey brush haircut, Kretschmann"s political ascendency has coincided with the decline of the SPD, which is currently a junior member of Merkel"s ruling national coalition.

Berlin (dpa) - Winfried Kretschmann has spent the last five years carefully crafting the image of a pragmatic business-friendly leader of the conservative south-western German state of Baden-Wuerttemberg.On Sunday it paid off for the 67-year-old former biology teacher when his Green Party emerged for the first time as the biggest party in one of the nations parliaments after a 6.3-per-cent swing to the Greens in Baden-Wuerttembergs state elections.Home to some of Germanys biggest brand names such as Mercedes Benz, Porsche and Hugo Boss, Baden-Wuerttemberg was one of three of Germanys 16 states that went to the polls on Sunday, with elections also held in neighbouring Rhineland-Palatinate and Saxony-Anhalt in the east.But with five parties - including the anti-immigrant Alternative for Germany (AfD) - set to enter each of the state parliaments, the polls could mark the end of the countrys post-World War II tradition of two-party coalitions.The outcome of the polls raises the prospect of multi-party coalitions in the regional parliaments.In particular, the Baden-Wuerttemberg result could open the way for the Greens to become an option as a coalition partner to Chancellor Angela Merkels conservative Christian Democrats (CDU) for next years national election."On the party level I think this is an important testing ground," said Daniela Schwarzer, who heads the Berlin office of the German Marshall Fund of the United States.A practicing Catholic, Kretschmann has cast himself as father of the state and has ruled out moving to the national political stage.Kretschmann is already the first-ever Green Party head of government after forging in 2011 a coalition with the left-leaning Social Democrats (SPD), consequently ousting the CDU from power after 58 years at the helm of the state.Now, Kretschmanns Greens have tightened their grip on Baden-Wuerttemberg by securing 30.5 per cent of the vote - far ahead of the 27 per cent for the CDU, which suffered a humiliating 12-per-cent swing against the party."Baden-Wuerttemberg has again made history," said Kretschmann.With his trademark grey brush haircut, Kretschmanns political ascendency has coincided with the decline of the SPD, which is currently a junior member of Merkels ruling national coalition.The SPD vote slumped 10.4 per cent to 12.7 per cent coming in behind the bigger-than-forecast 14.9 per cent garnered by the AfD, which turned the populist rightwing party into the states third-biggest political force.However, Sundays result will make Kretschmanns task of forging a new coalition in the state very complicated.He has not ruled out teaming up with the CDU or the formation of a multi-party coalition, also incorporating the pro-business Free Democrats.But his success in Germanys third-largest state could help Merkel forge a new political centre in Germany as the refugee crisis drives right-wing voters away from the CDU and into the arms of the AfD, which surged into the parliaments in each of the states voting on Sunday."There is a new phenomenon in Germany is protest voters, who voice their discontent with the established parties," said Schwarzer."It is a phenomenon which has already emerged in other countries," she said. "Voting is a valve for them to release their discontent."Merkel carried out intensive coalition talks with the Greens after the last national election in 2013.A short time later, the Greens decided to team up with the CDU in Hesse under a close ally of Merkel, Volker Bouffier, which acts as a model for the Greens to enter a conservative-led coalition after the 2017 election.The Baden-Wuerttemberg premier has also praised Merkels crisis management and her handling of the refugee crisis.Polls show that more than 60 per cent of Green Party voters also back Merkels liberal stance on the migrant issue.The anti-nuclear Greens rode to power five years ago on the back of the apocalytic images that emerged from Japan in the wake of the Fukushima nuclear disaster and deep opposition to the former CDU-led governments plans for building a new central railway in the state capital Stuttgart.The chancellor has since moved closer to mainstream Green positions.In addition to spearheading global efforts to address climate change, Merkel went on to mount a major political U-turn after Fukushima, abandoning her support for nuclear energy and co-opt the Greens platform on ending atomic energy.
According to NPC deputies and CPPCC members, the experience at grassroots level shows that human right protection in the judicial process has improved significantly in China.

The legal rights of defendants, detainees, and criminals are becoming better protected in China. "Video recording from the very beginning of a suspects trial is now a requirement, said Zhou Junjun, an NPC deputy and Public Security Bureau official from Ruichang, a city in Jiangxi Province. This is an effective means to prevent any kind of torture. Legal aid agencies have been set up in more than 1700 detention centers across China. Prison health care is also being provided in a more professional way, so that sick detainees can receive timely and effective treatment.

On March 13, the heads of Chinese Supreme People's Court and the Supreme People's Procuratorate will each report to the NPC on their work over the last year. According to NPC deputies and members of CPPCC from the court and procuratorate systems, in recent years Chinese judicial organs at all levels have further promoted justice and transparency and actively implemented many judicial reforms. In so doing, trials have become fairer, and human rights protections during the judicial process have significantly improved.

Starting in February 2015, all criminal defendants and appellants began to appear at trial in civilian clothes, rather than in standardized uniforms provided by the courts; they also generally do not appear handcuffed. The goal is to emphasize the presumption of innocence and reflect modern judicial practices. The Supreme People's Court also issued regulations allowing defense lawyers to present opinions directly to Supreme Court judges in death penalty review cases.

As an example of effective protection of the rights of the innocent, from 2013 to 2015, Chinese courts at all levels legally declared 2369 defendants not guilty. In one case, following a retrial the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Regional Higher People's Court officially cleared a prisoner, named Huugjilt, of rape and murder charges for which he had been convicted two decades prior.

China provides compensation to those who are wrongly convicted or arrested . According to Li Shaoping, vice president of the Supreme Court, since 2014 the courts at all levels have dealt with 10,881 compensation claims, and provided 113 million yuan (US$17 million) to the wrongly convicted. In addition, in 2015 the courts paid out 850 million yuan (US$130.85 million) in 41,823 other judicial aid cases  the recipients here were victims of criminal or civil cases who had been unable to obtain effective recourse, and who have been experiencing hardship as a result.

Authorities also covered litigation fees of 255 million yuan (US$ 39.25 million).

To further increase judicial transparency, Chinas Supreme Court has launched specialized websites allowing the public to follow the trial process, the courts verdict, and implementation of the ruling. Through the end of 2015, nearly 3,500 courts have used the sites to share 14.5 million documents related to verdicts  total page views are now over 410 million. Li Dajin, a NPC delegate and lawyer in Beijing, suggests the system may be the largest digital database for court verdicts in the world.

The excluding of illegal evidence is also being carried out more strictly. Judicial authorities are rejecting confessions, testimony, and victims statement extorted by torture or intimidation, and also throwing out physical and documentary evidence collected through illegal procedures, as well as evidence lacking reasonable explanation. A NPC delegate recounted how a county procuratorate in his home province of Hebei decided not to arrest an alleged killer as doubts emerged about the quality of the evidence. Following the procuratorates decision to reopen the case, the local police was able to seize the actual culprit.

To those inside Chinas legal profession, the current legal system reforms count as unprecedented.The Supreme Court for example has bolstered the filing registration system by establishing two circuit courts  these courts effectively prevent local interference in cases where courts and procuratorates are operating across administrative jurisdictions. In another reform, the Standing Committee of the NPC amended the Administrative Procedure Law to expand the courts ability to hear cases where citizens sue the government for abuse of administrative power  including cases of eliminating or limiting competition, illegal collection of funds or charging of fees, or the improper handling of pensions, social security or other welfare payments. These changes are visible, and simple and clear aim is to deliver justice and protect human rights, said Tang Jianwei, a CPPCC member and professor of law at the Renmin University of China.
Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez (R) and EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini attend a joint press conference in Havana, capital of Cuba, March 11, 2016. (Xinhua/Liu Bin)

Cuba and the European Union (EU) on Friday finalized a deal to normalize relations 13 years after the unilateral suspension of ties by the EU, marking a new chapter in their political and economic relations.

The agreement, which came just ahead of a historic visit to Cuba by U.S. President Barack Obama, was reached in Havana during a visit by EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini.

Without a doubt, the agreement marks another achievement for Havana's foreign policy after the Caribbean nation and the United States announced in December 2014 plans to normalize relations. Cuba also renegotiated its debt with creditors of the Paris Club nations last December.

The deal resulted from nearly two years of intense negotiations that also touched upon the thorny issue of human rights -- the one that prompted the EU to unilaterally suspend ties in 2003.

It also means the end of a 20-year policy, known as the "common position" on Cuba, which restricts EU ties with the island until political reforms are made. The policy was rejected by Havana as interference in its domestic policy.

Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez and Mogherini witnessed the signing of the pact by Cuban deputy Foreign Minister Abelardo Moreno and EU negotiator Christian Leffler.

"This is a historic day for bilateral ties and is a demonstration of our mutual trust and understanding," Mogherini said.
China's judicial authorities said Sunday the country had maintained "high pressure" on corruption to press on with an anti-graft drive lasting more than three years.

A total of 22 Chinese former officials at ministerial level or above, including former Chinese leader Zhou Yongkang, were prosecuted in 2015, while 41 were subject to investigation, a report on the work of the Supreme People's Procuratorate (SPP) read.

Another report on the Supreme People's Court, meanwhile, said courts had concluded trials for Zhou and 15 other senior officials, showcasing "the Party and the country's resolute determination in cracking down on corruption," it said.

Both reports were made public on Sunday morning, shortly before a plenary meeting of the annual session of China's top legislature.

1,419 criminals convicted of harming state security

Chinese courts convicted 1,419 criminals of harming state security, including taking part in terrorist attacks and secessionist activities, in 2015, Chief Justice Zhou Qiang said on Sunday.

Chinese courts concluded the trial of 1,084 cases involving crimes that threatened state security, Zhou told a plenary meeting of the ongoing session of the National People's Congress (NPC).

Last year, courts stepped up efforts against criminals who instigated secessionist activities; who led, organized and took part in terrorist groups; and who spread video and audio products about terrorism, he said.

Zhou pledged in the report that courts will well implement the laws on state security and counter-terrorism and severely punish terrorists and secessionists.

About 31,000 prisoners released in 2015

A total of 31,527 prisoners in China were released early last year thanks to an amnesty deal.

The report was delivered by Chief Justice Zhou Qiang at a plenary meeting of the ongoing session of the National People's Congress.

The amnesty was adopted by China's top legislature and signed by President Xi Jinping on Aug. 29, 2015, before a national commemoration of the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II.

The pardoned prisoners, including war veterans, and the very old, young or infirm prisoners, had been released by the end of 2015 as scheduled.

According to the deal, four categories of prisoners were eligible for consideration:

-- Criminals who fought against Japanese invasion in the WWII and the civil war against the Kuomintang (KMT).

-- Criminals who participated in wars to safeguard national sovereignty, security and territorial integrity after 1949, with the exception of those found guilty of serious crimes including graft, terrorism and organized crime, as well as repeat offenders.

-- Criminals who are 75 or above, and those with physical disabilities who are unable to care for themselves.

-- Those who committed crimes while under the age of 18 and received a maximum sentence of three years in prison, or have less than a year left to serve, with the exception of those convicted of homicide, rape, terrorism or narcotics offences.

Of the pardoned prisoners, 50 belong to the first category, 1,428 belong to the second, 122 to the third and 29,927 to the fourth.

"We managed to release everyone that is eligible and not to let go of anyone that should not be," Zhou said.

The amnesty was the eighth since the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949, 40 years after the last one in 1975.

It indicated China's commitment to the rule of law and humanitarianism, Zhou said.
File photo taken on Feb. 5, 2016 shows the Kwai Chung container port in Hong Kong, south China.

The total port cargo throughput of Hong Kong has seen a sharp decrease of 13.8% in 2015, amounting to 256.6 million tonnes, according to the Hong Kong Census and Statistics Department. It is the biggest year-on-year drop in the past 10 years.

Within this total, inward port cargo decreased by 17% to 152.8 million tonnes, while outward port cargo decreased by 8.6% to 103.8 million tonnes.

According to Sunny Ho, Executive Director of the Hong Kong shippers' Council, the sluggish global economy is one of the main reasons to blame. Maritime Industry relies heavily on trading," Ho said. However, the international trade is now in a difficult situation when purchasing power is weak and economic recovery is slow in Europe, and currencies largely devalued in Asia Pacific countries like Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand.

Apart from economy, port congestion problem and the rise of Chinese mainlands shipping industry have also contributed to the sharp fall of Hong Kongs port cargo in 2015.

Gilbert Feng, Assistant Director of Hong Kong Shipowners Association, points out that new markets are needed to boost Hong Kong's maritime industry. Hong Kong's maritime industry should transit towards a direction of high-value areas, such as maritime insurance, financing, legal service and training, Feng said.
Rendering of one of Vanke's building complex in Shanghai, east China

China Vanke, the largest home builder in China, has signed a preliminary agreement with state-backed subway operator Shenzhen Metro to receive the latters 60 billion yuan (9.2 billion USD) injection. Shenzhen Metro will become one of Vankes major shareholders after the deal is finally inked.

The agreement is yet a non-legally binding cooperation framework agreement signed on Saturday. And Wang Shi, chairman of China Vanke, said that the two parties will cooperate to build a railway plus property model.

Vanke is also in talks with other potential parties in addition to Shenzhen Metro on the planned major asset restructuring, said the company.
Baku, Azerbaijan, March 13

By Azad Hasanli - Trend:

Azerbaijani government spent 69.1 percent, or $2581.9 million, of the long-term loans allocated by the World Bank (WB) as of Jan. 1, 2016, said a report on the work of the Cabinet of Ministers in 2015.

The report will be discussed by the country's parliament March 15.

In 2015, the government spent $284.1 million of the WB loans.

Azerbaijan and the WB have signed agreements worth $3739.02 million since the start of their cooperation.

"Implementation of 38 projects, worth $1752.26 million, have already been completed, while the implementation of 12 projects, worth $1986.76 million, is continuing," read the report.

Azerbaijan has repaid almost 15.2 percent, or $567.8 million, of the debt to the WB, according to the report.

The country joined the WB in 1992.

---

Follow the author on Twitter: @AzadHasanli
Baku, Azerbaijan, March 13

By Elchin Mehdiyev - Trend:

Delegation led by hairman of the House of Deputies of the Czech parliament has arrived in Azerbaijan.

Jan Hamacek was welcomed by Deputy Speaker of the Milli Majlis Valeh Alasgarov and other officials at the Heydar Aliyev International Airport.

During the visit it is planned to hold meetings with Azerbaijani officials.

It is expected that there will be discussed the current state of relations between the two countries, as well as prospects for further cooperation.

The visit will last until March 15.
Baku, Azerbaijan, March 13

By Elchin Mehdiyev - Trend:

Czech Republic is the crucial partner of Azerbaijan, hairman of the House of Deputies of the Czech parliament Jan Hamacek told journalists March 13.

"We have multicultural issues that we have to do", Hamacek said.

Czech Republic highly evaluate the strategic partnership with Azerbaijan, he said.

"I am very happy to have the opportunity to come back to Baku because I visited here for several times", Hamacek said.
Baku, Azerbaijan, March. 13

Trend:

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev expressed condolences to Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan over the heavy loss of lives as a result of a violent terrorist attack in Ankara.

"We are deeply saddened by the news of a heavy loss of lives as a result of a violent terrorist attack in the city of Ankara. We are extremely outraged by this horrible tragedy, resolutely condemn terrorism and emphasize the necessity of fighting against it in the fiercest manner.

On the occasion of this tragedy, on behalf of the people of Azerbaijan and on my own behalf, I extend my deep condolences to you, the bereaved families, the loves ones of those who died and the brotherly people of Turkey, and wish the swiftest possible recovery to the injured.

May Allah rest the souls of the dead in peace!".
Baku, Azerbaijan, March 13

By Farhad Daneshvar - Trend:

Iran has swapped five inmates serving prison sentences in the Republic of Azerbaijan for six Azerbaijani prisoners serving their sentences in the Islamic Republic.

Iranian Ambassador to Baku, Mohsen Pak Ayeen has said that the swap took place on March 12 through Astara border crossing.

Pak Ayeen wrote on his Facebook page that the swap came as a result of implementation of a judicial agreement between Tehran and Baku.

According to the ambassador the inmates will serve the rest of their prison terms in the home countries.

He further added that the Iranian inmates will be kept in health quarantine in Gilan Province temporarily before being handed over to prisons.

Earlier in March 1, Iranian embassy's press office announced that at a meeting in Baku, Azerbaijani Minister of Justice Fikrat Mammadov and Ambassador Pak Ayeen discussed the inmates swap.

A considerable number of Iranian nationals serving in Azerbaijan's prisons are convicted of drug-related offenses.

Commander of Iran's Border Police Brigadier-General Qasem Rezaei has told Trend that Iranian police have seized about 600 kilograms of narcotics within the past 11 months, which were to be trafficked into Azerbaijan.

Despite the efforts made by Iranian law enforcement bodies to stop it, drug trafficking still remains as a serious issue for Tehran as the Islamic Republic shares about 2,000 km long border with Afghanistan and Pakistan where drugs are trafficked into Iran.
Baku, Azerbaijan, March 13



Trend:



An attempt to violate the state border of Iran from Azerbaijan has been prevented, said the message of the State Border Service of Azerbaijan.



The report said 8-10 people tried to cross the Iranian border from the Azerbaijani Dashkend village of Yardimli district.



The mentioned group of people ignored the calls to stop and the warning shots, and opened fire at the border guards. As a result of skirmish, five people people have been wounded and two more got arrested.



The doctors who arrived at the scene were unable to save the wounded, despite efforts.



The trespassers were citizens of Bangladesh, along with their guides, who were armed, said the report.



The on-scene investigation revealed ammo for a hunting rifle, an one "Browning" pistol.
Baku, Azerbaijan, March. 13

Trend:

According to the preliminary data, there are no Azerbaijani citizens among the victims of a terror attack in Ankara, the embassy of Azerbaijan in Turkey told Trend March. 13.

Azerbaijani embassy clarifies whether there are fellow citizens among the victims of the explosion in Ankara.

An explosion occured in a park in the center of the Turkish capital of Ankara.

According to the preliminary reports, 27 people were killed, 75 wounded as a result of the explosion.
Baku, Azerbaijan, March 13

By Emil Ilgar - Trend:

Iran's National Petrochemical Company signed an agreement with French giant Total, Shana reported on March 12.

The report didn't mention the worth of the agreement, or details of the project, but said that a steam-cracker unit would be built in Southern Iran, with feedstock, composed of naphtha, ethane, butane, propane, etc.

Steam cracking is an uncatalyzed, thermal cracking process used in the petrochemical industry to break down hydrocarbons.

Iran signed an agreement with Total earlier to export 160,000 barrels of crude oil.

French giant is also negotiating with Iran to sign an agreement to develop South Azadegan oilfield, which is shared with Iraq.
Baku, Azerbaijan, March 13

By Fatih Karimov - Trend:

There is no limitation for US companies to invest in Iran's oil and gas industry, Bijan Namdar Zanganeh, Iran's oil minister said.

Actually the limitations were imposed by US government, not Iran, the minister said, Mehr news agency reported March 13.

He further said that the ministry is negotiating with German Siemens and the US General Electric over oil and gas cooperation.

Positive talks were held with the companies, Zanganeh said, adding new chapter of cooperation with the two European and American companies will be formed in Iran's oil industry.

Last month the US multinational giant, General Electric announced that is in negotiations with Iran.

A company spokeswoman said GE is exploring potential business opportunities in Iran and the chief executive of its oil and gas division visited the country recently.

Zanganeh further said that Iran saw $70 per barrel as a suitable oil price, however would be satisfied with less.

He added that Tehran will boost its crude oil export to two million barrels per day in coming days.

The Iranian minister also said that no decision was made so far on holding an emergency OPEC meeting.

The meeting needs consensus, Zanganeh said, adding without general agreement, no emergency meeting of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) will be held.

He also said that considering the current condition the meeting will not be fruitful.

While responding to the question of whether Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak would try to convince Iran to join the oil output freeze during a visit this week, Zanganeh said Iran will not join the freeze before increasing its output to four million barrels per day.

He added that Iran is ready to accompany with other oil producers on the issue after its production reaches the 4 mbpd level.

Tehran has rejected freezing its output at January levels which was agreed between some OPEC members and non-OPEC oil producers.

The Iranian officials say the oil freeze agreement is a measure against the Islamic Republic.

The Iranian government's spokesman, Mohammad Bagher Nobakht said earlier that "the move means that they don't want to recognize Iran's right to revive its pre-sanctions output".

The OPEC members should open space for the Islamic Republic's output, he added.

CEO of the National Iranian Oil Company Roknoddin Javadi said March 9 that Iran's oil export has reached 1.8 million barrels per day.

The country's daily output should reach four mbpd next Iranian year (to start March 20), he said, stressing that Iran will continue to increase the export.
Tokyo will give Tehran an equivalent of $10 million in grants to help it buy medical equipment from Japanese manufacturers, Japan's main broadcaster NHK reported.

Under a deal, which was signed Saturday by Iran's acting health chief Mohsen Asadi-Lari and Japan's ambassador to Iran Hiroyasu Kobayashi, Tehran will purchase medical equipment from Japan through tenders and other channels, the broadcaster said.

Iran's medical services reportedly deteriorated after years of seclusion caused by international sanctions. In return for its aid, Japan hopes to get a foothold in the lucrative Iranian market.

Iran returned to the international market last year following a July deal with six mediators - Russia, the United States, China, France, Britain and Germany. The agreement guaranteed the peaceful nature of Iran's nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief.
Baku, Azerbaijan, March 13

By Khalid Kazimov - Trend:

Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak is expected to arrive in Tehran to discuss power projects with Iranian officials on March 14.

The construction of a thermal power plant in the Islamic Republic and synchronizing the electricity networks of Iran and Russia are the main topics on agenda to be discussed between officials from the two countries, Tasnim news agency reported.

According to the report Novak will confer his Iranian counterpart Hamid Chitchian to discuss the issues.

During President Vladimir Putin's visit to Tehran last November the sides discussed a project for launching a 1400-megawatts (MW) power plant in Iran's southern port city of Bandar Abbas.

Iran has already announced its intention to swap electricity with Russia as part of plans to develop the country's power and energy trade.

According to Iran Power Generation and Transmission Company (TAVANIR), the country plans to export electricity to Russia in winter seasons, while Russia will supply Iran with electricity during summer seasons.

Iranian electricity officials say that the country's peak electrical demand is in summer while the demand for power in Russia increases in winter.

According to TAVANIR, Iran's installed power capacity has surpassed 74,000 MW and the power transmission capacity has reached 324,000 MW.

Between March 2015 and January 2016, Iran's electricity consumption increased by 7.869 billion kWh, reaching 164.558 billion kWh.

In the mentioned period, the electricity consumption per capita in the country also increased by 181 kWh.

Meanwhile, Iran generated 243.521 billion kWh of electricity 3 percent more than the same period.
Tehran, Iran, March 13

By Mehdi Sepahvand - Trend:

There are more military exercises involving missiles to be held by the Islamic Republic, Iranian Army Commander Ahmadreza Pourdastan said.

The missile tests are not something that Iran would compromise for the sake of the US or Israel, he stressed, Nasim news agency reported March 13.

The remarks came after US President Barack Obama renewed an executive order that extends for another year a so-called "National Emergency" with regards to Iran, in place since 1995.

"Despite the historic deal to ensure the exclusively peaceful nature of Iran's nuclear program, certain actions and policies of the Government of Iran continue to pose an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security, foreign policy, and economy of the United States," Obama wrote in a notice that was posted on the White House's official website.

The Obama decree came a few days after Iran held exercises test-firing some newly developed ballistic missiles.

The US and UK, France, Russia, China, and Germany are supposed to refrain from posing any more restrictions on Iran after they made a deal with Tehran which was put to force in January.

However, on January 17, only a day after the landmark nuclear deal went into effect, the US Treasury Department imposed new sanctions on Iran for its test launch of ballistic missile on October 11, claiming that the test was a violation of the JCPOA.

"As military forces we have to boost our abilities evermore and use whatever capabilities exist in the world," Pourdastan said.

Hossein Jaber Ansari, the Iranian Foreign Ministry's spokesman, said March 10 that the missile tests violate neither the nuclear deal, nor the 2231 resolution of the UN Security Council, which forbids Iran from conducting tests of missiles capable of carrying nuclear warheads.
Tehran, Iran, March 13

By Mehdi Sepahvand - Trend:

Iran has officially announced the final cause of Iran-140 airplane crash near Tehran after investigations that took 18 months.

"After thousands of man hours of work by a team of experts to investigate the incident, it was made clear that technical fault caused the incident," Iran's Civil Aviation Organization (CAO) Public Relations Director Reza Jafarzadeh announced, ISNA news agency reported March 13.

He said the investigation findings especially point to a defect in electronic control system of the engines has caused the bitter incident.

The Iranian passenger plane crashed in August, 2014 moments after takeoff from the International Mehrabad Airport.

Thirty-seven people, including six children, lost their lives on the spot while two others died in a Tehran hospital. Nine others suffered serious burns with several in critical condition.

Following the incident, Iran's President Hassan Rouhani ordered all Iran-140 passenger jets be banned from flying.
At least 20 Pakistanis have lost their lives when torrential rains accompanied by flashfloods hit several districts in the troubled southwestern province of Balochistan, disaster management officials say, Press TV reported.



Local authorities said at least 12 people have died and scores of others sustained injuries over the past two days in Chagai and Zhob districts of the province as the roofs of several homes caved in due to heavy rainfall and hailstorms.



Zahid Saleem, chief of the province's disaster management authority, said four children and a woman were also killed in Sheerani district on Friday after the roof of a house collapsed.



Saleem added that one person also died after being struck by lightning in Dalbandin district. Three people were also killed in two districts of Mastung and Loralai.



Video footage showed flood waters inundating homes in Chagai, Chaman, Loralai, Mastung, Pishin, Quetta, Taank, Zhob and other districts, with residents taking refuge on rooftops.



Local residents in affected areas have grabbed whatever they could salvage, and waded through knee-deep water in search of higher ground.



Meteorologists say more rain is expected to hit the province over the weekend.



Pakistan is hit by severe weather patterns every year, which have affected millions of people, claimed hundreds of lives and wiped out millions of acres of farmland in recent years.



Monsoon, a rainy season that starts from mid-July and lasts till end of August, strikes Pakistan hard each year.



Torrential downpours and flooding killed 81 people and affected almost 300,000 Pakistanis across the country during the rainy season last summer.



In 2010, flooding also killed 1,200 people and impacted one-fifth of the population of 180 million.
Florida Senator Marco Rubio on Saturday won contests for Republican nomination in Washington D.C., edging out Ohio Governor John Kasich by less than two present, the preliminary results showed.

"Marco won a lot of delegates tonight," Rubio's presidential campaign communications director Alex Conant tweeted. "DC's changed a lot in last decade. It's a minority-majority city that's embracing the future. And today voted for it."

Rubio won 37.3 percent of the votes and secured the support of 10 delegates. He was trailed by Kasich with 35.5 percent of votes and nine delegates.

US Republican nomination frontrunner Donald Trump and Texas Senator Ted Cruz came third and fourth respectively, which did not translate in any delegates for them.

Contenders for the Republican nomination are vying to win delegates who will then vote for them at the GOP convention in July, ahead of the November presidential election.
China is set to develop "smart trains," using intelligent technology, as it is eager to compete with established rivals in Europe, Japan and Canada. (Photo : REUTERS)

Chinese companies prepare to take on big rail companies to modernize rail systems globally as they are now capable to manufacture and export top-end high-speed trains and related equipment, China Daily reported.



Wang Mengshu, a deputy to the National People's Congress and deputy chief engineer of China Railway Tunnel Group Ltd., said that China is set to further develop "smart trains," using intelligent technology, as it is eager to compete with established rivals in Europe, Japan and Canada.



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Wang added that China is in talks about high-speed rail projects with more than 30 countries, including the United States, Russia, Brazil, Turkey, Thailand, Saudi Arabia and Iran.



"China's first high-speed rail project in Indonesia will arouse more countries' interest, which are keen to put their economic growth on a firmer footing through efficient transportation systems and regional connectivity," Wang said.



Last year, the Indonesian government has chosen China to build its first bullet rail link, the 150-km Jakarta-Bandung link. China was also tasked to construct the $5.5-billion high-speed railway line from Jakarta to Bandung in the Southeast Asian country.



Indonesia's bullet rail project, which is scheduled to be operational by 2019, will be developed by PT Kereta Cepat Indonesia-China, a joint venture formed in Oct. 2015 between a consortium of Indonesian state-owned companies and China Railway International Co. Ltd., a subsidiary of China Railway Corp. Group.



The project is funded through a loan in which around 75 percent of the funding was provided by China Development Bank, while the rest came from the joint venture partners.



"Even though China is a latecomer to the field in comparison with its German and French rivals, its rail equipment companies have thrived thanks to cost advantages, reasonable delivery times and flexible financing models," Wang said.



Wang added that China will further develop "smart trains" using intelligent technology to control the trains' speed, determine their conditions and detect fault digitally.



In September, the Chinese government announced a joint venture by Chinese rail companies, including China Railway Construction Corp., China Railway Corp., and XpressWest Enterprises, a U.S.passenger rail service provider, to build a 370-km high-speed railway project between Las Vegas and Los Angeles.



The report said that the construction work is expected to start this September, with an estimated cost of $12.7 billion.



According to the report, China Railway Rolling Stock Corp. plans to supply more resources and manpower in the global high-speed rail equipment market, especially in developed economies such as the U.S. or the U.K. to support its growth over the next decade.



Yu Weiping, CRRC's vice president, said that the company is ready to help in the new high-speed rail project in the U.S. It invested $60 million for the construction of a new manufacturing facility to produce railcars in Springfield, Massachusetts, last year. The company also agreed to design and supply 284 railcars for the Boston transit system's Orange and Red lines through an agreement signed with the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority.



"With high-speed trains traveling at a speed of more than 300 km per hour, it will help the U.S. to change the situation of that country's ground commuting systems that have long been dominated by automobiles," Yu said.



The report said that nearly 100 countries and regions have imported CRRC's products, which include diesel locomotives, electric multiple units and light-rail vehicles.



Yu said the company plans to shift gradually from product exports to capital and technology exports in the global market.



In addition, CRRC is planning to export bullet trains for a 770-km high-speed rail project in Russia that would connect Moscow to Kazan, running through seven Russian regions.



The Chinese company has 46 wholly owned or holding subsidiaries and employs more than 170,000 employees in various manufacturing facilities and maintenance centers in Brazil, Malaysia and Turkey.



Through the Belt and Road Initiative, China will be able to export more high-speed rail technologies and related products to several lucrative markets during the country's 13th Five-Year Plan (2016-20), Sheng Guangzu, a deputy to the National People's Congress and general manager of the China Railway Corp., said.



Proposed by China in 2013, the initiative is a trade and infrastructure network that includes the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road.



The network is expected to connect Asia, Europe and Africa, passing through more than 60 countries and regions.



"China will quicken the pace of promoting its railway standards abroad, especially in the markets along the Belt and Road Initiative," Sheng said.



According to the Government Work Report delivered by Premier Li Keqiang on Saturday, March 5, China will support rail equipment makers to expand their global services and production networks in other regional markets during the 13th Five-Year Plan period.



Latest figures released by the National Bureau of Statistics showed that China has exported railway equipment worth 21 billion yuan ($3.23 billion) between January and October last year, up 36 percent year-on-year.



More than 19,210 km of high-speed railway network have been built by the government across the country by the end of 2015, which helped develop an industry that would provide new market growth for the country during the 13th Five-Year Plan period.


A new Google Nexus 7 is in the works and Huawei is likely to manufacture it. (Photo : Reuters/ Stephen Lam)

Google's Pure Android flagship phones made a huge jump last 2015 with the Nexus 5X and 6P. The devices debuted to critical acclaims that triggered speculations the Nexus tablet will take on the same route this 2016 - the slates will unbox packed with specs and features that will match the industry leading iPad Mini 4 and Air 2.



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As early as last year, rumors have emerged saying that Google has a new Nexus tablet blueprint that will produce a compact and premium tablet. The device is aimed to end the iPad monopoly and that a Chinese manufacturer will be a partner to the project. Huawei is said to have been picked for its impressive work on the Nexus 6P. For now, the device is codenamed Nexus 7 2016 as it is likely to sport a 7-inch screen profile.



However, a recent report by GreenBot is stretching the Nexus tablet scenario a bit. The story floated the idea of a Nexus 2016 tablet release that is similar to that of the Nexus 2015 smartphones. There will be two models and taking a direct page from last year they will be named Nexus 7X for the 7-inch build and Nexus 8P for the more premium finish with an 8-inch display panel.



The 7X, GreenBot said, is expected to implement some form of restraint when it comes to the hardware spec as it will be the more affordable option. The build material, like that of the Nexus 5X, is plastic but with premium finish, which will be made possible by the use polycarbonate. It will be powered by a Snapdragon 808 and 2GB of RAM with the screen resolution set to 2K. And it would not hurt if the rear shooter is equipped with a 5-megapixel sensor.



The Nexus 8P, on the other hand, is a slight step up as proposed by GreenBot. The main engine has to be the SD 820 with 4GB of minimum RAM provision. The display is Quad HD with the main camera shooter no less than 8MP. This slate is the high-end flavor to it has to wrapped in metal and glass, and since the 8P will mostly likely end up as the scaled up version of the Nexus 6P Huawei will be the best candidate to put the device together.



As for the Nexus 7X, Google can always tap OEMs previously involved with the Nexus projects and the likes of Asus, HTC and Lenovo quickly come to mind.



And to really make the next-generation vanilla Android tablets more compelling than in the past, Google needs to make sure that Android N, rumored as the sequel to Android Marshmallow, is fully optimized for tablet computing experience. Among the bumps that should be part of the next Android for tablet is fingerprint scanner, the GreenBot report said.



Google has confirmed that its 2016 I/O Developers Conference will kick off May 18 and the occasion will likely introduce the Android N or version 7.0 final cut. Rumors say the same event will introduce the Nexus 7 2016 tablets, which somehow hints that release date could follow as early June.


The body of Regeni was found with signs of torture on a roadside on the outskirts of Cairo early in February, nine days after he disappeared

Egypts prosecution has sent the results of its investigations into slain Italian student Giulio Regeni to the office of the Ministry of International Cooperation, ahead of presenting these findings to the Italian side, a judicial source said Friday.

The body of Regeni, a PhD student who was conducting research on independent trade union movements in Egypt, was found with signs of torture on a roadside on the outskirts of Cairo early in February, nine days after he disappeared on 25 January.

The culprit is yet to be identified.

The documents include statements made by his friends in Egypt as well as statements from the last person Giulio spoke with before his disappearance on 25 January.

It also includes a call log, acquired from the telecommunications company, a list of places he used to frequent, and people who used to visit his house or meet him outside.

The source added that the prosecution is willing to share all the case information with the Italian investigation team.

Regeni had been in Egypt since September to conduct research on workers and labour rights.

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Okasha has long presented himself to the public as a doctor of mass communications who earned his degree from an American university

Egypt's Prosecutor General Nabil Sadek decided on Saturday to ban former MP Tawfik Okasha from travelling pending investigations over allegations that the controversial TV host forged his doctoral degree.

The certificate was among a number of documents submitted by Okasha to the country's High Electoral Committee (HEC) as part of his parliamentary candidacy application.

In a report forwarded to the prosecution, the police's public funds department said that its own investigations concluded Okasha did not obtain a doctoral degree.

Okasha presented himself to the public for years as a doctor of mass communications who earned his degree from "Lakewood Bradenton International University" in Florida.

On Saturday, Egypt's HEC opened the registration period for candidates planning to stand in the by-election for the empty parliamentary seat of Okasha, who was expelled from the house for a controversial meeting with Israel's ambassador to Egypt.

The HEC says the by-election will be held in April.

Okasha represented the Talkha and Nabaruh districts in the Nile Delta governorate of Dakhaliya.

The Egyptian parliament expelled the high-profile TV anchor, with a majority of 465 votes out of a total of 596 members.

A report by a parliamentary investigative committee accused Okasha of violating the principle of the separation of powers and disrupting Egypt's deep-rooted parliamentary rules and precedents by taking the unilateral decision to meet privately with the Israeli ambassador.

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An EgyptAir flight returning from London's Heathrow Airport to Cairo was delayed Friday to Saturday after a bird strike caused some damage to the nose of the airplane (flight MS 779) as it neared landing at London's largest airport, according to a Saturday statement by EgyptAir.

The return flight (MS 780), which was scheduled to take off at 10:30pm on Friday, was delayed and the passengers accomodated in a hotel near Heathrow Airport.

Eventually, passengers were routed on the 2pm flight on Saturday and arrived in Cairo at 9:22pm.

The Boeing 737-800 aircraft, which sustained some damage to its nose, underwent maintenance in England before returning home late Saturday night.

Struck plane undergoes maintenance in London (Photo courtesy of EgyptAir engineer Ahmed Ismail)

According to a report on wildlife hazards management and control presented by Egypt at an International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) meeting in Cairo last May, "Due to growing traffic, comprised of greater numbers of quieter aircrafts, and the increase in wildlife populations, greater effort is required to control and monitor wildlife movements on and within the vicinity of airports."

ICAO standards request that airports take measures to reduce the risk of bird-aircraft collisions, 90 percent of which happen within the vicinity of airports, according to the ICAO's Bird Strike Information System.

In the United States, 99,530 wildlife strikes to civil aircraft occurred between 1990 and 2014, including 8,659 strikes with damage resulting to the aircraft, according to a Federal Aviation Organisation report issued last July.

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'The meeting will discuss bilateral relations, issues in Gaza, the Rafah border crossing, as well as the Palestinian issue,' according to a Hamas statement

A delegation from the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas arrived in Cairo on Saturday evening for talks with Egypt's general intelligence service. The visit aims to start a new phase in its relationship with Egypt, according to media reports.

According to a statement by senior Hamas leader, Moussa Abu Marzouk is heading the delegation.

"The meeting will discuss bilateral relations, issues in Gaza, the Rafah border crossing, as well as the Palestinian issue," the statement read.

The Rafah border crossing in northern Sinai, which is the only gateway out of the strip for Palestinians, has been closed most days of the year by Egyptian authorities since the ouster of Islamist president Mohamed Morsi in 2013. Cairo occasionally opens the crossing to allow the passage of those in need of medical care and for other humanitarian considerations.

The Hamas spokesperson Samy Abo Zuhri said that the group, "affirms its commitment to the security and stability of Egypt and that it is keen to maintain positive relations with Cairo."

The delegation's visit comes in the wake of a recent french peace initiative to hold an international conference to restart negotiations to end the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. Last week, the French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault visited with Egyptian president Abdel Fattah El-Sisi to discuss the initiative.

The statement added that the movement looks forward to turning a new page in relations between the two parties.

Last week, Egypt said the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood group as well as its Palestinian offshoot Hamas were behind the assassination of top prosecutor Hisham Barakat on 29 June 2015.

Relations between Hamas and Egypt soured following the ouster of Islamist president Mohammed Morsi, a close ally of Hamas, in 2013.

Egyptian officials have more than once linked Hamas to terror acts in Egypt, which spiked following Morsi's toppling.

The Islamist movement has repeatedly denied these accusations.

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A Hamas delegation arrived to Cairo Saturday for talks amid accusations levelled by the Egyptian interior ministry of the group's involvement in the 2015 assassination of Prosecutor General Hisham Barakat

Palestinian Islamist group Hamas began an official visit to Cairo Saturday with a meeting with Egyptian Intelligence Service officials upon arrival to a hotel in the capital, according to knowledgeable sources.

According to sources, the General Intelligence Service, which manages the Palestinian-Israel conflict file, is seeking to break the ice with the group that faces accusations of involvement in the assassination of Egypt's Prosecutor General Hisham Barakat.

The Egyptian interior minister said last Sunday that leaders of the Muslim Brotherhood in Turkey and the group's Palestinian offshoot Hamas were behind the assassination of Barakat on 29 June 2015.

Egyptian Minister of Interior Magdy Abdel-Ghafar said that Turkish-based leaders of the Brotherhood masterminded the assassination, while Hamas "provided training for militants to execute it and also took part in planning it."

Hamas expressed dismay at Abdel-Ghafar's accusations, with spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri describing them as "untrue," saying the accusations are not in line with "efforts exerted to develop relations between Hamas and Cairo."

Hamas's international relations official, Osama Hamdan, said in a statement in parallel with the visit that Sunday meetings would discuss bilateral relations between the two sides, "especially as the visit takes place in conditions that Hamas didn't want to exist."

Discussions will include various issues related to the Gaza Strip as well as developments in the Palestinian cause  both those related to the current Palestinian uprising and the internal reconciliation path between Hamas and Fatah.

Hamas spokesman Abu Zuhri said in remarks to Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper that the group's poliburo chief Khaled Meshal asked the director of the Egyptian General Intelligence Service, Major General Khaled Fawzi, in a telephone call to hold a bilateral meeting between the two sides.

Abu Zuhri affirmed Hamas's keenness to forge positive relations with Cairo and to open a new page in bilateral relations.

Egypt and Hamas have seen tense relations. The Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood was ousted from power when former president Mohamed Morsi was overthrown in 2013.

The Egyptian government has accused Hamas of aiding Islamist militants in Egypt's North Sinai, which borders Gaza. Hamas denies the claim.

Despite the fact that the visit was scheduled before it was announced, Hamas officials doubted it would take place at the due time. Arab parties, including Saudi Arabia, reportedly intervened to help facilitate the coming together of the two sides on time.

Ahead of the arrival of the Hamas delegation, Cairo confirmed that it would not return to the previous course of fruitless negotiations with the group.



This was the message that was delivered by Egyptian intelligence officials to the delegation in a meeting that lasted for several hours at the Rafah Crossing on Saturday.

The Hamas delegation is headed by Mahmoud Al-Zahar, a member of the Hamas politburo.

The message was reaffirmed upon the arrival of the delegation in Cairo in meetings that lasted until early Sunday. A meeting between the delegation and Fawzi is expected later this day.

Al-Zahar denied in earlier remarks all accusations against the movement of involvement in the assassination of Barakat, saying the accusations are not "the opinion of all security services in Egypt," but are "limited to the interior ministry," referring to good ties with the Egyptian General Intelligence Service since the days of late intelligence chief Omar Suleiman.

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Minister of Parliamentary Affairs Magdi Al-Agati disclosed on Sunday that new amendments to the 'Police Law' were referred to parliament that aim to stem violations of human rights by police

Egypt's Parliamentary Affairs Minister Magdi Al-Agati told reporters that the government submitted new amendments to the Police Law to parliament on sunday aimed at imposing harsher penalties for rights violations.

"These amendments will help a lot to impose discipline on the interior ministry and stem assaults by police against ordinary citizens," Al-Agati said.

The amendments were drafted upon the request of President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi after a low-ranking policeman killed a taxi driver in Cairo's district of Al-Darb Al-Ahmar last month.

"These amendments aim to achieve two objectives: improve security performance and at the same time ensure that the interior ministry shows ultimate respect for human rights and the freedom of citizens in line with the new constitution," Al-Agati continued.

To achieve these objectives, Al-Agati indicated that the new amendments would stiffen penalties on policemen accused of violating human rights or the interior ministry's code of ethics.

"Violators or offenders will be dismissed from their jobs or referred to prosecution if they face felony or criminal charges," Al-Agati added.

No guns

Al-Agati also indicated that policemen would be banned from holding guns when they are not on duty.

"They will only be able to hold guns when they are not on duty upon the approval of their bosses in certain security conditions," Al-Agati explained.

"In addition, policemen would also be banned by the new amendments from the right of organising protests.

"Violators could be sentenced to five years in prison," Al-Agati added.

The minister also indicated that the State Council, led by judge Mahmoud Raslan, has finalised revising the Police Law (Law no.109/1971) amendments on Saturday, after which they were sent to parliament on Sunday.

Al-Agati said the explanatory note about these amendments stress that in performing their duties, policemen would be required to show strict respect for human rights and for the principles of transparency and integrity.

"They will also be required to respect the dignity of citizens, and observe the principles of democracy and human rights as enshrined in the new constitution," he outlined.

"Policemen will be banned from exposing the nature of their jobs or duties or help publish any secret documents related to the police apparatus in public media outlets that might harm national security.

"Violators in this respect would be sent to jail and fined between LE10,000 and LE20,000."

The amendments also bar policemen from joining political parties, professional syndicates or trade unions.

They also state that a "disciplinary council" would be formed to question policemen accused of violating human rights or assaulting citizens or contravening the ministry's code of ethics.

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The speaker of Egypt's parliament Ali Abdel-Al will discuss new media laws with a delegation from the Journalists Syndicate on Monday

The secretary-general of Egypt's House of Representatives Ahmed Saadeddin told reporters on Sunday that the parliament's speaker Ali Abdel-Al will hold a meeting with the board of the Journalists Syndicate on Monday.

The meeting will be the second since Abdel-Al was elected speaker of Egypt's parliament on 10 January.

Saaeddin told reporters that issues related to new press and media laws would be discussed in the meeting.

"Abdel-Al is keen to regularly hold meetings with journalists to discuss their problems and to see how the new constitution's articles on the press and media can be translated into laws," Saaeddin said.

A delegation led by the chairman of Egypt's Journalists Syndicate Yehia Qalash met with Abdel-Al last month to discuss new press laws and find solutions for problems facing reporters covering parliamentary news.

Gamal Abdel-Rehim, the secretary-general of the syndicate, disclosed this week that the syndicate has been in regular contact with the house's secretary-general to make sure that parliamentary reporters can freely conduct their work.

Abdel-Reheim indicated that elections for the Syndicate's Division of Parliamentary Reporters would be held on 9 April.

"Reporters would elect a new chairman, deputy and a secretary general to run the affairs of this division," said Abdel-Reheim.

The Journalists Syndicate's meeting with Abdel-Al comes amid a lot of controversy over the new press and media laws.

Qalash told Al-Ahram newspaper on Sunday that he has informed Prime Minister Sherif Ismail that the unified law regulating the press and media affairs has been finalised.

"We have reached an agreement with the government (the Ministry of Justice) on the articles of this law, but we still have fears that the government might be preparing a different draft," Qalash explained.

Minister of Parliamentary Affairs Magdi Al-Agati told reporters on Sunday that the new press and media law has already been finalised.

"The draft should be submitted to parliament very soon by Justice Minister Ahmed Al-Zind, hoping it will win the satisfaction of the Journalists Syndicate and meet the needs of Egypt's national security at the same time," Al-Agati said.

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President Barack Obama gave a mocking rebuke Saturday of Republican frontrunner Donald Trump for his incendiary language on the campaign trail.

At a Democratic fundraising event in Dallas, Texas, Obama took a swipe at Trump's sideline wine label -- just a tiny piece of his sprawling business empire.

But the president offered a serious condemnation of the "divisiveness" fomented by Trump on the campaign trail, including his motto "Make America Great Again."

"We are great right now," Obama retorted, in remarks that came one day after skirmishes broke out at a scuttled Trump rally in Chicago.

"What the folks who are running for office should be focused on is how we can make it even better -- not insults and schoolyard taunts and manufacturing facts, not divisiveness along the lines of race and faith. Certainly not violence against other Americans," Obama said.

Meanwhile, Democratic frontrunner Hillary Clinton issued a stern warning to Trump after tensions boiled over in Chicago, just days before a crucial new round of presidential nomination votes on Tuesday.

"If you play with matches, you're going to start a fire you can't control. That's not leadership," she said. "That's political arson."

A Trump campaign event was canceled in Chicago on Friday when throngs of protesters -- many of them blacks and Latinos angered by Trump's anti-immigrant rhetoric -- massed outside and inside the venue, mingling and in some cases brawling with the candidate's supporters.

Critics warned that Trump's inflammatory language set the tone for the violence, and urged him to tone down the campaign rhetoric.

The billionaire businessman on Saturday had two more huge gatherings schedule in the heartland state of Ohio, amid fears of fresh violence.

*The story was edited by Ahram Online.

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Syria's warring sides prepared Sunday for a new round of peace talks after locking horns over the fate of President Bashar Al-Assad, with the regime insisting his ouster was a "red line" while the opposition vowed to see him go -- dead or alive.

The UN-brokered indirect negotiations are due to begin in Geneva on Monday, the latest international push to find a solution to Syria's five-year civil war, which has killed more than 270,000 people and forced millions from their homes.

Government negotiators are expected in Geneva on Sunday, where delegates from the main opposition group, the High Negotiations Committee (HNC) are already preparing.

Analysts say much has changed since the last round collapsed last month as fighting raged across the country, but that the huge government-opposition divide will complicate a settlement.

A fragile February 27 truce brokered by the United States and Russia has largely held despite each side accusing the other of violations, a development US Secretary of State John Kerry said was "very significant".

But key obstacles remain, including the fate of Assad, parliamentary presidential elections and the shape of any new government.

"We will not talk with anyone who wants to discuss the presidency... Bashar al-Assad is a red line," Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Muallem told a Damascus news conference on Saturday.

"If they continue with this approach, there's no reason for them to come to Geneva."

The HNC has repeatedly called for Assad's departure as a prerequisite for any deal.

"We believe that the transitional period should start with the fall, or death, of Bashar al-Assad," chief opposition negotiator Mohammad Alloush told AFP in a joint interview in Geneva.

"It cannot start with the presence of the regime, or the head of this regime still in power."

UN peace envoy Staffan de Mistura has said the Geneva meetings, opening on the eve of the fifth anniversary of the start of the conflict in March 2011, would not last more than 10 days.



The negotiations are set to cover the formation of a new government, a fresh constitution and UN-monitored presidential and parliamentary elections within 18 months.

Assad's fate has long been a major stumbling block, with key Damascus ally Russia rejecting any suggestion he should go, while the United States wants him to step down.

"Assad is stronger than ever and is going nowhere," said Joshua Landis, director of the Center for Middle East Studies at the University of Oklahoma, describing the agenda for the talks as "not realistic".

Muallem said the UN envoy had no right to "discuss presidential elections," saying the talks aimed to form a unity government to appoint a committee to either write a new constitution or amend the existing one.

"Then we will have a referendum for the Syrian people to decide on it," he said.

The HNC has called for the creation of a transitional body with full executive powers, and Alloush said Muallem's comments "show that the regime is not serious about the political process".

There have also been questions about how any deal would be felt on Syria's battlefields, where myriad groups have been competing for territory.

Russia -- which launched its own air strikes in support of the Assad regime in September -- had called on de Mistura to include Syrian Kurds in peace talks.

The envoy told Swiss newspaper Le Temps that while they would not take part, they should be given a chance to express their views.

Fighting has eased across Syria since the landmark ceasefire between the regime and rebels -- but not militant groups such as the Islamic State -- took effect.

Kerry, who was in Paris on Sunday for talks with European partners on the conflict, said the truce had reduced violence by 80-90 percent, which he described as "very, very significant".

"We believe that the start of talks this next week in Geneva presents a critical moment for bringing the political solution to the table that we've all been waiting for," he said after meeting top officials in Saudi Arabia on Saturday.

Both sides have accused the other of breaking the truce, and Alloush said there have been 350 violations, which showed the regime was "not serious" about the ceasefire.

In the latest violence, regime air raids killed seven civilians in rebel-held areas of the main northern city of Aleppo on Friday, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

The Britain-based monitor said an Islamist rebel group claimed to have shot down a regime warplane Saturday in central Hama province, but a pro-government Facebook page blamed "technical difficulties".



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Following the recent terrorist attacks in Ben Gardane, a security sweep is uncovering weapons stores that reveal the extent of armament of Islamist militants in the vicinity

Tunisian security forces found an anti-aircraft artillery at an underground arms storage facility in Ben Gardane city, the first time since militant attacks began in the country in 1980.

The city is witnessing a manhunt for Islamic State group operatives since last Mondays attacks in Tunisia.

Local Tunisian news, including official radio channels, reported early Sunday news of finding the arms store and the anti-aircraft missile.

Media reported that the 14.5 mm missile has a reach of 18 kilometres and can take down airplanes and helicopters.

The missile is transportable via an SUV.

Informed sources told Ahram Online that in the history of militant activity in Tunisia the discovery of such destructive weaponry is unprecedented, and that the use of RPGs in the recent Ben Gardane attacks is a new threshold in terrorist capabilities.

The Gafsa operation in January 1980 led to tension in Libyan-Tunisian relations under leaders Gaddafi and Burqiba when an armed group allegedly affiliated to Tripoli tried to seize the city in the Tunisian south, known for phosphate mining.

Sources suggest that the anti-aircraft missile might have reached Islamic State group militants from the armory of weapons of the Libyan army during the time of Gaddafi's rule.

In response to a question posed by Ahram Online in a phone call to the Tunisian defence ministry, spokesperson Belhassan El-Waslaty declined to comment on this qualitative development in the armament of Islamist militants, saying, No joint statement has been issued yet by the ministries of interior and defence about the matter.

El-Waslaty said the situation in Ben Gardane is returning to stability as security and military operations reveal more militant elements and hidden arms stores. He added that there is military and security readiness to intervene whenever there is an emergency, and to face any possible threats.

El-Waslaty described the cooperation of residents of Ben Gardane with security and military operations as excellent, adding that the manhunt operation is taking guidance and information from residents in the area.

On another note, security and military forces sent reinforcements to besiege the mountainous areas in the provinces of Al-Qasrein, Sidi Bou Zeid, and Gafsa in the western centre of the country, in anticipation that militants who are fortified there may try to conduct attacks on cities to alleviate conditions for their associates in Ben Gardane.

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Related Palestinian president bids to woo striking teachers back to work

Teachers at public schools in the West Bank were back at work on Sunday after suspending a three-week strike that challenged the cash-strapped Palestinian Authority.

An education ministry spokesman told AFP that "100 percent of classes have resumed" after teachers agreed to return to work following a pledge from Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas to improve conditions.

Facing mounting pressure from teachers and parents, Abbas on Saturday promised teachers a 10 percent pay rise, a management review and the implementation of a 2013 work agreement.

"The strike was suspended in response to the appeal of president Mahmud Abbas," one of the strike organisers told AFP on condition of anonymity, adding that teachers were ready to go back on strike if the authorities do not meet their commitments.

Abbas's promised changes will only take effect from September but he asked them to return to work this Sunday, the first day of the Palestinian working week.

There were large demonstrations in support of the teachers, who say they are underpaid in comparison with other government employees.

The PA, which spends nearly half of its budget on wages for its 180,000 civil servants, is facing a chronic economic crisis.

The monthly wage bill of nearly $150 million is 16 percent of Gross Domestic Product, one of the highest ratios in the world.

The PA was supposed to have been an interim body and be replaced in 1999 by a sovereign state of Palestine but a peace treaty with Israel has proven elusive and foreign aid to the administration has halved over the past five years.

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Gaza's interior ministry said Sunday it had dissolved an association led by the head of the only Palestinian Shia group for conducting "political activities" under the guise of charity.

"Al-Baqiat Al-Salihat association was recently dissolved because its administration had violated the law governing the actions of charitable organisations by engaging in political activities," said a spokesman for the ministry controlled by the Islamist Hamas movement.

The spokesman, Iyad al-Bozom, did not provide details on the activities.

A month ago the association, which receives Iranian funding, had been warned to comply with the law, Bozom said.

"Since that did not happen, the association is now considered dissolved," he said.

The head of Al-Baqiat Al-Salihat, Hisham Salem, whose home was targeted by a bomb last month, in a statement condemned the "arbitrary decision lacking a clear legal basis" against his association.

The Hamas rulers of Gaza had targeted it with "a tyrannical policy contrary to public interest and that doesn't take people's needs into account unless it's in its own interest," Salem said.

Shia Islam is considered a foreign import from Iran among Palestinians who are exclusively Sunni Muslims or Christians.

Salem formed Al-Sabirin, the only Palestinian Shia Muslim movement, in 2014.

He is a former member of Islamic Jihad -- a group that also takes inspiration from the Shiite Iranian revolution, but which is Sunni.

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Top Islamic State (IS) group commander Omar al-Shishani has been "clinically dead" for several days after a US air strike in northern Syria, a monitoring group said Sunday.

"Shishani is not able to breathe on his own and is using machines. He has been clinically dead for several days," said Rami Abdel Rahman, head of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

Abdel Rahman said the notorious red-bearded commander, known as Omar the Chechen, was in a hospital in the northern province of Raqa, IS group's bastion in Syria.

A US official said on March 9 that Shishani "likely died" in a barrage of US-led air strikes on March 4 in northeastern Syria.

The official branded Shishani "the IS group equivalent of the secretary of defence", using another acronym for the group.

Abdel Rahman at the time said the militant had been "seriously injured" in the strike on his convoy, but that he had not died.

Shishani was one of the IS leaders most wanted by Washington, which put a $5 million bounty on his head.

Shishani comes from the Pankisi Gorge, a mainly ethnic Chechen region of ex-Soviet state Georgia.

As early as May 2013, when IS was just emerging in Syria, he was appointed the group's military commander for the north of the country.

While Shishani's exact rank is unclear, Richard Barrett of the US-based Soufan Group has described him as IS's "most senior military commander", adding that he has been in charge of key battles.

Shishani is not, however, a member of IS's political leadership, a structure that is even murkier than its military command.

The lack of a US presence on the ground makes it difficult to assess the success of operations targeting militants in Syria, and Shishani's death has been falsely reported several times.

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Turkey on Sunday slapped a curfew on two border towns in the Kurdish-dominated southeast ahead of a looming military "clean-up" operation as it eased a lockdown in Diyarbakir.

Turkish troops have been waging a major -- and controversial -- offensive against the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) since December, imposing strict 24-hour curfews in a number of towns and cities in the southeast.

Ankara has repeatedly imposed curfews for military operations in southeastern urban centres, and on Sunday said restrictions would be slapped on two more towns -- Yuksekova, near the Iranian border, and Nusaybin, on the frontier with Syria.

The aim was to "restore order and security" following an increase in "terrorist activity", local authorities said.

Ankara has vowed to wipe out the PKK, classed as a terrorist organisation by Turkey and its Western allies, and said "clean-up" operations in Yuksekova, Nusaybin and Sirnak, a third Kurdish city, are imminent.

As the new restrictions were announced, Turkey eased the curfew in part of Diyarbakir, the biggest Kurdish majority city, which has been under lockdown since December.

From 8:00 am (0600 GMT) on Sunday, residents of part of the city's historic Sur district were allowed back onto the streets, where some buildings have been badly damaged in the operation, an AFP correspondent said.

Residents forced from the area by the clashes and the curfews returned to inspect their damaged homes, carrying belongings in suitcases and pushcarts.

Other parts of Sur, a UNESCO world heritage site, remain under curfew to allow the authorities to "capture terrorists" and "clear explosives and booby-traps", according to the local governor.

The police and army launched an operation in the narrow streets of Sur in early December aimed at retaking control of areas seized by armed PKK activists, who dug trenches and put up barricades.

Critics say the clashes have caused major damage and forced nearly 50,000 people in Sur from their homes since the start of December. Up to 70,000 people were living in the area before the violence erupted.

Army high command said this week its operation in Sur had killed 279 members of "the separatist terrorist organisation", the PKK, but gave no toll for security forces. Local media have put the figure in the dozens.

The pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) says dozens of civilians have also been killed.

Violence flared last summer between Kurdish rebels and government forces after a deadly bombing in a Kurdish majority town, shattering a 2013 ceasefire reached after secret talks between PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan and Ankara.

Over 40,000 people have been killed since the PKK took up arms in 1984 demanding an independent state for Kurds. Since then the group has narrowed its demands to greater autonomy and cultural rights.

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Hundreds of thousands of people protested against Ban Ki-moon in Rabat on Sunday after Morocco's government criticised the UN chief for remarks made on the disputed Western Sahara region.

Carrying banners denouncing Ban's alleged "lack of neutrality", protesters waved Moroccan flags and sang the national anthem. Official news agency MAP said more than three million people had participated.

Ban sparked anger in Morocco earlier this month when he visited a camp in Algeria for refugees from Western Sahara, which is under Moroccan control.

The UN has been trying to oversee an independence referendum for Western Sahara since 1992 after a ceasefire was reached to end a war that broke out when Morocco sent its forces to the former Spanish territory in 1975.

The Algerian-backed Polisario Front is seeking independence for the territory, a demand ruled out by Morocco.

During his visit, Ban announced plans to re-launch UN-sponsored talks between Rabat and the Polisario Front.

Ban said the UN mission to the region was "prepared to hold a referendum if there is agreement between the parties".

The Moroccan government, in a statement issued by the foreign ministry, accused Ban of speaking out of line and of using the word "occupation" to describe the status of Western Sahara.

"The Moroccan government noted with astonishment that the secretary general used the expression 'occupation' to describe Morocco's restoration of its territorial integrity," the statement said.

It said the alleged use of the word was "an insult to the government and the Moroccan people".

"Far from achieving the stated goal of his visit to relaunch political dialogue, the secretary general's comments could jeopardise the process," the statement added.

Ban rejected the criticism, insisting that he and the UN are "neutral partners" in efforts to find a solution to Western Sahara.

Ban visited the camp as part of a regional tour which also took him to Burkina Faso, Mauritania and Algeria, but not to Morocco.

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A car bomb ripped through a busy square in central Ankara Sunday, killing at least 27 people and wounding 75, officials said, the latest in a spate of attacks to hit Turkey.

Ambulances rushed to the scene on Kizilay square, a key commercial and transport hub close to the city's embassy area, where the blast reduced several vehicles including a bus to burnt-out wrecks.

The attack comes just weeks after the city was hit by a suicide car bombing on February 17 targeting the military that killed 29 people, claimed by a dissident faction of the oulawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK).

The provincial governor's office said there were 27 dead and 75 wounded in Sunday's attack.

"The blast was caused by a vehicle packed with explosives close to Kizilay square," an official statement said.

Medical sources told AFP the wounded had been taken to 10 different hospitals around the city, with a dozen said to be in a very serious condition.

Turkey has been hit by a spate of deadly attacks since the middle of last year, most of them blamed on the Islamic State (IS) group, including a double suicide bombing in Ankara in October that left 103 people dead.

Coming so soon after the February bombing, Sunday's attack will raise fresh questions about Turkey's ability to manage the twin security threat posed by IS and Kurdish rebels, as Ankara presses the European Union to speed up its membership process in return for help with the migrant crisis.

The Kurdistan Freedom Falcons (TAK), linked to the PKK, said it carried out the February bombing in Ankara as revenge for operations by the Turkish military in the southeast of the country and warned foreign tourists not to visit the country.

A two-year ceasefire between the government and Kurdish rebels collapsed in the middle of last year and since December security forces have been waging a major campaign against the PKK in the southeast of the country.

Strict 24-hour curfews were imposed in a number of Kurdish-dominated towns and cities to allow the military and police to pursue the fight against fighters who had dug trenches and put up barricades.

Sunday's attack came hours before curfews were due to take effect in two more towns in the southeast as a prelude to fresh military operations.

Authorities said restrictions would be slapped on Yuksekova, near the Iranian border, and Nusaybin, on the frontier with Syria, to "restore order and security" following an increase in "terrorist activity".

Ankara has vowed to wipe out the PKK, classed as a terrorist organisation by Turkey and its Western allies, and has said "clean-up" operations in Yuksekova, Nusaybin and Sirnak, a third Kurdish city, are imminent.

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Saudi Arabia said on Sunday it would punish anyone who belongs to the Lebanese Shia Islamist group Hezbollah, sympathizes with it, supports it financially or harbors any of its members.

An Interior Ministry statement carried by the state news agency SPA said that Saudis and expatriates would be subjected to "severe penalties" under the kingdom's regulations and anti-terrorism laws. Foreigners would be deported, it said.

Hezbollah has close ties to Iran, Saudi Arabia's bitter rival for power in the region

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At least five people were killed on Sunday when heavily-armed gunmen opened fire in the Ivory Coast resort town of Grand-Bassam, leaving bodies strewn on the beach.

"At the moment there are five dead," a military source said on condition of anonymity after the assault in the resort popular with Westerners.

An AFP photographer saw seven bodies on the beach and another in the Etoile du Sud (Southern Star) hotel, one of the establishments that came under attack in the country's former French colonial capital.

A witness told AFP they heard one of the attackers shouting "Allahu akbar" -- Arabic for "God is greatest".

The assailants, who were "heavily armed and wearing balaclavas, fired at guests at the L'Etoile du Sud, a large hotel which was full of expats in the current heatwave," another witness told AFP.

It was not immediately clear who was behind the shooting in the resort, which lies on the Gulf of Guinea around 40 kilometres (25 miles) east of the commercial hub Abidjan.

"We were on the beach, we heard the gunshots and we saw people fleeing -- we understood this was an attack," witness Braman Kinda told AFP, showing photos of seven bodies lying on the beach including that of at least one woman.

Kinda said four attackers had "roamed the beach firing shots".

Abbas El-Roz, a Lebanese national who was staying at the Etoile du Sud, said he one of the attackers had a Kalashnikov assault rifle and a grenade belt.

At least one assailant was killed, several witnesses reported.

Another witness called Kouamena Kakou Bertin said three others fled on foot via a nearby road.

"Search operations are continuing, the hotel has been secured," a police source told AFP.

A crowd of several hundred people gathered at the entrance to Grand-Bassam's French quarter at the edge of the old town, where a dozen ambulances were on standby.

An AFP journalist saw around a dozen people, including an injured Western woman, being evacuated in a military truck.

Military vehicles carrying heavy machine guns also headed to the scene, along with armed traditional hunters known as Dozo.

The army was tightly controlling access to the area.

Attacks in recent months on luxury hotels in the capitals of neighbouring Mali and Burkina Faso have left dozens of people dead, leaving West African nations scrambling to boost security in the face of a growing jihadist threat.

Analysts have voiced fears that Islamist attacks could spread to countries such as Ivory Coast and Senegal, and the recently-concluded Flintlock exercise, which groups African, US and European troops, focused on the need to counter jihadism.

In Burkina Faso and Mali, Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) claimed responsibility for deadly attacks on hotels popular with foreigners in November 2015 and in January this year.

The Mali attack in November left 20 people dead, while gunmen killed 30 people in the assault on a top hotel in Burkina Faso's capital Ouagadougou in January.

Ivory Coast is the world's top cocoa producer. Its former president Laurent Gbagbo is currently on trial at the International Criminal Court for crimes against humanity over deadly violence that followed the disputed 2010 election.

More than 3,000 people were killed in five months of unrest after the presidential polls, when Gbagbo refused to concede defeat to Alassane Ouattara.

Ouattara was re-elected for a second presidential term late last year, hoping to turn the page on the violence and revive Ivory Coast's conflict-scarred economy.

Home to some 80,000 people, Grand-Bassam holds UNESCO World Heritage status thanks to its elegant colonial-era facades. The town has several hotels frequented by expatriates.

UNESCO describes Grand-Bassam as a late 19th and early 20th century colonial town that "bears witness to the complex social relations between Europeans and Africans, and to the subsequent independence movement".

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Al-Qaeda's North African affiliate claimed a deadly attack by heavily-armed gunmen on an Ivory Coast resort on Sunday that killed at least 16 people, US-based monitors said.



In a message posted on its Telegram channels, Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) said three of its "heroes" had stormed the Grand-Bassam resort, according to SITE Intelligence Group, which is based just outside Washington.



President Alassane Ouattara said six gunmen had been killed.



The strike, which targeted three hotels in the former French colonial capital that is popular with Western expatriates, also killed 14 civilians and two special forces troops, he said.



"By the grace of Allah and His granting of success, three heroes from the knights of Qaedat al-Jihad in the Islamic Maghreb were able to storm the tourist resort 'Grand Bassam,' situated east of the city of Abidjan, in Ivory Coast," the SITE Intelligence Group quoted AQIM as saying.



One witness told AFP they heard one of the assailants shouting "Allahu Akbar" -- Arabic for "God is greatest."



The resort lies on the Gulf of Guinea around 25 miles (40 kilometers) east of the commercial hub Abidjan.

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I have little sympathy, political or otherwise, for Tawfiq Okasha, television personality and until a few days ago, Member of Parliament.

Ive been the target of his accusations and invective, like many others who dared criticize state policies over the last few years, and I agree its unacceptable for an MP and media personality with a large following to receive the Israeli ambassador in his home in the theatrical manner that he did.

Nevertheless, I still do not understand the grounds for the revocation of his parliamentary membership. His meeting with the ambassador? Thats not a crime punishable by law, regardless of the publics rejection of normalisation of relations with Israel.

And anyway, many of those in and out of the assembly demanding Okashas head are well known for their anti-Palestinian vitriol. Is it because Okasha lost the peoples trust, as reported by the media? If so, then the conditions of that provision in the bylaws should have been followed to the letter, rather than simply appealing to such broad formulations.

Perhaps his conduct threatens national security? In that case, his parliamentary immunity should have been lifted, to allow him to be questioned by the competent authorities.

Clearly, his membership was revoked because he overstepped the proper bounds, prompting the state to deny him its protection and jettison him.

But Im not really concerned about Okashas fate. What worries me is how blithely the parliament violated the law and its own bylawsa step it could take in the future against other MPs for other reasons.

Im also concerned about the continuing poor performance of the assembly, how its yielding to media and state pressure and becoming the object of ridicule, thus losing more of its credibility in the eyes of the public.

My motivation is not my admiration for this particular parliament. In fact, many people, myself included, warned of the consequences of the states insistence on conducting parliamentary elections under a flawed law that relies on an absolute list system with no peer the world over, discourages party participation, cements the control of moneyed and other special interests, and produces a fragmented and weak parliament.

This was all made clear, but the state disregarded it. The result was low voter turnout and pitiful returns (exhibit number one: Tawfiq Okasha took the most votes in a single constituency race in all of Egypt).

Nevertheless, we accepted the results and believed we should stick by the parliament regardless of its flaws, working to set it right, because it represented a step forward.

It brought in new faces who would rise to the responsibility and in any case, some kind of parliament is better than no parliament at all.

But unfortunately parliamentary performance over the last three months has been abysmal: the mayhem of the inaugural sessions; the recklessness of approving more than 340 laws in just a few days; the resignation of the former Cassation Court chief justice, Sirri Siyam, in protest at mismanagement; legislative activity sidelined for weeks for the discussion of house bylaws; the repeated postponement of the government presentation of its program; the silence on electronic vote manipulation in the assembly; the bedlam of every session.

All this has given the public the impression that the parliament, incapable of shouldering its responsibilities, doesnt deserve to be taken seriously.

This is not in the countrys interest. Undermining the stature of parliament weakens its legislative and regulatory role and gives credence to the idea that Egypt and Egyptians arent ready for democracy and will not be for many years to come.

There may be some advising state officials that a weak, fragmented parliamentlike weak unions, parties, NGOs, and youth movementsis in the rulers interest because it fosters stability and allows the government to implement its policies and programs unimpeded. This is a serious and historical error.

The lack of opposition and poor state oversight will not cause society to advance, the economy flourish, and security to reign. The opposite is true: development and stability are more likely with strong, independent political and representative institutions, a diversity of opinions, and mechanisms for negotiation, oversight, correction, and consensus building.

In the absence of effective parliamentary oversight, the government may find it simple to issue laws and push its policies through, but society will pay the price when it turns out that these laws needed a closer review and the policies required more consensus, groundwork, and explanation to succeed.

The public is right to lose faith in the parliament after seeing the mismanagement and confusion of its first weeks. But instead of making a further mockery of the assembly and laughing at the jokes and scandals circulated on television and social media, we should encourage it to correct course and cleave to the constitution and law.

An enfeebled parliament without credibility leaves the state without a watchdog and the people without a representative to defend their rights.



The writer holds a PhD in financial law from the London School of Economics. He is former deputy prime minister, former chairman of the Egyptian Financial Supervisory Authority and former chairman of the General Authority for Investment.

This article was published in Arabic in El-Shorouq newspaper on Monday, 7 March.

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